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There is no need of... (Lectures, SB cantos 3 - 12)

Expressions researched:
"there is no need of"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 3.1.10 -- Dallas, May 21, 1973:

Then his teacher, Sāndīpani Muni... With the assistance of other boys, they were rescued. So this is the position of the brahmacārī, that they go to collect alms, all kinds of, for gurukula.

So Vidura... Kṛṣṇa consciousness includes varieties of activities. They, in..., the press representatives they asked me, "Whether your students, do you take part in politics? Is it sanctioned?" Why not? Our Bhagavad-gītā is produced in battlefield, in battlefield. So why should I deride battle? No. When there is need for fighting, there must be fighting. This world is like that. Otherwise there is no need of fighting. But there is a class of men who will fight. Still it is existing. When there is fight, those who are meant for military purposes, they fight. Not the civilians go and fight. No. Similarly, in the society, there must be divisions. Not that everyone should be called, "Come on, you go to fight." Where is his training? That was not the system. 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. They do not... Śūdras does not require any training. Śūdra means no training. Ordinary worker class. Otherwise other three, especially two, namely the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas, they require very magnificent training. Because they will administer the whole affairs of the society.

Lecture on SB 3.22.21 -- Tehran, August 10, 1976:

That is not possible. Śarīra-yātrāpi te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says (to) Arjuna that without karma you cannot maintain even your body. So you have to work. Śarīra-yātrāpi te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. And this material world means you have to maintain by working. And spiritual world means na tasya kāryam kāranam ca vidyate. There is nothing to work, as Kṛṣṇa has nothing to work. He is simply enjoying What is called? Swing. So Kṛṣṇa is enjoying, and Kṛṣṇa's associates are enjoying. They have nothing to work. That is spiritual world. Cintāmaṇi prakara sadmasu kalpa vṛkṣa: (Bs. 5.29) that is a different world. There is no material body. Therefore there is no need of the material body. That is a different world. But in this material world we have to work. Tṛtīyā-karma-samjñaṇya avidyā-karma-samjñānya tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. This material world means you have to work and adjust things for your maintenance. That you cannot escape. But still, we have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

So things are to be adjusted as it is prescribed by great authorities. In Bhakti-rasāmṛta you'll find the regulative principles. That is called Vaiṣṇava-smṛti. So here we cannot live without working, and still we have to become always Kṛṣṇa conscious. This art, to understand and to practice, is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then in spite of my being engaged in so many so-called material things Because a devotee has nothing to do with material things. Even if he works for maintenance of the body, that is not material. Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, who was magistrate. But it is not for a magistrate to write so many books—siddhānta-pūrṇam. So he was in a different transcendental platform. So that is possible. The mind may be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa's thought, satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ (BG 9.14), tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. That is possible by practice. Here Kardama Muni is a living example. And there are mahy other examples, that we can remain fully Kṛṣṇa conscious in spite of being engaged in so-called material activities. That is possible.

Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:

So there is information in the śāstra, accepted by the ācāryas. Just like kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, that is accepted by the ācāryas. Ācāryopāsanam. The Śaṅkarācārya even, although he is impersonalist, he has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and what to speak of others? Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya and Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka and, latest, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers—all accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of..., following the same principle as Arjuna said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)." So this is simple thing. There is no need of speculation, "What is God?" "Where is God?" Here is God, sir. Here is God. You see. Why you foolish, you are searching? Here is God. He is not... Although Kṛṣṇa has come in a form which you can see... Kṛṣṇa has appeared before you just like stone statue. But He is not stone statue. Of course, stone is also God because stone is another energy of God, just like fire is also heat and light. And the heat is also fire, and light is also fire. Without fire, there cannot be light. Without fire, there cannot be heat So this material world is just like the heat and light of the supreme light, of the supreme fire. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. Eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā, tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. Just like fire is in one place... Just like sun. It is a, mean, a practical example. The sun is in one place. You have seen. It is light and heat, so expanding the light and heat throughout the whole universe, and as soon as you perceive light and heat, you can understand there is sun. So light and heat can be perceived by anyone. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the light and heat of the sun." Of course, moon, there is no heat. There is cooling effect. Two things are there. So all these are energies of Kṛṣṇa. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. So why people say, "Can you show me God?" You are seeing daily, every moment. But because you are fool, you have no sense of understanding. As soon as there is some heat, any man can understand there is fire. As soon as there is smoke, anyone can understand there is fire. Similarly, if you can feel the energy of the Lord, then you can feel the presence of the Lord immediately.

Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

As soon as I die, give up this body—another body. Immediately. Immediately I'll have to enter the womb of certain mother through the grace of the father, and I'll have to develop another body, and when it is fit for working I come out, and again another chapter of my life begins. This is conditioned life.

So the human life is meant for understanding that how we are undergoing this tribulation of birth and death, old age and disease. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand. That is not possible. Therefore for human life so many Vedic literatures are there, not for the cats and dogs. If you don't take advantage of this Vedic literature,... There is no need of education. It is not needed that one has to become very learned scholar. No. Sat-saṅga. Hear. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You remain in your position, but go to a person who is speaking kṛṣṇa-kathā. Hear him. That's all. Everyone can do that. Where is the difficulty? So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that. We give chance to the people to hear about Kṛṣṇa. That is our men... Therefore we have specifically mentioned: Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't talk any other nonsense things. We don't talk. We have no other business. Simply we talk of Kṛṣṇa. That will purify. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you, even if you do not understand a single word, if you simply hear, then you become pious. It is so nice. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Śravaṇa means when there is talks of Kṛṣṇa, somebody is hearing and somebody is talking. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam.

Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

Just like here in this meeting, I am talking, you are hearing. Both of us are being benefited. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa wants this, that "These rascals may begin to hear and chant about Me." That's all. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). Mām, Kṛṣṇa. Not others. You don't talk politics, or don't talk sociology, or this or that, nonsense. This is all dirty things. Don't waste your time. There is no need of reading so many rascal novels. They are called tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham. Tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavaḥ, na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśaḥ (SB 1.5.10). Any literature which does not glorify the Supreme Lord Hari, that is vāyasa-tīrtham. Vāyasa-tīrtham means the place where the crows enjoy. Vāyasa-tīrtha.

So this is, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving chance people to become pious. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. "How? I have no money. How can I become pious? I cannot give in charity. I cannot go to take bath in the Ganges, and..." So many, there are pious activities. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa tyāgena yamena niyamena (SB 6.1.13). There are so many processes to become pious. In the śāstra there are recommendations, "You do this to become pious." So in this Kali-yuga people have lost all stamina, how to become pious. They are so sinful. But here is the only means: you simply come here and hear about Kṛṣṇa. You have got ears, Kṛṣṇa has given you ears. And Kṛṣṇa has given you tongue also. You can speak. Just like we are reciting the verses. So the tongue is there, the ear is here, there, and you can hear from realized soul and make your life perfect simply by hearing. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Because one cannot be devotee unless he is purified. A sinful man cannot become a devotee. Duṣkṛtinaḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.25.41 -- Bombay, December 9, 1974:

"I explained this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness many, many millions of years ago to the sun-god." When He says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam... (BG 4.1) Vivasvān, the name of the sun-god... At the present moment his name is Vivasvān. People do not know what is the sun planet, but we know the president of the sun planet. His name is Vivasvān. How do you know? We understand from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore our knowledge is perfect. You can say, "Have you gone to the sun planet?" No, there is no need of going there. Here is the authority. Kṛṣṇa says, so we accept it, that's all. Our business is finished. Kṛṣṇa is perfect. Whatever He says, it is perfect. Therefore... I am not perfect; that's a fact. But because I am speaking of the words coming from the perfect, therefore it is perfect. It is not speculation. It is very easy for us—because we accept the words of the perfect. Therefore, whatever we say, it is perfect. You may challenge, "Are you perfect?" I am not perfect. Because I am not speaking my words, I am speaking the words of the perfect, therefore, whatever I speak, it is perfect.

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

When Kṛṣṇa was present, there was Giridhārī. Giridhārī, He lifted the mountain, Govardhana Hill. Govardhana-dhārī. So Nanda Mahārāja was arranging to worship the Indra, Indra-yajña. There are different kinds of yajña. But Indradeva was little proud that he is all in all. Everyone thinks... If he is in power, then he tries to give some trouble to others. Similarly, all the demigods, they are, if they are not satisfied, they will give you trouble. Similarly, the Indra-yajña was there, but Kṛṣṇa said to His father, "My dear father, there is no need of Indra-yajña. You better worship Govardhana Hill. He is symbolic representation of God because the cows, they get their food, grasses. So better you make this Govardhana-yajña." So first of all, Nanda Mahārāja was not willing, but out of the affection of Kṛṣṇa... That is devotee, that Kṛṣṇa... Devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they are acting always in love for Kṛṣṇa. So Nanda Mahārāja changed his idea of worshiping Indra. Rather, on the contrary, all the ingredients he collected, he worshiped the Govardhana Hill and stopped Indra-yajña. So Indra became very much angry, and he sent the vicious cloud, and whole Vṛndāvana was inundated by flood. And Kṛṣṇa showed that "Your power is not even competent to compare with the finger of My hand." Therefore He lifted the Govardhana Hill with the finger of His left hand and saved all the people of Vṛndāvana. Then Indra came to worship Him. These things are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

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

This is recommended in this age. Other yajñas is not possible. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ (SB 12.3.52). Tretāyām. Yajña performance was very prominent in the Tretā-yuga, at that time. But at present moment it is not possible. Dhyāna-yajña, dravya-yajña, jñāna-yajña, and saṅkīrtana-yajña. So in this age, saṅkīrtana-yajña is recommended. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). Sumedhasaḥ means those who have got good brain. And it is so easy, anywhere you can perform. Any part of the world, you assemble together. Saṅkīrtana means bahubhir militvā, by intermingling various persons. Just like we are doing here saṅkīrtana-kīrtana and saṅkīrtana. Kīrtana means alone, and saṅkīrtana means in the assembly of many others. That is called saṅkīrtana. So that is recommended, that many persons, you sit together. There is no need of even instrument, but because Lord Caitanya introduced this khol, karatāla. Otherwise this clapping is sufficient. So it is very easy, saṅkīrtana-yajña. You sit down familywise, all the family members. If you perform saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, with the clapping of hands, that is saṅkīrtana-yajña, very easy to perform. But people will not do that. Instead of performing saṅkīrtana-yajña in the evening to become free from all fears of life, they will go to the restaurant, to the cinema and other places, talking unnecessarily in clubs, societies, waste their time. This is going on. This is modern education. This is modern civilization. They are not aware of the tīvraṁ bhayam, the most fierceful situation of birth, death, old age, and disease. This is the opportunity, the human life, how to get out of it. The means are there. But we are so fools. We are so foolishly educated in the name of modern civilization that we neglect all these things and we place ourself in the waves of the material nature. Māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. We are being carried away by the waves of this material nature, and we have submitted to the laws of material nature. And therefore we are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. And not only birth—there is no guarantee what kind of birth next life.

Lecture on SB 3.25.44 -- Bombay, December 12, 1974:

In this age, if one man can eat very voraciously, he thinks, "My all interest are finished." He thinks. Because people are so, I mean, hungry, that they think, "If I can get a sumptuous food, that is perfection of life." This is Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga. Svārtham udaraṁ bharita. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. One will feel that "My all interest is now fulfilled because I am voraciously eating."

So we are hearing. This is wanted. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended this process, that whatever condition you are, it does not matter. You simply search out a devotee and hear from him. That is recommended. Ihā haya. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ. You, whatever you are, there is no need of change, because it is very difficult to change position. Better remain your position, but you hear about Kṛṣṇa. That is our movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give chance people to hear about Kṛṣṇa. So many ways. Then, even Kṛṣṇa is Ajita—nobody can conquer Him—simply by hearing, you will conquer Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will be very, very intimate friend of you, simply by hearing. That is said also in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Śṛṇvatām. Śṛṇvatām means hearing. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone's heart. As soon as He sees that "This man is hearing about Me," śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ... Kṛṣṇa is the subject, nominative. Śṛṇvatām.

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

Therefore you will find, India, Vedic civilization is meant for this unknotting, the hṛdaya-granthi. Therefore sannyāsa is compulsory. Vānaprastha is compulsory. If you really follow Vedic principle you become student, brahmacārī, you learn everything. What is this life, what is this world, what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God, what is your relationship with Him. These studies, that is complete study. But still, if you want to be knotted by hṛdaya-granthi, gṛhastha, a concession, all right. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithuna. Mithuna, that concession is for sex life. Gṛhastha life is a concession given for enjoying sex life. Otherwise, there is no need of gṛhastha life. Therefore there were many brahmacārīs, akhanda-brahmacārī, never married in life, many. But that is not possible at the present. But there is training. The brahmacārī is taught that this is the position: "Don't be knotted with this material world." But still, if he cannot do that, then with the permission of the spiritual master, he accepts a wife. That is gṛhastha life. But that also not for many years. Say for 25 years. After 25 years he will remain a student brahmacārī, then you accept one wife according to religious ritualistic ceremony, but no illicit sex. That is not allowed. Bachelor daddy is not allowed. That is very dangerous.

So kāmām, dharma-viruddho kāmām aham asmi, Kṛṣṇa says. Even without wife and everything. Then you take sannyāsa. That is the stage of hṛdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Hṛdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Not that up to the last point of death you are attached to a family and wife and children. That is animal life. That is not human life. Human life, you must try to unknot this hṛdaya-granthi, man and woman. Hṛdaya-granthi-bhedanam. That is self-realization. So this Sāṅkhya philosophy described by Kapiladeva is very scientifically described and if we try to assimilate it then our life will be successful.

Lecture on SB 3.26.3 -- Bombay, December 15, 1974:

It is very cold. That's a fact. Because it is very cold, therefore the shining from so much distance in the evening—we feel very comfortable. Not in the sunshine. God's arrangement is so nice. You require both. The sunshine also you require, and the moonshine also you require. If simply there is sunshine, then you die. And if there will be simply moonshine, then you will also die. Both.

But there is another planetary system. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ (BG 15.6). There is another..., paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20), another nature where, yatra, na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ, there is no need of sunshine, there is no need of moonshine. Because the each planet is svayaṁ-jyoti. Here we have got one planet, the sun planet, jyoti. But there, in the Vaikuṇṭha, all the planets, Vaikuṇṭha planets... Vaikuṇṭha means vigata-kuṇṭha. Kuṇṭha means anxiety. Here, in this planet, you are full of anxiety. And if you are transferred to the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, there is no anxiety. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12) simply ānanda, no anxiety. Here you must suffer anxiety, asad-grahāt, on account of accepting this asat. Asat means untruth or temporary, which will not exist. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). This is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction, that this materialistic individuality, on account of accepting this asad-grahāt, asat, not permanent, not true, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām. Always full of anxiety. So in the material world you are trying to be free of anxiety. That is not possible. That is not... Therefore it is required, ātma-darśanam. Jñānam ātma-darśanam. Jñānaṁ niḥśreyasārthāya puruṣasya ātma-darśanam. First of all you know what is your position. Just like when one man is diseased. The physician first of all diagnose that what is the disease; then he gives medicine. Similarly, first of all you ascertain what is your constitutional position. You try to understand. That is the beginning everywhere. That is Vedic literature.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

So do you think that the ācāryas and the śāstra have advised them to waste their time by worshiping a stone? It is all recommended by the ācāryas, big, big ācāryas. Just like Rāmānujācārya. He established hundreds of temples all over India, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa temple especially, the Rāmānuja-sampradāya. Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya established hundreds of temples of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Big, big ācārya. Do you mean to say they did mistake? As some people of our India, they say, "There is no need of worshiping in the temple." No. Why not need? Ācāryopāsanam, that is recommended, jñāna. Ācārya... Ācāryas, they have established temples, many hundreds of thousands of temples, of Viṣṇu mandira.

