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Novel (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Now, as we are accustomed to think either of this material energy or of the spiritual energy, now, how to transfer the thinking? The thinking of the material energy, how it can be transferred into thinking of the spiritual energy? So for thinking in the spiritual energy the Vedic literatures are there. Just like thinking in the material energies, there are so many literatures—newspapers, magazines, novels, fictions, and so many things. Full of literatures. So our thinkings are absorbed in these literatures. Similarly, if we want to transfer our thinking in the spiritual atmosphere, then we have to transfer our reading capacity to the Vedic literature. The learned sages therefore made so many Vedic literatures, the Purāṇas. The Purāṇas are not stories. They are historical records.

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

So all these literatures, if we transfer our thought, tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ, sadā. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). One who is engaged always... Just like the materialist is always engaged in reading some material literature like newspaper, magazines, and fiction, novel, etc., and so many scientific or philosophies, all these things of different degrees of thought. Similarly, if we transfer our, that reading capacity for these Vedic literatures, as presented by, as very kindly presented by Vyāsadeva, then it is quite possible for us to remember at the time of death the Supreme Lord. That is the only way suggested by the Lord Himself. Not suggested, it is the fact. Nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ (BG 8.5). Undoubtedly. There is no doubt about it. Tasmāt, the Lord suggested therefore, tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu mām anusmara yudhya ca (Bg. 8.7). He advises Arjuna that mām anusmara yudhya ca. He does not say that "You simply go on remembering Me and give up your present occupational duty." No.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

Formerly, no book will be accepted unless it is written by liberated soul. That was the system. No other man will dare to write any book, neither his book will be accepted in society. Only Vedic literature and literature produced out of Vedic knowledge. That is book. Otherwise, what are these books? These fictions and novels and... They are not books; they are rubbish. Actually they are rubbish. Don't you see? The newspaper, it is published after spending so much money. You know. Every day, the newspaper proprietors, they are paying to the news collectors, to the photographers, to the staff, to the establishment huge amount of money and producing newspaper, say, fifty pages or twenty-five pages, and throwing in the street. Nobody cares for it. Because everyone knows what is the value of this news. Nobody is taking care. "Oh, here is a newspaper behind which there is so much expenditure." "Oh, here is one. Let me take it." Everyone kicks it. You see? You see practically. Huge bundles of newspapers, nobody cares for it. That means actually this literature has no value.

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

Those who are ordinary persons, without any knowledge, they are acting, whole day and night to satisfy the senses. That's all. This is ordinary life. Mostly people are working for that purpose, mostly. And above them, above them, if somebody is intelligent, he's working on the mind—philosophy, poetry, nice idea in novel, nice idea in drama, some psychological..., all these things. So they are little better than those who are working day and night hard for sense gratification. They are little... These philosophers, the poets and the thinkers, they're little more better. So indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). So manasas tu parā buddhiḥ. And above them, those who are acting very intelligent, intelligently, on the laws of the nature, say, for the scientist or like that... Manasas tu parā buddhiḥ. And that stage, that scientific stage, that scientific calculation, is the stage of this appreciation of consciousness. The perfection of scientific life... Science, science, scientists are making research "What is the truth beyond this? Beyond this? Beyond this?"

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

Now, dhyāyato viṣayān, because our mind is always engaged in either of these things—eating, sleeping, and defending, and mating, especially mating—so dhyāyato viṣayān, dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ, when we think of, even by thinking, the next stage is saṅgas teṣu upajāyate: we become attached to that. We become attached to that. Just like we are reading some sex novel. Now, sex novel. Now, there is thinking of that. So thinking, thinking—then I become attached to it. I want practically. So dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣūpajāyate, saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. And by attachment, then my lust becomes developed. Kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate. And when my lust is not satisfied, then I become angry. One after another, it is coming. Krodhād bhavati saṁmohaḥ. And when I am angry, then I, I mean, I am out of my control of the equilibrium of mind. Krodhād saṁmohaḥ, saṁmohe, saṁmohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ. Then, even when I have control of the equilibrium of mind... I have seen that two brothers quarreling, and it, it, I mean to say, rose to such an extent, the quarreling, that one brother killed his another brother. We have seen. Two brother quarreling—one brother was killed by one brother, and he was arrested, and he was ordered to be hanged. Then his father appealed to the court that "My two sons...

