“That is Perfection of Life”

Prabhupada, Hyderabad, November 29, 1972: So we are living entities. We have got our characteristics. That is sanatana. I am sanatana, eternal, and my characteristic is to serve God. If I don’t serve God, then the characteristic will remain there. Then I’ll have to serve maya, in the illusion that I have become master. Actually, he’s serving, but… Just like one man has got motorcar. So motorcar, to maintain a motorcar, to purchase a motorcar, it requires lots of money. So to get that money, he has to work very hard. And when he gets that money, he purchases a car, and then he has to maintain it by oiling, by supplying so many things. But he’s thinking that “Now I have got a motorcar. Very nice.” What is that? You are serving your motorcar. That’s all.

So this is the position. One is actually serving, not master. But he’s thinking that he’s master. This is maya. So when we give up this false prestigious position that I am master, then you are liberated. Hitva anyatha rupam. Mukti, the definition of mukti is hitva anyatha rupam svarupena avasthitih. Anyatha rupam. Now we are struggling hard within this material world, under the influence of maya, changing different types of body. Sometimes I am going to the heavenly planets. Sometimes I am going to the hellish planets. Sometimes I am rich man. Sometimes I am poor man. Sometimes brahmana, sometimes sudra. Sometimes tiger, sometimes tree. In this way, sarva-gata. Everywhere within this universe, the living entities are struggling for existence. Manah sasthani indriyani prakrti-sthani karsati. Mamaivamso jiva-bhuta. Krsna says, “All these living entities, they are My part and parcel, but foolishly, being carried by the mental concoction, prakrti-sthani, within this material world, karsati, struggling to become master.” This is the disease. Prakrti-sthani karsati.

prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]

These rascals, they are pulled by the ear by prakrti. Prakrteh kriyamanani. “You do this”—I have to do this. One who has associated with the tamo-guna of prakrti, prakrti has given a body just like hog, and the prakrti is obliging, “You come here. Eat the stool.” And he’s eating. “Oh, so nice.” This is maya. Stool is very nice thing? But prakrti has given this hog a certain type of body and he is relishing: “Oh, stool is so nice.” This is going on. Similarly, human form of body also. They’re eating so many nonsense things in the restaurant, in the hotel, and they’re relishing: “Oh, it is so nice.” This is maya. This is going on. So our business is to serve, but because we have taken this attitude, that “I don’t like to serve Krsna” or, “I am Krsna,” then we are under the clutches of maya. Immediately. And under the illusion of maya… Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani… Karanam guna-sangah asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Because we are associating with the different modes of material nature, therefore we have to take birth, sad-asad-janma-yonisu. One is becoming hog, one is becoming dog, one is becoming human being, one is becoming demigod, one is becoming tree, one is becoming plant. So many… Eight million, four hundred thousands of species and form of life. Krsna says, sarva-yonisu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4] Krsna says, “All these forms, whatever they may be, I am the bija-pradah pita. I am the father.” So if Krsna is the original father of every living entity, how one has become brahmana, one has become sudra, one has become tree, one has become tiger, one has become hog, one has become Indra, one has become Brahma? How is that?

Now, karanam guna-sango ’sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. So we are getting our birth in different types of body. The reason is I am associating with different types of the modes of nature. My mind is carrying me. It is not death. It is foolish to say that “This man is now dead. Everything is finished.” That is rascaldom. Not finished. It is going on. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. The foolish rascals, they say, “Now this man is dead, finished.” Big, big professors, they are saying, “Swamiji, after death everything is finished.” And he’s professor. Just see. Rascal fools they are becoming leaders, professors, politicians, How the people will be happy? They are put into the ignorance of life. Always put. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. They have been enamored by the external feature of Krsna’s energy. This is also Krsna’s energies, this material world. But we are attracted by this material energy. We should be attracted by the spiritual energy. That is perfection of life.

Full Lecture: http://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/bg/2/25/hyderabad/november/29/1972