Acarya (Other lectures)

Expressions researched:
"acarya" |"acarya's" |"acaryadeva" |"acaryas" |"acharya" |"acharya's" |"acharyas"

Notes from the compiler: Excluding all names including acarya, i.e.: "Advaita Acarya"

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, April 29, 1970:

When you are purified, you'll see God. Not that immediately, in your present position. But God is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, even in your present position He is present, arcā-vigraha. He's open to be seen by everyone, whether he knows and whether he does not know what is God. This arcā-vigraha is not idol; it is not imagination. They are... The knowledge is received from the superior ācāryas.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 5 -- Los Angeles, May 7, 1970:

This is Veda. You cannot argue. Similarly, spiritual master's order, you have to accept. There is no argument. In this way you can make progress. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya tinete kariyā aikya. If we argue... Na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Things which are inconceivable by you, you cannot argue. Then it will be a failure. You have to accept that axiomatic truth. It is not dogmatic. It is not dogmatic in this sense, because our predecessor ācāryas, they accepted. What you are that you are arguing? So that is the proof. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186).

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 11 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1970:

And amongst the learned society, ācāryas, the śruti-pramāṇa... Evidence is śruti. Śruti means these Vedas. They are not experimental knowledge. They are not knowledge established by the research work of contaminated, conditioned soul. Contaminated, conditioned soul, their senses are imperfect. They cannot see things as they are. Simply they theorize, "It may be like that." So much they can say. So "It may be like that," that is no knowledge. Knowledge definite. There is no mistake. Conditioned souls, they commit mistake, they are illusioned, they cheat... Cheating means one who does not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā but he is writing commentary on Bhagavad-gītā. This is cheating, cheating the public.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 35 -- New York, July 31, 1971:

Brahmā says tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. I am worshiping that Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are disciplic succession from Brahmā. Therefore our process is to follow the footsteps of ācāryas. Ācāryopāsanam, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, for making progress in knowledge, one has to worship ācārya, ācāryopāsanam. So by paramparā system we follow. How Govinda enters, that doesn't matter. We do not bother about that thing. That is not our business. How Govinda enters in the atom, that is not our business. Our ācārya says, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham, He enters. We accept, that's all. Our business is finished. This is Vedic way of understanding. We take knowledge from the authority and do not bother unnecessarily speculating.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 35 -- New York, July 31, 1971:

Just like Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. You know, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was a great scholar, and Māyāvādī scholar, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu made him surrender unto Him. He became Caitanya Mahāprabhu's admirer, follower after being defeated in Vedānta-sūtra, understanding. That story is there in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya became convinced that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. He wrote hundred verses about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, out of two verses are available in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He composed—he was a very learned scholar—he composed one hundred verses about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and handed it over. But in all those verses he admitted that "You are Kṛṣṇa." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, of course He was very much pleased that Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya understood, but because He was playing the part of an ācārya, He, externally He became, "What you have written all these things?" He immediately torn out and throw it away. But the devotees saved only two.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973:

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Bhagavān, Himself, is describing Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. So where is the difficulty to understand Bhagavad-gītā or Bhagavān? We don't find any difficulty. Where is the difficulty? The mahājana is there, the śāstra is there, the guru is there, the Veda is there. And why should we make research after God? What is this nonsense? Everything is there. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). The purpose of Vedas is to know Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about Brahman. Brahman. So there is no need of searching out God. You can simply try to digest whatever is already there. The Bhagavad-gītā is there. All the ācāryas, they have accepted. They have written commentation on Bhagavad-gītā with reference to the Vedic knowledge. The Absolute—kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam—is accepted everywhere by all ācāryas. Why you are searching after God? I do not know. So this Bhagavad-gītā and this Brahma-saṁhitā, and the description is about Kṛṣṇa, and His abode:

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. And the Vaiṣṇava ācārya said, "Yes, spirit is the basic principle. Matter is false. That's all right. But that spirit is not void. There is spiritual construction. As in the material world there is material construction, in the spiritual world there is spiritual construction." So that spiritual construction is not known to other philosophers than the Vaiṣṇava philosophers. So Lord Caitanya's philosophy, that is the greatest contribution to the world, that these living entities who are hankering after happiness by different process... By material process, by philosophical process, by mental concoction or mental process, they are trying, and Lord Kṛṣṇa also said—they are trying—but that happiness is available when your senses or consciousness are pure. The same philosophy is also Lord Caitanya's philosophy.

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day, Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, April 1, 1974:

Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, our predecessor ācārya, he left his ministership, government post and became a mendicant. He was living underneath a tree every night. Not permanently underneath a tree: tonight one tree, next night another tree. But when he was approached by King Mānsiṅgh, the commander-in-chief of Emperor Akbar... In those days rich men, big men, they were God conscious, and they wanted to do something for God's service. So King Mānsiṅgh approached Rūpa Gosvāmī if he could do any service. So Rūpa Gosvāmī, he was living under the tree, so what service he expected from King Mānsiṅgh? He said that "If you want to do some service, do it for Kṛṣṇa." So he advised him to construct a temple at Vṛndāvana.

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

So in America two dollars is nothing, but it is collecting millions and millions of dollars, Diabetic Society. Diabetic magazine. So that sort of hearing and chanting is not needed. We are not interested in all these magazines, because we are followers of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He's our ācārya. He's guru. Prahlāda Mahārāja's guru is Nārada, and Nārada is also our guru. Nārada is guru of Vyāsadeva. So we are a branch, but the original guru is Nārada, Brahma-sampradāya. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is also a disciple of Nārada Muni.

Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

The microphone is produced out of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. This matter, this iron, or this wood, that is a production of Kṛṣṇa's energy. If Kṛṣṇa is true, Absolute Truth, then His energy is also true. And anything produced of His energy, that is also truth. But as the energy is utilized for the energetic, similarly anything produced by Kṛṣṇa's energy should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. That is our philosophy. So we don't say that false. We say reality. Therefore in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we accept everything, but accept everything for service of Kṛṣṇa. Nothing for my sense gratification. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We do not say that "This world is false. Give up." Why? The, our ācāryas, Rūpa Gosvāmī says,

anāsaktasya viṣayān

yathārham upayuñjataḥ

nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe

yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate

You should not be attached with Kṛṣṇa's property. The karmīs are attached to the Kṛṣṇa's property. They are trying to steal, unlawfully enjoy, Kṛṣṇa's property. That is karmī. And the jñānīs, so-called jñānīs, out of ignorance trying to renounce Kṛṣṇa's property. The jñānīs, they are very much proud that they are advanced in knowledge and renouncing, but if somebody asks, "Sir, what you are renouncing?" "This world." "All right.

Ratha-yatra -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

We don't charge anything for selling Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We are chanting everywhere. That you saw, this Ratha-yātrā. Now, our only means is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And these thousands of men are following simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So you can understand what is the potency of this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We do not pay anything, you ladies and gentlemen, to follow us. But we simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So it is very potential. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, he has sung, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is not anything material. Therefore you will never feel tired chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You see practically. You go on chanting twenty-four hours; you will never feel tired. Therefore it is said, golokera prema-dhana. This chanting vibration is coming from the spiritual world. Just like you receive material sound vibration in the radios or television from distant place, there is another machine which can receive the vibration in the spiritual world. So that vibration is Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day Lecture -- London, August 21, 1973:

If one may misunderstand Kṛṣṇa, therefore he writes in every stanza, every verse, śrī bhagavān uvāca. So Bhagavān is there. Bhagavān is speaking. Bhagavān is accepted by all the ācāryas. Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī. Latest, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu also, even Śaṅkarācārya, he also accepts Kṛṣṇa-sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa. So the verdict of the modern ācāryas, and in the past also, Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, everyone accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna, who heard from Kṛṣṇa, after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, he said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣam ādyaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12).

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day Lecture -- London, August 21, 1973:

So, at least in India, all the great personalities, saintly persons, sages and ācāryas, they have cultivated this spiritual knowledge so nicely and fully, and we are not taking advantage of it. It is not that those śāstras and directions are meant for the Indians or for the Hindus or for brāhmaṇas. No. It is meant for everyone.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hyderabad, August 19, 1976:

Śrīpada Sampatkumar Bhaṭṭācārya, ladies and gentlemen: I must thank you for your kindly coming here during this Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony. Vyāsa-pūjā...This āsana where they have seated me, it is called vyāsāsana. The guru is the representative of Vyāsadeva. Everyone of you have heard the name of Vyāsadeva, Veda Vyāsa. So anyone who represents the great ācārya, Vyāsadeva, he is allowed to sit on the vyāsāsana. So Vyāsa-pūjā... Guru is representative of Vyāsadeva, therefore his birthday is accepted as Vyāsa-pūjā.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hyderabad, August 19, 1976:

Somebody may envy that this person has sophisticated some disciples and they are offering prayers and pūjā. No, it is the system. Don't envy the... Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). Ācārya is the representative of God. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. If you offer prayers, honor to the ācārya, then Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased. To please Him you have to please His representative. "If you love me, love my dog." And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said ācāryopāsanam. Ācāryopāsanam. We have to worship the ācārya.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hyderabad, August 19, 1976:

So Kṛṣṇa says that ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān: (SB 11.17.27) "You accept ācārya as I am." Why? I see that he is a man. His sons call him father, or he looks like a man, so why he should be as good as God? Because he speaks as God speaks, that's all. Therefore. He does not make any change. Just like God says, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). The guru says that you surrender to Kṛṣṇa or God. The same word. God says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Guru says that you always think of Kṛṣṇa, you surrender unto Him, you offer Him prayer, you become His devotee. There is no change. Because he says as the Supreme Personality says, therefore he is guru.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

So today is a very auspicious day, Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda's birthday. Here is the picture of Ṭhākura Sac-cid-ānanda Bhaktivinoda. He was one of the ācāryas of this disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa. We have got a succession table from Kṛṣṇa, genealogical table. There are two kinds of genealogical tables, one by the semina-father, his son, his son, like that. That is material genealogical table. And there is one spiritual genealogical table, disciplic succession. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, the original father, Supreme Personality of Godhead, He spoke the Vedic knowledge to Brahma, Lord Brahma. He spoke to Nārada. Nārada spoke to Vyāsa. Vyāsa spoke to Madhvācārya. So in this disciplic succession, Lord Caitanya, from Lord Caitanya, the six Gosvāmīs, and similarly, coming down, down, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, then Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, then my spiritual master, then we are, next generation, my disciples.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

So there is a disciplic succession. And the ācāryas, they're authorities. Our process of knowledge is very simple. We take it from the authority. We don't speculate. Speculation will not help us to come to the real knowledge. Just like when we are in difficulty, in legal implication, we go to some authority, lawyer. When we are diseased we go to a physician, the authority. There is no use, speculation. Suppose I am in difficulty in some legal implication. I simply speculate, "I shall be free in this way and that way." That will not help. We have to go to the lawyer who knows things, and he gives us instruction that "You do like this; then you'll be free." Similarly, when we are diseased, if I speculate at home that "My disease will be cured in this way and that way," no. That is useless. You go to an authorized physician, and he will give you a nice prescription, and you'll be cured. That is the process of knowledge.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

There is no question of becoming astonished, how transmigration of the self, soul, takes place. The vivid example is there. Simply you require little intelligence. That intelligence is developed through the instruction of ācārya. Therefore, Vedic injunction is not to acquire knowledge by speculation. That is useless. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayaṁ jānāti tattvaṁ prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan (SB 10.14.29). Ciraṁ vicinvan. Ciram means for thousands of years you can speculate; you cannot understand what is God. That is not possible. But if you receive knowledge from the devotee, he can deliver you.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