So this should be worshiped. Otherwise you cannot... Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). If you do not follow ācāryas, then...

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
(BG 4.34)

The ācāryas are tattva-darśī. They know how to make you devotee. Therefore they have prescribed, and Kṛṣṇa in His any condition, life, He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

And the people in general, they are very unhappy, very unhappy, because they have no freedom. A young man cannot go out of the country. So they may advertise so much, but so far I have got experience—the most wretched country. Everyone is fearful. And they are not very prosperous, not rich or... Comparing to the other cities of Europe or America, Moscow is a very poor city.

Anyway, this defying the authority of God, this is the our main material disease. That is explained, evaṁ parābhidhyānena kartṛtvam. It is foolishness. Kartṛtvam. He is completely under the control of material nature; still, he is thinking, "I am free. I am the master. I can do anything, whatever I like. There is no need of accepting the authority of God." This is called māyā. Māyā-mohita. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitaṁ nābhijānāti, mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). These rascals, they are bewildered by the three kinds of material modes of nature. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitaṁ nābhijānāti, mām ebhyaḥ param. They cannot understand that in the background of everything there is the supreme authority of God. This is called atheism. Although they are being kicked every moment by the modes of material nature, they are feeling that "I am under the control of some power, superior power..." That is appreciating. Just like I gave you the example: the death, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). They are trying to stop, the birth control, but still, the statistics is that every second or every moment, every three minutes, there is one population increased. So this is janma. Similarly, mṛtyu. Mṛtyu means death. So there are so much scientific improvement, medicine and technology and so many things, but who can check mṛtyu, death? Even the scientist cannot. Big, big scientist, why do they not manufacture something that "As soon as I am dead, please inject this medicine. I will come out again." No, that is not possible.

Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:

In the previous verse we have discussed that yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svaccham. Svaccham means transparent, clear. Now that svacchatvam is explained, what is the meaning of clarity, clear-uncontaminated. These are the symptoms: svacchatvam avikāritvam, without any change. "Freedom from all distraction." Just like here there are many mothers sitting, and the natural affection for the child and the child's complete dependence on the mother's mercy is visible. There is no need of explanation. That is natural. If the mother is taking care of the child, it is not artificial. And if the child is feeling uncomfort without being on the lap of the mother, that is also natural. This is called avikāritvam, natural affection between the mother and the son. Similarly, we have got our natural affection for Kṛṣṇa.

That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

Just like sex impulse. It doesn't require to, how to awaken sex impulse, natural; similarly, kṛṣṇa-bhakti is our natural inheritance because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or sons of Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). It is the same example, that as the mother and the child has got natural affection, similarly, with Bhagavān we have got natural affection. Bhagavān has got natural affection for us, and we have got also natural affection for Bhagavān. And the external covering which checks this natural affection, this is called māyā. Just like touch... What is called, magnetic stone? Magnetic stone naturally attracts the iron, and iron is naturally attracted by the magnetic stone. Similarly, kṛṣṇa-bhakti is not something which is unnaturally taught or unnaturally gained, artificial.

Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:

There is no hankering, and there is no lamentation." Then it is possible to see everyone on the equal level. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu.

This is the preliminary condition of becoming a devotee, when one has attained this stage, prasanna-manasaḥ. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). This stage can be attained by bhakti-yoga, the simple method. Bhakti-yoga means hearing and chanting: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That's all. Sit down together, all the family members, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and read some passages from Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is bhakti-yoga. If possible, install Deity, worship it properly. There is no need of going to cinema, restaurant, eating all nonsense. This will be automatically finished. Anartha. These are anartha, unwanted things. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. If you take to this devotional service, bhakti-yoga, the anarthas, unnecessarily nonsense things—smoking biḍi, cigarette, drinking tea, going to the cinema, restaurant, and so many other—they are not required. What is the necessity of these things? If you say there is some ānanda, that is not ānanda. Ānanda is here, to hear about the Supreme Lord. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23)—that is ānanda. This is not ānanda. This is false ānanda. But we are accustomed to this. That is our misfortune. Anartha. So (to) come to the bhakti platform, one has to become free form the anarthas. Otherwise bhakti will not be substantial. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Tato niṣṭhā. When anarthas are finished, no more attraction... Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If one is really devotee, then he will be detached to the anarthas, unwanted things. That is the test of bhakti. And "I am devotee; also I am devotee of biḍi," that is not devotee. "I am smoking, also chanting." In the Bengal it is said, āmi dugha khai tamogha khai.(?) No, not like that.

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

That will not be finished." There are many example. Just like mirage in the desert. Sometimes you see there is vast mass of water in the desert. The animal runs after the water, being thirsty, but there is no water. Therefore the animal dies. But human being should not be like the animal. They should raise their standard. They have got special consciousness. They can raise their standard of understanding by these literatures, Vedic literatures given by God. Vyāsadeva is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, so he has given us the Vedic literature. Therefore his name is Vedavyāsa, incarnation of God, Vedavyāsa. Mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā paraiḥ. There is no need of speculating. Just follow Vyāsadeva in the disciplic succession. Vyāsadeva's disciple is Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni's disciple is Vyāsadeva. So in this paramparā system: if we receive knowledge, then that is perfect knowledge. So we have to accept it. Niścayātmikā.

Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says that spiritual life can be advanced, the first principle is utsāha. Utsāhāt. Utsāha means enthusiasm: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). I will accept it and work enthusiastically on the principle, as Kṛṣṇa says." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), and we have to do it, execute it enthusiastically: "Yes, I shall always think of Kṛṣṇa." Man-manāḥ. Kṛṣṇa says directly. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, "You just become My devotee." So we have to be enthusiastic, "Yes, I shall become Kṛṣṇa's devotee." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Kṛṣṇa says, "Worship Me," so we should be very much enthusiastic to worship Kṛṣṇa, offer maṅgala-ārātrika, rise early in the morning.

Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:

You employ your senses. Instead of going to the cinema and standing there for three hours for a ticket, if you engage your legs to come to this temple, it is yoga system, so simple thing. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ. Instead of thinking some beautiful woman or beautiful man, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, the most beautiful person, then it is yoga system, so simple.

So every senses you can engage in Kṛṣṇa's service. Just we have got senses, ten senses, and the mind. So mind engaged in Kṛṣṇa, legs engaged for going to the temple, hands engaged for cleansing the temple, nose engaged for smelling the flower offered to Kṛṣṇa or tulasī offered to Kṛṣṇa, tongue to taste Kṛṣṇa's prasādam, hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—in this way, you can engage all the senses. There is no need of education. There is no need of passing M.A., Ph.D. You practice this simple yoga system. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). Ambarīṣa Mahārāja used to do that. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. You have to talk, but don't talk nonsense. But you engage your talking about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means without any kuṇṭha, without any anxiety. Other talking, you will have so many anxieties because that is not vaikuṇṭha talking. But if you engage your talking on the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is talking. Kṛṣṇa is not dumb, deaf and dumb, nirākāra. No. He is talking before Kṛṣṇa, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2), aham: "Here I am. I am the origin of all the devas." So Kṛṣṇa is talking like that. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). He is talking. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ: "Just think of Me, become My devotee." He is stressing everywhere, a person, mama, "unto Me," "My," "I," the first person, everywhere. Aham ādir hi devānām. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). So these are the talking of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is talking. So you take up this message from Kṛṣṇa directly and engage like that, vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Don't talk nonsense. Or if you talk of Kṛṣṇa, then nonsense talking will stop automatically.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

No other desire. Simply... Desire will not come. Kṛṣṇa is so strong and nice. As soon as you allow Him to sit down within your heart... He is there already. Simply you have to see. Then the strength is already there. There is no need of acquiring external strength for acquiring Kṛṣṇa. The simple thing is that you follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65).

So this is very natural. This temple worship is meant for that purpose. Actually, when we see the Deity, immediately our mind become Kṛṣṇa conscious. At least, we think of Kṛṣṇa: "Here is Kṛṣṇa." So that is man-manāḥ. Chanting also, chanting, that is kṛṣṇa-manāḥ, man-manāḥ. In this way you become bhakta. Regularly chanting, you become bhakta. Without becoming bhakta, nobody can chant. So man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. And worship Deity. He has come very kindly to accept your service. You just dress Him, just bathe Him, just decorate Him with ornaments, with garland, with nice thing. So He is ready. Just like a child is ready to accept the service of the mother. The mother dresses the child nicely, and the child accepts. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that... You cannot capture Kṛṣṇa in His virāḍ-mūrti. You can capture Kṛṣṇa in your capacity. So Kṛṣṇa has agreed. So take this chance. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Worship Him. Why you are denying? It is not difficult, not expensive at all. And in this way, if you follow the process, then your bhāva, your nature, will be changed. You will become a complete devotee.

Lecture on SB 3.26.40 -- Bombay, January 15, 1975:

So immediately, he sees anything, because he knows it is Kṛṣṇa's energy... Just like we, generally, as soon as we see in the morning light, we can understand there is sun, immediately. There is no delay. "Now there is sun." The sun may not be visible immediately, but because the darkness is gone and there is light, although glimpse light, now we understand this is morning, and now there is sun. Similarly, a advanced devotee, because he knows everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy... So this is energy study. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: (BG 7.8) "Apsu, in the water, the taste I am," because every one of us becomes thirsty and we take water. And actually it is so; the taste of water is Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise who can give taste unless Kṛṣṇa is there? Now take. There are big, vast water in front of Bombay. Now change the taste. Then there is no need of acquiring water from here and there, bringing big, big pipes. No. You take and change the taste, salty taste, and making drinkable. No. That you cannot unless Kṛṣṇa does it. Therefore the taste is Kṛṣṇa. It is not difficult to understand.

So if we study in this way, analytically, everything, Kṛṣṇa's energy... Śaśi-sūryayoḥ. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the illumination of the sun and the moon." So you can create by... Scientists, they say the sun is combination of so many chemicals. Now you create one sun and illuminate the whole universe. That you cannot do because that is Kṛṣṇa. You cannot create Kṛṣṇa. You cannot imagine Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Foolish persons, they may say, "Kṛṣṇa is my imagination." No, He's not imagination. He's fact. Simply one has to know how Kṛṣṇa is present in everything. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:

So we are teaching from the very beginning Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and they are learning. That is the way. If you simply learn Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you get so much knowledge how things are developing, how tongue is developing, how the taste is developing, how touch is developing, how fire is working, how heat is working; from the interaction of heat and touch, how things are devel... Everything is explained there. Physical and spiritual, everything is there. So this is bhāgavata-dharma, to study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam very carefully. Everything is... Every knowledge is there. Kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ. There is no need of reading any other book. Kiṁ vā paraiḥ, in the beginning it is said. Why? Sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate īśvaraḥ. The perfection of life is to understand God. So by reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sadyaḥ, immediately, hṛdy avarudhyate īśvaraḥ: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by simply reading Bhāgavatam... He is already there, but immediately He is realized." That is perfection of life.

So Bhāgavata is so powerful that nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā: we have to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam daily and twenty-four hours. That is the injunction: nityam. Nityam means always. So our members especially, I mean to say, those who are inmates, they, and those who are becoming members, ordinary member or patron member, we are giving them books. Please read them carefully. Don't take books that "I am member. It is my duty to take books and keep it in the almirah." No. Read it thoroughly. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. By regular reading of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then our this material contamination becomes vanquished. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). As soon as it begins to diminish, then it will diminish finally, and then you will be situated in your pure, original constitutional position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhakti-yogataḥ. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). By cleansing the heart we become prasanna-manasaḥ, very jubilant. Bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. Therefore this bhāgavata-dharma should be practiced from the very beginning of life, and it should be studied. We have got so many books.

Lecture on SB 3.26.42 -- Bombay, January 17, 1975:

Hari-toṣaṇam is the ultimate goal. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā... Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya (BG 18.46). You become a chemist; it doesn't matter. You become physicist, mathematician. It doesn't matter. Unfortunately, due to the Kali-yuga, as soon as one become a big chemist, doctor of chemistry, he says, "I am God. There is no need of God." As soon as the little... Svapari jala-matrena phala phariyate.(?) You'll see the small fishes. They are practically on the edge of the water and making, "fut, fut, fut." The big fishes, they are down the water. So these so-called material chemists, they are nothing, a small fish. Those who are big chemist, big scientist... Just like Professor Einstein. He used to accept how God's brain is working. He appreciated. He was a great scientist. And the ordinary scientist also, they think that "Now we are able to do everything without God. Therefore we are bigger than God." That is not fact. You are greater scientist when by your scientific knowledge you prove the existence of God and how He is working so finely that varieties of things are coming out of material nature. That is the perfection of knowledge. Otherwise svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Hari-toṣaṇam. Unless Kṛṣṇa sees that you are trying to glorify Him by your knowledge... Then He becomes satisfied, that "I have given him some knowledge, and he is utilizing this knowledge for My glorification. He is My devotee."

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

That they do not accept. And people are giving credit to these artificial scientist.

In our Delhi program... There was lecture of a big scientist in Delhi, I forgot his name. He gave very good example, that if a man learns how to bark like dog and if he makes a show, many thousands of people will purchase ticket and go and see how he is barking. But by nature's arrangement, so many dogs are barking; nobody takes care. You see? So similarly, in the laboratory, if a scientist can produce a life some way or other, so they will go and see and give him clap. Just like this airplane is flying in the air. Little discrepancy is immediately crash down. So he is getting so much credit, and the scientists also saying, "There is no need of God. Now we have solved all the questions." But nobody is giving credit to Kṛṣṇa who is floating millions and trillions of stars and planets in the air. So by taking Kṛṣṇa's stock, the petroleum or gas, we become scientist and fly the airplane, and Kṛṣṇa has given the petrol, and He has no credit. He has no credit. That is the difference between demons and bhakta. A bhakta sees in everything presence of Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa's energy is there. Here is nice taste. Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8).

So Kṛṣṇa has manifested Himself in so many ways by His different energies. We have to learn simply to know or see how Kṛṣṇa is working. So here it is stated that rasa-mātrād vikurvāṇād ambhaso daiva-coditāt. Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa is working there. Vikur..., transformation, does not take place automatically. Just like the other day I gave you the example: there is oil and there is soda, but you can transform into soap by mixing together. That mixing process does not take place automatically. There is Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, the living entity. We are also Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. So scientist is working. A devotee sees that Kṛṣṇa is working. That is the difference between nondevotee and devotee. A nondevotee will give credit to the scientist, who is working subordinately under the orders of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated also in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). In everyone's heart Kṛṣṇa is there.

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

One who is ācāryavān, who has taken shelter of ācārya, he knows. Why? Because ācārya receives knowledge from Kṛṣṇa and he distributes knowledge to his disciple. That is perfect knowledge. Ācāryavān puruṣaḥ. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). These are the instruction.

So actually we are in the darkness. This whole world is dark. It is... It requires, therefore, the sunlight, the moonlight, the electric light, the fire, the lamp, because it is dark. Because it is dark. But there is a spiritual world where here is no need of. Na yatra bhāsyate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, na yatra bhāsyate sūryaḥ. There is no need of this sūrya. There is no need of sūrya. Sūrya is required, the sun is required, because this world, material world, is dark, very, very dark, dense darkness. And we are born in this darkness. Our heart is full of darkness. Simply by the Kṛṣṇa's grace there is sun, there is moon, there is fire, there is electric... Therefore we can see. Otherwise you remain in the darkness. But if you go to the spiritual world... Tamasi mā: "You don't keep yourself in this darkness; come to the light." "What is that? There is also the sun, moon?" No. There is no need. Na yatra bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). These are there.

