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Occupation (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"occupation" |"occupational" |"occupations"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: occupation or occupations or occupational not "occupational duty" not "occupational duties" not "occupation* engage*"@5

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

So Lord Kṛṣṇa, He descends, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7), just to establish the real purpose of life. When man forgets the real purpose of life, the mission of human form of life, then it is called dharmasya glāniḥ, the disturbance of the occupation of human being. So in that circumstances, out of many, many human being, who awakens, one who awakens the spirit of understanding his position, for him this Bhagavad-gītā is spoken. We are just like swallowed by the tigress of nescience, and Lord, being causelessly merciful upon the living entities, especially for the human being, He spoke Bhagavad-gītā, making His friend Arjuna as the student.

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

So because we have got intimate relation with the Lord and we are all qualitatively one... The sanātana-dhama and the sanātana Supreme Personality and the sanātana living entities, they are on the same qualitatively plane. Therefore the whole target of Bhagavad-gītā is to revive our sanātana occupation or sanātana..., that is called sanātana-dharma, or eternal occupation of the living entity. We are now temporarily engaged in different activities and all these activities being purified. When we give up all these temporary activities, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), and when we take up the activities as desired by the Supreme Lord, that is called our pure life. (break) Therefore, sanātana-dharma, as mentioned above, that the Supreme Lord is sanātana, and the transcendental abode, which is beyond the spiritual sky, that is also sanātana. And the living entities, they are also sanātana. So association of the sanātana Supreme Lord, sanātana living entities, in the sanātana eternal abode is the ultimate aim of human form of life. The Lord is so kind upon the living entities because the living entities are claimed to be all sons of the Supreme Lord.

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

And therefore sanātana-dharma does not mean any sectarian process of religion. It is the eternal function of the eternal living entities in relationship with the eternal Supreme Lord. So far sanātana-dharma is concerned, it means the eternal occupation. Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya has explained the word sanātana as "the thing which has neither any beginning nor any end." And when we speak of sanātana-dharma we must take it for granted on the authority of Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya that it has no beginning, nor any end. The word religion is a little different from sanātana-dharma. Religion conveys the idea of faith. Faith may change. One may have faith in a particular process, and he may change the faith afterwards and adopt another faith. But sanātana-dharma means which cannot be changed, which cannot be changed. Just like water and liquidity. Liquidity cannot be changed from water. Heat and fire. Heat cannot be changed from fire.

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

The Lord is also perpetually happy, and if we associate with the Lord, cooperate with Him, take part in His association, then also we become happy. The Lord descends on this mortal world to show His pastimes in Vṛndāvana full of happiness. When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was in Vṛndāvana, His activities with His cowherd boys friends, with His damsels, with His friends, damsel friends, and with the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana and His occupation of cowherding in His childhood, and all these pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa were full of happiness. The whole of Vṛndāvana, the whole population of Vṛndāvana, was after Him. They did not know except Kṛṣṇa. Even Lord Kṛṣṇa restricted His father, Nanda Mahārāja in worshiping the demigod Indra because He wanted to establish that people need not worship any other demigod except the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because the ultimate aim of life is to return to the abode of the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on BG 1.1 -- London, July 7, 1973:

So when the planning was complete and the warfield was set up at dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre (BG 1.1). Dharma-kṣetre means, kuru-kṣetre, that place is a pilgrimage. People still go to observe religious ritualistic performances. And in the Vedas there is injunction, kuru-kṣetre dharmam ācaret: "If you want to perform some ritualistic ceremonies, religious, then go to Kurukṣetra." So Kurukṣetra is a dharma-kṣetra. It is a not fictitious thing, just like rascal commentators, so-called, they say, "Kurukṣetra means this body." It is not that. As it is. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kurukṣetra, dharma-kṣetra. It is a place of religion. And especially when Kṛṣṇa was present there, it is already. Why this house? Before our occupation, why this house was an ordinary house? Now it is temple. It is dharma-kṣetra, it is a religious place. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is there. So either you take Kurukṣetra, ordinary place. But because in the battlefield Kṛṣṇa was there directing Arjuna. So it is already dharma-kṣetra.

Lecture on BG 1.37-39 -- London, July 27, 1973:

So, so much responsibility is there, killing the family. Because they have no responsibility at the present moment, everyone irreligious. Two things are there: religion and irreligion. Kṛṣṇa also says, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati abhyutthānam adharmasya (BG 4.7). If we cannot keep on religious principles, then... We have to do something. Then we have to enhance our irreligious principle. So this family tradition, according to Vedic civilization, was very strictly observed so that the family may be kept in order in religious principles. Why? Now, because the human life is meant for reviving his eternal position, sanātana. This word is used here. Kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ. The real purpose of life, especially human life, is meant for reviving our sanātana-dharma, sanātana occupation, eternal occupation. By observing the rules and regulations of varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas..., that is called kula-dharma. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Each one of them must strictly observe the rules and regulations of that particular āśrama. Why it should be observed so strictly? Because by observing the regulative principle of each stages of life, one will be able to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 1.40 -- London, July 28, 1973:

So in India also there is a class. In Asamsaye, they eat also dog. So the dog-eaters, they are considered lowest of the mankind. Śva-pacaḥ. Śva means dog and pacaḥ means who cooks. Śva-pacaḥ means caṇḍāla. If a man from the śva-pacaḥ family, or the caṇḍāla family, he becomes a Vaiṣṇava, strictly according to the orders, then he can become guru, but not a brāhmaṇa if he's not a Vaiṣṇava. This is the stricture. Even one is born in the family of a brāhmaṇa, and he's not only born, he's qualified, sat-karma-nipuṇo... Nipuṇo means qualified. Brāhmaṇa has got six kinds of occupation. He must be learned himself, he must be able to teach others Vedic literatures. That is called paṭhana pāṭhana. Then he must worship... Worship means demigods. Or they consider that any demigod or God, the same, some impersonalists. So yajana, yājana. There are other also, religious ritual functions. They perform. That is called yajana. Yajana yājana. And dāna pratigṛha. A brāhmaṇa takes contribution. A brāhmaṇa is never engaged in service like śūdra. That is śūdra's business.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

Yes. The, the necessity of a spiritual master is for him who is conscious of his material suffering. If one is not conscious of his material suffering, then he is not even on the human being status. He's still in the animal status. Animal status, you see? Now, the modern civilization... The modern civilization is practically... They are evading, evading the real sufferings. They are engaged in temporary sufferings. But the Vedic system is Vedic knowledge. They are meant for ending the sufferings of.., for good, sufferings for good. You see? The human life is meant for that, ending all suffering. Of course, we are trying to end all kinds of suffering. Our business, our occupation, our education, our advancement of knowledge—everything is meant for ending suffering. But that suffering is temporary, temporary. But we have to end the sufferings for good. Suffering... That sort of knowledge is called transcendental knowledge, and if anyone is seeking after that transcendental... This Bhagavad-gītā is not an ordinary thing. It is transcendental knowledge. And now here the ground is prepared. Ground is prepared. Arjuna is conscious of his suffering, perplexity. Now he is seeking a spiritual master.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

So the simple process is, as we are preaching in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that if you try to understand only what is Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa or Christ, the same thing. Then you get your original spiritual body. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be awakened simply by chanting the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, or the holy name of God. So keep yourself aloof from four kinds of sinful life and keep always in touch with Kṛṣṇa, and (or) God, Then you go back to home, back to Godhead. This advantage is possible in this human form of life. Otherwise, we are missing the chance. We may be again put in the cycle of that 8,400,000's forms of body. The process is very simple and easy because you can remain in your occupation, in whatever position you are. Simply you chant the holy name of God. Not only Hare Kṛṣṇa. You can chant the holy name of God, Christ. Christ is also the same as Kṛṣṇa. So do it. There is no expenditure, but the profit is very, very great.

So the conclusion is we should not put ourself in the cycle of birth and death continually in 8,400,000 species of life. To stop it and go back to home, back to Godhead, and regain your original spiritual life. (aside:) I can stop it? So thank you very much. If you have got any question on this subject matter, you can ask.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973:

So when Viśvāmitra Muni came to Mahārāja Daśaratha, as we ask, "How are you?" so Daśaratha, Mahārāja Daśaratha inquired from Viśvāmitra Muni, aihistam yad punar janmajaya: (?)"My dear sir, if there is anything disturbance in your occupation? Because you are trying to conquer over death." All the great ṛṣis and saintly persons, all spiritual realization means to conquer over death. So this was the question. ihistam yad tam punar janmajaya.(?) Punar janma, you are trying to own over repetition of birth. The modern civilization, they do not know that it is possible. It is possible to become immortal, to have eternal blissful life of knowledge. That is called immortality. Sac-cid-ānanda. Sat means eternity and cit means knowledge and ānanda means pleasure, bliss. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda vigraha (Bs. 5.1). His transcendental body is eternal, blissful and complete knowledge, His body. Therefore He's speaking Bhagavad-gītā. If He's an ordinary man, what is the use of hearing Him? Ordinary man will commit mistake, will cheat, will be illusioned. His senses are imperfect; how he can give complete knowledge? That is not possible. Therefore we are not concerned to hear any rascal. We want to hear Kṛṣṇa. We are not prepared to hear any rascal, so-called scientists and so-called philosopher, so-called God. No. We are not prepared. Because everyone is rascal. Everyone is full of mistakes, everyone is trying to cheat others, everyone is illusioned, and everyone's senses are imperfect. How he can give knowledge perfect? That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:

These are nine kinds of services. They are sat. The more we are engaged in these nine kinds of different occupation of devotional service, the more we are elevated, and the more we are engaged in activities of material sense gratification, we are degraded. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). You have got nice office, material point of view, nice business. So if you perform that business, office work, your duty, very nicely, but you have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, śāstra says that śrama eva hi kevalam. It is simply wasting time and laboring hard. That's all. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that this is the distinction between sat and asat. And we should not be very much interested with the asat. Then our life is spoiled. We should be interested with sat. That will make our life successful. Then we make progress for amṛtatva.

Lecture on BG 2.21-22 -- London, August 26, 1973:

So take it, this body or the country or the nation or the world or the universe, nothing belongs to you. The owner is Kṛṣṇa. The owner is sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the owner." So mistake is that we do not know the owner, and we are, although we have occupied, improperly using our occupation. That is material condition. Improper. Otherwise, the direction is there, the director is sitting there. He's always helping you. But the disease is that we are claiming to be owner and want to act according to my whims, and that is material condition. My business is to work for the owner, not for me. Therefore, that is my position. Kṛṣṇa has created me, not creation, but along with Kṛṣṇa we are all there. But we are eternal servants. Just like along with this body, the finger is also born. The finger is not differently born. When I was born, my fingers were born. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa was there, Kṛṣṇa was never born.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

Dharma, if we take these two words... Sanātana means eternal. That is called sanātana. And dharma, dharma means occupation, characteristic. Dharma does not mean some superficial ritualistic ceremonies. Dharma means the characteristic. That is real meaning. Dharma is not a kind of faith. Dharma is characteristic. Sanātana-dharma means sanātana characteristic, eternal characteristic. The changing... Now, I have got now this body, Indian body, and then, next body may be cat's and dog's or demigod's, according to my karma. So the body changes. So sanātana-dharma cannot be applied to this body. Sanātana-dharma means the characteristic of the soul. That is sanātana-dharma, to understand the characteristic of the soul. Kṛṣṇa is describing here the characteristic of the soul: sanātana. And at the conclusion, He gives you information of the sanātana-dharma. What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is sanātana-dharma. Kṛṣṇa is sanātana, I am sanātana, you are sanātana.

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

Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, what is a Manu, and how is Manu the father of mankind, as it is stated in Bhagavad-gītā?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Manu is the name, and because mankind is born, therefore they are called manuṣya. Manuṣya, "born of Manu." Manu is the name. Just like in some parts of England they are called Angels? In the past history during the Roman occupation of England, they are known as Angels? You don't know?

Woman devotee: Anglos?

Prabhupāda: Angles, yes.

Woman devotee: Anglo-Saxon.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So from Angles, they have become English. Similarly, Manu. Manu is the name of the son of Brahmā, Vaivasvata Manu. Just like Nārada is one of the sons. So there are so many sons. Brahmā was the original living being. So he created so many sons, and they created so many sons. In this way the population of the whole universe has increased. So Manu is one of the sons. There are fourteen Manus in one day of Brahmā. These things I have discussed many times. And the mankind, they come from Manu. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāha (BG 4.1). Manu, this Manu, there are different Manus, fourteen Manus in one day. This present Manu under whom we are now living within this universe, he's the son of sun-god, Vivasvān. So he has got his different planet, as the sun has got different planet. So his son Ikṣvāku was given this earthly planet to rule over and from that generation, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, Lord Rāmacandra appeared. In this way the kṣatriyas, they spread all over the world. I have several times said that most of the Europeans, they belong to the original kṣatriyas.

Lecture on BG 2.31 -- London, September 1, 1973:

Prabhupāda:

sva-dharmam api cāvekṣya
na vikampitum arhasi
dharmyāddhi yuddhāc chreyo 'nyat
kṣatriyasya na vidyate
(BG 2.31)

Sva-dharmam. Sva means "own." And dharmam means "occupation." Dharma means occupation and... (to Pradyumna:) You finished?

Pradyumna: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Sva means "own." Sva-dharmam: "one's own occupation." So according to Vedic civilization, everyone has his own sva-dharma. This has been misinterpreted by the rascals. Sva-dharma means anyone can discover his own religious principle. Yato mata tato patha. Whatever you think is religious principle, that's all right. This is going on. But that is not the meaning. Sva-dharma means "own occupation." Actually dharma means which you cannot give up. Dhṛ-dhātu. You have to capture it; to keep your existence you must capture it.

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

Now, this world, this world... Even Mahatma Gandhi... I have read his life. The day when he was to be killed, he did not know in the morning that he was going to be killed in the evening. But as a big man, he was receiving so many letters, so many congratulation, so many condemnation. You do not know. At the end of Gandhi's later part of life he was so disgusted with his life that he always wanted..., he spoke to his secretaries, associates, that "If death would come to me, I would be satisfied." Such a big man, such a great man. One of his practical difficulty was that he could not sleep soundly, partly due to his big occupation and partly due to the disturbance of the people. Wherever he will go, thousands and thousands of people will gather and will loudly speak, "Mahatma Gandhi kī jaya." Even at dead of night, at twelve o'clock of night, he is passing through a train, and if the train is stopped at the middle station, people will get information and gather, "Mahatma Gandhi kī jaya." So I have seen personally. When he was going through some crowd, he was closing, capping his ears like this. His brain was being unnecessarily taxed with this sound, "Mahatma Gandhi kī jaya." People thought that they were glorifying Mahatma Gandhi, but Mahatma Gandhi was being killed by that voice.

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

So one must have confidence that "Because I am following the standard method, so my spiritual life will really be perfected." We must have this confidence. And that is a fact. Utsāhāt, first enthusiasm; second, patience; and then third, with confidence, niścayāt. Dhairyāt, utsāhād dhairyāt niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. Simply enthusiasm will not do. The formulas which are prescribed there we must follow. We must actually apply in our life. Utsāhād dhairyāt niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt sato vṛtteḥ. And we must be, our vṛtti, our profession, occupation, must be very pure, must be very pure. Impure activities cannot lead me to spiritual emancipation. You will find in Bhagavad-gītā that the God is described, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Pavitram means the purest. God is the purest. So unless we are purest, we cannot approach God. Therefore it is stated that sato vṛtteḥ. Our occupation, our vṛtti, should be very clear, pious. Sato vṛtteḥ and sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Last, last word is very important, that all these things can be executed if we make our association with similar persons, similar persons. Those who are on the path of realizing spiritual perfection, we must make our association with such association. We must be associated with such society so that we can make our... This is... Just like we are holding these classes. This is called sat-saṅga. We are not discussing politics, we are not discussing something for sense enjoyment. We are discussing from Bhagavad-gītā about the constitution of the soul, about the what is God, what is our relation with God. This is called sato vṛtti, sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga means association with good persons who are engaged, if not cent percent, at least engaged, certain portion of his life for spiritual realization.

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

So the whole thing is that life should be molded, molded in such a way that in every step or action, we shall feel the presence of the Lord. That is spiritual life. That is spiritual life. You need not change your present occupation. Just like the example, this Singhania family, they do not change. They are doing just like ordinary... But they are always spiritually conscious. The aim is, aim is toward Kṛṣṇa. That is very nice example. It is very ordinary. Everyone will understand it. Now, suppose a man or woman is in love, and the man is a third person, beyond the husband of the wife, beyond the, of the woman. Now, it is a, it is a example given in scripture that the woman who is fallen in love, the woman of man with other woman, other man, opposite sex. So he may be engaged in so many duties, but his mind is always to that point when he or she will meet his lover. With all his duty, or her duties, during the daytime, she or he always thinks, "Oh, when that moment will come when we shall meet together?" That means the mind is always there.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

Ātmā suprasīdati. Ātmā means self. Our present position is that we are not happy. We are always full of anxieties. That is our present position. Now, here just the opposite word is used that yayā ātmā suprasīdati. If you want to actually, if you want actually to make yourself jolly, full of happiness, then you should search out your occupation in such a way that it will lead you to the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para means the highest, or the transcendent. We are engaged in some, in some sort of activities. Nobody is free from activities. Even a ant, an ant, it is also engaged in activity. And the elephant. Ant is the most, I mean to..., according to our vision, the ant is very small and the elephant is very big. But everyone, beginning from the ant up to the elephant, so far our experience is concerned... There are other big animals also. We have not seen. But we can see from the description of the scriptures that there are fishes in the ocean which is called timiṅgila. So timiṅgila... You, perhaps you know that fish which is called in Sanskrit timi matsya, or whale fish, very big, sometimes hundred feet long. So there are other fishes which is a timiṅgila. That fish swallows up this fish, this hundred-feet-long. Now just imagine what must be the length of that fish's body. You see?

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

So in God's creation there are so many wonderful things. We have not seen all. But everyone is engaged in some sort of occupation for livelihood. Nobody is silent. Nobody is silent. According to his nature, modes of nature, and position, everyone is busy. Now the Bhāgavata says that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Everyone busy, but when one is busy in such a work that leads to devotional service of the Lord, that busyness, that occupation, is the supermost. That occupation is the supermost. Sa vai puṁsaṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para means supermost. And that sort of occupation should be without any cause. Everything is done, everything is done, so far our duties are concerned—there is a cause. I do this because I want this. So there is a cause and effect. But this sort of busyness, this sort of occupation, which leads you to the devotional service of the Lord, it has no cause. Ahaituki. It has no cause. Why it has no cause? Just like a lover, or, say, lover, beloved, set aside. Just like mother. A mother loves the, her child. There is no cause. She does not know "Why I am loving." Automatically. Automatically, she loves. Similarly, we have got our relationship with the supreme consciousness. We are consciousness. That is accepted. Now, there is supreme consciousness also.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

Just like it is taught here that Kṛṣṇa is the superconsciousness; He's trying to convince Arjuna that "You act according to My direction. Because you are individual consciousness, subordinate to Me, and I am Superconsciousness." And in the last phase of Bhagavad-gītā, you'll see that He summarized, Lord Kṛṣṇa summarized, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You just surrender unto Me." This is the sum and substance of everything. So therefore the conclusion is that the individual consciousness should surrender to the supreme consciousness and act accordingly. That is the position of standing on the conscious plane. That is the position of conscious plane. And Bhagavad, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata also says that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ, the activities, the occupation, the business, that which leads us to that consciousness, that consciousness, that "I am subordinate to the supreme consciousness," and let me act according to the supreme consciousness, without any cause, ahaituki, without... "Why I shall act?" There is no such question. It is automatic, automatic. Just like a little son, and the mother... The little son is automatically subordinate to the mother. Whatever the mother says, the child acts. The child is completely dependent. Similarly, as soon as we make our consciousness completely engaged in the service of the supreme consciousness, that is our liberated position. That is our liberated position. And in that liberated position, whatever we do, there is no reaction. That is transcendental position.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

So Lord can advise the infinitesimal to act in a certain way, but the infinitesimal, because it has got infinitesimal independence, it can reject it also. It can accept it or it can reject it. That we have got. That individuality, that independence... (break) "...that all other occupations you please surrender unto Me. You just try to follow Me. Then I take charge of you so that there will be no reaction of your work, and do not hesitate." Mā śucaḥ. This very word. Mā śucaḥ means "Do not hesitate. Do accept it. Do accept." That is the clear declaration of the Lord. You see. This is not for Arjuna only, but every one of us because we are all in the Arjuna's position. Arjuna is a living entity, individual living entity. So we are also, every one of us, a living entity. And the supreme entity—nityo nityānām. In the Vedic literature you'll find this hymn, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Description of the Supreme. The Supreme is nityaḥ nityānām. Nityānām means... Nitya means eternal. So we are all eternal. That we have already discussed.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

If you take votes, then the number of human beings will be very small all over the world. It is four to eighty. If living, I mean to say, human beings, including all civilized, uncivilized, any, any number of whatever, Indian, American, and European, anything, take altogether, they will be four, four parts, and all other living creatures, they'll be eighty parts. The proportion is so big. But in the human society you'll find that we have got some occupation for our livelihood. Either one is doing business or one is working or one is engineer, one is a lawyer, or one is a daily worker, some way or other, we are doing all these things for having our livelihood. But, but we are these only four. But in the creation of the Lord there are other eighty—they have no such engagement. Neither they are lawyer, neither they are engineer, neither they have any business, neither they have occupation, neither they make any agriculture, nothing of the sort. But they are happy. They are having their foodstuff. This is a practical thing. Not only that, even particular, a particular animal, what he likes, that particular foodstuff is supplied to him.

Lecture on BG 2.55-56 -- New York, April 19, 1966:

So the whole perfection, whole perfection is that we are all active in some department. That is a fact. Now, if our activities become dovetailed with the supreme desire and He is satisfied, then saṁsiddhi, that is our perfection. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). A very nice... Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam. Everyone is engaged in some sort of occupation, a particular type of occupation. Nobody's free from occupation. Everyone. But what is the perfection of that occupation? Now, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If by that activity the Lord is satisfied, that is perfection. If by my eating, the Lord is satisfied, then that is my perfection. If by, by my fighting the Lord is satisfied, then that is my perfection. So every sphere of life, we have to know whether Lord is satisfied. That's all right. That technique we have to learn. Otherwise, it is as easy as anything. We have to stop creating our own thoughts and own plans. We have to take the plans, perfect plan, from the Supreme Lord, and then execute it. Then that becomes the perfection of our life.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Svalpam means very little, api—although, asya—of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, dharmasya—occupation, trāyate—delivers, mahato—great, bhayāt—fearfulness. Yes. Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Even the slight performance of such a principle enables one to overcome great difficulty."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Five: "All men are forced to act helplessly according to the impulses born of the modes of material nature. Therefore nobody can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment (BG 3.5)."

Prabhupāda: Yes. They say... We saw one signboard in a yoga society in Los Angeles that "You become silent, and you'll become God." (laughs) And here Kṛṣṇa says that you cannot become silent even for a moment. You see? These things are going on. Go on.

Lecture on BG 3.14 -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:

So here in this verse Kṛṣṇa says,

annād bhavanti bhūtāni
parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo
yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ
(BG 3.14)

So karma... Everyone has got different types of occupation. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-karma, kṣatriya-karma, vaiśya-karma, śūdra-karma. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ (BG 18.46). There is no... In the worship of Kṛṣṇa, there is no such distinction that only the brāhmaṇas can offer prayers or worship to Kṛṣṇa, but everyone can offer. Māṁ hi vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Even less than the śūdras, they can also take the advantage of worshiping Kṛṣṇa. So yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra. This karma should be performed for executing yajña. (aside:) Why... Translate.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Yes. Just like you go to your office. You are working on behalf of the particular office. So your duty is to discharge the occupation which is entrusted upon you. So far the loss or gain of that department or that establishment, you have nothing to do. So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person acts on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. These boys they are going to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People may receive it or not receive it. That doesn't matter. Their duty is to preach. The fortunate person will be attracted, unfortunate may not be attracted, but they have to do the duty. It is very simple.

So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person should not be disturbed whether his preaching work is being accepted by the people or not. It doesn't matter. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that... If somebody said that "We went to preach in such and such place. Only there were three or four, attendance." So my Guru Mahārāja used to encourage them and it is factual—that "Why, two, three men were there was sufficient. If there were none, you could speak and the walls would hear you." You see. "Why you are disappointed?" So even the walls, they hear, then our kīrtana is sufficient. You don't mind. Because only fortunate persons... Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). So to become God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, is not very cheap thing. It requires a great amount of austerity, penance to come to this stage. So never be disappointed that because people are not responding.

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

Positive and negative. Simply negative is no good unless there is positive engagement. So there is no question of negative. Negative is already there. If you taking nice foodstuff, automatically you give up obnoxious and nonsense foodstuff. But if I say, "Don't take this foodstuff. This is not good," and if I don't supply you nice foodstuff, naturally you are hungry; you will have to take whatever is there.

Just like sometimes you have seen the dogs? They are eating stool, their own stool. So I was talking this. One of my students told me that in the last war in the concentrated camp, the human being, they also ate their stool out of hunger. You see? There was no food, so they ate their own stool. So when there is no opportunity of good occupation, one must be satisfied with nonsense occupation. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that one who is occupied with this movement, he cannot go any more to so-called lusty and other nonsense occupation. Go on.

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

So he was taking the bag of one person and was keeping in another place. So in the whole night the poor fellow did like that. But due to his conscience that, "I have come to this holy place. At least, during my stay here I shall not do this stealing business." So in the morning, when all other friends got up, everyone said, "Oh, where is my bag? I don't see!" Another man says, "I don't see my bag." Then somebody says, "Oh, here is your bag!" So there was some row. So they, they thought, "What is the matter? How it so happened?" Then the thief rose up and told all friends, "My dear gentlemen, I am a thief by occupation, but because I have that habit to steal at night, so I wanted to steal something from your bag, but I thought that 'I have come to this holy place. I shall not do it.' So I placed, I might have placed one man's bag in another man's place. So excuse me." So this is the habit. This is the habit. He does not want. He does not want to commit theft. But he has got the habit of doing that. So similarly, here he has decided not to commit theft anymore, but because he's habituated, sometimes he does.

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

So we are taking shelter of this material world, something big, but that will not exist with the annihilation, with the dissolution of this material world. Everything will be dissolved. Everything will be... So we have to take the leadership of the Supreme. Then it will be the largest perfection, the greatest perfection of life.

Now, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, karmaṇām, karmaṇāṁ siddhim. How in the material world people are working? He is analyzing the process of different occupation. What is that?

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
tasya kartāram api māṁ
viddhy akartāram avyayam
(BG 4.13)

The Lord says that cātur-varṇyam, four castes or four divisions of human society. You have heard that there is caste system in India. There is caste system in India. There is caste system in India. Sometimes Indians are criticized by the outsiders that they have caste system. But here the Lord says the cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: "This caste system is created by Me. This caste system is created by Me, how?" Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: "According to quality and according to work." That division in the human society, according to quality and according to work, is there in everywhere, everywhere in the world, not only everywhere in the world, but everywhere in the universe. God's creation cannot be stopped.

Lecture on BG 4.16 -- Bombay, April 5, 1974:

That is very essential, the varṇāśrama-dharma. Because we must have the aim of life. At the present moment there is no aim of life. The aim of life is sense gratification. That's all. Indriya-tṛpti. That is forbidden in the śāstras. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Kiṁ karmeti kiṁ vikarmeti will be described. So karma and vikarma, prescribed duties according to qualification, position, occupation, that is called karma. And just opposite, it is called vikarma. Karma akarma vikarma. That Kṛṣṇa will explain.

So at the present moment... Not at the present moment. It is the tendency of materialistic life to act vikarma, forbidden karma. That is explained by Ṛṣabhadeva in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti (SB 5.5.4). That is visible in the present moment in the Kali-yuga all over the world. Vikarmeti. All kinds of sinful activities, they are performing. That is called vikarma. The vikarma we have specified especially: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication up to drinking tea, coffee and smoking. These are all vikarma. So they do not know. But they are going on.

Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974:

We are all human being. Why we have got different types of bodies? Not only in human society. The animal society, the bird society.... It is all karmaṇā, by our personal fruitive action. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. This law we do not know. We work irresponsibly without knowing the result of our work. Therefore we are getting different types of bodies, different types of situation, different type of occupation, so many things. Therefore people should be trained, as Kṛṣṇa said in the beginning, that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13).

The four classes of men, according to quality, they should be engaged in different types of occupation, guṇa-karma. First of all, guṇa. Guṇa means quality. In the material world also, practically we see, if we want to work in a certain type of occupation, first of all it is examined whether I have got the quality. Suppose if I want to work as an engineer, so I must possess the quality first of all, whether I can act as an engineer. Similarly, if I want to work as a lawyer, then I must have the quality, qualification.

Similarly, different type of quality, different type of qualification, and then different type of work. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. So that requires guidance. And who is the guide? The father is the guide, the king, the government is the guide, the elderly, guru is the guide. There must be guide.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

Knowledge means to understand something. How this tape recorder is manufactured, if we get some knowledge, technical knowledge, that is not knowledge. That is a, of course, to have some, our occupation executed. That knowledge is temporary knowledge. But real knowledge is... This is real knowledge. The real knowledge is that when one understands convincingly that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa, or God. When we say Kṛṣṇa, you should understand the Supreme Lord, the Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa is the technical word which is meant for indicating the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the whole, the whole pleasure, the whole attraction. These are the meaning of Kṛṣṇa.

So we are all part and parcel of the supreme pleasure, and our pleasure... Just like my hand. This is my hand. Now, this my hand can take pleasure when it is attached with my body. My hand can take pleasure when it serves my body. It does not take pleasure by serving your body.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

Just like the verse which we are just now discussing, He says that "It does not matter in whatever occupation you are. Simply you have to change your consciousness. You are now guided by the consciousness of self-interest, of sense gratification." Self-interest. Not exactly self-interest because we do not know what is our self-interest. Rather sense interest, not self-interest, but sense interest. Whatever we are doing, we are doing for satisfying the senses. This consciousness has to be changed. We have to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That consciousness has to be invoked and then our life will be successful. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can put. Yes.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

Therefore the impersonalists, without understanding of Kṛṣṇa, even very much advanced, they do not get any occupation. They again come down to the material platform to open hospital, school, college. Why? Because the impersonalist says that this material world is false. If the material world is false, why you come down again to the false platform to open schools and hospitals? That means āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32).

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

Yes. Dharma means religion. Actual translation of the word dharma is "religion." But actually "religion" is not the right translation of the word dharma. Dharma means your eternal occupation. That is called dharma, which you cannot avoid. Just like somebody is Christian. Next day he becomes a Hindu. Or somebody is Hindu; next day he becomes Christian. This is not dharma. This change of faith cannot be applied in dharma. Dharma cannot be changed.

Just like this candle. Candle has power, illuminating power. If you change this illuminating power of the candle, if you make it dark, then it is no more candle. And there are many examples. Just like sugar. Sugar is sweet. If you change the taste of the sugar into salty, then it is no more sugar. So dharma is like that. It cannot be changed. So dharmaṁ hi sākṣāt. What is that dharma? It cannot be changed.

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

So the whole world, they are posing themselves as highly advanced in education—science, philosophy, this, that, politics, so many things. But, their position is this body. Just like, an example, a vulture. A vulture rises very high. Seven miles, eight miles up. Wonderful, you cannot do that. And he has got wonderful eyes also. There are small eyes, vulture, it is so powerful that it can see from seven mile distance where there is a carcass, dead body. So he has got good qualification. He can rise very high, he can see from a distant place. Oh. But what is his object? A dead body, that's all. His perfection is to find out a carcass, dead body, and to eat, that's all. Similarly we may go up very high education, but what is our objective, what are we seeing? How to enjoy sense, this body, that's all. And advertisement? "Oh, he has gone with sputnik seven hundred miles up." But what you do? What is your occupation? Sense gratification, that's all. That is animal. So people are not considering how they're implicated with this bodily concept of life.

Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969:

Devotee: "Therefore the mind must be controlled by engaging it constantly in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Unless one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can't steadily control the mind. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person easily achieves the result of yoga practice without separate endeavor. A yoga practitioner cannot achieve perfect success without becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious."

Prabhupāda: Then? Go on. So far yoga practice is concerned is explained, discussion between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Now, supposing that I practice yoga, real yoga I mean to say, not this pseudo yoga. And if I cannot do it properly, I fail. Then what is the result? Suppose if I give up my business, I give up my ordinary occupation and I begin to practice yoga. But somehow or other it is not completed, it is failure. Then what is the result? That is being questioned by Arjuna. That will be answered by Kṛṣṇa. What is that? Go on. "Arjuna said..."

Devotee: "Arjuna said: 'What is the destination of a man of faith who does not persevere? Who in the beginning takes to the process of self-realization but who later desists due to worldly mindedness and thus does not attain perfection in mysticism?' " Purport: "The path of self-realization of mysticism is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. The basic principle of self-realization is knowledge that the living entity is not this material body but that he is different from it and his happiness is in eternal life, bliss and knowledge."

Prabhupāda: Now, before coming to the point of self-realization, one must take it granted—that is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, that he is not this body. That the living entity is not this material body but that he is different from it and his happiness is in eternal life. This life is not eternal. The perfection of yoga system means to get eternal life, blissful life and full of knowledge. That is perfection.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

No, no. No, never. Simply you have to see, what you are doing, by such action Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That's all. You can do anything. The test is... That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā
varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya
saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam
(SB 1.2.13)

The example is... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was a warrior, fighter. So when he proposed that "I shall not fight. They are my brothers, my grandfathers, my nephews," that was his proposal. Kṛṣṇa said, "Wherefrom you got this nonsense idea? You are in the warfield and are denying to fight." That means by his nice proposal that "I shall not fight," Kṛṣṇa was not pleased. But after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, when he saw that "Kṛṣṇa wants this fight," "Yes. Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73)." That is perfection. So he remained a warrior and still he became perfect. So everyone can remain in his own occupation, varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, but one has to see that whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. Then whatever he is doing, that is perfect. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

As soon as he gets birth in a rich family, he thinks that "For nothing I have got so much money. Let me engage in sense gratification." No guide. Otherwise there is a chance. Similarly, in a pure brāhmaṇa family also, the family is already enlightened. Just like the children of our students. From the very beginning they are getting chance to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is a very good chance. From childhood. Fortunately, we got such father and mother. So two alternatives. If a Kṛṣṇa conscious person could not complete the course, then he gets another chance. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate. Yoga-bhraṣṭa, means one who falls down... But there is no cause of falling down if we are strict. Just like if a student is studying nicely, he will pass his examination. Where is the difficulty there? If he neglects, he may fail. But even if he fails, then he gets the chance of getting a human body. Otherwise there is no guarantee. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change this body. But what kind of change? That will depend on your work. You are being educated with the expectation of being situated, posted in some nice occupation, but that occupation will depend on your work in student life. You may become a high-court judge, you can become a great engineer, you can get so many things, or you could not get anything, such post. That will depend on your work. Similarly, this life is preparation for the next life. So best thing is that you prepare, heart and soul, for going back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the highest perfection of life. Our students are being taught in that way, highest perfection of life.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:

Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). To cooperate, to understand... It is also compared that the brāhmaṇa is the head of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the virāṭ-puruṣa. So brāhmaṇa's business is, because it is the head, to give direction to the society, to the spiritual society, daiva-varṇāśrama, how to conduct the life and occupation of the society. That is brāhmaṇa's business. The kṣatriya's business is to give protection to the society. And the vaiśya's business is to give food, productive. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). In this way there is a cooperative system, taking as part and parcel of the supreme body. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). So we should cooperate, but there must be these four classes of men. Not that simply śūdras and vaiśyas. At the present moment, there are few vaiśyas and mostly śūdras. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). Rajas-tamaḥ, by the rajo-guṇa, the kṣatriyas are produced, and by tamo-guṇa the śūdras are produced. And vaiśyas are mixed up rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. So it doesn't matter in whatever guṇa or status of life we are. If all of us take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our life is successful, mutual cooperation. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3).

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

So everyone who possesses anything, if he knows that it is the gift of Kṛṣṇa and it should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa, then his life is successful.

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā
varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya
saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam
(SB 1.2.13)

Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam. It doesn't matter what you are. You may be an engineer, you may be a lawyer, you may be a businessman. Whatever you are, it doesn't matter. But try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa by your profession, by you occupation. Then you are successful. Saṁsiddhi. It doesn't matter what you are doing. It doesn't require that you have to give up your profession as a lawyer and join us as a sannyāsī and dance. if you cannot do that... Everyone can do that, but if you think that you cannot do this, then utilize your profession for Kṛṣṇa's service. Then you become perfect.

Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969:

So it is, this is very troublesome business. (laughs) So why should we accept this troublesome business? Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). This body is changing. Just remember your childhood. Oh, how much troublesome life we have undergone in our... At least I can remember. Everyone can remember. So stop this problem. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). And what is the difficulty? You do your own work and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. We don't say that you stop your business, stop your occupation. You remain. Just like he is teacher. All right, he is teacher. He is jeweler. Remain jeweler. He's something, he's something. That doesn't matter. But be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Think of Kṛṣṇa. Take kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Everything is there. And be happy. That is our propaganda. You learn yourself, and preach this cult. People will be happy. Simple method. (end)

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

"Please come here! Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dance, and when you're tired, take prasādam." That's all. Su-sukham. Su-sukhaṁ kartum. Kartum: to execute this devotional service is very pleasure. Pleasure. And avyayam: whatever you do, that is your permanent asset. It will never be lost. Bhakti-yoga process, if you can execute one percent, oh, it becomes asset, and next life you are guaranteed, because you will be given the facility of executing bhakti-yoga further. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, in every śāstra. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sañjayate (BG 6.41). One who could not prosecute... There is other, other passages in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer patet tato yadi bhajann apakvo 'tha (SB 1.5.17). If one by sentiments takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, tyaktvā sva-dharmam, giving up his own occupation, but maybe, for immature condition he may fall down, yatra kva va abhadram. What is the loss? And śāstra says if person who is executing his religious process, sva-dharmeṇa, but has no devotion service, what does he gain? What does he gain? Suppose a so-called brāhmaṇa or a perfect brāhmaṇa executes his religious process very perfectly, but he does not become a devotee, then what is his gain? These are the śāstric injunction.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:

This is really knowledge. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving such knowledge that they will never remain a dog or cat; they will become actual human being. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is said, aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ. Those who have not faith in this process of understanding, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasya asya... (BG 9.3). Now, this is real dharma. Dharma means occupation, I have explained yesterday. I am servant of God, this is my real occupation, but giving up my service to God, I am giving service to māyā. Therefore I am servant of my senses, my family, my society, my country, my nation, and if you haven't got to serve anybody, then I'll keep one dog. I become a servant of the dog. Somebody was just telling me that in Japan the dog passes stool, and the master collects it and put it somewhere. Yes. You see? This is going on. Your position is to become servant, but in māyā, in illusion, you are thinking, "I am master." Therefore the best thing is that instead of becoming at last the servant of a dog, just immediately become servant of God. That is your success of life. And if you don't agree, then you have to serve up to the dog, up to the cat. Many Europeans, Americans, they have no children, but they keep one cat, one dog, to serve. You see? But you have to serve because you are meant for that.

Lecture on BG 9.7-10 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

So eternal... You are eternal, I am eternal, God is eternal, and there is a place which is eternal. Why not transfer yourself? Then that is called eternal life. And the modes and the process which help you to transfer yourself into that eternal place, that is called sanātana-dharma. When we speak of sanātana-dharma, don't think that sanātana-dharma is meant for the Hindus. Sanātana means eternal, and dharma means occupation. So you have to take to that eternal occupation so that you can be transferred into that eternal kingdom. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the beginning of that eternal occupation. If you take to this, if you practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, eternal occupation, then, as we have already explained in the previous chapters, that at the time of your death when you leave this body, as soon as you think of these three eternals—Kṛṣṇa eternal; I am eternal; I want to be engaged in the eternal—you are at once transferred. It is very easy thing. You don't require any sputnik; artificially, for years together, 25,000 miles you go up. What is 25,000... Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ (Bs. 5.34). If you try for millions and billions of years with the force of air and mind, with your sputnik to reach... (incomplete) (end)

Lecture on BG 9.22-23 -- New York, December 8, 1966:

We don't say that you give up your engagement and become a mendicant or sannyāsī like me and give up your wife and children. No. Kṛṣṇa does not say that. You may ask then, "Why you have given up your wife and children?" I have given up my wife and children for this purpose. If I am engaged in family life, then I cannot do this missionary work. I have taken absolute shelter to this work without any disturbance. So for a preacher, for a missionary, that is a different thing. But for ordinary man, he does not require to give up his family, his home. He will remain. You remain in your occupation, you remain at home, but chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Is there any difficulty?

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975 Final Part 2 :

Without your research work, you take it. That is our mission. They are searching after God. We are giving God: "Here is God. Here is His name. Here is His address. Here is occupation. Here is His father's name, His mother's name." Everything here is. This is not bogus, bogus (indistinct). Kṛṣṇa is accepted God. How is He accepted? Vedic literature, the Brahma-sūtra, says. The Brahma-sūtra commentary, explanation, is the Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrānām **. Brahma-sūtrānām, commentary... (break) ...and according to your consciousness, in this way they have become entangled, entrapped in this material (indistinct). That is not the life of human being. The life of human being is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and you will be peaceful as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa. What is that Kṛṣṇa?

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
(BG 5.29)

If you want really peace, you try to understand these reasons. What is that? That Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer of everything. Why? Then, sarva-loka-maheśvaram, He is the proprietor of all the universe, all the planets. So, maybe, "Why should we worship Him?" Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām, He is the real friend of everyone. So you are seeking after friend, He is the real friend, He is the proprietor, He is independent. You try to understand these three things, and if peace is there, your life is successful.

Lecture on BG 18.45 -- Durban, October 11, 1975:

There are many other examples. Just like water. Water is liquid, everyone knows. But sometimes water becomes solid, ice, under certain circumstances. That is not his dharma. To remain liquid-its dharma. Therefore, sometimes water, even it is transformed into solid ice, it melts, again wants to become water. This is dharma. So what is our dharma, we human being. There is no question of any sect, any nation or any party, no, as human being. As human being or living being, what is our dharma? Dharma is to render service. Every one of us is rendering service. As a family man, he is rendering service, as a society man, as a national—everyone is, whatever... Or occupation. As a medical man, you are also offering your service. As engineer, you are offering your service, or any other, businessman, you are also. Sometimes businessmen, they hang the signboard, "Our first business is to offer you service." So everyone is engaged in giving service to somebody else. This is called dharma, basic principle of dharma. So what is our dharma, living entity? Our dharma is to render service. But we are rendering service? But no. We are rendering service not rightly, but wrongly. Therefore you are no satisfied. There are many examples.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:

These three things, if we understand properly, that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer, bhoktā; He's friend also. Kṛṣṇa is so nice friend that... Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, is situated in everyone's heart as friend. That is stated in the Upaniṣads. Two birds are sitting on one tree as friend. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other friend is simply witnessing. He is friend, He's supreme friend, not so-called friend. Actually He's our supreme friend. He's always trying to get us back to home, back to Godhead. Not only He's sitting within our hearts, but He's descending as Kṛṣṇa.

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

He comes and canvasses. What is that canvassing? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "Why you are engaged in so many so-called occupations? You simply surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Thank you.

Pradyumna: Get the book?

Prabhupāda: Hm? What is that? (Pradyumna leads synonym recitation)

Pradyumna: Translation: "The supreme occupation, or dharma, for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self."

Prabhupāda: So here the translation, dharma, I have purposefully given, "occupation." Actually dharma is generally translated by the English word "religion." But religion is misunderstood. It is taken as a faith. Faith I may believe, faith, or may not believe. But actually, dharma does not mean. Dharma means occupation, which you cannot change. Just like a carpenter. He earns his livelihood by his occupation as a carpenter. A lawyer, he lives by his occupation, profession as lawyer. So, so many things. Occupation you cannot give up. You have learned engineering. You cannot give up engineering. That is your livelihood. You cannot say, "No. Today I am engineer. Tomorrow I shall be sweeper." Of course, in the material world sometimes it is done so, but spiritual meaning means that the living entity has got a permanent occupation. The other occupational duties, they are temporary, bodily, in relation to body. When we feel "I am this body," then I manufacture some occupation according to the circumstances. But spiritual occupation, that is eternal. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para means transcendental. We have got some duties. Just like we go to evacuate, to pass urine, or to take food, take bath. These are the occupations of the body. Similarly, there are occupations of the mind, intelligence. But there is occupation of the soul also. That we do not know.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

Pradyumna:"In this statement, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī answers the first question of the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya. The sages asked him to summarize the whole range of revealed scriptures and present the most essential part so that fallen people, or the people in general, might easily take it up. The Vedas prescribe two different types of occupation for the human being. One is called the pravṛtti-mārga, or the path of sense enjoyment, and the other is called the nivṛtti-mārga."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because we have come here, every one of us come in this material world for sense gratification. That is the cause.

kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare
nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
(Prema-vivarta)

Because in the spiritual world, the only enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's the only proprietor. So therefore in the spiritual world, all the living entities... There are many more times living entities in the spiritual world than in this material world. In the material world we see so many living entities, conditioned, 8,400,000 species, and in each species, millions and millions are... And there are millions and millions of planets and universes. All these taken together, they are conditioned soul. Similarly, many more times... This is called one-fourth creation, and the three-fourth creation is the spiritual world. Just imagine how many living entities are there. They're all mukta. They're liberated. Because they do not think that "I am enjoyer." Kṛṣṇa is only enjoyer. Here everyone is thinking that "I am enjoyer." I am enjoyer, therefore fight. You are enjoyer, I am enjoyer. So you are enjoying most... "Oh, you have taken more food." Just like cats and dogs, they fight. Because the disease is that "I am enjoyer." Prasāda means that whatever by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa I get, that is called prasāda. And when we fight, oh that is not prasāda. Then immediately it becomes ordinary ḍāl wal.(?) So this is the center of devotion, that Kṛṣṇa is enjoyer. And as soon as we think that "Why Kṛṣṇa should be enjoyer alone? I am also enjoyer," that is māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

Pradyumna: Translation: "The supreme occupation or dharma for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self."

Prabhupāda: So

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
(SB 1.2.6)

Everyone is seeking satisfaction, atyantikṣu. Everyone is struggling for existence for the ultimate happiness. But in this material world, although they are thinking by possessing material wealth they will be satisfied, but that is not the fact. For example in your country, you have got sufficient material opulence than other countries but still there is no satisfaction. So in spite of all good arrangement for material enjoyment, enough food, enough..., nice apartment, motor cars, roads, and very good arrangement for freedom in sex, and good arrangement for defence also—everything is complete—but still, people are dissatisfied, confused, and younger generation, they are turning to hippies, protest, or dissatisfied because they are not happy. I have several times cited the example that in Los Angeles, when I was taking my morning walk in Beverly Hills, many hippies were coming out from a very respectable house. It appeared that his father, he has a very nice car also, but the dress was hippie. So there is a protest against the so-called material arrangement, they do not like.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

"The supreme occupation, dharma, for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendental Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self."

This has been proved divertedly edited. Actually, devotional service rendered to the Supreme Lord not for my satisfaction, but rendering devotional service to the Lord, the self is automatically satisfied. If I make a motive that "I shall render service to the Lord so that I will be very much satisfied..." No. No. That, that becomes motivated. That "I will be satisfied," that is the first consideration. There should be no motive at all. I may be satisfied, not sati..., that is not my business. But still, I'll have to serve the Lord.

That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya. Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā (CC Antya 20.47). "Either You embrace or You trample me down or" marma-hatāṁ karotu vā, "make me broken-hearted," adarśanāt... Every devotee aspires to see the Lord. That is natural. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "It doesn't matter.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

Pradyumna: "In this statement, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī answers the first question of the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya. The sages asked him to summarize the whole range of revealed scriptures and present the most essential part so, that fallen people or the people in general might easily take it up. The Vedas prescribe two different types of occupation for the human beings. One is called the pravṛtti-mārga, or the path of sense enjoyment, and the other is called the nivṛtti-mārga."

Prabhupāda: So both things are there, pravṛtti-mārga, nivṛtti-mārga, because all the living entities who have come in this material world with a pravṛtti, with an intention to enjoy this material world, therefore they are regulated. "All right, you want this material enjoyment?" Material enjoyment means eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That is material enjoyment. Eating, first-class eating, first-class sleeping, first-class sex, sexual intercourse, and first-class defending. So Vedic injunction is "All right, you want sex life?" "Yes, sir. For this purpose I have come here." "All right, you get your sex life by marriage, not like cats and dogs." This is called pravṛtti-mārga. He has got the intention, but he's being regulated so that one day he'll become nivṛtti-mārga. There are two ways, nivṛtti-mārga and pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-mārga means he has got intention, desire for material enjoyment. So he's regulated, "Do like this," so that he may come to the point of nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā, pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānām. Everyone has got these desires. That is pravṛtti. But when he stops this pravṛtti, that is his great achievement. Not that to increase. When he stops. That is great achievement.

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

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
(SB 1.2.6)

Translation (not on tape) "The supreme occupation (dharma) for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self."

Prabhupāda: This is a speech of Sūta Gosvāmī in Naimiṣāraṇya. Formerly, great sages used to assemble in the forest of Naimiṣāraṇya. Those who are Indians, they will know Naimiṣāraṇya. There is a station, Nimsara, still. And it is near Lucknow. Still it is very nice place. So there was a great meeting of saintly persons. As nowadays ordinary persons meet together to find out the ways and means for people's prosperity, formerly the great saintly persons, sages, brāhmaṇas, they used to meet, and they used to give formula to the people, to the king, that "You follow this. You will be happy." This was the system, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So the brāhmaṇas will give the direction, and the kṣatriya king would execute it. And the vaiśyas will produce foodgrains. Vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). For vaiśyas, three work, three kinds of occupation: first of all, agriculture, produce food, and then, give protection to the cows. Because cow is important animal, cow protection is very necessary. So kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). And where there is scarcity of food, transport food there, make business. These three things for the vaiśyas.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

Prabhupāda: Yes, go on, you have no book? (another devotee leads chanting)

Pradyumna: (devotees chant word meanings responsively:) saḥ—that; vai—certainly; puṁsām—for mankind; paraḥ—sublime; dharmaḥ—occupation; yataḥ—by which; bhaktiḥ—devotional service; adhokṣaje—unto the Transcendence; ahaitukī—causeless; apratihatā—unbroken; yayā—by which; ātmā—the self; suprasīdati—completely satisfied.

Translation: "The supreme occupation, or dharma, for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self."

Prabhupāda:

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
(SB 1.2.6)

Ātmā, ātmā means this body, ātmā means the mind also, and ātmā means the soul, and, above that, the Paramātmā, Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). So yayā ātmā suprasīdati. Su means very much. Not only prasīdati but suprasīdati, very much. Everyone. The body becomes satisfied, the mind becomes satisfied, the soul becomes satisfied, and the Supreme Paramātmā, He also becomes satisfied.

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

Pradyumna: Translation: "The supreme occupation, or dharma, for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendental Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to completely satisfy the self."

Prabhupāda:

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
(SB 1.2.6)

Ātmā suprasīdati. Ātmā sometimes means this body, ātmā means the mind, and ātmā means the soul also. So generally, people are interested for the satisfaction of the body. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). Body means the senses. So those who are in the lower stage of life, because in the lower stage of life one thinks that he is the body... Just like animal. Animal thinks that he is the body. But in the higher sense, when one is advanced in knowledge, then he knows that "I am not this body. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: I am spirit soul."

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

Nitāi: (leads chanting, etc.)

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
(SB 1.2.6)

Translation: "The supreme occupation, dharma, for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self."

Prabhupāda: So we are reading chapter the Second Chapter of the First Canto, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, "Divinity and Divine Service." So just now we have recited the sixth verse. We can begin from the first verse. The first verse is,

iti sampraśna-saṁhṛṣṭo
viprāṇāṁ raumaharṣaṇiḥ
pratipūjya vacas teṣāṁ
pravaktum upacakrame

There was a great meeting and..., meeting means... In those days, there was no political meeting. Political meeting was not necessary because there was no democracy. It was monarchy. The kings, they were so trained up that there was no necessity of democracy. Actually, the modern government, democracy... We are experiencing, especially the great democratic country, America. So the democracy, the president elected by popular vote, is now being condemned. So what is the value of this democracy? You elect somebody by your vote, again condemn. That means the electors, the voters, have also no experience, and neither the man who is voted, he is also very good man. Otherwise, why you should change your opinion once you have elected a person to act as your head executive? So the democracy has proved a farce. It has no meaning, because people are not educated. People are mostly śūdras. There must be four classes of men. So brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, first class, second class, third class, fourth class. So at the present moment there is no first-class men, neither second-class men. All third class, fourth class. All of them. So on the votes of third-class and fourth-class men, how you can expect good government? That is not possible.

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

At the present moment, they do not know what is pollution and they do not know what is religious principle. That is the defect of the modern civilization, that religion is described in the dictionary, "a kind of faith," not principle. But according to Vedic conception, religion is not a kind of faith. Religion is... It is your must duty. That is religion. Or it is your natural occupation. You cannot change it. Faith you can change. "I am now Muhammadan; I become Hindu." Or "I am Hindu, I become Christian." But I remain the same man. I may change my faith from this to that. So religion does not mean that. Religion means you cannot change it at any circumstance. That is religion. That is the meaning of dharma. If you change, that is your diseased condition. That is not normal condition. So that is the meaning of religion. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). When human being changes his normal condition of life, that is pollution of...

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

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

Pradyumna: "There are different occupational activities in terms of man's different conceptions of life. To the gross materialist who cannot see anything beyond the gross material body, there is nothing beyond the senses. Therefore his occupational activities are limited to concentrated and extended selfishness. Concentrated selfishness centers around the personal body. This is generally seen amongst the lower animals. Extended selfishness is manifested in human society and centers around the family, society, community, nation, and world with a view to gross bodily comforts."

Prabhupāda: This is very important point. People are very much interested in welfare activities for the human society. So they think that by feeding poor men or giving cloth or opening hospitals, schools, colleges—"These things are required. What is the use of hearing about Kṛṣṇa?" That is their opinion. But these welfare activities are extended selfishness. This word we learned from our Guru Mahārāja: "extended selfishness." Just like I love myself for my sense gratification, and then I extend it to my son. I am gratifying my senses. I have got my wife. And to get my son another wife... The principle is the same. Then my grandchildren, then my great-grandchildren. Or, not only limited with the family, then society, then community, then nationally, then internationally. But they are all extended selfishness. Yes. Without knowing what is the real self-interest. Therefore we find so many faults in such welfare activities. In... They are opening hospitals for the human beings, daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā, but the poor goats and cows, daridra-nārāyaṇa—they are also daridra-nārāyaṇa according to the definition—but they are being killed. For one daridra-nārāyaṇa, another daridra-nārāyaṇa is being killed.

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

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
(SB 1.2.8)

Translation: "Duties, or dharma, executed by men, regardless of occupation, are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Supreme Lord."

Prabhupāda:

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
(SB 1.2.8)

Dharma (is) generally translated into English as "religion." I have already explained several times. The dictionary meaning of religion is "a kind of faith." But actually, dharma means occupational duty, or the characteristic. Just like a snake. The snake, its religion is to bite, and fatal bite. That is his dharma, occupational duty. Everything has got... Just like this microphone, it must work, it must expand the sound. That is its dharma. If it does not expand the sound, it is useless. So everything you take, there are characteristics. That is the meaning of dharma. Dharma is not an artificial faith. Faith you can change, but your occupational duty, you cannot change.

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

Similarly, here it is indicated that religion... What religion? Religion should be to disentangle you from this material miserable condition-dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na arthāyopakalpate. Not that you go to church or temple and ask for some material benefit. No. That is not the... Na arthasya dharmaikāntasya. Arthasya. We are earning money by some occupation. That's all. Then what is the purpose of this money? Now, if you are dharmic, dharmaikāntasya, if you are actually religious, then your money is not meant for sense gratification. Na arthasya. Dharmaikāntasya. Kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ. Not for your sense gratification. You should know that this money, excess money you have got, it is God's money, because in the Bhagavad-gītā we learn, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ (BG 5.29). He is bhokta. He is bhokta. Bhokta means enjoyer. Just like we were just coming here. This Ford company and this company and so many, there are. So the factory is going on. The bhokta is the managing director or the proprietor, not the worker. Worker can get their salary, that's all. So bhokta, real enjoyer, is the proprietor. Therefore nowadays the Communist party, they say, "We are working.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

Now, so, so long we have got this material body, we have to work. We cannot stop working. That is not possible. But we have to adopt the tactics of yoga so that even by doing ordinary work in which by destiny or by circumstances I am put into, there is no harm. You'll find in Bhagavad-gītā that even if you find in your own occupation there is... Suppose I am occupied in some business in which I have to speak lie. Without speaking lie, my business cannot go on. Now, suppose if that is the position. Now, speaking lie is not very good thing, and if you think that your business is not very, based on very moral principle, "So I should give up," then Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that "Don't give up." Even if you are put into such circumstances that your livelihood cannot go on without that unfair means, still, you should not give it up, but you should try to make it purified. You should try to make it purified. How it is purified? Now, you should not take the fruitive result of your work. That is meant for God.

Lecture on SB 1.3.19 -- Los Angeles, September 24, 1972:

So that means... That is the shastric injunction, that anyone who is not a Viṣṇu devotee, or Vaiṣṇava, he cannot become guru. That is the injunction of the śāstra. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. A brāhmaṇa, very learned, he knows his duties, brahminical duties very well... Just like Śukrācārya. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇaḥ. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇaḥ. Brāhmaṇa have got six kinds of occupation: paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. Brāhmaṇa should be very learned, he should teach others also Vedic knowledge, paṭhana-pāṭhana. Yajana-yājana. He must be devotee or great worshiper, and he should teach others also how to worship. Yajana-yājana. Dāna-pratigraha. He will accept charity from others, and he will give in charity again to others. These are the six occupation of a brāhmaṇa. So śāstra says, ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipraḥ, "A brāhmaṇa, well conversed with these duties of brahminical duties," and mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, "and expert in studying the mantras, Vedic mantras, and tantra, other Vedic literature," avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt, "but if he is avaiṣṇava," means he does not worship Lord Viṣṇu but other demigods, "then he cannot become guru." That is not allowed.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

Ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet tato dharmaḥ. Dharma. This dharma. Dharma means religion. Actually, "religion" is not exact equivalent of the word dharma. Dharma, as I have explained several times, you know... Dharma dhṛ-dhātu. Dharma means you exist by some natural symptom. That is called dharma. Everyone has got some natural symptom. That is dharma. According to Sanskrit meaning, that is dharma. Just like this light is a substance. What is his dharma, religion? To give light, to illuminate. So without illumination, there is no meaning of light. Similarly, your dharma, what is your religion? Your religion is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is your religion. Now you serve in a different way according to time, circumstances, country. That is a different thing. But your religion is to serve God. That is your religion. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately gives you the definition of religion, or your occupation, natural duty, natural function. Always mind that. Just like the light's natural function is to give illumination. Prakāśa. Similarly, your natural function is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You have no other business. That is dharma. No other business. When we understand this convincingly, then we are situated in our religion. Just like Kṛṣṇa said. In the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā He says, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. Just to reestablish religion. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. People forget. Nature's, material nature's function is that, to put you into illusion always. So our forgetfulness is also another illusion. We forget our relationship with God, or Kṛṣṇa. Then adharma. That is... Instead of becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa, I become servant of so many things. I become servant of my family, servant of my country, society, humanity, cats, dogs, so many things. Servant I remain, but I become servant of so many things.

Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:

So in the last day's meeting we discussed that even by sentiment, without understanding Kṛṣṇa, simply by sentiment, "All right, these, all these boys and girls are dancing in 'Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.' So let me also join this Kṛṣṇa Movement and dance," he will derive the greatest benefit. Simply... Tyaktvā sva-dharmam. Everyone is engaged, busy in his own occupation-businessman, student, lawyer, engineer, politician, so many. But Nārada says that "If these people give up everything..." The same instruction, as Kṛṣṇa says, "Give up everything. Surrender unto Me," Nārada says the same thing. That is the, I mean to say, significance, that whatever God, or Kṛṣṇa, says, His devotee also will say the same thing. There is no difference. Therefore it is called paramparā. Devotee will not manufacture something, interpretation, which is against the version of Kṛṣṇa. Then he is not devotee. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is playing the role of a devotee. So Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me," and Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "You surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." So there is no difference between the teaching, teachings of Lord Caitanya and teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The object is the same. So we are... What we are doing? We are also asking people, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," the same thing. There is no difference. Therefore one has to accept the real thing from the paramparā system, serious devotee. Then... Because a serious devotee will speak the same thing as Kṛṣṇa says. There is no invention.

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

So if everyone says that "Original cause of my existence is Kṛṣṇa," this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It doesn't matter. Not that a brāhmaṇa... Brāhmaṇa is the mouth of Kṛṣṇa, and kṣatriya is the arm of Kṛṣṇa, and vaiśya is the belly of Kṛṣṇa, and śūdra is the leg of Kṛṣṇa. But do we distinguish that "Here is Kṛṣṇa's mouth, or head; all the flowers should be offered here, not to the leg"? Do we make any such distinction? When we worship Kṛṣṇa, rather, our first duty is to offer to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says that śūdra, in Bhāgavata says, śūdra is the leg. So there may be distinction of profession, occupation, caste, creed, color... It doesn't matter. But if everyone tries to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, that "The original cause of my existence is Kṛṣṇa," then there is life... Life is perfect. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Not blindly, but by research work, that how the original cause is Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the original cause of everything. Everything emanates from Me." How can I deny that Kṛṣṇa is not cause? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, those who are advanced devotee, he does not see anything else but Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is the cause of everything. That is required. Therefore he's Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

So Drauṇi, Droṇācārya's son, a brāhmaṇa, but he took the profession of a kṣatriya. That is degradation. When a brāhmaṇa takes the occupation of a kṣatriya, it is degradation. So this Drauṇi, although he belonged to the brāhmaṇa family and he accepted the profession of a kṣatriya, he degraded so much that he cut off the heads of five sons of Draupadī while they were sleeping. So much degradation. A kṣatriya never slains anybody who is sleeping. Kṣatriya's business is to challenge, and if the other party has no weapon, he supplies weapon. Then there is fight, then it is decided. One must die. That decision is there. When there is fight between two kṣatriyas, the decision is that one must die. Unless one dies, the business, the fighting, will never stop. That is called vīra-gatim. Vīra-gatim. If a kṣatriya dies in fight, he gets the promotion of vīra-gatim, means he goes to the heavenly planet. This was advised by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna, that "You fight. If you are victorious, then you will enjoy this kingdom, and if you are killed, then you'll go to the heavenly planets. Then where is your loss? Both ways you shall gain. Why shall you not fight?" This advice was given by Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.20-21 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1976:

He says that if one takes sentimentally this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, tyaktvā sva-dharmam... Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you young men, young boys and girls, are coming. You had some engagement previously, undoubtedly. You may be you were a student, you may be businessman or so on, so on. Everyone has got... At least you had some business for LSD. So you have given up all this. Tyaktvā sva-dharmam. Somehow or other you were all engaged in some business. That is called sva-dharma. Sva-dharma means one has selected some business. That is his sva-dharma. Generally, if it is systematic, then sva-dharma means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is systematic, sva-dharma. Otherwise, everyone must have some engagement. Suppose a thief, he has taken the occupation or profession of stealing. That is also sva-dharma. But that is not systematic; that is whimsical. So anyone must have some engagement. That engagement is called sva-dharma, his own business occupation. Sva-karma or sva-dharma.

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

We are divisioned. Either you take it varṇa, āśrama, or by occupation, anything, there must be some division, not that everyone is the same. Somebody is engineer. Somebody is medical man. Somebody is chemist. Somebody is philosopher. Somebody is brāhmaṇa. Somebody is śūdra. You take. Division must be there. It is not possible to make everyone all the same. That is rascaldom. That is, means, they have no knowledge. Just like the communists. They tried to make one. They failed. That is not possible. Still, they are going on: "Laborer class and the manager class." Why you make two? So if instead of two, if we make four, what is the difference in philosophy? They could not do it. That is not possible. There must be, because Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam: (BG 4.13) "The four divisions is created by Me." How you can nullify Kṛṣṇa's creation? That is not possible. So division may be there. It doesn't matter. That is created by Kṛṣṇa. But still, there can be oneness. What is that? Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Everyone try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Then it is oneness.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:

Just like it is, the example is, if there are two boats and if you place your leg this boat and that boat, the position is very precarious. (laughter) Neither in this boat, neither that boat. Fully. So our position is that. We are learning technology, and the western countries, they are advanced in technology always hundred years more. Some years ago there was a big exhibition in Delhi. The show was that India had manufactured cycle and sewing machine. That is their proud. The cycle, I think, two hundred years ago (laughs) was manufactured in the western countries and so also sewing machine. So India was very much proud, that "Now we have got cycle." When they are manufacturing big, big 747 airplane, we are manufacturing cycle. (laughter) Just see. Medicine also. Technology, that is also technology. They are advanced in... They were meant for this... They have got brain. They can advance in material civilization because fully... So we cannot compete. We cannot compete, although it is, this technology is the business of the śūdras. Technology is not the occupation for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, or vaiśyas, no. In our country still, there are blacksmith, weaver, oil crusher. Still they are in the village. But they are śūdras. So this technology means craftsmanship. That is not knowledge. That is not knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:

Actually, Kṛṣṇa does not want you to do anything else except to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is Kṛṣṇa's desire. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is His desire. People say foolishly, "What is the desire of God?" And here is the the desire of God. Openly it is said that "You give up all other occupations. Simply take to this occupation, how to become a devotee." Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. That is Kṛṣṇa's desire. But we shall not do that thing. We shall do everything except that thing. That is our problem. And therefore we are suffering. That is demoniac. That is demoniac. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ, disobedient to Kṛṣṇa.

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

Nitāi: "The system of four orders of life and four castes in terms of quality and work known as the varṇāśrama-dharma is the beginning of real human life. And Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, as the protector of the system of human activities, timely retired from the active life as a sannyāsī handing over the charge of the administration to a trained prince, Mahārāja Parīkṣit. The scientific system of varṇāśrama-dharma divides the human life in four divisions of occupation and four orders of life. The four orders of life as brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa, are to be followed by all, irrespective of the occupational division. Modern politicians do not wish to retire from active life even if they are old enough, but Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, as an ideal king, voluntarily retired from active administrative life..."

Prabhupāda: Yes. We have referred to the politicians, because king means he is also politician. As soon as we speak of king, he is in politics. So these are the example. Although he was also great politician, he had to fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, he had to adopt diplomacy, everything, but not that he would forget his real duty. This is perfect civilization, that one should not forget the real duty. The real duty is to fulfill the mission of the human life. The mission of human life is to understand God. And God is there, you cannot deny, God is there. But we do not know what is God, what is our relationship with Him. That we do not know. Just like in your country, the currency notes are advertised, "In God We Trust." But if we ask anybody that "This is the slogan of your state. What do you know about God?" nobody can reply. They will say, "It is something like this, something like that." But no... Everything vague idea. Nobody knows what is God, neither he knows how to trust in God. That is instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā: what is God and how to trust in Him. 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.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

So by nature, there are four classes of men. Anywhere you go you'll find four classes of men. First-class, intelligent men. In whichever you take, you'll find not all of them of the same category. First class, second class, third class and fourth class. First class means the most intelligent class, scientists, philosophers, like that; mathematicians, great religionists. They're first-class men. The second class, administrator, to see that the government is going nicely, people are not unhappy, people are not suffering from thieves and rogues. This is the first business. Good government means that people will think that they're secure, their property and person is secure. There will be no harm. Not very many years ago, say about hundred years ago, in India the native states, the rule was that if something is lying on the streets, valuable or invaluable, so nobody should touch it. The person who has lost or who has left that thing there, he would come and pick it up. You cannot touch. That was the law. And if one was caught, a thief, his hands will be cut off. In Kashmir state this was the rule. As soon as a thief is arrested and if he's proved that he has stolen, the only punishment is cut his throat, aḥ, cut his hands. Bas. Exemplary punishment so that nobody will dare to steal. So this is second class, administrators. And the third class are to produce money—businessmen, mercantile. Money is also required. So without money nothing can be done, so that is not... But that is the occupation of..., the third class take. And the fourth class, śūdra. They cannot take any post as intelligent class or administrator class or money-producing class. They are simply servant, help others, śūdra. The śūdra was not meant for taking the political part.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

So what is the purport? The purport is that this prince, he is enjoying material enjoyment, but next life he will have to become a dog. "So better you live with your enjoyment. Cirañ jīva. Because as soon as you die, you are going to be a dog. So better you live. So long you will live it is good for you." And muni-putra, a brahmacārī, his business is fasting and go to collect for Guru Mahārāja, and then whatever he takes, he offers to the guru. Then the guru says that "You can eat," he can eat. It is hardship, but by this hardship he is now prepared to go back to home, Godhead. So he says, "You immediately die so you can go to Vaikuṇṭha immediately." And the cruel butcher, he is advised, mā jīva mā māra: "You don't live and don't die. Because your living condition is so horrible that every day, morning, you have to kill so many animals and see bloodshed and this. It is a horrible life. Your occupation is very, very horrible. Therefore you should not live. But at the same time, if you die, then you are going to suffer all this suffering yourself. Then you don't die also." So this is the position. And sādhu, those who are saintly person, devotees, he is advised, jīva vā māra vā: "Either you live or either you die, your business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. You are serving Kṛṣṇa now, and after death, you will serve Kṛṣṇa. So there is no question of your death, neither there is no question of your birth." So these are some moral instructions.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

Pradyumna: Translation: "Now you may hear from me of what happened while Mahārāja Parīkṣit was passing his days hearing of the good occupations of his forefathers and being absorbed in thought of them." (SB 1.16.17)

Prabhupāda: So the question was, "How Mahārāja Parīkṣit punished this Kali-yuga?" The chapter name is "How Parīkṣit Received the Age of Kali." So why he punished the Kali? Because... Here it is said, pūrveṣāṁ vṛttim anvaham, tasya vartamānasya. He was situated always on the platform where his forefathers remained. This is called aristocratic. Every family or every caste... Family... First of all, there must be division. Then family. Community, society, then family. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja belonged to the royal family. His forefathers, own-Bhārata-vaṁśa, the Bhārata dynasty. Therefore you will find the members of the Bhārata dynasty is called Bhārata, Bhārata. Arjuna was addressed by Kṛṣṇa as Bhārata. Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra was also addressed as Bhārata. Vidura was addressed as Bhārata. Many times you have seen it.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

So yajña is required. Human life is meant for performing yajña. Karma, yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said. Karma... Karma means activity. There must be activity. It is not that because we are interested in self-realization, in the elevation of the soul to the spiritual world, that does not mean we shall be idle and lazy. No. You cannot be idle and lazy because if you become idle and lazy, you cannot even maintain your body. That is advised in Bhagavad-gītā. You have to become busy and active. That is required. Even if you want to go to heaven, then also you have to become busy and active. If you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, that also will require your busyness and activity. And if you want to remain here in this material world, that also required. Activity you cannot stop, but we have to consider the quality of activity. Quality of activity is bhakti. You have to work. You cannot remain inactive or lazy. You have to work. So Kṛṣṇa advises in the Bhagavad-gītā that "Work for Me." That is intelligence. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27). This is life. Yat karoṣi, whatever you do. Everyone has to do something. Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, you have to work. But work for Me." Just like Arjuna was advised. He is a military man. He used to fight. His occupation is, when there there is danger he must fight. A kṣatriya, kṣatriya's business is that. So Arjuna was advised that "You fight for Me, not for your sense gratification." That kind of fight and war is not allowed. Only for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord you can fight.

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Hawaii, January 17, 1974:

But God is the whole family. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti. He's supplying food to the elephants. We are, we are so much advanced in civilization that because we cannot take care of a child, therefore we are killing child even within the womb of mother, abortion. We are so unfit. But God, you see, He's feeding millions of elephants in the Africa. Not only elephants, there are so many. Out of 8,400,000 species of life, there are 8,000,000 species of life nonhuman being, the majority—the birds, beasts, reptiles, trees, so many other living entities. But they have no business. They have no occupation, profession, to maintain themselves. So who is maintaining them? Who is there? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Even if within your room, there is a little hole, sometimes you'll find thousands of ants coming out. Have you got this experience? And who is feeding them? Who is supplying them food? They are living within that hole, millions, and hundreds and thousands of ants, but they're also eating, they're also sleeping, they have got their wife, they have got their children. But who is supplying food? So in this way, if you analyze that everything is being maintained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is real understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how Kṛṣṇa is great, or God is great. So that is a real civilization of life, to understand, to appreciate, to appreciate the greatness of God. That is real civilization.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Delhi, November 6, 1973:

So the gṛhamedhis, as I have described last night, they are not interested, gṛhamedhis. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Those who are simply attached to this bodily conception of life, they are unable to see the truth. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam. They cannot see. Their only business is... That is described here: nidrayā hriyate naktam. (aside:) Yes, come if you like. Their business is, these apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2), those who are blind, those who cannot see, the ātma-tattvam, "What I am," such persons, what is their business occupation? That is the distinction between devotee and nondevotee. A nondevotee, he is very much happy by sleeping. We have seen it practically in Western countries. You know very well, if they can sleep twenty-four,-five hours instead of twenty-four hours, they are very happy. They think that they are getting some profit. Not only Western countries. I have seen long, long ago, about fifty years ago in Calcutta, the office peons, they took letters for distributing to other men, but what do they do? They will sleep at Delhousie Square with the peon book. I have seen. They thought that "This sleeping is our gain. We are getting salary. That is another gain. But because without working I am sleeping now for three hours in Delhousie Square, it is also another gain."

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī, after discussing that there are many subject matter for the materialistic persons who are unaware of self-realization... The very word used: apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2), those who are looking forward for self-realization. That is the only business for human life, but our education system is so defective that there is no program for self-realization. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommended that we should not be bewildered by the occupation of our materialistic life. He has very clearly discussed that all of these things, they cannot give us protection. There is nice example. Just like when a fly..., a bird flies in the sky, he has to depend on his own strength. In that flying method, neither his father, neither his mother nor his children can help. If he has got sufficient strength to fly, then he is fly very smoothly. Otherwise... Take the, for example, for an aeroplane also. If it has got sufficient strength, arrangement, to fly, it will nicely fly. Otherwise, there is crash. Similarly each of us individually should be preparing for our next death. Not that we should not think that "My family, my community, my nation, my friends can help me." No. Everyone is responsible for his own activities.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

So here it is stated, sāṅkhya-yogābhyām sva-dharma-pariniṣṭhayā. It is clear, in next word is clear... Sva-dharma. Sva-dharma means a particular type of engagement for a particular type of man. Everyone has got a particular type of engagement. Suppose you are lawyer. Your particular engagement is study of law or executing legal business. So that is sva-dharma. Similarly a businessman, an engineer, a medical man. So these are particular type of occupation of a particular type of man. So here it is recommended, sva-dharma-pariniṣṭhayā. One who is faithfully engaged in his own business, particular type of business, janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ pumān, his human birth, his human life is successful, janma-lābhaḥ paraḥ pumān, if he's successful man, then by successfully, properly executing his particular type of business, if he can, at the end of his life, remember Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord, that is the success of life. It doesn't matter that you have got to chant or dance, but here it is recommended somehow or other, if you can manage to remember or memorize the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, at the end of your life, that is your success. Etāvān sāṅkhya-yogābhyāṁ sva-dharma-pariniṣṭhayā. Otherwise, your life is failure. If after Suppose you have earned millions of dollars and you have become a very successful businessman or lawyer or politician Just like in your country President Kennedy. He was killed, but we do not know, after his death, what he has become. That information there is no. But if you somehow or other you can remember about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, about His activities, about His form, about His name, anything, form, name, quality, paraphernalia, anything, if you can remember, then that is success of your life.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1 -- Los Angeles, May 19, 1972:

You see? So andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Just like one blind man is speaking other blind men, "Please follow me. I shall lead you to the right path." "But you are blind yourself, and we are also blind. What will be the help?" But no, they will follow. In our country, Gandhi promised that "I shall give you independence in one year, if you follow me—non-violence, non-cooperation." People followed, but it took thirty years. But actually, that is not independence. So these politicians, especially, they mislead us. Not only politicians, the so-called yogis, so-called... So many things. Real leader is Kṛṣṇa. So if we surrender to Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), "Give up all other occupation, duties. Simply just surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. "Don't hesitate. Do it." Kṛṣṇa is personally canvassing. He's so kind. He comes personally. He speaks the whole truth in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 3.25.11 -- Bombay, November 11, 1974:

So Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the real shelter, śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyam. We are seeking shelter, everyone, because we are servant constitutionally. Originally, we are servant of God. So that is our nature, to take shelter. Everyone is seeking a nice shelter. Somebody's seeking some occupation, service of some big man. Somebody's seeking oc..., servitorship of the government, government servant. But the ultimate shelter is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974:

So the punar-janma-jayāya aihiṣṭam. The brāhmaṇas, the learned ṛṣis, sages, they're especially engaged for punar-janma-jayāya, to conquer over the process of repetition of birth and death. That is the highest occupational... So every man is meant for that, punar-janma-jayāya. Unless we conquer this process of punar janma, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), and if we simply waste our time like animals—eating, sleeping, sex intercourse and defense—then it is animal life. So especially in this age they cannot distinguish that what is the animal life and what is human life. They think, "The dog, animal, he is sleeping on the street, and I am sleeping on the twentieth floor of a nice apartment. Therefore I am civilized." The śāstra says no. Either you sleep on the street or on the twenty-fourth story of apartment, you are sleeping. You are not doing any other thing. Simply the dog is eating without any plate, and suppose if you are eating in a golden plate. That does not mean the taste of the foodstuff has changed.

Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:

Therefore a devotee, automatically he dissolves his material and..., material bodies, subtle and gross, dissolves in this life. That is called jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate. That is called jīvan-mukti. Īhā yasya harer dāsye. Anyone, īhā, mad-īhāḥ. Here it is said, mad-īhāḥ. What is that mad-īhāḥ? Always thinking of how to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is called mad-īhāḥ, thinking of Kṛṣṇa, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That Rūpa Gosvāmī has explained this mad-īhāḥ. What is that? Īhā yasya harer dāsye. Anyone who is always thinking of how to serve Kṛṣṇa, karmaṇā manasā vācā... You can serve by your body activities, by your mind, by your words. Just like we are talking about Kṛṣṇa. We are serving Kṛṣṇa by words. You are hearing: that karmaṇā, the activities of the senses, you are hearing. Karmaṇā manasā, we are thinking; I am thinking. So any way, if we are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service or at least trying to do that, karmaṇā manasā vācā, īhā yasya harer dāsye... But it is not to become one but to serve. If this attitude you keep, so nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate, in any condition of life he is liberated. Any condition life. He may be engaged in some business or in some occupation or this way. If he is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to serve Him, then he is liberated. This is the idea of actual liberation, not by thinking that "I shall become one with the Supreme."

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

So we have to find out such guru, Vaiṣṇava. Śāstra says, ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. Not only expert in six kinds of occupational..., paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha, but mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ: "Vedic mantra or tantra—everything he knows perfectly well." Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra..., avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt: "But if he has got one disqualification—he is faithless; he does not believe in the Supreme Personality of Godhead or Viṣṇu; he is believer in other demigods and other process, even Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, the best of all the demigods—then he becomes avaiṣṇava." Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was very learned scholar, son of a brāhmaṇa, very good scholar, and economically developed, but only fault was avaiṣṇava: he did not care for Rāma. So he is designated as rākṣasa. So avaiṣṇava, who is not devotee of Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, gurur na sa syāt, he cannot become guru. That is not possible.

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

So here Ṛṣabhadeva... Ṛṣabhadeva was the father of Mahārāja Bhārata, under whose name this land is called Bhāratavar\ sa. Bhāratavarṣa is derived from the name of Mahārāja Bhārata. So his father, Ṛṣabhadeva, He is accepted as incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So He is giving instruction to His sons before retiring. In our Vedic culture there is compulsory retirement. There is compulsory retirement. That is Vedic civilization, varṇāśrama-dharma. What is going on... As we are going on in the name of Hindus, but Hindu is not mentioned in the Vedic literature. In the Vedic literature the principles or the institute followed by the inhabitants of Bhāratavarṣa is called varṇāśrama-dharma. That is real occupation.

varṇāśramācāravatā
puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
viṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsam
nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
(CC Madhya 8.58)

Whole Vedic civilization means: realize God. That is Vedic civilization. Viṣṇur ārādhyate. We are part and parcel of Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Lord. As it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Jīva-bhūtaḥ, these living entities, not only human being but everyone, sarva yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4), in every form of life, the living entities are covered with the material dress.

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

Prabhupāda: Material life means no knowledge of God, no service of God. That is material life.

Yogeśvara: He wants to know how can we live in this material world without becoming entangled.

Prabhupāda: That he cannot know, God, by living here. You are trying to know so many things, why don't you try to know God? Material life means one who does not know God, one who does not serve God. These are the two things. So if you know God and if you serve God, that is not material life. So if you try to know God, and if you serve God, that is not material life. (break)

Guest: ...to know the will of God.

Prabhupāda: You want to know? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), you give up all other occupation, simply surrender unto Him. That's all. This is the way. (end)

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Oh. It may be different. Similarly, you become conscious of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Is that clear?

Student: No.

Prabhupāda: Not yet?

Student: No.

Prabhupāda: Why? Why? Consciousness, you understand. If you have got some occupation... Consciousness there must be. You are conscious, but your consciousness is absorbed in some thought, particular type of thought. Is it not?

Student: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, when your consciousness will be absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Student: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: That you have to learn. Yes. That you have to learn, how they are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, what is the process, how they're executing. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, as generally the consciousness is absorbed in a particular type of thought, similarly, when your consciousness will be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa's thought, that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is your perfect consciousness.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- London, September 17, 1969:

So here is also the statement that even... It's not required that sannyāsī is only mahātmā, but a gṛhastha can be, is also mahātmā. So gṛhastha-mahātmā, his symptoms are described: ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthāḥ. Their only business is to please Kṛṣṇa. That is the first qualification. They have no other business. Ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthāḥ. Then how they deal with others? A gṛhastha has to live... A sannyāsī may live alone in forest or in Himalaya or in a secluded place in Vṛndāvana or somewhere, but a gṛhastha, he has to deal with ordinary persons, so many others, businessmen or ordinary people. So that is stated here, that a gṛhastha-mahātmā, his first symptom is that he has no other business than to please Kṛṣṇa. That is his first business. And so far dealing with others, that is janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu na prīti-yuktā yāvad-arthāś ca loke. Very nice. What does he say? That people who are simply interested in maintaining this body and sense gratification, dehambhara-vārtikeṣu. Deha means this body, and bhara means maintaining, and vārtika means occupation.

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

So any one of these methods will help you. If you take the nine methods, that is very good. If not, take eight. If not, take seven. If not, take six. Take five, four, three, two. Take at least one. That one is very easy—śravanam. We are opening several centers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Not only we are... There are many other centers also to hear about God. That is very essential. śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. So this process can be practiced even at home. There is no necessity that you have to change your place, you have to give up your business, you have to..., occupation, or you have to give up your family relationship. No. You remain in your... But practice this śravanam. Just like you are hearing here in this hall, you can do it at home. These books are there. I am speaking from the book. You can speak also from the book, and sit down amongst your family members and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

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

So premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Santaḥ, saintly persons, or mahātmā, they develop by hearing about God constantly. They develop love of God. That is the aim of life. That is the real purpose of human life. Premā pum-artho mahān. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended that what is the actual benefit of this human form of life? To develop our dormant love for God. That is wanted, not to accumulate money. Nothing will go with us. Everything will remain. The bank balance will remain in the bank, and we have to go, and there will be fight amongst the claimants. So that will be created. But nothing will go with you. Simply your consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, will help you. At the time of death, if you remember Kṛṣṇa... Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Some way or other, if you remember at the time of death Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. So it doesn't matter whether you remain outside home or inside home, what is your occupation, but do not forget your real business. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

So Sanātana Gosvāmī recommends, tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. Tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena. If dīkṣā-vidhāna, initiation process, is done nicely from the right person There are so many śāstric ref... Śuddhyanti yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ śuddhyanti (SB 2.4.18). These things are there. So by the disciplic succession, by the instruction of the Gosvāmīs, everyone can be purified because they will properly train up. Avidyāyām antare vartamānam. They will not misguide. Dṛṣṭvā punas taṁ saghṛṇaḥ kubuddhim. Merciful: "Never mind." But there is no disqualification because one is low born and high born. Everyone can take. But he must follow the direction of the proper guide. Just like we say, "No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex." If he follows the rules and regulation and chants Hare Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of proper spiritual master, then everything will be all right. He is no more śūdra or caṇḍāla. He will become... Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭha hari-bhakti-parāyanaḥ. By advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he can be raised to the highest plat... So it is the duty of the guide not to engage him in lower class of occupation. Therefore there must be a class of men first-class who can teach the society how to advance in human civilization.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

Therefore bhakti means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalaṁ (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam. We have to cleanse the desire. We have to cleanse our seeing. Now our eyes want to see some beautiful thing. Now, if we become accustomed to see Kṛṣṇa beautifully decorated, nicely decorated, nicely dressed, then we forget other, so-called material beauty. So the activities of the eyes, to see beautiful thing, is not changed, but it is purified. That is bhakti. Nothing has to be changed or nothing has to be stopped, but the process has to be changed. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta vairāgyam ucyate. We cannot be desireless. We cannot be inactive. That is also not possible. We must be active—but active for working for Kṛṣṇa. Then it is devotional life. That is being taught in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that it is not simply negation. Simply negation will not help you. There must be some positive occupation. So we say, "Do not do this, but do this." We say, "Do not eat meat," but we say, "Eat Kṛṣṇa's nice prasādam, halavā." So he forgets meat-eating. This is our process. We give immediately alternative. You dance. You don't dance in the naked club; dance in the Kṛṣṇa's temple. The dancing is there, but is purified. In the club there are also girls are dancing and boys are dancing. Here also, girls are dancing and boys are..., but they are dancing for Kṛṣṇa ecstasy. So nothing is stopped. This is bhakti. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means you have to simply change your consciousness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Chicago, July 6, 1975:

Then kṣatriya, next, second-class man. So what is his livelihood? His livelihood: to take tax. The kṣatriyas were entrusted certain villages, that "You look after these villages, that the people are becoming well behaved." So kṣatriya's business was to see whether brāhmaṇa is actually acting as brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya actually acting as kṣatriya. This was the ruler's business to see. And to see that nobody is unemployed, nobody is a devil's workshop. Because if you have no business, no occupation, then your brain will plan something. This plan is cauryam and cheating. They had no opportunity to plan all these things. So kṣatriya's income is to take some tax. What is that tax? Not in money. But people are engaged in agricultural work, so whatever he has produced, he gives twenty-five percent to the ruler. That's all. That includes income tax, this tax, that tax. No more tax. "Take. Whatever I have got, you take twenty-five percent." So this is kṣatriya's occupation, second class.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Chicago, July 6, 1975:

So these kind of profession is garhitām, abominable. This is not human civilization. But this has become a common thing. Garhitāṁ vṛttim. Vṛttim means occupation. So if you become first-class man, you have occupation, that paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana. If you are second-class man, you have got your occupation. If you are third-class man, the kṛṣi-go-rakṣya. If you are fourth-class man, then serve other. If you are fifth-class man, then go to the jungle and hunt some animal and eat. Then these persons, they, cheating, stealing, these are the occupation of the tenth class, eighth class, like that. This is not honest. So if you produce such tenth-class and eighth-class and seventh-class men, then how you can expect without crime in the society? That is not possible. So we should know that this is the defect of civilization, that by education, by practice, by examples we are simply creating eighth-class, tenth-class of men, so there cannot be any peace. Therefore the human society must take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and teach people at least how to become second class, third class, if not first class. But there must be first-class men, second-class men. Then everything, social affair, political affair, will go very smoothly, without any trouble. Otherwise you have to meet with this class of profession, stealing, cheating, and so on.

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Chicago, July 8, 1975:

Then what is required? Namanta eva. Just become submissive. Don't think yourself as very great philosopher, theologist, scientist. Just be humble. "My dear sir, just be humble." Namanta eva. "Then what will be my business? All right, I shall become humble. Then how I shall make progress?" Now, namanta eva san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. "Just hear the message of God." "From whom?" San-mukharitām: "through the mouth of the devotees." Not professional, not gramophone—through the mouth of, through the lips of real devotee. "So then? Next? I will have to become sannyāsa or gṛhastha or what?" "No." Sthāne sthitāḥ: "You remain wherever you are. Either you are a gṛhastha or a vānaprastha, or apart from that, either you are a medical man or engineer or politician or businessman or shopkeeper—something your position is there—so you remain in that." Sthāne sthitāḥ: "You remain in your position. Simply you have to hear the message of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, through the realized saintly person." This recommendation. If you go on speculating, you will never be able to understand. Therefore give up this practice. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. "Be submissive." If you think, "Oh, I am so much advanced. I can speculate. Why shall I go to a devotee and hear from him?" No. You have to adopt this. Why? If you want to conquer the ajita. Ajita, ajita means Kṛṣṇa, or God. Nobody can conquer Him. But you can conquer Him. How? By this process. Remain your process..., remain in your situation, in your occupation, but try to hear from the realized soul. Very simple thing.

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

So Yamarāja is for this purpose. When we are punished that is no envious envy on the part of God or His agent; it is our correction, I think the Yamarāja, er, the Yamadūtas said in the beginning that "We have come to take Ajāmila just to correct him." So dharma and adharma... Our real dharma is to serve God. That is our real duty. And as soon as we neglect this permanent service or occupation, then we are liable to be punished. You cannot become independent of God. That is not possible. That will (not) make you happy. The healthy condition of the finger is that it is able to serve the body. If the finger is not able to serve the body, that will mean unhealthy. Otherwise... Similarly, when we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engaged in the service of the Lord, that is our healthy state. That is mukti, liberation. Mukti means no disease. So when we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, when we are not engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is our diseased condition. That is not healthy condition.

Lecture on SB 6.2.9-10 -- Allahabad, January 15, 1971:

So the assistants of Yamarāja charged that "This man was throughout his whole life a sinful man. Therefore he is punishable and we must take him to the Yamarāja." And the Viṣṇudūtas protested that "Even though he was sinful throughout his whole life, because he once uttered the holy name of Nārāyaṇa some way or other—it doesn't matter—therefore he is now free from all reaction of sinful life." And he has spoken that there are different kinds of sinful life, and he has described some of them. Stenaḥ. Stenaḥ means stealing, thieves, burglars. They are very sinful. Stenaḥ; surā-paḥ, drunkard, intoxicant, those who are addicted to intoxication. So stealing and drinking, these are the honorable occupations of the moralist. But they are condemned by the Yamarāja..., by the Viṣṇu... Stenaḥ surā-po mitra-dhruk (SB 6.2.9). One who is unfaithful to his friends, mitra-dhruk; brahma-hā, one who has killed a brāhmaṇa or a Vaiṣṇava, brahma-hā. And guru-talpa-gaḥ: and one who has dishonored a spiritual master or teacher. Strī-rāja-pitṛ-go-hantā, one who has killed a woman, one who has killed a king, and one who has killed a cow. These are all the severest type of sinful activities. Ye ca pātakino 'pare. Some of the sinful activities are mentioned here. And besides these sinful activities, there are other, many.

Lecture on SB 6.3.20-23 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

But Nārada Muni says, "Still, he is not in loss." It is so powerful. "Still he is in gain. And one who does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if he is following the religious principles... Everyone has got some religion. Still, what does he gain? He does not gain anything." That is the verdict of Nārada Muni. A person who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, giving up his all religious principles and occupations, even he falls down on account of his immature position, he is much gainer than the person who is sticking to his religious principle, so-called religious principle, but does not know what Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He does not gain anything. That is the verdict of Nārada Muni.

nāmoccāraṇa māhātmyaṁ
hareḥ paśyata putrakāḥ
ajāmilo 'pi yenaiva
mṛtyu-pāśād amucyata
(SB 6.3.23)

So the evidence is that Ajāmila, simply by his chanting "Nārāyaṇa," he became saved from imminent danger, being arrested by the Yamadūtas, or death.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

So this analysis, this definition, analytical study of God, is very nicely made by the sages, ancient sages of India, Bhārata-varṣa, and they have studied the qualification of the demigods just like the sun-god, the moon-god, the heavenly god, this god, that god. There are so many. You are also god, I am also god, in this sense, that every one of us has got little, little, these opulences. Everyone, you have got some wealth. It is not that you have no wealth, but you cannot claim that you are the wealthiest. That is not possible. As you have got also some strength, you have got also some fame, you have got also some beauty, you have got some also wisdom, you have got some renunciation. Little, little. Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme, therefore all the qualities of God can be found in each and every living entity in minute quantity. So you can claim that you are also minute god, but you cannot claim that you are Supreme God. This is the definition of God! So the science of God, or our relationship with God and our dealings with God, is called bhāgavata-dharma, occupation with God..., dealings with God. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam means how we can learn.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

Therefore, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but because we have separated ourselves from God... Because we are speaking of God... Very... People are interested, "Oh, the Swamiji is speaking of God. God is dead." This is nonsense. You are living. "Everyone is living. Simply God has died." You see? This is, this philosophy is going on. Therefore bhāgavata-dharma, one has to study from the very beginning of life. Otherwise we shall learn this philosophy, that "God is dead." So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, kaumāra acaret prajno dharmān bhāgavatan iha (SB 7.6.1). This occupation of dealing with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān, should be learned from the very beginning of life. Just like one of our student comes, Eddy(?). He is always with his father, and he is learning bhāgavata-dharma. He is also bowing down, seeing his father and other Godbrothers of his father. He is learning. We also learned in that way, in our childhood. So from the very childhood one should be taught what is bhāgavata-dharma. Otherwise there will be unwanted population, and the world will become a hell.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1968:

So the same thing: Prahlāda Mahārāja says that dharmān bhāgavatan, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, or God conscious, is so important that we should not lose even a moment's time. Immediately we shall begin. Why? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. Mānuṣaṁ janma. He says that this human form of body is very rare. It is obtained after many, many births. So modern civilization, they do not understand what is the value of this human form of life. They think that this body is meant for sense enjoyment like cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they are also enjoying life in four principles; eating, sleeping, defending, and mating. So human form of life is not meant for spoiling like cats and dogs. Human form of life is meant for something else. And that "something else" is Kṛṣṇa conscious or God consciousness because without human form of life, no other body can understand what is God, what is this world, what I am, wherefrom I have come, where I have to go. These things are meant for human life. So he says that "From very childhood..." Actually this is essential. From childhood, in the schools, in the colleges, this bhāgavata-dharma, or the occupation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, should be introduced. This is necessary, but they do not understand. They think that this spot life is all, and this body is all, and there is no other life. Next life, they do not believe it. This is all due to ignorance. Life is eternity, and this spot life is preparation for the next life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

That is not the way of happiness. But you are thinking that "I shall be happy in this way." But that also you cannot do. Your happiness, whatever is destined to you, that will come automatically. How? He gives the example, yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ. Just like a misery of your life, you do not try for it, but it comes upon you automatically. Similarly, the happiness of your life will also come upon you automatically. So do not try to waste your time for so-called happiness or to drive away so-called distress. Just push yourself under the protection of Kṛṣṇa. He will manage everything and you'll be happy. (break)

...and so far occupation is concerned, just see whether by your occupation you are satisfying God. That is your perfection. (break) Kṛṣṇa does not say that you change your occupation. Just like Arjuna. He is a kṣatriya. His business is to fight. The division of human society, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, is very scientific. A kṣatriya is meant for fighting. A brāhmaṇa is meant for intelligent work. A vaiśya is meant for business. A śūdra is meant for labor. But because there is no such division, people are not trained from the very beginning. Therefore a śūdra is called by the draftboard, "Come on," to fight. Now, how he can fight? He is not a kṣatriya. So they are flying away. They're taking visa for another country and going away. How he can fight? He is not kṣatriya. So Kṛṣṇa said Arjuna that, "You are kṣatriya." He did not say... Kṛṣṇa wanted, Arjuna wanted to become a false brāhmaṇa. He said, "Oh, I shall become nonviolent, and even though I don't get my kingdom I shall beg like a brāhmaṇa and shall live away. Kṛṣṇa, don't ask me to fight."

Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:

Now, in another place you will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that the perfection of varṇāśrama, these four divisions as we have stated... And in the gṛhastha there are still four divisions. That divisions are brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra. Those who are doing intellectual works, just like studying philosophy, science, astronomy, so many intellectual works, they are called brāhmaṇas. And those who are in the administration class, they are called kṣatriyas. Those who are in production, mercantile industry for producing things, they are called vaiśyas. And those who are laborer class, they are called śūdras. So these eight divisions. And that is known as varṇāśrama-dharma, the institution of eight divisions. The Hindus means those who follow these eight divisions of human society. That is called Hindu. Now it has become a name only, but actually this is... Actually this is Hindu religion..., this is not Hindu religion. This is actually the occupation or the basic principle of human civilization. If you do not divide human society in such eight divisions, there is no proper advancement of human society's ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to make perfect in this life or to realize the Absolute Truth. That is ultimate goal.

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

In this material world we are making so many plans for permanent settlement, but unfortunately, we are meeting with just the opposite result. That is in our experience. There is very nice song sung by a Vaiṣṇava poet. He says, sukhere lagiya e baro bhaginu anale puria ghare (?). "I constructed this house for living happily. Unfortunately, it was set in fire, so everything is finished." That is going on. In the material world we are making so many plans for living very comfortably, peacefully, eternally. But that is not possible. People do not understand it. They are seeing, experiencing from śāstra, from scripture we are getting instruction, that nothing is imperishable. Everything is perishable in the material world, and we are actually seeing also that perishable agents are always ready. Just like the fire. In New York City, at least, within twenty-four hours, there are at least ten or fifteen places where fire is going on. And your fire brigade is running on just trying to protect you from fire. The house regulation is all for fire, "How we are protected from fire." Then it will be allowed, certificate of occupation, "You can live." In other words, that fire is always ready to vanish everything, but artificially, somehow or other, we are trying to protect ourself from fire. But we do not take it for granted that this material nature is so made that it will set in fire everything, however we may be strong in protecting ourself. That is the nature. So however we may make plans to live very happily, the nature's law is that it will destroy.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that "Kṛṣṇa consciousness is eternally existing in every human being, every living entity." Not only human being. You have seen the one picture that a calf, how he is loving Kṛṣṇa by licking His body. You have seen it. So even in the calf, even in the animal, even in the bird, even in the beast. We have described all these things in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya, that when Kṛṣṇa was present in Vṛndāvana, how the cranes, how the cuckoos, how the peacocks, how the walks(?), how the flowers, how the creepers were loving Him. How they were loving Kṛṣṇa. So it is not a thing that we have to teach. Simply by good association, by reference, it comes out. It is called suptotthita-nyāya. Just like a man sleeping at night, he forgets everything, where he is lying on and what he is doing and which family does he belong to, which country does he belong to, what is his occupation. Everything he forgets. Sleeping means forgetfulness. But as soon as he is awakened, he remembers everything. Everything. "Oh, I have to go to office. I have to do this thing. I have to meet such and such person." Everything. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sleeping in everyone's heart. He is hankering. He is hankering after how to love Kṛṣṇa, but he is being checked up. The māyā is checking him: "Don't try to love Kṛṣṇa. If you love Kṛṣṇa, then you will forget all these material activities." Māyā is speaking.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1977:

That is His aspiration. Just like the father is very rich man. He doesn't require any help from his son, but he aspires that his son should be obedient and lover. That is his satisfaction. That is the whole situation. Kṛṣṇa has created... Eko bahu śyāma. We are vibhinnāṁśa-mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7)—part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, every one of us. So everyone has got some duty. Kṛṣṇa has created us, expecting something to be done by us for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. So that, our opportunity, is obtained in this human form of life. We should not waste our valuable time in any other occupation or business. Simply inquire and be ready how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīla Ānukūla. Not your satisfaction but Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. That is called ānukūla, favorable. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). And anuśīlanam means activity, not that "In trance I am in meditation." That is also Something is better than nothing, but real devotional service is activity. One must be active, and the best activity is to preach the glory of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the best activity. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścid me prīya-kṛttamaḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 9, 1968:

It is very nice thing. One does not require to be highly educated or very rich or very beautiful or very famous. No. Anyone. Anyone. Simply God has given us this tongue, we can vibrate nicely. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, just see the result. I think one of our students, Śrīman Hayagrīva brahmacārī, he will give you a nice experience, when he first came here in this class and chanted on the way, how did he feel. There are many instances. Yes. So our only appeal to you, all people of the world, that we are embarrassed with so many problems. So we say this is the only solution. There is no price; there is no tax; there is no, I mean to say, imposition of previous qualifications. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is our propaganda. And see the result. Sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. And... On the whole, there are three words only: Hare, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma. So these three words, they are nicely set up in sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma... So we request everyone to chant this transcendental vibration and see the result. There is no question that you have to change your religion, you have to change your dress, change your occupation. No. Simply go on chanting. (break) ...pratyakṣa avagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2).

Lecture on SB 7.9.15 -- Mayapur, February 22, 1976:

So therefore, to understand Kṛṣṇa is not very easy job. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa You can understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. That is Kṛṣṇa, great. You take. And again Kṛṣṇa is coming as Caitanya Mahāprabhu to show us the way how to understand Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu means Kṛṣṇa Himself, present to teach us how to understand Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind: He is coming Himself. He's teaching Bhagavad-gītā. Again He is coming as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as devotee, to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). He's not only teaching Kṛṣṇa but love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when He personally came, He did not teach how to love Him. He simply asked, "You rascal, surrender to Me." That's all. "You are all rascals. You have forgotten Me. I am the Supreme. You are searching after so many wrong things. You have created so many so-called occupational and religious duties, but these are all useless." That much. But again Kṛṣṇa came to teach people how to love Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī offers his respect to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, namo mahā-vadanyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: (CC Madhya 19.53) "You are not only giving Kṛṣṇa but giving love of Kṛṣṇa." That is very rare thing. Prema pumārtho mahān. People are after dharma, after kāma, mokṣa, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, above this, there is fifth perfection. That is prema, Kṛṣṇa-prema." Prema pumārtho mahān.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

Anyone who is preaching the message of Lord Caitanya or Lord Kṛṣṇa, the same thing... There is no difference. Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa's message. And Lord Caitanya says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). So there is no difference. Kṛṣṇa's upadeśa is to everyone that everyone should give up all nonsense type of occupation... Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Those who are attached to the worship of demigods, they have been condemned by Kṛṣṇa: hṛta-jñānāḥ. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has commented on this word, hṛta-jñānāḥ: naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ, "those who have lost their all intelligence." So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is preaching the same as Lord Kṛṣṇa said and as Lord Caitanya said. Lord Kṛṣṇa said that "You surrender." He asked everyone, not only Arjuna. Through Arjuna, He spoke to everyone. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). He was preaching His own word through Arjuna. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's Kṛṣṇa Himself. He's preaching the same message as devotee. So our business is to preach this same message through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128).

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti, it is very simple thing. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is natural. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśa jīva-bhūtaḥ. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore our only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is natural. There is no question about it. Part and parcel means helping the whole. As we have several times explained that this finger is the part and parcel of my body, so it is the duty of the finger always serve the body, whole body. It has no other occupation. As soon as I desire, "Finger, you come to this place," immediately it comes. "Finger, you come to this place," it immediately comes. So we can study. What is the meaning of part and parcel? Part and parcel means to serve the whole. Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth. We are relative truth. Therefore it is our duty to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is our natural position.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

People are crying for votes (loudspeaker heard from outside). So... But they are not inclined to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You see. Crying, "Give me vote, give me vote, give me vote, give me vote." You see? How wasting their time. What they'll do, getting votes? How long they will remain a minister? But mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10). Their opinion is very bad, sumanda-mati, or they do not take any right conclusion. And Bhagavad-gītā says, tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām (BG 7.23). These activities, they are temporary, will end within some years, but still, they are so much busy with this business. Therefore this kind of occupation is for the alpa-medhasaḥ, those who have got very little brain substance. Medhaḥ means brain substance.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

So this is the mercy, causeless mercy, of Lord Caitanya. And He simply prescribes that you chant this mantra. As you see, these boys, when they're chanting, how they are in ecstasy. Immediately on the transcendental platform. Immediately. Not only here, everywhere where they are chanting. In every temple, if you see... The advantage of these boys and girls is that they have no other hodgepodge in their head. They directly accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they directly accept the instruction of Lord Caitanya, and they are making advance. Their fortune is that their brain is not congested with hodgepodge ideas. That is the idea. They actually... Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). They have given up all other occupation and have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So India also, we can do that. What is the difficulty? We must do this We must accept this... Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān (SB 1.3.28), janmanām ante jñānavān mām prapadyate. We are cultivating knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says, "After cultivation of knowledge for many, many births..." Not in one life, but many, many births. "One, when actually intelligent, jñānavān, actually wise, he surrenders unto Me." Why should you wait for many, many births? Supposing that you are very intelligent, you are very wise, you are speculating, but according to Bhagavad-gītā, why should you waste your time in that way, speculating? Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ (Bs. 5.34). Speculating process will not help you. Ciraṁ vicinvan.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 8.128 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 24, 1977:

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's vision. There is no such distinction that one is lower and higher in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In the śāstras it is clearly stated that unless one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he cannot become guru.

ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro
mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ
avaiṣṇavo gurur na syāt
ṣaḍ-vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ

It is said that a brāhmaṇa, even though he's well-qualified, ṣaṭ-karma, brāhmaṇa's six occupation, ṣaṭ-karma-paṭhana pāṭhan yajana yājana dana pratigraha-ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, and he's well expert in Vedic hymns, Vedic understanding—mantra-tantra, Pañcatantra, everything is competent—but avaiṣṇava, if he's not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot become guru. Ṣaḍ-vaiṣṇava śva-paco guruḥ. But if a Vaiṣṇava, even though he may come from the caṇḍāla family, śvapaca, the dog-eater's family—that is considered the lowest in the human society—if he becomes a Vaiṣṇava, he is fit for becoming spiritual master. This is the śāstric injunction.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

One has to learn very intelligently by hearing from the authority. The same example we find in Bhagavad-gītā. In the battlefield, where time is very valuable, still, Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is instructing, and Arjuna is hearing. So this hearing process is our Vedic process. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, according to, of course, Vedic injunction: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You haven't got to change your position. It is not necessary that you have to take sannyāsa from gṛhastha life, you have to give up your occupation. No. That is not very important thing. The important thing is This verse was submitted by Lord Brahmā:

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
(jīvanti) san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir
ye prāyaśo ajito 'py asi tais...

If you want to understand God... That is the business of human life. Human life is specially... That is the chance. Because we are in the cycle of birth and death, changing, migrating from one body to another... This is our position. So except human body, lower than the human body, we can understand how they are suffering. Suppose a tree. Here we are sitting so comfortably. A few yards off from this place, there is a tree, and it is standing for thousands of years. Is not that punishment? If I tell Mr. such and such, "You stand up here for five hours," he'll become mad.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.107 -- New York, July 13, 1976:

So it is the duty of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's representative to take instruction from Caitanya Mahāprabhu and spread it. That is here said, yogya-pātra hao tumi bhakti pravartāite: "You are the fit person." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives you instruction. If you are unfit, then there will be no instruction. And what is the fitness? Fitness is he must be very eager to serve Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī approached: "My Lord, You have released me from this material occupation. Now order me what shall I do." This is wanted. One must be ready, very eager to carry out the orders of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then He will give you instruction. And as soon as you get the favor, mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu... It is very simple. Simply we must be serious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tara ei deśa

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

(CC Madhya 7.128)

This is the sum and substance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction. And the details are there, but this is the platform. You must be ready to become a guru simply by repeating the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore we have taken Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and following the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are preaching to our best capacity. This is required, that you must be ready, you must be serious. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu will give you proper instruction, and then you'll be very nice preacher for the benefit of the whole world.

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

So material activities, if you want to make success of your any activity, then make it plus Kṛṣṇa, plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then it will be all perfect. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not prohibit anybody to..., for his particular occupation. They simply ask and request all that you make it plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your success is guaranteed. If you make it plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness... That is required.

Then another quotation is,

tapasvino dāna-parā yaśasvino
manasvino mantra-vidaḥ sumaṅgalāḥ
kṣemaṁ na vindanti vinā yad-arpaṇaṁ
tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ

Tapasvinaḥ. There are many ascetics taking severe penance for perfection, tapasvinaḥ. Tapasvino dāna-parā. Dāna-parā means there are many persons who are munificent, making charity, dāna-parā. And yaśasvinaḥ: there are many persons who are very famous. Tapasvino dāna-parā yaśa..., manasvinaḥ. Manasvinaḥ means mental speculators, philosophers, thinking, high thinkers, great thinkers. So these are worldly, great men. Who? One who performs great penance, one who is very charitably disposed, one who is very famous, one who is very mentally advanced, he can think nice things, writes philosophical thesis, write nice poetry. Manasvinaḥ. These are the products of great mind.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.21-28 -- New York, January 11, 1967:

So according to Vedic civilization, these four classes are also recommended to serve the Supreme Lord, Supreme Lord. With their professional occupation, they want, they have to, they have to serve the Supreme Lord. That is the injunction of the Vedic literatures.

cāri varṇāśramī yadi kṛṣṇa nāhi bhaje
svakarma karite se raurave paḍi' maje

Therefore Lord Caitanya says that suppose an intelligent brāhmaṇa, he's very learned scholar and great philosopher, big thinker... Everything is all right. But he has no relationship in the matter of rendering service to the Supreme Lord. That is minus. That means learned scholar minus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Similarly, a learned politician, able administrator, minus Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Similarly, a successful businessman minus Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Or the śūdras... Anyone, if he is minus Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the result is that svakarma karite se raurave paḍi' maje: "By doing, by executing his specific duty, he's going to hell." Hell. It is fact. He's thinking that "I am doing my duty," but he's going to hell. So this is a version of Lord Caitanya Maha... He, even if he does his duty very nicely, still, he's going to hell. Raurave paḍi' maje. Raurave means hell.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad Invocation Lecture Excerpt -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1970:

So therefore there is complete facility for the small complete units. We are complete units, small. God is great and we are small. So small... Just like a big machine, and there is a small screw. So the complete facility, completeness of that small screw, is to become fitted in the particular place. Then it has got value. And if it is out of touch of the machine, falls down, it has no value. So complete facility is there. Just yourself dovetail into that hole and the screw is placed there, oh, it has value. When a screw is lost, you have to purchase from the store at the cost of two dollars. And when it is fallen down, it is not even worth one cent. The same screw. (break) So we are complete units so long we are attached to Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise useless.

ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād
ātma-prabhavam īśvaram
na bhajanty (avajānanti)
sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ

Why India is fallen down? Because the so-called rascals, they are claiming that "I am brāhmaṇa." But what is our occupation, sir? "Oh, I am serving as a coolie." Is that brāhmaṇa's business? Actually I have seen, India, a person, telawalaji (?), born of a brāhmaṇa family, and he's pulling hand cart with great labor. And some foolish person also offering respect, and he is offering blessings while drawing the cart. (laughter) I have seen it. You see? These things are going on. He does not know that "Now I am fallen. Why should I claim as brāhmaṇa? I am cheating."

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- New York, July 28, 1971:

Therefore sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ, on who is actually advanced in knowledge, mahātmā, who has accepted Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme... Here it is also said that kecid kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, aghaṁ dhunvanti. They exterminate all kinds of resultant reaction of sinful activity. Aghaṁ dhunvanti. How it is? Now Kṛṣṇa, Vasudeva, personally says also that "You surrender unto Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "You give up everything, all other occupation. You simply surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo. So this aghaṁ dhunvanti, He destroys all kinds of resultant activities of sinful life. Not he does; it is done by Kṛṣṇa. He says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo: "I'll help you. I will release you from all kinds of reaction. You simply surrender." Therefore vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, one who is devotee, and simply engaged in devotional service, aghaṁ dhunvanti, immediately He causes disappearance of all sinful action. How? The example is given: aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena, wholesale, immediately. How? Nihārām iva bhāskaraḥ. Just like fog is immediately, I mean to say, moved, simply by sunrise. Sunrise. Just like this is night, darkness. In the morning, as soon as there will be sunrise, there will be no more darkness. Immediately all thousands and millions of miles of darkness immediately moved. So try to make Kṛṣṇa sūrya, the sun, Kṛṣṇa, rise in your heart, and everything will be solved.

Festival Lectures

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- London, August 29, 1971:

That inquisitiveness is there. But we are inquiring very base things only. There is no desire to inquire about the highest possibility, brahma-jñāna. That is the lack of this modern civilization. Inquiring how to earn money: divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3). Not only in this age... In this age it has become the principal factor, but in this material world everyone is engaged simply for these bodily necessities of life. Nidrayā hṛiyate naktam: at night they sleep very sound sleep, snoring. Or sex life. Nidrayā hṛiyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). In this way they're wasting time. And at daytime, divā cārthehayā rājan... And during daytime, "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" Artha ihāya. Kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā. And as soon as one gets money, then how to purchase things for family, that's all. Shopping, storing. This is the engagement of materialistic life. Out of that, one who is actually intelligent... Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many such foolish persons engaged in sleeping, mating, earning money, and providing family with nice apartment and food... This is the general occupation. So out of many thousands of men like that, one is inquisitive how to make perfect this human form of life. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 7, 1969:

This Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī were rejected from the brāhmaṇa community because at that time the brāhmaṇa society was so strict, if somebody takes service of a Musselman or anyone, oh, he is immediately exterminated: "Oh, you cannot be accepted as pure..." Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, according to Vedic system, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya, they'll not accept any service, even it is worth $200,000. No. That he will not acc... Then that is degradation. Only the śūdras can accept. That was the Vedic system. To accept another's service was so abominable. In the Bhāgavata also it is stated that if the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśya, especially the brāhmaṇas, they have no livelihood, then they can adopt the business of kṣatriya and vaiśya, but never accept the occupation of the dog, śūdra. That is stated. You see? So to accept service of others was so abominable, even five hundred years ago. So this Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, they were also belonged to very rich family, but because they accepted ministership in the government of a Muhammadan, they were rejected. They were exterminated from the society. What is the extermination of society? He will never be invited. Nobody will offer his daughter to their family, because according to Vedic system, daughters and sons are not loitering in the street. The father and mother must engage. So if one is exterminated, oh, it is very difficult to get his daughter married. Nobody will accept. That was their condition. Actually, they also became hopelessness. They became almost Muhammadan. They changed their name, Dabira Khāsa. This is Muhammadan name. And Sākara Mallika. Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them Gosvāmī, this Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he belonged to the Muhammadan community. He was made nāmācārya, the principal ācārya of this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the revolutionary method of Caitanya.

Jagannatha Deities Installation Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.13-14 -- San Francisco, March 23, 1967:

Suppose you are a businessman and you are doing some business. Now, it does not mean that because you are businessman, your perfection will be when you become a man like Rockefeller or Ford. That is not perfection. Perfection is that whether you are satisfying the Supreme Lord by your occupation. It doesn't matter what you are doing or what is your income. You will be surprised to know that Lord Caitanya had a very poor friend. In His childhood He had a poor friend. His name was Śrīdhara. His income was daily, in those days, five hundred years before, his income was, say, about five cent daily. And not even that. Suppose five cent. So out of that five cent, he would spend two half cent for gaṅgā-pūjā, for worshiping mother Ganges. And with the balance two half cent, he will maintain his family. So similarly there are many instances. So it doesn't matter what is your income, five cent or five hundred dollars. You must try to satisfy according to your capacity, the Supreme Lord. That should be.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- London, September 11, 1969:

Reporter: Mr. Billy Graham makes people God conscious in a different way. Can you tell me what you think of him?

Prabhupāda: I do not know what is Billy Graham, but I am following the Vedic principle, Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). God says that "You give up all nonsense occupation, simply surrender unto Me, and I take charge of you and give you protection." This is our philosophy.

Reporter: Can I ask you some questions about your general attitudes on things going on around us? For instance, what do you feel about man going to the moon? (laughter)

Prabhupāda: This is simply a waste of time. I already commented on this when I was in San Francisco. The reporters asked me this very question. I flatly replied that it is simply waste of time and money. That's all. (laughter)

Arrival Lecture -- Los Angeles, June 29, 1971:

A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, after giving up this body, he does not accept any more material body. Then what happens to him? Kṛṣṇa says, mām eti. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: "He comes to Me." So why don't you take this simple formula? Be Kṛṣṇa conscious. How nice it is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. We are living in... Not heaven. Heaven is nothing for us. We are living in Vaikuṇṭha in this temple. Anyone can practically see how they came from hellish life; now they are living in Vaikuṇṭha. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice and so simple. Why people are so foolish they do not take it? What is their complaint? We are living so nicely that sometimes people are envious, that "These people have no business, no occupation, and they are living in nice house, eating nice Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and dancing!" They're envious. But when we say, "Why don't you come here?" they will deny: "No, sir. I cannot go." (laughter) Why you are envious? You come and participate and live like us, happily. "No." That he will not. (laughter) And this is the māyā. You see? Māyā will say, "Oh, why you are going there? (laughter) You just come here in the Bowery Street, and as soon as you get some money, you purchase one bottle and lie down." That is life.

Arrival Lecture -- Paris, July 20, 1972:

Unfortunately, our science, philosophy in school, college, university, they are simply concerned with the perishable, not with the imperishable. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for taking into account of the nonperishable. So it is the movement of the soul, not the movement as political movement, social movement or religious movement. They are pertaining to the perishable body. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pertaining to the imperishable soul. Therefore our this saṅkīrtana movement, simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, your heart will be gradually cleansed so that you can come to the spiritual platform. Just like here in this movement we have got students from all countries of the world, all religions of the world. But they no more think of the particular type of religion or nation or creed or color. No. All of them think as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. When we come to that platform and when we engage ourself in that positional occupation, then we are liberated.

Initiation Lectures

Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

Suppose you are doing some business, and you get very huge profit. So you take the profit for enjoyment. But one who does not take the profit, he is sannyāsī. He may be engaged in business. He may make profit, thousand dollars per month or more than that, but he does not take even a paisa or even a cent out of it—he is a sannyāsī. So even a man in ordinary worldly life, a businessman, or in any other occupation, he can also become sannyāsī provided he does not enjoy the profit out of it. Then where the profit will go? It will be thrown away in the street? No. It should be given to Kṛṣṇa. So the real purpose is that whatever you do, yat karoṣi, whatever you eat, yat aśnāsi, whatever you sacrifice, yad juhoṣi, yad dadāsi, whatever you give in charity... Because these things are ordinary activities. Kṛṣṇa says, kuruṣva tad mad-arpanam: "You give Me that. If you are eating, the food must be given to Me first. If you are working, the resultant profit should be given to Me. Or even loss, that is also given to Me." Yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣi: (BG 9.27) "And whatever sacrificing," dadāsi yat, "whatever you give in charity, so give it to Me." This is sannyāsa.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: So everyone should try...

Prabhupāda: For everyone. Especially if..., not everyone. Yajña for the brahmacārīs, dāna for the householders, gṛhastha, and tapa for the renounced. Tapasya. If it is not done all, at least these three classes of men should not give up their occupation, yajña-dāna-tapaś caiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā, pāvanāni manīṣiṇām. Even if you think that you are very highly elevated, still, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā is necessary for you. You should not give it up.

Śyāmasundara: Dewey says that the ethical goals are fulfillment of human needs and desires, that all morality should lead to this goal of fulfillment of human needs and desires.

Prabhupāda: The human need is to get out of the clutches of māyā. That is the actual need. Janma-maraṇa-mokṣaya, that is the need. But the modern society, they do not know what is needed. They are making simply plans, uselessly. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Simply laboring hard, they do not know the need. The real need is to get out of the clutches of repetition of birth and death in different forms. But people do not know this. They are simply concocting ideas.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: What does the word "cult" mean?

Prabhupāda: Cult means... What do you mean by cult? Cult is an ordinary word.

Śyāmasundara: I've always thought cult meant something sectarian or...

Prabhupāda: Not sectarian. Cult means the natural occupation.

Revatīnandana: It usually means... A group with a common interest is usually called a cult. Some group with some common, agreed-upon interest.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is I was explaining this, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not for everyone. It is meant for a certain group. Therefore you can take it as a cult, although it is meant for everyone. But generally we are accepted by the high-class intelligent men. Therefore we can call it cult.

Śyāmasundara: Same word, "cultivation" or "culture"?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇanuśīlanam. The exact word is kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). That is cult, cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Favorably. Not Kṛṣṇa consciousness like Kamsa, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Him. That is not ānukūlyena. That is not favorable. But you have to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness favorably: How Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. How Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. And that is required. This cult is required. Hṛṣīkeṇa-hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir uttamam (CC Madhya 19.170). When your senses will be purified and they will be engaged in serving Kṛṣṇa, satisfying Kṛṣṇa, that is bhakti. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said he was being in awe of being with you, but he wasn't listening to the words.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. All right. Then, this is the idea of existence. Therefore the philosophy is that I shall not be very much interested what I am going to become in this life. My philosophy should be that as I am eternally existing, what is my eternal occupation. That is philosophy.

Śyāmasundara: But he is talking about..., a man defines himself in this world without any knowledge, previous knowledge, and he has... All his knowledge is that he has observed that other living bodies die, or living entities die, so he has the anxiety...

Prabhupāda: No. That knowledge is not perfect. Everyone has knowledge that I existed as like this. Then he becomes... It is common sense. So how he existed as a child, as a baby, as a young man, everyone can see. Any old man can see. So it does not require any high knowledge.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: So therefore (indistinct) we are after (indistinct). Therefore we have forgotten our self but we are identifying "I am this," "I am that," "I am this," "I am that."

Nara-nārāyaṇa: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct). Yes. So (indistinct) occupation.

Śyāmasundara: He says that the purpose of psychology is to come to grips with our unconscious or our shadow personality, and we must know who I am completely.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is real knowledge. That is real (indistinct). Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī presented himself to Lord Caitanya, "Please let me know what I am." This is the business. It requires the assistance of guru to understand our real identity.

Śyāmasundara: For instance, he says that all male personalities, in their shadow personality, there is a bit of the female, and in all females there is a bit of the male propensity. So often we cover these up and become repressed and we do not understand our actions.

Prabhupāda: That is our philosophy, because every living entity is by nature a female, prakṛti. I was discussing this morning, parā prakṛti, living entity, but it is prakṛti. Prakṛti means female and puruṣa means male. So here in this material world, although we are prakṛti, we are (indistinct) ourselves as puruṣa. This male-female dress, that is immaterial. Our consciousness is now male consciousness. A female, the so-called female, here, she also wants to enjoy a male, and the male also, he also wants to enjoy the female. Both of them have the same propensity of enjoying. So this enjoying propensity is for male. Therefore jīvātmā is sometimes described as puruṣa. But actually the jīvātmā, the living entities, they are puruṣa, he's prakṛti. Prakṛti means predominated, and puruṣa means predominator. So we are all predominated. And the (indistinct) predominator is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore originally, by constitution, we are all females.

Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:

Prabhupāda: But first thing is that if you have got will, but reasonable will, first of all you have to think, "Who has kept this gold here? I am claiming proprietorship simply by coming here, but who has kept this gold here?" Why don't you think like that? What kind of human being you are?

Hayagrīva: A final point: he believed that man should have the freedom to choose his occupation. He writes, "In the Platonic state, subjective freedom was of no account. Since the..."

Prabhupāda: That means there are already different occupations, and you have freedom to select one of them. But the occupation is already there, created by somebody else. You have the freedom to make a choice. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam: (BG 4.13) "I have created these four principles of occupational duties." Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Now, if according to your qualification you can make a selection, "I, I like this occupation." But the occupation is already there. Just like a shopkeeper, he has got varieties of goods. The customer goes, he can say, "I like this." "All right, you can take it. This is the price." Similarly, the occupational duties are already there. The (indistinct) are already there. That is created by God. Now you can select one of them according to the price you can pay.

Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:

Hayagrīva: He thinks... He says in many Oriental states this assignment... He says, Hegel, in tle Platonic state, in Plato's Republic, the government assigns each individual his occupation. In Oriental states, in..., for instance in India, he says this assignment results from birth. The subjective choice, which ought to be respected, requires free choice by individuals, and he considers this the basic right.

Prabhupāda: No. The thing is just like Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). This is going on all over the world. The occupation is that just like engineering occupation. So who can become engineer? Guṇa-karma, one who has acquired the qualification of engineering profession and is actually acting as engineer. That is wanted. Guṇa-karma. Kṛṣṇa never says, "Birth" But later on, because an engineer trains his boy as engineer, so naturally he becomes also engineer. Formerly, as we understand from the history of Ajāmila... He was a son of a brāhmaṇa, and he was being trained up as a brāhmaṇa. That was the system. Not that because he has born in the brāhmaṇa family he becomes brāhmaṇa. No. He has got the chance of being trained up as brāhmaṇa by the brāhmaṇa father. So it became later on as caste, by birth, because naturally a brāhmaṇa father trains his son to become brāhmaṇa. But when the brāhmaṇa's son becomes a cobbler, that does not mean he is still brāhmaṇa.

Philosophy Discussion on Auguste Comte:

Hayagrīva: He felt that more..., even more than the vaiśya, the merchant, or the kṣatriya, the administrator, that the man who will usher in positivism will be the working man, or the śūdra. He says, "The occupation of working men are evidently far more conducive to philosophical views than those of the middle classes, since they are not so absorbing as to prevent continuous thought even during the hours of labor." In other words, when a man is working he can think of philosophical issues because he doesn't have to use his mind, oh, like a merchant or a kṣatriya.

Prabhupāda: He, he, he has used this word kṣatriya, brāhmaṇa...?

Hayagrīva: Oh, no. I'm using this.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Hayagrīva: He says..., he's speaking of the working man.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Hayagrīva: In this he is a..., he influenced Marx considerably in his belief in the worth of the working man.

Prabhupāda: But so far we have seen that even the working man requires a director. In the present Communist society there is working man and the manager class. So as soon as you have to accept a manager, then simply working man will not help us. There must be a managerial person. Otherwise, how the working man can be, I mean to say, systematically engaged in working?

Purports to Songs

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- New York, March 30, 1966:

Then he says that "What I am doing? What is my present occupation?" The present occupation is:

śīta ātapa bāta bariṣaṇa
e dina jāminī jāgi re
biphale sevinu kṛpaṇa durajana
capala sukha-laba lāgi' re

He says that "I am working hard, day and night. And there is no question of winter or summer or rainy season. I have to work hard, day and night. If there is night duty in the winter season, I have to join my office at twelve o'clock at night. So I must go. There is snowfall. If I don't go, then I'll be absent.

Page Title:Occupation (Lectures)
Compiler:Mayapur
Created:28 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=137, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:137