Summary: “Ravana (in the Ramayana): He wanted to make a staircase up to the heavenly planet. It is like that. Ugra-karma. Why they are doing so? Ajna, ajna. Foolish people.” By Srila Prabhupada"Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy, You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized." (SB 1.18.19) maya-javanikacchannamm ajnadhoksajam avyayam na laksyase mudha-drsa nato natyadharo yatha So one side is maya-javanikacchannam. Maya, this illusory energy, is covering with the curtain. Just like we are seeing the Deity, but if there is a curtain, we cannot see. Similarly, there is a curtain which is illusory energy, maya. Big, big scientists, they cannot see what is behind this material nature. They cannot understand. Because the maya, this wonderful material energy, is acting in such a big curtain, they cannot understand that beyond this there is something else. They cannot understand. Maya-javanika acchannam. Illusory energy. They are thinking this material energy working, that is everything. Nothing beyond this. The whole world is covered. This is one side. And the other side: ajna. Maya-javanikacchannam ajna... These materialistic persons, they are ajna, means they have no sufficient knowledge. Unless one develops the light of knowledge, sattva-guna... Sattva-guna is the light of knowledge. Rajo-guna and tamo-guna is darkness. Ignorance and passion. In this stage one cannot understand what is Krsna, what is God. Ajna. Rajas-tamo-bhavah. As we have discussed in Bhagavad, Srimad-Bhagavatam, rajas-tamo-bhavah, those who are infected with the two kinds of material modes, means rajo-guna and tamo-guna, they are simply busy, kama and lobha. They are busy only... Those who are passionate, they are simply busy for sense gratification, and those who are in ignorance, in darkness, they have no eyes to see. Ugra-karma: very, very strong work So these two classes of men... Mostly people are infected with these two kinds of modes of material nature. Rajas-tamas. The whole world. At the present moment, especially, mostly ignorance, and some of them are passionate. That passionate tendency is engaging them for so many industries and very, very strong work, ugra-karma. Ugra-karma. Ugra-karma means very strong...? What is, should be the English word? Ugra... Ugra, just like chili, pungent. There are many things. They are very strong in taste. So ugra-karma, these... Just like they are building hundred-and-fifty-story building. People can live comfortably in a small cottage or one-storied house or little more. But no, they're increasing. Their passionate activities are increasing. Just like in your country, in New York, now there is hundred-and-four-storied building, or more than that. Some building? Brahmananda: Hundred and ten. Prabhupada: Hundred and ten. Brahmananda: Two of them. Prabhupada: Two of them. They're increasing. They are thinking by increasing the stories more and more, that is advancement of civili... But how long you will increase? If you make million stories, still, it is unlimited. That we can see. So many airplanes are running in the sky. What is that? Still, it is vast. So many sputniks are running in the sky. Still, it is vast. So it is simply desire, that "If I make a hundred-and-fifty-storied house, then my life is successful." So in this way, instead of not wasting valuable time of this human life, they are simply wasting time in this way. That is also explained in the Ramayana. Just the Ravana. He wanted to make a staircase up to the heavenly planet. It is like that. Ugra-karma. Why they are doing so? Ajna,(continued)
