Bhagavad-gita 5.22. The Root of All Material Problems

Recitation of Bhagavad-gita verse 5.22

0:00We will speak from the fifth chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā. That's a famous verse, twenty-second verse of the fifth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Twenty-two. Twenty-two. Five twenty-two. Okay. Uh yeah, fine.

0:28Maybe he handy made both suck the hook. Bhunga. But they will love you, no. We love you. Okay. Yeah samparsajaboga. Nayevate, uh te, adyantavanta konteyana, nate suramate buddha, nate suramate budd Dehisam Sparsa Jabhoga,

1:35Ehi Sam Sparsa Jaboga, Dukayone, Adyantavanta konteaya, Nate Suramate Buddha, Nadeshura Pate Buddha, Ehisam Sparsajaboga, Dehi Sam Sha Bha Adhyantavanta konteya, Adyantavantaya, Natesu Ramate Buddha, Natesura Ramate Buddha.

2:17Yeah, Does. He, he, suddenly. Suttonly. Some sparsaja by contact with the material senses. Bhogaha. Enjoyments. Dukkha distress Yonaha Sources of Sources Eva Certainly Te They Adi Adi Beginning Anta End

2:54Vantaha Antaha Subject to Subject Osana of Kunti. Osan of Kunti. Na never. Never. Teshu Indose. Ramath takes delight. Takes delight. Buddha. The intel.ligent person Translation.

3:21An intelligent person doesn't take part in the sources of misery which are due to contact with m the material senses. You will have to translate? Yeah. Okay.

Nature of temporary material sense pleasures

3:42O son of Kunti, such pleasures have beginning and end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.

4:05Senses, material sense pleasures are due to the contact of the material senses which are temporary, which are all temporary because the body itself is temporary.

4:25A liberated soul is not interested in anything which is temporary. Knowing well the joys of transcendental pleasure, how can a liberated soul agree to enjoy false pleasures? Bahu-bāla-mithyā-sukho-sahamāt-bhoga.

4:47In the Padma Purana it is said: Padma Purana mikā-gāya ramante yogino 'nante satyānande cid-ātmani, iti rāma-padena asau param brahma abhidhīyate.

5:02The mystics derive unlimited transcendental pleasure from the absolute truths and therefore the supreme absolute truths, the personality of Godhead is also known as Rama.

5:14Yogibhyaḥ paramas tamo rāmaḥ tathyena ānanda-devyā sukha-prāpta-sattve hi param satyam iti rāma kahāyata.

5:24In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam na-ayam deho deha-bhājāṁ loke kaṣṭ kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye tapo divyaṁ putrakāṇāṁ yena sattvaṁ

5:41my dear sons, there is no reason to labor very hard for sense pleasures while in this human form of life. Such pleasures are available to the stool eaters, hogs.

5:53Rather, you should undergo penances in this life by which your existence will be purified. As a result, you will be able to enjoy unlimited transcendental bliss.

6:13Is kī apekṣā to me is given me tapa karana cāhīye, jisse ki manajīvana pavitra ho aur tum āsīm ānanda ko prāpta karo. Yes, I he, but those who are true

6:28yogis or learned transcendentalists are not attracted by sense pleasure, pleasures which are the causes of continuous material existence.

6:39Athācāya tathā yogī, yadi yaj jñānī hai, indriyāṁsī ko, indriya-sukoṁkī, aur ākāśa to nahiṁ hote, kyoṁki ananta bhāvaloṁ ke kāraṇa.

6:49The more one is addicted to the material pleasures, the more he is entrapped by material miseries. An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery which are due to the contact

7:17with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have beginning and end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.

7:45Nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhakti-vedānta-svāmin iti nāmine. Namaste sārasvati deve gaura-vāṇī- प्रचारिणे nirvīśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. Vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ. Jaya Śrī Kṛṣṇa

8:07Caitanya Prabhū-nityānanda Śrī-advaita Gadādhara Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

8:19Ajanā-lambita-bhujau kanakavadātau saṁkīrtanaika-pitārau kamalāyatākṣau. Viśvambharau dvija-varau yuga-dharma-pālāv etau jagat-priya-karau karuṇāvatārau. Yaddhāra-pravisam-āvācīmam-ām-āp-prakūtam.

