Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

dehapatya-kalatradiṣv
atma-sainyeṣv asatsv api
teṣaṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ
pasyann api na pasyati
[SB 2.1.4]

Translation: "Persons devoid of atma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife, etc. Although sufficiently experienced, still, they do not see their inevitable destruction."

Prabhupada: Yes. The same word is being continued, apasyatam atma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2], "Those who are blind about atma-tattva, the spiritual science, the knowledge of spirit soul." So these persons, those who are blind, those who are accepting this body as the self like cats and dogs, their description is given here again that deha... They are bodily, beginning from bodily cons... "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." Deha and then apatya, children, and kalatra, wife. First of all, one deha, one body. Just like this child. His only one conception, "Yes, I am everything, this body." Gradually, when one grows, becomes youthful, there is sex desire. Therefore finding out the opposite sex, kalatra, wife, or girlfriend or boyfriend. So kalatra adi, making the center kalatra, then atma-sainyeṣu, we increase our attraction to this material world.

This whole material world is based on sex desire. Puṁsaḥ; striya mithuni-bhavam etam [SB 5.5.8]. Everywhere, either in cat society, dog society, human society, bird society, beast society, anywhere you go, even aquatics, fish, insects, flies, ants—everywhere you will find this attraction, sex attraction. This is the adi-rasa. Everyone is trying to get some taste. So this is the beginning of taste. So we have got attraction, natural attraction. Puṁsaḥ; striya mithuni-bhavam. This material world is simply attraction of this sex life. So when they are actually unite(d) in different ways... But they must unite. Either in a legal way or illegal way, they must unite. Because attraction is there. But human civilization, they have given some law, not like cats and dogs. Just like in the morning, in the street we saw, the dogs were enjoying sex life. So in the human society, that kind of sex enjoyment, although it is now actually being done in the Western countries... I have seen it. You see? In some public parks or in beach. They don't care, becoming just like cats and dogs, no human civilization. So for human civilization, there is some restriction: the allowance, marriage. That is a civilized way. And the fact is the same, but in a civilized way there is.

But civilized or uncivilized, as soon as there is sex life, then the attraction for material world immediately increase hundred times. When one remains single, the attraction is not so strong, but when they unite, the attraction becomes very strong, because to maintain a wife, you require room, apartment, grha, which is called grha. So therefore they are called grhastha, "one who lives in a grha, in a house." Everyone lives in a house. We are also living in a house, this temple. But grhastha means to living with wife in the house. Na grhaṁ grham ity ahur grhiṇi grham ucyate. Simply grhastha does not mean to live in a room or in a house, but to live with a wife. Grhiṇi. So then we require apartment or room or house, according to our position. Then we require some land for producing food. Now they don't require land for producing. They require something else—some slavery or some work in the factory. But formerly, everyone used to have a, possess a piece of land for producing food. Kṣetra. Grha-kṣetra. Then, when there is marriage, there will be children, suta. Then there will be friends also, relatives, suta apta. Grha-kṣetra-sutapta. Then vitta, the central point money. So as soon as they are united, immediately these things will be required. Grha-kṣetra-sutapta-vitta. In this way the attachment for this material world increases.

Ato grha-kṣetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8]. Moha means illusion. What is that illusion? "I am this body, and I belong to this material world. This is my society. This is my country. This is my wife. This my children." This is illusion. Why illusion? Because these are false things. Nobody is your wife, nobody is your children. They have simply assembled together by the waves of time. Just like we have seen in the waves of the river, so many straws assembled together. And again, on the waves, they are separated. One straw goes this way, another straw goes... Finished. You see? So this is position. We, by our karma-phala, by the action, reaction of our karma, we artificially assemble here in a family, in a society, in a country, in a community, in a nation, like that. And after few years, by the waves of time, everything is separated. You go somewhere, you go, you go somewhere, you go somewhere, this way... Therefore here it is said that dehapatya-kalatra, those who are blind to understand the self, those who are not realized, self-realized, such person, apasyatam atma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2], those who are... Because human being, human life is meant for understanding atma-tattva. Athato brahma jijñasa. This life is meant for understanding "What I am." But they have lost their all intelligence. They are thinking like cats and dogs: "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brahmaṇa," "I am sudra." And they are busy with that business. Just like cats and dogs, they are busy: "I am dog," "I am cat," "I am tiger," "I am bull," "I am this," "I am that," so human society has also become like cats and dogs, the same conception, bodily conception of life. Because apasyatam atma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]. They..., he has no knowledge of self.

