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Miserable condition (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"miserable condition" |"miserable conditions"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

Now, in the human form of life, civilized human form of life, your consciousness is now developed. 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 18, 1971:

So here it is said that vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu. Vāstava, you can understand Kṛṣṇa in all His features. And if you understand, then śivadam, it is auspicious. Tāpa-trayonmūlanam. As soon as you understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because it is auspicious, then all the tāpa-traya, three kinds of miserable condition of material existence pertaining to the body, mind, pertaining to the infliction offered by others, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, or adhyātmika... So these are, three kinds of tribulations are always going on. So when we understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the vastu, the substance, and the categories, then immediately it becomes auspicious and we become free from these threefold miseries of material life.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

That type of religious system is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that there is no motive but how to love God. That is stated. "This type of religion means to love God" is stated here, śivadaṁ tāpa-traya unmūlanam. Śivadam means all auspicity, and the three-fold miserable condition of life is completely uprooted.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

On account of this material body, we have got three-fold miseries within this material world. One is called adhyātmika. Adhyātmika means miserable condition due to this material body and the mind. The... another miserable condition is adhibhautika: miserable condition offered by other living entities. And the third miserable condition is which is offered by the nature, just like earthquake, famine, pestilence and so many other things on which we have no control. We have no control in any kind of miserable condition, especially the miserable condition offered by nature. We cannot avoid it. So therefore here it is said that if you take up this religious system—means how to love God—then you will be transcendental to all this miserable condition of material existence.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

According to his mind, he will get a particular type of body, material body. And there are 8,400,000 species of body. So as soon as one gets the body, he becomes under the laws of the material nature, and the material nature means under the laws, stringent laws, threefold miserable condition, that will continue. Therefore the Vedic literature they gives us opportunity to gradually renounce. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalām. That is a pravṛtti, inclination. But a Vedic student is trained up in such a way that ultimately he becomes renounced or detached from this material entanglement. Go on.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

Why you are forced to become old man? You do not want to have disease. Why you are forced to accept disease? They have no sense. They are so dull-headed. They do not want any solution. But there is solution. Therefore it is called saṁsāriṇām. They are dull-headed rascal. They are undergoing the nature's process from one life to another. All miserable condition.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

To get out of this miserable condition, Śukadeva says, here it is, says, karuṇayā āha. Karuṇayā means "out of compassion." People are suffering. This is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava takes so much trouble to speak to the rascals and dulls about God consciousness. Why? Out of compassion. They are very compassionate. "Oh, so many people are suffering for want of knowledge. Let me try to give them some knowledge." Karuṇayā. This is Vaiṣṇava's qualification. He is very kind. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ (SB 3.25.21). Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He was being crucified. Still, he was saying, "My father, they do not know what they are doing." Is it not?

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

So many things we have forgotten, but that does not mean the trouble was not there. Just like in our childhood so many things happened. We might have forgotten, but that does not mean the trouble was not there. The trouble was there. Similarly, at the time of death, the trouble, or the miserable condition, is so acute that we have to give up this body. Sometimes when man becomes very much upset, he commits suicide. He cuts his own throat. Why? He cannot live in this body. Similarly, I, you, every one of us, we have the trouble at the time of death, at the time of birth. Birth and death. We are living entities, we are living soul. Birth and death takes place of this body. The body takes birth and the body is vanquished. Death means sleeping for seven months. That's all.

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

Everyone is seeking after happiness. Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiḥ. The struggle for existence is to minimize miserable condition of life and increase enjoyment. We the living entities, we are part and parcel of God. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Jīva-bhūta, jīvas, all jīvas, living entities, they are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God. When we speak of "Kṛṣṇa," means God. God has got many thousands of names, but this one name is chief. Kṛṣṇa means "the all-attractive." Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone. Or one who attracts everyone, He is God. God cannot be attractive for some men or some living entities, and not for others.

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

That is the human life. You prepare yourself for higher standard of life or to make a permanent solution of your miserable condition of life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. This is required. This is human business, or dharma.

So how you can attain that dharma? Dharma means the occupational duty. Dharma is not a sentiment. Practically, nowadays people have taken dharma, religious means..., "religion" means a kind of faith. But that is not the description of the Vedic śāstra. Faith we can change. Today you are Hindu. Tomorrow you can become Muslim. Or today you are Muslim. Tomorrow you can become Christian. You can change your faith. But that is not religion.

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

That is the process going on. Similarly, here also in this material world, we are always under troublesome condition. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga. So that we may come to our sense, if there is any possibility of making a solution of this miserable condition of life... But we are so callous, just like animals. They do not know. The animals are kept in the room for being slaughtered. They do not know. They are eating grass and very happy. Not happy. Some of them know that "We are going to be killed." They cry. But there is no escape. What can be done? But human life is not like animals. They must know that "We are in threefold miserable condition of life, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. And we do not want these all miserable condition. We want to be happy. We want to be peaceful. How to do it?"

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, April 18, 1974:

Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. And as soon as your heart is cleansed, your these material tribulations, the threefold miserable condition of this material world... It is compared with the forest fire. So forest fire is not very easy to extinguish, but it can be... There is process. That is God's arrangement. When there is rain from the sky, the forest fire is extinguished. Similarly, when mercy from Kṛṣṇa comes, your blazing fire of material existence will be extinguished. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā... (CC Antya 20.12). Then real spiritual life begins. So long you are disturbed materially, there is no possibility. But these material disturbances cannot be subsided by your concocted method. It can be subsided by the mercy bestowed by Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **.

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

There must be question. If one is actually seeking after spiritual realization, there must be intelligent question. The first intelligent question was put forward by Sanātana Gosvāmī, that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya: "Sir, please let me know what is my identification, why I am put into this miserable condition of material life." People do not know it. Just like cats and dogs. The cat or the dog does not know that his life is very abominable. No, he is happy. This is māyā. Even the hog, he is also thinking, "I am very happy." This is called māyā, moha. Jīvasya moha, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). So when human life is there, at least, one must be awakened to this consciousness, that actually "I am not happy." That is the beginning of human life, not to remain in darkness like cats and dog. He is unhappy in every respect, in every step, and still, he is thinking, "I am happy."

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

"If someone comes to Me, then he does not get any more this material body to come to this material world." What is the harm if I come to the material world? That duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This material world is full of miseries, and that also temporary. Even if you accept that I shall adjust my miserable condition of life, but still nature will not allow you to live there. You may think that "We are Americans, we have got enough money, vast land, resources, I shall live as American." But you can live as American, say for fifty years. You'll not be allowed to live as American or as Indian or this or that. Even as Brahmā you will be not allowed. Brahmā has got his one day millions of years. He will also not be allowed. The ant will not be allowed, a cat will not be allowed, an elephant will not be allowed, a man will not be allowed, a demigod will not be allowed—to live forever. Hiraṇyakaśipu tried to live forever.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

So apavarga, pa pha ba bha, in this way ma, means mṛtyu, death.

So this has been summarized. These are called pavarga. And apa... a means to nullify. So dharma, practice of dharma, means to nullify these conditions, these miserable conditions of material existence. That is the purpose of dharma. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. Āpavargyasya, to cease this labor. Tri-tāpa-yatana, three types of miserable condition: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. That is animal life, bodily concept of life. Therefore dharma should be practiced for nullifying. Because we do not want to work very hard, every one of us, but we have to, especially at the present moment. That is stated in the Bhāgavata. In the Kali-yuga the situation will be so much deteriorated that simply for a piece of bread, one has to work just like an ass. Very hard labor. It has come to become so. Gradually, it will deteriorate more and more.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

That means sāttvikāhāra. These things will be finished. Therefore they are learning how to eat beef. This is the beginning. Just like a child learns to eat, little, little. Otherwise there will be no more food. Therefore dharma is required to stop this miserable condition of life. That is real dharma.

Therefore to come to the real point of dharma, transcendental position, in the material conditional life, the dharma, varṇāśrama-dharma... Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Viprādayo guṇaḥ pṛthak cātur-varṇyam. Ya eṣaṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād ātma-prabhāvam īśvaram, na bhajanti vā ajānanti... Puruṣasya āśramaiḥ saha. Tyakta jagṛhe varṇa vipro aday guṇaḥ pṛthak(?). These are the statements of śāstra, that the human society, just to make it real human society, not cats' and dogs' society, there must be varṇāśrama.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

They do not require it; neither they can understand it. So if the human society becomes varṇāśrama-less, without varṇāśrama-dharma, then it is cats' and dogs' society. Then subjected to the so many miserable condition of material nature. That is inevitable.

So dharma, first of all this dharma. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma... (BG 4.13). This is dharma: brāhmaṇa-dharma, kṣatriya-dharma, vaiśya-dharma, and śūdra-dharma, brahmacārī-dharma, gṛhastha-dharma... We call gṛhastha-dharma. Otherwise, wife and children..., the cats and dogs, they have also wife and children. Then why? This is called dharma. Dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Kṛṣṇa says, in the Bhagavad..., dharma aviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi: "Sex life, sense gratification, which is not against dharma, that is I."

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

This is the characteristics of brāhmaṇa. This is the characteristics of kṣatriya. This is the characteristic of vaiśya. This is character of śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This must be systematically organized. That is called dharma. Because the real purpose is, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya: just to nullify this miserable condition of material life, not... Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na arthaḥ arthāya upakalpate.

Now it has been taken as, "I am brāhmaṇa. So how to earn more money by giving somebody blessings," or "Give me some money,"or "I shall make some pūjā; he will get some material benefit, this pūjā, that pūjā," especially demigods. You worship Kālī-pūjā. So you will be able to eat meat. Then Caṇḍī-pūjā. Then he will be able to drink wine, and so many others. They are also in the scriptures. Because people want... There are varieties of men.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

Actually, it is prohibited. But those who are meat-eaters, they cannot give up. Therefore one day, restriction, this restriction, that restriction—everything to bring him under regulative principle. Because real purpose is to make him detached from this material attraction and make him promoted āpavargyasya, how to get out of this material miserable condition of life. This is called dharmasya hy āpavargyasya, not that "We have got this ceremony today, Kālī-pūjā ceremony. Let us sacrifice thousands of goats and eat and drink and enjoy." That is not the purpose. Na arthāya upakalpate. Some men... Artha means material. Paramārtha means spiritual.

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

These are called kāma. Dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). And at last, to become liberated, mokṣa. Mokṣa means to get out of the entanglement of material miserable condition of life. That is called mokṣa. What is the material miserable condition of life? There are many. But the essence is, as presented by Kṛṣṇa, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Everyone is trying, struggling for existence, to get out of the miserable condition of life. Everyone is trying. The standard of miserable condition may be different. One has got a million dollar. He thinks, "This is miserable condition. I must have ten times of this money. Then I will be happy." And one has got one hundred million dollars, or one hundred dollars.

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

Just like when you go to the court, the court will decide whether you will be punished or you will be rewarded. You cannot dictate to the court that "Sir, give me this judgment." No. That is not possible.

Similarly, here it is indicated that religion... What religion? Religion should be to disentangle you from this material miserable condition-dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na arthāyopakalpate. Not that you go to church or temple and ask for some material benefit. No. That is not the... Na arthasya dharmaikāntasya. Arthasya. We are earning money by some occupation. That's all. Then what is the purpose of this money? Now, if you are dharmic, dharmaikāntasya, if you are actually religious, then your money is not meant for sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

"God, give us our daily bread." Or, even in temple, they go to ask something, material gain. But actually religiosity's not meant for that purpose. Religiosity is meant for dharmasya āpavargyasya. To enter into life of religiosity means to get out of the threefold miserable condition of life, apavarga.

So then dharma—artha, money also we want. Arthasya dharmaikāntasya na kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ. We want money. That's all right. But not for satisfaction of our lusty desires. Money has got its use. Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we get money also. But we are spending for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our need is very great. People will be surprised what we are expending per month. We have got more than one hundred branches all over the world, and each branch, there is expenditure... In Los Angeles, we spend twenty thousand dollars per month.

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

The aim of life is tattva-jijñāsā. 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. Why death is enforced upon me? I do not want to take birth. Why that is also enforced upon me? I do not want old age. Why it is enforced upon me? I do not want disease.

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

The cause of all causes. Why you have come to this material world? Why you are under the threefold miserable condition of life: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. These things are to be inquired. "I do not wish to die, but death is forced upon me. I do not want to become old man. Old age is forced upon me." So these are the inquiries, tattva-jijñāsā. But they are not interested. Neither educational department, nor any other department. They are simply interested, "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3). We are spoiling our night simply by sleeping. And, and those who have got sex facilities, they enjoying sex life. This is the night's engagement. And day's engagement, "Where is money? Where is money?

