Instruct (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"instruct" |"instructed" |"instructing" |"instructs"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 21, 1975:

How he took instruction from the superior person?" therefore it is said, tene brahma hṛdā: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva instructed him from within the heart." That is not only for Brahmā. That is not the only prerogative of Brahmā. Kṛṣṇa, we have already stated, is seated in everyone's heart. If you want to consult Him, He can give you instruction. The only thing is that you have to become qualified like Brahmā so that you can received instruction from Him within the heart. And what is that qualification? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

(BG 10.10)

Kṛṣṇa says that "I am situated in everyone's heart. Simply one has to become qualified to hear Me." And what is that qualification? That qualification is practice of bhakti-yoga.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:

Yes. They are instructing, If you want economic development, why you are going to church and temple? Just start industry. You'll get money. That is, propaganda is going on. At least, in our country, in India, it is going on. "Forget now God and temples. Just try to imitate America. Overnight become industrialist." But they are not teaching them that America or Western countries, after industrialization, now they are producing hippies. That they do not see. They are seeing one side, that "America and Western countries, they have become so prosperous by industrialization. Let us imitate them. We must have." Actually, India, after independence, should have distributed this spiritual knowledge. Why we should compete with industrialization? They have got also demand for the spiritual knowledge. So India should have given the spiritual knowledge to the Western countries instead of competing with industry. And that is a fact.

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu (BG 13.22). Why one is born in high family, rich family, why other is poor family or one is born in lower animals, one is born as demigods? What is that reason, kāraṇa? The reason is kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. He has associated with a particular type of the material qualities therefore he has to accept a particular type of body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Therefore we are instructing our students, "Associate with the good qualities, good qualities." The best qualities of association is devotional service, a devotee. Because they're transcendental, above goodness, above goodness. Just like you are living in this temple. This is above goodness according to Vedic.... If you live in the forest that is goodness, association with goodness, because there is no material contamination, simple life in the forest. Or in the village, not in the village, in the forest. Therefore formerly all the sages and saintly persons they used to live in the forest. That is goodness. And if you live in the city that is association with passion.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- London, August 10, 1971:

So he was instructing daily. It is the business of saintly person, whoever comes to him, he would give him instruction about spiritual knowledge. So he was instructing Prahlāda Mahārāja's mother. But the mother, less intelligent woman... But Prahlāda Mahārāja took all the instruction and became a perfect devotee. He has admitted. When his friends inquired from him, "My dear Prahlāda, you are the son of a king and you do not go outside your palace, and we are sent here in this school, teaching. Our teacher is the same. How you have learned all these nice things?" Then he said, "My dear friends, these nice things I learned from Nārada, the same spiritual master. You require spiritual master." He then described that "The instruction was actually meant for my mother, but being woman, she has forgotten." (laughter)

This is the unqualification of... Don't be sorry. (laughter) But Kṛṣṇa says... Kṛṣṇa says, striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- Rome, May 26, 1974:

So "Generally, a man is born as an ordinary being, and by the purificatory processes he is born for the second time." This is called dvija, second time, by the spiritual master. "When he sees a new light and seeks direction for spiritual progress, he approaches spiritual master to instruct him in the Vedas." This is our process. In the beginning we do not ask anybody to become initiated or a brāhmaṇa. No. We simply invite a person to join the chanting. This is our process. We should strictly follow this. In the beginning, we should not ask that "You have to do this, you have to..." He cannot do that. That is not possible. But everyone should be given chance because in the Kali-yuga there is no reformatory system. Everyone is born śūdra and less than that, caṇḍāla. So they should not be neglected also. Not that "Because all people are fallen—they are less than śūdras and caṇḍālas—so neglect them. Let me chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." No. This is not. The duty of Vaiṣṇava is to reclaim these fallen souls.

Lecture on SB 1.2.4 -- Rome, May 28, 1974:

So this is the paramparā system. As you receive knowledge step by step... Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, instructed Vyāsadeva. Brahmā, Brahmā instructed Nārada. Nārada instructed Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva instructed his disciple Madhvācārya. In this way we have to go through also, in the same way. First of all, offer respect to the spiritual master, as he has done to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Taṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi guruṁ munīnām. So then his spiritual master, then his spiritual master, then his spiritual master. Just like you have got the pictures. First of all, your spiritual master, then his spiritual master, then his spiritual master, his spiritual master—ultimately Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Don't try to approach Kṛṣṇa directly, jump over. That is useless. As you receive knowledge through the steps, paramparā system, similarly, we should approach Kṛṣṇa through these step.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:

You see the behavior of Arjuna. He wanted to satisfy in the beginning his own senses. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, if I kill my grandfather, my teacher Droṇācārya, my grandfather... No, no, it is impossible. I cannot do that. My brothers are...' That means he wanted to satisfy his senses. But when Kṛṣṇa instructed him Bhagavad-gītā, He inquired from Arjuna, "Now what is your decision?" Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Then he said that naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat-prasādāt: "By Your grace, now my all illusion is over. I have got my original Kṛṣṇa consciousness." What is that? "My business is to satisfy You, not my senses." Then he became devotee. This is the... Vāsudeve bhagavati. If you engage yourself in the service, regulative principles... In the beginning you must follow the regulative principles. Then spontaneous love, then you will get.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

So Ṛṣabhadeva says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaye (SB 5.5.4). Simply we have got this... This bodily concept of life means the senses. Indriyāṇi parā... The senses are very prominent. So simply for sense gratification we are acting so much sinfully that we are becoming implicated. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti na sādhu manye: (SB 5.5.4) "This is not good." Why? "Now, yata ātmanaḥ, the soul," ayam, ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ, "the ātmā, the soul, has accepted this body on account of this vikarma, on account of this vikarma." Therefore people should be instructed to be expert in sukarma, sukṛti, sukṛti. That sukṛti is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sukṛti. They should be instructed. Sukṛtivān. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ arjuna. Unless one is sukṛtivān, he cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore everyone should be instructed to become sukṛtivān, puṇyavān. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Unless one is free from all sinful activities simply by acting piously... Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām, te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28). They can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Kṛṣṇa worship. Others cannot do.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

Therefore it is said here, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. One should execute religion just to become free from this māyā and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is dharma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa personally comes and instructs that "My dear sons, My dear part and parcel, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). You are suffering here in this material world repeatedly, birth after birth. Still, you are not in sense." Therefore He said to Arjuna that "Because you are My intimate friend, I am just instructing you the most confidential part of dharma." What is that? Now, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "This is your duty." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching the same principle. What Kṛṣṇa taught five thousand years ago in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra to Arjuna, we are broadcasting the same message. We have not manufactured anything new. That is not dharma. Dharma cannot be manufactured. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like law cannot be manufactured. If you manufacture some law at your home, that will not be accepted. Maybe some people, your friend, your relatives or your family members, may accept. But that cannot be accepted by all, law. But the law given by the government must be accepted by everyone. Similarly, dharma means the law given by God.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

So the fact is that we do not require to, I mean to say, endeavor for finding out food. The food is already there. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. We should sit down tightly, depending on Kṛṣṇa... That we have already explained, that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going on. We have got heavy expenditure, but Kṛṣṇa is supplying. This is a fact. None of our boys and girls, they go to office or to factory or they earn. The... In Los Angeles, our neighborhood men, they're very envious. They say, "How you maintain such huge establishment and you do not work?" They cannot dream that without working one can eat. Yes. So here the fact, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. It is not that you have to work very hard. The... Everywhere in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that is the instruction. In one place, in the Fifth Chapter of Fifth Canto, while Ṛṣabhadeva was instructing His boys, He also said, nāham, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This human form of body is not meant for working hard like the dogs and the hogs for simply for sense gratification; it is meant for tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). The human life is meant for tapasya, self-realization, tattva-jijñāsā. That is the basic principle of Vedic civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Delhi, November 16, 1973:

One has to become Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means one who is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna, He said, bhakto 'si priyo 'si (BG 4.3), "Because you are My bhakta, therefore I am talking to you." So guru means a Vaiṣṇava. He must be a representative of Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, supreme guru. He is the first guru. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Kṛṣṇa imparted knowledge to the original person, Brahmā. You may inquire that "Brahmā is the original person. There was nobody present. Then who became his guru?" No, that is explained: tene brahma hṛdā, "From through the heart." Kṛṣṇa, or God, is situated in everyone's heart. As you become purified, He speaks. He speaks always, but in our impure condition, we cannot hear.

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

So here the Lord instructs that buddhi-yukta. Buddhi-yukta means with the full consciousness that you are not this body. If we act in that way... Now, if I am, I am not body, then I am consciousness. That is a fact. Now, if we act on the consciousness platform, then we can overcome the fruitive result of good work or bad work. It is transcendental stage. It is transcendental stage. It is especially mentioned, buddhi-yukto jahātīha sukṛta-duṣkṛte. That means you are acting on other's account, on the supreme account. You are not liable for loss or gain. When there is gain, don't be puffed up. You should think that this gain is for the Lord. And when there is loss, you, you should know that "This is not my responsibility. It is God's work. He'll see." Then you'll be happy. That practice you have to do, everything on account of the Supreme. That transcendental nature we have to develop. Tasmād yogāya yujyasva yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam (BG 2.50). This is the trick of doing work in these present circumstances. As soon as we work on the platform of bodily consciousness, we become bound up by the reaction of my works. And as soon as I work on spiritual consciousness, I am not bound up either by sukṛti or duṣkṛti, either by pious activities or by, I mean to say, vicious activities. That is the technique.

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

The soldier has to execute it. Never mind whether it is pious or impious. It doesn't matter. He has to act simply. Then he becomes a, I mean to say, real soldier. If he acts in that way, he gets remuneration, he gets reward, he gets title, he gets honor. He doesn't care. The commander asks him, "Just go and kill the enemy." He goes and kills. He gets reward. But killing, do you mean to say by killing one gets reward? No. For the duty discharged. For the duty discharged. Similarly, here the whole position is that Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme consciousness and Arjuna has to discharge only according to the order of the supreme consciousness. So my, manīṣiṇaḥ. Manīṣiṇaḥ means those who are thoughtful philosophers, those who can take up things by philosophical conclusion, that "I am consciousness. I am the part and parcel of the supreme consciousness. Therefore my duty is to act according to the supreme consciousness." Just like your hand is the part of your body. Now, it is moving according to my consciousness. The hand is not moving in its own way. As I want, that let the hand be moved, let my legs be moved, let my eye be opened and see, so I am dictating and these parts are working. Similarly we are all parts and parcel, parcel of the supreme consciousness. When we train ourself to move and act in according to that supreme consciousness, then we become transcendental to all these pious or impious activities. That is the technique.

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

As Arjuna said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14), "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are saying, that is all right, in toto. I don't misinterpret." Param, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding of... You understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is in devotion, bhakto 'si. Kṛṣṇa instructed Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna. He said that this Bhagavad-gītā, this yoga system is now lost. Yoga-naṣṭaḥ parantapa. "Now I shall again begin that yoga through you. Because you are My devotee." Bhakto 'si. Kṛṣṇa did not go to find out a Vedantist to teach, a so-called Vedantist. "A Vedantist" means he's devotee. Veda. Veda means knowledge, and anta means ultimate. So what is the ultimate knowledge? Ultimate knowledge is described: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is ultimate knowledge. After speculating knowledge life after life, when one comes to the point to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, that is real knowledge. That is real knowledge. Unless you come to the point of surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa, your knowledge is defective. You may advertise yourself as very learned scholar, but we have got simple formula. Our position is very strong and simple. We... We take the words of Kṛṣṇa and corroborate with Kṛṣṇa's words.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

So there is no question that a devotee will remain in darkness. Sometimes it is argued that mostly devotees are not very much educated. It doesn't matter. This external, academic education has no value for spiritual advancement. So here it is said, ahaṁ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvasthaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone, and if every, anyone is purified, Kṛṣṇa takes charge and He instructs. And who can be greater instructor than Kṛṣṇa? Therefore it is wrong theory that devotees are ignorant. They're full of knowledge. If one is actually a devotee, there is no lack of knowledge. That's a fact. Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

So Kapila Muni is incarnation of God. He described the sāṅkhya philosophy and bhakti-yoga. In the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, His instructions are there. He was giving instruction to His mother, Devahūti. His father left Him under the care of the mother. He went to forest for liberation. So when He grew up, He instructed His mother. He's known..., Kapiladeva is known as Devahūti-putra, the son of Devahūti. All incarnation of God is famous, especially by mother's name. Just like Kṛṣṇa is famous by Yaśodā-nandana, Devakī-nandana. He is very much pleased when His name is made in connection with His mother and father. Nanda-nandana, Vasudeva-nandana. Similarly, here also, Devahūti-nandana, Devahūti-putra Kapila. So this Kapiladeva sāṅkhya philosophy has described how the elements came in, how the subtle elements mind, intelligence develop, how these gross elements earth, water, fire, all these gross elements develop.

Lecture on SB 1.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, September 17, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The Lord incarnated Himself as Dattātreya, the son of Ṛṣi Atri and Anasūyā. The history of the birth of Dattātreya as an incarnation of the Lord is mentioned in the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa in connection with the story of the devoted wife. It is said there that Anasūyā, the wife of Ṛṣi Atri, prayed before the lords Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva as follows: 'My lords, if you are pleased with me and if you desire me to ask from you some sort of blessings, then I pray that you combine together to become my son.' This was accepted by the lords, and as Dattātreya the Lord expounded the philosophy of the spirit soul and especially instructed Alarka, Prahlāda, Yadu, Haihaya, etc."

Prabhupāda: So here we see that you can have God as your son. There are so many instances. Just like Devakī got Kṛṣṇa as his (her) son; Mother Yaśodā got God as his (her) son; Śacī-mātā, (s)he also got Caitanya Mahāprabhu as son. So this is better philosophy than to accept God as father. That is especially in the Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Others, the impersonalist, voidists, they have no conception of God. Voidists—"Ultimately everything is zero," and the impersonalists, "God has no form." Both are the same thing, in a different language. The voidists, they say, "Ultimately there is nothing but zero," and the impersonalists statement that "Maybe something, but it is not person, it is imperson."

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

So here it is said that urukramaḥ. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described here as urukrama. Urukrama means one who acts very wonderful things which is not possible for ordinary human being. So He wanted to show the real path of life. Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva, He was king, emperor of the world. So His instruction are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. (tapping sound) He instructed... (aside:) What is this sound? He instructed His sons, "My dear boys, this human form of life is not meant for sense enjoyment, which is available in the life of dogs and hogs." It was His instruction. He instructed that human society should be dhīra, self-controlled. That is ideal human society. That is Vedic civilization.

Here it is also stated, sarvāśrama-namaskṛtam. Āśrama. Sarva-āśrama. Āśrama. I have several times described that the brahmacārī-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama, sannyāsa-āśrama. Sarvāśrama, all orders of life. Varṇāśrama. The Vedic civilization is based on four varṇas: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; and four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. So Lord Ṛṣabhadeva planned in such a way to teach His sons—He had one hundred sons—that it will be honored by all the āśramas. Out of His one hundred sons, nine became sannyāsī. Nava Yogendra, very highly elevated spiritually, nine sons.

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

One has to become dhīra. Then the question of God consciousness. Animals cannot have God consciousness. Therefore it is specially mentioned dhīrāṇām. Vartma. The path which He showed, that is meant for the dhīra, not for the adhīra. Dhīrāṇām. And it is so nice that sarvāśrama-namaskṛtam. All āśramas will appreciate and offer obeisances. All āśrama means brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. So dealing with woman... Especially instruction are given to men. All literatures, all Vedic literatures, they are especially meant for instruction to the men. Woman is to follow the husband. That's all. The husband will give instruction to the wife. There is no such thing as the girl should go to school to take brahmacārī-āśrama or go to spiritual master to take instruction. That is not Vedic system. Vedic system is a man is fully instructed, and woman, girl, must be married to a man. Even the man may have many wives, polygamy, still, every woman should be married. And she would get instruction from the husband. This is Vedic system. Woman is not allowed to go to school, college, or to the spiritual master. But husband and wife, they can be initiated. That is Vedic system.

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

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. In your Western world all the churches are vacant. Nobody is interested now in church. Especially in Europe, we have seen... In your country also. So people are being degraded, godlessness. Because godless means animal. What is the difference between animal and man? The animal cannot be instructed anything about God. It is not possible for them to understand. But a man, however degraded he may be, if he is trained up, he can understand about God. Just like five years ago, you did not know about Kṛṣṇa. But because you are being trained up, because you are human being, therefore you are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Which was unknown to you five years ago, now you are taking it to very seriously. Why? Because you are being trained up.

Similarly, God consciousness is there, dormant in every living entity. But the perception varies according to the development of body. Just like child. You say something serious, say, about sex life, they do not understand. But the same child will understand sex life when the consciousness is developed.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

Five thousand years before. It was after the Battle of Kurukṣetra. The Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought about five thousand years ago, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written after writing Mahābhārata. When Vyāsadeva was not satisfied in his heart even by writing Mahābhārata and Vedānta-sūtra, he was sitting morose, and he was thinking that "I have written so many nice literatures. Why I am not happy?" At that time his spiritual master Nārada came, and he instructed him that "You have written the history of Mahābhārata. It is very nice. But there is some idea of Kṛṣṇa, or God, but not absolute. You write some book in which simply, absolutely about Kṛṣṇa is there." So under his instruction he wrote the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969:

So He has nothing to do. So who is that God? That Kṛṣṇa. He has nothing to do. He is simply enjoying, playing His flute, and Rādhārāṇī is serving. Oh, He is not taking a sword and fighting. Why He should fight? He hasn't got to fight. Then one can say, "Then why He was in the battlefield?" Yes, battlefield He was. He was not to fight there. He was to see the fun, how the fight is going on. He was to give instruction. He was to give, deliver this Bhagavad-gītā. He was not fighting. That is God. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He's instructing Arjuna, His friend, that "You fight." By His simple will everything would have been done, fighting would have been finished. He says that nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin. "I have already planned it. If you don't fight, don't think that these persons who have assembled here, they will go back home. They are already finished. That plan is already made. Simply you take the credit, that you are Kṛṣṇa's friend, you have won the battle. That's all. I am giving you this chance of taking the credit." This is God. God hasn't got (chuckling) to labor and meditate and push nose, and he becomes God. No. God is God. Simply by His will, God. Everything is God. So this bluffing, that by meditation one can become, by silent, becoming silent, one become God, this condition... God is not under any condition. Why God should be under condition?

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

Therefore we should not be wasting our valuable time of human life simply for economic development. We should be inquisitive about "What I am." This is the first inquiry. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. So Nārada Muni is instructing Vyāsadeva that "You have already inquired..." Because he's the spiritual master, he knows how Vyāsadeva inquired and how learned he was, how he studied very seriously. Everything known. Therefore he's asking, jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca brahma: "You have inquired very elaborately about Brahman, and you have studied about the subject matter Brahman, sanātanam, eternal, athāpi śocasi, but still, I see that you are morose. You are not happy." Śocasy ātmānam akṛtārtha iva prabho. Akṛtārtha means "Of this you have done nothing." Just like a foolish man sometimes, in very grave thought that "What is the ultimate goal of my life? I do not know what to do," so "You are thinking like that."

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

So veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ. So we should not be like that. Our business is how to glorify the Supreme Lord, how to glorify Kṛṣṇa. Then all success is there. That will be instructed by Nārada Muni to Vyāsadeva.

yathā dharmādayaś cārthā

muni-varyānukīrtitaḥ

na tathā vāsudevasya

mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ

Tathā vāsudevasya mahimā na hy anuvarṇitaḥ. Na tathā. Na tathā vāsudevasya mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ. "You have taken much trouble about these ritualistic performances in the Vedas and other literatures, but you have not taken much trouble to describe the glories of Vāsudeva." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). "Although in the Bhagavad-gītā you have seen that everything is Vāsudeva..., vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ vāsudeva-paraṁ jñānam, but still you have not described about, much about Vāsudeva." Na tathā vāsudevasya mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ. "You have not described very nicely about the glories of Vāsudeva."

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:

Asmin dehe, in this body, there is the proprietor of the body, dehī, who possesses this body. But there is no information. Nobody knows. There is no education on this point: what is that proprietor of this body. They are simply going on, like cats and dogs. Cats and... If you try to instruct a cat or dog, "My dear dog, you are not these bodies," he'll not understand. He is so grossly in ignorance, it is very difficult for him to understand that he is not this body. But human being, although at the present moment they are grossly ignorant for want of spiritual education, still, because he is human being, he can be educated. He can be revived to his original consciousness, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

So this is necessary. Therefore it is said samādhinā, means "Don't manufacture your meditation." Samādhi, this trance by meditation, cannot be attained by something manufacturing. Anu: "Just follow the great predecessor ācārya." Samādhinā anusmara tad-viceṣṭitam. Tat means the acyuta, acyuta, the activities of the Lord. Therefore we have to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the disciplic succession. Our, this sampradāya, the Gauḍīya-sampradāya, is also in the same line-Nārada, Vyāsadeva. Nārada is the disciple of Brahmā. It is, therefore, called, this sampradāya... This party is called Brahma-sampradāya. Brahma-madhva-gauḍīya-brahma-sampradāya. Originally from Brahmā. Brahmā instructed Nārada. You'll find in the Bhāgavata. Brahmā is instructing Nārada. Now you see Nārada is instructing Vyāsadeva. Similarly, Vyāsadeva instructed Madhva Muni. Now, Madhva Muni, by disciplic succession, Mādhavendra Purī. Now, Mādhavendra Purī instructed Īśvara Purī. Īśvara Purī instructed Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya instructed the six Gosvāmīs. The six Gosvāmīs instructed Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja. Kṛṣṇadāsa instructed Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Viśvanātha Cakravartī. Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī. In this way, there is a clear line of disciplic succession.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw that these things are going on in the Raṅganātha temple. But He saw that "This brāhmaṇa is very gentle and grave, and he's handling the book. That's all." So He inquired, "My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" He said... He could understand that "He's not criticizing. He's a, mean, a great man." So he said, "Sir, what can I say? My spiritual master asked me to read every day Bhagavad-gītā, so many chapters, but I am illiterate. I cannot read. Therefore I have taken the book, simply seeing. That's all. What can I do?" "But I see you are sometimes crying. You must be reading. Otherwise, how you are feeling and you are crying?" "Yes, I am feeling. That's a fact." "How, what is that?" "Now, as soon as I take this book, Bhagavad-gītā, the picture of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna comes before me. I see that both Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are sitting on the chariot, and Kṛṣṇa is instructing Bhagavad-gītā. So I am appreciating how Lord is kind, that He has accepted the charioteer, to become a charioteer of His devotee. He's so kind. So when I feel this, that 'Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He become the servant of His servant,' that feeling gives me some ecstasy, and I cry." Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately embraced him. "Your Bhagavad-gītā reading is perfect."

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

Yes. So this is the thing, tad-viceṣṭitam. He's simply thinking of the activities of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. That's all. That is perfect reading of Bhagavad-gītā. It does not require to read Bhagavad-gītā by your academic education. If you simply hear from the authoritative source the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, and if you simply meditate upon that speech, that instruction, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa instructed like this. Arjuna received like this. He questioned like this. He answered like this," that is meditation, perfect meditation, and you become liberated. Tad-viceṣṭitam. It is not very difficult job. Simply you have to receive. Therefore satya-śravāḥ, śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci-śravāḥ. You have to hear from the pure source, give aural reception, and think of it, meditate upon it. Simply by doing this, you are liberated. These are not bluff. Here is the evidence. Simply receive the message from the right source and contemplate and meditate upon that instruction. You are liberated. Chanting and hearing. Hearing and... śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23). First hearing, then chanting. Hear from the right source and discuss amongst yourselves. Iṣṭagoṣṭhi. Then the perfection.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:

So Nārada Muni is instructing his disciple Vyāsadeva to write books specially by which one may be helped, everyone will be helped, to cross over the nescience, akhila-bandha-muktaye, to become liberated from all conditional stage. We are spirit soul. We cannot be under any material condition. Just like our normal condition is healthy life, not under feverish condition. That is abnormal life. If one is attacked with fever, that is not his normal life. That is temporary, abnormal life. Actual life is healthy life. We should nicely eat. We shall nicely sleep. We shall work very nicely. We..., our brain must work very nicely. These are healthy signs. But when I cannot work nicely, I cannot sleep nicely, I cannot work nicely, I cannot act my brain very nicely, that means abnormal condition. So at that time, he requires to be treated by expert physician.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:

So everything is arranged by God. Everyone... Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Everyone is... So if you worship Kṛṣṇa, then your everything is... Just like if you pay tax to the government, you satisfy all the department—the vehicle department, this department, that, light department, water department. You pay once. Similarly, sarvārhaṇam acyutejya. Acyuta means Kṛṣṇa. If anyone is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, if he, one is not sacrificing for Kṛṣṇa, he's becoming indebted to the demigods, to the sages, ṛṣi. Ṛṣi. Just like Nārada Ṛṣi is giving us good literature. He is instructing Vyāsadeva, "Give this literature to the people." We are taking advantage of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Are we not debtor? We go to school, college, and pay so much fees to the teachers. Are we not debtor to Vyāsadeva and Nārada? But we don't care for it. So acyutejya. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, naturally you will try to propagate the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That means you are paying. You have learned something from them, and you are distributing the knowledge. That was their mission. If you keep it for yourself, then you are simply debtor. You are not paying. So there are so many complications. So all these complications can be solved simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarvārhaṇam acyutejya. That is the verdict of Veda.

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

Sva-bhavata eva raktasya ragina puruṣasya dharma-kṛte, dharmārtham anuśāsas tataḥ mahān vyatikramaḥ(?): "So this is not good for you. It is most abominable." Kutaḥ iti utaḥ yasyeti vākyataḥ ayaṁ mukhya dharma: "Because they will accept it as authority, and they will think this is religion." They will not make further progress. They will stick to that principle. So therefore it is abominable. Yatasya kāma karmādi anyayena tattva-jñānena kriyamānāya(?). Tattva-jñānena. When they'll be advised higher truth... Just like those who are addicted to killing process under the shadow of religious rights, if they are said that "You don't kill. This is not good. After all, this living entity is as good as you are. As you are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God, similarly, this cow, or this animal, is also part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but he has got a different dress only. That does not mean that you should kill..." If these things are instructed for higher elevation of life, they will not accept. They will not accept. They will say, "Oh, my religion says this. So I must do it."

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

So any way, if we try to associate, simply by chanting or hearing, that means we are associating with Kṛṣṇa. And the more we associate with Kṛṣṇa, the more we become purified. Just like more you remain with the fire, you become warmer, warmer, warmer. And one day you become so warm you exactly like fire. The example I have given that if you put an iron rod in the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, warmest, and then it becomes red. And when it is red, it is no longer iron. It is fire. Similarly, simply by chanting and hearing you spiritualize yourself. So a day will come when this material body also will be fully spiritualized. The... That fully spiritualized means there will be no more material activities; simply these spiritual activities will be there.

So Nārada Muni is instructing Vyāsadeva, and we shall discuss next meeting. Thank you very much. (end)

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

So Nārada says that "Giving up all other engagements..." Just like it is instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā that "Give up all other engagements. Simply surrender unto Me." So if somebody, out of sentiment, without understanding, out of sentiment, surrenders, comes to Kṛṣṇa... Here he had many duties to perform, his family life, his duty to the country, so many duties. Everyone has got so many duties. But one gives up all other duties, simply comes to Kṛṣṇa. Then what happens to him? This is very important version of Nārada Muni. He says, sva-dharma: "Everyone has got some occupational duty. So he gives it up according to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa," and caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ, "and begins devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then, after some time..." Just like many... When I came, in the beginning, there were many, not many, a few, say within five or six, they were working with me, but now they are not working. So that is possibility. Because one may come by sentiment. Then, after staying for some time, he may find it: "Oh, what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Let me do something else." Or "Let me join in my previous occupation." So Nārada Muni says that "Even a person joins Kṛṣṇa consciousness, giving up all other occupational duties and without being mature, falls down, some..."

Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:

So we are discussing Nārada Muni's instruction to Vyāsadeva to make him correct. Vyāsadeva, such a scholar, Vedavyāsa... He is known as the topmost scholar in Vedic knowledge. Not only that, he has compiled so many books, literary achievement. There is no comparison in the world. But still, he is not satisfied, and Nārada Muni is instructing him that "You should write exclusively on the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, hearing which, there will be actual peace and prosperity all over the world." This is the secret. Without God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there cannot be any peace in the world.

So we were discussing in our last meeting that if a person, by sentiment or by persuasion or by some material gain or somehow or other, decides to accept the statement of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Ekam: "Only unto Me." He even does not say that there are many incarnations of Kṛṣṇa, but He says, mām ekam. So this ekam can be understood in this way, that when we speak "Kṛṣṇa," this term includes everything Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive. But we can capture everything in Kṛṣṇa simply by... Just like the same example, as we have repeatedly..., that by supplying food in the stomach, you supply food to all the limbs of the body. You don't require... This is practical.

Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:

So Nārada Muni says... Because Nārada Muni is our previous ācārya, disciplic succession from Brahmā to Nārada, Nārada to Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva to others. So Nārada Muni's instructing his disciple that tyaktvā sva-dharmam: "If somebody gives, gives up his occupational duty..." Just like sometimes we are taken as some crazy fellows. We have no concern with any political movement or social movement. We have taken simply Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So they may think that "This is a society of crazy fellows. They have given up everything, simply chanting: Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." But Nārada Muni confirms, it is the first-class thing. He says that "If somebody, giving up everything, simply takes to Kṛṣṇa..." Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17), caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ. He takes, determines: "Now, from this day, I shall simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. I shall do nothing." "So," Nārada Muni says, "if somebody does like that..." Bhajana... And Śrīdhara Svāmī says that svadharma tyāgena, nānusvadharma tyāgena bhajana paripakena yadi kṛtārtho bhavet tadā na kadācit cintā:(?) "All right, this boy has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very good. Let him do that. If he comes to the perfectional point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is very good." But yadi punar apakva eva mriyate: "But if he does not prosecute Kṛṣṇa consciousness rightly, maturely, and if he dies..." Because death is expected any moment.

