वाचो वेगं मनसः क्रोध वेगं
जिव्हा वेगमुदरोपस्थ वेगम्
एतान् वेगान यो विषहेत धीरः
सर्वामपीमां पृथिवीं स शिष्यात् ॥
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.
Continued....
As for the agitations of the flickering mind, they are divided into two divisions. The first is called avirodha-priti, or unrestricted attachment, and the other is called virodha-yukta-krodha, anger arising from frustration. Adherence to the philosophy of the Mäyävädis, belief in the fruitive results of the karma-vädis, and belief in plans based on materialistic desires are called avirodha-priti. Jnanis, karmis and materialistic plan makers 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 prasäda, the urges of the belly and the genitals can automatically be controlled. In this connection Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says:
Sharira avidyaa jaala, jadendriya tähe käla,
jive phele vishaya-sägare
tä'ra madhye jihvä ati, lobhamäyä sudurmati,
tä'ke jetä kathina samsara
krishña bada dayämaya, karibäre jihvä jaya,
sva-prasäda-anna dila bhäi
sei annämrita khäo, rädhä-krishna-gun gäo,
preme däka caitanya-nitäi
"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 Krishna, are very kind to us. You have sent this nice prasäda to help us conquer the tongue; therefore let us take this prasäda to our full satisfaction and glorify Your Lordships Shri Shri Rädhä and Krishna and in love call for the help of Lord Caitanya and Prabhu Nityänanda." 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 Krishna conscious persons. The use of pan, haritaki, 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 Krishna, it is possible to get free from mäyä's victimization. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk products and water are proper foods to offer to the Lord, as Lord Krishna Himself prescribes. However, if one accepts prasäda only because of its palatable taste and thus eats too much, he also falls prey to trying to satisfy the demands of the tongue. Shri Caitanya Mahäprabhu taught us to avoid very palatable dishes even while eating prasäda. 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-caritämåta (Antya 6.227) it is stated:
jihvära lälase yei iti-uti dhäya
shishnodara-paräyana Krishna nähi päya
"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 Krishna."
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, bhäla nä khäibe ära bhäla nä 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 Ekadashi and Janmashtami, 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 Shästras 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 Shästras, 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 mäyä. These instructions apply not only to householders but also to tyägis, or those who are in the renounced order of life. In his book Prema-vivarta, Chapter Seven, Shri Jagadänanda Pandita says:
vairägé bhäi grämya-kathä nä shunibe käne
grämya-värtä nä kahibe yabe milibe äne
svapane o nä kara bhäi stri-sambhäshane
grihe stri chädiyä bhäi äsiyächa vana
yadi cäha pranaya räkhite gaurängera sane
chota haridäsera kathä thäke yena mane
bhäla nä khäibe ära bhäla nä paribe
hridayete rädhä-krishna sarvadä 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 Mahäprabhu, you must always remember the incident of Chota Haridäsa 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 Sri Sri Rädhä-Krishna 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 svämi or gosvämi. Svämi means master, and gosvämi means master of the go, or senses. When one accepts the renounced order of life, he automatically assumes the title of svämi. 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 gosvämi, but go-däsa, servant of the senses. Following in the footsteps of the six Gosvämis of Vrindävana, all svämis and gosvämis should fully engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. As opposed to this, the go-däsas engage in the service of the senses or in the service of the material world. They have no other engagement. Prahläda Mahäräja has further described the go-däsa as adänta-go, which refers to one whose senses are not controlled. An adänta-go cannot become a servant of Krishna. In Shrimad-Bhägavatam (7.5.30), Prahläda Mahäräja has said:
matir na krishne paratah svato vä
mitho 'bhipadyeta griha-vratänäm
adänta-gobhir vishatäm tamisram
punah punash carvita-carvananam
"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 Krishna 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.' " [VTE]
Chant....
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAM HARE RAM RAM RAM HARE HARE
....and be happy.
