Prabhupāda: I'm spelling. V-i-j-a-y N-r-i-s-i-n-g-a G-a-r-h. Vijaya Nṛsiṁha Garh temple. This is near modern Visakhapatnam shipyard. There is a very great Indian shipyard, Visakhapatnam. Formerly it was not Visakhapatnam. So near that, five miles away from that station there is that nice temple on the hill. So I think that the temple scenery may be there and Caitanya Mahāprabhu's visiting that temple. And after that temple He came to the bank of river Godavari. Just like the river Ganges is very sacred river, similarly there are others, four other rivers. Yamuna, Godavari, Kṛṣṇa, Narmada, Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Narmada, and Kṛṣṇa. These five rivers are considered very sacred. So He came to the bank of Godavari and He took His bath and was sitting in a nice place underneath a tree and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa. In the meantime He saw that a great procession was coming, and that should be the scenario of this... In that procession... Formerly the kings and governors, they used to take bath in the Ganges with their paraphernalia, band party and many brāhmaṇas and all kinds of charitable things. In this way they used to come to take bath. So Lord Caitanya saw that somebody is coming in that great procession, and He was told about Rāmānanda Rāya, the governor of Madras province. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya requested Him that "You are going to South India. You must meet Rāmānanda Rāya. He's a great devotee." So when He was sitting on the bank of the Kaveri and Rāmānanda Rāya was coming in procession, He understood that he is Rāmānanda Rāya. But because He was sannyāsī, He did not address him. But Rāmānanda Rāya, he was a great devotee, and saw a nice sannyāsī, young sannyāsī was sitting and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Generally, the sannyāsīs they do not chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. They, "Oṁ, oṁ..." Simply sound oṁ. Not Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Omkara (Conversations)
Conversations and Morning Walks
1967 Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Yamunā: Swamiji, Jānakī-devī wrote me this very nice letter where she had a dream that there was a gigantic platform above the surface of the earth, and all of our devotees, our Godbrothers and sisters and you, were assembled on this gigantic platform for saṅkīrtana. And we had such a thunderous joy, magnificent kīrtana, that the whole earth... When you said, "Jaya oṁ paraṁ paramahaṁsa," the whole earth bowed down to you like this. And we were all crying, so happy. And you said, "Now my Guru Mahārāja is satisfied." That was her dream.
Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. Yes. Thank you for your dreaming like that. It is very pleasing to me. Yes, I want to see like that. (Break)
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Oh, they can take. They can go. (Break)... initiated, they are chanting mantras three times, oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ savitur vareṇyam? Yes. (devotees chanting japa)
(break) ...very beautiful towns(?) in India.
Haṁsadūta: What are they called?
Prabhupāda: It costs not much with single... (Someone turns on tape of chanting) Oh, the... Middle. Middle. What is this? Tune? Tune? No, what is called?
Satsvarūpa: Speed.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.
Allen Ginsberg: What was the first sound, traditionally?
Prabhupāda: Vedic states, Oṁ. So at least we can understand from your Bible, that God said, "Let there be creation." So this is sound, and there is creation. God and His sound is non-different, absolute. I say, "Mr. Ginsberg," this sound and I, a little difference, but God is non-different from His energy, nitya... How it is called? Śakti śaktimator abhedhaḥ. Śakti, energy and śakti-mat, the energetic. They are non-different. Just like fire and heat, they are non-different, but heat is not fire. You can not differentiate heat from fire, or fire from heat. But fire is not heat.
Prabhupāda: Mantra, mantra means...
Allen Ginsberg: So that many of us will say, "Is it possible to find an American mantra?"
Prabhupāda: Mantra means the transcendental sound. You see. Just like oṁkāra.
Allen Ginsberg: So you think the very nature of the sound... Okay, but now, oṁ is an absolutely natural sound from the throat to the mouth. And yet even oṁ, natural as it is, sounds foreign.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore it is a praṇāma. It is accepted.
Allen Ginsberg: That also sounds foreign here. It's hard to get people to say auṁ even. 'Cause I tried in Chicago with auṁ and with Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: But there is no other alternative.
Prabhupāda: Takes so much trouble. Simply for uttering one Kṛṣṇa they are not prepared to take little trouble?
Lady: Liberation. The whole life, whole human life liberation. They don't take, they don't like to take because it is started in Indian language. Or it is not Indian language. Kṛṣṇa is not Indian language. Oṁ isn't Indian language. It's the ultimate God's name.
Prabhupāda: Neither Kṛṣṇa says that He is Indian.
Lady: He didn't say, "I am Indian." It's universal. It's not Indian. Oṁ is not Indian. Anybody who wants to know oṁ, how to say oṁ. See?
Prabhupāda: So you have to accept little trouble to utter Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Allen Ginsberg: I'm willing.
Prabhupāda: Yes. There is śāstric information. He is incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, Sūrya-nārāyaṇa. He is powerful. He is driving in four horses. He has got chariot of four horses and very powerful. Yac cakṣur eśa savita. Savita, his name is Savita. The Gāyatrī mantra is oṁ bhur bhuvaḥ svāḥ tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi. That is worshiping the sun-god.
Allen Ginsberg: Do you use Gāyatrī mantra also?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Allen Ginsberg: I know some of it. Oṁ bhur...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Oṁ bhur bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt. This Gāyatrī, this is called.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: No, you are thinking from your side.
Guest (1): Not from my..., as a particular person but as of the, our own humanity, as a spiritualist.
Prabhupāda: The spiritual knowledge is called tat knowledge, tat, oṁ tat sat.
Guest (1): Oṁ tat sat. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Oṁ tat sat. So the tat knowledge is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, tad-viddhi. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). Praṇipātena. You understand praṇipāta? Surrender.
Guest (1): Surrender.
Viṣṇujana: "O son of Kuntī (Arjuna), I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras. I am the sound in ether."
Prabhupāda: Now, who is not drinking water? The taste of water is Kṛṣṇa, so who has not seen Kṛṣṇa? They say, "Can you show me God?" If you don't see God, then who will show you? Here is God. You are drinking water. Here is God, sunshine. Those who cannot see Kṛṣṇa is God... Because to see Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality God, it requires many, many thousands of years tapasya to understand Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many, many births, one can understand Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not so easy. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many thousands of men, one may be interested how to make this life perfect. And those who actually attain perfection, out of many thousands of them, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. So to understand Kṛṣṇa is not easy job, easy job.
Prabhupāda: My spiritual master was Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda.
Interviewer: Now in this line of succession that we were talking about earlier, this disciplic line of succession which goes way back, all the way back to Kṛṣṇa Himself, right, was your spiritual master the previous one before you?
Prabhupāda: Yes. The disciplic succession is coming from Kṛṣṇa since 5,000 years.
Interviewer: Is your spiritual master still alive?
Prabhupāda: My spiritual master was Om Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī' Prabhupāda.
Interviewer: Now in this line of succession that we were talking about earlier, this disciplic line of succession which goes way back, all the way back to Kṛṣṇa himself—right?—was your spiritual master the previous one before you?
Prabhupāda: Yes. The disciplic succession is coming from Kṛṣṇa since five thousand years.
Interviewer: Is your spiritual master still alive?
Prabhupāda: Meditation Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu form.
