FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.14.30

यदा पाखण्डिभिरात्मवञ्चितैस्तैरुरु वञ्चितो ब्रह्मकुलं समावसंस्तेषां शीलमुपनयनादिश्रौतस्मार्तकर्मानुष्ठानेन भगवतो यज्ञपुरुषस्याराधनमेव तदरोचयन् शूद्रकुलं भजते निगमाचारेऽशुद्धितो यस्य मिथुनीभाव: कुटुम्बभरणं यथा वानरजाते: ॥ ३० ॥
yadā pākhaṇḍibhir ātma-vañcitais tair uru vañcito brahma-kulaṁ samāvasaṁs teṣāṁ śīlam upanayanādi-śrauta-smārta-karmānuṣṭhā-nena bhagavato yajña-puruṣasyārādhanam eva tad arocayan śūdra-kulaṁ bhajate nigamācāre ’śuddhito yasya mithunī-bhāvaḥ kuṭumba-bharaṇaṁ yathā vānara-jāteḥ.
[yadaa paakhandibhir aatma-vanchitais tair uru vanchito brahma-kulam samaavasams teshaam sheelam upanayanaadi-shrauta-smaarta-karmaanushthaa-nena bhagavato yajna-purushasyaaraadhanam eva tad arochayan shoodra-kulam bhajate nigamaachaare ’shuddhito yasya mithunee-bhaavah kutumba-bharanam yathaa vaanara-jaateh.]
yadā — when pākhaṇḍibhiḥ — by pāṣaṇḍīs (godless atheists) ātma-vañcitaiḥ — who themselves are cheated taiḥ — by them uru — more and more vañcitaḥ — being cheated brahma-kulam — the bona fide brāhmaṇas strictly following the Vedic culture samāvasan — settling among them to advance spiritually teṣām — of them (the brāhmaṇas who strictly follow Vedic principles) śīlam — the good character upanayana-ādi — beginning with offering the sacred thread or training the conditioned soul to qualify as a bona fide brāhmaṇa śrauta — according to the Vedic principles smārta — according to the authorized scriptures derived from the Vedas karma-anuṣṭhānena — the performance of activities bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead yajña-puruṣasya — who is worshiped by Vedic ritualistic ceremonies ārādhanam — the process of worshiping Him eva — certainly tat arocayan — not finding pleasure in it due to its being difficult for unscrupulous persons to perform śūdra-kulam — the society of śūdras bhajate — he turns to nigama-ācāre — in behaving according to Vedic principles aśuddhitaḥ — not purified yasya — of whom mithunī-bhāvaḥ — sex enjoyment or the materialistic way of life kuṭumba-bharaṇam — the maintenance of the family yathā — as it is vānara-jāteḥ — of the society of monkeys, or the descendants of the monkey.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yadā pākhaṇḍibhir ātma-vañcitais tair uru vañcito brahma-kulaṁ samāvasaṁs teṣāṁ śīlam upanayanādi-śrauta-smārta-karmānuṣṭhā-nena bhagavato yajña-puruṣasyārādhanam eva tad arocayan śūdra-kulaṁ bhajate nigamācāre ’śuddhito yasya mithunī-bhāvaḥ kuṭumba-bharaṇaṁ yathā vānara-jāteḥ.
yadā
when
pākhaṇḍibhiḥ
by pāṣaṇḍīs (godless atheists)
ātma-vañcitaiḥ
who themselves are cheated
taiḥ
by them
uru
more and more
vañcitaḥ
being cheated
brahma-kulam
the bona fide brāhmaṇas strictly following the Vedic culture
samāvasan
settling among them to advance spiritually
teṣām
of them (the brāhmaṇas who strictly follow Vedic principles)
śīlam
the good character
upanayana-ādi
beginning with offering the sacred thread or training the conditioned soul to qualify as a bona fide brāhmaṇa
śrauta
according to the Vedic principles
smārta
according to the authorized scriptures derived from the Vedas
karma-anuṣṭhānena
the performance of activities
bhagavataḥ
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
yajña-puruṣasya
who is worshiped by Vedic ritualistic ceremonies
ārādhanam
the process of worshiping Him
eva
certainly
tat arocayan
not finding pleasure in it due to its being difficult for unscrupulous persons to perform
śūdra-kulam
the society of śūdras
bhajate
he turns to
nigama-ācāre
in behaving according to Vedic principles
aśuddhitaḥ
not purified
yasya
of whom
mithunī-bhāvaḥ
sex enjoyment or the materialistic way of life
kuṭumba-bharaṇam
the maintenance of the family
yathā
as it is
vānara-jāteḥ
of the society of monkeys, or the descendants of the monkey.
The pseudo svāmīs, yogīs and incarnations who do not believe in the Supreme Personality of Godhead are known as pāṣaṇḍīs. They themselves are fallen and cheated because they do not know the real path of spiritual advancement, and whoever goes to them is certainly cheated in his turn. When one is thus cheated, he sometimes takes shelter of the real followers of Vedic principles [brāhmaṇas or those in Kṛṣṇa consciousness], who teach everyone how to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to the Vedic rituals. However, being unable to stick to these principles, these rascals again fall down and take shelter among śūdras who are very expert in making arrangements for sex indulgence. Sex is very prominent among animals like monkeys, and such people who are enlivened by sex may be called descendants of monkeys.

