How to act perfectly? BG 18.47 | Rus Split | Moscow | 13.12.92 | Gopāl Kṛṣṇa Goswāmī Mahārājā

Om namah bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namah bhagavate vasudevaya. Shreyaam. Shreyaam. Swaah. Swaah. Dharmaam. Dharmaam. Vegunaam. Vegunaam. Paraadharmaam. Paraadharmaam. Swa anuṣṭhitaḥ sva-bhāvām niatāṁ kārma-kurvāṇaḥ pṇoṭiḥ kīlbhiśaṁ śreyāśva-dharma-vigūnaḥ. Shreyāṣvadharma vidūnā, parādharmā svānusthitāt, subhāvānyatāṁ kārma, kurbhānaṁ nautikil viśāṁ. Om Agyānātmānandaśya jñānanjanāśalakya cha kṣirmilitaṇīnā tasmai Śrī Gurave namah. Śrī Caitanya-māna-viṣṭhaṁ sāpitā mīna bhūtale, svayam rūpaka-dāmayāṁ dadāti svāpadaṇṭhikam. Mandeḥ ham śrī-guru śrī-utāpāda-kam nan śrī-guruṇvaiṣṇava-nāśṭha. Śrī rūpaṁ sakra-jātāṁ sahagena rāguṇā-tanvitam tam sadevam. Sadveitam savadhūtam parijana saitam Kṛṣṇa Caitanya-devaṁ. Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-padāṇṣahagena lalitā śrī-viṣākārṇitāṁ śaḥ. Jai Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu Nityānanda Śrī Advaita Gīrādhā. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare. Prasad Raaval. So in the previous verses, Krishna has explained the duties of the different varnas. And Krishna has explained the duties and explained in the previous verse that if one worships the Lord who is the source of all beings, then one achieves perfection of life. Now in this verse, Krishna is explaining a very simple point. That a man should be engaged according to his nature. In other words, suppose one is attracted to sudra type of activity, then he should work as a sudra but not pretend that he's a Brahmana. What we are seeing in society today is that by and large people have a sudra type of mentality, but they're pretending and posing as if they're Brahmanas. And that is why we see the problems in society. So according to one's nature, one develops a certain type of mentality and skill. If one is attracted to scriptural knowledge, one wants to live by the scriptures, then it can be concluded that he has brahminical tendencies. And regardless of whether one has brahminical, shatya, vaishya, sudra tendencies, The real goal should be to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And in attempting to please the Supreme Lord, sometimes you may even have to indulge in violence. Just like— and Prabhupada gives this example in the purport— the case of Arjuna. Arjuna had to engage in the fight against his wishes, but Krishna told him, "You should fight, but fight for my pleasure without being attached to the results." And because he fought for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord, Arjuna's fight was transcendental in nature and not like the present-day wars that are taking place. Similarly, Prabhupada gives the example of a businessman in the purport. Every businessman tells his customer, from you I'm making no profit. In your country, I'm sure when you go to purchase something, there's always a tendency to bargain. No bargain? Fixed price, huh? Okay, anyway, the businessman will always tell the client, from you I make no profit. In India, it's very common. Every businessman says, you're my friend, so from you there's no profit. But if there's no profit, how is he going to survive? So in executing certain duties, they may be what may appear to be some sinful reaction, but if the activity is done for the pleasure of the Lord under the direction of superior authority, then there is no reaction. So the conclusion is that one should be engaged according to one's nature, but for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. Now there's so many civil wars going on in the former Soviet Union. You can't take part in these civil wars and say, I'm taking part just like Arjuna took part. Only if this war, only if the action is for the pleasure of the Lord under superior direction, then there's no reaction. Just like our Krishna conscious devotees, in the execution of the various duties, no doubt unlimited entities also get killed. When you're walking on the street, you step over so many entities. When you're drinking water, so many micro germs are killed. When you light fire, so many germs are— so many entities die. But because the goal of these activities is to please the Lord One becomes free from the reaction. So everyone must act according to the varna, but for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. This is the key point in this verse. Krishna also explains in the Bhagavad-gītā that every endeavor is covered by some type of fault, just like fire is covered by smoke. Nobody likes smoke. If you want to light fire, you have to have smoke. So in every endeavor, there will be some wrong, some fault. But if this work is done for the pleasure of the Lord, then one becomes free from the reaction. So Kṛṣṇa is directing that we have to act, but we have to learn to act for the pleasure of the Lord. Many times people think that Kṛṣṇa consciousness means becoming completely idle or doing no work at all, just retiring and leading a lazy man's life. Sometimes people join the temple and still they want to lead a lazy man's life. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not for lazy people. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means you're constantly working for Kṛṣṇa from morning to night. There's not one minute for idle talk or idle activity. Just like we see that in the Bhāgavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa was listening to so many arguments that Arjuna was giving as to why he should not engage in the battle. But Krishna induced Arjuna to act, but act for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord. So the Bhagavad-gītā presents a practical doctrine by which society, and it can become peaceful and happy. The Bhagavad-gītā is not just some theory which cannot be applied in practice, and Krishna wants us to set the example. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Krishna says Whatever action a great man does, others will follow. So the leaders of society have to be ideal examples. The leaders of society must understand the teachings of the scriptures and live by the teachings of the scriptures. One who practices the teachings of the Lord and lives by the teachings of the Lord and preaches the teachings of the Lord is known as an Ācārya. And when we live by the scriptures, when we act according to the scriptural knowledge, then we are acting perfectly. So in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna states, 'Ivām pādām para-prapta mīmāṇḍrajaśrūvidu'— that this knowledge was coming down through the disciplic succession and it was being given to the saintly kings. And because, in other words, the kings in the past, they were raj-rishis. Raja means king, Rishi means a sage. So they were kings as well as sages. They considered it their duty to do the administration as well as protect the people. In the Vedic history, we read about innumerable kings who consider the entire population to be nothing but members of their personal family. Just like there's a story of a king called King Rantideva. King Rantideva And his wife had on one occasion fasted for a period of 48 days. And after having fasted for 48 days, they were about to break their fast with some foodstuff made of milk and honey and water and sugar, that when a Brahmana walked in and said, "My dear king, I'm hungry. It is your duty to feed me. Please give me some food to eat." So the king gave him foodstuff to take. Then another hungry man walked in, another hungry man, ultimately a thirsty man, and the king parted with everything that he had. So this was the attitude of the saintly kings. Once the demigods decided to test a devotee king called King Sibi. King Sibi was a very compassionate king. He would protect everyone who would come to him. So once the demigods decided to play the role of the eagle and the bird. The eagle was chasing the bird. The pigeon came to the king and said, "This eagle is trying to eat me, please save me." So the king said, "You have come to me for protection, I will protect you." So then when the eagle came and demanded that the pigeon be given to the eagle, the king said, "No, I can't give you this pigeon because the pigeon has come to me for protection." So the king agreed to give the flesh from his body equal to the weight of the pigeon. And by the arrangement of the Lord, the weight of the pigeon went on increasing, which meant the king had to give more and more flesh from his body. But the king did not go back on his promise. So we just gave two examples of kings who considered the entire population to be part of their family, Praja. Prājā means family. Prājā actually technically means population, but the kings would consider the entire population to be part of their family. So Kṛṣṇa is teaching us through the pages of the Bhāgavad-gītā that we have to do our duty, but we should do our duty without attachment. If we do our duty without attachment, offering the results to the Supreme Lord, then one is not affected by the execution of such an act. And the Bhagavad-gītā gives the example of the lotus leaf that is in water, but it is not touched by the water. You don't see so many lotus leaves in your country, but in Asian countries you can see the lotus leaf. It is in water, but the water doesn't touch the leaf of the flower. So similarly, one who is educated in the Vedic science, he does not get touched by the water. He doesn't get touched by the material modes. So Kṛṣṇa is saying, Use the body, use the mind, use the intelligence, use these senses only for performing activities which will be purifying in nature and not contaminating. Yesterday I explained how Thakura Bhaktirana says, mana sadeha gaya yogi chormara arpinam tuya padenaṁ kṣoraḥ. My dear Lord, I place