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Reading Bhagavad-gita (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"Bhagavad-gita should be read" |"Professor Einstein, he was reading regularly" |"rascal is reading" |"read Bhagavad-gita" |"read at least one chapter of Bhagavad-gita" |"read from Bhagavad-gita" |"read the entire Bhagavad-gita" |"reading Bhagavad-gita" |"reading and hearing such scriptures" |"reads Bhagavad-gita" |"reads the scriptures—never mind"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:

The entrance study is Bhagavad-gītā. Just like you pass your entrance examination, matriculation examination, then you are entered into college, then you become graduate; similarly, after reading Bhagavad-gītā, you are allowed to enter into the understanding of God. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā the ultimate instruction is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). There are discussion of the yoga, karma, jñāna, bhakti... Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. But ultimately the last instruction is that "This is the secret of success, My dear Arjuna," guhyatamam. "You simply surrender unto Me, and I shall give you all protection." Mā śucaḥ, "Don't bother." This is required. This is the beginning of God consciousness. So unless we have finished nicely the study of Bhagavad-gītā or unless we have accepted this proposition of God that "You surrender," there is no entrance in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:

"You have inquired on a very nice subject matter, about Kṛṣṇa and about dharma." Yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ, bhavadbhir loka-maṅgalam. This kind of question is very auspicious for everyone. When we inquire about Kṛṣṇa and we speak about Kṛṣṇa, we are both benefited. So he was very glad when he was questioned about Kṛṣṇa and about dharma, because those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, they know that Kṛṣṇa appeared for two purposes. One purpose is dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya, for reestablishing religious principles. And paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8), to give protection to the sādhus. Sādhu means those who are devotees of God. They are called sādhu. And the nondevotees, they are called duṣkṛtām. Duṣkṛtām means those who are always engaged in sinful activities. They are called duṣkṛtām. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Visakhapatnam, February 20, 1972, At Ladies Club:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on this Bhagavad-gītā, because it is full of kṛṣṇa-sampraśno. Here Sūta Gosvāmī says, yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno loka-maṅgala. "The questions raised by you," bhavadbhiḥ, "by you, loka-maṅgala." The Bhagavad-gītā should be read very widely, and should be understood very widely. That is the only source of auspicity for the human society. But don't misrepresent it. It has become a fashion now to misrepresent, comment on Bhagavad-gītā according to one's whims. That is very dangerous. That is very dangerous. Bhagavad-gītā should be read, should be understood as prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, in the Fourth Chapter, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The Bhagavad-gītā should be understood by the line of disciplic succession of authorized ācāryas.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

Similarly, there are higher beings also, in the higher planetary system. They are called Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka. In the Brahmaloka the duration of life is so long that you cannot imagine even calculating twelve hours' time there. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Most of you have read Bhagavad-gītā, and it is stated there, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Sahasra-yuga-paryantam. One yuga... This is Kali-yuga. At the present moment it is called Kali-yuga. Before this... This Kali-yuga has passed only five thousand years, and the duration of life of this Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. Only we have passed five thousand. Before this Kali-yuga there was another yuga, which is known as Dvāpara-yuga. Before that, there was Tretā-yuga. Before that, there was Satya-yuga. All these yugas, taking aggregate years, forty-three hundred thousands of years. And multiply it by one thousand. Then calculate what is the duration of time. That is only twelve hours duration in the Brahmaloka. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17).

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

So apart from that, the thing is that we are just trying to revive the original consciousness of the human society. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't try to misunderstand. Original consciousness. Just like these boys, mostly they are Europeans, Americans, Canadians. These boys, they are not Indians, neither their father or grandfather knew about Kṛṣṇa. Maybe some of them have read Bhagavad-gītā, but nothing particular, the science of Kṛṣṇa. Now, how they have taken this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement so seriously? The only thing is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a foreign thing. Every one of you have got Kṛṣṇa consciousness within you. It is lying dormant. It has simply to be aroused, simply to be aroused.

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

His glory, nobody is dearer to Him than that person.

Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, how you can love, what are the symptoms of love, how you can please God, how He can talk with you, everything is there. But you have to take advantage. We read Bhagavad-gītā, but by reading Bhagavad-gītā I become a politician. So what kind of reading Bhagavad-gītā? Politician is there, of course, but the real purpose of reading Bhagavad-gītā is to know Kṛṣṇa. If one is Kṛṣṇa, if one knows Kṛṣṇa, he knows everything. He knows politics, he knows economics, he knows science, he knows philosophy, he knows religion, he knows sociology, everything. Tasmin vijñāte sarvam etaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti, that is the Vedic injunction. If you simply understand God, Kṛṣṇa, then everything will be revealed to you because Kṛṣṇa says, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. If Kṛṣṇa gives you intelligence from within, who can excel Him? Nobody can excel Him. But Kṛṣṇa can give you intelligence provided you become a devotee, or lover of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

So it becomes sometimes lost. When the paramparā system... Just like nowadays, everyone is proud of reading Bhagavad-gītā, but he interprets in his own way. Everyone is at liberty to interpret Bhagavad-gītā as he likes. That is the modern proposal. So there are 664 editions of Bhagavad-gītā. Everyone is commenting in his own way. I have heard that there is one doctor, some rele(?). He has interpreted Bhagavad-gītā as the talks between a patient and a physician. You see? So this is going on. Everyone whimsically, he is interpreting. Sometimes in our country also, we see that Mahatma Gandhi wanted to interpret Bhagavad-gītā as nonviolence. It is very difficult to prove, because Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. (laughs) So how you can prove nonviolence? So it is a difficult job.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

Kṣatriya, he knows how to fight. And Kṛṣṇa says that "I will speak to you." Why? Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: (BG 4.3) "You are My dear friend. Therefore I shall tell you." So this is the process of understanding: you have to become dear friend of Kṛṣṇa. Then you will understand Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise, for thousands of years you may go on reading Bhagavad-gītā; you will not learn even a word of it. That is the secret. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).

So our business is... We are teaching Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as it is spoken by the authorities. We don't add anything or subtract anything. Kṛṣṇa says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is the process. Man-manāḥ: "You always think of Me." And we say, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma... If you chant somebody's name, your friend's name or your relative's, immediately you remember the person.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). These thing are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why don't you study and understand? They are very good, good scholars, but they do not know what is next life. They are so good scholar, they are reading Bhagavad-gītā three hundred times, but they do not know what is the next life. This is their study.

So this verse is very important. It is quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ. Dharma means... I do not wish to take your more time. Dharma means your occupational duty. Dharma means it is a fanaticism. That is not. That is not the meaning of dharma. The meaning of dharma, in English, it is called "religion." And religion is a kind of faith. So faith may be wrong or right. That is not dharma. Dharma means your constitutional position and duty. That is called dharma. Just like the other day I explained. Just like chili should be pungent, sugar must be sweet, this is the idea.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

If you can get out of this material gross and subtle body, you realize, then you go back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramam... (BG 15.6). Everything is there.

Therefore our request is that you read Bhagavad-gītā, try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Don't interpret in a foolish way. Everything is clear. There is no need of interpretation. The foolish people simply unnecessarily interpret. Everything is clear. Where is the difficulty to understand when Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru... (BG 18.65)? But one scholar is saying, "Yes, this is not to Kṛṣṇa the person." Kṛṣṇa says that "You become My devotee," and the scholar says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." This is interpretation. This is going on, simply misleading people. You take Bhagavad-gītā as it is and try... (end)

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

So there are many instances in the śāstras. If you refer to the śāstras... Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of all Vedic literature. You read it carefully. And we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as..., without any malinterpretation. We don't interpret. We present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and it is working. So I am requesting also in India that you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is. You understand what is the science of God. Your life will be successful.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

When Arjuna admitted Him that "Kṛṣṇa, You are paraṁ brahma," paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). "You are puruṣa." Puruṣa means enjoyer. Śāśvata means eternally. Not that "You are now enjoyer and formerly You were something else." No. Śāśvataṁ puruṣam ādyam, original. So this is the appreciation of Kṛṣṇa. After reading Bhagavad-gītā, if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, if you try to banish Kṛṣṇa, then what kind of reading of Bhagavad-gītā? This is all nonsense. If actually one understands Bhagavad-gītā, if he has actually studied, then... Just like Arjuna, he'll admit, "Oh, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)." That is Arjuna's experience after hearing Bhagavad-gītā. And he said that "You are accepted by great personalities, Asita, Nārada, Vyāsa, Devala, big, big personalities." So svayaṁ ca, "You are also speaking Yourself. We have heard from śāstras and authorities, and You are speaking personally; therefore I accept You that You are Parabrahman." This is the study of Bhagavad-gītā.

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

Indian man: Oh, I have accepted the fact.

Prabhupāda: So you become more enlightened. Read Bhagavad-gītā carefully. Then you will be able. These foreigners, they are doing that. And you, Indian, you cannot do it?

Indian man: No, I didn't say that I couldn't do it.

Prabhupāda: Then you... Then do it. If one is not convinced, you... As Indian, it is your duty.

Indian man: Oh, I accept that.

Prabhupāda: Yes, so do it now. Join with us and do it. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

When you take this conclusion, "Yes, by surrender to Kṛṣṇa, by surrendering unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, everything is done very nicely," this is called śraddhā. And the more you increase this śraddhā, the more you become perfect.

This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, beginning with this śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā. If you don't believe... You are reading Bhagavad-gītā three hundred years but don't believe that "I have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa," then what is the use of reading Bhagavad-gītā? All these rascals, they are reading Bhagavad-gītā but they have no concern with Kṛṣṇa, forget Kṛṣṇa. This is reading of Bhagavad-gītā useless waste of time. Useless waste of time. If you do not understand the meaning of Bhagavad-gītā, why you are...? Śrama eva hi kevalam. That has been explained in the previous verse.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

They are very purified. That's all right. But śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Why? Because sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ. Just like milk. Milk is very good food, but if it is touched by the tongue of a serpent, it becomes poison. If you eat that kind of milk, your life will be finished. Similarly, our only request is that don't try to read Bhagavad-gītā commented by unauthorized so-called scholars or politicians. Simply read Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Simply accept what Kṛṣṇa says. Then you will be benefited.

Kṛṣṇa says, dharma-kṣetra. Not Kṛṣṇa says. Sañjaya uvāca. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre. No.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

That is going on. Otherwise there is no difficulty. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Actually, it is historical fact, Mahābhārata. There was fight between two cousin-brothers. They, "No. Pāṇḍava means this and this. Kuru-kṣetra means this and... This means this." In this way, things are being spoiled. So we are misled in that way. Actually, if we read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, as a devotee... Because without being devotee, nobody can understand Bhagavad-gītā. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā in so many places it is stated, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Bhaktyā, only through devotion, only becoming a devotee, you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you cannot. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ: (BG 7.25) "I am not exposed to anyone." Yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ. "Only bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55)."

