17.15-22 Being soft-spoken and satisfied are matters of choice not just of nature

This will be the last we cover in that class which we have to complete this weekend, by this weekend So we are in the We are discussing the Austerities of the body, mind That is speech and mind So we discussed about Brahmacharya that is a part of the Austerities of the Body Now we will discuss about the Austerities of The other two parts Speech and then Mind Anudvega Karam Vakyam Anudvega Karam Vakyam Satyam Priya Hitam Chaya Satyam Priya Hitam Chaya Sadhaya Abhyasanam Chai Va Sadhaya So Anudvega Karam Vakyam Anudvega means that agitation, udvega is agitation, anudvega is non-agitation. Anudvega karamvakhyam. So, non-agitating speech is very important, that the austerity of speech.
Anudvega karamvakhyam, satyam priya hitam jayat. When you describe that it should be truthful, then pleasing and beneficial. So, there is a significance to the sequence also.
The sequence starts first of all with non-agitating speech. Why does the speech have to be non-agitating? Because it is our speech that determines people’s perceptions about us. Either our speech can build bridges or it can build walls.
So, speech can either build bridges or walls. Now, what does it mean that speech can build bridges? It means that it can bring people together, connect people. Now, when can it build walls? When it solidifies preconceptions, stereotypes, misunderstandings, then these can build walls.
So, often the whole process of developing a relationship involves both. It is not necessary that all speech has to always break walls and build bridges. That means that it is said that clear fences make good neighbours.
That means if the property line is not very clear, then that can itself lead to a lot of conflicts. This is my property, this is my property. So, when the fence is clear, this is what is expected and this is where you go and this is where I go.
So, sometimes for us to have proper relationship with people, certain amount of walls are required. That means if some people take us too cheaply or assume a level of familiarity and intimacy that is not actually there, then that can also create problems in the relationship. So, in general, when we talk about it, that when can we act? If we talk from a spiritual perspective, all of us need guidance and that so that the whole speech just talks about touch here so that we can understand and make choices by which we will go spiritually.
But generally speaking, we can hear from others only when we trust. The greatest challenge of a preacher is not just to speak the philosophy in a logically effective and eloquent way. The greatest challenge of the preacher is to somehow convey to the audience that he is their well-wisher.
Now, as long as people doubt whether this person whatever is speaking, he is my well-wisher or not, till that time people can’t take what the person is saying seriously. Simple example. So, let’s take this as an example.
The greatest challenge of a preacher is to convey to the audience that he is their well-wisher or how to put that is to earn the trust of the audience. Just like when we go to a doctor, if we have some doubts, this doctor might be a very exploitative person and that doctor allows to earn a lot of money through me by making me do unnecessary tests and subject me to treatments that are far from solving them and complicate my issues. Then we are unlikely to apply what the doctor is saying.
We may even feel that better let me keep away from this or we may only do it the whole thing half-heartedly. So, that’s why actually the doctor to some extent the patient has to be positive. At the other extent, the other side, the doctor also has to have some credentials by which the doctor appears trustworthy and not just he appears trustworthy but the doctor actually is trustworthy.
So, both are important. You know, for people feelings are facts. Feelings are facts.
That means that if I feel negatively about someone then that’s the way I feel. Now over a period of time, maybe by analysis, by introspection, by discussion, I may find out that those negative feelings have no basis and then I may try to get rid of those negative feelings but either way those feelings as long as they are there, they hold a sway on our judgement and so, therefore, if somehow the speaker, the teacher can make people feel that what he wants is good for them, then what he wants is good for them, what he wants is actually their ultimate goal, then that opens their minds. Now, how is that to be done? Often, the one aspect of the speaker using the speech as a sword to cut off the mutual attachments, the attached person, that is the metaphor that we often use in our speaking and the classic example in the first canto of Srimad Bhagavatam for this is Vidura’s attachments being cut off by Dhritarashtra, Vidura cutting off the attachments of Dhritarashtra.