everything at Your lotus feet— my body, mind, senses, possessions. So body, mind, senses should all be used for activities that will purify one's existence. And then when you're acting in such mentality, you will never be contaminated. Therefore, Rupa Gosvāmī— Rupa Gosvāmī was a great sage— he has said, a person acting in Krishna consciousness with body, mind, and words is considered to be already liberated, though he's operating in the material world. So the important thing is learning the art of dedicating our activities for the pleasure of the Lord. And Krishna explains that one who offers the results of his activities to the Lord, he obtains unadulterated peace. But one who's not— who doesn't agree with the instructions of the Divine Who is greedy for the results of his effort, who wants sense enjoyment, he just gets entangled. Do you understand this example? The silkworm from its own saliva develops a cocoon and then it gets entangled. It doesn't know how to get out of the cocoon. So similarly, when we are attached to the results, we get so entangled then we just get caught in it. Therefore Krishna is saying again and again, do your duty, do your duty, do your efforts, but don't be attached to the fruits, don't be attached to the results, don't use the results for sense enjoyment. Bhagavad-gītā explains that his body is nothing but a city of 9 gates. Just like to come into our temple, we have 3 gates, 2 in the front, 1 in the back. 4 gates. So similarly, in the body there are 9 gates: 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, 2 ears, 1 mouth, anus, and the genitals. So these are the 9 gates, and we are all living in a city that has 9 gates. So Krishna is explaining that one who doesn't get attached to the results, who has renounced the fruitive mentality, he can live very happily in the city of 9 gates. And then he's peaceful. That is why we see that those devotees who have renounced the desire for sense enjoyment, who have learned how to act according to Guru-sādhū-śāstra, they are peaceful. But those who are attached to the results, they just get more and more entangled. They get more and more entangled and they sink deeper and deeper in the cycle of birth and death. So Krishna is advising Prasad RAVAL, that just like when— just like sunshine destroys darkness, this transcendental knowledge destroys illusion. When one is enlightened with this transcendental knowledge, then ignorance is destroyed. Then this knowledge reveals everything. Then this knowledge enables you to understand who you are. Then this knowledge reveals everything as the sunshine reveals everything. Just like right now it's dark, you can't see clearly. But in the morning you'll be able to see clearly. So similarly, the sunshine reveal— this transcendental knowledge reveals everything. That is why when devotees take part in book distribution, in preaching efforts, harinama, then as a result of book distribution, harinama, spiritual association, people understand who they are. And this harinama is so beneficial that those who chant benefit But those who hear, they also benefit. Just like today we had gone on Hare Naam with the devotees on Arbat Street, and it was snowing. Prabhupada Swami and I both had gone, and even though it was snowing, still so many people were stopping to hear the Hare Naam, participate in the Hare Naam, listen to the talks. So we had to give people spiritual knowledge, and that will make them understand who they are. And a powerful medium for giving people spiritual knowledge is book distribution. When you distribute these books, people get this knowledge. So take part in this, help participate in this Prabhupada marathon, distribute these books and give people the opportunity to destroy their ignorance, destroy their darkness. And if you become the instrument to destroy people's darkness, then you're eternally blessed by the Lord. Hare Krishna. There's only 1 minute left for aarti, so Any questions? So after aarti, I may continue for half an hour. I'm not sure. Devotees also have different varnas. Some devotees are more inclined to Brahminical work, deity worship, reading scriptures, lecturing. Some like just to sweep the floor and carry the, carry the garbage. Some like doing administration. Some like doing business. Some like doing farming, cow protection. Some like doing administration. So based on your aptitude, one should be engaged. Therefore, in our Gurukuls now, when these boys get to be 13, 14 years of age, then based on the aptitude these children are exhibiting they're engaged accordingly. How, how, how, how deep is the hindrance, is the attachment to the results of all this? Well, naturally everyone's attached to have good results, so there's no harm. But don't get discouraged even if the results are not as good as you want them to be. Just try harder. So, aarti, now post any aarti, do give up.