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Auspicious (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 47: "You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Neither consider yourself the cause of action, nor should you be attached to inaction (BG 2.47)." Purport: "There are three considerations here: prescribed duties, capricious work, and inaction. Prescribed duties means activities in terms of one's position in the modes of material nature. Capricious work means actions without the sanction of authority; and inaction means not performing one's prescribed duty. The Lord advised that Arjuna not be inactive, but that he be active in his duty without being attached to the result. One who is attached to the result of his work is also the cause of the action. Thus he is the enjoyer or sufferer of the result of such action. As far as prescribed duties are concerned, they can be fitted into three subdivisions: routine work, emergency work, and desired activities. Routine work in terms of the scriptural injunctions is done without desire for results. As one has to do it, obligatory work is action in the modes of goodness. Work with results becomes the cause of bondage, and so such work is not auspicious. Everyone has his proprietary right in regard to his duties, but should act without attachment to the result. Thus such disinterested obligatory duties helps to lead one to the path of liberation. Arjuna was advised by the Lord to fight as a matter of duty without attachment to the result. His nonparticipation in the battle is another side of attachment. Such attachment never leads one to the path of salvation. Any attachment, positive or negative, is cause for bondage. Inaction is sinful. Therefore fighting as a matter of duty was the only auspicious path to salvation for Arjuna." 48: "Be steadfast in your duty, O Arjuna, and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga (BG 2.48)."

Prabhupāda: This is the explanation of yoga, evenness of mind. Yoga-samatvam ucyate. If you work for Kṛṣṇa, then there is no cause of lamentation or jubilation. Jubilation is there because you are working for Kṛṣṇa, but there is no cause of lamentation. Yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi, yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam (BG 2.50). That is the secret of activities, how you can very diligently work at the same time you are not entangled with the actions. That is the secret. Go on.

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

So spiritual life is so sublime and so invigorating that you won't feel fatigued. Won't. Once... You have to be engaged. And as you are engaged actually in spiritual life, you won't feel fatigued. You'll be fearless, and your life will be always blissful. These are the symptoms. So yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam (BG 2.50). So Lord says that the, that this spiritual platform is the karmasu kauśalam. Kauśalam means expert service, expert, kauśalam. Kuśala. Kuśala means auspicious, and from kuśala, it comes to kauśala. That means if you learn the trick, how to work on the platform of yoga, then that is the highest technique of doing work. Buddhi-yukto jahā... And result of that work, what is that? Now, buddhi-yuktaḥ. When you work from the spiritual platform with your intelligence, then jahāti iha ubhe sukṛta-duṣkṛte. Sukṛta-duṣkṛta. Now, for ordinary work, if you do good work, then you have to take good result. And if you do bad work, or sinful work, then if you have, you have to take the effect of such bad and sinful work. Sukṛta and duṣkṛta. But one who works from spiritual platform, he hasn't got to take the result of good work or bad work. Because he is transcendental. He has no good work and no bad work. Everything transcendental work. Everything transcendental work. That... Just like take the example of Arjuna. He was thinking that "Fighting of this nature is not good for me." That was his problem.

Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

So don't you think Kṛṣṇa is the highest authority? So whatever knowledge you receive from Kṛṣṇa is far better than the newspaper knowledge. We are always in the lowest stage. Either I read Bhagavad-gītā or newspaper, I am not with the sputnik, but newspaper says that sputnik has gone 25,000 up, so I believe it. So I believe the newspaper, not that, "Oh, I want to see." Now, can you see how sputnik is flying? And why do you say, when Bhagavad-gītā is spoken, "Oh, I want to see." You just take complete knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, the complete person. That's all. That will make you perfect. Yes. So bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca. That does he say? Pārtha na eva iha nāmutra vināśas tasya vidyate. You mind that. "One who is making, attempting for spiritual advancement, oh, either in this life or in the next life, he'll never be vanished. He'll never be vanished." Na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid durgatiṁ tāta gacchati: "Oh, this is the highest auspicious attempt. After attempting, nobody degrades. Nobody degrades." Even attempt is not fully successful, nobody degrades. It is so nice.

Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:

So this chaste girl would not allow the husband's body to go away. Then Yamarāja told, "It is my duty that I should take. You give it up. Otherwise, you'll be also punished." So she gave and she was following Yamarāja. So Yamarāja became compassionate. So Yamarāja became compassionate, he benedicted her, "My dear girl, you go home. I give you benediction you will have a son. Don't cry for your husband." Then she was again following and when Yamarāja said, "Why you are following me?" "Now you are taking my husband. How can I have my son?" Oh, then he was in dilemma. He returned her husband. So similarly, this is a technique. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your husband or this human form of life is guaranteed.

Nāham... Pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśas tasya vidyate na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt. Kalyāṇa-kṛt. A spiritual life is the most auspicious life. Kalyāṇa. Kalyāṇa means auspicious. So anyone who has done something auspicious, na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid durgatiṁ tāta gacchati. Anyone who has done something nice auspicious thing, oh it will never be vanquished. He will never be put into difficulty. It is such a nice thing.

Lecture on BG 6.40-43 -- New York, September 18, 1966:

So Kṛṣṇa says that "Even one fails in completing his spiritual course, still, there is no loss on his part." Pārtha naiva iha. Iha means in this world. Na amutra. Amutra means next world. Vināśas tasya vidyate: "He will never vanquish." Vināśas tasya vidyate, na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt: "Anyone who takes this auspicious line of spiritual culture," kaścid durgatiṁ tāta gacchati, "he'll never fall down." Yes. And why? Now,

prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān
uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe
yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate
(BG 6.41)

Abhijāyate. He says that this failure yogi... One who is successful, he enters into the kingdom of God. That is a different thing. But one who is a failed student, what happens to him? Now, prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān: (BG 6.41) "He enters into the planets where pious living entities are allowed to enter." That means he gets into the higher planets. There are many planets within the universe, and the higher planets, there are more comforts, more duration of life, persons are more pious, religious, godly. As you make progress to the higher planets, these facilities are there, thousand times better than this planet. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Even if he is failure, still, he goes to such planets where pious men are elevated." Prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān, and uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ (BG 6.41). And he remains there for a long duration of time.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Devotee: "Factually, bhakti-yoga is the ultimate goal, but to analyze bhakti-yoga minutely, one has to understand these other minor yogas. The yogi who is progressive is therefore on the true path of eternal auspiciousness. One who sticks to a particular point and does not make further progress is called by that particular name."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, if somebody is practicing jñāna-yoga, if he thinks that this is finished, that is wrong. You have to make further progress. Just like we have given many times the example, there is a staircase. You have to go to the highest floor, which is, say hundredth floor. So somebody is on the fiftieth floor, somebody is on the thirtieth floor, somebody is on the eightieth floor. So if by coming to the particular eightieth, fiftieth or eightieth floor, one thinks, "This is finished," then he is not progressing. One has to go to the end. That is highest platform of yoga. The whole staircase can be called a yoga system, connecting, link. But don't be satisfied by keeping yourself on the fiftieth floor or eightieth floor. Go to the highest platform, the hundredth or hundred-fiftieth floor. That is bhakti-yoga.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Why you are bringing India? Is it meant we are simply for Indian, do you think?

Indian man (7): No, no.

Prabhupāda: Then why bring in India?

Indian man (7): It is not as a nation. I'm just referring it because of the auspiciousness, that every time there has been a religious reformer or a prophet, he has been treated very nicely, but in other parts of the world, prophets or religious reformers have been mistreated.

Prabhupāda: Anyone who does not know what is Bhagavad-gītā and Kṛṣṇa, he is a rascal. He is not a prophet. He's a rascal. Nobody can become prophet without full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. Not that everyone will become and be a prophet, no. That is stated in the Bhagavad... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Anyone who has not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he is a narādhama. How he becomes a prophet? (laughter) Just see. Don't bring so-called prophets. They are all narādhamas, lowest of the mankind—and he is prophet. No. Prophet is not so cheap. Don't be misguided by these rascals. Kṛṣṇa says—it is not our manufacture—the sign, that anyone who does not know about Kṛṣṇa and he has not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he is narādhama.

Lecture on BG 7.9 -- Vrndavana, August 15, 1974:

Tapasya means to undergo voluntarily some inconveniences of this body. Because we are accustomed to enjoy bodily senses, and tapasya means voluntarily to give up the idea of sense gratification. That is tapasya. Tapasya. Just like Ekādaśī. Ekādaśī, one day fasting, fortnight. That is also tapasya. Or fasting in some other auspicious day. That tapasya is good, even for health, and what to speak of advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we should accept this tapasya. The upavāsa. There are many prescribed days for fasting. We should observe. And the preliminary tapasya, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no..., no meat-eating... There may be some inconvenience, those who were accustomed to this practice, but we'll have to accept. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). If we want to purify our existence... At the present moment our existence is not purified, impure. Therefore we are suffering. Just like when one's physiological condition becomes infected, he suffers from fever and other symptoms of disease, similarly, we are suffering in this material world on account of this material body. If we want really happiness, then we must accept tapasya. Tapasya is required. Without tapasya, if you think that very easily... Or "Without tapasya, I can get it simply by imagination," then you become sahajiyā, to take things very easily. No. Tapasya.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:

And yaj jñātvā. If you learn this science, yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt, the result is you become liberated from this aśubha, inauspicious condition of life, aśubha. What is that inauspicious condition of life? This materialistic life. If you want to get out of this materialistic way... This is aśubha. There is no śubha. People are thinking, "We shall make it śubha." Śubha means auspicious by material adjustment. By having nice car, nice road, skyscraper building and so many machine and bodily comforts which is known as material advancement. But the śāstra says it is all inauspicious, all inauspicious. If you want to become free from this inauspicious kind of life, then you should learn the science which Kṛṣṇa is teaching, jñānaṁ vijñāna, not this vijñāna, the so-called materialistic science. You should learn the real science, sa-vijñāna. That is how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, how to become not envious to Kṛṣṇa. This is a great science. We have to learn. And that is spoken in this chapter, Ninth Chapter, the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you become expert in that science, then you become free from this inauspicious science, this material science. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

And if you learn this knowledge, if you actually assimilate this knowledge—yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt—then you become liberated from this inauspicious life, aśubham. Śubha mean auspicious, and aśubha inauspicious. So our, this material existence is inauspicious because we are full of ignorance, full of miserable condition, and this body is perfect. Our existence, body, should have been like Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is the original father, the son's body is as good as the father's body. But when we learn from the śāstra that īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), His form is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge, and when we compare our, this body, material body, it is neither eternal, neither full of knowledge, neither full of bliss.

This is aśubha. The aśubha means it is not śubha. If his body would have been auspicious, then this body would continue to exist because we are eternal. These things have been described very vividly in the second chapter. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Because we are dull brain... There is no education actually. The modern education means simply a craftsmanship. If you can prepare a nice motor car, oh, that is advancement of the... And what is this? This is craftsmanship. It is the blacksmith's work. It is not knowledge. Knowledge is different. Therefore it is called jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. This is knowledge,"What I am? I am this body or something else? Why I am suffering? If there is any remedy? I do not wish to die, neither I am subjected to death." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate han... This is knowledge, that "If I am eternal, if I do not die after annihilation of this body, then why I am subjected to this body?" This is knowledge. And to manufacture a motor car, that is not knowledge. That is craftsmanship.

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

In this world, in this material world, I mean to say, knowingly or unknowingly, we are all always committing sinful acts. So we have to get out of this reaction. And how to get out of it? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If you do, act only for Kṛṣṇa... Yajña means Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. If you only act for Kṛṣṇa, then you are freed from the reaction of anything. Śubhāśubha-phalaiḥ. We do something auspicious or inauspicious. But those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and acting in that way, he has nothing to do with what is auspicious or inauspicious because he's in touch with the most auspicious, Kṛṣṇa. So therefore sarva-pāpaiḥ pramucyate. He becomes freed from all reactions of sinful activities.

This is the process. And if we adopt this process, so ultimately we can get in touch with Kṛṣṇa and our life becomes successful. The process is very simple, and we can, everyone can adopt. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He's asking is there any truth to the statement that if two people marry each other at a certain time, their marriage will be more auspicious or prosperous than if they marry at other times?

Prabhupāda: Marriage. So, according to Bhagavad-gītā, married life is required. Sex under marriage rules is permitted. Dharma-viruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Sex life... Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. These are bodily necessities-eating, sleeping, sex, and defense. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. So that, these four kinds of necessities are there in the animals also. The dog also eats, sleep, sex life and defend. Then what is the difference between the dog's life and man's life? The difference is the dog's life is not regulated under religious principle. The man's life is regulated under religious principle. So under religious principle if you arrange for sex life, then it is good. Otherwise it is dog's life. That's all. (applause)

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:

It is said, vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śivadaṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam. There is vastu. Vastu means summum bonum, original, and the vāstava. Just like Kṛṣṇa and His different energies. The different energies are called vāstava, "in relationship with vastu," and Kṛṣṇa is vastu. So here it is said that vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu. Vāstava, you can understand Kṛṣṇa in all His features. And if you understand, then śivadam, it is auspicious. Tāpa-trayonmūlanam. As soon as you understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because it is auspicious, then all the tāpa-traya, three kinds of miserable condition of material existence pertaining to the body, mind, pertaining to the infliction offered by others, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, or adhyātmika... So these are, three kinds of tribulations are always going on. So when we understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the vastu, the substance, and the categories, then immediately it becomes auspicious and we become free from these threefold miseries of material life.

