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Subordinate (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

Aṁśa means parts and parcels. Now as a particle of gold is also particle, a drop of water of the ocean is also salty, similarly, we, the living entities, being part and parcels of the supreme controller, īśvara, Bhagavān, or Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, we have got, I mean to say, qualitatively all the qualities of the Supreme Lord in minute. Because we are minute īśvara, subordinate īśvara. We are also trying to control. We are just trying to control over the nature. In the present days you are trying to control over the space. You are trying to float imitation planets. So this tendency of controlling or creating is there because partially we have got that controlling tendency. But we should know that this tendency is not sufficient.

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

Prakṛti, real meaning of prakṛti is a woman or a female. Just like a husband controls the activities of his wife, similarly, the prakṛti is also subordinate, predominated. The Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the predominator, and this prakṛti, both the living entities and the material nature, they are different prakṛtis, or predominated, controlled by the Supreme.

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

The parts of the body—the hands, the legs, the eyes, the ears, the fingers—everything keeps in healthy stage when the parts of the body cooperate with the stomach. Similarly, the supreme living being, the Lord, He is the enjoyer. He is the enjoyer and He is the creator. And we, I mean to say, subordinate living beings, the products of the energy of the Supreme Lord, we are just to cooperate with Him. That cooperation will help. Just for example, a good foodstuff taken by the fingers. If the fingers think that "Why should we give it to the stomach? Let us enjoy." That is a mistake. The fingers are unable to enjoy.

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

The impersonal Brahman is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that impersonal Brahman is also subordinate to the complete person. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā (BG 14.27). Impersonal Brahman is also. It is... The impersonal Brahman is more explicitly explained in the Brahma-sūtra as the rays. As there is the rays of the sunshine, sun planet, similarly, the impersonal Brahman is the shining rays of the Supreme Brahman or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 1.16-19 -- London, July 16, 1973:

So here Dhṛtarāṣṭra is addressed as pṛthivī-pati, the lord of the world. Pṛthivī, pṛthivī means this planet. So five thousand years ago, from the statement it appears that the king of Hastināpura was the emperor of the whole world, pṛthivī-pati. One king, the whole planet was being governed by one emperor or king, and different parts of the world, other kings, subordinate kings, as they are named here, Drupada, then Virāṭa, Kāśya, in different parts of the world they came and joined. And each and every one of them possessed a different kind of bugle, śaṅkha. So they declared that now we are ready to fight.

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

Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya: "My dear Kṛṣṇa," he is not addressing as Kṛṣṇa-Acyuta, "now you place my chariot between the two parties." This is ordering. That means Arjuna becoming controller. And Kṛṣṇa becoming controlled. Just the opposite. Therefore Arjuna knows his subordinate position and he is ordering to Kṛṣṇa. So indirectly he is begging to be excused: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I cannot order You. Order must come from You.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

Our philosophy is that we prepare nice foodstuff and we offer to Kṛṣṇa, and after He has eaten, then we take it. That is our philosophy. We don't take anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. So we are saying God as the supreme enjoyer. We are not enjoyer. We are all subordinate. So bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). And God is proprietor of everything. That's a fact. Now suppose such big ocean. Are you proprietor? We are claiming that I am proprietor of this land or this sea.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:

Therefore, we are suffering. Here, you can... Nowhere you cannot be God. God is one. Nobody can be equal or above Him. Everyone must be subordinate to God. Therefore those who are not learned—foolish people—they are trying to be happy in this material world by adjustment and becoming himself God. This is atheism and this is demoniac tendency. But those who are advanced in knowledge, they know that "We are eternally servant of God; we cannot become God. Better to remain servant of God; that is our happiness."

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973:

So one who has practiced to become dhīra, not to become disturbed by the sensuous or bodily sensations, he's supposed to be kalpate, he's supposed to be, to become immortal at the end. And the Bhāgavata says also that you do not become a spiritual master, you do not become a father, you do not become a mother, you do not become a friend, a relative, in this way, if you cannot make your subordinate immortal. Pitā na sa syāt, gurur na sa syāt, gurur na sa syāt, jananī na sā syāt pitā na sa syāt. In this way, there is a list. You become father of hundreds of children.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- London, August 23, 1973:

Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is the supreme cetana, conscious. Just like we were consulting dictionary yesterday, "supreme being." Therefore, His consciousness is also supreme. As we are living being—not supreme, subordinate—similarly, God is also being, but the supreme being. That is the difference. Very simple thing. You cannot say that "I am supreme." As these rascals say that "I am God." How you can be God? Are you supreme? As soon as we ask this question, "Are you supreme?" "No." Then how you have become God? The supreme means... That is also... We consulted dictionary.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Unchangeable means... The Māyāvāda theory is that "Now I am finite. I shall become infinite." That's wrong. How you can be? Eternal. Eternally infinite. You'll eternally remain infinite. You cannot be equal with God, the infinite. That is not possible. You'll have to remain as subordinate.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

So one who becomes realized, self-realized person, brahma-bhūta, (SB 4.30.20) brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), then what does it remain for him? That is the ultimate goal of life, to become ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Vedic literature teaches us that "Don't think that you belong to this matter. You are Brahman." Kṛṣṇa is Parabrahman, and we are subordinate Brahman. Nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa. We are servant Brahman. He's master Brahman. So, so instead of, instead of understanding that I am servant Brahman, I am thinking I am master Brahman. That is another illusion. That is another illusion.

Lecture on BG 2.39 -- London, September 12, 1973:

When there is talk between the spirit, supreme spirit, Kṛṣṇa and the individual spirit, subordinate spirit, the living entity... Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being, and we are subordinate being. So these people at the present moment, they do not know. But we have to take instruction from Vedas. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The Supreme Being, He is eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He is supplying the necessities of life, kāmān, whatever we require.

Lecture on BG 2.39 -- London, September 12, 1973:

Similarly, the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, He takes care of the whole creation, material and spiritual, innumerable universes, and therefore He's sup... So when we act according to the direction of the Supreme... Because we are subordinate. This is our position. A subordinate position is that he must act according to the direction of the master or the supreme. That is natural. Everyone is acting like that. So that is called buddhi-yoga. When you act according to the direction of the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, or His representative, that is called buddhi-yoga.

Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

Now, enjoyer and enjoyed, both of them have got consciousness. Just like the husband and the wife. The husband is the enjoyer, the wife is the enjoyed, but both of them are conscious. But the consciousness of the enjoyed is the subordinate to the consciousness of the enjoyer. So although the supreme consciousness is the supreme enjoyer, and we are enjoyed, but the enjoyment can be equally participated when there is actual enjoyment. So our enjoyment can be perfect, our enjoyment can be perfected when we participate the enjoyment of God. Because He is the enjoyer.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

Just like there is superior one and the inferior one. Inferior one is subordinate to the superior one, and inferior one is to act according to the superior one. Just like it is taught here that Kṛṣṇa is the superconsciousness; He's trying to convince Arjuna that "You act according to My direction. Because you are individual consciousness, subordinate to Me, and I am Superconsciousness."

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

And Bhagavad, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata also says that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ, the activities, the occupation, the business, that which leads us to that consciousness, that consciousness, that "I am subordinate to the supreme consciousness," and let me act according to the supreme consciousness, without any cause, ahaituki, without... "Why I shall act?" There is no such question. It is automatic, automatic. Just like a little son, and the mother... The little son is automatically subordinate to the mother. Whatever the mother says, the child acts. The child is completely dependent.

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

Therefore Lord says, "One should give up all mental speculation and should be satisfied in the understanding that 'I am consciousness, and there is Supreme Consciousness, and I am subordinate to the Supreme Consciousness. Therefore let me dovetail my consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness.' " Last day also, we discussed on this point. And the point is very clearly manifested in the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā, that Arjuna mentally speculated in the beginning that "Whether I should take up this fighting or not?" But at the ultimate issue he gave up his mental speculation and agreed with the Lord that "Yes, I shall fight."

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

I am eating. "Oh," I am thinking, "oḥ, how happy I am!" But what is that happiness? That happiness is due to my tongue only, but I am not this tongue. So these things are, will appear, one who is purely consciousness. You see? But that, that does not mean that I shall not eat or I shall not associate in the society. No. I shall be. Everything I shall be, but I must always know that "I am aloof from this. My position is that I am subordinate to the Supreme Consciousness, and I, I have to act in that position."

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

The living entity cannot be happy independent of the cooperation of the Supreme Lord because the eternal constitutional position of the living entity is to become subordinate to the desires of the Lord. Arjuna was therefore ordered by Śrī Kṛṣṇa to fight as if the Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge his prescribed duties without claims of proprietorship.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

Why one should be unemployed? He must be trained up in such a way that he's employed, he's engaged. This is the duty. So if you understand Bhagavad-gītā, then you'll be able to train your students, your citizens, your subordinates, how to remain engaged. Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, we are simply after the people, whether he is engaged or not. There must be engagement. If one remains idle, then it will be devil's workshop. Immediately māyā will dictate, "Do this, do this nonsense, do that nonsense, do that nonsense."

