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Induce (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.6-7 -- London, July 11, 1973:

So the devotees of Kṛṣṇa should be trained up both ways: not only to give protection to the devotees, to give them encouragement, but if need be, they should be prepared to kill the demons. That is Vaiṣṇavism. It is not cowardism. It is not cowardism. When need be. Generally, a Vaiṣṇava is non-violent. Just like Arjuna. In the beginning he was non-violent, Vaiṣṇava. He said, "Kṛṣṇa, what is the use of this fighting? Let them enjoy." So by nature he was non-violent, but he was induced by Kṛṣṇa to become violent, that "Your non-violence will not help. You become violent. You kill them. I want." So if Kṛṣṇa wants we shall be prepared to become violent also. And Kṛṣṇa, that is open secret, that paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Two business of Kṛṣṇa, two side. So those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they should be trained up both ways, they should be prepared. But generally, there is no question of becoming violent, unnecessarily. As the modern politicians, unnecessarily they declare war, a Vaiṣṇava does not do so. No, unnecessarily, there is no need of war.

Lecture on BG 1.30 -- London, July 23, 1973:

Therefore, here Arjuna is playing just like ordinary man. So he says to Kṛṣṇa, "You wanted me to fight, to become happy, to get the kingdom, but by killing my own men? Oh, nimittāni viparītāni. You are misleading me." Nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni. "I'll not be happy by killing my own men. That is not possible. How You are inducing me?" So he said, nimittāni ca viparītāni paśyāmi. "No, no." Na ca śaknomy avasthātum: "I cannot stand here. Let me go back. Take my chariot back. I'll not stay here." Na ca śaknomy avasthātuṁ bhramatīva ca me manaḥ (BG 1.30). "I am becoming bewildered. I am puzzled now."

So this is the position, material world. We are always in problem, puzzle, and when something better is proposed to the materialistic person, that "You take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll be happy," he sees nimittāni viparītāni, just opposite. "What this Kṛṣṇa consciousness I shall happy?

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

You kill Your enemies, Madhu." Madhu was a demon. Madhu-kaiṭabha-bhare hari-murāre. Madhu-kaiṭabha-bhare. So, "You are Madhusūdana. You are the killer of Madhu demon, who was Your enemy. You are not Nanda-sūdana or Yaśodā-sūdana." That is reminding Him, little critically, that "You are Yourself Madhusūdana. You kill only Your enemies. Why You are inducing me to kill my kinsmen?" This is the criticism. So etān na hantum icchāmi. So "You may induce me, but I am not going to kill them." Etān na hantum. Hantum, "To kill, I am not willing." Then the question may be that "It is fight. If you do not kill, if you stand still, then they will kill you. Because it is fight. Then what you will do?" "Yes, I agree." Ghnato 'pi. "If they kill me, I agree. Still, I will not kill them." Ghnato 'pi. "Even they kill me, I will not fight, I will not kill them. But if they kill me, that is also agreed; still, I will not kill." Just see how much determination. This is called family attraction.

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:

"You know that I am very poor. I require immediately some grains, ghee, and other things. My Guru Mahārāja has come at home. I must receive. So tonight I agree with your proposal. Please give me. Even at the sacrifice of my chastity I want this." So the grocer was very glad. "Oh, this woman, I have canvassed her, I have tried to induce her. She never agreed. And now she's agreeing." So: "All right, you take, whatever you like. Take." So she was given all kinds of food grains, as much as she wanted. And she cooked and gave to the spiritual master and his associates, his servants. Everything was very nice. In the meantime, the husband came, working whole day. And he saw that everything was nicely done. "Guru Mahārāja is fed, and his associates, they're fed." So he asked his wife: "How did you get all these things?" Then she narrated the whole story. Then husband also said: "Yes, you have promised. All right. Take some prasādam and go to him. Because you have promised to meet him this evening. So go."

Lecture on BG 1.45-46 -- London, August 1, 1973:

That is absolute understanding. So those who are in the spiritual platform, for them, there is no such consideration, which is right and which is wrong. Their only consideration is whether Kṛṣṇa is pleased. That's all. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased by inducing me to do something wrong, I will not hesitate to do it. I will do it because it is Kṛṣṇa's order. Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam. My principle should be, "If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, then everything is all right." But while we are in the mundane platform, we should not concoct the idea that "Kṛṣṇa is pleased; let me do that." No. That you, cannot do. You have to follow the rules and regulations. But if you think that it is... You cannot think; neither you can manufacture. So either you should hear from Kṛṣṇa directly or... That is not possible because we are not in touch with Kṛṣṇa at the present moment. We are trying to see Kṛṣṇa through the transparent medium of spiritual master. So we cannot manufacture that "This is Kṛṣṇa's desire."

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

He is addressing Kṛṣṇa as arisūdana, the killer of the enemies. He says, "But in my case, I have to fight with Bhīṣma, Droṇācārya. They are my well-wisher, and how can I kill them? It is my duty to offer my respect, touching their feet, and You are enticing me to pierce their body with arrow? So, of course, You have killed so many enemies, but You have killed enemies. Why You are inducing me to kill my grandfather and my teacher?" Of course, Arjuna, also intelligent. He replied that "You cannot accuse me as anārya. This is the consideration. Therefore I am hesitating to fight."

Lecture on BG 2.2-6 -- Ahmedabad, December 11, 1972:

He addressed Kṛṣṇa as Madhusūdana, Arisūdana. Madhusūdana means "the killer of Madhu demon" or "the killer or enemy." So his purpose is that "I have to kill Bhīṣmadeva, who is my so kind grandfather, and I have to kill Droṇācārya, who is my teacher, from whom I have learned this military art. So You have killed the demons and Your enemy, and why You are inducing me to kill my guru and my grandfather?" This is his argument. Kathaṁ bhīṣmam ahaṁ saṅkhye droṇaṁ ca madhusūdana, iṣubhiḥ pratiyotsyāmi: (BG 2.4) "They, my grandfather, my teacher, may chastise me, but how I can pierce with arrows their body?"

So this is the problem: duty. Arjuna was forgetting duty. And Kṛṣṇa was inducing him: "Never mind. According to kṣatriya rules and regulation, even the opposite party is your own son, you should not hesitate to kill him. This is kṣatriya's business." If the opposite party is your own son, but when there is fight, there must be decided: one party must be killed. This is kṣatriya's business.

Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973:

"This kind of compassion, giving up your duty as a kṣatriya, it is simply weakness of the heart. It has no meaning." Klaibyaṁ ma sma gamaḥ pārtha naitat tvayy upapadyate. "Especially for you. You are My friend. What people will say? So give up this weakness of the heart and uttiṣṭha, stand up, take courage." So just see how Kṛṣṇa is inducing Arjuna to fight. People are very much ignorant and they sometimes criticize that "Kṛṣṇa is exciting Arjuna. He is very gentleman, nonviolent, and Kṛṣṇa is exciting him to fight." This is called jaḍa-darśana. Jaḍa-darśana. Jaḍa-darśana means material vision. Therefore śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. We become in touch with Kṛṣṇa by chanting His name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of our connection with Kṛṣṇa. Nāmādi. So śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Ādi means beginning.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

Better let them enjoy. I shall forego my claim," from worldly point of view, this is a very, I mean, gentlemanly behavior, that one is foregoing his claim for the matter of his relatives or friends. But Kṛṣṇa is not encouraging that proposal. We have to mark it. Kṛṣṇa is not encouraging. Kṛṣṇa is rather... Kṛṣṇa is, rather, inducing Arjuna that "It is not a very good proposal. It is not befitting your position. You belong to the Āryan family. You belong to the kṣatriya, royal family. And you are denying to fight? No, no, this is not good. And I am your friend. I have taken the responsibility of your chariot driver, and, if you do not fight, what people will say?" So He is not encouraging. Just see.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

People, at the present moment, when there is a question of war, people want to stop that war. At the present moment, the movement is going on between all nations that they do not want war. But here we see that Kṛṣṇa is not discouraging war. We have to mark this point. He is not discouraging war, but He is, rather, advocating, inducing Arjuna that "No, no, no, this is not befitting your position. You must fight, must fight."

So here is a point, that sometimes we may do something which is approved by the general public, but it may not be approved by the supreme authority. Superficially it may appear very appealing to the sentiment of the public, but factually such thing may not be correct, may not be correct. If we accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and "Why He was inducing Arjuna to fight?" It does not mean that He was inducing Arjuna to do something wrong.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

So Arjuna said that "These people will die. Who will offer that ablution to the forefathers?" So from ordinary point of view, from the point of view of a family man, he argued with Kṛṣṇa in so many ways. And after, at the end, he decided that "I cannot fight. I cannot fight." Then Kṛṣṇa tried to induce him, and he said that "Yes, whatever You are saying, that I am a kṣatriya and I am not doing my duty, this is all right, but My mind is perplexed." So he was at the same time conscious that Śrī Kṛṣṇa only can make a solution of this perplexity.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

Compassionately, he said to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I don't wish to fight. Let my cousin brothers enjoy the kingdom. I cannot kill them in this fight." This is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gītā. But Kṛṣṇa induced him that "You are a kṣatriya. It is your duty to fight. Why you are deviating from your duty?"

According to Vedic system, there are four classes of men in the society. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Human society must be divided into four classes of men. Just like in our body, there are four different departments: the brain department, the hand department, the belly department, and the leg department. You require all these. If the body is to be maintained, then you must maintain properly your head, your arms, your belly, and leg.

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

Just like we are also going by aeroplane, by motorcar, but we have no concern with the... I have come to your country by aeroplane not to see your country. I have come for Kṛṣṇa's business: to see if I can induce you to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise we have no concern with this aeroplane or motorcar or anything. We take advantage. Similarly, when we take advantage of this body for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is very nice. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. That is also renouncement. He has no attachment. He simply uses things. Then that thing becomes spiritual. Actually it is spiritual, and when it is not used for spiritual purpose or Kṛṣṇa's purpose, it is material, the same thing. What is the difference between material and spiritual? That is, a picture is there. There are so many pictures. People may say that "Here is the same picture.

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

Because that fifteen dollars he'll take and drink. So you have by some way taken away that fifteen dollars and engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that you have done good to him. So therefore it requires little intelligence and discretion. But that does not mean you shall cheat fifteen dollars from everywhere. But there is no cheating because anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a drunkard. He is drunkard, he is illusioned under material spell. You see? You see? The greatest drunkard, everyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore any way, if you can induce him to spend something of his hard earned money in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is very good to him. Yes. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. He does not know, but he is advanced one step to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anybody who is contributing even a farthing to you, he is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is so nice thing. Yes.

Lecture on BG 2.21-22 -- London, August 26, 1973:

So how we can become free from this desire? Īhā yasya harer dāsye, If you simply desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, then you can get out. Otherwise, not. That is not possible. If you desire anything else except the service of the Lord, then māyā will give you inducement, "Why not enjoy this?" Therefore Yāmunācārya says,

yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde
nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt
tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne
bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

"Yad-avadhi, since the time, mama cetaḥ, I have engaged my life and soul, my consciousness, in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa..." This verse is given by Yāmunācārya. He was a great king, and kings, they are generally licentious, but he became later on a saintly devotee.

Lecture on BG 2.36-37 -- London, September 4, 1973:

And actually Arjuna was nonviolent. He was not a coward, not that because he was coward, therefore he was refusing to fight. No. As a Vaiṣṇava, naturally he is nonviolent. He does not like to kill anyone, and especially his own family men. He was taking a little compassion. Not that he was a coward.

So Kṛṣṇa is encouraging, inducing Arjuna to observe the duty. You cannot deviate from duty. That was the point. When there is fight, you must fight regularly, and kill the enemies. That is your credit. When you are fighting with the enemies, if you become compassionate, "How shall I kill?" that is cowardice. Therefore Kṛṣṇa concludes here: hato vā prāpsyasi svargaṁ jitvā vā bhokṣyase mahīm. There are two alternatives. For a fighter, for a kṣatriya, to fight in the battle, either gain victory or die. No via media. Fight to the last point if you are able, then become victorious. Or die. No stoppage. All this fighting were meant like that. According to the Vedic culture, the kṣatriyas... Not the brāhmaṇas.

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

This is the real point. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person who is giving all the necessities of all the living entities... He is actually the provider, maintainer of everyone. So why He is asking a little fruit, flower and water from you? Is He hungry? No. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Just to induce you again to love Kṛṣṇa. That is the point. Because your, this material condition is bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), subjected to birth, death, old age, disease, and so many other material conditions. You have fallen in this condition because you have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Just like last night so many people came to discuss with us, but they are not interested in talking of Kṛṣṇa. They are interested how their sense gratification will be disturbed by starting this temple. That is their concern. Here we have come to preach about Kṛṣṇa. They did not ask anything about Kṛṣṇa, "What is this philosophy? What is this Kṛṣṇa's philosophy?" No. They are simply interested in their own sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

Arjuna's friend was Lord Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa never said... He is God Himself. He is the Supreme Personality of God Himself. He never said Arjuna that "I am your friend. I shall supply all your necessities. You don't require to work. You stop." No, He never said that. Rather, Arjuna was declining to fight, but Kṛṣṇa is inducing him to fight. So in spiritual platform there is no question of stopping work, no question of stopping work. But work for the Supreme. That's all, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1), with God consciousness.

