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Less than (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

So at the present moment, because these purificatory processes are not accepted, even in India... Accepted, they're unable. Everything has topsy-turvied. Therefore the śāstra says that: "Accept everyone as śūdra." Kalau śūdraḥ sambhava. There is no more brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya. All śūdras. We have to accept. Because no Vedic culture, no Garbhādhāna saṁskāra. They are born like cats and dogs. So where is this division? There cannot be. Therefore, accept them as śūdra. Varṇa-saṅkara is less than śūdra. So at least, śūdra they should be. So there is no Vaidic dīkṣā. For śūdra, there is no dīkṣā, there is no initiation. Initiation is meant for the persons who are born in brāhmaṇa family, kṣatriya family, or vaiśya family. The śūdra has no initiation. So in India there are professional gurus. They initiate śūdras, but do not eat foodstuff touched by the disciple. So there are so many things, that if he's initiated, how he can remain śūdra? But they keep him śūdra; at the same time, they become guru. Sanātana Gosvāmī gives direction in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa that: tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. If properly initiated, he becomes immediately brāhmaṇa. Dvijatvam. Dvija means second birth. Yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ. There is a chemical process that kāṁsya, bell metal, can be turned into gold by mixing with proportionately mercury. Now here is a hint of chemistry. If anyone can prepare gold... But it is very difficult to mix mercury. As soon as there is little heat, immediately the mercury's finished. So there is a process. Everything has process. Many yogis know how to make gold from copper. Actually, chemically, copper, tin and mercury, if you mix proportionately, it will be gold. So Sanātana Gosvāmī gives this example. As the copper and tin, these two metals, mixed with mercury, there can be production of gold, similarly, by proper initiation, by the proper spiritual master, one śūdra, even though he's a śūdra, less than śūdra, varṇa-saṅkara, or caṇḍāla, he can become dvija, brāhmaṇa. So our process is to make dvija. Pāñcarātrikī vidhi. Pāñcarātrikī vidhi.

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

Everything has process. Many yogis know how to make gold from copper. Actually, chemically, copper, tin and mercury, if you mix proportionately, it will be gold. So Sanātana Gosvāmī gives this example. As the copper and tin, these two metals, mixed with mercury, there can be production of gold, similarly, by proper initiation, by the proper spiritual master, one śūdra, even though he's a śūdra, less than śūdra, varṇa-saṅkara, or caṇḍāla, he can become dvija, brāhmaṇa. So our process is to make dvija. Pāñcarātrikī vidhi. Pāñcarātrikī vidhi. That is recommended.

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

Just like Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is not directly Vedas, but the all the stanzas of Bhagavad-gītā, they're strictly according to the Nyāya-prasthāna and Śruti-prasthāna. So any book which is strictly written according to the Vedas and Vedāntas, that is also accepted as Vedic literature. So Pāñcarātrikī vidhi means that it doesn't matter whether man is śūdra or caṇḍāla... Caṇḍāla means less than śūdra. Pañcama The fifth grade. First class, brāhmaṇa; second class, kṣatriya; third class, vaśya; fourth class, śūdra; and below this fourth class, they're all caṇḍālas. Caṇḍālas means pañcama. Untouchable. They are called untouchable. So even the untouchables... Because Kṛṣṇa has said: Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32).

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

So that has to be given up. Not personal satisfaction, Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Whatever you do, it doesn't matter. You have to test it, whether you are doing it for Kṛṣṇa. That is your perfection. Not only perfection, that is the perfection of your mission of human life. This human life is meant for that purpose. Because less than human form, the animal life, they are trained, perfection of sense gratification, personal satisfaction. They have no such feeling that "Other animals also..." When there is some eatable, one dog, he will think "How I can get it?" He will never think how other dogs also will be able to take it. This is not animal nature. Animal nature means their own satisfaction. There is no question of "My friend, my family members." Even, they do not share even with their own children. You might have seen. If there is some foodstuff, the dog and the dog's children, everyone is trying to take in his own side. This is animal.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Rotary Club Address -- Hotel Imperial, Delhi, March 25, 1976:

So Bhagavad-gītā means to understand what is God, the science of God. And God Himself is speaking about Himself. Otherwise it is not possible to understand what is God. So if we carefully understand the ślokas and the passages mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, we can understand what is God. And the human form of life is meant for understanding God. He has no other business. In the lower bodies, less than human form of body... According to Darwin's theory, the human form of body comes from monkey. But the evolution is accepted in the Vedic literature but not like Darwin's. The evolution, again according to Vedic scripture, is that the living entity is different from the body, and the living entity is passing through many forms of body. We shall read that. So the bodies are according to my desire. I am desiring something.

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

Others, they are plural number, we jīvas. Anantyāya kalpate. Jīvas, that is described, the dimension of the jīva. I have several times explained, keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). First of all, divide the tip of the hair into hundred parts. Then take one of the parts, one hundredth part, again divide into hundred parts. That small, less than atom, that is the magnitude of the jīva. And they are anantyāya kalpate. There is no limit. There is no limit how many living entities are there. If you search out, after passing stool, if you search out stool, you'll find millions of living entities, germs. Even from the hole of your room, there is small hole, and there are ants, hundreds and thousands will come out.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:

The dimension is given. You have got your hair. You can just imagine only; you cannot measure. And you divide the top of your hair into ten thousand parts, and that one part is the measurement of the spirit soul. That small particle is so powerful. Just imagine what is spiritual power. It is less than the atom. Therefore it is described in the Vedic lit..., aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān: "The spirit is greater than the greatest, and the smaller than the smallest."

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

If it is without form, then how the garment, the coat and shirt, has got hands and legs? It is common sense. The coat has got hand or the pant has got legs because the person who is using the coat, he has got hands and legs.

So this proves that the spiritual body is not impersonal. It is not a zero, it is, it has got form. But the form is so minute, aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān: one form is lesser than the atom. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Two forms are there spiritual. One is the Supreme Lord's form, virāḍ-rūpa, mahato mahīyān, and our form, aṇor aṇīyān, lesser than the atom. That is stated in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān ātmāsya jantor nihito guhāyām. Nihito guhāyām, guhāyām means in the heart.

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

If you avoid yajña, there will be restriction, and what your plan and fund-raising capacity will help? Now there is saṅkīrtana-yajña and rain is falling. This is a fact. So if you continue performing yajña, then there will be no distress, no unhappiness. That is the plan. Just like the birds and beasts. They have no problem. Because they are less than human being, they are working according to the prakṛti's, nature's ways of life. So their foodstuff is ample. Their foodstuff is ample. So the... Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ (BG 3.14). If there is no rain, how you can produce food? And this.... And the rain is possible when there is yajña. This is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, that when there was creation, it was the advice of Brahmā to perform yajña.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Kṛṣṇa is within this universe. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Not only your heart, but in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Now, if you are a great scientist, take one insect. There are so many insects, we have seen, especially in the books, less than the full stop. Now, if you are a great scientist, find out where is the heart of this insect. And where is Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-gataḥ, everywhere there is Kṛṣṇa. Unless there is Kṛṣṇa, there is living entity, how that small, full-stop-like insect is moving? There is everything. The physiological condition is there. There is heart also. You cannot make that. You have imitated a big bird, aeroplane, flying, but just imitate the small insect which is also flying.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Yes. Durgā is the material energy. So Lord Śiva is directly connected with the material energy. Therefore he's less than Lord Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is not directly related with the material energy. The example is given in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Just like milk, as soon as in touch with something sour, it becomes yogurt. The yogurt is nothing but milk, but in connection with some sour material, it is yogurt. So yogurt is milk, but it is not milk also. Your child requires milk. You cannot give yogurt. Nobody can argue, "Oh, yogurt is milk preparation, why not give?" No. It will be not beneficial for him. Similarly, if you want release from this material world, you have to take to Viṣṇu, no other demigod. If you want strength, then you have to drink milk, not yogurt. Yogurt, at times you can eat for some taste or some particular purpose.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He started this movement, He preached that simply by chanting you'll get all perfection, and the brāhmaṇas of Navadvīpa, they rebelled against Him, that "This boy..." He was boy of twenty years or less than that. This boy is preaching something against the Vedic religious system. So in other words, they were afraid of their priestly profession. Because if everyone takes to simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and forgets all ritualistic activities, then how they will live? They were priestly class, they were getting some money by their followers. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu had no such desire. He simplified the whole thing. Harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you become elevated to the highest platform. Actually it is so. You can see from the behavior of our students. They simply took this chanting, now see their behavior, see their character.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

You can show by jugglery of words your academic qualification, but it will not take you to the right... We have seen many such philosophical speculators. They are simply talking in the meeting. But that's all. And if we take, study their private character it is less than ordinary man. Less than ordinary man. That will not help us in this age. You see? You may take some credit in a meeting, "Oh, he is a very nice speaker." So what is that if you become a nice speaker? What will help you in your spiritual realization? This is. If you do one minute's Hare Kṛṣṇa, it will give you immediate result. One second, if you chant or hear. This is so nice. Direct method. Immediate effect. Go on.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

In 1942 there was a manufactured famine in Bengal by the manipulation of the then government. It is for the first time we experienced that India... In our childhood, when we were children, at that time the first-class rice was selling three dollars for 82 pounds. Can you imagine? Three dollars. Not three dollars, I mean to say, dollar is exchange. Say, for less than one dollar, three-fourth dollar. Three rupees. Three rupees. The exchange of dollar and rupees is: five rupees make one dollar. Now, it was selling at 3.8. So about, I mean to, 75 cent. 75 cent for 82 pounds of best rice. I have seen it in my experiencing of life. When I was a boy in India it was selling. Can you imagine that? But that rice all of a sudden rose in 1940, ten dollars. Now, just imagine if something, the price of something, is raised from 75 cent to ten dollars, how difficult it becomes for the public, for general mass of people. So so many people were in difficulty, and so many people died for want of food, diseases, famine, because when there is want of food...

Lecture on BG 3.14 -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:

As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-karma, kṣatriya-karma, vaiśya-karma, śūdra-karma. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ (BG 18.46). There is no... In the worship of Kṛṣṇa, there is no such distinction that only the brāhmaṇas can offer prayers or worship to Kṛṣṇa, but everyone can offer. Māṁ hi vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Even less than the śūdras, they can also take the advantage of worshiping Kṛṣṇa. So yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra. This karma should be performed for executing yajña. (aside:) Why... Translate.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

They will call, "No, you are not a brāhmaṇa. You are brāhmaṇa's son. That's all. We can admit so far. There is no harm admitting you, that you are the son of a brāhmaṇa, but we cannot admit you a brāhmaṇa." That is quite reasonable. So the Mahābhārata was written for such persons who are son of a brāhmaṇa, but actually, by qualification, he is less than śūdra. So Mahābhārata was written for them.

And in the middle of Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva, this Bhagavad-gītā is inserted. Not inserted. Practically, in the battlefield of Mahābhārata this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken. And it is... You will be surprised. In those days television was in the heart, television. This, I mean to say, Battlefield of Kurukṣetra was television in the heart of Sañjaya. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the father of one party, Duryodhana, and his secretary, Sañjaya, were sitting in the room, and they were discussing what happened after this.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī, because his whole day's business was just to stand before a householder's door because every householder milking. And people know that this swamiji or this sage has come to take some milk. "Oh Bābā, whatever you want you take." So what? Say one pound or less than one pound drinks and goes away. The whole day was finished business. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī was doing like that. He wouldn't go anywhere, and simply, early in the morning he would stand before a householder's door and take little milk and the whole day he would travel naked.

He has recommended that "Why you are anxious?" You, I mean to say, those who are in the renounced order of life, those who have left the world simply for self, spiritual realization... So Śukadeva Gosvāmī advises that "You, if you have actually left home for spiritual realization, then you haven't got any problem for maintaining your life. You have no problem." So he recommends, cīrāṇi kiṁ pathi na santi.

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

In spite of their all disadvantages, they try to give something, real knowledge, to the people in general. Kāruṇikāḥ. And suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām. And a sādhu is not a friend of a particular class, particular community or particular country. No. A sādhu, a saint, is he who is friend of all, not only of human being, even of animals and less than animals. These are the qualification of sādhu. Ajāta-śatravaḥ.

And they have no enemies. Or they are not anyone's enemy. Everyone's friend. Enemy, of course, even the greatest man, you will find some enemy. This is the nature of this world. Even the most perfect man will have some enemy. So that is different thing. But the sādhu, the saint, is no, no one's enemy. He's friend of everyone. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām, ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ (SB 3.25.21). Ajāta... They are nobody's enemy, and santa, always peaceful. These are the qualifications of sādhu.

Lecture on BG 4.10 -- Vrndavana, August 2, 1974:

Here you will find somebody is equal to you, somebody is greater than you, somebody is lower than you. Three positions. Everyone. Nobody can say that "I am the final." Anybody, beginning from Brahmā down to the ant, everybody you'll find that somebody is equal to him, somebody is greater than him, and somebody is lesser than him. But Kṛṣṇa, nobody one is equal to him, nobody is greater than Him, but every is lesser than Him. That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is lesser. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate.

Now, you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, studying, of course, so many books. Have you found anyone who is greater than Kṛṣṇa or equal to Kṛṣṇa? No. We can find one greater than... Rādhārāṇī is greater than Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) Yes. That is out of love. Actually, Rādhārāṇī's also lesser than Kṛṣṇa. She's dāsī, maidservant. She's always thinking how She shall be perfect dāsī. She's not thinking that... Kṛṣṇa sometimes makes Rādhārāṇī greater than Him. That does not mean Rādhārāṇī thinks like that.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- New York, April 8, 1973:

Guna means according to quality. So in India, these four classes of men are there, but they are in the name. Actually it is also in the chaotic condition. Because nobody is following the prescription as given by Bhagavad-gītā, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. In India, although a person born in a brāhmaṇa family, but his guṇa, qualities, are less than śūdra, but still he's being accepted as a brāhmaṇa. That is the difficulty. Therefore, India's condition is so chaotic.

But this is a scientific process. You Western people, you should try to understand that. And our boys and girls, who have joined, they're trying to understand, and execute the principles. So if you take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, which is meant for the brāhmaṇas, if you become brāhmaṇa by quality, then your, the Western nations will be... Especially in America, they'll be first-class nation. They'll be first-class nation. You have got intelligence. You have got resources. You are also inquisitive. You catch up good things. So you have got good qualities.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

Otherwise, this "Hindu" term is not seen in any Vedic literature.

