Although he is pulled by the ear, by the material nature, he is thinking he is free, he is freedom. They are struggling for freedom. What is this nonsense, freedom? You are under the grip of the material nature. Where is your freedom? Now you have got, nature has given you this human form of body. Next you may get another body, next you may... That is completely under the control of material nature.
Under control (Lectures, SB)
Expressions researched:
"control"
|"under"
Notes from the compiler:
VedaBase query: "under control"/5
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:
You can theorize so many things. You may become a very great scientist, but when death will come, you cannot protect yourself. That is not possible. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may be puffed up for advancement of your scientific knowledge, but you must be under the control of birth, death, old age and disease. So this is prakṛti, nature, and nature is controlled by God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
- sūyate sa-carācaram
- hetunānena kaunteya
- jagad viparivartate
- (BG 9.10)
"Under My control, the material nature is working." Don't think material nature is working independently. That is not possible. Matter cannot act independently. You can see how matter is working, but you are seer, you are superior. Scientist sees that this molecule is working like this, this cell is working like that, but the position is that one who is seeing the action, he is superior than the matter acting under certain material laws. Similarly, the living entity is superior.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:
Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Daivīṁ prakṛtim. Mahātmā, one who is broad-minded, or greater souls, they are under the control of daivī-prakṛti. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the symptom? Bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ, they have no other motive than to render service to the Lord. That's all. This is the symptom of mahātmā. No motive. No gain, no exchange. Simply to serve the Lord. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Any kind of desire, even liberation. No. But if one is pure devotee, liberation will be at his door. He, what he has got to ask for liberation? He's already liberated. He hasn't got to ask for liberation.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, July 23, 1973:
So that energy is divided into three. Material energy, spiritual energy and marginal energy. We are marginal energy. We living entities, we belong to the marginal energy, taṭastha-śakti. Marginal means we can remain in the material energy or in the spiritual energy. Now, at the present moment, every one of us, we are under the control of the material energy. You can understand it very easily. Just like government. The government, that is one energy working. Similarly, the prison house, that is also another energy working. And the citizens, that is also another, another energy working. But the citizens are marginal. They can remain outside the prison walls and inside the prison walls. Therefore they are called marginal. When you are abiding by the laws of the government, you are free. You are not abiding by the laws of the government, you are within the prison house. So you are at liberty. Either... That is your choice. Government has got university, as well as the criminal department. Government does not canvass, rather government canvasses that "You come to the university. Be educated. Be advanced." But it is our choice, we sometimes go to the prison house. It is not government's fault.
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:
Mahātmā and kṣudrātmā, or durātmā. Those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge they are called mahātmā. And the symptom of mahātmā is: mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ (BG 9.13). Mahātmā is not changing a dress or having a big beard. (break) Mahātmā is described, who is mahātmā. Mahātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Mahātmā is not under the control of this material energy. He is under the shelter of spiritual energy, daivī-prakṛti. And the symptom is bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ: he has no other business than to serve the Supreme Personality. Bhajanti. Bhaja sevāyām.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:
So here it is said, dharmasya hi āpavargyasya. Religion means to how to get out of these pavargas. That is dharma. Bhāgavata says, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na arthaḥ arthāya upakalpate. Generally, people go to church, to temple, for some material benefit. Therefore śāstra says, "No, no. Dharma is not meant for that purpose." People have become materialistic more and more because, just like in our country, "If you want economic development, then why you should go to temple?" The communist theory is also like that, that "If you want material happiness, why you are going to church and accepting, 'O God, give us our daily bread'? The bread, you manufacture. You just work for it." In one side, it is good. But this is also fact, that without God's mercy, you cannot get even bread. Although bread you can manufacture, but the ingredients of the bread, the wheat, that is not in your hand. You cannot manufacture in the factory. That is in the hand of prakṛti, nature, and prakṛti is working under the control of the Supreme Lord. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). So it is prakṛti's business to control food supply when people become godless. That is prakṛti's business. Because prakṛti... These statements are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the story of Mahārāja Pṛthu. So prakṛti said that "Because people have become godless, demons, I have restricted my supply." Therefore everything depends on the mercy of the Lord.
Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Los Angeles, August 26, 1972:
Pradyumna: "Why Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa with his plenary parts shall be rendered devotional service as it is explained above is confirmed by this statement. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and all His plenary parts are viṣṇu-tattva, or the Lordship of Godhead. From Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the next manifestation is Baladeva. From Baladeva is Saṅkarṣaṇa; from Saṅkarṣaṇa is Nārāyaṇa; again from Nārāyaṇa there is the second Saṅkarṣaṇa; and from this Saṅkarṣaṇa the Viṣṇu puruṣa-avatāras. The Viṣṇu or the Deity of the quality of goodness in the material world is the puruṣa-avatāra known as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, or Paramātmā. Brahmā is the deity of rajas, or passion, and Śiva for ignorance. They are three departmental heads of the three qualities of this material world. Creation is made possible by the quality of passion and endeavor; it is maintained by the goodness of Viṣṇu; and when it is required to be destroyed, Lord Śiva does it by tāṇḍava-nṛtya. The materialists and the foolish human beings do worship Brahmā and Śiva respectively, but the pure transcendentalists do worship the form of goodness, Viṣṇu, in His various forms. Viṣṇu is manifested by His millions and billions of integrated forms and separated forms. The integrated forms are called Godhead, and the separated forms are called the living entities, or the jīvas. But either the jīvas or Godhead, both of them have their original, spiritual forms. The jīvas are sometimes subjected under the control of the material energy, but the Viṣṇu forms are always controller of the material energy. When..."
Prabhupāda: There is a difference between ordinary form and Viṣṇu form. Ordinary forms, they are controlled by Viṣṇu. Go on... nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is the Vedic injunction.
Lecture on SB 1.2.31 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:
Tayā vilasiteṣu guṇeṣu guṇavān iva. Now, the living entity wanted to enjoy this material world. We get different types of bodies on account of our desire to have such body. We want to enjoy the material, the matter, in a certain way, and Kṛṣṇa gives us the opportunity to enjoy as we liked Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is under control of Kṛṣṇa. Although the body's obtained by material arrangement, still, behind the matter, there is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is... As the living entity enters this material world, Kṛṣṇa is also there along with him. Sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they mistake that the soul and the Supersoul, there is no such difference: only the soul is the Supersoul, or the Supersoul is the soul; ātmā, Paramātmā, they are both one. But not they are not both one. They are two. That is stated in the Upaniṣads, that they are sitting in one tree like two birds, friendly birds. One is enjoying the fruit of the tree; other is only witnessing. So the witnessing bird is Paramātmā, and the fruit-eating bird is ātmā. These are the Vedic statements.
Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:
So the Lord sometimes appears as... Whenever the Lord takes the incarnation, He appears to be like ordinary human being. So in this incarnation, Nara-nārāyaṇa, They undertook severe penances to teach us. So what was the purpose of such severe penance? For sense controlling. The modern civilization is to give freedom to sense satisfaction, because they cannot control. Just like you are riding on a horse, but the horse is not under your control, then you say, "Let it go to hell, never mind." This is the position. Because they cannot control the senses, they have taken this philosophy that liberating sense gratification is the ultimate goal of life. And the result is that they are going to hell.
Lecture on SB 1.3.9 -- Los Angeles, September 15, 1972:
So to become actual human being, one has to undergo tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa, jñānena, śamena, damena (SB 6.1.13). This is the prescription, that if you want to become actually a human being, then you have to undergo tapasya, brahmacarya, śama, dama, titikṣā (BG 18.42). These things have to be practiced. Not that because I want sense gratification, therefore let me under the name of independence, let me become naked and have sex life on the street. That day is coming. It already has come to some extent. They are taking this as freedom. This freedom is not very good. This freedom means that as soon as you become so free that to have sex life on the street like cats and dogs and hogs, you will get your next life. Nature will give you very good chance, that "All right, you have got this human form of life to understand God, but you have misused it. Now you want to become hog? Please become hog." How you can check it? Is there any science to check? Because after this death, all this science and philosophy is finished after this body is finished. Then you are under the control of nature. What will you do? The nature will force you to enter the womb of a hog or a dog.
Lecture on SB 1.3.21 -- Los Angeles, September 26, 1972:
So therefore, woman is advised by the Manu-saṁhitā, they should remain under the intelligent man, not declare freedom. That will be their life nice. Therefore it is advised that until one is married with an intelligent husband, she must remain under the control of her father. Still in India, until a girl is married, she cannot move freely. Where is our Śyāmasundara? You know, what happened about that Sharma girls. Two girls in Nairobi, they wanted to join our society. So Brahmānanda, as other girls are joining, he welcomed, but it created a havoc to the family of the girl. They went here and there. "Oh, the girl has gone out of home. There will be no marriage." That's a fact. In India still, in respectable family, if a young girl goes out of home for three days, it will be difficult, or she will not be married. So this still I saw in Nairobi.
So anyway the system is unless one is married, a girl, she must remain under the control of the parents. Therefore it is the parents' duty to see that the girl is married to a suitable boy. That is the duty. When the girl is married, then parent's duty is finished. Not by the age. Up to this point. So during young time, say, up to, say, forty years, she should remain under the husband. And when there are grown-up children, she should remain... Just like that Mrs. Sharma. (?) She is under the care of her elderly sons. So Manu-saṁhitā says that na strī svātantryam arhati. Woman should not be given independence. She must remain... Just like... That is not bad. Just like a child remains under the control of the parents. That is good. Similarly, woman remaining under the control of father or husband or elderly boy, that is good for them. And still, they are very happy. Just like you see Kuntī. Kuntī was widow, but she was very qualified woman, so many ways. But still, she remained under the control of the five boys, five children, Pāṇḍavas. Kuntī also gave birth to a child before her marriage. That is Karṇa. That is Karṇa. So it was not very common affair, and in extraordinary cases it so happened.
Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:
It is government property. But these rascals, they are being forced to live in the prison house, and still they say, "We don't care for the government." This is rascaldom. You are under my control, and as soon as you are in wrong, I am kicking you on your face, still, if you say, "I don't care for you..." You can say that. But there is force that you say, "Don't care," but I force you. You have to care.
This is material world. They are saying "Don't... There is no God. We don't care for God. We are, everyone, God." But māyā, the police force, is there, kicking on the face. And they are subjected to so many tribulations, miserable conditions of life. Especially birth, death, old age and disease. Now you don't care for God. So why don't you stop your death? You stop your death. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham, "To the rascals and the demons, I am death. I take away everything." Sarva-haraḥ. Sarva-haraḥ means these rascals are trying to possess so many things: cars, motorcars, skyscraper building, bank balance, big family, big friends, big empire, and so many things. But when death comes, he cannot protect himself, what to speak of protecting other things. You see? So he's under full control, the demons. And every moment, he's under control. Suppose I have got money. I can eat so much. But as soon as you eat little more, immediately you are under control; you cannot eat for three days. Indigestion, immediately. And still, the rascal says that "I am not controlled." If there is little pain here, he immediately becomes: "Where is doctor, where is doctor, where is doctor?" And still he says, "I'm not controlled," and "I am God."
Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:
Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is also māyā, yoga-māyā, and Durgā is also māyā, expansion of Rādhārāṇī. But Durgā's business is different than Rādhārāṇī's business. Durgā's business is yayā sammohito jīvaḥ, to keep the living entities covered not to become awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is māyā's duty. So Vyāsadeva saw this māyā, this mahā-māyā, who is keeping the living entities under the cover of illusion. So it is said, "This māyā." "He saw the Supreme Person, and back of that Supreme Person he saw this māyā." Which māyā? Yayā sammohito jīva: "that māyā which is keeping the living entities in illusion." What is that illusion? That is also here: yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam (SB 1.7.5). Tri-guṇa, tri-guṇa means the sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So, under the influence of māyā, we are identifying with the different guṇas or qualities of this material world. So sattva-guṇa, yes, sattva-guṇa is the brahminical qualification. So one is thinking that "I am brāhmaṇa." One is thinking, who is under the control of rajo-guṇa, "I am kṣatriya." Or in other words, this is, this identification, is all over the world. Now you may not think, "I am brāhmaṇa," but you may think, "I am American." Or I may think, "I am Indian." There is some sort of identification. And therefore the whole world is full of anarthas, unnecessary, unnecessary thing. I am not brāhmaṇa; I am not Indian; you are not American; you are not kṣatriya; or... This is all false identification. So this is the work of māyā, that all the living entities they are under certain impression that "I am this. I am this." And this "I am this. I am that," they cannot make any solution.
Lecture on SB 1.7.19 -- Vrndavana, September 16, 1976:
So such warfare of mantra, very subtle. This, at the present moment this warfare is carried on gross weapons. But finer than that, there is mantra war. By mantras the warfare can go on. So this warfare is mantra. That is... Just like indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that the indriyāṇi, so far our body's concerned, the indriyas, the senses are prominent. But more important than the senses, above the senses is the mind. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). So as we have discovered so many weapons... That is gross, to be handled by senses. Even this nuclear weapon, it is handled by the scientists. But it is not by mantra. That science is still to be discovered by the modern scientists, how to... Or just like this mantra. Snake-charming mantra still there are. You are dealing the snake poison with some counter medicine. This is one kind of treatment. But there is another kind of treatment. That is called mantra, by chanting mantra. Or by herbs you can counteract snake bite. Still, there are in India. Therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said that mantrauṣadhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ. Sarpa means snake. It can be brought under control by mantra and herbs. Still, in our Māyāpur some Mohammedans, they know how to use these herbs and mantras for treating snake bites. In Māyāpur there are many snakes, and occasionally snakebite cases are there. But they treat it. And mantra has got power. It has been seen by many medical men in Lucknow. That's a long story.
Lecture on SB 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976:
So following the mahājanas, the principles, as Arjuna is doing, we must follow the instructions of Kṛṣṇa. That is fully explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. And surrender unto Him. And then our life will be successful. There will be no disturbances. Otherwise, if we declare independence, that is troublesome. It will create simply trouble. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). That is māyā. To think oneself independent is māyā. We are not independent. We are completely under the control. So, so long we declare independence we suffer. And if we remain fully dependent on the will of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, then we are happy.
