SB5.5Summary

TEXT 1

ṛṣabha uvāca

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke

kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye

tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ

śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam

SYNONYMS

ṛṣabhaḥ uvāca—Lord Ṛṣabhadeva said; na—not; ayam—this; dehaḥ—body; deha-bhājām—of all living entities who have accepted material bodies; nṛ-loke—in this world; kaṣṭān—troublesome; kāmān—sense gratification; arhate—deserves; viṭ-bhujām—of stool-eaters; ye—which; tapaḥ—austerities and penances; divyam—divine; putrakāḥ—My dear sons; yena—by which; sattvam—the heart; śuddhyet—becomes purified; yasmāt—from which; brahma-saukhyam—spiritual happiness; tu—certainly; anantam—unending.

TRANSLATION

Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one’s heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.

PURPORT

In this verse Lord Ṛṣabhadeva tells His sons about the importance of human life. The word deha-bhāk refers to anyone who accepts a material body, but the living entity who is awarded the human form must act differently from animals. Animals like dogs and hogs enjoy sense gratification by eating stool. After undergoing severe hardships all day, human beings are trying to enjoy themselves at night by eating, drinking, having sex and sleeping. At the same time, they have to properly defend themselves. However, this is not human civilization. Human life means voluntarily practicing suffering for the advancement of spiritual life. There is, of course, suffering in the lives of animals and plants, which are suffering due to their past misdeeds. However, human beings should voluntarily accept suffering in the form of austerities and penances in order to attain the divine life. After attaining the divine life, one can enjoy happiness eternally. After all, every living entity is trying to enjoy happiness, but as long as one is encaged in the material body, he has to suffer different kinds of misery. A higher sense is present in the human form. We should act according to superior advice in order to attain eternal happiness and go back to Godhead.

TEXT 2

mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes

tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam

mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā

vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye

SYNONYMS

mahat-sevām—service to the spiritually advanced persons called mahātmās; dvāram—the way; āhuḥ—they say; vimukteḥ—of liberation; tamaḥ-dvāram—the way to the dungeon of a dark, hellish condition of life; yoṣitām—of women; saṅgi—of associates; saṅgam—association; mahāntaḥ—highly advanced in spiritual understanding; te—they; sama-cittāḥ—persons who see everyone in a spiritual identity; praśāntāḥ—very peaceful, situated in Brahman or Bhagavān; vimanyavaḥ—without anger (one must distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness to persons who are hostile without becoming angry at them); suhṛdaḥ—well-wishers of everyone; sādhavaḥ—qualified devotees, without abominable behavior; ye—they who.

TRANSLATION

One can attain the path of liberation from material bondage only by rendering service to highly advanced spiritual personalities. These personalities are impersonalists and devotees. Whether one wants to merge into the Lord’s existence or wants to associate with the Personality of Godhead, one should render service to the mahātmās. For those who are not interested in such activities, who associate with people fond of women and sex, the path to hell is wide open. The mahātmās are equipoised. They do not see any difference between one living entity and another. They are very peaceful and are fully engaged in devotional service. They are devoid of anger, and they work for the benefit of everyone. They do not behave in any abominable way. Such people are known as mahātmās.

PURPORT

TEXT 3

ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā

janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu

gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu

na prīti-yuktā yāvad-arthāś ca loke

SYNONYMS

ye—those who; vā—or; mayi—unto Me; īśe—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṛta-sauhṛda-arthāḥ—very eager to develop love (in a relationship of dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya or mādhurya); janeṣu—to people; dehambhara-vārtikeṣu—who are interested only in maintaining the body, not in spiritual salvation; gṛheṣu—to the home; jāyā—wife; ātma-ja—children; rāti—wealth or friends; matsu—consisting of; na—not; prīti-yuktāḥ—very attached; yāvat-arthāḥ—who live by collecting only as much as required; ca—and; loke—in the material world.

TRANSLATION

Those who are interested in reviving Kṛṣṇa consciousness and increasing their love of Godhead do not like to do anything that is not related to Kṛṣṇa. They are not interested in mingling with people who are busy maintaining their bodies, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are not attached to their homes, although they may be householders. Nor are they attached to wives, children, friends or wealth. At the same time, they are not indifferent to the execution of their duties. Such people are interested in collecting only enough money to keep the body and soul together.

