Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:   Chapter 6 - Dhyana-yoga

TEXT 17

   yuktahara-viharasya
   yukta-cestasya karmasu
   yukta-svapnavabodhasya
   yogo bhavati duhkha-ha

   WORD FOR WORD
   yukta--regulated; ahara--eating; viharasya--recreation; yukta--regulated; cestasya--of one who works for maintenance; karmasu--in discharging duties; yukta--regulated; svapna-avabodhasya--sleep and wakefulness; yogah--practice of yoga; bhavati--becomes; duhkha-ha--diminishing pains.
 
TRANSLATION
   He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.
 
PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
   Extravagance in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending and mating--which are demands of the body--can block advancement in the practice of yoga. As far as eating is concerned, it can be regulated only when one is practiced to take and accept prasadam, sanctified food. Lord Krsna is offered, according to the Bhagavad-gita (9.26), vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains, milk, etc. In this way, a person in Krsna consciousness becomes automatically trained not to accept food not meant for human consumption, or not in the category of goodness. As far as sleeping is concerned, a Krsna conscious person is always alert in the discharge of his duties in Krsna consciousness, and therefore any unnecessary time spent sleeping is considered a great loss. Avyartha-kalatvam: a Krsna conscious person cannot bear to pass a minute of his life without being engaged in the service of the Lord. Therefore, his sleeping is kept to a minimum. His ideal in this respect is Srila Rupa Gosvami, who was always engaged in the service of Krsna and who could not sleep more than two hours a day, and sometimes not even that. Thakura Haridasa would not even accept prasadam nor even sleep for a moment without finishing his daily routine of chanting with his beads three hundred thousand names. As far as work is concerned, a Krsna conscious person does not do anything which is not connected with Krsna's interest, and thus his work is always regulated and is untainted by sense gratification. Since there is no question of sense gratification, there is no material leisure for a person in Krsna consciousness. And because he is regulated in all his work, speech, sleep, wakefulness and all other bodily activities, there is no material misery for him.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

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Prabhupada Uvacha:
(here's some nectar, sometimes it comes in the form of Srutakirti prabhu's diary, other times from Govinda dasi's diary, Hari Sauri prabhu's Transcendental Diary, Bhurijan prabhu's book, or sometimes from a letter, or other related source, but still nectar...)

Why Haven't You Brought Me What I Want?

Srila Prabhupada always accepted food cooked by his sister Pisima, even though he knew that the oil and spices she used made him sick. Because she was very devoted to Srila Prabhupada, he ate her cooked offerings of food as if it were ordained by Krsna.
But sometimes he would confide to others that he shouldn't eat what Pisima cooked. One time in Mayapur when Prabhupada told his disciple Palika that he did not want to eat Pisima's cooking, Palika tried to satisfy Prabhupada by bringing him what he wanted.
When Palika brought in Prabhupada's lunch and he saw that it was made up exclusively of offerings by Pisima, he became angry.
"Why haven't you brought me what I want?"
"Pisima was there," said Palika. "What could I do? She hid the dal."
"All right," said Prabhupada, "try tomorrow. I'll tell you what I want and you cook it."
But the next day it was the same thing. Pisima was using chilies and spices, and Prabhupada was actually beginning to get sick from them. Palika tried hiding the chilies, and Pisima hid Palika's vegetables. Soon there was no communication at all between the two women.
Prabhupada's Bengali disciples Bhakti-caru and Nitaicand were brought in to make peace between Pisima and Palika, but Pisima wouldn't discuss a thing. She said that whatever she cooked was what Prabhupada wanted. She had been cooking for him for seventy years and she knew what he wanted. There was no way in the world she was going to cook anything else.
The devotees told Prabhupada what Pisima said and he replied, "All right, let her cook something, but Palika should also cook some things that I can eat."
After that the two women cooked in separate places. Pisima would make some preparations and put them on the plate, and Palika would also put her preparations on the plate. Then one day, Pisima decided that Palika shouldn't cook at all. So Pisima cooked everything. When Palika tried to enter the kitchen, Pisima raised her spoon and shouted in Bengali until Palika retreated from the door.
That day when Palika took the plate up to Prabhupada and he saw that everything had been cooked by Pisima, he said, "What is this? I cannot eat this!" Prabhupada then smashed his fist on the desk and repeated, "I cannot eat this! She knows I cannot eat this! I will become sick if I eat this!" Prabhupada sat staring at his food for a few moments, while Palika stood fearfully in the corner. Then Prabhupada said, "But it is Krsna's mercy. Therefore I will eat it." Of course, Prabhupada knew that all he had to do was ask, and twenty devotees would have rushed down to the kitchen and cooked him whatever he wanted. Yet he declared that Krsna had given him Pisima's prasadam, and so he should eat it. That night, however, after eating a full lunch, Prabhupada became sick. For the next two days he did not take anything except hot milk and medicine.

