Krsna's representative (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"Krishna's representative" |"Krsna's representative" |"Representative of Sri Krishna" |"representative of God, Krsna" |"representative of God, or Krsna" |"representative of Krishna" |"representative of Lord Krsna" |"representative of Lord Sri Krsna" |"representative of Narada and Krsna" |"representative of Sri Hari" |"representative of Sri Krsna" |"representative of krsna" |"representatives of Krsna"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

So who was the superior person when Brahmā got knowledge? Because there was no other creature. He is the first creature. Therefore it is said, "The superior person was Kṛṣṇa, but He was not present." We see, Kṛṣṇa was present before Arjuna, but nobody was present before Brahmā. Therefore it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye, hṛdā: "through the heart." Because Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. Actually, He is the spiritual master, caitya-guru. So in order to help us, He comes out as physical spiritual master. And therefore sākṣād-dharitvena sama... Spiritual master is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa sends some sincere devotee to act on His behalf, and therefore he is spiritual master.

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 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

Abhijñe, one who knows. (indistinct) we should approach person who knows things very well, abhijñaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is abhijñaḥ, svarat. So similarly Kṛṣṇa's representative is also abhijñaḥ, naturally. If one associates with Kṛṣṇa, if one talks with Kṛṣṇa, he must be very abhijñaḥ, very learned, because he takes lessons from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's knowledge is perfect, therefore, because he takes knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, his knowledge is also perfect. Abhijñaḥ. And Kṛṣṇa talks. It is not that it is fictitious, no. Kṛṣṇa—I have already said—that Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart and He talks with the bona fide person. Just like a big man, he talks with some bona fide person, he doesn't waste his time talking with nonsense. He talks, that's a fact, but he does not talk with nonsense, he talks with the bona fide representative.

How it is known? It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10). Who is bona fide representative? Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Kṛṣṇa says that "I give him intelligence." To whom? Satata-yuktānām, those who are engaged twenty-four hours. In which way he is engaged? Bhajatam, bhajana, those who are engaged in devotional service. What kind of devotional service?

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, July 23, 1973:

"My dear Kṛṣṇa, in this way the problem will not be solved. I am becoming Your disciple. I am not talking anymore as friend." Śiṣyas te 'ham: "I become Your disciple." Because you cannot argue with guru. That is praṇipāta.

Therefore we must have a guru where exact knowledge is coming, without any mistake. Because we cannot argue. So we must find out such guru, where perfect knowledge is coming. Just like... Therefore guru is... Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt. Guru must be perfect representative of Kṛṣṇa. So ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit: (SB 11.17.27) "Do not neglect the ācārya." Na martya-buddhyā: "Don't consider him as ordinary human being." Asūyeta. If he sometimes chastises you, don't be envious: "Oh he is also man, I am also man. Why he is talking like that?" No. Nāsūyeta martya-buddhyā. These are the instructions. This is called praṇipāta. So Arjuna accepted this process, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, now, from this moment, I am Your śiṣya. I am Your śiṣya. I become Your disciple. Now You teach me." The Bhagavad-gītā was taught to Arjuna, because he became a śiṣya.

So if we actually want the solution of the problems of this material existence, as it is said, yayātmā suprasīdati... Yayā ātmā suprasīdati. Supra... Su means "very nicely"; prasīdati, "becomes satisfied." Everyone is trying to be satisfied, peaceful in his mind. But that is not being happen. How it will happen? The direction is given here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first-class religion. It doesn't matter whether you are following Christian religion or Hindu religion or Muslim religion or any religion. It doesn't matter. Dharma means religion. That is English translation. But actually dharma means which you cannot change.

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

Therefore Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaja (SB 1.2.6). If you learn how to obey the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, then you will be happy. Yayātmā suprasīdati. This is fact.

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

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:

Therefore you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, when Arjuna heard from Kṛṣṇa the principles of Bhagavad-gītā, he said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi me (sic:) pāṇḍava: (BG 10.14) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You have spoken in this instruction, I accept them as perfectly true." You'll find. First of all he said, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Of course, sad-dharma-pṛcchat, there must be, but whatever the spiritual master said, he accepted in toto. Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi me keśava (BG 10.14). This is the principle. That is called āstikyam, theism. First of all, before accepting the spiritual master, you must find out whether Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative is there. Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Śiṣyas te 'ham: "I am Your disciple." Similarly, everyone should surrender to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. That is spiritual master. If one does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, neither he speaks, just vibrate the Kṛṣṇa's word, he is not spiritual master. He cannot be spiritual master. Spiritual master does not manufacture his own ideas. That is not spiritual master. Spiritual master is he who speaks exactly the words which is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. That is the secret. You cannot change.

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

Opposite numbers are na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are duskṛtina, background is simply sinful activities, they cannot take.

So here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sūta Gosvāmī is explaining in the meeting of Naimiṣāraṇya. He says, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). If you begin your bhakti-yoga, vāsudeve bhagavati... Bhakti-yoga can be applied only to vāsudeve bhagavati. Bhakti-yoga is not applied anywhere. The śāstra does not say. Bhakti means "to serve," and yoga, "the process." That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā also. Bhagavad-gītā is bhakti-yoga. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ. After taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa or representative of Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa, or representative of Kṛṣṇa, you have to take shelter. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said, āśraya lañā bhaje, kṛṣṇa tāre na hi tyaje(?). Anyone who takes āśraya and begins his bhajana, kṛṣṇa tāre na hi tyaje, Kṛṣṇa cannot give him up. Kṛṣṇa will accept him. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In the Bhāgavata also it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Those who are inquisitive, brahma-jijñāsā, jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam...

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

Sad-vaiṣṇava. 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. Just like in Bhagavad-gītā it is said also,

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo

mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca

vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo

vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham

(BG 15.15)

So as Paramātmā, Supersoul, Kṛṣṇa is always prepared, ready to help every one of us, but provided we take His advice, we take His instruction.

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Vrndavana, October 22, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa as trade commodity. You cannot handle Kṛṣṇa by your whims. Let you be handled by the Kṛṣṇa's whims. Then you'll be successful. Then... My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "Don't try to see Kṛṣṇa; do something so that Kṛṣṇa may see you." That is wanted. If Kṛṣṇa, if you can draw little attention of Kṛṣṇa, yat kāruṇya-katākṣa-vaibhavavatām, katākṣa-vaibhavavatām... Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says... If you somehow or other you can draw little attention of Kṛṣṇa, your life is successful. Immediately. And how you can draw? Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Simply by serving Kṛṣṇa. Take service, take to service of Kṛṣṇa, as it is ordered by the spiritual master. Because spiritual master is the representative of Kṛṣṇa. We cannot approach Kṛṣṇa directly. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If you have bona fide spiritual master, representative of Kṛṣṇa, it is also not very difficult. Everyone can become representative of Kṛṣṇa. How? If you simply carry the message of Kṛṣṇa without any adulteration. That's all.

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā (CC Madhya 7.128), "You become a spiritual master under My order." So if you carry out the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa, then you become guru. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā. Unfortunately, we do not wish to carry out order of the ācāryas. We manufacture our own ways. We have got practical experience how a great institution was lost by whimsical ways. Without carrying out the order of the spiritual master, they manufactured something and the whole thing was lost. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura stresses very much on the words of the spiritual master. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana (BG 2.41). If you stick to the order of spiritual master, then, without caring for your own convenience or inconvenience, then you become perfect.

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Vrndavana, October 22, 1972:

This is the confirmation of all authorities. We have to carry out very faithfully the order of the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Then our life is successful. Then we can understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). We have to hear from the tattva-vit, not from the so-called scholars and politicians. No. One who knows the truth, you have to hear from him. And if you stick to that principle, then you understand everything very clearly.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:

So śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ syān mahat-sevayā. Mahat-sevā means if you, by chance, you get in contact of a great personality, great soul who knows Kṛṣṇa science, you just try to please him. Therefore we, every day in the morning, we sing yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. By pleasing such great soul, the spiritual master, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ, to please him means to please God. Because he is representative of God. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. If we cannot please such representative, bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, then there is no hope. There is no hope of our spiritual advancement. Therefore the first duty in the morning is that dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyam. We have to remember about his glories and we have to offer our respectful obeisances unto him three times at least in a day, or tri-sandhyam. Tri-sandhyam means... In the morning, when the night is being passed, day is beginning, that is first sandhyam, junction. And then when the sun is on the meridian, that is also another junction, and when the day is passing and night is beginning, that is another junction.

So it is the duty of the student to offer respect to the bona fide spiritual master three times respect. So serve, mahat-sevā, because that will, I mean to say, help me in making advance in spiritual knowledge. Syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt. And also by visiting sacred places. So it is not always possible to visit sacred places. It may be very distant place. But when you get chance of a bona fide spiritual master, a great soul, if you try to please him, to satisfy him, that will make you eligible to have taste for kṛṣṇa-kathā, on the topics of Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much. Any question?

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

Kṛṣṇa is taking charge of washing your dirty things. Simply by hearing about, you... Why don't you take this opportunity? What is this nonsense? Kṛṣṇa simply says that "You hear about, from Me." Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). "Always chanting about Me, and hearing about Me." Simple process. But the rascals will not take. They will make humbugs, jugglery of words: "This is meaning, this is meaning, this is meaning." Therefore they do not advance. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The story of anchor. The anchor was not taken, and the whole night they rowed on the boat, and it was where it was there.

Now, the next verse is that if you hear about Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative, not from bogus men... According to this Vedic philosophy, if somebody speaks about Bhagavad-gītā, but he's not a Vaiṣṇava... Sanātana Gosvāmī has forbidden that "Don't hear from him." Because he will create rascal. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If you hear about Kṛṣṇa from an impersonalist, so-called Māyāvādī, then your future is doomed, finished. And Sanātana Gosvāmī has said,

avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ

pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam

śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyaṁ

sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ

Avaiṣṇava. Those who are not following the principles of Vaiṣṇava behavior, professional. There are some professional reciters. That is forbidden. Don't hear from them. Now here it is said, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). It is not said saptāhaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Where this saptāha comes, I do not know.

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

That is also said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you want to learn the transcendental subject matter, then you must adopt three things. Tad viddhi... First of all surrender. Find out that kind of person where you can surrender. If there is no surrender, it is not possible.

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

So these are the process. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Here it is also, the same thing. The same thing is said in a different way. That is śāstra. Actually, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā... What is Veda? There are four Vedas and 108 Upaniṣads, then Vedānta-sūtra, then so, so many books. All of them are Vedas. And what is the purpose? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). You read all the Vedas, all the Purāṇas, Brahma-sūtra, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata. What is the purpose? To understand Kṛṣṇa. If you don't understand Kṛṣṇa, then it is useless. Your so-called study of Vedas are useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam. That is the confirmation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Los Angeles, August 25, 1972:

We have begun this chapter śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ... (SB 1.2.17). (aside:) You are sleeping, this boy... Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Anyone who is engaged in hearing about Kṛṣṇa... To whom? To Him, not those who are sleeping. Those who are actually hearing, śṛṇvatām. Śṛṇvatām means hearing, not sleeping. To such person. Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, and engaged in devotional service. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I give intelligence." It doesn't require... If he's sincere, if he's actually a devotee, Kṛṣṇa will help him. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. Guru is secondary, another mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is helping within and without. That without help is guru, Kṛṣṇa's representative. So Kṛṣṇa is always ready to help us, and when Kṛṣṇa is helping us, it is very easy to understand Him. Therefore a devotee is beyond all doubts. Beyond all doubts. There is no doubt. Not that blindly we are accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No. We have got all our arguments, scientific, philosophical, anything. Then we accept Kṛṣṇa. That acceptance is nice. That is uttama-adhikārī.

Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī. There are three stages of devotees-lower class, middle class and first class. The first-class devotee is without any doubt. The third-class devotee, he's accepting, he's accepting: "Here is God," that's all. But he has many doubts. The second class, he, although he has got doubts, he's accepting on the authority of Vedas. That is second class. And the first class, he knows perfectly well that "Here is God." That is the, the sarva-saṁśayaḥ. Chidyante. They are beyond all doubts. "Yes, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here is Kṛṣṇa. In this temple here is, my Lord is standing. He has very kindly, mercifully, He has come to accept my service." That is first-class devotee. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As soon as He saw Jagannātha in the temple, immediately fainted. "Here is My Lord; I was searching after."

Lecture on SB 1.3.26 -- Los Angeles, October 1, 1972:

God is within you, caitya-guru, the guru, or the spiritual master, within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So this Paramātmā is also incarnation of God. And the same Paramātmā, when He comes before you, being very much merciful upon you, to teach you from outside, that is guru. Therefore it is said, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Guru is the mercy incarnation of God. Sākṣāt, direct. Hari-tvena, he is Hari, God. Samasta-śāstraiḥ. It is not that somewhere it is stated, somewhere it is not stated. No. In all Vedic literature. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **. Uktaḥ means "it is said." And tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. Sadbhiḥ, those who are real devotees, they accept this. "Yes, guru is exactly representative of Kṛṣṇa, mercy representative."

But from the guru's side, a disciple may respect... May respect, must respect. It is not "may." Must respect guru as God. But guru should not say that "Now I have become God." Then he is immediately fallen. If guru says, "I am incarnation of God, so you simply worship me..." So many things are going on. Māyāvāda philosophy, "There is no difference between God..." But a real guru says that "I am servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of God." Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). Real guru will never claim, although He is given the honor of God, but He does not claim, never claims that He is God. He always claims that "I am the most fallen servant of God." This is the position.

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

"So you are a devotee of such Personality of Godhead. You are recognized devotee. Therefore I request you to find out what is the defect in me that after inquiring, after doing so many books and literatures, I am not happy. So you..." The same thing, as Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, that "The disturbance which I am feeling in this battlefield, that can be solved by You only. Therefore I am surrendering unto You as my spiritual master. No more friendly talks. And You just teach me." So this is the, I mean to say, eternal process. Even Vyāsadeva is surrendering to Nārada. Such a great scholar. Even Arjuna is surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. So why? Either you have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Then there is solution. Otherwise there is no solution.

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta

jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam

śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ

brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

(SB 11.3.21)

One who has taken shelter of the Supreme Lord, upaśama, finishing all, I mean to say, material desires... Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). "Vāsudeva is everything." Sa mahātmā. So we have to search out a mahātmā, a person who is simply a surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, and we have to surrender unto him. This is called disciplic succession. Then our problems will be solved. Otherwise, even a personality like Vyāsadeva, he has problems. Even a personality like Arjuna, he has problems. So antaś-caro vāyur ivātma-sākṣī parāvare brahmaṇi dharmato vrataiḥ. Vrataiḥ. Dṛḍha-vrata. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām.

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

"Anyone who is always thinking of Me within his heart and he's engaged in My service, he's first-class yogi." So any person who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who's acting simply for Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, he's in samādhi. Samādhinā tad, anusmara tad-viceṣṭitam. Anusmara: "That meditation should not be manufactured by you, but under the direction of the representative of Kṛṣṇa." Therefore it is called anusmara.

Cittaga..., akhilasya bandhasya muktaye. Then again, Śrīdhara Svāmī says that "This process is for giving liberation from all kinds of material bondage." Akhilasya bandhasya muktaye tam anusmara smṛtya varṇayata.(?) And again Śrīdhara Svāmī gives note herewith that "Not only you meditate, but you preach. That will help your meditation." Just like I am speaking to you. I am meditating simultaneously. Unless I remember, how can I speak to you? Unless my attention is concentrated without any diversion in Kṛṣṇa subject matter, how can I speak to you? So that is also samādhi. Don't think that one who is simply sitting, he is in samādhi. One who is preaching, he's also in samādhi, because he's thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, how he can talk of Kṛṣṇa if he does not think of Kṛṣṇa? Śrīdhara Swami gives... Tam anusmara smṛtya varṇayata. Varṇayata means "Describe also, preach." Ity artha. Etac ca vakhyantaram iti madhyama-puruṣa-prayogaḥ.(?)

So this preaching, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23), simply hearing of Kṛṣṇa and chanting of Kṛṣṇa, preaching of Kṛṣṇa, is samādhi. And this will make one liberated, akhila-bandha-muktaye, from all kinds of bondage, material bondage.

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

"Then you say." That they cannot say. This is their position. They'll say, "In future..." Future, there is no question. You do not know now. Admit this. So this is their position. Therefore this experimental knowledge is always imperfect. Always imperfect. It cannot be perfect. Because our experience, our power of perception, advancement of knowledge, they are imperfect. They are deficiency.

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 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

That is not possible. But even the fifth-grade man, he can be purified by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore there is great need of this movement. Because at the present moment there is no first-class men, no first-grade men, no second-grade men. Maybe third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade, like that. But they can be purified. That is... The only process is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Anyone can be purified. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). They are called pāpa-yoni, born in low-grade, sinful family. Pāpa-yoni. Kṛṣṇa says, ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Never mind what kind of pāpa-yoni. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapā... "If he takes shelter of Me, then..." That shelter can be taken because Kṛṣṇa's representative is canvassing.

So there is no scarcity. Simply one has to take shelter of him. That's all. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is to create this canvasser. "Go everywhere." Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). "Go." He used to send Nityānanda Prabhu, Haridāsa Ṭhākura and, to canvass, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Please surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Also there was a crowd on the street. Nityānanda Prabhu and Haridāsa Ṭhākura saw, and they asked, "What is this crowd?" "No, there are two brothers, Jagāi and Mādhāi, very troublesome. They are drunkards, woman-hunters and meat-eaters, and they are, create always trouble." So Nityānanda Prabhu immediately decided, "Why not deliver these persons first? Then My Lord's name will be glorified. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's name will be glorified."

Lecture on SB 1.7.5 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1976:

Because he does not manufacture. He says what he has heard from the ācāryas exactly like the child, what he has heard from his father, from the superior, he speaks.

So that is the position of guru. Guru is respected as good as God. Why? Only for this qualification, that he does not speak anything nonsense. He speaks only what he has heard from the ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Ācāryopāsanam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said ācāryopāsanam. So Vyāsadeva is our ācārya, therefore we offer vyāsa-pūjā. On the birthday of guru we offer vyāsa-pūjā. Actually, it is not directly Vyāsa, but because the bona fide guru represents Vyāsadeva, his pūjā is also vyāsa-pūjā. Mad-bhakta-pūjā abhyadhikā. To worship Vyāsadeva, worship the bona fide spiritual master and worship the Lord, they are the same. Rather, Kṛṣṇa says that if you worship His bona fide representative, that worship is better than directly worshiping. Directly it is not possible to worship the Supreme Lord. One has to go through the ācāryas. Therefore Vyāsadeva is the original ācārya. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata... He's vidvān. So we have explained many times how to become vidvān. Vidvān does not mean one has to become a big grammarian, logician. No. Vidvān means one who follows the previous ācārya who is representative of Kṛṣṇa. He is vidvān.

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

So where is the difficulty? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). You follow the path of mahājana-Prahlāda Mahārāja, Janaka Mahārāja, Bhīṣma. There are gṛhasthas, there are brahmacārīs, sannyāsī. Brahmā, Lord Brahmā is mahājana; he's gṛhastha. Svayambhū, Nārada, he's brahmacārī. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20)—Lord Śiva, he's also gṛhastha. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he's also gṛhastha. It doesn't matter whether you are gṛhastha or sannyāsī or brahmacārī. You must become actual representative of Kṛṣṇa. That is mahājana. And that is also not very difficult. How you can become representative of Kṛṣṇa? That is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa

(CC Madhya 7.128)

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

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

So on, so on. Security. Because security is a problem. Everyone in this material world, they have got four problems: how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex, and how to become secure. Security. The animal is also working very hard for these four principles, and the man is also working very hard. That is common. But that is not security. "Because I have got very good means of living, very good means of sleeping, nice house, and very good wife and very good bank balance and good government, therefore I am secure." That is nonsense. Pramatta. That is called pramatta. Means he does not know that at any moment Yamarāja can come and kick him out from this position. At any moment. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham. Yamarāja is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, a servant of Kṛṣṇa. He is Vaiṣṇava. Yamarāja, we are very much afraid of Yamarāja, but he Vaiṣṇava. Not only Vaiṣṇava, but he's one of the mahājanas. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). He's mahājana in this sense: All the sinful living entities are brought before him, and according to the gravity of criminality, sinful action, he punishes. Just like magistrate. Magistrate, before the magistrate all criminals are brought in, and he considers the gravity of the case, and according to the case, somebody is hanged, somebody is put into the jail for three years, somebody for six years, somebody for six months. That is Yamarāja's duty. So that is... He's also dharma-vit. His name is Dharmarāja. Not that because he is punishing... Simply his only business is to punish. But still he's Dharmarāja, dharma-vit. He knows how to punish a person on religious principles.

Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976:

"If we kill our brothers their wives will be widowed and they'll be bhraṣṭācāra(?), the varṇa-saṅkara will be there." Everything he was calculating on the basis of this body. All politics, sociology, they are going on the basis of this body. But Kṛṣṇa, as soon as He was accepted by Arjuna as guru... Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Now, Kṛṣṇa, I accept You as my guru. Not as friend." Because friendly talking is useless waste of time. He accepted Him as guru. When guru speaks, you cannot argue. That is not the process. You should accept a guru who is infallible. Otherwise it is useless. He accepted guru Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is infallible. If we accept guru, a bogus guru, then it is no benefit. Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative. Not that everyone can be guru.

It is said in the śāstra that ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ. Just like here it is accepted, brāhmaṇo nitarāṁ guruḥ. So generally brāhmaṇa is accepted as guru by other orders of society. So, but śāstra says that brāhmaṇa is guru, that's all right, but ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ. One brāhmaṇa is very nipuṇa in his karma-kāṇḍīya knowledge, ṣaṭ-karma. Paṭhana-pāṭhana-yajana-yājana-dāna-pratigraha. This ṣaṭ-karma, nipuṇa, very expert. Mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. And he's very expert in chanting the Vedic hymns and execution of tantra and so many things. Avaiṣṇavo gurur na syāt. If he's avaiṣṇava, if he's not attached with Viṣṇu, if he does not carry the order of Kṛṣṇa, gurur na sa syāt. Sad-vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ. But if a person is Vaiṣṇava, even if he's born in the family of a śva-paca... Śva-paca means dog-eater, caṇḍāla. If he's a Vaiṣṇava he can become guru. And if one is a brāhmaṇa, if he's not a Vaiṣṇava... Naturally, brāhmaṇa means Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa means paṇḍita. Still, in India a brāhmaṇa is addressed as "Paṇḍitajī." Because a brāhmaṇa and mūrkha, rascal, this is contradictory. It cannot be. Unless one is highly learned, unless one has learned what is Brahman, he cannot become brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. So not only one should be brāhmaṇa, but he should become a Vaiṣṇava. Still higher. From brāhmaṇa platform he has to come to the Vaiṣṇava platform.

