Bhagavad-gītā 13.8–12 in Hindi [translated]

Pradyumna:

amānitvam adambhitvam
ahiṁśā kṣāntir ārjavam
ācāryopāsanaṁ śaucaṁ
sthairyam ātma-vinigrahaḥ

indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam
anahaṅkāra eva ca
janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-
duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam

asaktir anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ
putra-dāra-gṛhādiṣu
nityaṁ ca sama-cittatvam
iṣṭāniṣṭopapattiṣu

mayi cānanya-yogena
bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī
vivikta-deśa-sevitvam
aratir jana-saṁsadi

adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvaṁ
tattva-jñānārtha-darśanam
etaj jñānam iti proktam
ajñānaṁ yad ato ’nyathā
[Bg. 13.8-12]

Translation: “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.”

Prabhupāda:
In Bhagavad-gītā there are eighteen chapters. Of which six chapters contain karma-yoga, six chapters contain bhakti-yoga, and six chapters contain jñāna-yoga. This thirteenth chapter describe jñāna-yoga. Bhagavad-gītā consists of jñāna, karma and bhakti. Pure devotional service has no connection with jñāna and karma. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead has explained bhakti-yoga in between the other two. Just like a book is wrapped with a cover from both sides and the substance is preserved in the middle, similarly the Supreme Lord has kept karma-yoga on one side and jñāna-yoga on the other side just as a book is wrapped by a cover from both sides. And the actual substance, the main topic—bhakti-yoga is kept in the middle starting from seventh chapter up to twelfth chapter. idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate [Bg. 13.2] Before you acquire knowledge you have to know about whom we should acquire knowledge. Knowledge about the body is external. The actual knowledge is self realization. If we do not understand the science of the soul, if we simply dwell on the bodily conception of life then whatever activities we perform everything is a failure. Defeat.

parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto
yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam
[SB. 5.5.5]

Until we inquire about ātma-tattva, brahma-tattva, whatever we are doing is simply a defeat. You are thinking that you are making progress, but you are not making any progress you are going downward towards degradation. Parābhava. Just like in the fight one is defeated. Similarly this world which is a struggle for existence, in this struggle for existence we are all being defeated.

manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati
[Bg. 15.7]

Nobody understands that we are being defeated. Therefore the Supreme Lord repeatedly instructs that first you give up this mentality of considering the body as self. So Arjuna inquired about the knowledge of the kṣetra and kṣetrajña. Kṣetra means the field of activity. Just like a farmer has got land and in that land he produces food grains according to his ability. The more he works hard the more he can produce. In the same way, this body is also a field of activity. And the owner who works on this field, he is ātma or soul.

kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ
yat taj jñānaṁ mataṁ mama
[Bg. 13.3]

Knowledge means…The jñāna-yoga beginning from the thirteenth chapter, one should first know that I have got this body, but I am something other than this. That is explained by the Supreme Lord in the very beginning, in the second chapter. Dehino ’smin yathā dehe. [Bg. 2.13] We should always remember that I am not this body. This body is awarded to me for my work. According to my work, according to my propensity the Supreme Lord gives me a suitable body to work on it. This body is not received according to my desire. Suppose if I order the Supreme Lord to give me a king’s body, no. That will depend on your previous activities and you will get a suitable body. Of course you will get it according to your desire, not simply by desire but you have to be qualified for it. Just like in English they say “First deserve then desire”. One should be qualified also. Simply by saying it will not work. Nature will give you a body. The material nature or māyā, Durgādevī, it is said in the śāstra that Durgādevī cannot act independently. We worship goddess Durgā and pray to her “O mother! Give me wealth, give me reputation, and give me a beautiful wife.” We worship Durgādevī and pray for these things. But she cannot award anything of her own. This is stated in the śāstra. Durgādevī is very powerful. sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā [Bs. 5.44] Durgādevī or the material energy can alone conduct the creation, maintenance, and annihilation. She is so powerful.

sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā
chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā
[Bs. 5.44]

Durgādevī, maintains and administrates the universe. She is the superintendent. But how does she conduct? icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā [Bs. 5.44] She acts by the will of the Supreme Lord. Not alone. She acts on the order of the Lord.

icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
[Bs. 5.44]

This is described in Brahma-saṁhītā. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself has said in Bhagavad-gītā

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
sūyate sa-carācaram
hetunānena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
[Bg. 9.10]

The Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvan have concluded Durgādevī to be an energy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. She is the energy of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is full of potencies. The Supreme Lord is not devoid of potencies.

parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate
svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca
[Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8]

The Supreme Lord possesses varieties of potencies. Of which Durgādevī is His external energy and Rādhārāṇī is His internal energy. So Durgādevī’s job is to make us forget the Supreme Lord because we want to forget Him. “Take as much wealth as you want, take as much reputation you want and forget the Supreme Lord.” Whereas by Rādhārāṇī’s mercy you can approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engage in His service. Therefore in Vṛndāvan all the devotees always chant “Jaya Rādhārāṇī ki jaya.” This body which we have got as the Supreme Lord has explained, idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate, [Bg. 13.2] who has awarded this body to us? Durgādevī. Durgādevī has given us. But only by the order of the Supreme Lord. “Durgādevī, such and such person wants this body. He has no discrimination about food, he does not follow scriptural injunctions, he eats whatever he likes, so give him a suitable body for that.“So Durgādevī awards him a hog’s body so that it can eat as much stool as it likes. Those who eat indiscriminately nowadays they will, at the end of their life, receive a body that eats stool and garbage. That is given by Durgādevī. idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate [Bg. 13.2] In the field you can grow anything. You grow wheat and rice, and you can also grow tobacco to smoke ciggerates. As you like. Just like nowadays they are producing tea and coffee. In Africa they don’t grow rice etc. in the fields. The foreigners go there and grow tea and coffee. They let it grow for a certain time and when it is fully grown then they cut and pack it and export it to all over the world. They have established tea and coffee industry for economic development. So as we want we get that kind of bodies. That too by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati. [Bg. 18.61]

You cannot hide anything from God. If you pray that you want to eat meat and drink fresh blood, the Supreme Lord hears everything. “All right, give him a tiger’s body. Take it and eat meat as much as you want.” ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. [Bg. 4.11] If you want a lower species of life in order to enjoy material happiness you can have it. And if you want a body like that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ or eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, you can get it too. Mad-yājino ’pi yanti mām. [Bg. 9.25]

One who wants to approach the Supreme Lord, to go to the Supreme Lord, to be engaged in His service is not possible with this present body. For that, your real body, dehino ’smin yathā dehe, [Bg. 2.13] the spirit soul, with that spiritual body you can go to Him. That also you can avail. As you want, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is sitting within your heart. It is not difficult to find out the Supreme Lord. Because, He is sitting in your heart. īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61] This is God. He is sitting within everyone’s heart. He is sitting within the heart of a hog and also in the heart of a demigod. It doesn’t mean that because He is within a hog, He has become a hog. The Supreme Lord always resides in Vaikuṇṭha. But He guides the demigods and the hogs. In the Upaniṣad it is stated that two birds are sitting in one tree. One bird is eating the fruits and the other bird is simply watching and giving whatever fruits the first bird is desiring. Take it. The Supreme Lord gives him all facilities. Take it.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
[Bg. 18.61]

Kindly pay attention to this. This machine that we have got, this body is a machine. I am not the machine. Just like you are sitting in a motorcar, but you are not the motorcar. Motorcar is a machine only. Similarly this body is a machine. But foolish people think this machine as “I am.” You are sitting in a motorcar and if you think “I am the motorcar,” that is wrong. Simply foolishness. Similarly, one who accepts this machine as self, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB. 10.84.13]

In Bhagavad-gītā this body has been compared to a machine and according to Ayurveda it is a bag of mucus, bile and air. But the owner of the body, dehinaḥ, he is different from the body. All the śāstras including Ayurveda confirm this. This is our Vedic literatures, Ayurveda is part of the Vedic śāstra, it also accepts that this body is a bag of mucus, bile and air. It is not spirit soul. Therefore one who accepts this external machine, this bag as self, he is an ass. sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB. 10.84.13]

This I have several times explained to you. In the very beginning of the jñāna-yoga section the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa is reminding, “O Arjuna, this body is the field of activity. The farmer is a different person.” Just like a farmer has been given some land and he cultivates it and according to his capacity he receives the fruits. He receives grains, fruits and so on. In the same way, as you will work with this body so will you receive the result. idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate [Bg. 13.2] Arjuna inquired from the Supreme Lord about the knowledge of the kṣetra and kṣetrajña. So the Supreme Lord is very clearly explaining that this body is known as kṣetra or the field of activity. etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ kṣetra-jña iti tad-vidaḥ [Bg. 13.2]

