Canto
7
Chapter 15: Nârada's Instructions on Sharing, Irreligion, Yoga and Advaita
(1) S'rî Nârada said: 'Some of the twiceborn are devoted to fruitive labor and some are decided about austerities, o ruler of man, some are of vedic study while others exercise rhetoric, and some also do unify [the consciousness] in spiritual knowledge [in bhakti- and jñâna-yoga]. (2) A person desiring liberation should donate the results of his sacrifices to the ones devoted to spiritual knowing and should also, apart from that what is offered to the God-conscious, donate to others, be it with discrimination. (3) Offering to the demigods should two of them be fed, offering to the forefathers should three of them be fed, or one should at least in both cases feed one of them; however rich one might be, one should with one's offerings not arrange too lavishly. (4) Concerning a suitable place and time, the belief, the person worshiped and the method used, will with one's sacrificing in belief [with the s'râddha ceremony] not everything be as perfect as it should if one has invited a large group of guests. (5) To the right place and time should, as far as available, the food for the saintly with love and devotion be offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead according the regulative principles and words of the preceptor; what one this way offers to the one who is worshiped will become an everlasting source of prosperity. (6) Offering food to the godly, the saints, the forefathers, the living beings in general, the relatives and one's own family members, should one see them all as being part of the Original Personality of God. (7) Someone who knows the dharmic principles should never offer meat [nor fish and eggs] in the ceremonies of belief, nor should he apart from that be a meat eater; with the ones who are worshiped achieves one the greatest satisfaction with the [vegetarian] food of the sages and not so much with food that is offered with needless violence against animals. (8) For persons desiring true righteousness is there no religion higher than this: to forsake in one's mind, words and actions all violence against other living beings.
(9) Persons free from material desires who very well know about the purpose of sacrifices, are enlightened in jñâna of sacrifice by staying fixed on the true self [in samyama]; they, advanced in spiritual knowledge, know that some sacrifices, [animal sacrifices] have karmic consequences. (10) The animals seeing the offerer engaged in his material ado become afraid thinking: 'This person not being so nice to us will, not really knowing how or what, certainly quickly want to achieve a result by putting us to death!' (11) Therefore should indeed the one who is really of the dharma [see also B.G. 18: 66], day after day, in the greatest happiness, perform his regular and occasional duties with the food that is given by God, the [vegetarian] food of the sages. (12) Vidharma, paradharma, upadharma, âbhâsa and chala-dharma are the five different forms of irreligion that by those who are faithful to the scripture are considered the adharma, the unrighteously being engaged, that is to be given up. (13) What obstructs the original purpose of one's own duty is vidharma, misconceived or strange to one's own is it paradharma, directions that are turned against one's purpose in life are upadharma and one speaks of chala when by an opponent the words of the scripture are twisted and covered with pretense. (14) That what by persons whimsically, as a dim reflection, is done in defiance of the purpose of one's own order of life [one's âs'rama] is âbhâsa; [to all of this one has to pose the question:] in what respect would that what to one's own nature as being the appropriate dharma is arranged not be capable of bringing peace? (15) So should someone who is not wealthy not try to acquire money; with the religion and economy should one not go beyond what is necessary to keep one's body and soul together. The desirelessness of someone free from that endeavoring is like that of the python [see 7.13: 11] which lives without special effort. (16) Where would he, who driven by lust and greed for the sake of riches wanders here, there and everywhere, find the happiness of the contented person who not endeavoring for his maintenance is happy from within? (17) For a mind always of peace is every path followed just as auspicious, just like it is with a person who with shoes on his feet has nothing to fear from pebbles and thorns. (18) Or, o King, why should a person of peace not live happily on even a bit of water, when he from troublesome dealings with his genitals and tongue becomes a man not better than a household dog? (19) For sure will of a discontented man of learning, because of his greed, gradually dwindle the strength of his senses, his education, austerity and fame and will his spiritual knowledge vanish. (20) For someone who is hungry and thirsty do the lusts come to an end, of anger vented there is a relief, but a person will not get over his greed when he enjoys it to conquer all the directions of the globe [see also B.G. 16: 21]. (21) O King, many scholars, many persons of varied experience, many an expert in legal advice, or many a candidate for the office even, has landed in hell simply from lacking in contentment.
(22) With determination lust should be overcome, anger by means of forsaking the object of desire, to greed one must consider the accumulation of wealth which gives the trouble, and fear is overcome by contemplation of the truth. (23) Deliberation on spiritual matters is the cure for lamentation and illusion, false pride is cured by service to a great soul, silence overcomes the obstacles on the path of yoga and no longer hankering after one's sense gratification remedies hostility [see also B.G. 4: 10]. (24) Have pity with the sufferings inflicted by other living entities and by nature, in systematic yoga meditation give up what you suffer as a consequence of your own deeds and conquer sleep by exercising goodness. (25) By the mode of goodness can a person, in devotional service unto the spiritual master, easily conquer all this passion, ignorance and the goodness itself that one also should leave behind. (26) The guru who is the light on the path should directly be considered the Supreme Lord; he who considers him and all that belongs to the Veda as mortal and timebound, is like an elephant taking a dustbath. (27) This Supreme Lord who evidently is the original nature of the person, the Controller whose feet are sought by the masters of yoga, is by the common people taken for a normal human being! [see also B.G. 9: 11] (28) If all the activities and regulations the way they should be, to the end of the once and for all subjugating of the six of the senses and the mind, do not lead to a positively being unified in the consciousness, has one only wasted one's time and effort.
