Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.1 in Hindi [Translated]

Prabhupāda:

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]

This is the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva. He is eternal personality of Godhead. Ṛṣabhadeva. He is an authority. One of the principle one. The Jains also follow Ṛṣabhadeva. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is for everybody. God is neither Hindu, nor Muslim, nor Jain. God is God eternally. Just like gold, if a Hindu has gold, it is not Hindu-gold. It is gold. If some Muslim has gold, it is not Muslim-gold. Similarly the Supreme Lord is one. Eka brahma dvitīya nasty. This is our illusion that there is Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma, Jain dharma. Dharma should be one. About dharma Yamarāja explains, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ [SB. 6.3.19]

Dharma refers to that which is given or spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. [Aside: That child.] Just like the laws. Law. India is our country. The laws of India can be made only by the government. It is not that the Hindus make a law, the Muslims make a law, the Christians make a law. No. The law will be accepted only that which is enacted by the government. If you walk on the road it says, “keep to the right” or “keep to the left.” It must be followed by the Muslims or Hindus or Christians simply because it is the government’s rule. Similarly whatever the Supreme Personality of Godhead says that is dharma. This is the simplest definition of *dharma. dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ. [SB. 6.3.19] In the Bhagavad-gītā the Supreme Lord personally comes and explains, *man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. [Bg. 18.65]

Whether you address the Supreme Lord as Kṛṣṇa, or as Alla, or you call Him as Christ, but what is your duty? man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. By whatever name you address Him, your duty is to always remember Him. Man-mana. Bhava mad bhakto, become a devotee of the Lord. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also instructed. We have started this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never said that you only chant the name of Kṛṣṇa. He said to chant the name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead provided you know Him. If you know Him you will also know His name. But if he has no information of the Supreme Lord then whose name will you chant? If you have no acquaintance with some friend then how would you know him by his name?

nāmnāmakāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivamīdṛśamihājani nānurāgaḥ
[Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka 2].

Caitanya Mahāprabhu is praying, “O Lord, You have got so many names.” There must be for He is unlimited. He is not limited. Limitless. So His holy names are also unlimited. In our śāstra, there is “Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma” or one thousand names of Lord Visnu. rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod [Bs. 5.39] The Supreme Personality of Godhead has got innumerable incarnations. They have got Their respective names as well. You chant any of Their names. Whichever name you like. It is not that only Kṛṣṇa’s name…Kṛṣṇa’s name is the principle name, this is the Vedic statement.The Supreme Lord has millions and trillions of names, but the principle name is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. [SB. 1.3.28]

Therefore we, who follow the Vedic conclusion, accept the name “Kṛṣṇa” as the Supreme. If you think that Kṛṣṇa is the name of a Hindu God then you may chant any other name of the Supreme Lord which you know. The main subject of our preaching is harer namaiva kevalam. [Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa 38.126] Simply chant the holy name of the Lord. There is no restriction. If you have got some other name of the Supreme Lord…But the problem is nowadays in the world neither people know who God is, nor what God’s name is. They have no acquaintance with the Supreme Lord so how will they know His name? This is the difficulty. Otherwise any name of the Lord you chant you will get benefit. nāmnāmakāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis, The holy name of the Lord is invested with all energies of the Lord. Just like the Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses all energies, almighty, in the same way the Lord’s name possesses all potencies. Absolute. There is no difference between the name and the person-the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise why do we chant His name? Because, He is Bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we chant the Lord’s name all the time, as the Lord Himself says, man-mana bhava mad bhakto, [Bg. 18.65] if you simply chant the Lord’s name you become a devotee. There is no difficulty. Simply chant the Supreme Lord’s name. Whatever name you prefer provided it should the Supreme Lord’s name. But if you ascertain Him as formless then where is the question of the poor fellow’s name? He is finished then and there. So here Ṛṣbhadeva, the Lord’s incarnation, is imparting some instructions to His sons. Retire. Previously big, big kings used to retire. Nowadays there is no question of retirement until one is shot dead by bullets. They don’t even think about retirement. There should be retirement. The principle of Vedic varṇāśrama is highly scientific. For some years one should remain brahmacārī-student, for some years one should remain gṛhastha, it is not that one remain gṛhastha for whole life. That is not Vedic civilization. Remaining some years…Twenty-five to fifty years, when the senses are most strong. The gṛhastha life is a concession-licence to enjoy sense gratification. Actually there is no need for it. But people cannot follow it, therefore gradually try to abstain. First student life—brahmacārī. He is taught what is the value of life. brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam. [SB. 7.12.1] He is taught about peacefulness, self control and so on. From the very beginning he is taught mātṛvat para-dāreṣu, or treat all women as mother. Go to each and every house and beg “Oh mother, give me some alms.” That way he learns to address all women as mother. All women are mother. That is also Cāṇakya Paṇḍita’s instruction.

