Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Students (Lectures, SB cantos 1 - 3)

Expressions researched:
"student" |"student's" |"students"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- New York, July 6, 1972:

Sanskrit language is very important, honored all over the world. Especially in Germany, they are very much fond of this Sanskrit. There are many German scholars who can speak in Sanskrit language for hours. They are so serious student of Sanskrit. One of my Godbrothers, he is now in Sweden, he used to speak that "When one Indian student used to come to our country from London" In British days Indians would go to London, and he would take a degree there, and he would become a big man. That was the system. So while coming back home, naturally they used to visit other European countries. So in Germany they used to test the Indian student, how far he knew about his own culture. So this, my Godbrother, his name was Ansulye (?), now he's Sadānanda Swami, so he said that as soon as we saw that the student did not know anything of his Indian culture, immediately rejected him, "That is useless."

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- New York, July 6, 1972:

So you European, American students, you take full advantage of this Vedic culture. I am therefore so much laboring hard that we, before my leaving this body, I may give you some books who you can enjoy after my death. So utilize it. Utilize it. Read every śloka nicely, try to understand the meaning, discuss amongst yourselves. Nityaṁ bhagavata-sevayā. That is our mission. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhagavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). Abhadra, we have got so many dirty things within our heart. So these dirty things can be cleansed simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other method.

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975:

Therefore, without being guided by authority, nobody can find out the perfect answer of an enquiry. Even in the university level, those who are research scholar, they are guided by three experienced professors. And when the student's research work is admitted by the three professors, then he is awarded the doctorate designation. So the, as I have already said, the child enquires, "What is this, father?" Similarly, we should also enquire, "What is the origin of this universe?" Not only universe, but any item within our experience, naturally we are inclined... Just like here is a microphone. So an intelligent person is inquisitive to enquire, "Who is the manufacturer of this microphone?" Just like we enquire about a child, "Whose son he is? Who is his father?" similarly, this is human mind, to enquire about the origin. That is the only business of human being.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:

So this can be done simply by our discussion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore it is said here, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). It is the mature fruit of Vedic knowledge. And śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam. This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written by Vyāsadeva. And it was spoken for the first time by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, his son. He wrote this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam under the instruction of his spiritual master, Nārada, and he taught his son, beloved son, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, that "You preach. I am writing; you preach." That is the duty of the student. The spiritual master writes, and it is a duty of the disciple to preach. And if the student is also as pure as the spiritual master, then it becomes very nice. Śuka-mukhāt. Śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

So this is called pravṛtti and nivṛtti. Pravṛtti means the living entity has come here to enjoy this material world. This is called pravṛtti. And the other side is nivṛtti. Nivṛtti means become detached to material life. So long he'll be attached to the materialistic way of life, there is no question of liberation. He will be more and more entangled. According to his mind, he will get a particular type of body, material body. And there are 8,400,000 species of body. So as soon as one gets the body, he becomes under the laws of the material nature, and the material nature means under the laws, stringent laws, threefold miserable condition, that will continue. Therefore the Vedic literature they gives us opportunity to gradually renounce. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalām. That is a pravṛtti, inclination. But a Vedic student is trained up in such a way that ultimately he becomes renounced or detached from this material entanglement.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

Now the actual knowledge, actual education, means to detach them, not to increase that. But at the present moment the civilization is, they are increasing this desire. Everyone has got this desire. But... That is called civilization, "Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." No. The human life is meant for being trained up to be detached. Just like we are training our students. They are not... If not cent percent, major portion, major percentage, they're detached. That is perfection. Gradually detached... Just like if you have got fever, 105 degrees, you should not increase it. You should decrease it. If you increase, "Oh, fever is very nice thing. Let us increase it," then death. As soon as it is 107 degrees, then death.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

Pradyumna: "They have no desire to follow in the footsteps of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī. One should conclude, therefore, that the serious student of the rasa should receive the message of Bhāgavatam in the chain of disciplic succession from Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who describes the Bhāgavatam from its very beginning and not whimsically to satisfy the mundaner who has very little knowledge in transcendental science. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so carefully presented that a sincere and serious person can at once enjoy the ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge simply by drinking the nectarean juice through the mouth of Śukadeva Gosvāmī or his bona fide representative."

Prabhupāda: That's all. Now have kīrtana. (end)

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 22, 1971:

You have no experience in your country. In India still there are snake charmers. If one is bitten by a snake he remains unconscious. By mantra he can be brought into consciousness, in life. If a man is snakebitten... (aside:) He's sleeping. Why? Don't sleep and you can sleep at the end. Don't in the front. It is disturbing. Enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi'. Lord Caitanya said that "I have brought the medicine." Māyā nāśibāro lāgi'. Just like the snake charmers, they chant mantra. That is factual. It is not story. One medical practitioner friend of mine, when he was student in Lucknow, he stated that there is a palace building, Satar Manji?(?) Satar Manju, in Lucknow. There is some government office. So there were several snakebite cases. Several men were killed by snakebite. So they could understand that there is a venomous snake in this building; at the opportunity he bites. So one snakecharmer was called, and one Muhammadan snakecharmer, he came, and he captured that snake and took it away.

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 22, 1971:

Now these medical students, they do not believe in these mantras. They were surprised. They think that snakebite means finished, there is no medicine. So they were very much, because they were students, very much inquisitive. They went to that charmer at his place and wanted to know from him what is the secret, is it a fact that mantra... So he said, "All right, I shall show you." So he opened one box, and several hundred snakes immediately came out. And all the students, they became so disturbed. Some were crying, some were this way, that way... (laughter) Yes. And the charmer said, "Don't be worried. So long I am here they will not bite. And don't think that these snakes are without poison teeth." He took some of them and showed that "Here is a poison teeth. Not that the poison teeth has been taken away. The poison teeth is there. But by our mantra, we subdue it. He cannot do any harm." So the doctor students, medical students inquired that, "Can we not use this mantra?" Said, "No. You cannot." Because it has to be... (end)

Lecture on SB 1.1.5-6 -- London, August 23, 1971:

So the itihāsa... Itihāsa means history, and purāṇāni, purāṇāni means old itihāsa. All the statements or narrations described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they're all historical evidence, they're not imagination. Sometimes the so-called scholars and research students, they say it is fancy or something imagination. No. They're all history. It is said here, itihāsam. Itihāsa means history.

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

So our life, this human form of life, should be used for śreyas. It is said, puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas. We should not be attracted by the preyas. Preyas. But modern education is so nasty that they encourage preyas. Especially in the, not in this country, everywhere. That boys and girls are not checked, rather encouraged, encouraged in the matter of immature sex life. Preyas. They want it, "All right, do it, take tablets and enjoy." This is dangerous. For this reason, the generation are becoming degraded, because they are not aiming at the śreyas. They are simply aiming at the preyas, immediate pleasing thing. They do not know that immature sex life spoils the brain, spoils strength. Everything is spoiled. In student life, brahmacārī system is very nice. If he keeps brahmacārī without any sex life, then his brain becomes very potent. He can remember, memory becomes very sharp, bodily sense becomes very solid. In this way his life becomes very solid for future śreyas. But that is not being taught at the present moment. But here the ṛṣis, the great sages, they are asking, puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas. Tan naḥ śaṁsitum arhasi, "Kindly describe what we should accept." This is called inquiry. Everyone should be inquisitive for the ultimate benefit of life. What is that ultimate benefit of life? The ultimate benefit of life is to stop this repetition of birth and death, old age and disease. That is ultimate benefit of life. But they do not know.

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu (BG 13.22). Why one is born in high family, rich family, why other is poor family or one is born in lower animals, one is born as demigods? What is that reason, kāraṇa? The reason is kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. He has associated with a particular type of the material qualities therefore he has to accept a particular type of body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Therefore we are instructing our students, "Associate with the good qualities, good qualities." The best qualities of association is devotional service, a devotee. Because they're transcendental, above goodness, above goodness. Just like you are living in this temple. This is above goodness according to Vedic.... If you live in the forest that is goodness, association with goodness, because there is no material contamination, simple life in the forest. Or in the village, not in the village, in the forest.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

Vedic knowledge... Formerly, there was no need of books. Nowadays, at the present moment, our memory is not so sharp due to Kali-yuga. Therefore Vyāsadeva wrote in books, in words, because he foresaw that "The people in this age, they will be dull-headed rascals. Therefore, if they get this knowledge recorded in writing, they may be able to derive some benefit." Otherwise, formerly Vedic knowledge was never book reading. No. Śruti. Śruti means hearing. This disciple is so powerful that once he hears from the spiritual master, his memory is recorded immediately. Memory. Therefore brahmacārī record. If you remain brahmacārī, then your brain will be so nice that as soon as you hear something, it will be memorized. This is the benefit of brahmacārī. And if the students are allowed to be sexually, I mean to say, indulgent, then where is the brain? This is very scientific to remain brahmacārī, to understand from the guru simply by hearing. Once hearing.

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

So it is a great science, how the soul, living soul, is in contact with this material body and how he is transmigrating from one body to another. The example is given just like vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). We are... Just like when the garments, our shirt and coat, becomes too old, we give it up and we accept another shirt and coat... Similarly, I, you, every one of us, we are spirit soul. We are given a type of body and shirt and coat by the arrangement of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). That particular body is given to us for our particular type of standard of living. Just like you European, American, Australians, you have got a particular type, and you are given the opportunity, a particular standard of living. Just if some Indian comes to your European, American, Australian cities, just like your Melbourne city... I was just speaking to my students, "If any Indian comes, so they will be surprised with this standard of living." They will think that "Oh, it is heaven." Because the material prosperity is far different from Indian cities to these American, or European, Australian. There is much difference.

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

So this Bhāratavarṣa... This planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. Now it is divided. Now it is divided because on account of loss of the old Vedic culture we have now divided. I am thinking, "I am Indian," you are thinking, "Australian." Another is thinking, "American" or "Englishman." These divisions have come very lately, say about three thousand, four thousand years ago. Before that, this planet was one. There was only one king. We get this information from Vedic literature. And he was ruling all over, then. The culture was one. That is Vedic culture. Still, I hear some of my student was telling that in Australia there is some Hindu temple somewhere.

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

So if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this rascaldom will go. Just like these you see all the students. They don't think that they are Indian or American or African or... No. They are thinking, "We are servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is wanted. That is wanted. Unless we are coming to that point of understanding, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam... (CC Antya 20.12). Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am pure soul, spirit soul. This body, material body is my cover." That is called jñāna, knowledge. And as soon you come to the point of knowledge, then there will be vairāgya. Vairāgya means renunciation. Just like these boys, these girls. They are Americans. They lived under their parents in high standard of live. Now they can sit anywhere. They can sit on the street because they have forgotten this bodily concept of life. They are simply thinking in terms of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Edinburgh, July 17, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The whole world is full of questions and answers. The birds, the beasts, and men are all busy in the matter of perpetual questions and answers. In the morning, the birds in the nest become busy with questions and answers, and in the evening also, the same birds come back and again become busy with questions and answers. The human being, unless he is fast asleep at night, is busy with questions and answers. The businessmen in the market are busy with questions and answers, and so also, the lawyers in the court and the students in the schools and colleges. The legislators in the parliament are also busy with questions and answers, and the politicians and the press representatives are all busy with questions and answers. Although they go on making such questions and answers for their whole lives, they are not at all satisfied. Satisfaction of the soul can only be obtained by questions and answers on the subject of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is our most intimate master, friend, father or son, and object of conjugal love. Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, we have created so many objects of questions and answers, but none of them are able to give us complete satisfaction."

Prabhupāda: Therefore, materialism means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, there is no other existence as material. Just like in dream. In dream, some way or other, we create an atmosphere. But actually, there is no different atmosphere. But by our brain, hallucination, we create something. So created in dream, we have got experience, everyone, "I am the worker. I am doing this. I am flying. I am going there. I am riding the path(?). I am working. I..." "I" is there. This "I" false ego is there. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). So forgetting Kṛṣṇa, when we concentrate only "I" and "mine," that is material world. That is material world. Material means separated. When I create, when we forget Kṛṣṇa, when I create "I" and "mine," that is material. Make it clear.(?) Otherwise, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1).

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

Yes. So psychology... I was student of psychology in my college life. Dr. Urquhart said, I remember still, that the brain substance has been found up to 64 ounce, while brain substance of woman has been found, highest, 34 ounce. Therefore woman class (laughs) is not so intelligent as man. There is no question of competition. It is actual, scientific fact.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

Therefore the sādhana-bhajana means to come to the point of nil. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. These Gosvāmīs, they conquered over nidrā, āhāra. Nidrā means sleeping, āhāra means eating, and vihāra means sex. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. You have to conquer. The more you conquer over these things, the more you are advanced. Because you have to make it nil altogether. Then you are eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore we train our students: "No illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat-eating"—the nivṛtti-mārga.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

So where is the wrong in this? There is superior judgement and there are different types of body, that is a fact. So how, you cannot deny. Sometimes Christians, they deny this karmavāda. I was a student in Calcutta, Scottish Churches College. So, I was student of philosophy also. So Dr. Urquhart, he denied karmavāda. That "I am punished at this present, present body, where is the witness? Where is the witness?" Because any judgement is done on the strength of witness. So that was his argument. But the witness is there. According to Vedic system the witness is the sun, the witness is the moon, the witness is the day, the witness is the night. And above all the supreme witness is God Himself. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart so how you can hide yourself from the vigilance of the Supreme Lord? The Supreme Lord is witness.

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

So vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). If you apply bhakti-yoga to Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality, then very soon, janayaty āśu... Āśu means very soon. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Just see. These boys and girls of America and Europe, they were too much addicted, because their father, mother, their civilization is to be attached to material enjoyment. Actually, they were. Now see their vairāgyam. Practical. There is no theoretical. As soon as you engage yourself, vāsudeve bhagavati... These young girls... One of my student is, was... She is girl. She was a great artist, dancing girl in Australia. She gave up everything and came to me: "Swamiji, make me your disciple." I saw her father and mother in Australia. A very beautiful girl. Very big, big heading in newspaper that "Such and such girl has left everything." This is vairāgya. Very profitable business she was earning. All of them. They are all qualified. They are not like our Indian boys and girls, uneducated or illiterate. No. They are well qualified. They can earn any amount of money. But vairāgyam. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. This, see practically. And jñānam. Bring any so-called swami and yogis and talk with them about jñāna. They will be, I mean to say, victorious, even they are with me for only four and five years.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

So execution of dharma, religion—never mind, Hindu religion or Christian religion or—the purpose is not for any material gain. Na upakalpate. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na arthāya upakalpate. Then what about our sense gratification? We must have. We have got this body. We must have some facility. So that is also described here, na arthasya dharma ekāntasya. Arthasya, one who is actually a student of dharma, ekāntasya. Na arthasya dharma ekāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ. Not for sense gratification. You require some money. So by your profession, either as a brāhmaṇa or as kṣatriya or as a vaiśya or as a śūdra... A brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, that is for spiritual advancement. And for material—this brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So you require some money. Because without money, without source of income, how you can live? But that is not meant for sense gratification. Therefore it is said, na arthasya dharmaikāntasya kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ.

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

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nothing but discovering Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is already there. But we are giving chance to the people for hearing about Kṛṣṇa. That's all. All these European, American boys and girls who have joined, they have simply been given the chance of hearing. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Actually, if the people are given chance to hear this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam, then gradually the dirty things within his heart becomes cleared, and he can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. We do not ask anybody that "You become Hindu or you become so and so." We simply ask, "Please come and chant with us." This is our program. I began my chanting in New York in a park, Tompkinson Square. Those who are old students... Here is Acyutānanda. He's one of the old students. He first of all came and danced. He and Brahmānanda. So that is the beginning. He knows what was the beginning. I was sitting underneath a tree like this, and no khol. It was some dundubhi. And I was playing on it from two to five, three hours, chanting. And these young boys and girls with their dogs, with their children, they began to dance. Yes. That was the beginning. Gradually, they became student. Here is... Where is our Hayagrīva Prabhu?

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Los Angeles, August 15, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

tac chraddadhānā munayo
jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ
bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā
(SB 1.2.12)

"The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedānta-śruti."

