Verse: Srimad Bhagvatam 11.10.22
Date: August 18th, 2017
Place: ISKCON London, UK
Transcription: Bh. Anita Sharma
Editing: HG Ambarish Maharaja Das and Bh. Priti Sarin
antarāyair avihito
yadi dharmaḥ sv-anuṣṭhitaḥ
tenāpi nirjitaṁ sthānaṁ
yathā gacchati tac chṛṇu
Translation:
If one performs Vedic sacrifices and fruitive rituals without any mistake or contamination, one will achieve a heavenly situation in the next life. But even this result, which is only achieved by perfect performance of fruitive rituals, will be vanquished by time. Now hear of this.
Purport:
The word gacchati means “going.” In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa states, āgamāpāyino ’nityāḥ: all material experiences, good or bad, come and go. Therefore the word gacchati refers to the disappearance of the results of even the most meticulously performed fruitive sacrifices. Any material situation, from the worst to the best, is imperfect. Thus one should strive only for pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture:
Insatiable Material Desires
Krishna is instructing Uddhava directly in these parts of the eleventh canto also known as the Uddhava Gita. Here he is describing about the nature of fruitive activities. Fruitive activities are the first stage of Vedic instructions in the Karma Kanda section.
Vedas have three branches or three Kandas of knowledge. First aspect is Karma Kanda. The principle of Karma Kanda is as you sow so shall you reap, if you act in a right way you will enjoy and if you act in a wrong way you will suffer.
Then the Vedas give us the ideas or instructions on how to fulfill one's desire. Everybody wants to be happy but what is this happiness? Happiness is a fulfillment of desire.When our desires are fulfilled we are happy and Vedas tell us how to fulfill the desires. If we want to be very rich or become a king, Vedas say follow the instructions and you will become rich or become a king. Actually one is never satisfied in this material nature. Poor man wants to be a rich man and a rich man wants to be a king and a king wants to become a monarch and a monarch wants to become the sovereign ruler of the earth planet. Still he is not happy, and he wants to go to heavenly planet. In the heavenly planet of Indra he wants to become the king. The Vedas say whatever you want you can get it. Only condition is to act in a certain way and perform certain activities. If the desire is to become a king perform certain sacrifices. If desire is to become the king of the entire earth planet, perform the Ashvamedha Yagna or Rajsuya Yagna. To become the king of the heavenly planet, a hundred horse sacrifices, hundred AshvamedhaYagna need to be performed. This way it goes on and on and this is just the first aspect of Vedic wisdom, the Karma Kanda section.
Fruitive Activities – Futile Enjoyment
Krishna here is talking about first section Karma Kanda, the fruitive activities. What are fruitive activities? This expression has been derived from fruit. When we plant a tree what do we want? We want the fruit. Similarly the purpose of our activities is to get the result or fruit of these activities and our desire to enjoy this result or fruit is called fruitive activities or desirous of the fruit of activities we do. The objective of those fruitive activities is to enjoy in the material nature .If someone prepares himself very sincerely for exams, he gets a good result. If one qualifies himself well he gets a good job. If he performs well in his job he gets promoted. These are the results of our actions. On the other hand if someone doesn’t prepare sincerely and goes for the exams, he will fail. Will an irresponsible employee, be ever promoted? No, this is how we see our actions lead to proper reactions and how to work to achieve our goal.
We see in this material nature everyone is trying to enjoy, acting in a certain way, so much of competition nowadays amongst students. In India especially, the goal and the struggle for most is to get admitted in IIT, and secure a good job later. Millions of students compete each year for those few thousand seats in the universities. This is how everyone is trying to enjoy in this material nature and for the sake of having this enjoyment, they prepare themselves. When people develop higher understanding that the life continues even after this life, then they do arrangements to enjoy even the next life and they undergo various kind of austerities to enjoy in the next life. This culture was very common in India. People used to perform austerities and penances for a greater and better future. Unfortunately nowadays most of people don’t even bother about next life, they don’t believe there is next life. This is the result of a very gross materialistic attitude.
Materialistic Attitude = Bodily Consciousness = More Sinful Activities
Materialistic attitude means to lead a life based on body consciousness because the whole emphasis is on the body. They think when we die everything will be finished. Therefore they don’t care about next life and don’t care how they are acting in this life. They don’t hesitate to commit sinful activities just to get a little enjoyment in this life but they don’t realize by acting in this way they are going to suffer in the next life. They may get a tiny little benefit here but the suffering, the result of that will be very severe in the next life. An example, if someone thinks well no one is seeing me let me pick this,steal this and if I am not caught, then I am not going to be punished and I can enjoy, but they don’t know that, “Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa”, their divine eyes are actually watching every single action, all our actions are recorded by them.
