Lover (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"lover" |"lover's" |"lovers"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

(O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.)

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

That is a subject matter very long, but briefly it can be stated that a devotee is in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in five ways. One may be a devotee in a passive state, one may be a devotee in active state, one may be a devotee as a friend, one may be a devotee as parent, and one may be a devotee as conjugal lover.

So Arjuna was a devotee in relationship with the Lord as a friend. The Lord can become a friend. Of course, this friendship and the conception of friendship which we have got in the mundane world, there is a gulf of difference. This is transcendental friendship which... Not that everyone will have the relationship with the Lord. Everyone has got a particular relationship with the Lord and that particular relationship is evoked by the perfection of devotional service. At the present status of our life we have not only forgotten the Supreme Lord, but also we have forgotten our eternal relationship with the Lord.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

That attachment is very strong. So the ācāryas give this example as a bad character woman who has got attachment for other's husband, she always thinks, at the same time, shows her husband that she is very much busy in the family affairs so that her husband may not doubt her character. So as she is always remembering the time of meeting with her lover at night, in spite of doing all this household work very nicely, similarly one has to remember the supreme husband, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, always in spite of doing his material duties very nicely. That is possible. It requires a strong sense of love. When you have got a strong sense of love for the Supreme Lord, then it is possible that we can go on discharging our duty, at the same time remember the Lord. So we have to develop that sense. Just like Arjuna was always thinking of Lord. He, out of twenty-four hours, not for a second he could forget Kṛṣṇa. Constant companion of Kṛṣṇa.

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

Prabhupāda: Now here is explained who is a devotee. That is explained. Yes.

Devotee: "He may have a passive relationship, he may have an active relationship. Three, he may be in friendship. Four, he may have the relationship of a parent. And five, he may have the relationship of conjugal lover of the Lord. Arjuna was a devotee in relationship..."

Prabhupāda: The passive relationship is simply realizing, "Oh, how God is great". God is great. One is thunderstruck with the greatness of God. That is passive relationship: "God, God is great." When that relationship is enhanced a little, more the next stage is that "If God is great why not give Him some service?" just like we are accustomed to give some service to some person who is greater than me. That is the laws of nature. Just like the animals. The animals are giving service to the man, because the man is supposed to be greater than the animal.

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

You are my mother. You take more ingredients, grains, as much as you like, you shall..."

So there are still. That is not very long ago. So this was the training. And the psychology is that woman, the first man she meets and if she is kept carefully, she becomes staunch lover. This is psychology. There is good psychology in maintaining the society. Therefore a woman, especially in India, especially in Bengal, before attaining puberty, she was married. Not to meet the husband unless she attains puberty. But she remained at father's house, but she must know that: "I am married. I have got husband." This psychology. Then she becomes very chaste. Because she thinks of her husband, and becomes more and more devoted. So this arrangement that woman must be married before puberty... Or even after puberty, she must get a husband. So if this dharma... It is called kanyā-dāya, kanyā-dāya. Kanyā-dāya means it is very obligatory that the father must get the daughter married.

Lecture on BG 2.10 -- London, August 16, 1973:

The dancing is description, but no contraceptive pill. No. That is no described here. Therefore He is Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa means perfect brahmacārī. Vikāra-hetu, even there is cause of being agitated, He is not agitated. That is Kṛṣṇa. He has got thousands and thousands of devotees, and some of the devotees, if they want Kṛṣṇa as lover, Kṛṣṇa accepts that, but He does not require anyone else. He does not require. He is self-sufficient. He does not require anyone's help for His sense gratification. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses.

So at least Kṛṣṇa's devotees... There are many instances of Kṛṣṇa's devotees. They are also... Why many? Almost all devotees, they are master of the senses, gosvāmī. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, you know. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was young man, and the village zamindar, he was Mohammedan. So everyone was eulogizing Haridāsa Ṭhākura, such a great devotee. So the zamindar, the village zamindar, he became very much envious. So he employed one prostitute to pollute Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975:

So to give up all these bad habits means we have to associate with sādhus or devotees, saintly persons. Then we can give it up. This is called anartha-nivṛtti, means giving up all unwanted bad habits. These things are not wanted. Nobody dies if he does not smoke or drink. Nobody dies. So artificially we learn it, so by good association we can give it up. So when we are purified out of all the bad habits, then we become fixed up in spiritual knowledge. So in this way we make advance in spiritual life, and at the last stage we become lover of God. This is the process, and one who teaches this process, he is guru. This is the definition of guru.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Mexico, February 12, 1975:

A person who is completely free from sinful activities, such person can become a devotee, a lover of God. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching to the human society how to become purified. There is no such restriction that "This man can be purified; that man cannot be." No, there is nothing like that. Everyone can be purified if he desires to be so. So immediately we may not be able to purify. As it is prescribed—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication—it may not be possible because those who are accustomed, it is difficult to give up. Therefore the process is given very simple: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So purification is absolute. That is necessary. Without purification, you cannot understand God. But the method we are prescribing... Not we are prescribing; it is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prescription.

Lecture on BG 2.19 -- London, August 25, 1973:

He's the seed-giving father. Father is naturally well-wisher that: "These rascals, they are suffering, prakṛti-sthāni. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Simply by, guided by mental speculation, manaḥ, and assisted by the senses, they are struggling so hard. And if they come back to Me they can live so nicely, as My friend, as My lover, as My father, as My mother, Vṛndāvana. So claim again, call them." That... Therefore, Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya (BG 4.7). Because the whole world is running on under the false impression of sense enjoyment, therefore He comes and advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "You rascal, give up all this engagement. Don't be proud that you are scientifically advanced. You are all rascals. Give up this nonsense. Come to Me. I'll give you protection." This is Kṛṣṇa. How merciful He is. And the same business should be done by Kṛṣṇa's servant. Not to become a great yogi, magic player. No, that is not required. Simply speak what Kṛṣṇa says. Then you become spiritual master.