Identifying root cause of material problems

8:33Yondah pravi mamavachimamamampraçutam. So I decided to speak a little bit on this verse because I was told that last week the topic was the spiritual solution for material problems. Maharaj may I put me kubatayaki

9:09pictures of Tamahavish no Gusami Maharajine, a Vishwishaki go hai, A Diatmik So, my particular topic will be the root of all material problems. So, uh Adu Vishesh Vishoga he sabi dupuka more karnakya because one

9:38thing is to solve material problems by spiritual means. Another thing is not to get any problems, not to get into material problems. yk taropik on a plea dupha sim a svangaasama at Hadmika Admatikariam Botikuji voti toka.

10:04And this particular verse Krishna is explaining the root cause of all our problems. He specifically says that the root cause of all our problems is our infatuation, our complete madness about the material sense pleasures.

10:31So it's been karan butari and bagwani hamari dukonga karan he kupagarpan or hamada tram. We all want happiness. That's natural. The goal of every human endeavors to become happy.

10:58But the problem, the main problem is that we are trying to find happiness in material sense pleasures. We somehow or other in our mind equate happiness with the material pleasures.

11:22Whereas here Krishna very clearly says that in reality the sense pleasure, yeah he some sparsajabhoga, the boga, the pleasures which we get from the contact of the senses with the object of the senses, du kayane evate, is the source of miseries.

11:56And it's very difficult truth to understand because we all sentimentally or emotionally attached to our concept of happiness.

12:16So because of this asatya, because of this attachment to uh to our concept of happiness, we have all the problems and we create all the problems and all the sufferings to ourselves.

12:38And if we take the global situation and analyse very carefully we will see that all the global problems which are there just because of the strong concept of happiness.

12:57People because of the understanding that they will be happy because of sense pleasure they develop a lot of greed. And because of this greed, because of this lobha, which is there in the heart.

13:21There are unlimited problems, ecological problems, international problems, and all kinds of problems are there. So you So

13:44what I want to s do I, want just to analyze this statement of Krishna that material sense pleasure is actually source of unhappiness, of miseries.

Relativity of material sense pleasures

13:55Dukha Yonaya Eva tea he sams parsajbhuga dukkha I'm coming from a cold country. Maharaj Mulsey where there is very cold weather. And for all those who live there to be in a nice sunny day in Dubai is a great pleasure.

14:36Or Mahagi knows Surias and Maktawaku, then who Nanga me hope or chalak down to Ananda. But for those who live in Dubai, under the bright sun of this desert. Too much sun is not a pleasure.

15:06On the way here, we were driving in a car and somebody wanted to please me. He said that you came from a cold country, therefore I should turn on AC.

15:28But to please somebody who is coming from a cold country you should turn on a heater, not AC. push your country push and heater on So

15:43what I want to say is that actually the happiness, so-called material happiness from the senses is uh very relative. Ye Maharaj kyakana sata ye to kat in reasukha ye relative hai matam kavering is uh Because

16:19in reality to, experience some happiness from this sense pleasures, you first have to experience some unhappiness. To experience happiness from food, what is the condition to have pleasure from food? To be hungry. Yeah.

16:46Maharaj Prashtamusa. Book. Bo Bookok.. Book and that will match. If you are not hungry, if uh you don't have this hunger, then the food will not bring you pleasure, right?

17:14But the marather bookni thought so need is a so without miseries you cannot get happiness. Right? You know, if I am not cold, I will not get pleasure from heat. But if I'm very cold, heat is very pleasurable.

17:47And whatever uh sort of happiness we will take if we analyze it very carefully, we will understand that in the beginning there is some unhappiness and then somehow or other by some material means we neutralize this unhappiness, this tension in the brain, in our mind, and when we neutralize this unhappiness or tension, we feel oh this is so nice.

