Remuneration (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
" remunerated" |" remuneration" |" remunerations" |"remunate"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

So karma and karma-yoga, there is gulf of difference. Karma means ordinary work. I work whole day; I get some remuneration and enjoy for my sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

So karma and karma-yoga, there is gulf of difference. Karma means ordinary work. I work whole day; I get some remuneration and enjoy for my sense gratification. That is called karma, in this life or that life or next life. Somebody, they make charities and other pious acts so that in their next life they get good parentage, good education, opulence, so that they can also enjoy life. There are others also who make more advanced karma to get himself promoted in other planetary system. Just like moon planet, or Svargaloka, heavenly planet. There are many planets in which the standard of life is far, far comfortable than here. So these are not required.

To get yourself promoted in higher standard of life, from C-class prisoner to become A-class prisoner, that is not required. Bhagavad-gītā does not teach us that you improve your life in the respect that you are now C-class prisoner; you become A-class prisoner. No. You should not remain a prisoner.

So Kṛṣṇa says that "Pārtha, My dear Arjuna, I have nothing to give. Don't think that I am here in the battlefield to assist you just for some remuneration or for some gain because I can have anything and everything at My will only."

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

So He says that "Pārtha, My dear Arjuna, I have nothing to give. Don't think that I am here in the battlefield to assist you just for some remuneration or for some gain because I can have anything and everything at My will only." Na me pārthāsti kartavyam: "Therefore I have no fixed duty." In the Upaniṣad you will find the definition of Brahman. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate: "The Supreme Brahman has nothing to do." That is the distinction. We have got everything to do. Suppose we want spiritual perfection. So we have to do something. We have to perform something. We have to act practically. We have to go, accept penance, we have to accept... Just like we are trying to chant

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

So the idea is that "I may be elevated to the perfect position." So anything, if we desire, we have to do something. But the definition of Brahman and God is that He has nothing to do. The Veda, Upaniṣad, say. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate: "He has nothing to do." Still, He is God.

Just like here immediately you see the father is taking his son in a perambulator. It is rendering service. But there is no remuneration. It is duty. Because the father is expected to serve. Otherwise, the son will not survive. So this is a service of love.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

Just like mother. There are some good examples in the material world, world, like the father and mother render service to the son. Just like here immediately you see the father is taking his son in a perambulator. It is rendering service. But there is no remuneration. It is duty. Because the father is expected to serve. Otherwise, the son will not survive. So this is a service of love. Similarly, even in this material, this service of love, there is a question of gain. Because sometimes the father thinks that "When the son will be grown up, I'll be happy, I'll get some remuneration," like that... There is some prospect. But actually, when we render service to the Supreme, there is not a single idea like that, "I shall be rewarded by..."

Karma... Nobody is going to work without any remuneration. Everyone is working for getting some profit. But that ordinary karma and karma-yoga is different.

Lecture on BG 4.39-5.3 -- New York, August 24, 1966:

That we have got experience, that these people in New York City, they are working day and night. And karma means work and get some profit. That is called karma. Karma... Nobody is going to work without any remuneration. Everyone is working for getting some profit. That is called karma. But that ordinary karma and karma-yoga is different. You can engage yourself in ordinary work, but, at the same time, you can become a yogi. How that is possible? When your consciousness is changed. Your consciousness... Now I am thinking that I am working for my maintenance or for my family maintenance or for my society's maintenance or for my country's maintenance. You can go on, widening. Even if you work for international maintenization, maintenance, still, it is not perfect. Even if you work for the whole planetary system, that is imperfect. But when you work for Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the most perfect work. So we have to work with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the perfection of life.

When Prahlāda Mahārāja was asked by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, "My dear boy, you have suffered for me so much, so whatever you want, you ask for it." So he refused. "My dear master, I am not doing mercantile business with you, that I will take some remuneration from you for my service." This is pure devotion.

Lecture on BG 6.1 -- Los Angeles, February 13, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Yes. There is demand. The impersonalists, they have got one demand, that to become one with the supreme impersonal being. But a devotee has no demand. He simply engages himself to serve Kṛṣṇa for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. They do not want anything in return. That is pure devotion. Just like Lord Caitanya said, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "I do not want any wealth, I do not want any number of followers, I do not want any nice wife. Simply let me be engaged in Your service." That's all. That is the bhakti-yoga system. When Prahlāda Mahārāja was asked by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, "My dear boy, you have suffered for me so much, so whatever you want, you ask for it." So he refused. "My dear master, I am not doing mercantile business with you, that I will take some remuneration from you for my service." This is pure devotion.

Suppose I ask somebody to work this way. Then he will expect something, some result, some remuneration, some reward, or some salary. That is the way of working here. But Kṛṣṇa prescribes that "One who works without any expectation of result or reward."

