Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.1 Translated from Hindi

Prabhupāda:

śrī ṛṣabha uvāca
nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke
kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye
tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ
śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam
[SB. 5.5.1]

Ṛṣabhadeva was the father of Mahārāja Bharata. Mahārāja Bharata, by whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. His father Ṛṣabhadeva was an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was instructing His sons before retirement. Previously people used to retire. Whether he was a king, or especially brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas. Particularly the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas used to retire. Nowadays nobody retires. That is not Vedic system. Vedic system means varnāśrama. That which is going on now in the name of Hindu-dharma has simply become hodgepodge. The real thing is varṇāśrama-dharma. And what is the purpose of varṇāśrama-dharma? To worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Viṣṇu ārādhyate
varṇāśramācāra-vatā
puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
viṣṇur ārādhyate
nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
[Viṣṇu Purāṇa 3.8.9]

The whole civilisation, the purpose of Vedic civilisation is viṣṇu ārādhan: to worship Lord Viṣṇu. Viṣṇur ārādhyate. [aside:] What is that child? Disturb. But the difficulty is na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ [SB. 7.5.31] People do not know what is their self interest? Mam eva saranam gatah. This is the self interest. Just like the Supreme Lord has said sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]

This is the self interest. Everywhere in the śāstra this has been stressed that reach the goal of life. What is the aim of life? The aim of varṇāśrama-dharma is also viṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsāṁ nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam. To worship Lord Viṣṇu four social orders—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and four spiritual orders—brahmacāri, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa have been created. This is called varṇāśrama-dharma. Now the varṇāśrama-dharma has broken. It is there in the name only and not by action. Therefore for the worship of Lord Viṣṇu, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the purpose is viṣṇur ārādhan, but the varṇāśrama system has broken and to re-establish it is very difficult. Therefore according to scriptural injunctions, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has inaugurated this saṅkīrtana movement. This is the scriptural conclusion. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ [SB. 12.3.51]

In Kali-yuga, the vivid descriptions of Kali-yuga is given in the twelfth canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam was compiled five thousand years ago and the things that will happen in Kali-yuga were written in it. So in that connection Sukadeva Gosvāmī said to Parikṣit Mahārāja that “Mahārāja, the Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults. How far can you estimate the qualities and flaws of this yuga? Know for certain that it is an ocean of faults. Only flaws and nothing else. However, it has a great advantage. Especially for Kali-yuga.” Because in Kali-yuga almost everyone is fallen. They are called fallen because they have forgotten the aim of life. They are simply working hard whole day just to enjoy sense gratification. They do not know what is the purpose of human life? This is the special symptom of Kali-yuga. This applies to all the yugas that people forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead and work hard whole day just to maintain the body. This same symptom, not today, but thousands of years ago Ṛṣabhadeva explained to His sons. My dear sons, this body, ayam śarīra, this body, nṛloke, in the human society, everyone receives a body. A dog also gets a body, an ass also gets. But the human body, nāyaṁ deha, this body, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. The body in the human society, kaṣṭān kāman arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye, it is not proper to utilise this body to work hard whole day and thus forget the ultimate goal of human life. He instructed this long time ago. Nā arhate. Because the neceesities of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca [Hitopadeśa 25]

Need to eat something, need a place to sleep, make some arrangement for defense, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna, and sex life between man and woman. But Ṛṣabhadeva says that even a hog does this. There is nothing special skill in it. Viḍ-bhujāṁ, especially viḍ-bhujāṁ. The word vid means dirt, so even the dirt-eater hog works whole day for this. Where to eat, where to sleep, where to enjoy sex life and how to defend from fearful condition? This is not for human life. Even an animal does it. He even mentioned hog, viḍ-bhujāṁ. Then what it is for? Tapo divyaṁ. This human form of life is meant for tapasya. This is Vedic civilisation. tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed. Our existence, “I am” everyone knows that I exist. To purify this existence. Is it impure? Yes, certainly impure. It is impure because you have to die. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly declares na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]

The spirit soul does not die when the body is destroyed. Na hanyate. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. [Bg. 2.18] What is perishable? It is the body. And the soul within the body is not perishable. So Śuddhyet-sattā, Sattva-śuddhi, śuddha-sattva is spiritual. Śuddha-sattva means spiritual. Our present existence is not pure. It is impure because of traiguṇya: three material modes.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
[Bg. 3.27]

Our bodily requirements are maintained by the prakṛti. By the material qualities. Sattva-raja-tamo guṇa: the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. They supply. One who is in the mode of goodness, he receives a superior body—a brāhmaṇa body or a demigod body. One who is in the mode of passion, he gets a kṣatriya body. In this way,

kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
[Bg. 13.22]

What is the reason for getting superior and inferior bodies? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo’sya. These material qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, as we associate with these qualities we will be awarded bodies accordingly.

karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa
jantur dehopapattaye
[SB. 3.31.1]

That we get different types of body, what’s the reason for this? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgasya. As we associate with the modes of material nature, just like a disease, infection, if you knowingly or unknowingly infect with some particular germ then you will have to suffer from that disease. In the same way, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgasya, as we will be associating with modes of nature we will receive different bodies. Whether you get a brāhmaṇa body, or a demigod body, or a dog body, or a further lower body, it is antavanta ime dehā. They all are subjected to come to an end. And in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā the Supreme Lord personally said

tathā dehāntara-prāptir.
dehino ’smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
[Bg. 2.13]

There will be change of body. What kind of change of body and what kind of body we are going to get next that we don’t know. Although everything is explained in the śāstra, the kind of body you want you can get it. You follow the prescribed process.

yānti deva-vratā devān
pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām
[Bg. 9.25]

If you want to transfer yourself to the higher planets like Svargaloka, Janaloka, Mahāloka, Tapoloka, there are many higher planets, you can go there. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ, you can go to Pitraloka. Bhūtejyā yanti bhūtāni, if you want to remain here that is also possible. And mad-yājino’pi yānti mām, if you want to go to the Supreme Personality of Godhead then worship Him. Everything is open. As we want. Yathecchasi tathā kuru. [Bg. 18.63]

The Supreme Lord told Arjuna that I have explained everything to you. Now you think it over and consider and then do as you like. So everything is in our hands. We can go to the heavenly planets, we can go to the planet of the ancestors, we can remain here also if we like, or we can go back to Godhead. All these things are described in the śāstra how to go there. The same thing Ṛṣabhadeva is instructing that this human form of body is a junction. From here you can choose your destination and you will achieve. Change of your body is a must.

tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]

He who is intelligent and sober, quickly understands that there is the change of body. One who is most foolish, he doesn’t understand at all what is dehāntara. This is today’s education. Big fools. Big, big university proffessors are all great fools. They don’t understand the change of body. They say, “Svāmijī, when this body is finished everything is finished.” Big, big leaders, proffessors, educationists don’t understand what is dehāntara? The Supreme Lord Himself is teaching and giving example. Kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā yathā. A boy must grow young, dehāntara. The boy-body will not stay. He must get a young body. Supose a boy says that “I won’t become young.” What is the use of his saying? It is nature’s law that he must grow young. And if a young man says “I will not become old man.” What’s the use of saying? He must become. Tathā dehāntara prāptir. What is the value of your saying? “I will not change my body. I will finish my existence with this body.” No use of your talking.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

Just by telling forcibly will you be relieved? No. That is not possible. This is today’s education that there is no dehantara, no reincarnation, no past life, no heaven, no hell and many others things that are given in the sastra are all denied. So what can be done? They have become such foolish. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself says

yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
vartate kāma-kārataḥ
na sa siddhim avāpnoti
[Bg. 16.23]

One who does not follow the scriptural conclusion and works whimsically, his life is certainly a failure. Na siddhim avāpnoti. Na sukhaṁ, he does not achieve happiness. And forget about attaining parā-gati: supreme destination. This is going on. Therefore through this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement we are trying little bit to preach that kindly follow the instructions given in our śāstra, rectify your life, and ultimately make your goal of life successful. This is what Ṛṣabhadeva instructed not today, but long time ago. This same thing. Change of body. Now the question is why this change of body? We have to change our body because our existence is not pure. Just like if a person becomes ill, he must suffer. It is stated in the śāstra that as soon as you accept a material body you must suffer. There are varieties of miseries. One misery or other you must suffer. This is because asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ [SB. 5.5.4]

Although this body is not permanent, but so long it remains it will give you trouble. Therefore we always try to mitigate distress. How to mitigate distress. We don’t even know what it means by mitigate of distress in the first place. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally reveals that your real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: birth, death, old age and disease are certainly the primary distresses of the material world. [Bg. 13.9] You are trying to mitigate your temporary miseries, and also your happiness they all will go away when the body is finished. But then again you will have to accept another body according to your past deeds and suffer the resultant actions. So if want to remove your miseries permanently then you purify your existence. For that you have to undergo tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed. Purify the existence. And when do you get the opportunity to purify the existence? Āyaṁ deha. Nṛdeha. Nṛloke. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye.

In this body, in this valuable human body by which you can destroy all your miseries, it is not proper to utilise it like hogs and dogs to eat, enjoy sex life, eating, sleeping, mating and defending and to do that work hard whole day. This is Rsabhadeva’s instruction. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke. Need is there. Since we have got this human form of body, we need to eat, this is must. And need a place to sleep also. The senses are there, they need some gratification. And need to defend from fear. These are important. But to think the life is meant for this only is an utter foolishness. The life has some purpose. What is that purpose? Tapasyā. Divyam. Undergo austerity to achieve the transcendental reality. That is why the division of social order namely brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śudra is created. The brāhmaṇas should teach others how to perform austerity.

