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v•co vegam• manasah• krodha-vegam•

jihv•-vegam udaropastha-vegam

et•n veg•n yo vis•aheta dh•rah•

sarv•m ap•m•m• pr•thiv•m• sa œis•y•t

SYNONYMS

v•cah• — of speech; vegam — urge; manasah• — of the mind; krodha — of

anger; vegam — urge; jihv• — of the tongue; vegam — urge; udara-upastha — of

the

belly and genitals; vegam — urge; et•n — these; veg•n — urges; yah• —

whoever; vis•aheta — can tolerate; dh•rah• — sober; sarv•m — all; api —

certainly; im•m — this; pr•thiv•m — world; sah• — that personality; œis•y•t —

can make disciples.

TRANSLATION

A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the

actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified

to

make disciples all over the world.

PURPORT

In Œr•mad-Bh•gavatam (6.1.9-10) Par•ks•it Mah•r•ja placed a number of

intelligent questions before Œukadeva Gosv•m•. One of these questions was: "Why

 

do people undergo atonement if they cannot control their senses?" For instance,

 

a thief may know perfectly well that he may be arrested for his stealing, and

he may actually even see a thief arrested by the police, yet he continues to

steal. Experience is gathered by hearing and seeing. One who is less

intelligent gathers experience by seeing, and one who is more intelligent

gathers

experience by hearing. When an intelligent person hears from the lawbooks and

ϥ

stras, or scriptures, that stealing is not good and hears that a thief is

punished when arrested, he refrains from theft. A less intelligent person may

first

have to be arrested and punished for stealing to learn to stop stealing.

However, a rascal, a foolish man, may have the experience of both hearing and

seeing and may even be punished, but still he continues to steal. Even if such

a

person atones and is punished by the government, he will again commit theft as

soon as he comes out of jail. If punishment in jail is considered atonement,

what is the benefit of such atonement? Thus Par•ks•it Mah•r•ja inquired:

dr•s•t•a-œrut•bhy•m• yat p•pam•

j•nann apy •tmano 'hitam

karoti bh•yo vivaœah•

pr•yaœcittam atho katham

[sB 6.1.9]

kvacin nivartate 'bhadr•t

kvacic carati tat punah•

pr•yaœcittam atho 'p•rtham•

manye kuñjara-œaucavat

[sB 6.1.10]

He compared atonement to an elephant's bathing. The elephant may take a very

nice bath in the river, but as soon as it comes onto the bank, it throws dirt

all over its body. What, then, is the value of its bathing? Similarly, many

spiritual practitioners chant the Hare Kr•s•n•a mah•-mantra and at the same

time commit many forbidden things, thinking that their chanting will counteract

 

their offenses. Of the ten types of offenses one can commit while chanting the

holy name of the Lord, this offense is called n•mno bal•d yasya hi p•

pa-buddhih•, committing sinful activities on the strength of chanting the Hare

Kr•s•n

•a mah•-mantra. Similarly, certain Christians go to church to confess their

sins, thinking that confessing their sins before a priest and performing some

penance will relieve them from the results of their weekly sins. As soon as

Saturday is over and Sunday comes, they again begin their sinful activities,

expecting to be forgiven the next Saturday. This kind of pr•yaœcitta, or

atonement, is condemned by Par•ks•it Mah•r•ja, the most intelligent king of his

 

time. Œukadeva Gosv•m•, equally intelligent, as befitting the spiritual master

of Mah•r•ja Par•ks•it, answered the King and confirmed that his statement

concerning atonement was correct. A sinful activity cannot be counteracted by a

 

pious activity. Thus real pr•yaœcitta, atonement, is the awakening of our

dormant Kr•s•n•a consciousness.

Real atonement involves coming to real knowledge, and for this there is a

standard process. When one follows a regulated hygienic process, he does not

fall

sick. A human being is meant to be trained according to certain principles to

revive his original knowledge. Such a methodical life is described as

tapasya. One can be gradually elevated to the standard of real knowledge, or

Kr•s•n•

a consciousness, by practicing austerity and celibacy (brahmacarya), by

controlling the mind, by controlling the senses, by giving up one's possessions

in

charity, by being avowedly truthful, by keeping clean and by practicing yoga-•

sanas. However, if one is fortunate enough to get the association of a pure

devotee, he can easily surpass all the practices for controlling the mind by

the

mystic yoga process simply by following the regulative principles of Kr•s•n•a

consciousness — refraining from illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and

gambling — and by engaging in the service of the Supreme Lord under the

direction of the bona fide spiritual master. This easy process is being

recommended by

Œr•la R•pa Gosv•m•.

