Bhagavad-gétä 7.

11–16
—
October 5, 1966, New York

661005BG-NEW YORK [43:19 Minutes]

Audio

Prabhupäda: Balaà balavatäà...

balaà balavatäà cähaà

käma-räga-vivarjitam
dharmäviruddho bhüteñu
kämo 'smi bharatarñabha
[Bg 7.11]

[I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life
which is not contrary to religious principles, O Lord of the Bhäratas [Arjuna]]
Now, this particular verse we are discussing last day, that lust, or sex desire, on
the principles of religiosity is Kåñëa. This point we have discussed very
elaborately, you may remember, that so far necessities of this body are
concerned, that is allowed, but in a regulated form.
The necessities of this body are four: we must eat something; we must have
rest, sleep for some time; we must defend ourself from the attack of enemies;
and we, er, we must have the facility for sex life also. These things are
necessary for keeping up this body. But one who is going to liberate himself
from this material entanglement, he cannot use this excessively. There must be
regulated.

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Just like a diseased person, he is put under regulation. He is also given to eat
something. Although eating is not very good for a diseased person, still, he is
allowed to eat something, some barley water, some fruit juice, some light food,
so that... Starvation is also not good, so he is allowed. But he cannot be allowed
foodstuff according to the patient's desire. The foodstuff is allowed to him
according to the direction of the physician.
So if we want to be conversant, well-equipped, with Kåñëa consciousness, then
we have to regulate our life. That regulation, that regulation is given in various
scriptures, and here also Lord Kåñëa says. He is describing Himself, how you
can remember Him in every circumstances of your life. So similarly, sex life is
also a necessity, a necessity for our life. Therefore Kåñëa says, "Yes, I am also in
sex life, provided it is," I mean to say, "carried according to the scriptural
injunction." What is that scriptural injunction? That one must get himself
married; otherwise, sex life is not allowed. It is considered sinful.
Married life sex life is allowed. Kåñëa says that dharma-aviruddhaù. Aviruddhaù
means not against religious principle. The religious principle is puträrthe kriyate
bhäryä putra-piëòa-prayojanam. According to Vedic literature, one should
marry just to have a child, putra. Putra means son. The derivative meaning of
putra is pun-nämno narakäd yasmät träyate iti putraù. For our sinful reaction we
have to visit some hell, which is known as pun. So it is prescribed in the Hindu
scripture that the child, when the father dies, the boy has to perform several
ceremonies, which is called çräddha ceremony, so that if the father for his
sinful acts is in trouble in his next life, this ceremony will protect him. These
are the some of the thoughts. And they are true. So putra means pun-nämno
narakäd yasmät träyate iti putraù: "One who delivers the father from the hell
which is known as pun, he is called putra."
So therefore, how can I have putra without wife? If one wants a son without
wife, that is not possible. Therefore the scriptural injunction is that according
to the Vedic rules you get yourself married and have good sons to protect your

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family and to protect yourself. This is called religious sex life. So this religious
sex life, Kåñëa recommends. And He says that "Sex life in religiosity is I am. I
am present there. I am present there."
And next He says,

ye caiva sättvikä bhävä

räjasäs tämasäç ca ye
matta eveti tän viddhi
na tv ahaà teñu te mayi
[Bg 7.12]

[All states of being-be they of goodness, passion or ignorance-are manifested

by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything—but I am independant. I am not
under the modes of this material nature.]
I think we have discussed all this. Now, tribhir guëamayair bhävair ebhiù sarvam
idaà jagat [Bg 7.13].
[Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole
world does not know Me who am above the modes and inexhaustible.]
We are discussing about the three modes of material nature. Now, the Lord says
that the whole world is captivated by the three modes of material nature. And
mohitam, and bewildered by the actions and reaction of these three modes of
material nature, one has forgotten his eternal relationship with God, or Kåñëa.
We have got eternal relationship with God because we are sons of God. How
the relation can be broken? Suppose you have got son. Now, he is not obedient
to you. That is all right. He has gone out of home. He does not like you. But the
relation cannot be broken. When he will be asked, "What is your father's
name?" he has to name your..., that "I am son of such-and-such gentleman."
That relation cannot be broken.
Similarly, we are all sons of God, Kåñëa. So our relationship is eternal, but we

