Supreme enjoyer (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"supreme enjoyer"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

Now, Arjuna says, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he accepts Kṛṣṇa as paraṁ brahma, the Supreme Brahman. Brahman. Every living being is Brahman, but the supreme living being or the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Brahman or supreme living being. And paraṁ dhāma. Paraṁ dhāma means He is the supreme rest of everything. And pavitram. Pavitram means He is pure from material contamination. And He's addressed as puruṣam. Puruṣam means the supreme enjoyer; śāśvatam, śāśvata means from very beginning, He's the first person; divyam, transcendental; devam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ajam, never born; vibhum, the greatest.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

A Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian, in all circumstances, he is servant of somebody, and thus to profess a particular type of faith is not to be considered as sanātana-dharma, but the constant companion of the living being, that is, rendering of service, is the sanātana-dharma. So factually, we are related in the service relationship with the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the supreme enjoyer, and we living entities are eternally His supreme servitors. We are created for His enjoyment, and if we partake, participate in that eternal enjoyment with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that makes us happy, not otherwise. Independently, as we have already explained that independently, any part of the body, the hand, the feet, the fingers, or any part of the body, independently, cannot be happy without cooperation with the stomach, similarly, the living entity can never be happy without rendering his transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord.

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

Devotee: "Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as pure, free from all material contamination, as the supreme enjoyer, as the foremost person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, never born, the greatest. Now one may say that..., one may say that since Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna were friends, Arjuna was only saying these things to his friend. But Arjuna mentions that Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead not only by himself but by Nārada, Vyāsa and numerous other great persons."

Prabhupāda: Authorities. He accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead not because Kṛṣṇa happened to be his intimate friend but on the authorities of others. And on the statement of Kṛṣṇa, and by understanding Him fully. He, he did not accept Him blindly. So this is the process of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. And although he understood fully, because in future so many rascals will come and proclaim himself that "I am also incarnation of Godhead," therefore in the Eleventh Chapter Arjuna requested Kṛṣṇa that "If you think, You can show me Your universal form," so that in future others will accept some bogus rascal as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he may test by seeing the, I mean to say, universal form of the person. So who can exhibit this universal form except Kṛṣṇa?

Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:

They are also prakṛti. As this material world is prakṛti, similarly, there is another prakṛti, Kṛṣṇa gives information. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. But that is parā-prakṛti. So we are not puruṣa; we are prakṛtis. Although by materially dressed, we appear to be puruṣa, actually, we are not puruṣa. Just like if you dress one woman like a man, that does mean she has become man. She is woman. Similarly, we are puruṣa in the sense that we are trying to imitate the supreme puruṣa, Puruṣottama. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme enjoyer. We are trying to become imitation Kṛṣṇa. Just like so many rascals, they declare that "God, I am God." That is the last snare, Māyāvāda. First of all we try to become enjoyer like the head of the family man or a minister or this and that, so many. Everyone is trying to become head, enjoyer. And at last, being baffled in every respect, he wants to become God. This is the last snare of māyā. Nobody can become God. He is Puruṣottama and we are prakṛtis. Artificially, how we can become enjoyer? Prakṛti means enjoyed. Enjoyer and... Predominator and the predominated.

Lecture on BG 1.15 -- London, July 15, 1973:

"These eight kind of prakṛti, they are My energy. They are My energy." So this whole universe is creation of Kṛṣṇa's material energy.

We are marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa. So we are now put into this material energy because we wanted to enjoy this material world. In the spiritual world the only enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, either in spiritual or material world, He is the only enjoyer. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). "I am the enjoyer." So this is to be understood, that He is the supreme enjoyer. He is also enjoyer of My energy. Because my energy is derived from Kṛṣṇa's energy. Just like master and servant. The master is paying him food, anything for comforts. He is getting energy. So how the energy should be utilized? For the master, not for his sense gratification. This is perfection of life. You produce anything by your energy, but you cannot use it for your sense gratification. Then you become perfect. And if you want to do it, then Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses, will give you intelligence how to do it. Just like He is giving Arjuna intelligence. Therefore He is mentioned as Hṛṣīkeśa. How to win victory? How to utilize his energy for Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa wanted the battle. Arjuna was a military man. He utilized his military strength for Kṛṣṇa's purposes. That is the perfection of life.

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

This is the Kṛṣṇa's position. He never falls down that position. Kṛṣṇa is enjoyer. He keeps always that position. He never falls down. He never comes to the position of being enjoyed. That is not possible. If you want to bring Kṛṣṇa on the position of being enjoyed, then you are defeated. Being enjoyed means keeping Kṛṣṇa in front, I want to get some profit of sense gratification. That is our unnatural position. Kṛṣṇa will never agree. Kṛṣṇa will never agree. Kṛṣṇa cannot be enjoyed. He is always enjoyer. He is always the proprietor. So kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva means when we forget this position of Kṛṣṇa, that He is the Supreme Enjoyer, He is the supreme proprietor... This is called forgetfulness. As soon as I think that "I am enjoyer, I am proprietor," this is my fallen stage. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare. Then jāpaṭiyā dhare, māyā, immediately māyā captures.

Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa has got enemies also, what to speak of ourself. This material world is so made, that you must have some enemies. Matsaratā. Matsaratā means enviousness, jealousy. This material world is like that. So there are jealous enemies of God also. They are called demons. Ordinary jealousy or enemy, that is natural. But even to God. Just like yesterday night, evening, somebody came to see me. He was arguing that "Why Kṛṣṇa should be accepted as God?" That was his argument. So Kṛṣṇa has enemies. Therefore Kṛṣṇa... Not only He, but everyone who is in the material world is enemy of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone. Because they want to be competitor of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that bhoktāram: "I am the supreme enjoyer." Sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the Supreme proprietor." And the Vedas also confirm, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). "Everything is the property of the Supreme Lord." Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. These are Vedic injunctions. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante: "From whom everything has come." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). These are Vedic versions. But still, we, because we are enemies, "No, why Kṛṣṇa shall be the proprietor? I am the proprietor. Why Kṛṣṇa shall be God only. I have got another God. Here is another God."

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

The hand picks it up and puts it in the mouth. And when the mou..., it goes into the stomach, when the energy is created by eating that food, that is enjoyed by the hand. Not only by this hand—this hand also, the eyes also, legs also. Similarly, we cannot enjoy anything directly. If we put everything for the enjoyment of God and then when we take, participate in that enjoyment, that is our healthy life. This is the philosophy. We don't take anything. Bhagavat-prasādam. Bhagavat-prasādam. 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.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

So so long we'll have a pinch of material desire to execute our plan, then we have to accept a material body, and that is called janma. Otherwise, the living entity has no birth and death. Now, this janma, and mṛtyu... The living entities, they are compared with the sparks, and the Supreme Lord as the big fire. So the big fire, that is the comparison. And the small sparks, both of them are fire. But sometimes the sparks fall down from the big fire. That is our falldown. Falldown means we come into the material world. Why? Just to enjoy, to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. So we are servants. Sometimes... It is natural. The servant desires that "If I could enjoy like the master..." So when this sentiment or proposition comes, that is called māyā. Because we cannot be enjoyer. This is false. If I think that I can become enjoyer, even in this material world, so-called... They're, everyone is trying to become enjoyer. And the last snare of enjoyer means that one thinks that "Now I shall become God." This is a last snare. First of all, I want to become manager, or proprietor. Then prime minister. Then this and that. And when everything is baffled, then one thinks that "Now I shall become God." That means the same propensity, to become master, to imitate Kṛṣṇa, is going on.

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

So God became many. God became many for His enjoyment because He is the enjoyer. We are not enjoyer; we are enjoyed. So we must know our constitutional position, that we are not enjoyer; we are enjoyed. As soon as we are convinced to this particular...

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. So the more we become engaged in... (break) ...the enjoyment of the Supreme Lord, the more enjoyment we... That is the... Separately we cannot enjoy. We have to cooperate. We have to cooperate with the supreme enjoyer; then our sense of enjoyment will be complete.

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

The real competition began by being jealous to Kṛṣṇa. Real competition began. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare (Prema-vivarta). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme enjoyer. Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). So our fall down this I have explained the other day is there when we wanted to compete with Kṛṣṇa or become Kṛṣṇa. The jealous, icchā.... Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). Sarge. Sarge means this creation, this material creation. We have come to this material creation. We do not belong to this material creation, but we have come here.

Just like one does not belong to the prisonhouse, but by his own action he comes to the prisonhouse. He becomes criminal, and therefore he is put into the prisonhouse. By his own activity. It is not that government wants somebody should live in the prison house and somebody should live outside prisonhouse, free. It is not government's desire. (break) ...enjoyment we act sinfully also, vikarma. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ. Because we are mad after sense gratification. But in the human form of life one should be sensible. Therefore the university education, school, college, institution, they are meant for human society. There is no such thing in the animal society. And religion. Religion also meant for human society. Why? Because this life is not meant for enjoying senses like the animals.

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

So you'll find that just like in your country in Christmas day you all observe the birthday of Lord Christ, similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the birthday of Kṛṣṇa, will be observed in India, cent percent people.

So Kṛṣṇa is a great authority, undoubtedly. That is accepted. So here Kṛṣṇa gives us a prescription, and if we try to follow, then surely we shall achieve the stage of perfect knowledge and the result will be that we shall be perfectly peaceful in life. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). That is the perfect knowledge when we understand that the Supreme Lord, He is the supreme enjoyer—bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram—He is the supreme proprietor. And if we think very, I mean to say, scrutinizingly with cool head, then we can understand that everything, whatever there is in our presence, the actual proprietor is God, or Kṛṣṇa. We are not proprietor. We have got the right to use them, the things which are given by God to us. We shall have the right to use them, but we are not proprietor. So that is real knowledge.

Lecture on BG 5.17-25 -- Los Angeles, February 8, 1969:

Revatīnandana: "The sufferings of humanity are due to forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme enjoyer."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because we are forgotten of Kṛṣṇa or God, therefore in your country, you are throwing away so many tons of grains into the sea. Because we have no connection with Kṛṣṇa. But if one thinks, "Well, these grains are supplied by Kṛṣṇa, our father. Why it should be thrown into the sea? Let it be distributed to other countries where they are suffering for grains..." But because want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they cannot think like that. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be taken very seriously to solve all the questions of the world. But they want to remain in ignorance, in darkness. Let us do our duty. What can be done? Yes.

Revatīnandana: "The sufferings of humanity are due to forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor, and the supreme friend."

Prabhupāda: If I know Kṛṣṇa as the supreme proprietor, then how can I throw so many tons of grains into the water without asking the proprietor? But I do not know. I am thinking I am proprietor. That is nescience.

