Power (Lectures, SB cantos 6 - 12)

Expressions researched:
"power" |"power's" |"powered" |"powerhouse" |"powers"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: power or powered or powerhouse or powers or power's not "supreme power" not "power* of" not "no power*" not "without * power*" not "without power*" not "mystic power*" not "mystic * power*" not "power to" not "powers to"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

So God has created this big globe, means fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth—or even this earth—floating in the air. You can float a big 747 airplane also floating in the air, but you cannot make a globe like sun and floating in the air. That is the difference between you and God. The creative power is there. Because we are part and parcel, the value is there. Just like gold mine and a small particle of gold. So small particle has... It will be called gold, and it has got some value. But not as good as the gold mine. This is the difference between God and ourself. We should understand.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

And we offer it, "Kṛṣṇa, You have kindly sent this foodstuff." This is acknowledgement. You cannot manufacture this nice fruit. It is not in your power. You may be very much expert in conducting a big factory for manufacturing these motorcars, but it is not possible for you to manufacture these nice grapes or oranges or banana or rice. No. That is not in your power. Therefore a sane man should admit that "This is sent by God." This is common sense. What is beyond your power... If you say it is product of nature... What do you mean by nature? Nature means an energy which is acting under the direction of God. That is nature. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

So this sound vibration... The oṁkāra is also the same sound as..., om, but this is easier, Hare Kṛṣṇa. You cannot have so ecstasy by vibrating om, but because it was chanted by the greatest authority, Lord Caitanya, it has got special power. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). The scriptures indicate that we have to follow the footprints of great authorities. Tarko apratiṣṭham. You cannot come to the right conclusion simply by arguing. You may be a very good logician and you can argue very nicely, but another man, he may be a greater logician than you. He can nullify all your arguments. There is possibility. So tarko apratiṣṭhaḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Honolulu, May 19, 1976:

This bluff is going on. The yoga system—first yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ, to control the senses. And now it is going on, transcendental meditation, that "After practicing yoga you will increase your sex power." This is going on. And that is accepted as yoga, and they are paying for it, thousands, yes. This is going on. Yoga-indriya... Just the opposite. People want sense gratification. If somebody encourages, "Yes, you take this mantra and you'll be very powerful sex enjoyer," so people will pay for that: "Yes, give me that." This rascaldom is going on. You see? So what we can do? We can simply explain, but people want to be cheated. That is the thing. Satya bole to mare lata(?) There is a Hindi proverb that "If somebody speaks the truth, it is received in loggerhead, and if he speaks lies, all bluffing, then it is relieved and payment is there."

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is, He said, that "Every one of you become guru." Āmāra ājñāya guru haya tāra ei deśa. You haven't got to go foreign countries. Wherever you are, you teach; become guru. It doesn't matter. Ei deśa. He says, ei deśa. If you have got power, you can go other country, but it doesn't require. In whichever village, whichever country or town you are, you become a guru. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Āmāra ājñāya guru haya tāra ei deśa. "This country, this place." So, "But I have no qualification. How can I become guru?" There is no need of qualification. "Still I can become guru?" Yes. "How?"

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

If He is the source of everything, then He must be cognizant of everything, either directly or indirectly. Just like for example this body is my product. I am spiritual spark. This spiritual spark, as soon as takes shelter into the womb of a woman, it develops this body. The spiritual spark has that power, develops body. So I am a spirit soul, I have developed this body. That means I am a spiritual spark, which is source of this body, all mechanisms. And similarly, the whole creation, it is..., there is supreme spirit. The whole creation, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So He knows everything because He is perfect. But I do not know.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

This is āśrama. Gṛhastha-āśrama. Then retired life, vānaprastha. Although gṛhastha-āśrama is allowed, but not the for all the time that up to the death. No. That is not allowed after fiftieth year. Twenty-five years, to fifty year, fiftieth year the young man's spirit is there, the sex power is strong, so this gṛhastha-āśrama is a concession for satisfying sex, that's all. But not more than fifty years. Then you must give up. That is the Vedic civilization. We accept gṛhastha-āśrama. Up to twenty-fifth year you remain a brahmacārī, learn from guru how to become brahmacārī, gurukula. Brahmācāri gurukule vasan dānta: how to practice self control, sense control. A brahmacārī is forbidden to see even young girl, even the spiritual master's wife is young.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Honolulu, May 23, 1976:

That is also āśrama. If the gṛhastha life is meant for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is all right. This is āśrama. Gṛhastha āśrama, then retired life, vānaprastha. Although gṛhastha āśrama is allowed, but not for all the time, that up to the death, no. That is not allowed. After fiftieth year... Twenty-five years to fiftieth year the young man's spirit is there, the sex power is strong, so the gṛhastha-āśrama is a concession for satisfying sex, that's all. But not more than fifty years. Then you must give up. That is the Vedic civilization. You accept gṛhastha āśrama.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26 -- Chicago, July 11, 1975:

Actually he did so. He never went to jail, but he took the share and made Pakistan. So Gandhi, therefore, was not in favor of partition. But he had to do, accept it. Because the Britishers were very intelligent, that "Let us divide it so that India may not become a strong power." So that still, it is going on, the animosity between Pakistan and Hindustan. It is British plan. That is politics.

So similar plan is always there, that we are struggling for existence and accumulating so many things. Just like you have got this nice city, Chicago. Not only Chicago; there are many others in America. But the people are not thinking that "How long I shall remain American and enjoy this? Maybe fifty years, twenty-five years or utmost hundred years.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Indore, December 15, 1970:

"All right. You are thinking like rat, so you become a rat. You are thinking like a tiger; you become a tiger. You are thinking like a devotee, you become a devotee. You are thinking of Me, please come to Me." That's all. Simple truth.

So by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa we have to mold our thinking power, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. If you always think... That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā: yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā. Who is the first-class yogi? "Who is always thinking of Me within himself."

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

Yes. (break) There are many different types of human beings. So, the Caranas, the demigods, the Siddhas. Don't think that in every planet you can find out the same bodily features. There are different bodily features. So in Siddhaloka they have got the same bodily features, but their powers are far, far greater than ours. Siddha-sat...

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Śaktyāveśāvatāra means incarnation with special power.