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have forgotten. Just you understand: God is all-powerful, all-famous, He
possesses all wealth, He possesses all beauty, He possesses all knowledge and He
possesses all renunciation. So we are sons of such a great personality. We have
forgotten. Just a rich man's son forgets his father and becomes mad and lying
on the street and begging—oh, that is due to his forgetfulness.
If somebody gives him information that "Why you are suffering in this way?
You have got your father's riches. You go home and enjoy your father's
property. Your father is very much anxious to have you. Why you are rotting in
this condition?" And if he comes to his senses that "Oh, I have suffered so
much. Now I shall go back to my father and enjoy life..."
This is our condition. We are under threefold miseries here in this material
world. Always we are suffering by these threefold miseries: adhyätmika,
adhibhautika and adhidaivika, threefold miseries. Some miseries are pertaining
to this body and mind. Just like one of our student—all of a sudden, he has got
some aches and he has to undergo surgical operation. So this is going on.
Something misery are due to the body, something miserable due to the mind,
something miserable due to the nature. All of a sudden, it becomes very cold.
All of a sudden, it becomes very hot, warm. Nature. All of a sudden, there is
great snowfall. All of sudden, there is earthquake. So many miseries, so due to
nature, due to body, due to mind and due to other living entities. Oh,
somebody attacks me with dagger. A tiger attacks me with his jaws. So many
difficulties, miseries in every step. Padaà padaà yad vipadäà na teñäm [SB
10.14.58].
[For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is
the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Muräri, the enemy of
the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in
a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is paraà padam, Vaikuëöha, the place where
there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every
step.]

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So we should remember this. But due to the illusion, being covered by the
illusion, we don't take account of these miseries. But we must remember that
we are always in miseries. An intelligent person who is developed in
consciousness, he enquires, "Why I am in miseries? I do not want miseries. Why
I am in miseries?" When this question arises, then there is chance of becoming
Kåñëa conscious. You will find how one becomes..., comes to Kåñëa
consciousness. You will find, later verses. Catur-vidhä bhajante mäà sukåtino
'rjuna [Bg 7.16].
[O best among the Bhäratas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render
devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the
inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.]
So, bewildered by this interaction of these three modes of nature, we have
forgotten our eternal relationship with God. And Kåñëa consciousness means
that we have to revive. Just like a psychiatrist, psychiatrist, they, by some
lectures revive his consciousness. So we are, more or less, not the person who is
going to the psychiatrist, but every one of us more or less mad, bewildered by
this material nature. So we have to cure our madness and become situated in
Kåñëa consciousness. That is the whole problem.
Mohitaà näbhijänäti mäm ebhyaù param avyayam [Bg 7.13].
[Deluded by the three modes [goodness, passion and ignorance], the whole
world does not know Me who am above the modes and inexhaustible.]
Param avyayam. Avyayam means which has no end; which never, I mean to
say, annihilates. That is called avyayam: eternal, never can be killed. So we are
also avyayam. We have discussed all these points in the very beginning of
Bhagavad-gétä, that we are living entities, we have no birth, no death. The
birth and death is concerned with this body, but we are sons also of this
supreme eternal, param avyayam. So we are also avyayam. The sons of gold is
also gold. But we are in this miserable condition. Why? Because we are

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bewildered by these material three modes of nature.

daivé hy eñä guëamayé

mama mäyä duratyayä
mäm eva ye prapadyante
mäyäm etäà taranti te
[Bg 7.14]

