viṣayeṣu guṇādhyāsāt

puḿsaḥ sańgas tato bhavet

sańgāt tatra bhavet kāmaḥ

kāmād eva kalir nṛṇām

vishayeshu -- in material objects of sense gratification; guna-adhyasat -- because of presuming them to be good; pumsah -- of a person; sangah -- attachment; tatah -- from that presumption; bhavet -- comes into being; sangat -- from that material association; tatra -- thus; bhavet -- arises; kamah -- lust; kamat -- from lust; eva -- also; kalih -- quarrel; nrinam -- among men.


Texto

One who accepts material sense objects as desirable certainly becomes attached to them. From such attachment lust arises, and this lust creates quarrel among men.

Significado

The actual goal of human life should not be material sense gratification, for it is the basis of conflict in human society. Although the Vedic literature sometimes sanctions sense gratification, the ultimate purpose of the Vedas is renunciation, since Vedic culture cannot possibly recommend anything that disturbs human life. A lusty person is easily angered and becomes inimical to anyone frustrating his lusty desires. Since his sex desire can never be satisfied, a lusty person ultimately becomes frustrated with his own sex partner, and thus a "love-hate" relationship develops. A lusty person considers himself to be the enjoyer of God's creation and is therefore full of pride and false prestige. The lusty, proud person will not be attracted to the process of humble submission at the lotus feet of the bona fide spiritual master. Attraction to illicit sex is thus the direct enemy of Krishna consciousness, which depends upon humble submission to the representative of the Supreme Lord. Lord Krishna also states in Bhagavad-gita that desire for illicit sex is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.

Because modern society sanctions unrestricted mixing of men and women, its citizens cannot possibly achieve peace; rather, the regulation of conflict becomes the basis of social survival. This is the symptom of an ignorant society falsely accepting the material body as the highest good, as described here by the words vishayeshu gunadhyasat. One who is too affectionate to his own body will inevitably be seized by sex desire.