Sadhus, they are...

Expressions researched:
"Sadhu, they are called" |"Sadhus, they are very much anxious" |"Sadhus, they are very much neglected" |"Sadhus, they are very much persecuted" |"sadhu, they are pleased" |"sadhu, they are very" |"sadhus they are also pleased" |"sadhus, they are devotees" |"sadhus, they are not expected" |"sadhus, they are not going" |"sadhus, they are not interested" |"sadhus, they are on the" |"sadhus, they are so much tolerant" |"sadhus. They are simply engaged in Krsna's service"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Sādhus, they are very much neglected.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

Prabhupāda: Sādhus, they are very much neglected. They are criticized. "You are service mentality. You are after Kṛṣṇa. You have given up all material enjoyment." So they tolerate. Those who are devotees, they tolerate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us these things. What is that word?

Devotees: Tṛṇād api sunīcena....

Prabhupāda: Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. You have to learn toleration. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was tolerating. His father became enemy. What is the fault of this little boy, five years? Because he was Kṛṣṇa conscious. His father became enemy. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is rather difficult. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you will.... Just like we are experiencing in this land so many obstacles. Now the latest difficulty is they are not sanctioning our plan. "No temple, sir." So we have to tolerate. What can be done? There are so many temples, but we are faulty. Because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Sādhus, they are very much anxious. They do not command, "Kṛṣṇa, please come and save me." No. They'll never say that.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

Actually Kṛṣṇa appears for the sādhus. Not for the duṣkṛtas. To kill the duṣkṛtas, there are many agent. One little earthquake can kill millions of duṣkṛtas in a second. So Kṛṣṇa does not require to come to kill the duṣkṛtas. But He comes to favor sādhu. Sādhus, they are very much persecuted.

Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was a sādhu. He was being persecuted by his father. So Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared, not for killing the Hiraṇyakaśipu, but to come and show Prahlāda Mahārāja, "Don't be afraid. I am here. Don't be afraid. I'll give you protection." So actually, Kṛṣṇa comes for this purpose. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. Sādhus, they are very much anxious. They do not command, "Kṛṣṇa, please come and save me." No. They'll never say that. They know that "Kṛṣṇa is busy in so many.... Why shall I give Him trouble? Let me suffer. That's all right." But Kṛṣṇa comes. "Yes. I have come here. I have come here. I'll save you." This is Kṛṣṇa's business.

If you have got little faith, then you'll come. And here are sādhus. They are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

The āsakti... Ādau śraddhā. Śraddhā, beginning, "Oh, here is a temple, let us go and see." This is śraddhā. Little faith. And we have to increase this faith. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). If you have got little faith, then you'll come. And here are sādhus. They are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam. They are engaged always, twenty-four hours, in either of these business—śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam (SB 7.5.23). So if you associate with them, if you come and see the ārati, how they are chanting, dancing, offering prayers... And that is association. Ādau śraddhā, little faith. "Let us go and see the temple." And then association. If you come daily, there will be association. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Then bhajana-kriyā. Bhajana-kriyā, this hearing, that is bhajana. And if you join the chanting, that is also bhajana. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. This is bhajana. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā. Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then all kinds of anarthas, unwanted things, nivṛtti, that will be finished. Then you'll be purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ, athāsaktiḥ. Then there will be niṣṭhā, firm faith. Then there will be taste. You cannot remain at home without coming at least once in the temple. That is called ruci. Ruci, taste. Then āsakti. That āsakti required.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Bhagavān means person, with six opulences. He comes to give protection to the sādhu. They are very much anxious to be... When they are in danger, they pray for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

So bhagavān svayam, the Absolute Truth is Bhagavān. Bhagavān means person, with six opulences. And why He comes? Indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge. People are harassed by these demons. Therefore, He comes to give protection. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). He comes to give protection to the sādhu. They are very much anxious to be... When they are in danger, they pray for Kṛṣṇa. So just to satisfy them, Kṛṣṇa comes. Not even for killing the demons. But when He comes, He also executes this service also, to kill all these demons. Otherwise, for killing demons, He does not require to come. He, He has got many agents. So many demons can be killed within a second. For this purpose, killing purpose, Kṛṣṇa does not come. He comes especially for the devotee. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. For give darśana personally to Prahlāda Mahārāja—he has suffered in the hands of his father—He appeared. Otherwise, to kill Hiraṇyakaśipu, oh, it is not very big business. Indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti. When a devotee is very much harassed, so He comes in, as incarnation. So you stick to remain a pure devotee, and Kṛṣṇa will give you all protection.

