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Not God (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"not god" |"not the Supreme Personality of Godhead" |"not the Supreme" |"not the supreme enjoyer" |"so-called bhagavan"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 21, 1975:

So if I want to see Mr. Ford and if we see the car, and we say, "Now I have met with Mr. Ford," that is foolishness. (laughter) The car is Ford, but Ford is not the car.

In this way try to understand. Everything is God, but everything is not God. In this way you have to understand. Don't be misled by the Māyāvādī philosophy that "Everything is God and my knowledge is finished." That is imperfect knowledge. Then the origin of everything, what is the nature of that origin? That is being explained now. Vāsudeva is everything, accepted, but whether Vāsudeva is a living being or a dull matter. Nowadays the theory, scientists' theory, is going on that life is made of chemicals. That means matter. This has been discussed five thousand years ago by Vyāsadeva, whether the origin of life is life or matter. So he says that the origin of everything is life because Vāsudeva is also life.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 16, 1971:

This is surrender. Surrender. Without surrender, we cannot get knowledge. And in another... There are many places. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. To understand God, Brahmā says, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Leaving, giving up this nonsense habit of speculation, "God is like this, God is like that," prayāsam, jñāne prayāsam... The jñānīs, they are discriminating, "No, this is not God." The scientists, they will say, "This is the fact." And then, one year after, "No, this is not fact. Now we have improved, another." And again, three years after, they will say another. There is no standard knowledge. What is the final knowledge, they do not know. Therefore these kind of speculative habits or scientific research is simply waste of time. They cannot understand what is the ultimate truth.

Then Vedic injunction is: jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. "Give up this nonsense habit, speculation." Namanta eva: "Be submissive. Admit that you do not know anything. You have to learn from the person who knows."

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

You simply try for reviving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. So human being has misunderstood the mode of life. They are simply busy for maintaining this body whole day and night. So we should conclude like this, that "If God can supply eight million types of different lower animals, then why shall not God give the necessities of life to the human society?" So don't execute your religious principle for some material benefit, but try to revive your relationship with God and try to love Him. 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 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:

So he is calculating how big. He is in the three feet. He thinks, "Maybe four feet." "No, very..." "Five." "No, very big." "Six." Go on, five, four, six, seven, millions. Where is your calculation? Similarly, these speculators, they are thinking, "God? I am God. He may be like me. He and me. All right." "No, you are not God." "All right. God may be little more than me. Little more intelligent." (laughter) This is frog philosophy. And when they hear, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48), all the universes are coming out in the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, and that Mahā-Viṣṇu is partial representation of Kṛṣṇa, "These are all stories." Even they are informed about the capacity of God, they take it as story. This is the position.

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

Guest (2): Your Grace, the question I would like to ask you is: is there any philosophy, doctrine, creed, or, for that matter, ritual that can bring God down to the point of a human thought, reduce God to a human process of thought?

Prabhupāda: No, God cannot be forced to come down. Then He is not God. You see? If God but comes here, comes down by His own pleasure. You cannot force Him. We get this information from Bhagavad-gītā. He said that,

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
(BG 4.7)

"Whenever there is religious discrepancies and uprise of irreligious principles, at that time I come down." So God cannot be forced. Just like at night you cannot force the sun to rise. You have no such power. The sun will rise in due course of time, in the morning. At that time you can see sun.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:

There is no limit how many living entities are there. That you have got experience. Even within your room, from a small hole, thousands and thousands of ants may come out. Just imagine. Even within a drop of water there are thousands of microbes. They are all living entities under different condition of life. So living entities are many, but God is one, not God many. God cannot be many. Therefore it is singular number. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Then what is the distinction between this singular number and plural number? The distinction is also stated, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān: "That one single number living entity is supplying all the necessities of these plural number living entities." That is the distinction between God and living entity.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:

Suppose you are very great in this city, just like you are Mr. Kennedy, or you are Mr. Rockefeller, or Mr. Ford. Just like in your country there are so many big men, by their richness—because they are very rich; they have got money—so they are attractive. So money is one of the feature of attraction. Therefore God must be the supreme wealthy person. Otherwise He is not God. Another attraction is beauty. So God must be the most beautiful. You have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa so many times. Perhaps you are convinced that you have never seen such a beautiful picture, although He's little blackish. So in this way, "God," "Kṛṣṇa" means all-attractive. He's attractive by His opulences, six kinds opulences, which I have described many times in this class. Another name is adhokṣaja, this name here. He has got many millions and trillions of names, according to perception of the devotee or the knower. He is also known as Brahman, Paraṁ Brahman, Paramātmā, and Kṛṣṇa, Madhusūdana, Govinda.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

The Bhāgavata is very liberal. It does not say it, "If you follow Hindu religion or if you follow this type of religion, then you will understand God." No. Any religion, it doesn't matter. But the test is whether you have advanced in loving God. But if we see that instead of loving God, you are loving something else which is not God... Of course, God is everything. That is another thing. Without God, there cannot be anything. But still, there is the central point. It is described in the Bhagavad-gītā that because everything is the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but everything is not God... That is explained. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4). Kṛṣṇa says that "I am expanded in My impersonal feature everywhere. But I am not there." It is very simple to understand. Just like the sunshine. The sunshine is expanded all over the universe. But if you are in the sunshine, you cannot say that "I am in the sun planet." No, that is not. Sun planet is 93,000,000's miles away. But the sunshine is not different from the sun.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

That is also fact. But still, you cannot say, because the sunshine has entered in your room, you cannot say that "I am in direct connection with the sun-god or the sun planet." No.

This is called acintya-bhedābheda philosophy: "simultaneously, inconceivably, one and different." So everything is God. That is a fact. And still, everything is not God. That is also fact. So we have to understand this philosophy. Everything is God. Without God's energy... The same thing, that the whole material world is existing on the sunshine. All scientists know it. But at the same time, the sunshine is different and nondifferent from the sun. Similarly, whatever we are experiencing, that is energy of God. Brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. These are energies of God, tathedam akhilaṁ jagat, the whole creation, cosmic manifestation. But when there is question of love, you have to find out the origin of this energy. That is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

The so-called university education, D.H.C., Ph.D., they are simply expansion of ajñāna. He is again... Therefore the more a person is so-called scientist, educated, he is more godless. That means he is going deeper and deeper into the ajñāna. Because jñāna means to know God. That is not real jñāna. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Not ajñānavān. So if you do not God, if you do not know what you are, if you do not know what is your relationship with God, then what is your jñāna? That jñāna, for eating, sleeping, mating, the cats and dogs they have got. Do you mean to say to have better knowledge how to eat nicely, how to sleep more nicely or to have sexual intercourse nicely, is that jñāna? No. They are all ajñāna. They are the business of the cats and dogs. Real jñāna is to know ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na... (BG 18.54). That is real jñāna.

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

Then that controller is controlled by somebody else. So controller over controller over controller over... When you come to the point when the controller is there but no more controller upon him, that is God. That is God. If I am controlled by a dentist—a god has become affected with tooth trouble and goes to the... Then he is not God. Such kind of god we do not worship, that when there is some toothache, he goes to a doctor. So no, that is not God. God means īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). And Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." And Arjuna accept, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).

So in this way, try to understand what is dharma, what is God. And we can help you, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got now about fifty books, big, big books like that, to understand Kṛṣṇa, simply to understand Kṛṣṇa. So if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa through your education, through your scientific knowledge, philosophy, and whatever you like-yes, we can convince you.

