Tactic

Expressions researched:
"tactic" |"tactical" |"tactics"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.15.15, Purport:

The other party was equipped with all military strength supported by big generals like Bhīṣma, Droṇa and Śalya and it would have been physically impossible for Arjuna to win the battle had the Lord not helped him by every kind of tactic. Such tactics are generally followed by every statesman, even in modern warfare, but they are all done materially by powerful espionages, military tactics and diplomatic maneuvers. But because Arjuna was the Lord's affectionate devotee, the Lord did all this Himself without personal anxiety by Arjuna. That is the way of the devotional service to the Lord.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.7.2, Purport:

A juggler or magician displays many wonders with his acts and arts. He can become a cow by his magical tactics, and yet he is not that cow; but at the same time, the cow displayed by the magician is not different from him. Similarly, the material potency is not different from the Lord because it is an emanation from Him, but at the same time, that manifestation of potency is not the Supreme Lord

SB Canto 6

SB 6.5.30, Purport:

Nārada Muni encouraged Prajāpati Dakṣa's second group of sons by awakening their natural affinity for their brothers. He urged them to follow their older brothers if they were at all affectionate toward them. Family affection is very strong, and therefore Nārada Muni followed this tactic of reminding them of their family relationship with the Haryaśvas.

SB 6.7.39, Translation:

The opulence of the demons, who are generally known as the enemies of the demigods, was protected by the talents and tactics of Śukrācārya, but Viśvarūpa, who was most powerful, composed a protective prayer known as the Nārāyaṇa-kavaca. By this intelligent mantra, he took away the opulence of the demons and gave it to Mahendra, the King of heaven.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.5.7, Purport:

In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the tactic of dressing oneself like an ordinary karmī is necessary because everyone in the demoniac kingdom is against the Vaiṣṇava teachings. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not at all to the liking of the demons of the present age. As soon as they see a Vaiṣṇava dressed in saffron garments with beads on his neck and tilaka on his forehead, they are immediately irritated.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.19.32, Purport:

If a sincere devotee wants Kṛṣṇa above everything but at the same time is attached to material possessions, which hinder his advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by tactics the Lord takes away all his possessions. Here Śukrācārya says that this dwarf brahmacārī would take away everything. Thus he indicates that the Lord will take away all one's material possessions and also one's mind.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.3.10, Purport:

According to the Vedic law, however, there is no such thing as divorce laws, and a woman must be trained to be submissive to the will of her husband. Westerners contend that this is a slave mentality for the wife, but factually it is not; it is the tactic by which a woman can conquer the heart of her husband, however irritable or cruel he may be. In this case we clearly see that although Cyavana Muni was not young but indeed old enough to be Sukanyā's grandfather and was also very irritable, Sukanyā, the beautiful young daughter of a king, submitted herself to her old husband and tried to please him in all respects. Thus she was a faithful and chaste wife.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 5.41, Purport:

It is a defect of Māyāvāda commentaries that they make one statement in one place and a contradictory statement in another place as a tactic to refute the Bhāgavata school. Thus Māyāvādī commentators do not even follow regulative principles. It should be noted that the Bhāgavata school accepts the quadruple forms of Nārāyaṇa, but that does not mean that it accepts many Gods.

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 9.117, Translation:

Upon hearing about Kāśī Miśra's tactics with the King, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Kāśī Miśra, what have you done? You have made Me indirectly take help from the King."

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 60:

The great authority Śukadeva Gosvāmī remarks that Kṛṣṇa almost always passed His time with Rukmiṇī, and Rukmiṇī was a bit proud to be so fortunate that Kṛṣṇa never left her even for a moment. Kṛṣṇa, however, does not like any of His devotees to be proud. As soon as a devotee becomes so, by some tactic He cuts down that pride. In this case also, Kṛṣṇa said many things which were hard for Rukmiṇī to hear. She could only conclude that although she was proud of her position, Kṛṣṇa could be separated from her at any moment.

Krsna Book 68:

Without wasting a single moment, please try to carry out the order. King Ugrasena knows very well that you warriors of the Kuru dynasty improperly fought with the pious Sāmba, who was alone, and that with great difficulty and unrighteous tactics you have arrested him. We have all heard this news, but we are not very much agitated because we are most intimately related to one another. I do not think we should disturb our good relationship; we should continue our friendship without any unnecessary fighting.

