Devotee: "Now please hear My brief description of this field of activity and how it is constituted, what its changes are, whence it is produced, who that knower of the field of activities is, and what his influences are."

Prabhupada: Tat kṣetram [Bg. 13.4]. Idaṁ sariraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhiyate [Bg. 13.2]. So Krṣṇa has already explained, kṣetra means idaṁ sariram. Sariram means this body. Tat kṣetram. First of all, you have to understand that this body or any field of action, anywhere, the three things are there: the field of activities, the owner of the field and the supervisor of the field. You can check and tally anywhere. So Krṣṇa says kṣetra-jñaṁ capi maṁ viddhi. There are two kṣetrajñaḥ; and one kṣetra. One field of activity and two personalities, kṣetrajñaḥ;. One is to be supposed as occupier and the other is supposed to be the owner.

Just like in this house we are occupier. The house is kṣetra, field of activities. The landlord is the owner and we are the occupier. Two kṣetrajñaḥ;. This property is interest for two persons. One is the occupier and the other is the owner. Similarly, anywhere, any part of the world, anywhere you go, you will find these three things: One, the field of activities and the other two means one occupier and one owner. If one understands these three things and he can study everywhere these three things, then: kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor yad jñanam. This knowledge, to understand everywhere that there is a field of activity and two persons are interested in that field of activity... One is the owner, another is the occupier. If you study these three things only, then: taj-jñanaṁ jñanam. That is knowledge. Otherwise all rascals and fools, that's all. Mataṁ mama. (aside:) Don't sit like that.

This is jñanam. But ask anybody at the present moment who is the owner, who is the occupier and what is the field of activities. If you ask three things, nobody will be able to answer. That means everyone is rascal at the present. Or they do not know. Kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor yaj-jñanam, Krṣṇa says, "This relationship between the field of action, and the owner."

Just like in agriculture. The land is owned by the state or the king. And it is rented or occupied by somebody else. And the land is the field of action. So Krṣṇa is giving direction. Krṣṇa is giving direction, and the living entity is there. He is acting according to that direction.

So both Krṣṇa and the living entity are sitting in one tree. That is stated in the Upaniṣad. Two birds are sitting in one tree. One is eating the fruit of the tree and other is simply witnessing. The witnessing bird is Krṣṇa. And the bird who is eating the fruits of the tree, he is the living entity. The Mayavadi philosophers, they cannot distinguish between the jiva soul, jivatma, and Paramatma. They know it, but because they are monists, to establish their theory, they say there is no two, there is one. No. Krṣṇa says two. One kṣetrajñaḥ;, the jivatma, and the other kṣetrajñaḥ; He is, Krṣṇa. The difference between the two is that the individual living entity knows only about his kṣetra, body, but the other living entity, the supreme living entity, He knows all the bodies, everywhere, anywhere, throughout the whole creation. Sarvasya cahaṁ hrdi sanniviṣṭo [Bg. 15.15]. This is the difference.

So material nature is actually the field of activities in our conditioned life. We have—manaḥ; ṣaṣṭhanindriyaṇi prakrti-sthani karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. In the fifteenth chapter you'll find it, that, who are these living entities, we? Krṣṇa says, mamaivaṁso: "They are all my parts and parcels." Mamaivaṁso. Just like father and the son. A father has got many sons. Similarly, we are all sons of God. Mamaivaṁso jiva-bhutaḥ; [Bg. 15.7], sanatanaḥ;. Sanatanaḥ; means eternally. It is not that we are now part and parcel and after liberation we'll become one, or equal, the Mayavadi theory. No. That is not. Therefore this very word is used, sanatana, eternally. Eternally, we are part and parcel.

Then why they are not with You? Why they are here in this material world? Now manaḥ; ṣaṣṭhanindriyaṇi prakrti-sthani karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. They have preferred to enjoy this material world, to lord it over the material world. Therefore, mind and senses, manaḥ; ṣaṣṭhanindriyaṇi , with these senses and mind, karṣati. manaḥ; ṣaṣṭhanindriyaṇi prakrti-sthani. Karṣati [Bg. 15.7], karṣati means struggling. Struggle for existence. This is our position. We are part and parcel of Krṣṇa. Now we have given up by misuse of our independence. We wanted to imitate Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer, so when we become envious of Krṣṇa, tan ahaṁ dviṣataḥ; kruran [Bg. 16.19], the demons are envious. They want to become Krṣṇa. Therefore, you will find so many demons. They will say, "Why Krṣṇa is alone God? I am God, you are God, all of us, we are God." So they are demons. So demons cannot be allowed in the spiritual world. They are sent in this material world.

