In British days Indians would go to London, and he would take a degree there, and he would become a big man. That was the system. So while coming back home, naturally they used to visit other European countries. So in Germany they used to test the Indian student, how far he knew about his own culture. So this, my Godbrother, his name was Ansulye (?), now he's Sadānanda Swami, so he said that as soon as we saw that the student did not know anything of his Indian culture, immediately rejected him, "That is useless."
Test (Lectures, SB)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975:
Just like gold. Gold, you accept blindly or by chemical examination, the gold is the same. So if you are scientist, if you say that "First of all I shall test whether it is gold and chemical composition and other ingredients. Then I will accept you" ...And somebody says, "No, my father says it is gold. My Guru Mahārāja says it is gold. Well, so many ācāryas says it is gold," then you accept it, gold. So one accepts gold by the authoritative statement of the superiors, and one accepts gold by chemical analysis. So one who accepts by the authority's statement, he is more advanced. He immediately gets the gold immediately. And those who are awaiting for chemical examination, they will get it. They will also know, but it will take time.
Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 21, 1975:
So in your country so many imitation gods come. I know this. But you ask them, to test him, "Whether you have got father?" If he says, "Yes, I have got father," then you say, "You are dog." Therefore God's another name is unborn. Unborn means He is not begotten by any father. That is stated in the Vedic language, that advaitam acyutam... govindam ādi-puruṣam.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:
Now everyone can test which one is first-class religion because by the result of such activities one will be able to render service to the Supreme. When you render service to somebody, unless you understand something about him, you cannot render service. That is not possible. You cannot render service in the air. You must have some understanding, that "Here I am actually rendering service." That is realization. If I say that "You do something like this, blindly," you cannot do it for long time. On my request you can do it for some time, but unless you understand why you are doing, whether you are deriving any benefit out of it, you cannot prolong that activities.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:
The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, just to make it very clean from this cheating type of religious system It is written by Vyāsadeva, religion means that yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. This is religion. Here it is said. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Buddha or Jaini or so on, so on. There are so many, hundreds. But the test is yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, whether you have developed your love for God. That is wanted. It doesn't matter.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:
You may advertise yourself or I may advertise myself, "I am a great religious person," but the test is how much you have learned to love God, how much you have advanced in that process.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:
So here the definition is adhokṣaja means God, the Supreme Lord. The definition is: that principle of religion is the best by which you can develop your devotion or love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How nice this definition is, just try to understand. You may follow Christianism or Hinduism or Buddhism or Muhammadanism—it doesn't matter. The test is how far you have developed love of God.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:
Religion is how far you have... Just like in the same way a man is supposed to be great. How? He is considered a great man if he has got riches or he has got knowledge or he has got influence or he has got beauty, so many things. So similarly, how a man can be tested that he is a man of religious principles? The test is that whether he has developed love of God. Then he is religious. Just see how nice definition. Is there any nicer definition of religion than it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Can you say? The one word, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ, that is the best kind of religious principle to be followed, by which one can develop love of God, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:
So how nicely it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6), that is the highest principle of religion. You can accept any kind of religion, it doesn't matter. You be Hindu or Mussulman or Christian, it doesn't matter. The test is whether you have developed that causeless, causeless love for God. And whether that execution or loving affair is going on without being stopped by any material reason.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:
Adhokṣaja means not to be understood by direct perception of our senses. Akṣaja, we try to understand everything with our senses, we want to see something, we want to touch something, we want to smell something, we want to hear about something, we want to taste something, these are our direct test. So Kṛṣṇa, God, cannot be understood by these direct tests. Therefore He is called Adhokṣaja.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:
So... But that is not pure devotion. Pure devotion is described here that, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first class. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. You can adopt any means. There are different kinds of religious system all over the world. You can become Hindu, you can become Muslim, you can become Christian, you can become something else. But the test is how much you have learned to love God. That's it. Not that "I am Hindu. I have got such a big tuft and so much tilaka, and I take bath daily in the Yamunā, Ganges. I am strictly vegetarian," and so on, so on, so on.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:
Dharma means religion, English translation. But according to the Vedic understanding dharma means the characteristic. Everything has got a characteristic. In the chemical laboratory when something is tested the characteristic is tested. "This is this chemical, it has got so many characteristics." So our characteristic, we living entities, we have got our characteristic. What is that characteristic, general characteristics? In this meeting we may be sitting, so many people, one may be Hindu, one may be... Because I am talking of Hindu, Muslim, Christian. Here the word is used, dharma. Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). So dharma, we generally understand that I am Hindu, I am Muslim, I am Christian, I am Arya-samaji, I am this, I am that. That is generally taken as dharma. But according to Vedic principle dharma means characteristic. Just like chili—to become hot—the characteristic of chili. We test in the market when we go to purchase chili, we test how strong it is hot. If it is not very strong in its hottiness, then we reject. "No, no, it is not good chili." Chili must be very hot. That is characteristic, that is dharma.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:
So you may profess any religion. That doesn't matter. You may become Christian, you may become Hindu, you may become Buddhist, you may become Sikh or anyone. There are hundreds and thousands of types of religion. It doesn't matter. But the test is whether you have learned to love God. That is all right. Then it is all right.
That is explained. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). If you have learned to love God, then it doesn't matter what type of religion you are following. The Bhāgavata is very liberal. It does not say it, "If you follow Hindu religion or if you follow this type of religion, then you will understand God." No. Any religion, it doesn't matter. But the test is whether you have advanced in loving God. But if we see that instead of loving God, you are loving something else which is not God... Of course, God is everything. That is another thing. Without God, there cannot be anything. But still, there is the central point.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:
So the brain means to keep this mechanical arrangement very busy and going on nicely. That is brain. That is brain." When I shall eat, when I shall not eat, when I shall sleep, when I shall..." These things are necessities but brain requires how to adjust them. Eating, sleeping, mating and sense gratification, er, protection, that is required, but it requires brain how to transact all this business. Therefore the brain is required, and everyone has got his duty. And the resultant action, how the things are going on nicely, successfully, what is the test? The test is saṁsiddhi... (break)
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:
So we should be always alert to test our advancement, how we are making advancement. Because unless we become first-class devotee, there is no question of our being relieved from this material condition of life. That is not possible. That is not possible. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati.
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:
So yesterday we were discussing the, what is the first-class religious system. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). The test is people are very much enthusiastic to fight, "My religion is better." "I am Hindu. Our religion is very good." Somebody says, "No, we are Christian, we are..., our religion is very good." Somebody Muhammadan, this fighting is going on. In European history there was fight, crusade between religious group. In our country, in India, there was fight between Hindus and Muslims. What is the meaning of this fight?
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:
So Religion means, first-class religion means, how the followers have developed the understanding of God. That is first-class religion. Not that how many animals we can sacrifice or how many times we can... So many rituals and so many other things are there in every religion. But the, we have to test by the result, phalena paricīyate. Everything... Just like we have studied so much, a scientific man, but there is examination. If one passes the examination, then it is understood that he has studied nicely.
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:
A man is tested how much he has advanced in bhakti-yoga by his detachment from material enjoyment. If you, if one is attached to sense enjoyment, at the same time, he poses himself as a great devotee, that cannot work. Just like if you are eating something, then there will be no hunger. A man is hungry so long he does not eat something. So if, if he, if you say, "Yes, I have eaten so much, and still, I am feeling hungry," that cannot be. Actually if you have eaten, then you must not feel hungry. Similarly, if you have actually tasted bhakti-yoga, then there will be no more material attachment.
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:
In the previous verse it has been described, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That culture required. You may belong to any type of religion. It doesn't matter. You may become Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya... Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. But if you are a religious person, the test is how much you have developed love of Godhead. Then it is tested. "Yes, you are nice." Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is the test. Otherwise it is useless. You may be Hindu, Muslim or... Whatever stamp you like, you can have it. But the real test is whether you have developed love of Godhead. That is wanted.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:
There are two kinds of dharma: kaitava, cheating religious system, and real religious system. That is the subject matter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to teach people the real religious system. In this chapter also, Sūta Gosvāmī has explained, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). You can execute your occupational duties or religious system very nicely, but if you do not develop your love for God, Kṛṣṇa, then it is simply useless labor. It has no meaning. The test is how much you have developed your dormant consciousness for loving Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:
So that kind of philanthropy is not accepted in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as very advancement of civilization. The advancement of civilization will be tested, how the nation, individually or collectively, has advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very difficult to understand this, but the fact is this. Bhāgavata says that you cannot rectify the destiny of another man. That is not possible. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha. It is not that because one has got good parents, therefore he will be happy. No. Not necessarily.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:
Hari-toṣaṇam. You may execute your sectional duties as a brāhmaṇa, you can execute your brahminical principles as they are let down in the śāstras, or kṣatriya, you can do your duty, but there should be a test whether you have become successful in discharging your duty. That test is hari-toṣaṇam, whether you have satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then it is perfect. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Everyone should see perfection of his particular duties. And that is recommended that hari-toṣaṇam. This the example is Arjuna Mahārāja. Arjuna is a kṣatriya. His duty is to fight, to give protection to the poor and to annihilate the disturbing element. That is kṣatriya's duty. So Arjuna was trained in that way—he was a soldier—but by his soldier's business, occupational duty, he satisfied Kṛṣṇa. He fought for Kṛṣṇa, not for his personal sense gratification. That is his test, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13).
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:
Prabhupāda: You take from us. If you do not know what is the name of God, we give you His address, His father's name, everything.
Student: How am I to know He is God?
Prabhupāda: No, no. You are asking; we can give you. Now it is up to you to believe it or not believe it, but we can give you. Now you test whether it is real or not. That is your business. But we can give you the name of address, His father's name, His abode, everything, house number, everything. (laughter)
Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:
Now, here it is said that jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Vedānta-sūtra begins with this word: athāto brahma jijñāsā. So nartho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. Generally people are very much attached to karma-kāṇḍa, offering, performing great sacrifice. It has become now a fashion to call vikṣa(?) yajña, this yajña, that yajña. But actually real purpose is tattva-jijñāsa. The nartho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ, this performance of yajña is a karma, prescribed duty. Yajña, dāna, tapaḥ, kriyā, yajña, performing yajña. But in this age, no other yajña can be performed perfectly. It is not possible. First deficiency is there is no yajnic brāhmaṇa. Formerly, the brāhmaṇas were so expert that by mantra they ignite fire, and they would test, putting one animal in the fire, they would take and make it again alive.
Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:
Just like in biological laboratory, the medical practitioner, they test with animals to observe the physiological and anatomical conditions. Similarly... But they cannot give life, they simply kill. But here in the Vedic yajña, the animal was put in the fire and it was again taken alive. Because such yajnic brāhmaṇa is not there in this Kali-yuga, therefore the all the yajñas are forbidden.
Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:
So actually, this is the fact. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). If one develops Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotion to Kṛṣṇa, then naturally, without any separate endeavor, all the good qualities will develop. This is the symptom how one is advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That means all the good qualities will be visible in his character. That is practical. Anyone can test. Just like these boys, these girls, European, American boys and girls who have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just see how their bad habits have been altogether stopped.
Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:
So everything has got a test. But these rascals, without testing, accepting another rascal as God. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was asked that how to accept one God, He said, "Well, there is in the śāstra mention, the characteristic. According to the characteristic, if it is corroborating, then he is God." This rascal is saying, "No, there is no need of God. Ah, book. Simply I say; you accept it." The people are accepting. How foolish rascals they are. Just see. There must be a test. We are accepting Kṛṣṇa as God not blindly, but by testing. By testing. His character is mentioned in the books. Therefore, we accept God, not by blind faith, but by testing. Although we cannot test, but śāstra gives us the chance of testing. We accept spiritual master by testing, not by blind faith. No. According to the Vedic instruction, tad-vijñānārtham.
Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:
This very word is used, chindanti: "It cuts." Chindanti kovidās tasya. Kovida means very intelligent person. Unless one is very intelligent, he cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not our manufactured words. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). So our test is if anyone is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is either of these: duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. This is our conclusion. You may say it is very sectarian, but Kṛṣṇa says. What can I do? (laughter) Kṛṣṇa says.
Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:
Now, when I see, when we see that one man is not a devotee or Kṛṣṇa, or he does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, immediately we take him belonging to the four classes: duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Immediately we take. It doesn't require much time to test him, what he is, because he has no surrender to Kṛṣṇa and talks all nonsense. There are so many Gītā explainers in our country—simply talking nonsense, minus Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Bhagavad-gītā means minus Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Such rascals have spoiled the whole country, you see.
Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:
So that is required. Tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ, athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ, sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ. Anartha, when the... The same thing is described by Rūpa Gosvāmī. As it is said here, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. These abhadra, these anartha... Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Bhakti, when, if one takes seriously to bhakti path, then the test is that he has given up all nonsense unwanted things. Not that he's a bhakta, and still smoking. He's not a bhakta. He's not a bhakta.
Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Calcutta, September 26, 1974:
You are spoiling your energy. You are... Dharma... A brāhmaṇa is executing his brahminical culture very nicely. It is very good. A kṣatriya is doing his duty very nicely. That's all right. A vaiśya, he's dutying... But the test, whether he's perfect or not, or simply working for nothing, wasting his time, what is that test?
Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:
So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious means immediately—that is the test—immediately he will become free from lust and greediness. If he's not free from lust and greediness, he is making a show; he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the test. If one is actually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these two symptoms will be visible in his character: no more lusty, no more greediness. He should be satisfied with one wife or one husband. Why hankering after others? That is lusty. That means it is not on the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; it is in the material platform. These are the test. Therefore we advise our students, "Voluntarily, you try or you become free from these things: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling." Because indulging in these four things, you'll remain in darkness.
Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:
We shall be always enthusiastic. But we cannot become enthusiastic artificially. There must be bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. Just like these visitors in the temple, see how much enthusiastic they are. They are rising early in the morning, going to take bath in the Yamunā, and they are visiting so many temples, especially this Dāmodara temple, because it is Dāmodara month. And from five o'clock or before that, three o'clock, they are enthusiastic. They are not sleeping very nicely. That means lack of bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. It is māyā. So you must be very careful. Test. If we cannot rise early in the morning, that means we are under the clutches of māyā.
Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:
Therefore these are the tests to understand. A politician may pose himself that he is very advanced in spiritual life, but when we see that he is more interested in politics than in Kṛṣṇa, then we can understand what is his position. These are the tests. Or politics or sociology or anything, a pure devotee is always interested how Kṛṣṇa would be satisfied. Just like Arjuna. Of course, when one is interested in that way, all other things, subordinate things, they come within. Just like Arjuna was a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, but at the same time he was a politician also.
Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:
This is complete liberated stage. In the previous verse it has been spoken, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. The science of God, bhagavat-tattva, the science of Absolute Truth, becomes manifest to the liberated soul. We find sometimes that one man is posing to have very much advanced in spiritual understanding or a great devotee, but mukta-saṅga..., he's not mukta-saṅga; he cannot give up smoking biḍi. You see. These are the small tests. One who has actually tasted spiritual life, his unwanted things of life would at once diminish. There is no need. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha. Anartha, things which are not wanted, which has no meaning. So mukta-saṅga means no material attachment. That is mukta-saṅga. When one is actually liberated, these are the signs.
Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972:
There are many Vedantists in Vṛndāvana, but they do not come to see the temple, because they think themselves that they have become Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vedānta, so-called Vedānta philosophy conclusion. But Bhāgavata says that vimukta-māninaḥ. "They are thinking that they have become liberated." That is their concoction. Māninaḥ. If somebody thinks that "I have become the richest man in the world," although he has nothing to show... To become richest man, there must be some symptoms. But if a poor man says that "I am the richest man in the world," so one should test him, whether he has got the complete riches of the world.
Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:
So either you perform dharma, either you perform yajña, either you study Vedas, either you work, whatever you do, it must be targeted—the ultimate goal should be Vāsudeva. Then it is perfect. In many places it is explained. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). You may accept any kind of dharma. It doesn't matter. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. But the perfection, how you are becoming perfect in executing your dharma, will be tested how far you have satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:
Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya. We have to test sādhu, whether sādhus are accepting. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is accepted by all the sādhus as Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even Śaṅkarācārya, who's an impersonalist, he says, sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ devakī-nandanaḥ. He accepts. And what to speak of other Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya. They all accept. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepts. Formerly, Vyāsadeva accepted. Nārada accepted. Everyone... Vedas. The other day, when we met Gaṅgeśvarānanda, he quoted so many Vedic passages Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:
So here it is said that rāma-kṛṣṇāv iti. God appeared as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. There are some foolish persons who are misled by another imitation Ramakrishna. You see? But those who are intelligent... This rascal Ramakrishna said that "I am the same Rāma-Kṛṣṇa." Another rascal believed, "Oh, he is Rāma-Kṛṣṇa." Why I say rascal? Because here it is said, rāma-kṛṣṇāv iti bhuvo bhagavān aharad bharam. There must be symptoms of Rāma-Kṛṣṇa. Anyone will say, "I am Rāma-Kṛṣṇa," and he becomes Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? How? What is the test? The test is bhagavān aharad bharam. When Kṛṣṇa and Rāma appeared, Balarāma, He killed so many demons to make the world peaceful. The beginning of killing was their maternal uncle Kaṁsa. Not only that beginning.
Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:
From the beginning of Kṛṣṇa's birth, Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, the Keśī, and so many asuras... Every day, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma used to go in the forest and some asura would come to disturb Them, to kill Them, and Kṛṣṇa will finish them. And the friends will come at home and narrate the story to their mothers, "Mother, Kṛṣṇa is so wonderful. Such a big demon came and He killed immediately in this way and that way." That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that because one has got some so-called meditation, He becomes Kṛṣṇa without any test. But what is the proof that he is Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? But they do not take the proof. They simply pose a bogus man as Rāma-Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:
Or sometimes he will take the sword in his own hand and kill the culprit, criminal, immediately. So therefore the killing practice was allowed to the kṣatriyas, royal family. Therefore sometimes the king would go into the forest and kill some animals to practice. Just like in the medical laboratory, physiological laboratory, some animals are tested to see the physiological condition of the body, similarly, always these experiments are made on the animals. So Mahārāja Parīkṣit went to the forest for hunting. So he was very tired. He was very tired, and he entered the cottage of one hermitage. He was at that time in meditation.
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.
Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:
So it is not a permanent settlement that once we have got this human form of body we cannot glide down. We can glide down. Bhagavad-gītā says: yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death the mental position will give you another body of the same type as you are mentally absorbed at that time. So therefore we have to prepare, we have to prepare ourselves so that at the time of death we may... Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). At the time of death we can once think of Kṛṣṇa. Then our life is successful. It is said in Bengali that bhajana kara sādhana kara matijanle haya.(?) What is that? That whatever spiritual advancement you are doing, that's all right. The test will be at the time of your death. Examination. That is the point of examination. What is the mental state at that time. Difficult job.
Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:
Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate: he has seen or he has tasted something better for which he doesn't like to take any more this abominable taste. That is bhaktiḥ pareśānu... That means when we become detestful such abominable things, then we should know that we are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The test is in your hand. You haven't got to ask anybody, "Do you think I am increasing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness," but you can understand. Exactly in the same way: if you are hungry and if you are eating, you know, by eating, how much your hunger is satisfied, how much you are feeling strength, how much you are feeling pleasure. You haven't got to ask anybody. Similarly, if anybody increases his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the test will be that he will be disinterested with all material pleasures. That is test.
Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:
So the bhakti, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the test is there. The more you become advanced, more you become, no more any interest in this material pleasure.
Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:
So here it is stated that tad-viceṣṭitam. Whose? His activities. Whose activities? Urukramasya, "who acts wonderfully." Not that somebody is meditating—his activities should be described. What wonderful things he has done? We are accepting anyone as God, but we do not test what, what proof he has given to become God? Here is God: Urukrama. Here is God. We accept Kṛṣṇa as God. He has done from the very childhood uncommon, wonderful activities. We are not fool that we accept somebody, a nonsense having a great beard, and we accept God. No. We must see that he has wonderful activities. What is that wonderful activities? First of all test.
Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:
So the point is that although in the Vedic scripture there is recommendation that animal sacrifice allowed, but that is not meant for killing. That is giving a new life. So when this animal sacrifice was going on simply for eating, simply for eating... Just like in a particular mission they say that "We are devotees of goddess Kālī." Their real mission is to eat meat. Therefore they have become devotees of goddess Kālī. But actually, these sacrifices were not meant, as explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for killing the animals. That was to test the power, the strength, of the Vedic mantras. So Lord Buddha's movement was therefore started... When people began to eat meat like anything on the plea of Vedic sacrifice, so Lord Buddha, at that time—Lord Buddha means he's also incarnation of Kṛṣṇa—he appeared to stop this animal killing.
Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:
So he wanted to test whether He's Kṛṣṇa. So he, he sifted all the cows and cowherds boys from the pasturing ground, and again he saw that millions times the same cows, boys and cowherd, cows and cowherd boys, are present there. So that is Kṛṣṇa. He can expand. Bṛhatvad bṛhannatvad. Brahman means He can expand unlimitedly. And He can shrink also to the minute. Just like we are very minute. We are also part and parcel. And this cosmic manifestation is also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He's called paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).
Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:
Mām eva ye prapadyante. If we fix up our śaraṇāgati, surrender to the Supreme, then there is no question of falling down. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura was tested once by Māyā, and in another time he was tested by a prostitute to allure him... He was young man. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was very beautiful young man. So under diplomacy of Rāmacandra Khān he was to be entrapped. You know the story. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. But Haridāsa Ṭhākura was not entrapped, because he was strong, strong enough. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. Māyā could not do anything. Although Māyā came there at dead of night, very beautiful, attractive dress, attractive feature, attractive words—this is māyā—so he was not allured. The... Rather, the veśyā, or the prostitute, became converted into a Vaiṣṇavī.
Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:
Dharma means own dharma, brāhmaṇa's dharma, kṣatriya's dharma, vaiśya's dharma. There are different occupational duties. Do it. But side by side, you should test "Whether I am going to be perfect?" That is required.
Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:
So this is the process, bhagavat-toṣaṇam or hari-toṣaṇam. Also this way. And to receive the knowledge from Bhagavān, that is also paramparā system. The paramparā system must be maintained, and if it is done nicely, then as it is stated here, yad atra kriyate, whatever you do, that is for your perfection. If you keep this paramparā system and if you try to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then whatever you do, that is perfection. It doesn't matter. The test is whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, whether your spiritual master is satisfied. Then you are perfect.
Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Hyderabad, August 18, 1976:
Try to understand what is the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā. You haven't got to give up everything. You can be engaged in everything but if you utilize everything according to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa then it will be successful. Otherwise it will be failure. So we have tested all these things, how many programs and plans we have made and everything has failed. Why not try to take the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and try to utilize it for practical life. And it will be successful. There is no doubt about it. I am speaking from my practical experience.
Lecture on SB 1.7.40 -- Vrndavana, October 1, 1976:
Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). Tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ. That is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Brahmā, when he stolen Kṛṣṇa's friends, cowherd boys, and the cows and calves, Brahmā saw that Kṛṣṇa is playing with the same cowherd boys, cows, calves, and he was astonished. He went, came to test that "It is being advertised that one boy is now born, is there in Vṛndāvana, and He's being accepted as Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality, my Lord." So he played some tricks. He stolen away. But the next moment he saw. Next moment means one year. He saw that Kṛṣṇa has expanded Himself in so many living entities. And later on he saw that everyone is Viṣṇu. Everyone is Viṣṇu.
Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976:
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was traveling in South India, a brāhmaṇa invited Him. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu at noontime went there, but He saw the brāhmaṇa has not cooked anything. There was nothing prepared. And he was crying and reading Rāmāyaṇa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "Brāhmaṇa, why you are in such a depressed condition, you are crying?" "Sir, I am so..." He was in the ecstasy of Hanumān. "Sir, I am so unfortunate that Sītā-devī has been taken by Rāvaṇa and I could not rescue her still." In this way he was puzzled. So he did not cook anything. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu pacified him. Then he cooked. He could understand that "I invited..." It was done. Then, when he was returning, I forget the name of the Purāṇa... Kūrma Purāṇa. He got evidences that Sītā-devī, when she was supposed to be kidnapped by Rāvaṇa, her a false form was kidnapped, and when Sītā-devī was tested, putting her into the fire, she entered into the fire and the māyā Sītā was burned and the original Sītā came out. So it was not possible for Rāvaṇa to touch even the lotus feet of mother Sītā. But apparently it is externally manifested that Sītā was taken away just to teach us that even Sītā-devī...
Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Mayapura, September 29, 1974:
Sādhu-guru test means they do not change the words of Kṛṣṇa. They do not say, "Now I have manufactured something. Kṛṣṇa says that 'You can see Me in the taste of water.' I can say that you can see in this way: 'You see me and you will see Kṛṣṇa.' "
Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- New York, April 12, 1973:
So in the beginning, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there will be so many disturbances by the māyā. Māyā will test you how far you are fixed up. She will test you. She is also agent of Kṛṣṇa. She does not allow anyone who is meant for disturbing Kṛṣṇa. Therefore she tests very rigidly whether you are..., you have taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness to disturb Kṛṣṇa, or you are actually serious. That is māyā's business. So there will be in the beginning test by māyā, and you will feel so much disturbances in making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But if you remain steady... Steady means if you follow the rules and regulations and chant sixteen rounds, then you will remain steady. And if you neglect, then māyā will capture you, immediately. Māyā is always ready. We are in the ocean. At any moment, we will be disturbed. So therefore one who is not disturbed at all, he is called paramahaṁsa.
Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Los Angeles, April 15, 1973:
Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for such person who is no more jealous, who's no more envious. Perfect person. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). Those who are jealous and envious, they are within this material world. And those who are not jealous, they are in the spiritual world. Simple thing. You test yourself, "Whether I am jealous, envious of my other associates, friends, everything?" Then I am in the material world. And if I am not jealous, then I'm in the spiritual world. Anyone can test. There is no question of whether I'm spiritually advanced or not. You can test yourself. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Just like if you are eating, you'll understand whether you are satisfied, whether your hunger is satisfied. You haven't got to take certificate from others. Similarly, if you test yourself whether you are jealous, whether you are envious, then you are in the material world. And if you are not jealous, if you are not envious, then in the spiritual world. Then you can serve Kṛṣṇa very nicely if you are not jealous. Because our jealous, enviousness has begin, began from Kṛṣṇa. Just like the Māyāvādīs: "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be God? I am, I am also God. I am also."
Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1973:
Duryodhana was at that time in a incapable state. His, this waist was broken. He could not move. And he lied that "I have brought the five heads of the Pāṇḍavas, my dear Duryodhana." "Oh, you have brought?" He was very glad. But he knew how to test it. But when he pressed the head, it immediately became collapsed. "Oh," he said, "this is not Pāṇḍavas head. It must be their sons' head." Then he admitted, "Yes." He became fainted that "You have killed all the hopes. I hoped that in our family at least five sons will... You have killed also." So in that lamentment he died.
Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974:
So Kṛṣṇa is jagad-guru. He is the original teacher. That teacher is teaching personally in the Bhagavad-gītā, and we rascals, we do not take the lesson. Just see. Therefore we are mūḍhas. Anyone who is unfit to take the lessons given by the jagad-guru, he is mūḍha. Therefore our test tube is: if one does not know Kṛṣṇa, if one does not know how to follow Bhagavad-gītā, we immediately take him as a rascal. That's all. Never mind he... He may be prime minister, he may be high-court judge, or... No. "No, he is prime minister. He is high-court judge. Still, mūḍhaḥ?" Yes. "How?"
Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:
Yes. First of all, you have to consider how this planet is floating in the air. It is floating in the air as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, gām āviśya (BG 15.13). Because Kṛṣṇa enters within this... Kṛṣṇa. Just like He enters within the atom. So He's the spirit, Supreme Spirit. So because the Supreme Spirit is within, therefore it is floating. Not that weightlessness. Weight is there, very heavy weight. Just like you can test. This body will float in the water so long you are living. And as soon as the spirit soul goes, then immediately the body goes down. The law of gravity acts. The so-called law of gravity. This is an example. A child, so long it is living you can take in one hand. But as soon as the child is dead, it becomes heavier. That is natural.
Lecture on SB 1.8.52 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1973:
This is a long subject matter. But the sacrifice in yajña, recommended, that is not for killing the animal, but it is a testing, how the Vedic mantras are being properly chanted. Because an old animal put into the fire, by Vedic mantras he would come out again with young life. That is sacrifice of animals in the yajña. Therefore in this age there is no such expert brāhmaṇa who can chant the mantras properly or he can behave because the life is very abominable. Therefore, because there is no expert brāhmaṇa, so these sacrifices are forbidden in this age. Kalau pañca vivarjayet aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ devareṇa sutotpattiṁ sannyāsam (CC Adi 17.164). These things are forbidden in this age, because there is no proper men to conduct.
Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:
Why we should give preference to one class of rascals and fools than the other class of rascals and fools? We have no such idea, "The Hindus are greater than the Muslims or the Christians," or "The Muslims or the Christians..." We do not con... We want to see, test how much he's devotee of God, how much he has developed his God consciousness. Then we accept that he is, here is dharma. That is the test. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6).
Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:
If people are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, their so-called qualification has no value. Kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. There cannot be value. There cannot be any good qualification of a person who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, who is not a devotee. This is our conclusion. We have got some test tubes. We can study man. He may become a very good scholar, very good politician, very big minister, but we test whether he has got any sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he's not, immediately I understand that "Here is a rascal number one." That's all. We have got test tube, how much he is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he's not, then he is grouped immediately in four groups: duṣkṛtina, means constantly committing sinful activities; mūḍha, rascal; narādhama, lowest of the mankind; māyayā apahṛta-jñāna, although educated with high degrees, his knowledge has been taken away; āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ, and demon.
Lecture on SB 1.10.20 -- London, May 24, 1973:
These rascals are called māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Na māṁ prapadyante. They do not surrender to God, or Kṛṣṇa. They pose themselves as God. So as soon as we find anyone does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he is rascal. Anyone. It doesn't matter. That is the first test. Then you come to the details. As soon as you find someone, somebody, that he does not understand what is God, or his relationship with God, or, and what is the ultimate object of life, he's a rascal.
Lecture on SB 1.10.20 -- London, May 24, 1973:
When we get our attachment for hearing about Kṛṣṇa, then at least we can consider that we have become free from material contamination. When we get attachment simply for hearing Kṛṣṇa, nothing else, all nonsense, then you should understand that you have become liberated. These are the test. Everyone can get this position. Because there is process. If you follow the process, then you come to the real stage.
Lecture on SB 1.13.11 -- Geneva, June 2, 1974:
So there is a version by Kṛṣṇa that one who is anxious to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but he is entrapped by this binding-nice wife, nice children, nice home, nice bank balance—so Kṛṣṇa, in order to give them, give such devotee, facility, He takes away. Hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ. Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8). Just like he did with the Pāṇḍavas. The Pāṇḍavas were devotees, but at the same time, they were king. There was attachment. So therefore Kṛṣṇa took away their everything—their kingdom, their wife, their position, their honor—test him, and still, they did not give up Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they came out victorious. So Kṛṣṇa sometimes tests His..., that how much one devotee is. He forcibly makes him renounced in order. That is Kṛṣṇa's special favor.
Lecture on SB 1.15.22-23 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1973:
So by chance, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was touring in South India... The Purāṇas, Śiva Purāṇa or something like that, it is stated there. And He brought the evidence again, that "Here you see, in the Purāṇa it is said that when Rāvaṇa came to kidnap Sītā, immediately a false Sītā was given to him, and the real Sītā disappeared. Then again, when Lord Rāmacandra, after killing Rāvaṇa, He was accepting Sītā back to home, He tested with fire, that 'Sītā, you should enter the fire, and if you are not burned, then you are chaste. Otherwise you are not chaste.' Yes. So the false Sītā which was taken by Rāvaṇa, she entered the fire, and the real Sītā came out." This is the statement in the śāstra.
Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:
Arjuna also did so. "My dear Kṛṣṇa, we are talking like friends. This will not solve the problem. Therefore I am submitting unto You as Your disciple." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam. "I surrender unto You. Now You can teach me." Because as soon as you accept guru, you have to hear him, surrender, full surrender. You cannot unnecessarily argue. Of course, if there is any doubt, you can question submissively. But not that, "I shall test my guru, how he is learned." That will not help. One must surrender. So tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Arjuna did that. Therefore Arjuna learned the Bhagavad-gītā, and it was always relief for him when he was perplexity. Haranti smarataś cittam. Haranti. What is that haranti? Hṛt-tāpa. Hṛt-tāpa, the blazing fire within the heart, within the core of the heart, immediately becomes minimized, haranti. Smarataś cittam. As soon as I remember, my consciousness, my heart, core of heart, becomes immediately relieved.
Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:
Pradyumna: Translation: "Because of his possessing spiritual assets, the doubts of duality were completely cut off. Thus he was freed from the three modes of material nature and placed in transcendence. There was no longer any chance of his becoming entangled in birth and death, for he was freed from material form." (SB 1.15.31)
Prabhupāda: Viśokaḥ, without any bereavement. Brahma-sampattyā, by achieving spiritual assets. This is the sign how one is advanced in spiritual life. That will be tested by this word viśokaḥ, without any bereavement. That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā the same thing: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). Prasannātmā means there is no more lamentation and no more hankering. That is prasannātmā.
Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:
Just like a man is known by his company. So Kali-yuga is the age of irreligion. Therefore, quarrel and fighting. Quarrel and fighting, communal fighting. Unnecessarily they will form a community, a group, all rascals, another group, another group of rascals, and they will fight unnecessarily. Just like this nationalism. This is simply group of rascals. That's all. Why rascal? Because irreligious, therefore rascal. So "Big, big, men, big, big scientist, big, big... Still, they are rascal?' Yes. Still, they are rascal. Why? Because irreligious. They do not know what is God. Therefore they are rascal. This is the only test. "Whether you know God?" "No, sir." "Then you are rascal." That's all. No more test. One test is sufficient: "Whether you know God?" Because this human life is meant for knowing God. This temple is meant for human being, not for the cats and dogs.
Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:
Kṛṣṇa says. So we have learned from Kṛṣṇa. So we test. What is the test? Na māṁ prapadyante. He does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So such person, what he is? Now, duṣkṛtina, sinful. Meritorious sinful, that when merit is applied for sinful activities, you can do it very nicely than the ordinary man. A scientist discovers some method of stealing, how to break the treasury of the bank. So that does not mean... Because he is doing scientifically, stealing, that does not mean he is not a thief. He is a thief. How you can say, "Oh, he has done it very scientifically"? (laughing) The law will say, "You are rascal. You are thief. You must be punished."
Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:
So the proposal was that "We are interested to hear about Kali's being punished by Mahārāja Parīkṣit if there is some connection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is the principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we shall not do anything which has no connection with Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should be very alert: "I am going to do this. Whether it has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa? I am going to eat this. Whether there is any connection with Kṛṣṇa?" In this way, we have got always some activities, some action of the senses, but if we test every moment, "Whether this has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa?" then you will remain safe. I am going to talk with you or somebody else. Whether that talk has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa? If it has no, then I am not going to talk. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. That is really renunciation.
Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:
So there are many other things, which is not possible by ordinary human being. These things are to the test. Not very small, insignificant. Just like in India, there are so many so-called incarnation of God or God. They declare themselves God. But that God is for the fools and rascals, not for any intelligent man. Intelligent will test it by the description of the śāstra. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete koriyā aikya. Anything we shall accept through sādhu, devotees. A devotee accepts something. That we shall accept.
Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:
The modern civilization is that he is actually a dog, a cat, but he dresses himself very nicely, to become gentleman. So śāstra says, no. We have to test whether he is human being or a cat and dog, what he is. So if we see that people are engaged only in these four business—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—he is cat and dog. Above them, they are inquiring. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. They are inquiring about the Absolute Truth. They are above these cats and dogs. This is the test, what subject matter he is inquiring. Just like there are big, big scientists. They are making research, "If petrol can be substituted?" So in the eyes of the common man he may become a very great scientist, but those who are advanced in spiritual consciousness, they will take him no better than cat and dog—because his subject matter is how to eat, sleep or mate or defend.
Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:
So our simple test is whether a man is devotee or not. If we find that He is a devotee, then we respect, "Yes, here is nice Vaiṣṇava." Even Yamarāja says, "Offer my respect to the Vaiṣṇava." But if we see that he is not a devotee, he is claiming himself as God, as the supreme, then immediately, according to the formula of Bhagavad-gītā, we accept-mūḍha. Because a mūḍha does not surrender. Mūḍha.
Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:
Just like if you go to the chemical laboratory, you are testing the characteristic. In the book there is characteristic, even an ordinary chemical. Now, they say... Take, for example, salt. It is called? Chemical name is sodium chloride. Eh? Sodium chloride. So in the book you'll find sodium chloride, and the characteristics, "It is like this. It is like this. It is like this." The color, the taste, the composition, so many things are there. Similarly... How we are testing the purity of sodium chloride? From the books. Similarly, here is the characteristic of pure devotee. Characteristics. You test whether he's truthful. "He's not truthful, sir." Then he's not pure devotee. He's doing something... He promised before his spiritual master, before the Deity, before the fire, "No illicit sex," but he's having illicit sex. So how he is advanced? How he's advanced? He's not even truthful, the first qualification. He's unclean. Truthfulness. Śaucam, means very clean.
Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:
Some of our students exhibited that "There is no need of regu... We are all paramahaṁsas." Paramahaṁsa not; rascal number one. Here is the test. When you'll not be influenced by the material qualities, rajo-guṇa, sattva-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And the test is that nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau, that conquering over the sleeping, nidrā. First thing is mentioned here. Sleeping and eating and sense enjoyment. Śrī-caitanya-mahāprabhu-guṇānukathane.
Lecture on SB 2.1.7 -- Paris, June 15, 1974:
So therefore we should be careful that don't imitate that "I am now become paramahaṁsa. I do not require to follow the rules and regulations. Let me do whatever I like." Don't do that. The test is there. Test is there, here. It is said, guṇānukathane hareḥ. When you are paramahaṁsa, then you have no other business than simply to hear about Kṛṣṇa, and chant about Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 2.3.1-4 -- Los Angeles, May 24, 1972:
Uncovered by or untouched by fruitive activities and jñāna. Just like in Vṛndāvana. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they never tried to know Kṛṣṇa, whether He is God. That was not their business. Jñānam, the jñānīs, they want to know. Just like Brahmā wanted to test whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not. Indra wanted to test whether... The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they never did it. They think, "Kṛṣṇa is our very intimate friend, my beloved son, my lover, my master." Everyone's concentrated love for Kṛṣṇa in different mellows.
That's all. Even when Kṛṣṇa played wonderful thing, so they simply thought, "Oh, He might be a demigod." You see. So they never tried to analyze Kṛṣṇa, but their love for Kṛṣṇa, there is no comparison. So that is wanted. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). "Whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not, let me test." You can test, but pure love means whatever Kṛṣṇa may be, He is my lovable object: mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ. We have no other business than to love Kṛṣṇa, whatever He may be. He may be God or He may be whatever He may be. That is called anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11).
Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 14, 1972:
You can say, "Oh, here is a big man, and... Mr. such and such, such a great politician, great scientist, great... So we must praise." But the Bhāgavata says, "Whether he has given any aural reception about Kṛṣṇa, that is the test." No. He has no knowledge about Kṛṣṇa. Then he must be praised by persons who are like camel, asses, dogs, hogs. That means, "No human being will praise him." If he is voted or praised, the vote must be coming from the asses, dogs, hogs, like that. That is going on. Asses, hogs, dogs, camels, they are giving vote.
How they can select? These animals, any animal, they do not know which person is perfect and should be selected as leader. They do not know. Śūdras. Śūdras, animals, the same thing. So people are being educated like dogs, hogs, camels and asses. So how they can expect any real happiness? That is not possible. The test should be... Public, general public, they may be like cats, dogs, hogs naturally because they have no sufficient education. Not they are expected to be highly educated, general mass of people. But if arrangement is made to give them chance of hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then they will be very big men, perfect men.
Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Bombay, March 24, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:
Very tightly regulated by the laws of nature, and still, we are independently manufacturing religion. This is not possible. Give us this... Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Actually this is dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or any other sect. The test is how much you are advanced in understanding God. That is the... If you do not understand God, if you have no obedience to God, that is not dharma.
Lecture on SB 2.3.25 -- Los Angeles, June 23, 1972:
Karṇa, he gave his son to be sacrificed. A brāhmaṇa asked that "I want your son to be sacrificed by you." He was incarnation of God. He tested Karṇa's charity. He was very charitable, so he asked him that "I want your son, and you shall sacrifice, you both, husband and wife." He agreed, Karṇa, "Yes, I'll do that." So there was some test like that. So actually, formerly, the kings, they possessed their kingdom just to manage, not thinking "It is my property. I am the king." As soon as the kings thought like that, the monarchy finished.
Lecture on SB 2.9.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:
If I say, "Don't drink," unless you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is impossible to give up this drinking. That has already been tested. The American government, they are trying. They are spending so much money to stop these intoxication habits of the young men. They cannot because they are ramamāṇa māyayā. They are pulled by the ear of the person: "You must drink this." Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Prakṛti, nature, material nature is pulling you: "You must drink." So unless one is free from the management of the prakṛti, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni, it is impossible. So they are trying to give lesson that "Don't drink." "Vegetarians." There are so many societies. In Hong Kong I saw so many societies. Hong Kong or where I saw?
Lecture on SB 3.1.10 -- Dallas, May 21, 1973:
Who is a learned scholar? Now, somebody will say one who has passed the M.A., Ph.D. degrees in university, he is learned scholar. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, "No, that is not the criterion." Simply to hold degrees of university examination, that is not the test of his becoming learned scholar. That is not. Then what is the test of his becoming learned scholar? Three things. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Except one's married wife, if one sees all other woman like mother, he is a learned scholar. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. And other's property, just like garbage in the street. And ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ. If one has acquired... By education, there must be some effect. So these are the tests how one has advanced in education. He must treat all woman except his mother, except his wife, as mother. In India still, women, especially in āśramas, any woman, visitor, she is addressed as "Mother" by all the... She may be young girl, but she is addressed as "Mother." This is the etiquette. "Mother, what can I help you?" This is the very relationship.
Lecture on SB 3.1.10 -- Dallas, May 21, 1973:
First of all, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). These children, according to strict Vedic principle, by practical psychology, they should be tested, "What is the tendency of this boy?" There can be four kinds of tendencies: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Some child is to become a brāhmaṇa, some child is to be become a kṣatriya, some child is to become a vaiśya, and the rest, śūdras.
Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:
And as soon as there is some strength, hypophosphate... Because stool contains all good chemicals. Hypophosphate, they say, who have tested... Of course, I do not know. They say that it is full of hypophosphates, and if you take hypophosphate... Sometimes doctor prescribes sera of hypophosphate for the weak people. So actually the hogs are very fatty. Therefore those who are meat-eaters, they like hog's flesh very nicely.
