Shelter of Krsna consciousness

Expressions researched:
"shelter of krsna consciousness"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Those who have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for them is waiting the supreme abode. If we are actually situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then very heaviest type of danger may be before me—I shall not be disturbed.

Lecture on BG 6.21-27 -- New York, September 9, 1966: So one who has taken shelter there, for him this great ocean of nescience is just like the water containing on the impression of calf leg. Of course, you have no experience. In India I have got experience because these calves and cows, they go on the pasturing ground, and in rainy season their hoofs makes holes, and in that hole there are some water. So that water... This great ocean is compared like that water. So nobody has any difficulty to cross over it. So bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam: "And for them, those who have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for them is waiting paraṁ padam, the supreme abode." Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām: [SB 10.14.58] "This place, wherein every step there is danger, this place is unfit for them." Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām. It is very nice. So yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate [Bg. 6.20-23]. If we are actually situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then guruṇāpi duḥkhena, very heaviest type of danger may be before me—I shall not be disturbed. Or anyone who has taken the shelter like that, he will never be disturbed. He will never be disturbed.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We sometimes criticize big men. So on what strength? That strength is because we have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969: There is no water supply." But devotees, they are finding, "Oh, it is very nice place." So just you... Similarly, widely you take, all the karmīs, they are faced with so many problems. But a devotee, those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have no problem. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. And vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. And for them, all these big, big men, may be very big to others, but for the devotees they're just like worms and germs and ordinary flies. Just like we sometimes criticize big men. Hm? So on what strength? That strength is because we have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Otherwise, any ordinary man can criticize. Just like the Consulate General in San Francisco, he was speaking to me that "Swamiji, you have called Maharishi a rascal?" "Yes. Yes. I may have called. What is that?" So the people, a man who is worshiped by so many people we call rascal? On what strength? The strength is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We can prove that he is rascal. I am not speaking; Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Mūḍha means rascal. So I am repeating Kṛṣṇa's word. Anyone who does not surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, he is rascal. So we can quote from Bhagavad-gītā. If somebody brings case against us, so we can freely say that "I am not speaking. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. You just bring libel case against Bhagavad-gītā. Why you are troubling me?" (laughter) Bhagavad-gītā says anyone who does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ mām... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. He's not only rascal, he's the lowest of the mankind. And if you say, "Oh, he is very learned scholar." Oh, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. His knowledge has been taken away by māyā. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Simply he's defying God. Kṛṣṇa means God. "I am God," that is asuric.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can be accepted by anyone, and it can be bestowed to anyone, without any discrimination. It is meant for everyone. And anyone who takes to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is happy.

Lecture on SB 1.15.50 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1973: We have got so many duties. So long we are not fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa... It is not that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give shelter to some irresponsible man who does not carry the responsibilities of family life or brahmacārī life. But that is now forgotten. Everything is topsy-turvied. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that kṛṣṇa-bhakti, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, may be offered even to the caṇḍāla. Caṇḍāla means the lowest of the human society, the dog-eaters. Caṇḍāla. This is the, mean, the benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can be accepted by anyone, and it can be bestowed to anyone, without any discrimination, without any discrimination. And that is happening. We have no discrimination that "This movement is meant for such-and-such class of men or such-and-such nation or such-and-such country." No. It is meant for everyone. And anyone who takes to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is happy.

These foolish men have become fools and rascals, they do not understand that they are suffering. They are taking it they are enjoying. Therefore, anyone who is in such condition, abominable condition, condemned condition, they must take to shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so long the body is strong enough.

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Vrndavana, December 7, 1975: "After fifty years of age one must go to the forest for meditation, for tapasya, austerity." And when he is perfectly trained up... This training is given from brahmacārī life, gṛhastha life also, but people are not taking training. They are not kuśalam. Actually they do not know what is the aim of life. They are cats and dogs. So one who is kuśala, actually knows the aim of life, for him, yateta ksemāya bhavam āśritaḥ. Because in the material existence it is simply suffering. But these foolish men, they do not understand. They are thinking, "Enjoyment." How you can enjoy? Kṛṣṇa says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: [Bg. 8.15] "This is a place for suffering." Actually suffering, tri-tapa-yātanaḥ, adhibhautika, adhidaivika adhi... But because they have become fools and rascals, they do not understand that they are suffering. They are taking it they are enjoying. Bhavam āśritaḥ. Therefore, anyone who is in such condition, abominable condition, condemned condition, they must take to shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so long the body is strong enough. [break] ...when the body is old and it cannot move, it is attacked with rheumatism, and so many other things, indigestion. No. So long it is śarīraṁ puruṣam. Puruṣam, why this word used? There are women also. Puruṣam does not mean man. Puruṣam means one who wants to enjoy. He is called puruṣa. Anyone here in the material world, although one has got the body of a male or although one has got the body of a female, both of them are for enjoyment. Therefore it is used, puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. So either the woman or man, the propensity is how to enjoy life. Therefore it is called. So either puruṣa, the male or female, anyone who has got this body, he must perform Kṛṣṇa consciousness until she becomes... It should go on. If you practice when you are stout and strong... Just like a person begins exercising in young age, and in the old age also he can perform exercise. Practice, anything you practice, that is recommended. Yateta kuśalaḥ ksemāya bhavam āśritaḥ.

