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Flavor (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Even annihilation of the subtle body does not mean death of the soul. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). There are two kinds of bodies. So when the gross body is annihilated, the subtle body carries me to another gross body. Just like the air carries the flavor of a certain place. If the air is passing over rose garden, it carries the flavor. Although we cannot see, but we can smell. We can understand the breeze is so fragrant, means it is coming over a rose garden. Similarly, filthy place, a bad smell, the air carries. So the subtle body carries the mental situation of the soul and puts him into a particular body according to that mental situation.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:

Now, the subtle body, I mean to say, mind, intelligence and ego, when these three things, psychic life, is absorbed in a certain kind of thought, the dying man gets a similar body in the next life. The, that we shall come when we make progress in the study of Bhagavad-gītā. Just like the air passing over the rose tree carries the flavor of the rose, and the air passing over a filthy place carries the flavor of that filthy place—the air is pure, but because it is passing over certain conditions, it carries the flavor—similarly, the mind, intelligence and ego carries the flavor of our present activities to the next life. That is the subtle mystery of transmigration of the soul from one body to another. Now, if this, this life we purify just like rose, then next life we shall get a body which is full of flavor. If, if, if in this life, if we practice devotion of God, then next life is to become the associate of God. That cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu... We are transferred to that planet.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

You can simply perceive that there is soul, and it is confirmed by the authority of Vedas. And how the soul passing from one body to another, that also you can hear how it is passing. The example is given, just like this some good smell, flavor, is passing by the air and you smell, you feel, "Oh, very nice smell." But you cannot see the smell, neither the carrier of the smell. The carrier of the smell is the air, and the smell, it is still finer. But when it comes before your nose, the instrument, you understand that there is very nice flavor passing. You can experience, although you cannot see, you cannot touch, you cannot taste. So it is not that, that sometimes things which are beyond the test of our material senses, they are not existing. That is foolishness. We must accept that our senses are imperfect. So how we can understand everything by the test of experimental knowledge? No.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

By the supervision of the external energy, and superior superintendent, we are transferred to a different body by the subtle body, mana, buddhi, ahaṅkāra. But these foolish people, they do not know how the soul is... They do not know what is soul and how the soul is being transferred. But these things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like we cannot see the flavor, but when the flavor passes through carried by the air, we can smell. Similarly, we can smell how the soul is being transferred. These processes are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Therefore our duty is to know Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma. Kṛṣṇa comes, Kṛṣṇa appears, Kṛṣṇa disappears. Why Kṛṣṇa comes? Why Kṛṣṇa is not seen? Janma karma. Why He acts? Why He takes birth in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra? Why He teaches Arjuna? Why He dances with the gopīs? So many things Kṛṣṇa's life.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Festival at Maison de Faubourg -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

Death means to leave this body and carried by the subtle body to another gross body. That is called death. We are carried by the mind, intelligence and ego, subtle body. Just like we can experience a good scent of rose flower is carried by the air. We cannot see, but we know that the flavor is being carried by the air. Similarly, although we do not see how the spirit soul is being carried by the subtle body, but it is being carried, and it is being put into the womb of another mother to develop another gross body. So this body is offered by nature. This body is given by the material nature. Similarly, we, or I, the spirit soul, being carried by the subtle body, and the nature is giving me another gross body. In this way we are transmigrating from one body to another. This is called evolution. And there are 8,400,000's of bodies, and we are going through one after another.

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

There is no question of stealing. There is no need of law for the thieves. People will become so honest. He will be satisfied.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is all pervading. Either you take socially, politically, religiously, scientifically, philosophically—any way you take. Just like sandalwood. Sandalwood you rub it on the stone in any way the pulp will be flavored. It is not that if you rub the wood on the stone in this way then the pulp will come flavored. No.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, if you apply it in any field of activities you will see it is perfect. Either you apply in industry or in politics or in sociology or in philosophy or in science. Therefore Bhāgavata says that whatever capacity you may have, either you are a scientist or a lawyer or an engineer or a rich man, a capitalist, whatever you may be. Your duty is to utilize your talent for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all. That is perfection. Yes.

Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969:

No, let me explain this. "By virtue of divine consciousness." We are preparing this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, divine consciousness. And the consciousness we go. Just like the flavor, the aroma of a rose flower is carried by the air and if the air passes through us we also experience the rose flavor. Similarly, when we die, this material body is finished. "Dust thou art, dust thou beist." This is made of five elements: earth, water, air, fire, ether. So the, so far earthy materials are concerned, that is mixed up. Somebody burns this body, somebody buries or somebody throws it for being eaten by the animals. The three system in the human society. Just like in India, Hindus, they burn the body. So the body is transformed into ashes—means earth. Ash means earth. Those who are burying the bodies of their forefathers, the body turns into dust, as the Christian Bible says, "dust thou art.

Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969:

That is altogether it is called consciousness. That will carry you, the spirit soul, small particle of spirit. That will be carried by these three finer elements: mind, intelligence and ego. And according to the, just like the flavor, if it is rose flavor aroma, you enjoy, "Oh it is very nice." And it is filthy flavor, passing through stool or any other filthy place and you say, "Oh, it is very bad smell." So this consciousness will carry you either in a stool smell or rose flavor according to your work, as you make your consciousness. So if you make your consciousness, train your consciousness into Kṛṣṇa, then it will carry you to Kṛṣṇa. This is not very difficult to understand. You cannot see the air but you can experience by smelling. "Oh the air is passing through like this." Similarly, these different kinds of body are developed according to the consciousness.

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

He is describing more elaborately. How is that? Now, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. Puṇyo gandhaḥ means flavor, the flavor. Any flavor, that is Kṛṣṇa, that is God. You cannot create any flavor. Synthetically, we may create some scent, but that is not as good as natural scent. So that is... When you have a good flavor, you can remember, "Oh, here is God. Here is Kṛṣṇa." When there is some natural beauty, oh, you can understand, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." And when there is something uncommon, very powerful, wonderful, oh, you can understand, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." And when there is life, jīvanam... As long a tree lives, as long a man lives, as long as animal lives, so you understand, "This life, this life is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa."

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

"Can you show me Kṛṣṇa?" Kṛṣṇa is showing Himself in so many ways. They will not take it. It is not at all difficult to see Kṛṣṇa every moment, in every step, if we study what Kṛṣṇa says: "I am," "This is." Puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. Everything is there. Now, within the earth, the every stock is there. The flavor of rose flower is there, and the flavor of some other flower is also there, but you cannot take out by your so-called scientific chemical process. You take some lump of earth and extract from it the flavor of rose. It is there. That is a fact. Because you sow the seed of a rose flower, it will exact the rose flavor from the earth. That's a fact. Who can deny it? Otherwise, wherefrom the flavor is coming? Kṛṣṇa also, He, it is said, jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. He's the life, seed. Bījo 'ham... Next, next verse He'll say, bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 7.10). Bīja, the seed. The seed is so nicely made by Kṛṣṇa's brain that as soon as you put on the seed within the earth and put some water, it will come out, fructify, and gradually grow and exact the flavor, the color, everything.

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

The Māyāvādī says that "Because Kṛṣṇa is there in the electric lamp, or in the tree, or in the seed, or in the color, or in the flavor, therefore Kṛṣṇa is finished. There is no more Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa has spread Himself in so many ways, therefore Kṛṣṇa is finished." This is material consideration. Just like you take a piece of paper and make it small fragments and throw it, then the original paper is lost. This is material.

But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa is a person, and from His energies so many varieties of productions are coming out. But still, He is existing. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). He's pūrṇa. Not that because so many things have been taken from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is finished. This is material life. They cannot conceive of the omnipotency.

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

Just like we study nature study, similarly, "You study nature and see these important points. And there I am." It is very scientific. You study nature and pick up some point and Kṛṣṇa says that "This is I am." Where is the difficulty? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You drink water—you remember Kṛṣṇa. You see the light—remember Kṛṣṇa. You see the flavor, aroma of very nice flower, puṇya gandhaḥ—immediately remember Kṛṣṇa. Practice this. It is not difficult.

Actually, we have to think of Kṛṣṇa... Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Here is Kṛṣṇa's form. Therefore we have to worship Deity. Constantly, if we worship, then Kṛṣṇa's form is always impressed. I can see Kṛṣṇa any, any time. If I close my eyes, I will see Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa is nicely dressed. I see Kṛṣṇa is very pleasingly eating what I have prepared with devotion, bhaktyā. Real thing is bhaktyā, not official. Not official.

