Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.16
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
New Vrindaban, June 30, 1976

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

vidvan apittham danujah kutumbam pusnan sva-lokaya na kalpate vai yah sviya-parakya-vighinna-bhavas tamah prapadyeta yatha vimudhah

“O my friends, sons of demons! In this material world, even those who are apparently advanced in education have the propensity to consider, ‘This is mine, and that is for others.’ Thus they are always engaged in providing the necessities of life to their families in a limited conception of family life, just like uneducated cats and dogs. They are unable to take to spiritual knowledge; instead, they are bewildered and overcome by ignorance.”

Prabhupada: Purport.

Pradyumna: In human society there are attempts to educate the human being, but for animal society there is no such system, nor are animals able to be educated. Therefore animals and unintelligent men are called vimudha, or ignorant, bewildered, whereas an educated person is called vidvan. The real vidvan is one who tries to understand his own position within this material world. For example, when Sanatana Gosvami submitted to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, his first question was ‘ke ami’, ‘kene amaya jare tapa-traya’. In other words, he wanted to know his constitutional position and why he was suffering from the threefold miseries of material existence. This is the process of education. If one does not ask, “Who am I? What is the goal of my life?” but instead follows the same animal propensities as cats and dogs, what is the use of his education? As discussed in the previous verse, a living being is entrapped by his fruitive activities, exactly like a silkworm trapped in its own cocoon. Foolish persons are generally encaged by their fruitive actions (karma) because of a strong desire to enjoy this material world. Such attracted persons become involved in society, community and nation and waste their time, not having profited from having obtained human forms. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, great leaders, politicians, philosophers and scientists are all engaged in foolish activities, thinking, “This is mine, and this is yours.” The scientists invent nuclear weapons and collaborate with the big leaders to protect the interests of their own nation or society. In this verse, however, it is clearly stated that despite their so-called advanced knowledge, they actually have the same mentality as cats and dogs. As cats, dogs and other animals, not knowing their true interest in life, become increasingly involved in ignorance, the so-called educated person who does not know his own self-interest or the true goal of life becomes increasingly involved in materialism. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja advises everyone to follow the principles of varnasrama-dharma. Specifically, at a certain point one must give up family life and take to the renounced order of life to cultivate spiritual knowledge and thus become liberated. This is further discussed in the following verses.

Prabhupada: You can explain, somebody else, you can explain.

Pradyumna: This verse? In the material world, one who is vidvan… Vidvan means one who possesses knowledge. But one who possesses material knowledge, if he still makes the discrimination between “This is sviya-parakya vibhinna-bhavas,” who makes the discrimination, vibhinna, a division between “this is mine and this is yours…” He sees everything in society as a competition—“This belongs to me and that belongs to you”—instead of having the conception of isavasya, that everything belongs to Krsna, everything is pervaded by Krsna, everything is created by Krsna, everything is controlled by Krsna; therefore everything is to be enjoyed by Krsna. This is the process of analysis, that because everything is created by God, everything is controlled by God, therefore everything should be enjoyed by God. But if he does not have that conception and he thinks that “I, by the sweat of my brow, have produced this,” that “I am controlling it,” that “I have it under my control, even for a limited time, and therefore I can enjoy it, and you are enjoying something and I am enjoying something and I should be envious after what you have, and you should be envious after what I have,” this conception of life… In this material world, even those who are apparently advanced in education have the propensity to consider “This is mine and that is for others,” and therefore individually and collectively, among ourselves having this conception and among nations having this conception… That the vidvan, or the learned people in society, which today are the scientists, for the same conception, instead of realizing the glories of me who am controlling a part of it and you who are controlling a part of it and then making a division and a clash, competition, war, competition among ourselves individually— capitalism, communism, and among ourselves collectively—national wars, international wars—such a person is in an animal conception, vimudha. He’s said to be bewildered.

So there are two things here: vidvan, educated, very intelligent; and vimudha, or very stupid, unintelligent. So even though one possesses all material knowledge, if his knowledge is used for the wrong end, if it is used to advance oneself in the material conception of life instead of the spiritual, divisive instead of unifying by understanding the supreme control of God over everything, Krsna conscious, isavasya, then he is said to be vimudha, stupid. They are unable to take to spiritual knowledge. Instead they are bewildered and overcome by tamah prapadyeta yatha vidmudhah. So providing with all necessities of life, using his education, kutumbam, for supplying the family members instead of tamah prapadyeta yatha vimudhah, he enters darkness just like an animal or a stupid person.