First one must control his speaking power. Every one of us has the power of

speech; as soon as we get an opportunity we begin to speak. If we do not speak

about Kr•s•n•a consciousness, we speak about all sorts of nonsense. A toad in

a field speaks by croaking, and similarly everyone who has a tongue wants to

speak, even if all he has to say is nonsense. The croaking of the toad,

however, simply invites the snake: "Please come here and eat me." Nevertheless,

 

although it is inviting death, the toad goes on croaking. The talking of

materialistic men and impersonalist M•y•v•d• philosophers may be compared to

the

croaking of frogs. They are always speaking nonsense and thus inviting death to

 

catch them. Controlling speech, however, does not mean self-imposed silence

(the

external process of mauna), as M•y•v•d• philosophers think. Silence may

appear helpful for some time, but ultimately it proves a failure. The meaning

of

controlled speech conveyed by Œr•la R•pa Gosv•m• advocates the positive

process of kr•s•n•a-kath•, engaging the speaking process in glorifying the

Supreme Lord Œr• Kr•s•n•a. The tongue can thus glorify the name, form,

qualities

and pastimes of the Lord. The preacher of kr•s•n•a-kath• is always beyond

the clutches of death. This is the significance of controlling the urge to

speak.

The restlessness or fickleness of the mind (mano-vega) is controlled when one

can fix his mind on the lotus feet of Kr•s•n•a. The Caitanya-carit•mr•ta

(Madhya 22.31) says:

kr•s•n•a — s•rya-sama; m•y• haya andhak•ra

y•h•ñ kr•s•n•a, t•h•ñ n•hi m•y•ra adhik•ra

Kr•s•n•a is just like the sun, and m•y• is just like darkness. If the sun

is present, there is no question of darkness. Similarly, if Kr•s•n•a is

present in the mind, there is no possibility of the mind's being agitated by

m•y•'s

influence. The yogic process of negating all material thoughts will not help.

To try to create a vacuum in the mind is artificial. The vacuum will not

remain. However, if one always thinks of Kr•s•n•a and how to serve Kr•s•n•a

best, one's mind will naturally be controlled.

Similarly, anger can be controlled. We cannot stop anger altogether, but if

we simply become angry with those who blaspheme the Lord or the devotees of the

 

Lord, we control our anger in Kr•s•n•a consciousness. Lord Caitanya Mah•

prabhu became angry with the miscreant brothers Jag•i and M•dh•i, who

blasphemed

and struck Nity•nanda Prabhu. In His Œiks••s•t•aka Lord Caitanya wrote, tr•

n••d api sun•cena taror api sahis•n•un•: "One should be humbler than the

grass and more tolerant than the tree." One may then ask why the Lord exhibited

 

His anger. The point is that one should be ready to tolerate all insults to

one's own self, but when Kr•s•n•a or His pure devotee is blasphemed, a genuine

devotee becomes angry and acts like fire against the offenders. Krodha,

anger, cannot be stopped, but it can be applied rightly. It was in anger that

Hanum•

n set fire to Lañk•, but he is worshiped as the greatest devotee of Lord R•

macandra. This means that he utilized his anger in the right way. Arjuna serves

 

as another example. He was not willing to fight, but Kr•s•n•a incited his

anger: "You must fight!" To fight without anger is not possible. Anger is

controlled, however, when utilized in the service of the Lord.

As for the urges of the tongue, we all experience that the tongue wants to

eat palatable dishes. Generally we should not allow the tongue to eat according

 

to its choice, but should control the tongue by supplying pras•da. The

devotee's attitude is that he will eat only when Kr•s•n•a gives him pras•da.

That

is the way to control the urge of the tongue. One should take pras•da at

scheduled times and should not eat in restaurants or sweetmeat shops simply to

satisfy the whims of the tongue or belly. If we stick to the principle of

taking

only pras•da, the urges of the belly and tongue can be controlled.

In a similar manner, the urges of the genitals, the sex impulse, can be

controlled when not used unnecessarily. The genitals should be used to beget a

Kr•s•

n•a conscious child, otherwise they should not be used. The Kr•s•n•a

consciousness movement encourages marriage not for the satisfaction of the

genitals

but for the begetting of Kr•s•n•a conscious children. As soon as the children

are a little grown up, they are sent to our Gurukula school, where they are

trained to become fully Kr•s•n•a conscious devotees. Many such Kr•s•n•a

conscious children are required, and one who is capable of bringing forth

Kr•s•n•

a conscious offspring is allowed to utilize his genitals.

When one is fully practiced in the methods of Kr•s•n•a conscious control, he

can become qualified to be a bona fide spiritual master.

In his Anuvr•tti explanation of Upadeœ•mr•ta, Œr•la Bhaktisiddh•nta

Sarasvat• T•h•kura writes that our material identification creates three kinds

of

urges — the urge to speak, the urge or demands of the mind and the demands of

the body. When a living entity falls victim to these three types of urges, his

life becomes inauspicious. One who practices resisting these demands or urges

is called tapasv•, or one who practices austerities. By such tapasya one can

overcome victimization by the material energy, the external potency of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead.