Prabhupāda: (interrupts and corrects one devotee's chanting of the verse:) We are repeating so that by hearing the sound, you can practice. You should be attentive. By... (chanting resumes)

Very good, thank you. Yes. She has done better than all of you. All right. (chanting resumes) (Prabhupāda interrupts again:) Yes. That's all.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

Pradyumna: "That Absolute Truth is realized by the seriously inquisitive student or sage who is well equipped with knowledge and who has become detached by rendering devotional service and hearing the Vedānta-śruti."

Prabhupāda:

tac chraddadhānā munayo
jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ
bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā
(SB 1.2.12)

So first of all it has been described what is the purpose of life. This human form of life, it is not meant for being spoiled like the dogs and hogs. The dogs and hogs, they're busy to find out food: "Where is food? Where is stool?" And they are spoiling their whole day and night. Their life has been made by nature in such a way that they have no other business than to find out where is some food, where is some food, where is... And laboring, they're laboring very hard.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

The māyā, the illusory energy, is plundering the real purpose of knowledge. Therefore they are narādhamas, simply spoiled. In Los Angeles, from the University, many scientists come, many psychologists and psychiatrists... We have got many students also, they are Doctor of Science. So we talked. So we flatly say that "This advancement of education making you narādhama, lowest of the mankind." So they are convinced. And some of them are very serious student. So actually this education, as Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said, jaḍa-bidyā jato māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. You, you'll see, the more a person is materially educated, he has no interested. Just like our whole state has become secular state. No more interested. Here is our Bhagavad-gītā. Gandhi started his movement with Bhagavad-gītā. The big, big politician, Aravinda, he studied Bhagavad-gītā. And Tilaka, he studied Bhagavad-gītā. Now, in our schools and colleges, if there is question of studying Bhagavad-gītā, the state will not allow. Is it not? They... So māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Such a cultural book, such a book of knowledge, great book of knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā, they're banned. It is banned. And if you present Bhagavad-gītā with some nonsense commentary, that will be sold. And when you speak Bhagavad-gītā as it is... Of course, factually, now we are getting ground. Our Bhagavad-gītā is selling more than other editions, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

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

So it is the duty of the student to offer respect to the bona fide spiritual master three times respect. So serve, mahat-sevā, because that will, I mean to say, help me in making advance in spiritual knowledge. Syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt. And also by visiting sacred places. So it is not always possible to visit sacred places. It may be very distant place. But when you get chance of a bona fide spiritual master, a great soul, if you try to please him, to satisfy him, that will make you eligible to have taste for kṛṣṇa-kathā, on the topics of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:

So this is called māyā. Prakṣepātmikā-śakti, covering. Āvaraṇātmikā-śakti, prakṣepātmikā-śakti. There are two kinds of energy of material, māyā. One is āvaraṇātmi..., ignorance. One is living very condemned life; still, he's thinking, "I am very happy." Or "We are all right." So that is called āvaraṇātmikā, covered. Real knowledge is covered. And another śakti is prakṣepātmikā. Prakṣepātmikā means if anyone tries to get out of this... Suppose our students are coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, somebody is coming to us, māyā will dictate, "Oh, why you are coming here? There are so many restrictions and so rules and regulations. Better give it up." "Why, yes, what is this nonsense? Give it up." This is called prakṣepātmikā. Māyā is dragging. Because the more one is sinful, the more one is miscreant, the more one is the lowest of the mankind, he, māyā will not allow: "Oh, why this rascal is here? He must suffer under me for more..., sometimes more; then he may be allowed." That is māyā's business. Thankless business. Just like police. Police is nobody's enemy, but when criminal, they punish like that, put him in the jail and beats him with a rod. That is the business of māyā, thankless. Nobody will thank police. When police beats, nobody will, "Thank you very much." No. Nobody is happy. Similarly, māyā's business is very thankless task, but she is engaged by the supreme authority to punish.

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

So actually we are creating anarthas. Anarthas means unwanted things. So just like practical example: anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). If one is engaged in bhakti-yoga practice, devotional service, immediately the anarthas will be diminished. Just like our students. Since they have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... They were all Americans, Europeans. They knew how to increase anarthas, unwanted things. It is confirmed. Immediately they have given up the cinema bill, the club bill, the intoxication bill, the gambling bill, and so many bills. And medical bill also. We don't pay very much medical bill. That's a fact. So actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that if one takes to it, immediately he reduces so many rascal anarthas which is not required. Does a man die without smoking? It is anartha, un..., unnecessary. They are habituated by bad association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho 'bhijāyate. By bad association, they learn how to smoke, how to gamble, how to eat... Just like, in India, so-called gentlemen, they go to hotel to taste meat, cow's flesh, how it is tasting. I know, personally, some friends.

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

Now, when I see, when we see that one man is not a devotee or Kṛṣṇa, or he does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, immediately we take him belonging to the four classes: duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Immediately we take. It doesn't require much time to test him, what he is, because he has no surrender to Kṛṣṇa and talks all nonsense. There are so many Gītā explainers in our country—simply talking nonsense, minus Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Bhagavad-gītā means minus Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Such rascals have spoiled the whole country, you see. Everyone is so... Politicians, and this, that, all, they are... "Oh, we are student of Bhagavad-gītā." And what do you know about Kṛṣṇa? "Kṛṣṇa is zero." That's all. This is going on. So therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). So we have to hear. If we actually want to diminish our anarthas, then we must hear Kṛṣṇa as He's speaking, without any interpretation.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:

So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious means immediately—that is the test—immediately he will become free from lust and greediness. If he's not free from lust and greediness, he is making a show; he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the test. If one is actually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these two symptoms will be visible in his character: no more lusty, no more greediness. He should be satisfied with one wife or one husband. Why hankering after others? That is lusty. That means it is not on the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; it is in the material platform. These are the test. Therefore we advise our students, "Voluntarily, you try or you become free from these things: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling." Because indulging in these four things, you'll remain in darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:

Hiraṇyakaśipu asked his son, Prahlāda Mahārāja, "My dear boy, what you have learned the best thing? You are student." He said, tat sādhu manye asura-varya. He addressed his father, he addressed him as asura-varya, "the best of the asuras." He did not address him as "Father." But he said, "My dear the best of the asuras..."

tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ
sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt
hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ
vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta
(SB 7.5.5)

That is the best thing. One is rotting in this family life, which is just like a blind well, andha-kūpa, ātma-pātam. Just like a man falls in the blind well. He has no other alternative than to die, crying, crying. That's all. So he advises, hitvā, "Just give it up." Hitvātma-pātam andha-kūpam, gṛham andha-kūpam. Then where shall I go? Vanaṁ gataḥ. Vanaṁ gataḥ. Vanaṁ gataḥ, "Go to Vṛndāvana, or in the forest." Then how shall I live? No, harim āśrayeta: "Just take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, Hari. He'll give you protection." This is the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja.

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. This is the platform of siddhi. But nobody is interested to become a brāhmaṇa, qualified. Everyone wants to become a śūdra. Kalau śūdraḥ sambhavaḥ. Especially in this age nobody is interested. Just like we are asking people to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and give up the habit of illicit sex life and intoxication and gambling and meat-eating, and people laugh, that "What is this? This is the life. If we give up these things..." Especially in the Western countries, they think it is denying the primary necessities of life. They say. Some of my students, they left our association because they could not follow these principles. They are complaining that "Prabhupāda is denying the primary necessities of life." Therefore it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). It is very difficult to give up these four bad habits. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. But this is the path of perfection. But they are not interested in perfection. They want to rot as hogs and dogs in this world. That is their purpose. And therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. Nobody is interested to become brāhmaṇa. They are interested to become dogs and hogs. That is their interest.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Our material life begins by a knot in the heart. What is that knot? That is sex desire. This is the knot. A man is hankering after a woman, and a woman is hankering after a man. This attachment is the beginning of material life. Everyone, not only human society. In animal society, in bird society, in beast society, you'll find this sex attachment. This is the hṛdaya-granthiḥ, beginning. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, the first teaching to a student is to give him lesson how to become brahmacārī. How not to become attached in sex life, that is called brahmacārī. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). Tapasā, to become brahmacārī, to become..., abstaining from sex life, it requires tapasya. It is not so easy thing. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa damena śamena (SB 6.1.13). One has to practice how to control the mind, how to control the senses. This is brahmacarya. Tapasya. It requires tapasya. At the present moment, the students are, what to speak of tapasya, they are given all kinds of luxuries. So how there will be brahmacārīs? It is not possible. Especially in the Western countries, the boys and girls, they are educated in one place, co-education, and they live in the same building, and there are so many things. You know, better than me.

Lecture on SB 1.2.22 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1972:

There are two ways. Our life, they are going in two ways. One way is liberation, and the other way is bondage. Just like you have seen the reel. The reel is rolling. One way it is rolling to roll the thread, and another it is giving way to the thread. Similarly, we can lead in two ways, our life, either towards liberation or towards darkness of bondage. This, our human life, by gradual evolutionary process, we come to the human form of life. Now we can move it two ways, either towards liberation or towards bondage. We do not know, modern education. There is no such information what is called bondage and what is called liberation. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. There is no such education, that students may understand what is Viṣṇu, what is God, what he is, what is his relationship with God, Viṣṇu. These things are unknown to the modern educationist.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Los Angeles, August 27, 1972:

So this yajña performance required fire. Tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ. Trayīmaya. Trayī means Vedas. There are three departments of Vedas; therefore it is called trayī. Trayī means three: karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa and upāsanā-kāṇḍa. So in karma-kāṇḍa platform, fruitive activities, the sacrifice is required, and for sacrificing, you require fire, so that you can gradually understand what is the Absolute Truth. Similarly, if you want to see Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, then you have to come to the platform of goodness. You cannot remain on the platform of ignorance and passion. Therefore our training to the student is to bring him to the platform of goodness, brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brahma-darśana. Brahma-darśana means one who has seen brahma, or one who has known brahma. He's called brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa is not that being born in the family of a brāhmaṇa and having a sacred thread, two-cent worth. No. Brāhmaṇa means one who has seen, brahma-darśana. Darśana means seeing. So, in order to see the Absolute Truth, one has to come to the platform of goodness. Tamasas tu rajas tasmāt sattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam. Yad sattvam, the platform which is called goodness. And in that platform you can see God, or you can realize what is Absolute Truth.

Lecture on SB 1.2.26 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

So he went to a learned scholar, paṇḍita, brāhmaṇa. In those... Brāhmaṇa, they voluntarily accept poverty. They don't care. So Raja Krishnacandra came to him and asked him: "Panditji, can I help you in some way?" He replied, he replied, "I don't require any help from you." "No, I see that you are very poverty-stricken." "No, I am not poverty-stricken. My students get some rice for me, and my wife cooks it, and I get some..." There was a tamarind tree. "So I get some tamarind leaves. So it is very nice. I don't require any help." You see. This is India's... Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he was the greatest scholar, politician. He was prime minister of Mahārāja Emperor Candragupta, under whose name the Cāṇakya Purī is going on. He was living in a cottage, not accepting any salary. And as soon as Mahārāja Candragupta wanted some explanation, (he) immediately resigned. This is the standard of persons who are born in India. Vyāsadeva—who can be greater scholar than Vyāsadeva? He has written... His last contribution is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and each word, if you study for hundreds of years, still, you have to understand. Each word. Such a scholar. He was living in a cottage.

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

The actual interest is to search out Viṣṇu, or Vāsudeva. Therefore, here it is said: vāsudeva-parā vedāḥ. You are studying Vedas. That's all right. But do you know what is the end of the Vedas? That is, that is answered by Kṛṣṇa Himself: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). This is the end of... You are very nice student, great student of Vedas, but do you know where to end, where is Vedānta, know? Veda-anta. Veda means knowledge. Do you know what is the end of knowledge? They'll talk of Vedānta, but minus Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. They are known as Vedāntī minus Kṛṣṇa. What is the use? Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8), simple wasting time, simply wasting time. Here it is clearly said, vāsudeva-parā vedāḥ. If you are a student of Vedas, then you must know that ultimately you have to know who is Vāsudeva. In the Vedas there are prescription of sacrifice, so many different types of sacrifices, yajña. So yajña is the name of Viṣṇu. Another name of Viṣṇu is Yajña. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yajñārthe karma. Karma-kāṇḍīya, rituals, religious rituals, this is meant for yajñārthe, sacrifice, or Viṣṇu. In every sacrifice there must be Viṣṇu. Those who are Hindus, following the Vedic principles, any yajña, any sacrifice, any religious ceremony you perform, there must be yajñe vara(?), śālagrāma-śilā. Without śālagrāma-śilā, no yajña sacrifice can be performed.

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

So vāsudeva-paraṁ jñānam. All scientific research should be to know Vāsudeva. In Boston I was invited in the Massachusetts Technological Institute? Yes. So I, first of all I questioned the students that "You have got technological department. So where is the technology where we can understand the difference between a dead man and a living man? What is the thing is lost that a body's called dead body? What is that technology." So I talked on this point. The students appreciated very much. Actually, there is no technology why a man is dead. What is the machine, what is the component part of the machine is missing? You can replace it. But where is that technology? There is no technology. Because there is no knowledge with reference to Vāsudeva. Simply superficial. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They do not know what is the purpose of knowledge. They're taking interest, taking care of this bahir-artha, external things. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). This is knowledge, svārtha-gatim, to approach Vāsudeva, Viṣṇu. But without that knowledge, they are simply taking outward. Just like Darwin's theory. He has no knowledge. He's simply studying this body. That's all.

Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:

So we are advancing in science, but at the same time, the so-called science, at the same time we are creating many disadvantages. Many disadvantages. From practical experience I say that when I came to your country... In India it is very difficult to get a telephone. You have to wait in the waiting list at least for two years or you have to bribe the authorities, say, five thousand, two thousand, like that. So when I got this facility of telephone... Because as soon as I deposited forty dollars... Forty dollars? The next day the telephone was in my room. So I was very glad. But after getting my telephone, I was disturbed always. (laughter) Some of my students asking, phoning me, (telephone sound) cling, cling, and "Swamiji, how you are feeling?" At twelve o'clock at night. (laughter). Yes. So I asked him, it is the time to inquire? I am very sorry. Not only one, I become so much disturbed. Then I asked them, get out this telephone. Yes.

Lecture on SB 1.3.17 -- Los Angeles, September 22, 1972:

So without being brahma-bhūta, that "I am spirit soul," Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not become very perfect. If we are in the bodily concept of life, then it is rather difficult. It will take time. Because unless you come to the platform to understand that you are not this body, you are spirit soul, the actual devotional service does not begin. But to the neophyte student, the chance is given to develop this devotional service: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ smaraṇam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam (SB 7.5.23). The method is by constantly being engaged in devotional service, one becomes realized soul. God helps him, Kṛṣṇa helps him. Then he becomes a perfect, liberated soul.

Lecture on SB 1.3.21 -- Los Angeles, September 26, 1972:

So this was the society principle, how to keep principle. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. A very exalted status of society. So this Satyavatī is a famous woman in the history. Satyavatī. The whole Pāṇḍu-vaṁśa from Satyavatī. So now, here it is said that tataḥ saptadaśe jātaḥ satyavatyāṁ parāśarāt. Parāśarāt, semina given by Parāśara Muni in the womb of Satyavatī, satyavatyām. And cakre veda-taroḥ śākhāḥ. Veda, the knowledge, he divided. Vyāsadeva divided into many branches. Therefore Vyāsadeva is known as Veda-vyāsa. He expanded the Vedic knowledge. Formerly there was only one Veda, Atharva-veda. And this Atharva-veda was learned by tradition, by hearing from the spiritual master. There was no book. Therefore Veda is known as śruti. Śruti means hearing. The spiritual master will recite Vedic mantra, and the disciples will hear. Just like we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra or any other Vedic mantra. You hear. But there was no need of book. His memory was so sharp that once heard from the lips of the spiritual master, the students become completely well versed. There was no need of book.