mātṛvat para-dāreṣu
para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat
ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu
yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ

Cāṇakya Paṇḍita is explaning who is a Paṇḍita? One who sees all women as mother and nothing else. He has no other relationship. This is taught to him from the beginning of his life. If he learns like that then he will not call women anything but mother. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu, and para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, treat others wealth as rubbish in the street. Just like rubbish in the road nobody even touches, like that. para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu treat all living entities as good as yourself, atleast learn this much that if somebody comes to sever your head you feel pain. Therefore why you cut anyone’s throat? Why do you open slaughter house?

A person who follows these three things, yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ, one who is educated about these three things mātṛvat para-dāreṣu, para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat ātmavat he is Paṇḍita or learned. Not that one becomes Paṇḍita by studying B.A., M.A. Such persons are not accepted as learned by our Vedic standard. One passes B.A., M.A. and keeps illicit connection with other women, eat meat, fish etc, and steal anothers money as soon as there is opportunity. This is not Paṇḍit. This is foolish. This is Vedic civilization. Therefore one is trained as a brahmacārī. How to become peaceful, how to control the senses and how to sacrifice everything for the service of the Guru? Guror hitam. The life of a brahmacārī is simply meant for the benefit of the guru and not for Himself. This is the traning given to a brahmacārī.

If he is unable to remain a life long brahmacārī then the spiritual master instructs him to get married with a suitable good girl. Gṛhastha āśrama. By having a good foundation in the beginning the gṛhastha life becomes restrained life. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo ’smi [Bg. 7.11] kāma, lusty desire which is not against the religious principles, that I am. Kṛṣṇa says. Sex life is not bad provided it is within the jurisdiction of dharma. So gṛhastha life is a concession for sex life and nothing else. There is no need for it. But if someone is unable to advance quickly it is a concession for him. That is Gṛhastha. From the age of twenty-five up to the age of fifty you enjoy life. Then at the age of fifty you should retire because the foundation was laid in the beginning of life. Big big kings and saintly persons used to retire at the age of fifty for there is no more necessary for it. So Ṛṣabhadeva who was the emperor of the whole world, before retiring he was giving instructions to his sons. A few lines from his instructions I am trying to explain to you all. My dear sons, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke, kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB. 5.5.1]

My dear sons, this body that you have got, human form of body, is not ordinary. After many births …. Bahu sambhavānte [SB. 11.9.29] After going through 8,400,000 species of life, one attains this human form of body. After going through 8,000,000, why 8,000,000, after passing 8,300,000 species of life one obtains the human form of life. Tatha dehāntara prāptir [Bg. 2.13] This is the very first instruction the Supreme Lord imparts. One must change his body. It is not that when this body is finished and burnt to ashes everything is finished. Just like the atheistic people think, bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar āgamano bhavet [Cāravāka Muni]. “Just enjoy life. Don’t worry about vice and virtue. When this body will be burned in the fire then what is left? That’s all.” Only foolish people speak like that. But the real fact is that the spirit soul who is so minute, keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9],

You take the tip of the hair, and one thousandth part of that hair is the size of the soul. That minute spiritual particle—the soul is situated within an ant and within an elephant as well. Through the subtle body consisting of mind, intelligence and false ego the spirit soul enters into the womb. And thus he receives a new body. This process is called, Mṛtyu saṁsāra vartmani. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself said, aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [Bg. 9.3] If in this life you do not endeavor to go back to Godhead and not remain entangled in the cycle of birth and death, the process of which is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā and all other scriptures, if we don’t study and learn all that but live a life like dogs and asses then again the same cycle, mṛtyu saṁsāra vartmani. The Supreme Lord Himself has said,

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā
dharmasyāsya paran-tapa
aprāpya māṁ nivartante
mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani
[Bg. 9.3]

If one does not follow these instructions of Bhagavad-gītā due to lack of faith or thinking them to be useless, or tries to distort the meaning whimsically and thereby bring about ruination to himself and others. Actually what is the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā? The purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is that we have forgotten the Supreme Lord, we don’t know who God is, that’s why the Lord personally descends to teach everyone.