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

Asann api. It is not permanent. But why you should make yourself under these tribulations of life? That is the problem. Not only that. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ. I have got this body. I am suffering. I am undergoing threefold miseries, threefold miserable condition of life. Why I shall make another body, again undergo the threefold miseries of life? Not only human life, any form of life. Human life, there... Human form of life, there is possibility of little comfort. Suppose if I get a body like a tree. Just like here is an eucalyptus tree standing. Then I'll have to stand for thousands of years. And I have to suffer scorching heat, shivering cold, and blast wind, and so many things.

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

So people have no education, unfortunately, that the spirit soul is permanent. It is changing different types of body in order to suffer different types of miserable condition of life. They're thinking, easy-going... "I have got now very nice body, eating, sleeping mating and..." That is the business of the hogs and dogs. That is not the business of human being. Human being must be serious to understand the value of life and prepare himself for the next life. The next life, if you go back to Kṛṣṇa... Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Kṛṣṇa says, "You can go back to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa comes here. He takes His incarnation here to canvass, "My dear sons, please come back home. Why you are suffering here?" Kṛṣṇa comes, Kṛṣṇa canvasses. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66).

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

Don't follow these narādhamas. Be faithful. Try to understand, those who are actually followers of God. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So you take to this line of disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa and try to understand what is Absolute Truth, what is your relationship with you, how you can get out of the threefold miserable condition of life. This is possible. That is called brahma-jijñāsā, tattva-jijñāsā, athāto brahma jijñāsā.

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

Because they are not intelligent, they are thinking intelligent. But anyone who is intelligent, they can understand what is the trick.

So when actually one becomes intelligent, then the enquiry is: "Why? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life? I do not want this, and it is forced upon me. I do not want to die; death is there. I do not want disease; the disease is there. I do not want this; it is forced upon me. I don't want war, but they, the draft board drags me to the war. 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.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, you, if you go to the Brahmaloka, many millions of years duration of life, still, you have to die."

So that is the standard of highest perfection. If you do not die, if you do not take birth... If you know what are the miserable conditions of birth, to remain within the womb of the mother... Not only to remain. Nowadays, modern advanced civilization, they are being killed by the mother. Not only abortion, but they are being killed. Now the Western world is very familiar with these things. So just imagine. First of all, you have to remain within the mother's womb, head down, packed-up condition. You cannot move, ten months. And that is also not secure.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:

Within the mother's womb you are not secure. At any moment the doctor may advise that "Kill the child." So these are the miserable condition of birth, but we do not remember them. We have to know it from the śāstra. So similarly, at the time of death, coma and... Nowadays it is a very common disease. For seven days or fifteen days he's unconscious, crying.

So this is the miserable condition of death, this is the miserable condition of birth, and between birth and death there are so many miserable conditions. This old age, this disease, so many calamities, catastrophes. So still, we do not want to make a solution of these problems. And the solution is very simple. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9).

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

That is not possible. So evaṁ prasanna manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). By execution of bhakti-yoga you come to the platform of transcendental bliss, prasanna-manasa. Transcendental, spiritual life means eternal, blissful life of knowledge. That is spiritual platform. And material life means temporary life of miserable condition. Temporary life of miserable condition. That is material life. And spiritual life means eternal, blissful life of knowledge. This life is temporary, but when we are transferred to our spiritual life that is eternal. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1).

We are also part and parcel of sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Vigraha means form. Sac-cid-ānanda does not mean impersonal. That is foolishness, another foolishness. Ānanda cannot be impersonal. You can make experiment.

Lecture on SB 1.3.24 -- Los Angeles, September 29, 1972:

Because after all, it is prison house. There must be tribulation so that you may not come again. You cannot expect that prison house will be very comfortable and you live forever.

So upon these infliction of so many condition, so many miserable condition, still, we do not want to leave this place. Just see how much attachment we have got. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This place has been described that it is a place for suffering. It is not the place for enjoying. But still, we are not inclined to leave it. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). You cannot make even compromise: "All right, it is a place of suffering, but we have got our radio and television. We shall live here." No. You may have your radio, television, and if you make compromise, nature will not allow you. After some years you kick out: "Please get out of this apartment."

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

You can say that. But there is force that you say, "Don't care," but I force you. You have to care.

This is material world. They are saying "Don't... There is no God. We don't care for God. We are, everyone, God." But māyā, the police force, is there, kicking on the face. And they are subjected to so many tribulations, miserable conditions of life. Especially birth, death, old age and disease. Now you don't care for God. So why don't you stop your death? You stop your death. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham, "To the rascals and the demons, I am death. I take away everything." Sarva-haraḥ. Sarva-haraḥ means these rascals are trying to possess so many things: cars, motorcars, skyscraper building, bank balance, big family, big friends, big empire, and so many things. But when death comes, he cannot protect himself, what to speak of protecting other things. You see? So he's under full control, the demons.

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

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. But the animal has no inquiry. Just like the goat is standing whole night. Just see. It has no power to inquire, "Oh, why you have put me into this condition?" That is animal life. "All right, suffering is there. All right, disease is there. That's all right. Death is there, all right. Old age is there, all right." This is animal life.

Therefore Nārada says, jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca. "You are not a fool. You have inquired sufficiently, and you have studied." Adhītaṁ ca.

Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

Śrīdhara Svāmī says, mukunda-sevī. Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa's another name is Mukunda. Muk, muk. Muk means liberation, mukti. So... And ānanda. So Kṛṣṇa can give you liberation from this distressful, miserable condition of material existence and give you transcendental pleasure. Therefore His another name is Mukunda. So mukunda-sevī. Sevī means one, he's engaged in the service of Mukunda, or Kṛṣṇa, Śrīdhara Svāmī says that mukunda-sevī vā jana kadācit kathañcana kujanim gato 'pi saṁsiddhin na vrajet.(?) Even a Mukunda-sevī, by chance... There is chance. Every... Just like Bharata Mahārāja. He began Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but by chance he, at the time of death, he was too much affectionate with a deer cub and he become a deer in the next life. So although it is degraded life, still, he did not forget that "For this reason I have become now deer." So he was very cautious.

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

Dog friend? Hm. So Nārada Muni, by the grace of the mahātmās, he could understand that this material position is very dangerous, and... Dangerous means duḥkhālayam, always miserable condition. But one cannot understand. Unless he's Kṛṣṇa conscious, he cannot understand what is the miserable condition of this material world. He cannot understand. This is māyā. He's suffering, but he's thinking, "I am happy." This is called māyā.

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.

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

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 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

Only for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, you work, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, take prasādam. So bhakti-yoga... You un... Try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then? What will be the result? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Immediately.

So everyone should be alert to treat this miserable condition of material life, tāpa-traya. Tāpa-traya unmūlanam. One has to uproot this tree of tāpa-traya. That is perfection of life. Here Nārada Muni realizing that tāpa-traya-cikitsitam. Not unmūlanam. Unmūlanam means when we are liberated. That is unmūlanam. But why... So long we are not liberated, the cikitsā. The cikitsā. In another place Parīkṣit Mahārāja says, bhavauṣadhi. Bhavauṣadhi, the medicine for this disease of repetition of birth and death. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is the bhavauṣadhi. Some way or other you have got it, and you are chanting. Go on, continuously. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31).

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 23, 1975:

And by the grace of Kṛṣṇa we are attracting the attention of intelligent class of men. So if we continue this process, not to become envious... That is animal nature, dog's nature, hog's nature. Human nature should be para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. One should be very unhappy by seeing others in miserable condition. So everyone is suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our only business is to awaken his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the whole world will be happy. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, lokasya ajānataḥ. People have no knowledge about it. So we have to push on this movement. Lokasyājān..., vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām (SB 1.7.6). Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So another name of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma. If we accept it, then the whole human society will be happy.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

So that is the distinction between an advanced devotee and ordinary man. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Death means changing of the body. So there is nothing to be very much afraid of, but one is afraid of death because at the time of death the tribulation, the miserable condition of the body is very, very severe—so much severe that one cannot remain. He has to give up this body. Just like sometimes out of disappointment, too much suffering, one commits suicide—death. So death means very, very painful, as much as birth is also very, very painful.

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

What is that? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). That is the only plan. There is no other plan. But these rascals, they are being put into severe penalties. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). More and mo... The more they are forgetting God, they are put in, they are put into more and more miserable condition. Practically we see, with the advancement Kali-yuga, people are forgetting his relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and the price of commodity and the food grains, the price is increasing. They cannot eat sufficiently. So many people are dying of starvation. If they cannot eat, how they will live?

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :

He must suffer. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to get the living entity relieved from this material miserable condition of life, and take him back to home, back to Godhead. That is also Kṛṣṇa's mission. Kṛṣṇa also came to impress that "This is not your place." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. "You are creating so many plans to live here very peacefully, but that is not possible. Therefore you give up all this nonsense plan, just come to Me, surrender to Me, and I shall give you protection." Because He is the father, father wants that the nonsense sons, they want to live independently, but he has no such means, therefore father comes to invite, "Come back." Sarva-dharmān..., vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ. These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Mayapura, October 6, 1974:

Teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati. He knows; he has got experience. Still, he is blind, that "These soldiers will not be able to give me protection. When death will come, they'll not be able. But my real miserable condition is birth, death and old age and disease. So when I fall sick, they can help. They're eager to help. But real help they cannot give me." One should understand that. Ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api. They will be killed. Real protection is Kṛṣṇa. That we do not know.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972:

Still they are passing on as great scientists, philosophers... They do not inquire that: "I do not want to die. Why death is enforced upon me?" There is no such inquiry. Neither is there any solution. And still they are scientists. What kind of scientists? If you can...

Science means that you advance in knowledge so that your miserable condition of life can be reduced, minimized. That is science. Otherwise, what is this science? They are simply promising; "In future." "But what you are delivering just now, sir?" "Now just now you suffer as you are suffering, go on suffering. In future we shall find out some chemicals." No. Actually ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. Ātyantika, ultimate. Ātyantika means ultimate. Duḥkha means sufferings. That should be the aim of human life.

Lecture on SB 1.9.2 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1973:

Adhibhautika: troubles offered by other living entities; and adhidaivika, trouble offered by the higher authorities. Just like excessive heat. You cannot control. Excessive cold.

So in this material world we have to work very hard under these three kinds of miserable conditions of life, and we are actually doing that. Still, we are thinking that we are happy. And after all, after doing this, we have to change this body. That means death. We cannot avoid it. But still, we are thinking that we are happy, and we have no sense to try to understand actually what is the standard of happiness, where that happiness can be had, if it is possible. These things are understood and answered by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is the importance of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All-round.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

Similarly, if one is diseased, you can engage first-class physician and you can use first-class medicine; still he dies. Why he dies? You have got so advanced medicine, advanced physician. Why the man dies? Because Kṛṣṇa wanted. That's it. Similarly, we have created so many countereffects for all our miserable condition. That is called struggle for existence. But if there is no sanction from Kṛṣṇa, these counteractions will not be useful. You'll have to starve. You'll have to die. All these methods cannot help you. Mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10). Therefore Kṛṣṇa says mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. So everything, without Kṛṣṇa's sanction... They say, "Not a blade of grass moves without the sanction of God." This is the position. Go on.

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

Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. Tāpa-traya. Tāpa means painful condition, tāpa. Just like if you touch fire, it creates a painful condition by burning the part, similarly, this world is also a blazing fire, saṁsāra-dāvānala. The rascals, they do not know. They are always out of the three kinds of miserable condition. Everyone is in some way or other under these conditions. These conditions means it is... These kleśāḥ, painful conditions, they are created by three causes. What are those causes? Daiva-bhūtātma-hetavaḥ. Daiva means created by the demigods. Daiva. Devatā. Just like this rain department, water department, is under the control of Indra. So Indra can supply water just to your requirement, or sometimes he does not supply, or sometimes he supplies over, over requirement. Ativṛṣṭi, anāvṛṣṭi. Anāvṛṣṭi means no rain, and ativṛṣṭi means excessive.

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

The so-called childish scientists, they cannot give any relief. That is not possible. That is not possible. It is simply false promise. And those who are fools and rascals, they believe that in future... Future, but what they have done in the past? They cannot do anything.

Therefore it is said, there are three kinds of miserable conditions: daiva, bhūta, ātmā. Daiva means adhidaivika, and bhūta means adhibhautika, and ātmā means adhyātmika. Three kinds of miseries. Adhyātmika, pertaining to your body and mind. Body, we have got, we have got experience, so many bodily troubles, anxieties. If not body, mental. These are called adhyātmika.

