Harikesa: Translation: "Therefore, only for the purpose of sense gratification, material activities like economic development are simply a waste of time and energy without any practical profit. If such energy and endeavor is utilized for Krsna consciousness, surely one can attain to the spiritual platform of self-realization. There is no benefit by engaging oneself in economic development."
Prabhupada:
tat-prayaso na kartavyo
yata ayur-vyayah param
na tatha vindate ksemam
mukunda-caranambujam
[SB 7.6.4]
So prayasa, activities... Rupa Gosvami has forbidden,
atyaharah prayasas ca
prajalpo niyamagrahah
laulyam jana-sangas ca
sadbhih bhaktir pranasyati
[NoI 2]
There are six kind of activities which will increase your transcendental importance of life, and there are six kinds of activities which will destroy your whatever little devotion you have got. These, in the Upadesamrta you will find, how you can increase and how you can finish. So about finishing, if you are actually advancing in spiritual life, if that is your aim, then these six things should be avoided. As it is said, prayasah. The first thing is atyahara, eating too much than necessity, atyahara, or collecting more than you require. For maintenance of your body you have to secure some monetary benefit -- but not more than what you require. People are not satisfied. At the present moment everyone is trying to get more and more and more and more and more. There is no satiation. This kind of endeavor is forbidden. It will not help you. But people are mad after money. If he is getting, say, five hundred rupees, he says, "No, why five hundred? Five thousand." And if he gets five thousand, then he says, "Why five thousand? Five lakhs." And if he gets five lakhs, then he says, "Why five lakhs? Five crores." This is there. The whole world is going on. They are never satisfied. You go to any rich man: "Sir, you have now enough money. Please come to our meeting in the morning, seven-thirty." "No, I have no time." He's earning money.
So everyone thinks, "To earn money is my first business. That is... And to work for it, that is my first business." But that is forbidden. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam this is forbidden. Becau... Why forbidden? Because you cannot get more than what you are destined to get. That is not possible. If by your karma, karma-phala, by result of your karma, if you are to get some happiness, you will get that much, not more than that. So what is the use of endeavoring? Therefore it is said, tat-prayaso na kartavyo yata ayur-vyayah param. Simply waste your time. Suppose you are doing some business and earning money. And if somebody says that "You cannot get more than five hundred rupees per month," then why you'll work so hard? But because they have no information -- they do not take consultation from the right person -- therefore they are trying uselessly. The human life was meant for understanding Krsna. Instead of using the energy for understanding Krsna, they are spoiling the energy unnecessarily to earn money. This is the modern civilization. The whole Western world, how they are spoiling their life unnecessarily. We should be satisfied in the economic position as we are put into.
So in another place Narada Muni says,
tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adah
tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham
kalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasah
[SB 1.5.18]
Gabhira-ramhasah, tal labhyate. Your material gain, happiness or distress, you are destined to get. You'll get it. Again the same, duhkhavad anyatah. Anyat natah. Nobody tries to get distress. If you ask anybody that "Why you are working so hard?" nobody says that "I am working so hard, I want distress." Nobody will say. Everyone will say, "I'll be happy. I'll get happiness. Therefore I am working hard." "No, this is distress." "Yes, this is distress, but I'll get happiness after this." This is called maya. He is undergoing distress, but he is thinking, "I'll get happiness." This is called maya. So there is no use. This is sastric injunction. You have to see your future through the sastra. So don't waste your time in that way. Ayur-vyayah param. Ayur-vyayah. This duration of life, human life -- Prahlada Maharaja has begun with the words durlabham manusam janma -- this life is very, very important, and after many, many births you have got it. So you should always remember that every moment of this life is so important. How much it is important, that is explained by Canakya Pandita. Anyone can understand. He says... He is not a, I mean, Krsna conscious person but moralist. He was prime minister. He says, ayusah ksana eko 'pi na labhyah svarna-kotibhih. Your duration of life... You have got a certain years' duration of life. You cannot live more than that. If you have got your duration of life for fifty years, you can live up to fifty years, not hundred years. These are all destined. It is useless. So therefore it is very important. In the Bhagavata in another place it is said, turnam yateta anumrtya pateta yavat nihsreyasaya. The same thing repeatedly. Here Prahlada Maharaja also says that durlabham manusam janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. First of all you have to consider that we have got this human form of life after many, many hundreds and thousands, millions, 8,400,000... [break] Durlabham. So therefore it is, although temporary... Everyone knows that "I'll not live forever." But even though it is temporary, adhruvam, not eternal, it is arthadam. It is said, arthadam. Whatever little life you have got, you can attain perfection. This is the advantage. You can attain perfection.
