Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.4

Prabhupāda: [sings, with devotees joining in, Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka] [break] ¶

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau
vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau
[Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 1]

nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau
lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau
vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau
[Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 2]

[01:39] ¶

dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv
ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api
teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ
paśyann api na paśyati
[SB 2.1.4]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.1.4

Persons devoid of ātma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife. Although sufficiently experienced, they still do not see their inevitable destruction.

Ātma-tattva, apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām [SB 2.1.2]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.1.2

Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor.. This verse we have discussed. People are blind about the interest of the soul—actually, his own person. The soul is the chief within this body. Neither the mind, nor the body—they are simply covering. Just like we are covered by dress. Dress is not important. But I, the man who is putting on the dress, I am important. That we cannot see. ¶

Everyone is busy to see the body. And the body, expansion of the body, is described here. Body, deha, then from the body there are children, apatya. And then, through the wife, body expands, strī. Strī means “which expands.” In this material world the point of attraction is strī and puruṣa, man and woman, male and female. There is an attraction, natural. So the man wants woman, woman wants man, because there is attraction. And when, by that attraction, the man and woman is united, then the result is the children. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ [SB 5.5.8]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.5.8

The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of "I and mine.". Then the attraction for this material world increases. When one is alone, he’s not so much attached with the material world. But as soon as he unites with the other party, then he gets children, and the attraction increases. ¶

The real business is that we have to withdraw our attraction for this material… That they do not know. I am a spirit soul. Being attracted by this material nature, I am now encaged within this body, and I am changing this body. Just like I am changing this body from boyhood to childhood, childhood to…, from childhood to boyhood, from youthhood. In this way, I have been entangled in this transmigration of the soul. This is my problem. Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says, “The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 13.8-12

Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance..” This is not problem. Nowadays they have discovered so many problems. But actual problem—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi—they are not very much serious. Therefore they have been described here as pramattaḥ, madmen. He does not know what is the real problem, but he is very busy with the superficial problems. Therefore śāstra says that these people, blind, they do not know what is the problem. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.5.31

Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.. My real self-interest is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is my real self-interest. They do not know. They want to live here, which is described as duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 8.15

After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection., simply a place of miserable condition and repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. ¶

So apaśyatām ātma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.1.2

Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor., those who are not very intelligent to see about the truth of ātma, they are entangled. How it is entangle…? Now, deha-apatya. This body and the offspring, children, born out of this body through the wife, dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu ātma-sainyeṣu [SB 2.1.4]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.1.4

Persons devoid of ātma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife. Although sufficiently experienced, they still do not see their inevitable destruction.. Everyone is thinking that “I have got my good wife. I have got very nice children. I have got my nice society, nation,” and so on, so many. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu. And he’s thinking that “They are my soldiers.” Here is this fight, struggle for existence. Everyone is struggling to exist, and everyone is thinking, “They are my soldiers. These, my wife, children, society, friendship, nation, they’ll give me protection.” But nobody can give protection. Therefore he’s explained here as pramattaḥ, pāgala. Nobody can give you protection. Not only will [not] be able to give protection, but they will be also finished. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api, teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanam [SB 2.1.4]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.1.4

Persons devoid of ātma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife. Although sufficiently experienced, they still do not see their inevitable destruction.. At any moment it can be finished. Paśyann api na pa… He’s seeing that “My father died. My father’s father died. The uncle died.” So they will also die. How he can… “I’ll also die.” So how, all we are dead bodies, how we can help one another? But because he’s mad, he does not see. He’s trying to maintain the status quo. That will not give him protection. ¶

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā [SB 7.5.31]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.5.31

Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.. Therefore it is called durāśayā. He’s thinking that “These things will give me protection.” No, that is not possible. You cannot get rid of the four principles of material life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 13.8-12

Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance., by these soldiers. That is not possible. They will die, you will die, your… Formerly, your father died, your father’s father died. Everyone will die. This is called mṛtyu-loka. Everyone will die. But we are actually hankering after existing. We do not wish to die. That is our natural propensity, because we are eternal. “Oh, why shall I wish to die?” So the solution is not depending on these so-called soldiers, but the solution is different. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: ¶

mām upetya punar janma
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ…
[Bg. 8.15]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 8.15

After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.

If you some way or other can reach Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, then you’ll be saved. Otherwise, mām upetya kaunteya. Then you’ll not have to come to this material world again simply to suffer. ¶

This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy. This material world is called world of death. Every living being, beginning from the Brahmā… It is not that… Brahmā has got very long duration of life. We cannot even calculate Brahmā’s one daytime. Forty-three lakhs of years multiplied by one thousand, that is twelve hours of Brahmā. So he will also die. Beginning from Brahmā, whose duration of life is some thousands of millions of years, down to the microbial germs, who live for a few seconds only, he’s struggling for existence. Therefore this life is a sort of fight with material nature, which imposes death upon all. This is struggle. Everyone wants to live, but… He may live for some time—for few seconds, for few minutes, or for few years, or for few millions of years—but death will come. And our struggle is how to overcome death. ¶

In the human form of life a living being is competent enough to come to an understanding of this great struggle for existence, but being too attracted to the family members, society, country, etc., he wants to win over the invincible material nature by the aid of bodily strength, children, wife, relatives, etc. Although he is sufficiently experienced in the matter by dint of past experience and previous examples of the diseased predecessors, he does not see that the countrymen are all fallible in the great struggle. One should examine the fact that the father or his father’s father has already died, and therefore he himself is also sure to die. And similarly his children, who are the would-be fathers of their children, will also die in due course. No one will survive in the struggle with material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 7.14

This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.. ¶

So our real problem is how to revive our original, eternal life. That is struggle. The modern people, scientists, philosophers, they even do not know what is our original constitutional position, and… Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.20

For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.. I do not die, even after the destruction of this body. These things are unknown. And still, they are posing themselves as leader of the society. Therefore the śāstra says, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.5.31

Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.: “One blind man is leading several other blind men.” Te ‘pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ: they do not know that they are bound up by the laws of nature very tight, hands and legs. There is no question of freedom. ¶

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 3.27

The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.

So real life is to know what is the value of my life, how I have to attain the original position, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.20

For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.. And now I am getting this śarīra, or body, and I am being annihilated one after another. And I am getting one body annihilated, again getting another, next body. This great science is unknown to the modern civilization, and therefore they are considered as pramattaḥ, all madmen, hankering after some temporary happiness. Pramattaḥ. They are called pramattaḥ. ¶

Thank you very much. ¶

Devotees: Jaya… [break] [end] ¶