EXT ONE

vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ

jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ
sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt
SYNONYMS
vācaḥ—of speech; vegam—urge; manasaḥ—of the mind; krodha—of
anger; vegam—urge; jihvā—of the tongue; vegam—urge; udara-
upastha—of the belly and genitals; vegam—urge; etān—these; vegān—
urges; yaḥ—whoever; viṣaheta—can tolerate; dhīraḥ—sober; sarvām—
all; api—certainly; imām—this; pṛthivīm—world; saḥ—that
personality; śiṣyāt—can make disciples.
TRANSLATION
A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind’s
demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and
genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.
PURPORT
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.1.9–10) Parīkṣit Mahārājaplaced a
number of intelligent questions before Śukadeva Gosvāmī. One of these
questions was: “Why do people undergo atonement if they cannot
control their senses?” For instance, a thief may know perfectly well that
he may be arrested for his stealing, and he may actually even see a thief
arrested by the police, yet he continues to steal. Experience is gathered
by hearing and seeing. One who is less intelligent gathers experience by
seeing, and one who is more intelligent gathers experience by hearing.
When an intelligent person hears from the lawbooks and śāstras, or
scriptures, that stealing is not good and hears that a thief is punished
when arrested, he refrains from theft. A less intelligent person may first
have to be arrested and punished for stealing to learn to stop stealing.
However, a rascal, a foolish man, may have the experience of both
hearing and seeing and may even be punished, but still he continues to
steal. Even if such a person atones and is punished by the government,
he will again commit theft as soon as he comes out of jail. If punishment
in jail is considered atonement, what is the benefit of such atonement?
Thus Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired:
dṛṣṭa-śrutābhyāṁ yat pāpaṁ
jānann apy ātmano ’hitam
karoti bhūyo vivaśaḥ
 prāyaścittam atho katham
[SB 6.1.9]
kvacin nivartate ’bhadrāt
kvacic carati tat punaḥ
prāyaścittam atho ’pārthaṁ
manye kuñjara-śaucavat
[SB 6.1.10]
He compared atonement to an elephant’s bathing. The elephant may
take a very nice bath in the river, but as soon as it comes onto the bank,
it throws dirt all over its body. What, then, is the value of its bathing?
Similarly, many spiritual practitioners chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-
mantra and at the same time commit many forbidden things, thinking
that their chanting will counteract their offenses. Of the ten types of
offenses one can commit while chanting the holy name of the Lord, this
offense is called nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ, committing sinful
activities on the strength of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-
mantra. Similarly, certain Christians go to church to confess their sins,
thinking that confessing their sins before a priest and performing some
penance will relieve them from the results of their weekly sins. As soon
as Saturday is over and Sunday comes, they again begin their sinful
activities, expecting to be forgiven the next Saturday. This kind
of prāyaścitta, or atonement, is condemned by Parīkṣit Mahārāja, the
most intelligent king of his time. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, equally intelligent,
as befitting the spiritual master of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, answered the King
and confirmed that his statement concerning atonement was correct. A
sinful activity cannot be counteracted by a pious activity. Thus
real prāyaścitta, atonement, is the awakening of our
dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Real atonement involves coming to real knowledge, and for this there
is a standard process. When one follows a regulated hygienic process, he
does not fall sick. A human being is meant to be trained according to
certain principles to revive his original knowledge. Such a methodical
life is described as tapasya. One can be gradually elevated to the
standard of real knowledge, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by practicing
austerity and celibacy (brahmacarya), by controlling the mind, by
controlling the senses, by giving up one’s possessions in charity, by being
avowedly truthful, by keeping clean and by practicing yoga-
āsanas. However, if one is fortunate enough to get the association of a
pure devotee, he can easily surpass all the practices for controlling the
mind by the mystic yoga process simply by following the regulative
principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness—refraining from illicit sex, meat-
eating, intoxication and gambling—and by engaging in the service of the
Supreme Lord under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master. This
easy process is being recommended by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
First one must control his speaking power. Every one of us has the
power of speech; as soon as we get an opportunity we begin to speak. If
we do not speak about Kṛṣṇaconsciousness, we speak about all sorts of
nonsense. A toad in a field speaks by croaking, and similarly everyone
who has a tongue wants to speak, even if all he has to say is nonsense.