Lecture on BG 5.17-25 -- Los Angeles, February 8, 1969:

Because I know, I do not know who is the proprietor, therefore I am doing whimsically. But I will have to... Suppose if I do not know who is the proprietor of this building, if I do something harm to this building, does it mean that because I do not know who is the proprietor, I shall be free from the punishable law? No. I may think that there is no proprietor, but actually there is proprietor. I do not know. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the supreme enjoyer. I am the proprietor of all planetary system." Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: "I am the friend of everyone. I am supplying the grains for all living entities. Why you are destroying it? You shall be punished."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, January 13, 1973:

The gardens were full of pārijāta trees. And, not only that, Nārada Muni saw that Kṛṣṇa was present with each and every wife and He's doing..., He was doing different types of business also. Somewhere He was sitting with His wife, children. Some..., somewhere marriage ceremony was going on of His children. Somebody... So many, all. Not one kind of engagement. So this is called opulence, riches. Not that possessing a few tolās of gold, one becomes God. No. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), suhṛdam... Kṛṣṇa declares that "I am the supreme enjoyer." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram. "I am the proprietor of the planets." That is richness. Power. So far strength and power is concerned, Kṛṣṇa, when He was three months old, on the lap of His mother, He killed so many demons.

Lecture on BG 9.23-24 -- New York, December 10, 1966:

They are not enjoyer. They are laborers. They are workers. Similarly the, the, any kind of worship, any kind of sacrifice, any kind of charity, any kind of penance, any kind of austerity, any kind of philosophical discussion, any kind of meditation... There are so many things recommended for self-realization or the Supreme Absolute Truth realization. So Lord Kṛṣṇa says, "Of all those processes, the ultimate beneficiary is I am, Myself, Lord Kṛṣṇa." Ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā prabhur eva ca. "Master." Prabhu means master. Na tu mām abhijānanti: "People do not know Me," na tu mām abhijānanti, "that 'Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Enjoyer, the Absolute Enjoyer.' "

Lecture on BG 13.1-3 -- Durban, October 13, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa's another name is Keśava. So he is addressing Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Keśava, I want to know these subject matters—prakṛti, puruṣa." Prakṛti means nature, material nature, and puruṣa means the enjoyer, just like the living entities. We are trying to enjoy this material nature. Another prakṛti-puruṣa... Puruṣa means, real puruṣa means, the supreme enjoyer, God, Kṛṣṇa. And prakṛti means which is enjoyed. Another meaning—prakṛti, means woman and puruṣa means man. So this material world is going on—one party is trying to enjoy, and the other party is being enjoyed.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

If you want śānti, peace of mind, peace of living condition, then you must know three things, that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme bhoktā, enjoyer... And we are trying to imitate him to become enjoyer. That is false. Because if you try to capture something false, then it is simply labor. You will never achieve that thing. Or even if you achieve, you cannot be happy. Because thing is false.

So real bhoktā is Kṛṣṇa. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. People are after peace, śānti, but this is the śānti formula, that we must know Kṛṣṇa—the supreme enjoyer of everything. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām.

If tapasya, you undergo severe austerities... Suppose you are doing business; that is also tapasya. You have to work very hard. Money does not come so easily. Then you get some money. So it is also the result of your tapasya. Sometimes we see that a poor man, working very, very hard, he becomes a millionaire. There are many instances. But that is tapasya. The result is you have got millions of dollars, but you cannot enjoy it. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām.

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

Then why they are not with You? Why they are here in this material world? Now manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). They have preferred to enjoy this material world, to lord it over the material world. Therefore, mind and senses, manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi , with these senses and mind, karṣati. manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni. Karṣati (BG 15.7), karṣati means struggling. Struggle for existence. This is our position. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Now we have given up by misuse of our independence. We wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer, so when we become envious of Kṛṣṇa, tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krurān (BG 16.19), the demons are envious. They want to become Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, you will find so many demons. They will say, "Why Kṛṣṇa is alone God? I am God, you are God, all of us, we are God." So they are demons. So demons cannot be allowed in the spiritual world. They are sent in this material world.

Just like in some places I've heard in Europe there are many places, where the gamblers and the drunkards, without any license, they can go on with their business. Is there any place like that? Huh?

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

We are missing that point. Kṛṣṇa said, God said, the clear idea, that "I am the enjoyer, bhoktā." Bhoktā means enjoyer. "I am the enjoyer." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasām. Yajña. Yajña means satisfying the Lord. This is called yajña. Just like we are chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is yajña, sacrifice. At least we are sacrificing little time. Kali-yuga, nobody is prepared to sacrifice. Especially when there is question of sacrificing for God, nobody's interested. So this, because they'll not sacrifice, they will enjoy themself, forgetting the supreme enjoyer. Just like a servant. If he cooks and enjoys himself without offering to the master, then what is his position? That is sinful position. Similarly, anyone, the demons, they have no sense of God. They do not like to offer. They want to eat anything nonsense, like hogs and dogs, and... That is demonic life.