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

Yes. No, to... God... God and God's son, they are one and different simultaneously. That you, anyone, can understand, that a father and the son... The son is born out of the body of the father. So if the father is spirit, the son is also spirit because the son is born out of the body of the father. So, so far the body is concerned, it is spiritual. But still, the relationship is father and son. It is called acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, simultaneously one and different. Anyone can understand. The child is the father's body. In that way it is one. But a child is the son, and the father is the father. So simultaneously one and different. So Christ is God and not God simultaneously.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Los Angeles, August 25, 1972:

That is kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī. So uttama-adhikārī, uttama-adhikārī means first class. He's firmly convinced, "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Nobody can deviate. He can convert others to understand Kṛṣṇa, that He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But nobody can convert him that Kṛṣṇa is not God. That is not possible. That is first class.

So here it is said: ato vai kavayo nityaṁ bhaktiṁ paramayā mudā vāsudeve bhagavati. Therefore those who are actually in the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, science of God, they're firmly fixed up in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. Vāsudeve bhagavati. Then what about the third class? The third class also, if he stick to the devotional service according to the rules and regulation, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ... (SB 1.2.7). Prayojita means "just begun."

Lecture on SB 1.2.32 -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

Therefore Bhāgavata says, vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking that after undergoing such severe austerities and penances, now he has become God. That is māyā. He does not know. He's not God. But he claims like that, falsely. This is the cause of his suffering. Nobody can be..., can become God or equal to God. That is not possible. The same quotation: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Only the Supreme God, Supreme Person, Īśvara, supreme controller, is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). You are, why you are, rascal, trying to become Bhagavān, God? This is māyā. He does not know. He's thinking that "I have become God." This is māyā. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ means his intelligence is not yet cleansed. It's still dirty. Although he has undergone good austerities, penances or taken sannyāsa, but the mind is dirty. Mind is dirty. So that will not help. The whole process is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. We have to cleanse our heart. We have to understand our position. Then it will be successful.

Lecture on SB 1.3.29 -- Los Angeles, October 4, 1972:

The karmīs will say, "Let us act nicely," I mean to say, "virtuously. We are karmīs. So God must give us the result." This is called karma-mimāṁsā. They say that... Just like the so-called scientists say that "God has created this universe. The laws are there. So we have to study the laws. What we shall do with the God?" Is it not? "God has created these... The physical laws are there. So let us study these physical laws. What is the use of studying God?" That is their view. The karma-mimāṁsā also, that, they say that "After all, if we act virtuously, then we shall get good result. So what is the use of worshiping God? Let us work virtuously." This is their view. Karmī. And jñānī. Jñānī also, they say. Jñānī, the scientists, they are jñānī, that "What is the use of worshiping God? Let us study the laws of God." So jñānī, karmī... And yogi, they are also of the same view.

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

As soon as māyā will be cleared, then I am again God." But they cannot answer the question that "Why? You are God. Why you are under the clutches of māyā? How you fall down?" That answer, there is none. Because God is great, acyuta. He never falls down. Then how He can fall down? If He falls down under the clutches of māyā, then māyā becomes great, not God great.

Anyway, Vyāsadeva, Nārada says that "Even jñānaṁ nirañjanam..." Nirañjana means... Añjana... Añjana means ointment or designation, something covering. So nirañjanam. If one is elevated in knowledge, then he becomes free from this designated life. Our material life is añjana life, or designated life. Añjana... Just like we decorate. I think I wrote one article in my Back to Godhead in India, "Decoration of the Dead Body." This material qualification means decoration of the dead body. Actually, the body is dead, but there are certain men who wants to decorate this dead body. In India also, still the custom is in lower class men, when some of their relative die... I hear that here also they do such. They decorate the dead body very nicely. Here also the same system is there?

Lecture on SB 1.5.29 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

Just like I am also living being; you are also living being. But you accept me as the chief of this institution. There must be one chief. Otherwise there will be no management. It will be chaotic. So we are ātmā, and Kṛṣṇa is also ātmā. But He is Paramātmā. We are īśvara. Kṛṣṇa is also īśvara. But He's Parameśvara. Therefore we have named "Godhead" purposefully, not "God." We don't say "Back to God." We say, "Back to Godhead.""Head" means the chief. Everyone can claim that "I am God," because everyone has got some power, little power. But not the supreme power. That is Kṛṣṇa.

So when one understands Kṛṣṇa perfectly, he becomes mahātmā. Just try to understand. Not a politician. Not by changing dress, saffron-color cloth. No, that is not mahātmā. One who understands Kṛṣṇa perfectly well, he is mahātmā. Therefore here it is said, munibhir mahātmabhiḥ. The instruction was received from persons, munibhiḥ, great philosophers. Not only philosophers, but mahātmā.

Lecture on SB 1.7.12 -- Vrndavana, September 11, 1976:

There is machine working, but it is so minute that simply by pushing one button, so many things immediately done. This is a material machine, manufactured by a human being. And how much perfect the machine of Kṛṣṇa will be, just imagine.

So this material nature is nothing but machine. It is not God. Those who are with poor fund of knowledge, they are taking directly this material nature as working. No. Material nature has no power to act. It is dull. The same example, the computer. It is a very nice machine, but it cannot work automatically unless an expert pushes the button. So material nature cannot do anything. It is Kṛṣṇa's direction. So in everywhere there is Kṛṣṇa's direction. One who has got the eyes to see, for him, kṛṣṇa-kathodayam. Whatever he sees, he remembers Kṛṣṇa.

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

Although heat and light is there in the sun globe and heat and light in the sunshine, but still, sunshine is not the sun globe. Sun globe is not the sun-god. Similarly... This is a crude example. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy is acintya-bhedābheda-tattva: everything is God, and everything is not God. Bheda-abheda. Bheda means not, different, and abheda means one. Acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. Acintya... For us, how we can adjust, at the same time one and different? Therefore it is acintya. Not cintya, cintanīya. In our present sense it is difficult to adjust things how we are one and different with the Supreme Absolute Truth. Acintya-bhedābheda-tattva.

So in this way we have to understand. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Through paramparā system. Just as Arjuna is in the paramparā system, Arjuna was being taught directly by Kṛṣṇa, so you should learn from Arjuna. That is paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).

Lecture on SB 1.7.49-50 -- Vrndavana, October 7, 1976:

Although He's aja... Aja means who never takes birth. Still, He takes birth. Contradictory. This is inconceivable.

Unless God has got inconceivable energy, He's not God. This has been discussed by Jīva Gosvāmī. If you do not accept inconceivable energy of God, then there is no God. This is inconceivable. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6). Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. This is God. How it happens, how it is possible, if you understand properly, then you become liberated simply by understanding this, that Bhagavān, why He shall not appear as the son? Why you shall restrict? God is not under your restriction. That is God. If He becomes under your rules and regulation, then He's not God. That is inconceivable. How ajo 'pi, although unborn, how He takes birth. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi. Bhūtānām īśvaraḥ. He's the Supreme Controller, but He likes to be controlled by mother Yaśodā. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. He controls everyone, but why He accepts one lady, innocent lady, not very educated, not Vedantist, a village lady, interested in churning curd and butter. Not Vedantist. And He has become just like a very affectionate son of this village lady. "Mother, let me suck your breast."

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

Do the animals go to the church and ask for bread? But they are getting sufficient. They are getting sufficient.

