Ever-existing

Expressions researched:
"ever existing" |"ever-exist" |"ever-existing" |"ever-existingly" |"ever-exists" |"exist forever" |"existed forever" |"existing forever"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 2.20, Translation and Purport:

For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.

Qualitatively, the small atomic fragmental part of the Supreme Spirit is one with the Supreme. He undergoes no changes like the body. Sometimes the soul is called the steady, or kūṭa-stha. The body is subject to six kinds of transformations. It takes its birth from the womb of the mother's body, remains for some time, grows, produces some effects, gradually dwindles, and at last vanishes into oblivion. The soul, however, does not go through such changes. The soul is not born, but, because he takes on a material body, the body takes its birth. The soul does not take birth there, and the soul does not die. Anything which has birth also has death. And because the soul has no birth, he therefore has no past, present or future. He is eternal, ever-existing, and primeval—that is, there is no trace in history of his coming into being. Under the impression of the body, we seek the history of birth, etc., of the soul. The soul does not at any time become old, as the body does. The so-called old man, therefore, feels himself to be in the same spirit as in his childhood or youth. The changes of the body do not affect the soul. The soul does not deteriorate like a tree, nor anything material. The soul has no by-product either. The by-products of the body, namely children, are also different individual souls; and, owing to the body, they appear as children of a particular man. The body develops because of the soul's presence, but the soul has neither offshoots nor change. Therefore, the soul is free from the six changes of the body.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.6.43-45, Purport:

Therefore, those who are simply astonished by the powers of anything in the creation of the Lord, without any factual information of the Lord Himself, are known as śāktas, or worshipers of the great powers. The modern scientist is also captivated by the wonderful actions and reactions of natural phenomena and therefore is also a śākta. These lower-grade persons gradually rise to become saurīyas (worshipers of the sun-god) or gāṇapatyas (worshipers of the mass of people as janatā janārdana or daridra-nārāyaṇa, etc., in the form of Gaṇapati) and then rise to the platform of worshiping Lord Śiva in search for the ever-existing soul, and then to the stage of worshiping Lord Viṣṇu, the Supersoul, etc., without any information of Govinda, Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the original Lord Viṣṇu. In other ways some are worshipers of race, nationality, birds, beasts, evil spirits, satans, etc. The general worship of Śanideva, the lord of distressful condition, and Sītalādevī, the goddess of smallpox, is also common to the mass of people, and there are many foolish men who worship the mass of people or the poor class of men. So different persons, societies and communities, etc., worship some of the potent manifestations of the Lord, wrongly accepting the powerful object as God. But in this verse it is advised by Brahmājī that none of them is the Supreme Lord; they are only borrowed plumes from the original Almighty Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. When the Lord advises in Bhagavad-gītā to worship Him alone, it is to be understood that worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa includes worshiping all that is mentioned, because He, Lord Kṛṣṇa, includes everyone.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.25.29, Purport:

Unless one accepts the process of devotional service, one cannot end the continuation of material existence. As far as jñānīs are concerned, they are interested in jñāna-yoga, but even if one elevates oneself, after a great performance of austerity, to the Brahman effulgence, there is a chance of falling down again to the material world. Therefore, jñāna-yoga does not actually end material existence. Similarly, regarding the haṭha-yoga system, which aims at the localized aspect of the Lord, Paramātmā, it has been experienced that many yogīs, such as Viśvāmitra, fall down. But bhakti-yogīs, once approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead, never come back to this material world, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yad gatvā na nivartante: (BG 15.6) upon going, one never comes back. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: (BG 4.9) after giving up this body, he never comes back again to accept a material body. Nirvāṇa does not finish the existence of the soul. The soul is ever existing. Therefore nirvāṇa means to end one's material existence, and to end material existence means to go back home, back to Godhead.

SB 3.26.9, Purport:

Two words used in this verse are sat and asat. The cosmic manifestation is asat—it does not exist—but the material energy of the Supreme Lord is sat, or ever existing. Material nature is ever existing in its subtle form as the energy of the Lord, but it sometimes manifests this nonexistent or temporarily existent nature, the cosmos. An analogy may be made with the father and mother: the mother and the father exist, but sometimes the mother begets children. Similarly, this cosmic manifestation, which comes from the unmanifest material nature of the Supreme Lord, sometimes appears and again disappears. But the material nature is ever existing, and the Lord is the supreme cause for both the subtle and gross manifestations of this material world.

SB 3.26.20, Purport:

Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is ever existing, all-blissful and full of knowledge, His different energies are also ever existing in the dormant stage. Thus when the mahat-tattva was created, it manifested the material ego and swallowed up the darkness which covered the cosmic manifestation at the time of dissolution. This idea can be further explained. A person at night remains inactive, covered by the darkness of night, but when he is awakened in the morning, the covering of night, or the forgetfulness of the sleeping state, disappears. Similarly, when the mahat-tattva appears after the night of dissolution, the effulgence is manifested to exhibit the variegatedness of this material world.

SB 3.28.17, Purport:

The word sarva-loka-namaskṛtam means that He is worshipable by everyone on every planet. There are innumerable planets in the material world and innumerable planets in the spiritual world as well. On each planet there are innumerable inhabitants who worship the Lord, for the Lord is worshipable by all but the impersonalists. The Supreme Lord is very beautiful. The word śaśvat is significant. It is not that He appears beautiful to the devotees but is ultimately impersonal. Śaśvat means "ever existing." That beauty is not temporary. It is ever existing—He is always youthful. In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33) it is also stated: advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca. The original person is one without a second, yet He never appears old; He always appears as ever fresh as a blooming youth.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.11.19, Translation:

My dear Dhruva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is ever existing, but in the form of time, He is the killer of everything. He has no beginning, although He is the beginning of everything, nor is He ever exhaustible, although everything is exhausted in due course of time. The living entities are created through the agency of the father and killed through the agency of death, but He is perpetually free of birth and death.

SB 4.22.31, Purport:

The living entity, or the soul, is ever existing and eternal. It cannot be lost, but learned scholars say that it is lost when actual knowledge is not working. That is the difference between animals and human beings. According to less intelligent philosophers, animals have no soul. But factually animals have souls. Due to the animals' gross ignorance, however, it appears that they have lost their souls. Without the soul, a body cannot move. That is the difference between a living body and a dead body. When the soul is out of the body, the body is called dead. The soul is said to be lost when there is no proper knowledge exhibited.

SB 4.22.40, Purport:

Material existence is compared herein to the great ocean of nescience. Another name of this ocean is Vaitaraṇī. In that Vaitaraṇī Ocean, which is the Causal Ocean, there are innumerable universes floating like footballs. On the other side of the ocean is the spiritual world of Vaikuṇṭha, which is described in Bhagavad-gītā (8.20) as paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ. Thus there is an ever-existing spiritual nature which is beyond this material nature. Even though all the material universes are annihilated again and again in the Causal Ocean, the Vaikuṇṭha planets, which are spiritual, exist eternally and are not subject to dissolution. The human form of life gives the living entity a chance to cross the ocean of nescience, which is this material universe, and enter into the spiritual sky. Although there are many methods or boats by which one can cross the ocean, the Kumāras recommend that the King take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, just as one would take shelter of a good boat.

SB 4.27.16, Purport:

"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." Actually the living entity does not take birth nor does he die, but he has to fight with the stringent laws of material nature throughout the entire span of his lifetime. He must also face different kinds of miserable conditions. Despite all this, the living entity, due to illusion, thinks that he is well situated in sense gratification.

SB 4.28.10, Purport:

From the Vedic history of creation we can understand that the first living creature was Lord Brahmā, who created the seven great sages and other Prajāpatis to increase the universal population. Thus every living entity, according to karma, his past desires and activities, gets a particular type of body, from that of Brahmā to that of a microbe or germ in stool. Due to long association with a particular type of material body and also due to the grace of Kālakanyā and her māyā, one becomes overly attached to a material body, although it is the abode of pain. Even if one tries to separate a worm from stool, the worm will be unwilling to leave. It will return to the stool. Similarly, a hog generally lives in a very filthy state, eating stool, but if one tries to separate it from its condition and give it a nice place, the hog will be unwilling. In this way if we study each and every living entity, we will find that he will defy offers of a more comfortable position. Although King Purañjana was attacked from all sides, he was unwilling to leave the city. In other words, the living entity—whatever his condition—does not want to give up the body. But he will be forced to give it up because, after all, this material body cannot exist forever.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.15.8, Purport:

Actually there are two energies—material and spiritual. Both of them are ever-existing because they are emanations from the eternal truth, the Supreme Lord. Because the individual soul, the individual living entity, has desired to act in forgetfulness of his original identity since time immemorial, he is accepting different positions in material bodies and being designated according to many divisions of nationality, community, society, species and so on.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.2.58, Purport:

Only Janārdana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is ever existing, but His creation, the material world, is temporary. Therefore everyone who is captivated by the material energy and absorbed in thinking "I am this body, and everything belonging to this body is mine" is in illusion. One should think only of being eternally a part of Janārdana, and one's endeavor in this material world, especially in this human form of life, should be to attain the association of Janārdana by going back home, back to Godhead.

