Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.9

Prabhupāda:

Prahlāda Mahārāja, considering himself born in the lowest, atheistic family, he thinks that "When Brahmā and other big demigods failed to satisfy the Nṛsiṁha-deva, how it is possible for me? I am neither born in a very scholarly family or devotee's family."

Because a devotee is supposed to take birth in the family of a brāhmaṇa or very rich king or princely order or mercantile family. But Prahlāda Mahārāja was born in a very rich family, and his father was also brāhmaṇa. And so... But unfortunately, his father was atheist. Therefore, in spite of his becoming born in the brāhmaṇa family, he was designated as demon, daitya.

So because Brahmā and other demigods asked Prahlāda Mahārāja to pray, therefore he is suggesting, he is guessing that "Material qualification is no assessment for approaching the Lord." He says that manye, "I think." Manye, "I think"; dhana. Dhana means wealth. Abhijana. Abhijana means to take birth. Śrīdhara Swami says abhijana means sat-kule janma, to take birth in high family, in brāhmaṇa family, in rich family.

And rūpam, sundarya, śrutam, saundarya. Rūpa means beauty, and śrutam means education. Ojaḥ, indriya-naipuṇyam. Ojaḥ means power of sense. A man who can use his senses very nicely, he is called ojaḥ. Just like the vulture. The vulture, he can go three, four miles up, but he can see... From that four miles away, he can see whether there is a carcass.

So simply by sense power one does not become very great. The example is this: although this creature, vulture, has gone very high... We are human being. We cannot see three, four miles away anything. So sense power... There are different animals who have got different kinds of sense power. Just like dogs: they can smell..., from distant place they can smell whether somebody, outsider, is coming, and he will at once begin barking. Similarly, there are fishes. They have got power of touch. The small fishes can understand that a big fish is coming from miles of distance simply by touch, by connection with water.

So the sense power or living power... Suppose if somebody thinks that "I am living for a hundred years," you are living for hundred years, but you go in the forest, you will find one tree is living for seven thousand years. So these powers, by sense power, by your strength of money or by education... Everything is described. Or aristocratic birth. And tejaḥ. Tejaḥ means luster of the body, kānti. Tejaḥ and prabhāva, pratāpa, influence. Balam means bodily strength. Suppose you are [indistinct]. You have got very good...

Just like in your country there are some box fighter, very strong and stout. That is called balam. Pauruṣam, udyama. Udyama means industrious. Just like a very poor man, he becomes by his energy very, very rich man. There are many instances in the world. That is called pauruṣam. Buddhi. Buddhi means intelligence, prajñā. And yoga. Yoga means aṣṭāṅga-yoga, the eightfold practice of yoga system.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "All these qualifications are not good assessment for approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead." He is nullifying. Do not think that because you have got good education or scientific knowledge, then you can understand what is God. That is not possible.

Just like the other day we were..., I was reading one magazine. In the Bible it is said that God said, "Let there be creation," and there was creation. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā also, we understand that Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mano eva ca [Bg. 7.4]:

"These eight gross and subtle material elements, they are My differentiated energy." So these statements of Bible or Bhagavad-gītā, we can understand that God created this cosmic manifestation. But in the paper we read the other day that the scientific men believe that there was a chunk in the beginning, and all of a sudden it burst out and the planets came out.

[break] So anyone can understand that God is all-powerful; He can create. But the scientist says that "There was a chunk, and creation took place from the chunk." Just see. [chuckles] When you say that God created, one can understand that God is... If a man can create such nice things, skyscraper buildings, very, I mean, complicated bridge, engineering work, so God is great,

[break] He may have greater brain, so He has created this cosmic manifestation. There is a, I mean to say, standard to believe.

But how the scientists believe that there was a chunk? And what is the explanation? I cannot understand. From the chunk everything come out. And who made the chunk? The next question should be that "Wherefrom this chunk came?" There is no answer. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says that all these material qualification cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Now, how God is satisfied? Ete dhanādaya dvādaśāpi guṇāḥ parasya puṁsaḥ ārādhanāya na bhavanti. You cannot purchase God by your all these material acquisition. No. That is not possible. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]:

[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]

"One can understand Me simply by devotional service." Nobody can understand. Bhaktyā mām... What is that bhakti? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

When one is very advanced in knowledge, brahma-bhūtaḥ... Brahma-bhūtaḥ means one who has understood the Brahman, the Supreme. And a brāhmaṇa means brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ, one who has advanced to such knowledge.