So this Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, regularly he was coming from his office, and after taking his supper immediately he goes to bed, and wake up at twelve o'clock, and he used to write books. He wrote, he left behind him about one hundred books. And he excavated the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, organized how to develop that birth site, Māyāpur. He had so many business. He used to go to preach about Caitanya's philosophy. He used to sell books to foreign countries. In 1896 he attempted to sell Life and Precepts of Caitanya in the MacGill University in Montreal. So he was busy, ācārya. So one has to adjust things. Not that "Because I am gṛhastha, householder, I cannot become a preacher. It is the business..." (aside:) Give me water. "It is the business of the sannyāsī or brahmacārī." No. It is the business of everyone. The whole world is suffering for want of knowledge. The present civilization is animal civilization. They do not know anything beyond eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. This is animal civilization. Animal does not know beyond these four principles of life: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. No. Human life is meant for something else: "What I am? What is God? What is my relation with God? What is this material world? Why I am here? Where I have to go next?" So many things one has to learn. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is human life. Not that eat and sleep and have sex life and die someday like cats and dogs. Therefore, there is need of ācāryas, teachers, for propagating spiritual knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was... Although he was a gṛhastha, householder, a government officer, magistrate, but he was ācārya. So from his dealings, from his life, we should learn how one can become a preacher in any stage of life. It doesn't matter what he is.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

So this is one of the incidents. There are many incidences. He was very strong man. He punished many paṇḍas in the tīrthas who exploit visitors. So, this is the position of devotee. In spite of his becoming a responsible magistrate, a householder, still, he was ācārya. So we have to follow the ācāryas. If we at all, if we are at all interested in spiritual science, then we must follow the Vedic instruction, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We must approach. You cannot have spiritual knowledge simply by speculating. Impossible. Simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). You must go to the... In the Bhagavad-gītā, therefore, it is recommended, ācāryopāsanam. Ācārya-upāsanā. Not only worshiping the Lord, but also the ācārya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpayā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Guru, ācārya, and Kṛṣṇa. One should seek favor of both of them. Not that "I am now seeking favor of Kṛṣṇa. What is the use of guru or ācārya?" No. You cannot overlap ācārya and go to Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa will not accept you. Just like if you want to see a big man you should go through his secretary, through his orderly, doorkeeper; similarly, our process is ācāryopāsanam, go through the ācārya.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

So śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Scriptures are different. Arguments, that is also not helpful. One man may argue better than me. Then philosophy. The philosophy, it is said, nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. One philosopher is differing from another philosopher. Just now today Śyāmasundara has purchased one book about different philosophers. So that you also cannot ascertain what is truth. Therefore śāstra says, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. The truth is very confidential. So if you want to know that truth, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186), you should have to follow the great ācāryas. Then you will understand. Therefore ācārya-upāsanā is essential. Ācārya-upāsanā is very essential. In all the Vedic śāstras the injunction is that. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Tasmād gurum prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Anyone who is inquisitive to understand higher truths, he must surrender to guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta, jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. One who is inquisitive, who is now inquiring about transcendental subject matter. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). So all the śāstras says, in our Vaiṣṇava śāstra also, Rūpa Gosvāmī says, ādau gurv-āśrayam: "In the first beginning, you must take shelter of a bona fide guru."

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

One has to accept a bona fide spiritual master. That is our process. Without accepting a bona fide spiritual master, we cannot make any progress. It is impossible. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura happens to be ācāryas, one of the ācāryas. And he has left behind him many books. Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta, Jaiva Dharma. These are very important books. They're in Bengali, in Sanskrit. And many songs. He has prepared many books of song. The song, Ei nām gāya gauracānd madhura svare, that is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's song. So we are trying to present Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's books also in English translation. Gradually you will get it. So our adoration, our worship to Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura today because he may bless us to make peacefully progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ācārya-upāsanā, simply by the blessings of the ācāryas we can make very rapid progress. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). If we... Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ... **. We sing every day. By the mercy of the spiritual master, ācārya, we immediately get the blessings of Lord. Immediately. Yasya prasādāt. Yasya means "whose"; prasādāt, "benediction." By the benediction of the spiritual master. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If spiritual master, ācārya, is pleased, then you should know that Kṛṣṇa is also pleased. You should know through. This is not very difficult. Just like you are working in office. If your immediate officer, boss, is pleased, that means the proprietor of the firm, he's also pleased. Although you do not see him. This is fact. Your immediate boss, if he's pleased. So similarly, we, our business, this spiritual line, is guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. We have to first receive the merciful benediction from the ācārya, and then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased and He'll also give His blessings. Mad-bhakta. There is a version in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, mad-bhakta pūjyābhyadhikā. He says, Kṛṣṇa says, that "If anyone worships Me directly and if anyone worships Me through the ācārya, he's better devotee who is coming to Me through ācārya." Mad-bhakta pūjyābhyadhikā.

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

So our, this Vaiṣṇava philosophy, process, is to go through the ācārya. Servant of the servant of the servant. We should try to become servant of the servant. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. We should not approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. That is not good. That will not be... In the Vedic injunction also it is said, yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). If one has got unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yathā deve, and similar faith in guru... Of course, we must make guru bona fide. Then it is disciplic succession. And that is also not very difficult to select, who is bona fide guru. Bona fide guru means he presents himself as servant of God. He does not pose himself falsely that "I am God." This is bona fide. It is not difficult to find out bona fide. But this is the test.

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

Now, if somebody is teacher... Now, he is very good teacher. He can very good... He can explain very nicely a subject matter, but his private life is not very good. Then he is not a teacher. He is not a sādhu. That is Vedic conception. One must be a teacher according to his own behavior in life. There is no secrecy or privacy. Now, we think that "We don't mind what is private character. We don't mind. We are concerned with his teaching." No. That sort of teaching will not have any effect. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, āpani ācārī prabhu jīverī śikṣāya: a teacher must demonstrate in his practical life what he is teaching. That is the meaning of ācārya. Ācārya means the teacher must demonstrate things by applying the same thing in his own life. That is called ācārya. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that "You cannot disclose anything. You cannot keep anything private. Please disclose." Udāsīno 'rivad varyam ātmavat suhṛd ucyate: "And even if it is very confidential, I am your son. You can explain to Him. I am your well-wisher."

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1968:

When he was a child two, three years old, he ate one mango fruit which was kept for offering to the Deity. So his father mildly rebuked him, "Oh, you have done a very wrong thing. It was meant for Deity, and you have taken it. You should not have done it." The child was two or three years old. He took it so seriously that never after that he took mango. Whenever we offered him mango he said, "No, I am offender. I cannot take mango." He was thinking like that, you see. Never in his life he took a mango. He was thinking that "I offended in my childhood by taking the mango of the Deity." This is the characteristic of ācārya. They teach by their life's action that one should be so much determined, that one should not be... A child took the mango, there was no offense. But he took that vow.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

So every student, any disciple, every disciple, especially those who are competent, he requested that "You take up this mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and preach in the western countries. That was Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura's first attempt. Before that, even the ācāryas, Rūpānuga Gosvāmīs, they left literature, but they did not attempt to preach practically. And Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he was very, very anxious to preach this Caitanya cult in the western countries. This is Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura's special contribution.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

So, Kṛṣṇa has described everything, in the Bhagavad-gītā, and today, this night, we are trying to explain the mission of Kṛṣṇa, because the same mission is being carried out by us beginning from Brahmā, and today is a special day, the disappearance day of my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami. So these ācāryas, they come and they go, that is not like ordinary birth and death. It is called prakaṭa, aprakaṭa, āvirbhāva, tirobhāva. So even ordinarily nobody takes birth and nobody dies, na jāyate na mrīyate vā kadācit, so what to speak of the ācāryas, or Bhagavān. Nobody, a living entity, a living being... God is the supreme living being, and we are subordinate living beings. Both of us, we are living beings, so what is the difference between the two kinds of living beings? The difference is that the one, God, or Kṛṣṇa, He maintains all the other living beings. And we are being maintained. This is the difference. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The plural number living entities, we are plural number, in different species of life, but we are maintained by the Supreme Being.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Hyderabad, December 10, 1976:

So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, known in his previous life as Bimala Prasāda Datta, son of Kedaranath Datta... His father, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, his name was. He was magistrate and he was manager also, the managing board of Jagannātha Purī. The system is, the local magistrate becomes the official manager of the managing board of Jagannātha Purī. So at that time he was situated in Jagannātha Purī, and Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura appeared at Purī. And the Ratha-yātrā, the Ratha-yātrā ceremony takes place, and sometimes the big ratha stops at interval. So the house in which Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura appeared, in front of that house the ratha stopped. So his mother took the advantage and... Because Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was magistrate, so the son, the little baby, was brought before the ratha, and the pūjārīs allowed him to bring the child before the Deity, and the child was placed before the Deity and a garland was offered by Jagannātha. So that was the first sign of his becoming the ācārya. In this way there are many incidences.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Appearance Day Nitai-Pada-Kamala Purport -- Los Angeles, January 31, 1969:

Nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala, je chāyāy jagata jurāy. This is a song by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava-sampradāya. He has written many songs about the Vaiṣṇava philosophy, and they are approved as completely corresponding with Vedic instructions. So here Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing that "The whole world is suffering under the blazing fire of material existence. Therefore, if one takes the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda...," whose birthday is today, 31st, January, 1969. So we should relish this instruction of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura that in order to get relief from the pangs of blazing fire of this material existence, one should take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda because it is as cooling as the moon rays combined together of millions of moons. That means one will immediately find peaceful atmosphere. Just like a man works whole day and if he comes under the moonshine he feels relief.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Avirbhava Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977:

Nitāi caraṇa satya, tāhāra sevaka..., nitāi-pada sadā koro āśā. Therefore we should always expect to be under the shelter of nitāi-pada-kamala. Narottama boro duḥkhī. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he's ācārya. He is presenting himself... That is ācārya. Means he is not duḥkhī, but he's presenting himself as duḥkhī. That is ācārya. Ācāryas, they are never duḥkhī. But taking the common man's position, he says, narottama boro duḥkhī. Or, in other words, Narottama... Narottama means the best of the human being. So here in this material world one may be the best of the human being, very exalted position, but everyone is duḥkī, unhappy.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 7, 1969:

So to accept service of others was so abominable, even five hundred years ago. So this Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, they were also belonged to very rich family, but because they accepted ministership in the government of a Muhammadan, they were rejected. They were exterminated from the society. What is the extermination of society? He will never be invited. Nobody will offer his daughter to their family, because according to Vedic system, daughters and sons are not loitering in the street. The father and mother must engage. So if one is exterminated, oh, it is very difficult to get his daughter married. Nobody will accept. That was their condition. Actually, they also became hopelessness. They became almost Muhammadan. They changed their name, Dabira Khāsa. This is Muhammadan name. And Sākara Mallika. Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them Gosvāmī, this Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he belonged to the Muhammadan community. He was made nāmācārya, the principal ācārya of this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the revolutionary method of Caitanya.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 7, 1969:

So this is very nice process. And even others do not take it very seriously or they do not come to our philosophy, if you try for it, that is your business. Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Our ācāryas will be satisfied, Guru Mahārāja will be satisfied. And yasya prasādād bhagavat... If they are satisfied, then your business is finished. You see? Not that others is satisfied or not. By your chanting some public is satisfied—no, we are not concerned with that. He may be satisfied or not satisfied. But if I chant in the proper way, then my predecessors, the ācāryas, will be satisfied. That is my business, finished, if I don't invent in my own way. So I am very glad that Kṛṣṇa has sent so many nice boys and girls to help me. Be blessed on this auspicious day. And there is nothing mine. I am simply a postal peon. I am delivering to you what I have heard from my Guru Mahārāja. Simply you also act in the same way, and you will be happy, and the world will be happy, and Kṛṣṇa will be happy, and everything will be... (end)

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, SB 6.3.24 -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

So in order to mitigate this troublesome position, some of their ācāryas, Śaṅkarācārya, has said that "You imagine a form. There is no real form, but you imagine some form." And he has recommended five forms. The first form is Durgā, Śakti. The second form is Sūrya, the sun, sun worshiper. And the third form is Gaṇeśa, and the fourth form is Śiva. And the fifth form is Viṣṇu. Of course, these are the different stages of spiritual development. Durgā... Durgā means the material power, energy. So when a person is in the lowest stage of material existence, he realizes some power. That's a fact. The scientists also, they realize some power, there is some power in the material world. They go on searching after what is the ultimate power, but they cannot find it out. That is not possible.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, SB 6.3.24 -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And Prabhupāda? Do you want us to offer feast to your Guru Mahārāja at noontime? A special plate of feast?