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

So here is the opportunity. Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Not that Kṛṣṇa is not present. Kṛṣṇa is present by His words. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and His words. The Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, they're the words of Kṛṣṇa. When you read Bhagavad-gītā, you should know that you are talking with Kṛṣṇa directly: kṛṣṇa-kathā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore advises, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, kṛṣṇa-kathā, this should be spread all over the world. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "I don't find any scarcity within this world, except Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Exc... Actually, that is the fact. There is no scarcity all over the world. In India there may be scarcity, but outside India still there are so much vacant places, especially in Africa, in America, in Australia, in New Zealand, that ten times of the population of the whole world can be fed. Still. There is so much potency of producing food grains, milk, and other things. Profusely.

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

Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving very simple formula. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa means instruction of Kṛṣṇa-instruction given by Kṛṣṇa or instructions spoken about Lord Kṛṣṇa. If you do this then you become a spiritual master.

So it is there. Simply we have to hear. Suppose if you are illiterate, you cannot read Bhagavad-gītā. Or... Of course, many of you, you do not know Sanskrit language, so you cannot read, but there are English translation. But you can hear. Bhagavān, the Lord, has given you the chance of hearing. You have got God-gifted ear. If you can attentively hear, you'll learn everything. Formerly, of course, people were very intelligent. Simply by hearing. They need not take any note or need not read any book, but simply by hearing. So śrotavyaḥ. Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is recommended first thing that you have to hear. Simply by hear. And if you think, you become a spiritual master and you distribute this knowledge.

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

Just give them chance to hear about Kṛṣṇa. We are not bribing them. I have not bribed all these American and European boys to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. I have no money. I, when I went to America, I had only seven dollars. One hour's expenditure in New York. You see. So there is no question of bribing them. But they heard about Kṛṣṇa. I was reading Bhagavad-gītā on the street, on the store, in the park, and chanting. They heard, and they came to me. They became attracted. Why? Because it is said here, hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ. Within the heart, hy abhadrāṇi...

People are suffering because they have got so many dirty things within the heart. The most important dirty thing are the modes of material nature. Sattva-guṇa, tamo-guṇa... Sattva-guṇa is also not dirty, but it is mixed with dirty things. And rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa is purely dirty. Rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa is purely dirty. Here, our intelligence is also dirty, because it is mixed up with these modes of material nature. In the material life, the int..., we are using our intelligence...

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa is speaking Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. Don't malinterpret. Simply hear as Arjuna heard it. Sometimes some rascals say that "Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna heard directly, but we do not find now Kṛṣṇa. So how we can hear?" His words are there. Kṛṣṇa is not different from His words. He's absolute. If you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is through the disciplic succession, then you are as good as Arjuna, hearing directly from Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference. But if you ras..., play rascaldom, "This word means this, this word means that, this word means..." This is rascaldom. If you play rascaldom, then you'll remain a rascal. You'll not improve. But if you hear exactly like Arjuna...

As Arjuna said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14), "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are saying, that is all right, in toto. I don't misinterpret." Param, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding of... You understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is in devotion, bhakto 'si. Kṛṣṇa instructed Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna.

Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

Vague, no clear idea. Here is clear idea: vāsudeva-parā vedāḥ. You are a... Veda, knowledge, you are educating people, but where is your education to teach people about Vāsudeva, about Kṛṣṇa? Bhagavad-gītā is prohibited. Vāsudeva speaking about Himself, but that is prohibited. And if somebody's reading, some rascal is reading, he's making minus Vāsudeva. That's all. Bhagavad-gītā minus Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. Whole nonsense. You cannot expect human civilization in a nonsense society. Here it is the real purpose of human life: vāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ, vāsudeva-parā yogāḥ. There are so many yogis. I can clearly say that without Vāsudeva, yoga—simply pressing the nose. That's all. This is not yoga. They say... In Europe and America the yoga principle is very popular because they think by practice of yoga, they'll have very good health and they can use their senses very nicely. That is yoga system. The fatty woman goes to the yoga class for reduce fat. That is yoga system. You see.

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

This is going on. They are thinking there is something more exalted than Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is nothing more. I am the Supreme." So I do not know what kind of scholars they are. They are reading Bhagavad-gītā and decrying Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. Therefore our movement is Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We don't follow these rascals, duṣkṛtina, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ. We don't follow them. We follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We follow Rāmānujācārya. We follow Madhvācārya. We follow the great authorities-Vyāsadeva. We follow Nārada, Asita, Vyāsa. Because that is the only way to understand. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. You cannot understand His incarnation. You have to follow the footprints. Then you'll understand who is avatāra. Otherwise, instead of Kṛṣṇa, you will accept another demi-kṛṣṇa. Somebody will say, "I was Kṛṣṇa." "Oh, he's avatāra."

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

Similarly, in every planet there is one presiding deity. They are called demigods, and they have got their different names. We get all this information from... Take, for example, the sun planet. The sun planet is presided over by one gentleman whose name is Vivasvān. Vivasvān, Vaivasvata. And his son is Manu. These things are described. In Bhagavad-gītā also you'll find. We read Bhagavad-gītā, but we do not take information. In the fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā these things are stated there. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "First of all, I recited this bhakti-yoga or Bhagavad-gītā yoga system to Vivasvān." You can ask me that "Swamiji, where do you get the name of the presiding deity of sun-god, sun planet, as Vivasvān?" I say, "I get it from Bhagavad-gītā. It is mentioned there." Just like in our country who has not seen America, if he has studied the Constitution of America, he knows the presiding gentleman is Mr. Johnson. There is no need of seeing.

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

Yes. So this is the thing, tad-viceṣṭitam. He's simply thinking of the activities of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. That's all. That is perfect reading of Bhagavad-gītā. It does not require to read Bhagavad-gītā by your academic education. If you simply hear from the authoritative source the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, and if you simply meditate upon that speech, that instruction, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa instructed like this. Arjuna received like this. He questioned like this. He answered like this," that is meditation, perfect meditation, and you become liberated. Tad-viceṣṭitam. It is not very difficult job. Simply you have to receive. Therefore satya-śravāḥ, śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci-śravāḥ. You have to hear from the pure source, give aural reception, and think of it, meditate upon it. Simply by doing this, you are liberated. These are not bluff. Here is the evidence. Simply receive the message from the right source and contemplate and meditate upon that instruction. You are liberated. Chanting and hearing. Hearing and... śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23). First hearing, then chanting. Hear from the right source and discuss amongst yourselves. Iṣṭagoṣṭhi. Then the perfection.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:

The same thing is expressed here by Nārada, urukramasya. Who is urukrama? Wonderful actor. The wonderful actor is Kṛṣṇa, Urukrama. So Nārada Muni says, "Although you have mentioned in other purāṇas or in itihāsa, Mahābhārata, about Kṛṣṇa, some of the activities of Kṛṣṇa..." Just like this same thing, as I told you. So many people are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but all nonsense. They do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, because they are disturbed. They are not situated in Kṛṣṇa. Nārada Muni says that "Be situated in Kṛṣṇa. You write something, simply Kṛṣṇa's activities." Akhila "Then you'll be liberated, and those who will stick to this principle, they'll be liberated."

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:

Vipakṣe doṣāntaram ahaḥ tataḥ urukramasya viceṣṭitam pṛthag dṛśaḥ, athaiva anyathā prakarantrena yat kiñcit athāntaram vipakṣyatha taya vibaksaya itaiḥ sphuritaiḥ nāmabhis ca bhaktabhya:(?) "So whatever little activities of Kṛṣṇa you have described..."

Just like people are understanding... By reading Bhagavad-gītā, somebody is taking Kṛṣṇa as a great politician. Everyone accept Kṛṣṇa as a great personality, but somebody's accepting Him as a great politician, a great diplomat, or in this way, according to one's angle of vision. Just like in Bombay... There are in India and all over the world, I calculated, there are more than six hundred commentary on Bhagavad-gītā, more than. And each one is presentation of the author's own view. One Doctor Rele(?) in Bombay, he has also explained Bhagavad-gītā in his own way. He says that it is a talk between a diseased person, a patient, and the physician. Because he is physician, he has made Kṛṣṇa as physician. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is physician in other way.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

Because He is stated here, puruṣam ādyam īśvaram. Īśvaram means controller. He's the original controller. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10). Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. Even this material nature, wonderful things are going on, that is being controlled by Kṛṣṇa. This is to be understood. So we are reading Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literature. What is the purpose? The purpose is vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). The purpose is to understand Kṛṣṇa. If you don't understand Kṛṣṇa, then your reading of so-called Vedas and Vedāntas and Upaniṣads, they are useless waste of time. So here Kuntī is directly saying that "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are ādyaṁ puruṣam, the original person. And īśvaram. You are not ordinary person. You are the supreme controller." That is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Everyone is controller, but the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

This is our position, obstinacy, dog's obstinacy. But if we do it, then we become purified. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's recommendation is to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam either yourself, being purified, or without being purified, you can read, chant. This is our Vaiṣṇava regulation, duty. As much as possible, we should read Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And any such literature-Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Brahma-saṁhitā. Any one of them or all of them, it doesn't matter. And chant twenty-four hours Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is our business.

So we are giving this chance to everyone. We have constructed this big building, or constructing more and more—why? To give this chance to everyone. Please come here. Chant, join Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana, take prasādam and do your best, whatever talent you have got, easily, not very overburdened. If you know something to do, do it for Kṛṣṇa. Everyone knows. Everyone has got some talent.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Los Angeles, May 1, 1973:

You can remember immediately Kṛṣṇa, God. God is so powerful that even this Pacific Ocean is abiding the order, obeying the order of Kṛṣṇa. In this way you can think of Kṛṣṇa.

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You see the sunrise, immediately you can remember Kṛṣṇa. If you have read Bhagavad-gītā, it is stated there, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the shining of the sun. I am the shining of the moon." So if you have learned how to see Kṛṣṇa, you can see in the sunshine Kṛṣṇa. You have not created the sunshine. You have not created the sun, you so-called scientists. You can talk all jugglery of words only. But it is beyond your capacity to know what is the sun. It is beyond your capacity. You cannot know. But you can know śāstra-yonitvāt. The Vedānta-sūtra says, through the śāstra.

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1973:

If I have to work to go to the higher planetary systems or lower planetary system... Because this body will be finished; next body I'll have to accept."

So what kind of body I shall accept, that is stated in the śāstras. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Read Bhagavad-gītā. These things are there. Those who are in the modes of goodness... Goodness means avoiding these four principles of sinful life. Even if you do not become a pure devotee of the Lord, if you follow the principles, the regulative principles, then you remain in goodness. And if you remain in goodness, then your next life is in the higher planetary systems, even not going back to home, back to... You'll get that opportunity. So everything is there. We have to utilize our intelligence. Then... This life is meant for that. But if we waste our life, misuse this opportunity of human life just to live like the cats and dogs, āhāra-nidrā, eating, sleeping, mating and defending, then we are spoiling.

Lecture on SB 1.9.3 -- Los Angeles, May 17, 1973:

There is no book. And I am not..., because we are Kṛṣṇa devotees we are eulogizing like that, but any scholar, any philosopher, any scientist will say like that: "Oh, there is no comparison of this book." I do not know exactly, but one gentleman told me that Professor Einstein, he was also reading Bhagavad-gītā daily. Hitler was reading. Such, such big, big men. But I know many scholars, even Muhammadans, they also read Bhagavad-gītā.