So, that is an important part but before those spiritual attachments can actually be cut, there also have to be developed some spiritual attachments by which the person takes those words seriously, otherwise, we end up alienating the people and that’s why here Krishna is telling Anudvega Karam Vakyam. Now, at a superficial level, we can say that actually Krishna himself doesn’t follow Anudvega Karam Vakyam because the first thing that Krishna speaks is 2.11 Arjuna has expressed trust. This comes in 2.11, Arjuna has expressed trust.
But 2.7 is, I surrender, I accept you as my teacher. So, that expression of faith is important and Krishna may use cutting statements, but they are followed up, they are preceded and by things which clarify, contextualise. So, 2.411 agitating statement is preceded by 2.7 is statement of faith.
So, now when we talk about agitating or yeah, okay, are 2.2 and 2.3 not agitating? We could say in a sense 2.23, where does such weakness come upon you? You are acting like a Shudra. So, yes, we could call them as agitating statements, but they are more like pep talks. It’s like, when we are talking about agitating statements, we are not just talking about statements that are just meant to serve as encouragement through chastisements.
We are talking about statements which transform a person’s worldview. Sometimes somebody might become very discouraged and you may say, arre, tujhse aise umeed nahi theti. We didn’t expect such a thing from you.
You are a brave person. So, now, you remember in the beginning only I talked about how philosophical education has two parts, encouragement and enlightenment. So, both have to blend together.
If there is only encouragement without enlightenment, then it just becomes a mundane self-help pep talk. And if there is only enlightenment without encouragement, then it also becomes alienating. This sounds very lofty.
I can’t practise it. Sounds good, but I can’t practise it. So, there has to be a blend of encouragement and enlightenment.
So, if you look at 2.2 and 2.3, there is no enlightenment over there. Krishna is not telling him, you are not the body or the soul. This is whatever he knows.
You are Arya. You are a Kshatriya. Don’t act like a Shudra.
You are not. So, it is basically at the level of just motivational, inspirational talk that happens at a material level. So, now, it is only in 2.11 onwards that Krishna starts giving enlightenment.
He says that you are whole. It’s not that you are just temporarily discouraged. You are having a much more deep-rooted misconception that needs to be addressed.
And in a sense, 2.2 and 2.3 are just addressing Arjuna’s feelings. If you feel discouraged, don’t feel discouraged like this. However, 2.11 is talking about his conceptions.
Feelings are more mental. Conceptions are intellectual. He is saying you are speaking wise words, but you are actually foolish.
So, it is going deeper in that sense. So, now, there are times when Udvega Karam Vakyam is also required. But more often than not, we don’t need any austerity to do Udvega Karam Vakyam.
Isn’t it? Most people, they can shout at others relatively easily. So, often the austerity is not shout at others. Some people might be because they have faced some childhood trauma or if they had been under some overbearing guardians, they never speak out against others.
For them to speak out might be an austerity. If you see comparatively speaking, the number of people who have an excessively moving tongue rather than a less moving tongue are far greater. So, that’s why the focus here is on Udvega Karam Vakyam.
So, it’s not a, there is a, Krishna is saying this is austerity. Austerity doesn’t mean that that particular thing is banned. But that is something which we should do.
So, Brahmacharya doesn’t mean sex is banned. Even grahastha is expected to be Brahmacharya. But that needs to be regulated.
So, Udvega Karam Vakyam means that the speech should, that non-agitating speech is a, is something which we should be able to do even when our impulses push us to speak in agitating ways. And it’s significant that in the sequence, Krishna characterises Udvega Karam Vakyam as the first characteristic. So, it’s even before Satyam.
Generally speaking, we should speak the truth and the highest truth is that which connects us to the absolute truth. But Krishna considers Udvega Karam Vakyam as the first. So, truthful, pleasing and beneficial.
These are the four characteristics. So, as Chanakya Pandit says that if a person knows how to speak well, such a person can conquer the whole world. Such a person can conquer the whole world.
