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Bengal (Lectures, SB)

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Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

Matsaratā means to become intolerant when his neighbor is prosperous. That is called matsara. Everyone is envious. If his neighbor, if his brother, if his friend becomes more prosperous than himself, he becomes envious. This is material nature. Similarly, in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, if we become envious, "Oh, my Godbrother, oh, he has become so popular. He is making so much progress. So put some impediments towards his progressive path," this is also material. The Vaikuṇṭha consciousness is that if your neighbor, if your brother is prosperous or progressive, then one should think, "Oh, he's so nice that he has served God so nicely. God is so pleased upon him that he is making so nice progress." That is Vaikuṇṭha consciousness. And material consciousness is that "Oh, he has advanced so much. Oh, let me check him." This is material. That is going on. The whole world, enviousness. I remember in, long ago, about sometimes in 1936, my eldest son in Bombay—he was in school—he stood first. So his class friends became envious that "Here is a boy, he is coming from Bengal, and he has stood first." They wanted to fight with him. My son came and complained to me that "This is the position." Just see. Children even, envious. You see. That means this is the nature of this world. If you prosper, then your brothers and your neighbors, your friends, will be envious.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

You have seen the pictures. He is chanting and dancing with the associates and others. When Lord Caitanya was present, whenever He would go, wherever He would go and..., His attitude was dancing: "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa..." And He was so beautiful and attractive that people would follow. Thousands and thousands people will follow, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Even Lord..., Nawab Hussein Shah... And when He started this movement in Bengal He was a boy of twenty years old. So so many people were following. So Nawab Hussein Shah inquired his minister, "Who is this person, that He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and so many people are following Him?" So the minister was Hindu. He thought that "He is Muhammadan king, so he may not like this movement." Therefore he wanted to hide it: "My Lord, you have misinformed. He is not very important. Some, I mean to say, people are crazy fellows. They are following. Not... A few only, not many."

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

Similarly, Lord Caitanya, wherever He went, that was... Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam: "always followed by many associates." These are the symptoms. And how to worship that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, in this age? Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ: (SB 11.5.32) "This form of the Personality of Godhead is worshiped by the intelligent class of men." Su-medhasaḥ. Su means very good, and medhasaḥ means brain, brain substance. One who has got very good brain substance, they will understand this saṅkīrtana movement nicely. Just like in our India, especially in Bengal, sometimes they say a dull-brained man, "Oh, you have got cow dung within your brain. You have no brain substance." Actually a man becomes intelligent by the greater amount of brain substance. It is a psychological fact. It is called celebrum... Doctor knows. What is called?

Lecture on SB 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

Stop that. Śrī means beauty, aiśvarya means riches, opulence, and praja means progeny, sons, grandsons, great-grandsons. In Bengal there is a proverb, nāti nāti sagye bhati(?): "If one can see grandson of the grandson, his life is successful." His door to heaven is open now. Nāti means grandson, and nāti's nāti, grandson. That means six generations. So people like this—good family and full of beautiful women and very good bank balance, motorcars—then life is successful. Śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. But who are after this śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ? That is explained: rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ. Rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ, those who are influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance.

Lecture on SB 1.3.17 -- Los Angeles, September 22, 1972:

Generally, beautiful wife means everyone's wife is beautiful. Unless one sees his wife beautiful, he cannot become a householder. You see? I think I did not see my wife beautiful. Therefore I had to take sannyāsa. (laughter) But generally, every one sees his wife beautiful. There was a great poet in Bengal, Bankima Candra. He used to say that everyone has got right to say his wife beautiful. That means the wife may be beautiful or not beautiful to others' eye, but the husband's eyes it must be beautiful. Otherwise there cannot be husband. So the fact is that our householder life is not a platform of being attracted by woman or by wife. No. Wife is not accepted for sex satisfaction, being attracted by her. No. Therefore wife is called dharma-patnī. Dharma-patnī. Dharma-patnī means a religious wife, or husband and wife should execute religious life, spiritual cultivation. That is the purpose of becoming householder.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So this is material world means everyone is trying to become God. I am trying to become God, you are trying to become God. So there is competition between Gods. He has forgotten that he is dog, but he's trying to become God. Especially in these days, especially in our (chuckling) India, Bengal, there (are) so many Gods incarnation, rascal. You see? So many. As if God is so cheap thing that anyone can become God. So God has given us the chance, "All right. You try to become God." He's trying to become God, and more and more... This is asuric. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. As soon as his little child would say "Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa," he would immediately become angry: "Oh, who is this Nārāyaṇa?" "Oh, He is God." Just like this child is doing. "I am God. Who is God? You are trying to respect some other God?"

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

There was a discussion between Lord Caitanya and Chand Kazi, the Muhammadan magistrate. That story perhaps you know, that He started civil disobedience movement. And the brāhmaṇas of Navadvīpa, they complained to the Muhammadan ma... At that time, Bengal was being governed by Pathans, Muhammadans, and so there was Muhammadan magistrate called Kazi Saheb. So the brāhmaṇas, they lodged complaint to the Kazi Saheb that "This boy, Nimāi Paṇḍita, He has started one movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and people are being enthused, excited to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and He is making propaganda that "Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, you'll get all perfection." So the brāhmaṇas thought that "If this boy makes propaganda and popularize this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, then, oh, what about ourself?" They were priestly class.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

That is the system. So the marriage was to take place in a different village some miles away, and in Bengal the land is full of rivers. The rivers are considered to be high roads. So it was settled that the bridegroom's party will start in the evening before the marriage day and reach there in the morning and rest whole day, and in the evening the marriage will take place.