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

Therefore, for perfect knowledge, you have to approach the perfect. We accept Lord Kṛṣṇa as the perfect, and His bona fide representative is also perfect. How he is perfect? Kṛṣṇa may be perfect, one may admit, but how his bona fide representative is also perfect? So the answer is the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, he does not say anything beyond Kṛṣṇa. That is perfect. He may be imperfect. It doesn't matter. But he is receiving knowledge from the perfect, and he's simply repeating that knowledge. That is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Yāre dekha tāre kaha, kaha kṛṣṇa-kathā. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-kathā.

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa

(CC Madhya 7.128)

You don't speak your upadeśa, your instruction. That is nonsense. What you are? That is the defect of the modern civilization. They simply want to instruct by his experience. But what is your experience? They're all imperfect. But they are persisting, "No, we cannot accept any knowledge without experiment." Is it not the position. Eh?

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

But they cannot give any perfect information, their theories. So our process is to take Kṛṣṇa... Not only our, this is the paramparā system. All the ācāryas-Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya—they take Kṛṣṇa's version as perfect. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, therefore, that "You do not instruct anything which is manufactured by you. Do not instruct all these..." Because you are imperfect. You have manufactured all your theories. They are imperfect. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This is perfection. If you say Kṛṣṇa's upadeśa, instruction, then it is perfect. And if you say your experimental instruction, that is imperfect.

Here it is said that idaṁ hi puṁsas tapasaḥ... Every knowledge... Just like here is our Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara. He has got the doctorate title. We have seen your book. It is a learned scholarship, research work. So that is nice. But he has admitted the original cause is Kṛṣṇa. So we are asking everyone that "Whatever knowledge you have got..." It doesn't matter whether you are a chemist or physicist or an engineer or medical man... Any... There are so many. Lawyer, politician. So many departmental knowledge. So one becomes doctor and expert by high research work. For the last... How many years you were in USA?

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

Therefore we living entities, we are described, taṭastha. Taṭastha means marginal. Actually, we are spirit soul, our position in the spiritual world, but we are sometimes fallen down in this material world on account of our desire to enjoy. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy, not His manufactured philosophy... This is the actual position. He, when He instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī put before Him the question that "I was a minister and I am a brāhmaṇa, I'm very learned. They say, of course, that I am paṇḍitajī. But actually I do not know what is my position. Actually I am fool number one. I do not know what is my position. These innocent people, they call me I am paṇḍitajī, I am minister, I am this, I am that, and I accept that I am that. But actually I do not know what I am." That is the position everywhere. You ask any prime minister that "You are prime minister, but actually what you are? Will you remain prime minister forever?" He or she cannot answer this question. Or they evade this question. But this is really the question, athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should try to understand "What I am?" but they do not rea... They do not inquire, neither they are interested. So foolish persons, they may be prime minister in this life, next life a dog. They don't care. But this is not life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should inquire and purify himself.

Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

jñānaṁ guhyatamaṁ yat tat

sākṣād bhagavatoditam

anvavocan gamiṣyantaḥ

kṛpayā dīna-vatsalāḥ

(SB 1.5.30)

Translation: "As they were leaving, those bhakti-vedāntas, who are very kind to poor-hearted souls, instructed me in that most confidential subject which is instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself."

Prabhupāda:

jñānaṁ guhyatamaṁ yat tat

sākṣād bhagavatoditam

anvavocan gamiṣyantaḥ

kṛpayā dīna-vatsalāḥ

So yesterday we have been discussing the symptoms of guru and the symptoms of disciple—who is actual disciple and who is actual guru. It is stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura,

Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

That is real understanding of Kṛṣṇa. And without understanding of the other nine cantos of Bhagavad-gītā, er, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, if we simply jump over the Tenth Canto, and especially to the Thirty-fifth Chapter, the five chapters, Rāsa-pañcādhyāya, this is not very favorable. Of course, it is favorable. Kṛṣṇa's līlā, you hear any way, this way or that way... But if we misunderstand Kṛṣṇa, then there is fall down. That is instructed by Śrī..., Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, that don't try to understand Kṛṣṇa's līlā all of a sudden without understanding Kṛṣṇa. Tattvataḥ. So regulative principle—to serve, as it is stated in the śāstras or as it is enjoined by the spiritual master.

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā

tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ

athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati

sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ

(Cc. Madhya 23.14-15)

So dīna-vatsalāḥ. The mahātmās who instructed Nārada Muni that "Here is the confidential knowledge: Please fully surrender unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa." So Nārada Muni admits here, anvavocan gamiṣyantaḥ. Gamiṣyantaḥ means the mahātmās were going. He served for four months.

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

So Yamarāja will not be able to enter, and I am secure. I have got good bank balance and good wife, good children..." No, no, no. This is illusion. Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). So long you will possess this material body, so you'll have to suffer. That is described here, tāpa-traya. Tāpa means miseries, and traya means three. So cikitsitam. A sane man, when he's suffering, he goes to the doctor, physician: "Sir, I am suffering from disease. Give me some medicine." So he takes medicine. That is sane man. And insane man, he does not go to the physician for treatment. He thinks, "This is natural. What is that?" This is the difference between foolish man and sane man.

The Vedas, therefore, instruct that tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One who is actually human being... Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī, even up to the position of his ministership, he was not on the standard of human being. When he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu and submitted, "Sir, I have come to You to know what I am, why I am suffering in this threefold miserable condition of life," that is human life. That is the beginning. Before that, it is animal life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one is inquisitive about himself, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "Why I am suffering?"... Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya.

Lecture on SB 1.5.33 -- Vrndavana, August 14, 1974:

So this is cikitsitam. Don't work for sense gratification or personal interest. Real interest is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is real interest. But they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Everyone is, "I have got my interest." But you do not know what is your interest. Your interest is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. But the rascals, they do not know. They say, "Why Kṛṣṇa? Myself, I shall enjoy everything." This is karma and bhakti. When karma... Karmī means they are working for their so-called interest, and bhakti means they are working for Kṛṣṇa's interest. They..., superficially, the activities are the same. Same means superficially, not in essence. So our senses are so trained up that we want to satisfy the senses. Now these devotional activities means instead of satisfying my personal senses, if we want to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses, this method is called bhakti. So the activities of the senses should not be stopped, it should be repaired or reformed. That is cikitsitam, "properly treated." Cikitsitam, this is the word. Cikitsitam means properly treated, under the direction of physician. The physician is guru, and guru's business is to instruct the disciple, "My dear son, you do not work for your so-called sense gratification, you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses, then your life is perfect. This is the physician's duty, and this is the patient's duty. Cikitsitam. Cikitsitam is purification. You have got disease, purify yourself.

Lecture on SB 1.5.36 -- Vrndavana, August 17, 1974:

So we have to work according to our capacity, at the same time chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Kṛṣṇa has given you the tongue, and there is no difficulty. Kurvāṇā yatra karmāṇi. And always think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. "How I can think of Kṛṣṇa constantly? It becomes hackneyed." No, the varieties. Kṛṣṇa says that you think of Kṛṣṇa while drinking water, you think of Kṛṣṇa when you see the sunshine, think of Kṛṣṇa when you see the moonshine, day and night. So at daytime there is sunshine, at night there is moonshine. So day and night you can think of Kṛṣṇa. So, so many ways... Kṛṣṇa-śikṣayā, bhagavac-chikṣayā, as He has taught in the Bhagavad-gītā, you think of always Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65).

So therefore bhakti-yoga means vairāgya-vidyā. You have to stop thinking of this material bhukti, mukti, siddhi. Simply you have to think of Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual platform. That is instructed here. Try to follow and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

Therefore Vyāsadeva has given us this literature. The history of this literature is being described,

tasmin sva āśrame vyāso

badarī-ṣaṇḍa-maṇḍite

āsīno 'pa upaspṛśya

praṇidadhyau manaḥ svayam

(SB 1.7.3)

Now Nārada Muni instructed him... Nārada Muni is Vyāsadeva's guru. So Vyāsadeva presented before Nārada Muni that "I have written so many books, Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, Vedānta-sūtra, and Upaniṣads, and so many things, but I am not feeling very much happy." So Nārada Muni instructed him that "You have done so many things—that is all right—but you have not described very elaborately about the activities of the Supreme Lord. Therefore you are unhappy. So I advise you that you take up this business in writing. Then you will feel happy." So under his instruction he sat for meditation. He says—it is there—āsīnaḥ apaḥ upaspṛśya. Before meditation, this is the process, you take water, ācamana,

oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

Three times you have to take water and taste it. That is called upaspṛśya. So he did it. Āsīnaḥ apaḥ upaspṛśya praṇidadhyau manaḥ: then he began to concentrate his mind, meditation.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

So that is called yoga. This meditation means bhakti-yoga. Meditation, that is the real meaning. Nowadays meditation has become a fashion, but meditation is described in the Vedic literature, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogis, they meditate, dhyānāvasthita. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā, the mind becomes fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, tad-gatena. Tat means transcendental Absolute Truth, oṁ tat sat. So tad-gatena manasā, mind being... Our mind is very restless, so it is very difficult. Five thousand years ago, when Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna to concentrate his mind, meditate, or meditate upon Supersoul, so Arjuna frankly admitted that it was not possible for him. He said to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are advising. That is nice. But it is not possible for me." Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham (BG 6.34). "Mind is so restless, just like wind blowing. So to capture the mind, to make him pacified, it is very difficult job. I don't think I shall be able to do it." Arjuna refused. But Arjuna was a great devotee; therefore Kṛṣṇa encouraged him. Arjuna did not know anything except Kṛṣṇa, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Then He encouraged him, that "My dear Arjuna, for you, you are the best yogi." Why? He described:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:

That is the advice, instruction, given by Rūpa Gosvāmī. "Without reference to the śruti, without reference to the smṛti, Purāṇa and pāñcarātriki-vidhi, if you pose yourself as a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that is simply disturbance." This is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī, the, I mean to say, what is called, development, developer of this Vṛndāvana development, under whose instruction. So when Nārada instructed that "You write something which will help people to understand the Supreme," then he engaged himself in bhakti-yoga because you cannot understand the supreme truth without engaging yourself in devotional service. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Only through devotion, submission, surrender you can understand Kṛṣṇa, not by your so-called scholarship or research work, no. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa never said, "By cultivating knowledge, speculative knowledge, one can understand Me," no. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). So therefore Vyāsadeva engaged himself in bhakti-yoga to understand the Supreme Truth.

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

Therefore it is said, sa saṁhitāṁ bhāgavatīṁ kṛtvānukramya cātma-jam. It is very confidential subject matter. He taught it, instructed to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Ātma-jam. Like father, like son. There is no difference between son and disciple. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has equalized,

lālane bahavo doṣās

tāḍane bahavo guṇāḥ

tasmāt putraṁ ca śiṣyaṁ ca

tāḍayen na tu lālayet

That is the, I mean to say, Vedic system—to teach the son and teach the disciple. If one cannot teach the son—the son is disobedient—he should give up his family life. Otherwise a father is in obligation to teach the son properly. But if it is not possible... Sometimes it so happens as family members, they do not take care. Otherwise Vyāsadeva's son is expected to become Śukadeva Gosvāmī. If not, such family connection should be given up. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam. Family life, if it is favorable for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it should be accepted; otherwise it should be rejected. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam.

Lecture on SB 1.7.10 -- Vrndavana, September 9, 1976:

So this is a wrong idea, that matter is doing independently. That is not possible. Therefore it is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Matter does not work. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His different energies, He is working. That is Kṛṣṇa. You have to understand like that. Kṛṣṇa is in the background. In another place in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). If you say that Lord Brahmā has created, because he is the creator of this universe... Deva, there are three principle devas-Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi devānām. Actually that is the fact. Even Brahmā is originated from Viṣṇu's navel; therefore Brahmā's name is Padma-yoni. And he, when he was created, he saw everything dark, so he was instructed to undergo tapas—these are explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—then he was given the intelligence how to work. So even a person like Brahmā is also instructed by Kṛṣṇa how to create. So any person, any ingredient, any matter, everything is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa.

So Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaj advises, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, that

siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa

ihā haite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa

(CC Adi 2.117)

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

So bhagnoru-daṇḍe. Bhagna uru. Uru-daṇḍa was broken. Bhagnoru-daṇḍe dhṛtarāṣṭra-putre. Dhṛtarāṣṭra-putra, Duryodhana was dhṛtarāṣṭra-putra. At that time, Drauṇi, his master was Duryodhana. A brāhmaṇa became a servant of kṣatriya, that is degradation. A brāhmaṇa cannot become servant. Nobody can become servant. Only the śūdras can become servant. Brāhmaṇa never becomes servant. They are instructed, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is brāhmaṇa's qualification. They will train the brahmacārīs and the gṛhasthas how to become perfect, discipline. First discipline is truthfulness. A brāhmaṇa will never speak lies. That is the first qualification. So who is going to take training in that way? Nobody is interested. This is Kali-yuga. We are trying to train people "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." Still, there are some failures. And if we teach in our institution, "Please do not speak lies," people will laugh: "What is this nonsense? Nowadays is it possible to remain in this society without speaking lies?" This is the position. This is called Kali-yuga. Nobody is interested to be trained up as a brāhmaṇa. Nobody is interested to be trained up as a kṣatriya, neither as a vaiśya. They are all śūdras. Therefore it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. There is no training. It is very very difficult to train them to become purified by training. These statuses of life were different status of training so that ultimately one can become brāhmaṇa, and when he's fully trained up as a brāhmaṇa then he transcends the brāhmaṇa's position, and he becomes a Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on SB 1.7.22 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1976:

These rascals, they do not know. Saṁsṛti. Therefore here we see that tvam eko dahyamānānām apavargo 'si saṁsṛteḥ. This is Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna is mahājana. He is mahājana. He's directly Kṛṣṇa's friend. He knows what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he submitted that, "Kṛṣṇa, it is perplexity. I do not like to fight, and You are asking me repeatedly to fight. So it is very awkward position. I cannot understand." Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ. "I have been infected with kārpaṇya-doṣa, and (I'm) kṣatriya, I am in the battlefield. It is my duty to fight, but I am declining." That is kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ. "My nature, svabhāva, is to fight, but I am avoiding this. So therefore my position is not good, I can understand. Therefore śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). I accept You as my spiritual master. You... I am surrendered, prapannam. You kindly instruct, śādhi mām." This is beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. So Arjuna knows that for this saṁsṛti, for this suffering of the material world, only Kṛṣṇa is the savior. Only Kṛṣṇa. Tvam ekaḥ, "Only You. Not anybody else." Nobody can. And He also, Kṛṣṇa also says, mām ekam. "Rascal, mām ekam." This same eka. Arjuna says tvam ekaḥ and Kṛṣṇa says mām ekam. The same purpose. This is to be learned, that eka, "Only Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇam. That is wanted. Simply take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. That will save you from this saṁsṛti.

Lecture on SB 1.7.24 -- Vrndavana, September 21, 1976:

Otherwise you'll have to starve. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ. "You must do your duty." Śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. Don't think... The rascal says that "Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people to escape. They've become..." No, that is not Kṛṣṇa's instruction. We do not allow any lazy man. He must be engaged. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is Kṛṣṇa's order. Niyataṁ kuru karma. Arjuna was refusing to fight. He was trying to be nonviolent gentleman. Kṛṣṇa did not allow him. "No, no, you cannot do that. That is your weakness." Kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam: "You are proving yourself rascal. It is anārya-juṣṭam. This kind of proposal is for the anārya, uncivilized man. Don't do that." That is Kṛṣṇa's... So don't think that Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they'll become lazy and imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, as Kṛṣṇa instructs, you must be very, very busy, twenty-four hours. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not to become a lazy fellow, eat and sleep.

Lecture on SB 1.7.27 -- Vrndavana, September 24, 1976:

Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau **. As soon as... Therefore we are very much vigilant, "Why you did not this? Why you do not this? Why...?" As soon as the feeling of devotional service will be lost, this temple will be a burden. This is the way. It will be such a big temple. To manage, it will be a great burden. So they are feeling burden. Therefore they don't mind if somewhere is broken sometimes. "All right, let us, whatever money we have got, let us eat first of all." This is the position. Vigraha and galagraha. You should understand. If we forget that "Here is Kṛṣṇa personally present. We have to receive Him very nicely. We have to give Him nice food, nice dress, nice..." Then it is service. And as soon as the feeling comes that "Here is a stone idol..." They say sometimes "idol worship." "And we have been instructed to dress Him, to give Him..., all botheration." Then finished. Finished. That has come everywhere. I have seen in Nasik in many, many big temples there is no pūjārī, and the dogs are passing stool. Not only they're breaking. In Western countries also the churches are being closed-big, big churches. In London I have seen, very big, big churches, but they're closed. When there is meeting on Sunday, the caretaker, two, three men, and some old lady, they come. Nobody comes. And we are purchasing. We have purchased several churches. Because it is now useless. It is useless. In our Los Angeles we have purchased and several others. In Toronto. That recently we have purchased. Big, big churches. But they would not sell us. One church, the priest said that "I shall set fire in this church, still I shall not give to Bhaktivedanta Swami." (laughter) This Toronto church was like that also. And in Melbourne, the condition was, sale condition was, that you have to dismantle this church building. We said, "Why?" He said, "Utilize as temple now, then we shall not give you." They refused. You know that? So they do not like that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will purchase our churches and install Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity." They do not like that. But it is not(?) going on.

Lecture on SB 1.7.40 -- Vrndavana, October 1, 1976:

Pradyumna: "Sūta Gosvāmī said: Dispite being instructed in his duty and encouraged to kill the son of Droṇācārya, Arjuna, a great soul, did not like the idea of killing him, although he was a heinous murderer of his family members."

Prabhupāda:

sūta uvāca

evaṁ parīkṣatā dharmaṁ

pārthaḥ kṛṣṇena coditaḥ

naicchad dhantuṁ guru-sutaṁ

yadyapy ātma-hanaṁ mahān

(SB 1.7.40)

So Kṛṣṇa, as an impartial observer, He advised Arjuna to kill Aśvatthāmā on the ground of so many offenses. He was also trying to see how Arjuna decides. But Arjuna's decision was very right. Arjuna's decision was right because, naicchad dhantuṁ guru-sutam. He thought that "Although Aśvatthāmā is criminal, he should be killed. But I am going to kill him on account of my sons's or our sons' being killed by him. We are so much aggrieved. So if I kill Aśvatthāmā, then his mother is there. She would be very much unhappy." For the sake of the spiritual master and teacher... Droṇācārya was dead in the fight, but his wife was living. So Arjuna and Draupadī, considering the grief of the wife of Droṇācārya... There were many instances like that. Not that "The person is criminal," but "What will be the effect of killing him?" That is to be considered.

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

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

So it is the duty of the representative of Kṛṣṇa to reform these condemned persons to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is their duty. Kṛṣṇa wants that "These rascals, these condemned persons, who are suffering in this material world, and they cannot understand that 'We are suffering...' They are making plan. No plan will be successful." Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You can make your plan, but it will never be successful.

Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Mayapura, October 6, 1974:

So this is Kuntī's realization. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ... (SB 1.8.26). Therefore for spiritual advancement, if one is interested, they should not be too much attached to material things if you want to advance in spiritual life. Janmaiśvarya... Because this will be entanglement. The more and more we shall think, "This is mine. This is mine." Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This is illusion. Nothing belongs to him, but by illusion, he will think, "This is mine. This is mine." Just like we have got this nice, grand building in this district. If we think, "This is my building" or "My building," then there will be mishap. My Guru Mahārāja said. Personally he said that "When we were living in a rented house, if we could collect two hundred, three hundred rupees... We were living very nicely at Ultadanga. And since then—Jayavidatta has given us this marble palace, Gauḍīya-Maṭha—there is friction between our men. 'Who will occupy this room? Who will occupy that room? Who will be proprietor of room?' " Tīrtha Mahārāja... Kuñjabābā was giving one tablet, that "This is..." Everyone is planning in different way. So Guru Mahārāja said... He was personally instructing me that "If I could sell this marble of this temple, and secure some money, and if I could print some books, that would have been better. That would have been better."

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

For example, practical, your government is spending millions of dollars for stopping this intoxication. Everyone knows. But the government has failed. How simply by law or by lecturing you can make them without LSD or intoxication? That is not possible. You must give them good engagement. Then it will be automatically... And practically you see that our students who come here we instruct: "No intoxication." Immediately given up. And the government has failed. This is practical. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If you don't give somebody good engagement, you cannot stop his bad engagements. That is not possible. Therefore we are giving two sides good engagements, at the same time prohibition. We simply don't say that: "No illicit sex, no intoxication, no, no..." Simply negative is no meaning. There must be something positive. Because everyone wants engagement. That is because we are living entities. We are not dead stone.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

So these are the description of Kṛṣṇa. We have to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Don't manufacture something which will not be compatible. You just hear, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatā..., from the realized soul, how Kṛṣṇa should be described. Here... Just like Kuntī is describing Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-sakha. He's Kṛṣṇa, and Draupadī is also called Kṛṣṇa, and Arjuna is also called Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is both, friends for both of them. Kṛṣṇa supplied unlimited measurement of cloth to Draupadī because Draupadī was crying to Kṛṣṇa, "Save my honor." Similarly, Arjuna also, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme guide. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "There is perplexity, my dear Kṛṣṇa. I cannot decide whether I shall fight or I shall not fight." Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ: "I am kṣatriya, but due to my weakness, I am crying to avoid fight. So therefore please instruct me. Because You can, I understand that You can give me the right instruction; therefore I become Your śiṣya." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is known as Pārtha-sārathi. Pārtha-sārathi, Kṛṣṇa-sakha, Yaśodā-nandana, Nanda-nandana, Vāsudeva, Devakī-nandana. So God has no name, but He has got thousands and millions of names on account of His different varieties of activities with His devotees. This is the science of understanding Kṛṣṇa's name. Kṛṣṇa-sakha and Vṛṣṇi-ṛṣabha, "The best of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty." Because Kṛṣṇa took birth in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, so He's the best, Ṛṣabha. Ṛṣabha means the best. And because Kṛṣṇa took birth in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, therefore the whole family became very famous. And His business was avani-dhrug-rājanya-vaṁśa, vaṁśa-dahana. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8).

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

So He is helping us from within—buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam—from within. Tene brahma hṛdā. These statements are there in the śāstras. "He expounded the Vedic knowledge," hṛdā, "from the heart,"—brahma means Vedic knowledge, śabda-brahman—"to Brahmā." Because at that time there was nobody to instruct him. So how he got the instruction of Vedas? Because Kṛṣṇa instructed. Kṛṣṇa hoite catur-mukha, hoy kṛṣṇa-sevonmukha. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung. Catur-mukha means Brahmā. So being instructed by Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā became inclined to serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he has written Brahma-saṁhitā. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He understands, "Here is ādi-puruṣa. I am the only creature now within the universe, so I am getting instruction from Kṛṣṇa, hṛdā, from my heart."

So Kṛṣṇa, when instructs from within the heart, He is called caitya-guru. And that caitya-guru is expanded by the process, personal presentation of spiritual master. So both ways He is helping us. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. Kṛṣṇa is helping from within, but sometimes we are so dull, naturally, that we cannot understand. Therefore He sends His representative to instruct externally. So He is helping internally and externally. There is no difference between the internal and external instructor.

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

So people... Animals, they do not know that the goal of life is to understand God, Viṣṇu. Animals cannot know, cannot... Even they are instructed, they cannot know it. That is not possible. But the human beings, however fallen he may be, if he is properly guided, if he is properly instructed, he can become God conscious. This is the special privilege of the human life. Animal cannot do. You can train one animal how to dance. That also you can do. So many things. Just like in circus, the animals are trained up to do so many things. But an animal cannot be trained to be God conscious. Sometimes also, by proper guidance, the animal also becomes, but that is very rare case. So it is the king's duty to see that his citizens are becoming God conscious. That is king's duty. First of all father's duty, spiritual master's duty, ultimately, king's duty. King's, king's duty.

Therefore it is said, dharmeṇa, cakāra rājyaṁ dharmeṇa. Dharmeṇa means "by religious principles." What is that religious principle? Religious principle means to guide everyone to become God conscious. This is religious principle. Dharmeṇa. Therefore varṇāśrama-dharma. In the Vedic culture the varṇas and āśrama, they are accepted as dharma. Dharma means duty which you must execute. That is called dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3-4 -- Tehran, March 13, 1975:

The king should be the representative of Kṛṣṇa. (reading:) "...to rule over the kingdom of earth and was comparable to King Indra, the representative ruler of the heavenly planet. The demigods like Indra, Candra, Sūrya, Varuṇa, Vāyu, etc., are representative kings of different planets of the universe. And similarly Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was also one of them, ruling over the kingdom of the earth.

Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was not a typically unenlightened political leader of modern democracy. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was instructed by Bhīṣmadeva and the infallible Lord also, and therefore he had full knowledge of everything in perfection. The modern elected executive head of the state is just like a puppet because he has no kingly power. Even if he is enlightened like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, he cannot do anything out of his own good will due to his constitutional position. Therefore, there are so many states over the earth quarreling because of ideological differences or other selfish motives. But a king like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira had no ideology of his own. He had but to follow the instruction of the infallible Lord and the Lord's representative, and the authorized agent, Bhīṣmadeva. It is instructed in the śāstras the one should follow the great authority and the infallible Lord without any personal motive and manufactured ideology. Therefore, it was possible for Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to rule the whole world, including the seas, because the principles were infallible and universally applicable to everyone.

Lecture on SB 1.13.12 -- Geneva, June 3, 1974:

Avātsīt. Sat-kṛto devavat sukham. He was living just like in the opulence of demigods. Because they were all nephews. Pāṇḍavas were so well-behaved, cultured devotees, and Vidura was devotee. So he was treated just like devavat, godly. That is required. Just like whenever I go anywhere, they treat me very nicely, I live very comfortably, similarly, Vidura was treated by the Pāṇḍavas to live very comfortably, devavat, just like godly standard. But he did not live there for getting some material comforts. His aim was that "This poor man, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, my elder brother, he has not yet been lessoned, that what is the value of these material comforts." He was living shamelessly. So he wanted to instruct him, and thus he lived there for some time.

kañcit kālam athāvātsīt

sat-kṛto devavat sukham

bhrātur jyeṣṭhasya śreyas-kṛt

sarveṣāṁ sukham āvahan

So although he especially lived in the palace for the benefit of his elder brother, still, so long he lived, it was a very pleasing time for all of them. Because he was living not as a dull or dumb man. He was speaking about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore everyone was feeling very happy. (reads purport:) "Saintly persons like Vidura must be treated as well as a denizen from heaven." "As well as a denizen from heaven." Yes. If any saintly person comes at home, formerly this was the system. In our childhood we have seen. Many saintly persons used to come, and my father used to receive them very nicely, some of them. Still, the system is if you go to any Indian village and... I mean to say, those who are sannyāsīs, saintly person, they are received very well. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was touring in South India, so many brāhmaṇas were coming to invite him. That is the system. He hasn't got to bother for his food or shelter any place. That is the system.

Lecture on SB 1.13.12 -- Geneva, June 3, 1974:

"On the part of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, it was quite in order to maintain his uncle in a befitting manner, but acceptance of such magnanimous hospitality by Dhṛtarāṣṭra was not at all desirable. He accepted it because he thought that there was no other alternative. Vidura particularly came to enlighten Dhṛtarāṣṭra and to give him a lift to the higher status of spiritual cognition. It is the duty of the enlightened souls to deliver the fallen ones, and Vidura came to that reason. But talks of spiritual enlightenment are so refreshing that while instructing Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Vidura attracted the attention of all the members of the family, and all of them took pleasure in hearing him patiently. This is the way of spiritual realization. The message should be heard attentively, and if spoken by realized soul, it will act on the dormant heart of the conditioned soul. And by continuously hearing, one can attain the perfect stage of self-realization."

Therefore śravaṇam is very essential. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). So in all our centers, this process should be followed. We have got now so many books. Simply if we read books... Our Yogeśvara Prabhu is very enthusiastic to read books. So everyone should read books and others should hear. That is very essential, śravaṇam. The more you hear... We have got so many books. Whatever is already published... Just like we are describing one verse daily. So at least... There are so many verses already in stock, you can go on speaking for fifty years. These books already published, you can go on. There will be no want of stock.

Lecture on SB 1.13.15 -- Geneva, June 4, 1974:

So in his absence, Aryamā, one of the demigods, he officiated Yamarāja. Therefore it is said, abibhrad aryamā daṇḍam. The office must go on, the magistrate post cannot be vacant. Somebody must come and act. So Aryamā was acting. Yathāvad agha-kāriṣu. Agha-kāriṣu. Agha-kāri means... Agha means sinful activities, and kāriṣu. Kāriṣu means those who commit sinful acts. And yathāvat. Yathāvat means exactly to the point, how he should be punished. Yathāvad agha-kāriṣu. Yāvad dadhāra śūdratvam. So long Yamarāja continued as a śūdra, Aryamā was officiating in his place as Yamarāja. This is the purport. (reads purport:) "Vidura, born in the womb of a śūdra mother, was forbidden even to be a party of royal heritage along with his brothers Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu. Then how could he occupy the post of a preacher to instruct such learned...? Answer is that even though it is accepted that he was a śūdra by birth, because he renounced the world for spiritual enlightenment by the authority of Ṛṣi Maitreya and was thoroughly educated by him in transcendental knowledge, he was quite competent to occupy the post of an ācārya or spiritual preceptor." Vidura was a śūdra, born śūdra. Then how he became a preacher?

