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At the time of death (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"At the time of your death" |"Till the time of death" |"all the time that up to the death" |"all the time, that up to the death" |"at the time of (death" |"at the time of Ajamila's death" |"at the time of Bhisma's death" |"at the time of death" |"at the time of her death" |"at the time of his death" |"at the time of my death" |"at the time of the death" |"in due course, time, the death will come" |"in the natural time of death" |"the time of death" |"time will come, death"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 16, 1971:

The animals, they cannot take nice instruction. They do not know that the soul is, they are spirit soul. They are not this body. They do not know. So this is called illusion. I am accepting this body as self. I am accepting my father or my son... "Here is my son." What is that? "This body." Now, when the son is dead, he is crying, "My son is gone. My son is gone. Oh, my son, were you have gone?" Well, why you are crying? Here is your son. Here is your son, lying on the floor. Why you are crying that "My son is gone, gone, gone"? "No, no, no. My son is gone." This is illusion. He was all along illusioned to accept this body as his son. But at the time of death, he can understand that "The body was not my son. The son was a different thing which was within the body." So this is conditional life. Everyone is thinking, "I am this body." Everyone is committing mistake. Illusion and mistake.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

Hṛdayānanda: (break) ...you could explain something of what the scientists are always talking about, mutation and variation, and how one species evolves from another species.

Prabhupāda: By the mind, intelligence and ego. At the time of death, you think of what you have done all through your life. So the mental situation at the time of death will carry you to the different form of life as your mental situation. We do not see the mind, intelligence, although we say that "I have got mind. You have got mind. You have got intelligence. I have got intelligence." So but we do not see it. It is very subtle thing. But after the destruction of this gross body, the subtle body carries me to another gross body. we have got practical experience.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

So many things we have forgotten, but that does not mean the trouble was not there. Just like in our childhood so many things happened. We might have forgotten, but that does not mean the trouble was not there. The trouble was there. Similarly, at the time of death, the trouble, or the miserable condition, is so acute that we have to give up this body. Sometimes when man becomes very much upset, he commits suicide. He cuts his own throat. Why? He cannot live in this body. Similarly, I, you, every one of us, we have the trouble at the time of death, at the time of birth. Birth and death. We are living entities, we are living soul. Birth and death takes place of this body. The body takes birth and the body is vanquished. Death means sleeping for seven months. That's all. That is death.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was first discussed before Mahārāja Parīkṣit. King Parīkṣit, the emperor of this planet, he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa to die within seven days. He was very wrongly cursed, but still, Parīkṣit Mahārāja tolerated. He could counteract such curse, but he did not do it. He took this opportunity of retiring from active life and prepare for death. So he had only seven days to die. And because he was king, all the great sages and kings in all parts of the world, they came to see him, and the problem was what to do at the time of death. So many people suggested many things—not ordinary people, many great sages, brāhmaṇas—"Mahārāja you do this. You do that." Later on it was suggested, on arrival of Śukadeva Gosvāmī in that meeting... So all the sages decided that "Śukadeva Gosvāmī has recently learned from his father, Vyāsadeva, about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam."

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Actually, prakṛti, nature, is pulling us according to our desire, or according to our... The desire is contamination, the mental contamination. And we are creating different types of body. So our real suffering is the transmigration from one body to another. That we do not know. There is no scientist... But it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to accept. And that is explained in other places, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). As you are creating the situation... In the Bhagava d-gītā it is also stated, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of your death, the situation which you have created, it will carry you. Because mind is there. Mind is subtle. Intelligence is subtle. That mind, intelligence and ego. The subtle body is there. The gross body is lost. But the subtle body will take you to another gross body. It will take to the womb of another mother. And according to your karma, the mother's..., by the mother's help you will get a body, and duly you will come out and begin your work. This is nature's process. It is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

Generally, people go to accept a guru for some material benefit, for cheap āśīrvāda, so that he can become more opulent in this material world. But that is not śreya. These things will be finished. These things will be finished with your body, and body is sure to be finished. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I am the death, and I take away everything at the death, at the time of your... " Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham. You make all asset. You make good bank balance, skyscraper building, good family, everything, but everything will be taken away at the time of death. Then another chapter. Then you do not know what chapter begins. That will depend on your karma. The same thing, contamination. As you have made your mental condition, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6), you will get..., nature will give a similar body. This is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

The subtle body is mind, intelligence and ego. So if we think of Kṛṣṇa in the mind, always, and if we work intelligently for Kṛṣṇa, that is mind and intelligence. And if we change our false ego, ego means, "I am." So I am at the present moment thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am white," "I am black," like that. "I am human being," "I am animal," "I am cat or dog," so many things, "I am." This "I am" has to be changed. I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. In this way, if you educate or transfer the activities of the subtle body, mind, intelligence, and ego, then, at the time of death, you give up this subtle body, material subtle body, mind, intelligence, and ego, and by your spiritual body you go back to home, back to Godhead. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Gross body, automatically we give up. Now, we should practice to give up the subtle body. To give up this subtle body, one has to develop love for God, prema. And the process is, how to give up the subtle body.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

Every moment there is danger. It is not very peaceful living at the present moment. We are running, we are flying in the sky, we are... We do not say that this should be stopped, neither it can be stopped, but you do everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that even danger takes place, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6), you can at least remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. Then your life is successful. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6), Kṛṣṇa says. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi. At the time of death our remembrance to a certain thing gives me next body. If I think like a dog, then I become next life a dog, and if I think like a god, then I, next life I become god. That is the test at the time of death.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

So unless you practice, how you can remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death? Therefore, Saṁrāj Kulaśekhara, the great emperor devotee, he is praying to Kṛṣṇa,

kṛṣṇa tvadīya-pada-paṅkaja-pañjarāntam
adyaiva viśatu me mānasa-rāja-haṁsaḥ
prāṇa-prayāṇa-samaye kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ
kaṇṭhāvarodhana-vidhau smaraṇaṁ kutas te
(MM 33)

"My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, now I am healthy. I am thinking rightly. Kindly give me immediately death, and I can be entangled with Your lotus feet tight, like the swan entangles itself with the lotus stem." You have seen, the swans take pleasure by entangling itself with the lotus stem. It goes down the water and catches the stem and binds itself. In this way, it is a sporting of the swan.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness means somehow or other try to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). Then your life is successful. Just like Ajāmila. Ajāmila, he was a great sinner—we shall one day describe about Ajāmila's life—but at the time of death, out of his affection for his youngest son, whose name was Nārāyaṇa, he thrice called "Nārāyaṇa! Nārāyaṇa!" But the original Nārāyaṇa took notice of it: "Oh, this man is calling Nārāyaṇa." Immediately sent His personal assistant to take him back to home, back to Godhead. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). Somehow or other.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

The other day I was giving example in Berkeley. We were sitting within the room, and next to our window there was a tree standing. That is also living entity. We are also living entity. Just a yard from our room the tree is standing, but he has got so many disadvantage. He cannot move an inch. There is severe cold, there is scorching heat, there is blast, there is wind and sunshine, but he has no power to move. And we are human being. We are in a comfortable room. Why these different changes of condition, although the tree is also living being and I am also living being? Who has made this condition? But we have no knowledge. So I may get that condition next life. Then what is the value of my education? Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Because at the time of death, the, your mentality, my mentality, will decide what kind of body I am going to get. That is under the laws of nature. You cannot dictate that "Give me this American life or Indian life." No.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:

But you may be very intelligent to trick with God, but God is still more intelligent to, I mean to say, cut down all your tricks, and He must put you into death. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). That you cannot avoid. If you, you say there is no God, God will come at the time of your death. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu; he did not believe in God. God came, "Yes, here is God, you see now what is God."

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

We have already discussed on this point that the spirit is eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) "Even after the destruction of this body, the consciousness is not destroyed." That continues. Rather, consciousness transferred to another type of body makes me again alive to the material conception of life. And that is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death, if our consciousness is pure, then it is sure that next life is not material. Next life's pure spiritual life. But if our consciousness is not pure at the point of the verge of death, just leaving this body, then we have to take again this material body. That is the process going on by nature's law.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:

So that is the standard of highest perfection. If you do not die, if you do not take birth... If you know what are the miserable conditions of birth, to remain within the womb of the mother... Not only to remain. Nowadays, modern advanced civilization, they are being killed by the mother. Not only abortion, but they are being killed. Now the Western world is very familiar with these things. So just imagine. First of all, you have to remain within the mother's womb, head down, packed-up condition. You cannot move, ten months. And that is also not secure. Even within the... Now this is the... Within the mother's womb you are not secure. At any moment the doctor may advise that "Kill the child." So these are the miserable condition of birth, but we do not remember them. We have to know it from the śāstra. So similarly, at the time of death, coma and... Nowadays it is a very common disease. For seven days or fifteen days he's unconscious, crying.

Lecture on SB 1.3.15 -- Los Angeles, September 20, 1972:

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore sings that "Don't be carried away by the waves of māyā. Now you have got intelligence. You try to understand that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and do the needful. Then get out of this māyā's webs." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, giving the right information, that "If you do not want to be carried away by the waves of this māyā, material nature, then take to this consciousness so that at the time of your death you will change this body to Kṛṣṇa planet, Kṛṣṇa, Goloka Vṛndāvana." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa is not making lying propaganda. He has no business.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he was not a fool. He was a learned king. So all the great sages and saintly persons assembled there. He asked them, "My dear sirs, you are so kind that you have come here at the time of my death. So kindly let me know what is my duty at the present moment." So there were different kinds of authorities. Different kinds of authorities means some were in favor of fruitive activities, karma-kāṇḍa, pious activities; some were in favor of yoga principles; some were in favor of philosophical speculation; and some were in favor of devotional service of bhakti.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:

So it is not a permanent settlement that once we have got this human form of body we cannot glide down. We can glide down. Bhagavad-gītā says: yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death the mental position will give you another body of the same type as you are mentally absorbed at that time. So therefore we have to prepare, we have to prepare ourselves so that at the time of death we may... Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). At the time of death we can once think of Kṛṣṇa. Then our life is successful. It is said in Bengali that bhajana kara sādhana kara matijanle haya.(?) What is that? That whatever spiritual advancement you are doing, that's all right. The test will be at the time of your death. Examination. That is the point of examination. What is the mental state at that time. Difficult job.

Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

So Kṛṣṇa can give you liberation from this distressful, miserable condition of material existence and give you transcendental pleasure. Therefore His another name is Mukunda. So mukunda-sevī. Sevī means one, he's engaged in the service of Mukunda, or Kṛṣṇa, Śrīdhara Svāmī says that mukunda-sevī vā jana kadācit kathañcana kujanim gato 'pi saṁsiddhin na vrajet.(?) Even a Mukunda-sevī, by chance... There is chance. Every... Just like Bharata Mahārāja. He began Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but by chance he, at the time of death, he was too much affectionate with a deer cub and he become a deer in the next life. So although it is degraded life, still, he did not forget that "For this reason I have become now deer." So he was very cautious.

Lecture on SB 1.5.33 -- Vrndavana, August 14, 1974:

This is within the blood of every Indian that if I cheat you or if I take some money from you without your benefit, without repayment, then I will have to suffer. Still in India they believe this. There are some incidences that a man, father took some loan from some gentleman and his father died, and his son came to pay the money to the creditor: "Sir, my father took so much money from you. Now my father died without payment. So I have got money, you kindly take it." He says, "Let me see my book whether your father took it." So he said, "All right, consult." So after consulting the books, he said, "I don't find any item that I gave loan to your father." "No, sir, I know, my father said at the time of death that 'I owe so much money to that gentleman, I could not pay; you pay it.'" So the trouble was the man says "I don't find any debit to your father's name. How can I take your money?" And he is insisting, "Yes, my father took money from you, kindly take." This was India.

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

So here it is said yadā mṛdhe kaurava-sṛñjayānām. In the fight all the parties who died, they all obtained vīra-gatim. And most of them they achieved svarūpa. That is described in a different place. Svarūpa means his original, spiritual form. All the soldiers or the kings who died, and at the time of death who were seeing Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa was there in the battlefield—all of them achieved their original, spiritual form. Svarūpam. And those who did not see Kṛṣṇa, they got promoted vīra-gatim, in the heavenly planet. So fight is not always bad. If it is dharma-yuddha, according to the prescribed rules, not whimsical fight, dharma-yuddha, then there is gain. This science is lost. There is no such thing. Now fighting means hooliganism, vandalism, guṇḍā-ism. That is not fight. Here is fight: vīra-gatim gate. They are all promoted.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

So that is the distinction between an advanced devotee and ordinary man. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Death means changing of the body. So there is nothing to be very much afraid of, but one is afraid of death because at the time of death the tribulation, the miserable condition of the body is very, very severe—so much severe that one cannot remain. He has to give up this body. Just like sometimes out of disappointment, too much suffering, one commits suicide—death. So death means very, very painful, as much as birth is also very, very painful.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

So this is the movement how to make an adhīra dhīra. Everyone is adhīra. Who is not afraid of death? Who is not afraid of...? Of course, they are too much agnostic, they forget. But there is suffering. We can see how one suffering at the time of death. There are some men dying... Nowadays it has become a very common... Coma. One is lying in the bed for weeks, two weeks, crying. The life is not going. Those who are very, very sinful. So there is great pain at the time of death. There is great pain at the time of birth, and there is pain when you are diseased, and there are so many pains when you're old. The body is not strong. We suffer in so many ways, especially rheumatism and indigestion. Then blood pressure, headache, so many things. Therefore one should be trained up how to become dhīra. These things, disturbances, make us adhīra, and we should be trained up to dhīra. That is spiritual education.

