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pravrttam—inclination for material enjoyment; ca—and; nivrttam—cessation of material enjoyment; ca—and; dvi-vidham—these two varieties; karma—of activities; vaidikam—recommended in the Vedas; avartate—one travels up and down through the cycle of samsara; pravrttena—by an inclination for enjoying material activities; nivrttena—but by ceasing such activities; asnute—one enjoys; amrtam—eternal life.

According to the Vedas, there are two kinds of activities—pravrtti and nivrtti. Pravrtti activities involve raising oneself from a lower to a higher condition of materialistic life, whereas nivrtti means the cessation of material desire. Through pravrtti activities one suffers from material entanglement, but by nivrtti activities one is purified and becomes fit to enjoy eternal, blissful life.

himsram dravyamayam kamyam

As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (16.7), pravrttim ca nivrttim ca jana na vidur asurah: the asuras, nondevotees, cannot distinguish between pravrtti and nivrtti. Whatever they like they do. Such persons think themselves independent of the strong material nature, and therefore they are irresponsible and do not care to act piously. Indeed, they do not distinguish between pious and impious activity. Bhakti, of course, does not depend on pious or impious activity. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.6):

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati

“The supreme occupation [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.” Nonetheless, those who act piously have a better chance to become devotees. As Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (7.16), catur-vidha bhajante mam janah sukrtino ’rjuna: “O Arjuna, four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me.” One who takes to devotional service, even with some material motive, is considered pious, and because he has come to Krsna, he will gradually come to the stage of bhakti. Then, like Dhruva Maharaja, he will refuse to accept any material benediction from the Lord (svamin krtartho ’smi varam na yace). Therefore, even if one is materially inclined, one may take to the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna and Balarama, or Gaura and Nitai, so that he will very soon be purified of all material desires (ksipram bhavati dharmatma sasvac chantim nigacchati). As soon as one is freed from inclinations toward pious and impious activities, he becomes a perfect candidate for returning home, back to Godhead.

SB7.15.48-49

TEXTS 48–49

agni-hotrady-asantidam

darsas ca purnamasas ca

caturmasyam pasuh sutah

etad istam pravrttakhyam

hutam prahutam eva ca

purtam suralayarama-

kupajivyadi-laksanam

himsram—a system of killing and sacrificing animals; dravya-mayam—requiring much paraphernalia; kamyam—full of unlimited material desires; agni-hotra-adi—ritualistic ceremonies such as the agni-hotra-yajna; asanti-dam—causing anxieties; darsah—the darsa ritualistic ceremony; ca—and; purnamasah—the purnamasa ritualistic ceremony; ca—also; caturmasyam—observing four months of regulative principles; pasuh—the ceremony of sacrificing animals or pasu-yajna; sutah—the soma-yajna; etat—of all this; istam—the goal; pravrtta-akhyam—known as material attachment; hutam—Vaisvadeva, an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; prahutam—a ceremony called Baliharana; eva—indeed; ca—also; purtam—for the benefit of the public; sura-alaya—constructing temples for demigods; arama—resting houses and gardens; kupa—digging wells; ajivya-adi—activities like distributing food and water; laksanam—symptoms.

The ritualistic ceremonies and sacrifices known as agni-hotra–yajna, darsa-yajna, purnamasa-yajna, caturmasya-yajna, pasu-yajna and soma-yajna are all symptomized by the killing of animals and the burning of many valuables, especially food grains, all for the fulfillment of material desires and the creation of anxiety. Performing such sacrifices, worshiping Vaisvadeva, and performing the ceremony of Baliharana, which all supposedly constitute the goal of life, as well as constructing temples for demigods, building resting houses and gardens, digging wells for the distribution of water, establishing booths for the distribution of food, and performing activities for public welfare—these are all symptomized by attachment to material desires.