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:

So tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Arjuna did that. Therefore Arjuna learned the Bhagavad-gītā, and it was always relief for him when he was perplexity. Haranti smarataś cittam. Haranti. What is that haranti? Hṛt-tāpa. Hṛt-tāpa, the blazing fire within the heart, within the core of the heart, immediately becomes minimized, haranti. Smarataś cittam. As soon as I remember, my consciousness, my heart, core of heart, becomes immediately relieved. How it is relieved? Why it is relieved? Govinda abhihitāni me: "Govinda instructed." Govinda means Kṛṣṇa. Govinda means Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Govinda.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

Govinda is sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. So that Govinda is instructing to Arjuna personally. How fortunate is Arjuna. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that if you actually serious to understand... So just like this brāhmaṇa took instruction from his spiritual master and began to read Bhagavad-gītā, and he realized what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Govinda, similarly, if we take seriously the instruction of our spiritual master and try to read Bhagavad-gītā according to his instruction, then gradually we shall realize Kṛṣṇa. And if you simply realize Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa... That is not difficult.

Lecture on SB 1.15.28 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1973:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that you have to act accordingly as it is instructed, āpani ācari, then you can teach others. If you do not act yourself, your words will have no value. (break) ...cut. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam (BG 4.2), if you have got connection with the original powerhouse, then there is electricity. Otherwise it is simply wire. What is the value? Simply wiring will not help you. The connection must be there. And if you lose the connection, then it is of no value. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means you have to keep yourself always connected with the original powerhouse. Then wherever you'll go, there will be light. There'll be light. If you're disconnected, there will be no light. The bulb is there; the wiring is there; the switch is there. Everything is there. That's how Arjuna is feeling, that "I am the same Arjuna. I am the same Arjuna who fought in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. I was known as so great a warrior, and my bow is the same bow and my arrow is the same arrow. But now it is useless. I could not defend myself because disconnected with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is no longer." Therefore he began to remember the words of Kṛṣṇa which was taught to him in the Battle of Kurukṣetra.

Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:

Yes. We have referred to the politicians, because king means he is also politician. As soon as we speak of king, he is in politics. So these are the example. Although he was also great politician, he had to fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, he had to adopt diplomacy, everything, but not that he would forget his real duty. This is perfect civilization, that one should not forget the real duty. The real duty is to fulfill the mission of the human life. The mission of human life is to understand God. And God is there, you cannot deny, God is there. But we do not know what is God, what is our relationship with Him. That we do not know. Just like in your country, the currency notes are advertised, "In God We Trust." But if we ask anybody that "This is the slogan of your state. What do you know about God?" nobody can reply. They will say, "It is something like this, something like that." But no... Everything vague idea. Nobody knows what is God, neither he knows how to trust in God. That is instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā: what is God and how to trust in Him. This is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gītā. But the people do not know. They simply have the slogan, "In God We Trust." Nobody knows what is God.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

In this way, every step, Svayaṁ Bhagavān is personally..., Kṛṣṇa is instructing us, and we are so fool, we cannot understand. We cannot understand. Big, big politicians, they read Bhagavad-gītā, in our country. But by their action it is seen they did not understand even a word of Bhagavad-gītā. Even a word of Bhagavad-gītā. Big, big politician. They became very big, big mahātmās or great men, but they tried for this body, which is to be finished. Antavanta ime dehāḥ. Nobody tried for that thing which will never be finished, that is eternal. You find from their life, they never instructed about the soul. They dealt with politics very nicely, to give bluff that "Within one year I shall give you liberation and this and that," about the... What is the value of this liberation? Because they did not know the thing which is not perishable, they are after this body, which is, liberated or not liberated, will perish. They are busy. They are busy with the activities of this body, which is surely perishable.

Lecture on SB 1.16.7 -- Los Angeles, January 4, 1974:

So that is the difference between a child in the womb and a grown-up woman. You see? That is by nature. They forget. Strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Therefore Mahābhārata was created by Vyāsadeva, Vedic instruction through history, to battle of Kurukṣetra. Because strī, śūdra, woman, śūdra and dvija-bandhu... Men born in high-class family, but behavior is different, they are called dvija-bandhu. So they cannot understand the Vedic lessons directly. It is not possible. They have no such intelligence. Strī, śūdra and dvija-bandhu. So Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣu (SB 1.1.1). They cannot understand. Therefore through Mahābhārata they are instructed. History. History they can hear. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "It is the duty of a human being, even from childhood, kaumāra..." Kaumāra means from the age of fifth year up to tenth year. This is called kaumāra. So people should be educated about this, that the problem is how to stop janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). This education. This is called Bhāgavata instruction. You are noting. We are talking on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The subject matter is how one shall transfer himself from this material world to the spiritual world and thereby stop birth, death, old age and disease. This is the whole subject matter.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

Vyāsadeva, after writing so many books, he could not find any peace of mind. So he was sitting, morose, and his spiritual master Nārada came there, asked him, "My dear Vyāsa, you have done so much in writing for the welfare of the society. Why you are not happy?" Vyāsadeva replied, "Yes, my lord, I think I have done so much things, but I am not happy." So he was instructed that "You have written so many books, but not about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I admit that you have written so many books. So because you have not described about the superiority or glories of the Lord, therefore you are unhappy." So after that instruction... That means after his writing of the Vedānta philosophy, he was also not happy. But when he wrote Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam under the instruction of Nārada, he became happy.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

Still in India, any woman by unknown person, he can address any woman "Mother." The first relationship is mother. Now they have introduced "Sister," "Bahinajī." No, that is not Vedic etiquette. No bahinajī. Bahinajī means sister. Mother. Everyone should be addressed. We should learn this. Except one's one wife, all women should be addressed as "Mother." This is civilization. Then there will be no corrupt relation. If you, from the very beginning, you establish your relationship with other women as mother, then there is no question of other relationship.

So here it is instructed. Even the earth is addressed as mother. According to śāstra, Dharitrī is one of the mothers, seven mothers.

ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī

brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā

dhenur dhātrī tathā pṛthvī

saptaitā mātaraḥ smṛtāḥ

There are seven kinds of mother. Real mother, then a spiritual master or teacher's wife, guroḥ patnī. Brāhmaṇī, the wife of a brāhmaṇa. Ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā. And the queen, the wife of the king. Dhenu, cow; dhenur dhātrī, maidservant, nurse. Because it was also formerly the practice, rich man, or mother is not unable to suck breast milk. So they used to employ young girls who has also children. Otherwise there is no milk supplied. So that is also mother.

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

Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes, the puruṣottama, to take us back. "Why you are now covered, your shining is stopped? You are morose. You are suffering threefold miserable condition of material existence. Why you are rotting here?" Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa comes Himself. He is within everyone's heart. He's instructing. He is ready to instruct, but He'll only instruct to such persons who have engaged themselves in devotional service. Kṛṣṇa is there, just like the master is there and many workers are there also. The master speaks to the important persons, not to the ordinary person. Similarly, the master is there in everyone's heart.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati

brahmāyan sarva-bhūtāni

yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

(BG 18.61)

Whatever we are getting for our sense enjoyment, that is with the sanction, sanction of the puruṣa, the Supreme Person. The paramātmā feature is madhyama puruṣa. He is purusottama. Puruṣottama is the Supreme Person, and the Supreme Person by His expansion as the Supersoul is present in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). He's guiding, as friend. He's guiding as friend, but He speaks directly with the living entity as soon as we are purified by devotional service. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). That if..., that qualification we have to attain, then Kṛṣṇa, puruṣottama, will speak from within, just like He spoke from within of Brahma: tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1).

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

Yes. You can associate with Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna every twenty-four hours, by reading Bhagavad-gītā. Why you require to go there? It is already here. You see. You read the Bhagavad-gītā, and you are immediately in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. His is instructing. That was the instruction. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted. You know that story? Illiterate brāhmaṇa was reading Bhagavad-gītā. So he did not know; he was not literary. But because his spiritual master..., he has so staunch faith in the spiritual master... Just see. His spiritual master said that "You read, daily, eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-gītā." Spiritual master knew that he was illiterate, but still he asked him, "You read, eighteen chapters, there will be..." So what can he do? The spiritual master has ordered. So he was simply making a show of reading, "uh-uh-uḥ," like this. So this other friends were criticizing, "Oh, Mr. Such-and-such, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" He knows that this man... His friend is criticizing him, so he did not answer. But when Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him, "My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" He knew that this gentleman, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, was really inquisitive, so he explained the whole thing, that "I am trying to read Bhagavad-gītā, but I am illiterate. My Guru Mahārāja ordered me to read; therefore I am reading. But actually I cannot read." So frankly he admits. This is staunch faith in spiritual master. He knew, his spiritual master knew that he is illiterate, and he knew also that "I cannot read Bhagavad-gītā." But still he was trying to read because his spiritual master has said. This is called staunch. Yasya prasādāt. "He has said. I have to satisfy him. I am incompetent—I cannot read—but he has said, therefore I must do it." This is called yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī giving right instructions to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Then what should be the subject matter? This so-called rascaldom news, they are not meant for hearing. Therefore he concludes,

tasmād bhārata sarvātmā

bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ

śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca

smartavyaś cecchatābhayam

(SB 2.1.5)

Icchatā abhayam. Abhayam. Bhaya means fear, and abhayam means fearlessness. If one is actually expecting that he should be protected, abhayam, there should be no more anything of fearfulness. Then Śukadeva Gosvāmī is instructing that tasmāt... Because these things, if you simply divert your attention to the varieties of newspaper or any other information of this world which is full of this gṛhamedhī, whose business is to sleep at night and work hard at daytime, that will not give you protection. Then? What I have to do? "You have to hear about Bhagavān, Hari, Īśvara." Tasmād bhārata sarvātmā. "Bhārata" because Parīkṣit Mahārāja happened to be a descendant of the Kuru dynasty. The Kuru dynasty was begun from King Bharata, Bharata. There are two, three Bharatas in the history of Vedic literature. One Bharata is Lord Rāmacandra's brother, younger brother. His mother, Bharata's mother, wanted to make Bharata king. Therefore, by palace diplomacy, Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. But His brother Bharata declined, "No." His mother wanted that "My son should be king." There were three wives of Mahārāja Daśaratha. So this is one Bharata. He was faithful to His brother, but by His mother's diplomacy Lord Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. So this is one celebrated Bharata.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

So one who is not interested to know about the other nature of light, how that nature is, how there are planets, how living entities are living there, who is predominating, so many things we have to learn, that is called ātma-tattvam. But people are blind, they do not know. In the university, there is no such education. They are simply satisfied with the knowledge that they are going to moon planet, that's all. (Sanskrit) What is this moon planet? There are living(?) within this material world, there are millions and trillions of other planets, how you can go there? Just try to understand how much limited we are, how much our freedom is (indistinct) in this material world. You are trying to go the nearest planet, Candra, moon planet, still you are unsuccessful. What to speak of other. There is sun planet. I think they cannot dream of going to the sun planet. It is not possible. But there is a planet in your front. If you are scientist, if you are advanced, go. But you can go actually. Actually you go. People formerly, they used to go. Just like in Bhagavad-gītā you will see this is described. Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1), "I first of all instructed this system of bhakti-yoga, Bhagavad-gītā, to the sun-god." That means Kṛṣṇa went there. Otherwise, how He could instruct the sun-god? Not only that, He says, vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. So the sun-god said to his son, Manu, and Manu is the original person of the man, human being, manuṣya, man. Man, the word comes from the Manu. So Manu is the son of sun-god, so he came from the sun planet. And he begot sons here in this planet, Ikṣvāku. These are all stated by the Vedic śāstras., imaṁ vivasvate... So there was connection. In India, there are two kinds of kṣatriya family, administrator, royal family. The one royal family is coming from the sun-god, and the other royal family is coming from the moon-god. So it was not difficult to go to the sun planet if you can. Just like you are trying to go to the moon planet.

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

Pradyumna: "The word satīm is very significant. This means "existing" and "chaste," and both imports are perfectly applicable in the case of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. The whole Vedic adventure is to draw one's attention entirely unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa without any diversion, as it is instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15). Fortunately Mahārāja Parīkṣit had already been attracted to the Lord from the very beginning of his body, in the womb of his mother. In the womb of his mother, he was struck by the brahmāstra atomic bomb released by Aśvatthāmā, but by the grace of the Lord he was saved from being burnt by the fiery weapon, and since then the King continually concentrated his mind upon Lord Kṛṣṇa, which made him perfectly chaste in devotional service. So by natural sequence he was a chaste devotee of the Lord, and when he further heard..."

Prabhupāda: Here, one important matter is there, that Parīkṣit Mahārāja, while he was in the womb of his mother, there was brahmāstr a targeted on him by Aśvatthāmā. And he was to be killed. Practically he was killed. His mother felt a miscarriage and immediately approached Kṛṣṇa, that "I am feeling like this. The only son of the Pāṇḍava dynasty is going to be lost." So Kṛṣṇa immediately entered the womb of Uttarā and saved the baby. Now, Parīkṣit Mahārāja is recognized devotee; otherwise Kṛṣṇa would not have taken so much trouble. He wanted that Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Now, when he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa to die within seven days, why Kṛṣṇa did not save him, or why he did not seek Kṛṣṇa's protection? This question may be raised. He was young man. He was not old man. He could live. That question was made also: "The Parīkṣit Mahārāja, such a nice king, his life was dedicated for the welfare of his subjects. So actually, his body was meant for the benefit of others.

Lecture on SB 2.8.7 -- Los Angeles, February 10, 1975:

So the science of Kṛṣṇa is not speculation. It is exactly science. Tad-vijñānam. Tad-vijñānam. Tad-vijñānārtham. Vijñāna means science, not speculation. So one should understand God scientifically. That is required, not imagination. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say, "You can imagine your God." This is rascaldom. How you can imagine your God? God is God. God means the supreme controller, the Supreme Being. In the dictionary you'll find this word: "God means the Supreme Being." He is also a being like us, individual. Just like we are here face to face. You are one individual; I am one individual. We are talking or hearing. Similarly, God is also individual. Just like Kṛṣṇa said,

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ

proktavān aham avyayam

vivasvān manave prāha

manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt

(BG 4.1)

So He's individual person. He instructed the sun-god millions and millions of years ago. So Arjuna inquired, "How it is possible that millions of years ago...? Because You are my contemporary. You are of the same age." So Kṛṣṇa said that "Millions of millions of years ago, when I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god, you were also present because you are My intimate friend. Whenever I descend, you are also there. But the difference is that you have forgotten; I remember that I said like this."

Lecture on SB 2.8.7 -- Los Angeles, February 10, 1975:

So māyā is there always, and... Because unless there is darkness, you cannot appreciate the quality of brightness; therefore Kṛṣṇa has created darkness, māyā also, so that you can appreciate what is brightness. Two things are required. Without brightness, the darkness cannot be appreciated, and darkness... Without darkness, the brightness cannot be appreciated. The two things are there, side by side. Just like there is sunlight, and here is shadow, side by side. You can remain within the shadow; you can remain within the sunshine. That is your choice. If we remain in the darkness, then our life is miserable, and if we remain in the light, brightness... Therefore Vedic literature instructs us, tamasi mā: "Don't remain in the dark." Jyotir gama: "Go to the light." So this attempt, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is an attempt to bring people from darkness to the light. So don't misuse this opportunity. Some way or other, you have come in contact with this movement. Properly utilize it. Don't go to the darkness. Always remain in bright light.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

So Kṛṣṇa is within. In the beginning of Bhāgavata, tene brahma hṛdā... The... Darśayan. When Brahmā saw the form of the Lord—not exactly outside but from within. And He educated him from within. Tene brahma hṛdā. Hṛdā means through the heart He transmitted the knowledge, bhagavat-tattva. And after understanding the bhagavat-tattva instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he wrote this Brahma-saṁhitā. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). There are hundred chapters of Brahma-saṁhitā. They are lost. Only the fifth chapter was found in a temple in a handwritten leaf. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu collected it, and He gave it to His disciple, that "This Brahma-saṁhitā is the summary of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So you take..." So Brahmā learned this, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Bhagavān, from Bhagavān. So you have to learn also from Bhagavān. So Bhagavān is teaching Himself to Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa. And you try to understand as Arjuna understood. Then you also directly learn what is taught by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was accepted by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "You are Para-brahman. You are the Supreme Brahman." Paraṁ dhāma: "You are the rest of everything." Paraṁ dhāma. Pavitram is the supreme pure. Paramaṁ bhavān śāśvataṁ puruṣam: "You are puruṣam, enjoyer." So these things were accepted by Arjuna. So if we simply accept as Arjuna accepted, then we also learn what is Bhagavān.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4 -- Japan, April 22, 1972:

...intelligence that our form we change or we die, so Kṛṣṇa never dies. Kṛṣṇa never dies. The evidence of death is... Just like in our past life we had some body and we died. We have got another body. Kṛṣṇa does not die means He does not change His body. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). If He would have died, then He could not recollect in His mind the incident which happened millions of years ago. He says, vivasvān, proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāha. When Arjuna inquired that "You say that You instructed this Bhagavad-gītā, this science, to Vivasvān long, long, millions of years ago. How can I believe it?" Therefore He said, "I remember it. You don't remember. Therefore I do not die. You die." This is it. One who can remember, he does not die. Just like I... So long I can remember of my childhood activities, boyhood activities, I have not died. Is it not? Although the body is gone. This is the evidence that Kṛṣṇa does not die. Try to understand this point. Death means forgetting everything. That is death. But if you can remember, that is not death. It is clear?

Lecture on SB 2.9.7 -- Tokyo, April 24, 1972:

Pradyumna: "...searching on all sides. But when he was unable to find anyone besides himself, he thought it wise to sit down on his lotus seat firmly and give his attention to the execution of penance, as he was instructed." (SB 2.9.7)

Prabhupāda: So he could not find any person. Still he took it seriously and began tapasya. Therefore in the beginning of Bhāgavata it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye: "From heart." Yes. He heard from outside. From the heart the order was, "Yes, now you begin your tapasya." So he began. So Kṛṣṇa is helping both sides, from externally, internally. Externally he heard. Somewhere the sound came, and internally He confirmed, "Yes." So Kṛṣṇa is helping us externally by the spiritual master, internally by instruction. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi. In this way, He is trying to help us. Unfortunately we do not care to take His help. Then why should we not suffer? Antar-bahiḥ. Antar-bahiḥ. There are two things, inside and outside. So Kṛṣṇa is... Outside He is helping, spiritual master. Spiritual master is external manifestation of the Supreme Lord. Just like if somebody is going somewhere in this Tokyo city. I have to say something. So I apply him, "Will you kindly carry this message to him?" Similarly, Kṛṣṇa deputes some of His confidential devotees to help the people to become Kṛṣṇa conscious: "Please go and tell him this." The spiritual master is, therefore, external manifestation of the Supreme Lord. And internally He is sitting there as Paramātmā. So both ways, He is helping. And because the business is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore there is no difference between the external teacher and the internal teacher. Because teaching is the same.

Lecture on SB 2.9.14 -- Melbourne, April 13, 1972:

That is advised by Nārada Muni to his disciple Vyāsadeva: "What you are writing, all these nonsense books? You..." What is called? Jugupsitam. Jugupsitam. He instructed Vyāsadeva that "Whatever literatures you have produced..." Means up to that time he produced Vedānta-sūtra. He wrote up to Vedānta-sūtra, which is considered to be the topmost philosophical thesis in the world, Vedānta-sūtra, all over the world, the Vedānta philosophy. So he finished that Vedānta-sūtra. Still, he was not happy. And his spiritual master Nārada chastised him, "What nonsense books you have written?" First of all he was not happy, so Nārada came, and he asked him that "Why you are not happy? You know everything, but why you are not happy?" So he submitted, "Yes, my master, I know everything, and I think I have done everything, writing all these books. But still, I am not happy. So why I am not happy, that you can tell because you are my master."

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

So we are reciting from our latest edition of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is Third Canto, Part Four. We have finished Third Canto, publishing. This is very important subject matter. The Kapila, the expounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy, he instructed to His mother, Devahūti. There are two Kapilas. Real Kapiladeva is Kapila. He expounded Sāṅkhya philosophy to instruct His mother. But later on, some imitation Kapiladeva also appeared—atheistic Sāṅkhya philosophy. He has simply dealt with the twenty-four different elements without information of God. Therefore there are two Kapilas. One Kapila is called the devahūti-putra Kapila; another is atheist Kapila.

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

So kapilas tattva-saṅkhyātā bhagavān. Kapila is Bhagavān. Nowadays Bhagavān is so cheap. They misuses of the word. But here you will find that Bhagavān is not an ordinary man. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). Because Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa appeared as human being, so the mūḍhas, rascals and fools, they think of Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being, mūḍha. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam, tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ, mohitam (BG 7.13). So still there are devotees who can understand. Just like Arjuna understood that "Kṛṣṇa, although He's my friend, playing the part of my friend, but He is Supreme Personality of Godhead." Therefore, when Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna for our benefit... Arjuna is in perfect knowledge, but aiming at Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa is giving instruction for all human society, and he admitted. After knowing Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the Paraṁbrahma." Paraṁbrahman. Every one of us, Brahman. Brahman means spirit soul. We are not this body. Bhāgavata... This is realization, self-realization. That is Vedic culture. One must understand what he is. We should not keep ourself in ignorance like cats and dogs, thinking that "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," or so many designations. That is bodily designation. So when one comes to the spiritual understanding, that is called Brahman realization. Bhāgavata...

Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:

Those who are aspiring after mukti. Because when one is disgusted with these material engagements—sadā samudvigna-dhiyām—they want to destroy this. Mithyā. But the Vaiṣṇava says that prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Everything has got relation with the Supreme Person or the Absolute Truth. Just like this microphone. It is made of metal. But what is metal? It is another form of earth. So Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). It is His energy. So His energy... He is the source of energy. So energy, how it can be untrue? That is not untrue. We don't say that "This metal has no connection with Kṛṣṇa." Yes, it has connection. Because it is production of His own energy. So... Just like this material world, this cosmic manifestation, is the production of the sunshine. The sun and the sunshine—you cannot say the sunshine is false and the sun is true. That is not nice philosophy. If the sun is true, then the sunshine is also true. So we don't say that this jagan mithyā. No. It may be temporary, but it is not mithyā. Therefore our Gosvāmīs, they instruct, or Kṛṣṇa also instructs that everything belongs to Him. Therefore everything should be utilized for His purpose. That is wanted.

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

So explanation of Vedānta-sūtra is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins that what is that tattva. Janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1). Janmādy asya, from whom everything has emanated, or the Supreme, which is the source of everything, so what is the nature of that source? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). That source is abhijñaḥ, cognizant, not matter. Matter is not cognizant. Life. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), cognizant. So these scientists' theory, modern theory, that life comes from matter, this is wrong. The life comes from life. Because in the Bhagava..., Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is explained that janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). The identity from whom everything emanates, He's abhijñaḥ, cognizant. He can understand. So cognizant means life. Not only that. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He instructed knowledge to Lord Brahma, about Vedic knowledge. So unless one is living entity, how he can impart knowledge?

Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:

So Kapiladeva is incarnation, and He instructed His mother Devahūti. Therefore to distinguish two Kapilas... One Kapila is the atheist Kapila, and the other Kapila is Bhagavān Kapila. Therefore Bhagavān Kapila is known as Devahūti-putra Kapila. Both of them expounded the Sāṅkhya philosophy, but the atheist Kapila expounded without understanding or without perception or realization of God, and here, Kapiladeva, He's expounding Sāṅkhya philosophy to His mother personally. Just like Kṛṣṇa personally expounded the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna, His friend, similarly, Kapiladeva, Bhagavān, He expounded the Sāṅkhya philosophy to His mother, Devahūti, and that we are explaining.

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

So real business of, especially of human being... The animals, they do not know. They have no capacity to know that we are in the darkness-darkness of knowledge and actually darkness. So one has to be, become nirviṇṇā, disgusted. One, intelligent man should be disgusted. One must be intelligent to know that "I am eternal." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). It is the preliminary study of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is instructing about the constitutional position of the soul: na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), na jāyate na mriyate kadācit. Kadācit, at any time, the soul does not take birth, does not die. And more explicitly it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The covering, the body is the covering. So after destruction of this body, the soul is not destroyed. Just like if I change my shirt and coat or somehow or other the shirt and coat is destroyed, I, the person who put on this dress, I am not destroyed. This simple knowledge is instructed in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā. There are so many big, big scholars, big, big leaders, and still, they cannot understand that "I am not this body." This is the result because they do not study Bhagavad-gītā in the proper way. We have got so many leaders, big, big leaders. They are teaching Bhagavad-gītā. But nobody is fully aware or convinced that "I am not this body." This is called darkness. This is called darkness. And when one becomes disgusted with this darkness, or this position in the darkness, that is human life. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Such person, who has become disgusted with this material existence, he requires the instruction of a guru.

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

So here Devahūti, because she is the wife of a great yogi, she understands what is the constitutional position of herself, and she has got her son, the incarnation of God. So she is getting here, mean, problem to the teacher. It doesn't matter... Because Kapiladeva is the son of Devahūti, Devahūti does not deny to take instruction from Him. She does not say, "Oh, He is my son. What He can instruct me? I am His mother. I shall instruct." No. Instruction has to be taken from the person who is in knowledge. It doesn't matter what is his position. It doesn't matter, whether he's son or a boy or a śūdra or a brāhmaṇa or a sannyāsī or a gṛhastha. It doesn't matter. You should take instruction from a person who knows, who is in the knowledge.

That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. He said, when He was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya... Rāmānanda Rāya was a śūdra by caste. We have got the four divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So he was, Rāmānanda Rāya was by caste a śūdra, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a high-class brāhmaṇa. Not only brāhmaṇa, He was a sannyāsī, the most exalted post. First of all He's brāhmaṇa. Of course, unless one is brāhmaṇa, he cannot take sannyāsa. That's a fact. So He was, from social point of view, He was son of Jagannātha Miśra, grandson of Nīlāmbara Cakravartī. Personally, He was learned scholar, born in a very high class brāhmaṇa, very beautiful body, young man—all qualified. And He was taking instruction from Rāmānanda Rāya, who was a śūdra. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta, you'll find.

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

So this is Vedic system. Not that one is lower in the estimation of the society by birth or so on. But he must be qualified. So here also it doesn't matter. This is going on. That is Vedic system. Devahūti does not deny to take instruction from her son. It is the system. It doesn't matter whether he's inferior. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya: (CC Madhya 8.128) "You will accept anyone as guru if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... And Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed everyone to become a guru. The world is suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That was His mission. He wanted that from India everyone should become a guru and preach outside, because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' sarva-deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Or tāra' ei deśa. "You become a guru on My order, and you deliver your country or other countries." "So I have no so qualification, I have no education. How I can become guru?" Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya: "By My order." "Then what is Your order, Sir?" "Now, My order is yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). This is My order. You simply explain what Kṛṣṇa has said. Or what has been said about Kṛṣṇa." That is kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa means what Kṛṣṇa is instructing. The Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality, Kṛṣṇa, He is instructing. That is kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is speaking about Kṛṣṇa. That is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Kṛṣṇasya upadeśa iti kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, and Kṛṣṇa, subject matter Kṛṣṇa and upadeśa, that is also kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You simply preach kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Then you become guru.'

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the best welfare activity in the human society, the best. There is no more better welfare... There are so many welfare activities in the human society, but this kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, to instruct people about the primary principles of Bhagavad-gītā in the human society, that is the best para-upakāra. People do not know how to become happy. They are... Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). They are simply making struggle for existence by mental concoction. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). In this material world, they are simply struggling. There is no solution. Therefore the every Indian should study Bhagavad-gītā and if possible Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and assimilate it, and preach all over the world. This is the duty of India. India has no other duty. Para-upakāra. So with our one man's endeavor, teeny effort, you, we can see that so many outsiders, they're attracted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unless there is something substance... They are not illiterate. They are not fools. They are not poor. Why they are attracted? There is something to be learned from Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spread all over the world regularly, then the face of the world will change. That's a fact. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is the Vedic mission: "Let everyone become happy." And how he'll be happy? He cannot become happy by mental concoction. That is not possible.

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

There is a paramparā system, as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fourth Chapter: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So our business, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, our business is very easy. Because we don't manufacture ideas. We take the idea and the words delivered by the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, or His incarnation, or His representative. His representative does not say anything which the master does not say. Representative is very easy. You can become representative of Kṛṣṇa if you do not interpret Kṛṣṇa's words in your whimsical way. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." And if you take it as it is, and if you speak to the people that "There is no more superior authority than Kṛṣṇa," then you become guru. You become guru. You don't change. Then you become guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed this. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). His, He was preaching. So He was preaching everyone, from country to country. Of course, He did not go outside India. Within India. And He was instructing that "You learn from Me and teach your people within this village, within this country." Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Ei deśa means "this country, or this place where you are living." Then? Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā. You become guru. So one may think that "I am illiterate. I have no education. I am not born in very high family. How I can become guru?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "It is not very difficult." Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Bas. You become guru. You simply speak whatever Kṛṣṇa speaks. Then you become guru.

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

So that is wanted. That is ādhyātmika. That is called bhakti-yoga, to reconnect our connection with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also comes to instruct that "You rascal, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Just revive your connection with Me, you rascal. Give up all these manufactured so-called types of yoga and religion." Sarva-dharmān paritya... That is Kṛṣṇa's instruction. That is the differ... That is the proof. Kṛṣṇa says the same thing, and Kṛṣṇa's representative or incarnation or guru says the same thing. That is the qualification of guru. Here Kapiladeva, although He is the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, He's acting as the representative of Kṛṣṇa, as guru. He's saying the same thing. He does not say another thing. Yoga ādhyātmikaḥ. Yoga ādhyātmikaḥ puṁsāṁ mato niḥśreyasāya me. Niḥśreyasa means the ultimate benefit. Kṛṣṇa also says the same thing, that paraṁ guhyatamam: "I have instructed you so many things, but because you are My dear friend, I am just disclosing to you the most confidential thing." What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If you accept this principle, then you become actually transcendental to this so-called material happiness and distress. That is yoga.