Lecture on BG 7.9-10 -- Bombay, February 24, 1974:

So it is answered there in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). There is superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. He, He likes that "This kind of bīja, or the seed, will produce this kind of flower and this kind of flavor." The superintendence is there of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We fools, we say, we cannot explain. We say "Nature." What is this nature? There must be brain behind the nature. Otherwise, how a rose, so nicely it is coming? Even from artistic point of view, if you want to paint one flower, you have to take so much labor, so many colors, reflection, and so many instruments, then hardly you can paint one nice rose flower. Still, it is not as good. And not at all good in comparison to the original flower.

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

Because soul is now covered by the subtle body and the gross body. When the gross body stops to work... Just like at night the gross body is lying, but the subtle body mind is working. Therefore you are dreaming. The subtle body is working. So when you give up this body, your subtle body, mind, intelligence, that carries you very fine. Just like the flavor is carried by the air. If the air passes on some rose trees, the air becomes flavored like rose. There is no rose, but the flavor is there. Similarly, the flavor of your mentality, the flavor of your understanding, is carried. That is the subtle body. And you get a similar body. Therefore at the time of death the examination is tested, how one has advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The best thing is... It is said in the next verse, tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu (BG 8.7). Kṛṣṇa says, tasmāt sarveṣu... (break) ...of death you are transferred to a body like Kṛṣṇa in the abode of Kṛṣṇa.

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

If you see... A Kṛṣṇa conscious person sees a flower. He sees the flower—creation of God, Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so artistic that he has created this flower by His energy so nicely, so decorately, so good flavor. So it is Kṛṣṇa's thing. Let me offer it to Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

If you become in everything Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your life is successful. That we are teaching. It is a very scientific movement. Actually, that is the position. You cannot create a flower so nicely fragrant, so beautifully made. It is not in your power. But it must have been done by somebody. You cannot say, "By nature." What is this nature? They say, foolish persons say, "It is nature." But you explain what is nature. Nature means God's nature, God's energy. That is nature. God's energy is so fine and so subtle that we cannot see it, how it is working, but it is working. The energy of God is working there.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Bombay, September 29, 1973:

These are the objects of enjoyment. Our eyes are there. We are hankering after seeing very beautiful things. Rūpa-rasa. The tongue is there. We are always trying to taste very nice eatables. Gandha. Nose is there. We want to smell very flavorable flowers and other things. In this way we have got indriyas, senses, and this body made of gross elements, and the ahaṅkāra and buddhi, buddhi. Mano buddhir ahaṅkāraḥ. These are the subtle body. In this way this kṣetra, this body, is combination of all these things. Combination of all these things.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

"We have not seen God"? The God is represented in so many ways. You take God's advice and try to see Him as He advises. Then you will see God. That's a fact. I do not... Why do they say that "We have not seen God"? You are seeing always God. You are seeing the sunlight. You are seeing the moonlight. You are smelling the good flavor of flower. You are reading, if you are scholar, you are reading Vedas. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ... He says, "This om," praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu, "in the Vedic mantra, the oṁkāra is I am." Then, pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu. Any wonderful work, if somebody has done, that is Kṛṣṇa. So you have to see Kṛṣṇa in this way, as Kṛṣṇa advises. Then very soon you will see Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of not seeing Him. You will see in every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38), twenty-four hours.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

The mind is so forceful that you are sitting here, and within a second, you can go to your home or homeland, which may be ten thousand miles away, immediately. The example is given: just like from a garden, rose garden, the flavor is carried by the air, and it is transferred to another place. So in this life, whatever mental creation we are doing or creating, that will be carried in the next life, and according to that, nature will give us a body. So if we think of dog, maybe we are transferred to the dog's body. If I think of God, then I shall be transferred to a god's body. So we have scattered our love for so many things in the material world. We have to collect everything and transfer everything for loving God. That is successful life. So if we think of God, then how we become purified, and next we become transferred to the kingdom of God. And if we think of material things, then again we shall be transferred to another material body.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:

So we enjoy everything because there is some taste. That is called rasa. Anything we do. Just like a man, he's working very hard day and night. What for? For maintaining his family, his children and wife. So unless there is some rasa, some taste, he cannot work so hard day and night. There is some flavor in maintaining the family with hard labor. And sometimes we see therefore one who has no family, one who has no family affection, he does not work so hard. He doesn't care to work. This is practical. Therefore in the Vedic civilization the family life is recommended unless one will become confused, hopeless, because he has no taste for the family life. So everything there is some rasa, taste. Without that taste, nobody can live.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