PURPORT

TEXT 4

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma

yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti

na sādhu manye yata ātmano ’yam

asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

SYNONYMS

nūnam—indeed; pramattaḥ—mad; kurute—performs; vikarma—sinful activities forbidden in the scriptures; yat—when; indriya-prītaye—for sense gratification; āpṛṇoti—engages; na—not; sādhu—befitting; manye—I think; yataḥ—by which; ātmanaḥ—of the soul; ayam—this; asan—being temporary; api—although; kleśa-daḥ—giving misery; āsa—became possible; dehaḥ—the body.

TRANSLATION

When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken on a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore I think it not befitting an intelligent man to involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another.

PURPORT

TEXT 5

parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto

yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam

yāvat kriyās tāvad idaṁ mano vai

karmātmakaṁ yena śarīra-bandhaḥ

SYNONYMS

parābhavaḥ—defeat, misery; tāvat—so long; abodha-jātaḥ—produced from ignorance; yāvat—as long as; na—not; jijñāsate—inquires about; ātma-tattvam—the truth of the self; yāvat—as long as; kriyāḥ—fruitive activities; tāvat—so long; idam—this; manaḥ—mind; vai—indeed; karma-ātmakam—absorbed in material activities; yena—by which; śarīra-bandhaḥ—bondage in this material body.

TRANSLATION

As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of life, one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from ignorance. Be it sinful or pious, karma has its resultant actions. If a person is engaged in any kind of karma, his mind is called karmātmaka, colored with fruitive activity. As long as the mind is impure, consciousness is unclear, and as long as one is absorbed in fruitive activity, he has to accept a material body.

PURPORT

TEXT 6

evaṁ manaḥ karma-vaśaṁ prayuṅkte

avidyayātmany upadhīyamāne

prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve

na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat

SYNONYMS

evam—thus; manaḥ—the mind; karma-vaśam—subjugated by fruitive activities; prayuṅkte—acts; avidyayā—by ignorance; ātmani—when the living entity; upadhīyamāne—is covered; prītiḥ—love; na—not; yāvat—as long as; mayi—unto Me; vāsudeve—Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa; na—not; mucyate—is delivered; deha-yogena—from contact with the material body; tāvat—so long.

TRANSLATION

When the living entity is covered by the mode of ignorance, he does not understand the individual living being and the supreme living being, and his mind is subjugated to fruitive activity. Therefore, until one has love for Lord Vāsudeva, who is none other than Myself, he is certainly not delivered from having to accept a material body again and again.

PURPORT

TEXT 7

yadā na paśyaty ayathā guṇehāṁ

svārthe pramattaḥ sahasā vipaścit

gata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpān

āsādya maithunyam agāram ajñaḥ

SYNONYMS

yadā—when; na—not; paśyati—sees; ayathā—unnecessary; guṇa-īhām—endeavor to satisfy the senses; sva-arthe—in self-interest; pramattaḥ—mad; sahasā—very soon; vipaścit—even one advanced in knowledge; gata-smṛtiḥ—being forgetful; vindati—gets; tatra—there; tāpān—material miseries; āsādya—getting; maithunyam—based on sexual intercourse; agāram—a home; ajñaḥ—being foolish.

TRANSLATION

Even though one may be very learned and wise, he is mad if he does not understand that the endeavor for sense gratification is a useless waste of time. Being forgetful of his own interest, he tries to be happy in the material world, centering his interests around his home, which is based on sexual intercourse and which brings him all kinds of material miseries. In this way one is no better than a foolish animal.

PURPORT

TEXT 8

puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ

tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ

ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair

janasya moho ’yam ahaṁ mameti

SYNONYMS

puṁsaḥ—of a male; striyāḥ—of a female; mithunī-bhāvam—attraction for sexual life; etam—this; tayoḥ—of both of them; mithaḥ—between one another; hṛdaya-granthim—the knot of the hearts; āhuḥ—they call; ataḥ—thereafter; gṛha—by home; kṣetra—field; suta—children; āpta—relatives; vittaiḥ—and by wealth; janasya—of the living being; mohaḥ—illusion; ayam—this; aham—I; mama—mine; iti—thus.

