Gorilla

Expressions researched:
"gorilla" |"gorillas"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.12.19, Purport:

After His marriage He accepted exile in the forest for fourteen years by the order of His father, Mahārāja Daśaratha. To help the administration of the demigods, He killed fourteen thousand demons, and by the intrigues of the demons, His wife, Sītādevī, was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. He made friendship with Sugrīva, who was helped by the Lord to kill Vāli, brother of Sugrīva. By the help of Lord Rāma, Sugrīva became the king of the Vāṇaras (a race of gorillas). The Lord built a floating bridge of stones on the Indian Ocean and reached Laṅkā, the kingdom of Rāvaṇa, who had kidnapped Sītā. Later on Rāvaṇa was killed by Him, and Rāvaṇa's brother Vibhīṣaṇa was installed on the throne of Laṅkā. Vibhīṣaṇa was one of the brothers of Rāvaṇa, a demon, but Lord Rāma made him immortal by His blessings. On the expiry of fourteen years, after settling the affairs at Laṅkā, the Lord came back to His kingdom, Ayodhyā, by flower plane. He instructed His brother Śatrughna to attack Lavṇāsura, who reigned at Mathurā, and the demon was killed. He performed ten Aśvamedha sacrifices, and later on He disappeared while taking a bath in the Sarayū River. The great epic Rāmāyaṇa is the history of Lord Rāma's activities in the world, and the authoritative Rāmāyaṇa was written by the great poet Vālmīki.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 56:

While Satrājit's brother, who was known as Prasena, was moving here and there in the forest, a big lion attacked him, killed both him and the horse on which he was riding, and took away the jewel to his cave. News of this was received by the gorilla king, Jāmbavān, who then killed that lion in the cave and took away the jewel. Jāmbavān had been a great devotee of the Lord since the time of Lord Rāmacandra, so he did not take the valuable jewel as something he very much needed. He gave it to his young son to play with as a toy.

Krsna Book 67:

While Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak on the transcendental pastimes and characteristics of Lord Kṛṣṇa, King Parīkṣit, upon hearing him, became more and more enthusiastic and wanted to hear further. Śukadeva Gosvāmī next narrated the story of Dvivida, the gorilla who was killed by Lord Balarāma.

Krsna Book 67:

This gorilla was a great friend of Bhaumāsura, or Narakāsura, who was killed by Kṛṣṇa in connection with his kidnapping sixteen thousand princesses from all over the world. Dvivida was the minister of King Sugrīva. His brother, Mainda, was also a very powerful gorilla king. When Dvivida gorilla heard the story of his friend Bhaumāsura's being killed by Lord Kṛṣṇa, he planned to create mischief throughout the country in order to avenge the death of Bhaumāsura. His first business was to set fires in villages, towns and industrial and mining places, as well as in the residential quarters of the mercantile men who were busy dairy farming and protecting cows.

Krsna Book 67:

This gorilla by the name Dvivida could climb up into the trees and jump from one branch to another. Sometimes he would jerk the branches, creating a particular type of sound—kilakilā—so that Lord Balarāma was greatly distracted from the pleasing atmosphere. Sometimes Dvivida would come before the women and exhibit different types of caricatures. By nature young women are apt to enjoy everything with laughter and joking, and when the gorilla came before them they did not take him seriously but simply laughed at him.

Krsna Book 67:

However, the gorilla was so rude that even in the presence of Balarāma he began to show the lower part of his body to the women, and sometimes he would come forward to show his teeth while moving his eyebrows. He disrespected the women, even in the presence of Balarāma. Lord Balarāma's name suggests not only that He is very powerful but that He takes pleasure in exhibiting extraordinary strength. So He took a stone and threw it at Dvivida. The gorilla, however, artfully avoided being struck by the stone. In order to insult Balarāma, the gorilla took away the earthen pot in which the vāruṇī was kept.

Krsna Book 67:

When Lord Balarāma saw the disturbances created by the gorilla and heard that he had already performed many mischievous activities all over the country, He became very angry and decided to kill him. Immediately He took His club in His hands. The gorilla could understand that now Balarāma was going to attack him. To counteract Balarāma, he immediately uprooted a big oak tree, and with great force he came and struck Lord Balarāma's head. Lord Balarāma, however, immediately caught hold of the big tree and remained undisturbed, just like a great mountain. To retaliate, He took His club, named Sunanda, and hit the gorilla with it, severely injuring his head.

Krsna Book 67:

To retaliate, He took His club, named Sunanda, and hit the gorilla with it, severely injuring his head. Currents of blood flowed from the gorilla's head with great force, but the stream of blood simply enhanced his beauty, like a stream of liquid manganese coming out of a great mountain. The striking of Balarāma's club did not even slightly disturb him. On the contrary, he immediately uprooted another big oak tree and, after clipping off all its leaves, again struck Balarāma's head with it. But Balarāma, with the help of His club, tore the tree to pieces. Since the gorilla was very angry, he took another tree in his hands and struck Lord Balarāma's body.