Just like in some places I've heard in Europe there are many places, where the gamblers and the drunkards, without any license, they can go on with their business. Is there any place like that? Huh?

Bhagavan: Yes.

Prabhupada: What is the name?

Bhagavan: Monte Carlo.

Prabhupada: Yes. So we are given this place, Monte Carlo (laughter). Go on with your sinful activities without any license, go on. Demons. They'll not hear. They'll not accept Krṣṇa as the advisor, instructor.

na maṁ duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ;
prapadyante naradhamaḥ;
mayayapahrta-jñanaḥ;
asuriṁ bhavam asritaḥ;
[Bg. 7.15]

The asuriṁ bhavam asritaḥ; means demons. There are two classes of men, demon and god. Not the Godhead, God. Those who are Vaiṣṇavas means obedient to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are also god or godly. And those who are not obedient, they are demons. This is the difference between demon and God or godly. So there are two classes of men always in this material world. In the spiritual world, they are all gods, godly. Krṣṇa is the Godhead and all living entities there, they are godly.

So in the spiritual world there is no facility for the demons. Therefore when Krṣṇa likes to fight, because after many many years not fighting, because in the spiritual world there is no fight. All obedient servant, where is the possibility of fighting? Therefore sometimes He comes here to fight with the demons. (laughter) Just to get the body fit. (laughter) Yes. Therefore sometimes when there are scarcity of demons, some of the devotees, they come and become a demon. Not become demon, just Krṣṇa wants to fight, so without demon, how Krṣṇa will fight? Therefore they play the part of demon so that Krṣṇa—that means they want to serve Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa wants to, just like sometimes big men they keep some wrestlers to make mock fight. Similarly, to serve Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa has desire to fight so they come down and become just like a demon and fight with Krṣṇa.

Just like Hiraṇyakasipu. They are Jaya and Vijaya, attendant in Vaikuṇṭha. But Krṣṇa wanted to fight, so therefore they came down and became demons like Hiraṇyakasipu, Ravaṇa and fought with Him. This is, Krṣṇa has all the desires. Otherwise, this fighting desire, where from we get unless it is there in Krṣṇa? There is.

Janmady asya yataḥ; [SB 1.1.1]. Everything that we find here, that is in Krṣṇa. Therefore Krṣṇa has got twelve different kinds of relationship. Akhila-rasamrta. Krṣṇa is the reservoir of all kind of rasa. Sometimes fighting is also pleasing. Therefore the fighting spirit is there in Krṣṇa. And we have got also that fighting spirit also, in small quantity. We can fight also, but Krṣṇa can also fight. But when Krṣṇa fight, the opposite party means finished. (laughter) When we fight, that is different. I may be finished or he may be finished. That is different. So this is the position.

Therefore Krṣṇa in the next says tat-kṣetram yac ca yadrk. How this kṣetra, different types of body, they cannot explain. The so-called scientists, they cannot explain why there are different types of bodies. There are eight million four hundred thousand different types of bodies. And the human race, they are four hundred thousand. These four hundred thousand are distributed all over the universe. On this planet, may be some thousands, not four hundred thousand, not all of them are here. Yet here also in the human forms we find so many differences. The Europeans, the Americans, the Africans, the Indians, the Chinese, different forms. That also can be counted, maybe hundred, two hundred different types of forms of human beings. But there are four hundred thousands. Four hundred thousand. That is the human race.

And eight millions other forms. Eight millions. The aquatics, the trees, these plants, the grass and the insects. We have experience how many different types of insects are there in Mayapur. During night, so many different types of insects come to the fire, to the light. This is another illusion. These insects, they are coming, being attracted by the beauty of the light. The electric light, it is not open. Otherwise, these insects come in the burning fire and die. Beauty. Captivated by the beauty of the fire. So actually it is going on. We are attracted by the beauty of maya and exactly we are falling to the fire and dying.

So there are so many instructions. Even if you study simply these eight million four hundred thousand different kinds of... So how to study them? Krṣṇa is explaining. Tat kṣetram. Tat kṣetram means that kind of, that body, there are so many. Tat kṣetram yac ca yadrk. How they have attained different types of body? The soul is there. Soul, we have already explained, is the kṣetrajñam. But except the followers of Vedic knowledge, nobody knows. Just like the Christian people they say there is no soul of the animals. And how is not? Kṣetrajñam. Soul is there, everywhere, but they have got their different types of bodies. Therefore Krṣṇa says, tat kṣetram. Tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yadrk ca. How they have got different? Krṣṇa has already explained in the fifteenth chapter, they are all Krṣṇa's part and parcels.