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya
[Bg. 4.8]

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
[Bg. 4.7]

This is decination of religious principles. Dharmasya glānir, whatever the Supreme Lord ascertains as religion that nobody accepts, they simply speculate. That is called glānir. So whenever there is a declination in religious principles at that time The Supreme Personality of Godhead appears. He comes and explains “My dear sons, this is religion.” The Lord Himself comes, His incarnations come, His devotees come, His servants come just to explain this one thing that you have completely forgotten the Lord and became independent, that is your sheer foolishness.

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

Actually foolish people consider themselves to be independent. What is your independence? prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ You are completely under the control of material nature. daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14] You cannot get out. You cannot go beyond this. Mam eva ye, material nature has full control over you just so that you can surrender to the Supreme Lord. mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. [Bg. 7.14] As soon as we surrender unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead you are no more under the control of Māyā. These things are all described in the scriptures. Every śāstra tells us only one thing, just surrender unto the Supreme Lord. You will be happy. No matter how big plan you make, you cannot be happy by any other means.

moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo
mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ
[Bg. 9.12]

Similarly Ṛṣabhadeva also speaks the same thing. My dear sons, this present body, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. I am not this body. But because I am trying to enjoy this material world I have received a suitable body to do so according to my karma. According to one’s past deeds one receives a human body, one gets a dog body, one receives a demigod body and one receives a fish body. Actually all are spirit souls.

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
[Bg. 14.4]

“I am the father of everyone.” It is not that I am the father of human beings and not of the goats. That’s not true. I have got a body and a dog has also got a body. But my body is special. The speciality is that dogs, sheeps, asses and hogs cannot work hard like me. This is stated. There are four kinds of human beings. One kind is like dog. śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ. One kind is like dogs, one kind is like camels, one kind is like asses and another kind is like that of hogs. There is a nice explanation about this.

śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ
saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ
[SB. 2.3.19]

The dogs are four legged, the hogs are four legged, the camels are four legged and the asses are also four legged animals. If we, being two legged, act like dogs, hogs, camels and asses, therefore śāstra warns us that having received the human form of life you should not act like dogs, hogs, camels, and asses. Then we are no better than them. Kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. [SB. 5.5.1] *No. These animals work so hard whole day, especially the pigs, you might have seen how they wander about whole day and night. For what? Vid-bhujāṁ ye. Where is stool? Get it. We want to eat. And as soon as they are fat and healthy immediately sense gratification without any discrimination. Pig. That’s why they are called so. No discrimination for food. No discrimination for sex.

Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva is forbidding his sons. “My sons, you have got this human form of life. Do not use this human body like hogs.” Though He has used very strong words, it is right for the scriptures do not speak anything wrong. We work hard only and whatever foodstuffs we get we eat without any discrimination. Get strong and indulge in sense gratification. This is not human life. This is the first position. Ayam deha. nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. [SB. 5.5.1] *The other bodies we may get but there also the same business will go on. Animal life. This modern civilization is actually not modern. This is going on from ancient time. But human society now is full of such types of people. Otherwise why it is stated śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ. Let me explain to you a little.

