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mahat-sevam—service to the spiritually advanced persons called mahatmas; dvaram—the way; ahuh—they say; vimukteh—of liberation; tamah-dvaram—the way to the dungeon of a dark, hellish condition of life; yositam—of women; sangi—of associates; sangam—association; mahantah—highly advanced in spiritual understanding; te—they; sama-cittah—persons who see everyone in a spiritual identity; prasantah—very peaceful, situated in Brahman or Bhagavan; vimanyavah—without anger (one must distribute Krsna consciousness to persons who are hostile without becoming angry at them); suhrdah—well-wishers of everyone; sadhavah—qualified devotees, without abominable behavior; ye—they who.

One can attain the path of liberation from material bondage only by rendering service to highly advanced spiritual personalities. These personalities are impersonalists and devotees. Whether one wants to merge into the Lord’s existence or wants to associate with the Personality of Godhead, one should render service to the mahatmas. For those who are not interested in such activities, who associate with people fond of women and sex, the path to hell is wide open. The mahatmas are equipoised. They do not see any difference between one living entity and another. They are very peaceful and are fully engaged in devotional service. They are devoid of anger, and they work for the benefit of everyone. They do not behave in any abominable way. Such people are known as mahatmas.

The human body is like a junction. One may either take the path of liberation or the path leading to a hellish condition. How one can take these paths is described herein. On the path of liberation, one associate; with mahatmas, and on the path of bondage one associates with those attached to sense gratification and women. There are two types of mahatmas—the impersonalist and the devotee. Although their ultimate goal is different, the process of emancipation is almost the same. Both want eternal happiness. One seeks happiness in impersonal Brahman, and the other seeks happiness in the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As described in the first verse: brahma-saukhyam. Brahman means spiritual or eternal; both the impersonalist and the devotee seek eternal blissful life. In any case, it is advised that one become perfect. In the words of Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.87):

asat-sanga-tyaga,——ei vaisnava-acara
‘stri-sangi’——eka asadhu, ‘krsnabhakta’ ara

To remain unattached to the modes of material nature, one should avoid associating with those who are asat, materialistic. There are two kinds of materialists. One is attached to women and sense gratification, and the other is simply a nondevotee. On the positive side is association with mahatmas, and on the negative side is the avoidance of nondevotees and women-hunters.

SB5.5.3

TEXT 3

ye va mayise krta-sauhrdartha

janesu dehambhara-vartikesu

grhesu jayatmaja-ratimatsu

na priti-yukta yavad-arthas ca loke

ye—those who; va—or; mayi—unto Me; ise—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; krta-sauhrda-arthah—very eager to develop love (in a relationship of dasya, sakhya, vatsalya or madhurya); janesu—to people; dehambhara-vartikesu—who are interested only in maintaining the body, not in spiritual salvation; grhesu—to the home; jaya—wife; atma-ja—children; rati—wealth or friends; matsu—consisting of; na—not; priti-yuktah—very attached; yavat-arthah—who live by collecting only as much as required; ca—and; loke—in the material world.

Those who are interested in reviving Krsna consciousness and increasing their love of Godhead do not like to do anything that is not related to Krsna. They are not interested in mingling with people who are busy maintaining their bodies, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are not attached to their homes, although they may be householders. Nor are they attached to wives, children, friends or wealth. At the same time, they are not indifferent to the execution of their duties. Such people are interested in collecting only enough money to keep the body and soul together.

nunam pramattah kurute vikarma

Whether he is an impersonalist or a devotee, one who is actually interested in advancing spiritually should not mingle with those who are simply interested in maintaining the body by means of the so-called advancement of civilization. Those who are interested in spiritual life should not be attached to homely comforts in the company of wife. children, friends and so forth. Even if one is a grhastha and has to earn his livelihood, he should be satisfied by collecting only enough money to maintain body and soul together. One should not have more than that nor less than that. As indicated herein, a householder should endeavor to earn money for the execution of bhakti-yoga—sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam/ arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23]. A householder should lead such a life that he gets full opportunity to hear and chant. He should worship the Deity at home. observe festivals, invite friends in and give them prasada. A householder should earn money for this purpose, not for sense gratification.

SB5.5.4

TEXT 4

yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti

na sadhu manye yata atmano ’yam

asann api klesada asa dehah

nunam—indeed; pramattah—mad; kurute—performs; vikarma—sinful activities forbidden in the scriptures; yat—when; indriya-pritaye—for sense gratification; aprnoti—engages; na—not; sadhu—befitting; manye—I think; yatah—by which; atmanah—of the soul; ayam—this; asan—being temporary; api—although; klesa-dah—giving misery; asa—became possible; dehah—the body.