Therefore God consciousness does not mean any motive to take from some God, something from God. That is not God consciousness. You give everything to God. That is God consciousness. Just like the conception of accepting God as child. That is better conception (than) to accept God as father, because from father we simply take away: "Father, give me this, give me that, give me that, give me that." And if you accept God as child, then you have to give everything. This is Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava conception. Yaśodāmāyi. (S)He has accepted, (s)he is worshiping God as child, so that she is always engaged that Kṛṣṇa may not be in any inconvenience, about His body, about His comforts. Always mother Yaśodā is anxious that "Kṛṣṇa is now very naughty.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971:

Oh, immediately thousands of people will come: "Oh, here is God. Here is God. Because he has produced a cup, golden cup which is worth, say, two thousand rupees, therefore he has become God." There are many persons, merchants, they are producing two thousand rupees every moment. Then why he is not God? But the foolish people, they have no sense. They are captivated by these juggleries, yoga-siddhi.

So yoga-siddhi, jugglery, yoga-siddhi magic, captivates foolish persons. So they want yoga-siddhi. If some foolish persons gather, then he gets sense enjoyment. That is another type of sense enjoyment. So therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. They are not paramahaṁsas. Paramahaṁsa... Here it is stated that bhakti-yoga-vidhānārtham. Tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām (SB 1.8.20). Amalātmanām means when there is no more dirty things. The karmīs, they have got dirty things, sense enjoyment. The jñānīs, they have got also dirty things.

Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Los Angeles, April 15, 1973:

So where can be another person who is equal to God? That is not possible. God means there is no equal, there is no greater. Asamordhva. That is God. God, there cannot be any competition, that "You are God, I am God, he is God, he is God." No. These are dogs. They are not God. God means without competition: one. God is one. Nobody is great... asamordhva. Nobody is greater than Him. Nobody is equal to Him. Everyone is lower. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). The only master is Kṛṣṇa, God; and everyone, servant. Never mind. Even if he's Brahmā, Viṣṇu or Śiva, big, big demigods. And what to speak of others?

Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). In the śāstra it is said that He's offered respect by Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. They are the topmost demigods. There are demigods. Above the human beings, there are demigods. As we are humans, being above the lower creatures, lower animals, similarly, above us there are demigods. And the most important demigod is Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva. Lord Brahmā is the creator of this universe, and Lord Śiva is the destroyer of this universe.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

Therefore God consciousness is so important. If Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spread and if it is taken by all people, then so many things will be automatically reformed. There will be no need of police. There will be no need of C.I.D. Because if one is God conscious, he'll not do anything wrong. But because people are not God conscious, they are doing so many wrong things that is has been almost impossible to govern the people. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very essential to understand this fact, that samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra bhūtānāṁ yan mithaḥ kaliḥ (SB 1.8.28). We have created so many religious system, so many religious system. And the Hindu is fighting with the Muslim, Muslim is fighting with the Hindu, that "My religion is better than your religion." Or any other, other countries also, the Jews fighting with the Christian; Christian, Jews; and the black fighting with the white; white fighting with the black. This Kali, that is the result of this material existence. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. That is the work of this material nature. Even if you want to live very peacefully, you'll not be allowed to live. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā durat... (BG 7.14).

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

You cannot live peacefully, happily, within the prison house. Because you are condemned to this prison life, you cannot expect very comfortable life there.

So samaṁ carantam... This God is equally kind, equally merciful, but we fight. We, I mean to say, disagree in religious principle. That is due to Kali. Not this Kali. Kali means due to our fighting spirit. It is not God. God is equal to everyone. We fight because we have got misconception. So we think that this religion is better than that religion, or that religion is better than... Every religion must be good, provided one is God conscious. We say that. So many people question in the Western countries, "Whether one can attain perfection by following Christian religion?" Why not? You can also attain. But who is following? First of all, let me see who is following Christian religion. The Christian religion says in the beginning, first commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," and you are simply killing. So where is Christian? Christian religion is not bad. No religion is bad. But where is Christian?

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Los Angeles, April 23, 1973:

That is their suggestion. When Nanda Mahārāja will talk amongst his friends and the friends will talk about Kṛṣṇa... "Oh, Nanda Mahārāja, your child Kṛṣṇa is wonderful. "Yes, I see that. Maybe some demigod." That's all. "Maybe." That is also not certain. So the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they do not care who is God out or who is not God. That is not their business. But they want Kṛṣṇa and love Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

So those who are thinking of first of all analyzing Kṛṣṇa, whether He's God, they are not first-class devotee. Those who have got spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa, they are first-class devotees. How you will analyze Kṛṣṇa? He's unlimited. It is impossible. So this business... We should not try to analyze, to know Kṛṣṇa. It is impossible. We have got limited perception, limited potency of our senses. How we can study Kṛṣṇa? It is not possible at all. Whatever Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself, that much sufficient. Don't try. That is not...

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

Yes. And the, she's standing, bhīḥ, bhīr api. Bhīḥ means personified, personified fearfulness. So those who are criminals, they worship Kālī, Goddess Kālī: "Mother, please excuse me. I, I am criminal. I'll give you one goat."

So these things are going on in the name of worshiping God. But that is not God worship. That is worshiping the fearful personified by the criminals. Just Durgā... Kālī is expansion of Durgā. Just like Viṣṇu is expansion of Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Kṛṣṇa's energy... Energy has also many expansions. Daśā mahā-vidyā. There are many expansions of Durgā because she has to look after... Just like police department. Police department is there, but there are many officers in that police department. Similarly, Durgā is the superintendent of police of this universe. Durgā. Durgā means the fort, durgā. Ga means going, and dur means difficulty.

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

That's all. No knowledge. They pray: "O, God, give us our daily bread." Now ask him: "What is God?" Can he explain? No. Then whom we are asking? In the air? If I ask, if I submit some petition, there must be some person. So I do not know what is that person, where to submit this petition. Simply... They say that He's in the sky. The sky, there are so many birds also, but that is not God. You see. No knowledge, no knowledge. Imperfect knowledge, all. And they're passing on scientists, philosophers, great thinkers, writers, and... All rubbish, all rubbish. The only book is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. All rubbish. In the Bhāgavata it is said:

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Mayapura, October 22, 1974:

So how can I satisfy You?" Kṛṣṇa directly—"Yes, you can satisfy Me. Think of Me." Where is the difficulty? Why so much philosophy, humbug, to understand God? The rascals, they are thinking, "What is God? Can you show me God?" God is here canvassing. The rascals will avoid this by so-called erudite scholarship and this way, "There is no God..." God is there. Why not God? We are giving you the God's name. God, Himself, giving, giving, presenting Himself. And big, big ācāryas, they are accepting. Especially Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is simply attached to Kṛṣṇa. So we have to learn from Caitanya Mahāprabhu how to serve Kṛṣṇa, how to become attached. How Caitanya Mahāprabhu is attached to Kṛṣṇa is described so nicely. It will puzzle even the biggest brain of philosopher, how Caitanya Mahāprabhu is attached to Kṛṣṇa. We are now trying to explain in the Antya-līlā.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. Uktas tathā... Because it is stated in the śāstras, tathā, therefore, those who are advanced, uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. Sadbhiḥ means those who are actually advanced in spiritual life, they obey the spiritual injunction. Then is spiritual master as good as God? The next line is, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. A spiritual master is not God. He is... The distinction is sevya-bhagavān, sevaka-bhagavān. Sevya means one who is worshiped, and sevaka means one who is worshiper. The spiritual master is God and Kṛṣṇa is God, but Kṛṣṇa is worshipable God and spiritual master is worshiper God. He's God, but he's worshiper God. That is explained. The Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand it, that "Because a spiritual master has to be accepted as God, therefore I have become a spiritual master—I have become God."