Lecture on SB 1.7.45-46 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1976:

It is according to the śāstra. And ācārya also accepts all these respectful obeisances to carry to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the process. As we receive knowledge from the ācārya, similarly, our activities, the result of activities, is carried by the ācārya to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ācārya does not accept anything on his own account. Ācārya accepts everything on Kṛṣṇa's account. That is the principle. And because he is representative of Kṛṣṇa, he is dealing on behalf of Kṛṣṇa.

We have got in practical experience. Formerly, in British government, there was viceroy. Vice means in place of and roy means royal king. Viceroy. So this viceroy was respected as the king, as the emperor. That is the process. When he's no longer a viceroy, then he's not respected. But so long he is acting as viceroy... And the rule was that whatever presentation was given to the viceroy he did not accept it personally. It was kept in the state. So these are the process. So guru, ācārya, being representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he should be worshiped. Nāvamanyeta... Na martya-buddhyāsūyeta. Never think of envying. As soon as we become envious of the ācārya, there is falldown, immediately. Yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. This is the teaching of Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. He's also ācārya. Ācārya-paramparā.

So, nāvamanyeta karhicit martya-buddhyā. Ācārya should not be considered as ordinary human being. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir guruṣu nara-matiḥ, arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. These are the injunction. Nārakī. Everyone knows that here is vigraha, Gaura-Nitāi vigraha, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma vigraha, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa vigraha. Everyone knows that it was, these vigrahas were ordered from Jaipur and it is now installed. But why people are coming in thousands to see the vigraha? They do not know that it is made of stone? Everyone knows.

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

The first-class prisoners, they are given some facilities. Just like political prisoners, they are given separate bungalow and servants, newspaper, book. But they cannot go out of the prison. That is called first class. Similarly, there are second class. And third class, ordinary.

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. The only plan will be successful. What is that? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14).

Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971:

The only thing they want: the kṛṣṇa-bhakti, how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. They are engaged in preaching work because they want to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). They are teaching all over the world the same principles, the same philosophy, that "Please surrender unto Kṛṣṇa and you will be happy." That is their message. They have no other message. Therefore anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryam karoti. They are all sannyāsīs.

So out of... Of course, because Lord Caitanya accepted this sannyāsa, so we are maintaining that system, but actual point of sannyāsa is not mukti, but satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is sannyāsa, how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, how Kṛṣṇa's representative will be satisfied. Because we have to work under Kṛṣṇa's representative. Anything we work, if we want to be expert, then we have to work under some expert. Therefore we accept guru. We do not serve Kṛṣṇa directly. We accept guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. The principle is guru is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and if we work under guru and if we can satisfy, then Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That is very easy to understand. Suppose in office you are working under some officer. You have no acquaintance with the proprietor, but your pay, your promotion will be considered by the proprietor on the recommendation of this officer. When the officer will say, "Yes, this man has worked very nicely," then your increment of pay and your promotion immediately will be accepted by the proprietor. Therefore śāstra says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If you can satisfy your spiritual master, then you must know that you have satisfied Kṛṣṇa. Because he is representative of Kṛṣṇa, you are working under him, so if he says, "It is all right," Kṛṣṇa says, "It is all right," although you have never seen Kṛṣṇa. And yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. And if the spiritual master says, "Oh, you are doing nothing" then your, all spoiled, all labor is spoiled. Na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. You have no other shelter.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974:

So the people do not know this philosophy: apunar bhava-darśanam. Punar bhava... Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The rascals, they cannot understand that what is our real difficulty or suffering. Mūḍha. Therefore the mūḍhas, they do not know it, that what is our actual suffering.

We understand from Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate, that "This living entity is never born, never dies." This information we get, very simple information. We are taking information from whom? Kṛṣṇa, jagad-guru, the supreme guru, the original guru. Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative. A guru cannot be manufactured. Guru means... Kṛṣṇa is jagad-guru, and one who speaks on behalf of Kṛṣṇa or one who speaks as Kṛṣṇa says, he is guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā: (CC Madhya 7.128) "You just become guru on My order." You cannot become guru automatically without following the order of jagad-guru. The government servant... Who is government servant? Who is strictly following the government order, that is government servant. Anyone can say, "I am government servant." No. How you can be? Similarly, guru means who is following the principles given by the jagad-guru. The... He's guru.

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

Without rain you cannot have any water. Therefore original supplier is God. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He's person. He has got brain. He knows that all of them will require everything, such and such thing—heat, light, water. Without water you cannot produce foodstuff. Even the animal eaters, without God's arrangement, how he can eat animal? The animal also must be provided with food, with grass; then you can take it to the slaughterhouse by your expert intelligence. God is supplying food. Still you are creating a rebellious condition. That's an avani-dhruk. These rascals who are going against the law of God, they're rebellious. So they're rebellious. The king's duty is to see as representative of Kṛṣṇa, as representative of God. Otherwise he, what right he has got to take so much honor from the citizens? He has no right. And because the kings, formerly every country there were kings, monarchy, they violated, they rebelled against God, they became themselves God, that "I have got so much property, kingdom. I am God. I am the Lord of all I survey." So when they usurped the power of God, the all monarchies in the world is now finished. Because they did not act as representative of God. They thought their personal property, the kingdom. No. That is not actually fact. Fact is everything belongs to God. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1).

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

Bhakti-latā-bīja, that is not very easily available. But it is available—guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya. Because Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, if you are actually eager to understand Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa can understand that "This living entity is trying to understand." So He gives a guru. He gives... Caitya... He's caitya-guru. He is guru Himself within one's heart, and He gives intelligence. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te. To a sincere person, He gives the intelligence that "You accept this guru."

Guru is therefore external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa because he acts as representative of Kṛṣṇa. So what is the qualification of that guru? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). You must go and surrender to guru. In the Vedas also it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. For whom guru is required? Not for all. But tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One should go to guru to understand tad-vijñāna. Tad-vijñāna means transcendental science. They require guru. Similarly, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta: (SB 11.3.21) "You should go and search out a guru and surrender unto him." Why? Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. If you are jijñāsuḥ..., athāto brahma jijñāsā—Vedānta-sūtra—if you are actually searching after the Absolute Truth.

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

So unless he gets this shock... So he would not believe anybody. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was the truthful Dharmarāja, Yudhiṣṭhira. So Kṛṣṇa asked him that "You go on and tell this lie, that 'He is, your son is dead.' " But Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja hesitated: "Oh, I never spoken lies. How can I say it?" You see?

So this was a mistake by Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, because the so-called truthfulness or untruthfulness of this relative world is not applicable to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has got a plan. If we execute the plan of Kṛṣṇa, that is the highest truth. But we should not imitate unless we are actually ordered to do such thing. Just like Kṛṣṇa was personally asking. So unless we are ordered by Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative, we cannot violate the morality of this world. That is not possible. It is a great philosophy. It requires little brain to understand. So man nimitte kṛtaṁ pāpaṁ puṇya eva kalpate(?). So if sometimes we have to do something which is sinful for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, not for others, not for me... For me, even if we do so-called pious activities, that is also impious. And if we do something for Kṛṣṇa which is in the estimation of the world impious, that becomes pious. That is Kṛṣṇa philosophy.

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

So in this way Kṛṣṇa should be described in connection with different activities. But those who are impersonalists, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, and being impersonalists, they do not believe in the activities of the Supreme. They think that when the Supreme Absolute Truth comes in the material world, in the material form, then "There is activity?" They cannot understand. Athāpi te deva padām... Therefore nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa without being trained up by a self-realized devotee. If a... If one takes the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's representative, devotee, then it doesn't matter what he is. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ (SB 2.4.18). If he has taken shelter of a pure devotee—never mind he's a kirāta, hūṇa, āndhra, pulinda, pulkaśā—he is śudhyanti. He becomes purified, and gradually he understands Kṛṣṇa.

So from the example of Kuntīdevī, if we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, and if we want to be transferred to the Vaikuṇṭha atmosphere, then we should follow the Kṛṣṇa's... So Kṛṣṇa was very much pleased. If you worship Kṛṣṇa in the proper way, mahājano yena ga..., then he accepts. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). And Kṛṣṇa also says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). That bhakti is the most important thing. Kṛṣṇa is not interested with your foodstuff. Kṛṣṇa is interested with your bhakti. Therefore this word is used, yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Not that "I am very rich man. I can offer Kṛṣṇa luci, puri, halavā. He must take it." Just like we get some palatable foodstuff—we eat up to the neck. No. Kṛṣṇa is ātmārāma. Kṛṣṇa has no hunger. Even if He is hungry, He can fulfill it Himself. He doesn't require your help. But He accepts your foodstuff because you offer Him with bhakti. That is the main thing. Just like you relish foodstuff when you are hungry.

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

This is perfect conclusion, that "I shall execute the desire of Kṛṣṇa." "But Kṛṣṇa is not physically present before me. Then how I shall know what Kṛṣṇa desires?" That is not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa's representative is there, the spiritual master. If you fulfill the desire of the spiritual master, then you fulfill the desire of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. That is stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. If you please your spiritual master, then you know that "I have pleased Kṛṣṇa." Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi: ** "If you displease your spiritual master, then you are nowhere. Your position is lost."

Therefore, yesterday we were explaining the ten kinds of offenses. Out of ten kinds of offenses, the serious offense is guror avajñā, disobedience of the order of guru. This is the verdict of the śāstra. Kṛṣṇa is helping us in so many ways. He comes personally to help us, to deliver us from these clutches of māyā, and He advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). And when He's not physically present, He keeps Bhagavad-gītā left by Him so that others may read and take advantage of this sublime instruction of Kṛṣṇa. 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 **.

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

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

Kṛṣṇa says... Just like Kṛṣṇa says to Yudhiṣṭhira, "Go and speak the lie," and He speaks to Arjuna that yudhyasva mām anusmara: (BG 8.7) "You fight," so not the instruction the same to everyone. Kṛṣṇa knows who is capable to do something particular, and similarly, guru also knows. So it is not that the same instruction is given to all. There may be, because variety. It is not impersonalism, one kind of... No. Variety. Kṛṣṇa is ānandamaya. Ānanda means variety is the mother of enjoyment. Unless there are varieties, how there can be ānanda? Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda. So Kṛṣṇa's business is variety. The Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand. They simply understand that we are one. No. Varieties. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29).

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

Varieties. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Kṛṣṇa is enjoying varieties. He is living in the cintāmaṇi-dhāma. There are surabhī. He's tending, tending the cows, and He's playing with the cowherd boys. He's making jokes with the gopīs. He is enjoying the company... Varieties. He's becoming the son, dependent son of Mother Yaśodā. So Kṛṣṇa is variety. Without variety, there cannot be enjoyment. So therefore variety of instruction also.

