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Exactly (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"Exactly"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: exactly not "exactly like" not "not exactly"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

in the desert. That is practical, that due to sunshine there is a reflection, it appears in the desert. Sometimes you might have seen—not here, in India we have seen several times—that exactly there is a vast water, and it is reflecting, the reflection. That is called mirage. There is not a drop of water, but the animal, when he is thirsty he..., it thinks that "There is water." He jumps into the desert and the water is going ahead, going ahead, and he is running after it and then dying. So this illusion, that "I am this body." So we are after this sense gratification. Body means the senses. So that is mirage, illusion. Just like the animal is running after water in the desert.

Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

This is the description of God in the śāstra. And when God came, Kṛṣṇa came on this planet, the same description. He is playing on flute, He has got the feather, peacock feather. So this painting of Kṛṣṇa is not an artist's imagination. It is exactly the form. So here is the form of the Lord. Here is the name of the Lord. Here is the activities of the Lord. This is clear conception. A sādhu knows what is God. Or sādhu cannot know. They are thinking, "God must be like this, God may be like this, He must be a very old man," because adi-puruṣa. He is the first living... In this way... So you cannot create God by imagination. That is not possible. God is God, always. You have to know simply what is God. He is never cyuta.

Lecture on BG 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973:

Why I take so much responsibility of family? I was alone. Why I get married? Why I beget children? Why I make friends? Because I want to enjoy. So Kṛṣṇa is also a person. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He has produced so many children, these living entities. Why? To enjoy along with them. Just try to understand the psychology. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jayante, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Where this idea came from, that "I shall be happy within society, friendship and love, children?" Wherefrom this idea came? Where is the origin? The origin is there in Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Janmādy asya yataḥ. The origin of love. Just like Kṛṣṇa is loving Rādhārāṇī. So the loving idea came from Kṛṣṇa. Anything that is within our experience, that is in Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa cannot be impersonal. That is nonsense. Kṛṣṇa is exactly a person like me, you. But the difference is that He's very, very, unlimitedly powerful. I am limited. This is the difference. So Kṛṣṇa also wants that to live with His family. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just to train ourselves again to enter into the family of Kṛṣṇa. This is our movement. With these families, the so-called families, we are suffering. We are suffering. But this family idea is there this. That is perfect in Kṛṣṇa, with Kṛṣṇa. The family idea, wherefrom family idea comes without it is being situated in Kṛṣṇa? Because nothing can be visible without being in Kṛṣṇa. He is the origin. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of everything."

Lecture on BG 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973:

So whatever we are seeing in this material world, the origin is in Kṛṣṇa. But here it is perverted. That is the only difference. Just like a tree. The original tree is standing erect. But when you see the perverted reflection of the tree, everything is topsy-turvied. The upside has gone downside. You have seen the reflection of the tree. So the upside, downside. When the upside of the tree becomes downside, that is called perverted reflection. So this material world is perverted reflection of the spiritual world. It is false in this sense because it is reflection. Otherwise, exactly the same things are there in the spiritual world. Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam (BG 15.1). There is. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find in the Fifteenth Chapter. Ūrdhva-mūlam. Here, this material world, the origin—mūlam means root—is upside, upside. Because it is reflection. This tree is erect, and this is reflection. So the root has gone upside. So here is the problem. Because we are attached to our this so-called family, society, friendship and love... When Arjuna was faced, then he became kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo viṣīdann idam abravīt (BG 1.27). "How it is possible, Kṛṣṇa, that I have to kill the other side, my fathers, my father-in-law, my grandfather, my sons, my grandsons, my brother, my so many friends?" So it is natural.

Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:

This material cosmic manifestation is there, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The nature is, it is sometimes manifested and sometimes it is dissolved, annihilated. Everything material, that is the way. Just like our body. It is created at a certain date, and it will be annihilated at a certain date. Similarly, this gigantic body... That is also body of the Supreme Lord, virāt body. Virāt means gigantic. Kṛṣṇa will show His virāt-rūpa to Arjuna. So this external body, exactly just like we have got our this external body. Internal body. The soul is covered by two bodies, the external and internal. External means these gross elements—earth, water, air, fire, sky. And internal means the mind, intelligence and ego. They are also material. Just like our body is covered by shirt and coat, similarly, the soul is encaged in two kinds of bodies. When this gross body is finished, the subtle body, mind, intelligence and ego, they are there. The soul is covered. The gross body is finished. That is called death. But people do not know that there is no death for the soul. The outward cover is finished, the inward cover is there, and the inward cover will carry the soul to another gross body. That is called transmigration. The mind is creating, as we are making our consciousness in this life, so we are making our next life also. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25).

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can Kṛṣṇa give us the ability to someday remember every word that you are saying to us now? Because I myself, I forget so much. I want to hear just how you are talking and I can't.

Prabhupāda: What is that? I don't follow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I want to be able to hear you saying exactly what you're saying now. I want to always be able to hear it, but I forget. My memory is very poor.

Prabhupāda: Why? No. If we try... Memory may be poor. Everything depends on cultivation. If you cultivate something, your memory increases. Everyone becomes expert not in one day but by cultivation. Similarly, if you try to remember, then your memory will help you to remember. It is not difficult. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that we have to try to remember Kṛṣṇa. He's so beautiful, His instructions are so nice. If we simply remember Kṛṣṇa... That was the perfection approved by Lord Caitanya. I think I have narrated the story. When Lord Caitanya was traveling in South India in a big temple, Raṅganātha temple, He went to see the Deity, and He saw one brāhmaṇa was reading Bhagavad-gītā. And people were joking him, "Oh, Mr. brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" Because they were the neighbors, they knew that this brāhmaṇa was illiterate and he was studying Bhagavad-gītā. So they were joking. But the brāhmaṇa did not care them. He was taking the book and in his own way he was reading. Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw this incident, He came to the brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Arjuna's grandson, when he was touring in his empire... The whole world was at that time Indian empire. Not Indian exactly. Bhārata-varṣa. Now we have imitated some name, Bhārata, the "Indian," "Hindustan." But formerly the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. So when he saw that one black man was trying to kill one cow, immediately he took his sword: "Immediately I shall kill you. Who are you, killing cows in my kingdom?" This is kṣatriya's business. So... But there is no kṣatriya now because so many cows are being killed. Nobody is protesting. It is the duty of the kṣatriya to protect every living entity born in the land, in his kingdom. It is not that, as it is going on now, that only the human beings should be protected and not the animals. No animal could be killed except in sacrifice, as prescribed. Unnecessarily, there was no need of killing animals. That is great sin. Dyūtaṁ pānaṁ striyaḥ sūnā yatrādharmaś catur-vidhaḥ (SB 1.17.38).

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

So in the animal life, it is not possible to change one's nature, which is given by the material energy, prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-sangaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Why? All living entities are part and parcel of God. Therefore originally the characteristic of the living entity is as good as God. Simply it is a question of quantity. Quality is the same. Quality is the same. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). The same example. If you take a drop of sea water, the quality, the chemical composition is the same. But the quantity is different. It is a drop, and the sea is vast ocean. Similarly, we are exactly of the same quality as Kṛṣṇa. We can study. Why people say God is impersonal? If I am of the same quality, so God is also person, how He can be imperson? If, qualitatively, we are one, then as I feel individually, so why God should be refused individuality? This is another nonsense. The impersonalist rascals, they cannot understand what is the nature of God. In the Bible also it is said: "Man is made after God." You can study God's quality by studying your quality, or anyone's quality. Simply the difference is quantity's different. I have got some quality, some productive capacity. We also produce, every individual soul is producing something. But his production cannot be compared with production of God. That is the difference. We are producing one flying machine. We are taking very much pride that: "Now we have discovered the sputnik. It is going to the moon planet." But that is not perfect. It is coming back.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

Devotee: Are there any other questions?

Man (3): Each of us have come here tonight sort of looking for a bit of a miracle or a bit of a statement that can stamp us, to hold us, to illuminate us. (devotees laugh) Now, you travel in a spirit. Can you tell us the wonderful feeling of enlightenment to enter this spirit? We don't know how to exactly enter this spirit and travel as you travel.

Prabhupāda: That I am distributing. You chant at home, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, and see the result. (laughter) It is not difficult. If there is no expenditure, there is no loss, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and you see the result at home. You haven't got to travel. You sit down at your home and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Man (3): The word travel... Illumination. Each of us wants to know that beautiful, glorious feeling and how we gain it.

Prabhupāda: That glorious... First of all we must know what we are. The mistake is that we are accepting this body as ourself. I am thinking Indian, you are thinking Australian, he is thinking American, he is thinking Mohammedan, he is thinking Hindu. In this way, because we are thinking different way, we have got difference of opinion. But as soon as we come to the spiritual platform. There will be no more different opinion. That we are trying, that come to the spiritual platform. Then everything will go on. The first lesson of coming to the spiritual platform is to understand that "I am not this body." This the first lesson of spiritual understanding.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

This is the version of Kṛṣṇa in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. So first of all it is said here, Vyāsadeva, the author..., not author, the compiler who recorded the talks between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna and then put it systematically in a book form. So he says that bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān means the Supreme Person. Just like in this meeting, amongst my students, I am the supreme person, similarly, in the state there is a supreme person, the president or the prime minister, so everywhere you will find out one supreme person. Without a supreme person nothing can be managed, order-giving person. This is everlastingly existing, and you cannot avoid this. Even in Communist country they also have the supreme person, dictator. So taking the whole universal affair, the nature, how things are going on... The sun is rising early in the morning. It is setting exactly in due time. Then the moon is coming. Everyone in big, big planetary system, they are working very systematically. The astronomical calculation is so perfect that, they say, one ten-thousandth part of a second is also calculated. So accurately things are moving.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 7, 1966:

So why not in the future? How it is that in the future they'll mix up and become one, homogeneous thing? It is quite reasonable. And this conclusion is like this: just like in two hundred years before, in the month of March, the climatic position was like this. And in 1966 we find in March the climatic position is exactly the same. And in future... Naturally I conclude that in future in March the same climatic condition will be there. In astronomy also, if you find that in March, in such and such date, the sun rising is like this, and actually in the present March, month of March, 1966, we see the same exact time... And the whole calculation of astronomy is made like that. They prepare hundred years' astronomical charts. Hundred years'. How they do prepare? By this calculation, that in the past it was like this, at the present it is like this, so naturally, in future it will be like this. Just like you are speaking of the imminent springtime, that the nature, how will be decorate, how springtime, it will be nice, because you had past experience. So you are foretelling. It is not foretelling. From past experience, you are telling that this will take place. This will take place.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to know everything perfectly from the supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to understand subject matter which is beyond our perception, you have to approach such authority who can inform you. Exactly in the same way: to understand who is my father is beyond my perception, beyond my speculation, but if I accept the authoritative statement of my mother, this is perfect knowledge. So there are three kinds of processes to understand or to advance in knowledge. One is direct perception, pratyakṣa. And the other is authority, and the other is śruti. Śruti means by hearing from the Supreme. So our process is śruti. Śruti means we hear from the highest authority. That is our process, and that is very easy. Highest authority, if He is not in default... Ordinary persons, they are in default. They have got imperfection.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:

Devotee: (Spanish)

Girl devotee: (translating from Spanish) He wants to know exactly what is the form of the body. If spirit soul is nonmaterial, what is the form?