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

That is our main business. They are just like seasonal changes, happiness and distress. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). Just like there is winter season. It is pinching cold. That will also not stay. And the scorching heat, that will also not stay. It comes and goes. Therefore, so long in the material world we are, the so-called happiness and distress will come and go. Don't bother about it. You simply try for reviving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. So human being has misunderstood the mode of life. They are simply busy for maintaining this body whole day and night. So we should conclude like this, that "If God can supply eight million types of different lower animals, then why shall not God give the necessities of life to the human society?" So don't execute your religious principle for some material benefit, but try to revive your relationship with God and try to love Him. That type of religious system is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that there is no motive but how to love God. That is stated. "This type of religion means to love God" is stated here, śivadaṁ tāpa-traya unmūlanam. Śivadam means all auspicity, and the three-fold miserable condition of life is completely uprooted.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:

So this Sūta Gosvāmī, the speaker, is congratulating the assembly on account of their inquiring about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ. Yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ: "You have inquired on a very nice subject matter, about Kṛṣṇa and about dharma." Yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ, bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam. This kind of question is very auspicious for everyone. When we inquire about Kṛṣṇa and we speak about Kṛṣṇa, we are both benefited. So he was very glad when he was questioned about Kṛṣṇa and about dharma, because those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, they know that Kṛṣṇa appeared for two purposes. One purpose is dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya, for reestablishing religious principles. And paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8), to give protection to the sādhus. Sādhu means those who are devotees of God. They are called sādhu. And the nondevotees, they are called duṣkṛtām. Duṣkṛtām means those who are always engaged in sinful activities. They are called duṣkṛtām. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:

"Kṛṣṇa appeared for reestablishing the religious principles, but after His disappearance, who has taken charge for this department?" That was their question. So Sūta Gosvāmī is congratulating them, that "This question is very auspicious," loka-maṅgalam. Loka means this world, and maṅgalam means auspicious. So first of all he is explaining what is dharma. Dharma is translated in English as "religion," but actually, it does not convey the real import of dharma. As I have many times explained in these meetings, that dharma means some particular characteristic which you cannot change. That is called dharma. Dharma does not mean a particular type of faith. Faith is different thing. Faith is followed blindly or by social custom or something else. Faith is different. But dharma, either you change social custom, country, time, space, it cannot be changed. That is dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Visakhapatnam, February 20, 1972, At Ladies Club:

So this inquiry was made by the great sages in Naimiṣāraṇya, that "After departure of Kṛṣṇa, wherein the principles of religions are kept?" So the answer was given by Sūta Gosvāmī. He says, in the very beginning, munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'ham: (SB 1.2.5) "Your question is very auspicious." Munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam: "This question is very auspicious to the human society." Why? Yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno: "Because you have inquired about Kṛṣṇa." So, someway or other, if you talk of Kṛṣṇa, then it is loka-maṅgalam. Those who are talking about Kṛṣṇa and those who are hearing about Kṛṣṇa, both of them are benefited. It doesn't matter whether he understands or not, if he simply (aside:) You can stop. These children are creating disturbance. So the purpose is that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is hearing and chanting about Kṛṣṇa. The shortcut is to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So anyone who chants this Hare Kṛṣṇa and anyone who hears Hare Kṛṣṇa, both of them are benefited.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Visakhapatnam, February 20, 1972, At Ladies Club:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on this Bhagavad-gītā, because it is full of kṛṣṇa-sampraśno. Here Sūta Gosvāmī says, yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno loka-maṅgala. "The questions raised by you," bhavadbhiḥ, "by you, loka-maṅgala." The Bhagavad-gītā should be read very widely, and should be understood very widely. That is the only source of auspicity for the human society. But don't misrepresent it. It has become a fashion now to misrepresent, comment on Bhagavad-gītā according to one's whims. That is very dangerous. That is very dangerous. Bhagavad-gītā should be read, should be understood as prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, in the Fourth Chapter, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The Bhagavad-gītā should be understood by the line of disciplic succession of authorized ācāryas. Fortunately, in your South India all the great ācāryas appeared-Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, all of them. So you are very fortunate, and the ācārya commentary is also there.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Edinburgh, July 17, 1972:

So munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam (SB 1.2.5). "These questions..." Just like our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the same: it is simply questioning about Kṛṣṇa and hearing the answer. It is loka-maṅgalam. Anywhere this vibration will go on, there will be all auspicity. Loka-maṅgalam. Kṛṣṇa-sampraśno yenātmā suprasīdati. Another feature is Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive; therefore, talks about Him is also attractive. In our Kṛṣṇa book there are so many topics about Kṛṣṇa, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9), about His birth, about His transference from real father's house to another foster father, then the attack by the demons upon Kṛṣṇa, Kaṁsa. All these activities, if we simply study and hear the kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ, then we are liberated. Without any doubt, our liberation is guaranteed. Simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa.

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

So this question is answered first by Sūta Gosvāmī, munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'ham: (SB 1.2.5) "My dear sages, you have questioned about Kṛṣṇa. Oh, it is very nice." Munayaḥ sādhu. Sādhu means very nice, perfect. So munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ bhavadbhiḥ, "by you," and loka-maṅgalam: "This is for the auspicity of whole world, this kind of praśna, this kind of question, as you have put forward, that 'After departure of Kṛṣṇa, under whom actual real religious principles are there?' So this question is very nice." So he clearly says, the next line, yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ: "Because you have put questions about Kṛṣṇa." Yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno yenātmā suprasīdati. And if we discuss about Kṛṣṇa, if we question about Kṛṣṇa, if you try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then our life becomes perfect. Simply by trying to understand Kṛṣṇa, your will be perfect.

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

So this is a great science. Therefore the great sages said that yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ: "You have made inquiries about Kṛṣṇa." Because they inquired that "After departure of Kṛṣṇa, the principle of religion is... Under whom it is existing?" Kṛṣṇa... That is... Everything will be explained. So Sūta Gosvāmī confirms this, that "Your question about Kṛṣṇa is so nice that it is auspicity for the whole world." So we have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not any personal affair. It is auspicity for the whole world. So you try to inquire about Kṛṣṇa, try to understand about Kṛṣṇa, and yenātmā suprasīdati, then your ātmā... You will feel full satisfaction. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). You will come to that stage.

Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Los Angeles, August 26, 1972:

Similarly, this material world is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fifteenth Chapter: ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham. Generally, we see tree downwards, root, but in the reflection you will find the roots upward. Therefore ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham means these material varieties are simply an imitation of the original variety. Just like I'll give you very nice example. Just there will be a great fair. Just like we had in this Allahabad, Māgha-melā. So because government knew that many people will come to take bath in the Ganges, confluence of Ganges and Yamunā, all of a sudden, a great city, practically, was developed. Those who have seen—so many houses, camps, electric lights, post office, everything. Temporary, created. But as soon as... It is maintained also so long the melā, the fair, is going on. And as soon as the duration of melā is finished, all people go away and the temporary township is also demolished. That we have seen. Similarly, this material world means it is a kind of fair, assembly of so many men. What is the purpose? The purpose is to give them chance, just the Māgha-melā is a chance to become purified, to become pious. They take bath in the Ganges. They become, get an opportunity, an auspicious moment to take bath.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Los Angeles, August 27, 1972:

In this way, gradually, evolution, we come to the platform of human life. And the Vedic knowledge is meant for the human beings, not for these other animals. Therefore it is said, dhūmas tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ. By Vedic injunction, the human society, civilized human society, they require to perform sacrifices, fire sacrifices. Just like we do in all auspicious ceremonies... It is said that through the fire, God eats. We give to the fire the grains and the fruits and other thing. That is, means, God is eating, through fire. So sacrifice means you sacrifice for God, and God is accepting. God is accepting also when we offer prasādam to the Lord, He's accepting, but we want to see. That is our disease. We want to see everything. Therefore, the fire sacrifice, you can see that whatever is offering, it is being eaten up. God can eat in many ways. Because a third-class man, they want to see that God is eating, therefore this is required, sacrifice. God, as it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. His every limb of the body is as good as the other part of the body. Just like we have got our eyes. With eyes we can see, but we cannot eat. But God can do that. He can see, eat also, through the eyes. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. He can hear with eyes. He can eat with His ear. He can see with His tongue. That is God. Every part of the body is equally good as other part of the body. That is called Absolute Truth. Our, this body, is relative. I cannot see... I am, if I close my eyes, I cannot see with my hand. But Kṛṣṇa can do that.

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

So this is going on. This is called demonic. Demon means for their own sense satisfaction, they are prepared to do anything wrong. Just like this Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa, the elder brother of Kṛṣṇa's mother, and as soon as he heard an omen from the sky that "You rascal Kaṁsa, you are taking your brother and sis..., brother-in-law and sister in your chariot to their home in their marriage ceremony, but you rascal do not know this sister's son will kill you." "Oh, my sister's son will kill me?" Immediately caught up sister: "Finish my sister." Vasudeva saw. "What nonsense you are doing? You are such a big king. And your sister, younger sister, and she is married in this auspicious moment. Why you are killing?" "No, she is the cause of my death." Then, "Your sister is not the cause of your death. Her son. That's all right. But I promise, all the sons will be delivered to you." Because it is the husband's duty to give protection. So someway or other, he saved the situation.

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

So this is the demon. He did not consider that "Here is my poor, younger sister. She's just now married. In jubilation she's going at her husband's home. How auspicious ceremony." And he was personally driving the chariot. But as soon as he heard that "Oh, there is danger from my sister," he did not care anything, no relationship, no ceremony, no auspicity, nothing. This is demon. Demon means for his self-interest, he can do anything nons..., nonsense. That is demon. And demigod means he'll consider thrice before doing anything. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was insulted in so many ways by the other party, his cousin-brothers. His kingdom was taken. They were sent to forest for thirteen years. His wife was insulted. So many things. But still, he was considering, "Whether I shall kill my kinsmen? The other side, they're all my brothers, nephews, brother-in-law. Whether I shall fight and kill them? Kṛṣṇa, I don't wish to kill them. Let them enjoy." This is demigod, In spite of the other party, aggressor in so many ways, he was thinking. And here you see Kaṁsa, simply for the news that in future his sister's son will kill him, immediately he was prepared to kill his sister. And in the marriage ceremony. This is the distinction between demigod and demon. Just try to understand. A demon has no consideration.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

So ultimately you have to come to the stage of bhakti-yoga. So here Vyāsadeva, bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṇihite 'male (SB 1.7.4). The mind became completely purified, amale. Mala means dirty things, and amala means no dirty things. A means "not." So mind became completely purified by bhakti-yoga. By bhakti-yoga meditation, the mind became cleansed. That is required. Our mission of human life is to, how to cleanse the mind. Mind is not clean. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi (SB 1.2.17). Abhadrāṇi, inauspicious things. Abhadrāṇi. Bhadra means very good, auspicious, and abhadra means inauspicious. So in our conditioned staṭe of life, our mind is full with inauspicious things. This is due to rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. So if we think of Kṛṣṇa, meditation, then this rajas-tamo-guṇa becomes cleansed. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu (SB 1.2.18). Abhadra, this rajas-tamo-guṇa. So if we think of Kṛṣṇa, then gradually, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), the mirror of our heart becomes cleansed. The rajas..., rajas means dust, and tamas means darkness. Due to dark dust... Suppose you have to see one mirror. If it is covered with dust, you cannot see. So rajas means the dust, and cannot see, it is darkness, that is tamas. So bhakti-yoga, you can see within the mind clearly everything.

Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976:

So we should be very careful about this, nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Factually, we should not take hari-nāma as a matter of atonement or śubha-kriyā. Śubha-kriyā. Just like there are many śubha-kriyā, auspicious activities. We should not take chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as some auspicious activity. It is certainly auspicious, but generally people perform some auspicious activities, śubha-kriyā, to counteract their impious activities. This should not be done. This is also another offense. You cannot utilize hari-nāma for any material purposes. Material purpose is... Just like generally, people go to a guru for benefit of some material purpose. "Sir, I have got some cholic pain within my abdomen. Kindly give me your blessing." The materialistic persons, they are after blessing for some material benefit. They are not after Kṛṣṇa. That is another offense. Therefore to go to guru or to accept a guru, there should not be any material purpose. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One should go to a guru for spiritual advancement of life, not as a fashion. People go to a guru as a fashion. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "Don't make a guru just like you keep a dog, as a fashion." Nowadays it has become a fashion to keep a dog. In the European, American countries it is a compulsory fashion to have a dog. Everyone keeps a dog. And they love dog very much, more than anything. (laughter) So now we are also imitating, because India is imitator.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Los Angeles, May 6, 1973:

As Kuntī, Kṛṣṇa, Kuntī offered prayers... She's a woman. She has not much very learning. But still, whatever she has offered, kala-padaiḥ, according to her, as much, as many nice words could be collected, she has offered... Kala-padaiḥ pariṇūta, worshiped. So worship, for what purpose? Akhilodaya. For the enlightenment of the whole universe. For akhilodaya. By offering prayer to Kṛṣṇa, everything becomes auspicious, akhilodaya. Then Kṛṣṇa, whatever you speak for Kṛṣṇa, it is applicable. Whatever you speak. Because Kṛṣṇa is everything. If you say, "Kṛṣṇa is the noblest man," that is applicable. And if you say, "Kṛṣṇa is the greatest thief," that is also applicable. This is absolute. Because He has stolen so, so much butter, well-known butter thief. So not only that; so many things. If you say, "Kṛṣṇa is the greatest cheater," that is also applicable. And if you say, "Kṛṣṇa is the most benevolent, beneficent," that is also applicable. They're absolute. That is absolute. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Vedānta-sūtra: janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), wherefrom everything is coming.

Lecture on SB 1.10.14 -- Mayapura, June 27, 1973:

Ladies generally, they are very much apt to shed tears in ecstatic moment. So Kṛṣṇa was going from Hastināpura, and all of them, all the Pāṇḍavas, not only ladies, the men also, they were very, very much affected. We have already discussed in the previous verses. Especially the ladies, they could not check their tears forcibly coming out. But at the same time, they were thinking that "Kṛṣṇa is going. Everything must be auspicious. There may not be something inauspicious." So they were in a very perplexed position. Tears were coming by force, and they wanted to check it so that there may not be any inauspicity in the matter of Kṛṣṇa's departure. This is the picture.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

So this Abhimanyu, father of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, only sixteen years old... His mother Uttarā... So king of..., Mahārāja Virāṭa... So when he was born... There is Vedic ceremony, jāta-karma ceremony. After a child is born... Oh, what a horrible age we are now! We are killing before the birth of the child. This is Kali-yuga. Such... It is so welcome, auspicious, a child is born in the family. There is ceremony, jāta-karma ceremony. Before the child is born there is ceremony, garbhādhāna ceremony, sarva-bhaksana(?) ceremony. Such a nice culture. Where it has gone now? Now child is killed within the womb of the mother by the mother. This is called Kali-yuga. And it is scientific advancement. The scientists, the priests, they give order. The doctor gives out, "Yes, do it." Just try to understand what is Kali-yuga. So anyway, this is the Vedic system, that when a child is born, immediately his horoscope is made. Astrological science is so perfect. The moment the child is born, immediately calculated, "What is the position of this moment?" Then they derive calculation, "This child will be like this, this will be this, will be this, this." I had also horoscope—the other day I was talking—and it was clearly written, that horoscope, that "This child, after seventy years, he will be great religious propagator and establish so many temples."

Lecture on SB 1.15.51 -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1973:

Pradyumna: Translation: "The subject of the departure of the sons of Paṇḍu for the ultimate goal of life, back to Godhead, is fully auspicious and is perfectly pure. Therefore anyone who hears this narration with devotional faith certainly gains the devotional service of the Lord, the highest perfection of life." (SB 1.15.51)

Prabhupāda: Yaḥ śraddhayaitad bhagavat-priyāṇām. Bhagavat-priyāṇām. There is a common word in English, "If you love me, love my dog." That is very important. So bhagavat-priyāṇām, one who is very dear to Kṛṣṇa, if you love such person, then Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. Bhagavat-priyāṇām.

Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973:

There are ten kinds of reformation. The first reformation is garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Garbhādhāna-saṁskāra means when the father is going to give birth to a child, it is not a secret affair. It is open affair. "Now this is the good, auspicious day, and today the father will implant the seed of the son in the womb of the mother." There is great function. That is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. And there are witnesses, all the brāhmaṇas, that "This day, such and such time, this king or this person has begotten this child." Just like when the child is born, it is recorded in the government book, similarly, when one is going to give birth to a child, that is also recorded. That is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Not that like cats and dogs in secrecy we have sexual intercourse, and if there is pregnancy, give some contraceptive pill or kill the child. Oh, how rascal and animals have been introduced in the human society. Just see. Here the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, a child has to be born. How it will be nice? When the mentality of the father and mother is completely Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so that when there will be sexual intercourse, the mentality of the child will be Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

And what is auspicity now? Eh? What is auspicity now? We are describing all inauspicity, even without the comet. (laughter) Where do you find the auspicity? One man said that "He has kicked me, he has beaten me with shoes, and again he has said that 'I shall insult you.' " Where is the scarcity of insult? If he is beaten by shoes and kicked by his leg, and still he's expecting some more insult? You are already in inauspicity. Why you are expecting more inauspicity by the presence of comet? We are already in inauspicity. And therefore these descriptions are there. You have no fixture anything—where to live, where to take bath, where to eat, where to have sex life—nothing fixed up. Everything catastrophe, chaos. What more inauspicity you want? Everywhere. Here even one problem, another, in another country, another problem, another problem, another problem. He must be problematic. Daivī hy eṣā... Because anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he must be punished by the laws of nature. He must be punished. Therefore it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ... (BG 7.14). They're already, in inauspicity. The whole atmosphere is inauspicious. So if there is little more inauspicity, what is the wrong there? There is nothing... The more inauspicity will come. Now, still, in your country you are not poverty-stricken. You have got enough food.

