Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.35

Los Angeles, April 27, 1973

[00:00]…say that You appeared to rejuvenate the devotional service of hearing, remembering,

[00:05]worshiping and so on in order that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs

[00:10]might take advantage and gain liberation.“

[00:14]

[00:23]So, asmin bhave. Asmin means “this.” Creation, bhave means creation. Bhava,

[00:37]bhava means “you become”. “You become” means you vanish also.

[00:47]As soon as there is question of you become, you vanish also.

[00:54]Anything which is born must die. This is the law of nature.

[01:00]The so-called scientists are trying that they will stop death by their scientific research work,

[01:14]but they do not know that anything born must die. Janma-mrtyu.

[01:21]This is relative. And anything which is not born, that will not die.

[01:29]The matter is born. Anything material, that is born. But spirit is not born.

[01:40]Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, na jayate na mriyate va kadacin.

[01:48]The soul is never born, and therefore never dies.

[01:54]Now, bhave ‘smin. Bhava, this bhava means this material world,

[02:01]cosmic manifestation. Bhave ‘smin klisyamananam.

[02:11]Anyone who is within this material world must work. This is material world.

[02:21]Just like in the prison house, it is not possible that he will sit down

[02:30]and he will be honored just like son-in-law. No.

[02:35]In the, in our country son-in-law is very much worshiped.

[02:40]Worshiped means flattered. Never divorce the daughter.

[02:49]Therefore, nobody should expect that…

[02:57]We may speak something humorous about son-in-law in India.

[03:05]Formerly… It is still the system that the daughter must get married.

[03:15]That is the responsibility of the father. It is called kanya-dana.

[03:20]A father may not get his son married. That is not very great responsibility.

[03:29]But if there is a daughter, the father must see that she is married.

[03:37]Formerly it was ten years, twelve years, thirteen years. Not more than that.

[03:46]That is the system. That was the Vedic system. Kanya.

[03:51]Kanya means before attaining puberty. Kanya. So kanya-dana.

[03:58]She must be given in charity to somebody.

[04:02]So, in the pulina brahmana, brahmana, very respectable community,

[04:11]so it was very difficult to find out a suitable son-in-law.

[04:19]Therefore, formerly one gentleman may become a businessman simply by marrying.

[04:30]In my boyhood, when I was a student, a school student, so I had one class friend,

[04:41]he took me to his home. So I saw one gentleman was smoking, and he told me,

[04:54]“Do you know this gentleman?” So I asked, “Oh, how can I know?”

[04:59]That “He is my aunt’s husband, and my aunt is the sixty-fourth wife of this gentleman.”

[05:10]Sixty-fourth. So, these pulina brahmanas, they, their business was like that.

[05:20]Marry somewhere, stay there some days, again go to another wife, again

[05:26]go to another wife, again go to another. Simply going to the wife, that is business.

[05:32]This was a social system we have seen. Now these things are now gone.

[05:40]Nobody will marry the husband who has married sixty-four times.

[05:46]But it was there. So, son-in-law, in that case, is very much honored.

[05:55]There are many stories. We should not waste our time in that way.

[06:00]

[06:02]So here in this material world, who is born, he should not think himself that

[06:10]“I am honored guest or honored son-in-law.” No. Everyone has to work.

[06:17]That you see the whole world. In your country there is president,

[06:27]everywhere, that he is also working hard day and night.

[06:31]Otherwise he cannot keep his presidency. It is not possible.

[06:37]The whole brain is congested with political affairs. So many problems, solutions.

[06:43]He has to work. Similarly, a man on the street, he has to work also.

[06:55]This is the nature, material nature. You have to work. It is not the spiritual world.

[07:05]Spiritual world means there is no work. There is simply ananda, joyfulness.

[07:16]That you see from reading Krsna book. They are not working.

[07:23]Krsna is going with the calves and the cows. That is not working.

[07:30]That is amusement. That is amusement. They are dancing,

[07:35]they are going to the forest, they are sitting down on the bank of the Ganges.

[07:41]Sometimes the demons are attacking, Krsna is killing. This is all pleasure,

[07:49]amusement. Ananda-mayo ‘bhyasat. That is spiritual world.

[07:53]Just like, take a sample of spiritual activity. We are…

[08:00]We have got so many branches, so many members, but you are not working.

[08:06]Simple, a sample of spiritual life. Our neighbors are envious:

[08:15]“How these people dancing and chanting and eating?”

[08:19]

[08:23]Because they are working hard like cats and dogs, and we have no such responsibility.

[08:28]We haven’t got to go to office or factory. Just see, practical example.