One who knows this field of activity is called kṣetrajña or ātma, the spirit soul. Jīva or the living entity who understands it. So all of us more or less understand this. Even if I am the most foolish, I understand that I am not this body. You consider each and every part of your body. Take for example, your fingers. Nobody says “I am finger.” This is my finger. This is my hand. Even if you ask a boy he would say “This is my hand.” Nobody would say “I am hand.“That everyone understands naturally. Still, due to being conditioned by māyā, he makes mistake. This is called Pramāda or to accept something as something else. This is external object.

idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya
kṣetram ity abhidhīyate
etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ
kṣetra-jña iti tad-vidaḥ
[Bg. 13.2]

One who knows this, he is kṣetrajña. This is knowledge, real knowledge. There should be one more understanding and that is being explained by the Supreme Lord. kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi [Bg. 13.3] “Look, it is not that only the living entity is kṣetrajña, I am also kṣetrajña.” Why? You have just heard, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁhṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61] The Supreme Lord is sitting within everyone’s heart. He is also an ātmā, but He is paramātma or the Supersoul. He is not a soul like us. You are situated within your body and you are subjected to enjoy or suffer the happiness and distress of your body. And there is one more kṣetrajña sitting within you, He is not subjected to enjoy or suffer the happiness and distress of the body. He is simply watching. He is watching what this fool wants. The Supreme Lord is such a friend of yours that whatever body you receive whether a demigod body, a dog body, an ass body, or a tree body, He is always present with you. To make you understand this that why are you wandering about here and there, sometimes in this body, sometimes in another body, stop this business. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [18.66]

Otherwise, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [Bg. 9.3] But nobody pays attention to Lord’s words. aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [Bg. 9.3] The Supreme Lord is always advising him, “Give up all this and surrender unto Me.” But he doesn’t follow. aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya paran-tapa [Bg. 9.3] A person who has no faith he will not hear what the Supreme Lord is advising. We want to get our work done. Very stubborn. When we go out for preaching we meet hundreds and thousands of people, and almost all of them are stubborn. They don’t want God. They won’t listen to what God says. They manufacture their own ideas. There is no gain in manufacturing ideas, because they are under the clutch of the material nature. So what is the use of manufacturing? They will get whatever they are destined to get. Not that we demand from the nature ten million rupees and we will get it. No. Whatever you deserve, whatever you have worked for, suppose a servant demands ten thousand rupees salary, he will get if he is qualified for it.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati
bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
[Bg. 18.61]

Bhrāmayan, Bhrāmayan means to move around. Wandering. This material world, this universe, the three worlds, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ [Bg. 8.16] This is also spoken by the Supreme Lord.

ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ
punar āvartino ’rjuna
[Bg. 8.16]

The living entities wander everywhere. They go to heaven, they go to this planet, they go to hellish planets. All big, big planets. Modern scientists cheat people by saying that there are no living entities in other planets. All living entities are here only. This is utter foolishness. Everywhere there are varieties of living entities . They are there because of their respective qualification. All the planets are filled with living entities. Even in the sun planet. Had there been no kingdom in the sun planet, is the Supreme Lord telling lies? imaṁ vivasvate yoga proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]

Vivasvān is the name the king of the sun planet. The Supreme Lord Himself is saying. I cannot go to the sun planet, but the Supreme Lord can go there. Had He not gone there then is He telling lie? imaṁ vivasvate yoga proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1] There are innumerable living entities everywhere. Not that the living entities are here only. They are all over the creation. They have different kinds of bodies. Just like a foolish person says that the ocean is vacant, but it is not vacant. If you capable then you go within the ocean you will find so many varieties of living entities there. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni. [Padma Purāṇa].

Nine hundred thousand kinds of living entities live there. There is a kind of fish there that devours big, big fishes and other aquatics. It is called Timiṅgala or whale fish. That is God’s creation. Very wonderful creation which is inhabited by varieties of living entities. They are everywhere. So bhrāmaya, this word has been used to indicate that they are wandered about everywhere. As he works with this field, this body, this human form of body, he will be rewarded a suitable body accordingly.

ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā
madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ
jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā
adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ
[Bg. 14.18]

This is called bhramayan, wandering about. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī about devotional service, He said this.

