THEMATIC ESSENCE OF UDDHAVA-GITA Lesson 5: The Nature of Fruitive Activity THEMATIC ESSENCE OF UDDHAVA-GITA Lesson 5: The Nature of Fruitive Activity (SB Canto 11, Chapter 10) 10/15/2011Carucandra Dasa 1

Recap of Chapter 9: Detachment from all that is material while focusing on the Supreme  Krsna’s final instructions to Uddhava  detach from all that is material & service for him  deliver His message to Nara-Naräyaëa Åñi up in the Himalayas  Uddhava pointed out that this is extremely difficult for conditioned souls, who are not His devotees, and thus are attached to sense enjoyment or fruitive activities  how they too could be delivered?  Chapter 10 subject matter  Krsna cites the ancient conversation between the avadhüta brähmaëa (Dattatreya) & King Nimi  enrich from one’s basal intelligence to learn from the surrounding material world—the 25 gurus  thus act as his own guru 10/15/2011Carucandra Dasa 2

10/15/2011Carucandra Dasa 3 Chapter 10: The Nature of Fruitive Activity I. Detachment through practice of Varëäçrma- Dharma (1-13) II. Krsna’s refute of Jaimini Åñi’s Purva- or Karma-mimämña philosophy (14-34) III. Uddhava’s questions—the foundation for Chapter 11 (35-37)

I. Detachment through practice of ä(1-13) I. Detachment through practice of Varëäçrma-Dharma (1-13)  The spirit soul encaged in the material body = conditioned by the 3 modes  can develop pure transcendental knowledge  how?  Practice of Varëäçrma-Dharma (VD)  prescribed duties according to one’s nature = 3 modes  karma according to Vedic injunctions  However, karma thru jïäna  bhakti (chapters 11 and 12)  Strong tendency of karma according to VD typically meant for one’s own sense enjoyment, albeit in a regulated way (Contd) 10/15/2011Carucandra Dasa 4

I. Detachment through practice of Varëaçrma-Dharma (1-13; Contd)  According to Krsna, karma of VD is meant for detachment  soul is situated in the body, but shouldn’t identify with it  By attaining pure transcendental knowledge through çästra via bona fide spiritual master  While seeking full shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna, one should live without personal desires, and dedicate the results of his prescribed duties according to VD to Him. (Contd) 10/15/2011Carucandra Dasa 5

I. Detachment through practice of Varëaçrma-Dharma (1-13; Contd)  It is Krsna’s mäyä-çakti that creates sense objects  meant for our sense pleasure or enjoyment  actually that pleasure is destructive  bodily conception of life  repeated birth and death  Analogy: pig eating stool and actually enjoying it, but to a human with higher intelligence it is quite repulsive (body = senses = sense objects)  Karmas according to VD  pravåtti-märga, or the path of material attachment; rather one should follow nivåtti-märga, or material detachment 10/15/2011Carucandra Dasa 6

10/15/2011Carucandra Dasa 7 II. Krsna’s refute of Jaimini Åñi’s purva- or karma- mimämña philosophy (14-34)

Karma-mimämña philosophy Krsna’s refute  The living entity is originally and naturally a performer of fruitive activities and happiness or distress are their results.  According to this materialistic philosophy, the world, time, and çästra are all variable and eternal  perpetual flow of transformation (Contd)  Even one accepts this philosophy, there will still be perpetual birth, death, old age and diseases, since every living entity must accept a material body subject to influence of time. Any happiness is temporary and limited  he is in no control of his own destiny  he cannot avoid the unpleasant death (Contd) 10/15/2011Carucandra Dasa 8

Karma-mimämña philosophy (Contd) Krsna’s refute (Contd)  The purpose of VD is to attain material piety  continuous material enjoyment in this life, and in his next life even higher sense pleasure because of promotion to heavenly planets  This promotion accrues due to strict and perfect discharge of VD.  Even the heavenly planets are not free from the earthly pollution of envy, petty jealousy, decay and death. Furthermore, one has to fall down again to the mortal planets on depletion of his pious credits  influence of time  There is always the risk of committing sinful acts because of greed  hellish planets and sufferings 10/15/2011Carucandra Dasa 9

III. Uddhava’s questions—the foundation for Chapter 11 (35-37) 1. Since the embodied living entity is constantly under the influence of the 3 modes of nature, and the resultant happiness/distress, how is it possible to remain detached under the situation? 2. If he is constitutionally transcendental, then how did he get conditioned by the modes of material nature in the first place? (Contd) 10/15/2011Carucandra Dasa 10

III. Uddhava’s questions—the foundation for Chapter 11 (35-37)  The living entity is said to be eternally conditioned or eternally liberated at different times. If so, then the word “eternal” has no meaning. Therefore, what is the actual situation of the living entity?  What are the symptoms by which one can distinguish whether the living entity is eternally conditioned or liberated? 10/15/2011Carucandra Dasa 11