In Sanskrit the parrot is also known as śuka. When a ripened fruit is cut by the red beaks of such birds, its sweet flavor is enhanced. The Vedic fruit which is mature and ripe in knowledge is spoken through the lips of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who is compared to the parrot not for his ability to recite the Bhāgavatam exactly as he heard it from his learned father, but for his ability to present the work in a manner that would appeal to all classes of men. The subject matter is so presented through the lips of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī that any sincere listener that hears submissively can at once relish transcendental tastes which are distinct from the perverted tastes of the material world. The ripened fruit is not dropped all of a sudden from the highest planet of Kṛṣṇaloka.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Delhi, November 16, 1973:

So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). His energies are working so nicely that svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Svabhāva, natural. Just like a rose flower is coming into existence, very nicely painted, very nicely colored, very nicely flavored. So it requires brain. How you can say that it has been done automatically? No. There is brain. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). The nature is working under His direction. But His direction is so complete that it appears to us as it is being done automatically. Not automatic. There is brain behind it. Just like nowadays there are so many mechanical inventions. You just push one button and things come, as we see in the airplane. There are simply... The pilot is working simply by pushing some buttons, and such a big, gigantic plane is floating in the sky. We can understand.

Lecture on SB 1.7.51-52 -- Vrndavana, October 8, 1976:

Let him immediately think of, as soon as he tastes, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. A flower, a rose flower, very fragrant. As soon as you smell you can remember Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, this smell is Kṛṣṇa." Actually, that is Kṛṣṇa. You cannot create that smell. It is Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's art. That, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca, that gandha, that smell, flavor, is within the earth. Wherefrom the rose is coming? From this earth. But still the rose is so fragrant. You cannot take out the fragrance from the earth. Everything is there. Sarva-kāma-dughā-mahī. Everything is within the earth. But you cannot take out. It is Kṛṣṇa. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He has got this power to exact, to extract puṇya-gandha through the rose flower. You haven't. You may be very big chemist, but you cannot do that. So in this way, if we study Kṛṣṇa, if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your life is successful. That we are teaching. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And the śāstras will help you.

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Los Angeles, May 7, 1973:

Hydrophosphate. Hydrophosphate is the very nice medicine for weak health. But that... Just try to understand that such important medicinal value, we are producing in our stool, what to speak of other things. So that is mystic power.

So we have got this mystic power, but we do not know. The example is given like that. The, the deer who has got musk in the navel and the flavor is very nice, so he is jumping here and there, here and there, here and there. Where is this flavor? He does not know the flavor is in his navel. You see. The flavor is there in him, but he is finding out, "Where it is? Where it is?" Similarly we have got so many dormant mystic power within us. We are unaware. But if you practice the mystic yoga system, some of them you can evolve very nicely. Just like the birds are flying, but we cannot fly. Sometimes we desire, "Had I the wings of a dove..." There are poetry: "I could immediately go."

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

So we create that situation, and after death we become unconscious. And the superior agent, prakṛti, he takes you. Just like the air carries the flavor. You do not see how the air is passing and where the air is there, but it is there. You are smelling, "Oh, very good flavor," because the air is carrying. But you do not see. So these rascal scientists they think that because you cannot see, there is no soul. Subtle laws he doesn't know how the soul... Soul is so minute particle: ten-thousand, one ten-thousandth part of the top of the hair. How can your material science can see or understand? Therefore they say "No soul," but the soul is there, and he is being carried. He is being carried by nature's subtle intelligence, mind and ego. These are subtle material things.

Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974:

Rectified spirit means pure alcohol, from which whiskey is made. Absolute alcohol. So I know that the cost of rectified spirit, distilled by the government, was one rupee per gallon. One rupee per gallon. But the same rectified spirit, when turned into liquor by some process, not any very difficult process, just making it coloring or flavoring... The real thing is the rectified spirit. The government would charge sixty rupees per gallon. The cost, it is one rupee. And they would sixty charge rupees. Because government knew it or know it that when a man becomes drunkard, he will drink at any cost. At any cost. Pramatta. Pramatta. Matta means mad, and pramatta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa matta. So people are already mad under the influence of this material nature, and our government, all over the world, encouraging that "You become more mad, more mad." This is their welfare activities.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Los Angeles, July 14, 1974:

Everything is there on the ground. Just like we are getting so many things from this ground. The trees, the plants, the foodstuffs, the minerals, so many things. There is everything, complete. You'll see in your garden there are different types of flowers, color, scent, flavor. But wherefrom it is coming? It is coming from the earth. Can you make any scent from the earth? But the scent is coming from the earth. The rose flavor, wherefrom it is coming? It is there. Anyone can understand. But you cannot extract that. Kṛṣṇa requires His hand. When Kṛṣṇa is there in the form of seed... Kṛṣṇa says, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām: (Bg 7.10) "I am the seed of all living beings." The seed. That... Just like there is sex. Unless the seed is there, there is no child. Similarly, unless the seed is there, there is no plantation. The banyan tree is there because the seed is there.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Los Angeles, July 14, 1974:

Similarly, unless the seed is there, there is no plantation. The banyan tree is there because the seed is there. And the rose tree is there because the seed is there. And Kṛṣṇa claims, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām. And Kṛṣṇa's potencies are there in the seed so that different types of seeds producing different types of flowers, fruits, colors, flavor. This is Kṛṣṇa's supervision. Mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10).

So ultimately, time and earth and everyone is abiding by the Lord, by the orders of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

There are 8,400,000 species of life, and we may think of in a varied way. That is the technique of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. At the time of, if we keep our Kṛṣṇa consciousness intact, that is our perfection of life. Otherwise we do not know what is my next life. The example is given just like air is passing. Air is very subtle matter. If it is passing on the rose flower, the flavor is carried in other place also, rose scent. And if the air is passing on the stool, the scent or the bad smell of the stool is carried to the other place. Similarly, if you make your consciousness rosy, then your next life is rose flavor. (laughs) And if you make your consciousness stool, then your next life is condemned. Yes. Yes.

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

jīvañ chavo bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ
na jātu martyo 'bhilabheta yas tu
śrī-viṣṇu-padyā manujas tulasyāḥ
śvasañ chavo yas tu na veda gandham
(SB 2.3.23)

Translation: "The person who has not at any time received the dust of the feet of a pure devotee of the Lord upon his head certainly is a dead body. And the person who has never experienced the flavor of tulasī leaves from the lotus feet of the Lord is also a dead body, although breathing."

Prabhupāda: So... Prahlāda Mahārāja was asked by his father, "How did you develop this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" So he replied that naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim: (SB 7.5.32) "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be developed..." Spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means anartha apagama. Anartha means things we do not require. Anartha. Artha, anartha. Artha means which is essentially required, and anartha means which is not required, artificially we have requisitioned. So when one grows his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, immediately his artificial life becomes finished. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42).

Lecture on SB 3.26.26 -- Bombay, January 3, 1975:

The yogis especially, they do that. And jñānīs also, they read philosophy, discuss philosophy. The yogis control the senses. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. In this way they are trying to get out of this chain of fruitive activities. Karmāśayaṁ grathitam.

But devotees, being attracted to the flavor of the lotus flower of Kṛṣṇa's feet, lotus flower... Kṛṣṇa, His face is called also lotus-eyed, His navel is called padma-nābha, His feet is called lotus feet, pāda-padma, and His garland is also padma. He is very much fond of padma. So when a devotee is attached to the lotus flower of Kṛṣṇa's feet, automatically they forget the all such material activities. They haven't got to endeavor separately. The jñānīs and the yogis, they are trying to, by their endeavor, by their different endeavors, they are trying to get out of this entanglement, but the devotees, simply by engaging himself in the vāsudeva-bhakti, vāsudeva-parāyaṇa, simply by bhakti, they come out of the entanglement without any difficulty.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

This should be trained up. And the... That is also practical. We can understand. Just like some air is passing before us, and there is some good smell, rose smell. We can understand that the air is carrying the flavor of this rose because it is passing through the rose garden. So you cannot see the mind or the air—it does not mean that subtle things are not there. Don't believe your eyes in that way. You have to know things as it is stated here. The space, the air, they are acting. Prāṇa-vāyu. The yoga system is controlling the vāyu, the air within the body. That is called prāṇāyāma, prāṇa, prāṇa, vāyu, control the prāṇa-vāyu. So perfect yogi, they control the prāṇa-vāyu in such a way that by their sweet will they can transfer themselves through the prāṇa-vāyu in different planets.

