Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


This is the test (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.20 -- London, July 17, 1973:

So anyone who is declaring himself God, immediately you should know he is the greatest sinful man. And if you study his private life, you will see that he is number one sinful man. This is the test. Otherwise nobody will say that I am God, this false representation. Nobody. Any pious man will not do it. He knows, "What I am? I am ordinary human being. How can I claim to take the position of God?" And they become famous among rascals.

Lecture on BG 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973:

Nobody is interested in the garbage. You throw. That is education. And ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. And thinking all living entities as your own self. If you feel pains and pleasure by something, you could not afflict the pains to others. If your throat is cut, if your head is cut, you feel so much pain, how you can cut the head of another animal? This is education. Samaḥ sarveṣu-bhūteṣu. This is education, three things. This is the test of education.

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

The yajnic brāhmaṇa used to test how correctly they are pronouncing Vedic mantra. The test was that one animal should be put into the fire and he would again come with fresh, young body. Then it is tested that the yajña is being performed nicely. The brāhmaṇas, the yajnic brāhmaṇa, they are pronouncing the Veda mantra correctly. This is the test. But where is that brāhmaṇa in this age? Therefore no yajña is recommended. Kalau pañca vivarjayet aśvamedham, avalambhaṁ sannyāsaṁ bāla-paitṛkam, devareṇa suta-pitṛ kalau pañca vivarjayet (CC Adi 17.164). So there is no yajña in this age. There is no yajnic brāhmaṇa. This is the only yajña: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and dance in ecstasy. This is the only yajña.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- Hyderabad, November 22, 1972:

So the soul, the presence of soul is perceived by the consciousness. That consciousness... Just like the presence of sun, even I was blind, I could understand the sun is there because the sunlight and heat, I am experiencing. Without seeing the sun... When, as soon as I come to the sunshine, I feel light and heat; therefore immediately I can understand there is sun. It is not very difficult. Similarly just like we try to... When a man is dying, we try to feel whether the man is breathing, or he's feeling touch sensation. These are the tests. So the touch sensation is there so long the soul is there. Now I am living body. If somebody pinches my body, because the consciousness is all over the body, so I feel: "Somebody's pinching me." But when the conscious, consciousness is not there, if somebody chops up my body I will not protest. Therefore we should understand what is that living thing. That consciousness, which is spreading all over this body, that is living force.

Lecture on BG 2.21-22 -- London, August 26, 1973:

Here, in this material world, you enjoy. It becomes hackneyed. Punaḥ punaś carvita; therefore you are disappointed. But if you engage yourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa, you'll find new and new encouragement. That is spiritual. If you find it hackneyed, then you must know that you are not yet serving spiritually, you are serving materially. Formality, stereotype. But if you feel new and new energy, then you know that you are serving spiritually. This is the test. Your enthusiasm will increase, not decrease.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

Just like here is a glass containing water. If you want to put milk in this glass, then you have to throw away the water. If you think that "I shall keep half water, half milk," that can be done, but both of them becomes diluted or polluted. If you want to keep milk, then you have to throw out the water, and if you want to keep water, then you cannot keep milk. Similarly, bhakti pareśānubhavaḥ. This is the test. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you are improving in spiritual life, proportionately you'll be detached from materialistic way of life. That is the test. Simply thinking that "I am meditating so much, I am making very good advance," is not. You have to test. The test is that your... Improvement of spiritual life means that you become detached to the materialistic way of life.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

So everyone has to test himself, "how far I have advanced." That means "How far I have become detached with material contamination." That's all. The test is in your hand. And if you are sincere, then you should test yourself. And if you want to make show, that is a different thing. That is explained in the Second Chapter, sthita-prajña. The behavior of a person who has advanced in spiritual consciousness, that is explained. You have studied. He talks like that, he walks like that, he behaves like that. So many things, they have been explained. These are the tests. So we may not be able to achieve all the success immediately, but everyone should try to follow.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

It doesn't matter in whatever activities you are engaged, but if you want to know whether your engagement is leading to perfection, then this is the test of perfection. What is that test of perfection? Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). Whether by your work the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied. Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna, in the beginning, he wanted to satisfy himself by not fighting, and he fought to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection.

Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:

So this is the qualification of God. He knows past, present and future. And those who are false God, they cannot say. That is not possible. This is the test. They are claiming, falsely claiming. But God means, He knows. His body does not change. Past.... He knows past, present, future means His body does not change. Why He does not change? That is described in the śāstra. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Vigrahaḥ means body, form. This transcendental form is made of sac-cid-ānanda. Sac-cid-ānanda. Sat means eternal, eternity.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Melbourne, June 29, 1974 :

Kṛṣṇa cannot be realized by so-called speculation, but if you render service to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal to you. Revelation. So, he, how much service he is giving, that will be tested how much he has, I mean to say, realized Kṛṣṇa. This is the test. If Kṛṣṇa is still vague idea to him, then he has not advanced. This is the test. Just like if you are eating something, then you will feel satisfaction. You are hungry, you have been given some food, but you cannot say that "I am eating, also I am not satisfied in my hunger." That cannot be. If you are actually serving Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal to you. You will know what is Kṛṣṇa, asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ mām, without any doubt, and fullness.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

In this way you see practically, these European, American boys and girls, they are improving. They are not material attached. They do not go anywhere. They always keep in the temple and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, busy in Kṛṣṇa's service from morning three o'clock, early in the morning, up to ten o'clock. And they are also young men. They must have desires. But bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti is so nice that now they hate any other engagement. This illicit sex, meat-eating, and intoxication and gambling, they hate. You bribe them lakhs of rupees; they will not agree. Viraktir anyatra. This is the test of bhakti: virakti, detachment from all these nonsense things. And unless you are purified, you cannot understand God.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge is so perfect that pratyakṣa avagamam, you can directly perceive how far you are making progress. You don't require to take certificate from others, whether you are progressing or not. You'll understand, yourself. The example is given. Just like a hungry man is eating, so as he going on, eating, he's getting strength and his hunger is being satisfied. So he can understand himself. Nobody requires to certify, "Now you are satisfied," or "Now..." Similarly bhakti, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is so perfect that pratyakṣa avagamam, one can understand directly. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the test of bhakti-mārga.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

So Kṛṣṇa is showing practically by accepting His friend, very dear friend, as His disciple. That means he is showing who is guru. Guru is Kṛṣṇa and one who understands Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. Don't accept these rascals and fools as guru, who denies Kṛṣṇa. He is not guru. He is cheater. Kṛṣṇa is showing, and Arjuna is accepting, śiṣyas te 'ham (BG 2.7), "I become your śiṣya." That means Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. And one who speaks on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. That is guru. This is the test: whether he is aware of Kṛṣṇa. Then he is guru. Otherwise he's not guru. First of all you understand that. So that is mahātmā. Kṛṣṇa has said, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That is mahātmā.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu said—this is the statement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

kibā vipra, kibā śūdra nyāsī kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei 'guru' haya
(CC Madhya 8.128)

"Why you are hesitant? You are guru. It doesn't matter that you are a gṛhastha, you are governor, you are dealing in politics. But I know that you are Kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā. You know the science of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, you are guru." This is the test. To become guru it doesn't matter that one has to become..., one has to come out from brāhmaṇa family or high family or Hindu family or this family or that family. No. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva: never mind what is. He may be European, he may be American, he may be śūdra, he may be whatever. That is past. That is his past life. Now, when one has become kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, really Kṛṣṇa conscious, he comes to the transcendental position.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

Temple means spiritual educational shelter. People should come, they should learn what is spiritual life, what is God, what is my relationship with. That is temple. Otherwise, if you simply came... Therefore two processes should be followed: pāñcarātriki viddhi and bhāgavata-viddhi. We follow both. Bhāgavata-viddhi is the philosophical side of religion, and pāñcarātriki viddhi is the worshiping side of temple—how to worship Deity, how to dress, how to decorate, how to offer respect. Mad-yājī. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī (BG 18.65). Temple worship is mad-yājī, worshiping the Deity. So this is the test, this is the test. So anyone who has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he's the greatest mahātmā. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. It is very, very difficult to find out a Kṛṣṇa devotee.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

Guest: Swamiji, is there some way (indistinct) duty of the student to the knowledge (indistinct) guru shortcoming?

Prabhupāda: First of all, you have to know who is guru. If you accept one rascal as guru, how you can be helped? First thing is who is guru. That I have already explained. Guru is he who repeats the words of Kṛṣṇa. He is guru. Otherwise he's a rascal. This is the test. Kṛṣṇa says that

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

So tattva-darśī, one who has seen the truth, you have to accept him as guru. Tattva-darśī. Darśī means who has practical experience. Take, for example, just like Arjuna. Arjuna is directly receiving the knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. He's guru. What he said, we accept that.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended therefore, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). If you want to see, the to stop this blazing fire of material existence, then you have to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. And the practical effect, you can see, what is already done, how they have become. Our limit, there are limitation, we cannot accept anyone and everyone as disciple. Unless he agrees tacitly to give up some preliminary principles. Just like illicit sex life. Anyone who comes to me to become my disciple, the first condition is no illicit sex life, no intoxication, up to drinking or smoking or even drinking tea and coffee and chewing pan. These are also intoxicants. So one cannot take all these things. No intoxication. No illicit sex. Unless you have got connection with woman by marriage tie, there cannot be any sex life. These are the pillars of sinful life. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā. Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūtaḥ yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā. If you actually want to make progress in spiritual life, you must accept at least these four principles. This is tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa tyāgena, śauca, satya-śaucābhyām (SB 6.1.13). These are the tests, the prescription.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, a devotee, is very humorous, so he did not address his father as "father." He said, tat sādhu manye asura-varya: "O best among the asuras." (laughter) So he said, tat sādhu manye: "I think it is very nice." Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya... Very nice for whom? Dehinām: those who have accepted this material body. That means all material living being. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām: "Who are always full of anxieties..." That's a fact, full of anxiety. This is the test that we are in external material body. Therefore we are anxious. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām asad-grahāt sadā samudvigna-dhiyām. So for them this is the best formula. What is that? Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam. He should give up this so-called family life which is just like a dark well.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.5-6 -- London, August 23, 1971:

Pradyumna: "Morning is the best time to hold spiritual services."

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is very important. Therefore we are insisting everyone to rise early in the morning. Even though sometimes we rise early in the morning, we compensate in other time. (laughter) This should be practiced, you see. Reducing eating, sleeping, mating, that is spiritual advancement. This is the test. The more you reduce... The idea is to bring it to nil. Just like Gosvāmīs, they did it. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **, they conquered over sleeping and eating and mating. Conquered over. So our ideal is... We are fighting with māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.1.5-6 -- London, August 23, 1971:

We will conquer over māyā when we see that we are not disturbed by these four processes; eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is the test. Nobody has to take certificate from anyone else how he is spiritually advancing. He can test himself: "How far I have conquered over these four things, eating, sleeping, mating, and..." That's all. That is the test. So it is not required that don't eat, don't sleep, don't... But minimize it; at least, regulate it, try. This is called austerity, tapasya. "I want to sleep, but still, I shall regulate it. I want to eat, but if my..., I must regulate it. I want sense enjoyment, so I must regulate it." That is whole Vedic civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:

So, so many so-called incarnation of God, they come for money, for beautiful wife, and many followers. So that is not wanted. That is not religion. Religion means without wanting all these things. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Not for any material... Ahaituky apratihatā. "Oh, I am a poor man, I cannot love God. I cannot enhance my devotional service." No. Devotional service is so nice, apratihatā, it cannot be checked by any material condition. That is dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). This is re... This is test how much I am religious, how much I am devotee. This is the test. So we should be always alert to test our advancement, how we are making advancement. Because unless we become first-class devotee, there is no question of our being relieved from this material condition of life. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

So to attempt vāsudeva-bhakti means perfection of life. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). If we execute pure devotional service into the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then jñānam, janayaty āśu vairāgyam. This is the test of bhakti. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. A man is tested how much he has advanced in bhakti-yoga by his detachment from material enjoyment. If you, if one is attached to sense enjoyment, at the same time, he poses himself as a great devotee, that cannot work.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

Just like if you are eating something, then there will be no hunger. A man is hungry so long he does not eat something. So if, if he, if you say, "Yes, I have eaten so much, and still, I am feeling hungry," that cannot be. Actually if you have eaten, then you must not feel hungry. Similarly, if you have actually tasted bhakti-yoga, then there will be no more material attachment. This is the test. Not that artificially keeping a big tilaka on forehead and thinking within always "How to get money, how to get woman?" That kind of is not... They, there..., there will be no more hunger for these material things, especially woman and money. That is the test of bhakti. Therefore that pure bhakti-yoga can be attained only by executing devotional service to Vāsudeva. Otherwise it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

So therefore the most important thing is, to make advance in devotional service, to increase the appetite for hearing. Viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed ratim, kathāsu ratim. Kathāsu means, rati means attraction to kathāsu, that means hearing. Śravaṇam. So this is the test, that anyone who is supposed to be advancing in devotional service, bhakti-yoga, the test will be how much he has awakened his intense desire for hearing about Kṛṣṇa. That is the test. That is the test. So the perfectional platform is stated here, that "You may execute your different occupational duties, dharma, but the test will be whether you have developed your consciousness, you have developed your Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is the test.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

These young boys and girls, they never asked me that "Give me some money. I shall go to cinema," or "I shall purchase a packet of cigarettes. I shall drink." No. This is practical. And everyone knows that from the very their birth, they are accustomed to eat meat, and... I do not know from the very beginning whether they are accustomed to take intoxicants. But actually they were habituated to these things, but they have altogether given up. They don't drink tea even, coffee, cigarettes, anything. Sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate... This is the test. A man has become devotee, at the same time smoking—this is ludicrous. This is ludicrous. A devotee cannot smoke, cannot indulge in intoxication, nor illicit sex or meat... They cannot. That is disqualification. That means he's not on the platform. This is the practical.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:

So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious means immediately—that is the test—immediately he will become free from lust and greediness. If he's not free from lust and greediness, he is making a show; he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the test. If one is actually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these two symptoms will be visible in his character: no more lusty, no more greediness. He should be satisfied with one wife or one husband. Why hankering after others? That is lusty. That means it is not on the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; it is in the material platform. These are the test. Therefore we advise our students, "Voluntarily, you try or you become free from these things: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling." Because indulging in these four things, you'll remain in darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:

Hear about Kṛṣṇa from realized soul. This process will make you to be situated on the platform of goodness, and as soon as you are promoted to the platform of goodness, that means you have already surpassed the other two platforms—means ignorance—and the symptom will be... That is clear here. The symptom is that the two things, lust and greediness, will not disturb you. You haven't got to take certificate from anyone, "Just give me certificate that I have become a Kṛṣṇa conscious." You take your certificate yourself, see yourself, whether you are free from lust and greediness. That's the certificate. If you are confident that "I am free from lust and greediness," then I am making progress. Otherwise, (chuckles) I am again in the same, no progress. This is test.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:

This is test. If we want to cheat others, that is a different thing, that "I have become very advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is another thing, cheating. But you test yourself by this process, whether you are free from lust and greediness. This is the test. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). And when you become free from these two things, lust and greediness, tadā, ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. Ceta, consciousness, not being attacked by these two nonsense things, ignorance and passion... Ceta etair anāviddham. Viddham means piercing. They are always piercing, pinching, pinching. "Come on, come on." They are always pinching. But if you are actually situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these things will not pinch you. Tadā, ceta etaiḥ... Because everything is in the heart. Whole thing is cleansing the heart.

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

If you accept bhagavad-bhakti-yoga, devotional service to the Lord, you shall be prasanna-manasa. You shall be always feeling jolly. If I am not jolly, if I am not prasanna-manasa, that means māyā has attacked me. A bhagavad-bhakta shall never be aprasanna, not joyful. Always joyful. If he is actually in contact with Kṛṣṇa, how he can become morose? No. If he is morose, if he is unhappy, that means māyā has attacked him. This is the test.

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

We shall be always enthusiastic. But we cannot become enthusiastic artificially. There must be bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. Just like these visitors in the temple, see how much enthusiastic they are. They are rising early in the morning, going to take bath in the Yamunā, and they are visiting so many temples, especially this Dāmodara temple, because it is Dāmodara month. And from five o'clock or before that, three o'clock, they are enthusiastic. They are not sleeping very nicely. That means lack of bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. It is māyā. So you must be very careful. Test. If we cannot rise early in the morning, that means we are under the clutches of māyā. This is the test.

Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:

So that, to understand in truth, that is a science. That is not sentiment. Vijñāna. In another place Kṛṣṇa says, to advise Brahmā, catuḥ-śloki-bhāgavata (SB 2.9.33/34/35/36), jñānam... In the Bhagavad-gītā also. Jñānaṁ sa-vijñānam. Jñānaṁ me parama-guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. The jñānaṁ me parama-guhyam, the knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very, very confidential. Jñānaṁ me parama-guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. It is not sentiment. It is full of scientific knowledge. So when we understand the truth, the Absolute Truth, scientifically, that is called bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. That bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam is understandable by a person who is liberated. One who is very busy, anxious with politics, sociology, humanitarianism, one who is very busy always in politics, how he can become interested or how he can understand bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam? That is not possible.

Therefore these are the tests to understand. A politician may pose himself that he is very advanced in spiritual life, but when we see that he is more interested in politics than in Kṛṣṇa, then we can understand what is his position. These are the tests. Or politics or sociology or anything, a pure devotee is always interested how Kṛṣṇa would be satisfied. Just like Arjuna. Of course, when one is interested in that way, all other things, subordinate things, they come within. Just like Arjuna was a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, but at the same time he was a politician also. So, but the first interest is to become Kṛṣṇized, how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, not that "For political purpose I love Kṛṣṇa." No. You love Kṛṣṇa, and your all problems, political, social and other things, will be solved. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- New York, April 12, 1973:

Greed, greediness. Amalātmanām. For the..., bhakti-yoga. This bhakti-yoga is meant for the cleansed hearted, not the lusty and greedy. That is not... They may try. They'll gradually advanced. But once one is situated in bhakti-yoga, there is no more lust and greediness. Viraktir anyatra syāt. This is the test, whether one has become free from lusty desires and greediness. Then he is situated in bhakti-yoga. He's paramahaṁsa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- New York, April 13, 1973:

These Kṛṣṇa consciousness persons, they have no problem, economic problem. Everything is sufficiently supplied by Kṛṣṇa. In Los Angeles, the neighbors, they are very envious, that "You do not work. You have no anxiety. You have got four cars. You are eating so nicely. How is that?" They inquire from our devotees. That is the actually the fact. We are spending so much money, we have got so many centers. The calculation is about $70,000 we are spending. Who is supplying? Somehow or other, we are getting. So there is no problem. You simply become sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa. Everything is there. This is the test. They are envious of us that we do not work. Still, we have got so much. "So why don't you come and join us?" That they will not do. "You come with us, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." "No, no, no. That I cannot do."

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974:

Yāmunācārya said that "Since I have dedicated my life to Kṛṣṇa and I am getting more and more happiness by serving Him, since then, whenever I think of sex life, oh, I spite." So because māyā cannot touch him. This is the test. Yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde. You haven't got to ask anybody, "Whether I am advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Will you give me certificate?" You can have your certificate by yourself, whether you have no more any desire for sex life. That's all, not that he has become impotent. If required, he can give birth to hundreds of children, but he does not like it. That is. That is the certificate.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

We don't say follow this religion, that religion. If actually they would have followed, then the symptom would have been they had become devotee of God, lover of God. And as soon as he becomes lover of God, he becomes fully qualified with all good qualifications. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is the test. He hasn't got to be trained up how to become honest, how to become clean, how to become this, how to become that. If he becomes a lover of God, Kṛṣṇa, then all the good qualities automatically reveal.

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

So sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. Once you are associated sincerely with devotees, he cannot mix with nondevotees. This is the test. This is the test. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. If once only... Sakṛt. Here it is said, kīrtyamānaṁ yaśo yasya sakṛd ākarṇya rocanam. If once... Satāṁ prasaṅgāt, sat-saṅga is so powerful. If one submissively hears from sat-saṅga about the name and fame of the Supreme Lord, immediately it becomes palatable. Sakṛd ākarṇya rocanam.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

Therefore here it is said that those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they must weigh, measure every moment, "Whether this moment has been spent without Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" That is the criterion. Avyartha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19), nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ. This is the test of advanced Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rūpa Gosvāmī gives, avyartha-kālatvam. Avyartha-kālatvam means "Whether my time has been spent uselessly?" One should be alert. "Whether my time has been used, has been uselessly spent by talking nonsense?"

Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:

So if we see that people are engaged only in these four business—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—he is cat and dog. Above them, they are inquiring. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. They are inquiring about the Absolute Truth. They are above these cats and dogs. This is the test, what subject matter he is inquiring. Just like there are big, big scientists. They are making research, "If petrol can be substituted?" So in the eyes of the common man he may become a very great scientist, but those who are advanced in spiritual consciousness, they will take him no better than cat and dog—because his subject matter is how to eat, sleep or mate or defend. The subject matter... We have to understand what is the subject matter of this person.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to revive the original consciousness. If one is actually in Kṛṣṇa, he'll be truthful. Truthfulness. These are the qualities. Cleanliness, always clean, taking thrice bath. Cloth clean, mind clean, body clean, activities clean, desire clean, thinking clean—everything clean. No contamination. This is the test. "I am doing all nasty things, and I am advertising 'I am advanced devotee.' " What rascal you are? You are doing all nonsense and you are advanced? But they have no shame even, to call themselves... Shameless. Shameless, even not gentlemen. Cheating, and still, he is advertising, "I am advanced." But a person who is actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or actual... Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete koriyā aikya.

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness, development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means anartha apagama. Anartha means things we do not require. Anartha. Artha, anartha. Artha means which is essentially required, and anartha means which is not required, artificially we have requisitioned. So when one grows his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, immediately his artificial life becomes finished. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the symptom of development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that he's not anymore interested for material, unnecessary things. This is the test. If one is increasing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at the same time he has got full attachment for material things, that means he's not developing. Material things means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca.

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

Who is a learned scholar? Now, somebody will say one who has passed the M.A., Ph.D. degrees in university, he is learned scholar. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, "No, that is not the criterion." Simply to hold degrees of university examination, that is not the test of his becoming learned scholar. That is not. Then what is the test of his becoming learned scholar? Three things. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Except one's married wife, if one sees all other woman like mother, he is a learned scholar. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. And other's property, just like garbage in the street. And ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ. If one has acquired... By education, there must be some effect. So these are the tests how one has advanced in education. He must treat all woman except his mother, except his wife, as mother. In India still, women, especially in āśramas, any woman, visitor, she is addressed as "Mother" by all the... She may be young girl, but she is addressed as "Mother." This is the etiquette. "Mother, what can I help you?" This is the very relationship.

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

Newspaper is so popular in the Western countries. There are so many newspapers. And each newspaper is publishing three, four times editions. But they are selling. But you'll find that these boys, these Americans boys who have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have kicked out newspaper. No more newspaper. Because there is no kṛṣṇa-kathā, they don't like to read it. This is called bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the test. We do not know what is the happening daily. It is, it does not matter, newspaper. It is a waste of time. Better that time read some literature like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. You'll be benefited. Why you should waste the valuable time of your life?

Lecture on SB 3.25.26 -- Bombay, November 26, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa said, "Not by passing M.A., Ph.D." Bhaktyā: "Simply by bhakti." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. And bhaktyā, the practical example, if you become pure bhakta, then you will forget all this material sense enjoyment. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the test of bhakti. But if you have got taste for material enjoyment and at the same time you advertise yourself that you have become a bhakta, that is not bhakta. One who knows who is a bhakta, immediately detect that "Here is not a bhakta." Ei dharma dadi.(?) He has got the tilaka and kaṇṭhi simply for advertisement. He is not a bhakta, because he has got material taste.

Lecture on SB 3.26.18 -- Bombay, December 27, 1974:

Anyone who is devoid of God consciousness, he cannot be gentleman. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ.

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad...
(SB 5.18.12)

This is the test. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
(BG 7.15)

So this is the test. Na māṁ prapadyante. Kṛṣṇa says, "Who does not surrender to Me? They are these classes of men." What is that? Duṣkṛtinaḥ:"Always engaged in sinful activities." Kṛti means meritorious. But they are engaged in manufacturing atom bomb, duṣkṛtinaḥ. Atom bomb means killing. But discover something by which man will not die. That they are dying—so you have discovered some instrument to die quickly. So that is duṣkṛtinaḥ.

Lecture on SB 5.5.4 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1976:

If one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he is either duṣkṛtina, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyā-pahṛta-jñānā, āsuriṁ bhāvam āśrita. This is the test. Take this simple test. Just like test tube. A chemical analyzer examines chemicals in the test tube, a small nozzle, and he tests what it is. You can also test. Just like a big pot of rice boiling, you can test. Take one grain of the rice and press it. If it is properly boiled, then you can understand the whole thing is boiled. Similarly, there are, everything a test tube. So for us, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, there is a test tube. What is that test tube? If one does not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he should be rejected immediately.

Lecture on SB 5.5.4 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1976:

This is the test: if one has taken to Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa is my only worshipable Deity..."

Caitanya-caritāmṛta-kaj says,

'śraddhā' śabde-visvasa sudṛḍha niścaya
kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

This is śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā. Beginning of spiritual life is śraddhā. Just like you have come here. It is based on śraddhā, a little faith. Otherwise, there are millions of people, why they are not coming? There is no śraddhā. But anyone who comes, it means there is ādau śraddhā. This śraddhā has been Śraddadhānāḥ. Kṛṣṇa said.

Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976:

Since, he gives his experience, "Since I have given my mind and heart in the service of yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde, at the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and I have increased my transcendental, blissful life by rendering such loving service, since then even if I think of sex life, yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ, tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne, even sex life, thinking of it, it becomes so abominable that I spit on it." So this is the test of advancement of Kṛṣṇa conscious life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

Guest (1): I have no experience, so...

Prabhupāda: That is the experience. Just like if you eat, you will feel satisfaction. And without eating, how you will feel satisfaction? So if you follow spiritual movement, then you will understand God. That is the result. And if you think that you are following some spiritual movement but you do not know what is God, that means you are following some bogus thing. That is the test. It hasn't got to be certified. You can know. Just like if you eat, you will feel satisfaction. You haven't got to take certificate from others. Do you think I am eating? You can say. If you understand fully God, then that is spiritual movement. If you do not understand, then you must know that you are following some bogus movement. This is the test.

Guest (1): There are different cards...

Prabhupāda: I say different, may be hundreds, but it is up to you to test whether you have understood God. That is the test, real test. Yes?

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- Honolulu, May 12, 1976:

Good qualities means we are part and parcel of God, so God is good, so we are also good. Otherwise how can I be part and parcel of God? If God is gold, then I am gold. So why I become iron? I am not iron, but I am covered with dirty things. I look like iron. This is the position. Actually I am not iron; I am gold, because I am part and parcel of God. If God is good, then I am good. So because I am covered by the material dirty things, I look like not gold. So this is the test. As soon as you become God conscious, your original all good qualities will manifest automatically.

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Dallas, July 29, 1975:

So here the Yamadūtas are analyzing whether Ajāmila is pious or impious. The Viṣṇudūtas asked them to explain what is dharma and what is adharma. "You have come here to arrest this person, to take away with to the yama... So you are servant of Dharmarāja. Now explain what is dharma and adharma." Dharma means which will bring me again to my original, constitutional position, and adharma means which will take me down and down from my original, constitutional position. This is the test of dharma and adharma. I am eternal part and parcel of God, so my dharma is to render service to God and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is my real business.

Lecture on SB 6.1.61 -- Vrndavana, August 28, 1975:

So hṛd-roga-kāma, this hṛd-roga, hṛc-chaya, is a heart disease. It is very, very difficult to avoid unless one is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. And that is stated by Yamunācārya:

yadavadhi mama cettaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde
nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt
tadavadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne
bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

This is the test. Yadavadhi kṛṣṇa-padāravinde. "Since I have learned how to take transcendental bliss from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa..." He is explaining. He was an emperor. He had ample opportunity of enjoyment, material enjoyment. He was enjoying it. But he said, "Since I have become Kṛṣṇa conscious and I am taking pleasure in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, from that time," bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne, "whenever I think of enjoying with woman, I spite on it." This is the test. This is the test, how I am becoming advanced. You do not require any certificate from anyone.

Lecture on SB 6.1.61 -- Vrndavana, August 28, 1975:

You can learn yourself. Just like when you are eating, you do not require any certificate from others, "Whether I am feeling all right?" Eating means you are hungry, so if you eat, you will feel satisfied. Your hunger will be satisfied. You will be getting strength. These are the symptoms that have eaten. Similarly, when you'll no longer be attracted by this sex desire, then you should understand that "I am now making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is the test.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

You have to utilize every moment to see how we are improving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So "How I am proving? Who will give me the certificate?" No. You don't require anyone's certificate. You'll know it. If you actually trying for advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the certificate will be understood by yourself automatically. What is that? Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If you advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means you'll be detestful for material enjoyment, especially sex enjoyment. That is the last word of material enjoyment. So this is the test, that bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

Yamunacārya. This is the test. The more you advance in spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll dislike this material happiness. This is the test. How it is? Now, just like if you are hungry and if you get food, then the more you eat, your appetite or hunger will be minimized, and at last you'll say, "No, no, I don't want any." Similarly, advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, "No no, I don't want." Not only saying, "Don't want," but yad avadi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde nava nava dhāman udyata rantum āsīt tad avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ: "If one attains to the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he has no more to understand anything." Yaṁ labdhvā cāparam. He does not want any more profit in any way. He thinks that "I am completely..." Yasmin sthite, and the test is that if one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then guruṇāpi duḥkhena... Because the world, this material world, we are always in trouble. So a person situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not troubled at all, even if he is put into very trying circumstances. Guruṇāpi duḥkhena. This is the test. That is called santoṣa, and satya, truthfulness, āstikya. Āstikya means belief, faith, faith in scripture, faith in God. That is called faith. This is faith. And when that faith is very much concentrated, then one can understand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1976:

So this is the test. This is the test, that as soon as one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, immediately he comes to the group of sinful activities, rascaldom, lowest of the mankind, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, all knowledge taken away, and he's an asura, Hiraṇyakaśipu's family, Hiraṇyakaśipu's category. So this is not optional, that "If I don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is my wish, my desire." No. If you desire in that way then you'll be punished. You become immediately... You cannot say, "It is my optional. I may become a thief; I may remain honest. That is my option." No. As soon as you become thief, you are punishable. Similarly, anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's immediately punishable.

Lecture on SB 7.9.15 -- Mayapur, February 22, 1976:

My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "This material world is not fit for living for any gentleman." He used to say. "No gentleman can live here." So these things are not understood by the nondevotees, how much pinching this material world is. Duḥkhāla... Kṛṣṇa says it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). That is the difference between the devotee and nondevotee. The duḥkhālayam, they are trying to adjust how to make it sukhālayam. That is not possible. So unless one becomes detestful of this material world, it is to be understood that he has not yet entered in the spiritual understanding. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the test of bhakti. If one has entered the domain of devotional service, this material world will be not at all tasteful for him. Virakti. No more.

Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976:

The first guru is Kṛṣṇa, the supreme guru. He is the guru of Brahmā even. Brahmā is the first creature of this universe. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yatra sūrayaḥ. So Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. Then Kṛṣṇa spoke to the sun-god. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham. So anyone, if we follow Kṛṣṇa, then we are actually guru. And if you do not follow Kṛṣṇa and want to become Kṛṣṇa, then you are rascal. This is the test. If you want to have a perfect guru, then you have to see whether he is speaking on behalf of Kṛṣṇa or on his own behalf. One who speaks on his own behalf, manufactures, he is not guru. He's a rascal. One who speaks on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. Therefore guru is so worshiped.

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:

When one is self-realized that he is not this body, he is the spirit soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ, then what are the symptoms? Now, prasannātmā: he becomes immediately very jolly. So long we are materially engrossed, bodily concept of life, there will be always anxiety. This is the test. Anyone who is in anxiety, means he is materially situated. And anyone who is elevated to the spiritual platform, he is prasannātmā. He is jolly. What is the meaning of prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He does not want anything, and if anything he has got, if he has lost, he does not cry for it. That's all.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

When you are fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if you walk on the street, you'll feel that "I am separate from these persons. I am in a, I am walking on a different path." This is the feeling. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavaḥ. This is bhakti. Pareśānubhava. You'll anubha..., you will experience yourself. That is the test. If you experience yourself that "I am different from these persons," then where is the attachment for material things? So that is the test; how much you have become advanced in devotional service, you can experience yourself. The example is given: Just like a hungry man, if he's given food, if he eats, then he experiences himself that he's getting strength, his hunger is being satisfied. The, these things will be experienced. He hasn't got to take certificate from others, "Whether I am advancing in spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness." He'll feel himself. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhava viraktir anyatra syāt. This is the test.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 5, 1973:

So if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these brahminical qualifications automatically come. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is the test. A devotee shall be qualified with all the godly qualities. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said if you induce people... Because His mission is to propagate this Vedic culture all over the world. He's not confined within some limited area. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. As many villages and towns are there in the world, His mission is to be preached there. So, so if we, in the beginning we say, "You have to become a brāhmaṇa first of all," Who's going to become a brāhmaṇa? Our people are not becoming brāhmaṇa. They'll say, "It is all nonsense. Let us become śūdra." So that is not possible. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ihā bāhya āge kaha āra.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 5, 1973:

So this is the test. If actually one understands Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā, then they'll forget forever this sex life of the material world. This is the test. So our request is that don't try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Just worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa according to the arcana-vidhi. Then gradually Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa will be pleased, Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be pleased, and svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). When They are pleased by your sevā, then They will reveal. Don't try to jump over to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That will not help us.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

The hogs do not discriminate whether mother, sister or daughter. So therefore śāstra says, "Here, this material world, we are entangled, we are encaged in this material world only for this sex life." That is Cupid. Cupid is the god of sex life, Madana. Unless one is, what is called, induced by Madana, the Cupid, he cannot be, I mean to say, engladdened in sex life. And Kṛṣṇa's name is Mādana-mohana. Mādana-mohana means that one who is attracted to Kṛṣṇa, he'll forget the pleasure derived from sex life. This is the test. Therefore His name is Mādana-mohana. Here is Mādana-mohana. Sanātana Gosvāmī worshiped Mādana-mohana. Mādana or Mādana. Mādana means to become mad. And Madana, the Cupid.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.1 -- Mayapur, March 25, 1975:

The dog-eaters, they are considered to be the lowest of the human beings. So, śva-paca, śva means dog, and paca means eater or cooker. So śvapaca, even a person is coming from the śvapaca family, and if he's a Vaiṣṇava, if he's a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru. On the other side, even born in a brāhmaṇa family and very expert in Vedic ritualistic performances, mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, he cannot become guru if he does not understand Kṛṣṇa. So therefore guru is very important because he has accepted Kṛṣṇa... Tattva-darśibhiḥ, he has seen the truth. So therefore guru is first offered... This is the test of guru. Guru does not become Kṛṣṇa himself, but he canvasses door to door to induce that "You become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." This is sign of guru. Vande gurūn īśa-bhaktān. Īśa-bhaktān.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.5 -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975:

So long we are agitated by the lusty desires, we must know that we are in the material world. That is the test. Just like Yamunācārya says,

yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor
nava-nava-(rasa)-dhāmany (udyataṁ) rantum āsīt
tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne
bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

"So long I have been engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa and I am rendering more and more service and getting spiritual pleasure, since then, as soon as I think of sex life, I immediately spite upon it and I hate to think of it." This is the result. So people should know what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa pra... If one becomes attached to rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ, then the test is that his lusty desires will vanish. This is the test. Therefore Kavirāja Gosvāmī explains that "This is not ordinary thing. This is the transformation of the ahlādinī śakti." Samvit, sandhinī, ahlādinī. The Supreme Lord has got three potencies, or energies, primarily. So this rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ is transformation of the pleasure potency.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976:

The test of paṇḍita is here, from moral instruction, that anyone who sees all other woman except his wife as mother, he is paṇḍita. Just see. This is the test. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu and para-dravyeṣu, other's property as garbage in the street, nobody touches. And ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu, and treat everyone as his own self. If anyone has learned these three things, then he is paṇḍita. And spiritually, when one sees that all living entities, may be in different types of bodies, he is spirit soul, part and parcel of God, then he is paṇḍita.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.119-121 -- New York, November 24, 1966:

So how you can become saintly person? So those qualities, twenty-six qualities, they are called saintly person. Devotee means to become fully qualified with all the noble qualities. Devotee does not mean a rascal, at the same time, a devotee. No. As soon as you become devotee, the test is that all those twenty-six qualities will develop. You have to test yourself, "Out of the twenty-six qualities, how much I have developed?" If I am lacking, then you must know that you are not developing. This is the test.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-146 -- Bombay, February 24, 1971:

If one has got a car, it is understood that he is rich man. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that automatically the symptoms of happiness come unto him, and his distress of material condition simultaneously becomes vanquished if one is elevated to the position of devotional service. That is the test. That is the test of how one is advanced in devotional service. This is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca (SB 11.2.42). He is no more interested in material happiness. He is fully satisfied with Kṛṣṇa. Taiche bhakti-phale kṛṣṇe prema upajaya. Kṛṣṇa bhakti-phale. These, by the, as a result of kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service... The same devotional service for the neophyte and the same devotional service for the advanced devotee, but the advanced devotee enjoys life, but the neophyte devotee simply practices. That is the difference.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.353-354 -- New York, December 26, 1966:

Sādhu means pious, religious, honest person. Sādhu, whose character is spotless, he's called sādhu. Śāstra means scripture, and guru, guru means spiritual master. They are on the equal level. Why? Because the medium is scripture. Guru is considered to be liberated because he follows the scripture. Sādhu is considered to be honest and saintly because he follows scripture. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. Nobody can become a sādhu if he does not accept the principles of scripture. Nobody can be accepted as guru, or spiritual master, if he does not follow the principles of scripture. This is the test.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.13-49 -- New York, January 4, 1967:

Those who are suffering from jaundice, they are prescribed by physician to take sugar candy water in the morning. And by drinking that sugar candy water, gradually he feels the sweetness of sugar candy. That is the test that he is getting free from the disease. So similarly, Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or anything where the topics of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is discussed, if you feel it is interesting, that means you are getting out of the jaundice of this material disease. Yes. This is the test. If you don't feel interested, then you must know that the jaundice of material disease is there. So this is the test. The more you feel kṛṣṇa-kathā, the topics of Kṛṣṇa, tasteful, the more you'll know that you are getting free from the jaundice of material disease.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:

Kṛṣṇa is the original sun; therefore wherever Kṛṣṇa is present there cannot be any ignorance or illusion. Darkness is compared with ignorance, illusion, sleeping, laziness, intoxication, madness; these are all darkness. One who is in the quality of darkness, these things will be visible in his person: too much sleepy, lazy, ignorant. Just opposite, the opposite number of knowledge. So these are called darkness. So if actually one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these qualities will be not visible in his person. This is a test of progressing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:

If by material ways we can be touch in so swiftly, just see how much spiritual potency has Kṛṣṇa. Although He's not present before us, He can be present in so many ways. He can be present by His name. Otherwise, all these great ācāryas, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, would not have bothered themselves simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. There is actually presence of Kṛṣṇa. If you take any material thing... Suppose a very nice thing, a rose flower. "Rose flower, rose flower, rose flower"—how long you can chant "rose flower"? Say thrice, four times, ten times, twenty times. Any more, you'll become disgusted. This is the test. But Hare Kṛṣṇa you can chant twenty-four hours, you'll not feel tired. That is the test of absolute and relative.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:

Kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama: Kṛṣṇa is just like sun. Māyā andhakāra: and the māyā is just like darkness. It is darkness. So just you cannot imagine where there is sunshine there can be darkness. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is just like sun; how can you imagine that Kṛṣṇa and māyā can exist together? No. That is not possible. If there is māyā, there is no Kṛṣṇa. And if there is Kṛṣṇa, there is no māyā. This is the test. If we are still in māyā, that means I'm out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if I am actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no existence of māyā.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.31-33 -- New York, January 16, 1967:

Similarly, if these two things cannot stand together, māyā and Kṛṣṇa, then if I am in Kṛṣṇa consciousness then there is no question of māyā. It may be that I'm not fully Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That may be. Just like while eating it is not that immediately my hunger is satisfied or immediately I get my lost weakness. Takes little time. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be a gradual process of advancement, but this is the rule. If we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there cannot be any existence of māyā, illusion. That is the test. If I am still in illusion, then I should understand that my business in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not progressing. This is the test.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

Bona fide guru means he presents himself as servant of God. He does not pose himself falsely that "I am God." This is bona fide. It is not difficult to find out bona fide. But this is the test. If anyone says that "I am guru," er, "I am God," then he cannot be guru. Because he has no knowledge. How he is God? But he can cheat some people. That is different thing. You can cheat all people for some time and some people for all time, but not all people for all time. That is not possible. So these kinds of guru, who poses themself that "I am God," he's a false guru. The bona fide guru will say that "I am servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa," or God.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

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

Kṛṣṇa means attraction. So whether he has been attracted by Kṛṣṇa. That is our natural position—to become attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Just like the magnetic stone attracts the iron. It is natural. And if the iron is covered with dirt, then it does not become attracted. So this is the test, to make people prepared for being attracted by Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They are by nature... Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. It is not unnatural. Otherwise how you European, American, you are so much attracted to Kṛṣṇa? If Kṛṣṇa is artificial and Kṛṣṇa consciousness is artificial something, so how you should be attracted? That they are surprised. They are attracted because that attraction is there already. We are trying simply to awaken that attraction. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya.

Initiation Lectures

Lecture & Initiation -- Seattle, October 20, 1968:

If you actually develop love of Godhead, then naturally you forget to love all these material nonsense. That is sequence. But you should try also. You should... This will happen. Just like if we eat, then gradually you minimize your hankering after eating. When you are full, then you say, "I don't want any more. Yes, I am..." Similarly... (break) ...so nice that with the progress of Kṛṣṇa consciousness you forget the so-called material nonsense enjoyment. And when you are in perfect stage, oh, you don't care for anything of this material nonsense. This is the test. You cannot say "I am progressing in meditation by my material attachment to all sense gratification" is the same. That is no progress. Progress means that you will minimize your material attachment for sense gratification. This is progress.

Talk, Initiation Lecture, and Ten Offenses Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1968:

The material disease means I am thinking this body, "I am," and everything belonging to this body or in relationship with the body—"Mine." This is material disease. So we shall see. By chanting we shall see how much we are making progress, how much I am free from these two concept of life, that "I am this body, and anything belonging to this body is mine." This is the test, how we are becoming free from these two concept of life. If there is still the concept that "I am this body, and anything belonging to this body is mine," then you have to chant very cautiously to make progress. That's all. These ten kinds of offenses you should guard against.

Detroit Initiations -- Detroit, July 18, 1971:

The more you become free from material harassment, the more you make advance in spiritual life, or the more you make advance in spiritual life, the more you become detached to the material life. These are the tests. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti, devotional life, spiritual life, the test is that viraktir anyatra. Anyatra means beyond, without Kṛṣṇa, everything becomes detestful. The example is given just like a hungry man, when he's eating, as he's eating so he's feeling satisfaction and no hunger, proportionately. And at one time it will come, he'll say, "No, I don't want any more. I am completely satisfied." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He said, "I am now completely satisfied. I have, I haven't got to ask anything, benediction." That is the progress and ultimate goal of bhakti. As soon as one is saturated with bhakti, he has no more demand, no more attraction for this material world. Not... Kṛṣṇa attraction means decreasing attraction for the material world.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

In order to understand whether your action or activities has pleased the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you have to take information from the guru, or the spiritual master. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. Abhigacchet means "must." And in the Viśvanātha Cakravartī's prayer for the spiritual master, this is also said: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasāda. The last version of his prayer is yasya, "whose"; prasādāt, "satisfaction"; bhagavat-prasāda, "the Supreme Lord is satisfied." This is the test. If by your action... Because when you accept a spiritual master, then you have to work under his guidance. There are so many, I mean to say, rules and regulation. But ādau gurvāśrayam. The first thing is to accept a spiritual master. And if you have got a bona fide spiritual master, then it is to be understood that you have approached God because he is His representative.

Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. That is the test. All these boys, any man can come and ask them how they are feeling. Unless they feel some spiritual satisfaction, how they can give up everything and be engaged in this Kṛṣṇa conscious chanting? Therefore this is the test. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim. Matis tāvad. Matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim. Urukramāṅghrim. Urukrama, Kṛṣṇa's another name is Urukrama. Urukrama means... Uru means very difficult, and krama means steps. Just like Kṛṣṇa in the Vāmana-avatāra, He forwarded His steps up to the sky. His name is therefore Urukrama. So one cannot fix up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa unless mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat.

Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968:

This is not possible so long he has not the opportunity of touching the dust of the lotus feet of a personality who is niṣkiñcana, who has no material hankerings; mahīyasām, and life is dedicated only for Kṛṣṇa. As soon as one comes in touch with such personality, by his grace, this thing, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved. Not by any other method. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim (SB 7.5.32). The test will be spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ mahīyasāṁ pādo-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat. This is the test, and this is the way to approach a bona fide person and receive this Kṛṣṇa consciousness from him, by his mercy, by his grace. But as soon as one receives, immediately his liberation from material entanglement begins.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, January 19, 1969:

Bhaga, these opulences... So you have to find out. You do not accept any cheap God. You just try to find out whether this man claiming as God has no greater than him and no equal to him. Then he is God. This simple test. Don't accept any bogus, so-called God. Just try to put him to the test whether he is actually God. This is the test, that nobody should be greater than him; nobody shall be equal to him. Then he is God.

Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969:

As soon as one becomes elevated to the platform of spiritual realization, self-realization, immediately he will be free from all anxieties. Material life means full of anxieties. However great you may be, you are always full of anxieties. But if you come to the platform of spiritual realization, immediately you become free from anxieties. This is the test. Simply by advertising that you have elevated to the highest platform stage by taking some drugs or medicine or this way or that way... No. The result will be practical that you will immediately feel joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). And what is the symptom of joyous life? No more hankering, no more lamenting.

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969:

In the Vedic literature you'll find, Vedas, "God has many energies." Parāsya śaktiḥ. Śakti means energy, power. Vividhaiva, multi, various. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svabhāva... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. This is the injunction of Vedas. "You cannot find anyone equal or greater than God. Nobody can be equal with God; nobody can be greater than God." Then he is not God. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca. Sama means equal; adhika means greater. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. They have analyzed who is God. The great sages, the liberated sages, they are not fools, rascals, that they will accept anyone God. No. They will test. This is the test. If you find somebody, that he is neither lower than anyone, neither equal to anyone, then he is God. There are other, many definitions of God. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Analytical study. Try to understand God.

Lecture at Caitanya Matha -- Visakhapatnam, February 19, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa says that kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). Just like I am present in my body. I know the pains and pleasure of my body, but Kṛṣṇa, because He is present in everyone's body, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61), He knows the pains and pleasure of all bodies. That is difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourselves, or God and ourselves. This is the test. Somebody is claiming that "I am God." How you can be God? You cannot know the pains and pleasures of others, but Kṛṣṇa knows. That is the difference between God and living entity. (break) So far consciousness is concerned, God is also conscious, we are also conscious, but our consciousness is limited and God's consciousness is unlimited. That is the difference.

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

If actually one loves God, he must love everyone. That is the sign. That is the sign. Just like my heart is now thirsty. I am quenching with drinking water and putting here. So as soon as put this water here, immediately the energy distributed all over the body. So a God conscious person cannot be neglectful or envious to anyone. That is the test. This is test. Sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ. All good qualities. So this is a good quality, love your neighbor, to give them service. So if actually one person is God conscious, he must be sympathetic with the troubles of his neighbor, or anyone, not only human being. Animals also. They are also living entities. A God conscious person has no discrimination between human being and animal or trees or plants because they are also living entities.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

So spiritual master is offered obeisances: "Sir, you have brought the mercy from the Supreme Lord. Therefore we are much obliged to you. To deliver us, you have come. We offer our respectful obeisances." This is the meaning of this verse. Vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam. That means the first qualification of the spiritual master, or guru, is to deliver you some message by which immediately your blazing fire in the heart will be stopped. This is the test.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

Everyone has blazing fire within the heart. That is the proof of material existence. Nobody is without anxieties. That blazing fire means anxieties, always. Everyone has got anxieties. Even the small bird, he has got anxiety. You give the small bird some grains to eat, he'll eat it. But he's not very peacefully eating. He'll see this way, that way, "If somebody's coming to kill me?" Yes. This is material existence. Everyone... Even President Nixon, he's also full of anxieties, what to speak of others. Even Gandhi, in our country, he was full of anxieties. All politicians, they're full of anxiety; although they hold very exalted post, still the material disease, anxiety, is there. So if you want to be anxiety-less, without any anxiety, then you must take shelter of the guru, or the spiritual master, and the test is that by the instruction of guru, by following the instruction of guru, you will be anxiety-less. This is the test.

Ceremony Speech Excerpt -- Vrndavana, August 18, 1974:

We want to see that everyone is becoming a perfect lover of God. This is our definition of God. It may be, due to circumstantial changes in the country, the Muslim religion may be little different from Hindu religion so far the ritualistic ceremonies are concerned, but actually we want to see whether you have advanced in the matter of loving God. Not that "Superficially I am very advanced in religion, but I do not know how to love." This is the test. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is the test. A devotee wants to see that everyone is happy. It doesn't matter whether he is a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian. It doesn't matter. We want to see that everyone is happy.

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:

So the saṅkīrtana movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the more you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, your, the heart disease, material enjoyment, that will decrease, and then you will understand what is your position and you will be gradually attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). This is the test of bhakti, that if you engage yourself twenty-four hours in devotional service, then immediately you become liberated. Bhaktiḥ pareśā... Liberation means to become detestful to material enjoyment.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Śyāmasundara: He is not disputing that there is soul or there is not soul. He is merely putting forward a principle to test something, if it is true or false.

Prabhupāda: This is the test. This is the test. Because the soul is there, therefore the body is moving.

Śyāmasundara: So that is the evidence for...

Prabhupāda: That is the evidence. Anyone can see. Now we say, "My father is gone. Oh, my father is gone." Where has he gone? Your father is lying there. Why do you say gone?

Philosophy Discussion on Jacques Maritain:

Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, premā pumartho pumān: the highest perfection of life is to attain love of Godhead. And Bhāgavata also says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religious system, (indistinct) develops his dormant love of God. That is religion. That is first-class, transcendental religion. And Bhāgavata, in other place it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita kaitava atra: all cheating religious system is rejected here. Because Bhāgavata does not accept a religious system as genuine unless the followers develop love of Godhead. This is the test. And dharma means, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is dharma. Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all types of religious system." That means they are not religious, they are not religious. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa will ask that you give it up?

Philosophy Discussion on Karl Marx:

Śyāmasundara: So he said that God does not create man, that man creates God.

Prabhupāda: That is another nonsense. He is a nonsense rascal. That is being proved by his talks. Tāvac ca śobhate mūrkho yāvat kiñcin na bhāṣate. You cannot understand a rascal fool unless he talks. Now he is talking. And sooner I did not know that he is so fool, but I can understand now he is a great fool. This is the test. Tāvac ca śobhate mūrkho yāvat kiñcin na bhāṣate. Mūrkha, you can... A mūrkha can dress himself very nicely, like gentleman sitting amongst the gentlemen, but a learned man and a fool will be understood as soon as he speaks. As soon as talks like a foolish man, one can understand, "Oh, he is a rascal." And as soon as one speaks great subject matter, then one can understand, "Oh, he is learned." So by his talking, now we can understand he is a great fool.

Page Title:This is the test (Lectures)
Compiler:Matea, Serene, Laksmipriya
Created:06 of Oct, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=94, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:94