Lecture on SB 1.7.41-42 -- Vrndavana, October 2, 1976:
So it is not theoretical-practical. Just like in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, even in America they inquire, these, our devotees, "How is that you do not work? You simply dance and you get big, big buildings, and you have got so many cars, and you eat nicely." They are surprised. Why surprising? Sanātha-jīvitam. We are under Kṛṣṇa's protection. Why shall I live poverty poorly? No. Kṛṣṇa's servant must have the whole opulence. Because sanātha-jīvitam. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So don't forget this philosophy. If you surrender fully to Kṛṣṇa... And Kṛṣṇa is always anxious, Gopī-jana-vallabha, Vraja-jana-rañjana. So to love Kṛṣṇa, to be fully under Kṛṣṇa's control, that is gopī-jana-vallabha, that is gopī-jana. And He's always anxious. Sanātha-jīvitam. In all respect, you simply remain under the control of Kṛṣṇa, fully under the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then all happiness will be available without any endeavor. That is svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). That is called mukti. Mukti means to live in this condition, that "I am Kṛṣṇa's eternal servant. He will give me all protection. My only business is to carry out His order." This is called mukti.
Lecture on SB 1.7.49-50 -- Vrndavana, October 7, 1976:
That is Bhagavān. He has wasted his time to describe some mythology? But they have no common sense. And not only that, Vyāsadeva has written. Later on all big, big commentators like Śrīdhara Svāmī, Vijayadhvaja, Vīrarāghavācārya, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Sanātana Gosvāmī, many. They have never said that this is mythology. Never said. Never said. You'll not find in any of the comments of these big, big stalwart ācārya. Vīrarāghavācārya, he is very learned scholar belonging to the Rāmānujācārya Sampradāya. They have never said it is mythology. Where do you get this idea of mythology? That is possible. God is all-powerful. He can do anything. He can appear. Why should you restrict Him not to become the son of Devakī? Why should you restrict? Is He under your control or you are under His control? He can become the Devakī-suta. He can become a small child to be chastised by Mother Yaśodā. He likes it. Everyone offers Him with reverence all respect. Nobody dares to restrict Him and chastise Him. Nobody goes to God, that "You cannot do this. You are fool, You are rascal." Nobody says. But still He wants to hear all this. That is a pastime.
Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:
Just like when Kṛṣṇa was challenged by His mother that "Show me Your face. You say that You have not eaten the earth. Your friends complained, and You say that You have not eaten. So I want to see. Open Your mouth." So when He opened, (s)he saw all the universes within the mouth. All the universes. He proved, "My dear mother, not only a little earth, but the whole universe is within My mouth." (laughter) So when Mother Yaśodā was astonished, she thought something illusory, "All right, don't do it again. That's all." (laughter) She does not know that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To show me His mercy He has become my child." She does not know. She always thinks, "He is my child. He is under my control."
Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:
People are affected with three kinds of material qualities: goodness, passion and ignorance. Generally, they are affected by the lower two qualities—ignorance and passion. Rajas-tamaḥ. How do we know that "This man is in the modes of goodness and this man is in the modes of passion and this man is in the modes of ignorance"? How do we know? By the symptoms. By the symptoms. When one is affected by the lower qualities, rajas-tamaḥ, passion and ignorance, his symptoms are that he is very greedy and lusty. These are the symptoms. As soon as you find a person is very greedy and lusty, he is to be understood under the control of the lower-grade qualities of this material world. And sattva-guṇa means prakāśa, illumination. When one is situated in the goodness, that is brahminical qualification. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā (BG 18.42). He is truthful, he is controlling the mind, controlling the senses, śama, dama; titikṣā, he is tolerant; titikṣā, ārjavam, he is simple, simplicity. Śamo damas titikṣā śuci, he is clean; jñānam, he knows things what it is; vijñānam, he can apply the knowledge in practical life, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. Āstikyam means to have firm faith in God. He knows that God is there. God is there and he knows that God is within, God is without. These are the symptoms of a person who is in goodness.
Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- New York, April 13, 1973:
Of course, it is very revolutionary. People will hate me. "What Swamiji's speaking?" But actually this is the fact. This is another madness. Suppose you have got your rich father, enough food. Where is your economic problem? This is madness. There is no economic problem. If you are, if you know that "My father is the richest man of the city," then where is my economic problem? Actually, that is the position. We have no economic problem. Everything is there, complete. Pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Everything is complete there. You want water. Just see: there are oceans of water. You want purified water. You cannot. Although the ocean water's so much, when there is scarcity of water, you have take help of Kṛṣṇa. He'll evaporate the water, He'll make it cloud. Then when it falls down, then it becomes sweet. Otherwise you cannot touch. Everything under control. Everything is full-water, light, heat. Everything is complete. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). His stock is never finished. Simply you become obedient and the supply is there. You can understand.
Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Los Angeles, April 15, 1973:
Kṛṣṇa is enjoying, and they're supplying the ingredients of enjoyment. Yes. This is bhakti. We are meant for... Kṛṣṇa is supplying... The servant and master. The servant is being supplied all the necessities by the master, but the servant's duty is to serve the master. That's all. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām... (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). These are the Vedic inform... Kṛṣṇa is supplying you immense..., all the necessities of life. There is no scarcity. There is no economic problem. You simply try to serve Kṛṣṇa. Then everything is complete. Because He's Hṛṣīkeśa. And so much... If Kṛṣṇa desires, there may be ample supplies. Just like in your country, there is ample supplies. In other country... I went to Switzerland: everything is imported. No supply. The supply is only, only snow. Take as much snow as you like. You see. Similarly everything is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. If you become devotee, then there is no snow supply—simply food supply. And if you don't become devotee, be covered with snow. That's all. Covered with cloud. Everything is under Kṛṣṇa's control.
Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973:
Now if a sādhu is already delivered, he is on the transcendental platform, then where is the necessity of delivering him? This is the question. Therefore this word is used, viḍambanam. It is bewildering. It is contradictory. It appears to be contradictory. If a sādhu is already delivered... Transcendental position means he's no longer under the control of the three material modes of nature, goodness, passion and ignorance. Because it is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). He transcends the material qualities. A sādhu, devotee, Then where is the question of deliverance? The deliverance... He does not require deliverance, a sādhu, but because he is very much anxious to see the Supreme Lord eye to eye, that is his inner desire, therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Not for deliverance. He's already delivered. He's already delivered from the material clutches.
Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:
So somebody says that Kṛṣṇa appeared for this purpose, somebody says Kṛṣṇa appeared for this purpose, but the real conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa appeared for His own pleasure. Not, not being bound by any cause. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent. Just like we take our birth being bound by the cause of our karma. Kṛṣṇa does not come being bound up by somebody's request or by His karma. He comes out of His free will. Ātma-māyayā. It is said ātma-māyayā. He's not compelled by another's māyā. Just like we are compelled by the energy of Kṛṣṇa, external energy, this material energy. We are compelled to take birth. Kṛṣṇa does not take birth in such condition. Ātma-māyayā. Not by the... Because māyā is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. So how māyā can control Kṛṣṇa? One who thinks that Kṛṣṇa is also like us, controlled by māyā, they are called mūḍhas. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Read the purport little.
Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Los Angeles, May 10, 1973:
So for a devotee there is no such distinction: "Here is hell" or "Here is heaven," "Here is Vṛndāvana" or "Here is Los Angeles," "Here is..." No. Because Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Wherever He gets the opportunity of serving Kṛṣṇa, that he wants. That's all. Nothing more. Mama janmani janmanīśvare (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Janmani janmani, it doesn't matter. What kind of janma will be... Of course, from the śāstras we can understand that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). To take birth by a devotee is different little than another's. Because one who has dedicated to Kṛṣṇa, He is under Kṛṣṇa's control, direct. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). So that bhakti means he is sinless, spotless. So therefore there is no possibility of his taking birth in lower animal group. That is not. He will get birth; that is assured—śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe—either in a very rich family or in a pure brāhmaṇa's family. Because he will get another chance of developing his devotional service in a pure brāhmaṇa family or pure Vaiṣṇava family.
Lecture on SB 1.9.3 -- Los Angeles, May 17, 1973:
There must be division. But people are very much anxious to make classless society, no division. And that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. We have no such division. Division means under the jurisdiction of the three modes of material nature. That is division. Otherwise, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, these divisions are calculated when one is under the control of the material nature. But if you become devotee, the material nature has no more any control over you. That is the difference between a perfect Kṛṣṇa conscious person and a perfect, I mean to say, mundane person. The difference is that a Kṛṣṇa conscious, a devotee, is no more under the influence of the three modes of material nature. But ordinarily, everyone should be..., is—"he should be" not.(?) He is under the control. Therefore they are called dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ, the best of the brāhmaṇas. Even a brāhmaṇa is also under the control of material nature. But the same brāhmaṇa, when he becomes a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, he becomes the best of the brāhmaṇas. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ (SB 1.2.13). Or he becomes ṛṣi. Viprarṣe. Rathena. Rathena. They were not walking, all these respectable personalities, brāhmaṇas and bhagavān.
Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:
Therefore there must be some regulative principle to fulfill our desire. And how the regulative principles come to be fulfilled? Here it is said, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Vavarṣa means showering, showering. And parjanyaḥ means rain. Parjanyaḥ, rain. So our all needs are showered from up. Therefore we pray. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. God. Rain is not under you control. Rain, it comes from sky, through the clouds. It is not under you control. When there is scarcity of rain, it is not your so-called science can produce rain. No. That is not possible. Drought. Drought, so many places, last two-three years. So kāmān, our necessities of life, from material point of view, it is fulfilled by rainfall from the sky. If there is no rainfall, you cannot produce anything.
Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:
Everything is perfectly being done by nature. Nature is appointed by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My control." So prakṛti will work very nicely provided you are also nice, Kṛṣṇa conscious. If you are not nice, then daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). "My māyā, My prakṛti, My energy, is very strong, duratyayā." These rascals, they are trying to control this flood, government. So much money they have wasted, but still in this quarter there are havoc. Therefore daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. You cannot control the nature's way. That is not possible.
Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:
Now we are under the control of this external energy, material energy. We have become controlled, just like we become controlled by the prison authorities when we are criminals, not ordinarily. Ordinarily we are free. Those who are not within the walls of prison house, they are free. They are acting wherever they like they are going, but within the law. Similarly we have got freedom. There are living entities, their number is greater. Nitya-mukta, ever liberated. They live in the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭha planets. Nitya-mukta. Nitya-mukta means eternally liberated. They never come down in this material world. And we are nitya-baddha-ever conditioned, eternally conditioned.
Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:
We each can simply be servitor; that is our natural position. Just like a dog, when it serves a nice master, he's happy. Otherwise, it is street dog. Nobody cares for it. Street dog. A street dog has no position. Sometimes they are killed. Similarly, when we live under the full protection of the Supreme Lord, that is our healthy condition, that is our real life. And as soon as we give up this position to be subordinate, to be predominated by the Supreme Lord, then we are bewildered. We are thrown into this, under the control of this material nature, and according to our work we get different bodies. There are 8,400,000 forms of bodies and we get one body after another. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). This is called ever conditioned. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). In this way, we are wandering from one species of life to another, one planet to another. In this way the brahmāṇḍa, this universe is very very big and there is immense opportunity. You become sometimes demigod, sometimes dog, sometimes cat, sometimes tree. In this way, we are wandering.
Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:
Similarly, within this material world, all the living entities, they are all conditioned, very limited number. The unlimited number are there in the spiritual world. But still Kṛṣṇa has made arrangement. Kṛṣṇa is giving us chance, this human form of life, that "I give you all facilities, all the supplies, necessities of your life. The river will serve you, the hills will serve, the mountains will serve you, the ocean will serve you, the forest will serve you, the vegetables will serve, the animals will serve you, everyone will serve you. Now you have got human form of life. You take service from them, live peacefully, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is the arrangement. But these rascals, they'll not chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. They want to predominate over these hills, mountains, rivers, animals. In the Bible, it is said the animals are given under the control of human beings, man. Is it not? They have taken it. And because the animals are given under the control of man, therefore man should open slaughterhouse and eat them? Suppose if somebody gives his son, "Sir, will you take my son? Keep him under your control." Does it mean I shall eat him? These rascals interpret in that way. Because the animals are given under the control of man, therefore there should be slaughterhouse, the animals will be killed, and they will eat. This is their interpretation of the Bible, is it not? Who knows Bible? Anyone?
Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:
Devotee: In the Koran it is also said.
Prabhupāda: Huh? In the Koran also it is said, yes, that animals are under the control of man. That is naturally. Just like...
Devotee: They say it is for the purpose of eating, fish(?) are created for the purpose of eating.
Prabhupāda: That is also in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, that jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. That we also accept. But just like jīvo jīvasya jīvanam, then why don't you eat your own son? He is also jīva. Why do you discriminate? Therefore discrimination is the better part valor. We should know, we are also eating the vegetables. What kind of jīva, living entity we shall eat, that is to be discriminated. Not that because one living entity is food for another living entity, it does not mean I shall eat my own son. I am father. We do not do that. Because we use our discrimination.
Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:
In this material nature, or material world, we have got three kinds of sufferings, tri-tāpa-yantana. Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired, "Why these three kinds of miseries inflict pains upon me?" Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. Tāpa-traya. Tāpa means painful condition, tāpa. Just like if you touch fire, it creates a painful condition by burning the part, similarly, this world is also a blazing fire, saṁsāra-dāvānala. The rascals, they do not know. They are always out of the three kinds of miserable condition. Everyone is in some way or other under these conditions. These conditions means it is... These kleśāḥ, painful conditions, they are created by three causes. What are those causes? Daiva-bhūtātma-hetavaḥ. Daiva means created by the demigods. Daiva. Devatā. Just like this rain department, water department, is under the control of Indra. So Indra can supply water just to your requirement, or sometimes he does not supply, or sometimes he supplies over, over requirement. Ativṛṣṭi, anāvṛṣṭi. Anāvṛṣṭi means no rain, and ativṛṣṭi means excessive. So we don't want excessive or less. We want just proper. So this is under the control of the devatā. You cannot say... You may be very great scientist. You cannot say that "It is under my control." When there is no rainfall, you cannot say, "All right, we are scientists. We are creating rain." You can theoretically say, "Now we are making progress. In future."