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

Where is Bhagavad-gītā? Find out. Na yatra bhāsayate sūryaḥ. Who will find out? This is spiritual world. There is no need of sun, moon, electricity, fire. We are inviting, or, rather, trying to go to that world where there is no need of sun, there is no need of moon, there is no need of electricity. And somehow or other, if we can go there, yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6), then you'll haven't got to come back again in this darkness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

So at least one life try to going back to that place. Then your whole problem will be solved. Here we are paying so much electricity bill, and if there is no sun, we are rotten place. So why do you suffer in this way? Come here. There is no need of sun; there is no need of electricity. And the prime gain is that if you can go there, there is no need of coming back again. So those who have no information of the spiritual world, they stick to this material world as everything is here. But those who have got knowledge, mahātmā, whose ātmā is very great, who can understand the greatness of God and His great knowledge and take knowledge from Him, he is perfect. So here is the knowledge. Everything is there. He is giving... We... Not that back to home, back to Godhead, is our imagination. No, not imagination. Just like if somebody gives you information of America, that "America is very rich city. There are so many big, big bridges and road and motor cars." So naturally you become inclined: "Why not see once America, how it is?" So similarly, here is the information about the spiritual world, and why don't you try to go back to home, back to Godhead?

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

What is this foolishness? Why should you pay the electric bill? Go there and live there. There is no need of... Na yatra... Na tad bhāsayate. It is... The spiritual world is not lighted by the sun, moon. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. Because everyone is effulgent, every planet is effulgent, so therefore there is no need of these things. There is no ignorance. There is no scarcity. There is no miserable condition. That is called Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means vigata kuṇṭha yasmād iti vaikuṇṭha. Kuṇṭha, anxiety. Here every man, even the richest man is full of anxiety. Your president, he is the richest person in this country, and he is the third richest man in the world, somebody. But do you think he is without anxiety? No. That is not possible. That is not possible. He is full of anxiety: "The other party may not take." (aside:) You sit down properly. Other party may not take his position. This is all politicians' anxiety. Even the king of heaven, Indra, he is also full of anxiety. There are Hiraṇyakaśipus. So sometimes they drive away that Indra, King Indra, and he enjoys there. This is going on, not only in this planet. In all planet, wherever you go, the same condition prevails. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna. Don't think that by going to the heavenly planet you'll be happy there. No. There is no possibility. Either you go to the heavenly planet or you go to the hell, you will have to undergo the threefold miserable conditions.

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

Now, in this age, Kali-yuga, this system of civilization is very much prominent. But in the material world, that is going on time, from time immemorial. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva is advising His sons, "My dear sons," ayaṁ deha. Na ayaṁ deha. "This body, this human form of body," deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke, "those who have taken, accepted this material body in this human society," nṛloke, kaṣṭān kāmān na arhate... Sense gratification is needed because we have got this body. So that is not denied. But He says that kaṣṭān kāmān na arhate: "For sense gratification, there is no need of working very hard." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This kind of labor, hard labor, day and night, and get some money, and then apply it for sense gratification, kaṣṭān kāmān... Kāma means sense gratification. So this is not very good. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Human form of life is not meant for this purpose. This type of working hard day and night to find out the necessities of life, that is the business of the hog. Hog. Viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means "the animal who eats stool." That means hog. Or the animal who has no discrimination of eating. He's called hog. The hogs have no discrimination. He'll eat anything, up to the stool. So if you say that "We have to accept food," well, even stool is also food for a certain type of animals. And by eating that stool, it becomes very much fatty. And their sense power is so strong that daily, at least one dozen times, they are having sexual intercourse. And there is no discrimination whether it is mother or sister or any daughter. It doesn't matter. You'll find in hog's life, they have no discrimination.

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

In this material world it is mithyānande. Therefore Śaṅkarācārya says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Jagan mithyā. The material world, wherein you are trying to find out happiness, that is false, illusion. If you want real happiness, that is in the spiritual world. That is the verdict of Vedas. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Don't try to be happy in this darkness. But real happiness is in the light, jyotir gama. Light. The spiritual world is light. The material world is dark. It is... Because this material world is dark, therefore we require sunlight, moonlight, electricity and so many things. In the spiritual world there is no need of this sunlight, moonlight or electricity. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. There is no need of sun, moon, or electricity. These are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So therefore, this human form of life, as it is advised by Ṛṣabhadeva, is not meant for unnecessary sense gratification. This is not meant for. This is meant for the hogs and dogs, not for the human beings. This is division of life. The human life is to make a solution of all the problems of life. The real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. All other problems, they are secondary. So you can conquer over this birth and death and old age and disease. There is possibility. Here is a chance of human form of life. Here you take a chance. Don't lose it, don't spoil it like hogs and dogs. That is the propaganda of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Don't take it that it is a type of sectarian religion. No. It is a culture. It is meant for every human being. Therefore we are trying to propagate this movement all over the world, without any consideration of caste, creed and nation. Because we don't see, "This is Englishman, this is European, this is American." No. We have no such vision. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). One who is really learned, he sees everyone on the equal level: soul, spirit soul.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa is addressed in the Bhagavad-gītā as Acyuta. Cyuta means falling down, and Kṛṣṇa is acyuta.

So we are parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa admits, mamaivāṁśo jīva bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). We are sons of God, Kṛṣṇa. Not that by imagination; God Himself says. And all śāstra says that jīva is equal in quality with God. That's a fact. Then why we are subjected to this birth and death, old age and disease? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We are trying to solve all problems of life, but real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. Where is that scientist, where is that education to conquer over birth, death, old age and disease? They are trying to control: birth control, over-population. But that is not a problem. Birth control cannot be. That cannot be. The birth is increasing. That is not possible. And why birth control? That is also a long subject matter. There is no need of birth control, because Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "I am the father." And Kṛṣṇa is not only ordinary father but He is the controller of nature:

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
sūyate sa-carācaram
hetunānena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
(BG 9.10)

So nature is producing our foodstuff, and He is the controller. And He is the father. So how there can be scarcity of food? This is a bogus propaganda: because the population is big therefore we cannot... This is our incapability. We cannot manage—we accuse that overpopulation. But actually if you study śāstra, if you accept Kṛṣṇa as the father, the Supreme Lord, He is not a poor man. He knows. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26).

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

If you have simply a cow and... The great sages, just see. A child born, it lives simply on cow's milk. First of all, mother's milk. Milk for six months. Then when it is a little grown up, you simply give her sufficient milk, oh, she'll be very stout and strong. Then supply it little grains, fruits. That's all.

So we have got many foodstuff in the vegetarian kingdom, and Kṛṣṇa asks you that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: (BG 9.26) "Anyone who is offering Me..." This is universal. Patram means a leaf. Just like a leaf. Puṣpam, a flower. And patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam. Phalam means a fruit. And toyam means water. So any poor man can offer Kṛṣṇa. There is no need of, I mean to say, luxuriant foodstuff, but it is meant for the poorest man. The poorest of the poor men can secure these four things—a little leaf, a little flower, a little fruit, and little water. Any part of the world. Therefore He is prescribing, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "Anyone who offers Me with love and devotion..." Tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam. "Because it is brought to Me with love and devotion," aśn āmi, "I eat." Kṛṣṇa is not hungry, neither He is poor. But the main thing is bhaktyā, devotion and love. So whatever you offer Kṛṣṇa with devotion and love within this group as prescribed by Him, Kṛṣṇa accepts it. So you can offer anywhere. It does not matter that you have to offer in temple. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. So you offer and eat that. This cauliflower is also flower. This is also flower. (chuckles) And potato is fruit. Fruit, flower. Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: No, these things are done by innocent person. One who does not know that God, without asking, He's supplying. There is no need of asking from God. Simply we have to render our service. The definition of devotional service is given in the Vedic literature, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (Brs. 1.1.11), without any material desire. Serve God as a matter of duty. We serve our father as a matter of duty and the father takes care of the son, automatically. (break) ...does not serve father, he gives all necessities of life and what to speak of that son who is rendering service. (break)

Guest: ...serve God for our own religion besides chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, besides becoming a devotee?

Prabhupāda: Yes, religion means to serve God. We are preaching that anyone who has learned how to serve God, how to love God, he belongs to first class religion. (break) ...care what is the name of that religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Mohammedanism, it doesn't matter. We see, we want to see the follower, whether he has learned to serve God, and to love God. That's it.

Jyotirmayī: So the question is that there was, a man was working a house yesterday, and he was killed doing his work, and he left his wife and two children, and this man was praying God every day. So what is going to happen now to them?

Prabhupāda: His children will not die for want of her. (break) ...maintaining millions and millions of children, why not her?

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Not only to become very bodily happy in this life, but also next life. But as there is difficulty... Suppose if you want to be happy materially, then... You see how they are working very hard. They have no time. In the morning, at half past five, we go for morning walk, we see, workers are going. At night... You Europeans, you know better than me how they are working very, very hard. What is the idea? To become happy. To satisfy the senses. Similarly, there are others who know that there is life after death. So they are also preparing how "Next life also we'll be happy, we may take birth in very rich family, in higher planet, in heavenly planet."

So this hard labor is going on. So Ṛṣabhadeva says that this hard labor should be stopped. There is no need of so much hard labor. Why you should work so hard? This such kind of hard labor is seen amongst the animals. There are animals, just like we saw one jackal was passing on the street. So they come out in the night, some of the animals, especially ferocious animals. They come out at night for their food. Everyone is working hard; they also come. So animals also, they (are) also working very hard. That is given example, the hogs and dogs. That is restricted. If you go on working for better standard of life, then you'll be attached to this work and your mind will be absorbed in such work. And if the mind continues to be absorbed in working so hard, then after giving up this body, you'll have to accept another body to fulfill such desires within the mind. Kṛṣṇa will give you full facility. Therefore it is said, deha-bhṛtān madhye (ja) nṛ-loka manuṣyaḥ tasmin sattvāyaṁ manuṣyaḥ deha kaṣṭān kṛcchran sampādyamānam ata duḥkha-rūpaṁ kāmān yajñādini. Yajñādini prati na hati. Kāmān anubhāvituṁ nārhati ity artha.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

Of course, according to circumstances, there is variation. That concession is always there. But the main principle is there. Just like we are getting our boys and girls married. So according to Vedic rites, marriage is a very big program. But we are finishing, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, simply by acceptance. Svīkāra eva ca udvāhe. In this age it is recommended that if a girl accepts somebody as husband or if a man accepts somebody as wife, that is final. That's all. They may not change it. There is no need of making a very gorgeous ceremony of marriage. There is no need of making... That is, of course, social function. Actually, thing is that one boy should accept one girl as his permanent friend in life. And one girl should accept one boy as her permanent friend in her life. The girl should be agreed to serve the boy for her comforts, and the boy should agree to accept the girl to maintain her throughout life. That's all. Finished. Simply we must have that good will. Then this process of opening the path of liberation will be very, I mean to say, favorable. You can open your path of liberation even without marriage, remaining brahmacārī, but for girls brahmacārī system is not recommended. Therefore girls are advised to get a husband. Or the parents take the responsibility, according to Vedic rites and according... Still, in India, the father, not the, I mean to say, modernized, educated Indians. In villages they are not very much educated. Oh, they must get their girl, I mean to say, daughter, married before fifteen years. Otherwise, it will be a social scandal. The father is responsible for that. So, of course, we cannot introduce that system in your country. It is not possible. But it is up to you, that if you want to utilize your, this very favorable situation of life, get yourself married, live peacefully and execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what is the difficulty there? There is no difficulty. There are so many boys and girls who are married and living very peacefully and executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (pause)

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

Everyone is trying to... Nobody is interested now to understand what is God, but there are some. But they are trying to understand God by mental speculation. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "This practice should be given up, speculation." Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Just become submissive, namanta. Don't think that "I am very learned scholar. I can manufacture my own way how to find out God," or "I am God," and so on, so on. This practice should be given up. Just become humble and meek. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. "Then what shall I do, becoming humble and meek?" San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. You try to understand about God from a God-realized person. That you do. That will help you. Sthāne sthitāḥ. There is no need of changing your position. You remain wherever you are. Śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhiḥ. Just lend your, this aural reception and try to hear about God from the self-realized person, from mahātmā. Then one day it will become so, that although God is unconquerable, you will conquer Him. Prāyena ajita jito 'py asi. You'll conquer over God. You cannot conquer God, but God agrees to be conquered by His devotee. This is the indirect meaning, to become devotee. This is the way.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1976:

He's mahātmā. This is mahātmā. So you have to approach such mahātmā. That is recommendation in the Bhakti-rāsamṛta-sindhu: ādau gurvāśrayam sadhu mārgānugamanam sad-dharma pṛcchāt. These are things wanted. So if you actually want to execute tapasya, then you must approach a person who has already executed tapasya, tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Then you'll get the things. Mahat-sevām. And there you have to render your service. In humbleness, service, sevayā. You can question mahātmā not by challenging but surrounded by praṇipāt and sevā. Otherwise, you have no right to question. Just like this man went to Rūpa Gosvāmī. He has no right to waste time. So actually this discussion, instructions, are to be executed amongst the guru and the disciples, where there is submission. Otherwise there is no need of. Nowadays we hold some meeting. Some ordinary people they come to hear. But that kind of discussion Caitanya Mahāprabhu never did. Never did. Because these outsiders, they are not submissive. They come to see the fun. They do not come to learn something. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu never made any big meeting. In big meeting He was present, but kīrtana, saṅkīrtana. He was meeting in big meeting daily in the evening for four hours in Jagannātha temple, but the whole period of time was engaged in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. But when there was a person like Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya or Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī or Rāmānanda Rāya, like such exalted person, He used to discuss. Otherwise, He was not discussing. There was no need of discussing, because they do not approach with that humbleness. They think... Just like Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. So long Arjuna was thinking that "Kṛṣṇa is my friend. I shall reply Him equally," then Kṛṣṇa was very gravely speaking. But when Arjuna understood that "This kind of talking there will be no benefit," then he became His disciple: śiṣyas te 'ham śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). "There is no more discussion. Now I accept You as my guru."

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976:

The more you are inclined to render service, the more spiritual truth becomes revealed. And two things: if you are not inquisitive, don't bother yourself to have a guru. Useless. There is no need. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). Tasmād. Therefore. What is therefore? Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. If you are inquisitive about transcendental science, śreya uttamam... Śreya and preya—two things are there. Śreya means ultimate good, and preya means immediate sense gratification, it is preya. And śreya means ultimate good. So if one is inquisitive to know what is the ultimate goal of life, for him, a guru is required. But if he wants immediate some sense gratification, he doesn't require a guru. For sense gratification there is no need of guru. Even these birds and beasts, they know how to gratify senses. There is no need of university or teacher. Say for sex life, nobody requires to go to the university. They know. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. These four things, there is no need of university education. But at the present moment to go to university means how to gratify the senses very scientifically. Scientifically. How to steal scientifically. Does it require any scientific knowledge how to cut throat and how to steal? No. They require education for spiritual understanding, tad-vijñānārtham, not this vijñānārtham, this material knowledge. It doesn't require. It is simply a waste of time. This modern university education is simply a waste of time.