SB7.15.50-51

TEXTS 50–51

dravya-suksma-vipakas ca

dhumo ratrir apaksayah

ayanam daksinam somo

darsa osadhi-virudhah

annam reta iti ksmesa

pitr-yanam punar-bhavah

ekaikasyenanupurvam

bhutva bhutveha jayate

SYNONYMS

dravya-suksma-vipakah—the paraphernalia offered as oblations in the fire, such as food grains mixed with ghee; ca—and; dhumah—turned to smoke, or the demigod in charge of smoke; ratrih—the demigod in charge of night; apaksayah—in the dark fortnight of the moon; ayanam—the demigod in charge of the passing of the sun; daksinam—in the southern zone; somah—the moon; darsah—returning; osadhi—plant life (on the surface of the earth); virudhah—vegetation in general (the birth of lamentation); annam—food grains; retah—semen; iti—in this way; ksma-isa—O King Yudhisthira, lord of the earth; pitr-yanam—the way of taking birth from the father’s semen; punah-bhavah—again and again; eka-ekasyena—one after another; anupurvam—successively, according to the gradation; bhutva—taking birth; bhutva—again taking birth; iha—in this material world; jayate—one exists in the materialistic way of life.

TRANSLATION

My dear King Yudhisthira, when oblations of ghee and food grains like barley and sesame are offered in sacrifice, they turn into celestial smoke, which carries one to successively higher planetary systems like the kingdoms of Dhuma, Ratri, Krsnapaksa, Daksinam and ultimately the moon. Then, however, the performers of sacrifice descend again to earth to become herbs, creepers, vegetables and food grains. These are eaten by different living entities and turned to semen, which is injected into female bodies. Thus one takes birth again and again.

PURPORT

This is explained in Bhagavad-gita (9.21):

te tam bhuktva svarga-lokam visalam
ksine punye martya-lokam visanti
evam trayi-dharmam anuprapanna
gatagatam kama-kama labhante

“When those who follow the pravrtti-marga have enjoyed heavenly sense pleasure, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus, through the Vedic principles, they achieve only flickering happiness.” Following the pravrtti-marga, the living entity who desires to be promoted to the higher planetary systems performs sacrifices regularly, and how he goes up and comes down again is described here in Srimad-Bhagavatam, as well as in Bhagavad-gita. It is also said, traigunya-visaya vedah: “The Vedas deal mainly with the three modes of material nature.” The Vedas, especially three Vedas, namely Sama, Yajur and Rk, vividly describe this process of ascending to the higher planets and returning. But Krsna advises Arjuna, traigunya-visaya veda nistraigunyo bhavarjuna: one has to transcend these three modes of material nature, and then one will be released from the cycle of birth and death. Otherwise, although one may be promoted to a higher planetary system such as Candraloka, one must again come down (ksine punye martya-lokam visanti [Bg. 9.21]). After one’s enjoyment due to pious activities is finished, one must return to this planet in rainfall and first take birth as a plant or creeper, which is eaten by various animals, including human beings, and turned to semen. This semen is injected into the female body, and thus the living entity takes birth. Those who return to earth in this way take birth especially in higher families like those of brahmanas.

It may be remarked in this connection that even the modern so-called scientists who are going to the moon are not able to stay there, but are returning to their laboratories. Therefore, whether one goes to the moon by modern mechanical arrangements or by performing pious activities, one must return to earth. That is clearly stated in this verse and explained in Bhagavad-gita. Even if one goes to the higher planetary systems (yanti deva-vrata devan [Bg. 9.25]), one’s place there is not secure; one must return to martya-loka. Abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino ’rjuna: [Bg. 8.16] aside from the moon, even if one goes to Brahmaloka, one must return. Yam prapya na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama: but if one goes back home, back to Godhead, he need not return to this material world.

SB7.15.52

TEXT 52

nisekadi-smasanantaih

samskaraih samskrto dvijah

indriyesu kriya-yajnan

jnana-dipesu juhvati

niseka-adi—the beginning of life (the purificatory process of garbhadhana, performed when the father begets a child by discharging semen into the womb of the mother); smasana-antaih—and at death, when the body is put into a crematorium and burnt to ashes; samskaraih—by such purificatory processes; samskrtah—purified; dvijah—a twice-born brahmana; indriyesu—into the senses; kriya-yajnan—activities and sacrifices (which elevate one to a higher planetary system); jnana-dipesu—by enlightenment in real knowledge; juhvati—offers.

