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His representative (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

Actually, when one gets Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he can say that "I don't want this." They will not say that. Why they will say, "Don't want this"? Here what we have got? Suppose I have got a kingdom. So that is my kingdom? No. That is Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. Because Kṛṣṇa says bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor. I may be His representative. Kṛṣṇa wants that everyone should be Kṛṣṇa conscious.

So the king's duty is, as representative of Kṛṣṇa, to make every citizen Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then he is doing nice duty.

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

"Duṣkṛtām, all these sinful rascals, they are ruling over the world, I want to kill them." Therefore this battle was arranged so that all these rascals and demons will come there and it will be killed, in one place. And the right person, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, will be installed on the throne. That was his plan. The right person. Kṛṣṇa wants His representative to rule over the... King means representative of God. (break) (end)

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 7, 1972:

He's busy in Vṛndāvana. He has many servants. Just big man has got many secretaries, servants, they look after, similarly, in this material world. His representatives—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara—they are managing the affairs of this whole universe. But He's enjoying in Vṛndāvana. Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī. He has no concern. He doesn't care what is happening here. But it, it does not mean that He doesn't care, but He has no anxiety how the things are being managed. When it is mismanaged, then sometimes Kṛṣṇa comes in His Vāsudeva form. Not the original Kṛṣṇa. Original Kṛṣṇa never leaves Vṛndāvana. Padam ekaṁ na gacchati. He's always in His abode.

Lecture on BG 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974:

And the mother says, "My dear child, this is this." Another example can be given that if a child does not, in childhood, he does not know who is his father, then he cannot make any research work. If he makes research work to find out his father, he'll never find out his father. But if he asks his mother, "Who is my father?" and the mother says, "He is your father," that is perfect. Therefore knowledge, knowledge of God, who is beyond your sense perception, how can you know? Therefore you have to know from God Himself or His representative.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa is showing example, where we should offer our surrender and accept guru. Here is Kṛṣṇa. So you have to accept Kṛṣṇa or His representative as guru. Then your problems will be solved. Otherwise it is not possible, because he can say what is good for you, what is bad for you. He is asking, yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tat (BG 2.7). Niścitam. If you want advice, instruction, niścitam, which is without any doubt, without any illusion, without any mistake, without any cheating, that is called niścitam. That you can get from Kṛṣṇa or His representative. You cannot get right information from the imperfect person or a cheater. That is not right instruction. Nowadays it has become a fashion; everyone is becoming guru and he is giving his own opinion, "I think," "In my opinion." That is not guru. Guru means he should give evidences from śāstra. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ: (BG 16.23) "Anyone who does not give evidences, proof, from the śāstra, then" na siddhiṁ sa avāpnoti, "he does not get at any time success," na sukham, "neither any happiness in this material world," na parāṁ gatim, "and what to speak of elevation in the next life." These are the injunction.

Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973:

So these things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. We may be very much puffed up by our mental concoction, that "I am doing very nice work." but it may not be accepted by God. It may not be accepted by Kṛṣṇa. You may concoct. And naturally, one who is not guided by Kṛṣṇa, one who is not guided by the Kṛṣṇa's representative, he's fool. He must be misguided. He must be misguided. Anārya. Ārya, anārya, yes. Therefore we have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa through His representative so that we may become Ārya. Ārya, āryan. Āryan civilization means being guided by the Supreme Person, Vedic culture. That is called Āryan civilization. Vedic culture. And what is the purpose of Vedas? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Therefore the ultimate goal of civilization should be, Aryan civilization, progressive civilization, how to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is perfect civilization. And Kṛṣṇa, everything minus Kṛṣṇa, that is not civilization. This is anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam akīrti-karam (BG 2.2). We should not waste our time in such thing which is devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is first-class civilization.

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

So you have to approach the Supreme Person, means Kṛṣṇa or His representative. All others are rascals and fools. If you approach a person, guru, who is not representative of Kṛṣṇa, you are approaching a rascal. How you'll be enlightened? You must approach Kṛṣṇa, or His representative. That is wanted. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).

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

. He's asking for preya, uh, śreya. Yac chreyaḥ syāt. "What is the, actually, my ultimate goal of life?" Yac chreyaḥ syāt. Yac chreyaḥ syāt niścitaṁ (BG 2.7). Niścitam means fixed-up, without any mistake. Niścitam. In Bhāgavata, there is, called niścitaṁ. Niścitam means you haven't got to make research. It is already settled up. "This is the decision:" Because we, with our teeny brain, we cannot find out what is the actual niścitaṁ, fixed-up sreya. That we do not know. That you have to ask from Kṛṣṇa. Or his representative. These are the things. Yac chreya syāt niścitaṁ brūhi tan me.

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

So therefore in order to achieve the highest, goal of life, one should fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Then his life is successful.

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

Where direct perception cannot reach. So where direct perception cannot reach, then how you can perceive anubhāva? That is śrota-panthā. That is śruti. You have to take knowledge from the Vedas. And the Vedic knowledge is explained by guru. Therefore one has to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme guru, or His representative. Then all these troubles, means ignorance, can be dissipated. Yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām (BG 2.8).

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

. Therefore He comes Himself to advise, to instruct how to live, how to follow His instruction, and He leaves these behind Him, such books as Bhagavad-gītā, and He sends His representative occasionally to revive our consciousness. This business is going on, not only in the human society, even in the animal society. Anywhere, even in demigod society, things are going on like that. Therefore we should know, whatever Bhagavān says, there cannot be any mistake, any illusion, any cheating or any imperfectness. Then it will be very nice. And that is the fact.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Yes, but that is not by your discretion. You have to consult your spiritual master. Just like what Kṛṣṇa says Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, "Yudhiṣṭhira, My dear brother Yudhiṣṭhira, you go and tell," I mean to say, "Droṇācārya, that 'Your son is dead.' " Because this gentleman would not die unless he hears the message of the death of his son. So he was not dying. So Yudhiṣṭhira was commissioned to speak this lie, that "You go and say that 'Your son is dead.' " And he says that "I never spoke lie. I cannot do that." Now here the order is coming from Kṛṣṇa, therefore he should have executed the order immediately. Although speaking lie for common man is sin, but because it is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, it is not sin. So that telling lie should not be taken risk of at one's own discretion. It must be ordered by Kṛṣṇa or by His representative. Telling lie is always sinful. That's all right. But if Kṛṣṇa says "Tell lie," it is not sinful. That is the secret. You can violate the laws only on the direct order of Kṛṣṇa or His representative. That's all. That is common sense. Just like a political person is engaged to kill somebody under superior order. And if he can kill, he is rewarded, he is given high post. But the same man, if he kills by his own discretion, he'll be hanged. So serving greater purpose, supreme purpose, absolute purpose, there is no question of such piety or sinful. But in the ordinary field, there must be "This is pious, this is sinful." So that discretion should not be taken by oneself, but it should be consulted.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

No. Kṛṣṇa is there. Just like Bhagavad-gītā is there, and the explanation of Bhagavad-gītā by the representative of Kṛṣṇa is there. So Kṛṣṇa, being absolute, His representative, His words are nondifferent from Him. We should not think that "Kṛṣṇa is not in my presence." As soon as Bhagavad-gītā is there and as soon as we understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that means we are hearing directly Kṛṣṇa. So if we do according to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, as Arjuna did, then there is no reaction. We are free. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra. Then you go on.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Of course, it is not expected that she'll give a false information. Understanding, the mother is nice, she'll give me. So that is the only way. You have to believe your mother, and that's all. Similarly, if you want to understand anything spiritual, you have to take information by hearing from such authorities as Kṛṣṇa or His representative, and there is no other alternative. Other alternative, it will ever remain invisible and not understandable and so many things, negative. Yes.

Lecture on BG 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

So this is Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge means which is spoken by the Supreme Lord. That is Vedic knowledge. Apauruṣeya. It is not spoken by common man like me. So if we accept Vedic knowledge, if we accept the fact as it is stated by Kṛṣṇa, or His representative... Because His representative will not speak anything which Kṛṣṇa does not speak. Therefore he's representative. The Kṛṣṇa conscious persons are representative of Kṛṣṇa because a Kṛṣṇa conscious person will not speak anything nonsense, beyond the speaking of Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference.

Lecture on BG 2.26-27 -- London, August 29, 1973:

So our standard of morality and immorality is to see whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, then it is morality. If Kṛṣṇa is dissatisfied, then it is immoral. And Kṛṣṇa's representative also. Therefore, it is said yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. Our morality is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa or His representative, guru. Yasya prasāda. If he's satisfied, then it is moral. If he's not satisfied, then it is immoral. Na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. So this karma-vāda, that you act nicely and you'll get nice result, that is all right, but there may be some mistakes. There are so many instances. One very great charitable king, he was giving in charity so many cows to the brāhmaṇas. So there was some mistake, and for that purpose, although he was all throughout his whole life he was giving in charity, a little mistake, he became a big lizard in the well. Therefore the conclusion is that this material morality has no value. Spiritual morality. Spiritual morality means to abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa. That is morality. Whatever Kṛṣṇa says, if we accept, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam. Many places.

Lecture on BG 2.39 -- London, September 12, 1973:

Because he takes care of the whole family, he is supreme. Similarly, the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, He takes care of the whole creation, material and spiritual, innumerable universes, and therefore He's sup... So when we act according to the direction of the Supreme... Because we are subordinate. This is our position. A subordinate position is that he must act according to the direction of the master or the supreme. That is natural. Everyone is acting like that. So that is called buddhi-yoga. When you act according to the direction of the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, or His representative, that is called buddhi-yoga.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

"Whenever there is any flaw in the standard process of religiosity, at that time I take My incarnation and I come on this earth." So this is a fact. This is a fact. The whole material nature is working under the superintendence of the Supreme Lord. Now, whenever there is any discrepancy, just to rectify, sometimes punishment is given or sometimes the Lord comes Himself, or sometimes He sends His representative, or sometimes He leaves some books of knowledge. In this way the whole process from God's side is to put ourself always on the right path. That is the process going on.

Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

Therefore in this age Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that you do not require to change your position. You simply try to hear about Kṛṣṇa from the rightful source. That's all. Then everything will be all right gradually. Everyone of us are mistaken or whatever you may call, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He gives His book, Bhagavad-gītā, He sends His representative, He comes Himself as Lord Caitanya to deliver us. He sends Lord Jesus Christ. So so many arrangement, but we don't take advantage. We are so fool and sinful. But still, the propaganda will go on.

Just like father, however misguided a son may be, whenever the father gets a chance, he says, "My dear son, you don't do this. It is not good. You do this." So that is the duty of the father. Similarly, we are bent upon continuing our sinful activities but there is sufficient arrangement by Kṛṣṇa to instruct us and to lead us back to Godhead, back to home.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Why Kṛṣṇa descends? That is explained by Kṛṣṇa. He comes Himself, He sends His representative, He sends His son, to reform. Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's devotee or Kṛṣṇa's son... Why Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed his life? Just to show that the human society must be God conscious. But unfortunately, people do not take care. They are following, they are calling themselves as Christian, but they're not following the example of Lord Jesus Christ. But they should follow, everyone. A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they also should follow what Kṛṣṇa's devotee and Kṛṣṇa... That is required.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

So either Kṛṣṇa or His representative who come on the planet or in this world just to show example how you should live, how you should utilize your human form of life, they have nothing to gain. They are complete. Those who are coming from spiritual kingdom or kingdom of, they have no want. They haven't got to do anything. They are all perfect. But still, they do. Similarly, those who want to be leader of the society, they should be ideal persons, they should be Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Then the whole world will be happy.

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

He was quite competent to fight, but out of his Vaiṣṇava compassion he was avoiding it in the beginning. But when he understood that "My master, Kṛṣṇa, He wants it," he gave up his decision. So Vaiṣṇava... That is Vaiṣṇavism. Devotee means he can act anything and everything for the Lord. That is bhakti-yoga. But under the direction. Not whimsically. Yes. Either Arjuna or Hanumān, he did not set fire to the Rāvaṇa's house whimsically. Under the direction of Rāma. Arjuna also fought under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, we have to take the direction of Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Then it will be nice.