Krsna Book 70:

“My dear Lord, You are the Supreme, Parabrahman, and Your pastimes as an ordinary human are another tactical resource, exactly like a play on the stage in which the actor plays parts different from his own identity. Because the Pāṇḍavas are Your cousins, You have inquired about them in the role of their well-wisher, and therefore I shall let You know about their intentions. Now please hear me."

Krsna Book 73:

Now the performance of the Rājasūya sacrifice by King Yudhiṣṭhira was almost certain. Bhīmasena, Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, arrived before King Yudhiṣṭhira and offered their respects to the King. King Yudhiṣṭhira attentively heard the narration of the killing of Jarāsandha and the setting free of the kings. He also heard of the tactics adopted by Kṛṣṇa to kill Jarāsandha. The King was naturally affectionate toward Kṛṣṇa, but after hearing the story he became even more bound to Him in love; tears of ecstasy glided from his eyes, and he was so stunned that he was almost unable to speak.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Young man: I had something come up once. Is it all right to cheat the government?

Prabhupāda: Oh, we don't care for anyone. (laughter) We are on the supreme government. (laughs) But don't take the risk. No, that should be not our policy. But the basic principle is that if some way or other you can engage a materialistic person's money into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is good for him. It is good for him. You may take some tactics, that doesn't matter. But not... We cannot take anything for our personal consideration. Yes?

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

So this janma, so long, so long your mind will be absorbed in the activities of this material world, you are sure to take birth again. So that activities, by intelligence, have to be purified in such a way that it will not affect you. It will not affect you. That is the tactics. This tactic... So we should be very serious. We should be very serious that many, many lives, many, many lives we have passed, but there was no opportunity to get out of this tribulation of birth, death, old age and diseases. Now here is a chance.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply by practicing this, some way or other, you become attached to Kṛṣṇa. Some way. Yena tena prakāreṇa, any way. Just like if you love somebody, any way, you try to get it... It is not very difficult. We know the tactics. Even an animal, an animal, he knows how to get his things tactfully. The struggle for existence means that everyone is trying to get his objective. So many tactfully. So you also try, instead of after this material will-o'-the-wisp, you some way tactfully try to capture Kṛṣṇa. That will make your life successful.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

We cannot stop working. That is not possible. But we have to adopt the tactics of yoga so that even by doing ordinary work in which by destiny or by circumstances I am put into, there is no harm. You'll find in Bhagavad-gītā that even if you find in your own occupation there is... Suppose I am occupied in some business in which I have to speak lie. Without speaking lie, my business cannot go on. Now, suppose if that is the position. Now, speaking lie is not very good thing, and if you think that your business is not very, based on very moral principle, "So I should give up," then Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that "Don't give up." Even if you are put into such circumstances that your livelihood cannot go on without that unfair means, still, you should not give it up, but you should try to make it purified. You should try to make it purified. How it is purified? Now, you should not take the fruitive result of your work. That is meant for God.

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

And when one is experienced in everything and he is above all material affection, that is called paramahaṁsa. Haṁsa. Why...? Haṁsa means swan. Why he's compared with haṁsa? The haṁsa has got a qualification to take the essence. If you give a swan milk mixed with water, he'll, he has got some tactics, he'll simply take the milk case in and the water will be there, remain there. Similarly, haṁsa means one who has taken the essence of this cosmic manifestation. What is that essence? Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Everything, all manifestation, all activities, they're all Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the center. Just like the same way: what is this material cosmic manifestation? It is the sun. That's all. Similarly, there are millions of suns. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:

This is the pastimious place of Kṛṣṇa, Vṛndāvana. So make your anarthas vanquished. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣ... Everything we have done, simply anartha, without any meaning. But if we say, people will criticize us that "Why you are utilizing motor car ? Why you are utilizing aeroplane?" But our tactic is we can utilize any so-called anartha in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is our tactics. That means you have created some anartha, but we can engage even this anartha in the service of Kṛṣṇa and make it meaningful. That is our business.