18:16So the Ramos say some trap and very humble dopsiarna Pratai, uh that puts soaking the lakh should be able to trap the For example, when people play some game, some sports, or you know whatever sports is there, you know, and when they win, they experience a lot of happiness.

18:55You can see this football players or cricket players when the team wins and they are so joyful, yeah, they embrace each other, they're so happy. Why are they happy? Because they were so unhappy before.

19:19Because they were so tense before, you know, what's gonna happen. If they were not you know, if they were just playing and you know it doesn't matter, just let's play. They would not be happy because they would win.

19:41But before they were so tense, and oh, what's going to happen?

Mind states and relief from tension

19:45You know, we should play very In

20:06In reality, Krishna explains very clearly in Bhagavad-gītā that uh happiness, this experience of happiness of Sukh, manka souk it's coming from sattva-guṇa from sāttvika state of mind. When this satvik state of mind is there, the mind is calm, the mind is very light and very nice, then we feel its happiness.

20:45But we cannot we experience this state of mind uh after you know we get relief from a lot of tension. When the tension is there and we relieved then we see oh very nice very nice.

21:00Would you give tension or tie or tension So in reality, this sort of material happiness is not happiness, it's just relief of tension, relief of miseries. In a similar way, people they have some desire.

21:29They want to buy a car or they want to build a house and it's it's a big desire and they work very hard. Right? And then they finally get the car. Nice Mercedes car. Mercedes achī cīz hai. Yeah.

21:56Oh, for how long they will be happy? At best five days. That doesn't find any If this Mercedes car would be the source of happiness, why would it not bring them happiness after one month?

22:15It never brings happiness after one month. The experience of happiness is just because they had such a strong desire and now finally desire is released and they are happy.

22:41But if they didn't have this desire, they would be happy without Mercedes car, no problem. But it shot attention doesn't mean that of the nada.

22:53So again, we should very clearly understand that this is just a game of mind. It's a game of mind.

Endless cycle of material desires

22:59This so-called happiness is just illusion. People they think that they will become happy if they uh realize or achieve some desire.

23:14But when desire is there they still feel no happiness is not there. And they again set another goal, and another desire builds up, and tension builds up and then for a few days they're happy because tension is gone when they achieve this desire but then the same thing starts again.

23:33N happiness. So come to the sukha, and parāmarśa, you could or each I that the word change proud to be a perhaps tension said you want to permit that I have a devotee friend, he is a professional psychologist.

24:01And uh he has a lot of people who come to him for some psychological problem for consultations to to get relief from tension of from stress. And he once told me that uh the amazing thing is that uh in general

24:23poor people are more happier than the rich people. Upari, thank you bhai doctor Taki Jokari Logon logoki to lami se diada suk diada pūch.

24:40And he said the reason is very simple, because poor people uh they still have hope that they will become happy when they become rich. And a mere loki āśā. Yeah. But rich people they don't have this hope anymore.

25:16They because they know they didn't become happy. So in fact, this so-called material happiness is not just happiness, it's just hope for happiness.

25:38And if for example those people who have this conception that my happiness will only be there when all my desires are fulfilled.

25:49Just let them imagine that all of a sudden all your desires fulfilled and then for the rest of eternity, whatever desire you have, it immediately will be fulfilled. People will be horrified by this prospect.

26:26This people will be bored. This is how you know sometimes rich people are very bored because they don't know what to do now. Whatever they want is there and you know it's it's still they're not still happy with. So

26:53that's only one problem with this so-called material happiness because it's it's very intertwined, it it's very interconnected with unhappiness, with suffering the problem with things in fact this is just uh two sides of one coin. One is sukha and another one is duḥkha. And if we waste our whole life by trying to get this happiness, we ultimately will always bring unhappiness to ourselves.