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

You sit down and smoke gāñjā." Kṛṣṇa never said that. Kṛṣṇa was doing everything; still he was to fight. He was inducing, "You must fight." Neither Arjuna said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are so, my friend, great friend. Better You do it. I sit down. Let me smoke gāñjā." No. Arjuna also did not say. This is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "God, You please do everything for me and let me smoke gāñjā." This is not God consciousness. God consciousness means you must work, work for God. That is God consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So apav..., this word is meant for this purpose, that without working, you cannot live even. You cannot maintain your body. Therefore it is called pariśrama, pa. Pa means pariśrama, to labor hard. You cannot get your subs... Even if you are a lion, a king, a very powerful, still you have to find out your bread. In the jungle, not that...

Lecture on SB 1.9.40 -- New York, May 22, 1973:

Mother Yaśodā is that Kṛṣṇa is God. Gopīs also gopī-jana-vallabha giri-vara-dhārī. Kṛṣṇa is lifting the Govardhana Hill, who can do it except God? They are seeing it, still they do not know that Kṛṣṇa is God. Kṛṣṇa is wonderful, that's all. They do not like to know whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not. They want to love Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa may be God or not God, it doesn't matter. Just like if you love somebody, what he is, is he rich man, poor man, educated or non-educated? There is no consideration. Love has no such thing, consideration. Similarly, gopīs' love for Kṛṣṇa was pure. There was no consideration that Kṛṣṇa was God, therefore they wanted to dance with Him. No, Kṛṣṇa wanted to dance with them, therefore they came to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is now calling by the vibration of His flute at this dead of night. So, all these young girls, they are all married—some of them are mothers—so immediately (they) left their home. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:

So as soon as we forget our duty or we want to imitate... Just like these Māyāvādīs, they want to imitate Kṛṣṇa. They want to become Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa. These rascals, they think that by mystic yoga process one can become God. Simply rascaldom. Nobody can become God. God is never made. God does not become. God is always God, not that one is not God, and he becomes God by some mystic yogic power. This theory is going on amongst the Māyāvādīs, that by the mystic yoga practice, one can become God. So we don't want such cheap God. They may become God, so-called God, but we are concerned with the real God, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when He was three months old, He was God. He did not practice any mystic yoga to kill Pūtanā. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. God's intelligence, power, is natural. Although Kṛṣṇa was on the lap of mother Yaśodā like a little baby, but the full potency of God was there. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā. How to kill Pūtanā, how to kill Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Kṛṣṇa knows perfectly.

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

"Yes, asat eka strī-saṅgī." Eka strī-saṅgī. One asat is strī-saṅgī. Strī-saṅgī means too much attached to women. Or attached to women. Or attached to women. Too much or little—it doesn't matter. Attached to women. He's asat. And kṛṣṇa-abhakta—and who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So these Māyāvādīs, karmī, jñānī, yogi, they are not kṛṣṇa-bhaktas. They'll say, "Kṛṣṇa is not God. I am God. I am also God. Kṛṣṇa is not God. I am God. But Kṛṣṇa is not God." This is their version. Therefore they're rascals. "I am God." They'll declare, "I am God. You are God." But Kṛṣṇa is not God. Except Kṛṣṇa, everyone is God." This is their version.

So how much rascal they are we must know. So therefore we should give up their company. Asat-saṅga-tyāga vaiṣṇava-ācāra. Otherwise, asat... Asat eka strī-saṅgī kṛṣṇa... There are strī-saṅga, vaidha-avaidha. Vaidha means regular, according to śāstra. According to śāstra means restricted. Śāstra restricts. Śāstra means śās-dhātu. Śās-dhātu means śāsana, ruling. From śās-dhātu, śāstra has come, śastra, weapon, has come. And śās-dhātu, from śās-dhātu, śiṣya also comes.

Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:

So why he should not believe? He knows that "I am (have) dedicated my life to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is not so ungrateful that He will not give me protection. How it is possible?" But one who does not believe in Kṛṣṇa, he thinks that he will protect himself. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). Those who are not God-realized, they think that they will be protected by their society, friendship, love, country, nation, like that. But that is not possible. Just like you are flying in the sky, so many aeroplanes at a time. Sometimes in a bunch, a group they fly. But if one of the aeroplane is in danger, no other aeroplane can help him. He'll finish. So similarly, we are also flying as aeroplane in the open sky. The protection... You don't expect protection from your so-called society, friendship and love, materially. When there is question of danger, you have to protect with your own strength.

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

Yes. They will say like that. So tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram asura-yoniṣu (BG 16.19). The demons, as they want to forget Kṛṣṇa, or they do not like to understand Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa plays something like that so that they will be more convinced that Kṛṣṇa is not God, Kṛṣṇa is ordinary human being. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān. They will remain in darkness forever. Kṛṣṇa gives chance to everyone. If you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will give you such intelligence, you will talk so intelligently that "Kṛṣṇa is not God." Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). And if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then He will give you such intelligence, you will know that "Here is Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is Kṛṣṇa's busin... If you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will give you chance to forget Him forever. And you suffer. Because forgetting Kṛṣṇa, one is not benefited. By knowing Kṛṣṇa is one benefited. But the demons, rākṣasas, they suffer, and still they want to forget Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

The goal of knowledge is to understand God. That is the difference between dog and me. He has no goal of knowledge. He is simply eating, simply jumping and barking, that's all. That is a dog's business. If you go on like that, eating, sleeping and begetting children and barking in political conference, then you are dog. You are not God or godly. Nobody can become God, that is... But you can become godly. Similarly, people have become just like cats and dogs. This is dharmasya glāniḥ.

Therefore the incarnation is already there, Kṛṣṇa is there, Kṛṣṇa's instruction is there, but people are not taking advantage of it. Not taking advantage of it. Everything is there. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to rescue these rascals from this ignorance and give Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Most philanthropic work. They will become dog next life; we are trying to save them, "Don't become dog. Just become god or godly." This is our movement. But they are persistent to become dog.

Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:

This is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gītā. But the people do not know. They simply have the slogan, "In God We Trust." Nobody knows what is God.

But we are trying to give the contribution, what is God. Not only God—His form, His name, His address, everything we are giving. Here is the form of God, Kṛṣṇa. If you do not believe, that He is not God, then you must say what is your idea of God. If you do not know what is the idea of God, then you must accept from me. And how can you deny that Kṛṣṇa is not God? First of all you have to know what is God. God means the Supreme. That is the dictionary word, "Supreme Being." So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. Here we see a rich man, he enjoys, and his assistants, his managers, his secretaries, they work. They bring money from business, from factory, and the proprietor enjoys. This is a crude example. Similarly, here is God. He is in the enjoying spirit. He is not going to the office to manage his factory. No. He doesn't go. He simply enjoys.

Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:

What is God, the idea is given in the Vedas, Upaniṣad, na tasya kāryam. First thing is that He has nothing to do personally. That is first qualification of God. If He has to do something personally, then He is not God. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody can be equal to Him or greater than Him." This is definition of God. Any subject matter... Suppose opulence, riches. So nobody can be richer than God or nobody can be equal with God. This is greatness. "God is great." How He is great? That is defined every..., particularly. He is great because nobody equally rich with Him. Nobody is richer than Him. That is God. Everybody is poorer than Him. Therefore na tat-samaḥ. Sama means equal, and adhika means greater. How God can be great? If somebody is greater than Him, how God is great? If somebody is equal to Him, then how He is great? Just see how the definition is given perfectly. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate: "He has nothing to do." Because He is great, why He should work? All the subordinates will work. We are all subordinate.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

"If one is practically a devotee of Lord, he doesn't care even personalities like Vidhi." Vidhi means Lord Brahmā. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. Kīṭāyate means such great personalities are taken by perfect devotee as ordinary insect. As ordinary insect has no value, similarly, anyone, however great he may be in this material world, if he is not God conscious, he is no better than the insect. Because it has no value. Because he does not know that he is going to become a dog next life. He loved a dog very much, and he bequeathed his all property to the dog, but he is going to become himself a dog. Therefore he's a rascal. What is his intelligence? He got some money. There are many instances in (your) country. They bequeath the whole wealth to the dog. Is it not?