SB 7.3.1, Purport:

Such are the goals of the austerities performed by demons. Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to receive a benediction from Lord Brahmā so that in the future he would be able to conquer Lord Brahmā's abode. Similarly, another demon received a benediction from Lord Śiva but later wanted to kill Lord Śiva through that same benediction. Thus self-interested persons, by demoniac austerity, want to kill even their benedictors, whereas the Vaiṣṇava wants to remain an ever-existing servant of the Lord and never to occupy the post of the Lord. Through sāyujya-mukti, which is generally demanded by asuras, one merges into the existence of the Lord, but although one sometimes thus achieves the goal of the theory of monism, one falls down again to struggle in material existence.

SB 7.4.34, Translation:

O King, Prahlāda Mahārāja's good qualities are still glorified by learned saints and Vaiṣṇavas. As all good qualities are always found existing in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they also exist forever in His devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja.

SB 7.7.18, Purport:

"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." The spirit soul is eternal, being freed from waste and change, which take place because of the material body. The example of a tree and its fruits and flowers is very simple and clear. A tree stands for many, many years, but with the seasonal changes its fruits and flowers undergo six transformations. The foolish theory of modern chemists that life can be produced by chemical interactions cannot be accepted as truth. The birth of a human being's material body takes place due to a mixture of the ovum and semen, but the history of birth is that although the ovum and semen mix together after sex, there is not always pregnancy. Unless the soul enters the mixture, there is no possibility of pregnancy, but when the soul takes shelter of the mixture the body takes birth, exists, grows, transforms and dwindles, and ultimately it is vanquished. The fruits and flowers of a tree seasonally come and go, but the tree continues to stand. Similarly, the transmigrating soul accepts various bodies, which undergo six transformations, but the soul remains permanently the same (ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20)). The soul is eternal and ever existing, but the bodies accepted by the soul are changing.

SB 7.7.54, Translation:

O my friends, O sons of demons, everyone, including you (the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas), the unintelligent women, śūdras and cowherd men, the birds, the lower animals and the sinful living entities, can revive his original, eternal spiritual life and exist forever simply by accepting the principles of bhakti-yoga.

SB 7.8.55, Translation:

The Kinnaras said: O supreme controller, we are ever-existing servants of Your Lordship, but instead of rendering service to You, we were engaged by this demon in his service, constantly and without remuneration. This sinful man has now been killed by You. Therefore, O Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, our master, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You. Please continue to be our patron.

SB 7.11.5, Purport:

The word aja refers to Kṛṣṇa, who explains in Bhagavad-gītā (4.6), ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā: "I am ever existing, and thus I never take birth. There is no change in My existence."

SB Canto 8

SB 8.18.12, Translation:

The Lord appeared in His original form, with ornaments and weapons in His hands. Although this ever-existing form is not visible in the material world, He nonetheless appeared in this form. Then, in the presence of His father and mother, He assumed the form of Vāmana, a brāhmaṇa-dwarf, a brahmacārī, just like a theatrical actor.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.13.57, Purport:

The phrase atan-nirasana refers to the discarding of that which is irrelevant. (Atat means "that which is not a fact.") Brahman is sometimes described as asthūlam anaṇv ahrasvam adīrgham, "that which is not large and not small, not short and not long." (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 5.8.8) Neti neti: "It is not this, it is not that." But what is it? In describing a pencil, one may say, "It is not this; it is not that," but this does not tell us what it is. This is called definition by negation. In Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa also explains the soul by giving negative definitions. Na jāyate mriyate vā: "It is not born, nor does it die. You can hardly understand more than this." But what is it? It is eternal. Ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: "It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. It is not slain when the body is slain."

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 19.138, Purport:

"For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Since the living entities are never annihilated, they simply transmigrate from one life form to another. Thus there is an evolution of forms according to the degree of developed consciousness. One experiences different degrees of consciousness in different forms. A dog's consciousness is different from a man's. Even within a species we find that a father's consciousness is different from his son's and that a child's consciousness is different from a youth's. Just as we find different forms, we find different states of consciousness. When we see different states of consciousness, we may take it for granted that the bodies are different. In other words, different types of bodies depend on different states of consciousness.

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 4.176, Purport:

Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the Absolute Truth, ever existing with different varieties of energies. When one is absorbed in the illusory energy of Kṛṣṇa and cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, one cannot ascertain what is good for him and what is bad. Conceptions of good and bad are all imaginations or mental speculations. When one forgets that he is an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, he wants to enjoy the material world through different plans. At that time he distinguishes between material plans that are good and those that are bad. Actually, however, they are all false.

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 22:

Kṛṣṇa's transcendental body is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. Sat means ever-existing for all time and in all places; in other words, all-pervading in time and space. Cit means full of knowledge. Kṛṣṇa has nothing to learn from anyone. He is independently full of all knowledge. Ānanda means the reservoir of all pleasure. The impersonalists are seeking to merge into the Brahman effulgence of eternity and knowledge, but the major portion of the absolute pleasure which is in Kṛṣṇa is avoided by them. One can enjoy the transcendental blissfulness of merging into the Brahman effulgence after being freed from the contamination of material illusion, false identification, attachment, detachment and material absorption.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 28:

Thus Kṛṣṇa showed them the eternal, ever-existing spiritual sky, which is unlimited and full of knowledge. Within this material world there are different grades of forms, and according to the grade, knowledge is proportionately manifested. For example, the knowledge in the body of a child is not as perfect as the knowledge in the body of an adult man. Everywhere there are different grades of living entities—in aquatic animals, in the plants and trees, in the reptiles and insects, in birds and beasts and in the civilized and uncivilized human forms of life. Above the human form of life there are demigods, Cāraṇas and Siddhas on up to Brahmaloka, where Lord Brahmā lives, and among these demigods there are always different grades of knowledge. But past this material world, in the spiritual sky, everyone is in full knowledge, and therefore all the living entities there are engaged in devotional service to the Lord, either in the Vaikuṇṭha planets or in Kṛṣṇaloka.

Krsna Book 87:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has many different types of energies. This is confirmed in the Vedas: parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). "The transcendental energies of the Lord are variegated." And because such varieties of energies have emanated from the Supreme Lord, they cannot be false. The Lord is ever-existing, and the energies are ever-existing. Some of the energy is temporary—sometimes manifested and sometimes unmanifested—but this does not mean that it is false. The example may be given that when a person is angry he does things which are different from his normal condition of life, but the fact that the mood of anger appears and disappears does not mean that the energy of anger is false. Therefore, the argument of the Māyāvādī philosophers that this world is false is not accepted by the Vaiṣṇava philosophers. The Lord Himself confirms that the view that there is no supreme cause of this material manifestation, that there is no God, and that everything is only the creation of the interaction of matter is a view of the asuras.

Krsna Book 87:

We should therefore conclude that the earthen pot and the entire earth are both truths because one is the product of the other. We understand from the Bhagavad-gītā that after the dissolution of this cosmic manifestation, the material energy enters into the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is ever-existing with His varied energies. Because the material creation is an emanation from Him, we cannot say that this cosmic manifestation is a product of something void. Kṛṣṇa is not void. Whenever we speak of Kṛṣṇa, He is present with His form, qualities, name, entourage and paraphernalia. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal. The original cause of everything is neither void nor impersonal but is the Supreme Person. Demons may say that this material creation is anīśvara, without a controller or God, but such arguments ultimately cannot stand.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 4.1:

The variety visible in material nature is due to the influence of the Lord's spiritual energy. In other words, material nature is but a perverted reflection of spiritual energy. For example, sunlight is ever-existing, but when sunlight is reflected on water, there comes into being a new source of light that must accept the cycle of creation, maintenance, and annihilation. The original sun, of course, is not bound by such changes. This practical analogy helps us understand that the spiritual nature is transcendental to creation, maintenance, and annihilation, whereas the perverted reflection of the spiritual energy—the material nature—is bound by these three conditions. The material nature is illusory: sometimes it is there, and at other times it is not. When this illusory, temporary existence of "there and not there" is totally removed and in its place are manifested the name, form, qualities, associates, paraphernalia, and abode of the Lord, one is on the platform of satyaṁ param, the Absolute Truth, who is described here as nirasta-kuhakam, "forever free from the illusory representation of the material world."