27:45You know, if if sukha is coming from this through this door, then it means that dukkha is following sukha. saying if you now if now you are laughing so hard, it means that very soon you will be crying in the same way,

28:21bodha. So we have to really understand that this is the same thing. Sukha-duḥkha, sukha-duḥkha. There's no much difference. It uh you know e the okay.

Story of King Chitraketu and dualities

28:37We have to understand this. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is this story uh about uh Maharaja Chitra Ketu. Maharaja Chitra Ketu became a great devotee. And we know he was very much eager to get son. To get son, to get a son.

29:01Association. To what? No, no. Son. Putra. Putra. He had so many wives, but somehow or other, none of the wives could give birth to a child. And he was so, you know, so unhappy, so miserable, and he just wanted to have a son.

29:34And ultimately Nārada Muni and Parvata Muni came to him and he asked him, please fulfill my desire, I only have one desire.

29:53And then said, you know, it's not within your karma, but if you really want, we will give you blessings. You will get a son. But his name will be Harsha Ashoka. Harsha Ashoka. Ah, soka namah, harsha shoka.

30:15Not Harsha Ashoka, but Harsha shoka. Harsha shoka. So it means that he will bring you immense pleasure. Harsh. Harsha. But the same he will also be cause of immense misery for you. Shoka. Shoka.

30:43So but if we analyze it very carefully, whatever brings us the most happiness, the same will be the cause of most miseries to us. Exactly the same, not anything else. So that's the law of nature.

31:15And Krishna gives another reason here. First of all, he says, this sparśa-ja bhoga is the source of unhappiness, that's one reason. Then, second of all, he says why wise people don't enjoy this sort of happiness?

31:34Because ādy-anta-vantaḥ kaunteya, they have beginning and end. This this experiences have beginning and end. Even even if you have all your desires fulfilled, even if your situation is very ideal, your family, everything is happy still you always feel

32:03someday it will end. because it will end it brings you unhappiness while you're happy. Because we all know it will end.

32:31You know, even if you have everything nice, uh sooner or later some changes will happen and it will end.

32:47Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gītā that because the three modes of material nature are always competing for the supremacy.

32:56You know, even if the situation is nice, the mode, the other mode, the Rajagun or Tamagun is already waiting to destroy this.

33:07Bhagavad mebi some yati bhagwan kids, prakrati kutin guru sweeparhabi kihmesha ti redi eh, devsatoko So we have to be very clear that material happiness is not real happiness. It's not real happiness.

33:36And therefore Krishna says, Nateshu Ramate Buddha, if you have some intelligence, you will not strive for this sort of happiness. It doesn't mean that you will not try to make your material situation nice.

33:58It's kind of implied that you will try to do something nice but you will not invest all your hopes in this illusory material happiness.

34:21You will not think that material happiness is all in all, that there is nothing else but but this.

Predetermined nature of material destiny

34:35You will strive for something higher. Like Srila Prabhupada in one lecture, he says that actually whatever is supposed to come come to us, to happen with us, is more or less uh it's already guaranteed.

34:54It's it's it's it's it will come. It will come. It is said in Niti Shastra, it is said that five sayings are written on your forehead.

35:18And uh if somebody can read he can look in your forehead and will say you you will have such so much money and you will have such a long life and you will be will have this sort of education.

35:44And even if you try very hard, you will not get more money than you deserve to get. And if you deserve to have a lot of money, you will get it even if you don't work too hard, you will still get it.

36:11It's more or less already predestined by your previous actions. Uh the other most guy. Good astrologer can look in your chart and will say, yeah, right, you know, your second house is okay, so you will have a lot of money.

36:38It's also interesting. I study little astrology and second houses for money. I will tell you a little secret. It's an amazing paradox.

36:58Usually good planets like Jupiter, if they are in a house, they will bring some good things according to this house. And you know what you radiate.

37:15Yeah, if Guru or Mercury or Shukra is there, then the good good things will come in this house.

37:29But in case of second house, money, the house of your money, if good planet is there, you will not get any good you will not get money. It's vice versa.