So they got up in a boat, and the boat was started and the, all the members of the bridegroom's party, the, they fell asleep. It was on the river. The breeze was very pleasing. And next morning when they arose, they saw they were standing on the same place. Then they were surprised, "How is that?" The boatman was asked, "How is that, we are in the same place?

Lecture on SB 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976:

One is feeling secure, "I have got very strong body. I shall live forever." Rascal. Pramatta. That is not possible. Deha and apatya. Apatya means sons. "Oh, I have got so many nice sons, very earning, very obedient; therefore Yamarāja will not touch me." No, no. That is not possible. There is a very joking story in Bengal, gaye gum akale jam care na(?). Gu means stool. So one intelligent person, he thought, "I shall be free from the touch of Yamarāja by one tactics." What is that? "Stool is very obnoxious. Nobody comes to stool. So let me smear my body, whole body with stool so that Yamarāja will not come and touch me." Gaya muk gum akale jam care na(?). This is another pramatta. That crazy fellow, that he is thinking "By keeping myself dirty and obnoxious, Yamarāja is gentleman, he'll not come and touch me." This is another pramatta.

Lecture on SB 1.7.45-46 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1976:

So she is, from family-wise, she is warning that "Do not do anything which will be a discredit to the whole Pāṇḍava family." Vṛjinaṁ nārhati prāptuṁ pūjyaṁ vandyam abhīkṣṇaśaḥ. So the guru and the guru's family, they do not require to be chastised or punished. It has been misused in so many ways. In Bengal... Just like they say nityānanda-vaṁśa. Coming from Nityānanda. So Nityānanda had one son, Vīrabhadra. But Vīrabhadra did not marry. So there is no dynasty by semina. By nityānanda-vaṁśa means by disciplic succession. So sometimes extra advantage was taken as nityānanda-vaṁśa. But people have got respect for such thing, dynasty. So not only it is now, from time immemorial, guru, guru's dynasty... Even in Mohammedan religion there is such sentiment, Mohammed and his dynasty, Hussain, they are taken very respectfully.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

And tri-daśa-pūra ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Tri-daśa-pūra means where thirty-three millions of demigods live, heavenly planets. It is something like phantasmagoria, ākāśa-puṣpa, which has... Just like in Bengal they say, jokingly, ghoṛā ḍim. Ghoṛā ḍim means a ghoṛā, a horse, never gives eggs. It is fantastics. It is not possible. Similarly, these heavenly planets, for a Vaiṣṇava, is ghoṛā ḍim. They don't care for it. It is no fact.

So kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūra ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Karmīs, they want to go to the heavenly planet. This is the sarcastic remark upon the karmīs. And kaivalyaṁ narakāyate, a sarcastic remark upon the jñānīs. They want to become, want to become one. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūra ākāśa-puṣpāyate, durdānta indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. Durdānta indriya. Our senses are very powerful, durdānta. We cannot control. Just like snake.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

So Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says that durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. Daṁṣṭrāyate. Just like the dentists take away the teeth, similarly, if one snake's poison teeth is taken away, so no, it is no more fearful. In Bengal it is said that viṣa nai kula pana cakra.(?) So one who knows that this snake's poison teeth is taken away, he's not afraid. But this snake is fearful to the boys, to the children, not to the elderly men.

So anyone who has become devotee, for them, these senses, which are compared with the snakes, are not fearful. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He was young man, he has got all the senses, and the young girl, beautiful girl, came before him. But he was not fearful because the poison teeth is taken away of his senses. The senses, being engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, it is no more controller of the sense proprietor. This is the system.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Mayapura, October 12, 1974:

"I will send money to father. He may stay at Ashoka Hotel." Nobody thinks like that. "Father may send money, and I shall stay in Ashoka Hotel." This is the idea of father. Father means to exploit him, to exploit.

So the father conception of God, mother conception of God, is not bad. Just like in Bengal especially, they have got mother conception. Mother conception means the same thing, to exploit, take from mother, or father. But the Vaiṣṇava conception is not to accept God as father or mother but as son. Son means to give. Father means to take from him, and son means to take from the father. So if you become father of God, then your business will be to give, not to take. That is Vaiṣṇava conception. From the very beginning of the son's life, the mother is giving service to the son, the father is giving service. Therefore the service is there. Even Kṛṣṇa is afraid of Mother Yaśodā.

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

So Kuntī says that "You have come to teach rascals like this and engage them in this business: śravaṇa, smaraṇa, arhaṇa." Śravaṇa. Because this is bhakti. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). But they are so rascals, as soon as they, the Vaiṣṇavas begin, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, the rascal swami will say, "No, any name, śravaṇa, will do. Any name. Why Viṣṇu? Oh, Kālī." You know. In Bengal there is a party, kālī-kīrtana. What is this nonsense, kālī-kīrtana? In the śāstra there is no such thing as kālī-kīrtana. Kīrtana means śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, Viṣṇu-kīrtana. But these rascals have discovered because they are very fertile brain and they can discover so many things. Yata mata tata patha: "I have discovered this." What is this? Kālī-kīrtana, durgā-kīrtana. So... But śāstra does not say. Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not say. Śāstra says, harer nāma: the holy name of Hari, Kṛṣṇa, not any other name. Not any other name.

