20241020 Śrī Caitanya Śikṣāmṛta 2.5. Āhnika

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Second Shower — Consideration of secondary rules

Fifth Stream — Āhnika

(Performing religious ceremony at a fixed hour)

5. Four types of Untruth

Untrue practices are of types —1) Telling lies, 2) Religious hypocrisy, 3) Cheating or false behavior and 4) Partiality or favoritism.

1) Telling lies,

Lying is strictly prohibited. Telling lies after having taken an oath is said to be much faultier. So never tell a lie under any circumstances. No one believes those who behave falsely in the world; Eventually they became hated by everyone.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Vaiṣṇavas believe in telling the truth. And we are seeing in the American competition campaigning to become the President, how one person tells a lot of lies. This is usually seen by many people.

2) Religious hypocrisy

Religious hypocrisy is a terrible sin. Those who are indulging in this sin are called as having the profession of cat. He who adorns externally his body with religious symbols like tilaka, mālā, kupīna, bahirvāsa, yajñopavita etc., but internally have no devotion to God, is a dharma-dhvajī (pseudo devotee or hypocrite).

Jayapatākā Swami: I have seen while going on the airplane, the person next to me was of some religious order but he said he did not believe in God! It was a shock to me! A number of people wear the symbols of religious men, but they don’t actually believe in God.

3) Cheating or false behavior

Those who behave deceitfully in general dealings, i.e., do not express their thoughts but express in other ways, are called as cheaters and are hated by all people.

Jayapatākā Swami: If someone has different beliefs but he presents it in different ways. In India, they say 420, a cheater. So Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was saying that this kind of person is eventually hated by people.

4) Partiality or favoritism.

Favoring a wrong side for whatever reason, without being on the right side is called Partiality or favoritism. This should be completely given up.

Jayapatākā Swami: So if someone is partial to some people but not for the right reason, then that is a different form of untruth.

6). Disobeying guru

Disobeying guru (Guru-avajñā) is of three types–

1) Neglecting or disregarding mother and father,

2) Neglecting or disregarding instructors and

3) Neglecting or disregarding other elders.

Even if the gurus at any time by mistake chastise unjustly, still one should not disregard them even a little bit. Should take care to please them expertly and gently. If one does not obey the unjust permission of the guru, there is no disregard of guru (guru-avajñā).

Jayapatākā Swami: In ISKCON we take formal initiation from a guru. Even if one is initiated, then his parents or elders, he has to treat them with respect. So disobeying a guru is of various types. Also, in the ten offences to the holy name, one of the offences to the holy name is not following the initiating guru.

7. Debauchery

Debauchery is of three types:—

1) Debauchery of Wealth

2) Debauchery of Woman

3) Debauchery of Reputation

1) Debauchery of Wealth

The extravagance of material wealth and objects is called debauchery of wealth. Human being’s debauchery of wealth gradually increases the desire of material wealth and objects and robs them of all their happiness. Therefore, leading a simple life with minimum wants, while abandoning this debauchery, if such material wealth and objects is obtained, then that kind of desire for debauchery should not be kept in the heart.

Jayapatākā Swami: One should desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. But instead, if their heart is contaminated by wanting money, and just wanting wealth is a kind of debauchery.

2) Debauchery of Woman

Lusting for woman is a great sin. Association with other woman or prostitutes should never be done. Even if one lives with a married wife, one has to observe some physical and social rules. No one should be a womanizer. One will be destroyed by becoming a womanizer.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, there are some principles that have to be followed in married life. But if one doesn’t follow these principles, otherwise being a womanizer is also a kind of debauchery.

Note:

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.31.33–34

satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā maunaṁ
buddhiḥ śrīr hrīr yaśaḥ kṣamā
śamo damo bhagaś ceti
yat-saṅgād yāti saṅkṣayam

teṣv aśānteṣu mūḍheṣu
khaṇḍitātmasv asādhuṣu
saṅgaṁ na kuryāc chocyeṣu
yoṣit-krīḍā-mṛgeṣu ca

He becomes devoid of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, gravity, spiritual intelligence, shyness, austerity, fame, forgiveness, control of the mind, control of the senses, fortune and all such opportunities. One should not associate with a coarse fool who is bereft of the knowledge of self-realization and who is no more than a dancing dog in the hands of a woman.

Illicit intercourse with women causes weakness of the body, wasteful usage of the genital organs, loss of intelligence and production of children who have weak short lives. For the time being, for the people of India, it feels inappropriate to have intercourse with men and women before the age of twenty-one years for men and sixteen years for women. Intercourse is prohibited during the duration of vrata, when the wife is pregnant and when the menstruating period is not complete. It is the duty to eliminate lusting for woman from the heart through dharma-pravṛtti (performing religious actions in terms of the directions of the scriptures).

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this gives some rules regarding intercourse between men and women. And these things are seen, presented by Śrīla Prabhupāda.

3) Debauchery of Reputation

Debauchery of reputation gradually makes all human actions becoming completely selfish. Therefore, this debauchery should be eliminated as a sin. One should practice religiosity selflessly.

Jayapatākā Swami: How Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is explaining all these things. Debauchery of reputation. So if one wants to have a good reputation and he is doing all kinds of illegal things, so he shows up doing religious things, but it is only to have a good reputation. But Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is saying that we should religious practices selflessly.

I had two meetings, one at 6 and one at 7 pm. And this class was at 8 pm. I think we started a little late.

Kṛṣṇe matir astu!