Revatīnandana: It's stated in the Bhāgavatam that there are two kinds of incarnations. One is a plenary portion, and the other is an empowered living entity. They're both incarnations.

Devotee (1): I thought that Lord Buddha was supposed to be incarnation of Viṣṇu.(?)

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

Not viṣṇu-tattva. They are not viṣṇu-tattva. There are jīva-tattva and viṣṇu-tattva. The jīvas are sometimes... Just like Lord Brahmā. He is also not viṣṇu-tattva. Lord Śiva is between viṣṇu-tattva and jīva-tattva. So powers, energies of the Lord exhibited in different categories... The viṣṇu-tattva is full of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Others, they are not full. And Kṛṣṇa is the fullest, ṣoḍaśa-kalāḥ. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa, aṁśa. Aṁśa means partially present in Kṛṣṇa. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).

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

At the time of death it is very, very painful. We have got experience. Therefore you do not wish to die, because it is very, very painful. Similarly, after death, immediately, by the discrimination of Yamarāja, he gets another body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Daiva-netreṇa, by the supervision of superior power, the Yamarāja takes away, and then he gives a body. First of all he is put into the hellish condition of life as he will get. Then, when he is little practiced, then he is given the similar body. Otherwise how it...? It will be... Suppose a person from, coming from very high family or king's royal family, but he has acted just like dogs and dogs.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- San Francisco, July 18, 1975:

That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā... (break) ...janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). You try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Simply try to understand. Don't conclude that "Kṛṣṇa is like us, ordinary human being, maybe little learned more than us, or little power..." No. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By His merciful or causeless mercy, He descends to exhibit His form, His activities, so that he can see. Just like in the Buckingham Palace in London, many people are standing. Sometimes the queen comes and stands on the corridor, and everyone can see. That is queen's mercy, not that because she comes in the audience of so many public men; therefore she is also one of them. This is nonsense conclusion. Similarly Kṛṣṇa, by His causeless mercy if He comes... Some rascals say that God cannot come. Why?

Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- Los Angeles, June 3, 1976:

There are many varieties of yogis, but this person, who is thinking of Me, he has no more to think any other thing." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā: within the core of the heart, he's thinking of Kṛṣṇa. This is the ideal transcendental meditation, meditation. It has become a medicine now. (laughter) To become fatty, to have more power for sex, it is not meditation, but medicine. So this is wanted. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). That is the supermost, topmost position of yogi. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). In this material world the jñāna-bhūmika, or the modes of goodness, that is very estimated.

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

Therefore quality, eternity, is there both for the living entities and God. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Knowledge, sense, cetana, life, activities... So God is also active; the living entities are also active. But His actions and my actions are not comparable. Just like God is creator; I am also creator. So in this way I am one. I have got creative power; God has also creative power. But God creates innumerable universes, and you can create a motorcar. That's all, no more. Or atom bomb—to kill. You cannot create a planet; you can create a sputnik. With great difficulty it flies in the sky. But God's creation—innumerable planets, they are floating without any machine. Still, the rascal says, "There is no God. I am God." You do like God; then you become God. What you have done like God? You have created a toy flying in the sky.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

Because Bhagavad-gītā and the speaker of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa, they are identical. So you cannot change the words of Bhagavad-gītā. That is foolishness. Anyone who changes the orders and the words of Bhagavad-gītā, they are rascal, they'll not get any benefit. Because you cannot correct Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa says or God says. That is not in your power. So these rascals, they want to interpret, "This is like this, this is this, I think it is this." No. Kṛṣṇa did not live for you, for your thinking rascally. No. Kṛṣṇa is completely learned. Whatever He has said, it is perfectly in order. You cannot change.

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

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

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, July 23, 1975:

The first witness is sūrya, the sun. How you can go away from the sunlight? Anywhere you go... We are in this room. Because it is daytime, the sunlight is there. Sūryaḥ agniḥ. Agniḥ means fire. We have to touch with fire in so many ways. The factories are working fire, the electric powerhouse, the electricity, the oven, the kitchen, fire. So agniḥ..., sūryaḥ agniḥ kham ākāśa, sky. Where you can escape sky? Within the room there is sky; outside, the sky; up, the sky; down, the sky. Everywhere is sky. Sūryaḥ agniḥ khaṁ marud, air. Where is no air? Every place there is air. Devaḥ. Devaḥ means the Supreme Lord. What is that devaḥ?

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:

One is eating the fruit and the other is simple witnessing. So the eating bird is the jīvātmā, individual soul, and the witness bird is God, Paramātmā. So He is giving us the facility. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna ti..., bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni (BG 18.61). You cannot, out of your own power, you can go to the higher planetary, lower planetary, anywhere. No. That is to be sanctioned by God. Bhrāmayan. I want to go here, there. He will give me facility. And what is the process? Now, yantra, a machine. Just like you have got the machine, aeroplane, you go from here to there, similarly, this is also a yantra, this is also a machine. The difference is that this is God-made machine or Yes, everything is God-made, and your machine is man-made.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

There is a story that a lion was killed by a rabbit. Śaśakena nipātitaḥ. Why? Now, buddhir yasya balaṁ tasya: "One who has got intelligence, he has got power." A lion is very mighty, ferocious animal, and a śaśaka, a ordinary rabbit, he killed a lion. How? Now the lion was disturbing all animals, so all the animals held a meeting and called the lion: "Sir, you do not try to kill us all, hunting after everyone. We shall go voluntarily every day, one of us. So you don't create disturbance. Let us become peaceful." So lion agreed, "All right, if you voluntarily come, I will sleep, and if you enter in my mouth..." So this was the agreement. There was the turn of one rabbit. So he planned something. So he went to the lion a little late. So lion was very angry that "Why you have come late?

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

So there was vibration, still higher sound, and he saw his photo, yes, shadow. So he thought it, "Yes, there is lion." He immediately jumped over him. (devotees laugh) Finished. So how the lion was killed by the rabbit? Now, buddhir yasya balaṁ tasya: "One who has got intelligence, he has got power." The foolish... So everywhere you will find.

So how one is intelligent, how one is dull, how one is via media—that is due to these three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. If one is intelligent, that is one of the qualification of sattva-guṇa. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. The brahminical qualification... Satyaḥ śamo damo titikṣa arjavam eva ca, jñānam vijñānam āstikyam brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). In the society, human society, there must be a class of brāhmaṇa, intelligent class.

Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975:

We have already discussed, through fire, through evening, through morning—there are so many witnesses. And all those information goes to him, and because he is almost as powerful as Bhagavān, he can remember. This is special power. Manasaiva pure devaḥ pūrva-rūpam. Because after death, one is brought before Yamarāja, so before his death, what he was doing sinfully, that is all recorded in the mind of Yamarāja. Manasaiva pure devaḥ pūrva-rūpaṁ vipaśyati. Because they are so recorded, he can see vividly what this man was doing.

Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975:

Śruti, simply by hearing, a brahmacārī would be educated, simply by hearing. There was no need of books, writing. Therefore the Vedic literature is known as śruti. It is to be learned by hearing. Even there is book, still, one has to learn it by hearing from the realized soul. Therefore it is called śruti. So this śruti memorizing power should be increased if one observes strictly the life of celibacy. This is the science. Therefore brahmacārī is taught strictly. The brahmacārī is supposed to remain in gurukula up to the twenty-fifth year. He is trained up. Then if guru finds him that he requires to be married, then he goes home and he is married. Otherwise the teaching is to remain a brahmacārī throughout the whole life. There is no need of entering...

Lecture on SB 6.1.52 -- Detroit, August 5, 1975:

Sarva-hara: "I will take. I will take all: your bank balance, your skyscraper building, your nice family. Your everything will be finished. I will take it away." Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham. So after death I may be very proud of my intelligence and power and talking, completely under the laws of material nature. Then nature... Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1), by superior supervision, as you have acted, jantur deha upapatti, then you will have to accept one body.

So in this way, life after life, we are changing the body. In this planet, in other planet, in this variety, in that variety, we are wandering.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

Everyone asks us that, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, why not serve the suffering humanity?" They say always. And what you can do? You are... Simply like a madman you are thinking that you can serve the humanity. You cannot serve the humanity. You have no such power. What you can do? The example was... I was giving that if you want to give help a suffering in disease man, and bring some nice doctor, medical man to help him and bring some nice medicine, that is good work, but does it mean that it is guaranteed that he will be cured? No. Therefore you cannot do anything. You may think like that. Or you may act like that. But unless the Supreme Person sanctions, you cannot do anything. One is sure to suffer the material pangs of life. Nobody can stop it. So therefore we should not try. It will be automatically tried.

Lecture on SB 6.1.62 -- Vrndavana, August 29, 1975:

So this is intelligence, that... They say, "There is no God," and God says, "Yes, you see Me at the time of death." But you cannot avoid death. So before meeting death... Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlāda Mahārāja so many times requested, "My dear father, why you are becoming atheist? By His grace you have got so much power. Just submit to Him." "No. There is no God. I am God." So this is called demon. In spite of being punished in so many ways, they will deny the existence of God. So they are... Those who are not devotee, they will be agitated by the māyā, by Madana, by Cupid, by so many other illusory things. But if one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then nothing can. Because Kṛṣṇa conscious person is not in want. He is not in want. So long we will be in want, our mind will be agitated.

Lecture on SB 6.2.4 -- Vrndavana, September 8, 1975:

You may have big, big mills and factories—useless. You cannot manufacture, I mean to say, rice, grains. Even if you eat meat, the cows and the animals, they must eat vegetables. There will be no vegetables. How you will be able to eat meat even? So nature has got the restricting power. As you become more and more demons and sinful, nature will restrict supply and you'll suffer. This is the law.

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-6 -- Vrndavana, September 9, 1975:

So we have to engage our senses. It is not our senses; it is Kṛṣṇa's. We have forgotten it. I am seeing with my eyes. I am very much proud I can see. But why you cannot see when you are blind? The eyes are there. Because the master has withdrawn the sight power. You can be happy with your decoration of the eyes, but you cannot see. So actually I do not see. Just like I have got this spectacle. The spectacle does not see; I am seeing. Similarly, with my eyes I am not seeing; Kṛṣṇa is seeing. Because Kṛṣṇa is seeing, therefore I am seeing. This is the Vedic version. You will find in Upaniṣad. Because the Supreme Brahman is seeing, therefore we are seeing. Because the Brahman is walking... There are many evidences. Just like this ear.

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-8 -- Calcutta, January 10, 1971:

So one may be not bewildered. They may criticize that it's too much, but it is not too much. It is actual fact. Actual fact. That is aparādha. One who thinks like that, that hari-nāma has not so much power that it can counteract, they are offender. For them it is not possible. But one who believes in the words of the śāstras, as it is stated here, for him it is actually effective. Artha-vāda. Out of ten offenses, artha-vāda, one who comments like that, that is artha-vāda, and that is offense. So those who are cultivating this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they should have firm faith in the statement of the śāstras that chanting of harer nāma is so powerful.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

So Durvāsā Muni, he was a great yogi. He became very much envious of this king, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, that "He is ordinary gṛhastha, dealing with politics, and I am a great yogi, known all over the universe, and he is more respected than me?" So he wanted to punish him to show him his yogic power. Sometimes the yogis, they get some power and misuse it for personal sense gratification. That is the pitfall of yogic perfection. Aiye. When one gets little power he misuses it and thereby falls down. So this Durvāsā Muni also, what to speak of other paltry yogis, even Durvāsā Muni, he became envious.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

This was his policy. So he was to give some bad name. So he became angry that "I am your guest and you have already taken, broken your ekādaśī fasting. So I shall teach you."