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material

nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can
easily cross beyond it.]
This madness, this hallucination, this illusion of this material world, is very
difficult to overcome. It is very difficult. But Lord Kåñëa says, mäm eva ye
prapadyante mäyäm etäà taranti te. If anyone voluntarily, or understanding his
miserable life, if he surrenders unto Kåñëa, "My dear Kåñëa, I forgot You for so
many lives. Now I understand that You are my father, You are my protector. I
surrender unto You." Just like a lost child goes to the father, "My dear father, it
was my misunderstanding that I went away from your protection, but I have
suffered. Now I come to you." The father embraces, "My dear boy, you come on.
I was so much anxious for you all the days. Oh, it is happy that you have come
back." The father is so kind.
So we are in the same position. As soon as we surrender ourself to the Supreme
Lord... That is not very difficult. A son's surrender to the father, is it very
difficult job? Do you think is it very difficult job? A son is surrendering to his
father. It is quite natural. There is no insult. Father is always superior. So if I
touch the feet of my father, if I bow down before my father, it is glory. It is
glorious for me. There is no insult. There is no difficulty. Why should we not
surrender unto Kåñëa?
So this is the process. Mäm eva ye prapadyante. "All these bewildered living
entities, when they surrender unto Me," mäyäm etäà taranti te, "he has no

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more any miseries of life." He becomes at once under the protection of the
father. You will find in the end of Bhagavad-gétä, ahaà tväà sarva-päpebhyo
mokñayiñyämi mä çucaù [Bg 18.66].
[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver
you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]
When the father... When the child comes on the breast of his mother, the
mother protects. If there is any danger, the mother is prepared to give her life
first, then the child's life. Similarly, when we are under the protection of God,
then there is no fear. We becomes fearless under the protection of God. The
child..., small children, they have got this faith on the father and the mother.
So we should take shelter of Kåñëa—mäm eva ye prapadyante. "Anyone who
takes shelter unto Me, he is out of this danger at once." At once. So why not do
this? Is it very difficult job? No. Then why the person do not take shelter? If it
is so easy thing, a certain child is going to surrender unto the care of his father,
it is so simple thing, why people do not do this? Why? Because people are, I
mean to say, challenging even the existence of God.
Now, the godless civilization: "Oh, nature is everything. Science is everything.
God is nothing." Their advancement of this material knowledge means they are
getting more and more mad. Their madness is increasing. Instead of being
cured, their disease is being increased. This is the material civilization. "Don't
care for God." All right, don't care. Then you care for this material nature. He
will give you... She will give you good kicks. She is engaged for kicking you
always, twenty-four hours, threefold miseries. Mind that. But we are so much, I
mean to say, what is called, accustomed to this kicking that we don't... We
think, "It is all right. You go on kicking. My dear material nature, thank you
very much for your kicking." You see?
So we have become so fools, and we are very much proud of our education. Can
you conquer material nature? Who has conquered? The material nature is
always inflicting upon us threefold of miseries. That's all right. Again the four

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things, janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi-duùkha-doñänudarçanam [Bg 13.9]:
[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a
bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control;
renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the
perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to
children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and
unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary
places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance
of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I
thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]
The birth, the miseries of birth; the miseries of death; the miseries of old age;
and miseries of diseases—can you solve? No. Then what advancement of
knowledge you have got? The death is there. The old age is there. The disease is
there. Then what advancement you have made? You are so much proud. This is
called mäyä. He is in the same stage, miserable stage, but he is thinking that "I
am advanced in knowledge. I am advanced in knowledge." This false pride. You
see?
So the simple thing is that father has to surrender..., er, the son has to
surrender to the father. Simple thing. And the father, what kind of father? He
is not ordinary father. He is Bhagavän. Bhagavän means possessing full power,
full strength, full wealth, full knowledge. He's not ordinary father. He is not
like material father, a poor father without any knowledge. But here is the
father who is full of knowledge, full of opulence, and we have to surrender to
such father. Don't you think yourself to be lucky to go to such a father and
enjoy His property? Why you are so fools?
This foolishness, why they are so much fools, that is described in the next
verse:

na mäà duñkåtino müòhäù

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 prapadyante narädhamäù
mäyayäpahåta-jïänä
äsuraà bhävam äçritäù
[Bg 7.15]

