Bad luck

Expressions researched:
"bad luck" |"ill luck"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.2.28-29, Purport:

Yoga means to get into touch with the Supreme Lord. The process, however, includes several bodily features such as āsana, dhyāna, prāṇāyāma and meditation, and all of them are meant for concentrating upon the localized aspect of Vāsudeva represented as Paramātmā. Paramātmā realization is but partial realization of Vāsudeva, and if one is successful in that attempt, one realizes Vāsudeva in full. But by ill luck most yogīs are stranded by the powers of mysticism achieved through the bodily process. Ill-fated yogīs are given a chance in the next birth by being placed in the families of good learned brāhmaṇas or in the families of rich merchants in order to execute the unfinished task of Vāsudeva realization. If such fortunate brāhmaṇas and sons of rich men properly utilize the chance, they can easily realize Vāsudeva by good association with saintly persons. Unfortunately, such preferred persons are captivated again by material wealth and honor, and thus they practically forget the aim of life.

SB 1.8.39, Purport:

There are certain particular marks on the feet of the Lord which distinguish the Lord from others. The marks of a flag, thunderbolt, and instrument to drive an elephant, umbrella, lotus, disc, etc., are on the bottom of the Lord's feet. These marks are impressed upon the soft dust of the land where the Lord traverses. The land of Hastināpura was thus marked while Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was there with the Pāṇḍavas, and the kingdom of the Pāṇḍavas thus flourished by such auspicious signs. Kuntīdevī pointed out these distinguished features and was afraid of ill luck in the absence of the Lord.

SB 1.12.24, Purport:

The last instruction of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā is that one should give up everything and should follow in the footsteps of the Lord alone. Less intelligent persons do not agree to this great instruction of the Lord, as ill luck would have it, but one who is actually intelligent catches up this sublime instruction and is immensely benefited. Foolish people do not know that association is the cause of acquiring qualities. Association with fire makes an object hot, even in the material sense. Therefore, association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead makes one qualified like the Lord. As we have discussed previously, one can achieve seventy-eight percent of the godly qualities by the Lord's intimate association. To follow the instructions of the Lord is to associate with the Lord. The Lord is not a material object whose presence one has to feel for such association.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.23.34, Translation and Purport:

Also, one who hears this narration three times will become very reputable if he is not recognized in society, and he will become a great scholar if he is illiterate. In other words, hearing of the narrations of Pṛthu Mahārāja is so auspicious that it drives away all bad luck.

In the material world, everyone wants some profit, some adoration and some reputation. By associating in different ways with the Supreme Personality of godhead or His devotee, one can very easily become opulent in every respect. Even if one is not known or recognized by society, he becomes very famous and important if he takes to devotional service and preaching. As far as education is concerned, one can become recognized in society as a great learned scholar simply by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, wherein the pastimes of the Lord and His devotees are described. This material world is full of dangers at every step, but a devotee has no fear because devotional service is so auspicious that it automatically counteracts all kinds of bad luck. Since hearing about Pṛthu Mahārāja is one of the items of devotional service (śravaṇam), naturally hearing about him brings all good fortune.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.15.71, Purport:

Saṅkīrtana means chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is not a new movement as people sometimes mistakenly think. The Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is present in every millennium of Lord Brahmā's life, and the holy name is chanted in all the higher planetary systems, including Brahmaloka and Candraloka, not to speak of Gandharvaloka and Apsaroloka. The saṅkīrtana movement that was started in this world five hundred years ago by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is therefore not a new movement. Sometimes, because of our bad luck, this movement is stopped, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His servants again start the movement for the benefit of the entire world or, indeed, the entire universe.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 50:

As he was returning home with his royal friends, however, they advised him not to retire but to regain strength to fight again with Kṛṣṇa in the near future. The princely friends of Jarāsandha instructed him that ordinarily it would not have been possible for him to be defeated by the strength of the Yadu kings; the defeat he had experienced was simply due to his ill luck. The princely order encouraged King Jarāsandha. His fighting, they said, was certainly heroic; therefore, he should not take his defeat very seriously, since it was due only to his past misdeeds. After all, there was no fault in his fighting.