(29) Since the occupational duties in desiring an income do not serve the interest of yoga, are they at all times of little help and value, just as are the ritual vedic ceremonies of a person who is worldly entangled [compare B.G. 2: 42-44]. (30) He who is engaged in the conquering of his mind must be alone in a solitary place, without the dependence of an attached company [like a family] and as a renounced person live on the dole, eating frugally. (31) In a clean leveled place, o King, must he arrange for a seat and steady, comfortable and equipoised sit down, keeping his body straight and thus do the Pranava [see 1.2: 11 and B.G. 8: 11-14 and 6: 11-12]. (32-33) He should arrest the in- and outgoing air holding his exhaling and inhaling and for that time give up all desires in his mind while staring at the tip of his nose. With the mind that wanders here and there withdrawn from whatever is the lust defeated and should a learned yogi step by step from within his heart put an end to the thinking. (34) Of fortitude will the consequent practitioner this way in due course of time quickly manage to be as pure as a fire without smoke. (35) Not drawn by the various desires is one calm and peaceful in all one's activities in a consciousness that is situated in the happiness of the transcendental platform from which one factually can never separate oneself [see also B.G. 5: 17].
(36) When someone who first left his home behind to wander around then again returns to the field of the threefold practice of the materially oriented [economic, religious and sense-oriented] activities in which he was formerly engaged, can such a shameless mendicant be compared to someone who eats his own vomit [a vântâs'î]. (37) Those who consider their body as something separate from the soul, as something mortal meant for stool, worms and ashes, and then again glorify that body and identify with it, are indeed the dullest of the great lie. (38-39) For householders to forsake their duties, for celibates to give up on vows, for withdrawn ones to submit as a servant of the commoner, for renunciates to hanker after the senses - for all these âs'ramas is it most abominable indeed to behave like this in cheating the spiritual order; those, bewildered by the external energy of God, one should doubt and pity. (40) Once one understood what the soul entails, once one from the beyond has cleansed one's consciousness with spiritual knowledge, how can one then hanker for comfort, why would one then stay a slave to the demands of the body? (41) One says that the body is the chariot, that the senses are the horses, that the mind - the master of the senses - is there as the reins, that the sense-objects form the paths followed, that reason constitutes the charioteer and that character is the great bond created by the Lord. (42) The spokes of the wheel [see also 7.9: 21] are the ten airs in the body [called prâna, apâna, samâna, vyâna, udâna, nâga, kûrma, krikala, devadatta and dhanañjaya], the inside and outside of the wheels are religion and irreligion, the one driven is the individual soul who is falsely identified, the Pranava is the bow and the living entity the arrow, but the target is for sure the Supreme. (43-44) Attachment and aversion, greed and lamentation, illusion, fear, madness, false prestige, insult, fault-finding and deception, violence and jealousy, unrest, bewilderment, hunger and sleep are one's enemies indeed; these and more are sometimes the consequence of passion and ignorance and sometimes they sprout from the mode of goodness. (45) As long as one has this human form, which as a chariot with all its subordinate parts depends on one's control, must one in service of the lotus feet of the most venerable ones hold on to the, by the strength of the Infallible One, sharpened sword of knowledge until the enemy is defeated, so that satisfied of one's transcendental bliss this body can be given up for the sake of the pure, uncontaminated being. (46) Not doing so being inattentive and of the untrue, will the senses that act as the horses lead the charioteer on the road of desire. There falls he into the hands of the plunderers, the sense objects [who rule with vishaya, eating, sleeping and mating] and will the driver because of them, together with the horses and all, land in the dark, blind well of material existence and the great fear of death. (47) To be inclined towards or to cease from material enjoyment [pravritti and nivritti], are according the Vedas the two options of proceeding [4.4: 20], materially inclined is one aimless, but ceasing enjoys one the nectar of the eternal [see also B.G. 16: 7].
(48-49) Systematically being of violence [in sacrificing animals] with all kinds of fire sacrifices that require so many things, is something filled with desire which causes anxiety; the purpose of all the dars'a, pûrnamâsa, câturmâsya, pas'uh, soma and other ritualistic ceremonies one should consider an attachment. Even so are the oblation and sacrifice [huta, prahuta] as also the, for the benefit of the public, constructing of temples, resting houses and gardens and the digging of wells and providing of food and water, to be recognized as such symptoms. (50-51) Everything that one offers in the fire turns into the smoke belonging to the divinity of the dark half of the month, the sun going through the south and the moon that is new [compare B.G. 8: 25]; that way are there from the vegetation on the earth's surface, the foodgrains, are there the seeds thus, o ruler of the earth, that thus projected through the father [of Time] lead to the, one after the other, repeated succession of over and over being born to exist to the victory of matter [see also B.G. 9: 21]. (52) A twice-born one by enlightenment in real knowledge [by the path of ceasing] is by the purification processes of the beginning of life and the end of it at death, purified [he loses interest in material results] as he offers his actions into [the meditating on] his sensuality. (53) The senses then merged in the mind that is infected by words that move in waves of material preference, the words then delimited to the complete of its elements, the letters, those then restricted to the AUM of the Pranava vibrated and that ultimate vibration next given up to the point enclosed [the 'echo'], indeed then results in the fact that the life air is sacrificed in the Supreme of the Living entity [in brahman]. (54) The individual soul following the nature of the fire, the sun, the day, the end of the day, the bright half of the month, the full moon, the northern path and the Supreme of Brahmâ then reaches, moving in the natural connectedness of the gross destination with the subtle one, the transcendental state [turya] of intelligence. (55) On this path towards God, as one calls it, repeatedly been born again [see also B.G. 8: 16], does the one eager in self-realization heading for the peace indeed, not return, established as he is in the true self. (56) The one who this way is faithful to the forefathers and the gods will, on this path as recommended by the Vedas regularly studying the scriptures, even though being a material person, with an enlightened vision never be bewildered.
