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Swan

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.5.10, Purport:

Crows and swans are not birds of the same feather because of their different mental attitudes. The fruitive workers or passionate men are compared to the crows, whereas the all-perfect saintly persons are compared to the swans. The crows take pleasure in a place where garbage is thrown out, just as the passionate fruitive workers take pleasure in wine and woman and places for gross sense pleasure. The swans do not take pleasure in the places where crows are assembled for conferences and meetings. They are instead seen in the atmosphere of natural scenic beauty where there are transparent reservoirs of water nicely decorated with stems of lotus flowers in variegated colors of natural beauty. That is the difference between the two classes of birds.

SB 1.5.10, Purport:

They are full of subject matter described in decorative language full of mundane similes and metaphorical arrangements. Yet with all that, they do not glorify the Lord. Such poetry and prose, on any subject matter, is considered decoration of a dead body. Spiritually advanced men who are compared to the swans do not take pleasure in such dead literatures, which are sources of pleasure for men who are spiritually dead. These literatures in the modes of passion and ignorance are distributed under different labels, but they can hardly help the spiritual urge of the human being, and thus the swanlike spiritually advanced men have nothing to do with them. Such spiritually advanced men are called also mānasa because they always keep up the standard of transcendental voluntary service to the Lord on the spiritual plane. This completely forbids fruitive activities for gross bodily sense satisfaction or subtle speculation of the material egoistic mind.

SB 1.11.12, Purport:

We find herein the mention of pious trees which produce seasonal flowers and fruits. The impious trees are useless jungles only, and they can only be used to supply fuels. In the modern civilization such impious trees are planted on the sides of roads. Human energy should be properly utilized in developing the finer senses for spiritual understanding, in which lies the solution of life. Fruits, flowers, beautiful gardens, parks and reservoirs of water with ducks and swans playing in the midst of lotus flowers, and cows giving sufficient milk and butter are essential for developing the finer tissues of the human body. As against this, the dungeons of mines, factories and workshops develop demoniac propensities in the working class. The vested interests flourish at the cost of the working class, and consequently there are severe clashes between them in so many ways. The description of Dvārakā-dhāma is the ideal of human civilization.

SB 1.18.22, Purport:

The Vedas, therefore, enjoin that one should not go on the path of darkness but should make a progressive march towards the path of light or liberation. Self-control is actually achieved not by artificially stopping the senses from material enjoyment, but by becoming factually attached to the Supreme Lord by engaging one's unalloyed senses in the transcendental service of the Lord. The senses cannot be forcibly curbed, but they can be given proper engagement. Purified senses, therefore, are always engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord. This perfectional stage of sense engagement is called bhakti-yoga. So those who are attached to the means of bhakti-yoga are factually self-controlled and can all of a sudden give up their homely or bodily attachment for the service of the Lord. This is called the paramahaṁsa stage. Haṁsas, or swans, accept only milk out of a mixture of milk and water.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.3.14, Purport:

The propaganda that the Lord is impersonal, that He has no activity and that He is a dumb stone without any name and form has encouraged people to become godless, faithless demons, and the more they deviate from the transcendental activities of the Lord, the more they become accustomed to mundane activities that only clear their path to hell instead of return them home, back to Godhead.*** Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins from the history of the Pāṇḍavas (with necessary politics and social activities), and yet Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is said to be the Pāramahaṁsa-saṁhitā, or the Vedic literature meant for the topmost transcendentalist, and it describes paraṁ jñānam, the highest transcendental knowledge. Pure devotees of the Lord are all paramahaṁsas, and they are like the swans, who know the art of sucking milk out of a mixture of milk and water.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.5.41, Purport:

The paramahaṁsas are compared to royal swans who make their nests on the petals of the lotus flower. The Lord's transcendental bodily parts are always compared to the lotus flower because in the material world the lotus flower is the last word in beauty. The most beautiful thing in the world is the Vedas, or Bhagavad-gītā, because therein knowledge is imparted by the Personality of Godhead Himself. The paramahaṁsa makes his nest in the lotuslike face of the Lord and always seeks shelter at His lotus feet, which are reached by the wings of Vedic wisdom. Since the Lord is the original source of all emanations, intelligent persons, enlightened by Vedic knowledge, seek the shelter of the Lord, just as birds who leave the nest again search out the nest to take complete rest. All Vedic knowledge is meant for understanding the Supreme Lord, as stated by the Lord in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15): vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. Intelligent persons, who are like swans, take shelter of the Lord by all means and do not hover on the mental plane by fruitlessly speculating on different philosophies.

SB 3.15.38, Translation:

The sages, headed by Sanaka Ṛṣi, saw that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who was formerly visible only within their hearts in ecstatic trance, had now actually become visible to their eyes. As He came forward, accompanied by His own associates bearing all paraphernalia, such as an umbrella and a cāmara fan, the white bunches of hair moved very gently, like two swans, and due to their favorable breeze the pearls garlanding the umbrella also moved, like drops of nectar falling from the white full moon or ice melting due to a gust of wind.

SB 3.21.42-43, Translation:

Lake Bindu-sarovara was adorned by flowering trees such as kadamba, campaka, aśoka, karañja, bakula, āsana, kunda, mandāra, kuṭaja and young mango trees. The air was filled with the pleasing notes of kāraṇḍava ducks, plavas, swans, ospreys, waterfowl, cranes, cakravākas and cakoras.

SB 3.23.20, Translation:

Here and there in that palace were multitudes of live swans and pigeons, as well as artificial swans and pigeons so lifelike that the real swans rose above them again and again, thinking them live birds like themselves. Thus the palace vibrated with the sounds of these birds.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.6.29, Translation and Purport:

In that celestial forest there were many birds whose necks were colored reddish and whose sweet sounds mixed with the humming of the bees. The lakes were abundantly decorated with crying swans as well as strong-stemmed lotus flowers.

The beauty of the forest was intensified by the presence of various lakes. It is described herein that the lakes were decorated with lotus flowers and with swans who played and sang with the birds and the humming bees. Considering all these attributes, one can imagine how beautiful this spot was and how much the demigods passing through enjoyed the atmosphere. There are many paths and beautiful spots created by man on this planet earth, but none of them can surpass those of Kailāsa, as they are described in these verses.

SB 4.7.21, Translation:

Lord Viṣṇu looked extraordinarily beautiful because the goddess of fortune and a garland were situated on His chest. His face was beautifully decorated with a smiling attitude which can captivate the entire world, especially the devotees. Fans of white hair appeared on both sides of the Lord like white swans, and the white canopy overhead looked like the moon.

SB 4.9.64, Translation:

There were emerald staircases which led to lakes full of variously colored lotus flowers and lilies, and swans, kāraṇḍavas, cakravākas, cranes and similar other valuable birds were visible in those lakes.

SB 4.9.64, Purport:

It appears that not only was the palace surrounded by compounds and gardens with varieties of trees, but there were small man-made lakes also, where the water was full of many-colored lotus flowers and lilies, and to get down to the lakes there were staircases made of valuable jewels such as emeralds. By the beautifully positioned garden houses there were many luxuriant birds, such as swans, cakravākas, kāraṇḍavas and cranes. These birds generally do not live in filthy places like crows do. The atmosphere of the city was very healthy and beautiful; it can simply be imagined from its description.

SB 4.24.21, Translation:

In that great lake there were different types of lotus flowers. Some of them were bluish, and some of them were red. Some of them grew at night, some in the day and some, like the indīvara lotus flower, in the evening. Combined together, the lotus flowers filled the lake so full that the lake appeared to be a great mine of such flowers. Consequently, on the shores there were swans and cranes, cakravāka, kāraṇḍava and other beautiful water birds standing about.

SB 4.24.21, Purport:

The word ākaram ("mine") is significant in this verse, for the reservoir of water appeared like a mine from which different types of lotus flowers were produced. Some of the lotus flowers grew during the day, some at night and some in the evening, and accordingly they had different names and different colors. All these flowers were present on that lake, and because the lake was so calm and quiet and filled with lotus flowers, superior birds, like swans, cakravākas and kāraṇḍavas, stood on the shores and vibrated their different songs, making the entire scene attractive and beautiful. As there are different types of human beings, according to the association of the three qualities of material nature, there are similarly different types of birds, bees, trees, etc. Everything is divided according to the three qualities of material nature. Birds like swans and cranes, who enjoy clear waters and lotus flowers, are different from crows, who enjoy filthy places. Similarly, there are persons who are controlled by the modes of ignorance and passion and those who are controlled by the mode of goodness. The creation is so varied that there are always varieties found in every society. Thus on the bank of this lake all the superior birds lived to enjoy that atmosphere created by that great reservoir filled with lotus flowers.