Lecture on SB 1.7.22 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1976:

They are thinking, "We are very happy," but this material world means continuously suffering. So one living entity is dying, and his gross body is left and the subtle body, mind, intelligence, ego, carrying him in another body through the semina of the father to the womb of the mother. Then it is placed, and the body again forms, and when the body is formed, then he comes out. And within the womb of the mother there is so much suffering, we know that. Many times we have discussed. And coming, from the very moment the child is crying, there is inconveniences. So many things he cannot express. In this way, within the womb there is suffering, out of the womb there is suffering. Then growing, child or baby or boy, there are so many sufferings. Then young man—suppose he becomes family man—then earn for the family. That is also suffering. Then old man, disease, inability, many, many thoughts, that is also suffering. And again death is suffering. At the time of death nobody knows what will happen.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Mayapura, October 15, 1974:

So real purpose of life is ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante... (BG 8.6). If at the time of death you can remember, you can memorize Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Smaraṇa. So it has to be practiced.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974:

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). These rascals, they do not know that human life is meant for pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Kuntīdevī therefore requested Kṛṣṇa, sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi. We are, I mean to say, bounded here by the material energy in so-called sneha-pāśa, society, friendship and love. People do not want to leave this material world. Even at the time of death... I have seen so many persons. That is natural. The old man is dying, and he is thinking that "So many of my business remained unfinished." So he calls his dear son, "My dear son, if, if you... You take charge of the family, and so many things I could not finish, you do it." You see? He does not know where he is going.

Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Los Angeles, May 10, 1973:

Every account. Therefore the Deity worship is recommended—why? If somebody comes, consciously or unconsciously, and offers obeisances, he gets immediately credit certi..., credit note, yes. Immediately. In this way, when the credit notes are so much, oh, it is a big amount. It is a big amount. Then he can purchase Kṛṣṇa. This is bhakti. Even... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even little of it can save you from the greatest danger. Bhakti is so nice. Svalpam api. Just like Ajāmila. Ajāmila, he was the greatest sinful person. But at the time of death, he uttered "Nārāyaṇa," and he was protected by Kṛṣṇa. Immediately Nārāyaṇa's soldiers came and protected him from the Yamarāja's soldiers. Ajāmila uddhāra.

Lecture on SB 1.9.40 -- New York, May 22, 1973:

Generally in India for young girls, the guardians are the father, the husband, the brother, all male members they forbid, "Where you are going? Where you are...?" Nobody cares. No love for so-called children, no love for home, no love for brother, father or no respect. Kṛṣṇa. That is gopīs' super-excellence. So that is being explained, and Bhīṣmadeva, at the point of his death, he is relishing. These are to be learned. Unless we are practiced to think of Kṛṣṇa always, how at the time of death we can think of Him?

Lecture on SB 1.9.40 -- New York, May 22, 1973:

Therefore Kulaśekhara says:

kṛṣṇa tvādiya-padapaṅkaja-pañjarāntam
adyaiva me viśsatu mānasa-rāja-haṁsaḥ
prāṇa-prayāṇa-samaye kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ
kaṇṭhāvarodhana-vidhau smaraṇaṁ kutas te
(MM 33)

Mahārāja Kulaśekhara king, a great devotee, is praying to Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, this is the opportune time. Now I am healthy. I am quite in good health so let me die immediately, thinking of You, because my whole purpose is to think of You, of Your pastimes, at the time of death. So generally, at the time of death, kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ, the whole system becomes disarranged. There are coughing, there are headache, there is some pain, this is general system. Sometimes they are so intolerable that the man who is going to die, he cries. The system within the body is so complicated that at any time it can be disarranged, and it becomes a great source of pain. So, at the time of death means, the arrangement becomes so dangerously painful, that one leaves this body, "No more." This is death.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

Everyone... Because died seeing Kṛṣṇa in presence in the battlefield. Either this party or that party, it doesn't matter. Everyone died seeing Kṛṣṇa. so they were all liberated. It is not an ordinary thing, that in the presence of... We have to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He's personally present. Anyone is dying, he's seeing Kṛṣṇa. So what is the question of liberation? Everyone is liberated.

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

So when one comes out of this gross ignorance, how to get out of this bhava-sāgara... Just like if you are thrown into the water of sea, you may be very expert swimmer, but you don't like to remain there. You want to come out. Similarly, although we may be very expert in changing our body, but still, at the time of death, we don't like it. Nobody likes to die. But he... Nobody thinks how to stop this death. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). By the destruction of this body, the soul is not dead. It is living. So this is called self-realization. One must be sober to think over that "If I am eternal, if I do not die after the destruction of this body, and I do not like to die, how to stop it?" This is intelligence, how to stop the repetition of birth and death.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

So these are actually knowledge. People are after something false. That is called māyā. Māyā means which is not actually fact, but we are after that. Similarly, this so-called advancement of civilization is māyā. It will be finished at any second, but they do not know. They do not know. It will be finished at any second. Even though we accept it, all right, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham: (BG 10.34) "I am the death, and I take away everything at the time of death." Either you take as a philosopher, scientist or rich man, capitalist, as soon as there is death... Just like you see, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was very powerful, and as soon as Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared, everything finished. Now he is dying. You see? So people do not understand it, that without Kṛṣṇa, without God, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply we are wasting our time, that's all, after false things. Everything will be useless.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

So God will appear. Don't forget that you will be godless. You will see God, and death, at that time, after seeing, you will be finished, no more understanding. That is... Kṛṣṇa says, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraḥ... When you will be taken away, everything, all your possession, all your scientific knowledge, bank balance, skyscraper, everything will be taken away, then you will understand what is God, like Hiraṇyakaśipu. So why don't you try to understand before that moment comes? Live so very nicely, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and see Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity, and eat nicely, live nicely. "No, that is not possible. We shall see at the time of death when everything will be finished. All intelligence, all good food, everything will be finished." So therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, kṛṣṇa yei bhaje se baḍa catura. Unless one is first-class intelligent, he cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The last class fools and rogues, they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.15.32 -- Los Angeles, December 10, 1973:

So everyone should take care that after all, we have to give up this body, estate, and whatever we possess, we have to give up. So after giving up, what is next? We have to give up. That is a fact. If you don't give it up now, at the time of death you must give it up, everything. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). You may try to keep in possession whatever you have got, but at the time of death you have to give it up. By force it will be taken away. Everyone should think like that. That is soberness. One who is thinking that "My family, my nation, my society, my bank balance, my skyscraper building, my motorcars—these will save me," that is not possible. That is not possible. That is the conclusion of the foolish person.

Lecture on SB 1.15.32 -- Los Angeles, December 10, 1973:

So if you become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means no more material desire. That's all. Only Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. So long you will have a pinch of material desire, you will have to take birth. According to your desire, Kṛṣṇa will give you facility. Why there are so many types of body, eight million? Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). We are making our next body by thinking of something. We have got so many thoughts, material thoughts. So at the time of death, when that thought is prominent, then I get the next moment a body like that. So if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa only, then you get a body where by which you can go to Kṛṣṇa. You can go to Kṛṣṇa. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9). It is very scientific and very practical.

Lecture on SB 1.15.41 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1973:

So it appears that Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira knew how to practice the yoga. Not only Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, practically any high-class man, especially the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas, every one of them knew this practice, yoga practice. So at the time of death they could utilize, how to give up this body. That is perfection of yoga. The yogis, they can give up the life or give this, relinquish this body, according to his own desire, not compelled by the material condition. That is yoga system. Generally, a man dies under the obligation of material laws. But a yogi, he controls in such a way that he leaves the body...

Lecture on SB 1.15.49 -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1973:

This is the science. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find. "At the time of death, as you are thinking, you will be carried to such body." This is the example. Just like this Bharata Mahārāja, such an exalted person, he had to become a deer. But because he was spiritually advanced, although he became a deer, he was living with the saintly persons. Where saintly persons were sitting, he was sitting down there. He was eating the flowers and leaves which the saintly persons left after worship. In this way, he had to wait for one life, and the next life, he became a son of a nice brāhmaṇa. So because he was remembering this different birth, he became very grave and silent. He was not talking with anyone. So it is very dangerous to contaminate. So he was known as Jaḍa Bharata. This story you will find the the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 1.15.49 -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1973:

So just try to understand that death is there. You have to die. You may declare yourself, "I am very dependent. I don't care for God or anyone," but God will not excuse you. You have to die. You will see God in the form of death. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu, he is seeing. Prahlāda says, "My dear father, why don't you accept God?" "Who is God? I don't care for your God. You rascal boy, you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." So God... The atheist may declare like that, "There is no God," but he will see God as death. That is compulsory. There is no excuse. So at the time of death, the mentality which you have created by practice, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitāḥ (BG 8.6), will act. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is simply educating people so that at the time of death one can remember Kṛṣṇa. That's all. This simple... And if he is fortunate enough to do this, immediately he is transferred to the Kṛṣṇaloka. Immediately, within a second. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9).

Lecture on SB 1.15.49 -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1973:

But that practice may be successful for one or two persons. Generally, it is not successful. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhakti-yoga system, is so easy and perfect that if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa, and if you become perfect as to think of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, then immediately you are transferred to the Kṛṣṇaloka. Or any loka you like. Not only Kṛṣṇaloka, any loka. If you desire to go to heavenly planet, to Brahmā planet, to Satyaloka, Maharloka, Janaloka... Many thousands and millions of planets are there. Or even if you want to go beyond this material world, to the Vaikuṇṭha planet, Kṛṣṇa planet, Goloka planet, you can go there. This is the science. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). People... Just like they are very much anxious to go to the moon planet.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. As you have infected yourself with a particular type of modes of nature, you will get a body. That's all. If you have infected to get the body of a dog, you must be infected. People who are keeping dog, that means he is being infected by the germs of dog. Next life he will become a dog. He is infected. What he will think at the time of death? If he has got a beloved dog, he will think of... Somebody... In your country, they bequeath great, I mean to say, wealth, for the dog. That means at the time of death, at the time of death he is thinking of his beloved dog. So he must be a dog. So all his wealth goes to the dog and he goes to become a dog. This science is unknown to the rascals.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

At the time of death, your position of the mind will create the next body. This is the science. So if you create your the position of the mind, Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you will get a body like Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "Why you shall love dog and cats? Love God, Kṛṣṇa, and you get the next body like Kṛṣṇa." Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how to think of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. Then your life is successful.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

So that has to be practiced. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). If you always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, that means you remember Kṛṣṇa always. So there is chance, ninety-nine percent chance, that at the time of your death you will think of Kṛṣṇa and your life is successful. Very simple method. Make always your mind absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. Naturally at the time of death you will think of Kṛṣṇa. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām iti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Such person, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, who knows Kṛṣṇa... If you think of Kṛṣṇa, naturally you know of Kṛṣṇa. You know of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. So if you think of Kṛṣṇa, then gradually you become Kṛṣṇized.

Lecture on SB 1.16.7 -- Los Angeles, January 4, 1974:

That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Ajāmila upākhyāna, Ajāmila. Ajāmila was a great sinful man. So at the time of death, somehow or other, he remembered Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa. So he was very fond of his youngest child, and the Yamarāja, not directly, by sending his men, Yamadūta... So they are very fierceful. So at the time of death this Ajāmila saw fierceful creatures, very odd-looking. So he was very much afraid, "Who are they?" So he thought, because he was very much affectionate to his youngest child... So his name was Nārāyaṇa. He called him, "Nārāyaṇa, please come here. I am very much afraid." But just see the power of chanting the name of Nārāyaṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Hawaii, January 19, 1974:

Just like the steps, like this. So this step is secure, the another step, when you feel it is secure, then you get up, get up this step. This is our practical experience. Similarly, unless our next birth is fixed up, we do not leave this body. At the time of death, by superior authority, what body I'm going to take next, that has to be decided. Then, when it is decided, if he takes little... Because that is for the most sinful person. And for the devotee, it is already decided. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9)— immediately transferred to the spiritual world. Immediately.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:

So this is the bhakti process, chanting and hearing. So chanting, hearing, or questioning and answering, the same thing. So when Parīkṣit Mahārāja was perplexed what to do at the time of death, so many great sages and saintly persons, brāhmaṇas, they came there. Because the king is going to die. So not only of this planet, from other planets also, many, many exalted persons came. Somebody prescribed something, somebody prescribed something. So he was perplexed. Fortunately, Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī arrived there, and he advised, "Mahārāja, you simply hear harer nāma, the name, the form, the quality, the pastimes. About Kṛṣṇa, you simply hear."

