Wearing (BG and SB)

Expressions researched:
"wear" |"wearing" |"wears"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Prabhupāda: So we have begun another new book, Nectar of Devotion. So one tape... Where is... You can play that?

Govinda dāsī: I forgot to bring it.

Prabhupāda: Why you forget? I told you. I told you that we shall play and still you forgot?

Govinda dāsī: Well, I didn't.

Prabhupāda: Why do you forget that? All right, read Bhagavad-gītā. Where is Bhagavad-gītā? If possible, you can make shirts of flannel so that you keep warm. The same shirt, Punjabi, as it was brought from India? Same pattern shirt.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sudāmā dāsa is making a shirt. Is that the kind?

Harṣarāṇī: We're making kurtās, but they're thin. But we're going to get... We'll make flannel also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So that in cold also you'll...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We were going to wear long underwear too.

Prabhupāda: That's all. You must keep yourself well protected. Or you can have some this color pullover. That's also nice. But here I think that one shirt will do. Next. Read it.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Śīlavatī: I understand that it is an offense to wear red or blue in the Kṛṣṇa temple. Why is this true?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Devotee: She says that it is an offense to wear red or blue in the temple.

Prabhupāda: Blue?

Devotee: Red or blue. She wants to know why this is.

Prabhupāda: I do not follow.

Madhudviṣa: Why is it an offense to wear red or blue clothing in the Kṛṣṇa temple? That's what she thinks.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (laughs) Because it is red and blue. Is that all right?

Śīlavatī: Because the temple red and blue?

Prabhupāda: You see, you have to accept the Vedic injunction as it is. There is some meaning which may not be explained immediately, but because it is so enjoined, we have to accept it. Just like the conchshell. The conchshell is the bone of an animal. Now in the Vedas it is said that if you touch the bone of an animal or human being, you have to take bath immediately to purify yourself. Now, this conchshell is also a bone of an animal. Now, it is kept in the Deities' room. Now, if you say, "The bone of an animal is impure. How it is that it is kept in the Deities' room?" So actually it is being done. Why it is being done? Because it is injunction of the Vedas. Similarly, all such injunctions we have to accept, but there is meaning. There is meaning, and that may not be understood immediately. That doesn't matter. So if, instead of red garment, if you take this saffron, what is harm to you? So you should accept the injunction.

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

Just like we belong to the devotee group of philosophers. Then there are others who are impersonalists. But they, or both of them, they do not deny the presence of the soul, presence of the soul. The Buddha philosophy, they do not recognize the soul. They, according to them, that the combination of matter at a certain stage produces consciousness. But that philosophy, that argument, can be refuted that with matter, you cannot produce consciousness. Because... Take the example of a dead man. The dead man is there. All the elements, material elements, are all there present. But you cannot revise, you cannot revoke that man to consciousness. The elements are there, the ingredients are there. Now, if you think this ingredient has been decomposed or deteriorated, then replace that ingredient. Just like in a machine. In a machine some part is wear and tear. It is not working, stopped. You can replace that part into new part, and the machine will work. But this is not like that. If you think that something has deteriorated in this body, therefore it has become dead. Say, for example, that they say generally, due to heart failure. Now, heart... Medical practitioners they know it that heart is always pumping like this, pumping like this. Now, can you produce heart action by artificial pumping? No. It is not possible. They give respiratory oxygen gas and so many things, but it cannot be revived.

Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:

Now, what do you mean by renunciation? Suppose I am in the renounced order of life. What I have renounced? Oh, you are, you have got clothing. I have got also clothing. It may be less costly. Or you are living in some room. Oh, I am also living in some room. So what is the difference between you and me? Renunciation. Suppose a mendicant becomes..., he has renounced everything. In India you'll find, simply a loincloth he's wearing, even naked body. Sometimes, they are naked. So Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the monkey, monkey is completely naked, and he eats fruit. Markaṭa-vairāgya. Markaṭa-vairāgya..., mendicantism just like the monkey. He is... He is living in a jungle. Suppose a sage or saintly person goes to the jungle. So monkey is there in the jungle. Oh, he has renounced. He has no clothing. He's naked. And he eats also only fruits. Just like the sages also eat only fruit. So these are not qualification, simply eating fruit or renouncing. The real qualification is that how much one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the service of the Lord. That is the qualification. Otherwise, if I am in renounced, I am naked, I eat, only eat fruit, and I live within jungle, and I have got many lady monkeys with me, oh, what sort of renouncement that is? That is not... That is called "monkey renouncement."

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

Guest (2): How do you recognize someone who has already a family and he's working and who wants to progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Is he, does he have to give up his job and shave his hair and wear robes?

Prabhupāda: No, no. No, never. Simply you have to see, what you are doing, by such action Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That's all. You can do anything. The test is... That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

(SB 1.2.13)

The example is... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was a warrior, fighter. So when he proposed that "I shall not fight. They are my brothers, my grandfathers, my nephews," that was his proposal. Kṛṣṇa said, "Wherefrom you got this nonsense idea? You are in the warfield and are denying to fight." That means by his nice proposal that "I shall not fight," Kṛṣṇa was not pleased. But after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, when he saw that "Kṛṣṇa wants this fight," "Yes. Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73)." That is perfection. So he remained a warrior and still he became perfect. So everyone can remain in his own occupation, varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, but one has to see that whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. Then whatever he is doing, that is perfect. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:

Guest (1): Does the swami, once he has been installed in office, does he every..., wear a white long coat with a white hat?

Prabhupāda: Of course, the real meaning of swami is one who has got control over his senses. It does not mean that by wearing a different colored garments one becomes master of senses. Neither it does mean that one, a man in gentleman's dress with hat and coat, he cannot control his senses. Dress has nothing to do. But according to the Vedic system... Just like there is a particular uniform that this class of men, who have renounced this world, his robe or garment should be like this. That is simply... Just like policeman has got a particular type of uniform, but that does not mean that... That may be imitated even by a thief. So that is not very important thing, to dress. You can become a swami even with your this hats and coats. That doesn't matter. Yes.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

So Ajāmila was being trained up. He was sufficiently educated in Vedic literature, his character was very nice, and he was offering respects to the elderly persons, spiritual master. He was offering oblations daily to the fire, sacrifice. Everything is described. But all these qualities became nullified simply by illicit sex life. Just see how it is dangerous. How it is dangerous. Therefore it is the greatest pillar of sinful life, illicit sex life. Here it is clearly said, stated, that... Ajāmila's qualities were stated at the same time. In the beginning it is stated that kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ. Dāsī-pati. He was attached to a prostitute, dāsī-pati. A prostitute is called dāsī, and wife is called dharma-patnī. These are distinction. There are distinction of dresses also, according to Vedic way of life. The prostitute would separate the hair here, not in the middle. Yes, what is called?

Guest (1): Part.

Prabhupāda: That is... A prostitute should, I mean to say, comb her hair in that way so that people can understand she is prostitute and she is chaste woman. And this sindūra, the red, red lead, these were the signs. A vidava, one who has no husband, they should wear without any skirt, sari without any skirt, vidava, without any bangles. So people will understand, "This woman is without husband," "This woman is prostitute," "This woman is chaste woman," "This woman is not married," "This woman's husband is away from home." So different dresses. Proṣita-bhartṛkā. Proṣita-bhartṛkā. The name was... A woman whose husband is away from home, she should not dress very nicely. She should not comb her hair. That is the system. There are so many systems.