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ
kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca
jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ
brahma-karma svabhāva-jam
[Bg. 18.42]

Brāhmaṇa means ideal life. He shows by example therefore he is a teacher or a guru. This is stated in the śāstra. And the kṣatriya takes instructions from the brāhmaṇas and maintains the subject in such a way that they become benefitted. This is the duty of the kṣatriyas. The duty of the vaiśyas is to arrange foodgrains for all. kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]

The foodgrains can be produced by farming. By producing foodgrains…The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself said annād bhavanti bhūtāni [Bg. 3.14] Grow plenty of foodgrains. Not plenty, but as much as necessary. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Production of foodgrain is possible when there is sufficient of rain. Parjanyād anna sambhava. Yajñād bhavati parjanyo. If you perform sacrifice you will get enough rain in time so that you can produce foodgrain very easily. Yajñād bhavati parjanya parjanyād anna-sambhavā. These prescriptions are given in the śāstra. If you get your food in a simple way and live happily then rest of the time should be utilised for tapo divyaṁ. Tapasyā. This is civilisation. Not that civilisation where one is busy whole day like a hog and look for stool. Where is stool? This is not civilisation. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān. Work hard whole day. Bring money, bring money.

idam adya mayā labdham
imaṁ prāpsye manoratham
idam astīdam api me
bhaviṣyati punar dhanam
[Bg. 16.13]

This demoniac civilisation, we have got so much money, we want so much more, bank balance should be this much. In this way by working hard whole life like a hog just to eat, sleep and mate, this kind of civilisation is not desireable. At least in the human form of life this not at all proper. One should perform austerity. Tapo divyam. In this age of Kali that austerity is very simple. That is what I was telling. Although Kali-yuga is full of faults, it has an advantage. What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet [SB. 12.3.51] Simply by chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord a person becomes liberated from all association of material qualities. These faults, kalau doṣa nidhi, one becomes free from all faults. He becomes faultless. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instruction. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ. [Śikṣāṣṭaka 1] Where are the flaws? They are all sitting in the heart. All flaws, all dirty things are accumulated in the heart. This hari-kīrtana inaugurated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by performing hari-kīrtana the first instalment of benediction is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ. The heart will be purified. I am thinking I am Hindu, or Muslim, I am Indian, I am American. What are these? These are simply designations. Actually ahaṁ brahmāsmi: I am spirit soul. This is real identification.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
[Bg. 18.54]

These things described in the śāstra in a very simple manner. Therefore a person should labor hard for this cause. Undergo little austerity. See for example, in Europe and America people are accepting it. They are doing little tapasya voluntarily. What tapasya? Four things. No illicit sex. No meat eating. No intoxication. And no gambling. Four. Just like this cot has got four legs. Similarly the four legs of sinful life are these—illicit sex, eating meat, gambling and intoxication. In Kali-yuga, these four thigs are widely spread throughout the whole world. So it is little difficult to give them up. But by tapasya it is possible. Though it will be difficult to give up, by tapasya which means to voluntarily tolerate some inconviniences, it is possible.

This is called tapasya. Tapasyā doesn’t mean sit down in a chair and smoke cigarette. No. For tapasya you will have to accept some hardship. Just like these boys, they have given the four things. Have they died because of that? From their childhood their parents teach them, they take meat powder, mix it with water and forcibly spoonfeed their child. They are taught. This is the position. The poor children have no faults because from the beginning they are taught like that. Meat eating. The parents drink wine and the children are given soda, lemonade to drink. They are too small to drink wine. But they learn. Soft drinking. It is called soft drinking. So the poor children are taught. Since they have forgot all that is it difficult for the Indians to give these up? But no, they won’t do tapasya. Tapasyā must be done. Without tapasya nothing is accomplished. Previously, big, big sages, kings used to retire from home and go to jungle to perform tapasya. But that is not possible in Kali-yuga. Do little tapasya, give up these four things and chant the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Is it difficult? One must do this. This Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement is preaching this all over the world. That same thing belongs to India. You all accept it. There is no benefit in maintaining a demoniac way of life.

idam adya mayā labdham
imaṁ prāpsye manoratham
idam astīdam api me
bhaviṣyati punar dhanam
[Bg. 16.13]

Today I have got this much money, tomorrow I will have more, day after tomorrow it will increase further and so on. In this way, Yamaraja will come one day and snatch away everything by kicking and say “Now go and become a dog.” This is what happens. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir [Bg. 2.13]. According to your karma you will receive a body. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. That is in the hands of prakṛti. Your being a high official will have no value at that time. At that time prakṛti is the high official. “Dear son, you become a dog. You were given a human body, but you did not utilise it. You acted like a dog.”] [end]