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Understand Krsna (Lectures, SB cantos 4 - 12)

Expressions researched:
"understand Krishna" |"understand Krsna" |"understanding Krishna" |"understanding Krsna" |"understands Krishna" |"understands Krsna" |"understood Krishna" |"understood Krsna"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "understand Krsna" or "understand Krishna" or "understanding Krsna" or "understanding Krishna" or "understands Krsna" or "understands Krishna" or "understood Krishna" or "understood Krsna" not "try* understand* krsna"@8 not "try* understand* krishna"@8

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). How Kṛṣṇa expands Himself, how He appears, what is the nature of His body, these things if you simply understand, then you become immortal. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Just to give the people a chance to understand Kṛṣṇa then he becomes immortal. That is the mission of life. Not that to enjoy sense gratification in a polished way, but the business is the same as the dogs and hogs enjoy. That is being instructed here. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Viḍ-bhujām means the pigs who eat stool. They're also enjoying like that. They have got very free sex enjoyment. They do not care who is mother, who is sister, with anyone. We have seen, that is, nature has got example, everything, you can study. You'll find in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that by studying nature you can get so many instruction, perfect. So one devotee made the nature his spiritual master, and studying nature and getting so much information. So if you study like that, here as it is given, the example, viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. So viḍ-bhujām means the pigs or the hog. They are also eating nicely, getting fat, and having sex intercourse very freely, so does it mean that human being is also meant for this business, like the hogs and dogs. This is the point. This is the instruction. This body is not meant for such enjoyment for the senses, but this body is meant for tapaḥ, austerity, as Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī showed example. He came to the point of neti. How to come to that point, tapasya. Why? By that process your existential position will be purified. And if you say, what is the use of purifying? There is use, because you want happiness, but your happiness is disturbed. You cannot have perpetual, uninterrupted happiness in this body. Therefore, if you really want happiness, then you purify your existence and you'll get continued eternal happiness of bliss and knowledge. This should be the aim of human life.

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.

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
(BG 7.14)
This is the way.

So this human form of life is very valuable, especially those who are born in India. Those who are born in India, it is automatically Kṛṣṇa conscious. Unfortunately, we are killing that consciousness. This is our advancement of civilization. So our only request is that "Don't kill yourself. Don't commit suicide. Take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness." It is explained very nicely in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. Why should we not understand Kṛṣṇa? Why? Why we are spoiling our life? Of course, Bhagavad-gītā is very popular book. Practically everyone reads. But unfortunately they do not... Most of them, they do not take Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That is the difficulty.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

We are all nityas, eternal, but He's the supreme nitya, nityo nityānām. We are plural nitya; He is singular nitya. So what is the difference between this plural and singular? The singular maintains all these plural, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He is the maintainer and we are maintained.

So everything is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, and that is the essence of all Vedic literature. Our propaganda is that you read Bhagavad-gītā, try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any foolish commentary. As soon as you comment, that is foolishness. Don't do it. Read as it is. Then you'll get the enlightenment and you'll understand Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa is teaching to make you understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. Why should we deviate? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Learn Bhagavad-gītā, the same instruction, mahat-sevā." Sevā. Kṛṣṇa says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34), unless you are prepared to render service to your spiritual master... First of all you must find out the proper spiritual master. Then you must engage yourself to his service. Then you can question. Otherwise don't waste your time and your spiritual master's time. Tad viddhi, you must know. The first thing is praṇipātena, praṇipātena, prakṛṣṭa rūpeṇa nipāt, fully surrendered. Just like these boys, they have learned. They will see their spiritual master hundred time, and hundred time they'll fall flat and offer respect. This is called praṇipā. Hundred times. Not that I finished my praṇipā in the morning as an etiquette now. No. These boys are so good. They have learned that they'll meet me hundred times and they'll fall flat hundred times. This is called praṇipā. This is the injunction. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34), that is the Vedic injunction.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

They are accepting God, but they did not disclose the name of God because the people are unable to understand. "Kṛṣṇa" means "the all-attractive." That is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa. So unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God? "Kṛṣṇa" means all-attractive.

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
(BG 10.8)

When one understands Kṛṣṇa... To understand Kṛṣṇa it takes little time. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). So Kṛṣṇa revealed Himself in India before Arjuna, and what the others will understand about Kṛṣṇa unless he's advanced like Arjuna? So there are different persons, so different types of religion they have revealed. That is also Kṛṣṇa—but, to some extent. The full extent they cannot understand. Just like Lord Jesus Christ says "Thou shall not kill." Just imagine what the audience were. They are killers. So what they'll understand about Kṛṣṇa? Let them first stop this killing. Then the stage will come he'll understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

One who is sinful, the first instruction should be, "You stop your sinful activities." Then the opportunity will come to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the... Yeṣāṁ tu anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is sinful, what he will understand about Kṛṣṇa? First of all, stop sinful activities. Then this stage will come, he'll understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Jesus Christ said, "You nonsense, stop killing." Then there will be time we'll understand one day Kṛṣṇa. So the first instruction is to stop sinful activities; then he'll be qualified.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
(BG 7.28)

So everything by step by step, not by jump. That is not possible.

