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Bengal (Lectures, BG)

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"Bengal" |"Bengal's" |"Bengals"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

Buddha religion is also Indian religion. Lord Buddha, He was Indian. He, just like Lord Caitanya began His propaganda from Bengal, Lord Buddha made His propaganda from Bihar. He was Indian. But the defect was that He did not acknowledge the authority of the Vedas. Therefore His philosophy was considered atheism. And this Śaṅkarācārya drove away all the Buddhists from the land of India. Therefore they took shelter in China, Japan, Burma. Outside India. So anyway, strict religionists they are followers of Vedas, and they are divided into two groups: one group led by Śaṅkarācārya and the other group is led by the Vaiṣṇavas, or generally Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya or Lord Caitanya. They are all the same, Vaiṣṇava. Now all these two groups, following the Vedic principles, they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So far India's authoritative persons are concerned, there is no two opinions, that Kṛṣṇa is not God. Both of them accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality. So far we are concerned, Vaiṣṇavas, we accept. There is no doubt about it.

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:

And the psychology is that woman, the first man she meets and if she is kept carefully, she becomes staunch lover. This is psychology. There is good psychology in maintaining the society. Therefore a woman, especially in India, especially in Bengal, before attaining puberty, she was married. Not to meet the husband unless she attains puberty. But she remained at father's house, but she must know that: "I am married. I have got husband." This psychology. Then she becomes very chaste. Because she thinks of her husband, and becomes more and more devoted.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

There is a proverb in Bengal, khābo ki khābo nā yadi khāo tu pauṣe. "When you are perplexed, Whether I shall eat or not eat,' better not eat." Sometimes we come to this point, "I am not very hungry, whether I shall eat or not eat?" The best course is not eat, not that you eat. But if you eat, then you can eat in the month of December, Pauṣa. Why? It is... In Bengal... Bengal is tropical climate, but when it is winter season, it is advised that "If you eat it is not so harmful because it will be digested." The night is very long, or the cold season, the digestive power, is nice.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

As soon as America is in some field, immediately Russia is also there. In the last fighting between India and Pakistan, as soon as President Nixon sent their Seventh Fleet on the India Ocean, Bay of Bengal, almost in front of India... This was illegal. But very puffed-up, America. So sent the Seventh Fleet, maybe to show sympathy to the Pakistan. But immediately our Russian friend also appeared there. And therefore, America had to come back. Otherwise, I think, America would have attacked on behalf of Pakistan.

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- Hyderabad, November 23, 1972:

Unfortunately, although Caitanya Mahāprabhu entrusted the matter to every Indian... Not that to the Bengalis, because He appeared in Bengal. He never said for the Bengalis. He said, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). "On this holy land of Bhāratavarṣa, anyone who has taken his birth as a human being, he should make his life perfect." Janma sārthaka kari'. You cannot preach without making your life first of all perfect.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

In 1942 there was a manufactured famine in Bengal by the manipulation of the then government. It is for the first time we experienced that India... In our childhood, when we were children, at that time the first-class rice was selling three dollars for 82 pounds. Can you imagine?

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

These Rūpa and Sanātana, they were great politicians, ministers, of the then Mohammedan government in Bengal. In Bengal at that time the Pathans were ruling. Before the Moguls came, there were Pathans ruling. For one thousand years the Mohammedans invaded India, from 1000 A.D. up to 1947, till the end of the British period. India was under subjugation by so many foreigners: Mohammedans, Greeks, and so many others. Lastly, the Mohammedans ruled for eight hundred years. And the Britishers ruled for two hundred years. So now they have got independence, India. So at that time the Bengal was being ruled by the Mohammedans, Pathans, and their entrusted ministers were these Rūpa and Sanātana. They were converted into practically Mohammedan.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced this method of saṅkīrtana-yajña in this age. Five hundred years before, Lord Caitanya advented Himself in India in Bengal in the district of Navadvīpa. It is about sixty miles from Calcutta. And He... Of course, He was born in that particular place, but He, I mean to say, distributed these missionary activities all over India. And He desired that His followers may also distribute this missionary activity in other parts of the world. That is His desire and foretelling.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

Just like expert writer, they will pick up some historical facts and put it into fiction, so, to create more interest. In Bengal there is a famous writer who is compared with (Sir Walter) Scott of England. So Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Oh, all his novels are picked up from some historical facts, historical facts. That makes the fiction very interesting.

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

One of my Godbrother who is no longer in this world... His name was Bhaktisāraṅga Goswami. He went to London. Just as I have come to your New York, he went to London and he formed a society also there in which Lord Rolandcey(?), the Marquis of Zetland... He was formerly governor of Bengal during British period, and in our childhood, when we were college student, in boyhood, I saw him. He is very interested in India philosophy. He's a Scotsman but very interested. Lord Rolandcey. So that Lord Rolandcey, he was very kind enough to become the president of that society my Godbrother organized in London. So Lord Rolandcey and that, my Godbrother, is talking. So Lord Rolandcey asked him, "Well, Swamiji, can you make me a brāhmaṇa?" "Yes, why not? Yes, why not? You can become a brāhmaṇa." "So what are the conditions?" My Godbrother said, "The preliminary four conditions." "What are these conditions?" "Now, striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhāḥ: (SB 1.17.38) You cannot have any illicit connection with woman, you cannot have any intoxication habit, you cannot indulge in gambling or unnecessary sporting, and you cannot live on animal food." Lord Rolandcey replied, "It is impossible. It is impossible."

