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Propound (Lectures, Conv. and Letters)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

So here we should always understand that if we sincerely and seriously take up the message of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any, I mean to say, adulteration... Sometimes it is adulterated by... Because Bhagavad-gītā is a very authoritative book, and it is popular all over the world, sometimes people take advantage of this book and present their own theory in an adulterated way. Not to speak of others... I may tell you frankly that even in our country, the greatest, I mean to, saintly politician, Mahatma Gandhi, he propounded a philosophy of nonviolence. Perhaps you know, every one of you, that he propounded nonviolence, and he wanted to prove nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā. He has got an annotation of Bhagavad-gītā, and he has tried to prove that Bhagavad-gītā, there is proof, nonviolence. But actually, Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken in the battlefield, where everyone is prepared to start violence. Simply for a moment, when Arjuna was disturbed in his mind, that "How can I fight with my relatives and friends and sons and grandsons and so, so many things?" Bodily relations. And the Bhagavad-gītā was spoken. So that is a practical thing that Bhagavad-gītā was practically spoken to induce Arjuna to adopt violence. Now, Mahatma Gandhi, his philosophy was nonviolence. How could he prove that Bhagavad-gītā gives evidence of nonviolence? No. Therefore, anyone, Mahatma Gandhi or anyone, who has got his own ulterior motive, to prove it from the topics of Bhagavad-gītā, he must adulterate it. But that is not the process of reading Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā, how to read Bhagavad-gītā, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. When we come to the Fourth Chapter, we'll know. So anyway, apart from the process of... But rest assured, we are speaking here of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We are not going to add, add in it something for fulfilling our own philosophy, our own points of view.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- New York, April 8, 1973:

So simply to do these business does not mean human being. Then human, the mission of human being will not be fulfilled. There must be the four classes of men, as Kṛṣṇa recommends: cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). There must be a brahminical class of men, a kṣatriya class of men, a vaiśya class... There are already. But they're not very scientifically settled, as it is propounded in the Bhagavad-gītā. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). These are guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. Guna means according to quality. So in India, these four classes of men are there, but they are in the name. Actually it is also in the chaotic condition. Because nobody is following the prescription as given by Bhagavad-gītā, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. In India, although a person born in a brāhmaṇa family, but his guṇa, qualities, are less than śūdra, but still he's being accepted as a brāhmaṇa. That is the difficulty. Therefore, India's condition is so chaotic.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

So if we execute this devotional service, rāja-vidyā, then we can go back to home, be transferred to the spiritual world. They do not know. Aśraddadhānaḥ. Then, aprāpya mām: they do not know how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Aprāpya. Then what happens? Aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). He remains here in this material world and goes on transforming, transmigrating from one body to another, one body to another. And we should know, we should be very responsible that what kind of body we are getting next. If you don't care... Big, big professors, big, big learned scholars, they say that after finishing the body... Our men in Delhi, New Delhi, they are making some life members amongst the parliamentary M.P.s. So one M.P. said that "We don't believe in this. The last perfection is to become zero, to become zero." Because they cannot think, those who are materialist, they cannot think that there is another, spiritual world. They, they cannot think. Therefore this zero theory, śūnyavāda, was propounded by Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha propounded śūnyavāda, because the people are so rascal, they could not understand. There was no necessity. There was no necessity. He simply said nirvāṇa: "Stop this nonsense material life." But after material life, what is there, that He did not reveal, because these fools and rascal will not understand. Therefore He did not say. Śūnyavāda: make it śūnya.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

So we have been discussing about the incarnation of Kapiladeva, devahūti-putra Kapiladeva, the propounder of Sāṅkhya-yoga. So in the previous verse He has been explained as bhagavān ātma-māyayā. Bhagavān... Bhaga means opulence, and vān means "one who possesses." Bhagavat-śabda. In Sanskrit, when the meaning is "one possesses," then these pratyayas are used, vat-pratyaya, mat-pratyaya. So the real word is bhagavat-śabda, and the first word is bhagavān. So bhaga means opulence. So all the opulences are there in Bhagavān.