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

Apatya means sons. "Oh, I have got so many nice sons, very earning, very obedient; therefore Yamarāja will not touch me." No, no. That is not possible. There is a very joking story in Bengal, gaye gum akale jam care na(?). Gu means stool. So one intelligent person, he thought, "I shall be free from the touch of Yamarāja by one tactics." What is that? "Stool is very obnoxious. Nobody comes to stool. So let me smear my body, whole body with stool so that Yamarāja will not come and touch me." Gaya muk gum akale jam care na(?). This is another pramatta. That crazy fellow, that he is thinking "By keeping myself dirty and obnoxious, Yamarāja is gentleman, he'll not come and touch me." This is another pramatta.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:

Bold means they will come and they have no tactic. You are eating and they'll enter. Something he will take away. Therefore there are... Just like here, two sets of doors, one net, the railing door. So one door is closed, wooden; another is railing. So railing door must be closed always. Otherwise you cannot eat, you cannot live very peacefully. They may... Monkey will come.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Conversation -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1975:

Your country is full of buses. Yasmin deśe yad ācaraḥ. Your country is of motorcar, so take advantage of motorcar and utilize it for Kṛṣṇa. That is the tactics. Not that "Oh, we have become Vaiṣṇava. We don't touch motorcar. It is material." This is not our philosophy. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. We can utilize everything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa because we see everything Kṛṣṇa's. If the motorcar is there, it is for Kṛṣṇa. That is our mission.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Śyāmasundara: Yes. He says that then they indulge in pleasure and mental speculation as a diversionary tactic. To try to cover up this despair, they become more indulged in sense pleasure and more speculating.

Prabhupāda: Just like people in the material world, when a businessman failure, he takes to drinking. Sometimes great shock, in order to forget, one takes to drinking. Yes. Intoxication.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: He said that morning "What can we do, Prabhupāda?" He said, "What can we do? If we do not compromise, we will make enemies."

Prabhupāda: No, you'll not compromise; at the same time, you'll not make enemies. That is tactics. If you make enemies, then what is your tactics? You must speak the truth; at the same time he'll not be displeased. That is tactics. If you can defeat him by your argument, then he'll not be displeased. After all, everyone is human being. If you can find out his defect, why he shall be enemy? Therefore, it is said, "You better make a reasonable man an enemy, but don't make a friend fool." You don't make friendship with a fool, but if a man is intelligent, better make him an enemy. Because, because he's intelligent, although he's an enemy, he'll not do any harm. Because intelligent. But a fool, he may pose himself as friend, and he can do anything which is very harmful.

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: If you want to dance, you cannot be shy. There is a Bengali proverb, nate vase guṇṭhana tana (?). You understand Bengali? No. That, "When you are going to dance... A girl, or a lady is supposed to dance in the platform, in the stage, and when she came, she saw thousands of people. Then she drew her veil, what is called, guṇṭhana, became little ashamed. So you are going to dance. What is the use of veiling yourself?" So similarly, when one takes part in politics, if you don't take all the tactics of politics, then you cannot gain ground.

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Devotee: Therefore just like Kṛṣṇa during the battle of Kurukṣetra, he told Arjuna to do so many things. He told Yudhiṣṭhira to lie. When he said, "Aśvatthāmā has been killed," he said Aśvatthāmā, the elephant, he said the elephant...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that was a tactics. So...

Devotee: And also when Karṇa... Arjuna killed Karṇa when he was off his chariot.

Prabhupāda: The difficulty is, "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." Better you keep yourself ideal character that people can see that "Here is an ideal group of men."

Morning Walk at Marine del Rey -- July 13, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: There is no stoppage of that... Yes. And here, stoppage. Just see. It is clear conspiracy. It is not that police. Police cannot be so powerful that he can stop. If there was any discrepancy, why did not they take step that "You have done... You have violated the rules." They should have prosecuted us. Now, without saying anything at that time, now want to stop it.

Jayatīrtha: It's just their tactic.

Prabhupāda: It is tactic. They're factually seeing that "These people, they have brought some Jagannātha and thousands of people following it. And nobody's coming to our church?" It is very common sense thing. The church is being closed. And all the young men, they are joining. Not old men, old fools. No. All young, flourishing, young men are joining. So they want to stop it now. (pause) Take it.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: The child is diseased. He will not be able to digest lugloo, but the mother sometimes cheats him. And when he takes the medicine the lugloo is not delivered. Similarly, sometimes we have to say so many things very pleasing to him, but our business is that let him take this medicine. That is tactics. But that is not cheating. If the mother helps the child in drinking medicine and then afterwards she does not supply the lugloo, that is not cheating. Some way or other... That is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī, yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveṣayet: "Somehow or other, let everyone be Kṛṣṇa conscious." There is no question of vidhi-niṣedhā. Sarve vidhi-niṣedhā syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ. The other rules and regulation will act as servant, but the main business is to bring one to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the main business.

