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Minister (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"minister" |"minister's" |"ministerial" |"ministering" |"ministers" |"ministership"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: minister or ministerial or ministering or ministers or minister's or ministership not "prime minister" not "prime ministers" not "prime minister's"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

There is a chance to understand why you are conditioned. You don't want condition; you want liberation. This question arises in the human form of life, not in the cat's life, dog's life. No. So we should remember this is the difference between other bodies and this body. Here, we become awakened that "Why I am conditioned?" Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu... He was minister, great man, very opulent. So the first question was put before Lord Caitanya, 'ke āmi,' 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya.' "My dear master, I have come to You to ask the first question, that 'What I am? Why I am conditioned to suffer three kinds of miserable condition of life always?' " Why you are using this fan? Because I am conditioned. I cannot bear too much heat or too much cold. As soon as I go out in the park, I was covering. So these questions should arise, that "Why I am conditioned? Sometimes I am covering, sometimes I want fan."

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

So that inquiry should be there, that "What I am? What I am put into these tribulations of conditional life under the laws of nature?" Unless this question arises in one's mind, he's not a human being. He's animal. Just Sanātana Gosvāmī went to Caitanya Mahāprabhu and although he was minister, very learned scholar, he said, "My dear Lord, people eulogize me as very big man, learned man, minister. But I know that I do not know what I am. This is my position." Grāmya-vyavahāre kaha ei paṇḍita, tāi satya māni. "The people, the ordinary people, common people, they say that 'You are so great scholar, so rich man, minister.' They say like that. But I know that I am fool number one. I do not know what I am." This is the position.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

In every human society these natural division of the society are already there. The intelligent class of men, they should study all the śāstras, all these Vedic literatures, thoroughly, and they should advise the politicians, "My dear Mr. Minister, you get rule, make the rulings like this, on this principle." They will advise, the brāhmaṇas, intelligent class of men. And the kṣatriyas, they will administer and see that the people are executing actually religious life. That is the duty of the state. The police is there not for harassing you if you take a twig from the tree and he'll come, "Why you have taken?" You have got that experience? Because they have no other business than trifle things, they are very busy: "Oh, come on with me," arrested. They have built up their empire by exploiting the whole world, and if somebody takes a twig from the St. James Park, he's arrested. You see?

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

Yes. The ācārya or gosvāmī, their business is... Just like our ācāryas, sad-gosvāmī, they left their service, big service, ministership, and by the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu they went to Vṛndāvana. But what for, going to Vṛndāvana and sleeping and eating? No, no, not for that purpose. They, rather at home they had time to sleep more, but when they went to Vṛndāvana they were sleeping only one half-hour to two hours only. At the present moment when a man becomes old, he requires more rest. But according to Vedic civilization, no more rest, more work, more work. But these gosvāmīs, they were deputed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu... At that time this Vṛndāvana, which you have seen, now it is nice city, but during the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu it was a big field only, that's all, nothing was there.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Now the police has become disgusted. They don't arrest. Yes. But this thing is going on in Australia, especially in Melbourne. I have got, received... So they asked me what to do? To do? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and you'll get good opportunity. When you are put into jail, you'll be free to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So they are doing that. They are not eating. The minister in charge of the jail department, he was perturbed that "These people are not eating," and they were allowed to that "You can cook." But they refused, because the same kitchen, they're cooking, I mean to say, flesh. So refused. So then after few days, they were let loose. "All right. You go home." Yes. So this is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

And He was so beautiful and attractive that people would follow. Thousands and thousands people will follow, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Even Lord..., Nawab Hussein Shah... And when He started this movement in Bengal He was a boy of twenty years old. So so many people were following. So Nawab Hussein Shah inquired his minister, "Who is this person, that He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and so many people are following Him?" So the minister was Hindu. He thought that "He is Muhammadan king, so he may not like this movement." Therefore he wanted to hide it: "My Lord, you have misinformed. He is not very important. Some, I mean to say, people are crazy fellows. They are following. Not... A few only, not many." The Nawab replied, "No, I know it certainly, but you don't try to hide the facts. He must be a great personality. Otherwise so many people are following Him?" That was his remark.

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

When human being changes his normal condition of life, that is pollution of...

So the normal condition of life is described by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "Why I am suffering?"... He inquired from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was minister, very big post, and very learned scholar in Sanskrit and Arabic. Because at that time there was Pathan rule. So as government was Muhammadan, so responsible officers, ministers, they had to learn the Arabic language or Persian language. The Moguls were Persians?

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

Just like laws are given by the state, similarly the dharma is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And it is meant for the human beings, not for the animals. But at the present moment, they are trying to go back to the animal life. Therefore dharma is neglected. Or practically there is no dharma. Just yesterday, the chief minister also came. He was speaking that "It has become a fashion of the modern age that to become irreligious is religious." Yes. That is fact. Therefore in any human civilization, any human society, it doesn't matter whether they're following the Vedic principles or other principles, there is a system of dharma in every human society. That is the beginning of human society. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If there is no dharma, religious principles... Religious principles includes all moral principles also, social principles, social laws, economic laws.

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

He approached Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī was sitting here. Or sometimes somewhere. Rūpa Gosvāmī was famous, saintly person in Vṛndāvana. So Mahārāja Mansingh approached: "Sir, what can I do for you? I have got some money. I want to spend some money for you." So Rūpa Gosvāmī, what he'll do with the money? He was, he left his minister, ministerial post to come to Vṛndāvana not for earning money. So he advised him, "All right, if you have got money, you spend it for constructing a nice temple for Govindajī." So he constructed so nice temple, seven stories. It is impossible now to construct such a temple, such nice work. But he spent, he utilized his money in that way.

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

This is nature's law. This is tattva-jijñāsā. If we simply foolishly think, "Now I am very secure," that is God... (break) ...Vṛndāvana, They were ministers in the government of Nawab Hussein Shah. But when they lived in Vṛndāvana, about their life it is stated by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. These things, nidrā, āhāra, vihāra. Nidrā means sleeping, āhāra means eating and vihāra means sense gratification. So nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau, conquered. Conquer. We have to conquer. This is called jitendriya.

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974:

Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Not that simply economic development for sense gratification. Tattva-jijñāsā. What is the value of life? That is the aim business. (aside:) Yes, you can translate. (break) ...to give you one example of Sanātana Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was minister in the government of Nawab Hussein Shah. Somehow or other, he came in contact with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and he decide to retire from government service and join the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement started by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu five hundred years ago. About them it is said by one learned scholar, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Because they were ministers, their association was with aristocratic family, big, big men. But he decided, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. Maṇḍala-pati means leaders, social leaders, political leaders.

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974:

That Sanātana Gosvāmī did when he approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He inquired from Him, ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya: "My dear Lord, kindly let me know who am I and why I am put into the threefold miserable condition of life." Then one can say, "You are minister. You know what you are." Then he says, "No, actually I do not know what I am." Grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita tāi satya māni: "Some neighborhood men, they call me I am very big man, I am very learned man, and when I study myself," āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni, "I do not know what I am, wherefrom I have come, where I have to go after leaving this body, why I am put into the tribulation of threefold miseries. I do not want to die.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

Eight million, four hundred thousands forms of life we are passing through. Nature has given a chance, this human form of body, especially civilized form of body... (aside:) Hmm? Don't do that. What is the purpose? Just like try to understand, a government servant, a big minister or M.P.'s, they're given all facilities of living condition, good bungalow, nice salary, servant. What is the purpose? The purpose is that with cool brain, satisfied mind, they'll do, be able to render valuable service to the administration. That is the purpose. Similarly, human being has been given so much facilities. The grains, the fruits, the flowers, the milk, intelligence to construct nice house, nice road, nice cities. The cats and dogs, they cannot do it. Why? You live peacefully and try to understand the value of life. Not that we get more facilities for bodily comfort and we engaged ourself in sense gratification. No.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa is associating with the gopīs? Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī. Gosvāmīs, the six Gosvāmīs, about their life, they are described by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī were ministers in the government of Nawab Hussein Shah, most opulent. So naturally the minister must have association with big, big zamindars, lords, aristocratic family. But about them it is said, when they joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, resigning from their ministership, so that is described by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ. Maṇḍala-pati means big, big zamindars, aristocrats.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

So tyaktvā, gave up their association. Just like we flatter here. If we can mix with a very big rich man, we consider very fortunate. But these Gosvāmīs, they gave up, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa, not only one, two. Because they were ministers, everyone is coming to flatter him, all big, big zamindars. But he gave up that association. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Tuccha means very insignificant. Then what they became? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Dīna-gaṇeśakau, just to show favor to the poor souls, dīna-gaṇeśakau. Gaṇa. Gaṇa means people in general. So just to show them favor, accepted the life of a mendicant. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Kaupīna-kanthā. That is the last stage of sannyāsa, paramahaṁsa stage: a loin cloth and an underwear, kaupīna-kanthāśritau.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

That is the Vedic process, sannyāsa. So but he could not live. After giving up his job as a lawyer, he could not live for more than one year, because he was living very opulently and all of a sudden he became a mendicant. He could not tolerate. That we have seen. But here we see that the Gosvāmīs, they were also very big men, ministers, but how they lived? Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau, gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī. Gopī-bhāva. They were living simply by thinking of the ecstatic love of gopīs. Gopī-bhāvāmṛta. That is compared with an ocean. As the ocean is beautiful, constant flowing of waves, similarly, the ocean of bliss of the gopīs relationship with Kṛṣṇa, these Gosvāmīs were always absorbed in that.

