Pradyumna: (leads chanting) Translation: "Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions and acts only for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is not affected by sinful reactions."

Prabhupäda:

niräçér yata-cittätmä
tyakta-sarva-parigrahaù
çäréraà kevalaà karma
kurvan näpnoti kilbiñam

This is required in human life. It is not forbidden, that "You starve," no. That is not stated in the çästra: Yävad artha-vinirëayam. To keep your health and body, and the body and the soul together, you must live very nicely so that you may not be diseased. Because this human form of life is meant for making progress so that all the problems of life may be solved. It is required. Yukta. Yuktähära-vihärasya. In another place, yuktähära-vihärasya yogo bhavati siddhi-da.

When one becomes yogi.... Our real purpose of life is to become yogi. Yogi means to reestablish our connection, our lost connection, with God. At the present moment, in our material condition, we have forgotten our relationship, our eternal relationship with Kåñëa, or God.

nitya-siddha kåñëa-bhakti sädhya kabhu naya
çravaëädi-çuddha-citte karaye udaya

The kåñëa-bhakti, our love for Kåñëa, is there eternally. But on account of our contamination with this material world, we have forgotten our relationship.

Just like a madman, he forgets his relationship with the family. He loiters in the street. He eats anywhere and everywhere and all rubbish things. Although he may have a very rich father, well-to-do family, but forgetting.... Madness means forgetfulness of his real life. So we are now forgetful of our real life. This has been also exemplified by a Vaiñëava poet,

piçäcé päile yena mati-cchanna haya
mäyä-grasta jévera haya se bhäva udaya

Piçäcé. When a man is haunted by ghosts, as he speaks all nonsense, he cannot recognize his father, mother or relative.... Sometimes he calls them by ill names. On account of being ghostly haunted. Piçäcé päile.

Similarly, in the conditioned state, under the influence of mäyä, we are also talking so many nonsense things, "I belong to this family, I belong to this nation, I belong to this community, my business is this," simply forgetting Kåñëa consciousness. All other business, he will remember, but when he is requested to become Kåñëa conscious, to understand Kåñëa, he doesn't like it. Except Kåñëa consciousness, he will take all responsibility and work hard for that purpose. This is called mäyä-grasta jéva. So niräçéù, now, to go to our original position, that is called tapasya. Tapasya means to revive our original normal life of Kåñëa consciousness. That is called tapasya. This tapasya is not possible by the cats and dogs or animals. Tapasya is meant for the human being. Therefore the human life is called durlabha-janma. Durlabhaà mänuñaà janma tad apy arthadam adhruvam.

Prahläda Mahäräja said,

kaumära äcaret präjïo
dharmän bhägavatän iha
durlabhaà mänuñaà janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
[SB 7.6.1]

He advised his class friends, "My dear friends, from childhood we shall learn the science of Bhägavata-dharma. Bhägavata-dharma means to reestablish our lost relationship with Bhagavän, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And this can be solved in this human form.

Therefore education of Kåñëa consciousness should be given from the very childhood, kaumära. Kaumära means from the age of fifth year up to the tenth year. This is called kaumära age. So we have opened our school in Texas. We are training very nicely all these children, and they are very learned. Children, as you teach them, they learn. They are innocent. Unfortunately, we do not give them training about Kåñëa consciousness. We give them education for sense gratification, how you can earn money, economic development.

Economic development means to get more money and to satisfy senses more and more. This is the modern theory. But Kåñëa says that to achieve the perfection of life, one should be niräçéù. Niräçéù means unnecessarily desiring for sense gratification, unnecessarily. Everyone has got right to live and live nicely. For that purpose there is sufficient arrangement by the Lord. Eko yo bahünäà vidadhäti kämän. There is sufficient arrangement. No living being will starve. There is such arrangement. But when we forget more and more Kåñëa and God, nature will punish. There will be restriction of supply of foodstuffs. That is nature's law.

daivé hy eñä guëa-mayé
mama mäyä duratyayä
mäm eva ye prapadyante
mäyäm etäà taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]

So present crisis, food crisis...

Everything is described in the Bhagavad-gétä. Bhagavad-gétä does not say that "You live by breathing air." No. Bhagavad-gétä says, annäd bhavanti bhütäni. Anna. Anna means food grains. There is necessity of food grain. Annäd bhavanti bhütäni. Bhagavad-gétä never says that "you don't require to eat. You simply breathe air and practice yoga." No. But we must eat neither more, nor less. That is recommended. Yuktähära-vihärasya. We should not eat more, nor less. And niräçéù. Niräçéù means desireless of extravagance. Now we are desiring for sense gratification more and more. That is not wanted. If you want perfection of life.... This is called tapasya.