Guest: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: Yes. Viṣṇu form is the objective. So, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayo. Viṣṇu-tattva lakṣa(?), very good mantra. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ divīva cakṣur ātatam, like that.
Guest: But in the Eleventh Chapter of the Gītā...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest: ...then Lord has shown His virāṭ-darśana.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest: He has shown Brahma, Viṣṇu, Maheśa, etc. They are all in Him.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: The significance..., there is no significance. These professional Bhāgavata readers, they make money from the public because public wants to hear all these things. Just like we read a novel-a woman is embracing a man, or kissing or having sex. They like it. Therefore they go the Bhāgavata Tenth Canto immediately. Their Bhāgavata reading is professional, not understanding of Kṛṣṇa. If you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then go step by step, one by one. First of all read Bhagavad-gītā, try to understand, and you surrender to Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says, then you enter. Just like after passing entrance examination you enter into the college. Similarly, when you are qualified in accepting Kṛṣṇa as all in all, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66), then you enter into Bhāgavata. Bhāgavata is the graduate study, not ordinary study. But these professionals, they take advantage of the weakness of the people, and they make profession and earn some money. That's all. When we speak of Bhāgavata we speak from First Canto, Second Canto, Third Canto..., the nine cantos to understand Kṛṣṇa. Just like in First Canto the beginning, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, janmādy asya yataḥ. This is Vedānta-sūtra verse. Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. (Hindi) Kṛṣṇa for perfect knowledge, then you'll understand what is kṛṣṇa-līlā. (end)
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So they worship Viṣṇu. And Buddha...Buddha-dharma is an offshoot of the Vedic religion. That is the proof, they worship Viṣṇu. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā.
Guru dāsa: But to this man, he says that's the proof that Vaiṣṇava is an offshoot of Buddhism, that Viṣṇu is in the Buddhist temple. He can say that.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Guru dāsa: This Caitanya who has written this book can say that since Viṣṇu is in the Buddhist temple that this proves that Viṣṇu is an offshoot of Buddhism.
Prabhupāda: Yes, he can say like that. But the offshoot he cannot say. Viṣṇu is long, long ago mentioned, Buddha is later. Buddha can be from Viṣṇu, but Viṣṇu cannot be from Buddha.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Jaya oṁ viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya....So we are thinking we are very much fortunate to hear His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Bhakti Raksaka Śrīdhara Mahārāja. He is, by age and experience, in both ways he is senior to me. I am also always fortunate to have his association for a very long timeperhaps since nineteen hundred and thirty or something like that. At that time, he did not accept sannyāsa; he just left home, vanaprastha. In his white dress he went to Allahabad. (Aside, to Śrīdhara Mahārāja:) Mahārāja, I think you remember this incident when you went to Allahabad.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is asking you that "You realize Me." "No, I cannot see You." "No, why cannot see you? Here is water. You are drinking water." "Yes." "I am water, I am the taste of the water. Why don't you see Me?" Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the sunshine." So who is not seeing the sunshine? Why the rascals says, "I do not see God"? God says, "I am here." But he says, "I do not see." Liar. If you are in my front, if I say, "Here I am," if you say, "No, sir, I don't see you," what is this? Similarly, God is before you in the form of sunshine. Don't you see the sunshine? Why do you say that I do not see God? Who has not seen the sunshine? In the morning, very early in the morning, you see God. That is Gāyatrī mantra. Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya. That is the obeisances to the sun. Savitṛ. Savitṛ means, savitā means sun.
Kṛṣṇa-Kāntī: Oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation).
Prabhupāda: Yes. And we eat, we finish. And we cannot again produce. God's power is like that, that He eats, at the same, keeps everything intact for your eating. And I, if you give me a plate, I eat and there is nothing for you. That is difference. He also eats. Otherwise we are making all these bogus things, preparing so many nice things, offering to God? Is that false?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No.
Prabhupāda: No. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Iso Invocation). He is so complete that one minus one equal to one. That is Absolute. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is expanding Himself by so many energies, but Kṛṣṇa is the same. There is no loss in His energy. Even in a human being or animal, he produces so many children. Just like hog—he produces at least one dozen children every year, but the hog is the same. If a hog can have so much power... And formerly one man used to produce hundreds of children.
Guest (1): I like this philosophy of Swami Rama-tirtha... But I read his literature and I quite liked his philosophy.
Prabhupāda: Rama-tirtha also, he gave stress on oṁkāra. Is it not? Oṁkāra?
Guest (1): Hm. I think he is more on this karma-yoga. He believes that you should. Or... (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: (Hindi)
Guest (1): Your karma is actually the other secret of success or something like that.
Guest (2): There are so many. I think it is in Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa explains that...
Guest (1): It's all his words, not outside words, in Bhagavad-gītā.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: Ah. Oh, he'll fall flat just like... And he will chant all these mantras. "Nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale..." A small child at three years old. You see.
Guest (1): I mean, advancement has very...
Guest (3): Good association.
Guest (1): ...effect, you know, on the mind.
Prabhupāda: So therefore we have got our school already in Dallas, to train small children like that. But there is formalities of this nationalism. What is the formalities? Eh?
Prabhupāda: Not allowed, yes.
Guest: Ācchā.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā.
Guest: I'm very grateful to have your darśana. Oṁ namo nārāyaṇāya.
Prabhupāda: Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
Prabhupāda: So you can give me massage now.
Brahmānanda: Massage him.
Śrutakīrti: Yes. All right.
Brahmānanda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya...
Prabhupāda: Sarvatra vasanava gatya (?). So if this advertisement attracts some people, then I can remain here.
Brahmānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: To organize this.
Brahmānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: For some time. Oh, they have got a bath also?
Prajāpati: Śrīla Prabhupāda, the little children now, their favorite game is to play Śrīla Prabhupāda. They will make a vyāsāsana, the children, and one will play you and they'll sit on it and get a gong, and they'll have play cookies, and the other children will come and take the cookies. They play like that. Then they hold class. They have a Bhagavad-gītā, and they'll chant oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. And then after that they will just make up, nu na boyl car, (as if chanting) like that. (Prabhupāda laughs) (pause)
Prabhupāda: (break) ...where is their food? Immediately, just see.
Nara-nārāyaṇa: The food and the sand looks exactly the same. So how they are immediately able to tell which is which?
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Ah. So Kṛṣṇa is also mithyā. That is their philosophy. And therefore in the Bhāgavata it is beginning: paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Satyam, not mithyā. Mithyā you can reject. Unless you find out paraṁ satyam. But that they do not know, what is paraṁ satyam. Therefore Bhāgavata gives: oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. (pause) The word is anyābhilāṣitā. Anya-abhilāṣa. Anya means "other than Kṛṣṇa." Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), being completely freed from any other desires, jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam... (CC Madhya 19.167). Jñāna, the jñānīs, they also desiring liberation. The jñānīs, they have got desire. How they are desireless? Because they are aspiring after mukti. The yogis, they are aspiring after siddhi. Karmīs, they are aspiring after better condition of life. So these things should be completely free. Then he's desireless. If you are desiring mukti, where is your desirelessness?