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

But God and the living entity, both being sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ... Vigraha means form, individuality. So God has form, and you have got also form, I have got also form, everyone has got form. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme individual personality, and we are subordinate personalities. That is the difference. Otherwise, in quality, God, you and me, are all the same. That Kṛṣṇa says.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974:

It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). So when we go to Kṛṣṇa, we get the similar body. Although we are subordinate, still, the facility is almost the same, seventy-eight percent.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

The so-called incarnations of God, they declare that "I am God." But... He may be God. God means a subordinate god. Not the Supreme God. The Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. God means controller. You have, you may have some controlling power, admitted, but you are not Supreme Controller. The Supreme Controller is Īśvara. Therefore here Kṛṣṇa... Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi. Īśvaraḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Bombay, March 27, 1974:

It is the real religion, between the soul and God. The reciprocation, the exchange of dealings between the Supreme and the subordinate. That is called bhakti. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Purified. When you become purified, tat-paratvena, simply by engaging yourself in the devotional service of the Lord... Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). These are the verdict of the śāstra. When our heart is cleansed, then we can accept this religion, sarva-dharmān parityajya.. (BG 18.66). This is the religion. To accept Kṛṣṇa, to surrender to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, this is religion.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "every man is following My path, indirectly or directly." The supreme position of the Lord is that He is in the supreme absolute position, and every other living being, they are all subordinate. In the Vedic Upaniṣad it is clearly stated, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is the natural law in any society, in any community, in any country, even in the animal society.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That one is maintaining all these many." We, the living entities, we are many. So our position is always subordinate. That is our natural constitutional position. Now, the Supreme Lord's position is the leadership, and our position is subordinate. Then what is our duty? Our duty is to follow the leader. And actually we are doing so.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

So ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. A proportionately, as I surrender unto the Supreme Lord... We must always know that our background of relationship is that we are subordinate, and He is great. God is great. We cannot be equal with Him. We have to follow. He is the supreme leader. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up everything." He is trying to give you leadership. He is prepared to give you all leadership provided you are prepared to follow His leadership. That's all. Reciprocation. And in proportionately, proportionately, as you accept His leadership, He also responds reciprocally.

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

Those are mūḍhas, the same mūḍhas, because He has come in the form of a human being, they say, "This is māyā. This Kṛṣṇa has come.... The impersonal Brahman has assumed a body, accepting this body given by māyā." This is the Māyāvāda philosophy. But actually Kṛṣṇa does not come. Because Kṛṣṇa says, daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). Māyā is controlled by Him. How He can accept subordinance of māyā? No.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: (BG 7.4) "These eight elements, they are also My prakṛti, but bhinnā, separated, separated prakṛti." Prakṛti means subordinate to the puruṣa. As soon as the prakṛti... Generally, we understand that the husband and wife.... Wife is called prakṛti, and the husband is called puruṣa. So puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed.

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

Vibhu, aṇu. The Sanskrit word is vibhu. Vibhu means the great. God is great. Asamaurdhva. Nobody can be equal to God; nobody can be greater than God. That means everyone is subordinate to God.

Lecture on BG 5.14-22 -- New York, August 28, 1966:

Of course, now it has become a story, but to conquer over the death, that was the main problem in, at least in the former Vedic civilization days. Everyone, any highest, I mean to say, highly situated person in knowledge, his main business was how to conquer death. Now, at the present moment that question has become subordinate thing only, how to conquer death. "Let death there be. So long death does not come, let me enjoy and have sense gratification." That has become the standard of civilization at the present moment. But real problem is how to conquer death.

Lecture on BG 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:

The Lord is the master of material nature and the conditioned souls are under the stringent rules of that nature. Unless one understands these bare facts it is not possible to achieve peace in the world either individually or collectively. This is the sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme predominator and that all living entities, including the great demigods, are His subordinates. One can attain perfect peace only in complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 6.6-12 -- Los Angeles, February 15, 1969:

That you can understand. Supreme self is God. This is dvaita-vāda. Duality. Duality means God is different from me. He is supreme. I am subordinate. He is great, I am small. He is infinite, I am infinitesimal. This is the relationship. So because we are infinitesimal, we should concentrate our mind to the infinite, supreme self. Then, he should live alone. Alone. This is most important thing. Alone means not to live with persons who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious.

Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969:

So this present stage is I am controlled by the mind. The material life means one is controlled by the mind or by the senses. Mind is the center of all senses. So to be controlled by the mind means to be controlled by the senses. Senses are subordinate assistants to the master mind. Master mind dictates, "Go and see that." My eyes sees. Therefore my eyes, the sense eye is under the direction of the mind. My legs go. Therefore my sense organ the leg is under the direction of the mind.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975:

So there are so many causes. I am caused by my father, my father is caused by his father, his father is caused by his father, you go on, go on. Then you come to the supreme father. He is the cause of all causes. That is Kṛṣṇa. The supreme father is the cause of all subordinate fathers. That is the definition of God, another definition. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvaraḥ, īśvaraḥ means controller.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

It is not blindly accepted, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. With considerable deliberation, we take the decision. All the ācāryas, they have taken decision. Therefore in the next verse Kṛṣṇa says, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam. This knowledge, with practical understanding, sa-vijñānam. Vijñānam means practical application. We understand Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme. He's the creator of this cosmic manifestation. He's the Supreme. We are all subordinate. This is jñānam. And sa-vijñānam, when it is practically applied, that means when you take to devotional service, then it is practically application, practicing.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

And because we are part and parcel of God, therefore we have got minute quantity of freedom. Just like a drop of ocean water, it is also salty, but the quantity of salt in that drop is not equal to the salt in the ocean. Similarly, you have got a little quantity of freedom, but not as freedom as God has got. That is not possible. You are subordinate. Your freedom is subordinate to God's freedom. Therefore if you misuse your freedom, then you become punishable. The government gives you freedom, but if you misuse your freedom, if you violate the laws, then you are criminal.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

That is the difference between me and God. Otherwise He is a living being just like us. He is more powerful. The most powerful, the most beautiful, the most famous, the most strong, and we are all subordinate. Therefore His name is asamordhva. Asamordhva means nobody is equal or greater than Him. Everyone is subordinate to Him. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "I am the origin of everything." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). These things are there in Vedic literature.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

Therefore I am becoming Your śiṣya." Śiṣyas te 'ham. "I become Your disciple. I am not going to argue with You on equal footing." Śiṣya means he is always subordinate. Whatever the guru will say, he will accept. That is the guru and śiṣya. So Kṛṣṇa became guru and Arjuna became a śiṣya, disciple, not friend. Of course, he knew what is Kṛṣṇa. So śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam. So similarly, we have to find out guru for perfect instruction. That is the only way. Otherwise we shall keep ourself in ignorance, in mistake, in illusion, in imperfectness and so many other things.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

In the Bhagavad-gītā, in another place, it is said that upadraṣṭā anumantā. The Supersoul, soul and Supersoul... There are two souls: the supreme soul and the subordinate soul within the body. So what we are doing, subordinate soul... The supreme soul or the Supersoul, who is also sitting with me within the heart, He is upadraṣṭā anumantā. He's simply seeing.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Bombay, February 20, 1974:

Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. So here jīva, the living entities, they have been described as prakṛti, not as puruṣa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that living entity is puruṣa, the Supreme, but that is, that is not the fact. Prakṛti. Prakṛti means subordinate. Energy acts under the direction of the Puruṣa. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Just like a machine is made by a person, and the machine is working. That machine is working, that is prakṛti, but who has made the machine or pushing on the machine, that is puruṣa.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Bombay, February 20, 1974:

This is the fact. So Kṛṣṇa is the original puruṣa. Prakṛti, the material energy is also prakṛti, subordinate to Kṛṣṇa, and the spiritual energy, the living entities, they are also prakṛti, but they are superior prakṛti. Inferior, not... Inferior matter. Just like we are handling matter, we are getting matter. We are getting cement, we are getting bricks, we are getting iron and combining them, and making a very, very high skyscraper building.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

Brahman, we are all Brahman because we are part and parcels of Parabrahman, but we are not Parabrahman. We are subordinate Brahman. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We are supported by Kṛṣṇa. We are supported by God. He is one, God is one. And the supported Brahmans, or living entities, they are innumerable, beyond the numerical strength. Asaṅkhya. Nobody can count how many living entities are there, but God is one.

Lecture on BG 7.18 -- New York, October 12, 1966:

That surrendering process is the ultimate goal. Either you do it immediately or you do it by research work of many, many births, but the process and the ultimate goal is that you have to surrender, that "You are great. I am Your subordinate." That is the process. So any intelligent man can do it immediately.

Lecture on BG 7.28-8.6 -- New York, October 23, 1966:

They say, "Brahman is one. This individual Brahman, this conception of individual Brahman, is māyā, illusion." That is their doctrine. But according to Vaiṣṇava doctrine, they do not accept this. Their question is, "If Brahman is Supreme, then how He comes in contact with the māyā?" A Supreme cannot be under the subordinate, subordination of anything else. If something is under subordination, he cannot be Supreme. He cannot be Supreme. That is their argument.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

So God, Kṛṣṇa, is not imperson at the ultimate end. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Absolute Truth is realized in three phases: Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. So Paramātmā is subordinate to the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, and Brahman is also subordinate to the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa. Brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Brahman, the impersonal Brahman feature, brahmajyoti, that is resting on Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy to understand.

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

Just acknowledge yourself that your senses are limited. You are subordinate even to the material nature and what to think of God? Everyone is subordinate to the control of the Supreme Lord. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Nobody can be equal or greater than God. Therefore your qualification should be: be submissive. Don't waste your time in speculating. Be submissive.

Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

What is that truth? That truth is "God is great, and we are subservient. So our duty is to abide by the orders of God," the simple truth. "God is great." You can say, "Why we should abide by the orders of God?" Because you are subservient. "No, I am not subservient." That is untrue. You are subservient. If you don't accept your subordinate position before God, then you have to accept your subordinate position under these material stringent laws. You have to become subservient. There is no other alternative. You cannot become absolute.

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

We are part and parcel of God. As we are living beings, similarly Kṛṣṇa or, God is a also living being. But He is Supreme; we are subordinate. God is great, and we are under Him. Just like in a family the father is the chief man, and the next important is my mother, and we all children, they are all subordinate to the father and mother. The father earns. The mother distributes. We eat. We live.

