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Creatures (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.15 -- London, July 15, 1973:

When Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, nobody could control Kṛṣṇa, but He controlled everyone. Nobody could control Kṛṣṇa. So therefore the great saintly persons, even Brahmā, they have decided, that īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ: (Bs. 5.1) "The Supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa." He controls even Brahmā, ādi-kavaye. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Tene, He instructed Brahmā śabda-brahma, Vedic knowledge, hṛdā, through heart. That is Hṛṣīkeśa. You can argue that "Brahmā was the first creature within this universe. So how he could be instructed by somebody else?" No. The somebody else is always there within the heart, Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa means controller. Sarvasya cāham... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya, in the fifteenth chapter, sarvasya ca ahaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15) "From Me, one remembers and one forgets also." Forgets also. If you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa will give you such intelligence that you will forget Him forever. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:

One must approach guru. And guru means Kṛṣṇa originally. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). Janmādyasya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāt. You have to approach. That is guru. So we consider, we take Brahmā... Because he's the first creature within this universe, he's accepted as the guru. He imparted... Just like we belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. There are four sampradāyas, Brahma-sampradāya, Śrī-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya and Kumāra-samapradāya. They're all mahājanas. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to accept the line of action which is given by the mahājana.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

If you take votes, then the number of human beings will be very small all over the world. It is four to eighty. If living, I mean to say, human beings, including all civilized, uncivilized, any, any number of whatever, Indian, American, and European, anything, take altogether, they will be four, four parts, and all other living creatures, they'll be eighty parts. The proportion is so big. But in the human society you'll find that we have got some occupation for our livelihood.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

Just like a, a small child offers his broken biscuit to the father, "My dear father, you just taste; it is very nice." Oh, father... "Oh, it is very nice? All right. Give me it." But a small part, particle of biscuit is nothing for the father, but the father sees, "Oh, my child is so loving that he has tasted it good, and offering me." This is the consideration of love, exchange of love. So God is not poor, neither He's wanting for you. He's self-satisfied. He's satisfying many, many living creatures like me. So He does not require anything from me. It is for your sake. It is for your benefit that you should offer like that. Now, this is dovetailing. "Oh, God's wants to eat from me. Now, why shall I not give Him to, give Him something to eat?" Is it very difficult?

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

Now, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, at dead of night a woman came before him and she was sitting. She (he) was chanting. So according to this restriction or injunction, she (he) has committed wrong. No. She (He) has not committed wrong because he was trying for her benefit. He was sitting there not with the purpose of sense gratification. He was sitting with that woman with the purpose of converting him (her) for self-realization. He had no other intention. His only intention was: "Well, this poor creature has come to me. Never mind whatever her intention is. And if I am elevated, if I have anything, anything relationship with my Supreme Lord, I must do something good to this poor creature so that her life also may become successful. That was his intention. He had no other intention. Therefore, naiva tasya kṛtena arthaḥ. Therefore for him there is no restriction.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

Those who are expert, they are seeing Him. Kṛṣṇa is... Just like Brahmā, Brahma-saṁhitā. He mentions Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So many, many Dvāpara-yugas before, many millions of Dvāpara-yugas before, he mentioned Kṛṣṇa. Do you understand it? Brahmā said. Brahmā is the first creature in the creation. Many millions of years ago he uttered this word, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Sometimes we find a small full-stop-like creature moving on the page of the, on a leaf of the book. You cannot see it, but it is moving. That small creature also has got heart. But is there any scientist to find out how he is moving, how he has got leg, how he has got hands, how he has got...? Any anatomy, is there any anatomy or physiological science to test? Here is our Dr. Mukerjee, sitting. "Can you find out the heart in that small particle-like animal?" It is not possible.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Now if you go to the laboratory to find out where is the heart of the small creatures, you have no capacity, neither you have instruments. No. Therefore your knowledge will always be imperfect because this process of acquiring knowledge is always imperfect. But this knowledge, as we hear from Bhagavad-gītā that there is heart in every living entity, this is perfect.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Just like the constitutional position of other stars, you understand the moon is like that. And they are searching after whether in the moon planet there is life or not, there is living condition or not. But you open Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you'll find the description of the moon planet, how they are living, what is the constitution of the living creatures there. The soma-rasa, you have heard this word. The soma-rasa is beverage in the moon planet. So everything is there. And who can go there, and how one can go there. So this is perfect knowledge, to hear from the authorities.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Brahmaṇaḥ means of Brahmā and the living creatures there in the Brahmaloka, the highest, topmost planet. So in that planet the people or the living entities who are living there, their duration of life is like this. What is that? Sahasra-yuga-paryantam. Now yuga means these four yugas, Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, and Kali-yuga.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

Just like a fish, when it is put into the land, it is unhappy, or death. Similarly, if you, the creature of the land, if you are put into the water, you are unhappy. And death. So because we belong to the spiritual nature... As it is explained by Kṛṣṇa, that this material nature is aparā, aparā. Aparā means inferior, not fit for us. Therefore we are unhappy. So long we shall remain in the material nature, we must be unhappy.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

The Bhāgavata says, pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt: "One should not try to become father. One should not try to become mother." Why? Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum: "One who is unable to save his children from the grip of material nature." That should be Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you are a responsible father, then, if you are completely in knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your duty will be that "These creatures, these innocent creatures now, who are playing in my, at my home as my children, as my boys, now this life should be the last installment of his transmigration from one body to another. I shall train these boys in such a way that after this body he will have no more to go into the cycle of birth and death." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

Our life should be without any sinful reaction. Otherwise we will have to suffer. But they do not believe, although they are seeing so many abominable lives. Wherefrom they are coming, 8,400,000 species of life? There are so many lives living very abominable condition. Of course, the animal or the living creature does not know, but we human being, we should know why this abominable life. It is māyā's illusion.

Lecture on BG 5.7-13 -- New York, August 27, 1966:

Prabhupāda: Brahman is eternal. I am eternal. I am thinking.(?) Yes?

Devotee: He's saying Brahmā instead of Brahman.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Brahmā you mean to say?

Hayagrīva: Oh, you said Brahman.

Prabhupāda: Brahmā is a living creature just like us. A powerful living creature, he is called Brahmā. He's the first creature. And Brahman, Brahman is the Supreme Absolute. (break) Pathans were ruling over Bengal in the 14th Century or 15th Century. 15th Century, yes. (tamburā, kīrtana)

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

So Kṛṣṇa is describing personally. Kṛṣṇa's name is Yogeśvara, and Lord Śiva's name is Yogīśvara. Yogeśvara means... Yoga, the connecting link between the soul and the Supersoul, or the Supreme and the minute living creatures—that is called yoga. Connecting. So the... Who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Yogeśvara. The ultimate object of yoga is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Yogeśvara. Yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ. At the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gītā it is said by Sañjaya, yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ. The place where Yogeśvara, the supreme master of all yoga systems, Kṛṣṇa, is there... And yatra pārtho dhanañjaya, and where there is Arjuna, the greatest fighter, there is undoubtedly victory there.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

Mat-parataṁ yanis cayāvanityārthaḥ, samagraṁ sādhiṣṭhānaṁ sāvibhūtiṁ sāparikaram. And if you believe Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be that you can understand God, how He is working, how His energies are acting, how He is manifested, what is this material world, what is the spiritual world, what are these living creatures, what is their relationship. So many things in God's creation. The whole Vedic literature are dealing in three things.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

If you understand God perfectly well... And there is intricate relationship also. That relationship will be revealed when you are perfectly liberated. Each and every living creature has got a particular relationship with God. We have forgotten that. So when that relationship will be revealed in the process of devotional activities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you should know that is the perfection of your life. That is the perfection of our life.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Madras, February 14, 1972:

So Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes here, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). That is a fact. He comes in one day of Brahma after millions of years. These have been described in the śāstra. But unfortunately, although Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains Himself, we unfortunate creature, we take Him as ordinary person. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). That we should know. That is taught by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the form of Lord Caitanya.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

Everyone is speculating. The scientist, philosopher, everyone is speculating, just to show himself that he has grown very learned, he can put some theory. So this is first rejected. Brahmā... Brahmā says. Brahmā's experience... He's the topmost living creature within this universe. He said that "When a person will give up this nonsense habit of speculation..." Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. He must become submissive. One should not pose himself that he knows something, he can speculate something, he can invent something.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

It is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, janmādy asya: (SB 1.1.1) "The original person from whom everything is born," yataḥ, anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ, "He knows everything perfectly, indirectly and directly." Anvayād itarataś ca abhijñaḥ. And wherefrom He got the knowledge? Now, svarāṭ. That is His... God means svarāṭ. He hasn't got to get any knowledge from anyone else. Everyone gets knowledge from Him, but He hasn't got to take knowledge from anyone, svarāṭ, independent. So the Brahmā, the first lord, first creature, living creature, so he got knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye: (SB 1.1.1) "That Supreme Person gave the knowledge to the ādi-kavi." Ādi-kavi means Lord Brahmā, the first learned man.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Nairobi, October 31, 1975:

We got knowledge directly from Kṛṣṇa, the most perfect. Therefore Brahmā is generated from Viṣṇu. So the first living creature, the perfect person within this material world who got instruction there, that is the beginning of creation. Beginning of creation is not crude or ignorance. Beginning of creation is first-class knowledge. That is the Vedic conception.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Bombay, February 20, 1974:

Just like part and parcel of my body, this finger. When this finger works for me... I want the finger: "Come here. Work some here." But if the finger is not in healthy condition, it is painful, it cannot work, that is not normal condition. The normal condition is the finger is to work for my body. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, when we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is our normal condition, our healthy life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "These foolish creatures, mūḍhāḥ, who are thinking that 'We shall work for sense gratification,' they are mūḍhas." Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). The animals cannot understand this constitutional position of the living entity. Because this material world means all the living entities, they have come here for satisfying their senses.