Prabhupāda: There is form. Just like this body is compared with the dress. Now, just like in your present material form you have got hand; therefore your coat has got hand. If you have got... You have got leg; therefore your pant has got leg. Therefore it is to be assumed that the spirit soul has got form, and it has developed into hands, legs, heads, everything. It is not formless; it has got form. But with our material eyes at the present, gross eyes, we cannot find it; therefore we say it has no form.

Devotee: (Spanish)

Girl devotee: Is Jesus in the paramparā?

Prabhupāda: Yes. He says, "There is God. I am son of God." That is paramparā. Yes. Unfortunately nobody cares to follow Jesus Christ. That I must say. Jesus Christ says, "Thou shall not kill," and Christians are very expert to kill. (laughter) They take pride in bullfighting. This is the position. So it is very difficult to find out a real Christian.

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:

There are two things, sat and asat. Sat means which exists, and asat means which does not exist, temporary. It appears and again disappears. That is asat. The example is just like the sky and the cloud. Cloud appears, exists for some time, again disappears. But the sky remains always. This is the distinction between sat and asat, try to understand. Sky, this material sky, this also does not exist, but so far our experience is concerned, we can understand the distinction between sat and asat. Permanent and temporary. We cannot say "nonexistent" exactly. Existing. When the cloud comes, it has got some activities, there is rainfall and, on account of rainfall, on the ground there is some new vegetation, new flowers, everything looks very green. In the rainy season we get some products. So we cannot say it is false, but we can say it is temporary. Similarly, material world, matter, is not false. But it is nonpermanent. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). You'll find it in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Māyāvādī philosopher says brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. The spirit is truth, and jagat, this material world, is untruth, mithyā, false. We say that everything is emanating from the Supreme. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. Everything is emanating from Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. So that cannot be false. Because Absolute Truth, how from truth, false will come? This is our philosophy. The matter may be temporary, but it is not false. The Vedic injunction is mā asataḥ. Mā asato sad gamaya. Don't try to be entangled with the asat. Sad asat. But try to come to the platform of sat.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

So this so-called birth and death is due to the covering of māyā. The marginal potency. We are... Kṛṣṇa has got many potencies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). That is the Vedic instruction. The Absolute Truth has multi-energies. Whatever we see... Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. Whatever little we are seeing, that is simply distribution of the energy of the Supreme. Exactly the same way: the sunshine and the sun globe, and the sun-god. Sun-god, from him... Not only sun-god, there are other living entities also. Their body is glowing. They have got fiery body. As we have got earthly body... Earth is prominent in this planet. Similarly, in the sun planet, the fire is prominent. As earth is one of the five elements, fire is also another one of the five elements. These things will be explained that the soul is never burned by the fire.

Lecture on BG 2.21-22 -- London, August 26, 1973:

So this is another way of convincing that... Very simple thing. Anyone can understand. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya. As our garments, coats and shirts, when they are old, rotten, no more usable, so we throw it away and get a new garment, shirt, coat. Similarly, the soul is changing garment from childhood, from babyhood. Just like a baby has got a shoe, but when he gets the child's body the shoe does not fit. You have to take another shoe. Similarly, when the same child grows or changes body, he requires another shoe. Similarly, the soul is changing his body exactly as we change our garments. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni. Jīrṇāni means when it is old enough, not fit for use, yathā vihāya, as we give it up... Vihāya means give it up. Navāni, new garment. Naraḥ aparāṇi gṛhṇāti. Now the body has been compared herein as the garment. Just like coat and shirt. The tailor cuts the coat according to the body. Similarly, this material body, if it is shirt and coat, then this is cut according to the spiritual body. The spiritual body is not nirākāra, without form. If it is without form, then how the garment, the coat and shirt, has got hands and legs? It is common sense. The coat has got hand or the pant has got legs because the person who is using the coat, he has got hands and legs.

Lecture on BG 2.23-24 -- London, August 27, 1973:

There are so many inconceivable powers acting on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. What are you? You may cheat some people that you have become God. That is another thing. But the inconceivable potency of Kṛṣṇa, they are working differently. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī says that unless we accept this principle that Kṛṣṇa or God has got inconceivable power, acintya-śakti, we cannot understand. If we put Kṛṣṇa within the jurisdiction of my limited understanding, that is not understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). That inconceivable power is also within us. We do not know. So many things are happening. The example, as I gave many times, that the one nail was taken off. Still, it grew exactly to the size of the nail. In my personal body, in the nails. So the doctors cannot make exactly fitting nail, but it is growing exactly to the size. Even it is inconceivable to me how it is growing. Even my hair grows inconceivable, I do not know. I cut every week, and it still grows. There are so many little inconceivable power within me. I am part and parcel of God. Just imagine how much inconceivable power is there in Kṛṣṇa. It is common sense.

Lecture on BG 2.23-24 -- London, August 27, 1973:

So it is quite natural to understand that if there is living entity within the earth, within the water, even in the air... That we experience. In the air there are so many living entities. In the water, unvisible, not seen by the naked eyes. By microscope, we can see so many germs are there in the water, in the air. So why not in the fire? Fire is also one of the material elements. Therefore, the sun planet, although it is fiery planet, there is inhabitation of different type of human being who may be called as demigods. But there are similar buildings, similar persons, cities, motorcars, everything. Everything is there. Otherwise, how Kṛṣṇa could go there and says that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1), unless it is exactly a planet like this where living entities, houses, roads, cars and everything is there? As Kṛṣṇa advented Himself within this planet, He came here, Kṛṣṇa can go anywhere. Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, He was going anywhere. Sometimes within the waters, sometimes within the walls of the universe, sometimes in the spiritual world. He went to the spiritual world, taking Arjuna with Him. Arjuna also went with Him. And He saw the Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu in the spiritual world. These things are there, described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He could go anywhere. They were going to the heavenly planets. That is Kṛṣṇa. Not Guruji. (laughs) That one slap, and he's blind. Not like that. Kṛṣṇa could go, Kṛṣṇa can do... All, this is called omnipotent, all-powerful. So unless we think of Kṛṣṇa possessing unconceivable powers, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

So Vyāsadeva, by his meditation, saw the Supreme Person and māyā also. Māyā is on the backside. Māyā cannot come in the front side. So Kṛṣṇa is never covered by māyā. It is our eyes which covered by māyā. So we, the fragments of Kṛṣṇa, mamaivāṁśaḥ, we are covered by māyā, not Kṛṣṇa. The theory that Kṛṣṇa becomes covered, that is nonsense. How Kṛṣṇa can be covered? Kṛṣṇa cannot be covered. He is the controller of the māyā. And we are controlled by the māyā. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa, māyādhīśa, and we are māyādhīna. Adhīna. We can become free. Exactly the same example that when our eyes are covered by the cloud, we cannot see the sun, although the sun is there. So if some way or other... We have got very good experience nowadays by flying in the airship. As soon as the airship goes above the cloud, you have got immense sunlight. Immense sunlight. And practically, the jet planes, they go seven miles above the surface and there is no cloud. The cloud is down. Similarly, you can go also above māyā. You can transcend māyā and see Kṛṣṇa always. That is possible. How? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). You simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa will arrange that you are no more under māyā. Simple process. You just become, as Kṛṣṇa demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is sanātana-dharma.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- London, August 28, 1973:

Therefore our business should be not to associate with the material qualities. Even up to goodness. Material quality, goodness means the brahminical quality. Sattva śama damas titikṣā. So devotional service is transcendental to these good qualities also. In this material world, if somehow or other, he has got the birth in a brāhmaṇa family or he's executing his duties exactly a strict brāhmaṇa, still he's conditioned under the laws of this material nature, still. And what to speak of others, those who are in the modes of passion and ignorance. Their position is most abominable. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ: (BG 14.18) Those who are in the modes of ignorance, jaghanya, very abominable condition. So at the present moment... That is śūdra. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In this age of Kali, everyone is in the modes of ignorance. Śūdra. They do not know because they have no... One who know that "I am spirit soul; I am not this body," he is brāhmaṇa. And one who does not know, he is śūdra, kṛpaṇa. Etad vidita prāye sa brāhmaṇa. Everyone dies, that's all right, but one who dies after knowing the spiritual truth... Just like here, the students who are trying to understand what is spiritual life, and, somehow or other, if he understands that he's spirit soul, at least, then he becomes brāhmaṇa. He becomes brāhmaṇa. Etad vidita. And one who does not understand, he is kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means miser. Brāhmaṇa means liberal. These are the shastric injunctions.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Arjuna was reputed as a great warrior. So he should remain a great warrior. A warrior's business is not to stop fighting on the plea of becoming kind. If you have gone to the warfield and if you practice nonviolence there, this is useless. Why should you go? There is a Bengali proverb that naste bose guṇṭhanam(?), that... In India, the girls, they cover their head. That is the system of married girl's shyness. So it is said that one girl is on the stage for dancing. Now while she is to dance, she's covering the head. What is the use of covering the head? You have come to dance, you dance. Similarly, in the warfield, you have gone there to fight. Where is the question of becoming nonviolent? So things should be done according to the time and atmosphere. In the warfield, there is no question of nonviolence. The war is arranged for committing violence. Where is the question of preaching there nonviolence?