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

Just try to understand. Senses, as I have already explained... God is also living entity. He is the chief living entity, chief intelligent man or god, whatever you say, and we are subordinate. Now, material life means... God... And what is our relationship? God is the supreme father; we are all children. So as in the family—the father is one, the children are many, say ten—if the children are very obedient to the father, then that family is very nice, is very nice.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

The difference—we are individual soul. We are living, every one of us, living within this body, and there is another living entity. God is also living entity like you and me. The difference is that He is great, and we are subordinate. Otherwise... Just like you have got your president. He is a big man of your nation, and we are small men or you are a small man. But he is also a human being; I am also a human being or you are also.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, September 30, 1973:

You don't require to worship any other demigods. All demigods, they're our respectable. We offer all respect. A Vaiṣṇava offers respect even to an ant, and why not these demigods? That is another thing. But the kṛṣṇa-bhakta, he knows that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme; the other demigods, they're all subordinate. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). There is no need.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973:

Therefore śāstra says that nobody should become guru, nobody should become father, nobody should become husband—in this way there is a list—na mocayed yaḥ samupetya mṛtyum, if one cannot help his student or his son or his subordinate to stop death. Actually this is the problem Na mocayed yaḥ samupetya mṛtyum. We are under the clutches of death. "It is as sure as death." So this human life is meant for stopping this death. But if you don't see that this is the problem, that is ajñāna.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

So try to understand that we are puruṣa. Puruṣa means we are part and parcel of the Kṛṣṇa is described as the paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma puruṣaṁ param (BG 10.12). He's parama-puruṣa and we are subordinate puruṣa. We have got the same constitutional position but very minute. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Kṛṣṇa is mahataḥ, greater than the greatest, and we are the smaller than the smallest.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hawaii, February 2, 1975:

Nobody is greater than Him. That is the meaning of greatness. So how He is greater than everyone and nobody is equal to Him, everyone is subordinate, everyone is creation of Him—this knowledge, if you get... Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If you understand these factors of the greatness of God perfectly well, then you become fit for being transferred to the spiritual world. That is called daivī sampad. Daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5). If you become divine... This is cultivation. This is education. This is not sentiment.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Why shall I go to some departmental manager? What is the use? Let them become very big man in their department, but if I want to take some benefit, then I can... If I am known to the emperor, I can ask him that "I want this." He will immediately give me. Why shall I go to the departmental manager? They are subordinate. Therefore it is said, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Antava t tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

We are directly in service of Kṛṣṇa, so whatever is wanted, He will supply. Why shall I go to somebody? It is His business. So for a devotee there is no need of meeting. We have all respect for them, but there is no need of meeting any demigod. They are all servants of Kṛṣṇa. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ... He is the supreme controller. So why should we go to the subordinate controller? Why should we go? Is there any necessity? You do not follow me, what I say?

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

So you may believe it or not believe it; you have to carry out. So it cannot be changed in any circumstance. Therefore dharma does not mean a faith. It is compulsory. So the compulsory law is that God is great, and we are subordinate or servant of God. You may believe or not believe; the God's law will apply upon you forcibly. Exactly like the state law, you may have faith or no faith; you must accept it.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

Therefore here it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra. Kaitavaḥ means cheating type of religious system. Real religion means "God is there. I am there. God is great. I am subordinate. I must abide by the laws of God." This is religion. At the present moment, under the spell of illusion in this material condition, we have forgotten our real religion. Real religion means to revive our consciousness—we say, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness"—or God consciousness, by which we agree to abide by the laws of God.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

This is the beginning. Now, after coming here, when you hear about God, because we, our only business is, we don't talk here politics or sociology or anything. That comes automatically as subordinate things, but our business is to talk about God. So those who talks about God, they are called saintly person. There are two kinds of men within this world. Materialistic person and transcendentalist, or man interested in spiritualism. So those who are interested in spiritual life, they talk of self-realization. And those who are materialistic person, they also talk.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:

That is stated here, that dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām (SB 1.2.8). It doesn't matter what kind of dharma. Actually dharma is one, the occupational duty, the characteristic. The characteristic means that God is great and we are subordinate. That is the injunction of the Vedas. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

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

If you identify yourself that "I am neither American, nor Indian, but I am pure consciousness, I am subordinate consciousness of the supreme consciousness, or, in other words, I am servant of God... God is supreme consciousness, and I am subordinate." That... So for our present understanding, subordinate means a servant. But don't carry out the idea of servant in relation to God. Here nobody wants to be servant. Everyone wants to be master. Because to become servant is very, not very, mean, a palatable thing.

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

Unless one is thoughtful, one cannot understand that he is not this body. Then how, how you can do work for yourself? What is your position? Now, I am consciousness. What kind of consciousness? Subordinate consciousness. I am the part of the supreme consciousness. Then what will be your activities? My activities will be under the guidance of the supreme consciousness. Just like in office, the managing director is the supreme consciousness. Just for example.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Los Angeles, August 20, 1972:

So every one of is a individual personality. Everyone. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme personality. That is the difference. He is also an individual. The only difference is that He is supreme; we are all subordinate. We are dependent on Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa does not manage things nicely, then we are doomed. Just like we were walking on the sea beach. Such a vast ocean. We are confident that "The sea waves cannot come beyond this line." We are confident. Therefore we are walking. But actually, the vast ocean, within a second, it can succumbic(?), so many cities. But by whose order it is keeping the honor, "No, not beyond this. You may be very great, that's all right, but not beyond this line, demarcated"? This is Kṛṣṇa's order.

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

Therefore these are the tests to understand. A politician may pose himself that he is very advanced in spiritual life, but when we see that he is more interested in politics than in Kṛṣṇa, then we can understand what is his position. These are the tests. Or politics or sociology or anything, a pure devotee is always interested how Kṛṣṇa would be satisfied. Just like Arjuna. Of course, when one is interested in that way, all other things, subordinate things, they come within. Just like Arjuna was a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, but at the same time he was a politician also.

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

Those who are grossly in ignorance, they are thinking in terms of bodily concept of life; those who are little more advanced, they are thinking in terms of mental or psychological concept of life; and those who are still more advanced, they are thinking in terms of spiritual concept of life. The spiritual concept of life, as it is described before: vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). Tattvam means truth. The truth is spirit, not this matter. Matter is truth, subordinate to spirit. On the basis of spirit, the matter grows, just like our body has grown on the basis of our spiritual existence.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

Viṣṇu is the form of sattva-guṇa, Brahmā is the form of rajo-guṇa, and Śiva, Lord Śiva, is the form of tamo-guṇa. So actually, if we want our perfection of life, we'll not be very much benefitted by taking shelter of Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā or any other demigod. Other demigods, they're all subordinate to Lord Brahmā and Śiva. All demigods are supposed... Even great saintly ṛṣis, they are also sons of Brahmā. Rajo-guṇa. Lord Śiva is also one of the sons of Brahmā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Only Kṛṣṇa is the supreme master. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya. Now... Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). Even great demigods like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, they also subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. They offer their obeisances to Kṛṣṇa. Śiva-viriñci-nutam. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is confirmed by Brahmā: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara. Everyone can be an īśvara.

Lecture on SB 1.3.13 -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972:

There was some misunderstanding between Mahārāja Dakṣa, father of Pārvatī, or Durgā. So she gave up her life because her father was against Lord Śiva. He was repudiating Lord Śiva, and she could not tolerate that "My father, you are so proud that you are blaspheming Lord Śiva because you think I am your daughter and your son-in-law is subordinate. So I am returning this body to you." So (s)he immediately gave up her body. So Lord Śiva, having lost his wife, he was on the Himalayas executing severe tapasya.

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

Just like we have to close this door because the demons will disturb. You see? So demons means enemy of the demigods, enemy of the devotees. Those who are God conscious, those who are abiding by the orders of God, they're demigods. God. Demigods means they're also God, but subordinate to God. They don't say, "I am God. I am completely." No, a Vaiṣṇava will never say so. He knows that "I am eternal servant of God." Therefore demigod. Otherwise, their qualification is godly.

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

This is animalism. Simply they are misled by animalistic civilization—eating, sleeping. That's all. Have good house for sleeping. Why? Now, these boys and girls, they are sleeping on the floor, sleeping on the open air. Where is the difficulty? The animals also can sleep. It is a practice only. We don't require any gorgeous arrangement for sleeping or living. We should simply try to elevate our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Other things, all subordinate. That is ātmānaṁ sarvato rakṣet.

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

The moon rises under the order of the Supreme Lord. The ocean is not disturbing, it is calm and quiet... Not calm and quiet. It is in its position by the order of the Supreme Lord. So everyone is acting under the Supreme Lord. And Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa: "Yes, the Supreme Lord is only Kṛṣṇa." Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Āra, "Any other demigod or even viṣṇu-tattva, even Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu"—there are so many, I mean to say, manifestation of viṣṇu-tattva—"they're all subordinate to Kṛṣṇa." Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

Ātmā and paramātmā, there are two words. So they are not equal. And Kṛṣṇa says mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). He is the supermost īśvara. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Although both of us are nitya, eternal, and living entities, still, there is difference. He is supreme living entity, we are subordinate. Prabhu and aṇu. Vibhu and aṇu.

So this philosophy is perfect, and anyone who accepts this Māyāvāda philosophy, that God and living entity are on the same level, they have got poor fund of knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976:

Only, it is possible only by chanting the harer nāma, the holy name of the Lord. The holy name of the Lord is Kṛṣṇa, Rāma. Other names are there, but they are subordinate. Not subordinate. There is no question of "superior" or "inferior" in the holy name of the Lord. But we have to pick up the order of the śāstras. Tasmād śāstra-vidhānokta As the śāstra gives regulative, we have to accept that. And if we do not accept that, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ (BG 16.23), if we do whimsically, then na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti, you cannot get any perfection of life, na sukham, neither you'll be happy.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

So this philosophy, Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava philosophy, is very sublime, to accept God as subordinate. Kṛṣṇa says in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, you will find, that "Everyone worships Me with awe and veneration. But if anyone worships Me without any awe, veneration, and treats Me as insignificant, I like that. (laughter) I like that." So that exchange of Kṛṣṇa's feelings you can find in this Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava philosophy, that mother Yaśodā is treating Kṛṣṇa as very insignificant.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

Because jīva-bhūta, we living entities, we are superior than the matter because we are controlling the matter. Just like we have been in the riverside, so many things, material things, we saw. But who has made it? The living entities. The matter has not come into so many forms without the touch of the living entity. Everyone can understand. The big, big ship, how it has come into existence? Because a living entity planned, engineered how to do it, and he brought material things, and he manufactured it. Therefore this inferior energy, the material things, they are subordinate to the spiritual energy.

