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TEXT 1-3 sri-bhagavan uvaca
ahimsa satyam akrodhas
tejah ksama dhrtih saucam
SYNONYMS  sri-bhagavan
uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; abhayam--fearlessness;
sattva-samsuddhih--purification
of one's existence; jnana--knowledge;
yoga--of linking up;
vyavasthitih--the
situation; danam--charity;
damah ca--and controlling the
mind; yajnah ca--and performance of sacrifice; svadhyayah--study
of Vedic literature; tapah--austerity;
arjavam--simplicity;
ahimsa--nonviolence;
satyam--truthfulness;
akrodhah--freedom from anger; tyagah--renunciation;
santih--tranquility;
apaisunam--aversion to fault-finding;
daya--mercy; bhutesu--towards all living entities; aloluptvam--freedom
from greed; mardavam--gentleness;
hrih--modesty;
acapalam--determination;
tejah--vigor;
ksama--forgiveness;
dhrtih--fortitude;
saucam--cleanliness;
adrohah--freedom from envy; na--not;
ati-manita--expectation of honor; bhavanti--become;
sampadam--qualities;
daivim--transcendental;
abhijatasya--of one who is born of;
bharata--O son of Bharata.
TRANSLATION The Blessed
Lord said: Fearlessness, purification of one's existence, cultivation of
spiritual knowledge, charity, self-control, performance of sacrifice, study
of the Vedas, austerity and simplicity; nonviolence, truthfulness, freedom
from anger; renunciation, tranquility, aversion to faultfinding, compassion
and freedom from covetousness; gentleness, modesty and steady determination;
vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, freedom from envy and the passion
for honor--these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to
godly men endowed with divine nature.
PURPORT In the beginning
of the Fifteenth Chapter, the banyan tree of this material world was explained.
The extra roots coming out of it were compared to the activities of the
living entities, some auspicious, some inauspicious. In the Ninth Chapter,
also, the devas, or godly, and the asuras, the ungodly, or
demons, were explained. Now, according to Vedic rites, activities in the
mode of goodness are considered auspicious for progress on the path of
liberation, and such activities are known as daivi prakrti, transcendental
by nature. Those who are situated in the transcendental nature make progress
on the path of liberation. For those who are acting in the modes of passion
and ignorance, on the other hand, there is no possibility of liberation.
Either they will have to remain in this material world as human beings,
or they will descend among the species of animals or even lower life forms.
In this Sixteenth Chapter the Lord explains both the transcendental nature
and its attendant qualities and the demoniac nature and its qualities.
He also explains the advantages and disadvantages of these qualities.
The word
abhijatasya
in reference to one born of transcendental qualities or godly tendencies
is very significant. To beget a child in a godly atmosphere is known in
the Vedic scriptures as Garbhadhana-samskara. If the parents want a child
in the godly qualities they should follow the ten principles of the human
being. In Bhagavad-gita we have studied also before that sex life
for begetting a good child is Krsna Himself. Sex life is not condemned
provided the process is used in Krsna consciousness. Those who are in Krsna
consciousness at least should not beget children like cats and dogs but
should beget them so that they may become Krsna conscious after birth.
That should be the advantage of children born of a father or mother absorbed
in Krsna consciousness.
The social
institution known as varnasrama-dharma--the institution dividing
society into four divisions or castes--is not meant to divide human society
according to birth. Such divisions are in terms of educational qualifications.
They are to keep the society in a state of peace and prosperity. The qualities
mentioned herein are explained as transcendental qualities meant for making
a person progress in spiritual understanding so that he can get liberated
from the material world. In the varnasrama institution the sannyasi,
or the person in the renounced order of life, is considered to be the head
or the spiritual master of all the social statuses and orders. A brahmana
is considered to be the spiritual master of the three other sections of
a society, namely, the ksatriyas, the vaisyas and the sudras,
but a sannyasi, who is on the top of the institution, is considered
to be the spiritual master of the brahmanas also. For a sannyasi,
the first qualification should be fearlessness. Because a sannyasi
has to be alone without any support or guarantee of support, he has simply
to depend on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If he thinks,
"After I leave my connections, who will protect me?" he should not accept
the renounced order of life. One must be fully convinced that Krsna or
the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His localized aspect as Paramatma
is always within, that He is seeing everything and that He always knows
what one intends to do. One must thus have firm conviction that Krsna as
Paramatma will take care of a soul surrendered to Him. "I shall never be
alone," one should think. "Even if I live in the darkest regions of a forest
I shall be accompanied by Krsna, and He will give me all protection." That
conviction is called abhayam, without fear. This state of mind is
necessary for a person in the renounced order of life. Then he has to purify
his existence. There are so many rules and regulations to be followed in
the renounced order of life. Most important of all, a sannyasi is
strictly forbidden to have any intimate relationship with a woman. He is
even forbidden to talk with a woman in a secluded place. Lord Caitanya
was an ideal sannyasi, and when He was at Puri His feminine devotees
could not even come near to offer their respects. They were advised to
bow down from a distant place. This is not a sign of hatred for women as
a class, but it is a stricture imposed on the sannyasi not to have
close connections with women. One has to follow the rules and regulations
of a particular status of life in order to purify his existence. For a
sannyasi,
intimate relations with women and possession of wealth for sense gratification
are strictly forbidden. The ideal sannyasi was Lord Caitanya Himself,
and we can learn from His life that He was very strict in regards to women.
