Nitai: "The candidates for punishment are those who are confirmed by these many witnesses to have deviated from the prescribed regulative duties. Everyone engaged in fruitive activities is suitable to be subjected to punishment according to his different sinful activities."

Prabhupada:

etair adharmo vijñataḥ;
sthanaṁ daṇḍasya yujyate
sarve karmanurodhena
daṇḍam arhanti kariṇaḥ;
[SB 6.1.43]

So we have discussed about the witnesses last, yesterday. You cannot conceal anything from the eyes of God. That is not possible. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, sarvato paṇi-padas tam. God has His eyes, heads, legs, hands everywhere. Therefore He is all-pervasive. So just like government has got vigilance: you are running on the road; there is vigilance. Similarly, everyone within this material world, either in this planet or lower planetary system or higher planetary system, they are daṇḍam arhanti.

Everyone is deserving to be punished, beginning from Lord Brahma down to the ant, every living entity. Daṇḍam arhanti. And the final daṇḍam... Daṇḍa means punishment. The final daṇḍa is death. Everywhere, anywhere you go within this universe, planetary system... Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthaḥ;: "Those who are in the modes of goodness, they are elevated to the higher planetary system." And madhye tiṣṭhanti rajasaḥ;: "Those who are under the spell of passion, they keep within the middle planetary system." And those who are most abominable, they are given to the lower planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-stha madhye tiṣṭhanti rajasaḥ;, jaghanya-guṇa-vrtti-sthaḥ; [Bg. 14.18]. Jaghanya means very abominable guṇa, in the darkest region of ignorance. They are put into the lower planetary system, animal. And there are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and they are distributed all over the universe. Don't think that here only there are living entities and all other planets are vacant. This is nonsense. Everywhere there is living entity. Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad..., sarva-gaḥ;. The living entity is everywhere. You can go anywhere. You can go to the higher planetary system, you can go to the lower planetary system, and you can go to the kingdom of God also in the spiritual world. Therefore the living entity's another name is sarva-gaḥ;. He can go anywhere. If you like, you go to hell. If you like, you go to heaven. If you like, you go to God. If you like, you become animal. If you like, you can become demigod. Everything, fully. That little independence is there. As you like, Krṣṇa will give you facility.

Isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṁ hrd-dese arjuna tiṣṭhati: [Bg. 18.61] "My dear Arjuna, the Lord is situated in everyone's heart." Why He is situated there? Because He is the suhrdaṁ sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29]. We are sons of God. He is very sorry that unnecessarily we are wandering within this universe and suffering in different types of bodies, and this is going on. So isvara, He is very well-wisher, friend. He is simply trying to turn His face towards you. That's it. Isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 18.61]. He has given little freedom, so do whatever you like. But He is simply taking the chance, "When this rascal will turn towards Me?" That is His business. That is stated in the Vedic sastra, that two birds are sitting in the same tree. One is eating the fruit and the other is simple witnessing. So the eating bird is the jivatma, individual soul, and the witness bird is God, Paramatma. So He is giving us the facility. Isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṁ hrd-dese arjuna ti..., bhramayan sarva-bhutani [Bg. 18.61]. You cannot, out of your own power, you can go to the higher planetary, lower planetary, anywhere. No. That is to be sanctioned by God. Bhramayan. I want to go here, there. He will give me facility. And what is the process? Now, yantra, a machine. Just like you have got the machine, aeroplane, you go from here to there, similarly, this is also a yantra, this is also a machine. The difference is that this is God-made machine or Yes, everything is God-made, and your machine is man-made. Here the machine is growing automatically, and your machine, each and every machine you have to manufacture in the factory. That is the difference. Both of them are machine, but this machine is God-made, and the other machine is man-made.

So some atheist old man, he challenged me that "Why you are thinking of God? This body is just like a clock. You wind it and it will go on." That's all right. But here a clock machine is there. It can produce other clock. But your clock cannot do that. That is the difference. Here God-made machine is so nice and perfect that He creates one male and one female, and unlimited machine is coming out, so much so that you, being disgusted, you kill some of the machine. And they are trying to manufacture another machine in the laboratory, in the test tube. What is the credit there? Millions of machine are coming out without your test tube. But they want to take credit.

