BHAGAVAD-GITA 4:31

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 4:31

 

nayam loko 'sty ayajnasya

kuto 'nyah kuru-sattama

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

na--never; ayam--this; lokah--planet; asti--there is; ayajnasya--for

one who performs no sacrifice; kutah--where is; anyah--the other;

kuru-sat-tama--O best amongst the Kurus.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O best of the Kuru dynasty, without sacrifice one can never live

happily on this planet or in this life: what then of the next?

 

PURPORT

 

Whatever form of material existence one is in, one is invariably

ignorant of his real situation. In other words, existence in the

material world is due to the multiple reactions to our sinful lives.

Ignorance is the cause of sinful life, and sinful life is the cause of

one's dragging on in material existence. The human form of life is the

only loophole by which one may get out of this entanglement. The

Vedas, therefore, give us a chance for escape by pointing out the

paths of religion, economic comfort, regulated sense gratification

and, at last, the means to get out of the miserable condition

entirely. The path of religion, or the different kinds of sacrifice

recommended above, automatically solves our economic problems. By

performance of yajna we can have enough food, enough milk, etc.--even

if there is a so-called increase of population. When the body is fully

supplied, naturally the next stage is to satisfy the senses. The Vedas

prescribe, therefore, sacred marriage for regulated sense

gratification. Thereby one is gradually elevated to the platform of

release from material bondage, and the highest perfection of liberated

life is to associate with the Supreme Lord. Perfection is achieved by

performance of yajna

(sacrifice), as described above. Now, if a person is not inclined to perform

yajna according to the Vedas, how can he expect a happy life even in

this body, and what to speak of another body on another planet? There

are different grades of material comforts in different heavenly

planets, and in all cases there is immense happiness for persons

engaged in different kinds of yajna. But the highest kind of happiness

that a man can achieve is to be promoted to the spiritual planets by

practice of Krsna consciousness. A life of Krsna consciousness is

therefore the solution to all the problems of material existence.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.