The Bhagavad-gita begins, therefore, this self-realization. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Asmin dehe, this body, contains the dehi, really the proprietor. So such person, apasyatam atma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2], they are simply busy with all these things: body and children and wife and relationships. Dehapatya-kalatradiṣu [SB 2.1.4]. Because, through kalatra we increase. Stri means "which expands," stri. Stri, one accepts stri, wife, means to expand his relationship. As soon as I get one stri, one family becomes my father-in-law, and in relation to, I have got my family, and she has got her family. We combine together. Then boys, children. Then get them married. Increase. Increase relationship: "He is my brother-in-law, he is my father-in-law, he is my father, he is my brother, he is brother's brother-in-law, father's father-in-law..." Just like Arjuna was seeing. Oh, Arjuna was seeing like that: "How can I kill them? They are all my... " The same. As ordinary man has got, so Arjuna was playing the ordinary man, just like. He was thinking, "Here is my brother-in-law, here is my brother, here's my nephew, here's my father-in-law, here's my grandfather. How can I kill them?" So... But they will be killed. Nobody can protect. But we are pasyann api na pasyati, that "I have my father; he was killed. He is gone, dead and gone. So I will be also dead and gone, and my son will be also dead and gone." So why we are depending on these things which will be dead and gone? Nobody will live. Nobody will live. Take big big leaders in our country or any country. They are absorbed in nationalism, cannot give up the post of prime ministership, presidentship or leadership. Even great leader like Gandhi. He was always... He got sva-rajya. I wrote him letter: "Mahatma Gandhi, you have got respect as a religious personality. If you..." (aside:) Don't bother, don't... "If you take preaching these things, what I am doing, preach Bhagavad-gita... You are also lover of Bhagavad-gita." No. Even after getting sva-rajya, he was implicated. Unless he was killed he would not leave it. Everyone has to leave it, voluntarily or by force, but they will not leave it voluntarily.

This is the disease, material disease. Everyone will be forced. You cannot live here forever. They are making very nice arrangement, nice house, nice kingdom, nice city, nice bank balance, nice society, nice community, nice nation. But they are missing one point, that "Any moment I shall be kicked out. Any moment." There is no guarantee. Parikṣit Maharaja got seven days' time, that "You shall die within seven days." We have no even one second's guarantee. This is our position. But still, we are so much attached. Dehapatya-kalatradiṣu atma-sainyeṣu [SB 2.1.4]. Everyone is thinking, "I am very comfortable at home. I have got my wife. I have got my children. I have got my bank balance. I have got so many things. I have got my nation, community. I am secure. I am secure." Why he is thinking like that? Pramatta, mad, madman. That is described.

pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya
maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya

Ghostly haunted, every one of us. This maya-grasta, one who is under the influence of this material energy, just like, exactly like a man who is ghostly haunted. Ghostly haunted. Perhaps some of you have seen a man ghostly haunted. He talks all nonsense. Similarly, the maya-grasta jiva, those who are in this material-too much absorbed in the bodily concept of life, without any self-realization... Everyone is thinking like madman, that "These things will give me protection." Because he has become mad, pramatta. Pramatta. Teṣaṁ pramatto nidhanam. You are fighting with soldiers. That's all right. But if you know, "All my soldiers will die," then what is the use of your fighting? Or you take some means that your fighting will be victorious. No. They do not know. Teṣaṁ nidhanaṁ pramattaḥ;, teṣaṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ pasyann api na pasyati. Seeing every moment,

ahany ahani bhutani gacchantiha yamalayam
seṣaḥ; sthavaram icchanti kim ascaryam ataḥ; param

Yudhiṣṭhira Maharaja was inquired, "What is the most astonishing thing in this world?" Yudhiṣṭhira Maharaja, he was very advanced, spiritually realized king. He immediately replied, "This is the most wonderful thing, that everyone is thinking that 'I shall live.' " Ahany ahani bhutani gacchanti. He is seeing. He is seeing every moment that somebody has died and he is going to the crematorium or to the somewhere else. But he is thinking that "I am sure. I am secure. I am in safety position." This is the most wonderful thing. And the same thing is repeated here: teṣaṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ pasyann api na pasyati, the closing the eyes. They cannot give you any protection. Suppose you are now very happily situated, say, for some years, utmost hundred years. Not that, more than that. Because your this body in this material world, especially in this age, cannot live more than hundred years or (all?) within. And people are dying nowadays sixty, seventy. Oh, eighty years old? Very old. But time will come in this age... That is stated in the Srimad-SB.. If one lives from twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as a very grand old man. Yes. That time is coming very soon. Of course, it will take time. Because as the Kali-yuga is increasing, people are becoming more and more pramatta, more and more animal-like. So their duration of life naturally will reduce. They are not human being. They will be mlecchas and yavanas.