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976:

There was no education for even the vaiśyas. There are four divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. But vaiśya and śūdra, there is no need of education. The brāhmaṇas, because they will guide the society, they require education. And the kṣatriya, they will give protection to the society; therefore there was education guided by the brāhmaṇa. And for the vaiśyas, kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma... (Bg 18.44). Where is the education? He can see, learn from his father how the field is to be cultivated with a plow. He doesn't require. He can see. And fifty years ago we have seen that those who were in the lower status of life, they never sent their children to school. I have seen it. Never sent. "Oh, what is the use of wasting time? Better admit him in some working shop or in some business." The Marwaris still do that: "Please keep my son in your firm." And small children, by seeing Just like our children, they are seeing this Deity worship, this kīrtana—they will learn. Similarly, those who have to work to earn their livelihood, mechanical or some, they can go to What is the use of wasting time to the..., going to the university? Scientific education for hammering? Hammering you can see. You take a hammer and go on. (laughs) What is the use for... Technical nonsense, they have invented technical... Does it require any education? No. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) education required if you require to understand the value of life, tattva-jijñāsaḥ. Tattva-jijñāsu śreya uttamam. Jijñāsu tattva-jijñāsaḥ. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsaḥ. This is recommended in the... Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsaḥ na yaś ceha karmabhīḥ. Tattva-jijñāsa. Brahma-jijñāsa. This is life. Otherwise abodha-jātaḥ. Abodha-jātaḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976:

So these regulative principles are there. So what is, what is the big plan behind these regulative principles? The big plan is: here is the attraction, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam—to cut down this attraction between male and female. This is the big plan. Otherwise there is no need of the varṇāśrama. Varnāśrama means to train the candidates gradually to become free from this entanglement of man and woman. This is the basic principle. Yoga system is also the same thing. Jñānī, that is also same. Karma also. The karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra, that is also, one has to take sannyāsa at the ultimately, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), gradually, if one cannot take it immediately.

So this is the training of Bhagavad-gītā. This is the training of Bhāgavata. Everywhere the Vedic principle, the first principle is that we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. In the previous verse we have already studied, gata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpān, because we have forgotten what is our position. Gata-smṛti. Smṛti means memory. There is one word, alpa-medhasām, and there is another word, su-medhasam. These words are there, tad-bhavati alpa-medhasām, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Those who are trying to be happy in this material world, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ... (BG 7.20). They, people generally, they are kāma, this kāma, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī, this is kāma. This kāma is manifested in different ways. The actually the central point is kāma. So that when that kāma is fulfilled Because a man is searching after woman and woman is searching after man, when they unite, then the kāma becomes hard knot, very tightly.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

So one person is utpathagam yathāndham, another person is vipaścid tad-abhijñaḥ. Two classes of men generally: one who knows the things as they are and one who does not know what is the value of life, how to make progress. So one does not know and one knows. So naturally there must be two classes of men to make real social progress or any, anything. Actually we see that there are a class of men in the school, colleges, universities, who can teach, and class of men who are taught. So without these two classes of men, how society can make progress? But the modern theory is "classless society." Modern rascal theory is classless society: "There is no need of teacher, or there is no need of higher class, or there is no need of... One class." Therefore they fall down. Even in socialistic country like Russia, first of all they wanted to make classless society. Later on they have made a manager class and worker class, because this is not possible.

If you want to manage things, there must be two classes of men, and two classes can be divided into so many other classes. Therefore the intelligent way of civilization is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā-sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There must be four classes. In order to manage things very nicely, you cannot make classless society. Four classes. The most intelligent class, brāhmaṇa, and then next intelligent, the kṣatriyas, and the next intelligent, the vaiśyas, and the last one, who has no intelligence, śūdra. These four classes must be there. Without this division of classes, society, who will guide them? At the present moment, without any class the government has made adult vote. Anyone who is above certain age, say eighteen years or twenty years, he can vote. But there is no class, that "This class can vote; this class cannot vote." There is no such thing. Anyone who is above eighteen years old, he is competent to cast his vote. And people are not educated in this division, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. They are all classless.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

Otherwise there is no possibility. If you make all classes one, very liberal—"Very good idea. There is no classification"—no, there must be classifi... But that classification is not by birth. That is not by birth. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Kṛṣṇa never said, "This classification should be by birth." No. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. By birth everyone is rascal, śūdra. That is to be accepted. Even if one is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he is to be accepted as śūdra, janmanā, by birth. Otherwise why, even a person is born in a brāhmaṇa family, he requires to be educated, he requires to be initiated, sacred thread? Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. There must be saṁskāra. If he is born brāhmaṇa, then where..., there is no need of saṁskāra. There is no need of education. Suppose a person is born the son of high-court judge. Does it mean that he is high-court judge? No. He requires education, he requires training. But he has a good chance to become a high-court judge. Because his father is high-court judge, he knows how to train his sons, how to educate him how to become a lawyer, and he has got influence in government society. He can recommend him. He has got the chance to become a high-court judge. But not that because he is born of a father who is high-court judge, therefore he is high-court judge. That is going on.

Lecture on SB 5.5.21-22 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1976:

Because every one of us, we know, "Here is a kāla-sarpa." Kāla-sarpa means anyone it bites, immediately death. Immediately death. But this kāla-sarpa is dreadful, vicious, so long the fangs are there. Proṭkhāta daṁstrāyate. If the fangs, the poison fangs, are taken away, or if you know, "Here is a snake, but the snake's fangs have been taken away," you'll not be afraid. Visa hina sarpaḥ. Visa hina sarpaḥ.

So for a devotee this kāla-sarpa-paālī automatically subdued because they do not use the senses for sense gratification. They are engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. If our senses are engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, the poisonous fangs are taken away. It is no more dreadful. There is no need of practicing indriya saṁyamaḥ. Indriya saṁyamaḥ automatically. One who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is not disturbed. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He did not go to control the senses, but because he was chanting... He practiced chanting. A beautiful prostitute at dead of night offered her body to be enjoyed. He said, "Yes, I shall satisfy you. Please sit down. Let me finish my chanting." This is kāla-sarpa-paālī proṭkhāta-daṁstrāyate. He was not even agitated. This is the benefit of becoming a favorite servant of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture on SB 5.5.26 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1976:

We have got idea: what is black is not beautiful. But here Kṛṣṇa, Śyāmasundaram. Although He is black, He is sundaram. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. Asitāmbuda, black cloud. Black cloud, like that, color, but He is very sundaram. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30). He's so beautiful that if you compare with millions of Kandarpa, Cupid Cupid is supposed to be very beautiful. So if you bring together millions of Cupids, still, their combined beauty cannot be compared with Kṛṣṇa's beauty. But He's still Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgaṁ, kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.30).

So it is required that we develop our attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Then every moment you'll see Kṛṣṇa. There is no need of asking anybody, "Can you show me Kṛṣṇa? Can you show me God?" You will see automatically. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). You cannot ask Kṛṣṇa, "Please come here. I'll see You," just like you ask your dog or your servant. Kṛṣṇa is nobody's servant. Kṛṣṇa is the master. He may like you; He may not like. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). He is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu cayān... But He is not visible to the nondevotees. That is the... Unless you are devotee, you cannot see. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). So that bhakti must be there.

Lecture on SB 5.5.32 -- Vrndavana, November 19, 1976:

It is not possible because we are already so weak. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). This is our position. We are very unfortunate. Every one of us, we are very bad, mandāḥ, bad habits. So it is not possible to imitate Ṛṣabhadeva or Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Don't imitate but try to follow. Anusaraṇa. Anukaraṇa is not good. Anukaraṇa means false imitation. That is called anukaraṇa. And anusaraṇa means to follow. Try to follow as far as possible.

So we have got good opportunity to follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is intelligence. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). There is no need of unnecessarily accepting tribulation which is impossible in this age, when we are so much disturbed. We are already dead, just like animals. Therefore it is a special concession:

kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
hy asti eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ param...
(SB 12.3.51)

Simply try to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very sincerely, without any offense. Then... It is not possible to imitate or even follow Ṛṣabhadeva's process of self-realization. In the Kali-yuga it is not possible. But as it is recommended in the śāstra, as Ṛṣabhadeva in his another incarnation, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is teaching, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you will get perfection.

Lecture on SB 5.5.34 -- Vrndavana, November 21, 1976:

So our real life is spiritual life, not this bodily conception of life. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that anyone who is above the bodily conception of life, he is liberated person. Saṁsāra bandhana Deha-smṛti nāhi yāra, saṁsāra-bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. Deha-smṛti: "I am this body," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya." These are bodily conception of life. One who forgets this bodily conception of life, he is liberated. So how we can forget bodily conception of life? It can be forgotten. Just like one big person Sometimes we have seen practically. We have, of course, heard, we have not seen, that Mr. Stalin, the great Communist leader, he was to undergo a surgical operation of the intestine. So the physician, the doctor, surgeon, he wanted to give him anaesthetic, chloroform. He refused: "There is no need of. Let the operation go on. I shall see what is there within the belly." Strong-minded, here, even in material conception, he was, he undergo, underwent the surgical operation without any chloroform. So that is possible. If one is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he has no more bodily conception of life. That is not to be imitated. It is on the highest stage it is possible to forget completely, and he is liberated. Deha-smṛti nāhi yāra saṁsāra bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. He is no more conditioned by the material nature.

So how it can be possible? It can be possible. I have given already one crude example. Similarly, why Mr. Stalin could tolerate without any trouble? Because he was a leader. He was always absorbed in the thought of how he could advance the Communist cause. This is the real reason. Similarly, if we take our cause very seriously, our... What is our cause? That is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is explained by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī:

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, May 7, 1976:

So this education is lacking now. They are... Everyone is thinking that he's independent, he can do whatever he likes. That is not possible. Then you'll be punished. Nature's law is so strict, stringent. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot escape the stringent laws of nature. Little discrepancy... Suppose you can eat eight ounce. If you eat nine ounce, then you will have to starve for three days. There is no excuse. "Why you have eaten more than eight ounce?" The nature says... Just like we require salt in our foodstuff, everyone. But if the salt is little more, it is useless. And if the salt is little less, that is also useless. It must be exactly to the quantity. So nature's law is like that. People, if they simply study nature's law, he becomes a learned scholar. There is no need of going to school, college. But if he sees how nature is working... You can see this flower. Every flower is so beautiful, nicely constructed symmetrically. You'll find two flowers, the small fiber coming out exactly in the same way. There is no question of accident. There is no question of accident. They are also being manipulated by the laws of nature. And what is the laws of nature? The laws of nature is acting under the supervision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

Similarly, our aim should be how to get out of this miserable condition of this material existence. And we should prepare ourself for that purpose. And the best and easiest method is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, dance in ecstasy, you become in the process of purification. You chant, you dance nicely, enjoy. Just see how nice and easiest process has been endowed to us by Lord Caitanya. He's teaching Himself. And immediately you can take part. There is no prerequisite qualification. You haven't got to educate yourself. Just like if one studies Vedānta, he has to tax his brain so much, he has to learn Sanskrit, he has to learn the intricacies of logic and philosophy and so many things. Here, there is no need of anything. You come here as you are, whatever you may be, and join this chanting and dancing. Your purification method immediately begins. Immediately. And if you continue, then you become purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as you are purified... Purification means purification of your heart, that's all. All the dirty things are within our heart. The bodily dirty things, if you wash once, it is all gone. But it is very difficult to remove the dirty things within the heart. That requires purification. So this process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, begins from the purification of your heart.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:

This is the lowest grade. So here it is answered that "If you want to be saved from the sinful reaction of your life and put into the hellish condition, then you have to do like this." Tasmāt purā eva āśu iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau. Tasmāt: "Therefore, in order to become freed from the reaction of your sinful activities," pāpa-niṣkṛtau, puraiva, purā eva āśu, "before your death, as soon as possible, you should atone. You should counteract. Otherwise you will suffer very much." Just like a disease. A little disease, if you treat immediately, it may not increase to be a very problem, big problem disease. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has instructed that three things we should be very careful: disease, fire, and debts. If there is disease, if you think, "Oh, this is little ailment. There is no need of going to the doctor," no, you must immediately take steps. It may increase to be a very big problem. Disease increases. Similarly fire. If there is fire, you have extinguished everything and little fire there is, if you think that "Oh, little fire, it will automatically...," no, that also you must extinguish. Otherwise it may take into big fire again. Similarly debts. If you don't clear your debts, if you think, "All right, there is some debts. It will...," no, interest, compound interest So similarly, the disease. We are already in the material disease. This birth, death, old age, and disease. This is our material miserable condition. And again, if we act sinfully, then it will increase. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is advising that "Before your death, you should atone for the sinful activities, what you have done." Just like in the Manu-saṁhitā, if a man has committed some murder, it is advised that King should order him to be hanged. Otherwise next life he will have to suffer so much. So this order of hanging a murderer is a kind of kindness to the criminal.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:

No other desire than to please Kṛṣṇa. Not that "I have become a devotee. Now my income will increase," or "I shall be..." That, that will come automatically. You want money to increase your income to become happy. But if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, automatically you'll be so happy that you'll neglect to collect money. That will automatically come. There is no need of separate endeavor. Happiness will come. Yaṁ labdhvā. Just like Dhruva, Dhruva Mahārāja. He was so lamenting. Those who are recording, I mean, transcribing my tapes, how he was lamenting, that "How foolish I was that I took to devotional service with a desire for some material profit." He was so much repentant. So that is, that is another profit of the devotee. For material profit, somebody goes to somebody, some boss, some rich man, some demigod, some powerful man. But a devotee does not go anywhere. He goes to Kṛṣṇa only. Even if he has got material desires. That is the advantage. This advantage: that if you go to Kṛṣṇa for some material advantage even, then day will come, you'll forget that material advantage.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:

So when he's asked to beg whatever he wants, then if he asks that "Give me some broken rice grains," is that very good proposal? If he's asking that "You can ask anything else from me"—he's a rich man—ask him for millions of dollars or something like that. But instead of..., if you ask for your foolishness, that "Please give me some broken grains of rice..." So similarly, to go to Kṛṣṇa and to ask some material benefit is exactly like this, to go to some rich man and ask from his "Please give me some broken grains of rice." Why one should ask for material happiness from Kṛṣṇa? Material happiness will roll on his feet: "Please take me, please take me." These Kṛṣṇa conscious boys and girls, in sixty centers, just see how they are materially opulent. They're living in the best house. They're eating best food. They're in best consciousness. They have got the best hope. Everything best. Their feature of body is best. What you want material happiness more than this? They have got wife, children, happiness, home—everything—full. So material happiness is nothing to a Kṛṣṇa conscious person. He gets automatically by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. There is no need of asking for it. Simply be steady to ask Kṛṣṇa, "Please engage me in Your service." Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). How Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied? Then your satisfaction will automatically come. Don't bother for material happiness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:

"Every one of you become guru." He wants not rascal imitation guru but real guru. That He wants. Because people are in darkness, we require many millions of gurus to enlighten them. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is, He said, that "Every one of you become guru." Āmāra ājñāya guru haya tāra ei deśa. You haven't got to go foreign countries. Wherever you are, you teach; become guru. It doesn't matter. Ei deśa. He says, ei deśa. If you have got power, you can go other country, but it doesn't require. In whichever village, whichever country or town you are, you become a guru. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Āmāra ājñāya guru haya tāra ei deśa. "This country, this place." So, "But I have no qualification. How can I become guru?" There is no need of qualification. "Still I can become guru?" Yes. "How?" Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Whomever you meet, you simply instruct what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. You become guru." Everyone is very anxious to become guru, but rascal does not know how to become guru, a simple thing. So many gurus come from India in this country, all rascal, but they will not speak what Kṛṣṇa has instructed. Maybe for the first time this has begun in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise all rascals, they instructed something else, some meditation, this, that, all cheating.

