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Material success

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 1 - 6

Others, however, who want to fulfill desires even up to the limit of liberation, what to speak of material success, never attain peace
BG 2.70, Purport:

A Kṛṣṇa conscious man is not in need of anything, because the Lord fulfills all his material necessities. Therefore he is like the ocean—always full in himself. Desires may come to him like the waters of the rivers that flow into the ocean, but he is steady in his activities, and he is not even slightly disturbed by desires for sense gratification. That is the proof of a Kṛṣṇa conscious man—one who has lost all inclinations for material sense gratification, although the desires are present. Because he remains satisfied in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, he can remain steady, like the ocean, and therefore enjoy full peace. Others, however, who want to fulfill desires even up to the limit of liberation, what to speak of material success, never attain peace. The fruitive workers, the salvationists, and also the yogīs who are after mystic powers are all unhappy because of unfulfilled desires. But the person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is happy in the service of the Lord, and he has no desires to be fulfilled. In fact, he does not even desire liberation from the so-called material bondage. The devotees of Kṛṣṇa have no material desires, and therefore they are in perfect peace.

O mighty-armed Kṛṣṇa, does not such a man, who is bewildered from the path of transcendence, fall away from both spiritual and material success and perish like a riven cloud, with no position in any sphere?
BG 6.38, Translation:

O mighty-armed Kṛṣṇa, does not such a man, who is bewildered from the path of transcendence, fall away from both spiritual and material success and perish like a riven cloud, with no position in any sphere?

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

One who has attained them can become lighter than the lightest and greater than the greatest, and he can achieve whatever he likes. But even achieving such material success in yoga is not the perfection or the ultimate goal
SB 3.21.12, Purport:

There are eight perfections in the aṣṭāṅga-yoga system. One who has attained them can become lighter than the lightest and greater than the greatest, and he can achieve whatever he likes. But even achieving such material success in yoga is not the perfection or the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is described here: Kardama Muni saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His eternal form. Devotional service begins with the relationship of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul, or Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotees, and when one attains it there is no question of falling down. If, through the yoga system, one wants to attain the stage of seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, but is attracted instead to attainment of some material power, then he is detoured from proceeding further.

SB Canto 4

The material success of the karmīs is destined to be destroyed; similarly, the impersonal realization attained by the jñānīs is also destroyed in the course of time.
SB 4.24.56, Purport:

In Bhagavad-gītā (10.34) it is said that the Lord in the shape and form of death destroys all a person's possessions. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham: "I am all-devouring death." The Lord in the shape of death takes away everything that is created by the conditioned soul. Everything in this material world is subject to perish in due course of time. However, all the strength of time cannot hamper the activities of a devotee, for a devotee takes complete shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord. For this reason only is a devotee free from formidable time. All the activities of the karmīs and jñānīs, which have no touch of devotional service, are spoiled in due course of time. The material success of the karmīs is destined to be destroyed; similarly, the impersonal realization attained by the jñānīs is also destroyed in the course of time.

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ
patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ
(SB 10.2.32)

To say nothing of the karmīs, the jñānīs undergo severe austerities to attain the impersonal brahmajyoti, but because they do not find the lotus feet of the Lord, they fall down again into this material existence. Unless one is fully situated in unalloyed devotional service, there is no guarantee of liberation, even if one is elevated to the heavenly planets or to the impersonal Brahman effulgence.

SB Canto 7

Prahlāda Mahārāja did not recognize a seminal spiritual master. Such spiritual masters are not at all interested in Viṣṇu. Indeed, they are hopeful of material success.
SB 7.5.31, Purport:

Since there must always be a difference of opinion between demons and devotees, Hiraṇyakaśipu, when criticized by his son Prahlāda Mahārāja, should not have been surprised that Prahlāda Mahārāja differed from his way of life. Nonetheless, Hiraṇyakaśipu was extremely angry and wanted to rebuke his son for deriding his teacher or spiritual master, who had been born in the brāhmaṇa family of the great ācārya Śukrācārya. The word śukra means "semen," and ācārya refers to a teacher or guru. Hereditary gurus, or spiritual masters, have been accepted everywhere since time immemorial, but Prahlāda Mahārāja declined to accept such a seminal guru or take instruction from him. An actual guru is śrotriya, one who has heard or received perfect knowledge through paramparā, the disciplic succession. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja did not recognize a seminal spiritual master. Such spiritual masters are not at all interested in Viṣṇu. Indeed, they are hopeful of material success (bahir-artha-māninaḥ). The word bahiḥ means "external," artha means "interest," and mānina means "taking very seriously."