The real meaning is the people who observe the varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas. Four varṇa means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. And below the śūdras, they are called caṇḍālas, pañcama, fifth grade, less than the śūdras. That natural division is there everywhere.

Brāhmaṇa means the most intellectual, most intelligent person. Intelligent means one who knows, who has got sufficient knowledge. So brāhmaṇa means he has got sufficient knowledge even up to the understanding of the Absolute Truth. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. So that is first-class men, brāhmaṇa. So intellectuals or very intelligent class of men, these are everywhere, all over the world.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

So intellectuals or very intelligent class of men, these are everywhere, all over the world. You may call them brāhmaṇa or not, but a class of men, very intelligent, that is available in every part of the world. So brāhmaṇa means the intelligent class of men. And kṣatriya means they are less than the brāhmaṇas. And vaiśyas means less than the kṣatriyas. And śūdras less than all of them. It is a question of intelligence.

So cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). Kṛṣṇa says, "These four varṇas are created by Me." So anything created by God, that is not monopoly for any class of men or for any country. Just like the sun is created by God. The sun is the thing which is enjoyed by all parts of the world. But there are countries, Western countries, where sun is not visible, covered by the cloud. Any country, any part of the world which is covered by cloud and the sun is not visible, according to śāstra, such country is condemned.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

Unfortunately, this system, although India was observing very rigidly, now it is slackened, or practically nil. We have lost our brahminical culture, the cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). This is the, due to the influence of Kali-yuga. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ In the Kali-yuga practically everyone is a śūdra or less than śūdra. Less than śūdra is called caṇḍāla. Śūdras, sometimes śūdras also eat meat, but the less than śūdras, they have no discrimination. They eat even dogs. The dog-eaters, they are described in the śāstra, śva-paca. Śva means dog, and paca means, pacanti, cook.

But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. It is said in the śāstra, aho bata śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre (vartate) nāma tubhyam. Even a śva-paca, caṇḍāla, dog-eater, if he learns from the spiritual master how to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he is garīyān, he is glorified. In another place also, that śva-paca, caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭho hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

There must be brahminical class of men, kṣatriya class of men, vaiśya class of men.

The vaiśya... Generally, we understand, vaiśya means the mercantile class of men. No. At the present moment the so-called vaiśyas are śūdras, less than śūdras. Why? Now the vaiśya's business is kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). The vaiśyas must be engaged in producing foodgrains, but they are not interested. They are interested for opening factories for bolts and nuts and tires, Goodwheel tires, Goodyear tires. Now you eat tire and bolt nut. No, you cannot eat. You have to eat rice, and rice is ten rupees per kilo. That's all. Because no vaiśya is producing food grains. This is the defect.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

There is intelligent class of men, but there brain is being misused, and intelligent man is being taught technology, how to manufacture machine. This is śūdra's business. This is śūdra's business. Misuse, brain misuse. There must be university where brain is properly utilized. Here is a child or here is a boy. He has good intelligence. Train him as brāhmaṇa. Less than that, train him as kṣatriya, train him as vaiśya.

Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. There is no difficulty. So if you actually want happiness, prosperity of the society, not only of this society, that, whole human society, they must accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and then they will be happy. Thank you very much.

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

This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Because in this age everyone is a śūdra, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ... There is no culture. There is no brahminical culture, kṣatriya culture. Therefore all together, they are simply śūdras. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to raise the śūdras or less than that. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Plural number. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ. The pāpa-yoni. It is.... Kṛṣṇa says. But everyone is open to come to Him. Everyone. It doesn't matter. And there are less than that. Less than they are called caṇḍālas. They are also mentioned in the Bhāgavata. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18), ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ. Again, less than that. Yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ śudhyanti. They can be purified. They can be purified. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Bombay, April 7, 1974:

He is working for Kṛṣṇa. So you can do also. Simply by fighting... Arjuna was not chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So you can do also. Because... Nowadays in the Kali-yuga because people are... (break) ...because they knew the duty, but at the present moment... (break) ...kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga, because there is no such division, so everyone is śūdra or less than śūdra. This is their yajña. This is also yajña. That is stated in the Śrīmad-B... Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32).

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

(Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the lover of many devotees (women), may embrace this fully surrendered maidservant or may trample me with His feet, or He may render me brokenhearted by not being present before me for a long duration of time, but still He is nothing less than the Absolute Lord of my heart).

This is mahā-bhāgavata. So mahā-bhāgavata, we should not imitate. But we should not remain also as kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. We must come to the madhyama-adhikārī, middle stage. So these stages will be manifest gradually if we simply try to develop our attachment for Kṛṣṇa.

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

Therefore they're dancing. It is not that the dog-dance. No. It is really spiritual dance, the soul's dance. So... Therefore, He's called rasa-vigraha, reservoir of all pleasure.

Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ pūrṇaḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). Complete. Not that one percent less than Kṛṣṇa. No. Cent percent Kṛṣṇa. Complete. Pūrṇa. Pūrṇa means complete. Pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ. Śuddha means purified. There is contamination in the material world. Material, any name you chant, because it is materially contaminated, you cannot continue it for very long. This is another experience. But this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, if you go on chanting for twenty-four hours, you'll never feel fatigued. That is the test. You go on chanting. These boys can chant twenty-four hours, without eating anything, without drinking water. It is so nice. Because it is complete, spiritual, śuddha. Śuddha means pure.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977:

Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca etat paśubhir narāṇām. This business—eating, sleeping, sex life and defense—this is common to the animal and to the human being. A cat, a dog also eat, and we are also eating. They are eating in their standard and we are eating in our standard. Sometimes we are eating less than their standard. So eating, the satisfaction of eating, anything you eat the pleasure is the same. A hog is eating stool. He's enjoying the pleasure of eating. And a human being eating very nice palatable food, he's also enjoying the same pleasure. There is no difference. Similarly sleeping also, similarly sex life. A dog is enjoying sex life on the street, and the king is enjoying sex life in the palace. But the pleasure is the same. Similarly defense. If you attack one animal, he knows how to defend himself. He has got also nails and jaws. A tiger or a dog or a cat, if you attack he knows how to defend himself.

Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971:

Of course, in the dictionary it is so written, "Kṛṣṇa is the name of a Hindu god." But people of the world, they are accepting that He is the God. God is one. There cannot be any Hindu God or Muslim God or Christian God. God is for everyone, for the human society and less than human society, animal society. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and all of them are supposed to be the offspring, sons of Kṛṣṇa.

So we are talking about Bhagavad-gītā. Last night we talked from the Seventh Chapter, the first verse. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ.

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

Just like the sun globe and the sun-god and the sunshine. The sunshine is also light, and there is temperature, and the sun globe is also light, and there is temperature, and within the sun globe, there is the personality known as sun-god, that is also light and temperature. But all this light and temperature, there are degrees. The sunshine degree of temperature and light is less than the sun globe, and the sun globe temperature and light is less than the sun-god. So when you reach the sun-god, then you understand the complete temperature and light. That completeness is realized by this word, bhagavān. Therefore the words are used here, asaṁśayaṁ samagram: "You can understand Me in full, asaṁśayam, and without any doubt." So if you are interested to understand the Absolute Truth, God, then you must take to bhakti-yoga. And if we want to understand the Absolute Truth with some doubt, and not in complete, then we may take jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:

For example, if a śūdra-born boy is inclined to accept brahmanism or Vedic culture, he should be given the chance. That is accepted in the Pāñcarātriki-vidhi. Just like these boys, European and American boys and girls, they are, according to our śāstra, they are less than śūdras, or you can call them caṇḍālas. But they are being elevated to the status of the brāhmaṇa qualities by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness process. It doesn't matter.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:

So Kṛṣṇa says that out of many thousands of human beings, species of 400,000's of species... manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). They come to the principle of this Vedic system of varṇāśrama-dharma. That is the process of siddhi. Without coming to this process of varṇa and āśrama, cātur-varṇyam, the human life is animal life, or less than animal life. That is not accepted as human society. Therefore it is necessary that all over the world this varṇāśrama-dharma, according to Bhagavad-gītā, must be established. I am therefore trying to get these boys and girls married. This is the system of varṇāśrama-dharma. And they are happy. These boys and girls who are married... Of course, there are sannyāsīs and brahmacārīs. My open order is... I get... I receive so many letters daily that "I wish to marry." Immediately I sanction, "Yes, you get yourself married." But one who is strict, one who can follow very rigidly the orders of brahmacārī and sannyāsī, they continue.

Lecture on BG 7.11-13 -- Bombay, April 5, 1971:

Therefore so much mismanagement.

So here Kṛṣṇa specifically mentions dharma-aviruddha-kāma, sex impulse not against the law of God. What is that sex impulse against the law of God? The law of God is that sex life is required for progeny, for begetting children, not for sense enjoyment. Anyone who enjoys sex life for enjoyment, he is a śūdra or less than śūdra. That is the description in Vedic literature. When Nārada Muni instructed Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja about householder's life, the householder's life, when they beget child, there is a ceremony which is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Not that "I am today very sexually agitated. I must have sex." No. Just like that Kardama Muni. Kardama Muni's wife, Devahūti. Not Devahūti. Aditi or Diti? Hiraṇyakaśipu's mother?

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

Although you keep your individuality constitutionally, but because you don't want any personal form, therefore you are held there, held there in the impersonal brahma-jyotir. Just like the sunshine are small molecules, shining molecules—those who are scientists, they know that—similarly, we are also small, molecular, atomic, less than atom, one ten-thousandth portion of the tip of the hair. Our position is. So that small part remains with the brahma-jyotir as if mixed up, homogeneous, although...

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:

The "monkey" word is there. Those who are coming in the sattva-guṇa, modes of goodness, their last birth is as cow. And those who are coming through the rajo-guṇa, their last birth is lion. And those who are coming through the tamo-guṇa, their last birth is monkey. Then there are. We have explained many times. The lower animals, less than the human being, they're eight million forms.

Lecture on BG 9.11-14 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

So Lord Kṛṣṇa says that the mūḍha... Mūḍha means the foolish, just like animals or less than animal. An ass, he is called mūḍha. So avajānanti. Avajānanti means deride. "Deride at Me." That any person who does not believe in God, he must be either a madman or foolish man number one. Any person who does not believe in God. There is no reason that we cannot believe in God. There is every reason. So suppose if you are saying that "I don't believe in God," but who has given you this power to say that "I don't believe in God." You are speaking, "I don't believe in God," but as soon as there is something, you cannot speak, everything stops. So who has given you this speaking power that you dare to say that "I don't believe in God"? Will you not think that "How I am speaking? Who has given me the power?" Do you mean to say that this speaking power has come automatically from the stone? This body is just like as good as stone.

Lecture on BG 9.29-32 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

Pāpa-yoni. Just like it is mentioned here, striyaḥ śūdrāḥ, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Even the striyaḥ, even women, they are also classified amongst the pāpa-yoni. Pāpa-yoni means those who have got little facility for advancing themselves in spiritual life. So it is particularly mentioned here, striyaḥ, the woman class, śūdra—śūdra means the laborer class—and the vaiśya, mercantile class. Or less than that.

Because in India, according to the caste system, or varṇāśrama-dharma, the brāhmaṇa and kṣatriyas are considered to be the highest in the society, and the vaiśyas, a little less than them, and śūdras, they are not taken into account. In the similarly, woman class, they are taken as śūdra, śūdra. Just like the thread ceremony is given to the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, but there is no thread ceremony for the woman class.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

So in other words, it is an animal civilization. So you cannot be happy in animal civilization, in the societies of animals. Just like in the jungle there are animals. There is no peace. There is always struggle for existence, fight between one animal. Still, they are peaceful. But at the present moment, throughout the whole world, we have become less than the animals because we do not know what is the basic principle of civilization, what is the ultimate goal of life, what is our perfection. These things we are lacking in knowledge.

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

And then there is a certain duration of life. Somebody lives for ten years. Somebody lives for one year. Somebody lives for six hours, five hours. There are many germs. They live for five hours, six hours, or even less than that. And there are living entities like Brahmā, whose life is millions and millions of years.

There are so many varieties of life. We have no information. There are so many universities, so many educational institutions, but they cannot say exactly how many varieties of life are there. They cannot say. Their education is not perfect. They cannot say. But we can see there are so many varieties of life, and each of them is a living entity. But if you consult Vedic literature, you'll find exactly the number. Just like in the Vedic literature you'll find jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi: "In the water the aquatic living beings are 900,000 different bodies."

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

Even Kṛṣṇa is giving reference to the authoritative scripture, and these rascals, they have so degraded, they say, "Oh, why these books? Now I can manufacture own knowledge." And other rascals, they are accepting: "Yes, it is right."

So this is called Kali-yuga. People are so degraded, less than animal, less than animal. Therefore to revive them, the Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now you inquire about the Absolute Truth." Hetumadbhir viniścitaṁ. Now, hetumadbhiḥ. Hetumadbhiḥ means "with reason." Reason. What is that reason? Now, if I want to inquire about the Absolute Truth, so how I shall understand? Now... There are three ways, namely pratyakṣa, pratyakṣa, aitihya, and śruti, śruti-pramāṇa. Śruti-pramāṇa, pratyakṣa-pramāṇa, direct perception...

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973:

As soon as you give up cleanliness, you become mleccha and yavana. Mleccha, yavana, these two names have come into Vedic śāstras, one who is unclean." Why there was always misunderstanding between the Hindus and the Muslims? I am talking of practical life. Because the Muslims were very unclean and the Hindus are supposed... now Hindus are less than Muslim, less than Muslim. And still, they are claiming... Śaucam. They are most unclean at the present moment, so deteriorated. Publicly it is being advertised, "Here is beef shop. Come on. Equality. Equality by eating beef, drinking wine." Now this is coming. Śaucam. Śaucam. Cleanliness. Cleanliness is next to godliness. You must take twice bath at least. It is required. And in tropical countries like India, there is no difficulty taking bath three times. Of course, if your body does not permit... But that is Śaucam, to clean. Śaucam. Śaucaṁ bāhyābhyantaram.

Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:

Unless you are prepared to surrender. Surrender means you approach somebody where your intelligence is nothing. Therefore you have to surrender. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā.

