Transaction (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"transact" |"transacted" |"transacting" |"transaction" |"transactions" |"transacts"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

So ordinary man cannot understand. Therefore they interpret foolishly, speculate, and demonstrate their rascaldom. That's all. Even big, big scholars. So they cannot understand because they are not devotee. It is meant for the devotee. This whole Bhagavad-gītā is a transaction between God and His devotee. There is nothing more.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

So here the same instruction is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, which is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So when Arjuna was perplexed whether to fight or not to fight, he was very much perplexed, and he accepted Kṛṣṇa as his spiritual master. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, just now we are talking like friends, but this is a very important factor. I have to decide. Now I accept You as my spiritual master and You give me the right guidance." The whole transaction of the Bhagavad-gītā is based on the talking of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna only.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

The same example, that I have got a very nice car, Rolls Royce car, I have got attachment, that is all right, but we should know always that "I am not this Rolls Royce car. I am different from it." This is knowledge. "I may have some attachment for my car. That is natural. I have paid for it. I like it. But in spite of all these consideration I am not the Rolls Royce car. The Rolls Royce car is a lump of matter. I am using it." Similarly, we should always remember that "I am using this material body for my transaction, different transaction, but I am not this material body." But a devotee, he uses this material body, utilizes it properly. Just like we are also going by aeroplane, by motorcar, but we have no concern with the... I have come to you country by aeroplane not to see your country. I have come for Kṛṣṇa's business: to see if I can induce you to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise we have no concern with this aeroplane or motorcar or anything.

Lecture on BG 4.3 -- Bombay, March 23, 1974:

Now, by forgetting God, forgetting Kṛṣṇa, we are busy with the problems, but we are forgetting the real problems. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that bhakto 'si. One has to become bhakta. So bhakta means... Bhagavān, if there is Bhagavān, then there is bhakta, and there is bhakti. But these people are denying the existence of bhakta, Bhagavān. "There is no God." Now, how he can become bhakta? Or how there will be execution of bhakti? Bhakta, Bhagavān, bhakti. The same thing. Bhakta is in relationship with Bhagavān, and the transaction between Bhagavān and bhakta is called bhakti. Bhakti means ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167).

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974:

You can know one person. But to develop love for him, that is another transaction. So people cannot understand even Kṛṣṇa, and what is the saying of Kṛṣṇa's love? But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind that He's immediately giving kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is described as the most munificent incarnation. Kṛṣṇa Himself could not deliver Himself. He wanted. "First of all you surrender." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind. Simply through this chanting and dancing, He is distributing love of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

Just like so many cars are passing. One car is coming. You do not see which car is coming. When it is in my front, I see the car, and again, when it is gone out of my sight, I don't see it. So my don't seeing, because I do not see the car, that does not mean it is not there. Similarly, the incarnation of God, God Himself or His representative, son, any... Because... Just like, if we have to do some business seriously, we send our very responsible man to transact, similarly, for the deliverance of the fallen souls here in this material world, sometimes the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa comes, sometimes sends His very confidential and representative to reclaim. The mission is the same. The mission is the same, to reclaim the fallen souls. To reclaim the fallen souls.

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

Hṛṣīkeśa. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Hṛṣīkeśa. So Hṛṣīkeśa, when.... Hṛṣīka means senses. When we engage our senses in the service of the master of the senses, that is called bhakti. And as soon as we engage our senses with upādhi, sarvopādhi... We have got so many upādhis. "I am this," "I am that," "I am human being," "I am cat," "I am dog," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," "I am American," "I am Indian." These are all upādhis. So sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). When one becomes free from all these upādhis. So sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). When one becomes free from all these upādhis, he understands that "I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi; "Therefore my business is to reciprocate transaction with the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman."

Lecture on BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not know that there is relationship that the Parabrahman and Brahman can be engaged in loving transaction. That they do not understand. They think that Brahman, when merges into the existence of Parabrahman, then business is finished. No. Business is not finished. Because we are individuals. It is not possible to remain without any activity. That is theory, that without any activity we can remain. That is not possible. And if we have no information of the spiritual activity, then we have to come back again to this material activity. That is practical example. There are many sannyāsīs. They so-called merging into Brahman, but they come back in material activities, in politics, in sociology and so on. So therefore these instructions are very valuable.

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

The Absolute Truth is being manifested in three phases—as Paramātmā, as Bhagavān and as Brahman. Those who are after Brahman, they are called jñānīs; those who are after Paramātmā, they are called yogi; and those who are after the Personality of Godhead, they are called bhaktas. And all of them are seeking the Absolute Truth but in different phases. You understand? They are not differentiated. They are not in the material field. Either the seeker of the Brahman, either the seeker of the supreme soul, Supersoul, or the seeker of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are all transcendentalists. They are not in the material world. They are tattva-vit. Tattva-vit means they are in the field of transcendental transaction. But there are degrees.