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

Now, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is describing how He incarnates Himself for the benefit of conditioned souls in the material world. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, He descends. The Sanskrit word is avatāra. Avatāra. Avatāra, avatāra. Avatāra means who comes from higher plane down to this material world. He's called avatāra. So sometimes Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa comes Himself and sometimes He sends His representative also, for deliverance of the conditioned souls.

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

Similarly, the incarnation of God, God Himself or His representative, son, any... Because... Just like, if we have to do some business seriously, we send our very responsible man to transact, similarly, for the deliverance of the fallen souls here in this material world, sometimes the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa comes, sometimes sends His very confidential and representative to reclaim. The mission is the same. The mission is the same, to reclaim the fallen souls. To reclaim the fallen souls.

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

So Lord says, Kṛṣṇa says, ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā: "Although I have no business to come down here, and I am eternal..." Both of us are, the Lord and the living ent..., we are, both of us are eternal. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Īśvara. Why He comes? When Lord comes, He comes out of His good will. And when we come, we are forced. We have been forced to accept this body under the condition of the material nature. So when Lord comes or His representative comes, they do not accept the condition of the material nature. That is the distinction between ordinary living entity and the Supreme Lord or His representative. Just like Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. So he could not be crucified. It is a, I mean to say, false notion. There was, there was resurrection. Because God or God's representative, they are not under the laws of this material nature. That's a very, I mean to say, wide subject matter. We shall gradually understand as we make progress in the Bhagavad-gītā. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Although I am the Lord of everything, still, I assume this incarnation and I come. I come."

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

So here Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "When I come, I do not come in this inferior nature." It will be a great mistake if somebody thinks that Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's representative... Just like bona fide representative, Jesus Christ or other great, I mean to say, leaders of the religious faiths, they do not come with the inferior nature. They come with the superior nature of God. That we have to accept. If we have to accept the truth explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, then we must accept that, that God and His representative, they do not come, who come directly from the kingdom of God, they do not come, accepting this inferior nature.

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

Now the question may be "Why God and His representative do come? They are in superior nature. They are in the eternal kingdom. Why do they bother themselves to come here? Why do they bother themselves to come here?" This question may be raised. As soon as we hear that God and His representative come, so next question: "Why do they come?" Because we are, we do not know that they come to reclaim us. Therefore our question is "Why do they come?"

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

Now, this is the mission, mission of the Lord and His representative. What is that mission? Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati: "Whenever there is decline of the principle of life."

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

The real fact is that as soon as the natural sequence of living entities is jeopardized, at that time, non-religious principle, unnatural life, becomes prominent and people become embarrassed. At that time, the incarnation of Lord is, I mean to say, appeared. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata: (BG 4.7) "Whenever there is discrepancy in the natural life..." Like I explained to you. Religion means the natural sequence of life. When there is some discrepancy in that natural sequence of life and there is artificial way of life, at that time, the Lord or His representative comes, either as incarnation or the representative of God. That is the rule. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. And abhyutthānam adharmasya. Unnatural life, when they are too much addicted to unnatural life, at that time the Lord takes His appearance. Why? It is necessary. It is necessary.

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

Take, take for example your body. When it was newly born, when I was a child, oh, very new, good-looking child. Everyone is kissing and everyone is working. Now I am becoming old and nobody cares. You see? So this is the function of this material nature. Even if you make a very good adjustment, gradually it will glide down to the lowest status. Therefore it requires a periodical adjustment. For that reason, the Supreme Lord or His representative comes.

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

Now you can select your own religion. Either you be a Hindu or Muslim or Mohammedan or Buddhist, whatever you like, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata does not stop you, but it gives you hint what is the purpose of religion. The purpose of religion is to develop your love of Godhead. That is real religion. So here Kṛṣṇa says that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). As soon as there is decadence of people's love of Godhead... That means when people become forgetful, almost forgetful. Because at least some people remember that there is God. But generally, in this age, they are forgetful. That is dharmasya glāniḥ. And by forgetting God the people cannot be happy. That is also another cause. People are thinking that "God is dead. We have no obligation to God. There is no God." This sort of thinking will never make the people happy. And actually, it is happening. They have become atheistic. The modern civilization is Godless, but people are not happy. Therefore God or His representative comes when people forget his relationship with God.

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

When God comes or His representative comes, His servant comes, or His son comes, there is necessity. Because it is God's kingdom, as soon as there is too much violation of the laws of God, there will be appearance of God. So in the present age, this hari-nāma, Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa has descended at the present moment in the incarnation of His holy name. Kali-kāle nāma-rūpe. In other ages, God comes to kill the demons, but if God takes the killing process... Of course, at last, when Kalki incarnation will come... That is, of course, long, long after. But at the present moment, God is compassionate. Taking consideration of the people's most fallen condition, there is no process of killing, but reclaiming them simply by this chanting process.

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

So here it is said, "Whenever and wherever there is decline in religious practice..." What is that religion practice? That religion practice is whenever there is decline of love of God. That's all. When people become lover of mammon, matter, that means decline of religion. And when people increase love of Godhead, that means real religion. So Kṛṣṇa comes, or Kṛṣṇa's servant or representative comes, to adjust things. When people forget love of Godhead, somebody, either Kṛṣṇa, God Himself or His representative comes to adjust things.

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

Now, just like we are trying to understand from Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna, Arjuna is trying to understand. Arjuna also said to Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Just I am surrendering unto You. Oh, accept me as Your disciple, śiṣya." Śiṣya means disciple. Śiṣya, this is a grammatical word. Śās-dhātu. Śās-dhātu, it is a verb from which this word śiṣya comes. Śiṣya means one who accepts voluntarily the disciplinary measures from the higher authority. He is called a śiṣya. So in order to acquire, in order to be situated in that higher nature, we have to approach a personality like Kṛṣṇa or His representative, and so the best thing is that... Arjuna. Arjuna, he got this instruction from Bhagavad-gītā, and he developed that higher nature.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:

These things can be attained by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Man-mayā. Kṛṣṇa says, "When you are fully absorbed in My thought, you can get free from all these material disturbances." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). He says that, "Always think of Me, become a devotee of Me, worship Me, and offer your obeisances unto Me." So in order to attain this perfection of life, one has to make this progressive spiritual advancement. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). One has to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Therefore this movement is to give chance to the people how to think of Kṛṣṇa constantly. The human form of life is meant for attaining jñāna. Jñāna means knowledge that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." This jñāna can be attained by tapasya. Tapasya means austerity. And if we attain knowledge and undergo austerities, then we become purified.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:

Just like the government is good, but why do you go to prison house? When you go to the prison house, it is not the government who puts you in the prison house. You have committed sinful activities. Therefore you are put into the prison house. It is the government's duty to manage whether a man should be put into prison house, whether a man should go to the university. But the difference of individual activities. Similarly, God does not want you to put into miserable condition. You put yourself in miserable condition, but God comes and He sends His representative, to give you relief, how to get out of that miserable condition. The conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa does put you in miserable condition, but He helps you get out from the miserable condition.

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

So man-mayā, when one becomes attached to God, giving up the attachment of this material sense pleasure, when one becomes... Attachment must be there, either this way or that way. If we do not become attached to the Supreme Being, then we must be attached to this material enjoyment. Therefore it is said vīta-rāga, "Giving up the attachment of this material world, when you transfer your attachment to Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Being," man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ... Upāśrita means "taking shelter of Me." Unless you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, there is no possibility of being detached from this material enjoyment. Bahavaḥ. Bahavaḥ means many. Jñāna-tapasā: by knowledge and austerity. Bahavo jñāna-tapasā. (to translator:) Explain. Pūtā. Pūtā means purified. Jñāna-tapasā, purified. Pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ: "They come to My nature." Mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Calcutta, September 23, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa is therefore trying to help us. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). He is within. He is called caitya-guru. If you are purified... Kṛṣṇa... Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. He'll directly speak you. And so long you cannot, then He sends His representative, the spiritual master, the guru. You can ask through the spiritual master about Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **.

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

So our position is always like that. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, or His bona fide representatives who come here, they can force you to go back to Godhead, but they do not do that. They want your voluntary cooperation. Unless you are prepared to cooperate voluntarily oh, there is no question of my improvement. So we must accept our voluntary cooperation with Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, or His representative who comes before you to canvass, "My dear sir, please be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Please look to the leadership of the Supreme Lord." Now it is up to you.

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

Yes. "Hear from Me." And hearing from whom? From a loafer? No. From Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. That will effect. Hearing, there must be hearing process also from the authorized person. Just like if you take electricity. You should take electricity where the electric point is there. Electric is everywhere; that's nice. Everyone accepts there is electricity. But you have to take electricity from the plug where the electricity current is going on. Then you get electricity. Therefore śravaṇam, hearing, from whom? From Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Then it is perfect. Not from Dr. Radhakrishnan and any other nonsense, because they are not devotee. They are not representative of Kṛṣṇa. What you will derive? You cannot derive any benefit because there is no electricity. It is simply plug, looking like plug. If you take some white lime water, lime, just like whitewash, it looks like milk. Is that milk because it is white? "All is not gold that glitters."

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

So "Hear from Me." Nobody can be a great authority than Kṛṣṇa. And therefore, by hearing from Him, one receives the greatest opportunity for progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You hear from Kṛṣṇa as He is speaking. He says that "Practice yoga in full consciousness of Me." If you do that, then you hear Him. But if you do something nonsense, that is not hearing. That is not hearing. But they will do something nonsense which is not approved by Kṛṣṇa or His representative. That is their disease. Yes.

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

So Kṛṣṇa says mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha. In this way, you can begin your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogam... This is yoga. To increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa is the first-class yoga system. But how it can be done? Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. You have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Āśraya. Āśraya means to take shelter. You cannot practice this yoga separately. You have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His devotee. That is called mad-āśraya. Or mad-āśraya means "one who has taken shelter of Me." One may say that "How can I take shelter of Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is not here present." He's present everywhere. It is a question of realization. Then you can take shelter of His representative. Mad-āśraya. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac... (BG 7.1). Asaṁśayam, "without any doubt," samagram, "in complete," yathā, "as," jñāsyasi, "you can understand," tac chṛṇu, "you hear from Me." Kṛṣṇa is describing Himself, how you can increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Melbourne, June 29, 1974 :

When people forget or become engaged otherwise, rascaldom, duṣkṛtinaḥ, at that time He comes. He comes Himself or sends His representative to make this rascal know that "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. In the form of name, in the form of Deity, in the form of picture, in the, so many ways. If you think of Kṛṣṇa within yourself, that "Kṛṣṇa is like this, Kṛṣṇa's leg is like this, Kṛṣṇa's flute is like this, Kṛṣṇa's hand is like this, mouth is like this, He is dressed like this," this meditation is perfect meditation. Not imagination. So that your mind will be gradually absorbed in Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Melbourne, June 29, 1974 :

So therefore yasya prasādād, our business is to please guru. If he is satisfied, then Kṛṣṇa immediately becomes satisfied, because he is the agent. That is very easy to understand. Suppose you are working in office, your immediate boss the superintendent, if he is pleased, that means the managing director is also pleased. You haven't got to please the managing director separately. If you please his representative, then the managing director sees the report, "Yes this man is working nice." That he will accept. He has never seen him. But that is not the fact, Kṛṣṇa also seeing you. So this is called mad-āśritāḥ. Yuñjan..., mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. You have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa, because you have no direct touch of Kṛṣṇa, therefore you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's representative. Then this yuñjan begins. He will teach you how to practice the bhakti-yoga, how to worship Him, how to think of Him, how to offer obeisances, how to observe the ceremonies. Just like yesterday we perfomed the ceremonies, Ratha-yātrā, so this dress, Jagannātha dress, and function, everything you have to learn. This is called bhakti-yoga, mad-āśrayaḥ. And this, the beginning is mayy āsakta-manāḥ, āsakta. Āsakti, we have to develop attachment. If you do not develop attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then other thing does not come.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

So this is yoga, bhakti-yoga. And this yoga has to be executed... Kṛṣṇa says, mad-āśrayaḥ. "You have to execute this yoga system, taking shelter of Me." "Me" means either Kṛṣṇa Himself or His representative. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So you have to learn this bhakti-yoga directly under Kṛṣṇa or under the direction of Kṛṣṇa's representative. So if you do this, then asaṁśaya, without any doubt, and samagram, in completeness, mayy āsakta, asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). So Kṛṣṇa will explain, item by item, how you can increase your attraction for Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be able to execute the bhakti-yoga system under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa directly or directed by His representative. Then it will be successful.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:

This perfection of yoga can be achieved by practicing bhakti-yoga as it is recommended here: mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative, bona fide. If you practice this yoga, then you can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead in complete, without any doubt. And if you practice this yoga in this life, and try to understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is, then, after giving up this body—you have to give up this body, today or tomorrow—then you go directly to Kṛṣṇa. It is therefore explained in the Fourth Chapter, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). "My dear Arjuna, anyone, if he simply tries to understand why I come in this material world, what is My mission, what do I do, if he simply one understands, then he immediately becomes fit for being transferred to the spiritual world." So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to educate people how to understand Kṛṣṇa, and then make his life perfect.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

Now, why this jñānam required? Because our mission of life is to... You can not understand with your foolish brain what is God. That is not possible. They are trying to understand God by the limited senses. How you can understand? We are defective in so many ways. First of all we commit mistakes, and we are illusioned, we try to cheat others, and our senses are imperfect. So, how you can understand with your limited senses, with so many defects? That is not possible. Therefore you have to understand God from God Himself, or from His representative. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ: "directly under My direction, or under the direction of My representative." You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa if you remain under your personal intelligence. Everyone says that "I shall understand this by my own dint of knowledge, by speculation."

