PRADYUMNA: Translation: “There
is no work that affects Me; nor do
I aspire for the fruits of action.
One who understands this truth
about Me also does not become
entangled in the fruitive reactions
of work.”
PRABHUPĀDA:
na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me
karma-phale spṛhā iti māṁ yo
’bhijānāti karmabhir na sa
badhyate [Bg. 4.14]
Last night we discussed, cātur-
varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-
karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]
There are two condition of life.
Actually, conditioned life and
non-conditioned life, liberated
life and conditioned life, that is
real nomenclature, “liberated life
and conditioned life.”
Conditioned life means this
material world. We are
conditioned by the laws of
material nature.
Just like we are trying to go to
the moon planet, but we are
conditioned; we cannot go. There
are so many impediments. This is
the nearest planet. Still, because
we are conditioned, we cannot
go. No free access. Otherwise, a
living entity name is sarva-ga.
Sarva-ga(taḥ) sthāṇur acalo ’yam.
Sarva-ga means a living entity
can go anywhere. As we see,
there are so many planets. Why
we cannot go? There are means
also. We are flying in the air, but
we cannot go. This is called
conditioned life.
There are so many instances. Just
like even on this planet if you
want to go to other countries,
say, America, you have to fulfill
so many conditions. Passport,
visa, then P-form and so many
other forms. Not easily. This is
called conditioned life. We have
no freedom to move.
And there is another life which is
life of freedom. Just like Nārada
Muni. Nārada Muni travels
everywhere. He goes in the
spiritual world. He comes in the
material world. In the material
world he can go in any one of the
planets. Sometimes by yogic
practice we can go also, but not
so easily. So there is a life of
freedom. That is spiritual life.
Nitya-mukta, the living entities
who are living, who are residing
in the spiritual world, their
number is greater than the
conditioned soul. Just like some
of our friends or citizens, they are
in the jail. Their number is not as
many as there, we are free.
Similarly, the number of free
living entities in the spiritual
world is greater than the number
of the conditioned souls. A few
only, we are conditioned.
And this conditioned means
karmāṇi. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa
jantur dehopapattaye [SB 3.31.1].
As we are doing work, fruitive
activities, under the influence of a
particular type of modes of
nature, we are getting different
types of bodies, and there are
8,400,000 forms of bodies, and
we are rotating. Because we do
not know, we have forgotten how
to become free from this cycle of
birth and death and
transmigration of the soul. This is
called karma. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo
’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-
bandhanaḥ [Bg. 3.9].
Therefore in the human form of
life we must perform yajña. Yajña
means to satisfy the Supreme
Lord. Yajñārthe, for the sake of
the Supreme Lord, for satisfying
Him, that is our business.
So to do that business in the
previous verse it has been
prescribed that the human
society should be divided into
four classes of men. There are,
but they should be systematically
divided. Just like in any office
there are departments. Without
departmental work, nothing can
be successful. Anywhere you go,
either in the law court or in the
office or anywhere, there must be
departments. Similarly, the
human society must be divided
into four divisions. Not four
division, eight divisions,
varṇāśrama.
In the Vedic literature there is no
such thing as Hindu dharma or
Muslim dharma or Christian
dharma or Buddha dharma.
These are recent manufacture.
Actually, Vedic instruction is to
divide the whole human society
into four varṇas and four
āśramas. That is Vedic dharma,
sanātana-dharma. It is called
sanātana-dharma. A living entity
has got the chance of getting this
human… Labdhvā sudurlabhaṁ
bahu-sambhavānte. Bahu-
sambhavānte means after many,
many births. This present rascal
civilization does not know that
how with great difficulty we have
come to this human form of life
after so many evolutions.
The Darwin’s theory of evolution,
there is some idea, but it is not
clear, not scientific. They are
trying to prove that [it is]
scientific. That is not scientific.
But the evolution theory is there,
8,400,000 species of life. Jalajā
nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-
viṁśati, like that. Bhramadbhiḥ.
We are rotating in this way.
So the human form of life must
be systematized, not live like
animals. So therefore if in the
human society there is no this
systematic division of persons…
The aim is one. It is not that
because one is in the lower
division, he does not get the
benefit, no. Just like in the state,
in an organized state, as we have
seen in foreign countries,
especially in USA, very organized
state, everyone has got the
facility. It doesn’t matter whether
he is rich man or poor man.
Everyone has got.