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:

Real guru is he who instructs what Kṛṣṇa has said. It is not that you maufacture your teaching. No. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There is no need of manufacturing. The instruction is already there. You have simply to say, "This is this." That's all. Is it very difficult task? Father said, "This is microphone." A child can say that "Father said this is microphone." He becomes guru. Where is the difficulty? The authority, father, has said, "This is microphone." A child only can say, "This is microphone." So similarly, Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the Supreme." So if I say, "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme," where is my difficulty, unless I cheat others to become the Kṛṣṇa or the Supreme? That is cheating. But if I say the simple truth, that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the proprietor of everything. He is to be worshiped," then where is my difficulty?

So that is our mission. All of you who have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that is our request, that you, all of you, become guru but don't speak nonsense. That is request. Simply speak what Kṛṣṇa has said. Then you become brāhmaṇa. You'll be guru, and everything.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

Yes, even if he knew, but sometimes he become bewildered. Therefore it is..., Bhāgavata says that even the big, big demigods, they become bewildered. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāt tene brahma hṛdā muhyanti yatra sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). That māyā is so strong that they can bewilder a personality like Brahmā and Indra, and what to speak of us? Māyā is so strong. Similarly, Indra was also bewildered when He stopped Indra-yajña. Kṛṣṇa, when He asked His father, "There is no need of Indra-yajña..." He is under the order of the Supreme Lord. He did not say..., Kṛṣṇa said to Nanda Mahārāja that "I am the Supreme Lord," but He said, "He is working under the Supreme Lord. He has to supply water. There is no need of yajña." In other words, Kṛṣṇa is not in favor of any type of demigod worship. No. In the Govardhana chapter He stressed: simply the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be satisfied. That is stated everywhere, in Bhagavad-gītā also, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). So Indra, when his yajña was stopped, so he tried to punish the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana by torrents of, incessant torrents of rain for seven days—havoc. The whole Vṛndāvana was to be drowned under water, and Kṛṣṇa immediately lifted the whole Govardhana Hill. And He stood seven days without taking any food and protected all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Now God is displaying as God. When these things are there, the rascals will say, "Oh, these are all legends." When God displays Himself as God, the rascals take it as legend. Just see. They do not believe in the śāstras. They interpret in a different way. Is it not? Yes. And this is going on. And they are supposed to be... What is their interpretation about this Govardhana Hill? Do you know? Kṛṣṇa's lifting the Govardhana Hill, what, how they interpret it? I know, the Māyāvādīs, they do not accept. Or "Kṛṣṇa is ordinary human being." The Ārya-samājīs and others, they take it as legend. But the ācāryas, they do not take it as legend. Therefore we have to follow the ācāryas.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī, therefore, he remained within the womb of his mother for sixteen years. And as soon as he got out from the mother's womb, immediately he left home. You will read in Bhāgavatam. So father was going after. After all, father, that "This boy, going out. My dear son, come back. Where you are going? Where you are going?" He didn't care. He didn't care. He went away. There are persons like that. They don't want to be attached to this material affection. Māyāra vaibhava. These are expansion of the illusory energy. That is sense. That is first-class understanding. Actually, there is no need of this material world. Just like somebody says that "If all the prisoners become free, how the prisonhouse will go on?" And is it a very good proposal? The prisonhouse, as soon as it is stopped, as soon as it is closed, that is good for the society. Why there should be prisonhouse at all? But they want to maintain the prisonhouse and very anxious, "If people all are set free, then who will fill up this prisonhouse?" They question that, that "If all people go to back to home, back to Godhead, then how this world will go on?" (laughter) That is their anxiety. But we say the sooner you close this business and all of you go back to home, back to Godhead, then everything is very nice.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26 -- Honolulu, May 26, 1976:

This is the process. Otherwise, if I do not know what is the cause of my material bondage, then how we can take remedy? This is the cause, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam. The desire is there. As soon as one is grown up, reaching youthful time, the sex desire is very strong, very strong. So they unite, a man..., a boy finds out a girl, a girl finds out a boy. They unite, and there is sex, and as soon as there is sex then there is bondage. Immediately. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ tayor mitha. As soon as they unite, then the relation becomes very tight, very strong. Then, as soon as one is married, or unmarried—generally speaking married—then he wants apartment. Ato gṛha. Gṛha means apartment. So long he remains brahmacārī there is no need of apartment. He can dine right out on the street. (laughter) But as soon as they're joined together, immediately apartment, gṛha. Then how to maintain the apartment? Then he must have land. Because formerly there was no industry. Everyone must produce his own food by tilling the field. So to produce food he must have some land. So land was available, still available. One can produce. But they have left that process of livelihood. They are taking to industry.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

They saw that they were not ordinary men. With four hands. Because within this universe, four hands, only Lord Brahmā has got four hands. Nobody has got four hands. But they were four-handed. So they understood that "They are not ordinary living entities. They must be some extraordinary demigods or some upadevatā, almost like demigods." Siddha-sattamāḥ: "Or you are coming from the Siddhaloka." There is a planet which is called Siddhaloka within this universe. In the Siddhaloka they have got full perfection of life. And sometimes the yogis can demonstrate. In the Siddhaloka, for going from one planet to another planet there is no need of vehicles, no need of aeroplane. They can fly themselves in the sky. Sometimes we have seen pictures—a beautiful man and woman with wings. That is, of course, imagination. Maybe. We have not seen the inhabitants of the Siddhaloka, but we find it from Vedic scriptures that they can fly in the sky without any help of aeroplane or similar machine. They travel from one planet to another by yoga-siddhi. As the yogis can transfer themselves from one place to another without any difficulty, similarly, the inhabitants of Siddhaloka, they can fly in the sky. (aside:) What is that?

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

So these are the explanation in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And it is situated above the sun planet, and above, the distance is also given there: 1,600,000's of miles. And above that, similarly, 1,600,000 miles, there is Mars, there is Jupiter, there is Venus, like that. So universe is not so small that you can ride on your 747 and go. (laughter) It is not so easy. It is not so easy. So therefore, from the circumstances, we can conclude that they could not approach the moon planet. And now they are saying that "It is useless. There is no need of going there. The grapes are sour." (laughter) The jackal jumping, jumping, jumping. When he could not get the grapes, then he is rejecting, "Oh, this is sour. It is no use." So after jumping so many years and spending so much money, they are now rejecting: "The moon planet is not habitable." But we get there. This is one of the heavenly planets, and it is habitable by the most advanced pious men. So these are the difference. Now it is your business to believe the so-called scientist or the śāstra, as you like. But we cannot believe. Because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, we have to believe what is stated in the śāstra.

So there is government. Therefore they were surprised that "Who are you that you are trying to..." Dharma-rājasya śāsanam. Śāsanam means government. "You are trying to resist us, from the government of Dharmarāja? We have never experienced. How is this? Who are you?" So this is the question. Now we shall discuss next day how this government of Dharmarāja is violated and why it is violated. We will hear next.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

"You are so brilliant that immediately on your appearance the darkness is dissipated. Immediately." They are so much, I mean to say, glowing, their body, in Vaikuṇṭha. Therefore in the Upaniṣad it is said that in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, in the spiritual sky, there is no need of sun, moon. The planets and the bodily effulgence of the inhabitants, they are all glowing. So on account of everything glowing in the spiritual world, there is no necessity of sunshine or moonshine or electricity. They are self-effulgent.

diśo vitimirālokāḥ
kurvantaḥ svena tejasā
kim arthaṁ dharma-pālasya
kiṅkarān no niṣedhatha

"You are so brilliant, you appear to be very enlightened and coming from some planets." Because they had no exactly idea what kind of planet they live. They are simply suggesting that "You must be coming from some very exalted planet. But why you are interfering with our business?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.38 -- Los Angeles, June 4, 1976:

"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 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa is within everyone. If we simply hear the words and the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ... So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā—full of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's instruction. So if we hear this, especially these two books, Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, then you become pious. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. There is no need of separate attempt. If we simply hear every moment or as many times as possible, then we become purified. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. One who is speaking, he is also becoming pious, and one who is hearing, he is also becoming pious. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ.

So, pious? What is the meaning of pious? Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-stho abhadrāṇi. The... Everything is causing effects within the heart, within the heart. The civilization or not civilization means the change of heart. A man is civilized because he has changed his heart. A man is uncivilized? He has not changed. Just like you know the story of Sik... What is that? Sikari? The name, I forgot.

Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Dallas, July 30, 1975:

He will never forget. Therefore, formerly there was no written book. Śruti, simply by hearing, a brahmacārī would be educated, simply by hearing. There was no need of books, writing. Therefore the Vedic literature is known as śruti. It is to be learned by hearing. Even there is book, still, one has to learn it by hearing from the realized soul. Therefore it is called śruti. So this śruti memorizing power should be increased if one observes strictly the life of celibacy. This is the science. Therefore brahmacārī is taught strictly. The brahmacārī is supposed to remain in gurukula up to the twenty-fifth year. He is trained up. Then if guru finds him that he requires to be married, then he goes home and he is married. Otherwise the teaching is to remain a brahmacārī throughout the whole life. There is no need of entering...

Because this human life is meant for God realization. It is not meant for sex enjoyment or sense gratification. It is simply meant for... Here is an opportunity to understand one's constitutional position, that he is spirit soul, and Kṛṣṇa or the Supreme Lord is also spirit soul. So the spirit soul, individual soul, is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is his duty to remain with the whole. Just like a mechanical part, a screw in a typewriter machine. If the screw remains with the machine, then it has got value. And if the screw remains without the machine, it has no value. Who cares for a small screw? But when that screw is wanting in a machine, you go to purchase—they will charge five dollars. Why? When it is fixed up with the machine, it has got value. There are so many example. Just like sparks of the fire. When the fire is burning, you will find small particle of spark, "Fut! Fut!" with this. It is very beautiful. It is very beautiful because it is with the fire. And as soon as the spark falls down out of the fire, then it has no value. Nobody cares for that. It is finished. Similarly, so long we are with Kṛṣṇa, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got value. And as soon as we are out of Kṛṣṇa touch, then we have no value. We should understand that.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- Paris, August 11, 1975:

And what was their position? Pitvā ca madhu maireyaṁ madāghūrṇita-netrayā. They were not only embracing but they were drunken. And their eyes were rolling in a different way. Mattayā, and being mad, almost mad, mattayā, or intoxicated, viślathan nīvyā vyapetaṁ nirapatrapam, the dress of both of them were loose and they did not care for it. So in this posture—krīḍantam, doing their own business; anugāyantam, singing; hasantam, laughing, cheering, hasantam; anayāntike, in a place in the forest—so he saw, this young man. So after seeing that, he also become inclined, lusty, and that will be explained next, that he became a victim of this lusty woman and then he lost his good character and left home and his young wife, coming of very respectable family. He forgot everything. Then, in association with this prostitute, he gradually became degenerated, degraded. He became a thief. He became a rogue. He became a cheater. That will be explained later on.

The purport is: human life is not meant for these things. Human life is meant for being elevated to the highest platform of good character and controlling the senses, controlling the mind, remain very clean. Then you can make progress and your life can become successful. So because they are not accustomed already to follow this, therefore so many rascals and dangerous yogis are advertising that "There is no need of control. You can join this yoga system and give me money. I shall give you mantra, and you become God." Be careful of these dogs.

Lecture on SB 6.1.66 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1975:

Why? Babhāra, maintaining, asyāḥ kuṭumbinyāḥ, the family members, wife and children. Kuṭumbaṁ manda-dhīr ayam. Manda-dhīḥ. Manda means very bad, very bad intelligence. In this way he began to earn his money and gradually he degraded and that will be described, how he became degraded.

So beginning, his degradation, is the association. He was a brāhmaṇa, but by chance he became associated with a prostitute. So this association is very, very important. By association... Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If you associate with good association, then you become good. And if you associate with bad association, then you become bad. Therefore we are establishing Kṛṣṇa conscious society. A Kṛṣṇa conscious man cannot be bad. Therefore, if people are given chance to associate with this society, automatically he'll become good. Otherwise there is no need of opening so many centers all over the world. But the idea is that to give the chance of good association. Therefore, those who are members of this society, they should be ideal. Simply by their association people will become good, very good responsibility. And if they become bad themselves, there is no possibility because we are giving instruction. We are behaving like that. Still, one becomes bad—oḥ, that is very great misfortune. Therefore all our members, the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, should be ideal. At least people may see that "Here is a class of men—ideal character, ideal behavior, spiritual advanced, and very frugal and very nice." That is... Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). That is natural. If one becomes a devotee...

Lecture on SB 6.2.1 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1975:

Similarly, if the human being does not take care of the Veda Purāṇas, then he is no better than the cats and dogs. Ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā. To revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpta-varān nibodhata. This is the Vedic injunction. So long you were in the lower grade of life it was not possible for you to take the path of Vedas and Purāṇas. That was not possible. But now, even if getting the human form of life, if you live for sense gratification like cats and dogs, then the Yamadūta... Yamadūta. Kṛṣṇa nāma kara bhāi āra saba miche, palaye barā kathā naya yo māche piche.(?) These are very easily understandable. You cannot avoid Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. If you avoid, then yo māche piche—the Yamadūtas will carry you. You can say, "I can do whatever I like. Why you are forcing me to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? I can do whatever I like. There is no need of your preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I am independent. I don't believe in the next life." That is the general statement of the rascals and fools. But the fact is different. If you don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Yamadūtas Then you'll be punished. You cannot avoid. You are completely dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, and you are the servant. You have declined to serve Kṛṣṇa; therefore you must be punished. This is the nature's way. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). You cannot escape. You can not escape the mundane, man-made laws, but you cannot the God-made laws. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-8 -- Calcutta, January 10, 1971:

So Śrīdhara Svāmī is quoting from śāstras that baddha parikaratvena mokṣaya gamanam pratiti smṛte, na kevalaṁ prāyaścittaṁ harer nāma api tu satyayana...(?) (etc.) This is a quotation from smṛti-śāstra, that sakṛd uccaritaṁ yena hariti akṣara-dvayam. If anyone simply chants these two alphabets, ha, ri-hari—then baddha-parikaras tena mokṣaya gamanaṁ pratiti: "Although he is a conditioned soul, his path for liberation is open." Yasya smṛtya ca nāmoktvā tapa-yajña-kriyādiṣu, nūnaṁ taṁ pūrṇakaṁ yati sadyaḥ vande acyutam ity ādi-vacanam.(?) There is another quotation, that yasya smṛtya ca moktva tapo-yajña-kriyādiṣu. These are pious activities: austerity and sacrifice, tapas, yajña, and kriyā, pious activities. Everything is done simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. There is no need of doing anything. Simply by chanting, one can achieve the result of japa, yajña, and other ritualistic performances prescribed in the Vedas. And this is specially advised to the karma-kāṇḍīyas, those who are very much fond of performing ritualistic ceremony. For them this instruction is specially meant, that if you chant simply Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense, then you'll get all the results of japa, yajña, and other ritualistic performances.