Message of Godhead

Message of Godhead 1:

"The spirit soul which pervades this body is eternal, and thus one should understand that no one can destroy the eternal, ever-existing spirit soul. Although this material body is subject to annihilation, the proprietor of the body is eternal. Therefore, O scion of Bharata, knowing this eternal truth, you can go on with your fighting engagement.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972:

Do not think that soul is born." No. As God is ever-existing, the soul is ever-existing. It is not... There is no question of birth. And when there is no question of birth, there is no question of death. Because we experience, anything, anybody, who has taken birth, he dies. Nobody will live here. So if the soul has no birth, there is no question of death. And as Kṛṣṇa, God, God is eternal, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ Purāṇa (Bs. 5.33). Purāṇa means old. Because Kṛṣṇa is the original person, therefore He must be Purāṇa, the oldest, older than Brahmā. Because Brahmā is given birth by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has been addressed in the Bhagavad-gītā as prapitāmaha (BG 11.39). Brahmā is called pitāmaha, the grandfather, and prapitāmaha means "the father of the grandfather." So Kṛṣṇa has been addressed as prapitāmaha, "father of Brahmā." Therefore He's ādi-puruṣa. Actually, within this creation, Lord Brahmā is the original person, because he was firstborn.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:

So in the future, don't think that we may not exist. Na bhaviṣyāmaḥ. It is not that we shall not exist in the future. Na bhaviṣyāmaḥ, not exist, and another not. Two nots make one yes. Two negatives make one positive. So therefore, we have two negatives. Na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ. Na bhaviṣyāmaḥ means not to exist in the future; that is not. That means we shall exist. Na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve... all of us. All of us, you, not that "Because I am God, because you are My friend, God's friend, and all others..." No, everyone. This is knowledge. In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad there is the verse nityo nityānām. Nityo nityānām. Nityānām means ever existing. Nitya means ever, always. So either Kṛṣṇa or we, every one of us are ever-existing, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, if Kṛṣṇa is ever-existing, so we are also ever-existing. A particle of gold is gold, qualitatively. The value of gold mine and the gold earring may be different. Gold earring may be, say, hundred dollars, but a gold mine, millions of dollars. But both of them are gold, not that it is iron. Therefore, less value, no.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Spirit Person. He is all-pervading. Everywhere He is present. He is so expansive. We are simply... We are also all-pervading, but within this body. That's all. Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading means throughout the whole creation, Kṛṣṇa all-pervading. And we are also all-pervading only in this body. You are all-pervading within your body; I know the pains and pleasures of my body; you know the pains and pleasures of your body. So all-pervading means within this body. If I pinch anywhere, I'll feel pain, you'll not feel pain. Therefore, you are not all-pervading, I am not all-pervading. But Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading. When I feel pain, Kṛṣṇa knows it. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). "I know everything." That is Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand distinction between Kṛṣṇa and us. He's all-pervading, but He's nitya, ever-existing. We are also ever-existing. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). We have got knowledge, Kṛṣṇa has got knowledge. But we have got limited knowledge. Kṛṣṇa has got unlimited knowledge. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa is also cognizant. He's also acknowledged. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:

If you search out, after passing stool, if you search out stool, you'll find millions of living entities, germs. Even from the hole of your room, there is small hole, and there are ants, hundreds and thousands will come out. So similarly, within the hole, within the earth, within the air, within the fire even, there are germs, worms in the fire. These rascals, they do not know. They simply think... Because nitya, nitya means ever-existing. So in the fire the living entities does not die. They sterilize. "Now it is sterilized." That is all nonsense. Sterilized means the body is killed, but not this... There is abortion. The body is killed. Contraception... The body is killed. But the soul, he's not killed. If you make some inconvenience to the soul, who has taken shelter in the womb, and you kill the body, then he'll have to search out another body. This is going on. Just see how the rascal civilization is going on. They're thinking they're killing. This way killed, that way killed. No. You, it is sinful because you create inconvenience to that particular soul.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:

It was existing in the past, it is existing now, and it will continue to exist in the future. Because people may say, "How is that? How odd thing Kṛṣṇa is speaking, that na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ." Because actually, we died. Maybe we have taken birth again, but everyone dies. How that, that we do not die?" No. It is not the body, but Kṛṣṇa is speaking about the soul. Soul is ever-existing. It existed in the past, it is existing now, and it will exist. Maybe, different type of body, that is Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Another thing is that the Māyāvādī philosophers say that we are one. There is no "you" and "me." Everything one. So, then Kṛṣṇa is defective. If Kṛṣṇa says, "You, Me, all others," so it is not one. It is not homogeneous. We are all individuals. "You are individual, I am individual, and all the kings and soldiers, they are all individuals." So the Māyāvādī theory that after liberation everyone becomes one, one lump sum... What is called? Homogeneous spirit. No. Then Kṛṣṇa is false. The Māyāvādī theory accepted, that we become one lump sum, then Kṛṣṇa's theory... Not theory, Kṛṣṇa's actual knowledge. Then it becomes false. And if Kṛṣṇa speaks false, something defective, then where is the use of reading Bhagavad-gītā? Why should we read Bhagavad-gītā which is spoken by a person who is defective? No. That's not... What Kṛṣṇa is speaking, that is fact. Otherwise, why Bhagavad-gītā is given so importance? So, so Māyāvādī philosophers, they try to interpret in a different way, " 'I' means this, 'you' means that," some... (end)

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:

His knowledge is perfect. He knows past, present, and future. Therefore, He is teaching Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, the spirit soul within this body is eternal." That's a fact. Just like I can understand, I was in the past, I am in present, so I must be in the future. These are three phases of time, past, present, and future. In another place, we read in this Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. The living entity is never born; neither it dies. Na jāyate means he never takes birth. Na jāyate na mriyate, it never dies. Nityaṁ śāśvato 'yam, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). It is eternal, śāśvata, existing forever. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). By annihilation of this body, the soul does not die. Because... This is also confirmed in the Upaniṣads, Vedas: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The God is also eternal, and we are also eternal. We are part and parcels of God. Just like gold and fragments of gold; both of them are gold. Although I am fragment, a particle of gold or the spirit, still, I am spirit. So we get this information that both God and we, living entities, we are eternal. Nityo nityānām, nitya means eternal.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

So Kṛṣṇa further says in this connection, antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). This body... Deha means body. Antavat, it is by this material body, that is eternal. So that consciousness, or the rays of the soul, is described here. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. "This consciousness of the soul is never born, neither it is ever dead." Nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ. The soul and the consciousness has no past, present, or future. It is eternal. Aja. Aja means who does not take birth. Ajo nitya, eternal; śāśvata, ever-existing; ayaṁ purāṇa, the oldest. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). When the body is annihilated, the soul and consciousness is not annihilated. Just like when we sleep, our consciousness works in a different body, subtle body: mind, intelligence and ego. That we have got experience every night.

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- Mexico City, February 16, 1975:

So here it is said that na asataḥ vidyate bhāvaḥ. Asataḥ means that which does not exist forever. Just like our this body. It will not exist forever. Everyone knows it. Everyone knows that this body will be finished. And to finish the body... Suppose if somebody comes immediately with some weapon and if he says, "I shall finish your body," so immediately we shall be facing some danger. But it is known to us that this body will be finished. That means the danger is ahead. I may meet the danger... Today or tomorrow or hundred years after, the danger is awaiting. So what we are going to stop the danger? That is intelligence. A cat and dog, an animal, cannot protect them from the danger of death. But a human being, they also try to... Animals they also try to save themself from danger, but they cannot do very nicely, but a human being tries and can stop. So every intelligent person should know that "The danger is there. I do not want that danger. Then how to stop it?" That is intelligence. So if we do not try to stop the danger, then we are not better than the animal.