Now, there are three processes of yoga: jñāna-yoga, and karma-yoga, and bhakti-yoga. Now, jñāna-yoga, take for example jñāna-yoga. Jñāna-yoga means to keep in touch with the Supreme by speculation of higher knowledge, that discriminating what is spirit and what is matter. So there are philosophers, they are discriminating that "This is matter..." Neti neti:

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

Now, those who have studied Bhagavad-gītā up to the end, and I hope some of you have already read Bhagavad-gītā... Arjuna was a military man, and Kṛṣṇa was trying to induce him to his duty as military man, that "You must fight." But Arjuna was declining that "I cannot kill my relatives, my friends, my brothers, my teacher, my grandfather." That was his consideration. Now, this consideration is material platform. When we think of in relation with this body, that is material platform. Anything done in consideration of this body... This body means senses. The body means the senses. That means anything which we do for sense gratification, that is material. And anything which we do for the satisfaction of the Supreme, that is spiritual platform. That's all. So we have to discriminate "Whether I am working for sense gratification or whether I am working for the satisfaction of the Supreme?" If this art we can learn, then our life becomes spiritualized.

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

Why you are fighting? Just have it and it can be settled," that is good actually. But the Arjuna, from practical point of view, or from the materialistic point of view, he was good that he was declining to fight. And Lord Kṛṣṇa was inducing him to fight. So does it mean that Lord Kṛṣṇa was inducing him to the bad course? No. He was inducing him to a course which is beyond good and bad, transcendental. In the... From the material platform, even if you do good work, that is also not good. That is also not good.

Now, now according to scripture, now, one who does good work only, no sinful work, then what is the result of his good work? Oh, he gets birth in a good family, in a higher planet, or very rich man, or very educated man, very beautiful man. These are the result of good work. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26).

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

Simply for a moment, when Arjuna was disturbed in his mind, that "How can I fight with my relatives and friends and sons and grandsons and so, so many things?" Bodily relations. And the Bhagavad-gītā was spoken. So that is a practical thing that Bhagavad-gītā was practically spoken to induce Arjuna to adopt violence. Now, Mahatma Gandhi, his philosophy was nonviolence. How could he prove that Bhagavad-gītā gives evidence of nonviolence? No. Therefore, anyone, Mahatma Gandhi or anyone, who has got his own ulterior motive, to prove it from the topics of Bhagavad-gītā, he must adulterate it. But that is not the process of reading Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā, how to read Bhagavad-gītā, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. When we come to the Fourth Chapter, we'll know.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

So he might come. He might ask from God and claim my seat. So just wake him, wake him. Just detach him from this purpose." So he had many beautiful women at his control, one of whose name was Menakā. So Menakā was ordered that "You go there and try to induce him to have your association." Because in this world our real bondage is this... Either for man or woman, this is the real bondage, the sex life. So the Menakā was sent to Viśvāmitra, and Viśvāmitra was meditating, but his eyes were closed. So that woman made some sound of his (her) bangles, and Viśvāmitra thought, "Oh, in front me, a very nice beautiful woman, very young." Now, that woman was sent for that purpose, so he became implicated in that woman, and a girl was born out of that combination. That girl's name is Śakuntalā. Perhaps... That's a famous name. There is a book of Śakuntalā. That is the daughter of that combination. Now, here is the example, that he was a great meditator, a great yogi.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

He did not know that this war field, this battle of Kurukṣetra, was organized by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to kill all unwanted men of the world at that time, all unwanted men of that world. That was His plan. Now, this was disclosed to Arjuna. In the Eleventh Chapter you will find that "My dear Arjuna, I have given you all kinds of instruction to induce you to fight in this battle. But know you perfectly well that either you fight or do not fight, I do not mind. All these men who have assembled here, they are not going back home. They will be killed here. It is already settled. It is already settled. Now if you want to take the credit, you can apply your hands for fighting. That's all."

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

Simply we have to agree. "Yes." Yes man. Simply you have to agree, "Yes," henceforward we shall become karma-yogī. Then, from that very point, your life begins. Karma-yoga. The yes man. Mind that, that instead of saying no to Kṛṣṇa... Just like Arjuna said no in the beginning: "No, sir. I am not going to fight. You don't try to induce me, my dear Kṛṣṇa." He argued so many things with Kṛṣṇa. Then, at the last moment, he said, "Yes. I shall fight." So from "no man" to "yes man," that's all. So we have to agree. We are now "no men." We say everything about God, "no." Now we have to learn "yes."

So you become yes man and begin this karma-yoga, beginning from your life of eating because eating you require. Without eating, you cannot exist. Therefore, Bhagavad-gītā teaches you that you begin your karma-yoga from the point of eating.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

He had nothing to gain out of it personally, but why He was taking part in the battlefield? Just for the right cause. So He wanted to establish that for right cause there must be fighting. You cannot abolish violence from the world. This is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā. If required, violence will be taken. And Kṛṣṇa induced Arjuna to be violent. Arjuna wanted to be nonviolent, but He wanted that "You should. You must fight. This fight is arranged by Me." So these examples.

These are the examples. Nothing is bad... Nothing is good if it is not purposeful. That is the whole purpose of teaching Bhagavad-gītā. Nothing is good; nothing is bad. Everything is good, everything is bad, in this material world, but we have to see. Just like the common phrase goes, "The end justifies the means. The end justifies the means." So that is Kṛṣṇa teaching here that He has nothing to gain.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

That is wrong path. Therefore the right thing is to follow the succession. Now, we have to follow the principle which Kṛṣṇa sets. Kṛṣṇa is not advocating, I mean to say, nonviolence. You cannot eradicate violence from this world. That is not possible because Kṛṣṇa Himself is on the battlefield and He is trying to induce Arjuna. Arjuna is declining and He is inducing, "No, you must fight." Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). So we have to follow the footprints of great personalities. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. Mahājana. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find that it has been advised that religious principles should be followed by taking the life examples of great personalities. Religious principles...

It has been described in the Bhāgavata that tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. If you want to establish religious truth, you cannot establish it by your logic and argument.

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

He also wrote an interpretation of Bhagavad-gītā, and he wanted to prove that from Bhagavad-gītā, nonviolence. How you can prove nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā? The, the theme of Bhagavad-gītā is that Arjuna declined to fight and Lord Kṛṣṇa is just trying to induce him that "You must fight. You must fight." Ultimately, He said that "The program is already settled by Me. These people who have come here, they'll never return. They are destined to die. It is My program. Now, if you like, you can take the credit that you have conquered them." Last of all, He said like that. When the program is that the Bhagavad-gītā clearly says that in this case fighting is necessary, how can you prove that nonviolence is taught in Bhagavad-gītā? That is a different interpretation. You cannot interpret a thing which is, whose theme is different. The author, the author of Bhagavad-gītā... The author of the Bhagavad-gītā is saying very frankly that "the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is now lost.

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

So he was a great yogi. He also failed because it was artificially being tried.

But there is another instance, Ṭhākura Haridāsa. He was to be... He was also enticed by a prostitute at night, but he turned the prostitute to be a devotee. You see. At night, she came. She was induced by some of Haridāsa's opponent's party and she came, very beautifully dressed, at night, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, "How you have come here?" "Oh, you are so nice, so beautiful, so young. So I have come to embrace you." Like that, whatever. "All right. Please sit down. I shall fulfill your desire. Let me finish my chanting. Then we shall enjoy life." (laughter) So he was chanting, the morning came. So the prostitute became disturbed. "It is now..." "All right. I could not finish my chanting. So come this night, I shall fulfill." In this way, second night, third night, when she came, she surrendered: "Sir, I came with this purpose. Please save me. This is my business."

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Bombay, March 30, 1974:

Especially it is ordered to the Indians, the inhabitants of the Bhārata-varṣa. Because in Bhārata-varṣa it is easier to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Because by nature, because they have taken birth in this land of Bhārata-varṣa, in the blood there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But unfortunately, the leaders are inducing them to forget Kṛṣṇa. This is the misfortune of present-day Bhārata-varṣa. You go to the village and if there is bhāgavata-pāṭha, hundreds and thousands of people will gather immediately. Immediately. Not only in the village. In the town, when we held Kṛṣṇa festival in Bombay, Calcutta, twenty-thousand, thirty-thousand people come. By nature. We cannot expect this big assembly in other countries. That is my experience. But India, because it is Bhārata-varṣa, it is very easy.

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa gives us prescription how to live in this conditional state, but He is not one of us. He is not one of us. He is above, transcendental. Therefore He says, na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti.

Because Kṛṣṇa is fighting in the battlefield... He is not fighting. He is directing. Still, you may call that He is inducing Arjuna to fight. That does not mean he is becoming entangled in the karma-phala. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti. Apāpa-vidham. Kṛṣṇa is killing so many demons. He is not bound up by karma. Similarly, if we also become devotee of Kṛṣṇa and if we abide by His order, then karma-phala cannot touch us. This is bhakti. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54).

That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam. There are millions and millions of living entities beginning from the king of heaven who is, whose name is Indra, yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma, beginning from that Indra...

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

"I am reading Bhagavad-gītā." There are so many Bhagavad-gītā readers even in your country, so many. I know. But the real instruction they will not follow. They will interpret in some way, this way, that way. Or some rascal commentator will also induce the reader, "Oh, here Kṛṣṇa says that you become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. It is not up to this Kṛṣṇa. There is another Kṛṣṇa." Just see.

You see? Kṛṣṇa directly says that man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (BG 9.34), and the commentator says, "not to Kṛṣṇa." So how people can understand, you see, a misleading misinterpretation? Otherwise, if you simply study Bhagavad-gītā, you understand these five principles: what is God, "what I am", what is material nature, what is time, and what is work. Then you are in full knowledge. These five things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 5.14-22 -- New York, August 28, 1966:

They are classified among the animals, but they are called rational animals So here also, in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says, jantavaḥ. Jantavaḥ is the plural number of jantu. Jantu means animal. So nādatte kasyacit pāpam. A... Somebody is engaged in the activities of sinful activities, but he is not induced by the Lord that he should be engaged in sinful activities. Similarly, somebody is engaged in virtuous activities. So that virtuous activity is according to his own, I mean to say, association with the modes of material nature. Ajñānena āvṛtaṁ jñānaṁ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ (BG 5.16). But in this material world, either in the modes of ignorance or in the modes of passion or in the modes of goodness, they are all... Total, sum total, is ignorance. Sum total... Even a man is in the modes of goodness, that is also considered as ignorance because real knowledge, real knowledge is to know his relationship with the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on BG 6.1 -- Los Angeles, February 13, 1969:

"Don't do this," is no life. "Do this," this is life. But in order to do rightly, there are some things "don't." "Don't" is not life, "do" is life. The whole Bhagavad-gītā is "do." "Do fight for Me." There is nothing "don't." Arjuna wanted, "Don't induce me." And Kṛṣṇa did not like that. "You are speaking like non-Aryan." Kutas tvā kaśmalam idam. Anārya-juṣṭam. "This kind of words are spoken by the non-Aryans." He was accused of being non-Aryan. Anārya. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean sitting idly, no. We have the whole pastimes of Kṛṣṇa is full of activities. When you go to spiritual world Kṛṣṇa is always dancing. You have to twenty-four hours dance there and eat there. Where is sit down? There is no question of sit down. Have you heard anything about gopīs meditating? Sit down. (laughter) Have you heard? Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu?

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

And willfully, we shall not do anything which against the bhakti process, willfully. But because I am habituated... Suppose a smoker he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at least has promised that "I shall not smoke, I shall...," but all of a chance, sudden, suppose his friend seduces him: "Oh what is that, smoke today, doing." So sometimes we become induced, but we should always remember that "I have taken this vow. Why shall I be induced by my friend to smoke?" That is very nice. But even if by mistake you do that, that can be excused, but not willfully: "Now nobody is seeing, Kṛṣṇa is not here. Let me smoke now." Not that. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa's eyes are everywhere. You cannot escape Kṛṣṇa's eyes.

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

So humbly, so fearfully, they are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. What Kṛṣṇa's service we can give? What we are? We are nothing. Insignificant. So why Kṛṣṇa accepts our service? Why He comes in His arcā-mūrti to accept our service? Just to induce you how to serve Him, bhakti. That is wanted. Therefore He says, "So you give Me even patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26). It doesn't matter. But give Me with bhakti." Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. This is real business. (?) If you have no bhakti, if you officially make, Kṛṣṇa does not touch it. Kṛṣṇa is not so poor. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam... (Bs. 5.29). So whatever you do, you should always be humble: "Kṛṣṇa, I am quite unfit. So whatever I could collect with my capacity, kindly accept." This is our only plea. Otherwise, don't be proud that "I am doing so much for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will be obliged to accept it." It is not like that. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā.

Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969:

So the means is there. We have to utilize it. That requires intelligence. So my request to you all boys, that you try to understand and... You understand or not understand, it is a standard method. Try to induce people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. They will be happy. They will get the... Real thing will be delivered to them. That is a fact. So such a simple method and such sublime gain, so why one should lose this opportunity? There is no loss, but the gain is very great. So why should you lose this opportunity? Let us make an experiment, chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And those who are making, those who are chanting, they are being convinced, they are being advanced. They are realizing. Otherwise... They are not wasting time. Here is a boy, he is postgraduate. He is teacher. So he's not a fool. So why he's sticking unless he's feeling that "Yes, I am advancing"?