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

That's all. "I have to take care of Him." This is called paternal feelings. Vātsalya-rasa.

Kṛṣṇa is served by the devotees in so many rasas, transcendental mellow, or humor. Somebody is serving as servant. Somebody is serving as friend. Somebody is serving as father and mother. Somebody is serving as conjugal lover. These are five primary mellows in which a devotee is connected with Kṛṣṇa. And there are other, seven rasas also. They are not primary; secondary. Somebody is serving Kṛṣṇa as enemy. Just like the asuras. They also serve Kṛṣṇa—as enemy. Somebody is serving, giving pleasure to Kṛṣṇa, by fighting with Him. So there are so many, twelve rasas. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. All the rasas that we have got experience within this world, they are coming from Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says, "Everything, whatever we see within our experience, we cannot experience anything if it is not in Kṛṣṇa." That is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973:

That is first-class religious system. This is first-class religious system. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the first-class, topmost religious system. Why? It is educating people to think of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, always. Loving. Not only thinking. We cannot think of anyone unless we love him. If you love somebody, then you can think of him always. Just like both lover and beloved. Say one boy, another girl. So they are in love. So both of them think of both of them always. "When we shall meet again, when we shall meet again?" So similarly, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. You can become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, you can think of Kṛṣṇa always, provided you have developed love for Kṛṣṇa. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). By bhakti, you can develop your love for Kṛṣṇa. That is required.

So in the lower stage of animal life, Kṛṣṇa is there. As He says, dehe sarvasya bhārata. In another place, Kṛṣṇa says this dehī or kṣetra-jña, the owner of the body is there, and there is another kṣetra-jña, another owner. That is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973:

You are not proprietor. Dehe sarvasya bhārata. He is... The individual soul is in every body and the Supersoul, Supersoul is the real proprietor. Kṛṣṇa says that bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Maheśvaram, He's the supreme proprietor. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He is actual friend. If I have got some lover, I am friend, I am not friend. Actual friend is Kṛṣṇa. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. As it is said, tasmād sarvāṇi bhūtāni. Kṛṣṇa is the real friend. So if the gopīs dance with the real friend, what is the wrong there? What is the wrong there? But those who are rascals, who do not know Kṛṣṇa, they think it is immoral. It is not immoral. That is the right thing. Right thing. Kṛṣṇa is the real husband. Therefore, He married 16,108 wives. Why 16,000? If He married sixteen trillion, billions wives, what is the wrong there? Because He is the real husband. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29).

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

That is not bhakti. Bhakti is the same thinking of Kṛṣṇa—favorably. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). That is bhakti. To think of Kṛṣṇa as enemy, that is not required. One may think, but a devotee, how can he think of Kṛṣṇa as enemy? He thinks of Kṛṣṇa as friend, as son, as master, as lover. A devotee thinks like that, whereas a demon or an enemy of Kṛṣṇa, he's always thinking of... This is the difference between demon and devotee. Demon is thinking how to wipe out, how to banish Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Kṛṣṇa. They don't want Kṛṣṇa. That is demonic. So therefore they do not know that a demonic person is always suffering. That is due to his forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. But because he is demon, he is continuing the business. Therefore they do not know... Na te viduḥ... They... That is also... Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur āsura-janāḥ (BG 16.7). Āsura-jana, those who are asuras, they do not know what to do and what not to do.

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

Actually He'll be merciful upon me. He'll deliver me from this miserable condition of material life"—teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam... (BG 10.10). So Kṛṣṇa is within. You cannot deceive Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. If you are deceiver, Kṛṣṇa is also the supreme deceiver. And if you are lover, then Kṛṣṇa is the supreme lover. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). You deal with Kṛṣṇa. As you deal, He'll also... He reciprocates. That is Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa is describing now buddhi-yoga. Buddhi-yoga means bhakti-yoga. This, this word, buddhi-yoga... Buddhi means intelligence. One who is very intelligent, he can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore bhakti-yoga's another name is buddhi-yoga. Buddhi-yoga. Because buddhi-yoga... There are many verses in the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find.

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

Now, it is a, it is a example given in scripture that the woman who is fallen in love, the woman of man with other woman, other man, opposite sex. So he may be engaged in so many duties, but his mind is always to that point when he or she will meet his lover. With all his duty, or her duties, during the daytime, she or he always thinks, "Oh, when that moment will come when we shall meet together?" That means the mind is always there. The example is said because when there is ecstasy, when there is ecstasy of love, even within our, within the midst of our multifarious duties, we can remember that thing always. Similarly, God consciousness, we shall have to mold our life in that way that in the midst of our very grave duties, serious duties, we shall always remember the Supreme, the Supreme, in every step. That discrimination, that much love, we have to develop. And therefore we require guide, how to develop. How to develop that, we require guide.

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

Everything is done, everything is done, so far our duties are concerned—there is a cause. I do this because I want this. So there is a cause and effect. But this sort of busyness, this sort of occupation, which leads you to the devotional service of the Lord, it has no cause. Ahaituki. It has no cause. Why it has no cause? Just like a lover, or, say, lover, beloved, set aside. Just like mother. A mother loves the, her child. There is no cause. She does not know "Why I am loving." Automatically. Automatically, she loves. Similarly, we have got our relationship with the supreme consciousness. We are consciousness. That is accepted. Now, there is supreme consciousness also. Just let us have some estimation what is that supreme consciousness. Now, supreme consciousness... Consciousness is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. The consciousness is distributed throughout your whole body. That we can make an experiment. But this consciousness is not, I mean to..., spread over all the cosmic manifestation. That is also a fact.

