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The second chapter of Bhagavad-gita begins with the following sloka:

sanjaya uvaca
tam tatha krpayavistam
asru-purnakuleksanam
visidantam idam vakyam
uvaca madhusudanah

“Sanjaya said: Seeing Arjuna full of compassion and very sorrowful, his eyes brimming with tears, Madhusudana, Kṛṣṇa, spoke the following words.” [Bhagavad-gita 2.1]

Kṛṣṇa is described here as Madhusudana, the killer of the demon Madhu. Why? Arjuna was attacked by a demon of forgetting his duty, being too much afflicted by bodily relationship. So by calling the Lord by His name Madhusudana, the compiler of Bhagavad-gita, Srila Vyasadeva, invokes the aspect of the Lord who kills the demons that harass His devotees.

This is also our position. In this material world, we are so much attached to bodily relationships that it is just like we are attacked by a demon or haunted by a ghost. In a beautiful Bengali poem written by the great, enigmatic Master Teacher Jagadananda Pandit, it is said:

pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya
maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya

“When a living entity is conditioned by material nature, he is exactly like a person haunted by a ghost.” [Prema-vivarta, 1]

Maya-grasta jivera haya. Maya means illusion, hallucination. So we are, in this material world, we are all illusioned. Illusioned means accepting something as fact which is not.

Just like in dream we see sometimes that we are attacked by a tiger or chased by a demon. So many illusory things. Actually there is no tiger, no demon is chasing, but still, we are crying: “Help! Help! Ahhhhh!”

So our attachment for this material world is like that. It is an illusion. We are thinking that “Without me, everything will be spoiled. My presence is required.” And so on, and so forth. Just like our esteemed political leaders. Each and every one of them thinks that without him, the whole situation will be spoiled. So they do not retire from political life—even up to the time of death. The attachment is so strong.

But even after passing away of so many big, big leaders, the world is going on. There is a Bengali proverb that “When the king dies, it does not mean the kingdom stops.” Everyone is replaceable, and life and the kingdom go on. But the leader or the person in charge remains in illusion, thinking that “Without me, everything will be spoiled.” This is called maya, illusion.

According to Vedic system, therefore, there is forced renunciation. Nobody wants to retire from family life, but the Vedic injunction is that after one has passed fifty years, he must leave his family life. It is stated in the Vedas, pancasordhvam vanam vrajet: “After the age of fifty, one must go to the forest.”

The Vedic social system is designed to train people in renunciation of material attachment. Without this training, it is very difficult to give up the attachment to material enjoyment, even if one is convinced that it is illusory. In the beginning of life, as a celibate student, brahmacari, from the age of five he’s trained in undergoing severe austerities, penances, and taking instruction from the spiritual master about the temporary existence of this material world.

This system trains men in Vedic culture to expect renunciation as a normal condition of life. And even after this training, if he appears to be attached to this material world, he’s allowed to go home and marry. The brahmacaris who do not fall down are allowed to remain naisthika-brahmacari, without going home and accepting a wife. But one who must have sex life is allowed to accept a wife, and become a householder for twenty-five years.

Generally, the brahmacaris who fall down go home at the age of twenty-four or twenty-five years. After marriage, he may get children. So living in household life for twenty-five years, the children are grown up. Then the husband and wife take leave of the household, and this is called vanaprastha, traveling in pilgrimages to holy places like Vrndavana, Prayaga, Mayapur. That was the system. After two months on pilgrimage, they come back and remain home for another two months. Then again they go out on pilgrimage. In this way, the whole process of Vedic social life trains people how to give up attachment to family life, attachment to the world.

And when one is trained up fully, he takes sannyasa, the renounced order of life. Then there is no more contact with woman or household life. His whole energy is focused on how to attain spiritual liberation. That is our Vedic system.

The attachment to this material body and material world is very strong. That is stated in the Esoteric Teaching by Rsabhadeva:

pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam
tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh
ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair
janasya moho ’yam aham mameti

“The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life’s illusions and thinks in terms of ‘I and mine.’ ” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.8]

This whole material world is an attachment of male and female. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam, sex impulse, attachment. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh. And when they are married, when they are united, then it becomes a hard knot in the heart. Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya moho ’yam aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Then gradually, after being united, one becomes attached to grha, home, apartment; ksetra, the land or country of residence, and so on.

Formerly there was no industry. So everyone must have some land to produce food. Grha-ksetra, home and land; suta, then sons, children; apta, friends; vitta, then money, because without money, nothing can be maintained. Atah grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair janasya mohah. He becomes more and more illusioned. And aham mameti: [SB 5.5.8] “Oh, this is my country. This is my family. This is my house. This is my children.” So on, so on. Mama. “Mine.” And “I am this person. I am this body.” This is illusion.

So Arjuna appeared to be illusioned that “How I shall fight with my brothers and grandfather on the other side?” He became so much illusioned... Tam tatha krpayavistam [Bhagavad-gita 2.1]. He became illusioned, but not without cause. He was very much compassionate krpayavistam, toward his family members.

And he was crying, asru-purnakuleksanam, there were tears in his eyes. Visidantam idam vakyam. And he was lamenting in this way: “How shall I fight?” So Kṛṣṇa then began to speak. Kṛṣṇa saw that “My friend, Arjuna, has become too much illusioned.” So He wanted to kill the demon of illusion. Therefore He’s mentioned herein as Madhusudana.

Kṛṣṇa comes to this planet for two purposes:

paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge

To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium. [Bhagavad-gita 4.8]

Side by side, He gives protection to His devotees, sadhus, and arranges to kill the demons. Sadhu means devotee. Devotee of Kṛṣṇa are called sadhu in the Bhagavad-gita.

api cet su-duracaro
bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah
samyag vyavasito hi sah

“Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination.” [Bhagavad-gita 9.30]

One who is strictly a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he is mentioned as sadhu. Sadhur eva sa mantavyah samyag vyavasito hi sah [Bg. 9.30]. He is first-class sadhu. Even if he’s a grhastha, it doesn’t matter. Generally, we understand sadhu means with saffron cloth. No. Sadhu’s qualification is that he must be a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

titiksavah karunikah
suhrdah sarva-dehinam
ajata-satravah santah
sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah

“The symptoms of a sadhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.21]

Next: Kṛṣṇa Speaks to Save His Devotee 2