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

So sad-dharma... Here it is said, namāmi sad-dharma-vidāṁ variṣṭham: "There are many propounder of sad-dharma. But actually, You are the best of the propounders of the sad-dharma because You know the reality." And that is the actual reality. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam... (BG 18.66). That is sad-dharma. So the Gosvāmīs worked... Sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. So these Gosvāmīs, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's direct disciples, they tried to establish sad-dharma, and we are trying to follow their footprints, footsteps, to establish real dharma all over the world. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Los Angeles, November 10, 1968:
...this Sāṅkhya philosophy is very much well-known, especially in the Western world. The propounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy, Kapiladeva, son of Devahūti, is the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. He says that yoga ādhyātmikaḥ puṁsāṁ mato niḥśreyasāya me (SB 3.25.13). Niḥśreyasāya: ultimate benediction. Śreyaḥ and preyaḥ, there are two things. One is called preyaḥ. Preyaḥ means immediately pleasing. And śreyaḥ means ultimately benefit, benediction. Generally, conditioned souls, they are attracted with immediate pleasing things.
Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

So Kapiladeva is the propounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy. This is original Kapiladeva. Later on, there was another Kapiladeva, so he is called the atheist Kapila. And this Kapiladeva is known as Devahūti-putra, "the son of Devahūti" Kapila. So sāṅkhya-yoga, the later atheist Kapila's sāṅkhya-yoga, is different from this sāṅkhya-yoga. The atheist Kapila's sāṅkhya-yoga is analysis of the material elements. So this analysis of material elements by the atheist Kapila is very much liked by the Western philosophers. And the sāṅkhya-yoga explained, propounded, by Devahūti-putra Kapila is practically unknown.

Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

Scriptures, even you take the Vedic scriptures, there are so many: four Vedas... Some of them are following the Yajur-veda, some of them following Ṛg-veda, some of them Sāma-veda, Atharva-veda. Then there are Upaniṣads. Then there are Purāṇas, then Brahma-sūtra, the Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata. They are all right. But because I am ill-advised, I take conclusion differently. Śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Or you take Bible or Koran. So by simply reading all the scriptures, it is very difficult also. So śrutayo vibhinnā nāsāv munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. Muni, means thoughtful men, philosophers, they are also defeating, one thoughtful man, another thoughtful man. Unless he defeats another man, philosopher, he does not become a very big philosopher. Therefore it is said, nāsāv munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. Why? You cannot become a muni unless you propound a different system of philosophy. So this is the position. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. Therefore the truth of spiritual life is very complicated. It is very difficult to understand. Then how I shall be able to understand? The conclusion is mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). You follow the mahājana. Out of these twelve mahājana, you follow any one of them, and you will be successful.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

So the perfection of these activities, of the soul, that he has got already indriyas... We are acting with our hands, legs, ears, eyes, nose, everything, karmendriya. Ten kinds of activities are being performed by the senses, and there are five kinds of sense objects, tanmātra, fifteen, and the eight elements material, earth, water, fire. So fifteen and eight, twenty-three, and the soul. This is twenty-four. That is the subject matter of Sāṅkhya philosophy, how these twenty-four different items are combined together and work. This is the study of Sāṅkhya philosophy. Yesterday we talked about sāṅkhyam. Tattvāmnāyaṁ yat pravadanti sāṅkhyam. So there is material Sāṅkhya philosophers. They (they're) simply satisfied, simply studying these twenty-four types of elements. But the real Sāṅkhya philosophy, as propounded by Kapiladeva, that is bhakti. That is... He has said, bhakti-vitāna-yogam. The activities of the spiritual field, that is Sāṅkhya philosophy, not of the material fields. In the material field you will find these twenty-four kinds of elements analyzed, but beyond these twenty-four there is soul, and the soul is acting. That is called spiritual activities, or bhakti-yoga.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

So this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa is canvassing. He comes there occasionally. He comes once in the day of Brahmā, and the Brahmā's days is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). It means four, forty-three lakhs of years, add three zeros, some crores of years after, Kṛṣṇa comes once in Brahmā's days. Yadā yadā hi... That is just like the sun rises early in the morning, say, after twelve years, er, twelve hours. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's coming here, there is calculation in the śāstra. He comes once in a day of Brahmā. Means some crores of years after He comes. So things deteriorate. And not only He comes as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, He comes at a certain period, and still, the His incarnations also come to educate these foolish people who are thinking that "We are living very happily," to canvass them, to say the same thing. Similarly, Kapiladeva also, He is propounding the Sāṅkhya philosophy. This is Sāṅkhya philosophy. What Kapiladeva is saying, Sāṅkhya philosophy, means unalloyed devotion to the Lord. That is Sāṅkhya philosophy. There is another Sāṅkhya philosophy. He also imitated the name of Kapila, but he is atheist Sāṅkhya philosophy. But here we should remember Sāṅkhya philosophy originally propounded by Kapiladeva, the son of Devahūti.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