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

After all, he's a king. He has got intelligence. Even from diplomatic point of view, he can understand. So he inquired from his minister, Sanātana Gosvāmī, "So who is this person?" So Sanātana Gosvāmī replied that "Whom you accept as (indistinct), the profit is His. It is your fortune that during your reign, He has taken birth in Bengal. You are governor, you are the king of Bengal. And why you are asking me? You are king. You are representative of Kṛṣṇa. You ask your mind and you'll understand what He is." He gave the certificate immediately. Not that "Oh, you are Muhammadan. What you can know?" No. Muhammadan, Hindu, doesn't matter. If one is king he must be blessed by Kṛṣṇa. He has been given the opportunity to become... And if the king also remembers that "I am representative of God. God has given me this post to rule over this country, to make them dharmic, to follow, to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then that is my duty, first duty," then everything is all right.

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

The earth can produce profusely if people are honest, God conscious. There cannot be any scarcity. Therefore it is said that kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). God gives. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). So God, Kṛṣṇa, fulfills all our desires. Now in Bengal we are seeing some rains. In other parts of India, there is no rain. Last time I had been Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, all dry. People are... In Bombay also. People are very much unhappy. There is famine, declaration of famine. So if there is no parjanya, rains, then everything finished. Your so much, so many schemes, ten-years plan, five-years plan and so many plans, they will all dry up. The rascals, they do not know. And how parjanya becomes possible? Yajñād bhavati parjanyo parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. You perform yajña. There will be parjanya. The rain falling is not in your hand. You may be great scientist and calculate so much hydrogen and so much oxygen, mixed up, there is water. Now mix up and bring water where there is no rain.

Lecture on SB Excerpt -- New York, March 7, 1975:

Indian woman: Because I got all the stages of bhakti in Bengal Vaiṣṇavism.

Prabhupāda: No. Bengal Vaiṣṇava is not foolishism. You have... First of all you have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then go to understand what is Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā. You do not understand Kṛṣṇa. Why you jump over His activities?

Indian woman: Well, I was given that work to do for research.

Prabhupāda: So some foolish man has given you like that. (laughter) Yes. You should ask him that "You, Mr. Rascal, (laughter) why you have given, 'jump over to here?' Why not other?" That Kṛṣṇa, to understand Kṛṣṇa, the Bhāgavata begins, athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ... (SB 1.1.1). You know Sanskrit, I think.

Lecture on SB 1.15.46 -- Los Angeles, December 24, 1973:

Keśa means hair, and dhāraṇam means keeping. Dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrtham. And pilgrimage, it must be far away. Just like in Calcutta there is Ganges. So nobody cares for Calcutta Ganges. But they go to Hardwar. The same Ganges. The Ganges is coming from Hardwar down to the Bay of Bengal, but people will like to go to Hardwar, taking so much hardship, to take bath there, because that becomes tīrtha. In every religion they have got tīrtha. The Muslims, they have got mosque. What is that? Mecca, Medina. The Christians, they have got, where? Jerusalem. Similarly, the Hindus. Then they must travel very long. That will be tīrtha. But actually tīrtha means tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. Where there is saintly person, that is tīrtha. Not to go ten thousand miles and simply take a dip in the water and come back.

Lecture on SB 1.16.2 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1973:

That was permissible. Still it is permissible. This kind of marriage is considered very aristocratic, to marry the daughter of maternal uncle. So Arjuna also married the daughter of maternal uncle. Kuntī is the sister of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa's father, and Subhadrā is the daughter of Vasudeva. So he also married. Except in Southern India, this process is now no longer existing. In Bengal and other provinces of India, they do not marry the first cousin. So that is the marriage system. But in southern India, still, to marry the daughter of maternal uncle is considered as very aristocratic. So this system was current five thousand years ago also. So Mahārāja Parīkṣit married his uncle's daughter, uttarasya tanayām. Tanayā means daughter. Uttarasya tanayām upayema. And her name was Irāvatī, Irāvatī.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

It is not that one has been taken away from one; therefore it has become zero. No. That is material. That is relative.

So parīkṣin nāma rājarṣiḥ prāptaḥ prācīṁ sarasvatīm. In India, all the rivers, they're coming from the Himalaya, western side, and flowing toward the eastern side, going to the Bay of Bengal. So prācīm, flowing to the eastern side, Sarasvatī... This is also one of the famous rivers. There are many rivers in India. Especially there is sacred rivers-Ganges, Yamunā, Sarasvatī, Godāvarī, Kāverī, Kṛṣṇā, Narmadā, like that. Each river is considered very sacred. So it is understood that Parīkṣit Mahārāja met the Dharmarāja and the earthly planet, talking together on the bank of the river Sarasvatī.

