The Meaning of "Anartha"

[krsna]

Sermons of the Guardian

of Devotion, Vol III

 

Excerpt: "Anartha"

 

 

 

This page is taken from Chapter Seven, "Intelligently Aware," of Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion - Volume III, in which Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj explains the meaning of the word anartha.

 

The Meaning of "Anartha"

 

Anartha means "separate interest." Krishna consciousness is causeless, nirguna. It has no end. Nirguna means that the central flow and vibration of Krishna consciousness is eternal: that wave has no end. Any interest which is separate from Krishna consciousness is anartha. Artha means necessity, and anartha is that which is not my necessity -- that which is opposed to my necessity, being based on separate consciousness and interest.

 

So to get out of the trap of separate interest which is misleading us, and to learn how to read the Infinite, we are to identify with the universal flow, the universal wave. At present we are being carried away by different waves of separate-interest consciousness: anartha -- it is not necessary for us. Our only necessity is to merge in the wave of the universal interest, which is for Itself, for Himself. The Lord says:

 

aham hi sarva-yajnanam / bhokta ca prabhur eva ca

[bhagavad Gita - 9:24]

 

"I am the only enjoyer of all sacrifices, of all movement in this world. I am the only enjoyer, and everything belongs to Me unconditionally."

God's position is such. He is paramount. He is the highest harmonizing center, and we must all submit cent-per-cent to Him. Any deviation from that is anartha. Anartha means "meaningless," it has no meaning. The only real meaning or purpose worthy to be served is the connection with the universal wave, the universal movement. Anything besides that is anartha -- undesirable and unnecessary. The anarthas will serve no purpose. We are in connection with anarthas, undesirable things which will not serve any real purpose towards our cause.

 

But the real cause of our life, and the whole satisfaction of our very existence will be found only in connection with the universal wave of the whole Absolute. That is Krishna consciousness. It is the most universal, fundamental wave and we have to catch that. Our goal, our satisfaction, and the very fulfillment of our life is only to be found there, in that layer, in that plane, and not in the superficial plane of nationality interest, family interest, or social service, for that is provincialism.

 

One section of the population is busy with many local interests, and another section wishes to stop all activity. To stop one's own movement, to do away with one's own existence, is renunciation or samadhi, and that is suicidal. We have to give up renunciation as well as enjoyment. The tendency to do evil and the tendency to go on strike -- both are to be given up. In a nation, we may find so many workers doing some wrong, going against the principle of the law, and that is bad because it is disorderly - but to go on strike or to refuse to work is also bad. The good path is to work only for the interest of the country.

 

This we have to learn: from local interest we must go to the universal, the Absolute. We are not to have any local interest, however extensive it may be. Whether self-centered, family-centered, village-centered or society-centered as in humanitarianism -- it is all only a part of the Infinite. This is the fact, and generally we are to try to understand things in such a way. The technical words like anartha nivrtti, bhava, asakti, all these are covered by this understanding.

 

How to conquer lust

Lord Krishna has recommended in Srimad Bhagavad Gita how one can conquer kama, or lust, by regulating the senses. He advises us to become acquainted with the nature of the soul, then all the problems caused by kama will be turned into ashes:

indriyani parany ahur

indriyebhyah param manah

manasas tu para buddhir

buddher yah paratas tu sah

 

evam buddheh param buddhva

samstabhyatmanam atmana

jahi satrum maha-baho

kama-rupam durasadam

[bhagavad Gita - 3:42, 43]

 

Lust is not easily accessible, but is hidden. We cannot easily trace where he lives, but he comes suddenly, and after looting, disappears. But here we are told that lust really lives in the intelligence, the mind, and the senses. To conquer that lust we have to regulate the senses, but in order to do so we must first analyze what the senses are and what is their position, and then what is the position of the internal king of the senses, the mind. After that we must analyze what is the intrinsic position of the buddhi, or the faculty of reason, judgement, and intelligence. With the help of reason, we must try to find out what is in the background of that faculty of reason, of judgement, and of decision-making.

In the background is a pencil-thin ray whose nature is diametrically opposite to the world of experience. In Srimad Bhagavatam, an example is given that in the night a cloud may cover the moon. Though the cloud obscures the moon, still the cloud can only be seen by the light of the moon.

