You Have a Much Better Identity

By krishnasmercy on September 6, 2026 • ( 0 )

“O Ravana, inevitably all of the Rakshasas will be completely destroyed, for they have a person like you, who is stupid, lustful, and unable to control his senses, for their king.” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 48.22)

Download as podcast episode (right click and save)

अवश्यं विनशिष्यन्ति सर्वे रावण राक्षसाः
येषां त्वं कर्कशो राजा दुर्बुद्धिरजितेन्द्रियः

avaśyaṃ vinaśiṣyanti sarve rāvaṇa rākṣasāḥ
yeṣāṃ tvaṃ karkaśo rājā durbuddhirajitendriyaḥ

“Listen, when I was growing up things were a lot different. I am sure you hear that from a lot of people, but I think my generation in particular has witnessed so much change. I am telling you, we had a rotary phone in our home. We had one television set, which was small. I remember being the expert in our family at adjusting the indoor antenna, to turn the picture from snow and noise to bright and clear. I thought it was the coolest thing to see a note affixed to the front door when we would return home from a night out at a restaurant or something. It meant that someone had paid us an impromptu visit while we were out. We just missed them, but at least someone was thinking of us.

“As I grew older, and we moved to a bigger house which had cable television, I distinctly remember a phase where I would watch news programs dedicated to debate. It might seem like a foreign concept to people growing up today, but these shows would actually represent both sides to an issue. You got to hear the best presentation advocating for a particular policy. You got to hear a rebuttal. No one was threatened. There was no cancellation based on an opinion. I loved watching these shows, because I was otherwise unaware of the particulars on many topics. I learned so much!

“Fast forward to today and I have a difficult time keeping up. Not on the topics, necessarily, but on the orthodoxy. You see, that orthodoxy is ever-changing. Sometimes, the rules are implemented on the spot. You are only allowed one opinion on a specific topic in the news. If you say anything else, if you go against the prevailing narrative, you are an unofficial sinner. You will be tarred-and-feathered in the town square. You will never work again.

“Keep in mind that most times the contrarian opinion is based on common sense. For instance, if one country invades another, the orthodoxy dictates that everyone must jump to the rescue of the country that was invaded. If you point out that the supposed victim might not be so innocent, that their own leader is wildly corrupt, that such conflicts have taken place since the beginning of time, you will be ridiculed as a puppet speaking for the invading country. You are a horrible person and you should never be allowed to speak again. It is like common sense went out the window. There is no more debate. Rational discussion is the tool of the white supremacists, you see, even though I am neither white nor interested in advancing supremacy of any particular race.

“This is my long-winded way of reaching the contentious issue of sexual orientation. I know that you do not touch upon this topic much. I am not so interested in it, either, but it seems that leaders of the different spiritual groups eventually get asked about it. The public wants to know the official stance. I can’t even keep track anymore of that ever-expanding acronym that they use, either. They should just append the letters ‘WTF’ and be done with it.”

In the systematic implementation of yoga, there is a step known as anartha-nivritti. The literal meaning is to remove that which is not profitable. You can call it renunciation. You can call it forced restriction. It is keeping control over the senses instead of letting them run free. It is like calling the children running around the house into a specific room, advising them to cool things down. It is an important step precisely because anarthas get in the way of advancement along the path. Yoga is the way forward for the wise, and it is directly recommended by Shri Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

तपस्विभ्यो ऽधिको योगी
ज्ञानिभ्यो ऽपि मतो ऽधिकः
कर्मिभ्यश् चाधिको योगी
तस्माद् योगी भवार्जुन

tapasvibhyo ‘dhiko yogī
jñānibhyo ‘pi mato ‘dhikaḥ
karmibhyaś cādhiko yogī
tasmād yogī bhavārjuna

“A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogi.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.46)

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada recommends the four regulative principles. This is a specific implementation of anartha-nivritti. The principles relate to restraint. Try to eliminate the following four behaviors: meat-eating, gambling, intoxication, and illicit sex. If living in an ashrama setting, with other students attempting to advance in yoga, the principles almost take care of themselves. There is so much work to occupy the time that an entire day can pass without giving a thought to the outside world. You accomplish nivritti through pravritti, or positive engagement, with the chanting of the holy names as the foundation: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

It is a different story outside of an ashrama setting. Practically the entire society invites you to indulge in some activity that will violate such principles. You can try closing your eyes and plugging your ears, but that is not a practical solution. A person should remember that these recommendations are not for removing fun, for affixing negative labels on the people who are not as strong in their commitment, or bringing others down, in general. It is not a way to monitor others, in order to gather compromising information that can later be exploited for personal gain.

Rather, as much as possible, a person should try to limit such behaviors. This is because the other side leans towards devastation. In other words, going too far in the direction of indulgence leads to destruction. There are rehabilitation clinics for a reason. People might develop an addiction to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and even conjugal interaction. It makes sense, then, that people would look for avenues to further such interaction. More intoxication. More illicit sex. Something better, because the current habit is no longer cutting it. All of that indulgence only creates less happiness, less control, and less satisfaction.

For our benefit, we can study the historical example of Ravana, the king of Lanka. He had every kind of enjoyment available to him. There was no shortage. He could eat as much as he wanted. The best animals, cooked to perfection, delivered in huge quantities. He could find intoxication whenever he wanted. In the highest enjoyment of all, there were countless beautiful queens just ready to play with him. Ravana lived like the original rock star, where he was safe from outside interference due to boons of protection previously received.

What happened to Ravana? Was he happy? Was he satisfied? Did his identification as world’s greatest enjoyer bring peace and contentment? Just the opposite, in fact. His senses controlled him, instead of the other way around. Like a master pulling strings of a puppet, those senses brought Ravana to the Dandaka forest. He crossed the line of dharma by illegally taking another man’s wife. This was all to enjoy her. He had only heard about her beauty. That was enough to trigger the interest.

Sita Devi, who was the victim in that case, warned Ravana that he was heading for complete annihilation. Sita’s husband would not take this offense lying down. Moreover, all of the dependents in Lanka would suffer, as a result. This means that the identification based on extreme indulgence was the worst possible thing that could happen. Sita was correct. Shri Rama, who is an avatara of the Supreme Lord, would soon arrive to take Sita back. All of that enjoyment and opulence could not protect Ravana in the final moments.

The living being has a much better identity that they can carry. Rather than change from one temporary designation to another, based on where they work or how they prefer to enjoy, they can reassume the permanent identity of spirit soul, who is part and parcel of God. This is the ultimate purpose of yoga. The nivritti and pravritti are for reaching and maintaining this accurate identification, which transcends any and all temporary conditions.