So that is given by the spiritual master. "You do this," "You do that," "You do this," "You do that," because Kṛṣṇa is not one-sided. So as confidential representative of Kṛṣṇa, we have to follow the instruction of the spiritual master. As it is given particular to me, I should execute without any personal consideration. That is the perfection of life. Because after all, this body is meant for Kṛṣṇa. The mind is meant for Kṛṣṇa. I am also Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, so pārakyasyaiva. Everything belongs to somebody else. Finally, that somebody else is Kṛṣṇa. So if we fix up our mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and serve Him, then our life is perfect.

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

All right. So bhava-bhāvana. Kṛṣṇa... This world is created by Kṛṣṇa, and He wants to see it is properly maintained. And who will maintain? His own representative. Not the demons. Therefore king is supposed to be a representative of Kṛṣṇa. He will maintain this world properly. A Vaiṣṇava, he knows how to utilize everything for Kṛṣṇa. The aim of this creation is giving these conditioned souls another chance for liberation. That is the purpose. When the whole world is annihilated, then all the living entities again enter into the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Then, when there is again creation, then the living entities again come out, according to their past position. We do not accept this rascal theory, Darwin's, that from lower-grade life they... There is a promotion like that, but in the creation everything is there. All the 8,400,000 species, they are all there. Although the gradations are there. So according to the past karma, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1), everyone comes out again, gets a different type of body, and begins his work. Again another chance. "Yes. You come to the point of human understanding. Try to understand your relationship with Kṛṣṇa and get yourself liberated. Go home, back to home, back to..." If you lose this opportunity—this creation is made for that purpose—then again you remain. Again, when everything is annihilated, you remain in dormant stage, millions of years. Again you become created.

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

Therefore king is supposed to be the representative of God. So after killing these demons, Kuru, kuror vaṁśa-davāgni-nirhṛtaṁ saṁrohayitvā bhava-bhāvano hariḥ niveśayitvā nija-rājya īśvaro yudhiṣṭhiram...

When He saw, "Now Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is situated on the throne for the control of the world," He..., prīta-manā babhūva ha, He became satisfied: "There is My real representative, and he will work nicely."

So these two things are going on. Those who are trying to capture the governmental power for his personal ambition, they will be killed. They will be killed. This way or that way, they will be killed. And persons who are taking responsibility for maintenance of the government as representative of Kṛṣṇa, they will be blessed by Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. So at the present moment, the so-called democracy,... Nobody is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is demons. Everyone is a demon. So how you can expect peace and prosperity under this government? This is not possible. If you want... We have got to think politically also, because after all, all living entities are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa wants their welfare so that they may come back to home, back to Godhead.

So it is the duty of the Vaiṣṇava to see that people are gradually educated to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So perhaps it would be better if we can..., we also capture political power. As there are many parties, Communist party, Congress party, this party, that party, so there must be one Kṛṣṇa's party. Why not? Then people will be happy, if Kṛṣṇa's party comes to the governmental post. Immediately there will be peace. In India, in India there are so many slaughterhouses. There are... It is said that ten thousand cows are being killed everyday, in the land were one cow was being attempted to be killed, immediately Mahārāja Parīkṣit took his sword, "Who are you?" In that land, now ten thousand cows are being killed every day. So you expect peace? You expect prosperity This is not possible.

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

Therefore if some day Kṛṣṇa's representative takes the governmental power, then he will immediately stop all these slaughterhouses, all these brothels, all these liquor houses. Then there will be peace and prosperity. Bhūta-bhāvana, Kṛṣṇa will be pleased, "Here is My representative."

So there are so many things to understand from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, full knowledge, all knowledge, as it is required by the human society. So we have to study from all angles of vision, not simply by sentiment. This is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

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

So an ideal king like Yudhiṣṭhira, he can rule over not only over the land, over the seas, all over the planet. This is the ideal. (reading:) "The modern English law of primogeniture, or the law of inheritance by the firstborn, was also prevalent in those days when Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira ruled the earth and the seas." That means whole planet, including the seas. (reading:) "In those days the king of Hastināpura, now part of New Delhi, was the emperor of the world, including the seas, up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the grandson of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. His younger brothers were acting as his minister and commanders of state, and there was full cooperation between the perfectly religious brothers of the King. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was the ideal king or representative of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa..." 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.

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

Therefore, the executive head must be a trained person like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and he must have the full autocratic power to rule over the world. The conception of a world state can take shape only under the regime of a perfect king like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. The world was happy in those days because there were kings like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to rule over the world." Let this king follow Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and show an example of how monarchy can make a perfect state. There is instruction in the śāstras, and if he follows, he can do that. He has got the power.

Then because he was so perfect king, then, a representative of Kṛṣṇa, therefore, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Parjanyaḥ means rainfall. So rainfall is the basic principle of supply of all necessities of life, rainfall. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ (BG 3.14). If you want to make people happy, both man and animal... There are animals also. They are... These rascal state executive, sometimes they make a show of benefit for the men but no benefit for the animal. Why? Why this injustice? They are also born in this land. They are also living entity. They may be animals. They have no intelligence. They have intelligence, not as good as of man, but does it mean that regular slaughterhouse should be constructed for killing them? Is that justice? And not only that, but anyone, if he comes to the state, the king should give him shelter. Why distinction? Anyone takes shelter, "Sir, I want to live in your state," so he must be given all facilities. Why this, "No, no, you cannot come. You are American. You are Indian. You are this"? No. There are so many thing. If actually they follow the principle, the Vedic principles, then the ideal king will be a good leader.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). So many assurances. "Immediately I give you protection." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mo... If I am released from all reaction of my sinful activities, then where is my difficulty? Difficulty's there so mo..., so long one is sinful. We suffer the reaction of sinful activities. But if there is no sin, I become purified, then where is suffering? There is no question of suffering.

So the king, being the head, naradeva... Therefore king's another name is naradeva. He's God. King is considered as God, representative of God. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, yes, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī gave certificate to Nawab Hussain Shah that "You are representative of Kṛṣṇa." When Nawab Hussain Shah was inquiring about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "This person is not ordinary person. We are kings. Sometimes when we give in charity so many men flock around us. But here is a person, wherever He's going, thousands of men are following Him. So He's not ordinary person." After all, he's a king. He has got intelligence. Even from diplomatic point of view, he can understand. So he inquired from his minister, Sanātana Gosvāmī, "So who is this person?" So Sanātana Gosvāmī replied that "Whom you accept as (indistinct), the profit is His. It is your fortune that during your reign, He has taken birth in Bengal. You are governor, you are the king of Bengal. And why you are asking me? You are king. You are representative of Kṛṣṇa. You ask your mind and you'll understand what He is." He gave the certificate immediately. Not that "Oh, you are Muhammadan. What you can know?" No. Muhammadan, Hindu, doesn't matter. If one is king he must be blessed by Kṛṣṇa. He has been given the opportunity to become... And if the king also remembers that "I am representative of God. God has given me this post to rule over this country, to make them dharmic, to follow, to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then that is my duty, first duty," then everything is all right.

Lecture on SB 1.15.37 -- Los Angeles, December 15, 1973:

So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja's another name was Dharmarāja. Dharmarāja. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya... So to enthrone Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira... Because king is representative of God. That is Vedic conception. King or president, the chief of the executive... He should be exactly the representative of God. As guru is representative of God, similarly, the king or president is also representative of God. In every planet... Because every planet... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to God. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the supreme owner of every planet." So every planet is the property of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore to govern that planet, there must be a king who is actually representative of Kṛṣṇa. The king's business or the president's business is to see that the citizens, they mistakenly have come to this material world to enjoy sense gratification. They should be trained up in such a way that they can go back to home, back to Godhead. That is king's responsibility. Similarly, that is father's responsibility. Similarly, that is guru's, spiritual master's, responsibility. Similarly, the relative's responsibility. Suppose one has no father, mother; then it is the responsibility of the relative. It is the responsibility of the king.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

At the present moment, the so-called president is dependent on the votes of some rascals. That's all. The rascals, they do not know whom to vote, and therefore another rascal is elected, and when he is not doing well, they cry. You have elected. Why you are crying now? Because they are rascals. They do not know. So this is going on. But actually, the head of the state should be sva-rāṭ, fully independent. Not on the votes of the prajā. He is only dependent on Kṛṣṇa, just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. All the Pāṇḍavas, they were under the order of Kṛṣṇa.

So the king or the emperor, is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is so honored, naradeva. The king's another name is naradeva, "God in, as a human being." "God as human being," the king is so respected. Because he is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Any representative of Kṛṣṇa... Just (as) king... Not the present king or president, but this is the ideal. So he should be so perfect representative that... It is said by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If the king is real representative of God, then simply by pleasing the king, you please the almighty father, God. This was the... So why Kṛṣṇa wanted this Battle of Kurukṣetra to install Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira on the throne? Because he knew that "He is My right representative, not Duryodhana. Therefore there must be fight, and this Duryodhana and company should be finished, and Yudhiṣṭhira should be installed."

So selection... This is paramparā. So Yudhiṣṭhira's responsibility is that next king... Because he is going to retire. "So next emperor, he should be also equally qualified like me." Therefore it is said, susamaṁ guṇaiḥ.

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

And another point is nṛdeva-cihna-dhṛk. Nṛdeva. Nṛ means "human being," and deva means "God." So the king is considered as God in the human society. Just see what should be the position of the king. And how much qualified he must be. Because a king is supposed to be the representative of God to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness of the people. That is king's duty. Therefore he's called nṛdeva. Anyone who is trying for Kṛṣṇa, to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a representative of Kṛṣṇa, real representative. Therefore guru is offered the respect exactly like Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata **. Because he is kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya, he's the..., doing the most confidential service, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants everyone to surrender to Him, and the spiritual master is doing the same: "Please surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Therefore he's the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. He should be honored as Kṛṣṇa. That is the duty of the king also. Everyone should come forward. The father, the mother, the king, the spiritual master. Upon whom the instruction of the disciples, of the subordinate wards, is depending, they should be all Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore it is said nṛdeva..., nṛdeva-cihna-dhṛk. And he was punished because, although he dressed himself like a king, but he had no responsibility. Therefore nṛdeva-cihna-dhṛk śūdrakaḥ. He was actually śūdra, and he was taking the place of a king. Therefore he should be punished. This is the duty of the government. Nobody can cheat. If you dress like such and such person, you must deal also honestly. Otherwise you will be punished.

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

So even if you go to that planet Brahmaloka, as you are trying to go to the moon planet... From śāstra we understand in the moon planet, they live up to ten thousands of years according to heavenly calculation. In each planet, in each society, the calculation is different. So it is calculated that in the moon planet you can live for ten thousands of years, and that calculation is compared: our six months equal to one day in that planet. So just imagine how many years of our calculation they can live.

But Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa informs us that wherever you may go, the Yamarāja is ready, the representative of Kṛṣṇa as Yamarāja. Just like the magistrate is also the representative of the government. So he is ready to come exactly as you finish your terms of duration of life. That is the way. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). So at the end of life, everyone becomes disgusted. Therefore there is some release interval. At the end of life, mostly, people, those who are..., especially ordinary human being, they do not wish to live anymore. Even from the point of view, this bodily, old body, always diseased, rheumatic pains, so... And there is no life. For old man there is no enjoyment, material enjoyment. He wants to enjoy, but he cannot enjoy. Therefore generally, they become disgusted.