One has got the desire, but he should not desire unnecessarily. Everyone has got the right to eat, even the animals. Everyone has got the right. But because we are desiring to enjoy more, therefore we do not give the chance to the animals to live properly; rather, we are trying to eat the animals. This is not required. This is called niräçéù. Why you should eat animals? That is uncivilized life. When there is no food, when they are aborigines, they may eat animals, because they do not know how to grow food. But when the human society becomes civilized, he can grow so many nice foods, he can keep the cows, instead of eating the cows. He can get milk, sufficient milk. We can make so many preparation from milk and grains. So we should not desire unnecessarily to enjoy more.

Then it is said here, kurvan näpnoti kilbiñam. Kilbiñam means resultant action of sinful life. Kilbiñam. So if we don't desire more than our necessary, then we are not implicated, involved in sinful activity, kurvan api, even though he is engaged in working. While you are working, knowingly or unknowingly, you have to commit something which is not pious, even sinful, but if you simply desire for living properly, then kurvan näpnoti kilbiñam. Our life should be without any sinful reaction. Otherwise we will have to suffer. But they do not believe, although they are seeing so many abominable lives. Wherefrom they are coming, 8,400,000 species of life? There are so many lives living very abominable condition. Of course, the animal or the living creature does not know, but we human being, we should know why this abominable life. It is mäyä's illusion.

Even one is.... Just like a pig is living in a very filthy condition, eating stool, and still, he is thinking very happy, and therefore he is getting fat. When one feels happy, "I am very happy," he becomes fatty. So you will find these pigs, they are very much fatty, but what they eat? They eat stool and live in a filthy place. But they think that "We are very happy." So that is mäyä's illusion. Anyone who is living in a very abominable condition of life, mäyä, by illusion, he is thinking that he is all right, he is living very perfectly. But a person who is on the higher stage, he sees that he is living in a very abominable condition.

So this illusion is there, but by knowledge, by good association, by taking instruction from the çästra, from guru, from saintly persons, one should understand what is the value of life and live like that. So this is instructed by Kåñëa, that niräçéù, one should be unnecessarily desireful, more than his necessities of life. This is called niräçéù. Niräçéù. Another meaning is that not very much fond of material enjoyment. And that is possible when he is in full knowledge that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. My necessity is how to advance in spiritual knowledge." Then he can become niräçéù. These are the items for tapasya, austerity, penance.

People have forgotten now. They do not know what is the austerities. But the human life is meant for that purpose. Tapo divyaà putrakä yena çuddhyet sattvaà yena brahma-saukhyam anantam. These are the instruction of the çästra. The human life is meant for tapasya. And tapasya...

Therefore in the Vedic way of life the beginning of life is tapasya, brahmacäré, brahmacäré. A student is sent to gurukula for practicing brahmacarya. This is tapasya, not comfortable life. Lying down on the floor, going door-to-door for begging alms for guru. But they are not tired. Because they are children, if they are trained these austerities, they become to practice. They call all woman, "Mother." "Mother, give me some alms." And they come back to guru's place. Everything belongs to guru. This brahmacäré life. This is tapasya. Tapo divyam. That is Vedic civilization, that children should be from the very beginning of life trained up in tapasya, brahmacarya. Celibacy. A brahmacäré cannot see any young woman. Even the guru's wife is young, he cannot go to the guru's wife. These are the restriction. Now where is that brahmacarya? No brahmacäré. This is Kali-yuga. No tapasya.

But according to Vedic civilization, varëäçrama-dharma. Vedic civilization means four varëas and four äçramas. Brähmaëa, kñatriya, vaiçya, çüdra. We have begin. We have began our lecture on the basis, cätur-varëyaà mayä såñöaà guëa-karma-vibhägaçaù [Bg. 4.13]. So this is civilization. Unless one comes to this standard of civilization, varëäçrama-dharma, that is animal civilization. So we prefer animal civilization. Therefore we are living like animal also, fighting like cats and dogs and suffering like cats and dogs also. This is the position. Niräçér yata-cittätmä. Control. I shall accept as much as I require, not more than that, not less than that. Controlling the citta, intelligence, and ätmä, mind or self, self-control.

Niräçér yata-cittätmä tyakta-sarva-parigrahaù. Parigrahaù means unnecessarily collecting something, atyähäraù. Atyähäraù prayäsaù... Çré Rüpa Gosvämé has given definition how bhakti is killed:

atyähäraù prayäsaç ca
prajalpo niyamägrahaù
jana-saìgaç ca laulyaà ca
ñaòbhir bhaktir vinaçyati

If you want to advance in spiritual life, bhakti-yoga, then you should avoid all these things, six kinds of, ñaòbhiù, six kind. Bhaktir vinaçyati.