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

This is the Vedic scheme. The Purāṇas and the Mahābhārata, they are meant for the less intelligent class of men who cannot understand directly the Vedic instruction. But gradually by reading historical fact and instances, they can understand. Trayī na śruti-gocarā. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Vyāsadeva worked very hard to awaken the human society to the Vedic knowledge. And what is that Vedic knowledge? To understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). That is Vedic knowledge. Otherwise you are a big Vedānti, big student of Upaniṣad, and so on, so on, but you do not know Kṛṣṇa, what He is—it is useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). That is simply wasting time.

So we have to approach. So mahat-sevā. This is sevā. Do not approach the mahātmā for challenging. That is not... Then you will be cheated. If you want to be... Just like one great, learned scholar, so-called scholar, he came to Vṛndāvana and he saw Rūpa Gosvāmī. So Rūpa Gosvāmī, he said, "Sir, I have come to you." "Now, what is the purpose?" "Now, I have traveled all over India, and I had a śāstra caca (?) and I have become victorious. They have accepted me. So I have come to you to discuss on Vedic knowledge." So then Rūpa Gosvāmī inquired from him, "Actually what do you want?" "I want also that you acknowledge me that I'm a great scholar. That I want." "All right. I acknowledge you are a great scholar." "No, then you give me in writing." So Rūpa Gosvāmī gave him in writing, "I met this man; he's a great scholar and I am defeated." He gave in writing. Of course Jīva Gosvāmī took that paper very tactfully and defeated him. So this is not the method of meeting Rūpa Gosvāmī. One should go very humbly, mahat-sevām. Rūpa Gosvāmī is mahat. You should not go there to challenge. Then you'll be cheated. You must go to Rūpa Gosvāmī and his representative with a humble... Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34).

Lecture on SB 5.5.3-4 -- Bombay, March 29, 1977:

These things are temporary things. It will not give relief. And this fighting between one party with another amongst the politicians or the kṣatriyas or the administrators, they are going on perpetually. That is not a very new thing. So we should not forget our real life. For ruling over to get political predominance, there may be fighting. That is natural. It is going on. Just like the Battle of Kurukṣetra—it is a fighting between two sections of the same family, who will rule over. So there was fighting, but at the same time, they did not lose Kṛṣṇa culture. That is the important point. Similarly, India has got a great culture, background, Vedic culture or Kṛṣṇa culture. Vedic culture means Kṛṣṇa culture, and Kṛṣṇa culture means Vedic culture. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). So study Veda or Vedānta means to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is the purpose. Vedaiś ca sarvair. Veda means knowledge, and anta means end. Vedānta. Vyāsadeva, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, he has given us the Vedānta philosophy. What is the purpose? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi-sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaṁ
vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛt (eva) ca aham
(BG 15.15)

So we should take care of very seriously about this culture of Bhagavad-gītā. This is India's property. This Vedic culture, instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, was spoken on the land of Bhārata-varṣa, although it is not meant for a particular class of men or a class of people or in a particular country. It is meant for everyone. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Especially for the human being. So our request is that we may fight amongst ourself for political predominance, but why should we forget our real culture, Vedic culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That is our request.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3-4 -- Bombay, March 29, 1977:

What is the difficulty? Even a child can think of Kṛṣṇa. If he goes to the temple and if he understands from his parents that "Here is the Deity, Kṛṣṇa," it impresses. He understands, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Because he is simple. So he can also think of Kṛṣṇa: "I went to the temple, I saw Kṛṣṇa very nicely dressed, very nicely decorated. Very nice foodstuff was offered, and I got the prasādam." Where is the difficulty? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. If you go regularly to see Kṛṣṇa in the temple and to remember Him, then you become a bhakta. It doesn't require that you have to pass M.A. examination to become a knowledge... Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, your all Vedic knowledge is perfect. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra). If you have understood Hari, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, tapasā tataḥ kim, then where is the necessity of tapasya? You have achieved the result of tapasya.