Krsna Book 58:

Śrīmatī Kuntī said, “My dear Kṛṣṇa, I remember the day when You sent my brother Akrūra to gather information about us. This means that You always remember us automatically. When You sent Akrūra, I could understand that there was no possibility of our being put in danger. All good fortune in our life began when You sent Akrūra to us. Since then, I have been convinced that we are not without protection. We may be put into various types of dangerous conditions by our family members, the Kurus, but I am confident that You remember us and always keep us safe and sound. Even ordinary devotees who simply think of You are always immune to all kinds of material danger, and what to speak of ourselves, who are personally remembered by You. So, my dear Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of bad luck; we are always in an auspicious position because of Your grace. But although You have bestowed a special favor on us, people should not mistakenly think that You are partial to some and inattentive to others. You make no such distinction. No one is Your favorite and no one is Your enemy. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are equal to everyone, and everyone can take advantage of Your special protection.

Krsna Book 83:

"Since we are fully surrendered unto You and have no other shelter than Your lotus feet, we are always confident of our good fortune. My dear Lord, You are the ocean of unlimited knowledge and transcendental bliss. The reactions of mental concoctions in the three phases of material life—wakefulness, sleep and deep sleep—cannot exist in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All such reactions are invalidated by the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are the ultimate destination of all liberated persons. Out of Your independent will only, You have descended to this earth by the use of Your own internal potency, yogamāyā, and to reestablish the Vedic principles of life You have appeared just like an ordinary human being. Since You are the Supreme Person, there cannot be any ill luck for one who has fully surrendered unto You."

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1:

During the Satya-yuga the mode of goodness is in abundance. Or one can say that when the quality of goodness increases in a person to the extent that he becomes situated in his original constitutional identity as a servant of the Lord, thus making his human life a complete success, at that time he enjoys the bliss and tranquillity of the Satya-yuga. The three modes—goodness, passion, and ignorance—are always present in this material nature. According to the predominance of a particular mode, the yugas change from Satya to Tretā to Dvāpara to Kali. The jīvas in Kali-yuga are predominantly in the mode of ignorance, and with with the increase of this mode the threefold material miseries expand unlimitedly. Thus people today are afflicted by a short life-span, ill luck, warped intelligence, lethargy, disease, and many other sufferings.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

Why should we go to anyone else when Kṛṣṇa is there? When Kṛṣṇa's instruction is there in the shape of Bhagavad-gītā, why shall I read any nonsense book? That is my fault. Can anyone give better instruction than Kṛṣṇa for solving all the problems of the world? No. That is not possible. But still, we shall find out some imitation Kṛṣṇa. This is our ill luck, misfortune.

Therefore they are called duṣkṛtina. The word is used here, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Duṣkṛtām means miscreants. Kṛti, kṛti means.... This is explained in the Seventh Chapter more elaborately. Na māṁ prapadyante duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Another place the word duṣkṛti is used. Duṣkṛti means.... Kṛti means meritorious. One who has got merit, nice merit. But it is employed for sinful activities. They are called duṣkṛti.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

This is the process. So, everyone has got full liberty how, what kind of body he's going to get next. So if you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that consciousness, subtle body, then you are sure to get next life, if not in Vaikuṇṭha, at least you get a high standard life. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ. Bhraṣṭaḥ means fallen, fallen. Suppose we are executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and some of our students are going away. So that is called bhraṣṭa, fallen. They could not continue. So one who could not continue by his ill luck, he is also not loser because he is... That slight Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help him to get another human form of body. That is guaranteed. Ordinary men, they do not know what kind of body they are going to get. They're in darkness. But it will be decided at the time of his death according to the mentality. God is so kind, whatever you want, He is giving you. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Surat, December 16, 1970:

In the Upaniṣad it is said, Īśopaniṣad, apāpa-viddham. God cannot be infected by sinful activities. That is God's... Just like we are infected by sinful activities, God is not like that... There is Absolute. So He is always pure. So we have to make ourselves purified before we can approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So these are sinful activities: illicit sex life and meat-eating, unnecessarily killing the animals. Why should you kill animals? If God has given you so many nice foodstuffs—varieties of fruit, varieties of grain, sufficient milk—why should you take to this obnoxious foodstuff? But it is ill luck, unfortunate. By ill association you have learned all this nonsense. So therefore one has to give up these nonsense habits. That is called tapasya. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1).

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Yes, independence. By misusing the independence, he can... Just like a child, a small child, and his father. The father gives the little child little independence. But the child is not as powerful as the father. But still, the father, out of affection, he gives little independence to the child. Even to the dog, a master gives a little independence to the dog. That is affection.

Indian man (3): But if you say this affection... The child is doing something wrong, say, becoming enthusiastic, becoming mad to go...(?)

Prabhupāda: Father says, "Don't do it. But if you do it, do it at your risk."