[08:36]This is only a little tinge of spiritual life.

[08:40]Simply you are trying to come to the spiritual life, a sample.

[08:47]In the sample is so much enjoyment, in the sample, just imagine what is reality.

[08:58]Anyone can realize. This is practical. You take to spiritual life, we are inviting!

[09:08]“Please come, join us. Chant, dance with us. Take prasadam, be happy.”

[09:14]“No, no, we shall work.” Just see. What is our business?

[09:22]We are canvassing simply, “Please come.” “No.” “Why?”

[09:26]“I shall work like cats and dogs,” that’s all. So, just try to understand.

[09:37]This is the difference between spiritual life and material life.

[09:42]Material life means you have to work. You will be forced.

[09:48]Avidya-karma-samjnanya trtiya saktir isyate.

[09:55]When analyzing the energy of Krsna in the Visnu Purana it is said, visnu-saktih para prokta.

[10:07]Visnu, Visnu’s energy is para, superior energy or spiritual energy. Para.

[10:17]Para and apara, you have read in the Bhagavad-gita.

[10:21]Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakrtim para.

[10:24]When Krsna is analyzing, two kinds of nature, para and apara, inferior and superior.

[10:32]This is also nature, bhumih, apah, analo, vayuh, land, water, fire, air.

[10:38]This is also Krsna’s nature. Krsna says vidhi me prakrtih astadha.

[10:50]“These eight kinds of material nature, they are My nature, they are My energy.

[10:55]But they apareyam. But this is inferior energy. And there is another, superior nature.”

[11:04]“What is that, Sir?” Jiva-bhuta, this living energy.

[11:09]And these rascals, they do not know that there are two natures working-

[11:14]material nature and spiritual nature.

[11:17]The spiritual nature is within the material nature; therefore it is working.

[11:24]Otherwise material nature has no power to work independently.

[11:30]This simple thing the so-called scientists cannot understand.

[11:34]So, here in this material world, asmin bhave, bhave ‘smin, saptame adhikara.

[11:47]Asmin, in this material world. Bhave ‘smin klisyamananam.

[11:58]Everyone! Everyone, every living entity is working hard.

[12:06]Hard or soft, it doesn’t matter; one has to work. It doesn’t matter.

[12:13]Just like we are also working. It may be soft, but it is also work.

[12:21]But it is practicing; therefore it is work. We should not take this work,

[12:29]bhakti, is not actually the fruitive activities. It appears like that. It is also working.

[12:40]But the difference is when you are engaged in devotional service you will not feel tired.

[12:47]And the material work, you will feel tired. That is the difference, practical.

[12:56]Materially, you take one cinema song and chant, and so after half an hour you will be tired.

[13:06]And Hare Krsna, go on chanting twenty-five hours, you will never be tired.

[13:14]Is it not? Just see practically. You take one’s material name,

[13:22]“Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John,” how many times you will chant?

[13:28]Ten times, twenty times, finished.

[13:30]But Krsna,”Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna,“ go on chanting

[13:36]you will get more energy. That is the difference. But the foolish persons they

[13:44]think they are also working like us, they are also doing like us. No, that is not. So if they…

[13:56]Try to understand, material nature means anyone who has come here in this material world.

[14:03]It is not our business to come here, but we have desired to come here.

[14:08]That is also mentioned here. Klisyamananam avidya-kama-karmabhih.

[14:17]Why they have come here? No vidya. Avidya means nescience, ignorance.

[14:26]What is that ignorance? Kama. Kama means desire.

[14:32]They are meant for serving Krsna, but they desire that “Why shall I serve Krsna?

[14:41]I shall become Krsna.” This is avidya. This is avidya. Instead of serving…

[14:51]That, that is natural. Sometimes it comes, just like a servant he is serving the master.

[14:57]He is thinking, “If I could get such money, then I could have become a master.”

[15:04]That is not unnatural. So, when the living entity thinks… He is coming from Krsna,

[15:12]Krsna bhuli’ jiva bhoga-vancha kare. When he forgets Krsna, that is,

[15:20]I mean to say, material life. That is material life. As soon as one forgets Krsna.

[15:28]That we see, so many of…, not many, some of our students,

[15:33]they think that “Why should I work in ths mission? Oh, let me go away.”

[15:43]He goes away, but what does he do? He becomes a motor driver, that’s all.

[15:47]Instead of getting honor as brahmacari, sannyasi, he has, he,

[15:55]he has to work just like ordinary worker.

[15:58]So, avidya-kama-karmabhih. Kama. Kama means desire.