Because to understand Kṛṣṇa is not so easy.
manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ
(BG 7.3)

To understand Kṛṣṇa he requires great tapasya. There is no doubt about it. But if some way or other you have understood Kṛṣṇa, then ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra). There is no more need of tapasya. Your ultimate goal of life is already achieved. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And you have performed great austerities, penances, but you do not know what is Kṛṣṇa—then it is useless waste of time. Nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim.

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

This is going on. So therefore it is parābhava. Your business is that to know that you are not this body, you are spirit soul, part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa. So your real business is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious fully and go back to home, back to Godhead, finish this business of repetition of birth and death. But who will understand this? Therefore it is said, kṛṣṇa yei bhaje, sei baḍa catura. One who has understood what is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he must be very intelligent man. Without being intelligent man, nobody can understand what is the purport, what is the basic principle of this movement. The basic principle of this movement is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). And the result will be, if you understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be that after giving up this body, you go to Kṛṣṇa. Yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām. (BG 9.25)

This devotional service, the worshiping Kṛṣṇa in the temple, to dress Him, as I explained another... Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau **, all these occupational duties will help you to understand Kṛṣṇa. Although it is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa, but if you engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa's service, then Kṛṣṇa reveals to you what He is. And that is wanted. That is the perfection of your life. As soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you become fit to go back to home, back to Godhead, and finish this business of repeated birth and death. Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvataṁ nāpnuvanti (BG 8.15). This secret of success, people do not know, neither they can understand. They are not fortunate enough. But it is our duty to push on this movement by superior order. Anyone who will take advantage of this movement, he'll be saved from this repetition, birth and death.

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

So Ṛṣabhadeva says that "So long one's mind is absorbed in the conception that 'I shall work...' " As people are doing here, industry, trade, or so many things... The real purpose is to gratify senses. So in this way, if people are engaged, then he is parābhava, he is being defeated. Without understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, if simply one wastes his time for these fruitive activities, then he is defeated. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ.

evaṁ manaḥ karma-vaśaṁ prayuṅkte
avidyayātmany upadhīyamāne
prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve
na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat

So everyone is under this impression, wrong conception of life. But he can be saved if he somehow or other becomes a devotee of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve. Vāsudeve bhagavati. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said,

vāsudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
(SB 1.2.7)

Vāsudeva. Here are the same thing, mayi vāsudeve. Ṛṣabhadeva is incarnation of Vāsudeva. So in this entanglement of birth and death, if someone comes in contact with devotee, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151), and gets the seed of devotional service, then that is the beginning of being saved from this repetition of birth and death.

Lecture on SB 5.5.6 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1976:

And if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, if you do not increase your natural love for Kṛṣṇa, then na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat. There is no chance. They have no chance. You may take birth next life in a very rich family, in a brāhmaṇa family, yogo-bhraṣṭaḥ, but that is also not release. Again you may fall down. Just like we see there are so many... Just like you Americans, you are born in rich family, rich nation, but falling down, becoming hippies. Falling down. So there is chance. Not that it is guaranteed. "Because I am born in a rich family or brāhmaṇa family, that is guarantee." No guarantee. This māyā is so strong that it is only trying to drag you—drag you down, drag you down. So many influences. So therefore we sometimes see that these Americans, they are so fortunate they are born in a country where there is no poverty, there is no scarcity. But still, because the leaders are rascals, they have arranged for meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, and gambling. Advertise. Advertise naked woman and, what is called, beefeaters, and liquor. This is going on. Advertise cigarettes, just to pull them down again. Go to hell. Punar mūṣika bhava. They do not know what dangerous civilization this is dragging them. Therefore sometimes some saner section of the old men, they come to me, they offer their thanks: "Swamiji, it is a great fortune that you have come to our country." They acknowledge. Yes, that's a fact. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a great fortunate movement. And especially in the Western countries, that's a fact.

Lecture on SB 5.5.29 -- Vrndavana, November 16, 1976:

So Ṛṣabhadeva, after giving charge of the government to Bharata Mahārāja, He Paraṁ bhāgavata. That we have explained yesterday, that the king should be paraṁ bhāgavata, not a debauch. That was the system in Vedic age, the ideal king, ideal person. If one person is educated sufficiently he can Being the executive head of the state, he can take care of the whole population because his order is supreme. That was the duty of the king, to see that things are going on nicely in order. The order is that everyone should be educated to the final goal of understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is education. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). This is education. Veda means knowledge.

So there may be different types of sources of knowledge, but the means are justified by the end. What is the end of life? The end of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa. If you don't like to say "Kṛṣṇa"—God. That is end of life. But these rascals, they do not know it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). The general population, they do not know because they are not educated in that way. At the present moment, Kali-yuga... (break) We are educating people atheism, no God, "God is dead." In Europe, America, when I went there, the education was "God is dead." Here also, so many rascals, they have appeared as God. They are also saying, "Now, Kṛṣṇa was God, but He is now dead. I am now God." Yes. They are saying publicly. And they are being accepted.