Lecture on BG 7.8-14 -- New York, October 2, 1966:

Just become submissive, that "What I am? I am insignificant creature in this universe." This world, this earth, is an insignificant point in the universe. And within this earth, the America is a small spot. And within America, this New York City is another small spot. And in this New York City, I am there. So what is my importance? So we should understand that we are very insignificant in comparison to the creation of the whole cosmic situation and God. So we should be very submissive. We should understand our position. Artificially, we should not be puffed up, the frog philosophy.

Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966:

The human form of life is the opportunity to get this boon. So it is the duty of the state, duty of the parents, duty of the guardians, duty of the husband, duty of the father—everyone's duty is how to elevate a living creature who has got this fortunate human form of life to understand this paramāṁ gatim, highest perfection of life. That should be the mode of thing. Simply have some eating and sleeping and mating and some defense and quarreling like cats and dogs—this is not civilization. The human civilization is this, that he should properly utilize this human form of life and take advantage of this knowledge and prepare himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that always, twenty-four hours, cent percent, he will be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa and at the time of death at once transferred there.

Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

You should not be hankering after these temporary honors of this material world. Honor or dishonor, the same thing because we do not belong to that honor, that kind of honor or dishonor. So tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena. But other foolish creature who disturbs you, you should give him all honor. Who is identified with this body, give him all honor, "Oh, you, sir, you are very beautiful. You are very learned." So that he may not disturb you, give him all honor.

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

Although he's supposed to be very intelligent, scientist, but I cannot fly. But a small bird will immediately fly. That is his prabhavaḥ. You must have to admit that this is his special power. Similarly, a vulture, he goes four miles up and his eyes are very small. But from the four miles away he will find out where there is a dead body, immediately jump over. And we have got so many big eyes. But we cannot say, after... This spectacle required. You cannot see even one feet. So this is his prabhavaḥ, influence. A vulture, most, but a nasty bird, still it has got so much influence that you cannot compete with him. So you'll find in every creature, every living entity, a special prerogative than the others, than the others. So, with the body.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

We go to school, colleges, teachers. So why? To receive knowledge. So teacher or school, college, they are in higher authority. Similarly, you go on, higher authorities, higher authorities, higher authorities. You reach to Brahmā because he is the original creature and he described the Vedic knowledge. So he is also not higher authority. He also received knowledge from God. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. Ādi-kavaye, the original person.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Sanand, December 26, 1975:

So to take the shelter of a pure devotee means he knows what is pravṛtti and what is nivṛtti. All our Vedic literature is meant for nivṛtti. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. These, all living creatures, who are struggling for existence in this material world, that is their pravṛtti, to enjoy this material world. But when one becomes inclined to nivṛtti, he becomes devatā. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement which was inaugurated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is for nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛtti-mārga means "No more material enjoyment. Let me make progress towards Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Therefore this devotional service or bhakti-yoga, it is called nivṛtti-mārga.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.4 -- Rome, May 28, 1974:

Guru means superior. So who was the superior person when Brahmā got knowledge? Because there was no other creature. He is the first creature. Therefore it is said, "The superior person was Kṛṣṇa, but He was not present." We see, Kṛṣṇa was present before Arjuna, but nobody was present before Brahmā. Therefore it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye, hṛdā: "through the heart." Because Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. Actually, He is the spiritual master, caitya-guru. So in order to help us, He comes out as physical spiritual master.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Devānām, the demigods. The first demigod is Lord Brahmā, the first living creature within this universe. Then Viṣṇu, then Lord Śiva, then other demigods, Indra, Candra, Sūrya-many, some millions. So how Vasudeva can become His father so that His name is famous as Vāsudeva, "son of Vasudeva"? The thing is that Vasudeva formerly underwent severe austerities, and he wanted a son like Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa agreed, that "Like Me, there is nobody else." Kṛṣṇa is asamordhva. Nobody is equal to Him; nobody is above Him. Therefore Vasudeva, in his previous birth, he wanted like..., a son like Kṛṣṇa. So he could not find anyone like Him. Therefore He agreed Himself to become his son.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

God is great. "Great" means nobody should be greater than Him. And God says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no other superior authority than Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the origin of everything." So other demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, even Lord Viṣṇu, mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate—everyone emanates from Him. And from them emanate so many things. Just like Brahmā, so many creatures have come out. But the original, ādyam, anādi... Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Govinda is the original person.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Los Angeles, August 20, 1972:

The dirty thing is that "I shall be happy by material enjoyment." This is the basis of dirty things. The rascal does not know that he cannot be happy in any condition, any material condition. Brahmā is unhappy, Indra is unhappy, what to speak of you, you are teeny creature. Nobody can be happy in this material world. They must be always in anxiety because they have accepted something which will never make him happy. Therefore we have to counteract it, these dirty things, that we are trying to be happy in this material world.

Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Los Angeles, August 28, 1972:

Yaṁ brahmā. Brahmā is the original living creature within this universe; so he worshiped the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead. He worshiped not the impersonal brahmajyoti; he worshiped the person. Yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra—they were the first creation, and the sages Marīci, Vasiṣṭha, Ātreya... There are seven great sages, first-born. All of them worship the Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

So fortunately, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, a boy of sixteen years old, but he was highly elevated in spiritual knowledge, the son of Vyāsadeva, he was wandering all over the world, naked and without any care for his body or social convention. Of course, he did not come into the cities, but he heard that Parīkṣit Mahārāja was going to die. "He is in need of some spiritual instruction." So he also came there in that meeting. And when he was coming, because he was a naked boy, sixteen-years-old boy, the street boys were throwing stone upon him. Somebody was fighting just like a madman. But when he entered the assembly, everyone stood up. Then the rascal creatures who were annoying him, they fled away: "Oh, he is important man, that so many sages and saintly person has stood up." Anyway, when he reached there, Parīkṣit Mahārāja received him that "It is my good fortune that at this time you have come, because it is very rarely you go to anyone's house, but Kṛṣṇa has sent you. Now what is my duty?"

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:

So the godless creature means they are demons. That is described in the Bhāgavata. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Āsuri. Āsuri-bhāva means the attitude of a demon. "What is God? Oh, this is all nonsense. Who is God? I am God. Everyone is God. Oh, don't you see? So many Gods are loitering in the street. Why you are finding out another God?" These are the going on.

Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

So Nārada Muni is advising Vyāsadeva, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Kovida means intelligent, expert. One who knows things as they are, he's called kovida. So one who is intelligent, he should try to achieve that thing which is not available—na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ—which is not available even by wandering up and down. This we have already explained in the last meeting, that according to our karma, we are being sometimes elevated to the very high position, and sometimes we are being degraded to become an insignificant creature like ant. This is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

Because unless we are sinful, we cannot remain within this... A prisoner means a criminal. As soon as you find a person in the prisonhouse you should understand that he's a criminal. That criminality may be of different degrees, that is another thing, but he's a criminal. Similarly, anyone, beginning from Brahmā down to the germ in the stool, they're all sinful. All sinful. People will be surprised that "Brahmā is also sinful?" Yes. Brahmā has also desired that "I shall be the supreme creature within this brahmāṇḍa, whole universe." A little or more.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1976:

Ādi-kavaye, Brahmā, he is svayambhū. He's so great that he's directly born from Nārāyaṇa, svayambhū, not through any material mother. Just imagine how he is great. And Brahmā is great, everyone knows. So he had to take knowledge also. Otherwise, why it is said tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye? Even though he's the most learned, ādi-kavaye, he had to take knowledge. So you can say "He is the first creature, there was nobody there. How he took knowledge? Who gave him knowledge?" The answer is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that Vāsudeva gave him. "Where is Vāsudeva? There was nothing." No. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Vāsudeva means who stays everywhere. Vasati sarvatra. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). So Vāsudeva is there.

Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Los Angeles, April 15, 1973:

Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). In the śāstra it is said that He's offered respect by Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. They are the topmost demigods. There are demigods. Above the human beings, there are demigods. As we are humans, being above the lower creatures, lower animals, similarly, above us there are demigods. And the most important demigod is Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva. Lord Brahmā is the creator of this universe, and Lord Śiva is the destroyer of this universe. And Lord Viṣṇu is the maintainer. Lord Viṣṇu is Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

So still it is our duty to make all these misfortunate, unfortunate creatures fortunate. That is our mission. We therefore go in the street and chant. Although they say: "Can't," we go on chanting. That is our business. And, somehow or other, we push on some literature in his hand. He is becoming fortunate. He would have squandered his hard-earned money in so many nasty, sinful ways, and if he purchases one book, never mind what is the price, his money is properly utilized. The beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

So in this way the whole cosmic manifestation is going on, very orderly, systematically. Everyone can understand that. So unless there is some abhijña, very clever brain who knows everything, how it is created? But they say that it has come out of nothing. What is this nonsense? Can such thing come out of nothing? Is that very good reasoning? No. Bhāgavata says no. It is coming from the person who is abhijña, very experienced. And that abhijñaḥ tene... Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu abhijñaḥ tene (SB 1.1.1). Tene means He broadcasted knowledge. To whom? Ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavaye, the original creature.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

So Brahmā is the original creature. Therefore he has got contact with the original source. He has got the original source. How he receives knowledge? Because we have got understanding that we get knowledge from another person when we are face to face. But Brahmā was alone. How he got the knowledge? That is explained in the Bhāgavatam: tene brahma hṛdā. Hṛdā means through the heart. Because the Supreme Person, Paramātmā, is also within the heart. So although Brahmā was alone, he was getting the knowledge, dictation from the Supreme. Tene brahma. Brahma means knowledge. Brahma means Veda. The Vedic knowledge was given to him first. Tene brahma hṛdā.

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

Ādi-kavi means Brahmā. So the Vedic knowledge, tene brahma... Brahma means this Vedic knowledge, śabda-brahman. So there was one creature, Brahmā only, but he was educated. How he was educated? Hṛdā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Because, at that time, there was no other way but to transfer the knowledge from within. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te. That is caitya-guru, Kṛṣṇa, Paramātmā. So Brahmā was also educated. That means beginning from Brahmā down to the small insect, they are all in ignorance, all fools and rascals. That is the constitutional position.

Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Mayapura, October 28, 1974:

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung. Catur-mukha means Brahmā. So being instructed by Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā became inclined to serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he has written Brahma-saṁhitā. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He understands, "Here is ādi-puruṣa. I am the only creature now within the universe, so I am getting instruction from Kṛṣṇa, hṛdā, from my heart."

Lecture on SB 1.8.49 -- Mayapura, October 29, 1974:

So according to Vedic civilization, special protection for children, brāhmaṇas, women, and saintly persons, brāhmaṇa comes (under) saintly person, special... And cow. Special protection. Bāla-dvija-suhṛn-mitra. Others, next, just like we chant the mantra: namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. The first reference is given to the cows and the brāhmaṇas. Why not others? There are so many animals, so many human beings. Why? Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. This is to be noted. Unless in the society these two creatures are taken care of, that is not human society.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:

Just like here. We are talking of Kṛṣṇa; nobody is coming. Nobody is coming. Only few selected. Vāsudeva-kathā ruciḥ. There is no taste for hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. So such kind of education, advancement of civilization, is śrama eva hi kevalam, simply wasting time. And if you waste your time in such foolish activity, then there will be anxiety, there will be disease, there will be enemies, there will be disturbance—everything, one after another, one after another. Natural disturbance, disturbance by other living creatures, disturbance by your body. So this world will become hell. This is the position.

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

"The Lord and His different authorized devotees sometimes have to play the role of many lower creatures to claim the conditioned souls, but both the Lord and His pure devotees are always in the transcendental position." Etad īśanam īśasya. That is the authority of God, that even though He accepts some lower position, He is never in the lower position. He is always in the transcendental position.

Lecture on SB 1.16.7 -- Los Angeles, January 4, 1974:

Ajāmila was a great sinful man. So at the time of death, somehow or other, he remembered Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa. So he was very fond of his youngest child, and the Yamarāja, not directly, by sending his men, Yamadūta... So they are very fierceful. So at the time of death this Ajāmila saw fierceful creatures, very odd-looking. So he was very much afraid, "Who are they?" So he thought, because he was very much affectionate to his youngest child... So his name was Nārāyaṇa. He called him, "Nārāyaṇa, please come here. I am very much afraid." But just see the power of chanting the name of Nārāyaṇa. He immediately become eligible to go to Vaikuṇṭha.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

Because you are habituated to commit sinful life only, so if you want to be saved, then you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, you have to be punished, in this life or next life. And you do not know what is your next life because you are all ignorant. But there is next life. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). But if you are most sinful, then you are going to become abominable living creatures. Adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). You go down. And if you become pious, then you are promoted. But our program is not to become pious, not to become sinful: to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That will save us.

Lecture on SB 2.3.9 -- Los Angeles, May 26, 1972:

So to get this body means I have got material desires. This body. This is the philosophy. Anyone who has got this material body, beginning from Brahmā... He is considered the first creature within this universe, most intelligent, most learned, but still, because he has got this material body, he's not akāma, without any material desires. He has got material desire. He wanted to become the supreme head of one universe.

Lecture on SB 2.8.7 -- Los Angeles, February 10, 1975:

Those who are in the goodness, those who are associating with the modes of material nature in goodness, just like satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42), brahminical qualification, truthful, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, simplicity, tolerant, full faith in scripture and God, full knowledge, practical application of knowledge... This is called sattva-guṇa. So if you cultivate sattva-guṇa, then you are elevated to the higher planetary system. Why there are so many planets? The moon planet, the sun planet, so brilliant planets—why there are? There are also different places for different kinds of living creature. There is hetu. There is cause.

Lecture on SB 2.9.13 -- Melbourne, April 12, 1972:

According to our Vedic information, from the very beginning the one person, one living creature, was Brahmā, the most intelligent person. Not that he developed from monkey. This nonsense theory killed the human civilization. The intelligence is coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And the most intelligent person is receiving that, Brahmā. And then he is distributing this knowledge. So knowledge has not developed with the development of the brain of the living entities. That is a wrong theory.

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

One is more intelligent, one is less intelligent. Similarly, you go on analyzing, one after another, one after another, throughout the whole universe. Then you come to the demigods. And the most important demigod is Lord Brahmā. So he's the original creature within this universe. So he is also not enough intelligent. You'll have to find out a person more intelligent than him. So that is, we get information... Just like Brahmā. He was alone in the beginning. Wherefrom he got knowledge? There was nobody else. So śāstra says, "Yes, he got knowledge..." Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He got knowledge from Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:

We control. At least, we control our family members, my wife, my children. Or if I am bigger, I control my office, or I control my factory, I control the country, I become president. In this way, controller, controller, bigger controller, bigger controller, you go to the Brahmā, the controller of the universe. But he is also not Supreme Controller. It is said, tene... Brahmā is meditating. Although he is the greatest creature, living creature, within this universe, he's also meditating to learn controlling. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. He learned first of all how to control over the universe. Then he became Brahmā. Of course, he was born Brahmā, but still, he was to be educated.

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

Just like for management we are. Similarly, in each universe there is Lord Brahmā. He is the supreme creature, manager. So these managers live only to that period when Mahā-Viṣṇu exhales. When the niśvasita-kālam. Just like we exhale and inhale, so... But exhaling the all these universes are created, and at His inhale they go into the Mahā-Viṣṇu, in the... The coming and going. So many universes, and the Brahmā, whose duration of life is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ... (BG 8.17). Brahmā's duration of life is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga.

Lecture on SB 3.26.19 -- Bombay, December 28, 1974:

So varieties are already there, not that in this creation it begins. Otherwise how Brahmā is created first? Brahmā is the most intelligent creature, so intelligent that he is given the power of creating this universe. So not that in the beginning there was no intelligence. The first-class intelligence is there in the beginning of the creation.

Lecture on SB 5.5.31 -- Vrndavana, November 18, 1976:

Because Brahmā is the first living being within this material world... First Brahmā was created in the lotus flower from Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṇu, so Brahmā is the first creature, living creature, but he also is born of Viṣṇu. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Then Brahma, Lord Śiva was born, Rudra. In this way, Viṣṇu or Viṣṇu-tattva, that is original. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrti..., ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). Still, he is nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Nava-yauvanam means it begins from the sixteenth year. He looked like that, a boy of sixteen to twenty years old, and... This is only description of His transcendental body, sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on SB 5.5.33 -- Vrndavana, November 20, 1976:

Just like generally we find a person is born from the yoni. Therefore we call sarva-yoni. But Mahā-Viṣṇu or Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṇu, He did not take any help from his wife to give birth to a son, Lord Brahmā. He generated from His navel. This is called aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. We have to see that. Where is that instance ordinarily that a child is born from the navel? But He can do that. A child is born from female. That is from the yoni. But here is, a living creature is born from the navel, and that is also puruṣa. So these things are there. And Kṛṣṇa, He exhibited, manifested, His virāṭa-rūpa. So He can do everything and anything because His body is not this body. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

Just like a man constructs a nice house or takes a very nice apartment and begets children in the womb of his wife, similarly, the material nature is the mother, and the father is God, and we are all children. These are the Vedic literature description. So who are these children? These children are all criminals. All criminals. Beginning from Brahma, the highest living creature, down to the ant, a small insignificant ant, more or less, we are criminals, and we are suffering the consequences. We cannot deny. If we are sincere, if we actually believe in the śāstras, in the Vedic literature, then our sufferings are due to our mischievous activities.

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

So as there is state laws that you shall be killed if you kill your fellow man, similarly in the God's law there are the same thing. Not only man; if you kill anyone, then you'll have to suffer, because everyone is God's creature. They are in different dress only. He's considered the supreme father. So father may have many children—one is not very intelligent, another is very intelligent. And if the intelligent son says to the father that "This, my brother, is not intelligent. Let me kill him," will the father allow? Because his one son is not very intelligent, and if the intelligent son desires to kill him to avoid the burden, will the father agree to this? No. Similarly, if God is the supreme father, how He can sanction that you live and you kill animal? The animals are also His sons.

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

So mother Yaśodā had full enjoyment of his (her) child, Kṛṣṇa. This is transcendental. As the devotee wants to please the Lord, similarly, the Lord also wants to please the devotee. That is transcendental. Now you know. (break) And "I am the cause of all the devatās." Brahmā is the first creature, and he is father. Now, how He can take birth like that? He is the father of Brahma, Purāṇa, the oldest. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta, purāṇaṁ nava-yauvanam (Bs. 5.33). The oldest, but He is always young. This is very nice. He has said that He appears for the devotees' pleasure. That's nice. So you should always think.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:

There are there types of experience. One kind of experience is direct experience. That is third-class. And another experience is by history, by books. And another experience is by hearing from the Supreme. So we are gathering experience by hearing from the Supreme. Just like here Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He has heard it from his father, Vyāsadeva. His father has heard it from Nārada Muni, his spiritual master. Nārada Muni has heard it from Brahmā, the first living creature within this universe. And Brahmā has heard it from Kṛṣṇa. This is called paramparā system. So this kind of knowledge is perfect knowledge. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

I am the lowest of the all creatures. I am simply trying to execute the order of my spiritual master. That's all. That should be the business of everyone. Try best. Try your best to execute the higher order. That is the safest way of progressing. One may be in the lowest stage, but if he tries to execute the duty entrusted upon him, he is perfect. He may be in lowest stage, but because he is trying to execute the duty entrusted to him, then he is perfect.

Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- San Francisco, July 19, 1975:

So it is said that the Brahmā is the first living being who understood Vedas. So how he understood? Where is The teacher? There is no other creature. How he understood Vedas? Now, that teacher was Kṛṣṇa, and He is situated in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So He is teaching from the heart. So Kṛṣṇa teaches—He is so kind—as caitya-guru, from the heart, and He sends His representative from outside. Caitya-guru and guru, both ways, Kṛṣṇa is trying. Kṛṣṇa is so kind.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:

We have heard from our father that his elder brother in the village had a cloth shop, and there were rats. So at night he would keep a big bowl of rice in the middle of the shop, and the rats will eat whole night. They would not commit any harm to the cloth. They respect it. They are also hungry, they are also living entities. They have also right to live, to eat. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything. They are God's creatures. The food is not only meant for you, that you shall simply eat rice and not allow to the rats and cats. No. That is not Vedic injunction. You will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You can take precaution. After all, they are animals. But you cannot kill.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

As Nārāyaṇa is beyond this created, manifested cosmic manifestation, similarly Vedas also are like that. Don't think it is written by... It is called therefore apauruṣeya. Apauruṣeya means it is not written by any mundane creature. Brahma, he is the supreme creature within... No. It is said that he is not created. Tene brahma hṛdā ya, hṛdā ya ādi kavaye. He was instructed the Vedic lessons by Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa. He did not manufacture it. So Vedas means coming from directly Nārāyaṇa, not that Brahmā has created. Brahmā has Vedas in his hand, but he has received it from Nārāyaṇa. That is the information we get.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, July 23, 1975:

As soon as Kṛṣṇa says, "Now make all the trees leafless," immediately leafless. He says, "Make the all the trees with all leafs," immediately with leaves. That is God; that is prakṛti. Try to understand like that. Why you compare your silly intelligence with God's intelligence? "I cannot do it; therefore God cannot do it. I cannot see God; therefore God cannot see me." This rascaldom is going on. Because I am an insignificant creature, kṣudrad api-kṣudra, kṣḍra means very, very insignificant—I am comparing myself with the intelligence of God. This is my fault(?).

Lecture on SB 6.1.63 -- Vrndavana, August 30, 1975:

So therefore our business of human life is how to protect ourself from this infection of material nature. That should be the aim of human life, not that allow us to be infected more and more and become implicated in the cycle of birth and death, sometimes lower, sometimes higher. This is not intelligence. The intelligence is how to get out of it. In the lower animal forms of life the nature takes care. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-sāṅkhyakāḥ. From the aquatics to the plant life, then insect life, then bird life, then beast life, then we come to the human life. And that is also When we come to the civilized life we should not waste our time like animals or lower creatures.

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

Just like we pray, we offer prayer to Kṛṣṇa, govindam adi-puruṣam, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). These stanzas are not ordinary. It is very first-class composition, and written by, written or offered by the first living creature, Lord Brahmā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Uttama-śloka. He is prayed with first-class composition. All the ślokas, all the prayers we will find, they are not ordinary Sanskrit composition, as we have seen Bhīṣma's prayer to Kṛṣṇa, Kuntī's prayer to Kṛṣṇa in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 6.3.27-28 -- Gorakhpur, February 20, 1971:

Just like when kīrtana is going on, an animal is standing. He does not understand what is the meaning of that kīrtana, but that sound will purify him. There are many insects within this room, many small creatures, ants, mosquitos, flies. Simply by hearing this holy name, transcendental vibration, they will be purified. Pavitra-gāthā. As soon as you discuss dealings of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs... Because Kṛṣṇa's pastimes means there must be the other party.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Viṣṇu means all-pervading God. God is everywhere. Just like the sun. The sun is a planet and there is a sun-god also. In each and every planet there is a predominating deity. Just like in this planet you have got a predominating man, president. Similarly, in each and every planet there is a predominating living creature. In the sun planet the predominating living creature is called sun-god. In the moon planet the predominating deity is called moon-god. And similarly, there are millions of millions of planets and there is a predominating deity.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Svayambhuḥ means Brahma. Brahmā is supposed to be born without any material father and mother. Therefore he is called Svayambhuḥ. He is the only living creature within this universe who is born without the father and mother. How it is? Without the father and mother means this material father and mother. But he has his father. His father is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa. And he's born out of the lotus flower which is grown from the abdomen of Nārāyaṇa. Therefore he's called Svayambhuḥ. Svayambhuḥ means self-manifested.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 1, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa says, the Lord says, that "Those who are miscreants, always trying to do harm to the society, to the country, to the people, to the other animals, other living creatures..." They are called duṣkṛtina, miscreants. Miscreants. Na mām duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. And fools. So miscreants, fools, and narādhamāḥ. Narādhama means the lowest of the mankind. Narādhamāḥ. And māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ: and one whose knowledge is taken away by the illusory energy.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

Prahlāda Mahārāja says brahmādayaḥ sura-ganā munayo 'tha siddhāḥ (SB 7.9.8). Brahmādayaḥ, amongst the demigods the head is Lord Brahma, brahma ādayaḥ. Ādi-kavi, Brahma is known as ādi-kavi, the first living creature within this universe. Because when this universe was created, the first living being visible was Brahma. Then from Brahma, Lord Siva appeared. Brahmā śiva viriñcit(?). And Viṣṇu is the origin. From Viṣṇu's navel lotus flower, Brahma appeared; and from Brahma, Lord Siva appeared. Lord Siva's another name is Rudra.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

Just like a rascal or foolish man thinks that "I am suffering so much. Let me commit suicide, and it will be a great relief." It is foolishness. He will be put into further torture after this life. He will become a ghost. So because they do not know that living creature is eternal, therefore they want to make the ultimate solution as void, zero. But it cannot be zero. It is not possible, because you are eternal. Therefore you have to cure. And that curing process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

Just like the vultures. The vulture, he can go three, four miles up, but he can see... From that four miles away, he can see whether there is a carcass. So simply by sense power one does not become very great. The example is this: although this creature, vulture, has gone very high... We are human being. We cannot see three, four miles away anything. So sense power... There are different animals who have got different kinds of sense power.

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

He said that "Anyone who offers Me a little flower, a little fruit, a little water, with devotion..." This is the real thing. Because God is so great, He is supplying foodstuff. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. "He is supplying all necessities of life to millions and trillions of living creatures, and He is asking me a little flower and little fruit and little water? He is begging? Is He a beggar?" No. The real thing is yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "One who gives Me in devotional love." So God is always anxious of your love, not your material things.

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

The population theory, that "Population is increasing; therefore it should be stopped by contraceptive method," Malthus's theory, in economics, they are following that. But actually there is no such problem, because if we understand from Vedic literature, from Upaniṣad, it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "That Supreme Personality of Godhead is one, and the living creatures are many, many, without any number." Asaṅkhya: you cannot count how many living entities are there. So both of them are eternal, God and the living entity, nityo nityanānām. Cetanaś cetanānām. Cetana means living. So He is also a living entity, God, and we are also living entities.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1977:

Especially those who are nondevotees, they must be responsible for killing so many small creatures while walking or while... There is waterpot, you have seen. So many small animals are there. Even by moving the waterpot, you kill so many living entities. While igniting fire in the oven, there are so many living entities. You kill them. So consciously, unconsciously, we are in such a position in this material world that we have to commit sinful activities even if we are very, very careful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

Even in the animals, you have experienced that so many animals, they are living in such a miserable condition, but still, he does not like to give up this body. But the pain is more felt by God than the living creature in this conditioned life. So it is always... There is always endeavor on the part of God to send His representative; He comes Himself, He gives book.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:

The Jagannātha is Jagadīśa, the same word. Jagat-nātha, Jagannātha. Jagat-īśa, Jagadīśa. So... And who is that Jagadīśa? That is being defined by Brahma, the first living creature of this universe, in the Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). The Supreme Lord... Parama means supreme. Parama means the best, the supreme, the superior. Just like we manufacture... We not manufacture; we prepare sometimes paramānna. Anna, anna means foodstuff, and paramānna means that sweet rice. It is called paramānna. Amongst all sorts of rice preparation, that sweet rice preparation is considered to be the best.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:

Many places. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin, I am the fountainhead of everything." "Everything" means He's the fountainhead of Lord Śiva, He's fountainhead, the origin of Viṣṇu, He's the origin of Brahma, He's the origin of Lord Śiva, and what to speak of other demigods, and what to speak of other living creatures. Mamaivāṁśo jīva bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "All these living creatures, they are all My parts and parcels." Therefore He is the origin. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā, the Brahmā in his saṁhitā-Saṁhitā means Vedic literature—so he explains that "You are finding out cause. Here is cause." Everywhere you'll find.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:

Just like I say "my hand." So how can I express? Just like Kṛṣṇa says mamaivāṁśo (BG 15.7). Mama means "Mine." "These, all these living creatures, they are My part and parcels." So why the living creatures shall not say "my God"? Do you follow? Kṛṣṇa says "You are Mine." Why shall you not say, "Kṛṣṇa, You are mine." Your husband says, "You are mine." Why shall you not say, "You are mine"? But don't take it in the material sense. In material sense, as soon as I say it is mine, it is nobody else's. It is my property. Law of identity or something like that. So Kṛṣṇa is not like that.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

The Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto. We are all born ignorant. Unless there is ignorance, nobody takes birth in this material world. Anyone—may be he is Brahmā or the smallest insignificant creature like a germ or an ant—everyone has got body, a particular type of body. So anyone who has got this material body, he is more or less sinful. That is the verdict. Without being sinful, we do not get this material body. And as soon as we are out of the influence of this material energy, sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26).

Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:

We are always suffering with anxiety. Beginning from President Johnson down to the small ant, or beginning from the greatest living creature, Brahma, down to the ant, everyone is anxious. That is material consciousness. And to become free from anxiety is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So if you want to be benefited, what is that benefit? The benefit is to become anxiety-less. That's all.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:

There are two classes of living creatures always. Either in this planet or any planet within this universe, there are two classes of living creatures. One is called the demon, and the other is called the demigod. What is the difference? The demigods are godly. They accept the existence of God, they obey the orders of God, they act in God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereas the demons, they don't believe in God, they defy God's regulations, and they want to become imitation God.

