## Ugra-karma in the Factory New Vrindaban June 26, 1976 Bhagavad-Gītā Chapter 16: Lecture **Hellish factories, fresh fields...women and children must be supplied necessities** **Prabhupāda:** *Ugra-karmāṇaḥ* [engaged in painful activities," from *Bg.* [[bg/16/9|16.9]]: "Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world"], **the factory. This is *ugra-karma*. Pradyumna was describing *ugra-karma*, hellish. Little *karma*, just wheat is growing, a little tilling, that is sufficient. What is the use of opening big, big factory? *Ugra-karma*. What it has helped?** You were talking on behalf of them. What it has helped? **Keeping them. Innocent men, women, they are kept in that factory simply for livelihood. A little work will provide his needs. Nature has given so much facility. They can grow little food anywhere. The cows are there in the pasturing ground. Take milk and live peacefully. Why you open factories? What is the use? Keeping them in hellish condition of life. **So this is the description. Now discuss these points. **Dhṛṣṭadyumna:** You say, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they engage in unbeneficial horrible works meant to destroy the world and that this refers to the atomic weapons. This is so true. **Prabhupāda:** Yes, God's speaking, Kṛṣṇa is speaking. **Dhṛṣṭadyumna:** **I was studying this nuclear energy in college, thinking that it would save the world. **That by the energy they could make bigger tomatoes, bigger corn, and... **Prabhupāda:** **Bigger deaths. Conclusion is bigger deaths.** Everything big. One man was dying, now many hundreds of thousands will die. Bigger deaths. You did not consider it bigger death? **Dhṛṣṭadyumna:** It was very frustrating, though, because for everything they were trying to do good, they found so many more things bad were coming. **Prabhupāda:** That is... ***Karma jagat* means that if you have to raise this house, then you have to cut the wood somewhere. You have to destroy somewhere, and then you can make house.** You have to adjust things like that. You cannot create. This house was constructed, created, by destroying somewhere else. Is it not? So where is your creation? **Creation is God's creation. He has created everything, and if you want to create, you have to destroy somewhere. That is *karma*.** **Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa:** Sometimes these people are called *duṣkṛtina*. And you've mentioned that the *duṣkṛtina*, actually he has some intelligence, misused. **Prabhupāda:** Yes. **Intelligence. After destroying the wood, you use your intelligence to construct this house.** You have intelligence, there is no doubt. Human being must have intelligence. But that** intelligence is given to him for getting out of the clutches of birth, death, old age and disease. He's not utilizing that intelligence for that purpose, therefore *duṣkṛtina*.** Intelligence he has got. We don't say that modern world, they are unintelligent, fools. No, they have got intelligence. But the intelligence is being utilized for *duṣkarya*, which he should not have done. *Duṣkarya*. *Karya* and *duṣkarya*—work and bad work. His intelligence was given so that he could get relief from these clutches of birth, death, old age and disease, but that he's not utilizing. He's opening factory and creating another bad atmosphere. Therefore *duṣkṛtina*. To open a factory requires intelligence. So many machine is working, that's all right, but how this intelligence being used? To keep man in a hellish condition of life. Therefore *duṣkṛtina*... **Hari-śauri:** Fifty years ago they were thinking it was progress to build big skyscrapers; now it's so hellish in the cities, everybody is moving out. **Prabhupāda:** Yes. Yes. Actually, when there are so many skyscraper buildings, it is hell. The natural air is obstructed. In Bombay you'll see. If you are in the top floor you have got little facility; in the lower floor it is hell. If there are several skyscraper building, in the first floor, second floor, it is simply hell. No air. Simply you have to run on this electric fan. You cannot see the sky. Therefore it is meant skyscraper? What is scraper? What is the meaning? **Hari-śauri:** It touches, touching the sky. **Prabhupāda:** So you have touched the sky in such a way I cannot see even. (laughs) This is the result. You demon, you have captured the sky, so I have no opportunity to see even. Always electric light. **Now we see the sky, the sun, how nice it is. This is life. Green, down and up, clear sky, sun, this is life. We get rejuvenation in this atmosphere. What is this nonsense, all skyscraper building, no air, no light? *Jagato 'hitāḥ*. The mind becomes crippled, the health becomes deteriorated, children cannot see even the sky, everything is spoiled.** **Kulādri:** Every day in the city they make a report, pollution report. And they say you should go outside or not go outside. Some days it is not good for your health to leave your home. **Devotee:** They are also selling fresh air, Prabhupāda. **Prabhupāda:** Fresh air? (laughter) Fresh water, also. **Hari-śauri:** In Tokyo there are special machines you can get air, clean water. **Prabhupāda:** Fresh, by cleaning the urine? Now they are doing that. Fresh water by cleaning urine. Fat derived from stool. Yes, German people did it. Fat extracted from stool. Scientifically. You can use it with butter very nicely on your bread. This is going on. **Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa:** **Some of the materialists may argue that these activities are not all that unbeneficial. For example, they have made a tractor, and in America they can produce so many grains, so much so that practically they could feed the world.** **Prabhupāda:** **Why do they not?** **Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa:** Because their mentality is very abominable. **Prabhupāda:** **Do that. There are so many overpopulation, and you can do it in America.** So much land lying vacant here. **Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Better to put the people in factories in the fields. If they are going to work, let them work growing grain and milking the cows.** **Prabhupāda:** **Yes, then they will live very happily.** That will not do. *Jagato 'hitāḥ*. Read it. **Dhṛṣṭadyumna:** *Kṣayāya jagato 'hitāḥ.* [For the destruction of the world" from *Bg.* [[bg/16/9|16.9]]: "Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world.] **Prabhupāda:** ***Kṣayāya*, *kṣayāya* means all for ruination, bringing ruin, ruination. So save them from ruination...** **Prabhupāda:** Mm. (pause) **So you don't require covering? This girl? This cloth is sufficient?** What you think? Why you have no covering? Mm? You do not require cloth? **Kulādri:** It is warm for us Śrīla Prabhupāda. **Prabhupāda:** No, if they require, there must be supply. **You must ask them what they need and provide them because they do not say you'll also keep silent.** That's not good. Every month they must be asked what they need. Necessities, they must be supplied. **We have already discussed this point, the women, they require protection, children, women.** Vedic Civilization is Training, Washington, D.C., July 8, 1976: Evening Dar*śana*