Lecture on SB 1.3.21 -- Los Angeles, September 26, 1972:

But Vyāsadeva saw that next age, this Kali-yuga, people will be less intelligent. Here it is stated, dṛṣṭvā puṁsaḥ alpa-medhasaḥ. Alpa. Alpa means the brain substance not in much quantity. This is psychologically true, that within the brain, the brain substance, if there is more, then one is more intelligent. So here it is alpa... Just see, modern scientific psychology, how it was known, long, long millions of years ago. At least five thousand years ago. Alpa-medhasaḥ. And this is scientific fact. Those who are students of psychology, they know it. I was student of psychology, and our professor... He was a Scotman. He explained this brain substance, cerebular substance, Dr. Urquhart, that the more brain substance is there, more one becomes intelligent. And it has been found that a woman does not have more than thirty-six ounce of brain substance, whereas in man it has been found that he has got up to sixty-four ounce. Now, this is modern science. Therefore generally, generally, woman, less intelligent than man. You cannot find any big scientist, any big mathematician, any big philosopher amongst woman. That is not possible. Although in your country, you want equal status with man, freedom, but by nature you are less intelligent. What can be done? (laughter)

Lecture on SB 1.3.26 -- Los Angeles, October 1, 1972:

Sattva-nidheḥ. Nidhi means ocean, and sattva means existentional. And sattva means also goodness. Sattva-nidheḥ. So goodness, here in this material world there is the modes of nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. But real goodness is in the spiritual world. Here in the material world the goodness is, of course, taken as the highest quality, but such goodness is liable to be infected by the other two qualities, passion and ignorance. It is exposed. And here also, goodness is also the cause of bondage in this material world. As passion is cause of bondage, ignorance is also cause of bondage, similarly, the material goodness is also cause of bondage. So we have to transcend the material goodness also. Then, when we get stability of goodness, that is spiritual life. When it is disturbed by passion and ignorance, that means it is not yet perfect. Therefore, sometimes we find a student is doing everything nice goodness, but he is attacked by passion and ignorance, and he becomes entangled.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

That doesn't matter. If you know something, if you write after some years, what is the difference? That is not very important thing. It was written for the persons... Formerly there was no written literatures. Simply by hearing from the spiritual master, their memory was so sharp that they would grasp. But in this age, the memory is not such sharp. Therefore written records are... So these written records were made by Vyāsadeva. All Vedic literatures. Formerly, before Vyāsadeva, there was no written literatures. Simply... This is called śruti. Śruti means simply by hearing. The student should learn simply by hearing. Their memory was so sharp. But at the present age so many things are reducing gradually. The memory is reducing, the duration of life is reducing, the strength is reducing, and the mercy is reducing. So many things are reducing. We are thinking that we are making progress, but actually we are reducing. This is called māyā. We are making progress on the wrong side. That means reducing. Everyone, you know that people are not so much merciful at the present moment.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

Written? Nothing was written. Vedas was also not written. They were heard from disciplic succession. The first writing business was done by Vyāsadeva. Before that, there was nothing in writing. All Vedic scriptures, they were learned by simply hearing. That's all. The brahmacārīs will live in the direction of the spiritual master and hear the class, and they will learn. That's all, no written book, neither there was notebook. Everything was heard by students. There was no need of writing. Therefore this whole Vedic literature is called śruti. Śruti means simply hearing. There was... Even in recent years there was a learned paṇḍita in Calcutta. There were some... In the British days there was some quarrel between two Britishers, and one of them complained to the magistrate, and the magistrate inquired, "Who is your witness?" Then one of them said that "Well, there was nobody else. But there was a paṇḍita. He was worshiping in that bank of the Ganges.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-4 -- New Vrindaban, May 22, 1969:

So Devarṣi, when he was comfortably seated, with his hand, in his hand that vīṇā, vīṇā-pāṇiḥ. Vīṇā-pāṇiḥ is called Sarasvatī. Vīṇā means that stringed instrument which is carried by Nārada and also Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning. Sarasvatī. Students, they worship Sarasvatī for getting learning, material knowledge. And we Vaiṣṇavas, we also... He is also Sarasvatī. Nārada is also Sarasvatī. My spiritual master was known as Sarasvatī, Siddhānta Sarasvatī. Sarasvatī is the knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

So Śrīdhara Svāmī says, haṁsa jatayo.(?) Jatayo means great sages, saintly persons. Haṁsa jatayo yatra na niramanti karhicid api na nitaram ramante.(?) Just like our students, Kṛṣṇa conscious person, if he is invited, "Come on, there is a nice picture in the cinema," no. He'll never go. He'll never go. (chuckles) Because he has become haṁsa. He is not a crow, that he'll go such places. Why? What is there? So haṁsa, here it is said, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasāḥ. They reject, reject. Uśanti mānasā na yatra haṁsā niramanty uśik-kṣayāḥ (SB 1.5.10). There was an incidence in my life. I was, of course, at that time householder. So one my friend, he was going to cinema with his family, and he saw me. I was in the street, and he immediately stopped his car and he asked me that "You come. We are going to cinema." So I refused, that "If you give me one thousand dollars, still I shall not go to cinema." So he dragged me. He took me to the cinema house, but I never entered. I came back. You see? Because it was detestful.

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

Therefore those who are paramahaṁsas, those who have understood the essence of this cosmic manifestation, they are not interested in such literature. On the other hand it is said that tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavaḥ. (commentary) Vināpi pada-cāturyaṁ bhagavad-yaśaḥ-pradhānaṁ vacaḥ.(?) Śrīdhara Svāmī gives note that there may not be any poetic, metaphorical, or analogical, ornamental language, but vināpi pada-cāturyam. Pada-cāturyam. Pada means composition. In every language there are rules and regulations for composing poetry or prose, grammatical, rhetorical. So even such knowledge, even without such knowledge, pada-cāturyaṁ bhagavad-yaśaḥ-pradhānam. Just like we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we are not training our students any way about musical science, that "We have to chant in this way or that way, we have to dance in this way or that way." Without any musical knowledge, without any poetic understanding, even a child can take part in it, and he becomes immediately absorbed in ecstasy. Why? This is because we are chanting the glories of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

Now, the question may be that one may take to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without understanding the truth, by sentiment. Just like sometimes... It is mostly in this country. Some of the disciples, some of the students, they are coming, not that one has understood this philosophy very nicely and he is convinced. Some of them are coming by sentiment: "All right, let me join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement." So in that case what happens? Suppose one does not understand the philosophy, but he comes to join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, then what is the effect? That is also clearly explained by Nāradadeva, that,

tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ
(SB 1.5.17)

So Nārada says that "Giving up all other engagements..." Just like it is instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā that "Give up all other engagements. Simply surrender unto Me." So if somebody, out of sentiment, without understanding, out of sentiment, surrenders, comes to Kṛṣṇa... Here he had many duties to perform, his family life, his duty to the country, so many duties.

Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:

So in the last day's meeting we discussed that even by sentiment, without understanding Kṛṣṇa, simply by sentiment, "All right, these, all these boys and girls are dancing in 'Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.' So let me also join this Kṛṣṇa Movement and dance," he will derive the greatest benefit. Simply... Tyaktvā sva-dharmam. Everyone is engaged, busy in his own occupation-businessman, student, lawyer, engineer, politician, so many. But Nārada says that "If these people give up everything..." The same instruction, as Kṛṣṇa says, "Give up everything. Surrender unto Me," Nārada says the same thing. That is the, I mean to say, significance, that whatever God, or Kṛṣṇa, says, His devotee also will say the same thing. There is no difference. Therefore it is called paramparā. Devotee will not manufacture something, interpretation, which is against the version of Kṛṣṇa. Then he is not devotee. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is playing the role of a devotee. So Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me," and Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "You surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." So there is no difference between the teaching, teachings of Lord Caitanya and teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The object is the same. So we are... What we are doing? We are also asking people, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," the same thing. There is no difference. Therefore one has to accept the real thing from the paramparā system, serious devotee. Then... Because a serious devotee will speak the same thing as Kṛṣṇa says. There is no invention.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Yes. So still in villages you'll find, the brāhmaṇa is sitting somewhere, and the small children are coming, and they're bringing some presentation. Somebody's bringing rice, somebody ... And brāhmaṇa was satisfied, satisfied. "Whatever Kṛṣṇa sends, that's all right." This is brahminical qualification. He doesn't want more. There was a brāhmaṇa teacher in Kṛṣṇanagara. So the zamindar of Kṛṣṇa..., Rāja-kṛṣṇa-candra, he went that "Brāhmaṇa, what can I help you?" "No, I don't want your help." "No, you are... Your house is not very good, and your..." "No, I am quite satisfied." "How you are pulling on?" "No, I have got my students. They bring some rice. And here is a tamarind tree. My wife collects some leaves and boils it, and that becomes nice soup. And these boys bring some rice. I am quite satisfied."

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

He's correct. He may be child. But because he has accepted the words of his father, the statement is correct. So our process is that. Take the version of the authority, Kṛṣṇa, and you repeat it. Your version is perfect. This is our policy. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "You rascal scholar, philosopher, scientist, don't manufacture anything. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). That's all. You become master." Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). You become master. You can teach others. A spiritual master. That's all. And if, whatever little success I have got—only for this reason. I have never said anything which is not spoken by Kṛṣṇa. I never said, "In my opinion." I never said. You are so many students. I never said that to you. What is my opinion? One should know, "What is the value of my opinion? I am imperfect being." This is called tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. If one thinks, "Oh, I am big scholar. I am this. I am that," you are rascal. You have to simply carry the message of Kṛṣṇa. But for your understanding you can make research work.

Lecture on SB 1.5.36 -- Vrndavana, August 17, 1974:

The process is there, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Not others. (break) ...the whole world can be purified. But the secret is that one who is chanting, he must be very pure. (break) They have got so many hodgepodge ideas, that they are not pure. It is very difficult. (break) I say that "Here is Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa." They accept it. (break) Here... If I say, "Here is Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa," he'll bring dozens of other Bhagavāns. Or more than that—hundreds. "Why Kṛṣṇa is God?" (break) They are being deviated. So many... Therefore we are student of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In the beginning it is said that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). All types of cheating religious system is thrown away from this. And Śrīdhara Svāmī gives his comments on this, that kevala bhagavad-upāsanā. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kiṁ vā paraiḥ. Mahā-muni-kṛte. Mahāmuni Vyāsadeva has given us. What is the use of studying any other book? Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. It is the spotless Purāṇa. Spotless Purāṇa means that which gives you spiritual knowledge without any adulteration. Simple. Without any adulteration. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is without any adulteration.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Hyderabad, August 18, 1976:

Now these foreigners, they are neither Hindus nor Indian nor brāhmaṇas. How they are taking? They are not fools and rascals. They are coming from respectable family, educated. So we have got our centers in Iran also. In Tehran, I am just coming from there. We have got so many Mohammedan students, and they have also taken to it. In Africa they have taken to it. In Australia they have taken to it. All over the world. So that is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

Just like you go in European and American cities for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and especially the Indian gentlemen, they come. They laugh. They say, "What is this? We have rejected the so-called Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting, and these people have taken and chanting in the street." They think that... Many students in Europe and America, Indian students I mean to say, they put forward that question to me, "Swamiji, how this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will help us? At the present moment we require technology." They challenge me. Of course, I reply. This is the position of India. They have given up Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are working very hard for getting some money for bread. It is said in the śāstra that in the Kali-yuga people will have to work so hard, like an ass, to get their morsel of food. We have seen in Calcutta, somebody with sacred thread, he was pulling ṭhelā and perspiring. And somebody known to him, he said, Panditji, palale(?), means "I offer my respect to you," and the ṭhelā-wālā says, jitalau(?). This is the position. A brāhmaṇa is pulling ṭhelā; it is working like an ass. Pulling ṭhelā is not the business of human being, but although he thinks himself to be a brāhmaṇa, he is engaged in pulling ṭhelā. This is Kali's position, manda. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10), unfortunate, unfortunate.

Lecture on SB 1.7.8 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1976:

So these things are sometimes inconceivable. But it is not inconceivable. It is possible to... Our real point is that Śukadeva Gosvāmī was not a grammarian, but he learned everything from his father by hearing. Therefore it is called śrūyamāṇāyām. If you hear from the right person, properly, then you become perfect. There is no need of literary education. Therefore Vedas are called śruti. Śruti means... Formerly the students, they were learning everything. Their memory was so nice and sharp that simply by hearing from guru's mouth they would learn. In the Kali-yuga, because the memory is not so str... (break) ...Vyāsadeva recorded this in writing, that "The rascals will come henceforward. They will have not very sharp brain, memory, so let me keep this literature in writing so that in future they may take advantage of it. Or somebody will read and they will hear. In this way their life will be successful."

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

Not this so-called technical education or smoking education, drinking education and so many rascal education. This is not education. Education means bhāgavata education: to understand God. That is wanted. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Education should be given in such a way that the student should be very, very inquisitive. Inquisitive what about? Inquisitive about Brahman, not about this body. The body is matter, and the spirit soul is Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is human life. One should be inquisitive to know about spiritual life, what is spirit soul. That is the first education. But where is that education? There is no such education. Prahlāda Mahārāja teaches that immediately, from the beginning of life, as soon as one is four or five years old, he should be educated about Brahman. That is called brahma-jijñāsā. Beginning. That is wanted. And for him there is need of guru. One who is inquisitive or serious about inquiring about Brahman, he requires guru. Guru is not a fashion. Guru is necessity.

Lecture on SB 1.7.20-21 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1976:

I'll give you one practical instance. It is not a story; it is a fact. It was spoken... Perhaps some of you know that my friend who came here, Dr. Ghosh. He told me when they were students, there was a case. In Lucknow University they were students. So there is a big building, and two, three snake-biting case happened. So some snake charmer was invited to find out the snake and take him. So he came. He came and took it away, the snake. Then this Dr. Gosh and his class friends, they were medical students. Naturally, the so-called modern scientist, they do not believe in all these things. So they became very inquisitive. All of them went to that snake charmer—he was a Muhammadan gentleman. So he knew that "These students, medical students, they have come to see the fun how the snakes are charmed." So he (they) inquired, "What is the matter? What is the magic that you can catch up snake and the snake cannot do any harm to you?" So he said it is possible by mantra. By mantra it can be done. So they challenged, "Oh, your snakes, I think they are poisonless and they cannot bite. There is no poison. The poison teeth, the fang, is taken away." "No, no. They have got everything." So he took one and showed that "Here is..." So to make a fun... He had many snakes. He let them all come out from the box. And immediately all over the courtyard, just like courtyard, they began to run over, and all these medical students, they became afraid. They were fleeing this side, that side, that side. So the charmer said, "Don't be afraid. So long I am here they'll not bite you."

Lecture on SB 1.7.20-21 -- Vrndavana, September 17, 1976:

This verse is very important. He says that if one takes sentimentally this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, tyaktvā sva-dharmam... Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you young men, young boys and girls, are coming. You had some engagement previously, undoubtedly. You may be you were a student, you may be businessman or so on, so on. Everyone has got... At least you had some business for LSD. So you have given up all this. Tyaktvā sva-dharmam. Somehow or other you were all engaged in some business. That is called sva-dharma. Sva-dharma means one has selected some business. That is his sva-dharma. Generally, if it is systematic, then sva-dharma means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is systematic, sva-dharma. Otherwise, everyone must have some engagement. Suppose a thief, he has taken the occupation or profession of stealing. That is also sva-dharma. But that is not systematic; that is whimsical. So anyone must have some engagement. That engagement is called sva-dharma, his own business occupation. Sva-karma or sva-dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.7.28-29 -- Vrndavana, September 25, 1976:

But these things are there in the Vedas. If you are a serious student of Veda you can also learn, you can also fight like Arjuna. There is no difficulty. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says astra-jñaḥ. Unnaddham astra-jñaḥ. You can also become learned in the higher science of military art. You can also utilize. But that requires brain, good brain. That is not possible now, because the culture is lost. Now everyone is śūdra. Nobody is kṣatriya, nobody is brāhmaṇa. By the time... Kalau śūdra sambhava. The śūdras cannot learn all these veda. Because śūdras have no right to understand Vedic knowledge. It is meant for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas. Even not for the vaiśyas. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ. They are rejected, woman and vaiśya and śūdra. Kṛṣṇa says. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ. But Kṛṣṇa says te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim: "Even woman, and śūdra and vaiśyas, low grade, they can also get parāṁ gatim, promotion to the transcendental world." How? Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then even these low-grade born persons, beginning from striya śūdra vaiśya, and down, caṇḍālas... Caṇḍālas means less than the caṇḍāla.