Nandarani-devi dasi, interview.

- From the Prabhupada Nectar by HH Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

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Prabhupada:

kanksantah karmanam siddhim
yajanta iha devatah
ksipram hi manuse loke
siddhir bhavati karma-ja

So last night we were discussing,
 
ye yatha mam prapadyante
tams tathaiva bhajamy aham
mama vartmanuvartante
manusyah partha sarvasah
 [Bg. 4.11]

Everyone is seeking the Absolute Truth in different way. So the worship of the demigods, that is also, in one way, searching after the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore in the Vedas, the demigod worship is also recommended. Upasana-kanda.

The Vedas are divided into three kandas, or division: karma-kanda, jnana-kanda, upasana-kanda. Therefore the other name of Veda is trayi. Trayi na sruti-gocara. Stri-sudra-dvijabandhunam trayi na sruti-gocara [SB 1.4.25]. That is stated in the Vedic literature. Stri, sudra and dvija-bandhu.... Dvija-bandhu means born in brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya family, especially brahmana family, but he is not possessing the qualities of brahmana or ksatriya, as now it is going on. Everyone is presenting himself as a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, but he hasn't got the necessary qualification. A brahmana's qualification is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, satyam saucam samo damas titiksa arjavam jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42]. Similarly, ksatriya. Sauryam viryam tejo yuddhe capy apalayanam, isvara-bhavas ca. In this way there are ksatriya's qualification.

Similarly, krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. The vaisyas are described to be engaged in agricultural work, giving protection to the cows, and excess grains to trade, where there is necessity to carry there and take something in exchange.

Similarly, sudra: paricaryatmakam karma sudra-karma svabhava-jam. Sudra means he is satisfied by serving somebody. Just like a dog. He is satisfied having a nice master, that's all. Sometimes it is compared, the sudras, like the dogs. So kanksantah karmanam siddhim. This guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13] -- brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya that will be explained in the next verse.

So karma, to get success in one's particular type of occupational duties sometimes they worship the demigods. That is described here. Demigods, they are also living entities, and all living entities are part and parcel of Krsna. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah jiva-loke sanatanah [Bg. 15.7]. So demigods, they are also part and parcel. We are also part and parcel. There is no difference. But they are more fortunate to get the post of Candra, Surya, Indra, Brahma. Brahma is also a living entity. Therefore, to get success in our material welfare activities, sometimes, not sometimes, always, we worship demigods.

So that is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, that demigod worship is also My worship, but that is avidhi-purvakam. That is not the vidhi. Vidhi is to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But sometimes, just like we give some reward to the doorman to enter into the room of a great officer, similarly, demigod worship means to get the result very quickly. And we may ask any type of benefits and reward from the demigods. Tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. That will be explained in the Seventh Chapter.

So demigod worship may be bring quickly the resultant action, desired result, but antavat tu phalam tesam [Bg. 7.23]. The result is antavat; it is limited. But bhakti is not limited. Bhakti is unlimited. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. But people.... Tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. Those who are less intelligent, instead of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they worship the demigods. Kanksantah karmanam siddhim yajanta iha devatah. Therefore people are more interested in worshiping demigods than Krsna. The demigods.... In India especially we will find. There are many devotees of the demigods. Not devotees. Devotion is only applied in connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigod worship, they are not devotee, but they are interested to get the reward from the demigod. Otherwise they are not interested.

But bhakti is not like that. The bhaktas, they are not after any reward from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is difference between bhakti and other demigod worship. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is teaching us bhakti. He says, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye: "My Lord, I do not wish to ask from You opulence, riches, nice wife or many followers." These are material opulences. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "I do not want all these things."

continued.......................