London, July 25, 1973

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

kià no räjyena govinda

kià bhogair jévitena vä

yeñäm arthe käìkñitaà no

räjyaà bhogäù sukhäni ca

ta ime 'vasthitä yuddhe

präëäàs tyaktvä dhanäni ca

äcäryäù pitaraù puträs

tathaiva ca pitämahäù

mätuläù çvaçuräù pauträù

çyäläù sambandhinas tathä

etän na hantum icchämi

ghnato 'pi madhusüdana

api trailokya-räjyasya

hetoù kià nu mahé-kåte

nihatya dhärtaräñörän naù

kä prétiù syäj janärdana

[Bg. 1.32-35]

Translation: "O Govinda, of what avail to us are kingdoms, happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed in this battlefield? O Madhusüdana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and all relatives are ready to give up their lives and properties and are standing before me, then why should I wish to kill them, though I may survive? O maintainer of all creatures, I am not prepared to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds, let alone this earth."

Prabhupäda: So Arjuna is thinking in terms of his own sense gratification. He is posing himself as if he does not know what is the plan of Kåñëa. Yes. The plan of Kåñëa is explained by Kåñëa in the Bhagavad-gétä.

yadä yadä hi dharmasya

glänir bhavati bhärata

abhyutthänam adharmasya

tad ätmänaà såjämy aham

[Bg. 4.7]

pariträëäya sädhünäà

vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm

dharma-saàsthäpanärthäya

sambhavämi yuge yuge

[Bg. 4.8]

The plan is already known to everyone how the management of the cosmic manifestation is going on. The cosmic manifestation is there. This material world. It is, although temporary, it has got a purpose. The purpose is to give chance to the living entities who are rotting in this material world to revive his Kåñëa consciousness, or original consciousness, and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the plan. This material cosmic manifestation is there, bhütvä bhütvä praléyate [Bg. 8.19]. The nature is, it is sometimes manifested and sometimes it is dissolved, annihilated. Everything material, that is the way. Just like our body. It is created at a certain date, and it will be annihilated at a certain date. Similarly, this gigantic body... That is also body of the Supreme Lord, virät body. Virät means gigantic. Kåñëa will show His virät-rüpa to Arjuna. So this external body, exactly just like we have got our this external body. Internal body. The soul is covered by two bodies, the external and internal. External means these gross elements—earth, water, air, fire, sky. And internal means the mind, intelligence and ego. They are also material. Just like our body is covered by shirt and coat, similarly, the soul is encaged in two kinds of bodies. When this gross body is finished, the subtle body, mind, intelligence and ego, they are there. The soul is covered. The gross body is finished. That is called death. But people do not know that there is no death for the soul. The outward cover is finished, the inward cover is there, and the inward cover will carry the soul to another gross body. That is called transmigration. The mind is creating, as we are making our consciousness in this life, so we are making our next life also. Yänti deva-vratä devän pitèn yänti pitå-vratäù [Bg. 9.25].

So we have got two kinds of bodies, gross and subtle, and within that, I am living, you are living, soul. Dehino 'smin yathä dehe kaumäraà yauvanaà jarä [Bg. 2.13]. Asmin dehe, within this body, there is the dehé, the proprietor of the body. So people do not understand that this finishing of this gross body is not actually death or annihilation of the soul. Na hanyate hanyamäne çarére [Bg. 2.20]. Even annihilation of the subtle body does not mean death of the soul. Na hanyate hanyamäne çarére [Bg. 2.20]. There are two kinds of bodies. So when the gross body is annihilated, the subtle body carries me to another gross body. Just like the air carries the flavor of a certain place. If the air is passing over rose garden, it carries the flavor. Although we cannot see, but we can smell. We can understand the breeze is so fragrant, means it is coming over a rose garden. Similarly, filthy place, a bad smell, the air carries. So the subtle body carries the mental situation of the soul and puts him into a particular body according to that mental situation. Yaà yaà väpi smaran bhävaà tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. At the time of death, the mental situation will give me chance for another gross body. If we have created my mind Kåñëa conscious, then he will give me, the mental situation will give me a body by which I can make further progress. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gétä: çucénäà çrématäà gehe yoga-bhrañöo 'bhijäyate [Bg. 6.41]. Yoga-bhrañöaù. Suppose one has begun yoga. Yoga means attempt to link with the supreme. That is called yoga. And viyoga means without any relationship, or without any attachment for the Supreme. Yoga means plus, and viyoga means minus. So plus. Plus means, one plus one equal to two.

