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Remnants (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to become kind to everyone. Therefore we say, "No meat-eating." Meat-eating means killing the animals. Killing the animals. Why you shall kill animals? You have to take Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aṣnāmi (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa says... Kṛṣṇa is God. He can eat everything, everything. Kṛṣṇa ate fire, you know. There was forest fire in Vṛndāvana. All the cowherds boys they became very much frightened, "Kṛṣṇa." "Yes, I'm ready." He ate up all the fire. So for Kṛṣṇa He could eat anything He likes. He is God. But still, He recommends, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. Why? Because we have to take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, so therefore He is recommending, "These things you can give Me." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. So that is our food. We are devotees of Kṛṣṇa. We are meant for eating the remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.11 (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 11, 1975:

So it is very difficult to control it." So he says, tā'ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati: "The tongue is very greedy and very difficult to be controlled. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given us one weapon." What is that? Kṛṣṇa baṛo doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay, swa-prasād-anna dilo bhāi: "Kṛṣṇa is very kind. Therefore He has given us His remnants of foodstuff." So if we make this promise, that "I shall not take anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," then your tongue will be controlled. And in the śāstra it is said that you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Not only Kṛṣṇa, even His name you cannot understand with these imperfect senses.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

"How much nice dishes I have eaten today. How much I have satisfied my tongue. Never mind I go to hell. Let me eat this, that, so many nice things. Let me satisfy my tongue." "Oh, for your tongue so many animals are being sacrificed, killed?" "Never mind. I want to satisfy my tongue." Miser. But Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he does not satisfy tongue. He wants to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, and whatever remnants, foodstuff, is there, he eats. That's all. He's liberal. These are the distinction between miser and liberal. Go on.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966:

No. They are also. They are also. The law is that one has to repay which he is taking the help from other living entities. That is the law of karma. So either you eat vegetables or either you eat flesh, you have to repay that. But yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. The Bhagavad-gītā says that if you eat the remnants after offering sacrifice to the Lord, then you, not only you are free from all reaction, but you do not eat anything sinful. That is the direction of Bhagavad-gītā.

So in every aspect of our life... This is also one of the insignificant example of our activities of our life. If we act, dovetailing our actions with the Supreme Lord, then we are free from reaction. Otherwise we are bound up by the reaction. That is the law. So in order to get myself free from all reaction of my activities... Because so long I am... Because I am living entity, I have to act. Either I act spiritually, either act materially, I have to act. My activities will not stop. It is foolishness to say that "I will stop my activities." No. That cannot be. Your activities will go on.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

So that satisfies the demands of my eyes. In every temple nice musical sound is going on. If you there, you sit down for a time, and you hear, and you become satisfied. So the ear is satisfied. The eyes are satisfied. Then you take very nice, palatable, I mean to say, foodstuff, offered to the Deity, and you are offered the prasādam as remnants. So these arrangements are there. And, not only in Vṛndāvana, in every town, still the system is going on. That means our senses, in a different way, they're engaged. They're engaged, spiritually engaged. So that process is very good for the neophytes. Those who are beginners, the arcanā process, the Deity worship in the temple, is very nice. But apart from all those engagements, where it is not possible, this singing or glorifying the Supreme Lord or this simple song—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—it will elevate certainly to the highest extent if you do it very nicely and seriously.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

And one who cooks for himself, for enjoyment, then he eats all kinds of sins, all kinds of sins. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santaḥ. Santa. Santa means saints and sages. They do not take anything without offering yajña. At least, whenever you take something, if you offer the same thing to the Lord—"My Lord, it is by Your grace I have got this eatable. You kindly accept it and I shall take the remnants"—this is yajña. This is also yajña.

Just yesterday we prepared some food cooperatively and offered to Lord and performed saṅkīrtana, and we took it. This is the simplest process of performing yajña. Because we require food, so this was done here in this loft as a matter of example. But you can do it in your home also because you are cooking for your children, for yourself, for your wife, for family members. Now, if you cook nicely things which are to be offered to the Lord...

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

Meditation means as you see the form of Kṛṣṇa, and whenever you go, the impression of the form will be within your eyes, and if you think of Kṛṣṇa, your life is succesful. Therefore the Deity of Kṛṣṇa should be seen. That is the benefit of the eyes. The ears should be engaged hearing about Kṛṣṇa. The tongue should be engaged for eating Kṛṣṇa's remnants of foddstuff, prasādam. The nose should be engaged for smelling the flower which is offered to Kṛṣṇa, or the tulasī. In this way, when you engage all your senses, the legs should be utilized for coming to this temple to see Kṛṣṇa. Not to going to the cinema rascal. Then your life will be successful. You'll understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He says teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10), if you engage all your senses for understanding Kṛṣṇa with devotion and faith, prīti-purvakam, with love, the love is the basic principle of understanding Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:

Either you are vegetarian or not vegetarian, it doesn't matter. If it is not utilized for Kṛṣṇa, that is material. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). So especially vegetarian, vegetable products, food grains, vegetables, milk, Kṛṣṇa says, "If somebody offers Me with love and devotion, then I accept them." Our proposal is that you take remnants of foodstuff taken by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we offer this foodstuff from food grains, fruit, vegetable, milk, we offer to Kṛṣṇa, and you take the remnants of foodstuff. There is no question of vegetarian, nonvegetarian. Even nonvegetarian, he is eating sinful things, provided he is not offering to Kṛṣṇa. First of all, things must be offered to Kṛṣṇa, and then take it. It is prepared.