Lecture on BG 9.4-7 -- New York, November 24, 1966:

So because He came to give witness in that controversy, so that temple is still there. So the whole idea is the statue, statue... Because God is everywhere. So He's also in statue. God is everywhere. How can you say that He's not in statue? He's also in statue. So it is my devotion, it is my qualification, that I can induce that statue to speak with me. Just like the same way—if I am electrician, then I can fit any electrical instrument or machine or light from the electric energy which is all over—similarly, God's energy, He is present everywhere...

When we are advanced in spiritual consciousness, then we can see God everywhere. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4). So He is everywhere, and He is not everywhere also. Just like you have got this post box. The post box means the Post Office. You put your letter. It will go to the destination because it is authorized.

Lecture on BG 9.10 -- Calcutta, June 29, 1973:

What is the difficulty? Everyone can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare... Where is the difficulty? But they'll not chant. They'll not chant. They'll talk so many rubbish things, but as soon as you ask him to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, he'll be silent. That we have experienced. But still our thankless task is to induce everyone: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

There is a cartoon picture in New York. One old man and his wife, sitting together. The wife is requesting the husband, old husband, "Chant, chant, chant," and the husband is replying: "Can't, can't, can't." This cartoon we have seen. So this is the... He will say three times: "Can't, can't, can't." But not "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." That is not possible. A similar story is there in the Bengal. One old mother was dying, and the sons requested the mother: "Mother, now you say 'Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa' "

Lecture on BG 9.18-19 -- New York, December 4, 1966:

Oh, he thinks it is dangerous. So punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). He has already experienced. He is married. He was married. His wife divorced, and his wife divorced him three times, and so many things. He has bad, very bad experience of his life, but he is inducing his son to do the same thing. He has no other idea. This is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), "chewing the chewed."

Just like we take a sugar cane and we chew it, take out all the extra juice. I throw it in the street, and again somebody comes and chewing it. What is there? Already all the juice that contained, I have taken it. So this material life experience—chasing after woman and drinking and sense gratification and so many things, spending like anything—we have seen it, but we have not experienced any actual happiness. Still, I am trying to induce my son, my dependent, into that way.

Lecture on BG 9.18-19 -- New York, December 4, 1966:

What benefit, what happiness, I have got?" This is called punaḥ punaś car..., repeatedly chewing the chewed, repeatedly. This is going on. Nobody thinks that "I have already experimented all these things. What benefit I have got? What happiness I have got? I am frustrated in my life. So why shall I induce my son? If I at all love my son, why shall I induce my son into that? Let him experiment this, Kṛṣṇa consciousness." No. Because adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram.

Just like there is a very nice story. A monkey... Monkeys, they are very busy. Do you know? But their business is to simply destroy. You will find monkey always busy, very active. So in the village there was a carpenter who was bifurcating one big beam by saw. So at the end of his work, half of the beam was cut into two, so he put one block between the two pieces and he went away.

Lecture on BG 9.22-23 -- New York, December 8, 1966:

That is the law of nature. Niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ. Arjuna was Kṛṣṇa's friend, but He never said that "You stop your working." Rather, He engaged him in his real work. He was a fighter. He was a soldier. He was declining to do the duty of a soldier. But Kṛṣṇa induced him, "No. You must become a soldier." So we may do whatever by God's grace or by nature's freaks we are situated. That doesn't matter. But if you take this formula, ananyāś cintayanto mām, always think of Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be that you will never be unhappy. Just try. Make an experiment.

We don't say that you give up your engagement and become a mendicant or sannyāsī like me and give up your wife and children. No. Kṛṣṇa does not say that. You may ask then, "Why you have given up your wife and children?"

Lecture on BG 13.17 -- Bombay, October 11, 1973:

You cannot change it. But you can change your consciousness. That is possible. But you cannot change your material position.

The modern people, they do not know. They do not know it that material condition cannot be changed. Take, for example, the pig. His body is meant for eating stool. So you cannot induce him to eat halavā. They cannot. He'll not accept it. Because the body is made like that. But in the human form, if we change our consciousness, then we become, we can revive our original status. Original status means eternal life of blissfulness and knowledge. That is the original life. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So that Supersoul is always helping us as friend. Therefore here it is said, avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu. Avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam. The Supersoul appears like an individual soul. He is staying as friend. So He has been divided. Vibhaktam iva, "as if divided." It is not divided.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa was present five thousand years ago on this planet, and just to benefit us He left His instruction, Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna did not require the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. He was already enlightened, but he presented himself as a fool just to induce the Lord to speak on Bhagavad-gītā, and it is noted by Vyāsadeva, Vedavyāsa, in the Mahābhārata, so that people may take advantage of the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything is there, what is this brahma-jyotir, what is this material world, what is that spiritual world, what is our object of life, what we should know.

But we are... Because we are so much influenced by the material world, especially in this age of Kali, the age of misunderstanding and quarreling, that people are... Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10).

Lecture on BG 15.15 -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Now if he wants a glass of water and if you bring a nice glass of milk, you can say milk is better than water, you take it. That is not service. He wants water, you give him water. Don't manufacture better thing. Just like Kṛṣṇa wanted Arjuna to fight, and he became a nonviolent saint, "No, Kṛṣṇa, I'll not fight." That is disobedience. Kṛṣṇa says fight, you must fight. Don't bring philosophy of nonviolence. That is nonsense. What He says, do it. That is service. That he did later on. Sometimes they misunderstand Bhagavad-gītā, that Arjuna is not willing to fight and Kṛṣṇa is inducing him to fight. They misunderstand that Arjuna is better than Kṛṣṇa. But that's not the fact. What Kṛṣṇa says, we have to execute that. We should not manufacture our own ideas. That is not service.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

We don't want to stop the tendency of material enjoyment. No nivṛtti. The human life is meant for nivṛtti. The cats' and dogs' life is for pravṛtti. The sex desire, they cannot stop it. It is not possible. If you teach some dogs that "You forget the sex life," it is impossible. That is not possible. So they cannot stop this desire of sex life. But if a human being can be induced... Therefore there is brahmacarya system, there is Vedic education, there is Bhagavad-gītā, so many other things. If people take advantage of these books they can stop this pravṛtti, this intense desire for enjoying this material world. But the asuras, they do not know that what we should accept and what we should not accept. Pravṛtti means to accept something, and nivṛtti means to deny something. So they do not know. This is the first symptom of the asuras. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na viduḥ. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ, āsurāḥ janāḥ (BG 16.7), those who are demons, asuras, they do not know it.

Then next symptom? Na śaucam: They are very unclean.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

You cannot sit idle. That is not good." "Idle brain is a devil's workshop." Kṛṣṇa never said that "My dear Arjuna, you are My first-class devotee. Now you sit down and I'll do everything for you." No. Kṛṣṇa never said. Rather, Arjuna was not willing to fight, and Kṛṣṇa was inducing him, "You must fight. You must fight." Kṛṣṇa never said that "You become idle kṛṣṇa-bhakta," never said. So those who are trying to be idle kṛṣṇa-bhakta, they are not devotees. One must be engaged with Kṛṣṇa's work. That is devotion. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). Always chanting the glory of Kṛṣṇa and trying everything for benefit of Kṛṣṇa, that is mahātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim... (BG 9.13), bhajanty an... Bhajanti means "He's always engaged in My service." That is mahātmā. Laziness is not bhakti. There must be something. But if somebody says, "Now I'll chant sitting down. Who is going to see me? I'll doze and people will know I am chanting." You see?

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

They want something. That I have several times repeated, that your only qualification is, you are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because you are..., you have no other material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Nobody can allure you by material inducements: "Oh, here is money. Please come. Here is woman. Please come." That you have seen. You want something... Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). So that's a very good qualification. Not only you who have come to me as my disciples—I am speaking of the whole Europeans and Americans.

So try to impress the whole Western world about kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ. Then they'll be happy. That is our mission. Yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno yenātmā suprasīdati. Munayaḥ sādhu pṛṣṭo 'ham (SB 1.2.5). And Sūta Gosvāmī welcomed the inquiry, "Oh, it is a nice inquiry, very nice inquiry. You are inquiring about Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

Now you take whatever you like." Prahlāda Mahārāja replied, "My dear Lord, it is not a good proposal. Because I am born of a father, passionate father. Generally, I am passionate, and You are so exalted, You can give me anything. So I shall be inclined to ask You again. Just like my father had so many opulences. So kindly do not induce me in that way. I am not a merchant that because I have rendered some service unto You, I expect some return. No. Sa vai vaṇik. It is not business with You. I am your eternal servant." Oh, just see. This is pure devotee. Ahaitukī. No reason. "It is my duty." That is occupational duty. "It is my eternal occupation to serve You." These are the highest ideas of pure devotion. Ahaituky apratihatā. Then "You are poor man. How you can serve Me?" No. "You are illiterate. You have no education. How can you serve Me?

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

"This is also good, this is also good. Everything is same." No. This is hodgepodge. One must be fixed up in devotional service. That is wanted. So when Mukunda was going here and there, Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him the name kharajati adata.(?) So He stopped him that "He should not come before Me. Stop him." So nobody can induce... Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very soft, kusumād api, softer than the flower, but harder than the thunderbolt. When He used to be very hard, then, then He become thunderbolt. Nobody can induce Him. But naturally, He is very soft-hearted. So Mukunda was standing outside in every day's meeting, and he was asking other devotees, "I'll not be able to see Lord Caitanya anymore?" So they asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "You have forbidden Mukunda to come before You, but he's asking only if there will be any opportunity in the future to see You." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: "Yes, after three hundred millions of years, he can see Me."

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

Those who are actually engaged in pious activity... Therefore, according to our Vedic civilization, people are advised to act piously. If a man is very poor, he has nothing to give in charity or make sacrifice, "Go to the Ganges, take your bath." That is also pious. Pious activities. So in this way the whole life, whole Vedic civilization, is based on inducing people to engage, to be engaged in pious activities. Because by acting piously, one day they come to the stage of bhajana.

India is trained... By culture, by birth, the land of Bhāratavarṣa is puṇya-bhūmi. Still, you will find in Kumbha-mela many millions of people will come to take bath, to take a dip into the Ganges, because they think it is pious. So through the veins of Indians, the spiritual fluid is flowing. Unfortunately the leaders are misguiding them, and they are becoming atheists generally. It is very regretful situation.

Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:

Arjuna was a kṣatriya. He was not a brāhmaṇa; he was kṣatriya. He was not a sannyāsī; he was a gṛhastha, king. His business, he knew how to kill. So by killing he satisfied Kṛṣṇa. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). This is the whole purpose of Bhagavad-gītā. He was unwilling to kill, and Kṛṣṇa was inducing him, "You must kill." And when he agreed to kill, then Kṛṣṇa became satisfied. He became perfect. These are the evidence. The purpose is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. When he was denying to fight, that was his own satisfaction. "I shall not kill my grandfather, my nephews, my brother on the other side. If they die, I shall be unhappy. So what is the use of killing them?" These are all sense gratification, so-called nonviolence. A devotee does not know what is violence and non-violence. He wants to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That's all. They do not know what is morality or immorality. They want to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Just like the gopīs. At dead of night, they went to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

That is not reactionary. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna... Now, the Lord says that you become free from the reaction of your activities. That is the proposition. Now, at the same time, He's inducing Arjuna to fight. Now, fighting is on the platform, on the modes of passion. Does it mean that simultaneously Kṛṣṇa is inducing him to be entangled in the reaction of passion modes? No. That action, even apparently appears to be act, being acted on the platform of passion, it is transcendental because it is direction of the supreme consciousness. So whole thing is that we have to... Just like... Same example can be cited, that a soldier is killing his enemy, and the soldier's rewarded, "Oh, you have killed such a big enemy. You are rewarded." Do you mean to say by killing one is rewarded? But he is not acting on his platform. He's acting on higher consciousness platform, higher order.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

Because, due to his past habit, he may do something wrong. Just like one was habituated in smoking. And he has taken initiation, and he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but due to the influence of some friend, he sometimes, suppose he smokes. So if unconsciously induced by others he commits some sinful activity, that is excused. But if he consciously does something sinful activity, that is not excused. Kṛṣṇa says therefore that api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. If he sticks to the devotional service sincerely, but due to his past habit, if he's seen that he has committed something wrong, so Kṛṣṇa said, "Still, he's sādhu." Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ, samyag vyavasito hi... (BG 9.30). Because his faith in Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore he is sādhu.

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

That is bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Ānukūlyena. Ānukūlyena means what is favorable, what Kṛṣṇa desires. Just like Arjuna. He did not like to fight. He wanted to be a very nice, nonviolent gentleman. But Kṛṣṇa was inducing him, "You fight." Then later on, he agreed: "Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73)." This is ānukūlyena. "Kṛṣṇa wants it. Doesn't matter whether it is violent or nonviolent, Kṛṣṇa wants it. I must do it." This is called ānukūlyena, not against the desire of Kṛṣṇa, but in favor of Kṛṣṇa. This is called anukūla, anukūla-sevā. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). That is first-class bhakti. Not that "If I like it, then I shall do it." That is not anukūla. That is pratikūla. You like or not like, that doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa likes it,; you must do it. That is ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam.