It is not just physical power that enables a person to conquer. Ultimately, physical power of an individual is of limited use. That physical power may be important, but if a person has to do anything influential, the person needs to have a team working.
And the team will work for a person only when that person is able to motivate, is able to inspire. And that’s why the austerity of speech is extremely important. And he says interestingly, Swadhyaya Abhyasinam Chaiva.
Swadhyaya Abhyasinam Chaiva is a recitation of the Vedic scriptures. So, this is an austerity in the sense that this disciplines and purifies us. So, regular recitation of the scriptures is something which forces us to think about the scriptures.
It spiritualises our tongue and our intelligence that way. And in the traditional Vedic context, there would be in the mornings, in the pathshalas, they would recite the Vedic hymns. And generally in ISKCON, from 1965 onwards, Prabhupada, when he got on the point, started the classes.
First there were three classes in the evening and then he started classes in the morning. And then he continued that. But the morning classes were quite frivolous initially.
But after he started the shloka recitation in the Bhagavatam class, things became a little serious. Because if there is no recitation to do, you sit and passively hear. So, actually, you know, if somebody is hearing a class, and suddenly while hearing a class, I decide I want to go out for a few minutes, just do some sightseeing and come back, just go for a walk.
It will look very odd. And you would hesitate to do that. But our mind is invisible.
And our mind regularly goes for walks. It goes on sightseeing tours to think about anything and everything. And often, when we are not actively interested or involved in a particular activity, then this sort of distraction of the mind happens more and more.
So, one of the ways in which we force ourselves to get involved is by recitation. So, when Srila Prabhupada started this shloka recitation, actually, Srila Prabhupada also standardised things afterwards. Initially, they would have one shloka and then they would recite the shloka several times.
And initially, there would be 10-15 devotees in the class. So, Prabhupada would himself recite the shloka 4-5 times and then he would ask everyone to recite the shloka. And everyone had to get the pronunciation right.
And if they didn’t get the pronunciation right, Prabhupada would tell, okay, you practise it, you would make them hear it and he says, tomorrow you have to get it right. And then all the devotees would be struggling to get the pronunciation right. It was a challenge for them at that time that forced them to take the whole morning education seriously.
So, in our life also, studying, reciting of scriptures, reciting especially important verses, which we connect with, may be prayers or may be verses which are more of containing wisdom. But that can be a very solace activity. Sometimes we feel that memorising anything is an unnecessary burden.
However, verse memorisation, it doesn’t burden the head, rather it unburdens the heart. Unburdens the heart means that when we are stressed, when we are depressed, when we are facing some emotional upheaval that is burdening us, at that time, reciting of verses can become a pleasing and solacing way to connect with Krishna. And then as Krishna’s presence manifests in our heart, then that calms us down.
And we see this in the third chapter of the eighth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, where Gajendra calls out to the Lord. Gajendra’s crisis, the second chapter, third chapter is Gajendra’s prayers of surrender and fourth chapter is Gajendra attains the spiritual world. So, 8.3 talks about this and there Shri Prabhupada mentions that the devotees of the Krishna consciousness movement should regularly recite verses.
So, of course, they should recite the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, but then it also says they should recite the verses from the Brahma Samhita and Narsimha prayers like Ito Narsimha, Parato Narsimha. And there is a verse, Yajapapairamam Japyam. So, there is a verse, Praakjan Anuksishta.
He says that what he had learned in the previous life, that stayed on with him in this life. Now, in our situation, things may not be so dramatic. You know, what we have memorised in this life itself, we don’t remember.
What will speak of remembering something from a previous life? And the response may not be as dramatic. Krishna may not himself come on Garuda. But the scriptures, what they give, the specific examples may not apply literally to our situations, but the principles always apply.
So, when we try to memorise verses, often if we read the Sanskrit of some verses, we will find that even its one line may inspire us. Sometimes, we may see long verses and we find that it’s very difficult to memorise. But we don’t necessarily have to memorise full verses also.
