Cannot purchase

Expressions researched:
"cannot be purchased" |"cannot purchase"

SB Canto 3

Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that even a slight fraction of time cannot be purchased with millions of dollars, and therefore even a moment of time lost without profit must be calculated as the greatest loss in life.

SB 3.10.11, Purport:

Metaphysically, time is distinguished as absolute and real. Absolute time is continuous and is unaffected by the speed or slowness of material things. Time is astronomically and mathematically calculated in relation to the speed, change and life of a particular object. Factually, however, time has nothing to do with the relativities of things; rather, everything is shaped and calculated in terms of the facility offered by time. Time is the basic measurement of the activity of our senses, by which we calculate past, present and future; but in factual calculation, time has no beginning and no end. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that even a slight fraction of time cannot be purchased with millions of dollars, and therefore even a moment of time lost without profit must be calculated as the greatest loss in life. Time is not subject to any form of psychology, nor are the moments objective realities in themselves, but they are dependent on particular experiences.

SB Canto 7

Cāṇakya Paṇḍita gives the example that a moment of life cannot be purchased in exchange for millions of dollars. A foolish person, however, wastes such a valuable life without knowing how much he is losing, even according to monetary calculations.

SB 7.6.14, Purport:

A foolish man does not understand the values of human life, nor does he understand how he is wasting his valuable life simply for the maintenance of his family members. He is expert in calculating the loss of pounds, shillings and pence, but he is so foolish that he does not know how much money he is losing, even according to material considerations. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita gives the example that a moment of life cannot be purchased in exchange for millions of dollars. A foolish person, however, wastes such a valuable life without knowing how much he is losing, even according to monetary calculations. Although a materialistic person is expert in calculating costs and doing business, he does not realize that he is misusing his costly life for want of knowledge. Even though such a materialistic person is always suffering threefold miseries, he is not intelligent enough to cease his materialistic way of life.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Unless one is king or a big zamindar he cannot purchase elephant, neither he can keep.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Hyderabad, December 15, 1976:

Everything is valuable. Just like elephant. Dead or alive, it is one lakh of rupees. The price is the same. That is the... Because elephant is very costly, everyone knows. You cannot... One lakh of rupees. Unless one is king or a big zamindar he cannot purchase elephant, neither he can keep. And if the elephant is dead, that is also one lakh of rupees because it contains the ivory bones, very, very costly. So there are animals; either dead or alive, the price is the same. Similarly, cow, dead or alive, the price is the same.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

In your country there is law that you cannot purchase from the drug shop any medicine without being prescribed by the medical man. Is it not? So the prescription should be taken from the experienced physician to cure the disease.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that the volume of atonement should be according to the gravity of the offense. Just like when a man is diseased, he goes to a physician. He prescribes different type of medicine to the different type of patient according to the gravity of the disease. But there are many rascals, they say that any medicine we take, that's all right. No. That's not all right. You have to take the medicine through the physician, not independently. In your country there is law that you cannot purchase from the drug shop any medicine without being prescribed by the medical man. Is it not? So the prescription should be taken from the experienced physician to cure the disease. So in this age, Kali-yuga... It is called Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means the age of quarrel and misunderstanding. This is the age. For nothing there is misunderstanding and quarrel and fight and war, for nothing. So in this age the medicine for delivering the conditioned souls from miserable, materialistic way of life is prescribed in the śāstras. What is that? Harer nāma, simply chanting of the holy name of Hari, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam: (CC Adi 17.21) "In this age, simply this harer nāma kevalam, only." There is no other alternative. Therefore in the next line it is stressed, nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā: "There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative."

You cannot purchase God by your all these material acquisitions.

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

Now, how God is satisfied? Ete dhanādaya dvādaśāpi guṇāḥ parasya puṁsaḥ ārādhanāya na bhavanti. You cannot purchase God by your all these material acquisitions. No. That is not possible. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: (BG 18.55) "One can understand Me simply by devotional service." Nobody can understand. Bhaktyā mām.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

As soon as he sees Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, "Oh, it is about God. Oh, we cannot purchase. We cannot purchase. Because it is God, therefore we have no connection with it. We cannot purchase."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.36-40 -- San Francisco, January 23, 1967:

So it is not now individually infection; it is now worldwide. And therefore, the result is that the Communist party is developing all over the world due to this godlessness. And we have got experience, personal experience, in our selling our books, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I have seen many gentlemen, as teachers and educationists. As soon as he sees Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, "Oh, it is about God. Oh, we cannot purchase. We cannot purchase. Because it is God, therefore we have no connection with it. We cannot purchase." Such is the mentality. So that, by that such mentality, godless mentality, atheistic mentality, the people of the world, they are not happy. But still, they are fools. Because they are fools, they'll not take to God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But it is our duty to canvass, to request.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

We should be careful not to eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, prasādam. That should be determination. We cannot purchase things from the market and eat. We can simply eat such things which are offered to the Deity, Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1970:

"To come back to Me, that is the highest perfection of life. He does not come to this miserable world." So we should be careful not to eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, prasādam. That should be determination. We cannot purchase things from the market and eat. No. That is not possible. We cannot eat. We can simply eat such things which are offered to the Deity, Kṛṣṇa. That is yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ. Even if we have committed some sin, by eating this prasādam we counteract it. Mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Yajña-śiṣṭa. Aśiṣṭa means the remnants of foodstuff after offering yajña. If one eats, then mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Because our life is sinful, so we become, I mean to say, freed from the sinful activities. How it is? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "If you surrender unto Me, then I'll give you protection from all sinful reactions." So if you make it a vow that "I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," that means it is a surrender. You surrender to Kṛṣṇa, that "My dear Lord, I shall not eat anything which is not offered to You." That's vow. That vow is surrender. And because there is surrender, you are protected from the sinful reaction.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

So just try to understand how much our life is valuable. A second of our life we cannot purchase by paying millions of dollars.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 -- New York, July 26, 1971:

Even one moment of your life cannot be returned even you spend millions of dollars. One of our friends in India, he was at that time fifty-four years old, but he was dying. So he was requesting the doctor, "Doctor, kindly give some medicine so that I may live for another four years. I have got so many things to do." Just see, the crazy fellow. You see. This is called ignorance. He does not know that "What to call..., what to say of four years, the doctor cannot give me four minutes prolongation of life." When the life is ended, it is ended. Nobody can... Any medicine, any physical, physiological treatment will not help. That is not possible. You have got a duration of life, say, fifty years, sixty years, seventy years—a hundred years, utmost. You cannot increase it by paying money. What to speak of four years; you cannot increase four seconds. So just try to understand how much our life is valuable. A second of our life we cannot purchase by paying millions of dollars. And if that second is wasted without any utilization, then how much money we are losing. This is the calculation.

General Lectures

Kṛṣṇa cannot be purchased. His name is Ajita. He cannot be conquered, but His devotee can purchase Him, can conquer Him.

Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, August 23, 1968:

You haven't got to acquire something extra for loving Kṛṣṇa or purchasing Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa becomes purchased. Therefore... Kṛṣṇa cannot be purchased. His name is Ajita. He cannot be conquered, but His devotee can purchase Him, can conquer Him. Just like you have seen the pictures in our Back to Godhead about Bhīṣma, that it was just joking, but he knew that "Arjuna cannot be killed because he is very dear friend of Kṛṣṇa. So these people are requesting me to kill Arjuna. So I shall show my capacity of fighting." And actually Arjuna became perplexed. Bhīṣma wanted to see that Kṛṣṇa shall have to break His promise for His devotee. "I know I shall not be able to kill Arjuna, but at least I shall see that Kṛṣṇa has broken His promise." So Kṛṣṇa actually did not break His promise. He did not accept any weapon, but He simply showed Bhīṣma that "I have come to kill you with this wheel of the chariot." His sudarśana-cakra is different. These are the reciprocation. Kṛṣṇa can do anything for His devotee. Personally He may be very severe, but for devotee He can do anything. That means devotee can purchase by his devotion.

Don't talk rubbish things, waste time. That is not good. A single moment is so valuable that you cannot purchase it by millions of dollars.

Lecture -- Honolulu, May 25, 1975:

So try to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching this philosophy. We have got so many books. Whoever comes here must read the books, devotee, the inmates of the temple, outsider, then you will understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Or you should chant Hare Kṛṣṇa only. Don't talk rubbish things, waste time. That is not good. A single moment is so valuable that you cannot purchase it by millions of dollars. Now today is 25th May, four o'clock gone. You cannot bring it back. Four o'clock, 25th May, 1975, if you want to get it back again by paying millions of dollars, it will not be possible. Therefore we should be very careful of our time. Time once wasted, you cannot get it back return. Better utilize this time. The best utilization is to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or think of Kṛṣṇa, worship Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Just like when you become serious of studying any subject matter, you find out some college, some institution. You cannot purchase the books and read at home and become expert engineer, expert, no. That is not the process.