Lecture on BG 2.19 -- London, August 25, 1973:

"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

So, in different ways, Kṛṣṇa is trying to convince us how the soul is immortal. Different ways. Ya enaṁ vetti hantāram (BG 2.19). When there is fight, so if one is killed or... So Kṛṣṇa says that if one thinks that "This man has killed this man," so, or "This man can kill this man," this kind of knowledge is not perfect. Nobody kills nobody. Then the butchers, they may say that "Then why do you complain that we are killing?" They're killing the body, but you cannot kill when there is injunction "Thou shall not kill." That means you cannot kill the body even without sanction. You cannot kill. Although the soul is not killed, the body is killed, still you cannot kill the body without sanction. That is sinful. For example, that a man is living in some apartment. So some way or other you drive him away from that, illegally, you drive him away.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Viṣṇujana: "For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not... (BG 2.20)"

Prabhupāda: These are the statements of Kṛṣṇa. Now the constitution of the soul... So far materialists are concerned, they cannot even find out where is the soul. Therefore there are so many theories. Actually, they cannot find out where the soul is situated because material senses cannot approach. The measurement of the soul is stated in the Vedic literature as one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. So there is no possibility of understanding what is soul by material scientists. The only process is to take it from higher authorities like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa here gives definition of the soul. So we have to accept it. And not blindly accept it, but try to understand as far as possible with your arguments and reason, but this is the actual fact. What is that statement? The soul, definition of soul, Kṛṣṇa is giving?

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Then next?

Viṣṇujana: 20: "For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain (BG 2.20)."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because eternal, therefore how it can be slain? So soul is never slain. The body is slain. Then?

Viṣṇujana: 21: "O Pārtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, unborn, eternal and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill (BG 2.21)?" Purport: "Everything has its utility, and a man who is situated in complete knowledge knows how and where to apply a thing for its proper utility. Similarly violence also has its use, and how to apply violence rests with the person in knowledge. Although the justice of the peace awards capital punishment to a person condemned for murder, the justice of the peace cannot be blamed because he orders violence to another according to the codes of justice. In the Manu-saṁhitā,..."

Prabhupāda: Manu-saṁhitā, yes.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

And... Of course, I don't wish to name. Some of our students went to a very big swami here in New York. He found that he was smoking. And the student said, "Swamiji, we don't smoke." And he was ashamed. He was ashamed. So what is the use of taking this kind of sannyāsa? Sannyāsa means to give up all material contaminated activities for the sake of the Supreme Lord. That is called sannyāsa.

Sat nyāsa, sannyāsa. This is the combination. Sat means the Supreme, the ever-existing, and nyāsa means renunciation. That means one who has renounced everything for serving the Supreme, he is real sannyāsa. He may take this dress or not, that doesn't matter. Anyone who has sacrificed his life for service of the Supreme Lord, he's a sannyāsī. That will be explained in the Fifth Chapter.

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

Then, as human being, as we are trying to solve our problems... The real problem we have to solve. And why we are in material condition and miserable condition? Because we have got this material body. This is the problem, real problem. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). This body is temporary. It will not exist forever. But so long it will exist, it will give trouble. This is a fact. So long we'll continue in this material body, you'll have to suffer.

But we have no intelligence. We think that "We are like cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they also eat; we also eat. They sleep; we also sleep. And they have sex; we have also sex. And they defend, we also defend. Their business finished." No. Your business is not finished. Because you are human being, you have got advanced intelligence than the cats and dog. You should know analytically what are the miserable condition of life and try to solve. That is intelligence. That is intelligence. And if we remain satisfied like cats and dogs—"So I have got something to eat, I have got some nice place to sleep and I have also got some other sex for enjoying sex life, and I defend with so many weapons, latest nuclear weapon"—no, śāstra says, "These things are manufactured... These things are maintained by the cats and dogs." Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. This is common formula between the animals and the man.

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says, daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Mama māyā. Māyā is under His control. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ. Prakṛti is working under His direction, under His superintendence. So we should know Kṛṣṇa like that. We should not.... Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because He is speaking like a man, we are thinking that Kṛṣṇa came, and Kṛṣṇa is now dead, and His instruction is also dead, obsolete. No, that is not. Kṛṣṇa is ever-existing, nityo nityānām. We are also ever-existing. We are covered by this material body, but Kṛṣṇa is not covered by the material body. He comes in His original body. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). Yuge yuge sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So Kṛṣṇa comes to save us and gives us His instruction so that after His disappearance from this world, people will take advantage of His instruction and make his life perfect. This is Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Sex and meat-eating, non-vegetarian diet. Mada-sevā, intoxication. Mithyā sa jantuḥ. Every conditioned soul has natural inclination. Pravṛtti. But one has to control that. That is human life. If you put yourself in the waves of natural inclination, that is not human life. You have to restrict. The whole human life is meant for learning restriction. That is human life. That is perfect Vedic civilization. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). One has to purify his existence. What is that existence? I am spirit, ever existing, eternal. Now I have contaminated this matter, therefore I am suffering. So I have to purify. Just like you have to get free from the diseased condition. When you get fever you take treatment. Not unrestricted enjoyment. The doctor says, "Don't do this, don't do this, don't do this." Similarly this human form of life is to get out of this diseased condition of life having a material body. If we don't restrict then where is the treatment? Where is the cure? The whole system is restriction. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Just to concentrate one's activities in austerities, penances, for transcendental realization. That is human form of life.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

That is perfection. Not that those who are in this concept of life, that with the finishing of this body everything is finished. That is nonsense. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Kṛṣṇa teaches. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin..., nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "This ātmā is never born and he never dies." Na jāyate mriyate vā. Nitya, eternal; śāśvata, ever-existing, śāśvata. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. "Don't think that because the body is finished, therefore he is finished. No." In another place Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As we are changing body from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youth-hood, youth-hood to grown-up and old age—this is our practical experience, I have several times explained—similarly, this old body, when I give it up, I shall accept another body. What is that body? That will be given to you by the laws of nature according to your mentality. As you create your mentality, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke (BG 8.6), absorb your thought and mind at the time of death, then you are given a particular type of body, either in the womb of a human being or a cat or a dog or a demigod or a tree or so many.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

The body may change. Just like in the past we were existing. The body has changed now. Similarly, at present also, when this body will be changed, we will exist in another body. So what is the cause of lamentation?" This is the translation. "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you." That means "You existed, I existed, and all of them existed." Because we are eternal. This is the point. We are soul: we are not this body. Just like in childhood I existed. In my boyhood I existed. In my youthhood I existed. And now I am existing. Therefore the right conclusion is "When this body will not exist, I will exist in another body." So one should not lament for the lump of matter. One should be serious to understand what is that ever-existing eternal thing, soul. That is education. Superficially, we are overwhelmed with this external body. That is ignorance. We should be serious to understand what is that eternal thing which is existing within this body.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

Persons who are always full of anxieties. Why? Now, due to their material connection. Asat. Asat means matter. Matter will not stay, however you may chemically try to preserve. Will... It will not stay. Therefore matter's another name is asat. And spirit's another name is sat. Sat means "which exists." Asat means "which does not exist." Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). We have already described that this body, this body is antavat, it has got end, but the consciousness, or the spirit soul, it is not... It is endless. So the endless, I mean to say, ever-existing soul, being contaminated by this body, he's full of anxiety. So Prahlāda Mahārāja thinks that in order to realize his self for self-realization, if he gives up all material engagement and takes to the path of self-realization, that is the best way of his life. And the father became angry. "What nonsense he's taking? A five-years-old boy, he's taking, talking of self-realization. I wanted to make him a great politician, economist. Now he's talking of this nonsense and..." Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam. "He's describing that this family life is just like a dark well."

Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Los Angeles, August 26, 1972:

So Kṛṣṇa knows past, present and future. Kṛṣṇa does not mean alone. Kṛṣṇa means there is another kingdom. Just like when we speak of a king, it means the king is not alone. There is queen, there is palace, there is bodyguard, there is secretary, there is commander in chief, so many things. Just like in England, there is Queen Elizabeth. It does not mean that Queen Elizabeth is alone. She has got so many paraphernalia. Similarly, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means His name, His form, His quality, His activities, His pastimes, His friends, His mother, His father, His cowherd, cows, His Vṛndāvana... So many things. That is another variety. And here this material world, this variety, this variety is imitation of that variety. And that variety is eternal. This variety is created, maintained and destroyed. But in the middle, the point, Kṛṣṇa, He is ever-existing.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