When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken on a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore I think it not befitting an intelligent man to involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another.

Begging, borrowing and stealing to live for sense gratification is condemned in this verse because such consciousness leads one to a dark, hellish condition. The four sinful activities are illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. These are the means by which one gets another material body that is full of miseries. In the Vedas it is said: asango hy ayam purusah. The living entity is not really connected with this material world, but due to his tendency to enjoy the material senses. he is put into the material condition. One should perfect his life by associating with devotees. He should not become further implicated in the material body.

SB5.5.5

TEXT 5

parabhavas tavad abodha-jato

yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam

yavat kriyas tavad idam mano vai

karmatmakam yena sarira-bandhah

parabhavah—defeat, misery; tavat—so long; abodha-jatah—produced from ignorance; yavat—as long as; na—not; jijnasate—inquires about; atma-tattvam—the truth of the self; yavat—as long as; kriyah—fruitive activities; tavat—so long; idam—this; manah—mind; vai—indeed; karma-atmakam—absorbed in material activities; yena—by which; sarira-bandhah—bondage in this material body.

As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of life, one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from ignorance. Be it sinful or pious, karma has its resultant actions. If a person is engaged in any kind of karma, his mind is called karmatmaka, colored with fruitive activity. As long as the mind is impure, consciousness is unclear, and as long as one is absorbed in fruitive activity, he has to accept a material body.

Generally people think that one should act very piously in order to be relieved from misery, but this is not a fact. Even though one engages in pious activity and speculation. he is nonetheless defeated. His only aim should be emancipation from the clutches of maya and all material activities. Speculative knowledge and pious activity do not solve the problems of material life. One should be inquisitive to understand his spiritual position. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (4.37):

yathaidhamsi samiddho ’gnir
bhasmasat kurute ’rjuna
jnanagnih sarva-karmani
bhasmasat kurute tatha

“As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.”

Unless one understands the self and its activities, one has to be considered in material bondage. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32) it is also said: ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninas tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah. A person who doesn’t have knowledge of devotional service may think himself liberated, but actually he is not. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah: [SB 10.2.32] such people may approach the impersonal Brahman effulgence, but they fall down again into material enjoyment because they have no knowledge of devotional service. As long as one is interested in karma and jnana, he continues enduring the miseries of material life—birth, old age, disease and death. Karmis certainly take on one body after another. As far as jnanis are concerned, unless they are promoted to the topmost understanding, they must return to the material world. As explained in Bhagavad-gita (7.19): bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate. The point is to know Krsna, Vasudeva, as everything and surrender unto Him. Karmis do not know this, but a devotee who is one hundred percent engaged in the devotional service of the Lord knows fully what is karma and jnana; therefore a pure devotee is no longer interested in karma or jnana. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Madhya 19.167]. The real bhakta is untouched by any tinge of karma and jnana. His only purpose in life is to serve the Lord.

SB5.5.6

TEXT 6

evam manah karma-vasam prayunkte

avidyayatmany upadhiyamane

pritir na yavan mayi vasudeve

na mucyate deha-yogena tavat

evam—thus; manah—the mind; karma-vasam—subjugated by fruitive activities; prayunkte—acts; avidyaya—by ignorance; atmani—when the living entity; upadhiyamane—is covered; pritih—love; na—not; yavat—as long as; mayi—unto Me; vasudeve—Vasudeva, Krsna; na—not; mucyate—is delivered; deha-yogena—from contact with the material body; tavat—so long.

When the living entity is covered by the mode of ignorance, he does not understand the individual living being and the supreme living being, and his mind is subjugated to fruitive activity. Therefore, until one has love for Lord Vasudeva, who is none other than Myself, he is certainly not delivered from having to accept a material body again and again.

yada na pasyaty ayatha guneham

When the mind is polluted by fruitive activity, the living entity wants to be elevated from one material position to another. Generally everyone is involved in working hard day and night to improve his economic condition. Even when one understands the Vedic rituals, he becomes interested in promotion to heavenly planets, not knowing that one’s real interest lies in returning home, back to Godhead. By acting on the platform of fruitive activity, one wanders throughout the universe in different species and forms. Unless he comes in contact with a devotee of the Lord, a guru, he does not become attached to the service of Lord Vasudeva. Knowledge of Vasudeva requires many births to understand. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (7.19): vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah. After struggling for existence for many births one may take shelter at the lotus feet of Vasudeva, Krsna. When this happens. one actually becomes wise and surrenders unto Him. That is the only way to stop the repetition of birth and death. This is confirmed in Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 19.151) in the instructions given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Srila Rupa Gosvami at Dasasvamedha-ghata.