Sevayā and dayā. There are two words. Sevā is offered to the superior person, sevā, service. And dayā is offered to an inferior person. Who is less than you, he requires your mercy, that is dayā. But who is superior than you, who requires your service, that is called sevā. This is the difference between sevā and dayā. But people do not know. They are trying to amalgamate dayā and sevā. No. Dayā to the inferior person. Just like a child. He requires your dayā, the dayā of the parents, mercy of the parents. But a guru, he requires your sevā, service. So you have to approve sevā, praṇipāta, surrender, sevā; then you can question. Don't question unnecessarily, waste your time, where you cannot surrender, where you cannot render your service.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Hawaii, January 31, 1975:

And rajo-guṇa means activities for sense enjoyment. So rajo-guṇa, just like the karmīs, they are working hard day and night. What is the purpose? Sex, that's all. "Why you are working so hard, sir?" "I will enjoy sex at night. (laughter) This is my ambition." "Oh, very good ambition. This ambition the dogs also have got. So why you are working so hard?" "No, that is my ambition. That's all. I am less than dog. Dog gets opportunity of sex life in the street without any working hard, but I will have to work hard to enjoy the same thing. So I am less than dog." One should admit that, that "I am less than dog." Dog gets sex life without any... Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. Śāstra says that viṣaya... Viṣaya means the sense enjoyment. The primary sense enjoyment is eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. So where there is want of these four facilities? The birds have got these facilities. The beasts, they... For sex life, the birds and beasts, they have got automatically. Two birds are born, two eggs one male, one female, from the very beginning. We are also born brother and sister.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:

Janmādy asya yataḥ. The original cause from where everything is coming into being, by whose management everything is maintained, and after annihilation everything will enter into Him—that is the original person. So human form of life is meant for understanding the original cause of all causes. That is human form of life. Inquisitiveness. And others, less than human being, just like lower animals, cats and dogs, not to speak of the trees and plants... They are standing in one place, and other living beings, even the insects, birds, beasts, they haven't got sufficient intelligence. (aside:) No, this water, drinking. Sufficient intelligence to understand "What I am? Why I am suffering?" Everyone is suffering. That's a fact. The whole struggle for existence is going on.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Sanand, December 26, 1975:

And if a person born in the brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family but he does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he becomes a muci. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yoni means muci, less than the śūdras. If he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, they are also eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead. So even a muci or a pāpa-yoni born in the low grade family, if he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes a devatā.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976:

No. Kṛṣṇa says openly, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yoni, low-born. Pāpa-yoni. There are... They are mentioned in the śāstras, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). They are considered as caṇḍāla, less than the śūdras. Kirāta means Africans, the black. In our country also there are santals, very black. They live in the forest. Every country aborigines. They are called kirāta. So Huns... There are Huns on the northern side of Germany. Āndhra, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ. Many. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that they can be purified, śudhyanti prabhaviṣṇave, if they become Vaiṣṇava. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. If one becomes Vaiṣṇava, then he is transcendental to this material designation.

Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:

Now, tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā: "This śraddhā, this faith," Kṛṣṇa says, "there are three kinds." Tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā. Tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā. Dehinām. Always remember, dehinām means the possessor, the owner of this body. Therefore the owner is different from the body. Those who are under the conception that there is no owner, and the body is everything, they are less than tamo-guṇa. Actually animals. They have been described as being animal. Those who are thinking like the dog that "I am this body..." The dog is also thinking, "I am this body," and a man is also thinking, "I am this body." Then where is the difference between the dog and the man? When man comes to the understanding that "I am not this body; I am soul," then knowledge begins. Before that, he is ignorant like animal. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

We simply invite a person to join the chanting. This is our process. We should strictly follow this. In the beginning, we should not ask that "You have to do this, you have to..." He cannot do that. That is not possible. But everyone should be given chance because in the Kali-yuga there is no reformatory system. Everyone is born śūdra and less than that, caṇḍāla. So they should not be neglected also. Not that "Because all people are fallen—they are less than śūdras and caṇḍālas—so neglect them. Let me chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." No. This is not. The duty of Vaiṣṇava is to reclaim these fallen souls. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

Human life is not meant for wasting like cats and dogs, simply eating, sleeping, mating. That is not human life. At the present moment they are simply engaged in these four principles of bodily demands of life—how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sense gratification and how to defend. Unfortunately, we have become less than the animals because the animals, they have no problem. Even the birds... Out of all living entities, 8,400,000 of forms, the human forms are only 400,000. The majority of the living entities, they are in different forms.

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

Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, they have got saṁskāra. Śūdras have no saṁskāra. Saṁskāra-varjita means śūdra. In this age nobody observes the saṁskāras. Therefore in the śāstra it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga almost every person is a śūdra. Therefore there is so much chaos. The government is managed by the śūdras or less than śūdras, mleccha. Mleccha-rājendra-rūpiṇaḥ. Mlecchas have taken the post of government. It is meant for the kṣatriyas, means qualified kṣatriya, very brave, very powerful, very charitable, not going away when there is fight. That is kṣatriya's position. Brāhmaṇa means satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. So people should be trained up as brāhmaṇa, as kṣatriya, as vaiśya. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). The vaiśya's duty is to produce food grains, agriculture, and give protection to the cows, and if you have got surplus foodstuff, you can make trade where there is shortage.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:

Sattva-guṇa, if you associate with sattva-guṇa, then ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you remain in sattva-guṇa... Sattva-guṇa means brahminical qualification. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). If you remain on the platform of brahminical qualification, that is called sattva-guṇa. And less than that śauryaṁ tejo balaṁ yuddhe cāpalāyanam, kṣatriya qualification—that is modes of passion. And others, remaining, they are in the modes of ignorance, do not know what is the value of life, what is next life, what is spiritual realization, why we are suffering. Nothing, no knowledge. That is tamo-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

He's the proprietor. How Kṛṣṇa's money you can spend for your sense gratification? That is sinful activities. If you take government money, government treasury, and spend it for sense gratification, immediately you become criminal. Immediately. Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. You cannot touch. Human civilization... Now, at the present moment, they're less than animal, They are getting money by hook and crook and amassing money. But not spending for Kṛṣṇa. If you go for begging something for Kṛṣṇa, "No, we are not interested in religious affairs. No. We are secular." Nobody will pay. Now, if you go to somebody that "We are going to open a lunatic asylum and hospital for the drunkards," then they'll pay money. Yes. In USA, there is a big hospital for curing, curing drunkards priests. (laughter) Yes. Drunkard priests. Because they have to execute priesthood, but they are drunkard. So they want to be cured.

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

So here it is, says, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na artha arthāyopakalpate. There are four principles in the material world: dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Human life begins from religious life, because in the animal life there is no religion. Animal life—cats' life, dogs' life, tigers' life, or any other less than human being... Especially civilized human being all over the world, there is some type of religion, either it may be Hindu religion or Christian religion or Muhammadan religion or Buddhist religion. That is the sign of civilized human society. Dharmeṇa hīnaḥ paśubhiḥ samānaḥ. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām. Eating, sleeping, sex life and defense, they are common either to the human being or to the animals. So what is the difference between animal and human being?

Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Los Angeles, August 16, 1972:

So those who are on the platform of goodness, they are first-class men. Those who are on the platform of passion, they are second-class men. Those who are mixed up, they are third-class men, and those who are in ignorance, they are fourth-class men, and less than that, they are animals. They may have two hands, two legs, but they are simply animals, that's all, no better than animals.

So actually human civilization begins when there is varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, four varṇas and four āśramas. Here is brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Unless human society is scientifically divided in this varṇāśrama system, it is animal society. It is not man's society. Therefore he is stressing varṇāśrama. Not others who are not within the category of varṇāśrama, they are animals.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:

There must be intelligent class of men, brāhmaṇa. They are called intelligent class of men. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). The society must be divided into four classes for cooperation—I have explained yesterday. So at the present moment, two classes are wanting: the brāhmaṇa class and the kṣatriya class. The vaiśya class and the śūdra class and less than śūdra class are there. Because in the Kali-yuga, it is stated, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kalau, in this age, most, major portion of the population will be śūdras. Śūdras means fourth-class men. Fourth-class men means śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam. What is that? Paricaryātmakaṁ karma (BG 18.44). Just like dog. A dog, unless it has got a nice master, it is street dog. A street dog. It has no value. Anyone can kill, and it has no shelter, loitering in the street.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:

There were so many empires-Roman Empire, British Empire, Moghul Empire. These were artificial. If you systematically follow the Vedic principles as it is ordered by Kṛṣṇa... Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). You must divide the society according to quality and work, four classes of men: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. And less than śūdra, they are neglected. Not neglected, they are incorrigible. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, even those who are incorrigible, they can be devotee. That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:

That is also to be supplied by the cow. So from the very beginning of my life I am subsisting by the foodstuff given by mother, cow, and when I am grown up, I kill. This is my gratitude. Just see. And they are called civilized. Less than lowest animal, narādhama. They are called narādhama, lowest of the mankind. Those who are killing cows, maintaining slaughterhouse, they are lowest of the mankind. They are not human being. Less than animal. They have no gratitude.

Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:

So ekonaviṁśe. Eka ūna. Ūna means less. Eka means one. And viṁśa means twenty. So this is the way of Sanskrit literature: ekonaviṁśe, "less than one of twenty." That means nineteen. Ekonaviṁśe viṁśatime. And next, twentieth. So Balarāma first appeared, and then Kṛṣṇa appeared. Ekonaviṁśe viṁśatime vṛṣṇiṣu, in the family of Vṛṣṇi, Vṛṣṇi dynasty. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Vārṣṇeya because He appeared in the Vṛṣṇi family. Just like sandalwood. Sandalwood is known as "Malayan sandalwood." Malaya. There is a country, you know. East Asia, Malaysia. Now it called Malaysia. So formerly they were growing sandalwood in large quantity. Now they are growing rubber, no more sandalwood. They are not interested with the sandalwood.

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

Just like in India, those who are born in brāhmaṇa family, they are falsely proud that "We are born in brāhmaṇa family. Now we are perfect. Now we can do any nonsense thing. Still I am brāhmaṇa." And it is actually being done. They are doing work less than a śūdra, and still, they are passing on as brāhmaṇa. That is the cause of India's spiritual falldown. Some people, they have exploited simply being born in high family. But actually that is not the position. Actual position is by quality. If one has got the quality of a brāhmaṇa, then he should be recognized as brāhmaṇa, as we are doing here. Here nobody is born in a brāhmaṇa family, but how we are offering him sacred thread? By the quality. That is recommended by Sanātana Gosvāmī.

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

Nowadays, at the present moment, there is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya, no vaiśyas. Everyone is a śūdra. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. The situation is different. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has made the thing very easy. Either you become brāhmaṇa or śūdra or kṣatriya or less than śūdra, caṇḍāla, or, or anything, it doesn't matter. Take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, and if you stick to this and if you follow the regulative principles, your success is sure. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift. And that is confirmed here by Nārada Muni, that "There is no loss even one falls down from Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform." That does not mean we shall fall down. We must be very steady and rigid and with vow, dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that te dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ. How we can become fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

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

If our character and behavior is very low and abominable, then we are awaiting such condition of life. But here Nārada Muni says that there is another thing which is neither achieved either in the higher planetary system or lower planetary system. That means pāpa-puṇya. You go to the higher planetary system by pious activities, and you go to the lower, I mean to say, less than human life or lower planetary system, by papa, or sinful activities. But Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't be attracted by pious activities; neither go down to abominable condition of life. Simply capture Me." Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. That is the whole instruction of Bhagavad-gītā.

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

A devotee takes the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, and if somebody else takes the shelter of the lotus feet of the devotee, śudhyanti, becomes purified. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And who becomes purified? Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā ya...

All the people who are less than the śūdras. They are called pañcamas, fifth grade. First grade, brāhmaṇa, second grade, kṣatriya, third grade, vaiśya, fourth grade, śūdra, and all others—fifth grade. They are called caṇḍālas. The caṇḍālas... The sweeper, the cobbler, and the... Low grade. Still, in India, these fifth-grade persons only, they eat meat, pigs, and sometimes cows. Fifth grade. Now it has become a practice. And he's a first-grade man. So just see.

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

Mā-yā. So that māyā begins from what is not. I am not this body, but I am thinking I am this body. This is māyā. I am not this body. That's a fact. But I am thinking, "I am this body." This is māyā. This is the beginning of māyā. This is the conception of the animals, less than human beings. Nowadays even a human being, he's also thinking like that. This is anartha. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā lesson, to impress, "Arjuna, you are not this body." Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So many ways. So this is anartha. To accept this body and in bodily relationship everything, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), this is māyā. So this is anartha. Anartha means meaningless. No artha. Artha means meaning.

Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:

If you keep yourself in the sattva-guṇa, the brahminical qualification, śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, satyaṁ śaucaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam, āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam... (BG 18.42). Similarly, there are kṣatriya qualities, there are vaiśya qualities, there are śūdra qualities, and there are śūdrādhama quality, less-than-the-śūdra quality. So in any quality, in any position, even by sentiment, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17), if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the greatest profit from any position. It doesn't matter in which position he is, either he is on the brāhmaṇa position or kṣatriya position or vaiśya position or śūdra position or caṇḍāla position.

Lecture on SB 1.7.11 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1976:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī, is also addressed as Bhagavān. If one is mad after Bhagavān, he's as good as Bhagavān. Harer ākṣipta. One who is mad after Bhagavān, he's as good as Bhagavān. Therefore bādarāyaṇi is addressed here as Bhagavān. In the spiritual world, Bhagavān and His paraphernalia, there is no difference. Don't think that the calf or the cows in Vṛndāvana is less than Kṛṣṇa. No. They're as good as Kṛṣṇa. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). They are expansion of Kṛṣṇa's ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. Kṛṣṇa wants to play with the cows and calves. So He's ānanda-cinmaya. His spiritual potency appears as cows and calves. Therefore we see Kṛṣṇa is embracing the calves and cows. He's not embracing a material cow. He has nothing to do with material. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976:

So here, a brahma-bandhu... Aśvatthāmā was born of a brāhmaṇa, Droṇācārya. But he killed the five sons of Draupadī most abominably, when they were sleeping. So what to speak of brāhmaṇa, he's less than a kṣatriya even. Because a kṣatriya also do not kill anybody while one is sleeping. A kṣatriya challenges, offers him weapon, fights, and then one of them is killed. That is... So here it is brahma-bandhoḥ ātatāyinaḥ. Ātatāyinaḥ, aggressor. Anyone who kidnaps one's wife is called aggressor. One who sets fire in your house, he's aggressor. One who is coming to kill you with weapon, he's aggressor. In this way there is a list of aggression. So aggressor can be killed immediately. If somebody is aggressor, there is no sin in killing aggressor. Enemy who sets fire to the house, administers poison, attacks all of a sudden with deadly weapon, plunders wealth, or usurps agricultural field, or entices one's wife is called an aggressor.