So anyway, this is a machine, and the machine is given by God. Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantraruḍhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61]. God has nothing to do. He simply orders His maidservant, this material nature. The material nature is God's maidservant, lower-grade maidservant. He has got many maidservants, Lakṣmis. They are all goddess of fortune. Lakṣmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bs. 5.29]. He has got so many. The gopis are maidservants. The Lakṣmis are maidservant. You will find this description in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krṣṇa book, that all the queens of Krṣṇa they were discussing with Draupadi, female talk. Draupadi was asking, "How you were married?" So they were narrating the incidence, how (s)he was married to Krṣṇa. But the conclusion is there: every queen was speaking, "In this way, I have been maidservant of Krṣṇa." Nobody says that "I have become queen," although they were queen. They were also coming from royal family, very good family. Krṣṇa had to conquer such queen by fighting. They're not ordinary wife. But still, they say that "In this way I have become maidservant." So everyone is maidservant. We are also maidservant, prakrti. Prakrti means female. Jiva-bhutaḥ;, yayedaṁ dharyate, itas tu prakrti viddhi me paraḥ;. Krṣṇa says First of all the material energy, prakrti... The material energy is also prakrti, maidservant. And the spiritual energy, also maidservant. And we are, we jivas, we are also maidservant. Here we are dressed as man, but our original position is maidservant of Krṣṇa, prakrti. Here, of course, even woman, she is also thinking as man. Man means enjoyer, and prakrti means enjoyed. So anyone who is thinking, "I am enjoyer," outwardly he may be in the female form or male form—he is puruṣa. Therefore this conditioned soul is puruṣa. Puruṣaḥ; prakrti-sthe api.

So anyone who has come within this material world, everyone is thinking, "I am puruṣa. I am enjoyer." That is sinful. That is... Just like if a woman artificially dresses herself as a man, that is not very good business. That is not appreciated. So our position is that we are actually maidservant of Krṣṇa, but here, in the material world, we are trying to become puruṣa, or enjoyer. This is our disease. That is sinful. That is sinful. Suppose if a woman dresses like man... Of course, nowadays it is very fashionable to have coat, pant, like the... So that is not very, liked very much. It is artificial. So anything artificial we do, that is sinful. This is the description of sin. What is sin? You, if you act naturally, that is good; but if you act artificially, that is sinful. This is the distinction between sinful activities and pious activities. So our natural function is, as described by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, jivera 'svarupa' haya nitya krṣṇa dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. This is our constitutional position, that we are eternally servant of Krṣṇa, or maidservant of Krṣṇa, as you say. But we are trying to become master. So that is sinful. So we are creating so many positions, situations, "How I can become the master." Krṣṇa bhuliya jiva bhoga vañcha kare, pasate maya tare japaṭiya dhare. The living entity, forgetting his real position as maidservant of God or servant of God, when he wants to enjoy this material world, that is maya. Maya tare japaṭiya dhare. Immediately. That is sinful.

So this disease is there even in Lord Brahma down to the small ant. Everyone is trying to enjoy this material... The whole material civilization means everyone is trying to enjoy this world, that civilization. So many cars are running here and there, but what is the purpose? The purpose is everyone is trying to enjoy. That is sinful. That is sinful, because you cannot enjoy. Enjoyer is Krṣṇa. Bhoktaraṁ yajña-tapasaṁ sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. So long you are trying to encroach upon Krṣṇa's jurisdiction—everything is Krṣṇa's jurisdiction, but you are falsely trying to enjoy—that is disease. So this human life specially meant for understanding this truth. That is human life. Krṣṇa is educating the human society. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakrtiṁ paraḥ;. First of all He described the material energy, bhumir apo 'nalo vayuḥ; [Bg. 7.4]. This is also Krṣṇa's energy. Krṣṇa is everything—the material, spiritual, marginal, everything. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Somewhere He is personally present. Somewhere He is present by His energy. So everything is energy of Krṣṇa. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ; saktiḥ;.

eka-desa-sthitasyagner
jyotsna vistarina yatha
parasya brahmaṇaḥ; saktiḥ;
sarvedam akhilam jagat

Very nicely it is described in the Viṣṇu Puraṇa, shortly, what is this world, manifested world. This manifested world is distribution of the energy of Brahman. Just like this whole material world, universe, is distribution of the energy of the sun. This is scientific. Everyone knows. Similarly, whatever there is, it is the distribution of the energy of Krṣṇa. So Krṣṇa and Krṣṇa's energy not different. But still, energy is not Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa is not energy. In this way we have to understand Krṣṇa.

