yuvāṁ vai brahmaṇādiṣṭau
prajā-sarge yadā tataḥ
sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ
tepāthe paramaṁ tapaḥ
prajā-sarge yadā tataḥ
sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ
tepāthe paramaṁ tapaḥ
Synonyms
yuvām-both of you (Pṛśni and Sutapā); vai-indeed; brahmaṇā ādiṣṭau-ordered by Lord Brahmā (who is known as Pitāmaha, the father of the Prajāpatis); prajā-sarge-in the creation of progeny; yadā-when; tataḥ-thereafter; sanniyamya-keeping under full control; indriya-grāmam-the senses; tepāthe-underwent; paramam-very great; tapaḥ-austerity.
When both of you were ordered by Lord Brahmā to create progeny, you first underwent severe austerities by controlling your senses.
Here is an instruction about how to use one's senses to create progeny. According to Vedic principles, before creating progeny one must fully control the senses. This control takes place through the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. In India there is great agitation for birth control in various mechanical ways, but birth cannot be mechanically controlled. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (13.9), janma-mṛtyu jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam: birth, death, old age and disease are certainly the primary distresses of the material world. People are trying to control birth, but they are not able to control death; and if one cannot control death, one cannot control birth either. In other words, artificially controlling birth is not any more feasible than artificially controlling death.
According to Vedic civilization, procreation should not be contrary to religious principles, and then the birthrate will be controlled. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.11), dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo'smi: sex not contrary to religious principles is a representation of the Supreme Lord. People should be educated in how to give birth to good children through saṁskāras, beginning with the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra; birth should not be controlled by artificial means, for this will lead to a civilization of animals. If one follows religious principles, he automatically practices birth control because if one is spiritually educated he knows that the after-effects of sex are various types of misery (bahu-duḥkha-bhāja). One who is spiritually advanced does not indulge in uncontrolled sex. Therefore, instead of being forced to refrain from sex or refrain from giving birth to many children, people should be spiritually educated, and then birth control will automatically follow.
If one is determined to make spiritual advancement, he will not beget a child unless able to make that child a devotee. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.18), pitā na sa syāt: one should not become a father unless one is able to protect his child from mṛtyu, the path of birth and death. But where is there education about this? A responsible father never begets children like cats and dogs. Instead of being encouraged to adopt artificial means of birth control, people should be educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because only then will they understand their responsibility to their children. If one can beget children who will be devotees and be taught to turn aside from the path of birth and death (mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani), there is no need of birth control. Rather, one should be encouraged to beget children. Artificial means of birth control have no value. Whether one begets children or does not, a population of men who are like cats and dogs will never make human society happy. It is therefore necessary for people to be educated spiritually so that instead of begetting children like cats and dogs, they will undergo austerities to produce devotees. This will make their lives successful.
TEXTS 34–35
varṣa-vātātapa-hima-
gharma-kāla-guṇān anu
sahamānau śvāsa-rodha-
vinirdhūta-mano-malau
śīrṇa-parṇānilāhārāv
upaśāntena cetasā
mattaḥ kāmān abhīpsantau
mad-ārādhanam īhatuḥ
SYNONYMS
varṣa-the rain; vāta-strong wind; ātapa-strong sunshine; hima-severe cold; gharma-heat; kāla-guṇān anu-according to seasonal changes; sahamānau-by enduring; śvāsa-rodha-by practicing yoga, controlling the breath; vinirdhūta-the dirty things accumulated in the mind were completely washed away; manaḥ-malau-the mind became clean, free from material contamination; śīrṇa-rejected, dry; parṇa-leaves from the trees; anila-and air; āhārau-eating; upaśāntena-peaceful; cetasā-with a fully controlled mind; mattaḥ-from Me; kāmān abhīpsantau-desiring to beg some benediction; mat-My; ārādhanam-worship; īhatuḥ-you both executed.
My dear father and mother, you endured rain, wind, strong sun, scorching heat and severe cold, suffering all sorts of inconvenience according to different seasons. By practicing prāṇāyāma to control the air within the body through yoga, and by eating only air and dry leaves fallen from the trees, you cleansed from your minds all dirty things. In this way, desiring a benediction from Me, you worshiped Me with peaceful minds.
Vasudeva and Devakī did not obtain the Supreme Personality of Godhead as their son very easily, nor does the Supreme Godhead accept merely anyone as His father and mother. Here we can see how Vasudeva and Devakī obtained Kṛṣṇa as their eternal son. In our own lives, we are meant to follow the principles indicated herewith for getting good children. Of course, it is not possible for everyone to get Kṛṣṇa as his son, but at least one can get very good sons and daughters for the benefit of human society. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that if human beings do not follow the spiritual way of life, there will be an increase of varṇa-saṅkara population, population begotten like cats and dogs, and the entire world will become like hell. Not practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness but simply encouraging artificial means to check the population will be futile; the population will increase, and it will consist of varṇa-saṅkara, unwanted progeny. It is better to teach people how to beget children not like hogs and dogs, but in controlled life.
Human life is meant not for becoming a hog or dog, but for tapo divyam, transcendental austerity. Everyone should be taught to undergo austerity, tapasya. Although it may not be possible to undergo tapasya like that of Pṛśni and Sutapā, the śāstra has given an opportunity for a method of tapasya very easy to perform-the saṅkīrtana movement. One cannot expect to undergo tapasya to get Kṛṣṇa as one's child, yet simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra (kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya), one can become so pure that one becomes free from all the contamination of this material world (mukta-saṅgaḥ) and goes back home, back to Godhead (paraṁ vrajet). The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, therefore, is teaching people not to adopt artificial means of happiness, but to take the real path of happiness as prescribed in the śāstra-the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra-and become perfect in every aspect of material existence.