Lecture on SB 1.7.28-29 -- Vrndavana, September 25, 1976:

"Even woman, and śūdra and vaiśyas, low grade, they can also get parāṁ gatim, promotion to the transcendental world." How? Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then even these low-grade born persons, beginning from striya śūdra vaiśya, and down, caṇḍālas... Caṇḍālas means less than the caṇḍāla. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśāḥ. They are caṇḍālas. Kirāta means the black clan, or the Africans. So they are called kirāta. Hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). Yavanas, khasādaya, Mongolians, without any moustaches.

Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976:

So he could not satisfy his master. Bhartuś ca vipriyam. So whatever he had done, all abominable. Not to the rules and regulations-neither as a brāhmaṇa or as a kṣatriya. Nor even a brave soldier. "He has done things like a śūdra, or less than a śūdra, without any religious principle. So he should be killed. There is no excuse. And it is for his good."

In the śāstra it is said that one who is a criminal, he should be killed. Therefore in every country, up to date, a murderer is killed, is hanged. That is good for him. If a murderer is killed in this life, punished by the state, government, then his sinful activities and the resultant action is also finished. He's giving his own life. Otherwise, if he escapes, in next life he'll suffer so many troubles.

Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976:

That is karma-mukta. So Kṛṣṇa can make you immediately mukta. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. That is Kṛṣṇa's power. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. He can make the lowest class of men... Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ (SB 2.4.18). They are considered as the most sinful, less than the śūdras, caṇḍālas. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā... Or more sinful, śudhyanti. They can be purified by the mercy, by the power, prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Viṣṇu has got so much power. So that power you can have the benefit if you surrender to Viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- New York, April 12, 1973:

This is going on. Because one happens to take birth in a brāhmaṇa family, without any qualification, he claims to become a brāhmaṇa. That is the falldown of Vedic civilization in India. A rascal number one, he's claiming that he's brāhmaṇa—without any qualification. His qualification is less than a śūdra; still he's claiming. And that is being accepted.

So it is clearly stated: guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Without qualification... The brāhmaṇa means the qualification. It is not this body. There are so many arguments, but they won't hear. They are very much against, in my movement, because I am making brāhmaṇas from Europe and America. They are against me. But don't care, we don't care for them. Neither any reasonable man will care for them. But there is a propaganda against me. Even amongst my Godbrothers, they are making... Because they cannot do it, so find out some fault.

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1973:

"Oh," he said, "this is not Pāṇḍavas head. It must be their sons' head." Then he admitted, "Yes." He became fainted that "You have killed all the hopes. I hoped that in our family at least five sons will... You have killed also." So in that lamentment he died.

So he was arrested. He was arrested by Arjuna, and he was to be killed. Kṛṣṇa ordered that "Kill him. He is not a brāhmaṇa. He is less than śūdra." So when he was arrested, then he was let loose by the request of Draupadī that "I am suffering for the death of my sons, and this rascal is the son of our Guru Mahārāja, Droṇācārya, who has done so much for us. If he dies also, then mother guru will be very much unhappy. So let him go away." So, being insulted, he threw atom bomb, brahmāstra. The brahmāstra is something like atomic weapon, nuclear weapon. It can go to the enemy wherever the enemy is. It doesn't matter. It will go and kill him. That is called brahmāstra.

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

So Kṛṣṇa says pāpa-yonayaḥ, plural number, yonayaḥ. Yoni, this word, śabda, so the plural number, yonayaḥ... There are many different types... That is also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. What are that? Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ (SB 2.4.18). These are mentioned, pāpa-yoni. And less than them, if there are still pāpa-yoni, śudhyanti yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ, if such persons take shelter of a pure devotee, he's śudhyanti. This is the shastric injunction. He becomes purified because the pure devotee knows how to purify the pāpa-yoni. He knows. That rascal is not a pure devotee. He does not know. Therefore he thinks, "Unless the birth is changed, how one can be purified?" He does not know the process.

Lecture on SB 1.8.37 -- Los Angeles, April 29, 1973:

Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yuktāhāra. You should take food just to maintain your health nicely. Similarly, other necessities of body must be taken care of. If you become diseased, then how you can execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Just like Brahmānanda could not go today. So we must be careful. We should not eat more or less. Better eat less than eat more. You'll not die by eating less. But you may die eating more. People die for overeating, not for undereating. This should be the principle. Here... Medical science always forbids not to eat more than you require. Voracious eating is the cause of diabetes, and undernourishment is the cause of tuberculosis. This is the medical science. So we should not take under, neither more. In children case, they can commit the mistake of taking more, but adults, they cannot commit. This mistake, taking more. Children, they can digest. All day they are playing.

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

Similarly, the vaiśya. And śūdra is general. Śūdra means one who has no education, no culture. That is called śūdra. So that is the remnants. First of all, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśyas, and others, those who have no sufficient brain, they are counted as śūdra. Still, śūdras have also prescribed duties. If there are others, those who are less than śūdras, or even the śūdra qualities are wanting, they are doing anything and everything without any control, they are called mleccha-yavana. Mleccha-yavana. This is the pañcama, fifth-grade. First grade, brāhmaṇa; second grade, kṣatriya; third grade, vaiśyas; fourth grade, śūdras; and all others, rejected, fifth grade, they are called caṇḍālas, caṇḍāla.

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

So once associating with these sat people, he cannot make anymore association asat. Here is a vivid examples: Hṛṣīkeśa. He left our company. He associated with some asat. Asat means nondevotees. Asat, generally, we understand rogues and thieves. But those who are devotees, they're less than rogues and thieves. Those who are not devotees, they're less than rogues and thieves. So he could not associate. It was struggle. At last, he had to leave.

So sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. Once you are associated sincerely with devotees, he cannot mix with nondevotees. This is the test. This is the test. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. If once only... Sakṛt. Here it is said, kīrtyamānaṁ yaśo yasya sakṛd ākarṇya rocanam. If once... Satāṁ prasaṅgāt, sat-saṅga is so powerful. If one submissively hears from sat-saṅga about the name and fame of the Supreme Lord, immediately it becomes palatable. Sakṛd ākarṇya rocanam.

Lecture on SB 1.10.13 -- Mayapura, June 26, 1973:

This is the purpose. Therefore śāstra. Śāstra means simply restrict. One who is accustomed to restriction, he's perfect. Not indulgence. The animals are not restricted. But nowadays, better animal is restricted. They have got a time for sexual intercourse. But these, these animals, the four-, two-legged, two-hands animal, they have no restriction. Any time. Less than animal. Therefore śāstra is there.

So vaidha. Vaidha means what is sanctioned by the śāstra. That is vaidha strī-saṅga. Yes. One may have association with the women... There must be association with women. By God's creation, there is man, woman. They're meant for being united. So therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that dharmāviruddho kāmaḥ aham. "When sex intercourse is there according to the śāstra, that is I am. That is I am."

Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :

This is civilization. These living entities should be taken care of. Now these rascals they are killing cows and making women prostitutes, and killing the children even in the womb. And there is no question of brāhmaṇa respect, and neither there is the brāhmaṇa culture. Then how you can be happy? Huh? And if there is no brahminical culture in the society, then that society is less than animal society.

Lecture on SB 1.15.22-23 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1973:

Editing. Yes, rice... They, in India still... Because in India still, no gentleman, brāhmaṇa, at least brāhmaṇas, those who are strictly following brāhmaṇa principles, they do not drink. Neither the kṣatriyas. Kṣatriyas, they are allowed to drink in some particular function. That is also very rarely. And vaiśyas, they do not drink. Śūdras, some of them. Those who are less than śūdras, they drink, and they make their own liquor at home. They boil the rice, and with water, they keep it for few days, it becomes fermented, putrefied, and it becomes intoxicating, home-made liquor. And if you distill it, then it becomes first-class, brandy. So it is not that liquor drinking was not existing. There was. But who drunk, that is stated here, that vipra-śāpa-vimūḍhānām, those who were cursed, vimūḍhānām. And being cursed, they were bewildered. Vipra-śāpa.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

Brāhmaṇa is not by birth but guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Guṇa means quality. And karma, and work also. Simply "I have got now sacred thread, I have become brāhmaṇa, doubly initiated; now my business is finished. I can work, I can do whatever we like, like less than śūdra, caṇḍāla." No, sir. If you are initiated as a brāhmaṇa, you must act as a brāhmaṇa. Truthfulness—satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma (BG 18.42)—everything is there. A brāhmaṇa must be truthful. That is the first business of a brāhmaṇa—truthful. He'll speak truth even before an enemy. Nobody speaks truth before an enemy because he wants to hide something. But brāhmaṇa's business is to become truthful even before an enemy. That is stated.

There are many instances. Just like Satyakāma-jābāla, a boy, Satyakāma, he went to Gautama Muni: "Sir, I want to become your disciple." "Oh, very good.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

Ghnantaṁ go-mithunaṁ padā. He was trying to kill a pair of cow and bull. So naturally he could understand. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was going on tour, and on his way he saw that this rascal is dressed like a king and he's trying to kill cows and bulls. Oh, he immediately chastised him. Nṛpa—he has dressed like a king, but his business is like śūdra or less than śūdra. Butchers, butchers cannot be intelligent class of men, brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is not butcher. Neither a kṣatriya. Kṣatriya fights, kills, but in regular religious fight. Not that by whimsically he'll fight and kill men. No. So, here it is said, nijagrāhaujasā vīraḥ. A kṣatriya must be vīra, hero. Whenever there is injustice, he must immediately come forward. "Why injustice? These poor animals, they are also my subject. How you can kill them? He's also born in this land." "National" means one is born in that particular land. So they are also born in this land. Why he should be treated differently? Just like in your country, even one Indian gets his child here, the child is counted as USA-born, US citizen, eh?

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

One, all four hundred pages, like this. We don't publish a book less than this volume. So just imagine how much we have to learn about our spiritual life. In no other system—religious system you may call, or cultural system—can give you so many books to read. There is no comparison. The Christians, they can present only one small Bible, and the Muslims they can present one little Koran. But here, the Vedic culture is so great that we can simply give you sixty volumes like this only for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Bhāgavata is the eighteenth Purāṇa. So there are seventeen Purāṇas, still more, not yet touched. Beside that, there are 108 Upaniṣads. Then there is big Mahābhārata, the great history of India. Then Rāmāyaṇa. There are so many books.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

"I am teaching you; you are teaching," that's all. This is going on. No independence.

So why this has happened? Because here it is said, kiṁ kṣatra-bandhūn. Kṣatriya, the administrator class, the government. So in Kali-yuga they will take charge of the administration or government, but they are not real kṣatriya. They are less than śūdra. So how the government will be nice? Therefore it is lamentable, that those who are not kṣatriyas, they are taking the position of government officers. And further it is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twelfth Canto: kriyā hīnā... They are not following the rules and regulation of kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa. Still they are claiming to become brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya or vaiśya. And there is a mercantile class nowadays, interested in business, but business is one of the items of the vaiśya. The first business is to become agriculturist. Vaiśya. Vaiśya class, they are meant for making arrangement for our eating. That is also required. Kṣatriya is meant for give us protection.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

Vaiśya class, they are meant for making arrangement for our eating. That is also required. Kṣatriya is meant for give us protection. And the brāhmaṇa means to give us the ideal life, what is the goal of life, and śūdras, they cannot do anything of these... Therefore they are śūdra.

So in the Kali-yuga the śūdras... Śūdra means the last. Less than śūdra, the caṇḍāla, they are taking the part of kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa or vaiśya. That is the effect of this Kali-yuga. Therefore it is very lamentable. One must be trained up. This very word kṣatra-bandhu means even though one is in the royal family, but he cannot administer. Just like in England, now the royal monarchy is finished all over the world... Even there is monarchy in some countries... Just like in England there is monarchy. The queen is there. But the queen is also uneducated. She does not know how to rule. It is an official post only. The parliamentary sanction, simply she signs, that's all.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

Kaśyapa Muni, he said, "No, no, this is not the time, proper time." But she was insistent. So the result was two demons were born.

So everything should be regulated. But in this age there is no regulation, there is no knowledge. Less than animals also. They have sex life at a certain period of the year, not always. But human being has become so low-graded that... And that is due to Kali-yuga. Therefore it is very lamentable. Everything is topsy-turvied. It's no regular. It is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy that we are reforming the whole society very simple way-chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You see. It is so nice. You see? The examples are here. It is no story. Simply by chanting.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

Life will be polished and everything will be successful. This is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Human life, he is also a soul. Animal is also a soul. Everyone. But the human form of life is meant for God realization, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is Vedānta-sūtra. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Not only human being, everyone. But everyone less than human being, they cannot inquire about the Absolute Truth: "What is the aim of life? What is the Absolute Truth? What I am? What is my relationship?" These things are the subject matter for discussion in the human form of life.

But unfortunately, on account of Kali-yuga, the heart being full of dirty things, they cannot think of the aim of life, how to achieve it. That is called Kali-yuga. Therefore so much fallen socially, politically, economically, culturally, everything, religiously, we are so fallen and down-trodden that the only method, as recommended in the Vāyu Purāṇa and other Purāṇas: kalau nāsty eva... Kalau means "in this age of Kali," nāsty eva, "there is no other alternative."

