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So long this conception of life will exist, that, 'I
am this
body, and
anyone who is related with this body, they are my own men, kinsmen,
relatives...' This conception of life is the greatest barrier for
advancing in spiritual consciousness.
arjuna
uvacha
dristvemam svajanam krishna
yuyutsum samupasthitam
sidanti mama gatrani
mukham cha parisusyati
vepathus cha sarire me
roma-harsas cha jayate
gandivam sramsate hastat
tvak chaiva paridahyate
Translation: "Arjuna said: My dear Krishna, seeing my friends and
relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs
of my body quivering and my mouth drying up. My whole body is
trembling, and my hair is standing on end. My bow Gandiva is slipping
from my hand, and my skin is burning."
Prabhupada:
So dristva imam svajanam. Arjuna is a great warrior,
fighter, and for a kshatriya to kill one is not very difficult
task. The kshatriyas are trained up. Hunting. Hunting is
allowed for
the ksatriyas. Just like medical practitioners, they are
trained up how to
practice surgical operation on dead body. It is not possible to, of
course, for a gentleman, to push knife in someone's body. It is
naturally very difficult thing. Rogues and thieves, they can stab. So
as the doctors, medical men, surgeons are trained up to operate their
knife on the dead body to see where are the nerves, similarly, kshatriyas
are also allowed for being trained how to kill. Kshatriya
means... Kshat. Kshat means injury. And tra
means trayate, saves. A kshatriya has to save the
citizens from being injured by
others. He is
called kshatriya. Brahmana means one who knows brahma,
the supreme. So brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya, shudra. These
divisions are
there
according
to quality. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. By guna. Guna
means
quality. And karma means actual operation of the guna.
So Arjuna was a kshatriya, trained up by Dronacharya how to
kill. This
is
the... Nonviolence is not the business of the kshatriya. That
is
cowardice. They are taught how to become violent. Otherwise, they
cannot rule over. Formerly the judgement was given by the king,
immediately finished. Not go to the court and wait for the judgement
for ten years. In the meantime everything is finished. Not like that.
Anything, there was regularly, the king used to sit in his assembly,
and all the criminals, culprits, they were judged by the king himself.
Sometimes the king had to kill personally with the sword. Even in
European countries, the royal orders were trained up. Nowadays it is
constitutional, democratic government. The king has no power. But this
is not good for the people. The democracy is a farce. At least, I do
not like it. Because so many rascals, simply by getting votes, go to
the government, and what do they know how to rule over? Therefore, at
the present moment, all over the world there is no good government.
There is no good government. The America was considered to have very
good government. Now we can see the behavior of Mr. Nixon. It is not
possible. Formerly the kshatriyas, they were trained up how to
govern.
They were trained up by military men, just like Dronacharya trained
Arjuna, Duryodhana. All the royal princes were trained up how to kill.
Not only killing, also, according to shastra, how to rule over.
The
king's business is to see that everyone in the country, they are
properly employed and engaged in his own business. That is king's
business. There was no question of unemployment. This is government's
first business. Because if a person is unemployed, then the devil's
workshop. Devil's, work... If he hasn't got to do anything... That is
being done now. Rich man's son, he hasn't got to do anything, so his
brain is devil's workshop. They are manufacturing so many "isms." But
everyone should be engaged. This is government's first business to see.
A brahmana is engaged as a brahmana, a kshatriya
is engaged as kshatriya.
So Arjuna was not a coward. He was a competent warrior. But
still, dehatma-buddhi, the bodily concept of life is so
strong... That
Arjuna admits, dristva tu svajanam krishna: "My dear
Krishna, I have to
kill
my own men." What is that "own men"? "Own men" means this bodily
relationship. Why others are not own men? Everyone is own men. Because
everyone is Krishna's son. So when one becomes Krishna conscious, he
can
see everyone own men. And when he is not Krishna conscious, he simply
sees own men where there is bodily relationship. This is the defect.
They are advertising, humanitarian work, philanthropic work, communism,
this "ism," but when there is question of bodily relationship,
immediately everything is changed. You know, the Communist country, the
Khruschev was driven out because he was patronizing his own men. That
was the defect. So you can advertise that "I am for everyone," but
there is affection for own men. Nepotism. Nepotism. It's called
nepotism. So many big, big leaders. Our Jawaharhal Nehru, he was
sending his own men as ambassador. Vijaya Lakshmi, a woman, she was
being sent as ambassador. She was high commissioner here. So this "own
men" question is very prominent everywhere.
