Srila Prabhupada, Bombay, January 3, 1975: […] When one is engaged in that vilasa, enjoyment, spiritual blissful life, then the root cause of karma becomes vanished. Karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam [Bs. 5.54]. In the Brahma-samhita it is said. They are no more interested with the attraction of fruitive activities.
Karmasayam grathitam, very deep- rooted. Yat-pada-pankaja-palasa-vilasa-bhaktya karmasayam grathitam udgrathayanti. Very easily they can uproot. Tadvan na rikta-matayah. Rikta-matayah, those who are attached to live in the forest, in the mountain, in the cave, alone in a secluded place, and with great endeavor trying to stop the agitation of the senses…
Tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo ’pi ruddha-sroto-ganah. Ruddha means controlled. The yogis especially, they do that. And jnanis also, they read philosophy, discuss philosophy. The yogis control the senses. Yoga indriya-samyamah. In this way they are trying to get out of this chain of fruitive activities. Karmasayam grathitam.
But devotees, being attracted to the flavor of the lotus flower of Krishna’s feet, lotus flower… Krishna, His face is called also lotus-eyed, His navel is called padma-nabha, His feet is called lotus feet, pada-padma, and His garland is also padma. He is very much fond of padma.
So when a devotee is attached to the lotus flower of Krishna’s feet, automatically they forget the all such material activities. They haven’t got to endeavor separately. The jnanis and the yogis, they are trying to, by their endeavor, by their different endeavors, they are trying to get out of this entanglement, but the devotees, simply by engaging himself in the vasudeva-bhakti, vasudeva-parayana, simply by bhakti, they come out of the entanglement without any difficulty. That is stated in this verse. Tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo ’pi ruddha-sroto-ganas tam aranam. Sroto-ganas tam, stop functioning, they cannot do so nicely.
Therefore aranam bhaja vasudevam. Vasudeva is the ultimate aranam, ultimate shelter. Bhaja vasudevam. In other place also, it is said,
vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam [SB 1.2.7]
Janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam. One cannot understand what is the cause of a vasudeva-bhakta to become so much renounced. Just like in India these young men from America and Europe… They are surprised, “How they have become so much aloof from material activities?” It is surprising. That is… It is not surprising, because bhaja vasudevam: they have taken to the shelter of Vasudeva. Full Lecture
pamho agtACBSP,
thank you for posting this nice article on the yogis life style, the desire to do that is there although in this age it’s not possible because everything is short not just our lives but everything due to the influences of this sinful kali yuga age that’s why there is the Hare Krsna maha mantra as the best yuga dharma remedy to get out from this polluted atmosphere where everyone is killing each other through kama lobha krodha moha mada and matsarya, lust, greed, anger and envy.
(New York, August 12, 1966)
There is hatred and violence almost everywhere and alot of people are forced to live like prisoners and tolerate all these calamities of this dark age.
Many devotees find it difficult to practice sadhana bhakti because we are still contaminated by this degraded influence of this kalo sudra society.
But there is still a good quality in this age and that’s: kaler dosa nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta sangah param vrajet, my dear king, although kali yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: simply by chanting the hare krsna maha mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom (Bhag.12.3.51)
But we need to do that far from materialistic persons.
(Mayapura, June 25, 1973)
agtys ys acsd haribol