Feather (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"feather" |"feathered" |"feathers"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Clear conception. The śāstra, Brahma-saṁhitā, clear description of God, veṇuṁ kvaṇantam. He is playing on flute. It is not that the Muralīdhara, Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa, has been imagined by some poet. No, it is described in the śāstra, the form of the Lord. He is busy in playing flute, veṇuṁ kvaṇantam. Aravinda dalāyatākṣaṁ (Bs. 5.30), His eyes are just like petals of the lotus flower. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda, barhāvataṁsa, there is a peacock feather on His head. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ, and He is so beautiful that His beauty can cut down thousands of Cupids. Cupid is supposed to be the most beautiful in this material world. Kandarpa-koti-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.30). Clear conception.

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

Others cannot detect. Others will be misled. The devotees, they have got such eyes to see that they can immediately discriminate who is a fool, who is learned. There is a story that one man was searching after the truth. So he met some person, saintly person. So he gave him one feather, that "You try to see within the feather who is a human being and who is not." So when he began to see within the feather, he saw, "There is no human being." Similarly,

ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

(I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.)

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

If you go to the forest there are societies of different animals: elephant society, tiger society, deer society, jackal society, wolf society. Even in the birds, you'll find, the birds of the same feather flock together. This is the natural way. You'll find that all the pigeons, they flock together, not the crows and the pigeons flock together. The ducks, they flock together. Similarly, this is the natural way, and there... In every group there is a leader.

So the Supreme Lord, He is called in the Vedic literature that He is the supreme leader. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. Nitya means eternal, and nityānām, that means many other eternals. We are many other eternals. Eka, that one eternal... Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. There are two kinds of eternals. We living entities, we are also eternal, and the Supreme Lord, He is also eternal.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Upsala University Stockholm, September 8, 1973:

So this is imitation. That enjoyment will not last. But Kṛṣṇa's flute-playing is eternal. He's enjoying eternally. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam (Bs. 5.30). And His eyes are just like lotus petals. Very beautiful. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam, barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-su... Barhāvataṁsam, a peacock feather, He's very fond of a peacock feather. So that is on His head. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. Very beautiful body like new, blackish cloud. But very beautiful. Blackish cloud. Asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya. But, although he's blackish, He is more beautiful than millions and trillions of Cupids. Kandarpa... Therefore, He's all-beautiful.

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

He is playing on flute. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam. Aravinda means lotus petal. His eyes are so nice, like lotus petal. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam (Bs. 5.30). Barhāvataṁsam means the peacock feather. You'll find Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, He is very fond of this peacock feather. Everywhere you'll find the peacock feather. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. And His color is a cloud, darkish cloud. Asita, asitāmbuda. Ambuda means cloud and asita means blackish. Sundarāṅgam. But still, He is so beautiful... Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, kandarpa-koṭi (Bs. 5.30). He is so beautiful that He surpasses the beauty of millions of Cupid. Cupid is supposed to be very beautiful. It impels lust, Cupid. So He is many more thousands times beautiful than Cupid.

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

So long you are in the material world there must be classes. By nature, there is. Just like even in birds, there are a class of birds known as the crows and there is a class of birds which are called the swans. The swans will try to reside in a place where there is very clean water, flowers, good trees, nice arrangement parking. So they will flock there. Birds of the same feather flock together. And the crows, the will flock... In your country you don't find many crows, but in India there are many crows. They go to the place where all garbages are there. They'll enjoy there. So there is division actually, taste. But one thing is, that the human form of body, although there is natural such division, but one can be raised to the higher position by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So far material body is concerned, you cannot change the quality. This is already. One has got the particular type of body by nature's arrangement according to the quality. According to the quality.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- London, August 7, 1971:

"Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always engaged in playing on His flute." This is Vedic statement. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam: (Bs. 5.30) "His eyes are just like lotus petals." Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam: (Bs. 5.30) "He has got a peacock feather on His head." These are the description in the Vedas. "He has got a peacock feather on His head." Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda: "His color is blackish." What kind of blackish? Asitāmbuda: "Just like new cloud." Asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam: "But don't think because He is blackish, He is not beautiful. He is most beautiful." How much beautiful? Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham: (Bs. 5.30) "He is so beautiful that if you gather millions of Cupids, still He is more beautiful." These descriptions are there.

Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

He's coming not only in the human society, but in the animal society also. He's coming in all kinds of... There are so many societies, aquatics, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅk... There are so many living entities, 8,400,000, and they have got their own society. As we know, birds of the same feather flock together. So that is called society. That is there in the... You'll find all the ants are together. All the birds are together. All the beasts are together. So we form this animal society or the human society. That is not a new thing. That is a... You'll see all the crows, they will flock together. The crows will not mix with the pigeons. The pigeons will not mix with the crows. That is natural.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

So that is the difference. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Kṛṣṇa has got various forms, but His real form is Kṛṣṇa. God has got many forms, but the original form is that, playing on flute, curved in three places with barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, with a feather on the head. These are Vedic description of Kṛṣṇa. It is not an artistic paint, but it is taken from the Vedic literature, what is the original form of Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. That is original form. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).

Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta-rūpam, ananta, unlimited, unlimited. It is described in the śāstras. How unlimited? Just like in a big river you sit down, or on the ocean, if you count the waves, is it possible? There is no possibility. But there are waves always, twenty-four hours going on, going on.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:

"Those who are fools and rascals without any self-realization knowledge. For them." Apaśyatām. Apaśyatām means blind, cannot see. They have got their eyes, but they have no introspection, what is the value of life. Therefore he says, apaśyatām. Simply they have eyes like the peacock feather. (laughter) They have no introspection. Eyes means introspection. Therefore Vedic culture says, eyes... Śāstra-cakṣus: "You should see through śāstra. Don't try to see by these eyes." These are, what is the value of this eye? They are conditioned in so many ways. You don't believe the eyes. See through the śāstra, through the spiritual master, through the śāstra. Try to see through this. That is perfect seeing.

So the subject matter for hearing for the ordinary person, those who are engaged in family matters, gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām... So does it mean to become a family man is bad? No. It does not mean.

Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972:

If we do not increase our anxiety or inclination to see one of the forms of Viṣṇu... Here it is specifically mentioned, Viṣṇu. Not others. Liṅgāni viṣṇor na nirīkṣato ye. If we do not see, then our eyes are exactly like the painted eyes on the plumes of the feathers, or plumes of the peacock. It looks very nice, but it has no value. No, it has no seeing power. So our, these eyes are also painted, because it is material. These eyes will remain when I shall give up this body, but it will have no more seeing power. The seeing power is gone when the spirit soul gives up this body. So in spite of the beautiful eyes, it is unable to see. Similarly, so long we have got this instrument... This is an instrument to work. Māyayā...

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

That is automatically. But your becoming infected, that is cause. So if you become cautious not to be infected, then the cause of lower birth or suffering you can avoid. Therefore we have started this society, society. Society means that you'll get here the cause of being elevated. Just like there are so many societies, equal class of men. "Birds of the same feather flock together." So here is a society. Who will flock here? Who will come here? Because this society is meant for liberation... People are suffering so much on account of material condition of life. Nobody is happy. That is a fact. But because they are in ignorance, they are accepting unhappiness as happiness. This is called māyā. This is called māyā.

Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). This māyā is very much manifest in sex life. They accept the sex life is very nice, but after that, there is so many distresses. Legal or illegal, it doesn't matter. Legal distresses or illegal distresses, but it is distress. Every one of us, we know.

Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974:

Wherever these Europeans have settled. In Sydney, Australia, there are many nice parks with water. Formerly, in India also, in old Dvārakā, Mathurā, the parks were there. Parks are necessary for cleansing the mind. So the fact is that as there are classes of birds which are called crows and there are classes of birds which are called swans, white swans... "Birds of the same feather flock together." That is an English proverb. The crows will mix with crows, and the swans will mix with swans. Therefore the devotees are swans, and the most advanced devotee is called haṁsa, paramahaṁsa. Paramahaṁsa. So those who are haṁsas, they are not interested in the matter for the crows. Therefore a haṁsa, a paramahaṁsa, when he hears a question from a person about transcendental, uttamam, śreya uttamam... Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). A person who is interested to enquire about the transcendental subject matter, kṛṣṇa-kathā, then the person who is questioned, he becomes very glad.

Lecture on SB 3.25.29 -- Bombay, November 29, 1974:

These are the description in the Vedas. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, is playing on His flute. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam (Bs. 5.30). And His eyes are like the petals of lotus flower. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam. There is a feather of peacock, asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, His complexion is like black cloud but very, very beautiful. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya. He is so beautiful that more attractive than many, many hundreds and thousands of Cupid. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham bhajāmi (Bs. 5.30). This is the Govinda's description. There are so many descriptions.

Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:

"My Lord, Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, is playing on His flute." Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam: (Bs. 5.30) "His eyes are just like petals of the lotus flower." Aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam: "Oh, He has some nice peacock feather." These are the Vedic description of Kṛṣṇa, not that the devotees have imagined some... Just like Māyāvādī says, "Just imagine the form of God." God's form cannot be imagined. That is not God. Anything imagination is not fact. It must be factual. And the factual information you get from the Vedas. Not only you get the Vedas, when Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth He exhibited His rūpa, His form, His activities, His līlā. Everything He exhibited so kindly. So you have to think of this kṛṣṇa-līlā, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's activities. Janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9).