So Arjuna is a great warrior. He could fight all the soldiers, all the
fighting men, yuyutsu. The other party, they were also, they
were
assembled, yuyutsu, with fighting spirit. Other men, even they
are not
fighting spirit, we can kill very easily. But own men, although they
are fighting spirit, still he hesitates. Because own men. So this
"own-menship," in relationship with the body, is the barrier for
spiritual understanding. So long this conception of life will exist,
that "I am this body, and anyone who is related with this body, they
are my own men, kinsmen, relatives..." This conception of life is the
greatest barrier for advancing in spiritual consciousness. Therefore
the Vedic civilization is so planned that one has to give up this
rascal "own men" conception. That is the vairagya. It is called
vairagya. Jnana-vairagya. Two things required in
human life: knowledge
and vairagya, detachment. The attachment increases. First of
all, it
increases. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. This whole
world is based
on sex life. A man has got attraction for woman; a woman has got
attraction for man. This is nature's bondage. Shackle. And when they
are actually united, either by the father, mother, or by their own way,
that shackle, that attraction, increases. Pumsah striya
mithuni-bhavam
etam tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. Hrdaya-granthim. Knot in
the
heart. "She is my wife." "He is my husband." Of course, now that knot
is very slack. Formerly it was very strong because the woman was not
allowed to mix with any other man, and the man was also not allowed
with any other woman. This intermingling has slackened even that knot, hrdaya-granthim.
Therefore, even trifle cases, quarrel
between husband
and wife, there is divorce. Because that unity is not very strong now.
That is good. Some way or other, it is slackened. So this "own-menship"
comes from bodily concept of life.
So Arjuna is preparing the ground, how to receive the instruction
of Bhagavad-gita. Because spiritual instruction will
begin to separate
the soul from the body. Unless one understands that there is a soul
different from this body, there is no spiritual education. This is the
basic principle. If you do not understand what is soul, what is spirit
soul, then where is spiritual education? So Arjuna was affected. He
says frankly, dristva tu svajanam krishna yuyutsum samupasthitam:
"What is
this? I have to kill my own men." Svajanam. Svajanam
means own men.
"No,
no." Sidanti mama gatrani: "Oh, I am shivering." Mukham
ca parisusyati:
"My mouth is being dried up." We have got this experience. When there
is danger, these things happen, so many symptoms.
vepathus
ca sarire me
roma-harsas ca jayate
gandivam sramsate hastat
tvak caiva paridahyate
As these things,
these symptoms, different transformations of bodily
constitution, appear in times of danger, similarly such symptoms appear
in times of spiritual bliss. That is called asta-sattvika-vikara,
eight
kinds of transformation of the body. So there is so many reserve
energies within our body. They become manifest in due course of time
when the mind and intelligence work in different ways. This is the
study, how things appear. It is appearing from intelligence, mind. The
soul is there and the intelligence and mind creating the situation of
the bodily symptoms. Therefore body or the senses are not all. The
modern education, they think this body is everything. No. Real study is
body means the senses. Indriyani parany ahuh. On gross
vision we see
this body. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah.
But the
bodily symptoms are acting because the mind is there. And mind is
working because the intelligence is there. And the intelligence is
working because the soul is there.
So this is the process. The basic principle is the soul. The soul is
acting through intelligence, and the intelligence is acting through
mind, and the mind is expressed through the senses. This is the
position. So as my mind is absorbed in something, some subject matter,
my bodily symptoms also will work, or the senses will work according to
that mind. Therefore for spiritual advancement also, you have to train
your mind. Sa vai manah krishna-padaravindayor vachamsi
vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. If you use... First of all fix up your
mind. Yoga means indriya-samyama. Yoga practice
means that controlling the
mind and the senses. That is yoga practice. Because our mind is
very
flickering and changing, something accepting immediately, something
rejecting immediately, very flickering. Therefore we have to train up
the mind, and when the mind is trained up, then automatically your
senses will be controlled. If you are strong-minded, that "I will not
accept any foodstuff which is not offered to Krishna," naturally your
tongue is controlled. Naturally. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung, sarira
avidya-jal jadendriya tahe kal jive phele visaya-sagare. Our
this body
is a network of nescience, or ignorance. This body, why we have got
this body, material body? Because we have forgotten Krishna and we
wanted
to lord it over the material nature. This is our position. Therefore,
according to our different desires, we have got different bodies. Here
we are sitting, say fifty or hundred men. Nobody's body will tally with
other's body. Face and everything, different. Because every one of us
has got different desires. Therefore their facial expression, bodily
construction, everything is made according to the mind. So at the time
of death also, the constitution of mind will transfer me to another,
different type of body. The mind will carry the soul. These are all
explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Yam yam vapi
smaran bhavam tyajaty ante
kalevaram. So if you train up your mind, that is Krishna
consciousness.
Always remembering Krishna. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna
Krishna, Hare Hare. Then it may be possible that at the time of death
you
remember Krishna and your life is successful. Tyaktva deham
punar janma
naiti mam eti kaunteya. Immediately you are transferred to
Krishnaloka.
This is training.