Prabhupāda: Not a special plate. The process is that whatever we offer to the Deity, that is offered to guru. And guru offers to his guru. In this way goes to Kṛṣṇa. We don't directly offer Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. No. We have no right. Neither He accepts in that way. The pictures of the ācāryas, why there are? Actually, one has to offer the plate to his guru, and he'll offer his guru, he offers his guru, his guru. In this way it will go to Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. You cannot directly approach Kṛṣṇa or other subordinates to Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible.

Jagannatha Deities Installation Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.13-14 -- San Francisco, March 23, 1967:

Govinda means He is pleasure of... He is the reservoir of all pleasure, Govinda. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1), cause of all causes. So here it is said that "That Bhagavān, who is sātvatāṁ patiḥ..." That means there are many great, great devotees, stalwart devotees, ācāryas and teachers, and for all of them, He is the master. Sātvatāṁ patiḥ. And what is to be done about Him? śrotavyaḥ: "You have to hear about Him." Where I can hear? When He speaks Himself. Why don't you hear there? How can you know the Supreme, the cause of all causes? Nobody can explain. But when He explains Himself, you can hear. That is Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself.

Suppose if you want to know me or know something about me, you can ask some friend, "Oh, how is Swamiji?" He may say something; other may, something. But when I explain to you myself, "This is my position. I am this," that is perfect. That is perfect.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Talk in Room -- Mayapur, March 23, 1975:

Our philosophy is simple because we take it, Kṛṣṇa's word, as it is, that's all. And we believe it firmly: "Yes, this is the truth." To understand Kṛṣṇa is not difficult. What Kṛṣṇa says, you accept it. Sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "Whatever You say, I accept it. Not only I accept it blindly, but this very thing was accepted by such great personality as Vyāsadeva." (aside:) Anyone who wants to come... Simple thing. Big, big ācāryas, they accepted Kṛṣṇa as He is. And why shall I not accept? This is paramparā system. If others have accepted Kṛṣṇa as He tells, and they have become big, big ācāryas, so what objection can be there from my part? What I am?

Arrival Speech Excerpt -- Detroit, June 11, 1976:

...our process is: what Kṛṣṇa says, we believe Kṛṣṇa because He is the supreme authority. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority, accepted by all ācāryas. In our India the ācāryas are Rāmānujācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya. They all accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme. Formerly the ācāryas like Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Nārada... Later, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So all accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore we should accept what Kṛṣṇa said, that. Then you are sound. No question of "My religion is the best." What Kṛṣṇa said, that is sound. So Kṛṣṇa says very simple thing. Our real problem is how to get relief from the material world. One may say, "What is fault of material world?" The fault is that you may arrange... First of all, there is no happiness. But even though you make some arrangement, still, you are not allowed to stay. Suppose you have made very good arrangement: "I have got very nice house, nice car, very nice family, wife and relatives, and business, just going on." But where is the guarantee that you shall stay here very long? That is the question. Suppose you... (indistinct) (end)

Arrival Address -- Vrndavana, September 3, 1976:

So we must be prepared. This is glānir. On the platform of bodily concept of life, whatever we are doing, that is all defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. In the bodily concept of life, whatever we are doing, simply defeat. We are thinking, "I'm making very good progress." Rascaldom. There is no progress. Unless you become inquisitive, athāto brahma jijñāsā, there is no progress. That has been taught by our ācāryas. Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached..., Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Lord Caitanya, his first question was... He was prime minister, he was a very big man, but he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu to inquire, "Who am I?" Ke āmi. That was his inquiry. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya, apani kaha prabhu kiser hita haya. So this is the process, to know of oneself, not to be bewildered for the temporary, bodily comforts. This is the instruction of the whole Vedic literature.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Jayapataka Dasa -- Montreal, July 24, 1968:

So offenses are ten kinds of offenses. The first offense is to deride at the Vedic literature or scriptures. Satāṁ nindā. And those who are preaching God consciousness, never mind in any part of the world. Those who are preaching God consciousness. In your country, Christian... Not in your country. Of course, it was preached in Central Asia, but now Christianism is spread all over. So Lord Jesus Christ, he also preached God consciousness. And Mohammed, Hazrat Mohammed, he also preached God consciousness. Similarly, in India there was several ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, God consciousness they preached.

Brahmana Initiation Lecture -- New Vrindaban, May 25, 1969:

Real strength is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So of course, people may not think you otherwise, that you are not brāhmaṇa, you are not purified. Therefore this ceremony is there, the thread ceremony here, that "Yes, we are properly... According to scriptural rules and regulations, we have become brāhmaṇa. There is no question of... Because I am not born in a brāhmaṇa family, it does not mean I am not brāhmaṇa. I am recognized by authorized ācārya in the line of disciplic succession of Nārada." Nārada has given this definition in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam while instructing Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about the four..., eight divisions, varṇa and āśrama. He said, yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ syād varṇābhivyañjakam. Varṇa. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). Four classes, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—this is creation of God. It is not artificial. It is natural. God's creation is natural.

Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969:

Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura is one of the ācāryas. He has written Caitanya-Bhāgavata. As there is Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, he has written Caitanya-Bhāgavata. Perhaps you have heard the name. So his opinion is, muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. Muci and śuci, just opposite. Muci means the most nasty cobbler. He eats everything and does all nonsense. He is called muci. Muci means cobbler. In India, when a cow or bull dies, these muci class are called to take away the carcass. So they take it away and they take out the skin and tan it for... This is the original system of shoe-making. And make some shoes and sell in the market. But not by killing cows. When it dies. So this business is done by the muci class. And they take the flesh also. After taking out the skin, the flesh they take. Therefore they are considered very low class, muci. And śuci means brāhmaṇa.

Gayatri Mantra Initiation -- Boston, May 9, 1968:

The pāñcarātrika-vidhim means... Vedic vidhi means one must be begotten by a brāhmaṇa and he must have followed the family tradition. Then, according to Vedic rites, he can be initiated or offered the sacred thread. But pāñcarātrika-vidhi is especially meant for this age, that anyone who has little, a slight tendency to become a devotee, he should be given all chance, all chance. That is Lord..., especially Lord Caitanya's special benediction. And He has actually performed this thing. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He happened to be born in a Muhammadan family, and Lord Caitanya made him the ācārya, nāmācārya, the authority of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, nāmācārya, by His grace. This Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī were rejected from brāhmaṇa society because they engaged themselves as ministers in the Muslim government.

Initiation and Brahma-samhita Lecture -- New York, July 26, 1971:

So we are Brahmā sampradāya-our disciplic succession from Brahmā. Therefore we shall accept Brahmā's statement and we worship ādi-puruṣam, Govindam. We may not know that ādi-puruṣa, but we follow the footsteps of ācāryas. Brahmā says this. Brahmā's disciple, Nārada, says like that. Nārada's disciple Vyāsa says like that. Vyāsa's disciple, Madhvācārya, says like that. In this way, Īśvara Purī says like that. His disciple, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, says like that. His disciple, Gosvāmīs, Ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs, they say like that. In this way, we receive knowledge by paramparā, by step by step in the disciplic succession. Therefore our knowledge is perfect.

Initiations and Sannyasa -- New York, July 26, 1971:

Paramātmā and parātmā. So parātmā-niṣṭhām, to serve Kṛṣṇa. So "Taking sannyāsa, from this day my vow to serve Kṛṣṇa is more fixed up, steady." Upāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ: "This practice, this process was accepted by my previous ācāryas." Your spiritual master, his spiritual master, his spiritual master, they all accepted this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted at the age of twenty-four years. Therefore it is not a new introduction. Pūrvatamaiḥ. Pūrvatamaiḥ means previous ācārya, they accepted it, sannyāsa āśrama. That is Vedic civilization.

Deity Installation and Initiation -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Yes. What is the name?

Śyāmasundara: Jayadharma dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Your name is Jayadharma dāsa. Yes. He is one of the ācāryas in the Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya. Bow down and take. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Go on chanting. Go on chanting like this. (japa)

Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

Prabhupāda: So this is the technique of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and anyone who is ready to act for Kṛṣṇa, not for his personal sake, he is a sannyāsī. So actually anyone in this institution, they are all acting for Kṛṣṇa, but this sannyāsa order is accepted in pursuance of the great ācāryas, as we have already explained, great ācāryas. So for preaching work, especially in India, preachers are generally sannyāsī. And I know that even in Buddha philosophy, a Buddhist, a person following Buddhist religion, he has to take sannyāsa at least for some time. Is it not? Any Buddhists here?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: He has to take sannyāsa for some years. Again he may come back to householder life. So sannyāsa order is Vedic order. Lord Buddha also appeared in India, and he inaugurated the Buddha philosophy. That is also sannyāsa. Bhikṣu. They are called bhikṣu, Buddha-bhikkhu. So this is a spiritual order. Otherwise, anyone who is acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a sannyāsī. That is, practical sannyāsa. So our Sudāmā das Goswami Mahārāja, from this day will... He is already engaged in preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He will now take special advantage and preach all over the world Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make his life successful. That is the mantra: etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām; parātma-niṣṭhām. Parātma-niṣṭhā means working for the Supreme, niṣṭhām. Adhyāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ. Pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ, many great ācāryas. So we are coming through paramparā system.

Initiations -- Los Angeles, May 23, 1972:

Prabhupāda: So all right, Lavaṅga-mañjarī. Lavaṅga-mañjarī. Assistant of Lavaṅga-latā. (japa)

Pradyumna: Robert Dorman?

Prabhupāda: (japa) You know the rules and regulations? (indistinct) And how many rounds you have to chant? Thank you. Vyāsatīrtha, one of the ācāryas in our sampradāya. Vyāsatīrtha. Remember; don't forget. (laughter)

Initiations -- San Diego, June 30, 1972:

Prabhupāda: (devotees start coming up for initiation) So what are the rules and regulations? (girl gives answer) So your name is Rasa-mañjarī, one of the gopīs. You are maidservant of Rasa-mañjarī. Take this.

Next, come on. What are the rules and regulation? (boy answers) How many rounds you will chant?

Devotee: Sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Minimum. Your spiritual name-Jñānasindhu dāsa. Jñānasindhu was one of the ācāryas in our disciplic succession.

(to next devotee) What are the rules and regulation? (devotee answers) Thank you. Akṣobhya. He was also one of the ācāryas in our disciplic succession. Come on. You want to speak? No. (end)

Initiation Lecture -- New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972:

Kīrtanānanda: (reading) "The third offense is to neglect the order of the authorized ācārya or spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: This name is not different from the original Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That is Absolute Truth. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's form—we are seeing here Kṛṣṇa's form—it is not different from the original Personality of Kṛṣṇa. Or Kṛṣṇa's pastimes—we hear about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā—that subject matter is also not different from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Anything about Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa.

Sannyasa Initiation Lecture -- Calcutta, January 26, 1973:

Parātma-niṣṭhām. Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām. This niṣṭhā is not invented by us. Pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ upāsitām. All great predecessors... There were other sannyāsīs, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was a sannyāsī. So pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ upāsitām. These actions were executed by our previous ācāryas. Pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ upāsitām. Mahadbhiḥ. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). You have to follow the ācārya. Ācārya upāsana. Aham... The, what will be the result? Now, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi. I shall cross over.... Tariṣyāmi. Duranta-pāram. The extensive, unlimitedly extensive, the ocean of material existence. Ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ tama. Tama means this material world, which is darkness. Because our business is to go out of this darkness to the light. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. We have to go to the light. So this is the process. Aham... And what is that process? Tama mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva. Mukunda means Kṛṣṇa, one who gives liberation. Hari. Hari means one who takes away all your sinful activities. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). He's taking; therefore His name is Hari. Mukundāṅghri. Another name is Mukunda. Mukunda means... Muk means mukti, and ānanda means bliss. Kṛṣṇa gives you mukti, deliverance, deliverance from this tama, this material world, and gives you transcendental bliss; therefore His name is Mukunda. Mukundāṅghri: the lotus feet of Mukunda. Niṣevayaiva. Simply by serving the lotus feet of Mukunda, I can do this. This is the sum and substance.