Lecture on SB 1.3.13 -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972:

So the demigods, they planned to break the tapasya meditation of Lord Śiva by sending Pārvatī, daughter of Himalaya. Lord Śiva's wife then took birth as daughter of Himalaya. So when she was young, grown-up, sixteen years old, so she was engaged to break the meditation of Lord Śiva. So Lord Śiva was in meditation, naked, and Pārvatī was induced to worship Lord Śiva and touch the genital. But Lord Śiva still was undisturbed. So at that time, Kālidāsa Kavi, that "Here is the example of dhīra. He is so much absorbed in meditation that a young girl, touching the genital, still, he is undisturbed. He is so self-controlled."

So this is dhīra. Dhīra means even there is cause of disturbance he will not be disturbed. That is dhīra. And one who is disturbed by the slight agitation, he is not dhīra. He is adhīra. So mostly, people are adhīra. They are agitated by a slight disturbance, because they have not been trained in such a way.

Lecture on SB 1.3.18 -- Los Angeles, September 23, 1972:

His father's name, mother's name is there. But here Narasiṁha, there is no name of the father and mother. This verse is peculiar that there is no names. Why? Because this Narasiṁha incarnation came out of a column. Hiraṇyakaśipu was so angry talking with his son. He saw that his son is very strongly Kṛṣṇa conscious; he could not induce him to forget Kṛṣṇa. So he was very angry. So he was ready to kill him with his sword. At that time Prahlāda Mahārāja, the little boy, five years old, he was just looking at the column in the hall. So his father marked it and immediately asked, "Do you think your God is there in the column?" He said, "Yes, my father." Immediately he broke the column, and Nṛsiṁha came out.

Therefore God is everywhere, not that because God takes birth as human being, from the womb of a human being, it does not mean that He is ordinary human being.

Lecture on SB 1.3.21 -- Los Angeles, September 26, 1972:

The child born of Satyavatī, he will accept, he will be given the throne. You give your daughter to my father." He still refused. He still, "Well, our son may be king, but then again, your son will become the king." In this way, he was hesitating. So Bhīṣmadeva immediately promised that "I shall never marry. Don't hesitate." So in this way he induced the fisherman to give his daughter to his father.

So father could understand that "My son is so great that he wanted to satisfy. I wanted this girl, and he has managed." So he gave him a benediction to Bhīṣmadeva, "My dear son, you are so benevolent, so magnanimous. So I give you one benediction that you'll not die unless you desire to die. Unless you fix up your mind, 'Now I shall die,' you'll never die. You remain a very strong brahmacārī." So Bhīṣma remained very strong brahmacārī. There is another incidence of Bhīṣmadeva's life, that Pāṇḍu-vaṁśa. So one girl was attracted.

Lecture on SB 1.3.24 -- Los Angeles, September 29, 1972:

When we want to enter this material world, we get this material body. This is the process. Now... Just like they take pleasure diving within the water, swimming like the fish. That natural tendency is there. You cannot say, "Why I have come to this material world?" Why you are swimming within the water? Why? Who has induced you? There is no such question. But the fact is as soon as you want to enter this material world, you have to accept this dress. Otherwise you cannot work here. This is the fact.

So our problem is that we have entered this material world out of our own will. Icchā-dveṣa samutthena (BG 7.27). No one... Kṛṣṇa has not pushed us. You wanted something for your enjoyment, so-called enjoyment. Kṛṣṇa has provided you. Just like you want to enter into the prison life, therefore government creates a prison house.

Lecture on SB 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972:

Those who are atheists, just to bewilder them: "Yes, there is nothing after death, it is all zero, but you worship me," Lord Buddha said. "Yes, sir, we shall worship you." So the only business, God's business is, "This rascal may some way or other worship Me." Because they are rascals. So here Lord Buddha by policy induced them to worship Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha is incarnation of God. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra. His philosophy is "No, there is no God, but you worship me." But the policy is to worship God. But they do not know. They are thinking that "We are worshiping somebody, some great soul," but he does not know that he is God, incarnation of God.

So similarly, when people will be so much degraded that they will not be able to understand anything about God... That time is coming gradually. Already the time is there. People are not at all interested in God's business.

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

These regulative principles, this is real education. It does not require any academic education. It is simply practice. Tan manye adhītam uttamam. That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's recommendation.

So Nārada Muni is inducing his disciple, Vyāsadeva, to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, will be, which will be heard and, śṛṇvanti, will be accepted, and gṛṇanti, and śṛṇvanti gāyanti, and chanted. So those who are actually in the transcen..., they accept Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam, yasmin pāramahaṁsyaṁ gīyate. Paramahaṁsa-saṁhitā. This is paramahaṁsa-saṁhitā. This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for the topmost transcendentalists. It is not for ordinary... Not for the impersonalists, or for the yogis. The topmost transcendentalist means devotees. Because Kṛṣṇa says... Who is transcendentalist? Who wants to know God, he is transcendentalist. Not ordinary person.

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

So this material world is going on on the system of chewing the chewed. Just like a person, he has done very good business, amassed money, and sense gratification he has done. But he is not satisfied. But still, he'll induce his sons and grandsons to the same business. He has experienced that "In this way, life is not very pleasing. I have not satisfied myself, but still, why I am engaging my sons and grandsons to the same business, chewing the chewed?" But because they have no better information... Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Prahlāda Mahārāja advised his father, atheistic father. He said... When his father inquired, "My dear boy, where you got all these ideas?" He was perfect devotee, and the father was perfect atheist. He said, "This status is..., cannot be achieved without being favored by a pure devotee."

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

This human life, human form of life, should be very carefully and cautiously utilized. This verse I was explaining yesterday, labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29).

So Nārada Muni advises that "Induce everyone to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Never mind if he, even if he falls down. There is no loss." This is the principle. If he becomes successful, oh, the greatest boon. That greatest boon is described in Bhagavad-gītā, saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ, highest perfection. Highest... Saṁsiddhim. Saṁsiddhim means perfection. Paramām, the supreme.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

He wanted to make all of a sudden stop. So there was illicit drinking. Illicit manufacture of wine increased so much that government saw that "We are losing the excise duty. These people are distilling illicit liquor." So now government, to save money, now they are manufacturing and inducing people, "All right, you go on drinking."

So unless we are sober, for stopping one kind of unwanted thing, we have to introduce another. This is karma-kāṇḍa-vicāra. If you have to raise, erect, a very high skyscraper building, then for the materials, you have to dig somewhere to make it a lake. You take it from there and put it here. This is karma. You cannot manufacture. Suppose a high skyscraper building you have constructed. The another place you have taken out something. The stock is the same, conservation of the energy. You cannot increase the stock. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.7.8 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1976:

Family life, if it is favorable for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it should be accepted; otherwise it should be rejected. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam.

So what was the qualification of Śukadeva Gosvāmī which induced Vyāsadeva to teach him this saṁhitām? Śukam adhyāpayām āsa nivṛtti-niratam: he has no more attraction for material world. That is the qualification. Nirvṛtti. There are two kinds of life: nirvṛtti and pravṛtti. Pravṛtti means materialistic, karmīs. Generally karmīs, they have got tendency to enjoy this material world. That is called pravṛtti. Pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛttes tu... Pravṛtti is natural inclination. Anyone who has come to this material world... Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānām. Everyone is in the pravṛtti-mārga. What is that pravṛtti-mārga? The pravṛtti-mārga is these things: sex, meat-eating, intoxication, like that. This is pravṛtti-mārga.

Lecture on SB 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976:

The cats and dogs also fight and the kṣatriyas in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are not the same. Sometimes in the foreign countries, they do not know. They simply know fight means cats' and dogs' fight. No. Therefore they question that why Kṛṣṇa induced Arjuna to fight? Certainly they do not know there is fight on the principle of religion. That is real fight. Otherwise fight whimsically, that is animals' fight, cats' and dogs' fight.

So when there is fight on religious principle, there are different rules and regulations. One has to observe these rules and regulations. Just like striking the enemy, it should not come down the waist. You can strike the enemy from head to the waist, not below that. That is illegal. Similarly, when the enemy is like this, mattaṁ pramattam unmattam, one after another... Matta means careless, inattentive.

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

This is Rūpa Gosvāmī's instruction. Somehow or other, you become attached to Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to induce people how to become attached to Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti-yoga. Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. Then? Vidhi-niṣedhāḥ. There are so many rules and regulations for bhakti-yoga. Yes, there are. And Rūpa Gosvāmī says, sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ. Some way or other, if you become attached to Kṛṣṇa, then all the vidhis and regulative principles and rules and regulations, they will act as your servant. They'll, automatically there will be... Because as soon as you become attached to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa said, kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā.

Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Mayapura, October 20, 1974:

So people are being dragged there that "Come here. You'll get good salary. Why you are working in the field so hard? Come here. You'll get good salary, and..." So they go. But the result is that they are not happy. And when they are not happy, they are, I mean, induced to take wine and meat. In this way, whole world... India, it was not there. Gandhi's movement was to stop this wine, flesh, and as we are prohibiting. But at the present moment, the government is encouraging. It is very regrettable.

(reading:) "The gigantic industrial enterprises are products of a godless civilization." Godless civilization, they no more can depend on the natural gifts. They think by industrial enterprises, they will get more money and they'll be happy. And to remain satisfied with the food grains, vegetables and natural gifts, that is primitive idea. They say, "It is primitive."

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

This world, you have to work very hard to maintain yourself. In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa never advised Arjuna that "You sit down. I am your friend. I shall do everything. You sit down and smoke gāñjā." Kṛṣṇa never said that. Kṛṣṇa was doing everything; still he was to fight. He was inducing, "You must fight." Neither Arjuna said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are so, my friend, great friend. Better You do it. I sit down. Let me smoke gāñjā." No. Arjuna also did not say. This is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "God, You please do everything for me and let me smoke gāñjā." This is not God consciousness. God consciousness means you must work, work for God. That is God consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Mayapura, October 23, 1974:

"Now you ask from Me whatever you want," so Prahlāda Mahārāja became surprised. He said, "My dear Sir, I am not a mercantile man. We are in the modes of passion, and You are offering me all kinds of benediction. I can ask You. But do You mean to say that I served You in expectation of some return? No, no. Don't induce me in this way." This is śuddha-bhakta. Śuddha-bhakta never gives trouble to Kṛṣṇa for his personal benefit. They are called akāma. And sarva-kāma means karmīs, ordinary. They are working hard to get some result, good result for sense gratification. They are called sarva-kāma. And there is no limit of their desires. Just like this Durgā Pūjā, they'll want dhanaṁ dehi rūpaṁ dehi rūpavatī-bhāryāṁ dehi yaśo dehi, this dehi, that dehi, dehi, dehi... There is no limit how much they are asking. Therefore they are called sarva-kāma. You go on supplying a karmī; he'll never be satisfied.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Los Angeles, May 6, 1973:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I am born in a low family. My father is Hiraṇyakaśipu. So how I can offer prayer? If big, big demigods could not offer prayer and satisfy the Lord, so what I can do?"

This is humbleness of Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava is so humble. He is induced, he's ordered by Brahmā, that "You offer prayer. Your prayer will be accepted." So then Prahlāda Mahārāja considering that viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-pādāravinda-vimukhāt: "I can understand this, that Kṛṣṇa is not satisfied by the prayers of a brāhmaṇa who is qualified with twelve nice qualities. Kṛṣṇa is satisfied simply by devotion. I can understand. Because all these big, big demigods headed by Brahmā, they could not... They are asking me. That means Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied simply by bhakti."

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:

Sneha, affection; moha, illusion. Just like Arjuna, the same thing: out of affection he was denying. He was denying, "No, no, Kṛṣṇa, I shall not fight. There, on the other side, there are my brothers, my nephews, my grandfather, and my teacher, Droṇācārya, all my object of affection and obeisances, and I will have to kill them. You are inducing me. No, no, don't do it." That is prākṛtena. He did not know the spiritual necessities. Sometimes we take sannyāsa. I have seen. One of our Godbrother, big Godbrother, he took sannyāsa. So his son was crying, and he was also crying. Then, if you have got affection for your family, society, then why you are taking sannyāsa? That is prākṛtena. We should not be carried away by this material affection, no. That is not good. You must do your duty. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, that "Arjuna, you are being carried away by your material affection, and you are hesitating to execute your duty. This is not good."

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:

If He is pleased, if He says that "You kill your son," then we should be prepared to do that. That is called vairāgya-vidyā. Of course, never Kṛṣṇa says like that, but actually, in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Arjuna was ordered, if not the son but the nephew. But his sons were also killed. So this is duty. So many people inquire, "Kṛṣṇa was inducing people to fight." But this fight by the order of Kṛṣṇa and the fight or war declared for the satisfaction of the politicians, they are not the same. We must always remember. They are not the same.

Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was standing, and his father was being killed. Is it a very good thing? Suppose if I am here and somebody kills me, and if you do not protest, is it a very good business? People will be surprised that "So many disciples are there, and this man is being killed, and nobody do anything?"