Lecture on SB 6.2.7 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1975:

So this vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), we are distributing on the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. People may take that Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that we are preaching vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19)—no compromise, only Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If people can take it without any hesitation... As Kṛṣṇa says, mā śucaḥ: "Don't be worried." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa says Even out of sentiment we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, believing on the word of Kṛṣṇa, out of sentiment, still, we are benefited. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ (SB 1.5.17). It is said that if by sentiment one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, tyaktvā sva-dharmam Everyone has got his occupational duty. The brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or anyone—everyone has got some particular duty, obligation. But Kṛṣṇa says, "There is no need of executing all this obligation. Simply surrender to Me." Kṛṣṇa says. So if somebody, out of sentiment, if one thinks that "Simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, I will be perfect? Why not take it? Let me give up my so-called religious principle." So that is confirmed in the Bhāgavata. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ. He is giving up. Just like these European, American boys, they belong to Jewish religion, they belong to Christian religion, but out of their pious activity or even by sentiment, they have given up. Now they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But they are perfect. You may say that some of them are fallen. So śāstra says that "Even one has fallen, where is the wrong there? And another person, who has not taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who has not fallen, what is the benefit there?" Even one has not fallen, sticking to his own particular religious system, he is not gainer. But a person who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness even by sentiment and has fallen, he has great benefit because once he has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa becomes attached to him. That is ajñāta-sukṛti. Therefore, in all circumstances, we should accept the Kṛṣṇa's instruction, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), and surely we shall be benefited.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:

He became immediately liberated because he was offenseless. But because we cannot do that, therefore we have to make a prescription. Just like a child who cannot write very good hand. He is asked that "You write so many pages." By writing, writing, writing, writing, writing, he writes good hand. So we should not neglect. Chanting, chanting, chanting... Another... This is one side. Another side is when you become liberated the chanting will give you transcendental pleasure so that you cannot cease. You cannot cease chanting. That is another side. That is liberated stage, just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, Haridāsa Ṭhākura. You cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura but you must make a prescribed form that "I must chant so many times." That is for conditioned soul. When you are liberated, then there is no need of giving you direction. You'll feel transcendental pleasure by chanting. You cannot cease. Yes?

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

There is no qualified brāhmaṇa. Therefore yajña is not possible in this age. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyām..., dvāpare paricaryāyām (SB 12.3.52). And gorgeous temple worship according to the principle was possible perfectly in the Dvāpara-yuga. Our, this temple worship, Deity worship, we are following the principles of Deity worship because our ācāryas established temple, but main principle is chanting. Therefore, whatever we are doing, we offering prasādam to the Lord, we are having maṅgalārati, the main principle is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This temple worship, it can be avoided, but we cannot avoid chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. As such, we have introduced in several centers that "Begin with Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, keeping the picture of Guru-Gaurāṅga." If it is not possible to worship the Deity according to the rules and regulation, there is no need of establishing temple. But if there are devotees who can actually keep the temple worship method in right order, then... Otherwise, simple, by chanting, everything is complete. But when there is temple worship, there is automatic purification because we have to rise early in the morning, we have to take bath. This kind of purification help..., is helped by temple worship. But when there is grossest type of people who cannot take to this, simply chanting will do. Hari nāmānukīrtanam. Kalau tad, kali, kalau. Kalau, means this age, that cleanliness is very difficult to maintain. Therefore kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. This is recommended.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971:

So Yamadūtas are searching or taking away. Just after leaving this body, one is taken away by Yamadūta to the place of Yamadūta. There is a planet described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So those who are very sinful, they are dragged through hot desert. They cannot... They fall down. Such persons fall down, but still, he is dragged through the desert. These descriptions are there. Sometimes we feel like that. So there is a planet. So sinful persons are arrested and taken to Yamadūtas. Similarly, Viṣṇudūtas are there. Bhūtāni viṣṇoḥ sura-pūjitāni. Sura means demigod. The residents of the higher planets, they also respect, show their obeisances, respectful obeisances, to these assistants of..., Viṣṇudūtas, sura-pūjitāni. Durdarśa-liṅgāni. Durdarśa, very rarely seen. Because the Ajāmila was practically the only case who was taken from the clutches of the Yamadūta. Otherwise there is no need of their coming. But there are still devotees. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: (BG 4.9) "After leaving this body they do not come again to take birth in this material world, but they come to Me." So those who are eligible to go back to Godhead, they are taken by Viṣṇudūta as guides. But durdarśa-liṅgāni, they are very rarely to be seen because directly going to Vaikuṇṭha after leaving this body, such persons are also very rare. Durdarśa-liṅgāni mahādbhutāni. Adbhuta, wonderful. Certainly they must be wonderful because they are spiritual body—four hands, with different weapons, just like Viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18-19 -- Gorakhpur, February 12, 1971:

Then he says the assistants, "My dear boys, just see how much powerful is the chanting of the holy name of God is that this Ajāmila, he did not directly mean to chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, but indirectly, because he chanted the name of Nārāyaṇa, although this Nārāyaṇa was not the original Nārāyaṇa, his son, but it is so effective that he also became delivered." Nāmoccāraṇa-māhātmyaṁ hareḥ paśyata putrakāḥ, ajāmilo 'pi yenaiva mṛtyu-pāśāt: "He was saved from the imminent danger of death and being carried away by the Yamadūtas." I think we have covered. Na tatra pramāṇaṁ vaktavyam:(?) "How powerful is the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, or God, there is no need of evidences. Just see practically how it is being done." And Śrīdhara Svāmī says that na tatra pramāṇam vaktavyaṁ dṛṣṭaḥ syād ity āha nāmoccāraṇeti yenaiva kevalena sakṛd uccaritena.(?) Once he uttered, simply, "Nārāyaṇa..." That's a fact. Once uttered, the holy name of God, without any offense, without any motive, immediately makes one free from this material world.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18-19 -- Gorakhpur, February 12, 1971:

Beginning... Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was a magistrate. What do you mean by "beginning"? As soon as he is situated in his own original position, then he is pure devotee. That's all. It doesn't matter what he has done in the past. It is called nagna-mati. Nagna-mati.(?) One's mother was naked in her childhood. So one is asking, "Mother, why you are putting on those saris? You were naked. You can remain naked." This kind of argument is no argument. Whatever one may be in his past, that's all right. As soon as he is situated in pure devotee, devotional state, that's all. One hasn't got to inquire, "from the beginning" or "from the end." There is no need of such inquiry. As soon as he is situated in his original position, hitvā anyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6), gives up nondevotional activities, but is situated in devotional service, immediately he is all right, pure devotee. Doesn't matter whether he was in the beginning. Because even a person, ordinary person, ordinarily, he is not contaminated. He lives aloof from this material existence. But for sometimes, even if he is influenced, that doesn't matter. As soon as he comes to his real position, he is a pure devotee. There is no question of tracing his past history. There is no question. You be situated in pure devotional service; you are pure devotee. That's all. There is no question of inquiring what he was in the past. That doesn't matter. Is it clear? Yes. Just like Ajāmila. In the past history he, simply sinful, Jagāi-Mādhāi, simply sinful, but as soon as they come to the position of pure devotional life, he is pure. That's all. Yes.

Lecture on SB 6.3.27-28 -- Gorakhpur, February 20, 1971:

Vibhūti-bhinnam. All of them are differently situated. Not that all planets are of the same type. So there is a Siddhaloka. In that Siddhaloka, if anyone wants to go to another planet, he does not require any airplane or sputnik. He can go immediately. That is called Siddhaloka.

So ye sādhavaḥ. Te deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthā. Pavitra-gāthā, varṇita pavitra-kathā. If they are discussed as Kṛṣṇa's pastimes... Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). As Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's activities, are puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ... If somebody hears and chants, if he does not understand even a farthing of it, still, he becomes pious. There is no need of understanding. Simply that holy sound will make his heart pure. Pavitra-gāthā. This sound. Just like when kīrtana is going on, an animal is standing. He does not understand what is the meaning of that kīrtana, but that sound will purify him. There are many insects within this room, many small creatures, ants, mosquitos, flies. Simply by hearing this holy name, transcendental vibration, they will be purified. Pavitra-gāthā. As soon as you discuss dealings of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs... Because Kṛṣṇa's pastimes means there must be the other party. And what is that other party? That is devotee. Dealings. There is a proverb like that. Some foolish persons were speaking that "This year I have seen many boys were married." What does it mean? Many boys are married means there must be many girls also. Otherwise, how he's married? Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes means there must be devotees; otherwise, with whom Kṛṣṇa will play? Kṛṣṇa does not play with any other one unless they are devotees. Sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyam. As a devotee is always absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is always absorbed in thought of His devotees.

Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:

Reading is also smaraṇam. That śravaṇam, kīrtanam, smaraṇam. It is clear? Śravaṇam means hearing, kīrtanam means chanting, and smaraṇam. When you read, you remember God's activities, Kṛṣṇa's activities, His devotee's activities. Therefore it is smaraṇam. This is also one of the prescribed methods. But if anyone cannot read even... Suppose if he is not educated, illiterate. Does it mean that he will not get Kṛṣṇa consciousness? He will get, simply by hearing. The process is so perfect and nice, there is no need of education even. Illiterate person, simply if he gives aural reception submissively, he will get the benefit. Therefore it is universal. It is good for everyone—educated, noneducated, learned, fool, rich, poor, everyone. Man, woman, child, adult—everyone can take part and take benefit out of it. It is so nice.

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:

So if we stick to the materialistic way of life, it will be very, very difficult to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. Why? Now, adānta-gobhiḥ. Adānta means uncontrolled. Uncontrolled. Our senses are uncontrolled. This morning, while I was walking on the beach, we found so many things, the capsule of the Coca-cola, cigarette butts and so many other things. So what is the necessity of this Coca-cola? You don't find all these things in our society. We don't drink Coca-cola. We don't drink Pepsi-cola. We don't smoke. So many things which are selling in the market in huge quantity by advertisement, by victimizing the poor customer... But they are called unnecessary things. There is no need of such things. But adānta-gobhiḥ, because the senses cannot be controlled, they are making business. They are making business, unnecessary thing. So we have to control the senses. If we really want spiritual life, if we really want to be free from these material clutches, then we have to learn how to control the senses. That is wanted. That is the purpose of human life. Now... That is the purpose of human life. Human life is not meant for imitating the life of cats and dogs and hogs. That is not human life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

CIA Department. So they are financing us, America. Just see the foolishness. The CIA department has taken this saṅkīrtana movement. But these rascals are thinking like that; that it is a branch of the CIA Movement. So, being suspicious, some of the rascals raised the question in Parliament in India, that "This community are fabulously rich. So it is understood that they belong to the CIA Department of America. Is it a fact?" It was raised in the Parliament and the question was put before the home member. "So if they are CIA Department, they are pushing on this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement under the garb, then what is government's information? This is first question. If not, where they are getting so much money spending?" In this way two, three questions were raised. Fortunately the home member was aware of our movement and he replied that "They do not belong to the CIA Department. We do not have any such information and there is no need of any action. And so far their finance is concerned, we understand that they are selling their literatures and public contribution." That is the fact, actually. We are selling our books about, three, more, not less than three thousand dollars daily, and that is giving us our financial help. We have no other means of income. Although we have got expenditure not less than one hundred thousands of dollars per month throughout the whole world.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- Vrndavana, December 11, 1975:

Again the same thing. Īśa tantryām, uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. We are bound up, hands and legs, by the tantryām, the shackles or ropes of nature, or God. We are not free. 'Pīśa tantryāṁ baddhāḥ. We are not free; still, we are trying to excel the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The modern scientists, they are very much proud that they have advanced very much so that there is no need of talking about God. This is the material civilization. So many wonderful things are going on. They cannot explain even how things are going on, and still they are proud of scientific advancement and declare, "There is no God." This is foolish civilization, narādhama. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). And they are engaged in sinful activities. To solve the population—janma, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)—they are killing. That means increasing problem. They do not know the actual fact, that by this killing process they are increasing the problems of life. So what is due to? This is due to sneha-pāśair dṛḍhair baddham. We are bound up by the shackles of nature, and it is due to our attachment for material existence. Attachment. And we have to undo this attachment, vairāgya. Undo this attachment means vairāgya, detachment. That is the thing necessary.

Lecture on SB 7.6.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 28, 1976:

And the first business is how to lead men to the highest perfection of life. That is called siddhi. Siddhi means highest perfection of life. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ. There are different kinds of siddhis. (noise in background) (aside:) What is that? Saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ. There are different kinds of siddhis. The yogis, the mystic yogis, they also try to possess some siddhi-animā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, īśitā, vaśitā. Eight kinds of siddhis. But such siddhis, all material.

So in the modern age, advancement of material civilization, they also do not care for these siddhis, material siddhis. Just like laghimā. Laghimā-siddhi, the yogis, they become so light that they can float in the air. So nowadays you have got airplane. The yogi can float alone in the air. Now five hundred passengers, they can float in the air. So there is no need of such yoga, yoga-siddhi. The science, the material science of craftsmanship, mechanical, they have done it. Or formerly these things were very magical. Still, the so-called yogis, they are trying to achieve such perfection. Sometimes they can float in the air, they can walk on the water, they can get anything they desire, prāpti. Prāpti, in my childhood there was my teacher. He said that he had his guru, a yogi. So he told me that his spiritual master, yogi, he inquired from his disciple, "What do you want to eat?" So he said that "We want to eat some pomegranate from Kabul." So he said, "Yes, you can get it. Go into the room and you'll find." So they found a bunch of pomegranate just fresh taken from the tree. This is called prāpti. The yogis, they can get all these facilities. Prāpti siddhi. Īśitā, they can keep anyone under his control. Īśitā, vaśitā... There are eight kinds of aṣṭa-siddhi. But that is not perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 29, 1976:

This is actually spiritual communism. If everyone thinks that "Everything belongs to God and I am son of God, so I have got right to enjoy the property of my Father, but as much as I require, not more than that," this is spiritual communism, bhāgavata communism.

That is stated there in the Seventh Canto by instruction by Nārada Muni: gṛhastha, householder, or anyone. By nature, you'll see, if you throw one bag of food grains anywhere, so many birds will come. But as soon as their belly is filled up they will go away. They will not take more than that for tomorrow. Sañcaya. That is nature. They know, "Tomorrow we shall get again somewhere grains. There is no need of stocking." This is nature you'll find amongst animal kingdom. Similarly, we should also learn that Kṛṣṇa has given us this belly, so He has provided also the eatables. That is real philosophy. It is not recommended that you get more than what you require. No. Yāvad artha-prayojanam. Especially for Kṛṣṇa conscious persons. Everyone has got right to claim what is absolutely required. In the Bhāgavata, it is stated if anyone takes more than that, then he's a thief and he's punishable. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1), everything is God's property. Either on this land or in the sky or in the water, everything is God's property. And Kṛṣṇa claims also, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). In the Vedic version, you'll find, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam. This philosophy can solve all the problems of the world. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Whatever is given to you, you enjoy, what is allotted to you. Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. Do not touch other's property. But we violate this law, therefore we suffer.

Lecture on SB 7.6.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 29, 1976:

So a gṛhastha, of course, required to accumulate some money because he's living with family, but so far brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsī is concerned, they should not keep any money. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was so strict that his personal servant, one day he was taking after eating a little, what is called, myrobalum (indistinct), haritaki. So one day he was giving myrobalum (indistinct) and Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "Where you got this myrobalum (indistinct)?" So he said, "I kept it from yesterday." "Oh, you are stocking?" He immediately criticized him. "You are stocking? This is not good." So this principle... Of course, even if we do not stock, don't think that we'll starve. Kṛṣṇa has provided. But we should be depending on Kṛṣṇa. There is no anxiety. Actually, there is no anxiety. We have experienced this. I was alone for many years, but not a single day I was starving. No. There was food.