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:

So we should be very much careful of our next birth. Because... Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). This is the verdict of Kṛṣṇa. At the time of death, whatever thought is there, you get next birth a similar body. The mind, mind creates the body, gross body. As we have got this gross body, so within this gross body there is the subtle body: mind, intelligence and ego. These rascals, they do not know that when the gross body is annihilated, it does not mean that the soul is finished. No.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Paris, June 9, 1974:

So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is a question and answer. The beginning, the... This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, first of all it was narrated by Vyāsadeva, and it was heard by his son, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Then Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrated this Bhāgavatam to Parīkṣit Mahārāja at the time of his death. And from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the Sūta Gosvāmī heard. This is the paramparā. (aside:) Not yet. This is the paramparā. Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa millions of years ago to the sun-god. Imaṁ vivasvate, proktavān avyayam. Imaṁ vivasvate proktam, vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. This is the paramparā system.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-2 -- New York, April 19, 1973:

If you very strictly adhere to the principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then māyā will not be able to touch you. That is the only remedy. Otherwise māyā is always looking after the opportunity, loophole, how she can capture you again. But if you remain strictly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, māyā will not be able to do anything. Mām eva ye prapadyante. Daivī hy eṣa guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā. It is very difficult to get out of the clutches of māyā. It is very difficult. But Kṛṣṇa says, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: (BG 7.14) if one is strictly adhering to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, always... Therefore our, this program is twenty-four hours thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Satatam. Satataṁ cintayo kṛṣṇa. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). These are the recommended. So if we simply think of Kṛṣṇa... If you cannot do anything, simply think of Him. That is the highest meditational perfection. So always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, be in touch with Kṛṣṇa in so many ways, then you are secure. Māyā will not be able to touch you. And if we can somehow or other pass our days and at the time of death we remember Kṛṣṇa, then the whole life is successful.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Melbourne, June 26, 1974:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī was young boy, but paramahaṁsa. So he was received in that big assembly as the great personality of knowledge. Even his father Vyāsadeva was present. So everyone stood up. His father also stood up to receive him, he was such a great personality. And then he was given nice seat, as is the custom, to give advice to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: "What was my duty?" But Parīkṣit Mahārāja was, from the beginning of his life, was a devotee himself, a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And he inquired, "Whether I shall devote or I shall absorb my mind with Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Because he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Many people gathered. They gave different advices: "Mahārāja, you do this at the time of death," and "Do that," "Do this." So there were many big, big persons. He was perplexed. But he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa from the very beginning of his life, and thus he inquired, "Whether it is better to absorb the mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" This was his question.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

Because there are various examples. Just like Ajāmila. He was very sinful man in his life, but at the time of death, he called for his son, whose name was Nārāyaṇa. So as soon as he called his son, Nārāyaṇa, immediately he remembered the Supreme Personality of Godhead and he was liberated. Even from his sinful life. There are many examples. And Bhagavad-gītā also confirms. We have to accept this Vedic literature; otherwise we cannot make progress. Our process, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, our process is to accept the Vedic version. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We don't make any adulteration or alteration or addition. No. We accept, as it is. That is our process. And if you accept, then our time is saved and we can make progress very quickly.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is supposed to be liberated soul from the beginning of his life. That is a long story. He was sixteen years within his mother's womb. Anyway, he's accepted as a liberated soul. But still, he's attracted by the activities of the narration of the activities of the Lord, and he says that, idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma purāṇam, nairguṇya-sthā ramante sma guṇānukathane hareḥ. Idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma. This Bhāgavata, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, brahma-sammitam... Brahma-sammitam. So "I heard it from my father, Dvaipāyana." Vyāsadeva, he composed this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and he found his son, Śukadeva Gosvāmī... He had many other sons, but this son, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, because he thought that "This body is liberated," so he taught him about the lessons of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and this is the first time... Because śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. He heard it from his father, Dvaipayana, and he is now narrating, kīrtanam. He got the chance of narrating Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam at the time of death of Parīkṣit Mahārāja.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:

Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is reminding that... And they... Of course at the end of life, at the time of death, one must do it, but not only at the end of life. One must practice from the beginning of life. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja said, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). This prescription given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī:

tasmād bhārata sarvātmā
bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca
smartavyaś cecchatābhayam
(SB 2.1.5)

This is bhāgavata-dharma. This is bhāgavata-dharma, everything in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dharma means bhāgavata-dharma. Otherwise that is not dharma.

Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). At the time of death, if you can remember Nārāyaṇa-Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa, the same thing—then your life is successful, whatever you do. In Bengal there is a proverb, it is called bhajana kara sādhana kara murte janle hoya.(?) Means you may be very big stalwart spiritualist or yogis, or there are so many big, big things, so whatever you do, that is all right. Because they say that "Everything is leading to the Supreme, this way or that way." That has been described here, sāṅkhya-yoga, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga or dhyāna-yoga. So many things they have manufactured, that's all right. And you say that "Whatever path we may follow, ultimately we go to the same goal." That is very nice, provided if you actually go to the same goal. Otherwise, it is misleading. That is describe here, that never mind. You say that "Whatever path one may take, it leads to the same goal." We accept it. That is described here. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). Whatever you have done may be very good, but at the time of death, if you forget Nārāyaṇa, then it's all useless, all useless.

Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

Because that is the point, at the time of death what is your mentality. At that time, if your mentality is Nārāyaṇa, then it is successful. You will be transferred to the spiritual world and be associates with the Nārāyaṇa. You get the complete perfection. But at the time of death, if you think of your dog, then you go to become a dog. Finished. All your sāṅkhya-yoga and philosophy and yoga practice—all go to hell. You become a dog. That is wanted. So unless you practice... If... That is the point, that one has to remember Nārāyaṇa at the time of death. Then why not directly practice? This is practice. The Deity is there, the form of Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa, is there. If you always be engaged in Lord Kṛṣṇa's service, you have got the impression of Kṛṣṇa always within your heart. And if you continue it some way or other, then your life is successful. Otherwise big, big talks, nose pressing and keeping the head down, and... You can do that, waste your time in that way. But whether it is guaranteed that at the time of your death you shall remember Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa? That is wanted. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). The Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, the authority says.

Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

Because after all, you are spirit soul. You are entangled with these twenty-four elements. So your real business is how to get out of it. That is wanted. Suppose if you are a diseased fellow, or you analyze the disease. Just like in the, what is called, pathology. It is called pathology. The doctor examine your blood and he finds out, "This is infection, that is infection, this is this, this is this." That's all right. But simply by understanding the blood analysis, pathology, does not mean it is cured. The cure is different. Similarly, these sāṅkhya-yogī philosophers, they may analyze very critically. Even they can count the atoms which is composing this whole material atmosphere. But that does not mean you have understood the original force which has created all these things. That is discussed here. Etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyām. So you become a very big scientist, very big physicist, chemist. That is all right. But you must know how to remember Nārāyaṇa at the time of your death.

Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

So this is the point. So you are trying to understand the whole analytical study of the material world. That is very good. But if you do not know how to remember Nārāyaṇa at the time of death, then you are going to be cats and dogs. That's all. Because you are very fond of dog. Especially in the Western countries, every gentleman, every lady has a dog. So what will you think at the time of death? Dog. So that is nature's law. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā. At the time of death, the mental condition which you have created, that will carry you to the next body. Therefore don't create your mind doggish. Make it Kṛṣṇa conscious. And that is very nice. Then at the time of death you remember Kṛṣṇa and you will be transferred to the Kṛṣṇaloka. That is described: etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyām. Therefore it is advised, "Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. Practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will save you." Otherwise... Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām. Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām ante.

Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

That is described here. Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām. You must make a cultural institution where people may take education how to remember Nārāyaṇa at the time of death. That is required. Otherwise useless. What is the value? You waste your so much time to construct a very nice house, but at the time of death, you could not remember Nārāyaṇa. You remember your very nice friend, dog. Then what is the value? What is the value? They do not understand this, that there is life after death. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: (BG 2.13) "As you are changing your body from childhood to boyhood, boyhood..." It is very simple philosophy. The rascal will not understand. I am changing my body.

Lecture on SB 2.1.6 -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

Therefore our movement is to revive this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). So it is very important movement. Those who are very intelligent, they can take to it. Or you become intelligent or not intelligent, but know, at least, unless one is pious, he cannot take to this movement. But somehow or other, if you take this movement, then your this valuable life is successful. Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām. It is not cats' and dogs' life. It is human form of... Utilize it properly. Properly means to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, not dog conscious, cat conscious or this conscious or... No. These will not help you. Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then you will be able to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death and your this valuable life is properly utilized. Janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ puṁsām. You have got very nice valuable body, but it will be properly utilized if you learn how to remember Nārāyaṇa at the time of death.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

The consciousness is there. Therefore we have to purify our consciousness. Instead of dog consciousness we have to make it God consciousness. That will be our perfection of life. Otherwise, the consciousness which you carry at the time of your death, you get a similar body. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and we may think of in a varied way. That is the technique of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. At the time of, if we keep our Kṛṣṇa consciousness intact, that is our perfection of life. Otherwise we do not know what is my next life. The example is given just like air is passing. Air is very subtle matter. If it is passing on the rose flower, the flavor is carried in other place also, rose scent. And if the air is passing on the stool, the scent or the bad smell of the stool is carried to the other place. Similarly, if you make your consciousness rosy, then your next life is rose flavor. (laughs) And if you make your consciousness stool, then your next life is condemned.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

Suppose we are executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and some of our students are going away. So that is called bhraṣṭa, fallen. They could not continue. So one who could not continue by his ill luck, he is also not loser because he is... That slight Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help him to get another human form of body. That is guaranteed. Ordinary men, they do not know what kind of body they are going to get. They're in darkness. But it will be decided at the time of his death according to the mentality. God is so kind, whatever you want, He is giving you. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).

Lecture on SB 2.3.10 -- Los Angeles, May 28, 1972:

There are three classes of men, human beings. Not with hands and legs. Actually human being, those who know what is the purpose of life. The purpose of life, the first basic principle of our life, is that we have come here, in this material world, for becoming master, lording it over the material nature. Although we cannot do it, that is our desire. They are called sarva-kāmaḥ. There is no limit of desires. Anyone, you find out ordinarily, in this world, you ask him, "What is your ultimate desire?" There is no limit. Therefore he's called sarva-kāmaḥ. Pralayāntam upāśritam. Till the time of death, there is desire. A dying man, he is also desiring. I have seen it practically.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

Because the Bhāgavata, the topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata was due to Parīkṣit Mahārāja being cursed by the brāhmaṇa boy. So at the time of his death he wanted to know from the great sages what was his duty at the time of death, and it was decided that he should hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. That was the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata teaching. Therefore I was talking of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, little introduction. That is stated in our First Canto Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You must read it. In the first part it is stated what was the cause of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam teaching. The beginning was at the time of death of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. So we should take the place of Mahārāja Parīkṣit that he was given time, seven days, and he prepared himself, by learning Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, for the next life. But we have no even notice when we shall die; therefore we should always read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and prepare for the next life. That is the business of elevated consciousness. We should not waste our time by reading or by, I mean to say, mixing our consciousness with so many rubbish things.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Los Angeles, June 13, 1972:

We have discussed in the previous verse that we are decreasing the span of life. The scientists will say, "No, we are making arrangement so that by science we shall make man immortal." Vikatate(?). When a man becomes mad, he speaks so many nonsense. Like a child. A child also speaks so many nonsense things, and the parents enjoy it. Similarly, the so-called scientist, when he says that "By scientific method, we shall stop death," so there is no evidence in the history of the human society that a man has not died. That cannot be. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was also atheist and materialistic. He also tried to become immortal. And he made a plan, negative plan, to cheat Lord Brahmā that "I shall not die in this way, in this way, in that way, in this way, in that way." But still he was killed. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa says that "I am death, and at the time of death I take away everything." Sarva-haraś ca. So we cannot cheat God or His law.

Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

So if we can cleanse our heart during this life ... This is that opportunity. It is not possible ... When I take birth as an animal, cats and dogs, that is not possible. But as I have got now this human form of body, we should not be again misled. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni ... (CC Antya 20.12). If we can cleanse our heart, then this blazing fire of repetition of birth and death can be extinguished. But the illusory energy is so strong that we forget our last death-time miseries. At the time of death we suffer very much, so that ... Just imagine, when we give up our life, how much difficult position at that time. So we forget. Birth and death. As soon as there is birth, there is death also. Death means ... The more you are advancing in age, that means you're dying. You are advancing in death. The child is born ... "When this child is born?" "Just yesterday." That means he has already died one day. So in this way death is progressing. As soon as there is birth, the death is there immediately, side by side.

Lecture on SB 2.9.10 -- Tokyo, April 26, 1972:

How much, I mean to say, fortunate we are, those who have taken shelter of this Vedic literature. We get all information. Is there any doubt? So why should we take so much trouble? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, take information, be prepared, and at the time of death, think of Kṛṣṇa. Immediately transferred within a second. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Within a second, transferred. Because spirit soul is finer than the mind. So mind can be transferred immediately within a second millions of miles away. So how much speed is there for spirit soul, you can imagine. Mind, you can immediately... You are sitting here. Immediately you can transfer mind, Bombay. You are seeing. The kīrtana is going on. It is practical.

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

So we are laughing that "President Nixon is in trouble. I am very safe. I have got so much bank balance." No, nobody's safe. They... As like the same, cow dung soft. When it will be dried up, it will be put into the fire. And that dryness will come to everyone. That is a fact. What is that? Death. You may be safe at the present, for a few years, but you cannot avoid death. "As sure as death." And what is the result of death? The same. As the president is taken out from his position, everything, all honor, all money all..., even life, similarly, at the time of death Kṛṣṇa says, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham: "I come as death and plunder everything, whatever you have got." Your bank balance, your skyscraper building, your nice wife, your children—you have to give up. You cannot say, "My dear death, kindly give me some time. Let me adjust." "No adjustment. Immediately get out."

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

So this family life is attraction. Gṛha-kṣetra, then suta, children. Then āpta, relatives. In this way, janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), he becomes entangled in this material life. But that is moha. That is not fact. It is moha in this sense because we have to change this body. In this body I have created something, gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ, and at the time of death, as Kṛṣṇa says, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham. Kṛṣṇa takes away everything as death. Your gṛha, your house, your land, your wife, your children, your friend, your reputation—everything is taken away. And then you have to begin another life. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You are not dead. You are living eternally. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This body is finished, you have to accept another body.