So we have to think of Krishna always, twenty-four hours. Kirtaniyah
sada
harih. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended. Taror api
sahisnuna.
trinad
api sunichena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
Because our aim
is... If we are serious of being transferred to the loka, to
the place, where Krishna is, then we have to
train up the mind
so nicely that at the time of death I can remember Krishna. Therefore
one
great king, Kulashekhara, he is praying to Krishna, krishna
tvadiya
pada-pankaja... What is that verse? Tvadiya, krishna
tvadiya pada-pankaja.
I am just forgetting. The idea is, Kulashekhara, King Kulashekhara is
praying to Krishna, adyaiva visatu me manasa-raja-hamsah.
Adyaiva. Prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih smaranam kutas
te.
He is
praying, "Krishna, I am now in good health. So kindly award me death
immediately." Adyaiva. "Immediately, so that my mind, who is
just like
a swan, he can take pleasure by entering into stem of Your lotus flower
feet." Krishna's feet is always compared with lotus flower, and the
lotus
flower has got a stem. And the swans, they take pleasure being
entangled with that stem. They go and dive into the water. This is
their very good sporting. So he is taking that sporting, he is
comparing his mind as theraja-hamsa. "So as the raja-hamsa
takes
pleasure by entangling him in the stem of the lotus flower, similarly
Your lotus feet, there is a stem. So my mind, which may be compared
with raja-hamsa, let it be entangled now, immediately.
Otherwise I do
not know." Prana-prayana-samaye kapha-vata-pittaih. "When
everything
bodily function will be mixed up, kapha-vata-pittaih, 'ghan
ghan,' there
will be some sound, how I will be able to remembering your lotus feet?
So let me die immediately, immediately. Now I am quite fit. Otherwise I
may not be able." This is the point. The mind should be kept in healthy
condition. Samjna. Therefore one who dies with full sense
remembering
Krishna, oh, he is successful. In Bengali it is said, bhajana
kara
sadhana
kara murti yanre haya. You may be very great devotee. That's all
right. But it will be tested at the time of your death, how you
remember Krishna. That will be the test examination. At the time of
death, if we forget, if we become parrotlike... Just like parrot, he
chants also, "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna." But when the
cat
catches the neck, "Kanh! Kanh! Kanh!" No more Krishna. No more
Krishna. So
artificial practice will not help us. Then "Khan, khan." That kapha-pitta-vataih,
kanthavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutas te.
So from the beginning we have to practice Krishna consciousness if we
are
actually serious to go back to home, back to Godhead. Not that let it
be left for two or three years before death. Oh, it is not so easy. It
is not so easy. Prahlada Maharaja recommends therefore,
kaumara
acharet prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
He was five
years old, Krishna conscious, from the womb of his mother. He
heard instruction of Narada. Narada was instructing his mother. He was
in the womb. Fortunately, by God's grace, he heard all the instruction
of Narada when he was in the womb of his mother. And the result was,
from the beginning of his life, he is Krishna conscious. From the
beginning. As soon as he took birth, he was Krishna conscious. So he
was
advising his class friends, preaching. Just see. He was five-years-old
boy, but he was taking the opportunity of preaching. Because the
teacher... He is born of demon family. So all those class friends, they
were also sons of demons. So there is no question of Krishna
consciousness. But he learned Krishna consciousness from the womb of
his
mother.
So he was trying to preach. Because he was king's son, there was no
other opportunity for preaching, and he was a five-years-old boy. He
took the opportunity in the classroom, as soon as the teacher is away,
he would preach. He would preach. This is preaching spirit. As soon as
you get some opportunity, preach. What is that preach? Preaching,
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has advised us, yare dekha tare kaha
krishna-upadesha.
This is preaching. "Whoever you meet, simply speak of the instruction
of Krishna." So if you are advanced, if you know what is the
instruction
of Krishna by reading Bhagavad-gita, you can preach to
others. And if you
have not read anything, suppose you do not know anything, then you can
also preach. What is that? "Just become a devotee of Krishna, my dear
sir." That's all. This is also preaching. "Just surrender to Krishna."
You go door to door. If you cannot do anything, simply say, "My dear
sir, you are very good man. Oh, you are very intelligent man. Chant
Hare Krishna." Sakalam eva vihaya durat. This preaching
was taught by
Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Dante nidhaya trinakam padayor nipatya
kaku-satam kritva cha aham bravimi. This is the preaching
process. Dante
nidhaya trinakam. According to Vedic civilization, if one wants
to
become very humble and approach another person, then he has to take one
straw in the mouth. Trina. So the preaching process is to take a straw
in the mouth, dante nidhaya trinakam padayor nipatya, and
falling down
on your feet, dante nidhaya trinakam padayor, kaku-satam kritva
cha aham
bravimi. And flattering you: "Sir, you are so great man, you are
so
intelligent man." This is flattering. Although he is fool number one,
we have to flatter like that. "Oh, there is no greater man like you.