A twice-born brahmana [dvija] gains his life by the grace of his parents through the process of purification known as garbhadhana. There are also other processes of purification, until the end of life, when the funeral ceremony [antyesti-kriya] is performed. Thus in due course a qualified brahmana becomes uninterested in materialistic activities and sacrifices, but he offers the sensual sacrifices, in full knowledge, into the working senses, which are illuminated by the fire of knowledge.

Those interested in materialistic activities remain in the cycle of birth and death. Pravrtti-marga, or the inclination to stay in the material world to enjoy varieties of sense gratification, has been explained in the previous verse. Now, in this verse, it is explained that one who has perfect brahminical knowledge rejects the process of elevation to higher planets and accepts nivrtti-marga; in other words, he prepares himself to go back home, back to Godhead. Those who are not brahmanas but atheists do not know what is pravrtti-marga or nivrtti-marga; they simply want to obtain pleasure at any cost. Our Krsna consciousness movement is therefore training devotees to give up the pravrtti-marga and accept the nivrtti-marga in order to return home, back to Godhead. This is a little difficult to understand, but it is very easy if one takes to Krsna consciousness seriously and tries to understand Krsna. A Krsna conscious person can understand that performing yajna according to the karma-kanda system is a useless waste of time and that merely giving up the karma-kanda and accepting the process of speculation is also unfruitful. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura has sung in his prema-bhakti-candrika:

karma-kanda, jnana-kanda, kevala visera bhanda
’amrta’ baliya yeba khaya
nana yoni sada phire, kadarya bhaksana kare,
tara janma adhah-pate yaya

A life of karma-kanda or jnana-kanda is like a poison pot, and one who takes to such a life is doomed. In the karma-kanda system, one is destined to accept birth and death again and again. Similarly, with jnana-kanda one falls down again to this material world. Only worship of the Supreme Person offers one the safety of going back home, back to Godhead.

SB7.15.53

TEXT 53

indriyani manasy urmau

vaci vaikarikam manah

vacam varna-samamnaye

tam omkare svare nyaset

omkaram bindau nade tam

tam tu prane mahaty amum

indriyani—the senses (acting and knowledge-gathering); manasi—in the mind; urmau—in the waves of acceptance and rejection; vaci—in the words; vaikarikam—infected by changes; manah—the mind; vacam—the words; varna-samamnaye—in the aggregate of all alphabets; tam—that (aggregate of all alphabets); omkare—in the concise form of omkara; svare—in the vibration; nyaset—one should give up; omkaram—the concise sound vibration; bindau—in the point of omkara; nade—in the sound vibration; tam—that; tam—that (sound vibration); tu—indeed; prane—in the life air; mahati—unto the Supreme; amum—the living entity.

The mind is always agitated by waves of acceptance and rejection. Therefore all the activities of the senses should be offered into the mind, which should be offered into one’s words. Then one’s words should be offered into the aggregate of all alphabets, which should be offered into the concise form omkara. Omkara should be offered into the point bindu, bindu into the vibration of sound, and that vibration into the life air. Then the living entity, who is all that remains, should be placed in Brahman, the Supreme. This is the process of sacrifice.

The mind is always agitated by acceptance and rejection, which are compared to mental waves that are constantly tossing. The living entity is floating in the waves of material existence because of his forgetfulness. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has therefore sung in his Gitavali: miche mayara vase, yaccha bhese’, khaccha habudubu, bhai. “My dear mind, under the influence of maya you are being carried away by the waves of rejection and acceptance. Simply take shelter of Krsna.” Jiva krsna-dasa, ei visvasa, karle ta’ ara duhkha nai: if we simply regard the lotus feet of Krsna as our ultimate shelter, we shall be saved from all these waves of maya, which are variously exhibited as mental and sensual activities and the agitation of rejection and acceptance. Krsna instructs in Bhagavad-gita (18.66):

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” Therefore if we simply place ourselves at the lotus feet of Krsna by taking to Krsna consciousness and keeping always in touch with Him by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, we need not take much trouble in arranging to return to the spiritual world. By the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this is very easy.