How perfection? Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami...
[Bg. 18.66]
This is perfection. Krsna says that "You give up all these nonsense engagement. Simply surrender unto Me, and I shall give you relief." Our continuation of material life means full of sinful activities. We act some way, and we get a similar body. And again the life continues and again we get another body, another body, another body. But in the human form of body, you can get the highest perfection, Krsna consciousness, and that will stop your continuation of this material life. Manah sasthani indriyani karsati.
mamaivamso jiva-bhutah
jiva-loke sanatanah
manah-sasthanindriyani
prakrti-sthani karsati
[Bg. 15.7]
By mental concoction and sense gratification he is continuing this material existence.
So every man, the same instruction is there, that this human form of life is only meant for Krsna consciousness. But the rascals, they will not hear. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura sings, hari hari biphale janama gonainu: "My Lord Hari, I have simply wasted my time." Actually, if one is not Krsna conscious, he is simply wasting his valuable time. Hari hari biphale janama gonainu. How? Manusya-janama paiya radha-krsna na bhajiya janiya suniya bisa khainu. The same thing as Prahlada Maharaja says. This is called mahajana. The one mahajana is speaking something, another mahajana will say something else -- that is not mahajana. Mahajana means evam parampara praptam [Bg. 4.2]. What Prahlada Maharaja said millions of years ago, Narottama dasa Thakura is saying the same thing. Prahlada Maharaja said, durlabham manusam janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam, and the same thing is being repeated by Narottama dasa Thakura: hari hari biphale janama gonainu. (aside:) Why they are going there with children? So this is called parampara praptam. (aside:) Nobody should go within with children. Eh? They...
Aksayananda: She was standing at the doorway. She didn't go in.
Prabhupada: No. So, why should we waste our time? Just see practically. We are asking people that "Don't waste your time. We are opening hundreds of centers. You come with us. Little prasadam you require. We shall supply. You chant Hare Krsna." "No. No. I shall do the same thing, prayasa, trying for this, trying for that, trying for something else, something else. No." Nobody is satisfied that "My life is meant for Krsna consciousness. Here is a chance to develop Krsna consciousness. Let me live here peacefully and let me eat the prasadam and chant Hare Krsna." You'll will find no customer. This is maya.
daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]
It is very, very difficult. But still, Vaisnava, he will advise. A moralist who knows sastra, he will also advise, just like Canakya Pandita. I was saying, Canakya Pandita said, ayusah ksana eko 'pi na labhyah svarna-kotibhih. Formerly there was exchange for... Means of exchange was coins, gold mohan(?). Even in India, even in Muhammadan, there was gold. Not this paper, cheating: "I give you money, one thousand rupees, some paper. That's all." Where is money? But people are satisfied. "Yes, I have got one thousand rupees. It is written there. That's all." But actually money is the gold, gold exchange. So therefore Canakya Pandita said... This means at that time there was gold coin exchange. Even in our childhood we have seen in India there was coins, gold coins, silver coins, everywhere, all over the world. In England there was pound, gold coin. So Canakya Pandita said, svarna-kotibhih. Svarna means gold coins, and koti means ten millions. So suppose today is 6th December. Now seven o'clock, morning, seven o'clock, 6th December, passed. Can you bring it again by paying one crores of gold coins? Hm? That "Let me get back again seven o'clock, 6th December, 1975, again"? No. It is gone forever. So just see the value that you cannot get back even a moment of your life by paying millions and millions of dollars. How time is valuable, just calculate. Therefore Canakya Pandita, sa cet nirarthakam nitah ka no hanis tato 'dhika. If you waste your time, such valuable time, for nothing, just imagine how much loser you are. But we do not know. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu, kirtaniyah sada harih: [Cc. Adi 17.31] "Your life is meant for chanting. Therefore you should simply chant sada, always, consistently." This is the advice. This is properly using the moments of time. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja said that tat-prayasa. If you foolishly endeavor for making some economic development, then what is the...? Ayur-vyayah param. You have got this valuable life. Every moment is so valuable. That means you are wasting your valuable life by such endeavor to improve your economic condition. It is not possible. Tad ayatnatah. If you get distress without endeavoring for it, you will get happiness without endeavoring for it, because that is destined. You cannot get more or less. You have to... You'll get it.