Lecture on SB 1.8.27 -- Los Angeles, April 19, 1973:

Just like there is leader. Leader is one, and followers, there are many. Similarly Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Living Entity, and we are subordinate, dependent living entities. That is the difference. Dependent, we can understand, if Kṛṣṇa does not supply us food, we starve. That's a fact. We cannot produce anything. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. So Kṛṣṇa is maintaining, and we are being maintained.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

Nobody goes to Kṛṣṇa: "I have come to chastise You, Kṛṣṇa." That is not possible. Nobody goes to the temple with the attitude, with a stick—"Sir, I have come to chastise You." Everyone is praying. So when Kṛṣṇa thinks that "I want to be chastised," at that time He become subordinate to His devotee to be chastised. This is Kṛṣṇa's līlā. Kṛṣṇa agrees that "Nobody comes to chastise Me, all My devotees. If some devotee comes to chastise Me, I would like it." So Kṛṣṇa accepts such great devotee as His mother and father, and they are able to chastise Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:

So whole thing is summarized in one word: "Kṛṣṇa," means all-attractive. He draws the attraction of Vasudeva. He draws the attraction of Yadu-kula. He draws the attraction of Arjuna. He draws attraction of everyone, all devotees. Mama vartmānuvartante pārtha sarvaśaḥ. The whole world, civilized world, they have got some religion-Christian religion, Muhammadan religion, Hindu religion, Buddhist religion, and many other subordinate religions.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

So Lord Kṛṣṇa is addressed here as kṛṣṇa-sakha. Although Arjuna is Kuntī's son, subordinate, but she knows that Kṛṣṇa is more intimately related with Arjuna than herself. She knows that. Another kṛṣṇa-sakha means Kṛṣṇā. Kṛṣṇā is the name of Draupadī. So Kṛṣṇa saved Draupadī from insult. She was attempted to be naked by Duryodhana and Karṇa, but Kṛṣṇa saved her. So in that sense also Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-sakha. Vṛṣṇy-ṛṣabha. Ṛṣabha, the chief. The best man is called ṛṣabha.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

So how God is providing everyone with everything. We require light, we require heat. Just like in ordinary life also, in the state there is heating department, lighting department, plumbing department. Why? These are the amenities we require. So why don't you see that these arrangements are already there. Unless... These arrangements are subordinate. The first arrangement is God's arrangement. God supply you water by rain. You catch up and then you supply in the water-works.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:

Therefore it is said that avani-dhrug rājanya-vaṁśa-dahana. "Therefore You descend to kill all these rascals who claim Your position, rebellious." That is natural. Just like all subordinate kings. There is one emperor, and there are subordinate kings. Sometimes the subordinate kings claim, "Now we shall not give tax." In India it so happened. Everywhere it so happens. The subordinate kings, zamindars, landholders, sometimes they think, "Oh, why shall I give tax?" Then it is rebellious.

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Mayapura, October 25, 1974:

When a devotee conquers over Kṛṣṇa or controls over Kṛṣṇa, that is also service. That is not actually controlling, because Kṛṣṇa wants to be controlled, just like a father sometimes says to his children, small children, to rise over the body, and they kick the father. And they... The father feels some relief. It is a kind of massaging. So similarly, everyone worships Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Being, and therefore Kṛṣṇa wants sometimes to be, I mean to say, thought as insignificant subordinate. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that "Everyone worships Me, but without worshiping, if somebody, I mean, controls over Me, I am very much happy."

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:

Similarly, a father should be the protector of his child not only simply by feeding him, making him very fat in this life, but from death. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum, pitā na sa syāt. One should not become father, one should not become mother, one should not become guru, one should not become relative, husband, and so many. The list is there. Why? If he cannot save his subordinate from imminent death. That is father; that is mother; that is guru. And how one can be saved from imminent death or repeated death? Simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.8.49 -- Mayapura, October 29, 1974:

If one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he knows that "What is the use of producing some children like cats and dogs? What is the use? If I produce any children, then they must be Kṛṣṇa conscious so that this will be their last birth." Because if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious then there is no more birth. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). You send to Kṛṣṇa, back to home—that is required. Father, mother, guardian's duty is to educate the wards, subordinates, in such a way that he becomes fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and so that he can be saved from this repetition of birth and death.

Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:

He was addressing Kṛṣṇa as Acyuta because he was feeling rather little hesitation that "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has voluntarily accepted the position of my driver, and I have to ask Him, 'Mr. driver, please take me there.' I have to order Him, and He has to carry." Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has taken the subordinate position of carrying order of Arjuna. Therefore he purposely addressed Him, "Acyuta, my dear friend Kṛṣṇa, don't mind I am ordering You, but You have promised to carry out my order. You are infallible; so kindly do not take into mind, I am ordering You."

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

Sometimes they are killed. Similarly, when we live under the full protection of the Supreme Lord, that is our healthy condition, that is our real life. And as soon as we give up this position to be subordinate, to be predominated by the Supreme Lord, then we are bewildered. We are thrown into this, under the control of this material nature, and according to our work we get different bodies. There are 8,400,000 forms of bodies and we get one body after another. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). This is called ever conditioned.

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

So this is the opportunity of getting out from the control of the material nature, by accepting bhakti-latā-bīja, accepting this very principle, that we are not masters, we are subordinate. We are jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109), eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. So as soon as we accept it and engage ourself in the service of the Lord, that is our liberated position. Then we, again, we become nitya-mukta. We revive our original condition of life. Original condition means ever liberated. We can go anywhere.

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

But He's pūrṇa. That is the difference. We are not pūrṇa. We are defective. Especially when we come in the material world, we are defective in so many respects. By nature, we are defective. Or not pūrṇa, incomplete, subordinate. He's therefore called the nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. He's complete, the chief all living entities.

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

This is the process. He does not say that "I've understood Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly." No. That is not understanding. That is foolishness. You cannot understand what is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore repeatedly he says, rūpa-ragunātha-pade... "I am that Kṛṣṇa dāsa, Kavirāja, who is always under the subordination of the Gosvāmīs." This is paramparā system. Similarly, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura also says, ei chay gosāi jār mui tār dās, "I am servant of that person who has accepted this six Gosvāmīs as his master. I am not going to be servant of any other person who does not accept the way and means of..."

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

Devotee means who accepts the Supreme Lord as the supreme controller and accepts himself as subordinate. This is devotee. Devotee is not very... Actually, we are subordinate to the laws of nature, and the nature is being manipulated by the Lord. Therefore, ultimately we are subordinate to the Supreme Lord. God is great; everyone knows it. But I am not great; I am subordinate. Acceptance of this philosophy means, I mean to say, godly conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious.

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

By nature, one who is śūdra, he cannot work very freely. That is not... Better..., his better life is to remain subordinate. Just like women, children. It is better for them to remain subordinate, to remain subordinate. It is practical. I have seen in our country and the Western countries, the woman are given freedom. By such freedom they are not happy. It is a fact. It is a fact. Therefore Vedic system is that it is the father's duty when a girl is mature, before attaining puberty, she is handed over to a suitable boy, "Please take charge of her. This girl..." Our marriage system is that "So long she was under my charge. Now I..." This is the process.

So women, by nature they should remain subordinate. It does not mean, "Because somebody is my subordinate, therefore I shall cut his throat or her throat." No.

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

So the idea is that subordinate does not mean he is in difficulty. No. Similarly, we are subordinate to God. That is a fact. Nobody can deny. So remain under the protection of God. That is our natural state. That is our natural state. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. What is God? God... Just like here is God, Kṛṣṇa. What is the difference? No difference. He has got two hands, you have got two hands. He has got two legs, you have got two legs. He has got head, you have got head.

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

So five thousand years ago the king was so perfect, and there was one king who was ruling all over the... In the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, from all parts of the world, the subordinate kings they joined to cooperate with either of the parties, Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus. So bhūmer abhyaṣiñcat. Abhiṣeka. Abhyaṣiñcat. Just like we install Deity. We bathe the Deity with so many waters. Similarly, during installation of the king, the same ceremony takes place.

Lecture on SB 1.15.39 -- Los Angeles, December 17, 1973:

How God can be great? If somebody is greater than Him, how God is great? If somebody is equal to Him, then how He is great? Just see how the definition is given perfectly. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate: "He has nothing to do." Because He is great, why He should work? All the subordinates will work. We are all subordinate. Therefore we shall work for God. But we have made our formula, that "God shall work for me." "God, give us our daily bread. We have nothing to do. Simply give us our bread." What is this? But the Vaiṣṇava idea is that "Without giving bread to God, God will die."

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

Therefore he's the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. He should be honored as Kṛṣṇa. That is the duty of the king also. Everyone should come forward. The father, the mother, the king, the spiritual master. Upon whom the instruction of the disciples, of the subordinate wards, is depending, they should be all Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore it is said nṛdeva..., nṛdeva-cihna-dhṛk. And he was punished because, although he dressed himself like a king, but he had no responsibility. Therefore nṛdeva-cihna-dhṛk śūdrakaḥ.

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

We have nothing to do with that. That is called prajalpa, unnecessary talking. Talking means decreasing your duration of life. Talking. So why should you decrease your life unnecessarily? Every moment you have to utilize, "Whether it is used for Kṛṣṇa?" This is sādhana. This is sādhana, practice. Unnecessary talking, unnecessary making enemies. Unnecessarily, "You are my subordinate; I am your master." Who is master? Everyone is subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master. Why you talk unnecessarily?

Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974:

So it is the duty of the king, it is the duty of the government, it is the duty of the father, it is the duty of the guru, it is the duty of the husband to see that his subordinate is being trained up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life, so that there will be no more death. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. People do not know that he is being carried away. One is being carried away by the clutches of māyā in the cycle of birth and death. They do not know it, neither they want any solution.

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

The king, the emperor, would conquer a country and levy tax. Must give at least token. Doesn't matter even one pound or one dollar per year, but he must pay something, token. That means he agrees to become subordinate. Just like according to rent act, a poor man must pay something. It may be... In our country it is so... So that the landlord has the claim. Without rent, after some years it becomes his property.