The Kapiladeva, the son of Devahūti, explained to His mother. The mother wanted to know from the son. His father left home, and the mother was kept by the, at the care of his son, grown-up son. That is Vedic system, that when the son is grown up, the mother should be left at the care of the grown-up son, and the father should leave. He should become vānaprastha or sannyāsa, no more connection with wife. This is Vedic system. So Kapiladeva's father, Kardama Muni, he left home, and he kept his wife under the care of Kapiladeva, and He is propounding this Sāṅkhya philosophy. And today's verse is na anyatra mad bhagavataḥ: "Without Him, without taking shelter of bhagavataḥ, Bhagavān..." Bhagavān means ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa, almighty Lord. Nobody can give you protection. Just like when one is condemned to death by the justice, so there is no other way to save him than by the mercy of the king or the president—he can save—similarly, we are all condemned. We are suffering this material condition of life, constantly a chain of body, and suffering the threefold miseries. Tīvraṁ bhayam. This is very fierceful, but we do not understand. We are living in such condition. But by the spell of māyā we are thinking we are very happy. But that is not actual fact. It is tīvraṁ bhayam.

Lecture on SB 3.26.45 -- Bombay, January 20, 1975:

Everywhere, Kṛṣṇa is there. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). The materialistic scientists, they take the ultimate cause of this material world: the atom. Now this atomic theory, paramāṇu. Paramāṇu. You have seen the paramāṇu. In your room, if there is a hole and sunshine is coming through that hole, you will find in that sunshine, sun rays, there are millions of small particles. That is called paramāṇu. Aṇu, paramāṇu. So then there is aṇu also, smaller than that. Six aṇus combined together becomes a paramāṇu. So the paramāṇuvāda... I forget the ṛṣi's name who propounded the philosophy of paramāṇuvāda, that the material creation is combination of these atomic particles, paramāṇuvāda. But now the scientists they are studying the paramāṇu, atom, also. They are finding still subtle elements. They say "proton and electron," like that, still finer. In this way you cannot go ultimately to the finest material being. And even if you go, still, there is no solution. You will find something else within it working.

Lecture on SB 5.5.30 -- Vrndavana, November 17, 1976:

So our preaching is like that. Śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya prabhu nityānanda. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥv. This process is adopted not by rascals. Su-medhasaḥ, those who have got good brain, they will take it. So very simple thing, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu is approved by the ācāryas, by big, big scholars. So you have no fear of falling down. So take Caitanya Mahāprabhu's first mercy, and then preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You'll be successful. It is not possible nowadays to imitate Ṛṣabhadeva. Just like the Jains, they imitate that. What their imitation...? Not a single Jain up till now has become perfectly in the renounced order of life. So they say so. It was imitated by one king in the South India, and he is the originator, propounder of the Jainism. They say. But you cannot imitate Ṛṣabhadeva. That is not possible in this age. Better try to follow the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Kṛṣṇa. Your life will be perfect.

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

Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam. Śūnyam means zero. We are singing, āra nā kariha mane āśā **. Make all... They could not understand. They are so much atheistic that it was impossible for them to understand what is God, what is devotion. So therefore Lord Buddha propounded the philosophy, "Make all your nonsense activities zero, so much. First of all make zero, then positive we shall say." That is zero movement, śūnyavādī. At least, if a rascal children is always doing something nonsense, then first of all stop him. Make him zero. Then good lesson: "Come. Do this." So this Buddhist movement means to make their atheistic activities zero. At least that is good. It is better not to... Maunam, silent. Instead of talking all nonsense, better be silent; don't create disturbance. So... And the other movement, nirviśeṣa-vādī, are giving little hint, Śaṅkarācārya, Māyāvāda, that "Yes, this zero is not sufficient. There is positive." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. His movement was that "This material world is false; make it zero. But there is a positive thing which is Brahman." What is that Brahman, he did not disclose.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.118-121 -- San Francisco, February 24, 1967:

Just see. Suppose a rich man comes into this store, so he becomes poor just like us. Because he has kindly come here in this store, so because we are all poor men, he'll also becomes poor man? This is the reason. But these are all nonsense. Nārāyaṇa never becomes poor. The poor, poverty-stricken man, all these things are for the jīvas, the living entities. Nārāyaṇa is never poor. Nārāyaṇa is never under ignorance. Nārāyaṇa never becomes dog. We become dog. We become cat. You should always... Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore rejects, that "This sort of philosophy propounded by Śaṅkara is a great mistake because he has minimized the value of the Supreme Lord. By making a dog a god, he has insulted God. Therefore this Māyāvāda philosophy is the most offensive activities of the living being." So you should be very, very careful, very careful. Hena jīva-tattva lañā likhi' para-tattva. "And I have just studied the ordinary living entities, and I am speaking of the Absolute Truth? Oh, this is the greatest nonsensical activity." Ācchanna karila śreṣṭha īśvara-mahattva: "By this the glorification of the Lord has been diminished, and therefore it is a great offense."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Svayambhūr nāradaḥ. Svayambhūḥ is Brahmā; Nārada; then Śambhu, Lord Śiva. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ (SB 6.3.20). Kapila. Kapila is incarnation of God, Kapiladeva, the propounder of the Sāṅkhya philosophy. Kumāra, the four Kumāras, ever brahmacārī. And Manu, Vaivasvata Manu, the father of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. And Prahlāda, the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu. The father was atheist and the son was a devotee, great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Then Janaka Mahārāja, the father of Sītādevī. And Bhīṣma, the grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas. Prahlādo janako bhīṣmaḥ. Then Vaiyāsaki, Śukadeva Gosvāmī; and Yamarāja, they are authorities.

General Lectures

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 6, 1971:

Just like Svayambhū, Lord Brahmā, Nārada Muni... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Śambhu, Lord Śiva. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kaumāraḥ, kapilo manuḥ. Kaumāra, the four Kumāras, Sanat Kumāra, Sunanda, these four Kumāras, and kumāraḥ kapila, Kapiladeva, the original propounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy, Kapiladeva; and Manu, you know, Manu-saṁhitā, the law-giver to the mankind, Svayambhuva Manu, Manu. And Prahlāda Mahārāja, whose instructions we were discussing in the morning. Prahlādo janaka-rāja bhīṣma, the grandfather of the Kurus. Vaiyāsaki, Śukadeva Gosvāmī; or Bali Mahārāja, a grandson of Prahlāda Mahārāja, he is also an authority. And Yamarāja, he is also authority. So we have to follow these authorities. Otherwise, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām: we cannot understand the secrecy of religion. So all these twelve mahājanas, they are great devotees of the Lord. Therefore they have become mahājanas, authorized persons.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:

These are the challenges by Kṛṣṇa. And I cannot understand how Kṛṣṇa is accepted as ordinary person. Then either you don't believe in Bhagavad-gītā... That is a different thing. But don't try to malinterpret, wrongly interpret Bhagavad-gītā in your own way. That will not help you. You can propound your own philosophy as you like. Everyone has got the right. Nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam: "One cannot be a philosopher, muni, thoughtful man, unless he has got a different philosophy." That's a fact. Everyone wants to propound a type of philosophical method and tries to become famous. That is the natural way. But you make your philosophical presentation in different way. You have got right. But don't try to interpret in Bhagavad-gītā in your own way. That cannot be accepted. And that will not give you the effect of Bhagavad-gītā. You have to accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is.

Lecture on Science of Krsna -- Hyderabad, April 14, 1975:

One with specific difference. And the Māyāvādī philosophers, they say, "No, there is no specific difference. This is māyā." But we Vaiṣṇava, we don't say that. That sunshine is sunshine, sun globe is sun globe, and Sun-god is Sun-god. But taken together, they are all one. Diversity in unity. That is viśiṣṭa-advaitavāda. So actually, all the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Nimbārka, and Viṣṇu Svāmī, there is no difference of opinion, but they have explained the Absolute Truth more vividly in their own angle of vision. Otherwise there is no difference. They never say that God and the living being are one. They will never say that. That is not Vaiṣṇava philosophy. That is Māyāvāda philosophy. So the propounder of Māyāvāda philosophy is Śaṅkarācārya and other Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī, practically they are all one opinion. There is no, they differ from Śaṅkarācārya.