When we refer to the urge to speak, we refer to useless talking, such as that

of the impersonal M•y•v•d• philosophers, or of persons engaged in fruitive

activities (technically called karma-k•n•d•a), or of materialistic people who

simply want to enjoy life without restriction. All such talks or literatures

are practical exhibitions of the urge to speak. Many people are talking

nonsensically and writing volumes of useless books, and all this is the result

of

the urge to speak. To counteract this tendency, we have to divert our talking

to

the subject of Kr•s•n•a. This is explained in Œr•mad-Bh•gavatam

(1.5.10-11):

na yad vacaœ citra-padam• harer yaœo

jagat-pavitram• pragr•n••ta karhicit

tad v•yasam• t•rtham uœanti m•nas•

na yatra ham•s• niramanty uœik-ks•ay•h•

"Those words which do not describe the glories of the Lord, who alone can

sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are considered by saintly

persons

to be like unto a place of pilgrimage for crows. Since the all-perfect persons

are inhabitants of the transcendental abode, they do not derive any pleasure

there."

tad-v•g-visargo janat•gha-viplavo

yasmin prati-œlokam abaddhavaty api

n•m•ny anantasya yaœo 'ñkit•ni yat

œr•n•vanti g•yanti gr•n•anti s•dhavah•

[sB 1.5.11]

"On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the

transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the

unlimited

Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed

toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world's

misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though

imperfectly

composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly

honest."

The conclusion is that only when we talk about devotional service to the

Supreme Personality of Godhead can we refrain from useless nonsensical talk. We

 

should always endeavor to use our speaking power solely for the purpose of

realizing Kr•s•n•a consciousness.

As for the agitations of the bickering mind, they are divided into two

divisions. The first is called avirodha-pr•ti, or unrestricted attachment, and

the

other is called virodha-yukta-krodha, anger arising from frustration. Adherence

 

to the philosophy of the M•y•v•d•s, belief in the fruitive results of the

karma-v•d•s, and belief in plans based on materialistic desires are called

avirodha-pr•ti. Jñ•n•s, karm•s and materialistic planmakers generally attract

the attention of conditioned souls, but when the materialists cannot fulfill

their plans and when their devices are frustrated, they become angry.

Frustration of material desires produces anger.

Similarly, the demands of the body can be divided into three categories — the

demands of the tongue, the belly and the genitals. One may observe that these

three senses are physically situated in a straight line, as far as the body

is concerned, and that the bodily demands begin with the tongue. If one can

restrain the demands of the tongue by limiting its activities to the eating of

pras•da, the urges of the belly and the genitals can automatically be

controlled. In this connection Œr•la Bhaktivinoda T•h•kura says:

œar•ra avidy• j•la, jad•endriya t•he k•la,

j•ve phele vis•aya-s•gare

t•'ra madhye jihv• ati, lobham•y• sudurmati,

t•'ke jet• kat•hina sam•s•re

kr•s•n•a bad•a day•maya, karib•re jihv• jaya,

sva-pras•da-anna dila bh•i

sei ann•mr•ta kh•o, r•dh•-kr•s•n•a-gun•a g•o,

preme d••ka caitanya-nit•i

"O Lord! This material body is a lump of ignorance, and the senses are a

network of paths leading to death. Somehow or other we have fallen into the

ocean

of material sense enjoyment, and of all the senses the tongue is the most

voracious and uncontrollable. It is very difficult to conquer the tongue in

this

world, but You, dear Kr•s•n•a, are very kind to us. You have sent this nice

pras•da to help us conquer the tongue; therefore let us take this pras•da to

our full satisfaction and glorify Your Lordships Œr• Œr• R•dh• and Kr•s•n•a

and in love call for the help of Lord Caitanya and Prabhu Nity•nanda." There

are six kinds of rasas (tastes), and if one is agitated by any one of them, he

becomes controlled by the urges of the tongue. Some persons are attracted to

the eating of meat, fish, crabs, eggs and other things produced by semina and

blood and eaten in the form of dead bodies. Others are attracted by eating

vegetables, creepers, spinach or milk products, but all for the satisfaction of

 

the tongue's demands. Such eating for sense gratification — including the use

of

extra quantities of spices like chili and tamarind — is to be given up by Kr•

s•n•a conscious persons. The use of pan, haritak•, betel nuts, various

spices used in pan-making, tobacco, LSD, marijuana, opium, liquor, coffee and

tea

is indulged in to fulfill illicit demands. If we can practice accepting only

remnants of food offered to Kr•s•n•a, it is possible to get free from m•y•'s

victimization. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk products and water are proper

foods to offer to the Lord, as Lord Kr•s•n•a Himself prescribes. However, if

one accepts pras•da only because of its palatable taste and thus eats too much,

 

he also falls prey to trying to satisfy the demands of the tongue. Œr•

Caitanya Mah•prabhu taught us to avoid very palatable dishes even while eating

pras•

da. If we offer palatable dishes to the Deity with the intention of eating

such nice food, we are involved in trying to satisfy the demands of the tongue.