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

So varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa: (SB 2.1.1) "My dear king, this question is all-auspicious for all the people of the world." If you simply enquire about Kṛṣṇa or hear about Kṛṣṇa, even though we do not understand, but that vibration of Kṛṣṇa... Just like we are chanting "Hare Kṛṣṇa," we may not understand what is meaning of Hare Kṛṣṇa, but still, because it is transcendental sound, it is auspicious. Wherever you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, they may hear or they may not hear, it is auspicious for them. So we are sending our men for street saṅkīrtana. It doesn't matter whether people are eager to hear it or not, but it is auspicious. It will create an atmosphere which is very, very congenial to the human society. That should be our principle. Not that because we are chanting, nobody is taking care, we shall not be disappointed. Our, this saṅkīrtana movement is so nice that simply by chanting, the vibration will create an auspicious atmosphere, varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ (SB 2.1.1). Now you can practically see, those who are old members... So I began in this New York in that storefront simply by chanting. So I did not bribe you American boys and girls to come after me. This is the only asset was chanting. That in Tompkinson square park, this Brahmānanda Swami he first came to dance in my chant. (laughter) He and Acyutānanda, that was the first dancing of our Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. (laughter) Yes. And I had no mṛdaṅgas.

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

Anyway, the chanting is so auspicious, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given His benediction, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). We are suffering in this material world because we are not cleansed of our understanding or of our heart. The heart is not cleansed. So this chanting will help us to cleanse the heart.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām
(SB 1.2.17)

Chanting is so nice that as soon as you take to chanting, or hear about Kṛṣṇa—the chanting is also hearing about Kṛṣṇa—so immediately the cleansing process begins, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ (CC Antya 20.12). And as soon as our heart is cleansed, bhava-mahā-davāgni-nirvāpaṇam, then we become free from the blazing fire of this material existence. So chanting is so auspicious, therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja here, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa (SB 2.1.1). In another place also, Śukadeva Gosvā..., Sūta, Sūta Gosvāmī says, yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno yayātmā suprasīdati. When the great saintly persons in the Naimiṣāraṇya enquired about Kṛṣṇa, he replied like that. Yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ: "Because you have enquired about Kṛṣṇa, it will cleanse your heart, yenātmā suprasīdati. You will feel a very transcendental bliss, comfort, within your heart."

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The Lord in the temple, in the worshipable form, is never to be considered to be made of stone or wood because the Lord in His arcā incarnation as the Deity in the temple shows immense favor to the fallen souls by His auspicious presence. By the hearing process, as mentioned hereinbefore, this realization of the presence of the Lord in the temple is made possible. As such, the first process of hearing in the routine work of devotional service is the essential point. Hearing by all classes of devotees from the authentic sources like Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is essential. The common man who is puffed up with his material position and does not bow down before the Deity of the Lord in the temple, or who defies temple worship without any knowledge of the science, must know that his so-called turban or crown will only succeed in further drowning him in the water of the ocean of material existence. A drowning man with a heavy weight on his head is sure to drown more swiftly than others, who have no heavy weight.

A foolish puffed-up man defies the science of God and says that God has no meaning for him, but when is in the grip of God's law and is caught up with some disease like cerebral thrombosis, that godless man sinks into the ocean of nescience by the weight of his material acquisition. Advancement of material science without God consciousness is a heavy load on the head of human society. So one must take heed of this great warning.

The common man, if he has no time to worship the Lord, may at least engage his hands for a few seconds in washing or sweeping the Lord's temple. Mahārāja Pratāparudra, the greatly powerful king of Orissa, was always very busy with heavy state responsibilities, yet he made it a point to sweep the temple of Lord Jagannātha at Purī once a year during the festival of the Lord. The idea is that however important a man may be, he must accept the supremacy of the Supreme Lord. This God consciousness will help a man even in his material prosperity. Mahārāja Pratāparudra's subordination before Lord Jagannātha made him a powerful king, so much so that even the great Pathan in his time could not enter into Orissa on account of the powerful Mahārāja Pratāparudra. And at last, Mahārāja Pratāparudra was graced by Lord Śrī Caitanya on the very grounds of his acceptance of subordination to the Lord of the universe. So even though a rich man's wife has glittering bangles made of gold on her hands, she must engage herself in rendering service to the Lord."

Prabhupāda: So this is an actual fact, that Mahārāja Pratāparudra ... He was the King of Orissa, and in the fifteenth century, India was conquered by the Muhammadans, Pathans, but they could not conquer that portion of the country, Orissa. Because Mahārāja Pratāparudra was very strong king. But his strength was on the basis of his devotion to Lord Jagannātha. So even if we want to enjoy material world ... The devotee does not want to enjoy, but Kṛṣṇa keeps his devotee in all comfortable situation. There is no question about it. So we should not desire separately for material comfort. We should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa and be satisfied; in whatever condition He keeps, be satisfied. Then He will look after whether you are comfortable or uncomfortable. If you try, yourself, independently, to become comfortable, that is māyā. You cannot become so. Otherwise, you see everyone is trying to be comfortable in this material world. Do you think that everyone is comfortable?

Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:

Some unscrupulous persons, they recite Bhāgavata-saptāha, and the audience gather also for some material benefit. They take it as auspicious activity, śubha-kārya. They don't care for neither the speaker nor the devotee. They don't care for understanding the science of God. They are after some material profit. The professional reader, he reads, he takes some contribution, some money, some clothing, some umbrella, some shoes, some food, some money. In this way, he collects a very lump sum for his maintenance of his family, and the audience also thinks that "By hearing Bhāgavatam, I'll be very much profited materially." This is going on. Bhāgavata-saptāha. Bhāgavata-saptāha, imitation. Parīkṣit Mahārāja heard for one week Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. So they are imitating this one week. But where is Parīkṣit and where is Śukadeva? Both of them have got some ulterior purpose to hear Bhāgavata. Therefore it is not affecting. They are hearing Bhāgavata for thousands of years, but still, they are where they were formerly.

Lecture on SB 2.9.14 -- Melbourne, April 13, 1972:

Here one who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and falls down, for him, he says, "What is inauspicity there?" That means there is auspicity still, although he has fallen. And one who is sticking to his original occupational duty but does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what does he gain? This is the advice. What does he gain? "Oh, I am sticking to my own principles." What is your nonsense principle? After your death, after this body all principle will be finished. That's all. And you could not take the opportunity of taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So what is your gain? And this man who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, rejecting all so-called occupational duties and religious principles, he gains. There is no inauspicity because he had fallen. Why? Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41). At least it is guaranteed that you get next life a human form of life and in a very well-to-do condition, either in rich family or in the family of a very high class brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava. So therefore he is not losing anything. And the other man who is sticking to his own occupational duty and does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is losing everything because after this body nobody knows where he is going. Either going to be a cat or dog or tree or where, he does not know.

Lecture on SB 2.9.14 -- Melbourne, April 13, 1972:

So it is so nice thing. Here is the opportunity. We get the opportunity, Lakṣmī. How Kṛṣṇa is served. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). If by trying in one life, I am getting the chance of entering into Kṛṣṇa's kingdom to have eternal, blissful life, if I reject it, how much unfortunate I am. Even if you fall down. But there is a chance of becoming immediately being transferred. But even there is no chance, even there is not fully completed, even it is failure, still it is said "It is auspicious," because the next life guaranteed a human form of life. And for the ordinary karmī, what is next life? There is no information. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). He can become a tree, he can become cat, he can become a demigod. Not more than a demigod. That's all. And what is the demigod? They get some opportunity in the higher planetary system and again fall down. Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. After the bank balance, the puṇya, pious activity, resultant action of pious activities is finished, again come down. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokan punar āvartino 'rjuna: "Even if you go to the Brahmaloka where Brahmā lives, whose calculation of one day we cannot calculate; even if you go there, then they will come back." Mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. "But if you come to Me, then there is no more coming down here." This is the opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 3.22.19 -- Tehran, August 8, 1976:

Kardama Muni desired to beget a child who would be a ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One sould beget a child who can perform the duties of Viṣṇu; otherwise there is no need to produce children. There are two kinds of children born of good fathers: one is educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that he can be delivered from the clutches of māyā in that very life, and the other is a ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and teaches the world the ultimate goal of life. As will be described in later chapters, Kardama Muni begot such a child—Kapila, the incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, who enunciated the philosophy of Sāṅkhya. Great householders pray to God to send His representative so that there may be an auspicious movement in human society. This is one reason to beget a child. Another reason is that a highly enlightened parent can train a child in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that the child will not have to come back again to this miserable world. Parents should see to it that the child born of them does not enter the womb of a mother again. Unless one can train a child for liberation in that life, there is no need to marry or produce children. If human society produces children like cats and dogs for the disturbance of social order, then the world becomes hellish, as it has in this age of Kali. In this age, neither parents nor their children are trained. Both are animalistic and simply eat, sleep, mate, defend and gratify their senses. This disorder in social life cannot bring peace to human society. Kardama Muni explains beforehand that he would not associate with the girl Devahūti for the whole duration of his life. He would simply associate with her until she had a child. In other words, sex life should be utilized only to produce a nice child, not for any other purpose. Human life is especially meant for complete devotion to the service of the Lord. That is the philosophy of Lord Caitanya.

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

Nitāi: "Perfection in self-realization cannot be attained by any kind of yogi unless he engages in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because that is the only auspicious path."

Prabhupāda:

na yujyamānayā bhaktyā
bhagavaty akhilātmani
sadṛśo 'sti śivaḥ panthā
yogināṁ brahma-siddhaye
(SB 3.25.19)

Yogi... Yogi means connecting, and brahma-siddhaye... Brahma-siddhaye means self-realization, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Simply to know that "I am spirit soul" is not sufficient. It must be further advanced. Then it will be siddha, perfection, brahma-siddhaye. To realize "I am Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi," that is not sufficient. You have to make further progress. Just like to become feverless... Suppose one is suffering from fever. So medicine is given and the no more fever, fever stops. That is not sufficient. Not only fever should stop, but you should get strength, you should get appetite, you should have normal life. Then it is perfect cure of the disease. Similarly, brahma-siddhaye, to realize that "I am spirit soul," is not sufficient. You have to be engaged in the spiritual activities. That is bhakti.

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

That is done by Kṛṣṇa personally. For whom? Teṣām evānukampārtham (BG 10.11). Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. Those who are engaged twenty-four hours with love and faith in devotional service. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam. The buddhi-yogam. He directs, "Do like this, do like that." Then... What for buddhi? Yena mām upayānti te. Then, gradually, you come to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore it is recommended here, na yujyamānayā bhaktyā bhagavaty akhilātmani, sadṛśo 'sti śivaḥ panthā. Śiva means auspicious. Śiva means auspiciousness. So if you actually interested for self-realization, if you want to become perfect in this life, śivaḥ panthā, the most auspicious, most perfect panthā is... What is that? Now, bhaktyā bhagavati. You just become a devotee and engage yourself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not the so-called rascal Bhagavān, but bhagavaty akhilātman. One, the..., that Bhagavān who is present everywhere. That Bhagavān. Not this false bhagavān. Akhilātmani. These are the shastric injunction. So that Bhagavān... "I don't find that Bhagavān." No. That Bhagavān is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). That is real Bhagavān. So as soon... Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. That Bhagavān is always acting. He instructed Brahmā. Brahmā, the lord of the universe, he got instruction from Kṛṣṇa, and he created the whole universe, and what to speak of you? He'll also give instruction to you, provided you take to the devotional service, bhaktyā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

So ādau śraddhā. Kṛṣṇa says these are on the intellectual platform. Sometimes intellectual platform is taken as sentimental. But if it is rightly taken, somebody believes, even Kṛṣṇa..., Kṛṣṇa's statement, they are not sentimental. They are vijñāna-sahitam. Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. Yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt, jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitaṁ pravakṣyāmy anasūyave, yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt. This is the statement in Bhagavad-gītā. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ (BG 7.2). Pravakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ, yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt. That aśubha, inauspicious, we do not understand. We have taken inauspicious thing as auspicious. This is called māyā. We accept something māyā, or illusion, or vivarta. We accept something for something. The example is given: there is a rope, and due to my ignorance or insufficient knowledge, I take it as a snake. This is my insufficient knowledge. The snake is fact, and the rope is fact. But when we take the rope as snake, that is ignorance, or the snake as rope, that is ignorance. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "We are accepting snake..., er, rope as a snake. But there is no snake." But we, Vaiṣṇava philosopher, we say, "No, there is snake, and there is rope. But when we accept the rope as snake, that is māyā." Similarly, there is spiritual world and there is material world. But when we accept the material world as everything, that is māyā. That is illusion.

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

So the yoga system is meant for that purpose, that you practice yoga, and when you are mature, you can select an auspicious time and transfer yourself to certain planet, as you like. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). If you want to go to the demigod's planet, so you can transfer there. And if you want to transfer yourself to Kṛṣṇaloka—mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām—that is the best way. Because here, even if you transfer yourself to the Brahmaloka, the topmost planet, where duration of life is millions and millions of years... You can transfer in that planet, but that is not very good bargain. Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "Even if you transfer yourself to the Brahmaloka, where the duration of life is very, very long, still, you have to come back again." Kṣīṇe puṇye punaḥ martya-lokaṁ viśanti. So long your pious balance is there, you can stay there. But after that, you have to come back again in this material world. So śāstra says, "So if you have to prepare yourself, then why don't you prepare for going back to home, back to Godhead?" Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Kṛṣṇa says, "If you go to the spiritual planet, Vaikuṇṭhaloka or Goloka Vṛndāvana, then you haven't got to return. That is eternal." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Mām eti.

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

Pradyumna: Translation: "Due to ignorance, the materialistic person does not know anything about his real self-interest, the auspicious path in life. He is simply bound to material enjoyment by lusty desires, and all his plans are made for this purpose. For temporary sense gratification, such a person creates a society of envy, and due to this mentality, he plunges into the ocean of suffering. Such a foolish person does not even know about this."

Prabhupāda:

lokaḥ svayaṁ śreyasi naṣṭa-dṛṣṭir
yo 'rthān samīheta nikāma-kāmaḥ
anyonya-vairaḥ sukha-leṣa-hetor
ananta-duḥkhaṁ ca na veda mūḍhaḥ
(SB 5.5.16)

This is the description of the material world. Anyonya-vairaḥ: simply envious of one another. This is material world: I am envious of you; you are envious of me. You can extend this familywise, societywise, communitywise, nationalwise, but the basic principle is enviousness, nothing else. Therefore in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is explained that who are fit for accepting this Bhāgavata principle. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitava atra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). This is meant for the persons who are no more envious, for them. Those who are envious, they have no entrance in the principles of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Paramo nirmat... Because the whole world is based on the principle of enviousness. Anyonya-vairaḥ. And what is the meaning of this enviousness? Sukha-leśa-hetu, temporary happiness. Temporary happiness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

Nitāi: "In this material world, following the path of the pure devotees who are well behaved and completely endowed with first-class qualifications due to their having fully taken to the service of Nārāyaṇa as their life and soul is certainly the most auspicious, without any fear, and authorized by the śāstra."