(57) He Himself is verily there in the beginning and in the end, of all living beings, existing always internally as well as externally, transcendental to the gross, as the knowledge and the known, as the expression and the expressed and as the darkness and the light. (58) Even though a mere reflection is rejected as being a real form, is it nevertheless accepted; likewise is also the substance of the purpose accepted although it is difficult to prove from speculating on one's sensual input. (59) In this world of the five elements is one of them nor the counterpart, the reflection, one appears to be, nor is one a combination or transformation of them; one should not believe that one as a soul would have an independent existence, nor that one would be one with the elements [see also B.G. 18: 66]. (60) The five elements as the cause of the bodily concept and the sense-objects can not exist without their subtle [counter]parts; the untrue is found in the fixed form of a body, which, just as that what is part of it [the sense-object], in the end turns out to be a temporary appearance. (61) It can be compared with what one has when one dreams: one is awake while one sleeps; [the sleeping as] a part of the reality cannot be seen apart from the complete [of de dream] without being mistaken. Even so can that what is scripturally prohibited [yama] not be seen apart from that what is prescribed [niyama]. (62) Considering the oneness in matter, the oneness in action and the oneness in thought, turns a soul of wisdom, from his selfrealization in life, away from the three of them as being three separate forms of sleep [compare 1.18: 26 and B.G. 6: 16]. (63) To the observation that, like with the substance of the threads of a cloth, the effect and cause [of this existence] are one because ultimately setting them apart constitutes the unreal, does one speak of the conception of oneness [bhâvâdvaita, see also B.G. 18: 16].(64) In all activities of the mind, the words and the body directly to be dedicated to the Supreme of the transcendental Absolute, o Yudhishthhira, is called oneness in activities [kriyâdvaita, compare B.G. 9.27]. (65) When the ultimate goal and interest of oneself, the wife and the children, the others or whatever living beings is one, is that oneness called oneness of interest [dravyâdvaita]. (66) A person should, by whatever would be allowed as for means, time and place, proceed according his prescribed duties, o King; someone operating by that process should, when everything is in order, not try any other way. (67) By this and by other ways expressed in the vedic literatures abiding by one's occupational duties, can any human being who renders devotional service according that notion, even staying at home reach the destination of Him, o King [see also B.G. 9: 32]. (68) It is as indeed the way all of you [Pândavas], o lord of kings, escaped from all the insurmountable danger; by serving the feet of your own Master [Krishna] managed you to perform the sacrifices successfully in defeating the strongest elephants [the burden of unrighteous kings].
(69) I myself a long, long time ago, in a former mahâkalpa [in another age of Brahmâ], existed as a denizen of heaven named Upabarhana and was very respected among the Gandharvas. (70) I had a beautiful body and was, most attractive, fragrant and decorated, captivating to the eye; proud like a madman in his own city was I, day by day under the influence of the natural attraction of women, very covetous. (71) Once there was a gathering of the godly and to the occasion of glorifying the Lord in song and dance, were by those who ruled over the universe [the Prajâpatis] all the Ghandarvas and Apsaras invited. (72) I too, expert in singing the glories of the divine life, went there surrounded by women and well known with my attitude cursed the divine rulers of the universe me with great force for my contempt: 'O you, in offense with the etiquette, become a s'ûdra as from now, bereft of the beauty!' (73) Because of that I took birth from a maidservant but despite of that obtained I, rendering service to spiritually outspoken people, at the same time a life as a son of Brahmâ [see also 1.5: 23-31]. (74) To you, an attached householder, I explained that process by which a grihastha can conquer sin and very easily obtain the position of the renounced. (75) You are of such a great fortune in the world that all saints that may purify come to visit you in your house because the Most Confidential One of the Supreme Brahman can be directly met there in the form of a normal person. (76) He, the One Brahman, sought by the great for the realization of liberation and the bliss of heaven, is the most dear well-wisher of all of you, your renown cousin [Lord Krishna], the, to as well the heart as the soul, most worshipable person and guru of instruction on the principles [the vidhi; see also 7.10: 48 & 49]. (77) His form, beyond the purview of Lord S'iva, Lord Brahmâ and the others [see also B.G. 7: 26], factually can be understood by meditation, by silence, by bhakti and by putting an end to all material association; may the One, this same personality, this master of the devotees so worshiped, be pleased with us.'
(78) S'rî S'uka said: 'The best of the Bhârata dynasty, in utter glee of hearing the descriptions of the devarishi, was caught in the ecstasy of love and worshiped him as well as Lord Krishna. (79) With the reverence he received from Lord Krishna and from Yudhishthhira, who as the son of Prithâ [see family tree] was utterly amazed about Krishna being the Parabrahman, the Supreme of the Spiritual, bade the muni them farewell and left. (80) Thus I have described to you how, from the separate dynasties of the daughters of Daksha, there were the gods, the demons and the human beings and such, as well as all the worlds with their moving and nonmoving living entities.'
Thus ends the seventh Canto of the S'rîmad Bhâgavatam named: 'The Science of God'.
Second edition, loaded August 9, 2007.
Source Texts:
Instructions for Civilized Human Beings
S'rî Nârada said: 'Some of the twiceborn are devoted to fruitive labor and some are decided about austerities, o ruler of man, some are of vedic study while others exercise rhetoric, and some also do unify [the consciousness] in spiritual knowledge [in bhakti and jñâna yoga].
Nârada Muni continued: My dear King, some brâhmanas are very much attached to fruitive activities, some are attached to austerities and penances, and still others study the Vedic literature, whereas some, although very few, cultivate knowledge and practice different yogas, especially bhakti-yoga. (Vedabase)
A person desiring liberation should donate the results of his sacrifices to the ones devoted to spiritual knowing and should also, apart from that what is offered to the God-conscious, donate to others, be it with discrimination.