TRANSLATION

The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life’s illusions and thinks in terms of “I and mine.”

PURPORT

Sex serves as the natural attraction between man and woman, and when they are married, their relationship becomes more involved. Due to the entangling relationship between man and woman, there is a sense of illusion whereby one thinks, “This man is my husband,” or “This woman is my wife.” This is called hṛdaya-granthi, “the hard knot in the heart.” This knot is very difficult to undo, even though a man and woman separate either for the principles of varṇāśrama or simply to get a divorce. In any case, the man always thinks of the woman, and the woman always thinks of the man. Thus a person becomes materially attached to family, property and children, although all of these are temporary. The possessor unfortunately identifies with his property and wealth. Sometimes, even after renunciation, one becomes attached to a temple or to the few things that constitute the property of a sannyāsī, but such attachment is not as strong as family attachment. The attachment to the family is the strongest illusion. In the Satya-saṁhitā, it is stated:

brahmādyā yājñavalkādyā
mucyante strī-sahāyinaḥ
bodhyante kecanaiteṣāṁ
viśeṣam ca vido viduḥ

TEXT 9

yadā mano-hṛdaya-granthir asya

karmānubaddho dṛḍha āślatheta

tadā janaḥ samparivartate ’smād

muktaḥ paraṁ yāty atihāya hetum

SYNONYMS

yadā—when; manaḥ—the mind; hṛdaya-granthiḥ—the knot in the heart; asya—of this person; karma-anubaddhaḥ—bound by the results of his past deeds; dṛḍhaḥ—very strong; āślatheta—becomes slackened; tadā—at that time; janaḥ—the conditioned soul; samparivartate—turns away; asmāt—from this attachment for sex life; muktaḥ—liberated; param—to the transcendental world; yāti—goes; atihāya—giving up; hetum—the original cause.

TRANSLATION

When the strong knot in the heart of a person implicated in material life due to the results of past action is slackened, one turns away from his attachment to home, wife and children. In this way, one gives up the basic principle of illusion [I and mine] and becomes liberated. Thus one goes to the transcendental world.

PURPORT

TEXTS 10–13

haṁse gurau mayi bhaktyānuvṛtyā

vitṛṣṇayā dvandva-titikṣayā ca

sarvatra jantor vyasanāvagatyā

jijñāsayā tapasehā-nivṛttyā

mat-karmabhir mat-kathayā ca nityaṁ

mad-deva-saṅgād guṇa-kīrtanān me

nirvaira-sāmyopaśamena putrā

jihāsayā deha-gehātma-buddheḥ

adhyātma-yogena vivikta-sevayā

prāṇendriyātmābhijayena sadhryak

sac-chraddhayā brahmacaryeṇa śaśvad

asampramādena yamena vācām

sarvatra mad-bhāva-vicakṣaṇena

jñānena vijñāna-virājitena

yogena dhṛty-udyama-sattva-yukto

liṅgaṁ vyapohet kuśalo ’ham-ākhyam

SYNONYMS

haṁse—who is a paramahaṁsa, or the most exalted. spiritually advanced person; gurau—to the spiritual master; mayi—unto Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhaktyā—by devotional service; anuvṛtyā—by following; vitṛṣṇayā—by detachment from sense gratification; dvandva—of the dualities of the material world; titikṣayā—by tolerance; ca—also; sarvatra—everywhere; jantoḥ—of the living entity; vyasana—the miserable condition of life; avagatyā—by realizing; jijñāsayā—by inquiring about the truth; tapasā—by practicing austerities and penances; īhā-nivṛttyā—by giving up the endeavor for sense enjoyment; mat-karmabhiḥ—by working for Me; mat-kathayā—by hearing topics about Me; ca—also; nityam—always; mat-deva-saṅgāt—by association with My devotees; guṇa-kīrtanāt me—by chanting and glorifying My transcendental qualities; nirvaira—being without enmity; sāmya—seeing everyone equally by spiritual understanding; upaśamena—by subduing anger, lamentation and so on; putrāḥ—O sons; jihāsayā—by desiring to give up; deha—with the body; geha—with the home; ātma-buddheḥ—identification of the self; adhyātma-yogena—by study of the revealed scriptures; vivikta-sevayā—by living in a solitary place; prāṇa—the life air; indriya—the senses; ātma—the mind; abhijayena—by controlling; sadhryak—completely; sat-śraddhayā—by developing faith in the scriptures; brahmacaryeṇa—by observing celibacy; śaśvat—always; asampramādena—by not being bewildered; yamena—by restraint; vācām—of words; sarvatra—everywhere; mat-bhāva—thinking of Me; vicakṣaṇena—by observing; jñānena—by development of knowledge; vijñāna—by practical application of knowledge; virājitena—illumined; yogena—by practice of bhakti-yoga; dhṛti—patience; udyama—enthusiasm; sattva—discretion; yuktaḥ—endowed with; liṅgam—the cause of material bondage; vyapohet—one can give up; kuśalaḥ—in full auspiciousness; aham-ākhyam—false ego, false identification with the material world.