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa says that anyone can understand Himself, anyone can understand Kṛṣṇa and the relationship, provided the darkness of ignorance is taken away. That is required. That is done by Kṛṣṇa personally. For whom? Teṣām evānukampārtham (BG 10.11). Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. Those who are engaged twenty-four hours with love and faith in devotional service. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam. The buddhi-yogam. He directs, "Do like this, do like that." Then... What for buddhi? Yena mām upayānti te. Then, gradually, you come to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore it is recommended here, na yujyamānayā bhaktyā bhagavaty akhilātmani, sadṛśo 'sti śivaḥ panthā. Śiva means auspicious. Śiva means auspiciousness. So if you actually interested for self-realization, if you want to become perfect in this life, śivaḥ panthā, the most auspicious, most perfect panthā is... What is that? Now, bhaktyā bhagavati. You just become a devotee and engage yourself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not the so-called rascal Bhagavān, but bhagavaty akhilātman. One, the..., that Bhagavān who is present everywhere. That Bhagavān. Not this false bhagavān. Akhilātmani. These are the shastric injunction. So that Bhagavān... "I don't find that Bhagavān." No. That Bhagavān is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). That is real Bhagavān. So as soon... Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. That Bhagavān is always acting. He instructed Brahmā. Brahmā, the lord of the universe, he got instruction from Kṛṣṇa, and he created the whole universe, and what to speak of you? He'll also give instruction to you, provided you take to the devotional service, bhaktyā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:

So sādhu means devotee, Kṛṣṇa's devotee. That is called sādhu. Here it is stated, sa eva sādhuṣu kṛtaḥ. The same association, sādhu-saṅga. (CC Madhya 22.83)So who is sādhu? Sādhu means devotee. It is defined by Kṛṣṇa Himself: sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). He's sādhu. Who? Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). He's sādhu. Anyone who is, without any reservation, has begun serving Kṛṣṇa and engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the definition of sādhu. Titikṣava. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed how to become sādhu:

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

(CC Adi 17.31)

Sādhu's business is to become very tolerant. Because everyone becomes enemy. If you become a devotee, everyone will become enemy, because they're asuras. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Even the father. Hiraṇyakaśipu is the father of Prahlāda Mahārāja. The boy, five-years-old boy. What is his fault? He's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And his father became enemy. Up to which, what strength? Now, he was prepared to kill. He was insisting the boy that "Why you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? Why you are speaking of a separate God? I am God." That is the asuri. Those rascals who claim to become God Himself, they are demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu.

Lecture on SB 3.25.23 -- Bombay, November 23, 1974:

That is recommended here: mad-āśrayāḥ kathā mṛṣṭāḥ śṛṇvanti kathayanti ca. If you simply talk about Kṛṣṇa and hear about Kṛṣṇa, then that stage will come when there will be no more suffering always. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). This is called ānandamaya in the Vedānta-sūtra. A living entity or Kṛṣṇa, they are ānandamaya. Prācurye maya-pratyaya. Simply ānanda. When you are in pleasure, transcendental bliss, there will be no more possibility of this material suffering. That is instructed here:

mad-āśrayāḥ kathā mṛṣṭāḥ

śṛṇvanti kathayanti ca

tapanti vividhās tāpā

naitān mad-gata-cetasaḥ

There is also another statement in the Bhagavad-gītā: yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). There are many yogis, but that yogi who is thinking of Kṛṣṇa always, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā, sa me yuktatamaḥ: "In My opinion that is... He is the first-class yogi." Not to show any magic. Magic, that is magic, that if he does not suffer from any suffering, that is the greatest magic. But that will be done by a devotee. And Kṛṣṇa also recommends.

Lecture on SB 3.25.25 -- Bombay, November 25, 1974:

And sādhu we have described already in three, four verses. The summary—a sādhu means a devotee. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Ananya-bhāvena, without any deviation, unflinching, staunch devotee, they are called sādhu. So we have to associate with sādhu. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. When you discuss about Kṛṣṇa with sādhu or devotees, it becomes very pleasing. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Rasāyanāḥ means there is some taste. Just like you eat something; there is some taste. That is called rasa, or mellow. Then... Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). Rasa. Rasa means when you are thirsty, when you drink water, you taste something very nice to quench your thirst. So Kṛṣṇa has instructed that "To begin with, you can think of Me, aham, while you drink water." It is not difficult. Everyone can practice it, so easy thing. Everyone can practice it. Everyone drinks water, and the rasa, the taste, the nice taste, when you are thirsty, how it is palatable by drinking water. Without water, sometimes we die, and by getting little sip of water, we live. Water is so important. So water, we drink everyone, and there is rasa, that taste. That taste, if we simply think, "Here is Kṛṣṇa," very easy thing... Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). As soon as you see the sunlight in the morning, you can think. Kṛṣṇa says. Why do you say, "Can you show me God?" God is showing you Himself. Why don't you see it? If you close your eyes, how you can see God? He says, "I am this." According to our position...

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

"My dear Arjuna, you are not taking like a learned man. You are thinking that you are very learned man, that you are talking with Me, what will happen to this, to that if I fight. You have wasted so much time. But actually I find that you are a fool number one. You do not know anything. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvam, because you are lamenting for things for which one should not lament. What is that? This body. You are thinking of this body of your relative, and because they will be in the war, they will be killed. You are thinking like that. But actually this is not the subject matter pondering. The real subject matter is how to save the soul."

Therefore He began instructing that we are not this body, we are soul. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptam (BG 2.13), in this way He gave first instruction that we are not this body. So here also Devahūti is woman. Everyone is less intelligent before his guru, especially woman. Striyo śūdra tathā vaiśya te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, but God, or Kṛṣṇa, is open for everyone. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is open for the brāhmaṇas, the learned scholars or the Hindus or the Muslims or Christian, no, Kṛṣṇa is open for everyone. Striyo śūdra tathā vaiśyās te 'pi yānti param, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32), even pāpa-yonayaḥ. Pāpa-yoni means low class. Just like in our country we have got low class people, the cobbler muci, the caṇḍālas the dog-eaters. They are considered as low class. So Kṛṣṇa is open even for the low class.

Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

So our proposition is that Kṛṣṇa is the original mahājana. Kṛṣṇa instructed Brahmā. Brahmā is also mahājana. And Kṛṣṇa instructed everyone. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. He is instructing everyone. How? Aham ādir hi devānām: (Bg 10.2) "All the demigods, they are subordinate to Me." Aham ādiḥ: "I am the original." Everyone has learned from Kṛṣṇa. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. So Kṛṣṇa is teaching personally just like Kapiladeva is teaching personally. So you take Kapiladeva's philosophy, Sāṅkhya philosophy, Kṛṣṇa's philosophy, Bhagavad-gītā, but try to understand as He says. Don't interpret in the wrong way. So this is āmnāya-tattvam. So if we fix up the idea how to receive transcendental knowledge and how to practice it, if we simply take the instruction of these mahājana, āmnāya, so that will be very beneficial and easy also.

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

A pure devotee, as it is instructed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, how to keep the position of pure devotee... There are many explanations. Rūpa Gosvāmī has also given the same idea in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. And Nārada Muni, he has given the same idea in the Nārada Pañcarātra. And Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa has also given the same idea in the Bhagavad-gītā. From all Vedic scripture it is understood that a pure devotee, he does not want anything from the Lord. He does not want. Even he does not want liberation, what to speak of the material things—dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90).

Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:

So who can be better guru than Kṛṣṇa? He is the original guru. Here it is stated, guruḥ. In the previous verse, yeṣām ahaṁ priya ātmā sutaś ca sakhā guruḥ. Guruḥ. So you don't accept anyone guru, but accept guru, Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is instructing Bhagavad-gītā as guru. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Arjuna says, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I am accepting as my guru. I am Your śiṣya." So everyone should become like that, accept Kṛṣṇa as guru. Or Kṛṣṇa's representative. You can say, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? I don't find." But Kṛṣṇa's representative is there. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

(BG 4.34)

So one who knows Kṛṣṇa perfectly, he is Kṛṣṇa's representative. And to know Kṛṣṇa is very difficult task? No. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. But if you, like a rascal, interpret in a different way, then you are not a guru. You are a goru, then you are animal. You are guru so long you take Bhagavad-gītā as it is.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

The Māyāvādī thinks like that, that "We are one, Kṛṣṇa and we. We are one." Yes, we are one—in quality. The same thing: just like the fire and the spark, one in burning capacity. Even a small spark of the fire, it can burn. So we are one in the spiritual quality, but in quantity, we are different. Same example: vibhu and aṇu. This is very nice verse in the Bhagavad-gītā, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14).

In another verse is there,

bhakti-yogena manasi

samyak praṇihite 'male

apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ

māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam

(SB 1.7.4)

Vyāsadeva, Vyāsadeva, when he was instructed by his spiritual master Nārada Muni to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, at that time, by bhakti-yoga meditation, he could see the Supreme Personality of Godhead and this māyā also. But it is said, māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. Māyā is situated in the back side, back side, without any influence upon Kṛṣṇa, apāśrayam, under the control. So māyā is always controlled. Kṛṣṇa is the controller of māyā.

Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:

So we have been accustomed to this habit of material disadvantages. We have no information of spiritual life. Therefore śāstra says that we should try... This life, human life, is not meant for suffering but to make endeavor to end suffering. That is human life. Human life is not meant for suffering like the animals. Just like the life of pig. Is that very good life? Whole day and night they are searching after stool, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" because that is their enjoyment. Actually, if you give a pig halavā and, side by side, stool, he would prefer to accept the stool than the halavā because he is habituated to that kind of food. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says that human life... He was instructing to His sons, "My dear sons, don't be like pigs. You just become like human being." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye: (SB 5.5.1) "My dear sons, don't try to get happiness like the pigs, dogs, hogs." Kaṣṭān kāmān. With hard labor, you get some food, and then you enjoy sex life. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Material life means to work very hard day and night and get some money and then eat sumptuously. Eat, drink, be merry and then enjoy sex life. That's all. So Ṛṣabhadeva said, "My dear sons, this kind of standard of life is available in the life of pigs." Kaṣṭān kāmān arhate ye viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means stool-eaters.

Lecture on SB 3.26.10 -- Bombay, December 22, 1974:

So to understand the Absolute Truth, there are four recognized sampradāyas: the Brahma-sampradāya, the Rudra-sampradāya, the Kumāra-sampradāya, and the Śrī-sampradāya. Śrī-sampradāya mean one sampradāya is coming from directly from the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī. That is called Śrī-sampradāya. And one sampradāya is coming from Lord Brahmā. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. The ādi-kavi is Lord Brahmā. He learned from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Tene brahma hṛdā. The Supreme Personality of Godhead instructed Lord Brahmā from within the heart: tene brahma hṛdā. Hṛdā means within the heart. So in this way, instruction is received from Lord Brahmā, from Lord Śiva, from Lakṣmījī the goddess of fortune, and the Kumāras, Sanat-kumāra, Sanaka, Sanātana, Sananda Kumāra. They have got a sampradāya. So we have to approach the sampradāya. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Abhigacchet: "must approach the sampradāya," either of the sampradāya. Sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ: "If you don't take your instruction, mantra, from the sampradāya, then it is useless." It has no meaning, because they do not know. Therefore we have to take sampradāya, accept sampradāya.

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

Similarly, in the dormant stage after annihilation, we living entities, we forget everything. Just like at night we are forgetting everything of this bodily activities, and again, during daytime, we are forgetting everything of the night dream. This is going on. Similarly, at the time of annihilation, prakṛtiṁ yānti māmikām. Kalpa-kṣaye. When this millennium will be ended, at the end of Brahmā's life, at that time the living entities will stay in the body of the Mahā-Viṣṇu. (aside:) What is that sound? And again, when we are let loose from the deha, and there is creation, our old remembrances all come in, and we begin our life. This is the process of going... Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Sva-tejasā apibat tīvram ātma-prasvāpanaṁ tamaḥ.

So the darkness is there, and the light is also there. Simply we have to be awakened. Therefore Vedas, they instruct us that "Don't sleep! Get up!" Uttiṣṭhata prāpya varān nibodhata jāgrata. Similarly, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also sings, kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole. Jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole. Gauracānda means Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says, "O the living entities, you get up! Be awakened!" We may say, "Now we are awakened." This is not awakened. This is also slumber in darkness of ignorance. Real awakening is when we come to our spiritual consciousness. That is real awakened. Yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī. This is not, this awakening stage, this is not real awakening. Real awakening comes when we understand, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. At the present moment we are not awakened, still sleeping, because we are thinking, every one of us, "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." In this way we are conscious of the designation. So we have to get out of the designation, and when we shall understand our real identity, not this bodily identity but spiritual soul identity, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Otherwise we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. So long we are identifying with this body, we are still sleeping. Kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole. Just like a child sleeps on the lap of the mother, similarly, we are sleeping on the lap of mother material nature. This is our position.

Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. He is Brahmā's guru. Then who can be better guru than Kṛṣṇa? Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He instructed Brahmā. Brahmā instructed Nārada, and Nārada instructed Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva has given us so many literatures. This is called paramparā system. Vedavyāsa. Vyāsadeva has given us four Vedas: Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva; then explained them in the 108 Purāṇas. Then again, he has summarized them in Vedānta-sūtra. Then again, he has explained the Vedānta-sūtra by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya. In every chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find this statement by Vyāsadeva, brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya. Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya is not that Śaṅkara's bhāṣya, Śārīraka-bhāṣya. That is artificial. Here the brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya. Brahma-sūtra is written by Vyāsadeva, and because he knew that in future so many rascals will misinterpret this Brahma-sūtra, therefore he compiled personally the bhāṣya of Brahma-sūtra. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇāṁ vedārtha-paribṛṁhitam **: "The meaning of the Vedas is completely described, and it is the original comment on Brahma-sūtra." Therefore you will see Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins from the words of Brahma-sūtra: jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. As it is said in the Brahma-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā, the Bhāgavata says that jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā: "The living entity's only business is to inquire about the Absolute Truth." Na yaś ceha karmabhiḥ: "No other business." Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41).

Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept our service in so many ways. Either if you cannot establish Deity, then you simply hear about Him. That is the most important thing. We do not require to establish temple everywhere. If there is possible to establish temple and serve Kṛṣṇa properly according to the regulation mentioned in the śāstras or instructed by the spiritual master, that is called vaidhī-bhakti. Vaidhī-bhakti. Vaidhī-bhakti means discharging devotional service under regulative principles. So without vaidhī-bhakti, you cannot jump to the rāga-bhakti. Rāga-bhakti is spontaneous. That does not require any regulative principles. Out of love, out of feeling anyone wants to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is called..., that is gopīs. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they did not undergo any regulative principles. But spontaneously, they are always ready to serve God, Kṛṣṇa. That is called rāga-bhakti. Just like to... The example... There are examples. Just like a mother, as soon as there is child, baby, she takes care. She takes care. Although she does not go to a school how to take care of a child, but automatically. Automatically she takes care. Similarly, this automatically serving Kṛṣṇa, that is called rāga-bhakti. That is reached by vaidhī-bhakti, by practicing. Just like formerly there was marriage, child marriage—a small boy, a small girl. But simply by association the girl understands how to serve the husband and the husband also understand how to give protection to the wife, and mostly, the life was very pleasing, happy. From the very beginning she knows, "Here is my husband," and he knows, "Here is my wife." At least we have seen in our India. There is no question of separation. There is no question of divorce. The love is there from the very beginning. The propensity was there and immediately the object of love is there. A girl has got husband; a husband has got a wife. So the love continues spontaneously.

Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:

So from the very beginning of our life we should try to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love Kṛṣṇa. Then automatically it becomes manifest. That is the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Kaumāra. Kaumāra means up to tenth year, five to tenth year. According to somebody, even up to fifteenth year. Anyway, during this period of life one should learn how to develop this devotional cult, dharmān bhāgavatān. Dharma means the laws and the instruction given by God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). And when that is actually executed directly between, transaction between God and the devotee, that is real dharma. Dharmān bhāgavatān. They have different types of dharmas, but real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma, what we learn from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to deal with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān. That is called bhāgavatān. So children should be instructed from the very beginning of their life this bhāgavata-dharma. We are attempting to do that in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got an institution, Gurukula, at Dallas, Texas, and they are learning very nicely. Just like this child. From the very beginning he is learning bhāgavata-dharma. He is offering obeisances, he is chanting, he is dancing, he is offering a flower to the spiritual master, and he is offering to the Vaiṣṇavas. In his childish way, while playing, he is becoming accustomed to dharmān bhāgavatān. This is really, really human civilization, from the very beginning of life. Because if we want, we can learn like cats and dog, jumping and eating and sleeping and mating. No. That is not the business of the human life.

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

The mother is taking instruction from son. So it doesn't matter. One should not think, "Oh, he is my son. What instruction I shall take from him? I know better than him." No. Son or anyone, anyone, if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa he becomes guru. This is the Vedic system. It doesn't matter. Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born in a very respectable brāhmaṇa family. He was very advanced learned scholar, and after all He took sannyāsa. So when He was discussing with Rāmānanda Rāya Rāmānanda Rāya was a gṛhastha, householder and governor of Madras, means politician. A householder, politician, and he was born not in brāhmaṇa family; in kāraṇa, kāyastha family. They are considered as śūdras. So he had no position to instruct Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him the place of instructor and He took the position of a listener. Just see Caitanya Mahāprabhu's pastimes. He gave him the position of instructor and He took the position of student, listener.

So Rāmānanda Rāya was feeling a little agitation, that "How is that? I am a gṛhastha, householder, not even born in high family, brāhmaṇa family. And I am engaged in politics, I am governor, and He is a sannyāsī, renounced order of life. How is that that He is asking question and I am replying? The question is enquired by the student, and the answer is given by the spiritual master. So how is that?" He was feeling little agitation. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately encouraged him, "Don't hesitate." This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's example. He is teaching everything by His personal example. His purpose was that in this Kali-yuga the distinction between brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra will be almost finished. Then who will instruct? Because the instructor's position is brāhmaṇa. One must be brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa's business is paṭhan pāṭhan yajan yājan dāna pratigraha. A brāhmaṇa should be personally very highly learned scholar. Therefore brāhmaṇa is called paṇḍita. Even in India, still a brāhmaṇa is addressed, "paṇḍitji." He may be a fool number one, but he is addressed like that, "Paṇḍitji."

Lecture on SB 3.28.20 -- Nairobi, October 30, 1975:

So sādhu śāstra guru. This is the way. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī in various subject matter, and He also described the incarnation in Kali-yuga from śāstra that,

kṛṣṇa-varṇam tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

(SB 11.5.32)

He quoted from Bhāgavatam, "This is the incarnation of Kali-yuga." So He is Himself yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ-prāyaiḥ. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was prime minister, very intelligent man. So he had inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "How we can accept the avatāra?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, "From the śāstra." And Sanātana Gosvāmī got it confirmed that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was... He stopped, of course. When he inquired that "Shall I accept this personality who is now preaching saṅkīrtana movement and along with His associates, He is the Supreme Lord?" Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Let us go on further. We don't..."

So this is the way, not whimsically accept any rascal as avatāra. No. That is not the process. Or any rascal as God. This rascaldom has killed the whole human society to become atheist. You should be very, very careful of these rascals. As soon as somebody says that "I am God," you shall immediately take him as dog, not God.

Lecture on SB 3.28.20 -- Nairobi, October 30, 1975:

That is meditation.

This arca-vigraha... By offering worship to the Deity, you see the lotus feet is there, the ankle is there, the mark in the sole is there. Everything is there. So each and every part you study and understand, "Kṛṣṇa is here. Kṛṣṇa is there." This is meditation. It is not that the rascal's theory that God is everywhere except in the temple. No. It is not like that. He is everywhere. Now He has appeared in this temple specifically to show His mercy how we can study very analytically: "Here is feet. Here is hand. The feet is marked with these symptoms. His hand is like this. His flute is like this. His hair is like this. Eyes are..." Study everything minutely. Then that is meditation, and this will help you to think of Kṛṣṇa constantly, and that will be trance, samādhi, samādhi, practical. It is not to be imaginary. The Māyāvādīs, they think that it is imagination. No, it is not imagination. It is confirmed by the śāstras, sādhu śāstra guru vākya.

So don't be misled by the Māyāvādīs. As we have got our ācāryas, they are instructing, as Bhāgavata is instructing, Bhagavad-gītā is instructing, we have to follow. And if we cannot follow, then we should see the ācāryas, how they are doing. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). In this way we have to make our life perfect.

Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

This is a verse instructed by Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva to his sons. Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva was incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, long, long years ago. And He was the emperor of the whole world. Formerly there was only one king on this planet. In every planet there is a predominating personality. In every... Not only this planet, all other planets also. And the predominating deity, or you may call the king or emperor... In the moon planet he is called Candra. Similarly, the predominating deity or the emperor of the sun planet, at the present moment he is called Vivasvān. So the predominating deity or the emperor in each and every important planet, they are mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That means the author of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has complete knowledge not only of this universe, but also beyond the universe.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

So this human form of life... Mahārāja Bharata is instructing to His sons. He had one hundred sons. So all of them assembled together, and the king, before retirement, was instructing. (aside:) Let him come in. (pause) So, instructing His sons. It is the duty of the father that before retirement... Now, here is one significant point. Why the king was retiring? That is the system, Vedic system. Either one is king or one is ordinary human being, at a certain age he must retire. That is Vedic system. Not that because one is king and one has ample opportunities for sense enjoyment, therefore he should indulge in sense enjoyment without retiring from family life. That is not Vedic system. The Vedic system is, the aim is, how to elevate oneself to the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Vedic system. You have read Bhagavad-gītā. In the Fifteenth Chapter, fifteenth verse, you'll find, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). The whole Vedic system is designed or planned how to know Kṛṣṇa. So if you follow Vedic system, then the ultimate objective should be to know Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vedic version and corroborated by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is the original compiler of Vedas; therefore His version should be accepted, that the objective of studying Vedas means to know Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15).

Therefore the king, Ṛṣabhadeva, is advising, instructing His sons... He was retiring. Why He was retiring? He could enjoy His kingdom. Just like at the present moment, either a king or a family man does not retire. Even a poor man living in with family with great difficulties, but if you ask him to retire, he'll not be agreeable. We have asked many old men. He's suffering, he's not happy within his family members, but if I say, "Why you are taking so much trouble with the family? Why not come and live with us in Kṛṣṇa consciousness society?" he'll not agree. Because he has no Vedic training.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

So this Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva, before retirement it is the duty of the father to give instructions how to look after family affairs, their personal affair, their spiritual advancement, everything, so here Ṛṣabhadeva is instructing, "My dear sons, do not think that this particular body, human body, is equal to the body of the cats and dogs and hogs. Don't consider like that." He has particularly mentioned viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means the stool-eater. As in the human society, the dog-eater human being is considered the lowest of the human society, similarly, in the animal society, the animal which eats stool is considered the lowest. So the gradation of human being is also calculated according to the eating process. This is... Modern thinker also says, in your country, Dr. Bernard Shaw? He has written one book. I think it is named You Are What You Eat. So eating is very important thing. If you eat like cats and dogs, then you'll become cats and dogs even in this human form of life. If you behave like cats and dogs, you become cats and dogs even in the human form of life. Similarly, if you work hard, very hard, like cats and dogs or hogs, then what is the value of your human life? Human life should be very sober, peaceful, full of knowledge, full of bliss, peaceful, devotee. These are the good signs of purity. Simply working hard like animal and eating like animal and... No.

That particular thing is being instructed by Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons, "My dear sons, this human form of life..." Ayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. "Everyone has got body, but the body in the human society is to be treated differently. It should not be just like the hogs." The hogs, whole day and night, they are after stool and sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

So therefore this tapasya means voluntarily accepting the rulings of scriptures, spiritual master, saintly person, and mold your life in that way. So He is instructing His sons, "My dear sons, don't spoil your life, living like cats and dogs and hogs. Utilize your life by tapasya, by voluntarily accepting the rulings of śāstra, spiritual master, saintly person." The question may be that "Why this injunction? Why I shall not live like an animal? And why I have to live under the regulative principles of scriptures and saintly person and spiritual master?" The answer is also there: tapo divyam. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā: (SB 5.5.1) "My dear sons, this form of life should be utilized for tapasya." Why? Yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet: "If you accept these principles of life, then your existential condition will be purified." At the present moment we are contaminated by the material nature, modes, mostly ignorance and passion. So He's advising that if you abide by the rulings of tapasya, then your existential condition will be purified. Yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

Many millions of years ago, King Ṛṣabhadeva... He was incarnation of God. Before His retirement He instructed His sons. He had one hundred sons. The eldest one was Bharata, and under, after his name, this planet was called Bhāratavarṣa. Bhāratavarṣa at the present moment, what we understand, that small piece of land, India, Bhāratavarṣa does not mean that piece of land. Bhāratavarṣa means this whole planet. So before that, before Emperor Bharata, this planet was known as Ilāvṛtavarṣa, and after the reign of Mahārāja Bharata this planet is known as Bhāratavarṣa. Gradually, the Vedic culture being forgotten, the whole planet is now divided. The seven islands, as already existing, they are mentioned in the Vedic literature also, sapta-dvīpa. Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and the Archipelago (Arctic level?). In this way this whole world is divided into seven lands, islands.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

So at the present moment, the Kali-yuga, the śāstra says, almost everyone is a śūdra because nobody can live independently. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kalau means in this age, this iron age, almost everyone is a śūdra. It is very difficult to find out really brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Vaiśyas maybe there are. But mostly śūdras. Because the other three orders of life are missing, therefore at the present moment there is no peace. In every step there is fight, there is quarrel. Kali means disagreement and quarrel. So this age is called Kali-yuga. This Kali-yuga has begun since the Battle of Kurukṣetra. You have heard in Mahābhārata or in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is within Mahābhārata. The Battle of Kurukṣetra between the two section of cousin-brothers, the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas, took place under the guidance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa five thousand years ago. And in that battlefield, Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna, His friend, the great book of knowledge, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā.

So human life must be divided into four orders, varṇāśrama-dharma. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said,

varṇāśramācāravatā

puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān

viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā

nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam

(CC Madhya 8.58)

The aim of human life is to understand God. That is the main business of human life. Main... Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Viṣṇu is the Supreme Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead. People, they do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to understand the Lord, the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu means "all-pervading God." God is not localized. God is all-pervading.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

So this planet—we are talking of this planet—this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. And Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva was the emperor of this planet. Before retirement, He instructed his children, His one hundred sons, "My dear boys, this human form of life," na ayaṁ deha, "this body..." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Deha-bhājām means there are other living entities also. There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. Out of them, only 400,000 forms of bodies are human beings. Out of the 400,000 species of human beings, mostly they are uncivilized. And out of them, a very few men are civilized. And out of many civilized persons, a very few know what is Vedic knowledge. And out of many persons who know Vedic knowledge, they do not act according to the Vedic instructions. And out of many such persons, there are very few persons who act accordingly to the Vedic instruction. And those who act, they are attached to karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra, fruitive activities. Just like perform yajñas and be elevated to the heavenly planets. These are called karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra. Out of many thousands of these persons who are attached to karma-kāṇḍīya chapter of Vedas, one, somebody may be jñānī. Jñānī means "one who knows, one who is in perfect knowledge." Not perfect knowledge, but searching after knowledge, jñānī. And out of many thousands of jñānīs, one is mukta. Mukta means liberated, liberated from material body. And out of many thousands of muktas, there is very difficult to find out a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

But Ṛṣabhadeva says that tapo divyaṁ putrakā (SB 5.5.1), "My dear boys, in order to get out of this diseased condition of life, kindly accept austerity." Just like when a man is diseased, the doctor says that "You cannot accept this. You cannot eat like this. You cannot go like this." So many "don'ts." Similarly, tapasya means "Don't. You do not do this." Because as living entity with animal propensities, the animal cannot accept "don'ts." If a tiger is requested, "My dear Mr. Tiger, don't eat meat," (laughter) he cannot accept it because it is animal. But if a human being is trained up in these "do's" and "don'ts," he can accept. That is human life. And when, in spite of his difficulty, he has..., he accepts something by the order of the śāstra, by the order of the guru, that is called tapasya. Just like we are instructing our students, "My dear boys, do not have illicit sex life; do not eat meat, fish, eggs; do not indulge in intoxication, up to drinking tea and smoking; and do not indulge in gambling." Of course, it is very difficult, especially in the Western countries. Not now, some, about thirty years ago, in this city of London, one of my Godbrothers came to preach, and he met Lord Zetland. So Lord Zetland asked this Swamiji whether he can be turned into a brāhmaṇa. The Swamiji replied, "Yes, you can become a brāhmaṇa." "How?" "Now, you have to give up these four things: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, fish-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." He said, "It is impossible." He replied, "Impossible." So actually, in the Western countries, these things are ordinary things, so they do not take it as any bad thing or any sinful, but according to Vedic śāstra, these four principles are the basic principles or the four pillars of sinful life. Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā (SB 1.17.38).

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

So the second-class men means the kṣatriyas, the administrators, the administrative class of men, because government men, they must be very sober to rule over the citizens. There are varieties of men, and, to regulate them so that the state may go on very peacefully, so this is dependent on the kṣatriyas. And they must be prepared to fight to the enemies. Everything is described in the śāstra, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tejo śauryaṁ yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. The administrator should be so brave that whenever there is war they must first of all come forward to fight so that soldiers and others may follow him. So they are second-class men, and they should be instructed by the first-class men. Then their activities will be nice.

Brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya-vaiśya. Vaiśya means the productive class of men. Their business is how to produce food for all the society and give protection to the cows. Kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (Bg 18.44). There must be sufficient milk in the human society. If you drink more milk and milk products, then your brain will be very sharp. You will understand things very nicely, corectly. Therefore milk is very important. In the Vedic śāstra cow protection is recommended. Why? Because milk is very, very important thing. Milk is... What about the meat-eaters? If there are meat-eaters, they can eat other animals, but especially they should not eat the cow. They should give them protection. So because the vaiśyas, the first class, second class, third class, they are meant for producing food for the society... So milk is very important. Therefore it is recommended, kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyam. And if there is excess, they can trade. And this is the first class, second class, third class. And those who cannot act as first-class men or as second-class men or third-class men—that means fourth-class men—they are called laborer or worker class of men.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

Where is my spectacle? (pause) Many thousands of years before, Ṛṣabhadeva... He is accepted as the incarnation of Godhead, king or emperor of the world. He instructed His sons. He had one hundred sons, and He was... Before retiring from His family life, He wanted to install His eldest son, Mahārāja Bharata, on the throne. And before retiring He was instructing His other sons as follows. Mahārāja Bharata was a great king, and after his name, India is called Bhāratavarṣa. This planet is..., was known before that as Ilāvṛtavarṣa, and after Mahārāja Bharata ruled, this planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. Gradually, the planet was divided into so many other states. Now Bhāratavarṣa means a small piece of land known as India.

Anyway, the king of this planet, Ṛṣabhadeva, was instructing His sons as follows:

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke

kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye

tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ

śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam

(SB 5.5.1)

He's instructing, "My dear sons, this human form of body is not to be wasted like cats and dogs." What is that? How this body is wasted like cats and dogs? Now, kaṣṭān kāmān. Kāmān means sense gratification. So with hard labor, ultimate end of hard laboring is sense gratification. Now, not only in your country, but also in all other countries at the present moment, everyone is trying to make economic development. What is that economic development you have got very good idea: industrialization, high standard of living and so many other things. But the end is sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

So Ṛṣabhadeva instructed in this way. It is very instructive chapter. If you continue to understand this instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva... Now we have only read one verse. The next verse is that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). Mahat-sevā. If you want this platform of self-realization, or spiritual life, then your engagement should be mahat-sevā, to serve a great soul, to associate with great soul. Then that will be possible. We shall discuss this next śloka. Mahat-sevā. Who is mahat, who is great soul, how to serve, everything we shall discuss next meeting.

Thank you very much. Any questions? Any question? Try to understand this philosophy scrutinizingly. You have got intelligence, you have got brain. So if there is any doubt, whatever is spoken... It is not dogmatic, pushing, or thrashing something. No. It is scientific and reasonable, whatever is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Amalaṁ purāṇam. It is spotless. Nobody can find any fault. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. Amalam means spotless. Yes.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

The cow is also born in this land. So why the man should be given protection, not the cow? But according to Vedic civilization you see. You have read in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, I explained. Oh, one man was going to kill one cow. Immediately Mahārāja Parīkṣit took his sword, "Oh, you are trying to kill cow in my kingdom? I shall immediately kill you." The special protection, brāhmaṇas and cow. You know, we offer Kṛṣṇa obeisances, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca: "Kṛṣṇa, You are the leader of brahminical civilization." The purest civilization. Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. "You are the well-wisher of cows and the brāhmaṇas." Why special stress is given to the words go and brāhmaṇa, cows and brāhmaṇas? Then he said, jagad-dhitāya. "After being, first being well-wisher to the cows and brāhmaṇas, then You are well-wisher of this general world." Jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya namo namaḥ. This is the prayer, namo brahmaṇya-devāya.

So why this specific stress has been given to the cows and brāhmaṇas? Just see Kṛṣṇa's picture, how He's loving the cow. You see? He is instructing by His practical life how He is compassionate with the cows. He played as a cowherd boy. Why? Because if in human society these two things are neglected, cows and the brāhmaṇa, that is animal society. Animal society. That is not human society. That is the idea. Because the brāhmaṇas, they will give you good information of spiritual life, and cows will give you the best food you can have within this material world. That is the real interpretation of go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. If you have simply a cow and... The great sages, just see. A child born, it lives simply on cow's milk. First of all, mother's milk. Milk for six months. Then when it is a little grown up, you simply give her sufficient milk, oh, she'll be very stout and strong. Then supply it little grains, fruits. That's all.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Bombay, March 25, 1977:

So Mr. Jyesthish(?) Gandhi, ladies and gentlemen, the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva is very important. Ṛṣabhadeva was the father of Mahārāja Bhārata, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. So before retirement, Ṛṣabhadeva instructed His one hundred sons about the aim of life. So this is Vedic civilization. So He says, "My dear boys, don't spoil your life by living like hogs." This very word has been used. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Viḍ-bhujāṁ. Viḍ-bhujāṁ means there are hogs who are very much enthusiastic to eat stool. So why this particular animal has been named? Because we can find especially in Indian villages, the hogs, day and night, they are working very hard to find out where there is stool. And as soon as he eats stool, the hog very easily become fatty and strong. Therefore a class of men, they like to eat the flesh of hog because it becomes easily fatty. And the hog's business is, as soon as he gets little strength, then next business is sex, without any discrimination. The hog has no discrimination who is sister, who is mother, who is daughter. So therefore this particular animal has been named, and Ṛṣabhadeva warns His sons that "Don't live the life of hogs. Live like human being."

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Bombay, March 25, 1977:

So this is a very elaborate scientific subject matter, and we are trying to present all over the world. Why not our Indian brothers take it very seriously? Why we should be carried away by the waves of material nature? This is not very good idea. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva (SB 5.5.1). Sattva, my existence. At the present moment... Just like I am coughing. So because I am, for the present moment, I am diseased. So this is the symptom of coughing. Similarly, why I am dying? This should be the question. Ke āmi kena more jāpaṭiyā traya. I hear from Bhagavad-gītā that I am eternal: na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Na jāyate na mriyate vā. Then why I am dying? This is intelligence. Why I am dying? This "why." Kena Upaniṣad. But this is not being educated. We are carried away by the temporary problems and missing the chance of human life. This is not very good, and Ṛṣabhadeva especially instructs that mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. If you actually want liberation from these clutches of māyā, vimukti, vimukti... Vimukti means liberation. What is liberation? Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa avasthitiḥ. We are living in a different way. This is not mukti. This is conditioned. I am living as Indian condition, I am living as European condition. This is not mukti. You must live in your original form. That is called mukti. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpam. Now we are living anyathā rūpam. Somebody is living as Indian, somebody is living as European, somebody as cat, somebody as dog, somebody... This is anyathā rūpam.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

...nice instruction by Ṛṣabhadeva. Ṛṣabhadeva was incarnation of God. He was instructing His sons before retirement. So he's instructing nāyaṁ dehaḥ, this body, deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Deha-bhājām means one who has accepted this material body. Actually this body has no existence. It is simply a covering, therefore it is called māyā. Everyone, we have got experience, that at night we forget this body. We act in a different body in dream. At night we feel there is no existence of this body, and at night, dreaming, we get another body, walking in a different place, creating in a different situation, acting in a different body. It is a fact, every day, every night, we see it like this. And during the daytime we forget that night body. So actually we are possessing the gross body and the subtle body. When we act on the subtle body, the gross body is no longer existing, and when we work in the gross body, the subtle body is not existing. But I am existing. I am existing both in the subtle body and gross body. This day's body is also a dream, but we are so foolish that we do not understand it. Mad, we are mad after. Therefore this subtle body and gross body, and their vanishing at daytime and night's time, the cats and dogs cannot understand. But a man, if he has got cool brain, he can understand.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). How Kṛṣṇa expands Himself, how He appears, what is the nature of His body, these things if you simply understand, then you become immortal. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Just to give the people a chance to understand Kṛṣṇa then he becomes immortal. That is the mission of life. Not that to enjoy sense gratification in a polished way, but the business is the same as the dogs and hogs enjoy. That is being instructed here. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Viḍ-bhujām means the pigs who eat stool. They're also enjoying like that. They have got very free sex enjoyment. They do not care who is mother, who is sister, with anyone. We have seen, that is, nature has got example, everything, you can study. You'll find in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that by studying nature you can get so many instruction, perfect. So one devotee made the nature his spiritual master, and studying nature and getting so much information. So if you study like that, here as it is given, the example, viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. So viḍ-bhujām means the pigs or the hog. They are also eating nicely, getting fat, and having sex intercourse very freely, so does it mean that human being is also meant for this business, like the hogs and dogs. This is the point. This is the instruction. This body is not meant for such enjoyment for the senses, but this body is meant for tapaḥ, austerity, as Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī showed example. He came to the point of neti. How to come to that point, tapasya. Why? By that process your existential position will be purified. And if you say, what is the use of purifying? There is use, because you want happiness, but your happiness is disturbed. You cannot have perpetual, uninterrupted happiness in this body. Therefore, if you really want happiness, then you purify your existence and you'll get continued eternal happiness of bliss and knowledge. This should be the aim of human life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means, as we have read from the Bhagavad-gītā, that tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya: (BG 4.9) "My dear Arjuna, Kaunteya..." Arjuna's another name is Kaunteya because he is, happens to be, the son of Kuntī. His mother was named Kuntī. So from Kuntī, he was Kaunteya. Kaunteya means "son of Kuntī." So Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, tyaktvā deham. Tyaktvā means quitting this body. Mind that always, that we are changing different types of body just like different types of dress. I am the spirit soul. So, so long you are not completely purified, you have to accept this kind of body, that kind of body, this body, that body, that body. That is going on. But one who comes to the perfectional stage of purification, for him, Kṛṣṇa says tyaktvā deham, by quitting this body, punar janma naiti... Punar janma means rebirth, reincarnation, within this material... No more. Finished. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punaḥ, mām eti: "He comes to My planet, or unto Me." Who? Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) "The person who can understand the science of Kṛṣṇa, that person." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply by understanding what is Kṛṣṇa, how He appears on this planet, how He disappears, what does He do, what does He instruct, what is the purpose, so many things... They are classified in two headings, janma karma: birth and activities. Kṛṣṇa has got activities. When Kṛṣṇa was present, He was full with activities. Simply by knowing this, janma karma, one, after quitting this body, does not accept any more this material body, but he's immediately transferred to the Kṛṣṇaloka.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is a householder, and he is a kṣatriya, royal family, and he was a warrior. He knew how to fight. But his friendship with Kṛṣṇa was very, very intense. Kṛta-sauhṛdārthā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna that "Arjuna, I am instructing this mystery of Bhagavad-gītā unto you." Arjuna might have said that "Why you are giving me instruction? I am neither sannyāsī, nor a very learned scholar in Vedānta or... I am gṛhastha, householder, a politician, in royal family. So why You have selected me?" Bhakto 'si: "Because you are My devotee." So this is wanted. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si (BG 4.3). Not only ordinary friend; very dear friend. So if you become dear friend like Arjuna of Kṛṣṇa, or God, then in whatever position you remain, you are mahātmā, great soul. That is required. It is not that... In the Kali-yuga, in this age, it is very difficult to accept renounced order of life. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended that "You remain in your position—it doesn't matter—but become a mahātmā, great soul." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's recommendation. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhir prāyaśo jito ajita. The process is how to become mahātmā.

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

So as with the association of Kṛṣṇa, by instruction of Kṛṣṇa, I can understand my position... As Sanātana Goswāmī, by the association of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he could understand his position, similarly, we should approach such person wherefrom we can understand our position. Therefore it is recommended, mahat-sevām. You do not approach Kṛṣṇa or His representative to order him or to make him your servant: "Sir, give me this, give me that." "Yes, you can take it, you can..." Flattering. So that is not the position. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur. If you want to know First of all, you know what you are. Then the question is vimukti. The same thing, same proposal. In the Vedic instruction there is no difference. Everywhere we'll find the same thing. That is standard knowledge. Not that I am saying something, you are saying something. That is not Vedic knowledge. That is speculation. Vedic knowledge means wherever you take, it is the same thing. There is no difference. Either you read Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or the Cātur-Veda or Upaniṣad or Vedānta, you'll find the same conclusion. That is Vedic knowledge. They are instructed, they are arranged in such a way that according to the position of the person one can understand. This is the Vedic scheme. The Purāṇas and the Mahābhārata, they are meant for the less intelligent class of men who cannot understand directly the Vedic instruction. But gradually by reading historical fact and instances, they can understand. Trayī na śruti-gocarā. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Vyāsadeva worked very hard to awaken the human society to the Vedic knowledge. And what is that Vedic knowledge? To understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). That is Vedic knowledge. Otherwise you are a big Vedānti, big student of Upaniṣad, and so on, so on, but you do not know Kṛṣṇa, what He is—it is useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). That is simply wasting time.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:

Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido (SB 1.5.18). That business can be done very perfectly well when, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes, when we associate with mahātmā. It doesn't matter whether he's a sannyāsī or gṛhastha, he must be mahātmā. Mahātmā means one who has got relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is described in the Bhagavad..., mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13), that is mahātmā. You cannot stamp anybody and become a mahātmā. No. Mahātmā's sign is, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). He has no other business. Simply he has only one business: how to please Kṛṣṇa. That is mahātmā. Ānukūlyena, just like Arjuna did. Arjuna did not like to fight. He completely denied, he set aside his arrows and bows, became very morose, and then he asked Kṛṣṇa, "I am now puzzled, you can give me instruction, what is my duty, because kārpaṇya doṣa upahata svabhāvaḥ. Actually my, it is duty, my duty, that uh I am kṣatriya, and there is fight, battlefield, I should take advantage of it, but still, kārpaṇya doṣa upahata svabhāvaḥ. I am going against my nature, so I do not know what to do, please instruct." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7).

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:

That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā, bhakto 'si priyo 'si (BG 4.3), "You are my dear friend, and friend, at the same time devotee." So rahasyam etad uttamam. Bhagavad-gītā is a mystery, rahasyam, and uttamam, transcendental. So without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, nobody can understand Bhagavad-gītā. The karmī, jñāni, yogi, they cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa would have instructed Bhagavad-gītā to many karmīs, jñānīs, yogis. They are present, but He knows it well, these karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore He said to His devotee and friend, bhakto 'si, priyo 'si. So in order to understand Bhagavad-gītā, one has to come to this position to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. It is a business between Bhagavān and bhakta. Just like, if you go to the market place, if some merchant is talking with some broker or somebody about business, he is talking about that business, that is concluded. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Bhagavān, and it is heard by the bhakta. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā there is no other business than bhakti. There is no other business. Karma, jñāna, yoga. They are described, but with the aim to culminate in bhakti. Just like karma. Kṛṣṇa said, yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tat mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27), "Give it to Me." This is bhakti. So far jñānīs are concerned, Kṛṣṇa concludes bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Jñānīs, after many, many births, cultivation of knowledge, when he actually begins to become a bhakta, then his perfection is there.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3-4 -- Bombay, March 29, 1977:

To understand Kṛṣṇa he requires great tapasya. There is no doubt about it. But if some way or other you have understood Kṛṣṇa, then ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra). There is no more need of tapasya. Your ultimate goal of life is already achieved. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And you have performed great austerities, penances, but you do not know what is Kṛṣṇa—then it is useless waste of time. Nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. What is the value of your tapasya? Real thing you do not understand. So ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, antar bahir yadi haris tataḥ kim. If you have learned these four principles as instructed by Bhagavān, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru... (BG 18.65). Very simple thing. Antar bahir, within and without, if you have learned to think of Kṛṣṇa, antar bahir yadi haris tapasā, then where is the use of tapasya? It is already achieved. Because you are thinking always, externally and internally, Kṛṣṇa. And nārādhito yadi haris. Antar bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. If you have not learned the art of thinking Kṛṣṇa externally and internally, then what is the use of your so-called tapasya?

Lecture on SB 5.5.7 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1976:

What is our position? Our position is as described by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Our real position is that I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So gata-smṛtiḥ, I have forgotten that. And therefore, bhuliyā tomāre saṁsāre āsiyā peye nānā-vidha byathā. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's song, "My Lord, forgetting You I came in this material world. I am simply suffering." Peye nānā-vidha byathā. These... The same thing is there in the Vedic literature, the same thing is instructed by the advanced, enlightened, liberated devotee. The same thing. This forgetfulness. We have forgotten what is our position. Temporarily, because I have got this body in India, I am thinking, "I am Indian, so my interest is Indian." And somebody is thinking, "My interest is American," "My interest is brāhmaṇa," "My interest is śūdra," "My interest is this, that." We have created so many interests. That has to be rectified.

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir

ekeha kuru-nandana

bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca

buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām

(BG 2.41)

Be business-like. People say talk business-like. Why you are talking nonsense? So Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes." For business man there is one interest, real businessman. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana. One who is actually interested in business-like way to make some profit arthadam, then there is only interest is how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise you will manufacture so many interests. Bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām. One who is not actually businessman, he is a rascal, he creates so many branches of different interests. The only one interest is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. This is our only business.

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

So in order to know that science, one has to approach a perfect teacher. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Here also it is said, gurau haṁsa. Haṁse gurau mayi. The mayi is also significant. That means, paramahaṁsa guru means, he's as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because he does not deviate from the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the symptom of guru. Guru does not deviate from the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not manufacture something new, novel. No, the same thing. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter, although He is the speaker, millions of years ago He instructed the science to the Sun god, and again when He was instructed to Arjuna, He said that, "I am instructing the same thing." Sa evāyaṁ purātanaḥ. Not that on account of change of time, the instruction has been changed, no. (aside:) What is that exact verse? Sa evāyaṁ purātanaḥ?

Lecture on SB 5.5.15 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1976:

Pradyumna: "If one is serious about going back to home, back to Godhead, he must consider the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the summum bonum and chief aim of life. If he is a father instructing his sons, a spiritual master instructing his disciples, or a king instructing his citizens, he must instruct them as I have advised. Without being angry, he should continue giving instructions, even if his disciple, son or citizen is sometimes unable to follow his order. Ignorant people who engage in pious and impious activities should be engaged in devotional service by all means. They should always avoid fruitive activity. If one puts into the bondage of karmic activity his disciple, son or citizen who is bereft of transcendental vision, how will one profit? It is like leading a blind man to a dark well and causing him to fall in."

Prabhupāda:

putrāṁś ca śiṣyāṁś ca nṛpo gurur vā

mal-loka-kāmo mad-anugrahārthaḥ

itthaṁ vimanyur anuśiṣyād ataj-jñān

na yojayet karmasu karma-mūḍhān

kaṁ yogayan manujo 'rthaṁ labheta

nipātayan naṣṭa-dṛśaṁ hi garte

(SB 5.5.15)

So there are two kinds of ruler or controller. One is the government, and the other is the teacher. Or guru means spiritual master. Spiritual master can control. The disciples obey the order of the spiritual master out of love. Guror-hitam. This is brahmacārī. Brahmacārī guru-gṛhe vasan dānto guror hitam. What guru wants, the brahmacārī has to do, not for his hitam. Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa: śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). So Arjuna, for his personal benefit he did not want to fight, but for Kṛṣṇa's sahitam, hitam, for benefit of Kṛṣṇa, he fought. This is the example. He did not like to kill his kinsmen for his hitam. "Oh, if I kill my kinsmen I'll go to hell, I'll be responsible, this, that..."

Lecture on SB 5.5.15 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1976:

So there are two different, I mean to say, controller. One is guru and the other is the king or the government. When the... Now it is government. Government or the king, the same thing. Whatever government orders, you have to accept. There is no question of disobedience. So the aim... What is the... Why he should order and why one should accept the order? What is the purpose? The purpose is mal-loka-kāmo mad-anugrahārthaḥ. This is the ideal life. One should seek the benediction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. This is the aim of life. Mad-anugrahārthaḥ. And what is the benefit of pleasing Kṛṣṇa? Now, mal-loka-kāmo. He comes back. He is suffering in this material world. The same thing is there in every book of Vedic knowledge. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, the same thing stated, aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). Two things are there: either you get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa or go to hell. Nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Two things are there. Aśraddhadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa. Kṛṣṇa comes. Here is also Kṛṣṇa's incarnation, Ṛṣabhadeva. He is instructing. So Kṛṣṇa comes to instruct us. He becomes guru.

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

That is oneness. There is no disagreement in that purpose. The gopīs are trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, the cowherd boys are satisfying, trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, Mother Yaśodā is trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, Nanda Mahārāja is trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. The whole center is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That oneness is required. Not that I become one with Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) when they do not agree to serve Kṛṣṇa, then they come back in this material world, again they begin to serve the society, to serve the country, to serve the daridra-nārāyaṇa, to serve this, that, that, that, that. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ, even they go to the Brahman effulgence, because they do not agree to serve Kṛṣṇa, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ they again come back to serve the society, friendship, and daridra-nārāyaṇa, so on, so on, so on.

So this is the Bhāgavata's instruction: one should not begin (to) become a guru, or to cheat the disciple, showing him wrong path. That is not good. That is instructed by Ṛṣabhādeva.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

So we should take advantage of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, from the Absolute Truth. Don't speculate. Speculation has no meaning. So we have got this instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gītā. So if we are serious about understanding about God, then we can hear from Him. And whatever He says, whatever He instructs, you take it. Then our life will be successful. And if we speculate, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampra...

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi

na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau

svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

(CC Madhya 17.136)

So this is the process. We must be ready to surrender to Him. We must be ready to render service unto Him. Then our spiritual life will be revived. At the present moment we are covered by the material conception of life: "I am this body," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya." These are all designations, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). When you become free from these all these designation—you become purified—then you can develop your love for God. Hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 5.5.21-22 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1976:

So these descriptions are there. There are Gandharvalokas, Kinnaralokas, and the topmost is Brahmaloka, where Lord Brahmā lives. And other persons, many, everywhere... Not that simply the chief man lives. His assistant, his paraphernalia, everything, is there. Just like we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). So Visvasvate, Vivasvān, is the sun-god. The sun-god, Kṛṣṇa instructed him this Bhagavad-gītā. He says personally, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān. So do not think that simply there is sun. No. There are It is very, very big planet, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. Don't think that there is vacant. No. We get information from Bhagavad-gītā that every planet is full of living entities. It is not vacant, but they have got different types of body. It is not vacant. Different types of body. In Brahma-samita we understand, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣu aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). Aśeṣa-vasudhā vibhūti-bhinnam. There are in each universe. Within the Brahmajyoti there are innumerable brahmāṇḍas, universes. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was requested by one of His devotee, "My Lord, You have come here to deliver the fallen souls, so kindly take them with You. And if You think that 'They are sinful. They cannot go with Me back to home, back to Godhead,' so You kindly transfer all their sinful life to me. I shall suffer here. Let them go with You." This is Vaiṣṇava, para duḥkha duḥkhi. Vaiṣṇava can accept all kinds of sufferings, provided others are benefited. This is Vaiṣṇava. Para duḥkha duḥkhi. This is the sample of Vaiṣṇava. He is requesting Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "My Lord, You have come to deliver the fallen souls. In the material world everyone is fallen.

Lecture on SB 5.5.23 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1976:

Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva personally speaking that na brāhmaṇais tulaye bhūtam anyat (SB 5.5.23). There are 8,400,000 of living entities, and as we have studied yesterday, how gradually evolution comes, elevated. So here it is the conclusion, the evolution must come to the topmost platform of brahminical culture. Satya śamo dama titikṣa ārjavaṁ, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Now people are not at all interested. If you advertise that "We are opening one gurukula where brahminical culture will be instructed. Send your boys," nobody will send. They are not concerned anymore that "My son should be truthful, self-controlled, mind controlled," śama dama. Śama means mind-control, śamata, and dama means sense-control. Without controlling the mind, how you can control the senses? The yoga system is practiced to control the mind, to control the senses, because we have to evolve from animal platform to brāhmaṇa platform or spiritual platform, sattva-guṇa.

tato rājas-tamo-bhāvāḥ

kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye

ceta etair anāviddhaṁ

sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati

(SB 1.2.19)

Unless we control the base qualities, namely the modes of ignorance and passion, you cannot be happy. It is not possible. Tato rājas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Rājas tamo-bhāvāḥ means kāma and lobhā. So long I have lusty desire and so long I have greediness to acquire more and more and more, to enjoy senses more and more That is greediness. One should be satisfied, the minimum possible.

Lecture on SB 5.5.27 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1976:

So in this way, separated energy and the jīva, the living entity, although he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, he wanted to enjoy life separately or independently without Kṛṣṇa, and that is called material world, struggle for existence. Without Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he has to come to Kṛṣṇa if he wants to stop his struggle for existence with mind and senses, then he must come to Kṛṣṇa. That is the natural position.

But these rascals are not taught about Kṛṣṇa, but they are already in ignorance and they are kept into ignorance. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). The rascals, they do not know that his real self-interest is how to approach Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, therefore comes personally just to show His causeless mercy upon them, to exhibit Himself, how He can be friend to everyone. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntiṁ ṛcchati. If you want śānti, then you must accept Kṛṣṇa, suhṛdaḥ. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaraṁ, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). He is friend of everyone; therefore He comes. He is not only friend of Arjuna. Arjuna is symbolic friend. He is instructing Arjuna, Bhagavad-gītā, His friend, but He is friend of everyone. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām.

Lecture on SB 5.5.28 -- Vrndavana, November 15, 1976:

Pradyumna: "Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus the great well-wisher of everyone, the Supreme Lord, Ṛṣabhadeva, instructed His own sons. Although they were perfectly educated and cultured, He instructed them just to set an example of how a father should instruct his sons before retiring from family life. Sannyāsīs, who are no longer bound by fruitive activity and who have taken to devotional service after all their material desires have been vanquished, also learn by these instructions. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva instructed His one hundred sons, of whom the eldest, Bharata, was a very advanced devotee and a follower of Vaiṣṇavas. In order to rule the whole world, the Lord enthroned His eldest son on the royal seat. Thereafter, although still at home, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva lived like a madman, naked and with disheveled hair. Then the Lord took the sacrificial fire within Himself, and He left Brahmavarta to tour the whole world."

Prabhupāda:

evam anuśāsyātmajān svayam anuśiṣṭān api loka-anuśāsanārthaṁ mahānubhāvaḥ...

(SB 5.5.28)

Here the important point is about monarchy. There are different types of government, of which monarchy is the most prominent style. Formerly everywhere, all over the world, the monarchy was prevalent. Even up to date some of the countries, they are maintaining monarchy but only in name actually. The monarch has no power. So monarchy is good so long the king is as ideal as Bharata Mahārāja, Ṛṣabhadeva, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Lord Rāmacandra. That is the perfect type of monarchy. We have description of Rāma-rājya. We have got the word nowadays.

Lecture on SB 5.5.35 -- Vrndavana, November 22, 1976:

So bhakti means unless you become an apprentice of a bhakta, how you can attain bhakti? That is not possible. Therefore the bhakti-mārga, it is instructed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, ādau gurvāśrayam: "If you want bhakti, then you must accept bhakta as a guru." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Bhakti means uttamam. Bhakti is not the activities of this material world. Uttamam. Urd-gata-tamo hy asmat. There is no material quality. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). That is uttamam. Here, so long we are in the tama, tamasi mā. "Don't remain in tama, envious." Tamasi mā jyotir gama. So bhakti is uttama. When you are transcendental, above this darkness of material world, then you can accept the If you are actually interested in the uttama, something beyond this darkness of ignorance, then you accept one guru. Don't keep a guru as a fashion to satisfy your senses: "My dear guru, can you make some gold?" "Yes." "Oh, first-class guru." No. That is not guru. That is your flattery. You want something according to your order—"Guru, cure my disease," "Guru, give me some gold," "Guru, give me this. Show me some wonderful mystic power"—that is order supplier. No, guru is not order supplier. Guru can give you the way how to have mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Bhagavat-prasāda. If you want mercy of Kṛṣṇa, then you have to satisfy the devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). "Never become envious of guru." Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā-deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23).

Lecture on SB 5.6.1 -- Vrndavana, November 23, 1976:

"My Lord, personally I have no problem. It is finished." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi. Dhruva Mahārāja also said the same thing. A devotee, for personal... Because they are ātmārāma. They have no business for personal satisfaction. They are completely satisfied, ātmārāma. But they have got another dissatisfaction: that seeing men like us engaged in sense gratification and working whole day and night like dogs and pigs, so they are very much anxious. Tato vimukha-cetasa. "Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are working so hard day and night like asses and pigs and dogs." They are very much anxious for this, "How to stop this foolish person from this unnecessary trouble?" Unnecessary trouble. That Ṛṣabhādeva has already instructed us in the beginning, that "Don't spoil your life working so hard like hogs and dogs. No, this is not good." Na sādhu manye. "This is not good." But they are thinking... Now it is advertised that "Work hard. Work hard." And the people have come to the stage of pulling thela and rickshaw, and still, they have to work hard. This is the position. Because they do not know what is..., how to become ātmārāma. That is the difficulty.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to teach people how to become ātmārāma. When one becomes ātmārāma, then yoga-samīrita-jñānam. Bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga, if one takes to bhakti-yoga, then automatically the atmā-jñāna, atmā-tattva jñāna, becomes developed. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). Simply if you engage yourself in the devotional service of Vāsudeva... Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva. Another meaning of Vāsudeva: "who is all-pervading." Sarvatra vasate iti vāsudevaḥ. God is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham.

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

So Arjuna declined, "Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight. They have usurped our kingdom. That's all right. They are also our own men. Let them enjoy. But I am not going to kill them." This is Vaiṣṇava. Because he is a devotee, in spite of being harrassed by the other party... Wife was insulted, then kingdom was taken by betting, by gambling. In this way they were put into so many troublesome position. Still, when there was actual fight, because Arjuna was a Vaiṣṇava, devotee, he said, "Let them enjoy. I am not going to fight." This is Vaiṣṇava. Ordinary man would have taken very seriously, "Oh, these people have insulted like that. 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. Otherwise, if you act differently, then you may read Bhagavad-gītā for many thousands of years. There is no benefit.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

Therefore śāstra says that ayaṁ dehaḥ. Dehaḥ means this body, ayam means "this." What is this body? Now, nāyaṁ dehaḥ deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Deha-bhājām, deha-bhājām, one who has got this material body... Everyone, all living entities, either a cat, dog or human being, everyone has got this material body. If you analyze the body of a dog and your body, you will find the same ingredients—the same blood, the same skin, the same mucus, the same bone, the same urine, same stool. That is bodily construction. So bodily construction is the same. There is no difference. From chemical point of view, from physical point of view, the same thing. Just like the biologist. They study the human body by dissecting, the frog's body. They say, the biologists say, that there is similarity of anatomical construction of the frogs and the human body. Anyway, we also accept that because, after all, it is this material body. So the arrangement in the frog's body and in the dog's body or in the human body it must be the same material. So then what is the advantage of this human body? That is instructed, ayaṁ deha: "This body, this particular type of body, human body, is not meant for the purpose, serving the cats and dogs." Nāyaṁ dehaḥ deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Nṛloke means in the human society. Nṛ means human being. So human society, when you have got this nice body, you should not utilize this body for the same business as the cats and dogs and hogs are utilizing.