Prabhupāda: Absolute, yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: We also say that. We say that the beginning the sound vibration oṁ was there. Oṁ.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Śabdād anāvṛtti. In Vedānta-sūtra, śabdād anāvṛtti. Śabdāt. By vibration.
Prajāpati: But it goes on to say, "Then the word then came down to earth and dwelt with man as Jesus Christ." They say Lord Jesus Christ was the word incarnate.
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Guru dāsa: (indistinct). Śrīla Prabhupāda. He has made us, oṁ ajñāna timirāndasya, that by the torchlight of knowledge, he has opened my eyes. There's one Sanskrit poem,
- oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
- jñānāñjana śalākayā
- cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
- tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ
- By the torchlight of knowledge he has opened my darkened eyes.
Śyāmasundara: Everything is a mystery, but if someone who knows that mystery tells you the answer then you can know, then it ceases to be a mystery. But you can't find out on your own.
Guest (1): No, you can't.
Guru dāsa: Prabhupāda was the other day saying that we're the, we have the science of love of God. Many people say, the material scientists say perhaps or about 5,000 years ago such and such happened, but we say 485 years ago Lord Caitanya came. Five thousand years ago such and such happened. There are 8,400,000 species of life, not perhaps there are 8,400,000. So, this is very scientific, this relationship.
Prabhupāda: This is very difficult for the Māyāvādī philosophers to answer, that everyone is God but when God becomes ignorant? And what kind of God He is that He forgets and becomes ignorant? In māyā. So māyā becomes better than God? Is it not? Then what is the definition of God? So many things. But they cannot answer. Just like you said that when you become ignorant (indistinct) God, how it happens? (indistinct). God, how God can be ignorant?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Bhāva-grāhi janārdana. But Kṛṣṇa can understand who is asking for Him. (laughter)
Dr. Patel: All languages He understands. All languages are from oṁ, and oṁ is God. So all languages are God. Look at my arguments. Am I right or wrong.
Prabhupāda: Why you are wrong? Kṛṣṇa says, oṁkāra sarva-vedeṣu:" I am oṁkāra sarva-vedeṣu." (break) ...mental concoction.
Dr. Patel: Is a body.
Prabhupāda: Anyone who has got this material body, he is not well. He may be possessing very stout and strong body, but he's not well. Because death is there. So well or no well, you have to meet death. So where is, where is the use of your...
Prabhupāda: I know! I know certainly. I challenge you. In Karachi, there was Oṁ-sampradāya. And they were calling for young girls and your...
Dr. Patel: That is wrong.
Prabhupāda: Yes! That, the Māyāvādī! That Māyāvādī. Because he thought himself that "I am Kṛṣṇa."
Dr. Patel: That is where we differ, Vaiṣṇavas. Because we take Kṛṣṇa's līlā...
Prabhupāda: Just you hear me! He thought himself that "I am Kṛṣṇa."
Dr. Patel: That is wrong. Nobody is Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: So I am talking that. So he was a pākā Māyāvādī. And gentlemen were offering their daughters and their wives to dance.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And even if you cannot understand this, that how the taste of the water becomes Kṛṣṇa, all right, you see the sunlight. You inquire, "Wherefrom the light is coming?" Then you come to Kṛṣṇa. And if you are not foolish, ordinary person, if you are Vedantist, then try, "the oṁkāra, Myself." Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam... He's learned. He's thinking, "Nirākāra." "No, I am. Praṇavaḥ, the oṁkāra, the beginning of all Vedic mantras, the oṁkāra, that I am."
Dr. Patel: Praṇavaḥ sarva-bhūt...
Mr. Sar: Sarva-vedeṣu.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So at the time of death, when everything is disordered, nothing is in order, unless one is very strongly practiced, how he can remember?
Dr. Patel: My father spoke, "Oṁ," and he stopped breathing and...
Prabhupāda: That's nice. Oṁ, oṁ ity eka... That is...
Dr. Patel: Then he stopped breathing.
Prabhupāda: That means he practiced. Therefore, either you practice Oṁ or Hare Kṛṣṇa, that is all right.
Dr. Patel: Whatever we do of our whole, all our whole, all day of life, it comes at the end. That is why you must continue to do for the life.
Prabhupāda: Twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Always Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa... In this way practicing, if somebody is fortunate enough, he can remember.
Prabhupāda: Kāla, kāla-sarpa means the dead(ly) poisonous snake, kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. Everyone knows. As soon as you use some indriya, there is some dangerous result. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpanā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ (SB 7.9.45). Take for... (break)
Dr. Patel: Oṁ is God.
Prabhupāda: Oṁ, yes. Kṛṣṇa says, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu.
Chandobhai: That is oṁ in that way.
Prabhupāda: Because oṁ means Kṛṣṇa. That is mām.
Dr. Patel: I told you.
Prabhupāda: When one chanting oṁ, if he remembers just the oṁ is Kṛṣṇa, then he's successful. Mām. Oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ...
Prabhupāda: When one chanting oṁ, if he remembers just the oṁ is Kṛṣṇa, then he's successful. Mām. Oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ...
Chandobhai: Oṁ ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma.
Dr. Patel: It is ekākṣara Brahman.
Chandobhai: Vyāharan mām.
Prabhupāda: Vyāharan mām. If he knows...
Dr. Patel: Vyāharan mām anusmara (BG 8.7).
Prabhupāda: Anusmara. If he knows that oṁkāra is Kṛṣṇa, then he's successful. If he thinks that oṁkāra is something else than Kṛṣṇa, then he's not successful.
Dr. Patel: Sannyāsa-yoga-yuktātmā. Means you have actually, I mean, sannyāsa means nyāsa of all attachment for the...
Prabhupāda: Nyāsa means giving up, giving up. Sat nyāsa, sannyāsa. Oṁ tat sat. Sat is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore when you sacrifice everything for Kṛṣṇa, that is real sannyāsa, not this dress. This dress is symbolical. That's all. Real thing is kāryaṁ karma karoti ya. Kāryam. "Oh, it is my... Kṛṣṇa wants, everyone should surrender unto Him. Then I shall teach everyone to surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Kāryam. "This is my business." Kāryaṁ karma karoti, sa sannyāsī. What is that kāryam? Kāryam means this is kāryam.
Chandobhai: Yajñā dana tapa.
Prabhupāda: Skanda means Karttikeya.
Dr. Patel: Yes. Karttikeya. Maharṣīṇāṁ bhṛgur ahaṁ girām asmy ekam akṣaram. "I am oṁ."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: Yajñānāṁ japa-yajño 'smi. (laughs)
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prayair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). This is there. Japa-yoga, Hare Kṛṣṇa, this is the first-class...
Prabhupāda: Ācārya means not foolishly.
Indian man (2): Foolishly? There should be rational outlook. Yes, I agree with you. There should be rational outlook about all these things, and then, you see...
Prabhupāda: Vyāsadeva says, Vyāsadeva says that, in his all writing, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
Indian man (2): That is all right.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.
Indian man (2): Śivo 'ham. Śivo 'ham.
