SB4.29.47

TEXT 47

tasmāt karmasu barhiṣmann

ajñānād artha-kāśiṣu

mārtha-dṛṣṭiṁ kṛthāḥ śrotra-

sparśiṣv aspṛṣṭa-vastuṣu

SYNONYMS

tasmāt—therefore; karmasu—in fruitive activities; barhiṣman—O King Prācīnabarhiṣat; ajñānāt—out of ignorance; artha-kāśiṣu—in the glittering fruitive result; mā—never; artha-dṛṣṭim—considering to be the aim of life; kṛthāḥ—do; śrotra-sparśiṣu—pleasing to the ear; aspṛṣṭa—without touching; vastuṣu—real interest.

TRANSLATION

My dear King Barhiṣmān, you should never out of ignorance take to the Vedic rituals or to fruitive activity, which may be pleasing to hear about or which may appear to be the goal of self-interest. You should never take these to be the ultimate goal of life.

PURPORT

TEXT 48

svaṁ lokaṁ na vidus te vai

yatra devo janārdanaḥ

āhur dhūmra-dhiyo vedaṁ

sakarmakam atad-vidaḥ

SYNONYMS

svam—own; lokam—abode; na—never; viduḥ—know; te—such persons; vai—certainly; yatra—where; devaḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; janārdanaḥ—Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu; āhuḥ—speak; dhūmra-dhiyaḥ—the less intelligent class of men; vedam—the four Vedas; sa-karmakam—full of ritualistic ceremonies; a-tat-vidaḥ—persons who are not in knowledge.

TRANSLATION

Those who are less intelligent accept the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies as all in all. They do not know that the purpose of the Vedas is to understand one’s own home, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead lives. Not being interested in their real home, they are illusioned and search after other homes.

PURPORT

TEXT 49

āstīrya darbhaiḥ prāg-agraiḥ

kārtsnyena kṣiti-maṇḍalam

stabdho bṛhad-vadhān mānī

karma nāvaiṣi yat param

tat karma hari-toṣaṁ yat

sā vidyā tan-matir yayā

SYNONYMS

āstīrya—having covered; darbhaiḥ—by kuśa grass; prāk-agraiḥ—with the points facing east; kārtsnyena—altogether; kṣiti-maṇḍalam—the surface of the world; stabdhaḥ—proud upstart; bṛhat—great; vadhāt—by killing; mānī—thinking yourself very important; karma—activity; na avaiṣi—you do not know; yat—which; param—supreme; tat—that; karma—activity; hari-toṣam—satisfying the Supreme Lord; yat—which; sā—that; vidyā—education; tat—unto the Lord; matiḥ—consciousness; yayā—by which.

TRANSLATION

My dear King, the entire world is covered with the sharp points of kuśa grass, and on the strength of this you have become proud because you have killed various types of animals in sacrifices. Because of your foolishness, you do not know that devotional service is the only way one can please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You cannot understand this fact. Your only activities should be those that can please the Personality of Godhead. Our education should be such that we can become elevated to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

PURPORT

TEXT 50

harir deha-bhṛtām ātmā

svayaṁ prakṛtir īśvaraḥ

tat-pāda-mūlaṁ śaraṇaṁ

yataḥ kṣemo nṛṇām iha

SYNONYMS

hariḥ—Śrī Hari; deha-bhṛtām—of living entities who have accepted material bodies; ātmā—the Supersoul; svayam—Himself; prakṛtiḥ—material nature; īśvaraḥ—the controller; tat—His; pāda-mūlam—feet; śaraṇam—shelter; yataḥ—from which; kṣemaḥ—good fortune; nṛṇām—of men; iha—in this world.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the Supersoul and guide of all living entities who have accepted material bodies within this world. He is the supreme controller of all material activities in material nature. He is also our best friend, and everyone should take shelter at His lotus feet. In doing so, one’s life will be auspicious.

PURPORT

TEXT 51

sa vai priyatamaś cātmā

yato na bhayam aṇv api

iti veda sa vai vidvān

yo vidvān sa gurur hariḥ

SYNONYMS

saḥ—He; vai—certainly; priya-tamaḥ—the most dear; ca—also; ātmā—Supersoul; yataḥ—from whom; na—never; bhayam—fear; aṇu—little; api—even; iti—thus; veda—(one who) knows; saḥ—he; vai—certainly; vidvān—educated; yaḥ—he who; vidvān—educated; saḥ—he; guruḥ—spiritual master; hariḥ—not different from the Lord.

