Srila Prabhupada

Human life is meant for tapasya

Everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā does not say that "You live by breathing air." No. Bhagavad-gītā says, *annād bhavanti bhūtāni* (BG 3.14). *Anna*. *Anna* means food grains. There is necessity of food grain. *Annād bhavanti bhūtāni*. Bhagavad-gītā never says that "you don't require to eat. You simply breathe air and practice yoga." No. But we must eat neither more, nor less. That is recommended. *Yuktāhāra-vihārasya*. We should not eat more, nor less. And *nirāśīḥ*. *Nirāśīḥ* means desireless of extravagance. Now we are desiring for sense gratification more and more. That is not wanted. If you want perfection of life.... This is called tapasya.
One has got the desire, but he should not desire unnecessarily. Everyone has got the right to eat, even the animals. Everyone has got the right. But because we are desiring to enjoy more, therefore we do not give the chance to the animals to live properly; rather, we are trying to eat the animals. This is not required. This is called *nirāśīḥ*. Why you should eat animals? That is uncivilized life. When there is no food, when they are aborigines, they may eat animals, because they do not know how to grow food. But when the human society becomes civilized, he can grow so many nice foods, he can keep the cows, instead of eating the cows. He can get milk, sufficient milk. We can make so many preparation from milk and grains. So we should not desire unnecessarily to enjoy more.
Then it is said here, *kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam* (BG 4.21). *Kilbiṣam* means resultant action of sinful life. *Kilbiṣam*. So if we don't desire more than our necessary, then we are not implicated, involved in sinful activity, *kurvan api*, even though he is engaged in working. While you are working, knowingly or unknowingly, you have to commit something which is not pious, even sinful, but if you simply desire for living properly, then *kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam*. Our life should be without any sinful reaction. Otherwise we will have to suffer. But they do not believe, although they are seeing so many abominable lives. Wherefrom they are coming, 8,400,000 species of life? There are so many lives living very abominable condition. Of course, the animal or the living creature does not know, but we human being, we should know why this abominable life. It is māyā's illusion.

Even one is.... Just like a pig is living in a very filthy condition, eating stool, and still, he is thinking very happy, and therefore he is getting fat. When one feels happy, "I am very happy," he becomes fatty. So you will find these pigs, they are very much fatty, but what they eat? They eat stool and live in a filthy place. But they think that "We are very happy." So that is māyā's illusion. Anyone who is living in a very abominable condition of life, māyā, by illusion, he is thinking that he is all right, he is living very perfectly. But a person who is on the higher stage, he sees that he is living in a very abominable condition.
So this illusion is there, but by knowledge, by good association, by taking instruction from the śāstra, from guru, from saintly persons, one should understand what is the value of life and live like that. So this is instructed by Kṛṣṇa, that *nirāśīḥ*, one should not be unnecessarily desireful, more than his necessities of life. This is called nirāśīḥ. *Nirāśīḥ*. Another meaning is that not very much fond of material enjoyment. And that is possible when he is in full knowledge that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. My necessity is how to advance in spiritual knowledge." Then he can become *nirāśīḥ*. These are the items for *tapasya*, austerity, penance.
People have forgotten now. They do not know what is the austerities. But the human life is meant for that purpose. *Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvaṁ yena brahma-saukhyam anantam* (SB 5.5.1). These are the instruction of the śāstra. The human life is meant for tapasya. And tapasya...
Therefore in the Vedic way of life the beginning of life is tapasya, brahmacārī, brahmacārī. A student is sent to gurukula for practicing brahmacarya. This is tapasya, not comfortable life. Lying down on the floor, going door-to-door for begging alms for guru. But they are not tired. Because they are children, if they are trained these austerities, they become to practice. They call all woman, "Mother." "Mother, give me some alms." And they come back to guru's place. Everything belongs to guru. This brahmacārī life. This is tapasya. *Tapo divyam* (SB 5.5.1). That is Vedic civilization, that children should be from the very beginning of life trained up in tapasya, brahmacarya. Celibacy. A brahmacārī cannot see any young woman. Even the guru's wife is young, he cannot go to the guru's wife. These are the restriction. Now where is that brahmacarya? No brahmacārī. This is Kali-yuga. No tapasya.
**Lecture by Srila Prabhupada on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974**

Full lecture here: 740410 - Lecture BG 04.21 - Bombay (https://vanisource.org/wiki/740410_-_Lecture_BG_04.21_-_Bombay)

Guru means who is following the principles of Jagadguru

Prabhupāda:

vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat
tatra tatra jagad-guro
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād
apunar bhava-darśanam
(SB 1.8.25)

So the people do not know this philosophy: apunar bhava-darśanam. Punar bhava. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The rascals, they cannot understand that what is our real difficulty or suffering. Mūḍha. Therefore the mūḍhas, they do not know it, that what is our actual suffering.
We understand from Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate, that "This living entity is never born, never dies." This information we get, very simple information. We are taking information from whom? Kṛṣṇa, jagad-guru, the supreme guru, the original guru. Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative. A guru cannot be manufactured. Guru means . . . Kṛṣṇa is jagad-guru, and one who speaks on behalf of Kṛṣṇa or one who speaks as Kṛṣṇa says, he is guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā (CC Madhya 7.128): "You just become guru on My order." You cannot become guru automatically, without following the order of jagad-guru. The government servant . . . Who is government servant? Who is strictly following the government order, that is government servant. Anyone can say, "I am government servant." No. How you can be? Similarly, guru means who is following the principles given by the jagad-guru. Then he's guru.

So the principle . . . What is that principle? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is principle. "You give up all these nonsense activities. Simply surrender." So one who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa fully, no other business, he is guru. This is the definition of guru. There is no difficult to understand who is guru. One who follows strictly the principles laid down by jagad-guru, he is guru. So the jagad-guru says . . . Because we have to learn everything, especially spiritual subject matter, from guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is the injunction of the Vedas. If you want to understand Brahman, athāto brahma jijñāsā . . . This life, human life, is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth: athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is not meant for any other purpose.
This life, any life, there is no question of inquiring about "Where shall I eat? Where shall I sleep? Where shall I have s*x? How shall I be saved from fear?" There is no such question. This is already arranged. These things are already arranged even for the birds and beast. They are also living. They are also eating. They are also sleeping. They are also having s*x life. They also defend them from danger. So by nature the arrangement is already there. So only thing is, difference than in other life . . . There are 8,400,000 species. In eight-million, 8,000,000 lives, they do not know except these four things (eating, sleeping, mating & defending). And out of the 8,400,000 species, four hundred thousand (400,000) are human-like species, but mostly they are like animals. So unless one comes to the Vedic civilization, he's not human being. He's not human being.

So when one comes to the Vedic principle, then the question is athāto brahma jijñāsā. Vedānta-sūtra says, "Now you have come to the real platform. You inquire about Brahman." Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ (SB 11.3.21). When one is inquisitive to inquire about the higher-level questions, brahma-jijñāsā, then he requires a guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta: "You are now inquisitive about understanding higher-level knowledge, so you must go to a guru." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Who? Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Uttamam. Uttamam means that which is above this darkness. This whole world is darkness. So one who wants to go above darkness . . . Tamasi mā jyotir gama. The Vedic injunction is: "Don't keep yourself in darkness. Go to the light." That light is Brahman, brahma-jijñāsā.
Lecture by Srila Prabhupada on SB 1.8.25 -- Mayapur, October 5, 1974

Full lecture here: 741005 - Lecture SB 01.08.25 - Mayapur (https://vanisource.org/wiki/741005_-_Lecture_SB_01.08.25_-_Mayapur)