Therefore in India it is said that a brāhmaṇa is addressed as paṇḍitajī. Not paṇḍitajī like our late Jawaharlal Nehru. Paṇḍitajī means one who knows Brahman. Therefore brāhmaṇa's title is paṇḍita. And a kṣatriya's title is ṭhākura saheb, mahārāja. Not mahārāja—ṭhākura saheb. And a vaiśya's title is sethjī, and a śūdra's title is choudari. There are respectable terms for the different classes of men.

So this bhakti, it is not simply sentiment, but it is to understand actually what is God. It is science of God. Otherwise, how it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā? One who has understood the Supreme, the Absolute, he is called brāhmaṇa, brahma-bhūtaḥ. And the symptom is that... How can I understand that he is a brāhmaṇa and has understood Brahman?

The immediate answer is brahma-bhūtaḥ. The test is, one who is completely in knowledge of Brahman, the symptom will be prasannātmā: he will be always cheerful. There is no question of anxiety for him. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ. Prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati. There is no lamentation; there is no desire. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. There is no desire.

Even a hundred years, or, say, about 150 years before, there was, in Bengal, there was a nice king, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Chandra. He went to a learned brāhmaṇa, and he wanted to help him, that "Can I help you?" So the brāhmaṇa says, "Oh, I don't require any help. Oh, I am very happy. I have got this tamarind tree. My wife takes some tamarind leaves and makes some soup, and some of my disciples give me some rice. So I have got everything, plenty. Why shall I take your help?"

Formerly the brāhmaṇas, real brāhmaṇas, they refused to take any charity from others, even up to this date. Because according to Vedic system, when charity was to be given, it is to be given to the brāhmaṇas or the sannyāsīs. That is real charity. Datavyam. They should be given. Because they are always engaged in Brahman, therefore charity given to a brāhmaṇa or a sannyāsī goes to Brahman. That is the idea.

At the present moment the advertisement is daridra, daridra-nārāyaṇa: "Charity should be given to the daridra, or the poor." But the Vedas, why they recommended that charity should be given to the brāhmaṇas? And the brāhmaṇas, they do not require. They are so satisfied, but still, people persisted: "The brāhmaṇas should take some charity," because the idea is, if the brāhmaṇas accept the charity, that money goes directly to Brahman, or God. That is the idea.

So brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54].

When one is situated in that position, that he has no lamentation, no demand, no anxiety, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. And next, by becoming into brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, what are other symptoms? Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu: "Oh, he is equal to everyone." Then, when one has attained this perfection of life, then he can execute devotional service. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate param. And by that devotional service, one can understand what is God.

In other place also in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3].

Now what is siddhi, perfection? Siddhi means this perfection, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage: no hankering, no lamentation. That is called siddhi, perfection. This hankering and the full of anxiety, this is materialistic. This is materialistic. In comparison to other animals... They have no anxiety, but human being, they have advanced a type of civilization that everyone is in anxiety, always full of anxiety. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says in another place that this anxiety is due to acceptance of the false, material civilization. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt [SB 7.5.5].

They have accepted a type of civilization which is asat. Asat means which will not exist. Therefore they are always full of anxiety. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says the same thing in a different way, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be worshiped, or satisfied, by a devotee, not by others. In other place also the Lord says,

He said that "Anyone who offers Me a little flower, a little fruit, a little water with devotion." This is the real thing. Because God is so great, He is supplying foodstuff. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].

"He is supplying all necessities of life to millions and trillions of living creatures, and He is asking me a little flower, a little fruit, a little water? He is begging? Is He a beggar?" No. The real thing is, yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "One who gives Me in devotional love."