Similarly, this cātur-varṇyaṁ
mayā sṛṣṭam [Bg. 4.13],
brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya,
śūdra… It doesn’t matter one is
śūdra or one is brāhmaṇa, but
everyone has got the facility to
become connected in
relationship with the Supreme
Lord.
māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye ’pi
syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ striyo vaiśyās
tathā śūdrās te ’pi yānti parāṁ
gatim [Bg. 9.32]
Parāṁ gatim, that is open for
everyone. It is not that because
one is śūdra or one is caṇḍāla, he
is not allowed to enter into the
kingdom of God. Only the
brāhmaṇas are allowed. No, it is
not like that. The same thing,
same example, that in the body
there are four divisions: the head
division, the arm division, the
belly division, and the leg
division. It is not that only the
head get the facilities of living
condition. No. Everyone.
But there must be division. That
is scientific. Otherwise the human
life will be spoiled. That I have
tried to explain last night. There
must be division, because it is
ordained by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. How we
can violate? There must be the
brahminical class, the kṣatriya
class, the vaiśya class and the
śūdra class. Then everything will
be maintained very proficiently.
Because it is karma, karma-yoga.
The material world means you
work, and you enjoy or suffer the
result of your work. This is
material world. Everyone is given
facility, but it is
karmānubandhanaḥ,
karmānubandhanaḥ, just a facility
for the living entities who wanted
to enjoy this material world. This
material world is not wanted.
Everyone should live in the
spiritual world. There is spiritual
world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo
’nyo ’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ
[Bg. 8.20] There is no birth and
death. Yad gatvā na nivartante
tad dhāma [Bg. 15.6]. Everything
is there. People do not know it.
Therefore the karma should be
systematized, and it should be
regulated by brahminical culture,
by kṣatriya culture, by vaiśya
culture, by śūdra culture. But
Kṛṣṇa says that “Don’t think…
Because I have prescribed this for
the systematic life of all the
conditioned soul, it does not
mean I am also one of them.”
Kṛṣṇa is not one of them. And
some foolish rascals they say that
“Kṛṣṇa is also bound up by the
laws of karma.”
No. Kṛṣṇa is… Not only Kṛṣṇa, but
Kṛṣṇa’s devotees also. That is
stated here. Iti māṁ yo ’bhijānāti
karmabhir na sa badhyate [Bg.
4.14]. Simply by knowing, simply
by knowing that Kṛṣṇa is
transcendental. Kṛṣṇa gives us
prescription how to live in this
conditional state, but He is not
one of us. He is not one of us. He
is above, transcendental.
Therefore He says, na māṁ
karmāṇi limpanti.
Because Kṛṣṇa is fighting in the
battlefield… He is not fighting. He
is directing. Still, you may call
that He is inducing Arjuna to
fight. That does not mean he is
becoming entangled in the
karma-phala. Na māṁ karmāṇi
limpanti. Apāpa-vidham. Kṛṣṇa is
killing so many demons. He is not
bound up by karma. Similarly, if
we also become devotee of Kṛṣṇa
and if we abide by His order,
then karma-phala cannot touch
us. This is bhakti. Karmāṇi
nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām
[Bs. 5.54].
That is stated in the Brahma-
saṁhitā. Yas tv indra-gopam
athavendram aho sva-karma-
bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam.
There are millions and millions of
living entities beginning from the
king of heaven who is, whose
name is Indra, yas tv indra-
gopam athavendram aho sva-
karma, beginning from that
Indra… And there is one worm
that is called indra-gopa, very
small. You have to see with
microscope. Very small,
insignificant living entity. And
that Indra, the king of heaven, is
very important living… So
beginning from that Indra up to
this Indra, everyone is bound up
by the fruitive resultant action of
his karma. This is called karma-
phala. Yas tv indra-gopam
athavendram aho sva-karma-
bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam.
Going on under the laws of
karma. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca
bhakti-bhājāṁ govindam ādi-
puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs.
5.54] The go…
Just like Arjuna was hesitating to
fight because he thought that “I
shall be entangled in the karma-
phala if I kill my family men and
my grandfather, my teacher.” So
he was thinking. That was good
consideration, pāpa-puṇya. But
because he fought for Kṛṣṇa,
because he satisfied Kṛṣṇa, he
was not bound up. Yajñārthāt
karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ
karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg. 3.9]. If
you do anything for your
satisfaction, then you become
entangled in the karma-phala.
