One after another (Lectures, SB cantos 1 - 2)

Expressions researched:
"one after another" |"one after the other"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- London, August 7, 1971:

Yes. This will be explained in the Third Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto. When describing different incarnations, so in that list of different incarnations, Kṛṣṇa's name is also there. So Vyāsadeva has purposefully explained in that verse that there are so many incarnations. It has been described there that Kṛṣṇa, or God, has got so many incarnations, just like so many waves of the river. If you have got some experience of the flowing river you'll find so many waves are coming, one after another, one after another. He has got so many incarnations that you cannot count even. Just like if you sit down on the bank of a river and go on counting the waves, so whole day and night, whole year, whole life, still, it will not be done.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is Ananta. Ananta means "who has no end." Ananta. Anta means end. Everything of us, there is end. But Kṛṣṇa has no end. Similarly, His incarnation has no end. So in spite of so many incarnations, He is full. If we take, try to understand Kṛṣṇa materially that... Just like if you take from some stock one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, like that, then the stock will be finished at a certain point. Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Pūrṇam. The Veda says Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇam, complete. What kind of pūrṇam? We understand also complete. But if you want to take something from the complete, gradually it will reduce, and ultimately it becomes zero. So Kṛṣṇa is not like that. The Vedas say that pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). He's complete. So many incarnations are coming from Him, just like the waves of the river; still, he's complete. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam. From original Kṛṣṇa so many incarnations are coming. But still, He's there.

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:

The animals are not interested, or they do not know what is spiritual life. But the human form of life with developed consciousness is meant for understanding our identification. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about our spiritual identity. That is real business. So in that line of thought we are manda. Manda means very slow. "All right. We shall take it later on. Now I have got strength. Let me enjoy senses. Then we shall see later on." That is called manda. Not serious.

But spiritual life is essential, it is very serious subject matter, that I am covered by this material body, and I am changing one after another. And I do not know what the next change is going to happen, either cat or dog or tree. We are not at all interested. You see? There is no such education in the university, the transmigration of the soul, the eternity of the soul, what is the aim of life. Therefore, mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. Sumanda-mati. Their philosophy is still more bad. You see? They are simply thinking on the bodily concept of life. Asses' philosophy, dogs' philosophy, frogs' philosophy. This is going on. And they are passing on as philosopher. Frog philosophy we have discussed in our Back to Godhead. A frog is informed, "Oh, there is Atlantic Ocean. What is that?" "A very big span of water." So he is calculating how big. He is in the three feet. He thinks, "Maybe four feet." "No, very..." "Five." "No, very big." "Six." Go on, five, four, six, seven, millions. Where is your calculation? Similarly, these speculators, they are thinking, "God? I am God. He may be like me. He and me. All right." "No, you are not God." "All right. God may be little more than me. Little more intelligent." (laughter) This is frog philosophy. And when they hear, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48), all the universes are coming out in the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, and that Mahā-Viṣṇu is partial representation of Kṛṣṇa, "These are all stories." Even they are informed about the capacity of God, they take it as story.

Lecture on SB 1.2.4 -- Rome, May 28, 1974:

Tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudurmati tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, "Amongst the senses, the most powerful sense is the tongue." Most powerful sense. You see? They are smoking, chain smoker, going on, going on. What is this? There is some sensation. And if we smoke cigarette or drink, it is simply the tongue. The tongue is dictating, "Do this, do that. Take this, take coffee, take tea, smoke, take flesh, take chicken, take this, take this, take..." That means that out of the all senses, the tongue is most formidable. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamoy sudurmati tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre. It is very difficult to conquer over the tongue. And if you can conquer over the tongue, then you can conquer over the belly, and then you can conquer over the genital. The straight line, one after another. Tā'ra madhye jihvā ati.

So you know the story, that one dog was crossing over a small rivulet, and he saw the picture of another dog in the water. And actually, there was no dog. He was carrying some food in his mouth, and he saw another dog within the water. So he thought, "Let me take his foodstuff from the mouth," and as he opened the mouth, he wanted to take the other dog's foodstuff, so whatever he had, gone. You see? This is dog philosophy, "Take away." Take other's meal; he loses his own. This is called illusion, māyā. You did not read this, Aesop's Fable story? It is very instructive story. This is dog's philosophy. This is dog's philosophy. All these so-called empire... This Roman Empire was expanded. The British Empire was expanded. Now they have lost everything. Finished. Finished. The dog's business was finished.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

Or practically there is no dharma. Just yesterday, the chief minister also came. He was speaking that "It has become a fashion of the modern age that to become irreligious is religious." Yes. That is fact. Therefore in any human civilization, any human society, it doesn't matter whether they're following the Vedic principles or other principles, there is a system of dharma in every human society. That is the beginning of human society. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If there is no dharma, religious principles... Religious principles includes all moral principles also, social principles, social laws, economic laws. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Dharma is the beginning. Then artha, economic development; then sense gratification; then mokṣa, one after another.

So dharma is the life of human beings. And there are different types of dharmas. Not that, as some rascals say, that all dharmas are equal. No. According to qualities. There are three qualities, three modes of material nature. So one who is attached to the lowest quality, ignorance, his dharma is different from the person who is in the highest level of goodness. Therefore there are brāhmaṇa's dharma, kṣatriya's dharma, vaiśya's dharma and śūdra's dharma. So what is śūdra's dharma, that is not brāhmaṇa's dharma, because śūdra cannot execute the dharma of the brāhmaṇa. And the brāhmaṇa also cannot come down to the status of śūdras. These are Vedic principles. Therefore in the Vedic society there are divisions: this class of men are brāhmaṇas, this class of men kṣatriyas, this class of men are vaiśyas. Everything, their qualities and their activities, are mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. Samo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Śauryaṁ vīryaḥ yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam īśvara-bhāvaś ca. Just like seven qualities for the kṣatriyas, seven qualities, nine qualities for the brāhmaṇas, three qualities for the vaiśyas, and one quality for the śūdras.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:

So a devotee, sincere devotee, do not think that he is not in knowledge. He is perfect in knowledge because the knowledge is being imparted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead from within. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). As He did. He gave intelligence to Lord Brahmā how to create this universe. Similarly, He will give intelligence to you also if you become sincere in serving Vāsudeva. This is explained. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu (SB 1.2.7). And as soon as you are getting knowledge, naturally you will be reluctant to this material sense enjoyment. Material world means sense enjoyment, and spiritual world means not sense enjoyment for personal sense enjoyment, but enjoyment of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the... We have to learn, one after another, what is difference between material and spiritual. That is explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta very nicely in two lines, ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāre bali kāma (CC Adi 4.165). Lusty desires, or kāma, materialism, what is that? Now, ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā, when one wants to fulfill his own desires of the own senses, that is called kāma. And kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare prema nāma. The same thing, when you want to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, then you become devotee.

You see the behavior of Arjuna. He wanted to satisfy in the beginning his own senses. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, if I kill my grandfather, my teacher Droṇācārya, my grandfather... No, no, it is impossible. I cannot do that. My brothers are...' That means he wanted to satisfy his senses. But when Kṛṣṇa instructed him Bhagavad-gītā, He inquired from Arjuna, "Now what is your decision?" Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Then he said that naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat-prasādāt: "By Your grace, now my all illusion is over. I have got my original Kṛṣṇa consciousness." What is that? "My business is to satisfy You, not my senses." Then he became devotee. This is the... Vāsudeve bhagavati. If you engage yourself in the service, regulative principles... In the beginning you must follow the regulative principles. Then spontaneous love, then you will get.

So these things should be arising.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:

What is the benefit of this process? The benefit of this process is karma-granthi-nibandhanam. Karma-granthi-nibandhanaṁ chindanti. Chindanti means cut off. What is that, cut off? There is a knot of our activities. Without performing this ceremony, or without following these instructions, to hear, chant, think and worship, we cannot be out of the great knot of our material activities. So long we are engaged in material activities, we are just acting one after another just like filmspool. We have seen film—one picture after another, one picture, one picture one... There are hundreds and thousand and millions of pictures. Similarly, for my past activities I am now in this picture. So my present activity is making another picture forward. Just like in my past activities I created this body. Similarly, by my present activity also I am creating my next body. So this transmigration of soul is going on. But if you adopt this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then karma-granthi-nibandhanaṁ chindanti. This knot, one after another, this will be cut off.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:

So if it is so nice... Bhāgavata says yad-anudhyāsinā. Simply by following this procedure, yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ, being engaged, karma-granthi-nibandhanam, the spool of the result of our activities one after another, chindanti, is cut off. Kovidāḥ, if an intelligent man is there, tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim. Why an intelligent man should not engage himself in hearing about the topics of Kṛṣṇa? Is there any difficulty? If by this simple process you can cut off the eternal... Not eternal. Without any tracing of history... When my, this spool of fruitive activities has begun, we do not know. The result is that I'm simply transmigrating from one body to another. If this is stopped now, now if I get in my next body my eternal life, eternal knowledge and eternal bliss, why I shall not accept this? Kovida. Any intelligent man, why he shall not accept this process?