Prabhupāda:

sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke
panthāḥ kṣemo 'kuto-bhayaḥ
suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra
nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ
(SB 6.1.17)

So the śāstra says that the association of devotees... Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ means devotees. Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, one who has taken Nārāyaṇa as the ultimate goal of life. Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu—They are of the same tattva, viṣṇu-tattva. So people do not know this, that to approach the platform of worshiping Nārāyaṇa or Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, that is the most exalted and assured platform. Just like we get insurance, so this is assured. Assured by whom? Assured by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is assuring, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa man... (BG 9.30). So many assurances there. Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa. Kṛṣṇa says personally that "I shall protect you." People suffer on account of sinful reaction, ignorance. Out of ignorance, they commit sinful action, and sinful action reacts. Just like a child, ignorant, he touches blazing fire, and it burns the hand, and he suffers. You cannot say that "Child is innocent, and the fire has burned." No. This is nature's law. Ignorance. So sinful activities are done out of ignorance. Therefore one should be in knowledge. Ignorance of law is no excuse. If you go to the court and if you plead, "Sir, I did not know that I have to suffer, I have to go to imprisonment for six months because I have stolen. This was unknown to me..." No. Known or unknown, you must go to the jail.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevaya. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, Chapter One, verse number seventeen.

sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke
panthāḥ kṣemo 'kuto-bhayaḥ
suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra
nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ
(SB 6.1.17)

"The path followed by pure devotees, who are well behaved and fully endowed with the best qualifications, is certainly the most auspicious path in this material world. It is free from fear, and it is authorized by the śāstras."

So this is the summarization of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that the path followed by pure devotees. Pure devotees means who has no material desire. That is pure devotee. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Śūnya means zero, one who has made all material desires zero. That is the way. In the Buddha philosophy it is called nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means make zero, śūnyavādi. But we cannot remain in the śūnya. That is not possible. Śūnyavādī-nirvāṇa means to give up material desires. It is not possible to give up desires. That is not possible. To give up desires means I am dead body, a stone.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:

So there are different methods how to get out of the suffering condition, karmī, jñānī, yogi. But ultimate, very easy process is, if you become a devotee, if you become engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is very easy. Kṣemaḥ akuto-bhayaḥ. Then your prosperity, your auspicity, is guaranteed. Kṣemaḥ akuto-bhayaḥ. Akuto-bhayaḥ means "without any fear." You can keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness as it is prescribed. Then your life is secure, akuto-bhayaḥ. Therefore no more fear. Because why? Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "If you become surrendered unto Me and if you keep yourself under My instruction, then I'll give you protection." Therefore it is said, akuto-bhayam. Then your character will be formed, you'll become... You'll manifest your all good qualities simply by becoming nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa. And so far atonement... We began this atonement. So atonement is concerned, here it is said, prāyaścittāni cīrṇāni nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukham. You can have some atonement, but if you are bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so this purification will not be complete. How? Rājendra surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ. According to Vedic civilization, a pot in which wine was kept, it is impure forever. It is impure forever. You cannot use for any other purpose. It is so abominable. If you think that "This bottle contained wine. Now wine is finished. Wash it, then it becomes pure," then according to Vedic civilization wine is so impure that even the pot in which wine was kept, it will never become pure. Surā... These examples outsider cannot understand, but it is said in the śāstra.

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

When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, means God. Kṛṣṇa is the God, Supreme. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So Kṛṣṇa has very kindly agreed to come to your city, Denver city, this temple. Take advantage of it. Come daily, see Kṛṣṇa, think of Kṛṣṇa, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, and be happy. This is our movement. We want to see that everyone is happy. That is the Vedic vision. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is human life. Human life means paropakāra. 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 6.1.27-34 -- 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. The process is different. Janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9). As Lord Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance are all spiritual, transcendental, they are not ordinary things, similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa's devotee, His representative, who is sent to this material world for preaching the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa, their appearance and disappearance is also like Kṛṣṇa's. Therefore, according to Vaiṣṇava principles, the appearance and disappearance of Vaiṣṇava is considered all-auspicious. Therefore we hold festivals. Just like yesterday we had the disappearance day of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Prabhupāda. So we offered our respects and observed a festival, Āvirbhava, Tirobhava. Tirobhava.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

So everyone is engaged in bodily necessities. Therefore it is said, dehavān na hy akarma-kṛt. And kāriṇāṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sti. Infection. We have got this practical understanding. If your body infects some disease, then you have to suffer. And if your body remains uninfected, unaffected by any poisonous..., then you remain healthy. Therefore it is said, sambhavanti hi bhadrāṇi viparītāni cānaghaḥ. Viparītāni. Viparī means just opposite. Sambhavanti bhadrāṇi. One is acting in auspicity, and one is acting viparītāni, just the opposite, inauspicity. In this way we are becoming entangled, life after life. Karinam guṇa-sango 'sti. In other place it is said, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa: (SB 3.31.1) "As we are acting auspicious or inauspicious, by higher supervision, higher consideration, judgment, we are getting different body." Otherwise why there are so many varieties of body? This is the cause. One is getting auspicious body, one is getting inauspicious body, but there is one opportunity that... If you want to change materially your auspicious or inauspicious position, that cannot be done. It is fixed up. It cannot be done otherwise. Suppose a man has got a nice body; a dog has got inferior body. You cannot change the... Bodily, you cannot make a man dog or a dog man. That is not possible. But spiritually, you can make. Spiritually, a bad man or bad dog even can be elevated to the highest perfection.

Therefore the conclusion is if you act spiritually, then it is bhadrāṇi, or auspicious. If you act materially, on the bodily concept of life, that is inauspicious. This is the conclusion. And that is being watched by the authorities, as we have already explained, the witnesses. God is the original chastiser or awarder, but there are so many witnesses. That we have already discussed. Sūryaḥ agniḥ khaṁ marud devaḥ somaḥ. Everywhere it is thoroughly watched. So we must be very careful that we have got this human form of body—how to act? The act means first of all you know what is your position. That is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "Your position is that you are not this body.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means they want to educate people, rectifying the basic principle of misconception: "I am body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am fat," "I am thin," "I am black," "I am white"—all bodily conception. This has to be removed first of all. So the śāstra says that if one is in the bodily concept of life, then he is no more better than an animal. No better than an animal. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). We have discussed many times. This bodily concept of life should be first of all removed. We must be enlightened. Otherwise, if we act on the bodily concept of life, then—not bhadrāṇi, not auspicious—everything is inauspicious, viparītāni. Sambhavanti hi bhadrāṇi viparītāni cānaghaḥ, kāriṇām. Kāriṇām means one who is working. Nobody is... Because dead stone, that is sitting idly, but any..., even a small ant, it is also working. That is the difference between matter and the spirit. So we cannot understand this difference, that what is the difference between matter and spirit. Why the big mountain does not move? Because it is dead matter. And a small ant, it moves. Why it is so? That is the difference between matter and spirit.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

So under this misconception of life we are simply acting inauspiciously. Why inauspiciously? Because we are working blindly. We do not know what is my next life, or we do not believe in next life. But you believe or not believe; next life is there. As the child has his next life, the boy has his next life, the youth has his next life, similarly, the old man has got his next life. You believe or not believe; you have to accept next life. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). This is real education. You have to accept the next life. Now, what kind of next life you will get, you have to prepare in this life. That is auspicious. That is bhadrāṇi. And if you don't prepare for the next life, irresponsible... Just like a street boy does not take education because he has no idea of next life. But his father, his mother, is anxious that "My son's next life, future life, will be spoiled if he does not take education." They are anxious. Similarly, the father and the mother, the guru, the friend—everyone should be actually well-wisher of his friend, dependent, when he gives spiritual education. Then he is friend. Otherwise they are enemy. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sa syāt. The sastric contraception means that "If you cannot educate your sons how to stop repetition of birth, then don't become a father. Don't become a mother." This is śāstric... "Don't become a guru. Don't become so on, so on, well-wisher, if you cannot stop."

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

Therefore this movement should be encouraged. Especially I request my students that you push on this movement. Your country is very good. Let them become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then everything will be bhadrāṇi, all auspicious, bhadrāṇi. Otherwise your so-called big, big motorcars will create abhadrāṇi, viparītāni. We don't discourage you to construct big, big cars, but it should be used for the kīrtana party to go to village to village, not to go to the brothels and liquor shop. Then you are ruined. You can use it, all the facilities. The microphone should be used for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not talking nonsense. This should be this... Everything is good, provided it is used for good purpose. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa sambandhe yukta vairāgyam ucyate. We are not such foolish person that "This is material, this microphone. We shall not touch it." No, we are not so fool. We are intelligent enough how to use it. That's all.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

So bhadrāṇi, auspicity or auspicious activities, is this, devotional service. Be engaged always, twenty-four hours, in devotional service. There we have got program, early morning, 4:30, up through 9:30 in the evening. This is all auspicious activities. We are giving chance people: "Come here and join this auspicious activity so that you will be saved from this repetition of birth, death and old age."

Lecture on SB 6.2.7 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1975:

So the order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu, Viṣṇudūta, declared that "This man, although he was very sinful, but now he is cleared of all sinful reaction. He is now clean." How he is clean? Yad vyājahāra: "He has uttered the name of Nārāyaṇa," yad vyājahāra vivaśo, "not any artificially, but automatically," vivaśaḥ, nāma, "the holy name." Svasty-ayanam: "To chant the holy name of the Lord means to achieve all auspicity." Hare.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

Yes? So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, na tathā vindate kṣemam. Kṣemam means auspicity. The highest auspicity of life is to reconnect his lost relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Kṛṣṇa. This is called yoga. Real yoga means this, that we are, at the present moment we have lost our consciousness. Not actually we have lost our consciousness; we have lost our memory. Consciousness is there, but consciousness may be differently contaminated. Different person, your consciousness may be different from my consciousness. You are thinking in a different way; I am thinking in different way. Similarly, consciousness is there. That is a symptom of life, symptom of spirit soul. But the difference is due to material contamination. Just like superficially your blood and my blood, the same, red. But if we analyze, oh, there may be so many chemicals present in your blood, and so many chemicals may be present which is not exactly equal. Similarly, as soon as there is life and there is spirit soul, the focus of the spirit soul, consciousness, must be there. I am present in this body—how I can understand? Because this consciousness. You pinch any part of your body: you feel. This is your consciousness. That means I am present in this body, and as soon as I am away from this body, you may cut this body into pieces—there will be no consciousness. There is no feeling. So our consciousness should be purified. Now the consciousness is contaminated by material association in so many ways. Just like the blood purification tonic is given. If the doctor finds by examination of the blood... In your country, as soon as you go to a doctor, immediately, "Please offer your blood." The demand is immediately blood. That is, of course, scientific, modern science. But according to Ayur Vedic system, there is no demand of blood. They feel the pulse, and according to the different, I mean to say, movements of the pulse, they can understand what kind of disease is there. That is a medical science.

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Toronto, June 21, 1976:

We are spirit soul, sanātana, and there is a sanātana-dhāma, place. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). This word is used, sanātanaḥ. Means eternal. These living entities, they're eternal. They are not meant for this world. Here, nothing is eternal; everything is temporary. So why we should remain here? It is not. Therefore it is called bhavam āśritaḥ. Unfortunately, he has taken shelter of this place where he has to die and take birth again. So bhavam āśritaḥ. So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends, tato yateta kuśalaḥ. If one is interested for his upliftment, kuśalaḥ... Kuśalaḥ means auspicity. Everyone wants auspicity. Tato yateta kuśalaḥ kṣemāya bhavam āśritaḥ. Ultimate auspicity or ultimate goal of life. So long the body is strong... Not that... Prahlāda Mahārāja has begun, kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ. General education also. Education is given to the children, not to the old men. Because that is the rising of the body. He's receptive; he can take. Prahlāda Mahārāja's recommendation is that so long we are strong, we are in working order, we are not feeble or all energy lost... No. When you have got full energy, full strength, young men, children, they should take this lesson of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is recommended for them. Not for the old man who has lost everything. But they have taken it that Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is for the old man who is going to die. But here it is recommended—no, for the strong man, youthful children, like that. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is recommending, because the business is very important. Bhavam āśritaḥ: to get out of this bhava. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

Lecture on SB 7.6.20-23 -- Washington D.C., July 3, 1976:

Yes. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, is explaining Himself. Absolute Truth is the ultimate end, Vedānta. The subject matter of knowledge is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So we have got this human form of life to inquire about the Absolute Truth. Jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Unless one is jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive, there is no need of accept a so-called fashionable guru. To accept guru is not a fashion, style, that "Everyone has guru; I'll have a guru." No. The śāstra says, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. One should accept guru when he is inquisitive, jijñāsuḥ. What about? Śreyaḥ uttamam. The Absolute or the auspicity beyond this material world. Uttamam. Tamaḥ means darkness, ignorance.

Lecture on SB 7.9.1 -- Mayapur, February 8, 1976:

He is the original father of the demigods and all other living entities. He's therefore known as prajā-pati or called pitā-maha, grandfather, prajā-pati. He is the origin of everything. The Darwin's theory, a rascal theory, that there was no life, but according to Vedic knowledge there were the best life, Brahmā. From there begins life, and gradually they become degraded, material contamination. Not that there was no life. From low type of living condition one is elevated higher and higher. That is a wrong theory. The real theory is that life begins from the most exalted person, Lord Brahmā, prajā-pati. So in any auspicious matter they are forward, because you cannot approach God in your lower condition of life. You see? Lower condition of life means sinful reaction. In that condition you cannot approach God. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). (aside:) Who is talking? Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme pure, pavitraṁ paramam. Paramam means extreme. So nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa while He is impure. That is not possible. Just like some rascals, they say, "It doesn't matter what you are eating, what you are doing. There is no hindrance for your spiritual advancement." These rascals, these fools, misleading the whole world that in the matter of understanding the Supreme Person one can behave like the low-grade persons. No. That is not possible. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 2, 1968:

The beginning of devotional service is to accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is also said that what is the beginning of devotional life. He has explained that śraddhā. Devotion means... The Sanskrit word is śraddhā, devotion, affection, affinity, attachment. So... Or faith. The faith word is generally understood. So what sort of faith? There are different kinds of faith. But Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he says that strong faith, not ordinary faith. Strong faith. What sort of strong faith? He has explained, śraddhā śābde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya: (Cc. Madhya 22.62) "That faith means unflinching faith without any deviation, with full understanding." What is that understanding? Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya: "One who engages himself in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, it is to be understood that he has seen all activities of auspicity." That means he has already finished or passed the examination of pious activities. Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. This is the beginning. Unless one takes it firmly that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead..." And if anyone is engaged in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, then it is to be understood that he has done all pious activities. This is this faith, this kind of faith, unflinching faith. When we have got this unflinching faith, that is the beginning of Bhāgavata life. Bhāgavata life means devotional life, direct connection with the Supreme God. That is Bhāgavata life.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:

So when God appears, incarnates, descends, His business is to protect the devotees, paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. That is His first business. Vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: and to kill the unfaithful, miscreants. For them, God does not require to come Himself. Side by side, He does so. If God likes, He can kill thousands of miscreants by one stroke. So that business does not depend on Him, that He would come to kill a demonic person. The real business is to protect the devotees, the faithful. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, kṣemāya bhūtaya utātma-sukhāya cāsya vikrīḍitam: "Actually, You have appeared for these persons, to protect them, for their happiness," sukhāya, "and for their elevation." Just like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or Vedic literature, or any scripture. For whom they are meant? Those who are godly, for their elevation, so that they can elevate more and more. It is not for the atheistic persons. They do not believe in God. So Bible or Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, they are not meant for the atheistic persons. So whatever auspicious things are in the world, they are meant for the faithful, not for the atheistic persons.

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

Dayānanda: Oh. "Please, therefore, stop your anger. Now my father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, the great demon, being killed, as the saintly persons who take pleasure in the killing of the scorpion and the snake, similarly, all the saintly persons have achieved great satisfaction on account of the demon's death. Now they are confident of their happiness. They shall always remember about Your auspicious incarnation."