But if you do anything for the
satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, there is no
karma bondage. This is the
secret. That is clearly stated. Na
māṁ karmāṇi limpanti. He is the
Supreme. He can direct, but He is
not under the direction. He is
free.
Similarly, those who are Kṛṣṇa’s
devotees, they are also free. Yo
mām. Yo mām abhijānāti.
Abhijānāti means one who knows
that “Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, He is not
ordinary human being, He is
nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś
cetanānām, He is the supreme
living entity amongst all living
entities, He is the Supreme Living
Being amongst all living
beings”—that is abhijānāti.
Abhijānāti, know with complete
experience, not superficially. Iti
mām, yo mām abhijānāti.
Abhijānāti means “Knows Me
perfectly well, that ‘Kṛṣṇa is
transcendental.’ ” And that is also
explained by Kṛṣṇa,
māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-
yogena sevate sa guṇān
samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya
kalpate [Bg. 14.26]
So those who are engaged in the
bhakti-yoga, unflinching bhakti-
yoga, unalloyed bhakti-yoga,
such person is above this
material entanglement. Material
entanglement is within the
modes of material nature. That is
brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra,
or brahmacārī, gṛhastha,
vānaprastha, sannyāsa, there is
eight division. From material
condition if you want to be
promoted to the spiritual
platform then these are the
regulated principles. Either you
become brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya,
vaiśya and śūdra, or brahmacārī,
gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa,
and gradually develop your
spiritual constitutional position
and be transferred to the
transcendental position… Paras
tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo ’vyakto
’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg. 8.20] That
is the process.
But if you live in the conditioned
life like animals, then you
continue the life of animals—
eating, sleeping, mating and
defending, and struggle for
existence. Manaḥ
ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni
karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. Then you
struggle within this material
world forever. Sometimes you
become the king Indra, and
sometimes you become that
germ indra. This is karma-phala.
This is karma-phala. But we are
so ignorant of this law of karma,
we are thinking “Now this
position of American or Indian or
this or that, for fifty years or sixty
years, utmost, that is one,
everything, all in all. There is no
more life.” Yes.
I have talked with many big, big
professors. They are under the
impression, atheism, voidism,
that after death there is nothing;
everything is void, finished.
Atheism. Bhasmi-bhūtasya
dehasya punar āgamanaṁ kutaḥ:
“The body is burned into ashes.
Who is coming again?” This is
atheism. Because the atheists,
they cannot see that how the
soul is transmigrated by the
subtle body from one body to
another. They have no… gross,
gross materialists. So we should
not follow the gross materialists,
but we should follow the perfect
leader, Kṛṣṇa, who says, tathā
dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na
muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. This we must
follow. That is human civilization.
Therefore he prescribes that
brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra.
Either you become brāhmaṇa or
follow the instruction of the
brāhmaṇas, then your life is
perfect. Both things are there. If
you like to be brāhmaṇa, that
you can become also. Māṁ hi
pārtha vyapāśritya [Bg. 9.32]. This
is Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement.
Because in this age everyone is a
śūdra, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ…
There is no culture. There is no
brahminical culture, kṣatriya
culture. Therefore all together,
they are simply śūdras. So this
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement
is to raise the śūdras or less than
that. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Plural
number. Striyo vaiśyās tathā
śūdrāḥ. The pāpa-yoni. Also stri
murti is also pāpa-yoni, śūdra
also pāpa-yoni, vaiśya also pāpa-
yoni. It is…. Kṛṣṇa says. But
everyone is open to come to
Him. Every-one. It doesn’t matter.
And there are less than that. Less
than they are called caṇḍālas.
They are also mentioned in the
Bhāgavata. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-
pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā
yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye ’nye ca
pāpāḥ. Again, less than that. Yad-
apāśrayāśrayāḥ śudhyanti. They
can be purified. They can be
purified. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ.
The Lord Viṣṇu is so powerful
that He can make anyone a
purified Vaiṣṇava. That is His
special… It is not that because
one is kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-
pulkaśā or pāpa-yoni, he cannot
be elevated. He can be elevated.
That is possible. Because guṇa-
karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. If you make
him qualified like a brāhmaṇa
and work like a brāhmaṇa, then
he can be elevated. That is Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement. We are
trying to educate anyone. It
doesn’t matter. Because kirāta-
hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā.
Anyone, ye ’nye ca pāpāḥ.