So he immediately ordered... He plucked one hair and a great demon came. So Durvāsā Muni made his caricature of yogic power, and Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was a devotee. He did not know anything, such magic. He was pure devotee, that's all. So he could simply stand: "All right. I am faulty. You can punish me." So this great demon was coming to kill him, and a devotee has no other way than to remember Kṛṣṇa, so immediately Kṛṣṇa's sudarśana-cakra came to protect him and the sudarśana-cakra immediately killed the demon.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

So this incidence... This Durvāsā Muni penetrated through the universe, went to the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, personally saw Viṣṇu. Still, he was not protected. And this time took about one year. So yogic power... My point was how yogis are powerful, that they cannot..., they can go through the space very swiftly. The modern scientists, they say that to go to the topmost planet within this universe, it will take forty thousands of years. That is their calculation. But this yogi, Durvāsā, could go through the universe—not only universe, other, Vaikuṇṭha—so, within one year. This is called yogic power. But still, he is not as powerful as the devotee. He had to come back and fall down at the lotus feet of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, and when Ambarīṣa Mahārāja excused him... He was a brāhmaṇa, yogi.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

So karmī, jñānī, yogis, they are all restless because they are carried away by the whims of mind. And a bhakta is fixed up. Bhajate mām ananya-bhak, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso. This is devotee. They do not like to show any power. Power is already there. Just see. This Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was not a yogi. He did not know. He was simply surrendered, simply fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. But he defeated this yogi. The yogi came and fell down at his feet. So a devotee does not require to acquire any yogic power or any jñāna-siddhi or this siddhi.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Perhaps you have seen in the Kumbha-melā some government officers were... They are also born in a brāhmaṇa family, and they are performing yajña. Actually the brāhmaṇas had so much power in those days that simply by mantra, they would ignite fire. The fire was not ignited by matches—by mantra. And the animal... Just like in medical science, in physiology sometimes experiment is made by plying the knife on some animal, similarly, how the yajña was being performed, that was tested by animal sacrifice. Animal sacrifice was not meant for killing one animal and eating. No. That the animal, an old animal, should be put into the yajña fire and he'll come out a young, with a young body, that was the test how Vedic mantras were being chanted powerfully.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

So the commissioner entrusted the inquiry to Kedāranātha Datta at that time. So Kedāranātha Datta, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, took the matter and went to inquire at that, in the village of Orissa, with some constables in plain dress. So when he went there... He had some yogic power, so immediately he could say, "Oh, your name is Kedarnatha Datta. I know you are very good man, but don't be after me. You will not be happy. And I shall elevate you to become the king of this country. Don't be after me." Now, if anyone... He was Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, a strong devotee. If any other person would have been addressed like that, he would be immediately puzzled: "How this man is talking about me, that I am Kedāranātha Datta, I am magistrate and...?" So he would not do anything.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

So nobody came forward to cut his jāta. So Bhaktivinoda: "All right, bring one scissor. I shall cut." So he personally cut, and personally cut, and that man became very thin immediately after cutting his jata. He had some power in the jāta. And he ordered six months' imprisonment. And in the prison he managed to take some poison and died. So devotees are so strong. They can know what is what. You see? He was not puzzled that "He is Viṣṇu and this..." No. So we should learn from the Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's treatment that this jugglery or this so-called power is not, no good for advancement in spiritual life. You have to follow the regulative principles as enjoined in the śāstra. Yaḥ śāstra vidhim utsṛjya. If you do not follow the injunction of the śāstra, then there is no possibility of attaining perfection.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971:

That is not their business, to follow. But they are very much eager to follow the footsteps of Lord Śiva for smoking gāñjā. But they do not know that Śiva, Lord Śiva, can drink an ocean of poison and he can keep it just here. He does not allow it go to the stomach. That is his power. He cannot... He does not allow the poison. Therefore His another name is Nīlakaṇṭha, Nīlakaṇṭha, Nīlakaṇṭha, because he keeps the poison here, kaṇṭha. It is called? Throat. Because he keeps the poison just on the door of the throat, he does not... That is Lord Śiva. Just like there are many fools who try to imitate Kṛṣṇa for performing the rāsa-līlā with women. But they cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa for killing Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, or lifting the Govardhana. That they do not follow. That is very difficult for them. The rascals, they take easily.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18-19 -- Gorakhpur, February 12, 1971:

They have got all the eight kinds of yogic perfection, Siddhaloka. Therefore they are called siddhas. They have got all the siddhis-bhukti, mukti, siddhi. Siddhi means perfection. So far as material world is concerned, a siddha can have anything he desires. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is called Yogeśvara. By yogic power one can have anything he desires. But that is not possible in this material world, but people try to achieve as far as possible these yogic powers. They are called eight kinds of siddhis, perfection. So there is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. So here it is meant, siddha-mukhyāḥ. Mukhya means the chief of the siddhas. They also cannot manufacture religion. Although they have got all the perfections of material existence, still, they cannot. Now, in this world, just like in Christian religion also... Because in... What is that king? John? He did not like that one man cannot marry more than once. He started the Protestant religion. Is it not?

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

Because he knows that those who are neophytes, if they imitate the chanting, they simply waste their time. Therefore, he should be engaged in other activities because he has got the power at the present moment, karma... Karma means activities. This whole world is full of activities. Therefore this karma should be changed into bhakti, in devotional service. He..., one must be engaged in that... It appears like karma, but it is not karma. It is bhakti. Here also... Just like Kṛṣṇa is doing something. That is not karma. That is transcendental. Similarly, a devotee in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for service of Kṛṣṇa, if he is engaged which looks superficially as karma, that is not karma. That is bhakti.

Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśa jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). We are eternal, and Kṛṣṇa is also eternal. That is qualitatively one. Kṛṣṇa is cetana, living force. We are also living force. So in that way, we are one in quality. But His living force and our living force, different in quality. His creative power, my creative power, your creative power, they are different. You can create a few skyscraper buildings, but Kṛṣṇa has created millions and trillions of universes. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. We are simply experiencing one jagad-aṇḍa, or universe, but there are jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi, there are millions and trillions of universes. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat.

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

Prabhupāda: No. God gives simply facility. That's all.

Guest (1): Therefore he must have the same power as God.

Prabhupāda: Not same power, but it has got a little independence.

Guest (1): It will exists on us.