So every living entity who has forgotten Krṣṇa, trying to imitate Krṣṇa, that is sinful. So these sinful activities we are doing in ignorance, in lower grade of life. Just like cats and dogs and birds and trees and the..., they do not know, there is no capacity. They are so much covered with ignorance that a tree is standing, you cut it: there is no protest because it is so dull. Similarly, you take the animal, slaughterhouse, it cannot protest. These are the symptoms of ignorance. And as soon as there is awakening of Krṣṇa consciousness or advanced consciousness, then if I pinch you, immediately you protest, "Why you have pinched me?" That is the difference between the lower-grade life and higher-grade life. So if in the higher-grade life we do not understand Krṣṇa, then we are making suicide, cutting our own throat. That is sinful. So here is a chance, the human form of body. Death will come to the dog and to me also. Then where is the difference? The difference is so long I am living, I can try to understand Krṣṇa; others cannot. If we miss this opportunity, then we are committing suicide. This is the verdict of the sastra.

So nayaṁ deha deho-bhajaṁ nrloke. Everybody has got material body. The ant has got also material body, and Lord Brahma has got also material body. Anyone who is in the material world, he has got this material body. Therefore it is called ayaṁ deha: "this deha, this body." I am not deha. That is the tenth-class ignorance if I think, "I am this body." Nayaṁ deho deha-bhajaṁ nrloke. Everyone has got body, but nrloke, in the human society, the body which you have got, or the person who has got this human form of body, kaṣṭan kaman na arhate, for such animal, having this material body, human body, it is not meant for working so hard. That is first-class civilization when people are not working very hard, living very peacefully, and getting their necessities of life. That is first-class civilization, not that to work day and night like hogs and dog, and get a cup of tea and little morsel of bread. That is not civilization. Therefore sastra says, nayaṁ deho deha-bhajaṁ nrloke kaṣṭan kaman arhate viḍ-bhu... [SB 5.5.1]. This kind of hard labor for sense gratification little, it is done by the hogs and dogs. So to teach people to work day and night for simply eating purposes, sense gratification, that is hog civilization, according to sastra. Nayaṁ deha deho-bhajaṁ nrloke kaṣṭan kaman arhate viḍ-bhujaṁ ye [SB 5.5.1]. Then what is the purpose of human life? Tapo divyaṁ putraka yena suddhyed sattva yena brahma-saukhyaṁ anantam. You are seeking after happiness. So this life is meant for tapasya, austerity. Not to indulge in sense gratification. That is done by the dogs and hogs. You are human being, you are meant for practicing austerity. "Oh, why shall I practice austerity?" Now, yato suddhyed sattva. Your existence will be purified. You are suffering in this material world because your existence is not purified. Therefore you are accepting death. Who dies? The diseased man dies. Of course, everyone dies. Everyone is diseased here. But generally, we understand, one who is not healthy, he dies. So why we die? We are eternal. Everyone knows. Nityaḥ; sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. Then why I am dying? Why I am suffering from disease, from old age? This should be the human question, and they should try to solve this, and this opportunity is given by nature and God combined. God has ordered nature to give me this machine, human form of body. If we do not utilize it as human being, that is sinful. That is sinful.