Often, we think that the purpose of memorising verses is so that I can quote it in classes or when I can quote it to others. That’s good. And Prabhupada talked about how devotees should be able to quote verses as a lawyer quotes the law courts, that we may be able to convince others.
But that’s only one aspect of it. Another far more important aspect is actually for giving us a ready-made template for remembering Krishna. What do verses offer us? Verses offer us a ready-made template for remembering Krishna.
Because when we are told that we should always remember Krishna, how do we remember Him? And some of us may be able to close our eyes and think of the beautiful darshan of Radha Gopinath and try to meditate on that. We may chant Hare Krishna. Chanting Hare Krishna is a very powerful way to remember Krishna.
The challenge is because we chant regularly, our chanting often becomes mechanical. And we are not able to put our heart into it. So, although chanting is a very easy and effective way to remember Krishna, sometimes when the mind is disturbed, we may not be able to connect with chanting.
The chanting requires that we have some level of desire to remember Krishna. And because chanting is so, we do it so frequently, sometimes we may not be able to just get that desire only. So, if we have some other way by which we can connect with Krishna, then we recite a verse a few times, our mind becomes calm and then we can chant.
So, the point here is that we will ourselves find in our classes, in our studies, that okay, there are certain lines which inspire me very much, certain Vaishnava songs, certain verses, and reciting that can become a very powerful devotional ritual in our lives. There are certain devotional rituals which are standard or standardised. We do every morning in our morning programme.
But apart from that, we can also have our own rituals that calm us, that steady us in our day-to-day life. So, verse recitation can be one of them. Now, Anudvega Karam Vakyam.
Any questions about this? Yes. Sometimes it may seem that speaking truthfully and speaking pleasingly may be contradictory. Yeah, it is definitely something that we feel more often than when it is necessary.
But it is necessary on so many occasions. But in general, speaking truthfully should not become a justification for fault-finding. We discussed earlier that a characteristic of the divine nature is Apaisvinaam.
Apaisvinaam is aversion to fault-finding. That means that it certainly, if we are to help others, sometimes we may have to find some faults. But if we have this fault-finding attitude, looking for faults, then even when we sometimes have something valuable to say, people will not be able to benefit from that.
So, normally, we know the story of the boy who would say, wolf, wolf, wolf. And when there was no wolf, actually, he would say that and people were also fed up with him. When actually there was a wolf, people would not listen to him.
So, that is true with respect to falsity, but that is also true with respect to fault-finding. Sometimes, we may find so many faults and if people feel that those faults don’t exist, those faults are not important, we just stop taking it serious. And then when there is something important also, then people don’t take it seriously.
So, in general, it’s best to speak in ways that help others in Krishna Consciousness while also keeping them encouraged. So, while most important is because Krishna Consciousness ultimately is a voluntary activity. If people are not encouraged and inspired to practise Krishna Consciousness, then even if we speak the best truth to them, if that discourages them, that alienates them, then they will not practise Krishna Consciousness even if they understand the truth.
The truth has to be presented in an encouraging way. The end result of our education should always be encouragement. Now, in the name of encouragement, I think, I’ll just go into this a little bit.
Looking at it another way, there are three kinds of authorities or parents. So, there are permissive, authoritative and authoritarian parents. So, essentially, parenting has these two parts.
We have to give, hmm, it’s the whole seminar. I won’t go into this right now, but let’s see. Can you see this? Okay.
So, authoritative parents, okay, yeah, these are the four kinds of parents, neglectful, permissive, authoritarian and authoritative. So, neglectful parents basically live in their own world, old world. They just live in their old world.
Actually, they don’t care much for their parents. They don’t care much for their wards at all. So, actually, in parenting, there are two things to be offered.
There is love and there is discipline. So, the neglectful parents offer neither love nor discipline. Then if you see the permissive parents offer only love, no discipline.
So, they never set any limits. They do not give any discipline. They offer only love.