Indian man (3): But if Kṛṣṇa is guiding us...

Prabhupāda: But you don't accept Kṛṣṇa's guidance. That is the difficulty. Just like you are taking the guidance of Americans. You are elderly man, educated man, you prefer to take guidance from the Americans, not from Kṛṣṇa. So what can be done? That is Kṛṣṇa's ill luck and your misfortune. What can be done? All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Festival Lectures

Sri Vyasa-puja -- London, August 22, 1973:

My Guru Mahārāja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, he also attempted to send his disciples to preach Caitanya cult in the Western world. One of them, he advised me also. First meeting, perhaps you know, he asked me to preach. So at that time I was young man, only twenty-five years old, and I was also householder. So I should have joined and executed his desire immediately, but due to my ill luck I could not immediately execute his order, but it was in my heart that it is to be done. So better late than never, I executed his order at the age of seventy years, not at the age of twenty-five. So actually I wasted so much time, I can understand that. From twenty... The message was there when I was twenty-five years old, but I began at the age of seventy years. But I did not forget the message. Otherwise, how could I do? That was, that is a fact. I was simply finding out the opportunity, how to do it. So anyway, although I began very late, at the age of seventy years, so by the help of my disciples this movement is gaining ground and is spreading all over the world. So therefore I have to thank you. It is all due to you. It is not my credit, but it is your credit that you are helping me in executing the order of my Guru Mahārāja.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 1, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: God is omnipotent. As soon as He understands that I want this, He gives me some facility so that I get it. So it is not chance. It is by arrangement of superior authority. But because they are atheists, they have no sense of God consciousness, they are taking as chance, that necessity creates that chance; automatically it is coming. Not automatically. Chance does not mean automatically. I cannot see something, but all of a sudden falls... Just like I am hungry, I want some food. So Kṛṣṇa knows it that you want some... Some way or other, the food comes to me. So it is the arrangement of Kṛṣṇa, but I see it is chance: "I was hungry and by chance the food has come." That is my less intelligence. It is not chance; it is plain. Otherwise you cannot adjust the meaning of chance in that way, that as soon as there is necessity, immediately the opportune chance comes before us.

Śyāmasundara: They say, "Well, it's my luck," or "My bad luck."

Prabhupāda: Yes. They say. So this "luck," as soon as you say, "luck" there must be somebody who is giving you the luck, good luck or bad luck.

Śyāmasundara: One man may desire something very badly, and his whole life long he will not get it. He will always say, "I am so unlucky."

Prabhupāda: Because he is not fit to get it, so God does not supply it. So we do not take anything as chance. We take everything as plan. But because God's omnipotency is so subtle, we cannot see how things happen. Therefore we say "It is a chance, chance of physical arrangement." Just like in the airport, as soon as I step on the door it becomes opened. It is not chance.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- October 18, 1975, Johannesburg:

Prabhupāda: ...poor people have to stand in queue. It is a mostly...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (break) They use this argument against us, that the Vedic culture was most solidly founded in India.

Prabhupāda: But you have, I mean to say, curbed down. This rascal civilization, they could not take the Western civilization, and they lost their own civilization. This is India's bad luck. The Britishers did not teach them how to take up the Western culture, but they killed the Eastern culture. You understand?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You have no position. You cannot take the Western culture properly, and you have lost your own culture. This is India's bad luck. They never taught Indians how to become actually Westernized. No. They were not giving them sufficient education. They were very much against higher education in the beginning. They wanted some clerks to conduct their activities, mercantile and government, some third-class, fourth-class men. Educated means ABCD, that's all. "They may know ABCD and take fifty, sixty rupees salary, and go home outside the town and come in daily passenger train, and work hard here and simply get your money so that you can maintain yourself." Nothing more. No education, no money, no industry. They were not taught properly. Here I see the factories, and the arrangement is so nice. But Indian factories, go—it is hell. Hell, simply hell. The Britishers exploited the Indians, and the capitalist class of India, they have learned how to exploit only.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Hari-śauri: Our devotees, Gurukṛpā's party, they're talking about they collect a hundred thousand, eighty thousand, but it means, that means...

Prabhupāda: It means few dollars.

Hari-śauri: Yes. Three or four hundred dollars.

Prabhupāda: In taxi in the beginning, I saw, "Three hund..., three thousand dollar." So (laughs)... And "Three thousand yen." So I did not know. I have got... They changed. Not dishonest. Honest or dishonest, I did not know. Whatever they took and returned, that's all. But I know they are not dishonest. They are nice people, hard worker, honest. But Japanese... This Tojo attempted that "This is the time for expanding with German help." Bad luck. They could not do. They wanted to keep China under their control. That also failed. They fought with the Russians in the beginning, when we were children, to expand-failed. This time they wanted to occupy Hawaii.