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

I think there is a line in Shakespeare's literature, "The lunatic, mad, and the poet" or something like that, "all compact in thought." (The actual reference is A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act V, Scene I: "The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, are of imagination all compact."). So a madman and a ātma-rati person, self-satisfied man, outwardly, you will find there is no difference, but inwardly, oh, there is vast difference.

There is a story of Jaḍa Bharata. Jaḍa Bharata, a brāhmaṇa boy whose name was Jaḍa Bharata. He was formerly the emperor of this world. His name was Mahārāja Bharata. And by his name now India is called Bhāratavarṣa. Formerly this whole planet was named as Bhāratavarṣa. Before that, this planet was named as Ilāvṛtavarṣa, long, long years, millions of years before.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Just like you are the son of your father. So when you love your father, naturally you love your brothers also because you know, "My father will be pleased." So this is love. That universal love can be possible when you actually love God. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. In material platform that is not possible. But a devotee, a pure lover of God, he loves everyone. Just like we are. Because we have tried to love God, therefore we are wandering, touring all over the world, and the same message, "Please try to love God." We have no other message because we have understood to some extent that without love of God, they are suffering. So they will be happy when they begin to love God. This is our mission.

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

There is no love. It is simply a show of love. Therefore, after satisfying lust, there is divorce, there is separation. So in the material world there is no possibility of love. It is all lust. Love is only possible when you love God. There is no lust. There is no question of sense gratification. Simply for love: "Kṛṣṇa is my lover. Kṛṣṇa is my master. Kṛṣṇa is my friend."

Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is loving Kṛṣṇa as friend. So he is so great lover that in the beginning he hesitated to fight, "How shall I kill my kinsmen?" But when he understood, "Kṛṣṇa, my friend, desires. Oh, never mind." So there was no lust. Simply love of Kṛṣṇa. So lust and love, that means the same thing is there. Simply one has to change the account. That's all. Lusty people, they are working on account of sense gratification, and lover of Kṛṣṇa is working for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. The activity may appear superficially the same.

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

So here, that master and servant is there, but both of them are cheaters and cheated. That's all. But if we really want to be master and servant, the supreme master is Kṛṣṇa and you engage yourself in His service. You'll never be cheated. You'll never be cheated. You want to love. You love Kṛṣṇa as your husband or lover, you'll never be cheated. You love children. You love Kṛṣṇa as your child—just like Yaśodāmāyi accepted Kṛṣṇa as his child—you'll never be cheated. So the same relationship is there, but it is perverted reflection, and there is no happiness. But when we become bhakta or establish one's relationship with Kṛṣṇa... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is bhakta. What kind of bhakta? Bhakto 'si me sakhā, sakhā ceti. "You are bhakta, at the same time My friend." So to become bhakta means either you become a friend of Kṛṣṇa or a servant of Kṛṣṇa or a lover of Kṛṣṇa or father of Kṛṣṇa or mother of Kṛṣṇa. In this way, there are so many. Or you become enemy of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

That relationship is on the basis of love. The devotee loves God, and God loves devotee. This is the only relationship. That's all. God is after devotee, and devotee after God. This is relationship.

So one has to establish this relationship. Just like Arjuna is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa as a friend, similarly, you can be in relationship with God as a lover. You can be in relationship with God as master and servant. You can be in relationship with God as father and son. There are so many relationships. As we have got relationship within this material world, this is only perverted reflection of that five relationship with God. But we have forgotten that. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to revive that consciousness. It is nothing new. To forget God means that is abnormal condition, and to have relationship with God is normal condition. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be reestablished in our normal condition of life. Go on. "Arjuna is..."

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974:

Simply through this chanting and dancing, He is distributing love of Kṛṣṇa.

You can see practically. These boys from European and American countries, means all over the world, why they are chanting and dancing in this way? Do you think they have become mad? And one says, "Yes, they have become mad." Why? For love of Kṛṣṇa. Now they have began they have become lover of Kṛṣṇa. So kṛṣṇa-prema is like that. That is through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the symbolic representation of devotee. Bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam. Namāmi bhakta-śaktikam. He can give the strength to the devotee so that he can develop his dormant love of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. If one is pure devotee, for him, Kṛṣṇa is available very easy. He says in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). "One can understand Me in truth..." Yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. "Which is very, very difficult."

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Test of religion is how much you are increasing your love of God.

So here it is said, "Whenever and wherever there is decline in religious practice..." What is that religion practice? That religion practice is whenever there is decline of love of God. That's all. When people become lover of mammon, matter, that means decline of religion. And when people increase love of Godhead, that means real religion. So Kṛṣṇa comes, or Kṛṣṇa's servant or representative comes, to adjust things. When people forget love of Godhead, somebody, either Kṛṣṇa, God Himself or His representative comes to adjust things.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is incarnation. They are teaching love of Godhead. We are not teaching some ritualistic process, that "You become Hindu. You become Christian. You become Muhammadan." We are simply teaching, "You try to love God. You have forgotten God. You have declared, 'God is dead.'