You are so intelligent, you are so rich, you are so beautiful." So all
these things. Just like the beggars. Sometimes: "You become king." And
one thinks, "Oh, he is blessing me. All right, you take one paisa."
So
this flattering is also required. So kaku-satam kritva chaham
bravimi. So
the man may ask that "Why you are so humble and flattering? What is
your intention? Tell me." So he is now telling. He sadhavah,
"Oh, you
are great sadhu." He sadhavah, sakalam eva vihaya durat:
"You have
learned so many nice things. I know that. But kick them out, please." Sakalam
eva. "Whatever you have nonsense learned,
rascaldom you have
learned, please kick them out. This is my request." Sakalam eva
vihaya
durat chaitanya-chandra-charane kurutanuragam. "Just hear what
Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says. This is my request." This is preaching. This
is preaching. Flatter, fall down on his feet, and eulogize him as great
sadhu, as great intelligent, great rich. Do so that he may little hear.
And when he says, "What do you want?" "Now, [laughter] I want this,
sir. Whatever rascaldom you have learned, please forget. Because I know
you are rascal number one. [laughter] You have got so many hodge-podge
thing in your brain. So you kick them out please." Sakalam eva
vihaya
durat. "Kick them, throw away, long distance. Don't look upon
them."
"Then what to do?" Chaitanya-chandra-charane kurutanuragam.
"Please hear
what Chaitanya-chandra says." Sri-krishna-chaitanya-daya karaha
vichara,
vichara karile chitte pabe chamatkara: "Just try to understand
the mercy
of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and you will feel so sublime." Sri-krishna-chaitanya-daya
karaha vichara. "Don't
take it blindly. If you
are intelligent, just make a judgment, what Chaitanya-chandra is." Tell
him.
So this is preaching. This is preaching. So Arjuna has to be a
preacher. Practical preacher. What is that preaching? That he has to
sacrifice everything for Krishna's sake. That's all. This is preaching.
Sakalam eva vihaya durat. Arjuna will be the
greatest example, how he
became Krishna conscious, in the last Tenth Chapter. He will say, sarvam
etad ritam manye yad vadasi keshava: "My dear Krishna, Keshava,
whatever you
say, I accept in total." Without any interpretation, or "This is like
this, this is like that, this is not very good." Aridha-kukkuti-nyaya.
All rascals, they accept this Bhagavad-gita on the
principle of aridha-kukkuti-nyaya. In the nyaya,
in the logic.
There is a logic, aridha-kukkuti-nyaya. What is that aridha-kukkuti-nyaya?
Kukkuti means the
hen. So hen gives one egg every day. So the man, proprietor of the hen,
he is considering that "This hen is very good, giving every day one
egg. But the, its mouth is expensive. It eats. So let me cut the mouth,
simply take the egg." So there are rascals, they study Bhagavad-gita
on
this principle of aridha-kukkuti-nyaya. "Cut this, take
this, cut this,
take this." So if you cut the head, there will be no more egg. The
rascal does not know. If you cut the head there will be no more
production of egg. So similarly, if you try to study Bhagavad-gita
according to your whims, cut this and take this, that is not study of Bhagavad-gita.
That is something else. That is
something else. That is
something else.
Therefore we have to take from Arjuna how he accepted Bhagavad-gita.
He
said, sarvam etad ritam manye: "Krishna, You are the
Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Whatever You are speaking, whatever You have spoken, I take
them as it is." This is study of Bhagavad-gita. So the
hindrance is
this svajanam. Now he is presenting. He is presenting himself
as fool
number one, although he is not so. But he is creating the ground for
Krishna's speaking on Bhagavad-gita. This is the
principle. Therefore he
is not at all affected by the svajanam, but he is presenting, "This is
my problem, that I have to kill..." Dristva imam svajanam krishna.
"By
seeing my own kinsmen, because I am fool number one..." Yasyatma-buddhih
kunape tridhatuke." I am calling
them svajana. In
sastra it is called svajanakhya-dasyu. Svajanakhya-dasyu.
They are all
thieves and rogues, but they are claiming as my kinsmen. Practically...
Suppose in your pocket there is one hundred dollars. If some pickpocket
takes it and if you capture him, then you give him immediately to the
police. And when you come home after hard-earned money, and when your
wife takes away, oh, you laugh, "Oh you have taken all my money!
Ahhhhh!" But the same pickpocket, but the same pickpocket, but because
he's svajana, svajanakhya-dasyu, "pickpocket in
the name
of svajana,"
he is very much pleased: "Oh, my wife has taken, my son has taken.
Never mind." That's all. And others? As soon as takes, he, "Give him to
the police." The same business is being done. He is working hard day
and night, and they are plundering. Still, they are thinking, "They are
my svajanam, they are my kinsmen." This is called illusion.
Thank you very much.