Lecture on BG 4.19-22 -- New York, August 8, 1966:

So when they are maintaining their body, they have to commit sins. They have to eat other animals or vegetables. Never mind. So how they are not committing sins? These are very intelligent questions. There is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

A devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, he does not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. Just like you take the remnants of your master. Just like servant takes the remnants of master. The master eats. In India the process is that husband and wife, that after the husband eats, the remnants are taken by the wife. The wife does not eat along with the husband. That is the old system. Now it is being changed. The husband and wife, they do not... The husband is supplied by the wife all kinds of good dishes, and when the husband is satisfied, some foodstuff is left, and that is taken by the wife. So similarly, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he does not take anything, does not accept anything, which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Because his life is full of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, you will find...

Lecture on BG 4.19-22 -- New York, August 8, 1966:

Anyone, any poor man in any part of the country, they can supply Kṛṣṇa and take the prasādam. So that by taking that prasādam, you become free from the, I mean to say, responsibility of being sinful. That is the point. That you will find in Bhagavad-gītā, that yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ: "If you take the remnants after offering Kṛṣṇa, that foodstuff makes you free from all kinds of sin."

So anyone—it doesn't matter what he is—he can prepare foodstuff either family-wise or... Just like I am here, Hindu. I am cooking my foodstuff, and I am offering to Kṛṣṇa, and I am taking, and as far as possible, some of the remnants is distributed to the devotees. So this process we can adopt, everyone, because we have to maintain this body. So if we do not take kṛṣṇa-prasāda, then I become responsible for all kinds of sins. But if we take, accept, kṛṣṇa-prasāda, then I have no responsibility because Kṛṣṇa is taking.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

Mahā-prasāda, the foodstuff, remnant of foodstuff of Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, the same.... Mahā-prasāde govinde. And Govinda, Kṛṣṇa. And mahā-prasāde govinde nāma-brahmaṇi. And in the holy name of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Mahā-prasāde govinde nāma-brahmaṇi vaiṣṇave. As also in Vaiṣṇava. Svalpa-puṇyavatāṁ rājan viśvāso naiva jāyate. Those who are less pious, they cannot believe in these things. So this is the indirectly speaking Kṛṣṇa, yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭaḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:

That is karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra. Therefore yajña. Yajñāyācarataḥ karma. Everything should be easier. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. The same thing.

Just like here. We are performing yajña, the saṅkīrtana-yajña. We are preparing food for Kṛṣṇa. That is yajña. And when we eat the remnants of foodstuff, that is also yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ, remnants of foodstuff. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santaḥ. Aśina. Aśina means eating. After offering in the yajña, if you eat, yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santaḥ, you become a santaḥ, saintly person. And yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ, mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. He becomes free from all sinful reaction.

And bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). And who is cooking for himself very palatable dishes, he is bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā. He is simply eating sins, and he has to suffer. Therefore we have to eat, we have to work, we have to do everything only for yajñāya, not for any other purpose.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Nothing to do with any physiological, anatomical. We have to see that we are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we have to eat something. We have to eat the remnants of foodstuff taken by Kṛṣṇa. Prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate. That is our policy. We do not see to the physiological, anatomical condition. That is not our business. That is automatically done.

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda (indistinct).

Brahmānanda: He says that according to Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, the first living being was Brahmā, and in the Christian Bible it says Adam was the first man. So he wants to know if in Kṛṣṇa consciousness scriptures there is any mention of Adam.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

So similarly, we are also human beings, we have got special food. Special food.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, Kṛṣṇa's prasāda will be taken by whom? By the human being. No, it can be offered to any living entities, but worship of Kṛṣṇa is meant for the human being. Therefore, a devotee will take the remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26).

Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, He can eat anything. He can eat anything because He is all-powerful, omnipotent. But we cannot do that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me this vegetable, fruit, grains, milk, and I will take." Therefore indirectly it is said, these are the foodstuff of the human being. Not any others things. You cannot say that "This is also eatable, therefore I shall eat." Then you become a hog. Those who have no discrimination, of eating, they are going to be hog next life.

Lecture on BG 13.22-24 -- Melbourne, June 25, 1974:

No, there must be discrimination. But so far we are concerned, we are not killing anybody for eating purposes. We are eating kṛṣṇa-prasāda, foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa and then we eat. The remnants of foodstuff we eat.

And Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). "A leaf, a flower, fruit and liquid, milk or water, all these things, within these categories, whatever a devotee offers Me in love and devotion, I eat." Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. Neither He is dependent on your supply of foodstuff. No. But still, Kṛṣṇa has become your guest. Just like you have brought Kṛṣṇa here. He is very kind. Because you are devotees, you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa has come in your temple in a form which you can very easily serve. Kṛṣṇa does not require your service, but He is so kind that He is accepting your service.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

"Those who are eating and cooking for themselves, for satisfying the taste, such persons are eating the resultant action of sinful acts." They are all sinful. They are, who are cooking for themself without offering to the proprietor, to the master, they're all sinful. Therefore our program is to eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam, the foodstuff, remnants of foodstuff, left by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. If you offer something to Kṛṣṇa, He eats the offering. It is not that He's not eating. He is eating but at the same time keeping it for you as it was offered. He's not like us. If you give me something to eat, I'll finish the whole plate. Kṛṣṇa is not like that. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa... The atheist will say that He has not eaten. No, He has eaten. And that is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

"You give Me patram, means vegetables, flowers, fruits, and phalam, fruits, and some liquid, water or milk." Kṛṣṇa does not say, "You give Me meat or egg or fish." No. Kṛṣṇa can eat everything, He's all powerful, but He does not eat, although He is all powerful. He can eat everything. He can eat fire. That is another thing. But because we have to take prasādam, remnants of foodstuff, Kṛṣṇa, therefore He says, "Give Me this: food grains, milk, or fruits and flowers." Prepared or unprepared, it doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa wants that. We... So far the Vaiṣṇava is concerned, sometimes they come forward to fight with us: "Why we should be vegetarian?" No, no, we have no quarrel with the nonvegetarian. Let them eat at their risk. But because we recommend, "You take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam," therefore we must be satisfied with this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), nothing more than that.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Los Angeles, August 21, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The maidservant was engaged in the menial service of the sages, and thus he also came into contact with them. And simply by associating with them and accepting the remnants of foodstuff left by the sages, the son of the maidservant got the chance to become the great devotee and personality Śrīla Nāradadeva. These are the miraculous effects of the association of Bhāgavatas. And to understand these effects practically, it should be noted that by such sincere association of the Bhāgavatas one is sure to receive transcendental knowledge very easily..."