 

na rarajodupaschana / svajyotsna bhasitairghanaih

aham matya bhasitaya / svabhasa puruso jyatha

 

In this example the soul is likened to the moon and the ahankara is likened to cloud cover. The sense-consciousness, the mind, and the intelligence have all combined to form a system, ahankara, which has covered the soul. But they are seen, and it is possible for them to act, only because there is light -- the light of the soul, the moon. So by the help of our reason we must try to perceive what is above reason, and we shall come to see that it is the atma, or the soul. In this way we may have some direct connection with the atma, or at least some conception, however vague, of its existence and nature. At that time our whole material aspiration will turn into trash and within ourselves we will be able to conquer all the charms of this world. The Lord's advice in Srimad Bhagavad Gita is to somehow or other try to obtain understanding of the true nature of our own atma. We are really of such a superior nature and hold a noble, dignified position in the higher plane, but lust and so many base things have come to entrap us.

raso 'py asya / param drstva nivartate

[bhagavad Gita - 2:59]

 

By even slightly coming in contact with the dignified position of our own soul, all worldly charm will vanish, and even that will seem to be a negligible thing compared to the awakening of higher levels of realization all the way up to the SuperSoul [Paramatma] then to Narayana and Krishna. There is so much ecstatic enjoyment on that side, and it will be realized only when it is revealed within us.

The dignified position of the soul

Although to our present conception it is far away, still, that experiencer, that taster is within us: it is the jivatma, and if we try to concentrate there even for a second, we will discover what a dignified position the soul holds. We shall think: "Who are these thieves? The intellect, the mind, the senses -- all thieves and plunderers! They are taking me into the land of misery as if through some intricate conspiracy." It will seem like that to us.

indriyani parany ahur / indriyebhyah param manah

[bhagavad Gita - 3:42]

 

Our senses are superior in comparison to all the things that we experience around us: if we had no sense of touch, sight, hearing and so on, then we would have no conception of anything external. The world would mean nothing to us.

At the center of all the senses is the mind. Someone may call but we may not hear. We may find: "He was calling me? Oh, I was unmindful, unconscious, and did not hear him. Even though I have my senses, because I was unmindful, I did not hear or see him." So the mind is the center of the senses, and it has two functions, sankalpa, and vikalpa, or acceptance and rejection. "I want this, I don't want that; I don't want that, I want this." This is mainly the function of the mind.

 

Higher than the mind is the buddhi, or intelligence. From the mind we will go up to the buddhi, the reason. What is it? Discrimination. "Oh, my mind wants that, but that will bring such a reaction, so don't do that." The buddhi, the intelligence or faculty of judgement will give the warning: "Don't go! Don't listen to what the mind says! Don't obey him." That is the intelligence.

 

If we go higher, surpassing the intelligence, searching for what is next, what is above the intelligence, backing it and making the function of intelligence possible, we will be able to see: "Oh, this is my real self and everything else is an outside extension in the material world -- it is all a material overcoating. I can leave it, and with only myself, my own atma, alone, I can go up to somewhere higher. This present atmosphere is not at all necessary for me, rather it is harmful, a coating, a garment which has been thrust onto me in order that I come in connection with this bad environment." With this realization, with our soul proper, we can go in a higher direction, towards Paramatma, Narayana, and Krishna.

 

 

 

[krsna]

 

Ch. 3 of Srimad Bhagavad Gita

 

 

TEXT 36

 

 

 

arjuna uvaca

atha kena prayukto ’yam

papam carati purushah

anicchann api varsneya

balad iva niyojitah

 

 

 

TRANSLATION

 

 

Arjuna said: O descendant of Vrishni, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?

 

 

 

PURPORT

 

 

 

A living entity, as part and parcel of the Supreme, is originally spiritual, pure, and free from all material contaminations. Therefore, by nature he is not subject to the sins of the material world. But when he is in contact with the material nature, he acts in many sinful ways without hesitation, and sometimes even against his will. As such, Arjuna’s question to Krishna is very sanguine, as to the perverted nature of the living entities. Although the living entity sometimes does not want to act in sin, he is still forced to act. Sinful actions are not, however, impelled by the Supersoul within, but are due to another cause, as the Lord explains in the next verse.