Lecture on SB 1.7.36-37 -- Vrndavana, September 29, 1976:

So if you follow... That is the duty of the spiritual master and śāstra, to designate when he's brahmacārī, that "You work like this." "You work like a brāhmaṇa," "You work like a kṣatriya," "You work like a vaiśya," and others, "Śūdra." So this division is made by the spiritual master. How? Yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam. The spiritual master will say that "You work like this." So that should be determined. That is karma, guṇa-karma. Spiritual master sees that he has these qualities. That is natural. Just like in the school, college, somebody is being trained up as a scientist, somebody is trained up as an engineer, as a medical man, as a lawyer. According to the tendency, practical psychology of the student, he is advised that "You take this line." Similarly, these four divisions of the society, it is very scientific. So by the instruction of the guru, when he's in the gurukula, he will be specified a particular type of duty, and if he does it faithfully... Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya (BG 18.46). The real purpose is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And according to his guṇa and karma he's engaged in a particular occupational duty.

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

A similar argument was given by Duryodhana to Droṇācārya. Droṇācārya and this Draupadī's father, they became inimical. So he got a son, Uttara. No? Anyway, that son was meant for killing Droṇācārya. And at the same time, that son was a student of Droṇācārya in the art of military science. So Duryodhana reminded Droṇācārya that "This son, Virāṭa, Virāṭa Mahārāja's son, He is meant for killing you, and you have foolishly taught him the military science. Now he's using the military science to kill you." So there are so many instances like that. Sometimes this art, guru-māra-vidyā, is done by rascals and fools. That should not be done. That is instruction from every practical point of view.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :

So, we therefore request our... We shall not request; this is our, I mean to say, rules and regulation, that one must be free from the sinful activities. The sinful activities, the four pillars of sinful life, are illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. So our students are advised..., not advised, they must follow; otherwise they will fall down. Because a sinful man cannot understand God. One side we should practice the regulative principles and the devotional process, another side we should avoid sinful activities. Then Kṛṣṇa is present, and you can talk with Kṛṣṇa, we can be with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Just like Kuntī is talking with Kṛṣṇa as her nephew, similarly you can talk with Kṛṣṇa as your son, as your husband, as your lover, as your friend, as your master, as you like.

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- Mayapura, October 1, 1974:

He's a scientist, and now he is trying to explain Kṛṣṇa through his scientific knowledge. Similarly, if you are a medical man, you can explain also Kṛṣṇa through medical science. If you are engineer, you can explain also Kṛṣṇa through engineering. Kṛṣṇa can be explained. But the person who is explaining, he must be intelligent. Because Kṛṣṇa is everything, so simply we must have the intelligence how to explain engineering and come to the conclusion of Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was doing that. He was teaching grammar. So when there was question of dhātu, He was explaining Kṛṣṇa. So the students, some of the students, they did not like that explanation. So therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had to wind up His school because they did not like.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

Just like these children. They also chant, they also dance. It is not at all difficult. While walking, just like our students, they take the beads. They're walking on the sea beach, still chanting. Where is the loss? But the gain is so great, that we are associating with Kṛṣṇa personally. The gain is so much. If you feel very much proud... If you are associating personally with President Nixon, how much proud you feel? "Oh, I am with President Nixon." So will you not feel very much proud if you are associating the supreme Nixon? Who can create millions of Nixons?

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

Therefore we request our students first of all break these four pillars. So the roof of sinful life will collapse. Then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you remain fixed up in transcendental position. Simple method. Because one cannot realize God if his life is sinful. That is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says: yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. Anta-gatam means finished. One who has finished sinful life. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Who can finish sinful life? Who are engaged in pious activities. Because one must have activities, engagement. So if one is engaged in pious activities, naturally his sinful activities will vanish. One side, voluntarily he should try to break the pillars of sinful life. Another side, he must engage himself in pious life. Simply theoretically one cannot, because everyone must have some engagement. If he has no pious engagement, then simply theoretically he will not be able.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

For example, practical, your government is spending millions of dollars for stopping this intoxication. Everyone knows. But the government has failed. How simply by law or by lecturing you can make them without LSD or intoxication? That is not possible. You must give them good engagement. Then it will be automatically... And practically you see that our students who come here we instruct: "No intoxication." Immediately given up. And the government has failed. This is practical. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If you don't give somebody good engagement, you cannot stop his bad engagements. That is not possible. Therefore we are giving two sides good engagements, at the same time prohibition. We simply don't say that: "No illicit sex, no intoxication, no, no..." Simply negative is no meaning. There must be something positive. Because everyone wants engagement. That is because we are living entities. We are not dead stone.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

The, everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like in hospital. In hospital there are many patients, they are not eating anything on the Ekādaśī day. Does it mean that is observing Ekādaśī? He is simply hankering after, "When I shall eat, when I shall eat, when I shall eat?." But these students, they voluntarily don't eat anything. We, we don't say that you don't eat anything. Some fruits, some flowers. That's all. So paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Just like a child. He has got in his hand something he's eating. and if you give him better thing, he will throw away the inferior thing and will take that better thing. So here is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this better engagement, better life, better philosophy, better consciousness, everything better. Therefore they can give up the sinful activities of life and that will promote to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Mayapura, October 12, 1974:

Some way or other, you become... Make Kṛṣṇa your dear as master or as son or as father or... Father, they are taki..., doing, everyone. Even ordinary person, if he is God conscious, he takes Kṛṣṇa as supreme father. Just like the Christians, they take that "O Father, give us our daily..." Father means to ask Him, "Give me, give me, give me, give me." Nobody wants to give father, but wants to take from father. Sometimes our students, when they spend extravagantly and I point out, he says, "My father has sent money." Sometimes. "My father has sent money." Yes. "Why did you stay at Ashoka Hotel?" "My father sent money." "Why not ask your father to send money? Why you are collecting by making life member?" So means idea of father... Father means that "Whenever I want to stay in Ashoka Hotel, he'll send money," not that "I will send money to father. He may stay at Ashoka Hotel." Nobody thinks like that. "Father may send money, and I shall stay in Ashoka Hotel." This is the idea of father. Father means to exploit him, to exploit.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :

So kanyā-dāna. She must be given in charity to somebody. So, in the pulina brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇa, very respectable community, so it was very difficult to find out a suitable son-in-law. Therefore, formerly one gentleman may become a businessman simply by marrying. In my boyhood, when I was a student, a school student, so I had one class friend, he took me to his home. So I saw one gentleman was smoking, and he told me, "Do you know this gentleman?" So I asked, "Oh, how can I know?" That "He is my aunt's husband, and my aunt is the sixty-fourth wife of this gentleman." Sixty-fourth. So, these pulina brāhmaṇas, they, their business was like that. Marry somewhere, stay there some days, again go to another wife, again go to another wife, again go to another. Simply going to the wife, that is business. This was a social system we have seen. Now these things are now gone. Nobody will marry the husband who has married sixty-four times. (laughter) But (laughing) it was there. So, son-in-law, in that case, is very much honored. There are many stories. We should not waste our time in that way. (laughter)

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :

Avidyā means nescience, ignorance. What is that ignorance? Kāma. Kāma means desire. They are meant for serving Kṛṣṇa, but they desire that "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? I shall become Kṛṣṇa." This is avidyā. This is avidyā. Instead of serving... That, that is natural. Sometimes it comes, just like a servant he is serving the master. He is thinking, "If I could get such money, then I could have become a master." That is not unnatural. So, when the living entity thinks... He is coming from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa bhuli' jīva bhoga-vāñchā kare. When he forgets Kṛṣṇa, that is, I mean to say, material life. That is material life. As soon as one forgets Kṛṣṇa. That we see, so many of..., not many, some of our students, they think that "Why should I work in ths mission? Oh, let me go away." He goes away, but what does he do? He becomes a motor driver, that's all. Instead of getting honor as brahmacārī, sannyāsī, he has, he, he has to work just like ordinary worker.

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

So to become a devotee of the Lord, we have to be completely cleansed of all material attachment. That is the qualification. Vairāgya. That is... Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya wrote one hundred verses praising Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu when he became a student of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So out of that, one or two verses are mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. One of them is, this is the statement:

vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-
śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī
kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye
(CC Madhya 6.254)

Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is offering his prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has now assumed the form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-śikṣārtham (CC Madhya 6.254), just to teach people how to become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So vairāgya-vidyā. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

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

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's renouncement is unique. Nobody can give up such happy home, his honor, his position, his affection from mother, wife, friends, students, everywhere. Advaita Prabhu, although He was His father's age, He was honoring Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So still He gave up everything. Why? Just to teach us. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikṣāya. He is teaching the whole world how one has to become detached. That is His personal teaching. How, how one can become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, He's personally teaching. That, that was detected by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Therefore when he first saw Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Not first, second time.

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

Therefore the first education is, the students, to teach them brahmacarya. Brahmacārī means don't be attached. If you can, you avoid all this nonsense. That is brahmacārī. Try to avoid, better. If not, enter. Then after sometimes, vānaprastha: "Now I have enjoyed so much the..., to this attachment. Now leave the home." That is called vānaprastha. At that time, the wife goes as assistant, and the man travels all over the pilgrimages to become detached. Then after two months, three months, he again comes home, sees the children are doing nice, again go away. This is called beginning of detachment. When the detachment is complete, then the man asks his wife, "Now you go, live with your children. I am, I am taking sannyāsa." This is final detachment.

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Los Angeles, May 7, 1973:

That was being done by Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was teaching grammar to His students. So He was explaining dhātu. Dhātu means verb. So He was explaining Kṛṣṇa. Later on, the students, they became little dissatisfied that "Nimāi Paṇḍita simply explains Kṛṣṇa in everything." So the small school was closed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They are described as adhama-paḍuyā. That is in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Adhama, adhama-paḍuyā means, adhama, adhama means very low grade, adhama. And uttama means high grade. Uttama and adhama. And madhyama. Madhyama means via-media. There are three grades in everything, first class, second class, third class. So this class of students, adhama, who are not interested to understand God or Kṛṣṇa, they are third-class student. Adhama-paḍuyā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was explaining during His instruction, Kṛṣṇa. But the adhama-paḍuyā did not like it.

Lecture on SB 1.8.50 -- Los Angeles, May 12, 1973:

So this system—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—very scientific system. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). But now everything is lost. But to make people happy, the Vedic culture is the most perfect. The kṣatriyas are meant for fighting. Kṣatriyas are meant for ruling, punishing. These are meant for the kṣatriyas. They are exacting taxes. That is their means of livelihood. The government can levy tax for expenditure. You cannot levy tax. So there are living means of everyone. For brāhmaṇa, the living means: paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. Brāhmaṇa is meant for teaching others and become himself a learned scholar. That is brāhmaṇa business. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana. He should be a great worshiper of Viṣṇu, and he should teach others also. Just like we are not only worshiping Kṛṣṇa in our temple, but we are making propaganda. This is brāhmaṇa's business. But if the government calls all our students to the draft board, "Come on, fight," that is nonsense. Of course, they have got clauses not to disturb the ministerial class. That exception is there. Many of our students was excused from being called by the draft board on the ground that they have adopted the religious, ministerial order. That rule is prevalent everywhere, at all times.

Lecture on SB 1.8.51 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1973:

Yes. Suppose you have done something wrong. So the court fines you, "Oh, you have done this wrong." Just like one man knocked some of our student, and he died, and then he was fined twenty thousand dollars, like that. So everyone knows that "If I knock somebody or kill somebody, there is motor accident, there will be so much trouble." And when there is trouble, actually, they go and give some fine. But the accident is going on. Nobody is careful. So that is the position. Unless one is careful to his sense that "Why should I drive so fiercely or without any care that others may be injured, my car will be injured? Why shall I created this trouble? Let me drive the car very conscientiously..." So that is required. Simply atonement, or giving fine for some misdeed, that is not sufficient. One should be awakened to his knowledge about his responsibility.

Lecture on SB 1.9.48 -- Mayapura, June 14, 1973:

This is the difference between India and foreign countries. They are receiving this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously. Here they are rejecting. Indians, they're rejecting. There is a proverb: āpanār dhana bilāye diye bhikṣā māge parer dvāre(?). They have lost their own culture, and they are now beggars. They are going to beg from door to door in the foreign countries. When I was speaking in Berkeley University sometimes in the year 1966, one Indian student stood up and he said, "Swamiji, what this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will do? We require now technology." So I replied, "Yes. You are after technology. So you are a beggar. I am not a beggar. I have come here to give something. That is the difference. I have come here to give some culture, and you have come to imitate the Western civilization by technology. That is the difference. You'll remain a beggar, I shall remain a giver. That is the difference." So still I am maintaining that position of giving, not taking. Before me, so many swamijis went there. They did not give, but they took something and came here and advertised themselves as foreign-returned sannyāsī and exploited the people.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

We are trying to give as much possible happiness to our students. Otherwise unless he is, one feels happy, how... It is little difficult. Unless one is very advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one cannot adjust things. Therefore our policy is that... What is called? Yogo bhavati siddhi. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhi. We are yogis, but we are not that kind of yogi, unnecessarily giving trouble to the body. No. Yuktāhāra. you eat. You require to eat. You eat. Don't starve. Don't unnecessarily fast. But don't eat voraciously. That is bad. That is not yukta. You eat, but don't eat voraciously: "Because there is something very palatable, let me eat voraciously," and then again fall sick. An if you cannot digest, then you will sleep. You will sleep only. Therefore don't eat more, but eat whatever is necessary. Yuktāhāra. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhi. Eat whatever necessity, whatever you can... "One man's food, another man's poison." One man eats, say, so much voraciously. Another man cannot digest. If he imitates, "Oh, he is eating so much? I will also eat so much." No. He can digest it, let him eat. But if you cannot digest, don't eat more. That is required. Then what is that verse?

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

Therefore in India sometimes, when, a hundred years ago, some students would come in England, especially London, and make a European, English wife... In old days they are doing that. So people would say that "This man is maintaining one white elephant." Because a European wife means very much expenditure. So one Mr. P. R. Das, he was high-court judge. So he was taking bribe on account of maintaining white elephant. He married one European wife. The expenditure very high. In those days for Indian it was a fashion to get a European wife. So this man married one European wife, and his expenditures was very, very heavy. So high-court judge, he was getting only four thousand rupees, and his expenditure was ten thousand rupees, and therefore he was taking bribe. He admitted. So when he was detected by the chief justice, he was dismissed from the post. But this is the position. You should not expend more than your income.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:

Just like Professor Kotovsky, such a big professor, he says, "There is no life after death." He's a rascal number one. What is the meaning of this education? He does not know that the soul is eternal, and therefore Bhagavad-gītā teaches first, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanam... (BG 2.13). Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "First of all understand this: soul is eternal; you are eternal; you do not die, after the annihilation..." This is the first education. And these rascals, they say there is no life after death. So how much educated they are you can understand. They are all rascals. And you may open big, big colleges, institution, providing some rascal professor, rascal student, and beg the whole life, and sacrifice everything. It is useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam, simply wasting time.

Lecture on SB 1.10.7 -- Mayapura, June 22, 1973:

Svasu means sister, and the relative... So although Kṛṣṇa is unattached, still He observed the social obligation. There was great fight. All of them lost their relatives. Not only the Kauravas lost everything, but the Pāṇḍavas also. Just like Subhadrā's son Abhimanyu. He was only sixteen years old. His wife, Uttarā, she was once taught by Arjuna. She was disciple, student. Arjuna was teaching her dancing. Virāṭarāja, King Virāṭa's daughter, Uttarā. So they were in disguise. Ajñāta-vāsa. So the Virāṭarāja did not know that Arjuna was living in his house. So this daughter of Virāṭa, Uttarā, when Arjuna was known that he is Arjuna, he requested that "You marry my daughter." So Arjuna said, "No, how can I marry? She is my disciple. She is my student. She is just like my daughter. How can I marry?" Then he promised that "I shall get her married with my son, although he is not very grown up."