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-2 -- New York, April 19, 1973:

A sādhu does not like to cut even a tree, because he knows, "Here is a living entity. He is standing here for many years by his karma, and he has to continue this for many years more. So he cannot avoid this because it is nature's law." Just like if you are put into prison for six months, nobody can save you, nobody can make you less, one day less than six months. So we get our particular type of body, we have to remain in that body for a certain period by the laws of nature. So by cutting the body—the living entity does not die—but because we check the continuation of his period, therefore we become sinful. You cannot cut even a tree without Kṛṣṇa's purpose. Without Kṛṣṇa's purpose we cannot kill even an ant, we cannot cut even a tree, then we shall be liable to punishment. So a sādhu sees that "Here is also a living entity." Paṇḍitāḥ sama...

Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:

It is just like touchstone or infection. You know or do not know, it will act. Because kṛṣṇa-bhakti, love for Kṛṣṇa, is there in everyone's heart. If it is not so, how you all young boys and girls are taking very seriously? It is a question of two, three years, or less than that, our students are joining, but they are becoming first-class kṛṣṇa-bhaktas, devotees. Even in India, they also are surprised that how these Europeans and Americans are coming to such nice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not only Europeans, Americans, but Africans also. This is the proof that love for Kṛṣṇa is there in everyone's heart. That is stated by Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti nitya-siddha. Eternally, it is a fact. Simply it has to be awakened. Just like attraction for the opposite sex. A girl or a boy. That is natural. It is not unnatural.

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

You have to know from the śāstra. They have got breathing. They have got feeling also. That is already proved by modern scientists, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, that when you cut a plant, it feels the pain and it is recorded in the machine, the feeling. So everything is there. As soon as you find some living entity... A small full stop-like... Sometimes you find in the book. It is lesser than the full-stop. It is moving, (makes sound) "but, but, but, but." It has got heart; it has got legs; it has got everything within it. Otherwise, how it is working? Everything is there. This is rascaldom, that "This has got soul; this has got no soul." This is rascal's theory. Living entity so small, one ten-thousandth part of the top tip of the hair, we are. Very... You cannot imagine. So any life he takes, any form, it has got all the, I mean to say, functional thing. Everything is there. That is God's creation. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. The biggest of the biggest. He has got the same, what is called, physiological construction. And the ant, he has got the same physiological construction.

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

Son, he has... You...(?) Liquid. Tulasī dāsa says—it is very nice—that "Put and mut, they are coming from the same source. So a put, if he is devotee of the Lord, then he is put. If he is not, then he is mut. Then he is mut." If the son... After begetting son, if the son does not become devotee, then he is as good as mut. I pass urine. Mut son, he says, because he's less than mut. Because mut, I pass urine. The obnoxious thing, that is gone away. But it is present. It is present. The bad smell is constantly giving me trouble. Mut karma's there.(?) So these are very instructive. So why this is? Anyone... Everyone is son of God, but one who is acting as real son of God, he is praised, "He is my only son." This idea, not that God is limited to produce only one son. Why? God has unlimited sons. He is unlimited. If an ordinary man can beget hundreds of sons, just like Dhṛtarāṣṭra... There are many instances..., Ṛṣabhadeva. So why God should be restricted to beget only one son?

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

You are born in a different temperature. Similarly, we cannot tolerate lower temperature. If it is below fifty degree, it is intolerable for us. So there are different climates, different temperature. And in Canada they tolerate forty degree less than zero. So it is a question of different condition of life. But we are conditioned: high grade temperature, less temperature, high grade cold. But we can we trained up to any kind of conditional life. That capacity we have got. There is a Bengali proverb, śarīre na mahāśaya ya sahabe taya saya,(?) means "This body is," means, "it can tolerate any condition, provided you practice it." It is not that, that you are under certain condition, and if you are changed, it becomes so intolerable that you cannot live. No. If you practice...

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

And the tapasya... There is practice, method: in high scorching heat the saintly person or sages, they will ignite fire all round. Already there is high temperature, and still they will get fire all round and go on, meditation. This is tapasya. These are the items of tapasya. There is scorching heat and they will arrange that. There is pinching, chilly cold, less than hundred degree, and they will go under water and put the body up to this and meditate. These are the items of tapasya. Tapasya. So for God realization formerly people used to undergo such severe type of penances, and at the present moment we are so fallen, we cannot tolerate these four principles? Is it very difficult? We are imposing some tapasya, that "Don't indulge in these things. No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." These are the items of tapasya for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So is it very difficult?

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

Why you have made a civilization to work hard like an ass for your eating? What is this civilization? If everyone is, without working, they're getting their food, then what is your advancement of civilization that you have to work like an ass to get your food? That is not advancement of civilization. Therefore, because we are becoming animal, less than animal, therefore they are decreasing the personal God. This is the idea.

But here it is said, ya ādyo bhagavān. This is human civilization. Everyone should know what is Bhagavān and take lessons from Bhagavān.

Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:

You cannot equalize Nārāyaṇa even with such exalted demigods as like Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā. Amongst the devas, demigods, Lord Śiva is called Mahādeva. He is the foremost demigod, and similarly Brahmā. Brahmā is less than Lord Śiva, but because in this material world Brahmā appeared to be the father of Rudra, therefore he is given a little more respect. But actually, Lord Śiva is more than Lord Brahmā. But even Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā—rudrādi-daivataiḥ—Rudra means Śiva and Brahmā means..., not..., they also cannot be equalized with Nārāyaṇa. And we are so foolish that we are making daridra-nārāyaṇa: "Nārāyaṇa has become daridra." Śāstra says, "Don't equalize even with such exalted demigods like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva," and these foolish rascals, they are making equal Nārāyaṇa with daridra. How Nārāyaṇa can be daridra?

Lecture on SB 3.25.43 -- Bombay, December 11, 1974:

"You become guru simply by advising everyone the instruction which Kṛṣṇa has given." That's all. You become guru. It is not at all difficult thing. But if you want to cheat others that you are Bhagavān, you are this and that, you are yogi, you are very powerful, and "I am God," then you will cheat, because you are neither God. You are less than a dog. You are falsely claiming that you are God. That is not your position. You are servant of God, that is your position. That is real jñāna. Therefore Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that don't talk all nonsense thing. Simply say the real thing.

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

Then your God is not great. If something is greater than God, then you cannot say God is great. If you accept this, that there is no more greater identity than Kṛṣṇa, then you can say, "Kṛṣṇa is great, or..." Kṛṣṇa cannot be entrapped. Nūnaṁ mahatān tatra. If you are smaller, then you can be overpowered by the great. If your strength is lesser than another man... Say, two wrestler. If one wrestler is more powerful, he can defeat the other wrestler.

So therefore, here it is said that vibhuḥ... Kṛṣṇa is vibhuḥ, and if He is covered by māyā... As the Māyāvādī philosopher thinks, that "When God comes within this material world, He is also covered by māyā..." He is not covered by māyā. If māyā is greater than Kṛṣṇa, then māyā can cover Kṛṣṇa. But that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā. That means... Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14).

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

Because that one disqualification is there, that he is not a Vaiṣṇava, he cannot become guru. But a person born in the lowest of the human society, pāpa-yoni, which is called pāpa-yoni... Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who takes shelter of Me, even he belongs to the pāpa-yoni..." Pāpa-yoni means the caṇḍālas, less than the śūdras. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ... Again He mentions. Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. So they are eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead. There are so many instances. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpāḥ: (SB 2.4.18) "Lower than them, still more sinful," śudhyanti, "they can be purified," prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ, "if he becomes a Vaiṣṇava."

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1976:

"Let us do whatever nonsense I can do, and at the same time I become free from this material condition..." No. That is not possible. One has to undergo tapasya. Just like if you are diseased you have to undergo some tapasya. Just like first of all you go to a medical man. Immediately he charges ten rupees, twenty rupees. In our country. In your country it is more. No doctor charges less than ten dollars. Ten dollars means in our exchange it is ninety rupees. So who can pay ninety rupees in this country? That is the minimum charge. Then there is medicine. So you have to pay it because you have got disease. And you have to earn this money with hard labor. So to cure your disease you have to undergo some penances, some austerities. This is an ordinary... And according to the gravity of the disease you have to pay more, which you may not have. You have to gather, you have to borrow, you have to beg.

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

That is material existence. Somebody is trying to become brāhmaṇa, that is goodness. And somebody is trying to become a kṣatriya. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, these are under the influence of different modes of material nature. So even one is brāhmaṇa, he is also under the grip of material nature. And what to speak of one who is a śūdra or less than a śūdra. Everyone is trying to improve himself under the influence of certain modes of material nature. So when one becomes vipaścit, viveki... Vipaścit means enlightened. These, my activities under the influence of different modes of material nature, this is waste of time. Even if I become a brāhmaṇa, that is also waste of time, and what to speak of if I become a kṣatriya, passionate. Passionate... This vaiśya, this mercantile class of men, they are passionate and ignorance mixture. They are very active: "I am very running, I am very busy," but running here and there in ignorance.

Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976:

No. That is going on. Now it is diminishing. Formerly, in India it was the practice. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "It doesn't matter." Kibā vipra, kibā śūdra. Vipra means brāhmaṇa, and śūdra means the fourth class, less than the vaiśyas. So kibā vipra, kibā śūdra, nyāsī kene naya. Nyāsī means sannyāsī. Never mind nyāsī, or without nyāsī, because śūdra cannot be sannyāsī. Without becoming brāhmaṇa, there is no question of becoming sannyāsa. In the Śaṅkara-sampradāya they are very strict. Unless one is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he is not awarded the sannyāsa. That is the stricture. But according to our Vaiṣṇava, according to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, pāñcarātrikī-viddhi, if there is little tendency of the person to become devotee, he is given the chance. Never mind he's born in a śūdra family, a caṇḍāla family. That is sanctioned in the śāstra: kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā (SB 2.4.18).

Lecture on SB 5.5.24 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1976:

There is no knowledge. Therefore he should be sent to school, as he makes progress, to colleges, to learn higher, higher. This is the material arrangement.

The same arrangement for spiritual education... Not that by birth, because one is born of a brāhmaṇa family, he remains a brāhmaṇa although he becomes less than śūdra. No. There must be education. The twice-born, he must approach the spiritual master. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Just like the Sattva Satyakāma, Jabala-Satyakāma Upaniṣad. The boy approached Gautama Muni that "Kindly accept me, your disciple. Initiate me." Formerly, without becoming a brāhmaṇa specially, they were not initiated. So in those days all the families were very pure. Therefore born of a brāhmaṇa father is understood that he has got the training of a brāhmaṇa. That is a facility. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41).

Lecture on SB 5.6.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1976:

Why manager class? Make it classless. But that is not possible. Therefore in the society there must be managers and the workers. Without this you cannot work, you cannot make, keep any systematic... So managers... The varṇāśrama-dharma: the managers, the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas; and the workers, the vaiśyas and the śūdras. And less than that, less than the śūdras, the caṇḍālas, they have to be fully controlled, kirata-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā (SB 2.4.18), because they do not know the regulative principles of life. They are called caṇḍālas. So they are described in the śāstra. So the kṣatriyas, they used to keep these caṇḍālas under full control. Otherwise the society would be lost.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, June 8, 1975:

This is the real fact. But actually this is the fact. If you live irresponsibly then you have to suffer.

So not that all living entities are going to the hell, but some of them. Some of them. Because most of the living entities, they are less than the human being—8,400,000. So eight millions they are below the human standard of life, human being. They are animals. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Nine lakhs, hundred thousand in the water, different types of forms, body. Then insect... Then plants, trees, then insect, then birds, then beast, then human being. This is the evolution. So these eight million different forms of body below the human being, they are not punishable because they are animals. They have no intelligence. Then again, amongst the human being, those who are intelligent, those who are acting according to the Vedic instruction, they will not be also suffering.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- Honolulu, May 12, 1976:

"Why shall I steal? I shall depend on God." This is knowledge. So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. I am God's part... Why shall I starve? There are so many... Out of 8,400,000 forms of life, eight million forms of life are less than the human being. Human being, only 400,000. Out of that, civilized men very few. Out of that, Americans are very few, Indians are very few. So "If so many, 8,300,000 forms of life, they can get without stealing, why shall I steal?" This is knowledge. Prāyaścitta vimarśanam. As soon as he becomes in quite perfect knowledge, then whole problem solved.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Chicago, July 4, 1975:

He is already born śūdra, janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Now you have to reform him. Saṁskārāt. Saṁskāra means reforming. You are born śūdra. You are inclined to do something, so many things—intoxication, illicit sex and drinking and gambling and meat-eating. These are all śūdra qualities or less than that. Śūdras also, they abide by the Vedic orders. Śūdras also do not do whimsically whatever he likes. Śūdras, they are taken among the, in the Vedic society... Because śūdras also, they are last class, fourth class, they are eager to follow the orders or the orderly things as given by the brāhmaṇas. Therefore śūdras, up to śūdras, accepted as bona fide classification. And below the śūdras, they are called caṇḍālas, caṇḍālas, fifth grade. They are also mentioned, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśāḥ. Everything is analyzed.

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Chicago, July 5, 1975:

There must be second birth, dvija. Dvi means second, and ja means birth. So according to the Vedic civilization, a human being must be trained up to become dvija, or take his birth second time. This is human civilization. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Simply by ordinary birth by father and mother, it is śūdra. But the civilization is how a śūdra or less than śūdra can be elevated to the position of a brāhmaṇa. That is civilization.

So, as I was explaining yesterday, that if you keep people fourth-class man, then that is not advancement of civilization. Attempt should be made how a fourth-class man can be raised to the first-class position by culture and education. So this Ajāmila, he was trained up by his parents to be a qualified brāhmaṇa. What is that qualified brāhmaṇa? You have heard many times: śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucam ārjavaṁ titikṣā, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42).

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Chicago, July 8, 1975:

Sneha means oil. So affection is just like oil. Why? Now, you put oil in the ground, it will glide down where there is slope. So generally, the affection goes down to the youngest child. The particular point in this connection is pravayasaḥ. Pravayasaḥ means very old. Yes, he was eighty-eight years old. So this child might be three years or two years, less than three years. That means when he was eighty-five or eighty-six he begot a child. This is the purpose, to point out. This is family life. He is going to die after one or two years, and still, he is begetting child. Therefore this word is used, pravayasaḥ. This is not proper life that up to the point of death one has to beget a child. This is animal life. Human life, maximum fifty years, that's all. After that, by force, pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet, give up this family life. And if you don't give up, then you remain and go on begetting children. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45).

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

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.

