View source for You may be a millionaire; that doesn't matter. But you have to show the respect to the policeman because he's a government officer. If you don't, then you'll be fined

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{{terms|"You may be a millionaire; that doesn't matter. But you have to show the respect to the policeman because he's a government officer. If you don't, then you'll be fined"}}
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{{compiler|Laksmipriya}}
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG718NewYorkOctober121966_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="286" link="Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966">
<div class="heading">Worshiping of the demigods means that gradually, when they... They will gradually develop into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you... If one is completely disobedient, then there is no chance. So obedience is taught there. Just like a police officer, he's standing on the crossroad. As soon as he shows his hand, oh, you have to stop. You may be a millionaire; that doesn't matter. But you have to show the respect to the policeman because he's a government officer. If you don't, then you'll be fined. He's a petty officer. Your position may be very high. That doesn't matter. You have to show respect. Similarly, these demigods, they are officers of the Supreme Lord.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966|Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">In the scriptures for worshiping many other demigods there are rules and regulations. So why? You can question, "Why the Vedic literature recommends the worship of other demigods?" There is necessity. There is necessity because people are... Generally, they want to love something, so they are given some opportunity. These demigods are just like treated as the different, I mean to say, officers of the Supreme Lord. Just like government has got so many officers in different branches of management, similarly... Those who do not know, that is a different thing. Similarly, for this material world, there are different directors, managers. Just like the Indra. He is controlling the clouds. Candra, he is controlling this light. Sūrya, he is controlling the heat. So they are all government officers, or Kṛṣṇa's officers. They are actually performing. We simply, I mean to say, flash away, "Oh, this is nature. This is nature. This is nature." Oh, nature is not my father's servant. There is nature's father also, nature's master also. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram ([[Vanisource:BG 9.10|BG 9.10]]). Oh, there is rules. There are rules and regulations of conducting this nature's way.</p>
<p>So these demigods, they are some powerful officers. That's all. But they are not God. God is one. You can become... If you become so powerful, qualified, then you can become the, I mean to say, director of the sun planet. You can become the director of moon planet. There are innumerable, thousands and millions of planets, and they are... Just like here also, you select one president to control your country, or any other country, or one becomes the controller of the whole earth, similarly, there are different controllers. They are called demigods.</p>
<p>So kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 7.20|BG 7.20]]). So worshiping of the demigods means that gradually, when they... They will gradually develop into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you... If one is completely disobedient, then there is no chance. So obedience is taught there. Just like a police officer, he's standing on the crossroad. As soon as he shows his hand, oh, you have to stop. You may be a millionaire; that doesn't matter. But you have to show the respect to the policeman because he's a government officer. If you don't, then you'll be fined. He's a petty officer. Your position may be very high. That doesn't matter. You have to show respect. Similarly, these demigods, they are officers of the Supreme Lord.</p>
<p>So showing respect to the constable in the street means showing respect to the government, not to that particular person. So these things are there in the Vedic literatures. But if you want some favors from the police officer, then you are also entangled, and that police officer is also entangled. You have to go by the rules. But one who is directly in touch of the Supreme Lord, they do not require to worship any other... Because actually... Suppose a man is personally in contact with your President Johnson. That does not mean he'll disobey the constable. No. Naturally he will obey, although he's direct contact. Similarly, those who are in direct contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they have no disregard for these demigods, but they know the ultimate supreme power is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They have got that knowledge. So their surrender is there in the Supreme Lord, not here. But they are not going to show any disrespect. A real devotee, he does not show any disrespect even to the ant, and what to speak of the demigods, because he is in knowledge that "Every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. They're playing different parts only. So in relationship with the Supreme Lord they're all my respectables." Therefore a devotee is taught to address all his contemporaries as "Prabhu, my dear sir, my dear lord." That is the position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are not heartless. They are very submissive.</p>
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