Prabhupāda: Śivo 'ham is another thing.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Thirty-two. (break) ...never think what is the truth of life. Everyone. So somebody is taking sense gratification as truth of life. Somebody is taking mental speculation as truth of life. So many ways. But Bhāgavata says, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). We worship the Supreme Truth. Namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. The Supreme Truth. (break) ...say Brahmā, oṁ. Not Rāma, Kṛṣṇa. No, they'll never say. Sometimes they say, "Nārāyaṇa." That is, means thinking himself as Nārāyaṇa. (laughter) Daridra-nārāyaṇa, this nārāyaṇa, that nārāyaṇa, Swami Nārāyaṇa.
Devotee: Then they want to serve Nārāyaṇa.
Passerby: Jaya Rāmji. Jaya Rāmji. Jaya Rāmji.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: That is, religion. That is religion. Mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ.
Indian man: Oṁ namo nārāyaṇa (recites mantra). These are our, is our mantra.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, you are Vaiṣṇava. The Vaiṣṇava, that is real form of religion. Others, they are not religion. It has been rejected in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra (SB 1.1.2). Atra, kaitavaḥ religion is rejected. Kaitavaḥ means cheating.
Indian man: We have to surrender ourselves to God. That's all.
Prabhupāda: That is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Religion means the codes and the laws given by the Lord. That is religion. So if one does not surrender to the Lord, then what kind of religion it is? It is not religion. Just like good citizen means who abides by the law of the state. If he does not care for the laws, then what kind of good citizen he is? Similarly, if one does not surrender to the Supreme, then his religion has no meaning. It is simply cheating, that's all. What is your name?
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Yogeśvara: I can't read it.
Atreya Ṛṣi: Niran, san, oṁkara, dvāroṁkāra, so 'ham, sat-nām.
Guest: Sat-nām. Those five names, according to your ways, position, you will be attracted to one of the names. Everyone has a center of power, energy, the way he taught us. Whatever you fear(indistinct), what particular name one(indistinct), some one that you're attracted to meditating on. (indistinct) dvāroṁkāra, so 'ham and sat-nām. I thought that I met a good master.
Dhanañjaya: Mr. O'Grady. Desmond O'Grady and some of his friends have just arrived. They'd like to come and see you and speak with you.
Prabhupāda: But truth is there, explained. Truth is there, Kṛṣṇa. From Him, the energies are coming. He is the Absolute Truth. Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth, satyam. Then Bhāgavata explains, paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. So the Supreme Truth is there within our understanding. But people do not know it. Therefore spiritual revolution means the people should understand what is the Supreme Truth, and then mold their character and activities according to that relationship. Then that is success of human life.
Dr. Sallaz: And I can say to you, we are making a very..., preparing, some of our members, a very important work, which is explanation from the medical point of view of all the genetic code which is in science something absolutely terrific, plenty, thousands of books and so on.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Lady (Hṛdayānanda): She wants to know if it's the same thing to chant oṁ or to chant "I am, I am."
Prabhupāda: "I am"? Where is that stated, "I am"? Where is the authority of "I am"?
Lady: (Spanish) Ke es, "Yo soy. Yo soy. Yo soy Dios." (Spanish)
Prabhupāda: He says directly, He says directly, satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). Kṛṣṇa says, "You always chant My name." So why should we go to other things? God says that "You chant My name," so why should we go to other thing?
Lady (Hṛdayānanda): He says in this western hemisphere the supreme authority is the Saint Germaine, and he says that we should chant "I am." That's a quote from the Bible meaning... Apparently when they asked God, "Who are You?" and God said, "I am that I am."
Prabhupāda: What you are?
Prabhupāda: And the Vedānta-sūtra, the Absolute Truth, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "the origin of everything." Now, here it is. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the origin of everything." You are making search, but here is the origin here. Now you study Kṛṣṇa, whether actually He is the origin of everything. At least we know that this universe, the origin is Lord Brahmā. But we know that the Brahmā is also emanation from Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā's knowledge also comes from Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. And Kṛṣṇa says. Arjuna accepts, sarvam idam ṛtaṁ manye: "Yes, I accept." So that should be the process of understanding Kṛṣṇa. If you manufacture your own way, that is different thing. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). All the ācāryas... Take all the ācāryas. At least in our country we are guided by the ācāryas. Take any ācārya. They have accepted. Brahmā has accepted. So in this way you have to understand. We cannot manufacture our own way.
Prabhupāda: But they... They must explain. Just like in Vedic literature the same idea is there. (aside:) Don't lean. I am begging excuse. I am old man. But you should sit down like that Guru Mahārāja. So we know what was the word, oṁkāra. Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. (break) So oṁkāra is the word. So what is the Christian word?
Prajāpati: Again there's no absolute authority. In the vast Christian tradition we have Origen saying one thing and Saint Francis saying another. Widespread... That's why it is not a science that we can go to like we can to Śrīla Prabhupāda for an exact answer, Bhagavad-gītā, exact absolute authority. In the Christian tradition it is simply defined as faithful men understanding themselves in the light of the scripture, in the light of the tradition.
Prabhupāda: Here we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and we are becoming purified. That is the name.
Pañcadraviḍa: Dhruva chanted Oṁ...
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇeti na..., varṇa-dvayam. Kṛṣṇeti. Kṛṣ-ṇa, varṇa, alphabets two. Jīva Gosvāmī said, kṛṣṇeti varṇa-dvayam. This is the name. Rāma. Rāmeti varṇa-dvayam. You chant Rāma, Rāma, you chant Kṛṣṇa, and it is... It will act. And there is proof. So find out any other name. If he acts... If it acts like that, then it is God's name. Phalena paricīyate: "By the action, we have to understand the substance." Just like quinine is understood to subsidize, subside fever. Then if you take something as quinine and if your fever is gone, then it is quinine. Similarly, God-name, it acting as God, purifying... So Kṛṣṇa is purifying. Therefore it's God's name. Yes?
Amogha: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Here it mentions Brahmān, and as I understood oṁkāra... My question is whether oṁkāra is a representation...
Prabhupāda: There is no question about oṁkāra there. Discuss on the verse. But oṁkāra is also Kṛṣṇa. Praṇavaḥ sarva vedeṣu. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya praṇavaḥ sarva vedeṣu (BG 7.8). Kṛṣṇa says, "I am praṇavaḥ." So oṁkāra is not different than Kṛṣṇa. But oṁkāra is pronounced by the impersonalists. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa, when He says that "I am praṇavaḥ, I am oṁkāra," then where is the objection? They foolishly say that oṁkāra is better than Kṛṣṇa. There is no need of chanting "Kṛṣṇa." That is not good. But so far we are concerned, we say there is no difference between oṁkāra and Kṛṣṇa. Other systems, Christianism or Buddhism or Mohamedanism, they have got one book, Koran, Bible, or... What is the Buddhist scripture? One book. And we have got so many, dealing with the same subject matter. So which is better?
Prabhupāda: Mountains. (pause) ...it is said that sun is the source of everything within this universe. Maintenance of all living entities. The source within the universe is the sun. Therefore this Gāyatrī mantra is worshiping the sun, oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya dhīmahi.
Gaṇeśa: Does that mean that Vivasvān is more powerful than Lord Brahmā?
Prabhupāda: No. Vivasvān was begotten by Brahmā.
Amogha: Some Kali-yuga swans.