Now another point is that this creation is, because it is material creation, it does not exist forever. It is..., come into existence, and again it will be finished, annihilated. Exactly like our body. As this body, we have got this body on certain date, and it has got to be annihilated at a certain date, similarly, this gigantic cosmology, material manifestation, it has a date of creation, and it, it stays for some time... Everything material, there are six changes. First of all, birth; then staying for some time; then growing; then producing some by-products; and then dwindling; and then finish. Exactly like our body. Just like this body is born at a certain date, then it grows, it stays, it produces some by-product. From this body, many children come out-by-product. Then it becomes old, declining. And then one day, finished. This is called ṣaḍ-vikāra, six changes. Six changes.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that you get better activity. Therefore you can give up the inferior activities. Otherwise, simply by negation, it is not possible. We must work. We must work for Kṛṣṇa's sake. We shall go to the Kṛṣṇa's temple, or we shall go for selling Kṛṣṇa's books, or meeting some Kṛṣṇa devotee. That is nice. But you cannot stop working. That is not possible. Then your idle brain will be devil's workshop. Yes. Then you will fall down, "How to go to that woman? How to go to that man?" If you stop working, then you have to work again to sense gratification. That's all. Similarly, you take any sense; you cannot stop it, but you have to engage it. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You engage your hand and engage your legs, you engage your eyes, you engage your ears, engage your tongue—simply in Kṛṣṇa. You can engage everything. For eyes, instead of hankering after some beautiful man or beautiful woman, just see Kṛṣṇa, how nicely dressed. Then you will forget these other seeing. For tongue, you engage your tongue simply for chanting. Then your nonsense talking will automatically stop. You engage your tongue eating very nice prasādam of Kṛṣṇa, offered to Kṛṣṇa. Then you forget to go to restaurant. In this way our time should be utilized. As it is said that kim anyair asad-ālāpaiḥ. We should not allow our senses to be engaged in such thing which will never exist. That is the criterion. Simply engage yourself in such things which will continue, will exist forever.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

So either of them, their aim is how to get out of this fearful material existence. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, concludes, that icchatā abhayam. Abhayam means fearful. If you actually want to be free from fear, then you should concentrate your mind, discussing, hearing, remembering, either of the impersonal Brahman... Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11). Either you think of Brahman or Paramātmā or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but your subject matter should be this: hearing, chanting, discussing, talking, knowing. Don't divert your attention to this flimsy, I mean to say, so-called subject matter which will end. Because everything, whatever we are discussing in the material world, everything will end, nothing will exist, we should concentrate our mind on the subject matter which will exist. Because I am soul, I am ever-existing, eternal, my business is, therefore, "What is my eternal engagement?" This subject matter is proposed by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and we shall discuss later on, in the next meeting. Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:

How? What is the proof? The proof is the Bhagavad-gītā. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) "Anyone who understands about My birth and appearance..." Lord does not take birth. Aja. Aja means who never takes birth. Ever-existing. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san, sambhavāmi yuge yuge. So aja, one who does not take birth, but still we see that Kṛṣṇa is taking birth. We are observing the birth anniversary of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So therefore what is the mystery? He does not take birth. Still, we are observing the birth anniversary of Kṛṣṇa, Janmāṣṭamī. So this is to be understood, tattvataḥ, in truth. Yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, Veda says that na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. "The Supreme Lord God has nothing to do." Why He shall do? So... And again, we see that Kṛṣṇa, since the day of His appearance at His maternal uncle's prison till His going back to His own home, He was always active.

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-6 -- Vrndavana, September 9, 1975:

So we are eternal spiritual spark. Kṛṣṇa says that the living entity is eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This is the information we get from the authority, that "The living entity is eternal," nitya, śāśvata, "and ever-existing, and does not die on the death or annihilation of the body." Then what is the duty of the father? What is the duty of the government? Duty of the guru? Now how to save him from this repetition of birth and death. And that is the duty. Otherwise to give some food... That also, people cannot give now. Rather, killing their children in the womb. This is Kali-yuga. Whereas it is the duty of the parents how to save the child or the son from the clutches of death, they are now killing. This is advanced civilization. This is going on all over the world. They are going to the medical man and taking help and killing the child within the womb. This is Kali-yuga.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

The whole Vedas are divided into three states. Sambandha, what is our connection God. That is called sambandha. And then abhidheya. According to that relationship we have to act. That is called abhidheya. And why do we act? Because we have got the goal of life, to achieve the goal of life. So what is the goal of life? The goal of life is that, to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is goal of life. We are part and parcel of God. God is sanātana and He has His own abode, sanātana. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). There is a place ever-existing. This material world, it will not exist forever. It is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It is manifested at a certain date. Just like your body and my body, it is manifested on a certain date. It will stay for some time. It will grow. It will give some by-product. Then we become old, dwindling, and then finished. This is called ṣaḍ-vikāra. of anything which is material. But there is another nature where there is no ṣaḍ-vikāra. That is eternal. So that is called sanātana-dharma. And the jīvas, we living entities, we are also described as eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). And the Lord is also addressed as sanātana. So our real situation is that we are sanātana, Kṛṣṇa is sanātana, and Kṛṣṇa has His abode, sanātana. When we go back to that sanātana-dhāma and live with the supreme sanātana, Kṛṣṇa... And we are also sanātana. The process by which we can achieve this highest goal of life, that is called sanātana-dharma. We are executing here sanātana-dharma.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad Invocation Lecture -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1970:

So here it is said the universe has its own time, fixed by the energy of the complete whole. Universe is also big gigantic body, material body. That's all. Just like your body; everything is relative. Modern science, the law of relativity. An atom, a small particle, small ant, so it has got a relative life, you have got relative life. Similarly this gigantic body, it may be many millions of years this universe will exist, but it will not exist forever. That is a fact. Because it is very gigantic, therefore it may remain for some millions of years, but it will end. That is the law of nature. And when that time is complete, this temporary manifestation will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the complete, the supreme complete. When your time will be complete, no more, sir, in this body. Nobody can check. The arrangement is so strong. You cannot say, "Let me remain." Actually it happens. When I was in India, Allahabad, one of our, an old friend, he was very rich man. So he was dying. So he was requesting the doctor, "Can you not give me at least four years to live? I have got some plan, you see. I could not finish it." You see. Āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ. This is demonic. Everyone thinks that "Oh, I have to do this. I have to do this." No. The doctors or doctors' fathers or his father, no scientist can check. "Oh, no, sir. No four years. Not even four minutes. You have to go immediately." This is the law.

Festival Lectures

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

This body, asann api, it will not exist forever. It is temporary, but it is troublesome always. Adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Three kinds of miseries are always there. So Bhāgavata says that we are mad, pramattaḥ kurute vikarma, and doing all sorts of mischievous activities for sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya (SB 5.5.4). Indriya-prītaiḥ: simply for the satisfaction of the senses. Tons of beef are sold simply for satisfaction of the tongue. The tongue becomes dry... And a great trade is going on in India, everywhere, in your country also—cigarettes. It has no necessity, but simply for the satisfaction, temporary satisfaction of the tongue, this great trade is going on. So just vikarma. In this country, there is no such government... But in your country, perhaps you know, in every cigarette package, packet it is written it is dangerous for health or what is that?

General Lectures

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

Student (12): Is there interchange between the planets?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. You can go in another planet also. Because it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-gā. Sarva-gā means the soul can be transferred to any place. It may be in America, it may be India, in moon planet, sun planet, or any..., anywhere.

Student (13): Has the universe existed forever, or does soul have a beginning?

Prabhupāda: No. This material universe is created and dissolved. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Just like this body: it is born for some time, it will stay for some time, it will go for some time, then it will become old, and it will vanish. Similarly, the whole universe is like that. It has its creation, it stays for some time, a long duration of time, and it creates so many other things, by-products, and there will be time when everything will be vanquished.

Student (13): And where were the souls before the universe began?

Prabhupāda: That is called spiritual kingdom. In the spirit.

Pandal Speech and Question Session -- Delhi, November 10, 1973:

Mr. High Commissioner and Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here, taking so much trouble, to participate in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And I shall simply try to draw your attention about the importance of this movement. Importance of this movement is this, that we do not know what is the aim of life. The modern civilization, all over the world, especially in the Western world—nobody knows what is the actual problem and what is the aim of life. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says, "The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), that birth, death, old age and disease, these are the problems." If you take birth, then you will have to die. Anyone who takes birth, he must have to die. And so long, between birth and death, there is old age and disease. Actually, these are the problems. So far we are concerned, living entities, every one of us, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit: "The living entity is never born, never dies." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) "The living entity is eternal, ever-existing and very old, and," na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre, "it does not die after the annihilation of this body." But the modern civilization, they are thinking that "This body we have got somehow or other, a lump of matter, and so long we have got this body, let us enjoy life, sense gratification." This is atheistic theory.

Public Speech -- Bad Homburg, Germany, June 22, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa further says in this connection, antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). This body—deha means body—antavat, it is perishable. Nityasya uktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. But the thing which is covered by this material body, that is eternal. So that consciousness of the rays of the soul is described here: na jāyate mriyate vā kadācit. This consciousness, or the soul, is never born, neither it is ever dead. Nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ. The soul and the consciousness has no past, present or future. It is eternal. Ajo. Ajaḥ means who does not take birth. Ajo nitya, eternal. Śāśvataḥ, ever-existing. Ayaṁ purāṇa, the oldest. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). When the body is annihilated, the soul and consciousness is not annihilated. Just like when we sleep our consciousness works in a different body, subtle body: mind, intelligence and ego. That we have got experience every night. We sleep on our bed, but my consciousness goes to other country or other place and work in a different way. Again when at the end of the dream, we come back to this body, gross body. So death means when the consciousness does not come back again to this gross body and enters another gross body. This period is called death.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Devotee: But this exists only temporarily therefore it can't be classified as reality.