They just try to keep their children happy without taking care whether the children are growing or not. So, whatever the children say, ask for, the parents try to provide it all. That’s permissive.
So, there is love but no discipline. There are no limits which are set. Then on the other hand, there are authoritarian parents.
There are only limitations, no love. Only disciplining but no love. And lastly, there are authoritative parents who they offer love and when there is discipline, they do discipline also, but they explain things in a way and why are these limits necessary? Why are these limits necessary by which the parents, children can learn and children can grow.
Summarise it here. No love, no limits. Permissive parents is what? Only love, no limits.
Actually, it is not even love actually. They think it is love but from this point of view, authoritarian parents, only limits, no love and authoritative parents. So, in this way, actually, it is not that a particular person is always authoritative or authoritarian or liberal or permissive or we may also, people are individuals and they may oscillate.
But some people, some parents go towards permissive, some parents go to authoritarian. But in general, those who are good parents, they try to arrive at a balance of authority. That requires, it is an ongoing relationship.
It is not something which we can standardise as a policy all the time. The policy also requires intelligence to implement, but that is the idea. There are sometimes when we can speak the truth so that the person gets cleared of some misconceptions that are there.
There are other times when the person needs to just be encouraged and at that time, the truth may not be what is required. So, we do not have to speak lies, but it is not that every time we have to speak the full truth about everybody. We can speak whatever is required for that person to be able to grow.
It is like now when we as editors and people send us articles, prospective authors. Now, we have to have a certain standard for the articles to be published and back to Godhead. And if the article is not up to that standard, we cannot publish it.
But we do not say just that, we cannot compromise that standard so that the articles get published. But at the same time, we just do not say that, okay, this article cannot be accepted. Then generally speaking, we tell, okay, these are good points about the article, the author, and these are points which need to be improved.
And when there is a balance of both, then the author feels encouraged. And then the author can keep writing. If there is only a critical attitude given, then the author has become discouraged.
So, it is, there is some survey done in University of Wisconsin. I think I mentioned this in my show. There were two clubs of writers.
So, there was a boys club and there was a girls club. So, the boys decided all of us want to become good writers. So, whatever we write, we will show it to each other and we will see what are the faults in it.
We will tell each other the faults so that they can improve. So, the girls, they had this feminist attitude. They said whatever the boys do, we will do the opposite of that.
So, whatever we show, we also write and whatever we write, we will tell what is good in all that we have written. And then survey, they followed up these people after some 10 to 15 years. And they found among the boys, practically nobody had become a professional writer.
And even those who would write for whatever purposes, for practical purposes, they were not known to be very good writers. On the other hand, among the girls, quite a few of them had become professional writers, some of them very famous. And most of them were known as above average writers wherever field they were in.
So, here we see, now why this example of writing is there? Because many people think of writing as a somewhat non-obligatory and a hybro activity. Non-obligatory means you do not have to write. Hybro means it is a little literary activity, little intellectual activity.
So, in a sense, Krishna consciousness is also like that. People feel it is not obligatory. Isn’t it? It is not obligatory.
And they also feel, okay, this is a little high standards. So, if people are constantly discouraged, then how can they practise? How can they be encouraged? How can they be inspired? Is it clear? So, Manah Prasada Saumyatvam Manah Prasada Saumyatvam Maunam Atma Vinigraha Haavasam Shuddhir Thetha Tapo Manasam Uchchate Tapo Manasam Uchchate So, Manah Prasada, satisfaction, Saumyatvam, that is no duplicity, no inner malevolent intention towards other. Maunam Atma Vinigraha.
It is interesting that mauna is not the austerity of speech, it is the austerity of the mind. Normally, we think of mauna as not speaking, but often when our mind is not speaking, when our tongue is not speaking, our mind is speaking quite, so, quite verbosely, quite vigorously, and often it is quite malevolently also. The mind sometimes actually goes on a riot, you know, just demolishes, this person is bad, that person is bad, this person is bad.