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:

Why these are?" This "why" question must be there. That is intelligence. That is Kenopaniṣad, Kena. There is Upaniṣad, Kena. And Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he also inquired this "Why?" Ke āmi, kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. "Who am I? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life?" That is intelligence. He was minister. He could understand that "I am minister. People adore me as very learned man." He said that to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni. "My dear Lord, these common people, my neighbors, because I am minister, and I'm supposed to be educated, I know little Sanskrit, I know little Arabian language, they call me paṇḍita, learned man, very scholar and versed. I, to tell You frankly, I do not know what I am. So what is the value of my education? I do not know." Ke āmi, kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. "What I am."

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

Of course, for lower than animals, they have got natural process of evolution. But when you come to the human form of body, you have got responsibility. Now you can make your next life better than this or lower than this.

Just like one man is given the chance of become some minister or magistrate. If he does very nice, he is promoted; otherwise degraded. Similarly, this human form of life is meant for understanding God. That is the only business. If we don't understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa and our relationship with Him, then we are missing the point. Then we become entangled, entangled. This entanglement is karma-granthi-nibandhanam, by our karma. By different kind of karma, we are becoming entangled. So to unknot this, I mean to say, binding of entanglement, (it) is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yajñārthe karma, "You work simply for Yajña, for satisfaction of Yajña."

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

That is the injunction of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. He was himself a gosvāmī. In the beginning, when he was a minister, he was not a gosvāmī, but later on, when he became completely educated by Śrī, Śrīla Mahāprabhu, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, both the brothers, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they became gosvāmīs. And other gosvāmīs, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, they became their assistants. This Vṛndāvana, the present Vṛndāvana is the excavation of the Six Gosvāmīs. This place where we are sitting, here the Six Gosvāmīs used to assemble daily for discussing on Bhāgavata. Especially it, it is the place of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī's nephew.

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

And here, in this material world, it is going on. Everyone is trying to become Kṛṣṇa. That is māyā. Everyone. "First of all, let me become a big, big man; then let me become the minister, let me become the president." In this way, when everything fails, then "Let me merge into the existence of God." That means, "Let me become God." This is going on. This is material struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to become Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

So these symptoms are Caitanya Mahāprabhu's symptoms. So when Sanātana Gosvāmī was talking Caitanya Mahāprabhu... He was a politician, minister. So he simply inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu: "Shall I take it that these symptoms, as we find in the śāstra, is the incarnation of this Kali-yuga?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu understood that "He's catching Me, he's trying to catching Me." So He immediately said, "Oh, don't bother about that thing. We shall talk..." Like that. Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is actually Kṛṣṇa, He avoided to be addressed as Kṛṣṇa. And these rascals, false, they are claiming "Kṛṣṇa." Just see. Kṛṣṇa Himself, in Vṛndāvana... In Vṛndāvana, when Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was present, many devotees used to come and address Him, "My Lord, You are Kṛṣṇa." Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to block His ears: "Don't say like that.

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

The worshiping method of Lord Caitanya incarnation of Kṛṣṇa is not very difficult. Simply yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ. You perform this yajña of saṅkīrtana: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was a minister. So to confirm this, he asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "How I can accept somebody as incarnation?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "That is not difficult. Everything is stated in the śāstras, and from the evidence of śāstra, you can accept who is incarnation."

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

So people are not at all interested in spiritual life. No inquiry. No inquiry. But that is the life, that is human life. Jijñāsitam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). One must find out a person, guru, a spiritual master, and inquire from him the problems of life. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī. You'll find in the teachings of Lord Caitanya, he inquired. He was a great minister, and he thought himself that "I am a most third-class man because I do not know what is the aim of my life." Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya: "Why I am put into this miserable condition of material existence? I don't want all these miserable conditions. Still, they are enforced upon me." So there should be inquiry.

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

That cannot be. That cannot be. This is diseased condition. One who is intelligent, he can understand that "This is diseased life. Why I am suffering?" That is intelligence.

Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī. He was minister, a very big post, government minister, chief man. Not only minister-Nawab Hussain Shah entrusted the whole kingdom in his hand: "You manage, whatever you like." Because he knew that "Here is a trustworthy man. He'll do very nicely." And he was a Muhammadan Nawab, so he was engaged in hunting and dancing with girls. But he was confident that "Sanātana is there." His name was changed, Sākara Mallika... Dabira Khāsa. His name was Dabira Khāsa, and his brother Rūpa Gosvāmī's name was Sākara Mallika. They almost became Muhammadan.

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

If I am in darkness, I do not understand what is, in what condition I am living, this is conditional life. That's... Everyone can understand. That Sanātana Gosvāmī understood. And we should follow the footprints of Sanātana Gosvāmī.

So he understood that "Although I am minister, although I am very educated..." Educated, what do you mean by educated? He said, grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita: "Some, my neighbors, they call me very learned man, my neighbors." Grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita. Because he was minister, and he was Sanskrit scholar, Urdu scholar, actually, from scholastic point of view, very educated... So he was born in brāhmaṇa family. So people used to... A brāhmaṇa family. A brāhmaṇa is addressed as paṇḍita. Paṇḍita. Paṇḍita means learned, because brāhmaṇa's business is to become learned.

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

So when one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by the grace of the Supreme Personality, guru-kṛṣṇa, by the grace of guru and Kṛṣṇa, then he understands that this place, this material world, is full of miseries. Then brahma-jijñāsā. But foolishly people do not understand that it is a miserable condition. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was minister. By contact with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu he could understand that "Although I am minister, although I am holding very high, exalted position, I am learned scholar in Sanskrit, Urdu, Parsi, but I am not happy." Therefore he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa... He understands that "I am in the suffering." Suffering, everyone can understand. Why you are moving the fan? I am in suffering. But foolish people cannot understand. They think that I am enjoying. (laughter) Just see the example. Why I am moving the fan? Because I am suffering.

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

What is that?" This is the difference between foolish man and sane man.

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

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1976:

So this question is called brahma-jijñāsā, that "I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. So 'ham. I am the same quality as the Supreme Lord. So why I am put into this condition?" This is beginning of human life. This is the beginning of human life. And if one does not inquire this, then he is animal. Plain thing. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī. He was minister, but he could understand that "What to speak of becoming a minister... Minister can become any rascal. I am the fool number one." Therefore he came to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and the first question was ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. He was never proud, that "I am minister, I am so learned scholar. Why shall I go to Caitanya Mahāprabhu and ask Him who am I?" This is humbleness, and this is the qualification of becoming a disciple. When one becomes humble, when actually one understands that he is fool number one, he has to go to guru to understand the value of his life. Then he is intelligent.

Lecture on SB 1.7.34-35 -- Vrndavana, September 28, 1976:

Not being injured, not our property being stolen or injustice given." That is the real government—when the citizens will feel completely safe. That requires kṣatriya. Not these cāmāra, bhangis, and śūdras voted and become the president and minister. That will not be successful. That is not possible. There must be trained-up kṣatriyas, then there will be good government. Trained.

They should be trained means they should be advised by the brāhmaṇas. Therefore four divisions required. The brāhmaṇas have no interest or they have no time. Even a brāhmaṇa is made king... It is not his business. He may do it for some time, temporarily. Just like Viśvāmitra also did. But it is not his business. The brāhmaṇa should give advice to the ministers or the legislators.

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

Bhagavad-bhakta means he will act in such a way that all qualified, nobody can criticize him. That is bhagavad-bhakta. Sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ.

We have got many instances. That Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was very rich zamindar's son, and there was a trouble between the minister of the state and his father and uncle. They were zamindars. They were raising revenues to the extent of twelve lakhs, and the tax was going to the Nawab only four lakhs. So this is the business. So the minister arrested the father and uncle of Raghunātha, and they fled away from home. So the minister arrested Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. At that time he was not Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī; he was gṛhastha, young man, Raghunātha. So he handled the matter in such a nice way that the matter was settled between the minister and his father.

Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:

So anyway he could not tolerate.

But a devotee... Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he also did the same thing. What is that? Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. When he was inspired by Caitanya Mahāprabhu... He was a minister in charge of Nawab Hussain Shah's government, but he decided, "What is this nonsense ministership? Let me join Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So he did it. Therefore about him it is said, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. He was associated with big, big men. Maṇḍala-pati. He was minister. But he gave up. "What is this nonsense? It has no value."

Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:

Therefore about him it is said, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. He was associated with big, big men. Maṇḍala-pati. He was minister. But he gave up. "What is this nonsense? It has no value." So if we compare with C.R. Das, he also gave up his income, but he died. But what happened to Rūpa Gosvāmī? Naturally, such a rich man, minister, he gave up his position, he should have also died because no income? No. He did not die. That is the difference. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. For benefiting the mass of people who are suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to do them good, they became mendicant. Kaupīna-kanthāśritau. You have seen the picture of Rūpa Gosvāmī. A small loincloth, and nothing more. Then?

Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:

So either Rūpa Gosvāmī or Prahlāda Mahārāja or anyone, even up to date, they may face many difficulties, so-called difficulties. A Vaiṣṇava has no difficulty. But we see... Just like we see Prahlāda Mahārāja was in difficulty. Rūpa Gosvāmī was in difficulty. He was minister and he became a mendicant. Kaupīna-kanthāśritau. No, he was not difficulty.

Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, his father income was, in those days, twelve lakhs of rupees. And in Rādhā-kuṇḍa he lived taking little butter every alternate day. And saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ. And he was offering obeisances also counting. Just like we count chanting, he was counting that "I must offer hundred times obeisances." That he was doing. This is Gosvāmī's behavior. So a Vaiṣṇava has no difficulty. The same thing is exemplified by Draupadī. She is aggrieved on account of her son's being killed by Aśvatthāmā.

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1973:

He is teaching the whole world how one has to become detached. That is His personal teaching. How, how one can become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, He's personally teaching. That, that was detected by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Therefore when he first saw Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Not first, second time. After resigning his post as minister, when he met Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Prayāga, so he offered his obeisances, falling flat: namo mahā-vadānyāya. He first addressed, "Most magnanimous," most magnanimous. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). "Oh, You are distributing love of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te. Love of Kṛṣṇa is not very easy thing. By love, you can purchase Kṛṣṇa. So love of Kṛṣṇa is not an easy thing obtainable, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu distributed this love of Kṛṣṇa to anyone, to everyone, even to Jagāi and Mādhāi.

Lecture on SB 1.8.50 -- Los Angeles, May 12, 1973:

Just like we are not only worshiping Kṛṣṇa in our temple, but we are making propaganda. This is brāhmaṇa's business. But if the government calls all our students to the draft board, "Come on, fight," that is nonsense. Of course, they have got clauses not to disturb the ministerial class. That exception is there. Many of our students was excused from being called by the draft board on the ground that they have adopted the religious, ministerial order. That rule is prevalent everywhere, at all times.

So at the present moment the society is chaos because there is no proper training for the particular class of man. A brāhmaṇa should be trained up, a kṣatriya should be trained up, a vaiśya should be trained up, a śūdra should be trained up, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), according to quality.

Lecture on SB 1.9.3 -- Los Angeles, May 17, 1973:

That's a fact. If you have no money, then you cannot appoint a good lawyer. And sometimes you have to bribe the judge also. This is the position now. Now in your country so many big, big men have been arrested or something like that for their dishonesty. So Kali-yuga is so polluted that the minister is dishonest, the judge is dishonest, and what to speak of ordinary men. So only thing is that you get money some way or other. Then you can pass on as a nice gentleman, polished. You keep yourself always polished, and within you may be full with all dirty things, but if you have got your pockets filled up with coins and notes, then you are nice. Formerly it was not like that. One must be qualified. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ.

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

And they are coming. So what is the meaning of this government? If the dacoits are there, rogues are there, thieves are there, miscreants are there, so what is the meaning of government? No. At the present moment the government means that the same rogues and rascals come to become minister and take fat salary and sleep, and you take care of yourself. That is going on.

So it is not that kind of kingdom. Here it is said, cakāra rājyaṁ dharmeṇa. Cakāra rājyaṁ dharmeṇa pitṛ-paitāmahaṁ vibhuḥ. He was so great, powerful. According to the tradition of the pitṛ-paitāmaham, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, recognized by his uncle, recognized by Kṛṣṇa, took up the reigns of the government, and dharmeṇa, according to the..., strictly to the shastric principle, he ruled over. This is king.

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

That means whole planet, including the seas. (reading:) "In those days the king of Hastināpura, now part of New Delhi, was the emperor of the world, including the seas, up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the grandson of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. His younger brothers were acting as his minister and commanders of state, and there was full cooperation between the perfectly religious brothers of the King. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was the ideal king or representative of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa..." The king should be the representative of Kṛṣṇa. (reading:) "...to rule over the kingdom of earth and was comparable to King Indra, the representative ruler of the heavenly planet. The demigods like Indra, Candra, Sūrya, Varuṇa, Vāyu, etc., are representative kings of different planets of the universe. And similarly Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was also one of them, ruling over the kingdom of the earth.

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

We are kings. Sometimes when we give in charity so many men flock around us. But here is a person, wherever He's going, thousands of men are following Him. So He's not ordinary person." After all, he's a king. He has got intelligence. Even from diplomatic point of view, he can understand. So he inquired from his minister, Sanātana Gosvāmī, "So who is this person?" So Sanātana Gosvāmī replied that "Whom you accept as (indistinct), the profit is His. It is your fortune that during your reign, He has taken birth in Bengal. You are governor, you are the king of Bengal. And why you are asking me? You are king. You are representative of Kṛṣṇa. You ask your mind and you'll understand what He is." He gave the certificate immediately. Not that "Oh, you are Muhammadan. What you can know?" No. Muhammadan, Hindu, doesn't matter. If one is king he must be blessed by Kṛṣṇa.

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

Therefore the monarchy's finished. But what is the benefit by finishing this monarchy? The democracy, that is another set of rascals. There was one rascal. Now hundreds of rascals. That is the benefit. Hundreds of rascals, they go and form the democratic government, minister. There is dacoitry. There is rising of the rogues and thieves, and they're enjoying fat salary. So at the present moment we are in a very precarious condition so far the government is concerned. People may say that I am speaking against government, but I am just comparing the government of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and the present. If, if... I am not doing anything in my imagination... These are the things. Actually that is the thing. And if the king is right, if the king is dharmic, proper representative of God, then supply, there is no limit of supply. Take.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:

There cannot be value. There cannot be any good qualification of a person who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, who is not a devotee. This is our conclusion. We have got some test tubes. We can study man. He may become a very good scholar, very good politician, very big minister, but we test whether he has got any sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he's not, immediately I understand that "Here is a rascal number one." That's all. We have got test tube, how much he is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he's not, then he is grouped immediately in four groups: duṣkṛtina, means constantly committing sinful activities; mūḍha, rascal; narādhama, lowest of the mankind; māyayā apahṛta-jñāna, although educated with high degrees, his knowledge has been taken away; āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ, and demon.

Lecture on SB 1.15.33 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1973:

How you will feel separation unless you love? And you simply worship the Supreme in a feeling of separation, then that is perfection. Then that is perfection. Therefore the Gosvāmīs, their prayer, their method of worshiping the Lord at Vṛndāvana... They left their ministerial post and went to Vṛndāvana by the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So what was their process? The process was tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. They gave up their materialistic way of life as very insignificant. They were ministers. They were ministers. Their associates were very big, big men. But tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati. Maṇḍala-pati means leaders, leaders of the society, poli..., big, big politician, businessmen, important men. Because they were minister, everyone used to come to see, and they were associated with. But they gave up.

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

He wants to enjoy, but he cannot enjoy. Therefore generally, they become disgusted.

There was a question, very nice question, by Akbar Vasar, the Muhammadan emperor, Mogul emperor of India, Akbar Vasar. He was in the fifteenth century, five hundred years ago. So he kept very intelligent ministers. They would reply. Whatever inquiries are made by the emperor, the particular minister will inform, "This is this, sir." So he inquired one minister. His name was... I forget now. So "How long the lusty desires continue, sex desire?" So he replied, "Up to the point of death." So the emperor said, "No, no, how it can be?" "No, he has got the desire, but he cannot use it.

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

So the emperor said, "No, no, how it can be?" "No, he has got the desire, but he cannot use it. His instruments become dull or useless. Therefore... But the desire is there." And, "I don't believe. I cannot...I am not satisfied with this answer." "All right, sir, I will satisfy you."

So one day, all of a sudden the minister came to Akbar Vasar, "Sir, you will have to come with me immediately, and take your young daughter with you." So Akbar Vasar could understand there is some meaning, so immediately he prepared and took his young daughter with him. So he asked, "Where you are going?" "You will come to know." So he entered a house where an old man was on the death bed, a very old man. So the minister requested the emperor that "While entering the room, you kindly try to see the face of the lying man who is going to die." So Akbar was very intelligent. So he was seeing the face.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:

Mukti's already there if he's actually a pure devotee. A pure devotee means just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. He has no other desire. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīm (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Everyone is desiring in this material world for riches, wealth, dhanam, and janam, good family, high aristocratic family, or good followers, leader, minister. Janam. They are aspiring popular votes. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitām. And next is to have a very beautiful, obedient wife. These are the aspirations of material life. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "I do not want all these things." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīm. This is bhakti life. When one is free from all such material desires, he's fit for executing devotional service. That is mukti.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:

Therefore we have to cleanse our heart. Our heart is always aspiring how to get money, how to get women, how to get prestige, how to become leader, how to become minister, how to become guru. These are the things, always hankering in our heart. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). First of all cleanse your heart. And that is also said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Nityam. Not seven days. Nityam. Read every day. Especially those who are in Vṛndāvana. Every day, as much as possible, read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. Nityam. Then our heart will be cleansed, and we shall know what is our constitutional position, what is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and then if we serve in that relationship, our life is perfect.