Prabhupāda: So our principle should be not to disassociate ourself from the devotees. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings, tāṅdera caraṇa-sebi-bhakta-sane bās, janame janame hoy ei abhilāṣ: "I desire birth after birth to serve the ācāryas and to live with devotees." So our this association, society's is giving these two opportunity: you serve the purpose or the orders of the ācāryas and live with devotees. Then you will be secure in devotional service. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sebi-bhakta-sane bās. Bhakta-sane bās is very important thing.

Lecture on SB 1.5.24 -- Vrndavana, August 5, 1975:

Śrāddha ceremony means to offer foodstuff to Viṣṇu, and with the prasādam, to the forefathers or father it is offered so that by eating prasādam, if he is in ghost life or in hellish life, he'll be delivered. This is called śrāddha.

So it is the duty of the son, śrāddha ceremony. And Advaita, Advaitācārya, He was also performing the śrāddha ceremony, and He offered the prasādam, the remnants of foodstuff, to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was in Śāntipura, and he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra day and night, and when he was to take some prasādam he used to come to Advaitācārya's place and take prasādam there. So one day Haridāsa Ṭhākura asked Advaitācārya that "Why You are giving me prasādam?" Means he presented himself that "I am coming from Muhammadan family, but why You take so much care upon me? You are giving me prasādam, You are taking so much care, You are making a cottage for me.

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

Nitāi: Translation: "Once only, by their permission, I took the remnants of their food, and by so doing, all my sins were at once eradicated. Thus being engaged, I became purified in heart, and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me."

Prabhupāda:

ucchiṣṭa-lepān anumodito dvijaiḥ
sakṛt sma bhuñje tad-apāsta-kilbiṣaḥ
evaṁ pravṛttasya viśuddha-cetasas
tad-dharma evātma-ruciḥ prajāyate
(SB 1.5.25)

Very simple process of awakening Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This ātma-ruciḥ... Ātma-ruciḥ means attraction for the self, or soul. There are ātmā. Ātmā means sometimes this body. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Gross materialists, they think that "I am this body." That is also ātma-ruciḥ. They are busy to maintain this body, to decorate this body, to feed this body, to satisfy the senses of the body. This is also ātma-ruciḥ, because the body is also called ātmā. So this is another ātma-ruciḥ, materialist. Then ātmā means mind also, mental speculation, very much busy in mental speculation. That is also ātma-ruciḥ. And the, the topmost ātma-ruciḥ, topmost means that is real ātma-ruciḥ, to be attracted by the self or Superself. That is ātma-ruciḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

So here it is said that dvijaiḥ..., ucchiṣṭa-lepān anumodito dvijaiḥ. Dvijaiḥ, the brāhmaṇa... And the supreme brāhmaṇa is the devotee, kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇa. So Nārada Muni, in his previous birth, he was engaged in washing the dishes, eating the foodstuffs left by the dvijaiḥ, by the brāhmaṇas. In this way he infected their disease. As in ordinary material sense if you eat the remnants of foodstuff of a diseased fellow, then you infect that disease. Therefore sometimes when there is a patient suffering from tuberculosis, it is strictly separated from the family to another room or another house so that... It is very infectious. Cholera is very infectious. Smallpox is very much infectious. There are many infectious disease. So as you infect this material disease by eating the foodstuff left by a diseased fellow, similarly, if you eat the remnants of foodstuff left by a Vaiṣṇava you become Vaiṣṇava. This is infection. So we should voluntarily accept this infection. The other infection we should avoid, but this infection we shall welcome.

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). You can refrain from the lower class of infection simply by infecting yourself with the higher class, or transcendental class of infection.

So Nārada Muni, he was a small boy. It was not possible for him to study Vedānta or philosophy. He was not even educated. But still, simply by eating the remnants of foodstuff left by the devotees, dvijaiḥ, he became so exalted. The explanation is given there that evaṁ pravṛttasya viśuddha-cetasaḥ. "Because I was engaged in this service, gradually my heart became cleansed." Viśuddha-cetasaḥ. Cetasaḥ means heart. So actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. As it is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa... Just like father and son. However there may be misunderstanding, but if the father and son come together and their affectionate dealing is begun, immediately original relationship is revived.

Lecture on SB 1.5.25 -- Vrndavana, August 6, 1974:

Unless you do that, there is no possibility. Mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam.

So here Nārada Muni is doing that. Mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam. Therefore by eating the remnants of foodstuff left by them, by washing their dishes, by washing their feet... Everyone can do. Therefore this association is required. If one associates with devotee, pure devotee, and somehow or other gives service, one another, to the spiritual master, to the Vaiṣṇava, automatically he becomes purified. Automatically. Without any study of Vedānta, without any... Simply by sincere service to the devotee. Evaṁ pravṛttasya. If one is engaged in this way, viśuddha-cetasaḥ, he becomes gradually cleansed of the dirty things accumulated in the heart. And tad-dharma evātma-ruciḥ. And the saintly person and devotees, what is their business? The business is ātma-ruciḥ, taste for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Prajāyate. Automatically he will develop.

Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976:

Pradyumna: "Furthermore, I have personally heard you promise Draupadī that you would bring forth the head of the killer of her sons. This man is an assassin and murderer of your own family members. Not only that, but he has also dissatisfied his master. He is but the burnt remnants of his family. Kill him immediately."