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

Just like we, the living entities, we traverse everywhere, sometimes up sometimes down. ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ [Bg. 8.16] While traveling like this, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani, [Bg. 9.3] this cycle of birth and death…Even if you become Brahmā still you have to die. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu performed austerity, and Brahmājī arrived there. “My son, what do you want?” He was undergoing severe austerity. So he asked him “Make me immortal.” Brahmājī said “I myself is not immortal. How can I make you immortal?” So just see! The calculation of Brahmājī’s one day is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ [Bg. 8.17]

That is Brahmājī’s 12 hours calculation. What is that? Sahasra-yuga. One yuga is equal to 32 lakh years, 432 lakh years. There are four yugas. Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and Kali-yuga. 18 lakh, 12 lakh, 8 lakh and 4 lakh. So total how many lakhs? 43 lakhs. So multiply it with 1000. Sahasra-yuga paryantam. [Bg. 8.17] Sahasra means one thousand. This 43 lakh years is one cycle of four yugas, Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and Kali-yuga, you multiply by 1000 that duration of time is equal to Brahmā’s twelve hours. sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ [Bg. 8.17] Everything is mentioned in the śāstra. So this twelve hours, then another twelve hours is his night, so total twenty-four hours that is one day. Similarly one month, one year, in he lives one hundred years like that. But still he has to die one day. That’s a fact. Only if go to the abode of the Supreme Lord, yad gatvā na nivartante [Bg. 15.6] punar janma na vidyate [Bg. 8.16] tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]

Anyone who will take birth in the material world he must die and must suffer disease and old age. This is Brahmājī. ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ [Bg. 8.16] Everybody is subjected to birth and death. mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [Bg. 9.3] So similarly according to karma sometimes one takes birth in the upper planet, sometimes in the lower planet, sometimes as a human being, sometimes as a demigod. This is going on. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed Rūpa Gosvamī that this traveling business,

bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
[Bg. 18.61]

Māyā has given this machine, this body, varieties of bodies and we are sitting in that machine. Just like you have got a motorcar, you sit in it and drive everywhere. It is breakable. One day it will break. Then you will get another one according to the price you pay. Now you have got a motor. You can get a better motor or you can get a worse motor. Similarly you think that this body is just like a motorcar. The Supreme Lord has awarded you through the agency of Māyā. Māyayā yantrārūdhāni. And you are sitting in that machine and traveling. This is going on. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that these drivers are simply traveling. Bhrāmayan the same thing Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said. This is called śāstra. It is not that The Supreme Lord has said something and we are saying something else. No. This is called paramparā or disciplic succession. If we receive knowledge from paramparā then our knowledge will be perfect. And if we interpret in our own way and take our some other meaning then both the speaker and the audience become fooled. There is no use of it. So as the Supreme Personality of Godhead said, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni [Bg. 18.61] Caitanya Mahāprabhu similarly said, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite, [Cc. Madhya 19.151] bhramaṇa, the same thing just before and after. Just like a merry-go-round, sometimes it goes up and sometimes goes down. That same thing is going on. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is instructing that while wandering like this if a living entity becomes fortunate, how can one become fortunate? By performing pious activities. By acting piously one becomes bhāgyavāna or fortunate. What is the meaning of bhāgyavāna? To receive some mercy from bhaga-Bhagavāna that is fortunate. Or from some vaiṣṇava. If a vaiṣṇava begs, a vaiṣṇava is not a beggar…Suppose you go to a person as a beggar and say “Mātājī, give me some alms.” If he gladly gives some alms to a vaiṣṇava then he becomes fortunate then and there. Simply because he had a contact with a vaiṣṇava. He gave him something. If one goes to the temple and bows down his head he becomes fortunate. If one attends the Lord’s ārati ceremony in the temple, dances in the kīrtan, plays karatāla or gong, or offers flower garlands he instantly becomes fortunate. That pious credit will never be lost.

sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
trāyate mahato bhayāt
[Bg. 2.40]