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

Just like faith in any transaction we have. We must have some faith. Now, suppose if I go to California from here, from New York, now, I have purchased the ticket by, going by air. Now, I have got this faith that "This company, this aeroplane company, will take me to there." Maybe there may be some accident, but on faith I accept it, "Yes, it will take me there." When we go to the barber shop, on faith we stretch our neck and the razor is going on. He may at once put into the neck. But you keep the faith, "Yes, we have got the faith. He'll not do that." So without faith, we cannot make progress.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, September 10, 1968:

He is playing the part of Rādhārāṇī. He is worshiping Kṛṣṇa as Rādhārāṇī worshiped Kṛṣṇa. There is a verse composed by Lord Caitanya. He says,

āśliṣya vā pāda ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām

(adarśanān) marma-hatāṁ karotu vā

yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo

mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ

(CC Antya 20.47)

He's praying, "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, either You trample me down by Your feet, either You embrace me as lover, or You make me brokenhearted without Your presence. Whatever You like You can do. But still I am Your eternal servitor." So this attitude was Rādhārāṇī's. So Lord Caitanya is the feature of Kṛṣṇa understanding Rādhārāṇī. That Kṛṣṇa is great undoubtedly, but He thinks that Rādhārāṇī is greater than Him, because He cannot repay the loving transaction of Rādhā, of Kṛṣṇa. So he wanted to study what is there in Rādhārāṇī. "So I cannot study Rādhārāṇī in the feature of Kṛṣṇa. If I take the feature of Rādhārāṇī, then I can understand what are..." This is highest, I mean to say, transcendental sentiments. But Lord Caitanya is Rādhārāṇī's feature. Tad-dvayaṁ caikyam aptam. Caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caityam āptam. Kṛṣṇa, when He wants to enjoy, He expands His pleasure potency, which is Rādhārāṇī.

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

Just like if you do a business, either you transact a business in agreement with the proprietor or the proprietor's representative, the business is all right. If the representative of the firm signs that agreement, then even the proprietor does not know, it will be accepted as bona fide agreement. Is it not? So even though you cannot see eye to eye Kṛṣṇa, you can execute this yoga system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, through the agency of His bona fide representative. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha. And how it is? Asaṁśayam. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ mām (BG 7.1). "By practicing that yoga, you will understand Me, or God," asaṁśayam, "without any doubt." Asaṁśayaṁ samagram, "and in full." Not that partially. Yathā jñāsyasi, "as you can understand"; tac chṛṇu, "now hear attentively." Kṛṣṇa is beginning to speak to Arjuna about this bhakti-yoga system, and He's drawing attention, śṛṇu, "Please hear attentively."

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

Similarly, you can understand God is there. You have to accept the method. If you accept... That method is recommended here: yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. "You have to practice this yoga system under the shelter of Me." "Me" means... Just like the same example, a business firm signs "We." "We agree to this point." The manager signs, the proprietor signs, he says "We," means "We, the company, any one of us." Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa says mad-āśrayaḥ, "under My shelter," it means that taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa or anyone in the disciplic succession of Kṛṣṇa. The same example: anyone attached to that business transaction, he's as good as the proprietor or the manager.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:

To execute this dharma, this transaction, it is very, very happy. Don't you see? What is their business? They are not going to the factories to work twelve hours. They are simply chanting and dancing. This is their business. And when they are hungry, they are taking very nutritious prasādam. This is called susukham. Very happy. They haven't got to work in the factory, in the mine, in the sea for extracting oil or coal. They haven't got. We have no such business. We are simply engaged in chanting, dancing, and eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Susukham. Pratyakṣāvagamam. Practically you can perceive. And how happy it is, you can perceive. Kartum avyayam. To execute this business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so easy and happy and whatever you do, a little, it is your permanent asset. It will never be spoiled.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

Suppose if you receive some good grains of rice. You do not concern, think of what is the quantity in the stock, but the, from the sample, you can understand that "This quality rice is there. I can purchase." Then you make your transaction, "How many pounds you have got in your stock? I can take." So quantity is different. But quality, from quality, you can select. You can make your selection, what sort of rice you shall purchase. So you are qualitatively one with God. Therefore, if you study yourself that "I am God," and if you study your all propensities, all qualities, then you can understand God. So that is a process. But you cannot preach that "I am God." Because if you preach yourself as God, then people may ask you, "If you God, if you are God, then show me your all-powerfulness." That you cannot show. So you cannot preach that "I am God."

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Montreal, October 25, 1968:

Just like representative of a business firm, he goes from door to door, from shop to shop, that "Here is a thing we are selling, and this is such and such." Now, it does not mean that wherever the representative will go the things will be sold. No. That is not expected. But maybe somebody may come and take to such transaction maybe seriously. But we cannot expect that everyone will understand the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not for ordinary man, not for the proud man, especially, who is thinking that "I am God." It is for the humble and meek who can actually submit to a God-realized person and receive knowledge from him. But he has the, I mean to say, liberty to inquire from him. One should not blindly accept the thesis or the theory which is put forward from Bhagavad-gītā. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). One should be asking questions by two principles. He should ask questions from a person whom he believes to be a man of knowledge. Otherwise it is simply waste of time.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:

When there is material transaction, if I want to purchase something, then I must have the requisite money to purchase. It is conditioned. But if you want to render service to God, or Kṛṣṇa, there is no condition. Therefore ahaituky apratihatā: "It cannot be checked." Because I am born in particular type, particular time, or particular country, I cannot render service to Kṛṣṇa—that's not a fact. Anywhere, any part of the world, any part of the universe, any man, in any condition, he can serve Kṛṣṇa. There is no impediment. Ahaituky apratihatā. And when that type of religion is followed, to serve the Supreme Absolute without any motive, and without any impediment, then you will be happy.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

Ram means enjoy. We want enjoyment, but we do not know how we can have permanent enjoyment. When you have got permanent enjoyment by reciprocation of transaction with the Supreme, then that particular accepter of our reciprocation is called Rāma. That means by... We enjoy the loving exchange between God and ourselves. That position is called rama. But if you have no idea what is God, how we can exchange our feelings, then there is no question of rama. Rama means when we are in position of exchanging our loving attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then He's known as Rāma. The capacity in which He accepts our service, loving service, is called Rāma, ramante.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

Without being impeded by any material condition. That means that if you actually love God, there is no condition. Because you are poor man you cannot love God, that is not the fact. Or because you are rich man you cannot love God, no, that is also not fact. Because you are not educated you cannot love God, that is also not acceptable. Because you are very much educated, highly philosophical... So many conditions you can bring but all these conditions are not applicable in the business, in the transaction, of loving God without motive. So this is the description of love of Godhead and if we practically try to cultivate this knowledge of Godhead, that is called, that process is called bhakti. That process is called bhakti.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 12, 1973:

We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be done or love cannot be executed only one, personally. There must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me. So as soon as there is question of love, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love. Prema. Premā pum-artho mahān. So we have got this loving propensity, to love somebody, to love my family. First of all, love begins from family—father, mother, brother, sister. Then you extend your love to your society, to your community, then to your nation. Or you can extend to the international. You can expand. But what is the end? You can expand yourself, but unless you come to the point of loving the Supreme Person, you cannot have tranquillity or peace of mind. That is the secret.

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

There are so many processes going on within the body. Kapha-pitta-vāyuḥ. There is very good mechanical arrangement. So the brain means to keep this mechanical arrangement very busy and going on nicely. That is brain. That is brain." When I shall eat, when I shall not eat, when I shall sleep, when I shall..." These things are necessities but brain requires how to adjust them. Eating, sleeping, mating and sense gratification, er, protection, that is required, but it requires brain how to transact all this business. Therefore the brain is required, and everyone has got his duty. And the resultant action, how the things are going on nicely, successfully, what is the test? The test is saṁsiddhi...

Lecture on SB 1.5.29 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

Anurakta, means attached, obedient, no sinful activities, and faithful, and not disturbing, dānta, and follower. And if the guru is mahātmā and if you are qualified with these qualifications, then the result will be there. Immediately. But there is no difficulty. One must be serious to understand, and he must approach a qualified mahātmā guru. Then his business will be, transaction will be very nicely done. This is Vedic process. Is there any difficulty? Anyone can say? Is there any difficulty to become mahātmā and to become a qualified disciple? Is it very difficult? Say, if there is any difficulty.

Lecture on SB 1.5.29 -- Vrndavana, August 10, 1974:

So where is the difficulty? There is no difficulty. The difficulty is the rascals will not do it, and the so-called durātmās, they are passing on as mahātmās, and so-called disciples are passing as disciples. Therefore the transaction is imperfect. Things are not coming out. But if the transaction is perfect from both the sides, from the disciple's side and guru's side, then Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very, very easy.

Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

So guru's position is very exalted. Exal... Why exalted? Because he is the confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. One... Suppose you want to do some business and..., with some firm, and a representative comes to transact business, naturally, one tries to satisfy that representative so that the business can be done very fairly. This is natural psychology. Similarly, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Guru is very dear to Kṛṣṇa because his business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. His business is to execute the will of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa wants that one should understand Him tattvataḥ. Not that superficially to take Kṛṣṇa, that "He was very fond of the gopīs, and let us hear the līlā of Kṛṣṇa." Why Kṛṣṇa's gopīs' līlā? Why not Kṛṣṇa's līlā killing the demons? That, the people are not interested, to hear about Kṛṣṇa's killing the demons. Because the gopīs' līlā, it appears to be the transaction between young woman and man, it very quickly appeals. But Kṛṣṇa's other business is there. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). That is also Kṛṣṇa's līlā. That is Kṛṣṇa's līlā. Just like Lord Rāmacandra is killing the Rāvaṇa. That is also Kṛṣṇa's līlā. Lord Rāmacandra's līlā and Kṛṣṇa's līlā, there is...

Lecture on SB 1.5.32 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

Susukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). Kṛṣṇa says. It is so nice. Devotional service is so nice that susukhaṁ kartum avyayam, it is very pleasing to transact. And avyayam. And whatever you do, that is your permanent asset. Susukhaṁ kartum avyayam. How it is susukham? Why we have been constructing this big temple? Just to give you happiness. What is that happiness? You take prasādam, nice prasādam. Don't take more, otherwise you'll sleep more. But as much as you require. Yāvat artha, prayojanam. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and go to, back to home, back to Godhead. Is it not susukham? Otherwise you'll have to work like an ass day and night simply for sex life. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45).