In another place Krṣṇa said,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
sambhavanti murtayaḥ;
tasaṁ mahad yonir brahma
ahaṁ bija-pradaḥ; pita
[Bg. 14.4]

He's the seed-giving father. Therefore, all living entities are Krṣṇa's part and parcel. It is foolishness to say that other living entities, other than the human being, they have no soul. It is foolishness. They have got soul. Every... Even the ant has got soul, even the microbe has got soul, even the germ has got soul, everyone has got soul. But they have got different types of body only, outward. Therefore Krṣṇa says, yac ca yadrk ca. How they have got different types of bodies? So these, subject matters are very subtle things.

But there is no facility for studying this subject matter in the university or any educational institution. Therefore they are called muḍhas. They do not understand what is God. Who was telling me? Some Bengali professor came here, and he said, "I am agnostic." Who told me just now, in the car? So mostly the so-called educated circle, they are agnostics. They do not believe in God, they do not believe in the soul, and still they are passing on as educationists, learned scholars, professor. This is the pity. Therefore one should learn from Krṣṇa, this education system at the present moment, you cannot learn anything positively. They are all vague.

Here Krṣṇa says, try to understand, each and every body, tat kṣetram. Why one soul has got a godly body and one soul has got dog body, one soul has got very beautiful body, another soul has got very ugly body? So one has got nails and jaws, one has very nice beautiful hand, fingers. There are varieties. Krṣṇa says that sa ca yo yat prabhavas ca. Prabhavas ca. And each body has got a different type of influence. Each type of body. This is God's creation.

There are innumerable planets. Each planet has got a different atmosphere. Just like we have got experience within this planet, Europe has got another atmosphere, India has got another atmosphere. Similarly, all the planets, they are of different atmospheres and each and every planet there are varieties of living entities. Just imagine the living entities are eight million four hundred thousand species. So even if you divide so many thousands and hundreds, still, eight million. This is God's creation. God's creation means all these living entities, they want to enjoy this material world in a different capacity and God has given the facility, "Yes, you can enjoy. You can enjoy." He is giving facility. Sarvasya cahaṁ hrdi sanniviṣṭo [Bg. 15.15]. He's sitting, God is so kind, Krṣṇa is so kind.

Just like you have seen the master taking his dog. The dog is allowed to do whatever he likes, the master waits. The real business of the dog is to obey the master's order. But the master gives the dog facility, "Yes, you can walk, you can run, you can pass urine, stool, I'll wait." As the master gives facility. Similarly, Krṣṇa is so kind, Krṣṇa is so affectionate, that we have come to enjoy this material world, He is giving us the facilities. Just like the master is giving the facility to the dog. Krṣṇa is so kind. But He wants, Krṣṇa wants that every living entity should be obedient to Krṣṇa. Then that is Krṣṇa's enjoyment.

He's so kind that He's asking every living entity, especially the human being, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. He's self-sufficient. He's not hungry. He is supplying necessities, food, to every living entity. Still He's hankering for a little flower, little fruit, from this living entity. "Please give Me." So this is the position. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati tad aham asnami: "If you kindly give me even little flower, a little fruit, little water, with faith and love, I will eat." Krṣṇa is so kind. And He's simply trying to turn the face of the living entity towards Him. Therefore He is always with us. So this is another—Krṣṇa has come here in this temple to accept your offerings. So that you may again go back to home, back to Godhead.

That is Krṣṇa's desire. He's so kind. In whatever way possible, He's trying to get us back to home, back to Godhead. That is Krṣṇa's mission. He's coming Himself as Krṣṇa, the Supreme Personality. He's coming Himself as the devotee, Lord Caitanya. He came, Krṣṇa, personally, and asked everyone, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You just, why you are suffering here? You give up all these engagements." Because here whatever you do will simply create entanglement and suffer, that's all. You cannot be free to do anything. That is not possible. So Krṣṇa therefore says that, "Don't bother by manufacturing your ways of thinking."

Just like yesterday one boy and girl came, he's poet. I asked him, "What poetry you write? What is the subject matter?" No subject matter. No subject matter. (laughter) This is pagal, Pagal means "mad." Pisaci paile yena mati-cchana haya mayar grasta jivera sei dasa upajaya. Pisaci, ghost. Ghostly haunted. A person, when he becomes ghostly haunted, he speaks all kinds of nonsense. So maya grasta jivera sei dasa upajaya. Those who have come to this material world under the influence of the external energy of Krṣṇa, maya, they are all madmen.

