Realizing the Nature of the Material World

Date: 2006-07-01 Author: Rangarajan

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

All living entities have to undergo six basic stages namely, birth, growth, remain for some time, reproduce, dwindle and finally vanish. Kala-cakra, the revolves at high speed and the jivatma has no control whatsoever over it. The jivatma born in this material world has to die one day, it is just question of time, may be this very minute or after 100 years. When death comes, no longer will our puffed-up philosophy or advanced education help us. In Srimad Bhagavatam, 1st Canto,13.19, the eternal time concept is nicely explained as follows:

pratikriyā na yasyeha kutaścit karhicit prabho sa eṣa bhagavān kālaḥ sarveṣāṁ naḥ samāgataḥ

This frightful situation cannot be remedied by any person in this material world. My lord, it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead as eternal time [kala] that has approached us all.

Time and tide wait for no man. The time indicated by sun rise and the sun set will be uselessly wasted if it is not properly utilised for realizing spiritual values. This realization for a moment in the association of pure devotees prepares one's complete life for eternity. Even the sun fails to rob the pure devotee of his duration of life, as he is constantly busy in the devotional service of the Lord, purifying his existence. Death is a symptom of material injection of the jivatmas and only due to this material injection, the living entity is subjected to the law of birth, death, old age and disease whereas a devotee escapes this calamity.

The nature of the material world is that it is first created nicely, develops very nicely and for a great number of years but after that it is again destroyed during the night of , without any resistance and at the end of the night of Brahma, it is again manifested as a creation to follow the same principles of maintenance and destruction. The foolish conditioned soul who has taken this temporary world as permanent settlement has to learn intelligently why such creation and destruction takes place.

We also learn from scriptures how the degradation of religious values has gradually taken place over period of time from Satya to . is full of virtue, wisdom and religion and practically no ignorance and vice, but gradually as the yuga cycle progresses, the values one by one cease to exist. Finally, the kali yuga which we are presently experiencing is an abundance of ignorance, irreligion and vice.

These four rotating a thousand times comprise one day of Brahma and the same for one night. Brahma lives for 100 such years. These 100 years by earth calculation is equal to 311 trillion and 40 billion earth year. Despite all this, even Brahmaji is not free from the process of birth and death. That is why when asked Brahma to award him the benediction of immortality, Brahma said he himself is not immortal.

In , Lord Krishna says, that among subduers He is time. There are many subduing principles, but time wears down all things in the material universe and so represents Krishna. Among all kinds of killers, time is ultimate and unsurpassable because time kills everything. All material manifestations are to be vanquished one day by the desire of the supreme personality of God Head. This is the law of nature. So, let us all realize that even a moment of time passed in the association of a pure devotee, by hearing Krishna's past times and chanting the holy names of the Lord is a perfect guarantee for eternal life in His abode whereas every moment wasted in vain search for material happiness cannot be replaced even by spending millions of gold coins.

Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev, Rangarajan Abu Dhabi.