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

(O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.)

janma karma (ca) me divyam

evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

(BG 4.9)

Kṛṣṇa is explaining how one can very easily enter into the spiritual world, or the kingdom of God. The simple formula is that anyone who understands the appearance, disappearance, activities of the Lord as divyam, transcendental, with perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth... Simply by this understanding one can immediately enter into the spiritual kingdom.

Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

Prabhupāda: It (the microphone) is not fixed up right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "But Kṛṣṇa is only fully realized by His pure devotees. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is the object of everyone's realization, and as such anyone and everyone is satisfied according to one's desire to have Him. One devotee may want Kṛṣṇa as the supreme master, another as his personal friend, another as his son, and still another as his lover. Kṛṣṇa rewards equally all the devotees in their different intensities of love for Him. In the material world the same reciprocations of feelings are there and they are equally exchanged by the Lord with the different types of worshipers. The pure devotees both here and in the transcendental abode associate with Him in person and are able to render personal service to the Lord and thus derive transcendental bliss in His loving service. As for those who are impersonalists and who want to commit spiritual suicide by annihilating the individual existence of the living entity, Kṛṣṇa helps them also by absorbing them into His effulgence.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

He does not say that you become a Hindu or you become a Muslim or you become a Christian or Buddhist or any other thing. It is very liberal, that whatever system of religion you accept, there is no harm. That's all right. But see the result. What is the result? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Whether you have understood God and whether you have become a lover of God. Then your religion is perfect. Simply for stamping that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," there is no profit.

That is also explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

What is else? The essence is that you surrender to God. You may follow any religious system, it doesn't matter, but whether you know God and whether you have surrendered to Him, that is essence. If you do not know God then what is the meaning of your religion? And if you do not surrender to God, if you surrender to your senses only, then what is religion? Simply by rubber-stamping religion... That has happened at the present moment. Nobody knows what is meant by religion. And this is the essence of religion, to surrender to God. So if you do not know who is God where you are going to surrender? You cannot surrender to the air. You must know what is God and what is surrender meaning gradually. But this is the essence of religion, to surrender to God.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yayātmā suprasīdati

(SB 1.2.6)

If you want to be happy, ātmā, suprasanna, then you should be a lover, bhakti, devotee of God. This is the essence.

Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

Therefore it is reflection. It is not real. If you make your friendship with Kṛṣṇa, that will never break. If you make your master Kṛṣṇa, you'll never be cheated. If you love Kṛṣṇa as your son, He'll never die. Similarly, if you love Kṛṣṇa as your lover or husband, He will be the best husband, the best lover. There will be no divorce. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So similarly, there are many... Because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, He has unlimited... He is unlimited, and He has unlimited number of devotees. Now, some of them are trying to love Him as lover or husband.

Now, what Kṛṣṇa will do? In the previous verse we have read that ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham: (BG 4.11) "Anyone who wants Me in some sort of relationship, I accept that. I accept that." So the fact is that these wives of Kṛṣṇa—that is the real fact—in their previous life they made tremendous penance to achieve Kṛṣṇa as their husband. Just like in the Bhāgavata there is a verse.

Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

Oh, have Me as your son." Because here we are frustrated with our sons and daughters. We expect something, but when they are grown up, they go in their own way. We are frustrated.

So accept Kṛṣṇa as son, and He'll be most obedient son just like He was playing the part before Yaśodā. Similarly, accept Kṛṣṇa as husband or lover. You'll never be frustrated. That is the whole philosophy. Anything, whatever desire you have got, you can establish a relationship with Kṛṣṇa in that desire and you'll be happy, perfectly happy, never to be cheated. So na māṁ karmā... iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti. Anyone who understands this philosophy, this transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, then what is the result? Karmabhir na sa badhyate. Because every act... We are bound up by the reaction of our past deeds. So as soon as we understand the transcendental activities of Kṛṣṇa, at once we become free from all reactions.

Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

Similarly, every living entity has got a specific position in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Now, at the present moment, we are covered. We do not know what is our relationship. But as we make advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and we develop, "Oh, I have got this relationship with my Kṛṣṇa, as my, as a friend, as a conjugal lover, paternal relationship, master and servant," so many, just like we have got experience. And that is called svarūpa-siddhi. Svarūpa-siddhi means perfection of one's original, constitutional position. Svarūpa-siddhi. That we shall realize. As we make advance in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so we gradually...

Just like a man who is diseased. He is diseased, and as he is being cured by treatment, he gets gradually his healthy condition. He can feel, "Yes, I am feeling well. Now I am feeling hunger. Now I am taking food nicely. Oh, yes, I am getting some strength."

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

That is real self-realization. That is real self-realization. Everyone has an eternal relationship with the Lord, either in the conception of master and servant, or in the conception of friend and friend, or in the conception of parents and the child, or in the conception of husband and wife, or in the conception of paramour and lover, and the beloved. So these relationships are there eternally.

Now, the whole process of spiritual realization is to come to this stage, transcendental stage. This relationship with the Supreme Lord is pervertedly reflected in this material world. And therefore we have got this relationship here, master and servant. But because it is perverted, therefore that relationship is not master and servant. That relationship is with the money and the benefit. There is no love. There is no love. Here in this material world, the master and the servant, that relationship continues so long the master is able to pay the servant. As soon as the payment is stopped, the relationship of master and servant also stops.

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

This is the idea of reflected. That reflection of the sunshine is not real, but it appears just like sunshine. Similarly, all our relationship here, either as master and servant or as friend and friend or as parents and child or as husband and wife or as lover and the beloved, any relationship, whatever we see here, that is the perverted reflection of our eternal relationship with God.