Devotee: I don't know how to exactly word this. It seems like... I didn't quite understand the explanation, but it seems that although the battlefield is arranged for this war, there was almost a test for his principles and for him to renounce his place in the kṣatriya class. This is where I get confused in the Gītā. It seems like this is a very noble thing for him to renounce his place in the caste. I'm not clear here.

Prabhupāda: Renounce what?

Devotee: To renounce his place as a warrior and to go off into the woods and be a mendicant or whatever he wanted to do.

Prabhupāda: Who said?

Devotee: Arjuna.

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

So this is the only..., that you have haven't got to create mental concoction to become happy. You have simply to dovetail yourself with the supreme will. There will be activities. There will be activities because your consciousness cannot be inactive. But there will be activities. That activity will be standard and without any mistake, without any flaw, because it is dictated by the Supreme. Just like a fa..., a child is given instruction to write "A." So he does not write, does not know how to write. He's doing this way, that way. The teacher says, "My dear boy, kindly do this, this way, this way, 'A.' " So, if he does it, he's nice. It is nice. Similarly, we have to engage our consciousness... There is a supreme plan, supreme plan, all over the creation of the world, supreme plan. Everything is going on under some plan. Don't you see how the sun rises exactly at the right time, how the moon rises exactly at the right time, how the seasonal changes come exactly at the time? Eh? Everything is going on under the control of the supreme consciousness. (break) ...C, A, T, cat, C, A, T, cat, C, A, T, cat. Now, that required. Now, if somebody says, "Oh, 'cat,' he has once said 'cat.' What is the use of again saying 'cat'?" No. When we will learn something, we have to repeat it, even in material things. And what to speak of spiritual? You see.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

This suffering..." They don't care for suffering. You see? They want this material enjoyment, which is the cause of his bondage. It is cause of bondage. So they do not want... Just like there are some prisoners who do not like to get out of the prison life. They think it is better to remain in the prison because "I have no responsibility. If I go outside the prison, oh, I will have to search out some work. Oh, that is botheration. Let me remain here." Or even after the termination of the prison life, when he comes out, he commits again some criminal act so that he may be put again into the jail. He has been accustomed. Similarly, he does not take seriously the miseries of prison life. He is so accustomed that he does not take. That is ignorance. That is ignorance. Similarly, those who are in this material world under the shackles of material modes of nature, they have completely forgotten that we have got a spiritual life which is full of freedom, full of knowledge, full of bliss, and we can become exactly almost like God. These things they have forgotten. They think that "If, from the C-class prisoner's life, I can become an A-class prisoner..." Just like in the prison life there are some classes, A-class prisoner, B-class prisoner, C-class prisoner, similarly, our endeavor is going on in this material life to become A-class prisoner. The program is not for getting out of the prison life, but we want to become A-class prisoner. That is ignorance. That is ignorance.

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

And the next verse He says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2): "So this confidential knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā was received in such disciplic succession." Disciplic succession. Just like the Lord Kṛṣṇa said to the sun-god, and the sun-god said to Manu, and Manu said to Ikṣvāku, and He summarizes that evaṁ paramparā-prāptam: "In such disciplic succession, the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā was received." Sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. Now, He says that "This yoga..." This Bhagavad-gītā is also called yoga. Karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga. You'll find in Bhagavad-gītā different yogas. So the whole book is called yoga.

Now, here also it is stated, sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa: "My dear Arjuna, oh, you are the great hero. Now, that Bhagavad-gītā, the instruction which I imparted to the sun-god, was coming by disciplic succession. Now it is lost." Now, we have to note down this point. Why it is lost? Why it is lost? Do you think that there was no learned man during that time? During Kṛṣṇa's time? Oh, there were many learned sages. Not only one, two, there were dozens of learned sages. But still, the Lord said, Kṛṣṇa said, that "They... That knowledge which I exactly imparted to sun-god is now lost." How it is lost? There were many scholars, and still, how it is lost? The lost means that the purport of Bhagavad-gītā is lost.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you love something and for that love's sake, if you give up something, that is also taken into account, that you're doing the same thing on account of love. The whole philosophy is for a better position you can accept some voluntary inconvenience. For better thing.

Devotee: We are absorbed in performing bhakti-yoga, devotional service. Now you stated in the lecture that the purport of bhakti-yoga is that our real nature is spirit soul, whereas in jñāna-yoga is of the mind, and karma-yoga is the activities of the body. Now in our service in bhakti-yoga, how... I don't exactly understand if we actually are the spirit soul because...

Prabhupāda: Just give me some practical example. What you are doing?

Devotee: Preparing prasādam.

Prabhupāda: So it is not bhakti-yoga? Why don't you understand? Your prasādam you are not cooking for yourself. You are cooking for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

Guest (1): Yes, of course.

Prabhupāda: But if you become a fish within the water, you will never be evaporated.

Guest (1): That's exactly my question is.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): That I want to go out of this avajñāna cakra.

Prabhupāda: So then you become a fish within the water. Then you will never come out. And if you remain superficially on the water, you will be evaporated.

Guest (1): So there is no remedy.

Prabhupāda: There is, no, there is remedy. You can become a devotee of God, then you will not be evaporated.

Guest (1): That's right.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Bombay, March 21, 1974:

Those who are infected with these defects, they cannot give you perfect knowledge. That is not possible. Imperfectness of senses—how he can gather perfect knowledge? They can simply say, "Perhaps," "It may be," "Most probably." That's all. Theories. Nobody can say, "It is like this." Just like in the Vedas it is said how many different varieties of lives are there. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Exact number, that so many varieties of lives are there. Nine hundred thousand species life in the water. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Two million varieties of trees, plants, like that. Kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Eleven lakhs varieties of insects. Pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. There are ten, one million types of birds. Similarly, three million types of animals, and four hundred thousand different types of humankind. Everything is exactly calculated. That is called Vedic knowledge. Because it is... How the perfection of knowledge comes? Here it is said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham (BG 4.1). Kṛṣṇa says. Aham avyayam. The knowledge is perfect. Avyayam. Avyayam means "that cannot be diverse or deviated." Perfect. Avyayam. Without any deviation. Therefore if you want to know perfect knowledge, then you have to hear from Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

If I ask you just exactly at this time what you were doing last evening, you will have to remember. You have forgotten. And what to speak of one week ago or one year ago? That is our nature, forgetfulness.

So here Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, although they are on the level of friendship, one is God and another is ordinary living entity. God does not forget; living entity forgets. That is the distinction. How you can say that you are God? You are so forgetful that you cannot say what you were doing a few hours before, and you claiming that you are God? They have made God as very cheap thing. Everyone is claiming, "I am God." They do not know what is God.

Now, here try to understand what is the difference between God and dog. A dog forgets. A dog comes to your place to eat something. You give it a slap. He goes away, again comes. He forgets that slapping. You see? That is the dog's nature. And God's nature is different.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Madhudviṣa: Purport: "The Lord has spoken about the peculiarity of this verse. Although He may appear like an ordinary person, He remembers everything of His many, many past births, whereas a common man cannot remember what he has done even a few hours before. If somebody is asked what he did exactly at the same time one day earlier, it would be very difficult for him to answer immediately. He would have to dredge his memory to recall what he was doing. And yet men often dare to claim to be God or Kṛṣṇa. One should not be misled by such meaningless claims. Then again, the Lord explains His prakṛti or His form. Prakṛti means nature as well as svarūpa, or one's own form. The Lord says that He appears in His own body. He does not change His body as the common living entity does from one to another. The conditioned soul may have one kind of body in the present birth, but he has a different one in the next birth. In the material world the living entity transmigrates in this way. The Lord, however, does not do so. Whenever He appears, He does so in the same original body by His internal potency. In other words, Kṛṣṇa appears in this material world in His original eternal form with two hands and holding a flute."

Prabhupāda: Yes. In your Bible also it is said that "Man is made after God," not that God is made after man. The atheist class, they say that "You have created a God according to your own feature," but no scripture says like that. God has eternal two hands, two legs. So man... God is so kind that man is also made according to His form. That is a special facility given to man, not that somebody imagines God, "Because man has two hands, therefore God has two hands." No. That is not a fact. Here it is explained nicely.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Madhudviṣa: "He appears exactly in His eternal body, uncontaminated by this material world. Although He appears in the same transcendental body, it still appears that He has taken His birth like an ordinary living entity, although in fact He is the lord of the universe. Despite the fact that Lord Kṛṣṇa has grown up from childhood to boyhood and from boyhood to youth, astonishingly enough, He never ages beyond youth-hood. On the battlefield of Kurukṣetra when He was present, He had many grandchildren at home, or, in other words, He had sufficiently aged by material calculations. Still, He looked just like a young man, twenty or twenty-five years old. We have never seen a picture of Kṛṣṇa in old age because He never grows old like us, although He is the oldest person in the whole creation, past, present, and future. Neither His body nor His intelligence ever deteriorates or changes. Therefore it is clear herein that in spite of His being in the material world, He is the same unborn, eternal form of bliss and knowledge, changeless in His transcendental body and intelligence. Factually His appearance and disappearance are like the sun rising, moving before us and then disappearing from our eyesight. When the sun is out of sight, we think that the sun is dead. And when the sun is before our eyes, we think that the sun is on the horizon. Actually the sun is always there. But owing to our defective, insufficient eyesight we must calculate the appearance and disappearance of the sun in the sky. And because His appearance and disappearance are completely different from that of any ordinary common living entity, it is evident that He is eternal in blissful knowledge by His internal potency, and He is not contaminated by material nature. The Vedas confirm that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unborn, and yet He still appears to be taking His birth in multi-manifestations. The Vedic supplementary literature also confirms that even though the Lord appears to be taking His birth, He is still without change of body. In the Bhāgavatam He appears before His mother as Nārāyaṇa with four hands and the decorations of the six kinds of full opulences. His appearance in His original eternal form is His causeless mercy, according to the Viśvakośa dictionary. The Lord is conscious of all His previous appearances and disappearances, but a common living entity forgets everything about his past body as soon as he gets another. He shows that He is the Lord of all living entities by performing wonderful and superhuman activities while on this earthly planet. The Lord is always the same Absolute Truth, and is without differentiation between His form and self, or between His quality and body. A question may now be raised as to why the Lord appears and disappears in this world at all. This is explained in the next verse."

