Imitate Krsna

Expressions researched:
"imitate krsna" |"imitating krsna"

SB Canto 4

SB 4.28.53, Purport:

he natural position of the living entity is to serve the Lord in a transcendental loving attitude. When the living entity wants to become Kṛṣṇa Himself or imitate Kṛṣṇa, he falls down into the material world. Since Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father, His affection for the living entity is eternal. When the living entity falls down into the material world, the Supreme Lord, through His svāṁśa expansion (Paramātmā), keeps company with the living entity. In this way the living entity may some day return home, back to Godhead.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 29:

If one is thinking of a husband or son, or if anyone at all is thinking of another living entity, then, since all living entities are also Brahman, why are all those who thus think of others not freed from the contaminated stage of material nature? This is a very intelligent question, because there are always atheists imitating Kṛṣṇa. In these days of Kali-yuga, there are many rascals who think themselves to be as good as Kṛṣṇa and who cheat people into believing that thinking of them is as good as thinking of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Krsna Book 30:

One gopī imitated child Kṛṣṇa and lay down on the ground, and one gopī became the demon Tṛṇāvarta and carried the small child Kṛṣṇa by force into the sky; and one of the gopīs began to imitate Kṛṣṇa while He was attempting to walk, ringing His ankle bells. Two gopīs imitated Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, and many others imitated Their cowherd boyfriends.

Krsna Book 33:

Kṛṣṇa is dancing, and every living entity is also dancing, but there is a difference between the dancing in the spiritual world and that in the material world. This is expressed by the author of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, who says that the master dancer is Kṛṣṇa and everyone else is His servant. Everyone is trying to imitate Kṛṣṇa's dancing. Those who are actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness respond rightly to the dancing of Kṛṣṇa: they do not try to dance independently. But those in the material world try to imitate Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The living entities are dancing under the direction of Kṛṣṇa's māyā and are thinking that they are equal to Kṛṣṇa. But this is not a fact.

Krsna Book 33:

The rāsa-līlā dance cannot be imitated by anyone. Śukadeva Gosvāmī warns that one should not even think of imitating it. He specifically mentions that if, out of foolishness, one tries to imitate Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance, he will be killed, just like a person who wants to imitate Lord Śiva's drinking of an ocean of poison.

Krsna Book 33:

Arjuna was a fighter, and Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight for His satisfaction. Arjuna agreed, although at first he was not willing to fight. Duties are required for ordinary persons. They should not jump up and try to imitate Kṛṣṇa and indulge in rāsa-līlā and thus bring about their ruin. One should know with certainty that Kṛṣṇa had no personal interest in whatever He did for the benediction of the gopīs.

Krsna Book 66:

Kṛṣṇa saw that Pauṇḍraka had decorated himself with the symbols of the conchshell, disc, lotus and club. He carried an imitation Śārṅga bow, and on his chest was a mock insignia of Śrīvatsa. His neck was decorated with a false Kaustubha jewel, and he wore a flower garland in exact imitation of Lord Vāsudeva's. He was dressed in yellow silken garments, and the flag on his chariot carried the symbol of Garuḍa, exactly imitating Kṛṣṇa's.

Krsna Book 70:

We should clearly note this fact: the activities of the Lord should be followed, but they cannot be imitated. For example, Kṛṣṇa's ideal life as a householder can be followed, but if one wants to imitate Kṛṣṇa by expanding into many forms, that is not possible. We should always remember, therefore, that Lord Kṛṣṇa, although playing the part of a human being, simultaneously maintains the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Krsna Book 87:

It is stated in several places that the living entities are like sparks of the fire and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is like the fire itself. If the sparks somehow or other fall out of the fire, they lose their natural illumination; thus it is ascertained that the living entities come into this material world exactly as sparks fall from a great fire. The living entity wants to imitate Kṛṣṇa and tries to lord it over material nature in order to enjoy sense gratification; thus he forgets his original position, and his illuminating power, his spiritual identity, is extinguished. However, if a living entity takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is reinstated in his original position.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:

Just like the criminals are sent to the prison house for being corrected so that they may not again commit criminals. That is the purpose of... Similarly, we are all criminals who are in this material world. The purpose is to be corrected. We wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa, to become Kṛṣṇa, and therefore we violated the orders of Kṛṣṇa, and that criminality means material life.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