Sannyasa Initiation Lecture -- Calcutta, January 26, 1973:

So this sannyāsa order, although it is prohibited in this age... Because so many rascals will accept sannyāsa and do all nonsense things; therefore sannyāsa is prohibited. Just like nowadays in Kali-yuga the, some of the sannyāsīs, they are eating meat. Disastrous. So this kind of rascal sannyāsīsm is prohibited in the śāstra. Sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam, devareṇa sutotpattiṁ kalau pañca vivarjayet (CC Adi 17.164). But Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, they took sannyāsa for preaching work, not for doing rascaldom. Preaching work. So Mukunda ahaṁ niṣevaye. Mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva. Simply by serving... Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa, what does He want? He wants that this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā, should be spread all over the world. You take up this determination and be steady in your sannyāsī. That is my request.

Thank you very much. (end)

Babaji Initiation -- Chicago, July 11, 1975:

Prabhupāda: ...I am accepting this dress following the footprints of other ācāryas. This dress was accepted by Rūpa Gosvāmī, not ordinary person. The six Gosvāmīs, they accepted. It is called paramahaṁsa stage, sannyāsī's highest stage. Sannyāsī has got four stages: kuṭīcaka, bahūdaka, parivrājakācārya and paramahaṁsa. Kuṭīcaka means when he takes sannyāsa, he is not accustomed to beg; therefore he makes a small cottage outside the village, and the foodstuff comes from the home or somebody sends. In this way, when he is little practiced, then he goes door to door, begs, bahūdaka. Then he is more practiced: parivrājakācārya, he travels all over the world. And after that, when he is fully mature, he can chant one place Hare Kṛṣṇa. He has no more business. So this is the last stage of mature sannyāsa. But because you are thinking that you may not live many years, so you simply sit down, go to Māyāpur. You have no other business. Simply go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and whatever little prasādam available, you take. And the rest of your life simply engage in chanting. That will be success.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is he supposed to get a name, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Name is the same.

Brahmānanda: Audolomi dāsa Bābājī?

Prabhupāda: Ah, Audolomi dāsa Bābājī. That's all. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this is the first time in our institution: a bābājī. So it is not to be imitated. It is the paramahaṁsa stage when one is very mature in sannyāsa life, for that, not for ordinary person. Don't request, "Give me sannyāsa. Give me bābājī." Don't do that. It is not a fashion. It is a stage of realization. That's all. (end)

Gurudasa Sannyasa Initiation -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

So the mantra means etām, "by accepting this daṇḍa or sannyāsa order," sa āsthāya, "taking shelter of it," parātma-niṣṭhām... This accepting of this daṇḍa means full faith in the Supreme. There are four rods within this bundle. One rod is representing himself, and the other three rods means his body, mind, and word. So the person who is accepting sannyāsa order, he is dedicating from this moment his personality, his body, his mind and his words. Why? Now, parātma-niṣṭhām, simply for service of the Supreme. So am I accepting something new? No. Upāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ. All the great personalities in our guru paramparā system, all the four ācārya system, they have done it. Rāmānujācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka—there are four Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas. So they were all sannyāsīs. Now, directly, our sampradāya is Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya. Gauḍīya-sampradāya means the Vaiṣṇavas of the Bengal. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is accepted as the supreme guru of this sampradāya. So His guru was Īśvara Purī, and his guru was Mādhavendra Purī. And this Mādhavendra Purī belonged to the Madhva-sampradāya; therefore our sampradāya, this disciplic succession, is called Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya.

Sannyasa Initiation -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

And He made Haridāsa Ṭhākura Namācārya, the ācārya to introduce Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura was chanting three lakhs, counting daily. That means the whole day and night. So, so nice movement, everyone should take part in it and dedicate to the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And it is not at all difficult. It is very easy.

Wedding Ceremonies

Initiation of Sri-Caitanya dasa and Wedding of Pradyumna and Arundhati -- Columbus, May 14, 1969:

So kalau śūdra sambhava. Therefore actually there is no Vedic ritualistic performance for the śūdras. It is meant for the brāhmaṇas only. But there is pāñcarātrikī-viddhi for this age, when śūdras can be elevated to the position of brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava by the Vaiṣṇava-viddhi. That viddhi is a voluminous book by Sanātana Gosvāmī. But there is everything, how a brahmacārī will live, how a gṛhastha will live, how a vānaprastha will live. The summary is being practiced. And we are holding now, today, two ceremonies. Some of the boys and girls will be initiated, primarily, and one couple will be married. So according to Hindu rites, there are many kinds of marriage, eight kinds of marriages. So in this age, as we find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, marriage can be performed simply by agreement. Svīkāram eva hi udvāhe. That is sufficient. And actually it is being carried on in every country. The boys and girls go to a magistrate and give their statement and agree. That is marriage. Here also the same principle will be carried under some Vaiṣṇava rites, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and offering prayers to the ācāryas and Deities.

General Lectures

Lecture on Maha-mantra -- New York, September 8, 1966:

So this transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, you don't think that I have come here—it is my personal manufacture. No. It is not. No. It is not my personal manufacture. It is authorized just like the post box is authorized, because all previous ācāryas, all previous authorized persons in this line, they have done it. Just like see Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is chanting and dancing, chanting and dancing, you see, the same thing. This picture is before you so that gradually, when you feel ecstasy, you will also dance like Him. And when you automatically dance, then you will know that the thing is already realized. Not artificially, but when you feel, "Oh, let me dance. It is so much ecstatic. Let me dance." Nothing should be done artificially. Let everything come automatically.

Lecture -- Montreal, June 26, 1968:

Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājana means those who are perfect personalities. That will give you (?). That will do (?). Now, there are, according to Vedic system, there are twelve mahājanas. They are all in agreement that the supreme power is the Absolute Personality of Godhead. And they have become all devotees, they have served, they have prescribed rules and regulations. You can... So if we follow these rules and regulations and the mahājana, and many... As it is stated in Bhāgavatam, that those who have followed, they have got perfection. You can get also perfection, there is no doubt about it. Simply you have to follow the footprints of the ācāryas. Then your life will be perfect.

Speech to Indian Audience -- Montreal, July 28, 1968:

If you believe in our śāstras, in our ācāryas, then those who are present here as Indians, I will request them to take this responsibility of spreading the... (aside:) This is disturbing. ...this message of Lord Caitanya all over the world. And He said, bhārata-bhumite manuṣya-janma haila yāra, janma sārthaka kari (CC Adi 9.41). Janma sārthaka kari means "First of all make your life successful." You cannot distribute this transcendental message without making your life successful. Janma sārthaka kari. That means persons who are born in India, they have got the facility for making life successful. How? Because there is immense treasure-house of transcendental knowledge in India. It is known to everyone, in every part of the world. Unfortunately, we Indians, we do not know the value of our spiritual treasure-house. I have got one German Godbrother. He was formerly known as Mr. Hans Sulyea(?). He is now Sadānanda Swami. He is living in Sweden.

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Seattle, September 25, 1968:

Upendra: "Are there not many planes in mastership?"

Prabhupāda: Yes, there is. But you have to accept the standard platform by your advancement. Just like somebody accepts somebody as master, that is according to his own mentality. And somebody accepts somebody else as master, that is his mentality. But the highest, according to Vedic literature, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme master. Because all the ācāryas, all the spiritual masters of Vedic perfection, just like in the recent years Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, and Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya, all of them, they have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme spiritual master. All of them. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he's impersonalist, still he has accepted Kṛṣṇa. Sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa. He says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. That is mentioned in his commentary of Bhagavad-gītā. And what to speak of Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, they accept. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). If you want to become a spiritual master, then try to disseminate the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So that is our, so far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our ideal spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 4, 1968:

Just like in modern science says that "There was a chunk and there was creation—perhaps." That is also "perhaps," you see. So this kind of knowledge is useless. You must find out. If I ask the scientist, "What is the cause of this chunk?" they cannot reply. So find out the cause, and you'll find that... If I cannot find, then we have to follow... Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186), we have to follow the authorized ācāryas. If you be Christian, just follow Jesus Christ. He says, "There is God." Then you accept there is God. He says that "God created this. He said that 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation." So we accept this, "Yes. God created." Here also in the Bhagavad-gītā God says, Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8), "I am the origin." So God is the origin of creation. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam: (Bs. 5.1) He is the cause of all causes.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 4, 1968:

I am not manufacturing the answer, but I am giving you evidence from Rūpa Gosvāmī, our ācārya. He says, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate: "My dear gentlemen, my dear boys and girls, if you can purchase a..., your sense of loving Kṛṣṇa—'How I can love Kṛṣṇa more and more'—this, this much, this anxiety, if you can purchase this matiḥ,"—means intelligence; it is very nice intelligence—" 'How I shall serve Kṛṣṇa...' " Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ. Matiḥ means intelligence or status of mind, that "I'll serve Kṛṣṇa." "If you can purchase this status of mind anywhere, please immediately purchase." Then next question will be, "All right, I shall purchase.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

Rāma was accepted as incarnation. Kṛṣṇa was accepted as incarnation. In every home, there is Rāma and Kṛṣṇa worship. Not this Ramakrishna. Neither any ācārya accepts him. If Ramakrishna... He said himself that "One who was Kṛṣṇa, one who was Rāma, I am the same." So his disciple accepted. Vivekananda accepted. But in that way, if somebody dies, he says, "One who was Kṛṣṇa, one was Rāma, I am," his sons accept. That is not the way of. There must be proof. Kṛṣṇa is accepted by Vyāsadeva, by Nārada, by Caitanya, by Rāmānuja, by so many great scholars, stalwarts. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is accepted by all Indians as God. And He has proved Himself, His activities. There is Vedic proof, scholarly proof, authority proof. There are so many things.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:

So here in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead explaining Himself, Kṛṣṇa. So if you say, "How can I believe that Kṛṣṇa said? Somebody has written in the name of Kṛṣṇa that 'Kṛṣṇa said,' 'God said.' " No. This is called disciplic succession. You will see in this book, Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa said, and how Arjuna understood. These things are described there. And the sādhu, saintly person, beginning from Vyāsadeva, Nārada, down to many ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, and latest, Lord Caitanya, in this way, they have accepted: "Yes. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa." So this is the proof. If saintly persons have accepted... They have not denied.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968:

...introduced by the disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya, and this Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura who has sung this hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu, he's a famous ācārya. His compositions are accepted as Vedic truth. So this purport of this song is very nice. He's lamenting, appealing to Hari, the Lord. Hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord, I have uselessly spoiled my life." Biphale means uselessly, and janama means birth, and goṅāinu means "I have passed." He's representing a common man, as every one of us is simply spoiling our life.

Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, January 13, 1969:

Nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ: "But the proprietor of the body, that is eternal." (break) ...vāṇī and vapu, and vapu means the physical body, and vāṇī means the vibration. So we are not concerned about the physical body. Not concerned means... We are concerned, of course, because the spiritual master, those who are ācāryas, their body is not considered as materiel. Arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir. Just like the statue of Kṛṣṇa, to consider that "This is a stone..." Similarly, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu na... Guruṣu means those who are ācāryas, to accept their body as ordinary man's body, this is denied in the śāstras. So although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master, vibration. What we have heard from the spiritual master, that is living. You'll see in these pictures. This movement was started by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and then it was entrusted to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Then we are trying to serve his word, and many of my Godbrothers, they are also... (break—end)

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 19, 1969:

So God created. Try to understand what is the position of God. God created means before the creation, God was there. Just like if you say that "Mr. such and such has constructed this building," that means before the construction of the building, Mr. such and such was living, was existing. So "God created" means God is not one of the beings who were created. He is beyond creation. Therefore one great stalwart ācārya of India, Śaṅkarācārya, whose name you might have heard, he says, nārāyaṇaḥ para avyaktāt, avyaktāt anya-sambhavaḥ: "Nārāyaṇa, God, the Supreme Lord, He is beyond this creation. He's not one of the created beings." You try to understand. God said, "Let there be creation," and there was creation: "Yes." His word is sufficient. His word is sufficient. You can take practical example. In your country you can understand this nice example.