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

Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). At the time of death, if you can remember Nārāyaṇa-Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa, the same thing—then your life is successful, whatever you do. In Bengal there is a proverb, it is called bhajana kara sādhana kara murte janle hoya.(?) Means you may be very big stalwart spiritualist or yogis, or there are so many big, big things, so whatever you do, that is all right. Because they say that "Everything is leading to the Supreme, this way or that way." That has been described here, sāṅkhya-yoga, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga or dhyāna-yoga. So many things they have manufactured, that's all right. And you say that "Whatever path we may follow, ultimately we go to the same goal." That is very nice, provided if you actually go to the same goal.

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

Etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyām. So you become a very big scientist, very big physicist, chemist. That is all right. But you must know how to remember Nārāyaṇa at the time of your death.

An interesting story has been described by our Satsvarūpa Mahārāja in the Back to Godhead: The learned scholar and the boatman. The boatman... In Bengal there are many rivers, and so people generally transport by boat service. So a learned scholar from Calcutta, say, was going home in the village on a boat, and he was very happy. So he was asking the boatman, "My dear boatman, do you know what are these stars, this astronomy, how they are working?" "No, sir, I do not know." "Oh, your life is twenty-five percent lost. You do not know anything." Then after some time, "You know the geology, how this earth, water, they are working?" "No, sir, I am poor man.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

This knowledge begins, inquisitiveness, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was minister, very big minister of Bengal, Nawab Hussein Shah's government. He left everything. He resigned from the post and became follower of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So when he met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Vārāṇasī, at that time, he placed this question that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. This is the inquisitiveness, knowledge. Tāpa-traya. Tāpa-traya means three kinds of miserable condition: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. We are suffering always. Ātmā means body and mind—even soul. But soul is aloof from body and mind, but he is absorbed. On account of material contamination, the soul feels the pains and pleasure of mind and body on account of contact. So this is called adhyātmika.

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

Just like the Gosvāmīs. They used to... Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhur vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. It is possible if we follow the Gosvāmīs. The Gosvāmīs were minister, minister of Nawab Hussain Shah in the Bengal government in those days. Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rū..., very, mean, prime, finance minister, chief minister, very important ministers, and they gave up everything, everything. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. By their determination to worship Kṛṣṇa they gave up everything. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇī... Maṇḍala-pati means very big, big leaders. When one is minister, certainly he is connected with so many big, big men. So they were actually connected with them, but they gave up, sadā tuccha-vat, as most insignificant thing. And what was their next adoption?

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

That's all. Minimum. Minimum necessities of the body. But how they lived? They were so big men. How they adopted such life and lived? Because if a man, rich man, adopts immediately renunciation, that affects his material condition of life. That we have seen. Just like in Bengal, C.R. Das, he had fifty thousand rupees' income in those days, and he gave up everything and joined Gandhi's movement. He died within one year, because he could not tolerate. So without spiritual engagement, one cannot give up this material engagement. That is the real fact. One must... Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati... They gave up this material enjoyment. That's all right. How they lived? Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhuḥ. They dipped into the ocean of the transcendental loving affairs of the gopīs with Kṛṣṇa. That was their asset. Therefore they lived very peacefully and very happily.

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

His heart is full of well-wishing for everyone. "Everyone" means for Indians, nationals? No, sarva-dehinām. Sarva-dehinām, all bodies, even for the cats and dogs. A devotee wishes welfare even of the cats and dogs by giving him prasādam: "Take little prasādam." So the dog will be also... There is an instance during Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time. Devotees from Bengal were going to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and on the way a dog also began to follow them. So the leader of the party, Śivānanda Sena, he was also giving food, prasādam, to the dog, and they had to cross one river, and the boatman would not take the dog. Śivānanda Sena paid him some more money, that "You take the dog." This is Vaiṣṇava, that "This dog has taken our company. He is going with us. How I can leave him behind?" So he paid more money: "Please take this dog." This is called suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām (SB 3.25.21). And the dog was emancipated.

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

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was talking with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī was very learned scholar and he knew that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was also very learned scholar. So he was criticizing Him that "This sannyāsī from Bengal who has come to Benares, He is simply chanting and dancing and does not give attention in the reading of Vedānta, so He is not a bona fide sannyāsī. He is sentimental." He was thinking like that, but one brāhmaṇa, Maharastrian brāhmaṇa, he arranged a meeting with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī and Lord Caitanya. There was discussion. So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī inquired from Him that "You are a sannyāsī. Instead of giving your attention in the matter of reading Vedānta-sūtra, Sāṅkhya philosophy, what is this that you are chanting and dancing?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied that "My guru found Me, I am a fool number one, guru more mūrkha dekhi (CC Adi 7.71), I am not very much learned.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

And each queen had ten sons. And the sons were also married. They had sons. In this way, very, very opulent. But still, they were placing themself in the position of maidservant. They were also king's daughter, not ordinary being. So that is the Vedic conception. Of course, I do not know what is the practice here. But in Bengal this is the practice. When the son goes to marry to the bride's house, it is a custom. The mother asks the son, "My dear son, where you are going?" So the bridegroom answers, "I am going to bring one maidservant for you." This is the system.

Lecture on SB 3.26.10 -- Bombay, December 22, 1974:

As it is there in the political field, sampradāya-vihīnā ye, they cannot stand, similarly, if one person who desires to advance in spiritual life, he must take initiation from the sampradāya.