Lecture on BG Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972:

And Rūpa Gosvāmī's message was that he does not see any woman. They were very strict. At least, the story is like... So Mira challenged that "I came to Vṛndāvana. I know that only Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa here, and everyone is woman. So how does it mean that Rūpa Gosvāmī's declined to see another woman?" So Rūpa Gosvāmī agreed, "Yes, I am mistaken. Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the only puruṣa." So puruṣa means the enjoyer, and prakṛti means the instrument of enjoyment, prakṛti, energy. Just like here we see one man is very big, rich man, but he's enjoyer by utilizing his energy. Similarly, the whole cosmic situation, whole creation is..., the supreme enjoyer is God.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

These three things, if we understand properly, that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer, bhoktā; He's friend also. Kṛṣṇa is so nice friend that... Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, is situated in everyone's heart as friend. That is stated in the Upaniṣads. Two birds are sitting on one tree as friend. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other friend is simply witnessing. He is friend, He's supreme friend, not so-called friend. Actually He's our supreme friend. He's always trying to get us back to home, back to Godhead. Not only He's sitting within our hearts, but He's descending as Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

If you want peace, then you try to understand these three principles of life. What is that? That Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. No one else. All servants. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Everyone is servant. Not that "Oh, everyone is equal to Kṛṣṇa." That has become a cheap business. So many kṛṣṇa-avatāras and so many demigods, they are counted as good as Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7), "There is no more superior authority than Me."

So therefore this kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ, if simply people become inquisitive, what is Kṛṣṇa, and you simply try to answer them—we have got so many books now—then the whole world will be peaceful. Yena ātmā suprasīdati. Everyone is hankering after, "Where is peace? Where is peace?" You know, you European and American boys. You have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness because on account of your hankering, "Where is peace?" Is it not?

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Yes. And the second point is that because He's the supreme proprietor, He's the supreme enjoyer. And generally, one who is enjoyer, people do not like. Now, just like these capitalists and the Communists. Capitalists they have made their program for becoming enjoyer. And the capitalists, uh, Communists, they do not like it. Because they known,"These people are enjoyers. They cannot fulfill our desires." But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Although He's the supreme enjoyer, although He's the supreme proprietor, He is the best friend of everyone—suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29), suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām—He's not friend of the rich class of men or the... Just like we be, these political leaders, they become friend of the country. But they are their own party men. "I am Congress Party. I am this party. So I, I love my this party." And even if he loves all human beings, he sends the animals to the slaughterhouse. So he cannot be friend of everyone. But Kṛṣṇa is friend of everyone. You have seen Kṛṣṇa's picture. He's embracing the calf also, and He's embracing Rādhārāṇī. Not that He's simply attached to Rādhārāṇī and the gopīs. He's attached to everyone, every living entity. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūr... (BG 14.4). Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the best friend of everyone.

Lecture on SB 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

dvitīyaṁ tu bhavāyāsya

rasātala-gatāṁ mahīm

uddhariṣyann upādatta

yajñeśaḥ saukaraṁ vapuḥ

(SB 1.3.7)

Translation: "The supreme enjoyer of all sacrifices accepted the incarnation of a boar, the second incarnation, and for the welfare of the earth He lifted the earth up from the nether regions of the universe."

Prabhupāda: So this universe, this universe is filled up with water, half. Whatever we are seeing, this is only half, like this. The other half we cannot see. So within this water, sometimes that Hiraṇyākṣa demon drowned this whole earth within this water. So at the present moment we cannot find such demons, but there were demons like that. The whole planetary system is floating, but there may be some demon who can take one of them and put within the water. The planets are floating; that is known to everyone. We can see, actually, that such a big, gigantic mass... Even the sun, which is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth, that is also floating in the outer space. The support is ananta. They say "law of gravitation"; we say Saṅkarṣaṇa. Saṅkarṣaṇa. So He is holding every planet, and it is said that all these universes are resting on the hood of Śeṣa-nāga just like a small grain of mustard.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971:

That is their ambition, the people are working very hard here. Everyone wants very comfortable life with good bank balance, good house, good wife, good children. That is their ambition. That is karmī. They have no other ambition. Similarly, jñānī. When the jñānī sees that his good wife, good family, good money, and good house is nonsense... "It will not stay, but for some years I can enjoy. Then it will be all vanquished." They are jñānīs. They know how things are happening. Therefore they want mukti. But there is still want, that "Now I have given up all this. I don't want this material happiness. Now I shall merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord. Because Supreme Lord is the supreme enjoyer, so if I become one with Him, then I shall enjoy, supreme." The same enjoyment spirit is there, to merge into the Supreme. In a different way only. The karmīs are directly trying to enjoy sense enjoyment. They are indirectly wanting another kind, another higher status of sense enjoyment.

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

Eternally conditioned means... We cannot be eternally conditioned, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Our natural position is ever liberated, eternally liberated. But because we wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa, we wanted to become Kṛṣṇa, as the Māyāvādīs want to do, therefore in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer. Ekam eva aditiyam(?). Aham, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Sarva-loka, not only of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, planets, but these planets also. Everywhere, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor. Therefore he is the supreme enjoyer. We cannot be enjoyer. We each can simply be servitor; that is our natural position. Just like a dog, when it serves a nice master, he's happy. Otherwise, it is street dog. Nobody cares for it. Street dog. A street dog has no position. 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.

Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:

They should not be ill-treated. Just like a father gives protection to the children. It does not mean it is ill-treatment. There is no question of. But protection. Otherwise, abaleva, they can be victimized by any man, powerful, because man is powerful.

So so 'haṁ nṛpendra rahitaḥ puruṣottamena. We also require. Don't be proud, "Because I am man, I don't require protection." Here it is said, Kṛṣṇa said, er Arjuna said, puruṣottamena so 'haṁ rahitaḥ: "Now I have no protection." Arjuna was so great hero. Still, he required protection. Puruṣottamena. Puruṣa, puruṣa means enjoyer. The supreme enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. If He does not give protection, you cannot enjoy your life.