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

"Those who are devotees engaged in My devotional service, they come to Me." And when you go to God, you must have a body like God. Just like if you want to enter into the water, then you must have a body like a fish. Otherwise you cannot enter into the water. Similarly, when you enter the spiritual world, then you have a body like God. And if you don't want, if you want to enjoy unrestricted sense, then you take the body of a hog. So nature is open to everyone. You can select your own. Not that you are forced. You can have your... Therefore it is said, kovida, one must be intelligent to select "What is my next life? How I can get out of?" That is the whole instruction of the Vedas, how we can get out of these clutches of karma-bandhana, the knot of karma, one after another.

So the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, personally says that janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Simply one who understands what is God, or Kṛṣṇa, simply... Not that "Here is a God." No, he must... Tattvataḥ, he must know what is God. Just like the rascal is advertising: "No book. I am God. You accept me." Then how can I accept you God without book? But the people are so rascal, they're accepting,"Yes," and going after him. So they have become so cats and dogs that anyone says that "There is no need of understanding through book, through book of knowledge. I say. You accept me," the rascal will do that. Everything in the scientific world, there is book. In any science you take. Suppose in botany, they are mentioned, "This tree, this is the characteristic. A mango tree, the leaf is like this, the fruit is like this, the taste is like..." Chemical. Take any chemical. There is characteristics. Just like, what is called that, potassium cyanide. There is no taste, and the chemical characteristic, there is no mention of taste, because potassium cyanide is not yet tasted by anyone, because the tasting means immediate death. Potassium cyanide. So chemical, there is "The color is like this, the taste is like this, the reaction is like this."

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

This is called karma-granthi-nibandhanam. So if we want to unknot this tight fitting of our heart... Now, again it is said that as soon as the male-female is united, then further tightening begins. What is that? Ataḥ kṣetra. Ataḥ kṣetra, gṛha, āpta, vitta. In this way, first of all, we are united, husband and wife. Then we want a nice apartment or house, gṛha. Then, to maintain the house, we require a field, field of activity. Generally, formerly, they were agricultural. So you must have income. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-suta. Then children, then āpta, friends. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ then again, money. In this way, our attachment increasing. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). In this way, our illusory position, moha, increases, one after another, one after another. This is called karma-granthi-nibandhanam. Karma-granthi-nibandhanam.

Therefore the Vedic civilization is to educate from the very beginning a child to become a brahmacārī. That is the basic principle of education. Prahlāda Mahārāja said, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). Not that "In old age, when I shall retire, I shall see what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That will be very difficult. From the very beginning of life, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān... Especially... There are many kinds of religious principles, but dharmān bhāgavatān. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Real dharma is Bhāgavatam," means our understanding our relationship with God, Bhagavān. That is real dharma. Dharmān bhāgavatān. So here the same thing is explained, that yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ. Simply by chanting or hearing or meditating upon Kṛṣṇa, yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ karma-granthi-nibandhanam. This asinā... Just like we require a knife to cut the knot, similarly, if we want to cut the knot of this material existence...

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Los Angeles, August 19, 1972:

If they do not go against, simply appreciate, "Oh, they are doing nice..." So development of spiritual life means development of this appreciation, that's all. But degrees, there are appreciation.

So śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. In the previous verse, it has been explained, yad anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ. One has to be engaged always thinking. This is the sword. You have to take this sword of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you become free. The knot is cut by this sword. So... Now how we can get this sword? That process is described here that you simply, with faith, you try to hear. You'll get the sword. That's all. Actually, our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading. We are getting the sword one after another, simply by hearing. I started this movement in New York. You all know. I had no actually any sword. Just like in some religious principles, they take the religious scriptures in one hand and another hand, sword: "You accept this scripture; otherwise, I'll cut your head." This is also another preaching. But I had also sword, but not that kind of sword. This sword—to give chance people to hear. That's all.

Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. So as soon as he gets a ruci... Ruci. Ruci means taste. "Ah, here is Kṛṣṇa talks, very nice. Let me hear." This very much you get the sword, immediately. The sword is in your hand. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. But the ruci comes to whom? This taste? Because, as I have several times explained, the taste, just like the sugar candy. Everyone knows it is very sweet, but if you give to a man who is suffering from jaundice, he'll taste it's bitter. Everyone knows sugar candy is sweet, but the particular man who is suffering from disease, jaundice, he will taste the sugar candy as very bitter. Everyone knows it. That's a fact.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Los Angeles, August 19, 1972:

Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he increased the taste. They were liberated souls. Therefore, he is writing that "If I could possess millions of tongue and trillions of ear, then I could nicely chant and hear." And so far we are concerned, because we have no taste, that sixteen rounds is also very difficult job. Because we have no taste. Why there is no taste? Because we are lacking in that previous processes. Bhajana-kriyā.

So one after another, to get that sword, it, they requires this qualification: ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Then there is taste. Now how this taste is created, that is also explained in the next line. Syān mahat-sevayā. Mahat-sevayā. Mahat means... I have already explained. A devotee, pure devotee, whose..., who has no other business than to serve Kṛṣṇa, he is called mahat. So one has to engage himself in the service of the pure devotee. As soon as we serve a pure devotee... As it is spoken by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Yasya prasādāt. If you satisfy a pure devotee by your service, then, even there is some discrepancies, you get all these qualities. Syān mahat-sevayā rājan. Syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ. Viprāḥ. All the audience members hearing Sūta Gosvāmī, they were all brāhmaṇas. Otherwise, how they will have got taste? Brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava, they have taste. Not the śūdras. Because at the present moment there are śūdras, they are lacking taste. But our propaganda is, by some way or other, even they are śūdras, even they're demons, we are creating the taste. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Even there is..., there is no taste for vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ, still, our process is so nice that we create the taste. Nobody was interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but there are thousand now. How? Because we are trying or we have created the taste, by this process.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:

So sometimes, after all, he was father, sometimes patting the son. So he replied, "My dear the best of the demons, asura-varya..." Asura means demon, and varya means the best. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. "I think for any living entity who has accepted this material body..."

All of us, we have accepted this material body. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām asad-grahāt, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Because the living entities accepted this material body, asad-grahāt... Asat means "that will not exist." Every living entity is eternal. He must have his eternal body. But purposefully, to enjoy this material world, the living entity has accepted a material body. Not only once, but it is going on continually, one after another. As I am accumulating material desires in this life... Just like I have got this body according to my desires in the last life, similarly, whatever we are desiring in this life, that will be fulfilled in the next life. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. As we desire, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa is so kind that if you want a tiger's body, Kṛṣṇa will give you. If you want a demigod's body, Kṛṣṇa will give you. If you want a body like Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will give you. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). Whatever you want, especially in this human form of life, whatever you desire, Kṛṣṇa will give you chance. It may be very unpalatable, but this is a fact. We have heard from authorities.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

The basic principle is lust and greediness. That's all. This is their qualification. So anyone who has become free from this lusty and greedy status of life, he's advanced. He's advanced. Kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. Because these lusty desires and greediness will not help him at any time to realize his self or to realize God. That will not be helpful.

So at least, if he comes to the platform of goodness, sattva-guṇa, then he can at least understand that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. My duty is different from these bodily activities." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). The lusty and greediness keeps one always in lamentation and hankering. Na śocati na kāṅkṣ... Na kāṅkṣati. Kāṅkṣā. These people, they have no end of their kāṅkṣā, hankering. One after another, one after another, one after a... Sarva-kāma. In the śāstra they are called sarva-kāma. There is no end of their lusty desires. So naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. By the hearing process, one becomes gradually free from the lusty and greedy platform, and he comes to the platform of knowledge. And at that time he can understand at least that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. And what is my duty as spirit soul?" That duty, if he understands, that is, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). That is the duty. When he comes to this platform that "My duty is to execute devotional service," that is required. He comes to the platform. Or at least, in between sattva-guṇa and śuddha-sattva. Sattva, sattva-guṇa, without being contaminated by the other two guṇas, modes of nature, namely, ignorance and passion. Pure. That is devotional stage.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Los Angeles, August 24, 1972:

So bhidyate means cut into pieces. What is that? Knot. Hṛdaya-granthi. Hṛdaya means heart, and granthi means knot. So our everyone's heart is knot. What is that knot? The knot is sex. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). This is knot. The material enjoyment begins There is, everyone's heart, man, woman... Man wants to have woman; woman wants to have man. This is searching after. And some way or other, if they unite, the knot becomes tied up, very strong. That is called knot. Then as soon as the knot is there, then house, then land, then gṛha-kṣetra-suta, children. Then friends, then money. In this way, one after another, one after another, we become knotted in so many things. This is called knot. Hṛdaya-granthi, one after the other. Just like, to make it tight, you give one knot, again a knot, another knot, another knot, another knot, to make it secure. So this is our position. This material world, we are knotted in so many ways, and we are creating more knot. In this life... (tapping sound in background) Who is making that sound? Oh...