They are three million in India still. There is statistics. Three millions persons who are in renounced order of... Sādhu, they are called sādhu.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:

Actually, there are persons in India who are called sādhus, sādhu-samāja. A great number. Not, I mean to say, a small number. They are three million in India still. There is statistics. Three millions persons who are in renounced order of... Sādhu, they are called sādhu. They do not come. So these three millions mahātmās, those who are engaged, they may be, some of them may be impersonalists, some of them may be yogis, some of them are devotees. That doesn't matter, because they are also engaged in understanding the Absolute Truth. The impersonalist, they're in the beginning stage, but they are not materialists. They are not materialists. They are trying to understand the Absolute Truth. They cannot accommodate the Absolute Truth, the Supreme, can be a person. That is their less intelligence. But they are engaged in searching out. Similarly, yogis... Real yogis, not these fat-reducing yogis. I mean to say... (laughter) Real yogis. They are concerned with understanding the Supersoul, Paramātmā. And devotees, they are engaged in serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The sādhus, they are not interested about rhetorical or grammatical adjustment. The sādhu wants to see who has spoken. If he's a Vaiṣṇava, then his word will be accepted.

Lecture on SB 1.7.44 -- Vrndavana, October 4, 1976:

The sādhus, they are not interested about rhetorical or grammatical adjustment. The sādhu wants to see who has spoken. If he's a Vaiṣṇava, then his word will be accepted. Caitanya Mahāprabhu strictly prohibits that is one is not a Vaiṣṇava, don't hear from him. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. "But he's such a learned man," or "He's writes so nicely, correctly." But because he's not Vaiṣṇava, one should not hear from him. "Why? It is so nicely written." No. Sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ. Milk is very good food, everyone knows. But as soon as it is touched by the lips of a serpent, it is poison immediately. Therefore it is forbidden.

Kṛṣṇa came so many times. Just like His devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja was in trouble by his father. So He came. They are sādhus, they are devotees. For them He comes.

Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- Mayapura, September 30, 1974:

To kill the duṣkṛtām, these asuras, Kṛṣṇa does not require to come. He comes only to give protection and pleasure to the devotees. That is his aim. Therefore it is said that paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām. For them, bhakti-yoga-vidhānārtham. For increase their bhakti-yoga. If you are a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, you are in distress by the demons, and if Kṛṣṇa saves you, then you become more: "More I am devotee, more I am devotee." You see. So Kṛṣṇa came so many times. Just like His devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja was in trouble by his father. So He came. Similarly, Vasudeva and Devakī was in trouble by Kaṁsa, therefore He came. So paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). They are sādhus, they are devotees. For them He comes. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. So why He's interested to save him? Now, bhakti-yoga-vidhānārtham, to show to the people that bhakti-yoga is so strong, so nice, that it will protect you from all kinds of dangers. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad..., svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. If you execute a little of bhakti-yoga, you can be saved from the greatest danger. Bhakti yoga is (so) nice.

Sādhu, they are very titikṣavaḥ, ārjavam.

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says, kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyāḥ. "You have taken birth in brāhmaṇa family. Why don't you take shelter of Me?" So because the..., why? The sādhu. Brāhmaṇa means sādhu. Brāh..., Vaiṣṇava means sādhu. Sannyāsī means sādhu. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ..., ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ (SB 3.25.21). This is a sādhu. So sādhu, they are very titikṣavaḥ, ārjavam. Similarly, brāhmaṇa qualification is also... Satyaṁ śaucaṁ samo damas titikṣā. Titikṣā, tolerant, ārjava, simplicity, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So similarly, sādhu. There must be a class of men in the society, first-class sādhu. Then the society will improve. If everyone is debauch and śūdra, then how the society will be peaceful? There is... Therefore, to organize the society, Kṛṣṇa recommends, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There must be ideal brāhmaṇa. There must be ideal kṣatriya, ideal vaiśya. And balance, all śūdras. But nobody's caring that.