So when we come to that platform of understanding, then we are perfectly in knowledge. So when that knowledge comes here, it is stated, he takes the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa consciousness: kāryam. Kāryam means "It is my duty." Because I have got my eternal love relationship with Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of remuneration. Of course, remuneration is there thousand times more than what remuneration we get here by rendering our service. Kṛṣṇa thousand times... Not thousand times because there is no limit.

Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:

His name was Satyavān. But he was to die at a certain age his horoscope said. But one girl Sāvitrī, she fell in love with that boy. Now she wanted to marry. Her father told her, "He'll die at certain age. You don't marry." But she was bent. She married. In course of time the boy died, say after four or five years, and the girl became widow. So she was so staunch lover that she won't let the dead body go away. And the Yamarāja, the, what is English I do not know, who takes away the body or the soul after death, so he came to take the soul away. So this chaste girl would not allow the husband's body to go away. Then Yamarāja told, "It is my duty that I should take. You give it up. Otherwise, you'll be also punished." So she gave and she was following Yamarāja. So Yamarāja became compassionate. So Yamarāja became compassionate, he benedicted her, "My dear girl, you go home. I give you benediction you will have a son. Don't cry for your husband." Then she was again following and when Yamarāja said, "Why you are following me?"

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1968:

So Kṛṣṇa says mayi, "unto Me"; āsakta, "attachment." One who has developed attachment for Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like if you have got attachment for your lover, you always think of him. That is..., is lover consciousness. There is a very—this is natural—a Sanskrit verse in which it is stated that a woman who has got another lover besides her husband, she shows very attentive for her household duties, but she is always thinking when she will meet at night her lover. (aside:) Please sit properly. So as it is possible that in spite of our all engagements, if I love somebody I think of him always, materially it is possible, why not spiritually? That is the whole teaching of Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

Now you see, he was also Kṛṣṇa conscious, but he was Kṛṣṇa conscious not directly, not for love's sake, but as an enemy. He was Kṛṣṇa conscious as enemy. So that is not devotional service. One who is Kṛṣṇa conscious and Kṛṣṇa's friend, Kṛṣṇa's parent, Kṛṣṇa's servant, Kṛṣṇa's lover, that is devotion.

So here it is clearly said, mayy...mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means he..., one who wants Kṛṣṇa. You may want Kṛṣṇa as your lover. You may want Kṛṣṇa as your son. You may want Kṛṣṇa as your friend. You may want Kṛṣṇa as your master. You may want Kṛṣṇa as the supreme sublime. These five different kinds of direct relationship with Kṛṣṇa is called devotion, bhakti. Without any material profit. Now the concept of accepting God as son is superior than the concept of accepting God as father. There is distinction. The relationship between father and son is that the son wants to take something from the father.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

"O God, give me our daily bread, give us our daily bread," you can think that that God will die if you do not supply Him bread. God will die if you do not supply. And this is the ecstasy of extreme love. So there is such relationship with Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. Rādhārāṇī, the greatest devotee, the greatest lover of Kṛṣṇa. (break) Nanda-Yaśodā, the lover as parent. Sudāmā, a friend, lover as friend. Arjuna, lover as friend. Similarly, there are millions and trillions of different kinds of devotees of Kṛṣṇa. They are directly playing.

So this yoga system, as described herein, bhakti-yoga, it can be practiced by such persons who have developed such attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Others cannot. And if anyone is able to develop such attachment, then the result will be that he will understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, perfectly.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

The answer is ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These imperfect senses cannot realize Kṛṣṇa as He is. Then the process is sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. If you become submissive, if you develop the spirit of service to Kṛṣṇa, either as servant or as friend or as parent or as lover, if you begin to give service to the Supreme Lord... The beginning of service is chanting. Therefore it is said, jihvādau. Jihvādau means, jihva means tongue. Tongue. Your service begins by the tongue. How? By the tongue you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and by the tongue you can taste Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. So the beginning process is very nice. You chant Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and whatever little prasādam is offered to you by Kṛṣṇa by His kindness, you accept it. Then the result will be that sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. If you become submissive and if you begin this service, chanting and eating prasādam, then svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ, simply by these two kinds of practices, Kṛṣṇa will Himself reveal Himself before you, "I am like this." You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by speculation. No, that is not possible, because your senses are imperfect.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, September 10, 1968:

So similarly, as the subtler form of elements develop into grosser forms, from sky to air, from air to fire, from fire to water, from water to land, similarly, the attachment of Kṛṣṇa begins to develop from the sense of greatness. "God is great," then "God is master," then "God is friend," and then "God is my son," and then "God is my lover." In the lover stage, there are all other elements. When you love somebody, then there is loving element, and there is paternal element, there is friendship element, there is master and servant element, and there is greatness element. Therefore, in the sense of loving God, all other elements are full. Therefore the full attachment for Kṛṣṇa is to love Him as your lover.

So Kṛṣṇa says, mad-āśrayam. This yoga system, bhakti-yoga, is to develop attachment for Kṛṣṇa under His protection. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Just like a friend protects his friend, a master protects his servant, a parent, a father protects his child, or a lover protects his lover, similarly, there is some protectional element. Mad-āśrayaḥ:

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, September 10, 1968:

Just like a friend protects his friend, a master protects his servant, a parent, a father protects his child, or a lover protects his lover, similarly, there is some protectional element. Mad-āśrayaḥ: "Kṛṣṇa is my friend, He'll protect me. Kṛṣṇa is my master, He'll protect me. Kṛṣṇa is my son, He'll protect me. Kṛṣṇa is my lover, He'll protect me." So this, this is called mad-āśrayaḥ. If we take this attitude in either of these attitudes, either friend or lover or son or master, like that, and you develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then asaṁśaya, without any doubt, samagram, in complete..., in full completeness, you can understand what is God. This is the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that you have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa in either of these aspects, and you have to develop your attachment for either of these aspects.