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

And if we accept a material body, then all the miserable conditions that we are undergoing with this body, we have to accept it. This is not pessimistic view of life, but this is a fact. Only responsible persons, they can understand. Sanātana Gosvāmī was minister of government. His society was very aristocratic. Very rich men they were. So rich society, aristocratic society, could not satisfy him. He... They resigned the post and joined Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu for ultimate solution of life. These examples are many. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's disciples, direct disciples, they were all very important men, just like Six Gosvāmīs. Even Svarūpa Dāmodara, His private secretary, he was very learned man, Vedantist.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Vrndavana, March 18, 1974:

Therefore it is the duty of every human being—animals cannot do—to understand about the ātma-tattvam. Ātma-tattvam, necessity of the soul. That was presented by Sanātana Gosvāmī when he went to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "I was minister, quite comfortable. People called me learned scholar. That is also, some way or other, it is right. But I did not know why I am suffering in spite of becoming the minister or king or this or that. And people say that I am a learned man, but I do not know how to get out of the suffering." This should be the question. They are trying to get out of the suffering, but they do not know the ways, how to get out of it.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

So I will be also dead and gone, and my son will be also dead and gone." So why we are depending on these things which will be dead and gone? Nobody will live. Nobody will live. Take big big leaders in our country or any country. They are absorbed in nationalism, cannot give up the post of prime ministership, presidentship or leadership. Even great leader like Gandhi. He was always... He got sva-rājya. I wrote him letter: "Mahatma Gandhi, you have got respect as a religious personality. If you..." (aside:) Don't bother, don't... "If you take preaching these things, what I am doing, preach Bhagavad-gītā... You are also lover of Bhagavad-gītā." No. Even after getting sva-rājya, he was implicated. Unless he was killed he would not leave it. Everyone has to leave it, voluntarily or by force, but they will not leave it voluntarily.

Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:

The, one's business is that he should make friendship with Kṛṣṇa and advise others also to make friendship with Kṛṣṇa. That is real leadership. That is real leadership. And the rascals, what the, he does not know what is his own benefit, and he has become a leader.

Sanātana Gosvāmī says, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "Sir, I was minister, and people used to say that I am very learned scholar, and this and that, but... I was also accepting, 'Oh...' But actually, since I am come in Your contact, I thought that 'What kind of leader I am? I do not know what is beneficial for me. I am such a leader. I am such a fool. I do not know my own benefit, and I want to become leader to lead others for benefit of life.' " Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). A blind man, he does not think that he's blind. How he can lead others, other blind men? But this is cheating.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

So these jñānīs, they are desiring to merge into the Brahman effulgence. Therefore, it is called brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu. And kāma means desire. Therefore, they are still desiring. They are fed up with these ordinary desires. Ordinarily, they are desiring, "I shall become rich man. I shall become minister. I shall become this, I shall become that." And they are also desiring to merge into the effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. That is also desire, kāma. The word is explicitly said, kāma. Kāma means desire.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

That enjoyment is there. The propensity for enjoying is there. He failed to enjoy keeping himself separate, so he wants to mix with God. Just like the politicians. Whenever there is some political movement, they take some part. Their idea is that "If I become somehow or other a little prominent, important, I'll have a minister's post." That's all. It is a fact. They do not care for country's welfare. No. There is no such question. Their only ambition is, "Let me mix with this political party. It's growing... Just like in our country, there are so many parties.

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

He has got a nice child, wife, nice wife. But, being kind to the humanity, he has accepted sannyāsa. This is kindness. No homely comfort. This is kindness. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were ministers. Ministers. Not ordinary men. And therefore their association was most aristocratic. Maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. Maṇḍala-pati means big, big man, who have got many followers, leaders of the society. So, he gave up that association, tuccha-vat, "Eh, what is this nonsense?" Gave up, Rūpa Gosvāmī. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Tuccha means very insignificant, "What is this?" Then what did they do?

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

Kanthā. Kanthā means handmade quilt. All rejected cloth, they are put together and sewn; it is called kanthā. They utilize even rejected cloth. That is called kanthā.

So this Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, accepted this mendicant life although they were ministers, very rich men. Not only Rūpa Gosvāmī, all the Gosvāmīs. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was the only son of his father and uncle, and in those days the income was twelve lakhs, twelve hundred thousands of rupees. Almost king. So for being compassionate with these poor fellows, who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and working simply unnecessarily so hard to get some bread... That's all. Mūḍha. So by becoming kind upon them, they took this mendicant order. Therefore kindness. And peaceful. Vaiṣṇava is never turbulent. But the demons, they create disturbance. Vaiṣṇava is peaceful.

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1972:

One was blessed that "You don't die," the rāja-putra, "Don't die." And the muni-putra, he was blessed, "You die." And the saintly person was blessed, "Either you die or you live." And the hunter was blessed, "You don't live, don't die." So this was a puzzle. So the king, he invited his ministers, that "What is the meaning of this?" The ministers were very intelligent, so he explained that "Your son has been blessed"ciraṁ jīva " Because your son is so licentious that as soon as he dies he is going to hell. So therefore he has blessed 'You better live forever; otherwise you are going to hell. (laughter) Your life is so sinful that next life is hellish. So better you live forever.' " Then, the next, muni-putra. Muni-putra means... Just like our disciples. They have to undergo austerities: no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, so many no's.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11-15 -- Tokyo, April 28, 1972:

Pradyumna: "When we speak of the king, it is naturally understood that the king is accompanied by his confidential associates like his secretary, private secretary, aide-de-camp, ministers, advisors, etc."

Prabhupāda: Otherwise what is the meaning of king? "God is imperson. God is zero"—what is this nonsense God? If our great conception, king or president, we understand is a great personality, if in this tiny material world in one corner of this planet there is a big president like Nixon and he has got secretary, his staff, his this and that, so many things, and why God should be without any associates, nirākāra, nirviśeṣa, zero? What kind of God? He must be associated with so many associates. Then?

Lecture on SB 3.1.10 -- Dallas, May 21, 1973:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

yadopahūto bhavanaṁ praviṣṭo
mantrāya pṛṣṭaḥ kila pūrvajena
athāha tan mantra-dṛśāṁ varīyān
yan mantriṇo vaidurikaṁ vadanti
(SB 3.1.10)

Translation: "When Vidura was invited by his elder brother Dhṛtarāṣṭra for consultation, he entered the house and gave instructions which were exactly to the point. His advice is well known, and instructions by Vidura are approved by expert ministers of state."

Prabhupāda: So Vidura was a great devotee and great politician also. Not that a devotee should not take parts in politics. They knew everything, but they did not take part. Just like Vidura and his elder brother Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He was politician, Dhṛtarāṣṭra. His whole life was diplomacy and politics. But still, in difficult position he used to consult Vidura. So why a politician should consult a devotee? No. If I want to do something, I must take advice, the best advice, from the best man. That is the principle.

Lecture on SB 3.22.20 -- Tehran, August 9, 1976:

He made Haridāsa Ṭhākura—he was Muhammadan by birth—nāmācārya, the ācārya of spreading Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. These are the wonderful activities. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he practically became Muhammadan. Why practically? Absolutely. He was rejected by the brāhmaṇa society because he was minister, he was mixing with the Muhammadan and everything. He was eating with them. So the brāhmaṇa society rejected him. The name was also changed, Sakara Mallika. Nawab Hussain Shah's very confidential man. Nawab Hussain Shah was keeping Sanātana Gosvāmī as his representative in everything. The government was being managed by him. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted them, and they became the Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

This knowledge begins, inquisitiveness, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was minister, very big minister of Bengal, Nawab Hussein Shah's government. He left everything. He resigned from the post and became follower of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So when he met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Vārāṇasī, at that time, he placed this question that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. This is the inquisitiveness, knowledge. Tāpa-traya. Tāpa-traya means three kinds of miserable condition: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. We are suffering always. Ātmā means body and mind—even soul. But soul is aloof from body and mind, but he is absorbed.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

So this Sanātana Gosvāmī, I was speaking to you. He was minister. He had enough money. When he retired, he came to home bringing money with him, one big boat full with golden coins. Just imagine. Big, big coins in those days. Aseraphee.(?) It is... At that time it was eighty rupees worth. Now there is no gold. Where is aseraphee.(?) It is paper only. One-rupee note. So, so Sanātana Gosvāmī, in those days... Even we have seen in our childhood in India, there was gold coins available, any number you want. People used to purchase this guinea gold for making ornament. We have seen it. There was no... Now you cannot get this guinea gold. So that is all finished. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was very rich man. Still, he's asking Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita tāi satya māni: "These foolish villagers, or my neighbor men, they call me 'Paṇḍitajī.' " He was brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

Therefore a brāhmaṇa means naturally paṇḍita. But nowadays simply by birth. That is another thing.