So we have to cut down this knot. We are bound up in this material life by so many knots. So the process of cutting down, we have begun: yad anudhyāsinā. What is that verse? Yad anudhyāsinā, yes (SB 1.2.15).

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Los Angeles, August 24, 1972:

And different attachment. And Kṛṣṇa is giving us facilities as we want. If you want a human body, you get it. If you want animal body, you get it. If you want tiger's body, you get it. You want Brahmā's body, demigod's body, you get it. That is going on. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). You are, God is within you, and you are hankering after something, God is noting down: "All right." Even if you forget, He'll give you. "You wanted this facility. Now here it is. You can take." Kṛṣṇa is so kind.

We are being harassed by getting these different types of body and engagement according to the body. That we can understand. We are not happy. One after another. Because our main business is sense gratification. So we cannot enjoy all these senses fully in one kind of body. There is some defect. Just like we are trying to gratify our senses by flying to another planet, moon planet. This is another sense gratification. We are meant for this planet. We are bound up by conditions. Artificially we are trying to go there. And making plans, so many plans: "There will be intermediate station, and the petrol will be carried from here," and this and that. So many things. Simply spending money. Just like childish. The child, they spoil their time and energy in certain playing. Similarly, this is going on. Because it is a sense gratification. That's all. Simply mere sense gratification: "Let us go, how it is, moon planet." You have no business there. You cannot do there anything. You cannot live there, but still, "Let us go, let us go. And spend all the money, taxpayers' money, spend like water." This is going on.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Los Angeles, August 24, 1972:

We are bound up by karma, by karma acting. In this life, I am acting in such a way so that I am preparing my next life. Again, next life, I shall act in such a way, I shall prepare my next life. In this way, one after another, one after another, one after another. But if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if we simply act for Kṛṣṇa, yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9), simply if we act for Kṛṣṇa, there will be no more karma-bandhana. Then one after another, that will be finished.

Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). In the Brahma-saṁhitā this is, that "Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their karma, their action of, resultant action of karma, is stopped." How it is stopped? Kṛṣṇa gives you assurance in the Bhagavad-gītā: ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). "I shall give you protection from all kinds of resultant action of your sinful life. You just surrender to Me." Kṛṣṇa can do everything. Just like king can give you, excuse you. Although by law you are condemned to death, but if you appeal to the supreme executive, the king or the president, if he likes, he can excuse you. Similarly, by nature's law we cannot be freed from the resultant action of our sinful life. That is not possible. But if Kṛṣṇa desires, if Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon you, He can excuse, He can excuse you. Chidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ, kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi. How cāsya karmāṇi? Dṛṣṭa eva ātmani īśvare. Because, at that time, actually when you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, we'll always see Kṛṣṇa ātmani, within mind, within heart. That very seeing is, what is called, immunity from all sinful activities. Then you become free, go back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

They cannot say directly, but this is the idea going on.

But this is due to wrong direction of civilization. They do not know what is the aim of civilization. The aim of civilization is to understand Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they're missing the point. They're thinking motor tire civilization, very nice road and running motorcar in seventy, eighty miles speed, that is civilization. Not to understand Viṣṇu. That is the difference between materialism and spiritualism.

But we should not be misled by such conception of civilization. Our aim is different. That is right different. I am spirit soul; you are spirit soul. Somehow or other, I have been entangled with this material body, one after another. So I must get out of this entanglement and go back to home, back to Godhead, to Viṣṇu, and live there eternally, blissful life of knowledge. That is our aim. The materialistic persons, they think these are all utopian thinking conception. Because they have no brain they are no better than animals, polished animals. That's all. They cannot understand. In the tamo-guṇa. Tamasaḥ. Tamasaḥ. Two: tamas and rajas. Two, these two qualities material qualities are there. What is...? That in the Bhagavad-gītā there is verse: kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Kāraṇam. Why one is born in low-grade body? Why one is born in high-grade body? The... What is the reason? The reason is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: kāraṇam. Kāraṇam means reason. Kāraṇ am asya saṅgaḥ. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. Because he is associating with some one of the three modes of material nature. Someone is associating with sattva-guṇa, one is associating with tamo-guṇa, one is associating with rajo-guṇa. So this is the reason. This is the reason that one is getting low-grade form of body or high-grade form of body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

Now they are reading Bhāgavatam, and if they get more money, they can become a sweeper. Because their consideration is money. They'll give up immediately reading of Bhāgavatam. But my Guru Mahārāja used to say that it is better to become a sweeper and honestly earn one's livelihood than to become a false Bhāgavata reader for earning livelihood. Yes. Because they'll mislead the whole public. Nobody will improve. And actually we have seen that so many people, they're very much accustomed to attend the Bhāgavata-saptāha, but they remain in the same darkness as they were. No improvement. That is not possible.

So therefore Vyāsadeva has taken so much trouble to establish the Bhāgavata life in Twelve Cantos. One has to go, one after another, one after another, one after another. Not jumping. Daśama-skandha, the Tenth Canto is the face of Kṛṣṇa. So worshiping Kṛṣṇa means one should offer tulasī on the, on His lotus feet first of all. Not jump over to the mouth or to the face. So the First and Second cantos are the two lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. One should begin worshiping Bhāgavatam, or the sound representation of Kṛṣṇa, by worshiping the First Canto and Second Cantos. We are reading the First Canto. We are just worshiping one lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Then the other. Then the thighs. Gradually, you have to rise to the face. The Tenth Canto is the face of Kṛṣṇa. Don't jump over immediately. Read it. But try to understand from the very beginning.

So our aim of life should be to come to the platform of sattva-guṇa, goodness. Otherwise it is not possible. A, a person like Max Muller, in the depth of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, what he can write about Vedas, and what he can understand, Bhāgavata? This is all nonsense. They are going to the translation of Max Muller. What he'll understand Bhāgavata and Vedas? He's in the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Therefore it is forbidden that, without becoming a brāhmaṇa, nobody should read the Vedic literature. It is forbidden That I have already said several times. Without being a graduate, nobody should enter the law college. Similarly, Vedas, they are meant for brāhmaṇas, not for the śūdras, not for the kṣatriya. Kṣatriya also, they, they are, but under the instruction of the brāhmaṇas.

Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:

So apart from His incarnations amongst the deva, demigods... Just like Upendra, Lord Vāmanadeva, He appeared amongst the demigods. There are so many other incarnations, demigods. Tiryaṅ-narādi, tiryak. God appeared as incarnation of boar, incarnation of horse, incarnation of tortoise. Keśava dhṛta-kūrma-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Kūrma śarīra. Keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. There are so many incarnations. Keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare. Keśava dhṛta-vāmana-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare. So He has got innumerable incarnations. As I have told you several times, just like the waves of the river, one cannot count, similarly, nobody can count how many incarnations are coming always, incessantly, one after another. So līlāvatārānurato deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu. And amongst the human beings, we know Lord Rāmacandra came, Lord Kṛṣṇa came, Ṛṣabhadeva came and Lord Caitanya came.

So Kṛṣṇa is always trying... Because He's the father. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). Sarva-yoniṣu. There are different species of life, forms of life, because we wanted to enjoy this material world, to utilize the resources of material world. That is our activity, even at the present moment. Always. Everyone is busy how to exploit the resources of material nature. That is advancement of civilization. Advancement of civilization means how to exploit the material resources. But they do not know, the foolish people do not know that is not advancement. That is entanglement. That is not advancement. This knowledge, they are lacking. They do not know what is advancement. Advancement means advancement in spiritual life. That is advancement. We are spirit. In essence we are spirit soul. We have been encaged within this body. Therefore advancement means how to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth and death.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

So this puruṣa form is the confirmation of the same principle. The original Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, or Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is famous as the son of King Vasudeva or King Nanda, is full with all opulences, all potencies, all fames, all beauties, all knowledge and all renunciation. Part of His opulences is manifested as impersonal Brahman, and part of His opulences is manifested as Paramātmā. This puruṣa feature of the same Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Paramātmā manifestation of the Lord. There are three puruṣa features in the material creation, and this form, who is known as the Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is the first of the three. The others are known as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, which we shall know one after another. The innumerable universes are generated from the skinholes of this Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and in each one of the universes, the Lord..."