Lecture on SB 3.26.42 -- Bombay, January 17, 1975:

You put the seed, sow the seed, anywhere and put little water, that tejo-vāri-mṛd-vinimayaḥ, but the things are coming out differently. How the variety is possible? Therefore we cannot mix up. There is rose scent within the earth. Otherwise wherefrom the rose is getting its scent? There is. Puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. Pṛthivyām, on this earth, there are potency of different flavor, different taste. Now let the chemist come and take the earth and make different taste. That is not possible. That is not... Therefore you cannot simply say that prakṛti is the cause of everything, no. Prakṛti is there, the same water. Prakṛti means earth, water, air, fire. The same water is there, the same fire is there, same water is there, and same earth is there. So why varieties are coming? You take from the water, from the earth, varieties of smell, varieties of taste. So that you cannot do. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

Everyone has got a different type of body according to the desires of sinful activities. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death the situation of mental situation, according to that mental situation he gets the next body. How? The example is: just like air passing over a nice rose garden. The air is carrying the flavor of the rose garden. And if the air is passing through some filthy place, stool, urine, then it carries the smell of stool and urine. The air is pure, but according to the blowing of the air under certain situation, it is carrying the flavor or smell, a bad smell or good smell. Similarly, we spirit souls, we are all parts and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, qualitatively we are one. If God is gold, then I am also gold. How can I be otherwise? Because I am part and parcel. If God is iron, then I am also iron. That is my position. But as I am carrying different airs by my association with this material nature, I am getting a different body. It is very simple to understand.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Indore, December 15, 1970:

Because the mentality, status of the mind at the time of death, will carry him to the next life. Just like the flavor is carried by the air, similarly, my mentality will carry me to a different type of body. If I have created my mentality like Vaiṣṇava, pure devotee, then I shall immediately transfer to Vaikuṇṭha. If I created my mind as an ordinary karmī, then I will have to stay within this material world to enjoy the type of mentality which I have created. If I keep myself as a businessman, doing business... Naturally it is done so. One gentleman in Calcutta, he was a very big businessman, and he was dealing in shares.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

One who is not artist, not painter, he cannot paint. So do you think this flower which is coming out daily in your garden in different colors and different smell and flavor, they are being done without any artistic sense? This is nonsense. There is sense. There is God's potency. But parāsya śaktiḥ, His senses, His knowledge, is so perfect that it is coming automatically, and we foolish people, we think that nature is producing. No, nature is the instrument, just like the brush, but the brain is God. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These rascal scientists, they do not know that. They deny God.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

So how I am being carried to different kinds of body, although I am the eternal and existing? How? Now, the very example is here, that gandhair vāyum. Just like vāyu. Vāyu means air. Air is passing through a, I mean to say, garden of rose. So air is carrying the flavor. The aroma of rose is being carried by the air. Now the air is passing through some filthy place, obnoxious, very bad smell, so air is catching. So air has neither this flavor, nor this bad or good. But as it is passing on, according to the association, it is getting certain time of, certain type of flavor and aroma. Similarly, by your association, you are getting different types of body. If you make your association with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you get next your Kṛṣṇa body. And if you make your association with non-Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you'll have this material body, and you have to undergo birth and death repeatedly.

Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967:

So this ātmā is being transferred from one body to another. How it is being transferred? Just like air is passing from one field to another. Air is passing from this field to another field, another field, another field, and, as he's passing, as he's associating, the air, if it is passing over the nice, fragrant garden, it is, I mean to say, taking with him, with it, the nice flavor, and if it is passing in nasty place, then it is taking the bad smell. Similarly, we are passing from one body to another, and according to the atmosphere we are creating here in this body, we are taking again, transferring ourself to another body.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:

You can understand from this material example how things are being created through the sunlight, how the planets are growing due to sunlight. If there is no sunlight, we'll see all plants will die. That is our experience. And because the sunlight is there, the plant is growing, they are becoming green, they are becoming red, they are becoming flavored. So all interaction of these five elements, water, earth, fire, heat and ether... So wherefrom the sunlight comes? From the sun. Wherefrom the sun comes? From the brahma-jyotir. Wherefrom the brahma-jyotir comes? It is from Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand how Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth or the original source of everything. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin. I am the source of all creation." Bhagavad-gītā says. "And from Me everything is coming." Sarva. Sarva means whatever you can think, everything is coming from... If you think for the time being about the sun, what is the sun? The sun is also coming from Him.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Mayapur, February 19, 1976:

So everyone was Kṛṣṇa's devotee, everyone loved Kṛṣṇa, but there were varieties, varieties, vaicitra. It is called vaicitra. Kṛṣṇa is not without variety. Just see in the flower. Kṛṣṇa says, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. The flavor is Kṛṣṇa. We were studying in the morning. But there are still varieties of flavor. The rose flower has got a particular type of aroma; another flower, aroma. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand that the variety, vaicitra, is creation of Kṛṣṇa. Although they are one, the same, Kṛṣṇa, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca, but still, there are varieties. Everywhere you'll find varieties, visesata. And the Māyāvādī philosopher-nirviśeṣa. In common English it is said, "Variety is the mother of enjoyment." So Kṛṣṇa wants this variety.