Prabhupāda: All right. Stop. We shall discuss next. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Very nice. All right. Any question regarding this discussion?

Balabhadra: I thought Kṛṣṇa was sixteen only.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Here, in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is clearly said that "My dear Arjuna, you also had many, many births. You were, you are also, because you are constant companion of Me, so whenever I take incarnation in the, any planet, so you also, you are also with Me. So when I took incarnation in the sun planet and I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā to sun-god, you were also present with Me, but unfortunately, you have forgotten. Because you are a living being and I am the Supreme Lord." That is the difference between the Supreme Lord... I cannot remember. Forgetfulness is my nature.

Now, you cannot say... Now... Just now it is eight o'clock. Can you say exactly at eight o'clock what you had been doing in the morning or yesterday, this evening. Oh, you have to remember it. So while I cannot remember even what I was doing twelve hours before or twenty-four hours before, oh, what I can remember what was going on in my previous life? It is not possible.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Now, if you inquire where is now sunset or sunrise you can understand in different countries somewhere, the sun is now rising. Now, in America, the sunset and in India it is rising. It is rising. Exactly it is now eight, quarter past eight, and if you know by radio message what is the time in India you'll find that it is quarter past eight in the morning, and the sun has just rising. Now, here the sunset, and the sun... Similarly, if you inquire from Japan or any other country, the sun, the sun is somewhere in the meridian, sometimes it is, I mean to say, dead of night. So this timing difference is just like going on according to the position of the world movement. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance is like that. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is born and Kṛṣṇa is gone. No, it is not like that. Somewhere is Kṛṣṇa there. Just like the sun is somewhere. There are innumerable universes. The one universe, you see, oh, this is only one, but there are many. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. This material manifestation, with innumerable universes, is only a one part of manifestation of the Supreme Lord. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. These descriptions are there in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

Pradyumna: "He remembers everything of His many, many past births, whereas a common man cannot remember what he has done even a few hours before."

Prabhupāda: Yes That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourselves. We do not remember what we have done a few hours ago. What to speak of millions of years ago. But we take our birth because we are eternal. We have taken many births. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa's birth and our birth. Then?

Pradyumna: "If someone is asked what he did exactly at the same time one day earlier, it would be very difficult for a common man to answer immediately. He would surely have to dredge his memory to recall what he was doing exactly at the same time one day before. And yet, men often dare claim to be God, or Kṛṣṇa. One should not be misled by such meaningless claims."

Prabhupāda: Yes. These, considering these verses from the Bhagavad-gītā, we should not foolishly accept these so-called cheaters as God. That is not very nice thing. These are the symptoms of God, how He takes His birth. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). We should try to understand what is God. We should not take so cheaply that "Here is God incarnation. Here is..." No. That is misleading.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

Pradyumna: "In the material world a living entity has no fixed body, but transmigrates from one body to another. The Lord, however, does not do so. Whenever He appears, He does so in the same original body by His internal potency. In other words, Kṛṣṇa appears in this material world in His original eternal form with two hands holding a flute. He appears exactly in His eternal body, uncontaminated by this material world. Although He appears in the same transcendental body and is Lord of the universe, it still appears that..."

Prabhupāda: How He can be contaminated by the modes of material nature? Because Kṛṣṇa says that

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
(BG 7.14)

If somebody surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, He becomes free from the touch of māyā. Simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, if one becomes liberated from the clutches of māyā, how Kṛṣṇa can be under the clutches of māyā? This is foolishness. Those who say that "Kṛṣṇa also accepts this material body," that, that is not the fact.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

So similarly, the, from higher kingdom, I mean to say, kingdom of God... There is a, exactly the kingdom of God. We have got this information from this Bhagavad-gītā. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ (BG 8.20). Anya. There is another nature, another nature. Just like you have got a vision of this nature. You find this wall in the sky, blue. Beyond this sky, millions and millions miles away, there is another sky. Paras tasmāt, anya. Anya, there is another nature, which is called sanātana. You'll find in this Bhagavad-gītā, as you make progress. That is called sanātana nature. Sanātana means that nature never annihilates. This nature, this material nature, it is manifested at a certain time, and it remains for a certain period, and then the whole thing is dissolved again. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It is manifested and again dissolved, and in, in the spiritual sky. That is the function of this material nature, there is another nature, superior nature, which is called the kingdom of God, sanātana, eternal. Yes. So from that eternal nature all these, either God or representative of God, or incarnation of God, they come down. At times.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

Now, so far the employment is concerned, so here, here the employer and employee, both are serving and both are thinking that "I am the master." That is māyā. Suppose I employ somebody. I give $25 per day. So the man who is employed, he thinks that "I am not your servant. I am servant of these $25." So there is no question of service. So similarly, the master also, he thinks, "I am giving you $25 because I am exacting some service from you." So here there is no question of... The service is there, but it is perverted, perverted, in a different way. That is not real service. Service is there. Because I cannot live without service. That is my nature. Just exactly the same way: the water is always liquid, either it is designated black, or designated white. That doesn't matter. But water is there.

What is this? (sound of footsteps walking away) Is that clear? (laughs) Thank you very much. Thank you.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

So anyway, here the point is that in any religion there is a conception of worshiping God or symbol of God. Even in Jain philosophy they also worship Mahāvīra. In Buddha philosophy they worship Lord Buddha. In India there is Jainism. That is almost like Buddhism. They have got also exactly the same process of worship. Temples they have got. Big, nice, costly temples they have got. And they come to see, visit the temple, offer their worshipful offerings, flowers, fruits, everything. Same thing.

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

The service attitude or the engagement is there. Every one of us is a servant. Nobody is a master. He must be serving somebody. This point we have discussed. Even President Johnson, he is the chief man of your state; still, he's a servant of the state. So nobody's master here. To think of oneself that "I am the master, I am the master of all I survey," this is called māyā, illusion. I am not ser... I am not master. I am servant. So my service is now being misused under different designations. So as soon as we become free from the designations, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam... (CC Antya 20.12). That means when we can see exactly the position on the mirror of our mind after dusting over, that "My position, my constitutional position is that I am eternal servant."

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

So every moment we are having a new body. And that is a medical science truth. Medical science, it is... We are having new body at every moment. Similarly, when we take another body, oh, a person who knows things as they are, they are not bewildered. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dhīra means who is conscious of this bodily change, who knows things as they are, he's not, I mean to, bewildered. He's not, he's, he's steady, "Oh, he has changed his body. That's all." A person who does not know, he's crying. He..., "Oh, my son is gone. My son is gone. My son is gone." But if he's, I mean to say, in the consciousness, he knows, "Oh, my son has simply changed body." That's all. Just immediately, exactly, "My son, when he was little baby... Now he has grown up to be a boy." So the father and the parents do not lament, "Oh, where my, that son gone, that small baby gone?"

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Similarly, nobody can manufacture a religious process. That is nonsense. If somebody says that "I am introducing this religious process," that is nonsense. Nobody will be interested. But if God gives you law, just like the state gives you law, one has to accept. So religion means to accept the order of God. That is religion. And who can accept the order of God? When there is exactly relationship. Just like you have got relationship with the state. You are a citizen of American government. So you, out of love of your country, out of your obligation, you abide by the laws.

Similarly, religion can be performed by a person who has full conception of God. Without God, religion is a farce. That is not religion. Religion means you must have obligation to God, you must have clear conception of God. That is called... That is... And that relationship is based on love. Just like father and child. What is the relationship between the child? There are hundreds of thousands of children in the street. Why you are interested with your own children? Because there is love. Similarly, religion means love of God. And irreligion means forgetfulness of God. That's all.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Now, we have to understand in this way, that He has got His hands, He has got His leg, but not this limited hand or limited leg. In another place in Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. God says that "Whatever is offered to Me in the group of flowers, fruits, vegetables, I accept for eating." Now, if we think that God is far, far away, how He eats? I offer here. How He eats? That means His eating process is different. He can eat even from millions and millions of miles away. So these things are to be understood, that God has got a form, but that form is not exactly our form. If we try to understand God's form as limited as our form, then we'll misunderstand.

In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His form is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge, just exactly opposite to this form which we have got just now. We can also attain that form. That is being explained here.

Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:

Just like this tape recorder. It is being recorded. My words or my songs are being recorded. But they are different from me. This is dual, the world of duality. But the absolute world, there is no such difference. Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare. This name Kṛṣṇa and the personality Kṛṣṇa is the same. Is the same. Hare Kṛṣṇa means when I hear the sound, the transcendental sound vibration Kṛṣṇa, that means Kṛṣṇa is on my tongue, on my ear. Therefore, if we chant this vibration of transcendental sound with devotion and with attention, that is the highest type of meditation and yoga. And very easy. The process is that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and exactly the same sound you hear. So your mind is concentrated on this Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is not different. This sound Kṛṣṇa is not different from person Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:

So whole process is that the eternal has to get rid of this nonpermanent material contact. And he has to take leave for the spiritual world. So... (aside:) Come on. So the whole process is that during our present existing life we have to practice in such a way that we remain constantly on the higher nature, on the spiritual nature. Exactly in the same way: just like you put the iron rod in the fire and make it warmer, warmer, warmer, warmer, and so long it does not get red hot, so it becomes fire. This is practical. In the same way you have to put yourself in such a way that you are always in, constantly in, the higher nature, not that for one hour, two hour we make this association, we try to be in higher nature and after leaving this place we again turn to the lower nature. No. We should always, whatever we hear from here, from this place, we should try to understand clearly without any doubt.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

And ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). And we are already under the control of some leadership. That is a fact. Why should we not take exactly, directly, the leadership of Kṛṣṇa? This is the process. If you have got any doubt, that "Why should I take the leadership of Kṛṣṇa?" the answer is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is the real study of Bhagavad-gītā. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that "Arjuna, you are My dear friend. Therefore, although I have explained all the different branches of, I mean to say, spiritual cultivation, but the most confidential thing just I am telling you because you are My very dear friend." Sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "Just give up everything, and just be surrendered unto Me. I shall give you all protection." So instead of accepting so many infidel or imperfect leadership, let us accept the leadership of Kṛṣṇa and make our life perfect. That is the whole philosophy.