Prabhupāda: "Of Nṛsiṁha-deva."

tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya
modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā
lokāś ca nirvṛtim itāḥ pratiyanti sarve
rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha vibhayāya janāḥ smaranti
(SB 7.9.14)

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is requesting Nṛsiṁha-deva, "Now the business is finished. My father, the great demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu..." He said, asuraś ca hatas. He... Such a great Vaiṣṇava, he is not calling Hiraṇyakaśipu his father. And in other place also he addressed his father, na sādhu manye asura-varya. He never said, "My father." He said, "The greatest of the asuras." He was so bold. The father was such a great demon, and he was not addressing him as father, and the father was becoming more and more angry upon him. This indicates that a person who is a demon, not devotee, he's not worth calling a father.

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead spoke: My dear Prahlāda, the most gentle and best of the family of asuras, let there be all auspiciousness for you. I am very much pleased upon you. It is My pastime to fulfill the desires of all human beings. Therefore you can ask from Me any benediction that you desire to be fulfilled."

Prabhupāda:

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
prahlāda bhadra bhadraṁ te
prīto 'haṁ te asurottama
varaṁ vṛṇīṣva abhimataṁ
kāma-pūro 'smy ahaṁ nṛṇām
(SB 7.9.52)

So śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān, this word, we have several times explained that the most opulent, six opulences, riches, aiśvaryasya... Śrī, aiśvarya, strength, bala... Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). This is Bhagavān. All six opulences in full. So if Bhagavān wants to fulfill one's desires, who can check Him? Here Kṛṣṇa, Nṛsiṁha-deva, says, prīto 'ham: "I am now pleased." So this is the business, how to please Kṛṣṇa. If He is pleased, then what you want more? Everything is under your control. Yasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam. Everything will be fulfilled. Riches? You can... If Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon you, He can give you immense riches, as much as you want. That is wanted. Instead of endeavoring yourself to earn money... People are engaged to earn money, working very hard day and night. So if there is such thing that simply by pleasing Kṛṣṇa you can get as much money as you want, then why shall I earn money?

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

So unless one becomes a perfect devotee, he cannot become a bhadra, gentleman. That is not possible. Narādhamāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Unless one is a devotee, he is a duskrtina, most sinful man, narādhamāḥ, and the lowest of the human being. These are the qualification. So one has to become devotee. If you want to become bhadra, gentleman, you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it is not possible. Otherwise it is not possible. You are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, at the same time gentleman—that is a false thing, pretender. A bhadra... Here it is said, bhadra. Prahlāda bhadra bhadram te (SB 7.9.52). And when you become bhadra, gentle, perfect, qualified gentleman, then everything is auspicious for you. There is no inauspicity. Bhadram, everything. The bhadram... Here Vīra-raghavācārya, he explains this word, bhadram aniṣṭa-nivṛttiḥ: "no more anything inauspicious." Bhadram. Aniṣṭaṁ nivṛttiḥ iṣṭaṁ prāptis ca. Two things, that is bhadram. Very nice, Vira-raghavācārya's explanation. Bhadram aniṣṭa-nivṛttir iṣṭaṁ prāptiḥ. Iṣṭam means "whatever you desire," because a bhadra, a gentleman, cannot desire anything which is bad.

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

So we should not think independent. We must become bhadra. Then all auspicity will come. These two words, if you can understand... Prahlāda bhadra bhadraṁ te (SB 7.9.52). If you are not bhadra, then you will remain always abhadra, rākṣasa or asura. And here it is said, 'prīto haṁ te asurottamam: "You are the best of the asura family." Because Prahlāda was born of a father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, and the most ferocious asura, so he cannot escape the relationship with his father, with reference to his father. "How can I say that I am not son of a...?" There is that asura, mean, facility or disadvantage. But he is uttama. He surpassed that platform. How it is possible? Now, because Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon him. Prīto 'ham. Although he is born in an asura family, low-grade family, but because Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon him, he becomes immediately bhadra. This is the facility. So those who speak that the, these Europeans and Americans cannot become Vaiṣṇava, they are mistaken. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon them, immediately they become the best of the brāhmaṇas. Here it is said, prīto 'ham: "Never mind you are born in the family of asura, but because I am pleased, you are all-purified. You don't be disappointed." It is only... We require to please Kṛṣṇa. Then everything is all right. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, "Never mind he is born in the pāpa-yoni. It doesn't matter. But...," te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, "because he has taken shelter of My lotus feet..."

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

So don't be depressed. Try to please Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is our only business. That is our only business, whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied or not. Then it is, everything, all right. Prīto 'ham. Prīto 'ham. Here it is said, prahlāda bhadra bhadraṁ te prīto 'ham: (SB 7.9.52) "I am fully satisfied upon you." Try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Then everything is auspicious. And then Kṛṣṇa will... Instead of begging from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will beg from whatever you want: "What you want, please tell Me." The devotee never wants, but Kṛṣṇa is anxious. Here it is said, varaṁ vṛṇīṣva: "You take whatever you like." So if you simply please Kṛṣṇa, He'll canvass, "My dear devotee, whatever you want, you take. You can take from Me." Varaṁ vṛṇīṣva. "So why shall I beg from You?" Now, kāma-pūro asmi: "Whatever you desire, I can fulfill. I am so powerful." Kāma-pūro asmy ahaṁ nṛṇām. Nṛṇām, ordinary person. Because a devotee is above the nṛṇām. So, so long we are, remain in the material condition, we have so many kāmas, desires. But as soon as we come to the spiritual platform... Because there everything is ready, why shall I be desiring to have this thing or that thing? Everything is ready. Everything is ready. That is spiritual platform. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu (Bs. 5.29). Kalpa-vṛkṣa. Everything, everything you want, it is ready immediately because there is Kṛṣṇa only, and He is always ready. What is that song? Gopījana-rañjana. Sing this song.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Pradyumna: "This eternal engagement in bhakti-rasa can be understood by a serious student upon studying The Nectar of Devotion. Adoption of bhakti-rasa, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, will immediately bring one to an auspicious life, free from anxieties and will bless one with transcendental existence, thus minimizing the value of liberation. Bhakti-rasa itself is sufficient to produce a feeling of liberation because it attracts the attention of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. Generally..."

Prabhupāda: Bhakti-rasa is better than liberation, mukti. Because generally the Māyāvādī philosophers, jñāni-sampradāya, they consider mukti means to merge into the spiritual existence, Brahman. Brahma-sayujya-mukti, to, to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence of the Absolute. They consider it, that is the highest. And the Buddha philosophers, they think to make all these activities zero, śūnyavādī. Dismantle. Because on account of this combination of matter, earth, water, fire, air, ether, this body's made, and the body is subjected to pains and pleasure on account of this mixture. So Buddha philosophy is that you dismantle this mixture. Let earth go to the earth portion and water portion to the water portion. Then there is no existence of the body, and there is no pains and pleasure. Make it zero. This is called śūnyavādī. And the Māyāvādī, their philosophy is stop this variegatedness. We are suffering pains and pleasure within this material world on account of these varieties. So these varieties, they are on, built on the foundation of the Supreme Spirit. So merge into the Supreme Spirit and get out of these varieties. This is their philosophy. So the Buddha philosophy or the Māyāvāda philosophy, they're almost one, because their ultimate goal is to make things zero.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

Pradyumna: "...in bhakti-rasa can be understood by a serious student upon studying The Nectar of Devotion. Adoption of bhakti-rasa, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, will immediately bring one to an auspicious life, free from anxieties, and will bless one with transcendental existence, thus minimizing the value of liberation. Bhakti-rasa itself is sufficient to produce a feeling of liberation because it attracts the attention of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Yes. People generally think that liberation is the ultimate goal or the full achievement. But liberation is a very insignificant thing in the presence of devotional service. Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra. Dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Mokṣa means liberation. So Bhāgavata says that dharma artha kāma mokṣa, they are thrown away from the study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Śrīdhara Swami confirms it: atra mokṣa-vāñcāḥ-paryantaṁ nirastam. A devotee is above the point of liberation. The devotional service is called pañcama-puruṣārtha. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given His opinion: premā pumartho mahān. Not dhara is pumarthaḥ. Our ultimate goal of life is neither dharma, or artha, religiosity, economic development, kāma, sense gratification, and mokṣa, liberation.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

Pradyumna: (reading:) Nectar of Devotion. "This eternal engagement in bhakti-rasa can be understood by a serious student upon studying The Nectar of Devotion. Adoption of bhakti-rasa, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, will immediately bring one to an auspicious life free from anxieties and will bless one with transcendental existence, thus minimizing the value of liberation. Bhakti-rasa itself is sufficient to bring a feeling of liberation because it attracts the attention of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Generally, neophyte devotees are anxious to see Kṛṣṇa, or God, but God cannot be seen or known by our present materially blunt senses. The process of devotional service as it is recommended in The Nectar of Devotion will gradually elevate one from the material condition of life to the spiritual status, wherein the devotee becomes purified of all designations."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The process of seeing God... Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136)]. Just like a person suffering from some disease, his eyesight is blocked. He has got the eyesight to see, but on account of some cataract disease, he cannot see. Similarly God is there, and I can see Him also. But the cataract of illusion is covering via media between God and me.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

Prabhupāda: That's all. So, next page.

Pradyumna: "Invoking auspiciousness: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the reservoir of all rasas, or relationships, which are called neutrality, or passive adoration, servitorship, friendship, parenthood, conjugal love, comedy, compassion, fear, chivalry, ghastliness, wonder and devastation. He is the supreme attractive form, and by His universal and transcendental attractive features, He has captivated all the gopīs, headed by Tārakā, Pālikā, Śyāmā, Lalitā, and ultimately, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Let His Lordship's grace be on us so that there may not be any hindrance in the execution of this duty of writing The Nectar of Devotion, impelled by His Divine Grace Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda."

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is described as akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. So there are different rasas, five primary rasas. Rasa means the mellow or the taste which we enjoy in every activity. That is called rasa. Everything is done with some taste. Whatever you do, you must enjoy some taste out of it. So there are twelve rasas, out of which five rasas are primary and seven rasas are secondary. They are described here.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

Pradyumna: (reading:) "Invoking auspiciousness: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the reservoir of all rasas, or relationships, which are called neutrality, or passive adoration; servitorship; friendship; parenthood; conjugal love; comedy; compassion; fear; chivalry; ghastliness; wonder; and devastation. He is the supreme attractive form, and by His universal and transcendental attractive features, He has captivated all the gopīs, headed by Tārakā, Pālikā, Śyāmā, Lalitā and, ultimately, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Let His Lordship's grace be on us..."

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all rasas. Rasa is a very peculiar word. Rasa, it may be translated into English as "taste," as "mellow," or as "humor." So our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, there is some taste. Without taste, we cannot continue our relationship with anyone. There must be some taste. So these rasas, or tastes, are twelve kinds. Primary rasa is the relationship between inert things and our... Just like I am sitting on this chair. So the comfort I am feeling, that is the rasa, taste. We want very nice cushion, sitting position. So that tasting, that "I am now comfortably seated," this is called śānta-rasa. Then above the śānta-rasa, there is dāsya-rasa. Dāsya-rasa... Just like my students, my disciples, they want to serve me, and I want to take service from them. This is also an exchange of rasa, a taste. Śānta, dāsya. Similarly, next advanced stage is sakhya-rasa. Sakhya means friendship. Just like one is serving somebody, but if that service is very intimate, then there is the rasa of friendship, dāsa, sakhya-rasa. And when that is advanced... (feedback) (aside:) What is this sound? When that is advanced, it becomes vātsalya-rasa. Vātsalya-rasa means the taste of relationship between parents and the children. These are advanced. Śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, and then vātsalya-rasa, parenthood, filial love. And above this, there is mādhurya-rasa. Mādhurya-rasa means the taste between husband and wife, lover and the beloved. That is called mādhurya-rasa. Similarly... These are the primary rasas. (aside:) The draft is coming this side, or...? It is open.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

Pradyumna: "In the above statement by Kapiladeva from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the actual position of a pure devotee is described, and the primary characteristics of devotional service are also defined. Further characteristics of devotional service are described by Rūpa Gosvāmī with evidences from different scriptures. He states that there are six characteristics of pure devotional service, which are as follows: (1) Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress. (2) Pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness."

Prabhupāda: Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has described,

viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate
yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ gauram eva stumaḥ
(Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5)

When actually one comes in the platform of devotional service, for him, there is no problem. The whole world is disturbed, agitated with so many problems, but for a devotee, there is no problem. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. And they are trying, the whole world is trying to become very big man. Somebody's trying to be very big merchant or big industrialist, or minister, or this or that, and others, they are trying to occupy the post of Indra, Candra, devata. That is competition, going on. As soon as there is some competition, even persons, demigods, like Indra, Candra, they become disturbed, and they try to stop it. But a devotee has no such concern. He's not disturbed. Because he's engaged in the service of the Lord, he feels so much happy that he has no disturbance. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. Neither he is anxious to occupy any very big post. Because for a devotee, vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. He knows that "What is this position? Say, for some years, ten years, twenty years, fifty years, hundred years, millions years." It is limited. As soon as the limited span of life is finished, either in this world, either in this planet, or in other planets... Suppose I go to the heavenly planet, I occupy the post of Indra. What is that? It is also limited. Kṣīne puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti (BG 9.21). So long you have got assets of pious activities, you can occupy such post; then again come down. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). So in this way we are wandering from up, down, down, up. In this way.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972:

We suffer due to our sinful activities. That is the general meaning of suffering. For pious activities we enjoy. But in this material world, either we enjoy or suffer, the common factor is suffering. Suppose if for my pious activities I get good birth, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). By pious activities, we get birth in good family, janma; aiśvarya, we get sufficient riches, wealthy family, wealthy parents; janmaiśvarya-śruta, good education; and śrī, beauty. These are the result of pious activities. But to take birth in the family of a king or very rich man, the sufferings of taking birth is the same. As the poor man suffers within the womb of his mother, similarly the rich man also suffers within the womb of his mother. The sufferings of taking birth is equal to the poor man and rich man. There is no difference. When there is disease, fever, it is not it is less painful to the rich man and very painful to the poor man. The pain is the same. So actually, so long there is material existence, the so-called suffering and enjoying, they're on the same level. There is no difference. But if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as Kṛṣṇa assures, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66), "I shall get you relieved, released from all kinds of sinful activities." That is real auspiciousness. Means when Kṛṣṇa takes charge, He gradually educates the devotee buddhi-yogam, in devotion service, so that he may go back home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That is real auspicity. In the material world, so-called auspicity, to become very rich, to become very educated, to become very beautiful, high parentage, they are also, in material consideration, they are auspicity, undoubtedly. But they are also adulterated with so many sufferings, threefold miseries: ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. So actually such position is not auspicity. Real auspicity is go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore it is said, pure devotional service... Pure devotional service means without any material motive. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11).

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972:

So pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness. All-auspiciousness means go back to home, back to Godhead. So if we stick to pure devotional service, follow the rules and regulations, chant sixteen rounds, be engaged always in the service of the Lord, then ultimate gain is that tyaktvā dehaṁ punar naiti mām eti kaunteya. (reads:) "Pure devotional service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure." Transcendental pleasure and material pleasure, there is difference. Material pleasure means sense gratification, and transcendental pleasure means satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. A devotee is satisfied seeing Kṛṣṇa is pleased. That is their satisfaction—through Kṛṣṇa. Material pleasure means direct sense perception, and spiritual pleasure means by, through Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, then the devotee is satisfied. Just like a tree, the leaves and twigs become satisfied through the root of the tree. So Kṛṣṇa is the root. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). So transcendental pleasure mean feeling of pleasure through Kṛṣṇa. Just like the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa. Gopīs, when they saw Kṛṣṇa is pleased, they became happy, and Kṛṣṇa, when He saw that the gopīs are happy, He become happier. Again the gopīs sees that Kṛṣṇa is happier, they, again they become more happy. In this way, there is competition of happiness. The gopīs sees Kṛṣṇa happier; they feel happiness, and Kṛṣṇa sees gopīs happier; Kṛṣṇa feels happiness. This word is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: dui lagi hura huri (?). This is spiritual competition.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

Pradyumna: " 'Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is All-Auspicious.' Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given a definition of auspiciousness."

