Bhagavatam-daily 271 – 11.13.4 – Observe and alter the ten factors that determine the mode influencing us

Thank you so here in the previous verses krishna has stated that one should cultivate the mood of goodness and thereby one will be able to transcend the influence of the lower modes now krishna talks about externals that shape the modes and influences so gunahetavaha these are what cause the modes to influence us and what does he say over here agama now agama means religious scriptures so the modes that we cultivate are influenced by the books that we read so even scriptures themselves are in goodness there are puranas in goodness, there are puranas in passion there are puranas in ignorance there are puranas for people in goodness for people in passion, for people in ignorance and in general we can extrapolate and say that what we read determines our thoughts, our desires our values and that is a very important shaper of the modes so if we read sattvic literature that will bring sattva guna with us if we read rajasic literature that talks about sexuality and mundane romance and other such things that will breed the mode of passion within us and if we read about brutal violence and perverted forms of sex and things like that that will bring about that will take us to the mode of ignorance so these principles which Krishna is giving its difficult for us to change our way of thinking directly but if we change what influences the way we think the external factors that shape the way we think then it is much easier for us to change the way of our thinking and the modes they do act on us by influencing our thoughts so apah refers here not just to water but to what water represents a source of food food for us so we all need food to live and he just says we need water to live we need food to live so the kind of water the kind of water and food the kind of nourishment that we take that is also in goodness, passion, ignorance Krishna talks in the Bhagavad Gita in the 17th chapter about how what are the characteristics of foods in goodness, passion and ignorance so Praja Praja means people so people in general kind of people that we associate with that affects our consciousness substantially so if we associate with Rajasic people it’s only a matter of it won’t even take much time for us to become Rajasic if we associate with Tamasic people we will become Tamasic and if we keep associating with Sattvic people then if we see people who eat on time who do things in an organized way who are balanced we will feel oh let me also become like this and that way we will also become Sattvic Desha Desha is the place now it’s interesting that places also be included in this mix because in general when we talk about place you may think of the place as something physical how is that going to affect me but the place does indeed affect us Prabhupada famously say that the forests are in the mode of goodness cities are in the mode not sorry the villages are in the mode of the forests and villages we could say they are in the mode of goodness the cities are in the mode of passion and within cities the places of gross sensuality and sin like brothels and liquor houses they are in the mode of ignorance so by minimizing our going to places which are in passion and ignorance and by staying more and more in places of goodness of course the temple is transcendental coming to the temple also we can elevate the mode in which we are situated refers to the time different times in the day are in different modes that means if we act in those modes in the external environment will push us towards goodness so for example early morning it’s usually said that from the Brahmamurtha time 4 o’clock to around 10 o’clock that is till 12 o’clock those 8 hours are in goodness in 12 to 8 are in passion and in 8 to early morning they are again in ignorance so by choosing to be active most of the time the mode of goodness is active we will become elevated in the mode of goodness now karma refers to not just activity but the kind of activity that we do so certain professions involve too much passion certain other professions involve more of goodness and depending on the profession that we choose that will also affect how much we are in which mode this is sixth fact now janma is not in our control but that is ultimately determined by our own past actions so by our past actions we may be born in a lower birth and when we are born in a lower birth, lower place in a family which is very passionate or very tamasic then that also affects our mentality you know psychologists and social behaviorists people who study social behavior they know that birth and upbringing are a defining influence on a person’s behavior dhyanam mantra dha sanskaram dashayate so dashayate is ten now three more dhyanam what we contemplate, what we meditate on so now we may be in a temple but if our thoughts are about sense gratification then going to the temple will not really yes it will help definitely but still we are depriving ourselves of how much we are depriving ourselves of the far greater elevation and fulfillment that a temple could have offered so we can check what are my default thoughts what is my prominent object of meditation here meditation doesn’t necessarily mean that somebody sits in a yogic posture and meditates it simply means the default object of thought everybody has some object of thought or other which is their favorite some people it may be cricket some people it may be the stock market shares others it may be politics and depending on whether the object that you are meditating on whether it is goodness, passion or ignorance that will substantially shape the more that it influences and mantra specifically refers to the mantras that we chant certain mantras are prayers asking for material things and such prayers are not well although they are connecting with us in some higher reality some devta or in Krishna such prayers would not elevate as much so if we chant mantras that are transcendental and that are with a transcendental intention then we can be rapidly elevated mantra can generically also refer to what are our pet phrases, what are the kind of words that we repeat again and again the people who are pessimistic they have certain speech mannerisms and those speech mannerisms affect them adversely sanskaro sanskara refers to the kind of impressions that we have acquired janma refers to the family of birth and sanskara refers to the upbringing so sanskara can at a specific level refer to the rituals that are performed on a child but the purpose of the rituals is to create positive pious spiritual impressions and if those impressions are to be sustained then if the impressions are provided the child will actually be more inclined towards piety and goodness so if from childhood children are seeing movies which are involving violence and sexuality then that is going to shape their behaviour accordingly so by observing and altering these external factors in our life and taking and exposing ourselves to more sattvic influences we can situate ourselves in goodness and of course in bhakti we try to focus on as many as on as many devotional stimuli as possible and thus we can very rapidly rise to goodness and go beyond goodness to transcendence thank you

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.