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

He became very angry, that "You have the audacity to advise Sanātana Gosvāmī? Nonsense." He was so respectful to Sanātana Gosvāmī. The same Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, asking Him the question: "What I am? Why I am put into these threefold miserable condition of life?"

So this is our position. We may be very great man in the estimation of our friends and countrymen, but everyone is subjected to the miserable condition of life. They cannot make any solution. That is not possible. They have made a solution, big, big learned scholars, just that Mr. Kotovsky said, "Swamiji, after death, there is no life.

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

Yes. Kṛṣṇa, the very name, suggests attractive. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. He has got, because He's complete, pūrṇa, so He has got all the attractive features, from material point of view, spiritual point of view. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa. And He delivers the fallen souls from the miserable condition. He attracts and He delivers. Kṛṣṇa. Therefore kṛṣṇa means Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ brahman iti śabdyate. Rāma also, the same thing, Paraṁ Brahman.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- Los Angeles, December 5, 1973:

Just like in India we have got temperature in summer season 120 degrees. Here, just like in your country, the temperature is less. In other country... The temperature in, I mean, the Middle East, the temperature is 135 degrees, Arabian countries.

So there are three tāpas, three kinds of miserable condition, this material world. That also can be taken, tāpa. Tāpa means suffering, excessive heat and cold. That is called tāpa. So hṛt-tāpopaśamāni ca. The teachings of Bhagavad-gītā... We are suffering always within the heart. As Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, that viṣaya viṣānale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale. Viṣaya. Viṣaya means this material enjoyment. So it is just like poison.

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

The four simple regulative principle: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, and chant sixteen rounds. Very simple method.

Because the difficulty is they do not know what is the aim of life. The aim of life, that we are conditioned by this material nature, embodied by the material elements, and that is the cause of our all miserable condition of life. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. Pramattaḥ (SB 5.5.4). We are so mad under the bodily... Everyone is under the... Big, big scientists also, they are also. They don't believe there is soul. Big, big scientists, politicians, philosophers. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13).

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Hawaii, January 19, 1974:

Therefore He's called avatāra. Or any Viṣṇu incarnation who comes down, they come down from the higher planetary system. Therefore it is called avatāra. Incarnation means avatāra who comes down from higher position. Therefore, here it is said, kṛtāvatārasya hareḥ. Hareḥ, "of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Hari, hari means "who takes away all your miserable conditions." Hari, haran, harati. Harati means take away. He comes here just to give you benediction, to save you from all kinds of miseries. Therefore His name is Hari. Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi, er, yasya aham anugṛhṇāmi, anugṛhṇāmi... I forget now. Kṛṣṇa says that "When I shows to somebody special favor, I take away all his possessions." That is special favor.

Lecture on SB 1.16.35 -- Hawaii, January 28, 1974:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes, the puruṣottama, to take us back. "Why you are now covered, your shining is stopped? You are morose. You are suffering threefold miserable condition of material existence. Why you are rotting here?" Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa comes Himself. He is within everyone's heart. He's instructing. He is ready to instruct, but He'll only instruct to such persons who have engaged themselves in devotional service. Kṛṣṇa is there, just like the master is there and many workers are there also. The master speaks to the important persons, not to the ordinary person. Similarly, the master is there in everyone's heart.

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 2.1.4 -- Vrndavana, March 19, 1974:

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). My real self-interest is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is my real self-interest. They do not know. They want to live here, which is described as duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), simply a place of miserable conditions and repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa personally comes to canvass. Because we are all Kṛṣṇa's children, He's very sorry that we are in this miserable condition of life. He's very sorry. But we are so fool, we do not know that what is the condition of our life. We are thinking we are very much happy. This is called māyā. He's suffering, he's kicked by the shoes of māyā every moment, and still, he's thinking "I am very happy. Why shall I go back to home? I shall remain in America." But you cannot be allowed to remain in America. You are thinking, "All right... You are born of a very rich family, a rich nation, you have got opulence. You have... Your roads and your houses are very nice, but who is going to allow you to live here? Why don't you think like that? You may live for fifty years, or sixty years, or utmost 100 years; then you'll be kicked out. But they do not know that life is eternal.

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

A muni-putra lives in a cottage. There is no good bedstead, and eating simple fruits and flowers. So from materialistic point of view, this is a miserable condition of life. So he was blessed that "You have sufficiently undergone austerities. Now your next life is in Vaikuṇṭha. So better you die and go to Vaikuṇṭha. Why you should suffer any more?" So therefore he was blessed that muni-putra muni-putra mā jīva. And the saintly person, he was blessed by the words jīva vā māra vā. "Either you die or live, the same thing." Because, a saintly person is engaged in the service of the Lord so his life is so blissful. So either he lives or when he dies, he goes back to home, back to Godhead. He'll do the same business. So there is no difference.

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

"I don't want it," but... Just like sometimes a man commits suicide, "I don't want this life." So what is the gain? And that is ignorance. He does not know that committing suicide... He's eternal. He's eternal. Living entity is eternal. He thinks that "By killing this body, I am free from this bodily miserable condition of life." No. He's immediately..., either he has to accept a next abominable body or he'll have to become a ghost. One who commits suicide. Ghost means no material gross life, but the mental, material subtle life is there. A ghost is carried by the subtle body: mind, intelligence and false ego. And one who gets a body, gross body...

Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972:

So there is sex, but there is blissful sex. Not that... Here, we want to enjoy sex life, but at the same time want to get out of the result of sex life; therefore we use contraceptive tablets.

Because result of sex life is very, I mean to say, miserable. So we want to avoid the miserable condition of sex life, but there is another life, where there is no miserable condition of sex life. That is spiritual life. But the ordinary poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand it. They think that "Here, the sex life is miserable, conditional sex life. So if in the spiritual world there is also sex life, then it is also miserable." So this conception of sex impulse, just like Rādhā Kṛṣṇa and gopīs' dealing with Kṛṣṇa, they think it is māyā.

Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972:

Their brain cannot accommodate this idea that all these activities can be very blissful, supreme. Without any difficulty, without any miserable condition. They cannot understand it. But ... Therefore it requires higher intelligence to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is trying to give the people the happiness to which is simply blissful, without any inebrieties.

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So here, vāsudeve bhagavati ātma-bhāvaṁ dṛḍhaṁ gataḥ. Vāsudeve bhagavati. Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, bhagavati, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here... Just like if I give one's father's name, then you know the man particularly. So here, bhagavati. There are many expansions of God.

Lecture on SB 2.9.9 -- Tokyo, April 25, 1972, Informal Class in Room:

Prabhupāda: These five kinds of... Is it explained there? Five kinds of?

Śyāmasundara: Five kinds of material miseries?

Pradyumna: "The material body is overcast with five kinds of miserable conditions, namely ignorance, material conception, attachment, hatred, and absorption. As long as one is overwhelmed with these five kinds of material miseries, there is no question of entering into the Vaikuṇṭhalokas."

Prabhupāda: Another five kinds of misery is pavarga. Pa, pha, ba, bha, ma.

Pradyumna: Oh, yes. Pa, pha, ba, bha, ma.

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

That is already arranged. You don't have to work for it." Kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Our endeavor is to achieve happiness. That is our struggle for existence.

Śāstra says, tal labhyate duḥkhavat. Duḥkhavat means... Just like we don't want anything unhappy or miserable condition of life, but we get it. We don't endeavor for it. Nobody says, "Let there be fire in my house. Let my child die." Nobody aspires these things. Everyone thinks that "My child may live. There may not be any danger. I'll get so much money." Nobody thinks of the opposite. But the opposite number comes. The catastrophes come. You don't pray for it. You don't go to the temple for praying, "My Lord, let there be fire in my house."

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

"I come as death and plunder everything, whatever you have got." Your bank balance, your skyscraper building, your nice wife, your children—you have to give up. You cannot say, "My dear death, kindly give me some time. Let me adjust." "No adjustment. Immediately get out."

So foolish people, they do not know what is the miserable condition of this material life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says real knowledge is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), to know that "However great I may be, these four principles of miserable condition of life, there are." It is existing in the Brahmaloka, in the Pātālaloka, everywhere, sarvatra. Gabhīra-raṁhasā. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā. In the due course of time. This is the most wonderful thing.

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

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. On account of material contamination, the soul feels the pains and pleasure of mind and body on account of contact. So this is called adhyātmika. And adhibhautika, pains given by other living entities. Even if you sit down silently, without any, mean, cares, still, the mosquito will come and bite you.

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

They do not have idea even that birth and death can be stopped. They think it cannot be stopped. Mo... Big, big scientists, they cannot stop. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that you should keep in your front four different types of miserable conditions. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). You may be very advanced in scientific knowledge, but what is, where is the possibility of stopping these four principles of miserable condition of life?

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

You may be very advanced in scientific knowledge, but what is, where is the possibility of stopping these four principles of miserable condition of life? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. They are not interested. But when we can stop these four principles of miserable condition, namely, no more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more old age, that is called liberation. You can have it. Simply you have to clear your consciousness. How to clear? Now, guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya. If you become conscious of these three material modes of nature, then it is for bondage. Rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye. And when your consciousness is Kṛṣṇized, simply think of Kṛṣṇa, then it is liberation. Clear idea.

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

Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). So these are needed. So anyway, even if you go to the Brahmaloka, that is not also perfection. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). There is no benefit. Because there also the four principles of miserable condition, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), they are there, even in the Brahmaloka. Brahmā also dies. Brahmā also takes birth. You know it. Brahmā, he also took birth from the lotus flower generated from the navel of Viṣṇu. So there was birth. And when Brahmā will die, whole material cosmic manifestation will be finished. So he has also birth and death and old age and disease. And the small ant or insect, it has also the same disease, old age, birth and death. So one has to become free from this bondage, because we are eternal. Na jāyate na mriyate. Bhagavad-gītā says.

Lecture on SB 3.25.18 -- Bombay, November 18, 1974:

And when one realizes this position, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, particle, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. My duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," then it is called self-realization. Not that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I become Bhagavān." How you become Bhagavān? If you are Bhagavān, if you are actually the supreme powerful, then why you are in miserable condition under māyā? Does Bhagavān come under māyā? No. Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā. Māyā is the maidservant of Kṛṣṇa. And we are servant of māyā. So how we can become māyā, uh, Bhagavān? This is common sense. Had I been Bhagavān, then why I have become servant of māyā?

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

Our actual position is not to die, but we are dying. But we are so foolish, we do not take care of it. "Let us die. Let us die." But śāstra says, Kṛṣṇa says, Bhagavad-gītā says, that "Why you should die?" But they are so dull brain, they say, "Let us die. What is that?" Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu. Kṛṣṇa has picked up... Their whole life is miserable condition, tri-tāpa-yatana, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, but we are so foolish, we have accepted this miserable condition of life as customary. So they have become accustomed.

But the Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavān, personally says that "Your real miserable condition of life are the four things: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)." But who is taking seriously? There are so many advancements of education, scientific and... Who is making research work how to stop death? No. Nobody is there. No scientist's brain is working. But it is possible.

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

Tat sādhu manye asura-varya dehinām. "So far I have understood, that dehinām, those who are embodied..." Dehinām. Not "dehānām." Dehinām, he has said. Dehinām means we are dehī, we are proprietor of this body. I am not this body. So because we accepted this body, we are always in miserable condition. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). We accept this temporary body. That is the cause of all miseries. We cannot understand it. We are talking of so many miseries, but what is the cause of misery, that we do not know. Everyone knows, but he'll not know it. The cause is this body. Because the body is there, there is disease, there is old age, there is birth, there is death. And the whole struggle is against how to stop death, how to stop birth, how to stop disease, and how to stop old age. You just see.

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

You accept one body, you'll not be allowed to remain in that body permanently. You must have to give it up. Again accept another body. Again you have to give it up. What is this business? But they are so rascal, they do not know that how much miserable condition we are in. We are simply accepting one body and again... Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Tyaktvā deham. We are... We do not know that "I am not this body."

Lecture on SB 3.25.23 -- Bombay, November 23, 1974:

So this devotional service, this line of action, is so nice that if we practice, if we make advance, then even in this material world, staying, there will be no more suffering. That is called jīvan mukta. Jīvan mukta means although he is in this body, but he is not suffering the bodily miserable condition. It is a question of absorption of thought. I have read in some paper that Mr. Stalin, the communist leader, he had to undergo a surgical operation of operating on the belly. But doctor wanted to, what is called, chloroform, but he said, "No, there is no need. You can go on with your operation." So even in ordinary life it is possible. Because the mind is absorbed in a different way, even a surgical operation does not disturb a man. Similarly, what to speak of spiritual life, if your mind is always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought, Kṛṣṇa consciousness... That is stated mad-gata-cetasaḥ, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa advises also.