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

So Kṛṣṇa says... Although the chance is there, people, out of foolishness... Exactly this very word has been used in the Seventh Chapter.

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
(BG 7.15)

He has used very strong words, that persons who are miscreants, do not care for vice or virtue, never mind—they don't care which is vice and which is virtue—such persons, duṣkṛtina, those who are always engaged in vicious work, and those who are foolish... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. And māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ, and one whose knowledge is deluded by the external energy. These people, they do not take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa. They do not like, although the opportunity is open for everyone. But we may not be like the miscreants, foolish, and lowest of the mankind. Let us become intelligent.

Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

The relationship, as we experience in this material world... Just like you are my brother, or she is my sister, or he is my father, he is my, so many relationship we have got. So all these relationships are calculated into five. There are... Practically, there are twelve relationships. Seven relationships are contra, against. Just like you are my enemy. I want to kill you. You want to kill me. That is also one of the relationships, but this is contra. This is not favorable. This is called vivarta. Hāsya, something I see in you, I begin to laugh, or something you see in me, you begin to laugh. So there are different... Altogether, there are twelve relationships in every activities of our life. Out of that, five relationships is very favorable. Not five exactly, but... Yes, five.

Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

Just like He was creating disturbances, when He was, say, three years old. Just like children, two year, two years old, they create always disturbance with mother. They don't leave the company of mother. At the same time, they create disturb. So Kṛṣṇa was doing that. Now, the mother decided, "Now, I shall bind You with ropes. You are creating so much disturbance." And he took, she took a stick, and: "If You create disturbance, then I'll beat You." Oh, Kṛṣṇa began to cry. So there is description in the Bhāgavata by Kuntī that "The person who is the object of frightening for everyone, He was afraid of the stick of Yaśodā." Why? He was perfectly playing the childhood.

So this is the Kṛṣṇa's life. So one has to understand this thing. He was not need. Here just exactly the same thing, as He says, that na me karma-phale spṛhā: "I have no desire. I no..." Why He shall be desire? He is full. Desire, a needy person has desire. But a man who is full, why he shall be desire? Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me ka... iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti (BG 4.14).

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974:

Ācārya means one who is speaking exactly the same instruction as Kṛṣṇa has given. That is ācārya. Not ācārya, everyone becomes ācārya. "In my opinion it is like..." Who are you? If you have got any opinion, then you write your own book. Why do you touch Bhagavad-gītā? Because Bhagavad-gītā is very well-known book all over the world, these rascals take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and interpret it in their own way. That is not ācārya. Ācārya means, as Kṛṣṇa says, that "Millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā..." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān (BG 4.1). "I spoke to the sun-god millions and millions of years ago." Vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. Manu... If you simply calculate the age of Manu, it becomes millions and trillions of years. So before that. Because Vivasvān spoke to Manu. So Manu's age we cannot calculate. Before that.

So this is the paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa said to the sun-god Vivasvān. Vivasvān exactly transferred the message to Manu. Manu transferred the message to Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku is the first king of the Sun Dynasty, sūrya-vaṁśa, kṣatriya, the forefather of the dynasty where Rāmacandra, Lord Rāmacandra appeared.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Actually there is nothing as material. Because the energy and the energetic.... There is a verse in Viṣṇu Purāṇa:

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner
jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

What is this jagat, manifestation? The manifestation is energy, energy of Kṛṣṇa, energy of the Supreme Brahman. The whole atmosphere is just like the sunshine. We can exactly understand what is the position of this material world, what is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is the spiritual world. By nature's study you can understand.

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

If God... Somebody says, "I am God." I am God in this sense, that God is like me. Just like if you say, "I am American," your president is also American, so exactly you are like president, American. There is no harm. But if say, "I am as powerful as President Nixon," that is not applicable. Similarly, "I am God" means I am qualitatively one with God. It does not mean I am as powerful as God. That does not mean. He is the supreme controller. I have got the controlling capacity or I do control in my limited circle, but He is the supreme controller. In this way, if you understand, it is not very difficult to understand what is God, what you are, what is this material nature, what is time, and what is work. And if you understand these five things, then you are in full knowledge.

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

Now, the spiritual master is speaking, and the disciple is hearing, so as soon as there are some doubts and puzzling, so you should at once place the matter before the spiritual master to get it cleared. So this is the process which Arjuna is following. So he has heard and, up to Fourth Chapter so many things. Now he has got some doubt. He is placing before Kṛṣṇa and asking Him, "Out of so many things, please let me know which is exactly I have to follow."

Now, śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca. Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān. Bhagavān means... There are definition. There is definition of Bhagavān. Bhagavān means the Personality of Godhead. And who is Godhead? That is described in the Vedic literature.

Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:
He says that viṣaya... Viṣaya means enjoyable things. In the material world, what we want to enjoy, that is called viṣaya. So anāsaktasya viṣayān. So far we have got this body, we have to accept not for sense gratification, but for maintenance. So anāsaktasya, without being attached, we may accept the necessities of our bodily requirements, yathārham, as far as possible, as much as I want for maintaining the body and soul together. In this way, if we live, but everything dedicated to the Supreme Lord, that is the highest standard of renounced. And another, other side he explains that, that the things... Phalgu-vairāgyaṁ kathyate. Nirbandhaḥ. The idea is... I exactly forgot the verse, but it is stated like this, that a person who is trying to renounce this world without knowing that everything can be engaged in the service of the Lord, and he's renouncing, he is..., his renunciation is not first-grade. His renunciation is not first-grade.
Lecture on BG 5.7-13 -- New York, August 27, 1966:

Just like take, for example, foodstuff. You can take foodstuff as much as you require for your maintenance of the body. Now if you take more, then you'll be in trouble, and if you take less, then you'll be in trouble. You have to take exactly what is prescribed for you. Just like the elephant. Elephant is taking hundred pounds daily, twice. Once at a time he takes hundred pounds or more than that. And the ant takes only one grain. Now if the ant thinks that "I shall also take hundred pounds," oh, it is impossible for him. It is impossible. (chuckling) And if the elephant thinks, "All right, the ant is taking one grain. I shall take." No. That is not. The system is that in God's kingdom, in God's creation, for everybody, there is sufficient food. You take as much as you require. That is the natural way. In the nature's way you'll find, beginning from the ant to the elephant, they will not take more, they will not take less. If to the elephant you give two hundred pounds foodstuff, he'll take only a hundred pounds as he requires. Neither he'll take the foodstuff to his place to stock it for next day. No. You see these pigeons. You see. Whenever you give some foodstuff they take whatever they require, but they don't take anything for the next day. Next day. But we are thinking, "Oh, we have got so much foodstuff. All right, let me eat up to my throat, and then take something for next day." No.

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

The next day question should be stopped. We shall always depend. We shall always take as much as we require. That is called yoga-yukta. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhiḥ. One who is situated just exactly what he needs. Now, the whole world is situated in such a way, that every body, if he takes exactly what he needs and he does not stock, then there is no need. There is no poverty, there is no scarcity. But we do not do that. We stock for black market. No. That is creating... Because I am thinking that "This is my property." If I think that "Every thing, every eatable things, they are sent by Kṛṣṇa or God for everyone, let me take whatever I want," then there is peace in the world. Of course, that is not possible because it is such a world (people yelling outside)... It is such a world that we are always anxious to stock, or you'll ask always to take more, then more, then more. Nobody is satisfied. Nobody is satisfied.

Lecture on BG 5.22-29 -- New York, August 31, 1966:

So according to Vedic civilization, this training was given, student life, complete abstinence from sex life, then vānaprastha life, complete abstinence, and sannyāsa life, complete abstinence. The whole training was to abstain, to cure. Because... The same example: In diseased condition we cannot enjoy the foodstuff which we take. When we are healthy, we can enjoy the taste of the foodstuff. So we have to cure. We have to cure. And how to cure? To be situated in the transcendental position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the cure. So Kṛṣṇa advises here anyone who is able to tolerate the urge of sense pleasure. But we have to mold our life in such a way that we should be able to tolerate. Tolerate. That will give us our advancement in spiritual life, and when we are situated in spiritual life, that enjoyment is unending, unlimited. There is no end. Exactly similar verse is there in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Ṛṣabhadeva is advising his sons that

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke
kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye
tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ
śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam
(SB 5.5.1)

It is very nice verse. He says, "My dear boys, this human form of life..." Na ayaṁ deha. Ayaṁ deha means "this body." Na ayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Everyone has got body. The cats, dogs, hogs, and birds, beasts, man, human being demigod—everyone has got this body, material body. But he's especially advising nṛdeha. Nṛ means human form of life. He says that this human form of life is not meant for working hard for sense pleasure just like the hogs and dogs. Human life. Then what it is meant for? He says, tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1).