TRANSLATION

O My sons, you should accept a highly elevated paramahaṁsa, a spiritually advanced spiritual master. In this way, you should place your faith and love in Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You should detest sense gratification and tolerate the duality of pleasure and pain, which are like the seasonal changes of summer and winter. Try to realize the miserable condition of living entities, who are miserable even in the higher planetary systems. Philosophically inquire about the truth. Then undergo all kinds of austerities and penances for the sake of devotional service. Give up the endeavor for sense enjoyment and engage in the service of the Lord. Listen to discussions about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and always associate with devotees. Chant about and glorify the Supreme Lord, and look upon everyone equally on the spiritual platform. Give up enmity and subdue anger and lamentation. Abandon identifying the self with the body and the home, and practice reading the revealed scriptures. Live in a secluded place and practice the process by which you can completely control your life air, mind and senses. Have full faith in the revealed scriptures, the Vedic literatures, and always observe celibacy. Perform your prescribed duties and avoid unnecessary talks. Always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acquire knowledge from the right source. Thus practicing bhakti-yoga, you will patiently and enthusiastically be elevated in knowledge and will be able to give up the false ego.

PURPORT

In these four verses, Ṛṣabhadeva tells His sons how they can be freed from the false identification arising from false ego and material conditional life. One gradually becomes liberated by practicing as mentioned above. All these prescribed methods enable one to give up the material body (liṅgaṁ vyapohet) and be situated in his original spiritual body. First of all one has to accept a bona fide spiritual master. This is advocated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: śrī-guru-pādāśrayaḥ. To be freed from the entanglement of the material world, one has to approach a spiritual master. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. By questioning the spiritual master and by serving him, one can advance in spiritual life. When one engages in devotional service, naturally the attraction for personal comfort—for eating, sleeping and dressing—is reduced. By associating with the devotee, a spiritual standard is maintained. The word mad-deva-saṅgāt is very important. There are many so-called religions devoted to the worship of various demigods, but here good association means association with one who simply accepts Kṛṣṇa as his worshipable Deity.

Another important item is dvandva-titikṣā. As long as one is situated in the material world, there must be pleasure and pain arising from the material body. As Kṛṣṇa advises in Bhagavad-gītā, tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. One has to learn how to tolerate the temporary pains and pleasures of this material world. One must also be detached from his family and practice celibacy. Sex with one’s wife according to the scriptural injunctions is also accepted as brahmacarya (celibacy), but illicit sex is opposed to religious principles, and it hampers advancement in spiritual consciousness. Another important word is vijñāna-virājita. Everything should be done very scientifically and consciously. One should be a realized soul. In this way, one can give up the entanglement of material bondage.

As Śrī Madhvācārya points out, the sum and substance of these four ślokas is that one should refrain from acting out of a desire for sense gratification and should instead always engage in the Lord’s loving service. In other words, bhakti-yoga is the acknowledged path of liberation. Śrīla Madhvācārya quotes from the Adhyātma:

ātmano ’vihitaṁ karma
varjayitvānya-karmaṇaḥ
kāmasya ca parityāgo
nirīhety āhur uttamāḥ

One should perform activities only for the benefit of the soul; any other activity should be given up. When a person is situated in this way, he is said to be desireless. Actually a living entity cannot be totally desireless, but when he desires the benefit of the soul and nothing else, he is said to be desireless.

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