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

In spite of having all these qualities, if he is impersonalist and voidist, he cannot become spiritual master. Avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād vaiṣṇavaḥ śvapaco guruḥ: "On the other hand, if a person is Vaiṣṇava, devotee of the Lord, even if he is born in the family of caṇḍāla, less than the śūdra, he can become the spiritual master." These are the injunctions of the śāstra.

So guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair vibhāvyante yathā-tatham. Sūryaḥ agniḥ. Now, the creation, the God's creation, is going on, and we are acting under the influence of the material qualities. As such, when we act in tamo-guṇa, we become entangled with so many sinful activities. Tamo-guṇa. Tamo-guṇa means ignorance. We have to act because in the material world sometimes we are under the influence of goodness, sometimes we are under the influence of passion, sometimes we are under the influence of ignorance. So when we are in ignorance...

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Dallas, July 29, 1975:

Why? This is due to difference of dharma and adharma. Those who are trying to take the principles of dharma, they are being elevated to the higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, up to back to home, back to Godhead. And those who are not accepting... Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). Jaghanya, they do not know how to live, just like animal, less than animal. Animal has got also sense. The modern civilization is less than animal. Animal does not kill its own son. The human being is killing his own son.

Lecture on SB 6.1.61 -- Vrndavana, August 28, 1975:

That is the first business of a brāhmaṇa. Śama, dama, satyam. He is truthful, śaucam, clean, thrice taking bath. So you should always... You are given the chance of becoming brāhmaṇa. You should not become again śūdras or mlecchas or caṇḍālas. Be careful. This is brāhmaṇa business. If we again come back to caṇḍālas or śūd... Caṇḍāla means less than the śūdras. Even śūdras, they eat meat under control. But caṇḍālas, they eat meat without any control. So just like in the Vedic society, although there are meat-eaters, they would eat meat after offering sacrifice to Goddess Kālī. Restriction. Restriction. Because if you eat meat from the slaughterhouse there is no restriction. You can go and purchase at any time. But if you follow the scriptural regulation, they say, "Yes..." It is restriction. It is indirectly saying, "Don't eat," but because this less intelligent person will not be able to understand, therefore they are given some permission under certain restriction. This is restriction, that "If you want to eat meat, then you must offer sacrifice to Goddess Kālī and then you can."

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

So śūdra women, they are not chaste. Some of them are practically professional prostitute. But that is not in higher caste family—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. But at the present moment it is very difficult to distinguish who is brāhmaṇa and who is śūdra. But formerly this is the system of Vedic civilization—ideal character, ideal behavior of the brāhmaṇa; less, little less, kṣatriya; little less, vaiśya; and less than the vaiśya, the śūdra; and less than the śūdras are called caṇḍālas. First class, second class, third class, fourth class, and then fifth class.

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

So he became a śūdra. Although he was born in a brāhmaṇa family, he was being trained up, but on account of the association of a śūdrāṇī, prostitute, he fell down and he became a pāpaḥ, most sinful man. So as a pāpaḥ, he did not know how to earn money honestly. He is neither brāhmaṇa, nor kṣatriya, nor vaiśya. He is now not even śūdra, less than that. Therefore it is said, yatas tataś ca upaninye: "Somehow or other..." According to classification, a brāhmaṇa has got specific function for earning his livelihood, a kṣatriya has got a specific action for livelihood, a vaiśya has got specific action for livelihood, and a śūdra has got a specific action for livelihood. But he became less than śūdra. Therefore yatas tataś ca—"Somehow or other, bring money, bring money." This is called yatas tataś ca, no fixed up.

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

Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Unless people eat, how they will live? Simply becoming king for levying tax and simply becoming brāhmaṇa to teach how to worship, but if you have no food, then what you will do? There must be arrangement for food. That is entrusted to the vaiśyas. In this way this is classification. Not by birth one becomes brāhmaṇa, and working less than a śūdra, and he is still brāhmaṇa. This is nonsense. One must be Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). The society is divided. According to the quality, he is working accordingly.

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

Mleccha means not following the Vedic principles. Those who are following the Vedic principles, they are classified guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), in four divisions. And beyond these four divisions, who are less than śūdras, they are called mlecchas and yavanas and caṇḍālas. Their behavior is so abominable that they cannot be accepted as civilized man. Civilized man, not by so-called material advancement. Civilized man is this four division of society—brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras. That is civilized society. Where there is no such division, everyone is a śūdra, that is not a civilized form of society. At the present moment the whole world is... (break)

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

And whereas persons who are devoted to Viṣṇu, who is the master of everything, goddess of fortune..." Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). Not only one goddess of fortune, but many hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune is serving Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu in the spiritual planet. "So the devotee of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, they appear to be poorer than the devotees of Lord Śiva, who is less than a poor man. Why this contradiction?"

So the contradiction was answered by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, not personally. He took authority. What is that authority? He said immediately, "My dear king, this answer I shall not give you, but a similar answer was put forward by your grandfather, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, to your other grandfather, Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa also happened to be grandfather of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Because Kṛṣṇa's sister was married to Arjuna and Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the grandson of Subhadrā, Arjuna's wife.

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

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yoni means to take birth in low class family or demonic family. So pāpa-yonayaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says openly, ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Anyone, it doesn't matter, even if he is born in a pāpa-yoni Pāpa-yoni means generally less than the śūdras. According to our Vedic system, four classes, varṇāśrama, social and spiritual division, the social division is brāhmaṇa first, then kṣatriya, then vaiśya, then śūdra. This is social division, and there is a spiritual division: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is compulsory regulation for becoming human being. Without varṇāśrama institution there is no recognition of human being. Without being trained up in the varṇāśrama system there is no question of becoming human being. So actually it is not by birth as human being but by culture. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the twelve mahājanas.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

In this age, in Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to bring back the fallen population again to the standard of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. It is practically lost now. The best thing is that all of them combine together, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or even less than śūdra, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā (SB 2.4.18). Take to this process of chanting and hearing of the Lord's name. Everything will be all right. (break) ...entities, we have no such distinction. It is confirmed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu when he was discussing with Rāmānanda Rāya. He was a governor of this Madras province under the regime of Mahārāja Pratāparudra of Orissa. And he was politician but he was a very learned scholar in Kṛṣṇa science. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu was talking with him.

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

It is not that in the human society two bodies, male and female, join and enjoy the pleasure. The dog also do that. The quality of happiness between a beautiful man and beautiful woman does not increase or decrease by other body. The hog also, they enjoy. It is not because they have got a nasty body therefore the enjoyment is less than human being, no. The feelings of enjoyment is the same, either of the dog or of the hog or of the human being, everyone. It is not... The quality does not change.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- Vrndavana, December 8, 1975:

These are all spoiled. Everything is spoiled. Then what is the position? Kalau śūdra samabhavaḥ. In this age simply they are śūdras. "So how the śūdras will be delivered? By your Kṛṣṇa conscious..." Yes. They'll be. Not only śūdras, those who are less than śūdras. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā (SB 2.4.18). Not only śūdras, the less than the pañcamas, the fifth-grade, sixth-grade, seventh-grade, tenth-grade, all rascals and all sinful men, they will be all delivered simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Pāpī tāpī yata chilo hari-nāme uddhārilo. Take this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa and your life will be saved.

Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:

Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyaḥ. In the ordinary way the stri, woman, śūdra, the fourth-grade man, and vaiśya, they are taken together, not very intelligent. But Pāñcarātriki-vidhi offers facility even persons who are lower than these striya, śūdra, vaiśya. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā (SB 2.4.18). And less than that, ye 'nye ca pāpa yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ... A devotee, a pure devotee of the Lord, and if these persons take shelter of a pure devotee of the Lord, then śudhyanti—they become purified by following the injunction of the spiritual master. He knows how to deal with them, how to elevate them to the brahminical position. So that is not artificial. Śāstra says, Bhāgavata says, "Yes. By such expert management these kirāta-hūṇāndhra, lower than the śūdras, śudhyanti..." Śudhyanti.

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

I know it personally. They are educated lawyers, but because they're acting on the mental plane, they are thinking that "By somehow or other, if we can grab this money and we shall divide amongst lawyers..." This is going on. The so-called educated persons, for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they can act less than even an animal. You see? So vidvān apītthaṁ danujāḥ kuṭumbaṁ puṣṇan sva-lokāya na kalpate vai. So they do not care for what is going in the next life. Tamaḥ prapadyeta yathā vimūḍhaḥ. They also fall into the darkness, the darkest region, or ordinary illiterate or ignorant persons also fall.

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

They have made such machinery that hundreds of men will work for them and they will sit down and enjoy. What is the enjoyment? Women and wine. That's all. Therefore some, a section of people, revolting-Communists.

So this materialistic way of life is not human life. It is less than animal life. Animal also does not work so hard. You see? And the people are engaged, wherever you go, the very big highways. What is called? Freeways. Four lines of motor cars running this way and four lines of motor cars running this way at the speed of seventy miles, and everyone is busy. You see? And they take, "It is a very good civilization." And if you shortcut your hard labor, sit down and discuss what is the Absolute Truth, what is the philosophy of life, "They are nonsense." You see? And if you work day and night, hard labor, and to get that energy, inject some medicine or some tranquilizer and this and that... You see? This is the..., going on. So actually, this is not life.

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

The population theory I don't believe, because if Kṛṣṇa is supplying, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān... And actually we find that there is no population problem. Amongst the animals, amongst the birds, there is no contraceptive method. They are increasing their population, and they are being fed by God. So why in the human society the population theory is so acute? Because they are becoming less than animals. The animals, they beget, they mate at a certain period, but a human being, at the present moment, they have no such restriction. Any time. Therefore they want contraceptive method.

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

They are all, after all, material qualifications. The brāhmaṇas means they are situated in the modes of material goodness, the kṣatriya means they are situated in the quality of material passion, the vaiśya means they are situated in the mixed quality of passion and ignorance, and a śūdra means who is situated in the material quality of the modes of ignorance. And those who are less than that, the śūdras, they are called caṇḍālas or śvapaca. So a brāhmaṇa is estimated the high-class man. Why? That is also materially estimation. But if he has no devotion to the Lord, then that is... That means he has no spiritual qualification. Then a person who is born in the family of dog-eaters, if he has got this bhakti, spiritual qualification, he is more than that.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1976:

Then how you can become God? Māyā is greater than God." So they cannot answer this. Because their theory is foolish, they cannot answer all these things. Actually, unless one is a devotee, he'll have all these bad qualification.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is thinking himself that "I am less than śvapaca." Just like Caitanya-caritāmṛta author says,

purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha
jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha
(CC Adi 5.205)

He said that "I am insignificant, more insignificant than the stool-worm." The worm... There are worms in the stool. "So I am lower than that." Purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha: "My value is less than the worm in the stool."

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1976:

Śāstric injunction is for anyone. Nobody is prohibited to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32), Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa says even pāpa-yoni, less than the śūdra... Śūdra is also pāpa-yoni. Even woman is called pāpa-yoni according to strict... Striyaḥ śūdras tathā vaiśya. Vaiśya. Except brāhmaṇa and kṣatriyas, everyone is considered to be lowborn, according to the Vedic injunction. But not that because he is lowborn, he cannot elevate himself. That is not the fact. The present, so-called Hindu society is degraded because if one is born in higher family, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya—he may be less than a śvapaca—he's accepted as a brāhmaṇa. That is the fault.

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

Mālatī: That part I understand. What I don't understand is why... Why would they take less than Kṛṣṇa? Why would you take less than Kṛṣṇa? If Kṛṣṇa is cent percent, why take less?

Prabhupāda: I don't follow what you say. What is that?

Haṁsadūta: Why would someone take less? Why would someone choose Viṣṇu and not Kṛṣṇa if they know that Kṛṣṇa is cent percent and Viṣṇu is ninety-four percent?

Prabhupāda: That we have already answered. Why you like this child?

Mālatī: No, what I mean is...

Prabhupāda: That is your selection.

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

Just see how much the human society has degraded. One side, they're killing their own child, and after killing it, they're cooking it, and it becomes a very good delicacy. Just see. So this is the surety of become a pig, less than a pig. You see? But they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). This human life was meant for understanding Viṣṇu, God, but they did not use it. So thus, try to understand how much important is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how we are trying to save the whole human society from their irresponsible life.

Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:

They are called menial servants. So in India there is system. The sweeper class is different, the cobbler class is different, and domestic servant is different, and the barber, he is also servant, different. The washerman, he is also servant. So nīca means just like the washerman or the barber or the cobbler. They are less than the domestic servant at home. They are śūdras, and they are considered less than the śūdras, pañcama. So a disciple is expected to live in gurukula or... Gurukula means at the shelter of guru; nicavat, menial servant. Menial servant. Nīcavat. Ācaran dāsavan nīco gurau sudṛdha sauhṛdaḥ. This can be possible when one is very thickly related with the guru. Otherwise ordinary relationship will not do. One who has got actually the conviction, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo... **.

Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976:

This is the defect because we have lost our own culture. Although this culture—brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsī—is Indian culture, unfortunately we have given up. Varnāśrama-dharma, varṇa, four varṇas and four āśramas, they're simply giving up. No more brāhmaṇa, no more kṣatriyas, no more vaiśyas, no more śūdras. They are less than śūdras. Pañcama. Less then śūdra means caṇḍāla. Kirāta-hūṇāndra-pulinda-pulkaśāḥ. There are so many divisions of caṇḍālas. Pañcama. They are called pañcama. So the whole thing is topsy-turvied. We have given up our own culture and imitating the foreigners and the Western country. That also we cannot do very properly because we are meant for different purpose in India. In India, one who has taken birth in India, it is understood that in his previous birth he tried to cultivate spiritual culture; therefore he has been given the opportunity to take birth in India. India is so fortunate. But as soon as he takes birth, the rascal leader spoils him, the rascal father spoils him, the rascal teacher spoils him.