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

The māyā's business is to capture. Just like criminal is arrested by the police, similarly, māyā is also engaged for this purpose. Anyone who forgets Kṛṣṇa, anyone who wants to enjoy life, imitate like Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the enjoyer. But we are imitating. Sometimes we say, "I am Kṛṣṇa, I am God." This is our disease. We want to imitate Kṛṣṇa. We want to become Kṛṣṇa. We want to enjoy like Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. So so long we have got this propensity, we are sinful. This is the substance.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Vrndavana, March 18, 1974:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So it's described that such is the life of such envious householders. So in previous verses householders were described: gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. So these gṛhamedhis, they're described as being envious. And so this enviousness means that they do not accept that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Enjoyer. And because they do not accept this, they falsely think themselves to be the enjoyer. But this is not actually the position of the tiny living entities. The tiny living entities are described in Bhagavad-gītā as being parā-prakṛti.

Prabhupāda: Anyone else? Hm? You can speak.

Devotee: This verse indicates that... (break)

Prabhupāda: Hm. Anyone else who will speak? Pradyumna Mahārāja?

Pradyumna: Nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya...

Prabhupāda: Hm. You have to speak. Try to speak.

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

That is also sense gratification. To become one with God, it is also sense gratification. When he fails to become the greatest personality, he then desires, "Now let me become one with God." One with God means he thinks that he will be equally expert as the supreme enjoyer. Because God is supreme enjoyer. Bhoktā. So he could not enjoy life separately; now he wants to mix with the body of God. Therefore... That enjoyment is there. The propensity for enjoying is there. He failed to enjoy keeping himself separate, so he wants to mix with God. Just like the politicians. Whenever there is some political movement, they take some part. Their idea is that "If I become somehow or other a little prominent, important, I'll have a minister's post." That's all. It is a fact. They do not care for country's welfare. No. There is no such question. Their only ambition is, "Let me mix with this political party. It's growing... Just like in our country, there are so many parties.

Lecture on SB 3.25.7 -- Bombay, November 7, 1974:

If you want śānti, individually or collectively, nationally or internationally, then you must become Kṛṣṇa conscious. What is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness? The summary is that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer: bhoktā. We are not bhoktā. We are simply servant. Just like anywhere, there is a master and the servant. The master is the enjoyer, and the server, servant, is helping the master enjoyment. This is the process. So we living entities, we are eternal servant of God, or Kṛṣṇa. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, means God. So we are eternal servant of God. So our duty is to help the master to enjoy. Just like here is Kṛṣṇa. The Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, She is the topmost servitor of Kṛṣṇa. So Her business is to keep pleased always Kṛṣṇa. That is... That is the symbolic representation. Rādhā. Rādhā means anaya(?) ārādhyate. She is serving, the best service. Anaya(?) ārādhyate. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is very much fond of Rādhārāṇī, because She gives the best service to Kṛṣṇa, in so many ways. She has got sixty-four qualifications. That is mentioned. Therefore She is so, I mean to say, pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. Anaya(?) ārādhyate iti rādhā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Rāma is also God, another name of God. Rāma means the "who enjoys." Kṛṣṇa means "who attracts." So God is the supreme enjoyer, therefore He is called Rāma. And God is the supreme attractor. He attracts everyone, therefore He is called Kṛṣṇa. So the names are on the quality of God. You have already questioned. Yes.

Devotee: There's a gentleman in the back, over there. (break)

Jyotirmayī: ...to know, that to explain exactly what is materialistic life, and how is it possible to be in the world of matter and the same time not be entangled by it?

Yogeśvara: What is material life and how can we live in this material...

Prabhupāda: Material life means no knowledge of God, no service of God. That is material life.

Lecture on SB 6.2.1-5 -- Calcutta, January 6, 1971:

That is illusion. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. The slaves of the senses, they are following the dictation of the senses, and abominable activities they are doing. Just like Ajāmila. He was a brāhmaṇa. He was a slave of Nārāyaṇa, a slave of Kṛṣṇa, brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa means... A brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa, means he is a Vaiṣṇava. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ paśyanti sadā sūrayaḥ. Sura. Brāhmaṇas' another name is sura. So those who are suras, those who are demigods, they are Vaiṣṇava. They are always ready to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But by false prestige, when one tries to become master... Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. A master is supposed to be the supreme enjoyer of the establishment. But actually nobody is the enjoyer. Kṛṣṇa is the only enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the proprietor. So when we forget this relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then he becomes servant of the senses, or māyā. So by becoming servant of the senses he follows the dictation of the master senses and goes down to the darkest region of illusion and becomes subject to the punishment of Yamarāja. This is the substance.

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

As our existence is a small particle... Just like, try to understand gold and a small particle of gold. So the small particle of gold has got all the qualities of the original gold. Just like sense gratification. Kṛṣṇa has got also propensity for sense gratification. He is the original sense gratifier, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Supreme enjoyer. Wherefrom the enjoying spirit of us comes? Because it is there in Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says everything is originated from Kṛṣṇa. Para-brahman or the Absolute Truth means where everything is generated. That is Absolute Truth. Therefore our desire for sense gratification is from Kṛṣṇa.

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

The Supreme Brahman is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). And we are part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. Therefore we are also sac-cid-ānanda, eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge. But somehow or other, icchā-dveṣa-samutthena... (BG 7.27).

Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena. The real basic principle of our materialistic life is dveṣa. Dveṣa means when we become envious of Kṛṣṇa, that "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be the supreme enjoyer?" In this world, in practical experience, we have seen that many people say that "Kṛṣṇa enjoyed rasa-līlā. Why we shall not?" So this is, imitation rasa-līlā is going on in this material world, but they cannot be satisfied because it is imitation. Just like if a female takes the part of a male and wants to imitate the enjoyment, it is simply false. Similarly, we are constitutionally female, enjoyed, prakṛti. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). Prakṛti means female, enjoyed. So jīva is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti. The first prakṛti is the material elements, eight.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

Arjuna has described, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). "You are the original puruṣa, enjoyer." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If we know that Kṛṣṇa is the original person, enjoyer, and we are simply enjoyed... We are meant for being enjoyed, not to take the post of enjoyer. Here, in this material world, everyone is artificially trying to become enjoyer, both men and women. But that is illusion. Nobody's enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). The supreme enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. So just like prakṛti-puruṣa, we can get one idea, husband and wife. Husband is puruṣa, wife is prakṛti. So if the wife is faithful, always trying to serve the husband, always to make her husband pleased, and husband takes care of the wife for all her necessities of life, as that home life becomes very beautiful and happy, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Puruṣa, enjoyer. We living entities, if we simply try to serve Him and make Him happy, as the gopīs did, then it is very congenial atmosphere as it was in Vṛndāvana. Everyone is serving Kṛṣṇa.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

People are after śānti. This is the formula of śānti. We have to accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme enjoyer. Not we are enjoyer. At the present moment, all our activities are going on, self-centered: "I am enjoyer. I am leader. I am bhokta." No. This is wrong. Kṛṣṇa is bhokta. Kṛṣṇa is leader. Kṛṣṇa is the friend. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This news, this idea, should be spread all over the world. Then automatically, very easily, all the nations will be united. Because Kṛṣṇa consciousness acceptance means ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The difficulty is the members in the United Nations, they assemble together, but their heart is not clean. They meet together with unclean heart; therefore there is no solution. Whereas Kṛṣṇa consciousness means those who are meeting on the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are meeting in cleansed heart. That is the difference. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Therefore that unity is very solid and sound. And with unclean heart, if we meet, officially, there is no possibility of unity. United Nations, it may be, in the name, but in fact, in fact it cannot be established. Go on.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

These different orders of society and grades of spiritual advancement are conceived in terms of qualification. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that the four social orders and the four spiritual orders are created by the Lord Himself, in terms of different individual qualities. As the different parts of the body have different types of activities, so the social and spiritual orders also have different types of activities in terms of qualification and position. The target of these activities, however, is always the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, 'He is the supreme enjoyer.' So whether one is a brāhmaṇa or a śūdra, he has to satisfy the Supreme Lord by his activities."

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:

"Similarly, in the same Seventh Canto, Eighth Chapter, 39th verse, when the demigods are offering prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁha, Indra, the King of heaven, says, 'O Supreme One, these demons talk of our share of participation in the performance of ritualistic sacrifices, but simply by Your appearance as Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva You have saved us from terrible fears. Actually our shares in the sacrificial performances are due to You only because You are the Supreme Enjoyer of all sacrifices. You are the Supersoul of every living entity, and therefore You are the actual owner of everything. Long were our hearts always filled with fear of this demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu. But You are so kind towards us that by killing him, You have removed that fear from within our hearts and have given us the chance to place Your Lordship within our hearts again. For persons who are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Your Lordship, all the opulences which were taken away from us by the demons are counted as nothing. Devotees do not even care for liberation, not to speak of these material opulences. Actually we are not enjoyers of the fruits of sacrifices. Our only duty is to always be engaged in Your service, for You are the enjoyer of everything.' "

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.16 -- Mayapur, April 9, 1975:

"If you want to enter into this association of spiritual kingdom, then practice here the family of Kṛṣṇa." Just like here we are trying to be family members of Kṛṣṇa. Here Kṛṣṇa is sitting, Rādhā-Mādhava is sitting on the throne. He is the enjoyer, and we are trying to serve Him so that He may very nicely enjoy. This is called Kṛṣṇa family-center, Kṛṣṇa. Just like in ordinary family the head man is there, and he is the chief man, and all other—his wife, children, servants, and other friends, associates, even animals, cats, dogs, cows—everyone is serving the center point, master. Similarly, our Kṛṣṇa family means Kṛṣṇa is the master, and He is the supreme enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). And if we understand this point, that Kṛṣṇa is the center, He is the enjoyer, and we are meant for serving Him for His enjoyment, that is Kṛṣṇa family.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

Pradyumna: Translation: "Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the supreme enjoyer in the rāsa dance. He is the leader of the damsels of Vraja, and all others are simply His associates." (CC Adi 7.8)

Prabhupāda: Before this verse, the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta has described:

svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara

advitīya, nandātmaja, rasika-śekhara

(CC Adi 7.7)

Kṛṣṇa has got many, unlimited forms. Advaita-acyuta-anādi-ananta-rūpam. Svāṁśa-vibhinnāṁśa. Some of the forms are called svāṁśa. Svāṁśa means God, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva, They have expanded in so many ways. So all the Viṣṇu-tattvas, They are called svāṁśa, personal expansions. And others, they are called vibhinnāṁśa. The demigods, the inhabitants of the higher planetary systems within this material world, or the devotees in the spiritual world, we also, we are, although conditioned souls, we are vibhinnāṁśa. We are also expansion of Kṛṣṇa, but we are not equal to the Viṣṇu-tattva. We are fragment fires. The example is given, just like the big fire and the spark fire.