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

So because the whole world now has forgotten God, we have started... Not we have started. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You see the statues of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Five hundred years ago, seeing the fallen condition of the living entities, especially the human society, He started this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, five hundred years ago he appeared in Navadvīpa, a district in Bengal. And the station is sixty miles from Calcutta. We have got our very big temple there. You are invited to come there, stay there, try to understand the philosophy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974:
Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change this body, but you do not know. There is no guarantee that you will come into the same nation, same family, same society, however may you desire. Just like one big poet in Bengal, he sung, ei deśete janma āmāra, ei deśete mari. Ei deśete janma. You have taken this birth in this country. That's all right. And you'll die. But where is the guarantee that after death you'll again come in this country? That is not guaranteed.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

There is a proverb in Bengal that "It is better to keep the cowshed vacant than to have a troublesome cow." Cow... Of course, in your country there is no system of cow-keeping. In India at least every householder, at least in the villages, they have got a cow, and not one, but at least one dozen, half a dozen. So it is said that "Instead of keeping a troublesome cow who will not deliver any milk, it is better to keep the cowshed vacant."

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

Just like the students, they prepare two years, three years, five years, in their college education, and the final test is their examination, and if they pass in the examination, they get the degree. Similarly, in our living condition, if we prepare for the examination at the time of death and we pass the examination, then we are transferred to the spiritual world. So prayāṇa-kāle. The whole thing is examined at the time of death. Just the other day I recited one Bengali prover, proverb. This is a very common saying in Bengal. They say bhajan kara pūjān kara mṛtyu-kāle haya:(?) "Our, whatever you do for perfection, at the time of your death it will be tested."

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

In Bengal it is said, honar din ke ghaska (?). There is grass before the horse. If you think that I shall jump over the horse and eat the grass, that is not possible. So one should be devotee first of all. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We must approach a bona fide guru in order to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. Abhigacchet. This I have explained several times. So anasūyave. If you want to learn Kṛṣṇa, then you should be very much humble and submissive to Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, anasūyave.

Lecture on BG 9.10 -- Calcutta, June 29, 1973:

There is a cartoon picture in New York. One old man and his wife, sitting together. The wife is requesting the husband, old husband, "Chant, chant, chant," and the husband is replying: "Can't, can't, can't." This cartoon we have seen. So this is the... He will say three times: "Can't, can't, can't." But not "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." That is not possible. A similar story is there in the Bengal. One old mother was dying, and the sons requested the mother: "Mother, now you say 'Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa' ". So after requesting two, three times, mother became disgusted: atha katha nivalta nare.(?) So atha katha vibol ta parane(?) she could say. Not Hare Kṛṣṇa. Not Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the position.

Lecture on BG 9.26-27 -- New York, December 16, 1966:

The Ganges river is the sacred river, Ganges and the Yamunā. The most two sacred rivers in India. Millions of people take bath early in the morning in the two rivers, all parts of the country. It is very wide and very long river, from Himalaya to the Bay of Bengal. So it is very long river, and all the tracts of land, they are considered to be sacred place, and in each and every part, thousands and thousands of people, they are taking their bath early in the morning. Either in the winter season or in the summer season, it doesn't matter. So there is a process of worshiping the river Ganges. And what is that? After you take your bath, you stand up to your waist filled up with water and take little water from the Ganges water, and you offer. "Mother Ganges, I am offering this respect." This is the process.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

In the living entities lower than the human being, they follow the nature's way, their allotted food. Just like the tiger eats blood and flesh. If you offer him nice fruit, nice sweet rice, he'll not eat. Even the dog, they do not like the sweet rice or nice kachorī and sṛṅgara. You'll see. They cannot eat. If they eat, they will fall diseased. In Bengal it is said, kukkure peṭe ghī sayanaya.(?) Too much fatty things, if you give to the dog, he'll not be able to digest. So similarly, we are also human beings, we have got special food. Special food.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, September 30, 1973:

Prabhupāda: So we are very sure, although we are not getting very good response in India. In India they have become so advanced: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa consciousness? We know everything about Kṛṣṇa. This is old story. Kṛṣṇa is our countryman, and we know everything of Kṛṣṇa. And what these people, Europeans and Americans, they can teach us?" This is their... So bui para(?) paṇḍita. In Bengal it is called bui para(?) paṇḍita, "self-advertised paṇḍita."

Page Title:Bengal (Lectures, BG)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, ChandrasekharaAcarya
Created:17 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=19, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:19