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

The living entity wanders throughout different planets in different forms and bodies, but if by chance he comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master, by the grace of the spiritual master he receives Lord Krsna’s shelter, and his devotional life begins.

SB5.5.7

TEXT 7

svarthe pramattah sahasa vipascit

gata-smrtir vindati tatra tapan

asadya maithunyam agaram ajnah

yada—when; na—not; pasyati—sees; ayatha—unnecessary; guna-iham—endeavor to satisfy the senses; sva-arthe—in self-interest; pramattah—mad; sahasa—very soon; vipascit—even one advanced in knowledge; gata-smrtih—being forgetful; vindati—gets; tatra—there; tapan—material miseries; asadya—getting; maithunyam—based on sexual intercourse; agaram—a home; ajnah—being foolish.

Even though one may be very learned and wise, he is mad if he does not understand that the endeavor for sense gratification is a useless waste of time. Being forgetful of his own interest, he tries to be happy in the material world, centering his interests around his home, which is based on sexual intercourse and which brings him all kinds of material miseries. In this way one is no better than a foolish animal.

pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam

In the lowest stage of devotional life, one is not an unalloyed devotee. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam: [Madhya 19.167] to be an unalloyed devotee, one must be freed from all material desires and untouched by fruitive activity and speculative knowledge. On the lower platform, one may sometimes be interested in philosophical speculation with a tinge of devotion. However, at that stage one is still interested in sense gratification and is contaminated by the modes of material nature. The influence of maya is so strong that even a person advanced in knowledge actually forgets that he is Krsna’s eternal servant. Therefore he remains satisfied in his householder life, which is centered around sexual intercourse. Conceding to a life of sex, he agrees to suffer all kinds of material miseries. Due to ignorance, one is thus bound by the chain of material laws.

SB5.5.8

TEXT 8

tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh

ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair

janasya moho ’yam aham mameti

pumsah—of a male; striyah—of a female; mithuni-bhavam—attraction for sexual life; etam—this; tayoh—of both of them; mithah—between one another; hrdaya-granthim—the knot of the hearts; ahuh—they call; atah—thereafter; grha—by home; ksetra—field; suta—children; apta—relatives; vittaih—and by wealth; janasya—of the living being; mohah—illusion; ayam—this; aham—I; mama—mine; iti—thus.

The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life’s illusions and thinks in terms of “I and mine.”

Sex serves as the natural attraction between man and woman, and when they are married, their relationship becomes more involved. Due to the entangling relationship between man and woman, there is a sense of illusion whereby one thinks, “This man is my husband,” or “This woman is my wife.” This is called hrdaya-granthi, “the hard knot in the heart.” This knot is very difficult to undo, even though a man and woman separate either for the principles of varnasrama or simply to get a divorce. In any case, the man always thinks of the woman, and the woman always thinks of the man. Thus a person becomes materially attached to family, property and children, although all of these are temporary. The possessor unfortunately identifies with his property and wealth. Sometimes, even after renunciation, one becomes attached to a temple or to the few things that constitute the property of a sannyasi, but such attachment is not as strong as family attachment. The attachment to the family is the strongest illusion. In the Satya-samhita, it is stated:

brahmadya yajnavalkadya
mucyante stri-sahayinah
bodhyante kecanaitesam
visesam ca vido viduh

Sometimes it is found among exalted personalities like Lord Brahma that the wife and children are not a cause of bondage. On the contrary, the wife actually helps further spiritual life and liberation. Nonetheless, most people are bound by the knots of the marital relationship, and consequently they forget their relationship with Krsna.

SB5.5.9

TEXT 9

yada mano-hrdaya-granthir asya

karmanubaddho drdha aslatheta

tada janah samparivartate ’smad

muktah param yaty atihaya hetum

yada—when; manah—the mind; hrdaya-granthih—the knot in the heart; asya—of this person; karma-anubaddhah—bound by the results of his past deeds; drdhah—very strong; aslatheta—becomes slackened; tada—at that time; janah—the conditioned soul; samparivartate—turns away; asmat—from this attachment for sex life; muktah—liberated; param—to the transcendental world; yati—goes; atihaya—giving up; hetum—the original cause.