So it is a fact, even for the animals, even for the beasts. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī has recommended that, that "Do not be anxious." That verse, now I forget, it is in the Second Canto... I forget that verse, but Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that "Don't stock, don't beg. Kṛṣṇa will provide everything, everyone." So except gṛhastha, the brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsī, they should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa. Prahlāda Mahārāja has already explained it in many ways, that there is no need of endeavoring for so-called economic development. Our energy should be only utilized how to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to increase our love for Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, July 1, 1976:

Even if you have got desire to enjoy within this material world, still you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa will satisfy you. He'll give you. There is no need of doing something else for your material enjoyment. If you want... Because we can not give up material enjoyment. We have been habituated since time immemorial, many life after many life, simply for sense gratification. It is not very easy to give up the idea. Therefore śāstra says even if you have got idea of sense gratification, still you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't try it otherwise. Just like the devatās. They have got facilities for all sense gratification. Sense gratification means udara-upastha-jihvā, jihvā, this tongue and the belly and the genitals. This is the prime sense gratificatory sources. Very palatable dishes, fill up the belly as much as possible, and then enjoy sex. This is material. In the spiritual world these things are absent. In the material world these things are very prominent.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja warns his friends that if we become attached to this sense gratification, then vimocituṁ kāma-dṛśāṁ vihāra-krīḍā-mṛgo yan-nigaḍo visargaḥ. Nigaḍo, nigaḍo means the root, the root cause of accepting the material body. These things are sense gratification. Tato vidūrāt, from distant place. Tato vidūrāt parihṛtya daityā. "My dear friends, although you are born of daitya family, I am also born"—his father is also daitya.

Lecture on SB 7.6.19 -- New Vrindaban, July 2, 1976:

So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanam (SB 1.2.17). Even if we do not understand what is being spoken about Kṛṣṇa, still, simply by hearing, one becomes pious. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana. Kirtana, one is speaking or chanting, another is hearing. Both of them are benefited, becomes pious. In this way, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa unless we are sinless. So there is no need of separate attempt to become sinless. If we simply hear, then we... Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtana. Puṇya means piety. Simply by hearing, you become pious. Then you become interested, naturally. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Somehow or other, if one becomes a little fit for: "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. What they are doing, let me see," that is called śraddhā. And this śraddhā is little increased, then one will like to associate with the devotees. Adau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-sangaḥ. In this way, when he is accustomed, then he will like to become one of the devotees, offers himself to be initiated.

Lecture on SB 7.6.20-23 -- Washington D.C., July 3, 1976:

Yes. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, is explaining Himself. Absolute Truth is the ultimate end, Vedānta. The subject matter of knowledge is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So we have got this human form of life to inquire about the Absolute Truth. Jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Unless one is jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive, there is no need of accept a so-called fashionable guru. To accept guru is not a fashion, style, that "Everyone has guru; I'll have a guru." No. The śāstra says, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam. One should accept guru when he is inquisitive, jijñāsuḥ. What about? Śreyaḥ uttamam. The Absolute or the auspicity beyond this material world. Uttamam. Tamaḥ means darkness, ignorance.

So here, our position in this material world: darkness. We are simply speculating in so many ways what is the ultimate cause. There are so many philosophers, but they are speculating only without any definite knowledge. So śāstra says that speculative knowledge will not be successful at any time. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām (Bs. 5.34). Manaso, by mental speculation, muni-puṅgavānām, one who speculates, he is called muni. So muni-puṅgava. Puṅgava means the most exalted muni, if he simply speculates about the Absolute Truth, how many years? Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara. Just like people are now going in the outer space to find out some shelter in the moon planet, in the Mars planet, similarly, if you want to find out the Absolute Truth or the abode of the Absolute Truth... The description is there in the śāstra:

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

"Whatever we are seeing, in our presence, experiencing, they're all different energies of Kṛṣṇa..." Just like you are sitting here, and if there is fire, you, you see the li..., by the light of the fire, it is illuminated. By the heat of the fire, you are feeling warm. So whatever there is, it is due to fire. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to understand Kṛṣṇa, and as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, you understand everything. That is stated in the Vedic language, yasmin eva vijñāte sarvam eva vijñātaṁ bhavati: "One who understands that one Supreme, he understands everything immediately." There is no need of understanding separately or analyzing things separately. That will defeat. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means real oneness. But that oneness is not of the oneness of the impersonalists. That oneness is a little different. It is called śuddhādvaita, pure oneness. In spite of that being one Kṛṣṇa, He is manifested by His different varieties of energies. Just like the fire. Fire is one, electricity is one, but it is acting in different varieties. It is acting in your refrigerator. It is acting in your heater. It is acting in your machine. It is acting in your television. Act... Everywhere. But the what is that? That electricity. Similarly, if you understand electricity, as of Kṛṣṇa, then you understand your whole thing, one. But there are varieties. Just like in electricity there are so many varieties at work. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (alarm clock buzzes for second time) (aside:) You stop this disturbance. (end)

Lecture on SB 7.9.1 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1977:

God is absolute any way. Even apart from God's body, even in our body, we do not make any distinction. Suppose if there is some trouble, if there is some boil here in the front side and if there is some boil in the back side, does it mean I shall not take care of the back side boil? I shall take care of it, I shall have treatment for it. I cannot neglect the back side boil because it has come out from the back side. There is no such reason.

So these bad habits, kāma krodha-kāma means lust; krodha means anger—so if they are also coming from God, then how we can neglect it? How we can reject it? So there is no need of rejecting. That is the Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's... You cannot reject. That is not possible. As you are a living being, there must be kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya. You cannot reject it. You cannot make it zero. That is impersonalism. But it has its proper use. That you have to know. Unless you know the proper use of everything, everything... Proper use means it must be used for Kṛṣṇa. Then it is proper use. Otherwise it is misused. There is no such thing as bad. Everything is good when it is used for Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between material and spiritual. Spiritual, everything is good, and material, everything is bad. You cannot make any distinction. When a thing is used materially it is bad. Therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali samāna. Dvaite—means in this world of duality—everything is bad. They have invented some artificial meaning, "This is good, this is bad," but actually everything is bad in the material world. There is nothing good. And just the opposite: in the spiritual world, everything is good.

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976:

Don't be puffed up." Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. You should not think yourself that you are very advanced, "By my speculative knowledge I can understand God." That is mistake. That is not possible. You have to give up first of all this attempt, that "I am very learned," "I am very rich,"or "I am very this and that. Therefore for me to understand God, it is nothing." They think like that. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). Those who are very much proud, they do not take Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously. They think, "These poor fellow who had no money, no foodstuff, they have come in the name of Kṛṣṇa for begging. So it is for them. It is not for us. I am very rich. I am very opulent. I am very educated. I am very aristocratic. So for me there is no need of." The Indians say like that in your country. "Now we have known this Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. We have... Now it is not needed. Now it is technology."

So these puffed-up persons cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. One has to become very humble. Christ also says, "The kingdom of God is for the humble and the meek." That is actually... And Kṛṣṇa also says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the beginning of humbleness: "Yes, I have nothing, insignificant." Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān mām (BG 7.19). This is real knowledge, to remain always insignificant before guru—Kṛṣṇa. Then it is profit. If somebody thinks that "I have become more than my guru, more than Kṛṣṇa," then he is finished. So one should become very humble and meek.

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1976:

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is bhakti-mārga, sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Simply by playing on the cymbal, on the khol, taking little caraṇāmṛta, everything in detail there is in the Nectar of Devotion, you have read. So the foolish person, they do not take care. They think they are very much advanced, they have no need to attend ārati, or to play on the mṛdaṅga or cymbal, but that is not fact. So many items are there given by the ācāryas. If not this, you do this, you do that, you do that, hundreds of items. Take any one of them and you'll be benefited. This is arcana-mārga. There are many foolish person, they make propaganda, "There is no need of going to the temple." That is another rascaldom. Because if you come to the temple, you get so many facilities to make advance in spiritual life. This is our mission. We are opening, spending so much money for opening gorgeous temple. It is not new thing. This is very, very old, coming by paramparā system. There are many thousands of temples in India, very old, five thousand, three thousand years old. Why? The ācāryas wanted to give facility to the common man to enter into spiritual life. That is the idea.

It is not childish. Rather the so-called meditation is childish. You cannot, if you do not know what is God, how you can meditate upon Him? Meditation means, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino. The yogis perform meditation. Why? To concentrate their mind on the Viṣṇu form. You'll find some picture that everyone is depicted with the Viṣṇu form in the core of the heart. That is real yoga. Indriya-samyamaḥ. Real yoga means indriya-samyamaḥ. Our senses are so much disturbed, agitated always. So if you can control your sensory organs to your, employ them in the matter of understanding God, yoga indriya-samyamaḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1977:

He also became pariplutaḥ, feelingly merciful, not ordinary merciful, feeling that "How innocent this child is." So feelingly, utthapya: immediately got him up. "My dear child, get up." And immediately put his hand on the head. Utthāpya tac-chīrṣṇy adadhāt karāmbujam. Karāmbhuja, lotus hand, lotus palm. So these feelings are there. And He wanted... Because this boy was bewildered that such a big mūrti came from the thumbs(?), the columns and the father, gigantic father, is dead, naturally he is little disturbed in mind. So therefore vitrasta-dhiyāṁ kṛtābhayam: "My dear child, don't be afraid. Everything is all right. I am present and there is no fear. Be pacified. I will give you protection." So this is the exchange. So there is no need of very, becoming very learned man, Vedantist and... Simply these things are required: you become innocent, accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and fall down at His lotus feet. Everything is complete. This is wanted, simplicity. Simplicity. Believe in Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañ... (BG 7.7), believe it! There is no more superior authority than Kṛṣṇa.

And He says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is the instruction. This is the substance of all instruction. Believe Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Believe that there is Kṛṣṇa. Innocent child will believe, but our brain is so dull, we will inquire, "Whether the Deity is made of stone or brass or wood," because we are not innocent. We are thinking that this Deity is something made of brass. Even it is brass, a brass is not God? Brass is also God. Because Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir..., apareyam..., bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Everything is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:

You must follow. Then people will come in contact with you, they will be benefited. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15), and if he regularly makes sādhu-saṅgaḥ, then the effect will be he will try to become a sādhu. That is initiation. Initiation means the beginning of becoming a sādhu, not that after initiation immediately he becomes a sādhu. If he follows, just like we instruct that you chant at least sixteen rounds, you have no illicit sex, you cannot take any meat, fish, eggs, or you cannot have any intoxication up to drinking tea and smoking, and we say no gambling. This is the process of becoming a sādhu. So ādau śraddhā. This is called bhajana-kriyā.

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 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the only desire you should have. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra). If your desire is only concentrated on Kṛṣṇa... Just like the calf. He came to Kṛṣṇa: "Kṛṣṇa, I want You. That's all." And Kṛṣṇa embraces. That's all. If you simply want Kṛṣṇa, that is all perfection. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. If you have simply accepted Kṛṣṇa, there is no need of any more austerities or penances and knowledge. You have taken the real thing. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And if you have not come to that stage, to accept Kṛṣṇa, then all your energy wasted in so-called penance and religion and—all spoiled. So if you actually began to love Kṛṣṇa, it is very nice. (break)

Woman: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Simply by loving Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy. You love here, there so many. You just try to love Kṛṣṇa and stay in transcendental state. Love is there, but we are misplacing our love. That is our folly. Place that love to Kṛṣṇa. You haven't got to learn how to love. You know. Everyone knows. So you place that love to Kṛṣṇa, and you are always... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi-
bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
(BG 14.26)

"Anyone who is always engaged in unalloyed devotional service," sa guṇān samatītyaitān, "he has already transcended all the material qualities." Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate: "He is on the path of becoming Brahman." Brahman means transcendental stage. So simply by engaging yourself in devotional service, immediately you come to the Brahman platform. Immediately. All these boys who are engaged in the..., they are on the Brahman platform. They are not on the platform dharma artha kāma mokṣa. They have already transcended. Yes?

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1977:

So these are material assets. (aside:) It's not working? (bumps microphone) Hm? Wealth, dhana... Nobody can captivate Kṛṣṇa by all these material possessions. These are material possessions: money, then manpower, beauty, education, austerity, mystic power and so on, so on. There are so many things. They are not capable of approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa personally says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). He doesn't say all these material possessions, that "If one is very rich man, he can have My favor." No. Kṛṣṇa is not a poor man like me, that if somebody gives me some money, I become benefited. He's self-sufficient, ātmārāma. So there is no need of any help from anyone else. He's fully satisfied, ātmārāma. Only bhakti, love, that is required.

Bhakti means to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is without any purpose. Ahaituky apratihatā. That bhakti, unalloyed... Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Everywhere this is the statement of the śāstra, that bhakti should be unalloyed.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

The proportion of the demigods, or Vaiṣṇavas, is never greater. They are very few always. You cannot expect that the whole world, whole population of the world, will become Vaiṣṇava. That is not possible. Mostly they are demons, atheistic. So Prahlāda Mahārāja first of all appeals to the Lord that "My dear Lord, Nṛsiṁha-deva, Your appearance is for their protection. Now You have killed the demon, my father. Now Your business is finished. Now You become pacified, satisfied, because You have no other, no other cause for being angry." Because Nṛsiṁha-deva was groaning in anger, and the demigods were afraid to approach Him, so Prahlāda Mahārāja first appeals to Him, "My dear Lord, there is no need of any more groaning. You become satisfied because Your appearance is for the protection of these demigods. They are not disturbing to You." In this way he begins his prayer, very nice, simple, a child, although there is no question of Vedānta philosophy. The simple truth. The simple truth. But it is very nice. We shall go on.

So he īśa amī udvijanto vibhrānta sarve brahmādayaḥ sattva-mūrtes tava vidhi-karāḥ. "Another thing is, now, they are very peaceful by nature. But by Your this fierceful appearance, they have become, I mean to say, fearful. So because Your incarnation is for them, now You become pacified so that they may also become pacified." Brahmādayaḥ sattva-mūrteḥ. Sattva-mūrte. They are... Sattva-mūrte means devotees. "All, they are devotees," sakta-mūrte.

Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:

That is not possible. But this is the beginning of material life. "Why shall I accept God? I am God." So the same thing is continuing in different phases.

So māyā manaḥ is very strong. It is very, very difficult. Therefore we have to voluntarily surrender. It takes very, very long time, balīyaḥ, but if one is intelligent, if one is fortunate, he takes immediately. That is the difference. Otherwise it will take many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Even if he is jñānavān, full knowledge of everything, scientific knowledge, physical, chemical, metaphysical, mathematical, all this knowledge, but denying God, "I am God. There is no need of God. Now we shall do everything. We are advanced in science..." This is called māyā manaḥ. These rascals, thinking like that... It will never be possible. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām (Bs. 5.34). Great, a great muni... Muni means mental speculators. They're thinking within the mind this, that, this, that, this, that. Muni-puṅgavānām. Puṅgava. Puṅgava means very expert mental speculator. Even they think like that for many, many years... Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara. Koṭi means hundred lakhs, and again multiplied by sata, sata, unlimited. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo (Bs. 5.34). And the speed? Vāyor athāpi manaso, speed of the air and the mind. Still, avicintya-tattve: they cannot understand what is God. Ask any scientist, any physicist, any mathematician. Just like recently one rascal—he is doctor—he has said that "Sītā was sister of Rāma, and Rāma was this and that." So speculator. He has become bigger than the ācāryas, and because he has got little doctorate title, he's thinking that he has become very, very big. This is going on. This is called māyā manaḥ. Māyā is so strong that she is bewildering even so-called doctorates, deletes(?) and others. All rascals. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Although they have got these university degrees, but they are rascals. Why? Māyayapahṛta-jñānā. Their knowledge has been taken away by māyā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.26 -- Mayapur, March 4, 1976:

We have to curb down these rago-guṇa, tamo-guṇa; otherwise there is no improvement. If a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is found, no reaction in rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, then he's a dull stone. It is not improving. It is simply showbottle. So showbottle will not act help, Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. This prescription is there. If one develops Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is to be understood that he has surpassed sattva-guṇa, the brahminical qualification. Why we offer sacred thread to a person who is coming from very, very low family? Because it is to be understood by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, by following the regulative principle, he has already come to the platform of sattva-guṇa. But if it is a false thing, there is no need of second initiation. There must be. One must come. This, our process, is "Don't do this. Do this: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra sixteen rounds, and don't do this—no illicit sex, no meat-eating." That means he's becoming purified. He's becoming purified from the rotten condition of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. But if he does not, then there should be no second initiation. This should be the rule.