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

So this is Vaiṣṇava consideration. They are firmly determined not to bother Kṛṣṇa with anything. Simply to serve Him. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Similarly, Kṛṣṇa also finds opportunity when to serve His devotee. This is the reciprocation. The devotee wants to serve Kṛṣṇa without any return, and Kṛṣṇa also wants to serve devotee whenever there is opportunity. This is the transaction of love: not to take anything return.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Chicago, July 5, 1974 :

Although He is performing so many contradictory business, contradictory business, opposing business, still His full brain, His full brain, He does not forget to dance with the gopīs at the same time. This is Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa. If you are busy with so many transactions, you forget to see your wife and children and forget. But no. Kṛṣṇa, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto. Although He is busy dancing with the gopīs, although He is busy to play with His cowherd friends, goloka eva nivasaty, in this way He is living in the Goloka, and akhilātma-bhūto, still He is in everyone's heart and giving direction, all contradiction. This is Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to imitate Kṛṣṇa, rascal. Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. You are you are. That is real philosophy.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:

Rūpa Gosvāmī could understand that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu." Kṛṣṇāya. Now He is acting as Kṛṣṇa-caitanya. Kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne: "He has assumed the name of Kṛṣṇa-caitanya, but He is Kṛṣṇa Himself." And what He is doing? Because previously, as Kṛṣṇa, He simply ordered that "You surrender. Then you'll be purified and you'll be promoted." Now here, as Kṛṣṇa-caitanya, He is giving kṛṣṇa-prema. Kṛṣṇa-prema. Unless I understand you very thoroughly, how there can be love for you? Love is not so easy that simply by meeting, or one day's transaction, one becomes lover of other. No. It takes time. So in the Kṛṣṇa form, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, He simply wanted that "You surrender; then you'll understand Me." But in the Caitanya Mahāprabhu, not only understanding Him, but one gets love of Kṛṣṇa, the highest stage. Therefore He is addressed as namo mahā-vadānyāya, the topmost charitable personality. He is giving kṛṣṇa-prema.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:

Just like in ordinary dealings, one businessman is going to do business with another man. So, first of all, the relationship is established by some agreement. Then the transaction takes place. One is supplier, one is purchaser. Then the result is profit. Three things are there. In husband and wife, the same thing. First of all sambandha, the relationship, who will I marry, which girl, which boy. First of all plan... In the beginning... Formerly it was settled up by the parents. Still in India it is settled up by the parents. That is called sambandha. Then the marriage takes place. Then husband and wife relationship, they live together. Then there is the profit, a child. Similarly the human life is meant for reestablishing our relationship with God. In this material world... Material world means forgetfulness, forgetting our relationship with God. That is called material world. No Kṛṣṇa consciousness—that is material world. As soon as there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness and acting on the basis of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is no more material world; it is spiritual world.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

A good citizen means who is acting exactly to the regulative laws. He is good citizen. Even in ordinary driving car, if you exactly follow the rules and regulation of traffic transaction, if you stop when there is red light, if you start when there is green light, you don't go to the left, if you follow these rules and regulation, then there is no question of your being a criminal. But as soon as you do not follow, immediately you are criminal. You will get a ticket. Therefore the regulative life means... That is religious life, when you execute your occupational duty just according to the law. There are state laws and there are laws also. So actually, we should perform the divine laws.

Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972:

You get the body. We get different types of body, and according to the body, our material sufferings and enjoyment are fixed up, already. You cannot have more or less. Otherwise... you'll see, one man is working so hard, day and night, and he could hardly maintain himself or his family. And another man, he's going to the market, sits down for one hour, and earns 100,000 dollars, immediately. You can see. Simply by touching the phone, he simply asks, "What is the rate of this? What is the rate of that?" and he makes one transaction, and immediately he gets one thousand dollars. And this man is working hard, day and night, he could not get even two sufficient meals.

Lecture on SB 2.9.14 -- Melbourne, April 13, 1972:

So, "Yes, I can tell you." And then he said that "You have labored so much for writing all these nonsense books, but you have not said anything of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you are unhappy. Therefore I advise you that now you write one book which is simply the transaction of the Supreme Personality, nothing else, nothing of this material world, sacrificing, this religious, and this unreligious, 'this is good, this is bad,' nothing of the sort. Simply write about the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Then you will be happy." Then he wrote Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And when he wrote, began writing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he writes in the beginning, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: (SB 1.1.2) "All these cheating type of religious system, I kick it out, this ism, that ism. I kick out all them. It is this book, especially meant for paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām, those who are simply paramahaṁsas. It is meant for them. It is not for the ordinary men.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

Bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ. Bhakti can be applied only to Bhagavān. Bhakti means the business between Bhagavān and bhakta. That is bhakti. If there is no Bhagavān then where is bhakti? And where is bhakta? If Bhagavān is zero, then where is bhakti? Bhakti means the transaction between Bhagavān and bhakta. Just like here, the Bhagavān is there, and bhaktas are there, and the transaction is dressing the Bhagavān, feeding the Bhagavān, chanting the Bhagavān's name, calling people to hear about Bhagavān, to publish books about Bhagavān. This is bhakti, bhakti bhāgavatī, simply in relation with Bhagavān, no other business, animittā, without any material desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). There is no touch even of jñāna. Jñāna means speculation.