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

Death can be avoided, birth can be avoided, disease can be avoided, but you do not know, you have become so dull. We do not know how to overcome. We are busy temporary inconveniences. The whole world is struggling, some temporary. The real business is ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti, everyone is trying to minimize the miserable condition, but they are busy for temporary miserable condition. But the Vedic knowledge is how to mitigate the topmost miserable condition. That topmost miserable condition is the repetition of birth, death, and old age. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam, anu-darśanam (BG 13.9). We should not be very much afflicted with these temporary things. We must have the sense how to solve the ultimate miserable condition of life. That, tad-vijñānārtham, in order to know that science sa gurum evābhigacchet.

Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:

The state ordered him to be crucified because he is talking. Similarly, Hiraṇyakaśipu, his five-years-old body, he was talking only of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa. So therefore his father became enemy. He was trying in so many ways to kill him. This is the very old story, that if you become a devotee, you must be prepared to be put into miserable condition by the demons. That is their business. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). Asuras... Just like even Kṛṣṇa, even God Himself, He was attempted to be killed by Kaṁsa. Not only that, He engaged so many demons, Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Mahīśāsura, so many asuras. But Kṛṣṇa is always Kṛṣṇa. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He is able to finish these duṣkṛtas or the asuras by His omnipotency. That He can do. But the asuras are always... Their only business is to give trouble to God and His devotee.

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

And if you become very learned scholar in the Vedānta and busy with these bodily affairs, that is another foolishness. If you actually Vedantist, then you should be inquiring that "I am eternal. Why I am put into this temporary body, and on account of this body, I am subjected to so many miserable condition of material life? Why I should remain in this condition? How I can get released from this condition?" That is human life. That is human life. And tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If you actually very much eager to inquire about it, then you require a guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: (SB 11.3.21) "One who is inquisitive about spiritual life, about spiritual identity," tasmāt, "therefore," guruṁ prapadyeta, "you must seek out a bona fide guru."

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

"Now we are making very much progress." What progress you have made? Have you stopped birth, death, old age, and disease? These troubles are awaiting. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You should always think that "I am waiting for the miserable condition." It is already miserable condition. Even in living time there are threefold miseries. Even you sit down peacefully, then the mosquito will bite you, bugs will bite you, and you will get some letter from some enemy. So even if you cannot sit down peacefully... If you think, "Now I am sitting at my home very peacefully," so many things will disturb you one after another. That is called tīvram, bhayaṁ tīvram.

Lecture on SB 3.25.44 -- Bombay, December 12, 1974:

"This is a place for misery." This material world is a place for misery. This body is meant for suffering miseries, and the land is meant for suffering miseries. That we do not understand. But we are placed in a miserable condition all round. That is material life. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). But we have got attachment for this material happiness, even it is duḥkhālayam, it is very much painful, miserable, and we are making plans how to become happy here. This is called struggle for existence. It is going on perpetually. We are making some plan to be happy, and it is dismantled by the laws of nature. You study the whole history of the world: it is simply struggling. We are making some plan to be out of miserable condition, but it is causing another miserable condition.

Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

Everything belongs to Him. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā. Mama māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). That is creation of Kṛṣṇa. It is necessary.

Somebody... The question is asked, "Why Kṛṣṇa created this material energy which is so miserable condition?" Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). So it is not Kṛṣṇa willingly created. But He gave the chance to the living entities who forgot Kṛṣṇa. He forgot Kṛṣṇa's service and wanted to enjoy this material world. Indriya-tarpaṇa(?) Indriya-prītaye. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Here they are doing just against the law, kurute vikarma. Karma, vikarma, and akarma. So we have very good experience, especially in big, big cities. People, just to get money they are doing so many unlawful activities, vikarma.

Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

Asann means "will not"; it is temporary. But so long you have got this body, kleśada, it is painful always, miserable. Adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika—some kinds of miserable condition must be going on.

So this is our position. Therefore ātma-darśana, one must know what he is. He is spiritual being. Spiritual being, he has nothing to do with this material world, but somehow or other, we have fallen in this material world. Anādi karama-phale, paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale. It is just like ocean. So just like if you fall down from the boat or the ship, then it is struggle for existence. You may be very nice swimmer, but that does not mean in the water you will be comfortable. That is not possible. Similarly, we living entities, part and parcel of God, we are as pure as God. Kṛṣṇa, God, is pure.

Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:

Everybody has got some material happiness. The man has got a standard of material happiness. The dog has got a standard of material happiness. The demigods, they have got a standard of material happiness. Everyone has got. So... But actually, it is not happiness. It is simply miserable condition. And because we do not appreciate this miserable condition, we still think that we are happy. That is called māyā, illusion. This is called saṁsṛtiḥ. Although we are in a miserable condition, continually, every moment, every second... This place is like that. Kṛṣṇa says, not that we are saying. Kṛṣṇa says, duḥkhālayam. Continually you have to suffer. But we are, we have become so much habituated in this suffering, we do not accept it as suffering. We take it as very pleasing, because we have no idea what is actually happiness. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam (BG 6.21).

Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:

Suppose after working very, very hard I get one millions dollars, so I will not be allowed to enjoy this one million dollar for all the days. Aśāśvatam. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Kṛṣṇa says that this place is full of miseries. To get that one million dollar you have to undergo so many miserable condition of life. And even if you get it... Perhaps you may not get it. Everyone is trying, but they cannot. Everyone is not getting. Who is destined to get, he will get it, not that everyone, because he, one is trying very hard, it is guaranteed that he will get one millions dollars. That is not possible. That one who is to get by destiny... This is the śāstra. Actually, this is the fact.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

These are the two causes for which we are put into this material world. So we have to rectify this mentality, that "I am independent. I am God. I can do whatever we like." This mentality has to be rectified. For that rectification we are in this material world, and we are undergoing different types of miserable condition of life to become rectified so that we may come to the senses, that "I want to be happy. I want to enjoy life. Why I am put into this unfavorable circumstances? The most unfavorable circumstance is that I do not want to die. Still, I have to die." This is common sense. So in order to... On account of this puruṣa mentality... Just like I have already explained the strī can enjoy happy life along with the husband, not independently, similarly, we, being prakṛti, our business is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Then we will be happy. Otherwise we will not be happy. It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:

And there are 8,400,000 types of bodies. In this way our life is going on in this material world.

But our real business is that "Why we are put into the cycle of birth and death, and according to the body we are suffering different types of miserable condition of life?" Actually, we are trying to enjoy life, sukham, but it is a struggle for existence. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. We are having great struggle for existence. Therefore we should study philosophically and scientifically, analyze what is this body and what is beyond the body, soul, and what is the soul's function, where is the soul's place, ultimately what is the end goal of the activities of the soul. This is human life. And all this knowledge can be had from the Vedic literature, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of Vedic literature. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3).

Lecture on SB 3.26.16 -- Bombay, December 25, 1974:

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja advises hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). The real position of fearlessness is harim āśrayeta, take shelter of Hari. Hari means who takes away all subjective things of fearfulness. That is Hari. He takes away all our miserable condition of life, Hari. Harim āśrayeta. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt.

Lecture on SB 3.26.16 -- Bombay, December 25, 1974:

So everything is there, but we don't accept. Under designation, we are fighting, that's all. Under designation, under ignorance, we are fighting. We are forgetting Kṛṣṇa. Therefore our miserable condition, bhaya, fearfulness. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ. Viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ means just opposite understanding. Everything belongs to God. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). That's a fact. But I am thinking, "It is my land." Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti. Nothing belongs to us. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. If we accept Kṛṣṇa, the center, and we work under His direction, as it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, our life is successful, our whole program is peaceful. All tranquility, everything is there.

Lecture on SB 3.26.18 -- Bombay, December 27, 1974:

Therefore the so-called scientific advancement, what is that? Duṣkṛtinaḥ,no benefit for the human society.

The real problem is, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Our real miserable condition of life is birth, death, old age, and disease. Where is scientific help to mitigate these miseries? There is no stoppage of birth; there is no stoppage of death; there is no stoppage of disease. You can manufacture very good medicine for disease, but you stop disease. That is not possible. So our so-called meritorious activities in scientific research and education, they have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as duṣkṛtinaḥ, mischievous activities. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. They are not actually beneficial, but they are mischievous.

Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:

Mātrā-sparśās tu. Mātrā-sparśāḥ means it is due to the touching of the skin we feel like that, distress and happiness. Actually this material world, as certified by Kṛṣṇa, it is place of distress. There is no happiness. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It has been described in the Bhagavad-gītā, "This place is place for miserable condition." Duḥkha ālayam. Ālayam, so long you are not annihilated, this place is duḥkhālayam. It is miserable condition. We have several times explained.

So we have to purify the consciousness. Then we shall be without any touch of this so-called distress and happiness. That is prescribed here: yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svaccham. Here there is little happiness in the sattva-guṇa. But still, that sattva-guṇa can be contaminated by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa-directly distress. And sattva-guṇa, there is little taste of happiness, but that is not complete happiness.

Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:

The consciousness is impure; therefore there are so many varieties, material varieties, and we are captivated by these material varieties. But that is not giving us any happiness. We are especially very much unhappy on account of janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). So if we want to get relief from the miserable condition of this material life... This place is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) "This place is meant for miseries." Do not try to become happy here. That is foolishness, mūḍha. Nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. "The mūḍhas, these rascals, they do not know that here he cannot be..., one cannot be happy, because real happiness is when he comes back to Me." Mām ebhyaḥ param... Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). That is real happiness. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21). Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 3.26.26 -- Bombay, January 3, 1975:

That is recommended: bhaja vāsudevam. Bhaja... The others... There are many yogis, jñānīs, they are trying to get out of the situation, kūṭa-stha, phalonmukha, prārabdha situation of our life. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that the devotees, they can very easily uproot the causes of our material miserable condition of life. Yat-pāda-paṅkaja-palāśa-vilāsa-bhaktyā. Vilāsa. Vilāsa means enjoying, and bhaktyā means devotees. They are always attached to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). The devotees are always engaged, they are always attached, padāravindayoḥ. Aravinda, lotus flower and the lotus feet. So devotees, they are concerned, always seeing the lotus feet of the Lord. They do not try to see even the face. Beginning with the lotus feet.

Lecture on SB 3.26.43 -- Bombay, January 18, 1975:

So this is also one tāpa. In this material world we are suffering so many varieties of tāpa. Tāpan vindanti maithunyam agaram ajhaḥ.(?) It is simply full of tāpa. Tāpa means heat, and tāpa means unbearable, miserable condition. Therefore from tāpa... It comes from tāpa, tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some unfavorable condition. Of course, the soul is not affected by any favorable or unfavorable condition. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. Actually, it has no connection with the favorable, unfavorable condition. It is simply abhiniveśa. The mind being affected by the material contamination, we are suffering so-called miserable condition of life. It is due to the mind. Otherwise, as it is said, one man is satisfied in a very poor condition of life, and another man is not satisfied even in the best opulent condition of life.

Lecture on SB 3.26.43 -- Bombay, January 18, 1975:

What is that? So we have to know Kṛṣṇa, that He is actually enjoyer. Master and servant. If the servant knows that "In this house my master is the proprietor. He is the enjoyer. I am simply servant," then he is peaceful. But if he artificially tries to become the master although he is servant there, then there is all disturbance. So here our miserable conditions are caused by our thinking that "I am the proprietor. I am the owner. I am the enjoyer." One becomes to owner, proprietor, because he wants to enjoy. So this is our disease. Actually, we are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). This is our original position. We are servant, even in this condition. But we are servant of māyā, illusion—means we are servant of our lusty desires, kāma, krodha, anger, lobha, greediness, moha, illusion, so many, mada, madness. We are servant of these propensities. We are not master.

Lecture on SB 3.26.44 -- Bombay, January 19, 1975:

God has not made. They have made themselves poor. God has not made. He does not make any distinguish. He says the plain truth, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). He is saying to everyone. So if we do not do—we have got little independence—then we are in this miserable condition of life.

So these miseries of the society, that is not creation by God. God is very, very kind to everyone. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Nobody is Kṛṣṇa's, or God's, enemy; nobody is Kṛṣṇa's friend. But one who wants to serve Kṛṣṇa as friend, his consideration is different. "Oh, here is a willing servant." That is bhakti. Bhakti means willingness. Śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya, mādhurya. These are the different development of bhakti. First of all, in the material stage, we are defying, "Oh, what is..." That is asuric. "What is God?