So we belong to the Gauḍīya-sampradāya. Gauḍīya means, Gauḍīya... Gauḍa-deśa is called Bengal. There are pañca-gauḍa. Punjab is also called Gauḍa-deśa. There are five gauḍa and five draviḍa. In southern India, they are called draviḍa, and in the north India, they are called gauḍa-deśa. So Gauḍa, Bengal is also Gauḍa, and the Vaiṣṇavas belonging to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult, they are called Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava, Bengali Vaiṣṇava. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu happened to be a Bengali, but He belonged to the Madhva-sampradāya. His guru was Īśvara Purī, and his guru, Īśvara Purī's guru, was Mādhavendra Purī. And Mādhavendra Purī belonged to Madhvācārya-sampradāya.

Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:

When anarthas are finished, no more attraction... Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If one is really devotee, then he will be detached to the anarthas, unwanted things. That is the test of bhakti. And "I am devotee; also I am devotee of biḍi," that is not devotee. "I am smoking, also chanting." In the Bengal it is said, āmi dugha khai tamogha khai.(?) No, not like that.

So that is the test who is a devotee. Simply by advertising himself, advertisements will not do. How much you are freed from the anarthas. Viraktir anyatra syāt. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). The example is given: just like if you are hungry, you are hankering after food, but when sufficient food is supplied to you, then the next stage will be: "No, no, I don't want any more. That's all right." "No, no, take more." "No, no, no, no. I am not..." He is satisfied, fully satisfied. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja: he took advantage of bhakti for some material... Not Prahlāda Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja. I am sorry.

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

That is very important point, that Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, he advised... Many person used to come to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but he was first of all examined by His secretary whether he is actually fit for talking with Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Otherwise he will simply waste His time. So one brāhmaṇa from East Bengal came with some literature. Many people used to write something. So when it was examined by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, he said, "No." Then he explained how the literature was defective. He pointed out. These are described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Then he saw the person was submissive. He did not protest. Then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī advised him that "You..." Bhāgavata paḍā giya bhāgavata sthāne: "You go to a Bhāgavata, person Bhāgavata, and read or hear Bhāgavata from him. Otherwise you will be misled, doubtful."

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

Caitanya Mahāprabhu sent His different devotees in different parts of India. And, of course, He desired that His devotees should go all the parts of the world. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) But He began in India. So their residential quarter was in Vṛndāvana, and they wrote innumerable books. And Nityānanda Prabhu went to Bengal. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally traveled all over India, especially South India. In this way, preaching was His main mission of life. He gave up His family life. Tyaktvā sudustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam, māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayā (SB 11.5.34). He wanted to show His mercy to the fallen souls of this yuga, Kali-yuga. Therefore, as just a young man, twenty-four years old, He gave up His family. Sudustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīm. His family was very, very nice family, mother and wife, very affectionate mother, very beautiful wife, but He gave up everything.

Lecture on SB 3.28.19 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

And they say, "Where is chanting in the word?" Here is chanting. Mām. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). Mām-Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, not this kīrtana, that kīrtana. They have imitated. No. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam means of the, by the name of Viṣṇu. The Māyāvādīs, they have invented. In Calcutta, in Bengal, they have invented Kali-kīrtana, Kali-kīrtana. The Ramakrishna Mission, they have invented Kali-kīrtana. "Why Hari-kīrtana? Kali-kīrtana." They have got a party. As we say... Because they are rival, if we say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," they will say "Kali, Kali, Kali," like that. This is going on. Kīrtana does not mean any other demigod. Kīrtana means of Viṣṇu. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, clearly state. But these bogus, so-called swamis and yogis, they cheat people, bluff people by their own concoction. That is the difficulty. Even if you speak the right truth, they are unable to receive it because they have been deceived by so many rascals. So kīrtana means... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad..., satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14),

Lecture on SB 4.14.14 -- November 16, 1971, Delhi:

So Mādhavendra Purī was very old man at that time, and it is order of Gopālajī, so he started for Jagannātha Purī. On the way there is a Gopīnātha temple in Orissa, on the border of Orissa and Bengal in the district of Dantarn(?), that is called Danta(?). So he stayed there overnight and he saw that the Gopāla..., Gopīnāthajī was offered kṣīra, seven pots of kṣīra. So Mādhavendra Purī thought within himself, "If I could taste a little kṣīra, then I would also make such kṣīra to offer my Gopāla in Vṛndāvana." Then again he thought that "Oh, I am so stupid that before offering to the Deity I am thinking of eating it." He thought himself to be very much culprit, and he immediately left the temple, "No, I shall not. I am committing offense." It is an offense.

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

Guest: I am from Calcutta. I teach in Calcutta. I live in Calcutta. I am always in Bengal.

Prabhupāda: So you have seen that all Calcutta men are dying?

Guest: Yes, poor people are dying.

Prabhupāda: Ah, this is all lying propaganda. I don't believe it. I am also there. I am born in Calcutta.

Guest: I am not saying anything to contradict you, just explain to me...

