Envious - The Root Disease of the Material World
The defining characteristic of material existence is the perpetual struggle to surpass others. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this endless rivalry—whether between individuals, families, or nations—stems from a single, deeply rooted disease: matsaratā, or enviousness. To become truly spiritual means to be completely cured of this venomous mentality.
Foundation of Material Life
The material world is not a place of peace; it is an arena of constant competition. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that from the lowest animal species up to the highest political offices, the driving force behind all material activity is the jealousy of seeing another's success.
- The whole world is based on the principle of enviousness. Anyonya-vairah. And what is the meaning of this enviousness?
- Material world means politics, jealousy, diplomacy, enviousness, so many things. This is material world. So even in the heavenly planets, these things are there, politics. Even in animal kingdom, these politics are there. This is the nature.
- We are envious of our friends, envious of our father, our son even, what to speak of others - businessmen, nation, society, community, only enviousness, matsarata. "Why he should go ahead?" I become envious.
- Generally a materialistic person becomes very happy when there is something for his sense gratification and his body, but when he sees that others have something for their sense gratification and he hasn't, he is sorry and envious.
- To accumulate material possessions, one must labor very hard, and when he gets them he creates many enemies because this material world is always full of rivalry. If one becomes rich, his friends or relatives are envious.
Two Venomous Animals
Vedic wisdom draws a sharp, striking parallel between a serpent and a jealous human being. Śrīla Prabhupāda quotes the great scholar Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, who concluded that while a snake can be managed, an envious person is impossible to pacify and is therefore far more dangerous.
- Canakya Pandita says that there are two envious animals - serpents and men. Although you may be faultless, either may kill you.
- Sarpah krurah khalah krurah sarpat kruratarah khalah, that "Two kinds of krurah, envious animals, are there. One is the snake, and the other is envious man."
- A snake is considered to be the most cruel and envious living entity, but those who are human beings and are envious of others are considered to be even more vicious than snakes.
- The snake can be charmed or controlled by mantras and herbs, but a person who is envious cannot be controlled by anyone.
- The difficulty is that the khala (envious living entity) is rarely pacified.
Envy on a Global Scale
Jealousy is not confined to petty personal disputes; it scales up to cause massive global destruction. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the root cause of world wars and international political conflict is simply the collective enviousness of one nation toward the prosperity of another.
- The two wars was arranged by the German people, they were envious of the English people. So these wars are not right wars, righteous wars. No. They are play of the diplomats, politicians.
- The Germans, they could not do business throughout the whole British Empire. We know, Indians. So they were very much envious of these British people, and therefore they started two big wars, world war.
- Modern capitalists accumulate more wealth than necessary, and the communists, envious of their prosperity, want to nationalize all wealth and property.
- They're thinking that East is conquering West by culture. That is their enviousness.
- Princes offered prayers to Krsna, "Because we were all envious and wanted to conquer one another, we all engaged in fighting for supremacy, even at the cost of sacrificing the lives of many citizens."
Original Envy of God
All material jealousy is merely a symptom of a much deeper, spiritual disease. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that the core reason the living entity is trapped in the material world is because of their original, foolish envy of the Supreme Lord's position as the ultimate master.
- In the material world if someone is greater than us, we are envious. We are not only envious of one another, but of God.
- Generally this (to accept God is great and surrender to Him) is not our position in the material world. We are characteristically envious and consequently think, - Oh, why should I surrender unto God? I am independent. I shall work independently.
- Of course no one can become God, but this endeavor to become God or His competitor is not very pleasing to Him. Persons who try are described in Bhagavad-gita as dvisatah, envious.
- Although Krsna demands our surrender in the Bhagavad-gita, the greatest scholar and so-called philosopher in modern India has protested that it is "not to Krsna" that we have to surrender. Therefore, he is envious.
- They (envious, mischievous, the lowest of mankind) are put into hellish conditions because they are envious of God's position.
Ultimate Test of Spiritual Life
The true measure of a person's spiritual advancement is not their ability to perform mystic yoga or quote scripture, but their complete freedom from jealousy. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement exists specifically to train people to become perfectly non-envious.
- The general tendency of anyone within this material world is to be envious, and therefore, to become a Krsna conscious person, one must curb this tendency.
- The Krsna consciousness movement is not for the persons who are envious. Envious. It is a movement to train people how to become not envious. It is very first-class scientific movement, yes.
- Krsna consciousness movement is meant for the paramo nirmatsaranam those who are not envious. How they can be envious? Paramahamsa, one who has understood what is this creation, who is the creator, what are these living entities.
- If we are jealous or envious, we are in the material world, and if we are not we are in the spiritual world.
- If we are jealous or envious of our friends or other associates, we are in the material world, and if we are not jealous we are in the spiritual world. There need be no doubt of whether we are spiritually advanced or not. We can test ourselves.
Conclusion
As Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully concludes, the disease of enviousness (matsaratā) is the very fabric of material existence. From the micro-level of family disputes to the macro-level of global warfare, every conflict is rooted in the soul's unnatural desire to usurp the position of another, which itself is a reflection of the soul's original envy of the Supreme Lord. Unlike a venomous snake, which strikes only out of self-defense or hunger, an envious human being causes destruction purely out of malice. Therefore, true spiritual realization is impossible as long as a trace of jealousy remains in the heart. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are designed specifically for those who are paramo nirmatsarāṇām—completely non-envious. By recognizing Kṛṣṇa as the supreme proprietor and the well-wishing friend of all, the devotee is instantly cured of this venomous disease, transcending the material world and returning to their natural, joyful state of unalloyed service.
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 Envious. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.