Prabhupäda:

ya enaà vetti hantäraà
yaç cainaà manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijänéto
näyaà hanti na hanyate
[Bg. 2.19]

"He who thinks that the living entity is the slayer or that he is slain does not understand. One who is in knowledge knows that the self slays not nor is slain."

na jäyate mriyate vä kadäcin
näyaà bhütvä bhavitä vä na bhüyaù
ajo nityaù çäçvato 'yaà puräëo
na hanyate hanyamäne çarére
[Bg. 2.20]

"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

So, in different ways, Kåñëa is trying to convince us how the soul is immortal. Different ways. Ya enaà vetti hantäram [Bg. 2.19]. When there is fight, so if one is killed or... So Kåñëa says that if one thinks that "This man has killed this man," so, or "This man can kill this man," this kind of knowledge is not perfect. Nobody kills nobody. Then the butchers, they may say that "Then why do you complain that we are killing?" They're killing the body, but you cannot kill when there is injunction "Thou shall not kill." That means you cannot kill the body even without sanction. You cannot kill. Although the soul is not killed, the body is killed, still you cannot kill the body without sanction. That is sinful. For example, that a man is living in some apartment. So some way or other you drive him away from that, illegally, you drive him away. So the man will go out and will take shelter somewhere. That's a fact. But because you have driven him away from his bona fide position, you are criminal. You cannot say, "Although I have driven away, he'll get some place." No. That's all right, but you have no power to drive him away. He was in his legal position to live in that apartment, and because you have forcibly driven him away you are criminal, you should be punished.

So this argument the butchers or the animal killers or any kind of killer, they cannot put argument. That "Here, Bhagavad-gétä says that soul is never killed, na hanyate hanyamäne çarére [Bg. 2.20], even after destroying the body. So why you are complaining that we are killing?" So this is the argument, that you cannot even kill the body. That is not allowed. That is sinful. Ubhau tau na vijänéto näyaà hanti na hanyate. So nobody kills anybody, neither anybody is killed by others. This is one thing. Again, in a different way, Kåñëa says, na jäyate: the living entity never takes birth. The birth is of the body or the death is of the body. Living entity, the spiritual spark, then that being Kåñëa's part and parcel, as Kåñëa does not take birth, does not die... Ajo 'pi sann avyayätmä. You'll find in the Fourth Chapter. Ajo 'pi. Kåñëa is aja. Aja means who never takes birth. Similarly, we being part and parcel of Kåñëa, we also never take birth. The birth and death is of this body, and we are so absorbed in the bodily concept of life that when there is birth or death of the body we feel the pains and pleasures. There is no pleasure of course. Birth and death, it is very painful. Because... That is already explained. The consciousness of the soul is spread all over the body. Therefore, the pains and pleasures felt on account of this body. So Kåñëa has already advised that such kinds of pains and pleasure, mäträ-sparçäs tu kaunteya, touching the skin only, one should not be very much bothered. Täàs titikñasva bhärata. In this way if we think about our position, self-realization, how we are different from the body... Actually, this is meditation. If we think very seriously about ourselves and about the body, that is self-realization. Self-realization means I am not this body, I am ahaà brahmäsmi, I am spirit soul. That is self-realization.

So na jäyate na mriyate vä kadäcit. Kadäcit means at anytime, past, present, and future, kadäcit. In the past, it is already explained, in the past we existed, maybe in a different body. At present, we are existing, and in the future also, we shall exist, continue to exist, maybe in a different body. Maybe, not. Actually. Tathä dehäntara-präptiù, because after giving us this body, we have to accept another body. So this is going on. And ignorance, without knowledge of self, we are being kept in ignorance. The so-called educational system, all over the world, there is no such education. They are kept in darkness and ignorance and still so much money is being spent, especially in the Western countries. They have got money, big, big high schools, but what is the production? All fools and rascals. That's all. Because they do not know. They have no idea what is self. And without this knowledge... Knowledge means self-realization, that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." That is knowledge. And knowledge how to eat, how to sleep, how to defend, how to enjoy sex life, and volumes of books on this subject matter, these are not knowledge. They are known even by the cats and dogs. The cats and dogs never read Freud's philosophy, but they know how to enjoy sex life.