Lecture on SB 1.10.7 -- Mayapura, June 22, 1973:
So we are dependent. So long we are under the control of māyā, we are dependent. We are depend... Our constitutional position is dependence, servitude. So by false declaration we think that "We are now going to be independent. We shall not service Kṛṣṇa. We shall become independent. I shall become Kṛṣṇa." As the Māyāvādī thinks that he shall become Kṛṣṇa, "I shall become God," that is another dependence. You cannot be independent. That is not possible. And to remain dependent, that is our happiness. That we do not know. Instead of declaring independence, if we remain dependent, that is our happiness. Just like children, women, śūdras, dogs. Their happiness is when they are dependent. Artificially... Now in India also, the women are imitating independence. But I have seen in the Western countries, in your country, the independence, declaration of independence by the woman class, is not their happiness. They are unhappy. Better to become dependent upon father, upon husband and upon elderly children. That is their happiness.
Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:
So Kṛṣṇa's two business is going on in this material world. One is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8), and the other is vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. One business is to give protection to the law-abiding devotees. Devotee means who accepts the Supreme Lord as the supreme controller and accepts himself as subordinate. This is devotee. Devotee is not very... Actually, we are subordinate to the laws of nature, and the nature is being manipulated by the Lord. Therefore, ultimately we are subordinate to the Supreme Lord. God is great; everyone knows it. But I am not great; I am subordinate. Acceptance of this philosophy means, I mean to say, godly conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious. Very simple thing. There is no difficulty. But the demons are so rascal, they will not admit it. They are already under control-prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27)—under the control of the stringent laws of material nature. Still, foolishly that rascal demon is thinking that he is free. This is rascaldom. Just like a outlaw, an outlaw is thinking that he doesn't care for the government. Although he is put into jail, he is punished there, still, he is declaring, "No, I don't care for the government." Madness.
Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:
So women, by nature they should remain subordinate. It does not mean, "Because somebody is my subordinate, therefore I shall cut his throat or her throat." No. Just like sometimes the Christian philosophers say, "The animals are given under the control of man. Therefore they should be slaughtered." This is their philosophy. Control of man does not mean they should be slau... They should be taken care of. That is the law. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). The productive class, they should give protection to the cows. The cows are given under their protection, not that "Because the cows are given under my protection, therefore I must open a slaughterhouse and kill them." Similarly... So children under the protection of father and mother... Just like this child is sitting on the lap of... He is comfortable. But if the father thinks, "He is under my protection; therefore I shall cut throat..." Now it is going on. The abortion means that. The child is taken shelter of the mother's womb for protection, but now she is being killed. The time is so bad. You see?
Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:
We should always remember that without spirit soul there cannot be any material development. That is practical. Just like the seed, the living soul, for changing his body, he is put into the semina of a male. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). This is the process of changing body. Daiva-netreṇa. This is being how you have to change your body. That is not under your control. After your death you are unconscious. Just like when you are on a surgical operational table you are completely under the surgeon. He puts you on the table, you unconscious, and he is operating as he likes. You don't protest. Similarly, we have got three condition. This is awakened stage we are talking, but at night we dream. That is called svapna stage, dreaming stage. And there is another stage, when you don't dream, you are simply unconsciousness. If somebody has gone surgical operation he might have experienced that completely unconscious. So then dream comes. When you come to consciousness from unconsciousness, you come to dreaming condition. From dreaming condition you come to this awakened stage. Similarly, you go from this awakened stage to dreaming condition and from dreaming condition to unconsciousness.
Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:
So Kṛṣṇa comes... He does not come like us. We are under the control of the material nature, but Kṛṣṇa is not under the control of material nature. That is to be understood. Therefore here it is said that jahau sva-tanvā. Sva means "own," and tanvā, tanu, tanu means "this body." We have got distinction, "I am the soul, but my this body is material." This distinction we have got because we are conditioned soul. Actually, I am not this body. I am soul. But I have become conditioned by this material body. And in case of Kṛṣṇa, He is not conditioned by this material body. Therefore it is said, sva-tanvā: "by His own original, spiritual body." This is the distinction you must understand. One scholar has described... Because he does not know Kṛṣṇa and still writing comments on Bhagavad-gītā, when Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Just think of Myself, just become my devotee, offer Your obeisances unto Me, worship Me," this rascal says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa the person, but to the soul." Now he says... Just see how much ignorant he is. He does not know that Kṛṣṇa has no such division as His self or soul and the body, and he is writing comment. And this is very scholarly. It is... He is a rascal number one, and he is accepted as scholar. This is going on. This is going on, all over the world.
Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:
So nature can change at any time, at any time. You are not controller of nature. You are under the control of nature. That we forget. This is our illusion. We are under the control of material nature fully, cent percent, and still, we are declaring independence. What kind of independence you have got? Any kind of independence can be finished by one kick of nature. And still, you declare independent. You cannot be independent. When you go above the control of the material nature, then you can say independent. But they do not know that. And nature is controlled by God. That also they do not know. Nature... Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Just like police force. Police force is under the control of the government, and you are under the control of police force. Everyone knows it. So how you can get out of the police force? When you are not criminal. That's all. Similarly, nature is like police force, this material nature. As soon as you become irreligious, making friendship with Kali and his friends, then you will be punished. Nature will... There will be severe cold, there will be this blast, that blast, and no production, and famine, pestilence, so many things. Nature can disturb you, natural.
Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:
Suppose you are being harassed by the police. You are put into the prisonhouse. And in so many ways you are being harassed by the criminal department. How you can get out? You simply file a petition, "Sir I am now experienced. I will never commit this criminal act. Kindly excuse me and get me released." That is the only way. Similarly, you can be very proud that "I don't care for God. There is no God. I am God. You are God." You can go on talking nonsense like that, but the māyā will give you so much trouble. But if you are sane man, then you will admit that "This was a wrong thing. Please excuse me." And then it will be possible. But that is not possible. Especially in this age, in Kali-yuga, the age is very strong and deteriorated that in spite of our daily class, daily instruction, the Kali is so strong that capturing, "Please come under my control and be killed. Please come under my... Be killed." "Yes, I will go." This is going on.
Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:
So there were some literary imperfection, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu pointed out, and He was also learned scholar. He admitted that "He is a wonderful boy." So therefore it is said that "You make your enemy a learned man, but don't make your friend a fool and rascal." Because an enemy, even though he is enemy, if he is learned, he will not make injustice. That he cannot. Any learned scholar cannot make any injustice. So he admitted his defeat, because he is learned scholar. That is scholarship. Not that... Just like Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. He argued with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as a scholar. But when he became defeated, he accepted His discipleship. This was the method, that two persons may argue, but one who is defeated, he must become his disciple. Not that simply waste time arguing and no conclusion. Formerly this was the system, to come to a conclusion. If two parties are arguing on a subject matter, the one party will be defeated, he must become his disciple, under control.
Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:
Therefore all the sages were surprised that "What pious activities this Mother Yaśodā did that Kṛṣṇa is completely under her control? Completely." The supreme controller. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller. There is no controller of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, govindam ādi-puruṣam, He is the original person. So who can be His father and mother? He is the father of everyone, the supreme father. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ (BG 14.4). Kṛṣṇa says, "In all species of life, as many forms as there, I am the seed-giving father of all of them." So nobody can be Kṛṣṇa's father. Nobody can be controller of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can be master of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "Nobody is superior than Me." But He accepts inferior position out of love. If you love Kṛṣṇa... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are very much eager to become one with Kṛṣṇa, merge into the existence of Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:
So if there is little more inauspicity, what is the wrong there? There is nothing... The more inauspicity will come. Now, still, in your country you are not poverty-stricken. You have got enough food. These things also will be stopped. Now you have got food in chaos, but there will be no food also. Then the mother and father will eat his own children. This is world, this Kali-yuga, everything. No food will be produced. Now by your talent, you are producing nice food, but producing food, the, tilling the ground some way or other, by machine or by this way... There must be rain, so many conditions. But time will come when there will be no rain. Then what you will do with your tractor and machine? You'll have to eat the tractor. (laughter) That's all. What you will do? There will be no rain. It is said that "There will be cloud, there will be lightning, but there will be no rainfall." These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is the result of our sinful life, restriction. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā (BG 3.27). These rascals are thinking, "We are master." What master you are? You are under the control of nature fully. And they are, these rascals are thinking, "I am free. There is no God. I am free." So, gradually... (break) ...don't you appreciate how, the difference between them and ordinary people? Don't you feel it? You are already known as "the bright-faced." Is it not?
Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:
So kāla, to control... You cannot control time. Just like if you have got one hundred dollars, if you deposit in a bank, you will get some interest, but you cannot make without any endeavor two hundred dollars. No, that is not possible. But if you don't spend it, then the hundred dollars remains. Similarly, your duration of life is there, and it is being wasted by breathing. If you can control the breathing process, then your life can be increased. This is yogic... But after all, we are under the full control of time. Kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā. That is explained here. Kālena vā te balināṁ balīyasā. Very, very strong—there is no power. Your so-called scientific power... You cannot struggle against the influence of time. So save time. Save time.
Another process is, save time, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then the time is not lost. Time is not lost. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, read book, Kṛṣṇa book. Any moment, any time you spend for thinking of Kṛṣṇa, working for Kṛṣṇa, chanting for Kṛṣṇa, eating for Kṛṣṇa, dancing for Kṛṣṇa, that time is saved. That time is saved. Therefore it is recommended, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva... (CC Adi 17.21). Otherwise, by yoga process, it is not... How many men can actually practice yoga? It is all farce.
Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Paris, June 9, 1974:
Therefore in the next verse Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). "My dear King, Rājendra..." Rājendra means "the best of the kings." He's, Śukadeva, er, yes, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, the best of the kings. He has selected, he's preparing. He does not think that "I am now king. And I'll die, I shall again become king." He does not think like that, foolishly. He knows that "I may be king in this life, and the next life, I may be dog." Because he's ātmavit, he knows ātmā, the soul. That is under the control of nature. You cannot say that "This time I am very nice, good-looking French boy and girl. Then next life I shall become also the same." Some poet in India, he sung, ei deśete janma āmāra, ei deśete mari: "I have taken birth in this country." Everyone has got love for his country. That is the modern civilization. Now, the Napoleon, in your country, he loved his country so much. Now where he is, you do not know. You have simply a stone, photograph, statue. You are thinking that "Napoleon, I am worshiping..." You do not worship actually.
Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Vrndavana, March 17, 1974:
So you can become dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Adhīra, those who are ordinary men, you can also call them, give them prasādam, treat them very nicely: "Just hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. You come here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take prasāda." They'll be your..., under your control. They'll be under your control. And as soon as they become under your control, they make advance. Immediately. Because under the Vaiṣṇava, if he agrees to abide by, he becomes... That is called ajñāta-sukṛti. Because he offers you... Just like when we walk, they say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya Rādhe." That is the method of offering respect. So if these ordinary people offer respect to the Vaiṣṇava, they become advanced. So you must be Vaiṣṇava. Otherwise why they will offer you respect? Respect cannot be demanded. It must be commanded. By seeing you, they will give you respect. Then dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. This is gosvāmī. Automatically they'll offer respect. So unless you become perfectly clean and Vaiṣṇava, pure Vaiṣṇava... Automatically they'll give you respect. You haven't got to... Just like sometimes we see a person, by seeing us, they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is not that at the spot we are asking them to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, but automatically they are chanting. So that means we have to keep ourself so clean, nice Vaiṣṇava, gosvāmī, that people will offer you respect. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau.
Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Paris, June 11, 1974:
So you are completely under the nature's control. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14).
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Prakṛteḥ, prakṛti, nature, is pulling by the ear, "Come here." "Yes, sir." "Come here." "Yes, sir." And he's freedom. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. He is completely under the control of the modes of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. This is called false egotism: "I am something." "I am Napoleon Bonaparte," "I am Mussolini," "I am Hitler." This is ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Fool, rascal. They are thinking like that. "No freedom, sir. No freedom."
Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:
Similarly, all living entities, being child of God, we must voluntarily put ourself to be controlled by God. That is perfection of life. Don't try to be falsely free. That is not possible. Just like the mother. She will never give freedom to the child, because that is not good for him. It should not be. Anyone who is weak, he must not be given freedom. That is good for him. Similarly, we are weak. God is great. God is all-powerful. We are very teeny. We have no power. Therefore our normal life is voluntarily accept the controlling power of God. That is human life. And God comes and He pleads, He requests that "My dear boy, why you are struggling here? You will never be happy." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You have manufactured so many plans to be happy, but you will never be happy. Therefore your only business is that you come under My control and you will be happy." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ: "I will give you all happiness." This is the sum and substance of Bhagavad-gītā. And anyone who agrees to be controlled, then success of life begins from that point, when he agrees. Unfortunately, at the present moment the whole world population has been taught in such a way that they do not want to be controlled. Therefore there is always chaotic condition.
Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Karandhara: "As a person thinks of becoming a king without possessing the necessary qualifications, similarly, when the living entity desires to become the Lord Himself, he is put in a condition of dreaming that he is a king. Therefore the first sinful will of the living entity is to become the Lord, and the consequent will of the Lord is that the living entity forgets his actual life and thus dreams of the land of utopia where he may become one like the Lord. The child cries to have the moon from the mother and the mother gives the child a mirror to satisfy the crying and disturbing child with the shadow of the moon. Similarly the crying child of the Lord is given over to the shadow of the material world to lord it over as a karmī and to give this up in frustration to become one with the Lord. Both these stages are dreaming illusions only. There is no necessity of tracing out the history when the living entity desired this, but the fact is that as soon as he desired such, he was put under the control of ātma-māyā by the direction of the Lord. Therefore the living entity in his material condition is dreaming falsely that this is 'mine' and this is 'I.' The dream is that the conditioned soul thinks of his material body as 'I' or falsely thinks that he is the lord and that everything in connection with the material body is 'mine.' Thus in dream only the misconception of 'I and mine' persist life after life. This continues life after life as long as the living entity is not purely conscious of his identity as the subordinate part and parcel of the Lord. In his pure consciousness, however, there is no such misconceived dream. And in that pure conscious state the living entity does not forget that he is never the Lord, but he is eternally the servitor of the Lord in transcendental love."