So God is always anxious of your love, not your material things. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described that as somebody offers you very nice, palatable dishes, varieties of foodstuff, but unfortunately, if you have no appetite, these are all useless, because you cannot eat, there is no appetite. Similarly, you can make a show of offering so many things to God, but if you have no devotional love, that is not accepted. That is not accepted, because God is not poor. He is not begging from you.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says the same thing: bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya. These material acquisitions—wealth, education, beauty, and so many other things which is very much evaluated in the material world—they are not qualifications for satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but bhakti. Bhaktyā tutoṣa.

The example is that there was an elephant who was in danger. He was being dragged by an alligator in the water, and he prayed to Lord Viṣṇu, and he was saved. The example is that the elephant was not even human being—he was animal—but still, because he prayed to the Lord with devotion, so Lord immediately came to save him. This is the recommendation of all the Vedic scriptures.

So bhaktyā tutoṣa. You can satisfy simply by your love. Bhaktyā means bhakti. Bhakti means bhaja sevayā. Bhakti... Simply you have to develop your service attitude. Service attitude is already there. We are servants by constitution, but we are serving māyā. We are so constitutionally servant that after very, very high education, taking all these degree, oh, we are moving door to door, that "Give me some service." So this service is my constitutional position, but I am serving my lust, my greediness, kāma. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśā [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 3.2.25].

We are serving actually, but instead of serving God, we are serving kamādi, our lust, our greediness, our senses. In one word, we are serving our senses.

So the position is there, but when you turn that service spirit to God, that is your success of life. Otherwise it is simply waste of time. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśā. Dictated by the lust, by kāma, by serving kāma, we sometimes do something which is very, very abominable. Just don't you see the fight? The Pope says that "You cannot use contraceptive method. It is sinful."

But actually people are doing that because dictated by kāma, lust. It is actually very sinful, it is brūṇ-hatyā, murder. So how you can be that happy by continually committing murders? It is not possible. Therefore in every religion, the contraceptive method will never be supported. It is brūṇ-hatyā mahā-pāpa, according to Vedic literature.

So they are now proposing that you cannot use contraceptive devices, but people have become mad after lust. They must use. They are putting the population theory, but I don't believe in it. The population theory, that "Population is increasing; therefore it should be stopped by contraceptive method," Malthus's theory, in economics, they are following that. But actually there is no such problem, because if we understand from Vedic literature, from Upaniṣad, it is said,

"That Supreme Personality of Godhead is one, and the living creatures are many, many, without any number." Asaṅkhya: you cannot count how many living entities are there.

So both of them are eternal, God and the living entity, nityo nityanānām. Cetanaś cetanānām. Cetana means living. So He is also a living entity, God, and we are also living entities. But what is the difference? That eka, eka, that one singular number living entity, or Kṛṣṇa, or God, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: He is supplying all the necessities of other living entities. So how there can be any population problem if God is supplying everything?

But there is restriction. How there is restriction? When people become godless, there is restriction of supply. Just like practical experience. I am saying from my practical experience that in my childhood I saw that India was exporting millions of tons of rice and wheat and other grains also, oil seed grains, huge export business. That India is now begging grains from other countries. You see? Why? Because they are gradually becoming godless.

The population theory I don't believe, because if Kṛṣṇa is supplying, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān... And actually we find that there is no population problem amongst the animals, amongst the birds. There is no contraceptive method, they are increasing their population, and they are being fed by God. So why in the human society the population theory is so acute? Because they are becoming less than animal. The animal, they beget, they mate at a certain period, but a human being, at the present moment, they have no such restriction. Any time. Therefore they want contraceptive method.

So this godless civilization is so acute that it is very difficult to make them understand God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But still, as a matter of duty, we have to present, submit, these teachings of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because we are following the teachings of Lord Caitanya, who wanted. He said that pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma [CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126].

All over the world, in all the cities and all the villages, everywhere, this philosophy of harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā [Cc. Ādi 17.21], this philosophy should be preached.

And He also stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that,

He has ordered all Indians, manuṣya janma. All Indians means those who have taken birth as human beings. Janma sārthaka kari. This is very important. The Indians, they have got the opportunity of making their life successful, because the spiritual knowledge, the spiritual treasure house, is there in India.

So janma sārthaka kara para-upakāra. First of all you learn yourself what is Vedic knowledge, what is spiritual life, and go and distribute to the rest of the world, para-upakāra. They are suffering. This is the mission of Lord Caitanya.

That is the order.

In this old age I have come to your country. Why? Because we are trying to follow the footprints of Lord Caitanya; therefore we have come. Otherwise, in old age who goes out of home? Nobody goes. And anyway, it is our duty to present. What is that presentation?

The presentation is yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa, very simple thing. You haven't got to manufacture anything. Just like there are many svāmīs, they come from India, but they manufacture something. But we have no power to manufacture.

We simply present what is ordered by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He has ordered, yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa: "Whomever you meet, you simply present the instruction of Kṛṣṇa." And this instruction of Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavad-gītā. And what is that Bhagavad-gītā? Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66].

Just be surrendered to Kṛṣṇa; be Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is.

So everything is there. We haven't got to manufacture anything. And simply by strictly following the orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, everyone can become the spiritual master. Spiritual master means who is strictly following the orders of his superior. He is spiritual master. Spiritual master does not mean that he has got four hands or eight legs or three heads. No.

One who is strictly following the orders of his predecessor, he is spiritual master. Just like Arjuna was told by Kṛṣṇa that "This system, paramparā system, disciplic succession of spiritual masters, is now lost." Sa kālena yogo naṣṭaḥ: "That yoga, that system of yoga, is now lost. Therefore I am making you again My disciple."

So if you follow the instruction, although you are not present before Kṛṣṇa, if you follow the instruction of Arjuna or a faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa, then you understand. What was spoken to Arjuna, you can also understand. It is not very difficult. Prahlāda Mahārāja also is speaking in that capacity, because he is also a disciple of Nārada. So he is saying, bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya [SB 7.9.9].

These material acquisitions are no good for understanding Kṛṣṇa, or God. Simply you become a devotee. And how devotional attitude becomes elevated? That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā and all Vedic literature, especially in Bhāgavatam, that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136].

By your material senses you cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Nāmādi: the first beginning of understanding Kṛṣṇa is to understand His name. This is the beginning of bhakti. Nāma ādi. Nāma, the name, should be the first. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21].

Because immediately we can[not] understand what is the form of God, how does He look. It is very..., not immediately. But this nāma we can hear.

Kṛṣṇa has given us the capacity that as soon as somebody chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, even a small child can hear. Oh, he... They imitate. Now we go on the road, and the small children, they say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Just see. Nāma is so strong that the boys, they also chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so easy. We have seen it. The small children, immediately, they clap, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa."

And some of our students' children, in Buffalo, they are dancing; in San Francisco. I received recently one letter from the mother of my disciple. He [she] wants to instruct his [her] two children, other two children. So it is so nice. It doesn't require any material acquisition. Simply God has given you this nice apparatus, ear. Simply you hear Hare Kṛṣṇa.

So bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha pāya. Yathā kevala-bhaktyaiva gajendrāya tuṣṭuyavaḥ [?]. The example is Gajendra, the elephant. It was not even a human being. Now, how he satisfied? You have seen that picture of, that—here I don't find that picture in my apartment—that a calf is by the side of Kṛṣṇa, and it is trying to lick up the body of Kṛṣṇa like this, and Kṛṣṇa is embracing immediately. What this animal has got? No education, no strength, no beauty—nothing of the sort. Simply he has got the feeling, "My Lord, I love You." That's all. Bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya.

So this is the universal form of spiritualism, the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Anyone. It is practical. All my students here in the Western world, America and Canada and other parts, none of them are either Hindu or Indian. I think I have... I have got only one or two Indian disciples in these parts. And all of them, they are foreigner.

They belong to foreign religion. They belong to foreign country. How they are understanding? Do you mean to say these educated boys are dancing and chanting without understanding? Are they fools? No. They are realizing, bhaktyā, because they have adopted the means of bhakti. Bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya.

So this bhakti is open for everyone. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32].