Therefore, whatever little life we have got, instead of wasting for improving economic condition, let us use it for advancing in Krsna consciousness. That is life. Who understands this philosophy, this rascal world? Nobody understands this philosophy, but this is real philosophy: not to waste your valuable time for improving your economic condition. That is not possible. You have to utilize every moment to see how we are improving Krsna consciousness. So "How I am proving? Who will give me the certificate?" No. You don't require anyone's certificate. You'll know it. If you actually trying for advance in Krsna consciousness, the certificate will be understood by yourself automatically. What is that? Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. If you advance in Krsna consciousness, that means you'll be detestful for material enjoyment, especially sex enjoyment. That is the last word of material enjoyment. So this is the test, that bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat.
yad avadi mama cetah krsna-padaravinde
nava nava dhaman udyata rantum asit
tad avadhi bata nari-sangame smaryamane
bhavati mukha-vikarah sustu nisthivanam ca
Yamunacarya. This is the test. The more you advance in spiritual consciousness, Krsna consciousness, you'll dislike this material happiness. This is the test.
How it is? Now, just like if you are hungry and if you get food, then the more you eat, your appetite or hunger will be minimized, and at last you'll say, "No, no, I don't want any." Similarly, advancement in Krsna consciousness means, "No no, I don't want." Not only saying, "Don't want," but yad avadi mama cetah krsna-padaravinde nava nava dhaman udyata rantum asit tad avadhi bata nari-sangame. Here our feelings of happiness is sex life. Sometimes we think, "Oh, how I was enjoying sex life with my wife, with my husband." That is also pleasure. They read so many novels because there is sex life. They feel very happy: "How this man is talking with this woman, woman is talking, this woman, and how they are enjoying." So that is subtle, subtle enjoyment. There are eight kinds of subtle sex life. If you see one beautiful woman and if you appreciate, "Oh, how nice the face is," that is subtle sex. If you read books, that is also subtle sex. If you endeavor how to approach that woman or man to find out the opportunity, that is subtle sex. There are eight kinds of subtle sex life. So it is forbidden for a brahmacari even to think of woman. That is brahmacari. Even thinking of woman is subtle sex life. It is very, very difficult. But mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. If you catch the lotus feet of Krsna very tightly, these things will not disturb. That is said by Yamunacarya. Bhavati mukha-vikarah. If you become pure devotee of Krsna, then as soon as you think of sex, you'll spite. "Eh! Nonsense. What is this?" This is the result. That is the certificate, whether you have got that attitude -- spite on it. Then you understand that you are increasing. Otherwise you are in the same hellish condition. You may show that you are becoming a devotee, very great devotee. So test yourself, how much you have advanced.
So that is the sastric injunction everywhere. Trpyanti neha krpana bahu-duhkha-bhajah. Bahu-duhkha-bhajah.
yan-maithunadi grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham
kanduyanena karayor iva duhkha-duhkham
kandutivan manasi yo visaheta dhirah
trpyanti neha krpana bahu-duhkha-bhajah
[SB 7.9.45]
Everyone is practically aware that how sex life is followed by so many miserable condition of life. Everyone knows it. Either illicit or legal. The world is going on. Because there is no Krsna consciousness, now they are creating so many sinful life, killing the child openly. The doctors, the medical men, the scientists, advise, "If you like, you can kill your child." And to kill a child means how much sinful activities, they do not know, but they are inducing. He has to become a child and he will be killed by somebody else. And again as many times he has killed children he will have to live within the womb and be killed. Bahu-duhkha-bhajah. It will be followed by so many miserable condition of life. But now they are advertising, "One, two, three -- no more children." But "one, two, three" means balance children, you kill. This is going on. Then why not stop sex life? Oh, that is not possible. Bahu-duhkha-bhajah. Not only in this life but in the next life, next life, because there is no... Mudha nabhijanati mam ebhyah param avyayam. These rascals... This rascal civilization is so dangerous, mudha, full of rascals.