So Krṣṇa will come at the end,

mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavalaṁ
dhumaketum iva kim api karalam
kesava dhrta-kalki-sarira jaya jagadisa hare

At that time Krṣṇa will not preach, because who will understand? All mlecchas and... Just like nowadays even also. Such a nice quarter, nobody is interested. Nobody is interested. If you ask them, "Please come here. We are discussing Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam. Just try to understand the self-realization, "Oh, these nonsense, what is this? We are... I shall die and everything is finished. That's all." This is the modern civilization. Even up to this time... The Kali-yuga has passed only five thousand years, and when... If the duration of the whole Kali-yuga is four lakhs, thirty-two thousands of years... Out of that, we have only passed five thousand years, since the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Now, still the balance is four lakhs and twenty-seven thousands of years. So just imagine, after five thousand years we have become so much deteriorated, and what will happen even four lakhs of years? The people will reduce to such small stature because they will not be properly fed. Just like at the present moment the stature of the body is reducing. It is reducing. One, my German Godbrother, in 1934, when he came, he was very... That Sadananda. So he was very lean and thin. So I asked him that "You German people, I understand they are very robust. Why you are lean and thin?" So he told me that "In my childhood, in the First World War, the ration was controlled. Only children, we could get fat, butter." He showed his wristwatch: "This quantity only, once in a week." So unless people can get sufficient food, how the stature will remain? It is reducing. Now there is no rice, there is no ghee, there is no this, there is no... In this way rice will (be) completely finished. No more rice, no more wheat, no more sugar, no more milk. These are stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. So if you don't get all these thing, then how your body will be developed? It will reduce just like... At that time, eranḍopi drumayate, the castor seed trees will be considered as very big tree. Eranḍopi drumayate.

So these things are coming gradually. But still pramatta, people are mad after that. The same thing. What is that? Dehapatya-kalatradiṣu [SB 2.1.4]. They are mad. "We have to maintain the society, friendship, family, country, community." And there is fighting. There is rivalryism. Because when there will be shortage of food, shortage of everything, then there will be naturally fighting like cats and dogs, killing. People are indulging in killing even his own son, abortion. Because people are degrading, they are killing live thing. So that will be reacted. In the womb the man, the person, will be killed. Reaction. Why so many abortions are taking place nowadays? Because the child which has come into the womb of the mother, he is sinful. He has done previous life so many killings. Now he has to be killed so many times. He has to be killed so many times. As many times he has killed other poor animals. This is the law of nature. Just like in the state laws, if you kill somebody, the state law will kill him. Life for life. Similarly, God's law, how even if you kill one ant even, you will be responsible for this, and it will have to be punished. They do not know this. They do not know this. They think that "I am very well situated. I have got very good balance. I am born in a nice nation or community or society. I have got wife, my children. They will give me protection." They will not give you protection. Nobody will give you protection. You have to protect yourself. Everyone is responsible for his own work. Nobody will be responsible for your work.

Therefore in the next verse, Krṣṇa here, or Sukadeva Gosvami is asking Parikṣit Maharaja that "These things will not give you protection."

tasmad bharata sarvatma
bhagavan isvaro hariḥ;
srotavyaḥ; kirtitavyas ca
smartavyas cecchatabhayam
[SB 2.1.5]

Abhayam. This world is bhayam, always fearfulness... Everyone. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna. These four things are bodily requisition: we need to eat, we need to sleep, therefore we require house or apartment or room, and we require food, and there are senses, of which the sex sense is very strong. Ahara-nidra, and bhaya, and we are always afraid. Therefore police is there, the government is here. These things are bodily adjustment. And if we depend on this so-called nation, community, friends, husband, wife, children, that will not give you, us, protection. The protection is here. Because Parikṣit Maharaja at the point of his death, his question was, "What is my duty? What is my duty? Now I am going to die." People do not know that "What is my duty. Now I was prime minister. I was this and that. That's all right. Now death is coming. It will take away all my possession immediately, whatever I have required." That the rascals, they do not know. Neither they consider. Bhagavan says that mrtyuḥ; sarva-haras caham [Bg. 10.34]. The rascal atheists, they do not believe in God. That's all right. "But I will appear as death. Who cannot believe it?" Who is that bold man here who can say, "I don't believe in death"? How can you say? Is there any bold man? You can say now like madman that "I don't believe in God." That's all right. But God will appear as death. You will have to believe at that time. That you cannot avoid. Therefore they are pramatta. If I say, "I don't believe in government," then "What is the government, sir? You will do something wrong and it will be caught up, you will be arrested, and you will be punished. You believe or not believe. It doesn't matter." Similarly, if these rascals say, "I don't believe in God," so you can say like madman, but God says, "Yes, you don't believe..." Just like Hiraṇyakasipu. He did not believe in God. So when Nrsiṁhadeva appeared to kill him, he had to believe: "Here is something. Here is something."