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

That knowledge is perfect. Our knowledge, most imperfect. Just like we are studying the moon. So many scientists were engaged to study the moon. Every day we read something about moon. And in Bhāgavata you see that the moon is very cold planet, and there people drink soma-rasa. And the other day I was reading in the paper, the temperature is 200 degrees less than zero. Just you can imagine how cold it is. So how we can go there? Cannot go to Canada because when it is below zero degree, you are you so unhappy. And it is, if we accept the statement of the scientists, it is 200 degrees below zero. So how you can go there? At once you'll die, immediately. Similarly, the temperature of sun, oh, so many degree hot centigrade. So you have to remain. Therefore we are called conditioned. You cannot go outside. You are conditioned. You may try, but you cannot go outside in that way. If you want to go other planets, then you have to prepare yourself. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

Just like if one becomes secretary or servant of a very big man, he's in the same position. He's sitting on the same place. He's eating the same way. He's in the same atmosphere. So everything is same. Simply the relationship is different. That's all. So when one goes to the spiritual world... Just like the cowherd boys, the gopīs, they are on the same platform of Kṛṣṇa. They do not think that "We are lesser than Kṛṣṇa." The cowherds boy, they sometimes chastise Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is obliged to take them on the shoulder. Sometimes. They do not know that Kṛṣṇa is God, or "Kṛṣṇa is greater than me." That is the position. Equality.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.39-47 -- San Francisco, February 1, 1967:

So even those persons who were delivered by Lord Caitanya, but the author says that He could not deliver the Māyāvādīs, the impersonalist sannyāsīs. That means it was easier for Him to deliver the mlecchas, but it was difficult for Him to deliver the Māyāvādīs. In other words, the author is trying to place the position of the Māyāvādī sannyāsī less than the mlecchas. Less than the mlecchas.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.107-109 -- San Francisco, February 15, 1967:

Oh, sex life is so cheap. Why shall I take the responsibility of marrying?" This is going on. This is going on. Just like cats and dogs. So the cats and dogs cannot understand Vedānta philosophy. First condition. It is not meant for the cats and dogs. It is meant for human beings. So we should be human being first of all. Then we shall try to understand... Our life is so wretched that it is less than cats and dogs, and we try to understand Vedānta philosophy. It is not possible.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says mukhya-vṛttye, direct meaning, as it is said. That is beauty of understanding. Janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "The supreme source from which everything emanating, that is Brahman." What is the interpretation? There is no interpretation. Supreme... There must be some supreme source. That is quite philosophical and logical, that I have my... This bodily existence has a source, my father. My father has a source, his father. His father... Go on.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.107-109 -- San Francisco, February 15, 1967:

Then what about his education? Oh, that is also replied, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. "Oh, he's educated—so-called. The māyā has plundered his all knowledge." That means although... He's an educated fool. There are educated rascals. They have got some university degrees, but actually they are rascal, less than an ass. So that is also described: māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. They have acquired some knowledge undoubtedly, but the essence of the knowledge is taken away by māyā. Essence of the knowledge. Just like I give you milk, but I churn it. I take the butter out, and I give you milk. It is just like that. If milk is administered, taking out the butter, that is also a cheating, because milk means to take fat. Fat we require. For our proper maintenance of the body, we require fat. So milk-drinking means eating fat. So if the fat is already taken away, what is this milk?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.97-99 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

I have wasted my time in simply sense gratification. That is my qualification. And I belong to the lowest caste," nīca jāti nīca-saṅgī, "and my association is also of the lowest type." And patita: "I am fallen, and I am the lowest of all. This is my qualification." Now, why he is submitting himself as nīca jāti? Nīca jāti means those who are born in lower families. They are called nīca jāti, as śūdras or less than the śūdras. According to Vedic system the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya, they are higher caste, and the śūdras, they are lower caste. And less than śūdras, they are lowest.

So Sanātana Gosvāmī, actually he belonged to the brāhmaṇa family. His forefathers belonged to the Sārasvata brāhmaṇa. There are different sect, gaura brāhmaṇa and sarasvata brāhmaṇa. So Sārasvata brāhmaṇa, actually they belonged to the Aryan, ārya-varta, the Punjab side and Kashmir side.

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

So give him this body." Daiva-netrena. So you'll get a body, yantra. This body is yantra, machine. You are sat down on a machine, and bhrāmāyān sarva bhūtāni—sometimes you are in nice bodies. Nothing is nice. Everybody will die, so there cannot be anything nice. It may be, the duration of life, little more—a dog's duration of life less than man's duration of life. That may be. But nobody is going to live forever. That is not possible.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137 -- New York, November 28, 1966:

In the material world, if you can find out such things that an ordinary ocean... I say "ordinary" because there are millions of oceans floating in the air. Therefore we should not be very much astonished to see the Atlantic Ocean. Within this space, even within this material space, you have got millions and trillions of ocean like Atlantic. Just like a drop of water or less than that, an atomic portion of water, they are floating in the air. So that is the potency of God.

So yoga... Yoga means God plus myself, plus myself. The system is: those who are too much engrossed with this bodily conception of life, for them, yoga system is very good because it is a practice to withdraw the senses from their engagement in the external world to the inside. Pratyāhāra. And yama, niyama, asana, prāṇāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, pratyāhāra, samādhi—there are eight different stages of yoga practice.

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

And that Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu as Paramātmā, Supersoul, is situated in everyone's heart, even within the atom also. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Paramāṇu means atom. Within the atom also. We think of God as very great, universal form, but God can take also form less than the atom. That is God's power. He is not only great, greatest, but He is the smallest. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Mahato mahīyān means greatest of the great, and aṇor aṇīyān, the smallest of the small. We cannot think how small He can become. That is His inconceivable potency. So within this material world, He is within the atom, and He is within everyone's heart, in everywhere, all-pervading, and at the same time universal form, the biggest form.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.330-335 -- New York, December 23, 1966:

You are meant for doing good to others." That is His mission. Para-upakāra. Para-upakāra means "Do good to others." It is specially mentioned, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra. Bhārata-bhūmite, in this land of Bhāratavarṣa, one who has taken his birth as a human being... Human being. "I am not talking," Lord Caitanya said, "I am not talking of others, less than human being. Anyone who has taken his birth as human being..." Janma sārthaka kari. Janma sārthaka. How? How to make your life perfect? Now, just you become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.330-335 -- New York, December 23, 1966:

That is called Satya-yuga. And Tretā-yuga means 75% are pure, 25% impure. And Dvāpara-yuga means 50%, 50% pure and 50%... And Kali-yuga means 75% impure and 25% may be pure. (laughter) This is Kali-yuga. And we are thinking we are advancing. Such a foolish civilization, they are less than 25% pure, they do not know what is purity, and they think that they are advancing in civilization. Civilization means to purify. The Aryans, Aryans means advance. And what way advance? Advance in eating? Advance in sleeping? No. Advance in purification. They are called Aryans. And the most advanced purified is called the brāhmaṇa. And less than that, the kṣatriya. And less than that, vaiśyas. And less than that, the śūdras. And less than that, they are caṇḍālas. This is the classification of the human society. What is that classification? Due to this purity, who is pure, pure, purer, purer, and purest. So unless we become purest, we cannot approach Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.337-353 -- New York, December 25, 1966:

Simply sex life, husband and wife relationship. Simply sex life. Vipratve sūtram eva hi: "And one will be considered a brāhmaṇa simply by this thread." These are all written there. A two-cent-worth thread, you get it..., "Oh, you have got thread. Oh, you are a brāhmaṇa." That's all. This is going on in India. Two-paisa-worth brāhmaṇa. He has all the qualification of less than a caṇḍāla, but, because he has got this nonsense thread, he's considered a brāhmaṇa. So these things are all mentioned. And we have to believe it also that, in the last stage of the Kali-yuga, nobody will understand what is God, what is religion. And there will be no supply of these grains. Now we are getting all these grains. But, as you are, as you are thinking grain is not meant for human being, they are meant for animals, all right, God will stop completely. Then you'll have to live only on the seeds and animal flesh. That is also mentioned. There will be no milk. There will be no sugar. There will be no grain. These things are mentioned. Therefore śāstra, it is called śāstra.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.385-394 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

So within these 125 years, all the pastimes that Kṛṣṇa displayed during His presence, all those things are going on in each and every universe, just like the sun planet is moving from one place to another. This is the idea of Kṛṣṇa-līlā.

alāta-cakra-prāya sei līlā-cakra phire
saba līlā saba brahmāṇḍe krame udaya kare

So saba līlā. And all the activities, they are manifested in either of the so many brahmāṇḍas. So at every second you just divide that 125 years into seconds and all, less than second, what it is? Of course, I do not know... But if you divide in that way, then you can calculate how many universes are there. How many seconds are there in one hour?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.391-405 -- New York, January 2, 1967:

This subject matter is very confidential, but still, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is describing to Sanātana Gosvāmī, and we are trying to take advantage of this. But a little advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is little difficult for others, how Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, manifests Himself fully and manifests Himself less than full. These consideration are there. But let us try to understand as far as possible.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- New York, July 28, 1971:

Don't take the poison, but take the nectarine. Amedhyād api kāñcana. If you find that in a filthy place there is some gold, take it out. You are not to take the filthy stool, but you take the gold. Nīcād apy uttamāṁ vidyām. Nīcā. According to Vedic system, education has to be taken from high class, intellectual person like the brāhmaṇas. But if you find that a person who is not a brāhmaṇa—he's less than a brāhmaṇa, or even lower caste—but if he has got some nice education, just accept him as your teacher and learn. Not that "Because he's lowborn or not brāhmaṇa, I shall not take the education from him." The point is that you have to take the education. And strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api. In India still the marriage takes place in equal family. The boy and the girl must be equally rich, equally cultured, equally educated. Equality. They find out. Even by horoscope, they test whether their astronomical calculations are also equal, so that after marriage they may not be unhappy.

Festival Lectures

Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda Deity Installation -- London, August 21, 1973:

And it is, the speed of spirit soul is greater than the mind. You have got experience of the speed of the mind. In a second you can go many thousands of miles. Mind. Suppose you are sitting here, those who are Indians, immediately, within a second, one can reach Calcutta, Bombay. Immediately, without even, less than a second's time. The mind's speed, you can imagine. And finer than the mind is the spirit soul. So how much speedy is the spirit soul, that we have to know from the śāstras. Śāstra yonitvāt. Everything.

Therefore do not think that we have installed a marble statue. The rascals will say "They are heathens." No. We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa personally. Kṛṣṇa personally, Kṛṣṇa has kindly assumed this form just... Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, the gigantic Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa is everywhere... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our imperfect senses cannot see Kṛṣṇa immediately.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Calcutta, March 20, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Four days ago. (break) So this time within two months from 26th February?

Devotee: Twenty-fourth January.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-fourth January to 15th March-less than two months—I had the opportunity to go round about the world. From Bombay I went to Hong Kong, then from Hong Kong to Tokyo, Japan; from Tokyo to Honolulu, Honolulu to Mexico City, then Venezuela. Caracas... Caracas?

Karandhara: Yes.

Arrival Speech -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1976:

Now, if you study the lower grade of life, they are having all these things without any plan for economic development. Lower grade, just like animals, say, other lower grade... Lower grade means less than the animal or the aquatics, the plants, the insects, the birds, then come to the beast, then come to the human form of life, civilized. Uncivilized, then civilized. In this way there is a gradation. So this happiness, sense gratification, that is already there. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām. The sense gratification is there in different bodies, but the standard may be different. Standard means our calculation; otherwise, the standard is also the same. The sex life between dogs and sex life between human beings, the pleasure is the same. There is no change.

Arrival Speech -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1976:

There is no change. You don't think that when the dogs on the public street enjoy sex life their standard is lesser than our sex life in a very nice decorated apartment, and so many things, nice dress, nice bedding. No. The pleasure is the same. Just like if one has got typhoid fever. It is not that the poor man will suffer more than the rich man. No. The fever temperature is the same. The doctor, after taking temperature, he will say the temperature is the same. It does not mean that because the rich man has got typhoid fever, his suffering is less than the typhoid fever for the poor man. No. That is not possible. So we think that the standard of sense gratification is pleasure. No. The standard of pleasure of this eating, sleeping... We are taking pleasure in eating nice foodstuff.

Initiation Lectures

Brahmana Initiation Lecture with Professor O'Connell -- Boston, May 6, 1968, (Glenville Ave. Temple):

Now in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find the brāhmaṇa's quality, the vaiśya's quality, the śūdra's quality. So Bhāgavata also confirms that yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ syāt. The symptoms of a person qualifying himself to become a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra, that is the main principle. If that symptom is found elsewhere, he should be accepted in that classification. Suppose a man is born in a śūdra family or less than a śūdra family, but if his qualities are just like brāhmaṇa, then he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa. That is Bhāgavata's...

Initiation of Jayapataka Dasa -- Montreal, July 24, 1968:

Pāñcarātriki-vidhi means if any one has a little inclination for spiritual development, he should be given chance. This initiation means to give chance. The Bhāgavata says that kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). These are the list of the caṇḍālas or less than the śūdras. So Bhāgavata gives open road for everyone. Even one is kirāta... Kirāta means... Generally they are called aborigines, or the very black aborigines living in the jungles, they are called kirāta. In our country it is called hanta (?). So anyway, Hun, Hun a class of people in the hill side of north Arctic. They are called Huns.

Initiation of Jayapataka Dasa -- Montreal, July 24, 1968:

So kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā... There are very great list of the caṇḍālas, less than the śūdras. The Bhāgavata says ye 'nye ca pāpā, not these classes, even less than them, even they are born in the family of sinful tribe, they can be also purified. Śudhyanti, they can be also purified. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā śudhyanti. They can be purified by association of Vaiṣṇava. Yad-apa, yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ. Upāśraya means just like a person who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa and if anyone takes shelter of such devotee, he can be purified. This is called paramparā system.