 

 

 

TEXT 37

 

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca

kama esa krodha esa

rajo-guna-samudbhavah

mahasano maha-papma

viddhy enam iha vairinam

 

 

 

TRANSLATION

 

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.

 

 

 

PURPORT

 

 

 

When a living entity comes in contact with the material creation, his eternal love for Krishna is transformed into lust, in association with the mode of passion. Or, in other words, the sense of love of God becomes transformed into lust, as milk in contact with sour tamarind is transformed into yogurt. Then again, when lust is unsatisfied, it turns into wrath; wrath is transformed into illusion, and illusion continues the material existence. Therefore, lust is the greatest enemy of the living entity, and it is lust only which induces the pure living entity to remain entangled in the material world. Wrath is the manifestation of the mode of ignorance; these modes exhibit themselves as wrath and other corollaries. If, therefore, the mode of passion, instead of being degraded into the mode of ignorance, is elevated to the mode of goodness by the prescribed method of living and acting, then one can be saved from the degradation of wrath by spiritual attachment.

 

 

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead expanded Himself into many for His ever-increasing spiritual bliss, and the living entities are parts and parcels of this spiritual bliss. They also have partial independence, but by misuse of their independence, when the service attitude is transformed into the propensity for sense enjoyment, they come under the sway of lust. This material creation is created by the Lord to give facility to the conditioned souls to fulfill these lustful propensities, and when completely baffled by prolonged lustful activities, the living entities begin to inquire about their real position.

 

 

 

This inquiry is the beginning of the Vedanta-sutras, wherein it is said, athato brahma jijnasa: one should inquire into the Supreme. And the Supreme is defined in Srimad-Bhagavatam as janmady asya yato ’nvayad itaratas ca, or, “The origin of everything is the Supreme Brahman.” Therefore the origin of lust is also in the Supreme. If, therefore, lust is transformed into love for the Supreme, or transformed into Krishna consciousness—or, in other words, desiring everything for Krishna—then both lust and wrath can be spiritualized. Hanuman, the great servitor of Lord Rama, exhibited his wrath by burning the golden city of Ravana, but by doing so he became the greatest devotee of the Lord. Here also, in Bhagavad-gita, the Lord induces Arjuna to engage his wrath upon his enemies for the satisfaction of the Lord. Therefore, lust and wrath, when they are employed in Krishna consciousness, become our friends instead of our enemies.

 

 

 

TEXT 38

 

 

dhumenavriyate vahnir

yathadarso malena ca

yatholbenavrto garbhas

tatha tenedam avrtam

 

 

 

TRANSLATION

 

 

As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust.

 

 

 

PURPORT

 

 

 

There are three degrees of covering of the living entity by which his pure consciousness is obscured. This covering is but lust under different manifestations like smoke in the fire, dust on the mirror, and the womb about the embryo. When lust is compared to smoke, it is understood that the fire of the living spark can be a little perceived. In other words, when the living entity exhibits his Krishna consciousness slightly, he may be likened to the fire covered by smoke. Although fire is necessary where there is smoke, there is no overt manifestation of fire in the early stage. This stage is like the beginning of Krishna consciousness. The dust on the mirror refers to a cleansing process of the mirror of the mind by so many spiritual methods. The best process is to chant the holy names of the Lord. The embryo covered by the womb is an analogy illustrating a helpless position, for the child in the womb is so helpless that he cannot even move. This stage of living condition can be compared to that of the trees. The trees are also living entities, but they have been put in such a condition of life by such a great exhibition of lust that they are almost void of all consciousness. The covered mirror is compared to the birds and beasts, and the smoke-covered fire is compared to the human being. In the form of a human being, the living entity may revive a little Krishna consciousness, and, if he makes further development, the fire of spiritual life can be kindled in the human form of life. By careful handling of the smoke in the fire, fire can be made to blaze. Therefore the human form of life is a chance for the living entity to escape the entanglement of material existence. In the human form of life, one can conquer the enemy, lust, by cultivation of Krishna consciousness under able guidance.