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

Exactly... Knowledge of sunshine is not perfect knowledge of sun. That you can understand very easily. Suppose daily you are having sunshine within your room. Does it mean you know what is sun disc or what is the inhabitants of the sun globe? No. Nobody knows. Similarly, impersonal knowledge of the Absolute Truth is like that. That is not complete knowledge. Although it is light, sunshine is also light, sun disc is also light and the inhabitants there, they also must be light. Otherwise, how can they live? They also must be fiery. Because the inhabitants there, they are also fiery, without being fire how you can live in fire? Sun is fire; everyone knows it. The temperature is very high. So one, without having a body suitable to that temperature, how they can live there? But there are living entities. That we have got. Because you cannot live in the water, that does not mean there is no living entity in the water. This is nonsense.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. One who is completely free from the resultant action of sinful activities, they can be engaged fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So these students are being trained how to become free from sinful activities. They are forbidden not to have illicit sex. These are four pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā. These are exactly to the injunction of the Vedas. So if we purify ourself... In the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna appreciates Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). How you can approach the pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān without being pavitra? So there is a process to appreciate whether Kṛṣṇa or God has form. Unless we adopt the form, superficially it is not possible. I see otherwise there are... Why so many process of bhajana-sādhana if it is so cheap that we can immediately understand what is God? No. And the Veda says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That was our system. First of all, they used to become brahmacārīs, to become most obedient servant of the spiritual master before becoming gṛhastha. Celibacy, brahmacārī, then gṛhastha. So these things are all lost now.

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

So if we hear daily, regularly, nityam, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, then... Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). If you hear daily... Just like we are holding class daily in the morning. And bhāgavata-sevayā. Sevayā means service. To make the place nicely cleansed so that devotees will sit down and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā will be discussed, this is called bhāgavata-sevā, serving the Bhāgavata. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā... Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu. The whole difficulty is that our heart is covered with so many dirty things. So by this process, this bhāgavata-sevayā, the dirty things will be cleansed. Not that exactly all cleansed. Even a little portion is cleansed, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, not fully cleansed, prāyeṣu, almost, then immediately, bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī (SB 1.2.18), immediately you come to the platform of bhakti-yoga. Little cleansed. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Not that... Therefore, we sometimes see that one who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, still, he is committing something wrong. But that is not very, that is not a case of discouragement. You stick to this principle. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Api cet su-durācāraḥ. We should not willingly do anything wrong. But due to our past habit, if we do something wrong, that we should not be discouraged, But stick to the principle, then gradually you'll be cleansed. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Prāyeṣu means almost cleansed, not completely clean. So we don't claim that we have become liberated from all dirty things. There are so many dirty things still. But little clearance will help us to become a devotee of the Lord.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, April 27, 1974:

So this is commonsense understanding. People do not understand it, very nice common sense, that the body is changing but the soul is there. Exactly the same example: the mother knows that "My boy, my child, although he has changed body, now he has grown-up, say, fifty years old, but my child he is. He is my child." Where is the difficulty to understand? Anyone can understand. But people do not believe in the transmigration of the soul. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). This kind of education, what is the value? The real knowledge begins when we understand that we are not this body, material body. I am different from body.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

So it is very easy thing. Simply we have to take to this yoga system, yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His devotee. Then we shall understand what is God in full, samagram. Samagram means full, without any doubt. Other, mental speculators, they are in doubt. They do not know whether there is God or what kind of God He is, what does He do or what is His business, so many things. But these Kṛṣṇa conscious people, they know exactly what is God and where is His address, where is His family. Everything they know, samagram, samagram and asaṁśaya, without any doubt. Not that, "Yes, I have now come to know God, where He lives, His address and His activity, but it may not be," saṁśaya. No. Asaṁśayaṁ samagram. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). So it is not difficult. If we are actually serious to understand what is God, God is explaining here Himself. You cannot speculate upon God. God is explaining Himself, "This is... I am like this." Just like a very big man. If you speculate upon him, "He may be possessing so much wealth, he may be like this. He may be..." No. That "may be" may be or may not be. But if that person explains himself, "My dear Mr. such and such, my position is like this. I am like this," then it is very easy.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

Svābhāvikī jñāna, all full knowledge He has got. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), He is the creator of everything. So how He got this knowledge to float these big, big planets in the air? That is knowledge, that is art. Just like when you float a big aeroplane in the sky, it requires knowledge, it requires technology, art. It is not flying automatically; that is a mistake. So if to float an ordinary airship it requires so much knowledge, so much technology, how much knowledge is there when you see that the biggest planet, the sun is floating in the air, and it is lying in one corner of the sky and exactly in time it is rotating, yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ? There is knowledge. There is art who has fixed it. Therefore in the Vedas it is said yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. He is also rotating in the orbit by the order of Govinda. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

So audience means the disciples. Disciple means who accepts the discipline. Śiṣya. Śiṣya. The exact Sanskrit word is śiṣya. A śiṣya means... There is a verb, Sanskrit verb, which is called śās. Śās means controlling. From śās, the "śāstra" comes. Śāstra means controlling books. And from śas, śastra. Śastra means weapons. When argument fails, reason fails... Just like the state controls. First of all they give you the laws. If you break the laws, if you don't follow the regulation books, means śāstra, then next step is śastra. Śastra means weapons. If you don't follow the regulation of the government, keep to the right, then there is police batons—śastra. You have to be controlled. If you are gentleman, then you be controlled under the instruction of the śāstras. And if you are defying, then there is trident of Durgādevī. You have seen Durgādevī, the picture, trident, threefold miseries. You cannot, I mean to say, violate any rules and regulations; as of the state, similarly of the supreme state Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Just take for example there are some health rules. If we eat more, then you will be controlled by some disease. You'll have indigestion and the doctor will advise you not to eat three days. So there is control—by nature. Nature means God's law. Automatically working. Foolish people do not see God's law, but there is God's law. The sun is rising just exactly in the time, the moon is rising exactly in the time. The first year, first January, has come exactly in time.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

We have got four deficiencies. We commit mistakes, we become illusioned... We commit mistake, everyone knows. I have several times talked that even a personality like Gandhi, he committed so many mistakes. So, so long you are conditioned by the material nature, you must commit mistake. There is no escape. Similarly, we are illusioned. Illusioned means we accept something for something. Just like you are accepting this body—"I am American," "I am Indian"—but I am neither American nor Indian; I am spirit soul. This is called illusion. Bhrama, pramāda, and vipralambha. Vipralambha means the propensity for cheating others. I do not know exactly what is the cause of life; still, I am theorizing in so many ways. And when I am challenged by other person that "Can you produce, with chemical, life?" "That I cannot say." Then why you are talking nonsense? This is cheating. If you are actually in knowledge that from chemical, life can be produced, then you produce it. I give you chemicals. But when you cannot do, why you are cheating people? But this cheating propensity is there. One is a nonsense number one, but he speaks. "Devils cite scripture." That we do not accept. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement does not accept the scripture cited by the Devil. Therefore we have accepted Kṛṣṇa, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Whatever He says, we accept. We are not perfect, our senses are not perfect, we are fool number one, but the knowledge which we accept, that is perfect. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

Similarly, this material world, made of bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhiḥ, they are just like reflection of the real life in the spiritual world. Therefore it is called separated energy. Why Kṛṣṇa says? Kṛṣṇa says here that bhinnā. Bhinnā means separated. The example I have already... Sometimes I give. Just like I speak in the tape recorder. When you play, replay the tape recorder, the same voice will come. But that is not myself. That is my separated energy. With my energy I have spoken something, I have vibrated some sound. That is recorded in the tape. When it is played back, it produces exactly the same sound, but still, it is separated from me. Try to understand. This material world is like that, bhinnā, separate. The real life is in the spiritual world. The real life is... Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi: (SB 1.1.1) "The real truth, the Absolute Truth, I am offering my obeisances to the Absolute Truth." So Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. If we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then, instead of speculating about Kṛṣṇa, better take what Kṛṣṇa teaching Himself. That will be perfect.

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

Bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Just like I am speaking, it is being recorded, recorded. But in my absence, if the record is played, it will exactly vibrate the same sound. So that is my energy or anyone's energy, but bhinnā, separated from me. You have to understand like that. So everything is energy of God, Kṛṣṇa, but this material world means we are missing Kṛṣṇa. Wherefrom this energy has come? That point we are missing. Bhinnā. One who knows... Just like the same example. In the record the play is going on, but one who does not know who has recorded this speech, he cannot find out. But one who knows voice, he can understand, "It is coming from Prabhupāda, or the Swamiji." Similarly, the energy is there, but because we have forgotten the source of the energy or we do not know the source of the energy, therefore we take material things as final. This is our ignorance.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

So we can study what is the nature of the Absolute Person by studying the sun. The sun globe is localized. The sunshine is spread all over the universe, and within the sun globe there is the sun-god, Vivasvān. Similarly, the original planet is Goloka Vṛndāvana. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Original, the Goloka Vṛndāvana, the abode of Kṛṣṇa. So take it... Just like sun globe. And within the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet there is the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, just like exactly within the sun the person, sun-god, his name is Vivasvān. And from that globe, Goloka Vṛndāvana, there is rays. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). On account of that effulgence from the Goloka Vṛndāvana, there are innumerable spiritual and material planets. The spiritual planets are called Vaikuṇṭhalokas, and in the material sphere there are so many planets—Sun, Moon, Venus, Earth, so many, millions and millions... They are all resting on that effulgence, Brahman effulgence. Yasya prabhā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ govindam. The brahma-jyotir is the rays of, the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa. So everything is resting... We have got experience that these material planetary systems, they are resting on the sunshine. The scientist knows it. On account of the heat of the sunshine, all the planetary systems or the globes, they are moving, going around. It is not stopped. There is a small apparatus—I have seen in America—that as soon as you give heat, within that, I mean to say, glass, the one is glow, it is rotating... (end)

Lecture on BG 7.9 -- Vrndavana, August 15, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa wants everyone, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). A guru's business is that. Guru does not mean that he takes the position of Kṛṣṇa. He simply teaches people that "You accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You surrender unto Him. You always think of Him. You always offer your obeisances. You become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa." This is guru's business. It is not very difficult. Anyone who is sincerely following Kṛṣṇa's instruction and instructing others also to do that, that is ācārya. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya. This is ācārya. You behave yourself exactly as it is stated in the śāstra, as it is ordered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as it is ordered by Kṛṣṇa... Āpani ācari jīvere śikhāya. And you teach all your disciples, who comes to you as your disciples, teach them. This is ācārya.