A person desiring liberation for his forefathers or himself should give charity to a brahmana who adheres to impersonal monism [jñâna-nishthhâ]. In the absence of such an advanced brahmana, charity may be given to a brahmana addicted to fruitive activities [karma-kânda]. (Vedabase)
Offering to the demigods should two of them be fed, offering to the forefathers should three of them be fed, or one should at least in both cases feed one of them; however rich one might be, one should with one's offerings not arrange too lavishly.
During the period for offering oblations to the demigods, one should invite only two brâhmanas, and while offering oblations to the forefathers, one may invite three brâhmanas. Or, in either case, only one brahmana will suffice. Even though one is very opulent, he should not endeavor to invite more brâhmanas or make various expensive arrangements on those occasions. (Vedabase)
Concerning a suitable place and time, the belief, the person worshiped and the method used, will with one's sacrificing in belief [with the s'râddha ceremony] not everything be as perfect as it should if one has invited a large group of guests.
If one arranges to feed many brâhmanas or relatives during the s'râddha ceremony, there will be discrepancies in the time, place, respectability and ingredients, the person to be worshiped, and the method of offering worship. (Vedabase)
To the right place and time should, as far as available, the food for the saintly with love and devotion be offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead according the regulative principles and words of the preceptor; what one this way offers to the one who is worshiped will become an everlasting source of prosperity.
When one gets the opportunity of a suitable auspicious time and place, one should, with love, offer food prepared with ghee to the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and then offer the prasâda to a suitable person--a Vaishnava or brahmana. This will be the cause of everlasting prosperity. (Vedabase)
Offering food to the godly, the saints, the forefathers, the living beings in general, the relatives and one's own family members, should one see them all as being part of the Original Personality of God.
One should offer prasâda to the demigods, the saintly persons, one's forefathers, the people in general, one's family members, one's relatives and one's friends, seeing them all as devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)
Someone who knows the dharmic principles should never offer meat [nor fish and eggs] in the ceremonies of belief, nor should he apart from that be a meat eater; with the ones who are worshiped achieves one the greatest satisfaction with the [vegetarian] food of the sages and not so much with food that is offered with needless violence against animals.
A person fully aware of religious principles should never offer anything like meat, eggs or fish in the s'râddha ceremony, and even if one is a kshatriya, he himself should not eat such things. When suitable food prepared with ghee is offered to saintly persons, the function is pleasing to the forefathers and the Supreme Lord, who are never pleased when animals are killed in the name of sacrifice. (Vedabase)
For persons desiring true righteousness is there no religion higher than this: to forsake in one's mind, words and actions all violence against other living beings.
Persons who want to advance in superior religion are advised to give up all envy of other living entities, whether in relationship to the body, words or mind. There is no religion superior to this. (Vedabase)
Persons free from material desires who very well know about the purpose of sacrifices, are enlightened in jñâna of sacrifice by staying fixed on the true self [in samyama]; they, advanced in spiritual knowledge, know that some sacrifices, [animal sacrifices] have karmic consequences.
Because of an awakening of spiritual knowledge, those who are intelligent in regard to sacrifice, who are actually aware of religious principles and who are free from material desires, control the self in the fire of spiritual knowledge, or knowledge of the Absolute Truth. They may give up the process of ritualistic ceremonies. (Vedabase)
The animals seeing the offerer engaged in his material ado become afraid thinking: 'This person not being so nice to us will, not really knowing how or what, certainly quickly want to achieve a result by putting us to death!'
Upon seeing the person engaged in performing the sacrifice, animals meant to be sacrificed are extremely afraid, thinking, "This merciless performer of sacrifices, being ignorant of the purpose of sacrifice and being most satisfied by killing others, will surely kill us." (Vedabase)
Therefore should indeed the one who is really of the dharma [see also B.G. 18: 66], day after day, in the greatest happiness, perform his regular and occasional duties with the food that is given by God, the [vegetarian] food of the sages.
Therefore, day by day, one who is actually aware of religious principles and is not heinously envious of poor animals should happily perform daily sacrifices and those for certain occasions with whatever food is available easily by the grace of the Lord. (Vedabase)
Vidharma, paradharma, upadharma, âbhâsa and chala-dharma are the five different forms of irreligion that by those who are faithful to the scripture are considered the adharma, the unrighteously being engaged, that is to be given up.
There are five branches of irreligion, appropriately known as irreligion [vidharma], religious principles for which one is unfit [para-dharma], pretentious religion [âbhâsa], analogical religion [upadharma] and cheating religion [chala-dharma]. One who is aware of real religious life must abandon these five as irreligious. (Vedabase)
What obstructs the original purpose of one's own duty is vidharma, misconceived or strange to one's own is it paradharma, directions that are turned against one's purpose in life are upadharma and one speaks of chala when by an opponent the words of the scripture are twisted and covered with pretense.
Religious principles that obstruct one from following his own religion are called vidharma. Religious principles introduced by others are called para-dharma. A new type of religion created by one who is falsely proud and who opposes the principles of the Vedas is called upadharma. And interpretation by one's jugglery of words is called chala-dharma. (Vedabase)
That what by persons whimsically, as a dim reflection, is done in defiance of the purpose of one's own order of life [one's âs'rama] is âbhâsa; [to all of this one has to pose the question:] in what respect would that what to one's own nature as being the appropriate dharma is arranged not be capable of bringing peace?
A pretentious religious system manufactured by one who willfully neglects the prescribed duties of his order of life is called âbhâsa [a dim reflection or false similarity]. But if one performs the prescribed duties for his particular âs'rama or varna, why are they not sufficient to mitigate all material distresses? (Vedabase)
So should someone who is not wealthy not try to acquire money; with the religion and economy should one not go beyond what is necessary to keep one's body and soul together. The desirelessness of someone free from that endeavoring is like that of the python [see 7.13: 11] which lives without special effort.