Lecture on SB 5.5.30 -- Vrndavana, November 17, 1976:

If we understand Kṛṣṇa through Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You become guru." How? Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Don't change, don't alter. You simply try to preach what Kṛṣṇa has said. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction. If you follow this instruction... Don't make any addition and alteration of your so-called learned scholarship That will not help you. You must present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa. There is everything, very easily done, provided we follow paramparā system.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be pushed on very humbly.
tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
(CC Adi 17.31)

Kīrtanīya. This preaching means kīrtana, not that simply with mṛdaṅga we can have musical kīrtana. No. Preaching is also kīrtana. Abhavad vaiyāsaki-kīrtane. Vaiyāsaki, the son of Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply described Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and became perfect. Abhavad vaiyāsaki-kīrtane. Śrī-viṣṇu-śravaṇe parīkṣit. Parīkṣit Mahārāja simply listened; he became perfect. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī simply described. That is also kīrtana. So this is also kīrtana. As Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī teaching us, he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrād caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: "You are sādhu, best person, noble, but this is my request." This is humbleness.

Lecture on SB 5.5.31 -- Vrndavana, November 18, 1976:

"My Lord, I have wasted my human form of life for nothing, for no purpose." Why? "Now, I got it to understand Kṛṣṇa, but I did not do that." Manuṣya janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā jāniyā śuniyā. This kind of activities have been described as drinking poison knowingly. So we should not do that. We must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then our life is successful.

So by trying to understand the śāstra, especially śrīmad-bhāgavatam, amalaṁ purāṇam, we get ideas of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: (BG 18.55) we can understand Kṛṣṇa through this process of devotional service. Otherwise it is not possible. So Vyāsadeva has given us this book.

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

Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Kovidaḥ means one who is intelligent. Otherwise, those who are not intelligent, they think that "I have got this life. I shall enjoy sense gratification," and "There is no life after death." Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), but these rascals will say, "No, there is no life." So therefore Kṛṣṇa has said, "Mūḍhas, rascals, they do not accept what I am speaking in this Bhagavad-gītā." Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamaḥ (BG 7.15). They got the chance of understanding Kṛṣṇa, but they do not know. And the so-called rascal leaders, they are also misleading them, that "There was no Battle of Kurukṣetra. There was no instruction like that. It is all mythology, and we can utilize it for our political purposes but it has no value. I can interpret in my own way; you can interpret in your own way. Actually, this instruction has no value." Yata mata tata patha. "You can interpret in your own way; I can interpret..." In this way things are going on. This is the position.

Lecture on SB 5.5.33 -- Vrndavana, November 20, 1976:

That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ.

You cannot compare Kṛṣṇa's body with our body. If you do that, then you must be a mūḍha, rascal. Don't do that. Kṛṣṇa is always transcendental, divyam. Janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9). This divya you should understand. Yo jānāti tattvataḥ. He is liberated person. Anyone who knows what is Kṛṣṇa, immediately he becomes liberated. Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). It is not so easy to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. It requires time. He... Not all of a sudden you can understand. But if you stick to devotional service, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234), then He reveals. When you engage your tongue... It is also wonderful. To understand Kṛṣṇa, you require your tongue. Generally we understand by seeing or by hearing. Hearing is there, but here it is recommended tongue, especially. Why tongue is used? Because if you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa by your tongue and taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam, you will understand Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. If you make it a promise that "I shall not talk anything except Kṛṣṇa's message," and if you promise that "I shall not take anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," these two things, this prasādam and chanting, will make you perfect to understand Kṛṣṇa. In another place Kṛṣṇa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. This is yoga, bhakti-yoga. How easy it is. There are so many yogas, but if you practice bhakti-yoga you become first-class yogi.

Lecture on SB 5.5.33 -- Vrndavana, November 20, 1976:

Samagram. Kṛṣṇa you understand fully, not partially. Not partially means not simply understanding impersonal Brahman. That is partial understanding. And then localized Paramātmā, that is also partial understanding. But when you understand Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, that is full understanding. So you simply concentrate your mind unto the person of Kṛṣṇa, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Here is Kṛṣṇa. We can see Kṛṣṇa. So if we simply concentrate our mind, meditation Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). This was the practice done by Ambarīṣa Mahārāja.