But Sanātana Gosvāmī was a great learned scholar in Urdu, Farsi, Sanskrit. And he was a very rich man, minister. Everything honorable. Coming of a very respectable, aristocratic family, Sārasvata brāhmaṇa. But still, he says to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita tāi satya māni. "These, my neighborhood men, they call me 'Paṇḍitajī',and I am very much satisfied that I am paṇḍita." "Why you are dissatisfied?" Now, he says, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "I am such a paṇḍita that I do not know what is the goal of my life and what is real benefit for me. I am such a paṇḍita." That means, "I am mūrkha.

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

Therefore Devahūti proposes, "Sir,..." Yaḥ avagrahaḥ. This false conception of life, ahaṁ mameti... (SB 5.5.8). "I am American,""I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian..." Or "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya..." This avagraha... It is called upādhi, designation: "For the time being." Just like you become minister for five years or three years. Or president. Just like Nixon was president; now he's not president. So this is an upādhi. You are Indian, American, this, that—they are all upādhis. Therefore if we are attached, if we are attached to the upādhi, that is called avagraha. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8).

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

You'll never find Kṛṣṇa alone. Just like here is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not alone. Kṛṣṇa is with His Rādhārāṇī and with His devotees. Just like a king. When we say that "The king is coming here," or "The president is coming here," so it means that president is not coming alone, but he's coming with his secretaries, with his ministers, with so many others. In England, the Queen has bodyguards. So similarly, when we... Yoga ādhyātmikaḥ. Yoga means connection, and ātmā, ātmā means this soul, actually, but sometimes ātmā means the mind, ātmā means the body also. So body has nothing to do with the Supreme Being, because Supreme Being is complete spirit. He has no material covering. One who thinks that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Being, has got a material covering, covered by māyā, as we are, covered by māyā, this material energy... Kṛṣṇa is not like that.

Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:

Dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. It is said, "The government means a gang of rogues and thieves." That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They'll plunder. The rogues and thieves, they seek opportunity secretly, and government, by law, they will plunder. And still, they will go on as big minister. This is all stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

So people will be so harassed in this age that out of disgust they will give up their family life. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam. Svīkāra eva codvāhe. There will be no marriage. This is also Vedic culture, to get married. But there will be no marriage. One woman, one man will live together by agreement. And as soon as the agreement is finished, they'll be separated. That is now very prominent in Western countries. Svīkāra eva codvāhe.

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

Just like we are old men. So many difficulties there are. So we do not want all these things, but it is forced upon us. But we are not intelligent enough to, how to make a solution of these problems. Therefore our predecessor, Sanātana Gosvāmī, first of all put this question that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. He was minister. He was intelligent and learned scholar, brāhmaṇa. So he inquired this. So we should be inquiring that "We are making so much struggle for existence, but existence is not allowed. Then what is the reason?" So we have become so foolish that we do not know. But here we are discussing mokṣa-dvāram, how to become free from the struggle for existence. This is life's mission.

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

Just like the Gosvāmīs. They used to... Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhur vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. It is possible if we follow the Gosvāmīs. The Gosvāmīs were minister, minister of Nawab Hussain Shah in the Bengal government in those days. Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rū..., very, mean, prime, finance minister, chief minister, very important ministers, and they gave up everything, everything. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. By their determination to worship Kṛṣṇa they gave up everything. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇī... Maṇḍala-pati means very big, big leaders. When one is minister, certainly he is connected with so many big, big men. So they were actually connected with them, but they gave up, sadā tuccha-vat, as most insignificant thing.

Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:

That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Kṛṣṇa has expanded. The demigods, they are also living entities like us, but they have got better position. Just like here also in the government. Ordinary living... Everyone is citizen, but somebody has got better position as the minister, as the president or some big officer. Similarly, the demigods, they are also living entities. The same thing as we are but different body. Different... The dog has got the dog's body. He's hungry or there is some company, barking. And somebody has got minister body, he's ordering. He's in better position. And better than him somebody else, better than him somebody else, better than him somebody else. In this way you go up to Brahmā, Lord Brahmā. He also servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is the position.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

Everyone wants some prestigious position, lābha pūjā pratiṣṭhā, some material profit, lābha, and prestigious position so that people will give him salaam, minister, president, and to become very famous, historically very famous. These are material hankerings. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). We don't want. This is animittā bhakti. Nimittā, for some certain reason, if you become a bhakta, then you are not a śuddha-bhakta. You are a viddha(?)-bhakta, a polluted bhakta. Pure bhakti is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), zero. Material hankerings, anything material, hankering, should be void. The void philosophy, nirvāṇa, that indicates that you should completely finish these material desires.

Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:

"If you are Kṛṣṇa, if you are God, then why you became under the control of māyā? What kind of God you are?" Just like in the English Constitution it is said that "The king can do no wrong." So you cannot bring king under any law. Others will come—even if he is minister, he will come under the law—but the king cannot come under the law. This is the English Constitution. Similarly, God cannot be under māyā.

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

One plan you make, and it is baffled by the material nature, stringent laws of nature. And at last, making plan, making plan, making plan—one day the time comes and immediately orders, "Please vacate your presidency, your prime ministership." Although I am trying to make plan, successful plans, up to the point of death... Pralayānta, pralayānta, asuric plan, up to the end of life... And then he entrusts. He says, "My dear son, my dear daughter, I could not fulfill this plan, so you do it. Now I hand it over to you." And the son also going on, making plan, plan, plan. It will never be fulfilled.

Lecture on SB 3.28.17 -- Nairobi, October 26, 1975:

Therefore this very word, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram. "How this rascal will give up this material job and come to Me and take all My favors?" This is God's desire. And we are so obstinate, we want to take some favor from this minister, that minister, this person, that person this... Failure. Kṛṣṇa says, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: (BG 5.29) "I am friend of everyone." And here is the word, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram. And He's very, very eager to give all His favors, and still people are not becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Just see how rascal they are. So we say, anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a rascal. Is he not a rascal?

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

Where is that education, that there is dehāntara-prāptiḥ, there is transmigration of the soul, and there are so many different types of body? Suppose in this body I am very comfortably situated, I am a very big man, or very great minister, politician, everything is all right—but in the next life, if I am going to get the body of a dog, who can check it? Nature's law will go on. At that time, as minister or big man, if you dictate that "Give me a body like this," oh, that will not be heard. You will get a type of body according to your karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). According to your karma, you will get a type of body. This is nature's law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmani sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). We are completely under the grip of nature's law.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ... (BG 3.42). Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ manasas tu parā buddhiḥ. That intelligence required. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, one of the chief disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was the chief minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah, and he was born in a very high-class brāhmaṇa family, sārasvata family, and he was very learned scholar in Sanskrit and Urdu and Arabic, very learned scholar. So when he submitted himself after resigning his post as minister, submitted to Lord Caitanya, he put this question, that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni. A brāhmaṇa... Still in our India, a brāhmaṇa is addressed as paṇḍita. Brāhmaṇa means paṇḍita. Brāhmaṇa-paṇḍita, brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇava, that a... Learned scholar. So in the society he was addressed as "Paṇḍitajī." So he protested against it.

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

The six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, they lived in Vṛndāvana by the order... The present Vṛndāvana, holy place, was made by Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. These two brothers, they were ministers in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah. Practically they became Muhammadans; their name were changed. Because in those days the brāhmaṇa community was very strict. Any brāhmaṇa accepting service, he'll be immediately excommunicated: "No, you are not brāhmaṇa." Brāhmaṇa's business is not to serve others. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. They should remain... Everyone was independent. Brāhmaṇa independent, kṣatriya independent, vaiśya independent.

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

This is called śānti, "I don't want it." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. This is bhukti. Karmīs, they want. They want many followers, many voters, so that "I can become minister or president."

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, I don't want many voters." Na janaṁ, na sundarīm kavitām, "Neither very beautiful wife." These are material demands, to get money or wealth, sumptuously, to get good a wife and many followers, many workers. Caitanya Mahāprabhu denies, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. Then what do you want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4), He doesn't want mukti even.

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

So this spiritual culture means first of all one must know. Sanātana Gosvāmī first of all inquired this question. He was a minister, and he's asking Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "These rascal friends," grāmya-vyavahare. Grāmya-vyavahare. In our village life or anywhere we make some friendships. Sometimes we call another man chacha, old uncle, or brother, like that. So this is called grāmya-vyavahāre. Actually, neither one is my chacha, neither he's brother, but we address like that. So therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī said, grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita. So "They say that I am paṇḍita, I am learned." And because he was brāhmaṇa, so brāhmaṇas are addressed in India as paṇḍita.

Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976:

To accept guru means to be inquisitive. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, "I was minister. I was implicated in material activities. You have relieved me from this implication. Now please tell me what I have to do." Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī was given instruction for two months continually, what to do now. So that is called sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Not that a fashion, I have made guru, I have accepted guru, my business is finished. No, sad-dharma-pṛcchā, the disciple must be ready to ask. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was a minister, he resigned the post. That does not mean he was silent, stopped all work. He was asking, "What I have to do?" This is sad-dharma-pṛcchā and Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered him to come to Vṛndāvana and renovate the vṛndāvana-līlā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.20 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1976:

"You just be obedient to Bharata. Don't try to rule independently, because if you follow the principles of Bharata Mahārāja, that will satisfy the citizens, not ruling over independently." We have practical examples. At the present moment there are three dozen minister, four dozen secretaries, and two dozen governors and so on, so on. But there is no peace. There is no peace because they are missing the central point, the central point, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says personally He has come personally to inform us the real situation. He says, sarva-loka maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the proprietor of all planets." So accept this principle, that "Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, and we are all sons of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa claims. Kṛṣṇa never said that "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," or "I am Uttar Pradeshiya."

Lecture on SB 5.5.34 -- Vrndavana, November 21, 1976:

To accept guru means to give up all material desires and be ready to ask from guru, "What shall I do?" Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he asked this question, that "By Your grace I am now released from my responsible activities." He was a minister of Nawab Hussain Shah, so he had many responsible activities, but he resigned from the post. And when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu he asked, "Now, by Your grace, I am now relieved from all material activities. Now kindly tell me what shall I do." So doing, it is not stopped. The Māyāvāda philosophy means stop doing. Jagat mithyā: there is no more activities. That cannot stay. That is artificial. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tathā patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). If you give up this world as material—you have nothing to do—then you'll fall down again.

Lecture on SB 5.5.34 -- Vrndavana, November 21, 1976:

This is negation or equation with the material body. But real activities are ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttama. Simply be ready to work for Kṛṣṇa, sad-dharma-pṛcchāt, as Sanātana Gosvāmī exemplified. He came to Caitanya Maha Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. He was minister. His business was with the big, big men, maṇḍala-pati. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm sadā tucchavat: "It has no meaning. No more dealing with them." Tucchavat. Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. And in order to give some benefit to the dīna-gaṇeśakau Gaṇa. Gaṇa means general public. To give them some benefit, that is Vaiṣṇava life. Stop material activities, and for the benefit of the mass of people, dīna. They are very dīna, very poor. Mahad-vicalanaṁ gṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasām. Dīna-cetasām.

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

And one who knows atmā-tattva and the business of atmā-tattva, they are called ātmārāma, ātmārāma, enjoying.

Unless we become ātmārāma, there is no possibility of happiness. Just like these Gosvāmīs. They were very opulent ministers, but they were not happy. They resigned from the post. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Because there was no happiness. And what they adopted? They adopted the life of a mendicant. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. For doing good to the others they accepted kaupīna-kanthāśritau. So it is not a business of imitation, that "I am following the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī."

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

It appears that karmīs... People may say, "A karmī is dying, and bhakta is dying. What is benefit?" No. He's not dying, but he is dying or giving up this body for living forever. And the nondevotees, he is dying to accept another body. That is the difference. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. So if you remain a minister, a president or some very big man, but if you are not a devotee, then you have to accept another body. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). You have to... Daiva-netreṇa, by superior management, superior administration, you'll be judged what kind of karma you have done. Although you are minister, but you have done, acted like a hog, like a dog, then you have to accept the body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor dehopapatti. But that we do not know. They do not believe. At the modern days they do not believe that there is next life and it is conducted by the laws of nature.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Honolulu, May 9, 1976:

Similarly, the Gosvāmīs, they were ministers. They were not ordinary men, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Practically they were governing the whole affairs of government at that time, a very exalted post. So about them also, it is written by Śrīnivāsācārya, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Aśeṣa-maṇḍala. Maṇḍala-pati means big, big leaders, big, big leaders of the society. He was minister, so he was associating with big, big men, not ordinary men. But he gave up. He's such a position, minister, drawing high salary, and association, all the big, big men of the country or the society. But he gave them up—sadā tuccha-vat, that "What is the use of this?" This is called vairāgya. Tyaktvā tūrṇam... Very soon.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

Because we are all here criminals. Criminal means we have come here within this material world with a purpose to enjoy to the fullest extent. Don't you see? Anywhere you go, people are struggling so hard because the idea is that "I shall be greater than him" or "I shall be very great." "I shall be minister," "I shall be president," "I shall be big merchant," "I shall be very big leader." "How I can be bigger?" When he fails everything, then he thinks, "Now I shall become God." This is going on. So up to the understanding to become God is materialism. All endeavors up to the point of becoming God is materialism. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You cannot be happy by all these religious systems." Religious system, there are two kinds of religious systems. Some of them are pravṛtti-mārga, increasing the path of enjoyment, sense enjoyment.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- New York, August 1, 1971:

How we can say it is false? It is not false. The false is when I claim that "This is my house." That is false. That is false. That is my false puffed-up consciousness, that "I am the proprietor, I am the master, I am God." This is false. Just like first of all we want to become a proprietor, then master, then minister, then president, then God. When everything fails, then "I am God." Same tendency is there—that I want to become the greatest. But how you can be the greatest? God is greatest. You are always smallest. That is... That smallest is thinking greatest that is false. The smallness is not false. The greatness is not false. But when the small thinks as great, that is false. That is māyā.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Honolulu, May 16, 1976:

Because we are in this material world, miserable condition, but we have no knowledge that we are in a very miserable condition. That is ajñāna. As soon as one understands that this is miserable condition of life... That was presented by Sanātana Gosvāmī before Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said... He was minister and very opulent position, very good associates. Because he was minister, so his associates were also very big men. But he resigned. He resigned. That is vairāgya. So why? To understand what is the aim of life. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Therefore he came to Caitanya Mahāprabhu for understanding the value of life. So he presented himself that grāmya vyavahāre kaha ei paṇḍita: "So in this ordinary behavior they call me paṇḍita, learned. But..." Satya kari māni: "I also accept it that I am paṇḍita or learned. But actually, my position is, I do not know what I am. I am such a paṇḍita, such a learned man."

Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

"You will be happy in this way. You give me vote, and I shall bring heaven for you, and let me become minister. That is... You simply wait, and as soon as I become a minister and president, I will give you such and such benefit." So you select Mr. Nixon, and again you become disappointed. Then we request, "Mr. Nixon, you get out." And we accept another fool. This is going on. This is going... But śāstra says you will not be getting right information in that way. These foolish men, they will promise you something, and he is unable to make you happy. You will be again disappointed, again regret. Then what is..., wherefrom I shall get the right information? That Vedas says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "If you want right information, then go to the guru."

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:

Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Just like ordinary criminal, thief. The police is chastising him. He does not think that there is any other power over the police. He thinks the police is the father and mother, and he is poor class. He does not know that police is not the supreme power. The supreme power is the president or the minister of law and order. He thinks, "This constable is everything." So poor-class thinking, they think nature is everything. But any way, everyone is under the control of nature.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Honolulu, May 31, 1976:

That is not the business. So Yamarāja is in charge of punishing according to the gravity of sinful activities. He's meant for punishing. That is just like superintendent of police or something like that, big officer, inspector general of the police department or the minister in charge of law and order. Everything is there in imitation, yato vā imāni bhūtāni jayante, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Wherefrom you get this idea? There must be minister in charge of law and order. Where you get this idea? The idea is there from the original government. And there is the director or the minister in charge of law and order. The Yamarāja is minister in charge. They say it is mythology, it is man's creation. How it is man's creation?

Lecture on SB 6.1.41 -- Los Angeles, June 7, 1976:

So Nārāyaṇa... In the Vedic mantra also, the same thing: eko nārāyaṇa āsīt. In the beginning, Nārāyaṇa was there. So Nārāyaṇa is not alone. When you say the king is coming, it does not mean that king is coming alone. King is coming with his ministers, with his secretaries, with his military forces, bodyguards, many thousands. Similarly, when we speak eko nārāyaṇa āsīt, nārāyaṇa paraḥ avyaktāt, it does not mean that Nārāyaṇa is alone. Nārāyaṇa is always... If a king can be surrounded by so many officers and ministers, and Nārāyaṇa is the supreme king, so how He is surrounded by paraphernalia we can just think over.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41 -- Los Angeles, June 7, 1976:

They're this... So what is the difference between bhakti and karma? The difference is that we are working for Kṛṣṇa and others are working for māyā. That is difference.