37:40You have to have bad planet in this house, then you will get a lot of money. You think a little bit about this. It has a lot of philosophy behind. Money is not always actually good luck. It's not always a fortune.

38:10It's not, you know, you shouldn't think that you know somebody, that if you're fortunate, then you will have money. Good planets they don't bring money.

38:31I once spoke with Alfred Ford, Ambarish Prabhu, the disciple of Srila Prabhupāda, who is coming from this rich, rich, rich family, rich, rich background. From Ford family. And he told me amazing thing.

38:55He said to me that this energy which is there in the wealth, in in big money, is so dangerous. I've seen. If somebody is born and this very rich background, it's it's a very difficult situation. Very difficult.

39:36But uh in any case what we are trying to understand here is that uh yes we definitely, you know, we should have nice life, proper life. That's not a problem. But we shouldn't think that this is the most important thing in the world.

Contrast between material and spiritual bliss

40:03There is something more than just material happiness.

40:11And therefore in previous verse uh Sri Krishna explained this truth. He says in the previous verse that liberated person is not attached to material sense pleasures, but always entrance, enjoying pleasure within.

40:31In this way, the self-realized person enjoys unlimited happiness for he concentrates on the Supreme. So Krishna is explaining of happiness. Not just one type of happiness. 21, yeah. The previous verse.

41:06Which was the line bus? Yeah, which line in the perfect. Just translation. You can translation. Okay. Specifically Sri Krishna says, sukkam akshayam ashnute. He's enjoying Akshaya Sukh, unending or inexhaustible suk.

41:46Sukham Akshaya Mashnuti. Anyway so there are some astrological signs that I have to finish my lectures, so uh I will finish it now. I just wanted to repeat this point that there are two types

42:12of happiness, and if one is really intelligent, he has to analyze the nature of material happiness and try to strive for some higher sort of happiness.

42:31And the second type of happiness which is coming from within, the happiness from the soul, is actually the happiness which everyone can get and everyone is entitled for it washokay

42:47under some comment or so for Sabino Sophia Satan. And therefore Śrīla Prabhupāda quotes this very famous verse from the fifth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Smad Brahmasukyam Tvanantam.

43:07That really intelligent person, he is trying to get Brahmasukha, the spiritual happiness. Which is which is unlimited to an under. Yeah, Sudhyatya Smad Brahma Sukyam Tvanantam.

Attaining eternal spiritual happiness

43:26He is trying to get the unlimited spiritual happiness. uh uh so brah the naked and this uh this spiritual happiness uh ultimately is coming uh when uh our mind is cleansed and we are in contact with our soul.

44:01Because at this moment we cannot really feel or get the awareness of the pleasure of the soul due to disturbed mind which we have.

44:18And uh when the mind is somewhat pacified, we will feel the pleasure of the soul, the innate pleasure of the soul. But this is not even the highest type of happiness because there is even higher type of happiness.

44:46Which is coming when when when we come in contact with uh the source of all happiness of all ananda uh Or Bojus Savophari Sukhay, Who Hamita Pratoga, Yabham, Sakya,

45:02Agad, Yu, Krishna Bhagwan, Hand, Yu Sari, Sukok, Zavare Hand Therefore, as Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, therefore, the name of God is Rāma. Because Ram means immense pleasure, immense happiness.

45:27So if you are in contact with Rāma, you're also very happy. And if you are separated with Rāma, no matter how much money you have, you will not be happy. You will be very unhappy because uh you are far away from Rāma.

46:00Therefore we all chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare, and sincerely try to call Rama in our life. Unfortunately uh as As Sri Dharma Raj, late Sri Dharma

46:26once said, he said, sometimes devotees when they chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare, they mean how are hard dollar dollar dollar hardy hardy hardy euro hardy euro euro euro hari hari Different

46:50version of the same Mahā-mantra. So unfortunately when people chant this, they mean the other version of this mantra, another anartha.

