Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6 Prabhupada: Yes. Thank you. Pradyumna: Get the book? Prabhupada: Hm? What is that? (Pradyumna leads synonym recitation) Pradyumna: Translation: “The supreme occupation, or dharma, for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self.” Prabhupada: So here the translation, dharma, I have purposefully given, “occupation.” Actually dharma is generally translated by the English word “religion.” But religion is misunderstood. It is taken as a faith. Faith I may believe, faith, or may not believe. But actually, dharma does not mean. Dharma means occupation, which you cannot change. Just like a carpenter. He earns his livelihood by his occupation as a carpenter. A lawyer, he lives by his occupation, profession as lawyer. So, so many things. Occupation you cannot give up. You have learned engineering. You cannot give up engineering. That is your livelihood. You cannot say, “No. Today I am engineer. Tomorrow I shall be sweeper.” Of course, in the material world sometimes it is done so, but spiritual meaning means that the living entity has got a permanent occupation. The other occupational duties, they are temporary, bodily, in relation to body. When we feel “I am this body,” then I manufacture some occupation according to the circumstances. But spiritual occupation, that is eternal. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. Para means transcendental. We have got some duties. Just like we go to evacuate, to pass urine, or to take food, take bath. These are the occupations of the body. Similarly, there are occupations of the mind, intelligence. But there is occupation of the soul also. That we do not know. So the question was that “After departure of Krsna from this planet to His abode, dharmah kam saranam gatah, under whom the real occupational duty was entrusted?” Krsna also came to give us the real occupational duty—not of the body or the mind. Bodily occupational duty changes, because as soon as the body is changed… I am now human being, and next time, if I become some animal, so my occupational duty changes. Or if I become demigod, my occupational duty changes. The body is born in India, so one is feeling that “It is my duty to serve my country.” Similarly, an Englishman is thinking to serve his country. But these occupational duties are not para. Para means transcendental, supreme. This is temporary. Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] “This is your real occupation. You have got some bodily occupation, some mental occupation, some intellectual occupation, but you have to give up all these things. Simply surrender unto Me. This is your real occupation.” Krsna says. And Krsna descends to teach us this dharma, or occupational duty. He has explained karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, dhyana-yoga. These are all occupational duties of the body, of the mind, of intelligence. But real occupation… Because soul is eternal. The body is not eternal. Mind also changes according to body, or according to mind the body becomes… So we are contaminating so many qualities of nature, and we are making our concoction, manufacturing our duty. A drunkard, because he has mixed with the quality of drunkards, he thinks, “Drinking is my duty.” When you mix with the hippies, then you become like the hippies: “Oh, it is my duty.” Unless you cannot stay in the society of the hippies. So these occupational duties, this is faith. He thinks that “This is my duty.” “Oh, as Hindu, I have to do it.” “As Christian, I must believe it.” “As Muslim, I must do it.” But here it is stated, sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. Bhakti. This is real dharma. Except bhakti, they are all pseudo. Therefore in the beginning of the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said, dharmah projjhita-kaitavah. All so-called cheating, pseudo-religious system is rejected. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavah. Kaitava means cheating. Cheating… Just like Sridhara Svami says, dharma artha kama moksa, these are gradually progressive life. First of all, dharma. Unless one takes to some religious principle, he’s not a human being. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. He’s not a human; he’s animal. Some sort of religious system the human being must follow. Therefore civilized man, either he’s born in Western or Eastern country, he has got some religion. It may be Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion, Buddha religion. Any civilized man has some religion. That’s a fact. (aside:) Don’t sit like that. So therefore dharma first. That is the beginning of humanity, human civilization. Otherwise animals. The animals, they don’t say, “I am Christian,” “I am Muhammadan,” “I am Buddhist,” “I am this.” No. He’s dog. He’s cat. That’s all. Finished. But a human being says, “I am… I belong to this religion. I belong to that religion.” That is required first. They are rejecting religion. The churches are vacant. That means they are becoming cats and dogs. That is not improvement. They are thinking that “I am now no more going to temple, no more going to church. I have come something, Communist or something like that.” We don’t care for these… That means you have got… This is the certificate that you have become animal. The animal never says that “I belong to this dharma or that