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

So this rascal civilization, they do not understand what is bhava-sāgara, what is bhava. Nothing. They are so rascal. And they're passing on as civilized men. No knowledge. So when one is intelligent, actually, then he considers that "If I am eternal, why should I accept repetition of birth and death?" That is intelligence. But they have given (in) to birth and death—"Never mind." Even university students, they say, "If next life, if I become animal, what is the wrong?" Just see. How much degraded. In Hawaii University, one student said that "Even if I become an animal, what is the wrong there?" Just see how much degraded the human society has become. They are prepared to become animal, cats and dogs, trees, anything.

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

So this knowledge can be attained by sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga means... This is sat-saṅga, associating with devotees of the Lord. So sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. You cannot make association with two parties. If you want to associate with the devotees, then you have to give up the association of the nondevotees. That will be natural. Just like our, these students, although they are very young... They are not only young, but coming of very luxurious families in America, Europe. Here, the boys, they cannot even imagine how much luxury they enjoyed. Here, they have no employment, our young men. Mostly unemployed. And in Europe, America, especially in America, there is no question of unemployment. Anyone can go and earn immediately ten dollars. Ten dollars means hundred rupees. He's prepared. One of my students, Trayādhīśa, he was, morning, he was absent. So I asked him, "Why you are absent?" "Now I required some money, so I went to get some money." "How you got money?" "Now I went to the shoe brushing shop. So I brushed some gentleman's shoes. I got some money, five dollars." So they know how to earn money. There's no scarcity of money. Even in a hotel, one goes, he washes the dishes—immediately gets ten dollars. So money and woman. So there enough they enjoy, but now they have given up everything. Why:. Due to this sat-saṅga. Due to this sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. No more. No more association with money and woman. This is so powerful, sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga is so powerful.

Lecture on SB 1.10.13 -- Mayapura, June 26, 1973:

So this is dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. And they also come here to inquire: "Swamiji, your movement is very nice. What is the meaning of this? What is the meaning of that?" Guhyam ākhyāti, expresses their mind. Pṛcchati. They explain, "This is my position. I cannot do it. How can I do it?" And the Vaiṣṇavas reply them. Then we invite them in our love feast. In all our centers, we have got this arrangement. We invite everyone: "Come on, take prasādam." And if somebody gives us something to eat, we also eat, provided he's not a Māyāvādī, karmī, jñānī. Otherwise, we should not take. We can..., we cannot accept anything from these classes of men, atheist class. Then we'll be... Saṅgāt. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If we associate with these Māyāvādī, atheist class, karmī, jñānī, yogi, then we'll infect their quality. So if we infect the Māyāvādī quality, karmī quality, jñānī quality, yogi quality... I see some of the students, still they practice some yoga āsana. That quality is not yet... He's not yet free. But this is nonsense. This is nonsense. We should, by promise, we should not associate with any of their qualities.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na vidur āsurā janāḥ, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ (BG 16.7). Pravṛtti means we have got some inclination to accept something and we have disinclination to reject something. Everyone knows it. But the asuric jana, those who are asuras, demons, they do not know in which way we shall accept and in which way we shall reject. That they do not know. That is called āsura-jana. Just like we are advising our students, "Reject this: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating. Reject. And accept; chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." The demons, they do not know. They do not know it. They do not know why they are rejecting this and why they are accepting this, janā na vidur āsurāḥ. Because they are asuras. If we accept this path, then we are going to be liberated. What is that liberation? Liberation means to get out of this material bondage of body, dehino 'smin. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). This knowledge is wanting. There are so many universities, educational institution, big, big professors, scientists, all rascals. All rascals, we declare. Let them come and argue with us. All rascals. So therefore it is said, harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

The modern civilization, they are so rascals, they are expecting something utopian, that by material advancement of civilization they will be happy. Now, one gentleman, that doctor, what is his name, Ifrenzia,(?) yes, he said that in Sweden they are the richest men, but the largest number of suicide cases are there. So this kind of material richness will not help you. That will not help. Actually, practically, we are experiencing. Why their every nation is dissatisfied? Although they have materially advanced so much, but dissatis... In your country also, why this section of people have become hippies? From university student, they have become hippies. Why? Frustration. They know that "What is this life? If I am become educated, then what is my future?" There is no future. Frustrated.

Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973:

Human civilization is meant for tapasya, tapasya. You should know what is my responsibility. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca (SB 6.1.13). One should learn how to practice tapasya. Tapasya. This is tapasya, little tapasya. No illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication, this is tapasya, little tapasya. Who is dying without meat-eating? We have got so many students. There are so many Vaiṣṇavas, they do not eat meat. Are they dying? This is only bad habit. But if you practice little... In the beginning it may be little troublesome. It is not troublesome. I am thinking... Just like one gentleman came, "We cannot give up meat-eating. I want, but I cannot." Practice. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā (BG 8.8). Anything you practice, habit is the second nature. So in association of the devotee, if you try to practice this tapasya... Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13), not to have sex life without any purpose, that is called brahmacārī. Brahmacārī does not mean celibacy. Brahmacārī means who does not use sex life for any other purpose than begetting nice children. He is brahmacārī.

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

Otherwise whatever little faith you got, it will be lost. It become again under the clutches of māyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). And if you actually associate with sādhu, then the next stage is bhajana-kriyā, initiation, how to worship Kṛṣṇa. Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. If you are actually engaged in devotional service, anartha, which are not required, things will vanish. Just like we ask our students, "No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating." Simply by hearing it you cannot follow it. It is not possible. If you make bhajana-kriyā, if you're actually following—chanting sixteen rounds—then you can follow the others. Otherwise, if you are spiritually weak, you cannot. The government is spending so much money to stop this intoxication, LSD, in your country. They're all failure. But here, with our pure association, a person can give up immediately. Just see how much the association is strong. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu..., bhajana-kriyā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Anartha.

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

Therefore we are trying to keep ourselves, our students always in the sattva-guṇa. Cleanliness, sattva..., to remain a brāhmaṇa. If you remain a brāhmaṇa then you'll not fall down. You'll not fall down. Otherwise, if you remain in tamo-guṇa, then you are going to be next animal. This is the process of nature. You cannot check. You may be very great scientist, but you cannot check the process of nature. That is not... Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). That is not possible. That is natural. I've given the instance that if you contaminate some poisonous disease you must suffer. That is natural way. Not that why you shall suffer. No, you must suffer because you are already contaminated. Therefore the contamination of the material world is going on, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. If you contaminate with the tamo-guṇa, then you must suffer. If you contaminate rajo-guṇa, you must get disease. That is not in your hand. You cannot say. But people are so foolish they do not know how nature is working. They're puffed up with little knowledge and thinking they're master of the thing. That is not possible.

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

So therefore association is so important. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. According to association we infect different qualities. That they do not know. But nature's law is so particular, as soon as you infect by association a particular type of quality, you have to suffer for that. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was asked by one devotee, gṛhastha devotee, householder, "Sir, what is the duty of a gṛhastha devotee, Vaiṣṇava?" Devotee means Vaiṣṇava. So He immediately informed him, asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra: (CC Madhya 22.87) "A Vaiṣṇava's behavior should be that he should give up the company of asat, nondevotee." That is his first business. He should give up the company of nondevotee. This is first business. Because he will be infected. Therefore we insist our students that "Don't go out." Even you are discomfortable, you should tolerate, but you should not go out of the society. Then you will surely fall down, surely fall down. So if there is inconvenience, little... That is advised in Bhagavad-gītā, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). These, just like extreme cold or extreme heat, they are troublesome to the body, mātrā-sparśāḥ. On account of this material body, we feel extreme cold, extreme heat.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

Yes. This is astrology. Those of my students who have seen my horoscope in India, it is clearly written there. So that is horoscope.

So while the brāhmaṇas were writing horoscope, so Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's anxiety was... They were describing, "This child will be so, such a great hero, he will do this..." And it was mentioned that "He will die also, being cursed by a brāhmaṇa." That was... So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja did not take care of that, how he will die. He simply took care how he will live. He inquired from the learned brāhmaṇas, "Whether this child will be exactly prototype of our dynasty? Because this is a... Kuru dynasty is the paramparā system of emperors, all-perfect. So whether this child will be like that?" That was his inquiry, first. So all the brāhmaṇas replied, "Yes, sir, this is just quite fit, your family." Therefore it is said here that susamaṁ guṇaiḥ: "By quality, exactly like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira."

Lecture on SB 1.15.41 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1973:

Therefore we engage our students in the bhakti-yoga practice, twenty-four hours routine work, because it is pious activities. So he will be purified. He will be purified. We have got so many times offering ārati, offering prasādam, cleansing the temple, dressing the Deity, talking about him, twenty-four hours must be. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Kīrtanīyaḥ or sevanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, twenty-four hours. In this way we become purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā... (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as your mind is cleansed of all dirty things, then you become fit for going back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on SB 1.15.46 -- Los Angeles, December 24, 1973:

So if you discuss these things... Long affairs, shortly. Then again it says, dāmpatye abhirucir hetur māyaiva vyāvahārike. Dāmpatye. Dāmpatye, husband and wife relation, will depend on abhiruciḥ. Abhiruciḥ means liking. A girl likes boy, and a boy likes girl. "That's all right. Now let the marriage take place." They do not see what will be future of this girl and the boy. Never. Therefore everyone is unhappy. Six months after marriage, divorce. Because the marriage took place on superficial liking, no deep understanding... So things are taking place like that. Formerly marriage, at least in India, at least up to our time, the marriage was taking place not on the liking of the boy and the girl. No. It was decided by the parents. So... Just like I was also married man. I was married when I was a student, and I did not know what will be the... But the parents arranged. What to speak of me, I will give you another very brilliant example, that you have heard the name of Dr. Rajendra Prasad. He was the first president of Indian... He has written his biography. He was married at the age of eight years. Formerly, in India the marriage was taking place like that. I know. My father-in-law was married when he was eleven years. And my mother-in-law was seven years. You see? So actually, the point is that the marriage was taking by the calculation, "Whether this couple will be happy in their life?" In this way marriage was taking place. Not that a grown-up girl, grown-up boy, mixes together, and he likes, she likes. Then again he leaves or she... This kind of marriage was not sanctioned.

Lecture on SB 1.15.50 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1973:

So if one can give up this attachment from very beginning of life, that is brahmacārī. A brahmacārī is trained that "Don't be attached. You will save so much time and save your life." That is brahmacārī life. Because this attachment is the continuation of our material life. We have got different attachment, different varieties of attachment. The central point is sex. Therefore school, college means that to train the students how to become detached. That is the school, college. That is brahmacārī system. A brahmacārī should live under the guidance of the spiritual master as menial servant, and whatever he collects, he would give to the spiritual master. If the spiritual master says, "Now you can eat," then he will eat; otherwise he will starve. He will not take the things of spiritual master by his own hand. First of all... No. This is the austerity of brahmacārī. And no meeting with young girls. Even the wife of the spiritual master is young, the brahmacārī is not allowed to go there. There are so many. These are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa.

Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:

At that time Caitanya Mahāprabhu was only sixteen years old. So the learned scholars there first of all decided that "Let now Nimāi Paṇḍita..." Caitanya Mahāprabhu's student life was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita. His mother gave a very beloved name, Nimāi, because He took His birth underneath a tree, nim tree. So His name was Nimāi Paṇḍita. As a student He was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita. So the scholars there first of all decided that "Let this Keśava Kāśmīrī talk with Nimāi Paṇḍita. So if Nimāi Paṇḍita fails to conquer over him, then we should challenge that 'He is a boy. Now let us talk. You come to us.' " But even the boy, Nimāi Paṇḍita, He defeated that Keśava Kāśmīrī. That is mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, how He was digvijaya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This Keśava Kāśmīrī was a very learned scholar, and he was requested by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "You are sitting on the bank of the Ganges. You can compose some prayers for the mother Ganges." So he was learned scholar. Immediately he composed one hundred ślokas. So out of that one hundred ślokas, He found some fault in the sixty-fourth verse. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "You are such a learned scholar, but We are simply student, grammarian. We cannot understand your poetic and literary magnitude of knowledge. So will you kindly explain the sixty-fourth verse which We cannot understand very nicely."

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

So we have got all information in the Vedic literature beginning from Bhagavad-gītā and then described further in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, four Vedas. The four Vedas—Sāma, Yajur, Ṛk, Atharva—they are concentrated in the Vedānta-sūtra, and the Vedānta-sūtra is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore, our propagation, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is that we are trying to get our students well conversed in Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So those who are our students, we have got our books now ready published so nicely. People are accepting it. I was very glad to hear from our Mahārāja that we are selling about hundred...

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

And the memory, memory also reduced. Formerly, people were so sharp in memory that once heard from the spiritual master, he will remember. He will not forget. There was no need of books. Book is required because our memory is now, the power of recollection, is very poor. Just like one who cannot memorize, he has to take note down. Formerly, five thousand years ago, there was no need of books. The students will go to the spiritual master or teacher and... Therefore it is called śruti. The Vedic language is called śruti. Śruti means hearing. It is not reading. Simply, pious students will hear from the right source. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Simply by hearing, they will understand everything. They will never forget. But in the Kali-yuga it is not possible. Therefore Vyāsadeva, the whole Vedic understanding, knowledge, he recorded into books. Otherwise before that there was no need of books. The power of recollection will diminish. And mercy. Mercy will reduce. Even in your, in somebody's, in our front, somebody is killed. Nobody will try to help him. What to speak of others, when there is difficulty. Or there are so many. People should cooperate.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

Yes. So if we qualify ourself as Vaiṣṇava and devotee, then all other good qualities will automatically manifest in the body. That is the purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you accept this movement... For example... There are many examples. This is also one practical example. In your state the government has spent millions and millions of dollars to stop the intoxication habit, but it was failure. But as soon as the same person comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness camp, he immediately gives up. This is practical. And there cannot be any comparison of the qualities of our students with any religious institution or any school, college. You cannot have. Because they are devotee. As soon as you become devotee, all good qualities... Therefore if the government takes this movement seriously, they make everyone a devotee, then everything will be solved. There will be no need of criminal court or jail or... Everything will be finished. Or, what is called, liquor house and slaughterhouse and manufacturing cigarette and advertising them two sides of the road. Although (chuckles) it is written there it is dangerous, still it is highly advertised and people smoke. These contradiction things are going on on account of godlessness.

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

So śāstra says that "Everyone, every living entity, has got a general tendency for these things: sex life, meat-eating and drinking." Then where is the need of shastric injunction? That shastric injunction is there not to encourage them, but to restrict them. In the human life, pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. You have got a tendency for sex life, take for example. This is your tendency. But if you can check it, that is your success. Not that because you have got tendency, you have to increase it. That is not human civilization. Human civilization means we have got so many animal propensities, and if we can control them, that is advancement of human civilization. Just try to understand. Not that "Because I have got this tendency, let me increase it without any restriction." That is not human civilization. Human civilization... That is the distinction between animal and human being. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa jñānena (SB 6.1.13).

Therefore first beginning of human life... (aside:) That child... The first beginning of human life is brahmacārī. Brahmacārī. Brahmacārī means to learn how to restrict himself from sense gratification. That is brahmacārī life—the student, student life. Nowadays, in every college, university, the students are allowed to mix, intermingle, both sex. What is called? Co-education?

Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1974:

So many sinful activities are going on. How they expect to become happy? It is not possible. Therefore it is being asked that "Whether you are thinking of all these things and therefore you are unhappy?" Sober man becomes unhappy. Para-duḥkha... Especially Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava has no problem for himself, but he has many problems for others. Because a Vaiṣṇava... That is Vaiṣṇava, unhappy by seeing others unhappy. That is Vaiṣṇava. That is a first-class Vaiṣṇava, para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. By His practical example... He was a very learned scholar, many students, very respectable. He was so respectable in Navadvīpa that in one night He collected a hundred thousand of people to challenge against the Kazi's judgment, civil disobedience. Kazi acted against saṅkīrtana, so Caitanya Mahāprabhu challenged, "Now, tonight, we shall perform saṅkīrtana with 100,000 of people." And 100,000 of people gathered together and chanting and went to the house of Kazi.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

So in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find everything, whatever is necessity, for the advancement of human civilization, everything is there described. And knowledge also, all departmental knowledge. Even astronomy, astrology, politics, sociology, atomic theory, everything is there. Vidyā-bhāgavatāvadhi. Therefore if we study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam very carefully, then you get all knowledge completely. Because Bhāgavata begins from the point of creation. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Vedānta. It is the explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta means the essence of cream of Vedic knowledge. That is Vedānta. That cream of Vedānta knowledge is further explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So we are publishing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Our students specifically, they should take care of reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We have therefore prescribed in our school, Dallas, that let them simply learn Sanskrit and English, because English translation they will be able to read, and the Sanskrit verses are there. And from the very beginning, if they begin education with Bhagavad-gītā and then comes to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and reads the whole literature, then they will be more than M.A., Ph.D. More than. The knowledge will be so advanced.