Prabhupāda:

pratiśrutaṁ ca bhavatā
pāñcālyai śṛṇvato mama
āhariṣye śiras tasya
yas te mānini putra-hā
(SB 1.7.38)
tad asau vadhyatāṁ pāpa
ātatāyy ātma-bandhu-hā
bhartuś ca vipriyaṁ vīra
kṛtavān kula-pāṁsanaḥ
(SB 1.7.39)

So Kṛṣṇa is encouraging Arjuna to kill Aśvatthāmā on so many grounds. First of all, he has killed the boys who were sleeping at night. And another very important point is that ātatāyī. Ātatāyī means the enemy aggressor. Unnecessarily one who attacks, he is called ātatāyī. One who sets fire in your house, one who kidnaps your wife or somebody in the family, and one who gives poison, and they are so many, a list of ascertaining an ātatāyī. So He described, Kṛṣṇa described the Aśvatthāmā as ātatāyī. He's not a brave soldier, so he should be killed.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:

Just like Yadu (?) Ṭhākura. We are discussing this in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He belonged to the caste bhuṅi-mālī. Bhuṅi-mālī means the sweeper, baṅgi. He became a great Vaiṣṇava. And Kālidāsa, one of the relative, uncle, of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was also very great Vaiṣṇava, mahā-bhāgavata. His business was to eat the remnants of foodstuff left by Vaiṣṇava. He did not care whether he's a brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇava or śūdra-vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava is not śūdra. But a Vaiṣṇava coming from śūdra family, sometimes they are called śūdra-vaiṣṇava. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He's sometimes called, Yavana-Haridāsa. He's not yavana. He is hundred times, thousand, million times better than brāhmaṇa. But because he is born in a Muhammadan family, he was, another name... The Vaiṣṇava never says, "Yavana-Haridāsa." He is "Nāmācārya Haridāsa." Vaiṣṇava... Why he should be yavana? Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. Nobody should consider a Vaiṣṇava belonging to this caste, that caste, no. Just like here. The Deity is there.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:

Or even if He is metal, still He's Kṛṣṇa because everything is Kṛṣṇa. So arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. We should not consider like that.

So that Yadu (?) Ṭhākura declined to give his remnants. So when Kālidāsa wanted, "Sir, give me little your prasāda." "No, no," he said. "No, no, I... You are respectable gentleman, very rich. I am coming from low, low grade family, and how can I...? No, no, no. This is not possible." Then Kālidāsa Ṭhākura, Kālidāsa recited some shastric pramāṇa that "Why you are thinking that you are low caste?" Śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jivāghre nāma tubhyam. "You are better than..." Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha. So even a caṇḍāla, he is better than a brāhmaṇa who is a devotee. When he quoted all these verses to prove... There are many other verses—in Mahābhārata, in Padma Purāṇa, in Bhāgavatam. A Vaiṣṇava is never to be considered as lower caste, no.

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974:

Due to affection... First of all, whatever he earns, by hook or by crook, first of all he wants to see that his wife, children, are fed up very nicely. And, at last, if there is some remnants, he can eat, out of affection. You see?

So therefore this affection is the very hard knot for being bound up in this material world, this affection. Therefore the Vedic civilization is that the affection is to be cut off compulsory at a certain age, not that the affection should continue. If the affection continues, then there is no chance of my becoming free from this material world. There is no chance. Therefore vānaprastha. Because the wife's..., affection with the wife, is very, very strong. So vānaprastha means the husband and wife, they give up the affection. Not give up, go away from home, and they travel in the holy places just to purify, and again, when the affection draws, they come to the family.

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

Similarly, a man claiming kṣatriya, whether he is qualified as a kṣatriya and he is acting as a kṣatriya. Similarly, the vaiśya. And śūdra is general. Śūdra means one who has no education, no culture. That is called śūdra. So that is the remnants. First of all, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśyas, and others, those who have no sufficient brain, they are counted as śūdra. Still, śūdras have also prescribed duties. If there are others, those who are less than śūdras, or even the śūdra qualities are wanting, they are doing anything and everything without any control, they are called mleccha-yavana. Mleccha-yavana. This is the pañcama, fifth-grade. First grade, brāhmaṇa; second grade, kṣatriya; third grade, vaiśyas; fourth grade, śūdras; and all others, rejected, fifth grade, they are called caṇḍālas, caṇḍāla.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:

If you say that everything is food, then why don't you eat stool? One man's food, another man's poison. That is... What is to be eaten, what is not to be eaten, that is discrimination. Now our discrimination is, because human life is meant for becoming God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, we have to act in God consciousness. We have taken vow that we shall eat the remnants of foodstuff, prasāda, from Kṛṣṇa. Now, what Kṛṣṇa wants? Kṛṣṇa says patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa says "Give Me vegetable, water." "Anyone who offers Me in devotion." So we have to eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Although animals are meant for eating by the man. That is stated in the (indistinct). Ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām. Ahastāni, they haven't got hands(?). Ahastāni. (indistinct) sahastānām, they are food of the human being. So ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām. Just like the creepers, grass, and vegetables. Catuṣ-padām. They're food for the four-legged. Phalgūni jīvo jīvasya jīvanam.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

And this Deity worship, temple worship, is done by the bhaktas. So one who is engaged in this service, he's a devotee. Man-manā bhava mad..., mad-yājī, worship. What is the business of the temple? Simply to worship. Bring flowers for Kṛṣṇa, bring nice foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa, cook for Kṛṣṇa, offer it to Kṛṣṇa. Then whatever remnants is there you eat, take kṛṣṇa-prasādam, glorify Kṛṣṇa. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. This devotional service only for Kṛṣṇa. Not that you bring some rascal and make your Kṛṣṇa. No. Real Kṛṣṇa, not imitation Kṛṣṇa. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanam. This temple worship is called arcanam.

Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:

When you become intimate with certain friend, he gives to eat you, something you eat, and you also give him something to eat, he eats. But if there are different quality, then by eating, you contaminate, you are contaminated by his infection, and he is contaminated by infection. That is practical, medical science. If you eat the remnants of foodstuff of a tuberculosis patient, then you are attacked with tuberculosis. Or cholera patient.

So there are so many diseases. Therefore eating is so important thing. And the germs, they come out from the mouth very easily. Very easily. Formerly there was politics. They were called viṣa-kanyā, "poison girl." The politicians used to keep. I do not know whether nowadays the politicians keep. But we find from Vedic literature, viṣa-kanyā. Viṣa-kanyā means a girl, from the childhood, is injected poison, little by little, little, little, little, little. So when she is grown up, she, whole body is poisonous.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Hawaii, January 19, 1974:

No, if he's devotee, then he'll come. But this taking of prasādam, or hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is advancement for becoming a devotee. But if he takes prasādam not as ordinary prasādam, foodstuff, he believes that "This is remnants of foodstuffs given to God," if he understands this philosophy, then guaranteed. If he takes the prasādam as ordinary food, "All right, these people are distributing, prasā... Let me take it. It is very tasteful," that will give him chance to accept prasādam next, next, next... In this way, one day he'll come to the point that "This prasādam is not ordinary foodstuff." Then he'll... There is guarantee. Because only the devotee can appreciate that "This prasādam is not ordinary foodstuff. It is Kṛṣṇa's remnant of..." Therefore, he understands Kṛṣṇa. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). In truth, when he understands, then his life is guaranteed. Why guaranteed?

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa says, "Give me patraṁ puṣpam, vegetables, flowers, grains, milk." So you can prepare hundreds and thousands of preparations from these article, and you take the remnants of foodstuffs of Kṛṣṇa, that is human life. Not to eat kadarya, kadarya, nasty things. That is not human life. So if you continue to eat all the kadaryas, then you get ultimately the body of a hog, no discrimination even for stool. That is the laws of nature.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

For chewing solid food, the human being has a particular type of teeth meant for cutting fruits and vegetables. The human being is endowed with two canine teeth as a concession for persons who will eat animal food at any cost. It is known to everyone that one man's food is another man's poison. Human beings are expected to accept the remnants of food offered to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the Lord accepts foodstuff from the categories of leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. (BG 9.26). As prescribed by Vedic scriptures, no animal food is offered to the Lord. Therefore, a human being is meant to eat a particular type of food. He should not imitate the animals to derive so-called vitamin values. Therefore, a person who has no discrimination in regard to eating is compared to a hog.

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 14, 1972:

Uneducated girls, village girls, but they conquered Kṛṣṇa. So this aural reception is so great. Read little more.

Pradyumna: "The human being is endowed with two canine teeth as a concession for such persons who will eat animal food at any cost. It is known to everyone that one man's food is another man's poison. Human beings are expected to accept the remnants of food offered to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the Lord accepts foodstuff from the categories of leaves, flowers, fruits etc.(BG 9.26)

No animal food is offered to the Lord as prescribed by Vedic scriptures. Therefore, a human being is meant to eat a particular type of food, and should not imitate the animals to derive so-called vitamin values. Therefore, a person who has no discrimination in regard to eating is compared with a hog.

Lecture on SB 3.25.10 -- Bombay, November 10, 1974:

And if you perform yajña and then you enjoy... Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ (ISO 1). We require our, I mean to say, maintenance of life and soul. That is, that is a fact. But tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ. You enjoy everything which is given to you as prasādam, as remnants, as mercy. This is Vaiṣṇava life. Vaiṣṇava life means they do not... What is this temple? The temple is they are being trained up how to accept the remnants of foodstuff of Kṛṣṇa. We don't cook for ourself. If we cook for ourself, then, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt, bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpāḥ (BG 3.13). They are simply eating sinful things.

And people are doing that. They do not offer to Kṛṣṇa, and they eat whatever they like. The result is that you have misused this opportunity of human life, to understand Kṛṣṇa and go back to home, back to Godhead, so that you'll be happy eternally. You'll be freed from this entanglement of bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974:

They are interested in that left-out, I mean to say, garbage. They are interested. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām. Just like we throw away... After eating, we throw away the leaf. There are some remnants of foodstuff, and the crows come, the dogs comes. They are interested. They will not say... A sane man will not go there. But these crows and dogs will go there. So this world is like that. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Chewing the chewed. Just like you chew one sugarcane and throw it on the street. But if somebody comes again to chew it, then he's a fool. He must know "The juice has been taken away from that sugarcane. What shall I get by chewing?" But there are animals like that. They want to chew again.

Lecture on SB 3.25.19 -- Bombay, November 19, 1974:

Then you go the market, "What is the price of rice? What is the price of this? What is the price of that?" You purchase. Then you eat. Then you go the office or market. Then again, "What is the price? What is the..." Not that kind of inquiry. That is going on. That is also going on by the cats and dogs. They are also inquiring, "Where is food? Where is remnants of foods? Where they are thrown out so that I can go, I can take?" The crows are also doing that, that kind of question. But you should not waste your time like the cats and dogs and crows by inquiring, "Where is food? Where is food? Where is food?" Food is there for you, fixed up. Don't bother. The Bhāgavata says there..., tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Now, not only in cats' and dogs' life, even in heavenly life and other life, we are simply inquiring, "Where is my sense gratification? Where is my sense gratification?" That kind of inquiry will not help you. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta. You should inquire for something which you never did before.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:

So we have no quarrel with persons who are meat-eating. But our propaganda is to make people God conscious. That's all.