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Hawaii, January 16, 1974:

Because you cannot manufacture your God, so-called incarnation God. No. You must have full knowledge of God through the authority of revealed scriptures. That is God consciousness. If you give up the injunction of the scripture, revealed scriptures, you consider something as God, that is not God. Or you consider something as religion, that is not religion. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na sa siddhim avāpnoti (BG 16.23). If you become aberrant to the injunction of the śāstras, then na sukhaṁ sāvāpnoti, you'll never get happiness. Na sukham, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na, na sa siddhim avāpnoti. There is no question of siddhi, perfection, neither there is question of happiness, na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim, and what to speak of going back home, back to Godhead. It is useless.

Therefore we must abide by the sādhu-śāstra-guru. (aside:) Ah, what is this sound, is going on now? You can ask somebody to stop. Sādhu means saintly person.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

Suppose a spark falls down from the original fire, down. It is extinguished. But the big fire does not extinguish. Therefore the big fire, or Kṛṣṇa, is infallible. His name is Acyuta, infallible. The Māyāvāda philosopher says that "We are in māyā, and as soon as the māyā is taken away, we are God." So we are not God, but we manifest our godly qualities when māyā is taken away. So long we are covered by māyā, our godly qualities are not manifest, but we are not God. Or you are God, but not that God, that big God, but you are a particle of. You can say, "I am God," but you are not that original, chief God. That you are not. This is our philosophy. And that is very genuine. How can I be God? If I am God, then why I have lost my godly qualities? Or why my godly qualities are now covered? This is very common sense. The godly qualities are there. Just like a small particle of the spark, it is carbon. When it comes out of the fire, then it is extinguished. But if you put again to the fire, it is carbon, again bright, brightened.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

Then we understand, "Oh, here is actually a pure devotee." A pure devotee cannot be contaminated, just like God cannot be contaminated. But we are part and parcel, a small God. We can say, "God, I am God," but if you have got sense, you will say that "I am not the great God, but I am small God." That is sense. Because you have got the God qualities, you are not the Supreme. That is not possible. Supreme is Supreme. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is the Vedic injunction, that He is the chief of the eternals. We are all eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We are not lost or dead on account of our annihilation of this body. That is not possible. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). As God is eternal, we are also eternal. As God is śāśvata, we are also śāśvata, but small, acintya-bhedābheda. This is our philosophy.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to revive the original consciousness. If one is actually in Kṛṣṇa, he'll be truthful. Truthfulness. These are the qualities.

Lecture on SB 2.3.9 -- Los Angeles, May 26, 1972:

So my intelligence should be, "Why not go direct to the superior man? Why I am flattering this man?" That is sense. So therefore demigod worship is recommended in Vedas, that one day he may come to his intelligence that "Why demigod? Why not God, personally, directly?" Therefore, it is not that it is encouragement, it is encouragement(?). Just like, you know amongst the Hindus, the flesh-eaters, they're recommended that "If you want to eat meat, then you sacrifice one goat before the goddess Kālī." And Goddess Kālī is worshiped once in a month, on the dark moon day, at night. And there are mantras. The mantras say that... Within the ear of the animal it is said that, "You are sacrificing your life before the deity; so next life, immediately, you get a human form of life. And when you get a human form of life, you'll have the right to kill this man also." This is the mantra. Now, if you are a sane man, understand that "I am killing this goat at the risk of my life in next birth.

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

There is a very... There is a big fire, blazing fire, and the sparks. The sparks are also fire. Therefore we sometimes desire to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Because we have got these qualities in minute quantity, so we think that "I am God, I have become." But we do not know the quantitative difference. That we forget. We can say we are God, but teeny God, not the Supreme. Spark. Fire, blazing fire, and the spark. Now, this quality, fire, this also becomes almost unseen when we are in this material world. Just like if the fire sparks fall down out of the blazing fire, it becomes extinguished. So in order to ignite again our fiery quality, we must go back to the original fire. Then the fiery quality, the brilliant fiery quality, will again be exhibited.

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1972:

This is illusion. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This mamatā. "This is 'I,' this is mine." And one day, the Mr. Death will come, he'll break everything, smash everything. We forget that. But we want to remain here with this sense of "I" and "mine," but Bhagavad-gītā says, Kṛṣṇa says, that "These rascals who are not God conscious and creating ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), very, very big scheme to become happy, the whole happiness is dismantled by Me as death." Kṛṣṇa ultimately comes as death. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He was planning so many things, but Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared as death and smashed everything, everything.

Therefore, when Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered material benediction, so he said, "My dear Lord, what You are offering me? I have already seen all these things. My father was so powerful that even demigods would be threatened by his red eyes, and he expanded his influence all over the universe.

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

Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), and the spiritual master says the same thing, sarva-dharmān parityajya: "Just surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Therefore, message being the same, they are identical. The persons are identical. But not identical in the Māyāvādī sense, that he has become now God. No. He is not God, but he is the most confidential servant of God. This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Because spiritual master has to be accepted, sākṣād-dhari, directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore the so-called spiritual master should not be puffed up, that "Now I have become God." This is Māyāvāda. This is rascaldom. He is most confidential servant of God, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the disciple accepts him as good as God. Therefore the conclusion is simultaneously one and different. Acintya-bhedābheda. Bheda, different, means the spiritual master is a confidential servant, or the servant God. To the disciple he is servant God.

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

Why God, unlimited, He should be restricted to one son? The interpretation should be... Anyway, that Tulasī dāsa says that if he is devotee, then he is son. Otherwise it is urine. The God has begotten many sons... Just like... The only worthy son was Jesus Christ—you can interpret it like that—because he was giving service to the Lord, to the father. He brought the message of father.

So our interpretation is like that, not that God has got only one son, but he is the only worthy son. All are mut. Anyone who is not God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, mut put(?). Then? Read the purport.

Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:

"Here is dharma, to surrender unto the Supreme Being." That is dharma. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). This is bhāgavata-dharma. Everyone should be taught how to surrender to God.

So God is one. God cannot be two. When there is competition of God, they are not God. Just like it has become nowadays—in every state there is a God. That is not... Kṛṣṇa is not that kind of God. He is the Supreme God. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is superior than Me." So that is... We are preaching. We are teaching people. These Americans and the Europeans, they have taken it seriously because they are fortunate. They have no information of these hodgepodge gods. That is their opportunity. I have told them, given the information that Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). I have not given any wrong information. Right information. Bhagavān means Kṛṣṇa. God means Kṛṣṇa. So I have given them this information as a peon, that "Here is God," and they have taken it seriously. Therefore they are advancing. See practically. Why they are advancing? Because they are not misled. They have been given the right information, and they have taken it seriously, and they are trying their best to do, to render service.

Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:

That is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They have been described in the śāstras as aviśuddha, unclean intelligence. Unclean intelligence. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. The, some Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that "I am the same, so 'ham." So 'ham does not mean that I am equal to God. Nobody can be equal to God or greater than God. That is not God. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad..., mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).