The croaking of the toad, however, simply invites the snake: “Please
come here and eat me.” Nevertheless, although it is inviting death, the
toad goes on croaking. The talking of materialistic men and
impersonalist Māyāvādī philosophers may be compared to the croaking
of frogs. They are always speaking nonsense and thus inviting death to
catch them. Controlling speech, however, does not mean self-imposed
silence (the external process of mauna), as Māyāvādīphilosophers think.
Silence may appear helpful for some time, but ultimately it proves a
failure. The meaning of controlled speech conveyed by
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advocates the positive process of kṛṣṇa-
kathā, engaging the speaking process in glorifying the Supreme Lord
Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The tongue can thus glorify the name, form, qualities and
pastimes of the Lord. The preacher of kṛṣṇa-kathā is always beyond the
clutches of death. This is the significance of controlling the urge to speak.
The restlessness or fickleness of the mind (mano-vega) is controlled
when one can fix his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. The Caitanya-
caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.31) says:
kṛṣṇa——sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra
yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra
Kṛṣṇa is just like the sun, and māyā is just like darkness. If the sun is
present, there is no question of darkness. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is present
in the mind, there is no possibility of the mind’s being agitated
by māyā’s influence. The yogic process of negating all material thoughts
will not help. To try to create a vacuum in the mind is artificial. The
vacuum will not remain. However, if one always thinks of Kṛṣṇa and how
to serve Kṛṣṇa best, one’s mind will naturally be controlled.
Similarly, anger can be controlled. We cannot stop anger altogether,
but if we simply become angry with those who blaspheme the Lord or
the devotees of the Lord, we control our anger in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lord CaitanyaMahāprabhu became angry with the miscreant
brothers Jagāi and Mādhāi, who blasphemed and
struck NityānandaPrabhu. In
His Śikṣāṣṭaka Lord Caitanya wrote, tṛṇād apisunīcena taror api sahiṣṇ
unā: “One should be humbler than the grass and more tolerant than the
tree.” One may then ask why the Lord exhibited His anger. The point is
that one should be ready to tolerate all insults to one’s own self, but
when Kṛṣṇa or His pure devotee is blasphemed, a genuine devotee
becomes angry and acts like fire against the offenders. Krodha, anger,
cannot be stopped, but it can be applied rightly. It was in anger
that Hanumān set fire to Laṅkā, but he is worshiped as the greatest
devotee of Lord Rāmacandra. This means that he utilized his anger in
the right way. Arjuna serves as another example. He was not willing to
fight, but Kṛṣṇa incited his anger: “You must fight!” To fight without
anger is not possible. Anger is controlled, however, when utilized in the
service of the Lord.
As for the urges of the tongue, we all experience that the tongue wants
to eat palatable dishes. Generally we should not allow the tongue to eat
according to its choice, but should control the tongue by
supplying prasāda. The devotee’s attitude is that he will eat only
when Kṛṣṇa gives him prasāda. That is the way to control the urge of the
tongue. One should take prasāda at scheduled times and should not eat
in restaurants or sweetmeat shops simply to satisfy the whims of the
tongue or belly. If we stick to the principle of taking only prasāda, the
urges of the belly and tongue can be controlled.
In a similar manner, the urges of the genitals, the sex impulse, can be
controlled when not used unnecessarily. The genitals should be used to
beget a Kṛṣṇa conscious child, otherwise they should not be used.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement encourages marriage not for the
satisfaction of the genitals but for the begetting of Kṛṣṇa conscious
children. As soon as the children are a little grown up, they are sent to
our Gurukula school, where they are trained to become
fully Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees. Many such Kṛṣṇa conscious children are
required, and one who is capable of bringing forth Kṛṣṇa conscious
offspring is allowed to utilize his genitals.
When one is fully practiced in the methods of Kṛṣṇaconscious control,
he can become qualified to be a bona fide spiritual master.
In his Anuvṛtti explanation of Upadeśāmṛta, Śrīla
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes that our material
identification creates three kinds of urges—the urge to speak, the urge or
demands of the mind and the demands of the body. When a living entity
falls victim to these three types of urges, his life becomes inauspicious.