The whole idea of a riot is what? You know, whatever you see, you destroy it. So, sometimes the mind goes on a riot. This person causes this problem, this situation causes this problem, this is this problem, this problem.
So, actually the mind can be quite hyperactive. So, that is why maunam is not so much about the speech as it is about the mind. The mind has to become calm.
And Atma Vinigraha, Self-regression, Haavasam Shuddhir. So, it is interesting, again, purification of existence, Krishna is putting as a characteristic of the mind. That means Krishna is here talking about cultivating purity of thoughts, that with the mind, the impure thoughts will come, but the impure thoughts need not stay.
They will come, but we try to remove them. Haavasam Shuddhir. There is a letter of Shri Prabhupada where some devotee asks him that I am troubled by sex desire.
Prabhupada said to get sex desire is no problem. It is not a big problem, but to act on sex desire, that is a big problem. So, when the thought comes, if you do not let that thought grow, then it will go.
On the other hand, if you let it grow, then it will contaminate us not only mentally, but also physically. So, these are Tapomanasam. And again, if you look at the order, the first austerity of the mind, Krishna is telling is Manaprasada, is satisfaction.
Why? Because all the other vices can trouble us when we become dissatisfied. If we are satisfied, actually no other vice can trouble us. If I am satisfied, then lust can’t trouble me, envy can’t trouble me, greed can’t trouble me.
And satisfaction is a matter of choice. Satisfaction is a matter of choice. How is satisfaction a matter of choice? It depends on the focus of our thoughts.
If I think of what I don’t have, I can never be satisfied. But if I think of the things that I have, then I can become satisfied. So, when Krishna is telling let satisfaction, Manaprasada, satisfaction be the austerity of the mind, that means we focus on thinking of those things which will make us satisfied.
So, I am talking about satisfaction. It is not just a feeling that comes and goes automatically, arbitrarily rather. Sometimes I feel satisfied, sometimes I don’t feel satisfied.
It is also a choice that we can make consciously. Certainly, there are certain situations which are dissatisfying, which are troubling and we may need to correct those situations. But when we only harp on those things, then we make ourselves dissatisfied.
But when we choose to dwell on the things which are right in our life, then that can enable us to become satisfied. So, in that sense, just as say lust is a feeling, but lust is also a choice in the sense that when the feeling comes, I dwell on it, then it grows and grows and grows further. So, just as the negative side is a choice, it is a feeling as well as a choice.
Similarly, self-satisfaction is also a feeling as well as a choice. And it is the first amount of austerities because it, in a sense, insulates us from all other troubles of the mind. The Bhagavatam says that when a person is going along a thorny road and the person has good footwear, then the person will not be troubled.
Similarly, if a person wears the wear of satisfaction, then that person will not be troubled by anything in this world. So, with transcendental faith, paraya taptam, when one performs austerity, tapas tat trividham narai, these three kinds of austerity one performs, and apalakam sidhiriyu, without attachment to the force, then that austerity is called as austerity in the mode of goodness. So, now it’s interesting, if the faith is transcendental, why is the austerity in goodness? Isn’t it? If the faith is transcendental, the austerity should also be transcendental.
But actually, the faith is that there is a transcendental reality, that the scriptures are transcendental and they teach transcendental principles. That faith is transcendental. But one’s goal may not be transcendental.
Ultimately, what determines our motives, what determines our mood, what determines our situation is our motivations. So, I may have faith that, okay, Krishna and pure love for Krishna are the ultimate goal of life. I may have that as the highest reality, but that may not be my functioning goal right now.
So, there is a faith that is transcendental. But right now, the person is functioning on the mode of goodness, apalakam sidhiriyu, that is how that person is functioning. So, when will that austerity actually become transcendental? When it is not just apalakam sidhiriyu, it is actually Krishna arpita.
When it will be offered to Krishna, then it will become fully transcendental. When it is just done with detachment, at that time, it is in the mode of goodness. So, many times people may believe that God is good and the kingdom of God is good, but I want to enjoy in this way.