Lecture on SB 3.25.36 -- Bombay, December 5, 1974:

If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then you understand the other two features, because Kṛṣṇa is ānanda. You see Kṛṣṇa's feature. He is not thinking, taxing His brain, "How to do this? How to do that?" No. He is ānandamaya. Ānandamaya, He's playing on His flute, and Rādhārāṇī is there. He is in ecstatic ānanda, hlādinī-śakti. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktiḥ. It is the transaction of bliss, transcendental bliss, hlādinī-śakti. Kṛṣṇa has got many potencies. Out of that, one potency is hlādinī-śakti, pleasure-giving. He is ātmārāma. He is full in Himself. When He wants to enjoy, He expands Himself, His pleasure potency. So Rādhārāṇī is His pleasure potency, and the gopīs are expansion of Rādhārāṇī. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ. Nija-rūpa. The forms are Kṛṣṇa's, but ānanda-cinmaya-rasa, just to taste the mellow of transcendental bliss.

Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:

You must know about Kṛṣṇa. If you want to make friendship with somebody or make some transaction, we have got already our relationship, eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. But some way or other, we have forgotten it now. Therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, anādi-bahirmukha jīva, kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā. Some way or other, from long, long time, we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā. Ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā: "Therefore Kṛṣṇa has made all these Vedas and Purāṇas and śāstra, everything, Mahābhārata." Kṛṣṇa comes there. This is... Because when we forget. Now this age is going on, Kali-yuga, forgetfulness. People are forgetting more and more Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.26.11-14 -- Bombay, December 23, 1974:

So under the instruction of Vyāsadeva..., er, Nārada Muni, his spiritual master, Vyāsadeva, his last mature contribution is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇaṁ yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam. Therefore the Vaiṣṇava, they regard the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as amalaṁ purāṇam. Amalaṁ purāṇam means... Amalam means without any contamination. These all other purāṇas, they are dealing with karma, jñāna, yoga. Therefore they are samalam, with material contamination. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, simply dealing with bhakti; therefore it is amalam. Bhakti means directly in connection with the Supreme Lord, bhakta and Bhagavān, and the transaction is bhakti. There is Bhagavān, and there is bhakta, just like master and the servant. And the relationship between the master and servant, the transaction, is service.

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

Anyway, during this period of life one should learn how to develop this devotional cult, dharmān bhāgavatān. Dharma means the laws and the instruction given by God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). And when that is actually executed directly between, transaction between God and the devotee, that is real dharma. Dharmān bhāgavatān. They have different types of dharmas, but real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma, what we learn from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to deal with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān. That is called bhāgavatān. So children should be instructed from the very beginning of their life this bhāgavata-dharma. We are attempting to do that in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got an institution, Gurukula, at Dallas, Texas, and they are learning very nicely.

Lecture on SB 3.26.45 -- Bombay, January 20, 1975:

So to please Bhīṣma—not that it was necessary to fight with Bhīṣma, but because Bhīṣma wanted that "Either Kṛṣṇa must fight or His friend Arjuna must die"—therefore Kṛṣṇa decided... Not to... He could save His friend Arjuna in any way. But in order to show Bhīṣma that "Yes, He is fighting. He has broken His promise..." He promised that He would not fight, but Bhīṣma promised that either He should fight or His friend would die. So therefore He prepared to fight. But superficially, He did not take His original disc. He took only one broken wheel of the chariot, and taking it, He was going to kill Bhīṣma just to show him, "You promised that I would fight, so now I have taken this fighting weapon. Now you can stop. Otherwise you will be killed." So he stopped. He could understand. But while Kṛṣṇa was coming to kill him with that broken piece of wheel, that was very pleasing to him, Bhīṣma. At that time Bhīṣma was piercing with sharpened arrow the body of Kṛṣṇa. So He was pleasing, He was feeling very pleasure, being pierced by the arrow of Bhīṣma. So bhakti transaction, there are many kinds of bhakti transaction. And at the time of Bhīṣma's death he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa: in His fighting spirit He was coming to kill him. That is in Bhīṣma's prayer. There is in the Bhāgavata. He was not thinking of Kṛṣṇa with flute. He was thinking of Kṛṣṇa with the broken chariot wheel and was coming to kill him. That form was very pleasing to him.