SB 4.24.22, Purport:

Trees and creepers are also different types of living beings. When bumblebees come upon trees and creepers to collect honey, certainly such plants become very happy. On such an occasion the wind also takes advantage of the situation by throwing pollen or saffron contained in the lotus flowers. All this combines with the sweet vibration created by the swans and the calm of the water. The Pracetās considered such a place to be like a continuous festival. From this description it appears that the Pracetās reached Śivaloka, which is supposed to be situated near the Himalaya Mountains.

SB 4.28.54, Translation:

My dear gentle friend, both you and I are exactly like two swans. We live together in the same heart, which is just like the Mānasa Lake. Although we have been living together for many thousands of years, we are still far away from our original home.

SB 4.28.64, Translation:

In this way both swans live together in the heart. When the one swan is instructed by the other, he is situated in his constitutional position. This means he regains his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which was lost because of his material attraction.

SB 4.28.64, Purport:

Here it is clearly stated: haṁso haṁsena pratibodhitaḥ. The individual soul and the Supersoul are both compared to swans (haṁsa) because they are white, or uncontaminated. One swan, however, is superior and is the instructor of the other. When the inferior swan is separated from the other swan, he is attracted to material enjoyment. This is the cause of his falldown. When he hears the instructions of the other swan, he understands his real position and is again revived to his original consciousness. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, comes down (avatāra) to deliver His devotees and kill the demons. He also gives His sublime instructions in the form of Bhagavad-gītā. The individual soul has to understand his position by the grace of the Lord and the spiritual master because the text of Bhagavad-gītā cannot be understood simply by academic qualifications. One has to learn Bhagavad-gītā from a realized soul.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.2.4, Translation:

The Apsarā sent by Lord Brahmā began strolling in a beautiful park near the place where the King was meditating and worshiping. The park was beautiful because of its dense green foliage and golden creepers. There were pairs of varied birds such as peacocks, and in a lake there were ducks and swans, all vibrating very sweet sounds. Thus the park was magnificently beautiful because of the foliage, the clear water, the lotus flowers and the sweet singing of various kinds of birds.

SB 5.2.13, Translation:

My dear friend, what do you eat to maintain your body? Because you are chewing betel, a pleasing scent is emanating from your mouth. This proves that you always eat the remnants of food offered to Viṣṇu. Indeed, you must also be an expansion of Lord Viṣṇu's body. Your face is as beautiful as a pleasing lake. Your jeweled earrings resemble two brilliant sharks with unblinking eyes like those of Viṣṇu, and your own eyes resemble two restless fish. Simultaneously, therefore, two sharks and two restless fish are swimming in the lake of your face. Besides them, the white rows of your teeth seem like rows of very beautiful swans in the water, and your scattered hair resembles swarms of bumblebees following the beauty of your face.

SB 5.2.13, Purport:

The devotees of Lord Viṣṇu are also His expansions. They are called vibhinnāṁśa. Lord Viṣṇu is offered all kinds of sacrificial ingredients, and because devotees always eat prasāda, the remnants of His food, the scent of sacrificial ingredients emanates not only from Viṣṇu but also from the devotees who eat the remnants of His food or the food of His devotees. Āgnīdhra considered Pūrvacitti an expansion of Lord Viṣṇu because of the pleasing scent of her body. Aside from that, because of her jeweled earrings, shaped like sharks, because of her scattered hair, resembling bumblebees mad after the scent of her body, and because of the white rows of her teeth, which resembled swans, Āgnīdhra compared Pūrvacitti's face to a beautiful lake decorated with lotus flowers, fish, swans and bumblebees.

SB 5.14.46, Purport:

The meat-eating demons are the government officials, and the pricking thorns are the impediments of material life. The little taste experienced in sex is our desire to enjoy another's wife, and the flies are the guardians of women, like the husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law and so forth. The creeper itself is women in general. The lion is the wheel of time, and the herons, crows and vultures are so-called demigods, pseudo svāmīs, yogīs and incarnations. All of these are too insignificant to give one relief. The swans are the perfect brāhmaṇas, and the monkeys are the extravagant śūdras engaged in eating, sleeping, mating and defending. The trees of the monkeys are our households, and the elephant is ultimate death. Thus all the constituents of material existence are described in this chapter.

SB 5.17.13, Translation:

In each of those tracts of land, there are many gardens filled with flowers and fruits according to the season, and there are beautifully decorated hermitages as well. Between the great mountains demarcating the borders of those lands lie enormous lakes of clear water filled with newly grown lotus flowers. Aquatic birds such as swans, ducks, water chickens, and cranes become greatly excited by the fragrance of lotus flowers, and the charming sound of bumblebees fills the air. The inhabitants of those lands are important leaders among the demigods. Always attended by their respective servants, they enjoy life in gardens alongside the lakes. In this pleasing situation, the wives of the demigods smile playfully at their husbands and look upon them with lusty desires. All the demigods and their wives are constantly supplied with sandalwood pulp and flower garlands by their servants. In this way, all the residents of the eight heavenly varṣas enjoy, attracted by the activities of the opposite sex.

SB 5.24.6, Translation:

Below the abodes of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas by a distance of 100 yojanas (800 miles) is the planet earth. Its upper limits extend as high as swans, hawks, eagles and similar large birds can fly.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.2.14-19, Translation:

In that garden there was a very large lake filled with shining golden lotus flowers and the flowers known as kumuda, kahlāra, utpala and śatapatra, which added excellent beauty to the mountain. There were also bilva, kapittha, jambīra and bhallātaka trees. Intoxicated bumblebees drank honey and hummed with the chirping of the birds, whose songs were very melodious. The lake was crowded with swans, kāraṇḍavas, cakrāvakas, cranes, and flocks of water chickens, dātyūhas, koyaṣṭis and other murmuring birds. Because of the agitating movements of the fish and tortoises, the water was decorated with pollen that had fallen from the lotus flowers. The lake was surrounded by kadamba flowers, vetasa flowers, nalas, nīpas, vañjulakas, kundas, kurubakas, aśokas, śirīṣas, kūṭajas, iṅgudas, kubjakas, svarṇa-yūthīs, nāgas, punnāgas, jātīs, mallikās, śatapatras, jālakās and mādhavī-latās. The banks were also abundantly adorned with varieties of trees that yielded flowers and fruits in all seasons. Thus the entire mountain stood gloriously decorated.

SB 8.10.10-12, Translation:

O King, some soldiers fought on the backs of vultures, eagles, ducks, hawks and bhāsa birds. Some fought on the backs of timiṅgilas, which can devour huge whales, some on the backs of śarabhas, and some on buffalo, rhinoceroses, cows, bulls, jungle cows and aruṇas. Others fought on the backs of jackals, rats, lizards, rabbits, human beings, goats, black deer, swans and boars. In this way, mounted on animals of the water, land and sky, including animals with deformed bodies, both armies faced each other and went forward.

SB 8.15.13, Translation:

Beautiful women protected by the demigods sported in the gardens, which had lotus ponds full of swans, cranes, cakravākas and ducks.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.11.39-40, Purport:

Vṛndāvana is full of peacocks. Kūjat-kokila-haṁsa-sārasa-gaṇākīrṇe mayūrākule. The Vṛndāvana forest is always full of cuckoos, ducks, swans, peacocks, cranes and also monkeys, bulls and cows. So Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma used to imitate the sounds of these animals and enjoy sporting.

SB 10.12.7-11, Translation:

All the boys would be differently engaged. Some boys blew their flutes, and others blew bugles made of horn. Some imitated the buzzing of the bumblebees, and others imitated the voice of the cuckoo. Some boys imitated flying birds by running after the birds' shadows on the ground, some imitated the beautiful movements and attractive postures of the swans, some sat down with the ducks, sitting silently, and others imitated the dancing of the peacocks. Some boys attracted young monkeys in the trees, some jumped into the trees, imitating the monkeys, some made faces as the monkeys were accustomed to do, and others jumped from one branch to another. Some boys went to the waterfalls and crossed over the river, jumping with the frogs, and when they saw their own reflections on the water they would laugh. They would also condemn the sounds of their own echoes. In this way, all the cowherd boys used to play with Kṛṣṇa, who is the source of the Brahman effulgence for jñānīs desiring to merge into that effulgence, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead for devotees who have accepted eternal servitorship, and who for ordinary persons is but another ordinary child. The cowherd boys, having accumulated the results of pious activities for many lives, were able to associate in this way with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How can one explain their great fortune?