It is not sastra, it is the opinion of medical science also. The medical science. In India there was a case, a murderer. So his pleader, lawyer pleaded that "This man, when committed this murder, he was insane." So the judge called for the civil surgeon to examine him whether he has got such tendency, insanity. So he gave evidence, "My lord, so far my knowledge concerned, I have tested so many men, everyone is insane. It is a question of degree. Now if you consider that he was insane, you, that is your business to punish him, or not punish him. But so far my knowledge is concerned, I have studied so many men and I have found they are all insane." Actually that is the position.

What does it mean, insanity? When his brain is not acting nicely. That is insanity. So anyone who is in this material world, they are against God consciousness. That is the sign of insanity. He's under the strict regulation of God, still he defies, "There is no God. There is no God, I am God." This is insanity. Pisaci paile yena mati-cchana haya. So how these different types of insanity is visible, that will be explained, Krṣṇa. Tat kṣetraṁ yac ca yadrk ca. Not one kind of body or one kind of insanity, different types of insanities. Yac ca yadrk ca yad vikari. This vikari means transformation. Everyone's brain is vikari, not in order. Yat vikari yatas ca yat. How such kind of transformation, vikari, this derangement has taken place. Sa ca yo yat prabhavas ca. And prabhavas, everyone, every living entity has got a particular type of prabhavaḥ;.

Just like a small bird, immediately he can fly in the sky. And although we are very intelligent, if I want and if you want to fly in the sky, no you cannot. Although he's supposed to be very intelligent, scientist, but I cannot fly. But a small bird will immediately fly. That is his prabhavaḥ;. You must have to admit that this is his special power. Similarly, a vulture, he goes four miles up and his eyes are very small. But from the four miles away he will find out where there is a dead body, immediately jump over. And we have got so many big eyes. But we cannot say, after... This spectacle required. You cannot see even one feet. So this is his prabhavaḥ;, influence. A vulture, most, but a nasty bird, still it has got so much influence that you cannot compete with him. So you'll find in every creature, every living entity, a special prerogative than the others, than the others. So, with the body.

Just like the hog. The hog can eat stool very nicely, very nicely. But although we say that everything is food, we can eat... Then you eat the stool? You cannot eat. He has got the influence that he can eat the stool very nicely. Therefore we should not consider that all living entities are of the same status. They have different status. You cannot say because the other living entity is eating something abominable, therefore I can also eat, it is eatable. No, you cannot do that. If you eat, you will be diseased. Therefore, it is called, "one man's food is another man's poison." Prabhavas ca. One can eat anything. Not anything. Nobody can eat anything. His allotted food.

In the living entities lower than the human being, they follow the nature's way, their allotted food. Just like the tiger eats blood and flesh. If you offer him nice fruit, nice sweet rice, he'll not eat. Even the dog, they do not like the sweet rice or nice kachori and srṅgara. You'll see. They cannot eat. If they eat, they will fall diseased. In Bengal it is said, kukkure peṭe ghi sayanaya.[?] Too much fatty things, if you give to the dog, he'll not be able to digest. So similarly, we are also human beings, we have got special food. Special food.

Therefore Krṣṇa says, Krṣṇa's prasada will be taken by whom? By the human being. No, it can be offered to any living entities, but worship of Krṣṇa is meant for the human being. Therefore, a devotee will take the remnants of foodstuff offered to Krṣṇa. Therefore Krṣṇa says patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26].

Krṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, He can eat anything. He can eat anything because He is all-powerful, omnipotent. But we cannot do that. Therefore Krṣṇa says, "You give Me this vegetable, fruit, grains, milk, and I will take." Therefore indirectly it is said, these are the foodstuff of the human being. Not any others things. You cannot say that "This is also eatable, therefore I shall eat." Then you become a hog. Those who have no discrimination, of eating, they are going to be hog next life. Therefore Krṣṇa says, yad vikari yatas ca yat [Bg. 13.4]. How one becomes a hog, dog, cat or demigod or Indra, or Brahma, that will be explained. You are given the facility of human being and if you misuse your facilities, then according to your mental condition, you'll be offered the next body. Yaṁ yaṁ vapi smaran loke tyajyaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6], you'll find.

Therefore, give up doggish mentality. That is Krṣṇa consciousness. Train up your mind, God, godly mentality. Then you'll be transferred next life, back to home, back to Godhead. That is required. This Krṣṇa consciousness movement is training the people for being promoted to the highest standard of life. This Krṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. We are giving chance to the people not to become next life cats and dogs and vultures. But associate of Krṣṇa. To become a cowherd boy, to play with Krṣṇa, or gopi, to dance with Krṣṇa. This much facilities we are going to giving.

So everyone should consider how much welfare movement is this Krṣṇa consciousness movement and they should follow the instruction of Krṣṇa and the acaryas and make their life successful. Thank you very much. (end)

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