So our little humble attempt is to give them relief from this rascaldom civilization. That is Krsna consciousness movement. Krsna consciousness movement means to give little relief or little knowledge to the people in general, especially to the human being. Like Prahlada Maharaja is... Durlabham manusam janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. In the human life one can understand. We are speaking all these instruction from sastra by Krsna or Krsna's devotees. Why? Just to give a little relief. They may understand how to live. Durlabham manusam janma. "Before the next death let me finish my Krsna consciousness life." That is required. That is intelligence. Otherwise as soon as the life is finished, there is no guarantee that I am going to take again a human form of life. It is not possible. But there is little guarantee for the devotee. For the devotee, if he has rendered little service to Krsna even for a moment, the life of human life next is guaranteed. Guaranteed in this way, that if he unknowingly commits some mistake, then it is guaranteed. And if he knowingly commits mistake, then he is going to be cats and dogs. This is the facility. Yoga-bhrastah. Sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrastah sanjayate [Bg. 6.41]. Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer patet tato yadi bhajann apakvah [SB 1.5.17]. One has taken to Krsna consciousness, but on account of immature Krsna consciousness, if he falls down, falls down like that, then he gets... Yoga-bhrastah sanjayate sucinam. But if one purposefully commits mistake and sinful life, "Now I am chanting Hare Krsna. I can do all sinful life. It will become counteracted," that rascal will be punished very, very much. Namnad balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. "I am living in Vrndavana. Oh, it is dhama, so let me do all nonsense. It will be counteracted." They'll be these cats and dogs and monkeys in Vrndavana. Dhamaparadha. Dhamaparadha. Of course, Vrndavana's influence will be there, but at least one life he has to become the hog and dog in Vrndavana. Then next life he'll be... Because as soon as he becomes animal, there is no scope of unlimited committing sinful life. Animals are restricted. They can commit one kind of sinful life. That, the human being, because he is very intelligence, he commits unlimited duration of sinful life. That is another danger. So one who commits this sinful life in Vrndavana, remember, he has to become next life cats and dogs. There, as you see, there are many dogs, hogs. But still, Vrndavana-dhama is so powerful that next life he will get salvation, even if he has become dogs and hogs. But that is not good. Why should we act in such a way that in Vrndavana-dhama we shall commit sinful life and become a cats and dog? Jaya jaya vrndavanavasi yata jana. We should be careful. We should be careful, especially in dhama, dhamaparadha.
So Prahlada Maharaja said that "Don't waste your time for improving your bodily comforts. That is not good. It is simply waste of time." Tat prayaso na kartavyo yata ayur vyayah param. This life, human form of life, param, the supreme life... In the material existence the human form of life is supreme. Even the demigods, they desire that "If I can again go to Bharatavarsa and get a human life." This is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. So you have come to Bharatavarsa or you are born in Bharatavarsa, human life. Take full opportunity of Krsna consciousness. Don't waste a single moment. This is the instruction. And even if you develop your economic condition, then what is the gain? Real gain is to become Krsna conscious. Therefore it is said, na tatha vindate ksemam mukunda-caranambujam. You simply dedicate your life to serve Mukunda. Krsna's another name is Mukunda. Muka means liberation. Mukti. Muk means mukti. So ananda, the mukty-ananda, that is real ananda, liberation. So therefore our business is how to surrender fully unto the lotus feet of Mukunda, mukunda-caranambujam, and fully engage in His service. That is the only business of human life. Don't try to make economic development, dharmartha-kama-moksa [SB 4.8.41]. Don't try to become a religious person also. Religious person means strictly following the rules and regulation of varnasrama-dharma. That is called religious.
varnasramacaravata
purusena parah puman
visnur aradhyate pumsam
nanyat tat tosa-karanam
[Cc. Madhya 8.58]
Varnasrama-dharma is called dharma. Dharma... There is brahmana. He has got his duties, prescribed duties. Ksatriya, he has got his prescribed duties. This is all explained in the Bhagavad-gita. And vaisya, he has got his prescribed duties. So even if you are executing your occupational duties very perfectly, but if you do not enhance your Krsna consciousness it is useless. Dharma-artha-kama-moksa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Adi 1.90]. It is useless. You can say, "I am executing my brahmana-dharma very nicely." No. Even if you are executing,
dharma-svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena kathasu yah
notpadayed ratim yadi
srama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]
Even if you are execute your occupational duties very nicely, but if you do not become Krsna conscious, then it is simply waste of time. Srama eva hi kevalam. The real purpose of life is mukunda-caranambujam. That is real purpose of life. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja says, "Don't try to anything else, so-called happiness or distress." So-called happiness, distress, we should always remember. Even the distress, we should neither... (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975
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