Hare Krsna,
The concluding lesson of Chapter 31 is how a jiva, after attaining the human form, undergoes great pains in the womb of the mother, during birth, as an infant and as a child. By the laws of karma, one takes birth in this material world. The goal of life is to free oneself from all material contaminations and designations. By the process of devotional service, one must purify himself and achieve self-realization. However, forgetting this goal of life, the jiva gets further entangled in this material world through bad association. If that jiva again enters the path of unrighteousness, association with sinful people in order to satisfy his stomach and genitals, he again enters hell, as before. In bad association, he loses all good qualities such as truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, control of mind and senses, and so on.
This chapter clearly instructs us that 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 (or opposite sex). The bondage that accrue to a man from attachment to any other object is not as complete at that resulting from attaching to the opposite sex. I found this instruction quite alarming. Just as a woman is a cause of bondage for man, man is also a cause of bondage for woman. All these attachments lead to unnecessary and prolonged suffering.
Over the last few weeks as we were reading this chapter and understanding the various stages of suffering (before and after birth ), I was quite depressed cursing myself how stupid I am to end up in this material world. What is that one mistake that led me to end up here? Guess we will never know the answer to this question. Is there a remedy to all these sufferings? Some people renounce everything and go to the holy dhama or mountains or forests trying to escape all sinful actions and resultant sufferings. But looks like renunciation is also not the remedy. Srila Prabhupada sums up the simple process of remedy in his purport to SB 3.31.47-48. Just as Krsna assures Arjuna in BG 18.66 not to worry, similarly Srila Prabhupada instructs us not to be unnecessarily upset. Rather we should try to find a remedy to the miserable condition of this material body. He says that the remedial measures can be understood in the association of liberated persons. A liberated person is one who engages in uninterrupted devotional service to the Lord. Srila Prabhupada also compassionately answers the topic of false renunciation. He instructs that rather than leaving our home or family, we should renounce the false understanding that one can lord it over material nature. This is actual renunciation. In other words, renunciation does not mean renunciation OF actions, but renunciation IN actions.
Therefore we should live in this world free from attachment, steadfast in our purpose of life, fixed up in our devotional service, and detachment from material way of life. I liked the verse that our teacher put. It sums up how we must act in this world in our daily duties but keeping our mind and intelligence fixed in Krsna.
“”The ladies of Vraja are the most fortunate of women because, with their minds fully attached to Kṛṣṇa and their throats always choked up with tears, they constantly sing about Him while milking the cows, winnowing grain, churning butter, gathering cow dung for fuel, riding on swings, taking care of their crying babies, sprinkling the ground with water, cleaning their houses, and so on. By their exalted Kṛṣṇa consciousness they automatically acquire all desirable things.” (SB 10.44.15)
This is an example of the highest level of transcendence and absorption in Krsna. I am definitely nowhere close to this level. But the idea is clear – that if we focus our mind on Krsna (through the process of hearing, chanting and remembering), we can gradually free ourselves from the material bondage. It is a matter of steady practice.
“The devotee’s intelligence is always in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His attitude towards the material existence is one of detachment, for he knows perfectly well that this material world is a creation of illusory energy. Realizing himself to be part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, the devotee discharges his devotional service and is completely aloof from material action and reaction. Thus at the end he gives up his material body, or the material energy, and as pure soul he enters the kingdom of God.” (SB 3.31.48 Purport)
The final instruction of this chapter is loud and clear: endowed with proper vision, reason, devotional service and detachment, one should move about in this world of maya without attachment to the body and its extensions (family, friends, etc.)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 