When both of you were ordered by Lord Brahmā to create progeny, you first underwent severe austerities by controlling your senses.
Here is an instruction about how to use one's senses to create progeny. According to Vedic principles, before creating progeny one must fully control the senses. This control takes place through the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. In India there is great agitation for birth control in various mechanical ways, but birth cannot be mechanically controlled. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (13.9), janma-mṛtyu jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam: birth, death, old age and disease are certainly the primary distresses of the material world. People are trying to control birth, but they are not able to control death; and if one cannot control death, one cannot control birth either. In other words, artificially controlling birth is not any more feasible than artificially controlling death.
According to Vedic civilization, procreation should not be contrary to religious principles, and then the birthrate will be controlled. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (7.11), dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo'smi: sex not contrary to religious principles is a representation of the Supreme Lord. People should be educated in how to give birth to good children through saṁskāras, beginning with the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra; birth should not be controlled by artificial means, for this will lead to a civilization of animals. If one follows religious principles, he automatically practices birth control because if one is spiritually educated he knows that the after-effects of sex are various types of misery (bahu-duḥkha-bhāja). One who is spiritually advanced does not indulge in uncontrolled sex. Therefore, instead of being forced to refrain from sex or refrain from giving birth to many children, people should be spiritually educated, and then birth control will automatically follow.
If one is determined to make spiritual advancement, he will not beget a child unless able to make that child a devotee. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.5.18), pitā na sa syāt: one should not become a father unless one is able to protect his child from mṛtyu, the path of birth and death. But where is there education about this? A responsible father never begets children like cats and dogs. Instead of being encouraged to adopt artificial means of birth control, people should be educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because only then will they understand their responsibility to their children. If one can beget children who will be devotees and be taught to turn aside from the path of birth and death (mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani), there is no need of birth control. Rather, one should be encouraged to beget children. Artificial means of birth control have no value. Whether one begets children or does not, a population of men who are like cats and dogs will never make human society happy. It is therefore necessary for people to be educated spiritually so that instead of begetting children like cats and dogs, they will undergo austerities to produce devotees. This will make their lives successful.
TEXTS 34–35
varṣa-vātātapa-hima-
gharma-kāla-guṇān anu
sahamānau śvāsa-rodha-
vinirdhūta-mano-malau
śīrṇa-parṇānilāhārāv
upaśāntena cetasā
mattaḥ kāmān abhīpsantau
mad-ārādhanam īhatuḥ
SYNONYMS
varṣa-the rain; vāta-strong wind; ātapa-strong sunshine; hima-severe cold; gharma-heat; kāla-guṇān anu-according to seasonal changes; sahamānau-by enduring; śvāsa-rodha-by practicing yoga, controlling the breath; vinirdhūta-the dirty things accumulated in the mind were completely washed away; manaḥ-malau-the mind became clean, free from material contamination; śīrṇa-rejected, dry; parṇa-leaves from the trees; anila-and air; āhārau-eating; upaśāntena-peaceful; cetasā-with a fully controlled mind; mattaḥ-from Me; kāmān abhīpsantau-desiring to beg some benediction; mat-My; ārādhanam-worship; īhatuḥ-you both executed.
My dear father and mother, you endured rain, wind, strong sun, scorching heat and severe cold, suffering all sorts of inconvenience according to different seasons. By practicing prāṇāyāma to control the air within the body through yoga, and by eating only air and dry leaves fallen from the trees, you cleansed from your minds all dirty things. In this way, desiring a benediction from Me, you worshiped Me with peaceful minds.
Vasudeva and Devakī did not obtain the Supreme Personality of Godhead as their son very easily, nor does the Supreme Godhead accept merely anyone as His father and mother. Here we can see how Vasudeva and Devakī obtained Kṛṣṇa as their eternal son. In our own lives, we are meant to follow the principles indicated herewith for getting good children. Of course, it is not possible for everyone to get Kṛṣṇa as his son, but at least one can get very good sons and daughters for the benefit of human society. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that if human beings do not follow the spiritual way of life, there will be an increase of varṇa-saṅkara population, population begotten like cats and dogs, and the entire world will become like hell. Not practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness but simply encouraging artificial means to check the population will be futile; the population will increase, and it will consist of varṇa-saṅkara, unwanted progeny. It is better to teach people how to beget children not like hogs and dogs, but in controlled life.
Human life is meant not for becoming a hog or dog, but for tapo divyam, transcendental austerity. Everyone should be taught to undergo austerity, tapasya. Although it may not be possible to undergo tapasya like that of Pṛśni and Sutapā, the śāstra has given an opportunity for a method of tapasya very easy to perform-the saṅkīrtana movement. One cannot expect to undergo tapasya to get Kṛṣṇa as one's child, yet simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra (kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya), one can become so pure that one becomes free from all the contamination of this material world (mukta-saṅgaḥ) and goes back home, back to Godhead (paraṁ vrajet). The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, therefore, is teaching people not to adopt artificial means of happiness, but to take the real path of happiness as prescribed in the śāstra-the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra-and become perfect in every aspect of material existence.