It is such a thing that you accumulate even a little it will remain in your credit for ever. In this way by going on accumulating piety when your balance will become little more then your devotional service will begin. This is scriptural conclusion. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says the same thing, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite, while wandering within the universe, yantrārūḍhāni māyayā, Caitanya Mahāprabhu simply repeats it. The Supreme Personality of Godhead demanded that you do like this. He is God Himself therefore He orders. That same Supreme Personality of Godhead, because foolish people are not following, appeared as a devotee and that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Just to teach people in general that “Sir, in order to execute devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, do as I am doing.” That’s why Rūpa Gosvāmī recognized Caitanya Mahāprabhu that He is none other the Supreme Personality of Godhead who has descended to teach us. That’s all. The exalted devotees recognized Him. Therefore when Rūpa Gosvāmī and Caitanya Mahāprabhu met each other for the first time, at that time Rūpa Gosvāmi offered obeisances to Him by chanting this mantra.

namo mahā-vadānyāya
kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

Gaura-tviṣe, now He has not appeared in black complexion. Very beautiful. He came in yellow color like gold. Gaura-tviṣe, Gaurāṅga. “You have simply changed Your color but You are Kṛṣṇa Yourself. And this time You have descended as the most magnanimous.” Who is called vadānya? One who gives in charity profusely he is called vadānya. He is addressing Caitanya Mahāprabhu as not only vadānya but mahā-vadānya. There is no greater charitable personality than You. Why? Because, Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāyate. Kṛṣṇa made a condition to give Himself away.

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
[Bg. 18.66]

“Give up everything and surrender unto My lotus feet.” He made a condition that first you give up everything and surrender to My lotus feet. And in this form of Yours, You made no condition. You gave not only Kṛṣṇa but Kṛṣṇa-prema or love of Kṛṣṇa as well. Therefore You are mahā-vadānya or most magnanimous. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission. No condition at all. Take. Take love of God. How? Simply chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahāmantra daily and dance. That’s all. You will get love of God. Just see how greatly magnanimous He is! There is no need of education, no need of taking birth in a brāhmaṇa or high class family. Just engage in congregational chanting of the holy name of Hari and dance with enthusiasam. kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. The Gosvāmīs did this. They taught us. Kṛṣṇot-kirtana, chant loudly Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, and dance in ecstasy. You will certainly achieve Kṛṣṇa-prema. kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī [Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 1]

You will merge into the nectarean ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa instantly. dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau, this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is beneficial for both dhira and adhira. First who are the dhiras? Dhiras are those who have renounced the world. brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na [Bg. 18.54] Who have nothing to do with the world they are called dhira. They have nothing to do any more. They have attained self realization. They don’t have to do anything. And adhiras always want to enjoy sense gratification. About adhira it is mentioned in the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta who is adhira. One who begs, he is an adhira. And he who has nothing to ask for is a dhira. One who asks is an adhira. Aśānti. Adhira means one who has no peace. Such a person is called aśānta. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself has said, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī-sakali ‘aśānta’ [Cc. Madhya 19.149]

All these people, some people want all kinds of enjoyments, they are karmīs. Those who are jñānīs, they want liberation. Brahma satya jagan mithyā or the world is false and Brahman is reality. Let me be one with the Supreme Lord. Be liberated. So karmīs desire material enjoyment and jñānīs desire liberation. And those who are yogīs, they desire mystic perfection to show some magic. Eight mystic perfections. Aṇimā, laghimā, mahima-prāpti and the other perfections. They want to show all these. So all these jñānīs, yogīs and karmīs, may be they are very prominent in their own fields, but they are all beggars. Not that “I don’t want anything.” No. svāmin kṛtārtho ’smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42]

Not like that. He is a bhakta or a devotee. When the Supreme Lord wants to give something to the devotee, he says “What do I need? My Lord, I have attained Your lotus feet what more do I want? I don’t want anything.” svāmin kṛtārtho ’smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. There are so many examples of this. It will take so much time to describe them. The devotee is a true śānta because he doesn’t demand anything. He does not disturb the Lord that “O Lord, give me this, give me that, give me sense gratification, give me liberation, give me mystic perfection.” No. He does not ask for anything. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, he went to ask. He performed austerity, severe penance not for long time only for six months. But he underwent severe penance. He was only five year old boy.