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

Others, who are simply speculating, they cannot understand You. Therefore, people are bewildered how God is person. But they cannot understand, because they have not taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, or His representative. It is impossible for him. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samā... (BG 7.25). Kṛṣṇa cannot be exposed to the nondevotees. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya. Not anyone, ordinary common man, can understand. Therefore, we have to understand Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, from Kṛṣṇa, not from anyone who is simply speculating or wrongly interpreting Bhagavad-gītā. They cannot understand. That is the way.

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

Not immediately. Just like here the nature is working in that way. You build a very nice house. Gradually, the nature's course is it will become old and you'll fall down. This is the way of nature here. You cannot keep anything fresh always. So, so long Kṛṣṇa or God is present, or His representative is present, the affairs of the world go very nicely. But as soon as they disappear again the same system begins, dwindling. Begins... By the power... Just like so long the sun is there, there is no darkness, but as soon as the sun is away from your sight, at once the darkness comes. Because the whole atmosphere is darkness. It is by artificial means or by arrangement of God we are keeping it light. This room, if at once the electric fails, oh, it will be dark, because its nature is darkness. Its nature is darkness. Therefore Vedas say, "Don't keep yourself in this darkness.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He wants to make Himself known to everyone. That is His mercy. Kṛṣṇa is more anxious to accept us than we are anxious to accept Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes in His person as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes He sends His representative, sometimes He sends His son, bona fide devotee, and sometimes He comes as a devotee Himself to canvass, "Please come to Me. Please come to Me." Kṛṣṇa is so kind. You see?

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

Illusion means, whatever you do for Kṛṣṇa, that is not pāpa. Yat karoṣi, yat juhoṣi. But you must do according to the order of Kṛṣṇa, or according to the order of Kṛṣṇa's representative. You cannot manufacture your work. That you cannot do. Arjuna did not manufacture. Arjuna acted by the order of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, if we do by the order of Kṛṣṇa and His representative, there is no question of sinful activities. There is no question of sinful... So this is rāja-guhyam. We cannot understand sometimes rāja-guhyam; therefore it is very confidential.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

You are acting some religious activities, you do not know whether it is pious or impious. But when you act under the order of Kṛṣṇa and His representative, it is pratyakṣāvagamaṁ, directly to understand, that is dharma. This is dharma: pratyakṣāvagamaṁ and su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

What is this dharma? In the end of Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is dharma. This is real dharma. And anything except this, is bogus, cheating. This is real dharma. Kṛṣṇa came, He said that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Hm? Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. To reestablish the religious system. Yuge yuge sambhavāmi, "I come." He comes. So, or He sends His representative, His son or His devotee. His servant.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

So one should not adopt the means of ascending process. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Udapāsya means "Give it up." And namanta eva: "And be submissive." Namanta eva jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. In this way, if one lives and hears, san-mukharitām, from the realized soul... Just like Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa, from the perfect person, san-mukharitām. Kṛṣṇa or His representative. His representative is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is just like... Arjuna. Arjuna was made representative of Kṛṣṇa. How? Because Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa said, bhakto 'si: "You are My devotee."

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

So nobody can be equal to God. Therefore we should be, instead of becoming God or instead of understanding God personally by our teeny knowledge and imperfect senses, better to become submissive. Give up this habit. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Just give up this habit, foolish habit, that "I can know God." Just become submissive and try to hear from authorities. San-mukharitām. Who is authority? Authority is Kṛṣṇa and, or God, or His representative. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he's representative of God. So he's authority. Similarly, any authorized incarnation. But that incarnation will never say that "I am God." "I am servant of God"—that is his representation. He'll never say, "I am God." That makes confirmation that he's representative of God. So he is authority, who does not say that "I am God," but he says, "I am servant of God. I am son of God. I am devotee of God." He is representative, real representative. So we have to hear from him. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. I am just trying to explain to you the process of hearing. The process of hearing.

Lecture on BG 10.1 -- New York, December 30, 1966:

It is said there that one who has got firm faith in God and similar faith in God's representative. Yasya deve parā bhaktiḥ. Deve means God. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. Gurau means spiritual master. Spiritual master means a perfect devotee of God. He's spiritual master. Tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ. So all this, I mean to say, import of the Vedic language will be revealed to him. Will be revealed to him. We cannot understand Vedas simply by academic qualification. We have to, we must have the qualification of becoming a devotee of the Supreme Lord and His representative, the spiritual master or the saintly persons. These are recommended in all Vedic scripture.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Paris, August 10, 1973:

Arjuna is asking the Supreme Personality of Godhead that "You teach me." That is perfect teaching. If you learn something from Kṛṣṇa, or from His representative, that is perfect. That is perfect knowledge. All other knowledge that you gather, that cannot be perfect. Because unless you are perfect, how you can give perfect knowledge? So every one of us is imperfect. Because we have got imperfect senses. So with imperfect knowledge...

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

Now, Arjuna is encouraged because Arjuna was thinking in the terms of material calculation. Just like Gandhi introduced this nonviolence. That is material calculation. It is all right. To become nonviolent is good qualification. But from spiritual calculation... Spiritual calculation means that surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa and then act. The difference between bhakti-yoga and ordinary karma is this: that when one's senses are purified under the direction of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, that is bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. What is bhakti? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- New York, July 6, 1972:

This is the process. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Kṛṣṇa is trying to help you from within and from without. From without, He is presenting His form in this temple. You can take the advantage of serving Him. He is sending His representative, spiritual master, to speak you directly about Kṛṣṇa, and He is ready to help you from within as Paramatma. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He wants that you are all suffering in this material existence, Kṛṣṇa comes as He is, and He canvasses, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So bhāgavata-sevayā, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18), cleansing the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). This is the process. We are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, so we are pure, we have become impure on account of material contamination. So we have to purify ourselves and the process is to hear about Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

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

So Kṛṣṇa is always trying. He's coming Himself as Lord, the Supreme Lord; He's coming as a devotee; He's sending His representative simply to canvass to come to the cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa (Bs. 5.29), where there is eternal happiness, desire trees... Therefore the Vedic literature... What is the purpose of Vedic literature? Veda means knowledge. Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda-vido jñānam. Anything from which you get knowledge, that is called Veda. So from the Vedas we have to acquire the supreme knowledge. Therefore it is called Vedānta. Vedānta means... We have got so many different types of knowledge, but what is the ultimate knowledge? That is called Vedānta. Ultimate knowledge means to inquire about the Supreme. We are getting knowledge... We are inquiring, "What is the newspaper today? What has happened?" That is also knowledge. But that is not ultimate knowledge. Ultimate knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Ultimate... Vedānta means to know the Supreme Absolute Truth. That is ultimate knowledge. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

So vimukti, therefore they do not know what is the ultimate goal of vimukti, for getting out of the inconveniences of life. Na te viduḥ, they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31), they are trying to adjust things by material adjustment. That is not possible. They do not know that. Adānta-gobhir. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ, But they are being misled by blind leaders. They are themselves blind and some blind leaders. Therefore we should not accept blind leaders, we should accept a leader who is not blind. We therefore accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, Who knows everything, past, present, and future. We take His leadership or we take the leadership of His representative. That is our process. So here some of our leaders, Sūta Gosvāmī says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ, because ultimate goal is how to get out of the entanglement of material convention.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

So unless people take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understand and learn how to obey Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they cannot, there cannot be any peace. There cannot be any happiness. And there is no condition... Here it is said, ahaituky apratihatā. That obedience should be without any motive. Just like see here the Europeans and American boys, they are obeying Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative without any condition. They have not come here to obey my order for earning livelihood or for some material purpose. They have not come for that. They have got enough money. They have got enough money. They can purchase hundred times India. But why? This is real paro dharmaḥ. This is the supreme religion, to obey the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His representative. Because we have to learn through the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit, na martya-buddhyāsūyeta (SB 11.17.27). So this is the injunction of the śāstra. Ācārya, the spiritual master, the representative of Kṛṣṇa... Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt, Kṛṣṇa says. "The ācārya is Myself." Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: ** "By pleasing the ācārya, one can please the Supreme Lord." This is the... Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who has got ācārya to guide him, he knows things." These are the Vedic injunctions.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

Even on the speed of mind, not this one-thousand-mile speed or five-hundred-mile speed. On the speed of mind. The speed of mind means within second it can go millions of miles. That is the speed of mind. So it is said, panthās tu... And with that speed, if you go on, koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ, for many millions of years to find out where is God, it is impossible. You cannot. You cannot. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām (Bs. 5.34). And by whom? Muni-puṅga, great, great saintly persons. So still, avicintya-tattve, still, it remains avicintya-tattva. You cannot understand. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ. In the Vedas it is said, "Simply by argument, speculation, you cannot understand." You have to understand God from God or from His representative. Otherwise it is not possible. This is the process.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Calcutta, September 26, 1974:

So the, the Vaiṣṇava philosophy begins from surrender. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is the order of Kṛṣṇa. And what is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and His representative? The representative says that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." He never says that "You surrender to me. I have become Kṛṣṇa." That is a nonsense, rascal. He will say the same thing. Therefore he's Kṛṣṇa's representative. Kṛṣṇa is personally asking that "You surrender to Me," and it is the duty of the bona fide spiritual master, guru, to say to his disciple that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." He'll never say that "You surrender to Me. I have become Kṛṣṇa. Now I have realized soul. I have become Bhagavān." He's a rascal.

Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:

"As soon as people are misled in their occupational duty, I will take my incarnation." So Nara-nārāyaṇa, They are incarnation of God, but They underwent severe penances. The Nara-nārāyaṇa temple is there in Badarikāśrama in the Himalayas. People still go there to show their respects to Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi. So God or His representative comes always to help us, to deliver us from the wrong path of sense gratification. They executed very difficult...

Lecture on SB 1.3.19 -- Los Angeles, September 24, 1972:

Nobody will care for your law. The state law is that "You must keep right your car. As soon as there is red light, you must stop." If you violate, you will be punished, although it is very simple thing. Similarly, religion means the law of God. You cannot violate it. If you violate, then you will be punished. If you think that "This religious system is very stiff. Let me manufacture my own religion," so that kind of religion is not accepted by the Vedic culture. And when actually the real religion is violated... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati... (BG 4.7). Glāniḥ means violation. Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. At that time the Supreme Lord or His representative comes to establish real religion.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:

So it is disinfectant, actually. Janatāgha-viplavaḥ. It stops further sinful activities of that person. And if we continue, that "Well, I have got a disinfectant method, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I can go on committing these four principles of sin, and I'll be (dis)infected." Just like in the Christian church they go, confess. That's all right. Confessing is disinfectant. But how is that you again do it? What is the meaning? You go to church, confess. That's very nice. Now your sinful activities is neutralized. That's all right. But why you are committing again? What is the answer? Hm? What will be the possible answer if I ask any Christian gentleman that "You are committing sinful activities, all right, confessing in the church before Lord Jesus Christ, he's representative, or his representative, or God. Your sinful activities all neutralized, excused. That's all right. But why you are committing again?" What will be the answer?