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

So the Vaiṣṇava, I mean to say, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he was very much distressed when he heard about the hellish punishment of the criminals. So he's asking him, mahā-bhāga, "My dear fortunate." He's asking Śukadeva Gosvāmī... Śukadeva Gosvāmī was naked. He was so renounced that after his birth, he left his home. And he was traveling, wandering, and when he met Mahārāja Parīkṣit he was only sixteen years old and naked, but he is accepted as the spiritual master of this great king because he was full of knowledge. It is a question of knowledge. It is not the question of age. He was only sixteen years old and he was not even properly dressed, but God kindly sent him for instructing this king. So he is asking, "Mahā-bhāga, can you explain how these suffering men can be delivered from this hellish suffering?" So he was feeling. This is the sentiment of Vaiṣṇava. They cannot see the suffering humanity. They always try to reform them and to get them as... Not only the devotees; the Lord also, He is so compassionate He sends His son, His most confidential son, Jesus Christ. He comes Himself, He sends His incarnation, He sends His knowledge. Just like this Bhagavad-gītā is knowledge. He speaks Himself about this knowledge. His representatives are there by disciplic succession. So we can take advantage of all these things. Still, there is Kṛṣṇa. Still there is speaking Kṛṣṇa and His representative, and everything is there. Simply we have to take advantage. That's all. But the spell of māyā is so strong that it does not allow.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means it is above the modes of goodness. The goodness characteristic is manifested in a true brāhmaṇa. What is that characteristic? He is truthful. First thing is satya. Satya means truthful. A brāhmaṇa is supposed to speak truth even to his enemy. Everyone hides his secret before the enemy, but truthful means that he does not hide anything even to his enemy. That is brahminical qualification. Satya śama, controlling the senses, controlling the mind. Dama, controlling the senses, satya-sama-dama-śaucam, always clean, taking bath three times daily. Antar-bahiḥ. Outwardly, to wash with soap and other materials to clean, keep oneself clean, and inwardly, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa—that is cleanliness. So satya-sama-śaucam ārjavam, simplicity. Not to encourage artificial necessities of life. Simple life: plain living, high thinking—simplicity. And titikṣa, tolerance. Because this world is miserable. If we become disturbed with the miseries of this world, oh, you cannot live for a moment, because this life is, material life is full of miseries. So you have to become tolerant. When Kṛṣṇa was instructed about the eternity of the soul to Arjuna, Arjuna understood it. He said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I quite understand that soul is eternal. Even my teacher and grandfather is killed, he is bodily killed, but he is eternal. I can understand. But do You think that if my brother or if my grandfather or if my teacher with whom I am so thickly connected, if they die, shall I be happy?" So Kṛṣṇa answered, "Yes. You'll not be happy. Although you know that your son is eternal, he is not dying, he is changing his body... By theoretical knowledge or by understanding, you know it. But who is there in this world who will not cry when the son is dead? He will cry. But that crying is not crying like a layman. He knows that 'My...,' this is habitual. This is habitual."

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:

So here it is answered that "If you want to be saved from the sinful reaction of your life and put into the hellish condition, then you have to do like this." Tasmāt purā eva āśu iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau. Tasmāt: "Therefore, in order to become freed from the reaction of your sinful activities," pāpa-niṣkṛtau, puraiva, purā eva āśu, "before your death, as soon as possible, you should atone. You should counteract. Otherwise you will suffer very much." Just like a disease. A little disease, if you treat immediately, it may not increase to be a very problem, big problem disease. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has instructed that three things we should be very careful: disease, fire, and debts. If there is disease, if you think, "Oh, this is little ailment. There is no need of going to the doctor," no, you must immediately take steps. It may increase to be a very big problem. Disease increases. Similarly fire. If there is fire, you have extinguished everything and little fire there is, if you think that "Oh, little fire, it will automatically...," no, that also you must extinguish. Otherwise it may take into big fire again. Similarly debts. If you don't clear your debts, if you think, "All right, there is some debts. It will...," no, interest, compound interest So similarly, the disease. We are already in the material disease. This birth, death, old age, and disease. This is our material miserable condition. And again, if we act sinfully, then it will increase. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is advising that "Before your death, you should atone for the sinful activities, what you have done." Just like in the Manu-saṁhitā, if a man has committed some murder, it is advised that King should order him to be hanged. Otherwise next life he will have to suffer so much. So this order of hanging a murderer is a kind of kindness to the criminal.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Denver, June 28, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa's service... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna, in the beginning he was hesitating to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight, to take part in the fight. But he was hesitating. But when he was instructed Bhagavad-gītā, he understood, he decided, "Yes," kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73), "I shall fight." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have got many programs according to our mental concoction. That will not help us. If we simply act as Kṛṣṇa desires, then our life is perfect. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). This is bhakti. Bhakti means ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. You have to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness as it pleases Kṛṣṇa, not whimsically. Ānukūlyena. Just like Arjuna got ordered directly from Kṛṣṇa. One may argue that "Where is Kṛṣṇa?" No, you have got Kṛṣṇa's representative, guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. The representative is there. If you act according to his instruction, if you want to please him, then Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Just like in office the managing director or the proprietor is not in contact. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is in contact with everyone: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61). But even taking this crude example, still, the office superintendent, if he recommends somebody, some clerk, that "This man is working very nice," that is accepted by the managing director. There is no difficulty. Therefore yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo: ** if you want to please Kṛṣṇa, you please Kṛṣṇa's representative... Śrī-guru-caraṇe rati, sei se uttama-gati. We are singing daily. So Kṛṣṇa is not absent. Kṛṣṇa is already within you, but He manifests Himself as guru, prakāśa. This is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

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

So Kṛṣṇa taught him Bhagavad-gītā. Then, still, He gave him the freedom, yathecchasi tathā kuru: (BG 18.63) "Now Arjuna, I have instructed you everything. Now you decide what to do." It is not force. Reply was that now, naṣṭo moho smṛtir labdhā: "My illusion is now over. I have got... I am now remembering what I am." That remembering means "I am not belonging to this family." Tvat prasādād madhusūdana. Smṛtir labdhā. Smṛtir. This is... In the material world we have lost our memory that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and my duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is our position. This is called illusion. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty of this finger? To abide by the order of the body. I want: "Finger, you stand like this"; the finger is standing. "You come here," "Yes." That is part and parcel. That is part and parcel. So if we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, our only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa. There is no other duty. But we have created so many duties, and that is designation.

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

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was the emperor of the whole world, so the Kali, he said, "Sir, you say go out of your kingdom, but where is not your kingdom? Everywhere, throughout the whole world, where shall I go?" Then he designated that "You stay in these four places." "What are those places?" "Now, where illicit sex, brothel, prostitutes are going on. You can live there. And where unnecessary animal killing is going on, you can stay here. And where drinking, intoxication, is encouraged, you can stay there. And where gambling is there, you can stay there." So he could not find any place throughout the whole world where these things were going on. That is the kingdom of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. There was no chance. So it is the government's duty to see that people are very nicely ruled so that they become all pious. That is the duty of the government. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Because if the king, monarch, is properly instructed, and if he orders that "My subject, my citizens, should follow this order," then it will be automatically followed out. By king's order...

So in the Kali-yuga, this age, there is no such king. There is no such government. Therefore people are becoming polluted. It is the duty of the guru, the duty of the parents, duty of the government to train people in such a way that they may become pious, sinless. But they do not believe, even in the next life, that "If we act impiously, then we have to suffer next life." They avoid to believe that there is next life. But there is next life. In the morning we were talking about this. How you can say there is no next life? The child has got next life: a boy. The boy has got next life: a young man. And the young man has next life, to become old man. Similarly, the old man has got next life. It is very common logic. 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.

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:

Because people are in darkness, we require many millions of gurus to enlighten them. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is, He said, that "Every one of you become guru." Āmāra ājñāya guru haya tāra ei deśa. You haven't got to go foreign countries. Wherever you are, you teach; become guru. It doesn't matter. Ei deśa. He says, ei deśa. If you have got power, you can go other country, but it doesn't require. In whichever village, whichever country or town you are, you become a guru. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Āmāra ājñāya guru haya tāra ei deśa. "This country, this place." So, "But I have no qualification. How can I become guru?" There is no need of qualification. "Still I can become guru?" Yes. "How?" Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Whomever you meet, you simply instruct what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. You become guru." Everyone is very anxious to become guru, but rascal does not know how to become guru, a simple thing. So many gurus come from India in this country, all rascal, but they will not speak what Kṛṣṇa has instructed. Maybe for the first time this has begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise all rascals, they instructed something else, some meditation, this, that, all cheating.

Real guru is he who instructs what Kṛṣṇa has said. It is not that you maufacture your teaching. No. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There is no need of manufacturing. The instruction is already there. You have simply to say, "This is this." That's all. Is it very difficult task? Father said, "This is microphone." A child can say that "Father said this is microphone." He becomes guru. Where is the difficulty? The authority, father, has said, "This is microphone." A child only can say, "This is microphone." So similarly, Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the Supreme." So if I say, "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme," where is my difficulty, unless I cheat others to become the Kṛṣṇa or the Supreme? That is cheating. But if I say the simple truth, that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the proprietor of everything. He is to be worshiped," then where is my difficulty?

So that is our mission. All of you who have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that is our request, that you, all of you, become guru but don't speak nonsense. That is request. Simply speak what Kṛṣṇa has said. Then you become brāhmaṇa. You'll be guru, and everything.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:

Adāhyo 'yam. Adāhyo 'yam. This is the nature of the soul, adāhya. Aśoṣyo 'yam, aśoṣyo 'yam. The, that is the distinction between the soul and the matter. Matter, any matter you take, earth, earthly matter, even the hardest matter, namely the iron, it can be melted, it can be burned. But the soul is distinct from this matter. Therefore it is described, adāhyo 'yam. Any material thing can be dried up by the air. But soul, aśoṣyo 'yam: "It is not dried up." Any material thing can be moistened. So the soul cannot be. In this way every particular there is. So in the fire the soul cannot be adāhyo 'yam, it cannot be burned. And we get information, as there are worms in everything, earth, water, fire... In the fire there are worms. They are called agni-po(?). Where is the scientist? But we get this information from the śāstra. Agni-po(?), worms within the fire. And Kṛṣṇa says, above all—this is also Kṛṣṇa's statement—imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). There is kingdom. There is city. There is population. Otherwise, how Kṛṣṇa went there long, long ago, forty millions of years, and He instructed this Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god? Vivasvān, his name, is also there. Not fictitious. This is the paramparā system. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1).

Lecture on SB 6.1.26 -- Honolulu, May 26, 1976:

So the whole civilization is how to restrict this sex desire. Because... Why restriction? Because the sex desire, sex life, will keep him within this material world in different bodies, either as human being or as animal or as bird or as insect—so long there will be this sex desire. To become free, to become liberated means to become liberated from sex desire. That's all. This is the basic principle. Not that this tantra-yoga, how to increase sex desires. This is not civilization. Civilization is how to cut down sex desire and ultimately become free, paramahaṁsa. That is civilization according to Vedic culture. Therefore the training from the very beginning, brahmacārī. Brahmacārī is instructed in such a way that he'll remain brahmacārī throughout the whole life. A brahmacārī is open to accept either a gṛhastha āśrama or vānaprastha āśrama or sannyāsa āśrama, but the guru advises, "Better remain all through brahmacārī. No botheration." So he's trained properly, but still if he has desire, then he's allowed to become a gṛhastha. That is also for a limited time. The whole plan is how to stop, because as soon as here, that Ajāmila, he was not properly married, he became the husband of a prostitute. But there are ten children, but he's entangled with the family, with children, and now he's engaged bhuñjānaḥ prapiban khādan bālakaṁ sneha-yantritaḥ, one after another. First of all sex desire, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8).

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- San Francisco, July 16, 1975:

So this dāsī-pati, this is also significant word, "the prostitute's husband." Prostitute means... They are, in Sanskrit, called puṁścalī. Puṁścalī means they are moved by other men, puṁścalī. There are three kinds of women: sairindhrī, puṁścalī... In this way there are divisions. So some women, they are very easily carried by men. So that is not very good. Therefore I am instructing our GBC's that "Let our little girls be educated to become faithful and chaste." That is their qualification. No education required. And the boys should be trained up to become first-class men, śamo damas titikṣā, like that. And literary, Sanskrit and English, that will make them perfect. If the husband is first class and the wife is chaste and faithful, then the home is heaven. This is the formula. Dampatyoḥ kalaho nāsti tatra śrīḥ svayam āgatāḥ.

mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante

dhānyaṁ yatra susañcitam

dampatyoḥ kalaho nāsti

tatra śrīḥ svayam āgatāḥ

Everyone is trying to become fortunate. Now, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita gives three things, formula, "If you want to be fortunate, then do these three things." What is that? Mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante: "Do not give any credit to the rascal." That is first qualification. Don't be carried away by the rascal. Mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante. If you worship a rascal, then your life is spoiled.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Surat, December 16, 1970:

Why they are engaged in misdeeds? Because mūḍha. They do not know what is the responsibility of this human form of life. They are simply wasting their life in animal propensities, mūḍha. Mūḍha is the symbol of an ass. He does not know. The ass does not know why he is working so hard for the washerman. He carries a very heavy load, but he does not know "Why I am carrying so much heavy load?" That is the symbol of an ass. If you work so hard, you must know what benefit you are deriving out of it. But the ass does not know. Similarly, the karmīs, they are very busy, very busy accumulating wealth. But he does not know what for he is doing so, why he is so laboring hard. Ṛṣabhadeva says that this life, human form of life, is not meant for so much hard working. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Why people are taught to work so hard? Simply for morsel of bread and little sense gratification. So Ṛṣabhadeva says that that is done by the hogs and dogs. Daily they are whole day and night working: "Where is some food? Where is some stool?" But that human form of life is meant for that purpose, working hard, so hard like hogs and dogs simply for fulfilling the belly and having sex life? No. So they should be taught for tapasya. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). Ṛṣabhadeva was advising, instructing His sons, "My dear boys, this life is meant for tapo-divyam, for spiritual realization, austerity. That should be taught."

Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- Los Angeles, June 3, 1976:

So the Kṛṣṇa conscious life is not very difficult. It is very easy. In one second, if he agrees: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa, whatever You say, I shall do..." That Arjuna did at last, after hearing the whole Bhagavad-gītā. When Kṛṣṇa asked, inquired from him, "Now, what is your decision...?" Kṛṣṇa never interferes with your decision. You have got little independence. Kṛṣṇa has given you. But if you use your independence, do not like to obey the orders of Kṛṣṇa, that is your business. You can do that. Kṛṣṇa will not interfere with you. But Kṛṣṇa says that "If you want actual happiness, liberation, then follow what I say." That is Kṛṣṇa's request. As we are subordinate, Kṛṣṇa can order that "You must do it." That Kṛṣṇa does not say, never. Kuru. He says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), "You do it." He doesn't say "You must." That is your option. You can deny it. That is going on. Kṛṣṇa is instructing everything perfectly, but why people are not doing? That is his discretion. That Kṛṣṇa gives always. After teaching Bhagavad-gītā thoroughly, He asked Arjuna: "Now, Arjuna, I have spoken to you everything. Now it is up to you to do it or not to do it." Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Yathā-icchasi: "Whatever you like, you do." He doesn't force, but Arjuna, that is, means knowledge, Arjuna said naṣṭo mohaḥ: "My illusion is now over." Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā: "Now I am remembering, I am memorizing my position," tvat-prasādād, "by Your grace." So kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "Now I shall act as You desire." This is perfection of life. Whenever we decide that "Now we shall act as Kṛṣṇa says," then our life is perfect. Vāsudeva-uktaḥ kāriṇaḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa is offering that samagram, sama, "In fullness, completely, as you can understand Me, I am speaking to you." Asaṁśayam—without any doubt. Doubt there may be. Because God is great, we are very small; how we can understand God? There is always some doubt, whether He's personal, impersonal, all-pervading. There are so many different conception of God. But therefore God Himself says asaṁśayam, "without any doubt." And samagram, "completely." Asaṁśayam samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). Just like to study a subject matter, it takes some time, takes little endeavor to associate with person who knows the thing rightly. In this way we can understand God also. Just like we understand so many science, so many arts, by patience. Then that is Rūpa Gosvāmī's advice: niścayād dhairyāt. Dhairyāt means patience. We have to learn patiently. Niścayād dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt sato vṛtteḥ saṅga-tyāgāt ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati.

So, if we follow the instruction, tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, as it is prescribed in the śāstras, as it instructed by the spiritual master... We have to learn everything through the spiritual master. You cannot understand directly. That is not possible. Just like if you purchase one medical book and read at home you cannot become doctor, medical man. You have to go through the medical college and professor. Similarly, the śāstra says, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If you want to learn that transcendental science, you must go through the bona fide guru. And Kṛṣṇa also says in the... This is Vedic injunction.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

Perfect knowledge is there, Veda, because Vedas existed before the creation. And whatever there is within the creation, they're imperfect. Therefore it is clearly said that vedo nārāyaṇa sākṣāt. As Nārāyaṇa is beyond this created, manifested cosmic manifestation, similarly Vedas also are like that. Don't think it is written by... It is called therefore apauruṣeya. Apauruṣeya means it is not written by any mundane creature. Brahma, he is the supreme creature within... No. It is said that he is not created. Tene brahma hṛdā ya, hṛdā ya ādi kavaye. He was instructed the Vedic lessons by Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa. He did not manufacture it. So Vedas means coming from directly Nārāyaṇa, not that Brahmā has created. Brahmā has Vedas in his hand, but he has received it from Nārāyaṇa. That is the information we get. And... So Brahmā instructed his sons. Then they got the knowledge. The sons instructed to the grandsons. In this way, Vedic knowledge is coming. Therefore it is called paramparā, disciplic succession. We don't manufacture. We receive the knowledge, the perfect knowledge by disciplic succession, beginning from Nārāyaṇa.

So whatever knowledge we are getting from the śāstras in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is not manufactured by man. It is not man-made knowledge. The knowledge was received by, through, knowledge was imparted or instructed by Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā received it, and from Brahma, Nārada received it. From Nārada, Vyāsadeva received it, and Vyāsadeva is writing this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). Great learned sages, saintly persons, they're always thinking how the people will be happy Vaisvana. Para duḥkha-duḥkhi: he is always unhappy for unhappiness of the people in general, public. That is Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, June 9, 1976:

Then the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Rāmanujācārya, Madhvācārya, they said, brahma satya. And what is Brahman? Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Brahman, first realization, impersonal; then localized; then person. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "Long, long years ago, millions of years ago, I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god, Vivasvān." So, Kṛṣṇa, as He was instructing Arjuna, similarly, He was instructing the sun-god that... Arjuna is a person. Kṛṣṇa is a person. Similarly, sun-god is also a person, and Kṛṣṇa is a person. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā that "My dear Arjuna, you, Me, and all of them who are standing here in this battlefield, we were existing in the past, we are existing now, and we shall continue to exist." So God is person; we are also person. We existed in the past as person, we are existing now as person and we shall continue to exist as person. There is no question of imperson. If past, present, future, everywhere is a person, where is the question of imperson? So imperson means... Just like the sun-god is person, but the sunshine is imperson. Those who are in the sunshine, they cannot understand what is sun-god. That is not possible. It requires strength. If you want to go and see the sun-god Vivasvān, that requires qualification. It is not so easy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, July 25, 1975:

So if we are not instructed or trained up to act in good work, then we must be doing bad work. Bad work means māyā and good work means God. There are two things, God and māyā. If we do not act in godly situation then we must be acting in māyā's clutches. That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta in a very simple verse, nāna māyāra dāsa, kari nāna abhilāṣa: "As soon as I become servant of māyā, then I shall create so many rascaldom in the name of philosophy and science." This is going on. So-called philosophy and science means all rascaldom, bad work. It is very challenging word, but this is the fact. If we do not... Take for example... There are so many scientists, so many philosophers and so many hippies also, LSD men. Why this has happened? Because there is no good engagement. Some are passing in the name of so-called scientist and so-called philosopher, and some of them are hippies, but all of them are engaged in bad, asat. Asat and sat. Sat means permanent, and asat means temporary.

So we must know what is our constitutional position. That we do not know. We are sat, eternal; therefore we shall act in such a way that will benefit my eternal life. That is sat. Therefore the Vedas instruct, asato mā sad gamaḥ: "Don't be engaged in temporary activities, bodily..." Bodily necessities means temporary. If I am child, my body is of a child's body, then my necessities are different from my father's necessities. So everyone is engaged in bodily necessities. Therefore it is said, dehavān na hy akarma-kṛt. And kāriṇāṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sti. Infection. We have got this practical understanding. If your body infects some disease, then you have to suffer. And if your body remains uninfected, unaffected by any poisonous..., then you remain healthy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-57 -- Bombay, August 14, 1975:

The grass is also a living entity, and Brahmā is also a living entity. So a paṇḍita accepts everyone as living entity, and he deals with them-ātma-vat: "What I feel, pains and pleasure, I must deal with others by the same sentiment." Therefore modern days' nationality means human being. But actually the animals, they are also national. National means one is born in the same country according to their definition. The "national" word is never found in the Vedic literature. This is modern invention. So here ātma-vat sarva-bhūteṣu. It doesn't matter whether one is national or outsider national. Sarva-bhūteṣu. Here is also... It is said, sarva-bhūta-suhṛt. Suhṛt, friend, well-wisher, sarva-bhūta. Why I shall think only well for my relatives or my family members? That is kṛpaṇa, miser. A broad-minded brāhmaṇa should be engaged for doing good to all, everyone.

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) Caitanya Mahāprabhu never instructed that "You should limit your preaching within your society or within your country." He is asking, pṛthīvite āche yata nagarādi-grāma: "As many villages and towns are there on the surface..." (aside:) That's all right. Don't be disturbed. Sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma. This is the mission. This is Vedic knowledge. Sarva-bhūta-suhṛt. You should become... (pause)

Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:

But what is the aim of life? Aim of life is to satisfy the Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. But they do not know it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). At least at the present moment, nobody knows that he has to satisfy the Supreme Lord. That is the aim of life. He does not know. He does not know even what is God. Just like animal. The animal does not know what is God. They are making research what is God, the theosophists, the theologists, making research. God is canvassing, "Here I am." Kṛṣṇa, He comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmi (BG 4.7). When these rascals forget what is God, He comes. And still, they are making research. He is acting as God; He is instructing as God; He is accepted by the ācāryas as God; still, these rascals are searching out God. This is their position. Why you are searching out? Here is God. God says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ mattaṁ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8), aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇāṁ sa saptasaḥ (Bg 10.2). And still you are searching God? That is the folly. Even God comes before you, and if you are demon, then you cannot understand what is God.

Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:

Therefore we have to follow the ācāryas. We are ignorant. To become ignorant is not any fault. But when the ignorant thinks that he knows everything, then he's fault. Therefore the ignorant people are advised in the Vedas, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). "So I am ignorant, I am fool, I am rascals. I shall remain like that"? No, that is not human life; that is animal life. Animal is also ignorant. A dog, he cannot go to a guru. That is not possible. But a human being, he must. Abhigacchet. It must. It is not optional, that "I may go, or I may not." No, you must. That is the injunction. That is the Vedic injunction. Ācārya-paramparā. Evam paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Rājarṣayaḥ. Formerly the king was responsible, responsible king. Responsible government means responsible king. So what is the responsibility of the king? The responsibility that all the citizens, all the inhabitants of the state, they should live very comfortably and develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the responsibility of the king. He has to see that everyone is free from anxiety, everyone is feeling secure, everyone has no disease, no mental anxiety, and in peaceful condition they are executing bhāgavata-dharma. That is real dharma, bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma means to understand the science of God. That is Bhāgavata. And it is advised, kaumāram ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Kaumāra, from the very boyhood, childhood, one should be instructed and educated about bhāgavata-dharma.

Lecture on SB 6.2.3 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1975:

So we have taken a very difficult task, to convince people to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But that is the only benefit, or the supreme goal of life. Kṛṣṇa personally comes to teach this science. Why Kṛṣṇa left Bhagavad-gītā? Out of His compassion, that "After My disappearance people would take advantage of this Bhagavad-gītā. As I instructed My dear friend Arjuna, they will also take advantage and become free from the clutches of death." This is the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhāgavata-dharma. Unfortunately, people have become so rascal that they do not care for this Bhagavad-gītā instruction. And if anyone poses himself to be a very good scholar of Bhagavad-gītā, he interprets in his own way, he misleads himself and misleads others also. This is the position. Therefore my request to you all who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—do not be a bluffer. Behave in your life how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and teach others. Then the whole world will be benefited, and the Yamadūta will not come to them.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-6 -- Vrndavana, September 9, 1975:

Therefore human being, this form of human being... Labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). After many, many millions of years we have got this human form of body. It should not be misused simply like cats and dogs. This is not success of life. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he was five-years-old boy, he advised his classfriend that kaumāraṁ ācaret prājñaḥ. He was instructing. He was a devotee. He was preaching, "My dear friend, you just become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." The children protested, "Eh! We shall now play or we shall become Kṛṣṇa conscious? No, no, we shall play." So Prahlāda Mahārāja repeatedly said, "No, no, no. Even we are children, we should not play. We should become Kṛṣṇa conscious." Kaumāraṁ ācaret prājñaḥ. If you are intelligent... Kaumāraṁ. Kaumāram means from the childhood, from five years. Kaumāraṁ ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha. "Why? All right, if you say that I shall become Kṛṣṇa conscious, I shall become. Let us grow now." No. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣyaṁ janma tad api adhruvam arthadam (SB 7.6.1). "No, no, no. Don't spoil your life in that way. It is... Although we have got this body, human form, but it is also adhruvam. It will not stay."

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-8 -- Calcutta, January 10, 1971:

Actually, by hearing about rāsa-līlā the result will be that one will be raised to the platform of transcendental service, and the disease of lust within the heart—that is material disease—that will be completely vanquished. Hṛd-roga-kāmam apahinoti aciram. Aciram, very soon, they will be able to eradicate the deep-rooted lusty desires in the heart of material existence. Material existence means lusty life. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. Material life means simply to desire to enjoy. Of course, there is no enjoyment. That is... So if one hears rāsa-līlā from authoritative source, the result will be that he will be promoted to the transcendental platform of loving service to Kṛṣṇa. And the material disease, lusty desires, will be vanquished. But they do not hear from the authoritative source. Some professional reciters they hear; therefore they remain in the material existence of lusty affairs and sometimes they turn to be sahajiyā. When Kṛṣṇa had connection with so many women... You know that in Vṛndāvana, the "yugala-bhajana"—one becomes Kṛṣṇa and one becomes Rādhā. That is their theory. And so many things are going on. Therefore we instruct that first of all read the nine chapters very carefully, and then... There are so many nice instructions, but they do not hear about this nice instruction, ajāmila-śraddhā caritra. At least, picked up, some incidences, they should hear.

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

So this is the superexcellence of chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa or God. Here it is said that "Such description or prescription for performing ritualistic ceremony, they are not sufficient to purify a man." But if one chants the holy name of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, yathā harer nāma-padair udāhṛtaiḥ, padaiḥ, once, once only, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Nārāyaṇa... So harer nāma, not other name, only harer nāma. Yathā harer nāma-padair udāhṛtaiḥ. Simply once chanting. Uttamaśloka-guṇopalambhakam. The purification of chanting harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21) means as soon as you chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa immediately you will see the form of Kṛṣṇa, you will realize the qualities of Kṛṣṇa, you will immediately remember the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. That is pure chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is the commented by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, that a pure devotee who chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, immediately all these—nāma, rūpa, guṇa, līlā, parikara, vasiṣṭha... Simply by chanting name you will feel the form of Kṛṣṇa: "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Nāma, rūpa, guṇa. "Here are the qualities. Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so qualified. He is so kind. He is so magnanimous." So many qualities you will remember. Nāma, rūpa, guṇa, līlā. Then His pastimes. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa played with His cowherd boys. Kṛṣṇa had very nice talks with the gopīs, with His Mother Yaśodā." These things will be remembered. That is factual perfection of chanting, that Ajāmila...

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

So the Viṣṇudūtas, they are instructing the Yamadūtas. They are authorized person. These Viṣṇudūta, they are authorized persons. They are not ordinary person. They are coming from Vaikuṇṭha. Just like Nārada Muni comes from higher planetary system, Vaikuṇṭhaloka. He is called deva-ṛṣi. He travels all over the universes, material and spiritual. He has got special concession. Sometimes... (child making noise—Hindi) Sometimes we have got information the yogis, they can also travel not only within this material universe but in the spiritual. The instance of... (child making noise) Durvāsā Muni.