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

That is religious life, when you execute your occupational duty just according to the law. There are state laws and there are laws also. So actually, we should perform the divine laws. State law is subordinate. That is legal. Otherwise illegal. But unfortunately, the whole state at the present moment, they are also illegal. Therefore what about the citizens? They are also illegal.

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

So that is the law of nature. So nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Then why don't you accept the supreme authority? This subordinate authority... We have to accept somebody as our leader. It is not possible that we can live without leadership. That is not possible. Is there any party, is there any school, or is there any institution that they're conducting without any chief leader or director? Can you show me any instance throughout the whole world? Is there any instance? No.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And it is the duty of the guardians like guru, like father, like the state, they should look to the interest of the wards, subordinate, that he is developing his Kṛṣṇa consciousness nicely. That is the duty. So when that duty is not done... Just like... We have no business to come so far. In Vṛndāvana I could live very peacefully, there is two room still, in Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple. But because there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means serving the Lord.

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

So this is called foolishness. He does not consider that "I am seeing under certain conditions, and if still..., I am so much proud of possessing my eyes." This is called foolishness, abodha-jātaḥ. And In the Upaniṣads it is said that "When God sees, you can see." So your seeing is subordinate to the seeing power of God. Just like yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. When the God sees by His eyes, the sun, then you can see. As soon as the sun is not there, then where is your power of seeing? So why you are so much proud of seeing? No. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 2.9.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

First servant Brahmā, next servant, his servant, Nārada, his servant, Vyāsa, his servant, Madhvācārya, his servant, the servant's servant's servant, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu's ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs. In this way, when we think that we are servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is our perfection. Otherwise, even if we think that "I am not brāhmaṇa. I have got sacred thread. I am very clean. I am taking bath." That is required, of course, because if you are actually servant of servant of Kṛṣṇa, then these qualities will be there as subordinate.

Lecture on SB 2.9.3 -- Melbourne, April 5, 1972:

Even Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Lord, who has nothing to do, He also sometimes thinks that "I must fight with somebody. I must play. I must become subordinate to somebody." Therefore He comes. He becomes subordinate to Nanda-Yaśodā. That is pleasure. He becomes chastised. He fights with the demon. Some of the demons, they are devotees. Just like if I want to take massage, I find out my masseur from my devotees, with all strength. You see? I cannot go outside.

Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

So our proposition is that Kṛṣṇa is the original mahājana. Kṛṣṇa instructed Brahmā. Brahmā is also mahājana. And Kṛṣṇa instructed everyone. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. He is instructing everyone. How? Aham ādir hi devānām: (Bg 10.2) "All the demigods, they are subordinate to Me." Aham ādiḥ: "I am the original." Everyone has learned from Kṛṣṇa. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. So Kṛṣṇa is teaching personally just like Kapiladeva is teaching personally.

Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa says that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My superintendence, prakṛti, nature..." The scientists, they say nature is working wonderfully, but after all, nature is not under your control. That you have to accept. You may defy Kṛṣṇa, or God, but you cannot defy the natural, nature's activities. You are subordinate. But because we do not know the background of nature, therefore we think that "Nature is working. There is no God."

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

Puruṣam. We are also prakṛti, but here it has been said, puruṣa. Living entity is prakṛti. Original position is prakṛti. Prakṛti means subordinate. We have got experience in this material world also: prakṛti, strī, and puruṣa, husband and wife. Natural position is that the wife is under or subordinate to the husband. At least that is the Vedic conception. Therefore woman places herself in the position of dāsī. Dāsī, maidservant.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

So the Vedic, according to the Vedic system, there is no equal right of the man and woman. The woman is always subordinate. That is the Manu-saṁhitā law. Na strī svātantryam arhati. A woman does not require, does not deserve, to get independence. That is good for them. If the woman remains under the protection—in young age under father, when he (she) is child; when he (she) is young, under the protection of husband; and when she is old, under the protection of elderly children—that is their very safe position. Just like Kuntī.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

Anyway, the living entities, they are described as prakṛti in the Bhagavad-gītā, strī, not puruṣa. But here it is said, puruṣam, puruṣam, because in the material world we have given up the idea that constitutionally we are prakṛti, subordinate. We want to declare independence, not under the protection of Kṛṣṇa, or God. This is our position in this material world. Therefore the mentality is not to become prakṛti but to become puruṣa, the mentality.

Lecture on SB 3.26.44 -- Bombay, January 19, 1975:

That mixing process does not take place automatically. There is Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, the living entity. We are also Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. So scientist is working. A devotee sees that Kṛṣṇa is working. That is the difference between nondevotee and devotee. A nondevotee will give credit to the scientist, who is working subordinately under the orders of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated also in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). In everyone's heart Kṛṣṇa is there.

Lecture on SB 3.26.45 -- Bombay, January 20, 1975:

But as far as we have got our knowledge, if we understand this fact, that "I can never become equal with Kṛṣṇa; neither I can become greater than Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. I have to remain always subordinate to Kṛṣṇa," this is called mukti, liberation. We are entrapped in this material bondage by illusory understanding. So when we come to the right understanding, that "My position is always subordinate to Kṛṣṇa," that is called mukti. Anyone can become a mukta, liberated person, as soon as he agrees to this philosophy that he is always subordinate to Kṛṣṇa, or God; he is never equal to Him nor greater than Him. Asama-ūrdhva.

Lecture on SB 3.28.18 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

Īśvara. Then, by arca-vigraha worship, by śravana-kīrtana, by making your properly advanced you will understand what is the position of Kṛṣṇa, īśvara. And īśvare tad-adhīneṣu. And adhīna. Adhīna means those who are working for Kṛṣṇa. They are called tad-adhīna. Adhīna means subordinate.

So every devotee is subordinate. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. If we do that, then it is mistake. Devotee... A devotee never says. Dāsa. Dāsa means servant. Servant is always the subordinate. Therefore Vaiṣṇava says "dāsa." He never says "master." Vaiṣṇava, dāsa, subordinate, tad-adhīna, under the..., under Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can be superior to Kṛṣṇa or equal to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.28.18 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

So we are prakṛti. Prakṛti puruṣa. So Kṛṣṇa is the puruṣa. He is the protector of all living entities. Yesterday, bhṛtyānugraha-kātaram. Just like a father is always anxious to see his children are well protected, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also always anxious to give protection to His subordinates. But if the subordinate denounce Kṛṣṇa, "I don't want Your protection," then suffer your karma. That you are doing. Those who are in the material world, they are suffering. Why? They have given up the protection of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

And the laborer class of men, namely one who is neither intelligent nor administrator nor trader, but wants to live at the shelter of somebody, master, they are called śūdras. The brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, and the vaiśyas, they would never accept subordination, service, under anyone. But the śūdras, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). By nature, a śūdra wants to take shelter of somebody else and live.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

So if Kṛṣṇa is spirit, supreme spirit, then you are also supreme spirit. But the only difference is that He is the supreme; we are subordinate. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti... (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is Vedic injunction. He's also living entity, we are also living entity, but He is supreme and we are subordinate. That is the difference. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.

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

First of all, it is said about guru, anyone who takes care of his subordinate, he is guru. The first charge is that you should not become a guru unless you are completely in awareness how to save your dependent from the path of birth and death. That is the first question. Not that "I am your guru. I can cure some colic pain in your belly." They go to guru also for that purpose. People generally go to guru, rascals go to guru, to another rascal. What is that? "Sir, I have got some pain. Give me some acid bath (?) so that my pain may be cured." "But why you have come here, rascal, here for curing your pain? In the village you can go to some doctor, or you can take some tablet. Is it the purpose of coming to visit guru?"

Lecture on SB 5.5.20 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1976:

On account of our rebellious attitude towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we are suffering in this material world. Just like any citizen rebellious to the laws of God or laws of the government, he is put into the prisonhouse. Similarly, we are all sons and subordinate to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and when we become rebellious, "Ah, what is God? What is Kṛṣṇa...?" Vimūḍhān kartāham iti manyate. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā (BG 3.27). All these rascals who are godless, they are rebellious. They must suffer. The prakṛti is there.

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

Now, if you want to bring somebody under your control, then you must always chastise him; otherwise it is impossible. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, the moral instruction, he also says, lālane bahavo doṣās tāḍane bahavo guṇāḥ: "If you pat your subordinate, then it will increase the faulty habits." Bahavo doṣaḥ. And tāḍane bahavo guṇāḥ: "And if you chastise, then they will improve."

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

So here the same thing, na kuryāt karhicit sākhyam. To the subordinate never make compromise. We must keep always under control. Of course... Similarly, our mind... The mind is the cause of our material existence, mano-dharma. Why we are in this material world? On account of this change of mind. Our position is jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, but sometimes the servant thinks, "Why shall I remain a servant? Let me become master." That is natural.

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

Therefore śāstra has forbidden, gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sa syāt: "One should not become a guru, one should not become a relative, one should not become the father, one should not become the mother, one should not become the husband..." In this way there is a list. Why? Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum: "If he does not know how to guide his disciple or subordinate to stop the cycle of birth and death." He should not do. This is the ultimate goal of life, that we have to stop the cycle. Punar-janma-jayayā. Punar-janma-jayayā, to conquer over next birth. Punar-janma-jayaya.

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

The supreme eternal is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and we are also eternal. We are not supreme; we are subordinate. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. He is the supreme living entity, and we are subordinate living entities. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one living entity, one eternal, He's supplying all the necessities of life to the plural number eternals. Eko bahūnām, unlimited number of living entities. You cannot count. Bahūnām. This is our relationship. So, as part and parcel, we have to serve Kṛṣṇa, and we are subordinate. He is supplying our necessities.

Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- Los Angeles, June 3, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa will not interfere with you. But Kṛṣṇa says that "If you want actual happiness, liberation, then follow what I say." That is Kṛṣṇa's request. As we are subordinate, Kṛṣṇa can order that "You must do it." That Kṛṣṇa does not say, never. Kuru. He says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), "You do it." He doesn't say "You must." That is your option. You can deny it. That is going on. Kṛṣṇa is instructing everything perfectly, but why people are not doing? That is his discretion.