Lecture on BG 7.11-13 -- Bombay, April 5, 1971:

Sāttvikā bhāvāḥ means the consciousness of goodness, material goodness, sāttvikā bhāvāḥ. There are many persons who are very moral and following the rules and regulation of the śāstra or an ideal brāhmaṇa. That is sāttvika-bhāva. Ye caiva sāttvikā bhāvā rājasāḥ. Rājasāḥ means the kṣatriya spirit consciousness, and tāmasāś ca ye matta eveti. They are all emanations from Kṛṣṇa. Because everything is emanation. Kṛṣṇa, or Absolute Truth, means the original source of all emanations. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is Brahman? Brahman means the original source of all emanations, wherefrom everything is coming. So all these varieties, they are coming from Brahman. So Brahman cannot be impersonal. If Brahman is impersonal, how the varieties are coming from Him? That is not possible. Every... He is the source of everything. There is sāttvika-bhāva, there is rājasika-bhāva, there is tāmasika-bhāva in Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, when we see Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, līlā, just like Kṛṣṇa killing a demon, that is rājasika-bhāva. There are many instances. If you read Kṛṣṇa's life from Kṛṣṇa book, you will find exactly it is similar to human activities. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, matta eveti tān viddhi: "But I am not affected by those qualities." That is Kṛṣṇa's special prerogative. When we are under the spell of sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, or tamo-guṇa, we become affected. But Kṛṣṇa, when you find that rajo-guṇa is exhibited in His pastimes, but He is not under the influence of that rajo-guṇa. Even sometimes Kṛṣṇa is found under the influence of tamo-guṇa, but He is not there.

Lecture on BG 7.28-8.6 -- New York, October 23, 1966:

Now, if we believe Kṛṣṇa as the supreme authority, if we believe Him, then we can adopt this. And there is no question of disbelieving Him, because all great souls, all great scholars and all great spiritualists... Arjuna, you say the example of Arjuna. He's not an ordinary man. He belongs to the royal order. And he's a very, I mean, a great fighter, great general. And he is taking instruction from Kṛṣṇa. If Arjuna has taken instruction from Kṛṣṇa... He's a... Rāmānujācārya has taken, accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme. He... Śaṅkarācārya has accepted the Kṛṣṇa as Supreme. And all the ācāryas... Lord Caitanya has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme. Then what is the difficulty of my understanding about His greatness? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Just like when we go to the market, if we see that everyone is purchasing at the same time, then I think, "Oh, undoubtedly it is the exactly price. Oh, let me purchase at this price." The doubt is gone at once, because I see several persons, they're accepting at that price. So it is right price. That is the standard. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186).

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

Not become Kṛṣṇa. Just like you are spirit soul. When you take the body of a certain type of body, you act according to the body. Just like the dog is acting differently from human body because he has got a different body. Hog is acting differently because he has got a different body. So there are 8,400,000's of different bodies. So mad-bhāva, mad-bhāva means the nature, Kṛṣṇa's nature. You keep your individuality, but you get Kṛṣṇa's nature. And what is Kṛṣṇa's nature? Kṛṣṇa's nature is always blissful. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Always joyful. So you get a body of joyful, full of knowledge, and eternal. Not that you become Kṛṣṇa. You get exactly the same bodily constitution as Kṛṣṇa has got. That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). As we are, even at the present moment, we are particle Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is vibhu, the whole. We are aṇu, we are small. Similarly, as now we have got this material body, if we pass our life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we get our spiritual body, which is not different from the soul. A clear example: just like a man put into the water is raised from the water and placed in the land. So in the land he is happy. Similarly, because we are spirit soul, we are in a very unfavorable condition of this material world. As soon as we perfect ourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we get into the spiritual platform or body or atmosphere.

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

So there are many volumes of knowledge of this material sky and spiritual sky. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, you will find description of the spiritual sky, what nature it is, what kind of people remain there, what is their feature—everything. Even we get information that in spiritual sky there is aeroplane, spiritual aeroplane in the spiritual sky. And the living entities, they are liberated. They travel on the spiritual sky on that plane, and it is so nice, just like lightning. The description is... They travel just like lightning. So everything is there. This is only imitation. This material sky and everything, whatever you see—all imitation, shadow. It is shadow. Just like in cinematographic picture you see the shadow of the real thing behind, similarly, this is only shadow. And in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ, yatra tri-sargo 'mṛṣā (SB 1.1.1). This material world is a combination of matter. Just like you have seen a nice girl's doll in the showcase of the shopkeeper's exactly just like a nice, beautiful girl. But that is imitation. Imitation. Every sane man knows, "Oh, this is imitation."

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

Now, what is the nature of God? That is also... Mmmm. Yasyāntaḥsthāni bhūtāni yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. The Supreme Lord, although He's person, just like exactly a person like you and me, still, He's so, I mean to say, great that all this manifestation, spiritual or material, that is within Him. And He is also all-pervading, all-pervading by His different... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport), by His different energies, He's all-pervading everywhere. You can... If you develop pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you can see Kṛṣṇa always before you. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). These stages are there. So these are explained in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā. Then again Lord Kṛṣṇa explains. This is for the devotee.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

So how that happiness can be achieved? That chance is in the human being. But if we receive, by the mercy of the material nature, a human being and we do not utilize it properly, if we misuse this benediction as cats and dogs or other animals, then we have to accept again the animal form, and when the term is finished... It takes long, long duration of time because there is evolutionary process. So again you'll come to this human form of life, when the term is finished. Exactly the same example: A thief, when he has finished his term of imprisonment, he's again a free man. But again he commits criminality; again he goes to the jail. So there is cycle of birth and death. If we utilize our human form of life properly, then we stop the cycle of birth and death. And if we do not use this human form of life properly, again we go to that cycle of birth and death.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

So it is rāja-vidyā. This bhakti-yoga is the topmost educational system, and it is open for everyone. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grama. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) Does it means He want you to make a first? If every city, every town was to be broadcast to the Caitanya cult... So what is Caitanya cult? Caitanya cult means realization of Kṛṣṇa. That is Caitanya cult. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. This is Caitanya cult. So one who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, does he remain a yavana, a śūdra? What is this nonsense? But this against propaganda going on against this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "Swami Bhaktivedanta is giving sannyāsa to the yavanas, to the mlecchas." What is this rascaldom? Can yavana be sannyāsa? Can yavana become a devotee? No. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir. The most obnoxious thing, most obnoxious. They all fools, I can challenge. In Hyderabad, so many caste brāhmaṇas came to challenge me. The caste brāhmaṇa. No. No caste brāhmaṇas. Caste brāhmaṇa... Brāhmaṇa means catur varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Śrīdhara Swami says, "Yes." (Sanskrit) It is exactly to the point of śāstra. Otherwise it is not possible to make them so perfect. So the propaganda against us is false... (end)

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:

Scandinavia, they say. So the darkness is very, very disgusting. But this material world is dark. To give us little relief, Kṛṣṇa, God, has given us the sun. The day before yesterday, I think... Yesterday, in the morning, we saw, while coming on the path, how the sun was coming through the sea nicely. Within a second the whole light came. So this is God's arrangement. Don't think that this arrangement... Exactly in the time, six o'clock in the morning, immediately the sun comes out of the sea and gives you light. Because this material world is dark, so in order to give you relief... Otherwise you'll commit suicide. God is so kind, He is giving you light. So uttamam.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

You have simply learned to push one button, but there are vividhaiva button. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. So simply by His willing, everything is being done. That is Kṛṣṇa. Simply by His willing. Vicamati. Just like in the Bible it is said, "Let there be creation," and there was creation. Simply by this will, "Let there be creation," there is creation. But there is action of the energy of Kṛṣṇa, but the energy is so subtle that immediately it performs: svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. You see, study one flower, how finely it is constructed, how... The botanist can study that it is running in this way, the veins are running in this way, the system is like this. But who has made the system, that is to be studied. Not only simply studying the superficial nature. A flower is coming out. It is not coming automatically. Exactly the same energy. Just like if we want to paint one flower, we have to apply our energy. We have to collect a color and the brush and apply our attention. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is doing, but His energy is so perfect, it becomes quickly done, immediately. Immediately. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The same example: just like now in the electronic days. Formerly we have to connect so many things before doing telegraphic transfer, but by electronic: immediate, simply by pushing one button.

Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:

Just like I will give you again the same example, the government. The government, say, the university department, educational department, and the jail department. The jail department is also government department. It is not that government is absent from the jail department. Rather, government is spending more money for the jail department, more than the government spends on the university department. So both of them are government concern, but one department is full of criminals, and one department is full of learned scholars. This is the difference. Try to understand. You don't think that material world is out of the control of God. It is also under the control, exactly. The jail department is also under the control of the government. So that is the difference, material world and spiritual world. Material world means full of criminals, or against God, or defying the authority of God. And the spiritual world? Everyone is accepting the supremacy of God. That is material world and spiritual world.

Lecture on BG 9.26-27 -- New York, December 16, 1966:

So the Vedic literature teaches us that tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ: "In the spiritual matter, you cannot argue." Your argument will be failure because you may be very good arguer, but I may come. I can cut all your arguments. And somebody else comes—he cuts all my arguments. It is a question of logic. So there are many logical experts. So by arguments we cannot reach the Supreme Truth. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Not by purchasing books from the market and reading it. No. That also will not help you. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. If you purchase Bhagavad-gītā, you purchase Bible, you purchase Koran, or... So many, there are, literatures. They are also authorized. That's all right. But you cannot learn them by your own study. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One must go and learn it from the spiritual master, exactly you purchase some scientific book, medical science, or engineering and study at home. Oh, you will never be acknowledged as a medical practitioner. You have to admit yourself into the, that disciplic succession, medical college. You have to attend lectures. Then, when you pass degree, then you will be admitted.