Although He is considered to be the most liberal incarnation of Godhead,
accepting the most fallen conditioned souls, He strictly followed the rules
and regulations of the sannyasa order of the life in connection
with association with woman. One of His personal associates, namely Chota
Haridasa, was personally associated with Lord Caitanya along with His other
confidential personal associates, but somehow or other this Chota Haridasa
looked lustily on a young woman, and Lord Caitanya was so strict that He
at once rejected him from the society of His personal associates. Lord
Caitanya said, "For a sannyasi or anyone who is aspiring to get
out of the clutches of material nature and trying to elevate himself to
the spiritual nature and go back home, back to Godhead, for him, looking
toward material possessions and women for sense gratification--not even
enjoying them, but just looking toward them with such a propensity--is
so condemned that he had better commit suicide before experiencing such
illicit desires." So these are the processes for purification.
The next
item is jnana-yoga-vyavasthiti: being engaged in the cultivation
of knowledge. Sannyasi life is meant for distributing knowledge
to the householders and others who have forgotten their real life of spiritual
advancement. A sannyasi is supposed to beg from door to door for
his livelihood, but this does not mean that he is a beggar. Humility is
also one of the qualifications of a transcendentally situated person, and
out of sheer humility the sannyasi goes from door to door, not exactly
for the purpose of begging, but to see the householders and awaken them
to Krsna consciousness. This is the duty of a sannyasi. If he is
actually advanced and so ordered by his spiritual master, he should preach
Krsna consciousness with logic and understanding, and if he is not so advanced
he should not accept the renounced order of life. But even if he has accepted
the renounced order of life without sufficient knowledge, he should engage
himself fully in hearing from a bona fide spiritual master to cultivate
knowledge. A sannyasi, or one in the renounced order of life, must
be situated in fearlessness, sattva-samsuddhi (purity) and jnana-yoga
(knowledge).
The next
item is charity. Charity is meant for the householders. The householders
should earn a livelihood by an honorable means and spend fifty percent
of their income to propagate Krsna consciousness all over the world. Thus
a householder should give in charity to such institutional societies that
are engaged in that way. Charity should be given to the right receiver.
There are different kinds of charities, as will be explained later on,
charity in the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance. Charity in the
mode of goodness is recommended by the scriptures, but charity in the modes
of passion and ignorance is not recommended because it is simply a waste
of money. Charity should be given only to propagate Krsna consciousness
all over the world. That is charity in the mode of goodness.
Then as
far as dama (self-control) is concerned, it is not only meant for
other orders of religious society, but it is especially meant for the householder.
Although he has a wife, a householder should not use his senses for sex
life unnecessarily. There are restrictions for the householders even in
sex life, which should only be engaged in for the propagation of children.
If he does not require children, he should not enjoy sex life with his
wife. Modern society enjoys sex life with contraceptive methods or more
abominable methods to avoid the responsibility of children. This is not
in the transcendental quality but is demoniac. If anyone, even if he is
a householder, wants to make progress in spiritual life, he must control
his sex life and should not beget a child without the purpose of serving
Krsna. If he is able to beget children who will be in Krsna consciousness,
one can produce hundreds of children, but without this capacity one should
not indulge only for sense pleasure.
Sacrifice
is another item to be performed by the householders because sacrifices
require a large amount of money. Other orders of life, namely brahmacarya,
vanaprastha and sannyasa, have no money; they live by begging.
So performance of different types of sacrifice is meant for the householder.
They should perform agni-hotra sacrifices as enjoined in the Vedic
literature, but such sacrifices at the present moment are very expensive,
and it is not possible for any householder to perform them. The best sacrifice
recommended in this age is called sankirtana-yajna, the chanting
of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is the best and most inexpensive sacrifice;
everyone can adopt it and derive benefit. So these three items, namely
charity, sense control and performance of sacrifice, are meant for the
householder.