47:08So, but in reality when we call Krishna and Rama and Hari, we should call them, not their energy or not any other things which may come with them. Krishna and Ram Hari Kopukata Ukohi Ryat Kare.

47:31If if they come we will be happy. Thank you very much.

Questions on Yugas and cosmic cycles

47:39And what anyone is only pressing a pushaifu? In uh four hundred thousand and twenty three thousand uh four hundred and twenty three thousand years from now. Yes. So it's long time. So we are so task.

48:37See, uh, in the Twelfth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that, uh, actually the destruction of this world is continuous. Brahma Kumari is saying the 5000 years already finished this one.

48:52Any time something will restart. No, no. That Brahma Kumari said that in five thousand years very soon Satya Yuga will start. No it we'll have to wait for Satya Yoga a little bit more much uh see uh satya

49:19yuga is is the state where sattva-guṇa is predominant.

49:32And it's not arbitrary when it starts because there are certain astrological signs and certain you know things should take place. So it will take a long time before it starts.

49:46But you can bring Satya-yuga in your heart already now as you talk about collection

50:12Yeah, because Satya-yuga means predominance of sattva-guṇa. Yoga Matlabhai Satoguru Pradhanta me Satogun Pradhan hai to a So don't wait for Satyayugas, just start it now. Satya Yuk.

50:35So Satyabukha and Gudarnakare, uh Abhisiya Piggy and Satyuk Bhakti.

50:42Like I'm coming from Russia and in Russia initially they wanted to have communism all over the world. That was the idea of Lenin that ultimately the whole world will become one communistic state.

51:15But then they realized it's not going to happen. So they decided to build communism in one country.

51:23They decided they then they realized that it's not going to happen all over the world, so they decided to make communism in one country.

51:39Then they realized that it's not going to happen in one country, so they decided to make communists for one man who is the general secretary of communist party.

Devotional perspective on family attachments

51:48So he only got something to get you so if it's not possible for Satya-yuga for the whole world or for the whole country, just make it for yourself.

52:19Maharaj you said that uh one should not get attached to the material things. So is it applicable on the family members also? They should get attached to the family members or Śrīla, you want to translate it?

52:49Um just want to say it in Hindi, but anyway.

52:57Śrīla Prabhupāda says in Bhagavad-gītā that attachment to family members is a natural thing. It's svābhāvika, svābhāvika said the Śrīla Prabhupāda and svābhāvika because it's not possible to live with the with the members of our s you know family and be completely detached. It it will be crazy.

53:31The mother is naturally attached to a son, right? Or to the children. How how mother cannot be attached to her children? But at least for children the attachment is there.

54:04But at the same time uh we have to really clearly understand that ultimately all these children they are sent to us by God. And our duty is to take care of them because they're sent to us by God.

54:29And we try to be attached to them uh as parts and parcels of God. It's like Queen Kuntī, she prays about this in the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. She says, O my lord, please break my attachment to

55:02Pāṇḍavas and Yādavas. Pāṇḍavas are her sons and yādavas are her relatives from her father's line from her family life line.

55:31Śrīla Prabhupāda explains in the purport to this verse, to this prayer of Queen Kuntī, that she's not praying to be detached from Pandavas and Yadavas. She's not praying to be not attached to them.

55:54She is praying that her main attachment would be to Krishna and then her attachment to the Pandavas and Yadavas would be through Krishna. Not outside of Krishna, but through Krishna.

56:17If I'm attached to somebody, uh just directly to him, it will be very difficult. Because this attachment will bring me happiness and the same attachment will bring me a lot of miseries, a lot of suffering.

56:40But if I am attached to somebody and uh not just directly but through Krishna and I invite Krishna as as the third party to our to our relationship, then the attachment will not be cause of miseries.

57:07It will bring you a lot of happiness. So be attached but with Krishna and through Krishna. Okay.

57:20And if you forget Krishna by being attached to somebody, it will not bring happiness to him, it will not bring happiness to you, and it will not bring happiness to Krishna. The time is up actually. Thank you very much.