Even if a man is poor, he should not endeavor to improve his economic condition just to maintain his body and soul together or to become a famous religionist. Just as a great python, although lying in one place, not endeavoring for its livelihood, gets the food it needs to maintain body and soul, one who is desireless also obtains his livelihood without endeavor. (Vedabase)
Text 16
Where would he, who driven by lust and greed for the sake of riches wanders here, there and everywhere, find the happiness of the contented person who not endeavoring for his maintenance is happy from within?
One who is content and satisfied and who links his activities with the Supreme Personality of Godhead residing in everyone's heart enjoys transcendental happiness without endeavoring for his livelihood. Where is such happiness for a materialistic man who is impelled by lust and greed and who therefore wanders in all directions with a desire to accumulate wealth? (Vedabase)
For a mind always of peace is every path followed just as auspicious, just like it is with a person who with shoes on his feet has nothing to fear from pebbles and thorns.
For a person who has suitable shoes on his feet, there is no danger even when he walks on pebbles and thorns. For him, everything is auspicious. Similarly, for one who is always self-satisfied there is no distress; indeed, he feels happiness everywhere. (Vedabase)
Or, o King, why should a person of peace not live happily on even a bit of water, when he from troublesome dealings with his genitals and tongue becomes a man not better than a household dog?
My dear King, a self-satisfied person can be happy even with only drinking water. However, one who is driven by the senses, especially by the tongue and genitals, must accept the position of a household dog to satisfy his senses. (Vedabase)
For sure will of a discontented man of learning, because of his greed, gradually dwindle the strength of his senses, his education, austerity and fame and will his spiritual knowledge vanish.
Because of greed for the sake of the senses, the spiritual strength, education, austerity and reputation of a devotee or brahmana who is not self-satisfied dwindle, and his knowledge gradually vanishes. (Vedabase)
For someone who is hungry and thirsty do the lusts come to an end, of anger vented there is a relief, but a person will not get over his greed when he enjoys it to conquer all the directions of the globe [see also B.G. 16: 21].
The strong bodily desires and needs of a person disturbed by hunger and thirst are certainly satisfied when he eats. Similarly, if one becomes very angry, that anger is satisfied by chastisement and its reaction. But as for greed, even if a greedy person has conquered all the directions of the world or has enjoyed everything in the world, still he will not be satisfied. (Vedabase)
O King, many scholars, many persons of varied experience, many an expert in legal advice, or many a candidate for the office even, has landed in hell simply from lacking in contentment.
O King Yudhishthhira, many persons with varied experience, many legal advisers, many learned scholars and many persons eligible to become presidents of learned assemblies fall down into hellish life because of not being satisfied with their positions. (Vedabase)
With determination lust should be overcome, anger by means of forsaking the object of desire, to greed one must consider the accumulation of wealth which gives the trouble, and fear is overcome by contemplation of the truth.
By making plans with determination, one should give up lusty desires for sense gratification. Similarly, by giving up envy one should conquer anger, by discussing the disadvantages of accumulating wealth one should give up greed, and by discussing the truth one should give up fear. (Vedabase)
Deliberation on spiritual matters is the cure for lamentation and illusion, false pride is cured by service to a great soul, silence overcomes the obstacles on the path of yoga and no longer hankering after one's sense gratification remedies hostility [see also B.G. 4: 10].
By discussing spiritual knowledge one can conquer lamentation and illusion, by serving a great devotee one can become prideless, by keeping silent one can avoid obstacles on the path of mystic yoga, and simply by stopping sense gratification one can conquer envy. (Vedabase)
Have pity with the sufferings inflicted by other living entities and by nature, in systematic yoga meditation give up what you suffer as a consequence of your own deeds and conquer sleep by exercising goodness.
By good behavior and freedom from envy one should counteract sufferings due to other living entities, by meditation in trance one should counteract sufferings due to providence, and by practicing hathha-yoga, prânâyâma and so forth one should counteract sufferings due to the body and mind. Similarly, by developing the mode of goodness, especially in regard to eating, one should conquer sleep. (Vedabase)
By the mode of goodness can a person, in devotional service unto the spiritual master, easily conquer all this passion, ignorance and the goodness itself that one also should leave behind.
One must conquer the modes of passion and ignorance by developing the mode of goodness, and then one must become detached from the mode of goodness by promoting oneself to the platform of s'uddha-sattva. All this can be automatically done if one engages in the service of the spiritual master with faith and devotion. In this way one can conquer the influence of the modes of nature. (Vedabase)
The guru who is the light on the path should directly be considered the Supreme Lord; he who considers him and all that belongs to the Veda as mortal and timebound, is like an elephant taking a dustbath.
The spiritual master should be considered to be directly the Supreme Lord because he gives transcendental knowledge for enlightenment. Consequently, for one who maintains the material conception that the spiritual master is an ordinary human being, everything is frustrated. His enlightenment and his Vedic studies and knowledge are like the bathing of an elephant. (Vedabase)
This Supreme Lord who evidently is the original nature of the person, the Controller whose feet are sought by the masters of yoga, is by the common people taken for a normal human being! [see also B.G. 9: 11]
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, is the master of all other living entities and of the material nature. His lotus feet are sought and worshiped by great saintly persons like Vyâsa. Nonetheless, there are fools who consider Lord Krishna an ordinary human being. (Vedabase)
If all the activities and regulations the way they should be, to the end of the once and for all subjugating of the six of the senses and the mind, do not lead to a positively being unified in the consciousness, has one only wasted one's time and effort.