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:

The śāstra always says that "Don't work in such a way that you have to accept again body after death." That is, that is your business. Not that to accumulate crores and rupees and make a very good bank balance and skyscraper house and three or dozens of motorcars. They are struggling, forgetting this. But foolish people, they do not know that Kṛṣṇa will take away all these assets at the time of death. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ mṛtyuḥ: "I am death, and I will take away everything, what you have possessed." The foolish persons, they do not understand it. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He possessed. So much so powerful that even the demigods were afraid of him. And Kṛṣṇa took away everything in a second by..., simply by the nails.

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:

Now, as much we are attached to our property, to our family, to our country, to our money, to our business, so many things we have got attachments... Here it is said, prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam. These attachments means we are entangled, hands and legs tied up. The "tied up" means because our mind is full and absorbed in these material activities, so at the time of death we have to give up this body and accept another. So long our mind will be absorbed, the consciousness will be absorbed in materialistic way of life, we have to accept another body. Kṛṣṇa will give chance. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). We do not know that our real business is not to accept another material body. That we do not know. We are so fool.

Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974:

Consciousness will go with us. At the time of death the consciousness carries me to another body. Sūkṣma, the fine, or the subtle body, the mind, intelligence, and ego, but we do not see that mind, intelligence, ego. And the soul, it is still finer. Mind is, we know you have got mind, you know I have got mind but you do not see. I know you have got intelligence, you know I have got intelligence but you can not see. But how the mind, intelligence carry the soul to another body, how you can see? We see that this gross body is stopped, we say it is everything finished, because we have got gross intelligence, we have no sūkṣma, in Therefore we have to approach guru, just like Arjuna approached guru.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

So bhayaṁ tīvram. We have become so much dull or foolish that we do not know what is bhayaṁ tīvram. Tīvram means very fierce, and bhayam, fierce fearfulness, very strong. And we are entangled in this very strong fearfulness, but we have become so dull by the spell of māyā that we don't care for it. Just imagine. At the time of death there are so many troubles, very fierceful. Sometimes a person is dying, he is attacked with coma, and he is lying unconscious. Big, big politicians, "Mr. such and such," prime minister, and this and that, but he is lying unconscious in coma for seven days. And we do not know, but he is going very fierceful test. He is dreaming so many things that sometimes he is crying. He cannot express. Especially those who are very sinful, they die in that way.

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

Just like here, we are puruṣa. This birth I am puruṣa, next birth I may become stri or prakṛti. If I am too much fond of woman, and at the time of death, if I think of woman, then I get a woman's body. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajanty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Therefore too much attachment for woman is not good, because, or too much attachment for anything in this material world, that is doomed. Therefore, here it is said, hṛdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Hṛdaya-granthi-bhedanam, my attachment, my heart attraction is so strong, it is like granthi, knot. So ātma-darśanam means hṛdaya-granthi-bhedanam, opening the knot.

Lecture on SB 3.26.32 -- Bombay, January 9, 1975:

Sound is actually spiritual, the Vedic sound om, oṁkāra. Oṁkārāsmi sarva-vedeṣu. So Vedic sound begins: om. So that is a sound. So if we capture that sound and make further progress, śabdād anāvṛtti... In the Vedānta-sūtra it is there, anāvṛtti, no more repetition of birth and death, oṁkāra. If one can chant oṁkāra at the time of death, immediately transferred to the spiritual world, impersonal spiritual effulgence. But if you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you go to the spiritual planet. These are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Anta-kāle, at the time of death, if you can capture this sound, oṁkāra or Hare Kṛṣṇa... If you capture oṁkāra, then you are transferred to the spiritual sky. As it is said, the sky. Śabdāt... Śabda-mātram abhūt tasmān nabhaḥ. Nabha is sky. So there is a point wherefrom the sky, the material sky, begins and there is spiritual sky. The sky is spiritual wherefrom the śabda is resounded. Because there is sky, therefore there is sound. Because there is sound, therefore the instrument of hearing sound, the ear, is there.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

So one important thing, that "The statement in the Bhagavad-gītā that the mental situation at the time of death is the basis of the next birth is also corroborated in this verse." Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Generally, with our these material eyes, material senses, gross vision, we do not see how a person dying and he is being transformed to another body. The gross material scientists, scholars, because they cannot see with the eyes, they do not believe in, that there is soul and soul transmigrates from one body to another. Big, big scientists, big, big scholars, they do not believe. They think that life is nothing but a mixture of these material elements and at a time the vitality is finished; therefore everything is finished. But that is not the fact.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

So mind is the basic principle of another form of body. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is training the mind how to remain Kṛṣṇa conscious at the time of death, because Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam (BG 8.6). Therefore in Bengali poetry there is a saying, bhajan kara sādhan kara mate janle haya,(?) means "You are doing everything in spiritual life, but everything will be examined at the time of death. How you have practiced your bhajana, sādhana, this will be examined at the time of death." If at the time of death you remember Kṛṣṇa, that will be the examination. We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, training the mind. So at the time of death, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, then your examination is passed. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam (BG 8.6). That kṛṣṇa-bhāva immediately will carry you to the Kṛṣṇaloka.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

So I am transformed to one body to another by mind, intelligence and ego. That has to be trained, mind. If you train up your mind where to go... We decide even in this life. We first of all decide in the mind, "Where I shall go?" We purchase ticket. We make arrangement. Similarly, the mind should be trained up how to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is called bhajana-sādhana, to train up the mind. If the mind becomes disturbed at the time of death, then... Even Bharata Mahārāja, such an exalted person, he became very much affectionate with a deer calf, and he had to take birth as a deer. Such an exalted person, so much advanced in spiritual life, but at the time... Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam (BG 8.6). He was absorbed in the thought of the small deer whom he loved very much, so he had to take the body of a deer.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

So at the time of death, if you can maintain this bhāva, Kṛṣṇa conscious bhāva... The bhāva is the perfection. Bhāva is attained after much practice of devotional service. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ, athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Āsakti, when there is āsakti, attraction, attraction... Now, recently I have received one letter. One boy, he was engaged in worshiping the Deity in our Hyderabad center, and he was transferred to Madras. So he became madlike. He has come back. He could not stay there without serving. He has written me letter. So that is bhāva. He cannot stay without worshiping the Deity. That stage comes. You have to simply adopt it.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

Anartha means we are accustomed to this material condition of life, so many anarthas. Just like there are so many people, they are going to the cinema in the evening. But those who have attained bhāva, his anartha nivṛtti is already done. He is not attracted any more by the cinema. He is attracted, bhāva, in the worship of the Deity. That is called bhāva. That bhāva means prema. Only thinking of Kṛṣṇa, serving Kṛṣṇa, simply busy in Kṛṣṇa's service—that is the perfection of life. And if we can maintain that bhāva, that situation, mentality, then yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6), and at the time of death, if that bhāva is maintained, that is saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ. That is the highest perfection of life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

So take this opportunity, human life. Don't miss. You may be very proud of your intelligence, but this intelligence is not very good intelligence if you are devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you are a mūḍha. If, by your intelligence, you learn how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and worship Him with bhāva, that is real intelligence. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). And if you try to become intelligent, some tricks, material trick, to get some money or cheat others, that is not very good intelligence. These cats and dogs that... They have also such intelligence. How to steal food from the room, the cat knows very well. So that is not intelligence. That intelligence can be found, even birds, beasts, everywhere. Real intelligence is how to regain your Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be promoted to the stage of bhāva, and at the time of death maintain that bhāva, and then your life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9).

Lecture on SB 3.26.45 -- Bombay, January 20, 1975:

But while Kṛṣṇa was coming to kill him with that broken piece of wheel, that was very pleasing to him, Bhīṣma. At that time Bhīṣma was piercing with sharpened arrow the body of Kṛṣṇa. So He was pleasing, He was feeling very pleasure, being pierced by the arrow of Bhīṣma. So bhakti transaction, there are many kinds of bhakti transaction. And at the time of Bhīṣma's death he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa: in His fighting spirit He was coming to kill him. That is in Bhīṣma's prayer. There is in the Bhāgavata. He was not thinking of Kṛṣṇa with flute. He was thinking of Kṛṣṇa with the broken chariot wheel and was coming to kill him. That form was very pleasing to him.

Lecture on SB 3.26.46 -- Bombay, January 21, 1975:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to turn the consciousness. Everyone is thinking in a different way, consciousness. We are just trying to transfer their consciousness into Kṛṣṇa. Then he will be happy. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). If we practice like that, then we become eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram. We have to give up this body. But if we give up this body, at the time of death, if we can think of Kṛṣṇa, it is very difficult, but if we practice it... Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. Sadā means always. If we practice this simple method: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma..., then it is possible. So where is the difficulty? Where is the loss? If we ask you to do something, if you think there will be loss, you may reject it. But if there is no loss and the gain is that you get Kṛṣṇa, then why don't you do it? Such is our, what is called, bigotry, "No, we shall not chant. We shall not do this." This is our misfortune.

Lecture on SB 3.28.17 -- Nairobi, October 26, 1975:

So if you don't worship Kṛṣṇa during your lifetime, then you have to worship at the time of your death, and He will take away all your possession. Therefore He is worshipable by everyone, devotee and nondevotee. The devotee take advantage of this life and worship Him, and the rascal, fools, demons, they are forced to worship Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. Therefore it is called sarva-loka-namaskṛtam. You have to worship Him. You cannot escape, you rascal. If you escape, then the time will come—He will take you, He'll take everything, all your possession, and the nature will give you the body of a dog. Just go on, barking, for so many years. This is the law of nature. You cannot stop it. It is not possible. You better take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and worship as sane man, as nice gentleman. Then your life is successful.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

You are seeking after happiness, but your happiness is being checked. You have made very good arrangement for enjoying life, happiness, but it is being checked. You have to die. You make all nice arrangement, but you have to die. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Aham. Kṛṣṇa says that "Those persons who do not want Me, or persons who do not like to understand God, they will see God, Me." When? "At the time of death," as Hiraṇyakaśipu saw. He challenged always God. His son was devotee, and that was the misunderstanding between the father and the son...(break)

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

So at the end he saw Hiraṇyakaśipu Hiraṇyakaṣipu saw Nṛsiṁhadeva. Immediately finished everything. So that is the case of everyone, that one has to meet death. And at the time of death, whatever arrangement he has made for so-called happiness will be taken away. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham. Then he will be offered another body. It may be a human body or he may be a dog's body or hog's body, and we have to accept it.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:

Guru means one who can deliver me from this duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Māyā... We are in the duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), but under the influence of māyā we are thinking we are living very very happily, or we not trying to solve the question. No. This kind of solution will not help you, because you have to die. Whatever you make solution, Kṛṣṇa says, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). If you don't agree to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, "All right, make your arrangement. But at the time of death I shall come and take away everything whatever you have got." Mrtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham. Then your bank balance, your skyscraper building, your country, your family, your good name—everything will be taken away. And you have to accept another body, tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Now whatever assessment we're given in this life, everything will be taken away, and we'll be forced to accept one body which you cannot deny.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

I am existing in a different body, and I have to pass through many different bodies. So this is also dehāntara-prāptiḥ, changing the body. So similarly after death we shall change the body. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ means to accept another body. Now as I have already said, there are 8,400,000 forms of bodies. So we have to accept one of them at the time of death on the basis of our mental condition. So if we are accustomed to the beastly mentality like dogs and hog, then naturally we are going to get such body. But if we practice during this life, human form of life, while we are intelligent enough, godly life, then you are going back to home, back to Godhead. It is up to us to decide whether we are going to the dogly life or Godly life, that is our choice. According to the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva, he says that this human form of life is a chance to practice Godly life and go back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

Guṇa-saṅga. As we are associating, infecting the different types of material modes of nature, the body is ready immediately. Everything is explained. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death everything will be, I mean to say, the atmosphere of our death. So, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. If you have acted like devas or bhaktas, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: (BG 4.9) you can immediately transfer to the spiritual world, go to Kṛṣṇa, go to Vaikuṇṭha. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). If you are thinking of some demigods whom you are worshiping, you can go there. Bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. If you think of Kṛṣṇa, then you go immediately. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Everything is there.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

We are constantly, repeatedly changing body, transmigration of the soul. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). That means we are accepting death. Death means change of the, final change of the body. When this body is no more useful to continue, then by nature another body is offered. At the time of death, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6)—we create a mental situation. We have got two kinds of bodies—subtle body and gross body. This gross body is made of five gross material elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether. And the subtle body is made of mind, intelligence and ego. When we sleep, the gross body does not work but the subtle body works. We dream therefore. So the... At the time of death this gross body is finished, but the subtle body—mind, intelligence and ego—will carry me to another gross body. It will enter into the womb of another mother, and she will create another similar body like the mother, and when it is complete, then it will come out.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended that what is the actual benefit of this human form of life? To develop our dormant love for God. That is wanted, not to accumulate money. Nothing will go with us. Everything will remain. The bank balance will remain in the bank, and we have to go, and there will be fight amongst the claimants. So that will be created. But nothing will go with you. Simply your consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, will help you. At the time of death, if you remember Kṛṣṇa... Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Some way or other, if you remember at the time of death Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. So it doesn't matter whether you remain outside home or inside home, what is your occupation, but do not forget your real business. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:

Acyutānanda: Why at the time of death, the name of God does not come to (indistinct)?