Prabhupāda: Black swans. Bhara nitya bhayamāyā. They are also aware how to protect their interest. Every living being knows how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex, and how to defend from fear. These trees I find in America. Here, they are scented. What is called, these? Canada.
Devotee (3): Śrīla Prabhupāda, he does not chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, he chants oṁ śivāya namaḥ.
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Devotee (3): It's all right?
Prabhupāda: He will gradually become devotee. When God, Lord Śiva, will be pleased upon him, he will advise to worship.
Devotee (3): He is already trying to tell him to follow in your footsteps surely, so just before I left he said he will try once again to chant sixteen rounds of japa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. He has tried already. He has a taste for...
Prabhupāda: If he simply understands that Lord Śiva is a Vaiṣṇava and if he worships Lord Śiva, then he will get the benefit.
Prabhupāda: Oṁkāra is… Oṁkāra is sound representation of Kṛṣṇa. One who is unable to chant Kṛṣṇa, for them oṁkāra. Because there are many envious persons—they won’t chant Kṛṣṇa—therefore Kṛṣṇa has given them oṁkāra.
Indian man (2): And the swastika?
Prabhupāda: Praṇavaḥ. Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, raso ’ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi sūryayoḥ, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Indian man (2): Swastika.
Prabhupāda: Swastika is also there, Vedic mark. Especially for the impersonalists. But we take direct, beautiful Kṛṣṇa, and worship Him. (break)
Prabhupāda: I saw in Delhi one old man, just a few minutes before his death he asked his son to bring Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa picture, and it was put before him, and he died.
Dr. Patel: And my father died saying oṁ tat sat śrī-kṛṣṇāya namaḥ, and then he stopped it, breathing, in the morning at six o'clock.
Man: Morning, that is very good.
Dr. Patel: Yes, six o'clock. And my wife was daily saying bhaja govindam, bhaja govindam before she died.
Prabhupāda: Hm. (to devotees) Just see: govindam.
Prabhupāda: No. Sa sannyāsī. Anāsaktasya viṣayān. He has no attachment for this eating, sleeping, mating. He is attached to Kṛṣṇa. And that is sannyāsī. Sannyāsī does not means dress. Detached. Sat sannyāsī. Sat, oṁ tat sat, the supreme, and for Him everything, risk all. That is sannyāsa. Anāsaktya... What is that? Bhagavad-gītā?
Indian man: Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma...
Prabhupāda: Ah, anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ, kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ sa sannyāsī... (BG 6.1). One who does not take the reward of his labor, he is sannyāsī. Anāśritaḥ karam-phalaṁ. Everyone works for some profit, and one who does not take the profit, works for Kṛṣṇa, he is sannyāsī. Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ, kāryam. Kāryam means it is my duty to work for Kṛṣṇa. In this way one works, he is sannyāsī. Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca na niraghir na cākriyaḥ. He is yogi also. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (to passerby) Just like Arjuna. He is fighting not for himself; for himself he declined to fight. But when he understood that Kṛṣṇa wants, "All right, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). I shall fight. I shall kill my grandfather and everyone." This is sannyāsī.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes, vimukta-māninaḥ, yes.
Mahāmṣa: (break) ...oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. That claims Viṣṇu as the Supreme, but where does it say that Viṣṇu..., I mean Kṛṣṇa, is the source of Viṣṇu from the śrutis?
Prabhupāda: Śruti... Brahmā said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
Acyutānanda: Brahma-saṁhitā is śruti.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Brahmā spoke śruti, Vedas, so whatever he speaks is śruti. It is therefore called saṁhitā. Saṁhitā means Vedas, śruti. As soon as it is called saṁhitā, that is Vedas.
Prabhupāda: Yes, the ārati, ārati.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That ārati song. Oṁ jaya jagadīśa?
Indian man (1): Hare.
Prabhupāda: Viṣaya paiye, dhana sampatti paiye. What is that? (laughter) Jaya bhagavān. Dehom ki viṣaya(?), jaya bhagavān.
Indian man (2): Sab ko sampatti de bhagavān.
Prabhupāda: Duḥkha jaye sampatti paiye de bhagavān, jayo kara. (Bengali) Whole world, they have accepted God as order-supplier. "I order, and You supply." They all, this Christian Church also: "God, give us our daily bread."
Prabhupāda: No. That is not... You are making better progress, Western countries. Kṛṣṇa is not limited anywhere. But in India they have got the facilities. But they are becoming rascals, so they are not taking the facility. The facility is there. That is everywhere, especially in India. You see everywhere, every day, the sunrise, so beautiful. In Western country, some places, sometimes. But here you'll find every day. That is the facility. This is Gāyatrī mantra. Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya dhīmahi. This facility is in here. You get sufficient sunlight, and in sunlight you keep very healthy and happy. That facility is here.
Prabhupāda: But both of them are coming from me. So this sensation, this consciousness, is perfect when it comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is developing, in every living entity is developing. The consciousness, the sensation, is there in the tree also, but he is not developed. When the same consciousness comes to the complete perfection, then he understands, "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa." Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). That is perfection. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: "The real source is Vasudeva." Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Then he glorifies Vasudeva. But to know Vasudeva, you make research. That is one way, going on. But if you accept... Vasudeva says, "I am everything." Then accept immediately. The whole solution is there. Two, two ways: āroha-panthā, avaroha-panthā. You are trying to search out. Go on.
Prabhupāda: They're envious. Sinful means that is the cause of their becoming envious. (break) ...law. Religion means the order of God. Simple definition. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like law, we keep to the right or left, order of the government. One who obeys this law, he's good citizen. One who disobeys, he's rascal. Similarly, dharma means the order of God. So one who obeys the order of God, he is really religious. One who does not, he's rogue, duṣkṛtina. This is simple. (break).... Christian. Now, what is the order of God? The Ten Commandments. If one abides by the Ten Commandments, he's really Christian. Take Buddhism; if he abides by the order of Lord Buddha, then he's right. Take Muhammadans even. So it may be one is Muhammadan, one is Christian, or one is Buddhist, one is Hindu, but if he abides by the order of God, then he's religious. Otherwise bogus. We are concerned Vedic religion. Our conclusion is that to approach Lord Viṣṇu. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is Vedic, Ṛg-mantra.
Prabhupāda: This is the best man in your country, president, the foremost man. So if he is full of anxiety, the others naturally... Everyone. So what is the cause of the anxiety? Asad-grahāt. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahāt. Asat means that does not exist, "not eternal," it is just opposite. Eternal is called sat, om tat sat, and asat means just the opposite. So here in this material world everything is asat. Even this body is asat; it will not exist. And what to speak of other things with reference to the body. Everything is asat. Anything material is asat; it will not stay, either these trees or this land or this world or this country or this, anything, asat. So asad-grahāt, on account of accepting things which are asat, not permanent, they are always full of anxiety. Just see how nicely explained, why one is full of anxiety. The reason is, he has accepted something which will not stay, endure, and he has accepted: "This is all in all. My country is all in all. My family is all in all. This body, all in all."
Prabhupāda: Sannyāsa means full engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). Otherwise, what is the use of going to the forest? In the forest there are many monkeys also. So that kind of life is not harim āśrayeta. He must take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. That is oṁ tat sat. And then he'll be happy. That is Vedic civilization. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is teaching to the boys, his class friends. He was five-years-old boy. Naturally, his friends are also of the same age, and he's teaching this bhāgavata-dharma. Read this.