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

So therefore the process is before accepting a guru, one must hear him at least for one year. And when he's convinced that "Here is actually a guru who can teach me," then you accept him, guru. Don't accept whimsically. This system now should stop that somebody's coming for three days—"Prabhupāda, initiate him." Why? First of all see whether he's fit for becoming a disciple; then recommend. Otherwise, don't recommend. Because the chief recommendation is creating havoc. One is not fit for becoming a student, disciple, and he's accepting discipleship, and after three days he's going away. This should not be allowed. Therefore, in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta..., er, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa by Sanātana Gosvāmī it is directed that the spiritual master and the disciple must meet together at least for one year so that the disciple may also understand that "Here is a person whom I can accept as my guru," and the guru also can see that "Here is a person who is fit for becoming my disciple." Then the business is nice. Because the business is tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34), one must be prepared to surrender. So unless that character is there, surrendering, how he can become a disciple? It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.16.35 -- Hawaii, January 28, 1974:

Similarly, these promises must be kept; otherwise it will be useless. That is your business, the same thing, guru-kṛṣṇa..., that by the mercy of guru, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, you get the thing. Now to use the thing properly, that will depend on you. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). I can give you very nice thing, but you keep it locked up in your treasury and never use it, then what will you do? Mālī haya sei bīja kare āropaṇa. You have to sow it and pour water and see that it is nicely growing. This..., that is very nicely described in rupa-śikṣā, mālī hay sei bīja kare āropaṇa. So don't think that after the official ceremony of initiation your business and my business is finished. No. The business begins. It is not the finishing; it is the beginning. So if you don't go farther, ādau guru-āśrayaḥ... The beginning is to take shelter of guru. That is the beginning. And, adau guru-āśrayaḥ, then the student must be very inquisitive, sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Sādhu-mārga-anugamanam. You'll find all these things, instruction, in The Nectar of Devotion. They are there.

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

So in answer to this question, Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied, varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ: (SB 2.1.1) "My dear King..." Varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa. Nṛpa, "the king," address. "My dear king, your inquiry is very glorified," varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitam (SB 2.1.1), "because on account of this question, whatever I shall reply..." Means he knew. The reply is this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Question was about Kṛṣṇa, and the reply is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, eighteen thousand verses. And each and every verse is so important that if a serious student studies each and every verse, each verse will take at least one month to understand. And there are eighteen thousand verses. So for serious study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it will take eighteen thousand months. So eighteen thousand months meaning how many years? One thousand five hundred years. (laughter) It is such an important book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Each verse is a new verse, not repetition of the same subject. And it is deeply thoughtful. And every verse is, as it is stated here, ātmavit-sammataḥ, approved by persons who are self-realized. Ātmavit. Ātmavit. Ātmā means self, and vit means one who knows, well aware of self-realization. They are called ātmavit.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

Just like, for example, our students in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they never read newspaper nor any other magazine. They simply read these Kṛṣṇa consciousness books. We have got so many books. Kṛṣṇa, Nectar of Devotion, Teachings of Lord..., big, big books, one of the Bhāgavatam in twelve parts. So we have got about twenty books already published, and our program is to publish at least sixty books like this. So our subject matter is very vast. We have no time to read newspapers, neither any magazines. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ. Just like a big scientist or a big medical practitioner, he reads scientific magazines, a scientist. A medical man, a doctor, physician, he reads medical journals. He does not waste his time in big, big capture(?) in the newspaper. He has no time. So those who are interested in self-realization, that is the only business for the human form of life. Human form of life means to make solution of all the problems of material life. Sukham ātyantikam. Every one of us, we are searching after happiness, that's a fact. But we are misguided. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamāna. I am asking somebody, "Will you give me any information how I can become happy?" He is also rascal. He gives you something wrong information. And you try it and you will fall down, there is no happiness. This is going on. The inquiry is there, where is happiness? What I can do? But unless one is fortunate to come in contact with a person who can give you information of Kṛṣṇa, you cannot have happiness. This is a fact.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Vrndavana, March 17, 1974:

So therefore it is said, apaśyatām ātma-tattvam: (SB 2.1.2) one who cannot see ātma-tattva, the science of soul, they are busy only in this material body. Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. So gṛhamedhi and gṛhastha. Gṛhastha is good. Gṛhastha is interested in ātma-tattva. Just like our students. Although they are gṛhastha, they are interested in ātma-tattva. They are not gṛhamedhi. But those who are not interested in the science of soul, ātma-tattva, but they are interested only in the science of body and mind, they are gṛhamedhi. Gṛhamedhi. They are not gṛhastha. So my point is that our philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, is meant for understanding ātma-tattva.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Paris, June 11, 1974:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa points out in the Bhagavad-gītā that real freedom is when you get freedom from four different problems. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). If you get freedom from these four things—no more death, no more birth, no more old age, old age, and no more disease—that is freedom. But where is that freedom? The so-called scientists, big, big scientists, they have very scientifically advanced, but they had no freedom from death. They had to die on a fixed-up date. Professor Einstein or any other big, big scientist, they could not manufacture any scientific instrument and keep it in the custody of his student, that "As soon as I die, you just apply this machine. I shall come alive again." Where is that freedom? So this so-called scientific improvement, advancement in civilization, it is just like jumping like the dog. That's all. It has no value. Real value is to understand ātma-tattvam, "What I am? Why death is imposed upon me? I do not wish to die. Why old age is imposed upon me? I do not wish to become old man or old woman. I wish to remain a beautiful young..." "No, sir, that is not possible." Then where is your freedom? What for you are jumping so much? As soon as the master will call "Yes, sir. Bind me..."

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

Gṛhastha? Gṛhastha means to live with wife. This is the meaning of gṛhastha. And a gṛhastha is supposed to support others who are not gṛhasthas just like brahmacārī. Brahmacārī means student life. So gṛhasthas support them. (break) ...sannyāsīs, other three classes. Because they are engaged in a different subject matter, they have no time to earn their livelihood, and therefore, those who are gṛhasthas, they take charge of him. This is the Vedic system. But they should live also on the bare necessities of life. They should not be luxurious. A brahmacārī cannot be luxurious. A sannyāsī cannot be luxurious. A vānaprastha cannot be luxurious. Luxury is allowed only to the householder because they are earning their own money. Others are dependent. So one cannot be luxurious at the expense of others. That is not allowed.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Delhi, November 6, 1973:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a sectarian movement. It is good for all human being because as soon as there is question of Kṛṣṇa, people will hear. Actually, it is happening all over the world. Especially the younger generation, why they are taking interest? Because loka-hitam. They are understanding that it is beneficial. Every student, every disciple, they write me letter how much they are feeling grateful, that "We have got something. Prabhupāda, you have given us something." Of course, I have not given. It is not my property. I have simply informed them, "Here is Kṛṣṇa, and the life's business is to become a devotee." Kṛṣṇa said, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is your business. So anyone who becomes engaged in this loka-hitam, beneficial to the human society, he will be happy. But he has to control over these things: āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. These animals propensities should be controlled. Then it will be impetus. It will give acceleration to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore we have got the restriction: no illicit sex life, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication. If we can control, if you follow these regulative principles and regularly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, gradually you'll realize everything. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam.

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

The Christian parties, they do not believe in karma. So in our childhood, when we were student in Scottish Churches College, Calcutta, we had to attend the Bible class. So one professor, Dr. Urquhart, he said that "If I am suffering the result of my past karma, where is the witness that I have done this bad or good?" But he had no knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā. We also at that time did not know. We were not very interested. But later on, when I read Bhagavad-gītā, "Here is witness, upadraṣṭā anumantā. Here is witness." Perpetual witness. Not only of this life, but many, many lives past, He knows everything. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni vartamānāni (BG 7.26). He knows everything. That is Kṛṣṇa. He knows everything, what you have done or what you want to do. Everything knows He. But in spite of all this, because Kṛṣṇa is your friend, most intimate friend, naturally... Just like father becomes friend. There is no better friend like father or mother. Naturally.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

Now the question may be that "You are liberated person. Why you are attracted with the narration of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?" So he says that pariniṣṭhito 'pi nairguṇya. "Yes, although I'm situated in the transcendental position, uttama-śloka-līlā, the narration of Kṛṣṇa..." Kṛṣṇa is called uttama-śloka. Uttama-śloka means when Kṛṣṇa is described, He's described by chosen language, not ordinary language. You'll find, those who are students of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you'll find each and every word so nice and so sublime, even from literary point of view. Therefore He's called Uttama-śloka. And His līlā, His pastimes So Śukadeva Gosvāmī admits that "Although I was situated in the liberated stage of life, still I was attracted by the activities or pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa." Pariniṣṭhito' pi nairguṇya uttama-śloka-līlayā, gṛhīta-ceta rājarṣe. "My dear King, I, I heard it wholeheartedly. It was, it is so nice, it is so sublime that it was attractive to me."

Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:

No more sleeping, no more eating, no more sex life. That is perfection. And one who can conquer over these three things, eating, sleeping and sex life, he's fearless, automatically. There is no requirement of defense because they can meet any situation. That is paramahaṁsa stage. Nivṛttā. Munayaḥ prāyeṇa munayo rājan nivṛttā vidhi. For them, there is no regulation. Don't imitate, that "I have become..." Some of our students exhibited that "There is no need of regu... We are all paramahaṁsas." Paramahaṁsa not; rascal number one. Here is the test. When you'll not be influenced by the material qualities, rajo-guṇa, sattva-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And the test is that nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau, that conquering over the sleeping, nidrā. First thing is mentioned here. Sleeping and eating and sense enjoyment. Śrī-caitanya-mahāprabhu-guṇānukathane.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- New York, March 5, 1975:

And spiritualistic life means that one should be trained up as brahmacārī. Then regulated life in gṛhastha, regulated life. Gṛhastha is not bad. Family life is not bad. Therefore it is called gṛhastha-āśrama. Āśrama means..., this very word is meant where the spiritual cultivation is practiced. That is called āśrama. So it may be household life, it may be renounced order of life, it may be brahmacārī, student's life, or retired life. The spiritual culture must be there. That is human civilization. If there's no spiritual culture, that is not human society. That is animal society. The cats and dog, they have no spiritual culture.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-3 -- Los Angeles, May 22, 1972:

Then he asked, offered, that "These vagina may be turned into eyes." Therefore his body is full of eyes. Śata-cakṣuṁṣi. So those who are too much lusty, lover of the vagina, they may worship Indra. This is the recommendation. Everything is there. If you want vagina instead of Kṛṣṇa, all right, do it. You have it. So unfortunately, if our student falls a victim of vagina instead of Kṛṣṇa, that is very regrettable. Then better he worship, instead of Kṛṣṇa, let him worship Indra. That is the Bhāgavata direction. Indram indriya-kāmas tu prajā-kāmaḥ prajāpatīn. Prajā, many children, dynasty. Just like aristocratic family. One is working very hard to establish a family. In England, it is very prominent, "Lord family, Duke family." And where the rascal is going himself, he does not know. But he's establishing a family, Lord family. Prajā-kāmaḥ. People want that son, grandson, great grandson, his son, his son, the family will be filled up with so many ... In India especially, the karmīs, they want like that.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

This is the process. So, everyone has got full liberty how, what kind of body he's going to get next. So if you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that consciousness, subtle body, then you are sure to get next life, if not in Vaikuṇṭha, at least you get a high standard life. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ. Bhraṣṭaḥ means fallen, fallen. Suppose we are executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and some of our students are going away. So that is called bhraṣṭa, fallen. They could not continue. So one who could not continue by his ill luck, he is also not loser because he is... That slight Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help him to get another human form of body. That is guaranteed. Ordinary men, they do not know what kind of body they are going to get. They're in darkness. But it will be decided at the time of his death according to the mentality. God is so kind, whatever you want, He is giving you. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).

Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

So with the advancement of our spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should verify "Whether these qualifications are becoming manifest in my person." Just like when you eat, you understand that you are getting strength, or your appetite is being satisfied. Nobody can... Nobody requires to ask certificate. You can understand, yourself. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If we are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our detachment for material things will, attachment for material things will decrease. This is one side. Viraktir anyatra syāt. Just like our students, they have become averse to so many things. You are all young boys and girls. So many young boys and girls are going to restaurant, to cinema, and so many other things, but you have become detached; you have no more attraction. So one side... Progress of bhakti means one side we shall be detached and another side we shall increase our attachment. So these are the qualifications.

Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

Just like we don't keep any furniture in our hou... What is the use of furniture? We can lie down on the floor. So many things, materialistic persons they possess. But we try to simplify matters, plain living. Well-wisher to all. Well-wisher. Just like we are advising our all students that "Save your country. They are becoming hippies. It is not... Future is very gloom. Try to save them." So Vaiṣṇava will always think like that, how people will be happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Vaiṣṇava desire is not exploitation. Vaiṣṇava desire is that "How others will be happy, how they will understand Kṛṣṇa, how they will get happiness in this life and next life." This is Vaiṣṇava. Satisfied, in any condition. Not that "I must have all these things; then I'll be satisfied. Otherwise, I'm going from the temple." (laughter.) No, this is not Vaiṣṇava qualification. You must live with the devotees, even if you are not satisfied. Any condition, you should be satisfied. Because as soon as you leave the company, you become again rogues, again demons.

Lecture on SB 2.3.14-15 -- Los Angeles, May 31, 1972:

Aprāṇasyeva dehasya maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam. Therefore your young men, young girls, they have become frustrated, in spite of all this arrangement, nice arrangement. There is no comparison of your country's arrangement. I am traveling all over the world. Such nice roads, such every... Everything nice. But why they are becoming frustrated and confused? Due to this aprāṇasya. There is no life. So life is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you actually feel for your country, for your community, for your people, just spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They're dying. You spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They'll come again to life, and everything will be actually beautiful. That is my request. I came to your country with this mission, that "The American people, they are feeling frustration. If they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they'll be happy, and others will be follow their example." So now, some of you, my advanced students, you have understood the philosophy. Some of you have taken sannyāsa.

Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:

It is just like touchstone or infection. You know or do not know, it will act. Because kṛṣṇa-bhakti, love for Kṛṣṇa, is there in everyone's heart. If it is not so, how you all young boys and girls are taking very seriously? It is a question of two, three years, or less than that, our students are joining, but they are becoming first-class kṛṣṇa-bhaktas, devotees. Even in India, they also are surprised that how these Europeans and Americans are coming to such nice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not only Europeans, Americans, but Africans also. This is the proof that love for Kṛṣṇa is there in everyone's heart. That is stated by Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti nitya-siddha. Eternally, it is a fact. Simply it has to be awakened. Just like attraction for the opposite sex. A girl or a boy. That is natural. It is not unnatural. It has... Nobody goes to a school and colleges how to love, how to be attracted by young man. No. It doesn't require any education.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Los Angeles, June 13, 1972:

Tusk, yes. That is more dangerous. They live in the jungle. And viḍ-varāha means they live in the forest, finding out "Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool?" Śva-viḍ-varāha uṣṭra. Uṣṭra means camel, and khara means ass. So here it is a very terse remark, that "Anyone who has never heard the glories of Gadāgraja, the Supreme Personality of Godhead—in other words, one who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, does not know anything about Kṛṣṇa, or God—they are no better than these animals, especially: dog, hog, ass, camel." Why these four kinds of animals have been selected to compare? That is explained. Śva means dog. A dog, however powerful it may be, very strong, stout, but it, unless it has got a master, its life is very precarious. Dog. Just see our education at the present moment. Very advanced education. Many Indian students come here also to take advanced education. But actually, we consider this education creating dogs. Why? Now, because however technologist you may be, if you don't get a suitable service, all your education is finished.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Los Angeles, June 13, 1972:

"No, I see you are so poverty-stricken. You have no sufficient means." "No, I am not poverty-stricken. My students, they get some alms of rice. So my wife boils the rice, and here is a tamarind tree. So I take some leaves and boil it, and that's sufficient. Why I am poverty-stricken?" He's satisfied, whatever is coming automatically, that's all. He doesn't require any higher standard of life, any botheration. He is satisfied, little rice and tamarind juice. That's all. So in each and every home, formerly, this independence was very much valued. So at the modern education this independence is being killed. People are becoming unemployed, machine. Machine ... High technologist means he must find out a job where technological machines are there. Otherwise he will starve, and he will have to go round, factory to factory: "Will you give me some service?" "No vacancy." Yes. So we shall discuss further next, tomorrow. (end)

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

He's kept into darkness that he is like animal and his only business is how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate. This kind of ignorance, at least in India, we should not desire. Let us combine together. That is my request. Take it very seriously. In America they are now taking it seriously. Perhaps you know. Recently there is a judgment by the Supreme Court in New York. They admitted that Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is genuine religious movement. There was a great opposition against this movement. Our students were being kidnapped, and so many harassments was going on, but by the grace of Kṛṣṇa I went to America in 1965, and now it is '77. After eleven, twelve years of struggle I was loitering in the street, who cared for me? But it is now being recognized, that "Here is a movement." Now we have to utilize it. I always put this logic to my students, andha-paṅgu-nyāya, that for the benefit of the whole world, American money and Indian culture should combine. (applause) That will bring benefit to the whole world.

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

Personally, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is teaching us. And He is ordering in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). He is mentioning especially vegetables, grains, fruits. But not that everyone can offer Kṛṣṇa all these things. No. He says yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. He does not accept anything from the hands of a nondevotee. Therefore the non-initiated student cannot offer Him. He doesn't accept. He says especially yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. He must be devotee. He is not hungry that He has come to your temple to eat. No. He is giving food to all the living entities. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one Kṛṣṇa is giving all the necessities of life to all the living entities. So what we can offer? We cannot offer anything. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Still He is very kind. He comes before you as you can handle Him, as you can dress Him, as you can wash Him, you can touch His lotus feet. Kṛṣṇa is giving you chance. It is very difficult to approach Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has appeared in your temple and He is accepting. According to the rules and regulation, if you offer, He will accept.

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

That is the real fact. Therefore the Vedic system of civilization is seventy-five percent life of celibacy. In the brahmacārī system there is no connection with woman. Student life. Student life, if one remains brahmacārī, he becomes determined. His brain becomes very receptive. Therefore, in the brahmacārī system, complete celibacy, no connection with woman. So up to twenty-five years, if he does not discharge semen, he becomes very stout, strong, and his health is built up for whole life, and he becomes so intelligent that anything he will hear, he will remember immediately. Then after brahmacārī system, if one cannot remain brahmacārī, naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī, then the spiritual master allows him to marry. That is gṛhastha-āśrama. So when one is complete, fit for sex life, he begets children, male children, and after twenty-five years, the child becomes grown up, so he retires. In this way, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. The whole aim is Viṣṇu, how to go back to home, back to Godhead.

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

I have seen many scholars, they cannot understand Bhāgavata. Sanskrit scholars, they will read, but they will not be able to understand. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā also. If anyone studies Bhagavad-gītā from scholarly point of view, a-b-c-d, he'll not understand. Kṛṣṇa therefore says that "Arjuna, I shall speak the lessons of Bhāgavata unto you because you are My very dear friend and you are My devotee." Kṛṣṇa did not want to speak Śrīmad-SB.. Bhagavad-gītā to a scholarly student. No. These books are not to be understood by mundane scholarship. That is not possible. All the Vedic śāstras, all the Vedic śāstras. There is a big commentary on Bhagavad-gītā by a great scholar and political leader, Lokamanya Tilak. So one of his devotees, he's also politician. When I was in London in 1968... So he has got a society there. They're preaching the Tilak's political view, like that. He has got a... So he came to see me, and he was very much eulogizing Lokamanya Tilak, that he has written his big commentary, Karma-yoga.

Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was asking and Śukadeva Gosvāmī was replying. Both of them were fit to ask and to reply. Bhāgavata-pradhānaḥ. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was disciple, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī was his spiritual master. If both of them become fit, are fit, then the discussion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is very pleasing. The student and the master. If the master is learned and the student is foolish, then it will be not very much pleasing. Or the master is foolish and student is also foolish, that will also not be ... Both of them should be ... Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Vīrya, vīrya means potency. Just like if a potent husband and potent wife have sex intercourse, immediately there will be pregnancy. Therefore this word is used. Potent. Formerly, this was being used. Both the husband and the wife remained potent, not impotent and sterilized. They remained potent, voluntarily. But when they wanted to beget a child, that one sex intercourse is sufficient. There is child.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

So you were missing that r. Na ghaṭetārtha-sambandhaḥ. All right. Next. (recitation continues) Get it next. Come here. So you have to study like that. So many ślokas, I am taking so much labor. If you do not read it carefully... It is not for that I am making business, for selling only, and not for my students. You must all read like this, practice. Why so much trouble is being taken, word to word meaning and then transliteration? If you chant this mantra, that vibration will cleanse the atmosphere. And wherever you go, in any part of the world, if you can chant this mantra, oh, you'll be received like God. It is so nice. And in India he'll actually receive like Gods if you chant this mantra. They will so offer their respects, so many. Veda-mantra. Next chant. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. Next, next. Bhanu prabhu (Bhanu recites) Thank you very much. He has pronounced very nicely. So he will teach you. Yes. Next. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. Yes. In this way, each one of you, you chant and others will follow. Then one or two days, you get the śloka by heart. You can chant. It is not difficult. Now read the word meanings and translation.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4-8 -- Tokyo, April 23, 1972:

The so-called yogis, karmīs, they are all cheaters. They show some bodily gymnastic and talks all nonsense, becomes God within a week or six months. These things are going on. Very precarious condition. Therefore it is, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva: "Kalau, in this age, Kali-yuga, there is no other alternative." And I see practically our society, our students. They are simply, practically chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So compare any so-called yogi and jñānī and sannyāsī. They cannot stand before them in their... Even though they are not perfectly advanced, still, they cannot stand. People are appreciating. So stick to your principles.

Lecture on SB 2.9.9 -- Tokyo, April 25, 1972, Informal Class in Room:

Syphilis. All over Europe. When Dr. Ghosh, who is my friend, he came to see me in Allahabad? One doctor? So he is friend. He told me that when he was student, Colonel (indistinct), one big professor, medicine, he was lecturing. He was Englishman. He said that "In our country, seventy to eighty percent of the student community, they are suffering from syphilitic attack." So in our country, in India, if one is attacked with syphilis, then he is taken as very abominable. His character is not good, it is understood. So he said, "Horrible," Dr. Ghosh, because he was Indian student. So Colonel (indistinct) replied, "Why you are saying horrible? In your country ninety percent people are attacked malaria. So there, syphilis. So as a medical practitioner why you take this disease as bad or that disease as good? Your business is to see that there should be no disease. Don't consider in that way, that 'This disease is good, this disease is bad.' " That's nice explanation. But fifty years ago or hundred years ago syphilitic poison was very much prevalent. Still it is in Europe and America. And now it is spreading all over. And in Āyur Veda it is said, phiraṅga, phiraṅga. Phiraṅgī. The Europeans are described in Vedic literatures as phiraṅgī, their name is phiraṅgī. So this syphilitic disease is mentioned in the Āyur Veda, the disease brought by the phiraṅgīs. And the doctor says that originally it was spread through dog. The unmarried girls, they keep dog for sex. You do not know? He knows.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11 -- Tokyo, April 27, 1972:

So when there is facility, you can go to this kingdom of God. Why don't you...? Just like a student studies very faithfully, taking so much pains. Why? He expects that "Somehow or other, if I can pass this examination, I will get a very nice job, good salary, and live very happily." Everyone hopes like that. A businessman works so hard day and night with the hope that "At the end of my life, if I get a good balance, bank balance, then I shall live peacefully without any botheration." So everyone hopes like that for future. But what is this civilization? They have no future hope. The rascal professors, they say..., he is saying that "After death everything is finished." After death everything finished—why? Why there are so many varieties of life? After death there is life. But you do not know what is that life. That is your ignorance. Here is a chance, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you get next life very good life. If you complete, you go to Vaikuṇṭha and get life like this. If you don't complete, if you are so unfortunate that you cannot complete one life, that is unfortunate. Why you... So then you get chance to get your birth as a human being in very rich family, in very pious family. That chance is again given so that you can revive your, again, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 3.1.10 -- Dallas, May 21, 1973:

So Vidura was so expert advisor, counselor, that there was a statement, vaidurikam. Just like the cāṇakya-śloka. On ordinary things, cāṇakya-śloka is evidence. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said... I think you can introduce cāṇakya-śloka amongst the students. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said that vidvatvaṁ ca nṛpatvaṁ ca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana. A man who is learned, and man who is very rich, so how they should be compared? The Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, "There is no comparison." Comparison must be there when there is points of similarity. Just like we say, "Your face is just like moon." So if the face is actually similar to the moon, then we can say. Points of similarity. Analogy means there must be points of similarity. The largest number of similarity makes the analogy perfect. This is logical rules. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that to a rich man and a learned man, there is no comparison. They are different categories. Why? Sva-deśe pūjyate rājā vidvān sarvatra pūjyate. A rich man, a king, may be very respectful, respectable, in his own country amongst his own men, but a vidvat, a learned scholar, he is respected all over the world. Tri-bhuvane mānyau. So if one is respected all over the world and if one is respected in his own village, so how there can be any comparison? These are the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's instructions, very valuable. There are many.

Lecture on SB 3.1.10 -- Dallas, May 21, 1973:

So Vidura... Kṛṣṇa consciousness includes varieties of activities. They, in..., the press representatives they asked me, "Whether your students, do you take part in politics? Is it sanctioned?" Why not? Our Bhagavad-gītā is produced in battlefield, in battlefield. So why should I deride battle? No. When there is need for fighting, there must be fighting. This world is like that. Otherwise there is no need of fighting. But there is a class of men who will fight. Still it is existing. When there is fight, those who are meant for military purposes, they fight. Not the civilians go and fight. No. Similarly, in the society, there must be divisions. Not that everyone should be called, "Come on, you go to fight." Where is his training? That was not the system. First of all, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). These children, according to strict Vedic principle, by practical psychology, they should be tested, "What is the tendency of this boy?" There can be four kinds of tendencies: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Some child is to become a brāhmaṇa, some child is to be become a kṣatriya, some child is to become a vaiśya, and the rest, śūdras. They do not... Śūdras does not require any training. Śūdra means no training. Ordinary worker class. Otherwise other three, especially two, namely the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas, they require very magnificent training. Because they will administer the whole affairs of the society.

Lecture on SB 3.1.10 -- Dallas, May 21, 1973:

So brāhmaṇas, they would give advice to the kṣatriyas, and kṣatriyas, according to their advice, would rule over the citizens. This was the system. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Vibhāgaśaḥ, "by division of quality and work." A brāhmaṇa must be qualified and at the same time work as a brāhmaṇa. So we are training, especially, our students to become qualified brāhmaṇas. We cannot take up all other department. Similarly, others may take up the line of training... Military men... Others may take... There are training classes. Maybe mercantile firm, you can get your lessons. So there was organized method to train these mercantile men, administrator and brāhmaṇa. So Vidura, although he was born of śūdra mother... His mother was śūdra, maidservant. Formerly, when a prince was married, along with the princess, a few dozens of maidservants would go with the king. So to become king, always it is to be understood he has to maintain more than one wife. That is king. Even in Muhammadan kingdom, Nawab was Ridali Shah (?). After the Mogul period... In Lucknow, if you go... So he had 164 wives, begam(?) And all of them had children. And when Britishers occupied, the Britishers had to give them pension according to the share. So amongst the Muhammadans also, polygamy was allowed. And Hindus, especially the higher class, brāhmaṇas and kṣatriya, polygamy is allowed. Now they have made laws. But that is quite natural. If every woman has to be married, then polygamy must be there. Otherwise how every woman is going to get a husband? Because male population is always shorter than the female population.

Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:

So one has to do it. This is tattva-jñāna. Tattva-jñāna. Here it is said, tattva-mārga-agra-darśanam. This is tattva-jñāna. of course, as it is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The Absolute Truth are differently understood according to the different position of the student. The Absolute Truth... Some of them understand that Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman. And some of them understand the Absolute Truth as localized Paramātmā. And some of them understand the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. They are not different. Brahman, Paramātmā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead—they are one. They are simply different phases. It is simply angle of vision. Just like a mountain from a very distant place, you'll see just like hazy cloud. And if you come nearer, then you see something green, very high, raised, I mean to say, earth. That is one vision. But you are seeing the mountain. From the distant place you see it is hazy cloud. As you come nearer, you see something green. And if you actually enter the mountain you'll find there are so many houses, so many trees, so many animals. The vision is the same mountain. But on account of my different position, I see hazy cloud or something green or something animated. But the final stage is the varieties. A mountain, there are so many trees, so many animals, so many men, so many houses—varieties.

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

So this is the business of guru, to teach the student detachment, that "This world is not your place. Your place is Vaikuṇṭhaloka." Kṛṣṇa comes for this purpose. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). This is dharmasya glāniḥ. When we become too much attached with this material world, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. What is dharma? Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the order of the Supreme Person. That is dharma. The order of the Supreme Person is, I mean to say, open to everyone. Nobody can say that "I do not know what is the order of the Supreme." "I do not carry out," that is another thing. But the order of the Supreme is there. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Just become My devotee. Always think of Me." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī: "You worship Me. You haven't got to worship anyone else." Mām ekam. The order is open. But we'll not do it. That is another thing. We'll not accept. But still, Kṛṣṇa comes. When this dharma is disobeyed, Kṛṣṇa comes.

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

So human life is not meant for like that. Human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam, śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). You have to purify your existence. Now our existence is not purified. We get this contaminated body and change it; again another contaminated body, another... Just like one man is suffering from disease: one contamination, then another contamination, another... This is not life. You purify yourself. And that purification begins when you accept the life of austerities, tapaḥ, tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some... This is not inconvenience. Just like in our society it is enjoined, the students, they should voluntarily accept the principle: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no fish-eating, no, nothing of the sort, no intoxication, and no gambling. This is tapasya. Especially for these European and American students, they are, from the beginning of their life, they are accustomed to these habits. But they have voluntarily given up on my word. And that is guru's business. So to purify so that he may be saved from this illusion—he must be purified—so this little inconvenience for higher happiness, that is desired, that is required.

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

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is actually, factually the movement for unity of the whole world. And that is actually beginning. It is actually being happened. All classes of men, from all groups of men, all religious societies or nation, they are joining this movement. They are joining. Actually there is the possibility. The United Nations could not unite the nations, but if you push on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, all people of different dimensions, of different nations, different religions, they will join. That is required.