Prabhupāda: No, there is no contradiction. I am speaking that God is feeding even the animals, even the elephants, even the serpents, and why God will not feed the human kind. This is a wrong impression. Everyone has food fixed by God. Even if he is not serving God, God is supplying all the necessities, to the animals why not to the human being? This is wrong impression. (break) Yes? (break)

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

They are trying to stop miserable condition, but he does not know that miserable condition is his body. Just see how much foolish (it) is. He does not know that this very body is the cause of your miserable condition. They do not know. They are trying to improve the condition. How you'll improve the condition? Just like in our Bengal there is a word, jadi jau bange kapala jabe sange (?). Just like people are going from this country to that to improve economic condition. But it is a common saying that "Wherever you rascal go, your fate will go with you." Either you go to England or India or here and there... Because people are struggling for economic development. But he does not know that I cannot make an inch of development beyond the destiny which is already fixed up. Already fixed up.

Lecture on SB 5.5.23 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1976:

Therefore we want to see how far he is eligible to practice the śamo damo titikṣa. So some new boy come, and as soon as they are given some work, not very good for sense gratification, they go away. That means they are not prepared. It is better they may go away. In Bengal it is said, dusta gorute sunya goaloa(?): "If there is troublesome cows, better keep the cowshed zero, without cow. Don't allow." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for elevating the animal class of men to the platform of brāhmaṇa. Therefore the sacred thread ceremony is given as second initiation, that "He has practiced now śamo damo titikṣa ārjava, and he has learned what is Kṛṣṇa, what he is, what is his relationship with Kṛṣṇa, now how to act for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa." These are brahminical qualification. If one is elevated to this platform This platform is called sattva-guṇa. Sattva-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.25 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1976:

The liberation of becoming one with the Supreme is called kaivalyam, kevalādvaitam, oneness. So for a devotee it is as good as the hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And then? What about heavenly planets, Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka? Ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāya. In Bengal there is one word, ghorabdin (?), means "no value." Just like horse. Horse never give any egg, but it is said, "It is as good as the egg of horse." That means "There is no such thing, insignificant." So ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Ākāśa-puṣpāyate means it has no value. Simply imagination. Actually that is the fact. Suppose if you go to Svargaloka, become Indra. So that is not permanent by pious activities you can become Brahmā, Indra, and so many demigods. You can hold that post. But ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino arjuna. Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, what is the benefit?

Lecture on SB 5.6.6 -- Vrndavana, November 28, 1976:

That is possible. Then he's not a brāhmaṇa. He must be a scholar. At least he must know what is the ultimate goal of knowledge.

So in the Kali-yuga we do not expect everyone to be very great scholar. That is not possible. But if he knows what is the aim of education, what is the objective of education, then he is also scholar. Just like our Gaura-Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. He was illiterate. He could not sign his name even. But he became the spiritual master of the best scholar of his time, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. So it is not the education, ABCD. In Bengal we say anguam(?). No. What is the purport of education? The purport of education is spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). If one understands Kṛṣṇa and takes to the shelter of His lotus feet, he is also the biggest scholar.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

"Unless you become Westernized, technologist, you'll not be happy." But they can become happy even in this condition. This artificial partition has caused some trouble by the Britishers because the Pakistan has taken away all the wheat and rice. Their purpose was that. The Punjab side, they are producing wheat in very large quantity. In Bengal, that is the, perhaps the biggest rice producing country in the world, Bengal. So rice is in Pakistan and wheat is in Pakistan. Even cows, they were maintained by the Punjabis, big, big cows, milk-producing. They are now in the Punjab. So there is no milk, there is no rice, there is no wheat. And they have no sugar. The sugar is produced this side. In this way, always. And the Kashmir question... That is British policy. Due to this partition only, India's position is now very crippled. And these rascal leaders, they accepted partition for becoming prime minister.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

Prabhupāda: That is Bengal. That is called Hanumān.

Revatīnandana: You said in Vṛndāvana they would come in a gang. Three or four will jump out in front like this, and the rest will grab what you have and take it away. You said they would do that.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: They're very smart.

Prabhupāda: But if you have got a stick they will not come. They are afraid of stick. The dogs also, they are afraid of stick. Therefore in such places one should carry in hand one stick. That is safe. After all, they are animals. They know that a man can strike with the stick very severely. They are afraid of that. In Vṛndāvana, in the beginning, I was eating, and a monkey entered very peacefully and took it, everything. (laughter) He took everything. I could not replace. I began running. Immediately caught also. They do like that. In Vṛndāvana you cannot open doors.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Nellore, January 5, 1976:

So there was the king in Bengal at that time. He was known as Nawab Hussein Shah. Formerly he was a Mohammedan servant to a big Hindu landlord. So this boy servant committed some theft so the master punished him by striking with a cane. So the striking mark of the cane was there on his backside. So one day the Nawab's wife, Begam, saw the mark and inquired from her husband, "What is this mark?" So the Nawab described that in his childhood, when he was a servant of that Hindu gentleman, Buddhimanta Khan, he beat him with that cane and that mark is there. So the wife of the Nawab, Begum Sair(?), she requested that "You kill this man. Otherwise people will blaspheme you."

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture:

Therefore things have gone, everything, very bad. Even in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was there, one gentleman, he was made into a Muhammadan. This is a long story. The shortcut is he was very rich man, and the Nawab of Bengal, Hussain Shah, when he was a boy, he was his servant. Later on he became the Nawab, the king. So one day the Nawab was being massaged, and his wife saw that there is a stripe on the back. So (s)he asked the Nawab, "What is this?" So he stated that "When I was a poor boy, I was servant of Buddhimanta Khan, and I committed some wrong, so he whipped me with a cane." "Oh? Then it is a sign that you were a servant of Buddhimanta Khan sometimes before. If people will see and you will explain, that is an insult for you." "Oh, what is that? He was just like my father. He chastised me. I don't mind."