Prabhupāda: Yes, independence. By misusing the independence, he can... Just like a child, a small child, and his father. The father gives the little child little independence. But the child is not as powerful as the father. But still, the father, out of affection, he gives little independence to the child. Even to the dog, a master gives a little independence to the dog. That is affection.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:

Five years old boy, and his father, the most powerful atheist king, and he was talking very freely. At last, when the boys was challenging always the father, the father inquired, "You rascal, under whose strength you talk with me so freely?" The boy replied, "My dear father, by whose power you are talking so freely, I am also talking by His power." (laughter) So that is the difference between atheist and theist. The child knew, "My dear father, you are so proud of your strength, of your material assets, but you do not know by whose grace you have got all these things. But I know. I know. Therefore by whose power you are so puffed up, by His power I am so humble." That is the difference. That is the difference. "The power is acting equally within you and within me, but you want to be puffed up, so He is helping you how you become more and more puffed up and go to hell." (laughter)

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

We have to maintain a big slaughterhouse. So dog has no problem, but we have got problems. Because we are misusing our advanced consciousness simply in the same way as the dog. Eating, sleeping, mating or defending. The dog has also defending power. As soon as another dog comes, "Bow, bow, bow." So similarly, we have got defending power, immigration department, visa department, this department, defensive department. What is this? This is all defense. So eating, sleeping, defense, or sex life is required, but you have got another prerogative. Consciousness. That is to be changed into, that is to be improved into Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. That is your duty.

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

With faith and devotion, always remembering Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, sa me yuktatamo mataḥ. Yoginām api sarveṣām, of all the yogis They have opened so many classes of yoga class, somebody is advertising that you can remain young, you can have better sex power or you can reduce your bodily fat. So that is also possible. That you can do by ordinary exercise. But real purpose of yoga is to concentrate the mind on Viṣṇu always. That is yoga. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest perfectional stage of yoga practice.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:

Guest (1): Yeah, okay, right. Transcendental meditation by the Maharishi is not a form of meditation under concentrating powers. I was wondering...

Prabhupāda: What is that transcendental meditation? Can you explain?

Guest (1): If I could I would do.

Prabhupāda: You cannot. You cannot explain?

Guest (2): I think he had an explanation.

Guest (3): We're talking of the teaching of the Maharishi.

Prabhupāda: So what is that teaching? You don't know. Then don't talk. (everyone laughs)

Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:

Prabhupāda: You cannot speak. It is secret?

Guest (1): It's not secret. If I speak it, I'll ruin the power. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Therefore, our mahā-mantra is so nice that as we chant this loudly, the power becomes loud. (laughter continues)

Guest (1): Okay, this is where the problem lies then. Because I think that that's fine. And I agree. And yet, I don't think there's just one mantra.

Prabhupāda: And there is no secret; it is open. It is open.

Guest (1): I don't think there's just one mantra, sir. I feel that the entire mantra would be Om. And so Hare Kṛṣṇa Rāma would be just one part of Om. Now, isn't that true?

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Vrndavana, December 7, 1975:

Even you go to the Brahmaloka or Indraloka, Candraloka... They are trying to go to the Candraloka. They are trying to go to the Candraloka, but they do not know where is Candraloka. They are going and coming, going and coming. So one must know it that "Even if I go to the Brahmaloka by our material power, that is also punar āvartino arjuna. That is bhavam āśritaḥ." So we should try to avoid the material existence and come to our original life, eternal life, blissful life, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). That is really solution of the problem, ksemāya. Kuśalaḥ ksemāya. So long this human body we have got, and especially young men, don't spoil it. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

So when Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, He showed that nobody in the history of the world is superior than Kṛṣṇa. He showed as much as possible you can understand. Otherwise, still He has got immense power, unlimited power. So the point is Prahlāda Mahārāja is trying to convince his demon... The demons cannot understand that the God can be a person. That is demoniac. They cannot... Because they cannot understand, the difficulty is a demon tries to understand God, comparing with himself.

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

He can change your destiny. That is Kṛṣṇa's power. Nobody can change, but He can change. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Suppose your life is full of sin, sinful actions. So your destiny is already there. But Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi, "I shall give you protection." So He can change what you (indistinct). You haven't got to undergo the result of your destiny. Brahma-saṁhitā also says, karmāṇi nirdahati ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). Bhakti-bhājām, those who are engaged in devotion, they are karmāṇi nirdahati.

Lecture on SB 7.7.46 -- San Francisco, March 22, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

You cannot touch it. So by nature, everything is hot or everything is spirit because it is coming from the spirit, by nature. Just like sunshine. Sunshine has got all the qualities of the sun. Sunshine has got temperature. Sunshine has got illuminating power as the original sun has got. Similarly, although the whole creation, whole manifestation, is the display of the energy of the Supreme Lord, they are not different in quality. In quality there is no difference. Just like the sunshine and the sun. It may be the temperature in the sun planet is very great. That's all right. But you cannot say that sun is hot, but the sunshine is cold. No. That cannot be. That cannot be. It may be the degree of temperature lesser, but there is temperature. That is the sign that it is coming, emanating from sunshine. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that this whole manifestation, there are different kinds of energy.

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1976:

That is education. This is not education, the technical education. Nowadays they are very much fond of technical education. That is temporary. That is not education. Electrician comes, suppose the power has failed, and he manipulates and brings the power, that is technical education, but real education is different. That is to understand the ātma-tattvam. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). Those who are fully absorbed in family life, gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām, they are apaśyatām ātma-tattvam, they cannot see what is real life, what is the goal of life. So here we see Prahlāda Mahārāja fell down immediately. That is real education, Brahmā asked him, "You just try to pacify," immediately he fell down. And Kṛṣṇa immediately became compassionate, sva-pāda-mūle patitaṁ tam arbhakaṁ vilokya.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1977:

There are many instances, dog have given the life for the master. So, and we should be dog to the Vaiṣṇava. Chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā, nistāra pāyeche kebā.

Vaiṣṇava aparādha is a great offense. You know Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. He was a devotee, and he Durvāsā, he was very proud of his yogic power, and he committed offense at the feet of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, and he was punished by Kṛṣṇa by sending the sudarśana-cakra. And he wanted help from so many, Brahmā, Viṣṇu. He could go directly to the Viṣṇuloka, but he was not pardoned. He had to come to Vaiṣṇava, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, fall down at his lotus feet. And he, of course, Vaiṣṇava, immediately excused him. So Vaiṣṇava aparādha is great offense, hātī-mātā. So we should be very careful about Vaiṣṇava aparādha. We should not Arcye viṣṇu śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇava-jāti-buddhiḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

The yogis can transfer. There are many yogis still, in India, that early in the morning they travel about four thousand miles within half an hour and take bath in four different pilgrimages within half an hour. Yes. So yogic powers are so... What yogis we have seen? Siddhaḥ, that is siddhaḥ. The demigods, siddhaḥ... There are persons; it is not story. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "These demigods, these great saintly persons, these siddhas, how they have become so powerful?" Sattvaikatāna: being situated in the material modes of goodness. If you put yourself, keep yourself in the modes of goodness, then you get more and more your spiritual power. And if you keep yourself in the modes of ignorance and passion, then you cannot make progress. You'll have to remain here or go down.