Lecture on SB 1.9.1 -- Los Angeles, May 15, 1973:

Droha, droha means to become enemy. Unless you become my enemy, you cannot kill me, neither I can kill you. So droha means if you become enemy. So when the prajās were killed, the king became enemy. He is thinking, "Otherwise, how I could induce them to be killed?" He was thinking like that. Prajā-drohāt. As you, if you rebel against the king, it is also a great fault, similarly, if you rebel, revolt against the prajās, that is also great fault. Therefore he is afraid. Bhītaḥ prajā-drohāt. "Now what to do?" Sarva-dharma-vivitsayā. This is the position to approach a guru, when you are bewildered. When things are not in order, brain is puzzled... Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru when he could not ascertain whether he shall fight or not, bewilderment, so similarly, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja also became bewildered, that "I have killed so many prajās. What is my position? I have become so much sinful.

Lecture on SB 1.13.11 -- Geneva, June 2, 1974:

"Whether they are happy in their home,"sva-puryām, sva-purī, "Dvārakā?" So in this way Kṛṣṇa consciousness means always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. And make Kṛṣṇa the friend. Kṛṣṇa says that suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). Actually, Kṛṣṇa is the only friend, and He is sitting in everyone's heart. He is so nice friend that He is simply trying to induce us to turn our faith towards Kṛṣṇa. He is coming as avatāra, incarnation. He is giving us advice from within. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He's such a nice friend. Although we have left Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa has not left us. Here He is living with Me within my heart to give me advice, "Please come back." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66).

Lecture on SB Excerpt -- New York, March 7, 1975:

Your proposal is very nice. Please sit down. Let me finish my rounds." (laughter) So she sat down, and morning, there was morning. So Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, "My dear girl, I am very sorry. I could not finish. So this night we shall finish." In this way, after three nights, the prostitute fell down on his feets, "Sir, I came with this purpose. I was induced by such and such person. So I am offender. Please excuse me and give me your favor." So Haridāsa said, "Yes, I knew that. But because you came to me, I wanted to do something good for you. And therefore I stayed here for three nights just to convert you. Now you are so lucky. So whatever you have got, you distribute it to the brāhmaṇas, and you take one cloth and sit down here before the Tulasī tree and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Hmm?

Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:

So this bee is losing his life on account of this nostril, very powerful, wants to smell. Similarly, the fish is losing its life on account of this tongue. Similarly, the elephant. Elephant loses... Such a big powerful animal. But he loses his independence for sex life. You know how the elephant is captured? A female elephant is induced to attract the male elephant, and for sex, the male follows the female elephant, and the female elephant is trained up. He puts him in a ditch. He falls down. Then he cannot move. You see. That means in spite of his becoming such a giant animal, powerful animal, simply for sex life he becomes captivated. You see? So someone is becoming victim for this sense. Someone is becoming victim of the sense. This is the world, whoever wants to study. Similarly, the deer, when the hunter wants to kill them, he plays very nice flute, and... They are very fond of hearing musical sound.

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

Anyone who joined with him, everyone was punished. But Lord Rāmacandra did not occupy the land for His kingdom. He installed his brother Vibhīṣaṇa, who was a devotee in the place of Rāvaṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was taking part in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra and inducing Arjuna that "You fight." Arjuna was not willing to fight, but He was inducing to fight.

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 1.16.20 -- Hawaii, January 16, 1974:

So there was a plan that "If by the semina of Lord Śiva, one son is born, Kārttikeya, then he'll be able to kill these demons; otherwise, it is very difficult." So Lord Śiva was engaged in meditation after the death of his wife. In the meantime, his wife took birth in the Himalaya. So now he, he has to be induced to unite with this Pārvatī. So there was plan made. The plan made that Pārvatī, young age, beautiful girl, and Lord Śiva is meditating naked, and she was offering worshipable flowers on the genital. Still, he was not disturbed. Young girl touching the genital of a person, but he is not disturbed. That is dhīraḥ, that is the example of perfection of dhīraḥ. Even in the presence of being agitated, one who is not agitated, that is called dhīraḥ. Otherwise, everyone becomes agitated. That is natural. A young boy sees another young man or a young man sees another young girl. Natural sex appetite, natural. But one who can control that, that is dhīraḥ. That is dhīraḥ. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. That is yoga practice.

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

So anyway, this human life is not meant for imitating the hog's life. Human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). This is Vedic civilization, tapasya, the state, different grades of tapasya—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—give them chance—gṛhastha, vānaprastha, brahmacārī. They are all meant for inducing people to come to this perfectional stage of understanding God. This is called varṇāśrama-dharma. Real purpose of this is varṇāśrama, four varṇas and four āśramas. Why?

Lecture on SB 3.25.44 -- Bombay, December 12, 1974:

"My father was so sinful, so much against God consciousness. He might not be liberated."

So therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was requested, when he was, rather, offered any benediction he wanted to take from Nṛsiṁha-deva, he refused: "My dear Lord, please do not induce me in that way. I am born in a family, demonic family. To gain some material profit is my natural propensity. And You are the offerer. You are offering me. I can take anything from You. But this is not my business. Because I have rendered service to You, it does not mean that I will take some remuneration for You. This is business." Vaṇik. Sa vai vaṇik: "This is mercantile man's... But I am Your eternal servant. I do not expect any reward from You." But that Prahlāda Mahārāja, later on he asked Nṛsiṁha-deva, "My dear Lord, one thing I may ask from You." "What is that?" "Now, my father was atheist number one, and he has committed so many offenses at Your lotus feet. Now he is killed.

Lecture on SB 3.26.18 -- Bombay, December 27, 1974:

If people are simply induced to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... Just see. Even a child, he is taking part. It is natural. There is no distinction between black and white, no question of language, nothing. You see practically. There is white child, black child. They do not know how to speak, but they are dancing and chanting. So this movement is so important. Somehow or other if you can engage them in chanting and dancing, the whole world will be united. What the United Nations has failed, this movement can do—if it is not checked by the rascals. But the rascals are ready to check this movement. That is the difficulty. Otherwise, God, Kṛṣṇa, is always ready to help us. How? Here it is said, antaḥ puruṣa-rūpeṇa kāla-rūpeṇa yo bahiḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:

Arjuna was trying to become very gentleman, nonviolent, Arjuna: "Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight." People very much appreciate, "Just see, Arjuna is so gentle, he is trying to become nonviolent, and Kṛṣṇa is inducing him to become violent." This is the vision of the demons. They do not know, whatever Kṛṣṇa desires, that is rightful. Kṛṣṇa wanted Arjuna to fight. That is rightful. And Arjuna wanted to become nonviolent. That is not rightful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa chastised him, kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam: "Why you are talking like anārya?" Anārya-juṣṭam: "This kind of talking... You are kṣatriya, and you are not willing to fight. What is this? This kind of proposal is made by the anārya, uncivilized. You are a kṣatriya. Your duty is to fight, and you are trying to refrain from the fight? You have become so ignorant?

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Eight persons. One who kills, one who orders, one who purchases, one who cooks, one who eats—so many. That is the law. Just like one man is murdered. That murdering is committed by one man, but if has got many associates who has induced him, who has supplied him the weapon, or giving, so many assisted—all of them are arrested. This is the law. As we have got law here, here we can escape man-made laws, but you cannot escape God-made laws. That is not possible. Man-made laws sometimes we escape because everything made by man, that is insufficient, imperfect. So you can escape sometimes. That is not escaping. But you cannot escape God's law. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). God is situated within your heart. He's seeing everything and recording. Anumantā upadraṣṭā, you cannot escape.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Vrndavana, October 25, 1976:

That is godly qualification. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Sama-cittāḥ. This is explanation. Anyone who takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, he is te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. He's eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. So Kṛṣṇa gives this liberty, open to everyone. Now who will act it? Who will induce people, even though he's born in low-grade family... Māṁ hi pārtha..., ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yoni. Pāpa-yoni means one who is born in pāpa-yoni, in low-grade family. They say caṇḍāla yavana mleccha in the, there... But Kṛṣṇa is giving liberty to everyone. Ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Ye 'nye ca pāpa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said. Then who will do it? You are a big sādhu, very learned sādhu, and if you sit down, "No, no. I shall not go out of India. As soon as I cross the sea, immediately I'll become fallen." Then who will do this business? Kṛṣṇa wants that te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976:

This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. He does not know how he is making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ajñāta, it is unknown to him. But the person who is trying to induce him to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is his friend, real friend. They are misunderstanding that these people are exacting money by force. Even it is done by force, it is good for the person who is contributing. But you should not use any such means, people will misunderstand.

But the policy is that his money, which is accumulated for sense gratification... In Western countries they accumulate millions of dollars and at the last moment he gives to his dog. (laughter) There are many instances, you know better than me. He has no, nobody even, because they do not marry, no children, no friend, so the dog is the best friend in Western country.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

They have taken our... Yes, we must fight." So Vaiṣṇava by naturally, by nature, is not violent. But if it requires, if Kṛṣṇa directs that "You must fight," they fight. That is Vaiṣṇava. When Arjuna declined to fight, and then Kṛṣṇa had to instruct him about the whole instruction of Bhagavad-gītā just to induce him to fight. And at last, Arjuna was asked by Kṛṣṇa, "Now what is your decision? I have told you everything. What do you decide? Whatever you decide, now you do. I have finished My instruction." He said, "Yes, I shall fight." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava, naṣṭo mohaḥ (BG 18.73). "I was illusioned. Now it is my duty. Because You are ordering and I have heard You very patiently, so it is my duty to fight." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). This very word is there. "I shall act as you advise." This is the result of studying Bhagavad-gītā. You read Bhagavad-gītā, and when you agree to act by the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then your Bhagavad-gītā reading is success.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, May 7, 1976:

"So these two brothers are so fallen? So why not deliver them first?" This is Nityānanda Prabhu. "Then My Lord..." Nityānanda Prabhu considered Caitanya Mahāprabhu as His master. So "My master's name will be famous. Because the master's propaganda is 'Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa,' so if I can induce these two brothers to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, they will be saved. So why not try?" This is Nityānanda Prabhu, that para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. He is happy personally, but because He knows that "These drunkards, woman-hunters, prostitute-hunters, will suffer very, very severely, so why not deliver them?" This is Nityānanda Prabhu, Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava, you will find so many others also. In your country there is Lord Jesus Christ. When he was being crucified, still he was saying, "My Lord, excuse them. They do not know what they are doing." This is Vaiṣṇava. They are not unhappy, and they can tolerate any unhappy position. But they are... Therefore they come to deliver so many fallen souls.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:

And they're all foreigners. Four years, or three years ago, they did not know who is Kṛṣṇa. Now they are chanting, dancing, enjoying Kṛṣṇa conscious life. This is practical proof how Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is effective. Before me, from India, many swamis came, but actually they could not induce the Westerners, especially the young generation, to any Indian cultural movement except this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That's a fact, historical.

So my request to you all, those who are present here: try to understand the philosophy. You're educated, grown-up boys and girls, gentlemen, ladies. We have got books, immense literature, big, big voluminous book. If you want to understand this philosophy through books, we are not in scarcity. We can supply you volumes of books.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:

So it became morning. The prostitute became, I mean to say, perturbed. And Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, "I am very sorry. I could not finish my chanting. Please come this night again." The first night, second night..., third night the prostitute fell down on his feet and said, "Sir, this was my intention. I was induced to do this act by some man who is your enemy. So kindly excuse me." So Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, "I knew that. But because you came to me, therefore I allowed you to come here, three days, so that you may be converted to be a devotee. So now take these chanting beads. You sit down. Go on chanting. I am leaving this place." Here is another dhīra.

So here it is said, deha-vāg-buddhijaṁ dhīrā dharmajñāḥ. One who has control, deha, the body, vāk, the words, buddhi, intelligence—they are dhīra. So this tridaṇḍī. This tridaṇḍī-sannyāsa means to become dhīra, controlling śarīra; deha, the body; vāk, words; and intelligence. These things should be utilized. How?

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Honolulu, May 19, 1976:

Unfortunately, we again commit sinful life. Otherwise, by chanting once Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one becomes immediately free from the reaction.

But the māyā is so powerful that it induces again to commit sinful life. So we have to promise... Just like Jagāi Mādhāi. They were delivered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They were very sinful, their activities. Sinful means that has become ordinary things nowadays in Kali-yuga. They... What is that sinful? They were drunkards, illicit sex, meat-eater, and gambling. These four things, they were very much addicted, so they were rejected from the society. The society was so pure. Five thousand years before, Parīkṣit Mahārāja gave the Kali-yuga four places. First of all he wanted to kill Kali. Then he begged pardon, "Sir, I am also your praja, a citizen in your kingdom. So it is my business to kill these animals.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Honolulu, May 19, 1976:

And it is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, the supreme authority. Even if you do not understand, your dull brain, but we have to accept the words of Kṛṣṇa. That is the critical point. If we take Kṛṣṇa's instruction, everything will be solved. There will be no problem.

Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is to induce people to take as it is. Don't make any amendment, interpretation. As Kṛṣṇa says, you do it; then your life is successful. The instruction is there. It is not that we are manufacturing some ideas. No. That is not our business. We are following the same principle as Kṛṣṇa said to the sun-god:

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:

So these are some of the points. But the Bhāgavata says that although in the Buddha religion there is no, I mean to say, mention of worshiping God, but Lord Buddha is himself incarnation of God, and he induced his followers to worship him. Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is said that he cheated the atheists. The atheists were against God. He appeared before them. He said, "Yes, you are right. You don't worship God. You worship me." And he is incarnation of God. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. He is accepted in the Vedic literature as incarnation of God, but he says that "There is no God. You worship me. You follow me," because his principle was to stop animal-killing. Sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam. God became very much compassionate. When people were too much addicted in killing animals unnecessarily, He appeared as Lord Buddha.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

The śravaṇam is paṭhana, to learn from the spiritual master. That is called śravaṇam. And then kīrtanam, then distribute the knowledge. Whatever you have learned from your spiritual master, you must distribute. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. So paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana. Yajana means worshiping the Lord, the Deity. And yājana, and inducing others to engage in that worshiping. This is going on. You kindly mark in this society, we are allowing the students, giving them volumes of books for reading, paṭhana. Then pāṭhana, then teach others. And they are worshiping the Lord, and they are inviting others to come here and learn how to worship Lord. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. They are exacting money: "Give us some money. Become our member." But what is that membership fee? That is not being used for their sense gratification. For dāna, for distributing knowledge. "You give us some money as membership fee. We give you whatever we have got.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

So they advertise in India that they went out of India for preaching Vedānta. But being influenced, what Vedānta they learned? When they returned to India, they have learned how to entice women and how to eat meat. This is their Vedānta. Because kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. If you are not strong enough, then association will induce or influence. If you are not a Vaiṣṇava, then if you go in a brothel or a liquor house, then you will be influenced by the drunkards and prostitute-hunters. But if you are strong enough, then you will... The effect you will give your effect of association; they will be Vaiṣṇavas. That is the difference.

There is a scientific story that one doctor friend, perhaps you know, the Dr. Ghosh who came. When he was student, he read in a medical magazine that one girl..., her name was Mary. So there was a Mary contamination. What is that?

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

If you are strong enough, then the lower qualities will not affect you. And if you are not strong, if you are weak yourself, then where you are going to convert, they will induce their infectious quality, and you will be victimized. So kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṇgo 'sya. So in the Western countries, everywhere, all over the world at the present moment, Kali-yuga, the guṇa, the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, is very prominent. The rajo-guṇa... How it is understood that the rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, is prominent? Now, the rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, the symptom, rajas-tamo bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhadayaś ca ye... Tada rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhadayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). When one is infected with tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, the symptoms will be that he is very greedy and lusty. This is the symptom. If one is very greedy and lusty, then you should know that he is infected with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

"My dear Lord, I have tried to worship Your lotus feet not for any material benediction. And we are born of a father too much materialistic. Naturally I have got the tendency for enjoy material prosperity. And you are so able, Supreme Personality of God... You can give me any kind of material prosperity. So if You induce me in that way, 'Take benediction, whatever you like,' naturally I will be inclined. But do not put me into such illusion." That was the reply. He could ask any benefit... (aside:) On the side. He could ask any material benediction from Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, but this is not pure devotee. They were pure devotees. By worshiping Lord, one should not ask for any material benediction. Why they should? That is not the proper... That is not pure devotion. Pure devotion means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), no material desire, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167), without any coverage of fruitive activities and speculative knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.66 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1975:

Therefore yatas tataś ca—"Somehow or other, bring money, bring money." This is called yatas tataś ca, no fixed up.

A brāhmaṇa... Everyone has to earn livelihood. That is a fact. Without working, you cannot live. So there are specific... Just like brāhmaṇa-yajan yājan paṭhan pāṭhan dānaḥ pratigrahaḥ. He must be very good worshiper of the Lord, and he must induce his yajamāna, his dependent. Brāhmaṇa is the head, and the kṣatriya, vaiśya, they are yajamāna. So they should induce, just like we are inducing all over the world, "Open temple. Worship Kṛṣṇa." This is brāhmaṇa's business.

Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:

A brāhmaṇa hasn't got to go anywhere to seek his livelihood. So therefore paṭhana-pāṭhana. He should be himself very learned scholar, and he should try to make others also like him.

Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana. He should also worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he should try to induce others to come to that position. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. The brāhmaṇa is offered donation. That is the system. But he not should keep it for his personal... As soon as he gets donation, he spends for some service of the Lord. Even a brāhmaṇa gets one lakh of rupees, next morning he is still a beggar because he does not keep anything for tomorrow. Everything depending on Kṛṣṇa, and he spends money like that. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. The brāhmana is, I mean to say, allowed. A brāhmaṇa is allowed to take charity from others—a sannyāsī and a brāhmaṇa. No other is allowed. Nowadays it is come, daridra-nārāyaṇa. Daridra.

Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:

I retire. Kṛṣṇa, I cannot fight," he said. Why? Because he was a devotee. He was prepared to forego his claim. It is not that he was a coward. He was a great warrior, fighter. He could fight immediately. But because he was devotee, he was avoiding, trying to avoid fight, "No." This is godly quality. So in order to induce him to fight, Kṛṣṇa had to speak to him the whole Bhagavad-gītā. When he understood that "Although I do not wish to fight, Kṛṣṇa desires," then he took: "All right. Then I change my decision because Kṛṣṇa's desire is my first duty." That is devotee's duty. If Kṛṣṇa says, God says to devotee, that "You jump on the fire," he will do immediately. That is devotee: without any argument. So there is no consideration. Just like commander in the military active field. The commander says, "You jump in this fire," he jumps. He knows that "I'll surely die." Similarly, a devotee, fully surrendered devotee, means he is prepared to do anything for God. That is pure devotee.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

Either illicit or legal. The world is going on. Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, now they are creating so many sinful life, killing the child openly. The doctors, the medical men, the scientists, advise, "If you like, you can kill your child." And to kill a child means how much sinful activities, they do not know, but they are inducing. He has to become a child and he will be killed by somebody else. And again as many times he has killed children he will have to live within the womb and be killed. Bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. It will be followed by so many miserable condition of life. But now they are advertising, "One, two, three—no more children." But "one, two, three" means balance children, you kill. This is going on. Then why not stop sex life? Oh, that is not possible. Bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. Not only in this life but in the next life, next life, because there is no... Mūḍhā nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. These rascals... This rascal civilization is so dangerous, mūḍhā, full of rascals.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa, personally." But nobody surrendered; only a few persons of the Pāṇḍavas, Arjuna, Bhīma, or the gopīs in Vṛndāvana. But at that time there were others. And later age, people misunderstood Him. But the idea is that Kṛṣṇa also came to distribute love of Kṛṣṇa, but He actually could not induce people to this cult. They misunderstood Him. But Lord Caitanya, by His grace, by this saṅkīrtana movement, He very easily distributed this love of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is called namo mahā-vadānyāya: "My dear Lord, You are the most magnificent, munificent personality, incarnation, because," kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53), "You are distributing kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa, the most important thing, the goal of life." And that was the mission of Lord Caitanya. He said, kalau, in this age, when everything has become topsy-turvied, there is no more chance for systematizing the whole human society. It is lost. The regulating processes are lost now, and neither it is possible to reintroduce it. It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976:

This is God. Asamaurdha. God means nobody is equal; nobody is greater. So when the Lord was angry, nobody can show His anger equally and nobody can become greatly anger or more greatly angry than Kṛṣṇa. He is always topmost. This is... So such anger was exhibited. Why? Now, it is said, sva-pitre kupitam. He's inducing, Brahmā inducing, that "We never seen the Lord so angry, but it is on account of your father, so it is your duty. You go there." (chuckles) The child will accept, "Yes. My father committed so many offenses. Therefore it is my duty to pacify the Lord." Therefore he is reminding because he was a child, "My dear child, it is for your father He has become so angry, so it is your duty. Go and pacify Him." So every word in Bhāgavata, there is meaning. Sva-pitre kupitaṁ prabhum: "Don't think that it is our duty; it is your duty. Although we are Brahmā, Lakṣmī, all right. So real duty is yours." This is little joking.

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1977:

"They should go..., the Hiraṇyakaśipu..., these two, Jaya-Vijaya, they should go to the material world, and I must fight with them." Because that fighting, to become angry, that tendency is there. Where He will exhibit? In the Vaikuṇṭha there is no chance of exhibiting this anger and fighting. That is not possible. Therefore He induces His devotee to "Go to the material world and become My enemy, and I shall fight. I shall become angry," because in the Vaikuṇṭha, spiritual kingdom, there is no chance. Everyone is serving; everyone is friendly. Some relation... Where is the question of fighting? But fighting spirit is there; anger is there. Where He shall exhibit? And therefore Kṛṣṇa incarnates, He becomes angry, and a devotee becomes enemy, and this is Kṛṣṇa-līlā, nitya-līlā. It is going on.

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

Yes. That's all right. But try to your best. Your service is to Kṛṣṇa, so it is not expected that everyone should be induced by your argument. You cannot expect. One day, two day, but we have to do our work. That's all. (pause) (aside:) Oh, she is very glad. Yes. Yes. (laughter) Sit down. Sit down. She is angry now. Very angry? (laughter—Prabhupāda playing with baby) Angry. That is anger?

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

"Oh, this beggar has come from door to door. Give him some ashes." So the sannyāsī replied, "All right. Give me some ashes. Just begin your charity." Just begin your charity. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa, when He wants, "Give Me a little flower, a little fruit, a little water," it does not mean that He is begging. He is just inducing me to the practice of offering everything which belongs to Kṛṣṇa.

īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ
yad kiñcid jagatyāṁ jagat
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā
mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam
(ISO 1)

The Īśopaniṣad instructs us that everything that is within your vision, it belongs to Īśa, the Supreme Lord. Whatever you see, whatever you have got, that does not belong to you; it belongs to God. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. This is the first verse in Īśopaniṣad. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. You can simply enjoy whatever is given to you as prasādam. Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. Don't touch any other's property. This is the instruction of Īśopaniṣad.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:

Prahlāda Mahārāja is induced to pray Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva to pacify. He was in violent feature. So he's requesting, "My dear Lord," sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmno. "Now, all these demigods, they are Your assistants, and they are situated in transcendental position." Sattva-dhāmno. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vāsudeva-śabditam. Our situations are differently calculated. Not that every one of us is situated on the same platform. On the material platform, we are situated in three different positions: sattva-raja-tama. Sattva means goodness, raja means passion, and tama means ignorance or darkness. So, so long we are in the material platform, the highest positional situation is in the modes of goodness.

So here it is stated that all these demigods, they are in the modes of goodness. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. Modes of goodness means those who are brāhmaṇas. And who are brāhmaṇas? Brahma jānāti: one who knows what is Brahman or the Absolute Truth, he is called brāhmaṇa. And he is situated in the modes of goodness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.30 -- Mayapur, March 8, 1976:

Actually You are the same Kṛṣṇa." So where... Why He has come? Now, kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). As Kṛṣṇa, He could not give Him to everyone. Kṛṣṇa ordered—because He is the Supreme Person, He can order—sarva-dharmān parityajya māṁ ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), but He could not induce. We are so rascal that we could not take even directly the order of Kṛṣṇa. We are so rascal. Therefore Kṛṣṇa again thought that "These rascals, they could not understand Me. All right, now let Me appear as a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and I shall give not only Kṛṣṇa but kṛṣṇa-prema." This is mahā-vadānyāya. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore He is mahā-vadānya. He's not only giving Kṛṣṇa but kṛṣṇa-prema. That is wanted. Prema pumārtho mahān. Our, this human form of life is meant for achieving love of Godhead. That is perfection of life. That is perfection of life. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is mahā-vadānyavatāra because He is giving kṛṣṇa-prema. Therefore you'll see.

Lecture on SB 7.9.46 -- Vrndavana, April 1, 1976:

Even if you do not work hard, you will get that gain. Don't try for it. Better utilize the time for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." That is the injunction of śāstra. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (1.5.18). The people do not understand. They think that these young men are being induced to escape. No, it is not escape. This is the only path of liberation, āpavargya. To make the pavargas, pa, pha, ba, ba is vyartha, and bha... Bha means bhaya, fearfulness. In spite of working so hard, everyone is afraid: "What will happen next? What will happen next?" Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. This is the nature. And then, after working so hard, bringing out foam in the mouth, disappointment, then fearfuless—at last die, mrtyu, ma. Pa pha ba bha ma, these five, pavarga. In Sanskrit grammar there are vargas: ka-varga, ca-varga, ta-varga, like that, five vargas, the pa-varga. So this word is used generally in the Vedic literature, āpavarga. Dharmasya ca... Eh?