Krsna Book 67:

Since the gorilla was very angry, he took another tree in his hands and struck Lord Balarāma's body. Again Lord Balarāma tore the tree to pieces, and the fighting continued. Each time the gorilla would bring out a big tree to strike Balarāma, Lord Balarāma would tear the tree to pieces by the striking of His club, and the gorilla Dvivida would clutch another tree from another direction and again attack Balarāma in the same way. As a result of this continuous fighting, the forest became treeless. When no more trees were available, Dvivida took help from the hills and threw large pieces of stone, like rainfall, upon the body of Balarāma. Lord Balarāma, in a great sporting mood, began to smash those big pieces of stone into mere pebbles. The gorilla, being bereft of all trees and stone slabs, now stood before Balarāma and waved his strong fists.

Krsna Book 67:

The gorilla, being bereft of all trees and stone slabs, now stood before Balarāma and waved his strong fists. Then, with great force, he began to beat Lord Balarāma's chest with his fists. This time Lord Balarāma became most angry. Since the gorilla was striking Him with his hands, Lord Balarāma would not strike him back with His own weapons, the club or the plow. Simply with His fists He struck the collarbone of the gorilla. This blow proved fatal to Dvivida, who immediately vomited blood and fell unconscious upon the ground. When the gorilla fell, all the hills and forests appeared to totter.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

From trees, the worms. Do you see from the flower there are some butterflies. You have seen? The flowers generates some worms, and they transform into butterfly. You have seen it. Then gradually they'll become birds from butterfly. And from birds, different birds, then they'll become beast, four-legged. And then the four legs turn into two hands and just like gorilla, monkey. Then he will come to this beautiful form. And if you miss this opportunity, again you want to become butterfly, go on. Who will check you? Become butterfly. Nature will not excuse you. As soon as you want to become butterfly, "Yes, come on. Here is..." (laughter) They do not know. They are thinking, "This is a flickering lamp. Oh, let us enjoy." Very risky civilization. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati.

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

Just like the elephant is eating hundred pounds. Oh, God is supplying. "Yes. Come on. Take hundred pounds." But he's not stocking. He's eating both times, hundred pounds in the morning, hundred pounds in the evening. He's supplied. Nature supplies. Come on. You know, gorilla. They are very big animals. And where gorillas are prominent in the African jungle, there is a tree which produces a nut which is stronger than the iron bullet. And the gorilla uses those as peas and chew it nicely. So there is food supply there even for the gorilla, for the elephant, and for the ant also. The ant requires one grain of sugar. And he's also struggling. So here is a struggle. But the supply is there. Supply is there. Supply is already fixed up.

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

One who is very influential, that influence is Kṛṣṇa. That influence, that particular influence of a particular man, that is also Kṛṣṇa. Balaṁ balavatāṁ cāham. And one is very strong, stout and strong, that particular strength is also Kṛṣṇa. Just like an elephant is very strong. And more than elephant, the gorilla is still more strong. That strength, wherefrom..., wherefrom he gets strength? Now, suppose I am a human being. I cannot get such strength by my own endeavor, but I can get strength ten thousand times more than the elephant if Kṛṣṇa favors. Therefore strength. Just like Bhīma. Bhīma had strength ten thousand times than an elephant. He was so strong. There is no question of not believing. Because as I find that you are stronger than me and he is stronger than you, oh, similarly, there are many degrees of strength. Now, these degrees of strength is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Paris, August 11, 1973:

For providing myself, my body and soul together, I have to, work so much. But Kṛṣṇa, He is providing millions and trillions of living entities without any endeavor. He is...

In Africa, there are millions of elephants. Kṛṣṇa is supplying food, yes. There are gorillas, Kṛṣṇa is supplying food. Why you are anxious for a morsel of bread? Will not supply Kṛṣṇa? He's perfect, He can supply huge quantity of food to the elephant and a particular type of food to the gorillas. You know? We have read in a book that in Africa where the gorillas live, there are trees. The fruits of that tree, harder than the bullet, It is so hard. And the gorillas take those fruits and chews like peanuts. (laughter) Yes, Kṛṣṇa has given them. Kṛṣṇa's living entity. He's also living entity. He has got this body like a gorilla. So Kṛṣṇa: Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He supplies food for everyone. All the, not only food, all the necessities. Every life, the necessity.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :

Similarly, for all the living entities, there is arrangement for food, food grains. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, there is arrangement. Even in Africa there are some trees which produces fruits, those fruits are harder than the iron bullet. But these fruits are used by the gorillas. They collect those fruits, just like we chew some nuts, so they also enjoy chewing that nut. But it is so hard. I read in some book, so perhaps you also know, that the quarter of the jungle where gorillas live, God gives them fruit: "Yes, here is your food."

Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:

Even the stone is also food. You know? The pigeons, they eat the stones particles. They can digest. For them, the hardest peas are supplied. So they can digest. Pāyarā-maṭara. It is called in India, pāyarā-maṭara. Pāyarā means pigeon. Pigeon's peas. They require such thing. Just like the gorilla. The gorilla animal, where they live in the African jungles... We have read book. There are trees, the fruits of that tree are so hard, harder than the iron bullet. You can hammer on the bullet; it may bend. But that fruit will not bend. So those fruits are taken by the gorillas, and they chew it just like you chew peanuts or something like that, yes. (laughter)

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 3.87-88 -- New York, December 27, 1966:

Not in the present, modern way, that making concrete on the ground and then pillars and then... No. The stones were floating. The Rāmacandra assistants, all the monkeys, what kind of engineers are they? They could bring, order, "Bring some stone." They had very good health. What is that? Gorilla. So they brought big, big stones, and they began to float. Now, one may inquire or may question, "How stone can float?" Why stone cannot float? If this big, big lump of matter, earthly planet and other planets, they are floating in the air, why the stone cannot float? If God likes, it will float. That is God desire. It is God's plan. Now, you can see that a ship on the ocean with 50,000 tons, it is floating. And take a grass and put it, or take a, I mean to say, a small needle. Put it on the ocean; it will go at once down. It is simply question of arrangement. A small needle will go down immediately to the depth of the sea, and a ship with 50,000 tons of loading, it is floating.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.29 -- San Francisco, January 21, 1967:

"Oh, Dvārakādhīśa is stronger than Bruce." You go on. You find stronger and weaker, both. You'll find weaker than you and stronger than you. Even if you find an elephant-he's supposed to be the strongest animal-oḥ, the lion is stronger than him. If you think that lion is very strong, oh, you'll find gorilla is stronger than him. So there is no limit who is the strongest. When you come to the limit... So śāstra says that īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). There are so many īśvaras, gods, that's all right. But the Supreme Lord is Kṛṣṇa because nobody is found greater than Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was actually present and He manifested as ordinary man like us, in the history we find that nobody was greater than Him. At least, we can find out the Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. There is nobody in the world who could speak more than Bhagavad-gītā. Up to date.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Lokanatha dasa -- New Vrindaban, May 21, 1969:

And out of the civilized life, there are atheists and theists, and those who are actually developed conscious. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The consciousness is developing from the lowest status of living condition, aquatic, then plants, trees, then insects, flying insects, then birds, then four-legged beasts, so many, then two hands, two legs, gorilla. Similarly, human, uncivilized, then civilized, Aryans, then our Vedic knowledge. In this way consciousness is increasing. That is real evolutionary theory. Darwin has simply taken some imaginative... He might have taken from Padma-Purāṇa. In Padma-Purāṇa these are very nicely explained, how many species of life are there. They have given account: "So many species in water."

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- Durban, October 13, 1975 :

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They think that he resembles a monkey very much.

Prabhupāda: So there are in Africa these men. They resemble that, what is called? That animal?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Gorilla.

Prabhupāda: Gorilla. So these men are still existing. But why from gorilla they do not come?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They don’t come from the gorilla.

Prabhupāda: Africans, I have seen, they look like gorilla. So why now from gorilla the Africans or any black man is not coming? Then the question is the black man… We have got experience. The black man come. And wherefrom the white man came? Is there any white gorilla?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: His name is Bon Mahārāja, and my Guru Mahārāja used to say banamānuṣa. Banamānuṣa means the gorilla. (laughter) He is black also like gorilla. He has given so much trouble to Guru Mahārāja.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So we should go now, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Called him back: "Call this rascal back." Every month he was being sent seven hundred rupees. That, in those days seven hundred rupees is a big amount. So at least ten time value has gone up. Seven hundred means seven thousand. He was spending for nothing, and he was publishing report, "Swamiji is playing on harmonium." And photo. This is first year, second, like that.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Or what is called? The big...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Orangutan, gorilla.

Prabhupāda: Gorilla, they are like men.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, they are. Very much like men. We see them in the zoo.

Prabhupāda: They have got their senses like men.

Hari-śauri: There's another species they call the Yeti. They say it exists in the Himalayan regions. But they've not been able to capture one because, uh... But there's been many citings and reportings of it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These scientists, they find one little bone and they make a hundred-foot body out of their mind. They say, "Well if this bone was like this, then the whole thing must have looked like this."