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

I also got this, by the same source. But you are revolted; I am not revolted. But the source is the same. You cannot be so powerful without Kṛṣṇa." Even the demons... The only difference is the demons wanted like that, so Kṛṣṇa has, "All right. You take this demonic power." That's all. But it is out of causeless mercy of Kṛṣṇa even the demons are so proud, but they have taken taken their mercy from Kṛṣṇa to go to hell. And the devotees take the mercy of Kṛṣṇa to render Him loving service. That is the difference between the demons and the devotees. Everyone achieves... Whatever facilities he has got in his life, it is all from Kṛṣṇa.

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

The king is asking that "Whatever you want, you ask from me. I shall give you," and if somebody asks from him, "Give me a plate of ashes," is that very nice? So that intelligence, the demons, they haven't got. They are asking from God that "Give me this. Give me riches. Give me power. Give me material name, fame. All these things give me. I don't want anything." So Kṛṣṇa is giving them.

So this demonic behavior was ended by Kṛṣṇa when it was too much, too much intolerable for the Lord. The demonic, the demons, are given all the chances: "All right, whatever you like, you do." But when the demonic power becomes too much excessive, at that time, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8), "For protecting the devotees and for killing the demons," Kṛṣṇa says, yuge yuge sambhavāmi: "I come down and appear on this earth in many million, millenniums."

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

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

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

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

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

This Mahā-Viṣṇu is portion of the portion of Kṛṣṇa's expansion. Just like Kṛṣṇa says... This Mahā-Viṣṇu and Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. When Kṛṣṇa... When Arjuna was asking Kṛṣṇa about His vibhūti, about His power. So He summarized, athavā bahunaitena kim jñātena tavārjuna, "How much I shall explain about My power and energy?" Vistabhya aham ekamsena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Aham, "I enter in one of My plenary portion, that is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, I maintain the whole material cosmic manifestation." Ekāṁśena sthito jagat.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

Guest: But if I were to enter politics and..., and suppose I were to attack some people who have actually the leadership of foreign powers or something like that, and newspaper man would tell my opponents that that man has... (break)

Prabhupāda: Newspaper man has poor vision. He's seeing "Indian" and "American" and "Canadian." So his vision is poor. If anyone thinks that "This Swamiji is coming from India, and the Americans or Canadians, they are offering their respect in that way," so he has to expand his vision in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

Therefore the first-class process of yoga is this bhakti-yoga. Simply you turn your attention to this vibration and chant it according to your capacity. It does not require any pre-education. Prahlāda Mahārāja said yathā manīṣam. Yathā manīṣam means "as far as it is in my power." So you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa as far as in your power. That means you can chant whenever it is possible. It is not that you have to go to a temple on a particular time and chant. No. While you are walking, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Practically we see, when we pass on the street, some of the children, seeing us, say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa." Even the children, they can also chant. It is so nice thing. Because they have no convention. So this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa will give him some effect. Yathā manīṣam sarvātmanā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Mayapur, February 20, 1976:

This is to be understood. Kṛṣṇa may expand Himself in so many forms, but still they are the same. In another place it is exemplified, dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya (Bs. 5.46). Just like one candle original, and a second candle, a third candle, a fourth candle... You light up many millions of candles, but they are of the same potency. The candle power is not reduced because we have ignited so many candles from the original. No. Advaitam, acyut... Pūrṇasya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate. Even though Kṛṣṇa expands Himself in millions and millions and forms, still, all of them are the..., of the same potency. That is called sattva-dhāmnaḥ. So there are different types of expansion of Kṛṣṇa. They are called vibhinnāṁśa, svāṁśa. Kṛṣṇa expands Himself svāṁśa. That is Viṣṇu-tattva. That is advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam (Bs. 5.33). Then vibhinnāṁśa: mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhutaḥ (BG 15.7). Jīva also expansion of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.16 -- Mayapur, February 23, 1976:

Prabhupāda: "Power"? "Other conditioned"? Grasatām? Grasatām means "taken over." Is it not?

Devotee: Grasatām: "taken."

Prabhupāda: "Taken over." There is some word. Praṇītaḥ. (break)

Dayānanda: "O my Lordship, You are so kind upon the fallen souls. O the most powerful, insurmountable by anyone else, on account of my resultant action of activities, I have been put into the association of asuras, and therefore I am very much afraid of my condition of life within this material world. Of course, if You become very pleased upon me, I am waiting for that moment when You will call me to take shelter under Your lotus feet, which is the ultimate goal of life for being liberated from this conditional life."

Lecture on SB 7.9.16 -- Mayapur, February 23, 1976:

That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prayer, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). A devotee does not aspire of being born in a very rich family or getting very nice wife and many controlling power, much controlling power. They do not want. Mama janmani... Neither a devotee wants (to) stop birth and death, because he has no desire. That is called akāmī. A devotee has no desire to fulfill. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaj says,

bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami sakali 'aśānta'

kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva 'śānta'

(CC Madhya 19.149)

Niṣkāma, no desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11)—this is devotee, no desire. "As You..." As Kṛṣṇa likes. Simply how to take charge of serving the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.

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

Therefore he especially mentioned, līlā-kathās tava nṛsiṁha viriñca-gītāḥ: "which is given by mahājanas like Brahmā." Just like we offer prayers from Brahma-saṁhitā. We cannot offer prayer from any other persons, written by any other nonsense. No, that is not possible. Viriñca-gītāḥ. There is power. If you recite the prayers composed by mahājana, it has got spiritual power. Just like in your country, Mr. Max Mueller, he's very famous as translator of Vedas. But... Many scholars, they have read the translation of Max Mueller, but nobody could understand what is the purpose of Vedas because he's not in the line. He's useless. Similarly, that French professor, he has mentioned specially... In comparison to my writing—he has rejected even Aurobindo and Dr. Radhakrishnan. Yes, that is right. What Dr. Radhakrishnan, Aurobindo, knows about Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because they are not in the line.