Prabhupāda: This is explained in Brahma-saṁhitā.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.48)

Mahā-Viṣṇu. From the skinholes of Mahā-Viṣṇu, the small particles of universes are coming into being. Everything, the nature's way, it comes a very small particle, then it grows. Anything you take. Just like our body. The small particle, the soul which is measured as one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair, when it is placed in the womb of the woman by the man, then the body grows. That is the seed. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4).

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

Upendra: ...concerning "Description of Incarnations of Godhead" Translation: "Sūta said, In the beginning of the creation the Lord first of all expanded Himself in the universal form of puruṣa incarnation primarily with all the ingredients of material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was on the intention of creating the material universe." (SB 1.3.1) Purport. "As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa maintains this material universes by extending His part of plenary expansions, so this puruṣa Form is the confirmation of the same principle. The Original Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva or Lord Kṛṣṇa who is famous as the son of King Vasudeva or King Nanda, the very same Personality of Godhead is full with all opulences, all potencies, all fames, all beauties, all knowledge and all renunciations. Part of His opulences is manifested as impersonal Brahman and part of His opulences is manifested as Paramātmā. This puruṣa feature of the same Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Paramātmā manifestation of the Lord. There are three puruṣa features in the matter of material creation and this form who is known as the Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the first of the three. The others are known as the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu which we shall know one after another."

Prabhupāda: These Viṣṇu, Kāraṇodakaśāyī, Garbhodakaśāyī, and Kṣīrodakaśāyī, these are little technical. Try to understand. Now this universe, which you find just like a big ball, there are innumerable universes like this, and they are floating in water. That water is called Causal Ocean. So that Causal Ocean there is, I mean to say, completely in the whole ocean, big gigantic body is lying down there. That is known as Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. The Viṣṇu in that gigantic form is sleeping within the water of that Causal Ocean, and by His inhaling and exhaling, breathing, there are bubbles. And those bubbles are manifested as universes. This is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā: yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). That breathing, exhaling and inhaling... Just like we also do that. So we have inherited that exhaling-inhaling, from that Viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

He says, mayādhyakṣeṇa, "Under My direction," Kṛṣṇa says, "Prakṛti, this material nature, is working." Mayādhyakṣeṇa. Just see how he is working, how prakṛti is working. Just like in this month in your country, it is called fall? September? After a few days, so many trees will fall, all the leaves will fall down. Again in April, immediately, millions of leaves will grow, immediately, all. If you have to manufacture these leaves, one after another, and set up in the tree, just see, how much difficult it will be. But by the laws of nature, by God's energy, immediately, within a few days, millions of trees are getting their leaves again and millions of trees, they are falling. Millions of fruits are coming out. Similarly, all this cosmic manifestation came into existence simply by the will of God. Not that... Just like in season, there are hundreds and thousands and millions of fruits. You haven't got to create each fruit. When the season is there, the fruits are all ready, immediately. Similarly, when God says, "Let there be creation," millions of planets, immediately created. That is God. Not that cheap God, "I am God." In your country they come, and you become cheated. We don't accept such cheap God. We want this God. Simply by His will, millions of universes are created.

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

Today I shall speak before you about Mahārāja Parīkṣit. The hero of Śrīmad-Bhāgvatam is King Parīkṣit as the hero of Mahābhārata, the great history of India, Mahābhārata. Now, this Bhārata I have several times explained. Bhārata means this planet, and Mahābhārata means the complete history of the whole world. Nowadays, at the present moment, history means a chronological record, but previously, history means only the important incidences at different times, they were recorded. Therefore, in Mahābhārata or any other Purāṇa also... Purāṇas are also history. We don't find any chronological incidences one after another. But the most important selected incidences, especially in connection with God realization, they are recorded.

So this Mahābhārata is also history, and as history is liked by common man, so Mahābhārata was written by Vyāsadeva for understanding of the most common men. Strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnaṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). The Vyāsadeva has given explanation why he compiled Mahābhārata, the great history of this Bhārata. Now it is called India, but the planet was called Bhārata, Bhārata-varṣa. So he has given explanation that "The Vedic principle, Vedic instructions, they are not directly understandable by common men and women." Strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnaṁ. Who are common men? Women class, as a class, and śūdra, laborer class, working class, and Strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnaṁ. And dvija means twice-born, the higher caste. The higher caste means they must be twice-born. How is that? One birth is father and mother, real father and mother, and the next birth is spiritual master and the Vedas.

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

The whole world is infected with the māyā's influence, and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, is disinfectant. It is sure. Disinfectant. Tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavaḥ. (commentary) Bhagavad-yaśaḥ-pradhānāṁ vacaḥ pavitram ity aha tad vāg iti, tad vāg-visarga sa cāsau vāg-visargo vacaḥ prayogaḥ. Janānāṁ samuho janatā, tasya aghaṁ viplavati naśayati.(?) Viplava means it kills. Because disinfectant. For example, we can give, now how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is disinfectant, that those who have seriously taken to it, they immediately stop the sinful infections, the four principles, regulative principles, illicit sex life, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating. How disinfectant it is. These four principles increases sinful activities. All other sinful activities will come one after another, one after another. Stealing, then cheating, then... So many other things will come if we follow these four principles. And if we stop these four principles, then the switch is off of committing further sinful activities. You must know that. It is... And how it can be maintained? By this disinfectant method, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, it will not, simply by theoretical knowledge will not do.

So it is disinfectant, actually. Janatāgha-viplavaḥ. It stops further sinful activities of that person. And if we continue, that "Well, I have got a disinfectant method, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I can go on committing these four principles of sin, and I'll be (dis)infected." Just like in the Christian church they go, confess. That's all right. Confessing is disinfectant. But how is that you again do it? What is the meaning? You go to church, confess. That's very nice. Now your sinful activities is neutralized. That's all right. But why you are committing again? What is the answer? Hm? What will be the possible answer if I ask any Christian gentleman that "You are committing sinful activities, all right, confessing in the church before Lord Jesus Christ, he's representative, or his representative, or God. Your sinful activities all neutralized, excused. That's all right. But why you are committing again?" What will be the answer?

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

Then dhāraṇā. Dhāraṇā means meditating, then the subject matter will be fixed up in your heart. It will not move. Not that every day I am meditating on some new subject, no. The meditation is viṣṇu-mūrti. Actually those who are yogis, they meditate on the four-handed viṣṇu-mūrti. Mat-paraḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mat-paraḥ: "unto Me," either Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That is meditation. Dhyāna, dhāraṇā. And one, when one is practiced meditating, first beginning from the lotus feet... These things are all explained in the Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā. Then gradually, when you are practiced to think of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet or Viṣṇu's lotus feet, then you proceed—then the thighs, then the waist, then the chest, then the mouth, I mean to, face, then... In this way, one after another, one after another, you have to meditate. In this way, when your meditation is fixed up, that is called dhāraṇā. Dhāraṇā. It is not moving. Dhyāna, dhāraṇā.

Then pratyāhāra. Pratyāhāra means that your senses have been withdrawn from material engagement. The example is just like the tortoise. The tortoise can wind up all these parts of the limbs of the body within immediately. And when it is required, he can expand. So pratyāhāra means that you have to withdraw the sensual activities inside. When you withdraw your senses for inside activities, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to think of always how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam (CC Madhya 19.170). Therefore hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means the senses, and hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses. Kṛṣṇa is the master of the senses. I am possessing my hand, but actually the owner of the hand is Kṛṣṇa. These things are very nicely explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Suppose you are writing with your hands. So your memory must be acting; otherwise you cannot write. If your memory, if your brain, does not act, how you can write? Suppose you are typing. If memory does not act, then what is the use of this hand or your leg? Then Bhagavad-gītā says, Kṛṣṇa says, sarvasya cāham hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam: "The knowledge and memory is from Me." Therefore, when Kṛṣṇa gives you memorization, gives you knowledge, then you can write or do something.

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

So this is our mission, that find out the original cause. That is scientific research. All the scientists, they are trying to find out the original cause. That is advancement of education. They are analyzing one after another. But till now, they could not find it out. Big, big scientists have tried. But they could not... Only theory: "This is the original cause. This is the original cause."