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.15.10-12, Translation:

Sometimes the honeybees in Vṛndāvana became so mad with ecstasy that they closed their eyes and began to sing. Lord Kṛṣṇa, moving along the forest path with His cowherd boyfriends and Baladeva, would then respond to the bees by imitating their singing while His friends sang about His pastimes. Sometimes Lord Kṛṣṇa would imitate the chattering of a parrot, sometimes, with a sweet voice, the call of a cuckoo, and sometimes the cooing of swans. Sometimes He vigorously imitated the dancing of a peacock, making His cowherd boyfriends laugh. Sometimes, with a voice as deep as the rumbling of clouds, He would call out with great affection the names of the animals who had wandered far from the herd, thus enchanting the cows and the cowherd boys.

SB 10.35.8-11, Translation:

Kṛṣṇa moves about the forest in the company of His friends, who vividly chant the glories of His magnificent deeds. He thus appears just like the Supreme Personality of Godhead exhibiting His inexhaustible opulences. When the cows wander onto the mountainsides and Kṛṣṇa calls out to them with the sound of His flute, the trees and creepers in the forest respond by becoming so luxuriant with fruits and flowers that they seem to be manifesting Lord Viṣṇu within their hearts. As their branches bend low with the weight, the filaments on their trunks and vines stand erect out of the ecstasy of love of God, and both the trees and the creepers pour down a rain of sweet sap.

Maddened by the divine, honeylike aroma of the tulasī flowers on the garland Kṛṣṇa wears, swarms of bees sing loudly for Him, and that most beautiful of all persons thankfully acknowledges and acclaims their song by taking His flute to His lips and playing it. The charming flute song then steals away the minds of the cranes, swans and other lake-dwelling birds. Indeed they approach Kṛṣṇa, close their eyes and, maintaining strict silence, worship Him by fixing their consciousness upon Him in deep meditation.

SB 10.46.9-13, Translation:

Gokula resounded on all sides with the sounds of bulls in rut fighting with one another for fertile cows; with the mooing of cows, burdened by their udders, chasing after their calves; with the noise of milking and of the white calves jumping here and there; with the loud reverberation of flute-playing; and with the singing of the all-auspicious deeds of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma by the cowherd men and women, who made the village resplendent with their wonderfully ornamented attire. The cowherds' homes in Gokula appeared most charming with their abundant paraphernalia for worship of the sacrificial fire, the sun, unexpected guests, the cows, the brāhmaṇas, the forefathers and the demigods. On all sides lay the flowering forest, echoing with flocks of birds and swarms of bees and beautified by its lakes crowded with swans, kāraṇḍava ducks and bowers of lotuses.

SB 10.69.1-6, Translation:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Hearing that Lord Kṛṣṇa had killed Narakāsura and had alone married many brides, Nārada Muni desired to see the Lord in this situation. He thought, "It is quite amazing that in a single body Lord Kṛṣṇa simultaneously married sixteen thousand women, each in a separate palace." Thus the sage of the demigods eagerly went to Dvārakā.

The city was filled with the sounds of birds and bees flying about the parks and pleasure gardens, while its lakes, crowded with blooming indīvara, ambhoja, kahlāra, kumuda and utpala lotuses, resounded with the calls of swans and cranes. Dvārakā boasted nine hundred thousand royal palaces, all constructed with crystal and silver and splendorously decorated with huge emeralds. Inside these palaces, the furnishings were bedecked with gold and jewels. Traffic moved along a well-laid-out system of boulevards, roads, intersections and marketplaces, and many assembly houses and temples of demigods graced the charming city. The roads, courtyards, commercial streets and residential patios were all sprinkled with water and shaded from the sun's heat by banners waving from flagpoles.

SB 10.87.21, Translation:

My Lord, some fortunate souls have gotten relief from the fatigue of material life by diving into the vast nectar ocean of Your pastimes, which You enact when You manifest Your personal forms to propagate the unfathomable science of the self. These rare souls, indifferent even to liberation, renounce the happiness of home and family because of their association with devotees who are like flocks of swans enjoying at the lotus of Your feet.

SB 11.12.22-23, Translation:

This tree of material existence has two seeds, hundreds of roots, three lower trunks and five upper trunks. It produces five flavors and has eleven branches and a nest made by two birds. The tree is covered by three types of bark, gives two fruits and extends up to the sun. Those lusty after material enjoyment and dedicated to family life enjoy one of the tree's fruits, and swanlike men in the renounced order of life enjoy the other fruit. One who with the help of the bona fide spiritual masters can understand this tree to be a manifestation of the potency of the one Supreme Truth appearing in many forms actually knows the meaning of the Vedic literature.

SB 11.29.3, Translation:

Therefore, O lotus-eyed Lord of the universe, swanlike men happily take shelter of Your lotus feet, the source of all transcendental ecstasy. But those who take pride in their accomplishments in yoga and karma fail to take shelter of You and are defeated by Your illusory energy.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 2.2, Translation:

O my merciful Lord Caitanya, may the nectarean Ganges waters of Your transcendental activities flow on the surface of my desertlike tongue. Beautifying these waters are the lotus flowers of singing, dancing and loud chanting of Kṛṣṇa's holy name, which are the pleasure abodes of unalloyed devotees. These devotees are compared to swans, ducks and bees. The river's flowing produces a melodious sound that gladdens their ears.

CC Adi 2.2, Purport:

For this reason, people from all parts of the world must call for the devotees of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who are compared to swans swimming around the beautiful lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or bees humming around His lotus feet in transcendental pleasure, searching for honey. The dryness of material happiness cannot be moistened by so-called philosophers who cry for Brahman, liberation and similar dry speculative objects. The urge of the soul proper is different. The soul can be solaced only by the mercy of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His many bona fide devotees, who never leave the lotus feet of the Lord to become imitation Mahāprabhus but all cling to His lotus feet like bees that never leave a honey-soaked lotus flower.

Lord Caitanya's movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is full of dancing and singing about the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. It is compared herein to the pure waters of the Ganges, which are full of lotus flowers. The enjoyers of these lotus flowers are the pure devotees, who are like bees and swans. They chant like the flowing of the Ganges, the river of the celestial kingdom. The author desires such sweetly flowing waves to cover his tongue. He humbly compares himself to materialistic persons who always engage in dry talk from which they derive no satisfaction. If they were to use their dry tongues to chant the holy name of the Lord—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—as exemplified by Lord Caitanya, they would taste sweet nectar and enjoy life.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 24.178, Translation:

"All the cranes and swans in the water are being enchanted by the melodious song of Kṛṣṇa"s flute. They have approached and are worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead with full attention. Alas, they are closing their eyes and are becoming completely silent.’

CC Madhya 25.274, Translation:

The devotees who have a relationship with Kṛṣṇa are like the swans and cakravāka birds who play in that forest of lotus flowers. The buds of those lotus flowers are the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, and they are edibles for the swanlike devotees. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is always engaged in His transcendental pastimes; therefore the devotees, following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, can always eat those lotus buds, for they are the pastimes of the Lord.

CC Madhya 25.275, Translation:

All the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu should go to that lake and, remaining always under the shelter of the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, become swans and cakravāka birds in those celestial waters. They should go on rendering service to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and enjoy life perpetually. In this way all miseries will be diminished, the devotees will attain great happiness, and there will be jubilant love of God.

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 5.129, Translation:

When the Bengali poet heard this chastisement from Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, he was ashamed, fearful and astonished. Indeed, being like a duck in a society of white swans, he could not say anything.

CC Antya 7.102, Translation:

Whenever Vallabha Bhaṭṭa entered the society of devotees, headed by Advaita Ācārya, he was like a duck in a society of white swans.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 16:

These peacocks are just like the damsels of Vraja. The cuckoos on the branches of the trees are also receiving You in their own way. The residents of Vṛndāvana are so glorious that everyone is prepared to render devotional service to the Lord.” Another verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.35.11) describes a similar reception given to Kṛṣṇa by the birds of Vṛndāvana: "O just see how the cranes and swans on the water are singing the glories of the Lord! Indeed, they are standing in the water meditating on Him and worshiping Him." It is stated elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.4.18): "Even the aborigines and uncivilized human beings like Kirātas, Hūṇas, Āndhras, Pulindas, Pulkaśas, Ābhīras, Śumbhas, Yavanas and Khasas, as well as many other such human beings, can all be purified simply by taking shelter of the pure devotees." Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī offered his respectful obeisances unto Lord Viṣṇu, whose devotees can work so wonderfully.