So that is the test of knowledge, Kṛṣṇa's knowledge. Therefore Bhagavān. Just try to understand Bhagavān. Bhagavān is not so cheap that any rascal comes and he says that "I am Bhagavān. You worship me," and another rascal comes and... Not like that. Don't take it cheaply. Bhagavān is not ordinary thing. He must be complete in everything. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is mentioned here, bhagavān api. Api. Why api? In Sanskrit composition each word has meaning. Api means "Although He is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, still, He was going to see Bhīṣmadeva."

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

This is so powerful, sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga is so powerful.

Sat-saṅga means satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. When actually there is sat-saṅga... Not professional Bhāgavata readers or Bhāgavata reader... No. Really realized souls of Bhāgavata, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, they are called sat. Not for earning livelihood. They are not sat. Those who are, those who are reading Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata for some worldly material gain, they are not sat. They are asat. Those who are actually reading Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for the satisfaction of Bhagavān, bhāgavata, they are sat. So once associating with these sat people, he cannot make anymore association asat. Here is a vivid examples: Hṛṣīkeśa. He left our company. He associated with some asat. Asat means nondevotees. Asat, generally, we understand rogues and thieves. But those who are devotees, they're less than rogues and thieves. Those who are not devotees, they're less than rogues and thieves. So he could not associate. It was struggle. At last, he had to leave.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- Los Angeles, December 5, 1973:

You can derive the same benefit as Arjuna by reading Bhagavad-gītā. People say that Arjuna was enlightened because Kṛṣṇa was present before Him. But Kṛṣṇa is present before you also, by His words, by His sound representation. Just like Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, Kṛṣṇa's name, it is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Nāma, abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). Nāmi... Here in the material world the name and the person whose name, that is different because it is material. If you want water, this water substance or water is different from the name water. You cannot quench your thirst simply by chanting "Water, water." That is not possible. Because it is material. But you can realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is the significance of spiritual and material. Otherwise, how people are satisfied simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra? Let him chant some other name, material. No. You cannot chant more than three times. Then you will feel tired. But you can go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra for hundreds and millions of years. It will, still you will not feel tired. That is the difference. Therefore His name and He is not different. Abhinnatva.

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

So Arjuna says that "When I remember the teachings of Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, then it relieves me. Then it relieves me." Hṛt-tāpa upaśamāni. Hṛt-tāpa, that blazing fire within the heart, immediately becomes relieved. So that is also fact. Bhagavad-gītā... Whenever you are perplexed, you read Bhagavad-gītā you will immediately get relief. That's a fact. Gandhi also said that. Gandhi was a politician. Although he could not understand Bhagavad-gītā neither he could understand Kṛṣṇa, still, he said that "When I read, I get great relief." He was always very busy, so many political problems always coming. So there was no spiritual understanding of these politicians. Sometimes they take the spiritual shelter, so-called, for getting some benefit out of it so that his political movement may be increased or enhanced. So we do not wish to discuss, but Bhagavad-gītā, even if you read without any actual knowledge of the Bhagavad-gītā, still, you will feel relief. Still you will feel relief.

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

Arjuna directly listened to Kṛṣṇa, and he says, "This is my practical experience, that when I..." He was a politician, a fighter. He had so many anxieties. So he used to remember the instruction given by Kṛṣṇa directly to him.

So that instruction and when we read Bhagavad-gītā, that instruction, these two instructions, they are not different. Don't think that "Kṛṣṇa was present before Arjuna, but in my presence there is no Kṛṣṇa. Simply I have got this book." But you should know that the book and the instruction there in the Bhagavad-gītā and Kṛṣṇa, they are absolute, one. There is no difference. We can take advantage of Kṛṣṇa's presence by reading Bhagavad-gītā.

I have narrated several times the story of a brāhmaṇa in South India. He was illiterate, and he was reading Bhagavad-gītā. So his friends, village friends, they knew that "This man is illiterate. How he can read Bhagavad-gītā?" So they were criticizing. "Hello, brāhmaṇa. How you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?"

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

So he did not say anything because he knew that "These friends are criticizing me because I am illiterate. He knows." So when Caitanya Mahāprabhu came there, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was attracted. He was illiterate, and he was reading Bhagavad-gītā, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was attracted. Just see. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" So he also could understand that "Here is a person who has not come to criticize me. He is serious." "Yes, sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gītā, but I am illiterate. I am illiterate." "Then what you are reading?" "No, I am simply turning the pages. I cannot read anything." "Then why you are reading if you cannot?" "No, my Guru Mahārāja ordered me. My Guru Mahārāja asked me that 'You shall read Bhagavad-gītā daily, eighteen chapters.' " Guru mahārāja knew that he is illiterate, but still ordered. This is called guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya, ār nā koriho mane āśā **. This is called firm faith in guru. Guru ordered him that "You read." Guru must know him, that he is illiterate. So what he will read? Why guru is ordering him? But because he had firm faith in guru and he was trying to read, Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to see him. Just see.

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

So that Govinda is instructing to Arjuna personally. How fortunate is Arjuna. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that if you actually serious to understand... So just like this brāhmaṇa took instruction from his spiritual master and began to read Bhagavad-gītā, and he realized what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Govinda, similarly, if we take seriously the instruction of our spiritual master and try to read Bhagavad-gītā according to his instruction, then gradually we shall realize Kṛṣṇa. And if you simply realize Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa... That is not difficult. Kṛṣṇa is personally speaking about Himself. You haven't got to speculate like nonsense. Just like Gandhi speculated, "I do not believe that ever any person like Kṛṣṇa lived." Do you know that? This is Gandhi's statement, and he is mahātmā. The mahātmā's definition is there in the Bhagavad-gītā: mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ (BG 9.13). That is mahātmā, not to take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā.

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

So we should take this instruction of Arjuna that govinda abhihitāni me: "Govinda has narrated the mystery of Bhagavad-gītā unto me, and when I remember, not read, the instruction, immediately there is minimizing the..." Smarataś cittam, hṛt-tāpa upaśamāni. Upaśamāni means relief immediately. So read Bhagavad-gītā. Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on this Bhagavad-gītā. We do not manufacture anything. Yata mata tata patha. This is rascaldom. This is rascaldom, that if you manufacture some way for relief, that is not possible. Because you are imperfect, how you can manufacture? Your senses are imperfect. You cannot manufacture. If you manufacture, then you will simply waste your time. Then real religious life means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19), to abide by the orders of Bhagavān, the Supreme Person. Śrī Bhagavān says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "You simply always think of Me, man-manāḥ, you become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your obeisances. Then you are sure that you are coming back to Me." Very simple method. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa... and here is Kṛṣṇa present.

Lecture on SB 1.15.30 -- Los Angeles, December 8, 1973:

They say "sung," you can say. But gīta means "spoken by." Therefore it is called Bhagavad-gītā, "the instruction given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally." Therefore it is called Bhagavad-gītā.

Now Arjuna said that science was spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we read Bhagavad-gītā, then we must follow the person of Arjuna, because Arjuna directly heard Bhagavad-gītā from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And he says that this science, gītaṁ bhagavatā. So why there should be interpretation? Because the person who heard directly from Bhagavān, the Supreme Per..., he said that this is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So one who is hearing directly, he's saying something, but you are saying something. You have no right. This is called paramparā system. The person who heard Bhagavad-gītā directly from Kṛṣṇa, whatever he says, that is to be accepted. You cannot interpret. This is the paramparā system.

Lecture on SB 1.15.30 -- Los Angeles, December 8, 1973:

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's words are also not different from Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa's words are there in the Bhagavad-gītā, it's Kṛṣṇa.

Just like the South Indian brāhmaṇa. As soon as he opened his... He was illiterate, he could not read Bhagavad-gītā. But his Guru Mahārāja said that "You shall read every day eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-gītā." So he was puzzled, that "I'm illiterate, I cannot... All right, take me the..., the Bhagavad-gītā." So he was in a Rāmaṇatha temple. He took the Bhagavad-gītā and went like this. He could not read. So his friends who knew him, they were joking, "Well, brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" He did not answer because he knew that his friends are "Joking me because I do not know... I'm illiterate." But when Caitanya Mahāprabhu came, he was also puzzled, "Brāhmaṇa, you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" He said, "Sir, I am illiterate. I cannot read. It is not possible. But my Guru Mahārāja ordered me to read. What can I do? I've taken this book." This is trying follow guru's word. He's illiterate. He cannot read. There is no possibility. But his Guru Mahārāja ordered, "You must read Bhagavad-gītā daily, eighteen chapters."

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

You create a situation of your own. Just like when the surgical operation, you have got a boil, then you... You have created by contamination, and the surgeon is simply operating. He has not created that situation. Similarly your transference to another body is not God's creation, it is your creation. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, you have seen. Why one is born in low-grade family, one is born high-grade family, one is born animal, one is born human being, one is born as demigod? Why? What is the cause? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Kāraṇam. The cause is as he has infected the modes of material nature. The material nature is going on in three modes, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. It is up to you if you associate with tamo-guṇa, then you become next life animal or tree or fish. There are so many degraded condition. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are in the darkness modes of material nature, they go down, adhaḥ. Adho gacchanti, degraded.

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

"Kṛṣṇa is like us." But actually here is the secret, that jahau sva-tanvā. He left this world in His original body. He has no such distinction. Śravaṇīya-sat-kathaḥ. If His body is like our body, material body, then what is the use of hearing about His activity? We are interested in the words of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is like us, He has got the same material body, then why we should be interested to read Bhagavad-gītā, He is also a man like us?

Therefore here it is said, śravaṇīya-sat-kathaḥ. By hearing about Kṛṣṇa, you become liberated. So if He is equally as good as you are, then what is the use of reading His book, reading His instruction? But here it is said, śravaṇīya-sat-kathaḥ, tadāhar apratibuddha-cetasām. These things are spoken by less intelligent class of men, apratibuddha-cetasām. They say, cetasām abhadra-hetuḥ kalir anvavartata: "Because Kṛṣṇa passed away, therefore Kali got the opportunity to enter." That is, to some extent it is fact. But Kṛṣṇa, although left this planet, and if He is everything, how Kṛṣṇa can go away? Kṛṣṇa can remain with you eternally. And even if you say that "Because Kṛṣṇa went away, therefore Kali got the chance of entering," but if you keep yourself with Kṛṣṇa, where is the chance of Kali to enter? Where is the chance?

Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:

There is no use. People are interested in reading, but they are reading all so-called literature, poetry. But we are not interested in such, such kind of literature, because there is no kṛṣṇa-kathā. We are interested in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Why? Because it is kṛṣṇa-kathā. The same propensity. Everyone wants to read something. So we also want to read something. But we read Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, because there is kṛṣṇa-kathā. We are not interested with any other rubbish literature, however nicely it is prepared.

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
(SB 1.5.11)

That kind of literature, where nāmāny anantasya, the holy name of the ananta, the Supreme Unlimited, nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni, His glories are described, such kind of literature, śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ, that is interested, interesting to the sādhavaḥ. They hear, they chant, śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti, and accept the philosophy. Tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo yasmin prati-ślokam... (SB 1.5.11).