Lecture Excerpt -- New York, April 11, 1969:

Just like identification. If you go to the court, you give your identification by your father's name. So Śaṅkarācārya has given identification of Kṛṣṇa by His father's name, by His mother's name. Devakī vasudevāsya. We also say Devakī-nandana, Vasudeva. So ātmavit-sammataḥ. It must be approved by great ācāryas. We are pushing on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness not by whims. It is approved by great ācāryas. We are following their footsteps. That's all. That is our business. Ātmavit tattva, ātmavit-sammataḥ. And then puṁsām, for the people in general, śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. They have got many subject matter for hearing, ordinary people. But this subject matter, hearing of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the, śrotavyādi... Whatever subject matter you have got for hearing, this is the topmost. This is the topmost. Śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

So there is a definition of God also in the Vedic literature. A great sage, the father of Vyāsadeva, Parāśara Muni, he has very nicely defined what is meant by God, and all the symptoms were visible in the person of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And according to our Indian, Vedic culture, all the great ācāryas, just like Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, even Śaṅkarācārya... Śaṅkarācārya is considered to be impersonalist, that He believes in impersonal Brahman. So impersonal Brahman is mentioned in all Vedic literature. We also know that. But beyond impersonal Brahman there is Supersoul realization, and beyond Supersoul realization there is the personal realization, the Supreme Personality of God. Bhāgavata says that vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam: (SB 1.2.11) "The Absolute knowledge, the Absolute Truth, is nondual." How it is nondual? Now, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Either you realize the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā, Supersoul, or as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, they are one and the same. How one and the same? That is also explained.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

So Lord Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead at least by the great ācāryas of India. Even, as I was speaking of Śaṅkarācārya, he was impersonalist, but he has admitted in his commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that sa kṛṣṇa bhagavān svayam. He has accepted. In the beginning of his commentary he said, nārāyaṇaḥ para avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this material creation." And in next page he has admitted, "That Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa is Kṛṣṇa, who is born as the son of Devakī and Vasudeva."

Lecture at Engagement -- Columbus, may 19, 1969:

So our proposal is that in this life you have got this opportunity, the informations are there, the scientific methods are there—take advantage. Fully utilize your, this valuable life by changing simply your ordinary consciousness to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the greatest boon offered to the human society by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you take advantage of it, then sarve sukhino bhavantu—then you'll become happy. It is not a mental concoction; it is very authorized. It is accepted by great stalwart scholars and ācāryas like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, those who practically guided the whole destiny of Indian civilization—even Lord Buddha, he was Indian—but all of them accepted these authorized scriptural... Don't try to manufacture. There are so many things in store, in Vedic knowledge, and they're all summarized in the Bhagavad-gītā. Try to understand. It is not very expensive or very difficult, but you have to understand it with full brain, then your life will be successful.

Address to Indian Association -- Columbus, May 11, 1969:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nothing... It is not a new thing that we have introduced or manufactured. No. It is authorized on the Vedic principle, authorized by ācāryas like Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all other ācāryas. So join us. You will be happy. Your human life will be sublime. And the method is very simple. There is no loss. We are not charging anything, that "You give me fee. I shall give you some secret mantra, and within six months you shall become God." No. It is open for everyone. Even child, even woman, girls, boys, old—everyone can take it and chant it and see the result. That is our request. So this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is universal movement. I would request you to join. We have got branches here. We are chanting daily twice. Especially we are holding meetings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. And you try to understand. We have got... Not that we are sentimentalists. We have got books, philosophy, everything. So please join and take advantage of it. That is our request.

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969:

And the process is very simple. You haven't got to take difficult processes like yoga system or philosophical, speculative system. That is not possible in this age. That is... I am not speaking from my own experience, but I am taking the experience of big ācāryas and big stalwart sages. They say that kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. If you want to realize yourself, if you want to know what is your next life, if you want to know what is God, if you want to know what is your relationship with God, all these things will be revealed to you—this is real knowledge—by simply chanting this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It is practical. We are not charging anything. We are not bluffing you that "I shall give you some something, secret mantra, and charge you fifty dollars." No. It is open for everyone. Please take it. That is our request.

Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969:

Student (1): ...and excluding everything other than complete devotion to Christ. Would you comment on this?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's very nice. We completely agree. We say that chant the holy name of God. The vibration, the sound which you chant, that must be the holy name of God. Then it is all right. It doesn't matter what is the language. Language has nothing, no significance. But this word "Kṛṣṇa," we consider it is transcendental vibration because all great saints and ācāryas, they chanted, especially Lord Caitanya. As I explained from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam (SB 11.5.32). Kṛṣṇa varṇa, kṛṣṇa varṇayati. Lord Caitanya was always chanting, "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." Therefore He is called kṛṣṇa varṇayati, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Tviṣākṛṣṇam: by complexion He's not black. Kṛṣṇa was blackish, but Lord Caitanya, He was golden colored. So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam: always associated by followers. Yajñair saṅkīrtana, chanting and dancing with Kṛṣṇa's name. Yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ: this form of the Lord should be worshiped by persons who are intelligent. So if you follow the method, evangelist, that is also very nice, or this method... The business should be that we must realize in this human form of life what is our relationship with God. If we fail to do that, then we are misusing this human form of life.

Lecture -- Bombay, November 2, 1970:

The incarnation of God, Lord Rāmacandra, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Buddhadeva, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all the big, big ācāryas—Śaṅkarācārya, Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī. So... Vyāsadeva. All of them appeared on the sacred land of Bhārata-varṣa. But the present Bhārata-varṣa has degraded so much that we have lost our Vedic culture. We are eating meat, we are eating..., drinking wine, and we are having illicit sex life, and indulging in gambling. This is India's position. It is due to this Kali-yuga.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

These are the authoritative statements; therefore, we have to follow the ācāryas. They pick up nice authorized verses from various Vedic literature and present before you. So Śrīdhara Swami says, purāṇantare. In other Purāṇas also it is stated, pāpa-kṣayaś ca bhavati smaratāṁ tam ahar-niśam. "Anyone who is always absorbed in Your thought, no material scene can effect him, cannot touch him." Pāpa-kṣayam. "And if he has any sinful activities in his past life, that also becomes nullified." Pāpa-kṣayam. Pāpa-kṣayaṁ bhavati smaratāṁ tam ahar-niśam. "Anyone who is always..." Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā: "One who is always thinking of Me within himself, he is first-class yogi."

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is confirmed, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Even Śaṅkarācārya, whom we call impersonalist, he has accepted in his comment on Bhagavad-gītā that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearing as the son of Devakī and Vasudeva." Similarly, all other ācāryas-Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, and lately, Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Of course, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is both ācārya and Kṛṣṇa Himself. Apart from His being Kṛṣṇa, if we take the part which He played as ācārya, that is, He also accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeṣa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. So we are to follow the ācāryas, not these casual interpretations, interpreters, to understand Bhagavad-gītā. Then we will be misled. We cannot understand.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

So it is the duty of every Indian to understand this science. It is a science, and spoken by the Lord Himself, and understood by all the ācāryas. Kṛṣṇa says ācāryopāsanam. We have to understand things through the ācāryas. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. One who is not following the footsteps of the ācāryas, he cannot understand anything. Kṛṣṇa also says tad-vijñānārtham. No, Kṛṣṇa... That is said in the Kaṭhopaniṣad: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Kṛṣṇa says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). So everywhere the same instruction is there, that "You approach a person who is coming in disciplic succession," evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2), "and try to learn Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Your life will be sublime. Your life will be successful." That is our mission. We have given so many important books. We have got magazines.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 6, 1971:

If you follow the footsteps of great personalities, great ācāryas, then that is the way. You don't manufacture your own way. Then you will be frustrated. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. So who can be greater mahājana than Kṛṣṇa? All mahājanas, they are great devotees of Kṛṣṇa; therefore they have become mahājanas. Just like Svayambhū, Lord Brahmā, Nārada Muni... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Śambhu, Lord Śiva. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kaumāraḥ, kapilo manuḥ. Kaumāra, the four Kumāras, Sanat Kumāra, Sunanda, these four Kumāras, and kumāraḥ kapila, Kapiladeva, the original propounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy, Kapiladeva; and Manu, you know, Manu-saṁhitā, the law-giver to the mankind, Svayambhuva Manu, Manu.

Speech at Olympia Theater -- Paris, June 26, 1971, (with translator):

According to Vedic civilization, the progressive march towards perfection of life is to realize one's relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God. There is a book, perhaps you read or you know, Bhagavad-gītā. That Bhagavad-gītā is accepted by all ācāryas, or authorities in transcendental science, as the essence of all Vedic knowledge. In this Bhagavad-gītā we understand that the living entities, not only human beings, but other than human beings... There are many types of living entities. All of them are parts and parcels of God. The part and parcel of God means... You can understand from your own personal experience. Just like your body but there are many parts and parcels of the body, just like the legs, the hands, the fingers, the hair, so many things.

Lecture -- San Francisco, June 28, 1971:

So the Gosvāmīs showed us the way. Then next, śrī-gaurāṅga-guṇānuvarṇana-vidhau. They were very expert in describing the transcendental qualities of Lord Sri Caitanya, Gaurasundara, śrī-gaurāṅga-guṇānuvarṇana-vidhau. So in this way they passed their life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if we'll follow the footsteps of such mahājana, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Our business is, we haven't got to make research work. Everything is there, given by the Gosvāmīs and ācārya. We have simply to follow. That's all. Who, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God, you haven't got to make research. Kṛṣṇa is personally saying about Himself, Bhagavad-gītā, "I am like this." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8), mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. So these are thing there. You have simply to accept it, to know it and follow it. Then your life is successful. We are not so foolish that we are going to make research work. Why? When there are so many things present already, what is the use of research work? First of all assimilate what is already there. And what is research you can make? Your senses are faulty, imperfect. What research you can work? So that is not possible. That is humbug. You simply try to understand, without any malinterpretation, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and you understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God. And you follow the ācāryas, then your life is successful.

Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, July 5, 1971:

Our greatest success of life is how to love God, Kṛṣṇa. That is greatest success. Now you can do it. But there is prescribed method, given by great ācāryas. Just like in this temple we are doing. We are timely giving. The atheist will say, "Oh, these are so foolish that they are taking so much labor for preparing food and offering and wasting time. Best thing would have been to go to some club and enjoy wine and playing cards." They'll waste time in that way, but when... We are not wasting, but they say we are wasting time. They will criticize. You see? They are prepared to waste time in a brothel, but if people are sitting nicely in a temple and talking of Kṛṣṇa, serving Kṛṣṇa, they will laugh. That is our position. So we have to become callous to all these criticisms. We have to go with our business, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1971 :

I must present things exactly in the same way as it was presented by Kṛṣṇa, as it was presented by Arjuna, as it was presented by our ācāryas, Lord Caitanya, and at last my spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. So, similarly, if you take up the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the same spirit, and if you distribute to other people, to your other countrymen, surely it will be effective, because there is no adulteration. There is no bluff. There is no cheating. It is pure spiritual consciousness. Just practice it and distribute it. Your life will be glorious.

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

We have got authority by the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, all of them, even Śaṅkarācārya, although we differ in some points with Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya has admitted Kṛṣṇa, bhagavān sa svayam kṛṣṇa, he has stated. Devakīnandana, he has specifically mentioned Kṛṣṇa, the son of Devakī and Vasudeva, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nārāyaṇa paraḥ avyaktāt. I think those who have read Śaṅkara's comment on Bhagavad-gītā, they know all these things. So Kṛṣṇa is admitted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by all the bona fide ācāryas. And all scholars up to date, everyone, and confirmed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

These are the Vedic authorities accepted by the ācāryas. Therefore, it has become easy for me to convert so many boys and girls in the foreign countries. Not only Christian, Jews, but there are many Mohammedans, Africans. In Africa also we have got branches. And recently I went to Africa, the Africans are also chanting exactly like these European and Americans. So this benediction, this foretelling of Lord Caitanya is actually going to be fulfilled.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 19, 1972:

So everything is scientifically described in the Vedic literature. You haven't got to make any research. It is already there. You have to simply accept it and take it. Then your life will be sublime, your life will be successful. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is that, to make everyone's life successful. (Sanskrit) Everyone become happy. That is the mission of everyone. "Everyone" means those who are devotees. How people will be happy? That is their mission. It is not that we start a mission just to make some money and to fill up our belly, hungry belly. No. It is a mission to see that everyone is happy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the mission. Our ācāryas, just like Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī, about him Śrinivāsācarya writes,

nana-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau

lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau

radha-kṛṣṇa-padaravinda-bhajananandena-mattalikau

vande rupa-sanātana raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

They engaged themselves. They were ministers. Rūpa Goswāmī and Sanātana Goswāmī, they were two great ministers in the government of Pathan kingdom in Bengal. And they resigned the post just for the benefit of the mass of people. They became mendicants, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ. So this is the mission of all who is born in India.