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

Then, after so many years, when I began to read Bhāgavatam and came to this passage, Prahlāda Mahārāja assertion, modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā, then I thought that "My Guru Mahārāja did right thing." Here also, modeta. Even a sādhu. Then why a sādhu is pleased when a sarpa, a scorpion, or snake is killed? The reason is that these two kinds of creatures, they bite innocent persons without any fault. Without any fault. Or for little fault. The venomous snake. Immediately. By nature they are so angry and so envious that they feel pleasure if somebody is bitten and immediately die. That is their nature. Therefore killing a snake and scorpion means to save it from so many sinful activities.

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

Nānu anyeṣāṁ vadhena sādhu kiṁ modeta tatra ha vṛścikādeḥ. Not all. A... Persons, living creatures like the scorpion and serpents. Not all. Everything has got exception. So a sādhu, a saintly person, a righteous person, a religious person, will never be happy by other's killing. But killing of persons like scorpion and serpent... And the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that a person who has envious nature, he's more dangerous than the serpent. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has enunciated that sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ. There are two envious creatures: one is the snake, and another, a man envious, unnecessarily envious of others. So sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ. That man, envious, he's dangerous, more dangerous than the snake.

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

So long, long ago, sometimes in the year 1933 in this Caitanya Math, there was a big snake came out in my front. I was taking bath. So everyone was looking what to do. So Guru Mahārāja was on the upstair. He immediately ordered, "Kill him." So it was killed. So at that time, 1933, I was newcomer. So I thought, "How that? Guru Mahārāja ordered this snake to be killed?" I was little surprised. But later on, when I saw this verse, I was very glad. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14). It remained a doubt, "How Guru Mahārāja ordered a snake to be killed?" But when I read this verse I was very much pleased, that these creatures, or creatures like the snake, they should not be shown any mercy. No. And Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said there are two kinds of cruel creatures. One kind is a sarpaḥ krūraḥ. The snake is very cruel.

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

So there are two living creatures. One is snake, and one is jealous or envious person. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, sarpāt krūrataraḥ khalaḥ: "This man, envious man, is more dangerous than the snake. Than the snake." Why? He's a human being. Yes, because he's human being and he has got developed consciousness and he has practiced to use the developed consciousness for becoming jealous, He's more dangerous than the snake.

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

So our only shelter is Nṛsiṁhadeva. This world is very, very dangerous. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadam (SB 10.14.58). In very step there is danger. Every step there is envious creatures. You cannot live here peacefully. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Kṛṣṇa says. It is a place simply for suffering, and that also not permanent. You cannot make any comprise that "All right, it is suffering. That's all right. Still, I shall stay here." No, that is also not possible. Aśāśvatam. You have to die. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You cannot solve these problems, miserable condition. Ultimately you have to die.

Lecture on SB 7.9.26 -- Mayapur, March 4, 1976:

They belong to the nasty rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa quality. So it is not possible that You'll touch my body, but You have done it. You have placed Your lotus hand on my head. It is simply Your causeless mercy. Otherwise I am not fit for this. So, and I... You are so merciful that this mercy You did not offer to Lord Brahmā even." Brahmā is supposed to be the supreme creature within this material world, Brahmā. He's the first created creature, and he's called Svayambhū. He's not born of any material father and mother but directly came through the lotus stem which is growing from the navel of Viṣṇu. So he's not ordinary person.

Lecture on SB 7.9.34 -- Mayapur, March 12, 1976:

If you have got experience in the life—"I have passed through so many changes of body, from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youth-hood, then middle age and old body"—then what is next? Why do you finish here? It is common logic. Why should you finish here? There must be body. This is real reasoning. And Kṛṣṇa confirms it. Not only your contemplation. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: (BG 2.13) "In this way you'll have another body." The Kṛṣṇa, the great authority, He says, from whom Brahmā, the first creature, he learned. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva... Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. He... Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He taught this Vedic literature to the heart of Brahmā. He can teach you through the heart also because He is sitting there. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61).

Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976:

Just like a medical man. You consult one medical man; I consult another. That does not mean the medical man is different. They are depending on the same medical science. So guru means the following the same principles. Evam paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). The first guru is Kṛṣṇa, the supreme guru. He is the guru of Brahmā even. Brahmā is the first creature of this universe. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yatra sūrayaḥ. So Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. Then Kṛṣṇa spoke to the sun-god. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham. So anyone, if we follow Kṛṣṇa, then we are actually guru. And if you do not follow Kṛṣṇa and want to become Kṛṣṇa, then you are rascal. This is the test.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

Vedas means from the beginning of creation. Brahma, the first living creature, he was impregnated with Vedic knowledge by Kṛṣṇa. And that is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Ādi kavi means the first living creature, Brahma. In his heart, hṛdā... Hṛdā means heart. Tene, impregnated. Brahma, brahma means Vedic knowledge. So he was the first living creature. So one may inquire that how he was educated in Vedic knowledge, because there was no other living being. So therefore it is stated, tene brahma hṛdā. Hṛdā means from within. There is education from within and without. From within the Supersoul gives you education. Kṛṣṇa gives you education. Not to everyone.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

If we want to know something which is not, or which is unknown to me, then we have to accept a guru, a superior man. Guru means superior man. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet. Guru means "heavy," or "superior." That is the law. So our process of Vedic knowledge is that we get knowledge from the superior just like Brahmā, Lord Brahmā. He's the first, original creature, within this universe. And he got knowledge from God, Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute. The Vedas means the knowledge which he heard... Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. So there is sampradāya.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

So real guru is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa... Aham eva āsam agre. Kṛṣṇa existed before the creation. Then He made His representative, Brahmā. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He instructed the original guru, Brahmā. Because there was no other living creature, except Brahmā, in the beginning of creation, and He instructed Brahmā. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. There are other versions in the Vedas, that He instructed Brahmā. So therefore, the original guru is Kṛṣṇa. The same guru, Kṛṣṇa, is instructing Arjuna also.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

Śrīdhara Swami says that kaitava. When one thinks artificially that he becomes, he has become liberated, one with the Supreme, that is also kaitava, cheating. He's not. How he can be one with the Supreme Lord? Then how he has become insignificant creature if he's Supreme Lord? Therefore this kind of conception, that "I have become God now," this is also cheating, another cheating. He's cheating, self-deception. He's cheating himself. And what to speak of others. So this kind of oneness, or to become God, they're imperfect knowledge.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.4 -- Mayapur, March 28, 1975:

You simply present what Kṛṣṇa says as it is. Then every one of you will become a guru. Don't adulterate—"I think," "In my opinion." These nonsense things should be given up. We should always be aware that we are insignificant creature. Our opinion and thinking has no value. This should be the first principle. Why should you give opinion on the words of Kṛṣṇa? Are you more authoritative person than Kṛṣṇa? This is foolishness, to try to become more than Kṛṣṇa. There are so many rascals.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.10 -- Mayapur, April 3, 1975:

When he was puzzled, then from within there was dictation that "You meditate, tapaḥ. You undergo austerities. Then you'll gradually understand." So even Brahmā, the first creature of this creation, he had to meditate—"Why I am here, and what is the purpose of my coming here?" So we are also this, in the same position. We are the, I mean to say, dynasty expansion of Brahmā. Brahmā's son is Manu, or this sun-god. Manuṣya. Manuṣya means coming from Manu; therefore we are called manuṣya.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.3 -- Mayapur, March 3, 1974:

The beginning of life is gurvāśrayam, ādau gurvāśrayam. That is the beginning—every śāstra, every Vedic scripture. Just like Kṛṣṇa, He is the original spiritual master. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Ya. Brahmā, Brahmā is the first living creature within this universe. So he was also enlightened and educated by the Supreme Lord. Not that because he's Brahmā he's independent. Nobody is independent. Knowledge must be received from the authority, and the supreme authority is Kṛṣṇa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.118-119 -- New York, November 23, 1966:

You have simply to worship Him simply by your devotional love. That is the only way. Bhaktyai, bhaktyaika, only one, bhakti. There is no other means. There is no second means to understand God without this devotional service. Rest assured. Foolish creatures, they take this, that. They do not understand. They come to the, that impersonal, void, all the nonsensical conclusions and... Because they do not take shelter of this, devotion, therefore they cannot have any conclusion. It is not possible.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.124-125 -- New York, November 26, 1966:

So those who are against God-principle, those who are not God-minded, they're the lowest creature. They're the lowest creature. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ: (BG 7.15) "Anyone who does not recognize God, he's the lowest of the lowest creature." Duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. These, these terms have been used. Just like mūḍha, ass; duṣkṛtina, miscreant; and narādhamāḥ, and lowest of the mankind. Mankind. Mankind is meant for recognizing. This is the life. In animal life, one cannot recognize that there is God and everything is coming from God. They cannot read Vedas, or scriptures.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.245-255 -- New York, December 16, 1966:

Just like your government does not like that..., there should be no Communistic persons, and you write that "We trust in God." It is better to trust in God. You have got a system. Similarly, the maintenance of the whole material world, there is a system. It is not blind. Foolish creatures, they think that everything has come out of nothing, and it is being managed by nature. No. Behind nature there is God. In the Bhagavad-gītā you have learned, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My superintendence the material nature is working." Material nature is not blind.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.281-293 -- New York, December 18, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa's first expansion, second expansion, the third expansion. The third expansion is Mahā-Viṣṇu. So Mahā-Viṣṇu's potency is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya. Niśvasita-kāla means the breathing period. Just abiding by the breathing period of that Mahā-Viṣṇu, jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ means the supreme creature, created, supreme created creature, Brahmā. Brahmā is the principal supreme creature in each, every universe. There are innumerable universes, and there are innumerable Brahmās also.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.281-293 -- New York, December 18, 1966:

Doorman asked Brahmā, "Who are you, please?" "Now, you say Kṛṣṇa that I am Brahmā. I have come to see Him." So when the doorman informed Kṛṣṇa that in Dvārakā, when Kṛṣṇa was there as king, so Kṛṣṇa asked, "Oh, which Brahmā? Which Brahmā?" The doorman came back again and informed that "Which Brahmā you are?" So Brahmā became astonished: " 'Which Brahmā?' I am the Brahmā. I am the supreme creature within this universe, and 'Which Brahmā?' " He was surprised, and he said, "Tell Kṛṣṇa that four-headed Brahmā." Brahmā has four heads. So Kṛṣṇa called him, "All right, come on." So he came, and he offered his obeisances, and Brahmā asked Him, "Kṛṣṇa, my Lord, may I ask You some question?" "What is that?" "Your doorman asked me, 'Which Brahmā?' So does it mean there are other Brahmās also?" Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, there are innumerable Brahmās. You are only four-headed. There are eight-headed, there are sixteen-headed, thirty-headed, sixty-four-headed, hundred-twenty-eight-headed, and millions of headed.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.298 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

There are three qualities in the material world: goodness, passion and ignorance. So each quality is controlled by the Supreme Lord Himself by His expansion of different incarnation. Brahmā, viṣṇu, śiva—tina guṇa avatāra. Now on these three qualities, material modes of nature, the heads are Brahmā-Brahmā, the first living creature, Brahmā—and Viṣṇu—Viṣṇu, God Himself—and Śiva, Lord Śiva. Śiva's position is between Brahmā and Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is God, and Brahmā is living entity. Gradation. Living entities, they are also parts and parcels of God. Śiva is also part and parcel of God. Viṣṇu is also part and parcel of God. But there are degrees of power.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.313-317 -- New York, December 21, 1966:

The whole city may be overwhelmed by snow falling, but if you are protected by certain means and adjustment, then you are not affected. Similarly, Viṣṇu and Viṣṇu-bhakta, they are not affected by this material nature. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Therefore foolish creatures, when they see Kṛṣṇa is here, they think that "Kṛṣṇa is like one of us." But He is not. So here it is stated, pālanārtha svāṁśa viṣṇu-rūpe avatāra. He is providing. Bhūta-bhṛt. Kṛṣṇa's name or Viṣṇu's another is Bhūta-bhṛt. He is providing our necessities. Always know that. This is also another knowledge.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.313-317 -- New York, December 21, 1966:

God is giving you. So you should always remember that pālanārtha. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Eko, that one supreme eternal, He is providing all the necessities of so many, innumerable living entities. Don't you see? We are mad after economic development from morning to late at night. In our cars, in our trucks we are going hither and thither. But there are many, many millions of living creatures; they have no economic problem. Who is providing them? Who is providing them? Providing, Kṛṣṇa is providing them. Viṣṇu is providing them.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.334-341 -- New York, December 24, 1966:

So in this material world the love is like that. It is never perfect. It cannot be perfect. So Lord Caitanya, taking compassion on these poor fellows, He taught love of Godhead. If you love Kṛṣṇa, then you will feel pleasure. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that "Every living creature is searching after pleasure, pleasure." Therefore we have presented this small booklet, that Kṛṣṇa is the Reservoir of Pleasure. If you can love Kṛṣṇa, then you will get pleasure. Otherwise, there is no pleasure. You will be frustrated. This is a fact. If you take it, it is nice. If you don't take it, then that is your misfortune.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.358-359 -- New York, December 29, 1966:

Now people may argue that in the creation we find Brahmā the first-born living creature, and he has given us the Vedic knowledge. So this, in the creation, because he's the first living creature, then he is svarāṭ. He is also independent. Why God is independent? This living creature, he's first-born. He's independent. Otherwise, how could he give the knowledge of Vedas? So the reply is tene brahma hṛdā. No. He's also dependent. He got the knowledge from the Supreme Lord. How is that? He's the first-born living creature. How he got knowledge from God? Tene brahma hṛdā. Brahmā, the Vedic knowledge, was imparted into the heart of Brahmā. Why? Because God is situated within everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). These things are very nicely described in Bhāgavatam in the beginning.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.367-84 -- New York, December 31, 1966:
An incarnation who represents a particular opulence of the Supreme Lord, he is called śaktyāveśa avatāra. So Lord Caitanya says that there are innumerable incarnations like that, of whom only the principal, I mean to say, principal incarnations, they are mentioned herein. And who are they?
'sanakādi', 'nārada', 'pṛthu', 'paraśurāma',
jīva-rūpa 'brahmāra' āveśāvatāra-nāma

Jīva-rūpa 'brahmāra' āveśa. Brahma, the first creature of this universe, he's also considered as one of the śaktyāveśa avatāras.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.367-84 -- New York, December 31, 1966:

So the Brahma-saṁhitā says although He's the oldest person... In the Bhagavad-gītā He is stated by Arjuna as great-grandfather. Prapitāmahaś ca. You'll find this word in the Bhagavad-gītā. Because Brahmā is addressed as pitāmaha, grandfather. He's the original first creature in this material world, in this universe, and everyone has come from him. Therefore he is called pitāmaha. Pitāmaha means grandfather. And, because he's born also of Viṣṇu, therefore Viṣṇu is prapitāmaha (BG 11.39).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.13-49 -- New York, January 4, 1967:

So Brahmā admitted that "If anybody says that 'I know Kṛṣṇa. I know the Supreme Personality of Godhead in detail,' so maybe he may know, but so far I am concerned, I do not know." The purport is that Brahmā is the first creature in this universe. He is the first living entity. He accepts his inability to understand about Kṛṣṇa, and what to speak of others? What to speak of the commentator who says that "This is not Kṛṣṇa; this is something else."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.49-61 -- New York, January 5, 1967:

Although these four Kumāras were sons of Brahmā-Sanaka, Sanat-kumāra, Sananda and Sanātana, these four Kumāras—they were so elevated that when their father requested—at that time there was no population—so, that "You get yourself married and increase population. I want population now to fill up this vacant position of this material world, universe." So they refused: "Father, we ere not going to marry. We are going to be entangled." So they remained kumāra. So they became very famous, great devotees of Lord from very childhood. So therefore Brahmā is very intelligent. He is the first creature of this universe. So maybe Kṛṣṇa forget that who is catur-mukha Brahmā. So he is giving identification that "Tell Kṛṣṇa that the father of these Sanaka-Sanātana." Because Kṛṣṇa cannot forget His these pure devotees like Sanaka-Sanātana. So this is the example, that the father is giving identification with the credit of the son.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.62-67 -- New York, January 6, 1966:

So we have been discussing, yesterday, Brahmā visiting Kṛṣṇa as four-headed Brahmā. He was little proud that "I am the original, first creature of the universe. I have got four heads, four hands." The material nature, the influence of material nature, is like that. Even Brahmā, who is supposed to be in full knowledge of Vedic literature... He is the father of Vedic literatures. He handed over the Vedas to Nārada. Still, that ahaṅkāra, "I am something," is there even in Brahmā, and what to speak of ordinary living entities like us? This material conception of life is like that, "I am" and "mine." Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Ahaṁ mameti. "I am something, supreme," and "It is mine." This is the material disease.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.31-38 -- San Francisco, January 22, 1967:

One who has got very stubborn conviction that "I am this body," for them, such foolish creatures are recommended that "You try to exercise and see what is there within you." Meditation. But one who knows that "I am not this body," he begins immediately that "I am not this body; I am pure soul, and I am part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. So my duty is to serve the Supreme." It is very simple truth. If I am part and parcel of the Supreme, then what is my duty? That you can understand from any example.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, July 8, 1971:

There is no difference between putra and chatra. Putra means son, and chatra means disciple. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, putrāṁś ca śiṣyāṁś ca; they are equally treated. Both of them equally eligible for hereditary rites from the person, either he is son or disciple. So Brahmā distributed knowledge to some... Practically everyone was his son because he was the first living creature. So later on, disciples also, son's son. So in this way Brahmā distributed this Vedic knowledge, some to the sons, some to the... Vyāsadeva also, he distributed knowledge, some to his sons, some to his disciples. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So that is the process of disseminating Vedic knowledge.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 Excerpt -- Los Angeles, August 14, 1972:

This is transcendental nature, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti. This is explained by Brahmā. Brahma-saṁhitā means... Brahmā is the first living creature appeared in this universe, and after his realization, he is offering prayer. Realization means you should write, every one of you, what is your realization. What for this Back to Godhead is? You write your realization, what you have realized about Kṛṣṇa. That is required. It is not passive. Always you should be active. Whenever you find time, you write. Never mind, two lines, four lines, but you write your realization. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, writing or offering prayers, glories. This is one of the function of the Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973:

So Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. These verses, Brahma-saṁhitā, it was composed by Lord Brahmā. Therefore in the Vedic literature, this, this is called Saṁhitā. Saṁhitā means part of the Vedic literature. So Lord Brahmā is describing about Kṛṣṇa. There are some foolish question that "Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago. How He became God?" Actually that is not the fact. In the Brahma-saṁhitā, Brahmā is describing means from the very creation. Brahmā is the first creature of this universe. So he has explained about Kṛṣṇa by his experience, by his realization.

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

Just try to understand. His urine is also good. That is a different thing. I mean to say, if this is an argument, that "Because Kṛṣṇa is good, He should not pass urine and stool," that is no argument. It is not... External energy is not affecting Kṛṣṇa. The urine and stool is affecting... There are some worms, they are very much attracted with the stool. You see? They are also creatures of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, this material nature, external energy of Kṛṣṇa, is Kṛṣṇa's. There is... Undoubtedly, it is Kṛṣṇa's. But that worm class of living entities, they are attracted by it. You see? So we should not be attracted.

Ratha-yatra Lecture at The Family Dog Auditorium -- San Francisco, July 27, 1969:

That is stated in the Vedas, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: "He is the supreme eternal amongst all the eternal, and He is the supreme living creature amongst all living creatures." Supreme, that is the difference. The quality of God, the quality of me and you, is the same. Just like a small portion of the ocean water—if you analyze chemically you will find the same chemical composition. Similarly, as living entity you have got all the qualities of God in minute portion. Therefore He is Supreme. Because we have got all the qualities of God in very minute portions. So He is Supreme. We are subordinate.