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

"After the end of this body, the body is burnt into ashes or into, buried into the earth, and still?" Yes. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

In this way, every step, Svayaṁ Bhagavān is personally..., Kṛṣṇa is instructing us, and we are so fool, we cannot understand. We cannot understand. Big, big politicians, they read Bhagavad-gītā, in our country. But by their action it is seen they did not understand even a word of Bhagavad-gītā. Even a word of Bhagavad-gītā. Big, big politician. They became very big, big mahātmās or great men, but they tried for this body, which is to be finished. Antavanta ime dehāḥ. Nobody tried for that thing which will never be finished, that is eternal. You find from their life, they never instructed about the soul. They dealt with politics very nicely, to give bluff that "Within one year I shall give you liberation and this and that," about the... What is the value of this liberation? Because they did not know the thing which is not perishable, they are after this body, which is, liberated or not liberated, will perish. They are busy. They are busy with the activities of this body, which is surely perishable.

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

And what is that problem? He says, Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. They do not know what is the real problem. Real problem is repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is real problem. Whole Vedic civilization is meant for stopping these problems, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. The whole Bhagavad-gītā is taught... You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. You just try to understand what is the real problem. The real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa says that,

janma karma ca me divyaṁ
(evaṁ) yo jānāti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti kaunteya
(BG 4.9)

This is solution, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam: "This is My appearance on this material world, how God appears." Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. Nobody takes birth. Even we do not take birth; we simply change body.

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

What kind of intelligence? "To... As he may come back to Me, that kind of intelligence." Because that is our aim, back to home, back to Godhead.

So Kṛṣṇa is prepared to help you. Paramātmā. Sarvas... In another place it is said, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15). Read Bhagavad-gītā thoroughly and be sincere and make your life successful. Don't be cheater. Read, and follow, and Kṛṣṇa will help you, this life. Don't expect another life to prepare. "It is guaranteed human life?" somebody's asking. Even if it guaranteed, why should you take the chance of another life? Finish this business within this life. Take help from Kṛṣṇa, take help from books, take from your spiritual master. Why another life? Another life... Suppose you get another human life. Is it guaranteed? You may fall down again. So my Guru Mahārāja used to say that "Finish all business in this life." Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. Finish this business of birth, death, old age and disease in this life.

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

Because, unless one has got clear brain, unless has actually the senses, purified, one cannot take the lesson of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Just like this is philosophy. One cannot understand the lessons which are given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā... Therefore in the beginning we do not ask anybody, outsider, that "Read Bhagavad-gītā or..." No. "Please come, chant with us Hare Kṛṣṇa." That is required. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you will feel. You'll feel. Because this method will cleanse your heart. The more you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the more you become fit to understand the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the process. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234).

So anyone who will stop chanting, he will be a victim of māyā. Always remember it. Therefore we insist, "Please do not forget to chant at least sixteen rounds." That is minimum. The maximum is 300,000. (laughter) As Haridāsa Ṭhākura used to do, three hundred..., not impractical. But you, we cannot do that.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

Yes. You can associate with Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna every twenty-four hours, by reading Bhagavad-gītā. Why you require to go there? It is already here. You see. You read the Bhagavad-gītā, and you are immediately in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. His is instructing. That was the instruction. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted. You know that story? Illiterate brāhmaṇa was reading Bhagavad-gītā. So he did not know; he was not literary. But because his spiritual master..., he has so staunch faith in the spiritual master... Just see. His spiritual master said that "You read, daily, eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-gītā." Spiritual master knew that he was illiterate, but still he asked him, "You read, eighteen chapters, there will be..." So what can he do? The spiritual master has ordered. So he was simply making a show of reading, "uh-uh-uḥ," like this. So this other friends were criticizing, "Oh, Mr. Such-and-such, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" He knows that this man... His friend is criticizing him, so he did not answer. But when Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him, "My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" He knew that this gentleman, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, was really inquisitive, so he explained the whole thing, that "I am trying to read Bhagavad-gītā, but I am illiterate. My Guru Mahārāja ordered me to read; therefore I am reading.

Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:

"I am trying to read Bhagavad-gītā, but I am illiterate. My Guru Mahārāja ordered me to read; therefore I am reading. But actually I cannot read." So frankly he admits. This is staunch faith in spiritual master. He knew, his spiritual master knew that he is illiterate, and he knew also that "I cannot read Bhagavad-gītā." But still he was trying to read because his spiritual master has said. This is called staunch. Yasya prasādāt. "He has said. I have to satisfy him. I am incompetent—I cannot read—but he has said, therefore I must do it." This is called yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **.

So practical example... Just like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and I have simply be (indistinct) human being, "What can I do?" But I tried my best, because my spiritual master said that "You go and try to preach in English." So I tried my best, that's all. I have no qualification. So this is very nice point, yasya prasādāt. We have to try our best to... I may not be able to do that, but that endeavor will be appreciated by Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. That is required. I may be most incompetent. Everyone is incompetent. Who can satisfy Kṛṣṇa, this unlimited?

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Melbourne, June 26, 1974:

He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He is greater than the greatest and still, He can become smaller than the smallest. That is his greatness. He can become... He can show Arjuna the virāḍ-rūpa, the universal form; at the same time, He can talk with Arjuna as ordinary friend. This is Kṛṣṇa. You have read Bhagavad-gītā. He was talking on the chariot as his friend, but when there was need, He... Arjuna wanted to see the universal friend, and Kṛṣṇa showed him that universal form, gigantic form, everything including. So that Kṛṣṇa is ātmā, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān and Brahman. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11).

So kṛṣṇa-praśna means all-including, everything—past, present, future, moving, not moving, and big and small. This is Kṛṣṇa understanding. Kṛṣṇa understanding means past, present, future, small, large, moving, not moving. This is Kṛṣṇa understanding. But everything is in either of these categories.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

So one professor, Dr. Urquhart, he said that "If I am suffering the result of my past karma, where is the witness that I have done this bad or good?" But he had no knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā. We also at that time did not know. We were not very interested. But later on, when I read Bhagavad-gītā, "Here is witness, upadraṣṭā anumantā. Here is witness." Perpetual witness. Not only of this life, but many, many lives past, He knows everything. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni vartamānāni (BG 7.26). He knows everything. That is Kṛṣṇa. He knows everything, what you have done or what you want to do. Everything knows He. But in spite of all this, because Kṛṣṇa is your friend, most intimate friend, naturally... Just like father becomes friend. There is no better friend like father or mother. Naturally. They will never advise the son anything for his, I mean to say, suffering. No father will give... Even the father is a debauch, he will never advise his son that "You do this." No, no. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the father of everyone. Everyone. How He can give wrong advice? He does not give. He is the only friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhū... So if you take shelter of the only friend, the just friend, that will give us protection. Not anyone else. Everyone has got some self-interest.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:

You haven't got to scratch it with some machine. No. It will be automatically cleansed if you simply give aural reception to the message of the Uttama-śloka, which is, in other word, it is called kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa-kathā means words of Kṛṣṇa. Kathā means words, and kṛṣṇa, you understand. So kṛṣṇa-kathā, Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa personally giving you words of instruction. So if we simply read Bhagavad-gītā, then the sun cannot take away the, my duration of life.

How? What is the proof? The proof is the Bhagavad-gītā. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) "Anyone who understands about My birth and appearance..." Lord does not take birth. Aja. Aja means who never takes birth. Ever-existing. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san, sambhavāmi yuge yuge. So aja, one who does not take birth, but still we see that Kṛṣṇa is taking birth. We are observing the birth anniversary of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

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

Here is a chance for the human being. And Kṛṣṇa comes to the human being, and He... "Here is a chance, Bhagavad-gītā." Kṛṣṇa gives them. So if, after reading Bhagavad-gītā, anāśritya govinda-caraṇa-dvayam, who is neglecting... He is neglecting means that teṣām ātmābhimānināṁ varākāṇām.

Varāka means fools or childish. We are thinking that "I am this body." Such fools cannot understand how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, tad apy abhalatāṁ jātaḥ teṣām ātmābhimāninām, varākāṇām anāśritya, without taking shelter, govinda-caraṇa-dvayam, the lotus feet of Govinda. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). We get this chance, and if we are not educated by our teachers, by our fathers, by our leaders, by our government men, by our gurus, by our relatives, how to accept the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, who is canvassing... Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Give up all this nonsense engagement, trying to become Kṛṣṇa, or God. Give up this. Surrender unto Me." This is education. This is education. The father should give education at home. The leaders should give education in institution. The politicians should give education in their assemblies, congress. The guru should give education how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. The father should educate, the mother should educate.

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

So immediately he was surprised. Then we had a talk, and I convinced him that "Tilak was a politician, maybe a big scholar, but that does not mean he can understand Bhagavad-gītā." Bhagavad-gītā is understood by devotee. He may be illiterate. It doesn't matter. Still... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu certified the illiterate brāhmaṇa who was reading Bhagavad-gītā in Raṅganātha temple... You know the story. The brāhmaṇa was illiterate. His guru ordered him that "You read Bhagavad-gītā daily, eighteen chapters." So he could not refuse the order of guru mahārāja; so he was taking the book and simply seeing. So those who knew that he was illiterate, they were criticizing, "Well, brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" He could not answer because he knew that "I am illiterate. I do not know." Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw this fun and approached him, "Well, brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?"

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

So he could understand that this Caitanya Mahāprabhu has not come to criticize him: "He's serious." So he informed Him, "Sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gītā, but I am illiterate. I am illiterate, but my spiritual master has ordered to read. So what can I do? I have taken this book and moving these pages. That's all. What can I do? Actually I cannot read." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "But I see you are sometimes crying." "Yes, sir, I sometimes cry." "Why?" "Now, because as soon as I take this book in my hand and I see the picture that Lord Kṛṣṇa is driving the chariot of Arjuna, I cry. 'Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has taken the service of His devotee. He should have been seated on the chariot—Arjuna should have driven the chariot—but He's driving the chariot and Arjuna is sitting on the seat. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind and beloved that He can serve His devotee. It is the duty of the devotee to serve Him, but He's so kind and affectionate that He serves His devotee.' So as soon as I think of this-Kṛṣṇa's magnanimity—I cry."

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

Of course, there are living entities in the sun globe, within the sun globe. And there is the predominating deity also, the president. You may call. There is a state. Just like you have got here, United State, there is state also. And there is also president, and the president's name is Vivasvān. Everything is there in the śāstra. We read from Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa said, "I spoke to Vivasvān, the president or the predominating deity in the sun globe." So this is all fact. It is not fiction. You are seeing the sun globe, and you are seeing that the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. So it is a globe; therefore there must be inhabitants. But their body is different. That is... Just like this earthly planet is made of earth or dirt—that is made of fire. This is within these five elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether. So the mixture of these things are there also, but the fire element is there prominent. As here, in this earth, all the mixtures are there, but here the earthly element is prominent. So this is also one of the material worlds.

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

Just like in your country Bhagavad-gītā was being read for the last two hundred, three hundred years. So many scholars, so many Indian scholar or American, they have written Bhagavad-gītā. But not a single person understood Kṛṣṇa, not a single person. But now, when they are reading Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, they are understanding by the mercy of God. The mercy is shown if you follow the process, authoritative process. Prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi. One who has received a little, minute quantity of the favor of Kṛṣṇa, he can understand Kṛṣṇa. And others, if they go on speculating for millions of years, they will not be able to. This is a fact. Therefore He is called Adhokṣaja.

Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:

So everything is resting on Kṛṣṇa. That is to be understood. That is the Vedānta understanding. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything includes Paramātmā and Brahma, and what to speak of other demigods. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). This is the statement. Everyone reads Bhagavad-gītā, takes Bhagavad-gītā and takes photograph: "I am very good scholar of Bhagavad-gītā." But he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Just see. "I know everything—except Kṛṣṇa. This is my knowledge." No. If you understand Kṛṣṇa-kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati—then you understand everything. Just like if you understand what is one hundred thousands of rupees, then you can understand automatically what is ten rupees and what is fifty rupees. So everything is within that, the Absolute Truth.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

That philosophy is not perfect. We have to take ideas from Bhagavān. That is perfect.

Therefore here it is said, bhagavān uvāca. If we take instruction from Bhaga... Why we are reading Bhagavad-gītā? That is very common practice. Because it is perfect. There is no mistake, there is no illusion, there is no cheating, there is no imperfection of the senses. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, vedāhaṁ samatītāni: (BG 7.26) "I know everything—past, present and future." Māṁ ca veda na kaścana: "But nobody understands Me." That is our position. God knows everything. Kṛṣṇa knows everything. But we do not know what is God. That is our position. We do not know. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara, God, Kṛṣṇa, is situated in everyone's heart. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: (BG 15.15) "I am entered in everyone's heart." Everyone's heart—not only the human being, but also animals or anything. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.35) **. He is within the atom. Therefore because He is within me, within you, and within everything, He knows everything.

Lecture on SB 3.25.25 -- Bombay, November 25, 1974:

Third class means those who are materialistic. So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned that māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa. If you happen to hear from a Māyāvādī, impersonalist, who does not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or does not know what is Kṛṣṇa, if such person reads Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you will never derive any benefit. You can go on hearing them for hundreds of years; still, you will never understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is forbidden. Sanātana Gosvāmī has forbidden, that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathā, talks, discussion on Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, that is amṛta. Amṛta means nectarine. If one hears, then he gets his amṛta. Amṛtatvam.

So amṛtatvāya kalpate. Amṛta means no more birth and death. Mṛta means birth and death, mṛtyu, but amṛta means to stop birth and death.

Lecture on SB 3.25.26 -- Bombay, November 26, 1974:

So the bhakti gives you chance to see Kṛṣṇa, as you can see now. On this seeing or any other kind of seeing, they are the same thing. There is no difference. When Arjuna was seeing Kṛṣṇa face to face—Kṛṣṇa was teaching Bhagavad-gītā—that seeing of Kṛṣṇa and when you read Bhagavad-gītā, it is the same thing. There is no difference. Somebody, they say that "Arjuna was fortunate enough to see Kṛṣṇa face to face and take instruction." That is not correct. Kṛṣṇa, He can be seen immediately, provided you have got eyes to see. Therefore it is said, premāñjana-cchurita... Prema and bhakti, the same thing. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). I will recite one story in this connection, that one brāhmaṇa in South India, in Raṅganātha temple, he was reading Bhagavad-gītā. And he was illiterate. He did not know neither Sanskrit nor any letter, illiterate. So the people, neighborhood, they knew that "This man is illiterate, and he is reading Bhagavad-gītā."

Lecture on SB 3.25.26 -- Bombay, November 26, 1974:

I will recite one story in this connection, that one brāhmaṇa in South India, in Raṅganātha temple, he was reading Bhagavad-gītā. And he was illiterate. He did not know neither Sanskrit nor any letter, illiterate. So the people, neighborhood, they knew that "This man is illiterate, and he is reading Bhagavad-gītā." He is opening the Bhagavad-gītā, "Uh, uh," like that he was. So somebody was joking, "Well, brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" He could understand that "This man is joking because I am illiterate." So in this way, Caitanya Mahāprabhu also happened to be that day in the Raṅganātha temple, and He could understand that "Here is a devotee." So He approached him and He asked, "My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" So he could also understand that "This man is not joking." So he said, "Sir, I am reading Bhagavad-gītā. I am trying to read Bhagavad-gītā, but I am illiterate. So my Guru Mahārāja said that 'You must read eighteen chapters daily.' So I have no knowledge. I cannot read. Still, Guru Mahārāja said, so I am just trying to carry out his order and opening the pages, and that's all. I do not know how to read it." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "You are crying sometimes, I see." Then, "Yes, I am crying."

Lecture on SB 3.25.26 -- Bombay, November 26, 1974:

So Śrī Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He can accept the position of a servant because Arjuna was ordering, 'Keep my chariot here,' and Kṛṣṇa was serving him. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind. So when I see this picture within my mind, I am crying." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately embraced him, that "You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. Without any education, you are reading Bhagavad-gītā." He embraced him.

So this is... How he was seeing the picture? Because he was a lover of Kṛṣṇa, it doesn't matter, he could read these ślokas or not. But he was absorbed in love of Kṛṣṇa and he was seeing, Kṛṣṇa was sitting there, and He was driving the chariot of Arjuna. This is required, not that education. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa said, "Not by passing M.A., Ph.D." Bhaktyā: "Simply by bhakti." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. And bhaktyā, the practical example, if you become pure bhakta, then you will forget all this material sense enjoyment. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the test of bhakti.

Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974:

Therefore it has not been successful. For the last 200 years so many swamis and yogis went to foreign countries, but nobody spoke about Kṛṣṇa. Simply hodge-podge. Therefore there was not a single person accepted this cult; Vedic culture. That is fact.

So as Arjuna We are reading Bhagavad-gītā, you can understand that Arjuna is a friend, why he's accepting Kṛṣṇa as guru? Why? He's a friend. He's talking equally, sitting equally, friend and friend, sometimes talking nonsense. Kṛṣṇa, in the Eleventh Chapter he was begging Kṛṣṇa, "Forgive me. As a friend I have misbehaved with you." Friend has got right, Kṛṣṇa did not mind for that, but he knew that "Kṛṣṇa, although He is my friend, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, He is the proper person to become my guru." And he says also that "The perplexity which I have been put into now in this battlefield, this cannot be solved by anyone else except Yourself." That he said also. So this is instruction we get from Bhagavad-gītā, everyone reads Bhagavad-gītā, that we have to accept Kṛṣṇa as the guru, or Kṛṣṇa's representative as guru.

Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:

When things are discussed about the Supreme Personality of Godhead amongst the devotees, it becomes a different thing than the discussion in the debating club of the nondevotees. The kṛṣṇa-kathā is not a subject matter for debating club. It is meant for the devotees. Without devotees, nobody can understand. The others who are not devotee, they simply waste their time in reading Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, such literature. They simply waste their time because these subject matters are for the devotees.

We have several times discussed this point that the so-called scholars, politicians, and philosophers, they read Bhagavad-gītā and comment in a different way. This is their foolishness. They cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible. My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "It is just licking the bottle of honey." Now you want honey. I give you one bottle, but you do not know how to taste it. You begin to lick up the bottle. Then what you will taste? If you think, "Here is the bottle of honey. Let me lick," you will not get any taste. It must be opened.

Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:

"That very old yoga system I am speaking to you again. It is not a new thing that I am manufacturing for you. No." Everything... God is eternal and His instruction is also eternal. And the followers are also eternal. There is nothing new. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇaḥ. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇaḥ. Very old, but still, it is eternal and fresh. This is spiritual matter. You read Bhagavad-gītā. It was spoken four hundred millions of years ago, and then again, five thousand years ago. Still, if you read Bhagavad-gītā daily, you will find it fresh. You will never find it old. As Kṛṣṇa is never old, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam (Bs. 5.33). Kṛṣṇa is the Purāṇa..., the oldest man, but nava-yauvanaṁ ca. But He is always... See. You will find Kṛṣṇa just a young boy of twenty years. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa's words, everything Kṛṣṇa, absolute. His name, His form, His quality, His activities—they are all fresh and new. Otherwise, how the devotees can glorify the same Kṛṣṇa daily with greater enthusiasm? Greater enthusiasm. The more you glorify, you feel more enthusiastic to more glorify, glorify, glorify.

Lecture on SB 3.25.36 -- Bombay, December 5, 1974:

These are the gradual steps. Śraddhā. Śraddhā means faith. Faith is the beginning. Without faith, you cannot make..., there is no question of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Faith means that faith is created after reading Bhagavad-gītā. If you read Bhagavad-gītā carefully and if you actually understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then the faith will be created. Without reading Bhagavad-gītā, there is no question of faith in Kṛṣṇa. So what is that faith? That Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all other engagements. You just surrender to Me, and I shall give you protection." So if we have got faith, if we believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, that is called faith. If we don't believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, if we study as a literary thesis and then throw it away, that is not faith.

Lecture on SB 3.25.36 -- Bombay, December 5, 1974:

The faith is explained by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī. He says, 'śraddhā'-śabde—viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya (Cc. Madhya 22.62). Faith means one who has got firm faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa. That is called faith. "I am reading Bhagavad-gītā, but I do not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead or He is a person, as He says in the Bhagavad-gītā..." He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Mattaḥ, when He says He's a person... So Kṛṣṇa says that "There is no more better personality or better superior existence than Myself." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). He says, "Me." Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Ahaṁ sarvasya... Aham, "Me," "I." He says everywhere. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is person. Kṛṣṇa is not imperson. Kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām. It is said that "One who is impersonalist, he takes more trouble to come to Me. He will come later on, but it will take some time." The impersonal feature of understanding of the Supreme Absolute Truth, it is partial understanding.

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

So altogether it comes to forty-three lakhs of years. This is yuga. And multiply it by one thousand. That means forty-three lakhs plus three zeros, how much it comes to? Huh? Some crores of years. That is Brahmā's twelve hours. Sahasra...

If you take Bhagavad-gītā, if you believe, if you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you can understand. And if you say, "It is fictitious, something imaginary," that is another thing. But unless you believe it, you have no authority to touch Bhagavad-gītā! That is nonsense. We are creating so many nonsense who do not believe in the Bhagavad-gītā, and they become commentator and scholar and so many things. Mūḍha. We are not in favor of this business. We are preaching all over the world that if you read Bhagavad-gītā, you read it as it is and accept it as it is. Otherwise don't create foolish anymore. We have produced many foolish person but misguiding them by misinterpreting this Bhagavad-gītā. Stop this business.

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

We have got enough source of knowledge, treasure house of knowledge, but we are reluctant. We are busy with the newspaper. We have got time to waste our time to read the newspaper, bunch of newspaper, but we have no time to read Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Vedānta-sūtra, the books of actual knowledge. This is our misfortune.

So one has to visṛjya... As it is said by Kapiladeva, visṛjya sarvān anyāṁś ca mām evaṁ viśvato-mukham, bhajanty ananyayā. We have to forget all these so-called sources of happiness. This is misleading. Māyā. So who can, I mean to say, understand that this is illusion, māyā? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). When one becomes a devotee, then he can understand that "The position which I am now taking for granted, that 'It is very happy,' that is mistake. That is māyā." Kṛṣṇa says that it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). Kṛṣṇa says. How you can take it as very nice place? Kṛṣṇa says, the supreme authority says, duḥkhālayam: "It is the place of suffering." And that is the fact. We are simply suffering. On account of this body, we are simply suffering.