Room Conversation with Two Lawyers and Guest -- May 22, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: That is happening, tit for tat.

Guest 1: Was that generosity, or...? Where was the generosity?

Prabhupāda: No. That is war tactics. That is war tactics. Sometimes we have to use war tactics because we have to own victory. But they were generous because in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra they would fight like anything, like enemies, but at night they were friends. The one man is going. Just like sportsman. They fight during the play, but after that, they are friends, talking together, drinking together, like that.

Room Conversation -- October 29, 1975, Nairobi:

Brahmānanda: Not very effective steps. They declared a state of emergency, and they brought soldiers here, and they had huge arrests. They had camps just outside of Nairobi, and they were arresting tens of thousands, huge camps. But the tactics that they would use, the Africans, the British soldiers couldn't...

Prabhupāda: They brought British soldiers or Indian soldiers?

Brahmānanda: I'm not sure.

Prabhupāda: British soldiers, so long, how they'll come? They were using Indian soldiers.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: These arguments against atheists are very convincing, and only absolute fools can resist it, but those fools we cannot do anything with.

Prabhupāda: No, no, they are, for them the argumentum ad baculum. You know argumentum ad baculum? You know? What is that.

Harikeśa: That's the fourth stage in diplomatic tactics, where you hit them with a stick.

Prabhupāda: That's it.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They got permission from the court for conservatorship.

Ādi-keśava: But two of the devotees have already escaped.

Prabhupāda: If it is legal, what can I say?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that's... This is their new tactic now. This is their new tactic, that they're getting the court permission.

Prabhupāda: Then Americans' liberty is gone.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That law, but is what can I say?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, no, I mean he wasn't asking for any statement. I was just giving it as information.

Prabhupāda: That they have already taken. (converses with man in Bengali) (break) When there is fight, fight is fight. They'll take their tactics; we shall take our tactics.

Room Conversation with Adi-kesava Swami -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Ādi-keśava: So we were thinking that, and Bhavānanda Mahārāja and I were just speaking. He said one boy was in Calcutta at the visa office, and he was talking about all this business. And he said, at the visa office they also said, "Well, we could arrange to give you asylum." Just like Acyutānanda got, remember, for his draft.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Ādi-keśava: So I was wondering if you think this is a good tactic.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, very good tactic.

Room Conversation with Adi-kesava Swami -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: It is very good.

Ādi-keśava: Because they... It is also good tactic. It makes the government not want this to happen. It makes them look bad that someone has to get political asylum from America.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Because they pride themselves on freedom.

Prabhupāda: They get prestigious loss, loss of prestige.

Room Conversations -- July 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It was against the devotees' book distribution tactics. So...

Prabhupāda: So you can send them: "This is not good." Let him know.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So Satsvarūpa wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper-it's a newspaper which is put out by Siddha's people-saying that "This is not at all proper. You should not..." He gave so many shastric references why it is not good.

Prabhupāda: It will be corrected.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Nandarani, Dayananda -- New York 29 April, 1968:

He said I shall give you a son anyway, and it will be born out of your ear. So as she was virgin girl, she became very frightened that people may say things, so she put him into the ocean. Yes, Karna had many extraordinary attributes. He was a great soldier, and a most charitable man. He was so strong that it was not possible for Arjuna to kill him; he had to take unfair tactics and kill him. Karna could have killed Arjuna, but by Krishna's Grace, Arjuna killed Karna. In other words, Krishna killed Karna, otherwise, nobody could have killed him.

Letter to Himavati -- Montreal 14 June, 1968:

Our society requires millions of dollars for propaganda work, but Krishna has made us financially poor. I think it is good to remain financially poor because always we shall be able to pray Krishna, asking His help to execute His service. If all of a sudden we become very strong financially, Maya may dictate us for sense enjoyment, and we may fall a prey to her tactics. Therefore to remain poor is one of the qualifications for advancing in Krishna Consciousness. Our predecessors, the Goswamis, they voluntarily gave up everything for advancement in Krishna Consciousness.