So nirbandha-kṛṣṇa-sambhandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. Working is not stopped. Our Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, they retired from their ministerial service, they went to Vṛndāvana, but the work increased. When they were ministers they were sleeping thirteen hours, but when they went to Vṛndāvana, they had not time to sleep even for two hours.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41 -- Los Angeles, June 7, 1976:

That is Vṛndāvana life. That is Vṛndāvana life. They had no time. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. These are the description about the Gosvāmīs that, by the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they retired from ministerial job. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ. Maṇḍala-pati means very, very big men in society. Minister, his business was with big, big man. Who can see the minister? The zamindar, the big businessmen. So he gave up that association. Then what he became? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. He took up a small loincloth. You have seen the picture of Gosvāmīs. Why? Just to show compassion and mercy to the whole world who are suffering. So how much business he increased? He was minister of a state.

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

You cannot enter even the sun planet, what to speak of talking with him. But Kṛṣṇa could talk. Kṛṣṇa can go anywhere. And when there is sun-god, then "god" means not alone. A king does not mean alone. King means he has got his kingdom, he has got his subjects, he has got minister, he has got military strength. Everything is there. So similarly, if we accept Kṛṣṇa's statement that "I spoke to sun-god," the sun-god is there in the sun globe, and he has his kingdom, so dazzling kingdom. It looks like fire, blazing. But don't think it is impersonal. Impersonal? How Kṛṣṇa could talk with him? There is no question of impersonality.

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Detroit, June 13, 1976:

Our real mission is how the human society will be happy. That is the duty of all saintly persons. The, according to our paramparā system... Just like the Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. They were very exalted personalities, minister in government. Still, they resigned from the service and joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. That is the history. All the direct disciples of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they were very big personalities. Just like Rūpa, Sanātana. They were minister. Then Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Dāsa Raghunātha. Raghunātha Dāsa, he was coming, more than minister. His father and uncle were the biggest zamindar, landlord, in those times. And he was the only son of the father and the uncle. Huge estate, beautiful wife, everything—he left and joined this movement, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's.

Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- Detroit, June 15, 1976:

So that was the system of punishment. Similarly, whatever little pleasure we are feeling, that is exactly similarly the man, when he's taken from the water, that's all. Again he's to be drowned. This material world is like that.

Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was minister of the then Muhammadan government. So he presented himself to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that: ke āmi, kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. This is the intelligence, that "I am undergoing constantly some sort of distresses due to this body, due to this mind, due to distresses inflicted by other living entities, and due to natural disturbances. A combination of distresses. But I don't want all these distresses."

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

And one who is bhagavad-dūta, he is called gosvāmī, just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Whose life is dedicated to follow the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, they are gosvāmī. Gosvāmī is not a caste title, just like it has become in India. Gosvāmī... Rūpa Gosvāmī was a minister. He was rejected by the brāhmaṇa society, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu made him gosvāmī. He is the original gosvāmī. Why? Because he gave up the dictation of Nawab Shah but he followed the dictation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore he became gosvāmī, prabhupāda. He became prabhupāda. Prabhupāda means the title or the respect which is given to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called... Prabhu means master and pāda means maryādā, or the respect or the distinction.

Lecture on SB 6.2.4 -- Vrndavana, September 8, 1975:

So how you can expect good government? It is not possible. Why they should be bothering about people's happiness? They want to occupy big, big ministerial post to enjoy their life. Therefore the position of the whole world is so deteriorated because there is no ideal man. All rogues, thieves, I mean to say, in very fallen condition. Therefore people are deteriorating. Dāmpatye ratim eva hi. These will be the signs of Kali-yuga. Dāmpata means husband and wife. Their relation will stand so long they satisfy one another by sex, rati. Rati means sex. Dāmpate ratim eva hi. And as soon as there is sex disturbance: divorce—"I don't want you."

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

So this man must be curbed down immediately." Just like in political party, everyone is thinking, "Oh, this man is becoming greater than me. So he should be curbed down; he should be checked. Otherwise, some day he may occupy my ministership." This is the position of the world. Everyone is envious. So the devotees have enemies. But the Viṣṇudūta protects, as Kṛṣṇa says, that kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31), "My dear Arjuna, you can declare on My behalf that a devotee will never be... A pure devotee..." Always remember—a pure devotee. Devotee means a pure devotee. Contaminated devotee is different. Dvidha(?)-bhakta and śuddha-bhakta. Those who are contaminated with material desires, with fruitive activities and mental speculation, they are contaminated devotees. They are not pure devotees.

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

Right from the... What do you mean by "right from the first"? What do you mean by that? Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī was a minister of Muhammadan government. So what is his position? He was minister, he was working under government service, and he was rejected by the brāhmaṇa community. Then how he became gosvāmī?

Lecture on SB 6.3.27-28 -- Gorakhpur, February 20, 1971:

They are not selfish, "Now I have become Kṛṣṇa devotee. That's all right. Let others go to hell." No. They want to see that everyone becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are real friend. That is, he is real friend. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau.

The Gosvāmīs, ideal. They left their comfortable position as ministers, went to Vṛndāvana, and became a mendicant. Kaupīna-kanthāśritau. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Because they were ministers, their associates, their friends, their companions were all rich men, aristocratic. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati. Maṇḍala-pati means "great leaders of aristocratic family." He gave up. Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they gave up this association of big aristocratic families.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976:

Unless one feels perplexed in this materialistic way of life, his human life is imperfect. One must feel that this material world, actually it is not happiness. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, satya kari māni. "I am minister, I am also born of a brāhmaṇa family." In India the brāhmaṇas are addressed as paṇḍitajī. So he says, grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita kaha ei paṇḍita: "Just like ordinary relationship, village friendship, they call me paṇḍita." Paṇḍita means learned. "I also accept that I am paṇḍita. But actually I am not paṇḍita." Why not? Āpanāra hitāhita kichui nāhi jāni: "I do not know what is the goal of my life." Ask anyone what is the goal of life.

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

Therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is very nicely said that ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya: (CC Adi 5.142) "The only one master is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone is servant." The only one master is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all other living entities, they are all servant. He may be a Brahmā, he may be a president, he may be a minister, or he may be a cat, or he may be a dog, or whatever he may be, everyone is servant. And to understand this philosophy is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not very difficult. It is not very difficult. If we understand our position, that māyā's spell is so nice that everyone is thinking, "I am master," "I am president," "I am minister," "I am teacher," "I am philosopher," "I am scientist," "I am this," "I am that," at last, "I am God." (laughter) When everything fails, when everything fails, he thinks, "Oh, I am God," although he is still a dog. You see?

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

That is therefore the varṇāśrama: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. The aim is viṣṇu-ārādhanam. Viṣṇu-ārādhanam param. We are flattering so many people to get some benefit. Everyone has to flatter. Businessman has to flatter his customer; a servant has to flatter his master; and so on, so on, some friend, some minister to get some favor. But Lord Śiva says, "So why don't you flatter Viṣṇu? Viṣṇu-ārādhanaṁ param." Tadīyānām ārādhanam. This is the sastric injunction.

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

They conquered over these things, nidrā, sleeping... Nidrā is very dangerous according to Vedic civilization. It is simply waste of time. If one is not serious about the value of this human form of life he may waste his time by sleeping. But no. The... If we follow our predecessors, our Gosvāmīs, who were all ministers... But they came to Vṛndāvana to practice... What? Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau, to conquer over sleeping, eating and mating. And coming to Vṛndāvana, if we indulge in that way, then what is the use of coming to Vṛndāvana? Go to hell and live there. So Vṛndāvana life is that. You have to practice nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. That is wanted.

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

So without being culturally advanced, they do not know the value of life. They waste their life. The advanced persons, they try to reduce waste of time. We have already discussed that the Gosvāmīs, they were ministers. They came to Vṛndāvana not for begging but for advancing the spiritual culture of life. Vṛndāvana is not meant for making a solution of the economic condition. One who has no, nothing to eat outside, they should come and beg capati and roti from door to door. The Rūpa Gosvāmī did it, mādhukarī. Rūpa Gosvāmī used to beg. Not beg, collecting twenty capatis. And only one or two, that's all.

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975:

So our lusty desires, sense gratification, cannot be satisfied even throughout the whole life. The account is being given of the whole life, hundred years. So out of hundred years, fifty years wasted by sleeping, twenty years wasted by playing like boy and young man, and twenty years as old man, diseased, invalidated, and balance ten years... Because ninety years he has been so much attached to materialistic way of life, naturally the balance ten years, śeṣam, he cannot utilize in any other way. He can simply engage himself in that lusty desire for material existence. Adurātmanena kāmena. In this connection there is a very instructive story—it is fact—that the Emperor Akbar, he enquired from his minister... He had one very big minister; I forget just his name.

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975:

Birbal? Maybe. Yes. That "How long one remains in lusty desires?" This was Emperor Abar's question, and the minister replied, "Up to the last point of death." So Akbar did not believe it. Akbar said, "No, no. How it can be?" So the minister said, "All right, I shall reply, time." So one day, all of a sudden, he approached the emperor and said, "Sir, you immediately be ready to come with me with your young daughter." So Akbar, he knew that this minister is very intelligent; there must be some purpose. She went with him, and he took him to a person who was going to die. And the minister asked the emperor that "You kindly study the man who is going to die, on his face."