Lecture on SB 7.9.23 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1976:

Everyone has experience what is the situation of this material world. Every day we have seen big, big leaders, ministers. Just like in the history of the world there were so many big, big men—Hitler, Napoleon, this Churchill, Gandhi, Nehru. But all their powers, position, in one minute it becomes vanquished. There is no question... They are so proud, they do not believe in God, but when the death comes, they cannot argue anything. The death orders, "Immediately vacate"—finished. You have to vacate. At that time their power, opulence, position—nothing can help. So Kṛṣṇa says, therefore... The atheist class of men who do not believe in God, decry the authority of God, for them... Of course, everyone dies, but for them, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham: (BG 10.34) Kṛṣṇa comes as death and takes away everything in their possession.

Lecture on SB 7.9.23 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1976:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, although a child only, but because he is devotee, he experienced. He's experienced that "My father was so strong that even the denizens of heavenly planets, Indra, Candra, Varuṇa and others, they are all afraid of Hiraṇyakaśipu. If by austerity, penance, he got so much power that even the chiefs of the higher planetary system, they were afraid of..." Vijṛmbhita-bhrū. "Hiraṇyakaśipu will stare his eyes and move his eyebrow. The other demigods, they'll be afraid, such powerful." Ye asmat pituḥ. Ye, the chiefs of the higher planetary system, they have got very long duration of life. In the higher planetary system, everyone has got hundred years maximum period of life, but as I was explaining, everything is relative. The ant's hundred years of life is not equal to my hundred years of life. It is relative.

Lecture on SB 7.9.23 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1976:

So just imagine what is their duration of... Āyuḥ. And so far strength is concerned, that, the Indra is in charge of thunderbolt, so when Indra throws the the thunderbolts to scatter the cloud, we have experience how terrible sound it is. So they have got so long duration of life, strength, administrative power and so many things. Still, they were afraid of Hiraṇyakaśipu, still... In spite of possessing so much big, big possessions. Akhila-dhiṣṇya-pānām āyuḥ śriyo vibhava. And everyone, icchati, everyone desires. "If I could live so many years like Brahmā"—everyone is aspiring. Therefore they want to be promoted to the higher planetary system for which they perform yajña to be promoted. In this life they struggle, the karmīs. They struggle to become prime minister and Birla and this and that.

Lecture on SB 7.9.23 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1976:

You'll not be killed in the sky or the water or the land," so many ways. But Brahmā did not give him the benediction of becoming immortal. He first of all wanted, "Make me immortal." So "That is not possible because I am... Myself is not immortal. How can I give you?" So he took indirectly how to become immortal. And by austerity he got all these powers so that even the demigods were afraid of him.

But Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "Such a big powerful demon as my father, he is also finished in one minute. One minute. And therefore..." Ye asmat pituḥ. The demigods were afraid of, very much afraid. Therefore when he was killed everyone became very pleased. There(fore) Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "Nobody is unhappy on account of death of my father."

Lecture on SB 7.9.27 -- Mayapur, March 5, 1976:

We can see simply with our eyes, but Kṛṣṇa can see with all the... Añgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. You have seen. Kṛṣṇa is playing the flute. The fingers are open. A finger touching: "What you are doing?" We do not know the fingers can also see. But this is absolute. Kṛṣṇa can use His any energy, any power, any part of the body, for anything else. This is Kṛṣṇa. Añgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti.

So Kṛṣṇa can see within our mind how much we are surrendered and how much we are after material enjoyment. Therefore the best thing is we have to make zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Śūnyam means zero. Unless we make everything zero, simply Kṛṣṇa fact... Kṛṣṇa is only fact, and everything zero. Without Kṛṣṇa, everything zero.

Lecture on SB 7.9.30 -- Mayapur, March 8, 1976:

Those who are actually devotee, just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, such devotee can understand it is only Kṛṣṇa. He is, by His unlimited power, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇaḥ, He is exhibiting in different ways. Ekas tvam eva jagad etam amuṣya yat tvam ādyam. The same thing you'll find. Vedic literature means there is no contradiction. Either you read this Veda or that Veda, it is not... People who are foolish, who cannot understand, they sometimes see contradiction. No. There is no contradiction. Same one law. Therefore, because we are limited, or our knowledge is limited, imperfect, therefore we should not argue. We shall accept what is stated in the Veda. And if we argue, then we'll find unnecessarily contradiction and we'll be misled. Don't argue.

Lecture on SB 7.9.32 -- Mayapur, March 10, 1976:

We can manufacture a flying machine, 747, but we cannot manufacture a flying machine like that microbic ant. That is not possible.

So this is God's creation, everything wonderful. But still, He's above, turya. He's not within this creation. He's creating, but he's not within it. Etad īśanam iṣasya. This is called godly power. He is within everything and He is without still. So that is understood here. Nyasyedam ātmani jagat vilayāmba-madhye. Amba-madhye... Yaḥ kāraṇārṇava-jale bhajati sma yoga-nidram ananta (Bs. 5.47). He appears to be sleeping. Ananta-kāle. Again creation and, what is called, annihilation is going on. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ, viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā (Bs. 5.48). This creation and annihilation is going on continually. And what is the time difference?

Lecture on SB 7.9.33 -- Mayapur, March 11, 1976:

There is fight, the United Nation. What is this United Nation nonsense? Assembly of rascals and fools, that's all. (laughter) Because they have got this bodily concept of life we can say, freely. There is no—what is called?—defaming. Everyone, fools and rascals. How we can say? On the strength of Vedic knowledge. This is our power. Otherwise how we can challenge the United Nation that "You are all assembly of fools and rascals"? This is Vedic knowledge. We can say and prove it, that they are all fools and rascals from the spiritual point of view because they do not know their identification. This is the first education, to know one's identification. That is being taught by Sanātana Gosvāmī and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was prime minister. He knew himself, Sanātana Gosvāmī, that he was prime minister of Hussain Shah and he's coming of very learned brāhmaṇa family. He knew it.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Calcutta, March 23, 1976:

So all the Vaiṣṇavas, especially those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... Prahlāda Mahārāja will speak later on that "Sir, I am not inclined at all to go alone to Vaikuṇṭha. I must take them all with me. Otherwise I don't want." Prahlāda Mahārāja is devotee. He can ask Kṛṣṇa the power, "Give me such power that along with me I shall take all of them." And that is Vaiṣṇava. He can do so. Vaiṣṇava ṭhākura, tomāra kukkura, boliyā janaha more. Therefore we have to become a dog to Vaiṣṇava. Chādīyā vaiṣṇava sevā, nistar payeche kebā. Without serving Vaiṣṇava, nobody can be delivered, because he is so merciful, he can demand to Kṛṣṇa, "Please, on my sake please excuse him. I'll take him with me." So Kṛṣṇa grants him, "All right, you take them." That Vaiṣṇava is such...