Ratha-yatra Lecture at The Family Dog Auditorium -- San Francisco, July 27, 1969:

Therefore in the Vedas it is said that the living entities are maintained by the Supreme Lord. That you can understand by your practical experience. There are millions and trillions of living creatures. The human society is only a small portion of this. If you take a portion of a drop of the Pacific Ocean, how many aquatics are there? There are 900,000 species of aquatics. So there are 8,400,000 species of living creatures, and all of them are being maintained by God, the Supreme Lord. We are also being maintained, but because we have become advanced in knowledge, therefore the result is we have forgotten God. This is the result of our education.

Ratha-yatra Lecture at The Family Dog Auditorium -- San Francisco, July 27, 1969:

This is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā. "Those who are lowest of the mankind..." Nara means man and adhama means lowest. The lowest grade of man denies the existence of God. So as we are forgetting our eternal relationship with God, so we are gradually degraded to the lowest position of living creatures. Our knowledge has no value. Anyone who is atheist, who has no knowledge of God, he has no good qualifications. These are the statements from the scriptures.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

That is the difference between God and ordinary living creature, that we are also taking birth after birth. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and so long we are in this material world, we are cycling round this birth after birth. So Kṛṣṇa's birth is not like that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Tattvataḥ means in truth. Not superficially. Scientifically, one who knows, he can get immediately liberation. And how one can understand the same truths? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvan yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55).

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Srila Prabhupada Welcomed by Governor at Hotel De Ville -- Geneva, May 30, 1974:

One who is actually paṇḍita... Paṇḍita means learned, and in spiritually learned (life), he sees that a very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa, and a dog, an elephant, a cow, or a low-born man, creature—all on the same platform of spiritual life. So unless we come to that point, this so-called fighting and sectarianism will go on. So we want to teach people... Not only sectarian people in India or the so-called Hindus or Muslims or Christians. Everyone. Because everyone is spirit soul, and as soon as he understands that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul," then he becomes completely happy. Yenātmā samprasīdati. So people will not be happy, will not be satisfied, unless and until he comes to that spiritual understanding.

Initiation Lectures

Brahmana Initiation Lecture with Professor O'Connell -- Boston, May 6, 1968, (Glenville Ave. Temple):

The original authority of Vedic literature, Lord Brahma. He was instructed about Vedic knowledge by Lord Kṛṣṇa. And he imparted Vedic knowledge to the world. So he was the first creature, living creature, after creation. So there was nobody to give him initiation because he is the only living creature at that time. So the Lord Himself initiated. How He initiated? Hṛdā, through the heart. Because He is situated in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61).

Initiation of Bali-mardana Dasa -- Montreal, July 29, 1968:

So Kṛṣṇa is also the oldest. Either Kṛṣṇa or the living creatures, all of them are the oldest because they have no death, no birth. There is no history. Na jāyate na mriyate. Bhagavad-gītā says that the living entity, what to speak of God... They say, "God is dead." This is all nonsense. What to speak of God, even these living creatures, they are not dead. The death program is for this body, just like changing, changing the body, er, changing the dress. So if one changes one dress or apartment, that does not mean that he is dead. Similarly, if we change this body to another body... As we are changing our body constantly, every moment, similarly, if we change this body to another body, that does not mean death. So death is not accepted in the Vedic literature. So either God or the living creature, nobody dies. Every one is eternal, śāśvata purāṇa. Similarly, as we are the oldest and eternal; similarly this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also the oldest and eternal.

Initiation Lecture -- Hamburg, August 27, 1969:

God has got one energy. That energy is spiritual energy. And kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā: and the same energy is manifested in another form, which is called kṣetrajña, or marginal energy, or the energy in which we living creatures are acting. Ksetrajñākhya tathā parā. And avidyā-karma-saṁjña, and tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. And besides these energies, there is another energy, which is avidyā, ignorance. Karma-saṁjña: and it is based on fruitive activities. Anyā means besides these two energies, spiritual energy and the marginal energy, living entities, there is another energy, which is called avidyā. Avidyā means ignorance.

Initiation Lecture -- Hamburg, August 27, 1969:

One class says that God and the living entities are different, and there is another philosopher, monist philosopher. They say God and the living entities are one. So this acintya-bhedābheda philosophy adjusts that "God and the living creatures, they are simultaneously one and different." They are one in quality, just like the energy and the energetic, the sun globe and the sunshine. In quality, in sunshine there is heat, there is illumination, light. In the sun globe also, there is heat, there is illumination. But the degrees are quite different.

Initiation Lecture -- Hamburg, August 27, 1969:

Every individual soul is independent. He may accept or may not accept. That depends on him. But if he accepts, it is good for him. Otherwise, he may make his choice. Kṛṣṇa never..., God never interferes with your independence. No. He will never do that. Then what is the meaning of living being? Dull matter, it has no independence. Even it is a big mountain or big thing, it has no independence. It will stand still. But a small ant, even a microbe, it has got independence because it is living creature. So God has made you or given you little independence. That independence does not mean that you shall misuse it. You shall use it properly. And what is that proper use? To be engaged in His loving service.

Initiation and Brahma-samhita Lecture -- New York, July 26, 1971:

The origin, original, or origin of everything, janmādy asya yataḥ, Absolute Truth, is that from whom or from which everything is emanating. So everything is a person, individual. So origin must be person. Ādi-puruṣam. Therefore Brahmā..., this Brahma-saṁhitā is made by Brahmā. He's the original creature within this universe. He's recommending that "My origin is also a person." Ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi: "I worship that original person." Therefore the origin of everything, the Absolute, the summum bonum, cannot be impersonal.

Initiation and Brahma-samhita Lecture -- New York, July 26, 1971:

Brahmā is the original creature within this universe. We, we do not know what is beyond this universe, but within this universe, he's the first creature. He's also known as ādi kavi. Ādi-kavaye. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you have read: tene hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavi means the original learned person. Brahmā is a learned person. Darwin's theory is that origin is void. That is nonsense. The origin also, even within this universe, is a learned person. Ādi-kavi. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Ādi-kavi is person. Ādi means original learned person, learned creature, he's person. And his origin also person. Brahmā's description is there. I forget that verse now. The purport of that verse is that Brahmā, the first creature, he's also receiving knowledge from the ādi person, ādi person, or original person. Tene. That is described in Bhāgavatam. Brahma... Brahma means jñāna, knowledge. Brahma-jñāna. Tene brahma. People may doubt how Brahmā can learn. "He's the original creature. Where is the other person? A spiritual master is also person. So if he was initiated, where is another person?" Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is tene hṛdā, from within, from the heart. God is situated in everyone's heart. So at that time, although Brahmā is the first creature and there was no other person, but the other person, ādi-puruṣa, is there, within the heart.

General Lectures

Lecture at Engagement -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

It is said that those persons are thinking that they have become liberated by Brahman realization, their thoughts are not yet purified, because after severe austerities they may come to the brink of the water, but being given shelter by the water, he comes back again. So if you don't want to come back again, then you have to enter deep into the water and remain as one of the living creatures in the water. That is the philosophy of Vaiṣṇava philosophy, that we want to enter into the spiritual kingdom and we want to live in our spiritual identity. Not superficially simply we mix with water and again evaporate, again come back.

Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, June 29, 1968:

This yoga system is..., meditation means to find out the Paramātmā. The Paramātmā is described in the śāstras: His feature, His body, His hand, Supersoul. And one has to meditate. And by meditation, when one is in samādhi, always thinking of the Supersoul, then he becomes freed from this material entanglement. That is self-realization. That is liberation. So Paramātmā and individual ātmā, or the living creature, they are qualitatively one but quantitatively different.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 27, 1968:

Everyone is trying to do that. Every one of us, beginning from the ant up to the highest living creature, Brahmā, everyone is trying to become one of the lords. Just like recently in your country there were so many canvassing for becoming the president. Why? The same idea. Everyone is after becoming some kind of lord. This is māyā. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is completely opposite. We are just trying to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Just opposite.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:

You will find the symptom of life is there in human being, in ant also. How you can say that small creatures, lower animals have no life? That is lack of your knowledge. Even trees, plants, they have got life. So perfect knowledge required. So love of Godhead on the basis of perfect knowledge is real love of God. Otherwise it is fanaticism. So the fanatics, they may fight. That is not love of Godhead.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 15, 1969:

Because Kṛṣṇa has entered within this universe as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore it is developing. So there are innumerable universes, and so therefore there are innumerable Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇus. Because without Viṣṇu entering, this universe cannot develop. And the first creature is Brahmā. From the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, a lotus flower is grown. And upon that, Brahmā is the first creature. So the first creature is the most intelligent person. So Darwin's theory cannot be applicable because his theory is that human form develops after many evolution. That is another process. That is also stated in the Padma Purāṇa. That is called jīva-paryāyā. But this is not a fact, that in the, during..., in the beginning of the creation there was no human being or intelligent creature. The first creature is Brahmā, who has created this universe.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 19, 1969:

To find out the most important man or living entity within this universe... Of course, from Vedic literature we understand Brahmā is the most, I mean to say, opulent personality within this universe, Brahma. He is called the creator of this universe. But from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we understand that Brahmā is not the ultimate creature. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you'll find. It is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The definition of God is given there, and the qualification of God is given there, that He instructed Brahma.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 19, 1969:

Ādi-kavi means the first man, the first man of knowledge. So you may question that "In the creation, first, there was only one living creature, Brahma. Then where he went to take lessons? Who instructed him? There was no other living creature." That is also another qualification of God. God created. That also you know. You have read in your Bible. God created, but He is not one of the created beings. He created. Therefore, before creation, He was there. It is to be concluded. Before creation of this cosmic manifestation, He was existing. That information you'll have from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), in Vedānta-sūtra, "the original source of all emanation."

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

But if we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if we take teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "In all species of life, in all forms of life, as many creatures are there, they are all My sons." So how can you treat others as not your brother? They are also your brother. Even the ant is also your brother. He is in a different class of imprisonment, that's all. A different body. The ant has got also the same punishment—birth, death, old age and disease—as you have got.