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

If one has got unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and his representative, guru, then all the knowledge will be revealed to him automatically. Just like yourself. You are a big scientist. You have talked with me, you have studied with me, and you have examined me in so many ways. And I have also spoken whatever I had knowledge. Unless you are convinced, how you can say that "You are my spiritual master"? So what is the secret? I am not a scientist. I am not M.A., C.A How do you agree to accept me as spiritual master? Because I stick to this principle, Kṛṣṇa and guru, that's all. This is the secret of guru.

Lecture on SB 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

Of course, if Kṛṣṇa's order is there, that is another thing. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was ordered by Kṛṣṇa, "You fight." When Kṛṣṇa says, "You fight," you must fight. Not that Kṛṣṇa says, "You fight," and you say, "No, I have taken Your shelter. Why shall I fight?" No, that is not. That is disobedience. When Kṛṣṇa says, "You fight," you must fight. When... Our life should be that whatever Kṛṣṇa says... That is full surrender. Or His representative says, that is my life. Viśvanātha Cakravartī has explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1976:

So vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva is everywhere, and He is ready to help us, and if we become sincere to take knowledge from Vāsudeva... Even you are in the wilderness, anywhere you are, you are with Vāsudeva. You are not alone. He is so friendly that He is living with you as your most intimate friend. That is described in the Vedic literature. Two birds are sitting in one tree. This is the tree, and two birds, ātmā and Paramātmā, they are sitting in the same tree. One is acting according to his whims for enjoying senses, and another is simply looking over: "When this rascal will turn his face towards Me?" This is going on. (aside, referring to microphone:) Why it is stopped? Oh. So Vāsudeva is always ready to help us, provided we want to take help from Him. And He, not only internally He is helping, externally also, He's sending His representative to teach us.

Lecture on SB 1.7.23 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1976:

If you simply speak what Kṛṣṇa says, then you become His representative. Don't manufacture. Don't be over good at (indistinct) manufacturing. Simply to follow Kṛṣṇa and His representatives, then you become mahājana. Otherwise you are a nonsense. Mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). That is the test. One should be very very careful to follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never said that "I am directly servant of Kṛṣṇa." No. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dasānudāsaḥ: "Servant of the servant of the servant of the..." The more you become servant of the servant, you are perfect (CC Madhya 13.80). And as soon as you declare independence, you are rascal. This is the process. We should always remain most obedient servant of my master.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

So here also, we are first-class, second-class, third-class prisoners. Therefore we find so many varieties of living condition. But we are all prisoners. And He's the supreme controller. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, as supreme controller, He wants His representative to rule over this material world. That is Kṛṣṇa's mission. In every planet there is a person, representative of Kṛṣṇa, who is ruling over the planet. Just like the sun planet. The sun planet is being ruled by the sun-god. His name is Vivasvān. He was also instructed by Kṛṣṇa, and that is explained in the Fourth Chapter: imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). "I spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā..." Just like He spoke to Arjuna, similarly He spoke also. And who can know? He spoke to all the rulers of different planets-Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, sun-god, moon-god, that... So many. Thirty-three millions of planets and thirty-three millions of rulers. So He wants His representative.

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974:

Yudhiṣṭhira is not like that: "Let... Somehow or other, let me become King. Let so many people were killed. Never mind." No. He was so sorry, so sorry that he could not be solaced even by the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and saintly person like Vyāsadeva. He was so sorry. Of course, he accepted, but personally he was so very, very sorry, that "So many people have been killed for me." But what could be done? It was Kṛṣṇa's desire. Kṛṣṇa comes—paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8), His two business. So He wanted to establish the kingdom of His representative. He wanted that "Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is right representative. He should be enthroned on the kingdom of whole world." Formerly Bhāratavarṣa meant this whole planet, not this small tract of land. Now it is called India. But the Bhāratavarṣa means the whole planet, this planet. There was one flag. Up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit there was one flag, not like at present there are hundreds and thousands of flags. You Americans, you know. In New York, when we pass through that United Nation building, we see so many flags are there. They are united, but everywhere the flag is increasing, disunited.

Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Mayapura, October 28, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa, when instructs from within the heart, He is called caitya-guru. And that caitya-guru is expanded by the process, personal presentation of spiritual master. So both ways He is helping us. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. Kṛṣṇa is helping from within, but sometimes we are so dull, naturally, that we cannot understand. Therefore He sends His representative to instruct externally. So He is helping internally and externally. There is no difference between the internal and external instructor. We should take advantage of this instruction. That is called vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ, fixed-up resolution. Fixed-up resolution. If we become fixed up in this resolution, that "Whatever we have heard from my guru, the representative of Kṛṣṇa, I must execute. I do not care for my personal convenience or inconvenience. This is my life and soul," then your life is perfect. Then your life is... If I make some amendment, addition, alteration, in the name of Kṛṣṇa, guru, then it is spoiled. No. We should receive the instruction as it is, especially...

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

Therefore to follow the tradition of the pitṛ-paitāmaham, forefathers... The kings... Formerly all the kings, they were following the footsteps of their forefathers. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, grandson of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, when he saw that one black man was trying to kill one cow, he immediately took his sword, and he said, "Do you think that because there is no Arjuna, no Yudhiṣṭhira, you shall do anything you like?" Forefathers, remembering forefathers. "Still I am there. I am his representative. You cannot do it." So forefathers.

Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974:

So it appears like death, but it is actually not death. Just like the electric fan, if you make the switch off, it has stopped running, but if you say, "Still running," that is not running. That is a show of running. Actually, the running is stopped. Similarly, as soon as you surrender to God, through His representative, your death is stopped unless you make it nullified by accepting anything which is against the bhakti principle. Otherwise your deathlessness is guaranteed. That is stated here. Na kaścin mriyate tāvad yāvad āsta ihāntakaḥ. If you simply know that "Yamarāja is there; he is supervising that I may not fall down," then you will not die. You will not die. It is not impractical. It is practical. Try to perceive the truth that since you have begun Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, your death has been stopped. But don't fall down and again capture death. That is the instruction.

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

So what is the purpose? Because the other party represented thieves, rogues, and demons. So Kṛṣṇa wants therefore that somebody must be king who is His representative, devotee. That is the whole plan.

Lecture on SB 1.16.35 -- Hawaii, January 28, 1974:

We have to become qualified to talk with the Supreme Person, and He will give us advice. He's giving us advice. He's ready to give us advice from within and from without—from within as Supersoul and from without as the spiritual master. Therefore it is said, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Both things are required—guru and Kṛṣṇa. If we are sincere, if we actually want Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. He will help you in meeting the spiritual master, His representative. And by the instruction of the spiritual master, you will develop more and more your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your original position. This is called devotional service, or bhakti-latā. Bhakti-latā-bīja. Just like one small creeper, first of all to sow the seed and water it, then gradually it spouts and gradually, I mean to say, grows. Similarly, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and His representative, guru, spiritual master, you get the seed of bhakti-latā, devotional service, and if you sow it in the heart, mālī haya sei bīja kare āropaṇa.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Paris, June 9, 1974:

That they will say, "It is idol worship." These rascals will say, "These foolish people are worshiping an idol." And they are worshiping Napoleon very nicely. (laughter) Just see their intelligence. So therefore, because they do not know, because they are not ātmavit, therefore their opinion has no value. No value. We don't care for their opinion. Here it is ātmavit-sammataḥ. One should be taken... Approval should be from persons who is self-realized. Their, his opinion has value. Otherwise, a rascal says, "In my opinion..." What is the opinion of your..., value? We don't accept your opinion. We take the opinion of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee. One who is pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa directly, or His representative, we take their opinion. That is called ātmavit-sammataḥ.

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

Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. So the Māyāvādīs and poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa unless he becomes a devotee. And how he can become a devotee? That is stated here: bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇum. One has to surrender himself to His representative, bhāgavata. Bhāgavata means... God is called Bhagavān. Bhagavat, the original word is bhagavat, and one who has got intimate relation with Bhagavān, he is called bhāgavata. So here it is recommended, bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ na jātu martyaḥ. Martya means one who will die. Every one of us will die. But abhilabheta yas tu. But we can achieve a great success. Although this body's mortal, we can get, we can achieve a great success. And what is that? To take the dust of the lotus feet of a bhāgavata. Simple thing. Therefore it is said, jīvañ chavaḥ. Jīvañ chavo bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ na jātu martyo 'bhilabheta yas tu. After all, this body is dead. Everyone knows. It is simply moving on account of the presence of the spirit soul.

Lecture on SB 2.4.1 -- Los Angeles, June 24, 1972:

You have to become a gardener and... Where is that Pravīṇacandra? He's not here? Yes. That's all right. Śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana. Hearing. If you want to come to the right conclusion, then you have to hear from persons authorized, not from the nonsense rascals, politicians, diplomats. No. Just like here it is said, vaiyāsakeḥ. You have to hear from Vaiyāsaki or his representative. Vaiyāsaker iti vacas tattva-niścayam ātmanaḥ. If you hear from the right person, then tattva-niścayam, then positively you can realize self. And if you hear from some rascals, they have no connection with Vaiyāsaki, simply by dint of mental speculation, interpreting, "I think this may be this, I think this,"... What you are, nonsense? You think? We don't accept such nonsense things. It must be positively authorized. As it is said here, vaiyāsaker iti vacas tattva-niścayam ātmanaḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.22.19 -- Tehran, August 8, 1976:

Kardama Muni desired to beget a child who would be a ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One sould beget a child who can perform the duties of Viṣṇu; otherwise there is no need to produce children. There are two kinds of children born of good fathers: one is educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that he can be delivered from the clutches of māyā in that very life, and the other is a ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and teaches the world the ultimate goal of life. As will be described in later chapters, Kardama Muni begot such a child—Kapila, the incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, who enunciated the philosophy of Sāṅkhya. Great householders pray to God to send His representative so that there may be an auspicious movement in human society. This is one reason to beget a child. Another reason is that a highly enlightened parent can train a child in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that the child will not have to come back again to this miserable world. Parents should see to it that the child born of them does not enter the womb of a mother again.

Lecture on SB 3.22.20 -- Tehran, August 9, 1976:

By his practical life, He was asking Generally, questions are asked to the superior person, and the superior person answers. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was superior in everything, He was asking Rāmaṇanda Rāya to answer. He made Haridāsa Ṭhākura—he was Muhammadan by birth—nāmācārya, the ācārya of spreading Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. These are the wonderful activities. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he practically became Muhammadan. Why practically? Absolutely. He was rejected by the brāhmaṇa society because he was minister, he was mixing with the Muhammadan and everything. He was eating with them. So the brāhmaṇa society rejected him. The name was also changed, Sakara Mallika. Nawab Hussain Shah's very confidential man. Nawab Hussain Shah was keeping Sanātana Gosvāmī as his representative in everything. The government was being managed by him. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted them, and they became the Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:

So when things are mismanaged and people forget the aim of life, at that time the Supreme Lord comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). So dharmasya glāniḥ means the human society, when missing the aim of life, at that time, when things are very much mismanaged, then out of compassion... Because God is more anxious to get us back to home, back to Godhead, than we are, because we are in ignorance. We do not know what is the kingdom of God, how to go back there, how to become happy. We have all forgotten. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes at interval. He sends His representative, the devotee.

Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974:

That is also recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā: tad viddhi praṇipātena. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Simply going and asking the spiritual master or guru, and not to accept his instructions, then don't waste your time. Don't waste your time. In a challenging spirit, if you go to a spiritual master, without any service, sevayā, and praṇipātena... Praṇipātena... Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta. Nipāta means fall down, and pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpa, sufficiently. No reservation. This knowledge, the transcendental knowledge, is based on this praṇipāta. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You just surrender unto Me." And similarly we have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa or His representative.