Lecture on SB 6.1.62 -- Vrndavana, August 29, 1975:

And Kṛṣṇa has been described as puruṣa. So puruṣa is the enjoyer, and prakṛti is the enjoyed. Don't think that "enjoyed" means simply sex. No. "Enjoyed" means subordinate, to carry out the order of the puruṣa. This is the position of Kṛṣṇa and ourself. We are part and parcel, just like the hands and legs are my part and parcel of the body. So the duty of the hands and legs are that carry out my order. I say my legs, "Carry me there." He will... It will do immediately. My hand—"Just take it." I'll take it. The hand will take it. So this is prakṛti and puruṣa. The puruṣa orders, and the prakṛti performs the duty.

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

All the justices are of the same caliber, but still, all the other justices accept chief justice. They are considered subordinate. Is it not? Although their position, facilities, all the same, still, the chief justice position and the other judges' position is little different. (pause) You are little bit late. We began at five-thirty. Yes. The class... We began our ārati at five, and after ārati we began class at five-thirty.

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

If I say, suppose somebody is sitting here with his subordinate servant. And if I say, "For me, you are all the same." So the master who is sitting, he will be insulted. Similarly, anyone who thinks that the Supreme Lord and the demigods are on the equal footing, that is offense. Therefore, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu warned that don't hear the interpretation of the Māyāvādīs. Māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). Anyone who tries to understand Māyāvāda philosophy, misunderstands, not understands, misunderstands, his future is doomed.

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

Now he is recommending that how this bīja-nirharaṇaṁ yogaḥ can be practiced. The first important thing is guru-śuśrūṣayā. Śuśrūṣayā means you have to satisfy the spiritual master, guru. Now suppose you are very big man and you have to serve a spiritual master. Therefore, you cannot serve any third-class man or anyone. You must be satisfied that here is a person I can render my service. I can accept as subordinate and I can...

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

The intermediate stage is that he sees four things: īśvara, the Lord, the Supreme Lord, and then His devotee, tad-adhīne. Tad-adhīna means one who has accepted subordination of the Supreme Lord. He is called devotee, or one who has surrendered. So he sees God, God's devotee, and bāliśa. Bāliśa means innocent person, one who has no sense what is God, neither he's against God, he's called bāliśa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.1 -- Mayapur, February 8, 1976:

So surādayaḥ. Surādayaḥ means demigods headed by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva. Yaṁ brahmā-varuṇendra-rudra stunvanti divyaiḥ stavaiḥ. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped even by Brahma. Yaṁ brahmā-varuṇendra: Indra, Varuna and Indra... There are big, big stalwart demigods. They also offer their respect. They think themselves as subordinate, humble servants of Kṛṣṇa. Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). Kṛṣṇa is offered obeisances even by demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa orders, "You surrender!" Just like we sometimes order our servants or subordinates, sons, disciples, "You do this! Don't talk!" So Kṛṣṇa can order that because He is the Supreme. Any superior personality can order like that. But unfortunately, we misuse. We don't carry out the order of the superior. That is misuse. So any subordinate who does not carry the order of the master, he is dangerous. He is dangerous. That is spoken by Canakya Pandita, bhṛtyaś cottara-dāyakaḥ. Bhṛtyaś cottara-dāyakaḥ. Bhṛtyaḥ, subordinate, servant, if he is giving reply. Cānakya Paṇḍita, you know Cāṇakya-śloka, he is a great politician as well as moral instructor.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

And then our prayer as subordinate, submissive, it is very nicely placed, and God accepts, and then our lost friendship is reestablished. That is the highest perfection of life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached this philosophy, prema pumārtho mahān, that if you want success of your life, then try to achieve your lost loving relationship with God. Then your life is successful. If you want to have success otherwise, that is your defeat.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

To be, I mean to say, situated in the constitutional position, that is called mukti. So our constitutional position is that God is great and we are small. And our position is that God is the Supreme and we are subordinate, and our business is to serve God. This is our position. We are serving, but instead of serving God, we are serving dog. That is the position. But service is there. So when you, actually when we serve God, then we can serve everyone. Because that is real position. Just like if you love your father, then you can love your brothers also.

Lecture on SB 7.9.33 -- Mayapur, March 11, 1976:

Prakṛti means under the control of the puruṣa. That is natural. We cannot conceive equal rights of puruṣa and prakṛti. That is not Vedic conception. Vedic conception is puruṣa, the superior, Supreme, and prakṛti means subordinate. Puruṣa is predominator, and prakṛti is predominated. So we living entities, we are prakṛti. Falsely if we try to become puruṣa, that is māyā. We should remain prakṛti, subservient, predominated. That is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Because generally the people are misled, thinking himself as puruṣa, "I am the enjoyer." But that is not the fact.

Lecture on SB 7.9.40 -- Mayapur, March 18, 1976:

So one catches one leg, another catches another leg, another, hand, another, mouth, another, hair, (laughter) and they're all snatching: "Come here, come here." So he's flat. So what is his position, just imagine. This example is given. Similarly, if all the senses, supposed to be my subordinate wife, they snatch the man, that "Just enjoy this. Just enjoy this. Enjoy this. Enjoy this," then what is the position? Most disturbed condition.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

So unfortunately these Māyāvādī philosophers, they accept brahmāsmi means "I am the Supreme." We are not the Supreme. We are subordinate. So long this knowledge lacks, one is not completely in knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Amongst the persons who are realized themselves as Brahman, as spirit soul, they also, after trying many, many births, that means they are not muktas, that is still baddha, conditioned.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.11 -- Mayapur, April 4, 1975:

That is real government, real parenthood, real guruism—how to save the disciples or the citizens or the son, subordinates. They come to your shelter. Just like these children have come to the shelter of father and mother, the disciples have come to the shelter of guru. The citizens are expecting good government. So they are subordinate, expecting protection from the superior.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.2 -- Mayapur, March 2, 1974:

Prabhu you can become. That is not, I mean to say, extraordinary. Someway or other we are prabhus. Suppose I am a family man. I am managing my family, my wife, my children, my servants, my subordinates, so I may be prabhu. In that sense I am a small prabhu. Similarly, everyone is prabhu, he has got some subordinates. But there is the supreme prabhu, the prabhu of all prabhus. So Mahāprabhu is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. He's Kṛṣṇa. As it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara means ruler or controller.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

So as it is stated in all Vedic literature and spoken by Kṛṣṇa, we are all individual, all individual. Svayaṁ bhagavān ekale īśvara. But the difference is that He is the supreme ruler, īśvara. Īśvara. Īśvara means ruler. Actually He is ruler, and we are also ruler, but we are subordinate ruler . Therefore He is ekale īśvara, one ruler. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇa, in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Ekale īśvara. Īśvara cannot be many. That is not īśvara. The Māyāvāda philosophy that everyone is God, that is not very right conclusion. That is rascaldom.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

Ordinary men cannot understand. But Vaiṣṇava philosophy is so nice that instead of becoming one with the Supreme, they want to become the father of the Supreme. This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Nandātmāja. Rasika-śekhara. This is also a pleasure. Kṛṣṇa wants to be subordinate to His devotee as son so that He may be punished. He is punishing everyone, but He wants to be punished also. That is His pleasure. And who will punish Him? His father and mother, superior. Or superior lover, Rādhārāṇī, can punish Him.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

So that tendency we have also got. But we do not know that we can enjoy in cooperation with the Supreme because we are subordinate. Differently, we cannot enjoy. As soon as we make our plan to enjoy life differently with Kṛṣṇa, then we fall under the clutches of māyā. We cannot do that. Therefore we have to revive our consciousness that we agree to cooperate with Kṛṣṇa. That will give us ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.113-17 -- San Francisco, February 22, 1967:

There is another qualification: that Supreme Personality of Godhead is so that nobody is equal or higher than Him in opulences. Na tasya samaḥ. Samaḥ means equal, and adhikasya, adhikasya means higher. He has no equal; neither anybody is more than Him. Therefore everybody is under Him, subordinate to Him. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Similarly, in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad there is another statement that tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Viṣṇuṁ padam.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.118-121 -- San Francisco, February 24, 1967:

Now, the next question will be, "Whose ignorance?" As soon as we say "ignorance," there must be somebody who is ignorant. So whose ignorance? Now, we find the supreme living entity is Kṛṣṇa, and we, the subordinate living entities. So who is ignorant? Ignorant is the living entities, not all living entities, but there is, I mean to say, tendency of becoming ignorant. Ignorant or forgetfulness. Ignorant, we are not, but sometimes we forget, just like under some diseased condition we forget.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.149-50 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Therefore He is confirmed by the Vedas, apāṇi-pāda javano grahītā: "This Absolute Truth has no leg or hand; still, He can walk very swiftly and He can accept anything you offer." That means His hands and legs are not like ours. That is transcendental. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is trying to explain before Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya that the Absolute Truth is a person, a person like you and me. Cetana... Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the Supreme Person, the chief person. We are all also individuals, Kṛṣṇa is also individual, but He is the chief and we are subordinate. That is the way.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

So when one becomes free from the disease, the symptoms disappear. Similarly, mukti means that we have lost our original constitutional position. Because here Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that the real position of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So our position is servant, subordinate position. That is the Vedic injunction also. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.120 -- Bombay, November 12, 1975:

God is not so cheap that you can become equal with God or greater than God. You must always remain subordinate to God. That is your position. Actually we are subordinate. We have no meeting with God. We have no knowledge of God. But practically we see that we are subordinate to the material nature. That's a fact. Everyone knows. Who can overcome the laws of material nature? No. Nobody can do. By nature you have to die. You cannot avoid it. You are subordinate. By nature you have to become old man. You cannot avoid it. So we know that we are subordinate to material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.144-146 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

And they get it. But how they get it? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayaiva vihitān hi tān: "They cannot have that reward without My sanction." Because the demigods, they are also subordinate servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore the demigods, although they can give you the reward which you want, but with the permission of the Supreme Lord... Because they are not fools.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.5 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