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

Besides that, Kṛṣṇa proved Himself from His very childhood. When He was a small child on the lap of His mother, beginning from that, up to the time of His disappearance from this world, oh, He played everything just like God. There is no comparison. He... Those who have read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are acquainted with the activities of Kṛṣṇa. I am speaking this for people who are outside the scope of Vedic religion. Those who are in the Vedic religion, all of them, they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no doubt about it. So far our Vedic religion is concerned, the propounder of the Vedic religions in India still existing, still continuing, the ācāryas, just like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, these ācāryas... The followers, the whole Hindu community or the whole Indian nation, they are followers of these ācāryas. Jarāsandha: "One must worship the principle of ācārya." Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who has accepted ācārya, he knows what is knowledge." Ācāryavan puruso veda. In this way all the ācāryas, they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 14, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: Śaṁbhu is another name of Lord Śiva, Śaṁbhu. Svayaṁbhur nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). He is called Svayaṁbhuḥ, and Śiva is called Śaṁbhu. Vaiṣṇavānām yathā śaṁbhuḥ. Svayaṁbhur nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ kumārāḥ kapilo manuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Kumārāḥ. There is a sampradāya from Kumāra, four Kumāras, brahmacārīs. They were sons of Brahmā. When they were born, Lord Brahmā said that "You now make, marry and produce. We want population." In the creation, in the beginning. So they refused. "Oh, we are not going to marry. We shall remain brahmacārī, devotee." Then Lord Brahmā was angry. "Oh, you are refusing your father's order?" So from when he was angry, his eyes became red. From that, Śiva was born. Therefore his name is Rudra. Rudra means anger. So when Lord Śiva becomes angry, the whole thing is finished.

Allen Ginsberg: Yes.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Svayaṁbhur nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ kumārāḥ kapilaḥ (SB 6.3.20). Kapila, Lord Kapila, the propounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy, he is also accepted as incarnation of God, Kapila. And Manu. Manu, father of mankind, who has given the Manu-saṁhitā, lawbook. In that law it is stated, na strīyāṁ svatantratam arhati: "Woman does not deserve independence." Manu has given this. Yes. This is Manu-smṛti. So Vedic culture means to follow the regulative principle.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 25, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. He must again become. Sambhavāmi yuge yuge. We must see that He comes. We are all praying sincerely that "Let God come now. Enough of this time!"

Prabhupāda: He has come already.

Dr. Patel: That is why some people say that...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: ...Kalki-avatāra is born with...

Prabhupāda: Not Kalki-avatāra. This Hari-nāma avatāra. Yes. Nāma-rūpe kali-kāle kṛṣṇa avatāra. Kṛṣṇa, in this age, He has descended in the form of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nāma-rūpe kali-kāle kṛṣṇa avatāra. The name is already there. It is being propounded all over the world.

Guest (1): (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation with Mr. Deshimaru -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: "Me" means from the spiritual master. If you don't work for Viṣṇu, Yajña, yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ anyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9), then you will be entangled in this birth and death. Just like if I do not know what is healthy life, then, if I live whimsically then I will infect so many contaminous disease, and I will have to suffer one after another, one after another, one after another. Therefore the aim is Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). These people, they do not know that what is the aim of life, the aim is Viṣṇu. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are implicated with the external energy, therefore very much anxious to mitigate this suffering, mitigate that suffering, mitigate that suffering, that suffering, that suf... The suffering will never end. Simply they will be bewildered, one after another, one after another, sometimes man's life, sometimes a dog's life, sometimes cat's life. That's life. So this kind of philosophy is propounded by blind men. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. One blind man is guiding another blind man without knowing the strict, stringent laws of nature. (aside:) There is one bead lying for three hundred years there. Whose? He has taken initiation. He does not know where is the bead? On the... There is a bead. Just see.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Stop now. Don't divert attention.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a letter from Śrī Ambarish Sarkar, General Secretary of the Nadia District Congress Committee. "I had an opportunity to visit the Śrī Māyāpura Chandrodaya Mandir on the 12th August, 1975. It is absolutely a religious institution. Jayapātāka Swami has devoted all of his efforts and endeavors to organize and propound the sacred name of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I'm impressed by his charming manner and strength. Although it is a religious institution, this organization has performed many social services. Many poor and destitute families have had an opportunity to work and at the same time they have become worshipers of Lord Śrī Caitanya. To engage these workers, so many industrial centers have already been started, such as handloom cloth, printing, etc. I wish this organization, with its help of the local people, all success."