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

So therefore Kapiladeva or His representative, when he sees somebody is little interested, he becomes very glad and thanks him, "Thank you very much." Because people are not interested. So Kapiladeva, when He saw His mother interested, He thanked within. Not openly, but within the mind: "Thank you, mother. You are so interested." So dhiyā abhinandya ātmavatāṁ satāṁ gatiḥ. The process, the questions which she put, that is ātmavatāṁ satām.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

There is a paramparā system, as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fourth Chapter: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So our business, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, our business is very easy. Because we don't manufacture ideas. We take the idea and the words delivered by the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, or His incarnation, or His representative. His representative does not say anything which the master does not say. Representative is very easy. You can become representative of Kṛṣṇa if you do not interpret Kṛṣṇa's words in your whimsical way. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." And if you take it as it is, and if you speak to the people that "There is no more superior authority than Kṛṣṇa," then you become guru. You become guru. You don't change.

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

That you have to learn from the sādhu. Because it is recommended in the..., that sa eva sādhuṣu kṛtaḥ. As much we are trying to gratify our senses and we have become attached to this material world—prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam. We are becoming more and more entangled. The same thing, if we do for a sādh u or Kṛṣṇa... Sādhu-guru-kṛṣṇa. Sādhu-śāstra-guru. So sādhu is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Or Kṛṣṇa directly... Sādhu will never say that "You serve me." Sādhu will say, "Serve Kṛṣṇa." Therefore we have to approach Kṛṣṇa through sādhu. Not directly. That is not... That is confirmed by Vaiṣṇava ācārya, Narottama dāsa: chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā. You cannot directly approach Kṛṣṇa. You have to go through the media, the transparent via media of his representative.

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says... How to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? Yat karoṣi: "Whatever you do," kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam: "the result you give Me." Then it will be Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You always think that you are doing for Kṛṣṇa. Of course, by the order of Kṛṣṇa or by His representative, not whimsically. If you do something nonsense and if you think that "I am doing for Kṛṣṇa," that will not be accepted. It must be verified by the acceptance of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's..., or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Arjuna did not fight without Kṛṣṇa's order. Therefore we must receive the order. If we say that "We do not find Kṛṣṇa. How shall I...?" then Kṛṣṇa's representative. That is sādhu. The Kṛṣṇa's representative is sādhu. Therefore Kapiladeva is advising herewith that "You, mother, you associate with sādhus." Ete sādhavaḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974:

That is called education and for that education one has to approach a proper guru like Kapiladeva. Kapiladeva is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So guru is there, Kṛṣṇa, and His instruction is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why you are not taking advantage? You have become so foolish. The instruction is there. Guru is there. Somebody says that Arjuna had the opportunity, good opportunity to talk with Kṛṣṇa face to face, but we haven't got that. But what is that talk? The talk is already there. You hear it from His representative, the same instruction. Where is the difficulty? But they will not do that. They will take Bhagavad-gītā and misinterpret in a foolish way, in rascaldom, and spoil his career and other's career. That's all. Otherwise everything is there. Where is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa says that there is the owner of the body within the body and He has explained in so many ways, acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam, distinguishing the quality that the soul is never to be cut into pieces, acchedyo 'yam. It cannot be burned into the fire. It cannot be moistened by water.

Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974:

Therefore na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This instruction, the common sense is that if my position is like that, acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), that what is that life? How I can attain that life? That is brahma-jijñāsā. One should be inquisitive. If you remain fools and rascals like cats and dogs to maintain this body only, then what is the benefit of this human life. Human life is meant for understanding this science that I am not this body, but I am busy with this bodily comfort. I am soul within the body, what I am doing for that which is Brahman? This is required. Therefore tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), if you want to learn about that then you must find out a guru. What kind of guru? Just like Kapiladeva, Kṛṣṇa, or His representative. Not a bogus guru. Then you will be cheated. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. The so-called rascal guru, he does not know also what is the aim of life, and if he makes some disciples then śāstra says, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ, one blind man is trying to guide many other blind men. So what is the benefit? There is no benefit. So if you want to be guided by somebody, he must have opened eyes. Tattva-darśinaḥ, upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ tad jñānī tattva-darśinaḥ. Darśana. Darśana means who have got eyes to see what is the absolute truth. Don't go to a blind man, who has no knowledge about the absolute truth. The absolute truth is there, Kṛṣṇa.

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

We have to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. Otherwise we will be bewildered. And for that reason you have to hear from Kṛṣṇa or His representative to understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you will also be bewildered.

Lecture on SB 3.25.30 -- Bombay, November 30, 1974:

So this is the easiest process. So durbodhaṁ yoṣā bhavad-anugrahāt. But this chance is gotten by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Bhavad-anugrahāt. If Kṛṣṇa sees somebody, that he is sincerely chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... He is within everyone. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So He can understand that "Here is a sincere devotee." Then He gives chance. He as caitya-guru, the Supersoul, caitya-guru, and this external guru. He gives the chance of meeting external guru also, His representative, so that Kṛṣṇa helps a sincere devotee externally and internally. Internally, He helps, Himself, as Paramātmā. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Kṛṣṇa says that "I give him intelligence from within." And without, externally, His representative, the spiritual master, is there. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Combination of guru and Kṛṣṇa. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, one gets a bona fide guru, and by the grace of the bona fide guru, one gets Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. So as we are fallen, similarly, śāstra has given us very easy method to appreciate our transcendental life, our blissful life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This we are teaching everywhere, that "You chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra," śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. And when they are advanced, they are engaged in Deity worship, in preaching work, and so many other.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

Guru means who follows the predecessor, authorized predecessor. He is guru. Not that everyone is guru. So therefore we have to follow the superior order. Then we become guru, not that by cheating others we become guru. No. That is cheater. That is not teacher. Guru means who is following the superior order. The superior order is Kṛṣṇa or His representative. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. He is ordering, āmāra ājñāya, "By My order," guru hañā, "you become guru." "Sir, it is very difficult to become guru. I have no education. I have no culture. I am not born in a very high family. I am very low."

Lecture on SB 3.26.20 -- Bombay, December 29, 1974:

Abhadrāṇi, the same dirty thing. Kṛṣṇa is always ready to help us provided if we take His help. Kṛṣṇa is so nice. As Paramātmā, He is living within the heart, and He is always ready to give us good advice and guide us. Caitya-guru, the guru within the heart. And this external spiritual master, he is Kṛṣṇa's representative. When He sees that "This living entity is little serious. He wants to know Me. He wants to come to Me," so He helps from within, and He sends His representative from without.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1976:

This is first instruction of Kṛṣṇa. So as with the association of Kṛṣṇa, by instruction of Kṛṣṇa, I can understand my position... As Sanātana Goswāmī, by the association of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he could understand his position, similarly, we should approach such person wherefrom we can understand our position. Therefore it is recommended, mahat-sevām. You do not approach Kṛṣṇa or His representative to order him or to make him your servant: "Sir, give me this, give me that." "Yes, you can take it, you can..." Flattering. So that is not the position. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1976:

"No, then you give me in writing." So Rūpa Gosvāmī gave him in writing, "I met this man; he's a great scholar and I am defeated." He gave in writing. Of course Jīva Gosvāmī took that paper very tactfully and defeated him. So this is not the method of meeting Rūpa Gosvāmī. One should go very humbly, mahat-sevām. Rūpa Gosvāmī is mahat. You should not go there to challenge. Then you'll be cheated. You must go to Rūpa Gosvāmī and his representative with a humble... Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). When you want to learn, you must approach that person praṇipātena. Prakṛṣṭa rūpena seva. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.30 -- Vrndavana, November 17, 1976:

So what is that thing? It is definition by negation. We cannot understand in our present state what is that spirit soul. Although we can perceive that there is something—in the absence of that something, this body is nothing but a lump of matter. That we get experience every day. But we cannot see what is that. Therefore atheist class or the persons with poor fund of knowledge, they deny the existence. They cannot see. But they cannot answer that why the body is no more working, what is that thing which is absent? They have tried to explain in so many ways how that something... But they could not practically explain. We have to understand it by the śruti process, Vedic knowledge. That is real understanding. And understanding from the right person, Kṛṣṇa or His representative. And it has to be understood simply by hearing. There is no other process. You cannot see; it is so small particle. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). So in these material eyes we cannot see even the spiritual spark within the body. How you can see the Supreme Spirit? It is not possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These blunt senses cannot see. But we can perceive. This much concession is there, and one can become completely free from bodily conception of life. That is...

Lecture on SB 5.6.8 -- Vrndavana, November 30, 1976:

Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya kalyāṇa **. Everything is there in the śāstra. We have to see whether a person is actually bona fide agent of Kṛṣṇa. Then we accept him as guru. Otherwise useless waste of time. Gurur apy avaliptasya kāryākāryam ajānataḥ. Guru is very confidential serv... Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. Guru is sākṣād hari; there is no distinction between guru and Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you have got some business with a very big man, when his representative comes, you treat him as the same person because he is authorized agent. That is natural. Just like in India during British days, the governor general, viceroy—his name was viceroy—so people treated him exactly like the king, viceroy, in place of the king. Although he was a servant, but still, the honor was given to him just like the king. His dress was like king. He was given honor like king. Wherever he would go, he was received like the king. But he is not king. He does not say that "I am king," but his honor is like the king. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair, uktaḥ **. It is said in our all..., that you sing always, vede gaya yahāra carita. You read this verse daily. Guru-mukha..., vede gaya yahāra car... What is that? Eh? Who can sing this?

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

It is a question of knowledge. It is not the question of age. He was only sixteen years old and he was not even properly dressed, but God kindly sent him for instructing this king. So he is asking, "Mahā-bhāga, can you explain how these suffering men can be delivered from this hellish suffering?" So he was feeling. This is the sentiment of Vaiṣṇava. They cannot see the suffering humanity. They always try to reform them and to get them as... Not only the devotees; the Lord also, He is so compassionate He sends His son, His most confidential son, Jesus Christ. He comes Himself, He sends His incarnation, He sends His knowledge. Just like this Bhagavad-gītā is knowledge. He speaks Himself about this knowledge. His representatives are there by disciplic succession. So we can take advantage of all these things. Still, there is Kṛṣṇa. Still there is speaking Kṛṣṇa and His representative, and everything is there. Simply we have to take advantage. That's all. But the spell of māyā is so strong that it does not allow.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

They are not so strong as this devotional service is strong." That is tapa-ādibhiḥ. Na tathā hy aghavān rājan pūyeta tapa-ādibhiḥ, yathās kṛṣṇa-arpita-prāṇaḥ. One who has dedicated his life to Kṛṣṇa, he is very strong. Kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇaḥ. Yathā kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇas tat-puruṣa niṣevayā. Or dedicated his life to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. He is very strong than the other man who is undergoing austerities, penances, and He is also making progress, certainly. But better process is this: one who has surrendered completely to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa or his representative. Kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇaḥ tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

There is one verse—just now I forget. The thing is that without being blessed by the representative of Kṛṣṇa, nobody can take interest into Kṛṣṇa. That is another secret. Yasya prasādaḍ bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. The Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one can get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa." Yasya prasādāt, "by whose mercy, Kṛṣṇa is merciful." Niṣkiñcanānāṁ pāda-rajo 'bhiṣekam. So this is also stated here, that surrender to Kṛṣṇa means surrender to Kṛṣṇa's representative. If you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then also Kṛṣṇa's first mercy is that He will send His representative. If anyone is serious to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will help him from within and without. Within, as Supersoul, He will help, and He will dictate that "You go to this person." Guru kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). When there is combined mercy, both Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's representative, then you are successful. Guru kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. Two things. Here also it is stated that one may practice, as the austerities, penances, brahmācārya, celibacy, but better position is to take to devotional service and surrender to Kṛṣṇa through His representative.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

Therefore he should consult spiritual master. The guide is there. Then it is all right. He should take sanction from Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. If he wants to do something, that's good, but whether that doing is right or wrong you have to know it from Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Is it clear or not? Yes.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

Formal initiation means to accept, officially, to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa and His representative. That is formal initiation. Officially accept, "Yes, sir, I shall accept. I shall do whatever you say." This is initiation, official acceptance of the job. That's all. Now, you formally accept, and if you do not do the duties, then where is the question of other function? There is no question. Initiation means this is the beginning of accepting the orders of Kṛṣṇa and His representative to carry out. This is the beginning. That is initiation. Just like if you enter in an office establishment, so you accept the terms of service.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Honolulu, May 16, 1976:

You have to go through His devotee. Therefore Kṛṣṇa sends His devotee, "Go and deliver them." Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He did not know how to achieve the favor of Supreme Personality of Godhead, but on account of his eagerness... He wanted to see God. Because he was kṣatriya... His mother said that "God can only help you, my dear son. If you want to become king on the throne of your father, better position, then only God can help you. I cannot help you. It is not..." So he was determined, "I must see God." So he went to the forest but he did not know how to approach God. A boy of five years old only, he has got the determination. So Kṛṣṇa saw that "This boy is very determined." Therefore He sent His representative, Nārada: "Go and train him. He is very eager."