Prabhupāda: The snakes, kāla-sarpa, indriya. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has explained about these kāla-sarpas, snake... Our senses are compared with the snakes. Just like a snake, as soon as it touches somebody, it kills. It is very dangerous, touching by the lip of the snake. Similarly, a, a slight sense gratification is so dangerous, kāla-sarpa indriya-paṭalī, especially in the sex matter. So one... Yogis, they are training the senses how to restrain them from sense gratification, but a devotee, on account of their senses being engaged in the service of the Lord, there is no poisonous effect of the senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Kṛṣṇa's another name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Rathaṁ sthāpaya acyuta. Hṛṣīkeśa. In the Bhagavad-gītā, this word is used, Hṛṣīkeśa. So Hṛṣīkeśa means "the master of the senses." Actually, our senses are given by Kṛṣṇa. We wanted a type of instrument to enjoy certain type of material enjoyment, and Kṛṣṇa has given us senses. Actually, the proprietor of the senses is Kṛṣṇa; therefore His name is Hṛṣīkeśa, "master of the senses." So if we actually use the senses for the service of the proprietor of the senses, that is bhakti. Do not..., we do not want to stop the activities of the senses, but it is, they are used for the purpose of the sense proprietor, Hṛṣīkeśa. That is called bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti means don't use the senses for sense gratification. Apply the senses for the satisfaction of the proprietor of the senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170).

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

Pradyumna: "Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given a definition of auspiciousness. He says that actual auspiciousness means welfare activities for all the people of the world."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement: it is welfare activities for all the people of the world. It is not a sectarian movement, not only for the human being, but also for the animals, birds, beasts, trees, everyone. This discussion was made by Haridāsa Ṭhākura with Lord Caitanya. In that statement, Haridāsa Ṭhākura affirmed it that by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra loudly, the trees, the birds, the beasts—everyone—will be benefited. This is the statement of Namācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So when we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra loudly, it is beneficial for everyone. This statement was put forward in Melbourne in the court. The, the court inquired that "Why do you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra loudly in the street?" The reply we gave that "Just to benefit all the people." Actually, it is the fact. Of course, now there is no prosecution by the state. We are chanting very freely on the streets. That is the benefit. If we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, it benefits everyone, not only human beings. My Guru Mahārāja used to say if somebody complained that "We go and chant, but nobody attends our meeting," so Guru Mahārāja would reply that "Why? The four walls will hear you. That is sufficient. Don't be disappointed. Go on chanting. If there are four walls, they will hear. That's all." So chanting is so effective that it benefits even the animals, beasts, birds, insects, everyone. Go on. This is the best welfare activity. In the human society there are welfare activities for some society or nation or community or human being. But this welfare activity is beneficial not only to the human society but to the birds, beasts, tree, animal, everyone. This is the best, supermost welfare activity in the world, spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a fact in everyone's heart. It is already there. Otherwise how these Europeans and Americans, they're taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously? So it is to be understood that Kṛṣṇa consciousness was there already. By the process of hearing, śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte, process of hearing... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam (CC Antya 20.12). Śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam is so auspicious that the chanting of this mantra awakens the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. The more you hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the more your heart becomes cleansed. These are the statements given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There cannot be any defect. My statement may be defective, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu's statement cannot be defective, because He is in the transcendental platform. He is transcendence Himself. Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne. Kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmine. He's Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He has appeared in the form of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. Therefore, whatever He says, that is fact. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. The more we hear the vibration, the transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, without any offense... Even with, mixed with offense... There are three stages of chanting this vibration: offensive chanting, and almost offenseless chanting, and offenseless chanting. Offensive chanting may give you material pains and pleasures, and almost offenseless will give you liberation, will place you in the transcendental platform. And when it is offenseless, then immediately you'll invoke love of God, Kṛṣṇa-prema. So even in offensive stage, if you go on chanting and try to be, try to become safe from offensive condition... Daśa-vidhā-nāma, ten kinds of offenses, if we avoid, that is the process of auspicity. But even we are not in the platform of offenseless chanting, still, we must go on chanting. It will gradually make our heart cleansed and we'll be offenseless. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, awakening of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is required. That is called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

So here, Rūpa Gosvāmī says auspicity means that which spreads for everyone, in all parts of the world. That is auspicity. Not partial. In politics or sociology or humanitarian activities, there is partiality for a certain section of human being, or certain section of living beings. But this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, awakening Kṛṣṇa consc..., dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is meant for all living entities. Even birds, beasts, insects, they can also awaken. This is the recommendation of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, that if we chant loudly, the trees will hear, the birds will hear, the insect will hear, and they will be liberated. That is the statement of Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Therefore chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and awakening of dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the auspicious activities, welfare activities, for every living entity all over the world.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

So that is recommended by Śukadeva Gosvāmī also:

kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
(SB 12.3.51)

"Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one becomes liberated from the resultant action of sinful life, and at length he is promoted, paraṁ vrajet..." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). This is the process. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, should be spread. And that is actually auspicity for all people, all over the world. Go on.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

So, as they are mentioned, the first principle is that every devotee must try to rise early in the morning. That is first business. This practice should be done first. No one should sleep more than six hours. Or, if you want to, sleep more... But you must rise in early in the morning. At four o'clock, attend the ārātrika, maṅgala-ārātrika. Maṅgala-ārātrika means auspicious beginning of your day. If you stand before maṅgala-ārātrika... In Vṛndāvana you see now, every temple, as soon as there is four o'clock, the ding-dong bell immediately begins. People can rise early in the morning, take bath in the Yamunā and visit the Deities in the temple. There is no necessity of passing M.A. examination, taking B.A. degree for devotional service. Simply you have to follow the regulative principles. Then automatically you'll become spiritualized. Very simple method. Vṛndāvana is specially meant for that purpose. Why people come to Vṛndāvana? To take the advantage. Here the atmosphere is surcharged with devotional service. We should take advantage of it. This is called sādhana-bhakti. Sādhana. Sādhana-bhakti means we have to practice it. And it does not require much education. It does not depend on your riches, that you have to become a very rich man to follow the regulative principles, rise early in the morning. Anyone can rise ea... It is simply a practice. You can take bath in the Yamunā. It is simply practice. You can visit the temples early in the morning. It is simply practice. So this is called sādhana-bhakti, practicing.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:

Prabhupāda: That is called yajña. Yajñārthe karma. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "A similar verse is found in the Eighth Canto, Third Chapter, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, verse 20. Gajendra says there, 'My dear Lord, I have no experience in the transcendental bliss derived from Your devotional service, so therefore I have asked from You some favor. But I know that persons who are pure devotees and have, by serving the lotus feet of great souls, become freed from all material desires, are always merged in the ocean of transcendental bliss and, as such, are always satisfied simply by glorifying Your auspicious characteristics. For them there is nothing else to aspire to or pray for.'

"In the Ninth Canto of the Bhāgavatam, Fourth Chapter, 49th verse, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha replies to Durvāsā Muni thusly: 'My pure devotees are always satisfied being engaged in devotional service, and therefore they do not aspire even after the five liberated stages, which are (1) to be one with Me, (2) to achieve residence on My planet, (3) to have My opulences, (4) to possess bodily features similar to Mine, and (5) to gain personal association with Me. So, when they are not interested even in these liberated positions, you can know how little they care for material opulences or material liberation.'

"There is a similar prayer by the nāga-patnī (wives of the Kāliya serpent), in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixteenth Chapter, verse 33. The nāga-patnī say there, 'My dear Lord, the dust of Your lotus feet is very wonderful. Any person who is fortunate enough to achieve this dust does not care for heavenly planets, lordship over all the planetary systems, the mystic perfections of yoga or even liberation from the material existence. In other words, anyone who adores the dust of Your lotus feet does not care a fig for all other perfectional stages.' "

Prabhupāda: This was spoken by the nāga-patnī when Kāliya was being punished by Lord Kṛṣṇa, kicking over his head. So this prayer was offered, that "For Your dust of Your lotus feet, so many great sages are hankering after, and they do not care for even liberation, simply to get Your, that dust of the lotus feet. We do not know how much this fortunate snake is, that he's automatically getting the dust. You are kicking on his head. We do not know what did he do in his previous life that he's so fortunate."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.107-109 -- San Francisco, February 15, 1967:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly accuses Śaṅkarācārya that the commentary which he has made indirectly, if we read that commentary or if we hear that commentary, then tāhāra śravaṇe nāśa haya sarva kārya, then anyone who is hearing or trying to understand the Śārīraka-bhāṣya, he is going to hell. He's not only wasting his time, but he's going to hell. Sarva nāśa. Sarva nāśa means "all auspicity lost." Why? Why lost? Lost because as soon as you indulge in the reading of the Śaṅkara-bhāṣya, the whole program is you have to think that "I am God." So if I am God, then who is else God, that I have to worship? That means the prospect of devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is killed forever. Such rascal will never be able to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore he says, haya sarva nāśa. He is being murdered, you see, because he never will come. He'll always think, "I am God." Just like... Who was speaking? Yes, yes, Nikhilananda. He has discussed in that Vivekananda's speech that man is God. But somebody asks, "Why he has become dog?" "Oh," he says, "I do not know." So God says, "I do not know." He's such a God. And that is clearly written. Have you got that book? God, God, God... The followers of Śaṅkarācārya say that "I am God. There is no other God. Every one of us God." Then why you have become dog? "Oh, that I do not know." Is that God's, I mean to say, answer? If I ask if you are God, if I answer you, "Why you are dog?" you say, "I do not know," so are you God? God does not know? Well, God description is there in Parāśara-sūtra that He is full of all knowledge. That is God. And God says, "I do not know"? How he is...? What kind of God he is? That is clearly stated here. Why you have become dog? "I do not know. But I am God." He knows, "I am God," but he does not know why he has become dog. That is his knowledge. You'll find so many fallacies like this. How do you know that you are God? "That also I do not know."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.298 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

Similarly, sometimes, when Śiva is not available... Śiva is available. Nijāṁśa-kalāya kṛṣṇa tamo-guṇa aṅgīkari'. Now Kṛṣṇa, the Lord Himself, when He accepts the management of these modes of ignorance, He is called Śiva. So Śiva, Śiva is God, but because he is in the department of ignorance, therefore his name is Śiva. He makes śiva. Śiva, another meaning of śiva is "auspicious." These inauspicious persons who are in ignorance, for them, Śiva worship, worship of Lord Śiva, is recommended so that gradually they come to the modes of passion and goodness, and then they are liberated. So nijāṁśa-kalāya kṛṣṇa tamo-guṇa aṅgīkari', saṁhārārthe. But his business is destruction. When there is some destruction in this material world, you should know that is the action of Śiva. Perhaps you have seen one statue that is very popular, sold in antique shops-Naṭarāja, dancing and fire, all round there is fire. When Śiva begins to dance, his dance is very serious. As you dance, kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, so similarly Śiva also dances for annihilation. There is fire. By his dancing, there will be fire. Saṁhārārthe māyā-saṅge rudra-rūpa dhari. Māyā-saṅge. He has got connection with this material energy, and he is meant for destruction. Material energy is under the, I mean to say, control of this Śiva-rūpa of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is called father. He is called father, and the material energy is called mother. Father and mother, Durgā.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.14-20 -- New York, January 10, 1967:

There are many ascetics taking severe penance for perfection, tapasvinaḥ. Tapasvino dāna-parā. Dāna-parā means there are many persons who are munificent, making charity, dāna-parā. And yaśasvinaḥ: there are many persons who are very famous. Tapasvino dāna-parā yaśa..., manasvinaḥ. Manasvinaḥ means mental speculators, philosophers, thinking, high thinkers, great thinkers. So these are worldly, great men. Who? One who performs great penance, one who is very charitably disposed, one who is very famous, one who is very mentally advanced, he can think nice things, writes philosophical thesis, write nice poetry. Manasvinaḥ. These are the products of great mind. Manasvino mantra-vidaḥ. Mantra-vidaḥ means the chanters of Vedic hymns. Mantra-vidaḥ sumaṅgalāḥ. These things are all nice, auspicious. These things are all... But kṣemaṁ na vindanti vinā yad-arpaṇam. But these things cannot... By these things you cannot alone have success unless it is not offered to the Supreme Lord. Your good qualification should be engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. Then you get the desired result. And our Howard's mother has written very nicely that if you talk of Kṛṣṇa, then you enjoy yourself, and you give enjoyment to many others. And if you talk of man (mammon?), then you can create some, I mean to say... What is the exact word she has used? Noise. You can create some noise for some time.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.21-28 -- New York, January 11, 1967:

So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ: (BG 7.25) "I do not reveal Myself to everyone, one and all. No. I cover Myself." So these impersonalists, due to their, I mean to say, less intelligence, or misfortune, they cannot see Kṛṣṇa. So therefore, for them this remark is here that śreyaḥ-sṛtim, that "Actually what is auspicious, devotional service, if somebody gives that path away and takes to simply dry speculation, simply to understand..." Because jñāna means to understand what is the difference between matter and spirit. So they, of course, indulge in that process of knowledge. But simply by that speculation the result is that teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate. The trouble which they accept for discriminating matter from spirit... There is trouble. You have to see so many Vedic literatures, and you have to understand the instruction of Upaniṣads and logic, and so many things there are to, I mean to say, back your understanding. So teṣām kleśala eva... Their, their profit is that the trouble which they accept for studying so many Vedic literatures to prove that the Absolute Truth is not person, that trouble is their profit and nothing more. Kleśala eva, teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate: "They do not get any other profit except that troublesome business." That's all. Teṣāṁ kleśala eva śiṣyate. How it is? The example is, nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām: "Just like husking the grain to take out the skin." Now, there are many grains which are skin over. So there is process of taking out the skin out of the grain. So if the grain is already taken out, only the skins are left. Then, if you husk on it and beat to get out the grains, so there is no possibility to get any grains from them because the grain is already taken out. So that is the trouble. Simply, I mean, beating the skin is no good. We must have some concrete result. That concrete result is one who is directly engaged in the transcendental service, loving service of the Supreme Lord. That is recommended.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.31-38 -- San Francisco, January 22, 1967:

Now, Brahmā says that "This form is bhuvana-maṅgalam maṅgalāya. This form, Kṛṣṇa, is meant for all auspicity for everyone." Bhuvana-maṅgalāya dhyāne sma daraśitaṁ ta upāsakānām. "Those who are observing You in meditation..." Meditation means to concentrate the mind only on Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. This is meditation. I do not know Nowadays so many meditators are there, they have no objective. Something they try to think of impersonal, nonmanifested. And that is condemned in Bhagavad-gītā, that kleśādhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām. Those who are trying to meditate upon that impersonal void, they are simply, I mean to say, taking unnecessary trouble. If you want to meditate, just meditate on Kṛṣṇa or the$ Paramātmā, the catur-bhuja Viṣṇu, four-handed Viṣṇu. That is the process of meditation everywhere recommended. So why should we go to the impersonal or voidness of meditation and waste our time? Yes.