Prabhupāda: We're not only chanting, we are giving them work. We are trying to become self-sufficient, the same idea of Gandhi's village organization, so they may not come out from the village. They'll be satisfied, village economics. That we are doing.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, Prabhupāda is doing the same thing in America now.

Prabhupāda: America we have nine, eleven centers like that.

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Juggannath Babu -- Calcutta 14 March, 1949:

Sri Krishna Caitanya preached as one of the Vaisnava acaryas like Ramanujacarya and others and His mission was to establish the same theory of deliverance as was propounded by Sri Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad-gita. In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord personally described as to the method of approaching Him, His real features, His different Potencies known as the mahamaya and the yogamaya, His virat appearance His method of creation maintenance and destruction of the material world, information of the transcendental world which does not annihilate even after the annihilation of the material world. The living entities souls, the process of migration of the souls the description of the mahatmas, their duties and lastly the duty of everybody after elaborate elucidation of the three modes of nature, satya raja tama and the different human races, work, knowledge, devotion, worship activities under the influence of such modes of nature. In the Bhagavad-gita a clear distinction has been made between the asura prakrti and daiva prakrti and He has vehemently deprecated the demonic or asuric prakrti and eulogized the daiva prakrti.

1966 Correspondence

Letter to Reserve Bank of India -- New York 30 April, 1966:

I beg to inform you that I am a Vaisnava Sannyasi in the line of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In pursuance of the cult of Love of Godhead as propounded by Lord Caitanya 500 years before, I have come to America to preach the same cultural mission on the principles of the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam. My translation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam (published in three volume first canto) is recognized by the Government of India both central and the states. Here in America also the same publication is approved by the State Library of Congress in Washington, New York Public Library, the Philadelphia University and many other institutions. Arrangement is also being attempted to get an American Edition of this publication as well as editing my paper "Back to Godhead".

Letter to Ministry of Finance (India) -- New York 28 May, 1966:

With reference to the above I beg to inform you that I am a Vaisnava Sannyasi in the line of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In pursuance of the cult of Love of Krishna philosophy as propounded in the Srimad Bhagavad-gita, I have come to America to preach the cultural mission. My translation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam (published in three volumes first canto) is recognized by the Government of India both central and states education department. Here in America also my book is approved by the State Library of Congress Washington, the Public Library and many universities.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1969:

If somebody does not accept Caitanya Mahaprabhu for want of archeological evidence, it will not hamper our movement. There is sufficient archeological evidence in this connection, and it can be supplied from various sources which are in India. There is even archeological evidence of Vyasadeva which was recently propounded by one Dr. Cakravarti. I personally saw this in a monthly magazine of Calcutta of the name Mother in which I was giving my articles. If you like, you can inquire from them or such institutes as Caitanya Research Institute, started by my godbrother, Tirtha Maharaja. That is not a very difficult task.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Hawaii 16 March, 1969:

I'm very glad to learn that you have vowed to follow these four principles, as far as you can in your lifetime. And because you are so sincerely trying to push yourself in the matter of Krishna Consciousness, Krishna is giving you some intelligence also and you are thinking in so many nice ways in the matter of serving the Lord. I am so glad to learn it. You are returning to India by August of 1970—do you think that you will not come back again in Canada? If so then I shall give you some work which you can nicely perform in India, informing them about the Krishna Consciousness movement in the Western countries. To tell you frankly, one of the objects of my missionary activities is to bring to notice of the educated Indian public that devotional service originated from the Indian side in its pure form, propounded by educated public and the leaders of Indian people specifically are deliberately violating all the principles of India's original spiritual culture, in the name of secular state. When India was divided into Hindustan and Pakistan, there was good opportunity for the Hindu Indians to follow strictly the principles of Bhagavad-gita, and the state religion should have been declared Krishna Consciousness.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Isana, Vibhavati -- Calcutta 21 September, 1970:

In my books I have tried to explain clearly this simultaneously one and different philosophy acinta beda beda tattva propounded by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But sometimes it happens that this philosophy is given a self-interested interpretation. As soon as personal motivation comes in it is not possible for one to understand our Krishna Consciousness philosophy.

Page Title:Propound (Lectures, Conv. and Letters)
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas, Serene
Created:02 of Apr, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=20, Con=4, Let=6
No. of Quotes:30