Ritualistic ceremonies, regulative principles, austerities and the practice of yoga are all meant to control the senses and mind, but even after one is able to control the senses and mind, if he does not come to the point of meditation upon the Supreme Lord, all such activities are simply labor in frustration. (Vedabase)
Since the occupational duties in desiring an income do not serve the interest of yoga, are they at all times of little help and value, just as are the ritual vedic ceremonies of a person who is worldly entangled [compare B.G. 2: 42-44].
As professional activities or business profits cannot help one in spiritual advancement but are a source of material entanglement, the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies cannot help anyone who is not a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)
He who is engaged in the conquering of his mind must be alone in a solitary place, without the dependence of an attached company [like a family] and as a renounced person live on the dole, eating frugally.
One who desires to conquer the mind must leave the company of his family and live in a solitary place, free from contaminated association. To maintain the body and soul together, he should beg as much as he needs for the bare necessities of life. (Vedabase)
In a clean leveled place, o King, must he arrange for a seat and steady, comfortable and equipoised sit down, keeping his body straight and thus do the Pranava [see 1.2: 11 and B.G. 8: 11-14 and 6: 11-12].
My dear King, in a sacred and holy place of pilgrimage one should select a place in which to perform yoga. The place must be level and not too high or low. There one should sit very comfortably, being steady and equipoised, keeping his body straight, and thus begin chanting the Vedic pranava. (Vedabase)
He should arrest the in- and outgoing air holding his exhaling and inhaling and for that time give up all desires in his mind while staring at the tip of his nose. With the mind that wanders here and there withdrawn from whatever is the lust defeated and should a learned yogi step by step from within his heart put an end to the thinking.
While continuously staring at the tip of the nose, a learned yogi practices the breathing exercises through the technical means known as pûraka, kumbhaka and recaka--controlling inhalation and exhalation and then stopping them both. In this way the yogi restricts his mind from material attachments and gives up all mental desires. As soon as the mind, being defeated by lusty desires, drifts toward feelings of sense gratification, the yogi should immediately bring it back and arrest it within the core of his heart. (Vedabase)
Of fortitude will the consequent practitioner this way in due course of time quickly manage to be as pure as a fire without smoke.
When the yogi regularly practices in this way, in a short time his heart becomes fixed and free from disturbance, like a fire without flames or smoke. (Vedabase)
Not drawn by the various desires is one calm and peaceful in all one's activities in a consciousness that is situated in the happiness of the transcendental platform from which one factually can never separate oneself [see also B.G. 5: 17].
When one's consciousness is uncontaminated by material lusty desires, it becomes calm and peaceful in all activities, for one is situated in eternal blissful life. Once situated on that platform, one does not return to materialistic activities. (Vedabase)
When someone who first left his home behind to wander around then again returns to the field of the threefold practice of the materially oriented [economic, religious and sense-oriented] activities in which he was formerly engaged, can such a shameless mendicant be compared to someone who eats his own vomit [a vântâs'î].
One who accepts the sannyâsa order gives up the three principles of materialistic activities in which one indulges in the field of household life - namely religion, economic development and sense gratification. One who first accepts sannyâsa but then returns to such materialistic activities is to be called a vântâs'î, or one who eats his own vomit. He is indeed a shameless person. (Vedabase)
Those who consider their body as something separate from the soul, as something mortal meant for stool, worms and ashes, and then again glorify that body and identify with it, are indeed the dullest of the great lie.
Sannyasis who first consider that the body is subject to death, when it will be transformed into stool, worms or ashes, but who again give importance to the body and glorify it as the self, are to be considered the greatest rascals. (Vedabase)
For householders to forsake their duties, for celibates to give up on vows, for withdrawn ones to submit as a servant of the commoner, for renunciates to hanker after the senses - for all these âs'ramas is it most abominable indeed to behave like this in cheating the spiritual order; those, bewildered by the external energy of God, one should doubt and pity.
It is abominable for a person living in the grihastha-âs'rama to give up the regulative principles, for a brahmacârî not to follow the brahmacârî vows while living under the care of the guru, for a vânaprastha to live in the village and engage in so-called social activities, or for a sannyâsî to be addicted to sense gratification. One who acts in this way is to be considered the lowest renegade. Such a pretender is bewildered by the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and one should either reject him from any position, or taking compassion upon him, teach him, if possible, to resume his original position. (Vedabase)
Once one understood what the soul entails, once one from the beyond has cleansed one's consciousness with spiritual knowledge, how can one then hanker for comfort, why would one then stay a slave to the demands of the body?
The human form of body is meant for understanding the self and the Supreme Self, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, both of whom are transcendentally situated. If both of them can be understood when one is purified by advanced knowledge, for what reason and for whom does a foolish, greedy person maintain the body for sense gratification? (Vedabase)
One says that the body is the chariot, that the senses are the horses, that the mind - the master of the senses - is there as the reins, that the sense-objects form the paths followed, that reason constitutes the charioteer and that character is the great bond created by the Lord.
Transcendentalists who are advanced in knowledge compare the body, which is made by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to a chariot. The senses are like the horses; the mind, the master of the senses, is like the reins; the objects of the senses are the destinations; intelligence is the chariot driver; and consciousness, which spreads throughout the body, is the cause of bondage in this material world. (Vedabase)
The spokes of the wheel [see also 7.9: 21] are the ten airs in the body [called prâna, apâna, samâna, vyâna, udâna, nâga, kûrma, krikala, devadatta and dhanañjaya], the inside and outside of the wheels are religion and irreligion, the one driven is the individual soul who is falsely identified, the Pranava is the bow and the living entity the arrow, but the target is for sure the Supreme.