What is that? Atyähäraù, eating more than you require. Actually, we should not eat unless we are very hungry. That is good eating. In.... When you are hungry, you can eat any ordinary things. Still, you feel very satisfactory. So not routine eating. Routine eating must be there. We should not eat more than that. But the best principle is that if we do not feel hungry, we should not eat. But if there is no hunger and at the same time no appetite and we eat, that brings indigestion, dysentery, indigestion. So why should we accept that? Therefore it is forbidden, atyähäraù. Ähära means eating. Eating more than required or ähära means collecting also. Collecting more than necessity.

Atyähäraù prayäsaç ca. Prayäsaù means things which are done with great endeavor. No. We shall accept things which are very easily done. Not to waste our energy unnecessarily.

Atyähäraù prayäsaù, prajalpaù, talking all nonsense, sitting together and on the newspaper, "Oh, such politician said like this, such social worker..." All nonsense. Practically you try to avoid all this newspaper reading or talking of nonsense subject matter. That is called prajalpa.

Atyähäraù prayäsaç ca prajalpo niyamägrahaù. Niyamägrahaù means niyama, scheduled rules and regulation, not to accept. Niyama ägraha or niyama agraha. Ägraha means unnecessarily ägraha, but without any result. That is called niyamägrahaù. You must follow the rules regulation so that you are benefitted. But if you are not benefitted simply by following the rules and regulation, that is ägraha, only for the rules and regulation, not for the result. We must see that there is result. Niyamägrahaù.

Jana-saìgaç ca, to associate with unwanted people. You must associate with devotees, not others. They are called.... laulya, jana-saìgaç ca.

And laulyam, greediness, ñaòbhir bhaktir vinaçyati.

If you are a student of devotional service, you must avoid all these things. And just the opposite number,

utsähän niçcayäd dhairyät
tat-tat-karma-pravartanät
saìga-tyägät sato våtteù
ñaòbhir bhaktiù prasidhyati

Prasidhyati means you increase. What is that? Utsäha, endeavor. "In this life I must fulfill my mission of Kåñëa consciousness." That is called utsäha. Dhairya. Don't be agitated because it is not giving result immediately. Just patiently go on working.

Utsähäd dhairyän niçcayät. Niçcayät means to have full faith in the words of Kåñëa. Kåñëa says, kaunteya pratijänéhi na me bhaktaù praëaçyati. This is called full faith, that "Kåñëa has said that if I am in devotional service, I will never be lost. Kåñëa will give me protection. Kåñëa says." Ahaà tväà sarva-päpebhyo mokñayiñyämi. To have faith, this is called surrender. Not that, "Oh, Kåñëa says, but may not be able to protect me." No. Kåñëa is able. He is all-powerful, omnipotent. He can give you protection. When He says that ahaà tväà sarva-päpebhyo mokñayiñyämi, that is a fact. This is called niçcayät. "Certainly Kåñëa will give me protection." Not that "Because I do not see Kåñëa, I do not know whether Kåñëa will give me protection." No. That word is sufficient. This is called niçcayät. Utsähäd dhairyän niçcayäd tat-tat-karma-pravartanät.

But you must follow the rules and regulation as it is enjoined in the çästra. Not that "Kåñëa will give me protection and I may do whatever I like. I can eat anything I like, I can do anything I like." Just some rascal advises that "There is no such thing, restriction, in the self realization. You can eat anything, you can do anything." People like that program. And as soon as there is restriction, they do not like. Because we put so many restriction, I am called in the western world, "Swamiji, you are very conservative." So we have to become conservative, follow the rules. Not that we give liberty, that "Whatever you like, you do, and at the same time you make progress, spiritual life." That is not possible.

Because spiritual life means tapasya. Formerly great, great saintly persons, they underwent very, very severe tapasya for thousands of years, hundreds of years. Then they attained success. In the Kali-yuga it is not possible to undergo such severe tapasya. There is concession. The concession is that you live a pure life and chant Hare Kåñëa mantra. This will make sufficient. A pure life: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. This is pure life. These boys and girls who have joined this movement, they have given up. They are not dying. Nobody will die if he lives a pure life. Anyone will make progress. Tapasä brahmacaryeëa [SB 6.1.13]. These are the injunction of the çästra. If you want to be happy, this is the.... Tapo divyaà putrakä yena çuddhyet sattvam.

Sattva means my existence. At the present moment my existence is not çuddha, purified. Just like if your health is contaminated, then you get some disease. So for the soul, the living entity, this disease, janma-måtyu-jarä-vyädhi-duùkha-doñänudarçanam, this is a kind of disease.