So in order to become God conscious, you have to follow some rules and regulations. We do not give any credit to the vegetarians than the meat-eaters. Because one has to eat. But our proposal is, Kṛṣṇa conscious men, that we shall eat remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our philosophy. And Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26), that Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who offers Me a little fruit, a little water, and little leaf with devotion and love, I accept it." Kṛṣṇa is not hungry that He is begging some food from us. No. He is trying to create loving transaction: "You love Me; I love you." Kṛṣṇa is God. Kṛṣṇa, practically by His energy everything is produced. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So why He should beg for, from me, a little leaf and little fruit and little water? He has no business.

Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Denver, July 1, 1975:

Strictly, they do not cook. They purchase prasādam. And if you go there, one thousand men—because there are pilgrims, they are coming, there is no—you will get immediately ready prasādam, purchased from the the market, the Jagannātha Purī, still. And there is no such thing as infection. I am taking your prasādam remnants. Whatever you left, I am... He is taking. Even if you are outcaste, if you are not brāhmaṇa, still there is. Because prasāda is transcendental. It is not material thing. So one must have faith that it is not material. It cannot be infected by any material things. In this way prasāda should be taken. It is called prasāda-sevā, not "prasāda enjoyment." Sevā means giving service. Prasāda is as good as Kṛṣṇa; therefore prasāda should be respected as good as Kṛṣṇa. As soon as one gets prasādam, immediately he touches on the head because it is Kṛṣṇa, absolute. In this way we have to be trained up as it is prescribed in the śāstras.

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

Choṭa Haridāsa, he represented himself as a brahmacārī and he was looking after a young woman. Then He understood, "He is a hypocrite. Reject him." And Śivānanda Sena, he was gṛhastha, gṛhastha must have children. What is wrong there? He said, "Yes. My remnants of foodstuff should be given." This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. So our request is, don't be hypocrite. There are four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Whichever āśrama is suitable for you, you accept, but sincere. Don't be hypocrite. If you think that you want sex, all right. You marry and remain like a gentleman. Don't be hypocrite. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. He did not like hypocrisy. Nobody likes. But for a person who is seriously engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, for him sex life and material opulence is not very good. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu opinion. Parāṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava... Niṣkiñcanasya bhajanonmukhasya parāṁ param...

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

If you become hypocrite, then there is nowhere to... That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. Choṭa Haridāsa, he presented himself as a brahmacārī and he was looking after a young woman. Then He understood, "He is a hypocrite. Reject him." And Śivānanda Sena, he was a gṛhastha. Gṛhastha must have children. What is wrong there? He said, "Yes, my remnants of foodstuff should be given." This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.

So our request is, don't be hypocrite. There are four āśramas, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Whichever āśrama is suitable for you, you accept, but sincere. Don't be hypocrite. If you think that you want sex, all right, you marry and remain like a gentleman. Don't be hypocrite. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. He did not like hypocrisy. Nobody likes. But for a person who is seriously engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, for him sex life and material opulence is not very good.

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

Although, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, they are elevated to the planet Goloka Vṛndāvana, but from their part they do not wish any kind of liberation. They simply want to serve the Lord. And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that "I may take birth in a family as an ant where there are devotees," because in the house of a devotee, the ants also, by eating the remnants of the foodstuff of the devotee, becomes liberated. A devotee's position is so great, a pure devotee. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11).

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971:

When you rub the pestle and mortar for rubbing spices, so many small microbes are killed. So we are responsible for that. Therefore, willingly or unwillingly, we are becoming entangled in so many sinful activities. Therefore the Bhagavad-gītā says, yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. If you take the remnants of foodstuff of yajña, after offering yajña, then you become free from all contamination. Otherwise, bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt: (BG 3.13) "One who is cooking for eating personally without offering to Kṛṣṇa, he is simply all sinful resultant action." This is our position.

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

Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānāṁ (SB 7.5.30). Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām means chewing the chewed. You have got sugarcane, many quantity. If somebody chewed the sugarcane, took out the juice, and if the remnants is thrown away, what you will get by chewing again that remnants? So punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). By our activities we are being placed under the laws of material nature—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27)—infecting different modes of material nature. Just like if you infect that... This morning some medical officer came to inject me about the yellow fever. So why this injection, vaccine, against the disease? That means if I infect this yellow fever, I will have to suffer. Similarly, the modes of material nature are three: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And as we are infecting ourself with the three kinds of modes of material nature, we are getting different types of bodies.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

A devotee does not pray that "Give me this, give me that, give me that." No. He prays that "Whatever you like, if you like me to take birth as an insect, that's all right. But my only request is that I may become an insect in the house of a devotee so that I may get the chance of prosecuting my devotional service. I may eat the remnants of foodstuff eaten by the devotee." Just like Bhārata Mahārāja, he became a deer, but he was associating with saintly persons. He understood that "I was formerly King Bhārata. My chance, my mind being absorbed in the thinking of a deer, I have become a deer. All right. Doesn't matter." So he was associating with devotees. Similarly, a devotee is not interested to become liberated, go back to home, back to Godhead. Of course, even if he's not interested, Kṛṣṇa takes him. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9).

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1970:

We cannot purchase things from the market and eat. No. That is not possible. We cannot eat. We can simply eat such things which are offered to the Deity, Kṛṣṇa. That is yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ. Even if we have committed some sin, by eating this prasādam we counteract it. Mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Yajña-śiṣṭa. Aśiṣṭa means the remnants of foodstuff after offering yajña. If one eats, then mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Because our life is sinful, so we become, I mean to say, freed from the sinful activities. How it is? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: (BG 18.66) "If you surrender unto Me, then I'll give you protection from all sinful reactions." So if you make it a vow that "I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," that means it is a surrender. You surrender to Kṛṣṇa, that "My dear Lord, I shall not eat anything which is not offered to You." That's vow. That vow is surrender. And because there is surrender, you are protected from the sinful reaction.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