So therefore we have to take shelter not of this family, not of this nation, not of this community or children or friends. No. They cannot give us. Therefore Krṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gita, suhrdaṁ sarva-bhutanam: "I am the only friend." Bhoktaraṁ yajña-tapasaṁ sarva-loka-mahesvaram, suhrdaṁ sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29]. These rascals, they come as my friend. these blind leaders, who cannot give protection himself. He becomes friend. He gives me advice about nationalism and this "ism" and that "ism." But he cannot give even himself any protection. How he can give me protection? This is intelligence. This is intelligence. Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami, tasmad bharata: "You cannot depend all these foolish things. That is not possible. Now you prepare for death. It is very nice." Variyan eṣa te prasnaḥ;: [SB 2.1.1] "Your question is very nice, that 'Whom shall I take shelter of? Shall I take shelter of Krṣṇa?' Yes." Tasmad bharata sarvatma. Krṣṇa is sarvatma. He is situated in everyone's heart as friend. He is the real friend. He is giving me advice. He is within, conscience, which we..., or good instruction, counsel. He says that "Don't be materially attached." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam: [Bg. 18.66] "Come to Me. Just become surrendered to Me. I will give you protection. I will give you intelligence." No. I reject Him: "I don't want You. I have got my friend, I have got my nation, I have got my community, I have got my wife, I have got my children, I have got my bank balance. Why shall I take protection of You?" This is the... Pasyann api na pasyati. The rascal does not see that these things will not give you protection.

Therefore the advice is: tasmad bharata sarvatma harir isvaraḥ;. They do not know that sarvatma... Although Krṣṇa says that "I am sarvatma..." Krṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ capi maṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bharata [Bg. 13.3]. In the chapter, kṣetra-kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra. Idaṁ sariraṁ kṣetram. This body is kṣetra, field of activities, and one who knows... I know, you know, everyone know that "This is my body. I am not this body." If we think deeply, if we see our finger, "my finger," "my head." It is not "I head." But they are thinking that "I head," "I body." Not "I body," "my body." This is not. So everything is clearly said, and the preliminary knowledge of spiritual life, Bhagavad-gita... Kṣetra-jñaṁ capi maṁ viddhi. There are two kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra-jña means the proprietor who knows about this. Idaṁ sariraṁ kṣetram. And one who knows this, he is kṣetra-jña. So kṣetra-jña means I, you, individual soul. But another kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra-jña means I know about the pains and pleasure of my body. You know the pains and pleasure of your body, but I do not know the pains and pleasure of your body, neither you know the pains and pleasure of my body. This is individual soul. But another, Supersoul, is... That is Krṣṇa. Sarva-kṣetreṣu bharata. He knows your pains and pleasure, my pains and pleasure, his pains and pleasure, everyone's. Sarva-jña. Therefore, suhrdaṁ sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29]. He is actually, because He is present with you as friend...

This is confirmed in the Upaniṣad. Two birds are sitting on the same tree as friends. One is eating the fruit, one is simply observing. Anumanta. That is stated in the Bhag... Upadraṣṭa anumanta. Anumanta. Anumanta means you cannot touch any fruit of this world without the sanction of the Supersoul. Therefore He is anumanta. If you say, "Then if He is giving me sanction for any action, then how I am responsible?" No. He is not giving. Because you are insisting, therefore He says, "All right, do it, at your risk." He is insisting, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Simply surrender." He is insisting that. But you are insisting in a different way: "I want to steal, I want to this, I want to this." But Krṣṇa knows everything, that "This rascal will do. All right, do it at your risk." Anumanta upadraṣṭa. And He remains witness: "Because you have done this, now you suffer. Now you suffer."

The Christian parties, they do not believe in karma. So in our childhood, when we were student in Scottish Churches College, Calcutta, we had to attend the Bible class. So one professor, Dr. Urquhart, he said that "If I am suffering the result of my past karma, where is the witness that I have done this bad or good?" But he had no knowledge of Bhagavad-gita. We also at that time did not know. We were not very interested. But later on, when I read Bhagavad-gita, "Here is witness, upadraṣṭa anumanta. Here is witness." Perpetual witness. Not only of this life, but many, many lives past, He knows everything. Vedahaṁ samatitani vartamanani [Bg. 7.26]. He knows everything. That is Krṣṇa. He knows everything, what you have done or what you want to do. Everything knows He. But in spite of all this, because Krṣṇa is your friend, most intimate friend, naturally... Just like father becomes friend. There is no better friend like father or mother. Naturally. They will never advise the son anything for his, I mean to say, suffering. No father will give... Even the father is a debauch, he will never advise his son that "You do this." No, no. Similarly, Krṣṇa is the father of everyone. Everyone. How He can give wrong advice? He does not give. He is the only friend. Suhrdaṁ sarva-bhu... So if you take shelter of the only friend, the just friend, that will give us protection. Not anyone else. Everyone has got some self-interest.