[16:06]Just like so many scientists they are researching for new food,

[16:15]just like our scientist friend was talking this morning. Then what is new food?

[16:20]Food is already there, allotted by Krsna, that “You are this animal,

[16:29]your food is this. You are this animal, your food is this.”

[16:32]So, so far human being is concerned, their food is also designated, that you

[16:42]take prasadam. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati.

[16:48]It is the duty of the human being to accept prasadam.

[16:54]Prasadam means foodstuffs which is offered to Krsna first.

[17:02]This is civilization. If you say, “Why should I offer?” that is uncivilized.

[17:11]It is gratefulness. If you offer to Krsna, then you are conscious that these foodstuffs,

[17:20]these grains, these fruits, these flowers, this milk, it is given by Krsna.

[17:27]I cannot produce it. In my factory I cannot produce all these things.

[17:34]Anything one uses, nobody can produce, it is given by Krsna.

[17:38]Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman.

[17:43]This kaman. We are desiring and Krsna is supplying.

[17:47]Without His supply you cannot get it. Just like in our India,

[17:54]after independence the leaders thought, “Now we have got independence we shall

[18:04]increase the tractors and other agricultural implements and we will get enough food.”

[18:12]Now at the present moment, since two years, there is scarcity of water.

[18:21]There is no rainfall. So these tractors are now crying. You see? It is useless.

[18:29]Simply by so-called tractors, implements, you cannot produce,

[18:35]unless there is favor by Krsna. He must supply water, that for want of…

[18:42]Recently the news is that people are so exasperated that they went to the secretary,

[18:49]they demanded food, and the result was they were shoot, shot down.

[18:55]Yes, so many people died.

[18:57]So actually, although we have got this arrangement that one has to work,

[19:08]but that work is simple. If you remain Krsna conscious…

[19:15]That, after all, Krsna is supplying the foodstuffs. That’s a fact.

[19:21]Every religion accepts that. Just like in Bible it is said, “God give us our daily bread.”

[19:28]That’s a fact. God is giving. That you are…, you cannot manufacture bread.

[19:35]You can, you can manufacture bread in the bakery house, but the…,

[19:40]who will supply you the wheat? That is supplied by Krsna.

[19:44]Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman.

[19:47]So we have created unnecessary problems simply by forgetting Krsna.

[19:55]This is the material nature. Bhave ‘smin klisyamananam.

[20:00]Therefore you have to work so hard. Klisyanti.

[20:05]There is another verse in the Bhagavad-gita,

[20:09]manah-sasthani prakrti-sthani karsati.

[20:12]Karsati, you will be struggling very hard, but ultimately sense gratification.

[20:21]Ultimately. In this material world means sense gratification, because kama,

[20:26]kama means sense gratification. Kama, the just opposite word is love.

[20:34]Kama and…, kama means lust, and love means loving Krsna. So that is wanted.

[20:46] But here in this material world they are engaged in very, very hard work.

[20:53]They have invented so many factories, iron factories, melting the iron,

[21:00]huge machinery, and it is called ugra karma, asuric karma.

[21:06]After all, you will eat some bread and some fruit or some flower.

[21:12]Why you have invented so big, big factories? That is avidya, nescience, avidya.

[21:20]Suppose hundred years ago there was no factory.

[21:26]So all the people of the world were starving? Eh? Nobody was staring.

[21:32]In, in, in our Vedic literature we don’t find any mention anywhere about the factory.

[21:42]No. There is no mention. And how opulent they were. Even in Vrndavana.

[21:47]In Vrndavana, as soon as Kamsa invited Nanda Maharaja,

[21:55]immediately they took wagons of milk preparation to distribute.

[22:03]And you will find in the literature they are all well dressed, well fed.

[22:08]They have got enough food, enough milk, enough cows. But they are village,

[22:14]village men. Vrndavana is a village. There is no scarcity. No moroseness,

[22:21]always jolly, dancing, chanting and eating.

[22:26]So we have created these problems. Simply you have created.

[22:32]Now, you have created so many horseless carriages,

[22:36]now the problem is where to get petrol. In your country it has become a problem.

[22:43]Brahmananda was speaking to me yesterday. There are so many problems.

[22:49]Simply unnecessarily we have created so many artificial wants.

[22:56]Kamakarmabhih. This is called kama.

[23:00]So everyone, because of that unlimited desire, one after another…

[23:09]This desire, when this desire fulfilled, another desire, another desire, another desire.

[23:14]In this way you are simply creating problems.

[23:18]And when the desires are not fulfilled, then we become frustrated, confused.