Now, it is a fact because the soul is eternal. Nityaù çäçvato 'yaà na hanyate hanyamäne çarére [Bg. 2.20]. The soul is eternal. It does not die. It does not annihilate after destruction of the body, but there is change of body, måtyu. Janma-måtyu means change of body. Tathä dehäntara-präptiù. So people should be intelligent to know, "Why I shall undergo this tribulation of repetition of birth and death?" But they do not know it. There is life without birth and death. Tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. After giving up this body, no more taking birth again with this material body. There is a life like that. We get this information. Why should we not fulfill this mission of life in this human form of life? Why unnecessarily desire so many sense gratification? This is called tapasya. If one life we have enjoyed the sense gratification.... Sense gratification, ähära-nidrä-bhaya-maithunaà ca. Eating, sleeping, sex life and protection from fearfulness. Now this has been done in so many lives. Why not in this life make a perfect process so that no more death, no more birth, no more disease, no more old age?

They think it is all utopian. But we don't think. We believe in the words of Kåñëa, words of the çästra. And we are trying to accept it, practice it and preach it. This is Kåñëa consciousness movement, tapo divyaà yena çuddhyet sattvam. Then why we should be interested to purify our existence? Yena brahma-saukhyam anantam. You are after happiness. So this happiness, the temporary happiness, sense gratification, this is not happiness. Sukham ätyantikaà yat tad aténdriya-grähyam.

Real happiness-beyond this material sense gratification. That is real happiness. So we should search after that happiness.

ramante yogino 'nante
satyänande cid-ätmani
iti räma-padenäsau
paraà brahmäbhidhéyate

Real happiness is to enjoy with Räma, enjoy with Kåñëa. What is that enjoyment? Kåñëa is the master. He orders, and you perform the order. That is enjoyment. Master and servant. Not as master, as servant. That is our enjoyment. Just like a faithful servant and a rich master, the reciprocation is service. The master is also satisfied by the service of the servant, and the servant is also satisfied, giving service to the master. This is our relation. Jévera svarüpa haya--nitya-kåñëa-däsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Unfortunately we are trying to become master. Instead of submitting ourself to become the eternal.... We are eternal servant. We cannot be master. If we do not become servant of Kåñëa, then we have to become the servant of our senses. That's all. Servant we must have. As you become servant of Kåñëa, then automatically you become master of your senses, because senses cannot allure you for satisfaction of the senses, because senses are engaged.

sarvopädhi-vinirmuktaà
tat-paratvena nirmalam
håñékeëa håñékeça-
sevanaà bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

Håñékeça. Kåñëa's another name is Håñékeça. So Håñékeça, when.... Håñéka means senses. When we engage our senses in the service of the master of the senses, that is called bhakti. And as soon as we engage our senses with upädhi, sarvopädhi... We have got so many upädhis. "I am this," "I am that," "I am human being," "I am cat," "I am dog," "I am brähmaëa," "I am çüdra," "I am American," "I am Indian." These are all upädhis. So sarvopädhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When one becomes free from all these upädhis. So sarvopädhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When one becomes free from all these upädhis, he understands that "I am spirit soul," ahaà brahmäsmi; "Therefore my business is to reciprocate transaction with the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman."

Mäyävädé philosophers, they do not know that there is relationship that the Parabrahman and Brahman can be engaged in loving transaction. That they do not understand. They think that Brahman, when merges into the existence of Parabrahman, then business is finished. No. Business is not finished. Because we are individuals. It is not possible to remain without any activity. That is theory, that without any activity we can remain. That is not possible. And if we have no information of the spiritual activity, then we have to come back again to this material activity. That is practical example. There are many sannyäsés. They so-called merging into Brahman, but they come back in material activities, in politics, in sociology and so on. So therefore these instructions are very valuable. niräçér yata-cittätmä tyakta-sarva-parigrahaù çäréraà kevalaà karma. Çäréra, just to maintain your body. Be satisfied. Whatever is supplied by Kåñëa, be satisfied. Don't aspire more and more. Save time for advancing in Kåñëa consciousness.... [break].... so that you can, with great enthusiasm, you can make progress in Kåñëa consciousness. Çäréraà kevalam. Not for sense gratification.

You have to eat. These things are eatable: food grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar. That's all. Why should we eat nonsense things? This will keep your health very nice. Sättvikähära. And you can prepare so many nice preparations within this jurisdiction. Why should you go and kill animals for the satisfaction of the tongue? That is not allowed. Then you will be again entangled. Otherwise, to keep your body in nice condition, you eat all these things which is meant for the human being. Then you will keep fit and save time for advancement in Kåñëa consciousness. And if you become always engaged for sense gratification, go on working, working, working, then go to the restaurant, eat, drink and make your body agitated, then find out liquor and woman, what is this life? This is not life. This is animal life.