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose
knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of
demons, do not surrender unto Me.]
These are the good qualifications of the fools. What is that? Duñkåtina.
Duñkåtina means always doing against the scriptural or religious injunction.
Always, continuously. Our business is now to break the rules of scriptures.
That's all. That has become our business, duñkåtina, always. Duñkåtina, sukåtina,
means a pious worker and impious worker. Just a man, lawful; and law..., outlaw.
Who is outlaw, and who is lawful? One who obeys the state laws, he is called
lawful citizen. And one who does not obey the state laws, he is put into the
prison house, he is called outlaws.
So these duñkåtina and sukåtina, who is pious and who is impious, there must be
some standard rules. The pious is he who follows the scriptural injunction, and
impious is he who does not follow. Every civilized nation, every civilized man
has got his scripture. May he be a Christian, may be a Hindu, may be a
Muhammadan or may be a Buddhist—it doesn't matter. But everyone has got
his authority, book of authority, scripture. So one who does not follow the
scriptural injunction, he is outlaw. He is punishable. Duñkåtina.
And müòha. Müòha means fool number one. These people do not go to God.
These qualified peoples—duñkåtina, means impious; müòha, fool number one;
and narädhama, and lowest of the humankind, lowest of the humankind; and
mäyayäpahåta-jïäna, and bewildered of his knowledge; and äsuraà bhävam
äçritaù, and atheistic mentality. These people. One who has developed...
Now, the simple thing is to surrender unto the father. Anyone can do it. There