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

All these literatures attract us very much. Stories and literatures, all these things, they attract very much. In a bookshop you go, if you ask them, "Supply me one copy of Bhagavad-gītā," he will have to find out. But if you ask a bookseller, "Give me some novels," oh, he will present so many things. Because our inclination is like that. We are always anxious to learn these mundane affairs. We have no taste for spiritual upliftment. That taste we have lost.

That is the stage of our present existence—forgetfulness. We do not know how our taste should be created, how our taste should be converted from material to spiritual. That we do not know. Therefore Lord is so kind, Kṛṣṇa, that He creates a battlefield for you so that you may be anxious to know, "Who is fighting with whom? Who is fighting with whom." Because we are always very much anxious to learn stories, so all these Purāṇas...

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

So this Mahābhārata was especially made, I mean the story... Just like expert writer, they will pick up some historical facts and put it into fiction, so, to create more interest. In Bengal there is a famous writer who is compared with (Sir Walter) Scott of England. So Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Oh, all his novels are picked up from some historical facts, historical facts. That makes the fiction very interesting. Similarly, Mahābhārata, this is a history of fighting between two parties, and that was written especially, strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25).

We were just discussing this śloka this morning, that strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnām. Strī means woman class. Woman and śūdra and dvija-bandhu... Śūdra means ordinary people, not intelligent class, ordinary people. And dvija-bandhu? Dvija-bandhu means born in higher caste family, but their qualification is nil, such persons.

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

They are thinking, "This is a flickering lamp. Oh, let us enjoy." Very risky civilization. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati.

These are all stated in the Purāṇas. These books were meant for human society. They are not reading. They are reading all rascal novels and literatures and sex life, frauds, and this and that, books. How they are wasting their time! The other day Govinda dāsī was showing me one literature, Hawaii picture. The boys and girls, they are enjoying this, what is called?

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

So śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata is not some materialistic philosopher's or writer's as you have got... They are called grāmya-vastavaḥ. Grāmya-vastavaḥ means ordinarily these affairs. A man is meeting woman, woman is meeting man—that story, all these novels and fiction and dramas. It is not like that. Therefore it is said mahā-muni-kṛte śrīmad-bhāgavate. It is not ordinary persons writing whimsical, some, manufacturing some story, narration and puzzling the brain. No. Śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte: it is beyond all defects of human life. When an ordinary person writes, he writes with defective instruments. First of all, any man within this world, however great he may be, he must commit mistake. That's a fact. There are many instances, simply for little mistake. Just like Hitler. Hitler planned so gorgeously winning over the world. A little mistake, as soon as his attention was diverted toward Russia, he was finished.

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

These professional readers, they won't read. Just like we are reading the philosophical side here. They won't go. People are not interested the philosophy. They immediately jump over the rasa dance, and they think, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is enjoying with the gopīs." Just like we read some novel, one boy is enjoying with another girl. They take it like that. You see? So that is degradation. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī has warned that one who is not actually Vaiṣṇava, a realized soul of this Vaiṣṇava philosophy, one should not hear from him. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavya... Don't hear.

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

That is the difference. We are also reading. They are also reading. So nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Parīkṣit Mahārāja, "My dear king, there are many hundreds and thousands of topics for the materialistic person." Sahasraśaḥ. Sahasraśaḥ means thousands, and that is a fact. So many novels, so many fiction, so many so-called philosophy, newspaper, cinema paper, this paper, that paper, so many. Sahasraśaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:

We are very fortunate. I am very glad to inform you that we are selling our books, not less than forty to fifty thousand rupees daily. So our books are being well received, because in the Western world outside India, they never heard of this idea that God can be approached personally, we can talk with Him, we can live with Him, we can play with Him. These new ideas, of course, novel to the Western world. Therefore they are taking very careful attention. So why not India? Do not waste your time this way, that way. And the process is very simple. The process is very simple. We are recommending the followers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just now I received one letter from Jaipur. They wanted my guidance. The guidance is not very difficult. It is very simple thing. First of all try to become sinless: no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. Observe these four regulative principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as far as possible, at least sixteen rounds. Then see how your life changes.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Mahābhārata author is Vyāsadeva. Author means it is not an imaginary story. It is historical fact. History anyone can write. So if you mean by author that something original, just like at the present moment there are so many authors of some fiction, novel, and fictitious, it is not like that. The historical incidences were there, and it was put forward by Vyāsadeva. In that sense he is author.

Guest (2): When was it written, the Bhagavad-gītā?