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha

[Adi 17.21]

SB7.15.54

TEXT 54

agnih suryo diva prahnah

suklo rakottaram sva-rat

visvo ’tha taijasah prajnas

turya atma samanvayat

agnih—fire; suryah—sun; diva—day; prahnah—the end of the day; suklah—the bright fortnight of the moon; raka—the full moon at the end of the sukla-paksa; uttaram—the period when the sun passes to the north; sva-rat—the Supreme Brahman or Lord Brahma; visvah—gross designation; atha—Brahmaloka, the ultimate in material enjoyment; taijasah—subtle designation; prajnah—the witness in the causal designation; turyah—transcendental; atma—the soul; samanvayat—as a natural consequence.

On his path of ascent, the progressive living entity enters the different worlds of fire, the sun, the day, the end of the day, the bright fortnight, the full moon, and the passing of the sun in the north, along with their presiding demigods. When he enters Brahmaloka, he enjoys life for many millions of years, and finally his material designation comes to an end. He then comes to a subtle designation, from which he attains the causal designation, witnessing all previous states. Upon the annihilation of this causal state, he attains his pure state, in which he identifies with the Supersoul. In this way the living entity becomes transcendental.

SB7.15.55

TEXT 55

deva-yanam idam prahur

bhutva bhutvanupurvasah

atma-yajy upasantatma

hy atma-stho na nivartate

SYNONYMS

deva-yanam—the process of elevation known as deva-yana; idam—on this (path); prahuh—it is said; bhutva bhutva—having repeated birth; anupurvasah—consecutively; atma-yaji—one who is eager for self-realization; upasanta-atma—completely free from all material desires; hi—indeed; atma-sthah—situated in his own self; na—not; nivartate—does return.

TRANSLATION

This gradual process of elevation for self-realization is meant for those who are truly aware of the Absolute Truth. After repeated birth on this path, which is known as deva-yana, one attains these consecutive stages. One who is completely free from all material desires, being situated in the self, need not traverse the path of repeated birth and death.

SB7.15.56

TEXT 56

ya ete pitr-devanam

ayane veda-nirmite

sastrena caksusa veda

jana-stho ’pi na muhyati

SYNONYMS

yah—one who; ete—on this path (as recommended above); pitr-devanam—known as pitr-yana and deva-yana; ayane—on this path; veda-nirmite—recommended in the Vedas; sastrena—by regular study of the scriptures; caksusa—by enlightened eyes; veda—is fully aware; jana-sthah—a person situated in a material body; api—even though; na—never; muhyati—is bewildered.

TRANSLATION

Even though situated in a material body, one who is fully aware of the paths known as pitr-yana and deva-yana, and who thus opens his eyes in terms of Vedic knowledge, is never bewildered in this material world.

PURPORT

Acaryavan puruso veda: one who is guided by the bona fide spiritual master knows everything as stated in the Vedas, which set forth the standard of infallible knowledge. As recommended in Bhagavad-gita, acaryopasanam: one must approach the acarya for real knowledge. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] one must approach the acarya, for then one will receive perfect knowledge. When guided by the spiritual master, one attains the ultimate goal of life.

SB7.15.57

TEXT 57

adav ante jananam sad

bahir antah paravaram

jnanam jneyam vaco vacyam

tamo jyotis tv ayam svayam

adau—in the beginning; ante—at the end; jananam—of all living entities; sat—always existing; bahih—externally; antah—internally; para—transcendental; avaram—material; jnanam—knowledge; jneyam—the objective; vacah—expression; vacyam—the ultimate object; tamah—darkness; jyotih—light; tu—indeed; ayam—this one (the Supreme Lord); svayam—Himself.

He who exists internally and externally, at the beginning and end of everything and of all living beings, as that which is enjoyable and as the enjoyer of everything, superior and inferior, is the Supreme Truth. He always exists as knowledge and the object of knowledge, as expression and the object of understanding, as darkness and as light. Thus He, the Supreme Lord, is everything.