So even Kṛṣṇa's expansion, Viṣṇu, He is also subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. The greatest manifestation of Viṣṇu is the Mahā-Viṣṇu who is lying on the Causal Ocean of material creation, wherefrom the material universes are emanating by His breathing process.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1970:

How we are misusing? We have forgotten that, although I am superior energy than the matter, but still, I am subordinate to God. That he is forgetting. The modern civilization, they do not care for God because people are superior than matter. They are simply trying to exploit matter in different way. But they are forgetting that we, either we may be American or Russian or China or India, we are all subordinate to God. This is the mistake. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. They have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, and they want to enjoy this material world. This is their disease. Now our duty is to invoke their Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "You are superior." That's all right. But you are subordinate to Kṛṣṇa.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra Lecture at The Family Dog Auditorium -- San Francisco, July 27, 1969:

That is stated in the Vedas, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: "He is the supreme eternal amongst all the eternal, and He is the supreme living creature amongst all living creatures." Supreme, that is the difference. The quality of God, the quality of me and you, is the same. Just like a small portion of the ocean water—if you analyze chemically you will find the same chemical composition. Similarly, as living entity you have got all the qualities of God in minute portion. Therefore He is Supreme. Because we have got all the qualities of God in very minute portions. So He is Supreme. We are subordinate.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa has explained this material world, bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ. Now, this is also nature, prakṛti. There is another nature, prakṛti. Prakṛti means strī-liṅga, woman. Jīva-bhūta, the living entities, are not mentioned in this connection as puruṣa. Not puruṣa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think themselves as puruṣa. The karmīs also, they think they are puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that the living entity is puruṣa. He says prakṛti. Prakṛti is always subordinate to the puruṣa. That is the natural way.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa is puruṣaṁ śāśvatam, eternally He is puruṣa, eternally He is enjoyer. He's never enjoyed. You cannot enjoy Kṛṣṇa, or God, for your sense gratification. That is not possible. He can use you for His sense gratification. That is bhakti-mārga. The bhaktas, they never claim to be puruṣa. They are always subordinate. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is bhakti-yoga.

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

So that sort of paṇḍitajī was not Sanātana Gosvāmī, that without any knowledge he was pulling on thela, and he's also a paṇḍitajī. Not like that. He was actually paṇḍita. He was very learned scholar. But he knew his position, that "Although my friends, my admirers, my assistants, my subordinates, they address me Paṇḍitajī, but actually I am not paṇḍita." He said, grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita, satya kari māni, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nāhi jāni! Grāmya-vyavahāre. Grāmya means ordinary deals, ordinary dealings social etiquette. "They call me Paṇḍitajī, but actually I do not know what is the aim of my life, what is my constitutional position."

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

So qualitatively, there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and the living entities. And quantitatively, there is difference. What is the difference between nitya, the singular number nitya, and the plural number nitya? The plural number nitya is subordinate, eternal servants of the singular number nitya. Just like if you want to serve somebody, so the master is also exactly like you. He has got two hands, two legs, or the same sentiments. He also eats. Everything is same there. But the difference is the master and the servant. That's all. Otherwise, equal in every respect.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

Nobody, a living entity, a living being... God is the supreme living being, and we are subordinate living beings. Both of us, we are living beings, so what is the difference between the two kinds of living beings? The difference is that the one, God, or Kṛṣṇa, He maintains all the other living beings. And we are being maintained. This is the difference. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The plural number living entities, we are plural number, in different species of life, but we are maintained by the Supreme Being.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, SB 6.3.24 -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

Not a special plate. The process is that whatever we offer to the Deity, that is offered to guru. And guru offers to his guru. In this way goes to Kṛṣṇa. We don't directly offer Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. No. We have no right. Neither He accepts in that way. The pictures of the ācāryas, why there are? Actually, one has to offer the plate to his guru, and he'll offer his guru, he offers his guru, his guru. In this way it will go to Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. You cannot directly approach Kṛṣṇa or other subordinates to Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

So I am very much pleased to see the atmosphere here. Education means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is education. If simply we understand that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person. He is great, and we are all subordinate. So our duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," these two lines, if we understand, then our life is perfect.

Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes to teach these fallen souls. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). As guru's business is to protect the subordinate disciples from falldown... Just like I am traveling all over the world twice, thrice, in a year. My duty is to see that my disciples who have accepted me guru, they may not fall down. That is my anxiety. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa, being the original guru, He is also very anxious that "My sons..." We are all sons of Kṛṣṇa, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.

General Lectures

Lecture on Maha-mantra -- New York, September 8, 1966:

First of all let us have the taste for chanting; then we shall be little careful that the rules and regulations are followed. In the beginning, if we stick up to the... Rules and regulations are subordinate, subordinate thing. Just like you enter into an office. You are appointed in some office to work. So on the very day, you do not know all the rules and regulations. But because you do not know all the rules and regulation, that does not mean that you cannot be appointed.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

If you want to love or if you want to be subordinate... Everyone is subordinate. This is false. Everyone wants to be independent, but nobody is independent. Everyone is subordinate. Nobody can say that "I am independent." Can you say, any one of you, that you are independent? Is there anybody? No. Everyone is subordinate willingly. Not by force everyone becomes subordinate. A girl says a boy, "I want to become your subordinate," willingly. Similarly a boy says to a girl, "I want to be your subordinate." Why? That is my nature. I want to be subordinate because my nature is to be subordinate. But I do not know. I prefer, I reject this subordination; I accept another subordination. But subordination is there. Just like a worker. He works here. He finds some better wages another place, he goes there. But that does not means he becomes independent. He is subordinate. So Lord Caitanya teaches that if you want to be subordinate or if you want to worship somebody... Who worships somebody? Unless you feel somebody is greater than you, why shall you worship? I worship my boss because I think that he is greater than me. He gives me wages, salary, monthly six hundred dollars. Therefore I must worship him, I must please him. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that you become a subordinate of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

Young man: Can you explain subordination again?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Explain subordination again.

Prabhupāda: Subordination, it is simple. You are subordinate. You don't understand what is subordination? Is it very difficult? Are you not subordinate to somebody?

Young man: Well, yes, I suppose you could say I was.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You must. Everyone. Everyone must be subordinate, in subordination.

Young man: Yes, in a spiritual sense though, I don't feel subordinate to...

Prabhupāda: First of all you understand what is spiritual life, then... In the spiritual sense also you are subordinate because your nature is subordination. Spiritual, what do you mean by spiritual and material?

Young man: Well, like, my body is in a particular place and time and all of these, caste (?). If I have a job then I'm subordinate to my boss, but the real, my whole being, my real being, my inner being doesn't... I don't think that I am subordinate to my boss. I think that we would be more or less equal. In a temporary sense, we are...

Prabhupāda: Yes. This consciousness is very nice, that you are feeling dissatisfaction being subordinate to your boss. Is that not?

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Let me finish this. This is the disease, material disease. First of all try to understand. It is not your disease or my disease. Everyone's disease is this, that "Why shall I bow down? Why shall I become subordinate?" But nature is forcing me to become subordinate. Now who wants to meet death? Why people are dying? Can you answer this?

Young man: Why are people dying?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nobody wants to die.

Young man: I thought it was a biological...

Prabhupāda: Just try to understand. Who is here... That means biological force. You are subordinate to biology. Then why do you say that you are independent?

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are subordinate. You must have to bow down. When death is there, you cannot say, "Oh, I don't obey you." Therefore you are subordinate.

Young man: I am subordinate to God, yes.

Prabhupāda: No, no, don't... Forget God. Just now we are speaking common sense.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

Young man: Why am I forced to death?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because you are subordinate.

Young man: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then you understand your position, that you are subordinate. You cannot declare that "I am free. I am not subordinate." If you are wishing that "I don't wish to be subordinate, don't wish to bow down," that is your disease.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

Yes, eyes are one of the senses. Mind is the general sense, and under the governor general, there are particular commissioners or subordinate officers. So the eyes, the hand, the leg, the tongue, ten senses, they are working under the direction of the mind. So mind is expressed, manifested through the senses. Therefore unless you engage your senses in the same way as your mind is thinking, feeling, there is no perfection. There will be disturbance.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 4, 1968:

Somebody is helping him? Yes, it is all... So we are interested in capturing the original person. (chuckles) We are not interested with any subordinate. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. But if one can capture the original person, then he captures everyone. Just like the same example. In the Vedas it is said in the Upaniṣad, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If you can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the Absolute Truth, then you understand everything.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

Whenever there is deterioration of the real truth, there is necessity of movement. But the same movement, not a new movement. The movement means God is there, He is great, we are all subordinate; therefore our duty is to abide by the order of God. Then we are happy. The movement is very simple. There is no misunderstanding. The same movement was preached by Lord Kṛṣṇa. The same movement was preached by Lord Jesus Christ. The same movement we are also preaching.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 11, 1968:

God is the owner of all wealth, vīryasya, all strength, yaśasaḥ, all fame, all intelligence, all beauty, and all renunciation. These six items in full strength, cent percent possession, that makes the God. So our position is always subordinate according to Vedic literature or any literature. If you reject God, then you will have to select somebody else you will have to worship as God. Take for example Lord Buddha.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

Na tasya sama. Sama means equal. Adhikasya, or greater. That means greater. That means everyone subordinate. Everyone subordinate. Everyone is lower than God. He may be very powerful, but nobody can be equal or greater than God. That is the Vedic information. Na tasya sama adikasya dṛśyate. We don't find... They are also, great saintly persons, they're researching that who is the greatest personality. Greatest personality.

Lecture -- London, August 23, 1973:

We have also creative power, but we have got little and He has got supreme power. That is the difference. God means the supreme brain, the supreme powerful, and we are teenies, we are subordinate; therefore our position is to abide by the orders of God. That is actually religion. That's all. Less powerful men serve the more powerful. That is the nature. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. Just like human being, they are misusing their brain by eating poor animals. Because human being is stronger he's eating the weaker.

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

Other things will be done by His energies. Just like big man, a king or president, his simply sanction order—"This must be done"—the things will be done by the subordinates, by... He has go so many energies, secretaries. So why not for God, the Supreme Being, God? So therefore the Vedic instruction is, God has nothing to do, practically. Simply His desire is sufficient. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tasya samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. There is nobody equal to Him or above Him. Everyone must be below, subordinate.