Then Kṛṣṇa says that jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ (BG 7.2). Now this knowledge of God is not a sentiment, it is science. It is science.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, September 10, 1968:

Devotee (1): Swamiji, you said that the relationship with Kṛṣṇa as lover contains all the other symptoms of the other relationships.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (1): Does this mean that that rasa is superior or better than the other rasas?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is...If you neutrally examine that the position of the lover is better than the position of a person who is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa as master and servant. But that is studying the relationship or the mellows from neutral point of view. But anyone, either who is..., anyone, either he is in relationship as master and servant or relationship as father and child or lover and lover, from his position, He is supreme. But from neutral position the lover and the beloved, this kind of relationship with Kṛṣṇa is the best, is the supreme. Therefore the worship of the gopīs to Kṛṣṇa... Lord Caitanya also displayed. His propaganda or His understanding of Kṛṣṇa was just like the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa as Lord Caitanya was playing the part of Rādhārāṇī. He wanted to understand. Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand what is there in Rādhārāṇī. So that understanding, that feature of Kṛṣṇa is Lord Caitanya.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, September 10, 1968:

He's praying, "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, either You trample me down by Your feet, either You embrace me as lover, or You make me brokenhearted without Your presence. Whatever You like You can do. But still I am Your eternal servitor." So this attitude was Rādhārāṇī's. So Lord Caitanya is the feature of Kṛṣṇa understanding Rādhārāṇī. That Kṛṣṇa is great undoubtedly, but He thinks that Rādhārāṇī is greater than Him, because He cannot repay the loving transaction of Rādhā, of Kṛṣṇa. So he wanted to study what is there in Rādhārāṇī. "So I cannot study Rādhārāṇī in the feature of Kṛṣṇa. If I take the feature of Rādhārāṇī, then I can understand what are..." This is highest, I mean to say, transcendental sentiments. But Lord Caitanya is Rādhārāṇī's feature. Tad-dvayaṁ caikyam aptam.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

Jaya-gopāla: Is taking prasādam one of the exchanges of love, where we accept food from a lover?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You offer and you take. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca. You disclose your mind to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa will give you direction also. You see. You offer Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa, You have given us so many nice things. So You first of all taste. Then we shall take." Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. Yes, that's all. Kṛṣṇa eats, and Kṛṣṇa puts again in the same way. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). We are offering Kṛṣṇa, that does not mean that Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is eating, but Kṛṣṇa is so full, complete, that He's leaving the whole thing complete. So people do not even understand these things that we are not loser by offering Kṛṣṇa. We become gainer only. Gainer only. You decorate Kṛṣṇa nicely, you see. Then your desire for seeing beautiful thing will be satisfied. You no more will be attracted by the so-called beauties of the world. You keep Kṛṣṇa in comfortable state, You offer Kṛṣṇa nice foodstuff, you'll eat it.

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.

So this is the beginning: arcā, arcanam. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanam (SB 7.5.23). Arcanam. Therefore for every gṛhastha... Because gṛhasthas are busy in so many ways, they have no opportunity to preach. But they must take to arcana. Every house, every householder, they must... What is the difficulty? Just like we have got in this platform, Deity of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, everyone can install Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity at home and under the instruction of spiritual master and shastric regulations.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

All these boys and girls who are under my direction, they have no other interest, simply Kṛṣṇa. So we have to associate with such persons, Adau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.54). Sādhu-saṅga means to associate with the devotees. Adau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅga. Sādhu. Sādhu, this word, Sanskrit word, is meant for the devotees, the lover of Kṛṣṇa. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ. One who has unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa, one who is cent percent engaged to render service to Kṛṣṇa, he is called sādhu. Sādhu does not mean a kind of dress or kind of beard. No. Sādhu means a devotee, perfect devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is a sādhu. Therefore it is recommended, sādhu-saṅga. We have to associate with sādhu, means who have completely dedicated life for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is the injunction in the Bhagavad-gītā. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65).

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

Everything is manifested practically just like ordinary human being. But at the same time, whenever there is need, big, big demons, beginning from Pūtanā, when He was only a few months old, He is maintaining His position as God, but dealing with His devotees. This father and mother and friends, lover, all in Vṛndāvana, who are they? They are expansion of Kṛṣṇa. That story we have got in the Kṛṣṇa book, that Brahmā stolen all the cows and calves and cowherd boys. Stolen, and Kṛṣṇa immediately created another set. Then Brahmā understood that "Here is the Supreme Lord, my master." So, these, Kṛṣṇa's associates, they are all also Kṛṣṇa, expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ. We are also expansion of Kṛṣṇa. We living entities, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhāgavata, mamaivāṁśo, part and parcel.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

How you can think of Kṛṣṇa always? That is not possible unless you become too much addicted. Just like if you love somebody, then you can think of him always. Artificially, if I say, "You think of Mr. John always," how you'll be possible? Artificially it is not possible. If you have got some love for Mr. John as a friend, as a lover or as somebody, or son or master or something, then you can think of Mr. John always. Otherwise it is not possible. So that thinking, you can revive. There is relationship with you, with Kṛṣṇa. So you have to revive that relationship. It is not artificial. Just like these European, American boys, Kṛṣṇa was unknown to them. They are coming from Christian, Jews. So what they had to do with the Kṛṣṇa? They had nothing to do, but why they are mad after Kṛṣṇa? They are no longer mad after anything. They have given up everything. Simply for preaching in your country, they have come here. They have not come as a businessman to exploit African resources like other Europeans.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

It is never possible to know Kṛṣṇa, God, perfectly and completely by the speculating method. It is not possible. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, or God—when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, God—so then Kṛṣṇa's formula must be followed, as it is said here, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. The principal factor is to become attached to Kṛṣṇa. Attached means become a lover of Kṛṣṇa. Then you can understand asaṁśayam, without any doubt. Without any doubt. Otherwise you will find there are so many hundreds of religious system all over the world. Ask anyone who are their follower, "Do you know what is God?" They'll never be able to answer clearly, because they do not know God. And if you do not know God, then what is the meaning of your religion?