Prabhupada: We have seen practically in India. During the partition days, when the Britishers left India, they gave a parting kick by dividing Pakistan and India. So I have seen in my own eyes there was fighting between the Hindus and Muslims for at least one week in Calcutta, and heaps of dead bodies there were. So the fighting was between Hindu and Muslim, but when they died the body is piled up and it was taken for burning or to throw away. So the land remained there and these people fighting between themselves, that “This is mine, this is mine,” they finished their life. The land remained where it was there.

So this is called illusion. Aham mameti [SB 5.5.8], “It is mine, it is yours.” Janasya moho ’yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Why they should think like that? Bhagavan, in the Bhagavad-gita He says that sarva-yonisu kaunteya murtayah sambhavanti yah: [Bg. 14.4] “All the forms of different grades of life,” sarva-yonisu kaunteya murtayah sambhavanti yah tasam mahad yonir, “the material world is the mother and I am the father.” Very simply understanding. Everything is grown from the material nature. Our life is also from there. The grass is growing, and the grass is eaten by the animals, and then animals beget another animal, or vegetables we also eat and by eating we live. Then by eating we get our semina. Then we beget another children, another child. So actually we are born, every one of us born and nourished by this material nature. This is a fact, one can see. So who is the father? The mother is there, material nature, and we are children there. There must be father.

So the father’s property everyone can enjoy, tena tyaktena bhunjitha. Just like these children, father, mother, whatever gives, “My dear child, you eat it.” Similarly if we think in that philosophy, our process, this Deity worship, the father or the supreme maintainer gives us prasadam, we take it. Actually fruits, flowers or grains, it is given by Krsna. We cannot produce it. So how nice system it is, that “Krsna, it is Yours, You have given us. So first of all You eat.” This is love. Krsna is not hungry. Krsna can have sumptuous food. He is the maintainer of everyone. So this is how good feeling, very reasonable. Any man with some sense, he’ll take it very seriously, “Yes, everything given by God, Krsna. So let us offer it first of all to Krsna.” And there is no fear that Krsna will eat everything and then we shall have nothing to eat. It is not like that. Krsna’s eating is a different way. Angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti. We sing this song every day:

angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti pasyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti, ananda-cinmaya sad-ujjvala vigrahasya govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs 5.32]

Krsna can eat any way. Just like we can eat only putting the foodstuff through the mouth. No. Krsna can eat even by seeing. Sa aiksata. In the Vedic version it is said simply Krsna put His glance over material nature, and she produced so many children. Sa aiksata, sa jayata. That is God. He can do everything by every linb of the body. We can simply see with eyes, but Krsna, by seeing He can make pregnant. This is Krsna. This is called angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti [Bs 5.32] That is called all-powerful. Just like Brahma, Brahma was born from the lotus flower grown from the naval of Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and mother Laksmi is engaged in giving massage to Garbhodakasayi Visnu. You have seen the picture. But Krsna, without taking help of goddess of fortune, He begot Brahma. This is angani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti [Bs 5.32]. We beget a child through the help of the wife, but Maha-Visnu or Garbhodakasayi Visnu, although the wife is there, He did not take any help from the wife, but He begot.

So we should always remember that Krsna is all-powerful, He is the supreme father and He is the supreme proprietor. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. The best life is to remain under the protection of Krsna. Avasya rakhibe krsna visvasa palan, rakisyate iti visvasa palanam. This is called surrender, that “Krsna will give me protection.” And Krsna also promises, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. Krsna is giving protection to everyone without even being devotee. And one who becomes a devotee, how much care is taken by Krsna, just imagine.

samo ’ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah ye bhajanti tu mam bhaktya mayi te tesu capy aham

God is kind to everyone, merciful. But one who has engaged himself in the service of Krsna, He takes special care for him. So we should not miss this opportunity of life and deviate from devotional service and make our life cumberous, again fall into the same material existence, aham mameti [SB 5.5.8], “This is mine.” No. Everything is Krsna’s. I am Krsna’s, everyone is Krsna’s, everything belongs to Krsna. Let us behave in that way, then our life is successful.

Thank you very much. (end)