When the strong knot in the heart of a person implicated in material life due to the results of past action is slackened, one turns away from his attachment to home, wife and children. In this way, one gives up the basic principle of illusion [I and mine] and becomes liberated. Thus one goes to the transcendental world.

When, by associating with sadhus and engaging in devotional service. one is gradually freed from the material conception due to knowledge. practice and detachment, the knot of attachment in the heart is slackened. Thus one can get freed from conditional life and become eligible to return home, back to Godhead.

SB5.5.10-13

TEXTS 10–13

hamse gurau mayi bhaktyanuvrtya

vitrsnaya dvandva-titiksaya ca

sarvatra jantor vyasanavagatya

jijnasaya tapaseha-nivrttya

mat-karmabhir mat-kathaya ca nityam

mad-deva-sangad guna-kirtanan me

nirvaira-samyopasamena putra

jihasaya deha-gehatma-buddheh

adhyatma-yogena vivikta-sevaya

pranendriyatmabhijayena sadhryak

sac-chraddhaya brahmacaryena sasvad

asampramadena yamena vacam

sarvatra mad-bhava-vicaksanena

jnanena vijnana-virajitena

yogena dhrty-udyama-sattva-yukto

lingam vyapohet kusalo ’ham-akhyam

hamse—who is a paramahamsa, or the most exalted. spiritually advanced person; gurau—to the spiritual master; mayi—unto Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhaktya—by devotional service; anuvrtya—by following; vitrsnaya—by detachment from sense gratification; dvandva—of the dualities of the material world; titiksaya—by tolerance; ca—also; sarvatra—everywhere; jantoh—of the living entity; vyasana—the miserable condition of life; avagatya—by realizing; jijnasaya—by inquiring about the truth; tapasa—by practicing austerities and penances; iha-nivrttya—by giving up the endeavor for sense enjoyment; mat-karmabhih—by working for Me; mat-kathaya—by hearing topics about Me; ca—also; nityam—always; mat-deva-sangat—by association with My devotees; guna-kirtanat me—by chanting and glorifying My transcendental qualities; nirvaira—being without enmity; samya—seeing everyone equally by spiritual understanding; upasamena—by subduing anger, lamentation and so on; putrah—O sons; jihasaya—by desiring to give up; deha—with the body; geha—with the home; atma-buddheh—identification of the self; adhyatma-yogena—by study of the revealed scriptures; vivikta-sevaya—by living in a solitary place; prana—the life air; indriya—the senses; atma—the mind; abhijayena—by controlling; sadhryak—completely; sat-sraddhaya—by developing faith in the scriptures; brahmacaryena—by observing celibacy; sasvat—always; asampramadena—by not being bewildered; yamena—by restraint; vacam—of words; sarvatra—everywhere; mat-bhava—thinking of Me; vicaksanena—by observing; jnanena—by development of knowledge; vijnana—by practical application of knowledge; virajitena—illumined; yogena—by practice of bhakti-yoga; dhrti—patience; udyama—enthusiasm; sattva—discretion; yuktah—endowed with; lingam—the cause of material bondage; vyapohet—one can give up; kusalah—in full auspiciousness; aham-akhyam—false ego, false identification with the material world.

O My sons, you should accept a highly elevated paramahamsa, a spiritually advanced spiritual master. In this way, you should place your faith and love in Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You should detest sense gratification and tolerate the duality of pleasure and pain, which are like the seasonal changes of summer and winter. Try to realize the miserable condition of living entities, who are miserable even in the higher planetary systems. Philosophically inquire about the truth. Then undergo all kinds of austerities and penances for the sake of devotional service. Give up the endeavor for sense enjoyment and engage in the service of the Lord. Listen to discussions about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and always associate with devotees. Chant about and glorify the Supreme Lord, and look upon everyone equally on the spiritual platform. Give up enmity and subdue anger and lamentation. Abandon identifying the self with the body and the home, and practice reading the revealed scriptures. Live in a secluded place and practice the process by which you can completely control your life air, mind and senses. Have full faith in the revealed scriptures, the Vedic literatures, and always observe celibacy. Perform your prescribed duties and avoid unnecessary talks. Always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acquire knowledge from the right source. Thus practicing bhakti-yoga, you will patiently and enthusiastically be elevated in knowledge and will be able to give up the false ego.