The ten kinds of air acting within the body are compared to the spokes of the chariot's wheels, and the top and bottom of the wheel itself are called religion and irreligion. The living entity in the bodily concept of life is the owner of the chariot. The Vedic mantra pranava is the bow, the pure living entity himself is the arrow, and the target is the Supreme Being. (Vedabase)
Attachment and aversion, greed and lamentation, illusion, fear, madness, false prestige, insult, fault-finding and deception, violence and jealousy, unrest, bewilderment, hunger and sleep are one's enemies indeed; these and more are sometimes the consequence of passion and ignorance and sometimes they sprout from the mode of goodness.
In the conditioned stage, one's conceptions of life are sometimes polluted by passion and ignorance, which are exhibited by attachment, hostility, greed, lamentation, illusion, fear, madness, false prestige, insults, fault-finding, deception, envy, intolerance, passion, bewilderment, hunger and sleep. All of these are enemies. Sometimes one's conceptions are also polluted by goodness. (Vedabase)
As long as one has this human form, which as a chariot with all its subordinate parts depends on one's control, must one in service of the lotus feet of the most venerable ones hold on to the, by the strength of the Infallible One, sharpened sword of knowledge until the enemy is defeated, so that satisfied of one's transcendental bliss this body can be given up for the sake of the pure, uncontaminated being.
As long as one has to accept a material body, with its different parts and paraphernalia, which are not fully under one's control, one must have the lotus feet of his superiors, namely his spiritual master and the spiritual master's predecessors. By their mercy, one can sharpen the sword of knowledge, and with the power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's mercy one must then conquer the enemies mentioned above. In this way, the devotee should be able to merge into his own transcendental bliss, and then he may give up his body and resume his spiritual identity. (Vedabase)
Not doing so being inattentive and of the untrue, will the senses that act as the horses lead the charioteer on the road of desire. There falls he into the hands of the plunderers, the sense objects [who rule with vishaya, eating, sleeping and mating] and will the driver because of them, together with the horses and all, land in the dark, blind well of material existence and the great fear of death.
Otherwise, if one does not take shelter of Acyuta and Baladeva, then the senses, acting as the horses, and the intelligence, acting as the driver, both being prone to material contamination, inattentively bring the body, which acts as the chariot, to the path of sense gratification. When one is thus attracted again by the rogues of vishaya - eating, sleeping and mating--the horses and chariot driver are thrown into the blinding dark well of material existence, and one is again put into a dangerous and extremely fearful situation of repeated birth and death. (Vedabase)
To be inclined towards or to cease from material enjoyment [pravritti and nivritti], are according the Vedas the two options of proceeding [4.4: 20], materially inclined is one aimless, but ceasing enjoys one the nectar of the eternal [see also B.G. 16: 7].
According to the Vedas, there are two kinds of activities--pravritti and nivritti. Pravritti activities involve raising oneself from a lower to a higher condition of materialistic life, whereas nivritti means the cessation of material desire. Through pravritti activities one suffers from material entanglement, but by nivritti activities one is purified and becomes fit to enjoy eternal, blissful life. (Vedabase)
Systematically being of violence [in sacrificing animals] with all kinds of fire sacrifices that require so many things, is something filled with desire which causes anxiety; the purpose of all the dars'a, pûrnamâsa, câturmâsya, pas'uh, soma and other ritualistic ceremonies one should consider an attachment. Even so are the oblation and sacrifice [huta, prahuta] as also the, for the benefit of the public, constructing of temples, resting houses and gardens and the digging of wells and providing of food and water, to be recognized as such symptoms.
The ritualistic ceremonies and sacrifices known as agni-hotra-yajña, dars'a-yajña, pûrnamâsa-yajña,câturmâsya-yajña , pas'u-yajña and soma-yajña are all symptomized by the killing of animals and the burning of many valuables, especially food grains, all for the fulfillment of material desires and the creation of anxiety. Performing such sacrifices, worshiping Vais'vadeva, and performing the ceremony of Baliharana, which all supposedly constitute the goal of life, as well as constructing temples for demigods, building resting houses and gardens, digging wells for the distribution of water, establishing booths for the distribution of food, and performing activities for public welfare--these are all symptomized by attachment to material desires. (Vedabase)
Everything that one offers in the fire turns into the smoke belonging to the divinity of the dark half of the month, the sun going through the south and the moon that is new [compare B.G. 8: 25]; that way are there from the vegetation on the earth's surface, the foodgrains, are there the seeds thus, o ruler of the earth, that thus projected through the father [of Time] lead to the, one after the other, repeated succession of over and over being born to exist to the victory of matter [see also B.G. 9: 21].
My dear King Yudhishthhira, when oblations of ghee and food grains like barley and sesame are offered in sacrifice, they turn into celestial smoke, which carries one to successively higher planetary systems like the kingdoms of Dhumâ, Râtri, Krishnapaksha, Dakshinam and ultimately the moon. Then, however, the performers of sacrifice descend again to earth to become herbs, creepers, vegetables and food grains. These are eaten by different living entities and turned to semen, which is injected into female bodies. Thus one takes birth again and again. (Vedabase)
A twice-born one by enlightenment in real knowledge [by the path of ceasing] is by the purification processes of the beginning of life and the end of it at death, purified [he loses interest in material results] as he offers his actions into [the meditating on] his sensuality.
A twice-born brâhmana [dvija] gains his life by the grace of his parents through the process of purification known as garbhâdhâna. There are also other processes of purification, until the end of life, when the funeral ceremony [antyeshthi-kriyâ] is performed. Thus in due course a qualified brâhmana becomes uninterested in materialistic activities and sacrifices, but he offers the sensual sacrifices, in full knowledge, into the working senses, which are illuminated by the fire of knowledge. (Vedabase)
The senses then merged in the mind that is infected by words that move in waves of material preference, the words then delimited to the complete of its elements, the letters, those then restricted to the AUM of the Pranava vibrated and that ultimate vibration next given up to the point enclosed [the 'echo'], indeed then results in the fact that the life air is sacrificed in the Supreme of the Living entity [in brahman].