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

(O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.)

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari

vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

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

Mad-āśrayaḥ, I explained yesterday, taking shelter unto Him under different rasas or mellows, transcendental mellows. Accept Him as your master. Accept Him as the Supreme. Accept Him as your friend. Accept Him as your son. Accept Him as your lover. In whatever way. Of course, this eternal relationship is already there. With every living entity there is an eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. But we have forgotten that. That is our position. But if we practice this yoga, as Kṛṣṇa recommends, Mayy āsakta-manāḥ... If we become attached, then our original relationship will be revealed. That is called svarūpa-siddhi. How we are, now I am related with Kṛṣṇa, that will be revealed.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

(O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.)

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari

vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

We cannot... There is no need of explaining what is attachment. Attachment is there, existing in everyone's heart. He wants to be attached to somebody else or he... Everyone wants to love somebody else. Love does not mean oneness. Love must be two, the lover and the beloved. So attachment is there. That is natural. Everyone knows. Now, this yoga system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga system, means to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

Therefore it is said here, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha, "Increasing gradually the attachment for Me." Kṛṣṇa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan, "practicing this yoga system," mad-āśrayaḥ, "taking shelter of Me." The mad-āśrayaḥ means two things. You can take directly shelter of Kṛṣṇa or you can take shelter of a person who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa. That is meaning of mad-āśrayaḥ. That is the system of paramparā. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

Kali-yuga, because we cannot do anything, therefore Kṛṣṇa has become very easily available in the form of His holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is available. You can see Kṛṣṇa, you can touch Kṛṣṇa, you can tlk with Kṛṣṇa. As you may advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is possible. Then, gradually making progress means gradually you will be lover of Kṛṣṇa. That is required. Mayy āsakta, as soon as you become lover, you become attached. That is required. Now, at the present moment, we are attached to so many things, because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Now gradually, if you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then you will forget all these material. That is liberation. That is liberation. Bondage means we are becoming more and more attracted with this material world, and on account of this attraction, we have to accept another body, material body. And as soon as you accept a material body, you become under the control of this material nature. Liberation means to be freed from the control of the material nature.

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

(O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.)

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari

vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye

That's all right. Anyone? (break)

...Gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa says who can understand Him. By understanding Kṛṣṇa as it is stated in the Fourth Chapter—janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ—simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, one becomes so much elevated that after quitting this body, material body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), he never accepts again this material body.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

(O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.)

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari

vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

Yes, all religions are right." Yata mata tata patha. No. That is nonsense. Religion is one. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. Kick out all sorts of religious principles; simply surrender to God, or Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). This is confirmed. That is first-class religion, which teaches how to surrender to God and how to become a lover of God. That is religion. Otherwise, they are simply cheating religion.

That is explained in the Bhāgavatam. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu (SB 1.1.2). Dharmaḥ projjhita, cheating type of religion, is kicked out from this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Projjhita. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa ujjhita. And Śrīdhara Svāmī gives his comments: atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirastam. Anyone, any type of religion... Just like the Māyāvādī philosophy. They are trying to have mokṣa, to merge into the existence of the Supreme.

Lecture on BG 7.8-14 -- New York, October 2, 1966:

You see? So these are symptoms of conquering God. What you... You are trying to become one with God? Oh, you can become father of God. You can become father of God. God has no father but He accepts His devotee, His lover, "Oh, you are My father." So that is the question. So if this process is for simply hearing, aural reception, sincerely, then by this process, whatever position I may be, in whatever position I may be, I can conquer the Supreme Lord. He agrees to be conquered.

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be spread. It is very easy. You drink water—Oh, you remember Kṛṣṇa. You hear something—Oh. Suppose there are... So many sounds are occurring in the street, but if you know that "This sound is Kṛṣṇa," then in every step you will feel Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.16 -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

(O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.)

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari

vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

Because you cannot stop your fighting because you are a soldier." But mām anusmara, "At the same time you think of Me." This is the secret, that nobody can stop his activities, but he can think of Kṛṣṇa at the same time. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I have given several times the example that a woman who is in love with other man in spite of her husband, she is very mindful to the household duties, but she is always thinking, "When at night I shall meet with my friend?" Yudhya ca mām anusmara (BG 8.7). Apparently, she is very busy, very nicely she's performing her household duties, but at mind, oh, she is always thinking of the lover, when she will meet. As it is possible, why not Kṛṣṇa? Is it very difficult? Meditation, perfect meditation. Always, twenty-four hours. You cannot forget Kṛṣṇa. Just like a lover cannot forget beloved. So you have to contact Kṛṣṇa in love, then the meditation continues for twenty-four hours.