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is no difficulty, there is no insult, and it is all prospective. Everything is good.
But still, people do not do it. Why? These are the qualifications. What are the
qualification? That he is impious, he is fool number one, he is lowest of the
mankind, his knowledge has been plundered by illusion and he is atheistic.
Anyone who is qualified all by these qualifications, he cannot surrender to his
father. He is still to be punished by the agent of father, the material nature. He
is still to be slapped and caned very good and kicked. He has to suffer.
Just like the father chastises the unruly boy, so the father, Kåñëa, or God, has
employed this material nature, nurse. She is nursing also. She is giving us very
nice foodstuff, at the same time giving good slap. Both things are going on.
Because we are all rich man's son. We are not poor man's son, poor man's son.
No. So we are getting all supply of food. That is all right. God is kind. Even we
are rebelled, even we do not surrender unto Him, still, He is so kind, He is
sending us grains, He is sending us fruits, so many things. And duñkåtina,
instead of so many things for foodstuff, he is still doing impious acts for his
eating, which is not sanctioned. So these things are going on.
So these kinds of people who are fool number one, impious, lowest of the
mankind, and whose knowledge has been exploited by this illusory energy and
who is atheistic, these people, they do not go to God. Now why müòha? Müòha
means fool number one. Just like I explained that he is being kicked in every
step; still, he is thinking that "Oh, I am very intelligent." This is a sign of fool
number one. And narädhama. Why narädhama, lowest of the mankind? Oh,
because this human form of life is meant for recognizing our relationship with
Kåñëa, or God. This is an opportunity. In the life of cat and dog, oh, they
cannot come here to understand what is spoken in the Bhagavad-gétä. Even
they come, they cannot understand. First of all they will not come. But human
being, it is made for human being.
So if human being does not take advantage of this knowledge, any knowledge
that will help him to revoke his forgotten relationship with the supreme
father... That is called knowledge. So here is the book, the Supreme Personality
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of Godhead is personally speaking. So if we do not take advantage of this
knowledge, simply like cats and dogs we eat, sleep, and have sexual intercourse
with the opposite sex, and die without taking advantage of the higher
consciousness, developed consciousness, which have been given to us by the
grace of Lord through the material energy... We have got intelligence, but if we
misuse this intelligence, do not take advantage, then are we not the lowest of
the mankind?
So lowest of the mankind. Who does not take full advantage of this human
form of life, he's the lowest of mankind. He should not have given this form of
human life and developed consciousness, because he is misusing it. But Lord is
so kind, gives us chance. Gives us chance. The material nature, although it is
very powerful and it is punishing, but here is a chance by the will of God: "All
right, let these living entities, who are suffering under different covers of this
material body in 8,400,000 species of life, now here he has got a chance, the
human form of life, after many evolutionary process, many, many thousands
and millions. Here is a chance." If you do not understand that "Here is a chance
to get me free out of this entanglement," if you don't take this chance, are you
not the lowest of the mankind?
So the lowest of the mankind, the fool, the impious. Now, you can say, "Oh,
they are all degree holders at the university, M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C., and you are
calling him the fool?" Yes, still. "Why?" Mäyayäpahåta-jïänaù: by the illusory
energy of the Lord, all their knowledge has been taken away. Why? Now,
because the knowledge is meant for to understand what is, "What I am? What
is this nature? What is God? Why I am suffering? Is there any remedy?" These
are knowledge. And the more knowledge to manufacture a motorcar, to
manufacture a radio, or television, and something for sense enjoyment, this is
not knowledge. This is the plundered knowledge.
The knowledge was given to understand the problems of life, but it is being
misused in manufacturing something which will satisfy my senses. That's all.
That is not knowledge. They are thinking that this is knowledge. What is their
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knowledge? Do you think when there was no motorcar people could not go
from one place to another? All right, some facility. That's all. But that is also
becoming a problem. When everyone will have a motorcar, there will be no
place to drive motorcar. You see?
So this is the mäyä. This is called mäyä. You are creating facilities, but it is
being created for your future nonfacilities. You have got experience. When
there was strike in your New York City, so for crossing one mile, one had to
spend four hours. But if you could go on foot, within ten minutes you could
cross that space. So these are the facilities. We are thinking that we are
enjoying facilities, but actually they are not facilities.
So instead of wasting our energy for so-called facility, we should apply our
energy: "What I am? Why I am suffering? I do not like to suffer. Why suffering
is imposed upon me?" This is called knowledge. But by the illusory energy of
mäyä, the so-called knowledge, our real knowledge has been taken away, and
some foolish knowledge has been imposed upon us that we are thinking, "Oh,
we are advancing. Advancement of knowledge."
By advancement of knowledge, we have manufactured atom bomb so that
killing process can be accelerated. People are dying, and that dying process is
accelerated, and we are proud. "Advancement of knowledge." Oh, manufacture
something which will stop death; then you have advancement of knowledge.
Killing is there. What advancement? Killing is there, and you are faciliting,
you are making more killing at one drop. This is not knowledge. This is called
mäyayäpahåta-jïäna, "the knowledge taken by the illusory energy."
Mäyayäpahåta-jïänä äsuraà bhävam äçritäù: and atheistic, atheistic,
challenging against the supreme authority, challenging the father. Now,
without father, I could not see the light of this world. Then what is the use of
challenging my father, janmädy asya yataù [SB 1.1.1], who is the supreme father,
from whom everything has born? So how, what is this challenge? The äsuraà
bhävam.