SB Canto 8

The karmīs who desire sense gratification, the jñānīs who aspire for the liberation of merging into the existence of the Supreme, and the yogīs who seek material success in mystic power are all restless, and ultimately they are baffled.
SB 8.9.28, Purport:

One who works for Lord Viṣṇu is free from this material world, and after giving up his body he goes back home, back to Godhead. A karmī, however, although externally working like a devotee, is entangled in his nondevotional activity, and thus he suffers the tribulations of material existence. Thus from the results achieved by the karmīs and devotees, one can understand the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who acts differently for the karmīs and jñānīs than for the devotees. The author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta therefore says:

kṛṣṇa-bhakta—niṣkāma, ataeva 'śānta'
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī—sakali 'aśānta'
(CC Madhya 19.149)

The karmīs who desire sense gratification, the jñānīs who aspire for the liberation of merging into the existence of the Supreme, and the yogīs who seek material success in mystic power are all restless, and ultimately they are baffled. But the devotee, who does not expect any personal benefit and whose only ambition is to spread the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is blessed with all the auspicious results of bhakti-yoga, without hard labor.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks that atheist smārtas, or worshipers of the five kinds of demigods, worship Lord Viṣṇu for a little satisfaction in material success but have no respect for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
CC Adi 8.12, Purport:

It should be noted that unless one worships Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu it is useless to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and unless one worships Kṛṣṇa it is also useless to become a devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Such devotional service is to be understood to be a product of Kali-yuga. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks in this connection that atheist smārtas, or worshipers of the five kinds of demigods, worship Lord Viṣṇu for a little satisfaction in material success but have no respect for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thinking Him to be one of the ordinary living entities, they discriminate between Gaurasundara and Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Such understanding is also demoniac and is against the conclusion of the ācāryas. Such a conclusion is a product of Kali-yuga.

CC Madhya-lila

When one's mind, senses and body are attracted to the transcendental qualities of Hari, one gives up the four principles of material success.
CC Madhya 24.64, Translation and Purport:

“When one's mind, senses and body are attracted to the transcendental qualities of Hari, one gives up the four principles of material success. Thus I have explained the chief meanings of the word 'hari.'"

The four principles of material success are (1) religious performance, (2) economic development, (3) sense gratification and (4) liberation, or merging into the impersonal effulgence of Brahman. These things do not interest the devotee.

Sometimes viṣayīs pose as disciples of a reputed spiritual master just to cover their activities and advertise themselves as advanced in spiritual knowledge. In other words, they want to attain material success.
CC Madhya 24.330, Purport:

A spiritual master should not be very anxious to accept a disciple because of his material opulences. Sometimes a big businessman or landlord may approach a spiritual master for initiation. Those who are materially interested are called viṣayīs (karmīs), which indicates that they are very fond of sense gratification. Such viṣayīs sometimes approach a famous guru and ask to become a disciple just as a matter of fashion. Sometimes viṣayīs pose as disciples of a reputed spiritual master just to cover their activities and advertise themselves as advanced in spiritual knowledge. In other words, they want to attain material success. A spiritual master must be very careful in this regard. Such business is going on all over the world. The spiritual master does not accept a materially opulent disciple just to advertise the fact that he has such a big disciple. He knows that by associating with such viṣayī disciples, he may fall down. One who accepts a viṣayī disciple is not a bona fide spiritual master. Even if he is, his position may be damaged due to association with an unscrupulous viṣayī. If a so-called spiritual master accepts a disciple for his personal benefit or for material gain, the relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple turns into a material affair, and the spiritual master becomes like a smārta-guru. There are many caste gosvāmīs who professionally create some disciples who do not care for them or their instructions. Such spiritual masters are satisfied simply to get some material benefits from their disciples. Such a relationship is condemned by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, who calls such spiritual masters and disciples a society of cheaters and cheated.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

The worshiper of the power, Durgā, or the external energy of Kṛṣṇa, may achieve all kinds of material success very easily, but anyone who wants to be elevated transcendentally must engage in worshiping the Powerful in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Krsna Book 2:

Kṛṣṇa and Yogamāyā appeared as brother and sister—the Supreme Powerful and the supreme power. Although there is no clear distinction between the Powerful and the power, power is always subordinate to the Powerful. Those who are materialistic are worshipers of the power, but those who are transcendentalists are worshipers of the Powerful. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Powerful, and Durgā is the supreme power within the material world. Actually people in the Vedic culture worship both the Powerful and the power. There are many hundreds and thousands of temples of Viṣṇu and Devī, and sometimes they are worshiped simultaneously. The worshiper of the power, Durgā, or the external energy of Kṛṣṇa, may achieve all kinds of material success very easily, but anyone who wants to be elevated transcendentally must engage in worshiping the Powerful in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

People are interested only for material success, but they do not know what is spiritual success, and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for giving persons the spiritual success of life.
Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:

So about the subject matter, there are many things to be learned. They are all described in the Bhagavad-gītā. People are interested only for material success, but they do not know what is spiritual success, and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for giving persons the spiritual success of life. There are different divisions of life, or activity. They are called karma, jñāna, yoga and bhakti. Jñāna means knowledge. By karma, you can become materially successful. By jñāna, you can understand your identity. By yoga, you can understand how to connect yourself with God, and bhakti means direct service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By karma, you can elevate your material position. By jñāna, you can understand what you are. By yoga, you can try to connect yourself with the Supreme. And by bhakti, you become completely freed from material entanglement. So we are teaching people to take the bhakti-yoga process directly, so that very quickly you contact with your spiritual life. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you want to understand what is God, factually, scientifically, then you can understand Him through the bhakti-yoga.

Atheist class men, even for material success, they do not pray to God.
Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

If a person, desiring some material profit, remembering Kṛṣṇa, that is also welcome. Welcome because he is not atheist. Atheist class men, even for material success, they do not pray to God. But theist class, one who has got background pious activities, he is called theist. An impious, sinful activities, or sinful man, cannot remember even God. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. So to remember even God, even go to God in temple or mosque or church and pray to God, "Give me this benefit,"... Just like Christian way of worshiping is "O God, give us our daily bread." Hindus also go to temple and pray to God that "Give me some profit. I am very poor man." So Kṛṣṇa says that is also welcome. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna, ārto jijñā..., ārto...

Devotee: Arthārthī.

Prabhupāda: Arthārthī, yes. Ārto jijñāsur jñānī ca bharatarṣabha (BG 7.16). This is not pure devotee, but they are pious. One who goes to the temple and prays to God for some material profit, they are also pious. They are not sinful. But those who are sinful, they do not go even to the temple. They think, "What is this temple nonsense? We shall earn money."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Bhukti means karmis, they are also wanting something, material success. Mukti, the jñānīs, they want liberation, to merge into the existence of Brahman. And siddhi, the yogis... So everyone wants something.
Lecture on SB 7.6.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 28, 1976:

Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaja says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmi-sakali "aśānta" kṛṣṇa-bhakta-niṣkāma, ataeva "śānta" (CC Madhya 19.149). Bhukti means karmis, they are also wanting something, material success. Mukti, the jñānīs, they want liberation, to merge into the existence of Brahman. And siddhi, the yogis... So everyone wants something. Therefore they then you have to struggle for it. But kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta does not want anything. They simply want to be en-gaged in the service of the Lord. That is their satisfaction. That is the aim of life. Unfortunately we are not educated, we are not given training. Prahlāda Mahārāja's subject matter is kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). From the very beginning of life, the children should be educated in bhāgavata-dharma. That is the subject matter.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Our real business is not to waste our time to get any material success. Our real business is how we shall be successful to become an obedient servant of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is real success.
Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So they are trying to get that siddha, the perfection, by so much yogic process, but another living entity, without understanding any yogic process, can do that. So these things are not very great gains. There are... In different planets there are different living entities. Just like we cannot touch fire, but in the sun globe there are also life, human beings, but their body is made of fire. Just like in the water. I cannot go into the water, but there are so many small fishes, they are living very nicely. So this we do not know. We are trying to gain success in these material activities, but by God's will, there are different living entities. They have already all the successes. So therefore our real business is not to waste our time to get any material success. Our real business is how we shall be successful to become an obedient servant of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is real success.

Correspondence

1975 Correspondence

Thank you for the newspaper clipping. This proves that Krishna Consciousness is more attractive than material success.
Letter to Samjata -- Tehran 14 March, 1975:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letters dated Feb. 3rd and Jan. 20th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank-you for the newspaper clipping. This proves that Krishna Consciousness is more attractive than material success.

Page Title:Material success
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Labangalatika
Created:10 of Jan, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=2, SB=4, CC=3, OB=1, Lec=3, Con=1, Let=1
No. of Quotes:15