So when we try to connect with the Supreme, then we can understand there is God and I am also there. We have got intimate relationship. That is explained in the Vedas. Two birds are sitting on the same tree. One bird is eating the fruit and the other bird is simply witnessing. The witnessing bird is God, Kåñëa, and the eating bird is the living entity. So God is witnessing all our activities, and our mental situation. So He orders mäyä, the external energy, prakåti, that "He requires to be given a body like this," and the material nature gives the living entity a particular type of body, and they are numbering 8,400,000. So there is no certainty what kind of body I am going to get next life. But in the Bhagavad-gétä it is explained that if you are situated on the mode of goodness, then you will get your place in the higher planetary system.

ürdhvaà gacchanti sattva-sthä

madhye tiñöhanti räjasäù

jaghanya-guëa-våtti-sthä

adho gacchanti tämasäù

[Bg. 14.18]

There are three qualities, material nature. They are working. And we are under the influence of either of them. Either in the influence of goodness, or in the influence of passion, or in the influence of ignorance. So when we are under the influence of ignorance, jaghanya-guëa-våtti, then our behavior and activities becomes very abominable, very, very much abominable. Especially in this Kali-yuga, it is stated that people will have no fixed time for eating or sleeping or taking bath. In this way their bodily features will be like ghost. That we are seeing actually. The hippies, they are becoming. Practically in this age there will be no place even for taking daily bath. That we see especially in this country. The apartment, there is no bathing place. They have to go outside. So things are deteriorating very, very much. Adho gacchanti tämasäù. Therefore the human civilization means to make progress towards the quality of goodness. That will help him for making farther progress. Ürdhvaà gacchanti sattva-sthäù [Bg. 14.18]. Ürdhvam means higher planetary system. Here it is said that api trailokya-räjyasya hetoù. Trailokya. Oà bhür bhuvaù svaù. This is bhür-loka. Above this, bhuvar-loka, and above that, svar-loka, heavenly planets. Oà bhür bhuvaù svaù tat savitur vareëyam. This is Gäyatré-mantra.

So Arjuna is speaking of trailokya-räjyasya. He is ascertaining that "Even if I get the kingdom of the three worlds, what to speak of only this earthly planet, what is insignificant, even if I get the kingdom of trailokya, svarga, martya, pätäla, like that, still, I am not prepared to fight with my kinsmen, what to speak of this earthly planet." He decided like that. This is called family attachment. He is speaking, "Even in exchange of kingdom of the three worlds, I am not prepared to fight."

api trailokya-räjyasya

hetoù kià nu mahé-kåte

nihatya dhärtaräñörän naù

kä prétiù syäj janärdana

[Bg. 1.35]

"What I shall get by killing my cousin-brothers? And along with them, there are so many relatives."

äcäryäù pitaraù puträs

tathaiva ca pitämahäù

mätuläù çvaçuräù pauträù

çyäläù sambandhinas tathä

etän na hantum icchämi

[Bg. 1.33-34]

"My dear Kåñëa, Madhusüdana." He is not addressing Kåñëa as "Kåñëa." He is addressing Him, "Madhusüdana." He is reminding Him that "You also killed, but You kill Your enemies, Madhu." Madhu was a demon. Madhu-kaiöabha-bhare hari-muräre. Madhu-kaiöabha-bhare. So, "You are Madhusüdana. You are the killer of Madhu demon, who was Your enemy. You are not Nanda-südana or Yaçodä-südana." That is reminding Him, little critically, that "You are Yourself Madhusüdana. You kill only Your enemies. Why You are inducing me to kill my kinsmen?" This is the criticism. So etän na hantum icchämi. So "You may induce me, but I am not going to kill them." Etän na hantum. Hantum, "To kill, I am not willing." Then the question may be that "It is fight. If you do not kill, if you stand still, then they will kill you. Because it is fight. Then what you will do?" "Yes, I agree." Ghnato 'pi. "If they kill me, I agree. Still, I will not kill them." Ghnato 'pi. "Even they kill me, I will not fight, I will not kill them. But if they kill me, that is also agreed; still, I will not kill." Just see how much determination. This is called family attraction.