TRANSLATION

One who is engaged in devotional service has not the least fear in material existence. This is because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supersoul and friend of everyone. One who knows this secret is actually educated, and one thus educated can become the spiritual master of the world. One who is an actually bona fide spiritual master, representative of Kṛṣṇa, is not different from Kṛṣṇa.

PURPORT

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says: sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. The spiritual master is described in every scripture as the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The spiritual master is accepted as identical with the Supreme Personality of Godhead because he is the most confidential servant of the Lord (kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya). The purport is that both the Supersoul and the individual soul are very dear to everyone. Everyone loves himself, and when he becomes more advanced, he loves the Supersoul also. A person who is self-realized does not recommend the worship of anyone but the Supersoul. He knows that to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead is easier than to worship various demigods under the influence of lust and the desire for material enjoyment. The devotee is therefore always engaged in the loving devotional service of the Lord. Such a person is a true guru. In Padma Purāṇa it is said:

ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro
mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ
avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād
vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ

TEXT 52

nārada uvāca

praśna evaṁ hi sañchinno

bhavataḥ puruṣarṣabha

atra me vadato guhyaṁ

niśāmaya suniścitam

SYNONYMS

nāradaḥ uvāca—Nārada said; praśnaḥ—question; evam—thus; hi—certainly; sañchinnaḥ—answered; bhavataḥ—your; puruṣa-ṛṣabha—O great personality; atra—here; me vadataḥ—as I am speaking; guhyam—confidential; niśāmaya—hear; su-niścitam—perfectly ascertained.

TRANSLATION

The great saint Nārada continued: O great personality, I have replied properly about all that you have asked me. Now hear another narration that is accepted by saintly persons and is very confidential.

PURPORT

TEXT 53

kṣudraṁ caraṁ sumanasāṁ śaraṇe mithitvā

raktaṁ ṣaḍaṅghri-gaṇa-sāmasu lubdha-karṇam

agre vṛkān asu-tṛpo ’vigaṇayya yāntaṁ

pṛṣṭhe mṛgaṁ mṛgaya lubdhaka-bāṇa-bhinnam

SYNONYMS

kṣudram—on grass; caram—grazing; sumanasām—of a beautiful flower garden; śaraṇe—under the protection; mithitvā—being united with a woman; raktam—attached; ṣaṭ-aṅghri—of bumblebees; gaṇa—of groups; sāmasu—to the singing; lubdha-karṇam—whose ear is attracted; agre—in front; vṛkān—tigers; asu-tṛpaḥ—who live at the cost of another’s life; avigaṇayya—neglecting; yāntam—moving; pṛṣṭhe—behind; mṛgam—the deer; mṛgaya—search out; lubdhaka—of a hunter; bāṇa—by the arrows; bhinnam—liable to be pierced.

TRANSLATION

My dear King, please search out that deer who is engaged in eating grass in a very nice flower garden along with his wife. That deer is very much attached to his business, and he is enjoying the sweet singing of the bumblebees in his garden. Just try to understand his position. He is unaware that before him is a tiger, which is accustomed to living at the cost of another’s flesh. Behind the deer is a hunter, who is threatening to pierce him with sharp arrows. Thus the deer’s death is imminent.

PURPORT

Here is an allegory in which the King is advised to find a deer that is always in a dangerous position. Although threatened from all sides, the deer simply eats grass in a nice flower garden, unaware of the danger all around him. All living entities, especially human beings, think themselves very happy in the midst of families. As if living in a flower garden and hearing the sweet humming of bumblebees, everyone is centered around his wife, who is the beauty of family life. The bumblebees’ humming may be compared to the talk of children. The human being, just like the deer, enjoys his family without knowing that before him is the factor of time, which is represented by the tiger. The fruitive activities of a living entity simply create another dangerous position and oblige him to accept different types of bodies. For a deer to run after a mirage of water in the desert is not unusual. The deer is also very fond of sex. The conclusion is that one who lives like a deer will be killed in due course of time. Vedic literatures therefore advise that we should understand our constitutional position and take to devotional service before death comes. According to the Bhāgavatam (11.9.29):

labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte
mānuṣyam arthadam anityam apīha dhīraḥ
tūrṇaṁ yateta na pated anumṛtyu yāvan
niḥśreyasāya viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt

TEXT 54

sumanaḥ-sama-dharmaṇāṁ strīṇāṁ śaraṇa āśrame puṣpa-madhu-gandhavat kṣudratamaṁ kāmya-karma-vipākajaṁ kāma-sukha-lavaṁ jaihvyaupasthyādi vicinvantaṁ mithunī-bhūya tad-abhiniveśita-manasaṁ ṣaḍaṅghri-gaṇa-sāma-gītavad atimanohara-vanitādi-janālāpeṣv atitarām atipralobhita-karṇam agre vṛka-yūthavad ātmana āyur harato ’ho-rātrān tān kāla-lava-viśeṣān avigaṇayya gṛheṣu viharantaṁ pṛṣṭhata eva parokṣam anupravṛtto lubdhakaḥ kṛtānto ’ntaḥ śareṇa yam iha parāvidhyati tam imam ātmānam aho rājan bhinna-hṛdayaṁ draṣṭum arhasīti.