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 30:

There is another instance of this. A messenger from Kṛṣṇa came to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī while She was sleeping, and Rādhārāṇī immediately awakened. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa began to blow on His flute in the night, all of the gopīs, the beautiful daughters of the cowherd men, immediately got up from their sleep. There is a very beautiful comparison made in this connection: "The lotus flower is sometimes surrounded by white swans, and sometimes it is surrounded by black wasps who are collecting its honey. When there is a thundering in the sky, the swans go away, but the black wasps stay to enjoy the lotus flowers." The gopīs' sleeping condition is compared to the white swans, and the sound of Kṛṣṇa's flute is compared to a black wasp. When Kṛṣṇa's flute sounded, the white swans, which represent the sleeping condition of the gopīs, were immediately vanquished, and the black wasp sound of the flute began to enjoy the lotus flower of the gopīs' beauty.

Nectar of Devotion 38:

Kṛṣṇa was once informed, "You are the life and soul of all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. So because You have left Vṛndāvana, all of the servitors of Your lotus feet there are suffering. It is as if the lakes filled with lotus flowers have dried up from the scorching heat of separation from You." In the example given here, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana are compared to lakes filled with lotus flowers, and because of the scorching heat of separation from Kṛṣṇa, the lakes—along with the lotus flowers of their lives—are being burned up. And the swans in the lakes, who are compared to the vitality of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, are no longer desiring to live there. In other words, because of the scorching heat, the swans are leaving the lakes. This metaphor is used to describe the condition of the devotees separated from Kṛṣṇa.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 15:

In this way, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma began to enjoy the residents of Vṛndāvana to Their full satisfaction as They herded the calves and cows on the bank of the Yamunā. In some places Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were accompanied by Their friends. The boys were singing, imitating the humming sound of the drones and accompanying Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, who were garlanded with forest flowers. While walking, the boys sometimes imitated the quacking sound of the swans in the lakes, or when they saw the peacocks dancing, they imitated them before Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also moved His neck, imitating the dancing and making His friends laugh.

Krsna Book 35:

When Kṛṣṇa walked on the bank of the Yamunā, He was seen nicely decorated with tilaka on His face. He was garlanded with different kinds of forest flowers, and His body was smeared with the pulp of sandalwood and tulasī leaves. The bumblebees became mad after the fragrance and sweetness of the atmosphere and began to hum. Being pleased by the humming sound of the bees, Kṛṣṇa would play His flute, and together the sounds became so sweet to hear that aquatic birds like cranes, swans and ducks were charmed. Instead of swimming or flying, they became stunned. They closed their eyes and entered a trance of meditation in worship of Kṛṣṇa.

Krsna Book 46:

He approached Vṛndāvana at sunset, when the cows were returning home from the pasturing ground. Uddhava and his chariot were covered by the dust raised by the hooves of the cows. He saw bulls running after cows for mating; other cows, with overladen milk bags, were running after their calves to feed them with milk. Uddhava saw that the entire land of Vṛndāvana was filled with white cows and their calves, running here and there all over Gokula, and he could hear the sound of milking. Every residential house in Vṛndāvana was decorated for the worship of the sun-god and the fire-god and for the reception of guests, cows, brāhmaṇas and demigods. Every home was sanctified by lights and incense. All over Vṛndāvana there were nice gardens filled with flowers and the sounds of humming bees and singing birds. The lakes were filled with lotus flowers and with ducks and swans.

Krsna Book 69:

When Nārada arrived in Dvārakā, he saw gardens and parks full of various flowers of different colors, and also orchards overloaded with a variety of fruits. Beautiful birds were chirping, and peacocks crowed delightfully. There were ponds full of blue and red lotus flowers, and some of these ponds were filled with varieties of lilies. The lakes were full of nice swans and cranes, and the voices of these birds resounded everywhere. In the city there were as many as 900,000 great palaces built of first-class marble, with gates and doors made of silver

Krsna Book 90:

All the sixteen thousand palaces of Kṛṣṇa's queens were situated in this beautiful city of Dvārakā, and Lord Kṛṣṇa, the supreme eternal enjoyer of all these facilities, expanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms and simultaneously engaged in different family affairs in those sixteen thousand palaces. In each and every one of the palaces there were nicely decorated gardens and lakes. The crystal-clear water of the lakes contained many blooming lotus flowers of different colors, like blue, yellow, white and red, and the saffron powder from the lotus flowers was blown all around by the breeze. All the lakes were full of beautiful swans, ducks and cranes, crying occasionally with melodious sounds. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa sometimes entered those lakes or the rivers with His wives and enjoyed swimming pastimes with them in full jubilation. Sometimes the wives of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who were all goddesses of fortune, would embrace the Lord in the midst of the water while swimming or taking a bath, and the red vermilion of kuṅkuma decorating their beautiful breasts would adorn the chest of the Lord with a reddish color.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973:

If we are serious of being transferred to the loka, to the place, where Kṛṣṇa is, then we have to train up the mind so nicely that at the time of death I can remember Kṛṣṇa. Therefore one great king, Kulaśekhara, he is praying to Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa tvadīya pada-paṅkaja... What is that verse? Tvadīya, kṛṣṇa tvadīya pada-paṅkaja (MM 33). I am just forgetting. The idea is, Kulaśekhara, King Kulaśekhara is praying to Kṛṣṇa, adyaiva viśatu me mānasa-rāja-haṁsaḥ. Adyaiva. Prāṇa-prayāṇa-samaye kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ smaraṇaṁ kutas te. He is praying, "Kṛṣṇa, I am now in good health. So kindly award me death immediately." Adyaiva. "Immediately, so that my mind, who is just like a swan, he can take pleasure by entering into stem of Your lotus flower feet." Kṛṣṇa's feet is always compared with lotus flower, and the lotus flower has got a stem. And the swans, they take pleasure being entangled with that stem. They go and dive into the water. This is their very good sporting.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

That rubbish literature is compared with the enjoyable things of the crows, and spiritual literature, they are enjoyed by the white swans. There is difference between the white swans. You have seen natural. They are also birds, crows are also birds. But you'll see white swans, they take pleasure in clear water where there are lilies, and they take nice pleasure there. And crows they will go, where you throw all rubbish things, they'll go there. You see nature. People say everyone is equal. How you can say equal? Even in the bird society there is no equality, in the animal society there is no equality. Then how you can make equality? On the material platform it is not possible. You have to come to the spiritual platform; then equality is possible.

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

So there are many varieties of life. Just like somebody is very lusty, and he wants sex enjoyment so many times a day. So there are many animals, many birds. They are given the opportunity like that. Just like the pigeons, the sparrows. Or there are many birds, the swans, the ducks. They have got every day twenty times, sex intercourse. So this facility is given to them. You see? Similarly, somebody wants to eat meats and blood. He is given the chance to become a tiger. So Kṛṣṇa is giving chance everyone. And one who is very dull, cannot understand simply, oh, the sense gratification, they are made the dullest possible, like trees, stand up for thousands of years.

Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Now there is a hobby that classless society. Classless society cannot be. That is not possible. So long you are in the material world there must be classes. By nature, there is. Just like even in birds, there are a class of birds known as the crows and there is a class of birds which are called the swans. The swans will try to reside in a place where there is very clean water, flowers, good trees, nice arrangement parking. So they will flock there. Birds of the same feather flock together. And the crows, the will flock... In your country you don't find many crows, but in India there are many crows.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

So this is the material world, system. As soon as you enter a particular type of body you are conditioned. Just like while walking in the St. James Park the ducks and the swans, when they saw that we are coming near, they immediately dropped into the water. Because the duck is thinking that he's safe in the water. And if somebody snatches me to put me down in the water, then I shall protest. He's also a living entity, I am also a living entity. I am afraid of being put into the water, and he is seeking shelter into the water. Water is the same. Why one is seeking shelter, and why one is afraid of? This is material world. Because I am conditioned in a separate body and the duck is conditioned in a separate body. The trees, some trees are going upwards, and some trees are going downwards. These are the conditions.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

So this is the actual human life, not that simply imitating the animals: how to eat, how to sleep, how to sex. No. Śāstra says that is already established. Don't worry. Just like the swans and the ducks in St. James. They don't worry, "Oh, what to eat?" But they're getting their eatables. They don't go to office, to factory. Even the swans and ducks, and what to speak of human being? This is nature's study, that the swans and ducks, they are getting at home, they are getting their sex life. Immediately, everything is there. According to their standard, everything is there. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya, these are the four things required for this body. But even a small duck and swan, he has got everything ready there in St. James Park. He does not go to the Downing Street.