So he is preparing the ground for teaching Bhagavad-gétä. We are so much attached to our bodily conception of life, and expansion of bodily conception of life. He is thinking in terms of bodily conception of life. Çyäläù bandhuù pitaraù pitämahäù. Because somebody happens to be... Just like there are many thousands of women. One woman with whom I have got my bodily connection I take: "She is my wife. I have to give protection." This is all based on bodily connection. So long there was no bodily connection with that woman, you didn't care for her. But as soon as there is bodily connection, immediately the attachment is there. Tayor mitho hådaya-granthim ähuù [SB 5.5.8]. Generally, everyone has got attraction for woman. Woman has got attraction for man. That is general. But when they are united by marriage, the attraction becomes very acute, hådaya-granthim ähuù. Hådaya-granthi means very hard knot. Hådaya-granthim ähuù. So this is called family attraction. Then I get my attraction for my children, for my society, for my home. So Arjuna's description of this means bodily concept of life. The sum and substance of this whole passage described by Arjuna, kià no räjyena govinda kià bhogair jévitena vä [Bg. 1.32]. Everyone works so hard to acquire money. Why? The family attraction. We were student of economics and there was a book, Marshall's Economics. That Mr. Marshall is explaining that economic impetus begins from family affection, family affection. Unless one has got family, he will not try to earn. He will not try to earn money. He will be irresponsible. Therefore it is essential. When one is given some responsible post... Some... I know some English firm in India, I had some connection with him. So he was simply trying to know, "The man who is going to work for us, whether he is family man?" Because unless he is a family man, he has no attraction. He can give up the job at any moment. Because there is no family attraction. This is the psychology. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, it is the duty of the parents to get the sons and daughters married so that they will have family attraction, they will be established, they will be organized, things will go nicely. If there is no family attraction, no responsibility, then the things will not go nicely. This is the basic principle.

So anyway, the family attraction is required for regulated life. If there is no family attraction, there is no regulated life. We have got very good experience of these things. So family attraction required. It is not that it is rejected. It is required for regulated life. Unregulated life cannot make any progress. Therefore, in the Vedic civilization, the gåhastha-äçrama is recommended. Everyone should be married and everyone should live. If possible let him live—a brahmacäré. First of all the brahmacäré-äçrama is given there, austerity, under the guidance of the spiritual master. So the idea is not to be entangled. Brahmacäré has no connection with worldly affairs. He's simply interested with the order of the spiritual master. That is called brahmacäré. So one is trained up as a brahmacäré, and he is sufficiently given knowledge, that "Don't be entangled with these material affairs. Don't be entangled. Try to avoid. But if you are still unable, your sex impulse is very strong, all right, then you go and marry." This is the process. First of all he is taught to be vairägé. Vairägya. This whole Kåñëa consciousness movement may be called vairägya-vidyä. Sarvabhauma Bhaööäcärya, he wrote one verse on Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He wrote one hundred verses. Out of that, two verses or four verses are available. When he composed the verses eulogizing Caitanya Mahäprabhu, and it was shown to Him, because it was self-eulogization, He immediately tore up the paper. So still, the devotees collected and got two or four verses. So one of the verses written by Sarvabhauma Bhaööäcärya is: vairägya-vidyä-nija-bhakti-yogam [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. This bhakti-yoga is vairägya-vidyä, how to teach people to be detached from this material attraction. This is vairägya-vidyä. In another place, in Çrémad-Bhägavatam, it is said,

väsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaù prayojitaù

janayaty äçu vairägyaà

jïänaà ca yad ahaitukam

[SB 1.2.7]

