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Harsh (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Then the demonic nature?

Pradyumna: Then,

dambho darpo 'bhimānaś ca
krodhaḥ pāruṣyam eva ca
ajñānaṁ cābhijātasya
pārtha sampadam āsurīm

"Arrogance, pride, anger, conceit, harshness and ignorance, these qualities belong to those of demoniac nature, O son of Pṛthā."

Prabhupāda: Then characteristics of demonic people?

Pradyumna: Uh...

Prabhupāda: Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca...

Pradyumna:

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca
janā na vidur āsurāḥ
na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro
na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate
(BG 16.7)

"Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them."

Prabhupāda: Then? Next verse.

Morning Walk -- December 11, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: All these things are sinful. To drink is sinful. Even among the Muhammadans. To smoke, sinful. They have got austerities. Their animal-killing is once in a year. (Hindi) Only animals should be sacrificed in worship. There are so many things. Every religion there is good thing, but then nobody follows. Simply defined, "I'm Christian," "I'm Muhammadan," "I am Hindu..." That's all. He's neither of them. He's simply animal. He's simply animal. Just like these rascal Christian. The first proposition is "Thou shalt not kill," and see they're simply killing, and they're claiming "Christians." Just see. All rascals, and they're claiming, "We're follower of Christian." (break) ...propaganda is to teach all these rascals. Therefore we say general rascals. It may be very strong... That professor was referring, "Yes, everyone is rascal." You know that professor?

Karandhara: Yes. He thought "rascals" was a bit harsh.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa says rascal; therefore...

Yaśomatīnandana: But he... The professor, when he left he said that "Prabhupāda is very, very gentle," he said. He's the most gentle man he's ever seen.

Devotee: Gentle like a rose, and strong like a thunderstorm. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...India. Just start this movement seriously.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Therefore Kṛṣṇa has said, mām ekam. "Don't go to these foolish rascals." Mām ekam. Otherwise you'll be misled. Because they are misleaders, rascals.

Dr. Patel: You are so very hard.

Prabhupāda: I must be hard!

Dr. Patel: Hard, harsh, and hard and harsh...

Prabhupāda: The whole world is spoiled for these Māyāvādīs. Therefore I am very much hard.

Dr. Patel: What... I don't say hard. Hard and harsh...

Prabhupāda: No, we must be harder and harder.

Dr. Patel: Hard and harsh! Doesn't matter...

Prabhupāda: I don't make any compromise with these rascals. No words. No, no. I never made that. Even if I don't get any disciples, I'll be satisfied. But I can't make any compromise like these rascals. I cannot make. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tārā sahasrasaḥ. If I create one moon, that is sufficient. I don't want many stars. That was my Guru Mahārāja's principle, and that is my principle. What is the use of having number of fools and rascals? If one man understands rightly, he can deliver the whole world.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: ...dadāmi yogo 'ham. He gives me that yoga and I read that way. How can you say that? I have got no power excepting the power given by God.

Prabhupāda: When you take intelligence from Kṛṣṇa...

Dr. Patel: That is what He gives me and I take it.

Prabhupāda: And He says that "If you don't surrender Me, then you are mūḍhā, narādhama." He says that. He says that.

Dr. Patel: No, that is not... I mean, you are too harsh.

Prabhupāda: Why harsh? I am quoting Bhagavad-gītā. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante... (BG 7.15).

Dr. Patel: Bhagavad-gītā, no... Final śāstras are the Vedas.

Prabhupāda: Then don't accept Bhagavad-gītā.

Dr. Patel: We are accepting because it is the sarva ga...

Prabhupāda: Then don't accept the words. You accept Bhagavad-gītā...

Dr. Patel: How can you say, "Don't accept..."

Prabhupāda: No, no, here it is clearly said that "Anyone who is not surrendered to Me, he is a miscreant, rascal, mūḍhā, everything." That is the test.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Oh mām means? Again mām means?

Dr. Patel: ...mām means will, Kṛṣṇa, who is representing the (indistinct) ātmā. He is outer Kṛṣṇa. Real Kṛṣṇa is the guru, not even the mūrti, the arca-pūjā.

Prabhupāda: That is your interpretation.

Dr. Patel: That is my interpretation. That is all intelligence of the world. And if you say no, well, I am prepared to own it. It's not right, sir, to be harsh on intelligence, sir.

Prabhupāda: What is intelligence? Mūḍhā?

Dr. Patel: Intelligence is given by God and...