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

Therefore you have to act under the direction of this prakṛti, material nature. And so long you are under this material nature, you have to accept this birth, death, old age and disease. This is your real misery. We are thinking temporary miserable condition. Śāstra says that "You don't require to adjust temporary material misery or happiness, because they will come and go. You are destined to certain type of miserable condition of life, certain type of so-called happy life. That will automatically come and go just like seasonal changes." Āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. We are very much happy when we are in a very good condition of life. But that will also not stay. That will also go away. Then miserable condition. Cakravat parivartante sukhāni ca duḥkhāni ca. Sometimes happy, sometimes miserable.

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

So if you are actually interested to get out of miserable condition, then try to get out of these four miserable condition of life: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). That is intelligence. Don't be bothered with the temporary miserable or happy. They will come and go. Tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. If you cannot bear, then try to tolerate. That is the qualification of brāhmaṇa. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā, tolerance. We should not be disturbed, "Now I am in miserable condition." Tolerate. The miserable condition will come this material world. Don't be very much happy when you are in happy condition of life; neither you become mad in miserable condition of life. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and make your life success.

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

So Kṛṣṇa wanted as Kṛṣṇa that "All these rascals may give up their so foolish engagements and surrender unto Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). That was Kṛṣṇa's last word in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa wants this, that "These rascals they are suffering in this material condition of life, three miserable condition, and still, they are so rascal, they do not come to their senses. Still, they want to remain servant of māyā. So let Me directly say, 'You rascal, give up all this engagement. Surrender unto Me.' " That is Kṛṣṇa. But they will not do it. "Why shall I surrender? I have got so many things. I have got my nation, I have got my family, I have got my this, I have got Why shall I surrender to You? Give up everything?" Such a rascal, cannot be convinced any way. Whole world is servant of somebody, but he declines to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is the disease, material disease. He will remain servant of thousands and millions of establishment and person, but he will disagree.

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

What is this foolishness? Why should you pay the electric bill? Go there and live there. There is no need of... Na yatra... Na tad bhāsayate. It is... The spiritual world is not lighted by the sun, moon. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. Because everyone is effulgent, every planet is effulgent, so therefore there is no need of these things. There is no ignorance. There is no scarcity. There is no miserable condition. That is called Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means vigata kuṇṭha yasmād iti vaikuṇṭha. Kuṇṭha, anxiety. Here every man, even the richest man is full of anxiety. Your president, he is the richest person in this country, and he is the third richest man in the world, somebody. But do you think he is without anxiety? No. That is not possible. That is not possible. He is full of anxiety: "The other party may not take." (aside:) You sit down properly. Other party may not take his position. This is all politicians' anxiety. Even the king of heaven, Indra, he is also full of anxiety. There are Hiraṇyakaśipus.

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

Don't think that by going to the heavenly planet you'll be happy there. No. There is no possibility. Either you go to the heavenly planet or you go to the hell, you will have to undergo the threefold miserable conditions.

Therefore inviting. Kṛṣṇa is coming, inviting. We are also, on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, inviting. Na yatra bhāsayate sūryaḥ. So you come to that spiritual life. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). And what is? How you can go there? Very simple. Very simple. Kṛṣṇa has given you the simple program. What is that? Manmanā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). If you simply follow these four principles without arguing foolishly and rascally, manmanā bhava mad-bhakto (BG 18.65), these four principles. "Always think of Me," Kṛṣṇa says.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

Without self-realization, whatever we are acting, we are piling up the stones and woods and iron in such skyscraper building. So we may do that, but it is our defeat. It is not conquering; it is defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. If we don't inquire about ourself, "What I am? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life, birth, death, old age, and there are so many other things...?" Unless you come to question why, your human life is not perfect.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

And how it is to be utilized? That is stated here by Ṛṣabhadeva: tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvam śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). Sattvam, our existence, is now polluted. Therefore we are getting this material body and changing this material body. And as soon as we get a material body, then our miserable condition begins. In this material body nobody can say that there is no miserable condition. It is full of miserable condition. There are three kinds of miserable conditions: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyātmika means pertaining to the body and pertaining to the mind. There are so many miseries. Otherwise... The other day Swami Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa was telling that in this country there is maximum number of suicide. Is it not? So, why one commits suicide unless he feels bodily position very uncomfortable, mental condition very disturbing? So this is called adhyātmika, pertaining to the body and mind.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

I may be very rich, I may have immense wealth, but if my body and mind is not in order, I am in trouble. So simply material opulence, material wealth will not satisfy us. We require bodily comforts. And if I have got millions of dollars and if I am diseased man, I cannot enjoy; I cannot be in happiness. So these are one type of miserable condition. Similarly, there are other types of miserable condition as adhibhautika. I do not wish to create any misunderstanding with a friend, but automatically there is some misunderstanding between friends, neighbors, nation, man to man, business friend. There are troubles. So this is called... And not only... If not human being, human being, but other, lower animals. Just like there are insects, there are cockroaches, there are so many other living bodies—they are giving us trouble. That is called adhibhautika. And adhidaivika. Adhidaivika is nature's disturbance.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

Just like there are insects, there are cockroaches, there are so many other living bodies—they are giving us trouble. That is called adhibhautika. And adhidaivika. Adhidaivika is nature's disturbance.

So there are three kinds of miserable condition in this material world, and either of them or all of them, they are always troubling us. This is our position. We have to understand that. We are suffering. That everyone knows. But by illusion we think that "This is not suffering. This is natural." No. It is not natural. Just like if you have got fever, it is disease. Don't think that it is natural. Why you should be suffering from all these troubles? That is not natural; that is unnatural. Because we are part and parcel of God, we living entities, we should be as happy as God is. That is our position.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

This is intelligence, that "I am trying to solve all the problems of life by advancement of civilization, education, scientific knowledge and so many things. That's all right. But what is the solution of my, these four principle of miserable condition: birth, death, old age and disease?" And because we cannot make any solution, we set aside these four problems. We go on with the temporary problems and become busy to solve it, and in this way we waste our, this valuable human form of life like the cats and dogs. This is the instruction.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

This is the opportunity to understand God and make solution of all different types of births and deaths and transmigration from one body to another.

And as soon as I get a material body, immediately there are so many miserable condition. But I am... As spirit soul, part and parcel of God, I have nothing to do with all these things, but I have been forced to be working with these problems of life. This is human intelligence. Therefore he requires to live a saintly life. It is not possible, of course, that everyone should become saintly. That is not possible. Therefore in the Vedic civilization it is prescribed, varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇa means four classification of the society, and āśrama means four division of spiritual life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2), vimukteḥ means for liberation. If you want to get liberation from this material bondage, repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease, and not only that, so long we live there are so many miserable conditions of life. This is called material existence. If we want to get out of this entanglement, then we must take to the service of great saintly personalities. So, that is the way for liberation, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. There are two, just like we are in the crossroad, which way we shall go? That can be understood in this human form of life. This human form of life, we have come to this point by evolution. Now we are on the, just on the crossroad, whether we shall go this way or that way. If we want to be free from the entanglement of material misery, then here it is recommended, mahat-sevām.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Bombay, March 25, 1977:

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Guest (3): When we are with Kṛṣṇa, we are enjoying the supreme bliss there. As soon as we come to this material world we are in a miserable condition.

Prabhupāda: Well this is natural.

Guest (3): Why did we left Śrī Kṛṣṇa and came to this world? What was the cause? There was no action at all.

Prabhupāda: There is cause: kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). There is master and servant. The servant sometimes desires, "Why not become a master?" That is natural. So...

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

Our existence, this existence is not purified, therefore we have got this material body. Now what is the decitement (?). Let us have this material, we are enjoying very nicely. What is this bad? But these rascals, they have no idea that we can avoid the, I mean to say, miserable condition of this body. We can avoid. This, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudar... (BG 13.9), but they do not know that this is unhappiness, this is distaste.

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

We should be disgusted, this repetition of birth and death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One should be intelligent enough to understand, "Why I should be subjected to birth and death?" Nobody wants to die. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. Nobody wants the threefold miserable condition of this material life, but it is forced upon us, and we are thinking "Independent." That is foolishness. We are not independent. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). As you are associating with the different modes of material nature, the prakṛti, material nature, by pulling your ear, "You'll come on here. Take this body." "No, I don't want." "No, that is not your discretion. Now you have infected, you see. You must take this body." This risk is there. And just to forget ourself we sometimes say, "No, there is no life after death."

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

The symptom of a mahātmā, great soul, is described here. What is that? That dehambhara-vārtikeṣu. Those who are simply planning how to keep this body comfortable, that is the material world. Everyone is busy how to keep this body very comfortable, although it is not possible. There are so many disturbances, so many miserable condition, that there is no possibility of keeping this body in comfortable position. That is not. That is a fact. But still, we are trying. There they are called deha, dehambhara-vārtikeṣu. Just to make gorgeous arrangement for keeping this body very comfortable, they are called dehambhara-vārtikeṣu. They are simply busy how to keep this body comfortable. To such person, janeṣu dehambhara...

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

Sādhu means honest work, nice sādhu means saintly person or good. It is not good. Why it is not good? I am enjoying, enjoying. Enjoying means palate, very nice. Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). You do not know that you have got this material body. And what is this material body? Material body means full of miserable condition. That's all. Who has got a material body, they do not understand what is spiritual body. So suppose material or spiritual, anyone who has got this body, can anyone here say, "I have no trouble, I am free from all trouble"? Is there anyone? Is it possible to say? What do you think?

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

Can anyone say that "Yes, I've got this body, but I have no miserable condition, I'm always very happy"? Is there anyone? That rascal civilization, they cannot understand. They are trying to stop miserable condition, but he does not know that miserable condition is his body. Just see how much foolish (it) is. He does not know that this very body is the cause of your miserable condition. They do not know. They are trying to improve the condition. How you'll improve the condition? Just like in our Bengal there is a word, jadi jau bange kapala jabe sange (?). Just like people are going from this country to that to improve economic condition. But it is a common saying that "Wherever you rascal go, your fate will go with you."

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

That is stated here: nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti na sādhu manye (SB 5.5.4). In this way, to waste time, is not at all good. Na sādhu manye. Why it is not good? Yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ: Because we have got this miserable condition of life, this body... This is due to our past action. Now if you create again the same action, then you'll have to accept another body. Then your, this miserable condition of life will continue. Will continue. Just finish it.

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

Then there will be no more pains and pleasures." That is the Buddhist theory, that the body is combination of matter, and there is pains and pleasures, so make this body zero. Then there will be no more pains and pleasures, and you will have to accept another body. And so long you shall continue to accept one body after another, the miserable condition of material existence will continue. Therefore in the beginning it was said that "This body, human body, is not to be misused simply for sense gratification like the dogs and hogs." That was the beginning.

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

Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he first approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his question was that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. This is very nice question, that "Kindly tell me what I am, what I am, and why I am subjected to the threefold miseries of material existence. I do not want all these miserable conditions of life, but I am forced to accept them. Therefore what is my position? Why I am forced to accept?" This should be the question. This is called ātma-tattva-jijñāsā inquiry. "What I am?" Nobody knows what he is. Everyone thinks that "I am this body." Therefore he is abodha-jāta. From the very birth, he is a rascal. He does not know his identity. Somebody is thinking, "I am American," somebody is thinking, "I am Englishman," somebody is thinking, "I am an Indian." All these identifications are doggish identification.

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

Why? Sex pleasure. That's all. He will get money and he will have home and sex pleasure or tongue pleasure. So therefore it is said, gata-smṛtiḥ. Actual. Actually, he has forgotten. His own business, he has forgotten, but he is entrapped by a process of sense gratification. Although it is very great hardship and miserable condition, but he is satisfied because this sense gratification is there. Gata-smṛtiḥ tatra tāpān āsādya maithunyam agāram ajñaḥ. Because he is foolish, therefore he likes to be imprisoned simply for sense gratification.

Lecture on SB 5.5.7 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1976:

He knows it. Similarly, in this human form of life, if we do not come to this understanding sahasā vipaścit, that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I am simply taking poison, then his life is spoiled, gata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpān. He will simply be put into miserable condition. That is the nature's way, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā dur... (BG 7.14). You cannot escape the stringent laws of material nature. You will go on suffering, suffering. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra vartmani (BG 9.3). You will suffer again and again this body and next body, next body. That is nature's way. But ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). These rascals, on account of false prestige, false knowledge, false education, he is thinking that I am independent, I can do what ever I like.

Lecture on SB 5.5.7 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1976:

These rascals, on account of false prestige, false knowledge, false education, he is thinking that I am independent, I can do what ever I like. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham (BG 3.27), we have to give up this, then vipaścit, sahasā vipaścit. Otherwise we have to continue the miserable condition of life. Gata-smṛtiḥ, because we have forgotten our real position.