Prabhupāda: Because you are not practiced. You practice to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, at the time of death it will come. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). That is advised. You practice it and you'll remember. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. If you practice twenty-four hours, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, then at the time you'll chant Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, there is no possibility. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). So we have to practice. That is natural. If you always think of something, at the time of death you will think like that. So if you think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ nama... Therefore Kṛṣṇa adv..., mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.65). You simply add up these four principles, always think of Me, you become My devotee, and offer obeisances unto Me, man-manā bhava mad, mad-yājī, worship Me. You do these four things then mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.65), without any doubt you are coming to Me.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:

A mind is occupied always with something. Just practice to occupy the mind with Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Where is the difficulty? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namas... Everything is there. You practice it. Don't (indistinct). Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor (SB 9.4.18). Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was a great emperor of this world, but his mind was fixed up on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padaravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. When you talk, you will talk about Kṛṣṇa only. You practice. You always see, you see Kṛṣṇa's picture, Kṛṣṇa's Deity. You hear Kṛṣṇa's topics, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In, in this way engage all your senses. Your seeing power, your hearing power, your talking power, your eating power, your sleeping power. Everything, if you make Kṛṣṇa conscious, then generally or automatically, you'll remember at the time of death Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you remember Kṛṣṇa, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6), then your life is perfect. There is no difficulty. Simply you have to practice. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). Don't allow your mind to go astray, then everything is all right.

Lecture on SB 5.5.4 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1976:

So this is the recommendation, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute-vikarma (SB 5.5.4). They are mad after sense gratification and doing everything nonsense which is forbidden in the śāstra. You know, those who are too much after fulfilling desires, they even kill his own men. He'll kill his own child. Because the mother desiring that "I have become pregnant. It is botheration. It will check my sense gratification. Kill." Vikarma. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). He doesn't see that what will be the result of it. Vikarma. Karma, vikarma, akarma. Karma means prescribed duties, according... Just like law. "You keep to the right," this is law. And as soon as you keep to the wrong side, left, it is vikarma. This is karma and vikarma. But for sense-gratification we execute vikarma. So therefore we are implicating and we are preparing for the next life. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram: (BG 8.6) at the time of death these desires become prominent. Even without desire we get so many ideas and dream at night. So at the time of death, on account of our vikarma, we shall create a situation, and the next life we get a similar body. That's all. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute. Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam.

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Nowadays it is going on, killing the child within the womb. Even you cannot come out. Before your coming out from the womb of your mother, you might be killed by your very mother or father. Because that movement is going on, abortion. So either you are in a womb of a very rich mother or a poor mother or in the womb of a black mother or white mother or a learned mother or foolish mother, the pains of staying within the mother is the same. It is not that because you are in the womb of a rich mother, therefore there will be no pain of living within the womb. The same pain. So janma. Then again, as soon as you accept some material body, you will have to suffer the bodily pains and pleasure. Then, at the time of death, the same painful condition.

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu also does not deviate from kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, what to speak of others. And those rascals who are deviating from the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, how he can become guru? They are interpreting in a different way, how they can become guru? That is not guru. We should simply remember this fact, whether this person is speaking the same thing as Kṛṣṇa says, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, as Rāmānujācārya says, even Śaṅkarācārya.

He, superficially he might have said something which is not understandable, but he also followed the same thing, bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha. But due to unfavorable time, he had to say about impersonal feature. But ultimately he said, bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindam, bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha mate. You rascal, you just worship Govindam. And this jugglery of words, grammatical jugglery, will not help you at the time of death. Nahi nahi rakṣati dukṛn-karaṇe(?). If you misinterpret that "With this grammatical addition or grammatical alteration this meaning can be derived." No. That is mal-interpretation.

Lecture on SB 5.5.24 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1976:

Because in sleeping you also dream, so what we do during daytime we dream at night. So if one is cent percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, naturally he'll dream also at night. I have seen one of our intimate relative. He was a businessman, selling cloth. So in dream also he was quoting price of cloth. So that is natural. That is not unnatural. Therefore we have to practice. At the time of death, somehow or other, if we quote the price of Kṛṣṇa, then our life are successful. Therefore we should practice: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). If we practice Kṛṣṇa, then naturally it is expected that at the time of death we remember Kṛṣṇa. Then immediately we are transferred to the Kṛṣṇaloka, immediately. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Immediately. There is no doubt about it. Simple thing, but it requires practice.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

So what to do at the time of death? One has to change. Death means change of this body. The modern civilization, they do not know it. That is the first understanding of spiritual knowledge, that we change our body. I am spirit soul, every one of us, spirit soul, even the animals and the trees and plants and aquatics, any living being. There are 8,400,000 different forms of living being. Of all of them, the human form is considered the best. Best means it has got..., the human form has got developed consciousness. Developed consciousness means they can understand what is past, what is future, what is present. Especially to understand his position as spirit soul, to understand God, to understand what is His relation with God, and what he should do in that relationship—these things are understandable in the human form of life, not otherwise. We cannot invite dogs and cats to come here and hear about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. No. That is not possible. But a human being, he can hear. He can understand.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

Madhudvīṣa: At the time of death the gross body returns to the earth. Is...?

Prabhupāda: The gross body is finished. Gross body becomes ash, stool, or earth. Those who are burying the gross body, it becomes after sometimes earth. And those who are giving this body to be eaten by other animals, it becomes stool. And those who are burning this body, the body becomes ash. So gross body there are three ultimate goal: either to become ash, or stool, or earth.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

Prakṛti will take charge of you immediately. As soon as you give up this body, prakṛti will take charge. Take charge means the prakṛti will test what is the mentality at the time of your death, and he will give you a body like that, automatically. The nature's law is working so nicely, so perfectly, that everything is becoming manifest automatically. Just like fire, ah, flower. You see how beautiful flower, rose flower, is coming into existence automatically. Don't think that there is no brain. There is brain, but the brain is so perfect and instant that you are seeing that it is becoming automatically grown. No. There is brain.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

The so-called scientists and philosophers, they do not..., "Oh, death is natural. What is this? I'll have to, I'll die." But when there is warning, "Now death," there is... I have, everyone has seen that as soon as there is earthquake, they began to scream, "Oh, now I'm going to die." As soon as there is any shaking in the airplane, they begin to scream. (laughter) He's afraid of death, but he says, "Oh, that is not a problem." He has got his experience that at the time of death it is very severe punishment. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam: "You may be satisfied with your foolish idea that you are very happy, but if you are intelligent then you must always keep yourself..." The Cānakya Paṇḍita also said that those who advancing in spiritual life, they should place before him that "Here is death," just before him. And those who are karmīs, like ass, they'll always think that "I'll never die." The spiritualist always thinks that "I am dying, dying, dying, going to die next moment." And the karmīs, he should think that "I'll live forever." Otherwise he cannot work. He cannot. Unless he is put into this ignorance that he'll never die, he cannot work.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, June 8, 1975:

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī... The whole Bhāgavata is talking between the spiritual master and the disciple. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the spiritual master, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit, king, is the disciple. At the time of his death he had only seven days remaining. He was aware that only seven days remaining. So Mahārāja Parīkṣit left his kingdom and sat down on the bank of the Ganges, and fortunately his spiritual master also came.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

"My dear King, one cannot get rid of the reaction of one's sinful activities unless he undergoes the counter-affecting means." In every scripture, there is a process of atonement. Just like in Christian religion, at the time of death, if somebody admits that "I have committed this kind of sin," it is supposed that he is forgiven. Similarly, in Muslim scripture there is also similar injunction, and in Hindu scripture there are many such injunctions. And as far as possible, they are followed by different followers. So the same thing is confirmed here: "My dear King, if somebody does not atone for his sinful activities..." Sinful activities function in three ways. Here it is stated. What is that? Mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ. Mana-ukta-pāṇibhiḥ: by mind, by activities of the mind, and by activities of our words, and by activities of our senses. And if I hurt you by harsh word, then that is also a sin. And when actually commit violence or do something with my hands or legs or something, that is certainly sinful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

Anyone who is in this material world, he may be Brahmā or a small, insignificant ant, it is to be understood that he's sinful. It doesn't matter whether he is Brahmā or an insignificant ant. Everyone has got a different type of body according to the desires of sinful activities. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death the situation of mental situation, according to that mental situation he gets the next body. How? The example is: just like air passing over a nice rose garden. The air is carrying the flavor of the rose garden. And if the air is passing through some filthy place, stool, urine, then it carries the smell of stool and urine. The air is pure, but according to the blowing of the air under certain situation, it is carrying the flavor or smell, a bad smell or good smell. Similarly, we spirit souls, we are all parts and parcel of the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

Guest (1): Your Divine Grace, you talked about when one was dead if he's completely Kṛṣṇa consciousness or is ready to take death and is in exact mindfulness of this state, how, how do you process to a right moment unless one is helped at the last minute of death?(?)

Prabhupāda: Yes, somehow or other, at the time of your death if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your life is successful. Ante nārāyaṇa smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). But if you do not practice while you're conscious, then it is very difficult to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death.

Guest (1): Would you possibly say that the moment of death, the last thought which is...

Prabhupāda: At the time of death, somehow or other, if you are fortunate enough to remember Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. I shall describe this instance in these discourses, Ajamila, how he became delivered. So the real purpose is ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ: at the time of death we may be able to think of Kṛṣṇa. Then life is successful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 and Room Conversation -- Bombay, November 15, 1970:

Śrīdhāra Svāmī says, "Simply a little attraction for Kṛṣṇa, not full knowledge even, simply a little attraction, can purify one from all sinful reaction."

atra codāharantīmam
itihāsaṁ purātanam
dūtānāṁ viṣṇu-yamayoḥ
saṁvādas taṁ nibodha me

Now he again says that "Those who are attracted to devotional service of Kṛṣṇa even to a very little extent, for them," na te yamaṁ pāśa-bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān svapne 'pi paśyanti hi cīrṇa-niṣkṛtāḥ, "they do not even dream the Yamarāja or his constables." Because at the time of death those who are very sinful, they are taken away to Yamarāja's place... That's a fact. Not only that, he even in dream does not see them because that little service to Kṛṣṇa has made him freed from all sinful contamination. (Hindi) The very word is used, cīrṇa-niṣkṛtāḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

Somehow or other, we surrender to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So here it is stressed, sakṛt. Sakṛt means "only once." So if so much profit is there simply once thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then we can imagine, those who are always engaged in thinking of Kṛṣṇa by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, what is their position. They are very safe. So much so that it is said, na te yamaṁ pāśa-bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān svapne 'pi paśyanti. Svapna means dreaming. Dreaming is false. To see the Yamadūtas, or the carriers of order of Yamarāja, superintendent of death, to see face to face... At the time of death, when one very sinful man is dying, he sees the Yamarāja or the order carriers of Yamarāja. They are very fierce looking. Sometimes the man on the deathbed becomes very much fearful, cries, "Save me, save me." This also happened to Ajāmila. And that is the story we shall narrate later on. But he was saved. For his past activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he was saved. That story we shall get later on.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

We do not want to leave this place. Therefore we create nationalism, Communism, this "ism," that "ism," because we want to stay here permanently. But unfortunately nobody will be allowed to stay even if you want to stay. That is the miserable condition of material life. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). So we have to leave this place. And when we leave, then, according to our proportion of sinful or pious activities, we get next body. So those who are very, very sinful, they go to the hellish condition of life, the planets. They are down this universe. There is the kingdom of Pluto, or Yamarāja. And he comes at the time of death, and the sinful man... Is very, very fierceful, odd looking, and they come to take. So here it is said that one who has once surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, for them there is no such fear. Even in dream they will not see the order-carriers of Yamarāja.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, to do others something auspicious. That is human life. The animal life means do..., "For my good, I will do harm to many others." That is animal life. So this is not life, the human life, that for our sense gratification, we are killing so many animals, we are doing so many mischievous things, we are cheating others. We can do that, but we are becoming more and more implicated. At the time of death the Yamarāja will come and take us to the hellish condition. Therefore foolish people they want to forget that there is next life. No, there is next life. We are discussing every day. Next life is there. We are every moment getting a different body. This is the scientific study. I do not know why they cannot understand. This is biology. Biology means we are, every moment we are getting a new body. This is biology.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

So there are four āśramas for your spiritual cultivation: brahmacārī, gṛhastha... Gṛhastha is also āśrama, family. That is also āśrama. If the gṛhastha life is meant for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is all right. This is āśrama. Gṛhastha-āśrama. Then retired life, vānaprastha. Although gṛhastha-āśrama is allowed, but not the for all the time that up to the death. No. That is not allowed after fiftieth year. Twenty-five years, to fifty year, fiftieth year the young man's spirit is there, the sex power is strong, so this gṛhastha-āśrama is a concession for satisfying sex, that's all. But not more than fifty years. Then you must give up. That is the Vedic civilization.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

The family maintenance, the cats and dogs, they also do, the birds also do, but they do not do anything unnatural. The bird maintains his children, brings some fruit or something in the mouth and push into mouth of the small kiddies. That is natural. But why one should take unfair means for maintaining family? This is culture. This is culture. But nowadays they have manufactured "Necessity has no law." "I require money, somehow or other I must have it and let me adopt this means, that means." No. So evaṁ nivasatas tasya lālayānasya. Lālayānasya tat-sutān. So without understanding what is the duty of human being, because he is fallen... We should not bother for maintaining our family and children till the time of death. No.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

So we should be very serious. We should not fall down from the standard of Vedic culture. If you are actually serious about stopping this, manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. This is struggle for existence. In this material world everyone is struggling to survive. But who is surviving? That way, materialistic way of life will not help you to survive. That is prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Nature is so strong that you must die. "I am very strong." You may be very strong, that's all right. There is a, I mean to say, joking story that one man thought how to avoid death—Hiraṇyakaśipu. So he thought that the Yamarāja is the superintendent of death, he comes to take. So I shall make such policy that he may not come to me. What is that policy? "Bring some stool. I shall smear over my body, and out of bad smell he will not come." So he began to smear stool on his body at the time of death. So this is going on. They are making body very stout and strong so they will survive. Nobody will survive, sir, unless he is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:

So his living condition was cheating and stealing and forcing others to snatch away some money. This was his living condition. So he was thinking, "I am very happy. I am begetting children..." Lālayānasya tat-sutān. Every year, one children, and getting money by cheating others, and living very peacefully. But the time factor was waiting, according to one's duration of life. So when aṣṭāśīti, eighty-eight years reached, his death was imminent. Kāla. Kāla means death. So he did not know that time and tide waits for no man. When time will come, death, then all this my paraphernalia will be taken away. I am very proud of my wealth, prestigious position, family, society. Everything is all right. But what about your death? Do you think that any day death will come and it will take everything, what you possess?