But we do not depend on the theories. We depend on the Vedic conclusion. We do not require to make any research. Just like ordinarily we say there are 900,000 forms of body in the water. We get it from Vedic knowledge. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. Now, the biologists, let them confirm it. Or deny it. Because... They cannot confirm it because their knowledge is experimental. Unless they find it actually, by actual experience, that there are so many living forms within the water, they cannot say yes. Neither they are able to find it out. Is it not the position? First of all, if we say to the biologists that "There are 900,000 different forms of life or species within the water," they will say, "How it is you are affirming in, so positively, without experiment, without research?" They'll say. Then we'll ask, "Then you say." That they cannot say. This is their position. They'll say, "In future..." Future, there is no question. You do not know now. Admit this. So this is their position. Therefore this experimental knowledge is always imperfect. Always imperfect. It cannot be perfect. Because our experience, our power of perception, advancement of knowledge, they are imperfect. They are deficiency.

Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:

It is not very difficult. If your spiritual master is satisfied, then you should know that Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. There is no difficulty. Yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. You cannot satisfy Kṛṣṇa by dissatisfying your spiritual master. That is not possible. That is not possible. You must satisfy. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. You do not take the excuse that "I do not know God, I do not meet Him. How I shall know that I have satisfied Him or dissatisfied Him?" No, śāstra says, "Yes..." It doesn't matter. Therefore it is called paramparā. Paramparā. As you receive the knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, from Arjuna, and from Nārada, from Brahmā, like that, come down to your spiritual master, similarly, as you receive the knowledge step by step, one after another, similarly, you satisfy also the Supreme Personality of Godhead from this step, this step, this step, this step. This is the process. Just like you come down step by step by step by step, similarly you go up step by step by step by step.

So this is the process, bhagavat-toṣaṇam or hari-toṣaṇam. Also this way. And to receive the knowledge from Bhagavān, that is also paramparā system. The paramparā system must be maintained, and if it is done nicely, then as it is stated here, yad atra kriyate, whatever you do, that is for your perfection. If you keep this paramparā system and if you try to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then whatever you do, that is perfection. It doesn't matter. The test is whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, whether your spiritual master is satisfied. Then you are perfect.

Lecture on SB 1.7.24 -- Vrndavana, September 21, 1976:

So Kṛṣṇa is the original person. And if somebody questions that "If Kṛṣṇa is the original person, who is the origin of Kṛṣṇa?"... Naturally, we can ask that because our experience is different—that answer is there in the Brahma-saṁhitā: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādiḥ (Bs. 5.1). Anādir ādiḥ. He's ādi, ādyaṁ puruṣam. But if you question, "Who is the cause of Kṛṣṇa?" Anādi—He has no cause. That is God. You go on searching after, one after another. I am. My origin is my father, my father's origin is his father, his father's origin, his father, his father... In this way you go on researching. Then come to Brahmā. Brahmā is ādi-kavi. In this material world, in this universe, ādi-kavi. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). So he's the ādi, original, first created being. Then who is his ādi? Wherefrom Brahmā is coming? That is Kṛṣṇa. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. So in this way, when you come to Kṛṣṇa... Brahmā is coming from Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Svayambhū. He's born of the lotus flower. That Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is coming from Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is coming from Saṅkarṣaṇa. Saṅkarṣaṇa is coming from Aniruddha; Aniruddha from Pradyumna, like that. Ultimately-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is ādyam. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). There is no more. So that is God. You go on researching, researching, ādyam, ādyam, ādyam—when you come to a point, there is no more ādyam, that is God.

Lecture on SB 1.7.30-31 -- Vrndavana, September 26, 1976:

You have got experience when the atmosphere is too hot, then the rain falls. Same process. When everything will be burned into ashes there will be rain, torrents of rain, and it is said just like the trunk of the elephant, the rainfall will be like that. So everything will be covered with water. That is annihilation. Pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedam **. Then there will be pralaya, and by the grace of the Lord the Vedas will be saved. Keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare.

This is the process, going on. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). This material world, in this way, sometimes it is manifested and sometimes it is not manifested. The energy is there, but the material world means the energy sometimes manifested, sometimes not manifested. So we are in this material world. Not only. We are changing our body, one after another after some years... That is also according to our different forms of life. In one small insect, it may live for few minutes; some of them for few hours, some of them for few days, and some of them for few months, some of them for few years. And this yearly, we live, we human being, we live for a hundred years, and the demigods, they live for ten thousands of years. But wherever you live, either as insect or as demigod, there is no rescue from the process of janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). That you cannot escape. Either you become a small insect or you become as powerful as Lord Brahmā, you have to die. There is no escape. Brahmā, he has the greatest amount of years to live. His life is... We have calculation in the Bhagavad-gītā, that sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Sahasra-yuga. One yuga means forty-three lakhs of years multiplied by one thousand. That is the one daytime duration of Brahmā. Ahar rātri means morning to evening. Morning to evening, that is sahasra-yuga, one thousand times of forty-three lakhs of years. Similarly night. Then day and night becomes one day. Similarly one month, and then twelve months, a year—such hundred years. So there is difference between our hundred years and his hundred years. Similarly, ant's hundred years and my hundred years different.

Lecture on SB 1.7.30-31 -- Vrndavana, September 26, 1976:

So you have to go to the ānandamaya. Yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6). Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). We have to approach in that way. Otherwise, if we remain in the material world, this will be the result-dahyamānāḥ prajāḥ sarvāḥ. One after another, one after another, dahyamānāḥ. You'll simply burn into ashes. So therefore the Vedas say, asato mā sad gama. Don't remain here. Go to Kṛṣṇa and enjoy with Him life.

Lecture on SB 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976:

They simply know fight means cats' and dogs' fight. No. Therefore they question that why Kṛṣṇa induced Arjuna to fight? Certainly they do not know there is fight on the principle of religion. That is real fight. Otherwise fight whimsically, that is animals' fight, cats' and dogs' fight.

So when there is fight on religious principle, there are different rules and regulations. One has to observe these rules and regulations. Just like striking the enemy, it should not come down the waist. You can strike the enemy from head to the waist, not below that. That is illegal. Similarly, when the enemy is like this, mattaṁ pramattam unmattam, one after another... Matta means careless, inattentive. So if by chance, by inattentiveness, one does something wrong, he should not be considered as enemy. He's careless. He should be chastised, but not... Even if he's enemy, he's not subjected to being killed. No. Similarly, pramatta. Pramatta means constitutionally he's not mad, but by some external influence one has become madlike. He's called pramatta.

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1973:

He was a great devotee of Lord Śiva, and he was praying Lord Śiva, "Please come and save me in this danger." So Lord Śiva did not come. And Pārvatī, Lord Śiva's wife, asked that "Why is that? Your devotee, such a great devotee, he has served you so much, and now he is in danger. He is asking your help. You are not going?" And Lord Śiva replied, "My dear Pārvatī, what shall I do? I cannot give him protection. It is not possible. Why shall I go?" So this is the position, that if God wants to kill you, nobody can give you protection. And if God wants to give you protection, nobody can kill you. This is the position. Rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke, māre kṛṣṇa rākhe ke.

So Kuntīdevī is remembering one after another how Kṛṣṇa saved them. That is thinking of Kṛṣṇa, smaraṇam, that "Kṛṣṇa, You are so kind upon us. You saved us in so many big, big dangerous position. It is for You. Otherwise there was no hope." And the last is drauṇy-astra. Drauṇy-astra. This Aśvatthāmā, he executed very abominable task. He came... Of course, there was fight. Both the parties belonged to the same family. So everyone died. So only five sons of the Pāṇḍavas, they were living. So Aśvatthāmā thought that "If I kill these five sons of Pāṇḍavas and present the head to Duryodhana, he will be very much pleased." So what did he do? When the five sons were sleeping, inhumanly he cut off. He separated the heads of the five sons and presented to Duryodhana. Duryodhana was at that time in a incapable state. His, this waist was broken. He could not move. And he lied that "I have brought the five heads of the Pāṇḍavas, my dear Duryodhana." "Oh, you have brought?" He was very glad. But he knew how to test it. But when he pressed the head, it immediately became collapsed. "Oh," he said, "this is not Pāṇḍavas head. It must be their sons' head." Then he admitted, "Yes." He became fainted that "You have killed all the hopes. I hoped that in our family at least five sons will... You have killed also." So in that lamentment he died.

Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Mayapura, October 4, 1974:

Nitāi: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, Your Lordship has protected us from a poisoned cake, from a great fire, from cannibals, from the vicious assembly, from sufferings during our exile in the forest and from the battle where great generals fought. And now You have saved us from the weapon of Aśvatthāmā." (SB 1.8.24)

Prabhupāda: So in the last verse, Kuntī accepted, vimocitā ahaṁ ca sahātmajā vibho: "My Lord, there were so many dangers, and You saved us, along with my sons." Muhur vipad-gaṇāt: "One after another, dangerous position." So some of them are being described.