Lecture on SB 7.9.22 -- Mayapur, February 29, 1976:

When my Guru Mahārāja was alive, we had one temple, one of his, in Burma, in Rangoon. So when they were making puris with nice ghee, all the inhabitants will come, "Oh! What you are doing? What you are doing? (laughter) What you are doing? Intolerable. It is..." The flavor of ghee was intolerable, and the flavor of naphi is tolerable.

So nānā yoni bhraman kare, kadarja bhakṣaṇ kare. Very peculiar condition we are in this material world. But do not think that when Kṛṣṇa comes, He also is subjected to this suffering. No. That is īśitā. Just like there are many patients in the hospital, infectious disease, but that does not mean the doctors who are treating them, they are also infectious. No. They are not infectious.

Lecture on SB 7.9.31 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1976:

Everything belongs to the fire. But we are fighting: "Heat is mine, and light is your. Let us divide." How you can divide? Parasya brāhmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Everything is manifestation of energy. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). We see in the garden so many flowers, different color, different flavor, different utility. But wherefrom it is coming? It is coming from this earth. We do not know even how much inconceivable energies are there within this earth. We do not know. Where is the scientist? They are very much proud of their scientific knowledge. Let them say how many varieties of things are within this earth. They analyze the earth. What do they find? They see only sixty percent soda bicarb. No. There are many, many finer chemicals. Who is that rascal who can say that so many things are there, "This is soda bicarb"?

Lecture on SB 7.9.31 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1976:

Still, you see, by Kṛṣṇa's energy the world is so beautiful—so many trees, so many flowers, so many fruits, so many varieties of life, so many varieties of human beings. This is Kṛṣṇa, varieties. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate sva-bhāvikī... (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). And every energy is acting automatically. You give the seed, sow the seed on the earth, and automatically the flower, flavor, beauty—everything will come automatically. There will be no... There is no question of accidents. The so-called scientist, they cannot explain. "Accidents." Why accidents? A rose flower seed-rose will come. Why not by accident, lemon? No. There is no such things as accidents. This is all rascaldom. Everything is going on... Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate sva-bhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. In the energy there is automatic knowledge and activities, and they are being manifested.

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca: "I am the smell within the earth." So everyone knows there is smell within the earth. There is color within the earth. Everything is there within the earth. Otherwise how in a particular plant the color and the smell, the flavor, and everything is..., beauty, everything is coming? You daily see. So ordinarily you see heaps of dirt, but everything is there. Similarly, ordinarily we see this universe, but in every atom there is Kṛṣṇa. That was realized by Brahmā. Then he became the great personality to teach us. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye, In this way he instructed ādi-kavi, the first learned man-kavi means learned man—Brahma, Vedic knowledge. So there was no other teacher.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110-111 -- Bombay, November 17, 1975:

The special seed you sow on the ground and a particular type of plant will come out, then rose will come out, a particular flavor will come out. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. We do not see how Kṛṣṇa's energies are working, but it is working. Don't think that "It is automatically... There was a chunk and there was..." No. Not like that. Everything. But His energy is so perfect. Just like if you want to paint one nice flower, you have to arrange so many things—color, and the brush, and the painting cloth—and you have to apply your energies and... But still, it will not come so perfect. But Kṛṣṇa's energies are so perfect that we see automatically, but there is supervision of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- New York, July 20, 1976:

Take for example the leaves of the tree. Some of them are green; some of them are red; some of them are yellow; some of them are mixed. Similarly fruits—different tastes; flowers—different flavor. Varieties. But wherefrom it is coming? The sunshine. The sunshine is the same, but it is acting in different way, so we see different manifestation. This is crude material example. Similarly, if we take the spiritual original, then the original is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). It is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ sarvasya. All these colored manifestation, it is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "Everything is coming from Me." So this understanding is real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when you understand that there is one only.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.21-28 -- New York, January 11, 1967:

They are all authorities. But especially He gives evidences from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now, so far, in confirmation of this statement that knowledge, cultivation of knowledge, is not sufficient to give one liberation—one must take to devotional service. Devotional service past knowledge is just like gold with flavor. Yes. So, of course, those who are engaged in devotional service, their knowledge automatically comes. They are not fools. Those who are actually, seriously in devotional service, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they will not lack in knowledge because you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that the Lord says that,