dharma.” No. Therefore, distinction between animal and human being, that he must have some dharma. Dharma. And on religious principles, artha, economic development. Actually, if people become religious, then the economic development… Economic… You require some money to maintain yourself. So they will never be dishonest. Dishonest. In India still there are merchants, they would not take profit more than twenty-five percent, highest. There is no question of black market. “Now, I purchased this for one dollar. Oh, I am getting demand. I must charge five hundred times.” No. That is irreligious. There are… Everything there is prescribed, that you cannot take more than this profit. So there was no black market, because people were religious. Therefore if civilization is based on religious life, it doesn’t matter what religion he belongs to, he is elevated. Any religion. And therefore I ask the Christians that Lord Christ says that “Thou shall not kill,” why you are killing? They give some vague explanation. But actually a real Christian is as good as a real Hindu, as a real Muslim—if he follows. No religion is bad. We don’t say. But the first- class religion is that… That is explained here: sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. Every religion teaches how to love God more or less. Why more or less? That is the only aim. How to learn how to love God. But they are rejecting God, what to speak of love. Rejecting. “What is God, this nonsense? I am God. God is dead. Finished.” So this means at the present moment the whole human society has become animal. That’s all. Their behavior is also like animal. Behavior is also like animal. And gradually, in this age people will become more and more animalistic. And they like to become animal. They say that “We are going to nature, to remain naked, without any polished behavior. Lie down… Just like cats and dogs lie down in street, I’ll lie down.” They are thinking this is ideal. So just see that so much expenditure on education, university, father-mother’s care, state care, but they are becoming cats and dogs. And they are taking it as advancement. Dharma artha. Artha must be on the basis of dharma. And kama. Kama means sense gratification. And last, at last, moksa, liberation. So the whole aim is liberation. We are conditioned by material nature. We have got this material body. Therefore our aim should be how to become liberated from this contamination, accepting birth after birth, material body. This is the need of human being. The animals cannot know that there is a thing like liberation. They cannot understand. The human being also says that after finishing this body everything is finished. That is liberation. No. This is animalism. So dharma artha kama moksa. So moksa, there are different types of moksa, or liberation. The Mayavada philosophers, the impersonalists, they think moksa means to merge into the effulgence of Krsna, brahmajyoti. That is also accepted, merging. But that kind of moksa is not accepted by the Vaisnava, because to merge into the effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead may be liberation from this material world, but that does not mean that is actual liberation. Just like if you, from darkness of night, if you come to the sunlight, it is light of course, but sunshine or sunlight, if you go up with your airplane, “Now I shall live in the sunshine or sunlight and travel for millions of years…,” you cannot travel millions of years. One day or three days or four days, then you come back again to this… If you can approach the sun planet, then there is stay. Otherwise you have to come back. Similarly, those who are taking shelter of the effulgence, which is the bodily rays of Krsna, they will have to come back. Many, many big, big sannyasis, they have come back again to these material activities. So moksa… Sayujya. It is called sayujya-moksa. Merging. Sayujya, sarupya, salokya, sarsti, samipya. Five kinds of liberation. So for the Vaisnavas, this merging liberation is rejected. They accept the other four kinds of…, sarupya, salokya, samipya, sarsti. Means to possess equal opulence with God. As Krsna is full in six kinds of opulences, one can become almost as opulent as Krsna. Not as Krsna, as Visnu. That is called sarsti. One can have equal, exactly the same bodily features as Visnu, four hands. That is called sarupya. Salokya, you can live in the same planet where Visnu is living, Narayana is living, or Krsna is living. Salokya. So… But a pure devotee does not accept even all these liberations. They don’t ask for liberation. Pure devotee is satisfied only with the service of the Lord. That is pure devotion. Because there is no desire. That is explained here. Ahaituky apratihata. “Oh, I am engaged in Krsna consciousness because after death I shall go back to home, back to Godhead.” Of course, that’s a fact. But a pure devotee even does not desire that. He says, “Wherever Krsna will keep me, I shall remain there. It doesn’t matter whether heaven or hell. I don’t care for it.” Narayana-parah sarve na kutascana bibhyati. Actually one who is narayana-para, pure Krsna conscious devotee of the Lord, he’s not afraid of going to hell or being promoted to heaven. For him everything is all right. narayana-parah sarve na kutascana bibhyati svargapavarga-narakesv api tulyartha-darsinah For heaven or hell, it doesn’t matter. That is pure devotion. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [BRS 1.1.11], without any desire. That is also desire, that “I am going back to home, back to Godhead.” But that desire is very highly qualified desire. But a pure devotee does not desire even that. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Madhya 19.167]. They do not desire… What to… They do not desire even to go back to Godhead, and what to desire for being elevated or promoted to the heavenly planets. They simply want, “Let me remain wherever Krsna desires. I may be engaged in His service.” That is pure devotee. That’s all. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Madhya 19.167]. Jnanis, they want to merge. Karmis, they want to be elevated to the heavenly planet. Yogis, they want mystic power. They want something. A pure devotee does not want anything. Therefore it is called ahaituki. Hetu means cause. “I am serving God for this cause: I’ll go back to home back to Godhead.” That is also cause. Ahaituki. No cause. “Krsna is my lovable Deity. I must serve.” That is pure devotion. Just like Prahlada Maharaja was offered all kinds of facilities. “Prahlada, you have suffered for Me so much. Now you take whatever you like.” Prahlada Maharaja replied, “My dear Lord, it is not a good proposal. Because I am born of a father, passionate father. Generally, I am passionate, and You are so exalted, You can give me anything. So I shall be inclined to ask You again. Just like my father had so many opulences. So kindly do not induce me in that way. I am not a merchant that because I have rendered some service unto You, I expect some return. No. Sa vai vanik. It is not business with You. I am your eternal servant.” Oh, just see. This is pure devotee. Ahaituki. No reason. “It is my duty.” That is occupational duty. “It is my eternal occupation to serve You.” These are the highest ideas of pure devotion. Ahaituky apratihata. Then “You are poor man. How you can serve Me?” No. “You are illiterate. You have no education. How can you serve Me? You cannot understand Vedanta philosophy. How you can know Me? How you can serve Me? You are poor man. You are poor man, you are woman, or you are sudra.” No. Apratihata. Whatever you may be, either you are poor man or rich man or black man or white man or woman or man, it doesn’t matter. Everyone has right to serve Krsna. Apratihata. There is nothing in the material world which can check one’s devotional service. It is so pure and exalted. Ahaituky apratihata. And if you be situated in such kind of devotional service, yayatma suprasidati. Immediately you become happy. That is the standard of happiness. We are seeking, “I may be happy in this way, I may be happy in that way.” No. You can simply become happy when you are a pure devotee of the Lord, without any reason. Pure devotion Ahaituky apratihata yayatma suprasidati. Read the purport. Pradyumna:“In this statement, Sri Suta Gosvami answers the first question of the sages of Naimisaranya. The sages asked him to summarize the whole range of revealed scriptures and present the most essential part so that fallen people, or the people in general, might easily take it up. The Vedas prescribe two different types of occupation for the human being. One is called the pravrtti-marga, or the path of sense enjoyment, and the other is called the nivrtti-marga.” Prabhupada: Yes. Because we have come here, every one of us come in this material world for sense gratification. That is the cause. krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare Because in the spiritual world, the only enjoyer is Krsna. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He’s the only proprietor. So therefore in the spiritual world, all the living entities… There are many more times living entities in the spiritual world than in this material world. In the material world we see so many living entities, conditioned, 8,400,000 species, and in each species, millions and millions are… And there are millions and millions of planets and universes. All these taken together, they are conditioned soul. Similarly, many more times… This is called one-fourth creation, and the three-fourth creation is the spiritual world. Just imagine how many living entities are there. They’re all mukta. They’re liberated. Because they do not think that “I am enjoyer.” Krsna is only enjoyer. Here everyone is thinking that “I am enjoyer.” I am enjoyer, therefore fight. You are enjoyer, I am enjoyer. So you are enjoying most… “Oh, you have taken more food.” Just like cats and dogs, they fight. Because the disease is that “I am enjoyer.” Prasada means that whatever by the mercy of Krsna I get, that is called prasada. And when we fight, oh that is not prasada. Then immediately it becomes ordinary dal wal.(?) So this is the center of devotion, that Krsna is enjoyer. And as soon as we think that “Why Krsna should be enjoyer alone? I am also enjoyer,” that is maya. So mukti and conditioned, there is no difference. Simply due to our ignorance we become conditioned. If we change the ignorance, immediately we are mukta. Immediately liberated. Just like… The same example: you’re dreaming that “I am being attacked by a tiger.” So the mukti means some way or other if somebody pushes you and you are awakened, no more tiger. Finished. So mukti and conditioned life… The whole world is conditioned because there is no Krsna consciousness. And as soon as one takes to Krsna conscious, he is mukta, immediately liberated. What is that Krsna conscious? Now, “Krsna is the enjoyer. I am not enjoyer. Why I am struggling so hard? Whatever prasada will Krsna give me, that’s all.” That is mukti. So one can become liberated in one second. In one second. It doesn’t take many lives or… But because we are fools and rascals, therefore it takes many, many births. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births, when one actually becomes jnanavan, wise, intelligent, he surrenders immediately. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Immediately accepts Vasudeva, Krsna, is everything. That person is mahatma. Sa mahatma. But such kind of mahatma is very rare. Sa mahatma sudurlabhah. So just try to understand. Actually, there is no condition. It is a dream. By conditioned stage we are differentiating. Bheda-buddhi. Bheda-buddhi, that “Krsna is different from me. Who is Krsna? I am Krsna.” The bheda-buddhi. So… What is that? Pradyumna: “And the other is called the nivrtti-marga.” Prabhupada: Ah, nivrtti-marga. So nivrtti-marga means the Vedas, they give us instruction, “All right. You have come to enjoy. Enjoy like this.” The real purpose is that by such enjoyment he’ll come to the point of liberation. Just like you want sex. “All right. You marry.” This is Vedic injunction. You marry. But don’t have sex daily, like cats and dogs. When you require child, then you have sex. That is Vedic injunction. And when the wife is pregnant, no more. These are Vedic injunctions. It’s allowing to sex life, but under caution. Similarly, those who are meat-eaters: “Oh, I cannot do without eating meat.” “All right. Eat meat.” Vedic injunction. “You just, on amavasya, on the dark night, you just take a goat and go to the goddess Kali and kill this animal. And the mantra is… The animal is given this mantra: ‘My dear animal, you are giving your life for this man. So you get next a human life and you have the right to kill this man.’ ” Now any sane man, who will take this risk, “Oh, I am killing this animal again to be killed by him”? Better give up this job. (laughter) These are the Vedic injunctions. If you want to drink wine, “All right. Have candi-puja.” Everything is there. So this is pravrtti-marga. Those who want to eat meat, those who want to drink wine, those who want constant sex life, for them the Vedic injunction, “All right. You do it like this. You do like that. You do like that.” Not deny. But ultimately says, pravrttir esa bhutanam nivrttis tu maha-phala. This is your inclination, but if you can give it up, it is very nice. It is very nice. That instruction is also there. “Become brahmacari. Don’t have sex life.” That is also there. But if you cannot, “All right. Have sex life in this way.” So there are pravrtti-marga, and nivrtti-marga. Both are there. “Do like this. Do not like this.” This is called pravrtti-marga and nivrtti-marga. Both injunction are there. So if we follow actually the Vedic injunction, Vedic regulation, then our life ultimately becomes successful. And if we become animals, without following the Vedic instruction, that is a different thing. Then? Pradyumna: “The path of enjoyment is inferior, but the path of sacrifice for the supreme cause is superior.” Prabhupada: Yes. This is called inferior and superior. Pravrtti-marga is inferior. Therefore if you don’t accept pravrtti-marga under regulative principle… Just like a diseased person, typhoid, suffering from typhoid. Typhoid means intestinal disease. He cannot digest anything. So just to satisfy him the doctor says, “All right, give him little glucose water.” What is the glucose water? The water only. But the patient will think, that “I am eating.” He does not know, if he eats, he will die. If he eats, he will die. But the doctor, just to bluff him, “All right. You take this glucose water.” You see? But he must know that “I am eating something.” And he cannot digest more than glucose. Similarly, in our diseased condition, we actually we cannot enjoy life. The sex impulse is there in the Vaikuntha also. But they are so elevated that, after all, it is enjoyment. If you get better enjoyment, you give up. Param drstva nivartate. That is the nature. You are enjoying something, but if you get better enjoyment, you give up this inferior enjoyment. So don’t think in the Vaikuntha or in Goloka Vrndavana there is no sex impulse. There is—in Radha-Krsna. But not like this abominable way. The impulse is there in a perfect order. So they’re enjoying. Not like this abominable sex life. The devotees there, they are so much absorbed in Krsna thought, they don’t like to have sex. There are beautiful women, beautiful men, very, very. But they have got other engagement, very nice engagement. Param drstva nivartate. Just like, for example, in this, our society also, you see thousands of men are standing, paying to see some dead body. Sense enjoyment. You see? But our men are not so rascal that they will stand for five hours to see some dead body. You see? Similarly, why? Why they are able not to go there, stand? Because they have seen something better. So the more you see better thing, you give up this abominable. That is progress of spiritual life. Thank you. Devotees: All glories to Srila Prabhupada! (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
London, August 27, 1971