"Elevate me to the heavenly planet or Vaikuṇṭha planet." No. "You can put me anywhere." Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, kīṭa-janma hou: "My dear Lord, I have no objection if I have to take my birth next as an insect." What to speak of human being or other thing. "As an insect. But I must be in the house of a devotee." So that an insect, by eating the remnants of foodstuff left by the devotee, he'll be delivered. Kīṭa-janma hou jatha tuyā, bahir-mukha brahma-janma nāhi mora āśā: "I don't want my next birth as Lord Brahmā if I forget You. I don't want." That is wanted. A devotee prays to the Lord that he would be able to constantly remember the lotus feet of the Lord. Never mind whether as insect or as king or as dog, never mind. That is devotee's, pure devotee.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Avirbhava Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977:

Unless you come to Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, you cannot get real pleasure. If you want to dance and get pleasure, don't dance independently. Dance with Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be happy. The dancing is there, but dancing without association of Kṛṣṇa... Just like here, in our temple, we are also eating, but we are eating the remnants of foodstuff left by Kṛṣṇa. That is real pleasure. It is not that we are stopping eating. We are not stopping eating. We are not dry philosophers. Kṛṣṇa baro doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay, swa-prasād-anna dilo bhāi. All over the world we are eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and we have got good experience. At least ten thousand men and women, they are taking Kṛṣṇa prasādam, but we have no anxiety. We have no anxiety. A family consists of a few members. They are full of anxiety how to maintain the family. And we are maintaining a family of ten thousand men. We have no anxiety. Just see practically.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- Hamburg, August 27, 1969:

So if you constantly keep yourself associated with Kṛṣṇa by chanting this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then just imagine how you are being easily purified simply by this process, chanting, jihvādau, engaging the tongue in chanting. And your tongue wants very palatable dishes to taste. So Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He has given you hundreds and thousands of palatable dishes, remnants of foodstuff eaten by Him. You eat. In this way, if you simply make it a determination that "I shall not allow my tongue to taste anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, and I shall engage my tongue always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa," then all perfection is within your hold. All perfection. Two simple things: Don't eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Our Kṛṣṇa prasādam are so variegated, nice varieties... The variety is the mother of enjoyment. How much enjoyment you want with your tongue? You can have simply by eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam. And the more your tongue is purified, the more you relish the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Relish. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

We have no quarrel with the nonvegetarians, because vegetable also has got life. The plants, the grass, the trees, the fruits, the flowers, they have also life. They are not dead. So simply becoming vegetarian is no great qualification. Somebody is taking meat and somebody is taking vegetable, it does not make any difference. But we are taking vegetables not as vegetarian. We are taking as Kṛṣṇa prasādam, remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

I offer these things to Kṛṣṇa, and we eat. That is our process. We have no quarrel with nonvegetarian or vegetarian. No. Because vegetable has also got life. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is also stated that yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. You have to eat after offering sacrifice. Sacrifice means to worship the Supreme Lord. That is called sacrifice. So if anyone eats the remnants of sacrificial foodstuff, then he is freed from all kinds of sins.

Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). As well as controlling the tongue, we have to spiritualize the tongue. If you keep the tongue materialized, then it is defective. So two things are done by the tongue: tasting foodstuff and chanting the glories of the Lord. If we engage our tongue in this way... Foodstuff means..., our process is to offer foodstuff to the Lord and the remnants of foodstuff we eat, prasāda. So this is one process, this is one business of the tongue. And another business of the tongue is to chant the holy name of the Lord. So in this way, if you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then gradually your realize. You cannot realize, but God reveals Himself, what He is. So Vedic knowledge means to realize God. That is ultimate aim of Vedic knowledge. And here, Bhagavad-gītā, He's revealing Himself to Arjuna, because he's a devotee. So if we take the words of Arjuna, then we also realize God. This is the process.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

In London, we have got two centers, two temples. In America we have got about forty centers. In this way, in each and every center, there is Deity worship. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā: to worship the Deity, to dress the Deity very nicely; to cleanse the temple very nicely; to offer nice foodstuff to the Deity and accept the remnants of the foodstuff as our eating. In this way, there is method of Deity worship. The Deity worship is done by guru himself, and he engages the disciple also in that business. This is the third symptom. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mār janādau, yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi. Not that he is not engaged. He is also engaged. His disciples are engaged. He's always showing, "Do like that. Do like that. Do like that." Or sometimes, if he cannot, the guru shows how to do it. That is the business of guru.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

The fourth symptom is that a guru, the spiritual master, encourages prasāda distribution, remnants of foodstuff distributed to the public. Ours is not dry philosophy, simply we talk and go home. No. We distribute prasādam, very sumptuous prasādam. In every temple, anyone who comes, we can offer prasādam. In each and every temple, we have got already from fifty to two hundred devotees. And outsiders also, they come and take prasādam. This is an... This introduction is also another symptom of guru, prasāda distribution. Catur-vidha. Not ordinary. Catur-vidha means four kinds of eatables: carvya, cūṣya, lehya, peya. Something is chewed, something is swallowed up, something is licked up. In this way, there are different kinds of palatable dishes. Catur-vidha-śrī... Catur-vidha means four kinds of different types of varieties of prasādam.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

Therefore it is said that realization of God can be done by the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). If you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then you realize God realization. So what is that tongue engagement? The tongue engagement is you chant the holy name of the Lord, and you take the prasādam, remnants of foodstuff given to the Lord. Then you become self-realized, God realized. By these two methods. You don't require to be very highly educated philosopher, scientist, and a rich man and..., to realize God. If you sincerely engage your tongue only in the service of the Lord, you realize Him. It is so simple thing. It is not very difficult. Therefore, this prasādam program is there, introduced by the guru, spiritual master. Śrī-vigra... Catur-vidha-śrī-bhagavat-prasāda-svādv-anna-tṛptān hari-bhakta-saṅghān. Hari-bhakta-saṅga means association of the devotees.