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

The bird, if you attack, they immediately go up. He knows how to defend. The (?) in the (?) Park, the swans, as soon as they pass, immediately jump over the water. They know how to defend. This morning a small mouse he has gone up to collect a small sweetmeat. So these intelligence are there even in the lowest animals, even in the ant. So advancement of civilization, how to make this body comfortable, that is not advancement of civilization. That kind of civilization is there even in the cats and dogs. They know. Nobody has to go to the university to learn how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, how to defend. Nobody hasn't got to. It doesn't require education. It is already there, everyone. If you attack me, I shall immediately defend with my hands. You see? Natural. So ekāntataḥ śreyas means don't spoil this human form of life only for satisfying the animal propensities. You try to advance in spiritual consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

"My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, now I am healthy. I am thinking rightly. Kindly give me immediately death, and I can be entangled with Your lotus feet tight, like the swan entangles itself with the lotus stem." You have seen, the swans take pleasure by entangling itself with the lotus stem. It goes down the water and catches the stem and binds itself. In this way, it is a sporting of the swan. So Samraj Kulaśekhara says, mānasa. Kṛṣṇa tvadīya-pada-paṅkaja-pañjarāntam adyaiva viśatu me mānasa-rāja-hāmsaḥ. "At the present moment my mind is just like the swan. It is playing with Your lotus stem.

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

Nārada is comparing that "Your so-called books describing about this dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90) is just like the kāka's, or the crow's, pleasure-hunting." Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo jagat-pavitram (SB 1.5.10). But if you produce a single literature wherein simply there is glorification of God, anyone who will read, he'll derive some immediately transcendental benefit. Produce a page only, Back to Godhead. Oh, that will bring revolution to the human society about understanding of spiritual life. Don't produce nonsense literature. Try for one page. Mānasa. Mānasa sattva-pradhāne mānasi vartamāna haṁsa.(?) Haṁsa means the swans. Therefore called paramahaṁsa. A highly elevated spiritual person is called paramahaṁsa.

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

So when one becomes completely separated from all these material desires, even if you offer him some profit, he'll not accept. It is the test. Na yatra haṁsā niramanty uśik-kṣayāḥ (SB 1.5.10). Because his mind is absorbed in greater things. Uśik-kṣayāḥ. Brahman. Uśik-kṣayāḥ means Brahman. Uśika kamanīyam brahman kṣayo nivaso yeṣāṁ te, tathā prasiddha haṁsa mānasi sarasi carantaḥ.(?) Śrīdhara Svāmī explains, just like swans, they take pleasure in the mānasa-sarovara, in a place where transparent water, lily and very nice garden. They take pleasure. Yathā prasiddha haṁsa mānasi sarasi carantaḥ kamanīya-padma-khanda-nivāsaḥ.(?) You'll find swans, they will gather near the lotus flower and dive there and entangle them with the stem. That is their pleasure, to remain surrounding the lotus flower.

kamanīya-padma-khanda-nivāsa tyakta-vicitrannadi

yukto 'py ucchista-garte kāka-krīḍa-sthāne na niramanti(?)

They are not like the crows, who are simply trying to take some pleasure from the garbage place. That's all. What is there in the garbage? They are all rejected, thrown away. But the crows will go there. They'll pull on something, "If there is something there, something?" So, as there is a natural distinction between the crows and the swans, similarly, there is distinction between a Kṛṣṇa conscious person and ordinary person. The ordinary persons are compared like the crows, and a fully Kṛṣṇa conscious person is just like swans and ducks.

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

So anyway these things are not appealing to the persons who are really transcendentalists. But a, a composition which is even in broken language, if it is meant for glorifying the Supreme Lord, that is appreciated... Śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti. Śṛṇvanti means they very attentively hear. Śṛṇvanti. Śṛṇvanti means hearing. Śṛṇvanti gāyanti. Also repeats the chanting. Repeats. Gāyanti and gṛṇanti. Gṛṇanti means they take also. "It is very nice. It is very nice composition." Śṛṇvanti gāyanti. This is the distinction. One side, however nice it may be, poetically, rhetorically, but if there is no glorification of the unlimited Supreme Lord, it is rejected by the haṁsas. The... Just like the play, pleasure hunting place for the crows is never accepted by the swans, similarly these kinds of literature...

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

So Nārada Muni is advising that "You do something which will be accepted." Śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ. "Do something for the saintly persons, transcendentalists. What you have done this, literature for the crowlike persons. Do something for the swanlike persons." Na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam.

naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ
na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare
na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam

So our problem is that we may not make any more cause for our next material birth. That is called akāraṇam. Akāraṇam. Just like I have got this body. The cause is my previous activities, in my past life's activities. Similarly, if I continue my materialistic way of life, then I am causing another material body. This is called kāraṇam. If I have got a doggish mentality, then I am causing myself to get a dog's body.

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

Now Vyāsadeva is discussing different kinds of literature. So he has explained that any literature, however nicely prepared from rhetorical point of view, or poetical, metaphorical, grammatical, but if there is no information of the Absolute Truth, such literatures are useless and no saintly person will take any interest in such literature. They give it up. Just like the swans, they do not take pleasure in a place where the crows can take pleasure. As there is distinction between the crows and the swans, even in the bird's kingdom, or even in the animal kingdom... You'll find always. The different kinds of varieties of birds and beasts, they live together. Similarly, those who are saintly persons, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, their taste is different from the persons who are just like crows. Crows are interested in things... Carvita-carvaṇānām. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "chewing the chewed." Already it has been chewed, and if somebody wants to try it, "Let me see. What is the taste there?" it is useless labor only.

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

Kṛṣṇa is realized by qualification, and the qualifications are described here. The first qualification is paramahaṁsa. Paramahaṁsa. Parama means the best, and haṁsa means the swans. So there are different types of swans. We have seen. Out of them, the white big swan is accepted the best of them. So this haṁsa, or this swan, has got a qualification special, that you offer them milk mixed with water. So the haṁsa, it will take the milk portion and leave aside the water portion. Every animal has got a special qualification. Just like you'll find the lizard, a very plain wall, polished wall, but they'll go very swiftly. You have no science to do that. You cannot do it. The vulture, it goes very high. They have got very small eyes, but they can see from miles away where is some dead body. That is their business.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972:

Any literature which has no connection with the knowledge of God, tad, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham, that is just like the place where the crows take enjoyment. Where the crows take enjoyment? In the filthy place. And the swans, the white swans, they take pleasure in a nice, clear water where there is garden. where is birds.

So there are, even in the animals, there are divisions. Swan class and crow class. Natural division. The crow will not go to the swan. The swan will not go to the crow. Similarly in the human society, there are crow class men and swan class men. The swan class men will come here because here everything is clear, nice, good philosophy, good food, good education, good dress, good mind, everything good. And crow class men will go to such and such club, such and such party, naked dance, so many things. You see.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for the swan class of men. Not for the crow class of men. No. But we can convert the crows into swans. That is our philosophy. One who was crow is now swimming like swan. That we can do. That is the benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when the swans become crows, that is material world. That is Kṛṣṇa says: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). The living entity is encaged in this material body and he's trying to gratify the senses, one body after another, one body after another, one body, after another. This is the position. And dharma means to gradually turn the crows into swans. That is dharma.

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

So we are not interested with such kind of literature; however from literary point of view, from poetic point of view, they are very nicely written. If there is no kṛṣṇa-kathā, there is no description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, no devotee should be interested. Even though... Even we do not touch the daily newspaper. Why? Because there no is kṛṣṇa-kathā. One and the same thing, punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Repeating the same... "This man was stolen of his property. This politician has said like this. That politician has replied like this. There was disaster. There was fire. There was this..." These news are full with newspaper, so many bunch of papers. So who cares for it? Tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham, crowlike men. Not the swans, white swans. White swans, they go to the very clear water where there is nice garden, nice birds are chirping, nice fruits are there. You will find the white swans will go there, in the park. And the crows will go... Where everything garbage, nasty things are thrown away, they'll enjoy there. Even in the animals, the birds, you'll find this distinction. Why the crow does not go to the nice garden? And why the swan does not go to the crow society?