So nobody can be greater than God or equal to God. That is... That means greatness of God. Asamordhva. Asama. Asama means nobody is equal to Him. And nobody is greater than Him. That is God. If somebody claims to be God, then he has to prove that nobody is equal to him and nobody is greater than him. Then he's God. This is the simple definition of God, that nobody equal to Him and nobody greater than Him. That is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.25.17 -- Bombay, November 17, 1974:

So nirantaram means there is, so far jyoti is concerned, there is no difference, but the small, very small. Aṇimānam akhaṇḍitam. This is self-realization. Don't falsely claim that "Because I am qualitatively one with God, therefore I am God." No. You may be god. God means controller. But you are not the Supreme God. The Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Parama means Supreme. We are īśvara, we may be īśvara. I may be īśvara for few persons, another may be for a big nation, another may be for the... You can go on increasing. But you cannot reach the, I mean to say, position of God. That is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ.

Therefore śāstra says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). One who has advanced very much in spiritual knowledge, but he is thinking himself, "Now I have become liberated..." Sometimes they claim, "I have become Nārāyaṇa." Therefore Māyāvādīs, they address one another, "Namo nārāyaṇāya." Everyone has become Nārāyaṇa. So how everyone can become Nārāyaṇa? So many Nārāyaṇas? No. Nārāyaṇa is one. God is one, Nārāyaṇa.

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

We are minute particle of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are not Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa's part, minute part. That minute part also we have discussed—one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). So when we realize this, that "I am not God, but I am godly. I have got the quality of God..." I have given the example also: just like the sea and the drop of water of the sea. So chemically, the drop of water of the sea is the same quality. There is no change of taste or other chemical composition. Similarly, we should understand fully that we are simply qualitatively one with God, but quantitatively, God is great and we are very minute particle. This is self-realization. Therefore part and parcel. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). The all living entities, Kṛṣṇa says, "They are My part and parcel."

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

What kind of Bhagavān? Now, nowadays there are so many Bhagavāns. No, not that kind of imitation Bhagavān, but what kind of? Akhilātmani. You ask this so-called imitation Bhagavān that "Are you akhilātman? Are you present in everyone's heart? Can you say what I am thinking now?"

So Bhagavān means He must be akhilātmā. Don't be misled by so-called Bhagavān. Everything is there. Bhagavān means akhilātmani. He knows. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61). If you are Īśvara, then you must be present in everyone's heart. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15). Īśvara... Kṛṣṇa is Īśvara. Therefore He said, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am staying in everyone's heart." So if you are Īśvaraḥ, if you are Bhagavān, are you staying in my heart? Do you know what I am thinking now? So akhilātmani. Everything should be very scrutinizingly studied. Bhakti is only for Bhagavān.

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

"His eyes are just like petals of the lotus flower." Aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam: "Oh, He has some nice peacock feather." These are the Vedic description of Kṛṣṇa, not that the devotees have imagined some... Just like Māyāvādī says, "Just imagine the form of God." God's form cannot be imagined. That is not God. Anything imagination is not fact. It must be factual. And the factual information you get from the Vedas. Not only you get the Vedas, when Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth He exhibited His rūpa, His form, His activities, His līlā. Everything He exhibited so kindly. So you have to think of this kṛṣṇa-līlā, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's activities. Janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9). They are divine. They are not material, because Kṛṣṇa has got divine body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). But to favor us, because devotees are always anxious to see, therefore He comes.

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

His son was asking his father, "My dear father, why you are disbelieving God?" And he was becoming angry: "No, I am God. Who is else God? I am God. You see? All the demigods, they are afraid of me. I am so powerful." But Prahlāda will not agree. He will say, "No, no. You are not God. God is Nārāyaṇa." This was the father and son. So he did not believe in God. He was thinking, "I am God." Therefore, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham. Those who are atheists, who do not believe in God, the God comes before them as death and takes away everything, all his power, all his opulence, all his money, all his..., everything taken away. Mṛtyuḥ sarva...

So that is the atheist class realization of God. And theist class, they believe in God. They worship in God while living, and their business is: in this life they are serving God, Kṛṣṇa, and even after death, they will do the same business.

Lecture on SB 3.26.17 -- Bombay, December 26, 1974:

We are also the same principle, the living entities. Brahmā is also in the category of living entities, and Lord Śiva is between the living entities and the Supreme Lord, in between. Therefore you cannot keep Lord Śiva as living entity category, neither Viṣṇu category. Via media. Kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vikāra-viśeṣa-yogāt (Bs. 5.45). The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not come directly in touch with this prakṛti, but the form by which He touches this prakṛti, that is Lord Śiva. Therefore Lord Śiva is not different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead; at the same time, he is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the conclusion. So that ceṣṭā... Ceṣṭā yataḥ sa bhagavān. Therefore Lord Śiva's another name is Kāla-bhairava. Kāla-bhairava. And he is the master of the annihilation. When this whole material creation will be required to be destroyed, it will be done by Lord Śiva. It is created by Lord Brahmā, it is maintained by Lord Viṣṇu, and when it will be destroyed, it will be done by Lord Śiva. Therefore there are three original demigods.

Lecture on SB 3.28.20 -- Nairobi, October 30, 1975:

So this is the way, not whimsically accept any rascal as avatāra. No. That is not the process. Or any rascal as God. This rascaldom has killed the whole human society to become atheist. You should be very, very careful of these rascals. As soon as somebody says that "I am God," you shall immediately take him as dog, not God. So God is not so cheap. In the Brahma-saṁhitā the description of God, Kṛṣṇa, is given, and it is said there,

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
jīvanti loma-bilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.48)

Govinda, the ādi-puruṣa, His plenary representation is Mahā-Viṣṇu. And what is the description of Mahā-Viṣṇu? Yasya eka niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya. From one exhaling of the breath, then... Yasyaika niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48), all these innumerable universes. We are seeing... We are in one universe. There are many millions of universes.

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

Divyam means the platform where God can be understood. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If we can understand God on the transcendental platform, not in this material platform by imagination or speculation—that is not God. One has to understand God on the transcendental platform, śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. On the vasudeva platform we can understand Vāsudeva. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. So here it is advised: tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). The whole business is... Everyone is hankering after happiness. That's a fact. The karmīs, the ordinary workers, fruitive workers... Just like big, big city, they are whole day and night the motorcars going this way and that way, this way and that way... "Whoosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh, woosh..." Why? For finding out, "Where is happiness? Where is happiness? Where is happiness?" Happiness.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Who is living God? Who is living God? That he has not mentioned.

Devotee: The poor.

Prabhupāda: Poor is God? Then why rich is not God? If you have so broad vision, that you see God everywhere, so why you make distinction between poor God and rich God? Why you make distinction? If poor is God, the rich is also God. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). If you have got so broader vision, then why you distinguish between poor and rich. A paṇḍita, a learned scholar,

vidyā-vinaya sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
(BG 5.18)

Sama-darśī means he has no distinction. Why you should make distinction between poor and rich? That is sama-darśī. As soon as you make distinction, then your vision is imperfect. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, samata (BG 18.54). Not that I distinguish between this particular class to another particular. That is not brahma-darśana, neither it is sama-darśana.

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

That is God's mercy. Don't think that "Because God mercifully has come before Me in a form which we can perceive, which we can see, with which we can serve," not that "He is not God." That is rascaldom. God is there. Otherwise Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as soon as He entered the Jagannātha's temple, immediately He fainted. Does it mean He made a fun? No. He saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead present there.

So it requires eyes to see God. That eyes you have to prepare. What is that eyes? Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). You have to apply eyes' ointment. Just like there is some medicine, eye ointment, which you apply—you can see very distinctly—similarly, that ointment is premāñjana. If you develop love for God Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is in ecstasy, always in love. He can see. Similarly, if you develop your love for God, then you can see.