Prabhupāda: No, temporary, illusion we'll call it, reality means which exists eternally.

Devotee: That's the table on the spiritual platform.

Prabhupāda: Yes. There, Kṛṣṇa's abode, Kṛṣṇa's house, Kṛṣṇa's table, chair, furniture, they're all existing, ever-existing. Here they will not exist.

Śyāmasundara: So what is the distinction then between saying that spirit expresses itself in this object or the spirit is this object.

Prabhupāda: It is the expression of the energy of spirit. Everything is energy. Whatever is manifested, that is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Thus one energy manifestation is eternal and another energy manifestation is temporary. Which is temporary manifestation, that is material, and which is eternal manifestation, that is spiritual.

Śyāmasundara: So you could say both, you could say this is made of spirit.

Prabhupāda: Yes, originally it is made of spirit in this sense, that Kṛṣṇa is whole spirit, and because it is Kṛṣṇa's energy, so factually it is Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Hayagrīva: So the creative evolution must necessarily be the evolution of the soul.

Prabhupāda: No.

Hayagrīva: No.

Prabhupāda: Soul is eternal. Soul is ever-existing. There is no question of evolution or..., that it is according to the body. So long he is in the material existence and bodily concept of life, he is thinking that a better body is evolution and a lower body... But if his consciousness is changed, then there is no chance of changing, different bodies. He remains in his eternal body.

Hayagrīva: Well the basic contradiction, it seems, between Bergson and the Vedic version is that of the evolution of the universe.

Prabhupāda: Evolution of universe means, I have already explained, that anything material, it goes under six changes. So this universe, since its birth, it is increasing in volume. So that is material change. It is nothing to the, to do with the spiritual. Spirit, the soul, as we have got soul within this body, similarly ākāra, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the soul of this universe. He is not changing; the universe is changing, the body is changing.

Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger:

Śyāmasundara: He doesn't make a judgment if there is life after death or not, he's simply like a psychologist examines what motivates people's behavior or...

Prabhupāda: No. If you do not know whether he exist in the future or not... Just like a child, if he knows that "I shall exist as an old man," then there is question of what I shall become. If he does not know whether he'll exist or not, then what is the idea of becoming a teacher, or I can become (indistinct). First of all you should know that I exist only for this duration of life or I exist forever. That is real philosophy. Real philosophy is, "I exist forever." That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like I existed as a small baby, I existed as a boy, I existed as a young man. I remember all those existences, although the body is finished. Therefore the conclusion is that I shall exist when this body is finished. That is real knowledge. And it is common sense. If I existed as this child, I existed as a baby, I existed as a boy, I existed as a young man, and I am existing as old man, so why not I shall exist when this body is finished? In this life I experience so many bodies, they have left, they are no longer existing, but I see that I am existing; therefore why shall I not see that I will exist after the death. What do you think?

Devotee: What do I think?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are understanding what I am speaking?

Devotee: Hm. Actually I am sort of in awe of (indistinct), but I enjoy listening. (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said he was being in awe of being with you, but he wasn't listening to the words.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. All right. Then, this is the idea of existence. Therefore the philosophy is that I shall not be very much interested what I am going to become in this life. My philosophy should be that as I am eternally existing, what is my eternal occupation. That is philosophy.

Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger:

Prabhupāda: He does not know this.

Śyāmasundara: But he does not know.

Prabhupāda: Everyone is looking. Everyone... The struggle for existence means everyone is looking for "How shall I exist forever?" But he does not know. Everyone... Nobody wants to die. Everyone wants to free himself from the clutches of death, but he does not know it.

Śyāmasundara: He wants to find the basis for individuality, strong individuality.

Prabhupāda: Individuality you may keep. It doesn't matter. Every one of us is individual. Every one of us is struggling, but we must know what for we are struggling, what is our existence. These things are required. Individuality is there. We are preaching this individualism. We do not say that impersonalism. No. So is that all right?. No. Still more.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. Oh, yes. Still more. He says that a man finds himself flung into the world, and he finds that he is a fact within this world. He cannot deny that he is here. And he is subject to the resultant mood of fear or dread that comes about when he discovers that there is no escape to being here. "I am here. There is no escape." So there is immediate anxiety always within the man, that "I am here." So...

Prabhupāda: So when one is under some condition, then there is (indistinct). So therefore, this material world, every one of us are living under conditions and everyone is anxious.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation With David Lawrence -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now read the meaning, translation.

Pradyumna: "For the soul there is never birth nor death..."

Prabhupāda: This, this is the nature of the soul.

Pradyumna: "Nor having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Prabhupāda: This thing first of all must be understood, immortality of the soul, transmigration of the soul. Then other things will be easier. And because this is eternal, therefore there is another spiritual world which is also the same nature, eternal. That is explained. What is that verse? Find out. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo...sarveṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati (BG 8.20). The spiritual world existing eternally. This material world being annihilated, dissolved, that is not dissolved. Exactly like this body being annihilated, the soul is not annihilated. Similarly, the material world, it is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It takes place at a certain date, and it is annihilated at a certain... Exactly like this body. Anything material. It has got a date of creation, and it has got a date of annihilation. But as the spirit soul is not annihilated even after the annihilation of the body, similarly there is another spiritual world which is never annihilated even after annihilation of this material world. Hm.

Morning Walk -- December 3, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They say, "At the time of evolution, the cells, the genes, sometimes..." Normally the gene is perfectly copied for the next generation, but sometimes there is a mistake in copying. Just like in the printing press sometimes we do some mistakes. Just like that, there are some mistakes along the path of evolution. So those mistakes, sometimes they just, according to the circumstances, they can stand, and they form a different living entity because of the difference of the genes.

Prabhupāda: But the mistake is continuing forever, because you'll find the varieties of living entities ever-existing. Therefore the mistake is permanent. So when it is permanent, it is not mistake. It is intelligence.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They'll say if there is no mistake, there will be only one living entity in the whole universe.

Prabhupāda: Why? Because you have got different mind, therefore you create different situation. Just like we are walking here. Not that everyone is coming to join us. Because they have got different mentality. They want to sleep. We want to rise early in the morning. Why this difference?

Śrutaśrava: It is a great mistake they're making.

Prabhupāda: It is not mistake. It is your desire. And exactly according to the desire, you get a body. It is not mistake. No. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death, whatever you think, exactly nature will give you a similar body. That's all. That is not in your hand. That is in the nature's hand. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27).

Morning Walk -- December 16, 1973, Los Angeles:

Karandhara: This form may be created or it exists at a certain state of time, but the energy is never created.

Prabhupāda: So that also we admit. That is another thing. But the... Therefore we have got two departments, the spiritual world and the material world. In the material world everything is created. In the spiritual world, not created. It is ever-existing. And anything which is created, that is annihilated.

Karandhara: The energy is not annihilated.

Prabhupāda: No. That we also accept. But that energy belongs to whom?

Karandhara: Well, they say that because it was never created, it doesn't have to be created.

Prabhupāda: No, no. This material world is created. That you cannot say, "It is not created." Everything we see in our front, everything is created.

Karandhara: Well, they say, "Nothing is created."

Prabhupāda: No. Created, in this sense, it is manifested.

Karandhara: In that sense. But that still isn't the creation of the energy itself.

Prabhupāda: That... What is that energy? That is spiritual energy. Therefore we divide material energy and spiritual energy. In the spiritual energy everything is manifested and non-manifested. And the spiritual energy, everything is ever-existing. Sanātana, sanātana. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). Sanātana means ever-existing. There is another nature, but that is not this nature. That we admit.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome:

Prabhupāda: No. That is the polluted conception. Actually you are immortal; you do not die. That is your position. Read this verse.

Nitāi:

na jāyate mriyate va kadācin

nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ

ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo

na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

(BG 2.20)

"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Prabhupāda: That is it. That is the position of the soul. So when there is mortality, that is not perfect stage. And when he attains the stage of again immortality... Because actually he is immortal.

O'Grady: Actuality is immortal.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

O'Grady: Hm, not bad. Because actuality has to do with effect.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The actuality is immortal. He never takes birth...

O'Grady: Never takes bath?