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

The crows, they are very much attached to the rejected refuse, garbage. In your country I don't see many crows, but in our country there are many crows, and the garbage section is pleasure, pleasuring place there. Where rejected things, they take pleasure in that. But the swans, the ducks, they take pleasure in clear lake with lily flower, nice garden, and nice birds are chirping. They take pleasure in that place. Similarly, there are classes of men also like crows and like swans. The swans, they will take pleasure in this kind of literature, Vedic literature. And the crowlike men, they will hunt after that rejected garbagelike things. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). What is there in the sex literature? There is no new information; the same sex life, that's all. Sometimes half-naked, sometimes naked, sometimes this, sometimes that, but the central place is sex.

Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974:

Even in the birds' society there are crows and there are swans. You'll find the crows are interested in a place where filthy things are thrown out. All nasty things are thrown out. The crows will come and they will enjoy there. By nature. But the swans will not come. The white swans, they'll require very nice, clear water, with lotus flower in a garden, and birds are chirping. They're interested there. Similarly, there are men crowslike, and there are men swanlike. That is nature's division.

So na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo jagat-pavitraṁ pragṛṇīta karhicit, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasāḥ (SB 1.5.10). Mānasāḥ means those who live in the mānasa-sarovara. In Bombay I don't find any such place, but even in Western countries, especially in London, there are many nice parks, very clear water. And in America also. Wherever these Europeans have settled. In Sydney, Australia, there are many nice parks with water. Formerly, in India also, in old Dvārakā, Mathurā, the parks were there. Parks are necessary for cleansing the mind. So the fact is that as there are classes of birds which are called crows and there are classes of birds which are called swans, white swans... "Birds of the same feather flock together." That is an English proverb. The crows will mix with crows, and the swans will mix with swans. Therefore the devotees are swans, and the most advanced devotee is called haṁsa, paramahaṁsa. Paramahaṁsa. So those who are haṁsas, they are not interested in the matter for the crows.

Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974:

Therefore good association required, not the crow's association, but swan's association. Then this sense comes.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means they are creating a society of swans, not of crows. Not of crows. The crows are not interested. They are interested in that left-out, I mean to say, garbage. They are interested. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām. Just like we throw away... After eating, we throw away the leaf.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Los Angeles, January 15, 1970:

That is natural. The pigeons will flock together and the crows will flock together. The swans will flock together. The swans will never go to the crow or the crow will never go to the swan. In human society also the same natural tendency is there. Of course, now we are becoming more liberal. Otherwise, formerly, the white people will not mix with black people. So this is not new. It is by nature. Everyone has got a particular type of society, environment.

So literatures also, there are different kinds of literature. For the crowlike men there are different kinds of literature. And for the swanlike men there are different kinds of literature. So swanlike men..., swan means haṁsa. From nature's study you can see. The swans, they have got a special qualification. What is that? If you give a swan milk mixed with water, the swan will take out only the milk portion, and the water portion will remain. That means those who are swanlike men, they take the essence, not the adulteration.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Los Angeles, January 15, 1970:

So we have to utilize. The paramahaṁsa means they take the essence. What is the essence of this body? The essence of this body is the spirit soul. So one should try to understand what is science of that spirit soul. They are not interested with the adulteration. Just like the example is given: the swan. The swan takes out the active principle. The swans, they live in a very nice place where there is very clear water, nice garden, nice fruits, flowers, birds chirping. You will find, these white swans are there. When I was in London I saw there was a, there is a nice Regent Park. There are many swans. The park is mostly flower, rose flower, nice park. So they are living there. And the crows, where they live? They'll go where you throw away all nasty things. They will go and enjoy there. You see, the crows. Why? Why the crows does not do like the swans, and the white swans do not do like these crows? These are the different qualities. The whole world is moving in different qualities. Therefore the quality of goodness, that has to be acquired in human form of life. This temple is meant for the persons who are in the quality of goodness, those who are after the essence of the world—paramahaṁsa. And this, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also meant for the paramahaṁsas. Not for the crowslike men but swanslike men, those who are white swans, trying to live in a very nice place, clear water, nice tree, nice fruits.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:

One tree is supplying mango, so this mango tree is respect, and another tree, which is producing nothing, they are cut and made into fuel, because useless, no use. So amongst the trees, also you will find first class, second class, third class. Amongst the birds, beasts, animals, there is... Just like lion. He is also animal, and dog is also animal. They are not on the same level. Amongst the birds there are swans and there are crows. The crow is different from the swan although they are birds. The standard of enjoyment by the crows is different from the standard of enjoyment of the swan, white swan.

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
(SB 1.5.11)

Now here we are studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā. This is... This literature is meant for the swans, not for the crows. That is the division.

General Lectures

Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968:

But you have got a very nice apartment. Does it mean that you have solved the problem of sleeping? No. Then defending. The birds, the dogs, the cats, the animals, everyone knows how to defend in their own way. You go every day in the, what is called, Stowe Lake path. And as soon as you go, the swans immediately jump to the water because that is their defending. As soon as they go to the water, they know that "These human beings, they cannot come to the water. We are now secure." So that defending process is there even in the swans, in the birds, in everything. You don't think that because we have manufactured atomic bombs, therefore we have become very good.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

This is a place where you throw away all nasty things." After your mucus or any, all nasty things you throw away, the crows will come there. They will enjoy. Therefore Bhāgavata says, "Such literary productions where there is no glorification of the Supreme Lord, it is just like the enjoyable spot of the crows." But there is another class of birth who are called swans, rāja-haṁsa. They will not come there. They will not come there and enjoy with the crows. This is natural division. They will go in a place where there is very clear reservoir of water, nice trees, nice fruits and flowers, nice birds, mānasa-tīrthas, mānasa-gaṅgā, like that. They will enjoy there. Similarly, this mental speculation, huge, huge books, will be enjoyed by a class of men who are compared with the crows. But glorification of Kṛṣṇa will be enjoyed by a class of men who are called swans or paramahaṁsas.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 11, 1971:

The thing is, there are three qualities of men, and each one's feeling of pleasure is different. Just like there are crows, and there are swans. The crows take pleasure in a different way, and the swans take pleasure in a different way. That is natural. The crows are different from the swans, although they are birds, but because they are being conducted under different qualities of nature, their propensities are also different. So one may take pleasure by howling and drinking, and one man takes pleasure by chanting and dancing in Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is a different quality only. So in the Bhagavad-gītā everything is divided into three divisions. There are religions of different qualities, and there are actions of different qualities. Exactly the same example: as there are differences between the crows and the swans, similarly there are different persons in the human society.

Departure Talks

Departure Lecture -- London, March 12, 1975:

Where everything nuisance thrown away, they gather together. You will find. That is the nature amongst the class of bird. Where all nasty things are thrown away, the crows will gather. The another bird, swans, they will not go there. The swans will gather in a very nice garden with clear water, lotus flower, and birds, and singing. They will gather there. As there are... By nature, there are different classes of animals, even in the birds, beasts. "The birds of the same feather flock together."

So where the crows go, the swans do not go. And where the swans go, the crows have no access. Similarly, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for the swans, not for the crows. So try to remain swans, rāja-haṁsa or paramahaṁsa. Haṁsa means swan. Even if we have got this little place, don't go to the place of the crows, the so-called clubs, restaurant, brothel, dancing club, and... People are... Especially in the Western countries, they are very much busy with these places. But don't remain crow. Become swans simply by this process, chanting and hearing about Kṛṣṇa.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: His finding is that new types of species will come out, which will be better adapted. The swans, if it becomes too cold, they will die.

Prabhupāda: They are better than us, than human being?

Atreya Ṛṣi: What the theory is Prabhupāda is that, for example, if there are many, many swans living in one place, those who cannot adjust will be extinct after many, many years, and those who can adjust will live. In effect, what he tried to prove was that Kṛṣṇa's law, nature's law, is perfect. But he was missing Kṛṣṇa. In other words, what the proof is very scientific, but it is lacking.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He is adding zero, without one.

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: Isolation is always there. Even in this world there is isolation, even in animals. The birds, the crows, they remain together, and the swans remain together. So there is isolation between the swan and the crows. So this isolation will continue because everyone is under different modes of material nature. There are three modes of material nature. Multiply three by three, it becomes nine. Nine by nine, then it becomes eighty-one. So, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). So according to the association of different qualities the isolation is there, but when they come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spiritual platform, so there is no more isolation. When everyone is engaged in the service of the Lord, there is no isolation.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: What is the meaning of, the spelling?