Brahmana Initiation Lecture -- New Vrindaban, May 25, 1969:

If he is truthful, he is brāhmaṇa. Lakṣaṇa. The lakṣaṇa is there; the symptom is there. Yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ varṇābhivyañjakaṁ tat tenaiva vinirdiśet (SB 7.11.35). One should take him into that classification. He is truthful? Oh, he is immediately to the brahminical place. If he is a liar, immediately he is pañcama, less than śūdra. You see? So these things were done. People have misused the whole thing: "Now I am born of a brāhmaṇa. By force I am brāhmaṇa." You see? Just like Paṇḍitajī, our late Prime Minister Paṇḍitajī. He was less than the caṇḍāla, but he was addressed as "Paṇḍitajī." "Paṇḍitajī" is the address of the brāhmaṇa. You see? By lakṣaṇam... Nobody cared for lakṣaṇa because his forefather, somebody, was a brāhmaṇa, although there was no garbhādhāna ceremony, no system, still. This is not accepted. People misunderstand Hindu culture, Vedic culture, that there are forced caste system.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

This is applicable for everyone, civilized men. I don't speak of the Americans, in Europe, in Asia. Anywhere. Aryans means those who are advanced. Non-Aryans means those who are not ad... This is the Sanskrit meaning, ārya. And śūdras... Aryans are divided into four castes. The most intelligent class is called brāhmaṇa, and the less than the brāhmaṇas means those who are administrators, politicians, they are kṣatriyas. And next to them the mercantile class, traders, merchants, industrialists, less than the administrative class. And less than that, the śūdras. Śūdras means worker, laborer. So this system is not new. It is everywhere. Wherever there is human society, these four classes of men are there. Sometimes I am questioned why there is caste system in India. Well, this caste system is there. It is by nature. Bhagavad-gītā says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: (BG 4.13) "The four classes of men are there.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

Scented. Similarly, we do not expect that the whole population of the human society will be taking to this brahminical culture; but even one percent of the whole population accepts this brahminical culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the whole world will be peaceful. Not even one percent, less than one percent. It is so nice.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific movement. Unless you raise the population from the animal propensities, how you can expect peace? Do you think is there any peace in the dog society, in the cat society? No, it is not possible. You keep some dogs. They meet. As soon as they meet together there will be howling—"gow, gow, gow, gow." So you cannot expect if you create dog society, then you cannot expect. You have to create a portion, a certain percentage of the population, brāhmaṇas.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

Peace and prosperity can be established when people are no more in the designated stage, when he is free. So it is not expected, however, that cent percent population of the world will be such free from all contamination. But even a certain percentage only, even most insignificant, one percent or less than that, millions in one, then the face of the world will change.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just trying to turn the face of the people towards the Supreme Lord and by practical application of the knowledge in life, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa... This is the process. So it is not sectarian process. Just like students can be picked up from any society, similarly, person inclined to understand the science of God can be picked up from any society. There is no question of designation. It is not that it is meant for the Hindu or meant for the Christian, meant for the Buddhist.

Lecture -- New York, April 16, 1969:

They are trying to reach there by some mechanical means. That is not possible. Anyway, even if it is possible, one should know what is the standard of life there. That you can get from Vedic literature. There is very vivid description. They are not ordinary human being like us. The scientist says that the temperature is 200 degree less than zero. Even here, in your Western countries, although sometimes the temperature goes down below zero, if it is below ten degree or twenty degrees, you become suffocated. So how you can go there and live in a place where the temperature is below zero degree, 200 degree below the zero? So it is not possible. Even if you go, it is not possible to live there. If you have to live, then you have to dress yourself nicely. Just like when men like us from tropical countries come to your country, we dress... In India, practically there is no dress. You see these pictures, they are without any dress because there is no need of dress. It is tropical country.

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

Vīryasya. Vīryasya means strength. Wealth, strength and yaśaḥ. Yaśaḥ means fame. Aiś... Wealth, strength, fame and śrī. Śrī means beauty. And jñāna. Jñāna means knowledge. And vairāgya means renunciation. Wealth, fame, then strength, beauty, and knowledge and renunciation. If these six things are in full present in anyone, He is God. Otherwise, he's a dog or less than God. And in the Vedic literature we find the definition: na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Now, are we in that position that we have nothing to do? Oh, if you do not work I cannot eat even. The whole function is stopped. But the definition is na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Now, take for example this beautiful flower. This beautiful flower, you have to accept there is a great brain behind this beauty. Because here we have got so many artists. When they draw picture, oh, how nicely they apply their brain, their painting, everything, then... But that beauty is not as beautiful as this flower.

Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

That is higher mathematics. Higher mathematics does not mean that some other figures are brought in. The same one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. But you must know how to adjust these nine figures—one, two, three—and that is science of God. Simply to know, that is very good. Those who are atheists, they are declining to accept the existence of God. They are less than animals. Less than animals. The animals also, they are afraid of some higher authority. But these atheists, they are not afraid of higher authorities. Although they are being kicked by the laws of material nature in every moment, still, they are proud, "No, there is no God. There is no God."

Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

So that is a very abominable condition of life, less than animals. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). The atheist class men are described as the lowest of the mankind, duṣkṛtinaḥ. Why? Narādhamāḥ, na duṣkṛtinaḥ: always engaged in sinful activities. That na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, and rascals. Prapadyante narādhamāḥ, and lowest of the mankind. So "They are very educated." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā: "Their knowledge has been taken away by the illusory energy." Why? Āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ: "Because they have taken to the philosophy of atheism." So their position... Of course, we approach everyone to preach this science of God consciousness, but it is very difficult. Those who have taken to this atheistic view, āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ... Āsuri... Just like we have got examples in our Vedic science, Vedic knowledge.

Lecture -- Vrndavana, March 14, 1974:

Kalau doṣa-nidhe rājann. Doṣa-nidhe: ocean of faults. But there is one opportunity. What is that opportunity? The opportunity is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who is teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Distributing kṛṣṇa-prema. So in this Kali-yuga, although it is very faulty, people are very, very degraded, less than animals, still there is a great opportunity. And this opportunity is kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya. You don't require to read Vedānta philosophy or this philosophy. Caitanya Mahāprabhu presented Himself: guru more mūrkha dekhi kahile vedānta nāhi adhikārā (CC Adi 7.71). He presented to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī that His spiritual master saw Him a great fool. Therefore he said to Him that "You have no, I mean to say, access to understand Vedānta philosophy. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all." This is the position. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "He, he taught Me one śloka."

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

So not only those who are highly elevated brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra... Śūdras... Less than śūdra, they are called kirāta, hūṇa, āndhra, pulinda, pulkaśā, ābhīra, yavanāḥ, khasādayaḥ. They also can be purified if they take shelter of a pure devotee. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ ca...,

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striya vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim
(BG 9.32)

Means that "Anyone, even if he is born in the pāpa-yoni, the pāpa-yoni, kirāta, hūṇa, if he takes shelter of Me, then he also gets the supreme perfection." Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Now it is the duty of a devotee of Kṛṣṇa to expand this progressive march toward devotional service. Otherwise, how the pāpa-yoni will learn? This is para upakāra.

Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

So we can see that actually Śrīla Prabhupāda has in almost a hundred centers and āśramas throughout the world, this has been established in less than ten years. One gentleman recently was saying, one respectable gentleman was saying, "I do not see how this society has spread all over the world (indistinct)." And I explained to him what we have done already has been in ten years. Just imagine twenty, thirty, forty years, like that. He was so surprised to see that actually in ten years alone all this has been accomplished. And revealing Kṛṣṇa's (indistinct) Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda's books are now printed in almost fifteen languages around the world and distributed in millions every year.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- London, July 25, 1976:

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's word, and Kṛṣṇa's personal words are, in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha 'vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). People are generally against the mlecchas, yavanas or the caṇḍālas because according to Vedic system, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriya, they are supposed to be pious family, brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas. Less than that, even woman, they are not so pious. So in that sense there is discrimination. But Kṛṣṇa says that māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Anyone, it doesn't matter, even he belongs to the pāpa-yoni, low-grade family. And because women and vaiśyas are śūdras are also considered as less important, so Kṛṣṇa mentions, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim: "Even women, śūdras, or the vaiśyas, everyone can be elevated to the higher transcendental platform, parāṁ gati." Parāṁ gati. Gati means advancement, stepping forward, gati. So everyone is given this advantage of stepping forward. Stepping forward... (aside:) ...is it finished or not? Eh?

Departure Talks

Departure Lecture -- London, March 12, 1975:

So because these activities, devotional activities, are on the spiritual platform, all of them are Absolute. It is not that if you are hearing but you are not chanting, then your result will be little less than the other who is hearing and chanting. No. It is Absolute Truth. Just like if you taste a sugar candy, lump of sugar candy, from any side you taste, the sweetness is there. There is no difference, that if you taste this side, then it is more sweet than the other side. Kṛṣṇa is complete Absolute Truth. So any side. If you become expert in hearing, that is as good as one is engaged in other eight processes or nine processes. That is stated in the śāstra. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He simply listened. He did not do any other process. Śrī-viṣṇu-śravaṇe parīkṣit. They got liberation simply by executing one of the nine different processes. So śrī-viṣṇoḥ śravaṇe parīkṣid abhavad vaiyāsakiḥ kīrtane. Parīkṣit Mahārāja got liberation simply by hearing.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: In this regard, later Śrīla Prabhupāda said that a man who has fever and a man who has never had fever, they enjoy... When the man who has fever recovers he enjoys equally with the man who never had fever. Therefore someone who has fallen into the material world, if he is liberated, he enjoys equally with the man who has never fallen into the material world. Neither he enjoys more, for instance, that he has learned some lesson so therefore he enjoys more his freedom, nor does he enjoy less than the man who has never fallen. (break)

Prabhupāda: Well, everything is the expression of spirit.

Śyāmasundara: So everything is art?

Prabhupāda: Well, what is his definition of art?

Śyāmasundara: Art is the expression of the spirit in sensuous form.

Prabhupāda: That is there. We are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, there is love of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, but that is sensuous, sensual. The gopīs are coming to Kṛṣṇa, lusty. Kṛṣṇa is beautiful, they are attracted. So these are there: sensuous, beautiful, art.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: So that's alright; then might is right? Hitler is right? When Hitler, Hitler kills the Jews, he's right? He thinks that they are not in my category.

Śyāmasundara: The animal cannot understand philosophy.

Prabhupāda: What does he understand of philosophy? He is mad; he is less than an animal. He does not understand philosophy. He does not know that the animal has also a soul, the animal has also life. Then he should be killed first.

Śyāmasundara: He said that one standard whether something is right or wrong is that if it is self-contradictory, if somebody's action is self-contradictory.

Prabhupāda: He is actually self-contradictory. He is going to give right to others that he does not want to give the same right to the animals. That is self-contradictory.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: That we are teaching. That we have shown. But he remains unconscious state. That is (indistinct). That we are teaching. We are simply, loudly stating, "Please wake up. Please wake up. We are not this body. We are not this body." So these are the (indistinct) dream. You cannot raise him to the consciousness. He is fully packed up in matter. That is not possible. But he is also conscious. That is proved by (indistinct). He applied machine: in the remote part he is feeling the pain when you cut. But it is not very manifest. Just like children, they are not so conscious, you operate. I have got a (indistinct), my eldest daughter, she (indistinct). So she was about less than one year... No, no. About six months. The doctor was operating, (indistinct). She was not frightened. (indistinct) Minor operation. So the human form of life is the developed consciousness of the living entity. In other forms of life they're more or less in dreaming state or unconscious state. But as living entity, the consciousness is there, in different stages.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: That we also say. According to material condition of life, they differ, they are classified. The highest stage is Vaiṣṇava. He is completely transcendental (to) material condition. Next the brāhmaṇa, then next the kṣatriya, then next the vaiśya, then next the śūdra, and next means less than śūdra, all caṇḍālas. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because that is natural, even from the caṇḍāla stage one can be brought to the highest transcendental stage of Vaiṣṇava.

Śyāmasundara: So would you say that the lower stages of life are, could be termed irrational, and the higher stages of life termed rational?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Righteous.

Śyāmasundara: So the consciousness becomes more and more developed...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:

Prabhupāda: This is very important thing, that a man cannot manufacture religion. That is very important point. Therefore we say religion means the words, the order given by God. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "You have manufactured so many religious systems. You give up, kick it out. It has no value. Here is religion." And in the beginning He said, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya: "I have appeared to re-establish the principle of religion." And He says at last that "Give up. Kick out all this so-called religion. Here is religion." What is that? Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ...: "You just surrender to Me." This is religion. And Bhāgavata says, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: (SB 6.3.19) "The order given by God, that is religion." Otherwise, everything is bogus. It has no meaning. The same example: law means which is given by the government. You cannot say, "I have prepared the law." Who will care for you? Even the small law, "Keep to the right," that is religion. If you say, "What is the law? If they keep to the left..." No. That will not be accepted. "Keep to the right" is religion, and "Keep to the left" is criminal. So religion is pious and impious—everything on the order of Kṛṣṇa, or God. If you follow strictly the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then you are religious, pious, transcendental, devotee, everything. And if you defy Kṛṣṇa, you manufacture your own way, then you are rascal, asura. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). He is narādhamāḥ. This is the way. Less than the mankind, narādhamāḥ, who do not follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, or God.

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

Prabhupāda: That is Vedic system, to control the whole mass of people in classification. The intelligent class, the administrative class, the productive class, and the worker class, and less than them, and in their respective position, if they cooperate for the common cause, that becomes a perfect society. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya... Therefore this system is called varṇāśrama, four varṇas and four āśrama, social order and spiritual order. The ultimate end is spiritual, but if the social order is not organized, then spiritual order is also disorganized. So there must be division of labor and activities. This is?

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

Hayagrīva: His most famous book was Walden II, which was... Thoreau lived in Walden, Henry Thoreau. He lived alone. It was a solitary experiment of plain living and high thinking. He writes, "We practice the Thoreauvian principle of avoiding unnecessary possessions." Thoreau pointed out that the average Concord laborer worked ten or fifteen hours of his..., fifteen years of his life just to have a roof over his head. We could say ten weeks and be on the safe side. Food is plentiful and healthful but not expensive." So he goes on to say that "We strike for economic freedom, we do not believe in unnecessary consumption, we consume less than the average American." So it's an attempt to construct a society somewhat similar to New Vrindaban, with the exception of no spiritual basis as such.

Prabhupāda: That is primitive life, jungle life. Monkey civilization. Of course they claim to be descendant of monkey, that they will go on like that. But that is not human civilization, to keep the monkey in the jungle. We want life, very peaceful life without any unnecessary, what is called, necessities. That is all right. But the aim should be spiritual perfection. Therefore the first thing is what is the aim of life, that should be ascertained. Without aim, if you lounge on this ocean, where you are going? That is useless attempt. We must first of all know what is the aim of life. These people, they do not know what is the aim of life. Simply, superficially they are trying to adjust, "This will be done, this will be done." No. These are all mental speculation. First of all you must know what is the aim of life, and to this, to that direction, we have to adjust things. That is perfection.

Page Title:Less than (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:28 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=174, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:174