So, so Prahlāda Mahārāja is claiming. He's not neither in rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, sattva-guṇa. He's Vaiṣṇava; he's transcendental. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). He's on the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, on the spiritual platform. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa touching? Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ-pavitraḥ. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He cannot touch a rajas-tamas-bhava. No. That is not possible. When Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva touched his head, either by His touching he's already purified, or because he's purified, therefore Lord touched his head. This is the conclusion. So he is purified, but as a Vaiṣṇava, he is placing himself in the platform of rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). The whole world, at least in this age, Kali-yuga, these two qualities, mostly tamo-guṇa, and little rajo-guṇa, that's all, but no sattva-guṇa. No sattva-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.29 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1976:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, mat-prāṇa-rakṣaṇam ananta pitur vadhaś ca. The two things are there. When Kṛṣṇa incarnates there are two things. What are they? Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Two things. So here two things are being done. One thing is to save Prahlāda Mahārāja, paritrāṇāya sādhunam, and another thing is vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām yuge yuge sambhavāmi. So actually vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, it doesn't require the presence of the Supreme Lord. The nature's arrangement is so strong that anyone can be finished within a second, anyone. There is no need of Kṛṣṇa's taking so much trouble to come here. But He comes especially for deliverance of the devotee, bhakta-vatsala, and side work, to kill the demons. That is not His business. The Māyā, Durgādevī, is sufficiently powerful to kill any demon within a second. There is no difficulty. Simply by ordering Māyā... Or Māyā does not wait the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She can understand what the Lord wants. Simply little indication, she can kill hundreds and thousands of demons in one stroke. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya. She can do that.

Lecture on SB 7.9.42 -- Mayapur, March 22, 1976:

Besides that, mūḍheṣu vai mahad-anugraha ārta-bandho. Generally, those who are ārta-bandhu, friend of the suffering humanity, they specially show favor to the mūḍha, to the rascals. Kṛṣṇa comes for that purpose because every one of us, we are mūḍhas. Duṣkṛtino. Na māṁ duṣkṭtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante. Normally we, because we are sinful, because we are mūḍhas, we do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ prapadyante. Anyone who does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, He is classified as duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhamā, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. It is not at all possible to become independent of Kṛṣṇa's will. That is not possible. Therefore those who are trying to work independently, without Kṛṣṇa's favor, they're mūḍha, all rascals. They will not accept what Kṛṣṇa says, and they are trying to establish some law without Kṛṣṇa. "There is no need of God." This is the... Most scientists, they say like that. "Now we have got science. We can do everything." They are mūḍhas. It is not possible. Independently you cannot do without Kṛṣṇa's favor.

So best thing is that always try to seek favor of Kṛṣṇa. And you cannot seek Kṛṣṇa's favor directly. That is also another point. Kiṁ tena te priya-janān anusevatāṁ naḥ. You cannot jump over to Kṛṣṇa without the favor of His devotee. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. You cannot seek favor of Bhagavān directly. That is another foolishness. You must go through the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. This is our process. We don't approach Kṛṣṇa directly. We must begin our service to the Kṛṣṇa's servant. And who is Kṛṣṇa's servant? One who has become the servant of another Kṛṣṇa's servant. This is called dāsa-dāsānudāsa. Nobody can be independently servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is another foolishness. Kṛṣṇa never accepts anyone's service directly. No. That is not possible. You must come through the servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). This is called paramparā system. As you receive knowledge by the paramparā system... Kṛṣṇa spoke to Brahmā, Brahmā spoke to Nārada, Nārada spoke to Vyāsadeva, and we are getting this knowledge. Just like Kṛṣṇa... Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna.

Lecture on SB 7.9.47 -- Vrndavana, April 2, 1976:

The demonic habits are being killed, demonic habits. Everyone, we can understand it, how our demonic activities are being killed by this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. This is astra. This is astra, but it is being used in a different way, because in this age they are so fallen. So... Manda manda-bhāgyā. This real astra weapon cannot be used upon them. It is already dead. So therefore another type of astra to awaken them to life, that is Hare Kṛṣṇa, mahā-mantra astra. Otherwise they are already dead. A dead horse... "Beating the dead horse." A horse is dead; what you will get by beating with whips? It is already dead. So there are big, big demons. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was required to be killed by the nails of the Lord. He appeared as a ferocious lion. But here, the tiny demons, there is no need of nails or any sword. They are to be awakened simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "You cannot understand in this age." In the last śloka he said, mauna-vrata-śruta-tapo-'dhyayana-sva-dharma-vyākhyā-raho-japa-samādhaya āpavargyāḥ (SB 7.9.46). The real business is apavarga. Pavarga I have explained yesterday: simply suffering. This material life means simply suffering. Pa pha ba bha ma. Each alphabet I have explained. It is simply suffering. And human life is a chance how to make this suffering null and void. That is apavarga. "A" means to make null and void. Pavarga. To make this pavarga life into apavarga. So these ten processes is, are recommended in the śāstra. I have already explained. Mauna, śruta, tapa, these things are required. But they are also not direct method. You cannot understand. There are many, many tapasvīs, raha. In Vṛndāvana you'll find many devotees, they are in a very secluded place. But my Guru Mahārāja did not like this process, secluded. We have discussed many times. Sometimes if you sit down in a secluded place, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura, then you'll complain, "I am being disturbed in this way." One, that African boy, came? So he became disturbed.

Lecture on SB 7.9.49 -- Vrndavana, April 4, 1976:

Then next stage is that "I am spirit soul, and I am fallen down in this condition. Now I have realized. But wherefrom I am coming?" That is next research work. And then, when he understands by studying ourself and when he understands from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa said, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), "I am a jīva, living entity. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," this realization... Brahman realization, Para-brahman realization. Then "I am living force. Then what is my duty?" The duty is the small must render service to the great. This is bhakti. This is bhakti. You analyze simply. It is the most perfect science, bhakti-yoga. That is natural, bhakti-yoga. It is not artificial. Jñāna, karma or yoga, they are all artificial. Simply Caitanya Mahāprabhu begins from this point, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109).

So if you understand and you begin to serve Kṛṣṇa, then there is no need of studying Vedas or this or that. Here it is said, vimṛśya sudhiyo viramanti śabdāt. "No more education. Bās. First-class education I have got. I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 7.9.51 -- Vrndavana, April 6, 1976:

From this tree, whatever you want you can get. That is called kalpa-vṛkṣa. In the material world, because it is covered by the three guṇas, you can get the mango from the mango tree and the orange from the orange tree, not that any tree you have grown you get both the mango and the orange, that is not. That is there in the spiritual world. Just like if I ask you, "Please bring me a glass of water," you can give me. If I ask you, "Please bring me this little (indistinct)," you can give me. That means because you are spirit soul, whatever I ask from you, you can give me. Spirit soul. Whatever I order, you can supply because you are spirit soul. So the spiritual platform, you can get everything whatever you want. So there is no need of working for something. As soon as you desire, the things are there. That is called nirguṇa. Nirguṇa does not mean it is zero. That is the Māyāvādī philosophy. They have no conception of the nirguṇa. Nirguṇa (Sanskrit), it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is always nirguṇa. He is not within anything of this material world. But fools and rascals, they cannot understand. They say that God is impersonal; when He comes He takes the help of material energy and gets a body, material body. This is their philosophy. No. Kṛṣṇa says that "I appear...," sa guṇān ātma-māyayā.

These Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand what is ātma-māyayā. Personally, ātma-māyayā. Ātma-māyayā means spiritual. He does not appear in material form. Those who are rascals and less intelligent, mūḍhās, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam... (BG 9.11). "Because I come exactly..." He is also... His form is like man. Dvibhuja, (Sanskrit). Kṛṣṇa has two hands and Nārāyaṇa (indistinct) Kṛṣṇa is always carrying His flute, this is Kṛṣṇa's līlā, form.

Lecture on SB 7.9.51 -- Vrndavana, April 6, 1976:

It is not that I can just imagine the God's form with a flute. No. It is confirmed in the Vedic literature. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitām... This is His original form. It is not the imagination of Māyāvādīs. No. But they do not know, they cannot understand. God's form can be understood by the devotees only. It is... Kṛṣṇa is not exposed to anyone except His devotee. Therefore, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa clearly says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. And these bhaktas, Kṛṣṇa says, "This bhakta who has fully surrendered unto Me with full knowledge, not blindly," vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). When one comes to this platform that Vāsudeva is everything, (Sanskrit), simply by worshiping Vāsudeva, you can worship everyone, all the demigods. There is no need of worshiping anyone else. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, only Kṛṣṇa. This is Vāsudeva.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is such qualified devotee. Therefore, by his prayer, the Lord immediately became pleased. Prītaḥ. Prītaḥ. As soon as one is satisfied, naturally he will come out of(?) his angry mood. This is natural. Prītaḥ yata-manyur abhāṣata. We can speak very nicely when we are not disturbed in mind or we are not in angry mood. In this way, Prahlāda Mahārāja was accepted. He was accepted (indistinct), especially by his prayer, which is nirguṇa. (Sanskrit) So we should always remember that nirguṇa means without any material qualities. Material quality is saguṇa, "with the material qualities." So nirguṇa means without any material qualities. So karma, jñāna, and yoga, they are all material qualities. Only bhakti is spiritual. Even in that bhakti, if you bring in karma, jñāna, or yoga, then it is mixed; it is not pure. Therefore, Rūpa Gosvāmī gives definition of bhakti, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11).

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

This is practical. No businessman can earn with forty rupees and within ten years forty crores. There is no instance in the history. This is the... Prīto 'ham. Because Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of all riches. That is Bhagavān. Bhagavān is not that when amongst His foolish disciples, He declares Himself Bhagavān, and when there is some toothache, He goes to the physician to help Him. Bhagavān is not like that. Bhagavān is self-sufficient. So everything is full. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). So riches also... Not that Bhagavān, the Supreme Person, He is poor man, daridra-nārāyaṇa. No. He is full of riches. He can give you as much wealth as you want. And bhakta, a devotee, of course, does not want anything from Kṛṣṇa. That is śuddha-bhakta. But Kṛṣṇa supplies him wealth when he requires. There is no need of asking Kṛṣṇa. Some way or other, it will come. Just like a small child, dependent on the parents, whatever he requires, he does not ask from the parents, "Give me this." The parents know that this child wants this food, this cloth, this comfort, anything.

So this is the secret of bhakti. A bhakta does not endeavor for anything except devotional service. Karma, jñāna, yoga, these things are very popular. By karma, by activities, you can earn money and fulfill your material desire. That is called karma. And then jñāna. Jñāna means to understand that "I am spirit soul; I am not this material body." And then there is another sphere of activities. That is spiritual activities, jñānam. And then yoga. Yoga means whatever you want, aṣṭa-siddhi, aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, īśitā, vaśitā, whatever... This is yoga. So karma, jñāna, yoga. These are the different processes of opulence. Now, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Here it is said, kāma-pūraḥ asmi aham. "You desire something. So I'll fulfill your desire." Kāma-pūraḥ. "I shall fulfill your desire. Why you are bothering? You just become My devotee." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. (BG 18.66) "I shall fulfill all your desires. Why you are endeavoring? There is no need of endeavoring. You c

Lecture on SB 7.9.53 -- Vrndavana, April 8, 1976:

So we have to do in such a way that no more material body. And that is Kṛṣṇa's advice. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). And if you have got a pinch of material desire, Kṛṣṇa is ready to give you a type of body so you can satisfy your desires. But the material desire is never satisfied, one after another, one after another, one after another. In this way at the time of the death we are not satisfied. We desire some thing... (break) ...and then it is to be very easy. Mām aprīṇata āyuṣman darśanaṁ durlabhaṁ hi me. If somehow or other, if you can see Kṛṣṇa, dṛṣṭvā māṁ na punar janma. Punar jantur ātmānaṁ taptum arhati. There is no more necessity of undergoing austerities, and everything is free. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra). If you have got Kṛṣṇa, there is no need of tapasya. You are free. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And if you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of your becoming so much religious, austere sannyāsī and yogi? The whole nonsense. All nonsense. Yadi... Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā... There is no meaning of tapasya if you cannot see Kṛṣṇa. And if you can see Kṛṣṇa, there is no meaning of tapasya. That is... Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. Antar-bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nāntar-bahir yadi haris tapasā... If you can see Kṛṣṇa always, outside and inside, then you have nothing to do, tapasya. Enjoy life by seeing Kṛṣṇa always. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "I don't want anything. Please allow me to see You continually."

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

You have to give up this practice of mental speculation, but you try to understand the Supreme Lord by hearing from a realized soul. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. Then the result will be gradually, although the Supreme Lord is never conquerable, still He will be conquered. Ajito 'py jito 'py asi. Ajita, nobody can conquer. But simply by hearing about Him, you go on hearing, hearing about Him, one day you will find that the Supreme Lord has been conquered by you, you have become victorious. That conquered means you have understood the whole science of Kṛṣṇa, whole special science. This is recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement follows this principle. We are trying to give opportunity, every man, to hear about Kṛṣṇa. There is no need of practicing in the beginning. If you can practice, it is all right. But there is no need. Simply you hear about Kṛṣṇa. The Bhagavad-gītā... To hear about Kṛṣṇa means the Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, you can hear. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you can hear. And you remain in your position. We don't want to disturb your position. Whatever you are, you remain. But you hear about Kṛṣṇa. Then gradually Kṛṣṇa will be conquered by you. Ajita Allah(?) Kṛṣṇa.

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

So Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī followed strictly the Rūpa Gosvāmī. Just like Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī introduced that a sannyāsī should go for begging alms in motorcar. In motorcar. They should live in palatial buildings. Now if in this age if we follow that rūpānuga... Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī used to live underneath a tree, and if we say now we shall also imitate..., just like there are many bābājīs in Vṛndāvana, they are imitating, a small loincloth but doing all nonsense. So imitation is not required. Real thing is required. How, what is the purpose of Gosvāmī? They say that yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe. Somehow or other first of all engage him in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is my Guru Mahārāja's gift. He first of all started that there is no need of going to Vṛndāvana and imitate the Gosvāmīs. Live in big, big cities, in big, big palatial houses, but preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People may understand. Give chance to the people how they will understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He opened many centers. Similarly, in big, big cities. So we are doing that. And because we are following strictly the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī, rūpānuga, therefore it is somehow or other coming out very successful. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be pushed according to the rūpānuga principle.

Lecture on SB 11.3.21 -- New York, April 13, 1969:

This is by bodily designation. Similarly, a cat has got a body of cat. He is thinking, "I am cat." A dog has got a dog's body; he's thinking that "I am dog." So there are 8,400,000 species of life. They are claiming "I am this and that." Actually, he is spirit soul. He is spirit soul and eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. That is his constitutional position, but he has forgotten. Some way or other, he does not know. And in order to invoke that original knowledge, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one should approach a bona fide spiritual master. That is the way. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Why one should approach a spiritual master unless one is inquisitive to understand if there is anything beyond this material world? Otherwise there is no need of seeking a spiritual master. A spiritual master should not be sought after to fulfill one's sense gratification. No. One should be very much eager to understand, to know the science of Brahman, which is beyond this material existence, and then he should very seriously seek after a spiritual master.

Page Title:There is no need of... (Lectures, SB cantos 3 - 12)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:17 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=102, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:102