Conversation with Bajaj and Bhusan -- September 11, 1972, Arlington, Texas, At Their Home:

Prabhupāda: When actually you want Kṛṣṇa seriously—you do not know who is guru—then Kṛṣṇa will give you a guru. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He was advised by his mother that "If you go to the forest you can see God." So he went there. But when he was very serious, then Kṛṣṇa sent him Nārada Muni. So if you are actually serious about Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will send you some of His representative and he will take charge of you. That is the process. If you do not find a guru, that means Kṛṣṇa is not yet pleased, either you are not serious. Just like when you become serious of studying any subject matter, you find out some college, some institution. You cannot purchase the books and read at home and become expert engineer, expert, no. That is not the process. Therefore the Vedic knowledge is called śruti. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). So we have to hear by paramparā system. You attend the lectures of a professor because he has heard. He has listened the same instruction from his professor. You don't go to a professor who has never gone to school and college. Do you go there? So this knowledge... As material knowledge is received by paramparā, similarly, spiritual knowledge is received also by paramparā.

A poor country. And if you see the shops, you will find old (indistinct), just like antique shop. Because you cannot purchase generally, everything you have to purchase from government store, and in queue. It is botheration.

Room Conversation -- October 25, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Every corner of the street, Lenin's picture. All books are sold, they are Lenin. No other literature. You cannot get taxi. Poor men, they cannot pay for taxi. Very little number. When I was talking with Professor Kotovsky, so I asked him, "Now we shall go. Get me taxi." So he, "Yes, it is Moscow." So he got down, he personally showed me, "Instead of taking taxi waiting, please go in this way when you go to your hotel." He showed me shortcut. People are walking, and they are running for the bus. It is not at all a rich country. A poor country. And if you see the shops, you will find old (indistinct), just like antique shop. Because you cannot purchase generally, everything you have to purchase from government store, and in queue. It is botheration. And actually in India it is going to happen like this. Everything you have to purchase in queue. Here?

Indian man: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: So you have to waste so much time.

Gurudāsa: Milk you have to purchase in queue.

Prabhupāda: Everything.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

You cannot purchase Kṛṣṇa consciousness—you can have money—that you have to cultivate.

Room Conversation -- July 9, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: The Marwaris in India, they don't educate their son. Just like Birla. They say, "We can purchase these rascals, why we should waste our time. (laughter) So-called technicians, so-called expert computer, these are... We can purchase, why we shall waste our time."

Haṁsadūta: It's the same thing I learned in Germany. First I wanted to get my own press and I studied the situation very carefully and I saw it was ridiculous for us to do that, it's so much hard work. It's much easier to collect the money in the street by giving the magazine and then paying someone. They work very hard and do it. Everything is like that. They have so many people that can do everything. The one thing that people can't do is distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness and for that Kṛṣṇa's giving so much money.

Prabhupāda: Yes, therefore tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. That verse. Only for this purpose one should endeavor.

Haṁsadūta: Yes. Kṛṣṇa (indistinct) paying for that.

Prabhupāda: You cannot purchase Kṛṣṇa consciousness—you can have money—that you have to cultivate.

I do not know where those gold gone. Nowhere, all over the world, you cannot purchase gold. Even in America.

Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: So in India it was available, any amount. You pay price and take. And they would melt it and make ornament, that Guinea gold. There was no restriction. You can purchase any amount.

Śyāmasundara: Why all of a sudden it changed?

Prabhupāda: But, they have lost all gold. There is no gold, simply paper. That's all. Simply blessing, "Yes, you'll get money." (laughter) But you'll never get. In the bank also, any amount of gold you can purchase. Bank was canvassing that "You take gold from us." I do not know where those gold gone. Nowhere, all over the world, you cannot purchase gold. Even in America.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Just like for the building purpose, cement. In your country you can purchase any amount of it. You cannot purchase. You have to purchase black market.

Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: So India's position is like that. The parentless children. There is no good government. And they supply this control wheat that is not even touchable. Unfit for human consumption. There is a worm...