Prabhupāda: Five thousand years before. It was after the Battle of Kurukṣetra. The Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought about five thousand years ago, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written after writing Mahābhārata. When Vyāsadeva was not satisfied in his heart even by writing Mahābhārata and Vedānta-sūtra, he was sitting morose, and he was thinking that "I have written so many nice literatures. Why I am not happy?" At that time his spiritual master Nārada came, and he instructed him that "You have written the history of Mahābhārata. It is very nice. But there is some idea of Kṛṣṇa, or God, but not absolute. You write some book in which simply, absolutely about Kṛṣṇa is there." So under his instruction he wrote the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:

It is simply wasting time, valuable time in the human life, to divert our attention to such ordinary literature. They are called grāmya-kathā. In Sanskrit language it is called grāmya-kathā. Grāmya-kathā means any book, any poetry, or any novel, or any drama... There is some hero and heroine, a man or woman, about their loving affairs, tragedy, comic, like that. Actually, it is grāmya-kathā. The same thing as we are experiencing daily, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam, this eating, sleeping, mating, that's all. What is the value of such literature? What do you gain by that? No. Simply mental agitation. And if it is sex literature, then it is very appealing. So that means it is something like haviṣya kṛta(?)... Just like if you offer fuel on the fire, the fire will go on and it will, I mean to say, consume as much as you go on giving fuel. But there is no śānti. The fire will never be extinguished. Actually, what we want? What is the mission of our life? What is the aim of our life? We are hankering after śānti, or peace.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

The newspaper man throws in everyone's bungalow, and it is lying for three days. So who is going to read? But they are making their business because they get advertisement. In the... Many news. So they have got to hear or understand so many news, but not this Bhāgavatam. They'll devote the whole day for reading this newspaper or some fiction or some novels, for this and that. Some political talks and... But they have no time to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Apaśyatām ātma... Because they have no, no interest in self-realization. There is no interest. People have lost all interest. This is the position. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential at the present moment.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

Because they haven't got the chance to hear. They do not discuss. Whenever there is recitation of Bhāgavatam, it means they are discussing some rāsa-līlā. Because the rāsa-līlā is very palatable to the rascals. They think that Kṛṣṇa is ordinary young boy, and the gopīs are young girls, and as they read novel and dramas, one man, one woman, their activities, they think Bhāgavata is like that. They think... Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. They think like that. The gopīs, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs, it is most confidential part of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is to be relished by the liberated soul, not these ordinary persons who have got sex attraction. They are unfit for hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, rāsa-līlā. Unfit.

Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:

Therefore this is the easiest process. Pleasing. Everyone is pleased to execute this process. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt (SB 10.1.4). Mano-'bhirāmāt. Even for ordinary men who wants to hear about conjugal love... They read therefore so many novels, fiction, dramas. What is that? The love affairs between one young man, one young girl. But that is also there, Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. In that sense also, it is pleasing.

Even to the ordinary man. So, mano 'bhirāmāt, it is very pleasing. Nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ... For philosophers it is also pleasing. We are talking all of philosophy in Bhāgavata. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt (SB 10.1.4). Ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt. Uttamaśloka is Kṛṣṇa, who is worshiped by offering nice, selected ślokas, authorized. Just like we offer prayer, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa... (Bs. 5.29). Each line is full of poetry, poetic and literary character, grammar. Anything you take, they're all full. All Bhāgavata, all Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You cannot produce such literature in this day. Such meaningful. Because Vyāsadeva was incarnation, he could produce.

Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974:

That is human life. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. We require these things. We require to eat something for maintaining the body. But not that we shall be accustomed to eat very palatable things. No. That is not good. Bhāla nā khāibe āra bhāla nā paribe. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised His disciples, "Never eat very palatable foodstuff. Never talk these village talks." Ordinary novel, literature, newspaper, He forbade. Fortunately, in our Society there is no newspaper. You may be surprised that "How is that, in modern age, especially these Europeans and Americans, they do not take any interest in newspaper?" In their country, if one does not get newspaper, it is horrible. It is horrible. Newspaper is so popular in the Western countries. There are so many newspapers. And each newspaper is publishing three, four times editions. But they are selling. But you'll find that these boys, these Americans boys who have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have kicked out newspaper. No more newspaper. Because there is no kṛṣṇa-kathā, they don't like to read it.

Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974:

The haṭha-yoga is very popular. Sometimes the fat ladies go there to reduce their fat, and... (laughter) Some bodily... Here also they practice yoga to keep the digestive system regular. So people like this kind of yoga, gymnastics. But real yoga is ādhyātmika. Ādhyātmika means to awaken the soul to his proper position. That is real yoga. So that is not a manufactured, novel concoction. That is Purāṇa. As the soul is purāṇa, śāśvataḥ purāṇaḥ, similarly his business is also śāśvataḥ purāṇaḥ. That business is to reconnect his lost relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

So Kapiladeva says that "The same yoga system which I previously spoke to the great ṛṣis, who were very eager to hear..." Ṛṣīṇāṁ śrotu-kāmānām. This (is) one of the qualifications for spiritual advancement. One must be eager to hear. Because the spiritual life begins by hearing.

Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa wants this, that "These rascals may begin to hear and chant about Me." That's all. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). Mām, Kṛṣṇa. Not others. You don't talk politics, or don't talk sociology, or this or that, nonsense. This is all dirty things. Don't waste your time. There is no need of reading so many rascal novels. They are called tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham. Tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavaḥ, na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśaḥ (SB 1.5.10). Any literature which does not glorify the Supreme Lord Hari, that is vāyasa-tīrtham. Vāyasa-tīrtham means the place where the crows enjoy. Vāyasa-tīrtha.

So this is, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving chance people to become pious. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. "How? I have no money. How can I become pious? I cannot give in charity. I cannot go to take bath in the Ganges, and..." So many, there are pious activities. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa tyāgena yamena niyamena (SB 6.1.13). There are so many processes to become pious. In the śāstra there are recommendations, "You do this to become pious." So in this Kali-yuga people have lost all stamina, how to become pious. They are so sinful. But here is the only means: you simply come here and hear about Kṛṣṇa. You have got ears, Kṛṣṇa has given you ears.

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

The mayi is also significant. That means, paramahaṁsa guru means, he's as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because he does not deviate from the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the symptom of guru. Guru does not deviate from the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not manufacture something new, novel. No, the same thing. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter, although He is the speaker, millions of years ago He instructed the science to the Sun god, and again when He was instructed to Arjuna, He said that, "I am instructing the same thing." Sa evāyaṁ purātanaḥ. Not that on account of change of time, the instruction has been changed, no. (aside:) What is that exact verse? Sa evāyaṁ purātanaḥ?

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

Similarly, advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, "No no, I don't want." Not only saying, "Don't want," but yad avadi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde nava nava dhāman udyata rantum āsīt tad avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame. Here our feelings of happiness is sex life. Sometimes we think, "Oh, how I was enjoying sex life with my wife, with my husband." That is also pleasure. They read so many novels because there is sex life. They feel very happy: "How this man is talking with this woman, woman is talking, this woman, and how they are enjoying." So that is subtle, subtle enjoyment. There are eight kinds of subtle sex life. If you see one beautiful woman and if you appreciate, "Oh, how nice the face is," that is subtle sex. If you read books, that is also subtle sex. If you endeavor how to approach that woman or man to find out the opportunity, that is subtle sex. There are eight kinds of subtle sex life. So it is forbidden for a brahmacārī even to think of woman. That is brahmacārī.

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

So here Prahlāda Mahārāja said that... Prahlāda Mahārāja is also mahājana because he follows mahājana. He says, viriñca-gītāḥ: "I'll enjoy. I shall relish tava līlā-kathaḥ, Your pastime, the narration of Your pastime." But it is not that narration, as it is written by some mundane dramatic drama writer or novel writer. No, not that. That is useless. You should not touch. If some ordinary person has written something about Kṛṣṇa's līlā, you should not touch even. It must be in the sampradāya, must be authorized person. Otherwise it is useless. You should not touch even. Therefore he especially mentioned, līlā-kathās tava nṛsiṁha viriñca-gītāḥ: "which is given by mahājanas like Brahmā." Just like we offer prayers from Brahma-saṁhitā. We cannot offer prayer from any other persons, written by any other nonsense. No, that is not possible.