In the human life, two things required: jïäna and vairägya. Jïäna means that "I am not this body." This is jïäna. Not that so-called scientific knowledge, more attachment for this body. That is not... That is ajïäna. That is not jïäna. Jïäna means how to achieve the status of vairägya. That is jïäna. Jïäna-vairägya-yuktayä [SB 1.2.12]. So the brahmacäré is taught vairägya-vidyä. Vairägya-vidyä-nija-bhakti-yoga-çikñärtham ekaù puruñaù puräëaù [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Sarvabhauma Bhaööäcärya says that "This Caitanya Mahäprabhu, who has taken sannyäsa, very early age, only at the age of twenty-four years, a very young man. He has got His young wife at home, sixteen years old, and He has got His mother, old, seventy years old. So He has given up all responsibility, and there is no other male member in the family to look after them, the mother and the young wife. Still, He has taken sannyäsa. So therefore He is the Puräëa-puruña, the Supreme Person, but He has come to teach us this vairägya-vidyä." Vairägya-vidyä-nija-bhakti-yoga-çikñärtham ekaù puruñaù puräëaù [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Puruñaù puräëaù, Kåñëa. Kåñëa is described: puruñaù puräëaù. Çäçvataà puräëaù. Divyam, ädi-puruñam. So puruñaù puräëaù. Vairägya-vidyä-nija-bhakti-yogam: "He has come to teach the bhakti-yoga which is vairägya-vidyä." Vairägya-vidyä-nija-bhakti-yoga-çikñärtham ekaù puruñaù puräëaù çré-kåñëa-caitanya-çaréra-dhäré [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. "Now He has assumed the body of Çré Kåñëa Caitanya Mahäprabhu." Tam ahaà prapadye: "I offer my respectful obeisances to this person. He has come to teach us vairägya-vidyä."

So vairägya-vidyä. This family attachment, and just the opposite thing is vairägya-vidyä, how to become detached. This is the whole process of Vedic civilization. Everyone has got this attachment for the body and expansion of the body. So vairägya-vidyä means to be detached. That is called brahma-jïäna. Brahma-bhütaù prasannätmä na çocati na käìkñati [Bg. 18.54]. That is brahma-jïäna. As soon as you understand, ahaà brahmäsmi, "I am not this body, I am spirit soul," this is called brahma-jïäna. So long you do not get this knowledge, you are in ignorance. That ignorance, there are degrees. In the sattva-guëa or in the modes of goodness, you can simply theoretically understand that "I am not this body." That is sattva-guëa. Brahminical qualities. Çamo damas titikñä ärjavaà jïäna. Jïänaà vijïänam ästikyaà brahma-karma svabhäva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. When you... brahma-jänätéti brähmaëaù. Brähmaëa means who has got the knowledge of brahma. Veda-paöhäd bhaved vipro brahma-jänätéti brähmaëaù janmanä jäyate çüdraù saàskäräd bhaved dvijaù.

So everyone is born çüdra, but by cultivation of knowledge and culture, one can become... Saàskärät. Therefore, according to Vedic system, there are ten kinds of saàskära, reformatory method. This upanayana-saàskära, this is also one of the saàskära, sacred thread. Upanayana. Upa means near, and nayana means bringing. When the spiritual master brings nearer to spiritual consciousness, a person is given the upanayana, or the sacred thread. The sacred thread is the indication that "This man is now under the control of the spiritual master for advancing in Kåñëa consciousness." This thread ceremony. This is called upanayana. Similarly, there is reformatory method, marriage, ten kinds of reformatory... The first beginning is garbhädhäna. So these things are impossible to introduce now in this Kali-yuga. Therefore the only reformatory method is: harer näma harer näma harer nämaiva kevalam, kalau nästy eva nästy eva nästy eva gatir anyathä [Cc. Ädi 17.21]. In this age of Kali, people are so fallen, so degraded, that it is not possible to introduce systematically the whole Vedic principle; it is not possible. That is not possible. It is Caitanya Mahäprabhu's grace, mercy, that He has given us mercifully, vairägya-vidyä-nija-bhakti [Cc. Madhya 6.254], just to teach very short-cut method. What is that? Chant Hare Kåñëa. Simple. Simple. Ceto-darpaëa-märjanaà bhava-mahä-dävägni [Cc. Antya 20.12]. You are suffering in this material world, dävägni, now, forest fire. This material world is forest fire. But they are so ignorant, they cannot understand that "We are burning in the blazing fire of this material existence. Our attempt should be how to get out of it." But there is no such knowledge. Just like animals. The animals are suffering. They are being taken to the slaughterhouse. There is no, I mean, strength of protesting. They are being slaughtered. So we are being also being slaughtered by the laws of nature. We are also being slaughtered. So we do not know how to make progress. That is slaughtering.