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

Manu received the transcendental knowledge from his father, Vivasvān, the sun-god. So... And Prahlāda. Prahlāda Mahārāja is also representative of God. Prahlāda, Janaka. King Janaka, father of Sītādevī or father-in-law of Lord Rāmacandra. He is also representative. Gṛhastha. This Janaka-rāja is gṛhastha, householder, and Nārada is brahmacārī. Lord Brahmā is also gṛhastha. Lord Śiva is also gṛhastha; Kumāra, brahmacārī; Kapila, brahmacārī. So there are many. Yamarāja is also gṛhastha. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is brahmacārī. So it doesn't matter whether one is brahmacārī or householder or a sannyāsī. He must try to become confidential servant of the Lord. Then he becomes the representative, representative of God, Kṛṣṇa.

So Yamarāja is a great devotee Vaiṣṇava. We should not be afraid of Yamarāja. Those who are devotees, they are... Yamarāja says that "I offer them respect, my obeisances." He advised his messengers that "Don't go to my devotees. They are to be offered respect by me. You go to persons who are reluctant to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. You go there and bring them here for judgment." The Christian also believe, "the day of judgment." The judgment is given by Yamarāja. But who goes to his court for judgment? The criminals, those who are not devotees, those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they go to the court of Yamarāja.

Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:

That is not possible. Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). When Kṛṣṇa inquired, "What is your decision?" he said, "Yes, even though I do not like to fight, still, because it is Your order, I must fight." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73).

So devotee hasn't got any personal decision. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). We should decide by the order of Kṛṣṇa through the disciplic succession, via media, the spiritual master. That is required. A devotee cannot decide personally. If Kṛṣṇa desires... If somebody says that "We cannot see Kṛṣṇa personally," then you have to decide by Kṛṣṇa's representative. If your spiritual master, guru, says that "You do this," that is Kṛṣṇa's order. That is Kṛṣṇa's order. Therefore it is said, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. By satisfying the spiritual master, you satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is very natural. Just like when you go to your work, the immediate person who is in charge of your work, he must be satisfied. You don't jump up to the proprietor. The proprietor will be automatically satisfied. If something is done and the proprietor sees that the immediate office superintendent is satisfied, then he accepts, "Yes, that's all right." He hasn't got to inspect personally. If the superintendent of the office says that "Yes, this clerk or this man works nice," then proprietor accepts. Similarly, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. We have to satisfy our spiritual master, sevayā.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. If you can reach that love of Godhead, then you'll feel, "Oh, I am so fortunate." Otherwise we remain unfortunate. So love is there everywhere. Even in cats' and dogs' love there is love. But the perfection is when you actually find the person to love and you actually do it, that is perfection.

Bali-mardana: Prabhupāda, you stated that on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra all the warriors who were dying in the presence of Kṛṣṇa, they all gained liberation. So I'm wondering... Each one of us has within our heart also the representative of Kṛṣṇa. So when we die, why is not everyone liberated?

Prabhupāda: But you have no sense of Kṛṣṇa. You have no sense of Kṛṣṇa. Or actually you do not die. That is another thing. This death means in the... That is described in the Bhāgavatam. Those who die before Kṛṣṇa, they attain their original position, svarūpa. So that is real success. Otherwise, there is no death. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). It is not death; when our body is destroyed, that does not mean we are dead. You are spirit soul, I am spirit soul, every one of us, but we have no death. That is another illusion. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). This so-called death, it is not death. Dhīra, one who knows, one who is sober, he knows that "This man or this boy or this father is dying... He's not dying. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ: he is just changing another body. He's changing an..." So actually we have no death. The change of body. So we are accepting this change of body as death. That is another illusion. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. One who is sober, he is not bewildered. He knows that... Suppose we are sitting here. We are sitting here, and after a few minutes we shall go away. That does not mean we are dead. We are in this apartment; we go to another apartment. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13).

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- New York, April 10, 1969:

This is confirming the statement of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Two things required, Guru and Kṛṣṇa, to advance in the spiritual realization or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So here it is, Kṛṣṇa is pleased in the family of the Pāṇḍavas. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was going to die. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was grandson of Arjuna, and he was also a devotee. So therefore by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, a bona fide spiritual master is sent to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Guru-Kṛṣṇa. When one is sincere, then Kṛṣṇa is sitting within everyone. As soon as He sees that "Here is a sincere soul. He's seeking after Me," so He manifests Himself out externally as spiritual master. The spiritual master is therefore representative of Kṛṣṇa. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Two things. Without being representative of Kṛṣṇa, nobody can become spiritual master. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana. Without being empowered by Kṛṣṇa, nobody can preach, nobody can become a spiritual master.

So here Śukadeva Gosvāmī sent by Kṛṣṇa on the verge of his death. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). This opportunity is obtained by a very fortunate person. Because the living entities are wandering within this universe, packed up, from one planet to another, from one species life to another species of life. In this way, he is wandering. He is not fixed up. Today I am American or Indian, tomorrow or next birth, I do not know what is going to happen to me. But this body for good will be finished. I'll never get this body. I'll get another body. Maybe a demigod's body or a tree's body or a plant's body or animal's body—I must get another body. So the living entity is wandering in this way, vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni. Just like we change our dress from one dress to another, similarly we are changing different positions by the influence of māyā. Māyā is forcing me. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27).

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

They are liberated. We are not reading some Mr. John R. Mead's (?) book. No. Liberated soul. So that should be our source of knowledge. Mannerly, prideless, grave. Grave means don't talk nonsense. Don't talk nonsense. Don't waste time. If you have got time, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, but don't talk nonsense. Grave, that is called gravity. Grave, sympathetic. We should be very much sympathetic. If some of our fellow men fall sick, we must take care of him, give help him. Because, after all, we have got this body. Sometimes we may fall sick. So one, we should be sympathetic. And friendly. Everyone friend. As Kṛṣṇa is friend of everyone, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29), so if we are Kṛṣṇa's representative, how I can be enemy of anyone else? I must be friendly. Friendly. Poet. And expert. And silent. Silent worker, not advertising. Silent. These are the qualifications of Vaiṣṇava. So we must try to follow; not imitate, but follow. Follow, that is nice. Then?

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Los Angeles, November 10, 1968:

So this friendship, this love, this society, this country—everything illusion. Just like dream. At night we dream, "Oh, I have been made a king," and in the morning I see everything finished. So we should not be attached to these temporary attractions. We admit these are temporary attractions, but we are still... Just like children. They are attracted to the..., but the parents, they're guiding, "Oh, you must go to school." Niḥśreyasāya. That is śreyaḥ. The boy, the child, does not like it, but the parents, they are anxious, "Oh, my child is not going to school; he is being spoiled." So dragging him.

Similarly, the scriptures, the sages, the saintly persons, the devotees, the representative of Kṛṣṇa, God, they're very much anxious to take us back to Godhead, back to home. That is niḥśreyasāya. That is the ultimate benediction. To be repaired(?), enamored by the temporary society, friendship and love. And it has become a thankless task for the saintly persons, devotees of God, to drag them: "Oh, please come here. Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Please be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Please be God conscious." Nobody likes it. They think it botheration, "Why Swamiji comes here and bothers us?" But it has become the business. Therefore the qualification of a saintly person is titikṣava, very tolerant, very tolerant. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified. Still, he was so tolerant he, at the time of crucification, he's praying to God, "My Lord, these people do not know what they are doing. Please forgive them." Just see how much tolerant. Titikṣava. This is the first qualification of saintly person or God's servant or God's son. Very tolerant. They have to push on their Kṛṣṇa conscious movement or God conscious movement through so many odds. Through so many odds. Because they are just like the child; he's attracted with playthings.

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

So because He knows everything, therefore we have to take lesson from Bhagavān. What Bhagavān says, if we take, that is perfect knowledge.

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 if we simply take the words of Bhagavān and preach, then it is very easy for us to become, each and every one, to become guru. Not to exploit. No. But to give knowledge. And what is that knowledge? What Kṛṣṇa has spoken. That's all. So even one is not very learned scholar, Sanskrit scholar, everyone has got this ear. He can hear from Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's representative and assimilate what is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, and he can repeat the same. Then he becomes guru. That is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

To become guru means para-upakāra. People are in the darkness, so they have to be enlightened. That is the Vedic injunction. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata. Now, people, from animal kingdom we are getting this human body. So up to animal body we are sleeping, kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole, in the lap of this material nature. Now this human form of body is meant for getting out. So the mission is to awaken people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To awaken people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Jīv jāgo jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole. Gauracānda, means Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is speaking to everyone, "Oh, the living entity, get up! Get up!" Kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole: "How long you shall sleep?"

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.

We should not be captivated by the material distress, or we should not be very much aggrieved by the material distress, and we should not be very much happy for material happiness. These are bondage. Material happiness is not actually happiness. That is through distress. Just like we are trying to be happy, trying to be very rich, get some money. That is not very easily obtained. We have to undergo so much distresses. So actually, it is distress, but with the hope of getting some false happiness, we accept this distress. Actually, there is no happiness.

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

Everyone is intelligent how to make his sense gratification very nice. Even an ant knows how to gratify his senses. So you have to sacrifice that. Don't gratify your senses, but try to gratify Kṛṣṇa's senses. Then you are perfect. Then you are perfect.

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

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

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

He has described the symptoms of sādhu. By the last three, four ślokas, he has described what is the symptom. Everything should be accepted by the symptom, characteristic. Not that anyone will come: "I am a sādhu." No. We must know by the characteristic of sādhu. That has been described. Similarly, incarnation of God, not that anyone will come and say, "I am incarnation of God." That will not be accepted. We have to see the characteristics of God as they are stated in the śāstra, then we can accept somebody as God by uncommon quality.

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

Therefore we learn from Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna is personally teaching us. He is accepting Kṛṣṇa as guru, śiṣyas te 'ham (BG 2.7), "Kṛṣṇa now I become Your servant, not that I remain as Your friend." Friend to friend talk is not very serious. Now I want to talk with serious. You become my spiritual master, you teach me, and I will take your lesson. This should be the It is not meant for only Arjuna. It is meant for everyone, that if you, you must find out the guru. The first guru is Kṛṣṇa, and anyone who is Kṛṣṇa's representative, he is guru. Guru is Kṛṣṇa, the original guru, and if Kṛṣṇa representative is found, is available, then he is also guru.

Just like you are a businessman and anybody goes to canvass for business, to get some order for your business, he is your representative. It is not very difficult to understand. If he is your representative and talks something nonsense then he is not your representative, he is cheating you. He is taking your money and doing something else. No, real representative is he who is canvassing for Kṛṣṇa, not canvassing for himself that "I have become Kṛṣṇa." No, he is not guru, he is cheater.. The representative is he who canvasses business for Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. Kṛṣṇa wants this business. What is that? "You rascal, give up everything and surrender unto Me, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66)." Kṛṣṇa wants this business. And Kṛṣṇa's representative also says that you give up everything, simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa's representative. Sometimes we are very much eulogized, "I have done a wonderful thing, but I have done as representative of Kṛṣṇa." Same thing. I have told all these boys and girls nothing magic. I never showed any gold-making magic. I simply said to them the "Here is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you surrender unto Him." That's all. Ask any (indistinct). I never said anything. So that is actually representative.