What is our position? Our position is as described by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Our real position is that I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So gata-smṛtiḥ, I have forgotten that. And therefore, bhuliyā tomāre saṁsāre āsiyā peye nānā-vidha byathā. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's song, "My Lord, forgetting You I came in this material world. I am simply suffering." Peye nānā-vidha byathā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.7 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1976:

This is our only business. But forgetting this business, gata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpān. Whatever business we are doing, we are simply suffering. Tāpān āsādya, he is actually tasting miserable condition. Then how they are working? This is the conclusion of this verse, how they are being baffled in every stage, and how they are working so hard.

We see people are working so hard, day and night. They go to business, or go to office, from morning 5:00 up to ten o'clock at night, they work. You will see in big, big cities, how they are going by the daily, passengers how they are hanging in the buses, going. Why? Why they are working so hard? It is not very simple thing. Why they are working so hard?

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

This is called brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

So unless a civilized man is trained up to understand these problems of life, what is that life? That is animal life. If one is not jijñāsu, if one is not inquisitive about the miserable condition of his life, if he remains satisfied in miserable condition of life, then he is nothing but animal. Animal cannot understand. Animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse, and they are going very easily, and one animal enters the slaughterhouse shed, every animal will enter. In Hindi it is called bheriyagasa (?). One bheri enters, then all the bheris will enter, automatically. He does not know that "Where I am entering? I am entering in this way for being slaughtered." But he has no knowledge. This is going on. This is called illusion. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). We, in Hindi it is called (Hindi).

Lecture on SB 5.5.10-13 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1976:

"O My sons, you should accept a highly elevated paramahaṁsa, a spiritually advanced spiritual master. In this way, you should place your faith and love in Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You should detest sense gratification and tolerate the duality of pleasure and pain, which are like the seasonal changes of summer and winter. Try to realize the miserable condition of living entities, who are miserable even in the higher planetary systems. Philosophically inquire about the truth. Then undergo all kinds of austerities and penances for the sake of devotional service. Give up the endeavor for sense enjoyment and engage in the service of the Lord. Listen to discussions about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and always associate with devotees.

Lecture on SB 5.5.10-13 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1976:

They are declaring the planets are vacant; only their father's property here, that is full of living entities. This is nonsense. This is nonsense.

Therefore it is said, sarvatra jantor vyasanāvagatyā. Sarvatra, everywhere, there are living entities and there are sufferings. Not only living entities. As there are sufferings here, three kinds of miserable conditions, even that will continue. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). That is statement of Kṛṣṇa. Even you go to the Brahmaloka. Not that Brahmaloka is better. Why there are so many, ananta-koṭi, planets? Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi: (Bs. 5.40) not only one universe but many millions and trillions of universes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). Koṭiṣu.

Lecture on SB 5.5.10-13 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1976:

The Bṛhaspati is the spiritual master of the demigods, and his wife was kidnapped by Candra. He is also one of the demigods. Just see: the sex and lusty desires are so strong, even in the higher planetary system. And that is the cause. That is the cause. Here it is said, liṅgaṁ vyapohet kuśalo 'ham-ākhyam. This false ego is the cause of our miserable condition in this material world. Material world is miserable, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), this material world. One ant is living, say for one day, and I am living for hundred years, and Brahmā is living for millions of years. That does not mean any one of us is free is from the miserable condition of this material world. Nobody. Therefore this material world is called duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15).

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

Why shall I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? Let me enjoy sex." Śreyasi. And preyasi: "This is pleasure." And it is not pleasure; therefore naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ. He does not know that this sense pleasure is not his actual pleasure. It is creating different types of miserable conditions. Naṣṭa-dṛṣṭiḥ. He has no eyes. Arthān samīheta nikāma-kāmaḥ. Based on... He does not know, either it is legal sex or illegal sex. There are two kinds of sex life, legal and illegal. Legal is married life sex. That is taken as legal. And without marriage, like cats and dogs in the street or here and there, that is illegal. So legal sex life is still allowed. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, dharmāviruddha-kāmo 'smi. If there is legal sex, one man and woman, married, and only for progeny they get into sex life, that is allowed in the śāstra. But illegal, illicit sex is most abominable. But either illicit or legal, there are so many sufferings. So many sufferings.

Lecture on SB 5.5.32 -- Vrndavana, November 19, 1976:

That is natural. So for the bāliśa, innocent, it is our duty to show them mercy, give them food, give them shelter, give them instruction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that he may understand why he is here in this material world, why he is suffering. Ke āmi kene amaya jape tāpa traya. Everyone is suffering threefold miserable condition of life, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika.

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

So it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), and you have to practice tapasya if you want to get out of it. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattva (SB 5.5.1). We are now accustomed to this miserable condition of life. If you want actual happiness, then you have to undergo austerity, tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. You are hankering after happiness. That happiness, brahma-sukha, eternal happiness, you will get by practicing tapasya. So don't believe, don't make friendship with your restless mind. This is the instruction. Don't make friendship. Simply beat the mind with shoes and broomstick; otherwise cannot bring in control. And other alternative is kevalayā bhaktyā. So if you can engage your mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then it is possible. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18).

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

So these are the subject matters to be considered. That is called brahma-jijñāsā, to understand about his spiritual life, spiritual knowledge. Then there will be question, "How the spirit soul—I am—I have contacted this material body?" And it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that because I have accepted this material body, all miserable conditions are there. We are trying to get over miseries. That is called struggle for existence. Everyone is trying. He thinks, "One status of life is miserable. Let me avoid it and get better life." That is our struggle. In this way, from lower bodies we have come to this spiritual..., I mean to say, human form of body. Now it has to be decided what is our next body. Next body. That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

Just imagine. You can go there and live like that, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25), if you like. But that is not eternal life. After that long period, you have to die. So Kṛṣṇa says janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You are trying to avoid all kinds of miserable condition, but your real miserable condition is your birth, death, old age, and disease. Try to avoid it. That is perfection. That is spiritual life.

So there are many things. If you kindly take advantage of our offering... We are presenting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very genuinely and authorizedly. The center is open now. Now it is up to you to take advantage of it and be benefited.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Honolulu, May 5, 1976:

Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvaḥ (SB 5.5.1). Śuddha. Śuddha means purification, existence, purifying the existence. We are eternal, we are existing, and on account of impurity, we have got this material body, and it is subjected to the laws of material nature, and we have to change one after another. This is pravṛtti-mārga. But in the human form of life if we come to senses that "Why I shall accept repetition of birth, death, old age, disease, and so many miserable conditions?" so that is called sense. That is intelligence. That intelligence can be developed in human form of life, and if we do not do, then the same example: just you use the sandalwood for burning purpose.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

This is prāyaścitta, life for life. That is Manu-saṁhitā. This hanging a condemned person, a murderer, is a mercy to him. That is stated in the Manu-saṁhitā. People are becoming now sympathetic that "Whatever is done is done. Let this man be saved." This kind of sympathy is no good. People are taking sympathy. A man suffering from certain disease or certain miserable condition. They want to ameliorate it. This kind of sympathy is not sanctioned. He should suffer so that the reaction of his sinful activities in the past life should be diminished. If he does not suffer, then he will have to suffer more, continue, because he is condemned to suffer so much. If you minimize it now, that does not mean he will not suffer. He will suffer next life. Just like a man is imprisoned, and if your friend or relative is imprisoned, by somehow or other you get him released by hook and crook, so when you are again captured you are again severely punished, both the men. Is it not the law?

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-8 -- New York, July 21, 1971:

That is Vaiṣṇava. (aside:) Don't make this sound. (indistinct) Vaiṣṇava—para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. They're very much afflicted with others', I mean to say, miserable life. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he presented himself as very much afflicted with others' miserable condition of life. So all the Vaiṣṇavas, devotees... It doesn't matter which country he belongs to or which sect he belongs to. Anyone who is God-conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious... Therefore to blaspheme a Vaiṣṇava, a preacher of God's glory, is great offense. Kṛṣṇa, or God, will never tolerate offense on the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava. So here Parīkṣit Mahārāja is asking... Because he's a Vaiṣṇava. Mind that. A Vaiṣṇava is actually feeling... Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī kṛpāmbudhi. These are the adjectives of the qualifications. (aside:) Sit down. Kṛpāmbudhi means ocean of mercy, kṛpāmbudhi. And para-duḥkha-duhkhī. Vāñchā-kalpa-taru.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-8 -- New York, July 21, 1971:

And according to their own method, they defend also. Then where is the distinction between a human life and animal life if you are simply engaged with these four principles of our bodily necessities?

The distinction is when a human being is inquisitive, "Why I am put into this miserable condition of life? Is there any remedy? Is there any perpetual, eternal life? I want I shall not die. I shall live very happily and peacefully. Whether there is such chance? What is that method? What is that science?" When these inquiries will be there and steps should be taken for answering the question, that is human civilization. Otherwise it is dog's civilization. If there is no such inquiry, then it is animal. Animals are satisfied if they can eat something and sleep and have some sex life and some defense. That's all. There is no defense, actually, because nobody can protect himself from the hands of the cruel death.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:

So we have been discussing the talks between Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Mahārāja Parīkṣit. The question is how one can be delivered from the miserable condition of hellish life. The nature's illusory methods are two kinds: one is covering energy, and another is throwing energy. Nature is acting upon us in two ways. Just like somebody may think that "Here is a nice movement, Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. Let me take part in this." And nature dictates, "Why shall you go there? Don't go there. Better enjoy like this." This is throwing energy. Throws him from the path. And another is covering energy. Covering energy means a person or a living entity may remain in the most abominable condition, still, he thinks he's happy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:

"Please explain to me how one can become free from this hellish condition of life." We are not only living very unhappy while we are in life; after death there are so many miserable conditions, hellish conditions, transmigration of the soul from one body to another. That is also very miserable condition. And to remain in the body of a dog or hog, that sort of degradation is also there. And again to come even in the human body, in the womb of the mother, that is also very miserable condition. Now this child, the small child, he's protesting that "I'm not in comfortable condition. Mother, take me in this way." So mother is trying to satisfy him. So always, always. That thing has to be understood, that so long we are in this material world, the miseries will continue. So a very intelligent question, that "How one can get out of this miserable life?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

So last night in our meeting, we were... Not last night; day before last night. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, King Parīkṣit, is very much, I mean to say, compassionate by hearing different kinds of miserable conditions in different hellish situation. He is asking Śukadeva Gosvāmī whether there is any possibility of delivering them. Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, is always anxious to reclaim the fallen souls, who, out of ignorance, they are suffering. We must know always that by ignorance only we suffer. Just like we have got practical experience: by ignorance if I take something which is not suitable for my constitution, I become ill, sick. So that sickness is due to my ignorance. I have seen in Calcutta one neighbor, he died out of ignorance.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

Everyone does his duty. That is tolerance. Even it is very warm in the kitchen and if it is summer season, perspiration, nobody, I mean to say, stay away from cooking. One has to do his duty. So Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna that tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. "My dear Arjuna, even there is some pain due to the miserable condition of this material world, so we have to tolerate that." Just like a patient, he is suffering in so many symptoms of the disease. Doctor is giving him medicine. He is also being treated nicely, but his suffering is there. And then? What the patient will think? He has to tolerate, tolerate, because he knows that "I am going to be cured very soon. The treatment is there. So let me suffer little.'

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

Similarly, our aim should be how to get out of this miserable condition of this material existence. And we should prepare ourself for that purpose. And the best and easiest method is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, dance in ecstasy, you become in the process of purification. You chant, you dance nicely, enjoy. Just see how nice and easiest process has been endowed to us by Lord Caitanya. He's teaching Himself. And immediately you can take part. There is no prerequisite qualification. You haven't got to educate yourself.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:

So I am...," śoce, "I am actually lamenting for them." This is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava is not very anxious or unhappy for his personal affair. He knows that "Everywhere I will be protected by Kṛṣṇa," so he has no problem. Therefore real Vaiṣṇava, he wants to deliver all these fallen souls from this miserable condition of life. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja is Vaiṣṇava. His first attention was drawn to the persons in the hellish planet. They are suffering. He questioned, "How they can be saved?" That is his concern. This is Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:

Similarly debts. If you don't clear your debts, if you think, "All right, there is some debts. It will...," no, interest, compound interest So similarly, the disease. We are already in the material disease. This birth, death, old age, and disease. This is our material miserable condition. And again, if we act sinfully, then it will increase. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is advising that "Before your death, you should atone for the sinful activities, what you have done." Just like in the Manu-saṁhitā, if a man has committed some murder, it is advised that King should order him to be hanged. Otherwise next life he will have to suffer so much. So this order of hanging a murderer is a kind of kindness to the criminal.