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

"You somehow or other engage people in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet, sarve vidhi-niṣedha syur etayor eva kiṅkara. Just like in Europe and America, some of our friends criticize that "Swami Mahārāja, he is not doing this, not doing that." We are doing everything, but our main business is just to induce them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the secret. You have to induce them. Then even there is some discrepancies in the rules and regulation, it does not matter. Rūpa Gosvāmī says, sarve vidhi-niṣedha syur etayor eva kiṅkara. First of all, we must be Kṛṣṇa conscious somehow or other. We must find out. It can be changed according to country, climate, and circumstances. But the result, we have to see by the result whether one has become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is wanted. That is wanted. Then we say that this is the rule: you don't do this, we don't do this. In the beginning we have many difficulties. Because their behavior, their culture, everything just opposite.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

This is called paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptaṁ imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ (BG 4.2). If we follow the paramparā system... The same message, what Kṛṣṇa said, that is also said by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that is also said by the Gosvāmīs. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī says, yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇa niveśayet. Somehow or other, try to induce people to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is Gosvāmī's, Rūpa Gosvāmī's message. Where you are sitting, this is Rūpa Gosvāmī's place. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says the same thing. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). So these boys, Ṛṣi Kumara Gosvāmī and others, Satsvarūpa Gosvāmī, Hṛdayānanda Gosvāmī, they're preaching the mes..., same message, Kṛṣṇa message. In the paper: "Kṛṣṇa message in South Africa." "Kṛṣṇa message in South Africa." This is very encouraging, that Kṛṣṇa message is being spread as Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 5, 1973:

So if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these brahminical qualifications automatically come. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is the test. A devotee shall be qualified with all the godly qualities. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said if you induce people... Because His mission is to propagate this Vedic culture all over the world. He's not confined within some limited area. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) As many villages and towns are there in the world, His mission is to be preached there. So, so if we, in the beginning we say, "You have to become a brāhmaṇa first of all," Who's going to become a brāhmaṇa? Our people are not becoming brāhmaṇa. They'll say, "It is all nonsense. Let us become śūdra." So that is not possible. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ihā bāhya āge kaha āra.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:

We have got an example in this connection. Formerly there was child-marriage. Boys and girls were married at the age of ten years, twelve years. So at that time, there was no practically love. But the guardians, they induced the girl to go and offer her husband some eatables, to give her some service. In this way... That was just like regulative. But when they actually come in the platform of attraction, there is no need of direction. So the spontaneous love, when spontaneously we shall serve Kṛṣṇa, without any obligation, without any force, that is required. Spontaneous love, rāga-mārga. Go on.

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

Yes. Sometimes we are asked that "Why Kṛṣṇa induced Arjuna to become violent?" So then so many so-called scholars, they criticize Kṛṣṇa, but they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. In whichever way He acts, it is the same thing. God is good. It does not mean when He fights in the Battlefield of Kurkṣetra He becomes bad. No. He's still good. That is the conception of God: absolute. He can do anything and anything. Still, He continues to be the Absolute Truth. That is Absolute Truth. There is no relative understanding, "This is good for God, this is bad for God," as (if) God has come before me to be judged by me. You cannot judge God, Kṛṣṇa. What He does... Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa: sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava (BG 10.14). "I accept whatever You say in toto, without any distinction." That is acceptance of Bhagavad-gītā and Kṛṣṇa.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

So he was thinking in terms of his own sense gratification, because "The other side, if they are killed, I'll be unhappy." That was his consideration. Therefore he was not willing to fight. And to induce him to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the whole Bhagavad-gītā was explained. And at the end Kṛṣṇa asked Arjuna, "What is your decision?" Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). "You can do whatever you like. I have given you instruction, full instruction. Now whatever you like, you can do." This means every living entity has got a little independence. Kṛṣṇa, or God, does not interfere with that independence. Yathecchasi tathā kuru. At the last, also, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "You do it." Kṛṣṇa can instruct us, "You do it." If I don't do it, that is my option. That option is always there. Kṛṣṇa does not oblige me. Otherwise, what is the difference between me and the stone? The stone has no independence. But I am a living entity; I have got my independence. So do you... Kṛṣṇa does not interfere with my independence.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

Where is stool?" and having sex life without any discrimination. The hogs do not discriminate whether mother, sister or daughter. So therefore śāstra says, "Here, this material world, we are entangled, we are encaged in this material world only for this sex life." That is Cupid. Cupid is the god of sex life, Madana. Unless one is, what is called, induced by Madana, the Cupid, he cannot be, I mean to say, engladdened in sex life. And Kṛṣṇa's name is Mādana-mohana. Mādana-mohana means that one who is attracted to Kṛṣṇa, he'll forget the pleasure derived from sex life. This is the test. Therefore His name is Mādana-mohana. Here is Mādana-mohana. Sanātana Gosvāmī worshiped Mādana-mohana. Mādana or Mādana. Mādana means to become mad. And Madana, the Cupid.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

In India there are many persons whose stomach is already filled up, but he's not chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is not a condition, that because the stomach is filled up, therefore one will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Ahaituky apratihatā. Chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is not caused by anything. Ahaituky apratihatā. It cannot be checked by any condition. Your chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra cannot be checked because one is poor. No. That is not a fact. Any condition, one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now a poor man is suffering without chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So what is the harm if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa? There are many poor men, they're not chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They're suffering. But, in that condition, if they're induced to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, what is the harm if there is some benefit?

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

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

So śvapaca, even a person is coming from the śvapaca family, and if he's a Vaiṣṇava, if he's a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru. On the other side, even born in a brāhmaṇa family and very expert in Vedic ritualistic performances, mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, he cannot become guru if he does not understand Kṛṣṇa. So therefore guru is very important because he has accepted Kṛṣṇa... Tattva-darśibhiḥ, he has seen the truth. So therefore guru is first offered... This is the test of guru. Guru does not become Kṛṣṇa himself, but he canvasses door to door to induce that "You become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." This is sign of guru. Vande gurūn īśa-bhaktān. Īśa-bhaktān. Then we shall describe later on.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101 -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

That is all right, but actual process of self-realization is service. If you speculate to know about God... You can do so, but after knowing God, if you do not know what God desires you to do, then such kind of knowledge is simply waste of time. That is, you may, of course... That is not real knowledge. Real knowledge is to—that will be explained—to be induced to give some service to the Lord. In the beginning, this is called śānta-rasa, to understand the greatness of God, "God is great."

So we can discuss about the greatness of God, but next stage is that "God is so great, why not let me render some service unto the Supreme, the great?" That is one step forward. Simply to know "God is great and I am engaged in my own occupational duty," there is no symptom of love. Symptom of love means when one is eager to render some service to the beloved. That is love. Simply I love you and you love me, formality, but there is no service, that is not real love.

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

So don't waste your time bothering about this so-called happiness and distress. Better engage your valuable time to understand what is the goal of life, why there are so many problems, why you have to struggle for existence. This is your business... This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are inducing people to understand the problem. It is not a sectarian movement or so-called religious movement. It is not a religion. It is educational cultural movement. 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.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.294-298 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

Because when a demon is killed by the Supreme Lord, he is at once liberated. The liberation which he had to achieve after many, many births, he at once achieves. That is the advantage. So He saves the enemy and saves the devotee, and at the same time, He satisfies His fighting desire. So God is good. So any fight, that is also good. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is inducing, inciting Arjuna, fight. There is a plan, big plan. So foolish people who criticize, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is inciting war. We are very good men, nonviolence." So this "good man" has no value. That fighting has much value. But there is a plan, good plan. So this is called pastime, līlā, līlāvatāra.

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

This is also another influence of māyā, illusion. Just like under the spell of illusion we are thinking that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am king," "I am big man," "I am poor man"—so many we have got—and this is all due to this body, bodily conception. It has no actual standing. It is all..., they are all designations. Similarly, the last snare of māyā is to, I mean to say, induce one to think that "I am God." Just like we are under the spell of illusion. We are thinking, "I am this and that, this and that." So after many, many years' cultivation of knowledge, if one comes to the conclusion that "I am God. There is no other second God. I am God," so that is also another spell of illusion. So the Bhagavad-gītā says that daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). One is trying to get out of the clutches of the illusory energy, but it is very difficult. Up to the last point the māyā, illusion, will offer you something so that she will baffle your endeavor to get out of her clutches. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 7 -- Los Angeles, May 9, 1970:

The world is need of some brāhmaṇas, qualified brāhmaṇas. Not that... You are being trained up to become qualified brāhmaṇas. So be always careful that you may not contact the quality of passion and ignorance. Passion and ignorance will induce you... Kāma lobha, lust and greediness. That is the sign of passion and ignorance. And when you are in goodness, then you can see things as they are. Then you can see yourself, that you are not matter; you are spirit soul. And if you make further advance, then you understand that "I am eternal part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, the fiery spark." So that ekatvam anupaśyataḥ, in this verse, ekatvam, that qualitatively one, not quantitatively. You are one with God qualitatively. You cannot be equal with God quantitatively. That ekatvam.

Festival Lectures

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

Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu and his son, Prahlāda. Prahlāda is mahātmā. Daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And Hiraṇyakaśipu is demon. He is māyayā apahṛta-jñānā asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. There are two classes of men, daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ and asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ.

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. Unless one is very serious... What is that seriousness? The seriousness is to know God, "What is God?

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, SB 6.3.24 -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

We are simply canvassing for Kṛṣṇa, that "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." We have to show our example, how we are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, how we are worshiping Kṛṣṇa, how we are going on the street for vibrating Kṛṣṇa's name, transcendental name. Now we are distributing Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. As far as possible, our business is to induce persons how he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's all. For that reason, you can make your plan, because that is Kṛṣṇa's plan. But that should also be sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. Don't make your own manufactured, concocted plan. Therefore, to guide you, a Kṛṣṇa's representative required. That is spiritual master.

So there is a huge plan and huge scheme. Therefore we have to follow the footsteps of the mahājanas. As it is stated here, that dvādaśaite vijānīmo dharmaṁ bhāgavataṁ bhaṭāḥ. He said that "We, the selected mahājanas, representatives of Kṛṣṇa, we know what is bhāgavata-dharma, what is Kṛṣṇa dharma." Dvādaśa.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Speech -- Stockholm, September 5, 1973:

So if we become serious, if we actually want to be happy, then we must take to spiritual understanding. Of course, in every country or in different parts of the world, there is some religious system. Religious system means to understand spiritual life. But unfortunately, nobody is interested in spiritual or religious system because they have been more and more induced to become addicted to the material and sensuous activities, and so they are going far and far away from the spiritual life, and more and more confusion and what is called disappointment is rising all over the world. So to mitigate this sort of disappointment and confusion, one has to take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and try to understand the philosophy and act accordingly. Then people will be happy. That is our program.

Initiation Lectures

Sannyasa Initiation -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1970:

That's your. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa... Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Dance. (break—prema-dhvani) So, this is now formal accepting of sannyāsa, but real sannyāsa purpose will be fulfilled when you'll be able to induce the people of the world dancing like you. That is real sannyāsa. This formal dress is not sannyāsa. Real sannyāsa is when you can induce other people to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and they dance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Detroit Initiations -- Detroit, July 18, 1971:

The candy is the only medicine for jaundice. So we have to give him candy by force. And as he cure, as he cures, he'll say, "Oh, candy's very nice. Candy's sweet." So in the beginning we have to force. We have to give the medicine just like horse is given medicine. Three men required to induce medicine to the mouth of the horse. So this is our duty, to inject Hare Kṛṣṇa medicine just like pushing medicine in the throat of a horse. By force. (japa) (devotees chant prayers) Then neck, neck beads. Let them... (devotees continue prayers; devotee begins lecture again) Go on. I shall distribute this. Who is the...?

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:

This is practical. Now, how practical it is? In your country, smoking, drinking, taking tea, and keeping boyfriend, girlfriend, liquor, meat-eating, they are common affairs. How they have avoided all these things, within very short time? None of them are associating with me more than one year, and just see their character. It is so practical. You cannot induce them even to smoke. We don't say that you go on with all nonsense, at the same time you become spiritually advanced. We don't talk all this nonsense. There must be practical exhibition that one is advanced in spiritual consciousness. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). All good qualities will develop. That is spiritual advancement. That is the test. But it may be due to my past habit I may sometimes commit mistake, I may fall down.

Recorded Speech to Members of ISKCON London -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

Lord Kṛṣṇa again therefore appeared as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu at the end of the fifteenth century to revive the same Kṛṣṇa consciousness atmosphere in the human society. Lord Caitanya's special gift to the fallen souls of this age of quarrel and disagreement is to induce the people in general, the religionists, the philosophers and everyone to take to the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. He informed us that the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead can descend also in transcendental sound vibration, and thus, when you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra offenselessly, we immediately contact Kṛṣṇa and His internal energy, and thus we become immediately purified from all dirty things in our heart.

Our conditional life of material existence is due to dirty things in our heart.

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

Killing is not very important or nonimportant for us. If Kṛṣṇa says, "Kill," we can kill. If Kṛṣṇa says, "Don't kill," we don't kill. Because we are simply order-carrier. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was posing himself by his family relationship that he's very perfect, nonviolent gentleman. But Kṛṣṇa induced him to fight, to kill the other party. So for us, killing or nonkilling is not very important thing because everyone is killing, knowingly or unknowingly. So our point is we take foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa, and whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, that is our foodstuff. We distribute that thing.

(reading:) "Does ISKCON believe in reincarnation?" Well, this, there is no question of belief. It is a fact. I have already explained that the child, a small child, is reincarnating from one body to another, one body to another, one body to another. So similarly, the final change is called reincarnation. So there is no question of believe. It is a fact. Only the blind man, he cannot see it.