Viṣāt: "from poison." The Dhṛtarāṣṭra group, Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his sons, they conspired to give them poison. They were transferred to a house. They were so obedient because Dhṛtarāṣṭra happened to be the superior in the house, and he took care of the Pāṇḍavas when they were small children because their father died at an early age. So it was the duty of the elderly members of the family. After all, they were very respectable kṣatriya family. So the elderly members means Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Vidura and Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva was the grandfather of the family, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra was the elder brother of Pāṇḍava, and Vidura was also brother, Vidura, also elder. Pāṇḍu was the youngest, the father of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and... So it is, after all, a, what is called, varṇāśrama family, Vedic family. So the elderly people had the responsibility to raise the fatherless children. So Dhṛtarāṣṭra took charge as the eldest member. So māyā is very strong. He began to think that "Actually this kingdom belongs to me. I am the eldest son, but because I am born blind, therefore it was given to my younger brother. Now he is dead. Now he's dead, so the property belongs to me. Some way or other, it was transferred to my younger brother. Now the younger brother is dead. Then again I become proprietor. So at least I could not rule over the kingdom, why not my sons?" This was the beginning.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Los Angeles, April 24, 1973:

Therefore we cannot keep our position as unborn. We have to take birth, transmigrate from one body to another, and there is no guarantee what kind of body you are going to get next. But you have to accept.

Just like we are accepting in this life one body after another. The child is giving up his childhood body, accepting the boyhood body, The boy is giving up his boyhood body, accepting youthhood body. Similarly, this body of old age, when giving up, natural conclusion is that I will have to accept another body. Again childhood body. Just like there are seasonal changes. After summer, there is spring, or after spring there is summer, after summer, there is fall, there is, after fall, there is winter. Or after day, there is night, after night, there is day. As these, these are cycles one after another, similarly, we are changing body one after another. And natural conclusion is that after changing this body I'll get another body. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

This is very logical and supported by the śāstra and spoken by the greatest authority, by Kṛṣṇa. And why should you not accept it? If you don't accept, that is foolishness. If you don't think that there is no life after death, that is foolishness. There is life after death. So because we are accepting one body after another since time immemorial, we cannot think of that there is life eternal. It is difficult for us.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :

And you will find in the literature they are all well dressed, well fed. They have got enough food, enough milk, enough cows. But they are village, village men. Vṛndāvana is a village. There is no scarcity. No moroseness, always jolly, dancing, chanting and eating. So we have created these problems. Simply you have created. Now, you have created so many horseless carriages, now the problem is where to get petrol. In your country it has become a problem. Brahmānanda was speaking to me yesterday. There are so many problems. Simply unnecessarily we have created so many artificial wants. Kāma-karmabhiḥ. This is called kāma.

So everyone, because of that unlimited desire, one after another... This desire, when this desire fulfilled, another desire, another desire, another desire. In this way you are simply creating problems. And when the desires are not fulfilled, then we become frustrated, confused. The frustration is there. One kind of frustration, just like in your country the hippies, that is also frustration. Another kind of frustration is just like in our country, that is very old frustration, to become sannyāsī. So to become sannyāsī, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, this world is false. How it is false? He could not utilize it properly; therefore it is false. It is not false. Vaiṣṇava philosophy is, this world is not false; it is fact. But false when you think that "I am the enjoyer of this world." That is false. If we accept it, that it is Kṛṣṇa's, and you should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service, then it is not false. We have given it, this example, that these flowers, these flowers they are in the florist shop, there are so may flowers that people are purchasing, we are purchasing, others are purchasing. They are purchasing for sense gratification, and we are purchasing for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:

We have to adopt everything. Then such persons, sa eva paśyanty, ta eva paśyanty. "By this process one day will come that he will see You." Ta eva paśyanty. And what is that vision? When you see God, Kṛṣṇa, then what is the effect? The effect is: bhava pravāha uparamam. Bhava pravāha. Pravāha means current. Now we are going on. Caitanya, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that: māyāra vaśe yāccho bhese.

Just like there is very, mean, forcible currents in the river, and if some animal is thrown in that, he'll be washed away. So we are being washed away by the currents one after another, of this material nature. Just like you have seen the big, big waves in the Pacific Ocean. Similarly, because we are under the grips of the material nature, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni gunaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), so we become under the influence of the three modes of material nature, and the, by the current of such material nature, we are being washed away, washed away. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says: māyāra vaśe yāccho bhese. "You are being washed away, carried away, by the currents." The currents also described. The first current is hunger. The second current is thirst. Similarly another current, janma mṛtyu, birth, death, old age. These are all currents. These are different currents of the material nature. We become hungry, we become thirsty. We become overwhelmed with regret, śoka moha, illusion, then birth, death, so many currents. We are being carried away. I am spirit soul. I am put into the material ocean, and the currents, currents are carried away. So here, if you be engaged, śṛṇvanti gāyanti abhīkṣṇaśaḥ, twenty-four hours, then the current, upāsanam, uparamam, the current will stop. No more you'll be carried away by these material current. Bhava pravāha uparamam. Where? Padāmbujam. "Your lotus feet. Your lotus feet." One how has learned how to see Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet and offer a little tulasī and sandalwood pulp, his, this current will stop. This current of material life will stop.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

So dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Dharma means to stay in one's constitutional position. That is dharma. Artha means keeping oneself in one's constitutional position to get livelihood, artha. Without artha, livelihood, kāma, the sense gratification, or fulfilling the needs of life...That is kāma. Just like devotees, they have also got kāma. We are trying to become devotee. This is also one kind of kāma, but this is spiritual kāma. It is not material. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has described, kāma kṛṣṇa-karmārpaṇe. Because there is kāma, and when the kāma is not fulfilled... Generally, materially, kāma means lust, desire. So if our kāma, lust or desire, is not fulfilled, the next position is krodha. Kāma krodha lobha moha mada mātsarya bhaya. These are different associates, one after another. If your desire is not fulfilled, then you become angry. Then after becoming angry, you become very greedy. Then you become bewildered, then become illusioned, then you become fearful.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

Pradyumna: Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ.

Prabhupāda: And parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Parjanya means if there is waterfall, rainfall, then you can produce anna. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. One after another. You require foodgrains, and for producing foodgrains, you require sufficient rainfall. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Then?

Pradyumna: Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). And the the rain supply be regular if you perform sacrifice. Therefore, what is that next?

Pradyumna: Yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ (BG 3.14).

Prabhupāda: Ah, yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ. Yajña, karma. Karma means, according to the varṇāśrama, brāhmaṇa should work according to his own position. They will chant Vedic mantra. That is also one karma, activity. They must understand what is Vedas; they must explain. That is brāhmaṇa's business. And kṣatriya's business, karma... This is called kṣātraṁ karma svabhāva-jam. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. Vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam. By nature, one has got a particular type of work. So yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ, what is that?

Pradyumna: Yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ.

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

You can do your duties very nicely, very good, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ, but if you do not develop your, I mean to say, attachment for Kṛṣṇa... Vāsudeva-kathā ruciḥ (SB 1.2.16). "Oh, here kṛṣṇa-kathā is going on. Topics on Kṛṣṇa is going on. Let me hear it." Just like here. We are talking of Kṛṣṇa; nobody is coming. Nobody is coming. Only few selected. Vāsudeva-kathā ruciḥ. There is no taste for hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. So such kind of education, advancement of civilization, is śrama eva hi kevalam, simply wasting time. And if you waste your time in such foolish activity, then there will be anxiety, there will be disease, there will be enemies, there will be disturbance—everything, one after another, one after another. Natural disturbance, disturbance by other living creatures, disturbance by your body. So this world will become hell. This is the position.

So just compare the present governmental situation and the time... A king is supposed to be responsible for the citizen's peaceful life, no anxiety, no disease. Ādhayo vyādhayaḥ. That is king. Just like one brāhmaṇa approached Lord Rāmacandra that "In the presence of father the son has died. You are responsible. There must be something wrong in Your kingdom." His son died. That is natural, that son lives, father dies. This is natural death. "And what is this? The father is living and son is dying?" So king was so much responsible, even the death must be systematic. There should be no anxiety. There should be no disease. There should be no scarcity, no famine, no natural disturbance. This is government.

Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:

So people say "advanced age." No. Advanced in death, not advanced in age. So this is asat. It will not stay. It has begun to die from the very moment of his birth. If you ask a newly born child how old it is, the mother says, "It is one month old." So one month means he has already died one month. And balance months and years he has to die. Simply he has to wait for that death. So this kind of duration of life is called asat. And this kind of existence, the material existence, it also asat. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings, sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa, te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa. "I gave up sat-saṅga, oṁ tat sat, spiritual society. I associated myself with the material society. Therefore I am now entangled by karma by karma, one after another, one after another."

So spiritual realization is difficult for persons, asadbhiḥ. Why it is difficult? Viṣayātmabhiḥ. Because they are simply attracted by the four principles of material life: eating, sleeping, sex life and, one day, death. They cannot. One must be above this interest. One must be very sane man, that "These kinds of interests are there in the animals. So if I am also interested in only these things, then where is the difference between this dog and me?" Something more.

That information is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Yena sarvam idam. This body is perishable, asat. But there is another sat, means permanent thing. What is that? Avināśi tu tad viddhi. You try to understand that thing, which is eternal. What is that? Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam, that which is spreading all over your body. You pinch your body. You feel pain. Why? Because there is consciousness. The consciousness is permanent. And as soon as the consciousness is gone, you chopped up your hand, no response. So take... It is a very nice statement. Tat, that consciousness, is avināśi, is eternal. Where is the difficulty?

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

This is Kṛṣṇa. Bhāva-grāhī-janārdanaḥ. Any way you serve Kṛṣṇa, it will be accepted. Not any way. I mean to say, we should serve Kṛṣṇa according to regulative principle. Still, some way or other, unknowing or knowingly, if you render some service, that is called ajñāta-sukṛti.

Ajñāta means without your knowledge you are advancing in spiritual life. That is called ajñāta-sukṛti. You do not know. But the system is so nice... Just like our this class is going on. These children, they are dancing, they are offering obeisances, they are offering a flower. They do not know what they are doing, but it will not go in vain. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These things are becoming assets, one after another. Just like if you keep money in the bank, daily you save, it is increasing your bank balance, similarly, these children, although they do not know what is this class, what is Prabhupāda speaking, why we are offering... They are imitating. They are imitating, offering obeisances. We used to do so. Every children, every child does so. So if the mother is a devotee, the child automatically becomes a devotee, without any effort. If the father, mother is devotee... Therefore śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Kṛṣṇa says that those who are yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ, could not fulfill the whole program of devotional service, some way or other fallen down, so they are given chance, another chance. What is that chance? The chance is he is given a human form of life and born in a devotee's house, so that from the very beginning of life he will again be in connection with devotional service. So these children, they are not ordinary children. Formerly, they were also devotees. Somehow or other, could not fulfill the whole program. Now Kṛṣṇa has given the chance to take birth in the womb of a devotee mother so that from the very beginning of life they're learning devotional service. So the mother, father also should be careful, that "They are Vaiṣṇavas, they have come under my care. So that he may not be spoiled. Let him become a perfect Vaiṣṇava, and his life become perfect." This is... This is very nice program.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

Just try to understand. Because we are covered by the skin, therefore we are feeling pains and pleasure. If you become uncovered, free from the skinly covering, then there is no pains and pleasure.

So that is our main business, how to get out of this material body of skins and bones. That is real business. But these rascals, they do not know what is real business. They want to maintain the skin and bone by another skin and bone. That is their program. So it is foolish civilization. They do not what is civilization, what is the aim of life, what we should do. Nothing, no program. Simply just like animals, and kill animals and eat and be merry. And to digest meat, you drink also. One after another. As soon as there is drinking, then there is illicit sex. And so many things complicated. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā warns, yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). You must work. You should not be idle. But yajñārthe, for Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll not be implicated. Otherwise, you'll be implicated. By the grace of māyā, you'll be so implicated that you have got this human form of life, and after giving up this body, you'll have to accept, according to your karma, one of the 8,400,000 species of life; maybe it may be a tree, it may be a cat, it may be a dog, or it may be something lower grade.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta-rūpam, ananta, unlimited, unlimited. It is described in the śāstras. How unlimited? Just like in a big river you sit down, or on the ocean, if you count the waves, is it possible? There is no possibility. But there are waves always, twenty-four hours going on, going on. But if you want to count them, it is not possible. That is described. Just like the waves of river or... Not satiated. You'll find in the Pacific Ocean in your front, the waves are constantly coming. It is never satiated. So Kṛṣṇa's incarnations are also like that, incessantly coming, one after another, one... Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). So ananta-rūpa, how many rūpa, how many forms we have seen Kṛṣṇa's? No. That is not possible.

So the conclusion is all these forms, ete, all these, ca aṁśa-kalāḥ... Aṁśa means plenary portion, not personally. Aṁśa... And kalā means portion of the portion. Just like first of all, Kṛṣṇa. Then His next expansion is Balarāma. His next expansion is Saṅkarṣaṇa. Next, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. In this way, next expansion Nārāyaṇa. Then, from Nārāyaṇa, another quadruple expansion: Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Saṅkarṣaṇa... Then Mahā-Viṣṇu, the origin of this material creation. Yaḥ kāraṇārṇava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidrām ananta-jagad-aṇḍa-saroma-kūpaḥ (Bs. 5.47). Yaḥ kāraṇārṇava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidrām anantam. That is Mahā-Viṣṇu. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). So from His breathing nostril, ananta, unlimited number of potential universes, are coming, and—exhaling, inhaling—and unlimited going within. This is Mahā-Viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

These things are all mentioned, how the human society can be peaceful and progressive. These are the qualifications. Not like animallike jumping all day and night. Here in Hawaii we see that children, children and elderly persons also, the whole day and night, simply jumping in the sea. Someone is swimming, somebody is doing something else, somebody is swimming. How they're wasting time. But they have taken, "This is civilization. This is civilization." Human life is so important. So many things are to be learned, neither in the school, college, educational institution, society, nothing of the sort. Just like a dog is also jumping, a man is also jumping. This is going on. But that is not civilization. Real civilization means these things are to be acquired in real life, personal life, then that is civilization. Now, these are mentioned one after another. Read.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

So anyone who will stop chanting, he will be a victim of māyā. Always remember it. Therefore we insist, "Please do not forget to chant at least sixteen rounds." That is minimum. The maximum is 300,000. (laughter) As Haridāsa Ṭhākura used to do, three hundred..., not impractical. But you, we cannot do that. Even we cannot complete sixteen rounds. We are so unfortunate. But that does not mean because we are unfortunate, we shall give it up. Try, try, try your best. Then life will become perfect.

So satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā kṣāntis tyāgaḥ santoṣa ārjavam. These are the qualities. Now, these qualities, we have to explain one after another, it will take time. So three qualities: satyam, to become truthful... They say, "This truthful is a qualification of ass." Some big politician some years ago, he visited India. You know. He is Mr. Lloyd George, British politician. So he was asked by somebody that "Why you are not truthful?" So he answered that "Truthfulness is the qualification of an ass." He replied like this. Truthfulness, especially in politics, he said, that "In politics, truthfulness is the qualification of an ass." So here the first thing is recommended, satyam, truthfulness. Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). And the biggest politician says, "This is the qualification of an ass." Just see how much opportunity we have got to make spiritual progress. The first beginning is satyam, and our leaders says, "This is the qualification of an ass." So just see our position.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:

This is Vedic culture, that before death one should prepare very nicely to go back to Godhead. This is Vedic culture. The modern civilization, they do not know what is going to happen after death. But our Vedic culture is not so blind. Vedic culture has got an aim, what is the aim of human life, not aimless life. Aimless life is animal life. They have no aim. By the laws of nature they are going on, transforming from one body to another, and ultimately they are coming by evolutionary process to the human form of life. And especially this civilized human form of life, it is very responsible life. One has to make his choice whether he wants to continue his materialistic way of life and change the body, one after another. That is very risky job. You should always remember that if in my next body I am given a body like a tree, just see, in this part of the world, how condemned life. They are standing in the snowfall. You have got house. You are protecting yourself. They cannot even move. So there is possibility of getting such life.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Vrndavana, March 19, 1974:

So real life is to know what is the value of my life, how I have to attain the original position. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). And now I am getting this śarīra, or body, and I am being annihilated one after another. And I am getting one body annihilated, again getting another, next body. This great science is unknown to the modern civilization, and therefore they are considered as pramattaḥ, all madmen, hankering after some temporary happiness. Pramattaḥ. They are called pramattaḥ.