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

Kṛṣṇa wants this business. And Kṛṣṇa's representative also says that you give up everything, simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa's representative. Sometimes we are very much eulogized, "I have done a wonderful thing, but I have done as representative of Kṛṣṇa." Same thing. I have told all these boys and girls nothing magic. I never showed any gold-making magic. I simply said to them the "Here is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you surrender unto Him." That's all. Ask any (indistinct). I never said anything. So that is actually representative.

Anyone can become Kṛṣṇa's representative, everyone, especially Indians. They should become Kṛṣṇa's representative. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

(janma) sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

Para-upakāra means the whole world does not know about the message of Kṛṣṇa, therefore it is the greatest welfare activity to carry this message and inform them. This is the work of Kṛṣṇa's representative, and any Indian can do it but they'll not do it. They will take Bhagavad-gītā and speak their hodge podge, that's all. That is not Kṛṣṇa's representative. Therefore it has not been successful. For the last 200 years so many swamis and yogis went to foreign countries, but nobody spoke about Kṛṣṇa. Simply hodge-podge. Therefore there was not a single person accepted this cult; Vedic culture. That is fact.

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

Why? He's a friend. He's talking equally, sitting equally, friend and friend, sometimes talking nonsense. Kṛṣṇa, in the Eleventh Chapter he was begging Kṛṣṇa, "Forgive me. As a friend I have misbehaved with you." Friend has got right, Kṛṣṇa did not mind for that, but he knew that "Kṛṣṇa, although He is my friend, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, He is the proper person to become my guru." And he says also that "The perplexity which I have been put into now in this battlefield, this cannot be solved by anyone else except Yourself." That he said also. So this is instruction we get from Bhagavad-gītā, everyone reads Bhagavad-gītā, that we have to accept Kṛṣṇa as the guru, or Kṛṣṇa's representative as guru. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34), and we have to give service to such guru and we have to surrender ourself. Not that I accept you guru just to know how much you are learned, how much you can talk with me, not with that spirit. (indistinct) ...that I surrender to you sir, śiṣyas te 'ham, I have become śiṣya. Śiṣya means voluntarily accepting his ruling. Whatever guru will say he will accept, that is called śiṣya. Śiṣya means ruling, who accept disciple, means disciplinary measure. Whatever guru says, one who accepts he becomes disciple. He, I don't care for my guru's order and still I am disciple, that is not accepting guru. Of course it has become a fashion like that, to have a guru but don't care for guru. That is not, that will not help.

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

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, he has very much stressed on the mercy of guru. And that is actually fact. If we receive the mercy of guru, if we can satisfy guru by our service, and if he gives his blessing, that is very, very great opportunity. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Guru is confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. Guru never claims that he is Kṛṣṇa, he is God. That is not guru. Guru, although worshiped as Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa... Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Not in one śāstra, but all the Vedic śāstra, they describe guru, guru-brahma. They describe on the equal footing. Guru, being representative of Kṛṣṇa, he is worshiped as Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. All śāstra recommends that. Tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. And those who are pure devotees, they accept. But that does not mean that guru declares himself that "I am Kṛṣṇa. I am God." No. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. He is the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is very dear. And as he is very dear to Kṛṣṇa, if he recommends somebody, "Kṛṣṇa, accept him," He will accept him. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. That is the system.

Guru is very confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. Why confidential servant? Because he is canvassing door to door, "Please become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Please surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), and guru takes that very mission, but does not say like Kṛṣṇa, that "Your surrender to me." He says, "Surrender to Kṛṣṇa." One has to surrender to Kṛṣṇa through the via media of guru, directly. This is the process. Therefore guru accepts respects from the disciple not for his personal self, but conveying the respect to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. If you cannot get the mercy of guru, then it is very difficult to approach Kṛṣṇa. We cannot approach Kṛṣṇa directly.

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

"I am less intelligence." Manda-dhīr hare: "My dear Kapila, You are Supreme Personality of Godhead, but I am manda-dhīḥ. My intelligence is not very sharp. Still, I want to understand the sublime subject matter, transcendental subject matter, from You. So it is possible." Bhavad-anugrahāt: "If You become merciful, then it is possible." This is the process.

So in order to get the mercy of guru, so yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **, we must search out a bona fide spiritual master, representative of Kṛṣṇa or Kapiladeva, and then we shall submit and offer service. In this way we shall please the guru, and if he is satisfied, then our business is complete. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended this process, this process, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. The process of understanding or approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead is this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this when He was discussing with Rāmānanda Rāya. So the process of approaching the Supreme Lord... So he first of all explained the varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate (CC Madhya 8.58). The human life is for viṣṇur ārādhanam. That is the human life, Viṣṇur ārādhanam. In varṇāśrama, the system... Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13), Kṛṣṇa says. Why establish this cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam? Because through the cātur-varṇya, systematic institution, following the rules and regulations of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, one can approach Lord Viṣṇu. Viṣṇur ārādhyate. This varṇāśrama-dharma is very important. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that it is very difficult even to execute the rules and regulation of varṇāśrama-dharma in this age. Actually that is a fact. Therefore, after explaining varṇāśrama-dharma before Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, eho bāhya: "Yes, it is one of the processes, but in this age it is very difficult." Who is going to be brāhmaṇa? It is very difficult.

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

Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: (SB 11.3.21) "One who is inquisitive about spiritual life, about spiritual identity," tasmāt, "therefore," guruṁ prapadyeta, "you must seek out a bona fide guru."

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.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

You give up this." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "I will give you relief. You come to Me. You will live happily, eternally, blissful life, without any scarcity, without any trouble."

So the Kṛṣṇa's business—He comes here. He has no business to come here because His agent, prakṛti, is doing everything. But still, out of compassion, He comes in His original form, Kṛṣṇa, or in His incarnation as Kapiladeva, and He says the same thing, "My dear sons, My dear rascal sons, you are suffering so much on account of this material contact. Please come to Me. Take shelter of Me, and you will be happy." This is going on. And Kṛṣṇa's representative says the same thing, that "You rascal, you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and be happy." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are going from door to door of all rascals. I tell it, declare it publicly. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a rascal number one. I declare it. Come, any intelligent man. I shall talk with him. I shall prove that he is rascal number one if he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for the rascal number one, and we always canvassing, soliciting, "Please take to this." Not that we have invented something. As Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna that "This philosophy, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy..."

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

Whatever He'll say exact, that is Vedic knowledge. Therefore it is safer to take knowledge from Bhagavān, especially the knowledge of Bhagavān. Bhagavān is not so cheap thing. If you want to know Bhagavān... If you do not be so fool to accept another fool as Bhagavān, then you have to hear about Bhagavān about Bhagavān. That is the process. Therefore the Vedic instruction is, to get perfect knowledge, you have to approach a person who is guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). And who's guru? Guru means representative of Bhagavān. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. Guru... Because the real guru, he's representative of Kṛṣṇa, sākṣāt-hari. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. In all scriptures it is described that guru is as good as Bhagavān. Means he knows from the right source. Therefore he may be, not maybe exactly, but as good, sākṣād-dharitvena. Why? Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Guru is servant, servant God. The master God and the servant God. Kṛṣṇa is the master God and guru is the servant God. Although he's respected as Kṛṣṇa, still, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya; He does not claim that "I've become Kṛṣṇa." No. He's very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya. Priya. Priya means dear. Why he's so dear? Because he preaches the master's message. Therefore he's pure. If he preaches his own message, manufactured, then he's not good; he's deceit. That now there are so many rascal, they say like that, that "Kṛṣṇa was Bhagavān. That is past now. He's dead and gone. Now I am Kṛṣṇa." There are many rascals they say like that. But these rascals are accepted by other rascals. God is never dead. God... How He can get...? Even the ordinary living being, he's not dead. Na jāyate na mriyate. Even we, living entities, never die or never born. How the Supreme Lord can be dead or born? That is not the fact.

So therefore if we discuss Bhagavān, there are so many things to be understood about Bhagavān.

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

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

So from within and from without, Kṛṣṇa is ready to help us provided we become little anxious. Śraddhā. To create this śraddhā, little faith, we are trying to open these branches all over the world, and people who are taking advantage of this..., little inclination will help. But there must be inclination. We are not dull stone that we have no power. We have got little power. That little independence is there because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent, and we, being minute part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got also little independence. You don't forget this. And misuse of this independence is the cause of our material existence, misuse. So still, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He comes. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya (BG 4.8). If we simply become little inclined, svalpam apy asya dharmasya, little inclined, then Kṛṣṇa will help us. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). If somebody is little inclined and out of sentiment or understanding he gives up everything, sva-dharmam, that is the primary requisition.

Lecture on SB 3.26.32 -- Bombay, January 9, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ vijānīyāt: "he is Myself. I am. Because he is My perfect representative—he won't speak anything nonsense; he will speak something or everything which he has heard from Me—therefore he is ācārya." Ācārya means one who knows the śāstra and practically uses in his life, and the same thing, he teaches to his disciple. That is called ācārya. Ācārya is not a self-made man. No. Ācārya means ācinoti yaḥ śāstrāṇi. One who understand the śāstra, the Vedic śāstra, and practices in life and teaches the same thing to his student—that is called ācārya. So ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit, na asūyeta martya-buddhyā (SB 11.17.27). So ācārya should not be considered as ordinary man, because he is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, "All the śāstras..." The śāstra is the basic strength, platform. So all the śāstra says the ācārya: "He is representative of the Supreme Lord." So sākṣād-dharitvena. Sākṣāt, not indirectly, supposingly. No. Directly, sākṣāt. Sākṣāt means directly. So how he is directly representative? Suppose Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago or millions of years ago, because Kṛṣṇa first spoke to Vivasvān. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "This yoga system, I first of all explained to Vivasvān, the sun-god." That means millions and millions of years. Later on, again, He explained. So He says that "That very old thing, again I am explaining to you, Arjuna. There is no change."

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

So we have to associate with mahātmā. Mahat-sevā. How associate? Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34), to associate. Therefore, it is the custom whenever one goes to see one saintly person, he gives something for service, either fruits or something presentation. That is necessary. Mahat-sevā it is said. Sevā means service. Maha-sevā. Not that I go to see one mahātmā, saintly person, and talk with him with all rascal proposal, and waste his time and his own time also. That is not association of the mahātmā. Mahat sevā. You must approach a saintly person to give him some service. This is the beginning. Spiritual advancement of life means you have to give some service. That service begins when we serve the representative of Kṛṣṇa, mahātmā. He's spiritual master or saintly person.

So mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. And just the opposite number is, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Yoṣit. Yoṣit means enjoyable, female, or prakṛti. The nature has made in such a way that the male form, or female form, that attracts, that is called yosit. There are so many things for our attraction, not that simply woman is attractive. No. Woman is a form. Rūpa, rasa, śabda, gandha, sparśa, this is called the tāṇ-mātra, enjoying... We have got senses, so there must be object of enjoyment of the senses. The eyes, they have got also the object of sense gratification. The eyes want to see very beautiful forms. Eyes, rūpa. Rūpa means form. And the tongue, it wants to enjoy very good taste, tasty food. So that is also enjoyment. Not that simply woman is for enjoyment. Any palatable foodstuff which attracts my tongue, that is also enjoyment.(?)