Festival Lectures

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

So on this auspicious day of appearance day of Lord Rāmacandra, we are taking this opportunity of foundation of the cornerstone of our temple in this Bombay center. And it is very kind of Mrs. Nair, A.B. Nair, that she has given us this chance along with her husband. So, so far we are concerned, we are preachers. We are preaching all over the world. We don't require any palatial building or very comfortable apartment. But because it is a preaching center, in order to invite respectable persons, we require nice building, nice temple. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, our predecessor ācārya, he left his ministership, government post and became a mendicant. He was living underneath a tree every night. Not permanently underneath a tree: tonight one tree, next night another tree. But when he was approached by King Mānsiṅgh, the commander-in-chief of Emperor Akbar... In those days rich men, big men, they were God conscious, and they wanted to do something for God's service. So King Mānsiṅgh approached Rūpa Gosvāmī if he could do any service. So Rūpa Gosvāmī, he was living under the tree, so what service he expected from King Mānsiṅgh? He said that "If you want to do some service, do it for Kṛṣṇa." So he advised him to construct a temple at Vṛndāvana.

Ratha-yatra -- San Francisco, July 5, 1970:

So Jagannātha means the proprietor or the master of all these movements, He is Jagannātha. And Balabhadra, Balarāma, bala means strength and rāma means enjoyment. So Balarāma means who gives you spiritual strength for enjoying eternal blissful life, He is Balarāma. And Subhadrā, su means auspicious and bhadra means well-being. Subhadrā, Jagannātha and Balarāma combined together are present before you to reclaim you all from your miserable condition of life. That is the purport of this Ratha-yātrā Festival. (break) If anyone sees on the cart Jagannātha, Subhadrā, and Baladeva, then he does not take birth again in this material world. Ratheja vamanaṁ dṛṣṭa

So I shall not take much of your time, you are tired. But some of the important things I may inform you, that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a religious type; it is a great culture. It is a great culture for spiritual emancipation. Try to understand that we are in this world—not only we are; everything is combination of matter and spirit. Just like your body, this body is matter; but within this body, you, the spirit soul, is encaged or embodied. So anywhere you see, the tree... There are so many species of life, every species, every individual living entity is combination of spirit and matter. When the spirit is out of this body, then the body is matter only. Just like in your Bible also it is said, "Dust thou art, dust thou be-est." That dust is this body but not this spirit soul. So in this material world we are part and parcel of God, Jagannātha, and we are under the auspicious protection of Subhadrā, and we have got, I mean to say, implicitly the spiritual strength. In the Vedic literature you will find, nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyo. Bala, bala means this Balarāma, the spiritual strength. The spiritual realization can be achieved by the grace of Lord Balarāma.

Ratha-yatra -- San Francisco, June 27, 1971:

So today is a very nice, auspicious day. On this day Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He was present on this earth, He attended a solar eclipse ceremony at Kurukṣetra, and Kṛṣṇa, along with His brother Balarāma, and Subhadra, sister, came to visit the Kurukṣetra field. That Kurukṣetra land is still present in India. If someday you'll go to India you'll find that Kurukṣetra land is there. So this Ratha-yatra ceremony is performed in commemoration of Kṛṣṇa's visiting Kurukṣetra with His brother and sister. So Lord Jagannātha, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was in ecstasy. He was in the mood of loving spirit like Rādhārāṇī, so He was thinking, "Kṛṣṇa, please come back again to Vṛndāvana." So He was dancing before the Ratha-yatra, and you will understand, if you read some of the books published by you..., published by our society. One of the book is known as Teachings of Lord Caitanya. It is very important book. If you want to learn this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we have got enough books. You can scientifically and philosophically study. But if you have no inclination to study, if you simply take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, gradually everything will be revealed unto you, and you will understand your relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

I thank you very much for participating in this ceremony. Now let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and proceed with Jagannātha Swami. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

So today is that auspicious day, Janmāṣṭamī, when Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago in India, Mathurā. Those who are Indian ladies and gentlemen present, they know very well where is Mathurā. It is about ninety miles south of New Delhi. Mathurā is still existing and it is eternally existing. Kṛṣṇa appeared in Mathurā in His maternal uncle's house in a very precarious condition. That birthplace, Lord Kṛṣṇa's birthplace, is now maintained very nicely. One who goes to India, they see. So anyway, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared on this planet five thousand years ago. Now Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Divyam means "not ordinary." It should not be understood just like we take our birth. Kṛṣṇa does not take his birth like us. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are speaking that formerly You spoke this yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god. That means it is millions and trillions years ago You spoke. How can I believe it?" Because Kṛṣṇa was contemporary to Arjuna, so he was thinking that "Kṛṣṇa is my friend, is my cousin brother. How it is possible that He spoke this Bhagavad-gītā yoga to sun-god?" So what was the reply? The reply was this, that "You also appear many, many times; I also appear many, many times. The difference is that I can remember. You cannot remember."

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

Today is Kṛṣṇa's birthday. He descends to give us instruction. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Kṛṣṇa advents Himself... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). This is dharmasya glāniḥ. What is that? When we forget Kṛṣṇa and try to become the master of the world. This is dharmasya glāniḥ. When we want to become master of Kṛṣṇa, that is dharmasya glāniḥ. So Kṛṣṇa advents Himself. This is, today is the auspicious day of Kṛṣṇa's adventing to kill Kaṁsa and to release Vasudeva. This is Kṛṣṇa. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya... Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. Vasudeva, His father, was arrested, put into the prison house. To release him from the prison house, and to kill the Kaṁsa, duṣkṛtina, rākṣasa... The rākṣasika philosophy is "How to kill Kṛṣṇa, how to become godless." Kaṁsa was planning to kill Kṛṣṇa. That is... Kaṁsa, or the demons, that is plan. But Kṛṣṇa comes to kill the demons and protect the devotees. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). But He is kind to both the demons and the devotees. By... Anyone who is killed by Kṛṣṇa, he also gets liberation. And what to speak of the devotee.

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 18.5 -- London, September 5, 1973:

So anyone who comes before Rādhārāṇī to serve Kṛṣṇa, oh, She becomes so pleased, "Oh, here is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa." She immediately recommends, "Kṛṣṇa, oh, here is a devotee. He is better than Me." This is Rādhārāṇī. I may be a, not devotee. I may be most fallen rascal. But if I try to reach Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī, then my business is successful. Therefore we should worship Rādhārāṇī first. That is our business. Instead of offering directly one flower to Kṛṣṇa, you just put it in the hands of Rādhārāṇī: "My mother Rādhārāṇī, Jagan-mātā, if you kindly take this flower and offer it to Kṛṣṇa." "Oh," Rādhārāṇī says, "Oh, you have brought a flower?" Kṛṣṇa said, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26), but don't try to offer Kṛṣṇa directly. Just offer through Rādhārāṇī. It will be very much appreciated by Rādhārāṇī.

So this is our philosophy, to please Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī, and just today is the auspicious day of Rādhārāṇī appearance. So we should offer puṣpāñjali and pray to Rādhārāṇī that "Rādhārāṇī, kindly be merciful and tell about me to Your Kṛṣṇa. To Your Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is Yours." Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not independent. Kṛṣṇa is Rādhārāṇī's property. So you have to approach Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī. That is, today is the auspicious day. Worship Rādhārāṇī very nicely and be happy.

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

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

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

So I tried a little bit in that spirit. So he has given me all facilities to serve him. Things have come to this stage, that in this old age I have come to your country, and you are also taking this movement seriously, trying to understand it. We have got some books now. So there is little foothold of this movement. So on this occasion of my spiritual master's departure, as I am trying to execute his will, similarly, I shall also request you to execute the same order through my will. I am an old man, I can also pass away at any moment. That is nature's law. Nobody can check it. So that is not very astonishing, but my appeal to you on this auspicious day of the departure of my Guru Mahārāja, that at least to some extent you have understood the essence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You should try to push it on. People are suffering for want of this consciousness.

Varaha-dvadasi, Lord Varaha's Appearance Day Lecture Dasavatara-stotra Purport -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1970:

lifted the world when it was submerged within the water of Garbhodaka Ocean. The universe which we are seeing, it is only half. The other half is filled with water, and in that water is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu lying. So one demon, Hiraṇyākṣa, he pushed this earthly planet within that water, and Lord Kṛṣṇa delivered this earthly planet from water in the shape of a boar. So that auspicious day is today, Varāha-dvadaśī. This is called Varāha-dvadasi. So on this day it is better to sing, to glorify the different incarnations of Lord within this universe. The first incarnation is the fish form.

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

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

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

Haṁsadūta: Doubly auspicious.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So at that time, there was no sale of Back to Godhead. I was publishing about one thousand copies and distributing. So there was no income. I was spending three hundred, four hundred rupees from my pocket. At that time, I had income. Then, gradually... I wanted to remain as a gṛhastha and preach, but Guru Mahārāja did not like this idea. I could understand. Sometime I was dreaming that he was calling me, and I was horrified that "I'll have to go away from home." (laughter) So at last it happened so that I left my home in 1950 and became a vānaprastha. I was living sometimes here and there. In 1959 I took sannyāsa. But that Back to Godhead was going on. Then there was some inner dictation that "This paper, Back to Godhead, I am publishing, people are taking." Some friend advised me that "Why don't you write some books? That will be nice." So then I began to translate Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And because I left home, so practically I had no income. With this Bhāgavatam, er, Back to Godhead, I was selling and I was some way or other maintaining. And whatever little money I had, that was finished.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Today is the most auspicious day, 101 years ago, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he appeared on this day. So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is gaura-śakti. Gaura-śakti means empowered, empowered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He wanted His mission to be broadcast... (aside:) What is that sound? ...all over the world. He desired:

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

Pṛthivīte, all over the world, as many towns and villages are there, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted that His mission will spread. This prediction was made by Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally five hundred years ago.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

Today, the auspicious day of our predecessor spiritual master, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura's mission... Apart from his life, we are especially stressing on the mission of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. This place, Māyāpur, was formerly known as Miyapura. Mostly it is inhabited by the Muhammadans. Some way or other it converted into the name of Miyapura instead of Māyāpur. Still, people are very much doubtful where is the birth site of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was researching to find out the actual place. So under the direction of Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, this present Yogapīṭha was ascertained to be the birth site of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in the beginning wanted to develop this place very gloriously, befitting the holy name of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So he started this movement of developing Māyāpur. He could not finish it, so it was handed down to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. So under his effort, assisted by his disciples, this place has gradually developed, and our attempt is also to develop this place. Therefore we have named this temple Māyāpur Chandrodaya. We have got great ambition to develop this place nicely and gloriously, and fortunately we are now connected with foreign countries, especially with the Americans. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's great desire was that the Americans would come here and develop this place and they would chant and dance along with the Indians.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Mayapur, February 8, 1977:

Prabhupāda: So this is the one-hundred-third birth anniversary. You may remember? One-hundred-third this is? One-hundred-third anniversary?

Pradyumna: 1972, 1977 it is. One-hundred-fourth. One-hundred-fifth.

Hari-śauri: One-hundred-fifth.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, this is the auspicious day of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, one-hundred-fourth?

Pradyumna: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: One-hundred-third birth anniversary. So this is formal, one-hundred-third or, or, or -second. It is eternal. It is eternal. Just like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described, nitya-līlā. Nitya-līlā means it is going on. Just like just now it is eleven o'clock. This eleven o'clock, and when it becomes twelve o'clock noon, it does not mean that eleven o'clock is passed. Eleven o'clock is existing somewhere. In India it is eleven o'clock, somewhere else it is ten o'clock, and when in India it will be twelve o'clock that eleven o'clock will be somewhere else. Therefore one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, you take, that is going on. It is not that one is finished. That is material calculation. Material calculation, this body we have got. When this body will be finished it is finished forever. It will never come. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. In the spiritual world there is no such thing as finished. Nitya-līlā. Nitya-mukta.

Sri Sri Kaliya Krsna Deity Installation -- Lautoka, Fiji, May 2, 1976:

So, ladies and gentlemen, today is very auspicious day that in your country, beautiful land, we are now going to establish a temple of Kāliya. Rāmana, Kṛṣṇa. Of course the Deities, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Guru-Gaurāṅga also will be there. There will be three compartments in the fashion of our Vṛndāvana temple. And I thank you very much for your encouraging association in this matter. It is said,

śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-
śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau
yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

Guru is... There are so many other things, guru's qualification. There are eight verses in the prayer of guru. The first verse is

saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam
prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

Guru's first business is to deliver the suffering humanity from the forest fire of this material existence. This material existence is compared with forest fire. You know there is fire in the forest. Big forest, nobody goes there to set fire. But automatically there is fire. Therefore this material existence has been compared with the forest fire. Here everyone wants to become happy, but there is fire. Even if we do not want, there is fire, miseries. Because this place, this material world, is place for suffering. It is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This place is for suffering.

Initiation Lectures

Brahmana Initiation Lecture with Professor O'Connell -- Boston, May 6, 1968, (Glenville Ave. Temple):

Prabhupāda: We are very glad to receive Professor O'Connell in this auspicious meeting. And it will be very nice, because he's studying the process of Caitanya philosophy. And this ceremony is one of the functions in devotional service. We have got a big book... I think, Professor O'Connell, you have secured that book, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. Have you secured that book?

O'Connell: I have the book. I'm yet to be a professor or even get my degree beyond the... I have the book.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. So that Hari-bhakti-vilāsa is written by Sanātana Gosvāmī in the name of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. Because Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī was a very young boy, and Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were very elderly. But because all the six Gosvāmīs happened to be direct disciples of Lord Caitanya, so Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, although very young, he was treated as younger brother of Sanātana Gosvāmī. So this book was actually written by Sanātana Gosvāmī, but it was published or dedicated to Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. In this book the rules and regulation of the Vaiṣṇavas are described—of the brahmacārīs, the students; of the gṛhasthas, householders; vānaprastha, retired men; and sannyāsī, renounced order—how gṛhastha should live, how brahmacārī should live, how vānaprastha should live, how sannyāsīs should live. All the... It is called Vaiṣṇava smṛti.

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

So we should avoid blaspheming the persons who have preached God consciousness all over the world. We should not deprecate the value of scriptures. And the most obstinate sinful activity is to act sinfully on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Because it is said that as soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa you become freed from all sinful activities. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa name. Absolute. So if somebody thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, therefore I can continue committing all kinds of sinful activities," that is the greatest... Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir. Anyone who commits sinful activities... I have already explained the four kinds of sinful activities you should avoid. But if you think that you are chanting, therefore there will be no reaction of sinful activities, that is the greatest sin. Greatest offense. Never. Don't commit any sinful activities. And sāmyaṁ śubha-kriyā api pramādaḥ. This is another great offense. That don't accept this chanting as something auspicious activity. It is transcendental to auspicious and inauspicious activities. It is a vibration from the spiritual sky which will attract you gradually to the spiritual sky, beyond this material sky.

Initiation of Satyabhama Dasi and Gayatri Initiation of Devotees Going to London -- Montreal, July 26, 1968:

...auspicious day because it is all arrangement of His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, my (Prabhupāda's voice chokes up) beloved spiritual master. He is seeing. He had a great desire to preach Lord Caitanya's message in the Western world. And I am sure he will be pleased to see so many young boys and girls are seriously engaged in preaching the gospel of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is my success.

So, His Divine Grace, my spiritual master, somehow or other liked me, that I should take up this responsibility. And on the first day I met him, I was at (that) time a very young man, a nationalist, and engaged in a very responsible office. So one of my friends casually took me. I did not like to go. But I am very much thankful to that friend, who is still living in Calcutta, that he forcibly took me to His Divine Grace. I was reluctant to see because in our house my father used to receive so many sannyāsīns, but I was not very much satisfied with their dealings. So I thought that Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja might be a similar man. So what business I have got to see him? But this friend took me forcibly, that "Why not see the man?"

So I went on his request, and I was so profited. So on the first visit he asked me that "Educated boys like you, you should go to foreign countries and preach the gospel of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There is great necessity."