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There are two classes of men. In the Vedic scriptures we find there are two
classes of men. Dvau bhüta-sargau loke 'smin daiva äsura eva ca [Bg 16.6]. Daiva.
[O son of Påthä, in this world there are two kinds of created beings. One is
called the divine and the other demonic. I have already explained to you at
length the divine qualities. Now hear from Me of the demoniac.]
Viñëu-bhakto bhaved daiva äsuras tad-viparyayaù. There are two kinds of men.
One is called the gods, demigods, and other is called the demons. And who is
demon and who is god? Viñëu-bhakto bhaved daivaù. One who is devotee of the
Supreme Lord, he is called demigod. He is also becomes god. And one who
defies the authority of the Supreme Lord, he is called demon. So this demon
and the gods are always there. Some are... But number of gods are very small,
but there are.
So here, äsuraà bhävam äçritaù, one who has acquired that demoniac qualities,
challenging the authority of the Supreme Lord, they are asura, asura. Asura
means demons. But of the demons, and the fools, and the lowest of the
mankind, and whose knowledge has been plundered by the illusory energy, and
who is impious, oh, they cannot go to God. It is impossible. They are not
allowed. But they can be, provided they agree. God is always kind to accept
anybody, but these people, they cannot have, due to their... They will have to
suffer these threefold miseries for many more days. Then when they come to
the senses, then they can come.
So against these four classes of men, there are another four classes of men, who
take to the shelter of God, beginning. Beginning. And what they are?

catur-vidhä bhajante mäà

janäù sukåtino 'rjuna
ärto jijïäsur arthärthé
jïäné ca bharatarñabha
[Bg 7.16]

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 [O best among the Bhäratas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render
devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the
inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.]
Lord Kåñëa says that "Four kinds of men who are pious, they come to Me." And
who are they? Ärta. Ärta plus pious. Ärta means distressed, at the same time
pious. A man distressed does not mean that he is impious. He may be pious. A
pious man, he may be in distress, because this material world is full of distress.
So it is meant for pious or impious, both. Just like when there is winter, winter
season, everyone suffers. It does not care for the pious, impious, or rich or poor.
Similarly, this place is full of miseries. Though the pious, he thinks of God in
his miserable condition, but the impious, he cannot think. Just like if somebody
is distressed and he goes to the church and prays, "My Lord, I am distressed.
Please help me," oh, he is good man. He is good man. Although he is praying for
some necessities, but still, he is good man than the man who does not go at all
to the church, because he does not believe. So here is a faith, faith in God,
therefore he is accepted. Ärto arthärthé. Arthärthé, a poor man. He goes to the
church and temple and prays to the God, "My dear Lord, I am very poor man.
Give me some money so that I may be happy." Oh, he is good man. He is good
man.
So now these two class, and another class, jijïäsu. Jijïäsu means inquisitive.
Just like an intelligent boy is very much inquisitive to understand. He asks
always his parent, "Oh, mummy, what is this? What is this? What is this?" So
mother explains. Similarly, one who is intelligent... These boys, these children
who enquire, they are very intelligent boys. They will come out very intelligent
in future. These are the signs of intelligence, the enquiring boy.
So similarly, there are persons who are very inquisitive. They are studying. Just
like the scientist, they are making research. Similarly, when one makes
research what is God, what is God... Now, scientifically, with great intellect,
one tries to understand what is God, oh, he is also good. He is also good. He is

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making proper research. Yes. Then the distressed and the person in want and
the inquisitive and jïäné. Jïäné means who has understood his spiritual
constitutional position. He is called jïäné, man in knowledge. He also enquires;
he also becomes; he also goes to God. Maybe personal, impersonal conception,
but he is trying to take shelter of the ultimate truth, Absolute Truth.
So these four classes of men, they are called sukåtina, they are called pious,
because they are after God. And those four classes of men, they are impious,
they are fools, they are lowest of the mankind, and their knowledge is
plundered and they are demons—they cannot take shelter. So these two classes
of distinction are always there. Not only now; from time immemorial, so long
the history of this creation is there, material world, there have been so many
atheists and so many... But in the ancient days their number were very small.
Now they have increased. So these two classes of men are always there.
So it is better that we should..., even we have been in a different way... This
Kåñëa consciousness is open for everyone, and we can take advantage of it, and
that is...
[aside:] Will you read that prospectus?
Hayagréva: [indistinct]
Prabhupäda: Where is that prospectus? Yes. [break] [end]

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