So this is good government. Unless the government is equal to everyone... Just like God is equal to everyone. The king or the government must be representative of God. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, king is offered as good respect as to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. King is called nara-deva, nara-deva. That means "God in human form." King is given... Why? Because he acts as the representative of God. He cannot be jealous to any living entity, at least, born in his kingdom. That is called praja. Praja means one who has taken birth, or, in other words, national, national. So that was the duty.
Born in... (Lectures, BG)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:
"I can bring Kṛṣṇa in the midst of my family provided Kṛṣṇa helps me to enjoy this material life." They are thinking like that. That is ārta. But that is also good. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, he was ārta. Ārta, means he wanted something material, benefit. His stepmother insulted him, that "You cannot sit down on the lap of your father because you were not born in my womb." He was kṣatriya; he took it insult. So his father had two wives. So he was born the eldest queen. The father was not very much attached to the eldest queen. The father was attached to the junior queen. And the junior queen was very proud that "The king is in my hand."
Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:
So sex life is not bad, provided it is executed according to the religious principles. So Garbhādhāna saṁskāra... Just, what is the idea? The idea is the child born must be first class. He'll be able to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. He'll be able to understand the śāstras, the Vedas. He must have the good brain. These were the ideas. But if they are not born in that way, like cats and dog, that is called varṇa-saṅkara. Varṇa-saṅkara. You cannot specify whether he's a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya and vaiśya and śūdra. That is called varṇa-saṅkara. So varṇa-saṅkara population is not good. Varṇa-saṅkara. No caste. No designation, no definition to which class this man belongs.
Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:
All śūdras. We have to accept. Because no Vedic culture, no Garbhādhāna saṁskāra. They are born like cats and dogs. So where is this division? There cannot be. Therefore, accept them as śūdra. Varṇa-saṅkara is less than śūdra. So at least, śūdra they should be. So there is no Vaidic dīkṣā. For śūdra, there is no dīkṣā, there is no initiation. Initiation is meant for the persons who are born in brāhmaṇa family, kṣatriya family, or vaiśya family. The śūdra has no initiation. So in India there are professional gurus. They initiate śūdras, but do not eat foodstuff touched by the disciple. So there are so many things, that if he's initiated, how he can remain śūdra? But they keep him śūdra; at the same time, they become guru.
Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:
In Asamsaye, they eat also dog. So the dog-eaters, they are considered lowest of the mankind. Śva-pacaḥ. Śva means dog and pacaḥ means who cooks. Śva-pacaḥ means caṇḍāla. If a man from the śva-pacaḥ family, or the caṇḍāla family, he becomes a Vaiṣṇava, strictly according to the orders, then he can become guru, but not a brāhmaṇa if he's not a Vaiṣṇava. This is the stricture. Even one is born in the family of a brāhmaṇa, and he's not only born, he's qualified, sat-karma-nipuṇo... Nipuṇo means qualified. Brāhmaṇa has got six kinds of occupation. He must be learned himself, he must be able to teach others Vedic literatures. That is called paṭhana pāṭhana. Then he must worship... Worship means demigods. Or they consider that any demigod or God, the same, some impersonalists. So yajana, yājana. There are other also, religious ritual functions. They perform. That is called yajana. Yajana yājana. And dāna pratigṛha. A brāhmaṇa takes contribution. A brāhmaṇa is never engaged in service like śūdra. That is śūdra's business.
Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:
These things are described. So we cannot even imagine what kind of brain Arjuna possessed. Another thing, this Bhagavad-gītā is part of Mahābhārata. And the Mahābhārata was written for strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayi na śruti-gocarāḥ (SB 1.4.25). Strī, woman, strī, śūdra and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu means a person born in high family, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, at least brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, but he's not qualified brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. He's called dvija-bandhu, the friend of the twice-born. The brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, they are twice-born. One birth is father and mother; another birth is by the spiritual master, by Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is mother and the spiritual master is the father. So the second birth.
Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:
Therefore, they are called dvija, twice born. So dvija-bandhūnām, those who are not actually twice born but born in the family of dvijas. Therefore they are called dvija-bandhu, "not dvija, friends of the dvijas." Dvija-bandhu. One may become a friend of the dvija. One may become a son of a high-court judge, but that does not mean he's also high-court judge. But now they are taking: "Because my father is brāhmaṇa, therefore I am brāhmaṇa." No. That was not accepted. Your father may be brāhmaṇa, but if you are not qualified brāhmaṇa, you cannot be called a brāhmaṇa. You can be called dvija-bandhu. So this Mahābhārata was written: strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayi na śruti gocarāḥ (SB 1.4.25).
Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:
So jāti-dharma. Jāti, nowadays it has been taken as "national." But here, jāti-dharma means...Just like one is born in brāhmaṇa jāti, kṣatriya jāti, vaiśya jāti, śūdra jāti. So each jāti, they have got different types of responsibilities. So when the unwanted children, irresponsible children, they do not follow any more the tradition, the family tradition, or jāti-dharma, so they create a class of population in the varṇa-saṅkara. So everything becomes topsy-turvy, hellish condition. And actually it has so happened. Now there is no more jāti-dharma. Everyone is engaged somehow or other to fill up the belly. Formerly, formerly there was stricture. The brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, and the vaiśyas, these three higher castes, there were certain restrictions. The brāhmaṇa would not do this or the brāhmaṇa must do this.
Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:
So that is called jāti-dharma. A brāhmaṇa cannot accept service from anywhere. I have discussed many times. A kṣatriya also cannot. And vaiśya cannot. Only the śūdra can become servant of others. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). So, at the present moment, nobody can observe the strict rules and regulations, that "I am born in a brāhmaṇa family. I cannot accept anyone's service." Then you will have to starve. Because he has no brahminical capacity... By education, by culture, he's a śūdra, although falsely he's claiming that he is a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. So his jāti-dharma, family tradition, family rituals, everything is lost due to this unwanted children. Unwanted children make everything topsy-turvy. So Arjuna is visualizing all the future calamities. But there is one remedy. It is a fact that jāti-dharma we have lost.
Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:
There is another verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: tyaktvā sva-dharmān caraṇāmbujaṁ harer (SB 1.5.17). Sva-dharma. Sva-dharma means jāti-dharma. So I may be born in a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya, so I have got sva-dharma. A kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa has got his own regulative principles. So Bhāgavata, Nārada says, Bhāgavata says and Nārada says that if one has given up his jāti-dharma..., because Kṛṣṇa is asking: sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Sarva-dharma means this sva-dharma, jāti-dharma, or so many other dharmas man created for the nice keep-up of the society. Just like we create even in the modern world so many rules and regulations. Take for example that one must keep to the left. Just to keep order in the society. There are so many things. So jāti-dharma, kula-dharma is also like that. Spiritually, it has no value.
Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:
Because the aim is to satisfy Viṣṇu, to become Vaiṣṇava. To become brāhmaṇa is also lower status. You will hear from the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that our Mādhavendra Purī, he was installing Deities. So there are many brāhmaṇas, caste brāhmaṇa, born in... So in order to give charge of worship to those brāhmaṇas, he initiated them to become Vaiṣṇava. Because without becoming Vaiṣṇava, nobody has got right to worship Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu will not accept anything from anyone unless he is devotee. And Viṣṇu is poverty-stricken that He has come to take from you? He cannot eat? He has no eating means? No. He agrees to accept our offering just on the basis of love. The Vaiṣṇava loves Viṣṇu, and Viṣṇu agrees to accept any foodstuff. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). That bhakti is main thing, not your palatable dish. Viṣṇu is quite competent to prepare thousand times better palatable dishes than you can offer. But the real thing is bhakti.
Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:
In this way we can satisfy the Supreme Lord. Our aim is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, and this can be done perfectly if we follow the regulative principles of jāti-dharma, kula-dharma. Jāti-dharma means if you are born in the family of a brāhmaṇa you have got particular duties. Simply if you think yourself that "I am born in a brāhmaṇa family; my duty is all finished. Now I can do whatever nonsense..." They think like that. I have spoken. They are very much proud of taking birth in brāhmaṇa family. So when others are engaged in devotional service, they say, "Oh, you are born in lower family. You have got to do this. We are born in brāhmaṇa... We have nothing to do." You see? But they do not know that jāti-dharma kula-ghnānām, utsanna-kula-dharmānam. If you are actually brāhmaṇa, you must keep your family tradition. That is brāhmaṇa. Otherwise if you sacrifice everything of your family tradition... Just like in your country, the Lord family.
Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:
Under the circumstances that would be another kind of defeat. All these considerations by Arjuna definitely proved that he was not only a great devotee of the Lord but that he was also highly enlightened and had complete control over his mind and senses. His desire to live by begging although he was born in the royal household is another sign of detachment. He was fully in the quality of forbearance as all these qualities combined with his faith in the words of instruction of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, his spiritual master, give evidence. It is concluded that Arjuna was quite fit for liberation. Unless the senses are controlled, there is no chance of elevation to the platform of knowledge, and without knowledge and devotion there is no chance of liberation. Arjuna was competent in all these attributes over and above his enormous attributes in his material relationships."
Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:
They are posing themself as very learned, but... This can be detected by devotees, who is learned and who is not learned. Others cannot detect. Others will be misled. The devotees, they have got such eyes to see that they can immediately discriminate who is a fool, who is learned. There is a story that one man was searching after the truth. So he met some person, saintly person. So he gave him one feather, that "You try to see within the feather who is a human being and who is not." So when he began to see within the feather, he saw, "There is no human being." Similarly,
- ajñāna-timirāndhasya
- jñānāñjana-śalākayā
- cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
- tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
(I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.)
Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:
If you want the definition of bhakti, the bhakti means to use the things for the proprietor. That is right use. If somebody use for another purpose, that is misuse. So bhakti means, when things are used properly, that is called bhakti. Now we are thinking that this machine, this body, "I am born in India, so it is Indian machine. It should be utilized for India's profit." Another person is thinking, "This machine, it is gotten from America, so it should be used for America." That is going on in the name of nationality or communism, or society or friendship and this and so on. We have invented so many "isms," but they are all misuse because actually the machine does not belong to the American or the Indian or the African. The machine belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So this is misuse. So when we understand that we are misusing this machine improperly, that is called pure machine.
Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:
So when he saw that one black man was trying to kill one cow, immediately he took his sword: "Immediately I shall kill you. Who are you, killing cows in my kingdom?" This is kṣatriya's business. So... But there is no kṣatriya now because so many cows are being killed. Nobody is protesting. It is the duty of the kṣatriya to protect every living entity born in the land, in his kingdom. It is not that, as it is going on now, that only the human beings should be protected and not the animals. No animal could be killed except in sacrifice, as prescribed. Unnecessarily, there was no need of killing animals. That is great sin. Dyūtaṁ pānaṁ striyaḥ sūnā yatrādharmaś catur-vidhaḥ (SB 1.17.38). Striya, illicit connection with woman, is sinful life. Unnecessarily killing animals, that is sinful life.
Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973:
And although he knew that his father was the greatest enemy, still, he is asking his benediction, "This poor fellow may be liberated." So Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva guaranteed, said, "My dear Prahlāda, not only your father, but your father's father, his father, up to fourteen generations, all are liberated. Because you are born in this family." So anyone who has become a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, he is giving the greatest service to the family. Because in relationship with him, his father, mother, anyone, they will be liberated. Just like we have got experience, if a person dies in the fight immaturely, his family is taken care of by the government. Similarly, to become a devotee is the greatest qualification. He has got everything. Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ yatra dhanur-dharaḥ pārthaḥ (BG 18.78). When there is Kṛṣṇa and when there is devotee, all victory, all glories are there. That is guaranteed.
Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:
"How beautiful I am." That's all. Just spend your beauty or utilize your asset, the human... That is brāhmaṇa, to be liberal. And the... Etad viditvā prayāti sa brāhmaṇaḥ, One who knows... Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says: durlabhaṁ manuṣyaṁ janma adhruvam arthadam (SB 7.6.1). He was preaching amongst his class friends. He was born in a demonic family, Hiraṇyakaśipu. And his class friends, also, of the same category. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was advising them: "My dear brothers, let us cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So other boys, what do they know about Kṛṣṇa conscious...? Prahlāda Mahārāja is liberated from the very birth. So they said: "What is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" They could not understand.
Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:
The whole civilization is going on on this bodily concept of life. Although there is advancement of learning, many universities and educational institutions, but nowhere this subject matter is discussed or taught, "What I am." Rather, they're still more misled by giving them education that "You are born in this land. You must feel for your nation, you must act for your nation," or the so-called nationality is taught. But nobody is taught actually what he is.
Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:
This is called ignorance. If you study the whole world, during living time everyone will say that "I am Englishman," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." But if you ask him, "Actually are you so?" That... Because this body is Hindu, Muslim, or Christian, because by accident the body is produced in a society of Hindu, Muslim, or the body is born in a particular country, therefore we say, "I am Indian, "I am European," "I am this," "I am that." But when the body is dead, at that time we say, "No, no, the person which was within the body, that is gone. It is a different thing."
Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:
So natures, amongst the birds, this crow is sinful bird. And the ducks, white swan, they are pious bird. The peacocks. So similarly in the human society also, there are pious men and sinful men. Those who are pious they have got different position. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī.... (SB 1.8.26) Pious man means born in very good family, rich family. Janma, aiśvarya, aiśvarya means riches, opulence. Janma, first-class aristocratic family, brāhmaṇa family. Janmaiśvarya-śruta, educated, highly educated; śrī, beautiful. These are the signs of pious life. And similarly just the opposite, ugly, no education, born in poor family or low grade family, poor. These are the things.
Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:
The rivers are there. Another example: now, there are many aquatic animals within the water. They are also... Now, as the drop of the water emerges from the sea water and again merges into the sea water, so that is a nice example, but these fishes, these aquatic animals, they are also born in that water. Nobody has given these aquatic animals from anywhere else. They are... They have taken their birth from that water. They are also born of the water. Just like the drops of the water also born of the water, similarly, these living aquatic animals, they are also born of the water. Now, the drop of the water merges into the water and loses his existence—that does not mean—there are other living entities within the water, millions and billions—they also lose their identity. They keep their identity.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972:
This is the criterion of understanding spiritual life. People generally do not understand that there is another element beyond this body. Generally, people, they are under the impression that "I am this body. I am Indian." Why I am Indian? Because this body's born in India. Therefore, I'm Indian. "I am American." Why? "Because body is born in America; therefore I am American." Similarly, this dehātma-buddhiḥ, bodily concept of life, is going on all over the world. This is ignorance, ajñāna. This is called ajñāna. Jñāna and ajñāna. Jñāna means one who knows that he is not this body. He's spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. (aside:) (about microphone) It is... Little strong make it, yes. So when one is freed from the bodily concept of life, he called jñānī. Otherwise, ajñānī. They are so much proud of jñāna. In our India, there are so-called Māyāvādīs.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Germany, June 18, 1974:
The, the rascal materialists, they do not know that the proprietor is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is giving me a particular apartment according to my capacity of paying rent. This is my position. Otherwise, why everyone does not get first-class body, king's body or rich man's body? A child born, immediately he is rich man. So there is no arrangement? And another child born in the same moment is very poor man. Why? This is called karma-kāṇḍa. This child is given a room, an apartment, according to his capacity of paying rent. And the other child is given another apartment, very luxurious apartment, according to his capacity of rent-paying. This is called karma-kāṇḍa. According to your karma, or work, you get a body, either as a king's son or a cobbler's son or a dog's son or a cat's son or a tree's son or a plant's son. This is the nature. This is to be understood.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Germany, June 18, 1974:
Therefore fight. Germany's fighting Englishman. Englishman is fighting in France. France is fighting. Why this fighting? If you know that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. Why I am falsely identifying myself with the land?" "I am, I am, I am a German because I am born in this land of Germany." That is also false. No land is Germany or France or England. Land is land. You have falsely named it: "This is Germany." What is the Germany? Say, two hundred years or three hundred years, there was no Germany. Just like America. There was no America. The land was there, but the name was not there. So you have, some Europeans, they have colonized. They accept: "It is America. It is..." So this is all designation.
Lecture on BG 2.18 -- Hyderabad, November 23, 1972:
They offer maṅgala-ārātrika. You are seeing practically. We are demonstrating the Kṛṣṇa con..., how one can become Kṛṣṇa conscious perfectly. Therefore we have brought this Deity. Anyone can do it at home. Where is the difficulty? If these Europeans and Americans, they can do, our Indians which is our heritage, we are born in this land of Bhāratavarṣa, we cannot do it? But we are neglecting. We are so fallen. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). We have become so unfortunate that we cannot take to this process. So whatever we have done, done, that's all right. But now this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there. Everyone should take it very seriously and make his life perfect.
Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:
There are so many instances. Śrīman Rāmānujācārya's guru was not from a brāhmaṇa family, but still, he accepted guru.
So in the Vaiṣṇava literature... Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, we give "Jaya, Ṭhākura Haridāsa Ṭhākura ki jaya." We say. This Haridāsa Ṭhākura was born in a Mohammedan family. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu made him nāmācārya, Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra daily three hundred thousands of times. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu selected him, nāmācārya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself came to broadcast the glory of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. So instead of becoming Himself the ācārya, He designated Haridāsa Ṭhākura as ācārya.
Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:
And similarly, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, they also became Mohammedans. They were born in Hindu, Sārasvata brāhmaṇa family, but due to their association as minister of the then Muslim government, they were rejected from the brāhmaṇa society. Formerly, the brāhmaṇa society was very strict. Anyone becoming serving, serving, servant, he is immediately excluded: "Oh, you cannot become a brāhmaṇa. You are serving." In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, by the, spoken by Nārada, he says a brāhmaṇa, if he's in difficulty, he should not accept the business of a dog, service. He should not accept service. He may go to the profession of a kṣatriya, or even up to vaiśya. Not of a śūdra. These are the injunctions.
Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:
The meaning of this verse is that anyone who is born in the human society, civilized society, he is indebted immediately. Just like child is born in a family. So according to Vedic injunction, he immediately becomes indebted to so many items. What is that? He becomes indebted immediately to the different demigods, sun, moon, Indra, Candra, so many. Because we are receiving light from the sun, from the moon, so we are indebted. People do not care for it because they have no knowledge. Therefore in the Vedas, the sacrifice is recommended, to perform respective duties to become discharged from the indebtedness. So you are indebted to the demigods, indebted to the sages. Just like Vyāsadeva.
Lecture on BG 2.31 -- London, September 1, 1973:
Yad anyatra. If the brahminical qualities are visible, manifest, elsewhere. Elsewhere, may be he's śūdra, may be caṇḍāla. Tat tenaiva vinirdiśet. So you, one should accept him as brāhmaṇa. Similarly, if one is born in brāhmaṇa family but his qualities are like śūdra, tat tenaiva vinirdiśet (SB 7.11.35). He should be accepted as śūdra. This is the injunction given by Nārada Muni. Not ordinary person. Tat tenaiva vinirdiśet. And upon this the greatest authority of comment on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīdhara Svāmī, he has commented that janma, birth, is not the chief requisition to become...śama-damādi. One must be qualified with śamo damas titikṣāḥ śuci. Then he should be accepted.
Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:
Śūdra means once-born and dvija means twice-born. That means first birth by the father and mother, and the second birth by the Vedic knowledge mother, and spiritual master father. This is called second birth, according to Vedic reformatory procedures. So dvija, dvija-bandhu means a person born in the higher family who are by tradition very cultured, but a son born in that family is not cultured. He is just like śūdra, once-born. He has no cultural birth. So they are called dvija-bandhu. (tapping sound—child playing) (aside:) You have to take him. Dvija-bandhu means born in high family, but has no quality, higher qualities. They are called dvija-bandhu.
Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:
One who knows the constitution of the soul, he is called brāhmaṇa. Because the soul is Brahman. Soul is not matter. So one who knows the constitution of the soul, he is called brāhmaṇa. We have already discussed this matter, that brāhmaṇa does not mean a particular class or born in a particular country. A brāhmaṇa means who knows the position of the soul, or the constitution of the soul. He is brāhmaṇa. Just like a person who is conversant with medical science. He is called medical man or a doctor. It doesn't matter whether he is born in India or born in America or whether he is black or white. It doesn't matter. One must have the qualification of a medical man, and he is called a doctor. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā also accepts the brahminical culture, the brahminical culture. Brahminical culture means the social position in which everyone is assisted to elevate himself to the highest position of understanding the position and the constitution of the soul. That should be the aim of human society.
Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:
. In the Tenth Chapter you'll find. Arjuna says that "You are paraṁ brahma. Kṛṣṇa, You are paraṁ brahma." Similarly, if anyone knows Brahman, Para-brahman, Kṛṣṇa, he is brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. One who knows the Supreme Brahman, Kṛṣṇa, he is brāhmaṇa. Not a person who is born in the family of a brāhmaṇa. He may be a caṇḍāla by his mentality.
Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:
You see? Similarly, that "I am not this body, but I am that pure consciousness," that is already analyzed in various ways. Now, we are in practical life. Now, if we say that "I am not this body," so what is the use of working for this body? The whole world is moving under the bodily conception of life. Because I am born in this land, my body is born out of this land, American land, therefore I am thinking "American." Because I am born in India, therefore I am thinking "Indian." Because I am born of a certain family, therefore I am identifying myself with that family. Because my father has given me some name, so I am identifying with that name. So my position is that I am all around surrounded by this bodily conception of life.
Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:
I am qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord. I am the part and parcel of the Lord." This knowledge, one who has developed highly and perfectly, he is called brāhmaṇa. And kṛpaṇa means who has not utilized this human form of body to understand that he is spiritual identity, Brahman, but he simply knows that "I am this body, and because this body is born in a certain place, so I am identified to that country or to that society or to that family." They are called kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means that he has not properly utilized the developed consciousness he has got in his asset. A human being has got the developed consciousness than other sub-human or the animal society. So he has to utilize. Just like you have got 100,000's of dollars. Now, if you properly utilize, it can be increased. It can be increased to millions of dollars by your intelligence if you utilize it. And if you do not utilize it, if you keep it as it is, that is also very good, but sometimes we lost the whole thing. They are called kṛpaṇa. Foolishness. Foolishness.
Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:
One who has got this conception of life, he is brāhmaṇa. He is the one who knows Brahman. One who does not know this and simply lives for sense gratification, he is called the miser. So we shall not be miser. We shall be the brāhmaṇa. That should be our... And there is no restriction. Don't think that because you are born in America, you cannot become a brāhmaṇa. No, you can become a brāhmaṇa. There is no restriction. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. The formula is that janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Everyone who is born, first born by the father and mother... Then he is called a śūdra. Even he is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he is called a śūdra. Then saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Then, by culture... The cultural birth is called the second birth, dvija. The higher caste in India, they are called dvija. Dvija means the first birth by father and mother, that is... Animal birth and man birth is the same because the process is the same. But unless one takes his birth by higher culture, he cannot be called dvija.
Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:
Why India? In this world. As in the, within our memory, there are two great wars, world war number one, world war number two. We have experienced. So I think some of you or many of you have not experienced what is the war number one in 1914 it was started, and I think none of you were born in 19... (laughs) So I have seen I was a child at that time. The war was declared in 1914. So beyond these two world wars, there were, there were another two great world wars. That is mentioned in the history of the epics, epics of India, Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata: the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa and the war between the two cousin-brothers, Kurus and Pāṇḍava. But you'll be surprised. In these two wars God is the hero, practically. In the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa... Rāma is also the Personality of Godhead, incarnation of... And Kṛṣṇa was also present... In two wars the God is present. You see? God is present.
Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:
Now, as soon as a living being is born in this material world, he has got many obligations. He has got obligation to the different demigods. Why obligation? Now, because just like the sun is also one of the demigods. He is supplying you light, so you have got some obligation. Don't you have any obligation? If you have got obligation to the electric powerhouse for supplying this light, which you are enjoying now, have you got no obligation to the sun who is supplying so much profusely light? Yes, you have got. The Vedic literature confirms it that you are indebted to the sun. Similarly, you are indebted to the moon. Similarly, you are indebted to air. And so many things we are taking advantage of the supernatural power.
Lecture on BG 3.8-11 -- Seattle, October 22, 1968:
And each department, there is a particular director. And Brahmā is considered to be supreme director of this universe. So this yajña, sacrifice, Vedic rituals, they are indicated to pay different taxes to different demigods. But the Supreme Lord is above all. Therefore, if one performs sacrifice for the Supreme Lord, he is immune from other obligations. That is also mentioned.
- devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇāṁ
- na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan
- sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ
- gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam
- (SB 11.5.41)
Now, as soon as a living being is born in this material world, he has got many obligations. (incomplete) (end)
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.
So this yajña. So far yajña is concerned, we can perform this yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña. That is not very difficult. Everyone, at home or in this place... What is that?
Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:
We were just discussing this śloka this morning, that strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnām. Strī means woman class. Woman and śūdra and dvija-bandhu... Śūdra means ordinary people, not intelligent class, ordinary people. And dvija-bandhu? Dvija-bandhu means born in higher caste family, but their qualification is nil, such persons.
Formerly, according to varṇāśrama-dharma, it is not that "Because I am a brāhmaṇa's son, therefore I am a brāhmaṇa," just as the practice is going on now in India, caste system. Oh, that was not the system. The system was different. So this Mahābhārata was written for such persons who are claiming to be a brāhmaṇa because he is born in the brāhmaṇa family. But according to śāstra, scripture, such persons are not called brāhmaṇas.
Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:
So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is that don't die like cats and dog, die like a brāhmaṇa. That is our request. Don't think it is any sectarian religion. It is a science. It is a culture. You are trying to educate people how to become brāhmaṇa. Just like these European, American boys, they are not born of a brāhmaṇa family. According to Vedic understanding, they are born in the family of mleccha or yavana, or caṇḍāla, like that. There are different terms. But Bhāgavata says, never mind what he is, or Bhagavad-gītā says never mind what he is. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find the statement by Kṛṣṇa, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32), anyone, it doesn't matter what he is, even he's born in sinful family, it doesn't matter if he takes shelter of Me.
Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:
Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatiḥ, they all are promoted to the supreme planet, back to home, back to Godhead. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā (BG 9.33), then if they can be promoted, what to speak of persons who are really born in the brāhmaṇa family. So it is a great opportunity to make your life successful. Don't spoil your life like cats and dog, just become a brāhmaṇa. We don't expect that everyone will become brāhmaṇa, but if a little percentage of persons becomes brāhmaṇa, the whole problems of the world will be solved.
Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:
That is called designation. Because I have got a particular body, therefore I have got so many designations. I call myself a man, or animal, or I have got some name, given by my parents. Or because I am born in some particular country I designate myself to belong to that country, and because I accept some particular faith, so I designate myself to that faith. In so many ways we are now designated. This designation should be given up. When designations are given up, then we are free, pure soul. In that pure soul the religion is to serve the Supreme.
Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:
Now, here Kṛṣṇa says that one who knows the Kṛṣṇa's transcendental birth and activities in truth, he gets free from this entanglement. He at once gets free from this entanglement. Now, here the word tattvataḥ is very important. This tattvataḥ is the science of Kṛṣṇa. Tattvataḥ, "in truth." Simply by knowing by historical facts that Kṛṣṇa is born in such and such date in such and such place in such and such family... He did such and such activities. No. One has to learn them in tattvataḥ, in truth. Then he becomes free from this bodily entanglement. (door slams) How it is closed?
Now, how that tattvataḥ, in truth, the Kṛṣṇa science, how one can understand?
Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:
It may be one is useless, but that does not mean father will allow it to be killed, allow him to be killed. If the very intelligent child says, "My dear father, your this son is useless. Let me kill him." The father will sanction? No, never. Similarly, the animal may be less intelligent. They cannot make protest. They are also nationals. What do you mean by national? One who is born in America is national. Are the animals are not born in America? Are they not American nationals? But because they cannot make protest, they cannot make meeting, you are killing them. You see? Is that humanity? And you expect peace? That is not possible. Violation of God, laws of God. One has to suffer, today or tomorrow. Today or tomorrow.
Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:
So you get your birth in a family where your parents are very intelligent, very advanced in philosophical knowledge, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You get chance.
From our practical experience we can say we got this chance. We got this chance. We got very nice parents. And I was born in a family, a very pure family. And, of course, in those days they were rich also. We had Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mūrti-sevā. So from the childhood I was taught... Not taught. I asked my father, "Give me this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mūrti. I shall worship." And father encouraged me. I was performing this Ratha-yātrā festival. My father encouraged. So this means that I got this chance again.
Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:
That is another thing. But either party of Śaṅkarācārya or the party of Vaiṣṇava and ācāryas, they take the Vedānta-sūtra, the Vedānta philosophy, as the medium.
But Lord Buddha, although we accept him as the incarnation of God and he was born in India and he propagated his philosophy from India, but because he denied to accept the Vedic principle, therefore he is known as atheist, because he, Buddha, did not accept the Vedic principles. He denied. And there was reason why he did not. That is a secret thing. That secret—because his whole philosophy was to stop animal killing, animal killing. Now, in the Vedic scripture, you will find, animal sacrifice is recommended. So he wanted to preach, "Stop animal killing."
Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:
Just like Kṛṣṇa prescribes here that simply by knowing the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental activities, one can get liberated. Why don't you do that? Why should you wait for another birth, either in the rich man's family or in the pure family of a brāhmaṇa? Because it is not exactly sure that because a person is born in the family of a pure brāhmaṇa, he is elevating spiritually. No. Sometimes we see that he is degrading because he is misusing or by bad association or the parents is not training.
So we should not miss this opportunity of human life and follow this instruction that janma karma me divyaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) anyone who simply understands the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, he becomes a liberated person. This opportunity we should take.
Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Bombay, April 1, 1974:
The Vedas are divided into three kāṇḍas, or division: karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, upāsanā-kāṇḍa. Therefore the other name of Veda is trayī. Trayī na śruti-gocarā. Strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). That is stated in the Vedic literature. Strī, śūdra and dvija-bandhu.... Dvija-bandhu means born in brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya family, especially brāhmaṇa family, but he is not possessing the qualities of brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya, as now it is going on. Everyone is presenting himself as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, but he hasn't got the necessary qualification. A brāhmaṇa's qualification is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, satyaṁ śaucaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Similarly, kṣatriya. Śauryaṁ vīryaṁ tejo yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam, īśvara-bhāvaś ca. In this way there are kṣatriya's qualification.
Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:
Don't misunderstand the Indian caste system as hereditary. No. It is, according to Vedic literature, it is according to the quality.
And what is that quality? Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ: "Anyone who takes his birth, by his birth he's a śūdra." Śūdra means the lowest, in the lowest order. Everyone. Even if he is born in the family of a brāhmaṇa, he is to be considered as a śūdra, janmanā, by birth. And perhaps some of you know that the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, they are called dvija. Dvi means twice, and ja means birth. Twice-born. Twice-born.
Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:
So it is a chance we should not miss. You can become brāhmaṇa. There is chance. We should not be satisfied that "I am born in America, so I am great. I am born of a great nation." That's all right. You are born of a great nation, that's all right. But next cultural birth, to become a dvija, twice-born, is awaiting. Lord Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes. I give chance to everyone to become dvija." Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Never mind wherever he is born.
Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:
So our duty is to become twice-born. Just by culture, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, let us take another birth. Let us take another birth. Then you will be recognized brāhmaṇas. Brahmā jānāti. As soon as we know Kṛṣṇa, you are brāhmaṇa. Never mind whether you are born in America or Czechoslovakia or any other place. Doesn't matter. So try to become a brāhmaṇa. Here is a chance.
But how to become a brāhmaṇa? Simply by purchasing two cent worth this thread and getting on the body? No. There are qualities, karma. You have to act like a brāhmaṇa, and you have to acquire the qualification of a brāhmaṇa. Then you can become a brāhmaṇa. There is no impediment. Never mind wherever you were born. That doesn't matter.
Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:
We are searching our self-interest. Everyone is busy of his own interest, but they do not know what is real interest. They do not know what is real interest. The real interest is to invoke the dormant love of Kṛṣṇa. That is my real interest. That dormant love for Kṛṣṇa is there in every one of you.
Don't think that because I am born in India, therefore I have got love of Kṛṣṇa within my heart dormant or manifested. No. That dormant love of Kṛṣṇa is within you also. Kṛṣṇa is neither foreign to you or foreign to me. He is for everyone. Therefore love of Kṛṣṇa is there permanently, but it is covered. Simply it has to be invoked.
Lecture on BG 4.13 -- New York, April 8, 1973:
This is the idea of spiritual communism. In Bhāgavata these things are stated, how to feel spiritual communism. In the spiritual communism... The present communists, they are thinking of the human being only. And the animals are being sent to the slaughterhouse. Although the human being and the animal is born in the same land... Actually, they are also nationals. National means one who's born in that particular land. So why not these animals, nationals? But because they have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they cannot think so broadly. They think nationalism means it is limited to the human being, not to the animals, not to the trees.
Lecture on BG 4.13 -- New York, April 8, 1973:
These are guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. Guna means according to quality. So in India, these four classes of men are there, but they are in the name. Actually it is also in the chaotic condition. Because nobody is following the prescription as given by Bhagavad-gītā, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. In India, although a person born in a brāhmaṇa family, but his guṇa, qualities, are less than śūdra, but still he's being accepted as a brāhmaṇa. That is the difficulty. Therefore, India's condition is so chaotic.
Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:
Kṛṣṇa says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2), cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). Here it is said. Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam, you cannot cancel this system of varṇāśrama. Then you will suffer. You cannot cancel. You must accept, that there must be a class of men, real, brāhmaṇa. Not that "I am born in a brāhmaṇa family and I am doing the work of a cobbler. Still, I am a brāhmaṇa. No, not like that. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. Kṛṣṇa never says that brāhmaṇa is born in a brāhmaṇa family. Here it is clearly said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Guṇa means quality. As you purchase something, that it is good quality, nice quality, similarly, you should accept a brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya, a vaiśya, a śūdra, by the quality and by the work.
Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:
Nobody will call. But if you are qualified and if you are practicing, everyone says, (Hindi) He will go. People will go to consult with you. But if you do not practice, simply you have passed legal examination, nobody will come to you. So two things are required: the brahminical qualities and work like a brāhmaṇa. These two things.... If you are born in a brāhmaṇa family and you are, "Oh, all blessing to you," oh, what power you have got to bless me? You are not in quality, not in work. But people accept it, paṇḍitajī.
What kind of paṇḍitajī? Paṇḍita. Paṇḍita means one who knows. Then the Bhagavad-gītā says, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.
Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974:
Śuci means brāhmaṇa, and muci means cobbler. Muci means cobbler. There is a Bengali verse, śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje. The first line is muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje: "One who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even he is born in the family of cobbler, muci..." Everyone knows, Indians. So muci haya śuci haya, although he is born in the family of a muci, cobbler, he becomes śuci, a brāhmaṇa, by, yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje, if he is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, if he is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje or śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje: "If one is born of a brāhmaṇa family, but gives up Kṛṣṇa bhajana, devotional life, he becomes a muci." Karmaṇā. Because he's changed his karma.
Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974:
If you offer flowers and tulasī on the lotus feet of God, Kṛṣṇa, and if you decorate the mouth of Kṛṣṇa, it is the same bhakti. Because there is no difference of the mouth and legs, provided the mouth is working as mouth and the leg is working as leg for satisfying the Supreme. Then there is no such distinction. As soon as Kṛṣṇa consciousness is absent, a so-called brāhmaṇa is puffed up. 'Oh, I am born in brāhmaṇa family. I am bigger than the śūdras." That is falldown. The real purpose is that either you be mouth or hand or waist or leg, the real purpose is to maintain the body very perfectly. That is real purpose.
Lecture on BG 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:
So such sacrifices as recommended in the scriptures by offering clarified butter and grains, or sacrificing some animal... There are so many.
Now, this sacrifice of animals was protested by Lord Buddha. He deviated from the Hindu religion. Lord Buddha was born in Hindu family. He was kṣatriya. He was a king's son. But he wanted to preach nonviolence. He wanted to preach completely, to stop completely animal killing. But because in the Vedic... Of course, I have already explained that sacrifice of animals, as stated in the Vedas, they are not for killing. They are meant for giving a new life to the animal. By Vedic mantra... The Vedic mantra are so powerful that that was a test how a dead animal can get, regain new body. An old animal is sacrificed and it gets a new youthful life. That was the test.
Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:
And people at the modern age, they are lacking this knowledge.
So we require hundreds and thousands of spiritual masters who has understood this Kṛṣṇa science and preach all over the world. That is the problem. Therefore we have formed this society and we, we invite all sincere souls to take part in the society and become a spiritual master, and preach this science all over the world. This is the... There is a great necessity of this knowledge.
Don't think that Kṛṣṇa was born in India, and because He spoke on the Vedic principle, that is a sectarian thing. No.
Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:
These are Vedic estimation of good work and bad work. But for a person who is going to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no need either for good work or bad work because he has no need bondage again.
Suppose I am born in a very aristocratic family, very rich family. That does not mean that I am getting free from the material miseries. Just like we are sitting here. Some of you are very well situated. Some of you coming from rich family and some of you may not be so rich, from middle-class family. But the temperature of this day is equally heating. There is no consideration that "Here is a person who is coming from rich family, so the temperature should be lesser for him." No. Therefore, either we enjoy the reaction of good work, either we enjoy the reaction of bad work, we have to accept this material body. And as soon as we accept this material body, we have to undergo the material miseries.
Lecture on BG 5.17-25 -- Los Angeles, February 8, 1969:
Can any man open a hospital for the tigers, for the snakes? And why not? You are compassionate with living entities. Are they not living entities? This is the frailty of imperfect knowledge. They are giving protection, the state is giving protection, to the national, but the cows are not national. They should be killed. But the definition of national is that one who is born in that land is called national. The cows are not born in this land? Why for them killing, and only for the human being protection? This is imperfect, imperfect knowledge.
Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:
The history of this Dhruva Mahārāja I have told you many times, that he was a child, five years boy, old. He was insulted by his stepmother. He was sitting on the lap of his father, or he was trying. And his stepmother said,"Oh you cannot sit on the lap of your father because you are not born in my womb." So because he was kṣatriya boy, although five years old, he took it a great insult. So he went to his own mother. "Mother, stepmother has insulted me like this." He was crying. Mother said, "What can I do, my dear boy? Your father loves your stepmother more. What can I do?" "No, I want my father's kingdom. Tell me how can I get it." Mother said, "My dear boy, if Kṛṣṇa, God, blesses you, you can get." "Where is God?" She said, "Oh, we have heard God is in the forest. Great sages go there and find out." So he went to the forest and underwent severe penances and he saw God.
Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:
So how it has happened? Due to this body. Whole thing. Whole misconsciousness has come into existence due to this body. Because I am born in America I am thinking American. And because I am thinking American, the American government claims, "Yes, you come and fight, give your life." Draftboard. Why? This body. Therefore the intelligent person should know that I am suffering all miserable condition of my life due to this body. So we should not act in such a way that this imprisonment with this material body will continue birth and birth. Either American body, Indian body, dog's body, hog's body, so many—8,400,000 of body. That is called yoga.
Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969:
Devotee: "A person born in a particular righteous, aristocratic or sacred family becomes conscious of his favorable condition for executing yoga practice. With determination, therefore, he begins his unfinished task, and thus he completely cleanses himself of all material contaminations. When he is finally free of all contaminations, he attains the supreme perfection, Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Prabhupāda: It is, try to understand, that, the Supreme Lord, God is pure. And His kingdom is also pure. And anyone who wants to enter there, he must be pure. That is very natural. That if you want to enter into some particular society, you must qualify yourself.
Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:
This Haridāsa Ṭhākura, how he was undisturbed. There are many instances. Lord Jesus Christ, he was also undisturbed when he was being crucified. So similarly, this Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he happened to be a Muhammadan and he joined this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. So the Muhammadan magistrate called him, "Oh, you are born in such a nice family and you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? Hindu? You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hindu's name? Then what is your explanation?" So Haridāsa Ṭhākura was... He could understand that he is now in dangerous position. So he replied, "Sir, many Hindus also have become Muhammadan. So if some Muhammadan becomes Hindu, what is the harm?"
Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:
Just like in India we have got the brāhmaṇa family, kṣatriya family. High family. Very... Their mode of life is very high standard, clean and righteous, pious, so many things. So śucīnām and śrīmatām. Śucīnām, such pious family you'll find many in India. And śrīmatām. Śrīmatām means rich. So rich family we'll find in your country, America. So that person who is coming again, he is born in a rich family or in pious family. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. One who was not successful in executing the yoga perfectly, he again... That means to have one's birth in a rich family means he has no anxiety for his bread. He's happy. Now he can happily execute the yoga process. Or in a pious family automatically the yoga process of transcendental life is there. So he can begin also there. That is chance.
Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:
Or in a pious family automatically the yoga process of transcendental life is there. So he can begin also there. That is chance. Those who are born in such family, in righteous family or rich family, they should take instruction from Bhagavad-gītā, that this is a chance given by God to execute our spiritual life, not for sense enjoyment increasing, "Because I have got so much money, oh, let me enjoy senses more, I mean to say, acutely."
So śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Athavā, or alternative.
Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:
Athavā yoginām eva kule bhavati dhīmatām (BG 6.42). He's given the chance of being born in such good family. Etaddhi durlabhataram. Now this kind of birth, in a family of devotee and yogi, is very, I mean to say, rare, and it is far better than the other two lives, to have birth in rich family or in pious family. Actually, they are acting. Just like when a boy is born of a father who is a medical man... We have seen it. So naturally he becomes a medical man. Because he sees his father and the inclination inherits. In that way, in the Indian caste system, originally it was a division. But because the son imitated the father, in this way, it has come to be a caste system by birth. So anyway, these chances are given. The purport is that we, everyone, every man should begin spiritual life.
Lecture on BG 6.41 -- Detroit, July 17, 1971:
You'll take your birth in a nice devotee or brāhmaṇa's house or in a rich man's family. Not only your human form of life is guaranteed, but also in a better house, in a better family.
So these children who are born in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness Society, they are those children, those who could not finish Kṛṣṇa consciousness last life. They have been given to take birth in the family of devotee husband and wife; therefore he's playing karatāla. Otherwise it is not possible. He had practice in his last life; therefore he's quickly... He had got the chance. Again he's remembering and playing. This is the fact. So we have to study from the śāstric vision. Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. How you'll see?
Lecture on BG 6.40-43 -- New York, September 18, 1966:
When a man gets riches, silver spoon in mouth, he thinks, "Oh, I have got so much money, my paternal property. Let me enjoy it." Oh. So sometimes he becomes a drunkard, a prostitute hunter, a, I mean to say, rogue. He becomes. Similarly, in a brāhmaṇa family also... Just like we have seen in India. There are many persons who are born in a big, I mean to say, very pious family. But because he has taken his birth in a pious family, he thinks, "I am brāhmaṇa. Oh, what I have to do? I am very pious family." They mistake in that way. So they degrade.
Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:
There is an instance of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura was in his previous life, elevated to almost prema-bhakti, highest platform of devotional service. But there is always chance of falldown. So somehow or other he fell down. And next life he was born in a very rich family as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41). So he was born in a rich brāhmaṇa family, but he became, naturally as rich boys become attached to woman-hunter. So it is said that his spiritual master instructed him through his prostitute. At the right moment, his spiritual master said through that prostitute, "Oh, you are so much attached with this flesh and bone. If you had been attached so much with Kṛṣṇa, how good you could have achieved." Immediately he took to that position. So that responsibility is for the spiritual master. But we should not take advantage of that.
Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:
They are naturally inclined. Anyone who takes birth in India, it is to be supposed that in this past life, he was spiritual. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). There is great opportunity for persons who are born in India for spiritual advancement. Unfortunately by force, by propaganda, we are suppressing them. That is the cause. We are suppressing them. Otherwise still we get experience. We hold these Hare Kṛṣṇa Festival in Calcutta, Bombay, and other places. Here also. Many thousands of people are coming. Because at heart there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but, by external forces, they are being suppressed. That is going on. It is not natural. It is unnatural. Natural is every Indian is Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is natural. By artificial means they are being suppressed. This is the misfortune of the present day of India.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1968:
"Those who have developed attachment for Me..." Kṛṣṇa attachment can be developed. Just like before my coming here, there was no movement like this, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but you are developing. You had no... Kṛṣṇa was not born in your country. You do not accept Kṛṣṇa as your religious God. But Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that although you are foreigners... You are not foreigners. To Kṛṣṇa you are not a foreigner. He claims everybody as His son. We make Him foreigner. He claims everybody as His son. We make Him foreigner. This is our foolishness. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya: (BG 14.4) "My dear Arjuna, there are many different forms in different species of life, undoubtedly, but I am their father."
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:
If you give in charity somebody, say, some amount of money, you'll get that money back four times, five times, or ten times more in your next life. That is a fact. So Vaiṣṇava philosophy says that this is also sinful. Why sinful? Because you have to take your birth to receive that compound interest. That is sinful. Now suppose you are born in a very rich family. The trouble of being in the womb of the mother, that is the same. Either you are pious man or the impious man, when you are in the womb of your mother the difficulties and the pains perceived within the womb of the mother is the same, either you are black or white, either you are Indian or American or cat or dog or anyone.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:
The troubles of birth, the troubles of death, and the troubles of disease, and the troubles of old age are everywhere the same. It is not that because you are born in a very rich family, you'll be immune from diseases. It is not that you'll not become old. It is not that you'll be saved from the troubles of birth or you'll be saved from the troubles of death.
So these things are to be understood very clearly. But people have become so unintelligent, they do not care for... "Oh, death, all right. Death. Let it come." Birth... Now especially in these days, a child is in the womb of the mother, so many killing processes are there. So many. So why? Because people are becoming so much entangled that such person even do not get birth in the womb of the mother.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Madras, February 14, 1972:
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1), that we should not, especially this human form of body... There are 8,400,000 forms of body—cats, dogs, trees, plants, insects—so many. So this form of life, human form of life, it is worth that, nāyaṁ dehaḥ, nṛ-loke, which means you are born in the human society. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Kaṣṭān means we have to satisfy the necessities of our body. That is a fact.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:
Indian guest (2): Swamiji, we live in the Western world, and some are born here, although the youth and from their date of birth they are all born in India. Perhaps we know very little about Gītā, but this movement have taken to convert people or to convince people, and how do you give these people stages? Because when persons are ignorant, they need primarily some teaching and then, just like in the school, they go step by step. In this movement, how can you or what can you expect, or what would you like to give as an enlightenment for ordinary people? Suppose myself. I am just an ordinary person, and I don't understand anything. Well, what I'd like to know, that I think if you just give those steps would be far better for the audience to just follow that.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That I have already explained, that we are training people in different parts of the world by opening centers. So you come and take the advantage of this center and learn how to do it. This center is open for this purpose, that people may take advantage how to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like you go to a school and you learn how to read and write, and then you pass M.A. examination, similarly, if you think that you have forgotten, you have no knowledge, please come, take the process. And just like these people, they were not born in India.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:
Because Kṛṣṇa says, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Śucīnām. Śucīnām means first-class brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. They are called śuci. The śuci, the, just the opposite word is muci. Muci means most nasty habit, and śuci means most cleansed habit. So one poet said that śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje and muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje: "If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, even though he's born in the family of muci, he becomes śuci. And even though one is born in the family of śuci, brāhmaṇa, if he rejects Kṛṣṇa, he becomes muci." So muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje and śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje. This is the...