Lecture on SB 3.28.19 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

Suppose one is big businessman. He is always thinking of his business, how to sell this, how to purchase this. This is... His mind is absorbed with these things. So if he sits down to meditate upon the Lord, it will not be possible. It will not be possible. His mind will be disturbed, and he will think of his business transaction. So that is natural. But if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa loudly, you will be forced to hear "Kṛṣṇa," and that Kṛṣṇa immediately comes within your mind by force. So it is better process than sit down and think of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

Prīti means love. So there is Prīti-sandarbha by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, how one can become lover of Kṛṣṇa. Ṣaṭ-sandarbha. He has written six theses. One of them is the Prīti-sandarbha, Bhāgavata-sandarbha, six sandarbha, very highly philosophical books. So this prīti means bhakti. Bhakti is not official transaction. Bhakti means prīti, real love. When I actually love Kṛṣṇa, that is called prīti. Just like we love our beloved, our child or husband or wife... That is also not love. That is a temporary sentiment. Actual love is possible with Kṛṣṇa. That is actual love. Once you love Kṛṣṇa, it cannot be broken at any time. It cannot be broken, any circumstances. So therefore somehow or other we have to... Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. Somehow or other you must engage yourself in loving Kṛṣṇa. That is the success of life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:

So in order to become God conscious, you have to follow some rules and regulations. We do not give any credit to the vegetarians than the meat-eaters. Because one has to eat. But our proposal is, Kṛṣṇa conscious men, that we shall eat remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our philosophy. And Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26), that Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who offers Me a little fruit, a little water, and little leaf with devotion and love, I accept it." Kṛṣṇa is not hungry that He is begging some food from us. No. He is trying to create loving transaction: "You love Me; I love you." Kṛṣṇa is God. Kṛṣṇa, practically by His energy everything is produced. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So why He should beg for, from me, a little leaf and little fruit and little water? He has no business. But if we offer a little fruit and little leaf and little water with love—"Kṛṣṇa, I am so poor that I cannot secure anything. I have secured this little fruit and little flowers and a leaf. Kindly accept it"—Kṛṣṇa is very glad.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:

You give something to your lover; he gives you, something to you. In this way love develops. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. The development takes place, loving affairs, by giving and taking. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva. When you create loving transaction with any boy or girl or any man, any friend, the give and take. So Kṛṣṇa is teaching us give and take. "You give something," Kṛṣṇa is begging. "You try to love Me. You learn how to love Me. Give Me." "Sir, I have nothing to give You." "Oh, you cannot collect a little fruit and flower and leaf and little water?" "Oh, yes. Why not? Anyone can collect." So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice. You can make direct friendship with Kṛṣṇa. You can become direct servant of Kṛṣṇa.

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

By His breathing, millions of universes are coming with exhaling. And when He's inhaling, billions of universes are going within. Can you show like that? That is also not original God. That is plenary expansion of God. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣa (Bs. 5.48). This transaction is going on in the body of Maha-Viṣṇu. The material world is being created and annihilated. When there is exhaling, the universes are coming into existence; when there is inhaling, it is all finished. This material world is like that. It is not permanent. Everyone got such experience. Your body, it has a beginning at a certain date from your father and mother. It stays for some time, it develops, it gives some by-products, then it becomes old and you finish. This is material body. Everybody knows it.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- Los Angeles, June 5, 1976:

So these are the transactions between devotee and God. Generally, people cannot understand. But if one understands, he becomes liberated. If some way or other... It is not very difficult; simply we have to associate with devotees and discuss this literature. Then we'll understand Kṛṣṇa very easily. And Kṛṣṇa is explaining in the Bhagavad-gītā about Himself. In the Seventh Chapter Kṛṣṇa says,

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

(BG 7.1)

Kṛṣṇa is offering that samagram, sama, "In fullness, completely, as you can understand Me, I am speaking to you." Asaṁśayam—without any doubt. Doubt there may be. Because God is great, we are very small; how we can understand God? There is always some doubt, whether He's personal, impersonal, all-pervading. There are so many different conception of God. But therefore God Himself says asaṁśayam, "without any doubt." And samagram, "completely." Asaṁśayam samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1).

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

And Prahlāda Mahārāja is also instructing in this way, that "This human form body should be utilized fully for understanding our real position, our relationship with God, and our transaction, our dealings, and the basis of our relationship with God, and what is the real goal of life." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that the real goal of life is premā pum-artho mahān, prema, to attain love. Of course, in this material world, so many things are going on in the name of love. But actually there is no love. They are all lust. But going on in trade in the name of love. Love is possible only with Kṛṣṇa, or God. Premā pum-artho mahān. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... Not any other thing.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

If you want to establish a relationship with some girl, there must be a negotiator. Of course, in your country it is very free. In India it is no... There is no free love. There is a negotiator, either privately or through the parent. So in every transaction there is a negotiator. So spiritual master is the negotiator. He is the broker. Of course, without any brokerage, but he is supposed to be the broker or the transparent medium. My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "the transparent media, via media." Just like my eyes are not very perfect, so I am using this transparent via media to see, similarly, because we have forgotten our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God, so we have to see through the transparent via media of spiritual master. Otherwise it is very difficult. That is the process.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975:

This is, of course, artificial, man-made sambandha, externally. But the principle, to know first of all our relationship, then act accordingly and then the purpose for which we establish relationship, that is obtained. A businessman, he enters into business contract with another businessman. The agreement is there, that "We shall transact business as purchaser or seller, as agent or as principle." This is called sambandha-jñāna. If we do not know what is our sambandha, relationship with God, then why one should be interested to worship God? There is no question. Therefore sambandha-jñāna is the first principle to understand.

