Befitting (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"befit" |"befits" |"befitted" |"befitting" |"befittingly"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Sañjaya said, Seeing Arjuna full of compassion and very sorrowful, his eyes brimming with tears, Madhusūdana, Kṛṣṇa, spoke the following words (BG 2.1). The Supreme Personality said, 'My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy' (BG 2.2).

Prabhupāda: Now, Arjuna was sympathetic with his brothers and relatives and he was practically crying, with tears in his eyes, and Kṛṣṇa said that it is non-Āryan. It is not befitting for an Āryan. Just see. He was so compassionate, but still, it is not approved by Kṛṣṇa. Go on.

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Such persons are captivated by the external features of the material world, and therefore they do not know what liberation is. Persons who have no knowledge of liberation from material bondage are called non-Āryans. Arjuna was trying to deviate from his prescribed duties, declining to fight, although he was a kṣatriya or warrior. This act of cowardice is described as befitting the non-Āryans. Such deviation from duty does not help one in the progress of spiritual life, nor does it even give one the opportunity of becoming famous in this world. Lord Kṛṣṇa did not approve of the so-called compassion of Arjuna for his kinsmen."

Prabhupāda: So-called compassion. He was thinking that by showing that compassion he'll be, I mean to say, eulogized by Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa condemned it. Yes. Just the opposite. In other words, Kṛṣṇa is very strict also. That is the qualification of Kṛṣṇa and His associates. Vajrād api kaṭhora and kusumād api kamala. Softer than the flower and harder than the thunderbolt. Two sides.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

"My dear Arjuna, you are My friend, personal friend, and you are proposing this, which is befitting to the anārya." Anārya-juṣṭam: "This is not for the Aryan. You are kṣatriya, you are meant for fighting for justice, and you are denying to fight? Oh, this is not good." Anārya-juṣṭam: "This kind of proposal, cowardice, can be proposed by the anārya." Ārya means the advanced. One who is advanced in knowledge, in civilization, they are called ārya, Aryan civilization. So in the Aryan civilization there are four divisions to maintain the society in the correct balance. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The society must be divided into four classes of men. The first-class means most intelligent class of men. They should be trained up as brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973:

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

śrī bhagavān uvāca

kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ

viṣame samupasthitam

anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam

akīrti-karam arjuna

(BG 2.2)

Translation: "The Supreme Person, Bhagavān, said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy."

Prabhupāda: So in this verse Vyāsadeva is writing. Of course, the speaking is through Sañjaya, but the original writer is Vyāsadeva. In other ślokas he writes arjuna uvāca, sañjaya uvāca, like that. Similarly, he could write here kṛṣṇa uvāca. He could write. No. He's writing bhagavān uvāca. So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By this writing, it is established. Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. He cannot be equal with Arjuna or Sañjaya or anybody else. Asammaurdhva. Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is supreme. Nobody is equal to Him, nobody is higher than. Everyone is lower. That is the meaning of Bhagavān. Nobody can claim "I am Bhagavān." But nowadays there are so many rascals, they are claiming that everyone is Bhagavān. So Vyāsadeva is mistaken? Actually, these Māyāvādī philosophers, they are so great rascals they sometimes say like that, that Vyāsadeva is also mistaken. They have got the audacity to say Vyāsadeva, he is accepted as incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, who has given us the Vedic literature, so many books he has given, the Vedas, the Purāṇas, the Mahābhārata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedānta-sūtra.

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

Anārya-juṣṭam, "not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life." Āryan. Āryan means who are progressive. So this dejection of Arjuna in the battlefield is described as befitting a non-Āryan. Āryan, according to Āryan civilization as described in the Bhagavad-gītā, there are four divisions inaugurated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As we have already explained, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Any systematic religious process is to be understood: "It is given by God." Man cannot make any religious system. So this Āryan system, progressive system, is cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13).

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

Man cannot make any religious system. So this Āryan system, progressive system, is cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Kṛṣṇa says, "It is introduced by Me for very good management of the social order." Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So Arjuna belonged to the kṣatriya family. Therefore his hesitation to fight in the battlefield is not befitting the Āryans. For the royal order to become nonviolent, this is not good. The kṣatriyas, when they are fighting in the battlefield, the killing is not a sin for them. Similarly, a brāhmaṇa, when he's offering sacrifice, sometimes animals are sacrificed; so that does not mean that he is committing sin. This animal sacrifice was made not for eating the animals. It was for testing the Vedic mantra. Whether the brāhmaṇas who were engaged in offering sacrifice, whether they were chanting the Vedic mantra in right way, that was tested by offering one animal and again giving the animal a new youth life. That was animal sacrifice. Sometimes horses, sometimes cows were offered.