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976:

Āśrama means... It is not a place for sense gratification. It is a place for advancing in Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is āśrama. So there are four āśramas for your spiritual cultivation: brahmacārī, gṛhastha... Gṛhastha is also āśrama, family. That is also āśrama. If the gṛhastha life is meant for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is all right. This is āśrama. Gṛhastha āśrama, then retired life, vānaprastha. Although gṛhastha āśrama is allowed, but not for all the time, that up to the death, no. That is not allowed. After fiftieth year... Twenty-five years to fiftieth year the young man's spirit is there, the sex power is strong, so the gṛhastha-āśrama is a concession for satisfying sex, that's all. But not more than fifty years. Then you must give up. That is the Vedic civilization. You accept gṛhastha āśrama.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976:

But if one becomes addicted to prostitute-hunting then he'll be fallen. That is the example. Then he'll become thief, rascal, cheater, drunkard, and so on, so on, so on. Why? Now, only for maintaining the family. The family maintenance, the cats and dogs, they also do, the birds also do, but they do not do anything unnatural. A bird maintains his children, brings some fruit or something in the mouth and puts into the mouth of the small kiddies. So that is natural. But why one should take unfair means for maintaining family? This is culture. This is culture. So but nowadays they have manufactured. "Necessity has no law." "I require money, so somehow or other I must have it. Let me adopt this means, that means." No. So evaṁ nivasatas tasya lālayānasya. The lālayānasya tat-sutān. So without understanding what is the duty of human being, because he is fallen, so we should not bother for maintaining our family and children till the time of death.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976:

So we should be very serious. We should not fall down from the standard of Vedic culture. If you are actually serious about stopping this... Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). This is struggle for existence. In this material world everyone is struggling to survive. But who is surviving? That way, materialistic way of life, will not help you to survive. That is... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Nature is so strong that you must die. "I am very strong." You may be very strong, that's all right, but you must. There is a, I mean to say, joking story that one man thought, "How to avoid death?" Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. So he thought that "Yamarāja is the superintendent of death. He comes to take, so I shall make such policy that he may not come to me." What is that policy? "So bring some stool. I shall smear over my body, and out of bad smell, he'll not come." So he began to smear stool on his body at the time of death. So this is going on. They are making body very stout and strong so they'll survive. Nobody will survive, sir, unless he is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Honolulu, May 24, 1976:

So this Ajāmila, on account of bad association with prostitute, he lost his character and he became thief, cheater, somehow or other being punished. So in this way, while he was maintaining his children and family, then the time of death came. That will not wait, that "I have not finished my duty, family duty. Please wait few years more." "Oh, that is not possible." So kālo... Atyagāt. Kālo atyagāt mahān rājan aṣṭāśīti āyuṣaḥ samāḥ. He became very old, eighty-eight years old, aṣṭaśīti. Aṣṭa means eight, aśīti means eighty-eight. In this way, aṣṭāśītyā āyuṣaḥ samāḥ. So at that time he had ten sons. Tasya pravayasaḥ putrāḥ. He begot so many children, number is ten. So putra, how many? Daśa, ten, ten children he had. Teṣāṁ tu yaḥ avamaḥ. Out of the ten sons, the youngest son, teṣāṁ tu yaḥ avamaḥ bālaḥ, the child, nārāyaṇaḥ nāmnā, he kept the name Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa dāsa, just like we give name to an initiate. So this is his great fortune.

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Honolulu, May 24, 1976:

So bālaḥ nārāyaṇaḥ sakṛt, pitroḥ ca dayitaṁ bhṛśam. (break) So he was very dear to the parents, innocent child, kala-bhāṣinī, talking broken languages, "mommy," "mama," that is very sweet. One becomes attached to this voice: "Oh, how my child is talking." Nirīkṣamāṇa tat līlām. And the child is walking, the child is doing something, coming to the mother, capturing. This līlā, this pastime, nirīkṣamāṇaḥ tan līlā mumude, it was very, very pleasing. Jaraṭho bhṛśam. In this way,

bhuñjānaḥ prapiban sa kalam
bālakaṁ sneha-yantritaḥ
bhojayan pāyayan mūḍho
na vedāgatam antakam

He was very busy in enjoying the child's, how you would say, pastimes, and feeding him and taking him. In this way he was very much pleased, "My life is go like this." But the time of death, bhojayan pāyayan mūḍho na vedāgatam antakam. Antakam means the last day of life. Antakam means death. So death is called māyā. You are thinking, "Now I have arranged everything. Things are going very nicely. Now I'm very happy." But, all of a sudden, the death comes. That you cannot avoid.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

But if I am similarly affected, similarly affectionate to my dog, then what is my position? Or anything. Naturally, I will think of my dog, and immediately I shall get the another body like a dog, or dog. This is nature's law. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram. At the time... The test will be at the time of death, what kind of body you are going to get. So yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam. The... Just like he is very much affectionate to his son. He is thinking of his son. Similarly, if you very much affectionate to your dog or something else, you will think at that time. Therefore practice Hare Kṛṣṇa so that at the time of death you can think of Kṛṣṇa and your life is successful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Indore, December 15, 1970:

So when he was just on the point of death, naturally he had affection for his son, so he was calling, "Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, please come here, please come here." That is natural. I know my father, when he was dying, so I was not at home. So he lived for one day to see me. He was always inquiring "Whether Abhay has come back, come back," like that. So by the paternal affection he showed that. Similarly, the Ajāmila was also calling, "Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa." And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). This practice means at the time of death if one can remember Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, then the whole life is successful. At the time of death. Because the mentality, status of the mind at the time of death, will carry him to the next life. Just like the flavor is carried by the air, similarly, my mentality will carry me to a different type of body. If I have created my mentality like Vaiṣṇava, pure devotee, then I shall immediately transfer to Vaikuṇṭha. If I created my mind as an ordinary karmī, then I will have to stay within this material world to enjoy the type of mentality which I have created.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Indore, December 15, 1970:

One gentleman in Calcutta, he was a very big businessman, and he was dealing in shares. So at the time of death he was crying, "Kamahatti, Kamahatti shares." Kamahatti shares at that time was very popular to the people. So at the time of his death the result will be that he might have taken his birth as a rat in the Kamahatti mill. It is possible. At the time of death, whatever you think, that will carry you to a type of body. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Anyone whoever begs from Kṛṣṇa any any benefit, any type of benefit required from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa gives him: "All right. You are thinking like rat, so you become a rat. You are thinking like a tiger; you become a tiger. You are thinking like a devotee, you become a devotee. You are thinking of Me, please come to Me." That's all. Simple truth.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Indore, December 15, 1970:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is specially meant for creating that mentality of the members of the society. That's all. If at the end of his life he simply remembers Kṛṣṇa, that is natural. Whatever you practice whole life, that will come out at the time of your death. That is natural. Sa evaṁ vartamāno ajñaḥ. Ajña. He does not know. Ajña, the very word is used here, ajña, foolish. He is thinking that he will be able to remain forever and enjoy the association of his family and children. Therefore it is said here, ajña. Everyone is thinking that "My..., this material atmosphere, my bank balance, my nice house, my nice family, children, they will protect me." That is foolishness. Nobody will protect you. You have to protect yourself.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Indore, December 15, 1970:

Evaṁ vartamāno 'jño mṛtyu-kāla upasthite. When it was time for death, mṛtyu-kāla upasthite, matiṁ cakāra tanaye bāle nārāyaṇa. So the benefit was, because he was chanting the name of Nārāyaṇa in connection with his child's name, naturally at the time of his death he was thinking of the Nārāyaṇa child, the name. Viśvanātha Cakravartī has commented on this point that this Nārāyaṇa, thinking of the name of the child, immediately reminded him of the service he was doing according to his father's direction. He was also, in the childhood or in his boyhood, he was engaged in the service of the Lord, Nārāyaṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Indore, December 15, 1970:

When he was dying he also saw that three ferocious persons, very fearful persons with rope in their hands, sa pāśa-hastāṁs trīn dṛṣṭvā puruṣān ati-dāruṇān, very fearful, he saw. Sometimes dying man cries because he sees that "Somebody has come to take me to Yamarāja." He sees, and he is very fearful. So now he also became. Vakra-tuṇḍān ūrdhva-romṇa. The description of the assistants of Yamarāja: their hairs are very curled, vakra. Vakra-tuṇḍān ūrdhva-romṇa: and the hairs on the body are standing. Ūrdhva-romṇa ātmānaṁ netum āgatān. Now at the time of Ajāmila's death, the assistants of Yamarāja have come to take him. We shall discuss, some time again.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

At the time of death, especially those who are full of sinful activities, they become too much agitated how to save himself, how to enter into another body. It is a very painful situation. The painful situation becomes so acute that no more the living entity can live in this body. Just like sometimes it happens: when a person becomes too much painful, he commits suicide. He does not want to live within this body. But he does not know that is another sinful activity. You cannot commit suicide. That is another criminal action.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

So at the time of death... Of course, those who are devotees, their position is different. People may say, "The devotee is also dying, and the nondevotee, sinful man, is also dying. What is the difference?" So there is much difference. The example is given: just like a cat catching a rat in his mouth and at the same time carrying his cubs in the mouth. Superficially, we can see that the same mouth is being used, but one is feeling comfortable being carried by the mother, and another is feeling the death knell. Similarly, at the time of death, the devotee's feeling that they are being transferred to Vaikuṇṭha, whereas the ordinary sinful man is feeling that the Yamarāja, the dūtas, the constables of Yamarāja are dragging him to the hellish condition of life. So one should not conclude simply by seeing that he is dying. No.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

So in this way, dūre krīḍanakāsaktaṁ putraṁ nārāyaṇāhvayam, plāvitena svareṇa, very appealing voice, he began to ask his youngest son, "Please come here. I am dying." He was very much afraid of the three Yamadūtas who were..., who came there to drag him.

niśamya mriyamāṇasya
mukhato hari-kīrtanam
bhartur nāma mahārāja
pārṣadāḥ sahasāpatan

Kṛṣṇa is so kind. As soon as He heard that "This man is chanting 'Nārāyaṇa' at the time of his death," immediately He sent His assistants, Viṣṇudūtas, to give him shelter. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. The mahato bhayāt... This man, this Ajāmila, is fallen into great calamity. The Yamadūtas, the assistants of the superintendent of death, Yamarāja, has come there to drag him. So mahato bhayāt. It was a great, fearful, dangerous place. But simply by uttering 'Nārāyaṇa' he was saved.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

So that practice is required. Simply by... Mahato bhayāt. Here it is also said, niśamya mriyamāṇasya mukhato hari-kīrtanam. The hari-kīrtana is so glorious. If anyone at the time of death, mriyamāṇa, mriyamāṇa, one who is just dying... In a Bengali proverb it is said, parable, bhajan koro sādhan koro murte jānle haya: "Whatever you do, spiritual activities, they will be tested at the time of death." All your chants that you are practicing, this will be tested at the time of death. If you can remember Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, hari-kīrtana, at the time of death, then you are successful. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind, that immediately after hearing that the dying man was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa, the same thing... Bhartur nāma pārṣadāḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Philadelphia, July 13, 1975:

So you should keep at least what is there. So this is the position at the time of death. Sometimes you will find the dying man is crying, ākulendriyaḥ, tearful eyes. He cannot express. He is not practiced. But he was given the chance. Kṛṣṇa gave him the conscience when the child was born to keep his name Nārāyaṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa's mercy, that "This rascal was My devotee, and now he is so fallen. All right, he is attracted to his children." So He gave the conscience, "Now keep your son's name Nārāyaṇa." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart.

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Honolulu, May 28, 1976:

Sa pāśa-hastāṁs trīn dṛṣṭvā puruṣān ati-dāruṇān. So, at the time of death there are so many disturbance. We have got experience, but you have forgot because bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). But these things are observed by the sinful person. The Yamadūta, they come to take to the sinful, sinful person, not devotees. Just like the whole population of the city, they are not all subjected to the prison laws. Some criminals. Similarly, this Yamadūta goes to such sinful persons. They are not all. But it is the question of Ajāmila... He was so sinful that automatically the Yamadūtas came, and they wanted to take him.

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Honolulu, May 28, 1976:

So when he was too much afraid of this Yamadūta, unconsciously he chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. So somehow or other he remembered Nārāyaṇa. Some commentator says that when he chanted "Nārāyaṇa," then all his reaction of sinful life immediately disappeared and he remembered real Nārāyaṇa. Because he, in his boyhood, was trained up as a Vaiṣṇava by his father, so some... There is big comments on this incidence. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has written three or four pages about this. So his opinion is that as soon as he chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, immediately he remembered real Nārāyaṇa. That this child Nārāyaṇa... "I'm calling my child, how he'll be able to save me from the hands of this Yamadūta." He remembered that "Nārāyaṇa, if He kindly helps me, then I can be saved." Immediately there was response. Immediately there is response. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajanty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that at the time of death, whatever your mental condition is, that will act.

