Is na dhanam na janam na sundarim applicable to householder life?

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that this Nadanam Janam Sundarim, can it be applied to everyone, especially those in householder life? They are going to have these things. Wealth is especially required and other things are also a part of householder life. Yeah.
So, there is the aspiration for pure devotion. But there is also a process towards going to that level of pure devotion. And what we need to do is follow the process.
So, just like an example, like once I was giving a class, one devotee gave a class and then this devotee was saying, you know, we should think that we can die at any moment. Today might be my last day. This moment might be my last moment.
The roof may fall and I may die. Now, the devotee’s whole class was, you know, basically all imaginative ways of describing how we will die at the next moment. Then one devotee, he asked a question, if I think that I’m going to die today, I’ll think, why should I go to my office? Let me just stay in the temple and chant.
So, can I do it for the rest of my life? What does it mean practically? I think sometimes one aspect may be too overemphasized. Okay, it’s possible that I may die today. But the point is that what can I do if I’m going to die today? I have to absorb myself in Krishna.
And there is a process for absorbing oneself in Krishna. And the process is the process of Bhakti Yoga. Bhakti Yoga involves various ashrams.
And then whatever ashram I am in, I do my duties according to that ashram and I will move onwards. So, it is not that just because I’m going to die, that means I give up all activities and just start focusing only on Krishna. That’s not what I should be doing if I’m in the Granth Ashram or whatever situation I’m in.
So, the important thing is, whenever we hear any such, like the idea that death may come any time or when we hear of Nadanam Na Janam Sundarim, this is a principle. So, in case of death, it is talking about how in this world everything can be destroyed. Therefore, we should go towards Krishna.
In the case of Nadanam Na Janam Sundarim, the idea is that, oh, I just don’t want anything else. I want only Krishna, which is an advanced state of devotion, towards which we want to go. But irrespective of whether we want to go away from the material world or go towards Krishna, there is a process to be followed.
And it is only by following that process that we can get there. So, we accept the principle of selfless devotion, of desiring only Krishna. But at our present level, we are not at that level.
So, as you rightly said, as devotees, what we should be doing is, Krishna should be our strongest desire. We cannot be at the level where Krishna is our only desire. But Krishna should be our strongest desire.
That means it becomes a competition between Krishna and wealth. Then it is not that I’ll give up Krishna and go after wealth. So, I may need the other things and I may have to get the other things also.
But I will not give up Krishna for these things. And as much as possible, I will try to integrate my journey towards Krishna with the pursuit of these things. And that is actually the Vedic path.
Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. So, Artha and Kama, basically that means, these are Purusha Arthas which are on the way towards ultimately getting Moksha. Now, of course, Bhakti is higher than Moksha.
But I am talking about the progression that is there. So, in Artha and Kama, Dhana and Yana Sundari, all these are included. So, it’s not that when we have an aspiration, we aspire for something, that does not mean that we can immediately act on that level.
So, the practical thing that we can do is, we can make Krishna our foremost desire. Just like, I may say, I am not the body. But I cannot stop acting at the bodily level right now.
So, and that is not what Krishna also expects. If you see Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, 2.13 says that, you are not the body. But right in the next verse, 2.14, Krishna refers to Arjuna using two bodily designations.
Matras, Parshastu, Kaunteya, son of Kunti. If I am not the body, then how am I the son of Kunti? He will ask, you know. Well, if I am not the body, how am I a descendant of the Bharata dynasty? So, Prabhupada explains there in the Parpot, that actually these indicate that he is connected with exalted people and therefore, exalted lineage brings with it a responsibility to act properly.
So, in principle, I accept that I am not the body. But in practice, I have to live in my relationship with my body. So, then these bodily relationships, they can inspire us to practice Dharma.
So, Arjuna, yes, to act at the spiritual level or to act in a way by which you can get spiritual realization, that is not easy. But, you know, you are coming in a great dynasty. Therefore, you can do this great thing.
So, basically, our bodily designations, whichever they may be, they can be used to inspire us to go towards Krishna. We cannot suddenly reject all bodily designations. So, similarly, bodily needs, bodily desires, they can be accommodated within the frame of bhakti.
Does it answer your question? Yes, Mataji.