One who practices resisting these demands or urges is called tapasvī, or
one who practices austerities. By such tapasya one can overcome
victimization by the material energy, the external potency of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
When we refer to the urge to speak, we refer to useless talking, such
as that of the impersonal Māyāvādīphilosophers, or of persons engaged
in fruitive activities (technically called karma-kāṇḍa), or of materialistic
people who simply want to enjoy life without restriction. All such talks
or literatures are practical exhibitions of the urge to speak. Many people
are talking nonsensically and writing volumes of useless books, and all
this is the result of the urge to speak. To counteract this tendency, we
have to divert our talking to the subject of Kṛṣṇa. This is explained
in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.10–11):
na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo
jagat-pavitraṁ pragṛṇīta karhicit
tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasā
na yatra haṁsā niramanty uśik-kṣayāḥ
“Those words which do not describe the glories of the Lord, who alone
can sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are considered by
saintly persons to be like unto a place of pilgrimage for crows. Since the
all-perfect persons are inhabitants of the transcendental abode, they do
not derive any pleasure there.”
tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’ṅkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
[ SB 1.5.11]
“On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the
transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the
unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental
words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives
of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures,
even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by
purified men who are thoroughly honest.”
 The conclusion is that only when we talk about devotional service to
the Supreme Personality of Godhead can we refrain from useless
nonsensical talk. We should always endeavor to use our speaking power
solely for the purpose of realizing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
As for the agitations of the bickering mind, they are divided into two
divisions. The first is called avirodha-prīti,or unrestricted attachment,
and the other is called virodha-yukta-krodha, anger arising from
frustration. Adherence to the philosophy of the Māyāvādīs, belief in the
fruitive results of the karma-vādīs, and belief in plans based on
materialistic desires are called avirodha-prīti. Jñānīs, karmīs and
materialistic planmakers generally attract the attention of conditioned
souls, but when the materialists cannot fulfill their plans and when their
devices are frustrated, they become angry. Frustration of material
desires produces anger.
Similarly, the demands of the body can be divided into three
categories—the demands of the tongue, the belly and the genitals. One
may observe that these three senses are physically situated in a straight
line, as far as the body is concerned, and that the bodily demands begin
with the tongue. If one can restrain the demands of the tongue by
limiting its activities to the eating of prasāda, the urges of the belly and
the genitals can automatically be controlled. In this connection Śrīla
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says:
śarīra avidyā jāla, jaḍendriya tāhe kāla,
jīve phele viṣaya-sāgare
tā’ra madhye jihvā ati, lobhamāyā sudurmati,
tā’ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre
kṛṣṇa baḍa dayāmaya, karibāre jihvā jaya,
sva-prasāda-anna dila bhāi
sei annāmṛta khāo, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-guṇa gāo,
preme ḍāka caitanya-nitāi
“O Lord! This material body is a lump of ignorance, and the senses are a
network of paths leading to death. Somehow or other we have fallen into
the ocean of material sense enjoyment, and of all the senses the tongue
is the most voracious and uncontrollable. It is very difficult to conquer
the tongue in this world, but You, dear Kṛṣṇa, are very kind to us. You
have sent this nice prasāda to help us conquer the tongue; therefore let
us take this prasāda to our full satisfaction and glorify Your Lordships
Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and in love call for the help of
Lord Caitanya and Prabhu Nityānanda.” There are six kinds
of rasas (tastes), and if one is agitated by any one of them, he becomes
controlled by the urges of the tongue. Some persons are attracted to the
eating of meat, fish, crabs, eggs and other things produced by semina
and blood and eaten in the form of dead bodies. Others are attracted by
eating vegetables, creepers, spinach or milk products, but all for the
satisfaction of the tongue’s demands. Such eating for sense
gratification—including the use of extra quantities of spices like chili and
tamarind—is to be given up by Kṛṣṇa conscious persons. The use
of pan, haritakī, betel nuts, various spices used in pan-making, tobacco,
LSD, marijuana, opium, liquor, coffee and tea is indulged in to fulfill
illicit demands. If we can practice accepting only remnants of food
offered to Kṛṣṇa, it is possible to get free from māyā’s victimization.
Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk products and water are proper foods to
offer to the Lord, as Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself prescribes. However, if one
accepts prasāda only because of its palatable taste and thus eats too
much, he also falls prey to trying to satisfy the demands of the tongue.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhutaught us to avoid very palatable dishes even
while eating prasāda. If we offer palatable dishes to the Deity with the
intention of eating such nice food, we are involved in trying to satisfy the
demands of the tongue. If we accept the invitation of a rich man with the
idea of receiving palatable food, we are also trying to satisfy the demands
of the tongue. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 6.227) it is stated:
jihvāra lālase yei iti-uti dhāya
śiśnodara-parāyaṇa kṛṣṇa nāhi pāya
“That person who runs here and there seeking to gratify his palate and
who is always attached to the desires of his stomach and genitals is
unable to attain Kṛṣṇa.”
As stated before, the tongue, belly and genitals are all situated in a
straight line, and they fall in the same category. Lord Caitanya has
said, bhāla nā khāibe āra bhāla nā paribe:“Do not dress luxuriously and
do not eat delicious foodstuffs.” (Cc. Antya 6.236)
Those who suffer from diseases of the stomach must be unable to
control the urges of the belly, at least according to this analysis. When
we desire to eat more than necessary we automatically create many
inconveniences in life. However, if we observe fasting days
like Ekādaśī and Janmāṣṭamī, we can restrain the demands of the belly.
As far as the urges of the genitals are concerned, there are two—
proper and improper, or legal and illicit sex. When a man is properly
mature, he can marry according to the rules and regulations of
the śāstras and use his genitals for begetting nice children. That is legal
and religious. Otherwise, he may adopt many artificial means to satisfy
the demands of the genitals, and he may not use any restraint. When one
indulges in illicit sex life, as defined by the śāstras,either by thinking,
planning, talking about or actually having sexual intercourse, or by
satisfying the genitals by artificial means, he is caught in the clutches
of māyā. These instructions apply not only to householders but also
to tyāgīs,or those who are in the renounced order of life. In his
book Prema-vivarta, Chapter Seven, Śrī Jagadānanda Paṇḍitasays:
vairāgī bhāi grāmya-kathā nā śunibe kāne
grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe yabe milibe āne
svapane o nā kara bhāi strī-sambhāṣaṇa
gṛhe strī chāḍiyā bhāi āsiyācha vana
yadi cāha praṇaya rākhite gaurāṅgera sane
choṭa haridāsera kathā thāke yena mane
bhāla nā khāibe āra bhāla nā paribe
hṛdayete rādhā-kṛṣṇa sarvadā sevibe
“My dear brother, you are in the renounced order of life and should not
listen to talk about ordinary worldly things, nor should you talk about
worldly things when you meet with others. Do not think of women even
in dreams. You have accepted the renounced order of life with a vow that
forbids you to associate with women. If you wish to associate
with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you must always remember the incident
of Choṭa Haridāsa and how he was rejected by the Lord. Do not eat
luxurious dishes or dress in fine garments, but always remain humble
and serve Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in your heart of hearts.”
The conclusion is that one who can control these six items—speech,
mind, anger, tongue, belly and genitals—is to be called
a svāmī or gosvāmī. Svāmī means master, and gosvāmīmeans master of
the go, or senses. When one accepts the renounced order of life, he
automatically assumes the title of svāmī. This does not mean that he is
the master of his family, community or society; he must be master of his
senses. Unless one is master of his senses, he should not be
called gosvāmī, but go-dāsa, servant of the senses. Following in the
footsteps of the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana,
all svāmīs and gosvāmīs should fully engage in the transcendental loving
service of the Lord. As opposed to this, the go-dāsas engage in the service
of the senses or in the service of the material world. They have no other
engagement. Prahlāda Mahārājahas further described the go-
dāsa as adānta-go, which refers to one whose senses are not controlled.
An adānta-go cannot become a servant of Kṛṣṇa. In Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (7.5.30), Prahlāda Mahārāja has said:
matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā
mitho ’bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām
adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ
punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām
“For those who have decided to continue their existence in this material
world for the gratification of their senses, there is no chance of
becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, not by personal endeavor, by instruction
from others or by joint conferences. They are dragged by the unbridled
senses into the darkest region of ignorance, and thus they madly engage
in what is called ‘chewing the chewed.’ ”