Initiation of Satyabhama Dasi and Gayatri Initiation of Devotees Going to London -- Montreal, July 26, 1968:

So the idea is that whatever I have brought Kṛṣṇa consciousness message to your country, that is due to the grace of His Divine Grace, of my spiritual master, who is sitting here. And I am very glad that you have come here from San Francisco for your going to London mission. And in auspicious moment you have come so that there was going to be a ceremony, initiation ceremony. So it is all auspicious symptoms, and let us be situated firmly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act this missionary work, spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. That will make our life successful, and those who will take up this line of activities, they will be also very happy. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Anyone who will take this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be happy, and they will feel obliged to Me." That is stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that "When people will take this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, in every city and every town, they will feel obliged to Me." Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu said like this. We have read in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Initiation of Satyabhama Dasi and Gayatri Initiation of Devotees Going to London -- Montreal, July 26, 1968:

And sāmyam śubha-kriyā mati-pramādaḥ. Just like we are having this function. There are many auspicious functions in every religious system, but it is not like that. It is transcendental. It is spiritual. It is not ordinary religious rituals. Chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is not a ritualistic method. It is transcendental. It is natural, original relationship. So this should be avoided. And the conception of realizing oneself as this body, self-realization. No. That should be avoided. And one should not be inattentive while chanting. In this way ten kinds of offenses... Of course, in the beginning we have got... Because our life is contaminated, there may be so many falldowns, but we should be careful. The more we become careful, the more we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa without any offense, the more we quickly become advanced. Just like a person taking medicine, if he takes all care, then the medicine effects very quickly and the disease is cured very quickly, similarly, if we take precaution of these ten kinds of offenses... Of course, by chanting, gradually everything will be cleared, but still, we must be very cautious. Even we fall down, that, Kṛṣṇa will save us if we are sincere.

Initiation of Bali-mardana Dasa -- Montreal, July 29, 1968:

They should be given that. You should avoid chanting, every one of you, ten kinds of offenses. The first offense is to decry the scriptures, Vedas. To accept authority of Vedas. Not to accept or decrying scriptures. Vedas means the book of transcendental knowledge. Not only Bhagavad-gītā, even Bible or Koran, they are also, although Bhagavad-gītā... Higher or secondary or primary, that is different. But whenever there is information of God, that is scripture, recognized. So we are concerned with the Vedas. So anyway, other scripture which is giving information of God scientifically or accepted by persons, that is also Vedas. One should not blaspheme the Vedas. This is first offense, to blaspheme. And satāṁ nindā, those who are preaching the message of God, they should not be blasphemed. And then never interpret in the scriptures or in the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. And sāmya śubha-kriyā mati-pramādaḥ. This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa should not be executed as something auspicious activities. People generally go to church, to temple, to counteract their sinful activities. Somebody thinks actually that "If I go to church or temple, if I confess before God, then my sinful activities will be counteracted." But hari-nāma should not be taken in that way. If we think that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa; therefore I am free to commit all kinds of nonsense," then no.

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1971:

So both of them are guṇamayī. The spiritual nature is horrible for the conditioned soul, but she is not horrible for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). So everyone Kṛṣṇa's..., related with Kṛṣṇa is not, he or she is not horrible. Just like a police department is horrible for the criminals and not for the President. The President is not afraid of the police department because the police department is under his control. Similarly, this material nature with three qualities, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, it is horrible for the conditioned soul. Therefore, if anyone surrenders to Kṛṣṇa—mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti—immediately he overcomes the horrible feature of this material nature. Otherwise, if one does not come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if one does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, this material nature is horrible. So therefore in both ways the spiritual nature or the material nature, they are guṇamayī. And the difference is that when one is conditioned, he is under the material nature guṇamayī, and when he is liberated, he is under the spiritual nature guṇamayī. But both of them are guṇamayī.

So your name is Holly? (break) Eh? Yes. So your spiritual name is Herā-pañcamī. Herā-pañcamī is the auspicious energy of Jagannātha Svāmī, yes. So you worship Jagannātha Svāmī very nicely. So now you can... So? There is no dakṣiṇā? Ghee?

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

So you are getting initiation in this auspicious day when Lord Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī, His eternal consort, is now being situated, er, established, installed, on this auspicious moment, and you will be initiated to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in the beginning. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. As it is indicated in this verse, one who remembers the Supreme Personality of Godhead always, he remains always purified, śuciḥ. Śuciḥ. Śuci means... Another meaning of śuci is brāhmaṇa, purified. A brāhmaṇa... According to nature's division, there are four classes of men: the brāhmaṇa, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdra. Brāhmaṇa means the intellectual class of men who knows hygienic rules, keeps himself always purified and engaged in studying Vedic literatures for understanding this world, God, himself, the interrelation. They are called brāhmaṇa.

Initiation Ceremony -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974 :

Devotee (1): To take the chanting as auspicious material ritual.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (indistinct)—karma. Just like to..., there are many auspicious activities to counteract inauspicious activities. So this chanting of holy name should not be taken as that. It is just for the matter of pleasing the Absolute Personality of Godhead. So, you chant mantra. Hmm.

Devotee (2): Bhakta Johnny, your name now is Rāmāi dāsa.

Prabhupāda: You know what are the prohibitive rules? Prohibitive rules?

Rāmāi dāsa: (indistinct).

Devotee (2): The four rules.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Rāmāi dāsa: (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Rāmāi dāsa: No illicit sex. No meat-eating. No gambling. No intoxication.

Prabhupāda: So your spiritual name... How many rounds do you chant?

Rāmāi dāsa: Sixteen rounds.

Initiation Ceremony -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974 :

Prabhupāda: Very good. What is her name?

Devotee (2): Bhaktin Penny's name is Śubha Lakṣmī dāsī.

Devotees: Hari bol! (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Bring money more.(laughter) Lakṣmī means money, (laughter) and śubha means auspicious. So long you bring money, you are auspicious. (laughter)

Devotee (2): The next initiate is Bhaktin Carol.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Rāja Lakṣmī.

Devotee (2): Rāja Lakṣmī. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Royal, Rāja means royal. So, what are the rules and regulation?

Rāja Lakṣmī dāsī: No illicit sex. No meat-eating or eating anything that's not prasādam. No intoxication. No gambling or speculation.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. How many rounds will you chant?

Raja Lakṣmī dāsī: Sixteen.

Cornerstone Ceremonies

Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, January 23, 1975:

This is godly civilization. And this godly civilization can be given to the whole world by India. That is India's special privilege. Because in other countries beyond India they are almost āsuri-janā and ugra-karma. The industries and other ugra-karma has come from the Western countries. But by this way people will never be happy. That is very elaborately explained in the Sixteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā. Duṣpūra akaṅkṣa. Their desire will never be satisfied by this material advancement. They do not know. They are forgetting. So we selected this Bombay. Bombay city is the best city, most advanced city in India, the best city in India. And people are also very nice. They are religiously inclined. They are opulent. They can take up better things very nicely. Therefore I wanted to start this center, Bombay, for spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Although there have been many impediments in my endeavor, still, ultimately it is Kṛṣṇa's business. It will come successful. So today... The foundation and cornerstone establishment was done two years before, but there were many, many impediments from the asuric janā. Now, some way or other, we have got little relief from such impediments. So we are putting this cornerstone this auspicious day, and I am very glad that you have joined us.

Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, January 23, 1975:

So today is very auspicious day. With great difficulty we have got now sanction. Now please cooperate with this attempt as far as possible with your prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā, four things: by your life, by your words, by your money... Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā. This is the mission of human life. Whatever you have got... It is not that "Because I am poor man, I cannot help this movement." No. If you have got... You have got your life. So if you dedicate your life, that is all-perfect. If you cannot dedicate your life, give some money. But if you can..., poor man, you cannot give money, then you give some intelligence. And if you are fool, then give your words. So any way, you can help this movement and do the welfare activities for India and outside India. So that is my request. I welcome you. Of course, today is ekādaśī. We are, mostly we are fasting. Some prasādam will be given. So it is not the question of prasādam; it is the question of the important work we are taking in hand, how to spread a God consciousness movement.

General Lectures

Lecture (Day after Lord Rama's Appearance Day) -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1970:

So we request you that on this great auspicious day of Lord Buddha's birthday, there should be... Lord Buddha laid down the basic principle of meditation, that people should not forget the ultimate goal of life; they should meditate upon what is the mission of my life, what is the end of my life. Not that just like animals we shall spoil our life simply by eating, sleeping or sex life or so-called defending. We may discover so many defending instruments or weapons, but there is no defense from the cruel hands of death. However you may be advanced in manufacturing so many nice things, you cannot manufacture anything which can save you from death or from disease or from old age. These primary principles of life should be understood, and if there is any possibility to make a solution of these four things, then it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā,

mām upetya kaunteya
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
(BG 8.15)

The Lord says that "One who comes to Me," mām upetya, "he hasn't got to come back to this condition of miserable life." Duḥkhalayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). And if anyone agrees, "All right, let it be miserable or pleasant, I don't mind. I want to remain here..." Just like there are many scholars and many new doc..., degrees holder, they say that "We want to remain in this world happy.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

Liberation means to get out of the blazing fire of this material existence. That is liberation. It is simply change of consciousness, that I am thinking in so many ways, my consciousness is polluted in so many ways. But when you think that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is your real constitutional position, then that very understanding makes you liberated, immediately. Pāpa-kṣaya bhavati smaratāṁ tam ahar-niśam. Tatraiva ca tasmāt saṅkīrtanaṁ viṣṇu jagan-maṅgalam amhasā... Jagan-maṅgalam amhasā. Śrīdhar Swami gives his comment, tasmāt, therefore; sankīrtanaṁ viṣṇu jagan-maṅgalam amhasā. The world (is) full of sinful reactions. If this saṅkīrtana movement is pushed on there will be peace, there will be auspicity all over the world. It is not that we have introduced a new thing. It is sanctioned by the śāstras and accepted by the authorities. Tasmāt. He said, tasmāt sankirtanaṁ viṣṇu. Viṣṇu, not others. Not for the, of the demigods. Viṣṇu. Saṅkīrtanam viṣṇu jagat maṅgalam amhasā, mahatām api kauravya viddhy aikāntika-niṣkṛtam ity ādi. It is not only good for the sinful persons. Those who are exalted mahātmās, they should not think... They cannot think. If they are actually mahātmās, they cannot think like that. But there are so-called mahātmās. They think that they are very much exalted, they do not require this saṅkīrtanam. Śrīdhara Swami says that this saṅkīrtana movement is not only for the persons who are sinful, but mahatāṁ api. Mahatāṁ api sarveṣāṁ. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Everywhere.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

Yes. Munayo sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam. When a question about Kṛṣṇa, or God, he congratulated them, "My dear sages, your question is very welcome because it is the question of God." So there may be questions, but every sincere man must question what is God and try to learn it. That will bring auspicity all over the world. Simply in schools, colleges, in business, in assembly, in society there must be some discussion about God. Then it will be very much auspicious for all the world. There must be some question. The question may be offered in the beginning, but if the question is sincere and if he takes the answer sincerely, then he will understand about God. So therefore he welcomed,

munayo sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ
bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam
yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno
yenātmā suprasīdati

"My dear sages, you have inquired about Kṛṣṇa. It is very welcome because it is auspicious." Kṛṣṇa-sampraśno. "And by question and answer in this subject matter, you'll feel satisfaction." Yenātmā samprasīdati. Simply by question-answer, you feel satisfaction. And when you understand, oh, you feel the supreme satisfaction, the bliss. But simply in the period of question and answer you feel satisfaction. Yenātmā suprasīdati. Therefore in schools, colleges, assemblies, societies—everywhere—there must be questions of "What is God? What I am? What is my relation?" These should be answered scientifically and understood scientifically. Then there will be peace. Otherwise there is no possibility.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 27, 1973:

So therefore those who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just like all kinds of impediments. They are (indistinct) sādhus. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). Kṛṣṇa says, "Nobody is dearer than him who is preaching," because he has to face so many impediments, so many obstructions. And he has to face (indistinct). Therefore it is said, sādhu, munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'ham: (SB 1.2.5) "Oh, your question is very nice." Sādhu, munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'haṁ bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam. "We have put this question, but it is loka-maṅgalam." When you discuss this question and answer, it becomes very much auspicious to the whole human society. Loka-maṅgalam. Bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam. Why loka-maṅgalam? Yat-kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno, because it was questions about Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is loka-maṅgalam, auspicious. Anyone who is hear about Kṛṣṇa, how is that simply by hearing (break) ...hear. Hearing is also so auspicious. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you hear, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ... When Kṛṣṇa sees that you are hearing about Kṛṣṇa, immediately you become pious. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. To hear about Kṛṣṇa, to speak about Kṛṣṇa, to glorify about Kṛṣṇa, they are all pious activities, puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. So if we begin simply hearing about Kṛṣṇa, talking about Kṛṣṇa, then you become pious. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. He's simply making the opportunity why the (indistinct), the individual souls are trying to approach Him. That is the yoga system. Yoga system means the jīvātmā, the soul, individual soul, tries to understand the Supersoul, Paramātmā. That is yoga system. It is not... It is mistaken idea that the Paramātmā and the ātmā, jīvātmā, is the same. They are same in quality, but Paramātmā is worshipable and jīvātmā is the worshiper.

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

So my request is that let us join together, not only in India but all over the world. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order is, kṛṣṇa bhajanati nāhi jāti-kulādi-vicāra. In the matter of executing devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, there is no such distinction wherefrom this man is coming, wherefrom this man is coming. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Even they are coming from the pāpa-yoni, it doesn't matter if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness-te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. This philosophy should be followed. I especially request the ācāryas, the brāhmaṇas of South India, to take up this cause very seriously. It is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Please do not make any distinction between European Vaiṣṇava, American Vaiṣṇava and Indian Vaiṣṇava. That is my request. And let us combine together and spread this auspicious movement. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's desire.

bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
janma sārthaka kari kara para-upakāra
(CC Adi 9.41)

Anyone who has taken birth as a human being on the land of Bhārata-varṣa... He does not mean the cats and dogs; He means the human beings. Manuṣya. So in order to fulfill the mission of manuṣya-janma, we shall try to reestablish the varṇāśrama-dharma, Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate (CC Madhya 8.58), and spread this movement all over the world. There is no charge. Let us cooperate and do the needful.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Sri-Sri-Gurv-astakam -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1969:

We should always remember that the spiritual master is in the disciplic succession. The original spiritual master is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He blesses his next disciple, just like Brahmā. Brahmā blesses his next disciple, just like Nārada. Nārada blesses his next disciple, just like Vyāsa. Vyāsa blesses his next disciple, Mādhvācārya. Similarly, the blessing is coming. Just like royal succession—the throne is inherited by disciplic or hereditary succession—similarly, this power from the Supreme Personality of Godhead has to receive. Nobody can preach, nobody can become a spiritual master, without obtaining power from the right source. Therefore the very word, it is stated here, prāptasya. Prāptasya means "one who has obtained." Prāptasya kalyāṇa. What he has obtained? Kalyāṇa. Kalyāṇa means auspicity. He has received something which is auspicious for all the human kind. Prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya. Here is another example. Guṇārnava. Arṇava means ocean, and guṇa means spiritual qualities. Just like the same example is going on. It is very nice poetry. There is nice rhethorics and metaphor. The example is set, blazing fire, and it is to be extinguished with the cloud. And wherefrom the cloud comes? Similarly, wherefrom the spiritual master receives the mercy? The cloud receives his potency from the ocean. Therefore the spiritual master also receives his power from the ocean of spiritual quality, that is, from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya. Such kind of spiritual master, one has to accept, and vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam, and one has to offer his respectful obeisances to such authorized spiritual master. (end)

Page Title:Auspicious (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:04 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=120, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:120