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

That is spiritual nature. And how I can understand? Na jīva-bhūta. You can understand that parā-prakṛti is the living entity, yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5), which is sustaining this material nature. So actually in the Bhagavad-gītā they, both of us are described as prakṛti, not puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Arjuna, when he realized after reading Bhagavad-gītā, he addresses Kṛṣṇa as Puruṣa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvata (BG 10.12). We are, not that you have become puruṣa now, but śāśvata, eternally.

Just like here, we are puruṣa. This birth I am puruṣa, next birth I may become stri or prakṛti. If I am too much fond of woman, and at the time of death, if I think of woman, then I get a woman's body. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajanty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Therefore too much attachment for woman is not good, because, or too much attachment for anything in this material world, that is doomed.

Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974:

That is the beginning everywhere. That is Vedic literature.

In the Bhagavad-gītā, in the beginning, the first instruction is that dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara... (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe, there is dehī, the proprietor of the... So we do not understand that, and we become very expert in reading Bhagavad-gītā. This is the first instruction. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Therefore ātma-darśanam. First of all, you try to understand what you are. You are this body or something else? That is ātma-darśanam. I am not body. That's a fact. I am spirit soul. But I have become bodily conscious on account of loss of knowledge, ajñāna, ajñāna.

Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974:

It is the guru's business to operate the blind cataractic eye..., eyeball, giving eyesight. So how it is done? Now, jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Just like in the darkness you cannot see. But if there is lamp, you can see. So jñāna means knowledge. You must know what is your position. There are śāstra. You read Bhagavad-gītā, try to understand your position. That is ātma-darśanam. Ātma-darśanam. Everything is there. Ātma-darśanam.

So first ātma-darśanam is that anādir ātmā. Ātmā. The soul and the Supersoul, both of them. We must always know that soul and Supersoul, īśvara and Parameśvara... So ātmā... Ātmā means Bhagavān; ātmā means this individual ātmā. So both of them are anādi. But we have got experience ādi, birth and death. So that is not ātma-darśanam. You have to understand that there is no ādi, there is no beginning. Anādir ātmā puruṣaḥ. Puruṣa, that, either the soul or the Supersoul, both of them are puruṣa. Puruṣa means having form and having the desire to enjoy, enjoy blissful life.

Lecture on SB 3.26.18 -- Bombay, December 27, 1974:

You cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be sudurlabhaḥ. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). If you try to approach Kṛṣṇa... Actually we are seeing that. The Bhagavad-gītā is being read by so many scholars, so many theosophists and theist, but they do not understand Kṛṣṇa. You will find it practically. So many big, big scholar, so many men, they say, "I read Bhagavad-gītā thrice in a day." And ask him about Kṛṣṇa—he does not know anything. You will find it practically. He will be very proud of reading Bhagavad-gītā. The politicians, they take photograph, taking a Bhagavad-gītā in his hand, but ask him about Kṛṣṇa—he does not know anything. Ṣaṭ-khaṇḍa rāmāyaṇa paṛe 'sītā kāhār bābā': "He has read all the Rāmāyaṇa, and he is asking, 'Well, can you say me whose father is Sītā?' " He does not know whether Sītā is mother or father.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

That is Vedic system. Not that because one is king and one has ample opportunities for sense enjoyment, therefore he should indulge in sense enjoyment without retiring from family life. That is not Vedic system. The Vedic system is, the aim is, how to elevate oneself to the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Vedic system. You have read Bhagavad-gītā. In the Fifteenth Chapter, fifteenth verse, you'll find, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). The whole Vedic system is designed or planned how to know Kṛṣṇa. So if you follow Vedic system, then the ultimate objective should be to know Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vedic version and corroborated by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is the original compiler of Vedas; therefore His version should be accepted, that the objective of studying Vedas means to know Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15).

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

The medicine, as directed by the physician, you should take. You should not manufacture your own way of doses. Suppose physician says that "You take five drops of this medicine, mix with water and take it." You have to follow. If you say, "No, let me be cured immediately. Let me take hundred drops" or "one drop." No. That will not help you. Similarly, you should read Bhagavad-gītā as it is prescribed by the physician, Kṛṣṇa. Then you will benefit. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says personally that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). This yoga system is avyaya, eternal. Kṛṣṇa is eternal, and Kṛṣṇa's words are eternal, and you are also eternal. This is our position. Kṛṣṇa is eternal and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), Kṛṣṇa says. Na jāyate na mriyate va kadācit, you are never born, never die. Kṛṣṇa also nityo nityānām. We are all nityas, eternal, but He's the supreme nitya, nityo nityānām. We are plural nitya; He is singular nitya.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

We are plural nitya; He is singular nitya. So what is the difference between this plural and singular? The singular maintains all these plural, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He is the maintainer and we are maintained.

So everything is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, and that is the essence of all Vedic literature. Our propaganda is that you read Bhagavad-gītā, try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any foolish commentary. As soon as you comment, that is foolishness. Don't do it. Read as it is. Then you'll get the enlightenment and you'll understand Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa is teaching to make you understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. Why should we deviate? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Learn Bhagavad-gītā, the same instruction, mahat-sevā." Sevā. Kṛṣṇa says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34), unless you are prepared to render service to your spiritual master... First of all you must find out the proper spiritual master. Then you must engage yourself to his service. Then you can question.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1976:

In the Vedic instruction there is no difference. Everywhere we'll find the same thing. That is standard knowledge. Not that I am saying something, you are saying something. That is not Vedic knowledge. That is speculation. Vedic knowledge means wherever you take, it is the same thing. There is no difference. Either you read Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or the Cātur-Veda or Upaniṣad or Vedānta, you'll find the same conclusion. That is Vedic knowledge. They are instructed, they are arranged in such a way that according to the position of the person one can understand. This is the Vedic scheme. The Purāṇas and the Mahābhārata, they are meant for the less intelligent class of men who cannot understand directly the Vedic instruction. But gradually by reading historical fact and instances, they can understand. Trayī na śruti-gocarā. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Vyāsadeva worked very hard to awaken the human society to the Vedic knowledge. And what is that Vedic knowledge? To understand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

One who has got education, he can read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But even one has no education—he cannot read—still he has no problem. He can chant: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. So he can enjoy anywhere. There is a practical example in this connection. While Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was touring in the southern India, in the Ranganātha temple He saw one brāhmaṇa. He was reading Bhagavad-gītā. So many persons were coming and criticizing him, "Well, brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" So he did not reply. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu approached him and He saw the brāhmaṇa was reading Bhagavad-gītā and tears gliding down. So He could understand that "Here is a pure devotee." So He asked him, "Well, brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" So he said, "Sir, I cannot read. I am illiterate. I am illiterate and I cannot read what is Bhagavad-gītā, especially Sanskrit." His neighbors were criticizing him. They knew that "This brāhmaṇa is illiterate, and he is making a show of reading Bhagavad-gītā." So they were criticizing. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He could understand that "Here is a pure devotee."

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

So He asked him that "What you are reading?" He said frankly, "Sir, I cannot read. I have no education. Illiterate." "Then? It appears that you are reading something. And if you are illiterate, why you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" "No, my Guru Mahārāja said. He knew that I am illiterate, but still, my Guru Mahārāja said that 'You read every day the ślokas of Bhagavad-gītā.' So on account of his order, although I do not know anything what is written there, I am trying to read." "Oh, that's very nice. You are carrying the order of your Guru Mahārāja. But it appears that you are crying also. How you are crying if you cannot read?" "Yes, Sir, that's... Because as soon as I take this Bhagavad-gītā in my hand I see the picture that Arjuna is asking Kṛṣṇa to place his chariot in the warfield, and Kṛṣṇa is driving the chariot by his order. So this is creating some feeling in me: 'Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, so nice, that although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is carrying the order of His devotee as servant.' When I feel this, I cry: 'Oh, how Kṛṣṇa is kind. How Kṛṣṇa is merciful.' " So immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced him: "You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. It is not the literacy or education or knowing grammar and putting jugglery of words. That is not reading. If one feels what is the purport of Bhagavad-gītā, that is reading Bhagavad-gītā."

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

So it does not depend on literary career. A devotee is simply satisfied if he can think of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants that. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Kṛṣṇa never said that "You become a great paṇḍita or grammarian to read Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." That, if you can, if you have, you can. Otherwise, anyone, even a child, can do this, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). One can come into this temple and offer obeisances. That will also do. Therefore a devotee can be satisfied in any condition of life, provided he can think of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. That's all. That much. So therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I have no problem." Naivodvije para duratyaya. "I have no problem to cross over the ocean of nescience. That solution is already there. Wherever I am, I shall think of Your lotus feet. That's all." "But you appear to be unhappy." "Yes, I am unhappy." "Why?" Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ: "I am thinking of these rascals who have rejected Your instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā."

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

The proper way is that you should know the problem of life, and Kṛṣṇa personally says, "This is the real problem of your life." What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is problems. But they do not know. All rascals. Kṛṣṇa says, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. And don't they read? "I am reading Bhagavad-gītā, I am great politician and great leader. I am reading Bhagavad-gītā." What do you understand? Do you understand that the soul is immortal and it is transmigrating, tathā dehāntara-prāptir? Do you know all this problem? Then why you have become national leader? Today I am a Indian; tomorrow I may become a Chinaman. Then where is my nationality? Today I am human being; tomorrow I may be a dog. Then where is my society? Where is my friendship? Where is my love? They do not disclose all these things. Cheat guru. If my soul is transmigrating, tathā dehāntara prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), is it guarantee? Is there any guarantee that today I am Indian, and after my death I shall become Indian? No. There is no guarantee.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

He said, "Yes, I shall fight." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava, naṣṭo mohaḥ (BG 18.73). "I was illusioned. Now it is my duty. Because You are ordering and I have heard You very patiently, so it is my duty to fight." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). This very word is there. "I shall act as you advise." This is the result of studying Bhagavad-gītā. You read Bhagavad-gītā, and when you agree to act by the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then your Bhagavad-gītā reading is success. Otherwise, if you act differently, then you may read Bhagavad-gītā for many thousands of years. There is no benefit.

So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that aśocyān anvaśocan. In the beginning Arjuna was arguing with Kṛṣṇa to support his decision that he would not fight, but he could not convince Kṛṣṇa very nicely. That he understood, that "Although I am speaking so many things, Kṛṣṇa is not changing. He is fixed up." Then he surrendered himself: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, we are now talking as friends. No, we shall talk now as master and disciple. You I accept You as my master." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7).

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

One minute. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. One minute. You are not reading Bhagavad-gītā? What Kṛṣṇa says? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "You surrender unto Me. Give up your all business. I will give you relief from all sinful reaction immediately." So it requires one minute. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I was forgotten. Now I understand. I fully surrender unto you." Then you become immediately free from all sinful reactions. Without any reservation, without any politics, if you fully surrender, Kṛṣṇa is assuring, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. He reassures, "Don't worry whether I will be able to give you relief from all reaction." Mā śucaḥ. "Finished, guaranteed. You do this." So how much time it requires to surrender to Kṛṣṇa? Immediately you can do that. Surrender means you surrender and work as Kṛṣṇa says. That is surrender. What Kṛṣṇa says to do? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Four things: "You always think of Me, and you become My devotee, you worship Me, and offer your respect, full obeisances unto Me." You do these four things?