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

The Spiritual Master's mission was to deliver fallen souls, therefore Ramanujacarya considered that if the mantra was so powerful to deliver the persons, why not deliver it to everyone as soon as possible. That was a little tactic to advance the cause of the Spiritual Master. So everything has to be judged by the motive, and as the motive of such apparent violation was very good, Ramanuja's Spiritual Master embraced him. This is not actually violating the order of the Spiritual Master. But such actions are very rarely to be done.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles 30 September, 1972:

If you have to sell books, do it by hook or by crook. The real preaching is selling books. You should know the tactic how to sell without irritating. What your lecture will do for three minutes, but if he reads one page his life may be turned. We don't want to irritate anyone, however. If he goes away by your agressive tactics, then you are nonsense and it is your failure. Neither you could sell a book, neither he would remain. But if he buys a book that is the real successful preaching. That is the certificate of my Guru Maharaja, if someone, brahmacari, would sell a one paise magazine, if one of our brahmacaris would go and sell a few copies, he would be very very glad and say "Oh, you are so nice!" So distribution of literature is our real preaching.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Los Angeles 30 September, 1972:

The fact is that we have to adopt the same tactics as ordinary salesmen adopt, but the difference is we do it for the satisfaction of Krsna, they do it for sense gratification. Actually we have experienced that sometimes out of sentiment someone gives to ISKCON and then laments and wants it back, but that does not mean we should give it back. Our policy is that his money which would have been used for purchasing cigarettes, liquor, sex literature, meat, will give him the opportunity to gradually become purified. So if by tactics we save that money from being spent on cigarette packets, that is good. If we can take some money and give some literature, that is a good service.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- San Francisco 6 October, 1972:

I enquired through a local lawyer why Diwanji is delaying the matter. He replied that he (Diwanji) is no longer our solicitor. So things appear to be very hazy, but we must not become the victim to the tactics of Mr. Nair and Mr. Diwanji. If things can be settled mutually even by paying 5 lacs more on the account of purchase agreement, do it and settle up the things properly, otherwise let us go to the court for specific action, either civil or criminal against the tactics of Mr. Nair.

Letter to Capt. Singhal -- Ahmedabad 15 December, 1972:

I shall be the last man to give up the Hare Krishna Land to the rogue Mr. Nair. He has taken our money but tactfullly has not given us the conveyance. He wanted to take farther Rs. 300,000 by similar tactics, but we have saved the situation for the time being.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Hari basara -- Hyderabad 20 April, 1974:

I am very keen on the distribution of my books and I am very indebted to all of you for your untiring efforts to see that every man and woman in America get one of my books. If they simply read one page, even if they do nothing else, they can become perfect. I have read the plans of Ramesvara and Tripurari to attend the fair and distribute to the thousands of people who are coming; whatever transcendental tactics you leaders think best for distributing the books you can employ. Please keep me informed of your progress as the Fair develops.

Letter to Yadubara -- Bombay 25 December, 1974:

My idea is that you can use the original capital that BBT gave you. You don't have to pay that back. You can somehow or another, by business tactics increase that capital and employ it again to make a new film. Then again use the capital from that film or use the profit from that film to create another film, etc. In this way you can make many films. But I do not think that BBT should finance it.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Honolulu 23 May, 1976:

The public libraries can order many sets, 50 to 100 at a time, for all their branches. Your tactics sound very good. The Indian professors reviews can be used to stimulate American orders, and the American professors' reviews can be used to stimulate orders in India. So now with so many testimonials, why these libraries will not purchase?

Letter to Adi-kesava -- Mathura, India 24 November, 1976:

By Krsna's grace, due to this apparent setback, now this Movement will become more prominent. Sometimes these tactics are also employed in military encounters. Temporarily retreating, then coming forward with stronger force than before. You may consult with Tamala Krsna and Ramesvara and whatever expenditure is required for emergency legal costs may be loaned from the BBT. We must spend for this purpose.

Letter to Ramesvara -- Hyderabad 2 December, 1976:

Just as there is warning from the government that if you steal you'll be punished. We are convincing people not to commit sinful activities or associate with sinful persons. Are these bad tactics? We are making men of good character. It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss. Even 10 year old boys are smoking, so much degraded. We are trying to convince people to become first class men rather than fifth class men. We have to fight.