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

Therefore the Vedic civilization is voluntarily accepting poverty. Voluntary. Big, big kings, they voluntarily accepted poverty. Rūpa Goswami Don't go to the past, big, big..., Bhārata Mahārāja and others. Even Lord Rāmacandra. Take recent history, within five hundred years. Rūpa Goswami, the chief minister of the government of Bengal, most opulent position: tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. They became mendicant, voluntarily accepting, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-mandala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. "What is this nonsense position, minister, opulent life? Kick it out." They are not fools. They are politicians. But why they "Kick it out." Then what they became? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. They become mendicant.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- New Vrindaban, June 26, 1976:

Be satisfied with that. Do not try to develop. The modern civilization is how to develop the facility of sense gratification. This is modern civilization. For spiritual life this should be, rather, whatever facilities we have got, we have to curtail, not to increase. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like Gosvāmīs, they were ministers. But when they went to Vṛndāvana they curtailed-nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **—curtailing the hours of sleeping, the quantity of eating. And mating, there was no question.

Lecture on SB 7.7.40-44 -- San Francisco, March 20, 1967:

They were all sons of big chieftains and ministers, and he was himself the son of the king, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Therefore he was speaking from his own standard. He says that kim u vyavahitāpatya-dārāgāra-dhanādayaḥ. Apatya means we are expanding. We are single. Now we are expanding by our children, apatya. And dāra means wife. The Sanskrit word strī... Strī means woman, and the root meaning of strī means "which expands." As soon as you have got wife, you expand yourself. You are one, and as soon as you get your wife, you become three, four, five. So strī means that helps me expanding. That is the root meaning. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that what is the use by expanding your attachment to this material world by children?

Lecture on SB 7.7.40-44 -- San Francisco, March 20, 1967:

These are concerned with government. Government wants to expand. Rājya, kośa, and gaja. Gaja means elephant. The royal orders, they keep elephants. Especially in India, those who are princely order, they must keep at least dozens of elephants, and many thousands of horses. That is royal opulence. So rājya-kośa-gajāmātya. Amātya means minister, and bhṛtya, bhṛtya means servants, and āptā mean friends. That means, in other words, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that there is no necessity of expanding these material opulences. (end)

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

And I think those who are harassed by this military board, today I have got hint from one paper addressed to Kārttikeya that if one boy is certified that he's engaged in studying spiritual consciousness or theological..., then he's not called. So we shall issue certificate, bona fide. Now I am admitted in your country as bona fide, ordained minister of religion. So I think I can issue certificate. So this will be nice.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, February 16, 1976:

"These things cannot help you." If you think that "I am very rich man. I can purchase God..." Generally they think so, that by riches one can purchase God. Then dhana abhijana. Abhijana means aristocratic family, big connection with big, big men. That is called abhijana. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī was minister. So he was connected with very big, big family. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. This Rūpa Gosvāmī gave up this aristocratic position. Because he was minister, his connection with big, big zamindars, big, big businessmen, big, big Nawabs, he could not mix with ordinary men. But he gave up everything. The same example, as Prahlāda Mahārāja says, abhijana—"These are useless."

Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:

How you can be so Kṛṣṇa conscious? Now, praśānta-nihśeṣa-mano-rathāntaram: "I shall finish altogether all concoction of my mind." Everything is creating different consciousness by the concoction of mind. Sometimes I am feeling, "Oh, I shall become a great businessman," "Oh, I shall become the president," "I shall become the minister," or "I shall become this and that," so many. The mind is always agitating: "I shall possess that thing. I shall possess that thing. I shall kill him. I shall finish him." So these are called mental hallucination. So one has to become completely free from this mental hallucination or craziness. Then one can be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So bhavantam eva caran nirantaraṁ praśānta. Praśānta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa śāntaḥ. Śāntaḥ means peaceful, completely peaceful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:

Simply change of consciousness. That's all. Simply change of consciousness. Just like in India, twenty years ago, say, in 1947, we were under the British rule. Now, what is the independence? Independence means they're thinking that "I'm not in British rule." That's all. The government is the same, the clerk, the minister, the secretary, the government house, the administrative, I mean to say, process—everything is there. Simply a change of consciousness. A change of rubber stamp. That's all. Formerly the rubber stamp was "His Majesty's Government," and now the rubber stamp is "Indian Government." That's all.

Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:

So from this point Caitanya Mahāprabhu starts His instruction. When Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Him that "By Your mercy I have left my this material engagement. I was minister. I was very much puffed up. So by good fortune I saw You. Now I have retired from my so-called happy life. Now please tell me what is my position?" Ke āmi kene āmāre jāre tāpa traya: "Why I am? What I am? Why I am put into this condition of suffering?" Just like one goes to the physician, a diseased man. He submits and inquires from the physician that "Why I am suffering from this pain? Some pain always in the heart, some pain in the belly, some pain in head. So what is the disease?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "The disease is that you are servant of Kṛṣṇa. You are, rascal, trying to be master of the world." This is the struggle. A servant is trying to become master.

Lecture on SB 7.9.23 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1976:

So this is experience, dṛṣṭā... Everyone has experience what is the situation of this material world. Every day we have seen big, big leaders, ministers. Just like in the history of the world there were so many big, big men—Hitler, Napoleon, this Churchill, Gandhi, Nehru. But all their powers, position, in one minute it becomes vanquished. There is no question... They are so proud, they do not believe in God, but when the death comes, they cannot argue anything. The death orders, "Immediately vacate"—finished. You have to vacate. At that time their power, opulence, position—nothing can help. So Kṛṣṇa says, therefore... The atheist class of men who do not believe in God, decry the authority of God, for them...

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

Now it is for understanding what is our position. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. But if we do not take care of this questioning... Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. Sanātana Gosvāmī placed this inquiry before Caitanya Mahāprabhu. To approach guru means to inquire about himself, "What I am?" That is intelligence. Sanātana Gosvāmī was the minister. He was very opulent. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. But when he came to his senses after meeting Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he wanted to know, "What I am?" This is real inquiry. He could be very satisfied to get answer himself that "I am minister. I have got so big salary. I get so much respect." No, he was not satisfied. He went to guru, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Vedic injunction is, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Calcutta, March 23, 1976:

Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). So Vaiṣṇava has no such ambition that "I must have multimillions and million of dollars to possess and must have a very good wife," na dhanam, "and many followers. I shall become minister, leader, political." These ambitions are completely kicked out by the Vaiṣṇavas. They have no value. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Those who are after all these things, material temporary happiness, alpa-medhasām, Kṛṣṇa says. They are lack of brain. But the whole world is after these things.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Calcutta, March 23, 1976:

That is the material world, lābha, pūjā, pratiṣṭhā. Everyone is for some material profit. That is called lābha. And pūjā. Pūjā means he wants a position so that all others will come and worship him: "Sir, you are so great. You are big minister. You are big president. You are this, that. Kindly give me this favor, that favor." That is called pūjā, "Everyone will come and worship me." And pratiṣṭhā: "And I will be so celebrated man that even after my death, there will be a statue in the maidan and people will come to worship me." After death where he is going? He is going to be a dog or cat. He doesn't mind. But his statue should be worshiped. Such rascals. He does not know where he is going after death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13).

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

Spiritual activity... Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Anuśīlanam. Anuśīlanam is activity, culivating. Anything you cultivate, that is not inactivity. There is activity. Rūpa Gosvāmī, he resigned from his ministership and came to Vṛndāvana under the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu not to become an inactive person. No. Nānā-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipuṇau. After giving up his ministership he did not come here to eat and sleep. No. Then he began to study various Vedic literatures. Nānā-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipuṇau. Just like any perfect person writing some book, he gives evidences from the Vedas. Vicaraṇaika-nipuṇau. They became very expert in considering the Vedic version, nānā-śāstra.

Lecture on SB 7.9.54 -- Vrndavana, April 9, 1976:

So here those who are dhīra actually, those who have understood his identity... Ke āmi kena āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. This was the question by Sanātana Gosvāmī to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "You asked me to join Your movement. I was minster in Nawab Hussain Shah's government, chief minister. Now I have... On Your word I have given up. So You have kindly brought me from this hellish condition, simply politics and pounds, shilling, pence. So it is a great mercy for me of Your Lordship. But my first question is ke āmi: 'What I am?' " This is the first question. It must be... Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam.

Lecture on SB 7.12.6 -- Bombay, April 17, 1976:

His father's estate was very big, and he was not interested. But at a time when there was a political situation, he tackled it very nicely. This is the example of dakṣa. There was some political controversy between Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī's uncle, father uncle, and the government minister. So the minister, in order to take advantage, he came to arrest Raghunātha Gosvāmī's father and uncle, and they fled away from the house. So the minister arrested Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, the son, because if he was chastised, he'll disclose the secret, where his father and uncle has fled. And so Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī—it is a long story—tackled the situation so nicely that there was peace between the minister and his father and uncle, and the misunderstanding was settled up. So this is called dakṣa.

Page Title:Minister (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:12 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=123, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:123