Anyone can be elevated.
So who will do that? Kṛṣṇa says
that “Anyone can be elevated.”
Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye ’pi
syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. So
who will do that? Therefore
Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said….
Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also
Kṛṣṇa. Now,
bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-
janma yāra janma sārthaka kari’
kara para-upakāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]
Indian, this is the duty of the
Indian, bhārata-bhūmi. One who
has taken birth in the holy place
of this Bhārata-varṣa, it is huge
duty: make his life perfect and do
welfare activities for others. This
is India’s business. This is
Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s order.
bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-
janma yāra janma sārthaka kari’
kara para-upakāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]
India is meant for para-upakāra,
not for exploiting others. That is
not India’s business. That may be
for the fools and rascals in other
countries. But in India is
dedicated. Therefore in India
Kṛṣṇa comes, in India Lord
Rāmacandra comes.
But they have now taken it very
cheaply. All rascals and fools and
rogues, they are claiming that “I
am Kṛṣṇa, I am Rām.” They have
taken because India has fallen.
Because there is no brahminical
culture, they cannot understand
these rascals, that the fools and
rascals, they are claiming to be
Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so cheap? No.
That is our misfortune, that
instead of Kṛṣṇa, we are
accepting some imitation, rogue
Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune.
But we should not do that. There
is Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa, in His
words. Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. He is
not different from Kṛṣṇa. The
words of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa, there
is no difference. When you read
Bhagavad-gītā, if you feel like
that, that “Here Kṛṣṇa is speaking
before me,” then your life is
successful. Kṛṣṇa is speaking.
Actually, it is a fact. It is a fact. It
is not that “Kṛṣṇa is no longer
here. Five thousand years He
spoke. Therefore this Bhagavad-
gītā has become null and void.”
This is nonsense. Kṛṣṇa can speak
at every moment, at every
second. Premāñjana-cchurita-
bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva
hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]
Those who are santas… Therefore
it is said here, iti māṁ yo
’bhijānāti. Does He say that
“Simply in this age”? No. At any
time. Iti māṁ yo ’bhijānāti. One
who understands Kṛṣṇa, at any
time, at any place, iti māṁ yo
’bhijānāti karmabhir na sa
badhyate [Bg. 4.14],” he comes
liberated person, simply by this
understanding that Kṛṣṇa is the
Supreme Lord. He is not bound
up by the laws of karma and He
is not conditioned by this
material nature.”
Kṛṣṇa says, daivī hy eṣā guṇa-
mayī mama māyā duratyayā.
Mama māyā. Māyā is under His
control. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
[Bg. 9.10]. Mayādhyakṣeṇa
prakṛtiḥ. Prakṛti is working under
His direction, under His
superintendence. So we should
know Kṛṣṇa like that. We should
not…. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg.
9.11]. Because He is speaking like
a man, we are thinking that Kṛṣṇa
came, and Kṛṣṇa is now dead,
and His instruction is also dead,
obsolete. No, that is not. Kṛṣṇa is
ever-existing, nityo nityānām. We
are also ever-existing. We are
covered by this material body,
but Kṛṣṇa is not covered by the
material body. He comes in His
original body. Sambhavāmy
ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]. Yuge
yuge sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā
[Bg. 4.6]. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8] So
Kṛṣṇa comes to save us and gives
us His instruction so that after His
disappearance from this world,
people will take advantage of His
instruction and make his life
perfect. This is Bhagavad-gītā.
But if we misuse our intelligence
and do not take advice from
Kṛṣṇa and manufacture so many
plans for prosperity, that will all
fail. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo
mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ [Bg. 9.12].
That is moghāśā. Mogha means
frustrated. They will be frustrated.
Moghāśā. Anyone who does not
take the direction of Kṛṣṇa, then
whatever he is hoping, that will
be frustrated. Moghāśā mogha-
karmāṇaḥ. And whatever he is
planning, “I will do like this, he
will do like that,” that will not
stay. Because the māyā is there.
Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama
māyā duratyayā. Māyā will kill all
your plans. Mām eva ye
prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti
te [Bg. 7.14]. And if you follow
Kṛṣṇa and do accordingly, then
you will not be frustrated. Your
life will be successful. This is the
philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā.
Therefore we are trying our little
efforts, how to establish the truth
described in the Bhagavad-gītā.
So do not take this Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement very
lightly. Take it seriously and try to
understand, and your life will be
successful. Thank you very much.