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

Aśvamedha sacrifice, gomedha sacrifice, sannyāsa, and to get child by devara, husband's younger brother, these things are forbidden in this age.

So it was the duty of the kṣatriya to fight. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is condemning his behavior, that "This is not befitting a kṣatriya. By this action, you will be defamed." Akīrti-karam arjuna (BG 2.2). "You are such a nice fighter, soldier, and if you cease to fight, then the other party will defame you in so many ways. What you are thinking of? Especially you are My friend. I am standing here. Despite My becoming your chariot driver, if you decline to fight, certainly it will be a great havoc. Don't do this." Therefore He says, anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam. Asvargyam means "You cannot be promoted to the heavenly planet." It is said that a kṣatriya who dies in the fight is immediately promoted to the heavenly planet. But because he is dying for the good cause, therefore he is promoted. Asvargyam akīrti-karam.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

I mean, gentlemanly behavior, that one is foregoing his claim for the matter of his relatives or friends. But Kṛṣṇa is not encouraging that proposal. We have to mark it. Kṛṣṇa is not encouraging. Kṛṣṇa is rather... Kṛṣṇa is, rather, inducing Arjuna that "It is not a very good proposal. It is not befitting your position. You belong to the Āryan family. You belong to the kṣatriya, royal family. And you are denying to fight? No, no, this is not good. And I am your friend. I have taken the responsibility of your chariot driver, and, if you do not fight, what people will say?" So He is not encouraging. Just see.

Now, here is a good proposal from the worldly point of view that Arjuna does not want to fight, and Kṛṣṇa is not encouraging him. Now, what is the point? Somebody may say that "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, why He is encouraging in the matter of fighting?" People, at the present moment, when there is a question of war, people want to stop that war.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

People, at the present moment, when there is a question of war, people want to stop that war. At the present moment, the movement is going on between all nations that they do not want war. But here we see that Kṛṣṇa is not discouraging war. We have to mark this point. He is not discouraging war, but He is, rather, advocating, inducing Arjuna that "No, no, no, this is not befitting your position. You must fight, must fight."

So here is a point, that sometimes we may do something which is approved by the general public, but it may not be approved by the supreme authority. Superficially it may appear very appealing to the sentiment of the public, but factually such thing may not be correct, may not be correct. If we accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and "Why He was inducing Arjuna to fight?" It does not mean that He was inducing Arjuna to do something wrong.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:

That is prākṛtena. We should not be carried away by this material affection, no. That is not good. You must do your duty. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, that "Arjuna, you are being carried away by your material affection, and you are hesitating to execute your duty. This is not good." Anārya-juṣṭam: "This is befitting for the anārya, non-Āryan." Non-Āryan means not civilized, and Āryan means civilized. This is the distinction. Now people are very much fond of calling themselves as civilized, Āryan, belonging to the Āryan family. Where is the Āryan civilization? Āryan civilization means this Vedic civilization. Just like Arjuna, a kṣatriya, belonged to the Āryan civilization, and because he was denying to fight, Kṛṣṇa accused him, "Oh, this is just like non-Āryans." Anārya-juṣṭam, non-Āryans.

Lecture on SB 1.13.12 -- Geneva, June 3, 1974:

Suppose you create some enemy, always fought with your enemy. So if you accept his hospitality and live there, thinking that "I am living very comfortably," it is not very good sense.

(reads:) "On the part of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, it was quite in order to maintain his uncle in a befitting manner, but acceptance of such magnanimous hospitality by Dhṛtarāṣṭra was not at all desirable. He accepted it because he thought that there was no other alternative. Vidura particularly came to enlighten Dhṛtarāṣṭra and to give him a lift to the higher status of spiritual cognition. It is the duty of the enlightened souls to deliver the fallen ones, and Vidura came to that reason. But talks of spiritual enlightenment are so refreshing that while instructing Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Vidura attracted the attention of all the members of the family, and all of them took pleasure in hearing him patiently. This is the way of spiritual realization.

