Society qualified for sense control

[Guest guest]

SB.7.11.12-13

 

These are the general principles to be followed by all human beings:

truthfulness, mercy, austerity (observing fasts on certain days of the

month), bathing twice a day, tolerance, discrimination between right

and wrong, control of the mind, control of the senses, nonviolence,

celibacy, charity, reading of scripture, simplicity, satisfaction,

rendering service to saintly persons, gradually taking leave of

unnecessary engagements, observing the futility of the unnecessary

activities of human society, remaining silent and grave and avoiding

unnecessary talk, considering whether one is the body or the soul,

distributing food equally to all living entities (both men and

animals), seeing every soul (especially in the human form) as a part

of the Supreme Lord, hearing about the activities and instructions

given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead (who is the shelter of the

saintly persons), chanting about these activities and instructions,

always remembering these activities and instructions, trying to render

service, performing worship, offering obeisances, becoming a servant,

becoming a friend, and surrendering one’s whole self. O King

Yudhi˜hira, these thirty qualifications must be acquired in the human

form of life. Simply by acquiring these qualifications, one can

satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

In order that human beings be distinct from the animals, the great

saint N€rada recommends that every human being be educated in terms of

the above-mentioned thirty qualifications. Nowadays there is

propaganda everywhere, all over the world, for a secular state, a

state interested only in mundane activities. But if the citizens of

the state are not educated in the above-mentioned good qualities, how

can there be happiness? For example, if the total populace is

untruthful, how can the state be happy? Therefore, without

consideration of one’s belonging to a sectarian religion, whether

Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or any other sect, everyone should

be taught to become truthful. Similarly, everyone should be taught to

be merciful, and everyone should observe fasting on certain days of

the month. Everyone should bathe twice a day, cleanse his teeth and

body externally, and cleanse his mind internally by remembering the

holy name of the Lord. The Lord is one, whether one is Hindu, Muslim

or Christian. Therefore, one should chant the holy name of the Lord,

regardless of differences in linguistic pronunciation. Also, everyone

should be taught to be very careful not to discharge semen

unnecessarily. This is very important for all human beings. If semen

is not discharged unnecessarily, one becomes extremely strong in

memory, determination, activity and the vitality of one’s bodily

energy. Everyone should also be taught to be simple in thought and

feeling and satisfied in body and mind. These are the general

qualifications of a human being. There is no question of a secular

state or an ecclesiastical state. Unless one is educated in the

above-mentioned thirty qualities, there cannot be any peace.

Ultimately it is recommended:

ravaŠaˆ k…rtanaˆ c€sya

smaraŠaˆ mahat€ˆ gateƒ

sevejy€vanatir d€syaˆ

sakhyam €tma-samarpaŠam

Everyone should become a devotee of the Lord, because by becoming a

devotee of the Lord one automatically acquires the other qualities.

yasy€sti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcan€

sarvair guŠais tatra sam€sate sur€ƒ

har€v abhaktasya kuto mahad-guŠ€

manorathen€sati dh€vato bahiƒ

“In one who has unflinching devotional service to KŠa, all the good

qualities of KŠa and the demigods are consistently manifest.

However, he who has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead

has no good qualifications because he is engaged by mental concoction

in material existence, which is the external feature of the Lord.” (SB

5.18.12) Our KŠa consciousness movement, therefore, is

all-embracing. Human civilization should take it very seriously and

practice its principles for the peace of the world.

 

 

TEXT 13

 

TRANSLATION

Those who have been reformed by the garbh€dh€na ceremony and other

prescribed reformatory methods, performed with Vedic mantras and

without interruption, and who have been approved by Lord Brahm€, are

dvijas, or twice-born. Such br€hmaŠas, katriyas and vaiyas, purified

by their family traditions and by their behavior, should worship the

Lord, study the Vedas and give charity. In this system, they should

follow the principles of the four €ramas [brahmacarya, ghastha,

v€naprastha and sanny€sa].

PURPORT

After giving a general list of thirty qualifications for one’s

behavior, N€rada Muni now describes the principles of the four varŠas

and four €ramas. A human being must be trained in the above-mentioned

thirty qualities; otherwise, he is not even a human being. Then, among

such qualified persons, the varŠ€rama process should be introduced.

In the varŠ€rama system, the first ceremony for purification is

garbh€dh€na, which is performed with mantras at the time of sex for

propagating a good child. One who uses sex life not for sensual

pleasures but only to beget children according to the reformatory

method is also accepted as a brahmac€r…. One should not waste semen on

sensual pleasure, violating the principles of Vedic life. Restraint in

sex is possible, however, only when the populace is trained in the

above-mentioned thirty qualities; otherwise, it is not possible. Even

if one is born in a family of dvijas, or twice-born, if they have not

followed the reformatory process he is called a dvija-bandhu—not one

of the twice-born, but a friend of the twice-born. The whole purpose

of this system is to create good population. As stated in

Bhagavad-g…t€, when women are polluted the populace is varŠa-sa‰kara,

and when the varŠa-sa‰kara population increases, the situation of the

entire world becomes hellish. Therefore, all the Vedic literatures

strongly warn against creating varŠa-sa‰kara population. When there is

varŠa-sa‰kara population, the people cannot be properly controlled for

peace and prosperity, regardless of great legislative assemblies,

parliaments and similar bodies.