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

That is spiritual idea. If you take cent percent God from God, still He is cent percent. That is pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate. Īśāvāsyam idam. So Kṛṣṇa says that māyā, "In My another feature, Vasudeva feature," mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Everything is God, but everything is not God. That is explained by God.

mayā tatam idam sarva
jagat avyakta-mūrtinā
mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni
nahaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ
(BG 9.4)

The Māyāvādīs, the poor fund knowledge, they say, "Why you are worshiping God here? He is everywhere." "He is everywhere? He is in the temple also." "No," they will say, "not in the temple. He is everywhere except in the temple. Don't go to the temple." This is rascaldom. If God is everywhere, why He is not in the temple? So this is their knowledge, poor fund of knowledge. Alpa-medhasā. Alpa-medhasā. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11).

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

"I have no danger because God, Kṛṣṇa, is protecting me. I am now fully surrendered, prasannātmā." That is called prasannātmā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). He has no lamentation, and he has no desire also. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He's hankering after something. The whole material world, one who is not God conscious, is simply hankering, hankering. Or, if he loses something, he's lamenting. That is two business are there. But a God conscious person, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, has no lamentation, no hankering. If anything is lost, he knows that it is God's wish. "God desired this. That's all right." And he knows that "Everything is provided by God; why shall I hanker?" Na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then universal brotherhood: "As I am part and parcel of God, my brother is also, my friend is also, the dog is also like that, the cow is also like that. They're all part and parcel of God as spirit, as spiritual spark. Therefore they're all equal. Why shall I envy him? Why shall I utilize(?) him? Why shall I trouble him?" These good consciousness, good qualities, automatically develop. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

The whole creation, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So He knows everything because He is perfect. But I do not know. Although it is by my energy this body is produced. I do not know how these veins are created, how these bones are created. I do not know. Therefore I am not God. I do not know... I say "my body," but actually this body has developed, me, as spirit soul, but I do not know how many hairs are there on my head and how it is growing. But He knows. That is a characteristic of the Absolute Truth. He must be knowing everything, and that is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vedahaṁ samatītāni: (BG 7.26) "I know everything in the past. I know what will happen in the future. I know everything." That is God.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:

So we have got picture in our Bhagavad-gītā. The sun-god is listening. The sun-god, there is sun-god. Just like here we have got a god, Ford or Nixon, similarly, in every planet there is a god. Therefore it is described, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). All these gods, they are demigods. They are not God. God is one. So deva. That... If you try to go to the sun planet, moon planet, or any other planet, millions and trillions of planet, you can go. Higher planetary system, lower planetary system, that you can go. That is... The description is there in the śāstras. They are going to the moon. Of course, I have several times... They have never gone, but anyway... You can go to the moon planet. How you can go, the description is there. So moon planet is not vacant. That is counted amongst the heavenly planets. If anyone can go there, he can live there for ten thousands of years. Ten thousand of years means according to the demigods' years.

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Honolulu, May 24, 1976:

Therefore we say that "Don't think that Kṛṣṇa consciousness will go without any difficulty. There will be so many difficulties. Even your father will be angry." This is the history.

So this father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he defied God: "Who is God? I am God. Take my (indistinct)." The child said, "My dear father, you are not God." He would never address his father as "father." He addressed him "the best of the asuras." "My dear best of the asuras," tat sādhu manye asura-vārya dehinām. After all, the relationship is father and son. So one day the father took him, "My dear son, what you have learned, the best thing, from your teachers? Tell me." "Yes, I'll tell you." "What is that?" Tat sādhu manye asura-varya. He never addressed "father." "O the best of the asuras." Asura-vārya means "the best of the asura." Tad sādhu manye: "I think that is very good thing." "What is that?" Tad sādhu manye asura-vārya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). "All these people, they're simply full of anxieties." That's a fact. Who's not full of anxieties? Those who are in this material world, who can say, "No, I have no anxiety"? That is not possible. Either you become President Nixon or in the street beggar, there is anxiety.

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

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

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

Guest: He has not come in there. He is not God.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So naturally... Just like somebody says that "I am God. I have become God by mystic yoga." So one should challenge him, "What kind of God you are? Whenever there is a toothache, you go to the doctor immediately. And you are God?" So I have seen. I have seen one man in America. He had some disciples, some. And he was claiming everyone is God, he is God. And one day he was suffering from toothache. So I asked him, "What kind of God you are, that you are so much painful, suffering from toothache?" And actually, one should challenge these... And they are, practically, another kind of lunatic, who claim that "I am God." Similarly, this challenge is given by the Viṣṇudūtas to the Yamadūtas, that "You are representative of Dharmarāja. Now explain what is dharma and what is adharma." brūta dharmasya nas tattvaṁ yac ca adharmasya lakṣaṇam. Tattva, lakṣaṇam: the symptoms of adharma, and the truth of dharma.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:

Then again, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Why the spiritual master should be accepted directly as Nārāyaṇa and God? The Māyāvāda philosophers, they say, "Yes, spiritual master is God and I am God, you are God—everyone is God." No. That is rectified. Everyone is not God. God is God, and living entities are living entities. In the Vedas it is..., nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "He is the prime entity of all entities." So there cannot be two Gods. One God. As such, if God is one, there cannot be two religion also, because religion means to understand God, to love God. That is religion. And religion means the words of God, just as it is said. So why there should be two religions? There cannot be two religions. There may be some difference according to climate, country, population. There may be some difference in the execution of religion. But on principle there cannot be two religions because God is one and religion means the words of God. So how there can be two religions?

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

Therefore Kṛṣṇa, by His omnipotency, He becomes a smaller just to be handled by you. That is His mercy. Not that... Just like Kṛṣṇa became a small child of Yaśodā. That does not mean Kṛṣṇa has diminished in His power. He immediately showed. When there was attempt to kill Him by the Pūtanā, immediately He showed His Godly power. So we have to study like that, that God in any circumstances is God. God is never made. Any circumstances, God is God. God... Not that by meditation, pressing your nose, you become God. No. That is not God. God is God.

Lecture on SB 6.2.16 -- Vrndavana, September 19, 1975:

Why God will not come? Is He your father's servant, that you think God cannot come, therefore God cannot come? You can think in your way, but God is fully independent. Whenever He likes, He can come. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. Just to show the example. Why God should be restrained not to come? He is not God. If God is restrained by us, by our speculation, by our imagination, that is not God. That is dog. A dog can be restrained: "Don't come here." Why God can be restrained? So there is no reason. He says freely that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). He wants. We are part and parcel of God, just like sons are part and parcel of father. If the father is rich man, all-powerful, he does not like to see that his sons are loitering in the street without any food, without any shelter. He doesn't like. Father entreats, "My dear son, why you are rotting in this way? Come home. You'll be comfortable. You'll be happy." But these rascal sons will not go.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:

They are preaching now in India, yata mat tata path. "Whatever you accept, that is dharma." No. Dharma means bhāgavata-dharma. Whatever Bhagavān says or God says, that is dharma.

And God is one. There cannot be different Gods. If God has got competitors, then He is not God. There cannot be Hindu God, Muslim God, Christian God, or other conception of God. God is one. God cannot be Hindu, Muslim, Christian. So... And His order is also one. That is the instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, God says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Real dharma is to surrender unto God. And surrender and to follow His instruction and become a lover of God. Then it is dharma. It is perfectly clear. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). In another place it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religion. What is that? By which one can learn how to love God. This is the definition. How to love God.