Lecture Excerpt -- Sydney, April 2, 1972:

So if one becomes a Vaiṣṇava under the principles of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he can be lifted at once from any abominable condition, śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Just like śvapacam, the dog-eater, he becomes variṣṭham, better than a brāhmaṇa. Because why? Because he is a devotee. So unless one becomes a devotee, one has to follow this varṇāśrama-dharma. This is the idea. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is speaking from the devotional platform. He did not say when He was actually acting as a brāhmaṇa in Navadvīpa. But when He realized... He is realized always, but as ācārya, He says that when one becomes Vaiṣṇava, gopī-bhartuḥ... What is the... Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). He says, "I am not a brāhmaṇa." Then the next question is, What You are? He says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." So when one is realized in that way, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," he does not require to be a brāhmaṇa or śūdra. He transcends. He is postgraduate. So, so long he does not realize that, he has to follow the varṇāśrama-dharma. Otherwise he is not civilized. They are mleccha, yavanas. The most abominable, śvapacam, most abominable. Is that clear? Yes. (end)

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972:

So all these ācāryas, according to the Vaiṣṇava ācārya... Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, there are four ācāryas. Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, and Viṣṇu Svāmī. And those who are not Vaiṣṇavas, impersonalists, they are represented by Śaṅkarācārya. Even Śaṅkarācārya, from whom we differ in philosophical discussion... Not very much different—so far the procedure is concerned, the regulative principles are concerned, they are all the same. The only difference is that Śaṅkarācārya's sampradāya, they take the ultimate Absolute Truth as impersonal, and we Vaiṣṇavas, we take the Absolute Truth as person.

Lecture at Auckland University -- Auckland, April 17, 1972:

Now the younger generation are after suicide. I do not know if this is fact. There is some dearth. So many things are. So actually, there is no cause of frustration. There is very good news for jubilation. That is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Don't be frustrated. Try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how it is scientific, how it is authorized, how it is old, and how it is accepted by great ācāryas, great stalwart learned scholars, and how it is treated by the learned section of all over the world. So our request is that younger section may not feel confused and frustration. There is very nice hope. Those who are taking to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, mostly they are younger section. Now ask them how much hopeful they are, how much jubilant they are. So my request is that—you are all young boys and girls, flowers of the country—don't feel frustration and confused. There is nice hope in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. My only request is that—you are all learned boys and girls—try to understand this philosophy and science, and you will be happy. That is my request.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

All the ācāryas, those who are controlling Vedic civilization, like Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, they have all written their commentaries on the Vedānta-sūtra. Because unless one explains Vedānta-sūtra, he'll not be accepted as an authorized ācārya. He's not... Not that anyone can become ācārya. He must give explanation of the Vedānta-sūtra, prasthāna-traya. There is system. So ultimately, Vedānta-sūtra, as Kṛṣṇa says, vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. Sarvaiḥ means including Vedānta-sūtra. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). "I am to be understood." Why? Vedānta-kṛt vedānta-vit ca aham. Vedānta-kṛt, "I am the compiler of Vedānta-sūtra." Vedānta-sūtra was compiled by Vyāsadeva. He is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, Dvaipāyana Vyāsa. So therefore, it is compiled by His incarnation, so it is compiled by Him. Because His incarnation, He is the same. So vedanta-kṛt means Veda..., compiler of the Vedānta, and the compiler of the compiler of the Vedānta is vedanta-vit, one who knows Vedānta. Because I have written some book, so I know what is the purpose of writing my book. You cannot know. My purpose you cannot know.

Speech -- New Vrindaban, August 31, 1972:

So I shall further explain one song sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura was one of our predecessor ācāryas, teacher, and his songs are accepted in our Vaiṣṇava society as Vedic truth. He has written in simple language, but it contains the Vedic truth. So he has got many songs. One of the songs is hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu. He says, "My dear Lord, I am simply wasting the valuable time of my life." Biphale janama goṅāinu. Everyone takes birth as human being, but he does not know how to utilize it. He utilizes it just like animal. The animal eats; we simply make arrangement of eating unnaturally. That is our advancement.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

We don't manufacture any new method. Why new method? The old method is very perfect, authorized, accepted by great ācāryas. And they are, actually, are benefited. So why we shall manufacture? What is my brain? I am a teeny. We haven't got to manufacture, neither we can manufacture anything perfect, because I am imperfect. We can simply catch up the perfect things. Then we become perfect. That is our process. So Kṛṣṇa, the supreme perfect, His teachings are there in the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. We are taking, accepting that. And we are preaching the same philosophy throughout the world, and they are accepting it, and I wish all of you who are present here will kindly accept this philosophy and make your life successful.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not only we accept—all the authorities, whom we accept as authority. Just like Vyāsadeva. He is the authority of the Vedas. He accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nārada accepts the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Of course, that is long, long, ages ago. In the recent years, all the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, all of them accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So what is the difficulty for us to accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead? There is no difficulty.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 14, 1973:

The trees are also prajā of the government. So formerly nobody could slaughter an animal, nobody can cut even a tree without reason, without sanction by the Vedic injunction. At the present moment in our country, this Bhāratavarṣa is called puṇya-bhūmi. Actually it is so, because on this land all the great saintly persons appeared. The incarnation of God, Lord Rāmacandra, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Buddhadeva, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all the big, big ācāryas—Śaṅkarācārya, Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī... So... Vyāsadeva... All of them appeared on this sacred land of Bhāratavarṣa. But the present Bhāratavarṣa has degraded so much that we have lost our Vedic culture. We are now eating meat. We are eating, drinking wine, and we are having illicit sex life and indulging in gambling. This is India's position. It is due to this Kali-yuga.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

So, guru, there are many descriptions. Subject matter is the same, but different way, guru has been described by different ācāryas. Their aim is the same, but language or presentation may be little different. So generally guru means,

ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākaya

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

Just like in darkness, ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Ajñāna means ignorance, without knowledge. That is called ajñāna. So ajñāna is compared..., ignorance, stupidity, is compared with darkness. Just like if you are, if this room, immediately, all lights are off, then it becomes dark. We cannot see where I am sitting, where others are sitting. It becomes a confusion. Similarly, in this material world, we are all in the darkness. This material world is called darkness.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

What five thousand years ago Vyāsadeva instructed or Kṛṣṇa instructed, the same thing we are also instructing. Therefore there is no difference between instruction. Therefore guru is one. Although hundreds and thousands of ācāryas have come and gone, but the message is one. Therefore guru cannot be two. Real guru will not talk differently. Some guru says that "In my opinion, you should like this," and some guru will say, "In my opinion you'll do this"—they are not guru; they are all rascals. Guru has no "own" opinion. Guru has got only one opinion, the same opinion which was expressed by Kṛṣṇa, Vyāsadeva or Nārada or Arjuna or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or the Gosvāmīs. You'll find the same thing. Five thousand years ago, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke Bhagavad-gītā and Vyāsadeva wrote it, recorded it. Vyāsadeva does not say that "It is my opinion." Vyāsadeva writes, śrī bhagavān uvāca: "Whatever writing, it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead." He's not giving his own opinion.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

Repetition of the same subject matter, no other. Kṛṣṇa said that man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Just think of Me," man-manā. "Just become devotee of Me," man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. "Just worship Me and just offer your obeisances unto Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "Just surrender unto Me." You'll find this instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. The same thing was spoken by all the ācāryas. Rāmanujācārya also says the same, Madhvācārya says the same thing, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says same thing, the Gosvāmīs say the same thing, and we are also speaking the same thing. There is no difference. We do not interpret the words of Kṛṣṇa, that "In my opinion, Kurukṣetra means this body." This is rascaldom. The whole situation has been spoiled by these so-called rascal gurus who gives his own opinion. This is our plain declaration: Let any rascal guru come. We can convince him that he is not guru, because he is speaking differently. We can challenge any rascal.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately rejected: "Oh, you are claiming that you have written something better than Śrīdhara Svāmī?" He chastised him. Svāmī means another... He sarcastically remarked, the word svāmī, Śrīdhara Swami, svāmī, another svāmī means "husband." So He said, svāmī jīva nahi mane besa bali guni(?): "I think one who does not recognize svāmī, he's a prostitute." He immediately said. "You do not recognize Śrīdhara Svāmī, then you are a prostitute. How can I hear from a prostitute?" He refused. Only word, that "I have written better than Svāmī." So this is the process of guru. You cannot disobey the previous ācārya or guru. No. You have to repeat the same thing. Not research. Sometimes rascals come, that "You are speaking the same thing. Why don't you speak something new by research work?" We say that we have no intelligence, we cannot make any research.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative, former ācāryas' representative. Kṛṣṇa's... All ācāryas are representative of Kṛṣṇa; therefore guru should be offered the same respect as you offer to God. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. Because guru is bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, or God, so if you surrender to guru, bona fide guru, that means you surrender to God. God is accepting your surrender through the guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. If you surrender to guru, that means Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) surrender. That somebody argues, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? I shall surrender." No. You surrender to His representative, then you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

Lecture -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, the father of saṅkīrtana movement within two hundred years. He was ācārya and a householder, gṛhastha. He was very responsible officer, magistrate, householder. But he was a great devotee. Not only devotee-ācārya in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu disciplic succession, ācārya. So he sung, ye dine gṛhete bhajana dekhi, gṛhete goloka bhāya: "The day whenever we find there is bhajana," means worshiping the Supreme Lord, "at that time immediately the house becomes Vaikuṇṭha." Actually, that is so. Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana is not material things. Just like Kṛṣṇa is not material. Kṛṣṇa... As Kṛṣṇa can stay in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, and still He can stay everywhere... Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. That is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

Only these classes of men, duṣkṛtina, always engaged in sinful activities, mūḍha, rascal... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. And lowest of the mankind. Because human life is meant for worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, hari hari viphale, janama goṅāinu: "My life is spoiled." Why? Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu. So we are trying to stop drinking poison knowingly. Viṣayā viṣānale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale, taribāre nā koinu upāya, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāya. These are the Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's... Big... They were stalwart ācāryas.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for everyone's benefit. It is the topmost humanitarian movement to make everyone happy, to make everyone immortal, to make everyone peaceful(?), to make everyone... (break) ...without being wise, nobody can surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Mūḍhas, rascals, they cannot.

Pandal Speech and Question Session -- Delhi, November 10, 1973:

This is the offering obeisance to guru. Guru is described as respectable as the Supreme Personality of God. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt (SB 11.17.27). The Supreme Personality of Godhead says that "Ācārya should be accepted as I am. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, ācāryopāsanam. Ācāryopāsanam. So therefore we have to receive the knowledge in the disciplic succession of ācārya. That is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Rājarṣayaḥ. This knowledge, they were understood by the rājarṣi. Rājarṣi means king; at the same time, saintly person. Not the king and robber, dasyu-dharma, imply exacting taxes, "Come on, give me tax, and you go to hell." That is not king. That is not government. It is government's duty to make... The government should be Kṛṣṇa conscious, and it is government's duty to see that everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious—you say "Kṛṣṇa" or "God"; it doesn't matter. If you think that "Let the people go to hell. It doesn't matter. Bring taxes and let us enjoy, and you go to hell..." It is very horrible condition.

Lecture -- Vrndavana, March 14, 1974:

When you understand Kṛṣṇa in that way, then, if you follow the footsteps of the ācāryas, śrī-rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti, then you'll be able to understand what is the loving affairs between Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. Don't try to understand all of a sudden like ordinary boy and girl making their loving affairs. Then you'll fall down.

Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

Our Indian spiritual life is guided by the ācāryas, sampradāya ācārya, the Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī and Nimbārka. There is... Whole Indian spiritual culture is dependent on the guidance of these ācārya. And in the Bhagavad-gītā also, in the Thirteenth Chapter, it is advised, ācārya upāsanam: "One should follow the instruction of the ācārya." That is our Vedic civilization. And in the Bhagavad-gītā, also, it is said in the fourth chapter, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).

Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

So all these information we get from the Vedic scripture, just like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Upaniṣad, like that. And we follow the instruction. That is good for human society. Human society, if they do not follow the footprints of great ācāryas, great saintly persons, then there will be trouble. And that is happening actually. In the Bhagavad-gītā, when Kṛṣṇa was..., Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was talking, so Arjuna presented the after-effects of war, that women will be widows and their, they will not be able to keep their character, and then adharma, irreligious principles, will begin.

Lecture on Science of Krsna -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975:

So actually, all the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Nimbārka, and Viṣṇu Svāmī, there is no difference of opinion, but they have explained the Absolute Truth more vividly in their own angle of vision. Otherwise there is no difference. They never say that God and the living being are one. They will never say that. That is not Vaiṣṇava philosophy. That is Māyāvāda philosophy. So the propounder of Māyāvāda philosophy is Śaṅkarācārya and other Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī, practically they are all one opinion. There is no, they differ from Śaṅkarācārya.

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

This thing we have to understand, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He is accepted. Arjuna heard from Kṛṣṇa about Himself, and he says... He agreed, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). So He is accepted by the direct disciple, Arjuna; He is accepted by Vyāsadeva; He is accepted by Nārada Muni; and recently, within two thousand years, He is accepted by all the ācāryas of India-Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī; and lately, five hundred years ago, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So there is no doubt about Kṛṣṇa's becoming the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is confirmed, ete cāṁśa kalāḥ puṁsāṁ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: (SB 1.3.28) "The original Personality of Godhead-Kṛṣṇa." Similarly, in the Upaniṣad, in the Vedas, and Brahma-saṁhitā, if you take evidence from the śāstras, everywhere you will find, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. In the Brahma-saṁhitā, which is supposed to be written by Lord Brahmā, he says in the beginning,

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

So from sastric evidences, from authentic evidences, from the ācāryas, from Bhagavad-gītā itself—everywhere you will find the confirmation, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is that yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). It is not difficult. You simply take up the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā and try to preach, yāre dekha tāre. Whomever you meet. You may remain as a businessman, you may remain whatever you are, you remain a family head, but instruct this advice of Kṛṣṇa-yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This is our mission.

Lecture Excerpt -- Vrndavana, December 6, 1975:

Parātma-niṣṭhām. This sannyāsa life means simply devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no other business. We have got, according to our varṇāśrama system, varṇa and āśrama: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and āśrama, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. As we were discussing, viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam. The whole system is how to approach the lotus feet of Viṣṇu. So this is the last ceremonial performance. Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām. Parātma-niṣṭhām, Viṣṇu, to keep firm faith in Him. So it is not a new thing. Pūrvatamair upāsitāṁ mahadbhiḥ. Before us there were so many exalted ācāryas-Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, and, in our line, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So our process is to follow the predecessor ācārya. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). That is the way. So although you are young men—there are many difficulties to keep sannyāsa—but if you keep faith, full faith in Kṛṣṇa, the māyā will not be able to touch you. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Māyā is very strong, but if we-mām eva ye prapadyante—if we keep ourself fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, māyā will not be able to counteract this process.

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 25, 1975:

Through śāstra and guru we have to understand. So Kṛṣṇa is accepted by all the sādhus and ācāryas. Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—all of them accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So ācārya means one who has learned, taken knowledge from the śāstra, authoritative śāstra, Vedas. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended, ācāryopāsanam. If you want real knowledge, then you must take knowledge from the ācāryas or the ācārya-paramparā. Then there is knowledge. Otherwise it is ignorance.

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa appeared as Caitanya Mahāprabhu to teach us practically how to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness and how to deliver persons from the pāpa-yoni. Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a ācārya of the Gauḍīya sampradāya, he says in his song, śrī-nanda-nandana yei, nanda-suta haila yei, śacī-suta haila sei. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He appeared as the son of mother Śacī. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, "The same Personality of Godhead who appeared as the son of Mahārāja Nanda," nanda-suta haila yei, śacī-suta haila sei, "He has now appeared as the son of mother Śacī." And balarāma haila nitāi: "And the same Balarāma has appeared as Nityānanda prabhu." Now, what is Their business?

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:

So if we want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then we must increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, and by that process we can understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Then our door to go back to home, back to Godhead is clear. The conclusion is, therefore, that we should take to the bhakti process as it is enunciated in authoritative śāstra, by Kṛṣṇa, by the ācāryas. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is the way, only, for our perfection of life.

Excerpt of Speech at Fire Yajna with South Indian Brahmanas -- Hyderabad, August 16, 1976:

So my request is that India, especially South India... South India is the place for all the ācāryas. South India is the place of Rāmānujācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī. And we Gauḍīya, Mādhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya... Caitanya Mahāprabhu belongs to the Mādhavendra Purī sampradāya. Mādhavendra Purī belonged to the Madhva sampradāya; therefore our sampradāya is known as Brahmā Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya. So the purpose of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to establish this brahminical culture. Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. It is lost, but we are trying to revive it. There is good sign. Not only good sign, there is prediction by the authorities, by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He has predicted that all over the world, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126): As many villages and towns are there on the surface of the globe, this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement would be spread. So my request is that let us join together, not only in India but all over the world. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order is, kṛṣṇa bhajanati nāhi jāti-kulādi-vicāra. In the matter of executing devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, there is no such distinction wherefrom this man is coming, wherefrom this man is coming. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Even they are coming from the pāpa-yoni, it doesn't matter if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness-te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. This philosophy should be followed. I especially request the ācāryas, the brāhmaṇas of South India, to take up this cause very seriously. It is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Please do not make any distinction between European Vaiṣṇava, American Vaiṣṇava and Indian Vaiṣṇava. That is my request. And let us combine together and spread this auspicious movement. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's desire.

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

Ladies and Gentlemen, the President, I am very much thankful to you that you are eager to hear about what Kṛṣṇa wants to speak. Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All ācāryas-Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu, Nimbārka, and latest, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and before that, other ācāryas like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, and before that, the original ācārya, Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva—everyone accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are searching after whether there is God or there is no God. If there is God, what is the nature? What is the form? Whether He is person or imperson? There are so many questions. And to solve all these questions, the God Himself descends and speaks about Himself, and that speaking is this Bhagavad-gītā. God is speaking about Himself personally, personally present. So you can know Him, you can see Him, what He is, what is His function. Just to mitigate all our doubts, God is present here. And Kṛṣṇa says in the beginning of the Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā how you can understand God without any doubt and in complete. That is spoken by God Himself.

Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 21, 1977:

So we should always remember song of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He is ācārya. He's guru. Ācāryopāsanam. Ācārya upāsanā is one of the process of making progress. So this song is very important.

hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu

manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā

jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu

(aside:) Explain. (break) In the material world everyone is suffering. There is no exception, either rich man or poor man, learned or fool—everyone. This is the place for suffering. And if we take this place of suffering as comfortable, that is our ignorance.

Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977:

"Anyone who is a devotee, he is great, and who is not devotee, he may declare himself as great, but he is the most fallen." In the devotional service there is no such distinction as jāti and kula. So if you follow—the example is there in your country, Rāmānanda Rāya—then wherever you are, you are exalted. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he has also said—he is ācārya-gṛhe vā vanete thāke hā gaurāṅga bale ḍāke narottama māge tāra saṅga: "It doesn't matter whether he is a gṛhastha or he's a sannyāsī." Vanete means vānaprastha, sannyāsī. "Wherever he may be, if he's actually a perfect devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, I want his association. Never mind." Gṛhe vā vanete thāke hā gaurāṅga bale ḍāke narottama māge tāra saṅga.

Evening Address to Pandas and Scholars -- Jagannatha Puri, January 26, 1977:

Kṛṣṇa says personally in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ..., te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim (BG 9.32). So there is ample śāstra-pramāṇa, approved by the ācāryas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu converted many Pathans into Vaiṣṇava, changed their name. So things are going according to śāstra and mahājana. Why you should not receive them as Vaiṣṇava and give them proper reception? That is my request. I hope... There are many learned scholars and devotees present here. They should endeavor to remove this, I mean to say, restriction or short-sightedness, and let us combinedly work for Jagannātha to preach the bhakti cult for the benefit of the whole world.

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

So far our Vedic religion is concerned, the propounder of the Vedic religions in India still existing, still continuing, the ācāryas, just like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, these ācāryas... The followers, the whole Hindu community or the whole Indian nation, they are followers of these ācāryas. Jarāsandha: "One must worship the principle of ācārya." Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who has accepted ācārya, he knows what is knowledge." Ācāryavan puruso veda. In this way all the ācāryas, they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So far the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas are concerned, namely, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, they would naturally, because they are Vaiṣṇavas...

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

So this is the verdict of all ācāryas. So our point is that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nothing like manufactured religious principle. No. It is authorized. There is great background, all these, supported by all the ācāryas and summarized by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And we have got immense literature to support this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But anyone who is reasonable, they will accept this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness as very simple. And it is actually very simple, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. And if you cannot surrender immediately, then... These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given you the easiest process, that you simply chant Kṛṣṇa's name, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Then everything automatically will develop.

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

Prabhupāda: Madhva... Not Madhvācārya directly. By his disciplic succession.

Guest: Yes. But Madhva was not a incarnation of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no, no. A ācārya does not require to become incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Not always all the ācāryas are incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. No. They are devotees. They are devotees.

Guest: Yes. That means Caitanya was incarnation of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: But was a disciple of someone who was not incarnation.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: He might say the same thing about us.

Prabhupāda: No. He cannot say the same thing about us. We accept Kṛṣṇa, not blindly. Our predecessors, our ācāryas, our learned scholars, they have accepted. So we are not blind. Rather, he cannot say anything. As soon as he says chance, that means he has no knowledge. We don't say chance. We have got an original cause. But he says chance; therefore he has no knowledge.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: He says that "Ours is the responsibility of accepting a precious heritage of values, accumulated by the continuous human community at great cost in effort and suffering, and to expand, conserve, transmit, and rectify these values bequeathed to us." In other words, he says that we must take the lessons of history and build upon them in order to transmit these values and preserve them.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are doing that. We are taking from the history of forty millions of years ago and transmitting it by guru-paramparā, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). Accepted by great authorities like Vyāsa, Nārada, Devala, five thousand years, Arjuna, and later on the great ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya. Lately, five hundred years ago, Lord Caitanya. And we are following Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is historical fact. It is not imagination. It is, to think like that, is imaginative. Kṛṣṇa... The Mahābhārata is there. It is accepted by all Indian authority, and Kṛṣṇa is a historical figure. How it can be imaginative? So... he may think like that, like a madman, but India's leader will not accept that. Especially the ācāryas who are controlling the spiritual life of India, they do not accept a lunatic foreigner speaking like that.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: If a man is very strong or influential or beautiful... Greatness according to our estimation. So all this greatness must be there in God. God must be the richest, God must be the strongest, God must be the most beautiful, God must be wisest. In this way, six opulences calculated, and when these opulences are in completeness, that is God. So that completeness we find in the history Kṛṣṇa. In the history of humanity it is very easy to find out that when Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, so He proved the strongest, the most influential, the most beautiful, the supreme wise—everything—supreme famous. Kṛṣṇa's fame, fame is still going on. Kṛṣṇa's knowledge, stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, is still being studied all over the world. This is the proof that He is God. And all saintly persons in India, they are not controlled by these foreign Dr. Frogs. So these big, big ācāryas, like Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Śaṅkarācārya, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all big ācāryas, they have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord. So there is complete uniformity of the authorities in the past, present and future. So here is God. If one cannot accept Him God, then he is insane. With so many evidences, and it is practical. Many evidences when Kṛṣṇa was present He showed; that is history. But these imperfect Dr. Frog, when they see God is doing something uncommon, they take it "Myth, mythology."