So, that is also one level of faith in God, definitely not the highest level, but it is not atheism. So, here the faith is there, the scriptures are good and I have to follow the scriptures, but the goal is not directly the spiritual world. The goal is detached functioning in this world, so that one can get some better results in future.
So, when the sacrifice is motivated by this worldly, for satkaramana pujartham, for that kind of results, then rajasam chalam adhrom, it is rajasic and it is krishnayana, it is the same word that I used for chanchalam himanakrishnapramati balabhadram, chalam and adhrom, adhrom is temperate, chalam is flickering. That means when a person is motivated by honour in this world, when a particular activity gives honour, that person will do it, when it stops giving honour, the person will stop doing it. That is how it varies, satkaramana pujartham.
Now, many times when people give charity, for example, they may do charity for religious causes also. So, they may do it not because so much they want to glorify Krishna, but because they want themselves to be known as patrons of religion. It is good that they are giving charity to Krishna, and yena kena prakarena manakrishna nivishad, that principle is always there, but yena kena prakarena is not the highest level of devotional service.
So, it is gradual evolution. So, what Krishna is telling over here, these apply to all the three kinds of austerity, these principles, with body, mind and speech. parasya otsadhanartham va kathama samudharitham parasya otsadhanartham va Otsana means trouble others, or the calling or annihilation of, destroying others.
mudhagrahena atmanonya mudhagrahena means foolish leader. So, it is interesting, Krishna has not talked about tormenting oneself as a part of austerity in the earlier two situations. Here it says, tamasic austerity is what torments a person.
So, the whole idea is that by tormenting oneself at the physical level, one can gain some higher power. The focus is not so much on gaining the higher reality, but on tormenting oneself at this level, so that one can become more powerful at this level. Now, Hiranyakashipu, he was not really thinking that I want to transport myself to Brahma Loka.
I was doing tapasya. Vrakasura was not really interested in transporting himself to Kailash directly, and not in terms of, he might wanted to enjoy Uma, but his goal was not to ascend to that higher level of consciousness. So, his focus was on this level of consciousness only, and he wanted to drag people down, get power at that level, and for that he was ready to tolerate trouble at this level.
That was the kind of austerity that he was doing. Then we will talk about charity. So, dhatavyam, this is to be given, and dhyate anupakarane, one doesn’t think that one is doing ukkara to others.
Deshe kaale chapatra, and at all time, place, circumstances, that is sattvikamsvatam. Then, yattu pratyukkarartham, yattu pratyukkarartham, yattu pratyukkarartham, yattu pratyukkarartham, yattu pratyukkarartham, with the desire of a pratyukkar, that I will get this in return, I will get this in return, and with that fellow, or, oh, I have to give this, you know, krishnam, parikrishnam, one doesn’t feel like giving it, doesn’t want to give it, but one, because of obligation, some pressure, one just gives it. So, resentfully giving it.
Nanam rajasamsvatam. So, actually speaking, charity, austerity seem to be very good release activities, but even they can happen in lower moods. Adeshe kaale yaddaanam, adeshe kaale yaddaanam, apatre bhyaschudiyate, apatre bhyaschudiyate, asatratam avajnaatam, asatratam avajnaatam, tatama samudharitam, tatama samudharitam.
Adeshe kaale, so there is no, it’s the opposite of, there is no adeshe kaale there, and asatratam avajnaatam. So, there is one drunkard in a beer, in a beer bar, and he comes out, and there is a beggar, and he offers him a little bit of it, so this is charity in a mode of ignorance. So, the time, place, everything is not proper, the object is not proper, the what is given in charity is not proper, nothing is proper.
The charity in and of itself, Krishna has a very profound vision by which he sees that, actually, even activities that we consider normally to be laudable, may be deplorable, if they are done improperly. And so, in this way, he has talked about austerity, he has talked about charity, before that he has talked about yajna. So, after this, he will, next section we will discuss in the evening, he will talk about Om Tat Sat.