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

That freedom is there always. The Kṛṣṇa or His representative, the spiritual master, he can give you good instruction, good advice, but to do it or not to do it, that is your option. That is your option. You decide yourself. That is the... Kṛṣṇa said, yathecchasi tathā kuru: (BG 18.63) "I am not interfering with your independence. I am dealing as your spiritual master, and you accepted Me as your spiritual master." Kṛṣṇa was accepted, Arjuna, śiṣyas te 'ham: "Kṛṣṇa, no more friendly talk. I accept You as my spiritual master." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). "What kind of disciple?" Now, prapannam, fully surrendered: "Now whatever You will say, I'll do." This is śiṣya. Śiṣya I have several times explained, śās-dhātu. Who voluntarily accepts the ruling of a person, he is śiṣya. And otherwise, "You go on talking whatever nonsense you can. I'll do my own business," that is not śiṣya. Śiṣya means śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). That is śiṣya.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

As Lord Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance are all spiritual, transcendental, they are not ordinary things, similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa's devotee, His representative, who is sent to this material world for preaching the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa, their appearance and disappearance is also like Kṛṣṇa's. Therefore, according to Vaiṣṇava principles, the appearance and disappearance of Vaiṣṇava is considered all-auspicious. Therefore we hold festivals. Just like yesterday we had the disappearance day of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Prabhupāda. So we offered our respects and observed a festival, Āvirbhava, Tirobhava. Tirobhava.

Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- San Francisco, July 19, 1975:

So it is said that the Brahmā is the first living being who understood Vedas. So how he understood? Where is The teacher? There is no other creature. How he understood Vedas? Now, that teacher was Kṛṣṇa, and He is situated in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So He is teaching from the heart. So Kṛṣṇa teaches—He is so kind—as caitya-guru, from the heart, and He sends His representative from outside.

Lecture on SB 6.2.1-5 -- Calcutta, January 6, 1971:

Naya-kovidāḥ. Naya-kovidāḥ means nyāya-nipuṇa. Bhagavad-dūtas, those who are gosvāmīs, they place everything with nyāya, or logic. Their instructions are not blind, dogmatic. Naya-kovidāḥ. Everything, what is said by Kṛṣṇa or His representative, they are not dogmas. Those who are not representative of Kṛṣṇa, they will say simply dogmas. Just like in every religion there is a dogma. But in bhāgavata religion, bhāgavata-dharma, there is no dogma. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's bhāgavata-dharma, the Caitanya-caritāmṛta's author, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says, therefore, that caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:

So Arjuna became a devotee because he acted favorably for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. It was not favorable to the material life but it was favorable to Kṛṣṇa. That should be your business, how Kṛṣṇa should be satisfied. And therefore naturally it is concluded that "How I can satisfy Kṛṣṇa?" You have to satisfy his representative.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:

Therefore we have sung just now, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If you satisfy His representative, then He is satisfied. Just like in office the proprietor has got a head of a department. If you satisfy that head of the department the proprietor is satisfied. The report goes to the proprietor that "This man, this clerk is working very nice," so his promotion, increment of payment is already there. So a pure devotee's business is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as he chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, immediately he remembers the whole plan, how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he's a liberated person. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa appears in two ways. He appears as antaryāmi, the Supersoul within himself, within oneself, and He appears as the spiritual master, externally. Caitya-guru and dīkṣā-guru. Caitya-guru... As caitya-guru, as the supreme spiritual master, He is in everyone's heart. And His representative... In order to help externally the sincere person, He sends the spiritual master. Therefore the spiritual master from outside and the caitya-guru from inside, they are helping. The Supreme Personality is helping a devotee, a real, serious devotee two ways: from within, from without. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta therefore says that kṛṣṇera prakāśa, manifestation of Kṛṣṇa, a spiritual master. And Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya aprasādād na gatiḥ kuto 'pi: ** "If I can satisfy my spiritual master, then I understand that Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. And if I cannot satisfy my spiritual master, then I have no other way to approach Kṛṣṇa." These songs we sing every day. So my Guru Mahārāja used to say that "Instead of seeing Kṛṣṇa, you serve so faithfully that Kṛṣṇa will see you." That should be the process. Kṛṣṇa is omnipresent. He can see you, He can understand you, what are doing. So we have to execute devotional service in such a faithful way that Kṛṣṇa will see us. Then you will be successful. "Don't try to see Kṛṣṇa. Try to become seen by Kṛṣṇa." That was my Guru Mahārāja's instruction. Cakṣur yathaiva kṛtayaiva antaḥ-param. Tasyātma-tantrasya harer ahīśituḥ parasya māyādhipater mahātmanaḥ. Evaṁ bhūtaḥ parameśvaraḥ mad-anyad astīti.

Lecture on SB 7.5.23-24 -- Vrndavana, March 31, 1976:

So the test of advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is that one should be detestful, lose attachment to the material things. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja did not like the material education from Sanda and Amarka. He very plainly said to his father that "What I have heard from my spiritual master, Nārada Muni..." Spiritual master means Nārada Muni or his representative. Therefore we should follow the Nārada-pañcarātra instructions. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). According to Nārada-pañcarātra, one should be free from all designation.

Lecture on SB 7.7.19-20 -- Bombay, March 18, 1971:

Yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande, that by whose mercy these things are possible, I offer my respectful obeisances, param ānanda bhavam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, reservoir of all pleasure. By Kṛṣṇa's mercy it is possible. By material calculation it is not possible. Material calculation one will say that "How it is possible, you say the dumb is lecturing very nicely? That is not possible." Or, "That lame man is now crossing the mountains?" So materially it is not possible. But by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa or His representative... Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, five years old boy, he is explaining so nicely about the constitution of the soul. Why? Because he has obtained the mercy of Nārada Muni, the representative of Kṛṣṇa. So it is possible. So we'll stop. (end)

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

Even in the animals, you have experienced that so many animals, they are living in such a miserable condition, but still, he does not like to give up this body. But the pain is more felt by God than the living creature in this conditioned life. So it is always... There is always endeavor on the part of God to send His representative; He comes Himself, He gives book.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:

But the foolish persons, they do not know it. Therefore God, like Bali Mahārāja, He goes, like Vāmanadeva, He goes to beg from Bali Mahārāja. And His representative, devotees of God, sannyāsīs, they also go to beg: "My dear sir, give us some contribution for our temple." It is not that he's beggar.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1976:

ṣṇa is starving." No, that is not. Nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. He's always complete in Himself. He doesn't require our help. But if we serve Kṛṣṇa, then we become benefited. That is... Yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhīta mānam. If you offer respect, Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa's representative, then you'll be respectful. If you don't want to show respect to Kṛṣṇa and His representative, then you'll be derided. Therefore prati-mukhasya yathā mukha-śrīḥ. Prati-mukhasya, original face, original person, is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

Who is devotee, to him, the Lord speaks from within. And from without, the spiritual master. So both ways we are getting opportunity for learning Vedic knowledge, from without, from within. And if still we don't take advantage of it, then it is our misfortune. The spiritual master is considered to be the outward expression of the Supersoul. God is so kind that He is within, giving you education, provided you are prepared to hear. And from without, He sends His representative. So both ways we are benefited. We have to take advantage of this opportunity. From without, we have got these books, the spiritual master, the saintly persons, so many. Friends, books. And from within, Kṛṣṇa, the Supersoul.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973:

And how we can understand the representative of Kṛṣṇa? That is not very difficult. Because what Kṛṣṇa says, if the representative says the same thing, then he's representative. It is not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If His representative says that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa," he's representative. That's all. He does not become, himself, Kṛṣṇa. Then he's bogus. A faithful servant will never say that "I am the master." "I am servant"—although he's as good as the master. Similarly, a guru is sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya **.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973:

Similarly, His representative is also friend for everyone. As Kṛṣṇa comes, descends to reclaim all fallen souls back to home, back to Godhead, similarly His representative, devotee, he also approaches everyone, tries to get him back to home, back to Godhead. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Even to the animals... Caitanya Mahāprabhu delivered a dog. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's party was going to Jagannātha Purī. A dog was follow, following. So that dog was delivered because he followed the devotees. There are many instances like that. What is this? Read it.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

So these are the points. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). We should execute cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness very favorably, not unfavorably. Favorable means by which Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased, by which your spiritual master becomes pleased. Because when your spiritual master is pleased, Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. So spiritual master is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Just like in office, you do not see the proprietor, but your immediate officer, if you can please, then you get promotion, increment, so many things. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa sends His representative. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). So, so pleasing the ācārya means pleasing Kṛṣṇa. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādad bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam means when you have accepted the bona fide spiritual master, you should work in such a way that your spiritual master is pleased with you. Then you, your path is very clear. Don't do anything which is against the will of the spiritual master. Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa eye to eye at the present moment. The direction is coming through disciplic succession. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So we should follow favorably to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then our life is successful. Go on.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

Suppose he has taken the advantage of becoming representative of a business firm, but he's doing his own business. He's not bona fide. He's not bona fide. So real guru is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa... Aham eva āsam agre. Kṛṣṇa existed before the creation. Then He made His representative, Brahmā.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating." So this is tyāga. Why tyāga? For Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants this. Kṛṣṇa does not want to see us debauchees. Therefore we must give it up. And Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām... (BG 18.65). We accept it. So our business is to accept by which Kṛṣṇa is pleased, and reject by which Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Our central point is how Kṛṣṇa is pleased. So we have nothing to do with acceptance and rejection. We have to see whether Kṛṣṇa or His representative is pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya prasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. That is our practical... And if we live in that way, then we shall be happy. That is called happiness by devotional service. Go on.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

Not that my disciples, my students, have lost their individuality. They're using their individuality to improve the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—but sanctioned by me. That is oneness. That is oneness. Similarly, our devotional service is like that. We, varieties of work we are doing, but we must see whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That's all. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). This is our philosophy. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Everyone has got individual capacity to do something, but we must see whether that is satisfactory to Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.1 -- Mayapur, March 25, 1975:

So everyone, that living force. Gurūn, īśa, īśa-bhaktān, īśa-bhaktān and īśam. So they are all living force. The Lord, His devotee, His representative, everyone, they belong to the spiritual platform, living force. Caitanya-saṁjñakam. Caitanya means living. That personification of all living forces is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. People mistake Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu because by misfortune they understand Kṛṣṇa Caitanya as a devotee or just like so-called sādhu or yogi, like that. That is mistake. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya means the original living force, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.13 -- Mayapur, April 6, 1975:

So don't try to repeat your birth again and again in this Kali-yuga. It will be not very happy life. Better sacrifice everything in this life and be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead. Don't wait for the next life. This is very seriously repeated, that "This life I shall finish my Kṛṣṇa consciousness business," and, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that Kṛṣṇa consciousness business means to understand Kṛṣṇa rightly. And He's explaining Himself rightly. Where is the difficulty to finish the Kṛṣṇa consciousness business? If Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, what He is, then where is your difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is sending His representative ācārya to teach you, and Kṛṣṇa is within yourself trying to teach you if you are actually serious. Then where is the difficulty? Inside, outside, always, books, knowledge—He is prepared. So where is the difficulty to make yourself perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? There is no difficulty at all. Provided you are serious, you can become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious in this very life. You are all young men. You are not old man like me. I have no opportunity. (pause) (end)

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

Naiva... Na, "never," asura-prakṛtaya, "those who are atheistic mentality, atheistic consciousness..." They have decided not to believe in God, so it is very difficult. Those who have decided atheistic conclusion, they will never come to any argument. Otherwise to understand the science of God is not very difficult. If one is simple, he can understand. Everything is there. What are there? Tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭhaiḥ. When God comes in incarnation or He sends His representative to reclaim, they perform wonderful acts. They are not ordinary, common men. Either God or God's representative, they act in such a way that it is not possible for any common man. That is the particular symptom of God and God's representative.