Lecture on SB 3.26.43 -- Bombay, January 18, 1975:

In the Vedic language it is said that Kṛṣṇa, He has got a flute in His hand. He likes to play on flute. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam (Bs. 5.30). Barhāvataṁsa means the peacock. He likes peacock feather. These symptoms are described in the Vedic literature, and when Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, the same feature was there. So this picture, this photo, or this statue of Kṛṣṇa, this arcā-mūrti, is not different from the original Kṛṣṇa.

So if you simply come here, take the impression of Kṛṣṇa and think of Kṛṣṇa while drinking water, you become a devotee. Is it very difficult job? Very easy. Anyone can do. Anyone can do. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Then, if you develop... This is śānta rasa.

Lecture on SB 3.28.20 -- Nairobi, October 30, 1975:

He is always playing His flute, veṇuṁ. Venu means flute. Kvaṇantam. And eyes are like the petals of lotus flower. Venum kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam (Bs. 5.30). And on the head He has got the plume of peacock feather. In this way the description is there in the śāstra. And when Kṛṣṇa came... (aside:) Let him... Why do you disturb? Let him do that. Sit down. So śāstra says Kṛṣṇa is like this. And when Kṛṣṇa appeared on this planet the exactly the same description was there in His form.

So we have to accept the form of the Lord as confirmed in the śāstra and as confirmed by the ācārya. Then it is perfect. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya tinete kariyā aikya. We have to understand something very rigidly by three things, the... It must be confirmed by the śāstra, and it must be confirmed by the ācāryas and by the spiritual master. Very simple thing.

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

He comes sometimes as incarnation. We can see Kṛṣṇa with two hands, two legs, one head. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam (Bs. 5.30). This is described in the Vedic literature. He has two hands and He is playing on flute. He has got the peacock feather on His head. It is not imagination. The Kṛṣṇa arcā-mūrti, it is not imagination, as rascals think, that they have imaginated an idol. This is not idol worship. This is actually... I have several times explained that here is Kṛṣṇa, personally present. We should always think like that, not that it is idol worship. But durvibhāvyam means although He is present, the less intelligent class of men, they will think that "They are worshiping one statue." But that is not possible.

You do not know what is the form of the Lord because your present senses are imperfect. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam idriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136)—the Lord's name, His form, His pastimes—na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ—our present senses are unable to conceive.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

Indian lady: What does the peacock feather mean to Kṛṣṇa?

Śyāmasundara: What does a peacock feather mean to Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa likes it. Yes.

Indian lady: Is it a symbol of love, or what it is?

Prabhupāda: No. Kṛṣṇa likes peacock feather. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. We cannot check Kṛṣṇa's liking. (laughter) Yes? First of all, yes...

Indian man: I am very much thankful to you for giving this divine knowledge to our crippled people, who are suffering in this material world. But... And I'm also convinced by this of kīrtana. I am somewhat surprised and I feel very much grateful about... Or the world, it is not grateful for Kṛṣṇa consciousness(?). And there were many Kṛṣṇa devotees in that part of the world which is now called Bangaladesh. And millions of Kṛṣṇa devotees, all sons of Kṛṣṇa, are being butchered by the..., and butcher of their family or... I'm talking about west Pakistan. What is your answer to this sort of the genocide or greatest man-made disaster.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Los Angeles, January 15, 1970:

There are different types of people. The example is given just like there are different types of birds. A pigeon class... "Birds of the same feather flocks together." You see? That is natural. The pigeons will flock together and the crows will flock together. The swans will flock together. The swans will never go to the crow or the crow will never go to the swan. In human society also the same natural tendency is there. Of course, now we are becoming more liberal. Otherwise, formerly, the white people will not mix with black people. So this is not new. It is by nature. Everyone has got a particular type of society, environment.

So literatures also, there are different kinds of literature. For the crowlike men there are different kinds of literature. And for the swanlike men there are different kinds of literature. So swanlike men..., swan means haṁsa. From nature's study you can see. The swans, they have got a special qualification.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:

The materialistic attraction means, the first attraction is sex. This whole world, not only human society, in animal society also... There are 8,400,000's of different kinds of societies according to different kinds of species of life. "Birds of the same feather flock together." As it is said, that a species, a particular type of species of life... Not only that, we human beings, we have flocked together. Birds of the same feather. This is not very important thing. If you combine together as American or Indian or Chinese or many other names, oh, same thing in there in the lower animals also. Therefore this saying is very nice, that "Birds of the same feather flock together." So this propensity of combination of society, community, amongst the human being, is not very important improvement. So in this way, our attachment increases. So when we are old enough, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that ko gṛheṣu pumān saktam.