Prabhupāda: If one is a mūḍhā, where is intelligence? Why shall I give him the credit of intelligence? He is a mūḍhā. One who does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, he is a mūḍhā. Number one. There is no intelligence. One who has not surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he has no intelligence.

Morning Walk Excerpts -- May 2, 1974, Bombay:

Satsvarūpa: Someone might say, "But if one is surrendered why should Kṛṣṇa give him trouble?"

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is because he is always free. Why do you make Kṛṣṇa dependent on your so-called goodwill, that "Kṛṣṇa must give me always pleasure"? This is sense gratification. This is sense gratification that you approach Kṛṣṇa for your comfort, sense gratification. That is not bhakti. That is sense gratification. Prahlāda Mahārāja was given suffering by his father so harshly, but he never said, "Oh, I am devotee and Kṛṣṇa giving me so much trouble? Oh! Give it up." He never said that. Neither he asked Kṛṣṇa to come and save him. That is Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. The Pāṇḍavas. The Pāṇḍavas, they were always with Kṛṣṇa and they were suffering. They never asked Kṛṣṇa that "You are the Supreme, and why we are suffering?" Never said. Never said. That is Kṛṣṇa-bhakti.

Room Conversation -- May 20, 1974, Vrndavana:

Yamunā: He is never harsh. He was a little harsh. I could tell something was wrong.

Prabhupāda: So they are planning something.

Indian man: I don't know exactly. I've not been able to make out what their plans are exactly because they don't tell me everything.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Indian man: They don't tell me everything. They have something up their sleeves. I don't know what.

Gurudāsa: So what should be our...

Prabhupāda: Madana-Mohana Gosvāmī, other time he was not harsh?

Yamunā: Not to me. To Gurudāsa maybe, but never me.

Prabhupāda: But this time he was harsh?

Yamunā: Yes, very harsh.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 23, 1975, Melbourne:

Śrutakīrti: Are the lower human species responsible for sinful activities?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. As soon as one is human being, he is responsible. Just like your state laws. Suppose a aborigine comes and does something criminal, will he be excused? Animal may be excused, but the man will not be excused.

Australian devotee 7: Śrīla Prabhupāda, they mightn't excuse him, but they mightn't treat him as harshly as they would treat somebody in knowledge. Is this the same with the activities that these people perform?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Śrutakīrti: He said he wouldn't be treated as bad because an aborigine is not considered...

Australian devotee 7: He hasn't got the knowledge. He's ignorant.

Prabhupāda: Still he is not excused by the law.

Morning Walk -- November 11, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Whatever they say, we have to believe. That's all. (laughter) Except Kṛṣṇa, we shall believe everything. When Kṛṣṇa says something: "No, no, these are all fictitious. There is no Kṛṣṇa, and these are all imagination." And as a rascal says, "Oh, this is scientific." This is going on. So we are not so fools that we shall believe these scientific rascals. We believe Kṛṣṇa. That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are not going to believe the scientific rascals.

Dr. Patel: All, all good, these do good, sir. I believe you should not be very harsh to the scientist. I am sorry...

Prabhupāda: They are not scientists. They are rascals. I don't accept them as scientists. They, if they are putting forward theories every day, what kind of scientist? They are not scientist. Scientist means fixed up idea. It cannot be changed. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is scientist. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

Morning Walk -- November 18, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Here the scientists says, "There is no need of God."

Dr. Patel: That one man told you, and you have been, I mean, deriding all the scientists.

Prabhupāda: No, no, mostly they are speaking that way.

Dr. Patel: You are very harsh to the scientists.

Prabhupāda: But they have created havoc, godlessness, atheism, all over the world. That is our protest.

Dr. Patel: And we are taking the benefit of that science by flying by the plane, by going by train...

Prabhupāda: It has become a difficult task.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 15, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is all right. He is real scientist.

Dr. Patel: You have been unfortunately against them, but think of Albert Einstein. He was totally God conscious throughout his life.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is all right, but mostly they say, "What is the use of God? Now science, everything science." They say like that.

Dr. Patel: You have been very harsh to the scientists.

Prabhupāda: They are misleading. These rascals are misleading. That is the way.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He was very God conscious when he made the atomic bomb.

Dr. Patel: How many of us are scientists here? He might help you also.