Hayagrīva: Baby swans.

Hari-śauri: C-y-g-n-e-t-s. Cygnets.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Cygnets?

Hari-śauri: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: So we have seen it practically, this big swan is moving and the, they are also moving behind. The big one is jumping with water, and they are also jumping. They do not know where we are jumping, but they are jumping. The mother is swimming and they are swimming. This is natural.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Prayers by King Kulasekhara -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1968:

His songs are recorded in the book known as Mukunda-mālā-stotra. That is very famous book. It is sung by many devotees. So it does not matter whether a man is king, or a poor mendicant. Everyone has the facility to become the greatest devotee of the Lord. So he's praying "My dear Kṛṣṇa, Your feet is lotus." Generally we say "Lotus feet". But where the lotus flower is there, the white swans, they come to the lotus flower and try to play with the stem. They sport, going down the water, and be entangled with the stem of that lotus flower. That is their sporting. So King Kulaśekhara is praying that "Let the swan of my mind be immediately entered into the network of the stem of Your lotus feet." So that means he wants to engage his mind on the lotus feet of the Lord immediately. There is no question of delaying. He says that "Now I am in sound mind. If I think that I shall think of Your lotus feet at the time of death, there is no certainty.

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

Therefore Govinda dasa recommends, durlabha mānava-janama-sat-saṅge. Mānava. This human life is durlabha, very rarely obtained. Not dogs' association, crows' association, but swans' association. There are association even by nature. "Birds of the same feather flock together." The crows, they'll mix with crows, and the swans will mix with swan. White swan, very nice water, nice garden, they will like that. The crows will not like that. The crows will like where filthy things are thrown away. They'll take pleasure there. So similarly, according to the quality of nature, there are different association in human society. But it is recommended that durlabha mānava sat-saṅge: not with the crows but with the swans. That association.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society is the swans, paramahaṁsa. Haṁsa. Haṁsa means swan. Haṁsa, this example is given because the swan knows the technique how to take milk out of water. You give the swan milk and water, it will take the milk portion and give it up the water portion.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 23, 1968, San Francisco:

Mālatī: So these... If you do not take to Kṛṣṇa conscious, you are a dog.

Prabhupāda: Yes, equal to dog. Because he has no other conception except those four principles, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is there in the animals. Don't you see the swans? They are enjoying sex life. So what is the difference between man... A man also does like that. So long one is not above these four principles of animal demands, he's as good as animal. To meet animal demands in a polished way is not civilization. One must be above the animal demands. That is civilization. You have read that poetry, "Alexander and the Robber"? Have you read?

Mālatī: I don't think so. Say again?

Devotee (2): "Alexander and the Rabbit"?

Mālatī: No.

Prabhupāda: Alexander the Great, you have heard the name?

Mālatī: Yes.

Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 27, 1968, San Francisco:

Devotee (1): You were talking about Prahlada.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Prahlada Maharaja said. Yes. About this body. It is arrangement, according to different body. Now, these swans, they have left this, defending, they're going away. This is defending only. Yes. And as soon as they're on the water, they think, "Oh, we are safe because these rascals cannot come in the water." (laughter) They are thinking about us "rascals." As we are thinking about them that they are lower animals, so they are also thinking, "These are rascals."

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 17, 1971, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: So the society is very important thing. Any, anything, society... The businessmen, they have got their association, society, to improve. Therefore the standard of this International Society should be kept very carefully. Then who will come in touch with this society will be improved automatically by association. All right. Even in the bird society there are swans and there are crows, by nature, and the crows will never go to the swans, and the swans will never come to the crows. "Birds of the same feather flock together." Yes. Therefore society required. Unless you come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, how you can develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness? The same principle. Satāṁ prasaṅgān... Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathaḥ (SB 3.25.25). Vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. It becomes very palatable, satāṁ prasaṅgāt, in the association of devotees, not otherwise.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation Including Discussion on SB 1.5.11 -- January 19, 1972, Jaipur:
Prabhupāda: Just like hippies, they have become all bad taste, crows-like. So we have to become swans, rāja-haṁsa, paramahaṁsa, paramahaṁsa. Paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). Then you can understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you remain crows, then you cannot, that is not possible. By nature's example we have to see if crows-like and swans-like, pigeons-like, birds of the same feather. Birds of the same feather flock together, is it not? So you have to change your feather, then he will be pleased. If you keep your feather crows-like, then you cannot mix with the swans, that is not possible. This is the test. There are classes of men like crows, and there are classes of men like swans.
Room Conversation Including Discussion on SB 1.5.11 -- January 19, 1972, Jaipur:

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means swan-like, they should be like swans. Their behavior should be like swans. They should live in clean place, at refreshing place. So as soon as somebody will come to the temple, he will be... (aside) You have some papers I shall show?

Śyāmasundara: I just wanted to check and see if there's somebody here. It's Nanda-kumāra.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 26, 1973, Los Angeles:

Brahmānanda: The swans and the crows.

Prabhupāda: The swans and the crows. So expose them as crows. (pause)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The leaders in our society, nowadays, seems that they forget their own present moment, but they're thinking for their children, future.

Prabhupāda: So how they are thinking? He does not know, what is the use of thinking rascally? One can think properly if he knows things. If he does not know, then what is the use of thinking? The madman also thinks. What is the use of such thinking? Now our thinking begins from the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As the body's changing from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, similarly the proprietor of the body will change this body.

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Sometimes we find that peaceful living is visible even in animal society. Just like the cows. They're very peaceful. There are other animals, dogs and others. They fight. But hundreds and thousands of cows, they live very peacefully. Birds also... Just like the swans, they live very peacefully. So is that the highest goal of life, to live peacefully? Because that is also found in animal society. Is that the perfection of life?

Buddhist Monk (1): Yes, a man has to ask himself a simple and straightforward question. What really does he want to put his life to? Does he want suffering or peace?

Prabhupāda: No, suffering, of course, nobody wants. That's a fact.

Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:

Dr. Hauser: Yes, we are attached to them also because they have power over us. They can persecute us and they can... So it's very...

Prabhupāda: No, the greater power is Kṛṣṇa. If you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, they cannot do anything. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was a five years old boy. He took shelter of Kṛṣṇa and his father was a great demon, very powerful. He wanted to chastise his boy. He could not. This is the proof. So you take shelter. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pape... (BG 18.66). "I give you protection." So people have no faith although He's God. He thinks God is less powerful than Hitler. That is his nonsense. If he takes actually shelter of Kṛṣṇa, what this rascal, Hitler, can do? But he has no faith in God. He thinks Prabhu Hitler is greater than Lord. Prabhu Hitler. That is the difference between the crows and the swans. The crows think that we have got food in the garbage. And the swans think that we have got food in nice garden, in the clear water. And that is difference even in the birds kingdom. That is explained in the previous verse. Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo, jagat-pavitraṁ pragṛṇīta karhicit, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham (SB 1.5.10). Read that, previous to this verse.

Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: It is a question of taste. Just see birds, two kinds of birds, crows and the swans, different taste. Therefore we are trying to create taste for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then these crows' place, newspaper, we'll not... We don't read newspaper. We don't touch it unless there is some news of ours. We don't touch it. What is the use of wasting time? They read so big, big bundle of newspaper. But we don't touch them. Oh, we have got (indistinct) literature here. Why should we waste our time in the crows' manifestation? The same politics, same Nixon, same Dixon, same Hitler. It is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), chewing the chewed. Things which have already been chewed and thrown away, another person is crying, "Let me see if there's any juice." But you have already chewed. What juice you find there? Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), again and again, same politics, same new leader, same he's a rascal. Just like Nixon advertises in news, "America now requires Nixon." So America accepted him and now America doesn't want him. Again another Nixon will come. This is going on, punaḥ punaḥ, again and again, chewing the chewed. The people are not disgusted but we have tasted all these rascals.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: One only, less than minority. (laughter) The minority, majority, these are material conception. And spiritual is how much you are giving service to Kṛṣṇa. That is considered. That is to be taken into consideration. (pause) Kṛṣṇa says Himself, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: (BG 7.3) "Out of millions and millions of people, one may understand Me." So if I have turned so many people to understand Kṛṣṇa, so that is service. At least, they are trying to understand Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...in winter in December, when I was going to the park, Regents Park, all the waters, frozen like stone, and with this stick, I was pushing, (makes sound-imitation:) "Tung, tung," like that. But I marked it that underneath the tree, there was no frozening. The water was there. Just like here is a tree. Just below the tree, there was water. And all around, frozen. The swans were walking on the... But on that place, they were floating.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 7, 1975, Perth:

Gaṇeśa: Does that mean that Vivasvān is more powerful than Lord Brahmā?