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1977:

This is the substance of all instruction. Believe Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Believe that there is Kṛṣṇa. Innocent child will believe, but our brain is so dull, we will inquire, "Whether the Deity is made of stone or brass or wood," because we are not innocent. We are thinking that this Deity is something made of brass. Even it is brass, a brass is not God? Brass is also God. Because Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir..., apareyam..., bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Everything is Kṛṣṇa. Without Kṛṣṇa there is no existence. So why Kṛṣṇa cannot appear as He likes? He can appear in brass. He can appear in stone. He can appear in wood. He can appear in jewel. He can appear in painting. Any way He can... That is all-powerful. But we have to take it that "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Don't take it that "Kṛṣṇa is separate from this Deity, and here we have got a brass form Deity." No. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Advaita. He has multi-expansion, but they're all one.

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

That's all right. But how he has become poor? He was at sometimes God, accepted. But how he has become dog instead of God? But God is susceptible to such falldown? Then what kind of God he is? If God is subjected sometimes to fall down, then he is not all-powerful. Then the cause which has made him fall down, that is powerful. Therefore he is not God. God is all-powerful. So why other power will make him to come down from the position of God? Then that power is powerful. But God is all-powerful; therefore he is not God. This is common reasoning. God cannot be subjected to any other external... Just like according to Biblical philosophy, "God and Satan." God is never under the influence of Satan. Is there any statement in the Bible that "God has become under the influence of Satan"? Then Satan become great. God is not great. Similarly, if by some cause, by Satanic cause, one has fallen down from the position of God to the position of dog, then that Satan is greater than God. But God is great. Therefore he is not God.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. God cannot be under the influence of anything so that He may fall down. That is not God, because God is all-powerful. Why He should be influenced by any other power? Then what kind of God? Then he is not God. Just try to understand how to argue. Then you will be able to argue with them. Yes, ask any other question in that connection. I shall try to explain. Sit down!

Govinda dāsī: Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Govinda dāsī: Whenever we preach that you can utilize anything and everything in the service of Kṛṣṇa, that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa and therefore we can utilize everything in His service, but then the rascals may say, "Well, if we can use everything in Kṛṣṇa's service, then why is it that these four things are excluded and they can't be used?"

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:

What is that? Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutā aravinda-nābha pādāravinda-vimukhāt: "But he is adverse to God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has got all the good qualities, he has studied Vedas, but if he is not God conscious..." Pādāravinda. Aravinda-nābha pādāravinda. Aravinda-nābha. Nabha means this navel, and aravinda means lotus. You know that the creation is made by the navel of Viṣṇu, the first sprouting of the lotus flower-like planet, and there is Brahmā, and he creates other things. So therefore, aravinda-nābha, "the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose navel has the lotus flower," aravinda-nābha. And pādāravinda: "And His feet is also just like lotus, aravinda." Aravinda-nābha aravinda-pāda. That means Supreme Personality of Godhead. So a vipra, a qualified person with all good qualities, material qualities, if he is lacking the simple quality that he is not conversant with the science of God, vimukhāt, he is not very serious to understand what is God... That is the position.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:

Just like a boy or a girl. If he, she increases the love for another boy, another girl, he decreases the love for other boys and girls. This is natural. Similarly, if you increase your love for Kṛṣṇa, then you decrease your love for nonsense. So vairāgya, this detachment from matter, is automatically done. We have got the propensity to love something, at least a dog if not God. So if we turn our face to the loving attachment to Kṛṣṇa, then paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 9.59). If you are given better thing... Just like in children. He is loving something, but if you give him something better, something red, oh, he is attached immediately. He gives up the old thing and takes up the red thing.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

Why does He so? That is also explained, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante: (BG 4.11) "As you want Me... If you want Me, to forget, I give you facility to forget. And if you want Me, to serve, I give you facility to serve." That is neutrality. That is God. The rascal says, "Why God has made one devotee and another nondevotee?" No. Not God has made. You wanted to become nondevotee? He has made you nondevotee: "All right, you become rascal number one nondevotee." And if you want to be devotee? "All right, I'll make you first-class devotee." That is God. Whatever you want, you get facility. So this is very nice. Simply if we have actually understood our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and if we try to serve Him sincerely, then Kṛṣṇa will give you all facilities. He'll give you intelligence.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:

So this God, this child God in the lap of His mother, He's God. He did not become God by meditation, by penance, or by austerity or by following the rules and regulations. Why? He's substantially God. The God's manifestation is always there. That is God. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has nothing to do. If anyone has to do something to become God, he's a dog. He's not God. Immediately. Immediately understand. If somebody advertises that by meditation he has become God, by worshiping such and such deity he has become God, immediately take that he is dog. Because the Vedic definition says, na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Why God has to do something to become God? If you manufacture something gold, that is chemical gold, that is not gold. Gold is natural. Similarly, God is natural. In the womb of His mother He is God, in the lap of His mother He is God, while He's playing with His boyfriends as cowherds boy He's God, while He's dancing with His girlfriends He's God, while He's fighting in Kurukṣetra He's God, while He's marrying He's God, while He's speaking He's God. That is God. To understand God there is no difficulty. If you try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then God is there.

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

The spiritual is far above. So one... We have to transcend the position of worldly goodness. Somebody asked me this question, "Swamijī, if a person is moral and dutiful and benevolent, all the good qualifications, so what is the use of worshiping God?" My reply was that anyone who is not God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious, he cannot be good, cannot be moral. It is not possible. Harāv abhakta... I am not manufacturing this. This is the statement of Śrīmad-Bhagavatam. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇa mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). So take for example that, our, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi, he was considered to be a very good man... (break) They may be good, but they are not ultimate good. The ultimate good is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is good for you and good for all. Anyone who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is good in this sense, because he is in transcendental position, and whatever he speaks, because he speaks about God, therefore speaking is not adulterated. So this position, as soon as you take it a principle of your life, that "I shall simply be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, or God's service. I shall talk about Kṛṣṇa, I shall work for Kṛṣṇa, I shall write for Kṛṣṇa, I shall read for Kṛṣṇa. Everything for Kṛṣṇa," that is the transcendental position beyond goodness, better than goodness. So one can be situated in this position immediately by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. It is not very difficult. Yes, what is your...?

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

No. Brahmāsmi means "I am spirit soul." Spirit soul is Brahman, and the Supreme Brahman is different. Supreme Brahman, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12), that is Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu-tattva. So unfortunately these Māyāvādī philosophers, they accept brahmāsmi means "I am the Supreme." We are not the Supreme. We are subordinate. So long this knowledge lacks, one is not completely in knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Amongst the persons who are realized themselves as Brahman, as spirit soul, they also, after trying many, many births, that means they are not muktas, that is still baddha, conditioned. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. Not ordinary person; those who are wise. Wise means those who are in the spiritual platform to understand his position as spirit soul, not this body, such persons, after many, many births surrenders to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

Everything is there. Kṛṣṇa, because He is all powerful, if He likes He can... But He does not, He does not. So He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa is giving. Kṛṣṇa is all powerful, He can do everything. He has no restriction. If He is restricted, then He is not God. He can do anything, but He does not do so because He is teaching us. You cannot say that Kṛṣṇa can eat this, therefore we can give everything. No. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. You can give vegetable, flowers, grains, milk, and we take that. So we have no quarrel with that.

Śvapaca. Śvapaca means the dog-eaters. The dog-eaters, they are considered to be the most abominable. The dog-eaters are there still. We have received report from our Hong Kong center that there is regular dog-eaters, and I am going there in Hong Kong. (laughter) But we are not concerned with the dog-eaters. But here Prahlāda Mahārāja says... Dog-eaters were there (indistinct) millions of years ago.

Page Title:Not God (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:31 of Oct, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=81, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:81