So Durvāsā Muni, he was a great yogi, and he became very much envious that "Here is a person who is a gṛhastha and a kṣatriya, he is not even a brāhmaṇa, and he does not practice anything. He is always engaged in his royal activities, and this man is so famous as a great person, great devotee. So I'll chastise him. I'll show." So he wanted to pick up some quarrel with Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, and on dvādaśī day he approached there with sixty thousand disciples and he said, "Mahārāja, arrange for our prasādam. We..." "Yes, welcome." But his purpose was different. So he went to take bath in the Ganges and Yamunā, and then he came late. In the meantime he had to observe dvādaśī-pāraṇa. With the advice of the brāhmaṇas he took little water. The brāhmaṇas advised, "Mahārāja, water is food and no food. It has no actually food value. So your guest has not returned as yet. You can take little water and observe the completion of dvādaśī." So he did it, and Durvāsā came very angry, that "I am your guest, and you have taken food?" That is not food, little water. So he wanted to chastise him. He created a big giant to kill the Mahārāja.

Lecture on SB 5.5.33 -- Vrndavana, November 20, 1976:

I have done offense." Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was so humble that "You are in trouble, brāhmaṇa, so whatever I have got, asset, whatever I have done austerity, penance, and..., you take immediately and be excused." This is Vaiṣṇava: "You take all my asset." So there was very friendly. Then both of them took prasādam, and then Durvāsā Muni could understand what is the power of devotee. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. So be very much careful to remain a spotless devotee. Then all success is there. There is no doubt about it. There are so many instances.

So this is transcendental body. It has nothing to compare with the material body. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. Kṛṣṇa also says, janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). So one has to know Kṛṣṇa. But that tattvataḥ, in truth to understand Kṛṣṇa, is very difficult job.

Lecture on SB 5.5.33 -- Vrndavana, November 20, 1976:

Not to understand superficially but to understand tattvataḥ. Then you are liberated immediately. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). One who has understood Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ, he is immediately liberated person. He is fit for being transferred to the spiritual world. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Punar janma... One who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he will have to repeat birth after birth. Nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). Unless you understand Kṛṣṇa—hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti—you cannot escape death, birth, death, old age and disease. It is not possible.

So if you want actually your life successful, you must try to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then your life is successful. And to understand Kṛṣṇa, no other method will help you. Kṛṣṇa said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Never said that "I can be understood by yogic process or by karma, by jñāna." The modern politicians, they stress on karma because they want to work hard like hogs and dog. They think karma-yoga... So karma-yoga is good, but karmīs are mūḍhas. Those who are simply working hard day and night for sense gratification, they are no better than the hogs and dogs. They are no good. But karma-yoga is different thing. Karma-yoga means one who has got attachment for producing something, working something. So Kṛṣṇa said that "Yes, you can do, but," yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-ar... (BG 9.27), "the result you must give to Me." Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī (BG 6.1).

Lecture on SB 5.5.35 -- Vrndavana, November 22, 1976:

So this eagerness to have Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā-matiḥ, that eagerness is even impossible—janma-koṭi-sukṛtibhiḥ. It is simply happened by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and His devotee. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Vedeṣu durlabham. Practical purpose of studying Vedas, vedānti... That vedānti means to understand Kṛṣṇa. But vedeṣu durlabham. At the same time, it is said "It is very, very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa by becoming so-called Vedānti." Actually Vedānta means Anta means the last word. The last work of knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). So to understand Kṛṣṇa, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). But it can be done through the mercy of devotee. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Adurlabha. If you satisfy a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he can give you Kṛṣṇa like this, "Take it." Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Bhakta can do that. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). You come through bhakta or come through bhakti.

So bhakti means unless you become an apprentice of a bhakta, how you can attain bhakti? That is not possible. Therefore the bhakti-mārga, it is instructed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, ādau gurvāśrayam: "If you want bhakti, then you must accept bhakta as a guru." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Bhakti means uttamam. Bhakti is not the activities of this material world. Uttamam. Urd-gata-tamo hy asmat. There is no material quality. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). That is uttamam. Here, so long we are in the tama, tamasi mā. "Don't remain in tama, envious."

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

These are secondary things. First thing, he has to learn how to control the senses, dānta, how to control the mind. Śamo damaḥ. This is the beginning of brahminical life. If you cannot control your mind, if you cannot control your senses, there is no question of becoming brahmacārī. Brahmacārī, brahme cārati iti brahmacārī. And brāhmaṇa means brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. So these are the beginning, brahmacārī. Brahmacari means who is always in Brahman activities. That is brahmacārī. Or brāhmaṇa means one who knows the Supreme, Supreme Brahman, Parambrahman. So if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you are liberated. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So if we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we are both brahmacārī or brāhmaṇa, brahma-jñāna, brahma-bhūtaḥ. These words are there in the śāstra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Therefore the real life is to inquire about Brahman. Inquiring, inquiring, when the conditioned soul... Now it is jīva-bhūtaḥ. So long we are conditioned by the material nature—prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), bhuṅkte prakṛtijān guṇān—then we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. Otherwise when we come to our real position, that is brahma-bhūtaḥ.