[23:24]The frustration is there. One kind of frustration, just like in your country

[23:30]the hippies, that is also frustration.

[23:33]Another kind of frustration is just like in our country, that is very old frustration,

[23:42]to become sannyasi. So to become sannyasi, brahma satyam jagan mithya, this

[23:50]world is false. How it is false? He could not utilize it properly; therefore it is false.

[23:58]It is not false. Vaisnava philosophy is, this world is not false; it is fact.

[24:07]But false when you think that “I am the enjoyer of this world.” That is false.

[24:13]If we accept it, that it is Krsna’s, and you should be utilized for Krsna’s service,

[24:21]then it is not false. We have given it, this example, that these flowers,

[24:27]these flowers they are in the florist shop, there are so may flowers

[24:32]that people are purchasing, we are purchasing, others are purchasing.

[24:37]They are purchasing for sense gratification, and we are purchasing for Krsna.

[24:42]The flower is the same. So one may ask that “You are offering to Krsna.

[24:51]Krsna is the supreme spirit, how you are offering material things, these flowers?”

[24:57]But they do not know that actually there is nothing as material.

[25:02]When you forget Krsna, that is material. That is material.

[25:08]This flower is meant for Krsna. This is spiritual. And when we take it, this flower,

[25:15] for my sense enjoyment, this is material.

[25:18]This is avidya. Avidya means ignorance. Nothing belongs to me.

[25:26]Isavasyam idam sarvam, everything belongs to Krsna.

[25:30]Therefore our movement is for awakening this Krsna consciousness.

[25:37]We should know that everything belongs to Krsna. Krsna is fact.

[25:45]The world is fact. This world is created by Krsna, therefore it is also fact.

[25:51]So everything is fact when it is done in Krsna consciousness.

[25:56]Otherwise it is maya, avidya.

[26:00]So by avidya, by ignorance, we want to enjoy sense gratification,

[26:09]and we create problems. We create so many artificial work, ugra-karma.

[26:17]Although we are in avidya, by the grace of Krsna everything is very simplified.

[26:27]Just like anywhere, any part of the world, there is food. Everything is there, complete,

[26:37]purnam idam, purnam idam. Just like somebody is living in the Greenland,

[26:43]Alaska, that the atmosphere is not very favorable to our consideration,

[26:51]but they are living, the inhabitants there. There is some arrangement.

[26:57]Similarly, if you study minutely everywhere.

[27:01]Just like there are millions and millions of fishes in the water.

[27:05]If you are put on a boat, and you have to live for say one month, then you will die.

[27:12]You will have no food for you. But then in the…, within the water,

[27:19]there are millions and millions of fishes, they have got enough food.

[27:23]Enough food. Not a single fish will die for want of food.

[27:29]But if you are put into the water, you will die.

[27:33]So similarly, by God’s creation there are 8,400,000 species, forms, of life.

[27:44]So God has given everyone’s food.

[27:48]Just like even if you are in the prison house, the government provides your food.

[27:56]Similarly, although this material world is to be considered as prison house

[28:02]for the living entity, still there is no scarcity of anything.

[28:07]Our necessity, so far our bodily necessities are concerned, in eating, sleeping

[28:16]and mating and defending, that is arranged for everyone according to his life.

[28:24]That is arranged. So in the lower species of life they cannot understand

[28:32]that everything is there, arranged, although they know, just like a bird,

[28:38]a bird rises in the early morning, he knows there is some food. He knows.

[28:45]But still he is busy to find out the food. So little business,

[28:55]little flying from one tree to another, he…, he sees in all, most, fruits,

[29:00]all the small or big, there are so many fruits they can eat.

[29:02]Similarly, for all the living entities, there is arrangement for food, food drink.

[29:12]Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, there is arrangement.

[29:17]Even in Africa there are some trees which produces fruits,

[29:24]those fruits are harder than the iron bullet.

[29:28]But these fruits are used by the gorillas. They collect those fruits,

[29:37]just like we chew some nuts, so they also enjoy chewing that nut.

[29:43]But it is so hard. I read in some book, so perhaps you also know,

[29:49]that the quarter of the jungle where gorillas live, God gives them fruit:

[29:55]“Yes, here is your food.”

[29:56]So there is everything arranged. There is no scarcity. We have created scarcity,

[30:04]avidya, due to ignorance. Otherwise, there is no scarcity. Purnam idam.

[30:11]Therefore Isopanisad says purnam, everything is complete.

[30:18]Just like we want water, we want water very much.

[30:23]Just see how God has created these oceans. You can take…