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

Just like a paid servant, he is also engaged in satisfying the master very nicely, very faithfully, but there is no bhakti. Why? Because he is after the money the master pays. He does not serve the master, but he serves the money. He is thinking always that "I am getting so much money from this person. If I don't satisfy him, then I may be dismissed. So I will have no money." But here it is said bhaktyā. Bhaktyā means without any, I mean to say, material concern. Bhakti is applicable in the spiritual world. Bhakti is transacted, the business of bhakti is transacted in the spiritual world. Or where there is devotional service, there is spiritual world, there is no material world. So guru-śuśrūṣayā bhaktyā sarva-labdhārpaṇena ca.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.91-2 -- Vrndavana, March 13, 1974:

Rūpa Gosvāmī advised, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. He advises that "Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if it is available, you purchase. You purchase anywhere it is available." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's advice, that one should be eager to purchase this Kṛṣṇa consciousness at any price. Generally, we think price means some, in terms of money, monetary transaction, say, hundred pounds or two hundred pounds or millions pounds, billion pounds, like that. The price is different. Here Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "You price..., you purchase at any price." But what is that price? Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam. Laulyam, eagerness. That is price. That is the only qualification. You must be very, very eager to see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in this very life. You must be very eager to talk with Kṛṣṇa in this very life. But not to become sahajiyā. By service. Kṛṣṇa talks with the devotee, but not with nondevotee.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Because brāhmaṇas in India It is A custom is still: whatever he may be, because he's born in a brāhmaṇa family, he's addressed as paṇḍitajī. Paṇḍitajī. So here Sanātana Gosvāmī says, grāmya-vyavahāre. Grāmya-vyavahāre means in village transaction. "Actually I am not paṇḍita, but the villagers, my neighbors, they call me paṇḍita. And because they call me paṇḍita, I also think that I am a paṇḍita." I have seen it in Calcutta. One man was pulling on thela with a sacred thread, and another man, maybe he's village men, he "Paṇḍitajī, pala ela(?)." And he's pulling on thela, he said, "Betaji kag amar(?)." Now this is going on.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-142 -- New York, November 29, 1966:

God is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, that He becomes just... Ajito 'pi. Nobody can conquer Him, but He becomes conquered by this kind of devotional service. You see? Ajito 'pi jito 'py asi. He becomes conquered. This is the process of conquering. What is the use of becoming one with God? You can conquer Him. You can have Him within your grips. Such is the process, devotional service. It is stated here. Ataeva. Therefore, Lord Caitanya concludes, ataeva 'bhakti'-kṛṣṇa-prāptyera upāya. Therefore, if you want Kṛṣṇa, then bhakti, the devotional service, is the only way.

ataeva 'bhakti'-kṛṣṇa-prāptyera upāya

'abhidheya bali' tāre sarva-śāstre gāya

Abhidheya means that is the transaction.

General Lectures

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 6, 1971:

An animal sees that there is water in the desert, and being thirsty, he goes after the water, but the water also makes progress, and he also makes progress. In this way he dies. That is called illusion. Actually, there is no water, but he is fleeing after water. So for conditioned soul these are the defects. He is to commit mistake, he is illusioned, and he has got a cheating propensity also. Everyone is thinking in transaction that "I have cheated that man very nicely. In business transaction I have gained; he has lost." And of all the deficiencies, most important deficiency is that our senses are imperfect. We say, "I want to see God," but we forget that our eyes are so imperfect that I cannot see in the nearest eyelid. As soon as I close my eyes, I do not see the eyelid. This is the power of my seeing. Therefore we should not be so much proud of our seeing power that we'll say that "I want to see God. Can you show me God?" This is not possible.

Lecture -- Honolulu, May 25, 1975:

In the material world a servant works when money is paid, wages. A devotee is not like that. A devotee serves Kṛṣṇa out of duty. That is God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "It is my duty." And then Kṛṣṇa takes the responsibility, "It is My duty to protect this devotee." This reciprocation is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no question of business transaction. Then he will be protected. Kṛṣṇa is nobody's servant, but everyone is Kṛṣṇa's servant. If everyone becomes Kṛṣṇa's servant, then everyone is protected by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is protecting. Kṛṣṇa is God, so He is protecting everyone, He is giving food everyone, but especially inclined to the devotees. Samaḥ sarveṣu-bhūteṣu.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: Now, you are my broker, you come, you see the stack of cloth, you ask my clerk, "Just credit this from such and such firm." But firm has sent without any voucher, without any (indistinct), and the porter simply asks whether this is the same firm, and somebody nods and we (makes noise like stamping something), that's all. Then you come, you pick up so many bundles, "Just note down, 'This has come from such and such firm.' " You note down. Then my clerk notes it. This is transaction. And out of many such bundles, you find that you did not order this, "Wherefrom it came? It is not mine." So we set aside. Three days after, one (indistinct) comes, "Sir, on such and such date I dropped a bundle here which did not belong to you, so please give me this back." "Oh, you will see there are so many. What is yours you can take back." And he picks up, "Sir, this is my bundle," "All right, take it." He's unknown, but simply he comes and says that "I dropped one bundle here which does not belong to you. By mistake I dropped it," and I say, "Yes. So many bundles there are, you can take whatever is yours." This was the transaction. Then on the due payment day, those who supplied the cloths, they come to take payment and they say, "Sir, on such and such day, such and such cloth was supplied to you." No voucher, nothing. I open my book: "Yes, yes. That's all right." So he says that "This is the price and so much money is due payment." So he calculates, "Yes." So he pays the money and then, when taking money, he puts a stamp and he signs on the book. Now in the meantime, so many transactions we'll see, how much faithfully it was going on. So how much we have now became degraded: we supply something to somebody, we take three copies of voucher; one he takes, one we keep on book, one he gives (indistinct); then also he will try also, cheat, again. So much morally we have improved. I am speaking, say within, when I am child's age, now I am seventy-six. I may be fourteen, fifteen years old, like that. Fifty years ago these things were going on. Fifty or sixty. Sixty years ago the business dealings was so easy and plain.

