Prabhupada 0323 - Creating a Society of Swans, Not of Crows
Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974
So this is material life, pavarga. So if you want to nullify this, that is called apavarga. So here it is called apavarga-vardhanam (SB 3.25.12), how to increase interest in liberation. People have become so dull, they do not understand what is the meaning of liberation. They do not understand. Just like animal. He... If an animal is informed that "There is liberation," what he will understand? He will not understand. It is not possible for him. Similarly, at the present moment, the human society has become exactly like animals. They do not know what is meaning of apavarga or liberation. They do not know. But time was there when people understood that this human life is meant for apavarga. Apavarga, to cease from the business of pa, pha, ba, bha, ma. That is called apavarga-vardhanam (SB 3.25.12). So the questions made by Devahuti and the answers, which will be given by Kapiladeva, that is apavarga-vardhanam. That is wanted. This is the instruction of the whole Vedas. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovidah (SB 1.5.18). For apavarga everyone would try. Everyone should try his best. "And what about my maintenance?" To maintenance the sastra never gives any stress, that "You try for maintenance." The sastra says, "It will come. It is already there. It will come." But we have no such faith that "God is given..., giving food to the animals, to the birds, to the beasts, to the trees, everyone, and why He shall not give me? Let me engage my time for apavarga." They have no faith. They have no such education. Therefore good association required, not the crow's association, but swan's association. Then this sense comes.
So this Krsna consciousness movement means they are creating a society of swans, not of crows. Not of crows. The crows are not interested. They are interested in that left-out, I mean to say, garbage. They are interested. Punah punas carvita-carvananam (SB 7.5.30). Punah punas carvita-carvananam. Just like we throw away... After eating, we throw away the leaf. There are some remnants of foodstuff, and the crows come, the dogs comes. They are interested. They will not say... A sane man will not go there. But these crows and dogs will go there. So this world is like that. Punah punas carvita-carvananam (SB 7.5.30). Chewing the chewed. Just like you chew one sugarcane and throw it on the street. But if somebody comes again to chew it, then he's a fool. He must know "The juice has been taken away from that sugarcane. What shall I get by chewing?" But there are animals like that. They want to chew again. So our this material society means chewing the chewed. A father gives education to his son to earning livelihood, gets him married, and settles him, but he knows that "This kind of business, earning money and marrying, begetting children, I have done, but I am not satisfied. So why I am engaging my son in this business?" This is called chewing the chewed. Chewing the same thing. "I have not been satisfied with this business, but why I am engaging my son also?" The real father is he who does not allow his son to taste the chewing the chewed. That is real father. Pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat, na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum (SB 5.5.18). This is real contraceptive. A father, a man should not desire to become a father, a woman should not desire to become a mother, unless they are fit to save the children from the impending clutches of death. That is the duty of father and mother.