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

They thought that "Swamiji is denying the primary necessities of life." They are so dull that they cannot understand this is sinful. Not only ordinary common man, even a big man, Lord Zetland in England. So one of my Godbrothers went to preach, and Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland... He was known as Lord Rolandsey(?). He was governor of Bengal. In our college days he came to our coll... He's Scotch man. So very gentleman and inclined to philosophy. So he asked this Godbrother, "Can you make me brāhmaṇa?" So he proposed, "Yes, why not? You follow these rules and regulation. You will become brāhmaṇa." So when he heard the rules and regulation—no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling, no intoxication—he said, "Oh, it is impossible. It is not possible." He flatly refused, that "In our country it is not possible."

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

There is arrangement of raining; there is arrangement of producing. We simply, so-called rascals, so-called politicians, they have created all this trouble for their political ambition. Just like our politicians created the Pakistan and Hindustan. So all the foodstuff is there in Pakistan. Rice is in East Bengal and wheat is in East Pakistan. So this Hindustan is in shortage, in short of wheat and rice. So this is the creation of the politicians. By God's arrangement everything is complete. Therefore you have to change the whole consciousness of the people if you want to be happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:

The Muhammadan religion spread because there was Muhammadan government. That is natural. If the state is following a certain type of religion, then naturally... And that is said in the Bhagavad-gītā: yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). Just like in India, at least in Bengal, we have got the history that educated persons, they saw that "In Christian religion one can drink, one can eat meat. So why not become Christian?" So the drunkards and meat-eaters, they became Christians. Similarly the Muhammadans also, they thought a clue to deviate from the Vedic principles, and they turned themselves. Just like Aurangzeb enacted the lidia(?) tax, that all the Hindus will have to pay this tax. So the untouchables... Because Hindus made these untouchables, so untouchables, they thought that "Why shall I pay the tax?

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Detroit, June 13, 1976:

And he was the only son of the father and the uncle. Huge estate, beautiful wife, everything—he left and joined this movement, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's. Similarly, Gopal Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, he also coming from a very aristocratic brāhmaṇa family in South India. And Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, the nephew of Rūpa Gosvāmī, in the learned circle, still, in Bengal, they say such a big scholar and philosophy, there was none, and nobody expects a similar philosopher and learned scholar in the future. He was such a big personality, Jīva Gosvāmī. Big, big Māyāvādīs, they were afraid of Jīva Gosvāmī's logic and argument to establish the Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Detroit, June 13, 1976:

We should make it a determination that we have enough of this material civilization; we are not any more concerned about it. We are interested in Kṛṣṇa, how to go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. This should be the determination. And if we think, "Let me taste this also and taste that also..." In Bengal it is said durakhai tanakakai (indistinct). Not like that.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned very seriously:

Lecture on SB 6.2.9-10 -- Allahabad, January 15, 1971:

He recommends the shastric injunction: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). So the harer nāma or viṣṇu-nāma or devotional service to Viṣṇu... Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). You should always remember this, because sometimes rascals mislead that "Any name." In Bengal it is very popular. There is a party, they chant kālī-kīrtana. "Kālī, Kālī, Kālī," imitation. Or there are so many so-called avatāras. There was another rascal, he added his wife's name. Yes. And the rascal, foolish scholars also accepted. Yes. "Haro kusuma, haro kusuma, kusuma kusuma, haro," like that. The rascal's name was Haro, and his wife's name was Kusuma, so he made a mantra, "haro kusuma, haro kusuma, kusuma kusuma, haro haro." (laughter) And the rascal followers also accepted that this is... So this is going on. A Māyāvādī philosophers, they are so dangerous that they mislead their followers to the hell.

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

If at the time of death one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then he is glorious. Nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ. Here is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāsty atra. Anta-kāle: "At the time of..." I have several times said, the test will be examined at the time of death. They say in Bengal, bhajan koro pūjān koro murte jānle haya.(?) Your austerity, penances, chanting of the holy name, all these things... Just like there is examination. Before promotion to the higher class, one is examined in the school, and the, if the marks are sufficient, then he is promoted. So our promotion will depend at the time of death, where we are going. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We are going to change our... Death means we are going to change our body. So this change of body will be decided at the time of death. It is already decided what kind of body we are going to get, but the final decision will be taken at the time of death. That is said by Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was questioned by Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī at Benares, follower of Śaṅkara philosophy, that... There was meeting between Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not like to meet the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. He used to live alone. But sometimes these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they were criticizing Him that "This Bengali sannyāsī comes from Bengal, and He does not indulge in reading Brahma-sutra or Vedānta-sūtra. He dances and chants with some ecstatic people. What kind of sannyāsī He is? A sannyāsī is meant for studying Vedānta-sūtra, Sāṅkhya philosophy." Some of them were very learned scholars. There's no doubt about it. But when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was inquired by Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, "Sir, I learned that in your previous life..." He was a learned scholar. He was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita. "And You have taken sannyāsa. So instead of reading Sāṅkhya philosophy and Vedānta-sūtra, You are simply chanting and dancing with some fanatics. What is this?" This was the question.