So otherwise, we are in the moha, illusion. So it is the business of guru to dissipate this illusion, darkness, and enlighten the student to the real life.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:
So these four divisions there are. And... This is... So far our material necessities are concerned, there is need of intelligent class of men to guide, there is need of administrators or martial class of men, there is need of mercantile class of men, and there is need of laborer class of men. So these four divisions... And next, culture. Culture means brahmacārī. First, student life. He's educated in the value of life. They are called brahmacārī. They're not allowed to mix with women. Just like nowadays, the schools and colleges, the boys and girls freely mix. The brahmacārī is not allowed to mix with girls and boys. That is restriction, brahmacārī. Only gṛhasthas, householders, they are allowed to mix freely with woman married. So brahmacārī is not allowed, that is spiritual training. In this way there are four department of spiritual training, namely brahmacārī; gṛhastha, or householder; vānaprastha, retired man; and sann... (end)
Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

This is going on all over the world. But śāstra says, "No, no, no, no. It is not good. You are doing mistake. You are doing mistake." Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). You have become mad and you are engaged in doing all forbidden things which you should not do. You are doing that. And why you are doing that? Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Why? Yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. Simply for sense gratification. Simply for sense gratification. I have seen one hotel man in Calcutta. He cut the throat of a chicken, and the chicken, half-cut, it was flapping and jumping. The child of the hotel man, he was crying, and the hotel man was laughing. He was taking pleasure, "Oh, how this chicken, half-cut throat, and how he is jumping... Why you are crying? Why you are crying?" And in Western countries I think students are sometimes taken to slaughterhouse to see. Is it a fact? Yes. You see. They take pleasure. Doing something sinful, they take pleasure. For pleasure's sake they do that. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaye (SB 5.5.4). Simply for the matter of sense gratification.

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

But actually, the human life is meant for not enjoying the senses. That is called tapasya. To deny. That is human life. That is Vedic civilization. First of all, the brahmacārī system, how to deny sense gratification. That is the first training. Even the, even Kṛṣṇa, He had to go to the forest to collect dry wood for the spiritual master. The, that is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kṛṣṇa was talking with Sudāmā Vipra, how both of them went to collect dry wood, and there was storm and rain. They became stranded in the forest. Then next day their teacher and other students rescued them. So the brahmacārī was trained up, tapasya, not to enjoy. They would have to go beg door to door, brahmacārī: "Mother, give us some alms for our āśrama." So they were trained from the very beginning to address any woman as "Mother." So... And there were so many other things: to rise early in the morning... Tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). We have become so foolish that we do not know what is the actual condition of life. I am repeating this again and again. Our actual position is not to die, but we are dying. But we are so foolish, we do not take care of it. "Let us die. Let us die."

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

This is the way. You dress Kṛṣṇa nicely. You give Kṛṣṇa nice foodstuff. Then you will forget, "Oh, I will have to satisfy my tongue in this way and that way, by chop, by cutlet, by going to restaurant." You will forget. Therefore it is called bhaktyā pumāñ jāta-virāga aindriyāt. The materialistic persons, they are simply busy for satisfying the senses. Go to the hotel; satisfy the tongue. Go to the cinema; hear the cinema song, see nice girls, and so on, so on. But these devotees, they are not interested at all. The cinema is here, a few steps away, but you will never see a student or a disciple of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will go to that nonsense place. Practical you can see. Why it has become possible? Bhaktyā pumāñ jāta-virāga aindriyāt. It is practical. The more you engage yourself in devotional service, the more you will forget your sense gratification process. And as soon as you become completely detestful for sense gratification, then you are liberated person, fit for going back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process.

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

So at the present moment, especially in Kali-yuga, they are not very much educated, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhā... (SB 1.1.10). They are simply busy how to earn some money and fill up the belly, that's all. They are not no more interested in Vedānta-sutra. Mandāḥ, mandāḥ means very slow, or very bad. They are so badly infected with the influence of māyā, they do not care to understand that there is life after death, and that life may be anything of these 8,400,000 forms of life. And if I become one of them, if I become tree, if I become cat, if I become dog, or insect or even human being, then, if I am in a very inconvenient condition then they do not care to know. Sometimes they say, "Never mind if I become a dog, what is the wrong there? I will forget everything." People say, in western country, even the university student, they say they don't, so ignorance. Therefore they have been described as mandāḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.25.30 -- Bombay, November 30, 1974:

So Devahūti, although mother of Kapiladeva, because she is woman, not only woman, because she is going to be disciple or the student, she is presenting herself as very humble student, not that superior mother, no. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). One has to learn. The first condition is praṇipāta. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta, complete surrender. Praṇipātena. Then paripraśna. Sad-dharma-pṛcchat. First of all, praṇipāta, a full submission, then paripraśna, guided by sevā, service. We have to please the spiritual master, the teacher, by service. This whole bhakti process depends on service attitude. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. I have several times explained this verse. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136).

Lecture on SB 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974:

There is a little story, very interesting. So one poor boy, he was student in a school, and the teacher's annual ceremony of father's death would be held. So he requested all his student, "What you will give me, contribution?" Formerly the teacher was not taking any salary. But whatever he wanted, the students will bring either from parents' house or by begging. That was the system. The teacher would not charge anything. A brāhmaṇa cannot be..., charge anything. Generally, the brāhmaṇas were teachers. That is one of the profession of the brāhmaṇa. Everyone must have livelihood. So brāhmaṇa livelihood is paṭhana pāṭhana. He must become a learned scholar, and he will make others also learned scholar. That is brāhmaṇa's business. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigrahaḥ. Ṣaṭ-karma. Six kinds of profession for the brāhmaṇas. And kṣatriya's profession is to give protection to the citizen and levy some tax, twenty-five percent, not more than that. Whatever is income your, give twenty-five percent to the kṣatriya king. That's all.

Lecture on SB 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974:

So this teacher, the original story, the teacher asked the student for... Somebody said, "I will contribute this cloth," somebody said, "I'll rice," somebody said something, something, something. There was one poor student, he had no means. He was very poor. So when he was asked, so he replied that "I cannot say anything without asking my mother." "All right, you ask your mother and tell me tomorrow." So he asked, "My dear mother, all my class friend has promised the teacher to contribute this, that, this, that. So my turn is there. What shall I promise?" The mother said, "My dear son, we are so poor, we cannot give anything. But if Kṛṣṇa gives, He is dīna-bandhu, the friend of the poor. So if He gives something to you, you can promise." "Oh, where is Kṛṣṇa? What is His name?" "Now, His name is Dīnabandhu, friend of the poor." "Where He is?" "I understand that He is in the forest." So he went to the forest and called, "Dīnabandhu brother, Dīnabandhu brother, where You?" He began to cry.

Lecture on SB 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974:

So if you love Kṛṣṇa, there will be no destruction like the material things. Either you love Him as your master... Here master, so long you are serving, the master is pleased. And the servant is pleased so long you are paying. But in the spiritual world there is no such thing. If I cannot serve under certain condition, then master is pleased. And the servant also—the master does not pay—he is also pleased. That is called oneness, Absolute. That is... This example is here. There are so many students in this institution. We are not paying anything, but they will do everything for me. This is spiritual relationship. That paṇḍita Jawaharlal Nehru, when he was in London, his father gave him, the Motilal Nehru, three hundred rupees for keeping a servant. Then once he went to London, so he saw that the servant is not there. The paṇḍita says, "Where is your servant?" He says, "What is the use of servant? I have no, nothing to do. I do it personally." "No, no. I wanted that an Englishman should be your servant." So he has to pay for it. This is an example. I have got hundreds and thousands of servants who I haven't got to pay. This is spiritual relationship. This is spiritual relationship. They are serving not for being paid. What I have got? I am poor Indian. What can I pay? But the servant is out of love, spiritual love. And I am also teaching them without any salary. This is spiritual. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya (Īśo Invocation). Everything is full.

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

Therefore you will find, India, Vedic civilization is meant for this unknotting, the hṛdaya-granthi. Therefore sannyāsa is compulsory. Vānaprastha is compulsory. If you really follow Vedic principle you become student, brahmacārī, you learn everything. What is this life, what is this world, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God, what is your relationship with Him. These studies, that is complete study. But still, if you want to be knotted by hṛdaya-granthi, gṛhastha, a concession, all right. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithuna. Mithuna, that concession is for sex life. Gṛhastha life is a concession given for enjoying sex life. Otherwise, there is no need of gṛhastha life. Therefore there were many brahmacārīs, akhanda-brahmacārī, never married in life, many. But that is not possible at the present. But there is training. The brahmacārī is taught that this is the position: "Don't be knotted with this material world." But still, if he cannot do that, then with the permission of the spiritual master, he accepts a wife. That is gṛhastha life. But that also not for many years. Say for 25 years. After 25 years he will remain a student brahmacārī, then you accept one wife according to religious ritualistic ceremony, but no illicit sex. That is not allowed. Bachelor daddy is not allowed. That is very dangerous.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

Brāhmaṇa, he is supposed to know six kind of activities, ṣaṭ-karma. Ṣaṭ means six. What is that six kinds of? Paṭhana pāṭhana. Brāhmaṇa must be very learned, very expert, expertly learned in Vedic knowledge. That is called paṭhana. And pāṭhana: and he must teach others. He must be teacher, not that "I know and keep all the knowledge in my belly." No. Therefore formerly all the brāhmaṇas they had catuṣpāṭhī. The brāhmaṇa will sit down anywhere and begin teaching others. The student will come. That is brāhmaṇa's business. Paṭhana... But unless he is himself learned, how he can teach? So therefore, first of all he must be learned, paṭhana, and then pāṭhana, then he can teach others. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana. He must worship the Supreme Lord, and he must teach others how to worship the Supreme.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

Now, if actually a philosophical minded man is there, if he simply makes research, "Wherefrom this nice taste came in the water?" he can see God because ultimately he has to come to God. If he researches, make research, "Wherefrom the sunshine came...?" You can say the sunshine is coming from the sun globe, but for further research work, you cannot go even there. But if you are actually student, philosophical minded, if you make darśana... Philosophy means darśana. Darśana means seeing. See more, see more, see more. In this way you will ultimately come. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ... Then he will come to this conclusion: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). If you are actually serious student, research worker, then after executing research work for many, many birth, when you are actually wise, jñānavān, then you will surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19).

Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:

We have to take knowledge from nirguṇa Brahman. Nirguṇa Brahman is Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, Kapiladeva. Mayā proktaḥ. Yaḥ kālaḥ pañca-viṁśakaḥ. And now He gives another element, kāla, because everything is going on under the influence of kāla. The past, present, and future, the kāla, is eternal. Time is eternal, but we are creating our past and present and future according to our existence. The past, present, future of an ant is not the past, present of an elephant. The past present of our is not the past present of Brahmā. It is relative. This kāla is working relatively. Therefore this is called relative world. So this prime factor of relativity is kāla. That is the twenty-fifth element. And beyond that, there is the soul, there is the Supersoul, and above everything, Puruṣottama, the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa.

So in this way, if we understand, then we become a student of Sāṅkhya philosophy. That is being taught by Kapiladeva.

Lecture on SB 3.26.17 -- Bombay, December 26, 1974:

On account of agitation of the three guṇas, these manifestations are there, and that is called viśeṣa. Viśeṣa means varieties. And nirviśeṣa or nirvāṇa-practically the same thing: "Finish these varieties and again become nirviśeṣa, no variety, neutral stage." That is the highest perfection of Buddha philosophy, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. There are two kinds of atheistic philosophers. One is nirviśeṣa, and the other is śūnyavādi. So my students, therefore, they address, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. So whole world is nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. Some of them are advocates of zero. There are many big, big philosophers writing on zero. They believe in zero, but they write volumes of books. Why you are wasting time writing volumes of books on zero? After all, if you are going to be zero, remain zero. So zero means disgust. Even Mahatma Gandhi, we have also heard in the paper, in the morning, the day when he was killed, the morning, he was disgusted with so many different opposing elements, letters, and news. So he said that "I don't want to live anymore. It is too much disgusting to me." And the same evening he was killed.

Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:

A brāhmaṇa, and he is very expert in ṣaṭ-karma... Ṣaṭ-karma means six kinds of occupational duties. What is that? Paṭhana. A brāhmaṇa must be very, very learned scholar by reading Vedic literature, and pāṭhana, and teach others of the Vedic literature. Therefore it was the custom of the brāhmaṇas—they would not accept anyone's service. They will sit down anywhere and open a school for teaching Vedic literature. Paṭhana pāṭhana. He will personally become learned, and he will teach others. And the students, they will go from door to..., brahmacārī, door to door for begging, "Mother, give me some alms," and they will give because their students are there in the gurukula or catuṣpāṭhī. So whatever they will bring, that will be cooked and offered to Kṛṣṇa, and the prasādam will be distributed amongst themselves. This was the process, not twenty rupees' fee and give some bribe to enter into the school, and that is also all rascal education, no. First-class education, without any fee, from the realized soul—that was educational system, varṇāśrama-dharma.

Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:

They do not know, whatever Kṛṣṇa desires, that is rightful. Kṛṣṇa wanted Arjuna to fight. That is rightful. And Arjuna wanted to become nonviolent. That is not rightful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa chastised him, kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam: "Why you are talking like anārya?" Anārya-juṣṭam: "This kind of talking... You are kṣatriya, and you are not willing to fight. What is this? This kind of proposal is made by the anārya, uncivilized. You are a kṣatriya. Your duty is to fight, and you are trying to refrain from the fight? You have become so ignorant? Oh, this is not good." Then, when Arjuna understood that he was not in the right point, declining the fight, kārpaṇya-doṣa upahata-svabhāvaḥ, kārpaṇya-doṣa. "I am not doing my duty. I can understand. All right. But I am perplexed. Therefore I become Your student." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I surrender unto You as śiṣya, as Your disciple. Now correct me." And he was, when he was corrected, the same Arjuna said, "Yes." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "Yes, I will fight."

Lecture on SB 3.26.32 -- Bombay, January 9, 1975:

Ācārya means one who knows the śāstra and practically uses in his life, and the same thing, he teaches to his disciple. That is called ācārya. Ācārya is not a self-made man. No. Ācārya means ācinoti yaḥ śāstrāṇi. One who understand the śāstra, the Vedic śāstra, and practices in life and teaches the same thing to his student—that is called ācārya. So ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit, na asūyeta martya-buddhyā (SB 11.17.27). So ācārya should not be considered as ordinary man, because he is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, "All the śāstras..." The śāstra is the basic strength, platform. So all the śāstra says the ācārya: "He is representative of the Supreme Lord." So sākṣād-dharitvena. Sākṣāt, not indirectly, supposingly. No. Directly, sākṣāt. Sākṣāt means directly. So how he is directly representative? Suppose Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago or millions of years ago, because Kṛṣṇa first spoke to Vivasvān. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "This yoga system, I first of all explained to Vivasvān, the sun-god." That means millions and millions of years. Later on, again, He explained. So He says that "That very old thing, again I am explaining to you, Arjuna. There is no change."

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

The mother is taking instruction from son. So it doesn't matter. One should not think, "Oh, he is my son. What instruction I shall take from him? I know better than him." No. Son or anyone, anyone, if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa he becomes guru. This is the Vedic system. It doesn't matter. Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born in a very respectable brāhmaṇa family. He was very advanced learned scholar, and after all He took sannyāsa. So when He was discussing with Rāmānanda Rāya Rāmānanda Rāya was a gṛhastha, householder and governor of Madras, means politician. A householder, politician, and he was born not in brāhmaṇa family; in kāraṇa, kāyastha family. They are considered as śūdras. So he had no position to instruct Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him the place of instructor and He took the position of a listener. Just see Caitanya Mahāprabhu's pastimes. He gave him the position of instructor and He took the position of student, listener.

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

So Rāmānanda Rāya was feeling a little agitation, that "How is that? I am a gṛhastha, householder, not even born in high family, brāhmaṇa family. And I am engaged in politics, I am governor, and He is a sannyāsī, renounced order of life. How is that that He is asking question and I am replying? The question is enquired by the student, and the answer is given by the spiritual master. So how is that?" He was feeling little agitation. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately encouraged him, "Don't hesitate." This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's example. He is teaching everything by His personal example. His purpose was that in this Kali-yuga the distinction between brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra will be almost finished. Then who will instruct? Because the instructor's position is brāhmaṇa. One must be brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa's business is paṭhan pāṭhan yajan yājan dāna pratigraha. A brāhmaṇa should be personally very highly learned scholar. Therefore brāhmaṇa is called paṇḍita. Even in India, still a brāhmaṇa is addressed, "paṇḍitji." He may be a fool number one, but he is addressed like that, "Paṇḍitji." So because without becoming a learned scholar nobody can become a brāhmaṇa... We are also giving our student position as brāhmaṇa, but if he remains a fool number one, then we are misusing our attempt. He should be very learned scholar.

Page Title:Students (Lectures, SB cantos 1 - 3)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:23 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=158, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:158