Prabhupāda: No. Vivasvān was begotten by Brahmā.

Amogha: Some Kali-yuga swans.

Prabhupāda: Black swans. Bhara nitya bhayamāyā. They are also aware how to protect their interest. Every living being knows how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex, and how to defend from fear. These trees I find in America. Here, they are scented. What is called, these? Canada.

Gaṇeśa: They look like a maple tree.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is maple tree.

Morning Walk -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:
Prabhupāda: Very nice gardens. Hardly there is such nice botanical gardens in the world. I have seen many botanical... Very nice. (break) This swan is black and the crow is black, but crow's place is different, their place is different, although they are birds. The crows will enjoy a filthy place where all refuses are thrown. I don't think in your country there is many crows. In India, you've seen, all nasty place, that is visited by the crows. It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo jagat-pavitraṁ pragṛṇīta karhicit, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham (SB 1.5.10). The literature which does not describe Kṛṣṇa, that is the place for the crows. There is sex literature, they're enjoyed by the crows, and this Bhāgavatam is enjoyed by the swans. That is the difference. Crow's literature and swan's literature, paramahaṁsa. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). Everyone in this material world, they're envious. Their business is to become envious. I am envious of you, you are envious of me. This is material world. And the paramahaṁsas, Vaiṣṇava, they're kind, they're merciful. "Ah, this fallen soul is suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa. Let us preach." That is the difference. The envious and the nonenvious. That is paramahaṁsa. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ (SB 3.25.21). They are not only not envious, but they're merciful. They'll suffer so many troubles for their preaching work, still they'll do that. Titikṣava. A preacher has to suffer so many inconvenience.
Morning Walk -- May 27, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Where is a sitting place? (break) ...introduce that "Why you are, rascal, you are introducing all this nonsense?" Let them read this. They will become human being. That is the business of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They are reading only all rubbish things and becoming rubbish. Let them read these books, and their human life will be perfect. Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśaḥ: (SB 1.5.10) "The literature which does not give information of the glories of the Lord," tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham, "it is just like the pleasure place of the crows." So these books are meant for the crows, without any right information, without any God's information. Tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasāḥ. The swans will not come there. The pleasure place of the crows is not meant for the swans. They have got different place. Our books are meant for swans, and all these literatures are meant for the crows.

Morning Walk -- July 20, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: ...our shelter is land. (break) ...Juhu? No, only some birds. (several birds are making noises, including a crow) There is crow. (laughter)

Bhaktadāsa: We have the ducks and swans over there, and we have the crows here.

Prabhupāda: Why they are keeping crows?

Bahulāśva: "Birds of a feather flock together. They are crows so they are keeping crows." (break)

Prabhupāda: They say that "You are crows. You have come to see the crow." (laughter) Will they not say like that?

Bahulāśva: Yes. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...bottle?

Bhaktadāsa: This is a office for the zoo. They have a little exhibition of animals and botany. It smells like skunk. (break)

Prabhupāda: They capture other birds.

Morning Walk -- September 13, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is wanted.

Indian man (1): Our Prabhupāda is kind enough to make so many swans like us to remove away all the evils of the world.

Prabhupāda: (aside) Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Bas. That's all. Not for the swans. They are admitting. Otherwise how it is selling unless they are admitting the value? Maybe a few, but they are realizing. I told you that one young man, very respectable, he came to me in airport, maybe Japan or some place. So he said, "Swamiji, can I talk with you?" "And yes, why not?" "Where you have got so vast knowledge?" And "This is not my knowledge. I am simply translating. That's all. It is Vyāsadeva's knowledge. It is not my knowledge." Mean... He appreciated the vast stock of knowledge. That is a fact. And this rascal says, even in India, that Bhāgavata is not written by Vyāsadeva. It is latest, within Christian era.

Morning Walks -- January 22-23, 1976, Mayapura:

Dayānanda: In London you said that you were changing crows to swans.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dayānanda: It is impossible to change a crow to swan but you are changing crows to swans.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, in reading the description of Jagāi and Mādhāi, they don't seem as bad as we were.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) We shall go this way? No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we have time.

Prabhupāda: Therefore Kavirāja Gosvāmī says, jagāi mādhāi haite muñi se pāpiṣṭha: "I am lower than the Jagāi Mādhāi."

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: "And what nonsense book you have got? (laughter) We are going to stop your sales." Tell them. "And we are going to stop your sales. Instead of helping you for selling your books, we are going to stop all these nonsense books. That is our mission." Tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo jagat-pavitraṁ pragṛṇīta karhicit, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasāḥ (SB 1.5.10). That verse, that however nicely it is written with..., what is called, metaphor, poetic ornaments and very good language, grammatical set-up, and so on, so on. So that, although it is very nicely written from literary point of view, but because it does not contain any glorification of Kṛṣṇa, it is just like the spot where the crows take pleasure. Crows. The crows means they go the nasty place where all nasty things are thrown. They take pleasure there. So all these other literatures, they are meant for the crows. And this literature is meant for the swan, paramahaṁsa, white swans. So it is not the bodily color. It means those who are advanced in their development of life, consciousness, it is meant for them. It is not for the crows, who are still eating all nasty things in the garbage. Crows, they do that. They take pleasure where there are garbage, all nasty things and.... And the big swans, they will like water like this, garden like this. That is.... Even in the lower animals, there is difference between the crow's society and swan's society. (police car sounds) What is this?

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: That is real rest.

kṛṣṇa tvādīya-pada-paṅkaja-pañjarāntam
adyaiva viśatu me mānasa-rāja-haṁsaḥ
prāṇa-prayāṇa-samaye kapha-vāta-pittaiḥ
kaṇṭhāvarodhana-vidhau smaranaṁ kutas te
(MM 33)

The Mukunda-māla-stotra... There was a big emperor, Samrat(?), Kulaśekhara, emperor Kulaśekhara, he was a great devotee. So he wrote some poetry. Formerly, kings were so advanced, rajarṣi. They are king, at the same time, saintly persons. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2)—this science of Bhagavad-gītā was learned by the rājarṣis. People were happy therefore. The head, or the executive, they were all saintly persons. So this Kulasekhara, he writes in the beginning of his poetry, "Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa..." Kṛṣṇa tvādīya-pada-paṅkaja-pañjarāntam. The paṅkaja means lotus flower. So Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet is just like lotus flower. The lotus flower has stem down, and the swans, they take pleasure to go down the water and entangled by the stem.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Crows will never come to a nice place. They'll go to the filthy place, where everything rubbish is thrown out. The crow will take advantage of it: "Oh, here is enjoyable thing." Tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham. So we have been educated to become vāyasa, crows, useless black bird. There are other birds also, but these... Amongst the birds, these crows are most disliked by everyone. So our present literature and taste of literature is like that, crows. "Ka, ka, ka, ka." Even amongst the birds, they'll find swan, white swan. And they're black crows. Nature's division is so nice. Na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo pragṛṇīta karhicit tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasā (SB 1.5.10). That is rejected by the mānasā. Mānasā means the birds who live in the māna-sarovara, just like ducks and swans.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: (aside:) That child...? So that separation... Crows will not like to live with the ducks and white swans. And white swans will not like to live with the crows. That is natural division. "Birds of the same feather flock together."

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 14 November, 1968:

Yes, it is all right to continue painting Lord Caitanya and the Gopis as you have been, in flesh tone.

It is not mentioned how many hands the different Brahmas from the different universes have. Maybe four hands. Yes, they ride on swans.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Jadurani -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

So far the picture of three-headed Brahma in the assembly of other Brahmas, I have not seen, so what can I say? Whatever is palatable to everyone, you can do it that way. There is no mention otherwise, so the all Brahmas can be shown four arms. So far the question of all Brahmas riding on swans, at least when they came to offer respects they did not come with swan, they are all standing, they have walked into Krsna's palace. Yes, you may show all Brahmas very big in comparison with three-headed Brahma, otherwise how you can compare the elephant and the mosquito? The picture of my Guru Maharaja is nice.

Page Title:Swan
Compiler:Rishab, Mayapur
Created:08 of Jun, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=37, CC=7, OB=8, Lec=31, Con=21, Let=2
No. of Quotes:106