11.13.4 आगमो अपः प्रजः देशः कालः कर्मच जन्मच ध्यानं मंत्रो तशंस्कारो दशयिते गुणहेतवः So here in the previous verses Krishna has stated that one should cultivate the mode of goodness and thereby one will be able to transcend the influence of the lower modes Now Krishna talks about externals that shape the modes or influences So गुणहेतवः, these are what cause the modes to influence us and what does he say over here? आगम, नागम means in the scriptures So the modes that we cultivate are influenced by the books that we read So even scriptures themselves are in goodness, there are Puranas in goodness, there are Puranas in passion, there are Puranas in ignorance Or rather there are Puranas for people in goodness, for people in passion, for people in ignorance And in general, we can extrapolate and say that what we read determines our thoughts, our desires, our values And that is a very important shaper of the modes So if we read Sattvic literature, that will bring Sattva Guna within us If we read Rajasic literature that talks about sexuality and mundane romance and other such things, that will breed the mode of passion within us And if we read about brutal violence and perverted forms of sex and things like that, that will bring about, that will take us towards the mode of ignorance So these principles which Krishna has given, now it's difficult for us to change our way of thinking directly But if we change what influences the way we think, the external factors that shape the way we think Then it is much easier for us to change the way of our thinking And the modes, they act on us by influencing our thoughts So Aapah refers here, not just to water, but to what water represents, the source of food for us So we all need food to live and we just say we need water to live, we need food to live So the kind of water and food, the kind of nourishment that we take That is also in goodness, passion, ignorance. Krishna talks in the Bhagavad Gita in the 17th chapter about how What are the characteristics of foods in goodness, passion and ignorance So Praja, Praja means people So people in general, the kind of people that we associate with, that affects our consciousness substantially So if we associate with Rajasic people, it's only a matter of, it won't even take much time for us to become Rajasic If we associate with Tamasic people, we will become Tamasic And if we keep associating with Sattvic people then If we see people who eat on time, who do things in an organized way, who are balanced We will feel, oh let me also become like this, and that way we will also become Sattvic Desha is the place, and it's interesting that place is also being included in this mix because In general, when we talk about place, we may think of the place as something physical How is that going to affect me? But the place does indeed affect us Prabhupada would famously say that the forests are in the mode of goodness Cities are in the mode, not sorry, forests, villages are in the mode of, forests and villages we could say, they are in the mode of goodness The cities are in the mode of passion And within cities, the places of gross sensuality and sin like brothels and liquor houses, they are in the mode of ignorance So by minimizing our going to places which are in passion and ignorance And by staying more and more in places of goodness Of course the temple is transcendental, coming to the temple also We can elevate the mode in which we are situated Kalah karma cha janma cha, kalah refers to the time Different times of the day are in different modes, that means If we act in those modes, then the external environment will push us towards goodness So for example, early morning, it's usually said that from the Brahmamurta time, 4 o'clock to around 10 o'clock That is till 12 o'clock, those 8 hours are in goodness And 12 to 8 are in passion and then 8 to 4, early morning They are again in ignorance So by choosing to be active most of the time when the mode of goodness is active We will become elevated in the mode of goodness Karma cha janma cha, now karma refers to not just activity but the kind of activity that we do So certain professions involve too much passion, certain other professions involve more of goodness And depending on the profession that we choose, that will also affect how much we are in which mode This is the sixth factor, janma cha, now janma is not in our control But that is ultimately determined by our own past actions So by our past actions, we may be born in a lower birth And when we are born in a lower birth, lower place In a family which is very passionate or very tamasic Then that also affects our mentality Psychologists and social behaviorists, people who study social behavior They know that birth and upbringing are a defining influence on a person's behavior Dhyanam, mantra, dha, samskara, dashaite, so dashaite is ten So siddhas have been discussed ten or three more Dhyanam, what we contemplate, what we meditate on So we may be in a temple, thoughts are about sense gratification Then going to the temple will not really, yes it will help definitely But still we are depriving ourselves of how much We are depriving ourselves of the far greater elevation and fulfillment that a temple could have offered So we can check, what are my default thoughts? What is my prominent object of meditation? Here meditation doesn't necessarily mean that somebody sits in a yogic posture and meditates It simply means the default object of thought Everybody has some object of thought or other which is their favorite Some people it may be cricket, some people it may be the stock market shares Others it may be politics And depending on whether the object that you are meditating on Whether it is goodness, passion or ignorance That will substantially shape the mode that it influences And mantra specifically refers to the mantras that we chant Certain mantras are prayers asking for material things And such prayers are not, although they are connecting with some higher reality, some devta or even Krishna Such prayers will not elevate as much So if we chant mantras that are transcendental and that are with a transcendental intention Then we can be rapidly elevated Mantra can generically also refer to what are our pet phrases What are the kind of words that we repeat again and again People who are pessimistic, they have certain speech mannerisms And those speech mannerisms affect them adversely Samskara refers to the kind of impressions that we have acquired Janma refers to the family of birth and Samskara refers to the upbringing Samskara can at a specific level refer to the rituals that are performed on a child But the purpose of those rituals is to create positive, pious, spiritual impressions And if those impressions are to be sustained Then if those impressions are provided, the child will naturally be more inclined towards piety and goodness So if from childhood children are seeing movies which are involving violence and sexuality Then that is going to shape their behavior accordingly So by observing and altering these external factors in our life And exposing ourselves to more sattvic influences We can situate ourselves in goodness And of course in bhakti we try to focus on as many devotional stimuli as possible And thus we can very rapidly rise to goodness and go beyond goodness to transcendence Thank you.