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

So therefore māyā's name is guṇamayī. Guṇa, guṇa means also rope, guṇa. Guṇamayī, tri-guṇa-mayī, three ropes you bound together become very strong. Similarly, this māyā, the stringent laws of material nature, prakṛti, is very, very strong. You cannot declare independence. That is not possible. If you really want independence, then you mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes. Then you have to take shelter of mahājana, mahat-sevā. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, that tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). First thing is that this... Mukti means you have to become surrendered either to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Otherwise there is no question of mukti. And if you do not do this, if you think that eat, drink, be merry and enjoy life, that is called yoṣi saṅga, yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. What is that? Tamo-dvāram. That means you are making progress towards darkness, tamo-dvāram, hellish condition of life.

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ

durāśayā ye bahir-artha māninaḥ

(SB 7.5.31)

matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā

mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām

adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ

punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām

(SB 7.5.30)

These are the instructions Prahlāda Mahārāja gave. He wanted to teach his father, atheist father. So his father inquired, "Prahlāda, how you have developed this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" So Prahlāda began to smile and said to his father, matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā. He did not address his father "My dear father." He used to address him as "the best of the asuras," asura-varya. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya. So he said, "My dear father," matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā, "to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not so easy."

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

Nahi nahi rakṣati dukṛn-karaṇe(?). If you misinterpret that "With this grammatical addition or grammatical alteration this meaning can be derived." No. That is mal-interpretation. Real understanding is bhaja govindam. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Lord Brahmā, he also says, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. And Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, he is incarnation of Śaṅkara, he also saying, govindam, bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam. And we are following the same thing, so that is guru-paramparā, that is real knowledge. So don't approach a cheater, but actually approach a teacher, not a cheater. Then bhakti-yoga will be... That teacher is guru, and he is representative of Kṛṣṇa. He does not say anything else.

So bhaktyā anuvṛtyā. Anuvṛtyā means following. Not that I have become more than my guru, I can invent something. No. Bhakti means, sādhu-mārgānugamanam. You have to follow the sādhu, the ācārya. That is bhakti. Bhakti does not means that I am so learned I can manufacture something. That is rascal. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. That is bhakti. You have to become servant of the servant of the servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). Not that at a point you become suddenly very learned scholar, and you do not remain a servant, but you want to become a master, to dictate the guru. That is rascal. That will not help us. Here it is said, bhaktyānuvṛtyā. Bhaktyā, bhaktyā, bhakti means sevā. Bhaja sevayā. When bhakti, bhajata sukti(?). Bhaja means sevayā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). So we have to understand this bhakti-yoga by bhaktyānuvṛtyā, not otherwise. Not that I am very learned scholar, I can give a different interpretation and... No, that is not bhakti. Bhaktyānuvṛtyā vitṛṣṇayā dvandva-titikṣayā ca.

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

And that is guru. Guru is the cloud or he is the agent of drying water from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa and turn it into a mercy cloud and pour water on the saṁsāra dāvānala, and then it is extinguished. Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya kalyāṇa **.

Therefore guru must be authorized person, not that bhūmi-phala-guru(?). No. "I am guru," no. You cannot become guru unless you are agent to draw out the mercy water from the ocean of mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. And therefore a guru is not an ordinary person. He is the representative, bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra: "Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, Kṛṣṇa is your property. If you like, you can give." Vedeṣu durlabhaṁ adurlabhaṁ ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). You cannot get Kṛṣṇa by studying Vedas. That is not possible. There is Kṛṣṇa in the Vedas, but you cannot pick up. It is not possible. But if you go to the Kṛṣṇa's favorite person... Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Kṛṣṇa's very dear servant, confidential servant, is guru. Nobody can become guru unless he is in confidence of Kṛṣṇa. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ. These things are there. Not that by magic one can become guru. No. He must be...

Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya kalyāṇa **. Everything is there in the śāstra. We have to see whether a person is actually bona fide agent of Kṛṣṇa. Then we accept him as guru. Otherwise useless waste of time. Gurur apy avaliptasya kāryākāryam ajānataḥ. Guru is very confidential serv... Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. Guru is sākṣād hari; there is no distinction between guru and Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you have got some business with a very big man, when his representative comes, you treat him as the same person because he is authorized agent.

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

So many formulas are given, the tapa-ādibhiḥ. Because the other side, the tapasya, therefore tapa-ādibhiḥ, "beginning with tapasya, austerity." So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "My dear King," na tathā hy aghavān rājan pūyeta tapa-ādibhiḥ, "if one is practicing the other side, namely tapasya, brahmācārya, celibacy, austerities, yogic principle, controlling the mind, the senses, charity, so many things, so they are also purifying, but they are not so strong. They are not so strong as this devotional service is strong." That is tapa-ādibhiḥ. Na tathā hy aghavān rājan pūyeta tapa-ādibhiḥ, yathās kṛṣṇa-arpita-prāṇaḥ. One who has dedicated his life to Kṛṣṇa, he is very strong. Kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇaḥ. Yathā kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇas tat-puruṣa niṣevayā. Or dedicated his life to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. He is very strong than the other man who is undergoing austerities, penances, and He is also making progress, certainly. But better process is this: one who has surrendered completely to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa or his representative. Kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇaḥ tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā.

But you cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa without serving the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said, chādiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistara paveche kebā: "Without serving the representative of Kṛṣṇa, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa." It is not possible. It is not possible. There are many instances. Mahāt-pāda-rajo 'bhiṣekam. Niṣkiñcanānṁ, niṣkiñcanānām... There is one verse—just now I forget. The thing is that without being blessed by the representative of Kṛṣṇa, nobody can take interest into Kṛṣṇa. That is another secret. Yasya prasādaḍ bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. The Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one can get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa." Yasya prasādāt, "by whose mercy, Kṛṣṇa is merciful." Niṣkiñcanānāṁ pāda-rajo 'bhiṣekam. So this is also stated here, that surrender to Kṛṣṇa means surrender to Kṛṣṇa's representative.

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

The Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one can get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa." Yasya prasādāt, "by whose mercy, Kṛṣṇa is merciful." Niṣkiñcanānāṁ pāda-rajo 'bhiṣekam. So this is also stated here, that surrender to Kṛṣṇa means surrender to Kṛṣṇa's representative. If you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then also Kṛṣṇa's first mercy is that He will send His representative. If anyone is serious to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will help him from within and without. Within, as Supersoul, He will help, and He will dictate that "You go to this person." Guru kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). When there is combined mercy, both Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's representative, then you are successful. Guru kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. Two things. Here also it is stated that one may practice, as the austerities, penances, brahmācārya, celibacy, but better position is to take to devotional service and surrender to Kṛṣṇa through His representative. This bhakti.

sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke

panthāḥ kṣemo 'kuto-bhayaṁ

suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra

nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ

Atra hetu sadhrīcīnaḥ samicinaḥ. "It is quite deserving," sadhrīcīnaḥ. Sadhrīcīnaḥ hy ayaṁ loke panthāḥ kṣema akuto-bhayam. This path, this devotional path, is very secure and very deserving, especially in this age. It is deserving, all the ages. But in other ages people were very long living. Just like tapasya: tapasya is not so very easy thing. Tapasya, it takes too long time. But our life is very short in this age. In the Satya-yuga people used to live for 100,000's of years. In the Tretā-yuga, ten times reduced: ten thousand years. In Dvāpara-yuga, ten times reduced: one thousand years. And the Kali-yuga, again ten times reduced: hundred years.

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

Devotee (1): If someone has a desire to do something so that...

Prabhupāda: Do something for Kṛṣṇa?

Devotee (1): For Kṛṣṇa. But he begins to realize it's still tinged with a lot of personal gratification...

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

Devotee (1): How can one reach the point where he knows that a particular type of service...

Sruta-kirti: How can one reach the point where he knows a particular type of service...

Devotee (1): ...will please the spiritual master?

Madhudviṣa: He wants to know how to find out how to please the spiritual master with one service.

Prabhupāda: The spiritual master has given you so many things to do. Do it. First of all finish that. First of all finish sixteen rounds, observe the regulative principles. First of all... First of all finish this duty. And neglecting this duty, what you can do further? If you cannot finish sixteen rounds chanting, you cannot observe the regulative principles, then what else you can do? First of all finish this duty. Be expert in finishing, executing these duties. Then ask for another duty. And if you finish these duties, automatically Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence.

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

"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.

So things are very easily performed if we follow the system of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And we should; we must. It if not that optional. If you make it optional, you will suffer. That is the Vedic injunction. Kṛṣṇa also says, mām eva ya prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. You have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa or become... Otherwise you will suffer by this material energy. That you cannot avoid. So every one of us, at least those who have taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness as their life and soul, they should execute devotional service very sincerely. Then their success is assured.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

So how it is possible? Yathā kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇaḥ. Prāṇaḥ, prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. Prāṇa, prāṇa means life. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa, such person How this dedication of life to Kṛṣṇa's service can be made possible? That is also stated here: tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā. You have to take shelter of a person who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and you have to serve. That means you have to accept a devotee, a true devotee, a pure devotee, as your guide. That is our process. The Rūpa Gosvāmī says in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, "The first process is, first step is ādau gurvāśrayam to accept guru." Accept guru Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative. One who is not Kṛṣṇa's representative, he cannot become guru. Guru does not mean any nonsense can become guru. No. Only tat-puruṣa. Tat-puruṣa means a person who has accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead as everything. Tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā. That means Vaiṣṇava, pure devotee. So it is not very difficult. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa there are pure devotees, so one has to take shelter of him. Ādau gurvāśrayam. Then sad-dharma-pṛcchāt: after accepting a bona fide spiritual master, one should be inquisitive to learn what is the science of Kṛṣṇa. Sad-dharma-pṛcchāt sādhu-mārga-anugamanam. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness means one has to follow the footsteps of the devotees, sādhu-mārga-anugamanam.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- San Francisco, July 18, 1975:

So Yamarāja is also one of the twelve exalted officers or representative of Kṛṣṇa. But still, he has gone to take charge of the judicial department for judging the sinful—not all, only the sinful.

So these Yamadūtas, order carriers of Yamarāja, they were surprised to see how nice they are, good-looking. So they were surprised, and they were asking question that kasya vā, "Whose servants you are? We are Yamarāja's servant. We are so ugly-looking, and you are so beautiful. So whose servants you are?" Kasya, "whose," means either "whose servant" or "whose son," like that. Kasya vā kuta āyātāḥ: "And wherefrom you are coming?" Kasmāt: "And what is the business? Here you have got... You are so nice-looking. We have come to take this sinful man, and what business you have got here? Why you are forbidding us?" Kiṁ devāḥ: "Are you demigods or semi-demigods?" In the upper planetary system there are gods, demigods. But yūyaṁ kiṁ siddha-sattamāḥ. Siddha-sattamāḥ means in the spiritual world. Siddha means "completely perfect," and sattamāḥ, "devotees."