So that brahma-bhūtaḥ position can be attained. If we strictly follow the rules and regulation of brahmacārī or brāhmaṇa, then it is possible. Otherwise it will be simply formality. Practical life, brahma-bhūtaḥ. And how do I know that he has become brahma-bhūtaḥ? Prasannātmā (BG 18.54), no more moroseness, always jolly in any condition of life. Not that "For want of this, one is suffering." There is no want. That, that mentality, that attitude, should be increased. And when it is fully increased, then he's fully satisfied, ātmārāma. That is called ātmārāma. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi, "Oh, I am fully satisfied." Naivodvije para duratyayā-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahā amṛta-magna. As Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "Now I am in the ocean of nectarean. I have no suffering." That is brahma-bhūtaḥ. So this brahma-bhūtaḥ... (break)

Lecture on SB 5.6.4 -- Vrndavana, November 26, 1976:

The jaṅgama means moving. So there are many varieties of moving animals. The insects, the birds, the beast, then human form. So how out of the human moving forms, the civilized form... Out of the civilized form, those who are in Vedic culture... Out of the Vedic culture, many are addicted to the fruitive activities, ritualistic ceremony, how to go to the heavenly planet, how to become members of rich family. They are working very hard, karmi. So out of many millions of karmīs, one jñānī... Jñānī means who understands, "What is the use of this karma, fruitive activities?" So out of many jñānīs, one is mukta, liberated. And out of many millions of mukta-koṭiṣv api mahā-mune—one is a bhakta. This is the gradual development.

So we should be very careful. We have got this opportunity of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should not waste a single moment without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Avyartha-kālatvam (Cc. Madhya 23.18-19). That is advised by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Every moment we shall count, "Whether I have wasted it or utilized it?" This is life.

Lecture on SB 5.6.6 -- Vrndavana, November 28, 1976:
At least he must know what is the ultimate goal of knowledge.

So in the Kali-yuga we do not expect everyone to be very great scholar. That is not possible. But if he knows what is the aim of education, what is the objective of education, then he is also scholar. Just like our Gaura-Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. He was illiterate. He could not sign his name even. But he became the spiritual master of the best scholar of his time, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. So it is not the education, ABCD. In Bengal we say anguam(?). No. What is the purport of education? The purport of education is spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). If one understands Kṛṣṇa and takes to the shelter of His lotus feet, he is also the biggest scholar.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gata antarātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate...
sa me yuktatamo...
(BG 6.47)

So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. By His practical life, when Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī criticized Him that "You are a sannyāsī, and You do not read Vedānta and You simply chant and dance..." This was the question. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied that "My Guru Mahārāja found Me a great fool. Therefore he advised Me that 'You have no jurisdiction in studying Vedas because you are not a scholar. You are not a very highly learned. You are a mūrkha.' " Guru more mūrkha dekhi karilā śāsana (CC Adi 7.71).

Lecture on SB 5.6.6 -- Vrndavana, November 28, 1976:

And pratically we see in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. All you are young Westerners. You never study Vedānta, but you can surprise many so-called Vedāntists how to understand Kṛṣṇa. How it has become possible? Simply by your firm faith in your spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). This is the Vedic process. If we have got firm faith in guru and firm faith in Kṛṣṇa—guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpayā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151)—then you get the seedling of bhakti-latā. Some way or other, we have to come to this bhakti-latā, increasing or nourishing the bhakti creeper. That will be effective.

So those who are jñānīs, very learned scholar, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedeṣu durlabhaṁ. It is not by academic education one can understand Kṛṣṇa. Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). So many mistakes they commit. They say it is kalpana(?), so many things. But here Kṛṣṇa as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa as Ṛṣabhadeva, Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa Himself, They are teaching us how to become pure devotee, because sva kalevaraṁ jihāsur ātmanaḥ. Before leaving your, this body, you must be self-realized. That is the aim of life. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). We have got this life, human form of life, and how to utilize this human form of life? How to achieve the vairāgya-vidyā? This is vairāgya-vidyā, no more interest in material things. That is vairāgya-vidyā. Even to the body. That is... Ṛṣabhadeva is teaching us. This is vairāgya-vidyā. Bhakti-yoga means vairāgya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also has spoken the same thing, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad bhajanonmukhasya. Niṣkiñcanasya. If you actually want to become a pure devotee, then you have to make this material way of life completely zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Then it will be possible.