So there are so many witnesses, as we have already discussed.

suryaḥ; agniḥ; khaṁ marud devaḥ;
somaḥ; sandhyahani disaḥ;
kaṁ kuhsvayaṁ dharma iti
hy ete daihyasya sakṣiṇaḥ;

How Krṣṇa is anxious, that "This rascal has been given the nice human form of body to understand Me, My relationship with him." Durlabhaṁ manuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Prahlada Maharaja said that this human form of body is durlabhaṁ. Labham means "obtainable," and duḥ;, "when you have(?) difficulty." So many species of life we had to go through by evolution. Jalaja nava-lakṣani sthavara lakṣa-viṁsati. In this way we have got this human form, durlabhaṁ, with great difficulty. So Prahlada Maharaja, durlabhaṁ manuṣaṁ janma. So manuṣaṁ janma, durlabhaṁ: "very, very difficult to obtain it." So somebody says, "What is the benefit? Everyone dies, and man also dies." But Prahlada Maharaja says, "Yes, that is fact." Durlabhaṁ manuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam: "Although it is temporary, but you can achieve the great success of life." That is int Arthadam, arthadam. Artha means some meaningful. If we don't use it as meaningful life, then we are punished, again go to Either go to back to home, back to Godhead, or go to dog's and cat's life. We have to select now. Jaghanya-guṇa-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasaḥ; [Bg. 14.18]. If you practice only tamo-guṇa, then you go to hell again.

So therefore it is said here, etair adharmo vijñataḥ;. One who is religious or irreligious, there are so many witnesses. They inform. Krṣṇa personally sees also. He is there within the heart. So it is not very difficult for Krṣṇa and His agent to understand who is religious or irreligious. Just like I have said many times that our test tube testing is Krṣṇa's word that "One who is religious or unreligious..." What is that? Catur-vidha bhajante maṁ sukrtinaḥ; arjuna: "Four classes of men who are pious, they come to Me for worshiping." Who are they? Arto artharthi jijñasuḥ; jñani, four classes. One who is distressed, he goes to God: "Sir, I am very much distressed. Kindly give me relief." Artharthi, one is poor, he also goes, provided he is pious. The impious, they'll "Uh, what is God? I will do it." Just like the Communists, they say, "You are poor, so why you are going to the church? Beg from us bread." And poor men, they beg, and they give many breads, and they become atheist: "Well, we are getting from the Communist leaders bread. Why shall I go to church, 'God gives us, give me'?" But because they are poor, poor in knowledge, they do not know that the bread is coming from the Communist factory. It is coming from God, the wheat. That is not manufactured in the factory. But they have no intelligence. They think that "Our Communist friend, he is giving me bread."

So in this way we are misguided by so many rascals and forget God, and that is sinful life. That is the sinful life. Therefore it is said, etair adharmaḥ; vijñataḥ;: now as soon as you are sinful, you have to be punished. That is nature's law. Prakrteḥ; kriyamaṇani guṇaiḥ; karmaṇi sarvasaḥ; [Bg. 3.27]. It is not that God has to come personally to punish you. When God comes personally to punish you, then you are not ordinary. (laughter) Just like He came to punish Ravaṇa, Kaṁsa. They are not ordinary. But ordinary person, a little headache is sufficient to finish him. He doesn't require to bring God. God's agents, there are so many agents. One agent is sufficient. So in this way there are different grades of punishment. Just like first-class, second-class, third-class prisoner. They are all punished in the prison house, but some of them are first class, some of them are second class. So similarly, within this material world it is called durga. Durga means fort, and the superintending deity is called Durga, goddess material nature. So it is a fort like. You cannot go from here and there. You are trying so much to go from this planet to moon. You cannot do. Just like in the prison house, no prisoner can leave this place to go to another unless he is ordered to do so; similarly, we are conditioned. It is not possible, "Because we have manufactured some machine, by force I can go anywhere." No. That is not possible. That is not possible. You may do it for perpetually, but sastra says if you practice piously, then you can be elevated to the higher planetary system. It is very easy, but we are so fool, we cannot understand that... Suppose in coming, either from India to America or America to..., we have to make so many arrangements: visa, passport, medical certificate, this, that. No country will allow you without all these things. So how you can go to the other planets without being equipped? This is foolishness. This is not possible. We are conditioned means we cannot go from here to there. There is rule and regulation. Prakrteḥ; kriyamaṇani guṇaiḥ; karmaṇi sarvasaḥ; [Bg. 3.27]. So this is futile attempt. Therefore the Vaiṣṇavas recommend that "Why you are foolishly attempting so many things? Just utilize this life for developing Krṣṇa consciousness. Chant Hare Krṣṇa."

Thank you very much. (end)

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