Actually modern day education is meant for, do not feel bad, becoming dogs. Why do I say it is meant to become dog? Suppose you yourself pass M.A. Phd, Dhc or whatever but if you don’t get a job then you lower than a dog. Having been educated you move about everywhere but “No vacancy, no vacancy.” Recently it was in the news paper there were two or two and half lakhs applications for five hundred posts. What is the value of this education? Education refers to…our educated person is a brāhmaṇa. He is not a servant of anyone. A kṣatriya is not a servant of anyone. A vaiṣya is not a servant of anyone. Only śūdras are servant.

paricaryātmakaṁ karma
śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam
[Bg. 18.44]

This is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore for Kali-yuga it is said, kalau śūdra sambhava. In Kali-yuga almost everybody is a śūdra. This is the condition. Actually in the human society there should be four varṇas or social orders. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself has said,

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
[Bg. 4.13]

These divisions must be there, otherwise there will be chaos in the human society. The brāhmaṇa is the head-brain. The kṣatriya is the arms to give protection to the society. The brāhmaṇa will give instruction from the śāstra that such and such way you lead your life. And vaiśya will produce foodgrains. This is also necessary. Just like in the body the brain is required, the arms are required, the stomach is required and the legs are required. Similarly, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ, [Bg. 4.13] if there are śūdras only, if there are vaiśyas only then the dicipline and balance of the society will be ruined. Then Ṛṣabhadeva further explains that one should not live in a chaotic society. One should utilize the human live properly because after all what is the goal of human life? To stop this mrtyu samsara vartamani, [Bg. 9.3] they don’t know that after giving up one body they will have to accept another body. But there are persons who know, dhiras tatra na muhyati. The Supreme Personality of Godhead said,

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

One who is sober. Everybody is restless. Nobody is sober. So this movement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is meant for everyone both dhira and adhira, sober and restless. In the prayers to the Six Gosvamis it is written,

kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī
dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau

Just like we are sitting here, we haven’t picked only the dhiras to sit here, many adhiras are also sitting here. No problem. Kṛṣṇa-kirtan is such that all combinedly dhiras, adhiras, foolish, learned, rich, poor, brāhmaṇas, śūdras, everyone can participate. But one must undergo austerity. Tapo divyam. Austerity. This is Indian culture. Big, big kings, especially the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas at some point of life must take retirement. Just to undergo austerity. Tapo divyam. It must be done. If one refuses to undergo austerity then as the Lord says, māṁ aprāpya, the connection with the Lord, though it can never be broken, but will be forgotten. By austerity the relationship between the Supreme Lord and the living entities can be revived. And if you do not perform austerity then, nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. [Bg. 9.3] You will have to go back again to the cycle of birth and death. You will have to take birth as a human being, as a tree, as an ass, as a demigod and so on so on. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed,

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

In this way the living entities wander about throughout the universe. Sometimes in the higher planets sometimes in the lower planets. Mṛtyu saṁsāra vartmani….But one must die. There are big, big scientists, we also have scientists with us, but the Supreme Lord says,

janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-
duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam
[Bg. 13.9]

Suppose you are able to temporarily mitigate suffering through scientific process, but your four primary sufferings remain as it is. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. You have to take birth, you have to die, you have to become old and you have to suffer from disease. Do you have any solution to that scientifically? No. The only solution to that is this tapo divyam. In order to attain transcendental knowledge, in order to attain the Supreme Personality of Godhead one must perform tapasya. To perform tapasya in Kali-yuga is also very difficult, because the living entities in this age of Kali is very fallen. Prāyena alpāyuṣa, first of all short lived. It is stated in the śāstra that people in Kali-yuga would live for 100 years. But who lives for 100 years? By 20, 50, or 60 years they die.

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ
[SB. 1.1.10]

This is the position of Kali-yuga. The only tapasya for Kali-yuga is Hari kirtana or congregational chanting of the holy name of Hari. Tapasyā. There is no other tapasya. You cannot go to forest, you cannot go to the mountain. You cannot perform tapasya like big, big, ascetics. These things are not possible. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has prescribed,

harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
[Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa 38.126]

In Kali-yuga no form of tapasya is possible. Let there be only one tapasya and that is chanting of the holy name of the Supreme Lord. You can do it anywhere. You can come to the temple and chant or you can chant at home. People are accepting this process in Europe and America. It is not that only my disciples are chanting the name of Hari, but others also have started chanting the holy name of Hari. We have got pictures of that. This is our Indian culture. Why should we reject it? You have nothing to spend. There is no difficulty to do it. Stay wherever you are, whether you are a gṛhastha, or a brahmacāri, or a brāhmaṇa, or a cobbler, there is no consideration at all. Simply chant the holy name of Hari. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Thank you very much.

Devotees:
Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]