Lecture on SB 3.25.9 -- Bombay, November 9, 1974:
As soon as you'll find somebody godless, he does not know what is God, what is meaning of God, or he does not surrender to God... He does not know what is God—where is the question of surrender? Then we have got a test tube, statement of Kṛṣṇa. Then what class of man he is? If he does not believe in God, if he does not know what is God, what is our relationship with God, then what class of man he is? So we have got this test tube of Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? Duṣkṛtinaḥ. Always engaged in sinful activities.
Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:
The Supreme Lord became so much afflicted by terribly people being attached to killing animals... As they are now doing also. So He was compassionate to stop animal killing in the so-called sacrifice. But in the Vedic sacrifices, in some cases, there is recommendation of animal killing. That animal killing does not mean killing the animal and eat. No. It was a test. An old animal was put into the sacrificial fire and the animal would come in new body, young. That is animal... But to give, to test the Vedic mantra, whether it is properly chanted. Then the result will be that if you put one old body it will come new body. So such kind of brāhmaṇa is not available in this age, Kali-yuga, yājñika-brāhmaṇa. They, by mantras, they could, they would ignite fire. Fire was not required matches. By mantra. Simply by mantra, the old body of an animal will turn to be young.
Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:
Sometimes a person is dying, he is attacked with coma, and he is lying unconscious. Big, big politicians, "Mr. such and such," prime minister, and this and that, but he is lying unconscious in coma for seven days. And we do not know, but he is going very fierceful test. He is dreaming so many things that sometimes he is crying. He cannot express. Especially those who are very sinful, they die in that way. So this is not finished. Then, after death, you have to enter in the womb of the mother. That is another fierceful stage. You become packed up in a bag, and the bag is filled up or surrounded by stool, urine, worms. And you have to remain there, airtight packed, for ten months.
Lecture on SB 3.26.44 -- Bombay, January 19, 1975:
Just like they are testing now—in the test tube they are making life. But the substance, the semina, male and female, that you cannot create. That you have to take from the male, from the female, then put together in the test tube. Then it may come. They are very much proud that "Now in the laboratory we are making life by chemical combination." But the actual chemical coming from by this transformation under the supervision of the daiva, daiva-coditāt. Daiva is the principle cause. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). That they do not accept. And people are giving credit to these artificial scientist.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:
To become mahātmā means one should be under spiritual nature. After many, many births, when he has attained perfect knowledge, that is the sign of mahātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). And what is the test that he has attained purified knowledge and purified body? The test is bhajanti, uh, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). No. Bahūnāṁ janmanām a..., after many, many births, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). Who? One who has attained perfect knowledge. Jñānavān means perfect knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: "He surrenders unto Me." That is the ultimate standard of knowledge, when one has fully surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa, or God. That means he has attained perfection. You have got very good instance like Lord Jesus Christ. He was fully surrendered unto God. Therefore he is so much worshiped. He is great. God is great. He is also great because he has fully surrendered.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- London, September 17, 1969:
We have discussed some of the symptoms of great soul. The great soul is sama-citta, equal to everyone. Great soul is never angry; they are friend to everyone. And sādhava. Sādhava means sadācāra, clean habits. A mahātmā cannot be implicated with those four principles of sinful life. That is the first test. No illicit sex life, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication. This is called sadācāra, clean habit. Anything beyond this: unclean habit. Here it is stated, sādhava. Sādhava means sadācāra, clean habit.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:
Acyutānanda: In India, there are many swamis who claim to be Kṛṣṇa. How to detect them?
Prabhupāda: Hm? Many swamis?
Devotee: Claim to be Kṛṣṇa. How to detect them.
Prabhupāda: Let them prove that he is Kṛṣṇa. If you are foolish, then they will accept. If you are intelligent, then you'll ask him, first of all lift the Govardhana Hill, then you become Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you are rascal, I kick you on your face. (laughter) This is our version. We do not accept these rascals as Kṛṣṇa. We want to test, first of all, that you are Kṛṣṇa. Why should we accept a rascal as Kṛṣṇa unless he proves himself that he is Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa lifted Govardhana Hill when He was seven years old. What he has done that we shall accept him Kṛṣṇa? Don't be foolish. First of all let him prove that he's Kṛṣṇa. Test him. Then accept.
Lecture on SB 5.5.4 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1976:
If one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he is either duṣkṛtina, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyā-pahṛta-jñānā, āsuriṁ bhāvam āśrita. This is the test. Take this simple test. Just like test tube. A chemical analyzer examines chemicals in the test tube, a small nozzle, and he tests what it is. You can also test. Just like a big pot of rice boiling, you can test. Take one grain of the rice and press it. If it is properly boiled, then you can understand the whole thing is boiled. Similarly, there are, everything a test tube. So for us, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, there is a test tube. What is that test tube? If one does not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he should be rejected immediately. It is not sectarian. It is test tube. Kṛṣṇa says that if you do not find anyone fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, then he must belong to these groups. What is that? Duṣkṛtina, simply sinful. That's all. Always engaged Because nobody can become Kṛṣṇa conscious cent percent unless he's free from sinful life.
Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:
So these are the items we should, nirvaira-sāmyopaśamena putrā jihāsayā deha-geha. This is also one of the important items, that I am executing devotional service, but I have no detachment from my family life. The bhakti-yoga means bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). That is bhakti-yoga. Everyone can test, "How much I have become detached from my, this worldly affection. This is my family, this is my country, this is my society, this is my son, this is my wife, this is my children." This is moha. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), we have to give up this. If we have not been able to give up this attachment, worldly attachment, that means we are not making any progress. Therefore it is said clearly, deha-gehātmā. Eh? Buddheḥ. What is that? Jihāsayā deha-gehātma-buddheḥ. Ātma-buddheḥ.
Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:
And because we do not understand—everything we try to test with our limited understanding—therefore we do not believe in the activities of the Lord, and we are deceived in that way. God is all-powerful, but when we hear that God at the age of seven years age, old, He lifted the Govardhana Hill, immediately we dismiss, "Oh, this is all mythology." Why? If He has got inconceivable power—He is all-powerful—is it very difficult for Him to lift the Govardhana Hill? "No, we don't believe in God. Even if we believe, we want to believe in our own way."
Lecture on SB 5.5.28 -- Vrndavana, November 15, 1976:
We have description of Rāma-rājya. We have got the word nowadays. They sometimes use Rāma-rājya party, but without Rāma. This is their policy. Where is that Rāma? When Lord Rāmacandra returned from the forest, His brother, Bharata, was ruling as a saintly person. But as soon as the eldest brother came back, He entreated that "Now You sit down on the throne." But He first of all tested what kind of people in generally there are in the Ayodhyā. So when He understood that all the citizens, they are strictly following the varṇāśrama-dharma, then He agreed to accept the throne.
Lecture on SB 5.5.33 -- Vrndavana, November 20, 1976:
So here is incarnation of God, Ṛṣabhadeva. Now there are so many rascal incarnation. Is it possible to pass stool and make it surabhi? Is it possible? So you can ask these rascals incarnation that "Pass your stool here. Let us see first of all. Then we shall accept you." Practical. "We are fools and rascals. We want practical test." So śāstra-cakṣuṣaḥ. This is the injunction, śāstra. Here is śāstra, that the incarnation of God, even He passes stool, it is fragrant. He can do it. That is God. That practically you can see, that the cow dung... Cow dung, you can make a stack of cow dung here. It will never disturb you. You'll, rather, feel pleasure, passing through that portion of field where cow dung is stacked. You'll never feel any disturbance because it is pure. Cow dung... We have discussed this point many times.
Lecture on SB 5.6.8 -- Vrndavana, November 30, 1976:
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing, vede gāya yāhāra carita, and Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, he is also singing, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. So there is no difference. Not that one ācārya will say, "I have seen"—so-called ācārya, not real ācārya—"I have seen in dream." The other day the letter came? He has seen, realized in dream, nitāi-gaura rādhe-śyāma. This is not the process. Process is the śāstra, authority. That is... We have to... Not that jugglery: "I have seen in dream. I have to become guru." No. Whether you are actually in terms of the śāstra? Whether actually you are dear to Kṛṣṇa, you are most confidential servant? That we have to test.
Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:
First of all one must get a little faith and then associate with the devotees. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana-kriyā. Then, by associating with the devotees, we learn that "These devotees are worshiping the Deity, they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and they are eating prasādam, and they are very happy. So why not engage me also in this way?" So therefore gradually they come and offer, "Now, sir, I shall join, and initiate me." In this way we are doing. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅgaḥ tato bhajana-kriyā ādau anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. By execution of devotional service, whether you are making progress or not, that will be tested when anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, all the nonsense things which you have learned artificially, that will be finished. That is called anartha-nivṛttiḥ. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adho (SB 1.7.6).
Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:
Devotee (8): When a disciple takes initiation, does he first take initiation within the heart?
Prabhupāda: Initiation is the third stage. First stage is that... Just like you have come. This is called śraddhā, faith, little faith, not full faith. Then you have to increase this faith by association of devotee. That is required. And when the faith is increased, then the question of initiation. Initiation should not be immediately offered. That will be misused. Therefore when we initiate, we inquire from the head of the temple, "How long he is coming? What is his behavior?" If he certifies that "Yes, he is doing nice," then we initiate. Our initiation is not so cheap, "You come and be initiated." No, we do not do that. We must test you first of all. Then we initiate.
Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:
Guest (1): There are different cards...
Prabhupāda: I say different, may be hundreds, but it is up to you to test whether you have understood God. That is the test, real test. Yes?
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:
Prakṛti will take charge of you immediately. As soon as you give up this body, prakṛti will take charge. Take charge means the prakṛti will test what is the mentality at the time of your death, and he will give you a body like that, automatically. The nature's law is working so nicely, so perfectly, that everything is becoming manifest automatically. Just like fire, ah, flower. You see how beautiful flower, rose flower, is coming into existence automatically. Don't think that there is no brain. There is brain, but the brain is so perfect and instant that you are seeing that it is becoming automatically grown.
Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is answering. The spiritual master and disciple... First of all he wanted to test where is standing Parīkṣit Mahārāja. So there are three kinds of processes for becoming free from these material clutches. One is karma, the other is jñāna, or yoga, and the other is bhakti. So first of all Parīkṣit Mahārāja was tested by Śukadeva Gosvāmī whether he is satisfied by the karma-kāṇḍa, or fruitive activities. Fruitive activities means that "I have done something wrong. So I go to the church and make some atonement and finished; then again I do." This is karma-kāṇḍa.
Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Honolulu, May 9, 1976:
The bhakti-yoga means vairāgya-vidyā, how to become detached. That is the test. "Whether I am making progress in the bhakti-yoga?"—the test is within yourself. You haven't got to take a certificate from others. How much you are becoming detached to this material world, that is the test. If you are still attached to the material pleasures, that means you are not making progress in bhakti-yoga. It is a test.
Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- Honolulu, May 12, 1976:
Good qualities means we are part and parcel of God, so God is good, so we are also good. Otherwise how can I be part and parcel of God? If God is gold, then I am gold. So why I become iron? I am not iron, but I am covered with dirty things. I look like iron. This is the position. Actually I am not iron; I am gold, because I am part and parcel of God. If God is good, then I am good. So because I am covered by the material dirty things, I look like not gold. So this is the test. As soon as you become God conscious, your original all good qualities will manifest automatically.
Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:
Quality will be tested by work. Suppose if you are engineer. You have got the quality of... But if you sit down at home, what is your value? You must be engaged in some engineer work. Suppose you are lawyer, and if you don't go to the court and sleep at your home, then what is the worth of your studying law? Therefore guṇa-karma. One should not be simply qualified as engineer or lawyer, but he must work also, as engineer, as lawyer. Then he's bona fide.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Honolulu, May 15, 1976:
So by karma we cannot become perfect perpetually. Just like I have given several times the example that in spite of so much education and universities and advancement of civili..., nobody is perfect in the modern civilization, not even honest. In spite of education, so much learning... I have given this example many times. This is tested in the airport, that everyone is examined about his dishonest. That means nobody is honest. So this will not help. If you want to make the world perfect, then not by karma, neither by mental speculation. That is not possible. The only means is bhakti, especially in this age. In this Kali-yuga people are very much embarrassed. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutaḥ (SB 1.1.10). Manda-bhāgyā. Even nobody is happy in his family life, so unfortunate, manda-bhāgyā. That is practical. So these things will not help, especially in this age.
Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply giving chance to people without any discrimination, "Please come. Become Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa, devotee, and automatically you'll become suśīla and sādhu." As soon as—that is the test—you become a devotee, nārāyaṇa-para, then automatically you become suṣīla and sādhava. And if you become well behaved and sādhava, committing no sinful activities, sādhava, and simply serving Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa, then for our elevation or salvation, that is the panthāḥ kṣemo akuto-bhayaḥ. Akuto-bhayam. Now we are fearless. If on the devotional path, then you have no fear.
Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Denver, July 1, 1975:
Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed yadi (SB 1.2.8). By performing religious ceremonies or following the religious principle, the test is how one has become advanced in the loving service of the Lord. This is required. And his example is very strong, that surā-kumbham ivāpagāḥ. Surā-kumbha, the pot which contained liquor, it cannot be purified. Therefore it is so strictly prohibited about liquor.
Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Honolulu, May 19, 1976:
One scientist in Delhi, our Delhi festival, he said very nicely that "We scientists, we are just like learning how to bark like dog." Yes. He said very plainly. Because a dog is barking, everyone knows. But if there is a tent and advertisement, yes, that "Mr. such and such will bark like a dog," and people will come and pay ten dollars' fee: "A man is barking. Very wonderful. Let us see." So these rascals, the chemists, they are trying to manufacture living being within test tube, and they are becoming very famous: "Oh, now they are making life in the..." Rascal, there are so many hundreds and millions of life are there, every day being created. What credit you'll get if you manufacture a life within test tube? But the rascals, they are: "Oh, scientists. He is now going to manufacture life." "No, show me how made..." "Yes, we are trying. It will be in future."
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:
Prabhupāda: Just like when He was displaying Himself as a child, a perfect child to Mother Yaśodā, He would break everything if Mother Yaśodā would not supply mākhana, you see, as if He is in need of mākhana. But these Māyāvādīs, they said, "Oh, here is... How He can be God?" Brahmā became bewildered: "How this boy can be the Supreme Lord? Let me test." So... Indra became bewildered. Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ, the Bhāgavatam says. Even big, big demigods, they become bewildered to understand. So when Kṛṣṇa was present, Indra, he wanted to test Him, and Brahmā wanted to test Him, whether He is actually God. So that is intelligence. If anyone declares... People are... Sometimes a so-called incarnations are, they are declaring that "I am God." Then one should test whether actually God. That is intelligence. Simply by declaring, if somebody declares falsely that "I am God..." Just like this Ramakrishna. He declared that "I am the same Kṛṣṇa and Rāma." Is it not? You do not know?
Guest (2): I haven't got a basic idea, but he was taken in the world...
Prabhupāda: That is the... How he has taken? How he was taken? There is no, in the śāstras, any confirmation. He was accepted by Vivekananda. He said that "I am the same Rāma and Kṛṣṇa," and Vivekananda accepted. So anyone can say like that; anyone can accept. But that is the test? What is the proof? You can say that "I am the same Rāma and Kṛṣṇa," but because you say, I'll have to accept? So that is nonintelligent. So the Brahmā and Indra, they are not fools. When they saw that "A boy is in Vṛndāvana, and He is accepted as the Supreme Lord, and He is doing something like God. Let us test," so Brahmā took away all His cows and calves and playmates. And after a second, when he came, he saw the same cows, same calves, same boys were there. Kṛṣṇa has expanded. Although His cows were taken away, He immediately expanded Himself in so many cows and calves and boys. And when they returned home their mother could not recognize that they were the same or Kṛṣṇa has expanded. But their affection became very much acute for their children. These stories are mentioned in Kṛṣṇa. You have read it? Yes.
Haṁsadūta: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa expanded. So Brahmā understood that "It was my fault that I wanted to test my Lord." Then he came and surrendered, and there is a very nice stotra of Brahmā.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Even in my absence many centers are developing. When I came back to India this time... There were thirty-five or thirty-two centers. Now it is forty-two.
Guest (5): (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Yes. They are increasing. Here, India difficulty—we have to make them forget all nonsense he has learned. That is the difficulty. And here, there in America I got all nice blank slates, and whatever I say they accepted, and improvement is immediately there. And here the people are coming to test me, to talk with me nonsense and waste my time.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:
Rūpa Gosvāmī, when he was in Vṛndāvana, he was known, the most learned scholar. So one mundane scholar came, and he approached Rūpa Gosvāmī and said, "Sir, I want to talk with you on śāstras." So Rūpa Gosvāmī said, "Why talking with me about śāstras?" "Now, you are well known, so well known about śāstra, Vedic literatures. So I want to test you." "So what is the purpose?" "Now, if I can defeat you, then I will be renowned." "All right. I am defeated." So there is no question of talking, because Rūpa Gosvāmī saw, "What is the use of talking with this rascal? He is for material name and fame." "So what do you want?" "Now, if you think that you are less intelligent, then give me in writing." "All right, I am giving in writing that 'This scholar has defeated me.' " So he gave him.
Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:
So this kind of guru is going on. But you should know, guru means who carries the order of the Supreme Lord. That is guru. Any rascal who manufactures some idea is not guru. Immediately kick him out, immediately, that "This is a rascal. This is not a guru." Guru is here, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā (CC Madhya 7.128). Guru means the faithful servant of God. That is guru. So you have to first of all test that "Are you faithful servant of God?" If he says, "No, I am God," oh, kick him on his face immediately. (laughter) Kick him immediately, that "You are rascal. You have come to cheat us." Because test is there that guru means faithful servant of God, simple. You don't require large definition, what is guru. So Vedic knowledge gives you indication that tad-vijñānārtham. If you want to know the science of spiritual life, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), you must approach guru. And who is guru? Guru means who is the faithful servant of God. Very simple.
Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:
This is nature's law. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram. At the time... The test will be at the time of death, what kind of body you are going to get. So yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam. The... Just like he is very much affectionate to his son. He is thinking of his son. Similarly, if you very much affectionate to your dog or something else, you will think at that time. Therefore practice Hare Kṛṣṇa so that at the time of death you can think of Kṛṣṇa and your life is successful.
Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:
So that practice is required. Simply by... Mahato bhayāt. Here it is also said, niśamya mriyamāṇasya mukhato hari-kīrtanam. The hari-kīrtana is so glorious. If anyone at the time of death, mriyamāṇa, mriyamāṇa, one who is just dying... In a Bengali proverb it is said, parable, bhajan koro sādhan koro murte jānle haya: "Whatever you do, spiritual activities, they will be tested at the time of death." All your chants that you are practicing, this will be tested at the time of death. If you can remember Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, hari-kīrtana, at the time of death, then you are successful. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind, that immediately after hearing that the dying man was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa, the same thing... Bhartur nāma pārṣadāḥ.
Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Honolulu, May 28, 1976:
So this mental condition naturally is there what I practice throughout my whole life. So if we practice this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa name, then there is chance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. That is the examination. In Bengali there is a proverb, bhajan kara sādhana kara murte jānle hoy. That is, "How you are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, that you'll be tested at your time of death." That is wanted. If we practice throughout whole life "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa," then there is good chance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, because at the time of death everything becomes disordered. The tongue becomes disordered, the mind becomes disordered.
Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:
One must know Kṛṣṇa in fact, tattvataḥ, in truth. He can become guru. Otherwise, guru is not a, so cheap post that everyone can become guru. Similarly, here is the challenge, that "If you are representative of Dharmarāja, you must explain what is dharma and what is adharma." That should be the criterion of test. Not that everyone should be accepted as religious, everyone should be accepted as guru. This ignorance of the population has created so many nonsense as representing as guru and dharma-jñā. No. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). The Vedic injunction says, tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, śābde pare ca niṣnātam.
Lecture on SB 6.1.38 -- Los Angeles, June 4, 1976:
So we have got two tests. One test is sufficient. If one is not devotee, if one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's a demon, has finished our conclusion. We simply ask whether you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, whether you know Kṛṣṇa. If he says, "No, I don't know..." I think our Śyāmasundara's daughter is... She used to preach. She used to go to any elderly person when she was four years old. "Do you know Kṛṣṇa?" she said. So he says, "No, I don't know." "Oh, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is preaching. Finish, preaching. A child can preach. A child can understand, "Do you know God?" "No." "You are a demon." (laughter) Finished. Where is the difficulty? As soon as you say "I do not know God," you are a demon. Bās. First-class demon. "I am scientist." "You are rascal." "No, I have studied, I have got my degrees." "Māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. (laughter) Rascal, you have studied so long, simply waste of time. Your real knowledge is taken away because you do not know God." That is described. We have got very simple test in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement how to distinguish between an intelligent man a rascal. As soon as we understand that he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's a rascal. Bās. There is no need of testing. Even though he's M.A., Ph.D, D.H.C. and so on, so on, still we shall call him a rascal. This is open challenge; it is not secret. How? Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said, tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ vidyayā 'pi alaṅkṛto san. He very nicely says that rascals and fools, must give up their company. Tyaja durjana-saṁsargam. "No, I have got many friends, they are university educated." But he says, vidyayālaṅkṛto 'pi san. Even they are with degrees of M.A. Ph.D., tyaja durjana saṁsargaṁ vidyayālaṅkṛto 'pi san. Even he is educated, so-called educated, he's not educated. Anyone who does not know God, he's not educated, he's a rascal. This is our conclusion. Not our conclusions, this is śāstra's conclusion. So "He has got so many degrees and he's rascal and he's durjana, a bad man?" "Yes." "Why?" Now maṇinā bhuṣitaḥ sarpaḥ kim asau na bhayāṅkaraḥ. Suppose a serpent, he has got a gem on his head. Is it not fearful? Very good example. Suppose a snake comes here and he, it has a jewel on the head. So you'll be all safe? (laughter) No. He's dangerous.
Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976:
So the Viṣṇudūta is testing these Yamadūtas, whether he understands what is the meaning of dharma. Dharma, we cannot create. Dharma is neither Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma, this dharma, that dharma. They may be some sectarian understanding, but real dharma means how we have learned to love God.
Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:
Sa dharma yo 'dharmo na veda pramāṇakaḥ: "And any dharma which is not corroborated by the Vedas, that is not dharma. That is not accepted as religion." Iti svarūpaḥ pramāṇaṁ ca ity uktam.(?) Now, that is the characteristic of dharma, svarūpa. So if we want to understand what is dharma, then the test should be whether it is corroborated by the Vedas. Then it is dharma.
Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:
So some atheist old man, he challenged me that "Why you are thinking of God? This body is just like a clock. You wind it and it will go on." That's all right. But here a clock machine is there. It can produce other clock. But your clock cannot do that. That is the difference. Here God-made machine is so nice and perfect that He creates one male and one female, and unlimited machine is coming out, so much so that you, being disgusted, you kill some of the machine. And they are trying to manufacture another machine in the laboratory, in the test tube. What is the credit there? Millions of machine are coming out without your test tube. But they want to take credit.
Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:
Just like I have said many times that our test tube testing is Kṛṣṇa's word that "One who is religious or unreligious..." What is that? Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ arjuna: "Four classes of men who are pious, they come to Me for worshiping." Who are they? Ārto arthārthī jijñāsuḥ jñānī, four classes. One who is distressed, he goes to God: "Sir, I am very much distressed. Kindly give me relief." Arthārthī, one is poor, he also goes, provided he is pious. The impious, they'll "Uh, what is God? I will do it."
Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Detroit, June 14, 1976:
Aghaṁ dhunvanti, this material life means full of sinful activities. Either little... Sinful activities are sinful activities. It may be, according to the material calculation, these are good sinful activities and these are bad sinful activities. No, sinful activities are sinful activities. And what is our sinful activity? As soon as we forget Kṛṣṇa, everything we do, that is sinful. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino prapadyante narādhamāḥ. This is the criterion, test, that if one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, if he's not a surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa, whatever activities they are doing, that is all sinful. This is the conclusion. So we should always remain in full understanding, that whether our time is being properly utilized in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then we are saved. Otherwise we are under the clutches of māyā, and Yamarāja is there, and immediately we get a certain type of body for another term of suffering.
Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:
That is human civilization. Not that on the road the boy or the girl is embracing, kissing, and having sex life. This is animal life. This is animal life. Simple they are educated to prostitution. Now, at the present moment, father, mother, sends the daughter for prostitution: "Find out a suitable man. Attract a suitable man. Don't marry abruptly. Just test this man, this man, this man, this man, this man. Then marry." So father-mother, they are teaching daughters prostitution. This is the condition of the society. How there can be peace? And they are after peace. They are making conference—"peace." By conference and passing resolution there can be peace? And the result is Naxalites, Communists.
Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:
In a Bengali there is a proverb, bhajana kara sādhana kara mūrti jānle haya(?), that "Whatever you are executing as a bhajana, sādhana, that's all right, but it will be tested at the time of your death." It will be test. Just like a parrot is chanting, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa," but when some cat comes in, "Kaw, kaw, kaw." No. Then missing. So parrot life will not help you. You must be really chanting without any offense. Then it is possibility that at the time of death... Death will be there. You may be very proud of your body, that "I am permanent." No. "As sure as death." And after death you have to change your body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). That we do not know, what kind of body I will enjoy. Now I have got Serji's(?) body. That's all right. But your karma will decide the next body.
Lecture on SB 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975:
If at the time of death one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then he is glorious. Nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ. Here is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāsty atra. Anta-kāle: "At the time of..." I have several times said, the test will be examined at the time of death. They say in Bengal, bhajan koro pūjān koro murte jānle haya.(?) Your austerity, penances, chanting of the holy name, all these things... Just like there is examination. Before promotion to the higher class, one is examined in the school, and the, if the marks are sufficient, then he is promoted. So our promotion will depend at the time of death, where we are going. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We are going to change our... Death means we are going to change our body. So this change of body will be decided at the time of death. It is already decided what kind of body we are going to get, but the final decision will be taken at the time of death. That is said by Kṛṣṇa. So how the test... You... Everyone can understand. If at the time of death one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, then you know certainly that he has gone to Vaikuṇṭha. There is no doubt about it. Anta-kāle. And even there is aparādha, that is not taken into consideration, because at the time of death he has uttered. This is special consideration. Anta-kāle.
Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:
These are the, some of the practical examples. There are persons who criticize chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Nāmnād artha-vāda. Because the glories of the holy name are described here, that one can become free from the sinful reaction of life simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord, so sometimes those who are not in the line, they think, "It is too much. It is too much." So the next verse, the... It is advised... Not it is too much. You can test it. Test it. What is that test? Patita. When you fall down from a high place... Suppose from the roof you may fall down, patitaṁ. Skhalita: you may slip and fall down. Bhagnaḥ: by falling down you may break your bones. Then sandaṣṭaḥ: you may be bitten by some animal—cats, dogs, a snake. There are so many, domestic. Then tapta: you may be burned. And āhataḥ: you may be injured from others. Then during this time you can test, practical. What is that test? Harir ity avaśena aha. Try to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Pumān. If anyone does so, na arhati yātanāḥ. You'll immediately feel that from the injuries you are not feeling pain. This is practical seen. Even a snake bite... You may be saved. The author says, never says, that you may be saved from death, but the suggestion is that you may not feel much pain. This is practical.
Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:
Just like in medical science, in physiology sometimes experiment is made by plying the knife on some animal, similarly, how the yajña was being performed, that was tested by animal sacrifice. Animal sacrifice was not meant for killing one animal and eating. No. That the animal, an old animal, should be put into the yajña fire and he'll come out a young, with a young body, that was the test how Vedic mantras were being chanted powerfully. That was the... Not that animal was to be killed there. No. Superficially it appears that animal is put and he is killed, but when the animal comes out of the yajña, that is the test of yajñic brāhmaṇa chanting the Vedic hymns correctly. That was the system. And because there is no such powerful yajñic brāhmaṇa at the present moment, therefore all kinds of yajñas are forbidden at the present moment.
Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:
Prāyeṣu means almost he is purified. At that time he is fixed up in devotional service; therefore we offer the brahminical position, sacred thread, because a person who is fixed up in devotional service, he is a brāhmaṇa. He is a brāhmaṇa. He is no more any other because he has cleansed almost the bad habits and the unclean state of mind. Naṣṭa prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Just see. It is, whatever we are doing, it is all according to the śāstra. Not that he has completely become free, but naṣṭa prāyeṣu. Prāya means almost. Almost he has finished the contamination. Therefore he is fixed up. The first test is whether he is fixed up. As soon as he is fixed up, that means he is fixed up in the brahminical stage.
Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:
So when one is fixed up in devotional service, then tato rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye, ceta etair anāviddha. At that time, when he's fixed up in devotional service, his mind is not disturbed with all this nonsense coming out of the quality of ignorance and passion. Tato rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye, ceta etair anāviddha. Anāviddham means it is not attacked by this greediness and lustiness. Sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati: "He is immediately in the sattva-guṇa, goodness. Therefore his mind is satisfied." These are the test. Mind is no more disturbance.
Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:
So Yamarāja says... It sometimes takes place in the great. Just like Bhṛgu Muni. There was meeting, "Who is the greatest, the three deities, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara?" So Bhṛgu Muni was deputed to test. And he purposefully kicked on the chest of Viṣṇu. So the so-called brāhmaṇas, they take pride: "Oh, our community man was able to kick."
Lecture on SB 7.5.23-24 -- Vrndavana, March 31, 1976:
So the test of advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is that one should be detestful, lose attachment to the material things. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja did not like the material education from Sanda and Amarka. He very plainly said to his father that "What I have heard from my spiritual master, Nārada Muni..." Spiritual master means Nārada Muni or his representative.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:
There are different kinds of duties according to the different division of the human society. That is a fact. Nobody can deny it. But how one can understand that the duty he is performing is successful? How one can understand? What is the test? You may be whatever you are doing, that doesn't matter. But how it is tested, that whatever you have done in your whole life, it has become successful. The test is, according to Bhāgavatam, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Everyone's duty, the point of perfection is saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13), whether by your duty you have satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the duty. Then it is perfect.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:
The idea is anyone who has got some money, he wanted to satisfy God. So it doesn't matter what you are doing, but the test of your success will be considered as successful if you try to satisfy God. Because we are, whole life, we are dragging from God. "God give us our daily bread," and God is supplying daily bread. Otherwise, where you are getting bread? You say, "I am purchasing from the market." Oh, where the storekeeper got this wheat? It is produced by agriculture. But do you think that simply by machine it is now produced? No. Unless there is some natural favorable condition, you cannot produce. There are five causes. The land, labor, capital, organization, and Bhagavad-gītā accepts daiva, another cause.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is teaching to his class friends, that "My dear friends, you try to understand this Bhāgavata-dharma." What is Bhāgavata-dharma? This is Sanskrit word. Bhāgavata means pertaining to God. Bhagavān means God and Bhāgavata, pertaining to God, that is called Bhāgavata. So Bhāgavata-dharma, the purpose of Bhāgavata-dharma means pertaining to my..., you have to test the success of your activities by pleasing God. That is Bhāgavata-dharma. Just like in your office you want to satisfy your boss. In your school or college you want to satisfy your teacher or principal. Similarly, the supreme teacher, the supreme boss is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). This is the sum and substance of Bhāgavata-dharma, that one has to test the success of his activities. It doesn't matter what it is.
Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976:
Who is sādhu? Who is abiding by the injunction of the śāstra. Or guru? Guru means he's also abiding by the injunction of the śāstra. Then he's guru, he's sādhu. He's sādhu. And if one, śāstra vidhim, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya... If śāstra-vidhi you give up, then where is the question of guru and sādhu? Na siddhim. He's not siddha. He has not attained the perfection, because he has rejected the principles of śāstra. So he's bogus. We have to test like that who is guru.
Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976:
Praṇipāt, surrender, that is required first. If you think somebody that he's not worth surrendering, then don't make him guru. Don't make a fashion. First of all you test that "Whether I can surrender?" Praṇipātena. Then try to understand. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. Not only surrendering, but also render service so that guru may be pleased that "This disciple is very humble, meek and giving service." Anywhere, even in material world, if you want to take something from somebody, if you please him by service, it is very easy. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsa (SB 11.3.21).
Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:
Bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ. If you become pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then as soon as you think of sex, you'll spite. "Eh! Nonsense. What is this?" This is the result. That is the certificate, whether you have got that attitude—spite on it. Then you understand that you are increasing. Otherwise you are in the same hellish condition. You may show that you are becoming a devotee, very great devotee. So test yourself, how much you have advanced.
Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:
You cannot place any other scripture collected from the world where the science of God is so elaborately stated, which you can test with all reason and argument. That is Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So we have to learn the science. As you are learning so many department of knowledge, similarly, this is also another department of knowledge, to learn the science of God. The government should come forward to popularize this movement and to educate people in the science of God.
Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):
So you haven't got to labor very hard. If you simply follow mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186), if you follow the footprints of great personalities like Arjuna, like Nārada, like Brahmā, like Śaṅkarācārya, like Rāmānujācārya, oh, they are there. Their precepts and their injunction is there. But you have to select a person, a bona fide spiritual master. You have to see that whether he's actually in that disciplic succession. And how you can test it? You'll test it that a bona fide spiritual master will instruct you the same thing as Kṛṣṇa instructed. How it is that? That Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all engagements and you just surrender unto Me," the spiritual master will say the same thing, that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa."
Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 11, 1976:
This ananta-koṭi-brahmāṇḍa is only one-fourth manifestation of God's creation, and just imagine what is the other three-fourth, that is spiritual world. So the nitya-siddha mahā-bhāgavata, they come from the spiritual world on the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they, by example, they preach Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. This is mahā-bhāgavata. By suffering, by example, everything, they look like ordinary men, but mahā-bhāgavata. How it is tested? Never forgets Kṛṣṇa. This is mahā-bhāgavata nitya-siddha. And sādhana-siddha means those who are put into this material world, by the association of mahā-bhāgavata, if he tries, follows, then he can also become mahā-bhāgavata or nitya-siddha, because originally everyone is nitya-siddha.
Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was visited by many learned brāhmaṇas when He was at Purī, Jagannātha Purī. So one learned brāhmaṇa, he wrote some poems about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There were many brāhmaṇas, they were coming, but all such reading matter, first it was to be tested by His secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara. If Svarūpa Dāmodara would pass, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu will hear. Otherwise why should He waste His time (with) some hodge-podge writing? So one brāhmaṇa, he wrote something about Caitanya Mahāprabhu and came to read, recite before Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Svarūpa Dāmodara found many mistakes in that poem, so he did not allow him, that "You do not know how to present theistic literature.
Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:
Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ. Anartha, these are anartha. There is no need of smoking. It is useless, but we have practiced it. Therefore they are anartha. But if you follow the devotional process, then anartha will be finished very soon. That is the test. Test means, bhakti pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt, if you are actually advancing in bhakti, devotional service, then automatically you don't like these nonsense practices. No illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling, no intoxication, automatically. That is the test how far you are. Anartha-nivṛtti syāt, these are anartha. Then if he is niṣṭhā, firm faith, then ruci, taste then asakti, attraction then bhava, then prema. So Prahlāda Mahārāja, he is on the stage of prema, prema-gadgadayā vācā tan-nyasta-hṛdayekṣaṇaḥ. when you attain the stage of prema, then your core of heart is cleansed for welcoming, He is there, for seeing.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 2, 1968:
How you can test that the particular engagement in which you are occupied, whether it is successful or not? How it is to be tested? The Bhāgavata gives you the formula. What is that, the formula? Now, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). You just try to see whether by your work Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, has become satisfied. If you see that He is satisfied, then whatever work you are doing, either you are philosopher or a businessman or a scientist, or anything, politician... There are so many occupational duties. But you have to test whether that is giving you real perfection. That test is that you have to see whether by your activity the Supreme Lord is satisfied. Then... This is a great science. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness science.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:
Simply you become Kṛṣṇa conscious." This is religion. This is the order, this is the word. So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is to become religious, is to remain in goodness, and is to make progress and advancement in self-realization. Everything is complete. There is no comparison of any religion with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We can challenge any religionist, "Come and see, and test and compare." So the same advertisement: "You all, in '69, match this." So nobody can match Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is so nice.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:
So the order was that the brāhmaṇa can stay there and there was a store, he can take his supplies from the store and eat and live there peacefully. And the storekeeper was submitting bill to the king that your guest has taken so many things, kindly pay. So he was paying. So he was testing by the bill. If he would see the bill contains more spices and chilis, he will ask immediately, "Drag this man, he is not a brāhmaṇa." (laughter) "Drag this, he is not a brāhmaṇa." So be careful, don't take much.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:
All the symptoms of life are present there, so he is not dead. He is alive." Similarly, if you have got that talent to test how God is alive, that is very simple. The whole cosmic manifestation, the whole gigantic body of God is working so nicely. The sun is rising in time, the moon is rising in time, the seasonal changes are taking place in time, the planets are moving. Everything is in order. How you can say that God is dead? What is your reason? No. God is not dead. God is alive, and you can meet also God because He is a person and you are a person.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:
We don't recommend in that way. You remain in your religious faith, but we simply request you that you develop your love of God. That's all. We want to test your religion capacity—how much you have developed your love of God. That's all. We do not want to see how, what kind of rituals and performances you are doing. Phalena paricīyate. We want to see the result, how much you have tried or how much you have developed your love of Godhead. That's all.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:
So this bhakti, it is not simply sentiment, but it is to understand actually what is God. It is science of God. Otherwise how it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā? One who has understood the Supreme, the Absolute, he is called brāhmaṇa, brahma-bhūtaḥ. And the symptom is that... How can I understand that he is a brāhmaṇa and has understood Brahman? The immediate answer is brahma-bhūtaḥ. The test is, one who is completely in knowledge of Brahman, the symptom will be prasannātmā: he will be always cheerful. There is no question of anxiety for him. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ. Prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). There is no lamentation; there is no desire. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. There is no desire.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:
Yasmin sthite, and the test is that if one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then guruṇāpi duḥkhena... Because the world, this material world, we are always in trouble. So a person situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not troubled at all, even if he is put into very trying circumstances. Guruṇāpi duḥkhena. This is the test. That is called santoṣa, and satya, truthfulness, āstikya. Āstikya means belief, faith, faith in scripture, faith in God. That is called faith. This is faith. And when that faith is very much concentrated, then one can understand Kṛṣṇa. Viśvāsa śabde sudṛdha-niścaya, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. This is called strong faith or firm faith. What is that firm faith? When one is convinced that "If I am Kṛṣṇa conscious, then all my duties will be perfect." And that is the fact. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). As I have several times spoken in this meeting, that "Let everyone be engaged to his specific duty. It doesn't matter what it is. But if you want to see that whether your function is perfected, then you have to test it, whether by your activities Kṛṣṇa is satisfied." Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:
Suppose you are a very great, learned man. Now you think over whether by becoming such learned man your life has become successful. That test is when you will see that you have engaged your learning in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then it is successful. Otherwise it is finished with this body. Similarly, take anything—learning, beauty, or wealth, or anything, whatever you possess. There are many good things to possess in this material world. But if that good thing is engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, or God, then it is success. Otherwise it is simply a burden, or it is finished as soon as this body is finished.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:
Kṛṣṇa says, yasyāham anugṛhnāmi hariṣye tad dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8). He answered to Yudhiṣṭhira, "My dear Yudhiṣṭhira, the first test of a devotee is that I, if I show him special favor, then I take away all his wealth." Why? Why this sort of special favor? Because this material attachment is so great that one cannot go to Kṛṣṇa. So anyone who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at the same time he wants material enjoyment, Kṛṣṇa sees his foolishness. Foolishness. Anyone who is making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not be envious, "Oh, he is so great. He is so rich man. He has got so nice palace. He has got so nice wife. I haven't got anything." Don't be. Because it is completely different life. Don't be captivated by the material opulence, even you are put into great difficulties.
Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1976:
And one day he prepared sweet rice and offered Kṛṣṇa, and he wanted to see whether rice is..., because sweet rice, very hot, is not good. Sweet rice, the more it is cooler, then it is tasteful. But milk, if you take cool, that is not tasteful. Milk you have to take hot, but not the sweet rice. So he wanted to test whether it is too hot. So his finger burned, and then his meditation broke. He saw there is no rice but finger is burned. In this way the brāhmaṇa was immediately taken to Vaikuṇṭha.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:
A Hindu will say, "Oh, I am better than the Christian." Christian will say, "I am better than the Hindu." But Bhāgavata says that that is not the test of religion. Bhagavat says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That type of religion is the best by which one develops love of Godhead. That's all. The test is how much you have developed love of Godhead. Bhāva-grāhī janārdana. In Vedic literature it is said that God, Kṛṣṇa, simply accepts your bhāva or your situation, how much you have developed your attraction for God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is taken into account. He does not take account that "Oh, you are very rich. You are very beautiful. You are very opulent," or "You are very poor. You are not beautiful." These considerations are not there. The only consideration is how much you love God. Then your life is successful.
Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:
On anyone's head I shall touch, immediately head will go away." So Lord Śiva said, "All right, you go away. You take this benediction and go away." Then he wanted to touch the head of Lord Śiva, that "Let me test whether it is good or not." Then he was in danger. So sometimes Lord Śiva is put into danger because he... People, therefore, go to worship Lord Śiva to take anything he wants. Rāvaṇa also was a very great devotee of Śiva. Asuras, they are very great devotees of Lord Śiva to take material facilities. But if you... Of course, it is said, akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā (SB 2.3.10). But anyone who goes to Kṛṣṇa, he does not want anything like this, that "I shall put my hand to anyone's head, and it will go."
Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:
Nobody can become perfect without serving the bona fide spiritual master. That is the motto. So evaṁ pralobhyamāno 'pi varair loka-pralobhanaiḥ (SB 7.9.55). So much attractive... Now, if somebody says, or Kṛṣṇa says that "I'll give you immediately five lakhs of rupees and one beautiful girl also. You give up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement," how many will be restrained? That is very difficult. But our boys have been tested. They are not after money, most of them, or women. But generally... Therefore it is said, loka-pralobhanaiḥ. In this material world everyone is after money and woman. Money and women. That is called viṣaya. Viṣaya.
Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:
Madhudviṣa: Is it possible for a dog-eater to become a first-class man?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Engage this tongue for these two business. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take prasādam. He will forget dog-eating. (laughter) There is no exception. Everyone can become Kṛṣṇa conscious if he follows, beginning, these two rules: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take prasādam. That's all. Test it. Make a trial. The temple is here. We are inviting. Come here. Do these two business. And our Madhudviṣa Mahārāja is ready to give you prasādam and chance for dancing and singing. That's all. Where is the difficulty? You haven't got to pay for it. No loss. If there is any gain, why don't you try it?
| Page Title: | Test (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 23 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=159, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 159 |