The living entities, they are compared with the sparks, and the Supreme Lord as the big fire. So the big fire, that is the comparison. And the small sparks, both of them are fire. But sometimes the sparks fall down from the big fire. That is our falldown. Falldown means we come into the material world. Why? Just to enjoy, to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. So we are servants.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

They're, everyone is trying to become enjoyer. And the last snare of enjoyer means that one thinks that "Now I shall become God." This is a last snare. First of all, I want to become manager, or proprietor. Then prime minister. Then this and that. And when everything is baffled, then one thinks that "Now I shall become God." That means the same propensity, to become master, to imitate Kṛṣṇa, is going on.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

Similarly, our business is to serve Kṛṣṇa, but when we want to become lord, independent of Kṛṣṇa, that is called māyā. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare, nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare. This is a statement in the Prema-vivarta. As soon as we desire to imitate Kṛṣṇa, that is māyā. Māyā is nothing. We create that situation of māyā. What is that? "I want to become Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

Living entity is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. When he, instead of becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa, wants to imitate Kṛṣṇa to enjoy.... Because the enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. Bhoktā. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29).

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

His vigraha is sac-cid-ānanda. His vigraha is not like us. The Māyāvādīs, they mistake. Therefore they imitate Kṛṣṇa. The rascal Māyāvādīs, they imitate Kṛṣṇa. "I am Kṛṣṇa. I can play flute like Him. I become Kṛṣṇa, by playing flute." This is all rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa's vigraha is different. You cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa. Even you imitate, that does not mean you become Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa's body is eternal. My body is not eternal. So how can I imitate Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa's body is eternal, sat. Kṛṣṇa's body is full of knowledge. And I am full of ignorance, my body.

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

His activities are transcendental. You cannot... How you can imitate? Can you imitate to lift a mountain as Kṛṣṇa did? You can imitate falsely Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā. That is very easy. But can you imitate Kṛṣṇa to lift up the mountain? Then how you are Kṛṣṇa, equal with Kṛṣṇa? This is all rascaldom.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

So we fall down when we deny to accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme or we try to imitate Kṛṣṇa, "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be enjoyer? We shall also enjoy. Why Kṛṣṇa shall have rāsa dance? We shall also (have) rāsa dance. Why Kṛṣṇa will marry sixteen thousand wives? We shall at least sixteen wives." When this competition spirit comes, then we fall down. Fall down means Kṛṣṇa gives the chance. "All right, you also go. You also dance in the hotel, ball dance, and he complicated.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

The Viśvarūpa was shown to Arjuna to warn the rascal humanity. Because Kṛṣṇa said, "I am God." Imitating Kṛṣṇa, so many rascals declaring that "I am God." Therefore Arjuna said, "Please show me your Viśvarūpa." So that these rascals may also ask him to show his Viśvarūpa. So if you are God, please show me your Viśvarūpa. That they cannot. Yes?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

Remain with Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boy, as gopī, as Kṛṣṇa's father, Kṛṣṇa's mother, Kṛṣṇa's servant, Kṛṣṇa's trees, Kṛṣṇa's Yamunā, Kṛṣṇa's flower, Kṛṣṇa's Vṛndāvana land—remain with Kṛṣṇa in any form you like. Śānta dāsya sākhya vātsalya mādhurya. In any mellow, humor, you can remain with Kṛṣṇa. That is our natural position. But when we try to imitate Kṛṣṇa, to become a imitation Kṛṣṇa... Just like there are so many persons, they say, "I am Kṛṣṇa." This is māyā. Immediately... Because we trying to forget Kṛṣṇa, our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, immediately māyā captures.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- London, March 9, 1975:

He was always full of ānanda. Here we have got Kṛṣṇa. He is ānanda-mūrti. He is not nirānanda, without blissfulness. He is always with His consort, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. And He is playing flute and Rādhārāṇī is dancing. This is ānanda. So where is our ānanda? We imitate Kṛṣṇa, but we are not able to enjoy because we are in this material body.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

So because we wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare, the Kṛṣṇa has given us a place which is illusion. Which is not fact. Temporary. Illusion. Just like we sometimes see water in the desert. That is illusion. Practically there is no illusion, uh, there is no water. But we see: "Oh, here is water, vast water." The animals, they run after the water. Similarly we are also running after this illusion. "There is happiness. There is happiness." Therefore there is no happiness.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:

If the servant remains a faithful servant, that is perfection of his life. Artificially, if the servant wants to become master, that is only botheration. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is educating everyone to understand this fact, that everyone is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is botheration. You cannot be happy. Artificially, if one wants to become something else which he is not, then it is simply botheration. There is no happiness. An artificial life is not happiness. Natural life is happiness. So naturally we are servant of Kṛṣṇa. If we don't serve Kṛṣṇa then we have to serve māyā.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

They have preferred to enjoy this material world, to lord it over the material world. Therefore, mind and senses, manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi , with these senses and mind, karṣati. manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni. Karṣati (BG 15.7), karṣati means struggling. Struggle for existence. This is our position. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Now we have given up by misuse of our independence. We wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer, so when we become envious of Kṛṣṇa, tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krurān (BG 16.19), the demons are envious. They want to become Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 13.22-24 -- Melbourne, June 25, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa is bhoktā and we are bhogya. It is not our position that we become Kṛṣṇa and become bhoktā, no. That is wrong conception. You cannot become the enjoyer. You are enjoyed. But when you want to imitate Kṛṣṇa and want to become enjoyer, then you are sent in this material world. This is material world. Why we are in this material world? We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We should remain with Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual world. But why we are put into this material world? That is explained. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān (BG 13.22). Because constitutionally a living entity is not enjoyer but enjoyed.

Lecture on BG 13.22-24 -- Melbourne, June 25, 1974:

Everyone here, they want to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is trying how to become a very big man, how to construct a very big, high skyscraper building, how to possess three dozen motorcar and how to possess so many servants, how to possess so many followers. Everyone is trying like that. This is the material world. Everyone is busy.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

So the ultimate goal being liberation, we have to adjust things, targeting to that point. That is real human civilization. The Vedic civilization is based on this view, that all the conditioned souls, they have... Why they have become conditioned? The reason is they revolted against Kṛṣṇa. They wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is the mentality everywhere. You know, everyone says, "Oh, I don't care for God. I don't care for anything. I am at liberty to do anything."

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. In the Vedas you will find both the knowledge. Because the living entity, anyone who has come to this material world, the cause is that he wanted to enjoy, imitating Kṛṣṇa. Just like it is practical experience. If we are associated with some big man and he is very opulent, naturally a desires come: "If I could become an important man like him." So that is possible. So as soon as a living entity thinks like that, that he can also enjoy like Kṛṣṇa, then he falls down and he's given the chance of lording it over this material nature.

Lecture on SB 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

Our enviousness is "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be the only enjoyer? I also, I shall enjoy. Why He shall enjoy the rāsa-līlā? I shall imitate. Or I shall also make arrangement for rāsa-līlā." You see. This is rascaldom. Nobody can imitate Kṛṣṇa. Then that is... That is described in the Bhāgavata. If someone thinks of imitating Kṛṣṇa, he'll be ruined.

Lecture on SB 1.3.30 -- Los Angeles, October 5, 1972:

Don't think that Kṛṣṇa, because He is playing as a cowherd boy or He is playing as a friend of the gopīs, therefore He is ordinary man. The rascals imitate Kṛṣṇa. They say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa has enjoyed the gopīs? Oh, let me gather some young girls and enjoy." But you become universally represented everywhere. Then you enjoy. Rascal. He cannot do that. (laughs) He can simply imitate how to be in the midst of young girls and enjoy. That is the difference.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Chicago, July 5, 1974 :

Although He is busy dancing with the gopīs, although He is busy to play with His cowherd friends, goloka eva nivasaty, in this way He is living in the Goloka, and akhilātma-bhūto, still He is in everyone's heart and giving direction, all contradiction. This is Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate Kṛṣṇa, rascal. Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. You are you are. That is real philosophy.

Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Los Angeles, April 15, 1973:

Nobody can be enjoyer. Kṛṣṇa therefore says, bhoktāraṁ yajña... Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer. And if we supply ingredients for His enjoyment, that is our perfection of life. And if we want to imitate Kṛṣṇa, that "I shall becoming God. I shall become an imitator enjoyer," then you are in the māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974:

He has killed so many demons; from the very childhood His one side is killing-Pūtanā killing, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, this asura, that asura, then Keśī, and so many asuras He killed. But His killing and our killing is not the same. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti. And in the Īśopaniṣad is..., apāpa-viddham. That is Kṛṣṇa. If we imitate Kṛṣṇa... We cannot imitate. Therefore our business is to follow the words of Kṛṣṇa, not to imitate Him.

Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:

So as soon as we forget our duty or we want to imitate... Just like these Māyāvādīs, they want to imitate Kṛṣṇa. They want to become Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa. These rascals, they think that by mystic yoga process one can become God.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:

We cannot be eternally conditioned, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Our natural position is ever liberated, eternally liberated. But because we wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa, we wanted to become Kṛṣṇa, as the Māyāvādīs want to do, therefore in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer. Ekam eva aditiyam(?). Aham, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29).

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:

Of course, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme person. His power, his liberty is unlimited. Our power and liberty is limited. So when we use our power and liberty within that limit, we are called nitya-mukta, ever liberated. If we want, artificially, more power to imitate Kṛṣṇa, then we are gone. Then (indistinct) kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. Then you are conditioned in this material world. Because in the spiritual world the enjoyer is only Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can be enjoyer; everyone is servitor. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109).

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

What is the difference between us and God, or Kṛṣṇa? He is also living entity. Just like we see Kṛṣṇa is playing on flute and He is enjoying the company of Rādhārāṇī. So you can do also. You can also create one Rādhārāṇī and get a flute and imitate Kṛṣṇa. But that does not mean you are Kṛṣṇa. If you play rascaldom, simply if you imitate Kṛṣṇa, and you think that you have become Kṛṣṇa, that is rascaldom.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa can supply the necessities of life to every one of you. You cannot. You cannot provide even your wife. That is the difference. Those who are less intelligent, they cannot understand what is the difference. Kṛṣṇa can lift the Govardhana mountain on His finger. So you cannot do it. So how you can imitate Kṛṣṇa? The rascals, they say that "Kṛṣṇa enjoyed the company of the gopīs; so let us create some gopīs and enjoy. Then we become Kṛṣṇa." There are many rascals, do that. They imitate rāsa-līlā.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

In Karachi, there was a rascal. He declared himself that "I am Viṣṇu. I am Lord Viṣṇu. So I'll play rāsa-līlā. Send your wives and daughters." So rascals, they sent their wives and daughters to dance with him. You see? And there was another rascal during Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's time. Perhaps you know the story. So he was also imitating this rāsa-līlā. Māyāvādī rascals, they do that, imitate Kṛṣṇa. How you can imitate Kṛṣṇa? You are not Kṛṣṇa. But by imitating His rāsa-līlā they become Kṛṣṇa. No. If you imitate Kṛṣṇa of His rāsa-līlā, then you have to imitate to lifting the mountain. You have to kill demons like Kaṁsa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

And we also take, imitate that enjoyment. We also want to mix, young boys and girls, dance together. Because we imitate Kṛṣṇa. The same thing is there. With gopīs Kṛṣṇa is dancing. Here also we are dancing, in nightclub, and this club, that club. But that will not give you satisfaction, because it is imitation. If you want real dancing, come to Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted.

Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:

Because that impersonalist, impersonal person, those who are attached to impersonal philosophy, they do not care to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They say, "It is māyā. To become impersonal is perfection." So they cannot remain imper..., in the impersonal feature for very long time because nature... We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. The only fault is that we have tried to imitate Kṛṣṇa here in this material world. Otherwise, that instinct is there.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Delhi, November 6, 1973:

Anyone who forgets Kṛṣṇa, anyone who wants to enjoy life, imitate like Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the enjoyer. But we are imitating. Sometimes we say, "I am Kṛṣṇa, I am God." This is our disease. We want to imitate Kṛṣṇa. We want to become Kṛṣṇa. We want to enjoy like Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. So so long we have got this propensity, we are sinful. This is the substance.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Paris, June 12, 1974:

A woman will be satisfied simply with this palace, nice palace, and...? No. He expanded Himself into 16,108 Kṛṣṇas. Each and every wife is able to receive her husband individually. So anyway, you cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa, neither you can do like that, neither you can marry sixteen thousand, but you can marry—that is Vedic civilization—more than one wife. Because every female must be married, so where are so many husbands? So therefore polygamy was allowed, but the man who marries, he must be able to maintain the wife very nicely. That is Hindu, or Vedic civilization.

Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

Just like fire is covered by the ashes. So it does not act. Although there is fire, but when it is covered with ashes, it does not act. So we are fire. Kṛṣṇa is fire; we are also fire, in quality. There is a very... There is a big fire, blazing fire, and the sparks. The sparks are also fire. Therefore we sometimes desire to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Because we have got these qualities in minute quantity, so we think that "I am God, I have become." But we do not know the quantitative difference. That we forget.

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 15, 1972:

In this way, passing through different species of life, the living entity... Jīva-jātiṣu. Jīva-jātiṣu, in different species of life, he is transmigrating, one after another, one after another. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. Puruṣa. Puruṣa means the living entity. The living entity is described here "puruṣa" because he wants to enjoy. Puruṣa is the enjoyer. Actually enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, but we are imitating Kṛṣṇa. We want to become God. That is the Māyāvāda philosophy.

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

Just like a woman, if he's artificially trying to be man, as it is botheration, it is not possible. If a woman is dressed like a man, does it mean that he's man, she is man, or she can enjoy like man? No. False dress. Similarly, here, in this material world, we are falsely dressed with this material body and imitating Kṛṣṇa, enjoyer. Exactly like the woman dressed in male's dress wants to enjoy. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

We have not created a situation, Kṛṣṇa has given us a situation. Because we wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa has given an opportunity: "All right. Imitate. You want to be imitation king in the stage. So feel like this. Play like this. Do like this. People will applaud. 'Oh, a very nice king, very nice.' " That is the... So everyone in this material world, they are playing some part. They wanted, "I want to be prime minister." "All right." "I want to become very big business magnate." "I want to be leader." "I want to be a philosopher." "I want to be a scientist." So all this nonsense, they are trying to play—Kṛṣṇa is giving him the opportunity.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4-8 -- Tokyo, April 23, 1972:

We cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa, but we can follow Kṛṣṇa. We can follow His footsteps, how He was living. He was a gṛhastha. He was not a sannyāsī. So our sannyāsī is not very great credit. To remain gṛhastha, because we are going back to Godhead, back to home, the whole, our master, is gṛhastha. Not only gṛhastha, He has got so many wives. So to become sannyāsī is not very great credit, according to our Vaiṣṇava philosophy. To become perfect house-holder, that is credit. Perfect householder, like Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.19 -- Bombay, December 28, 1974:

Just like Kṛṣṇa is stealing butter. That means Kṛṣṇa has stealing propensity. But the difference is that Kṛṣṇa's stealing butter is worshiped, and my stealing is beaten with shoes. (laughter) That is the difference. So we should not imitate Kṛṣṇa, but we should understand that janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) everything... Here it is said, bījam ādhatta. So just like father impregnates the child or the son within the womb of the mother, and he comes, "Like father, like son," generally, similarly, we are.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Los Angeles, January 20, 1969:

So because Lord Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, you cannot compare with Kṛṣṇa. He's apāpa-viddham. No contamination can touch Him. But for that reason you cannot say, you cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa and you cannot say that "No contamination can touch me." No. That is not possible. Therefore the whole life, our this human form of life, is a chance to purify so that we may approach.

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:

So every living entity who has forgotten Kṛṣṇa, trying to imitate Kṛṣṇa, that is sinful. So these sinful activities we are doing in ignorance, in lower grade of life. Just like cats and dogs and birds and trees and the..., they do not know, there is no capacity. They are so much covered with ignorance that a tree is standing, you cut it: there is no protest because it is so dull.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Los Angeles, June 11, 1976:

When there was incessant rainfall, all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana became so disturbed, and they had no other friend than Kṛṣṇa. So they appealed, "Kṛṣṇa, do something!" "Yes!" Immediately, He raised the whole hill as umbrella. "Come on under this." So that is Kṛṣṇa. So don't imitate Kṛṣṇa, but hear Kṛṣṇa, what says, then our life is successful. We cannot imitate God. We have to simply follow His order. That is dharma. And if you imitate Kṛṣṇa, that is adharma. Don't try to imitate. There are two words in Sanskrit, anukāraṇa, anusaraṇa. Anukāraṇa means imitation, and anusaraṇa means follow. We have to execute anusaraṇa, follow.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Los Angeles, June 11, 1976:

So similarly, we cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is pāpa, adharma. Dharma is to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa. That is very simple. And if we do that then we become qualified to go back to home, back to Godhead. Very simple thing. It doesn't require much education. Simply it requires a purified mind, that "I shall execute it honestly." That much qualification is sufficient. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is Kṛṣṇa's law and order.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

Bhoktā. Kṛṣṇa is actually bhoktā. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām (BG 5.29). So we are imitating Kṛṣṇa. This is our position. Everyone is trying to become Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādīs, although they have undergone penances, austerities—very strictly they follow the principles of spiritual life—but because they are under māyā, at the end they are thinking that "I am God, Purusa," the same disease, puruṣa.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971:

Just like when Kṛṣṇa was a child on the lap of His mother, the Pūtanā came to attack by policy to poison the child. But Kṛṣṇa was so able that He agreed to suck the breast of the Pūtanā smeared with poison. But we should not imitate that. Unconsciously, somebody gives poison. That is... Kṛṣṇa protects. But we should not imitate. Kṛṣṇa can eat any amount of poison.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971:

Just like there are many fools who try to imitate Kṛṣṇa for performing the rāsa-līlā with women. But they cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa for killing Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, or lifting the Govardhana. That they do not follow. That is very difficult for them. The rascals, they take easily.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, February 16, 1976:

You cannot maintain even one wife, but He maintained sixteen thousand wives in sixteen thousand palaces and in sixteen thousand expansion of form. Everyone was pleased. This is Kṛṣṇa. We have to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate Kṛṣṇa. First of all try to understand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:

So when we imitate Kṛṣṇa—we want to be complete in ourself without the help of Kṛṣṇa—this is called māyā. Māyā means that we want to imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is going on, material world.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.5 -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa says that "All these universes in the material world is display of My one-fourth energy." Just imagine what is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. And we are trying to imitate Kṛṣṇa. So many rascals, they declare they are Bhagavān. They do not know what is Bhagavān.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 -- New York, July 26, 1971:

Because Arjuna knew it very well that in future so many false Gods would appear: "I am God." So before accepting anyone as God, imitating Kṛṣṇa, one should inquire from him "Whether you can lift a hill? Whether you can show the universal form? Whether you can kill such and such demons? Then I shall accept." That is intelligence. Don't accept a foolish man, declaring himself as God, and you accept also God. God is not so cheap.

Festival Lectures

Varaha-dvadasi, Lord Varaha's Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 31, 1977:

Kṛṣṇa is enjoying; we are also enjoying. But if we want to enjoy independent of Kṛṣṇa or to imitate Kṛṣṇa or to become Kṛṣṇa, then it is māyā. Then it is māyā. This material world means the same enjoying spirit is there within me, but if I want to become Kṛṣṇa or enjoy independently, then it is māyā.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1970, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Because those who revolted against Kṛṣṇa, those who wanted to become Kṛṣṇa by imitating Him, they are here in this material world. Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). (Hindi) Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), creation, that all the living entities who have come into this created world, they have revolted. They wanted to become Kṛṣṇa, to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they have given the chance, "All right, you become Kṛṣṇa. You do whatever you like. I will give you facilities. You want to become Brahmā? All right, you become Brahmā. And you want to become the worm of stool? I will give you the facility." So these living entities are rotating.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: Life is enjoying or trying to enjoy the matter. Matter is prakṛti, and the living entity is puruṣa. The chief puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa, and we are trying to imitate Kṛṣṇa to enjoy. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Living entity is superior prakṛti. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ paraḥ. It is a prakṛti, but they are trying to become puruṣa. This is struggle for existence.

Morning Walk -- May 12, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Materialistic man means he wants all these things in different way. Somebody is becoming God, somebody is becoming philosopher, somebody is becoming scientist, in this way. Real purpose is these three things. Abha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā. And our philosophy? We don't want anything of this. Just see. Negation. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Say... All denial, "We don't want." That is Vaiṣṇavism. Then what do you want? "We want simply to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is our position. They don't want to serve Kṛṣṇa; they want to imitate Kṛṣṇa. And that is their satisfaction.