Lecture on BG 10.3 -- New York, January 2, 1967:

So how can I deride on Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man? Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā I will find it is said that avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ: (BG 9.11) "Those who are fools, rascals, they think of Me as ordinary man." Yes. But He is not ordinary man. Exactly this word is used, you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, mūḍha. Mūḍha means the fools, rascals. They think of Kṛṣṇa just like ordinary man. But He is different. He is different from everything of this world because everything of this world is born. You will trace out the history, the birthdate. But you cannot.

Therefore, ajam anādi. Anādi, you cannot find out any date. Adyasya sapariṇāmena asya deha-janmasu janma-stha anādim ity anena viśeṣataḥ mukta-cid-vargāc ca veda.(?) Anādi. Now, anādi, this word, should be very nicely analyzed. Anādi means without any cause. Now, Kṛṣṇa may be spiritual, but there are other spiritual bodies also. There are many spiritual bodies, and we are also having spiritual body, but it is now covered. But our spiritual body is also due to Kṛṣṇa. Because everything is born, everything is born. So my spiritual body is also born. It is not born exactly, but because we have no idea about the spiritual existence, therefore the cause and effect we have to take it for granted.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

As soon as there is cause of death, he is no more independent. He cannot say that "I have got so many business to do, perform. Give me some time." "No, immediately get out." So he is under control, fully controlled. Still, he is thinking that he is independent and he can do whatever he like. In this way his life is being spoiled. And he is becoming entangled by the activities. And there is strong stringent laws of nature, exactly... Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. These things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Why one is put into one type of body, and why one is put in another type of body? One body is enjoying very nicely. Not enjoying, he is also suffering. He is enjoying for a limited time. He is also suffering. But he... Comparatively, one is situated in a very nice comfortable position, and the other is not. Therefore other is envious, that "Why this man is in a comfortable situation, and I am put into...? So let us become communist or revolt against this person or this group of person." In this way the struggle for existence is going on, and there is no solution.

How there can be solution because they are all uneducated, not educated? So if you want to be educated, make the solution of all the problems of the world, then you must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is the only solution. It will educate people the real identity, real position.

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

There are so many varieties of life. We have no information. There are so many universities, so many educational institutions, but they cannot say exactly how many varieties of life are there. They cannot say. Their education is not perfect. They cannot say. But we can see there are so many varieties of life, and each of them is a living entity. But if you consult Vedic literature, you'll find exactly the number. Just like in the Vedic literature you'll find jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi: "In the water the aquatic living beings are 900,000 different bodies." So I don't think there is any biologist or botanist who can say exactly how many forms of life are there within the water.

But you'll find the information exact in number, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi: "The aquatics, the living entities within the water, there are nine hundred thousands 900,000's of forms." We have got information from Vedic literature. There is a fish which is called timiṅgila. Timiṅgila. Timi means... Timi is also another fish. That is Sanskrit name. The English name is whale fish. It is very very big, just like one small house. And there is another fish which is called timiṅgila. These timiṅgila fish swallow up these whale fish like, like this. (laughter) Such a big fish. These informations are there. Therefore try to understand how much perfect knowledge is there in the Vedas. So similarly, right information is there.

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

That is not knowledge. Anyone... Just like dog and cat. Dogs and cats, they have no idea that the dog is not this body. It is a soul also. It has taken a dog's body. Cat is also a soul, but by his karma, by his destiny, by his past work, he has to accept this body. A tree, that is also a soul, but by his past karma or action, he has taken this body of the tree. So we should understand from the authority, as Kṛṣṇa says, that idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram: "It is a field. It is a concession or..." Field is exactly the term. "Field of work," as we say generally, in the field of activities." So it is field. And I have given a chance to occupy this field and act accordingly. Try to understand. I have got a different type of field, and I have to work on it and reap the result out of it and suffer pains and pleasure. That is already settled up. As soon as I have got a particular type of body, my pains and pleasures are already settled up, already settled up. You cannot make any improvement or degradation.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

So this is going on. What you do not know exactly—simply theoretically you put some theories and speculate—that is not knowledge. But our process, we are getting knowledge from the perfect personality. That is Vedic system. You acquire knowledge from a person who is perfect in knowledge. Perfect in knowledge and imperfect in knowledge. So long we are imperfect, we cannot give perfect knowledge. Therefore we must find out knowledge from the perfect person. That is Vedic injunction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Guru. Guru means one who has got perfect knowledge. One who hasn't got perfect knowledge, he cannot become guru. How he can? Guru means heavy. So if I am light and I take knowledge from another light person, then what is the use of such knowledge?

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

And eight millions other forms. Eight millions. The aquatics, the trees, these plants, the grass and the insects. We have experience how many different types of insects are there in Māyāpur. During night, so many different types of insects come to the fire, to the light. This is another illusion. These insects, they are coming, being attracted by the beauty of the light. The electric light, it is not open. Otherwise, these insects come in the burning fire and die. Beauty. Captivated by the beauty of the fire. So actually it is going on. We are attracted by the beauty of māyā and exactly we are falling to the fire and dying.

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

So this is called Vedic knowledge. Perfect information is given there. Doesn't say nine hundred one or nine hundred fifty. Exactly, nine hundred thousand. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. Then next, sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Then, after aquatic, when the water dries, the vegetation comes out, and that vegetation grow gradually into plants, trees, herbs and so many, big, big trees. Here we have got big, big trees. So from aquatic life they have come to this vegetable life. And one tree standing for thousands of years. They cannot move an inch. This is also life. There is life.

The trees, these banyan trees, they are making their arrangement how to stand fixed up very strong. Nobody can move. The same struggle for existence is going on. As we are struggling to make our position secure, similarly, the trees are also making their position secure. The cats and dogs, they are also making attempt to make their position secure. This is called struggle for existence. So from this tree, just try to remember that there are nine hundred thousand species of aquatics.

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

This is called Vedic knowledge. Exactly what is the fact, that is stated there. So our process of understanding, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—we do not hear from any bogus person. We hear from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says for us, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, tat samāsena me śṛṇu: "From Me because I am the supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." So we get knowledge from superior authority. That is the process of acquiring knowledge.

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

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

Then why does He give sanction for our sinful activities? Because we want to do it. Because we want to do it. God does not want that you become implicated in sinful life. Therefore thief, he steals very stealthily. God says from within, "Don't steal. You will be implicated. You will be punished. Why you are stealing?" But he will do. He will do. That is ajñāna. That is ignorance. God is always helping us, but we do not care for God. That is our disease. Therefore we are getting different types of bodies and suffering. This is the philosophy, real philosophy, that God is there with me in the same bird, in the same, exactly the same, that the driver is there and the proprietor is there in the same car. The car is a machine. Similarly, this body is a machine.

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Delhi, September 22, 1974:

You are not dead simply by annihilation of the body. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam. You are nitya, śāśvata. Na jāyate na mriyate. You have no birth, no death. The birth and death is simply changing body. Just like we have changed so many bodies. I was a child. But the child body is no longer to be seen. That does not mean I am dead. I had my body of a child. That body is now finished. There is no such body. You can see in photograph your body, childhood body, but where is that body? That body is gone. So body gone, but you are living. Where is the difficulty to understand? And Kṛṣṇa says, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The body being lost, the person is not lost. The person is living. Exactly.

Lecture on BG 13.35 -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

So this is very good example, that idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram. He has given, God has given you a piece of land, this body. Now you work. You make your future with this body. Karmaṇā... Because the body is produced according to my karma. Otherwise, why there are so many varieties of body? We are all human beings. Everyone, we are, we possess two hands, two legs. Still, the bodies are different. We don't find anybody's body is exactly equal to the other. No. Because we have got different mentality. Every one of us, we are individual soul; we have got different mentality, different propensities, different ideas. So in this way we have got different bodies. This is the science.

Science, they are searching out so many things, but they do... Why they cannot explain that why there are varieties of body. Why not exactly equal human being exactly of the same feature, same...? Just like we do some... In mold, the, all the dolls come out of the same body. It is not like that. For each and every living entity, Kṛṣṇa has to prepare a different type of body. Therefore we have got different types of body according to karma.

Lecture on BG 16.2-7 -- Bombay, April 8, 1971:

Then He explains that "If you develop your godly characteristics, then you make progress toward liberation." Daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5). Vimokṣa. Vimokṣa means liberation. This word vimokṣa is very significant. Mokṣa means liberation. And why this word vi? Vi means viśeṣa, specifically. Specifically mokṣa. There are two kinds of mokṣas. Actually, there are five kinds of mokṣa, but five kinds can be divided into two kinds. Liberation... Sāyujya, sāmīpya, sālokya, sārūpya, sārṣṭi (CC Madhya 6.266). Then again, these five kinds of liberation can be divided into two. One is sāyujya-mukti and another: sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, sāmīpya—these four into one division. Sāyujya-mukti means to merge into the existence of the Supreme. And sārūpya-mukti means to acquire exactly the bodily feature of Viṣṇu, four hands. Just like in the Vaikuṇṭha the inhabitants are exactly of the same feature as Nārāyaṇa. They have got also four hands. You cannot distinguish who is Nārāyaṇa and who is not Nārāyaṇa. So that is called sārūpya-mukti. Just like when vaikuṇṭha-dūtas were sent to reclaim Ajāmila, they were four-handed, exactly looking like Nārāyaṇa.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

Go-kharaḥ. Go-kharaḥ means... Go means cows, and kharaḥ means ass. The person is exactly the animal, cows or asses. Who? Now, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke: "One who has accepted this body as self." Ātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape. This is a bag, the bag of tri-dhātus. According to Ayurvedic medical science this body is working under three elements, kapha, pitta, vāyu. Therefore it is called tri-dhātu. So the whole world is going on on this concept of life. They have no spiritual. Even big, big professors, big, big, they also say that "This body is everything. After the body is finished, then everything is finished." But that is not the fact. That is the first spiritual education to understand, that "I am not this body." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul."

Page Title:Exactly (Lectures, BG)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:25 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=91, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:91