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

Generally people, they do not understand that after giving up this body we enter another body. But this is the first instruction of self-realization in the Bhagavad-gītā. And that is actually we are experiencing. We are changing our body every moment. So similarly, at the ultimate end of this body, when this body is no more useful Because, after all, it is machine. Just like your car, your car or any other machine, if it goes for long time it becomes useless. That is the nature of anything material. In the beginning it is very nice. It is new. Just like this body, my body. When I was a baby I might have been very nice, beautiful, a child. Now it is becoming old and ugly. So this is the nature of..., this is the nature of material thing, that anything material, that will deteriorate, one after another, one after So when this body is completely deteriorated, there is no, there is no more chance of prolonging it, then we accept another body. And the example is vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Just like we change our dress when the dress is old enough or dirty, we give it up and accept another dress. So this is going on.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

So it is very old place. Formerly, when sages used to hold their meeting, they generally held their meeting in that place, Naimiṣāraṇya.

So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was also discussed first in that Naimiṣā... Not first, for the second time. First it was explained by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was cursed by a brāhmaṇa boy to die within a week. Formerly, even a small child... This boy, this brāhmaṇa boy, was playing with his playmates. That means he was a child, not more than ten to twelve years old. And he was informed that "Mahārāja Parīkṣit has insulted your father by garlanding him with a dead snake." The fact was that Mahārāja Parīkṣit was in hunting. One after another, so many things comes, but let me explain to you. This hunting business was allowed only for the kings, kṣatriyas, not for ordinary man. Killing in sports. Because the king had to administer so strongly that sometimes he had to kill an evil person immediately with sword. The kingdom was very strong. Not many days before, say, about hundred years ago in Kashmir, if a thief was caught, burglar was caught, and he was proved that he has committed theft, the king would personally cut off, chop off his hand. The punishment was so severe. And the result was that even you miss something on your way, nobody will touch it. Everyone was afraid: "Let the things remain there. One who has lost his thing, he will come and take away. We don't require to take it." So the kings were very severe to punish unwanted social elements. So the kings were therefore allowed sometimes to hunt in the jungle to practice killing. Just like doctors are allowed to practice surgical operation on dead body; otherwise, how they'll practice, how they'll become surgeon, if they do not practice? Similarly, only the kings were allowed to kill some animal in the jungle sometimes.

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 15, 1972:

So aśītim means eighty. Aśītiṁ caturaḥ. Caturaḥ means four. So eighty-four. Eighty plus four means eighty-four. Lakṣāṁs. Lakṣāṁs means hundreds of thousand. So eighty-four hundreds of thousands. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu. Jīva-jāti. This is different species of living entities. Jīva-jāti. The hog species, the ass species, the dog species, just like they have got species. Jīva-jātiṣu. So in different species of living entities, they are counted, eighty-four hundreds of thousands, or 8,400,000. Bhramadbhiḥ. Bhramadbhiḥ means transmigrating, wandering one after another. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. There are 900,000 species within the water.

Then trees, plants. In this way, passing through different species of life, the living entity... Jīva-jātiṣu. Jīva-jātiṣu, in different species of life, he is transmigrating, one after another, one after another. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. Puruṣa. Puruṣa means the living entity. The living entity is described here "puruṣa" because he wants to enjoy. Puruṣa is the enjoyer. Actually enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, but we are imitating Kṛṣṇa. We want to become God. That is the Māyāvāda philosophy. That is our trouble. I am trying to imitate something which I cannot. Suppose if I want to be God, is it possible to become God? But they are trying to be. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ. So in this way, for this misunderstanding, he is falsely trying to have happiness through so many species of life. "Let me enter this life, let me enter that life, that life, that life, that ..." In this way he falls down. He is fallen already from Vaikuṇṭha planet. He is fallen in this material world, and he is again trying to make progress.

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 15, 1972:

He is fallen already from Vaikuṇṭha planet. He is fallen in this material world, and he is again trying to make progress.

Prāpyaṁ mānuṣyam. In this way, after many, many births, he gets this human form of life. Prāpyaṁ mānuṣyaṁ janma-paryayāt. By the graduation, gradual evolution process. This is real evolution. Not the body is changing. Body is already there. Jīva-jātiṣu. The jīva-jāti, species, are already there. There is a defect of Darwin's theory. He does not want, he does not know that the living entity is passing through different types of body. Not that the body is changing. Bodies are already there. Bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ prāpyaṁ mānuṣyaṁ janma-paryayāt. Paryayāt means chronological. What is called, one after another?

Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Bombay, March 24, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

There is... Just like here in this material world, dual world, water and the name "water" is different. But in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name is the same. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. So these things are to be realized one after another if you come to the process. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972:

Īśvaraḥ the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, is sitting within everyone's heart, and He's witness, anumantā-upadraṣṭā. Upadraṣṭā means He's seeing our activity. He's noting what I desire, because our desires are coming one after another, one after another. So according to our desire, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He gives you a body. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is sitting within the heart of everyone. So... And sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati bhrāmayan. And He's giving us chance to transmigrate to different types of bodies or species of bodies. He's noting down that "This soul is very much fond of fresh blood and raw meat. All right. You take the body of a tiger. Yes. This soul feels pleasure being naked. All right, you take the body of a tree. You stand up naked for ten thousand years.

Satisfy your desire for being naked for ten thousand years." Why two years, three years, or five years, ten years? Remain naked. Human body is meant for covering, not to become naked, but if anyone develops the idea of becoming nudie, naked, "All right, next life you get tree. Stand up." The example is there, Yamala-Arjuna, They wanted to be naked. Nārada gave them opportunity, "All right, you remain naked as trees." So therefore, our business should be to go to the temple as it is prescribed here, pādau nṛṇāṁ tau druma-janma-bhājau. Those who are not moving, they're just like trees, they do not move. So, if we do not move to the places where Viṣṇu's forms are there... Just like in India, we have got many places of pilgrimage. Just like Vṛndāvana. There are... A small city, about fifty thousand utmost population. But there are five thousand temples, big and small. Out of that, about one dozen temples are very, very big, just like fort.

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

Prabhupāda: This is the civilization. Because there will be no more sense. They give importance to the senses, that this is an opportunity of sense gratification. But they do not inquire wherefrom this sense came, and it is so important, and we are taking, giving so many importance to the sense enjoyment program. That they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Neither do they know what is living entity, what are the senses, what is the goal of life. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are simply making plans for driving car and flyways and so on. Plan is going on, one after another, one after another. But the problems are increasing. Therefore, Parīkṣit Mahārāja's example is very nice. As soon as he understood from his spiritual master that "Kṛṣṇa is the goal of life" and he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, he immediately, oh, the mamatāṁ jahau, virūḍhāṁ mamatāṁ jahau. This is required. Read the purport.

Pradyumna: "To become liberated means to become free from dehātma-buddhi, the illusory attachment for personal bodily coverings and everything connected with the body, namely wife, children, and all other entanglements. One selects a wife for bodily comforts, and the result is children. For wife and children one requires a dwelling place, and as such a residential house is also necessary. Animals like horses, elephants, cows, and dogs are all household animals, and a householder has to keep them as household paraphernalia. In modern civilization the horses and elephants have been replaced by cars and conveyances with considerable horsepower. To maintain all the household affairs, one has to increase the bank balance and be careful about the treasury house, and in order to display the opulence of material assets, one has to keep good relations with friends and relatives, as well as become very careful about maintaining the status quo. This is called material civilization of material attachment.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

Prabhupāda: No. First line. (devotees repeating)

Śyāmasundara: Śrī śuka uvāca ātma-māyām ṛte rājan parasyānubhavātmanaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Read it again.

Śyāmasundara: Śrī śuka uvāca ātma-māyām ṛte rājan parasyānubhavātmanaḥ na ghaṭetārtha...

Prabhupāda: Na ghaṭetārtha-sambandhaḥ. Svapna-draṣṭur ivāñjasā. Next. Next. You read. Go on. One after another. (continues devotee reciting, Prabhupāda correcting) You read the transliteration. The thing is hearing the meter and repeat. That's all. The writing is already there, transliteration. Simply you have to hear the written. Just like you have chanted so many verses, songs, by hearing. The hearing is very important. A child learns another language simply by hearing, pronunciation, hearing. That is natural. If we hear one thing repeatedly, you will learn. You will learn. So one has to hear little attentively. Then it will be easy. There is no difficulty. Just like you are singing our song in tune, (sings) saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. This is by hearing. So simply you have to hear. Therefore whole Vedic śāstra is called śruti. It is a process of hearing. (coughing) This is a disease of old age. These are the warnings that the body is getting rotten. Go on. (recitation continues) Next. Each one of you. Na ghaṭetārtha-sambandhaḥ svapna-draṣṭur ivāñjasā. What is the añjasā spelling?

Devotee: I-v-a-n-j-a-s-a. Ivāñjasā.

Prabhupāda: Long a or short a?