By fulfilling the process of evolution from the aquatics to the animal platform, a living entity eventually reaches the human form. The three modes of material nature are always working in the evolutionary process. Those who come to the human form through the quality of sattva-guṇa were cows in their last animal incarnation. Those who come to the human form through the quality of rajo-guṇa were lions in their last animal incarnation. And those who come to the human form through the quality of tamo-guṇa were monkeys in their last animal incarnation. In this age, those who come through the monkey species are considered by modern anthropologists like Darwin to be descendants of monkeys. We receive information herein that those who are simply interested in sex are actually no better than monkeys. Monkeys are very expert in sexual enjoyment, and sometimes sex glands are taken from monkeys and placed in the human body so that a human being can enjoy sex in old age. In this way modern civilization has advanced. Many monkeys in India were caught and sent to Europe so that their sex glands could serve as replacements for those of old people. Those who actually descend from the monkeys are interested in expanding their aristocratic families through sex. In the Vedas there are also certain ceremonies especially meant for sexual improvement and promotion to higher planetary systems, where the demigods are enjoying sex. The demigods are also very much inclined toward sex because that is the basic principle of material enjoyment.

First of all, the conditioned soul is cheated by so-called svāmīs, yogīs and incarnations when he approaches them to be relieved of material miseries. When the conditioned soul is not satisfied with them, he comes to devotees and pure brāhmaṇas who try to elevate him for final liberation from material bondage. However, the unscrupulous conditioned soul cannot rigidly follow the principles prohibiting illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating. Thus he falls down and takes shelter of people who are like monkeys. In the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement these monkey disciples, being unable to follow the strict regulative principles, sometimes fall down and try to form societies based on sex. This is proof that such people are descendants of monkeys, as confirmed by Darwin. In this verse it is therefore clearly stated: yathā vānara jāteḥ.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
When the person is greatly cheated by imposters who cheat themselves, he settles among brāhmaṇas, but has no taste for their way of worshipping the Lord of sacrifice by performance of rituals such as taking the sacred thread according to śruti and smṛti. He then joins the śūdras. In that group he performs what is forbidden in the scriptures, such as forbidden sexual union, simply supporting a family like the apes. This verse explained the phrase “cheated by the cranes, he contacts a group of swans” in SB 5.13.17. The imposters cheat themselves since they accept a path of their own imagination. One who follows them is cheated more. On some pretext of offense, they kick him out of their group after taking all his money. Nigama-ācāre aśuddhitaḥ means “performing what are listed as impure actions in the scriptures.” Mithunī-bhāvaḥ means marriage by paying a price for a widow or rejected wife of another.
Pāṣaṇḍīs — pseudo-yogīs and incarnations who don't accept the Supreme Person — themselves are cheated and cheat their followers. Be ruthlessly clear about whose authority you accept; spiritual misalignment compounds for lifetimes.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose authority have you accepted without verifying that they themselves accept the Supreme Person?
  • Where could you upgrade your sources of teaching without making it a public drama?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 14