Prahlāda Mahārāja is explaining, that one should go away from the scene and take shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unless one comes to the material platform to the spiritual platform, there is no question of peace and prosperity.

Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967: Prahlāda Mahārāja says, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt hitvātma-ghataṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta [SB 7.5.5]. Prahlāda Mahārāja said to his father, "My dear father, if somebody quits this scene of gṛham andha-kūpam, a dark well of this material life, and goes to the forest and takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa, oh, that is very nice thing." That was the beginning of misunderstanding between the father and mother..., father and the son. The father expected that Prahlāda Mahārāja will explain something diplomacy, politics, technology, something like that. "Oh, what is this foolish boy is explaining, that one should go away from the scene and take shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Oh. The teacher has taught them all nonsense." So he became angry, and the misunderstanding between the father and the son began from that point. But he was devotee, fully Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So he told the plain thing, "Yes, unless one comes to this platform, that that platform, the material platform to the spiritual platform, there is no question of peace and prosperity." It is simply, I mean to say, artificial trying to forget this full of anxious life. It is not possible. When one becomes fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, automatically he forgets this nonsense. Just like I have several times given you the example: You have got a glass. If you fill it up with milk, then there is no possibility of its being filled up with ink. But so long it is filled up with ink, there is no possibility of its being filled up with milk. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is milk, and material consciousness is ink. So if you want to black milk, then let us remain. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu suggests Or accepts, not suggests. It is already there in the Vedic literature, that sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Unless one is very fortunate, he cannot come to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact. So don't misuse it.

Arrival Address -- New Zealand, April 27, 1976: So my only request is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the most scientific movement to save the human society from falling down again in the cycle of birth and death. It is very scientific movement. The cycle of birth and death is going on. We are eternal. The people have been put into so deep darkness, they do not know what is going on, what is the aim of life. They do not know. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. Whimsically everyone is manufacturing something, nonsense. Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. What Kṛṣṇa says, we have to accept that. Then we are safe. Otherwise we are lost again. So fortunately you have got this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so utilize your life properly. You have got immense literature. Read it. Digest it. Make your life perfect. That is my request. Don't spoil. At least you have come to the shore of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. It is great fortune. Bhāgyavan jīva. Unless one is very fortunate, he cannot come to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact. So don't misuse it. That is my request. I am very glad to see you, you are so enthusiastic. And you should be enthusiastic.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

The sooner we take to shelter, shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is better.

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Allen Ginsberg: Well, then do you think more people will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or fewer?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. More people. Now it will increase.

Allen Ginsberg: Until?

Prabhupāda: Up to ten thousand years.

Allen Ginsberg: And then?

Prabhupāda: Then diminish.

Allen Ginsberg: So what is the purpose of right now, a world increase...

Prabhupāda: People will take advantage of this up to ten thousand years. Then they will...

Allen Ginsberg: So this is like the last rope, the last gasp.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. So the sooner we take to shelter, shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is better.

1970 Correspondence

The Lotus Feet of Lord Nityananda is as cooling effectively as the combined moonshine of millions of moons. So I am sure anyone taking shelter of Krsna Consciousness Movement will be happy.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Calcutta 2 September, 1970: So far my coming here, it appears that it was Krsna's desire. There was very good reception in the Airport and the public opinion is that it was the unique reception so far given to any VIP man. Here in India, especially in Bengal, the political conditions are not very good. Everyone is feeling some sort of anxiety due to the political condition, so I have given them a sort of hope that if they take to Krsna Consciousness their problems will be solved. It is not my mental concoction, but I believe in the words of Narottama Dasa Thakura that the shelter of the Lotus Feet of Lord Nityananda is as cooling effectively as the combined moonshine of millions of moons. So I am sure anyone taking shelter of Krsna Consciousness Movement will be happy. Please try to push this Movement on this process.