Prabhupāda: We know real scientist because we know the biggest scientist, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are scientists. Without Him we don't claim to be scientists-fools, rascals. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim. He is everything. He doesn't require to. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then you become scientist, philosopher. And I was never a scientist, so we challenge the scientists, and I have produced this scientist to challenge them. But I was never a scientist. That book is actually revolutionary amongst the scientists. Scientific Basis, you have read that?

Indian man: Yes, I have read.

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And commentary, interpretation required when you cannot understand. It is very easy and still these rogues will exploit and mislead people. This is... And perhaps, this is the first time I am pointing out. Before that nobody did.

Dr. Patel: And you wrote I have read your commentary twice and it has become very harsh on those people.

Prabhupāda: I must be. They are doing wrong thing. They are doing great harm to the... They are misleading the... If I become little more powerful, I shall do it more harshly. I did not show because I was non-entity. But I knew it. Now people are taking me little seriously, I am talking. (break) In the beginning I thought, Who will hear me? Better wait for the time. Therefore I wrote Mahatma Gandhi, that "Now you have got your svarāja. Please come, let us preach Bhagavad-gītā. You have..." If he would have given the chance at that time, then long ago this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement would have been started.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: They do not believe in what you say...

Prabhupāda: Huh? That is the truth. Actually they do not know, and they cheat others, speaking about God. That is the difficulty. All rascals are doing that. And if I say, "All rascals," it is little harsh, but it has to be said. They do not know what is God, and they speak of God. Let them say frankly that "I do not know what is God." That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). If they are sincere, then after many, many births... Kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta... (BG 12.5). They do not know, and they will not accept ācāryopāsanam. The ācārya says, Rāmānujācārya says, Madhvācārya says, big, big ācārya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu... They will not believe them. They will speculate in their nonsense speculation. This is the difficulty. Without going to the ācārya... Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is the Vedic process, how one can know. But they will speculate. Ciraṁ vicinvan. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayaṁ jānāti tattvam... Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayam, leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvaṁ na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan (SB 10.14.29). One who has little mercy of God upon him, he can understand, but others, they can speculate for many, many births; still, they'll never be able. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayaṁ leśānugṛhīta jānāti tattvam. Leśānugṛhīta eva hi. Leśa. One cannot know God full. That is not possible because you are limited; He is unlimited. Still, if one has learned, at least if one has accepted, "Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. Bas," his knowledge is perfect. If he simply believes only that "Here is God," he can understand. They don't believe that Kṛṣṇa is God. "Eh... He may be very powerful...," so on. Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). These rascals will not believe. "So what is there for me?" Mūḍho nābhijānāti. If they remain persistently mūḍhas, who can make them understand? Very difficult.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: How they can have equal rights? Up to date in the history there is not a single woman who is a great scientist or great philosopher or great...

Dr. Patel: Madame Curie was a...

Prabhupāda: All bogus. (laughter)

Dr. Patel: You are getting too harsh on them because...

Prabhupāda: No, no. How can I give you equal rights, because your brain is less substance.

Dr. Patel: We cannot degrade our mothers that way.

Prabhupāda: It is not degrading. It is accepting the actual fact.

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Hari-śauri: Yes, I've seen that in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nature's study gives the... And therefore Bhāgavata gives the example: "Don't work so hard simply for hog civilization." So if we use this word—it is very, very harsh for the Western people—"It is the hog civilization," actually it is so. But you cannot say. Satyaṁ priyaṁ vada... Unless it is palatable, you cannot say straight. That is... They take it seriously that "You are criticizing our mode of life." Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Dr. Patel enters) Aiye, aiye, aiye. (Hindi—"Please come in")

Dr. Patel: You're not going to walk upstairs?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is not yet six.

Evening Darsana -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: You read Bhagavad-gītā as it is. You read Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Because Gandhi or Vinobha or Vivekananda or Aurobindo, they did not come in the paramparā system. They have made themselves important by their own ideas. That we want to check. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. You cannot make any amendment or correction in the Bhagavad-gītā. But these people, unfortunately, they take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā and give their own comment.

Mr. Pandiya: To suit their purposes.

Prabhupāda: That's all. This is the dangerous... And they are considered as big men, and people follow, and they are misled. Otherwise, in India, so much fallen condition due to these rascal leaders. That I am speaking repeatedly, although it may be very harsh. But we have to say that. Everyone has distorted. Gandhi says Kurukṣetra, "this body." Where is the chance of talking of "this body," the Kurukṣetra? Has he not?

Guest (1): Yes.

Page Title:Harsh (Conversations)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:09 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=16, Let=0
No. of Quotes:16