Trap of Engaging in Fruitive Activities
The vast majority of living entities in the material world are engaged in fruitive activities, working hard day and night to achieve some temporary material result. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes this engagement as a complex trap that binds the soul to the cycle of birth and death. Although the Vedas seemingly encourage such activities through the karma-kāṇḍa section, the ultimate instruction is to renounce these temporary engagements. This article explores the illusory nature of fruitive work, the specific allure of Vedic rituals, the inevitable entanglement in saṁsāra, historical examples of such entanglement, and the superior position of the devotee who rejects all material rewards.
The Motivation: Lust and Illusion
Why does the living entity engage in hard labor? Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that due to ignorance, the soul identifies with the body and becomes lusty. Thinking that happiness lies in expanding one's material influence, one engages in fruitive activities. However, this endeavor is based on a fundamental illusion—mistaking the temporary for the permanent.
- Due to ignorance he becomes lusty and engages in fruitive activity. Because his mind is absorbed in these activities, he sees the material world as permanent, although it is temporary like a phantasmagoria, a house in the sky.
- In the material potency, the living entity engages himself in fruitive activities, thinking that he can be happy through expansion in terms of material energy. This fact is prominently manifest in this Age of Kali.
- It is really foolishness to engage oneself all the days of one's life in material enjoyment and fruitive activities.
- Everyone in this material world engages in achieving the fruits of his labor.
The Flowery Language of the Vedas
A significant portion of the Vedic literature deals with rituals and sacrifices meant to elevate one to higher planetary systems. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that these sections are intended for the less intelligent class of men. He describes this as the "flowery language" or "sweet words" of the Vedas, which attract those who are enamored by the prospect of heavenly enjoyment but are ignorant of the ultimate liberation.
- The less intelligent class of men (avipascitah), attracted by the flowery language of the Vedas, engage in fruitive activities to become materially benefited. Thus they continue life after life, in different bodily forms, to search very, very hard.
- People in general, bound by the sweet words of the Vedas, engage themselves again and again in fruitive activities, enamored by the results of their actions.
- A Krsna conscious person, or unflinching devotee of the Lord, should not be disturbed by the flowery language of the Vedas nor be engaged in fruitive activities for promotion to the heavenly kingdom.
- Those who are engaged in fruitive activities are described by the Vedas personified as andha-parampara, or blind followers of the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies.
The Inevitability of Bafflement
Despite the promises of material enjoyment, the result of fruitive activity is often frustration. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that as long as one is absorbed in working for personal results, one is destined to be baffled. The material world is a place of misery, and no amount of pious work can change its intrinsic nature.
- As long as one is engaged in fruitive activity, one is sure to be baffled in the attempt to attain the ultimate goal of life.
- If one engages in temporary fruitive activities, not knowing that Supreme Person, what benefit will he derive?
- Vidura said: O great sage (Maitreya Rsi), everyone in this world engages in fruitive activities to attain happiness, but one finds neither satiation nor the mitigation of distress.
The Endless Banyan Tree of Entanglement
The consequence of fruitive activity is the continuation of material existence. Śrīla Prabhupāda compares this entanglement to an endless banyan tree where the soul wanders from branch to branch. Engaging in activities driven by the mode of passion forces the living entity to take birth again among fruitive workers, perpetuating the struggle.
- The entanglement of this material world is compared here (in BG 15.1) to a banyan tree. For one who is engaged in fruitive activities, there is no end to the banyan tree. He wanders from one branch to another, to another, to another.
- Rsabhadeva said to his sons, "Persons engaged in fruitive activities are repeatedly accepting birth and death, and until they develop a loving feeling for Vasudeva, there will be no question of getting out from these stringent laws of material nature."
- When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when he dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom. BG 14.15 - 1972.
Historical Lessons: King Prācīnabarhiṣat
Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently cites the example of King Prācīnabarhiṣat to illustrate the danger of excessive attachment to Vedic rituals. The King was so engaged in performing sacrifices that he covered the earth with kuśa grass, yet he was oblivious to the ultimate goal of life. It required the intervention of the great sage Nārada Muni to show him that such pious fruitive activities were merely another form of bondage.
- King Pracinabarhisat was too much engaged in fruitive activities due to performing different types of yajnas.
- A devotee never enters upon the path of karma, or elevation by fruitive activities. Narada Muni took compassion upon King Pracinabarhisat when he saw the King engaged in fruitive activity.
- Narada Muni wanted to show King Pracinabarhisat how one undergoes great troubles and miseries in order to engage in fruitive activity.
- Even though King Pracinabarhisat was engaged in fruitive activity, the great sage Narada appeared before him. The King was very fortunate to be able to associate with Narada, who enlightened him in spiritual knowledge.
The Role of the Spiritual Master
A key function of the bona fide spiritual master is to disengage the disciple from fruitive activities. Unlike the cheating gurus who encourage material prosperity, a pure devotee never instructs a person to work for sense gratification. Instead, they guide the conditioned soul to renounce the fruits of labor and take to devotional service.
- A pure devotee who is fully accomplished in the science of devotional service will never instruct a foolish person to engage in fruitive activities for material enjoyment, not to speak of helping him in such activities.
- If someone is ignorant and addicted to the path of samsara, how can one who is actually learned, merciful and advanced in spiritual knowledge engage him in fruitive activity and thus further entangle him in material existence?
- Sri Narada Muni is personally acting as the spiritual master of King Barhisman. It was Narada Muni's intention that through his instructions the King would immediately give up all engagement in fruitive activity and take to devotional service.
Transcendence through Devotional Service
The solution to the trap of karma is not inactivity, but bhakti-yoga. Śrīla Prabhupāda states that a pure devotee is satisfied simply by worshipping the Supreme Lord, Acyuta. By offering the results of one's work to Viṣṇu, one is freed from the reactions of both good and bad deeds. This is the platform of real peace and liberation.
- A devotee is not required to engage in fruitive activities. As stated in the sastra, sarvarhanam acyutejya (SB 4.31.14). By worshiping Acyuta, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one satisfies everyone.
- Persons who are intelligent, who have taken shelter of a bona fide spiritual master to see things as they are, do not take to fruitive activities but engage themselves in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
- Simply by receiving the glories of the Lord through purified transcendental ears, the devotees of the Lord are immediately freed from strong material desires and engagement in fruitive activities.
- In every revealed scripture there is condemnation of fruitive activities. It is advised everywhere to give up engagement in fruitive activities, for no one can attain the highest goal of life, love of Godhead, by executing them.
Conclusion
The path of fruitive activity, though sanctioned in the Vedas as a gradual process, is ultimately a trap for the soul. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that one who engages in such work remains bound to the material world, oscillating between happiness and distress. The solution is not to stop working, but to change the consciousness of the work. By renouncing the fruits of labor and engaging all energy in the service of Kṛṣṇa, one breaks free from the cycle of karma and attains the transcendental platform, where true satisfaction is found.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Engaging in Fruitive Activities. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience his teachings in their direct, verbatim form.