So here it is advised that doṣasya dṛṣṭvā guru-lāghavaṁ yathā (SB 6.1.8).

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:

There must be real knowledge. The real knowledge you will get from the Vedas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Real knowledge you will get from guru, from Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). That is real knowledge. Otherwise, anything has got some knowledge, that knowledge is not sufficient.

So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of knowledge. It is specially compiled by Vyāsadeva to help the foolish human society and save him from all kinds of miserable condition of life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.10 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1975:

Then, as soon as he comes on the bank, he immediately takes some dust and throw it over the body. Those who have seen the elephants... This is their nature.

So these people may be very big men, very big animal, but their intelligence is lacking. The intelligence is that "Why I am put into miserable condition of life?" That is intelligence. That intelligence was found in the life of Sanātana Gosvāmī. When he first met Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his spiritual master, the first question was that "I am considered as very learned scholar and very good administrator." Grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita, satya kori māni. "And some, my ignorant friends, they call me I am very big man, very learned man."

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:

Why there is miseries? This "why" question, this "why" question is in the Vedas. It is called Kena Upaniṣad, asking "Why?" Unless this question arises in a human mind, "Why?" "Why I am suffering?" that is not human life. This question must arise. "Wherefrom I have come? What is my constitutional position? Where I shall go after death? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life? Why there is birth, death, old age, disease? I do not want all of them." So that, this is called vimarśanam, jñānam, thoughtful, how to solve these questions.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:

You cannot digest food very nicely. So you have to eat such things which are easily digestible, or which may not cause acidity, flatulence, air. The doctor prescribes. So if you neglect those principles, then how you can be cured? Similarly, if you want to eradicate your ignorance, how miserable conditions are arising, problems are arising, and you do not try to subside them with real knowledge, how there can be solution of the problems? Try to understand. Just like if you do not follow the program given by the physician for curing your disease, you cannot be cured. If you violate the rules given by the doctor, then how you can expect cure of your disease? Similarly, if you do not think wisely, like wise man, as they're prescribed in the Vedic knowledge, how you can stop the problems of life? That is not possible. Simply by atonement there may be temporary suppression of something, but it will arise again.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:

So doctor prohibits him that "You cannot eat. You have to starve for some days." So I do not like to starve, nobody likes to starve. But because doctor says you have to starve, if you want to cure a disease, then I have to voluntarily accept, accept starving. This is called tapasya: voluntarily accept some miserable condition of life. That is good. And human life is meant for that purpose.

When Ṛṣabhadeva, the father of Mahārāja Bharata, after whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa The name Bhāratavarṣa is not only the name for India, but it is the name for this planet. Formerly, five thousand years ago, the whole planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. The Vedic culture was all over the world. These Europeans and Americans, they are coming of the same stock, Indo-Aryan stock. There is a great history behind this, how some of the kṣatriyas, they left India during the time of Paraśurāma.

Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975:

That they do not know. All tapasya, all austerities, penances... This will be explained next verse. Why needed? Now, just to cure this disease, repetition of birth and death. They have no knowledge.

So it is recommended that adhayo vyādhayaḥ. There are three kinds of miserable condition—everyone, not for a particular person—adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. And as soon as you get this material body, you will have to suffer. So if you want to stop this suffering, then you must live regulative life.

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

Then as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, then what happens to you? Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Anyone who simply understands Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be that after quitting this body you won't have to come back again in this material world and accept a body for different kinds of miserable conditions. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: (BG 4.9) "He doesn't take birth again here." Then where does he go? Mām eti, "He comes to Me."

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Nellore, January 8, 1976:

That our miserable condition of life is due to our material attraction or pāpa, impious activities. Here it is confirmed that kevalayā bhaktyā, aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena: totally you can kill all reaction of sinful activities. And a very good example is given here: nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. Nīhāra means fog. In the fog you cannot see what is there in your front. But as soon as there is sunrise, immediately fog is dissipated.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Honolulu, May 15, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa is there already, just like friend. Kṛṣṇa is always ready to give us instruction so that we can get out of this miserable condition of life. Kṛṣṇa is ready. He is coming to give you instruction. Simply you have to follow; then everything will be all right.

So this is the only way. Otherwise in this age severe austerity, tapasya, celibacy, charity, and so on, recommended. Tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ yamena niyamena vā. These are the methods, gradual process of transcendental life. But in this age, especially in this Kali-yuga, it is very, very difficult, almost impossible.

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

"Let him take to the devotional service." Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yoga-prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam. To become Bhagavān, not Bhagavān but on the level, means highest stage, two things required. One thing is jñāna and one thing is vairāgya. Jñāna and vairāgya. 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.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Denver, July 1, 1975:

So this purificatory process... Bhakti means purificatory process. We are impure. Because we are impure, therefore we are undergoing so many tribulations, so many miserable condition of life. Otherwise we are spirit soul, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Our position is ānandamaya. Ānandamaya, the Vedānta-sūtra says, ānandamaya..., "By nature, spirit soul is ānandamaya, always full of jolly." You see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is full of jolly. Always you see pictures of Kṛṣṇa, either He is playing with the cowherds boy or either He is killing some demon, He is laughing, very sportively He is killing. And what to speak of with the gopīs and Rādhārāṇī? Because He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), always full of happiness and bliss. And we are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore our position is the same, maybe in small scale.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Denver, July 1, 1975:

So it was very nice. On Sunday I used to go to take prasādam. So you should be habituated to prasādam as far as possible unless you are very sick, you cannot take. That is different. Otherwise you should take it. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). Then we will remember Kṛṣṇa, and that will keep us fit and immune from all infection of material miserable condition.

So prāyaścittāni, because one, if he, one is not nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukha... Nārāyaṇa-parāṅmukha and nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa—just the opposite. One is Nārāyaṇa..., attached to Nārāyaṇa, and one is detached to Nārāyaṇa. So Nārāyaṇa detached cannot be purified simply by performing or executing the ritualistic ceremony. That is the verdict of this verse.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa said that this material life is duḥkhālayam, simply full of miseries. But under the spell of māyā we are thinking that we are very happy. That's not the fact. Therefore human life is a chance to get out of this miserable condition. That should be the aim of life, how to get out of this miserable condition of life. That requires knowledge how we are suffering, how it can be mitigated. The sufferings will be ended... The same thing: unless you become law-abiding to the laws given by God, you'll suffer. That is nature's way. The same principle: unless you become lawful, the police will give you punishment. Similarly, material nature, that is explained in Bhagavad-gītā, puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho 'pi bhuṅkte tad-guṇān.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:

The same principle: unless you become lawful, the police will give you punishment. Similarly, material nature, that is explained in Bhagavad-gītā, puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho 'pi bhuṅkte tad-guṇān. We are suffering because in the material there are threefold miseries generally: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. That is permanent. Besides that, extra miserable condition due to the age, due to the climate, due to the condition of life. So we have to study these things. Why... The human life begins when he begins to say "Why?" Kenopaniṣad. "Why I am suffering?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:

So we have to understand that what is the aim of life. Aim of life is go back to home, back to Godhead. Unless we understand this, our life is in darkness. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). We are trying to be happy in this place of miserable condition, manufacturing so many ways of life. In the modern age they are thinking that "If we have got a very nice car and nice residential quarter and nice wife..." Oh, people also do not care now for wife and children. They want car, of course. (laughter) That is essential, although at any moment he can meet accident and finish. So this is not the aim of life. The aim of life is described that how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That should be.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Honolulu, May 18, 1976:

They want car, of course. (laughter) That is essential, although at any moment he can meet accident and finish. So this is not the aim of life. The aim of life is described that how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That should be. So if that is our aim of life, then we must engage ourself in devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then our life is successful. Otherwise we shall continue and drag the miserable condition of life, means we shall change in different ways, but it will never be successful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

So this is the profit of Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that if anyone only once has fully applied his mind in thinking of Kṛṣṇa and surrendering, then he becomes immediately saved from all miserable condition of this material life. So that is our perfection of life. Somehow or other, we surrender to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So here it is stressed, sakṛt. Sakṛt means "only once." So if so much profit is there simply once thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then we can imagine, those who are always engaged in thinking of Kṛṣṇa by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, what is their position. They are very safe. So much so that it is said, na te yamaṁ pāśa-bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān svapne 'pi paśyanti. Svapna means dreaming. Dreaming is false. To see the Yamadūtas, or the carriers of order of Yamarāja, superintendent of death, to see face to face...

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

Otherwise this material world is full of danger. It is dangerous place. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam. It is the place of miseries. You cannot become happy in a place which is meant for miseries. That we have to understand. Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme Personality, that duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) this material world is place of miserable condition. And that also aśāśvatam, not permanent. You cannot stay. Even if you make a compromise that "Never mind it is place of misery. I shall make adjustment and I shall stay here..." People are so much attached in this material world, I have got practical experience. In 1958 or '57, when I first published this book, Easy Journey to Other Planets, so I met one gentleman. He was very enthusiastic, "So we can go to other planet? You are giving such information?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

Even you are in the most abominable condition of life, we will feel, "Now we are very happy." So that is our position. We do not want to leave this place. Therefore we create nationalism, Communism, this "ism," that "ism," because we want to stay here permanently. But unfortunately nobody will be allowed to stay even if you want to stay. That is the miserable condition of material life. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). So we have to leave this place. And when we leave, then, according to our proportion of sinful or pious activities, we get next body. So those who are very, very sinful, they go to the hellish condition of life, the planets. They are down this universe. There is the kingdom of Pluto, or Yamarāja. And he comes at the time of death, and the sinful man... Is very, very fierceful, odd looking, and they come to take. So here it is said that one who has once surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, for them there is no such fear. Even in dream they will not see the order-carriers of Yamarāja.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Honolulu, May 29, 1976:

There is the proprietor, but He's coming personally and He's saying, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaraṁ suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: (BG 5.29) "I am the proprietor, I am the enjoyer, and I am everyone's friend. If you want to be delivered from this miserable condition of material life, I am your best friend." Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Kṛṣṇa. Because He's the father. Who can be better friend than the father? Ha? Father always wants to see that "My son is happy." That is natural. There is no begging, "Father, be kind upon me." No. Father is already kind. But if you revolt against the father, then you suffer. Similarly, God is our father, God is our friend, naturally, and He says, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "I am the seed-giving...," not only for the human beings—all species of life, they are living entities.

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

There, everything is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The future of this Kali-yuga, as it will advance, Kali-yuga... We have only passed five thousand years out of thirty-two hundred thousands of years. We have only passed five thousand years, and the miserable condition, situation, will degrade more and more, more and more. So if you have to take again birth in this material world, then we'll have to suffer more and more. Best thing is that let us finish our business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead, so that we haven't got to come again to this nonsense material world. That is wanted. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). This should be the aim of life, that we are not going to take advantage of this so-called advance of material civilization. We have no business. Āra nare vaka (indistinct).

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

"Why I am put into this condition of suffering?" This is called brahma-jijñāsā. That is the beginning of Vedānta philosophy. athāto brahma jijñāsā. Then we understand, one after another.

So we should take advantage. Not that we shall live like animal, without any inquiry, without finding out the remedy, how to stop this miserable condition of life. We are actually trying. Everyone is working so hard, struggle for existence. He is trying. Why one is trying to get money? Because he thinks that "If I get money, then the distressed condition in which I am suffering, it can be mitigated." So the struggle for existence is going on. Everyone is trying to become happy. But that is not in the material way. Material way, we are trying to get happiness, that means sense gratification. That is not happiness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:

Nitāi: "The subtle body endowed with the five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, the five objects of sense gratification, and the mind, altogether sixteen parts, which is the effect of the three modes of material nature and is composed of very strong, insurmountable desires, causes the living entity to transmigrate from one body to another within the kingdom of human life, animal life, or higher demigod life. When he gets the body of a demigod he is certainly very jubilant. When he gets the body of a human being he is always in lamentation. When he gets the body of an animal he is always afraid. In this way, in all conditions he is miserable. This miserable condition is called saṁsṛti, or transmigration in material life."

Prabhupāda:

tad etat ṣoḍaśa-kalaṁ
liṅgaṁ śakti-trayaṁ mahat
dhatte 'nusaṁsṛtiṁ puṁsi
harṣa-śoka-bhayārtidām
(SB 6.1.51)

This is called sāṅkhya-yoga, to understand the analytical process of this body. In the Bhagavad-gītā you have learned that,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati
(BG 2.13)

So with this combination of sixteen elements, within that there is the soul. He is enwrapped in so many wrappers, mana, buddhi, ahaṅkāra and... Altogether twenty-four wrappers, and within that wrappers there is the living soul. The modern science, they cannot understand this.

Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:

Otherwise, to realize these things, it is not very easy. But if we accept the direction of the śāstra, that this is our position We cannot know what is my disease, but if I go to a doctor, physician, he can feel the pulse and he can recommend, "This is your disease. You do like this."

So if we want to avoid the tiresome, troublesome, miserable condition of this material world, then we have to accept the direction given in the śāstras. But we are so dull, we cannot even understand what is the miserable condition of our life. (break) ...dead stone life or animal life. The animal cannot understand. But there is possibility. Sometimes when the miserable condition is very acute, we feel: "How to get out of it?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

"Nanda-kiśora, what I have got? I have got this body, and I have got some mental speculation, and maybe I have got some house and family. So everything I surrender unto You." This is called full surrender.

mānasa deha geha, yo kichu mora,
arpilūn tuwā pade nanda-kiśora

That is wanted. If we can do that, then we shall be happy. Otherwise there is no question of happiness. Viparyayaḥ: always reverse condition, miserable condition. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 6.1.68 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1975:

So we cannot violate the laws of God, or dharma. Then we'll be punished. The punishment is there, awaiting, by the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). The laws of nature is to punish you. So long you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, the laws of nature will go on punishing you—three kinds of miserable conditions: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. This is the law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You are thinking independent, but that is not the fact. We are dependent, completely dependent on the laws of nature. And laws of nature means laws of God. What is prakṛti? Prakṛti is acting under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a police constable is working under the direction of magistrate or superior office, similarly, prakṛti is giving us various types of miserable condition of life directed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ suyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).

Lecture on SB 6.2.17 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1975:

"Even if you have taken sannyāsa, you cannot give up these processes." What is that? "Tapasya, dāna, and vrata." It is pāvanāni manīṣiṇām. Even if you have become manīṣi, very exalted great sage, still, you should continue this tapasya. And tapasya means voluntarily accepting some miserable condition. That is called tapasya. Just like they used to perform austerity in winter season, to go deep into the water. When one tries to avoid water, tapasya means one goes You have seen many persons, they are standing within the water and chanting Gāyatrī mantra. This is tapasya. And in summer season they ignite fire all around and sit down.

So these things are not possible at the present moment in the Kali-yuga. But little tapasya required. Without tapasya you cannot be purified. That little tapasya we have prescribed, that "Rise early in the morning at half past three," but they are so downtrodden, they cannot do it.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971:

That is pañcarātra-vidhi. We shall give all help, all assistance, to such persons. That is our business. It is not sleeping business, it is not lazying business. We should be always active. We shall always make plan, think how to protect this miserable condition of the material... They cannot understand. They are fools. They are rascals. So you have to give them knowledge. You have to give them help. That is missionary activity. Missionary activity is not laziness or sleeping. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that prāṇa āche yāra sei hetu pracāra, that "I have got some dozens of disciples, and I have got a temple, and people are contributing. Now I have got good arrangement for eating and sleeping. Now I am perfect. Because I am getting some food without any work, and honor, then I am perfect."

Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:

This world is so situated that there is a blazing fire always in this material world. Even if you do not want, still, that fire is there. Nobody wants blazing fire, dāvānala. Dāvānala means forest fire. Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but it takes place. Similarly, this material world is also like that. Nobody wants, but still, miserable condition of life come in. Just like in Calcutta, nobody wanted the Naxalite disturbance, but it has come. There are so many troubles. And why this happens? Because their unconscious activities of sinful life... Just like we are walking on the street. Unconsciously, we are killing so many small ants and insects, unconsciously. I do not wish to kill, but we are, having situated, we are, being situated in material condition of life, we are unconsciously killing so many living entities.

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:

So if I am asked to stand at a place for five minutes, it becomes troublesome. And they are standing for five thousand years. Just see the punishment. So there are so many forms of life. There is no science to understand why there are varieties of life, why this tree standing in front of me in miserable condition and I am sitting in this room very comfortably. It is also a life; I am also a life. Why? Who is arranging for this different status of life? These are to be understood. And everything is there, clear, in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, study Bhagavad-gītā, and then after studying we study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then our life is successful. So every father, every state, every guardian, every guru, every, everyone, relative, should educate his dependent in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to give them chance to be liberated from this bondage of miserable condition of material life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

That is the specific significance of sound vibration. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ahaituky apratihatā. This spiritual cultivation cannot be checked by any material impediment. Because the child is packed within the womb, within the belly, under the shackles (circles?) of intestines and so miserable condition... In the belly or the abdomen of the mother, the child remains in a very miserable condition. Because the consciousness is not developed. But as soon as the consciousness is developed at the age of seven months, the child wants to come out. Therefore it moves. If it is male child, then it moves toward the right side. If it is female child, then it moves to the left side. So these are description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So by the movement of the child you can understand whether it is male or female.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

Everyone is practically aware that how sex life is followed by so many miserable condition of life. Everyone knows it. Either illicit or legal. The world is going on. Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, now they are creating so many sinful life, killing the child openly. The doctors, the medical men, the scientists, advise, "If you like, you can kill your child." And to kill a child means how much sinful activities, they do not know, but they are inducing. He has to become a child and he will be killed by somebody else. And again as many times he has killed children he will have to live within the womb and be killed. Bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. It will be followed by so many miserable condition of life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1976:

That is my profit." And to convince them, "No, it is simply loss, you are simply risking your life," it is very difficult. But this is the fact. This is the fact, in this way, because in this duration of life, human, if I do not make my life perfect, stop the materialistic miserable condition, namely janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)—birth, death, old age and disease—then I am missing the opportunity. Next life will be given by the laws of nature. Just like you are in the forest, you see so many trees are standing. You do not know how many years they will stand. Yes. It is possible. If I have acted just like a tree, nonsense, no-sense... Just like tree has no sense. If you cut it, he does not reply. Because practically it has lost the senses. There is some senses, consciousness, but it is not developed. It is not developed.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

If a father is very rich man and he has got many sons, he wants to see the sons very happy. But if the sons go away from home and becomes crazy, do not come back home, the father is more anxious than the son. The son does not understand that what is his precarious condition of life in this material world, but God understands that how much in miserable condition he's living. Threefold miserable condition of this material existence. He's always disturbed, but still, he does not wish to go back to Godhead. Therefore there is a constant endeavor on the part of God to reclaim these conditioned souls.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

This is called illusion, māyā. Actually, he's unhappy in every step, but the spell of māyā or illusion is so strong that even in the lowest stage of life, anyone will think that he's happy. Even in the animals, you have experienced that so many animals, they are living in such a miserable condition, but still, he does not like to give up this body. But the pain is more felt by God than the living creature in this conditioned life. So it is always... There is always endeavor on the part of God to send His representative; He comes Himself, He gives book.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

Prahlāda Mahārāja, you'll find in his prayer, he'll say to the Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, "My dear Lord," naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās, "this world is full of anxieties. That I know. And it is full of miserable condition. But I am not afraid. I am not afraid." Why you are not afraid? Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ: (SB 7.9.43) "Because I have taken to chanting of Your glorious activities. So when I chant Your glorious activities or Your glories, I become merged into the ocean of nectar. Therefore these worldly anxieties or miseries does not..., do not disturb me. I am quite safe." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:

It is a place simply for suffering, and that also not permanent. You cannot make any comprise that "All right, it is suffering. That's all right. Still, I shall stay here." No, that is also not possible. Aśāśvatam. You have to die. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You cannot solve these problems, miserable condition. Ultimately you have to die.

So people do not understand. Therefore they are called mūḍhas. They are simply making arrangement how to become happy. It is not possible to become happy here. That's a fact. But still they are. Therefore they are called mūḍhas, rascals. Which will never be possible, and they are trying for that. You see, whole world is trying to be happy. They are discovering so many technological arts, but they are dying. They cannot. They have invented horseless carriage, having very, I mean to say, speedy carriages, but there are so many dangers.

Lecture on SB 7.9.17 -- Mayapur, February 24, 1976:

Dayānanda: "O the great Supreme, in every type of body, either in the heavenly planet or in the hellish planet, there are pleasing and not pleasing circumstances on account of combination and separation. But both of them are very, very regrettable position, as if burning in the fire. Although there are many remedial measures to get out of the miserable condition of life, but in the material world any such counteraction is more miserable than the miserable condition itself. The only remedial measure, I think, therefore, is to be engaged in Your service. Kindly instruct me in that way."

Prabhupāda:

yasmāt priya apriya-viyoga-saṁyoga-janma-
śokāgninā sakala-yoniṣu dahyamānaḥ
duḥkhauṣadhaṁ tad api duḥkham atad-dhiyāhaṁ
bhūman bhramāmi vada me tava dāsya-yogam
(SB 7.9.16)

Prahlāda Mahārāja, previous verse, he said, "I am very much afraid of this material existential condition, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Now he's describing what is the different phases of such suffering yasmāt, on account of this material existence.

Lecture on SB 7.9.18 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1976:

Sometimes we are so-called happy by getting the desirable things, and mostly we are unhappy, associating with undesirable things. So in order to save ourself from these opposing elements, the best thing is suggested. So 'haṁ priyasya suhṛdaḥ paradevatāyā līlā-kathās. Let us be engaged always chanting the, or reading the pastimes of the Lord, līlā-kathā. If you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then it is full of līlā-kathā, the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So that is the only way to get out of the miserable condition of this material world.

Lecture on SB 7.9.41 -- Mayapura, March 19, 1976:

So this is our material condition of life. Prahlāda Mahārāja is describing one after another. So sometimes foolish person accuse God that "Why He has put us into this miserable condition, different status of life? Somebody is rich, somebody is poor, somebody is diseased, somebody is healthy, and so many varieties." Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said, keśava tuyā jagata vicitra. Vicitra means varieties. "So if God is kind, why He has made so many varieties?" This is not the common question you meet? You are preaching. They inquire like this: "Why God is not kind to everyone? Why He has made this distinction?"

Lecture on SB 7.9.41 -- Mayapura, March 19, 1976:

As soon as you take birth, then you have to take jarā, old age, and vyādhi, and disease, and last, maraṇa.

So we do not understand this. This is called ignorance, foolishness. Prahlāda Mahārāja, Vaiṣṇava, he understands this, that "I am fallen in this miserable condition," evaṁ sva-karma-patitam, "by my own activities. Not only I, everyone in this material..." That we should know. Don't think that "He's suffering. I am enjoying." I am also suffering. If I am not suffering now, I will have to suffer. Suffering must be there. This world is meant for suffering. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Kṛṣṇa says, "This is a place for suffering." You cannot enjoy.

Lecture on SB 7.9.41 -- Mayapura, March 19, 1976:

So unless you attain the complete perfection of life, saṁsiddhiṁ paramām, there is no question of stopping your miserable condition of life. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, paśyañ janaṁ sva-para-vigraha-vaira-maitram. And in each and every life there will be this distinction, "This is mine, and this is your," "You are my friend" or "You are my enemy" and "I am your friend. I am..." This contradiction will go on. You cannot... Therefore you see the whole world, they are sometimes fighting as enemies, and sometimes they are trying to make the United Nation. You see practically. Sometimes vaira, enemies, and sometimes maitram, friend. But this is all illusion. They will never become friendly. It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 7.9.53 -- Vrndavana, April 8, 1976:

Āyuṣ means duration of life. When one approaches Kṛṣṇa... Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti. Duḥkhālayam (BG 8.15). So long we have got this material body, material world, it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is full of miserable condition, and at the same time not permanent. Even if we accept miserable condition... Everyone is trying to live. A old man does not like to die. He goes to the doctor, takes some medicine so that he can continue his life. But he will not be allowed to live. Aśāśvatam. You may be very rich man, you may take many pills, many injection to prolong your life, but that is not possible. That is not possible. But as soon as you see Kṛṣṇa, then you get your eternal life. Eternal life we have got. We are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We do not die after the destruction of the body.

Lecture on SB 11.3.21 -- New York, April 13, 1969:

The animals, they cannot inquire about himself or about the Supreme. But a human being can inquire, that "I want to become happy, but miseries are coming upon me one after another." At least, one should know what are the miseries. The miseries are three kinds of miseries. It is not the question of one religion or another religion. The miserable condition of life is for everyone, either he is Hindu or he is Muslim or Christian or Jew. It doesn't matter. Anyone who has accepted this material body has to undergo the miserable condition of material existence. That is a fact. And what are the miserable condition? There are three types: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyātmika means pertaining to the body, mind.

Page Title:Miserable condition (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:07 of Apr, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=182, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:182