 

If we accept the invitation of a rich man with the idea of receiving palatable

food, we are also trying to satisfy the demands of the tongue. In

Caitanya-carit•mr•ta (Antya 6.227) it is stated:

jihv•ra l•lase yei iti-uti dh•ya

œiœnodara-par•yan•a kr•s•n•a n•hi p•ya

"That person who runs here and there seeking to gratify his palate and who is

always attached to the desires of his stomach and genitals is unable to

attain Kr•s•n•a."

As stated before, the tongue, belly and genitals are all situated in a

straight line, and they fall in the same category. Lord Caitanya has said,

bh•la n•

kh•ibe •ra bh•la n• paribe: "Do not dress luxuriously and do not eat

delicious foodstuffs." (Cc. Antya 6.236)

Those who suffer from diseases of the stomach must be unable to control the

urges of the belly, at least according to this analysis. When we desire to eat

more than necessary we automatically create many inconveniences in life.

However, if we observe fasting days like Ek•daœ• and Janm•s•t•am•, we can

restrain the demands of the belly.

As far as the urges of the genitals are concerned, there are two — proper and

improper, or legal and illicit sex. When a man is properly mature, he can

marry according to the rules and regulations of the ϥstras and use his

genitals

for begetting nice children. That is legal and religious. Otherwise, he may

adopt many artificial means to satisfy the demands of the genitals, and he may

not use any restraint. When one indulges in illicit sex life, as defined by

the ϥstras, either by thinking, planning, talking about or actually having

sexual intercourse, or by satisfying the genitals by artificial means, he is

caught in the clutches of m•y•. These instructions apply not only to

householders

but also to ty•g•s, or those who are in the renounced order of life. In his

book Prema-vivarta, Chapter Seven, Œr• Jagad•nanda Pan•d•ita says:

vair•g• bh•i gr•mya-kath• n• œunibe k•ne

gr•mya-v•rt• n• kahibe yabe milibe •ne

svapane o n• kara bh•i str•-sambh•s•an•a

gr•he str• ch•d•iy• bh•i •siy•cha vana

yadi c•ha pran•aya r•khite gaur•ñgera sane

chot•a harid•sera kath• th•ke yena mane

bh•la n• kh•ibe •ra bh•la n• paribe

hr•dayete r•dh•-kr•s•n•a sarvad• sevibe

"My dear brother, you are in the renounced order of life and should not

listen to talk about ordinary worldly things, nor should you talk about worldly

 

things when you meet with others. Do not think of women even in dreams. You

have

accepted the renounced order of life with a vow that forbids you to associate

with women. If you wish to associate with Caitanya Mah•prabhu, you must always

remember the incident of Chot•a Harid•sa and how he was rejected by the

Lord. Do not eat luxurious dishes or dress in fine garments, but always remain

humble and serve Their Lordships Œr• Œr• R•dh•-Kr•s•n•a in your heart of

hearts."

The conclusion is that one who can control these six items — speech, mind,

anger, tongue, belly and genitals — is to be called a sv•m• or gosv•m•. Sv•m•

means master, and gosv•m• means master of the go, or senses. When one

accepts the renounced order of life, he automatically assumes the title of

sv•m•.

This does not mean that he is the master of his family, community or society;

he must be master of his senses. Unless one is master of his senses, he should

not be called gosv•m•, but go-d•sa, servant of the senses. Following in the

footsteps of the six Gosv•m•s of Vr•nd•vana, all sv•m•s and gosv•m•s should

fully engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. As opposed to

this, the go-d•sas engage in the service of the senses or in the service of

the material world. They have no other engagement. Prahl•da Mah•r•ja has

further described the go-d•sa as ad•nta-go, which refers to one whose senses

are

not controlled. An ad•nta-go cannot become a servant of Kr•s•n•a. In Œr•mad-Bh

•gavatam (7.5.30), Prahl•da Mah•r•ja has said:

matir na kr•s•n•e paratah• svato v•

mitho 'bhipadyeta gr•ha-vrat•n•m

ad•nta-gobhir viœat•m• tamisram•

punah• punaœ carvita-carvan••n•m

"For those who have decided to continue their existence in this material

world for the gratification of their senses, there is no chance of becoming

Kr•s•n

•a conscious, not by personal endeavor, by instruction from others or by

joint conferences. They are dragged by the unbridled senses into the darkest

region of ignorance, and thus they madly engage in what is called 'chewing the

chewed.' "

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The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhup•da, Founder •c•rya of the

International Society