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

Na siddhim. It is clearly said by Kṛṣṇa, "There is no question of perfection," na sukham, "neither happiness," na parāṁ gatim, "and what to speak of being promoted to the spiritual world? There is no..." Therefore vaidhi-bhakti, as it is enunciated in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Nectar of Devotion, by the Gosvāmīs, we shall try to follow as far as possible. Be sincere and hard-working. Then the success is sure. Not to be bewildered, misled by the so-called avatāra, incarnation. You see? The so-called avatāras, they are simply rascals. Especially in Bengal, every day there is an avatāra. (laughter)

Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- Vrndavana, December 11, 1975:

Therefore the Vedic civilization is voluntarily accepting poverty. Voluntary. Big, big kings, they voluntarily accepted poverty. Rūpa Goswami Don't go to the past, big, big..., Bhārata Mahārāja and others. Even Lord Rāmacandra. Take recent history, within five hundred years. Rūpa Goswami, the chief minister of the government of Bengal, most opulent position: tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. They became mendicant, voluntarily accepting, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-mandala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. "What is this nonsense position, minister, opulent life? Kick it out." They are not fools. They are politicians. But why they "Kick it out." Then what they became? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. They become mendicant.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:

There is no question of anxiety for him. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ. Prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). There is no lamentation; there is no desire. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. There is no desire.

Even a hundred years, or, say, about 150 years before, there was in Bengal there was a nice king, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Chandra. He went to a learned brāhmaṇa, and he wanted to help him, that "Can I help you?" So the brāhmaṇa says, "Oh, I don't require any help. Oh, I am very happy. I have got this tamarind tree. My wife takes some tamarind leaves and makes some soup, and some of my disciples give me some rice. So I have got everything, plenty. Why shall I take your help?" Formerly the brāhmaṇas, real brāhmaṇas, they refused to take any charity from others, even up to this date, because according to Vedic system, when charity was to be given, it is to be given to the brāhmaṇas or the sannyāsīs.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:

He could understand that "Now I'm going to be killed by so many people. They have come." So I told them that "Don't kill this poor fellow. Better take it and send it to the forest." But they took it away, but I later on understood they killed it. So once I saw in our Māyāpur, Lord Caitanya's birthplace, so a snake was going, a black snake with... In Bengal there are many snakes. So my Guru Mahārāja was on the upstair and everyone asked the permission whether this should be killed. He said immediately, "Yes. He should be killed." So at that time I thought that "How Guru Mahārāja ordered for killing the snake?" Then, after so many years, when I began to read Bhāgavatam and came to this passage, Prahlāda Mahārāja assertion, modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā, then I thought that "My Guru Mahārāja did right thing." Here also, modeta. Even a sādhu. Then why a sādhu is pleased when a sarpa, a scorpion, or snake is killed? The reason is that these two kinds of creatures, they bite innocent persons without any fault.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:

So janma, aiśvarya, śruta, śrī, these things are achieved out of pious activities. Therefore, in the Vedas, the karma-kāṇḍa vicāra, performing great sacrifices, they are mentioned. (Sanskrit) Performing yajña. In order to keep ourself happy within this material world, we have to perform yajña. That we are forgetting. There is no yajña performance. Therefore, as we are forgetting to live according to the direction of the Vedas, we are meeting with so many dangerous ways of life. Take for example, in our country, 20 years ago, there was no fight between Punjab and Bengal. Now because we are advanced, we have got independence, now the fighting is between Punjab and Bengal. This kind of advancement we are making, and we have to face such calamities more and more if we forget performance of yajña.

Lecture on SB 7.9.48 -- Vrndavana, April 3, 1976:

Everywhere. Not that we limit Kṛṣṇa within Vṛndāvana. That is special, because Kṛṣṇa came here and displayed His pastimes, a special significance. But wherever you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is Vṛndāvana. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Wherever He was going He said that "It is Vṛndāvana." After taking sannyāsa He was in Bengal, and He was thinking the Ganges as Yamunā.

So these are not to be copied or imitated. Gradually, as we advance, we can understand that how Kṛṣṇa is all-pervasive. And something is described in the Bhagavad-gītā... You cannot say that "I have not seen Kṛṣṇa." This is, I mean to say, foolishness. They say, "Can you show me Kṛṣṇa?" But thing is that he has no eyes to see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can be seen. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38).

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

So here Nṛsiṁha-deva addressing, prahlādo bhadra, perfect gentleman. In India it is called bhadraloka. Bhadra means a perfect gentleman, bhadraloka. That is the general etiquette, to address somebody as bhadraloka. Especially in Bengal it is very common word, bhadra. And the other parts also. So bhadra means perfect gentleman. Just see. Prahlāda was perfect gentleman. A devotee is perfect gentleman. Why? Now, because he has developed all good qualities. That is bhadra. A devotee cannot be abhadra. He must be bhadra. That is perfection. Therefore a devotee is never rude to anyone. When Rūpa Gosvāmī was here, some very learned scholar to talk with him śāstrārtha, talking on śāstra. So when he approached Rūpa Gosvāmī, he asked that "I want to talk with you about śāstra."

Page Title:Bengal (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:17 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=58, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:58