Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.5 Pradyumna: “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.” Prabhupada: parabhavas tavad abodha-jato yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam yavat kriyas tavad idam mano vai karmatmakam yena sarira-bandhah It is very quite natural, whatever you do, your mind will be absorbed in that business. Karmatmakam. Therefore our mind should be engaged always in Krsna: sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor. Then we can be relieved from this sarira-bandhah. Unfortunately, there is no education that it is a great hamper, impediment, to our progress of life, this material body. And in the Vedic civilization, this material body is condemned everywhere—material, sarira-bandhah. They do not understand. So in the bondage state, whatever you are doing in so-called material progress, it is not progress. It is parabhavas, defeat. People are so busily engaged throughout day and night. They are making material progress, but it is not progress. It is regress. But they do not know it. Why? Abodha-jatah, born rascal. Born rascal. If we say that “You are all born rascals,” they’ll fight. But actually that is the fact. Born rascals: abodha-jatah. Yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. That atma-tattvam, brahma-jijnasa. Where is that inquiry? Nobody inquires because they have no information. The cats and dogs, big, big professors, they are thinking so long this body is there, by chance, by accident, we have got this body, and as soon as the body is finished, everything is finished. That means they do not know atma-tattvam. On this misconception of life they are inventing so many “isms.” Just now in the morning we were talking that inventing some means for curing the leprosy. That is good, but why there should be leprosy? That they do not know. Why one man is suffering from leprosy, another man is not suffering? Is there no arrangement? Who is making this arrangement, that one man is suffering from leprosy, another is not suffering, he’s quite in good health? So unless there is some arrangement, how it is happening? They do not question. Jijnasu. That inquisitiveness is absent, dull. Just like trees. They cannot inquire even that “Why you are cutting?” The tree. “Why you are doing harm to…” No inquiry. Just like stone and trees. This is the modern human civilization. Therefore whatever plans they are making, it is becoming baffled, useless after some time, parabhavah. Because they do not know what plan they should make. Just like children, they are thinking that “If I play like this, it will be very nice.” So becomes engaged in one type of playing. And then again changing, another type of playing, because they do not know what kind of plan should be made so that Children. Abodha-jatah. Children’s another name is abodha. So from abodha, one has to be brought to the platform of bodha. Bodhayantam parasparam. This word is there in the Bhagavad-gita. That is mahatma. Bodhayantam parasparam. Not the abodhayantam. The other rascals, they are abodha, those who are bodhayantam parasparam. What is that verse? Mac-citta mad-gata-prana bodhayantah parasparam [Bg. 10.9]. This is called sat-sanga. Sat-sanga. People should be engaged always inquiring about progress of spiritual life. That is advancement. Bodhayantah parasparam. There should be constantly discussion. Everything is there in the books. Just like this word abodha-jatah. We can discuss on this point, abodha-jatah. So this is jijnasu. And to dissipate this ignorance, get out of this ignorance, one has to approach a person who is not abodha but bodha. Budha. Budha bhava-samanvitah, one who knows what is the destination of life. That budha… What is that? Bhajante ananya manaso budha bhava-samanvitah. So one has to approach a budha. Therefore Lord Buddha’s name is Buddha. From this bodha. He has understood everything. He was prince, and he never came out of the palace, and when he came out he saw one old man with a stick, with great difficulty walking. So inquired his servants, “What is this?” “This is old man. Everyone has to become like this.” That was the inspiration of understanding. Why he should be like that? Why one should become old man? Why he should walk on sticks? So these inquiries made him Buddha, Lord Buddha, by meditation. That is his pastime. That means one should understand by nature study, why this man is diseased, why this man is old, why this man is suffering. Then bodhayantah parasparam, then the inquisitiveness can lead him to the proper knowledge. And where to get that proper knowledge? That is guru. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [MU 1.2.12] But if there is no inquiry, if one is dull like stone and tree, then how there will be inquiry? So our education at the present moment is given just dull like stone and trees. Trees standing, cutting. No inquiry, no… “Why you are cutting?” He cannot. So dull. But this inquisitiveness should be enthused. People should be enthused to inquire: adau gurvasrayam sad-dharma prcchat. Sad-dharma prcchat. That inquisitive must Guru means To accept guru means the disciple should be very very eager to know. Sad-dharma prcchat. Adau gurvasrayam. Why you accept a guru? “It is a fashion.” Fashion. Nowadays they accept a guru fashion. “Everyone has guru. Everyone has a dog. Well, let me keep a dog.” Like that. A pet dog. So similarly, to keep a pet guru, that is not One should be very inquisitive: sad-dharma prcchat. And everywhere the same thing. Pariprasna. Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. But don’t make inquiries cheap: “Here is my guru, and he’s meant for answering all my questions. Let me go on questioning, questioning, questioning.” No. Sevaya. You must serve. You must be ready to serve him. Then you have got right to make question. Otherwise not. Two things. First of all, you must find out a person where you can fully surrender, pranipatena. And then you can inquire, and the inquiry should be compensated by seva. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasada. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. The more you are inclined to render seva, the more the truth becomes revealed. yasya deve para bhaktir yatha-deve tatha gurau tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante (mahatmanah) [SU 6.23] It is a different science. The more you are inclined to render service, the more spiritual truth becomes revealed. And two things: if you are not inquisitive, don’t bother yourself to have a guru. Useless. There is no need. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Tasmad. Therefore. What is therefore? Jijnasuh sreya uttamam. If you are inquisitive about transcendental science, sreya uttamam… Sreya and preya—two things are there. Sreya means ultimate good, and preya means immediate sense gratification, it is preya. And sreya means ultimate good. So if one is inquisitive to know what is the ultimate goal of life, for him, a guru is required. But if he wants immediate some sense gratification, he doesn’t require a guru. For sense gratification there is no need of guru. Even these birds and beasts, they know how to gratify senses. There is no need of university or teacher. Say for sex life, nobody requires to go to the university. They know. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. These four things, there is no need of university education. But at the present moment to go to university means how to gratify the senses very scientifically. Scientifically. How to steal scientifically. Does it require any scientific knowledge how to cut throat and how to steal? No. They require education for spiritual understanding, tad-vijnanartham, not this vijnanartham, this material knowledge. It doesn’t require. It is simply a waste of time. This modern university education is simply a waste of time. There was no education for even the vaisyas. There are four divisions: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. But vaisya and sudra, there is no need of education. The brahmanas, because they will guide the society, they require education. And the ksatriya, they will give protection to the society; therefore there was education guided by the brahmana. And for the vaisyas, krsi-goraksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma… [Bg 18.44] Where is the education? He can see, learn from his father how the field is to be cultivated with a plow. He doesn’t require. He can see. And fifty years ago we have seen that those who were in the lower status of life, they never sent their children to school. I have seen it. Never sent. “Oh, what is the use of wasting time? Better admit him in some working shop or in some business.” The Marwaris still do that: “Please keep my son in your firm.” And small children, by seeing Just like our children, they are seeing this Deity worship, this kirtana—they will learn. Similarly, those who have to work to earn their livelihood, mechanical or some, they can go to What is the use of wasting time to the…, going to the university? Scientific education for hammering? Hammering you can see. You take a hammer and go on. (laughs) What is the use for… Technical nonsense, they have invented technical… Does it require any education? No. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] education required if you require to understand the value of life, tattva-jijnasah. Tattva-jijnasu sreya uttamam. Jijnasu tattva-jijnasah. Jivasya tattva-jijnasah. This is recommended in the… Jivasya tattva-jijnasah na yas ceha karmabhih. Tattva-jijnasa. Brahma-jijnasa. This is life. Otherwise abodha-jatah. Abodha-jatah. So this abodha-jatah, this rascal civilization, whatever they are planning, whatever they are doing, that is simply defeat. He does not know what is the aim of life. They are being defeated. So this time, this life I have become prime minister, making so many plans and so many things and so many things. Next life I become a dog. That you cannot check. Karmana daiva-netrena. The God’s law or nature’s law, will not take account of your premiership, prime ministership. What you are actually—that is nature’s law. Krsna is there within your heart. Outwardly you become a very big man— minister, president and so on—and God is seeing within what you are. Within. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Within you are a dog, and outside if you are a president, that will not help you. That will not help you. Abodha-jatah. Therefore whatever plan they are making, that’s all defeat. Plan-making is already there. Krsna has given plan gradually. The last plan is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is real plan. This is Krsna has given so many plans: karma-yogi, dhyana-yogi, this yogi, that. But everywhere He has concluded that the real plan is how to become Krsna conscious. That is real plan. Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana sraddhavan… [Bg. 6.47]. You are trying to be yogi, that’s all right. This is hatha-yoga. Go to a secluded place, sit down in this way, looking. Not sleeping. Eyes half-open. See to the point of your nose. So on, so on. Complete celibacy. These things Krsna has said everything, how to become a yogi, how to become a jnani, how to become a karmi. But everywhere He has concluded about Krsna consciousness. Jnani? All right: bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyante [Bg. 7.19]. “They’re coming to Me.” Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana [Bg. 6.47]. Yat karosi yaj juhosi kurusva tat mad arpanam. The ultimate is Krsna. That is real plan. And if you do not know this plan, srama eva hi kevalam—simply waste of time. dharmah svanusthitah pumsam visvaksena-kathasu yah notpadayed yadi ratim srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8] If you do not know ultimately that Krsna is required, then all your jnana, karma, yoga, tapasya, everything is simply waste of time. Simply waste of time. Therefore it is said parabhava. Whatever you are doing, simply defeat. Because you do not know atma-tattva. Apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam [SB 2.1.2] Very dangerous position. If we do not take to Krsna consciousness, then we are defeated in every sphere of life. And then, after death, karmana daiva netrena yantra dehopapattaye. Tatha dehantara-praptir. You have to change your body. And that will be selected not by you, not by your government, not by your father, not by your so-called guru. It will be decided by the laws of nature. That you cannot avoid. You should always remember that Krsna is the ultimate goal. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. These rascals, they do not know that his self-interest, ultimate goal of self-interest, is Visnu. Durasaya ye bahir-artha maninah. Simply by the false hope, hope against hope, they are trying to adjust things materially or so-called spiritually, by this or that. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas te ’pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhah. These rascals, they are tied with the laws of material nature, hand and legs, and they are thinking they are free to do anything and everything without any consultation of sastra. yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah na siddhim sa avapnoti (na sukham na) param gatim The same thing. No siddhi. If you do not get success, what is the use of your working so hard? Na siddhim sa avapnoti. Na sukham na param. So without consulting sastra, without consulting guru, without consulting Krsna… Krsna is so kind, He has given. He has come to help you because you are being misled by the so-called leaders. Krsna says, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. These rascals, these leaders, they will simply mislead you. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas. They are blind. They do not know how to live. They do not know. Therefore Krsna personally comes: “All right. I shall lead you. Take My advice, take My instruction, and ultimately surrender unto Me. Then I’ll lead you back to home, back to Godhead.” Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vrndavana, October 27, 1976