Prabhupāda: That's all.
Lecture on SB 2.9.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:
So the māyā is acting very nicely to keep us under her control. Māyayā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī (BG 7.14). Māyā wants to keep you under her control, every one of us. Why? Because we are offender to Kṛṣṇa, she wants to punish us, kick us very nicely. That is her business. And therefore she wants to keep under her control everyone. And therefore she has three qualities, tri-guṇa. Just like tri-guṇa. Guṇa means rope also. You have seen? In the rope there are three fibers. And three fibers, if it is twisted nicely and again twisted together, it is very strong rope. Tri-guṇa. So guṇa means rope. So we are bound up. The verse, that? Na te viduḥ svārtha gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ..., te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Īśa tantra. By the stringent laws of superior authority, uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. You are bound up, uru-dāmni. Uru means strong, dāmni means rope. Uru-dāmni, very strong rope. Just like big ship. Immediately bound up on the pier by some rope. You have seen it?
Lecture on SB 2.9.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:
So our vision is different. We are not under the control of māyā. At least we should be like that. Then we remain in the transcendental state. Otherwise all these people, those who are not working under Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are under the influence of these material modes. So therefore they are all rascals. They are mistaken. Anyone who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's a rascal. This should be our conclusion. So any question on this verse? It is very important. Every verse, Bhāgavata, every verse is illumination. (break) Therefore those who are yogis, ramante yoginaḥ anante, (CC Madhya 9.29) they are not desirous of enjoying this creation of māyā. Yoginaḥ anante. They want to enjoy in the association of the ananta, not māyā. Māyā is temporary. However māyā may exhibit in so many ways, it is temporary. This nice city or this nice country, this nice world, decorated—one day it will be finished, all finished. Pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedam **. When there will be inundation, all these planets will be merged into water, finished.
Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:
Therefore, to get that freedom, you have to work for it. Freedom does not come so automatically. Just like you are diseased. You are under the control of fever or some other painful condition, under some disease. So you have to undergo some penance. Just like you are suffering from some boil on the body. It is very painful. Then, in order to cure it, you have to undergo the surgical operation if you want to be cured. Therefore tapasā. That is tapasā. Tapa means painful condition, tapa. Just like temperature. If you are put into high temperature, 110 degree, then it is very intolerable for you. It is very painful. Even for us Indians—we are born in India, tropical climate—still, when the temperature is more than hundred, it becomes intolerable. And what to speak of you? You are born in a different temperature. Similarly, we cannot tolerate lower temperature. If it is below fifty degree, it is intolerable for us. So there are different climates, different temperature. And in Canada they tolerate forty degree less than zero.
Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974:
So if we understand Kṛṣṇa as a human being like us, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11), then we are mūḍhas. "Kṛṣṇa is also... Kṛṣṇa's body is made of these māyā elements, or external elements, like us." Just like our body is made of these material elements. If we think Kṛṣṇa also made of that elements, of these material elements, kṣitir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, then we are mistaken. Kṛṣṇa is... Here, in the previous verse, we have learned: ātma-māyayā. There are... Of course, this material energy is also ātma-māyā, Kṛṣṇa's. Not ours. Mama māyā. Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). This material world is Kṛṣṇa's. We cannot say mama māyā. No. We are under the control of this material nature. But Kṛṣṇa is the controller of the material nature. That is the difference. We are controlled by the material nature, but Kṛṣṇa is not controlled, but He's controller. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). One who understands this, that this prakṛti, this material nature, is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, that is our real knowledge. How the things are going on? That is not possible to understand.
Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974:
How one can be pleased? That is the process. Praṇipātena sevayā. You can please one simply by surrendering to himself and by rendering service, "Sir, I am your most obedient servant. Please accept me and give me instruction." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Even Arjuna was a very intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa, still, while learning Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā from Him, he surrendered himself to Kṛṣṇa and said that "I am no more your friend." Of course, friend is also, a friend of Kṛṣṇa is also surrendered. That is... But specifically he said, śiṣyas te 'ham. Śiṣya means "You can rule over me now." Śās-dhātu. Śās-dhātu. From śās-dhātu, śāstra, śiṣya, śāstra, these things have come. So śiṣyas te 'ham. Śiṣya means "Now I am under Your full control. You can use me in whatever way You like." So in this way, ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ.
So this is the process of asking. Paripraśna is asking question. Of course, one, the śiṣya, must ask. He must... But not challenge. Just to understand. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Not to defeat the spiritual master. But one should be inquisitive, inquire from the spiritual master, being jijñāsu, very inquisitive to understand the spiritual science. Not that "I know better than you. Let us talk." No. That is not with guru. You must find out a guru where you can surrender, praṇipātena. If you don't find a person where you cannot surrender, don't waste your time and his time. First of all surrender. So this is the process of understanding transcendental... Ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ.
Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:
If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance, it is very happy thing. And by dancing, dancing, as soon as you become hungry, take prasādam, ready. So where is the trouble? Therefore it is ṛjubhir yoga-mārgaiḥ. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice there is no trouble only. And another thing is that that is great hope. Everything you are doing under the spell of māyā we do not know where you are going, what is the ultimate aim. We do not know. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. We are under the spell of māyā given by the guṇas. You must accept. If you don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and give it ourselves on the waves of māyā, then we do not know where we are going. The Caitanya Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. Just like a straw in the waves of the ocean or the river. It is fully under the control of the waves. Sometimes diving, sometimes coming out, sometimes going this way, going that. Our position is like that. We do not know that, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Under the material nature we are being carried by the waves of material nature, and you do not know where you are going because you have no control.
Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:
So that is not possible, sir. You are under the control of māyā, material nature. You try to avoid it somehow or other, but it is not possible. It is not possible. According to the infection... Just like if you have infected some disease, artificial means will not save you. You must develop that disease and must suffer. There is no way out. Simply the way out is that if you take precaution, some vaccine, some injection, then you may avoid. Similarly, cannot... It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot avoid the hands of māyā upon you, or material nature. We call "māyā," and the modern scientific word is "material nature." Completely under. You cannot avoid it. But mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). If you surrender to Kṛṣṇa... When Kṛṣṇa will save me? I am so much sinful. Yes. Kṛṣṇa can do that.
Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:
The devotees do not aspire for all these opulences. Their only aspiration is, ambition is how to be engaged in the service of the Lord, how to be engaged. That is their... And in that way they get everything. There is no difference. When you worship Kṛṣṇa—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), mām evaiṣyasi—so he has already gone. There is no difference, the worshiping of the Lord here and there. Just like in politics sometime. These are some of the examples, that in a foreign country, when you are staying in your ship, then you are not subjected to the rules of that country. You are subjected to the rules of your own country. Similarly, so long you are in devotional service, you are not subjected to the rules and regulation of this māyā. Māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Māyām etām... Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Anyone who is not devotee, who is not engaged in the service of the Lord, he is under the control of māyā. And anyone who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and is simply twenty-four hours engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, he is not under the control of māyā. Māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Kṛṣṇa says.
Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:
Because as soon as there is little let out, he'll come out. That is called aṇimā-siddhi. Laghimā-siddhi. You can walk... By achieving this la..., you can walk on the water. You become... You can fly in the air. You can go from one planet to another by flying. You can go to the moon planet or sun planet by capturing the beams. That is called mahimā-siddhi. There are so many siddhis. You can create even one universe. Not this magic, little gold, but you can create not universe, one planet. These are said. But a devotee is not anxious to do these things, this jugglery and magic. He wants the one juggler, Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Because he know that "If I gain Kṛṣṇa, I can achieve the favor of Kṛṣṇa, then all juggleries and magic are under my control. He will do that. Why shall I use?" Just like a rich man's son. He does not endeavor to get money. He knows, "My father is so rich, I can spend it as I like. If I am good son, father will give me money." This is the position of devotee. Therefore he is not after any vibhūti, nor even he is aspiring going back to home, back to Godhead. That is also aspiration. A devotee does not... Because his home is... He can create Vaikuṇṭha here.
Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974:
Just like here it is said... Now we have got experience in the beach. There is always big, big waves. That water is also dull matter, and the air pushing the dull matter, water, and there is big, big waves, and it is dashing on the earth. These things are going on. So they say it is nature's work. But nature is not independent. We get this information from authoritative śāstra. Here Kapiladeva says that... There is high wind. That is due to the command, mad-bhayāt vāti vātaḥ. High wind is there. Sometimes there is breezy, very nice, sometimes very high wind. So there is direction. You cannot say that it is automatically happening, no. There is direction. Kṛṣṇa says that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My superintendence, prakṛti, nature..." The scientists, they say nature is working wonderfully, but after all, nature is not under your control. That you have to accept. You may defy Kṛṣṇa, or God, but you cannot defy the natural, nature's activities. You are subordinate. But because we do not know the background of nature, therefore we think that "Nature is working. There is no God."
Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:
Vyāsadeva, Vyāsadeva, when he was instructed by his spiritual master Nārada Muni to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, at that time, by bhakti-yoga meditation, he could see the Supreme Personality of Godhead and this māyā also. But it is said, māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. Māyā is situated in the back side, back side, without any influence upon Kṛṣṇa, apāśrayam, under the control. So māyā is always controlled. Kṛṣṇa is the controller of māyā.
Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:
So every one of us, we are dependent on prakṛti. Caitanya Mahāprabhu described the constitutional position of the living entity. When Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired that "What is the constitutional position of us?" He ex... It is a fact. This is intelligence. It is a fact that we are under the control of the material nature, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14), and we are acting under the control of material nature. However great scientist I may be, however great politician, prime minister I may be, but when nature will say, "Please get out," we have to do it. You cannot, by your so-called scientific method, you can say, "No, no, I shall remain. Who can drive me away?" That is not possible. So this is a fact, that they are defying the authority of God. They say that "What is the use of accepting God?" because foolish.
Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:
Anyway, this defying the authority of God, this is the our main material disease. That is explained, evaṁ parābhidhyānena kartṛtvam. It is foolishness. Kartṛtvam. He is completely under the control of material nature; still, he is thinking, "I am free. I am the master. I can do anything, whatever I like. There is no need of accepting the authority of God." This is called māyā. Māyā-mohita. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitaṁ nābhijānāti, mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). These rascals, they are bewildered by the three kinds of material modes of nature. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitaṁ nābhijānāti, mām ebhyaḥ param. They cannot understand that in the background of everything there is the supreme authority of God. This is called atheism. Although they are being kicked every moment by the modes of material nature, they are feeling that "I am under the control of some power, superior power..." That is appreciating.
Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:
The Marconi heard it from Bose, and immediately he published in the paper. And the British government gave him preference that he became the inventor of this wireless telegram, but actually it was Dr. Bose. So that means he was favored. Kṛṣṇa gave him intelligence, "Now you take this opportunities, takes this theory explained by Dr. Bose, and you publish it. You get the name." Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin. This is the explanation. One is working very hard day and night, and another is enjoying the result. Why? That is prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra (BG 3.27). You may think that you are doing, but you are under the control of the material nature, and the material nature is controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So therefore, ultimately, you are controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:
So because we have selected this pāra-tantrya, to be conditioned by the material nature, in any condition we are dependent, either dependent on spiritual nature or on material nature. So if we prefer to be under the control of material nature, then it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). And if we are under spiritual nature, then... Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. Raso vai saḥ, labdhānandī. Then we get blissful life, eternal blissful life. That is our selection. Either you be under spiritual nature or you be under material nature. That we have got, little independence, as you like. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa said. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. If you want to remain in the material nature and enjoy so-called material sense gratification, then you can have it.
Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:
If you want to remain in this material world, bhūtejyā, worshiper of the material energy... Just like we are at present engaged: we are worshiper of the material energy, or Durgā. Worshiper of the material energy. In the Durgā-pūjā, in the Caṇḍi, the direction is that you ask material opulence, dhanaṁ dehi, rūpaṁ dehi, rūpavatī-bhāryāṁ dehi, yaśo dehi. That you can do. And we all living entities within this material world, we are worshiper of the material nature. The scientist also trying to find out means how to exploit the resources of material nature. That is also one kind of worshiping. Because if they are successful in discovering some material energy, new kind of material energy, they get money. Then, by money, they get full advantage of sense gratification. So this is called conditioned life, conditioned by the material..., illusioned by the material... They are trying, discover material advances, and becoming happy by such advancement. This is called material life. This is pāra-tantrya. This is not svātantrya. Pāra-tantrya. Although constitutionally the living entity is svātantrya, asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ, but because we accepted to be satisfied under the control of material nature, that is called pāra-tantrya, and that is called saṁsṛtiḥ. Saṁsṛtiḥ means continuously repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. That is called saṁsāra.
Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:
Just try to understand. This is the position. Kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve bhoktṛtve. Kartṛtve is material nature. But bhoktṛtve I am, bhoktṛtve. I am put into that. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings, anādi karama-phale, paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale: "Somehow or other, I have fallen in this ocean of birth and death." Taribāre nā dekhi upāy: "I do not find how to get out of it." But we can get out of it very easily. That is advised by Kṛṣṇa: mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Otherwise you cannot. Here it is a great struggle. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Karṣati, great hard struggle going on. We are trying to be happy, but that is not possible. Just like if you are put into the ocean, you may be very good swimmer, you may struggle very nicely, but you are under the control of the prakṛti. You cannot be happy in the water. But if somebody helps you to get out of the water, then you will be happy.
Lecture on SB 3.26.9 -- Bombay, December 21, 1974:
They come to this material world. But the relationship is that the Supreme Lord is the controller, controller of the material world, and the living entities, they are controlled. This is difference. One is controller, and the other is controlled. The same woman, mother, she is working under the direction of the husband. That is one relationship. And she is taking care of the children and controlling the children. The... Although the medium is the same, but the relationship is different.
In the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is said, mama māyā: "Under My control."
- mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
- sūyate sa-carācaram
- hetunānena kaunteya
- jagad viparivartate
- (BG 9.10)
We should understand this relationship. The material nature has got relationship with both God and the living entities, but the activities of the two living entities, namely the aṇu and vibhu... God is Vibhu or Prabhu, and living entity is aṇu or servant, and the via media is the material nature.
Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:
So twenty-four elements we have discussed yesterday: the five gross elements, and the five sense objects, and five knowledge gathering senses, and five working senses—twenty—and four internal senses—twenty-four—and then again, all under the control of time, the fifth, or twenty-fifth. And above these there is the soul and Supersoul. That is spiritual. These are all material, analytical study of the material composition of this cosmic manifestation. This is called Sāṅkhya philosophy.
Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:
So energy is controlled by the energetic. Suppose if you have got some energy, you can control it. Suppose if you have got very good energy to kill anyone or to hurt one or to beat anyone, good strength, but that strength is not beyond you. The strength is under your control. When you like, you can use it; when you do not like, you cannot use it, you do not use it.
Therefore this māyā, this material world, saguṇa, that is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). Kṛṣṇa is not māyā's, but māyā is Kṛṣṇa's. We have to understand that way, not that Kṛṣṇa becomes enveloped or overpowered by māyā. That is wrong theory. The Māyāvādī theory is like that, that "I am Kṛṣṇa. I am God. Now I am overpowered by māyā, and as soon as I become free from māyā, again I become Kṛṣṇa." But the question is that "If you are Kṛṣṇa, if you are God, then why you became under the control of māyā? What kind of God you are?" Just like in the English Constitution it is said that "The king can do no wrong." So you cannot bring king under any law. Others will come—even if he is minister, he will come under the law—but the king cannot come under the law. This is the English Constitution. Similarly, God cannot be under māyā.
Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:
Everyone is under the control of māyā. Nobody is free. But there are two māyā, yoga-māyā and mahā-māyā. Mahā-māyā, this material world, and yoga-m āyā the spiritual world. If you agree to be under the yoga-māyā, then you are happy. Just like there are two kinds of laws: civil laws and criminal laws. You have to remain under one of these laws. But if you live under criminal law, then you go to the jail, and if you live under civil law, then you are free. But in either condition, you cannot say that "I am free of law." That is foolishness. That is foolishness. The atheist class of men, they say that "We do not believe in God." But that is craziness. You may believe God or may not believe, but you are under the stringent laws of God. That you cannot say, that "I am free." No. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may be very big scientist, very big man, very big prime minister and whatever you may be. You are under the control of these criminal laws: janma, birth; mṛtyu, death; old age, and disease. Then how you are independent? Where is your independence? How we can say that "You are free. You don't require to obey the laws, or dharma"?
Lecture on SB 3.26.16 -- Bombay, December 25, 1974:
We may, however, defy the existence of God. Atheist class of men, demons, they always defy, "Who is God? I am God." But everyone is under the control of time factor. The time factor, in due course, will bring him death. So at that time, how one can deny the existence of God? Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa says that "I am death, and My business is to take away everything." Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham. So time factor will take away everything, what we create with these twenty-four elements. So time is very strong, kāla. However we may defy the existence of God, the time factor is there. We have to accept it. And it is said, kālam eke yato bhayam. And because we are under the control of the time at the present moment in material existence, therefore there is bhayam. Bhayam means ultimately death. Bhayam. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ.
Lecture on SB 3.26.25 -- Bombay, January 2, 1975:
Actually, you have got obligation, so many obligation. All the demigods, they are supplying different energies, and we are maintained by that energy. Every part of our body is controlled by some particular demigod. Even the eyelids, the twinkling of the eyelids, that is also being controlled. We are supremely under control. So therefore we have got certain obligation. Just like we are controlled by the government. So we have got some obligation also, to pay tax to the government, the income tax. So similarly, we have got obligation to the devatās, the demigods, the ṛṣis, the saintly sages, because we are receiving knowledge from them. Just like Vyāsadeva. He has given us this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We are reading. We are getting knowledge, perfect knowledge. Then we are obliged to our surrounding living entities, neighbors, countrymen, and others. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta, the animals also. We are taking service from the animals. The cow is giving milk. The camel is carrying our load. The ass is carrying our load. So many animals... Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇām, general, people in general, we are obliged. So obligations, there are so many. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇām (SB 11.5.41). Pitṛs, our forefathers, the dynasty or the family in which we have taken birth.
Lecture on SB 3.26.26 -- Bombay, January 3, 1975:
So this false ego, "I am this material body. I belong to this material world, I belong to this community, sect, or nation," so many, they are all based on ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). Actually, every one of us who are in this material world, they are, we are all under the full control of this illusory energy and working differently according to the influence of the different modes of material nature. I am not real kartā. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27). Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. I am under the influence of different guṇas, and still, falsely, I am thinking that "I am the doer. I have got the capacity of acting. And the effect, whatever I have produced, it is due to my labor." This is called illusion, moha. Mohaḥ ayam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This conception of life is moha. Moha, delusion or illusion, just like a person in feverish convulsion is lying unconscious, thinking something else. This is our position. Moho 'yam. So our real business is how to get out of this moha.
Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:
So if you can control the senses by the yogic, mystic yogic process, this mechanical endeavor, how to control the mind, then you can again be placed in the original spiritual status. That is the yoga system. The yoga system is recommended to persons whose mind is very restless. Everyone's mind is restless—not a particular man mind is restless. Everyone's. But it is very difficult, also, to bring the mind into peaceful status. So long the desires are there, it is not possible to bring the mind in complete peace and tranquillity. It is not possible because the saṅkalpa-vikalpa... Vartate-kāma-sambhavaḥ. So long there is desire, so it is not possible to bring the mind under control. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, that even the pious actors, those who are acting very piously... Those who are acting impiously, sinfully, there is no question of peace of the mind. That is not possible.
Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:
"My dear Kṛṣṇa, I think the mind is very, very restless." Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa. Pramāthi: "as madman." As madman is always restless... "And very strong. I want to control the mind, but it does not come under control. So this is the position. Therefore, You are asking me to control the mind..." Tasya ahaṁ nigrahaṁ manye vāyor iva suduṣkaram: "I think it is more difficult than controlling the wind." Suppose there is very strong wind, and if you want to stop it, you see, it is not possible. There is cyclone. Similarly, Arjuna has compared the mind with the speed of cyclone. How it is to be controlled? So completely denied. But Kṛṣṇa said, just to encourage Arjuna, that he should not be disappointed because he could not control the mind. But still, because his mind was always engaged in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he is the best of all the yogis.
Lecture on SB 3.26.29 -- Bombay, January 6, 1975:
The same example as I have already spoken several times, that a gentleman takes his dog chained, and the dog passes urine, and the gentleman also stands. He passes. He wants to go there, this and there, gives the facility—but under the control of the chain. Similarly, we, after forgetting our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, when we want to enjoy independently, the chance is given. This chance is given. That is material world. We get a material body, and we are given chance to enjoy as we like. But that is not very fruitful for our satisfaction. After all, we are part and parcel of sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Sat, cit, ānanda. Sat means eternal, cit means knowledge, and ānanda means bliss. So we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, we have got also the same type or same quality of constitutional position. But because we wanted independently, therefore we are in a position or in a circumstance which is neither sat nor cit nor ānanda. Asat acit nirānanda.
Lecture on SB 3.26.41 -- Bombay, January 16, 1975:
So He has given us little independence because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent. He does not depend on anyone. But although we have got independence to a certain extent, but under the control of māyā. In the spiritual life there is also māyā. That is called yoga-māyā. And in the material life there is also māyā. That is called mahā-māyā, Durgā. So we, being very little... Just like small children. He is given either to the mother for taking care or to the nurse for taking care. The little child must be taken care of, either by the mother or an appointed nurse, maidservant. Similarly, we being very tiny, small, fragmental, atomic part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, although we have got all the ingredients of Kṛṣṇa, still, we require protection. Just like the child and the father. The child possesses all the chemical composition of the father's body. Even if the father is diseased, the child inherits the disease also. This is a fact. Similarly, we have got all the ingredients or qualities of God in us. But in many..., in very, very small fragmental portions. Therefore, although we have got Kṛṣṇa's qualities, still, we sometimes fall down. Because is very, very minute, fragmental, there is chance of being covered by something else.
Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:
So here also the same thing is stated—that yoga process is to keep the mind in peaceful condition, tranquillity, and then you can concentrate your mind towards the Supreme Absolute. This is yoga process, not a gymnastic, a gymnastic āsana: yāma, niyama, aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Aṣṭāṅga, eight kinds of practices, āsana. Āsana, the generally the yogis come here to show you the āsana, how to sit in different posture. That is mechanical. That is also very nice to bring the mind under control. But real business is after your mind is controlled. These processes which generally the yogis demonstrate, that is the process of controlling the mind. The real meaning of yoga: yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. The authorities of yoga practice, they say the yoga practice means to control the senses. That is the yoga practice.
Lecture on SB 3.28.18 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:
So every devotee is subordinate. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. If we do that, then it is mistake. Devotee... A devotee never says. Dāsa. Dāsa means servant. Servant is always the subordinate. Therefore Vaiṣṇava says "dāsa." He never says "master." Vaiṣṇava, dāsa, subordinate, tad-adhīna, under the..., under Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can be superior to Kṛṣṇa or equal to Kṛṣṇa. That is mistake. These Māyāvādī philosophers, they think, "Now I have become equal to Kṛṣṇa. I am also Kṛṣṇa." That is rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa, God, is never equal to anyone. Asamaurdhva. Asama means "not equal," and urdha, "always the top." Asamaurdhva. That is described in the Bhagavad... So we should remain tad-adhīna, always under Kṛṣṇa. That is our perfection. If we remain just like in Western countries—they rebel. If a woman is advised to remain under the control of the husband, that is insult to them. They cannot tolerate it. But actually we see in India that a wife who remains under the guidance of the husband, she is happy. That's a practical fact. That is a practical fact.
Lecture on SB Questions & Answers -- Hyderabad, April 10, 1975:
We are working under the control of material nature, and we are infecting, contaminating different modes of material nature. Just like a person who has contaminated the smallpox infection, he must suffer from smallpox. That is medical science. Similarly, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). There are three material modes of nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance. So if you associate with goodness, then your next body becomes manifest in the modes of goodness, just like highly intelligent class of men or the brāhmaṇa. If you infect the modes of passion, then you become passionate; you get passionate body. And ignorance also.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Bombay, December 25, 1976:
This place, Kṛṣṇa says, this is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). But we are trying to mitigate our distresses by material adjustment. But Kṛṣṇa says no, that is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Whatever plan you make, the nature will break it. You have to suffer here. Because you have preferred to come into this material world and want to become happy—you do not know what is the way of happiness—you must suffer. Kṛṣṇa does not like, because you are His son, but it is a punishment under the control of the material nature.
So if we want to avoid this punishment, duḥkhālayam, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-dosānudarśanam (BG 13.9), this polluted condition... This is polluted condition. I am eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So our question should be... (break) The human life is meant for inquiring about our permanent life. He requires a guru. Not a guru who can give me some so-called happiness by manufacturing some material things.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:
Therefore the very word is used, jñānavān. Jñānavān, one who has advanced in knowledge, he is purified. Just like an ordinary man, he does not know how to keep hygienic principles, ignorant. But a person who knows the hygienic laws, how to keep the body, his body is purified due to knowledge. A man who does not know that "By eating this such and such kind of food I'll be diseased," he has no knowledge. Why so much, so much disease in the society? Due to ignorance. Due to ignorance, a dor... He goes to a man, a physician, who knows, who has the knowledge. Why do you go to the physician? Because you know that he has knowledge. He can give you direction how to keep body healthy. So nonpurification, impure body, means want of knowledge. Want of knowledge. So Bhagavad-gītā says, mahātmānas tu, mahātmā. How one can become mahātmā? When he has got full knowledge. Then he has got purified body. Mahātmānas tu, this very word is used, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). One who has developed purified knowledge, purified body, he's no more under the control of this material world. (noise in background) (aside:) What is matter?
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- London, September 17, 1969:
Iśvare means kṛṣṇa-prema, love, to love Kṛṣṇa. Maitrī means friendship. Maitrī with whom? Tad-adhīneṣu, those who are under the control of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is under the control of Kṛṣṇa by this way or that way, but those who are given to Kṛṣṇa voluntarily, surrendered souls, I am speaking of them. Tad-adhīneṣu. Everyone is... Just like any citizen in the state are under the control of the state rules and regulation. But some of them, they say, "I don't care for the government." So they are forced to obey the government laws in the prisonhouse. And the free citizens means who are voluntarily abiding by the laws of the state. Similarly, any living entity is under the laws of God. There is no doubt about it. But those who are voluntarily accepting the laws of God and giving service to the Supreme Lord, they are called devotees. And those who have revolted, and being forced by māyā to abide by the laws of God, they are called nondevotees.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:
That is confirmed by Arjuna after understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Para-brahman, Brahman realization; Paramātmā realization; and above Brahman and Paramātmā there is Para-brahman. That is Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa... (BG 7.19). Who can understand? One, if he... If one understands this, that Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman—vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19)—He's also Paramātmā, He's also impersonal Brahman—sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: "He becomes the great mahātmā." Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). That mahātmā is under the control of daivī-prakṛti, spiritual energy. He's no more under the material energy. As soon as he understands Kṛṣṇa—vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19)—he's no more under material energy.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:
If you want to become disentangled or free from this entanglement, conditioned soul one after another... We are forced. Our (indistinct) was saying about the change of body. The change of body is forced. You are young man. You cannot say, "I'll not accept old man's body." "No, sir. You'll have to accept." Forced. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You cannot say "I will not accept this." Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As you are forced to accept this body, old-age body—nobody wants to become old—similarly another body, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. These things are there. We are being forced by the laws of nature. Where is our independence? They're declaring resolution: "Now we are independent. Ah. Finished." Where is your independence? You are kicked out by the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You are not free. You are under supreme control. Nature, they will accept nature's control but not God's control. But the foolish person does not know that nature is also controlled by God. This you will have to learn from Vedic literature.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:
So virūpa means under the control of the three modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Of course, in the material world the quality of brāhmaṇa, satya, śama, dama, titikṣa, ārjava, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42), this is the first-class quality within this material world. But that is also not svarūpa. That is also not svarūpa. One may become the topmost person within human society by acquiring brahminical qualification, but that is also not svarūpa. Real svarūpa is above that brahminical qualification. That is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava qualification means completely dedicated to the service of Kṛṣṇa. Sarvopādhi vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Even if I consider myself that I am a learned brāhmaṇa, that is also misconception. That is also not svarūpa.
Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:
So this endeavor to go there by so-called scientific advancement is simply defeat, because you will not be allowed, neither you can go there. And actually it is happening. What they have achieved so far? Nothing. No tangible action made. But they have spent millions of dollars, Russia and America, to go to the moon planet. And even you go there, but after all, you will have to die, you have to give up this body, and after death, you do not know where you'll be placed. That is under the nature's hand. You cannot dictate that "After death, I shall go to that planet or this planet." No. You are completely under the nature's control. Prakṛteḥ kriyāmāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Unless you are qualified... Everyone is ambitious, but does it mean by becoming ambitious, one can become very rich man or very respectable man? That is not possible. One must qualify himself. So these are futile attempts. You have to act according to the... But they do not believe that there is higher authority, there is judgment and everything. They think that it is blind: "Whatever we like, we can do." That is not good. Parābhavaḥ. This is called defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata.
Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:
So it is is said by paramparā system, we can understand, that "Do not make any friendship or," what is called, "compromise with mind. Do not do this." As I was saying yesterday, my Guru Mahārāja used to say that "When you get up you beat your mind with shoes hundred times, and when you go to the bed you beat your mind with broomstick hundred times." Then there will be no compromise. If you simply beat your mind... That is required. This is Vedic system. Now, if you want to bring somebody under your control, then you must always chastise him; otherwise it is impossible. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, the moral instruction, he also says, lālane bahavo doṣās tāḍane bahavo guṇāḥ: "If you pat your subordinate, then it will increase the faulty habits." Bahavo doṣaḥ. And tāḍane bahavo guṇāḥ: "And if you chastise, then they will improve." Tasmāt śiṣyaṁ ca chatraṁ ca tāḍayen na tu lālayet. Therefore it is advised, "Either your son or disciple, you should always chastise them. Never give them lenience." So little leniency, immediately so many faults will grow.
Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:
So here the same thing, na kuryāt karhicit sākhyam. To the subordinate never make compromise. We must keep always under control. Of course... Similarly, our mind... The mind is the cause of our material existence, mano-dharma. Why we are in this material world? On account of this change of mind. Our position is jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, but sometimes the servant thinks, "Why shall I remain a servant? Let me become master." That is natural. A master is always in comfortable situation. Sometimes the servant becomes envious: "Oh, why this man should always remain in comfortable position and we shall serve? Why not we become also in comfortable position? Let me eat as he eats," or "Let me sleep now." These are so-called comforts. So they want to imitate. When the living being imitates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he falls down. Kṛṣṇa bhuliyā jīva bhoga vāñchā kare, pasate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare. As soon as he forgets his position—he wants to imitate—that is the beginning of māyā, falldown. You should be very careful.
Lecture on SB 5.6.4 -- Vrndavana, November 26, 1976:
Prabhupāda: Purport?
Pradyumna: "In this verse the word puṁścalī refers to a woman who is easily carried away by men. Such a woman is never to be trusted. Unfortunately, in the present age, women are never controlled. According to the directions of śāstras, women are never to be given freedom. When a child, a woman must be strictly controlled by her father. When she is young, she must be strictly controlled by her husband, and when she is old, she must be controlled by her elderly sons. If she is given independence and allowed to mingle unrestrictedly with men, she will be spoiled. A spoiled woman, being manipulated by paramours, might even kill her husband. This example is given here because a yogi desiring to get free from material conditions must always keep his mind under control. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to say that in the morning our first business should be to beat the mind with shoes a hundred times, and, before going to bed, to beat the mind a hundred times with a broomstick. In this way one's mind can be kept under control. An uncontrolled mind and an unchaste wife are the same. An unchaste wife can kill her husband at any time, and an uncontrolled mind, followed by lust, anger, greed, madness, envy and illusion, can certainly kill the yogi. When the yogi is controlled by the mind, he falls down into the material condition. One should be very careful of the mind, just as a husband should be careful of an unchaste wife."
Prabhupāda:
- nityaṁ dadāti kāmasya
- cchidraṁ tam anu ye 'rayaḥ
- yoginaḥ kṛta-maitrasya
- patyur jāyeva puṁścalī
So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, everything threadbare discussed, very practical, and Absolute Truth. There are social, political, religious. Everything is discussed very scientifically. So here the example is given of the woman, puṁścalī. There are three kinds of woman: kāminī, svairendrī and puṁścalī, according to śāstra. So they become, because... Just like children. They are innocent, and if they are given freedom they will be spoiled. Everyone knows it. If you don't give proper training to the children and allow him to do independently whatever he likes, that means that child is spoiled.
Lecture on SB 5.6.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1976:
So we should be very much careful not to be afflicted by the karma. Karmānu bandha. This is very delicate task. Simply... (break) ...but they do not know what is the importance of the varṇāśrama-dharma. They have broken it. They don't like. They want to say classless society. Classless society cannot be. Even in Russia, the Communist country, they wanted to break down the classless society, but they cannot manage. They have now created a manager class and the worker class. Why manager class? Make it classless. But that is not possible. Therefore in the society there must be managers and the workers. Without this you cannot work, you cannot make, keep any systematic... So managers... The varṇāśrama-dharma: the managers, the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas; and the workers, the vaiśyas and the śūdras. And less than that, less than the śūdras, the caṇḍālas, they have to be fully controlled, kirata-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā (SB 2.4.18), because they do not know the regulative principles of life. They are called caṇḍālas. So they are described in the śāstra. So the kṣatriyas, they used to keep these caṇḍālas under full control. Otherwise the society would be lost.
Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Honolulu, May 5, 1976:
The rascals, they are thinking they are independent. They are not independent. Completely under the control of the material nature. Otherwise why there are different species of life? Where is the arrangement? Arrangement is there. If you remain in sattva-guṇa, then you get higher form of life. Nature's law is so perfect that it hasn't got to create. It is automatically. Just like if you infect some disease, germs, you will automatically suffer from that disease. Similarly, if we are in contamination, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa... Sattva-guṇa... Here sattva-guṇa is also a contamination. And what to speak of rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa? So this is called pravṛtti-mārga. According to our inclination we are contacting a certain type of the modes of material nature and we are getting different types of body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya sad-asad janma yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Kāraṇam. Why one is getting better position, and why one is not getting? Why one is dog, and why one is millionaire? So it is due to our association with different modes of material nature.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Bombay, November 6, 1970:
No, if you can make the people Kṛṣṇa conscious, then everything will be automatically..., because the democracy is there. So if they vote for a Kṛṣṇa conscious person to become president and prime minister, then everything will be saved. So that means you have to create voters, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then everything will be right. That should be one of your aims, the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. The government still is under the control of the public. That's a fact. If the public becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, naturally the government will be Kṛṣṇa conscious. But that is up to the public. But they do not want to be. Therefore they want a king—the crane was sent. You know this story? The frogs, they wanted a king from God, and God gave. He gave them one stone. (indistinct) small. So they were expecting a king. Then, when they saw that king is not speaking, somebody jumped over it. Still, the king did not say. "What can be done to the king?" So they accused the God that "What kind of king you have...? He does not speak. He does not move." "All right." Then He sent one crane. So the crane came and began to catch one like that. Then they became, "Oh, what kind of king?" (laughter) So the public is like that. They wanted. They defied this religious system. They defied their... Yes. The modernized. Who was saying, "the modernized version of Bhagavad-gītā?" Chinmayananda?
Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:
So this is the chance. We should not neglect. So if we misuse this human form of life like animals, then we are punishable. Then you have to go to the Yamarāja and he'll judge what kind of body you'll get. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Just like if you are criminal, then you are put into the magistrate's court and the magistrate decides what kind of punishment you must be given. So don't think you are, we are, every one of us, independent. No. No independent. And after death you are completely under the grip of material nature. That time you cannot say, "I don't care for anyone." No, you have to care. You can falsely become proud so long this body is there. You can talk all nonsense. But when the body is finished, now you are completely under the control of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. Then your quality will be judged. Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everyone is under the control of this prakṛti, but rascals, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, too much bodily concept of life, bewildered, vimūḍha... Viśeṣa mūḍha, first-class rascal, vimūḍha. Vimudhātmā kartāham iti manyate. He says that "Whatever I like, I can do," kartā. No. That is not possible. So this life is preparation for the next life. You can prepare. It is in your hand. It is in your hand.
Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to remove this rascaldom, foolishness. That is the purpose of this movement, that "Sir, you are not independent. You are completely under the grip of material nature, and after death, your all independence finished. You are under the control of material nature, and you have to accept. A type of body will be forced upon you." Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). So how the next body is formed? Karmaṇā, by your activities. You are forming your next body. You are responsible for your next body. Therefore you should not become a tenth-class man like Ajāmila. Of course, Ajāmila is better than anyone. That will come. But we are creating this tenth class... No. Everyone has the chance to become first-class man and come to the understanding, the value of life, and mold our life so that we can, next life we can get better chance. The so-called Darwin's evolutionary theory... Some way or other, he brings to the human body, but he has not discussed what is after human body. He has avoided. But after this, that depends on your work. Because your consciousness is developed than the animal, than the cats and dogs. And the śāstra is giving you information, how you can get the other body, next body.
Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Philadelphia, July 14, 1975:
So we are misled. We are engaged in studying the machine, that's all. Instead of using the machine to cross over the ocean, take the advantage, they are very busy in studying the machine. Is that very good intelligence? Machine is already given to you. You cannot study even. You do not know. Even if you study, you cannot say... I claim, "It is my body," and if somebody asks me, "How many hairs you have got in your body?" I cannot say. How I am eating something, how it is being turned into some secretion, it is going to the heart, it is becoming red and it is again distributed through the nerves and veins—I do not know anything. I can simply theorize. But the machine is not under your control. The machine is made by God or by nature. It is very subtle machine. If you are very expert, the first thing is that what is the use of simply studying the machine? You got it. You utilize it for going to the destination. That is your intelligent. No, they forgot to use the machine for going to the destination; they are simply studying the machine. And that is going on in the name of science. What is this nonsense science? Simply busy in studying the machine.
Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:
They say there is no īśvara, supreme ruler, and everything is happening by nature. But they cannot explain what is nature. At least, they have to admit nature is a power which is controlling him. We are not independent of the laws of nature. That is not possible. Even if you accept nature, then you are under the control of nature. That is a fact. Who is controlling nature, that you may not know because your knowledge is very poor. But nature is controlling you, that you can understand, everyone can understand. You cannot supersede the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Just like ordinary criminal, thief. The police is chastising him. He does not think that there is any other power over the police. He thinks the police is the father and mother, and he is poor class. He does not know that police is not the supreme power. The supreme power is the president or the minister of law and order. He thinks, "This constable is everything." So poor-class thinking, they think nature is everything. But any way, everyone is under the control of nature.
Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:
So anyway, we are dependent on the laws of nature. That nobody can deny, even the greatest scientist, he cannot also deny. And because we are under the control of the laws of nature, we must admit, if we are sane man, that there is a system of ruling. If we deny the supreme ruler, we may do it madly, but there must be a systematic action, reaction. So here is Dharmarāja. Just like we have got magistrate. So magistrate's duty is, when a criminal is brought before him, to judge what kind of punishment he should be allowed. Justice there is. Similarly, this Dharmarāja means the criminals are brought before him. Dharmarāja is appointed magistrate by the Supreme Lord. So everyone, after death, he is brought before Dharmarāja, the Yamarāja, and he judges what kind of next body this criminal will have. That is Dharmarāja.
Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:
So the people do not understand it, and they are declaring, "I am God. I don't care for God. God is dead." How God is dead? You are under so much control, and how God is dead? You can say that there is no government, provided there is nobody to check you. But if you are in every step checked, how you can say that there is no government. That is another foolishness. All men, they have been declared in the Bhāgavata, abodha-jāta, born fools and rascals. But these are very strong words. But if we state the strong, that is another foolishness. It is so, and if we deny, that "We cannot accept such strong things," then another foolishness. Begin.
Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:
Now, just like Hiraṇyakaśipu, Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was materially very much powerful, but he defied Rāma: "What is Rāma? I am more than Rāma. I shall kidnap His wife, and I shall enjoy." So this is Rāvaṇa, Rāvaṇa spirit. Sītā... Sītā is Lakṣmī. Lakṣmī is the goddess of fortune. So God is the husband of the goddess of fortune, and goddess of fortune is under His control. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). Thousands and millions of goddesses of fortune are serving the Supreme Lord, and I am thinking that "God has become poor, daridra, daridra-nārāyaṇa." And what...? Nārāyaṇa, He is so great authority that His words are accepted as Vedic truth, and He has become daridra? These are all demonic declarations.
Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, July 23, 1975:
So nature is so powerful. Immediately. So therefore... Similarly, our bodies, you body, my body, millions and trillions and numberless body, immediately created. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi... (BG 3.27). We have to study like that, how prakṛti is working. The prakṛti is not under your control. That prakṛti is working under the supervision of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhaykṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. As soon as Kṛṣṇa says, "Now make all the trees leafless," immediately leafless. He says, "Make the all the trees with all leafs," immediately with leaves. That is God; that is prakṛti. Try to understand like that. Why you compare your silly intelligence with God's intelligence? "I cannot do it; therefore God cannot do it. I cannot see God; therefore God cannot see me." This rascaldom is going on. Because I am an insignificant creature, kṣudrad api-kṣudra, kṣḍra means very, very insignificant—I am comparing myself with the intelligence of God. This is my fault(?).
Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976:
So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, tār madhye jihvā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati ta 'ke jetā koṭhina saṁsāre. Of all the senses, the tongue is the strongest enemy, always proposing, "Eat this, eat this, eat this, eat this, eat this." Just see, for tongue, only one person eats little bit of beef only, not much. No, I have seen. A piece of beef. But for the satisfaction of the senses, thousands of innocent animals are being killed. Just see. They cannot control this, a bit of beef. They cannot control. If they decide that we shall not... We are prohibiting, "No meat-eating." So this is controlling the sense. Because unless you bring the senses under control, there is no question of spiritual advancement. Tār madhye jihvā ati. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Tṛpyanti neha kṛpana bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. The sense, the tongue, the belly, the straight line, and then the genital. If you can control the tongue, then you can control your belly and then control your genital. And that is required. Unless you can control the genital, there is no question of liberation from this material bondage. This is the principle.
Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:
Then tad etat ṣoḍaśa-kalam liṅgam. Liṅgam means the form. Liṅgaṁ śakti-trayaṁ mahat. Just like we have got this microphone, so the machine is made of these elements. That is analyzed. Then how it is working? Śakti-traya. The sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, mahat-tattva, the material elements... In this way the living entity is under the full control of material nature. And everything is coming out swiftly by our desire. These desires are also being generated from the soul, but by the infection of three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So just try to understand how the nature's law is working very finely and immediately. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). And above all these things, the nature's working, there is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). The prakṛti, nature... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is being done. Just like the big airship is floating in the sky, but the pilot is pushing the button, similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation is working, but the button-pusher is Kṛṣṇa. Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate. His knowledge is so perfect, and He has made this machine so perfect. A man can make so nice perfect machine, so what to speak about God? So mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).
Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- Paris, August 11, 1975:
So we are under the control of the modes of material nature. Now, the next verse says, eṣa prakṛti-saṅgena. Eṣa means all these living entities. In this way, on account of association with this material nature... Prakṛti-saṅgena puruṣasya viparyayaḥ. Puruṣasya means the living entities; viparyayaḥ, entanglement. Āsīt: "In this way he is involved." Sa eva na cirād īśa-saṅgād vilīyate. So he is involved in this way, but if he associates with Īśa, the Supreme Lord, then na cirād, very soon, all these things, entanglement, can be finished. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). One who is entangled with these modes of material nature, it is very difficult to come out of it. But mām eva ye prapadyante: "Anyone who takes My shelter, he can get out."
Lecture on SB 6.1.61 -- Vrndavana, August 28, 1975:
A real brāhmaṇa will never agree to embrace the opposite sex in public way. No. That is not brāhmaṇa's business. He has been trained up how to become controller of the mind, controller of the senses. That is the first business of a brāhmaṇa. Śama, dama, satyam. He is truthful, śaucam, clean, thrice taking bath. So you should always... You are given the chance of becoming brāhmaṇa. You should not become again śūdras or mlecchas or caṇḍālas. Be careful. This is brāhmaṇa business. If we again come back to caṇḍālas or śūd... Caṇḍāla means less than the śūdras. Even śūdras, they eat meat under control. But caṇḍālas, they eat meat without any control. So just like in the Vedic society, although there are meat-eaters, they would eat meat after offering sacrifice to Goddess Kālī. Restriction. Restriction. Because if you eat meat from the slaughterhouse there is no restriction. You can go and purchase at any time. But if you follow the scriptural regulation, they say, "Yes..." It is restriction. It is indirectly saying, "Don't eat," but because this less intelligent person will not be able to understand, therefore they are given some permission under certain restriction. This is restriction, that "If you want to eat meat, then you must offer sacrifice to Goddess Kālī and then you can." And the Goddess Kālī is worshiped once in a month. That means by restriction he will come to his senses; he will give it up. So śūdra, up to śūdra, there is possibility of raising him. Although he can see ideal character, it is not that anyone be ideal character like a brāhmaṇa. That is not possible. But still, in the society there must be an ideal person who is actually brāhmaṇa.
Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971:
You cannot manufacture the process of your happiness by tackling this material energy. That is not possible because the material energy is not under your control. It is controlled by the Supreme. How you can overpower the material energy? That is not possible. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: Daivī hy eṣa guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). It is not possible to overcome the stringent laws of material nature. It is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā: "It is My energy. I am controlling." Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: (BG 7.14) "But if somebody surrenders unto Me..." The whole process, whole material activities, the cosmic manifestation, situation, is going on just to bring these rebelled souls to come back to Godhead. That is the situation. The māyā, the stringent laws, are there. Just like what is the purpose of this police force or material force or military force? The purpose is to keep the citizens obedient to the state. That is the purpose.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:
This is first-class bhakti that there is no other motive. Anyābhilā... Because here in the material world, under the control of the material nature Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartā... (BG 3.27). We are under the full control of the prakṛti, material nature. But because we are foolish, we have forgotten our position, so ahaṅkāra, false ahaṅkāra. This is false ahaṅkāra: "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya." This is false ahaṅkāra. Therefore Nārada Pañcarātra says sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ (CC Madhya 19.170). So one has to become free, uncontaminated from all these designations, "I am Indian," "I am American," I am this," "I am that." "I am..." Sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam. When he is purified, nirmalam, without any designation, that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa."
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:
We are, every one of us, we are fully under the control of material nature. We have put ourselves, in different bodies, we are fully under the control of material nature. There is no question of independence. In the śāstra it is described just like a horse or a bull is bound up in the nose and the driver, as he push, pull on the rope, it has to go according to that. There is no independence. So our so-called declaration of independence, "There is no God. There is no control. Whatever we like we can do," this means ignorance. And in ignorance we commit so many mistakes, and that is sinful activity.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:
So we have to understand this, that the sense gratification... In English it is called "One man's poison is another man's food." Why this difference? A particular type of body. Although we are all human being, but every one of us is under the control of the laws of nature. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu (BG 13.22). Sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. We are born in a particular family, particular circumstances, particular taste. Everything. That is kāraṇam. What is the..., why there are differences? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya. The kāraṇa, the reason is because we are associated with a particular type of modes of nature. Just like a person, at this time he'll be pleased to come here to understand this Bhāgavata-dharma. At the same time, another person will be pleased to go to a brothel or to a liquor shop. Why? The kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. The reason is that he's interested with the particular modes of nature. So Bhāgavata-dharma means, even one is in the most lower stage of association, he can be raised to the highest stage. That is called bhāgavata-dharma.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:
So we must rectify our karma. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). If you cultivate bhāgavata-dharma, then your karma can be changed. Otherwise, it is not changed. Otherwise, it is not possible. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate (SB 1.5.18). Everyone is born with the resultant action of some past karma. That also, people in the modern days, they do not understand, what is past, what is future, what is present. Simply animals. The animals, cats and dogs, they cannot understand. Therefore human form of life should not be wasted like the animals. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kasṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. This should be, there should be responsibility, and the state, the father, the elderly persons, the guru, they must be very responsible. And what is that responsibility? Every person under one's control should be trained up in such a way, because he has got this human life, he can be elevated to the highest position. That, how it can be done? By bhāgavata dharma. Not otherwise. Not by karma or jñāna or yoga. No. You cannot change.
Lecture on SB 7.6.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 28, 1976:
The science, the material science of craftsmanship, mechanical, they have done it. Or formerly these things were very magical. Still, the so-called yogis, they are trying to achieve such perfection. Sometimes they can float in the air, they can walk on the water, they can get anything they desire, prāpti. Prāpti, in my childhood there was my teacher. He said that he had his guru, a yogi. So he told me that his spiritual master, yogi, he inquired from his disciple, "What do you want to eat?" So he said that "We want to eat some pomegranate from Kabul." So he said, "Yes, you can get it. Go into the room and you'll find." So they found a bunch of pomegranate just fresh taken from the tree. This is called prāpti. The yogis, they can get all these facilities. Prāpti siddhi. Īśitā, they can keep anyone under his control. Īśitā, vaśitā... There are eight kinds of aṣṭa-siddhi. But that is not perfection of life. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaja says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmi-sakali "aśānta" kṛṣṇa-bhakta-niṣkāma, ataeva "śānta" (CC Madhya 19.149). Bhukti means karmis, they are also wanting something, material success.
Lecture on SB 7.7.32-35 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1967, (incomplete lecture):
So when one reaches the highest stage of perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has no more any distinction, and he thinks everyone as sādhu, as devotee. He thinks himself that "I am the worst." He thinks anyone, "Oh, everyone is serving the Supreme Lord. They are engaged in the service of the Lord. Simply I am so fool that I cannot engage myself." He simply laments himself. That is the highest stage. He sees, "Everyone is engaged in the loving service of God, but simply I am unable to serve God. So kindly...," he prays to God, "my dear Lord, please give me strength so that I can serve." This is the first-quality stage. Evaṁ nirjita-ṣaḍ-vargaiḥ kriyate bhaktir īśvare. These are the process of devotional service when the senses are completely under control. This highest stage means, even in the first stage, second stage, the senses are controlled.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 15, 1976:
So this ugra-karma, formerly this ugra-karma was entrusted to the demons. Those who were in the sattva-guṇa, they do not like this ugra-karma. Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). The... Those who are under the control of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they are engaged in ugra-karma, ugra-karma: industrial enterprise, big, big roads, big, big skyscraper. This is called ugra-karma. So ugra-karma is very pleasing to the ugra-jātis (just like) Hiraṇyakaśipu. What was the trouble between the father and the son? The father was for ugra-karma, and the son, Prahlāda, was for sattvika life. So when Prahlāda Mahārāja engaged himself in sattvika life, not only sattvika, śuddha-sattvika... In the material world there are three guṇas: sattvika, rajasika, tamasika. The sattvika is the best. So, and devotional activity is śuddha-sattvika, where there is no contamination.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 15, 1976:
They're trying to eat—no discrimination of eating. So that is hog's life. The hog has no discrimination of eating. It can eat even stool. So the... If you eat, become like hog—no discrimination of eating, whatever you..., just like so many swamis, they say, "Oh, why there is restriction of eating? You can eat anything you like," so nature will give you: "All right, you want to eat anything you like? All right, you become a hog. You eat even stool." Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor dehopapatti (SB 3.31.1). You have to change your body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muḥ... (BG 2.13). You may say that there is no life after, but that is foolishness. You are under the control of material nature.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
You may falsely be proud. You say, "No, no, I shall not become old man. I shall remain young." But nature will not allow you. Nature will force you to take the old man's body. But these foolish people, they are thinking, "independent." You are not independent. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22).
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977:
"There are two envious living entities. One is a snake, black snake, and one is a human being with the quality of black snake." He cannot see any good thing. Sarpaḥ krūraḥ. The snake is envious. Without any fault he bites. A snake is there on the street, and if you happen to pass by him he becomes so angry, immediately he bites. So this is the snake's nature. Similarly, there are persons like the snake. Without any fault they will accuse you. They are also snake. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that "This black snake is less harmful than the man snake." Why? "Now, this black snake, by chanting some mantra or by some herb can bring him under your control. But this man snake you cannot. It is not possible."
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1976:
When one is absorbed with false things, he becomes vimūḍha, rascal. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). This is false prestige. We have to give up this false prestige. Ahaṅkāra must be there because you are a reality. You are not false. Your body is false, but you are reality. "I am soul." That realization must come. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Not that ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, "I am dog," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this." This is ahaṅkāra, this false ahaṅkāra. But giving up all these nonsense prestigious position... A dog is also thinking he's in a prestigious position: "I am dog. I can bark very loudly. Gow! Gow!" He's also thinking that. Similarly, if I also think, "I am Indian," "I am white," "I am black," "I am this," what is the difference? Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). He is completely under the control of material nature, and he's thinking falsely that "I am very advanced in...," so on, so on. This should be given up.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1976:
This is called omnipotency. In spite of His becoming in Goloka, He's everywhere. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and you or me. I am here; I'm not in upstairs. I'm here only. But Kṛṣṇa simultaneously can be everywhere. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). So many pretenders, they claim that they are God: "I am God." But are you present everywhere? Can you say what I am thinking now? No, that he cannot. Still, he claims, "God." Nonsense. How he can become God? If you cannot say what I am thinking now, then how you can become God? God is situated everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Everywhere. Paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Even within the atom there is God. So how you can claim God? Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Then they will answer, "I'm not in God now I am God, but māyā... Therefore I cannot say now." That... "Why you have become under the control of māyā? Then māyā is greater than God. Then how you can become God? Māyā is greater than God." So they cannot answer this. Because their theory is foolish, they cannot answer all these things. Actually, unless one is a devotee, he'll have all these bad qualification.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Mayapur, February 19, 1976:
This verse is given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu in another distinct form, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam (CC Antya 20.12). It doesn't matter where I am born. That is not important thing. Nīco, even one is very lowborn by breaks of nature... Nobody can guarantee where he'll take his birth. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). I'll have to take my birth according to my fruitive activities, controlled by nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). We are all completely under the control of the laws of material nature, guṇa-visarga. So according to the quality or modes of material nature we associate, we create another body. There are many places this thing has been described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Māyayā, yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni (BG 18.61). Just like that Jumnagar(?) Agarwal, that... He is now in the police custody. Now he is crying, "Save me, save me, save me." But nature's law is very strict. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Once you have committed mistake, immediately nature's law reacts, and it is very difficult to come out of it. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā.
Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:
So we have to understand that behind every value there is spirit, Supreme. And the Supreme Spirit is the real value. So Vedic instruction is īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: "Everything belongs to God." The world is moving due to that Supreme Spirit or the small spirit. We are small spirit, and God is Supreme Spirit. So we are changing... We are under Him. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). We are under His control. So we are also moving; we are also creating. But He is the greatest creator, He's the greatest mover. God is great; we are small. Actually, it belongs to the great. Yat kiñcid jagatyaṁ jagat tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). Therefore tena. Tena means "therefore." Tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Tyaktena bhuñjīthā means tyakta. Tyakta means "sacrificing." Because it is God's, therefore you must go to the God. That mentality is Kṛṣṇa conscious. Just like suppose in this room there is one note, hundred dollars. Somebody finds: "Here is a hundred dollar note." Now it belongs to somebody. It has fallen some way. Somebody has lost. So how to utilize this hundred dollar found by me? If I take it in my pocket, then I am thief.
Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:
Persons who are ignorant of the Vedic principles, śruti, and smṛti, corollaries to the śruti, and Purāṇa... There are eighteen Purāṇas. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Maha-purāṇam. So śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi (Brs. 1.2.101) and pañcarātriki-vidhi, Nārada Pañcarātra. So one should be conversant with all these authoritative scriptures. Without knowing these, if there is an imitation of devotional service, Rūpa Gosvāmī says that is simply disturbance. Simply disturbance. Therefore we see that in India the original principle is Vedic principle, but due to so many reasons, there being no real king or government who can control the citizens, or India being for so many years under the control of foreigners, and at the present moment forgetting their own real culture... Not only India, everywhere the same thing. So they are creating disturbances. Disturbances. Asuric civilization, demonic civilization.
Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:
One can give up this material body... Everyone has to give it up. There is no doubt. But one is giving up this body and accepting another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). But there is another method, that he's not going to accept any more material body. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: (BG 4.9) "After giving up this body, he's not going to accept another material body." Who? Janma karma ca divyaṁ ye jānāti tattvataḥ: "Anyone who has understood Kṛṣṇa as He is." This is the secret, to teach your children like that, that what is Kṛṣṇa. From the beginning, you can do that. The children are under your control. Just like we are teaching these boys. They are simply chanting, dancing. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not that useless education—after some years they will learn how to smoke bidi. It is not like that. They'll never touch bidi. This is education. Tan manye adhītam uttamam. Even they are not literary person, they will have character and they'll become Kṛṣṇa devotee. That is real education. Don't think that "These boys are brought here. They're not giving any education, academic.
Lecture on SB 7.9.20 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1976:
So Durgā-devī is keeping you captivated. When Kṛṣṇa says, "Let him go," immediately released. Immediately you are released. And when Kṛṣṇa says, "Keep him under your control," so you have to remain. So we are captivated now within this material world. We are announcing that "We are independent. Whatever we like, we can do." These are all foolishness. You are entangling yourself, simply entangling. A little mistake—you'll have to suffer. Just like in our daily affairs you can eat so much. A little more eating means disturbance in the digestion. You are so much under the control of nature. But these rascals, they do not understand it. They declare, "Freedom."
Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:
She can create, she can maintain, and she can make pralaya, devastator. That is her business. But so powerful, still, she is under the control of the Supreme Lord. Therefore here it is said, saṁsāra-cakram aja ko 'titaret tvad-anyaḥ. "A strong māyā. I cannot get out of her clutches." So Prahlāda Mahārāja knows it. Ko 'titaret: "Who can surpass? Who can get rid of this clutches of māyā?" Tvad-anyaḥ. That is the fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender to Me, and you'll be free from māyā." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ sara..., ahaṁ tvām: (BG 18.66) "I'll give you protection." Mām eva ye prapadyante. The same thing, whole instruction, is there. Simply if we want to be happy... Happiness you cannot have in this way, by concocting plans. That is not possible. You have seen the whole world, especially in the modern days. So many big, big nations, they are assembled together in the United Nations. Nonsense, where is unity? Simply disunity. For the last twenty or thirty years they are struggling. Before that, they convened another, League of Nation. So they are making simply plans.
Lecture on SB 7.9.22 -- Mayapur, February 29, 1976:
Dayānanda: Translation: "My dear Lord, the supreme great, You have created this material world of sixteen paraphernalia, but You are transcendental to such material qualities, or in other words, all these material qualities are under Your full control. You are never conquered by them. Therefore the time element is Your representation. O my Lord, the Supreme, nobody can conquer over You, but so far I am concerned, I am being crushed by the wheel of time, and therefore I am surrendering fully unto You. And now, therefore, kindly take me under the protection of Your lotus feet."
Prabhupāda:
- sa tvaṁ hi nitya-vijātma-guṇaḥ sva-dhāmnā
- kālo vaśī-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-śaktiḥ
- cakre visṛṣṭam ajayeśvara ṣoḍaśāre
- niṣpīḍyamānam upakarṣa vibho prapannam
- (SB 7.9.22)
The same thing is repeatedly reminded. Māyā... We are niṣpīḍyamānam. We are being crushed by the wheel of time with sixteen spokes. We are being crushed. At the same time, we are thinking that we are very happy. This is called māyā. This is māyā's grace, that in any condition of life, the suffering is very, very acute, but the living entity who is suffering, he thinks, "I am enjoying." This is called māyā. You have seen that the pig eats stool. And when we see, we say, "Ah! What is that? Oh! He is eating stool." But he's thinking that he's enjoying. He is thinking he's enjoying. This is the covering influence of māyā, prakṣepātmika-śakti. Otherwise how one can suffer? The worm in the stool is enjoying. If you take one worm from the stool and keep it aside, he'll again go to the stool. This is māyā, prakṣepātmika-śak..., āvaraṇātmika-śakti, covering. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43).
Lecture on SB 7.9.22 -- Mayapur, February 29, 1976:
So those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness preaching work, they should always know that things are not going to happen so easily. Māyā is very, very strong. Very, very strong. But still, we have to struggle against māyā. It is a declaration of war with the māyā. Māyā is keeping the living entities under her control, and we are trying to save the living entity from her un... That is the difference. Kālo vaśī-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-śaktiḥ. This śakti, visarga-śaktiḥ, is very, very strong, but it is under the control. Although it is very, she is very, very strong, but she is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Although prakṛti is acting so wonderfully... Very, very, I mean to say, great task she is performing, that immediately the cloud comes. Now it is so bright. Within a second a very big, dark cloud may come and cause devastation immediately. That is possible. These are the wonderful activities of Māyā. But still, she is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We see this sun so big, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth, and you see morning, how quickly it gets up, like this, immediately. The speed is sixteen thousand miles per second. So how it is being happenend? Yasyājñayā bhramati saṁbhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajā... It is being done under the order of Govinda. So therefore He's vibhu. He is great. But we do not know how great He is. Therefore we foolishly accept some pretender, some fraud, as God. We do not know what is the meaning of God. But it is going on. We are fools. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānās. We are blind, and another blind man lead us: "I am God. You are God. Everyone is God." But God is not like that.
Lecture on SB 7.9.33 -- Mayapur, March 11, 1976:
In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is mentioned, prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. This material nature is separated energy, divided into eight elements: earth, water, air, and fire, then ether, mind, intelligence and ego. These are all prakṛti, material. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā. Bhinnā means separated. There is not direct connection, but another prakṛti, that is... Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā (BG 7.5). This is inferior energy, material elements, and there is superior element, prakṛti. That is also prakṛti. We are prakṛti. Prakṛti means under the control of the puruṣa. That is natural. We cannot conceive equal rights of puruṣa and prakṛti. That is not Vedic conception. Vedic conception is puruṣa, the superior, Supreme, and prakṛti means subordinate. Puruṣa is predominator, and prakṛti is predominated. So we living entities, we are prakṛti. Falsely if we try to become puruṣa, that is māyā. We should remain prakṛti, subservient, predominated. That is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Because generally the people are misled, thinking himself as puruṣa, "I am the enjoyer." But that is not the fact. That false ego, that "I am enjoyer," that is false ego. And real ego is "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." So there is no necessity of giving up egotism or egoism, but it must be real. At the present moment we are falsely thinking, "I am this body," every one of us. There is no argument. The whole material world is going on on the basis of this false conception that "I am this body." And because I am this body, therefore "I am American," "I am Indian." So this is false ego.
Lecture on SB 7.9.41 -- Mayapura, March 19, 1976:
So similarly, this body, when it is finished, you may say that "I don't believe there is another body," but there is—"must"—exactly like that, that a young man, he may think, "This body is very nice. I am enjoying. I shall not become old man." No, you must become. That is the law of nature. You cannot say. Similarly, after death, when this body is finished, you must have another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). And who is speaking? The Supreme Lord, the Supreme Person. He is speaking, the supreme authority. And if you, by your ordinary reason, you try to understand that what is the law, a very simple example is given there. So there is life. You cannot deny it. There is life. Now, that life, that body, is not in your hand. At the present moment, when the life is there, you are very proud of your knowledge. You are very impudent to accept the existence of God. You can do that foolishly. But after death you are completely under the control of nature. That is... You cannot avoid. Just like when you are foolish, you can say, "I don't believe in the government's law. Whatever, I shall do." But when you are arrested, then everything is finished. Then simply slap and shoes, that's all.
Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Calcutta, March 23, 1976:
That is Vaiṣṇava's duty, because they practically see that these rascals are engaged only in false activities which will not help him. They are planning this "ism," that "ism," that "ism," that "ism," simply wasting time, because he knows. He knows, everyone knows, but Vaiṣṇava understands; the non-Vaiṣṇava does not understand. He is a fool. He's a fool, does not understand. When in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said clearly, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), "Everyone is under the control of the modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa," and still, this rascal is thinking that he is independent... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. And the so-called yogis and swamis encouraging them, that "Yes, you can go on doing all nonsense. Pay me thirty-five dollars, I will give you mantra, and you'll be perfect." This is going on.
Lecture on SB 7.9.48 -- Vrndavana, April 3, 1976:
The other day in Delhi, somebody questioned that "If God is everywhere, what is the use of going to the temple to see Him?" Just see how contradictory it is. If God is everywhere, why He is not in the temple? But these foolish persons, they do not know what he is questioning. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Just like the electricity is everywhere, but when you catch the switch, then it is under your control. Electricity is everywhere, but still, by arrangement we can touch the electricity or take it into service by preparing electric wiring and switch. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, and you can worship Kṛṣṇa from anything. Everyone knows that this Deity is made of stone. The ground floor, the marble stone, black and white, and the Deity is also black and white. Everyone knows. But why you see the black and white Deity in this temple and gather together and offer prayer? Is it the same marble of the ground, black and white? That means you are seeing in a different position. That is love, love of Kṛṣṇa. Those who haven't got the love, they are seeing that "The same stone on the floor and same stone in the Deity. What these foolish men are worshiping?" They say that "I can worship this stone also." No, no. Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, that is... The stone on the floor, that is also I am, but I am not present there."
Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:
So śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān, this word, we have several times explained that the most opulent, six opulences, riches, aiśvaryasya... Śrī, aiśvarya, strength, bala... Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). This is Bhagavān. All six opulences in full. So if Bhagavān wants to fulfill one's desires, who can check Him? Here Kṛṣṇa, Nṛsiṁha-deva, says, prīto 'ham: "I am now pleased." So this is the business, how to please Kṛṣṇa. If He is pleased, then what you want more? Everything is under your control. Yasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam. Everything will be fulfilled. Riches? You can... If Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon you, He can give you immense riches, as much as you want. That is wanted. Instead of endeavoring yourself to earn money... People are engaged to earn money, working very hard day and night. So if there is such thing that simply by pleasing Kṛṣṇa you can get as much money as you want, then why shall I earn money?
Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:
So as it is stated that human life is meant for tapasya, austerity... Tapasa. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattva (SB 5.5.1), that this human form of life is meant for tapasya, not to live like cats and dogs. That is not human life. And tapasya, austerity, begins from brahmācārya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena vā (SB 6.1.13). This is tapasya. Brahmācārya means restraining sex life, celibacy. That is brahmācārya. So when one is serious about advancement of spiritual consciousness, he must live under the control of the guru to learn how to become brahmacārī. This is main purpose.
Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:
So we cannot avoid in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That was the problem from the very beginning. In India there is restriction between men and women, free intermingling, but in your country there is no such restriction. Therefore I got my disciples married. They criticize me that I have become a marriage-maker. Anyway, I wanted at least to regulate. That is required. Dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Kṛṣṇa also says. Now, a married man also can be brahmacārī. If a married man stick to one wife, and before sex, if he takes permission from his spiritual master, then he is brahmacārī. Not whimsically. When the spiritual master orders him that "Now you can beget a child," then he is brahmacārī. Śrīla Vira-Rāghava Ācārya, he has described in his comment that there are two kinds of brahmacārī. One brahmacārī is naiṣṭhikī-brahmacārī; he doesn't marry. And another brahmacārī is... Although he marries, he is fully under control of the spiritual master, even for sex. He is also brahmacārī.
Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:
If a gṛhastha lives, even he has got wife, he does not... One side, according to Vedic civilization, there is no sex life except for begetting a nice child, and that also with garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. In other words, whimsically sex life is completely stopped in Vedic civilization. There everything under regulation. Therefore brahmacārī means how to control the senses, to keep under his own control, not that "I am now sexually inclined. I must have immediately sex." No. Dānta. That is taught. Just like in our society, even gṛhastha, he is also under restriction, and what to speak of brahmacārī. But we should always remember that this human life is meant for controlling the senses. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. It is simply meant for inquiring about our spiritual life. That is perfect civilization.
Therefore brahmacārī means living under direction of guru, guror hitam. And guror hitam... How he can be simply thinking of benefiting the spiritual master? Unless that position comes, nobody can serve guru. It is not an artificial thing. The brahmacārī, the disciple, must have genuine love for guru. Then he can be under his control. Otherwise why one should be under the control of another person? Therefore it is said, ācaran dāsavat. Dāsa. Dāsa means servant. Not only servant, but menial servant. Menial servant means just like the sweeper, the cobbler, like that. They are called menial servants. So in India there is system.
Lecture on SB 7.12.5 -- Bombay, April 16, 1976:
So this is discipline and hardship, voluntary hardship. The brahmacārī may come from the royal house... Just like our Kṛṣṇa is actually son of Vasudeva, and He was brahmacārī. And when Sudāmā Vipra... Kṛṣṇa was supposed to be kṣatriya and Sudāmā Vipra was brāhmaṇa, so brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas are especially meant for going to the gurukula and live very strictly according to the principle of gurukula. So Kṛṣṇa and Sudāmā Vipra went to collect dry fuel from the woods. When Sudāmā Vipra came to Kṛṣṇa's house, He reminded, "My dear Sudāmā, do you remember that day that both of us, we went to the forest and there was cyclone and rain, we could not come out?" So that means so much painstaking for the matter of guru. One cannot refuse, that "I am coming from very rich family. Why should you ask me to go to collect some... I can purchase it. I have money." No. If you have to... Here it is said that brahmacārī gurukule vasan dānto guror hitam, ācaran dāsavan nīcaḥ. Even if you are coming from the royal family, even if you are coming from the very respectable brāhmaṇa family, when you are under the control of guru you should act like servant. And what kind of servant? Menial servant, nīca. Not that "I am very rich man's son. You are asking me to do this? No, I cannot do it." No. This is called tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13).
| Page Title: | Under control (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur |
| Created: | 30 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=133, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 133 |