Devotee (3): Śrīla Prabhupāda, when we take that which is not our quota, by using, wasting a lot of clean water, how is that perfect and complete, oṁ pūrṇam? How are things still perfectly complete even when we're wasting and destroying it?
Prabhupāda: Why you should waste? Wasting is not allowed. (break) ...our car?
Kīrtanānanda: No, it belonged to the man who formerly owned the property.
Prabhupāda: So how it is broken?
Kīrtanānanda: Some vandals. There's no one living here, he just left it. (in car:) This farm is for sale now.
Prabhupāda: That is their fall down. So either in karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kāṇḍa you cannot achieve the real purpose of life. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has said, karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa sakali visera bandha. Either you accept karma-kāṇḍa or jñāna-kanda, they're different pots of poison. Amṛta boliya jeba khai. If by mistake you take poison, death is inevitable. Similarly, by karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa nobody can derive any actual benefit. By upasana-kāṇḍa, that is the... The Vedas, Vedic ritualistic ceremony means there are three kāṇḍas: karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, and upāsana-kāṇḍa. So upāsana-kāṇḍa, there are recommendation of many, worship of many demigods. But the best upāsana is Viṣṇūpāsana. Viṣṇor arādhanaṁ sarveṣāṁ. Viṣṇor arādhanaṁ param. Oṁ tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padam. There are different types of upāsana recommendation, but the viṣṇor arādhanam, worshiping Lord Viṣṇu, that is the Supreme.
Prabhupāda: Simply demanding for sense gratification. So that is not love of Godhead. That is to select one agent of God and exact from him as much as you can for your sense gratification. That is not recommended in the Vedic religion. Vedic religion, although there are demigods, but the ultimate is oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are sūraya, actually advanced, they see to the Viṣṇu paramaṁ padam. Viṣṇor aradhanaṁ param. The worship of Viṣṇu is the supreme worship. So actually everyone should be worshiper of Viṣṇu. And that is Vaiṣṇavism. So Vaiṣṇavism means for everyone or sanātana dharma. That I have already explained. The human.... The living entity is sanātana. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātana (BG 15.7). He is sanātana. God is sanātana. The exchange between God and the living entity is called sanātana-dharma or Vaiṣṇavism. So we are teaching that.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Without spiritual master there is nothing they can say.
Prabhupāda: This is very simple. You see everything, white and yellow. Produce. Chemicals are white. Some chemicals are yellow also. Just like hydroform(?). It is yellow. And soda bicarb, white, or potash cyanide is white. So you have got so many chemicals, combine and pack it in a cell, and put underneath the incubator. Why rascal do not do this? Beat them with shoes. "Rascal, you are cheating in this way." Beat them with shoes. That's all. That is the only punishment.
Hari-śauri: Yeah, that's too good.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a good location. This building is for sale.
Prabhupāda: This is that Vedic om or something like that?
Hari-śauri: I think so. It says "Om eternal."
Bali-mardana: Yes.
Prabhupāda: The om word is used in English?
Bali-mardana: Om is very popular in English language for a long time. When they think of mystical things, they think of om. The English, originally because they were in India, they thought to imitate some Indian words.
Prabhupāda: Many Indian words have been introduced in dictionary. And many English words is also introduced. That is natural. (break)
Bali-mardana: ...introduced Kṛṣṇa in the Western world.
Indian man: Thirty percent of the Indian families, they are Ārya-samājīs, and twenty percent are South Indian Śaivaites. I get a lot of argument that "Rāmacandrajī did the pūjā of Śivajī at Rāmeśvaram, so Śiva is greater than Rāma." I said, "Consider this, that Rāma was so humble to do the pūjā of Śivajī, but in Rāmastotrāṇi it says rāma rāmeti rāmeti ramerama manorane, shastranama tat tulyam sri-rama-nama ramarame.(?) That is what Śivajī is telling Pārvatī. Śivajī is telling Pārvatī in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19)." I say, "Why does Śivajī say that? Why is Śivajī sitting in samādhi? Why not Kṛṣṇa sitting in samādhi? Why not Rāma sitting in samādhi? Why not Mahā-Viṣṇu sitting in samādhi? Because Śivajī's position is to serve Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa as Rāma is so humble that He came and even did His devotee's pūjā."
Prabhupāda: Just like Kṛṣṇa is afraid of Mother Yaśodā's rope. But that does not mean He is no longer the Supreme Lord.
Indian man: Muktananda. And he has got his retreat, and some of our people go there, and I heard from them that he is teaching... He is quoting Gītā, but if you go to his room, oṁ namaḥ śivāya. I said, "This is contradiction." I said, "If he is a Śiva follower, he should teach Śiva Purāṇa and not Gītā." I said...
Prabhupāda: But they are actually impersonalists. They neither follow Śiva nor Kṛṣṇa. They are impersonalists. Their idea is the Absolute Truth is imperson. You can worship Him either as Śiva or as Kṛṣṇa, as you like. That is their philosophy. Yes.
Indian man: Yes. But this is the height of hypocrisy, to teach Gītā and to chant oṁ namaḥ śivāya.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Harikeśa: "I am the Self, O Guḍākeśa, seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings. Of the Ādityas I am Viṣṇu, of lights I am the radiant sun, I am Marīci of the Maruts, and among the stars I am the moon. Of the Vedas I am the Sāma-veda; of the demigods I am Indra; of the senses I am the mind; and in living beings I am the living force, knowledge. Of all the Rudras I am Lord Śiva; of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas I am the lord of wealth (Kuvera); of the Vasus I am fire (Agni); and of the mountains I am Meru. Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Bṛhaspati, the lord of devotion. Of generals I am Skanda, the lord of war; and of bodies of water I am the ocean. Of the great sages I am Bhṛgu; of vibrations I am the transcendental om.
Mahāṁśa: "New Delhi, August 13th. Mr. Om Mehta, Minister of State for Home, informed the Rājya-sabhā yesterday that government will order an inquiry into the activities of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Society in Nadia District of West Bengal to find out whether there was something fishy about it."
Hari-śauri: This is the same report Gopāla Kṛṣṇa read you.
Mahāṁśa: You have read this, Prabhupāda?
Indian man (3): It must have come in earlier.
Prabhupāda: But the name is "Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." (laughs)
Mahāṁśa: Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Society.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
Prabhupāda: Send this rascal.
Gargamuni: Yes, this shall be sent. And also to Om Mehta.
Prabhupāda: You send. He knows you, Gargamuni. Yes. Say you have mentioned several times my name, so for your benefit, and to open your eyes, I am sending you one article. Please read what ISKCON is doing. Simply write this.
Gargamuni: I have to go to Delhi for my (indistinct). I will go to the office, the Blitz office, and bring them this personally.
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Prabhupāda: For God there is nothing material. For God...
Indian man (2): I think that's what Īśopaniṣad says. Om īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam.
Prabhupāda: Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). So what is material?
Indian man (2): Yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ.
Prabhupāda: If it is sarvam, then what is material?
Indian man (2): Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ.
Prabhupāda: That is another for you.