So this is going on, very abominable condition of this age, mandäù sumanda-matayo manda-bhägyä hy upadrutäù [SB 1.1.10]. First of all, they are very much slow, or bad. Manda means bad or slow. Slow means the human form of life is meant for making progress in spiritual understanding. So in this age every man is very slow. They do not know that there is need of spiritual understanding, there is need of making progress in spiritual life. They have forgotten. They have become just like animals. Therefore they are called mandäù. Sumanda-matayaù. And if one is little interested, he accepts something bogus which has no meaning. "I belong to this 'ism,' I belong to that 'ism,' that 'ism,' that..." "Ism," what is that "ism"? Dharma, or "ism," what is that required? Dharmaà tu säkñäd bhagavat-praëétam... [SB 6.3.19]. It is simple thing that the dharma means, religious code means, the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We have to obey. That is called dharma. But they have no knowledge, what is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is His order. They are here in the Bhagavad-gétä. The Supreme Personality of Godhead comes down to teach us, yadä yadä hi dharmasya glänir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. "When people forget their regulative life, I come down." So He has come down. He has come down. He will teach Arjuna that "You are so family-wise attached." Then He will teach. From the Second Chapter He will begin the teaching. Prajïä-vädäàç ca bhäñase. Açocyän anvaçocas tvaà prajïä-vädäàç ca bhäñase [Bg. 2.11]. When Kåñëa, Arjuna accepted Kåñëa, that "I am now puzzled, what to do. So I know I am puzzled, I am kñatriya. It is my duty to fight, but I am hesitating. So it is very embarrassing puzzle. Therefore I am surrendering unto You." Çiñyas te 'haà çädhi mäà tväà prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. "I am becoming Your disciple, not friend. Now let us talk as master and disciple, not as friend and friend." So when he accepted Kåñëa as the master. Kåñëa is always master, but it is simply acceptance. So at that time Kåñëa will speak, açocyän anvaçocas tvaà prajïä-vädäàç ca bhäñase [Bg. 2.11], that "You are..." gatäsün agatäsüàç ca nänuçocanti paëòitäù. Paëòita. "You are posing yourself..." He will speak so many things. That is like paëòita, learned. It is very nice thing. "Kåñëa..." Arjuna is saying that "How can I kill my kinsmen? There is my grandfather, there is my teacher, there are my kinsmen." It is not bad. For worldly men this is very nice consideration, that "I am not going to kill my kinsmen." That is a very good consideration. Prajïä-vädäàç ca bhäñase [Bg. 2.11]. But spiritually, it is ignorance, it is foolishness. Materially, it may be very nice thing, he's talking very nice. Therefore the first chastisement was... Kåñëa took the position of spiritual master. So spiritual master has the right to chastise the disciple. So immediately he chastised. Açocyän anvaçocas tvaà prajïä-vädäàç ca bhäñase: [Bg. 2.11] "My dear Arjuna, you are talking, you are lamenting so badly, and at the same time you are talking just like a very learned man."

So this is the position of the world. One talks very high words, but his behavior is very abominable. So gradually we shall come to that point. So let us finish.Now Arjuna is promising... Kåñëa arranged this fight to execute his purpose. Pariträëäya sädhünäà vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm [Bg. 4.8]. That was his purpose. "Duñkåtäm, all these sinful rascals, they are ruling over the world, I want to kill them." Therefore this battle was arranged so that all these rascals and demons will come there and it will be killed, in one place. And the right person, Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira, will be installed on the throne. That was his plan. The right person. Kåñëa wants His representative to rule over the... King means representative of God. [break] (end)

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