Undevotional Lifestyle

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata-Worldwide, 10 May 2020, part 2

ছয় বেগ দমি' ছয় দোষ শোধি
ছয় গুণ দেহ দাসে ।

chhaya vega dami' chhaya dosa sodhi'
chhaya guna deha' dase

"Subjugate the six urges, rectify the six defects, and bestow the six good qualities upon this servant."

If we have these six faults—if we think that we have these faults—then we must always try to reduce them, we must always try to avoid these faults. It is necessary to control the six urges and it is necessary to remove the six faults.

Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu also tells about it his sloka,

অত্যাহারঃ প্রয়াসশ্চ প্রজল্পো নিয়মাগ্রহঃ ।
জনসঙ্গশ্চ লৌল্যঞ্চ ষড়্ভির্ভক্তিবিনশ্যতি ॥

atyaharah prayascha prajalpo niyamagrahah
jana-sangascha laulancha sad-bhir-bhakti-vinasyati

"Material over-accumulating, material over-working, talking too much, attachment to unauthorised rules, association with non-devotees, being fickle-minded are the six faults that destroy devotion."

(Sri Upadesamrta, 2)

(1) Atyahara. I have told about it before also. Here, the sloka is almost the same as what I was talking about before. Atyahara means not only eating too much, there is also a deeper meaning—Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu explains that it also means collecting or keeping too much. For example, you keep too much balance in your bank account, you accumulate things, money, etc. That is called atyahara. You are thinking, "Oh, I will keep some money so that my son or grandson can get it after me," or, "Oh, if I become old, who will take care of me? I will keep some money for myself." People always think about themselves and accumulate everything. It is not good.

(2) Prayasa means giving too much labour for your own enjoyment ("prakrta visaye adhik parisram"). It means you work all day long for your own enjoyment, for your own interests—your whole life you try so hard to get material enjoyment, you are giving so much labour for your own self, your own enjoyment. That is also not good.

(3) Prajapla means talking too much, talking about unnecessary things. It is a waste of time. You must control your talking as much as possible, that is good for you. It is not necessary to talk so much. Be reserved (mitabhasi, মিতভাষী)—talk less, do not be very talkative.

(4) Niyamagraha means showing, on the one hand, that you follow many rules and regulations (you say you do want to touch something, you do not do this, that); and, on the other hand, it also means neglecting, or not following, rules and regulations, not practising properly. There are things like Tulasi seva, etc. that are necessary for your spiritual life, and there are also other things that you can hear in some places but that are not recommended by Gurudev or scriptures, or you get some idea from your mind and follow it. That is called niyamagraha—niyame adhik adar, giving much affection to that which is not necessary, following other things.

(5) Jana-sangancha means associating with those who are averse to Krishna, who are not related to devotional activites. You must always avoid such association. You must talk about your sacred things, talk about Krishna consciousness with devotees—do not talk with outside people who do not know anything, who do not want to hear anything. If you talk to someone and you see that they have no interest in what you are saying, you must avoid such association. If somebody is interested, you can preach to them otherwise do not mix with such people. That is what Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu says. Do not associate with those who have no devotion to Krishna. What does association (sanga) mean? When you go to the market to buy something, you talk to the shopkeeper, but that is not association. Association means taking something from somebody, giving something to somebody, having a relation with somebody, giving affection to the person, talking affectionately, confiding in the person. That is association, or sanga. When you go to the market to buy something, you talk with the shopkeeper, but you do not take their association.

(6) Laulancha means being fickle-minded (chitter chanchalata). Mind is always fickle, it always goes everywhere. I have told you about it before.

These are the six kinds of fault. Those who have these faults, must avoid them because these faults slowly, slowly destroy your devotion. These faults destroy your devotion. This is very important to understand and to follow.

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur also writes about it in his purport to Sri Upadesamrita,

অত্যাহার প্রয়াস প্রজল্প জনসঙ্গ ।
লৌল্যাদি নিয়মাগ্রহ হ’লে ভক্তিভঙ্গ ॥
গৃহত্যাগী জনের সঞ্চয় অত্যাহার ।
অধিক সঞ্চয়ী গৃহী বৈষ্ণবের ছার ॥

atyahara prayasa prajalpa jana-sanga
laulya-adi niyamagraha ha’le bhakti-bhanga
grha-tyagi janera sanchaya atyahara
adhika sanchayi grhi vaisnavera chhara

"Accumulating too many material things, working too much for material goals, talking too much, attachment to unauthorised rules, associating with non-devotees, being fickle-minded, etc.—these things break devotion. If those who have renounced their home, try to keep something, it is a fault of atyahara (over-amassing), and it is deplorable when householder Vaishnavs try to accumulate more than necessary."

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur says that householder devotee (grhi vaishnavs) can keep a little for their family (as required), but accumulating more than necessary is not good.

অত্যন্ত সংগ্রহে যার সদা চিত্ত ধায় ।
অত্যাহারী ভক্তিহীন সেই সংজ্ঞা পায় ॥
প্রাকৃত বস্তুর আশে ভোগে যার মন ।
প্রয়াসী তাহার নাম ভক্তিহীন জন ॥
কৃষ্ণকথা ছাড়ি জিহ্বা আন কথা কহে ।
প্রজল্পী তাহার নাম বৃথা বাক্য বহে ॥
ভজনেতে উদাসীন কর্মেতে প্রবীণ ।
বহ্বারম্ভী সে নিয়মাগ্রহী অতি দীন ॥
কৃষ্ণভক্ত সঙ্গবিনা অন্য সঙ্গে রত ।
জনসঙ্গী কুবিষয়বিলাসে বিব্রত ॥
নানা স্থানে ভ্রমে যেই নিজ স্বার্থ তরে ।
লৌল্যপর ভক্তিহীন সংজ্ঞা দেয় নরে ॥
এই ছয় নহে কভু ভক্তি-অধিকারী ।
ভক্তিহীন লক্ষ্যভ্রষ্ট বিষয়ী সংসারী ॥

atyanta samgrahe yara sada chitta dhaya
atyahari bhakti-hina sei samjna paya
prakrta vastura ase bhoge yara mana
prayasi tahara nama bhakti-hina jana
krsna-katha chhari jihva anya katha kahe
prajalpi tahara nama vrtha vakya vahe
bhajanete udasina karmete pravina
vahvarambhi se niyamagrahi ati dina
krsna-bhakta sanga-vina anya sange rata
jana-sangi ku-visaya-vilase vivrata
nana sthane bhrame yei nija svartha tare
laulyapara bhakti-hina samjna deya nare
ei chhaya nahe kabhu bhakti-adhikari
bhakti-hina laksya-bhrasta visayi samsari

"• Those whose hearts always run to accumulate more and more, are avaricious and undevotional.
• Undevotional people who aspire to enjoy material things are called excessive toilers.
• When one's tongue speaks about all other things except talks about Krishna, such people are called gossipers who have only empty talks.
• Those who lack enthusiasm to practise Krishna consciousness but are eager to engage in material works, fuss much over following rules, but they are in fact extremely wretched.
• Those who associate with outside people prefer the company of other people to the company of Krishna's devotees—such people are always very busy enjoying gross material life.
• When people travel to different places pursuing their own interests, it means they are devoid of devotion and fickle-minded.
These six kinds of people can never qualify for devotion. Such materialists, gross enjoyers, are always frustrated and have no devotion."

To always collect things, to always keep things, keep things, keep, this is not good...

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