Hari-śauri: They had many, many islands. They took a lot. But gradually the Americans won them all back.

Prabhupāda: Now they are migrating. In Hawaii there are many Japanese. Many Japanese.

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where is Vrindavan? I spoke with him for about two hours this afternoon, going over all of the points again, and, er, I explained everything to him. He said that he personally has very bad luck, very unlucky person. He said, "My only possible hope is my father."

Prabhupāda: To guide him.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I told him, "You're right. Actually Prabhupāda is... All of us were in the same position. We're all unlucky. Our only hope is Śrīla Prabhupāda." I said, "As long as you keep remembering that, then you'll be all right." (break)

Prabhupāda: Hm. Submissive, we can guide him.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, they make you, if you don't have the disease, then they'll make sure you get it, simply to be right.

Prabhupāda: So I shall remain in his treatment. Good (indistinct), that's all. Take his chart and strictly follow. I'll not object, I will follow. Is that all right?

Devotees: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whatever you tell us is all right, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm. And from Vrindavan, if he's not getting business stop all, everything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's not getting business. He told me he's having bad luck, he cannot get a new business.

Prabhupāda: Oh, so if he has to do business, he has to pay cash and he'll give fifty percent.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If he was getting the business, he would have paid your BBT some money.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In over a year he has paid two or three thousand rupees. That's not business. He's taking 800 rupees a month for so long for travel expenses, and he's paid maybe two or three thousand rupees total. I mean it's crazy business.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anybody can see it's not good business.

Prabhupāda: So stop it all.

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Ramakrishna -- Allahabad 26 September, 1952:

In reply to Srimati Suluxmona's letter, I am sending herewith one letter for her which may be delivered to her. I came here to improve my lot but I see that my bad luck is impossible to be improved. For the last two years approximately I have met expenses from this business to the extent of Rs 600/- month. Calcutta, Allahabad, Ranchi High-Court & Ry Journey altogether five different items of expenses have been so far met. But all of a sudden my sister opponent firms have designed to remove me from this place. By their trick the Drug Controller has suspended my business for the last one and a half month with the result that about Rs 1000/- has been locked up & sealed and I have been put to shame by my servants. I require immediately Rs 300/- to meet the establishment charges without which I am much humiliated.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Prabhas Babu -- Los Angeles 2 July, 1969:

I beg to thank you for your letter (F-235) dated June 26, 1969, and I have noted the contents. That some people in India wish to donate Murtis and musical instruments but the Indian government has no provisions for such donation is most surprising. Hindustan has become independent, but while she was under foreign government she had the liberty to preach her culture and religion in foreign countries. During my Guru Maharaja's days, thousands of Rupees were being dispatched from Calcutta to London, but the new Indian government being independent, they are prohibiting to send some Murtis and mrdangas. So it is all our bad luck that these things are happening. Anyway, for the future I have arranged like this: Sriman Acyutananda Brahmacari is collecting some mrdangas and karatalas in exchange for our magazine, Back To Godhead. The price of one year subscription to Back To Godhead is $5.00, and in exchange of such one year subscription he is accepting a mrdanga and a few pair of karatalas. He has already collected a few mrdangas, and very soon he will have to dispatch them to our various centers. So please let me know whether or not you shall be able to get sanction from the Reserve Bank of India for this exchange policy of accepting goods of the value of one year's subscription. I hope the above is clear and you will do the needful.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Tittenhurst 13 October, 1969:

Regarding our books, the scholarly way should be followed. That means as Dr. Radhakrishnan and Bon Maharaja do it, and as Dr. Singh recommends. In all our books and magazines henceforward the whole process should be changed. Whatever is done in the past forget. Now everything should be revised and presented in the scholarly way. That means throughout Krishna should be spelled Krsna, Visnu should be spelled Visnu and Caitanya should be spelled Caitanya, etc. I think this will clear the whole thing and there will be no more Maya impediment. I am sorry the NOD manuscript has not yet reached. This is another ill luck that the Post Office has not delivered. So whatever you have got finish it. If the manuscript does not reach, then we will will have to rewrite it again. If there is such need, I shall send you the duplicate. If it does reach, however, please inform me immediately. Your idea that our books should be read by scholars is quite appropriate.