Then
svadhyaya,
Vedic study, and tapas, austerity, and
arjavam, gentleness
or simplicity, are meant for the brahmacarya or student life. Brahmacaris
should have no connection with women; they should live a life of celibacy
and engage the mind in the study of Vedic literature for cultivation of
spiritual knowledge. This is called
svadhyaya.
Tapas or
austerity, is especially meant for the retired life. One must not remain
a householder throughout his whole life; he must always remember that there
are four divisions of life, brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and
sannyasa.
So after grhastha, householder life, one should retire. If one lives
for a hundred years, he should spend twenty-five years in student life,
twenty-five in householder life, twenty-five in retired life and twenty-five
in the renounced order of life. These are the regulations of the Vedic
religious discipline. A man retired from household life must practice austerities
of the body, mind and tongue. That is tapasya. The entire varnasrama-dharma
society is meant for tapasya. Without tapasya or austerity,
no human being can get liberation. The theory that there is no need of
austerity in life, that one can go on speculating and everything will be
nice, is neither recommended in the Vedic literature nor in Bhagavad-gita.
Such theories are manufactured by show-bottle spiritualists who are trying
to gather more followers. If there are restrictions, rules and regulations,
people will not become attracted. Therefore those who want followers in
the name of religion, just to have a show only, don't restrict the lives
of their students nor their own lives. But that method is not approved
by the Vedas.
As far as
simplicity is concerned, not only should a particular order of life follow
this principle, but every member, be he in the brahmacari asrama,
or grhastha asrama, or vanaprastha asrama. One must live
very simply.
Ahimsa
means not arresting the progressive life of any living entity. One should
not think that since the spirit spark is never killed even after the killing
of the body there is no harm in killing animals for sense gratification.
People are now addicted to eating animals, in spite of having an ample
supply of grains, fruits and milk. There is no necessity for animal killing.
This injunction is for everyone. When there is no other alternative, one
may kill an animal, but it should be offered in sacrifice. At any rate,
when there is an ample food supply for humanity, persons who are desiring
to make advancement in spiritual realization should not commit violence
to animals. Real ahimsa means not checking anyone's progressive
life. The animals are also making progress in their evolutionary life by
transmigrating from one category of animal life to another. If a particular
animal is killed, then his progress is checked. If an animal is staying
in a particular body for so many days or so many years and is untimely
killed, then he has to come back again in that form of life to complete
the remaining days in order to be promoted to another species of life.
So their progress should not be checked simply to satisfy one's palate.
This is called ahimsa.
Satyam.
This word means that one should not distort the truth for some personal
interest. In Vedic literature there are some difficult passages, but the
meaning or the purpose should be learned from a bona fide spiritual master.
That is the process for understanding the Vedas. Sruti means
that one should hear from the authority. One should not construe some interpretation
for his personal interest. There are so many commentaries on Bhagavad-gita
that misinterpret the original text. The real import of the word should
be presented, and that should be learned from a bona fide spiritual master.
Akrodha
means to check anger. Even if there is provocation one should be tolerant,
for once one becomes angry his whole body becomes polluted. Anger is a
product of the modes of passion and lust, so one who is transcendentally
situated should check himself from anger. Apaisunam means that one
should not find fault with others or correct them unnecessarily. Of course
to call a thief a thief is not faultfinding, but to call an honest person
a thief is very much offensive for one who is making advancement in spiritual
life. Hri means that one should be very modest and must not perform
some act which is abominable. Acapalam, determination, means that
one should not be agitated or frustrated in some attempt. There may be
failure in some attempt, but one should not be sorry for that; he should
make progress with patience and determination. The word tejah used
here is meant for the ksatriyas. The ksatriyas should always
be very strong to be able to give protection to the weak. They should not
pose themselves as nonviolent. If violence is required, they must exhibit
it.
Saucam
means cleanliness, not only in mind and body but in one's dealings also.
It is especially meant for the mercantile people, who should not deal in
the black market. Nati-manita, not expecting honor, applies to the
sudras,
the worker class, who are considered, according to Vedic injunctions, to
be the lowest of the four classes. They should not be puffed up with unnecessary
prestige or honor and should remain in their own status. It is the duty
of the sudras to offer respect to the higher classes for the upkeep
of the social order.
All these
twenty-six qualifications mentioned are transcendental qualities. They
should be cultivated according to the different statuses of the social
order. The purport is that even though material conditions are miserable,
if these qualities are developed by practice, by all classes of men, then
gradually it is possible to rise to the highest platform of transcendental
realization.
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