Lecture -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

Eating is not stopped, but you cannot eat anything which is not accepted by Kṛṣṇa. That is called anācāra. If you eat something which is not accepted by Kṛṣṇa... Because our life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness life, means to be always eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. As the servant eats the remnants of foodstuff left by the master, similarly, we are servants of Kṛṣṇa. We also eat, but we eat remnants of foodstuff which is left by Kṛṣṇa. That is called prasādam, mahā-prasādam.

So we have to, I mean to say, mend our life in such a way that kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara, chāḍi anācāra. We have to give up anācāra, forbidden things, sinful things. Striyaḥ sūnā pānaṁ dyūtaṁ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhaḥ. There are four kinds of sinful activities. Basic principle of sinful life is avaidha, illicit sex life.

Public Lecture -- Konigstein, Germany, June 19, 1974:

"Become desireless." That is not possible. Desireless means I am dead. No. Purify desire. Purify desire. You have got the desire for driving motorcar. Just drive motorcar for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (laughter) You see? This is the... Change the quality of the desire. Desire cannot be stopped. That is not possible. I want to eat very nice foodstuff. All right, eat remnants of foodstuff. We offer Kṛṣṇa the best food. That is the regulative principle. Kṛṣṇa also should be offered the best foodstuff, and you take the remnants. Kṛṣṇa is not so hungry that He is... He is taking, but He is leaving also. That is Kṛṣṇa's eating. Kṛṣṇa says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi: (BG 9.26) "Anyone who is offering Me these foodstuff made of patraṁ puṣpam, vegetable and food grains and milk and this..." He never says, "Give Me meat or eggs." No. He never says. He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. These foodstuffs we can prepare nicely in so many ways, and Kṛṣṇa says, "If somebody offers Me with faith and love, I eat it."

Departure Talks

Departure -- Los Angeles, October 5, 1972:

Each one, a small candle should... And then, after Ūrja-vrata, we have a big engagement in Hyderabad. And then in Bombay, then in Delhi. In this way. So in the meantime you go on with your work, hold the morning class, Bhāgavatam. Each verse try to understand scrutinizingly and worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Dress very gorgeously. Offer Them prasādam very gorgeously, and you take remnants of the foodstuff. So in this way keep yourself fit always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and there will be no chance for māyā to attack you.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: Actually he is being dead. So things should be done intelligently so that... The word is to make the best use of a bad bargain. So our philosophy is that although you can take that, although it is not killing, it is taking fruits, flowers and vegetables, it is taking from him, it is not killing, and we are offering to Kṛṣṇa and so if there is any responsibility, it is Kṛṣṇa's responsibility. We take the prasāda. Therefore we have no such responsibility and that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhuñjate te tv agham pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). Anyone who is cooking for himself, he is taking all responsibility for sinful activity even if he is a vegetarian, it doesn't matter. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. But if he takes the remnants of yajña—we are offering Kṛṣṇa daily—this is performing yajña. So we are taking the remnants of yajña. This is our philosophy. We are not taking directly. If I take directly, either a vegetarian or non-vegetarian, then I become responsible. Sinful. This is our philosophy. The law is there, but we have to tackle things very intelligently.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: Who said? You said. You said that there may not, but because my fore... I can make tools; naturally, my grandfather, he can make too. And what is there making tools?

Śyāmasundara: No. But why weren't there any tools left behind for us to find, remnants?

Prabhupāda: What?

Śyāmasundara: Why no remains of tools or other evidence of other men.

Prabhupāda: What is the use of tools? Tools are used for the carpenters, and we are not carpenters.

Śyāmasundara: But if there were high forms of men living...

Prabhupāda: Then he's (indistinct) with the carpenters, not the philosophers.

Śyāmasundara: ...they must have lived in cities.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: So, for a devotee, there is no difficulty in approaching the Supreme immediately and directly, but for those who are following the impersonal way to spiritual realization, the path is difficult. They have to understand the unmanifested representation of the Supreme through such Vedic literatures as the Upaniṣads, and they have to learn the language, understand the nonperceptual feelings, and they have to realize all these processes. This is not very easy for a common man. A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in devotional service, simply by the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, simply by offering regulative obeisances unto the Deity, simply by hearing the glories of the Lord, and simply by eating the remnants of foodstuffs offered to the Lord, realizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead very easily. There is no doubt that the impersonalists are unnecessarily taking a troublesome path with the risk of not realizing the Absolute Truth at the ultimate end. But the personalist, without any risk, trouble, or difficulty, approaches the Supreme Personality directly. A similar passage appears in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is stated there that if one has to ultimately surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead (This surrendering process is called bhakti.), but instead takes the trouble to understand what is Brahman and what is not Brahman and spends his whole life in that way, the result is simply troublesome.

Philosophy Discussion on St. Augustine:

Prabhupāda: Those who have got hands, they eat the animals without hands, only four legs, and the four-legged animals eats the animals which cannot move—that means plants and vegetables. Similarly, the weak is the food for the strong. In this way there is natural law that one living entity is food for another living entity. But our philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, is not based on this platform, that plant life is not sensitive and animal life is more sensitive or human life is more sensitive. We take all of them as life, either human being or animal or plants or fish, it doesn't matter. That is inevitable. Either you eat animal or vegetable, you eat some living entity. That is inevitable. You cannot avoid. Now it it the question of selection. That, of course, is there. But apart from this vegetarian or nonvegetarian diet, we are concerned with Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Kṛṣṇa, whatever..., our philosophy is whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, we take the remnants of His foodstuff. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "You give Me food, and prepared from patraṁ phalaṁ toyam, vegetation." So if by killing vegetable or plant there is any sin, that, that is Kṛṣṇa's. We simply eat after His eating. This is our philosophy. We are not after vegetarian diet or nonvegetarian diet. Whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, we take the remnants of food.

Page Title:Remnants (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:11 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=63, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:63