Lecture Engagement and Prasada Distribution -- Boston, April 26, 1969:

The nature is that everyone should eat another animal or another living creature for existence. That is the law of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam: "One living entity is the life of another living entity." That is a fact. Just like sahastānām ahastānam. Those who have got hands—that means men—for them, ahastāni, means the animals who have got no hands. And apadānanaṁ catuṣ-padām: "And the four-legged animals, they eat the grass, who cannot move." So grass has got life, as the animal has got life. We have got life. So this is... Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra: "The strong is eating the weak." So this is the law of nature.

Lecture Excerpt -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Vedas indicate that He is the supreme eternal, nityo nityānām. There are many eternals, many millions and trillions of eternals, but He is the supreme eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme living creature. He is also living. He is not dead.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:

Even we do not know about biology, but Kṛṣṇa said that īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So, therefore, there must be some heart. We cannot perceive. We cannot see even the whole figure of that insect, and what to speak of study what kind of heart it has got. But we understand Bhagavad-gītā..., from Bhagavad-gītā that there is heart even in the smallest insect, in the microscopic germ, there is heart. So He is sitting in everyone's heart and He is supplying the necessities of that smaller creature or the biggest creature. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29).

Lecture -- Bombay, March 19, 1972:

Just like my father is conscious and person, his father is conscious and person. In this way you go on researching according to our Vedic knowledge, you come to Brahma. Brahma is considered to be the original creature within the universe, ādi-kavi. So now this Brahma is also born of the navel lotus of Viṣṇu; the Viṣṇu, He must be conscious. The Viṣṇu is conscious, abhijñaḥ. So the origin of creation cannot be unconscious. Origin of creation must be conscious. That is the version of the Vedas, Vedic literature. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), this is the Vedānta-sūtra verse. He must be conscious.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

According to our Vedic literature, Brahma, the creator of this universe, he is considered to be the highest creature within this universe, but he is also not God. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. God instructed him to create. Ādi-kavi. He is the original creature within this material world. Somebody may question that "If he is original creature, than how he got this knowledge of creating?" So that is explained. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Hṛdā: "From the heart God instructed." God is situated in everyone's heart. That is called paramātmā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61).

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

Everyone is lower than God. He may be very powerful, but nobody can be equal or greater than God. That is the Vedic information. Na tasya sama adikasya dṛśyate. We don't find... They are also, great saintly persons, they're researching that who is the greatest personality. Greatest personality. So by research work by great saintly persons, especially by Lord Brahmā... He is the first creature within this universe. So he has found by his spiritual advancement and research work that Kṛṣṇa is the greatest. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

In the Vedānta-sūtra or Bhāgavata it is said that Brahmā... He's the first creature. There was no other any other living entity when he was created first. So if I say that he also got knowledge from others, then the argument may be, "Who is the next person to give him knowledge?" So therefore Bhāgavata says, "No. He received knowledge from Kṛṣṇa." How? "From the heart." Tene brahma hṛdā. Hṛdā. Because God, Kṛṣṇa, is sitting in everyone's heart—your heart, my heart, everyone. And He can give you instruction. His name is therefore Caitya-guru.

Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, June 7, 1972:

There are many controllers. Some of you are also controller, in charge of some department. Similarly, controller over controller, controller over controller—there are many. And go up to Brahma. The first creature within this universe is supposed to be the controller of this universe. But above him, there is another controller. That is Kṛṣṇa. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. The material scientists, they are finding out the sun is the cause of all material manifestation. Actually, that's a fact. But what is the sun? The sun is also being controlled. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejaḥ. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Savitā means the sun is the eye of the Supreme Lord, seeing everything. You cannot hide anything.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

Everyone is relative controller. But if you try to find out who is the absolute controller, then He's Kṛṣṇa. This has been analyzed by great scholars in the Vedic śāstras, by the Gosvāmīs, and this is the statement of Lord Brahmā, who's supposed to be the first creature within this universe. So he says, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1): "Īśvara, the supreme ultimate controller, is Kṛṣṇa. And He's vigraha." Vigraha means person, with body. Just like we have got body, similarly, the Absolute Supreme Person has also body. But His body is different from ours. Sac-cit-ānanda-vigraha. His body is eternal. Our body, this material body, is not eternal. Sat cit. His body is full of knowledge.

Lecture at the Hare Krsna Festival at La Salle Pleyel -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

Your Bible says that in the beginning there was word only, and the word is God. So before the creation, the God was there. Then all the created creatures, wherefrom they came? They came from God. It is clearly stated in this verse, "All things were made by Him." So original creator of everything was God. Everything means including all, not only a certain person or certain thing. Everything means everything, all. So all things were made by God means..., "made by Him" means that all these creatures... There are different creatures, 8,400,000. They were created by God. One who creates, he is the father.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: But in the Vedic scriptures...

Prabhupāda: The first creature is Brahmā, the most intelligent, the most learned.

Śyāmasundara: ...and he said, and you say that on this planet there were pastimes, for instance, of Lord Rāmacandra millions of years ago, with His men, His animals, His horses, deers, so many things. But in all of our evidences we find only at that time the most simple forms of life...

Prabhupāda: Your evidence... You will be satisfied with your evidence, but I have got my own evidence. Why shall I accept your evidence? You cannot force your evidence, your so-called evidence upon me. What is evidence? First of all you have to select, what is that evidence.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: And your knowledge says that millions of years ago there were higher forms of living entities on this planet.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Because our Vedic information is that the first creation is the most intellect, that is the most intellectual personality within this universe, Brahmā. So how we can say..., how we can accept your theory that intellect develops? We are receiving Vedic knowledge from Brahmā, so perfect. So that is the evidence. The first creature was so perfect.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: You tell me that Rāma and some other higher creatures lived on this planet so many millions of years ago, so I can expect some day to find evidence of that?

Prabhupāda: The evidence is the authority, Vedic literature.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: And in his book, his autobiography, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, we find most of his thoughts about the, about theology and psychoanalysis. In that book he writes, "I find that all my thoughts circle around God like the planets around the sun and are as irresistibly attracted by Him. I would feel it to be the grossest sin if I were to oppose any resistance to this force." He sees all creatures as parts of God. He says, "Man cannot compare himself with any other creature. He is not a monkey, not a cow, not a tree. I am a man. But what is it to be that? Like every other being, I am a splinter of the infinite Deity."

Prabhupāda: Part and parcel. That is our theory. We are part and parcel of God. Like fire and the sparks.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Śyāmasundara: All kinds of life disappear and there is simply rock. And they say the beginning was merely rock and water; then organic life came out.

Prabhupāda: No. That is not organic life. The soul appears in different ways. One of the ways is by fermentation, perspiration. So rock and water, when it is decomposed there is fermentation and there is possibility of soul taking advantage and come out with a body. In any case, from matter life never comes. It is compared with... Taṇḍula-vṛścika-nyāya. A vṛścika, a scorpion, is coming out from rice. Actually, a scorpion down lays eggs within the heaps of rice, and by fermentation of the rice, heating, the egg, I mean to say, produces a small scorpion, and it comes out from the rice. So foolish people, they think that the heaps of rice is the cause of producing a scorpion. So many things come like that, but that does not mean the matter is producing life. If matter is producing life, the modern science, so much advanced, so let them prove in the laboratory, mixing some matter, life is coming. That fermentation, that is accepted in the Vedic language. By fermentation living creatures come out.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: There is no such thing, from inorganic life. Inorganic life... Suppose just like Brahmā is coming from the navel of Viṣṇu. So where is the... We don't get any information. Viṣṇu is origin, and from Viṣṇu, Brahmā came. From Brahmā, other demigods came, other animals came. They create animals and others. The first created being is Brahmā, the most intelligent. He's not animal. Their proposal is from lower to the higher, but our theory is from the higher, from Viṣṇu. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). "I am the origin of everything." Now, how you can say there is development from the lower creatures? He is the origin. And Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The origin, Absolute Truth, is that from whom everything is generating. So Absolute Truth means He is the supreme life. From life, life is coming.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:
Prabhupāda: Just like when you are walking on the street, you have no desire to kill animals, but on account of your walking, so many ants are being killed. So you are responsible for that. Therefore that vyādha, that hunter, he was jumping. He knows. He has become devotee. So he knows that "Any creature may not die." So he was jumping. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that "I cannot kill even an ant." But unconsciously or consciously, we kill. Suppose we are drinking water. There are so many germs we are killing. And when you rub the spices, there are so many germs are killed. When you ignite fire, so many germs are killed. Therefore Vedic injunction is that pañcasuna-yajña. You must perform yajña daily so that you may be saved from the sinful activities you have committed unconsciously. So that cannot be saved. But Kṛṣṇa says that "Just surrender unto Me and I will give you protection from the resultant action of any kind of sinful activities, consciously or unconsciously." And why the people are not taking advantage of it?
Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Prabhupāda: They... It is, our Vedic conception is also like that, that the mankind has come from Manu. From Manu, human being, or manuṣya... The Sanskrit word is manuṣya, "coming from Manu." So Manu is also coming from Brahmā. In this way, as the conception of a first creature, Adam, similarly, a first living being is Lord Brahmā. Therefore our proposition is that a living being coming from the living being. Brahmā is living being, or Adam is living being. Then the living being does not come from matter. Brahmā is also coming from the Supreme Lord as raja-guṇa avatāra, incarnation of raja-guṇa. So all living being, they are coming from the Supreme Living Being. So Brahmā is also the first creature within this universe.

Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Hayagrīva: He believes there is no reincarnation as punishment. Reincarnation is envisioned as a kind of a punishment. To have to take birth again is a type of punishment, and Augustine rejects this, saying that how can the return to bodies, which are gifts of God, be punishment? He doesn't see how that this is a form of...

Prabhupāda: But does he think that the body of a hog and the body of similar lower creatures eating stool and living in filthy place, is it not punishment? Does he think like that? Why one gets the body of King Indra or Lord Brahmā and why one gets the body of a pig and hog, and living in filthy place and eating stool? Is it not punishment and reward?

Page Title:Creatures (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:14 of Sep, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=160, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:160