Lecture on SB 7.9.39 -- Mayapur, March 17, 1976:

So the verdict of the śāstra is the same everywhere in a different way. The perfection of life is, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, that tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha. One should be interested in Kṛṣṇa-kathā. We are interested in so many kathās. Because we purchase newspaper in the morning, so big volume, so many kathās are there. And we read many material dramas and novels and fictitious stories and killing stories. We are very much attached to these. All these kathās, means stories, we are interested, but we are not interested in Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Means I am interested in kathā, that is my nature, but it has become perverted on account of being contaminated by this material world. This is our position. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha samprīyate durita-duṣṭam asādhu tīvram. Because it is so polluted, asādhu, dishonest and bad, everything, whatever... The mind is dirty, full of dirty things.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Prabhupāda: It is impossible. But she went and married him and they're living peacefully. Now they are married. So I have to see the interest of my missionary work. Never mind. Of course it is a novel thing, that sannyāsī is taking part in marriage. But what can be done? I have to execute my mission. Go on. I think it is now...

Pradyumna: "But Dabira Khāsa who was later to become Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī took advantage of his brother's personal money..."

Prabhupāda: You can arrange a light here. Yes.

Pradyumna: "...which had been deposited with a village banker and escaped from the prison of Hussain Shah. In this way, both brothers joined Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Rūpa Gosvāmī first met Lord Caitanya at Prayāga (Allahabad, India) on the Daśāśvamedha bathing ghāṭa of that holy city and on the Daśāśvamedha bathing ghāṭa of that holy city the Lord instructed him continually for ten days.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

Therefore these prescribed rules and regulations, as it is given in the śāstras and confirmed by the ācāryas... Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi. We have to follow the footprints of the ācāryas. Ācārya means paramparā. One ācārya is following the previous ācārya. An ācārya does not manufacture anything, something novel. He follows the previous ācārya. And therefore he, he's ācārya. And one who follows... Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Ācārya upāsanam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. So we have to accept the principles laid down by the ācāryas. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.367-84 -- New York, December 31, 1966:

So kṛṣṇa-līlā means beginning from His childhood, up to the age of sixteenth year, when He performed the rāsa-līlā, this is actual kṛṣṇa-līlā. And beyond that līlā, when Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana and came to Dvārakā, that is not kṛṣṇa-līlā; that is Vāsudeva līlā, Kṛṣṇa in His Vāsudeva feature, that līlā. It is stated that Kṛṣṇa never goes out of Goloka Vṛndāvana. When He goes, He goes in His Vāsudeva feature. Kṛṣṇa expands Himself—Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa. Therefore when this is described in the Vaiṣṇava literature, a great literary novelist, Bankimacandra Chatterji, he misunderstood that Kṛṣṇa of Vṛndāvana is different from the Kṛṣṇa of Kurukṣetra or Dvārakā. He has analyzed, Kṛṣṇa-caritra, character of Kṛṣṇa. But in everything, he has very much eulogized.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.14-20 -- New York, January 10, 1967:

And if you write some fiction, you can please some men and create some noise for some time in the world, but it will be useless after some time. Just like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Five thousand years before it was written; it is still giving light. It is because it is Kṛṣṇa-kathā. And within your experience, so many nice novelists and poets came and gone. Nobody cares for them. So you can create noise. Very nice word she has used—I'm very pleased—that by writing such things you can create a noise in the world for some time, but it will mix in the..., it will go in the oblivion. So everything should be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the perfection of everything.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on B. F. Skinner:

Śyāmasundara: So Skinner nonetheless allows himself some relaxation. He drinks vodka and tonic in the late afternoon (laughter) and sees an occasional movie. He reads George Simon detective novels once in awhile and enjoys the company of friends. He has two children and his grandchildren. There is a note from his diary: "Sun streams in (indistinct) room. My hi-fi is midway through the first act of Tristan and Isolde. A very pleasant environment. A man would be a fool not to enjoy himself in it. In a moment I will work on a manuscript which may help mankind. So my life is not only pleasant; it is earned or deserved. And yet, yet, I am unhappy."

Prabhupāda: In that sense he is a truthful man. Yes. Truthful.

Śyāmasundara: He wants to... He is trying to understand.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Śyāmasundara: Just like in the past they say there was an ice age when there was no summer, no heat, and everything became ice, so in the future..., I cannot predict... Evolution may carry the events into some entirely strange new way, novel combination. Like winter may disappear or summer may disappear or...

Prabhupāda: No.

Bhavānanda: Or a new species may come out.

Śyāmasundara: A new type of man.

Prabhupāda: No. No. That is not possible. Everything is there. That is the Vedic version. They say that so many species in the water, so many species on land, so many moving... It is all fixed up. There is no question of increasing or decreasing.

Page Title:Novel (Lectures)
Compiler:Rishab, RupaManjari
Created:27 of Jun, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=30, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:30