# Tapasyā *On the necessity of austerity in spiritual life* --- ### Brahmā Had to Perform Tapasyā > So one has to learn this. But they cannot learn, because they do not undergo austerity. That is the defect. No education is there how to perform austerity. Therefore Vedic civilization is how to teach small children austerities. That is *brahmacārī.* So we want to start this *brahmacārī āśrama,* or *gurukula,* to learn austerity from the beginning of life. Then their life will be successful; they'll understand. Not to become a grammarian. That is not our. So we should take lesson from Brahmājī, our grandfather, that *pariśuddha-bhāvāḥ tīvra-tapasā.* This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grace, mercy, that we haven't got to undergo *tīvra-tapasā.* But we are thinking, "This is also very difficult." What is that? No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. But they are taking it very, very severe. What is the severity? We don't say "No sex," but "No illicit sex." This much *tapasya,* austerity, you cannot follow? — [[spoken/1976/760313sb.may|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.35, Māyāpur, March 13, 1976]] --- ### Tapasyā Must Be There > *Tapasyā* must be there. Unless you undergo *tapasya,* there is no rescue. Even Brahmā had to perform *tapasya,* what to speak of us. You cannot avoid it. *Tapasā brahmacaryena.*. *Tapasyā* begins from *brahmacarya:* no illicit sex, no sex. But that is not possible, at least stop illicit sex. *Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa.* This is very important thing. — [[spoken/1976/760313sb.may|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.35, Māyāpur, March 13, 1976]] --- ### Already Finished All Tapasyā > That is the. *Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim* [Nārada Pañcarātra1.2.6]: "If Kṛṣṇa is served, then where is the necessity of *tapasya?*" No more *tapasya. Tapasyā* is meant for the third-grade men to come to the stage of serving Kṛṣṇa. And one who is, with heart and soul, is serving Kṛṣṇa, he has finished all *tapasya. Tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur ārya*. They have already finished all this *tapasya.* Therefore they have come to this stage. *Kṛta-punya-punjaḥ*. What is called? Piling. — [[spoken/1976/760312mw.may|Morning Walk, Māyāpur, March 12, 1976]] --- ### Caitanya Mahāprabhu Gives Immediately > [break] .Mahāprabhu, He immediately gives how to love and serve Kṛṣṇa. Because this Kali-yuga, they will not be able to follow the regulative principles and become elevated. So He is therefore *mahā-vadānyāya.* He is giving a process—immediately, if followed, he becomes a lover of Kṛṣṇa and His service, immediately. *Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te.*. — [[spoken/1976/760312mw.may|Morning Walk, Māyāpur, March 12, 1976]] --- ### Pious Activities for Many Lives > To join with the *rāsa* dance of Kṛṣṇa, or to play with Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boy, it requires *kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ,* many, many millions of births' pious activities. — [[spoken/1974/740315cc.vrn|Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.8, Vrindavan, March 15, 1974]] --- ### First Creature Had to Meditate > So this is the process of. *Loka-sraṣṭuḥ sūtikā-dhāma dhātuḥ. Dhātu. Dhātu* means one who creates. So Brahmā is the secondary creator. Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, He creates the situation. Then He gives him a seat, that lotus-flower like, and when he was puzzled. In the beginning, everything was dark. He could not understand "Wherefrom I am coming? What is my duty? Why I am sitting here?" When he was puzzled, then from within there was dictation that "You meditate. *Tapaḥ:* you undergo austerities. Then you'll gradually understand." So even Brahmā, the first creature of this creation, he had to meditate—"Why I am here, and what is the purpose of my coming here?" So we are also this, in the same position. We are the, I mean to say, dynasty expansion of Brahmā. Brahmā's son is Manu, or this sun-god. *Manuṣya. Manuṣya* means coming from Manu; therefore we are called *manuṣya.* So the same process: we are born ignorant, born ignorant. Human life is the chance to dissipate this ignorance, and that requires *tapasya,* not to live like cats and dogs, frivolous life. That will not help us. *Tapaḥ. Tapo divyaṁ yena putrakā śuddhyet sattva*, that human life is meant for *tapasya,* austerities, not to live extravagant life, irresponsible life, like cats and dogs. No. That is not human life. That is animal life. — [[spoken/1975/750403cc.may|Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.10, Māyāpur, April 3, 1975]] --- ### Don't Spoil This Human Life > Therefore long, long ago, about some millions and millions of years ago, this knowledge was imparted by Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons: "My dear boys, you have got this human form of life, especially the body received from Me—I am king in royal family—so don't spoil it." *Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke.* How to spoil it? *Kaṣṭān kāmān,* simply for sense gratification. Working very hard like an ass is not human form of life. Human form of life should be utilized to become very sober, cool-headed, and to understand what is God, what is my life. This is the necessity. — [[spoken/1975/750410sb.hyd|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.1, Hyderabad, April 10, 1975]] --- ### Dhruva Mahārāja's Austerity > And He advises, *guru-kṛṣṇa.* Kṛṣṇa says, "Now." Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja, out of his sentiment, he went to the forest and to see God. His mother said that "Your this mental condition cannot be relieved, because you want to challenge your father to have the kingdom. So I am poor. I am, although your mother, I cannot request your father. So if it is possible, Kṛṣṇa can do it." She was Kṛṣṇa conscious; therefore the child became so nice, Dhruva Mahārāja. A child inherits the quality of mother, boy, and girl inherits the quality of father. That is the general rule. So his mother was devotee, so he naturally became a devotee by the advice of the mother. He went to the forest. So., but he had no spiritual master. Out of sentiment went to the forest. But Kṛṣṇa saw from within that "This child is so serious about Me. Oh, send him Nārada. 'Nārada, you go there. Initiate him.' " *Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.*, this *mantra* was given to Dhruva Mahārāja by Nārada Muni. So he practiced that *mantra,* and with austerity, and he saw Kṛṣṇa. And when he saw Kṛṣṇa, he's completely pure from all material desires. — [[spoken/1976/760409sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.54, Vṛndāvana, April 9, 1976]] --- ### Take Austerity for Reviving Kṛṣṇa Consciousness > But they do not know that there is next life. Next life he may become a dog, and what this millions of dollars will help him? That he does not know. Therefore *tapo divyam.* Take austerity, penances, for reviving your original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For that purpose, you undergo austerity. Otherwise, if you simply undergo austerities, penances, hardship for some material gain, then it is waste of time, defeat, *parābhava. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ.* Because he's a fool, rascal, he does not know what for hardship should be taken. — [[spoken/1973/730614sb.may|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.9.48, Māyāpur, June 14, 1973]] --- ### Human Life Is Meant for Tapasyā > Human life is meant for *tapasya,* not to live like cats and dogs and hogs. That is not human life. *Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye.* This body..., all bodies are there in the darkness. Therefore it is said, *dehy ajñaḥ.* The lower animals, they are *ajñaḥ.* They cannot control. But human body is meant for controlling. — [[spoken/1975/750805sb.det|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.52, Detroit, August 5, 1975]] --- *10 verified verbatim quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on tapasyā*