The mind is always agitated by waves of acceptance and rejection. Therefore all the activities of the senses should be offered into the mind, which should be offered into one's words. Then one's words should be offered into the aggregate of all alphabets, which should be offered into the concise form omkâra. Omkâra should be offered into the point bindu, bindu into the vibration of sound, and that vibration into the life air. Then the living entity, who is all that remains, should be placed in Brahman, the Supreme. This is the process of sacrifice. (Vedabase)
The individual soul following the nature of the fire, the sun, the day, the end of the day, the bright half of the month, the full moon, the northern path and the Supreme of Brahmâ then reaches, moving in the natural connectedness of the gross destination with the subtle one, the transcendental state [turya] of intelligence.
On his path of ascent, the progressive living entity enters the different worlds of fire, the sun, the day, the end of the day, the bright fortnight, the full moon, and the passing of the sun in the north, along with their presiding demigods. When he enters Brahmaloka, he enjoys life for many millions of years, and finally his material designation comes to an end. He then comes to a subtle designation, from which he attains the causal designation, witnessing all previous states. Upon the annihilation of this causal state, he attains his pure state, in which he identifies with the Supersoul. In this way the living entity becomes transcendental. (Vedabase)
On this path towards God, as one calls it, repeatedly been born again [see also B.G. 8: 16], does the one eager in self-realization heading for the peace indeed, not return, established as he is in the true self.
This gradual process of elevation for self-realization is meant for those who are truly aware of the Absolute Truth. After repeated birth on this path, which is known as deva-yâna, one attains these consecutive stages. One who is completely free from all material desires, being situated in the self, need not traverse the path of repeated birth and death. (Vedabase)
The one who this way is faithful to the forefathers and the gods will, on this path as recommended by the Vedas regularly studying the scriptures, even though being a material person, with an enlightened vision never be bewildered.
Even though situated in a material body, one who is fully aware of the paths known as pitri-yâna and deva-yâna, and who thus opens his eyes in terms of Vedic knowledge, is never bewildered in this material world. (Vedabase)
He Himself is verily there in the beginning and in the end, of all living beings, existing always internally as well as externally, transcendental to the gross, as the knowledge and the known, as the expression and the expressed and as the darkness and the light.
He who exists internally and externally, at the beginning and end of everything and of all living beings, as that which is enjoyable and as the enjoyer of everything, superior and inferior, is the Supreme Truth. He always exists as knowledge and the object of knowledge, as expression and the object of understanding, as darkness and as light. Thus He, the Supreme Lord, is everything. (Vedabase)
Even though a mere reflection is rejected as being a real form, is it nevertheless accepted; likewise is also the substance of the purpose accepted although it is difficult to prove from speculating on one's sensual input.
Although one may consider the reflection of the sun from a mirror to be false, it has its factual existence. Accordingly, to prove by speculative knowledge that there is no reality would be extremely difficult. (Vedabase)
In this world of the five elements is one of them nor the counterpart, the reflection, one appears to be, nor is one a combination or transformation of them; one should not believe that one as a soul would have an independent existence, nor that one would be one with the elements [see also B.G. 18: 66].
In this world there are five elements--namely earth, water, fire, air and ether--but the body is not a reflection of them, nor a combination or transformation of them. Because the body and its ingredients are neither distinct nor amalgamated, all such theories are insubstantial. (Vedabase)
The five elements as the cause of the bodily concept and the sense-objects can not exist without their subtle [counter]parts; the untrue is found in the fixed form of a body, which, just as that what is part of it [the sense-object], in the end turns out to be a temporary appearance.
Because the body is formed of the five elements, it cannot exist without the subtle sense objects. Therefore, since the body is false, the sense objects are also naturally false or temporary. (Vedabase)
It can be compared with what one has when one dreams: one is awake while one sleeps; [the sleeping as] a part of the reality cannot be seen apart from the complete [of de dream] without being mistaken. Even so can that what is scripturally prohibited [yama] not be seen apart from that what is prescribed [niyama].
When a substance and its parts are separated, the acceptance of similarity between one and the other is called illusion. While dreaming, one creates a separation between the existences called wakefulness and sleep. It is in such a state of mind that the regulative principles of the scriptures, consisting of injunctions and prohibitions, are recommended. (Vedabase)
Considering the oneness in matter, the oneness in action and the oneness in thought, turns a soul of wisdom, from his selfrealization in life, away from the three of them as being three separate forms of sleep [compare 1.18: 26 and B.G. 6: 16].
After considering the oneness of existence, activity and paraphernalia and after realizing the self to be different from all actions and reactions, the mental speculator [muni], according to his own realization, gives up the three states of wakefulness, dreaming and sleep. (Vedabase)
To the observation that, like with the substance of the threads of a cloth, the effect and cause [of this existence] are one because ultimately setting them apart constitutes the unreal, does one speak of the conception of oneness [bhâvâdvaita].
When one understands that result and cause are one and that duality is ultimately unreal, like the idea that the threads of a cloth are different from the cloth itself, one reaches the conception of oneness called bhâvâdvaita. (Vedabase)
In all activities of the mind, the words and the body directly to be dedicated to the Supreme of the transcendental Absolute, o Yudhishthhira, is called oneness in activities [kriyâdvaita, compare B.G. 9.27].
My dear Yudhishthhira [Pârtha], when all the activities one performs with his mind, wor