Prahlāda Mahārāja gives very nice evidence. "My father was asura. So because Your mission was to kill, so that, he is killed. And by this killing process, not only myself, but sādhu, all sādhus they are also pleased."

Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:

So there may be a question that "Then was Prahlāda Mahārāja very glad that his father was killed?" This question may be raised, that "What kind of devotee he is? He's such a great devotee of Lord, and before him his father was killed, and he is requesting the Lord, 'My dear Lord, the disturbing element is already finished.' That means he's glad that his father was killed." So from social conventional point of view, if a son is glad on the death of his father, do you think it is very nice? No. These points are to be considered. But Prahlāda Mahārāja gives very nice evidence. This is the peculiarity of Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, that whatever they will say, they will give full support. What is that? He says, tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayādya. Asura. "My father was asura. So because Your mission was to kill, so that, he is killed. And by this killing process, not only myself, but sādhu, all sādhus they are also pleased." Sādhur api. Just see.

So do you think that sādhu, those who are sādhu, they are pleased when a person is killed? Not ordinary person. He is giving very nice example. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika sarpa-hatyā (SB 7.9.14). Vṛścika means scorpion and sarpa means snake. Naturally, whenever a scorpion is found or a snake is out, every man is prepared to kill it.

General Lectures

These persons, because they are sādhus, they are so much tolerant. Anyone who's preaching about God, they're sādhu, because they have to meet so many dangerous people.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 27, 1973:

Sādhu means he's tolerant. He's tolerant, titikṣavaḥ. At the same time, kāruṇikāḥ, very merciful. Now these persons, because they are sādhus, they are so much tolerant. Anyone who's preaching about God, they're sādhu, because they have to meet so many dangerous people. Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He was killed, but he faced... Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was so much (indistinct), he was a Muhammadan, and he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The Muhammadan magistrate called him, "Why you are chanting this Hindu Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra?" Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, "Sir, what is the wrong there? Just (indistinct) Hindus they have also become Muhammadans, so suppose I have become a Hindu. So what is the wrong there?" "Oh, you are talking before me? (indistinct) ...kill." He was ordered to be killed in twenty-two bazaars, because he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Similarly Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was a devotee, and his father chastised him so many ways. So as soon as we become a sādhu, there is some danger to be captured by the asādhu. Just like in our, this movement, there are so many (indistinct). Somebody is preaching that this movement is the hippie movement. The hippie movement is discussed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā. Just see the foolish propaganda. In India they manufactured a film, so much propaganda against this movement. We have to meet such enemies. What can be done? This is the nature of this world. As soon as you have become a sādhu, a devotee of the Lord, you create so many enemies—Communists, materialists—but we don't care. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja didn't care, even his father was so (indistinct). Haridāsa Ṭhākura did not care.

So therefore those who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just like all kinds of impediments. They are (indistinct) sādhus.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

The sannyāsīs and sādhus, they are on the śānta-rasa, as you are.

Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: ...that all sannyāsīs and sādhus must be treated very well...

Prabhupāda: The sannyāsīs and sādhus, they are on the śānta-rasa, as you are. Yes, śānta-rasa, appreciating the greatness of the Supreme Absolute Truth. That is śānta-rasa. Brahman, Paramātmā. The Brahman feature of the Lord, all-pervading... Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. That appreciation, that is śānta-rasa. Paramātmā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). This is also śānta-rasa.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

You'll find in Kumbhamela, still there are sādhus, they are not going anywhere. And they are starving?

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Huh? You have done already upasannān. So is Kṛṣṇa unable to maintain you? Why should you go to this blind man? So we go not for our maintenance. We want to engage his hard-earned money to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is our mission. Not for this belly. For belly we refuse to go anywhere. You'll find in Kumbhamela, still there are sādhus, they are not going anywhere. And they are starving? We go-gṛhināṁ dina-cetasām—"This rascal is absorbed in the thought of comfortable life, and he has taken only these wife and children, everything. Give him some other..." This is our mission. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa.' Let him go there and sit down and talk with him and give some instruction of Kṛṣṇa. This is our... We are not going for this belly. (Hindi) They are criticizing that "This man is empty stomach, and he has come to me." What does he care for empty stomach? No. Even they insult that, "They are empty stomach," it doesn't matter. It is my duty to give him some enlightenment about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Never mind. Let him insult.