Durvāsā Muni, when he committed offense at the feet of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was a gṛhastha, a kṣatriya, and king. He had to rule over the kingdom. But because he was devotee, he was very respectful. So Durvāsā Muni, he was a great yogi. He became very much envious of this king, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, that "He is ordinary gṛhastha, dealing with politics, and I am a great yogi, known all over the universe, and he is more respected than me?" So he wanted to punish him to show him his yogic power. Sometimes the yogis, they get some power and misuse it for personal sense gratification. That is the pitfall of yogic perfection. Aiye. When one gets little power he misuses it and thereby falls down. So this Durvāsā Muni also, what to speak of other paltry yogis, even Durvāsā Muni, he became envious.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

If you don't accept the injunction in the śāstras, especially when Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, is instructing you in the Bhagavad-gītā... That is the essence of all śāstra. You take that. Then you will be happy. Otherwise not. So here it is said that aghavān, the sinful man, cannot be purified by simply these ritualistic ceremonies, atonement, or keeping some vow, vrataḥ. Then how it is possible? Because everyone... Yathā harer nāma. Therefore it is recommended, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva (CC Adi 17.21), the same thing. You will never find the injunction of the śāstra contradictory. In the Agni Purāṇa it is said and in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata also the same thing. Agni Purāṇa says, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, and here in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam it is said, yathā harer nāma-padair udāhṛtaiḥ tad uttamaśloka-guṇopalambhakam. Harer nāma means chanting of the holy name. That is simple. But when you chant harer nāma then you gradually understand what is Hari, what is His form, what is His quality, what is His activities. Then you can understand. Because without harer nāma your heart is dirty—ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12)—unless your heart is cleansed you cannot understand what is Hari, what is His name, what is His form, what is His quality, what are His activities. You cannot understand.

Lecture on SB 6.2.12-14 -- Allahabad, January 17, 1971, at Kumbha-mela:

So yad asau bhagavan-nāma mriyamāṇaḥ samagrahīt. Because the Yamadūta..., yes, Viṣṇudūta says that "We know that this person was addicted to sinful activities throughout his whole life, but at the time of his death he has remembered. He has uttered offenselessly once the name of Nārāyaṇa." But one should not think that "All right. Let us go on committing all sinful activities, and at the time of my death I shall think of Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa." That is not possible. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you practice when you are alive, when you are strong for chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa, then there may be chance. Otherwise it is not possible. Not that a layman will all of a sudden will chant "Nārāyaṇa." He must have previous practice. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). If you practice in your life chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa... I remember one of our teachers in our school life. He instructed that "If you always think that 'I shall pass my examination with distinction,' then you can pass in first division. If you think that 'I shall pass my examination in the first division,' then you may pass in the third division. And if you think that 'I shall some way pass my examination in the third division,' then you will fail." That means if you expect more than your capacity, then it may be possible that at the time of examination you get the right number and pass your examination.

Lecture on SB 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975:

There are ten kinds of offenses, that nāma... Nāmnād... Out of the ten kinds of offenses, the most offensive chanting is nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. One aparādha is guror avajñā. If we neglect the orders of guru and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then it is aparādha, offense. Guru-avajñā śruti-śāstra-nindanam. The Vedic literature, whatever injunction is there, if I don't obey or I decry—"Oh, there are so many rules. It is not possible"—śruti-śāstra nindanam. Nāma artha-vāda. We interpret in our own way about the nāma. And to consider the holy name of Viṣṇu and other name equally potent, that is nāmāparādha. And nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. And because one is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, he thinks, "Even if I do something sinful, it will be counteracted." That is aparādha. And to instruct to a person who has no interest in hari-kīrtana, that is also aparādha. So we should not be very much interested to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness if one is not very much interested. But tactfully, if you can, just try to give him a book. In this way there are ten kinds of offenses. We have discussed many times, and I think all of you know it.

So here it is said, mriyamāṇaḥ samagrahīt. Because at the time of death he has uttered "Nārāyaṇa," so now there is no question of offense. There is no question of. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that yeṣāṁ tu anta-gataṁ pāpam: by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one gradually becomes free from all sinful reaction.

Lecture on SB 6.2.17 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1975:

So purification means to stop this low-grade life. And low-grade life is there. Otherwise wherefrom they are coming? These cats and dogs and other lower animals, wherefrom they are coming? Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). We are creating the facility for the next body, karmana. Therefore it has to be purified. That is called tapaḥ. Tapo divyaṁ-putrakā yena śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). This is the... "My dear boys..." Ṛṣabhādeva instructed His children, hundred sons, "My dear boys, just prepare yourself for tapasya." That is the whole Vedic civilization, tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ. Tapasya for realizing God. This is the only business of the human life, not any other business. Any other business will not help you. Otherwise everyone would have been very rich man. Everyone is trying, whole day and night working. Does it mean that everyone is becoming Birla and like that? No. That is not possible. You can get only what is destined to you, not more than that. You cannot get more than that. Therefore śāstra says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (1.5.18). We are, by the impelling of the material nature—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27)—we are wandering throughout the whole universe in different types of bodies, in different planets, but we are not getting released. Therefore our only business is to get released from this repetition of birth and death. Śāstra... Tapo... Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido. You have become the inhabitants of the higher planets, and you have become an ant, a small insect. This is going on.

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

Kṛṣṇa does not say everyone that sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), only to a selected devotee. Because unless one is very highly elevated devotee, he cannot accept this proposition. He is puffed up with his material, contaminated life. That's all. "I am this. I am that. I am this. I am that. Why shall I surrender?" Actually they forgot. Dr. Radhakrishnan says, "This is sophistry, that Kṛṣṇa is demanding like that." He is proud of his becoming a great philosophy, but he does not know he is a fool number one. He comments on the Bhagavad-gītā in a different way. That he does not know. Therefore he is surprised: "How this gentleman, Kṛṣṇa, is asking to surrender? I am so proud. I am so learned." But this is the only process. What is that? He again explains it: man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. The same thing which was instructed in the Ninth...

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru

mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te

pratijāne priyo 'si me

(BG 18.65)

Priyo 'si me: "Because you are My very dear friend, you have fully surrendered unto Me, therefore I am speaking to you."

Lecture on SB 6.3.18-19 -- Gorakhpur, February 12, 1971:

So prahlādo janako bhīṣmo balir vaiyāsakir vayam. These are twelve mahājanas. Just remember. The first one is Lord Brahmā, the second is Nārada, the third is Lord Śiva, and the fourth, the Kumāras, and the five, Kapila, and then Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāha (BG 4.1). This Manu, he is also mahājana. This, this time is going on, Vaivasvata Manu. Vivasvān manave prāha. Manu is also mahājana, Prahlāda Mahārāja, and Janaka, Janaka Mahārāja, the father of mother Sītā, he is also mahājana. And Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma, the grandfather Bhīṣma, he is also mahājana. Therefore Bhīṣma's instruction in the Bhāgavata should be taken seriously. And on his deathbed, he instructed Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and Kṛṣṇa also heard. So these are mahājanas. Bhīṣmo baliḥ, Bali Mahārāja. Vaiyāsaki, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, he is mahājana. And vayam. Vayam means Yamarāja himself. He says, "We are also."

Then he says, guhyaṁ viśuddhaṁ durbodhaṁ yaṁ jñātvā amṛtam aśnute. Dvādaśaite vijānīmo dharmaṁ bhāgavataṁ bhaṭāḥ: "My dear boys, these twelve men..." Dvādaśa. Two and ten, dvādaśa. Dvādaśaite vijānīmaḥ: "We know what are the principles of dharma. We know, we twelve personalities, authorities." Dharmaṁ bhāgavatam. Dharmam means bhāgavata-dharma, the relationship with God and the living entity.

Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

So because the woman was pregnant, the demigods were taking her away. On the way, Nārada Mahāmuni met the demigods, Indra. So he inquired, "What you are doing? You are dragging a woman? Oh, this is not good." So they explained that "We have nothing to do with this woman. Because within the womb of this woman there is a son of Hiraṇyakaśipu—he is also demon—therefore, as soon as she gives birth to the child, we shall kill him. This is our program." Nārada Muni said, "No. This child is not demon. This child is a great devotee, mahā-bhāgavata. So you cannot do that." So they accepted the word of Nārada Muni and they offered obeisances, "Oh, here is a Vaiṣṇava." This is demigod. Although they were carrying out, thinking of the child as a demon, but when they heard from Nārada Muni that "This child is not a demon: he is a great devotee," immediately they offered respect and they circumambulated the mother of Prahlāda Mahārāja and they went away. And the lady was taken care of, Nārada Muni. And Nārada Muni instructed the mother. Because as soon as you meet some saintly person, his business is to instruct you about spiritual matter. So Hiraṇyakaśipu's wife was situated in the house, in the ashram of Nārada Muni, and she wanted protection that "Until my husband comes back, kindly give me protection so that my child may not take birth." So Nārada Muni gave her benediction, "Yes, even it is mature, unless your husband comes back, you will not deliver the child." So he instructed, and the instruction was so powerful. Spiritual instruction is not conditioned by the material nature. Ahaituky apratihatā. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

This Prahlāda Mahārāja learned this bhāgavata-dharma from Nārada Muni from the womb of his mother. When he was living within the womb of his mother like this... Perhaps you have seen the child in the womb. At least, you have seen in the photograph. So he was lying there within the womb of his mother. And Nārada Muni instructed his mother about this bhāgavata-dharma, and the child... This bhāgavata-dharma is, therefore, without any impediment. Just like one child, four years old, he is associating with us, so he is also getting the same benefit as his father. It is so nice thing. It is not that because he is child he is not getting any benefit. Simply by associating with the devotees, he is getting so much profit, incalculable. Incalculable.

The bhāgavata-dharma, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, kaumāra acaret... If not a very small child, but as soon as one is four or five years old... Kaumāra means from five years old to fifteen years. That period of life is called kaumāra. So one should learn this bhāgavata-dharma from the beginning. Just like we send boys, children, to schools for training, similarly, the children should be trained for learning bhāgavata-dharma. Unfortunately, nobody is interested. He was... Prahlāda Mahārāja also was in difficulty.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says that "One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a spiritual master, one should not become a guardian, one should not become a husband..." In this way they have given a long list. Who? Who is that one? "One who cannot give his dependents relief from death." Samupeta-mṛtyuḥ. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyuḥ: "One who cannot make free his dependents." What is that freedom? "Freedom from the cycle of birth and death." He should not become a father or mother or spiritual master, like that. And Prahlāda Mahārāja is also instructing in this way, that "This human form body should be utilized fully for understanding our real position, our relationship with God, and our transaction, our dealings, and the basis of our relationship with God, and what is the real goal of life." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that the real goal of life is premā pum-artho mahān, prema, to attain love. Of course, in this material world, so many things are going on in the name of love. But actually there is no love. They are all lust. But going on in trade in the name of love. Love is possible only with Kṛṣṇa, or God. Premā pum-artho mahān. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Not any other thing.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the topmost, topmost knowledge how to love God and thereby enjoy life. Because we want to love. Unfortunately The other day I was instructing my students that "You just get yourself married." Now, they were confused. Somebody said, "Where to get a nice girl?" Just see. Everyone wants to love, but frustration. The girls will say, "Where is a nice boy?" So the tendency of love is there in everywhere, either in animal or in man, but the lovable object is missing. Missing. That is Kṛṣṇa. If you try to love Kṛṣṇa, then your life will be fulfilled: "Oh, here is lovable object." Premā pum-artho mahān. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is considered to be most munificent personality. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Oh, Rūpa Gosvāmī is offering Him his obeisances, "My dear Lord, You are the most magni..., munificent..." (break) Why? Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: "You are distributing love of God, love of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya. So we want to love somebody, but we are being frustrated. But if you try to love Kṛṣṇa, either as master or as friend or as the Supreme or as husband or lover There are so many relationships. Just try to establish, find out, what is the relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and this science is being taught in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thank you very much. Any questions?

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:

Prahlāda Mahārāja, advising his classfriends, "My dear friend, if you want success in your life..." People do not know what is the success of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Everyone is supposed to be interested in his self, what is called self-interested. Everyone, beginning from the animal up to the highest living entity, Brahmā, everyone is interested for his self-satisfaction. But Prahlāda Mahārāja says, not exactly here, in other place, he has said, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). When he was talking with his father, father was instructing him that "You foolish boy. You are simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You do not know your self-interest. You should be politician. You should be technician. You should be bluffer. (laughter) So so many things are there. Unless you become quite alert in this world, how you can live?" The child said, "My dear father, perhaps you do not know what is your self-interest." Yes. He was always challenging his father. Five years old boy, and his father, the most powerful atheist king, and he was talking very freely. At last, when the boys was challenging always the father, the father inquired, "You rascal, under whose strength you talk with me so freely?" The boy replied, "My dear father, by whose power you are talking so freely, I am also talking by His power." (laughter) So that is the difference between atheist and theist. The child knew, "My dear father, you are so proud of your strength, of your material assets, but you do not know by whose grace you have got all these things. But I know. I know. Therefore by whose power you are so puffed up, by His power I am so humble." That is the difference. That is the difference. "The power is acting equally within you and within me, but you want to be puffed up, so He is helping you how you become more and more puffed up and go to hell." (laughter)

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:

Not that, "Oh, my brother is good and I am good, and my father is good or my countrymen is good, my society, and all are bad." This is not communism. So the arrangement is there by God's grace. There is ample food. There is no economic problem. We have created our economic problem by so-called social arrangement. So Bhāgavata says that there is no economic problem. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. "How do you say that there is no economic problem?" The Bhāgavata gives... Bhāgavata means... Any authoritative literature, they must give evidence. So here Bhāgavata gives evidence that tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Now, you never try to invite calamities, but sometimes calamities come upon you unexpected. There is some great loss. There is some calamity, distress, but you do not want it. How do they come? Similarly, even if you do not endeavor for your happiness, whatever happiness is destined to you, it will come. Don't bother about it. Simply bother for how you can make advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is being instructed by Prahlāda Mahārāja, that kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ. From the beginning of life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends that from childhood this should be instructed. Because nobody is caring to teach this science of God from childhood. Therefore the present population, Godless population is the cause of all disturbances. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find varṇa-saṅkara. Varṇa-saṅkara means population, unwanted population. What is the use of this population? Simply for living? The Bhāgavata says does the tree not live? The tree also lives for thousands of years. So do you mean to say living is very important thing? No. There are many trees they are living for thousands of years. So what is the value of living? If you say, "Oh, the tree lives, but it cannot breathe." Breathing. The Bhāgavata says the bellow, it breathes very nicely. "Well, the bellow can breathe, but it cannot eat." "Oh, the dogs and hogs, they do not eat?" There are so many questions and answers in the Bhāgavata. But actually, population, important population means who are conversant with the science of God. That is important population. Otherwise, what is the use of living? Śaṅkarācārya lived for 32 years, and Lord Jesus Christ, I think, he also lived similarly. Lord Caitanya lived for 48 years. But their philosophy and God consciousness is so important, they are still living. Kalpante sthayinā guṇāḥ. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa vidyanti. Āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa vidyanti. Āyuṣaḥ means this duration of life, it can be finished at any moment, but kalpante sthayinā guṇāḥ. But if you are a qualified man then your qualities will be remembered for many, many thousands of years. Therefore live for the best qualities, to acquire the best qualities, God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

There are many instances in the śāstra, Ajāmila. Simply he was most, I mean to say, a sinful man. All through his life he acted simply sinfully, but at the end of his life, just at the point of death, he remembered Nārāyaṇa. That also in connection with his youngest son. And because he uttered the name "Nārāyaṇa," he remembered Nārāyaṇa, and simply by remembering Nārāyaṇa he was, I mean to say, liberated. So there were many instances. So svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Nārada has instructed Vyāsadeva, tyaktvā sva dharmaṁ caraṇāmbhujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi. Nārada, he's instructing. Vyāsadeva is disciple of Nārada Muni. So Vyāsadeva was not very happy, even he wrote so many books. Even Vedānta-sūtra. He wrote Mahābhārata, he wrote all the Purāṇas, and he wrote the philosophy, Vedānta-sūtra, and still, he was feeling unhappy. So at that time Nārada Muni came and instructed him, and he asked that "Why I'm not feeling happy? In spite of working so hard about writing all these different kinds of Vedic literature, why I am not feeling happy?" So Nārada Muni instructed him, "Because you have not very elaborately discussed about the science of God. You have simply superficially given some moral instruction to the society, some social instruction, but Some political instruction, Mahābhārata." Just like Mahābhārata, you'll find first-class political discussion, first-class social, economics, everything is there. But still, there is Bhagavad-gītā. So Vyāsadeva has done, but still he was not feeling. So at that time Nārada Muni instructed him that "You simply describe about God, about Kṛṣṇa." Then he wrote this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In that connection he said, tyaktvā sva dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17).

Just like many students come to us, and they stick for some days, again go away. Not very much, but I have got experience. Some boys came, three, four boys.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

So anyway, that is a different story. So Kṛṣṇa says that "First of all, I narrated this yoga system to Vivasvān." Vivasvān means the predominating deity whose name is Vivasvān, Vivasvān. He was instructed Bhagavad-gītā. And He says, vivasvān manave prāha. "And Vivasvān, this gentleman, he spoke the truth about Bhagavad-gītā to Manu." We have already mentioned the name of Manu. Manu means the father of the mankind. Vivasvān manave prāha, that means the, from sun planet the message of Bhagavad-gītā was handed down to the chief man of this planet, the father of the mankind, Manu. Just like in your scripture also it is said Adam and Eve, similarly Manu. So vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravit. And Manu handed over this knowledge to his son whose name is Ikṣvāku. This Ikṣvāku, he's also a great king. He happens to be the original king in the family in which Lord Rāmacandra appeared. So it is called sūrya-vaṁśa, the descendant from the sun. There are two classes of kṣatriyas. The one is coming from the sun planet, another is coming down from the moon planet. So the history, Mahābhārata, says that the Indo-European stock, they also belong to this kṣatriya family. That is, that's a long history. Now this, this paramparā system This Vivasvān handed over the knowledge to Manu, Manu handed over this knowledge to his son, Ikṣvāku.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

That is the version of Śaṅkarācārya. He's lamenting, that the boys, the youths, the old man, they are very happy in their materialistic way of life, but a spiritualistic man like Śaṅkarācārya or Lord Jesus Christ, they are unhappy, "Oh, what foolish things they are doing." That is the thankless task of persons who are spiritually enlightened. They can see it plain that how they are spoiling their valuable life. Simply for sense gratification.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is practically instructed the same thing, that kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān (SB 7.6.1). Dharmān bhāgavatān iha Bhāgavatān dharmaḥ. Dharma means your occupational duty. The "religion," word "religion," translation of the Sanskrit word, dharma, is not perfect. Is not perfect. Religion is a kind of faith. That we can change. But dharma, dharma means your occupational duty. You cannot change. You have to execute it. What is our dharma? What is our compulsory duty? I have several times analyzed this fact. Our compulsory duty is to serve. Compulsory duty. Every one of us is serving and all the boys and girls present here can know it. And nobody can deny that he or she is not serving. Everyone is serving. That is our compulsory duty. I may change my faith I am Christian or I am Hindu. I may change myself to become a Mohammedan or Christian or Hindu, but my real occupational duty is to render service to others. That cannot be changed. That is the real enunciation of religion. And therefore in the Vedic system it is called sanātana-dharma.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Oh, Prahlāda Mahārāja was five years old only.

Devotee: Then how (indistinct) hear from Vyāsadeva?

Prabhupāda: He learned this bhāgavata-dharma from the womb of his mother. His mother was instructed... His mother, when she was pregnant, she was arrested by the enemies of her husband, and Nārada Ṛṣi saved her and he took the girl, pregnant girl, at his āśrama and kept her. And as it is the practice of saintly persons to instruct about God, so he was instructing and Prahlāda Mahārāja was hearing from the womb of mother. Yes?

Devotee: (indistinct) Manu was on this planet. Now he's not?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Manu... Manu's son, Ikṣvāku, was in this planet, but Manu may be in another planet. Just like Manu's father, the sun, sun-god, Vivasvān, he is in the other planet. Similarly, the population of every planet has increased from one planet to another, like that. So manu's son, Ikṣvāku, he happened to be in this planet.

Devotee: You said Prahlāda Mahārāja, he heard Nārada Muni speaking in the womb. (indistinct) hear you speaking?

Prabhupāda: Certainly.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

Yes. He said that "I am speaking to you Bhagavad-gītā because you are My devotee, you are My confidential friend." That is the qualification to receive this from disciplic succession. That is the qualification. He, he, Arjuna did not go to instruct, yes, Kṛṣṇa did not like to instruct the confidential system of yoga to any so-called impersonalist or so-called Vedantist. Arjuna was ordinary householder. He was, of course, belonging to the royal family. He was a great warrior, that's all, but he did not belong to the brāhmaṇa family or any learned scholar. He was a military man. Then why Kṛṣṇa to discuss the mystery of Bhagavad-gītā to him? Because his qualification is accepted by Kṛṣṇa that, "I am speaking to you that old system of Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna, because you are My devotee and you are My confidential friend." So we have to become a devotee or we have to establish a transcendental relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Then it is possible to understand what is the mystery of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā cannot be understood by so-called scholars by academic degrees. One has to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. One has to become a friend or some way related with Kṛṣṇa. Then it is possible to understand Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise it is impossible.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Hong Kong, April 18, 1972:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he was born of a father who was atheist number one, godless, by the grace of Nārada Muni he became a great devotee. So his father was very careful that nobody comes and instructs his son about Vedic way of lfe or God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He was very careful not to allow anyone. He appointed teachers for his son, strictly prohibiting about... Just like nowadays it has become, what is called? Secular state. Don't talk of God. This is the present situation of the world, atheist class. Don't talk of God. But they do not know that they have not much improved by don't talk of God. The situation is becoming grimmer and grimmer. But they have no eyes to see. They have no eyes to see. This Godless civilization will not make them happy. That's a fact. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad guṇa manorathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). If one is Godless, then however qualified he may be from the material point of view, he is useless. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad guṇā. He cannot have any good quality. Why? Manorathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. Because he is on the mental platform. So by speculation on the mental platform, he will accept which is not spiritual. Asata.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Vrndavana, December 2, 1975:

Kaumāra means from five year to fifteenth year, or five year to tenth year, then kiśora, kaiśora. That is division. So anyway, Just like we send our children to a school at the age of five years, every country. In India also that is the system. When a child is five year, four years, some months he is old, his education begins. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says from the very beginning of education the bhāgavata-dharma must be taught. This is kaumāra ācaret prājño, if one is intelligent. If one is ass or cow or animal, he cannot understand. Prājña: "One who has known." One who knows the value of life, he is called prājño. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpena jñā. Jñā means one who has knowledge. So he says, Prahlāda Mahārāja, that kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). There are dharmas according to country, society, but real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma. That is instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā also. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Who is mām? Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān. You will see in the Bhagavad-gītā, śrī-bhagavān uvāca. So Bhagavān says that "surrender unto Me." Opportunity. Kṛṣṇa comes to give the opportunity. He is canvassing.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:

(first part of lecture missing) ...the mother of Prahlāda Mahārāja (indistinct) of her residence in Nārada Muni's āśrama. So he instructed her. And later on, as women usually forget, she could not utilize the instruction of Nārada Muni, but the child was within the womb of his mother, he heard it from Nārada Muni and became a great devotee. This is the history of Prahlāda Mahārāja's birth. There are many other things. If you read this Seventh Canto, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... So anyway, somehow or other, he became a great devotee of the Lord. But he was born in a family of atheists. His father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was atheist number one, but the child was a devotee. Such thing happens. The father is devotee and the child is a demon. And sometimes the father is a demon but the child is a devotee. Everyone comes with his own karma. It doesn't mean that because the father is atheist, therefore the child has to become an atheist. Or the father is a devotee, therefore the child has to become a devotee, no. Everyone is responsible for his past deeds. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was a devotee, but his father did not like that the child should be trained up as a devotee. That was the misunderstanding between the father and the son and the whole history of Prahlāda Mahārāja's life is a description of misunderstanding between the father and the son. The father did not like that the son should be a devotee, but Prahlāda Mahārāja would not give up his devotional service.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

That is highest perfection. Na te vidhuḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. Practically, the so-called civilized men at the present moment, they do not know what is the actual goal of life. The Prahlāda Mahārāja advising, although he's a child, but he has heard from authority, from Nārada Muni, therefore he's instructing his class friend. Because his father was a great atheist, Hiraṇyakaśipu. He was very angry. When Prahlāda Mahārāja used to talk of God consciousness, he was very much disturbed, he used to chastise him, "Wherefrom this nonsense boy has learned this God, God, God?" He was very much disturbed. So he was very afraid of his father at home. But in the school, as soon as the teachers were away, tiffin hour, he would take the opportunity and preach something about God. That is the statement here. So he says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ: "My dear friends, this human form of life is very rarely obtained." Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam. Adhruvam means it will also not stay. "Because I have got this human form of body, therefore, I'll live forever." No. I'll have to die like cats and dog. But because I have got this human form of life, I can understand what is the truth. That is my opportunity. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam. It will not stay.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

So we have to take advantage. That is explained in the first verse by... Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam: "This human form of body, it is very rarely obtained. It is not to be misused." That is the first knowledge. But people are not educated in that way. They are encouraged that go on, sense enjoyment: "Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy." Some rascal comes, so he also says, "All right, go on. Enjoy. Simply meditate for fifteen minutes." But actually, this body is not meant for aggravating sense enjoyment. We require sense enjoyment because that is a demand of the body. If we want to keep body in healthy condition, then the demands of the body—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending—must be provided. But it should not be aggravated. Therefore in the human form of life, tapasya. Tapasya means austerity, penance, vows. These are the teachings of all scriptures. Either you take Hindu scripture or Christian scripture or Muhammadan scripture, in every scripture human form of life is meant for training. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Lord Ṛṣabha, He instructed His boys. He had one hundred children, boys. So He instructed them, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye: (SB 5.5.1) "My dear boys, this form, human form of life, although it is a body, but this body is in human society." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Nṛloke means Nṛ means man. "So when the body is obtained in the human society, not in the dog society, not in the cat society, that body is not meant for simply working very hard and ultimate sense gratification." That's all.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Vrndavana, December 4, 1975:

Why we are instructing everyone to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? The result will be, if you become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, then next life you get a body in which you can live with Kṛṣṇa face to face, talk with Him, play with Him. That is the benefit. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa gives assurance that if you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, and if you really understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma ca divyaṁ me yo jānāti tattvataḥ. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, not vague... "Yes, I understand Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa has no form"—this is not understanding of Kṛṣṇa. This is rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa says such persons, such rascals who says that "Kṛṣṇa has no body. He has no form. It is māyā..." They are called Māyāvādī. "Everything māyā. Kṛṣṇa is also māyā." That is Māyāvāda. So these Māyāvādīs are condemned by Kṛṣṇa: na mām... What is that? Mānuṣīṁ tanum... Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11). These rascals, Māyāvādīs, avajānanti, he thinks Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being, or even if He is God, He has taken a body made by māyā. This is Māyāvādī philosophy. "The spirit soul cannot appear without being dressed by māyā." But that is not the fact, that... A man is diseased, suffering from fever. It does not mean that without fever nobody can exist. That is nonsense. Fever is a symptom for the time being, and feverlessness is the real life. Similarly, somehow or other, iccha-dveṣa-samutthena (BG 7.27), by some desire, we have got this material body, but it does not mean that without this material body I cannot live. That is nonsense. Actual life is spiritual life. Actual life is spiritual life.

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

There is a proverb in Bengali that kañcaya noyale bhas pas korbe nyastas (?). Bhas means bamboo. Bamboo, while it is green, you can bend it, but when its yellow or dry, oh, it cannot be bent. It will break. It will be break. Therefore school children... Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja is instructing his class fellows. School children, from five years old, they should be given lesson about Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. Otherwise, in advanced age, oh, it is not possible. Generally, we find in our class or in this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, the youngsters, they become little more interested, but we don't find any old men. Why? Because whatever they have been taught, they cannot forget. It is very difficult to forget what he has been already taught. So they do not become interested.

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

The ultimate goal is to make perfect in this life or to realize the Absolute Truth. That is ultimate goal. In other place the Bhāgavata says... The ultimate goal, they do not know. Not nowadays... In all the days there are a class of men who are called demons, and here Prahlāda Mahārāja instructing to the children of the demons, those who have no idea of what is the ultimate aim of life. They are called demons. The Aryans and the demons, sura and asura. Aryan means those who are advancing. And those who are static, not advancing... Static means limited with the animal propensities of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is animal propensities of life. And when there is question of spiritual advancement, that is called human society. Because the spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, cannot be injected in the animal society. So na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi visnum: (SB 7.5.31) they do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to understand God, to understand oneself, "What I am, what is God, what is my relationship with God." This is human civilization. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is trying to instruct his class fellows like this.

So he says that unless you practice from childhood, when you will be grown-up, then you will be encumbered with so many things that there will be practically no possibility.

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

So these eight divisions of human society, scientific division of human society, is now lost. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed that kalau, "In this age," nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā, "there is no other alternative for advancement of human society's goal of life." Because human society is meant for advancing in the goal of life, and that goal of life is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says... That is the sublime gift of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī adored Him, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: (CC Madhya 19.53) "My dear Lord, You are the most munificent, magnanimous incarnation, because You are distributing love of Kṛṣṇa." This is very rare thing, love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa personally failed. He canvassed, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up everything. Just surrender unto Me, 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.