So the highest perfection of life is to awaken our dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the highest perfection of life. Everyone has got Kṛṣṇa consciousness dormant. It is covered by the influence of māyā. By the influence of māyā.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:
Qualified brāhmaṇa. So still, brāhmaṇa's qualification, ṣaṭ-karma, paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. So śāstra says that ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ. If one vipra is quite expert in executing the six kinds of business, and mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, and very well known in the Vedic mantras and hymns and everything complete, but if he is avaiṣṇava, if he is not Vaiṣṇava, he does not know viṣṇu-tattva, or kṛṣṇa-tattva, then he cannot become spiritual master. Avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ. But if a Vaiṣṇava, one who knows viṣṇu-tattva, kṛṣṇa-tattva, even if he's born in the family of śva-paca, the dog-eaters, caṇḍāla, he can be accepted as guru. So the real test is whether the guru is a Vaiṣṇava, whether he know the science of Kṛṣṇa. That is also confirmed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:
Avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ. But if a Vaiṣṇava, one who knows viṣṇu-tattva, kṛṣṇa-tattva, even if he's born in the family of śva-paca, the dog-eaters, caṇḍāla, he can be accepted as guru. So the real test is whether the guru is a Vaiṣṇava, whether he know the science of Kṛṣṇa. That is also confirmed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
- kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya
- yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei 'guru' haya
- (CC Madhya 8.128)
A... It doesn't matter what he is, whether he's a sannyāsī or a gṛhastha or a brāhmaṇa or a su..., born in brāhmaṇa family or... It doesn't matter. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva. Anyone who knows Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru, not others. So that is the statement of the śāstras. Avaiṣṇava cannot become guru.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:
The material nature is being conducted by three modes: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So those who are in the modes of material nature, in the modes of goodness, their body is different. Just like brāhmaṇa. Simply getting the body of brāhmaṇa is not sufficient. One has to learn how to become brāhmaṇa. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. But there is opportunity. If one is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he has got the opportunity to develop the brāhmaṇa qualities. Similarly, if one is born in the family of a kṣatriya, he gets the opportunity of kṣatriya spirit. Similarly vaiśya. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). But the quality and actual action. Just like a boy is born of a medical practitioner. He has got greater chance of becoming, becoming a medical student, medical practitioner. But simply by getting birth as a son of medical practitioner is not sufficient. He has to take education.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975:
According to the association of particular type of modes of nature and working in that way, it makes a division of the human society. That is required. For upkeep of the human society in order, according to the quality and work there must be division. But that is not that division as we are thinking at the present moment in India—a man is born in the brāhmaṇa family, he is brāhmaṇa. No. He must have the brahminical qualification. That is first consideration. Śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucam ārjavaṁ titikṣā, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42).
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975:
So before entering medical college he is half medical man. That is the facility. But if we don't take the facility, we go astray... They are called brahma-bandhu. And if we have acquired the qualification of a śūdra, then, even though one is born in the brāhmaṇa family, he should be accepted as śūdra. Similarly, if a person is born in a śūdra family, but he has acquired these qualities, śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucam, he should be designated as brāhmaṇa. That is the injunction of the śāstras in many places. So if by force I want to assume myself as a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya without qualification, that is the cause of India's cultural ruination. Such a high Vedic culture of India is now ruined because we have misused the terms. That is the cause.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977:
So in the Bhāgavata it is stated strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Strī, woman, and śūdra and dvija-bandhu. Dvija means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. Especially brāhmaṇa. So dvija-bandhu, who is not qualified as a brāhmaṇa but born in the brāhmaṇa family, they are called dvija-bandhus. So śāstra says strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā. Woman, śūdra and brahma-bandhu or dvija-bandhu, they cannot understand Vedic knowledge. Unfortunately we are creating, trying to create real brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra means everyone. One who cannot become a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or vaiśya, simply they are satisfied by serving a suitable master, vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). A person who is satisfied only getting some salary from a suitable master, that is śūdra. So in this age it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. It is very difficult to find out a qualified brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977:
This is our position. There is a Bengali word, ṣaṭ-khaṇḍa rāmāyaṇa sītā karbaba.(?) He has studied Seventh (indistinct) of Rāmāyaṇa, now he's asking who's father is Sītā. So this is the position. We are born in the country where Kṛṣṇa spoke everything, and now we are asking what is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa, what is God. This is the position. Very degraded position. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34).
Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:
We have to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. Simply superficially, if we understand Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa was born of the father and mother, Devakī and Vasudeva, and He was born in Mathurā, and then played with the gopīs. And then the..., He taught something on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra," that is not sufficient knowledge. We should try to understand samagram, as far as possible in complete. Then our devotion, our love for Kṛṣṇa, will be increased.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:
That is the special prerogative power of Lord Viṣṇu. He can deliver anyone in any condition of life. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. That is extra, extraordinary, inconceivable power.
According to smārta-vidhi, unless one changes his body, he cannot be purified. That impression is going on in India, that unless one is born in Hindu family or born in brāhmaṇa family, kṣatriya, he cannot be accepted as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, like that. But according to Vedic literature, that is not sanctioned. It is... To become a son of brāhmaṇa and to have the privilege of becoming a brāhmaṇa, certainly there is. Just like a boy born in a medical man's family, so he has got a chance, better chance, to become a medical man. Similarly, a boy born in a brāhmaṇa family, he has got better chance to become a brāhmaṇa. Or a boy born in kṣatriya family or vaiśya family, he has got better chance.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:
These are the characteristics of brāhmaṇa. Similarly, there are characteristics of kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra.
So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is not stated... At least... We are discussing Bhagavad-gītā. In the Bhagavad-gītā at least, there is no such statement that a man becomes brāhmaṇa simply being born in a brāhmaṇa family or a man becomes śūdra simply by becoming born in a śūdra family. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. This is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Nārada Muni instructs Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira:
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974:
It is not sectarian. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa Himself says that "I am the father of all forms of life." How Kṛṣṇa can be sectarian? There is no reason to say that it is sectarian. Therefore it is said that somebody's thinking that Kṛṣṇa is Hindu god, somebody's thinking that "Kṛṣṇa was born in India; therefore He's Indian." "Kṛṣṇa took birth in the family of Yadu dynasty; therefore He's kṣatriya." "Kṛṣṇa played as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana; therefore He's a vaiśya." In so many ways they are thinking. But Kṛṣṇa says this is all rascaldom. Therefore He says, kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ: "Actually what I am, that is known to very, very few men, only to the devotees, not to the common man."
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:
This whole, all the universes, they are simply partial exhibition of the partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalam... (Bs. 5.48).
In this way you have to study Kṛṣṇa, not that "Kṛṣṇa was born in His maternal uncle's house at Mathurā, and He played with the gopīs or the cowherd boys." That is actual fact, but one should understand Kṛṣṇa—how great He is. That is called tattvataḥ.
Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:
There are 400,000 species of manuṣya, 400,000. Catur-lakṣāṇi mānuṣāḥ. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. There are statements in the Padma Purāṇa how many living entities, forms are there. So out of 8,400,000 different forms and species, there are 400,000 species of manuṣya. So out of them, one who is born in India, he is first-class manuṣya. That is a fact. Unfortunately, we are missing the chance. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41). So those who are Indians present here should know that after many pious activities, one gets birth in India, bhārata-bhūmite. They should try to understand Kṛṣṇa. There is facility. There are śāstras. Kṛṣṇa personally speaks Bhagavad-gītā. Vyāsadeva speaks about Kṛṣṇa in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:
That means He doesn't care whether He is liberated or not liberated; He wants simply to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to serve the Lord, Supreme Lord. That is His philosophy. Never mind where He is. The devotee doesn't mind whether he's born in the animal society or human society or demigod society or any society. He simply prays to God that "I may not forget You. I may be always engaged in Your transcendental loving service." This is the symptom of pure devotion. Of course, a devotee, wherever he remains, he remains in the spiritual kingdom, even in this material body. But from his side he does not demand from God anything for his personal superiority or personal comfort.
Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:
So Rāmānanda Raya was answering, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was questioning. The Rāmānanda Raya felt a little inconvenience that "Caitanya Mahāprabhu is such an exalted person, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Apart from that, He's born in high brāhmaṇa family." Such a learned scholar Nimāi Pandit He was, and so nice person, a sannyāsī, the topmost order in our Vedic society. "Sannyāsī, brāhmaṇa, scholar and everything complete, and He's questioning; I am answering. Oh, this is very awkward position. I have become teacher and He has become student. How it is possible?" So he was hesitating. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu encouraged him, "No, no. Don't hesitate, because it doesn't matter that you are a gṛhastha, you are not even a brāhmaṇa." Rāmānanda Raya belonged to the Karana society in Orissa. They are supposed to be śūdra.
Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:
The nonsense civilization, they do not know that what is our main business. They do not know. Ajñānata. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto. Abodha jāta, these, all these living entities born in this material world in different forms of life, abodha jāta, all rascals. All rascals. We can prove they're all rascal. Nobody is intelligent. As soon as he'll become intelligent, kṛṣṇa ye bhaje seva(?). As soon as he becomes intelligent, he must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. If he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we must accept him as rascal number one. (indistinct) He may be a very big man in the society, but we take him as rascal number one. That is our challenge. Anyone, he may be a ordinary man, he may be so-called swami or maybe so-called yogi or so-called leader, but our test is whether he's Kṛṣṇa conscious. One test. If he's not, then he's a rascal.
Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said anyone who has taken birth in India, he should, bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra (CC Adi 9.41), anyone who has taken birth in India, for every one of them, it is the duty, janma sārthaka kari', first of all make your life successful, janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra, then you begin the welfare activities for all others. The idea is that India is enriched with Vedic knowledge, and those who are born in India, they should take advantage of this facility, especially those who are in the higher topmost ranks, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas. Especially the brāhmaṇas. Take this education perfectly well. Make your life perfect and distribute the knowledge all over the world. This is your duty. That is the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He wanted...
Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:
This knowledge is very confidential. This means when one thing is very confidential means it is very, very important. So Kṛṣṇa says therefore that aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ (BG 9.3). "This is so nice confidential. And I am speaking personally to enlighten the people in general." Not general, but people like Arjuna. Arjuna was not ordinary person. He was born in royal family and he was so exalted that he could speak with Kṛṣṇa face to face. He's not an ordinary person. So this confidential knowledge is not for ordinary person, but it is so easy. As it is said, susukhaṁ kartum avyayam. It is so easy to perform that everyone can do it.
Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:
There is no restriction. It is not that "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not an Indian, I am not a Sanskrit scholar, I cannot go to the temple." No, that is not. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Never mind whether he is Indian, brāhmaṇa or this or that. Even if he's born in the lowest, lowest grade of family, pāpa-yoni. They are kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ (SB 2.4.18), there are so many. They're pāpa-yoni, almost animal. Śudhyanti, they also become purified and comes to Kṛṣṇa. It is so wide, universal, easy and especially you are Indian, why you should not take advantage of this facility. You take it and be happy. That is my request. Thank you very much.
Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:
And if you understand that God has come as a child of this great devotee, Mother Yaśodā, just to fulfill her desire. Because Mother Yaśodā wanted God as her son, so God, being very much pleased on this devotee, He has appeared as a son of Mother Yaśodā. Two understanding. If you take Kṛṣṇa that "Here is a child born in a vaiśya family of Mother Yaśodā, Nanda Mahārāja, and these people are accepting Him as God," then you are mistaken.
Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:
So best thing is intelligence. Best intelligence is to accept Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, as the predominator and be predominated by Him. That is our natural life. One who does not know, he falls down. Na tu mām abhijānanti tattvena... Tattvena, by truth. Simply to know Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa was somebody born in India, and He was very powerful and He was very intelligent. He has written Bhagavad-gītā..." But we do not know actually what Kṛṣṇa is. And this society especially meant to broadcast the knowledge about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have named particularly this society the Society for Krishna Consciousness. There is the... People do not know it. They are writing commentaries on Kṛṣṇa's book, but they are speaking nonsense because they do not know Kṛṣṇa. Tattvenātaś cyavanti te: "They fall down from the truth."
Lecture on BG 9.29-32 -- New York, December 20, 1966:
In the similarly, woman class, they are taken as śūdra, śūdra. Just like the thread ceremony is given to the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, but there is no thread ceremony for the woman class. Although the woman is born in the brāhmaṇa family, she has no that reformation. Because striyaḥ, woman class, are taken less intelligent, they should be given protection, but they cannot be elevated. But here in the Bhagavad-gītā, He surpasses all these formalities. Lord Kṛṣṇa surpasses all these formalities. He is giving facility to everyone. Never mind what he is. In the social structure, you may consider that woman is less intelligent or śūdra or less purified, but in spiritual consciousness there is no such bar. Here Kṛṣṇa accepts everyone. Either you become woman or you are śūdra or a vaiśya or whatever you may be, that doesn't matter. If you simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Lord is there. He will give you all protection, all protection, and gradually He will help you. You are already...
Lecture on BG 9.34 -- New York, December 26, 1966, 'Who is Crazy?':
He'll give you some description that, "I am Christian." "I am Hindu." "I am Mr. Such and Such." "I am Mrs. Such and Such." Everything, whatever he or she will say, that is all due to this body. All due to this body. Everyone. When you say, "You are American," that means this is the body. Because by accident, by something, by some reason, you were born in this land of America. That is also another artificial name. The land is neither America nor India. The land is land. But we give some designation, "This is America." We make some boundary. This is United States of America. This is Canada. This is Europe, and this is Asia. This is India. So this is our name, but actually was there any history that the land is American, or the land...? Say, four hundred years before, or five hundred years before, was this land was known as America? You have named it, America. Say, some thousands of years before was this, this, the continent which is known as, I mean, Europe, can you trace out history, that it was known as Europe? They are all designations.
Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
And worshiping Kṛṣṇa means, if you cannot do anything, you simply go and offer your obeisances, that's all. It is open to everyone. There is no restriction that such and such men can come and offer obeisances. No. Anyone. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Even born in low-grade family, it doesn't matter. So where is the difficulty? That we want to discuss. To become Kṛṣṇa conscious, is there any difficulty for any person anywhere, any part of the world? Let us discuss this point. Huh? You sit down properly. I say you, yes. So, discuss this point. What is the difficulty? Why people are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. But the process is simple. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī (BG 18.65). The result? Don't divert your attention. Mām evaiṣyasi, what is the next line?
Lecture on BG 10.8 -- New York, January 6, 1967:
Where is your universal idea?
So unless there is development of God consciousness, this universal ideas, oh, these are nonsense. There cannot be. It is all false, jugglery of words. So first business is to understand your identity, identity of God, your relationship, and your action reformed in that way. Then there is question of universal, brotherhood, universal... Otherwise it is simply jugglery of words.
If you are thinking of universal way, how you can give protection to a human being born in America, and send a cow to the slaughterhouse. What is your reason?
Lecture on BG 12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974:
"Why foreigners will come here?" This is enviousness. Why not? Who is foreigner and who is national? Everyone is son of God. Why should you distinguish? But because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this discrimination between man to man, animal to man, and so many discrimination... Even taking from the national point of view, national means anyone who is born in that country. But because one happens to be animal, although it is national, still, it is sent to the slaughterhouse, because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 24, 1973:
Then human being, manuṣyāḥ catur-lakṣāṇi, only four hundred thousand forms of human life, of which the civilized form of life, especially those who are born in India... To take birth in India, Bhārata-varsa, is a great fortune. Unfortunately, we are neglecting this facility given by nature. Because in India there were so many saintly persons, so many great sages... Even Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He descended on this country, India, Bhārata-varsa. There were kings like Mahārāja Bhārata. There were kings like Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. There was king like Mahārāja Yudhisthira, Parīkṣit, so many. Unfortunately, we are neglecting our own culture. We are now imitating how to become technologist. This is the position of India. Nobody is interested to take this culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously.
Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Bombay, September 27, 1973:
This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as we forget Kṛṣṇa, māyā is there, immediately captured.
So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sa ca yo yat prabhāvaś ca. That prabhāva means according to the modes of material nature. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Why one is born in the family of demigod? Why one is born in the family of a hog? Why one is born in the family of a tree or a serpent? There are so many species of life. The only reason is kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sango 'sya. The living entity, as he associates with the guṇas, there are three guṇas. Multiply three by three, it becomes nine, and multiply nine by nine, it becomes eighty-one. Therefore there are eighty-four. Eight million four hundred thousand. This is guṇa.
Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:
Mahābhārata is meant for strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayi na śruti-gocaraḥ (SB 1.4.25). Strī, woman, śūdra, and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu means born in a brāhmaṇa family, but he's not a brāhmaṇa. That is the dvija-bandhu, "friend of a brāhmaṇa." One who is not qualified brāhmaṇa. Satyaḥ śamo damas titikṣaḥ arjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). He's simply giving his identification, "I am brāhmaṇa," without any qualification of a brāhmaṇa. He's called dvija-bandhu, "friend of a brāhmaṇa."
Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Bombay, September 28, 1973:
Sauryaṁ tejo yuddhe cāpy apālayanam. Kṣatriya. Kṣatriya must be very heroic. He'll never go away from fighting. If a kṣatriya is challenged, "I want to fight with you." "Yes, come on." That is kṣatriya. Similarly, brāhmaṇa. These are qualifications. So if such qualification is acquired by somebody else, even though he's not born in that family, Nārada Muni says, tat tenaiva vinirdiśet (SB 7.11.35). If a brāhmaṇa has not acquired the brahminical qualifications but a kṣatriya qualification or a vaiśya qualification or a śūdra qualification, then, according to the quality, guṇa, and work, he should be ascertained. Similarly, others also. Yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta. This is śāstric injunction.
Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 3, 1973:
Just like nowadays people are being taught drink wine, eat meat, and do whatever you like. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). So they will go down, animal life. So they have no knowledge. And the leaders, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The leaders are blind and they are leading other blind men. So it is a very dangerous civilization. In spite of being born in India, in spite of having the privilege of studying Bhagavad-gītā, they are not taking advantage of it, and they are being misled like cats and dogs. Very regrettable condition.
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only challenge to this devilish life of the human society. So I request everyone to study this philosophy very carefully and take advantage of it. Thank you very much.
Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973:
By remembering, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam, the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, if you always think, that is śuci. And in Bengali there is a word, poetry, muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. If one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, even if he is born in a cobbler's family, muci... In India there are two things, muci and śuci. Śuci means perfect brāhmaṇa, and muci means cobbler, the shoemaker. So muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, even if he is born in the family of a muci, camāra, he can become a brāhmaṇa. And śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje. And if he gives up Kṛṣṇa, even if he's born in a brāhmaṇa family, he becomes a muci.
Lecture on BG 13.22 -- Bombay, October 20, 1973:
And impious activities, the opposite number: in a family, abominable, pāpa-yoni, lower-grade family, not very beautiful, not educated, suffering in so many ways. So either you get this life or that life, the janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi is there. It is not that because you have got very beautiful body and born in very high-class family and highly educated, you will avoid janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is not possible. The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.
Lecture on BG 13.22 -- Bombay, October 20, 1973:
So kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad... Sad-yoni (BG 13.22), high-class life, and asad-yoni, pāpa-yoni... So why one is born in lower grade family? Why one is born in high-grade family? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. The cause is as he has associated with different types of qualities. So unfortunately, this science, that there is birth after death, and there is, actually, we are experience, we are seeing, but they do not inquire. They think that one can improve. That is not possible. Unless he changes the quality, he cannot improve. That is not possible. They do not know it. They are falsely trying to improve the position. Nobody is trying to become poor. Everyone is trying to become rich. But it is not possible. Because he has got a particular type of body, and that body is already destined, and he has to achieve happiness or suffer distresses according to the body.
Lecture on BG 13.23 -- Bombay, October 22, 1973:
If the living entity puruṣa is working piously, then he is getting a different type of body. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). A nice body, born in rich man's family or brāhmaṇa's family, scholar's family, janma, opulence, aiśvarya, beauty, beautiful body, and very good education—these distinctions are there because the paramātma-puruṣa is observing the activities of the jīvātma-puruṣa. And according to his karma according to his desire, He is giving a different type of body. Īśvaraḥ sarva...