One may think that ‘well I didn’t pay £5 and can steal this. Great I gain £5 ’but they don’t realize for this £5 crime they have to pay £5,000. If they knew this people would not commit sinful activities.
Prabhupada once said in 1943 in India there was a great famine. Three million people died in it but there was not a single case of looting or stealing. People starved to death but still they would not steal or loot. Why? Because they knew they may get some benefits now but the result would be much more serious than that. That is why the first thing one must recognize about the continuity of one’s existence even beyond death and be hesitant to act in a irresponsible way. This is the first consideration, that the Vedas are reminding us about, we are not this body and when the body is finished that does not mean that is the end of oneself. I will continue in the next body which will be the result of this body’s activities. If I act in a right way, next body will be desirable and if I act in a wrong way then next body is going to be undesirable and it will be the source of all kind of sufferings. When we have this understanding, then we get to know the structure of universe.
Is Earth planet the only place, only planet ? Previously when people used to live in Europe or rather in England they used to think England is the universe because people did not have the ability to go beyond the ocean. Then they came to know this country is not the only country, and it is not the Universe. There is a continent where this country belongs. There is not only one continent but there are so many other continents. As the knowledge grows they got to know this planet is not the only planet, it is the part of the universe. The universe has fourteen planetary systems, seven higher and seven lower. The higher planetary systems where the earth planet is the ground, of a seven storey building and there are seven storey’s in the basement. The universe is somewhat like seven storey’s up and seven storey’s down and the earth planet is ground floor. Above earth planet there is Bhuloka, Swargaloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapaloka, Satyaloka. So these are 7 higher planetary systems going all the way to Satyaloka, where Lord Brahma resides.
Heavenly Planets – Fleeting Pleasures Short-lived
The Heavenly planets are a very desirable place to go to because that is where the demigods, the Devas live. And who are the Devas? Devas are the controllers of different affairs of the Universe. Universe has various departments, like Water department whose controller is Varuna Dev. Pawan Dev is the controller of wind department. Agni Deva is the controller of fire department. Surya Deva is the controller of Sun planet. Education department is controlled by Saraswati Devi. This is how there are different departmental heads and they live in the heavenly planets. Just as high ranking Government official get residential and other benefits, the Devas get the residence of heavenly planets because they are serving the Lord, they are taking care of different affairs of the universe on behalf of the Lord.
Materially people want to enjoy by various kind of material sense gratification and the heavenly planets provides all these kinds of sense gratifications, association of desirable beautiful dancing girls and the som rasa which gives a high without a hangover! These are various facilities in the heavenly planet and people generally want to head to the heavenly planet.
Krishna is pointing out there is no point in going to heavenly planet. Why? Going to heavenly planet is like going for a vacation to a very beautiful place, like Hawaii , Canary Islands or London. When we go for a vacation we spend a lot of money and when the money is finished we come back. “Kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti”. When the pious activities (punya) are exhausted one has to come down to the material world or earth planet, martya-lokaṁ the mrityuloka, world of death. This earth planet is the world of death. In heavenly planet there is no death, no one dies. They fall down from heaven when their punya is exhausted. So why make an arrangement which is temporary.
It is very beautifully demonstrated in Ramayana. One sage performed great austerities and as a result of his austerities a chariot came from the heavenly planet to take him. The Charioteer or the representative of Indra Deva said:“the Indra Dev has sent a chariot to take you to the heavenly planet”. Sage asked, “O heavenly planet! What is there?” The Charioteer described various enjoyments and the beauty of the heavenly planet. The sage questioned the criteria of his selection to heavenly planet. Charioteer replied because of his piety, he is chosen. The sage asked after I exhaust my piety and then what will happen? You will fall down to the earth, said the charioteer. The sage replied:“If I have to come back here then why should I go there? If there is any place where this enjoyment that you speak about is permanent ?”
Charioteer told him about the spiritual sky, yad gatvā na nivartante and the difference that when one goes there he doesn’t come back. The sage asked if his piety is enough to take him to the spiritual world ? The charioteer said: “No it’s not enough to go there one needs pure devotion to the Lord.” The wise sage said- Fine, he will wait for the spiritual sky and cultivate his pure devotion for the Lord.
Common people or ordinary people will say yes to the charioteer to take them to heavenly planet to enjoy, but the intelligent person will consider and think what good is the enjoyment if I have to come back and suffer here again.
Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ…...those who are situated in goodness will go to the heavenly planet, the higher planetary system. Those who are in mode of passion will remain on the earthly planet and those who are in the mode of ignorance will go to the lower planetary system or they will fall down.
Service – An Expression of Our Love for Krishna in Action
Krishna is gradually giving us the knowledge on the fruitive activities, benefits of fruitive activities and what is the outcome of fruitive activity. Krishna also spoke about Varnashrama leading to the pious activity. Varnashrama is not finally taking us to the final goal. The ultimate goal is actually the pure devotional service to Krishna, that is the essence of Vedic understanding. The partial understanding of Karam Kanda does not lead to the ultimate goal.
Karma Kanda is leading to Gyana Kanda which also gives us partial understanding. Karma Kanda says how to enjoy here and Gyana Kanda says how to get out from here. In Karma Kanda section one finally realizes in spite of all endeavors to enjoy one is suffering, why? This question leads to the Gyana Kanda which makes one realize that material nature is the place of suffering. It is a prison house. When we are winning here we are happy and if we are losing we are sad but this game or enjoyment is not going to last forever.Therefore the intelligent person will try to understand where the home is. A prison house is not our home. Our home is where we came from and where did we come from? We came from the spiritual world. When we go back there then we are situated in our actual identity. Srila Prabhupada used the expression constitutional position, we become situated in our constitutional position when we go back home, back to Godhead and what is the qualification to go back to Godhead? Can one go back to godhead by performing pious activity? No, so what is the qualification for going back to Godhead? What does it mean by pure devotional service? Pure devotional service means developing ones loving relationship with Krishna and when you love someone then what do you do? When we love someone we express our love through some action that is called service.
That is why pure loving devotional service is an expression of our love for Krishna, to do things for Krishna, to develop our loving relationship with Krishna. When we develop our loving relationship to Krsna then we become qualified to go back to Godhead. This is the ultimate conclusion of the Vedas. That is even beyond Gyana Kanda and it is Bhakti, it is Srimad Bhagavatam, these are the teachings of the Vedanta Sutra, which have been explained in Srimad Bhagavatam.
Krishna so mercifully is giving us all this information. He gave the information in Bhagavad Gita. Now he is giving the information about the ultimate goal through this chapter in eleventh Canto.
Thank you all very much.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Does anybody has any questions?
Question1 : Why did Krishna choose this planet?
HHBCS: Because the earth planet is the place where the Lord comes to give the actual knowledge. Human form actually provides us the opportunity to get out of this material nature and earth planet is the gateway out of this universe. That is why he comes and give the knowledge. Human beings are the most eligible candidates for receiving the knowledge and earth planet is the place from where one can actually get out. As I gave the example of fourteen storey building, seven storey below underneath and seven storey’s going up. Which is the ground floor? Seventh from the top now. If you want to get out of multistorey building, from where do you get out? From the ground floor. and human being has the body which is similar to the Lord’s body, similar to our spiritual identity. Therefore the Lord came and bestowed his mercy. Even from heavenly planet and higher planetary system if one wants to get out he has to come to the earth planet. That is why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to the earth planet.
Question 2: Srila Prabhupada talked about the importance of establishing Varnashrama because it’s not everyone will take to Krishna consciousness and when in future when we establish Varnashrama, how will we elevate the people? Is that they have to go beyond the ladder or once we establish we will find somewhere to get into Vaishnava service?
HHBCS: Good question, you see Varnashrama is actually the way to structure the society. As you said that everybody will not become a devotee, those who won’t become a devotee, for them there is need of Varnashrama. It means those who want to stay in this world, for them there is a need for Varnashrama but those who finished off their business in the material world, for them it is devotional service. Probably you remember the point came up yesterday about initiation Prabhupada mentioned and also the scripture mention ,in order to become qualified for initiation one has to be totally free of this material nature. That means to aspire for spiritual development one has to be totally disgusted with this material nature because if you are not disgusted why will you get out of here? If you think this is a beautiful place, so much enjoyment, then natural tendency will be to stay here. Those who do not have proper information they live in this ignorance.
Question 3:. Is it Vaishnava culture or Indian culture of brahminical initiation. So normally to Indian tradition you are born in a gotra and you get the Brahman initiation and in Vaishnava tradition and I am wondering if you are initiated then you get Hari Naam initiation so out of these two both are Brahmin initiation but are you born in Brahmin family doesn’t………….