It doesn't matter whether he is born a Hindu or brāhmaṇa or nonsense or heathen. Doesn't matter. Simply if he takes the path seriously, then te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim: he attains the highest perfection of life. Simply one has to follow. The same thing is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Prahlāda Mahārāja also is confirming here,

"My dear Lord, I think a śvapacam, śvapacaṁ variṣṭham..." Śvapaca means... Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Śvapaca. Śva means dog, and pacati, one who cooks dog. That means for eating purpose. They are called caṇḍālas, dog-eaters. In India still, in the Assam side, there are still dog-eaters. They enjoy kukurrpita. Kukurrpita. They make a kind of cake by burning a dog. So they are called śvapaca. Śvapaca means dog-eaters.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutāt... Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha pādāravinda-vimukhāt. A brāhmaṇa who has got full qualification, twelve qualification, satya-śamo-damas-titikṣa ārjavaṁ kṣanti, jñāna-vijñānam āstikyam... Brāhmaṇa means very qualified, a first-class man, all qualified.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "If a brāhmaṇa, even though he is qualified with all the twelve qualities, but if he is not a devotee, then I think a caṇḍāla who is born of a family of dog-eaters, if he is devotee, he is variṣṭham, he is glorious. He is glorious."

That is the opinion of all great sages. There are many such passages. Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭhā hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ.

So one has to become... Because this devotion is from the spiritual platform. It is not the material consideration. Material consideration is that personal beauty, personal strength, influence, wealth, education. These are all material. But when there is bhakti, this is from spiritual platform. The spiritual platform, the spirit soul, has no connection with these material qualification. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Even though a brāhmaṇa has got all the qualification..." They are all, after all, material qualification.

The brāhmaṇas means they are situated in the modes of material goodness; the kṣatriya means they are situated in the quality of material passion; the vaiśya means they are situated in the mixed quality of passion and ignorance; and a śūdra means who is situated in the material quality of the modes of ignorance. And those who are less than that, the śūdras, they are called caṇḍālas or śvapaca.

So a brāhmaṇa is estimated the high-class man. Why? That is also materially estimation. But if he has no devotion to the Lord, then that is... That means he has no spiritual qualification. Then a person who is born in the family of dog-eaters, if he has got this bhakti, spiritual qualification, he is more than that.

"Because that person, although he is born in a caṇḍāla family, because he becomes a devotee, he can deliver his forefathers. But the person who is simply puffed up, born in high family, he cannot deliver himself, what to speak of others." He cannot deliver even himself, and what to speak of others.

So this verse we shall discuss next meeting. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Any question?

[break] ...very good, but it has got a good sound also.

Yes? [break]

Devotee: ...kāma artha and mokṣa are the four goals of life, [indistinct] but otherwise there wouldn't be [indistinct] any description of the four goals of...

Prabhupāda: [aside:] Please stop.

Dharma-artha-kāma mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90].

Then what is your next question? Because they are already godless, the world is already sick. What is the purpose of dharma? Dharma, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ [SB 1.2.6].

Paro dharma means the highest quality dharma. What is that? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. The purpose of dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa means to come to this platform of bhakti. The Bhāgavata says that,

The purpose of dharma artha kāma is to come to the platform of bhakti. If one does not come to that platform, simply as a matter of formula and rituals, the Bhāgavata says it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Why Prahlāda Mahārāja says that viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha pādāravinda-vimukhāt?

That is very good, to be in the platform of goodness, but you have to make further progress. Goodness is not perfection, because this world is so that even in the platform of goodness there is passion and ignorance. It is not unmixed. Sattva, sattva-guṇa. Sattva-guṇa is the goodness.

So one has to transcend the platform of goodness. That is called śuddha-sattva. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, traiguṇya-viṣaya-veda nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna [Bg. 2.45]:

"My dear Arjuna, so far the Vedic injunctions are concerned, they are material, traiguṇya." Somebody is in goodness, somebody is in passion, somebody is in ignorance. Therefore the division is brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. "But," He advised him, nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna, "just transcend to the three qualities of this material nature." That transcendental position is this bhakti.

So unless one comes to the platform of bhakti, simply by dharma artha kāma mokṣa will not give him the highest perfection. The Bhāgavad..., Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, therefore, begins with this understanding: dharma projjhita-kaitavo 'tra. Kaitava means cheating. Cheating. So in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the so-called religiosity, which is more or less cheating, is projjhita, prakṛṣṭa-rūpena ujjhita, is completely swept over. So dharma artha kāma mokṣa is not the highest perfection.