Philosophy Discussion on Soren Aabye Kierkegaard:

Prabhupāda: That is pleasure, serving God. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, just see, in the cottage. They are minister. They are ministers. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. They are living most aristocratically, and now they are taking the place of mendicants living in the cottage, no bodily comfort, no servants, nothing of the sort. Does it mean they are suffering? There is one... That is stated in the, that vande rūpa-sanātana, that they, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. They gave up as most insignificant this society, this aristocracy. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. It is... What is the value of this? Give up. And bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. And in order to become merciful to the mass of people, they accept simply loincloth, any way covering, that's all. That is a suffering? No. They are not suffering. Then people may say that that is suffering. But for them, there is a... Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhur. Then he merged into the ocean, in the thought that how gopīs, gopī-bhāva, they are transacting their business with Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛta. That is a ocean of transcendental bliss. So because they're merged into that ocean, what is this suffering? They have no sense of suffering. One man is suffering because he has identified with this body, he is suffering. But they were identified with the cause of the gopīs. They are simply writing Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with gopīs, Vidagdha-mādhava, Lalitā-mādhava, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. They are simply engaged in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs and writing, writing, writing. So what is the suffering?

Philosophy Discussion on Bertrand Russell:

Indian man: By His beauty. Not that they realized that He is God and...

Prabhupāda: No. The Vṛndāvana, they did not know Kṛṣṇa, even Yaśodā-mayī did not know that He is God. Otherwise, how the transaction of pleasure will be done, if they knew that He is God? Then they could not show, I mean to say, freely mix with Kṛṣṇa. They did not know that Kṛṣṇa is God. "Kṛṣṇa is our friend, boy friend." They're all neighborhood children. From childhood they are grown up, and the girls, when they are twelve, thirteen years old, they're married. So Kṛṣṇa was not married. (indistinct) wait up to twenty years. But the girl friends, so they are coming to Kṛṣṇa, they could not forget Kṛṣṇa. And they wanted to serve their husbands, but it was not possible. Because in our India, twelve-years-old boy, they got married. But a girl, twelve years, thirteen years, she is (indistinct) young. But the girls had love for Kṛṣṇa, but they are married—some of them had children—but still, they used to come to Kṛṣṇa due to old friendship. That is a fact.

Philosophy Discussion on George Berkeley:

Prabhupāda: The nature's course is that because we have disobeyed God, therefore we are thrown into this material world under the supervision of the material nature to correct him. So, so long he is in the material world, there is distinction between moral and immoral. Although both of them are material, it has, actually has no meaning, moral or immoral. But in the material world that conception is there, moral or immoral. But when one is in the spiritual world, there is no such thing as immoral; everything is moral. Just like gopīs, they were others' wives, but they were coming to Kṛṣṇa in dead of night. That is immoral. But because they are coming to Kṛṣṇa, it is not immoral. Therefore in the spiritual world there is no such thing as moral or immoral. Everything is moral. In the material world there must be moral and immoral; otherwise this material transaction cannot go properly.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Henry Huxley:

Prabhupāda: The cosmic process cannot be checked, but the cosmic process is continuing in different modes. That is called tri-guṇa. One process is the process of goodness, another process is the process of passion, another process is process of ignorance. So in the process of goodness, real advancement goes on, and ultimately one has to transcend the process of goodness also and come to the platform which is all-good. In the material world, whichever process you accept, it is mixed, both goodness, passion and ignorance. It is very difficult in the material way of life to keep the process pure. Therefore the real process is gradually bring the being or the soul to the platform of goodness and then transcend also goodness and keep him or let him remain in the actual platform of pure goodness. That is wanted. That is really progress. That pure goodness is bhakti. When the transaction is only with God—there is no other transaction—that is pure goodness. That is survival of the fittest. When one comes to that platform of pure goodness, he survives. Otherwise nobody survives. When... Everyone has to change the body—this body to that body, that, tathā dehāntara-prāp... But one who comes to the pure goodness platform, he understands God, then he hasn't got to change. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). That is survival; otherwise there is no meaning of survival.