The Supreme Lord mercifully gave him darśana. Dhruva Mahārāja saw the Lord in his meditation. Suddenly the Lord disappeared from his meditation. Dhruva could no longer see Him. So he opened his eyes and saw his Lord standing before him. He was seeing the Lord within his heart. Is it difficult for the Supreme Lord to give darśana from within? īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ’rjuna tiṣṭhati. [Bg. 18.61] He is sitting in everyone’s heart, so if He wants He can come out and give darśana. He is all powerful. Is it difficult for the Supreme Lord? It is not at all difficult. He can give darśana from inside and from outside as well. So when the Supreme Personality of Godhead gave darśana and asked Dhruva Mahārāja “Dear son, ask Me any benediction you wish. I am standing in front of you.” But after seeing the Supreme Lord he became overwhelmed with love and replied, svāmin kṛtārtho ’smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. “My Lord, you are my master. You can give everything. But now I have become so satisfied that I have no more desire to ask you anything. This is the symtom of a devotee. One who has the Supreme Personality of Godhead what else does he need? He got everything. Whatever he wants he can have. No need to ask anything again. And those who have not achived the Supreme Lord, they will keep asking whether they are karmīs, jnānīs, or yogīs. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that there is no greater happiness anywhere than in the dealings between the Supreme Lord and the devotees, in the reciprocation between them. That is called bhakti. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said,

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

If one has accumulated enough unknown piety then he, somehow or other, meets a vaiṣṇava by whose mercy he is able to receive the seed of devotional service. Just like one gets the seed of a tree.

mālī hañā kare sei bīja āropaṇa
śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana
[Cc. Madhya 19.152]

When a gardener receives a seed and he sows it in the ground. As he waters the seed daily gradually the seed grows. Similarly when by the mercy of a devotee, by the mercy of a vaiṣṇava we receive the seed of the creeper of devotional service and we properly sow it and water it with the water of hearing and chanting as we water the field. To nourish and grow the seed of devotional service the only water required is hearing and chanting. Hear about the Supreme Personality of Godhead and repeat it. If we do it then the creeper will grow more and more and produce the fruits of love of God. Just as every tree produces some fruits similarly the tree produced from the seed of devotional creeper produces the fruits of love. Love of God. That will be obtained. If he attains the fruits of love of God even while living in this world then he will say “O my Lord, I don’t want anything else.” svāmin kṛtārtho ’smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42].

At that time he will be actually satisfied. And so long he will want something from this material world, either as a jñāni, or as a karmī, or as a yogī, they are all beggars. The devotee will never ask for anything. varaṁ na yāce. Don’t want anything. Know for certain that that is real liberation. Otherwise there is no questionof liberation. So the Supreme Lord is giving us this knowledge in the thirteenth chapter which I have just explained. amānitvam adambhitvam [Bg. 13.8] We should try to acquire these qualities. Amānitvam. The first disease that have is mānitvam. “I am Indian, I am American, you cannot talk with me I am brāhmaṇa and you are śūdra.” These are mānitvam. We are very proud. We have received this body, good birth but the first lesson is amānitvam. Amānitvam. It is a misconception that you are a brāhmaṇa, you are American, you are Indian, you are white, you are black, you are learned, you are foolish, you are rich, you are poor and so on. Not to misidentify yourself like that is amānitvam. First of all one should learn that I am neither rich nor poor, I am neither white nor black, I am neither American nor I am Indian, I am neither a brāhmaṇa nor a śūdra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught this. Nāhaṁ yati… I am not brāhmaṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, I am not śūdra, I am not sannyāsī, I am not gṛhastha, everything is no, no. Actually in the human society cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ [Bg. 4.13]