Indian man (2): (laughs) It's all right.
Prabhupāda: Everyone can say like that. What you have done as God? God is an Indian. Making things very complicated.
Hari-śauri: Yes, and this man goes on to describe the aura. He goes on to describe how spiritual his presence is. They chant oṁkāra. They chant oṁkāra.
Prabhupāda: So, anything about us? He criticized "God is an Indian," that is a criticism.
Hari-śauri: No, no. This is a glorification. He's a nationalist; so he's saying God is an Indian. 'Cause it's supposed to be very good.
Prabhupāda: How God can be Indian? Then how he's God? God must be for everyone. An Indian God.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything in relationship with God is powerful. But the name in this age is the most powerful. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51).
Doctor: And the word om has been praised in the Upaniṣads, but...
Prabhupāda: Om, veda, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Kṛṣṇa says that raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu (BG 7.8). Praṇava is oṁkāra. Sarva-vedeṣu, "That praṇava I am." That is sound representation of Kṛṣṇa.
Doctor: Then that one word as a mantra, is it not...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. If you accept it as Kṛṣṇa says, that "I am praṇava," if you do remember Kṛṣṇa by chanting oṁkāra, then it is all right.
Doctor: Otherwise, om is only given to sannyāsīs?
Prabhupāda: Not necessarily. It is not mentioned there. Anyone chanting Vedic mantra, he has to begin with oṁkāra.
Doctor: All mantras begin with om.
Prabhupāda: Yes, oṁkāra. So sarva-vedeṣu. Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. This is beginning. Just like we take Bhāgavata, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
Prabhupāda: The difficulty is that we consider Kṛṣṇa is different from oṁkāra.
Doctor: That is a mistake.
Prabhupāda: That is a mistake.
Doctor: But then Kṛṣṇa is not different from Brahman.
Prabhupāda: If you take this oṁkāra as Kṛṣṇa's sound representation, then it is all right.
Doctor: Then it is as good as chanting Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Doctor: But it does not give...
Prabhupāda: But because Kṛṣṇa is remembered, if you take oṁkāra as Kṛṣṇa's sound representation then Kṛṣṇa is remembered.
Doctor: But Kṛṣṇa is three letters. Om is one.
Prabhupāda: That doesn't matter.
Doctor: In the last minute when you are dying you can feel it, easily feel it.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa has many names. Kṛṣṇa has name Govinda. It is not three letters. It is more than that. Kṛṣṇa has so many thousands names. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta. So therefore Kṛṣṇa advises for the beginners, "Just try to remember Me in this way-raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8)—I am the taste of the water." The water you must be drinking twice, thrice, four times. So when you drink water, the taste satisfies your thirst. So if you simply remember, "This taste is Kṛṣṇa," that is Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Hari-śauri: Everything Prabhupāda speaks we tape record and then everyone in the world can listen.
Doctor: Someone said that the word om is given to sannyāsīs and it...
Prabhupāda: No, Kṛṣṇa does not say.
Doctor: It's not so.
Prabhupāda: "Someone," we don't take authority. "Someone." There are so many "someones." We don't care for them. What Kṛṣṇa says we accept. That's all.
Doctor: But this Kaṭha-Upaniṣad praises om.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Upaniṣad is giving lesson, counter part of this material world. Because... Just like you are stressing on oṁkāra because you do not give much importance to Kṛṣṇa. In the material world, Kṛṣṇa, they think Kṛṣṇa is one of the historical persons. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). So Upaniṣad is teaching us in an indirect way about the importance of Kṛṣṇa. Upa-niṣat. To bring you nearby. Because you have got so many material conceptions, if we say that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead," you may not like it. Therefore... Oṁkāra is Kṛṣṇa. So you are giving lesson on oṁkāra. Although Kṛṣṇa and oṁkāra is not different, but you'll not like Kṛṣṇa. In your present position you'll not like Kṛṣṇa's name.
Prabhupāda: No. Therefore you are stressing...
Doctor: No, I have read all this and I am trying to reconcile.
Prabhupāda: So that is for the neophytes.
Doctor: The reconciliation is there. Om is Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is om.
Prabhupāda: So if Kṛṣṇa is... If you are convinced, then where is the objection of Hare Kṛṣṇa?
Doctor: No, no.
Prabhupāda: Why should you bring so many objections?
Doctor: Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is a fact.
Prabhupāda: But because I do not like, therefore Upaniṣads give another chance, that "Chant oṁkāra." That is the way. Because unless one is completely purified, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa.
- yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
- janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
- te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
- bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
- (BG 7.28)
Kṛṣṇa bhajana is possible when one is completely free from all kinds of sinful activities. So not every one is freed from sinful activities. Therefore the indirect way. Otherwise, Upaniṣad is Veda.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is intelligence. If you accept Kṛṣṇa immediately, man-manā bhava mad..., then your life is successful. Kṛṣṇa says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te (BG 18.65), He said. But they are not interested. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). "Ah, Kṛṣṇa is a historical person. Why shall I think of Him? I shall think of oṁkāra." You cannot think of oṁkāra. You can hear. And as soon as you think of oṁkāra it comes from? There is no impersonalism. It again becomes personal. So they want to avoid personality and as well as think of Him—it becomes a very troublesome job. Kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). They cannot think of avyakta, impersonal. But they are trying to think of. That is a very troublesome job. Kleśala eva avaśiṣyate.(?) Such attempt means he simply gets the result of his hard endeavor. That's all. He doesn't get any substance.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Sad-asad-janma. Why? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. He's associating with the different modes of material of nature, infecting, and that is the cause one is born as demigod, one is born as dog, one is born as tree, one is born as human being. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Therefore we should associate with sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga chāḍi kāinu, asate vilāsa, te karaṇe lāgi more, karma bandha phāṇsa. Because we have given up sat-saṅga-oṁ tat sat-Kṛṣṇa's saṅga, we are entangled in this asat-saṅga. And that is the cause of my karma-bandha phāṇsa. Sat-saṅga chāḍi kāinu, asate vilāsa: "I wanted to enjoy with asat." Asato mā sad gamaya. Therefore I'm entangled.
Rāmeśvara: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! Nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya... (offers obeisances)
Prabhupāda: Jaya! Rāmeśvara Mahārāja!
Rāmeśvara: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Prabhupāda: I was just talking about you, that "When Rāmeśvara is coming? What is time?" Very good, early in the morning.
Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you look well. Are you feeling well?
Prabhupāda: At the present moment I am feeling well because you are here. (laughing)
Rāmeśvara: This is dakṣiṇā from Los Angeles temple.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No, sat-saṅga means sat. Sat means which is true and not contaminated. That is sat. Oṁ tat sat. So sat-saṅga means to associate with spiritual knowledge. That is sat.
Guest (5): And execution of the discourse.
Prabhupāda: Well, saṅga means execution. When you associate with medical association or sharebrokers' association, simply go there and sit down is not your business. You have to do something. You have to do something. Sat-saṅga means that. Tad-yoṣanāt aśu apavarga-vartmani. Sat-saṅga means you have to take the knowledge and use it for practical purpose. That is sat-saṅga. So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to give the sat-saṅga, opening centers all over the world. If people take advantage of it they'll be benefited. But if he is ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, then it is very unfortunate. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). This is Kali-yuga. The leaders also do not associate with sat, and they create their own imagination. Sat, oṁ tat sat. Bhagavān is the supreme sat. So they do not care for Bhagavān, so there is no sat-saṅga. Asat-saṅga.