Yogeśvara: Birth.

Room Conversation with Russian Orthodox Church Representative -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Translation.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: "Translation: For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." (French)

Prabhupāda: Next verse.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa:

vedāvināśinaṁ nityaṁ

ya enam ajam avyayam

kathaṁ sa puruṣaḥ pārtha

kaṁ ghātayati hanti kam

"O Pārtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, unborn, eternal and immutable, kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?" (French)

Church Representative: I have nothing to say against. But I cannot say that it is a definition. Do you say in English, definition?

Prabhupāda: Yes, definition.

Church Representative: I cannot say that it is a definition. It is a sort of creed, a profession of faith.

Prabhupāda: No, it is characteristic. Definition means you mention the characteristic. That is definition. Definition, you mention the characteristic. So that can be mentioned directly, or if it is not perceivable, then you can define in opposite way. Just like we have got experience: everything in the material world, it is beginning. There is a beginning. Anything of this—your body, my body, everything—it has got a beginning, and it has got an end. So it is stated, na jāyate na mriyate vā: "It has no beginning, no end." And nityaḥ, eternal, śāśvataḥ, very old, purāṇaḥ. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "It is not destroyed, annihilated, after the destruction of the body." So if we accept this definition, then we can understand the soul is eternal. Our characteristic, if we accept these characteristics, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), after the destruction of body the soul is never destroyed, then you can understand the soul is eternal. And it is clearly stated, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "After the destruction of the body, it is not destroyed." So, it means it takes another body.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with three Trappist Monks, Psychologists from the University of Georgia, and Atlanta Lawyer, Michael Green -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Guest (6): Yes, I understand now. I spoke earlier with some people... In other words you say we are co-eternal with the father just as Christ is.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are all eternal. That is nityo nityānām. I have already explained. Nitya means eternal. There are two eternals: one chief eternal, God, and one subordinate eternals, they are plural number. God is one, and we are many. Father is one; the children are many. Similarly, both the father and the children are eternal. God is not created, and the childrens are not created. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate vā. All these living entity, they are never created; neither they ever die. Nityaḥ śāśvatam na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). They are eternal, ever existing. Even after the destruction of the body, they are not annihilated. So God is eternal. That I have already explained. And we living entities, we are also eternal. How the son can be otherwise? If the father is eternal, the son is also eternal. The son cannot be... Because son is the expansion, part and parcel of the father, so all the qualities of the father are there. The only quality difference is the father maintainer and the sons are maintained. That means the father has got unlimited resources to maintain the sons, and the sons, they have no resources. They are maintained by the father. This is perfect philosophy. Otherwise, if you are self-sufficient, then why you go to church and beg father, "Give us our daily bread"? That is... That means you are maintained. You are begging the father, "Please maintain us." So if the Supreme Being, who is maintaining millions of trillions of living entities, He is great, or the living entities who are maintained by God, they are great? Therefore God is great, and we are subordinate. This is natural conclusion. How you can go otherwise? If you are self-sufficient, why go to church and pray, "God, give us our daily bread"? Are you independent?

Guest (6): No. I am a creature.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Are these living entities constant? They don't change any.

Prabhupāda: Yes, nitya, nitya. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Why don't you see these references? It is never created. It is ever-existing, eternal. Only it appears to be temporary on account of accepting different material bodies. Therefore, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). One who knows, he knows that he has changed his body, the same person. Just like father, mother knows. When a son becomes very stout and strong, the mother sees that same child. Others may be bewildered. One who has seen the child very long ago, now he has become robust build. He cannot say. And the mother says, "He is my child, that child." So paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18).

Satsvarūpa: "For the soul there is never birth nor death, nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Prabhupāda: That's all. So where is the question of creation? But because we have got these material eyes, we want to see everything through this material manifestation. We are seeing that he is dead, he is alive, he is born, he is this, that...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But that is the defect of the scientists. They only see the body.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is their defect. Therefore asses, go-kharaḥ. That is defined. Anyone who takes the body as the self, he is a go-kharaḥ, animal. And that is our protest, that "You are animal; you are passing as very learned scholar, scientist." That we want to protest. We want to expose them, that they are cheating people. They have no perfect knowledge; still, they are passing as scientist and big men and... That is our protest.

Morning Walk -- June 23, 1975, Los Angeles:

Bahulāśva: That verse about how wood is better than raw earth and fire is better than wood?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Fire is better than smoke. Smoke is better than wood. Wood means tamo-guṇa. And smoke means rajo-guṇa, "Now it is coming." And fire means sattva-guṇa. So you have to go still above. That is called śuddha-sattva-guṇa. Here, simply blazing fire, it may also extinguish, but the platform where it is never extinguished, that is spiritual platform. That is spiritual. That is not material. Not only fire, but ever-blazing fire. That is spiritual platform. You cannot stop even, "Oh, here is now fire." It must be ever-blazing fire. Then it will act. But that is said when there is no chance of extinction. Nitya-yukta upāsate. That is stated in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, nitya-yukta, ever-existing, eternal. That is wanted. Sometimes our devotees fall down because he has not come to that platform, ever-existing. Therefore the fire extinguished. That is possible, but everyone should be very, very careful that the fire may not be extinguished. Then again māyā. There are two things: Kṛṣṇa and māyā. If Kṛṣṇa fire is extinguished, then māyā, ignorance, darkness. Two things.

Morning Walk -- October 28, 1975, Nairobi:

Prabhupāda: First of all be engaged yourself. Then they will see the example and they'll join. Just like in our New Vrindaban. Other men from other farms, they are coming, and they are offered this milk preparation, burfi, sandeṣa, rasagullā, rabri, so many, halavā. They become: "Oh, so many nice things can be prepared from milk?" They do not know, uncivilized. Cut the animal and eat. A most crude civilization. When people were not civilized, they used to do that. Civilization means you know, you must know how to live very nicely. That is civilization. But they do not know even that. Simply eating meat and wine, meat and wine, that's all. And this is going on as civilization. They do not know what is the meaning of civilization. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Real civilization means to understand God. Here is God. Who'll accept, either you say God or nature, that "You are under control. You are not free."? That, this dog's obstinacy, they will not take it. Like a dog. What is the meaning of dog obstinacy? He'll go on disturbing, "Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow! Gow!" This is dog consciousness. How they can refuse, that "There is no authority"? They say, "No, we don't care for authority. Don't." But you are being kicked every moment: still, there is no authority? Just see obstinacy. Why you are becoming old? Every moment you are being kicked. You cannot remain young. You are trying to remain young with pomade, with some color, with some this, tea, wig, and... But you cannot, rascal. You cannot. You must become old. And still, he is thinking that he'll be able to remain young. This is called dog's obstinacy. He has got experience that nobody can remain young. I'll also not remain young also, although I want it, "Yes, if I can remain young, that is good facility." That he knows, but he won't find the way how he can remain... Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Nitya. That path he will not take. Kṛṣṇa says, "Here is the way." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam adyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanam (Bs. 5.33). Kṛṣṇa, the oldest man, oldest living being, but nava-yauvana, always fresh, young... You can get that position. You can play also, play Kṛṣṇa. But that path they will not take. Kṛṣṇa, ever-existingly young man, He is displaying in Vṛndāvana and inviting, "You can also come and join and live like this." "No. That's all. It is all fictitious. There was no Kṛṣṇa. There is no such thing." Immediately dismiss judgment. And by pomade, by injection, by, what is called? Hormone? All these rascals, they are trying to be young. Just see. You are doctor.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 5, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: ...kinds of rascals.

Hṛdayānanda: One theory is that there has always..., the material nature has always existed. It was never created, and it will never be annihilated, and there is no other cause. It's simply an eternal fact.

Prabhupāda: But how always existed? Nothing here ever exists... This house was never existed. It's created.

Hṛdayānanda: But the elements existed.

Prabhupāda: Elements exist, that's all right, but the format, how it is created?

Hṛdayānanda: They say it's not created. It's an eternal, unexplainable fact.

Prabhupāda: Ha ha. That he is a foolish. That is rascal. Immediately rascal is captured.

Indian man: Śrīla Prabhupāda? (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (break) Unexplainable, that means why he is trying to explain, rascal? Immediately captured.

Harikeśa: You may all laugh now, but in the future we're going to find a solution.

Prabhupāda: That is another rascaldom. "I am rascal, and future I am going to be very intelligent." Talk of presence. You are, at the present moment, you are rascal. That's all. Don't talk. Rascal cannot talk.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:

Brian Singer: So there was no starting point in time.

