Hindi
English
29 July 2020
Our Six Hidden Enemies
Hare Krishna. Welcome you all to the Japa Talk. Today 956 devotees are chanting. Today the topic of the Japa Talk is Our Six enemies (Shat Ripu)
Some may say that this will be Maya's katha, but we know Maya as she is. Maya belongs to Krsna. We need to understand it. The discussions of the 3 modes of nature or 6 enemies or demonic natures are Maya, but we need to understand them and recognise them as Maya.
mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram hetunānena kaunteya jagad viparivartate
Translation This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again. [BG 9.10]
daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te
Translation My divine energy Maya, consisting of the three modes of nature, is very difficult to overcome. But those who surrender unto me cross over it easily. [BG 7.14]
The material nature is Gunamay, which means it is made up of the 3 modes of nature. Gunas also mean ropes. This nature which is made up of 3 gunas, act as ropes. There are 3 ropes - Goodness, Passion and Ignorance. It controls everyone and engages them in karma.
prakṛiteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśhaḥ ahankāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate
Translation All activities are carried out by the three modes of material nature. But in ignorance, the soul, deluded by false identification with the body, thinks itself to be the doer. [BG 3.27]
The Lord says that all are controlled by nature, but out of ignorance and false ego we feel that we are the doers.
atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ pāpaṁ charati pūruṣhaḥ anichchhann api vārṣhṇeya balād iva niyojitaḥ
Translation Arjun asked: Why is a person impelled to commit sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if by force, O descendent of Vrishni (Krishna)? [BG 3.36]
Arjun inquired, "Who is this? Who makes us do these actions which we don't wish to ? We know that it is wrong and sinful, but still we do it?"
śrī bhagavān uvācha kāma eṣha krodha eṣha rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ mahāśhano mahā-pāpmā viddhyenam iha vairiṇam
Translation The Supreme Lord said: It is lust alone, which is born of contact with the mode of passion, and later transformed into anger. Know this as the sinful, all-devouring enemy in the world. [BG 3.37]
The Lord replies that due to this mode of passion lust and anger manifest. We desire and make plans as per our desires. When there are obstacles and we are not able to fulfil our desires or there is a delay in this fulfilment, then anger arises. When we are angry we become blind. We don't realize what we end up doing. We repent later. Greed can also be a result of lust. Lust is like a fire. It keeps burning and if you add oil, it may grow. This becomes greed. When one desire is fulfilled it may create more desires and turn into greed. When out of greed you have assembled a lot of wealth, then you become intoxicated with such wealth and pride arises. We start feeling that we are the doers and the owners. Then the person becomes illusional and falsely attached. Sometimes anger also leads to being illusional. After illusion, moha, there are more enemies. As we are moving further, talking about these enemies, we aren't progressing, we are moving towards destruction.
Then comes envy (matsarya) or hatred. We start becoming envious of others, We don't like others having things better than us, or we are not pleased seeing others progress. Our aim is to get over these enemies. By the mercy of the Lord, the desire of Lord, whatever is achieved is without any unnecessary efforts. We need to acquire only what we need and not satisfy our greed with whatever is availed by Krsna, then we may overcome envy. The origin of the fallen souls falling in the material world commenced with envy of the Lord. The desire is there to enjoy like the Lord. He thinks that the Lord says, ‘I am the Lord,’ so out of envy he feels, “I am also the Lord. I shall enjoy.” This is the ultimate conditioned situation when we are envious of the Lord. Everyone who is in this material world has chosen to go against the Lord:
asau mayā hataḥ śhatrur haniṣhye chāparān api īśhvaro ’ham ahaṁ bhogī siddho ’haṁ balavān sukhī āḍhyo ’bhijanavān asmi ko ’nyo ’sti sadṛiśho mayā yakṣhye dāsyāmi modiṣhya ity ajñāna-vimohitāḥ
Translation The demoniac persons think, “I have gained so much wealth today, and I shall now fulfill this desire of mine. This is mine, and tomorrow I shall have even more. That enemy has been destroyed by me, and I shall destroy the others too! I am like God himself, I am the enjoyer, I am powerful, and I am happy. I am wealthy and I have highly placed relatives. Who else is equal to me? I shall perform sacrifices (to the celestial gods); I shall give alms; I shall rejoice.” In this way, they are deluded by ignorance. [BG 14-15]
Bhagavatam says that he becomes very unhappy then he becomes entangled in the pool of the 6 enemies, so the one who is busy all the time assembling the subjects of enjoyment gets entangled. One who keeps making efforts to satisfy his senses is always influenced by lust.
Opposite to this material lust is love, which is transcendental.
ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā — tāre bali ‘kāma’ kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare ‘prema’ nāma
Translation The desire to gratify one’s own senses is kāma [lust], but the desire to please the senses of Lord Kṛṣṇa is prema [love]. [CC Adi Lila 4.165]
Lust is natural, but the love is non-natural, which is spiritual. Lust, anger, greed, false ego, envy, and fear are our six enemies.(foes) Self sense gratification is lust and the desire to satisfy the senses of the Lord, to please Krsna, is loving Devotional Service. That is Bhakti.
sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
Translation ‘Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’ [CC Madhya 19.170]
By our senses we must serve the Lord Hrisikesa, who is the Lord of the senses. This is the proper understanding, and when a person engages his senses in activities to please the Lord with such an understanding then he is a devotee, and this is loving devotional service, Bhakti.
I have opened this topic of the 6 enemies, but it is a vast topic. It cannot be completed in this short time. You all must think about this today. If you all wish to write something, you may. You can also ask questions and make comments.
We are supposed to satisfy the senses of the Lord, this means that we have to please the eyes of the Lord, the ears of the Lord, the tongue of the Lord, like that.
Tomorrow is Ekadasi. plan out how will you please Krsna tomorrow? How will you serve his senses? • We will chant more. Using our tongue we will satisfy the ears of Krsna. It’s sravan utsava for Krsna. • We will not eat grains. • We will not worry about our sense gratification. • We will attend Mangal arati* The Lord will be pleased seeing us in mangal arati. If we miss it, then He may wonder where are we?
Krsna also has His own likes and dislikes. He is pleased with some things and displeased with some things. So plan to satisfy Krsna’s senses.
Thank you so much Hare Krishna!