Another place it is said, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). "That Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramātmā, Antaryāmī, is situated in everyone's heart." Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā: (BG 18.61) "
Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:
"You can do whatever you like. You can eat whatever you like." No. We don't restrict to the ordinary man, but if one comes forward to become our student, serious student, then he must follow this pravṛtti-nirvṛtti. Otherwise he remains asura. What we have to make an asura a deva. That is our process. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that it is not that if a man is born in an asura family he cannot be deva. No. He can be deva. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yonayaḥ means asura-yonayaḥ, or lower than asura-yonayaḥ. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Everyone has got a chance.
Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:
If you want to get rid of this troublesome material existence, threefold miserable condition of material existence, then you have to develop daivī sampat. That can be developed. It is not that stereotype, one who is condemned, he cannot be raised. No. Anyone can be raised. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Jagāi and Mādhāi. They fell down. They're born..., they are born in brāhmaṇa family, nice family, but due to bad association they became drunkard, they became woman-hunters, meat-eating, gambling, so many, all these good qualities. At the present moment, in the human society, without these they are not civilized. They must have a club. What is this club? I have seen in Germany. Just like we have got, after few steps, a (Sanskrit?), similarly, in Hamburg I have seen, a few steps after there is a small club. What is the business of the club? The business of club that a young woman should be there, and there should be wine and cards for playing gambling.
Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:
The whole process Vedic system is, even if you are asuras, gradually by practice, by good association, by following the principles of śāstra, we can become deva. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, actually we're doing that. These boys, they are so..., according to our śāstras they are born in asura families, but they are coming deva. And they have become devas. So that is not impossible. It doesn't matter, janmana jāyate śūdraḥ saṅskarād bhaved dvijaḥ. Anyone can be born of lowborn, śūdra-born, or lower than śūdra born, but by this process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā (SB 2.4.18)—more than, still lower born—śudhyanti prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ.
Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:
That is the wonderful, I mean to say, power of the Supreme Lord. So we are trying to bring everyone—Hindus, Muslims, or mlecchas, Yavanas, Kirāta, Āndhras—anyone come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no limitation. We don't say, "No. Because you are born in this family, you can not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Everyone can. Just like in Africa, they are also taking. They are becoming Vaiṣṇava.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:
Now, if you want to reach to the ultimate goal of life, where only blissful life, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), eternal body of knowledge and bliss, then you have to become sura. It is not that the asuras will remain asura. It doesn't matter. Even born in the asura family one can become sura. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. His father was asura, but he was perfect sura. That is possible. It is not prohibited to anyone. If he wants to become sura... Just like in ordinary life also. If you are determined to become medical man, you can become. There is no impediment. If you are persistent, you can become medical man, engineer, or anything. People are trying, education. Similarly, if you want to become sura, there is no impediment, and there is no obstacle. You can become. Simply you have to know what sort of life we should accept, pravṛtti—this is called pravṛtti—and what sort of life we should reject. This is required. This is the distinction between sura and asura.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:
You have taken. Some of you might have taken prasādam here. So how nicely they have made. Our Bhānu is expert in making nice prasādam. These boys, these American boys and European boys and some Japanese boys, they have adopted this means. They are happy. So everyone can become sura. There is no... Kṛṣṇa says... It is not it is hackneyed. If somebody says, "Oh, he is born in the asura family. He shall remain as asura," no, no, that is not shastric injunction. He can be improved. He can become a sura. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, You will find. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Pāpa-yonayaḥ. The asuras are called pāpa-yoni. Pāpa-yoni means born in low-grade family.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:
In India they sometimes come to fight with me that I am making these pāpa-yoni, namely, the Europeans and Americans... They are considered by the rigid Hindus as a pāpa-yoni. "They cannot become." But why Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ? Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. So everyone has got the chance. Even he is born in a pāpa-yoni, everyone... Otherwise, why Kṛṣṇa will say, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim? Simply the condition is: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya: (BG 9.32) "One should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully. Never mind wherever he is born. He can be also transferred to the spiritual world."
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:
Simply if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it does not matter whether we are born in pāpa-yoni or puṇya-yoni. Puṇya-yoni, those who are born in puṇya-yoni, in nice family, for them it is very easy and natural. But even those who are born in asura family... Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja became a great devotee. He is one of the authorities of devotees. But his father was asura. Asura does not mean one community is simply asura, and other community is simply sura. No, that is not. Any community, any person, if he follows the principle of sura, he becomes sura. If he follow the principles of asura, even if he was born in sura family, then he is asura. These are the injunction of the śāstra.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:
People do not know it. So we Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are simply trying to make the asuras as sura. This is our movement. Anyone who is not devotee, he is asura. It doesn't matter whether he is born in some country or some family. It doesn't matter. If he is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then he is asura. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means God. Anyone who is nondevotee of God, who is not God conscious, he is asura. That is the injunction. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. This is the distinction. Devatā means viṣṇu-bhakta, great devotee of the Supreme Lord. Viṣṇu means the Supreme Lord, all-pervading. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva asuras tad... And those who are not devotees, Godless, without any God consciousness, they are all asuras. So this movement is to make asuras as suras.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:
So we don't say anyone asura and sura, but, we understand from the śāstra anyone who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever he may be, he becomes a sura. Even if he is born in asura family, it doesn't matter. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. His father was a asura, but still, he became the first-class sura. Similarly, everyone can become first-class sura. They have to be trained. The asuras, they... Therefore it is said that pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ (BG 16.7). Asuras, the fault is, asuras, they do not know how to live a very happy and clean life. They do not know. Ācāra. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ. They have not cleanliness and good behavior.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:
If he gets association of a brāhmaṇa, if he agrees to be trained up by a brāhmaṇa, he can become brāhmaṇa. And brāhmaṇa means brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa, not by birth. Anyone who has full knowledge of the Supreme, he is brāhmaṇa. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. By birth everyone is śūdra. Even if he's born in a brāhmaṇa family he is śūdra. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. The saṁskāra means purification. That is satyaṁ śaucam. But the asuras, they do not want to be purified. They want to remain in the degraded stage of life. That is the difficulty.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hawaii, February 3, 1975:
Otherwise it doesn't matter what he is, which family he's born. It doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa says, you'll find, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yoni. To take birth low-grade family, or animal family, these are called pāpa-yoni. Kṛṣṇa says that it doesn't matter if one is born in the pāpa-yoni, low-grade family. It doesn't matter. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. In the human society, striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ, even woman and śūdra and vaiśya, they are also taken in the category of pāpa-yoni. Pāpa-yoni means their intelligence is not very sharp. That is called pāpa-yoni. And a brāhmaṇa means to become very, very highly intellectual. That is called brāhmaṇa. Because he'll understand Brahman.
Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Sanand, December 26, 1975:
The purport is that if somebody takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even he is born in the family of muci, then he becomes śuci. And if a person born in the brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family but he does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he becomes a muci. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yoni means muci, less than the śūdras. If he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, they are also eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead. So even a muci or a pāpa-yoni born in the low grade family, if he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes a devatā.
Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976:
So nowadays it is going on very strong, "nation." We do not have any such conception in the śāstra, national idea. The division is deva and asura. It doesn't matter where you are born. Even in India... Suppose you are born in a brāhmaṇa family. It does not mean that you cannot become an asura. And even if in Europe and America if you are born or in the mleccha and yavana family, it does not mean that you cannot become a brāhmaṇa. No. Kṛṣṇa says openly, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yoni, low-born. Pāpa-yoni. There are... They are mentioned in the śāstras, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). They are considered as caṇḍāla, less than the śūdras. Kirāta means Africans, the black. In our country also there are santals, very black.
Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976:
Why He says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ? Pāpa-yonayaḥ means suffering. Here in this material world either you are in pāpa-yoni or ucca-yoni, there is suffering. So Kṛṣṇa is... Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33). Even the pāpa-yonis, they can be relieved, what to speak of those who are born in good family, brāhmaṇa, puṇya, rājarṣaya, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Of course, in this age it is very difficult to find out the qualified brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kali-yuga, everyone is almost śūdra. And still, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. They can be elevated. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.
Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:
This is the version of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness among his school friends. Because he was born in a demon father's family, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was stopped even uttering Kṛṣṇa. He could not get any opportunity in the palace, so when he was coming to school, at the tiffin hour he would call his small friends, five years old, and he would preach this Bhāgavata-dharma. And the friends would says, "My dear Prahlāda, we are now children. Oh, what is the use of this Bhāgavata-dharma? Let us play." "No," he said, "no." Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: (SB 7.6.1) "My dear friends, don't say that you'll keep it aside for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness in old age. No, no." Durlabham. "We do not know when we shall die. Before the next death we must complete this Kṛṣṇa consciousness education."
Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:
So instead of becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa, we are now servant of our senses. This is our material life. So if you, instead of becoming servant of the senses, if you become master of the senses, then you are a brāhmaṇa. Then you are a brāhmaṇa. Not that you remain a servant of the senses and because you are born in a brāhmaṇa family you remain a brāhmaṇa. This is miscalculation. This is not allowed.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, śamo damas tapaḥ. This śamo damaḥ, how it can be practiced without tapasya? It is so easy thing that you can control your mind and senses? But with tapasya. You must agree. That is human life. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Ṛṣabhadeva was advising his sons, "My dear boys, this human form of life is meant for tapasya, tapaḥ." What for tapasya?
Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:
So there are symptoms. So Nārada Muni says if these symptoms are found elsewhere... Yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta. Suppose a śūdra, or a vaiśya, but he has got the qualification, symptoms, of a brāhmaṇa. So he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa, not as śūdra, as vaiśya. Similarly, a person born in brāhmaṇa family, if he has got the symptoms of a śūdra, he should be accepted as śūdra. This is the injunction in the śāstras. And Śrīdhara Svāmī, he says that simply taking birth in some particular family, brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family, one does not become so. It is the qualification. That is required.
| Page Title: | Born in... (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 16 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=134, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 134 |