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

Violence? Kṛṣṇa does not sanction violence, but if there is absolute necessity, then violence is required. Yes. Kṛṣṇa wanted to mitigate the misunderstanding of two groups of cousin-brothers. So Kṛṣṇa personally induced, "All right, they are, your brothers are kṣatriyas. Kṣatriyas, they cannot do any business or take the profession of a brāhmaṇa. So you give them five villages. They will be satisfied." And they replied, "Oh, what do You call five villages? I cannot spare even that land which can hold the tip of this needle." Then Kṛṣṇa says, "You must fight." So Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's devotees, they are not after fight, but if there is absolute necessity of fight, then they can fight also. Because they are prepared to do anything. Just like in Rāmāyaṇa also, the same subject matter. Hanumān. Hanumān is a devotee of Lord Rāmacandra.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

Otherwise, why Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66)? Sarva-dharmān means the dharma-śāstra also. Simply surrender. But people are so rigid and so, I mean to say, doggish, that they do not like to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. For them only, so many different ways of convincing. Otherwise, the whole purpose is to induce him to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vidyam. Kṛṣṇa says. All these Vedic literatures, they are meant for bending the stubborn atheist to come to this point. Therefore there are so many ways of... Otherwise, the ultimate goal is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and chant His holy name.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, February 23, 1971:

Prabhupāda: The purpose of this festival is to induce you to chant this holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That's all.

Guest: How many branches in India?

Prabhupāda: At least Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi. Three branches. In Bombay we have got already an apartment on the Warden Road, 89 Warden Road. We are paying 2,500 rupees per month. Similarly, we have got a center in Calcutta, Albert Road, near Park (?) Station, Calcutta 16. Three, Albert Road. There also we are paying one thousand rupees rent. So now we are in rented house. Out of about five (fifty) centers all over the world, we have got about five centers which is our own. Otherwise, we are in the rented house. For our expenditure is very high. In each centers, according to Indian exchange, we spend not less than five thousand and up to twenty thousand per month. But we are pulling on by selling our literatures, books, and little contribution from the public.

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

That is the law of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. So you (we) are not interfering with the right of the living entities. A tiger has got the right to eat another animal. So we are not going to preach amongst the tigers that "You become vegetarian" or "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is not our business. Our business is that we are inducing, we are entreating, we are requesting people that "You take Kṛṣṇa prasāda." That is our business. To become vegetarian or nonvegetarian is not very big business. We do not admit that vegetarians are very much pious and nonvegetarians are not pious. No. Not like that. We say that everyone is impious who is not taking foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our view. Anyone. That is stated by Kṛṣṇa. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ: "Anyone who is eating foodstuff offered to Yajña, to Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, he is diminishing his volumes of sinful life." Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt: (BG 3.13)

Pandal Lecture -- November 14, 1971, Delhi:

Prahlāda Mahārāja, he could not get to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness because he was born in atheist family, guarded, well guarded, and father was always alert that "My son may not chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." But he was taking opportunity in the school. So he was five-years-old boy, and his class fellows also of the same age. So he used to induce them, "My dear friends, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." We have got a little girl, perhaps you have all seen, Sarasvatī, she was admitted in a school in Bombay. And because there was no Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting, she began to cry, "No, I shall not be in this school." Practical. There was (indistinct), she was organizing all the children to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. But they began something else, so she said, "No, I am not going to this school." So śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sañjāyate (BG 6.41). This child must be executing devotional service in her past life. Therefore, she has got the opportunity, a Vaiṣṇava father and Vaiṣṇavī mother.

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

He was a good, good man, religious man, devotee. Naturally, he was not inclined to fight with his relatives, kinsmen. He said, "Kṛṣṇa, the opposite side, they are all my brothers and nephews and fathers and grandfathers. So there is no use of fighting like this, to kill them and take the... Let... Let them enjoy." That was his conclusion. But Kṛṣṇa induced them, induced Arjuna, "No. This is the right cause. You must fight." So similarly, war is not always bad. Nothing is bad, nothing is good, unless it is used for God. That's it. Our philosophy is everything is good. God is all-good. So if He advises to fight, that is also good. But we shall depend on the discretion of God. If God wants us to fight, then we shall fight. If God wants us to stop fight, then we shall not fight. Because we are surrendered to God, so whatever God orders, we have to do. That's all. We don't say, "This is good; this is bad." Whatever God says, that is good. What God does not say, prohibit, that is bad. This is our conclusion.

Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

So while just the fighting was to begin, Arjuna declined to fight because the other party were all his relatives, friends, brothers, brother's son, nephew, teacher and grandfather. So Arjuna took compassion, that "I don't want victory. Better not to fight." So that is the cause of describing the science of Bhagavad-gītā before Arjuna, just to induce him to act as a dutiful soldier. This is the background of Bhagavad-gītā.

So there were many questions and answers. There are seven hundred verses. So we shall discuss this evening about the nature, the enjoyer, and the consciousness.

Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

Oh, people are suffering so much. You see? From five o'clock in the morning, they are standing in queue for catching one... Not bus, it is truck. The buses on strike. So people are so much in difficulty. And if one train or two train was running, so many people smashed the... They were on the top of the train. So the problem is why one should be induced to go hundred miles off from his home for earning his livelihood? This is a very bad civilization. One must have his food locally. That is good civilization.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

This is the certificate of a Christian priest. And actually you can see. These boys... I am poor Indian. I came with forty rupees. And I have not bribed them; neither I have got that money. (laughter) But how they are mad after God. It is practical. Now you bribe them and take away—they will not go. They will not go. Many fathers, mothers came to induce them to take home, but they are not going. So what is the intoxication? This is the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This intoxication is: they have given up all intoxication; they are now intoxicated with Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa. Yes. One Draft Board officer came to see in our camp: "So what is the facility that these boys have joined Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, whether it is very easier than the Draft Board?" But when he enquired he saw that these boys and girls are prohibited illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. He thought that it is harder than the Draft Board.

Lecture -- Honolulu, May 25, 1975:

That's all." So he was not such kind of devotee. He remained devotee in all circumstances. You see his father wanted to chastise him is so many ways. But what was Prahlāda's fault? He was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and the father did not like it. So he wanted to induce him to stop this Hare Kṛṣṇa, but he never stopped. In all circumstances he remained steady in..., when he was thrown into the boiling water... It is said oil. He was put into the oil. So he remained steady. So many demonic persons threatened him; he remained steady. His mother was instructed by the father to give poison in the food. So he remained steady. Then the father understood that "My son has got some mystic power." The mystic power was that he was a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. A devotee never practices any mystic power. But a devotee, being protected by the supreme mystic, Kṛṣṇa, a devotee is never in danger in all circumstances.

Departure Talks

Departure Conversation -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī's feast.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. So the questions they have are: While Lord Nityānanda is inducing all the devotees to chant, can some of the devotees be paying their daṇḍavats to Lord Nityānanda at that time? And the other question is: Although Lord Caitanya cannot be seen, except for a few devotees...

Prabhupāda: No, only Nityānanda.

Rāmeśvara: Nityānanda only. But can He be shown also with His hand upraised in the air?

Prabhupāda: No. Why?

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely, that the soul is in this material world, and he is influenced by the three modes of material nature. So according to his position under the influence of three different kinds of modes, he is getting this body. It is on account of his free will. Just like if he wants to eat anything and everything up to stool, then he is given the body of a pig. If he wants to eat direct blood, sucking, then he gets the body of a tiger. And if he wants to eat first-class nutritious food, then he is given the body of a brāhmaṇa. In this way we are getting different types of bodies according to our desire. We are creating different types of desires, that "We shall be happy in this way, we shall be happy in this way." Just like we see practically, somebody is going to the restaurant, he thinks, "By eating here in restaurant I shall be happy." And somebody is going to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness temple, he is thinking that "I shall be happy by eating here." So Kṛṣṇa has given everyone the chance, but he is trying to be happy but he is not becoming happy, because he is misusing his intelligence, cent percent abiding by the orders of God; therefore he is suffering. As such, Kṛṣṇa comes personally and induces him that "You don't desire in this way. You give up all this material desire. You simply desire to act according My order, you surrender unto Me, and I will give you all happiness."

Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Prabhupāda: Now you said that he is skeptic.

Hayagrīva: Oh, yes. He felt...

Prabhupāda: So he is also skeptic. So why people should be induced to believe him and hear him? He is immediately rejected.

Hayagrīva: He felt that instead of basing belief in God...

Prabhupāda: No, he should not think, because nobody will take his instruction. He does not believe others, does not take others' statement—why his statement should be accepted?

Hayagrīva: Well, well he believes at least in the material senses.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: By speculation, the real world for them is negation of this world. That is voidism. I am experiencing everything here material, so this material thinking and other material thinking induces him to conclude that it must be opposite. It must be opposite. This is material. So spiritual means not this form, or formless, or void. So that is also material thinking. Just the opposite number.

Śyāmasundara: He is still proceeding in his method. He comes to some good conclusions. He is trying to understand what makes men's minds work. He says that "Thus this real world becomes an ideal construction in the mind of man."

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: This is spiritual following. Just like we are doing. We are also not neglecting the bodily necessities of life, but our main business is how to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is not supported by the state or the leaders of the society. They think they are unnecessary because they are animals. So that is the... If the leaders, yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tad tad eva itaraḥ janaḥ (BG 3.21), that is, every leading man accept that this is necessary. Just like we say "No illicit sex." So if the state helps, it can stop immediately. "No meat-eating": the state can immediately do it, "No slaughterhouse." If somebody says that it is enforcement for a person who wants to eat meat and the state has stopped, no. State at least can do this, that state is not going to maintain slaughterhouse. If you want to eat meat, you can kill an animal at your own house, but state is not going to commit these sinful activities, statewise. That is changed in every respect. No more breweries. State cannot maintain the manufacturing of liquor. If anyone individual wants, he can prepare for himself, but he cannot sell, he cannot induce others to take.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: That is a different thing. But in India all the authorities, all personalities, unless you accept Vedas, you are called nāstika. Therefore Buddha philosophy was driven away, Caitanya Mahāprabhu veda nā māniyā bauddha haila nāstika. Simply Lord Buddha says, "I don't care for your Vedas." Lord Buddha wanted to preach nonviolence, but in the Vedic literature there is violence. There is violence. Just like Gandhi wanted to prove from Bhagavad-gītā nonviolence. Where is nonviolence there? Where is that nonviolence? Kṛṣṇa is inducing Arjuna to fight, to become violent. So how can you prove there is nonviolence? These are all nonsense. So similarly, in the Vedas there is recommendation that animals can be sacrificed in the Vedas with mantra. That... Therefore the process, to test the power of the mantra, that animal is put into the fire and the animal again comes out with a new life. That is the test.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Henry Huxley:

Prabhupāda: No. Therefore that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, yajña-arthāt karma. Only for yajña or Kṛṣṇa you should work. Yajña-arthāt karma, anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. Otherwise you are entangled. This is freedom, to work for Kṛṣṇa; then you are not under entanglement. This is..., there are many practical examples. Just that a soldier, he is killing, his business is killing, and the more he kills he gets recognition. But as soon as he kills one man on his own account, he is murderer. Just like when... The soldier's business is to kill, and so long he is killing for the satisfaction of his state, of the government, he is getting recognition medals. The same soldier, as soon as he kills one man for his own sense satisfaction, he is a murderer, he is to be hanged. This is the karma-bandhanaḥ. The business the same—killing. But one killing is on the order of the state and one killing is for his sense gratification. So killing business is the same, but the position is different. Similarly, when you act for Kṛṣṇa, that is not karma-bandhanaḥ; that is freedom. And when you act for yourself, that is karma-bandhanaḥ. That is the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā throughout. Arjuna was thinking, "Killing, and suffer the sinful activities," because he was thinking on account of himself. But when he understood that "I am induced to kill on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants this fight," then he accepted Kṛṣṇa's proposal. That is not karma-bandhanaḥ. That is not killing. One has to understand this.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Parama Koruna -- Los Angeles, January 16, 1969:

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, the tigers, the deers, the Everyone joined. So, of course, we are not so powerful. But it is possible that At least, we have seen, the dogs are dancing in saṅkīrtana. So it is possible also to take But we may not attempt such great risk. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu could induce tigers to dance, we can at least induce every human being to dance. This is such a nice movement.

So paśu pākhī jhure, pāṣāṇa vidare. Pāṣāṇa means stone. So even the stone-hearted man we also melts by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That we have experienced, seen. Pāṣāṇa vidare, śuni' jāra guṇa-gāthā. Simply by hearing the transcendental pastimes and characteristics of Lord Caitanya, even hard-hearted men, they also melted. There were many instances, Jagāi Mādhāi. Many fallen souls, they became elevated to the highest spiritual platform. Then Locana dāsa Ṭhākura says that viṣaya majiyā, rohili poriyā. "Unfortunately I am so much entrapped in these demands of the body or the senses that I have forgotten the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu." Viṣaya majiyā, rohili poriyā, se pade nahilo āśa. "I could not desire to be attached to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya."

Page Title:Induce (Lectures)
Compiler:Mayapur, RupaManjari
Created:07 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=148, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:148