Generally, people, they take to religiosity for material gain, artha, dharm-artha. And material gain means to satisfy the senses, kāma. And when they are frustrated in satisfying the senses, they then want mokṣa. So after keeping in mokṣa, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā... Mokṣa means this world is false, and Brahman is satya. But because he has no Brahman engagement, therefore, even after leaving everything to search out Brahman, he comes again back to this material world for philanthropic work, for feeding the poor, for hospitalization. So this is coming and going, coming and going, coming and going.

So real status of perfection is that you have to transcend even the position of mokṣa. Dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2].

The Śrīdhara Swami, a great commentator on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he says, atra mokṣa, mokṣābhisandhy api nirastam: "Oh, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is above the idea of liberation." So unless we come to that point, pañcama puruṣārtha, fifth dimension... The dharma, first; the artha, second; kāma, third; mokṣa, fourth; and devotion is the fifth, fifth platform. Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja.

There are different stages of understanding: pratyakṣa, parokṣa, aparakṣa, adhokṣaja, aprakṛta. The ordinary understanding, direct perception, is called pratyakṣa. Now, higher than the pratyakṣa understanding is parokṣa, means to gather knowledge from the higher authorities. And above that, aparokṣa, realization. And above that, adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means beyond the understanding of these material senses. And above that, there is aprakṛta, completely transcendental. So the bhakti is on the transcendental platform, beyond the adhokṣaja. [break]

Devotee (1): Is it all right to desire Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the only desire you should have. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim [Nārada Pañcarātra 1.2.6].

If your desire is only concentrated on Kṛṣṇa... Just like the calf. He came to Kṛṣṇa: "Kṛṣṇa, I want You. That's all." And Kṛṣṇa embraces. That's all. If you simply want Kṛṣṇa, that is all perfection. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. If you have simply accepted Kṛṣṇa, there is no need of any more austerities or penances and knowledge.

You have taken the real thing. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And if you have not come to that stage, to accept Kṛṣṇa, then all your energy wasted in so-called penance and religion and—all spoiled. So if you actually began to love Kṛṣṇa, it is very nice. [break]

Woman devotee: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Simply by loving Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy. You love here, there, so many. You just try to love Kṛṣṇa and stay in transcendental state. Love is there, but we are misplacing our love. That is our folly. Place that love to Kṛṣṇa. You haven't got to learn how to love. You know. Everyone knows. So you place that love to Kṛṣṇa, and you are always... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

"Anyone who is always engaged in unalloyed devotional service," sa guṇān samatītyaitān, "he has already transcended all the material qualities." Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate: "He is on the path of becoming Brahman." Brahman means transcendental stage.

So simply by engaging yourself in devotional service, immediately you come to the Brahman platform. Immediately. All these boys who are engaged in the..., they are on the Brahman platform. They are not on the platform dharma artha kāma mokṣa. They have already transcended.

Yes?

Guest: You questioned about contraception method, not the birth. The world is not composed entirely of brāhmaṇas. There are śūdras, too, who are oriented exclusively towards kāma. Now, they are śūdras because they are śūdras, because they are not anything else. Well, but they receive medical care as if they were brāhmaṇas.

Prabhupāda: But do you mean to say śūdras should be allowed to kill? Law, the state law, does allow that "He is a śūdra. He is a lower class of man. Let him commit murder, and the law will not be applicable to him"? Does it mean? This contraceptive method is equivalent to commit murder. So either you are śūdra or a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya, but it doesn't matter. If you commit murder, then you are putting yourself in difficulties.

Guest: Isn't it true that in India śūdras are kept more leniently than brāhmaṇas are?

Prabhupāda: No. No. Why?

Guest: I just wondered.

Prabhupāda: No. The law does not ask, "Are you brāhmaṇa or are you śūdra?" But according to Vedic system, rather, brāhmaṇas are treated very leniently, because they are not so sinful. Just like Aśvatthāmā. He happened to be a brāhmaṇa, and he committed a great sin, killing the five innocent... [end]