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Honolulu, May 28, 1976:

So this mental condition naturally is there what I practice throughout my whole life. So if we practice this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa name, then there is chance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. That is the examination. In Bengali there is a proverb, bhajan kara sādhana kara murte jānle hoy. That is, "How you are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, that you'll be tested at your time of death." That is wanted. If we practice throughout whole life "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa," then there is good chance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, because at the time of death everything becomes disordered. The tongue becomes disordered, the mind becomes disordered. There is a verse by Kulaśekhara. He was praying to Lord, adyaiva me viśatu mānasa-rāja-haṁsaḥ, prāṇa-prayāṇa-samaye kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ smaraṇaṁ kutas te (MM 33).

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:

So anyone who is chanting the holy name of the Lord, he is taken care of immediately by the attendants of the Supreme Lord, especially at the time of death, because that is the last moment. The account is taken at the last moment. If you practice Hare Kṛṣṇa, naturally at the last moment you will be inclined to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). It is so nice. If we practice in this life chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then gradually my core of heart will be cleansed and everything will be manifest: my position, my duty, what is God. Everything will be manifest. It is so nice.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:

So that is our mistake. Our mistake is that we have got advanced or developed consciousness. We should utilize it for going back to home, back to Godhead. Why should we misuse it unnecessarily? And you are not perfect. Suppose you are studying the machine throughout the whole life. What you will get that? Can you make the machine to your favor that this machine will not be lost, there will be no death? You all scientists, you are studying the machine. Have you found out any means that there will be no death? Where is that knowledge. Death will be there. You study the machine or do not study the machine, in due course, time, the death will come and will take you. The machine will stay. So this is intelligence.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Honolulu, May 29, 1976:

So we have to practice this, that Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If we practice, there is chance at the time of death repeating the same thing, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. So immediately you are saved, not to go to the yama-mandira. The powerful name, holy name is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no difference—absolute. Absolute means... Just like here if I simply chant "mango, mango, mango," there is no mango. Mango is different from the name mango. If I want to eat mango, the substance mango I must have. So there is difference between the name and its substance. That is material-duality. But in the absolute world there is..., means there's no duality. The name mango and mango: the same. This requires advanced knowledge. So there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa the name and Kṛṣṇa the person. There is no difference. Otherwise this is practical. You're chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- San Francisco, July 16, 1975:

So he was attached to the son, always chanting "Nārāyaṇa." "Nārāyaṇa, please come. Nārāyaṇa, please eat. Nārāyaṇa, please sit down." So at the time of death he loudly chanted, "Nārāyaṇa." He thought his son will save him from the hands of these Yamadūtas. But immediately Kṛṣṇa's attendants immediately came there, Viṣṇudūtas. And immediately they ordered, "You Yamadūtas, carriers of order, stop, you cannot do it." That is stated here. Yama-preṣyān viṣṇudūtā vārayām āsuḥ: "Do not touch him." Ojasā: "very strongly." "If you touch, then you will be punished. Don't do it." (laughter) Ojasā. Ojasā. Ojasā means very strongly. Just like a master orders the servant, "You must do it," similarly, ojasā. This is the benefit of becoming Vaiṣṇava and chanting.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:

So ruling is there. You can say foolishly that "There is no ruling. I can do whatever I like." That you can do. Just like Ajāmila was doing. But now the two classes of messengers have come. The Yamadūtas have come to take him away because externally he is the most sinful man. Therefore they are protesting, "How is that? It is already settled up. This man has committed so many sinful activities. So they are under our jurisdiction. Who are you, you are forbidding us?" But the Viṣṇudūtas have come there because although he was sinful, although he was most impious, although he was a prostitute-hunter and cheater and so many good qualities, still, he has chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa at the end of his life. Immediately Viṣṇudūtas... This is the facility. Whole life sinful, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6), but he has remembered Nārāyaṇa at the end of his life. Very painful life. At the time of death it is very, very painful. We have got experience. Therefore you do not wish to die, because it is very, very painful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Honolulu, May 31, 1976:

So immediately things are recorded and, at the time of death, just as in the previous verse, we studied, vikarṣato 'ntar hṛdayād. Antar hṛdayād, in the core of the heart the individual soul and the Supersoul is there, and Yamarāja will take, his order carriers will take the, not the heart, but the soul. The heart of the body, that is made of this material element, that will lie down here. But the soul may be taken by arrangement. This is very, very subtle arrangement, and these rascals, they do not know how things are going on. They are imagining, "I think it is like this and that." There is no value of this "I believe," "I think," "I conjecture." You can do that, but things are going on. The government is very, very strong. Little deviation from the law, you'll be punished.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

So actually that is the position. Anyone... There is a verse. There is a verse that "Don't go to the Vaiṣṇavas." The Yamadūtas were especially instructed. But this Ajāmila was known, a sinful person. Everyone knew. But he had become, I mean to say, free from all sinful contamination because at the time of death, he uttered the word "Nārāyaṇa" without any offense. The Yamadūtas, they could not understand that he is no more under the laws of criminal punishment; he is free from all contamination. And actually, that is the position. Kṛṣṇa... One who utters the name "Kṛṣṇa," he immediately becomes free from all sinful activities, immediately. That is the power of Kṛṣṇa's name. But the difficulty is that after being freed, we again commit mistake in sinful activity. Kṛṣṇa's name has got the power.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

Dharma means one who is acting according to the order of God. That is dharma. And one who is not acting according to the order, that is adharma. Therefore the challenge was there: "If you are actually representative of Dharmarāja, you must know what is dharma and what is adharma. You explain." That means they are also not aware what was the actual position of Ajāmila. They did not know that although throughout his whole life he was sinful, but because at the time of his death he simply remembered Nārāyaṇa... But that is also difficult. We may not think that "Let me now go on committing all sinful activities. At the time of death I shall remember Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa." That is not possible. It is only possible for persons who had some intimate relationship with Nārāyaṇa. This Ajāmila had very intimate relationship with Nārāyaṇa. When he was boy, when he was being trained up by his father, he was very faithful to Nārāyaṇa, to his father. Up to twenty years, he served very nicely Nārāyaṇa. Therefore he had the effect of remembering Nārāyaṇa at the time of death.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

Karttikeya: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Even if a person is completely engrossed in material activities, but somehow or other, they utter the name of Kṛṣṇa... Like you said my mother attained Kṛṣṇa's kingdom, although she was completely absorbed in material activities...

Prabhupāda: That was due to your grace. You reminded your mother at the time of her death, "Kṛṣṇa." You were a good boy of your mother, and she got the opportunity, remembering Kṛṣṇa, and got all the profit due to having a good son like you. Yes, his mother... I do not wish to discuss. But we are not at all... Just like European ladies there. So he was visiting his mother and inspiring her, "Mother, you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," whatever he has learned from me. She got some idea of Kṛṣṇa, later on developed little affection for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So at the time of death, by seeing him, she simply inquired from him, "Is your Kṛṣṇa here?" and died immediately. So she was fortunate to have a good son like him who reminded, by his presence, "Kṛṣṇa," and she became liberated. Therefore these things are required, Vaiṣṇava symptoms. People will immediately remember Kṛṣṇa by this tilaka, by this beads, by their fearures. Immediately they will know, "Here are the groups of Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976:

If you don't serve God, then you have to serve dog. Now make your choice, whether you shall spoil your life by serving dog and become next life a dog, or by serving God, you, next life you become a god. Make your choice. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you want to become a dog next life, that is must. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death, if you are affectionate to the dog, naturally you'll think of dog, and your soul will be transferred in the womb of a dog. This is nature's way. And, similarly, if you practice to love God in this life, at the time of death, naturally you'll think of God. Then next life, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). It is explained in the... Tyaktvā deham, everyone has to give up this body, but if, at the time of quitting this body, you think of Kṛṣṇa, immediately you go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. This is opportunity.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, July 23, 1975:

So anyone who has accepted this body, daihyasya, and whatever he is doing, it is all being witnessed by so many witnesses. How can you avoid? How you can do something very secretly? That is not possible. Everything is being noted. And so punishment or reward, you will have to accept because you are not independent. We foolishly say independent. "We don't care for anybody. There is no God." But there is death. That you have to believe. So that death is God. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca. One who does not see God during lifetime, so he will see God at the time of death. So there is no question of not seeing God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. He is standing. He is so merciful. He has come to this temple so that we can take the advantage of seeing Him, But we are seeing Him still idol or something, stone or wood. He does not know that because we cannot see now at the present moment without being wood or stone or something material, so Kṛṣṇa has very kindly come to me so that I can see Him in a form which I can see. That is His mercy. We have repeatedly said this.

Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- New Orleans Farm, August 1, 1975:

Just like Bharata Mahārāja, he was a great devotee, but somehow or other, he was very much attached to one, a small deer. He had to accept the body of a deer. But he did not forget about his last birth. That is special prerogative for advanced devotees. Nature's law is that at the time of death, what you think, you get the body. That is nature's law. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6), Kṛṣṇa says. So we have to train up our bhāva, our thoughts. If we keep always in Kṛṣṇa thoughts, then naturally at the time of death we may remember Kṛṣṇa. That is success. Then immediately tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Immediately you are transferred to the Kṛṣṇaloka, and according to your desire, you become amongst the gopīs or the cowherds boys or the cows and the calves. They are all equal.

Lecture on SB 6.1.62 -- Vrndavana, August 29, 1975:

So the conditioned soul, they want to cheat God. They want to deny God. They want to cheat God. That is not possible. In spite of all your insurance and cheating policy, you must have to die. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mṛtyuḥ ahaṁ, sarva-haram: "You do not accept Me. That's all right. You are collecting things for your enjoyment. But I shall... When I shall come as death, not only you shall be killed, but I shall take away whatever you possess." So this is intelligence, that... They say, "There is no God," and God says, "Yes, you see Me at the time of death." But you cannot avoid death.

Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:

So this man deviated from bhāgavata-dharma. Therefore he was to be arrested by the Yamadūtas for purification. That was his external affair. But by chance, by the grace of the Lord, at the time of his death he chanted "Nārāyaṇa," not exactly meaning the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa, but his son's name was Nārāyaṇa. He was thinking that "I am being dragged by the Yamadūta. So my son will save me." Therefore he exclaimed, "Nārāyaṇa, please save me." So he meant his son, but Nārāyaṇa, actual Nārāyaṇa, heard it—"O Nārāyaṇa, please save me." This is the... Nārāyaṇa is so kind that although the name of Nārāyaṇa was called by Ajāmila, meaning his son, still, because he has chanted the name, holy name of Nārāyaṇa, it was immediately taken seriously by Lord Nārāyaṇa, and His order-carriers, the Viṣṇudūtas, were sent to save this man. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt.

Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:

So this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that svalpam apy asya dharmasya, even slightly executed in due time... Because the process is we are educating people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa to practice, so in due time, Hare Kṛṣṇa at the time of death especially, if we can chant this holy name of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. So unless we practice, how it will be possible to chant at the time of death? Because at the time of death the whole system, anatomical-physiological system, becomes disturbed, in bewilderedness, in coma, in unconsciousness. But still, if one has practiced, there is possibility of chanting the holy name of the Lord, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa. Then that is success of life. In a Bengali there is a proverb, bhajana kara sādhana kara mūrti jānle haya(?), that "Whatever you are executing as a bhajana, sādhana, that's all right, but it will be tested at the time of your death." It will be test. Just like a parrot is chanting, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa," but when some cat comes in, "Kaw, kaw, kaw." No. Then missing. So parrot life will not help you. You must be really chanting without any offense. Then it is possibility that at the time of death... Death will be there. You may be very proud of your body, that "I am permanent." No. "As sure as death." And after death you have to change your body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). That we do not know, what kind of body I will enjoy. Now I have got Serji's(?) body. That's all right. But your karma will decide the next body.

Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:

So intelligent person, they should be Kṛṣṇa conscious, kṛṣṇa-karma, always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Then it is mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). Kṛṣṇa says, "One who is always engaged in My service, activities," Kṛṣṇa says, "he comes back to Me." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). So practice that. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This life will be finished, and you do not know what kind of body you are going to get next. The best guarantee is that you execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra constantly, remain pure by following the regulative principles, and satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). Then everything is assured, and your life is successful. At the time of death you go back to home. Just see how Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, is so kind that because he feelingly chanted at the time of his death, "O Nārāyaṇa, please come and save me..." But he was meaning his son. But Kṛṣṇa did not take that.

Lecture on SB 6.2.3 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1975:

But this Ajāmila was cleansed of all sinful activity because at the time of his death he chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. That's a fact. When we chant the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, the holy name of God, we immediately become free from all sinful reaction. That's a fact. It is said, eka hari-nāma yata pāpa hare, pāpi haya tata para kari bare nare(?). This is statement of śāstra: "By once chanting the holy name of the Lord, you become free from all sinful reaction of life." That's a fact. But the difficulty is that we become free; again we commit sinful life. That is the... Otherwise one chanting in life is sufficient. But that we do not do. We chant and again do the sinful activities.