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te
(BG 10.10)

Those who are engaged in transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, for them knowledge automatically comes from within because Kṛṣṇa is within us. So a sincere soul in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will not lack in knowledge. And in the Vedic literature also it is confirmed:

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Denver, June 27, 1975:

And especially when one is endowed with other blessings, it is just like good scent in gold. Gold is appreciated by everyone. It is valuable, but there is no good flavor. Similarly, janma aiśvarya, to... You American boys and girls, you are born of a very big nation. That is very good. You are all educated, you are beautiful, and janma aiś..., śruta śrī, four things. These things are just like gold. But if you add Kṛṣṇa consciousness along with these qualification, then gold with flavor. Gold is valuable, and if there is flavor, it is more valuable. Of course, in the material world there is no gold which has got good scent. But in the spiritual world that is possible. So with your intelligence, with your opulence, add Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then nationally, individually, collectively you will be glorified. I am very glad that you have opened this center. It is nice place.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

So, there must be a portion of the population well versed in brahminical culture. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara sahasrasaḥ. Just like in a garden if there is one nice flower plant, rose, with good scent, the whole garden becomes flavored, you see? Scented. Similarly, we do not expect that the whole population of the human society will be taking to this brahminical culture; but even one percent of the whole population accepts this brahminical culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the whole world will be peaceful. Not even one percent, less than one percent. It is so nice.

Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969:

What is that? Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam—by which your whole body is spread by air(?). And anywhere of your body, that consciousness is spread. And that substance, consciousness, is always living. When you leave this body this consciousness goes to another body. Just like the air passes, the flavor the air carries from one garden to another place. Similarly, this consciousness will carry you to another body after your death. After you leave this body... Just like we are changing our consciousness also from childhood consciousness to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, and the old age. The consciousness is carrying me although the body is changing. Similarly, when you change this body, the consciousness will carry you to another body. That consciousness is always living. It is never dead. (break) Because they don't take it.

Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

So that is the greatest artist. Simply we have to understand. If we take things very insignificantly, "Ah, by nature," but you cannot explain what is nature. In the garden you see different flowers are coming out. The same ground, the same water, but different flowers are coming out, different flavor, different color, all different, varieties. So the answer is bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtāni. He is the seed. He is the seed. You have seen the banyan tree, a small seed. But this small seed has got so potency that if you sow it in a nice place and water it, one day it will come, a big banyan tree. Now, what are the potencies, what are the artistic arrangement, scientific arrangement, within that small seed that it grows a big banyan tree? Not only a big banyan tree, but also many millions of big fruits, and within each fruit there are millions of seeds, and each seed contains the potency of another tree.

So where is your science in that way?

Lecture at Indo-American Society 'East and West' -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:

That is also explained. The soul remains with the subtle body which we cannot see, but after destruction of this gross body, the soul is carried to another gross body according to his desire by the subtle body. The example is given: just like the flavor of flower garden is carried by the air, and if you do not, even though you do not see the flower, when you smell the good smell, you can understand wherefrom the air is blowing. Similarly, according to your desire, you get a body and that desire, that capsule of mind, intelligence will carry you to another body. God will give you the chance. This is the process.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: All the living things are experienced, but ultimately they are put into certain condition by the experience of the Supreme. And the flavor of the flower is stated in Bhagavad-gītā: puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. There are many flowers, but all of them have no flavor. It must be the arrangement of somebody else who has given flavor to some flowers. He has given somebody beauty and somebody not. Otherwise who will deny beauty? If it had been done by his own experience, then everyone would have been beautiful or every flower would have given flavor. Where is that experience? That means either you say flower's experience or your experience, it is conducted by another, superior experience. What is that?

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: That is fact. That, that we say. The gross body, when it is finished, the subtle body—mind, intelligence, ego-remains. That carries me to another gross body. Just like the example is, there is a flavor. You cannot see, but it is carried by the air. If it is coming from the rose garden, you say, "Oh, very nice flavor." You cannot see it, but it is carried by the subtle air. Similarly, I, the spirit soul, when I give up this gross body, then I am carried. I have got body still. That is subtle body—mind, intelligence, and ego. And according to my desire, that subtle body grows into another gross body.

Page Title:Flavor (Lectures)
Compiler:Rishab, RupaManjari
Created:18 of May, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=53, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:53