Within this material world, there is one Siddhaloka. Siddha, caraṇa. They are called siddha means all the yogic mystic powers they have got naturally. Here in this, on the earthly planet, if we want to get some mystic power, we have to practice it by yoga, mystic exercise. But in that planet, Siddhaloka, they are born perfect. Just like if you want to swim in the water, you have to learn it; you have to practice it. But within the sea or water even a small fish, he can very expertly swim, a born qualification. You cannot go against the current of the sea or the water of the river, but a small fish takes pleasure going against the current. Tulasī dāsa has said that to go against the current is very difficult. Even an elephant is washed away. But a small fish, because he has taken shelter of the ocean, he can go against the current. This is the... So if we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, then even the current is against, we can go because... The same example: the fish has taken shelter of the ocean.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

Prabhupāda: Europeans and Americans according to Pañcarātriki-vidhi. Everyone should be followed. It is not that Indians should not follow; only the others will. No. It is for everyone, Pañcarātriki-vidhi. The Pañcarātriki-vidhi means that if anyone has got little tendency for being elevated to the śreyaḥ platform, he should be given chance. That is called Pañcarātriki-vidhi. Just like dīkṣā, initiation. Śūdras are not given initiation. A śūdra cannot be initiated. Only the brāhmaṇas can be initiated, or dvija, or the vaiśyas and the kṣatriyas, the higher caste, not the śūdras. But according to Pañcarātriki-vidhi, even the śūdras or less than the śūdras, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā (SB 2.4.18), everyone can be initiated by a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, not by others. That is the system.

Śyāmasundara: Does one become elevated by following the karma-yoga principles only?

Prabhupāda: It will take a long, long time, and failure is possible. In this age, nothing is possible for the fallen people.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

This is the injunction. If you want to be elevated to the perfectional stage of life, then you must chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. That will help you. No other method, measures, will help you. You can try for it, but there is every chance of failure. But if you follow this path, as enunciated by the śāstras and elaborated by Lord Caitanya, then there is chance. And actually we are seeing that is being done.

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

Lord Jesus teaches love of God; they are the best lover of God. And Hindu religion teaches liberation; they are... As soon as they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, immediately they are liberated, immediately, instantly. There is no question of asking for liberation. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura says liberation means... What is that? Liberation from this material hankering. And what is that material hankering? To satisfy the senses. So these devotees, they are not for satisfying their senses. They are simply trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). They are determined to preach this cult, that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Therefore they are actual representative of Kṛṣṇa. Immediately they are liberated. So, so far liberation is concerned, there is. So far ahiṁsā, nonviolence, there is. So far love of God is there, there is. So combination of Hindu religion, Muslim religion... And Muslims also, they also say their bandeḥ.(?) They also pray in the mosque. I do not know, of course, all other religions. These principal things I know. They also accept "Allah akbar", "God is great." We are all bandehs,(?) all servants. So that is also... Vaiṣṇavism, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Kṛṣṇa is great."

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

Rūpa Gosvāmī was a minister. He was rejected by the brāhmaṇa society, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu made him gosvāmī. He is the original gosvāmī. Why? Because he gave up the dictation of Nawab Shah but he followed the dictation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore he became gosvāmī, prabhupāda. He became prabhupāda. Prabhupāda means the title or the respect which is given to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called... Prabhu means master and pāda means maryādā, or the respect or the distinction. So bhagavad-dūta, those who are strictly following the dictation of Kṛṣṇa under strict disciplinary chain of disciplic succession, he is Kṛṣṇa's representative and he should be given all the respect. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. That is the verdict of all śāstras.

And those who are actually Vaiṣṇava, they follow this instruction.

evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā

yamadūtābhibhāṣitam

upadhāryātha tān rājan

pratyāhur naya-kovidāḥ

(SB 6.2.1)

Naya-kovidāḥ. Naya-kovidāḥ means nyāya-nipuṇa. Bhagavad-dūtas, those who are gosvāmīs, they place everything with nyāya, or logic. Their instructions are not blind, dogmatic. Naya-kovidāḥ. Everything, what is said by Kṛṣṇa or His representative, they are not dogmas. Those who are not representative of Kṛṣṇa, they will say simply dogmas. Just like in every religion there is a dogma. But in bhāgavata religion, bhāgavata-dharma, there is no dogma. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's bhāgavata-dharma, the Caitanya-caritāmṛta's author, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says, therefore, that caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. Vicāra means you just try to understand the gift of Lord Caitanya by logic, vicāra. Don't follow blindly. Following blindly something, that is not good. That will not stay. But one should take everything with logic.

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

Oh, this... It is all humbug." You see? So pure devotion means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), without any desire. Simply one desire, that "How I shall be able to satisfy Kṛṣṇa?" That registered... Where is Mr. Singh? He was saying that "I shall do my duty, and I do not want to know whether Kṛṣṇa is pleased or not pleased." This is not bhakti. This is not bhakti. Bhakti means the bhakta's only business is to understand whether Kṛṣṇa is pleased by my activity. That is bhakta's business. But because they have no relationship with God, they are puzzled that "How I shall understand whether Kṛṣṇa is pleased or not?" They are puzzled. That answer is given by Viśvanātha Cakravartī, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: ** "If you please the representative of Kṛṣṇa, guru, then He is pleased." Yasya prasādād bhagavat... Otherwise you cannot understand whether Kṛṣṇa is pleased or not. You can understand also, because if you follow the Kṛṣṇa's instructions... Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If one is completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and he has no other business than to serve Him, then he can understand that "I am now... Even if I do not understand whether Kṛṣṇa is pleased or not, by the formula I can understand that because I am fully surrendered—I have no other business—then Kṛṣṇa must be pleased." That is the... And practical.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Kṛṣṇa is always with you. When you are anxious for Kṛṣṇa, or God, then Kṛṣṇa will give you direction that "You please go to that person who is My representative." So Kṛṣṇa will help you from within and without. Therefore spiritual master is supposed to be Kṛṣṇa's representative from without, and Kṛṣṇa is speaking within yourself. So Kṛṣṇa is ready to help you from within and without provided you are anxious to get that help. Yes?

Devotee: (indistinct) ...anxious to learn from the spiritual master?

Prabhupāda: Certainly. Unless he is anxious to learn, what is the use of going to spiritual master? There is no need. That I already said. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. One must be very inquisitive. But inquisitive about what? For the supreme benefit. He should be inquisitive to learn the supreme. Then he has the necessity of searching out or approaching a spiritual master. If there is no such demand, then there is no necessity of going to a spiritual master or accepting a spiritual master. A spiritual master should not be accepted as a matter of phobia(?). Just like you keep some pet dog or cat, similarly if you want to keep one spiritual master, there is no profit. You see? You must be qualified to in..., inquisitive to understand the spiritual science, and the spiritual master should be also qualified to answer your inquisitiveness. Then the relationship is nice, not one-sided. Yes?

Devotee: Swamiji, you said... (indistinct) ...after death, when...

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

Therefore, the spiritual master's mercy is described, mūkhaṁ karoti vācālam. Mūkham means dumb, one who cannot speak. He becomes a great lecturer or speaker. Although he is dumb but he can become a great lecturer, mūkhaṁ karoti vācālam. Paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim, and one who is lame, who cannot walk, he can cross over the mountains. Mūkhaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate... Yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande, that by whose mercy these things are possible, I offer my respectful obeisances, param ānanda bhavam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, reservoir of all pleasure. By Kṛṣṇa's mercy it is possible. By material calculation it is not possible. Material calculation one will say that "How it is possible, you say the dumb is lecturing very nicely? That is not possible." Or, "That lame man is now crossing the mountains?" So materially it is not possible. But by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa or His representative... Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, five years old boy, he is explaining so nicely about the constitution of the soul. Why? Because he has obtained the mercy of Nārada Muni, the representative of Kṛṣṇa. So it is possible. So we'll stop. (end)

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 2, 1968:

There are so many occupational duties. But you have to test whether that is giving you real perfection. That test is that you have to see whether by your activity the Supreme Lord is satisfied. Then... This is a great science. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness science. Simply... Therefore we have to take shelter of an expert. Just like a student goes to a school, and if he works on exercises and he puts before the teacher, and if the teacher says, "Yes, it is good," then he is successful; similarly, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) you have to approach to a guru or representative of Kṛṣṇa, and if he says, "It is all right," then you know that Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. You have to approach such a person whose certificate will ensure that Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. You have to find out such person. Then your life is success. That will also... You will get according to your sincerity of purpose because Kṛṣṇa is within you.

So after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, if one becomes faithful that "I shall devote my life for service of Kṛṣṇa," then he is eligible to enter into the study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That means Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins from the point where Bhagavad-gītā ends. Bhagavad-gītā ends at the point: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), one has to surrender fully unto Kṛṣṇa, giving up all other engagements. Always remember, all other engagement means not that you have to give up. You... Try to understand that Kṛṣṇa said that "You give up everything and surrender unto Me." So that does not mean that Arjuna gave up his fighting capacity.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

Prabhupāda: So these obei... (break) ...is taught, just like Kṛṣṇa is asking everybody, Arjuna, that mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is our system. Just like anyone who comes to the temple, he at once offers by falling flat, offering respect to the Deity. And the spiritual master is accepted as representative of the Deity. He's the living representative. That is the system everywhere. Just like in our India somebody was going as viceroy, representative of the King in England. Oh, he was being offered all the respect of a king. Nobody bothered, "Oh, he's coming from England. Why a brāhmaṇa should offer respect to the viceroy?" No. They never grudged. That is a system. The representative of a king, if he can be offered such respect, then how much respect should be offered to a person who is representative of Kṛṣṇa? (pause) Yes?

Devotee: Swami, is the idea that matter is neither created nor destroyed, but the substance is eternal but the form is temporary? Is that...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. That is the way. Everything here in the material world is temporary. Anything you take, anything material, that is temporary. Similarly this body is temporary, this house is temporary, this country is temporary. Say some five hundred years ago, this was not Canada. It was something else. Similarly, in some other time, it will be different. So nothing is fixed up or permanent in this material world. Yes?

Guest: Some time ago, I... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...either belonging to the Indians or to the Canadians. It belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Actually, that is the fact. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. We simply falsely say that "This is, belongs to Canadian," "This is, belongs to Indian," "This is, belongs to..." (end)

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

So if we actually want to serve according to our means, Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept our service. But you cannot think that "Without my service, Kṛṣṇa is starving." No, that is not. Nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. He's always complete in Himself. He doesn't require our help. But if we serve Kṛṣṇa, then we become benefited. That is... Yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhīta mānam. If you offer respect, Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa's representative, then you'll be respectful. If you don't want to show respect to Kṛṣṇa and His representative, then you'll be derided. Therefore prati-mukhasya yathā mukha-śrīḥ. Prati-mukhasya, original face, original person, is Kṛṣṇa. If you decorate Kṛṣṇa very nicely, then you will be also seen very much decorated. If you... Practically we see. There is no fable. We are offering Kṛṣṇa nice foodstuff, so we are eating this nice prasādam which we never conceived or dreamed, dreamt in our life. Because we are offering to Kṛṣṇa, we become so fortunate to taste this nice prasādam. Kṛṣṇa, nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. It is not that if you give a nice plate of foodstuff, Kṛṣṇa eats everything, and you simply see the empty dish. No. Kṛṣṇa eats and again keeps it as it is for... That is Kṛṣṇa. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). The atheist class of men, they think, "We offered so many things. Kṛṣṇa did not eat." No. He has eaten, but He is nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. He is not hungry, but whatever you have offered, He has eaten. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Everyone was offering so many things. It was stocked, and Govinda one day informed Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Sir, people bring so many nice foodstuffs for You. It is stocked. Practically the whole room is filled up, and when they ask me that 'Whether Caitanya Mahāprabhu has eaten my offering?' I say 'Yes, yes, He has eaten.' So I have to tell so many lies, and the stock is there. You do not eat." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "All right, bring them here."

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.