Prabhupāda: Sad-dharma-pṛcchā. You have to inquire from guru how to make progress. That is sad-dharma. Asad-dharma and sad-dharma. Sad gamaya, asato mā: "Don't remain in darkness. Make progress." Oṁ tat sat. So sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Then?
Pradyumna: Then bhogādi-tyāgaḥ kṛṣṇasya hetave.
Prabhupāda: Ah. For Kṛṣṇa you have to give up sense gratification. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling—you have to adopt so many things, tyāga. Anartha-nivṛtti. These are anartha, unnecessary things. Do you think if you do not smoke, you die? Unnecessary. What is absolutely necessary, you accept. So bhogādi-tyāgaḥ kṛṣṇārthe. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "You have created so many unnecessary things. Give up." So that is not possible immediately, but it is possible. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). The sādhu-saṅga means associate with sādhu, guru. If we have śraddhā that "I shall now become Kṛṣṇa conscious"—this is śraddhā, "It is very nice"—then sādhu-saṅga: (CC Madhya 22.83) those who are actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, you associate with him.
Prabhupāda: In arcanā also the...
Pradyumna: Oṁ anvahni-maṅgalaya dāsa-kalātmānenava om an arka-maangalaya dvadāsa-kalātmānena va om an soma-maṅgalaya sodāsa-kalātmānenava.(?)
Prabhupāda: Sūrya-maṅgala above.
Pradyumna: Before, below. Then comes Soma-maṅgala. Soma-maṅgala, last.
Prabhupāda: That's...
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Vahni-maṅgala, Sūrya-maṅgala, Soma-maṅgala.
Prabhupāda: So let us do something, (laughs) Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we can meet the any scientist also.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Oh. Someone else is going to have to read it. You can read it. You should take note if Prabhupāda makes some comments for replying back. Take note.
Guest (1):" Oṁ gurave namaḥ. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda... (Hindi) " (break).
Prabhupāda: Make them all Kṛṣṇa conscious by distributing my books, literature. And both of you are capable. Youthful energy, sincere devotee, fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. Para-upakāra. Not to keep the poor human society in ignorance. Others may cheat for livelihood, but we are not going to do that. We have no problem for livelihood. Yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṁhaḥ. What is that verse?
Hṛdayānanda: Ito nṛsiṁhaḥ parato nṛsiṁho yato yato yāmi...
Prabhupāda: Tato nṛsiṁhaḥ. Everywhere is Nṛsiṁha there. Wherever I go, there is Nṛsiṁha, so where is my problem? We have no problem.
Prabhupāda: That is good. Unless you become brāhmaṇa, real brāhmaṇa, śama, dama, titikṣā, how you will understand? We are not for the hogs, dogs, cats. Therefore it is sometimes said that without becoming brāhmaṇa, nobody should try to understand Vedas. What he will understand? Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Dhīmahi. This word is used because it is meant for the brāhmaṇas. Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ... dhīmahi. Dhīmahi. Dhīmahi is gāyatrī-mantra. It is chanted by the brāhmaṇas. That word is used in Bhāgavatam also.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I wanted to suggest that if he has some further questions, we could try to answer them, and then if there is still some unanswered...
Prabhupāda: No. He has no answer on this spiritual matter. He'll ask me some political... We have no function in politics.
Mr. Dwivedi: I do not know much about it, but that's what I hear. And therefore you find more statues of Viṣṇu than Kṛṣṇa. But nobody might be stealing statues of Kṛṣṇa, and He might be still there with His cakra-sudarśana.
Prabhupāda: Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Ṛg Veda. Viṣṇu... Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Viṣṇu is the Vedic Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Mr. Dwivedi: Round about Gwalior, there is a good sage, almost, Mahārāja, of your age. And he's a tāntrika-śāstrī and jyotiṣa. He's the founder of Pitambar Pith. That is a Sanskrit school, but otherwise practicing...
Prabhupāda: Jatiya is near Gwalior?
Mr. Dwivedi: No, forty miles away from Gwalior.
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Rāmeśvara: This is based on the BBT Trust document that you wrote many years ago, the same idea almost. "I, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, disciple of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda 108 Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja Prabhupāda, and we, the members of the Bureau of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, hereby give and transfer the properties and all the property rights incidental thereto, as hereinafter described, to the following persons as trustees in trust for purposes hereinafter stated and to be administered in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth." And there are five different trusts.
Prabhupāda: The same bhakti-yoga. This is practical.
Jayapatākā: Now there's another group.
Yaśodānandana: Jaya oṁ viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata śrī-śrīmad... (break)
Prabhupāda: They do not know. They'll not pay. All dry flowers they'll supply you and take American money. He'll not pay. Anyway, satisfy yourself. So it is raining?
Hari-śauri: It's beginning to. (break)
Prabhupāda: Where is Bhavānanda?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is at the fire sacrifice.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Girirāja: Then we can type it. "I, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, settler of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, and disciple of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda 108 Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja Prabhupāda, presently residing at Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir in Vṛndāvana, make this, my last will. 1. The Governing Body Commission, GBC, will be the trustees of the entire International Society for Krishna Consciousness."
Prabhupāda: You can... Then there will be question, "The trust deed will be given? Then there will tax."
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Rāmeśvara: "I, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, disciple of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda 108 Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja Prabhupāda and settler of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, at present residing at the Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Temple in Vṛndāvana, hereby solemnly declare, say and confirm as follows: 1. That I am the Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, known as ISKCON, a society registered under the Society Registration Act of 1860, with its headquarters at Juhu, Bombay, and branches at..." And then it's to be filled in. "2. That some properties with movable and immovable..." What is this word?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, this is the time that you start to take your massage.
Prabhupāda: Hm. Now you can go.
Yaśodānandana: Jaya oṁ viṣṇu-pāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata śrī śrīmad bhaktivedānta svāmī prabhupāda mahārāja ki jaya.
Devotees: Jaya. (break)
Prabhupāda: (Bengali conversation with Indian devotees) So credit there must be. (Bengali) (end)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Second Canto, first chapter.
Upendra: Second Canto, first chapter.
Prabhupāda: Can you read?
Upendra: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya: "O my Lord, the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You." Next śloka?
Prabhupāda: ...they will appreciate tomorrow.
Yaśodā-nandana: Yes. I'm training the boys. There's three boys I'm training especially in the morning. Dvārakādhīśa, Ekendra and Kātyāyana. I'm training to chant the Brahma-saṁhitā and Bhagavad-gītā every day. Tomorrow we have arranged that for the beginning of the conference the boys will chant namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya, namaste narasiṁhāya, namo mahā-vadānyāya, namo brahmaṇya-devāya, and four verses from Brahma-saṁhitā, tomorrow at ten-thirty. And every day I'm training some of these boys to chant Brahma-saṁhitā and Bhagavad-gītā. Is that all right, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Some very important men was to come this evening?
| Page Title: | Omkara (Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 27 of Jun, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=91, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 91 |