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

So Lord Kṛṣṇa for this reason has appeared. He wants to call the conditioned souls back to Godhead. He wants us to realize that He is the source of the whole universe, He is the owner of the universe, He is the supreme enjoyer, the supreme knower of everything, and that we are always welcome to associate with Him by the grace of His devotees, by the grace of a spiritual master. And so He has appeared, and we are now celebrating the Janmāṣṭamī day, the day when Lord Kṛṣṇa came to this conditioned plane out of His own transcendental power, with His full spiritual potency, in order to reveal the supreme nature of sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), eternal knowledge, consciousness, and bliss, to all the conditioned souls so that they might be attracted to Him, and so that they might come out of the miseries of material existence and of ignorance. At this particular time in the world it is very much necessary that all people hear about Kṛṣṇa and that they should become attracted to chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa, to hearing about Kṛṣṇa's wonderful pastimes.

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day Lecture -- London, August 21, 1973:

That what we are teaching here. In this temple, we are residing Americans, Indians, Englishmen, Canadians, Africans, different parts of the world. You know that. Not only in this temple, all over the world. (break)

...when we forget this philosophy, that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer and Kṛṣṇa is the supreme friend of everyone. When you forget this, then we come into this material world and struggle for existence, fight with one another. This is material life. So you cannot get... The politicians, diplomats, philosophers, they have tried so much, but actually nothing has become fruitful. Just like the United Nations. It was organized after the second great war, and they wanted that peacefully we shall settle everything. But there is no such thing. The fighting is going on between Pakistan and India, between Vietnam and America, and this and that. It is not the process. The process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everyone has to understand this fact, that we are not proprietor. Proprietor is Kṛṣṇa.

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 30, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa is svayam. Kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo. Kṛṣṇa is paramaḥ pumān. Paramaḥ pumān means the ultimate Supreme Personality of Godhead. But He is always manifest in different incarnations, and of all the incarnation, Lord Rāma is the foremost, Balarāma. You have heard the name of Balarāma, Baladeva. Similarly Rāma, Rāma means the Supreme Enjoyer. Ramante yoginām anante sac-cid-ānanda-cirātmanīti rāma-padenāsau. Rāma means real bliss, and all the yogis, either dhyāna-yogī or a jñāna-yogī or a bhakta-yogī... There are three kinds of yogis. Everyone tries to enjoy that eternal bliss, and that is real pleasure. Therefore Rāma.

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

Śānti means to understand Kṛṣṇa, or God, as the supreme enjoyer. Here, in the material world, everyone wants to be enjoyer. That is not possible. Not everyone is enjoyer; everyone is servant. But his misconception is that "I am enjoyer." That is called māyā, illusion. He's not enjoyer. He's servant. So Kṛṣṇa therefore says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Sarva-dharmān, we have created some dharma. Some dharma is for lording it over the material nature. Karmīs. The karmīs are trying to lord it over the material nature, all resources. Working hard, day and night, how to lord it over the material world. This is one dharma. Another dharma, when the karmī's frustrated because he cannot enjoy... Because he is not enjoyer. Artificially, he is trying to enjoy. Then, when he's frustrated, then he says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The brahma is satya, and this world is false."

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

"I renounce this room," what is the meaning of this renouncement? When this room belonged to you? You have come here for some time and sitting here for one or two hours. That does not mean you possess it. Similarly, we come here empty-handed; we leave here, say, fifty years or hundred years. When I become proprietor? This is another māyā, renouncement. As enjoyment is another māyā, similarly, renouncement. So we have to give up this renouncement or enjoyment. We have to take the real position, that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, or God. We have simply to serve Kṛṣṇa." That is bhakti-yoga. That will give you actual peace. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. You simply supply ingredients of His enjoyment; then you'll be happy. Because He is enjoyer. And bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). And He is the proprietor. So this attitude... Of course, they may criticize that "The bhaktas, the Vaiṣṇavas, they have got slave mentality." Some so-called philosopher remarked like that. But that is not slave mentality. That is the actual position. That we get information from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). We are eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. And mukti means svarūpenāvasthitiḥ. When you are situated as servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is mukti. And so long you are falsely claiming that "I am enjoyer, I am proprietor," that is māyā. That is our philosophy. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for that.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

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

So three things, if we understand, that everything belongs to God... Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. He is the proprietor. And then, because He is the proprietor, therefore He is the enjoyer. Just like in a big establishment or a big family, who will be the enjoyer? The proprietor. So that is natural. If God is proprietor, then God is the supreme enjoyer. That is stated, that,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

If you learn these three things, that God is the proprietor, God is the enjoyer, and He is the real friend... Actually, He is the real friend. And our godlessness means we are claiming that we are proprietor: "This is my land. I am American. American is mine," or "India is mine." Or anything, say. Actually, the proprietor is God, but we are falsely claiming that "It is my property" or "our property." Therefore there is no śānti. Try to understand. Actually, God is proprietor, but we, out of our foolishness, we are claiming "our property" or "my property." Therefore there is no śānti. Similarly, God is the supreme enjoyer of everything.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Satyabhama Dasi and Gayatri Initiation of Devotees Going to London -- Montreal, July 26, 1968:

So one should not go beyond the books of knowledge, just like we are studying Bhagavad-gītā. So śruti-śāstra-nindanam. Nobody should criticize or malinterpret the statement in the scripture.