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

So tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ. So when incarnation of God comes, He performs wonderful acts. Like Kṛṣṇa—He performed wonderful acts. Leaving all things aside, simply if we take the Bhagavad-gītā, that wonderful philosophy... Nobody can deliver such... (break) There is no history in the world, no comparison, such full information of the science of God. And other acts we hear from..., just like in childhood He played so many wonderful things. So those who are surrendered, they believe and therefore they receive the desired result. Tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ. And the activities of God and His representative are described where? In scriptures, book of authority. Vyāsadeva had no business, or Śukadeva Gosvāmī had no business to describe some fiction, some allegory. Just like fools, they interpret śāstras, "This means this.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.3 -- Mayapur, March 3, 1974:

For the benefit of the conditioned soul, He is within everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So He's trying to teach us from within and He sends His representative for preaching without.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

So when people are in this lowest stage of ignorance, they cannot understand what is needed. But when they are elevated, just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, they..., he goes to a bona fide spiritual master like Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His representative and asks, "What are the causes of my miseries, and what I am? What is my position?"

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.103 -- Washington, D.C., July 8, 1976:

Every man has to understand the goal of life. Every man has to understand why there is struggle for existence, if there is any remedy, if there is any process where we can live very peacefully without any disturbances, without any... These are the things to be learned in human life, and one should approach... Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was minister, very educated, well placed, but he has approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So we should approach the Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or His representative, and surrender. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). The way is not challenging, "Can you show me God?" These are challenges. Not this way. God is everywhere, but first of all make your eyes to see God, then you challenge, "Can you show me God?" This attitude will not help us. Submissive. Tad viddhi praṇipātena. This is the injunction of the śāstra. If you want to understand the science, transcendental science, tad viddhi try to understand—but praṇipātena, very humbly. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī is submitting very humbly.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- Bombay, November 24, 1975:

So as soon as you take the words as it is, you immediately associate with Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you take the instruction of guru, representative of Kṛṣṇa. If you can please your guru, yasya prasādad bhagavat-prasādaḥ... **. If you can please His representative, then you please Him. So in this way, kṛṣṇānuśīlanam, that is our duty, ānukūlyena, ānukūla, not pratikūla. There are two ways of acting, ānukūla and pratikūla. If you act as I desire, that is ānukūla, and if you act what I don't desire, that is pratikūla. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be ānukūla, according to the desire of Kṛṣṇa, as it is confirmed by guru.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.154-157 -- New York, December 7, 1966:

So religion, you cannot manufacture; I cannot manufacture. Just like there are so many religions now, manufactured by laymen. Oh, they are not religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: (SB 6.3.19) "Dharma means, religion means, which is made by God." Or His representative. Not by anyone. Not that you make a club or association, you manufacture some idea and it becomes religion. No. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bha... (SB 6.3.19). Therefore God incarnates. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Glānir means when there is discrepancies. In that law, which is given by God, when there is discrepancies and people are disturbed, especially the devotees are disturbed, when there is satanic influence, there is, devotees are very much disturbed. So paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). When incarnation comes, now, paritrāṇāya sādhūnām, the first business is to give protection to the devotees. There is no necessity of God's coming here to settle up things. There is no necessity. He has got omnipotential power. He can do without His presence. But when His devotees become very much disturbed, He comes personally. He comes personally, sends His representative.

Festival Lectures

Sri Gaura-Purnima Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.38 -- Mayapur, March 16, 1976:

If we want to understand the transcendental position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then we have to go through guru, guru-paramparā system. Otherwise it is not possible. Rūpa-raghunātha pade hoibe ākuti. Unless we accept this process, unless we submit... This whole process is submission. Kṛṣṇa wants this. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). So if you want to approach Kṛṣṇa, you have to become very submissive. And to whom? "Kṛṣṇa is not here. To whom I shall submit?" No. To His devotee, to His representative. The business is submission. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared this day for giving mercy to the fallen souls who are so foolish, they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is personally teaching how to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is this kīrtana. You'll find. You have seen the picture in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya that in Prayag He was engaged in chanting, and Rūpa Gosvāmī is offering his obeisances. That is the first meeting with Rūpa Gosvāmī, and he composed this verse, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te... (CC Madhya 19.53).

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Boston, May 1, 1969:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is the symbolic representation of Vaiṣṇava. So try to be not imitator, but follower. Don't try to imitate: "Oh, Prahlāda Mahārāja was thrown into boiling oil. Let me try, fall into the boiling oil." No. That is imitation. Just first of all you become like Prahlāda Mahārāja, then that will be possible. Don't try to make experimental. (laughter) That is not good. But follow, try to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Mahājanas, great personalities, what they have done, you cannot imitate them. You have to follow them. You have to follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, but you cannot imitate them. Then you'll fall down. Anusaraṇa. Not anukaraṇa. Anukaraṇa means imitation; but anusaraṇa, follow. So what Prahlāda Mahārāja did, that we have to follow his example. His example was that in spite of continuous torturing by his father, he never forgot Kṛṣṇa. This we have to follow. In spite of all kinds of inconveniences and torture by the atheist class of men, we shall never forget Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There were many examples. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was tortured. So he was crucified, but he never agreed that there is no God. So that should be our motto. This is following. Either you be Christian or be Hindu or be any, but be God conscious. Kṛṣṇa conscious means God conscious. And in any circumstances do not forget. That is called śaraṇāgati. That is surrender.

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34 -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

Arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam. To be always in service of the Lord, dāsyaṁ; sakhyam, to make friendship with Him, to consider Kṛṣṇa as your friend. He says... Even if I do not say that He's my friend, He says, "I am friend of everyone." Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). He's friend of everyone. We don't want His friendship, but He wants our friendship. He wants us to go back to home, Godhead; we don't want. So He is more anxious to take us, exactly like the father is more affectionate than the son. That's a fact. So He's the supreme father. So He wants that we may be happy, and therefore He comes to show us. He sends His representative, son. He leaves behind Him books so that we may go back to home, back to Godhead. So, sakhyam. He's always sitting with me, within my heart. I am in the heart, and Paramātmā is also within the heart as friend to give me advice that "Why you are bothering in this material world? Please come back to home, back to Me." This is going on. Sakhyam ātma-nivedanam. Ātma-nivedanam means fully surrendered. So there are examples of devotees who, sarvātma-nivedanam. Just like Bali Mahārāja. He gave everything to Kṛṣṇa, even his body, everything, whatever, his kingdom, money, everything.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- London, August 22, 1973:

We have many times explained. Therefore, we have got varieties of bodies to enjoy this material world. So when Kṛṣṇa sees that a living entity is very anxious to understand Him or to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa gives him all opportunity, especially by manifesting Himself as the spiritual master. Antar bahiḥ. The spiritual master is therefore Kṛṣṇa's manifestation-Kṛṣṇa's mercy manifestation to help a person to develop his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. From within He's helping. Therefore, He's called caitya-guru, and from without, He sends His representative to help how to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- London, August 22, 1973:

You'll find in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, now it is published. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, He is the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. He says, āmāra ājñāya. "Whatever I say, āmāra ājñāya, by My order, you become a spiritual master." Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So one may be very illiterate, no education, or no scholarship, may not be born in brāhmaṇa family, or may not be a sannyāsī. There are so many qualification. But one may not have all these qualifications. He may be rascal number one, but still, he can become spiritual master. How? Āmāra ājñāya. As Kṛṣṇa says, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, if you follow, then you become spiritual master. One may be rascal number one from material estimation, but if he simply strictly follows whatever is said by Caitanya Mahāprabhu or His representative spiritual master, then he becomes a guru.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hyderabad, August 19, 1976:

Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the beginning is dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). So the... Somebody may envy that this person has sophisticated some disciples and they are offering prayers and pūjā. No, it is the system. Don't envy the... Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). Ācārya is the representative of God. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. If you offer prayers, honor to the ācārya, then Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased. To please Him you have to please His representative. "If you love me, love my dog." And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said ācāryopāsanam. Ācāryopāsanam. We have to worship the ācārya.

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to induce people to become daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ instead of becoming asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. So how this can be done? This is possible if you approach Caitanya Mahāprabhu or His representative. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī. He's approaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu with right humbleness, that "I am lowest of the mankind, most abominable associated." Therefore the Bhāgavata says, "Who requires a guru?" Guru is not a fashion, that "Everyone has a guru. Let me possess a guru, and let me do all nonsense." Not like that. One must be very serious to accept a guru.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

So pravṛtti means we are dictated by our kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya, and we should agree to be dictated by Kṛṣṇa, that's all. That is intelligent. Pravṛtti, nivṛtti. Our pravṛtti is to abide by the dictation of the senses, and when we learn not to abide by the dictation of the senses but to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, then your life is successful. This teaching, this learning, means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not difficult. Everyone can do it. Simply he has to change: instead of being dictated by the senses, one should be dictated by Kṛṣṇa. That requires qualification. Kṛṣṇa is there, in everyone's heart.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

So my Guru Mahārāja, in the paramparā system, Kṛṣṇa comes also, that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). This is dharmasya glānir. One does not know what is his duty, aim of life—everyone. Ninety-nine point nine percent, this is dharmasya glanīr, dharmasya glānir. Tadātmānam sṛjāmy aham: to teach the rascal people to understand what is his duty, what is his aim of life. So not only Kṛṣṇa comes, but also His representatives also come. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He leaves book, He leaves representative, and He comes Himself. In so many ways He is trying to give us the benefit.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975:

He is not guru, he is rascal. Guru is always in the position of servant. And because he is the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, therefore he is to be respected as good as Kṛṣṇa. Because in our present position we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa sends His representative; therefore he is respected as Kṛṣṇa. Now, how one can become guru and representative of Kṛṣṇa? Everyone will say, "I am a representative of Kṛṣṇa. I am guru." No. That is enunciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "You just become guru on My order." So guru means who is carrying out the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, not a self-made guru. Guru means the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same thing. He is guru.

Arrival Address -- Vrndavana, September 3, 1976:

Vedic knowledge is revelation. Vedic knowledge is not understood by so-called mundane scholarship, by reading grammar. No. Vedic knowledge is possible to be understood by a person who has got unflinching faith in the bona fide guru. Guru means representative of Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa and His representative.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Just like... I am not criticizing, but it is, I mean to say, a human consideration. Suppose if you have committed some wrong thing within our jurisdiction and you come to me, "Swamijī, I have committed this." So I say, "All right. Don't do it again. Excused." Now, second day you come again. You say, "I have committed this." All right. Second day I can also excuse. The third day also, I can excuse, but fourth day I'll not excuse. Don't make it official business. Just like go to the church every week and confess and... Confessing your sinful activities before Lord Jesus Christ or his representative, surely your sinful activities are squared up. But does it mean, very nice, that every week, the whole week you shall commit sinful activities, and at the end of the week you shall go and confess? Does it look very well? You are not ashamed that "Every week I commit these sinful activities, and on the seventh day I confess"?

Initiation Lecture -- Boston, December 26, 1969:

So mantra means... Namaḥ. Nama means surrender, to become submissive. Namanta eva. Namanta eva. That is the qualification. Namaḥ. When we utter this word namaḥ, means "I surrender." Anyone, I say namaskāra, namaskāra means the surrendering process: "I accept the surrendering process." So when we surrender to Kṛṣṇa or His representative, then apavitraḥ. Apavitraḥ means contaminated and pavitraḥ means purified.

Initiations -- San Diego, June 30, 1972:

Now let me earn money." You see? This is not bhakti or attachment. Mayy āsakta. Mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means "under My protection." Kṛṣṇa says. So taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His representative... Mat means "My man" also. Mad-āśrayaḥ, take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, and try to practice the yoga by which you will have spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa.