Lecture on SB 5.6.7 -- Vrndavana, November 29, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa condemns, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritaḥ (BG 9.11). Anyone who thinks that Kṛṣṇa has a different soul... No. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's so-called soul, the same thing. There is no difference. That is the... Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa can lift, as a seven-years-old boy, Govardhana Hill? Is it possible by this material body? No. That is not possible. This is common sense. But they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, mūḍhā. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā. They call, "It is mythology. Mythology. Everything mythology." First of all they cannot find out what is God, and when God comes, shows His opulences, these rascals say, "It is mythology." What God will do? He comes before you. He displays His mighty opulences. He expanded Himself into sixteen thousand form. "Mythology." So what can I do? What Kṛṣṇa can do? Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). Śāstra says He has got ananta-rūpam, but still one. There is no difference. They cannot understand the Absolute Truth, and they like to comment upon it foolishly.

Lecture on SB 5.6.7 -- Vrndavana, November 29, 1976:

"Don't hear. Who is not a Vaiṣṇava, don't hear from him at least Gītā, Bhāgavatam. Or any śāstra, don't hear," because they do not know what is actually the position. Kṛṣṇa also says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samā... (BG 7.25). Here it is said, yogamāyā-vāsanayā. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These blunt senses, they cannot appreciate what is Kṛṣṇa. Yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ. He's covered. To the nondevotees, He is covered. To the devotees—sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva—He reveals: "Yes, I am here like this." So do not think... Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned, prakṛta kariya mane viṣṇu kalevara, aparādha nāhi āra iṅhāra upara(?). So long we are aparādhī, offender, there is no possibility of understanding Kṛṣṇa. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore has warned, that "Don't hear about Kṛṣṇa or any transcendental subject matter from a Māyāvādī." Māyāvādī-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). If you hear from a Māyāvādī, then your advancement in devotional service is finished. Haya sarva-nāśa. You should be very, very careful.

avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ
pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam
śravaṇaṁ na kartavyaṁ
sarpocchiṣṭa-payo yathā

If one is not Vaiṣṇava, don't be liberal, that "Oh, what is the wrong? He is talking Bhāgavatam." But he does not know who can speak Bhāgavatam. Here in Vṛndāvana there is a big Māyāvādī sannyāsī. He speaks on Bhāgavatam and speaks all nonsense, but there is a big crowd go to hear him. Yes.

Lecture on SB 5.6.7 -- Vrndavana, November 29, 1976:

I am this," and Arjuna understands Him, "Yes, You are this." Sarvam etān ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava. Then he understands. He is directly understanding. And you take the version of Arjuna. Arjuna says, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). Why you, rascal, interpret in a different way, rascal? What right you have got? "My Kṛṣṇa is like that. My Kṛṣṇa..." What right you hve got? Kṛṣṇa says like this; one who listen to Kṛṣṇa about Kṛṣṇa, he says like that. You rascal, why do you interpret in a different way? This is going on.

So be careful of these rascals. Māyāvādī-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). Then you'll never be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. Yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ. We should take the instruction of the śāstra that Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's soul, there are... Ekam evādvitiyaḥ. He is one, without any second. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśi..., niṣevataḥ syāt īśad apetasya. Īśad apetasya. So the more we forget Kṛṣṇa, then we are in the material stage. Material stage means bhayam, always fearful. "Why shall I accept Kṛṣṇa as human being, as a person? Oh, it is... It is not. How He can be a person? How a person can produce such a vast sky?" He says, bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva: (BG 7.4) "Yes, I have produced the sky." But these rascals will not believe how a person can do it. They'll comment in their own way. So avoid this.

Here Ṛṣabhadeva says about the Personality of Godhead. Accept them; believe them; take it. You understand or not understand, take it for granted. Then you will be able to make advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

Devotee (3): Śrīla Prabhupāda, if a devotee fills his life with devotional service right from the time he is born, is that enough to attain the spiritual body? Will he necessarily be...

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is liking to serve me, that is the action of the spiritual body.

Devotee (3): Even though he might be...

Prabhupāda: Therefore, if you actually always remain in spiritual understanding, that means to understand Kṛṣṇa, or God. Then Kṛṣṇa says, if you have understood what is God, that makes you qualified to go back to home, back to Godhead. Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo janati tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If you know what is God factually, then that is your qualification to go back to home, back to Godhead. But if you do not know, then your spiritual life has not begun. You must know what is God. That is knowledge.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
(BG 7.19)

The spiritual life means to understand yourself and understand God and understand your relationship with God and act accordingly. That is spiritual life. It is not difficult. How to understand God? You can understand just like you understand so many things from books. So there is book, God is explaining Himself, "I am like this." So you understand Him. Then you become qualified. Yes?

