Go-dasa, Serving the Senses

Lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Hyderabad, November 28th, 1972

Bhagavad-Gītā, Chapter 2 verse 24.

Original audio and transcript HERE 

A brāhmaṇa, he prays to Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Lord, I have become the servant of my senses." Here everyone is servant of his senses. They want to enjoy the senses. Not enjoy—they  want to serve the senses. My tongue says, "Please take me to such-and-such restaurant and give me such-and-such chicken juice," I immediately go—not to enjoy, but to abide by the orders of my tongue. Therefore in the name of so-called enjoyment, we are all serving the senses. In Sanskrit it is called go-dāsa. Go means senses.

So unless you become gosvāmī, your life is spoiled. Gosvāmī. You cannot be dictated by the senses. You have to dictate to the senses. As soon as the tongue says, "Now you will take me to that restaurant, or give me a cigarette," if you say, "No. No cigarette, no restaurant; simply kṛṣṇa-prasāda," then you are gosvāmī. Then you are gosvāmī. This is the characteristic, sanātana. Because I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So this is called sanātana-dharma.

That we are describing in the Ajāmila-upākhyāna. This stage can be attained. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena śaucena tyāgena yamena niyamena (SB 6.1.13). Therefore the whole Vedic literature is meant for how to control the senses. Yoga. Yoga indriya-saṁyama. That is yoga. Yoga means not to show some magic. This is the first-class magic. If you are practicing yoga... I have seen so many so-called yogīs, but they cannot control the sense for smoking. You see?

Therefore the brāhmaṇa says: "My dear Lord, I tried to become master, but I have become servant of my senses. Now I see that I have served so long, but my so-called master, they are not satisfied." Everyone knows. Even up to the end of life, one tries to become master. But that is not possible, because he's not master.

So when one is wise, he sees that "I am actually not master. I am serving others, but I am thinking I am master. Just like in my family, I am thinking that I am the head of the family, I am the master of the family, but actually, to satisfy my family members, I have to work hard day and night. So I have become their servant, but I am thinking I am master." This is called illusion.

So when one comes to the senses that he cannot be master at any stage of his life, then he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, Vāsudeva is the real master. And my nature is to serve Him." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. He's first-class mahatma.

So this brāhmaṇa's prayer "My dear Lord, I have served my senses so long, but I see they are not satisfied, nor they are pleased, nor there is end of their service. Therefore now I have got good sense, I have come to serve You. Kindly accept me."

This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "You are engaged in service, but you are thinking as master. This is foolishness. Give up this foolishness and just become a servant of Kṛṣṇa, as you are constitutionally positioned." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. 

Read the full lecture HERE