Here the Vedic aphorism sarvam khalv idam brahma is explained. It is also explained in the catuh-sloki Bhagavatam. Aham evasam evagre. The Supreme Lord existed in the beginning, He exists after the creation and maintains everything, and after destruction everything merges in Him, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (prakrtim yanti mamikam). Thus the Supreme Lord is actually everything. In the conditioned state, we are bewildered in our understanding, but in the perfect stage of liberation we can understand that Krsna is the cause of everything.

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam

“Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes.” (Brahma-samhita 5.1) This is the perfection of knowledge.

SB7.15.58

TEXT 58

abadhito ’pi hy abhaso

yatha vastutaya smrtah

durghatatvad aindriyakam

tadvad artha-vikalpitam

abadhitah—rejected; api—although; hi—certainly; abhasah—a reflection; yatha—as; vastutaya—a form of reality; smrtah—accepted; durghatatvat—because of being very difficult to prove the reality; aindriyakam—knowledge derived from the senses; tadvat—similarly; artha—reality; vikalpitam—speculated or doubtful.

Although one may consider the reflection of the sun from a mirror to be false, it has its factual existence. Accordingly, to prove by speculative knowledge that there is no reality would be extremely difficult.

The impersonalists try to prove that the varieties in the vision of the empiric philosopher are false. The impersonalist philosophy, vivarta-vada, generally cites the acceptance of a rope to be a snake as an example of this fact. According to this example, the varieties within our vision are false, just as a rope seen to be a snake is false. The Vaisnavas say, however, that although the idea that the rope is a snake is false, the snake is not false; one has experience of a snake in reality, and therefore he knows that although the representation of the rope as a snake is false or illusory, there is a snake in reality. Similarly, this world, which is full of varieties, is not false; it is a reflection of the reality in the Vaikuntha world, the spiritual world.

The reflection of the sun from a mirror is nothing but light within darkness. Thus although it is not exactly sunlight, without the sunlight the reflection would be impossible. Similarly, the varieties of this world would be impossible unless there were a real prototype in the spiritual world. The Mayavadi philosopher cannot understand this, but a real philosopher must be convinced that light is not possible at all without a background of sunlight. Thus the jugglery of words used by the Mayavadi philosopher to prove that this material world is false may amaze inexperienced children, but a man with full knowledge knows perfectly well that there cannot be any existence without Krsna. Therefore a Vaisnava insists on the platform of somehow or other accepting Krsna (tasmat kenapy upayena manah krsne nivesayet).

When we raise our unmixed faith to the lotus feet of Krsna, everything is revealed. Krsna also says in Bhagavad-gita (7.1):

mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu

“Now hear, O son of Prtha [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.” Simply by raising one’s staunch faith in Krsna and His instructions, one can understand reality without a doubt (asamsayam samagram mam). One can understand how Krsna’s material and spiritual energies are working and how He is present everywhere although everything is not Him. This philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda, inconceivable oneness and difference, is the perfect philosophy enunciated by the Vaisnavas. Everything is an emanation from Krsna, but it is not that everything must therefore be worshiped. Speculative knowledge cannot give us reality as it is, but will continue to be nefariously imperfect. So-called scientists try to prove that there is no God and that everything is happening because of the laws of nature, but this is imperfect knowledge because nothing can work unless directed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is explained in Bhagavad-gita (9.10) by the Lord Himself:

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sacaracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate

“This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.” In this regard, Srila Madhvacarya gives this note: durghatatvad arthatvena paramesvarenaiva kalpitam. The background of everything is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. This can be understood by a mahatma who is perfect in knowledge. Such a mahatma is rarely seen.

SB7.15.59

TEXT 59

ksity-adinam iharthanam

chaya na katamapi hi

na sanghato vikaro ’pi

na prthan nanvito mrsa

ksiti-adinam—of the five elements, beginning with the earth; iha—in this world; arthanam—of those five elements; chaya—shadow; na—neither; katama—which of them; api—indeed; hi—certainly; na—nor; sanghatah—combination; vikarah—transformation; api—although; na prthak—nor separated; na anvitah—nor inherent in; mrsa—all these theories are without substance.

In this world there are five elements—namely earth, water, fire, air and ether—but the body is not a reflection of them, nor a combination or transformation of them. Because the body and its ingredients are neither distinct nor amalgamated, all such theories are insubstantial.