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Calcutta, March 23, 1976:

There is no difference. But that does not mean, like Māyāvādī, that bhagavad-bhakta is also God. No. That is explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī. Sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **. Bhakta bhagavān, bhagavān bhakta. Vaiṣṇava, he is equally good like God. Sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. But he's so power... He's more than. Sometimes he's more powerful than Bhagavān. Just like materially, if somebody sees that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, is now spread all over the world. Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu could not do it," that does not mean that I am great than Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This does not mean. We are servant. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Bhagavān keeps some work to be done by His devotee to give the credit to the devotee. This is Bhagavān.

Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976:

Bhāgavatam means it is full of topics of Kṛṣṇa and His devotee. That is Bhāgavatam. And Bhagavad-gītā is full of instruction given by Kṛṣṇa. Why don't you talk about that? Caitanya-caritāmṛta... We have got so many books. This should be our principle; we should not talk any nonsense. That is called yata-vāk. Yata-vāk means gontrolling the talking power. Yata-vāk. Samāhitaḥ, very sober. Try to become sober, don't talk nonsense, and abide by the orders of guru and śāstra. In this way training begins. It does not mean that you have to learn very big grammatical rules and... No. That you shall see later on. First of all build up character. Then it will be helpful to make further progress in spiritual life.

Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976:

So this increasing the artificial necessities of life is possible when there is no higher thought. After all, we are thoughtful. We have got better consciousness in the human form of life than the animals. Our consciousness is developed. But because in this age, material world, we have no spiritual idea, so whatever power we have got in thinking, we are trying to increase artificially material way of life. "The idle brain is a devil's workshop."

So this is called anartha. Anartha means things which are not wanted. This is the distinction between East and West. If I can lie down... The Eastern civilization is that "If I can lie down on the floor, where is the necessity of a bedstead or a cot? There is no.

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

We are talking of Prahlāda Mahārāja's prayer. He was thinking himself unfit for offering prayers to the Lord. But still, because he was requested by the great demigods headed by Lord Brahmā and others, he thought that material qualification, namely high parentage, riches, beauty, bodily strength, yogic power, all of them are not qualification for becoming a devotee or qualified to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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

These things I have already explained. Dhana means riches; abhijana means aristocratic family; bala means bodily strength; buddhi, intelligence; pauruṣa, power in endeavor, industrious. These are material qualification. And the yoga, aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, that is also material. By exercising the body to concentrate the mind, that is also material. Because mind is material, subtle form of matter. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Mind, intelligence, ego, ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. So they are subtle form of matter. So yogic exercise means to control the mind, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā. In order to make the mind controlled and fully fixed up on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is required in yoga meditation. Dhyānāvasthita, one remains in meditation. What for?

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

And you remain in your position. We don't want to disturb your position. Whatever you are, you remain. But you hear about Kṛṣṇa. Then gradually Kṛṣṇa will be conquered by you. Ajita Allah(?) Kṛṣṇa.

So these things, people think that these riches or yogic power or bodily strength or influence, these are qualification. They are not actually qualification, neither they are disqualification if provided. But the difficulty is, one who is rich, one who is very powerful, one who is very influential, he thinks, "What shall I do by hearing about Kṛṣṇa? I have got everything, I am so powerful, I am so rich." That is the disqualification. If he simply agrees to hear about Kṛṣṇa, then it is all right. We, according to Gosvāmīs, we don't say that riches, wealth, is a disqualification. But it must be engaged in the service of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

Another place Kṛṣṇa says, vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). Atītāni, atītāni means past. Vartamānāni ca, "and present." So that is yogic power. One can know past, present, and future.

So here Śukadeva Gosvāmī is speaking about this Kali-yuga. The Kali-yuga means the fourth age. There are four different kinds of ages: Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, and Kali-yuga. Just like there are six seasons, or four seasons in a year, similarly, in one day of Brahmā there are one hundred cycles of four yugas. Four yugas means forty-three thousand..., forty-three hundred thousands of years. It is a very long period. That is the duration of four yugas. Similarly, one thousand yugas passes, then one day of Brahmā finished, twelve hours. It is a big calculation.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

So how they will be settled? Kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi: by might. If one has... "Might is right." That "Might is right." There is no reason. "Why you are doing against religious principle?" If I ask, if you are powerful, stronger than me, you'll say, "Yes! I can do that. What is that? What for you? What is that to you?" So balam eva hi. If anyone is powerful in power, oh, he can act against the rules and regulations of religious or scriptural injunctions. Nobody can protest.

Dharma-nyāya-vyavasthāyāṁ kāraṇaṁ balam eva hi. Dāmpatye abhirucir hetur māyaiva vyāvahārike. Dāmpatye. Dāmpatye means making husband and wife relationship. Abhiruciḥ. Abhiruciḥ means liking. A boy likes another girl, and the girl likes another boy. That's finished. Let them become husband and wife.

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:

Why they were pious? Because they were also governed. The kings were governed by first-class brāhmaṇas, sages. The brāhmaṇas should not take part in the management of the government, but they would advise the kṣatriya kings that "You rule over the citizens like this." If the king would not do that, the brāhmaṇas had so much power—there are many instances—they will dethrone the king or kill him. But they will not occupy the power themselves. His son will be given the chance. This was the system.

So that Parīkṣit Mahārāja was condemned to death within seven days. That is also very nice, interesting. Not interesting very much. It is very sorry plight, that Parīkṣit Mahārāja was cursed by a brāhmaṇa boy to die within seven days, bitten by a snake. What was the incident? The incident was that Mahārāja Parīkṣit was in the forest, hunting. Hunting is allowed only to the kṣatriya kings.