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: They take it as mythology. Myth.

Hayagrīva: Mythology.

Prabhupāda: Hah. Just like Kṛṣṇa is lifting the hill, that what is the difficulty for God to lift a hill if He is all-powerful? But as soon as they read it, that Kṛṣṇa is lifting hill, they will take it as mythology. So when God shows that "I am God," that is mythology, and they imagine God. That is rascaldom. When God comes and shows His godly power, they take it myth, mythology. And they imagine God according to your definition. Is that sanity? The ācāryas have described Him: "Yes. Kṛṣṇa lifted this Govardhana Hill," and they have appreciated. And they are taking as mythology. That when there is Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum ā... (BG 9.11). These rascals, when God shows His godly power, they take it mythology. Just see how much fool they are, and we are to follow these Dr. Frogs.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: The speculation is no use. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam (SB 10.14.29). This is the statement of Vedic literature. "My Lord, one who has received a little mercy and favor of Your Lordship, he can understand. Others may speculate for millions and millions of years, avacintya-tattve. Still they will remain in the fathom of inconceivable energy. There is no possibility." This is not the process. It clearly described in the Bhāgavata, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55), simply through the process of bhakti. Bhakti means śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23), hearing, chanting about Viṣṇu, always remembering Him. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). That is the process. Always glorify the Lord, and devotee's only business is to glorify. That is devotee. Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ (SB 7.9.43). A devotee's consciousness is always drowned in the ocean of the pastimes of the Supreme Lord, unlimited activities, and devotees always think of that activities. Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta, that is, means that drowned in the ocean of the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So that is transcendental bliss, and one should learn how to be always merged in the ocean of God consciousness. That training is given by the spiritual master; therefore one must have, ācāryavān puruṣo veda. One who is under the direction of ācārya, he knows everything about God.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

decision. Obviously, if men decide to do things properly, the world would be a better place.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We agree with that. We are trying to do that by introducing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to make the world Vaikuṇṭha. That is our philosophy. Anyone can come to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become happy. But that is not a blind decision. We take decision from higher authority; therefore it is perfect. We are taking decision from the ācārya, Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: That means authority. What is value. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You become Kṛṣṇa bhakta," because He is authority. The Veda says vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Veda says that "Search out Kṛṣṇa." So the authority, what the authority says, that is valuable.

Śyāmasundara: But he says not the authority. He says by the most willing people...

Prabhupāda: That we see... He's going... He's going... Veda is accept by everyone. All learned scholar. Who can decry Vedas? Only the rascals will decry Vedas. Otherwise... Just like in our country, India, all the big ācāryas, they accept Vedas as the basic principle. So who can decry? Veda says that the stool of cow is pure, and it is accepted. Everyone. All Hindus, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and the ācāryas, they accept that cow dung is pure. Why? Veda says. In another place, Veda says that "Stool of any animal is impure," but this stool is pure. So we haven't got discrimination. We accept that. Other animal stool is impure. But the cow dung, the stool of cow, we immediately accept as pure, and we apply it in our Deity room and make is purified. That is Veda. You cannot contradict . You cannot argue Vedas.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Śyāmasundara: And he says that everything should be seen in relation to that what ought to be (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is our philosophy. If it is approved and Rūpa Gosvāmī says, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ (CC Madhya 19.167), our ought to be is what is Kṛṣṇa approves or His representative approves. That is ought to be. Our standard. Otherwise it is not, not ought to be. Therefore we accept our guidance (indistint). Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Therefore Vedas say that one must approach a bona fide spiritual master, in order to be fully in knowledge. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. These are Vedic injunctions. One who has accepted a bona fide spiritual master, he knows everything. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Veda means in knowledge. So ācāryavān, one who has accepted ācārya. Therefore our principle is to follow the ācārya. In Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, ācārya upāsanam, one must worship ācārya, to go to the right knowledge. So that is our philosophy.

Philosophy Discussion on Aristotle:

Hayagrīva: Now for both Plato and Aristotle, God is known by reason, not by revelation or by religious experience, not by mystical experience...

Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. You cannot... God is unlimited. You have got limited power to see or to smell or to touch. You have got all limited, and God is unlimited. So you cannot understand God by your limited power of sensual activities. Therefore God is revelation. We say that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). You cannot understand by speculating your senses. That is not possible. When you engage yourself in His service, then He reveals. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). God says that "I am not exposed to everyone. I am covered by the yoga-māyā." That is fact. So unless God reveals Himself... So God not only reveals, He appears, and great authorities, they are searching. Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared, and great authorities like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and then the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya and Caitanya Mahāprabhu-big, big stalwart scholars and transcendentalists—they accepted Kṛṣṇa. All the śāstras accept Kṛṣṇa. Long, long years, five thousand years, when there was no philosophy in the Western world, God revealed Himself, face to face. Arjuna saw Him and he accepted Him. And similarly other great persons accepted Him. So God is not to be speculated, but by one's service, when He is pleased, He reveals Himself.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Nitai-Pada-Kamala -- Los Angeles, December 21, 1968:

Narottama boro duḥkhī. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, the ācārya, he is taking for himself that "I am very unhappy." He is representing ourselves. He is liberated, but representing ourself. "My dear Lord, I am very unhappy." Nitāi more koro sukhī: "So I am praying Lord Nityānanda to make me happy." Rākho rāṅgā caraṇera pāśa: "Please keep me in some corner of your red lotus feet." That's all... (end)

Purport to Gauranga Bolite Habe -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1968:

This song was sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great devotee-ācārya in the disciplic succession of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya. Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya means the disciplic succession who are coming down from Lord Caitanya. So this Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has written many songs, and it is recognized as a authority by all the Vaiṣṇavas. He has sung the songs in simple Bengali language, but the purport and the deep meaning of the song is very significant.

Purport to Parama Koruna -- Los Angeles, January 4, 1969:

Parama koruṇa, pahū dui jana, nitāi gauracandra. This is a song by Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, a great devotee and ācārya of the Gauḍīya-sampradāya. He is declaring that pahū dui jana. Pahū means lords. Dui jana means two. Who are the two lords? Nitai Gauracandra. One is Lord Nitāi, Nityānanda; another is Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So he says that "These two Lords are very merciful." Parama koruṇa, pahū dui jana. Parama koruṇa means very merciful. Nitai Gauracandra.

Purport to Gaurangera Duti Pada -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Gaurāṅgera saṅge-gaṇe, nitya-siddha boli māne. Anyone who has understood that the associates of Lord Caitanya, they are not ordinary conditioned souls... They are liberated souls. Nitya-siddha bole māni. There are three kinds of devotees. One is called sādhana-siddha. Sadhana-siddha means by following the regulative principles of devotional service, if one becomes perfect, he's called sādhana-siddha. Another devotee is called kṛpā-siddha. Kṛpā-siddha means even if he has not followed strictly all the regulative principle, still, by the mercy of ācārya or a devotee, or by Kṛṣṇa, he is elevated to the perfectional stage. That is specially. And another devotee is called nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means they were never contaminated. The sādhana-siddha and kṛpā-siddha was contaminated by material touch, and by following regulative principles or by the mercy or grace of some devotee and ācārya they're elevated to the perfectional state. But nitya-siddha means they were never contaminated. They're ever liberated. So all the associates of Lord Caitanya, just like Advaita Prabhu, Śrīvāsa, Gadādhara, Nityānanda, they are Viṣṇu-tattva. They are all liberated. Not only they, the Gosvāmīs... There are many others. So they are ever-liberated. So one who can understand that the associates of Lord Caitanya are ever-liberated... Nitya-siddha bale māni, sei yaya vrajendra suta-pāśa. Immediately he becomes eligible to enter into the abode of Kṛṣṇa.

Purport to the Mangalacarana Prayers -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

Vande 'ham means "I am offering my respectful obeisances." Vande. V-a-n-d-e. Vande means "offering my respectful obeisances." Aham. Aham means "I." Vande 'ham śrī-gurūn, all the gurus, or spiritual masters. The offering of respect direct to the spiritual master means offering respect to all the previous ācāryas. Gurūn means plural number. All the ācāryas, they are not different from one another. Because they are coming in the disciplic succession from the original spiritual master and they have no different views, therefore, although they are many, they are one. Vande 'ham śrī-gurūn śrī-yuta-pada-kamalam. Śrī-yuta means "with all glories, with all opulence." Pada-kamalam, "lotus feet." Offering of respect to the superior begins from the feet, and blessing begins from the head. That is the system. The disciple offers his respect by touching the lotus feet of the spiritual master, and the spiritual master blesses the disciple by touching his head. Therefore it is said, "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of all the ācāryas." Śrī-yuga-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca. Gurūn means spiritual master, and vaiṣṇavāṁś ca means all their followers, devotees of Lord.

Purport to Gauranga Bolite Habe -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

This nice song was sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, one of the great ācāryas of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya. That is the sect of Vaisnavism started by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Gauḍīya means belonging to Bengal. There are five Gauḍa-deśa in the northern part of India, out of which, part of Bengal, West Bengal, is called Gauḍa-deśa. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's songs are very appropriate just to the conclusions of Vedic injunctions. So he sings this song, how one can rise up to the transcendental plane for associating directly with Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, what is that process.

Purport to Gauranga Bolite Habe -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

This is the first symptom that one is getting advanced in the perfectional stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka śarīre. He's expecting. Although he was a great ācārya, still, he was expecting, "When that stage will come?" The wording of the song is as follows. G-a-u-r-a-n-g-a, gaurāṅga. Bolite, b-a-l-i-t-e. Habe, h-a-b-e. Gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka, p-u-l-a-k-a. Pulaka śarīra, s-a-r-i-r. Gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka śarīra hari hari, h-a-r-i h-a-r-i. Bolite, b-a-l-i-t-e. Hari hari bolite habe, h-a-b-e. Hari hari bolite kabe. Not habe, kabe, k-a-b-e. Nayane, n-a-y-a-n-e. Ba'be, b-a-b-e, Nīra, n-e-e-r. The meaning is that there will be not only shivering as soon as I utter the name of Gaurāṅga, but there will be torrents of tears in my eyes as soon as I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. this is the explanation.

Purport to Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1969:

Svarūpa was Svarūpa Dāmodara was personal secretary of Lord Caitanya. He was always keeping with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and whatever He wanted, he immediately arranged for that. Two personal attendants, Svarūpa Dāmodara and Govinda, they were always, constantly with Lord Caitanya. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura also praying Svarūpa Dāmodara. And then the Gosvāmīs. The next disciples of Lord Caitanya were the six Gosvāmīs: Śrī Rūpa, Śrī Sanātana, Śrī Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī, and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. These six Gosvāmīs were directly instructed by Lord Caitanya for spreading this movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is praying also their mercy. And after the six Gosvāmīs, the next ācārya was Śrīnivāsa Ācārya. So he's also praying Śrīnivāsa Ācārya.

Actually, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura was in the disciplic succession after Śrīnivāsa Ācārya. Or almost he was contemporary. And his personal friend was Rāmacandra, Rāmacandra Cakravartī. So he is praying that "I always desire the company of Rāmacandra." Devotee's company. The whole process is that we should always be praying mercy of the superior ācāryas. And we should keep company with pure devotee. Then it will be easier for us to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to receive the mercy of Lord Caitanya and Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is the sum and substance of this song sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. (end)

Purport to Hari Hari Biphale -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

...biphale janama goṅāinu. This is a song sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a very stalwart ācārya in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya, disciplic succession. He has sung many songs, important songs, and his songs are accepted as Vedic conclusion. (break) ...very authoritative songs. So he says, praying to Lord Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Lord," hari hari, "I have simply spoiled my life." Hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu. Why you have spoiled your life? He says, manuṣya-janama pāiyā, "I got this human form of life," rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, "but I did not care to worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I have spoiled my life." And how it is? It is exactly like one takes poison knowingly. If somebody takes poison unknowingly, there is excuse, but if somebody takes poison knowingly, it is suicidal. So he says that "I have committed suicide simply by not worshiping Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in this human form of life."