Hari-śauri: Control wheat?

Prabhupāda: Yes. They purchase from here and there all rejected wheat, and they supply it. There is no ghee, no milk, no proper food grain. Everything black market. Any necessary commodity you cannot have in the open market; you have to purchase in black market. Just like for the building purpose, cement. In your country you can purchase any amount of it. You cannot purchase. You have to purchase black market, and that cement also mixed with some... What is that? And unless you give some bribe, it is not possible.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Every day the consumer's goods are increasing in price. So many poor men, they cannot purchase. Your motorcar machine, that is not meant for the poor man. Poor man requires food grains.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: We don't support it. Our business does not support. You can live without car, but you cannot live without rainfall. Why don't you take the important business? Make machine that the water from the sea can be drawn and saltless and distributed. Why don't you do that?

Satsvarūpa: They've put aside the big problems and doing little things.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Childish. Every day the consumer's goods are increasing in price. So many poor men, they cannot purchase. Your motorcar machine, that is not meant for the poor man. Poor man requires food grains. There is no water. What you are doing for that? They require bread, food grains. Supply them sufficiently. They'll be happy. Without motorcar they can live. You can live also. But without food grains you cannot live and they cannot live.

Because they are so poor that they cannot purchase diamond. But diamond must be there. They are so poor-hearted, their education has been so poorly given that they cannot understand.

Interview with Mr. Koshi (Asst. Editor of The Current Weekly) -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Mr. Koshi: You started this ten years ago. But why is it that when you were recognized..., you were recognized by others and not in this country?

Prabhupāda: Huh? Because they are so poor that they cannot purchase diamond. But diamond must be there. They are so poor-hearted, their education has been so poorly given that they cannot understand.

Mr. Koshi: Poorly given.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That "You are this body, jump like cats and dogs," that's all. What is nationalism? This is, that "You are this body. Jump like cats and dogs." A group, as a group of crows gather together, caw caw caw caw. That has been taught. Make group and crow.

I cannot purchase land instead of keeping in the bank. They will not allow.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Land value has increased.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, they say that land, buying land, is better investment than putting your money in the bank, so much increasing.

Prabhupāda: And they'll not allow. Rather, I cannot purchase land instead of keeping in the bank. They will not allow.

1969 Correspondence

The best thing is to rent a big house if you cannot purchase a big one. But in all cases, I shall prefer a big house which can accommodate our temple and residence quarters.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 27 June, 1969:

Regarding Glen's contribution of $2,000, I may request you to send it to me by return of post. The house contemplated, I don't think is suitable for our purpose. In your country, a house at $19,000, especially in a city like Boston, must not be very large and accommodating. The best thing is to rent a big house if you cannot purchase a big one. But in all cases, I shall prefer a big house which can accommodate our temple and residence quarters. If possible, the book-binding department will be included also. If you purchase a small house, then again you will have to rent some other house for other purposes.

1970 Correspondence

I understand that the land in Mayapur cannot be purchased in Acyutananda's name alone. Under the circumstances if our Society is immediately registered under Societies' Registration Act the problem will be solved.

Letter to Barindra Babu -- Los Angeles 22 January, 1970:

Acyutananda is a very sincere young American boy, and your cooperation with him is very much appreciated. Now, the difficulty is that he is a foreigner. I understand that the land in Mayapur cannot be purchased in his name alone. Under the circumstances if our Society is immediately registered under Societies' Registration Act the problem will be solved. We have registered our Society in America, Canada and england also; why not India? You are yourself a learned lawyer, you know better than me, and if possible kindly help in this connection.

We cannot purchase land in Regents Park; that is not possible.

Letter to Mukunda -- Surat 31 December, 1970:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of the photos of Regents Park area as well as your telegram dated 19th December, 1970. The idea of having our temple in Regents Park was with the understanding that the government would give us a suitable plot to build on. We cannot purchase land in Regents Park, that is not possible. So unless the government agrees to give us the needed land, it is better to pass the idea for the time being.

1976 Correspondence

If the land is donated, either by this party or that party, we can make use of the land, but we cannot purchase such land.

Letter to Giriraja -- Honolulu 4 May, 1976:

With regards to the farmland you mentioned; we can not purchase any land for this purpose. If the land is donated, either by this party or that party, we can make use of the land, but we cannot purchase such land.