SYNONYMS

sumanaḥ—flowers; sama-dharmaṇām—exactly like; strīṇām—of women; śaraṇe—in the shelter; āśrame—household life; puṣpa—in flowers; madhu—of honey; gandha—the aroma; vat—like; kṣudra-tamam—most insignificant; kāmya—desired; karma—of activities; vipāka-jam—obtained as a result; kāma-sukha—of sense gratification; lavam—a fragment; jaihvya—enjoyment of the tongue; aupasthya—sex enjoyment; ādi—beginning with; vicinvantam—always thinking of; mithunī-bhūya—engaging in sex life; tat—in his wife; abhiniveśita—always absorbed; manasam—whose mind; ṣaṭ-aṅghri—of bumblebees; gaṇa—of crowds; sāma—gentle; gīta—the chanting; vat—like; ati—very; manohara—attractive; vanitā-ādi—beginning with the wife; jana—of people; ālāpeṣu—to the talks; atitarām—excessively; ati—very much; pralobhita—attracted; karṇam—whose ears; agre—in front; vṛka-yūtha—a group of tigers; vat—like; ātmanaḥ—of one’s self; āyuḥ—span of life; harataḥ—taking away; ahaḥ-rātrān—days and nights; tān—all of them; kāla-lava-viśeṣān—the moments of time; avigaṇayya—without considering; gṛheṣu—in household life; viharantam—enjoying; pṛṣṭhataḥ—from the back; eva—certainly; parokṣam—without being seen; anupravṛttaḥ—following behind; lubdhakaḥ—the hunter; kṛta-antaḥ—the superintendent of death; antaḥ—in the heart; śareṇa—by an arrow; yam—whom; iha—in this world; parāvidhyati—pierces; tam—that; imam—this; ātmānam—yourself; aho rājan—O King; bhinna-hṛdayam—whose heart is pierced; draṣṭum—to see; arhasi—you ought; iti—thus.

TRANSLATION

My dear King, woman, who is very attractive in the beginning but in the end very disturbing, is exactly like the flower, which is attractive in the beginning and detestable at the end. With woman, the living entity is entangled with lusty desires, and he enjoys sex, just as one enjoys the aroma of a flower. He thus enjoys a life of sense gratification—from his tongue to his genitals—and in this way the living entity considers himself very happy in family life. United with his wife, he always remains absorbed in such thoughts. He feels great pleasure in hearing the talks of his wife and children, which are like the sweet humming of bumblebees that collect honey from flower to flower. He forgets that before him is time, which is taking away his life-span with the passing of day and night. He does not see the gradual diminishing of his life, nor does he care about the superintendent of death, who is trying to kill him from behind. Just try to understand this. You are in a precarious position and are threatened from all sides.

PURPORT

Materialistic life means forgetting one’s constitutional position as the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, and this forgetfulness is especially enhanced in the gṛhastha-āśrama. In the gṛhastha-āśrama a young man accepts a young wife who is very beautiful in the beginning, but in due course of time, after giving birth to many children and becoming older and older, she demands many things from the husband to maintain the entire family. At such a time the wife becomes detestable to the very man who accepted her in her younger days. One becomes attached to the gṛhastha-āśrama for two reasons only—the wife cooks palatable dishes for the satisfaction of her husband’s tongue, and she gives him sexual pleasure at night. A person attached to the gṛhastha-āśrama is always thinking of these two things—palatable food and sex enjoyment. The talks of the wife, which are enjoyed as a family recreation, and the talks of the children both attract the living entity. He thus forgets that he has to die someday and has to prepare for the next life if he wants to be put into a congenial body.