Lecture at the Hare Krsna Festival at La Salle Pleyel -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are educating people that "You are always subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. You surrender unto Him and you be happy. Do not remain in rebellious condition of life. Just surrender to God and you will be happy." That is the final conclusion of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So you are planning, we are planning so many things to become happy, but everything is failure. But if you take this plan, "Let us surrender to God," then every problem will be solved.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Religion means to know God the great and we are subordinate, maintained by God. This is religion. If anyone knows these two things only—God is great, and we are subordinate; our duty is to abide by the orders of God—that is religion. So unity can be established on the spiritual platform. Unity cannot be established on this bodily platform just like the United Nations trying to unite the nation, but every year a flag is increasing.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

It is not possible. If you want to be united, then you have to be united on the spiritual platform. And what is that spiritual platform? The spiritual platform is to understand thoroughly that "God is great, and we are subordinate. God is maintaining us. All the property anywhere, that belongs to God, and we can use the father's property as much as I require, not to take more and stock it. No." The birds, beasts, they are very free. If you put here one bag of rice or any foodstuff, the birds will come, but they will eat only a few grains and go away.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Prabhupāda: Because every living entity is part and parcel of God, although very minute portion, similarly proportionately, he has minute proportion of freedom of will. Not absolute. That is natural. Every man has got a little freedom of will, but it is not absolute. A man cannot will as he likes. That is not possible. Therefore it is said, "Man proposes; God disposes." Although the freedom of will is there, it is subordinate to the freedom of will of God. You cannot fulfill your desire unless it is sanctioned and approved by God.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: That dignity is his inherent quality of obedience to the Supreme. That we should not sacrifice. Here, modern civilization is that he knows that he is not independent, he is subordinate to God's will. Still, artificially, to defy God he is manufacturing so many philosophies, hypocrisy.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: So he says that we rise up to the level of the state but then each state is independent and not subordinate to other states.

Prabhupāda: Independent, no. Independ..., that is also another contradictory philosophy. If the state is representative of God, then how he's independent? That is less intelligent. He's speaking contradiction. That's all.

Śyāmasundara: He says that no state is subordinate to any other state.

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. If you all, my disciples, you are working under my instruction, so there is cooperation but not that other's order is obligatory to me. Similarly, one state is representative of God, another (is) representative of God, so they are not independent, dependent.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: That's all. That is the chance of this human form of life. The, everything is there. If he takes the standard instruction and makes his choice whether he shall continue this perpetual, this subordinate position under the laws of nature or he should become free by going back to home, back to Godhead—that choice is there.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: In one word God is the father of all living entities. So the simple relationship is that God is maintainer, we are maintained. This is our relationship. In the material world, as a man may have more than one wife, so similarly God has two prakṛtis, or subordinate energies—material and spiritual. So in the material world the material nature is the mother, God is the father, and varieties of living entities, they are all maintained by the father, supreme father.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: In this way different philosophies means they are searching after God, but on account of not being perfect, there are differences of opinion or different conception of God. But actually God is person, and when one comes to that platform—to know God, to talk with Him, to see Him, to feel His presence, even to play with Him—that is the highest platform of God realization. And the relationship is God is the great and we are small. So our position is always subordinate.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Prabhupāda: So our friendly relationship with God can be chosen. Somebody likes sometime as friend to friend, father and son, or beloved and the lover, master and the servant, and the Supreme and the subordinate. They are five relationship. Any one of them, when we are actually liberated, free from material contamination, we being eternal part and parcel of God, the particular relationship is revived. That is called svarūpa-siddhi, revival of our original relationship with God.

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a type of morality which is above social meaning. It is transcendental. Social means guided by the three modes of material nature. But Kṛṣṇa's order is above, transcendental. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26).

Śyāmasundara: So it's asocial but not antisocial. Our morality is above social.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Social is subordinate to this world.

Śyāmasundara: But it is not antisocial.

Prabhupāda: No. It is social. It is sublime social. It is not only social but sublime social.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: So that is the difference. The one living being, the Supreme Living Being, the great living being, is maintaining other living beings who are part and parcel of the Supreme. So both of us, we are the living beings, individual, eternal, but God is Supreme; we are subordinate. That is difference. So our natural position should be to love God, being part and parcel of God.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: That is our process. Just like sex impulse is natural for everyone in the material (world), but if we think of Kṛṣṇa embracing Rādhārāṇī or dancing with the gopīs, then our sex impulse becomes subordinate, no more stronger. Hṛd-rogaṁ kāmam āśv apahinoti. Hṛd-rogaṁ kāmam, this is a heart disease, to be lusty. But if anyone hears about the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, through right source, then this hṛd-rogam, this lusty desire in the heart, is suppressed and he will develop devotional service.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone is individual. God is also individual. So one individual is subordinate to the chief individual. That is the Vedic version. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13), God is also individual being, but He is the Supreme Being, and we are individual being, innumerable. So the difference is that the supreme living being is maintaining us, and we are being maintained.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: Just like Kṛṣṇa is asking Arjuna, yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). "Whatever you like, you do." That is the original connection. God is the Supersoul; we are soul, under Him, subordinate. So we are called taṭastha, means marginal. Marginal means we can remain either way. Either on God's side or māyā's side. That is my choice. So when we don't want to serve God, then we are sent to the māyā, to serve māyā. Māyā means his position as servant remains the same, but he thinks "I am master." That is māyā.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Śyāmasundara: He says that the reason is subordinate to the will.

Prabhupāda: Yes, thinking, feeling, willing, so willing, I want to do something, I apply my reason, that is intelligence. If we do it intelligently then it is good, and if I do it foolishly then it is bad. Will is there.

Śyāmasundara: Will is (indistinct) will is primary reason.

Prabhupāda: No. After reasoning, then you will. After reasoning.

Śyāmasundara: First reasoning, then willing. He says the opposite. He says that reason is subordinate to will.

Prabhupāda: That can be also.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Hobbes:

Prabhupāda: No. The king is also under the law. King, as we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa instructed the law to Sun-god, and he followed the laws. Therefore he is, to the common man, he is the supreme. The king is supposed to be representative of God in the state. So "above the law" means because king is perfect by abiding the laws of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot be subjected to any subordinate laws. But his perfection is there only when he follows Kṛṣṇa's order. Therefore monarchy, the law, king's order, is final. There cannot be any... Just like king's mercy.

Philosophy Discussion on Rene Descartes:

Prabhupāda: Yes, infinite. I am, I am finite. I, as soul or as Brahman, am finite Brahman, and therefore there must be one infinite Brahman. That infinite Brahman is God, and finite Brahman is jīva, living entity. Therefore in the Vedic literature the God is accepted as the chief living being. Just like we have got in our family the father is supposedly chief man in the family, and sons and daughters, they are subordinate. These are common understanding. Similarly, God is the origin of all living entities and we are subordinate living entity, just like the father and the sons, and that is accepted by any religious sect, that God is the supreme father and we are son.

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: One kṣetra-jña only knows about his body, and the other kṣetra-jña knows all other bodies. That is God and the living entity. So the body is important because the living entities are there. The subordinate living entity is the part of the supreme living entity. So ultimately the conclusion is, because a supreme living entity is in the body or within the universe, therefore we have manufactured so many activities of love and society, friendship, nationality, community. Ultimately, when it culminates with love of God, then it is perfect. So the conclusion is that we are searching after the platform where God is love, but it is going on, I mean to say, by degrees, one after another, in different names.

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: He is worshipable by everyone. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "Everyone has got higher than him for worship, but I have nothing to worship. I am the Supreme, mattaḥ parataram. No..., there is no more superior authority than Me." Then He is God. So long one has superior authority, he is not God. He is subordinate. But when he comes to a person who has no more superior than Him, then He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussion on Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: Without air we cannot breathe; without water we cannot live; without fire we cannot live. So He has given; therefore He is maintaining, He is maintainer. So one, the chief eternal living being is God, and the subordinate eternal living being are the jīvas, or the conditioned soul.

Hayagrīva: Well that's one hand, theism. He says, "For pantheism God is eminent in the universe of finite things, a pervading presence."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Presence is just like the water has come from Him. We say the semina of God. The light is coming from God. We say the sun is the eye of God. In this way everything is related, emanation from God. So, so long we do not understand wherefrom these things are coming, it appears God is imperson. But when we understand that "Here is the source of this sky, this air, the light, the water, the land," then He is person. So impersonal feature means a subordinate feature to the person.

Philosophy Discussion on Auguste Comte:

Prabhupāda: Generally, women are interested in comfortable home life. That is woman's nature. They are not spiritually very much advanced or interested. But the..., if man is interested, and the woman helps the man, either as mother or wife or daughter, then both of them, if the woman remains subordinate and the man is making spiritual progress and the woman is helping the man, then both of them will make spiritual progress.

Philosophy Discussion on Auguste Comte:

Prabhupāda: Kapiladeva is the son of Devahūti, and He is engaged in teaching the mother. So a woman, either as daughter, as wife or mother, remains subordinate and gets knowledge from the man, either from the father or the husband or son. Then that life is elevated. We find also in the conjugal life of Lord Śiva and Pārvatī, in the Purāṇas we see always Pārvatī is questioning and Lord Śiva is answering. In this way woman is elevated, and the comforts given by the woman, comforts of the tongue, of the belly, and the genital, in this way, cooperative life, both of them becomes advanced in spiritual life.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Jaya Radha-Madhava -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

And Kṛṣṇa is very affectionate to all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. The son of Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja. They love Kṛṣṇa, all the elderly persons. They love. Elderly ladies and persons, they love Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, here is the son of Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja." They're all tenants and subordinates to Nanda Mahārāja. Nanda Mahārāja is the chief man in Vṛndāvana, and they are their subjects. So they are affectionate to Kṛṣṇa because He happens to be son of Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja.

Page Title:Subordinate (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Matea
Created:14 of Oct, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=195, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:195