Prabhupāda: No, eternal. And that is explained there. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. And another, na jāyate mriyate vā kadācit: "It is never created; it is never annihilated." You open that verse, na jāyate mriyate vā kadācit.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa:

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin

nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ

ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo

na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

(BG 2.20)

"For the soul there is never birth nor death, nor having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Brian Singer: Without the consciousness, what happens to the soul when the body dies?

Prabhupāda: He enters another body. Suppose if by force I get you out of this room, then you enter another room. That's all. But this is illegal, that you are living in this room.... By force if I get you out, that is illegal. Then I have to await for the punishment, "Why you have driven out this?" So similarly, although soul is immortal, but taking the soul is immortal, you cannot cut anyone's throat. He has got a right to live in that body for some time by the ordained order of the Supreme. I cannot get you out by force. That is sinful. By nature's way, when he gives up this body, that's all right. But I cannot force the soul to go out of this body by killing. That is sinful.

Room Conversation -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: There is no death. You change body. Because the body is lost, you are no more, you do not possess the childhood body, youth-hood body, that does no mean you are dead. You are living; the body has changed. But because we do not know the science, we think "The body is finished; therefore he's dead." Therefore you have to learn Bhagavad-gītā-na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. Find out the verse.

Hṛdayānanda:"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Prabhupāda: That's it. So as a lawyer, when there is some dispute, you refer to the lawbook. Similarly, when there is dispute how the soul is immortal, the body is changing, you refer to Bhagavad-gītā. You find it clear, na jāyate na mriyate, clearly said. Explain?

Hṛdayānanda: Purport? "Qualitatively, the small atomic fragmental part of the supreme spirit is one with the Supreme. He undergoes no changes like the body. Sometimes the soul is called the steady..."

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Just bring little salt.

Room Conversation -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Just bring little salt.

Hṛdayānanda: "...or kūṭa-stha. The body is subject to six kinds of transformations. It takes its birth in the womb of the mother's body, remains for some time, grows, produces some effects, gradually dwindles, and at last vanishes into oblivion. The soul, however, does not go through such changes. The soul is not born, but, because he takes on a material body, the body takes its birth. The soul does not take birth there, and the soul does not die. Anything which has birth also has death. And because the soul has no birth, he therefore has no past, present or future. He is eternal, ever-existing and primeval—that is, there is no trace in history of his coming into being. Under the impression of the body, we seek the history of birth, etc., of the soul. The soul does not at any time become old, as the body does. The so-called old man therefore feels himself to be in the same spirit as in his childhood or youth. The changes of the body do not affect the soul. The soul does not deteriorate like a tree, nor anything material. The soul has no by-product either. The by-products of the body, namely children, are also different individual souls, and, owing to the body, they appear as children of a particular man. The body develops because of the soul's presence, but the soul has neither offshoots nor change. Therefore, the soul is free from the six changes of the body. In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad also we find a similar passage which reads:

na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścin

nāyaṁ kutaścin na babhūva kaścit

ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo

na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

(BG 2.20)

The meaning and purport of this verse is the same as in the Bhagavad-gītā, but here in this verse there is one special word, vipaścit, which means learned or with knowledge. The soul is full of knowledge, or full always with consciousness. Therefore, consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Even if one does not find the soul within the heart, where he is situated, one can still understand the presence of the soul simply by the presence of consciousness. Sometimes we do not find the sun in the sky owing to clouds, or for some other reason, but the light of the sun is always there, and we are convinced that it is therefore daytime. As soon as there is a little light in the sky early in the morning, we can understand that the sun is in the sky. Similarly, since there is some consciousness in all bodies—whether man or animal—we can understand the presence of the soul. This consciousness of the soul is, however, different from the consciousness of the Supreme, because the supreme consciousness is all-knowledge—past, present and future. The consciousness of the individual soul is prone to be forgetful. When he is forgetful of his real nature, he obtains education and enlightenment from the superior lessons of Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is not like the forgetful soul. If so, Kṛṣṇa's teachings of Bhagavad-gītā would be useless. There are two kinds of souls-namely the minute particle soul, aṇu-ātmā, and the Supersoul, the vibhu-ātmā. This is also confirmed in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad in this way:

aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān

ātmāsya jantor nihito guhāyām

tam akratuḥ paśyati vīta-śoko

dhātuḥ prasādān mahimānam ātmanaḥ

'Both the Supersoul, Paramātmā, and the atomic soul, jīvātmā, are situated on the same tree of the body within the same heart of the living being, and only one who has become free from all material desires as well as lamentations can, by the grace of the Supreme, understand the glories of the soul.' Kṛṣṇa is the fountainhead of the Supersoul also, as it will be disclosed in the following chapters, and Arjuna is the atomic soul, forgetful of his real nature; therefore he requires to be enlightened by Kṛṣṇa, or by His bona fide representative, the spiritual master."

Prabhupāda: If you have got any question upon this statement, the statement given in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the purport we have explained? If you have got any question over it?

Jay Warner: Excuse me, I didn't...

Hṛdayānanda: Do you have any question about what Prabhupāda has written here, about the purport, any question?

Jay Warner: I think I understood.

Kīrtanānanda: That's a beautiful purport.

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is quite right. Physical, anything physical can be cut into pieces. Read it.

Hari-śauri: This is 2.20. "For the soul there is never birth nor death, nor having once been does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." (purport) "The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind. This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried."

Prabhupāda: This is nonphysical. This is not physical. Physical, what is that physical thing which cannot be burned, which cannot be cut, which cannot be soaked? There is no such thing to the physical exterior. Is there anything?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No.

Prabhupāda: Therefore not physical. This is definition by negation. In the logic, there is a process of definition by negation. The Māyāvādīs, they define this Brahman, neti, neti, neti, neti, negation. "It is not this, it is not this." What is, that they cannot tell. They simply negate. That is a partial definition. Yes, go on.

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: Let me ask you one more question before he reads the passage.

Prabhupāda: No, first of all about death.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The translation is, "For the soul there is never birth nor death nor having once been does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Prabhupāda: So there is no question of death for a spiritually realized person.

Interviewer: Is there any method for dissent within your movement? Or change?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Reform, you mean? Changing the teaching perhaps, to fit the times?

Rāmeśvara: Just like in the church, as the public mood is changed, they have compromised on certain issues like abortion, homosexuality, priests getting married. So she wants to know if in our movement there will be this arrangement also. (laughter)

Interviewer: Well, I didn't necessarily mean the specifics.

Bali-mardana: In other words the purity is maintained by... The system is perfect to begin with so it remains perfect by being unchanged. If the system is imperfect, you may always be questioning.

Prabhupāda: Yes. When the system is imperfect, then it has to be changed according to time and circumstance. But if the system is itself perfect, there is no question of... Just like the perfect system: the sun rises from the eastern side. So for millions and trillions of years the system is going on because the system is perfect. It doesn't require change, neither you can change. You cannot ask the sun to rise from the western side. So if the soul is eternal, it does not die or it is slain after the body is finished. But that is eternal fact. Destined in the past present and future, everything.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is explained very elaborately in the Bhagavad-gita: na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

Mike Robinson: Are you there referring to references from the scriptures?

Prabhupāda: Yes, so many references. It is a series of education. What is that? Read it.

Harikeśa:

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin

nāyaṁ bhūtva bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ

ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam purāṇo

na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

(BG 2.20)

"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Mike Robinson: Thank you very much for reading that. So can you explain to me just a bit more, if the soul is undying, does everybody's soul go to be with God when they die? Do you have a belief in a heaven or a hell?

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily. If he's qualified, if he qualifies himself in this life to go back home, back to Godhead, then he can go. If he does not qualify himself, he gets another material body, and there are 8,400,000 different forms of body. And according to his desire and karma, activities, the nature, laws of nature, gives him a body. Just like a man infects some disease and he develops that disease. Is it difficult to understand?

Mike Robinson: It's very difficult to understand all of it. Perhaps we can...

Prabhupāda: Now suppose somebody has infected some smallpox disease. After seven days it develops. What is that called, that period?

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Ashis Roy -- Mayapur 8 April, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your kind letter dated 27th march, 1975 and have noted the contents carefully. The process of opening a center somewhere is that we go there and hold classes for one week on the teachings of Bhagavad-gita and if the people like, then we'll open a center. Actually, the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that in every town and village there will be a center of Krishna Consciousness, is essential. People must co-operate. If not, then they will have to suffer. So, I am very glad that you have come forward, being one of the leaders of the cultural community. I am very much enthused by this. Our ideology is standard. It is not anything new, but it is very old. It is not anything concocted. ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire (BG 2.20), The living entity is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain. (Bhagavad-gita 2/20).