HHBCS: Good question, there are two consideration one is by birth and other is by qualification. Indian standard is basically by birth whereas Vaishnava consideration is by qualification Brahmana means to be in mode of goodness and Vaishnava means beyond the mode of goodness. Mode of goodness is also there in this material world but material nature has three modes goodness, passion, ignorance. Mode of goodness is also the material mode, it may be the highest mode but spiritual world is beyond this material nature. When you are in the spiritual platform, then you are beyond even the mode of goodness that stage of spiritual nature is called pure goodness(shudha satva )goodness is sattva guna. Spiritual world is Vishudha sattva, pure goodness. Now when one is in a Vaishnava platform he is actually beyond brahminical platform. That’s why for a vaishnava to become a brahmana is no problem, if you are already situated in a higher status to assume status, which is below is it difficult one? No. Now the question actually is why do the Vaishnava takes the Brahmana initiation? The Brahmana initiation is necessary because the deity worship in the temple is conducted according to the rules and regulations of the scriptures and the scriptural injection is that the deity worship in the temple must be conducted by the Brahmana. That is why in the Vaishnava community only there is a consideration of Brahmana initiation, Gayatri diksha.
Question 4: If I am getting initiated then I might still be in the lower state, strata of consciousness?
HHBCS: No you are getting a lower designation but your status is higher already. You are stepping down to execute something. For example the chairman assumes the role of a Managing Director for the sake of conducting a meeting but that doesn’t mean because he has assumed the role of managing director, he is not a chairman anymore. He is Chairman under all circumstances.
Question 5: Hare Krishna Maharaj, I am a devotee actually sorry I am not a devotee I am someone who serves many Vaishnava community, many Sangas and off course this is not a fortunate situation that one is on my stage. He will be exposed to many controversies, many grudges, criticism you know like that but at the same time there is a need, I don’t know how to describe it but Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thakur wanted the message should be preached in United states and Srila Prabhupada was encouraged to do that I was just wondering how to acheive that level when all Vaishnava will unite one day.
HHBCS: Very good, it’s a tough job but that is our goal. Unity is the result of harmony. When you all are harmoniously situated then we are united but the discord is due to conflict and the conflicts are the tendency to enjoy the material nature. The conflicts are due to lack of spiritual understanding. Therefore vigorous preaching is necessary. Everybody has to be reminded why we are here, through the preaching. Preaching means to become aware of our actual goal. When you are situated in our actual goal, our main objective then there is no room for conflict. For example ultimately we all want to become servants of Krishna. We are in the constitutional position we are servants of Krishna and if many servants wants to serve the master, do the servants fight , no, the servants cooperate, ‘can you please cut the vegetables for me, can you please do this' and the other person says ‘well this is such a wonderful opportunity to do something for our master so let me just do it. Ultimate consideration is yes the world will become united but for that the world has to become Krishna consciousness as Krishna consciousness will only create that unity and if there is lack of Krishna consciousness, absence of Krishna consciousness then there will be conflicts.
Question 6: Hare Krishna Maharaj, thank you very much In the class it was mentioned one point about as you sow, so shall you reap and the example was given that if one steals £5 he will ultimately have to repay £5,000.Wecome across various situations in our day to day practical life for example if one is working for a company’s employer and the employer may not be engaged in ethical activity as generally today’s companies are based exploiting the nature and the part of world I come from middle east. We are exploiting the oil from the mother nature, so that is how we get the money ultimately or you might be a businessman and he has to save some tax or not paying full tax or lie to be in the business or there can be a situation where there is an employee in a company he finds some easy money and thinks ok I take it but I utilize it for Krishna service. So all these practical situations some like third one within our control but first two are not. How do we come out of the situation given in the example you mention?
HHBCS: In order to perform our activities mainly for maintaining ourselves and our family in this material nature we have to have a livelihood. What you are talking about is actually the livelihood. You have to earn money. That’s why you’re working for this person and while making your livelihood sometimes you may be involved in unethical activities. Out of illusion or being compelled due to the situation therefore the consideration is that the money that you earn from that give a a part of it to Krishna. That is a custom in the Vedic culture. Those who are running business they offer a part of their income to Krishna and the ultimate consideration is just offer yourself to Krishna and you pray to Krishna ‘Krishna I’m compelled to do this, O Krishna please forgive me' and Krishna will understand and Krishna has created a very nice arrangement, chanting the holy name of the Lord but not to commit sinful activities on the strength of the Holy Name. Take the shelter of Holy Name and the Holy name will give you all the protection.
Thank you all so very much.
Gaur Premananda Hari Hari Bol.