Wedding Ceremonies

Initiation of Sri-Caitanya dasa and Wedding of Pradyumna and Arundhati -- Columbus, May 14, 1969:

You never mind in whatever condition you are. You may be a brāhmaṇa. You may be a kṣatriya or a śūdra or... You have got particular duty. That's all. That makes you a brāhmaṇa and a śūdra or a brahmacārī. But whatever particular duty you may have, just try to see whether by your duty this Supreme Lord is satisfied. Then it is perfect. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). That is the test: if you have satisfied Kṛṣṇa through His representative.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

You are bowing down to everyone. You are bowing down to death, you are bowing down to disease, you are bowing down to old age. You are bowing down to so many things. You are forced. And still you are thinking that "I cannot bow down. I don't like." Because you are saying "I don't like," therefore you are being forced. You have to bow down. Why you forget your position? That is our disease. Therefore the next process is that "I am being forced to bow down." Now we have to find out "Where I shall be happy even by bowing down?" That is Kṛṣṇa. Your bowing down will not be stopped, because you are meant for that. But if you bow down to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's representative, you become happy. Test this. You have to bow down. If you don't bow down to Kṛṣṇa and His representative, then you will be forced to bow down something else, māyā. That is your position. You cannot be free at any moment.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

So where do you find the difference? If Lord Jesus Christ says, "Through me," that means he's representative of God, and hari-nāma is God. So either through the representative of God or God, the same thing. God and God's representative, there is no difference. Even in these ordinary dealings, if I send some representative, if he signs something on my behalf, I have to accept that, because he is my representative. Similarly, God has to be approached through God or through His representative. The same thing. Only the difference may be of understanding. Because Lord Jesus Christ spoke to a society that was not very much advanced. You can understand that such a great personality, God conscious person, was crucified.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

The first thing is to accept a spiritual master. And if you have got a bona fide spiritual master, then it is to be understood that you have approached God because he is His representative. And if you act according to his direction, then it is to be understood that you are satisfying the Lord. This is the way, Vedic way. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasāda yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. If you cannot find out a bona fide spiritual master or if you cannot satisfy the bona fide spiritual master, then you must know you do not know where you are going. Na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī says, dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya guṇārṇavasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam. This is the process.

Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969:

The law is given by the state. Similarly, any process, any process for self-realization, you cannot manufacture. That is to be taken directly from God and His representative.

Lecture -- London, September 14, 1969:

You cannot make Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as agent of nullifying your sinful activities. Similarly, you cannot make God or His agent or His representative as a machine for counteracting your sinful activities. You should stop. Therefore niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Niḥśeṣa.

Lecture to International Student Society -- Boston, December 28, 1969:

Kṛṣṇa says at the end of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Just you surrender unto Me, giving up everything." If it is natural, then why He should say, "You should do this"? It is not natural. One has to learn it. Therefore he requires a spiritual master like Kṛṣṇa or His representative. But he has got the potency to accept it. And because he has got little independence, he can reject it. So it is not natural evolution.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

Yes. God is unapproachable by your mental concoction. But there is another process: if you understand God by this the paramparā system. Just like on this roof there is some sound, and every one of us making some suggestion what is the sound: "This may be like this. This may be like that. This may be like that." This is one process of knowledge, to understand the unseen by speculation. This is one. It may be successful or may not be successful. There is no certainty. But if somebody from the roof says, "The sound is due to this," then our knowledge is perfect. Similarly, if we speculate about God, who is Adhokṣaja, who is beyond the range of our mind and speculation, then it is very... Then we can come to the conclusion of Brahman realization, impersonal God, no more than. But if we hear from God or His representative, then we get perfect knowledge of God.

Town Hall Lecture -- Auckland, April 14, 1972:

The point is that we are teaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is; therefore I am representative of Kṛṣṇa. If you do that, you become also representative of Kṛṣṇa. So it is not very difficult. Don't think it is a very hard job: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so great personality, God, and how one can become His representative?" No. Anyone can become His representative provided he follows the Kṛṣṇa's instruction. That's all. Anyone. Actually they are doing that. They are representative. Not only I, but they are also. Every one of our members, they are Kṛṣṇa's representative. They are not trying to malinterpret. As there are so many so-called scholars... When this verse is translated and commented upon by big scholar... I do not wish to utter his name. He is very big man. But now he is living dead. Because he has committed so many offenses, now he is living, but he has lost his memory. Very recently I went to see him.

Lecture -- London, July 12, 1972:

So God descends, He comes Himself or He sends His representative, to reestablish the real purpose of religion, whenever there is discrepancies in the matter of discharging real religion. So the real... Kṛṣṇa, when appeared, He said... His last instruction is... In the Bhagavad-gītā, you know, those who have read Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 27, 1973:

Therefore Vyāsadeva or his representative, they are... Therefore, according to our system, when you observe the birthday anniversary of spiritual master it is called Vyāsa-pūjā. Actually the worship is going to Vyāsadeva, and his representative is accepting the pūjā. The honor offered to the spiritual master is transferred to Vyāsadeva because Vyāsadeva is the original guru. Therefore it is stated, devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsam. Sarasvatī-devi, knowledge, or the goddess of education, devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsam tato jayam udīrayet. After offering respects to Nārāyaṇa, then Vyāsadeva, Sarasvatī-devi.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. Because guru is bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, or God, so if you surrender to guru, bona fide guru, that means you surrender to God. God is accepting your surrender through the guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo. If you surrender to guru, that means Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) surrender. That somebody argues, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? I shall surrender." No. You surrender to His representative, then you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

Lecture -- London, August 23, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa says, God says, that when there is too much disobedience in the matter of law of the Supreme Lord, adharma, adharmasya abhyutthānam... Godlessness, without any knowledge of God, without any knowledge of the God's order, that is called dharmasya glānir, discrepancies in the matter of discharging the order of God. Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. At that time, God advents or descends. He descends personally, He descends by His representative, by His son, or by His name also. Because they are all identical. God, His representative, His name, His form, His activities, everything in relationship to God, that is also God.

Pandal Speech and Question Session -- Delhi, November 10, 1973:

Yes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). As soon as it becomes too much deteriorated, then Kṛṣṇa comes Himself or sends His representative to revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It may be five thousand years or five lakhs of years or five days. That doesn't matter. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya. Whenever there is discrepancy. It doesn't matter. It does not depend on the historical dates. When there is necessity. When there is necessity. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. At that time. So although Kṛṣṇa consciousness was introduced five thousand years ago by Kṛṣṇa Himself, but it deteriorated. (end)

La Trobe University Lecture -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974:

Actually a God conscious person is neither Westerner nor Easterner. So anywhere he goes, the devotees, as they receive him, they accept. These devotees, they have arranged the raised seat, so we have accepted this raised seat. If they wanted to sit down on the floor, I would have gladly accepted. I have no objection, this or that. But as the devotees receive and they give honor, that is good for them, because actually we should honor the Supreme Lord, God, and His representative. Nowadays it is different. Students and people are learning not to honor. But that is not actually the system.

La Trobe University Lecture -- Melbourne, July 1, 1974:

Yes, he is the only way. We also admit. Because he is the representative of God, so if you want to approach God, you must approach through His representative. That is His version. "I am the only representative of God," then you have to reach God through him, that is fact.

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:

śrī-bhagavān uvāca means the supreme authority. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). If you learn from the supreme authority without any deficiency, then the knowledge is perfect. Ordinary person, they have got four deficiencies: they commit mistake, they are illusioned, their senses are imperfect, and with imperfect knowledge they try to speak—that is cheating. Therefore we have to receive knowledge from the person who knows past, present, and future. So the best personality—there are so many others—Kṛṣṇa and His representative, both of them are perfect because Kṛṣṇa is perfect, there is no doubt, and one who speaks according to Kṛṣṇa, he is also perfect.

Lecture -- Nellore, January 4, 1976:

So similarly, Kṛṣṇa, He is the son of... Kṛṣṇa is the father of all living entities. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrt..., ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "I am the seed-giving father." So Kṛṣṇa is very, very anxious to take us back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa's desire. Therefore He comes personally, He sends His representative, He leaves behind Him Bhagavad-gītā, so we can take advantage and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our real happiness. Any man who is wandering in the foreign countries without any shelter, without any security, his happiness is when he goes back to home, back to Godhead.

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

Just like whenever there is misgovernment in the political world, there is some revolution; there is some change. People revolt against the administration that "We don't want this sort of government." As this is natural, similarly, whenever there is discrepancies in the matter of executing religious principle—means the order, or the laws given by God—at that time God Himself comes or His representative comes to reestablish the religious principles according to the climate, country, people. That is going on, not only in the human society, but also in the animal society, bird society. That we understand from the Vedas.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: Not moral command—the supreme command. What is moral for you, it may be immoral for others. One man's food is another man's poison. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says to Yudhiṣṭhira, "Go and tell lies." That is moral. Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, "What is this nonsense? You fight. Kill them." That is moral. So moral means to obey Kṛṣṇa's order, God's order. That is morality. You cannot create morality. You are imperfect. Your senses are imperfect. You do not know what is actually moral. Therefore we should implicitly, blindly follow the orders of Kṛṣṇa or His representative. That is moral.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: You do not know what is morally right! Therefore you have to take instruction from Kṛṣṇa, or His representative. You do not know.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: So God's plan is unfolding itself everywhere, whether we understand it or not.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He's unfolding Himself. In Bhagavad-gītā He is sending His representative for unfolding.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Real moral law means the law of the Supreme. Just like Kṛṣṇa has preached dhyāna-yoga, jñāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga, so many yoga systems. Then He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). These principles have not less moral, dhyāna-yoga, jñāna-yoga, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, but ultimately He says, "Give up all of them." Then what is moral? His word is moral. Whatever He says, that is moral. Not this dhyāna-yoga, jñāna-yoga. No. Whatever He says, that is morality. So it is changed. Nobody can argue: "Sir, you have prescribed so many kinds of yogas. Now You say to give up all these things. It is contradictory." No. It is not contradictory. Whatever He says, that is morality. That is Vaiṣṇava principle. We don't consider anything moral or immoral. Whatever is ordered by Kṛṣṇa or His representative, that is moral. That is our position.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Prabhupāda: So the king said, "Now you see the difference?" They agreed, "Yes." Buddhir yasya bālaṁ tasya nirbuddhes tu kuto bālam: "One who has got intelligence, he has got strength, and one who has got no intelligence, rascal fool, what strength there is?" These people are like that, rascal fools. We don't take advice from them. We take advice from Kṛṣṇa or His representative.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is our philosophy. If it is approved and Rūpa Gosvāmī says, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ (CC Madhya 19.167), our ought to be is what is Kṛṣṇa approves or His representative approves. That is ought to be. Our standard. Otherwise it is not, not ought to be. Therefore we accept our guidance (indistint). Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Therefore Vedas say that one must approach a bona fide spiritual master, in order to be fully in knowledge. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. These are Vedic injunctions. One who has accepted a bona fide spiritual master, he knows everything. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Veda means in knowledge. So ācāryavān, one who has accepted ācārya. Therefore our principle is to follow the ācārya. In Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, ācārya upāsanam, one must worship ācārya, to go to the right knowledge. So that is our philosophy.

Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is our position. We, we are teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that you act according to the instruction given by Kṛṣṇa. We are not depending on heart, because a heart, the dictation is coming, but it is not appreciated by the demons, nondevotee. Therefore direct, direct instruction is the Bhagavad-gītā, and it is explained by His devotee. So in this way, if we take right from God and His representative. Not that (indistinct). So therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching or preaching God consciousness so that people may take instruction of this Bhagavad-gītā as it is and act accordingly and be happy. That is our program. We do not manufacture any ideas. The ideas are already there. Simply we are preaching. If one is intelligent, fortunate, he will take it and be happy.

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner and Henry David Thoreau:

Prabhupāda: Everyone says, "Don't accept leader. Accept me as leader, that's all." But our proposal is that the, without leader nothing can be done. And the supreme leader is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His representative should become leader. Then the society will be perfect. The supreme leader is God. So He gives instruction, and real leader takes the instruction by disciplic succession, and for the benefit of the total human society they spread the message of God. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Without leader nothing can be done. Even if he says that without leader, he is, that preaching is also leadership. So why people should accept his leadership if there is no need of leader?

Page Title:His representative (Lectures)
Compiler:Archana, Partha-sarathi, Visnu Murti
Created:24 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=174, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:174