Lecture on SB 7.7.32-35 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

He was physician to the then Nawab, Muslim Nawab. Now, they were sitting. The Nawab was going some hunting excursion or something like that, but he was Nawab's physician. He was to accompany him. So they were sitting on the back of the elephant. In the meantime that Murāri Gupta saw one peacock, and as soon as he saw the peacock, the feather, he at once remembered Kṛṣṇa and at once fainted and fall down. This is called ālambana. This is called ālambana. Ālambana means anything to the context, immediately he remembers his Lord and becomes ecstatic. This is the first-class stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So there are many instances. Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed this manifestation in His life. We shall discuss. We are discussing now in the morning class.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-99 -- Washington, D.C., July 4, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa's symbolic representation is He is always playing on flute. And barhāvataṁsa: with a peacock feather. These are described in the Vedic literature. It is not that we worship Kṛṣṇa as imaginary form of God. No. As the Māyāvādīs, they say that you can imagine any form of God, no, that is not the fact. God has His original form, real form sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 34 -- San Francisco, September 13, 1968 :

So, the description is that Govinda is very fond of playing on flute, venum. Venum means flute. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ. His eyes are just like lotus petals. Very beautiful eyes. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam. And He likes peacock feather, peacock feather on the head. So you will find Kṛṣṇa always with peacock feather. He wears a very valuable helmet, helmet on His head, but you will find one peacock feather. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, and His complexion of the body is blackish, just like new clouds. He is not that complexion light; He is blackish, Kṛṣṇa, and..., but He is so beautiful, all-attractive. Here, of course, in this material world, blackish we do not like; we want fair complexion. But Kṛṣṇa, the original person, He is blackish, but not blackish like this. Kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham. His beauty is surpassing many millions of Cupids. You have heard the name of Cupid.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969:

That is our motto. We don't fight with vegetarian and non... We are not making propaganda... Just like there is vegetarian society. No. We have no business. Even if a man becomes vegetarian, what does he gain? In this material world, either vegetarian or nonvegetarian, they are on the same platform, birds of the same feather. You see? So that is not our propaganda. We are introducing Kṛṣṇa-prasāda; therefore we invite people to take nice prasāda. So these four principles we should follow. We shall not accept anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. And no illicit sex life, no gambling, no intoxication. We are already intoxicated, being haunted by the ghost of māyā. And further intoxication...? Do you think intoxication can be cured by intoxication? No. That is not possible. So these four rules you have to follow. And you keep to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is sublime. Very simple thing. Very simple thing. But it is simple for the simple, but it is very hard for the crooked. Yes.

Gurudasa Sannyasa Initiation -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

Ramyaka dāsa. Ramyaka means very beautiful. That is Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. Asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. Although He is blackish, but nobody is more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. You are all white. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

(next devotee approaches) Alambana dāsa. Alambana means reference to the context. Just like there was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, Murāri Gupta. He was a physician of the Nawab. So he was going on the back of the elephant with the Nawab, and he saw one peacock. So as soon as saw the feather of peacock, immediately he fell down. How? Because the peacock feather is on the head of Kṛṣṇa, he immediately remembered Kṛṣṇa. This is called alambana, "with reference to the context."

Departure Talks

Departure Lecture -- London, March 12, 1975:

That is the nature amongst the class of bird. Where all nasty things are thrown away, the crows will gather. The another bird, swans, they will not go there. The swans will gather in a very nice garden with clear water, lotus flower, and birds, and singing. They will gather there. As there are... By nature, there are different classes of animals, even in the birds, beasts. "The birds of the same feather flock together."

So where the crows go, the swans do not go. And where the swans go, the crows have no access. Similarly, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for the swans, not for the crows. So try to remain swans, rāja-haṁsa or paramahaṁsa. Haṁsa means swan. Even if we have got this little place, don't go to the place of the crows, the so-called clubs, restaurant, brothel, dancing club, and... People are... Especially in the Western countries, they are very much busy with these places.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Prabhupāda: But if you have got for friends only thieves, then who will object? "Oh, you are very nice, you are very expert." Why should you mix with such friends? (indistinct) Birds of the same feather flock together.

Śyāmasundara: He says there are three things that this society has that keeps people from disobeying, that is God...

Prabhupāda: This is all speculation. It has no meaning.

Śyāmasundara: ...God, the police, and what other people will think.

Prabhupāda: But if you have no idea of God, what is God, and why am I expecting that you will fear God? You do not know what is God, and you are talking of God.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

Therefore Govinda dasa recommends, durlabha mānava-janama-sat-saṅge. Mānava. This human life is durlabha, very rarely obtained. Not dogs' association, crows' association, but swans' association. There are association even by nature. "Birds of the same feather flock together." The crows, they'll mix with crows, and the swans will mix with swan. White swan, very nice water, nice garden, they will like that. The crows will not like that. The crows will like where filthy things are thrown away. They'll take pleasure there. So similarly, according to the quality of nature, there are different association in human society. But it is recommended that durlabha mānava sat-saṅge: not with the crows but with the swans. That association.