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, May 8, 1976:

Unnecessarily there cannot be any killing. Lord Christ also, "Thou shall not kill." Yes, this is the beginning of religious life. If you are accustomed to kill somebody, either man, animal, trees, fish, anything, there is no entrance in religious life. There is no entrance because everyone, every living entity, is son of God. Sarva-yoniṣu. You have read Bhagavad-gītā. Sarva-yoniṣu: in all sorts of body. Sarva-yoniṣu sambhavanti mūrtayo yaḥ. There are different forms of life, 8,400,000. They are all living entities, but according to karma, they have got different bodies. This is the difference. Just like we have got different dresses according to my choice, similarly, we get different bodies according to my choice. This morning we were talking about the sufferers, what is called? The sea suffers?

Lecture on SB 6.1.10 -- Honolulu, May 11, 1976:

So modern education there is no real knowledge. Real knowledge begins in the Bhagavad-gītā. Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, the first understanding, Arjuna was given lesson. When he was perplexed and he became a disciple of Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Kṛṣṇa, let us stop this friendly talking. Let us stop this friendly talking. Now I agree to become Your disciple. Now You teach me." So the first teaching was chastisment. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "You have no knowledge." Gātāsun agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ: "You are talking like a paṇḍita but you are not paṇḍita." He indirectly said, "You are a fool," because nānuśocanti, "This kind of thinking is not maintained by learned scholars." That means "You are not a learned man." That is going on at the present moment.

Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Chicago, July 9, 1975:

So we have to understand where is that spiritual world. That is... You have... Those who are reading Bhagavad-gītā, you will find, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ: "There is another world." Bhāva means nature. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). Sanātana means eternal. The living entity is described as sanātanaḥ. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Sanātana means eternal. And there is another nature, which is also described, sanātana. So when a living entity is constitutionally sanātana, if he wants to go back to that sanātana nature, that is called sanātana-dharma. It is called... You have heard the name sanātana-dharma. Sanātana-dharma means when the sanātana-jīva, living entity, tries go to back home... That is our real home. Here it is not home. We have taken America as home. How long it is your home, sir? Say, fifty years, hundred years, that's all. Not this kind of home. So that home is eternal.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27 -- Honolulu, May 27, 1976:

Suppose by law we are prisoners, we are in the prison house, and all of a sudden the president or the king dies. Does it mean you shall be free? No. You have to rot. Just like Bengali proverb says (Bengali), that if the king dies, his government is not stopped. We should remember that, that that government is prakṛti, the material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. So this is all foolish things, that "God is dead," "I don't care for God." But God, actually, God is not dead. You are dead. You are dead actually because this body, the bodily concept of life, this body is dead. Just like you are driving one car. But if you think that "I'm the car..." The car is dead. The car is moving because you are alive. Similarly, this dead body, this body is dead, already dead from the very beginning, but it is moving on account of the soul. This is knowledge. It is dead from the very beginning. Therefore in the śāstra it is said that... What is that? I am just now forgetting. Oh, aprāṇasya hi dehasya maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam. Aprāṇasya hi dehasya.

Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- San Francisco, July 19, 1975:

This is Vedic knowledge. You cannot argue. There is no scope of argument. Whatever is said, you have to accept. Otherwise how Vedas become authority? You can change in your own way.

So therefore we say that if you want to take benefit by reading Bhagavad-gītā, then you should accept it as it is said. Don't try to interpret foolishly. Then you will never get the benefit. That is our propaganda. And people are very against us: "No, I am a scholar. I am a philosopher. I can interpret in a way." We say, "No, sir, you cannot do that." This is our propaganda. Veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ.

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

And what...? Nārāyaṇa, He is so great authority that His words are accepted as Vedic truth, and He has become daridra? These are all demonic declarations.

So sincere..., those who are actually followers of Vedas, they should understand that there is no difference between the Lord and His words—absolute. We read Bhagavad-gītā, the words of Kṛṣṇa. Then how we can change the meaning of Gītā when it is spoken by Lord? Does it mean that I am greater than the Lord? "Kṛṣṇa left something to be told by some rascals later on"—is that the meaning of Bhagavad-gītā? Then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? If the meaning was to be corrected and commented by a conditioned soul, then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? Then what is the necessity of reading Bhagavad-gītā? Simply because it is written in Sanskrit? No. That is not the fact. The words of Bhagavad-gītā are Kṛṣṇa. That should be taken into consideration. That is real reading of Bhagavad-gītā. And if we read Bhagavad-gītā according to my whims—I like some stanza; I take it, and other stanza I give up—that is not reading of Bhagavad-gītā. You have to take everything, what it is presented.

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

Why? Śuśruma: "From the right source we have heard it." And whatever they're speaking, correct. Veda-praṇihito dharma. What is ordered in the Vedas, that is dharma, that is religion. And what is Vedas? Vedo nārāyaṇa sākṣāt. Absolute. Nārāyaṇa, spiritual world, absolute. Nonduality. Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa's words are the same. There is no difference. Just like we are reading Bhagavad-gītā. Why we're interested? 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 leave 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 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976:

So to engage the mind means, as it is said here, that pañcabhiḥ, the mind means controlling all the senses. So if you control the mind, then all the other senses will be controlled. So therefore it is advised that you engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. And vāk, vāṇī, pāyu, the voice, voice, arms, legs, anus and genitals. So voice should be engaged in vibrating Kṛṣṇa activities. You read Bhagavad-gītā, read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and talk about Kṛṣṇa. Then voice is engaged. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Always engage your voice in chanting or speaking about Kṛṣṇa. The mind is engaged automatically. Then arms, the hands, engaged in cleansing the temple. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira mārjanādau **. This is the advice. This is business of guru, to engage. How the arms can be engaged? You can engage your arms for decorating the Deity, for sewing the clothing, dress, garland. In this way you can engage your arms. Voice in speaking about Kṛṣṇa, eyes to see Kṛṣṇa, how nicely decorated, come to the temple.

Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:

These three verses are the ultimate instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-guhyatamam.

So people do not understand, and they read Bhagavad-gītā daily. And they are very much proud: "I am reading Bhagavad-gītā daily." If anyone actually reads Bhagavad-gītā, then he will be Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is meant for that purpose. But they do not read actually. They simply make a show. Neither do they understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Is that all right? So we have to preach in that spirit.

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

We know, we twelve personalities, authorities." Dharmaṁ bhāgavatam. Dharmam means bhāgavata-dharma, the relationship with God and the living entity. That is dharma. Bhāgavataṁ bhaṭāḥ, guhyaṁ viśuddham: "This is very confidential and without any material contamination," durbodham, "and very difficult to understand, the principles of religion, very difficult." They are reading Bhagavad-gītā so many years together, but when the question comes that "Surrender unto Me," they cannot understand. Durbodham: "It is very difficult to understand." Durbodhaṁ yaṁ jñātvā: "But fortunately, if anyone understands, jñātvā..." Jñātvā means "If one understands," amṛtam aśnute, "he can drink the nectarine." If actually one understands the religious principle, he becomes, I mean to say, free from all material contamination. Amṛtam aśnute: "He is a fit candidate to drink the nectar of devotion." Amṛtam aśnute. Etāvān eva loke 'smin puṁsāṁ dharmaḥ paraḥ smṛtaḥ. Now, what is the best principle of executing dharma, religion?

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

So many things. It appears just like ordinary, I mean to say, malpractices in the material world. It appears like that. "So what is this God? He is killing so many persons, He is kidnapping some woman. What is this God?" they may say. But they do not know that that is also transcendental. That is as pure as chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is as pure as. Otherwise, what interest we have got to read Bhagavad-gītā? It is in the battlefield. Senayor ubhayor madhye. Combination of two parties, soldiers, and they are fighting, they are killing.

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

Therefore those who are sahajiyās, they simply go to the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs. Other things, "Oh, no, no. That is not Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. That is not Kṛṣṇa's pastimes." That is, they differentiate the absolute activities of the Absolute. That is called sahajiyā. The sahajiyās will never read Bhagavad-gītā, will never read. (sarcastic:) Because they have been elevated to the mellows of conjugal love. Therefore they have no interest in Bhagavad-gītā. They say... Or when you discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam on the philosophical point, janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1), they also do not attend. If you discuss on the philosophy of Upaniṣad and Vedānta, they'll not attend. I have seen it. In Rādhā-kuṇḍa, sometime in 1934, my Guru Mahārāja was living, and he was discussing Upaniṣad. He was discussing Upaniṣad regularly. And the bābājīs... There are many bābājīs in Rādhā-kuṇḍa. First of all, they came, that "Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura has come, such a learned scholar and the establisher of Gauḍīya Maṭha." So out of curiosity they came. And when they saw that he was discussing Upaniṣad, gradually they stopped coming. So my Guru Mahārāja recommended that "These people are not living in Rādhā-kuṇḍa. They are living in Nāraka-kuṇḍa." I have heard it personally.

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

There is no difference. Absolute means there is no difference. Kṛṣṇa is Absolute; therefore either this grantha-bhāgavatam or the devotee bhāgavata or Kṛṣṇa, they are all one. That is Absolute conception. Advaya-jñāna. We should not distinguish a devotee from Bhagavān. We shall not distinguish Bhāgavatam from Bhagavān. When we read Bhagavad-gītā—practically every one of us reads—we should not think that Bhagavad-gītā is different from Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavad-gītā is as good as Kṛṣṇa. It is not ordinary book. Ordinary book is different from the author, but this Bhagavad-gītā is Bhagavān Himself.

Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:

German boy: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the beginning, that sravanam is hearing... I was discussing this with somebody and they said that reading of books silently is no good. Is this true? Does one have to recite aloud while one is reading? Do you have to read Bhagavad-gītā...

Prabhupāda: Reading is also smaraṇam. That śravaṇam, kīrtanam, smaraṇam. It is clear? Śravaṇam means hearing, kīrtanam means chanting, and smaraṇam. When you read, you remember God's activities, Kṛṣṇa's activities, His devotee's activities. Therefore it is smaraṇam. This is also one of the prescribed methods. But if anyone cannot read even... Suppose if he is not educated, illiterate. Does it mean that he will not get Kṛṣṇa consciousness? He will get, simply by hearing. The process is so perfect and nice, there is no need of education even. Illiterate person, simply if he gives aural reception submissively, he will get the benefit. Therefore it is universal. It is good for everyone—educated, noneducated, learned, fool, rich, poor, everyone. Man, woman, child, adult—everyone can take part and take benefit out of it. It is so nice.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

In the fourth chapter, those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find, that Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). "First of all, I spoke this yoga system to Vivasvān." Vivasvān is the name of the controlling deity in the sun planet. There is also a president. As we have got many presidents, in the other higher planetary systems there is one president, and some of them is called the moon-god or the sun-god or the Varuṇa according to Vedic languages. They have got... Such post can be occupied by you also if you become qualified. Just like you can become the President. Similarly, you can also occupy the predominating post in the sun planet, in the moon planet, and all the other planets. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, devān deva-yājo yānti, that anyone who aspires after to be elevated to such planetary system which is inhabited by the demigods, they can go.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976:

Bhāgavata-dharma, yesterday we discussed, dharmān bhāgavatān iha. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). From the beginning of life, from childhood, they should be given lessons on bhāgavata-dharma. The bhāgavata-dharma is very clearly indicated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā should be read very carefully, attentively, from the beginning of life, childhood. Not that Bhagavad-gītā should be read in old age. No. From the very beginning of life. And whole Bhagavad-gītā is bhāgavata-dharma. And when one is well conversant with the Bhagavad-gītā or the lessons of Bhagavad-gītā, then the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins.