So this dog's philosophy will not help you, that "I have got this body, and how to enjoy the bodily sex life." This is dog philosophy. A dog knows all these things. Your philosophy should be how to refrain from sex life. That is knowledge. Tapo divyam. Tapasya. This human life is meant for tapasya, to refrain from sense gratification. That is knowledge. Not that how to enjoy sex life or sense gratification. This is known to cats and dogs without any education, without any philosophy. The philosophy, pravåttiù eñaà bhütänäà nivåtes tu mahä-phalam.(?) Pravåtti, every living entity has got this pravåtti, means propensity. What is that? Sense enjoyment. Loke vyaväya 'miña mada-sevä nityas tu jantuù.(?) Jantuù means living being. Nitya, always, he has got the propensity, vyaväya ämiña mada-sevä. Vyaväya. Vyaväya means sex life and ämiña means meat-eating. Vyaväya ämiña, mada-sevä, and intoxication. These are natural instincts of all living entities, even amongst the ants these propensities are there. Those who have studied... The ants are very much fond of being intoxicated. Therefore, they find out sweet, sugar. Sweet is intoxication. Perhaps you know, all. The liquor is made from sugar. Sugar is fermented with acid, sulphuric acid, and then it is distilled. That is liquor. Therefore too much sweet eating is prohibited.

So loke vyaväya ämiña mada-sevä nityas tu jantuù. This is propensity. Material life means every living entity has got these propensities. But they have to be restricted. Pravåttiù eñaà bhütänäm.(?) That is natural instinct. But if you can stop them, that is your excellence. That is called tapasya. Tapasya means I have got naturally some propensity, but that is not good. Not good in this sense, if we continue that propensity, then we have to accept this material body. This is the law of nature. There is a verse, pramattaù. What is called, that...? Now I'm forgetting that. That everyone is mad, mad after sense gratification. Na sädhu manye yata ätmano 'yam asann api kleçada äsa dehaù. So long we'll continue this propensity of sense enjoyment, you'll have to accept body. That is birth and death. So long. Therefore, the process should be how to make zero all these propensities. That is perfection. Not to enhance it. Nünaà pramattaù kurute vikarma yad indriya-prétaya äpåëoti [SB 5.5.4]. Nünam, alas, indeed, pramattaù, these madmen. They are mad, those who are after these propensities, vyaväya ämiña mada-sevä, sex, intoxication and meat-eating. They're all madmen. Pramattaù. Nünaà pramattaù kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Vikarma means activities which are prohibited. We see, for these three things, ämiña-mada-sevayä, for sex life, for meat-eating, for drinking, people are working. Not only working, dishonestly working. How to get money, how to get money, the black market, white market, this, that, only for these three things: ämiña-mada-sevä. Meat-eating, intoxication. [break] Why? Ämiña-mada-sevayä. Simply for this sex, meat-eating and drinking. Ämiña-mada-sevayä. In the Vedic literature, they have studied analytically, not now, since very, very long time. You see? This is natural inclination. The creation is not new. There were many, many creations.

So all the records are there. So it is not new thing. Therefore, nünaà pramattaù kurute vikarma yad indriya-prétaya äpåëoti [SB 5.5.4]. This is the instruction of Åñabhadeva to His sons. "My dear sons, don't be misled. These rascal fools, they have become mad after these things, meat-eating, intoxication and sex life." Na sädhu manye, "It is not good at all." Na sädhu manye. "I don't allow, I don't say it is very good. It is not at all good." Na sädhu manye. "Why it is not good? We are enjoying life." Yes, you are enjoying now, but yata ätmano 'yam asann api kleçada äsa dehaù [SB 5.5.4]. So long you will continue with these things, you'll have to accept body, and when you accept body, there must be birth, there must be death, there must be disease, and there must be, what is called, old age. You'll suffer. You'll suffer. But your actual position is na jäyate. You do not take birth, but you have conditioned yourself to take birth. Actually, your position is no birth, eternal life. As Kåñëa is eternal, similarly, every one of us we are eternal because we are part and parcel of Kåñëa-the same quality. As Kåñëa is sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù [Bs. 5.1], He is form, transcendental form, eternal form, full of knowledge, full of bliss, similarly we are also, although particle, the same quality. Therefore it is said, na jäyate. This problem, this rascal civilization, they cannot understand that I am eternal, I am put into this condition of birth and death. No rascal understands. So-called philosophers, scientists, all of them, therefore rascals, fools. Reject them. Reject them immediately. That working hard. The same: nünaà pramattaù kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Just like madman works. What is the value of madman's work? If he's busy whole day and night, I am very busy. So what you are sir? You are a madman. Your brain is cracked, crazy. So what is the value of your work? But this is going on.