And artha-vādaḥ. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare—this should not be interpreted because this is chanting. Hare means addressing the energy of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is Lord Himself. So we are addressing, "O energy of Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, O the supreme enjoyer, and Hare, the same energy, spiritual energy." Our prayer is "Please engage me in Your service." We are all engaged in some sort of service. There is no doubt about it. But we are suffering. By rendering service to māyā, we are suffering. The māyā means the service which we offer to somebody, that somebody is not satisfied; and you are also offering service—we are not satisfied. He is not satisfied with you; you are not satisfied with him. This is called māyā. Just like recently there was postal strike. This is most important department of the state. The state is offering them salary to the best capacity; still, the postmen, they are not satisfied. And they are offering service to the state; the state is also not satisfied. So māyā's service is like that. You go on throughout whole life. There are many examples.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

That is explained in the Tenth Chapter. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Personality, puruṣam, the supreme enjoyer. Śāśvatam. Not that at the present moment. Eternally You are the enjoyer." And Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, also says the same thing in another place:

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

People are hankering after śānti, peace, but they do not know the way. The way is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ: "I am the supreme enjoyer of everything." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka maheśvaram: "I am the proprietor of everything." Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) "God is the proprietor of all planets." But we are claiming that "I am proprietor.

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

Our only request is that "Every one of you, you try to understand God, love Him and be happy." The final conclusion in the Bhagavad-gītā is that if you want to be peaceful, if you want the peace of your mind, you should understand three things. That three things are that to understand that God is the supreme enjoyer. This is one. He is the proprietor of everything, and He is friend of everyone. If you learn these three things only, very scientifically, that God is the proprietor, God is the enjoyer, and God is the supreme friend of everyone, then your life is successful. And these simple things will be understood by you by chanting God's name: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Hare means the energy of God, and Kṛṣṇa means God, all-attractive. Similarly, Rāma means God. So there are three words in this verse: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare: Hare, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma. So anyone can chant these three names, Hare, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, and make his life successful. I hope you shall join us in this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Subha Vilasa Home Engagement -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:

The material world is created for a specific purpose by the Supreme Lord. That purpose is to give a chance to the forgetful living beings who have tried to exercise independence from Kṛṣṇa to once again understand their position. They're put into various conditions of material existence in order to learn that they are not the enjoyers and controllers. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. Param īśvara. He's the supreme controller. Everything is meant for His satisfaction. In Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is described, describes Himself, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8), that "All material and spiritual worlds are created by Me. Everything is emanating from Me." So created by Kṛṣṇa for His pleasure, just as a father or a man takes a wife and has children and gets a house and he expands himself in this way for enjoyment. He tries to enjoy by expanding his influence in the material world. So this is because he's part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and he has the same tendency as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer, and He has expanded Himself in multi-energies to enjoy Himself, and the conditioned souls are also part of that multifarious energy.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Real peace... That definition we don't accept, "Stagnation is peace." We don't accept that. Our peace is working for Kṛṣṇa. That is peace.

Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā mām.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

So our work is there. We are educating people that Kṛṣṇa is your friend. This is not stagnation, this is the real work, that we take Kṛṣṇa as the supreme enjoyer, so whatever enjoyable things are there, we are supplying to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa, you take all nice foods. Kṛṣṇa you live nicely, you take all women, you enjoy rāsa-līlā, sixteen thousand wives. He is the supreme enjoyer, He should be given all enjoyment. That is our... (break)

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

This thing I was explaining, this prakṛti, it is very scientific. Kṛṣṇa is the only puruṣa, enjoyer and if every one of us serves everything in the propensity of His enjoyment, that is our enjoyment. That is our enjoyment-predominated and predominator. Just like, crude example, it is not exact: husband wants to enjoy wife, and the wife voluntarily helps him in that enjoyment, the wife also becomes joyful. Similarly, the supreme enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa, and if you help Him in His enjoyment, then automatically we become also joyous. Predominated enjoyer and predominator enjoyer. Both of them enjoying but one of them is predominated, one of them is predominator. So predominated, when... He helps to be predominator, reciprocation of enjoyment.

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

They can be satisfied, but because it is wrong application... State is not the owner. Real owner is God. So from state, when they come to the conclusion, "Not the state but God is owner," then their Communistic idea will be fulfilled. And as they say that everything must be done for the state, we are actually teaching perfect Communism. We are teaching that Kṛṣṇa is the owner. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the supreme enjoyer. Everything is..." Just like in our society we are doing everything for Kṛṣṇa because we know Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer. Sarva-loka-maheś... He is the proprietor. So this Communistic idea is vague, but it can be perfected when they come to the conclusion, according to the Bhagavad-gītā, that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor; He is the supreme enjoyer; He is the supreme friend of everyone. Then the people will be happy: "Oh, we have got a friend like Kṛṣṇa." Just like Arjuna was certain that "Kṛṣṇa is my charioteer. Oh, I am victorious." And it is confirmed, yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ: (BG 18.78) "Where Yogeśvara, Kṛṣṇa, is there," yatra pārtho dhanur-dharaḥ, tatra śrīr vijayo, "there victory and everything is there." So this is an idea. This idea can be welcomed provided they are prepared to replace the so-called state by God. Then it is...

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

So they are also demanding. Only kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śānta (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa bhakta has no demand. "Sir, I am your eternal servitor. I surrender unto You. Now you do whatever you like with me." So therefore he has no demand. So only Kṛṣṇa bhakta can be peaceful. No other else. Either karmīs, jñānīs, or yogis, nobody is peaceful. Kṛṣṇa also says that

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

(BG 5.29)

This is śānti. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, that He is the supreme enjoyer, bhokta, He is the supreme proprietor, and He is the supreme friend, then he becomes śānta. That is peacefulness.