Lecture on SB 6.2.8 -- Vrndavana, September 11, 1975:

In this age people are generally, seventy-five or eighty percent or ninety percent, they are all sinful. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). This is the position of the people in this age. They are mandāḥ, all bad, all bad. You cannot distinguish who is bad and who is good. All bad and very slow. They do not know what is the value of life, how to make this human form of life successful. Mandāḥ. Just like we are chanting all over the whole world that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and you will be happy." Still, they are not very much interested. Mandāḥ, slow: "All right, I shall do it at the time of death. Now let me enjoy." Mandāḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:

Devotee (2): (indistinct) ...was not prescribed... So how was it possible to chant the name at the time of death?

Prabhupāda: No, when he was a boy he was doing everything. You have not heard? So svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Because he practiced sometimes before falling down, so by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra he immediately remembered that real Nārāyaṇa immediately, His pastimes, His form, everything, and therefore he became liberated. He had practiced. But for the time being his practice was stopped on account of bad association. But as soon as chanted... That is the advantage of a devotee. If you practice devotional service even for some time and if you fall down, then it will also help sometime. Nārada therefore says, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17).

Lecture on SB 6.2.12-14 -- Allahabad, January 17, 1971, at Kumbha-mela:

Now, the Viṣṇudūta concludes that "This Ajāmila, we know that throughout his whole life he has simply committed sinful activities. That's a fact. We know. But at the time of his death," mriyamāṇaḥ, yad asau bhagavan-nāma samagrahīt, "simply chanted the name of Hari, Nārāyaṇa," samagrahīt, "perfectly, without any offense." Just try to understand that simply by chanting one name only, Nārāyaṇa, samagrahīt, without any offense, he became immediately purified from all sinful activities. These are not exaggeration. This is the fact.

Lecture on SB 6.2.12-14 -- Allahabad, January 17, 1971, at Kumbha-mela:

So yad asau bhagavan-nāma mriyamāṇaḥ samagrahīt. Because the Yamadūta..., yes, Viṣṇudūta says that "We know that this person was addicted to sinful activities throughout his whole life, but at the time of his death he has remembered. He has uttered offenselessly once the name of Nārāyaṇa." But one should not think that "All right. Let us go on committing all sinful activities, and at the time of my death I shall think of Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa." That is not possible. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you practice when you are alive, when you are strong for chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa, then there may be chance. Otherwise it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 6.2.12-14 -- Allahabad, January 17, 1971, at Kumbha-mela:

So the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, sadā, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, not that two hours or one hours, but one should practice. And that is the recommendation as it was followed by Haridāsa Ṭhākura. But because we cannot do that, therefore we have to engage always in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That will make me remembering Kṛṣṇa. Real fact is how to remember Kṛṣṇa. So this remembering of Kṛṣṇa by Ajāmila was not accidental. He chanted. He served Nārāyaṇa in his previous life when he was young man, but by bad association he fell down. But the effect was there at the time of his death, so much effective that the Viṣṇudūta recommends that "Because he has chanted at the time of his death the holy name of Lord, he is now free from all sinful reaction."

Lecture on SB 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975:

So here it is said, mriyamāṇaḥ samagrahīt. Because at the time of death he has uttered "Nārāyaṇa," so now there is no question of offense. There is no question of. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that yeṣāṁ tu anta-gataṁ pāpam: by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one gradually becomes free from all sinful reaction. Yeṣāṁ tu anta-gataṁ. Te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28).

Lecture on SB 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975:

If at the time of death one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then he is glorious. Nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ. Here is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāsty atra. Anta-kāle: "At the time of..." I have several times said, the test will be examined at the time of death. They say in Bengal, bhajan koro pūjān koro murte jānle haya.(?) Your austerity, penances, chanting of the holy name, all these things... Just like there is examination. Before promotion to the higher class, one is examined in the school, and the, if the marks are sufficient, then he is promoted. So our promotion will depend at the time of death, where we are going. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We are going to change our... Death means we are going to change our body. So this change of body will be decided at the time of death. It is already decided what kind of body we are going to get, but the final decision will be taken at the time of death. That is said by Kṛṣṇa. So how the test... You... Everyone can understand. If at the time of death one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, then you know certainly that he has gone to Vaikuṇṭha. There is no doubt about it. Anta-kāle. And even there is aparādha, that is not taken into consideration, because at the time of death he has uttered. This is special consideration. Anta-kāle.

Lecture on SB 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975:

So the Yamadūta forbade them, that "Don't touch him. He is not fit for going to Yamaloka, but he is fit for going to Viṣṇuloka." Bhagavan-nāma mriyamāṇaḥ. The most important thing is how to become successful. At the time of death chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This should be there. Bhagavan-nāma mriyamāṇaḥ. That will be the perfection of life. Then they explain,

sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ vā
stobhaṁ helanam eva vā
vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam
aśeṣāgha-haraṁ viduḥ

Sāṅketya. Just like sometimes on the street some outsider, seeing you, they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa only by the symbolic, sāṅketya. Because they see: "They have got tilaka, kunti." Therefore these things are required. Don't become immediately paramahaṁsa—no tilaka, no kunti and no bead bag. This is not good. Sāṅketya. So that others may understand, "Here is a Vaiṣṇava. Here is a Kṛṣṇa devotee..." And if he is simple, he'll chant, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." This chance should be given.

Lecture on SB 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975:

He is praying, "My Lord, now I am healthy. I am quite conscious. So this time, if I absorb my mind in Your lotus feet and die, it is very good. It is very good because in the natural time of death, the three elements—kapha, vāta—they'll be dismantled, and there will be different sounds, and mind will be distracted. Brain will be falling. So hardly there is possibility of chanting Your holy name. The best thing is: now I am feeling healthy. My whole system, physical system, is quite fit. Let me chant and die immediately." This is desire of the devotee.

Lecture on SB 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975:

So we should keep ourself... Kṛṣṇa is also very kind. If you chant seriously, without offense, even the mental condition at the time of death is disordered, Kṛṣṇa will help you how to chant without any offense. So we must... The only qualification is that we must be very sincere. Even by symbolic chanting, by joking, if one can get the benefit, why not do it carefully? Why not do it carefully? What is the wrong there? Be serious and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa very carefully in order to get success of life at the time of death.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Just like we are advised when chanting the mantra, mahā-mantra, to avoid ten kinds of offenses. So Ajāmila had no such program. He never meant that he was chanting the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. This point is being stressed by Śrīdhāra Swami. He simply tried to call his son, whose name was Nārāyaṇa. That was not practically kīrtana, but this very vibration, transcendent vibration, has got so potency that without following the rules and regulations of chanting the holy name, he became immediately released from all sinful reaction. That point is stressed here. Abhavan aśucir api niyamāna asustha-cittaḥ (?). Not only he never meant for chanting the holy name, he was not only sinful, but he was practically in coma because he was dying. His all functions of the physical body was stopped, and he could not chant even properly. Still, he became released from all sinful reaction. At the time of death... Why death? Even in our sleeping condition we are out of our own control completely.

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:

The soul is covered by two kinds of body. One is subtle body. Just like you have got your mind; I have got my mind. Do you see your mind? Do I see your mind? (second guest translates into French) So the soul is carried by two kinds of body. One body is this gross, made of earth, water, air, sky, like that. And the other... They are like shirt and coat. This is the coating, and there is another body, shirt, which is made of mind, intelligence, and ego. So when this gross body is finished, the subtle body is there. So at the time of your death the mental condition will carry you to a similar body. (Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa translates) (break) This mental body you do not see. Therefore you say that this man is dead. It is not dead. The gross body is changed, and the mental body carries him to another gross body.

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- New Vrindaban, June 24, 1976:

If you do not practice from the very beginning, it is not possible. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). It is said that the greatest success of life is at the time of (death) remembering Nārāyaṇa, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ. Just like Ajāmila. He, at the end of his life, remembered Nārāyaṇa. So this is success. But this can be possible if we practice from the very beginning. Ajāmila, first of all, he was a brahmacārī, brāhmaṇa, very well behaved brāhmaṇa, learned everything, but due to bad association he fell down. But Kṛṣṇa gave him the opportunity, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na me bhakta praṇaśyati. If once one has sincerely become the pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that will never go in vain.

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- New Vrindaban, June 24, 1976:

When the hog is taken from the flock for being killed, he screams very loudly, "Don't want. I don't want to be killed." Although the life is very abominable, still he's attached to the body. The old man is attached to the body. So this is called moha. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Atheists... In our Los Angeles temple we have seen, there are so many karmīs, and when there was earthquake they screamed like anything. So no one wants to die. They say, "No, I can die." No. At the time of death they scream, they do not like. Nobody wants to die. That's a fact. So gṛheṣu saktasya. Generally, people become too much attached to family life. I sometimes say that in the Western countries the young boys, they come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their only one great asset is they are not family-wise attached. That is very good qualification. Someway or other, they have become. Therefore their attachment to Kṛṣṇa becoming staunch.

Lecture on SB 7.6.19 -- New Vrindaban, July 2, 1976:

As there is no difficulty in establishing the intimate relationship between a father and son, there is no difficulty in reestablishing the natural, intimate relationship between Nārāyaṇa and the living entities. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt: if one performs even very slight devotional service, Nārāyaṇa is always ready to save one from the greatest danger. The definite example is Ajāmila. Ajāmila separated himself from the Supreme Personality of Godhead by performing many sinful activities and was condemned by Yamarāja to be very severely punished, but because at the time of death he chanted the name of Nārāyaṇa, although he was calling not for the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa but for his son named Nārāyaṇa, he was saved from the hands of Yamarāja.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

If you want to enjoy this material world by changing different... Because you have to change your body. You are making your next body in this body. There is no certainty what kind of body you are making, but you are responsible for making your next body. As I have several times discussed that the, at the time of death, the mental condition will help you to have another next body, mental condition. So if your mental condition is very nice, whatever you think, God has given you chance: you get next immediately. Similarly, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, then your next body is like Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so important. What is the advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? If you acquire the body like Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, then your botheration of this constant change of bodies, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), you become relieved from this business. Nobody wants this, but because we want to enjoy this material world, so we have to accept it. So this is going on.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

Guest (1): ...how I become unconscious when I die?

Prabhupāda: You are never unconscious.

Guest (1): You mean I experience the seven months of being in a sleeping state?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): And I am aware of it?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You were aware, but you were a little deep, deep sleep. Just like I remember my chloroform case. So I remember very slightly, but there is remembrance. The consciousness is still there, but for some time it is curbed down. So if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious once, even if at that time you are so-called unconscious, still, Kṛṣṇa is with you. He is not forgetful. He is not forgetful. Therefore He will give you the proper result. Don't think that at the, at the time of your death, because you are so completely out of consciousness, therefore there is frustration. No. There is no frustration. There is no frustration. Because your activities are already recorded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is situated within your heart, so therefore there is no question of frustration. You just practice. While you are in good health, while you are in good body, while you are in good consciousness, just practice this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and the result is guaranteed.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977:

Everyone knows the nature of the mind, sometimes accepting one thing, again rejecting it, saṅkalpa-vikalpa. This is the quality of the mind or nature of the mind. Sometimes the mind is jumping over sattva-guṇa, sometimes on the rajo-guṇa, and sometime on the tamo-guṇa. In this way we are getting different types of mentality. In this way, at the time of death the mentality which is just at the moment of leaving this body will carry me to a different body of sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. This is the way of transmigration of the soul. Therefore we have to train up the mind until we get the another body. That is the art of living. So if you train up your mind simply to think of Kṛṣṇa then you are safe. Otherwise there is chance of accidents.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977:

A sādhu, a saintly person, never likes killing of any living being. They are not happy... Even a small ant is killed, they are not happy: "Why ant should be killed?" What to speak of others, even a small ant. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. It may be an ant, insignificant, but at the time of death he has suffered. A Vaiṣṇava is unhappy: "Why an ant should be killed?" This is para duḥkha-duhkhi. But such Vaiṣṇava is happy when a snake and a scorpion is killed. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatya. So everyone is happy when a snake or scorpion is killed because they are very, very dangerous. Without any fault they bite and create havoc.

Lecture on SB 7.9.53 -- Vrndavana, April 8, 1976:

So we have to do in such a way that no more material body. And that is Kṛṣṇa's advice. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). And if you have got a pinch of material desire, Kṛṣṇa is ready to give you a type of body so you can satisfy your desires. But the material desire is never satisfied, one after another, one after another, one after another. In this way at the time of the death we are not satisfied. We desire some thing... (break) ...and then it is to be very easy. Mām aprīṇata āyuṣman darśanaṁ durlabhaṁ hi me. If somehow or other, if you can see Kṛṣṇa, dṛṣṭvā māṁ na punar janma. Punar jantur ātmānaṁ taptum arhati. There is no more necessity of undergoing austerities, and everything is free. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada-pañcarātra). If you have got Kṛṣṇa, there is no need of tapasya. You are free.

Lecture on SB 7.9.54 -- Vrndavana, April 9, 1976:

So in this body... Suppose you have got immense wealth, immense men under you, or very beautiful wife. How long you shall enjoy? Immediately, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham: (BG 10.34) "You do not like Me. You like these things. All right. At the time of death I shall take away everything—finish." This is fact. After death where is your beautiful wife? Where is your wealth? Where is your followers? Everything finished. Now according to your karma, you have to accept the body of a dog. Nature's way. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). "You have infected doggish mentality. Now you become a dog." This is nature's way. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sango 'sya (BG 13.22). You have simply associated with the tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, no sattva-guṇa, so you have to accept a body, rajas-tamo-guṇa.

Page Title:At the time of death (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:Alakananda
Created:25 of Feb, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=167, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:167