Envy - The Root of Material Bondage
In the Vedic tradition, envy (matsarya) is considered the most difficult knot in the heart to untie. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the living entity’s presence in the material world is due solely to their envy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To progress in spiritual life, one must move from the state of being a khala (jealous person) to becoming nirmatsara (non-envious), a quality essential for understanding the message of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
The Origin: Envy of Kṛṣṇa
The root of all envy is the soul's original jealousy of Kṛṣṇa’s position as the supreme enjoyer. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that dveṣa (envy) manifests when a living entity thinks, "Why should Kṛṣṇa be the all and all? I am as good as Kṛṣṇa." This competitive spirit is what drives the soul away from the spiritual world and into the material concept of life, where it tries to "lord it over" the universe.
- Dvesa means "envy." When one becomes envious of Krsna, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one thinks, "Why should Krsna be the all and all? I'm as good as Krsna".
- If one is not jealous, one can serve Krsna very well, because jealousy and envy begin with being jealous of Krsna. For example, some philosophers think, - Why should Krsna be God? I am also God.
- When Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah (BG 18.65) - "Always think of Me, become My devotee, and surrender unto Me" - the so-called scholars comment that it is not to Krsna that we have to surrender. That is envy.
- Forgetfulness of his (living entity's) constitutional position is due to anger or envy.
Envy as a Material Contamination
Envy is listed as one of the six primary enemies of the living entity (ṣaḍ-ripu), alongside lust, anger, greed, illusion, and madness. Śrīla Prabhupāda identifies envy as a product of rajo-guṇa (the mode of passion). In the material world, this quality causes individuals to become malicious upon seeing another's advancement. It leads to the "killing of poor animals," social quarrel, and even the manufacturing of disastrous weapons like nuclear energy.
- It is said that from the mind, Marici appears. In other words, Marici is an incarnation of the mind. Marici has six sons: Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya - lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and envy.
- As described in Bhagavad-gita (BG 3.37), attachment and envy are both products of rajo-guna - kama esa krodha esa rajo-guna-samudbhavah.
- The followers of demoniac principles are thoroughly envious of the general populace. In the present day, scientific advancement exemplifies such envy. The discovery of nuclear energy has been disastrous.
- The killing of poor animals is undoubtedly due to envy of those animals.
The hallmark of a pure devotee is the absence of envy. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that one cannot truly be a Vaiṣṇava if they are envious of others' success. A devotee is a friend to all living entities (suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānam) and invites everyone to join the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement without any selfish motive. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is specifically intended for such "paramahamsas" who have completely rejected the envious mentality.
- You do not be disappointed by the activities of some envious person. Nirmatsara. Anyone who is contaminated by envy, he cannot become Vaisnava.
- One who is envious of the success of a Vaisnava is certainly not a Vaisnava himself but is an ordinary, mundane man. Envy and jealousy are manifested by mundane people, not by Vaisnavas.
- Srimad-Bhagavatam and bhagavata-dharma are meant for persons who are completely free of envy (parama-nirmatsaranam). Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays in this verse (SB 5.18.9), khalah prasidatam: "May all the envious persons be pacified".
- Pure bhagavatas, pure devotees, invite everyone, without envy, to join the Krsna consciousness movement. A devotee is therefore exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam: (BG 5.29) he is the friend of all living entities.
Envy in the Spiritual World
Interestingly, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that "envy" also exists in the spiritual world, but it is of a completely different nature. Among the gopīs, there is a transcendental competition and "envy" in their service to Kṛṣṇa. This is not mundane malice but a symptom of intense love, where one devotee may be "jealous" of another’s opportunity to please the Lord more. This transcendental envy is pure and is never based on the material body or personal gain.
- There was fighting amongst the gopis also, so we cannot expect there will be some utopia without fighting, there is even in the spiritual sky transcendental greed, lust, envy, like that. But that is transcendental.
- Even sometimes amongst the gopis there is envy, but that enviousness is transcendental and should not be accepted in the mundane sense.
- Krsna once told Radharani, "My dear friend, when You tried to meet Me alone in the morning, Your friend Mekhala remained hungry with envy. Just look at her".
- Even in the Spiritual World there is some fault and envy. Sometimes the Gopis will quarrel over Krishna's favor.
Conclusion
Envy is the germ that infects material activity and leads to the ocean of suffering. As Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, the only way to conquer this enemy is through the chanting of the holy names and the development of a service attitude. By praying to Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva to cleanse the mind and by following the example of the non-envious devotees, one can transcend the competitive material world and return to the state of eternal, cooperative service in the spiritual sky.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Envy. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.