So Kåñëa consciousness, you just imagine how important movement it is. It is the best welfare activities for the human society. They are all fools and rascals, and they have no knowledge, ignorant of their constitutional position, and they are unnecessarily working hard day and night. Therefore they have been said, müòha. Müòha means ass. The ass works day and night for the washerman for little grass. Grass is available everywhere, but he, still, he thinks that "If I do not work for the washerman, very hard, I'll not get this grass." This is called ass. Therefore, when one becomes intelligent after cultivating knowledge, one becomes intelligent by and by. First of all brahmacäré. Then, if one cannot remain a brahmacäré, all right, take a wife, gåhastha. Then give up, vänaprastha. Then take sannyäsa. This is the process. The müòha, they'll work day and night for sense gratification. Therefore, at a certain period of life, that stupidity should be given up and taken sannyäsa. No, finished. That is sannyäsa. Now this portion of life should be completely for Kåñëa's service. That is real sannyäsa. Anäçritaù karma-phalaà käryaà karma karoti yaù. It is my duty to serve Kåñëa, I am eternal servant of... Käryam. Must I do it, must I serve Kåñëa. That is my position. That is sannyäsa. Anäçritaù karma-phalaà käryam karma karoti yaù. The karmés, they are expecting some good result for sense gratification. That is karmé. And sannyäsé means... They are also working very hard, but not for sense gratification. For the satisfaction of Kåñëa. That is sannyäsa. This is sannyäsa and karmé. Karmé also works very hard, harder and harder but all for this ämiña-mada-sevä. Ämiña-mada-sevä. Vyaväya, only for sex life, eating meat, and intoxication. And a devotee works in the same way, hard, but for Kåñëa's satisfaction. This is the difference. And if you, one life before, like this, no more sense gratification, simply for Kåñëa, then you come to this position, na jäyate, no more death, no more birth. Because your position is na jäyate na... That is your actual position. But because you are in ignorance, pramattaù, you have become mad, you have become crazy; therefore you have taken to this process of sense gratification. Therefore you are entangled in a material body, and the body is changing. That is called birth and death.

So if you stop, if you want to stop this birth and death, don't indulge in sense gratification. Then again entangle.

nünaà pramattaù kurute vikarma
yad indriya-prétaya äpåëoti
na sädhu manye yata ätmano 'yam
asann api kleçada äsa dehaù
[SB 5.5.4]

"All right, this body is for few years, it will be ended." And that's all right. It will be ended, but you'll have to accept another body. The body, accepting the (or) accepting another body, you have to because you have got desire, sense gratification. So sense gratification means you must have material senses to gratify. So Kåñëa is so pleased, so merciful, not pleased, but He's very merciful, "All right, this rascal wants like this. Give him this facility. All right. This rascal wants to eat stool. All right. Let him have a body of pig." This is going on, nature's law.

So this knowledge, Bhagavad-gétä knowledge, is so perfect for the human society. And Kåñëa wants that this knowledge should be spread because everybody, sarva-yoniñu kaunteya sambhavanti mürtayaù... [Bg. 14.4]. He's the seed-giving father. Father is naturally well-wisher that: "These rascals, they are suffering, prakåti-sthäni. Manaù ñañöhänéndriyäëi prakåti-sthäni karñati [Bg. 15.7]. Simply by, guided by mental speculation, manaù, and assisted by the senses, they are struggling so hard. And if they come back to Me they can live so nicely, as My friend, as My lover, as My father, as My mother, Våndävana. So claim again, call them." That... Therefore, Kåñëa comes. Yadä yadä hi dharmasya [Bg. 4.7]. Because the whole world is running on under the false impression of sense enjoyment, therefore He comes and advises, sarva-dharmän parityajya: [Bg. 18.66] "You rascal, give up all this engagement. Don't be proud that you are scientifically advanced. You are all rascals. Give up this nonsense. Come to Me. I'll give you protection." This is Kåñëa. How merciful He is. And the same business should be done by Kåñëa's servant. Not to become a great yogi, magic player. No, that is not required. Simply speak what Kåñëa says. Then you become spiritual master. Don't speak anything nonsense. Caitanya Mahäprabhu also said, yäre dekha täre kaha 'kåñëa'-upadeça [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Simply you preach the instruction of Kåñëa, whomever you meet. Then you become spiritual master. That's all. Very simple thing.