Lecture on SB 1.13.15 -- Geneva, June 4, 1974:

If somebody thinks that He has come as a hog, playing the part of a hog, that is not the fact. Even though assumes the... (reads:) "The Lord and His different authorized devotees sometimes have to play the role of many lower creatures to claim the conditioned souls, but both the Lord and His pure devotees are always in the transcendental position." Etad īśanam īśasya. That is the authority of God, that even though He accepts some lower position, He is never in the lower position. He is always in the transcendental position. I have given the example yesterday. Just like the sun is sometimes evaporating the urine. This is not very good business. But still, sun is sun. He is never polluted. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa or His devotee, if sometimes apparently does something which is not befitting their position, still, they are in their position. This is the conclusion. Kṛṣṇa has given this concession to His devotee.

Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973:

Not to treat like animals. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). So that spiritual consciousness begins when one understands that he is soul; he is not this body, he is spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Brahman means the spirit soul. And there human civilization begins. Otherwise, anārya, anārya-juṣṭam. Kṛṣṇa, when Arjuna was declining to fight, He chastised him that "This denial is anārya-juṣṭam. It is befitting for the anārya, those who are not advanced. One must do his duty. You are a kṣatriya, your duty is to fight to give protection to the citizen, so why you are denying this?"

So here the example is given, jalaukasāṁ jale yadvan mahāntaḥ adanti. Adanti means swallows up. Similarly, when the Yadus became very powerful... Because they are descendants of Kṛṣṇa, who can be...? So they were fighting anywhere, conquering anywhere, and everywhere they were victorious. So that was bhū-bhārān. Bhū-bhārān means burden of the world. When one becomes extravagant and misuses his power, that is burden of the world. You cannot misuse your...

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Material enjoyment means eating, sleeping, mating and defending. You can make these four principles in different varieties or different grades, but these are the principles of material enjoyment. A dog is eating; you are also eating. So your eating and dog's eating, difference is that a dog can eat even stool, but you cannot. But you cannot. You have to arrange for palatable dishes just befitting human consumption. So there, there are different kinds of eating. But the eating principle is there, that's all. One is satisfied with stool-eating, and one is satisfied by eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That is the difference. And between the stool and kṛṣṇa-prasādam there are many varieties and grades, according to different kinds of... Similarly, sleeping. Sleeping also, the dog is also sleeping on the side of a street without any difficulty. And the king is sleeping on the palace, very nice apartment. And a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he's also sleeping. But there are different grades. The Kṛṣṇa conscious person is sleeping, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This can be done.

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

Pradyumna: "When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken on a material body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification. Therefore I think it not befitting an intelligent man to involve himself again in the activities of sense gratification, by which he perpetually gets material bodies one after another."

Prabhupāda:

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma

yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti

na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam

asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

(SB 5.5.4)

So it is recommended that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevā, we have described the symptoms of mahātmā. The sum and substance of mahātmā is mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). That is mahātmā. Otherwise durātmā. Simply putting on a saffron dress and having a big beard, he's not mahātmā. Mahātmā is he who is cent percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim (BG 9.13). He's not in the control of this material nature. He's completely under the direction of spiritual nature. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the sign? What is the difference between a person under material nature and spiritual nature? The difference is that one who is under spiritual nature, he is cent percent engaged in the service of the Lord. This is the sign.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra -- London, July 13, 1972:

Just like a fish, if it is taken from the water and put on the land, in any condition the fish will never feel joyfulness. Similarly, we are spirit souls. Somehow or other, we have come in contact with this material world. Therefore in this material world we cannot have joyfulness. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. This material world is not befitting our spiritual self. Spiritual self requires spiritual joy. That is beyond these material senses. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for clearing or cleansing or purifying the senses. As soon as we purify our senses, then actually we can enjoy our spiritual sense enjoyment.

In the material covering, the senses are not properly being used. The enjoyment which you are now having, it is simply a perverted reflection of our spiritual self. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for purifying our senses. In the Vedic literatures it is said, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).

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

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.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Benedict Spinoza:

Hayagrīva: Both remote and eminent.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: He says that each soul coincides with its body. That is to say, the soul acquires a body befitting it...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hayagrīva: ...a soul acquires a body befitting it. A soul can progress beyond bodies to come to know spiritual truths by turning toward God rather than the material world.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: Or, as Spinoza would put it, by turning toward God's extensions. He calls them God's extensions.

Prabhupāda: No.