TEXT 55

sa tvaṁ vicakṣya mṛga-ceṣṭitam ātmano ’ntaś

cittaṁ niyaccha hṛdi karṇa-dhunīṁ ca citte

jahy aṅganāśramam asattama-yūtha-gāthaṁ

prīṇīhi haṁsa-śaraṇaṁ virama krameṇa

SYNONYMS

saḥ—that very person; tvam—you; vicakṣya—considering; mṛga-ceṣṭitam—the activities of the deer; ātmanaḥ—of the self; antaḥ—within; cittam—consciousness; niyaccha—fix; hṛdi—in the heart; karṇa-dhunīm—aural reception; ca—and; citte—unto the consciousness; jahi—give up; aṅganā-āśramam—household life; asat-tama—most abominable; yūtha-gātham—full of stories of man and woman; prīṇīhi—just accept; haṁsa-śaraṇam—the shelter of the liberated souls; virama—become detached; krameṇa—gradually.

TRANSLATION

My dear King, just try to understand the allegorical position of the deer. Be fully conscious of yourself, and give up the pleasure of hearing about promotion to heavenly planets by fruitive activity. Give up household life, which is full of sex, as well as stories about such things, and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the mercy of the liberated souls. In this way, please give up your attraction for material existence.

PURPORT

In one of his songs, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura writes:

karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa,     kevala viṣera bhāṇḍa,
amṛta baliyā yebā khāya
nānā yoni sadā phire,     kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare,
tāra janma adhaḥ-pāte yāya

“Fruitive activities and mental speculation are simply cups of poison. Whoever drinks of them, thinking them to be nectar, must struggle very hard, life after life, in different types of bodies. Such a person eats all kinds of nonsense and becomes condemned by his activities of so-called sense enjoyment.”

People are generally enamored of the fruitive results of worldly activity and mental speculation. They generally desire to be promoted to heavenly planets, merge into the existence of Brahman, or keep themselves in the midst of family life, enchanted by the pleasures of the tongue and genitals. The great sage Nārada clearly instructs King Barhiṣmān not to remain his entire life in the gṛhastha-āśrama. Being in the gṛhastha-āśrama means being under the control of one’s wife. One has to give up all this and put himself into the āśrama of the paramahaṁsa, that is, put himself under the control of the spiritual master. The paramahaṁsa-āśrama is the āśrama of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, under whom the spiritual master has taken shelter. The symptoms of the bona fide spiritual master are stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.3.21):

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

“Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken complete shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters.”

A paramahaṁsa is one who has taken shelter of the Parabrahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one takes shelter of the paramahaṁsa spiritual master, gradually, through training and instruction, he will become detached from worldly life and ultimately return home, back to Godhead. The particular mention of aṅganāśramam asattama-yūtha-gātham is very interesting. The whole world is in the clutches of māyā, being controlled by woman. Not only is one controlled by the woman who is one’s wife, but one is also controlled by so many sex literatures. That is the cause of one’s being entangled in the material world. One cannot give up this abominable association through one’s own effort, but if one takes shelter of a bona fide spiritual master who is a paramahaṁsa, he will gradually be elevated to the platform of spiritual life.

The pleasing words of the Vedas that inspire one to elevate oneself to the heavenly planets or merge into the existence of the Supreme are for the less intelligent who are described in Bhagavad-gītā as māyayāpahṛta jñānāḥ (those whose knowledge is taken away by the illusory energy). Real knowledge means understanding the miserable condition of material life. One should take shelter of a bona fide liberated soul, the spiritual master, and gradually elevate himself to the spiritual platform and thus become detached from the material world. According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, haṁsa-śaraṇam refers to the cottage in which saintly persons live. Generally a saintly person lives in a remote place in the forest or in a humble cottage. However, we should note that the times have changed. It may be beneficial for a saintly person’s own interest to go to the forest and live in a cottage, but if one becomes a preacher, especially in Western countries, he has to invite many classes of men who are accustomed to living in comfortable apartments. Therefore in this age a saintly person has to make proper arrangements to receive people and attract them to the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, perhaps for the first time, introduced motorcars and palatial buildings for the residence of saintly persons just to attract the general public in big cities. The main fact is that one has to associate with a saintly person. In this age people are not going to search out a saint in the forest, so the saints and sages have to come to the big cities to make arrangements to receive the people in general, who are accustomed to the modern amenities of material life. Gradually such persons will learn that palatial buildings or comfortable apartments are not at all necessary. The real necessity is to become free from material bondage in whatever way possible. According to the orders of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī:

anāsaktasya viṣayān
yathārham upayuñjataḥ
nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe
yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate

“When one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255)

One should not be attached to material opulence, but material opulence may be accepted in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to facilitate the propagation of the movement. In other words, material opulence may be accepted as yukta-vairāgya, that is, for renunciation.

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