Varṇāśrama, the consideration of four varṇas and four āśramas prevails. Until this system is established it is dog society. This too has to be given up. First we should give up this doggish and sheepish propensity and by culture one should claim to be a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. By culture. That also has to be given up. And that is called sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66] So long one is situated in the four varṇas, varṇāśrama, that is also a material platform. That too has to be abandoned. The Supreme Lord said sarva-dharmān parityajya, the point He is making is that you are proud of being American, Indian, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, white, black and the activities you are pursuing accordingly, all that has to be given up. That is called amānitvam. Adambhitvam. This mānitvam or false prestige that I am brāhmaṇa, I am kṣatriya, I am American, this false prestige everybody is having. That I am great and everyone else is insignificant. This is a material disease. That has to be given up, adambhitvam or prestigious position. It has to be given up. Amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā, ahiṁsā, if we try to explain each words it will take whole night even if I will try to explain briefly. We have to acquire this ahiṁsā. Actually if you notice these four or five ślokas beginning from eight to twelve it is filled with complete knowledge. It is a platform of jñāna-yoga. Complete knowledge. Take any religious system, take any moral instruction, everything is available here. Ahiṁsā. Ahiṁsā is possible only when you have acquired amānitvam adambhitvam. Otherwise it is useless. The Supreme Lord Himself is describing. Ahiṁsā can be accomplished when you are amānitvam adambhitvam. The general meaning of ahiṁsā is not to become envious of anyone unnecessarily. That is called ahiṁsā. Without any cause. Just like kill the animals and eat it. If you have got nice foodstuffs to eat by which your body will be nourished then why do you unnecessarily kill a poor animal? This is called jñāna. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead has supplied us wheat, rice, ghee, milk, fruits, vegetables with which we can prepare delicious foodstuffs. We can offer that food to the Supreme Lord and take His remnants, prasāda then why you uselessly kill a poor animal. That is called ahiṁsā. We won’t die of starvation. This is in the śāstra. If you can spare someone then spare him. That is ahiṁsā. Nowadays human society has become uncivilized. When they don’t know how to grow rice, they live in the forest. They cannot clear the jungle and grow rice. If they kill animal and eat that is not sinful. God has given you plenty of food grains you eat and live. Why do you kill animals? When you learn to do it that is called ahiṁsā. The Supreme Lord says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. [Bg. 9.26]

This is within your capacity. It is natural rule that one animal survives by eating another animal. This does not mean that since one animal is food for another animal, so let me kill my son and eat. No. There is a rule. Just like for human beings the Supreme Lord recommends, you don’t just eat alone but you offer to the Lord and then eat.

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
[Bg. 9.26]

Make it prasāda and eat. yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, first you offer to the Lord. So what you will offer to the Lord? The Lord doesn’t say give Me, māṁsaṁ, ḍimbaṁ or meat and egg. The Lord says give Me, patraṁ puṣpaṁ. Give. Offer the Lord vegetables, wheat, milk and then take His prasāda. This is human life. This is called ahiṁsā. Not that we eat anything and everything. That is not knowledge. That is ignorance. Those who are knowledgeable they don’t do it.

amānitvam adambhitvam
ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam

Always be satisfied that whatever I have got by the God’s grace that’s all right. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has provided food to everyone. So what he has given me is all right. And simplicity, ārjavam. Human life should be simple. About simplicity it is said that even if your enemy asks you your secret you disclose to him. That is simplicity. Ārjavam. That is brahmana’s quality. These are the considerations. amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam. And ācāryopāsanaṁ, you can get knowledge, devotional service, everything by ācāryopāsanaṁ or worshiping the spiritual master. Spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession. Just like in our India there are big, big ācārya sampradāyas, Ramānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇusvāmī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, even Śaṅkarācārya, whom we accept as an ācārya. So at least you worship the ācāryas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12]

One should approach the ācārya. Whoever comes down in the disciplic succession. Just like Rāmānujācārya is not present now, but the vaiṣṇava of the Rāmānuja sampradāya is there. In the same way, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not present now, but the ācārya of the Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s sampradāya is present. You approach that ācārya. Then you will learn. If you go to an ācārya who smokes bīḍī what will you learn? No. You approach a qualified ācārya and worship him. That is why the first worship goes to the acarya and then to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān [SB. 11.17.27]

The śāstra says this. The Supreme Lord also confirms this in the eleventh canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. “Know that the ācārya is Me only.” Therefore the ācārya should be honoured as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The ācārya never says “I am God,” but he is authorised to accept service from his disciple on the Lord’s behalf. He has authority. That service will reach the Supreme Lord. He does not take it for himself, because he know that he is simply a servant of the Lord. Just like the Viceroy, previously there used be Viceroy. He was given respect. But he was accepting it on behalf of the king. Similarly whatever service the acarya accepts from the disciples, that is to carry it to the Supreme Lord only. Therefore Viśvanātha cakravarty Thakura has said that, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo.