Lecture on BG 9.24-26 -- New York, December 12, 1966:

And you must take something from him. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. Bhuṅkte bhojayate: You must give him something to eat, and you must accept also what he gives to eat. And dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate, guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca: You must disclose your mind, and you must hear him. If your lover is also in some difficulty, he discloses his mind. So these six things, dadāti, giving, and pratigṛhṇāti, accepting, and bhuṅkte, to offer foodstuff and accept foodstuff, and disclose your mind and hear him also, these things...

So we have to deal with God in that way. Therefore, if you want to offer something... The beginning is offering, offering. We must offer something. So what is that offering? If you... If somebody says that "I am very poor man. I cannot offer anything..." Because in India, of course, offering to the demigods, offering to some deity... That is very expensive job. There are list of goods. Now, suppose a poor man, he wants to offer something to God. Then what he has to offer?

Lecture on BG 9.26-27 -- New York, December 16, 1966:

So here is the... It is clearly said, tad aham aśnāmi. Aśnāmi, the Sanskrit word, means "I eat. I eat." Why? Bhakty-upahṛtam: "He has brought with devotional love." So you try to love God. You become a lover of God and offer Him whatever you eat, whatever you do. Then see the result, how peaceful you become and how the world becomes peaceful. Simply by theoretical resolution you can make peace in the world? Now resolve, "We shall not fight." Oh, next moment you are fighting. UNESCO resolution is going on for the last twenty years, and where is the peace? That is not the way of peace. Here is the peace. Try to establish your lost relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God. Then there will be peace.

Lecture on BG 9.27-29 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

In this material world there is no love. It is all lust. There cannot be any love. The word love can be applied only to God. So these are only perverted reflection, what is going on in the name of love. There is no love. So the nature of love is this, that the lover wants every moment to see without any remuneration, without any return. That is real love.

Real love is described by Lord Caitanya. His love of God is being expressed in one verse, that āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu māṁ marma-hatāṁ karotu vā adarśanāt: (CC Antya 20.47) "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, You embrace Me or trample Me down at Your feet. Whatever You like, You can do. And You make me brokenhearted by not being present before Me." Because lover wants to see his lovable object. But if the lovable object does not come he becomes brokenhearted. So Lord Caitanya says, "I am trying to see You, but You do not come. That's all right.

Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Every one of us, we love Kṛṣṇa, but we are missing Him. Therefore we are placing our loving propensity wrongly, here, there, here, there, here, there, and we are becoming frustrated. Kṛṣṇa says that "If you simply follow this process, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, you come to Me, come to your original lover." So where is the difficulty? To attain the highest perfection of life, where is the difficulty? Anyone can say that "Here is the difficulty"?

Lecture on BG 10.8 -- New York, January 6, 1967:

As soon as you put the foodstuff to the stomach, the energy is at once distributed everywhere. Similarly, universal love means to love God.

They do not know the technique. Just this man, this hunter, he loved God, and he became lover of the ant automatically. There was no need of separate education that "You love this ant, you love this cow, you love this tree, love this country, love this man, love white man, black man, this man..." No. As soon as you love God, and you understand what is God, then you love everything.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Bombay, September 27, 1973:

Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto-mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). You are seeing Kṛṣṇa here, and you can think of this Kṛṣṇa always. There is no tax and there is no loss. Suppose if you come to the temple and you get the impression of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa so nice and if you keep within you heart... But that can be kept when you love. Just like if you love somebody, you always keep within your heart the form of your lover. Similarly, if you develop love of Kṛṣṇa, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). If you have actually developed love of Kṛṣṇa then you'll be able to keep Kṛṣṇa always within your heart. That Kṛṣṇa wants. Man-manā: "Always think of Me." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65).

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

You may decorate your Paris city. Napoleon tried and other tried. But you cannot live here, sir. You have to go out. But these rascals, they do not understand. They are decorating, decorating. "Tax. Give more tax. Give more tax. Let us decorate." But how you'll... How long you shall live in this decorated city? Even if you live, if you are so much lover, great nationalist of the country, suppose next life you get the... Because when one has very much attraction for a certain land, then he again takes birth in that land, so if you take your birth not as human being or as a cat and dog or a cow, then you'll be sent to the slaughterhouse. Then what is the use of your becoming nationalist? Your men, for whom you have worked so hard, next life, if you take your birth as a cow, the same men will send you to the slaughterhouse. But these rascals, they do not know what is the mystery.

Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

And when we do not like to obey Kṛṣṇa we cannot live in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world there is no such thing, disobedience. There is always... They are all devotees. Just like in Vṛndāvana. They are all devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Somebody is serving Kṛṣṇa as father and mother, Nanda Mahārāja, Yaśodā, and somebody is serving as friend; somebody is serving as servant; somebody is serving as conjugal lover. In this way there are five kinds of service, mellows, whatever you like. Everybody is not like... There is taste. "I like to serve Kṛṣṇa as a conjugal lover." "I like to love Kṛṣṇa as my son." "I like to love Kṛṣṇa as my friend." "I like to love Kṛṣṇa as my master." "I simply love Kṛṣṇa by glorifying Him."

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

Little you can offer, little water. Where is the difficulty? Deity worship. You can worship Deity anywhere also. In a small box you can keep the Deity. And after taking bath you offer something. If you have nothing to offer, offer a little tulasī leaf. Or any leaf. That Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me. The real thing is whether you are lover and devotee. Then Kṛṣṇa will accept anything you offer. It is not you have to cook very sumptuously, very rich food. Then Kṛṣṇa you'll offer. Kṛṣṇa is not after your food. Kṛṣṇa is after your devotion and faith. That can be created anywhere if you are actually sincere.