So therefore here is the advice is, tasmad bharata sarvatma bhagavan harir isvaraḥ; [SB 2.1.5]. All these things are given. Sarvatma. He is situated in everyone's heart. You haven't got to go somewhere to search Him. He is within you. Isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṁ hrd-dese [Bg. 18.61]. Simply you have to become sober to hear from Him. He talks with devotee. Nondevotee, He gives sanction indirectly, through the nature. Isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṁ hrd-dese arjuna... [Bg. 18.61]. He is sitting, but He is giving sanction through maya. Because directly, He is not giving sanction. He doesn't want. What you are doing, He doesn't want. Just like a son is insisting father, "Father, give me two hundred rupees, ten rupees." And the father knows as soon as he gets two hundred rupees, he will go to wine shop and spoil his life. He doesn't want to give. But when he is insisting, he says his mother, "Give him two hundred rupees. Let him go to hell." This is like (that). It is like that. "Let this rascal go to hell. What can I do?"

So all these rascals, some, forgetting Krṣṇa, are suffering in this material world, and he is thinking that this dehapatya-kalatradiṣu [SB 2.1.4] will give him protection. This is rascaldom. Nobody can give you protection. Only Krṣṇa. Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami says, tasmad bharata. Bharata. Bharata means he is the descendant of King Bharata Maharaja, under whose name this whole planet is called Bharatavarṣa. This is Bharatavarṣa. This planet is called Bharatavarṣa because formerly it was ruled by Maharaja Bharata, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Therefore it is called Bharata-varṣa. So this Maharaja Parikṣit belonged to that dynasty, Bharata dynasty, and he is addressed as Bharata. Sometimes you will find Arjuna is also addressed as Bharata, Vidura is addressed as Bharata, because they belongs to the same family, Bharata family. So tasmad bharata: "My dear king, Parikṣit Maharaja..." Tasmad bharata sarvatma, sarvatma. Krṣṇa is everywhere. Don't think that Krṣṇa is only in Goloka Vrndavana. No. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutaḥ; [Bs. 5.37]. That is God. As you are sitting here, you are not sitting at home. That is finished. Means you are limited. But Krṣṇa, He is sitting everyone's heart; still, He is in Goloka. The Mayavadi philosophers, they, another kind of fools, they think Krṣṇa like us. They consider that "If I am sitting here, how can I sit everywhere?" They think that "Krṣṇa is like me." Avajananti maṁ muḍha manuṣiṁ tanum asritam [Bg. 9.11]. These rascals, they think Krṣṇa like himself. Because he is sitting one place, he cannot be anywhere else, similarly, Krṣṇa also, if He is in India, He is not in Europe. That is their idea. Therefore Europe and America, they say sometimes that "Krṣṇa is Hindus' God." Why Hindus' God? He says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayo yaḥ; [Bg. 14.4], ahaṁ bija-pradaḥ; pita: "I am the seed-giving father of all different forms of life." Krṣṇa claims that He is... Therefore, because He is the father of all living beings, therefore there is response from Europe and America. Otherwise what connection they have got? They have got their Jesus Christ or something else. But why they are attracted to Krṣṇa?

Because actually the father is the... Krṣṇa is the father not only of the human society—of the bird society, the beast society, dog society, cat society, everyone's father, sarva-yoniṣu. That is Krṣṇa. Try to understand Krṣṇa. And if you simply try to understand and little understand, then your life is successful. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo janati tattvataḥ;, tyaktva dehaṁ punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Simply by understanding even little, your life is successful. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Mahato bhayat. This is bhaya. They do not know what is bhaya, fearfulness. They are very proud of becoming this and that, but they are not afraid of death, how much painful it is. And if you are sinful, then you will be allowed to enter in the womb of your mother and your mother will kill you. They are not afraid. They are so rascal. These risks are there. So make your life in such a way, tyaktva dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]— don't enter into the mother's womb. Punar janma naiti. Then? Go directly to Krṣṇa. That is success of life.

Thank you very much. (end)

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