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

So these things are very nicely explained in Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and we are trying to explain the science of God or knowledge. If you like, you can take, and we are sure that your life will be successful. This chanting and combined with this hearing of this Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will advance you in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. And as Prahlāda Mahārāja is instructing his class fellows that this is to be learned from the beginning of your life, but if you have missed the opportunity, but it is better late than never. Here is a process introduced by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We can accept it immediately even though it is late.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- Vrndavana, December 11, 1975:

So voluntarily accepting poverty, this is Indian civilization, this is Vedic civilization. Not to increase material opulence but to decrease. The more you decrease, you are civilized. And the Western countries, if you decrease, if you instruct them that "Decrease these nonsense activities. No more tire(?) civilization," they'll say "Oh, this is primitive, primitive." This tendency is present. But actually, the primitive civilization... Not primitive; that is very sober civilization, anartha. Instead of increasing unwanted necessities, decrease it. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). Lokasya ajānataḥ vidvāṁś cakre sātvata saṁhitām. This sātvata saṁhitām bhāgavata is there, simply to decrease this unwanted so-called material civilization. It is very difficult to understand, but our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose. We are interested to construct a nice temple, but we are not interested to construct a very big skyscraper building for people's generally No. We should live very humbly. But for Kṛṣṇa we can In India you'll find there are so many valuable temples which cannot be constructed at the present moment. You will see in this Vṛndāvana that the broken Govindaji's temple, it is not possible to construct such costly temples at the present moment. Even by spending crores of rupees you cannot construct. But one who has money, they used to do that.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:

Just like a boy or a girl, when they are grown up, it is not that anybody has instructed them how to enjoy sex life. It is already there, but it was not, I mean to say, experienced when they were children. But with the grown up age the propensities automatically become manifest. Nobody has to learn these things. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a thing to be learned. It is to be revived. Just like the matches. There is already fire. If you simply rub the stick, the fire will come. It is not that ordinary stick, if you rub, there will be fire. The fire is already there. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends that you have to change your association: "My dear daityas, boys of the demons, please change your asso... Give up the association of the demonic people, and please take the association of nārāyaṇa-parā, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, or God conscious." Upetya nārāyaṇam ādi-devaṁ sa mukta-saṅgair iṣito 'pavargaḥ: "If you take up that association, then gradually you will be advanced to the highest goal of achievement or spiritual life." So in this way please try to understand us. Don't misunderstand us. And we shall try to serve you with our greatest service motive. And in the meantime, if you have got any question, you can ask. (devotees offer obeisances) Any question? Yes?

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

... vidvān ātmano lakṣaṇaiḥ paraiḥ ahaṁ mamety asad-bhāvaṁ (SB 7.7.19-20). (aside) You can sit down this side. Dehādau mohajaṁ tyajet. So, Prahlāda Mahārāja is instructing his demon class friends. They are not demons, but they are sons of demons. Just like you are. (laughter) You are not demons, but you are sons of demons. (chuckles) Is it right? (laughs) But you have no more connection with your demon father. That's nice. So, in some of these, I think Back to Godhead No. 40, Hayagrīva has written a very nice article, Constitution of the Soul. It is very nicely written. So, demonic principle is they do not give stress on the soul. They are bodily conscious that "I am this body." And as soon as one is such foolishly conceiving body as self, his activities will be demonic. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). The demons also sometimes they have got conception of the soul, they believe in transmigration of the soul, but though they... Simply on the platform of accepting this body as self, they have been compared with animals.

Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

As Kṛṣṇa advises in the Bhagavad-gītā, yudhyasva mām anusmara: (BG 8.7) "You fight. At the same time, think of Me." That is the prescription. So Arjuna, he was a fighter. In the beginning, he was a fighter. At the end he remained a fighter. He did not change his position. After hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he did not change his position—he was a fighter, and he become a mendicant, or he become a swami. No. He did not become a swami. He remained as fighter, but the account was changed. Rubber stamp was changed. That's all. He was considering fighting from his own standard point of view. He was thinking, "Oh, how can I fight with my grandfather? How can I fight with my teacher? How can I..." So he was thinking on his personal account. But when Kṛṣṇa informed him, instructed him, Bhagavad-gītā, that "Your business is to fight for Me," and he changed his decision. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to change your position only. That's all. This is Bhāgavatam. This is, if you practice acting only for Kṛṣṇa, then that seed of your material existence will be wiped out completely. So that is bīja-nirharaṇam, wiping out the seed altogether.

Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

Now he's describing what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to practice it. The practice is, the first thing is, Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends guru-śuśrūṣayā. Guru-śuśrūṣayā. Guru-śuśrū... means that you have to first of all select a spiritual master. Without a teacher, without guidance, nobody can make any process. Even if you have passed M.A., and if you want to put some theses and if you want to get yourself doctorate degree, then it is the system that the theses should be guided by three expert Ph.D.'s. This is the system. So similarly, if you want to be purely Kṛṣṇa conscious person, then you must select a person who can give you instruction, who can guide you in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Bhagavad-gītā also teaches us the same thing: tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you want to understand that transcendental science, then you have to understand from an expert, upadekṣyanti tad jñānam. The expert who is in, expert in that knowledge, he will instruct you, upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. One who has actually realized, he will teach you. Therefore you have to go to such a person. And in the Kathopanisad, Vedas, it is also stated, the same thing: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If you want to learn that science, the transcendental science, then you have to approach a bona fide spiritual master. Who is bona fide spiritual master? That is also mentioned. Samit-pāniḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. That spiritual master, there are two signs.

Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

So this is the process of knowledge. So in the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). That paramparā, by disciplic succession. So guru means śrotriyam, who has heard nicely, perfectly from his spiritual master. And his spiritual master must have heard from his spiritual master. In this way, you go on, ultimately, Kṛṣṇa becomes the spiritual master. Just like Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna. And if you follow the principles of Arjuna, as he heard, as he understood, then you also hear from Kṛṣṇa. What did he do, Kṛṣṇa, uh, Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā? He said, "O my dear Kṛṣṇa," naṣṭo mohaḥ, "my illusion is over," tvat-prasādāt, "by Your kindness." That means, "You have so kindly instructed me. Now my illusion is over." Then what you are going to do? Your illusion is over? Ah, kariṣye tad vacanam: "Oh, I shall act as You are advising me." That means, "I shall fight. I shall fight." So evaṁ param... If Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa in this way That is a fact. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā. Now, if you follow the principle or the footprints of Arjuna, that Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā in this way Now, if you follow the principles of Arjuna, then you understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not very difficult. That is stated, how, what, what Arjuna understood. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Tenth Chapter: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He accepted that "You are Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nobody knows about Your personality." These things are described there.

Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

So you haven't got to labor very hard. If you simply follow mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186), if you follow the footprints of great personalities like Arjuna, like Nārada, like Brahmā, like Śaṅkarācārya, like Rāmānujācārya, oh, they are there. Their precepts and their injunction is there. But you have to select a person, a bona fide spiritual master. You have to see that whether he's actually in that disciplic succession. And how you can test it? You'll test it that a bona fide spiritual master will instruct you the same thing as Kṛṣṇa instructed. How it is that? That Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all engagements and you just surrender unto Me," the spiritual master will say the same thing, that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." He'll not say, "Not to Kṛṣṇa, but to something else, nonsense." He's not a spiritual master. Just try to understand. This is paramparā system. There will be no difference between the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. The same thing. Kṛṣṇa said that "You surrender unto Me," and the spiritual master will say, "You surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." Not that "Not to Kṛṣṇa, but to me." Just... This is the point. Therefore a bona fide spiritual master means there is no difference of instruction from the original instructor and down to this point. He's bona fide spiritual master. So therefore you have to select. If you actually want to make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have to select. It requires some labor, or it requires some intelligence. That's all. It is not very difficult. There are, there are still in this world direct disciplic succession. But you have got..., you must have got some intelligence. Then you can understand.

Lecture on SB 7.7.32-35 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

So we have been discussing instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five-years-old boy, instructing his class fellows. So self-analysis. And he says, "When self-analysis is complete, then the result will be that the person who is in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness after studying self-analysis, his vision will be universal." That is the stage of universal understanding.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

(BG 5.18)

In the Bhagavad-gītā you have read that a learned person, who is actually learned, he sees everyone on the equal level, sama-darśinaḥ. How? Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. A person who is very highly learned, very gentle, civilized, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe, and a brāhmaṇa, still higher, intellectual personality, gavi, a cow, hasti, means an elephant, śuni, the dog, śva-pāke ca, and the dog-eaters, śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama, all these—there are different varieties of living condition—but still, one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he sees everyone on the same level. How it is, that? Has he become a madman, that a highly intellectual person and the dog, he sees on the equal level? Yes. Because he is not seeing on the material platform; he is seeing on the spiritual platform. In the spiritual platform, there is no distinction. The all distinction is due to our material conception of life. Varieties, the bodies, there are 8,400,000 varieties of bodies, and because we are under the concept of this bodily, I mean to say, identification, therefore we see so many varieties.

Lecture on SB 7.7.32-35 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

The intermediate stage is that he sees four things: īśvara, the Lord, the Supreme Lord, and then His devotee, tad-adhīne. Tad-adhīna means one who has accepted subordination of the Supreme Lord. He is called devotee, or one who has surrendered. So he sees God, God's devotee, and bāliśa. Bāliśa means innocent person, one who has no sense what is God, neither he's against God, he's called bāliśa. And dviṣatsu. And there are atheists. Atheist class, they will, as soon as they hear of God, oh, they become fire. So dviṣatsu, they are envious of the Lord. So these four classes are visioned in the second stage. And he deals with four classes differently: he loves God, he makes friendship with devotee of God, and he instructs sincerely, just like Cai..., Prahlāda Mahārāja is instructing to his friends because they are innocent. They are neither against nor for. So he is instructing them. But those who are dviṣat... His father..., he was not instructing his father because he knew that his father was atheist number one. So he was avoiding. So this is the second stage.

And the third stage, or the highest stage, he does not see any distinction that who is atheist or who is friendly or who is innocent. He sees that "Everyone is the servant of God, everyone. Therefore he's good." He does not make... That is very higher position. We should not imitate. We must begin from the beginner stage, then second stage. Generally, the devotees are on the second stage. The highest stage is very rare to be seen.

Lecture on SB 7.7.32-35 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

Now, he says, niśamya karmāṇi guṇān atulyān vīryāṇi līlā-tanubhiḥ kṛtāni. This incarnation of... In the Bhagavad-gītā, you have learned that the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa says that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). Whenever there is discrepancy in the discharge of religious principles, then there is incarnation of God. Whenever there is... Because this is... Everything, God is the supreme proprietor. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Now, the kingdom of God is everywhere, but this material world is also kingdom of God, but here the people are 99.9 %, they are forgetful. They have forgotten God. Therefore in this material world, there are religious principles. In every civilized society, there is some form of religion, without any exception. Either you be Christian or be Muhammadan or Buddhist or Hindu, that doesn't matter, because the whole idea is this is the process. Human civilization, to make progress means self-realization. So as soon as there is discrepancy in the matter of self-realization—they become too much materialistic—then the incarnation of Godhead comes and He instructs. Just like Lord Kṛṣṇa came in five thousand years before, and He has left His instruction. So why? Because we shall get the opportunity of hearing His activities. By hearing His activities means we shall be associating Him because His activities, because He is Absolute, there is no difference between He and His activities. There is no difference.

Lecture on SB 7.7.32-35 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

As soon as he hears. Just like somebody hears that in some business he has earned ten millions of dollars. He becomes so much, I mean to say, enthusiastic, "Oh, I have got this," and dances and like that. This is, of course, material conception. Similarly when one has actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in developed position, his symptom will be that as soon as he hears of Kṛṣṇa, or God, he becomes immediately ecstatic and begins to dance and cry and sing just like a madman. So this stage... We have several times cited the example, that reading of Bhagavad-gītā... When Lord Caitanya was traveling in South India, He saw one brāhmaṇa, he was reading Bhagavad-gītā, but he was illiterate. But he was crying. So on inquiry from Caitanya Mahāprabhu what he is reading, he frankly admitted that "I am illiterate. I do not know even the letters. But my Guru Mahārāja asked me to read Bhagavad-gītā daily, so I am trying to read it. But I cannot read it." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "Then why you are crying?" He replied, "Yes, I get an ecstatic sentiment. As soon as I touch this book, I see the picture, that Kṛṣṇa is driving the chariot, and Arjuna is sitting, and He is instructing. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so faithful to His devotee, that He has taken the menial execution of service to His devotee. These feelings, whenever I feel, I am crying." This is the stage. This is the stage, when one becomes too much, I mean to say, glorifying about the wonderful acts. This is very wonderful act. The Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the greatest, God is great, but He has taken the service of a devotee as a menial driver. So this feeling gave him in ecstasy. This is a sign. It is not artificial. Tad guṇa-sūnavan, er, śruti-mātreṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.7.46 -- San Francisco, March 22, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

Prahlāda Mahārāja is instructing his friends, all small children, about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is instructing so many things. We have been discussing this subject matter for the last few days. Now he's placing before them for submitting, for consideration. "My dear friends," deha-bhṛtām, those who have accepted this material body, asura... Asura means demons. He also belonged to the family, atheistic family. His father was great atheist, and all his friends... Because his father was king, so all his friends happened to be the citizens of that atheistic kingdom. So all of them are being addressed as asura. Asura means demons, godless. There are two kinds of people, asura and sura, or deva and asura. So who are asuras and who are devas? Devas means godly, and asura means nongodly, or atheistic. In the Vedic literature you'll find there are definition that there are two kinds of people. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke daiva āsura eva ca (BG 16.6). There are two kinds of people in this world: viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva. And who are... Daiva means godly. Who are godly? Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ, those who are devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are called godly. And āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Tad-viparyayaḥ means just the opposite number. What is the opposite number? The atheists. At once they hear something of God, oh, they become fire: "What is this God? I am God." So he is asura.

Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 11, 1976:

In the madhyama-adhikārī he can see four things. What is that? Four things means, first of all the Supreme Lord, īśvara, the controller, he can see. He can see means he understands, he appreciates, he can conceive, "Yes, the Supreme Lord is there". There is no more theoretical. So īśvara, and tad-adhīneṣu, and persons who have become devotee, he can understand, "Here is a devotee." Īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu. Bāliśa means he knows imperson. They do not know what is God, what is to be done, they are called bāliśa. Just like children, arbhakaḥ, bāliśa. And then dviṣāt, envious. Just like you have experienced so many rascals, as soon as they hear of God, immediately they become agitated. They are called dviṣāt, envious, demons. So four things, God, His devotees, and the innocent person, and the demonic atheist. He can see, madhyama-adhikārī. And then he behaves with these four classes of men differently. What is that? Prema, for Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, how to increase love. That is first business, prema. And those who are devotees, to make friendship with them maitrī. Those who are higher than him, he should offer very respectful obeisances, those who are equal, treat them with nicely, and those who are lower then instruct them, bāliśeṣu. Those who are innocent, how to raise him in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is preaching. And dviṣatsu, upekṣaḥ, those who are atheist, don't associate with them. Don't associate with them. That is the madhyama-adhikārī.

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1976:

It is not childish. Rather the so-called meditation is childish. You cannot, if you do not know what is God, how you can meditate upon Him? Meditation means, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino. The yogis perform meditation. Why? To concentrate their mind on the Viṣṇu form. You'll find some picture that everyone is depicted with the Viṣṇu form in the core of the heart. That is real yoga. Indriya-samyamaḥ. Real yoga means indriya-samyamaḥ. Our senses are so much disturbed, agitated always. So if you can control your sensory organs to your, employ them in the matter of understanding God, yoga indriya-samyamaḥ.

Real purpose of yoga is to control the senses. Very, very difficult. Even five thousand years ago when Arjuna was being instructed on the yoga system, concentrating the mind, fixing up the mind on Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, the same thing. So Arjuna said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is very difficult." Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham (BG 6.34). It is not possible, for me at least. Yes, those who are busy, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas. Brāhmaṇa may be able. Not nowadays brāhmaṇa, those who are actually brāhmaṇa, because they practice samaḥ, damaḥ, satyam, śaucam, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, brahmacārī. They can do that. But the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas they cannot, because they have not practice samaḥ, damaḥ. But at the present moment in this age, Kali-yuga, everyone is śūdra, nobody is brāhmaṇa, by the caste system or by birthright. Śudra, kalau śūdra sambhavaḥ. So, in this age, how to concentrate the mind upon Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:

With our, this institution, the center is meant for giving a chance to the common people to get association of devotee. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Sādhu means those who are well-behaved in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not upstarts. They are called sādhu. So, those who are living in this temple, they must be strictly very well behaved, so that whoever may come out of śraddhā, if he sits down for some time and sees your behavior, then he'll be influenced. And if you become third-class, then how sādhu-saṅgaḥ will be effective? No. You must strictly follow the regulative principles as given to you by your spiritual master, śāstra. You must follow. Then people will come in contact with you, they will be benefited. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15), and if he regularly makes sādhu-saṅgaḥ, then the effect will be he will try to become a sādhu. That is initiation. Initiation means the beginning of becoming a sādhu, not that after initiation immediately he becomes a sādhu. If he follows, just like we instruct that you chant at least sixteen rounds, you have no illicit sex, you cannot take any meat, fish, eggs, or you cannot have any intoxication up to drinking tea and smoking, and we say no gambling. This is the process of becoming a sādhu. So ādau śraddhā. This is called bhajana-kriyā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1977:

Just like in our country, perhaps you know, there was a poet, Rabindranath Tagore. He got many distinction from the Oxford University. He got... He never went to school but he got the title "doctor," "Doctor Rabindranath Tagore." And if you think that "I shall also get doctorate without going to school," that is foolishness. That is special. Similarly, don't try to imitate. Follow the general course, sādhana-siddhi. The regulative principles you must follow as instructed in the śāstra. Therefore there are so many śāstras. And guru is guide. We must always... Even if you are nitya-siddha or kṛpa-siddha, you should not neglect the general regulative principle. That is very dangerous. Don't try to do that. We must follow. Nitya. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, God, but He is accepting guru. Who is His guru? He is guru of everyone, but He has also accepted Īśvara Purī as His guru. Kṛṣṇa Himself, He accepted His guru, Sāndīpani Muni, teaching us that without guru you cannot make any advance. Ādau gurvāśrayam. The first business is to accept guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Don't think that "I am so advanced. I may not require any guru. I can do without guru." That is nonsense. That, not possible. "Must." Tad vijñānārtham. Tad-vijñānārtham is spiritual science. "Must approach." Gurum evābhigacchet samit-paniḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. Tasmād-guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). If you are actually serious to understand the transcendental science, spiritual knowledge, oh, you must have guru.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

So brahmādayaḥ, Brahma is ādi, ādi-kavi. He was instructed by Kṛṣṇa, tene brahma ādi-kavaye. Lord Kṛṣṇa, He instructed Brahma to spread knowledge, Vedic knowledge, all over the universe. Tene. Tene means broadcasted, expanded. So tene brahma, brahma means śabda-brahma, Vedas. Hṛda, one may question how Brahma was instructed. So that is also stated, hṛda. Hṛda means from within the heart. So, therefore, Kṛṣṇa is also caitya-guru, a guru, spiritual master, within the heart. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭhaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says that "I am situated in everyone's heart." Sarvasya ca ahaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. Sarvasya cāham hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). "From Me one can remember, one can forget." How is that? Kṛṣṇa helps one to remember and one helps..., He helps one to forget. That is also replied in the Bhagavad-gītā, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). If you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will give you facilities to forget Him forever. And if you want to remember Kṛṣṇa, He will give you facilities to remember Him.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977:

So there are these snakelike persons. They are envious about our movement, and they are opposing. That is the nature. Prahlāda Mahārāja also was opposed by his father, what to speak of others. These things will happen, but we should not be disappointed, as Prahlāda Mahārāja never became disappointed although he was teased in so many ways. He was also served with poison, he was thrown amongst the serpents and he was thrown from the hill, he was put under the feet of elephant. In so many ways put... Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed us that "Do not be disappointed. Kindly forbear." Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Be tolerant more than the tree. I mean to say, one shall be meek and humble more than the grass. These things will happen. In one life if we execute our Kṛṣṇa consciousness attitude, even there is suffering little, don't mind. Go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't be disappointed or hopeless, even there is some trouble. That is encouraged by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā: āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "My dear Arjuna, even if you feel some pain, this bodily pain, it comes and goes. Nothing is permanent, so don't care for these things. Go on with your duty." This is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Prahlāda Mahārāja is the practical example, and our duty is to follow the footprints of such person like Prahlāda Mahārāja.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:

So he is saying, bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya. These material acquisitions are no good for understanding Kṛṣṇa or God. Simply you become a devotee. And how devotional attitude becomes elevated? That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā and all Vedic literatures, especially in Bhāgavatam, that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By your material senses you cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Nāmādi: the first beginning of understanding Kṛṣṇa is to understand His name. This is the beginning of bhakti. Nāma ādi. Nāma, the name, should be the first. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Because immediately we can understand what is the form of God, how does He look. It is very..., not immediately. But this nāma we can hear. Kṛṣṇa has given us the capacity that as soon as somebody chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, even a small child can hear. Oh, he... They imitate. Now we go on the road, and the small children, they say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Just see. Nāma is so strong that the boys, they also chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so easy. We have seen it. The small children immediately, they clap, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." And some of our students' children, in Buffalo they are dancing, in San Francisco. I received recently one letter from the mother of my disciple. He (she) wants to instruct his two children, other two children. So it is so nice. It doesn't require any material acquisition. Simply God has given you this nice apparatus, ear. Simply you hear Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 9, 1968:

" My legs want to go somewhere. I say, "No, you cannot do this." When one is in full control of the senses, he is called svāmī. Svāmī is not a title; it is a qualification. It is a qualification, and it is attained by a brāhmaṇa, one who is already advanced in brahminical qualification by cleansing. Then... And truthfulness. Then this qualification also is there, controller. And when one is completely controller of the senses, or when one is actually svāmī or gosvāmī... There is no difference between these two words. Svāmī means controller, and gosvāmī is still clearer. Go means senses, controller of the senses. So Rūpa Gosvāmī says who can be a spiritual master. So he has given specifically this definition, that one who has got controls over the tongue, over the speech, over the mind, over the belly, and over the genitals, and over the anger. If anyone has control over these six things, then he can become spiritual master. Pṛthiviṁ sa śiṣyāt: "He is allowed to make disciples all over the world." Otherwise not. These are the qualification of brāhmaṇa. Satyam śaucam śama dama titikṣā (BG 18.42). Titikṣā means tolerance. Just like in your Western countries, Lord Jesus Christ, he was being crucified. He tolerated. He never cursed even. He, rather, begged from God, "My God, these people do not know what they are doing. Please excuse them." This is toleration. So satyam śaucam sama dama titikṣā. Toleration. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Tolerance. What kind of tolerance? Tolerance like the straw in the street, like the tree. Amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). There are so many instances. Let us finish it briefly.

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

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.

So we have forgotten this. So in order to instruct us the principle that everything belongs to God, this is the beginning, that we should try to offer whatever we have got. Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept from you a little bit of water, little bit of flower, a little bit of leaf, or fruit. Practically it has no value, but when you begin to give to Kṛṣṇa, then gradually a time will come when you'll be prepared to give everything to Kṛṣṇa like the gopīs. This is the process. Sarvātmanā. Sarvātmanā. Sarvātmanā means with everything. That is our natural life. When we are in consciousness that "Nothing belongs to me. Everything belongs to God, and everything is meant for God's enjoyment, not for my sense enjoyment," that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be situated in the actual fact. Whenever we claim something that "This is mine," it is called moha, illusion. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Janasya moho ayam. This conception of "mine" and "I" is the platform of illusion. Janasya moho 'yam. This world, whole world, is moving under this illusion that "I am this body, and everything..." "I am the monarch of all I survey." This is the philosophy. "Whatever I can acquire, that is mine." This is wrong. This is called illusion.

Lecture on SB 7.9.17 -- Mayapur, February 24, 1976:

Dayānanda: "O the great Supreme, in every type of body, either in the heavenly planet or in the hellish planet, there are pleasing and not pleasing circumstances on account of combination and separation. But both of them are very, very regrettable position, as if burning in the fire. Although there are many remedial measures to get out of the miserable condition of life, but in the material world any such counteraction is more miserable than the miserable condition itself. The only remedial measure, I think, therefore, is to be engaged in Your service. Kindly instruct me in that way."

Prabhupāda:

yasmāt priya apriya-viyoga-saṁyoga-janma-

śokāgninā sakala-yoniṣu dahyamānaḥ

duḥkhauṣadhaṁ tad api duḥkham atad-dhiyāhaṁ

bhūman bhramāmi vada me tava dāsya-yogam

(SB 7.9.16)

Prahlāda Mahārāja, previous verse, he said, "I am very much afraid of this material existential condition, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Now he's describing what is the different phases of such suffering yasmāt, on account of this material existence. When we come to this material world there are connection with so many persons. Bhūtāpta-pitṛṇām, nṛṇām. As soon as we come down from the womb of the mother, there are so many relatives, friends, bhūta-āpta, pitṛ, bhūtāpta bhūtāpta, ṛṣi, pitṛṇām nṛṇām. We become connected. But some of them are dear and some of them are not very friendly—enemies. This is the condition in the material world. Nobody can say that "I am situated in a very nice condition.

Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, on account of my association with material desires one after another, gradually I have now fallen in the blind well full of snakes. But Your servant Nārada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental position. Therefore my first duty is to serve him. And how can I leave it?"

Prabhupāda:

evaṁ janaṁ nipatitaṁ prabhavāhi-kūpe

kāmābhikāmam anu yaḥ prapatan prasaṅgāt

krtvātmasāt surarṣiṇā bhagavān gṛhītaḥ

so 'haṁ kathaṁ nu visṛje tava bhṛtya-sevām

(SB 7.9.28)

So this is Vaiṣṇava paddhati. Tava bhṛtya-sevām. Vaiṣṇava does not approach Kṛṣṇa directly. That is not Vaiṣṇava. This is impudency. You cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). This is the process. You have to... As you have to receive the perfect knowledge by the paramparā system—imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1)—similarly, you have to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the paramparā system.

Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976:

So this is the process. Tava bhṛtya-sevā. We have to... Ādau gurvāśrayam. First beginning of Vaiṣṇava life is to accept guru, spiritual master, ādau gurvāśrayam, then other things. Because who will teach you? So we have to approach a pure Vaiṣṇava as spiritual master, follow his instruction. And what is his instruction? His instruction is as he was instructed by his spiritual master. He does not invent instruction. This is instruction. The pure Vaiṣṇava, he does not invent anything new. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You all, every one of you become guru, everyone." Āmāra ājñāya guru haña tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Wherever you are living, it doesn't require that you have to travel all over the world. If you have no such capacity, it doesn't matter. You remain wherever you are, but you become a guru. "How I become a guru?" Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Very simple thing. You instruct only what is instructed by Kṛṣṇa. That's all." Don't invent. Don't become overintelligent. Remain a poor fool. Guru more mūrkha dekhi śāsana, korilā śāsana (CC Adi 7.71). Caitanya Mahāprabhu also presenting Himself as a great fool because He says, "My Guru Mahārāja found Me a great fool." He was a fool? He was Kṛṣṇa Himself. But one should remain always a fool before Guru Mahārāja. That is progress. If he thinks, "I know more than my Guru Mahārāja," then he's fallen.

Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976:

So these are the ways. You cannot understand by your erudite scholarship what is Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Then Kṛṣṇa would have instructed Bhagavad-gītā to..., finding out a very great Vedantist. No. Kṛṣṇa found Arjuna. What was Arjuna? Arjuna was a gṛhastha. Arjuna was a kṣatriya, and although a soldier... A soldier is not expected to become a Vedantist. We recruit soldiers not from the Vedantists' group. One who can fight, one who has got strength—we recruit soldier. So Arjuna was not very qualified in that way to understand Bhagavad-gītā or instruction, but Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I will speak, speak to you. This Bhagavad-gītā, the paramparā is lost, so I shall again speak the old thing to you." "Why to me?" Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: (BG 4.3) "Because you are My bhakta. You are My priya." So by scholarship one cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. That is not possible. One must become a servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa (CC Madhya 13.80). Then one can understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise it (is) not possible.

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

Here it is, tu ātmani īśa bhuvi. So what was the realization of Brahmā after tapasya? Now, gandham iva atisūkṣmaṁ bhūtendriya. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca: "I am the smell within the earth." So everyone knows there is smell within the earth. There is color within the earth. Everything is there within the earth. Otherwise how in a particular plant the color and the smell, the flavor, and everything is..., beauty, everything is coming? You daily see. So ordinarily you see heaps of dirt, but everything is there. Similarly, ordinarily we see this universe, but in every atom there is Kṛṣṇa. That was realized by Brahmā. Then he became the great personality to teach us. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye, In this way he instructed ādi-kavi, the first learned man-kavi means learned man—Brahma, Vedic knowledge. So there was no other teacher. Kṛṣṇa taught him. Therefore we belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. Kṛṣṇa instructed Brahmā. Brahmā instructed Nārada. Nārada instructed Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva instructed Śukadeva. In this way our guru-paramparā system... Therefore we worship the guru as Vyāsa-pūjā because representative of Vyāsa. And who is Vyāsa? Representative of Nārada. What is Nārada? Representative of Brahmā. What is Brahmā? Representative of Kṛṣṇa. This is called paramparā system.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:

So this is going on. As soon as there is creation... Brahmā was created and he was given the Vedic knowledge. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. We get it. Brahmā was born. He was to establish the kingdom of God or, as Brahmā was born, the other living entities also were in the body of Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṇu. They were also to take birth later on. And before their birth, Brahmā was instructed Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge means these bewildered living entities struggling for existence may get Vedic knowledge so that they can revive their old, original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the purpose of Vedic knowledge. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). The Vedic... What is Vedic knowledge? Vedic knowledge means to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Vedic knowledge. If you revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the perfection of Vedic knowledge. But if you read only Vedas and perform formalities, ritualistic ceremonies, but you do not awaken your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is useless waste of time.

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

So yoga, yoga, this bodily practice, that if I am not body, then what shall I get by bodily exercise? Bodily exercises can help me little, but that is not spiritual platform. The (indistinct), kuṇḍalinī, these are to the bodily concept of life. Actually, to tell the truth, those who are too much bodily absorbed, that "I am this body," for them this yoga practice is recommended. Not for the intelligent man. Because one who identifies himself with this body, he is not very intelligent. But because such persons are not very intelligent, for them this bodily exercise of yoga, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, is recommended. Not for the intelligent person. Intelligent person, they take immediately to the devotional service, immediate. Just like Kṛṣṇa..., Lord Caitanya begins immediately spiritual life, and He instructs Sanātana Gosvāmī, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). This is spiritual life. You... From the very beginning, you take it for granted that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. I am not this body. Neither I have anything to do in relationship with this body." Because as soon as I identify with my body, then the family relation, the society relation, the national relation, the country relation, so many things in relationship with the body we accept as truth. But that is not truth. As soon as the body finishes, everything finishes. Therefore, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, yoga is also not helpful for approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead.