Those who are not (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"those who are not"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:

So those who are very capable sons, if they say to the father, "My dear father, these two sons of yours, they are useless. So let us cut their throat and eat." So father will say, "Yes, you do that"? No. Father will never say. The father will say, "Let them be useless, but let them live at my cost. Why...? You have no right to infringe on their rights." This is common sense. But these rascals, they think that animals are to be killed for the satisfaction of the tongue of the human being. No sense. No sense. And still they are passing on as religious heads. Such type of cheating religion is completely kicked out from this Bhāgavata religion. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ vāstavaḥ vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). It is meant for, this Bhāgavat-dharma. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for the paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ those who are not envious. How they can be envious? Paramahaṁsa, one who has understood what is this creation, who is the creator, what are these living entities, one who has got this knowledge, he is called paramahaṁsa. So how a paramahaṁsa can be envious of others? Therefore it is said paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). Matsaratā. Matsaratā means envious. So without becoming Vaiṣṇava, without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, you do not think that anyone is a human being. He is simply animal.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:

So we cannot even imagine what kind of brain Arjuna possessed. Another thing, this Bhagavad-gītā is part of Mahābhārata. And the Mahābhārata was written for strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayi na śruti-gocarāḥ (SB 1.4.25). Strī, woman, strī, śūdra and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu means a person born in high family, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, at least brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, but he's not qualified brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. He's called dvija-bandhu, the friend of the twice-born. The brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, they are twice-born. One birth is father and mother; another birth is by the spiritual master, by Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is mother and the spiritual master is the father. So the second birth. Therefore, they are called dvija, twice born. So dvija-bandhūnām, those who are not actually twice born but born in the family of dvijas. Therefore they are called dvija-bandhu, "not dvija, friends of the dvijas." Dvija-bandhu. One may become a friend of the dvija. One may become a son of a high-court judge, but that does not mean he's also high-court judge. But now they are taking: "Because my father is brāhmaṇa, therefore I am brāhmaṇa." No. That was not accepted. Your father may be brāhmaṇa, but if you are not qualified brāhmaṇa, you cannot be called a brāhmaṇa. You can be called dvija-bandhu. So this Mahābhārata was written: strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayi na śruti gocarāḥ (SB 1.4.25). Woman and dvija-bandhu and the śūdras, it is very difficult for them to understand the Vedic literatures directly, because they have no advanced knowledge or education. Therefore the same thing. The Vedic knowledge was described in the Mahābhārata. Because it is history. Everyone is interested to read history. So through history, the Vedic knowledge was imparted. Therefore, Mahābhārata is called the fifth Vedas. There are four Vedas, Sama, Yajur, Ṛk, Atharva. And Mahābhārata is fifth Veda. They are meant for this stri, śūdra, dvija-bandhu. So Bhagavad-gītā is within the Mahābhārata. So actually it was meant for the less intelligent class of men. But, at the present moment, the highest intelligent class of men cannot understand. Just see the difference. Formerly, 5000 years, this was meant for the less intelligent class of men, and we have deteriorated so much that the so-called highest intelligent class of men cannot understand this Bhagavad-gītā. And he is posted as the professor in the Oxford University.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972:

So in the morning we shall discuss on the Bhagavad-gītā, and the... My students, they have requested to speak in English because they cannot understand Hindi. So I think gentlemen gathered here, they'll also understand English. So kindly allow me to speak English. Now, in the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, the..., it is the set-up, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. According to the order of Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa placed the chariot in between the two soldiers, two phalanxes of soldiers. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta (BG 1.21). Arjuna was respectful to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has accepted to be charioteer, inferior position than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is on the chariot, sitting on the throne, and, uh, Arjuna is sitting on the throne, and Kṛṣṇa has taken the inferior position, driving the chariot. So this is very nice position for devotional service. Those who are not devotees, they aspire to become Kṛṣṇa. Their aspiration is to merge into the existence of the Supreme, or to become one with Kṛṣṇa. But in devotional service it is not the desire of the devotee to become one with Kṛṣṇa, but sometimes to make Kṛṣṇa as the order-carrier of the devotee. To become one with Kṛṣṇa, it may be a very great position. But to become the, I mean to say, command, commander of Kṛṣṇa, that is another thing. That position is greater than to become one with Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.4-5 -- London, August 5, 1973:

He thought like this. He did not think that "Duryodhana may be maintaining, but he has usurped the property of the Pāṇḍavas." But it is his greatness. He knew that Arjuna will never be killed because Kṛṣṇa is there. "So from material point of view, I must be grateful to Duryodhana." The same position was for Droṇācārya. They were maintained.

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that viṣayīra anna khāile malīna haya mana (CC Antya 6.278). Such great personalities became darkened because they took money from them, anna. If I am provided by somebody who is too much materialist, then that will affect me. I will become also materialist. I will also become materialist. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned that "Those who are viṣayī, those who are not devotees, do not accept anything from them because it will make your mind unclean." So therefore a brāhmaṇa and a Vaiṣṇava, they do not accept directly money. They accept bhikṣā. Bhikṣā. Just like here it is said bhaikṣyam. Śreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣyam apīha loke (BG 2.5). When you ask somebody... Still, bhikṣā is also sometimes prohibited from a person who is too much materialist. But bhikṣā is allowed for sannyāsīs, for brāhmaṇa. So therefore Arjuna is speaking that "Instead of killing such great gurus who are so great personalities, mahānubhāvān..." So bhaikṣyam. For a kṣatriya... A brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī can beg, can beg alms, but not a kṣatriya, not a vaiśya. That is not allowed. So he was a kṣatriya, Arjuna. So he says, "Better I shall take the profession of a brāhmaṇa and beg from door to door instead of enjoy the kingdom by killing my guru." That was his proposal. So on the whole, Arjuna is illusioned—illusioned in the sense that he is forgetting his duty. He is a kṣatriya, his duty is to fight; never mind the opposite party, even he is son, a kṣatriya will not hesitate to kill his son even if he is inimical. Similarly, the son, if the father is inimical, he would not hesitate to kill his father. This is the stringent duty of the kṣatriyas, no consideration. A kṣatriya cannot consider like that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, klaibyam: "You don't be coward. Why you are becoming coward?" These topics are going on. Later on, Kṛṣṇa will give him real spiritual instruction. This is... Ordinary talks are going on between the friend and the friend.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- London, August 15, 1973:

"From which college you have passed your examination? You have passed M.A. examination? That's all right." And we are concerned, whether you are graduate, postgraduate. That's all. Nobody inquires, "From which college, from which country, from which religion, you have passed your M.A. examination?" No. Similarly, nobody should inquire, "To which religion you belong?" One must see whether he has learned this art, how to love God. That's all. That is religion. Because here is the religion: sarva-dharmān parityajya māṁ ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. Bhāgavata says. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra: "All cheating type of religion is kicked out from this Bhāgavatam." Only nirmatsarāṇām, those who are not envious of God... "Why shall I love God? Why shall I worship God? Why shall I accept God?" They are all demons. For them only, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, for them only those who are actually serious to love. Ahaitukī apratihatā yenātmā samprasīdati.

So real success of life is that when you learned how to love God. Then your heart will be satisfied. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If you get Kṛṣṇa or God... Kṛṣṇa means God. If you have got another name of God, that is also accepted. But God, the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Person. When you have got this... Because we are loving somebody. The loving propensity is there. In everyone. But it is misdirected. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Kick out all these loving objects. Try to love Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). In this way your loving will never be able to satisfy you. Yenātmā samprasīdati. If you want real satisfaction, then you must love Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is the whole philosophy of..., Vedic philosophy. Or any philosophy you take. Because after all, you want satisfaction of yourself, full satisfaction of your mind. That can be only achieved when you love God. Therefore that religion is first-class which teaches, which trains the candidate how to love God. That is first-class religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktiḥ... (SB 1.2.6). And that love not with a motive. Just like here in this material world, "I love you; you love me." Background is some motive. Ahaituky apratihatā. Ahaitukī, no motive. Anyābhīlāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11).

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:

This is the law of nature in this material world.

Therefore Bhāgavata says, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ. People are wandering within this material world, living entity, in different forms of life under different conditions of life. But they are not getting the information of Kṛṣṇa. That is their misfortune. So one who is fortunate during this period of continuous wandering in different species of life on different planets, he contacts another devotee. Guru-Kṛṣṇa. Or one who is actually anxious to unite with the Supreme Lord, how one gets this consciousness—by associating with devotees. Just like we are holding this class. Even those who are not devotee, outsider, if they come they can also understand, then he becomes, one becomes very seriously anxious how to understand God, how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Then Kṛṣṇa immediately helps. This is the process. Kṛṣṇa is there within your heart. As soon as you become little serious, immediately, Kṛṣṇa is ready. Kṛṣṇa is ready, He is sitting with you as a friend. Simply looking for the opportunity when you'll come back to Him. That is Kṛṣṇa. He's always sitting with you. But we are not willing to go back to home, back to Godhead. We want to become God in this material world. This is our position. Instead of going back to home, back to Godhead, live with God, we want to become God here. That is our position. Therefore, we are suffering. Here, you can... Nowhere you cannot be God. God is one. Nobody can be equal or above Him. Everyone must be subordinate to God. Therefore those who are not learned—foolish people—they are trying to be happy in this material world by adjustment and becoming himself God. This is atheism and this is demoniac tendency. But those who are advanced in knowledge, they know that "We are eternally servant of God; we cannot become God. Better to remain servant of God; that is our happiness."

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, December 12, 1976:

The other day I was speaking. I saw one gentleman, Indian gentleman. He was eating the intestines of hog in the airplane. That is very palatable, they say. Tamo-guṇa, most tamo-guṇa. Hog, the stool-eater, and its intestine, that is cooked, and he's eating. How much tamo-guṇa. Jaghanya. Jaghanya guṇa-vṛtti, very abominable. So next life he is going to be a hog. This is going on. We are in this material nature. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān (BG 13.22). We are in this material world according to our association with different modes of nature. We are making one type of mentality, and at the time of death, that mental position is responsible for carrying me in a different type of body. In this way we are changing body one after another.

So we are spirit soul. This is the chance of rectifying or purifying our existence. If we like, we can purify our existence in this human form of life. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to purify the existence, and after death, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means you understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti (BG 4.9). Simply by understanding and acting accordingly, you can purify your existence, and next life means after giving up this body... This body we have to give up. But those who are not purifying their existence, they will accept another material body. And those who have purified the existence, they will go back home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

So this dead body, when a man dies, dhīras tatra na muhyati. Those who are dhīra—dhīra means sober—they are not bewildered. There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means those who are not agitated, they know things as they are. So adhīra means those who are uncontrolled. The poet Kalidāsa has described dhīra and adhīra with reference to Lord Śiva in his book Kumāra-sambhava. So dhīra means a person who is not agitated in spite of the cause of agitation being present. There are so many causes of agitation, but a person, in spite of being persuaded by the cause of agitation... Just like a young man and young woman, when they are present, naturally they become agitated. In the śāstras it is said just like fire and butter. If you put butter before the fire, automatically it melts. Similarly, a woman is considered as fire and the man is considered as butter. So this is natural. But a person who is not agitated, he is called dhīra.

So when a man dies, the man's relatives lament, "Oh, my father has gone," "My sister has gone," "My wife..." But if you become dhīra, then you are not bewildered. Just like your friend or your father moves from this apartment to another apartment, who is agitated? No, that's all right. He was in this apartment, now he has gone to another apartment, so there is no question of agitation or being perturbed. Similarly, one who knows the causes of transmigration of the soul from one body to another, he is not agitated at the death of his friend or relative. He knows everything, and he knows where his friend has gone with reference to the śāstra. Just like your friend has gone to India. How do you know? You know that he purchased a ticket for India and he has gone to India, so there is no need of agitation, "Oh, where he has gone? Where he has gone?

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972:

And knowledge acquired by experimental knowledge, that is not perfect. Because we are imperfect. Suppose a big professor, just like that Russian Professor Kotovsky, they are trying to understand things by so-called inductive process, or āroha-panthā, going up by one's speculation, by speculative method. But our process of knowledge, Vedic process of knowledge: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Their knowledge should be taken from the authority. Do not manufacture knowledge. Because how you can manufacture perfect knowledge? You are imperfect. Your senses are imperfect. You are defective in four ways. You are... To err is human. You must commit mistake. You must be illusioned. Your senses are imperfect, and you have got a cheating propensity. These four defects are there. Those who are not liberated, mukta-puruṣa, they have got four defects. What is that? He must commit mistake. Just like we can give you instance: Our Mahatma Gandhi, he was so great personality, but he also committed so many mistakes. Even on the day of his death, it is heard that he was forbidden not to go the meeting. The other persons, they scented some danger, but he forcibly went there and he was killed. So mistake, committing mistake. To err is human. That is not fault. That is our habit. We commit mistake. And we also, we are illusioned. Illusioned. Just like I am not this body. I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But we are giving identification with this body. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra." So this is illusion. So to commit mistake and to become illusioned and cheating propensity. Actually, I do not know things as they are, still, I am writing books. To educate people. Big, big scholars, they have no clear thought, clear understanding; still they write books.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:

This simple thing, they cannot understand. Therefore it is mentioned here, dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dhīra means sober, cool-headed man. And just the opposite is adhīra. Adhīra means third-class, fourth-class man. Or rascals, adhīra. Dhīra means sober. Just like... The exact translation is "gentleman," dhīra. Those who are not gentlemen, uncultured, uneducated, rascal, they cannot understand. Otherwise where is the difficulty?

How plainly, how easily explained that kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. There are three stages, kaumāram. Up to fifteenth year, it is called kaumāra. And then from sixteenth year, it begins youthful life up to fortieth year. Then after forty, one becomes jarā, old man. Primarily old man and later on. Say, forty to fifty, primarily old man, and after fifty, he is old man. Therefore it is advised pañcāś ordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. Pañcāś means fifty. Ūrdhvam, fifty-one. And rest of the days, maybe one hundred years, but that is not possible nowadays. Maybe seventy, eighty, utmost. Somebody lives ninety, ninety-five. Hundred years, although the limit, nowadays nobody lives. So those who are dhīra, gentlemen, sober-headed, cool-headed, they can understand that "I have changed my body. When I was a boy, up to fifteenth year, I remember how I was playing, how I was jumping. Then I became young man. How I was enjoying my life with friends and families. Now I am old man." "I am" means my body. Dehinaḥ. Dehi and dehinaḥ. Dehi means the proprietor of the body, owner of the body, and deha means the body.

In the previous verse Kṛṣṇa said that "All of us—you, me, and all these soldiers and kings who are present here—we existed in the past, we are existing now, and we shall continue to exist in the future." This was the statement.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- London, August 20, 1973:

You have to do your duty because it is real fight. This fight is under My guidance. You must fight. That is your duty. Don't be bothered of this mātrā-sparśāḥ." Mātrā means the skin, touch. But people are after the skin disease. Just like sex life. What is the sex life? This is also another skin disease, itching of the skin, and you satisfy by rubbing it. That's all. Therefore in the śāstra it is advised, viṣaheta dhīraḥ. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Gṛhamedhi. These rascals who are very much attached to so-called family life, gṛhamedhi... Gṛhastha is different. Gṛhastha means he knows everything. But he is not so advanced, but he wants to live with wife and children, but for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is gṛhastha. And those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, simply living like animals and has got children and wife, they are animals; they are gṛhamedhi. The gṛhastha means he is making the best use of a bad bargain. And the gṛhamedhi means he is animal. Therefore this is spoken about the gṛhamedhi. Mostly people now, they are showing that "I am very beautiful man," showing family, but he is called gṛhamedhi. So what is the happiness of the gṛhamedhi? Yan maithunādi, that sex pleasure, that's all. Otherwise they have no other happiness, working day and night like ass. The only hope is, at night they will enjoy sex. That's all. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi. What is that sex? That itching. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). That itching sensation. Therefore śāstra says that "Tolerate that itching. Don't be implicated with this repetition of birth and death." First thing, brahmacārī—"Tolerate this itching. You'll avoid so much displeasure, so much unhappiness of life. Be careful." That is brahmacārī life. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya It is simply itching, satisfying the itching sensation, little happiness. What is that happiness? Just like there is itching in your body. If you itch it, you feel some pleasure. It is like that. So viṣaheta dhīraḥ. Dhīra, one who is sober, one is advanced, he will little tolerate that itching sensation and be happy because this is not my necessity. This is only of the skin. This is my skin disease. Now I am not the skin. I am soul. My duty is how to serve Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Mexico, February 15, 1975:

He wants to enjoy this material enjoyment. Just like everyone is going to the restaurant for eating something palatable, but we are not going, and somebody is going to cinema, but we are not going to the cinema. Similarly, there are two kinds of men: one is attracted; one is not attracted. Those who are not attracted, they are called nitya-siddha, eternally liberated. And those who are being attracted, they are called nitya-baddha, eternally conditioned. So you'll find always two classes of men. So one is attracted; one is not attracted. In the spiritual world the number of liberated person—many, many times greater than these conditioned soul. Just like the prison house and outside the prison house. The population outside the prison house, their number is very great, but within the prison house there are small number, criminals. So there are innumerable living entities. Out of them, some of them become attracted to this material enjoyment; others not. So one who does not want to serve Kṛṣṇa and wants to serve his senses, he's put into this material world. And he's given all facilities to enjoy, but he becomes entangled. This is the position. Yes?

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:

The Māyāvādī philosopher says brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. The spirit is truth, and jagat, this material world, is untruth, mithyā, false. We say that everything is emanating from the Supreme. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. Everything is emanating from Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. So that cannot be false. Because Absolute Truth, how from truth, false will come? This is our philosophy. The matter may be temporary, but it is not false. The Vedic injunction is mā asataḥ. Mā asato sad gamaya. Don't try to be entangled with the asat. Sad asat. But try to come to the platform of sat.

In the previous verse, yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete puruṣaṁ puruṣarṣabha, Kṛṣṇa says: "Those who are not disturbed by the material changes..." Sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ so 'mṛtatvāya kalpate. Our mission, human mission, is to come to the platform of amṛtatvam, immortality. We have discussed this point. Amṛtatvam, immortality. The modern civilization, the so-called scientists, philosophers, they cannot imagine even that there is possibility of becoming immortal. They cannot imagine. Their brain is so dull that they cannot think of, that we can become immortal. Then how Kṛṣṇa is speaking about immortality? Is He speaking something nonsense, utopian? No, He is speaking the fact. Otherwise, if Kṛṣṇa speaks something nonsense, utopian, then nobody would be interested to read Bhagavad-gītā. We may be third-class men, that we indulge in Bhagavad-gītā, and Kṛṣṇa is speaking something utopian, nonsense. But there are big, big ācāryas—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya. Why they are giving attention to the reading of Bhagavad-gītā? Kṛṣṇa does not speak anything nonsense. It is fact. So if it is the fact that there is possibility of becoming immortal... That is sat.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- London, August 23, 1973:

The surgical operation takes place, you do not understand, you do not perceive pains and pleasure, but you remains for a certain hours unconscious. Then, gradually, dream comes. Just, from unconsciousness the dream comes. And from dream, you are awakened. As you go down from awakening stage to dream, dream to unconsciousness, similarly, you come up also, from unconsciousness to dream, from dream to awakening conscious stage.

So death means when this body is lost, gross body, the soul remains in the subtle body—intelligence, mind and ego. That subtle body carries him to another body. But those who are not intelligent, they do not understand what is the subtle body, although it is clearly said subtle body means mind, intelligence. You have got mind, intelligence, everyone knows. But these rascals, because they cannot see mind and intelligence, they think that this man is gone, dead. Mind, intelligence, everyone knows that he has got mind. I know you have got your mind, I have got my mind, you have got intelligence, I have got intelligence. But I do not see your intelligence; it is subtle. Just like there is sky, but here is sky in my front, but I do not see. The things, as they become more subtle and subtler, these gross senses cannot experience. Therefore, the soul is so subtle that it is not possible to perceive the presence of soul with these material senses. So these rascals, they simply say, "No, I cannot see soul." How can you see? That is not possible? It is so minute and so subtle that it cannot be seen by this gross eye. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:

So to live irresponsibly like cats and dogs is very risky life. Because so long we shall be engaged in the matter of sense gratification—material life means sense gratification—we shall increase our prolongation of repetition of birth and death. So this irresponsible life of eating, sleeping, sex life and defense like cats and dogs will not help us. Therefore... Because this kind of activities will oblige me to accept another body, and as soon as we accept another material body we become subjected to the stringent laws of material nature. And the material miserable conditions are summarized into four items: birth, death, old age and disease. So those who are not in knowledge of the spirit soul, they are very irresponsibly prolonging his life in material activities. Material science could not find out the spirit soul within the body because the magnitude, the dimension of the spirit soul, is very, very small. That is stated in Padma Purāṇa,

bālāgra-śata-bhāgasya

śatadhā kalpitasya ca

bhāgo jīvaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ

sa cānantyāya kalpate

Bālāgra means the tip of your hair. Divide into ten thousand parts. That one part is the dimension of the soul. That is there within the body. So material science has no such instrument or perfection of study that they can see such a small particle. Therefore these foolish people say there is no soul, but the practical application—the soul is there; therefore the consciousness is there; therefore the body is working in order. The soul is minus, the consciousness is minus—this body is a lump of matter.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. When? After being free from this material designation, brahma-bhūtaḥ. After being free, not before that. So bhakti is not a sentiment. Bhakti... People say, "Those who are not very learned, cannot study Vedic literature very nicely, and therefore they take to bhakti." No. Bhakti, actual bhakti, begins when one has become completely brahma-bhūtaḥ.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

That, that is pure transcendental stage of executing devotional service, after being free from material designation. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). That is called nirmala. That is mukti. Because spirit soul is eternal. It has to be cleansed, the material contamination. So when he's clean, then hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). When our senses are purified... Not this American hand or Indian hand. "It is Kṛṣṇa's hand. This hand should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, in sweeping the temple." If he thinks like this, he is far, far greater than any Vedāntist. If he simply knows that "This hand belongs to Kṛṣṇa," then he is far, far greater than any Vedāntist.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

You be yourself devotee and try to make others devotee. Then both your life and the person who is under your instruction, he, everyone is successful. And without being devotee, you cannot make others devotee. That is also a secret. If you remain nondevotee, you cannot convince others. That is not in your power. Therefore the nondevotee class of men, they cannot understand God, they cannot convince others about God. That's a fact. They'll simply present hodge-podge thing, they do not understand clearly, and they present hodge-podge. That's all. Without being... Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). "If anyone wants to understand Me as I am..." Of course, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa as He is, still, as far as possible. That is only through bhakti. Bhaktyā, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. It doesn't say that through knowledge, philosophical speculation or through haṭha-yoga system. No. He says bhaktyā, clearly. And in the beginning also He says, "Because you are My bhakta, therefore I shall reveal to you." The whole science is for the devotee. Not for anyone else. Those who are not devotees, their understanding of God is blocked forever. They cannot understand. It is a fact. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, māyāvādī-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If anyone tries to understand these impersonalist Māyāvādī philosophers, then his, I mean to say, progress is blocked for good. Not for good, of course. Nothing can be for good. But for the present at least his progress is blocked. Sarva-nāśa. Chant. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (kīrtana) (end)

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

And practically, the jet planes, they go seven miles above the surface and there is no cloud. The cloud is down. Similarly, you can go also above māyā. You can transcend māyā and see Kṛṣṇa always. That is possible. How? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). You simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa will arrange that you are no more under māyā. Simple process. You just become, as Kṛṣṇa demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is sanātana-dharma. Because we are, after all, servant of Kṛṣṇa, but artificially we are trying to become master of this material..., of this world. We are therefore sent here. Just like those who are revolutionary, do not care for the state laws, they are sometimes killed or sometimes put into the prison house. That means those who are not voluntarily surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, they are put into the prison house. They are forced to surrender. Forced to surrender. They'll be forced. Just like you cannot become... You are not free, either outside the prison house or inside the prison house. But when you think that you have become free... Vimukta-māninaḥ. Vimukta-māninaḥ, falsely thinking that "I have now become liberated." Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). But the intelligence is not very clear. This is last snare of māyā. When one thinks that "I am God. I have become God," that is the last snare of māyā. That is also māyā. How you can become God? What capacity you have got? God has created so many things. What you have created? God has shown so many things. What you have done? But still, falsely they are thinking, "I am God." This is māyā, last snare of māyā. Because the real disease as we have already explained, is to lord it over the material nature. Everyone is trying: "I am the lord of all I survey. I want to become lord of this universe. I want to become minister. I want to become president. I want to become business magnitude." And everything fails. Then he wants to become God. That is also māyā. That is not possible.

Lecture on BG 2.26-27 -- London, August 29, 1973:

These things you cannot find. This is not possible. Therefore, the verdict of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Just like if you do not follow a standard law, how you can fix up "This is morality" or "This is honesty or dishonesty." There must be standard law. And who can give you the law unless he is the greatest authority? So law changes according to different countries, climate, situation. So man-made law cannot give you standard morality, honesty or... It is not possible. Because one will think "This is morality," another will think, "No, this is not morality." Same thing. Keep to the left, keep to the right. Somebody says "Keep to the left is right," somebody says "Keep to the left, it is wrong." Manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). Because those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are hovering on the mental plane. They cannot, there cannot be any fixed up morality, honesty, dishonesty. No. And rascals will also say yato mata tato patha. Means, whatever you think is all right, that is all right. According to you, your conception this is right, and according to my conception, both of them are right. How both of them can be right?

Lecture on BG 2.28 -- London, August 30, 1973:

Similarly, when you come again, awakening stage in the morning after getting up from the bed, I forget all the bodies I created in my dream. So which one is correct? This is correct? This body's correct, or that body's correct? Because at night I forget this body, and in daytime I forget the other dreaming body. So both of them not correct. It is simply hallucination. But I am correct because I see at night, I see in daytime. So I am eternal, the body is not eternal. This is the fact. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). Śarīriṇaḥ, the owner of the body, is eternal, but not the body. In so many ways, Kṛṣṇa is explaining about the material condition of this body. But those who are not very intelligent, with poor fund of knowledge, it is very difficult for them to understand. Otherwise, things are very clear. This point is very clear. That at night I forget this body, and in daytime I forget the body at night. This is a fact. Similarly, I may forget the body of my last appearance, last duration of life, or I may not know the future body. But I will exist, and the body may change, but I'll have to accept another body which is temporary. But I, as I exist, it means I have got a body. That is spiritual body.

So spiritual body is existing, and spiritual advancement means first of all to know spiritual identification of myself. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu after retiring from his ministership. So he first of all said that, ke āmi, kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya: "Actually, I do not know what I am, and why I am subjected to the miserable condition of life." Therefore the miserable condition of life is this body. Because I get... In dream also. When I get another body, sometimes we find that on top of the very tall bamboo or tall mountain I am just now, I'm falling down . And I'm afraid, I sometimes cry, "Now, I am now falling down." So this body, this material body, which body I belong to, which I am... Actually, I do not belong to any of these bodies. I have got a separate spiritual body.

Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973:

Still, there is inferior nature and superior nature. What is the difference between inferior and superior? In the inferior nature or the material nature, God consciousness is almost nil. Those who are in the modes of goodness, they have little God consciousness. And those who are in the modes of passion, they have got less degree; and those who are in the modes of ignorance, there is no God consciousness. Completely absent. Degrees.

Therefore, this body, although this is material, coming from the same source, still it is inferior. So when the dehī, or the spirit soul, although by nature it is superior than the material nature, but still, because he's encaged within the material nature, he's forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. But, as it is stated here, that dehe sarvasya, sarvasya dehe, the same spirit is there. Therefore, those who are not rascals, those who are intelligent and in complete knowledge, they do not find any distinction between a human being or an animal. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Because he's paṇḍita, he's learned, he knows that the spirit soul is there. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe (BG 5.18). Within the first-class learned brāhmaṇa, there is the soul, the same quality soul. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, in the cow, hastini, in the elephant, śuni—śuni means the dog—caṇḍāla, the lowest kind of human being, everywhere the soul is there. It is not that simply in human being there is soul, or in higher demigods there is soul, and poor animals have no soul. No. Everyone has got... dehe sarvasya bhārata. So whom we shall accept? The statement of Kṛṣṇa or some rascal philosopher or some so-called religionist? Whom we shall accept? We shall have to accept Kṛṣṇa, the supreme authority, the Supreme Being. He says sarvasya. Many places, Kṛṣṇa says. Therefore, those who are learned, they do not make such distinction, that it has no soul. Everyone has got soul. Tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni. Again, He says, sarvāṇi bhūtāni. Na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi. It is your duty. Kṛṣṇa is simply stressing on the point that the soul is eternal, it cannot be killed. In so many ways. The body is perishable. "So it is your duty now to fight. The body may be killed, body may be destroyed. But na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). But even after the destruction of this body, the soul exists. He gets another body, that's all." Deha, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. You must get another body. And this will be explained in the next verse also.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you cannot find many, it is not possible. Everyone is miser. He's always thinking, "How much share is mine? How much I can collect for my personal?" And Kṛṣṇa conscious person is simply trying: how much he is giving to Kṛṣṇa. This way. One this way, and one this way. This is miser and liberal.

Everyone, in all principle, they go to God for asking something. That is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā, ārtaḥ arthārthī jñānī jijñāsu. Four kinds of people go to God: those who are distressed... Of course, they are pious. Anyone who goes to God, never mind even for asking daily bread, they are pious. But those who are not going to God, they are impious, miscreant. One who is thinking, "Oh, why shall I go to God for asking bread? I can produce my bread." So that man who is very proud of producing his bread is a nonsense miscreant. And a man who is going to the church, praying, "God give my daily bread," he is pious, but he's not a pure devotee. But there is chance of his becoming pure devotee in future. So ārtaḥ arthārthī jijñāsu. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is nothing to ask from Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, give us our daily bread." No. It is far, far higher. Because he knows that "Kṛṣṇa, I ask or I do not ask, Kṛṣṇa is supplying me bread. He's supplying bread to the beast, birds and animals, insects, and I have sacrificed my life for Kṛṣṇa, and He'll not supply me bread?" Is it very intelligent? No. He knows perfectly well that "Kṛṣṇa is taking care of me. Now it is my duty how much service I can render to Kṛṣṇa. That is my business." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa is not miser. He is supplying millions and millions of living entities bread. So what is the use of asking Him? Without asking Him... The birds, the beasts, they have no church and pray to God, "Oh, give us our daily bread," but nobody is starving. Nobody is starving. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one Supreme is supplying everyone's necessities. Either you go to church or don't go to church, Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He's supplying food everyone.

Lecture on BG 2.48-49 -- New York, April 1, 1966:

So dūreṇa hy avaraṁ karma. Here it is emphatically emphasized that dūreṇa hy avaraṁ karma buddhi-yogād dhanañjaya: "By application of this God consciousness, you throw away all other work. Any work which you cannot do with God consciousness, don't do it." Now, here is the injunction in Bhagavad-gītā that "Anything which you cannot do with God consciousness, stop doing." But the whole world is engaged, doing things in which there is no God consciousness. There is no God consciousness. And here it is enjoined that buddhau śaraṇam anviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ: "Only those who are kṛpaṇa, those who are not self-realized, they are hankering after sense gratification. They want to enjoy the fruits of their labor. But you don't be. Arjuna, you don't be. If you want to be spiritually situated, if you want to work from the spiritual platform, then you don't do it. You work on the spiritual platform and don't do anything which you cannot do in God consciousness." This is clearly stated here. Now, it is, of course... It depends on us whether to accept it or not accept it, because God has given us independence. You'll find also in the Bhagavad-gītā at the end that after the instruction is given, the Lord inquires from Arjuna that "I have given you all instruction necessary. Now whatever you like, you do." So this is the position. The Lord never interferes with the little independence that has been offered to us. We have got little independence because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Oh, so under certain percentage we have got independence. Not full independence, but under certain percentage we have got independence. And that independence we can use properly or misuse it also. When we misuse, then we become kṛpaṇa, the miser. And when we use it properly, then we become brāhmaṇa. So dūreṇa hy avaraṁ karma buddhi-yogād dhanañjaya buddhau śaraṇam anviccha, śaraṇam anviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ. Buddhi. By intelligence, by intelligence you take shelter of the Supreme Lord. Don't be miser and be hankering after the result of your work and enjoy for yourself. No, sacrifice. Sacrifice means you sacrifice your energy. God is not hankering after your money or whatever you have got. He is full in Himself. He is full in Himself. He doesn't require.

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Just like if you falsely think that "I am the proprietor of this Los Angeles city," is it not your false thinking? Similarly, if anyone thinks that "Now I have attained nirvāṇa or I have merged into the Supreme." You may think like that. That māyā is very strong. You may be puffed up by such false prestige. Vimukta-māninaḥ. Bhāgavata says, tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). "But because they have not searched out Your lotus feet, therefore their consciousness is impure, thinking 'I am something.' " Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. "Their intelligence, consciousness is not purified." Therefore āruhya kṛcchreṇa. "They perform very severe practice." Just like the Buddhists, they have got very... Now, those who are not practicing, that is different thing. But rules and regulations, Lord Buddha himself, he showed. He left his everything and became engaged in simply meditation. Who is doing that? Nobody is doing that. Śaṅkarācārya's first condition is that "First of all you take sannyāsa; then you talk of becoming Nārāyaṇa." Who is taking sannyāsa? So they are simply falsely thinking. Actually, their intelligence is impure, consciousness is impure. Therefore in spite of such endeavors, the result is, āruhya kṛcchreṇa param, although they go very high, say 25,000 miles or millions of miles up, they do not find any shelter, where is moon planet, where is... They come down again to your Moscow city, that's all. Or New York City, that's all. These are the examples. When they're high up, oh, they'll take photograph. "Oh, this planet is so, this earthly planet is so green or so small. I am going round day and night and seeing in one hour three times day and night." All right, very good. Please come down again. (laughs) That's all. māyā is so strong, she will say, "Yes, very good. You are very advanced in your scientific knowledge, but please come down. Come here. Otherwise you are going to be put into the Atlantic Ocean." That's all. And they'll still be puffed up, "Oh, we are making progress. Within next ten years, you can purchase ticket or land in the moon." You know, in Russia they sold land, and they advertised that "There is Sea of Moscow. We have planted our flag on the sea in the..." So these are propaganda. They cannot go even into the nearest planet, what to speak of the spiritual sky. If you actually serious of going to the spiritual sky and Vaikuṇṭhaloka, then take this simple method, Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

Lecture on BG 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

Who? Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. The Lord who is chanting always Kṛṣṇa, but His body is not black. Fair-complexion. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Followed by many devotees. Just like you'll see the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's picture. He is followed always by His associates and devotees. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Yajñaiḥ saṅ... This form of the Lord should be worshiped. Therefore we do not worship Kṛṣṇa directly. Through Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, through saṅkīrtana movement. That is the process prescribed in the śāstra.

You cannot worship Kṛṣṇa directly. Then you will misunderstand. Those who are not following the path of Caitanya's saṅkīrtana movement, if they want to understand Kṛṣṇa, they'll simply misrepresent Kṛṣṇa's this rāsa-līlā in this way. That's all. Go on.

Lecture on BG 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

The word is used there, sumedhasa. Sumedhasa means those who have got nice brain substance. So Kṛṣṇa, you can approach Kṛṣṇa. There are so many ways you can approach Kṛṣṇa. And in other words it is said, mama vartmānuvartante pārtha manuṣyāḥ sarvaśaḥ. Kṛṣṇa, our relationship is with Kṛṣṇa, and that relationship cannot be cut off. That is there. Even those who are disobedient to Kṛṣṇa, those who are atheists, godless or Kṛṣṇa-less, they are also obeying Kṛṣṇa's order. They are also.

Just like an outlaw who does not care to abide by the laws, he is also abiding the laws of the state in a different way. He is being forced. So those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's being forced by māyā to act. So that is there already, direct connection is there in this way or that way.

But here it is prescribed that anyone who wants the ultimate perfection of life they should worship Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is... Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī worshiped Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The Mammonist philosophy of work very hard and enjoy sense gratification is condemned herewith by the Lord. For those who want to enjoy this material world, the above-mentioned cycle of sacrifices is absolutely necessary. One who does not follow such regulations is living a very risky life, being condemned more and more. By nature's law this human form of life is specifically meant for self-realization in either of the three ways—namely karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga or bhakti-yoga. There is no necessity of rigidly following the performances of the prescribed yajñas. Such transcendentalists are above vice and virtue, but those who are engaged in sense gratification require purification by the above-mentioned cycle of yajña performances. There are different kinds of activities. Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious are certainly engaged in sensory consciousness and therefore they need to execute pious work. The yajña system is planned in such a way that the sensory conscious persons may satisfy their desires without becoming entangled in the reactions to such sense gratifying work. The prosperity of the world depends not on our own efforts but on the background arrangement of the Supreme Lord, directly carried out by the demigods. Therefore these sacrifices are directly aimed at the particular demigod mentioned in the Vedas. Indirectly, it is the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness because when one masters the performance of yajñas one is sure to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. If having performed yajñas one does not become Kṛṣṇa conscious such principles are counted as only moral codes. One should not, of course, limit his progress to the point of moral codes, but should transcend them to attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental. Moral codes, they are up to material perfection. Of course, one who has not attained material perfection, he cannot attain to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like one who has not passed his graduation in the university, he cannot take up law course. That is law in India. But one who has taken to the law course, it is to be understood that he has passed his graduation in the college. Similarly, one who has taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness in seriousness, then it is to be understood that he has performed all kinds of sacrifices. That is the result.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

That, Prahlāda Mahārāja said, a great devotee, that... His father asked him, "My dear boy, what best thing you have learned?" He said, "My dear father..." He did not say, "father." His father was first-class materialist. So he addressed him, "the best of the demons," because anyone who is very much sensuous, very much attached to sense gratification, they are called demon. And those persons who do not indulge in sense gratification but utilize this body or this life for God realization, Kṛṣṇa realization, they are called gods.

There are two classes of men, demon and god. Those who are engaged in God consciousness they are not God but godly. And those who are not... Because this human life is meant for this purpose. Forgetting our father, forgetting our God, we are criminal within this material world. Therefore our only business is how to get out of this prison house and go back to home, back to Godhead.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to liberate these foolish persons who are entangled in this material world and changing one body after another, sometimes very happy and sometimes very distressed. This is going on.

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām: "My dear father, or the best of the demons, you are asking me, so I say, I have learned this. What is that? That these people who are always full of anxiety," asad-grahāt, "because they have accepted this material world," tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5), "these persons, either in human being or animal or bird and beasts—full of anxieties."

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

Why You are selecting me and why this battlefield? You are speaking a philosophical doctrine and the science of God, and You are speaking to me. I am not a Vedantist, I am not even a brāhmaṇa, I am not even sannyāsī. Ordinary gṛhastha. Of course, I have got the privilege that I am Your friend. So much so. Otherwise, yoga system is not to be spoken to me. Why You are speaking to me?" This may be questioned. Why specifically it was spoken to Arjuna? The reply is, bhakto 'si. "The only qualification is that you are My devotee. That's all."

Therefore from the very beginning it is to be understood one who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Those who are not devotees... There are different classes of men. Some of them are karmīs, some of them are jñānīs, some of them are yogis, and some of them are bhaktas. The enlightened, cultivated persons, they can be divided into four groups. Those who are ordinary men, they do not know anything except to keep this body comfortably. They're materialistic more or less. In this life or next life they simply want material comforts. They are called karmīs. And jñānīs... Jñānīs means they are disgusted with this karma. Because there is a time, a point, when they become disgusted. Just like the American young men, they are now disgusted with this material civilization. So they are searching after knowledge. But unfortunately, the state is also not very enthusiastic, and there are many who are exploiting. But here is the knowledge. And that point comes, when the karmīs become disgusted, confused.

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

That is a fact. But due to our ill faith, we do not know what is happiness. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know what is the ultimate aim of life, what is the goal of life. They are trying to be happy with this matter, and the material happiness means sex life, and they are trying to squeeze the sex life in different ways. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). That is not possible. That is not possible.

Therefore this Bhagavad-gītā yoga system, which is very old... Forty millions of years before, ago it was spoken. And before that it was also spoken. That is not stated here. Because it is eternal. Avyaya, purātanaḥ, old. So who is qualified to understand Bhagavad-gītā? You can understand. Those who are not bhaktas, they can also understand superficially. Just like one has got the bottle of honey. If one thinks that "I have got the bottle of honey. Let me lick up the bottle," so licking the bottle, what taste you will get? The bottle has to be opened and see what is there. (laughter) And if a rascal thinks that "I am licking this bottle, I am eating honey, I am tasting honey," he's a rascal number one. Simply. So similarly, if one is not bhakta, if one is not Kṛṣṇa's devotee, that rascal cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. Plainly. Plainly it is stated here. First of all, try to become the devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Then try to understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Not by your scholarship or by your speculation. Then you'll never understand Bhagavad-gītā. If you have to understand Bhagavad-gītā, then you have to understand by the process as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, not by your own mental speculation. This is the process of understanding. Bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti.

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

"You are My dear friend." This is... Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "Whatever I've spoken, they are all nonsense. There is sense, but the truth which I am speaking to you just now, 'You just become My devotee, just think of Me, just offer your obeisances unto Me, just work for Me,' this is the most confidential." But those who are not able to understand, they are not to be spoken. They are to be instructed that "You become a yogi, you practice your breathing, you sit like this, you sit like that." Because he's unable to understand. Therefore He says, idaṁ te na atapaskāya. One who has not undergone severe austerities, don't speak this final knowledge. He'll not understand. He'll misunderstand. Just like scholars, like Radhakrishnan, misunderstands because he has no tapasya. It requires tapasya to understand this philosophy. Therefore Bhāgavata says tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). "My dear boys, just accept austerity voluntarily. Restrain."

So these boys, they are undergoing tapasya. Don't you think that in this country—they are (?) will not stay. As soon as people are anxious to get this knowledge, ignorance will go away. Jñāna-dīpita. Jñāna-dīpika.

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

Just open the Eighteenth Chapter. Sarva, giving up meat-eating, giving up all kinds of intoxicants including coffee and tea, they are giving up illicit sex life—don't you think this is not tapasya? Great tapasya, at least for this country. So idaṁ te nātapaskāya. Without undergoing austerity, this science is difficult to understand. Therefore it is warned, idaṁ te nātapaskāya. Now people ask us, "Swamiji, why you make condition?" The condition, if I don't make condition, he'll not be able to understand it. But I don't make condition in the beginning. I invite everyone to come and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you automatically accept all conditions. This is so nice. Because he becomes purified. When he's a little bit purified, he immediately accepts all conditions. So those who are not tapasvīs, or voluntarily accepting some, I mean to say, inconvenience... Suppose I am habituated to doing something, liquor or something. If I am stopped, there is inconvenience. But if somebody accepts voluntarily, "Yes, for Kṛṣṇa's sake I shall accept it," then I am stopped, there is inconvenience. But if somebody accepts voluntarily, "Yes, for Kṛṣṇa's sake I shall accept it," that is tapasya.

Just like Arjuna, he was very much painful to kill his kinsmen, but for Kṛṣṇa's sake he agreed. That is tapasya. It was not very happy for him to kill his grandfather and nephews, but for Kṛṣṇa he accepted. That is tapasya. So people cannot understand, "Oh, he was a fighter. How he was a tapasvī?" But that is... Anything which you do not like, but for Kṛṣṇa's sake if you accept, that is tapasya. Because your, the central point is, you love Kṛṣṇa; therefore you have sacrificed. The point is that for Kṛṣṇa's sake, you are voluntarily accepting this inconvenience. That is tapasya. And as soon as you become tapasvī, your whole existentional condition becomes purified. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam (SB 5.5.1). So there is a link between one Vedic literature to another. There is no contradiction. But different things are there for different classes of men. But this is for the highest class. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si (BG 4.3). That is the highest position. Yes?

American man: What is the value of accepting this sacrifice for the human being?

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

Arjuna knew it perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa, his friend, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But to clarify the matter for others.... Because those who are not devotee, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa or Bhagavad-gītā. That we have explained in the previous verse. Kṛṣṇa says that "The subject matter of Bhagavad-gītā is a great mystery, rahasyam, but because you are My devotee and because You are My friend, therefore I am again, speaking to you the same yoga system which was long long, millions of years ago I spoke to the sun-god." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). It is lost now. Sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. "Because the paramparā system has been diverted or misused, therefore it is now lost. But still, I shall again repeat the same yoga system, which is very, very old, purāṇam. Although I spoke it first to Vivasvān, the sun-god..."

Vivasvān is the present sun-god, or the president. Just like you have got the president in your country. The Americans, they have got their president. Similarly, each and every planet has got its president. The present president is called Vivasvān. Of course, their duration of life is very, very great, greater than ours. But still they are also human being. They are also living being, having a different type of body. They can live in that sun planet although it is fiery. That I have already explained. (children talking) The children must not talk.

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

Otherwise, those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they will accept another material body. Immediately they'll have to enter into the womb of a mother, particular mother. Daiva-netreṇa. As soon as decision is made by superior power that "This living entity has done such and such thing, he should be promoted or degraded. He should enter into such mother's body through the semina of the father," so immediately he's given place in the material body of a mother.

But those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, immediately they are transferred where Kṛṣṇa is there. This is the process. Immediately, by spiritual force.... Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Mām eti. "Immediately he comes to Me." Kṛṣṇa is there.

Within this material world He's also there. In some of the universes. There are innumerable universes, I have already explained. Somewhere He is there. So a devotee just after giving this body, giving up this body, immediately he is transferred to that universe where Kṛṣṇa is there. And when he's trained up, then he is, again, he's transferred to the Goloka Vṛndāvana, the spiritual sky. These are the description of Sanātana Gosvāmī in Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta, how a living entity...

So in this way we are changing our body but because we are minute particle of Kṛṣṇa.... We have got qualities of Kṛṣṇa not cent percent. Seventy-eight percent. When they are perfect, so minute quantity, then we can also become a little more advanced than at the present moment. But not like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is cent percent perfect. We can become minutely perfect, seventy-eight percent. These are all analyzed by the Gosvāmīs. So in the present stage, our conditioned stage, there is no comparison with Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of becoming Kṛṣṇa. The rascal foolish persons, they claim that they have become Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. This is the defect, that we forget. They ask so many the incarnation of God, about his past life. They cannot speak.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

This verse we have been discussing, that the Lord descends out of His own spiritual energy. He descends, appears. Yuge yuge sambhavāmi, in every millennium. And dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. Two things are visible in his characteristics. One thing is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. Those who are pious, following strictly the rules and regulations of particular type of scripture, to protect such persons, and to vanquish duṣkṛtām, miscreants... Miscreants. Who are miscreants? Miscreants, means just like outlaw. A person may be very nice, well-educated, or wealth. So many qualifications he might have. But if he is an outlaw, then all his qualification becomes damned. Similarly, duṣkṛtām, miscreant, outlaw, those who are not obedient to the laws of nature or laws of God...

There is no difference between laws of nature and laws of God. Laws of nature means laws of God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Therefore Bhāgavata says that religious principle cannot be manufactured by any human being. It is the law of God. Therefore one has to obey. One cannot disobey. Law of nature you cannot disobey. It will be enforced upon you. Just like law of nature, the winter season. You cannot change it. It will be enforced upon you. Law of nature, summer season, you cannot change it anything. Laws of nature or laws of God, the sun is rising from the eastern side and setting on the western side. You cannot change it, anything.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

Similarly, as you have got in your Bible, you pray in the church, "Oh God, give us our daily bread. Excuse us our faults." Because He is the prime one. He is supplying the necessities, He's giving you protection, He's giving you everything. You require sunlight. God has created sunlight for you. You require water, God has created immense water for you. You require air, there is immense air for you. So He is practically helping you. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one is supplying everything what we require.

You may think that you have to make improvement of your economic conditions, but actually the economic condition, what you have to enjoy, that is already there. You haven't got to endeavor. You see. Those who are not human beings, the animals, the birds, the beasts, and the worms, the trees, they have no economic problem. I see in India the sparrows, they were chanting and dancing and eating. Here also I see the same sparrows. They have no economic problem because they are depending completely on nature's law. And because we have violated nature's law, we have got economic problems. We have created our economic problem.

So the whole philosophy is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If the whole world, not whole world, even certain percentage of the population becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the face of the world changes. Simply to understand, as it is stated here, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Karma. His activities.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

Just like I'll give you another example. According to Manu-saṁhitā, our Vedic literature, the Manu-saṁhitā says, na striyaṁ svatantratām arhati: "Women should not be given independence" or "Women are not independent." That is a truth, Vedic truth. Now, so far a girl is child, she is dependent on the father, and it is hoped... At least in India we have got this principle. When a girl is grown up, the father gives her in charity to a boy to protect her, protect her, give her protection. And similarly, when a woman is grown up, old enough, she becomes protected by the grown up boys, children. So this Vedic truth that a woman has no independence... She is always under the protection, either under the protection of the father or under the protection of the husband or under the protection of the grown-up sons. That is position. And woman becomes happy in that way. Those who are not following this principle, I think they are not happy. This Vedic principle is truth.

So as the woman or the child requires the protection of somebody, similarly, by nature we are under the protection of some leader. But that supreme leadership is vested in the Supreme Lord. And when we do not accept the leadership of the Supreme, then we have to accept somebody else, ABCD, as our leader and they will misguide us. Andhā yathāndhair upanīya... How they are misguiding, just try to understand. How our leaders are misguiding us, just try to understand.

Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

Prabhupāda: That's all. Now any question? Yes?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can you explain, Prabhupāda, once again what action in action and inaction in action?

Prabhupāda: Action, just like you are active. You are working, you all Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees, you are also working. You are not sitting idly, but it is inaction. Inaction in this sense that it is not producing any reaction. It has no reaction. But others, those who are not acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are also busy but they are producing their reaction. So things which are not producing reaction, that is inaction. One who can see that "I am acting in this way, there is no reaction," that is inaction. And one who sees that "I am doing this but there is reaction," that is action. So it requires little intelligence to see how it is action or inaction. Therefore it is said that one who can see action in inaction and inaction in action, he is intelligent.

Yes. Any other question? From the audience? Yes, you try to understand. Try to understand the science of God philosophically, intelligently, logically. There is no question of dogma. Everything is nicely explained in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is so you can try to understand. Yes?

Guest: Could you explain the picture?

Prabhupāda: This is Kṛṣṇa's picture. Yes.

Guest: I practice transcendental meditation myself and some of the concepts (indistinct) as far as levels of consciousness (indistinct) use the word cosmic consciousness and God consciousness and I was wondering how Kṛṣṇa consciousness would relate to this cosmic consciousness.

Prabhupāda: What do you understand by "cosmic consciousness?"

Lecture on BG 4.20 -- Bombay, April 9, 1974:

There are many demigods. The demigods worshiper are also demons. Only viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daivaḥ. Viṣṇu-bhakta, those who are devotee of the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead, daiva. Viṣṇu... Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is Ṛg Veda mantra. Sūrayaḥ and asūrayaḥ. Those who are sūraya, deva, demigods, they are simply worshiping, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. And asura means just opposite number. Opposite number means those who are not interested in Viṣṇu worship. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that ultimate goal of life—to approach Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So asuras, they are engaged for fruitive result. They are working, but they are expecting that "I shall enjoy the result." So that freedom is given to everyone, that "You can work at your responsibility and enjoy or suffer." Just like state has given everyone individuality, everyone freedom, "You act as you like. But if you act criminally, then you will be punished." That you cannot avoid. You have been given freedom, "You act whatever you like," but if you violate the laws of the state, then you are to be punished, criminal.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna... (SB 10.14.8).

Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was always being put into trouble by his father, but he was never envious of his father. When he was requested by Nṛsiṁha-deva to take benediction, he refused anything for himself, but he begged to the Lord for his father." My dear Lord, my father has become envious to You; so I request You to excuse him." Just see. This is vimatsaraḥ. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). He was not against his father.

Similarly, a Vaiṣṇava, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he is nirmatsara, and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). It is meant for the paramo nirmatsaraḥ, paramahaṁsa, those who are not envious. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. They are friend of everyone, not this particular class, but everyone. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Samaḥ siddhāv asiddhau ca kṛtvāpi na nibadhyate. Because the law of karma is so accurate that every action is being recorded.

But if you live like this.... "Live like this" means you live in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, nirmatsara, siddhāv asiddhau samaḥ. That can be possible only when you live in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then all our actions will not be binding upon us. Otherwise any little thing we do, yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9), we shall be entangled. And that is material life. If we become entangled more and more, then the process of changing body, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), it will go on. Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). Although this body is temporary, it is full of miseries. That we do not understand. We are thinking that we are very happy. Where is your happiness?

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

Therefore we have to see through the śāstra, not by our blunt eyes and senses. That is useless. Adhaksic(?) Those who are bringing spiritual matter to be subjected to the experimental knowledge, it is not possible. Experimental knowledge is defective. Therefore we have to understand spiritual subject matter: śāstra-yonitvāt. The Vedānta-sūtra says, we have to learn from the śāstra.

So here Kṛṣṇa says that everything can be converted into Brahman. It is a fact, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Now how to realize? That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely. Just like Kṛṣṇa says.... Everything is Kṛṣṇa. Now how to realize? Kṛṣṇa says.... Those who are not very advanced, they have been advised to understand Kṛṣṇa, how? Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: (BG 7.8) "My dear Arjuna, I am the taste of the water." Begin like that.

Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. Apsu, in liquid, any liquid thing, you have some taste. Otherwise how you drink the liquid things? You have got some.... Everything has got taste. The whole world is full of taste. Unless there is taste, nobody can be inclined to enjoy something, anything you take. Therefore sex life is called ādi-rasa, the original taste. So in the water, while we drink water or milk or even wine, any liquid thing, if you simply try to practice this, that "This taste, which I am enjoying, that is Kṛṣṇa," that begins Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not very difficult. Everyone can do that.

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

The Lord says that "Those who are not performing yajña, they cannot be happy even in this world, in this life, and what to speak of next life." This is the con... Therefore we have to perform sacrifice. Nāyaṁ lokaḥ, ayaṁ lokaḥ.

Ayam, in this world, in which we are at present, that is also becoming more miserable. At the present moment people are feeling so much painful in the modern existence because this process of yajña has been... Completely, people are engaged, "Work hard, earn money and be engaged in sense gratification." That's all. This is the whole program, at the present moment is going on. That cannot bring any peace and prosperity to the society. We have to perform yajñas. That is the natural law.

The Lord says, nāyaṁ loko 'sty ayajñasya: "Those who are not performing, for them, there is no happiness even in this world, even in this life." And kuto anyaḥ kuru-sattama: "My dear Arjuna, then what to speak of the next life. Oh, next life is still more miserable."

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

The devotees are not under this material prakṛti. They are under the spiritual prakṛti. The activities of Kṛṣṇa, they are all spiritual. And the devotees, because they are engaged in spiritual activities, they are above the material prakṛti. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. Who? Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). Anyone who is engaged in devotional service without any impediment, avyabhicāriṇī, without any stoppage, continuously, sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26), he is not on the material platform.

Therefore a devotee, mahātmā... Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ... (BG 9.13). There are two prakṛtis. Those who are not mahātmās, durātmā... Durātmā means trying to satisfy the ātmā in a different way, far, far away from Kṛṣṇa. They are called durātmā, dur. Dur means distant or very difficult. So everyone can become mahātmā, as it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. It is not very easy to become a mahātmā and to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. But if we can do that, if we engage our senses in the service of the Supreme Lord...

There is no question of stopping the activities of the senses. That will fail. The yoga system, Patañjali yoga system, is artificially stopping the activities of the senses. But that will be not very successful because the senses are so strong that as soon as it gets an opportunity, it acts immediately.

Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:

The learned one is hankering after the Supreme Truth. Never mind. Either you go through Bible, or go through Bhagavad-gītā, or go through this Koran, that doesn't matter. What is the aim of your life? If your aim of life is to understand the Absolute Truth, then there is no difference. But if your aim is something else, then you find some difference from Bhagavad-gītā to Bible, Bible to Koran, Koran to something else. So Kṛṣṇa says that sāṅkhya-yoga. Either you take sāṅkhya-yoga or sāṅkhya or this karma-yoga, anything, there is no difference. Because the, everything is trying to give you the ultimate Absolute Truth.

So if you have caught up such Absolute Truth, then there you'll find no difference. Paṇḍitāḥ... Paṇḍitāḥ means learned. They do not find. But the, those who are not learned, they find difference. Ekam apy āsthitaḥ samyag ubhayor vindate phalam. Those who are learned, he can be situated in any form of realization and he can realize soul or... It is not... Never a learned man will say that "In this process, there is no self-realization. In this process there is spiritual..." No. In every process, there is. It may be in a higher standard or in a lower standard. Just like I have many times that two plus two equal to four, that is fact. That is a mathematical truth. Now, this two plus two, in the infant class, the two plus two equal to four is the same, and higher mathematics and in the M.A. class, the student is studying higher mathematics, astronomy, astrology. There also, the two plus two equal to four is the truth. But the infant class, the study of mathematics in the infant class and the study of mathematics in the M.A. class, there is difference. There is difference. There is a... There is a story that a student... Why it is not open? It is not open?

Lecture on BG 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:

So by force you cannot control the senses. That is not... This is... There are many instances. Even great yogis they have failed. This is artificial way of controlling the senses. The real sense control is that you purify your sense in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real sense control. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Hṛṣīka means senses and hṛṣīkeśa means Kṛṣṇa. When you apply your senses for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, then it is called bhakti. And when your senses are engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa it cannot be engaged otherwise. Otherwise the sense will be engaged in the sense objects. Therefore there is failure. Those who are not engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply artificially trying, they fail. Viśvāmitra Muni, Durvāsā Muni, there are many great instances. These are artificial. But that is a process recommended. We may be successful to a certain extent but in this age it is very difficult to practice such things. Nobody can practice how to control the senses from the sense object.

So you have to employ your senses in the service of the owner of the senses. Kṛṣṇa is the owner of the..., Hṛṣīkeśa, the lord of the senses. That people they do not know. I am thinking that this is my eye, these are my eyes. But actually these are explained in the Upaniṣads. Just like the sunshine. When the sun sees you, you can see the sun. Now at night the sun does not see you so you cannot see the sun. You cannot see the sun, you cannot see anything because the sun does not see you. Similarly the Upaniṣad says when Kṛṣṇa sees you or Kṛṣṇa sees, then you can see. Just like I have got these spectacles. The spectacle is not seeing, my eyes are seeing, therefore spectacle is seeing. Similarly, actually all the senses are acting because Kṛṣṇa is acting. As soon as Kṛṣṇa desires that these senses will not work, it will not work. So in spite of your claim that this is my hand, this is my eyes, this is my mouth, it will not work.

Lecture on BG 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:

If you render some service somewhere he pays you, gives you some wages. So if you are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service do you think you will starve? Why? You cannot starve. He is well-wisher of all living entities. Why not for you? This confidence must be there. If He is well-wisher for everyone and I am engaged in His service, He is not my well-wisher? So we should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa. We shall simply exert our all energies for the service of Kṛṣṇa, everything will be all right. This is called surrender, this is called confidence. Kṛṣṇa will supply everything. Let me engage in His service. Well-wisher. "Attain peace from the pangs of material miseries." And those who are not confident that Kṛṣṇa will protect me, they are in pangs and "Oh, what shall I eat? Where shall I live? What can I do? How shall I protect?" They are always, because...

Therefore the other day I cited the verse from Yāmunācārya. Bhavantam evaṁ ciraṁ nirantaraṁ praśāntaṁ niḥśeṣa gato rathan(?)... Just like the child. The child in the lap of the mother is confident that "My comfort, my food, my dress, everything is there. My mother is there." So natural. Not only human being, even cats and dogs where the mother is there, she is there. It knows that "My protection is there," confident. As soon as one grows, keeps away from the mother, from the father, the so-called independence. Actually we are dependent on Kṛṣṇa. He is supplier. He is giving us food, everything. So we must have confidence. That's all. That is training. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Our only business should be simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. Then everything is there. Go on.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

Yes. Not God desires. God sanctions. Don't say like that. Desire is yours, but sanction is God's. Just like you want to do some business. You must take sanction from the government. You take license. You cannot do out of your own will. Similarly, you can desire and propose, "God, I want to do this," and God will sanction. So those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they want. "I want this. I want this. I want this. I want this." Kṛṣṇa says, "All right. Take this." But Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all this nonsense," that we do not take. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam: (BG 18.66) "Simply take Me." But that we do not do. We ask Kṛṣṇa, "Please let me do this." "All right, do it." Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Kṛṣṇa inquires from Arjuna after teaching him Bhagavad-gītā, "Now I have spoken to you everything. What you want to do, you can do." That is Kṛṣṇa's proposal. Kṛṣṇa says that best thing is that you simply take to Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa gives you the opportunity, liberty, that whatever you do, whatever you like, you can do. Now it is your choice. Just like father, (and) grown-up son. He says, "My dear boy, you do like this. That is my opinion." But when the son says, "No. I shall do like this." "All right, you do whatever you like." But without father's sanction, as the son cannot do anything, similarly, without Kṛṣṇa's sanction you cannot do anything. But the proposal is yours. Therefore this maxim: "Man proposes, God disposes." So God is not responsible for your work. If you act according to the order of God, then He's responsible. And if you act against the will of God, then you are responsible. Yes?

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

Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). So this knowledge, this process of knowledge, is received by submissive mood. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. One has to give up the false prestigious position that "I can understand God and everything by my speculative, experimental knowledge." This is called jñāne prayāsam. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. One should be submissive, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām, and try to hear the message of the Lord from san-mukharitām, sādhu, devotees, san-mukha..., not professional. Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī has strictly forbidden: avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Avaiṣṇava, those who are not practically Vaiṣṇava, devotee, in practical life, professional person, there is no use. Avaiṣṇava. There must be heart and soul Vaiṣṇava. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathā, the words about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, certainly that is amṛtam. But still, it should not be heard from a person who is not a devotee.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Janārdana: ...of this area used to be the temple area.

Prabhupāda: Nice. If this... The only difficulty is it is upstair. That doesn't matter. Those who are interested to come, even upstairs they will come. Those who are not interested, even in the downstairs they will not come. Those who are after water, they will find out water. "Where there is a will, there is a way." But those who are not thirsty, for them... How many students are coming per week?

Janārdana: Many.

Prabhupāda: In each meeting?

Janārdana: Well, sometimes only initiated devotees are here, and sometimes there are three people, sometimes six. It depends.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Janārdana: But I think now that Swamiji is here we'll have many more people coming.

Prabhupāda: You can send information that I have come. You can little make advertisement, yes.

Janārdana: Sometimes we have... On Janmāṣṭamī we had about two hundred people here.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, that's nice. No, it can be utilized very nicely. The place is nice. So let us do our duty. It is... We have to satisfy Kṛṣṇa only. People may take advantage of it or not. It doesn't matter. So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (kīrtana) (end)

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, March 29, 1971:

Every description is there in the Vedic literatures. Therefore if we learn about Kṛṣṇa, being situated in the daiva-varṇāśrama or having acquired the real qualities of brāhmaṇa, higher or transcendental qualities... Brāhmaṇa qualities means brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. That is nirākāra, of course, but you have to transcend the position of brāhmaṇa and become a Vaiṣṇava. Then you will understand the Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's qualities, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, those who are not advanced in Kṛṣṇa science, for them, Kṛṣṇa is covered by the yoga-māyā curtain.

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti

yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.38)

Kṛṣṇa is Śyāmasundara, but one who has advanced his love of Kṛṣṇa, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti, he can see Kṛṣṇa every moment, everywhere. Anyone can elevate himself to that stage of seeing Kṛṣṇa every moment by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

In Africa because the Europeans or Indians, they came here, they are spiritual energy. The Africans also spiritual energy. This is an example. But the advanced nation, they know how to utilize things, the matter. Therefore it is superior. The spiritual energy, living soul, knows how to utilize this matter. Yayā idaṁ dhāryate jagat. Jagat, this world, is made of material energy, but the spiritual energy, the living entity, he knows how to utilize this material energy. He knows how to utilize earth by making brick and making lime, and then they can construct a nice house. The controller is the spiritual energy. Therefore it is called parām, superior energy. This is also energy, but this so-called scientist, they are making material energy and spiritual energy the same. They have no brain to distinguish.

Here we have to understand from Kṛṣṇa; therefore Kṛṣṇa's instruction is so important. If you don't take Kṛṣṇa's instruction, then in spite of our so-called higher advancement of education, we remain simply mūḍha, rascal. Rascal. Mūḍha means rascal. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are not aware of the spiritual energy and the material energy, they are called mūḍhas. If you understand what is spiritual energy, then you'll search out that wherefrom these...? Both of... Kṛṣṇa says, "Both of them are coming from Me." But if you understand the superior energy, spiritual energy, then it will be possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

And as soon as you taste the foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa, you immediately remember Kṛṣṇa, how nicely Kṛṣṇa has taken this foodstuff. So by the tongue you can begin. Simply by eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam, without reading any Vedic literature, without reading even Bhagavad-gītā, if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa, "How nicely Kṛṣṇa has tasted this foodstuff," you become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not very difficult job. Simply you have to follow the direction. That's all. But if you manufacture your own meaning, commentation on Bhagavad-gītā, then you are deviated. You are lost. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Then such kind of reading Bhagavad-gītā is simply waste of time and energy. That's all. Therefore those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, who are not hearing from Kṛṣṇa conscious personalities, they are simply wasting time. The so-called reading of Bhagavad-gītā, lecture on Bhagavad-gītā, without Kṛṣṇa... God, kingdom of God without God. We want kingdom of God, peace and prosperity, but without God. There must not be God. That is our secular government. We want kingdom of God, but without God. That is not possible. If you give up God or God's relationship, there is no question of kingdom of God or peace and prosperity.

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī has written a śloka that "If I could possess millions of ears and millions of tongues, then I could enjoy what is the transcendental mellow in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. But that is not possible for ordinary human being in the beginning. Therefore śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These impurified senses cannot appreciate the value of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Nāma-ādi, His name, His quality, His pastimes, His form, His activities... There are so many things, beginning with nāma, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. As we go on chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma ,Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and as we become purified... The more we chant, we become purified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam (CC Antya 20.12).

So this is the process. So those who are not even inclined to chant this holy name of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, although there is no loss and there is no expenditure... Anyone can chant. It is freely distributed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Anyone can take the chance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Automatically... Sometimes we find friends on the street. Simply by seeing us, they chant "Hare Kṛṣṇa." So that is a good sign. They are learning the value of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. So in this age the chanting of the holy name is very, very important. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. For God realization.

So even if you are not inclined to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then try to understand Kṛṣṇa in this way. This is the process given by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8).

Lecture on BG 7.11-13 -- Bombay, April 5, 1971:

If these things are done on account of Kṛṣṇa or as enjoined in the śāstra... Śāstra means, as I have already told you, the orders of Kṛṣṇa or orders of God. Sādhu-śāstra-guru. They are the same thing. There is no difference. A sādhu follows the orders of the scriptures. A guru follows the order of the scriptures. And śāstra is description of the Supreme Lord. Just like we are reading Bhagavad-gītā. These are the injunction of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is śāstra. Or anyone who writes in terms of the śāstra, that is right direction. If we speak Bhagavad-gītā as Kṛṣṇa desires, then it is nice. And if we describe Bhagavad-gītā to fulfill our ulterior motives for some purpose, then it is useless. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa said, dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha. Those who are not following the principles, how to beget child, or not observing the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra—according to śāstra, immediately the family becomes converted into śūdra. No more brāhmaṇa, no more kṣatriya, if he does not follow. This is very easy to understand. If you do something illegally, against the law, immediately you become a criminal. Similarly, dharmāviruddha. The garbhādhāna-saṁskāra has to be observed. Otherwise we become śūdra, no more brāhmaṇa, no more kṣatriya.

So it is very difficult to say at the present moment whether garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is observed. At least, in garbhādhāna-saṁskāra we understand that "This child is born of a real brāhmaṇa," but without garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, who knows how the child is born? Nobody knows except the mother. Therefore the śāstra says, "In this age, Kali-yuga, because this garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed regularly," kalau śūdrāḥ sambhavāḥ, "everyone in the Kali-yuga is a śūdra because the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed." Of course, those who are observing... But it is very hard to say who is observing. But if it is not observed, then any child born, either in the brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family or vaiśya family, because the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed, it is to be understood that that child is śūdra.

Lecture on BG 7.16 -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

The same thing, that there is no necessity of drinking wine, but those who are habituated, those who want to drink, for them, government opens, under so many restrictions, a liquor shop. The śāstra also gives us this license. The Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, they were ideal saintly persons. About them it is said, nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. They conquered over the necessities of this body, which is called viṣaya. Conquering over sleeping, conquering over sex life, and conquering over eating, these things are required. Pious life means gradually decreasing the unnecessary bodily demands. That is pious life. That is the sum and substance. Because Kṛṣṇa says here that catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ: "Those who are living pious life." And those who are not living pious lives, they are called duṣkṛtina, sinful life.

So by indulging in sinful life it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is, Kṛṣṇa also says in various places in the Bhagavad-gītā. I have repeatedly informed you, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is completely free from all sinful life... Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. This is puṇya-karma, not to indulge in illicit sex life, not to indulge in nonvegetarian diet, not to indulge in gambling, and not to indulge in intoxicants. So catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna ārto arthārthī jñānī jijñāsuḥ. Four kinds of men who are actually leading pious life, such persons... (applause) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Such persons, when they are distressed... Ārta means distressed. We have go so many distresses in this material life: tri-tāpa, three kinds of distresses, pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind, distresses offered by other living entities. Adhibhautika, adhyātmika, adhidaivika. We are always in distress; that is a fact. But there is a covering influence of māyā that even in distressed condition, we think that we are happy. That is covering influence of māyā.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

That will be explained later on.

Those who are in devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, they are not interested in any planets of this material world. Why? Because they know. In any planet you can, you can raise yourself, you can elevate yourself, you can go there, but the four principles of material existence are there. What is that? Birth, death, disease and old age. Any planet you go. Your duration of life may be very, very longer than this earth, but death is there. Death is there. But those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or those who are otherwise, those who are not interested in this material life... Material life means birth, death, disease and old age, and spiritual life means relief from these botherations—no more birth, no more death, no more ignorance, no more misery.

So those who are intelligent, they do not try to elevate in any planet of this material world. There are higher planets. You have got. You get a long duration of life. Just like we are trying to reach the moon planet, and actually, if we get entrance into the moon planet... It is very difficult to get entrance. But even if you get entrance, then the period of life will be, I mean to say, enhanced. Of course, not in this body. Perhaps if you enter with this body, instant death is sure. But if you enter into higher planets by this yoga system, then you get the suitable body of that planet. Every planet has got a suitable body. You cannot enter... Just like you cannot live in the water with this body. You can make an experiment. You can live there, within water, say twenty-four hours or fifteen hours or sixteen hours. That's all. That's all. But the fish, the aquatic animals, they have got particular body. They are living whole life. Similarly, if you take out the fishes from water and put them on the land, oh, they will instantly die. As you see even in this planet that you have got to make your different kinds of body to live in a particular place, so similarly, if you want to enter into another planet, you have to prepare yourself to get that particular type of body.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

So for the yogi, those who are impersonalists, for them, this process is recommended. What is that? Om ity ekākṣaraṁ brahma vyāharan: "Just vibrating this transcendental sound, om, and leave this body." Then yaḥ prayāti: "Anyone who is able..." (aside:) Where is the watch? That's all right. "Anyone who is able to quit this material body in these circumstances, simply by uttering this transcendental sound, om, with full consciousness of the Supreme Lord, then he's sure to be transferred, to transmigrate in the spiritual world."

But those who are not personalists, they cannot enter into the spiritual planet. They remain outside. Just like the sunshine and the sun disc. The sunshine is not different from the sunshine, sun disc, but still, the sunshine is not the sun disc. Similarly, those who are transferred in the spiritual world, they remain in the effulgence of the Supreme Lord, which is called brahma-jyotir. Brahmajyoti. So those who are not personalists, they are placed in that, into that brahma-jyotir as one of the minute particles. We are minute particles, spiritual spark, and brahma-jyotir is full of spiritual spark. So you become one of the spiritual spark. That is, means you merge into the spiritual existence. Although you keep your individuality constitutionally, but because you don't want any personal form, therefore you are held there, held there in the impersonal brahma-jyotir. Just like the sunshine are small molecules, shining molecules—those who are scientists, they know that—similarly, we are also small, molecular, atomic, less than atom, one ten-thousandth portion of the tip of the hair. Our position is. So that small part remains with the brahma-jyotir as if mixed up, homogeneous, although...

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

This is very important. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra. What is this saṁsāra? Saṁsāra means that you take your birth once and live for some time, then you die, then you accept another body, then again live for some time, then you die, then you accept another body, and that body you do not know what kind of body you are going to accept. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Kṛṣṇa says, dehāntara-prāptiḥ: another..., transfer to another body. But what kind of body, that is not mentioned there. That will depend on your work. You may get the body of a demigod, you may get the body of a dog, you may get the body of a tree, you may get the body of a snake—according to your karma. So here it is said, aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā (BG 9.3). Those who are not interested in this rāja-vidyā, devotional service, aśraddhadhānāḥ: no faith. Aśraddhadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasya... This is dharma, real dharma. Devotional service is real dharma, because dharma means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Bhagavān says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Bhagavān says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is dharma. This is dharma. Otherwise you can manufacture so many other dharmas—that is not dharma; that is your concocted dharma. But real dharma this is: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66), man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī... This is most confidential dharma. So anyone who is not interested in this dharma, but he manufactures his own dharma, then what happens to him? Aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa aprāpya mām: (BG 9.3) "He does not get Me." Does not get. This is the mission of human life—to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). The real mission of life: how to go back to Kṛṣṇa, how to go back to Vaikuṇṭha-loka, the spiritual world. That is real mission. But that we do not know; therefore is most confidential. People do not know it that there is another world, the spiritual world, there is Vaikuṇṭha-loka.

Lecture on BG 9.2-5 -- New York, November 23, 1966:

He can do anything." So Nārada inquired, "So do you believe that Lord can push one elephant through the holes of a needle?" "Oh, why not? I must believe." "Then what is your reason?" "Oh, my reason? I am sitting under this banyan tree, and so many fruits are falling daily, and in each fruit there are thousands of seeds, and each seed there is a tree. If in a small seed there can be big tree like that, is it very impossible to accept that Kṛṣṇa is putting one elephant through the, I mean, the holes of a needle? He has kept such a nice tree in the seed." So this is called belief. So unbelievers and believer means the believers, they are not blind believers. They have reason. If by Kṛṣṇa's process, by God's process, or nature's process, such a big tree can be put within the small seed, is it very impossible for Kṛṣṇa to keep all these planets floating in His energy? So we have to believe. We have no other explanation. But we have to understand in this way. Our reasoning, our argument, our logic should go in this way.

So those who are devotee... Just like the cobbler. He may be a cobbler. They believe everything. And those who are not devotee, they'll say, "Oh, these are all bluffs. It is all bluff." But they are not bluff. It is simply meant for the devotees. They can understand. The nondevotees, they cannot understand. Yes. Thank you very much. Any questions? (end)

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

Pradyumna: (leads chanting) "Those who are not faithful on the path of devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of foes, but return to birth and death in this material world."

Prabhupāda:

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā

dharmasyāsya parantapa

aprāpya māṁ nivartante

mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani

(BG 9.3)

Kṛṣṇa (is) instructing that there are two pathways. One is go back to home, back to Godhead, and other path is remain in this material world which is full of miseries, especially birth, death, old age and disease. Two paths. Actually, we living entities, we are not subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. We are eternal part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and we are part and parcel of Him, just like father is there and he may have many children. So every child is the part and parcel of the father. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, God, we all living entities, we are sons, or part and parcel of God. Qualitatively we are one. Just like a small particle of gold is also gold. It is not a different thing. But one is small particle and one is big lump. But qualitatively, both of them are gold. So we are small particle of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is vibhu, the great, God is great, and we are small particle.

Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: It is also spontaneous. You want to love somebody, but the love is misplaced, therefore you are baffled. Replace it to Kṛṣṇa, you'll be happy. Love is there, that is not a new thing. But you are misplacing the love. That information we are giving, that don't misplace your love. Place your love to Kṛṣṇa, you'll be happy.

Devotee: So we can bring the mind under control of Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes. One who is under the control of Kṛṣṇa, he's no more under control of the mind. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). Mind is being controlled. So mind cannot dictate. Those who are not under control of Kṛṣṇa, the mind dictates to him. He's under the control of the mind, or senses, that's all. So, point is, that be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't disturb yourself by the material environment, or enchantment. Be fixed up, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, always fixed up, your mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So far the necessities of life concerned, that will come automatically, you'll never be in trouble. Go on with this business. Thank you very much.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

So because we wanted to imitate Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare, the Kṛṣṇa has given us a place which is illusion. Which is not fact. Temporary. Illusion. Just like we sometimes see water in the desert. That is illusion. Practically there is no illusion, uh, there is no water. But we see: "Oh, here is water, vast water." The animals, they run after the water. Similarly we are also running after this illusion. "There is happiness. There is happiness." Therefore there is no happiness.

At the fag end of life, we are disappointed, we are frustrated. Brdhya kala aula saba sukha pāgala.(?) When we cannot again, no more, we can enjoy with our senses, then we become very much depressed. Old men. You'll find old men, those who are not spiritually inclined, they're very morose. Morose because they cannot use anymore the senses. They sometimes take medicine. But how it can be done? So drdhya kala aula.(?) So we are under this illusion. This is called māyā. We should understand that we are not this body. We are not this body. Our bodily enjoyment, sense gratification, that is illusion. In another place in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, it is said: sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tat atīndriyaṁ grāhyam. Find out that verse. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam. We are trying to enjoy life with these material senses, but that is illusion, that is temporary. Temporary and illusion. Real enjoyment is with our spiritual senses. What is it...? Have you got?

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 24, 1973:

Throughout the universe there are two classes of men. One is called devatā and the other is called asura. Devata means visnu-bhakto bhaved daivaḥ. Those who are devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Viṣṇu... Viṣṇu has got... Sahasra viṣṇu names there are. Original is Viṣṇu. So those who are devotees of the Lord, they are called Vaiṣṇava or devatā, and those who are not devotees of Viṣṇu may be devotees of other demigods, but they are called the demons or the asuras. There are many instances in the śāstra. There were Hiranyakasipu, who was a devotee of Lord Brahma. Of course, the asuras are never devotees. Sometimes they worship the demigods for getting some material profit. Kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhim.

Here everyone is engaged in fruitive activities, karma. Karma in this life and karma in the next life also. So performing great sacrifices, giving in charity, pious activities, they are also karma. They are meant for giving opportunity in the next life, a position in the heavenly planet or similar other higher planetary system where the standard of living is very, very comfortable, thousands and thousands times better than the standard of life in this planet. But that is also karma. Kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhim yajanta iha devatāḥ.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:

The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. The servant wants to become the master. That is not possible. That is not possible. If the servant remains a faithful servant, that is perfection of his life. Artificially, if the servant wants to become master, that is only botheration. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is educating everyone to understand this fact, that everyone is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is botheration. You cannot be happy. Artificially, if one wants to become something else which he is not, then it is simply botheration. There is no happiness. An artificial life is not happiness. Natural life is happiness. So naturally we are servant of Kṛṣṇa. If we don't serve Kṛṣṇa then we have to serve māyā.

Actually, people are engaged. Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they have given up the servitude of Kṛṣṇa, but they have accepted the servitude of so many other things. Somebody is thinking, "I am the servant of my country," somebody is thinking, "I am servant of my family," somebody is thinking, "I am servant of my wife," or somebody is thinking, "I am servant of my office boss," or somebody is thinking, "I am servant of my dog." That is also going on. Servant he must remain, but if he does not become servant of Kṛṣṇa, he has to become servant of so many things. He cannot give up his position as a servant. That is not possible. He may change the name in different way, but he remains a servant. That's a fact.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

The āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ means demons. There are two classes of men, demon and god. Not the Godhead, God. Those who are Vaiṣṇavas means obedient to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are also god or godly. And those who are not obedient, they are demons. This is the difference between demon and God or godly. So there are two classes of men always in this material world. In the spiritual world, they are all gods, godly. Kṛṣṇa is the Godhead and all living entities there, they are godly.

So in the spiritual world there is no facility for the demons. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa likes to fight, because after many many years not fighting, because in the spiritual world there is no fight. All obedient servant, where is the possibility of fighting? Therefore sometimes He comes here to fight with the demons. (laughter) Just to get the body fit. (laughter) Yes. Therefore sometimes when there are scarcity of demons, some of the devotees, they come and become a demon. Not become demon, just Kṛṣṇa wants to fight, so without demon, how Kṛṣṇa will fight? Therefore they play the part of demon so that Kṛṣṇa—that means they want to serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants to, just like sometimes big men they keep some wrestlers to make mock fight. Similarly, to serve Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa has desire to fight so they come down and become just like a demon and fight with Kṛṣṇa.

Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. They are Jaya and Vijaya, attendant in Vaikuṇṭha. But Kṛṣṇa wanted to fight, so therefore they came down and became demons like Hiraṇyakaśipu, Rāvaṇa and fought with Him. This is, Kṛṣṇa has all the desires. Otherwise, this fighting desire, where from we get unless it is there in Kṛṣṇa? There is.

Lecture on BG 13.15 -- Bombay, October 9, 1973:

Therefore one has to become a devotee. Because only devotee can understand that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally standing before me." That devotee. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when he visited Jagannātha temple, He was very anxious to see the Deity, Jagannātha temple. And as soon as He entered the Jagannātha temple, immediately He fainted, "Oh, here is My Lord." And others are seeing, "What is this foolish man? Here is a wooden form of Jagannātha and this man has fainted." But that is the difference between this man and you. Unless you develop your devotional attitude, you cannot see God. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55).

Therefore those who are not devotees, they cannot see God. It is not possible. Even God comes before him, just like when Kṛṣṇa was present before everyone. Five thousand years ago He was present. In the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He was present. All the soldiers, all the kings, everyone was seeing Him, but only Arjuna and few of the Pāṇḍavas, they knew that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa." Not all of them. But all of them got salvation. Everyone who died in the presence of Kṛṣṇa—that is stated—they all got salvation. Because after all, they saw Kṛṣṇa. So that is the position. When Kṛṣṇa was personally present, even the few Pāṇḍavas and the few inhabitants in Vṛndāvana, nobody could understand Him that the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Others...

Lecture on BG 13.16 -- Bombay, October 10, 1973:

Little austerity. In the Kali-yuga you cannot undergo severe austerity, but even if you follow little austerity, little something must be done. Little austerity. Just like you do not commit any sinful life. What is that? No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. This much austerity. If you simply accept these four principles.

Now these Europeans and Americans, they are accepting. You see how they are advancing. You cannot understand the supreme pure, Absolute Truth, keeping yourself impure. It is not possible. You can understand God when you are pure. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You cannot understand God if you are sinful.

Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are not purified, sinful acting, sinful, acting only sinfully, such person is called duṣkṛtina. Kṛtina, they are... Kṛti means meritorious. But these rascals are meritorious in doing all sinful activities. Sinful activities also require merit. Even if you become a very expert thief, this stealing is sinful activity, but it requires some brain. It requires some brain. Therefore the word is used, kṛtina. Kṛtina means meritorious. But duṣkṛtina. Their merit is being applied for sinful activity. Similarly, there is another word, sukṛtina. You can employ your merit for pious activities. The merit is the same.

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Bombay, October 25, 1973:

The varṇāśrama system, Vedic system, that is the beginning of human life. Those who are not in the jurisdiction of varṇa and āśrama—four varṇas, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and four āśramas, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vāna—one who does not follow these principles, they are not considered as human being. They are animals, go-kharaḥ. So real human life begins, accepting these principles of varṇa-āśrama. So Rāmānanda Rāya proposed that actual human life... Because human life is meant for realization of God. That is the only necessity, not to increase a type of civilization how instead of eating simple thing, how you can eat beef. That is not advancement of civilization. That is animalism. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśu... What is that advancement? A flesh is eaten by tigers, dogs. So if you have learned how to eat flesh, does it mean that you advance in civilization? It is the business of tigers and dogs. The dog civilization.

So they are interested in advancing dog civilization, cat civilization, tiger civilization. Not human civilization. Human civilization is

varṇāśramācāravatā

puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān

viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā

nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam

(CC Madhya 8.58)

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). The human civilization is how to advance to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ. These rascals, they do not know.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

He says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Anyone who is twenty-four hours engaged in serving the Lord, bhajatām... This is called bhajana, always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, bhajana-prīti..., with love and faith. To such person, He gives a direction. What is that direction? Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam: "I give him that buddhi-yoga." What for? Yena mām upayānti te. "By the process by which he is anxious to come to Me, I give intelligence, 'Yes, come this way. You come to Me.' " And those who are not devotee, they want to eat and sleep and sex life and defense in different types of bodies. The dog is also defending with his claws and teeth. The tiger is also defending. The man is also defending. And man is also have sex life, or the tiger has also sex life. The dog has also sex life. The dog is eating. The man is eating. In these affairs they offer, "Give me this facility, my Lord. I want to eat without everything with any dis..." "All right. You take the body of a hog and you eat stool." This direction. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). So as you want...

So these different types of want is different type of people. A demon's want is different and a demigod's want is different. But Kṛṣṇa in both cases is the director. If he wants to prosper in this line, "All right, take My direction. Do it. You become a first-class demon like Hiraṇyakaśipu, Rāvaṇa, and become very powerful and create a situation by which both you and your whole family will be killed." That direction is there. And to a demigod, devotee, His direction he has. He he goes back to home. He plays with Kṛṣṇa as cowherds boy. He dances with Kṛṣṇa as gopī. He becomes Kṛṣṇa's father, Kṛṣṇa's mother. Clear it. Is it clear or not?

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:

People do not know it. So we Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are simply trying to make the asuras as sura. This is our movement. Anyone who is not devotee, he is asura. It doesn't matter whether he is born in some country or some family. It doesn't matter. If he is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then he is asura. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means God. Anyone who is nondevotee of God, who is not God conscious, he is asura. That is the injunction. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. This is the distinction. Devatā means viṣṇu-bhakta, great devotee of the Supreme Lord. Viṣṇu means the Supreme Lord, all-pervading. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva asuras tad... And those who are not devotees, Godless, without any God consciousness, they are all asuras. So this movement is to make asuras as suras.

Then what is the advantage of becoming sura and asura? If you become a sura, then you become fit for entering into the kingdom of God, back to home, back to Godhead. But if you remain asura, then you have to remain in this material world, which is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), full of miseries and temporary. So we don't say anyone asura and sura, but, we understand from the śāstra anyone who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever he may be, he becomes a sura. Even if he is born in asura family, it doesn't matter. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. His father was a asura, but still, he became the first-class sura. Similarly, everyone can become first-class sura. They have to be trained. The asuras, they... Therefore it is said that pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ (BG 16.7). Asuras, the fault is, asuras, they do not know how to live a very happy and clean life. They do not know. Ācāra. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ. They have not cleanliness and good behavior.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

You can see. You can hear the sound Kṛṣṇa. Are you not hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa? So that is a question of realization. You go on hearing, hearing. The child cannot understand what is the sound. The sound is the same. The car is going on. But his father can understand that with this sound this car is going on. But child cannot understand. So you begin hearing. Then gradually your ignorance will be cleansed, and then you understand that the sound is for car. Therefore you have to begin to hear the sound. Everyone is hearing, but those who are not experienced they cannot understand that this sound is of the car. But the... One understands or not understands, that doesn't matter. But the sound is of the car. That's a fact. So those who are experienced, they are understanding; those who are not experienced, they do not understand. That is the difference. It is the difference of experience. But the sound is of the car—that is a fact. Similarly, the Hare Kṛṣṇa sound is God. Those who are advanced, they can understand. And those who are not yet advanced, by hearing, hearing, they will understand. You want to see God. That is your idea?

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hawaii, February 4, 1975:

That is the bhakti platform. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When one becomes purified completely from all this designation... The body is designation. So according to the body, we are placed in different designation: "I am human being," "I am cat," "I am dog," "I am demigod," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya"—so many designations. So bhakti platform is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11).

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a vaiśya. I am not a śūdra," because the material human society designation is the varṇāśrama according to Vedic civilization. Even those who are not on the varṇāśrama platform, they are animals. That is Vedic civilization. So to come to the platform of truth, one has to know what are the defects of material life, how it is taken by the asuras. That is being described by Kṛṣṇa, asatyam, asatyam apratiṣṭham, apratiṣṭhaṁ te. Te means these asuras. Jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). It is controlled by the Supreme.

In the material stage we think that it is being controlled by the laws of material nature. That is also fact, but behind the laws of material nature there is Kṛṣṇa. The material laws of material nature is not working blindly. That is a fact. Combination of material thing, a big, nice airship, is moving. It is combination of material things. There are iron, aluminium, wood, and petrol, so many other things, the combination of material things. But this combination of material things, if it is kept in one place, in many thousands of years it will not fly. It will not fly—the petrol is here; everything is there—unless the pilot is there. When the pilot comes he pushes the button. Then it becomes.

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

You use it to fulfill the real purpose. So these lusty desires, unless you live a very regulated life, then it will be duṣpūram, it will be never be fulfilled—always desire, always desire, always desire.

So these demons, they accept the shelter of lusty desire which will never be fulfilled, will never be satiated. But those who are devas, godly, their lusty desire is controlled, restricted. Therefore this varṇāśrama, four varṇas, and four āśramas, this is education how to control this lusty desire. That is required. In the beginning of life, the children, beginning from five years old up to twenty-five years, they are trained up as brahmacārī. Why? Just to control the kāmaṁ duṣpūram. Kāmaṁ duṣpūram. Those who are not in bad association from childhood, if they practice celibacy, they are not disturbed. They are not disturbed. That is called brahmacārī life. Why? To train the child of a human being. Because this human life is meant for stopping the cycle of birth and death. That is the mission.

Therefore śāstra says that pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. A man should not desire to become a father and the woman should not desire to become a mother unless both of them have taken the vow that "I shall beget a child and stop his cycle of birth and death." This is the duty of the parents, not that "I shall beget children like cats and dogs." There should be some meaning of the life. Samupeta-mṛtyum. Because we have got the circumstances, unclean body, because we have got unclean body, therefore there is birth and death. Just like as soon as you are infected, there is fever, similarly, the birth and death is a kind of disease. It is also listed with disease. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). They are on the same category: birth, death, old age and disease. They are on the same category. But we take care of two things, namely old age... We try to remain young by cosmetic, but that is not possible. Similarly, we want to live forever. The lady doctor was (saying), "Yes, we can extend little more." Then what...? After all, you have to die. Extend little more or little less, you cannot avoid death.

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

This is not good. Everyone should produce enough quantity of food grains, and if there is shortage, they should send there. In this way, the whole world should cooperate. There is United Nations, but what they are doing? Let them study Bhagavad-gītā, how to make United Nations. That will be perfect. Not these short-sighted men, with politics and diplomacy in the heart, they can bring all the nations united. That is not possible. Let them discuss Bhagavad-gītā. Let them discuss how perfect society can be established. Then there will be peace. And vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam.

And paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). And those who are not intelligent, to be trained up as a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or a vaiśya. The fourth class men, let them work these three other classes, let them work. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam. In this way the human society should be divided into four divisions, they should cooperate, and they should be trained up. Not a single man should remain unemployed. He must be engaged in some employment as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a śūdra or as a vaiśya. Otherwise, idle brain will be devil's workshop. Therefore, in spite of so much educational propaganda in the Western countries, the young men are coming to become hippies. Because there is no proper training. Here is the hint, Bhagavad-gītā gives you. You train the students in that way, then there will be perfect society. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa says, "This confidential knowledge may not be explained to those who are not austere or devoted or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is envious of Me." So Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He knows very well that there will be so many rascals who are envious of Him. Actually, everyone is trying... Because Bhagavad-gītā is very popular book of profound knowledge, everyone is trying to prove his own theory through the medium of Bhagavad-gītā, excluding Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. They want to kill Kṛṣṇa, demonic. Anyone who is trying to kill Kṛṣṇa, he's a demon. So to warn the devotees from these demons, this śloka was spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Atapaskāya. Actually, one who is sinful, who is not undergoing the method of austerities, penance, what he will understand about Bhagavad-gītā? It is not a table talk. People are taking it as a table talk. By so-called scholarship... That is not possible. Just like it is said that unless one is a brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa, he should not touch the Vedas. That means what he'll understand? Unless one has attained the brahminical qualification: truthfulness, cleanliness, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, simplicity, tolerant, full of Vedic knowledge, practical application in life, and full faith in the Vedas... This is, these are the brahminical qualifications. So unless one has attained the brahminical qualification, what he will understand, the Vedas? It is not that Mr. Max Muller translates Vedas. This is all nonsense. What Max Muller will understand Bhagavad, uh, Vedas? It is, these are not the subject matter of advanced in A-B-C-D. No. These are transcendental subject matter. Tat. Oṁ tat sat. Unless one is advanced... Everything... Just like on our ordinary life also, unless one has graduated, he cannot enter into the law college. So it is not prohibition. The law college is open for everyone. But he must be properly qualified to get entrance. Similarly, one must be properly qualified to enter into the transcendental subject matter. Everyone and anyone cannot. Śūdras, those who are in śūdra qualification, how they can understand Vedas? It is not possible.