Bhāgavata-dharma means, as we have discussed yesterday morning, that Kṛṣṇa Himself is explaining bhāgavata-dharma. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru mām evaiṣyasi (BG 18.65). The real aim of life is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. They do not know it. Na te viduḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Toronto, June 21, 1976:

That, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, matir na kṛṣṇe. People are very much reluctant to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Why? Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā. By others' instruction Just like we are trying to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, parataḥ. Svato, svato means personally. By personal endeavor. Just I am reading Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literature. So, matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā. Mitho vā, mitho vā means "by conference." Nowadays it is a very popular thing to hold conferences. So one cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious either by his personal endeavor or by advice of some other men or by holding big, big conferences. Why? Gṛha-vratānām: because his real aim of life is that "I shall remain in this house." Gṛha-vratānām. Gṛha means household life, gṛha means this body, gṛha means this universe. There are so many gṛhas, big and small.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

Therefore I am limited consciousness. But because I have got consciousness, you have got consciousness, we are living soul, therefore the Supreme Soul, He has got His consciousness, and that is unlimited consciousness.

This, this subject matter is very nicely described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Thirteenth Chapter. Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find there that kṣetra-jñāṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu pāṇḍava (BG 13.3). Kṛṣṇa says that "My dear Arjuna, this body is kṣetra, is field of activities. So your body is field of activities, and similarly, there are all the living entities, they have got their different kinds of field of activities. But the actor who is occupier of the field, he is called kṣetra-jñā. And the field, or this body, is called kṣetra. So in every kṣetra, or in every field, there is a owner of this field of activities, but so far I am concerned, I am situated in all the kṣetras and all the fields." That means God is situated both within your heart, within my heart, in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61).

Lecture on SB 7.7.32-35 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

So this stage... We have several times cited the example, that reading of Bhagavad-gītā... When Lord Caitanya was traveling in South India, He saw one brāhmaṇa, he was reading Bhagavad-gītā, but he was illiterate. But he was crying. So on inquiry from Caitanya Mahāprabhu what he is reading, he frankly admitted that "I am illiterate. I do not know even the letters. But my Guru Mahārāja asked me to read Bhagavad-gītā daily, so I am trying to read it. But I cannot read it." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "Then why you are crying?" He replied, "Yes, I get an ecstatic sentiment. As soon as I touch this book, I see the picture, that Kṛṣṇa is driving the chariot, and Arjuna is sitting, and He is instructing. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so faithful to His devotee, that He has taken the menial execution of service to His devotee. These feelings, whenever I feel, I am crying." This is the stage. This is the stage, when one becomes too much, I mean to say, glorifying about the wonderful acts. This is very wonderful act.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:

So there is no śraddhā. But we cannot do so with reference to Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66), that is a fact. That is not a bogus promise, because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all-powerful. Whatever He likes, He can do. This is called faith.

So after reading Bhagavad-gītā, if one does not get this faith in Kṛṣṇa, then it is useless waste of time. There are many so-called scholars, politicians, they declare that "I read Bhagavad-gītā daily, three times," but the result is no faith in Kṛṣṇa. This is called useless waste of time. If you do not get the faith which is required by studying Bhagavad... Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD reading for understanding God. That is ABC. So if you do not understand even the ABCD, how he'll advance in higher studies? That is not possible. So, even we cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā, the ABCD, Kṛṣṇa says one thing and they make, I mean to say, interpretation in a different way. Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2), mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. They do not believe it.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:

You, you are very religious, performing the ritualistic ceremony very nicely, going to the Ganges and taking your bath, and dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ. Very rightly you are executing your religious principle and coming at home, you are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but you have no faith in Kṛṣṇa. That is useless time, useless waste of time. The Bhāgavata, (says) śrama eva hi kevalam. So this, why this happens? Because these people do not approach the right person, guru. Ādau gurv-āśrayam.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was visited by many learned brāhmaṇas when He was at Purī, Jagannātha Purī. So one learned brāhmaṇa, he wrote some poems about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There were many brāhmaṇas, they were coming, but all such reading matter, first it was to be tested by His secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara. If Svarūpa Dāmodara would pass, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu will hear. Otherwise why should He waste His time (with) some hodge-podge writing? So one brāhmaṇa, he wrote something about Caitanya Mahāprabhu and came to read, recite before Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Svarūpa Dāmodara found many mistakes in that poem, so he did not allow him, that "You do not know how to present theistic literature. You don't.

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

What will happen then? Then ajas titarmy anugṛṇan guṇa-vipramukto. Very easily, simply by reading such book, we shall be free from material entanglement, simply. Because... Just like Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā and Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, they are identical. There is no difference. Don't think, "When I am reading Bhagavad-gītā not with purpose, then I am bereft." But to associate, to..., with a desire that "I shall be able to associate with devotee and Kṛṣṇa," then Bhagavad-gītā is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference. Advaya-jñāna. Advaya-jñāna means without any difference. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11), Advayam. If you are a devotee, bona fide devotee, when you read Bhagavad-gītā, you must know Kṛṣṇa is there. If you are a pure devotee, when you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is there on your tongue, dancing. Don't think otherwise. Kṛṣṇa is there. Nāma-cintāmaṇi-kṛṣṇaḥ. Nāma. Anyone who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa without any offense... Ten kinds of offenses, you know that.

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

Therefore how much difficult it is to find out such guru. Ādau gurvāśrayam. First of all you have to accept guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). So we have to follow guru.

"So how I can find out the real guru by whose words I'll be nicely directed and achieve?" That is not very difficult. You read Bhagavad-gītā. You'll understand. Just like Arjuna. When he was perplexed, he accepted Kṛṣṇa-guru. He said, śiṣyas te 'ham: (BG 2.7) "I become Your (disciple) now... We are talking friendly. The argument will not be ended. Now I become Your disciple." Śiṣyas te 'ham. Because as soon as one becomes a śiṣya... Śiṣya means under the order, regulation. A person cannot disobey the order of guru. Then he is śiṣya. If he argues, he's not śiṣya. He's not a śiṣya. Therefore Arjuna says, śiṣyas te 'ham: "I surrender, voluntarily surrender to become Your disciple. Now I shall not argue." That is called śiṣya. If you argue, then you are not a śiṣya. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā, āra nā koriyā mane āśa **.

Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:

Why Vedas there? Anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karilā. So Veda-Purāṇa is required. Why the Vedas are there for us? To revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the gist of the Vedas, the śāstra, is Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-śāstra vinijya (?). So if we read Bhagavad-gītā carefully, spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and follow it according to the direction of the Brahmā and his disciplic succession, then Kṛṣṇa will give you all protection from the demons. There is no doubt. That is Kṛṣṇa's business. He said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). Dharmasya glāniḥ means discrepancy in the matter of understanding Vedas. That is dharmasya glāniḥ.

We have read in the Sixth Chapter, veda-vihitaṁ dharma: "Dharma means which is enjoined, which is ordered by the Vedas." Śruti.

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

"Why? Why you are lamenting? I have given you all protection, and your father was giving you so much trouble, and I am always after your protection. Why there is lamenting?" "Lamenting is not for myself. I am quite all right. I have taken shelter of Your lotus feet, and I am engaged in glorifying Your Lordship's activities, so I have no problem. I can sit down anywhere underneath a tree and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and read Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata. I am quite happy. So I have no problem." "Then? Why śoce?" "Śoce for these rascals who are making big, big plans to be happy in this material world." This is Vaiṣṇava's... Vaiṣṇava can tolerate all distresses. He is happy in every condition. He has no problem. He has no ambition except serving Kṛṣṇa. Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). So Vaiṣṇava has no such ambition that "I must have multimillions and million of dollars to possess and must have a very good wife," na dhanam, "and many followers. I shall become minister, leader, political."

Lecture on SB 7.12.3 -- Bombay, April 14, 1976:

Stri-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Woman and śūdra and dvija-bandhu, they cannot understand Vedic language. It is difficult. For them Vyāsadeva made Mahābhārata. In the manner of studying history, Mahābhārata... Mahābhārata means the great history of greater India. So in that history, Vedic literature, Pañcama-veda, there is the Bhagavad-gītā, essence. So if you read Bhagavad-gītā, even if you read Mahābhārata, that is all Vedic literature, Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, the Purāṇas, the Upaniṣad, Vedānta-sūtra, and the Vedas, original Vedas. Original Veda is Atharva Veda. Atharva Veda was divided into four parts, Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva. So they are all Vedic literatures.

So especially in this age Bhagavad-gītā is essence of Vedic literatures, and it is based on the Vedānta-sūtra. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, hetumadbhir viniścita. Brahma-sūtra padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścita. This Bhagavad-gītā is based on Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra means Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra is very important.

Lecture on SB Excerpt -- Los Angeles, July 3, 1972:

Here is a chance for the human being. And Kṛṣṇa comes to the human being, and here is a chance, Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa gives them. So if after reading Bhagavad-gītā... Anāśritya govinda-caraṇa-dvayam. Who is neglecting? His neglect means that teṣām ātmābhimānināṁ varākhānām. Varākha means fools or childish. We are thinking that "I am this body." Such fools cannot understand how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore tad apy aphelatam jata tesam ātmābhimānināṁ varākhānām anāśritya, without taking shelter, govinda-caraṇa-dvayam, the lotus feet of Govinda.

So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). We get this chance, and if we are not educated by our teachers, by our fathers, by our leaders, by our government men, by our gurus, by our relatives, how to accept the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, who is canvassing, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Give up all this nonsense engagement, trying to become Kṛṣṇa or God. Give up this. Surrender unto Me"... This is education. This is education. The father should give education at home. The leaders should give education in institution.

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

That is the history, Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means great India. So there was no different religion. One religion, Vedic religion. Vedic religion means to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the Supreme Person Absolute Truth. This is Vedic religion. Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, it is said there in the Fifteenth Chapter, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Vedic knowledge means to understand God. This is Vedic religion.

Later on, with the progress of Kali-yuga... Kali-yuga means the dark age or the sinful age or the age for argument, unnecessary talks and fight. This is called Kali-yuga. That is going on. Since the last five thousand years, the Kali-yuga has begun, and the beginning of Kali-yuga was cow-slaughtering. When Mahārāja Parīkṣit was touring all over the world, he saw one black man was attempting to kill one cow.

Page Title:Reading Bhagavad-gita (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:30 of Oct, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=112, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:112