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

Everyone is working, expecting some result. Whatever you do, work, you expect some result. Here Bhagavān says, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says, that "Anyone who works without any shelter of the result..." He works. Then if he does not expect any result, then why does he work? Unless... Suppose I ask somebody to work this way. Then he will expect something, some result, some remuneration, some reward, or some salary. That is the way of working here. But Kṛṣṇa prescribes that anāśritaḥ karma-phalam, "One who works without any expectation of result or reward." Then why does he work? Kāryam. "It is my duty. It is my duty." Not with a result, but as duty. "I am duty-bound to do this." Kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ. In such a way, if somebody works, sa sannyāsī, he is actually in the renounced order of life.

I am not forced, but voluntarily, out of love, transcendental love. Just like mother serves this child out of love. There is no question of salary or remuneration.

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

So that stage is called real sannyāsa. Kāryam. Kāryam means "It is my duty." I am not forced, but voluntarily, out of love, transcendental love. Just like mother serves this child out of love. There is no question of salary or remuneration. The mother loves this child. Similarly, you can love the Supreme Lord in many ways. You can love the Supreme Lord as master, you can love the Supreme Lord as friend, you can love the Supreme Lord as child, you can love the Supreme Lord as your husband. Any way. There are five different rasas or humors, in which we are eternally related with the Supreme Lord. And when we are actually in the liberated stage of all knowledge, we can understand that "Our relationship with the Lord is in this way." That is called svarūpa-siddhi. That is real self-realization. That is real self-realization.

Kāryam means "It is my duty." Because I have got my eternal love relationship with Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of remuneration. Of course, remuneration is there thousand times more than what remuneration we get here by rendering our service.

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

So when we come to that platform of understanding, then we are perfectly in knowledge. So when that knowledge comes here, it is stated, he takes the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa consciousness: kāryam. Kāryam means "It is my duty." Because I have got my eternal love relationship with Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of remuneration. Of course, remuneration is there thousand times more than what remuneration we get here by rendering our service. Kṛṣṇa thousand times... Not thousand times because there is no limit.

In the material world, everyone is working for sense gratification. Everyone works here to get some reward, some remuneration, for wages, and that is utilized for sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

When one becomes first-class yogi or when one is considered to be elevated in the highest yogic platform or sannyāsa platform, yadā, at that time, when, na indriyārtheṣu, a person works not for sense gratification... That's all. Everyone works for sense gratification. In the material world, everyone is working for sense gratification. Everyone works here to get some reward, some remuneration, for wages, and that is utilized for sense gratification. Now here it said, yogārūḍha. "When one is perfect yogi..." That is explained here that yadā hi na indriyārtheṣu. "When one does not work for sense gratification," na karmasv anuṣajjate, "he does not engage himself in the work simply for sense gratification." And sarva-saṅkalpa-sannyāsī, "And he has no desire to get any fruit." Because his desired thing, Kṛṣṇa, is already there. So he has no other desire.

The nature of love is this, that the lover wants every moment to see without any remuneration, without any return. That is real love.

Lecture on BG 9.27-29 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

When you have got your developed love of God... This is quite natural. Just like you somebody, loves somebody. You love some person or... You always think of him. That is quite natural. Anyone. That is the objective of love. But because we are..., our love in this material world is a perverted reflection of the love of God, love can be applied only to God. In this material world there is no love. It is all lust. There cannot be any love. The word love can be applied only to God. So these are only perverted reflection, what is going on in the name of love. There is no love. So the nature of love is this, that the lover wants every moment to see without any remuneration, without any return. That is real love.

And the laborer class, they are neither intelligent, nor they want to take part in politics, nor they are able to do independent business. Under the circumstances, they are to give their labor and work under somebody and get some remuneration.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Montreal, October 25, 1968:

And the third class is the mercantile class. They want to do some business, trade, industry, and make some profit. And the laborer class, they are neither intelligent, nor, I mean to say, they want to take part in politics, nor they are able to do independent business. Under the circumstances, they are to give their labor and work under somebody and get some remuneration. So these classes are in every country. You call it by different names. In India, of course, these classes are named as the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and the śūdras. But in many places I was asked that "Why in India there is caste system?" So this caste system is not only in India. In everywhere the caste system is there. And enviousness between one community to another, that is also existing everywhere. This is human nature.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

In the military rank the order of the captain or the commander is there. The soldier has to execute it. If he acts in that way, he gets remuneration, he gets reward, he gets title, he gets honor.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

Just like in office, the managing director is the supreme consciousness. Just for example. Now, everyone is working under him, under his direction. So anyone who is working under his direction, they have no responsibility. They have got simply to discharge the duty, either pious or impious, never mind. In the military rank the order of the captain or the commander is there. The soldier has to execute it. Never mind whether it is pious or impious. It doesn't matter. He has to act simply. Then he becomes a, I mean to say, real soldier. If he acts in that way, he gets remuneration, he gets reward, he gets title, he gets honor. He doesn't care. The commander asks him, "Just go and kill the enemy." He goes and kills. He gets reward. But killing, do you mean to say by killing one gets reward? No. For the duty discharged. For the duty discharged. Similarly, here the whole position is that Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme consciousness and Arjuna has to discharge only according to the order of the supreme consciousness.

Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was offered any benediction he wanted to take from Nṛsiṁhadeva, he refused: "Because I have rendered service to You, it does not mean that I will take some remuneration for You. This is business."

Lecture on SB 3.25.44 -- Bombay, December 12, 1974:

So therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was requested, when he was, rather, offered any benediction he wanted to take from Nṛsiṁhadeva, he refused: "My dear Lord, please do not induce me in that way. I am born in a family, demonic family. To gain some material profit is my natural propensity. And You are the offerer. You are offering me. I can take anything from You. But this is not my business. Because I have rendered service to You, it does not mean that I will take some remuneration for You. This is business." Vaṇik. Sa vai vaṇik: "This is mercantile man's... But I am Your eternal servant. I do not expect any reward from You." But that Prahlāda Mahārāja, later on he asked Nṛsiṁhadeva, "My dear Lord, one thing I may ask from You." "What is that?" "Now, my father was atheist number one, and he has committed so many offenses at Your lotus feet. Now he is killed. So I want that he may be excused and given liberation." So he was already liberated.

Kṛṣṇa has said that sannyāsa, real sannyāsa, means one who does not take any remuneration for his service to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.6.2 -- Vrndavana, November 24, 1976:

Instead of becoming a false sannyāsī, do not accept sannyāsa. This is the injunction of the śāstra. But for preaching work we have to get the help of some sannyāsī, but we should remember that we are in Kali-yuga. We should not be sentimentally very much anxious—"Please give me sannyāsa, give me sannyāsa"—and then fall down and go to hell. That is not good. That is not good. If one is able to strictly follow the sannyāsa rules and regulation, he should take. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa has said that sannyāsa, real sannyāsa, means one who does not take any remuneration for his service to Kṛṣṇa. That is sannyāsa. Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ sa sannyāsī (BG 6.1). "It is my duty. I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. To serve Kṛṣṇa is my duty." Kāryam: "I must do it." Actually that mentality is sannyāsa. It doesn't matter whether we have changed the dress or not, but if we decide it, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa; my only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," that is sannyāsa.

Everyone is working in this material world for some salary or for some remuneration, but if one works not for salary or for remuneration but as a matter of duty, then he is sannyāsī.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 12, 1968:

Sannyāsa means you can become a sannyāsī even with your, this coat-pant. It doesn't matter, provided you have dedicated your life for the service of God. That is called sannyāsa. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said, anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī, sa sannyāsī sa yogi ca na cānya akriya (BG 6.1). The meaning of this verse is that anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ. Everyone is working in this material world for some salary or for some remuneration, but if one works not for salary or for remuneration but as a matter of duty... Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryam. Kāryam means "It must be done." Karma karoti yaḥ: "In such a way, if somebody acts, then sa sannyāsī, he is sannyāsī." Just try to understand. Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ. You are doing some work. Why you are doing some work? Either for some salary or for some profit or for some gain. Otherwise nobody is working uselessly. He must have some gain. But one who does not utilize that gain for his sense gratification but works as a matter of duty, kāryaṁ karma karoti sa sannyāsī sa yogi ca. Such person is actually a sannyāsī and yogi.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

In our college days in logic class of Professor Purnachandra Sen, he cited a very nice example, that a student approached his teacher and the contract was that he wanted to become a law student, lawyer, and the contracts were that when the student will appear in the court after being duly qualified as lawyer, then he will pay the remuneration of the student.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.31-38 -- San Francisco, January 22, 1967:

There is a very nice story. In our college days in logic class of Professor Purnachandra Sen, he cited a very nice example, that a student approached his teacher and the contract was that he wanted to become a law student, lawyer, and the contracts were that when the student will appear in the court after being duly qualified as lawyer, then he will pay the remuneration of the student. This was the contract between the... So that the teacher may very quickly make him qualified. So teacher agreed, "Yes. I shall make you qualified within one year. So you have to pay me five million dollars," like that, something. So when he was qualified, passed his law examination, he said, "Now you come. You practice in the court." So he said, "No. I am not going to practice." "Then pay me." "How can I pay? If I practice, then I'll pay, but I am not going to practice."

Philosophy Discussions

Śāstra says that this hard working for some sense gratification is being done by the hogs and dogs. They are also working hard, and getting some remuneration for food and sense enjoyment.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: Just like in the śāstras it is stated that the human beings, they are being controlled by the modes of passion, so they love to work very hard. And that hard working, they think it is happiness. Actually, everyone is working hard day and night, and because he is getting some money in return, he is thinking that "I am becoming happier." In exchange of a little money he is accepting that hard working is very good. But śāstra says that this hard working for some sense gratification is being done by the hogs and dogs. They are also working hard, and getting some remuneration for food and sense enjoyment. So that business is there already. So does it mean that a human being also works so hard, as a hog, simply to get his food and sense gratification? Suppose a big builder is working hard and getting money. But what will be the result of his work? A little food and sense gratification.