If you have pleased the ācārya then rest assured that the Supreme Lord is pleased. yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi . [Guruvāṣṭaka 8] And if you have not pleased the ācārya then know for sure that all your endeavours are baffled. So it says, ācāryopāsanaṁ and śaucam. Śaucam means purity both from inside and outside.

apavitraḥ pavitro vā
sarvāvasthāṁ gato ’pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bāhyābhyantare śuciḥ
[Garuḍa Purāṇa 2.1.47.52]

One should take bath early in the morning with washing powder, soap or oil. This is “Bāhyā śaucam” external purity. Similarly internal purity must be there. For internal purity chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So it will take whole night if we elaborately explain each of these items. Hear and read Bhagavad-gītā for everything is available there. You discuss it try to understand it. You hear from the ācārya then your life will be successful. This is the purpose of this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement. So that those who have received the human form of life they may not waste it. Somehow or other learn it. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself is revealing. You hear it with attention. Otherwise if we spend our lives like dogs and asses then, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [Bg. 9.3] Again we have to go through the cycle of birth and death. It is a great responsibility. We should not waste our lives uselessly. Be responsible, hear what the Supreme Lord is saying and apply it in your life and you life will be successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Caitya-guru:
[Reading out the questions from the audience] Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, should be chanted straight away or first one should accept a guru and take the mantra from him and then chant it?

Prabhupāda:
No. first one should hear from a guru. That is called dīkṣā or initiation. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ [MU 1.2.12] the mantra should be accepted from the ācārya only. Then there will be result.

Caitya-guru:
Kindly explain whether achiving Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate goal of life or one has to go further? After attaining Goloka dham does one again have to undergo the cycle of birth and death? Are those who go to Śivaloka and Viṣṇuloka liberated?

Prabhupāda:
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is written,

yad gatvā na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama
[Bg. 15.6]

All are the abodes of the Supreme Lord, but the supreme abode is Goloka Vṛndāvana. Once gone there why should one return? One relishes ultimate bliss.

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-
lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr
[Bs. 5.29]

Then why should one come back here? The Supreme Lord says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9] So much happiness is available there. Why come back? He gets respite from the cycle of birth and death. If he wishes he can come. This free will is always there. And sometimes by the order of the Lord he comes to deliver the fallen souls. Just like the Supreme Lord comes, similarly He sends His devotee. “You go there and preach. Deliver the living entities.” Then he comes. But he is not an ordinary living entity. He is nitya mukta or eternally liberated. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that there are two kinds of living entities. One is eternally liberated and the other is nitya baddha or eternally conditioned. One who comes by the will of the Lord he is liberated person. Just as the Supreme Lord appears, He is eternally liberated and completely pure. Similarly the Lord’s devotee who comes he is also completely pure and eternally liberated. It doesn’t matter where he takes his birth and where he comes. He is completely pure and eternally liberated. After going back to Godhead one remains engaged in His service. No need to return. Those who cannot go there or who do not want to go like the jñānīs, they want to remain in the Brahman effulgence. Brahman effulgence is external. It is in the Vaikuṇṭha planet, spiritual world, but it is outside the Vaikuṇṭha planet. Just like the sun planet is there but it’s rays is outside the sun globe. In the same way Brahman effulgence is outside the Vaikuṇṭha planet. Yasya prabhā [Bs. 5.40]

It is the effulgence of the Vaikuṇṭha planet. By going there one does get existence but he does not relish any pleasure. He doesn’t get any happiness. For example, you have got experience that by flying in the aeroplane very high in the sky and remain there for six to eight hours then you feel some discomfort. Let me go down to the ground. Similarly the Monists, what is the use of remaining in the Brahman effulgence?

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ
patanty adho ’nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ
[SB. 10.2.32]

They don’t get any happiness there. So they come back again into this material world, big big sannyāsīs, Brahma satya jagan mithyā. They renounce the world and go to Brahman effulgence but do not get any happiness there. So they come back here again and open schools, open colleges, open Homeopathic dispensary and so on. They start their old business again because they didn’t get the real pleasure.

Caitya-guru:
When Guru Mahārāja was commenting on Bhagavad-gītā, he said that to explain each word may take one whole night. Now it is already too late and you all have many questions also. So I thought that the answers of all of your questions [indistinct] …. You will not remember the answers. [indistinct] So there is one magazine in Hindi called “Bhagavat-darśana” published by our society. It contains the explanations of Guru Mahārājajī and all the answers of your questions. All the answers of your questions are available in it. I don’t think you have any questions that has no answer in this magazine. The cost price of this magazine, not as a cost but as a donation is one rupees fifty paise. But today I thought since you have many questions in your mind so we will distribute this magazine for one rupee only. Just by one rupee all your questions will be answered. We have limited number of copies with us. So our devotees will come near you for three four minutes. Kindly keep one rupee ready and take it from our devotees. I am sure all your questions will the answered. [end]