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

He is addressing Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He has accepted Śukadeva Gosvāmī as his spiritual master. Therefore he says, mahā-bhāga, "the most fortunate man." You have to select a spiritual master, the most fortunate man. And who is most fortunate man? One who has understood Kṛṣṇa, he is most fortunate man. Not that one who has got dozens of motorcars, he is most fortunate man. You do not know where he is going after this body. You see? He may be enjoying very nicely in this life, but he is not preparing for the next life. This life is preparation for the next life. The modern civilization does not know that every living entity is eternal; he is changing simply different phases of life. So if one is ignorant how he is changing his different phases of life, what is his next life, what he was in the past life... How one can know? One can know, śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. One can know from the scriptures, from the authorized books, as you know so many things. How you know that the moon planet or sun planet or this planet or that planet have got so many things, this or that? It is from the books. You have never gone to the moon planet, but you learn it from the books, authorized books. Simply you have to consult authorized books, you get learned yourself.

Lecture on SB 6.1.10 -- Honolulu, May 11, 1976:

Brahma-niṣṭham. If one has no sense to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, he is no better than the dog and cat. No credit. According to Vedic civilization anyone who is thinking, "I am this body," and doing accordingly—for the bodily pleasure he is working so hard—so that is not knowledge. Here it is suggested that prāyaścittam vimarsanam. If you want to be saved from the tribulation offered by the material nature, then you have to very thoughtful, thinking that what is the actual position. That is the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra, that "You inquire about Brahman, the Absolute Truth." Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life, don't spoil it like cats and dogs, eating, sleeping, mating and dancing. No. So, so same dancing, same eating can be utilized when it is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then he will be... Simply by dancing and chanting and taking prasādam you'll be learned scholar.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Honolulu, May 14, 1976:

The whole world is working so hard. They are going to the office. They are going to the..., working hours to earn livelihood, but what is the pleasure? The pleasure is sex. That's all. Their ultimate goal is sex. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). So, one should consider, "The sex indulgence is given to the hogs and dogs, and for the same enjoyment I'll have to work so hard?" This is knowledge. "For same enjoyment? I have got this human form of life for understanding Kṛṣṇa, for understanding God, my position, what I am. I am not this body. I am spirit soul. I have been put into this body, and because I have been put into this body—the body is material—it must finished. It must be finished." Anything, it has got six changes. Anything material, it has got birth, it has got growth, it has got aftereffect, then dwindles, and then finished, everything, anything you take, the material. This is called ṣaḍ-vikāra, six kinds of changes. So I am eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I do not die after this body is finished, and again I will have to... Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So this is knowledge. One has to always think of this. That is called tapasya.

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

So merging means that the machine and the screw, some screw being slackened it has fallen down on the ground, so so long it is out of the touch of the machine it is useless. It has no value. So merging into the Supreme means your value is now useless without being merging into the Supreme. And as soon as you become adjusted with the Supreme your original value is revived. That is real meaning of merging. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā. When one understands Kṛṣṇa in truth, tattvata. Tattvata means in truth. Then he is allowed to enter or merge. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). That also, that entrance is allowed by bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. Tattvato jñātvā. You can understand Kṛṣṇa in truth by devotional service. Not by any other means. Suppose you are a big lawyer. I want to make friendship with you, I want to know about your inside life. That I can know by knowing you completely, and by satisfying you someway or other, by serving you. Then you: "Oh my dear sir, you want to know me. All right. This is this." Similarly, bhakti means service. You have to please Kṛṣṇa, then you can know Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will say. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti pūrvakam (BG 10.10). "Those who are always engaged in love and affection." Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I say unto Him, I give him intelligence." Not to ordinary persons. Those who are actually engaged in the service of the Lord, he can get instruction from Kṛṣṇa. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā. And when he gets instruction fully and he is fully aware of Kṛṣṇa, viśate tad anantaram, then merging question comes. Without understanding... Without clear understanding of Kṛṣṇa where is the question of merging? Simply imagining that I am merge into Kṛṣṇa? No. That is not possible. You should know first of all what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God. Then there is question of merging. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Therefore this merging process takes place after many, many births. Is it not? So we first of all have to understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. If he has vague idea of Kṛṣṇa, vague idea of... Where is the question of merging?

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

"Those who are always engaged in love and affection." Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I say unto Him, I give him intelligence." Not to ordinary persons. Those who are actually engaged in the service of the Lord, he can get instruction from Kṛṣṇa. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā. And when he gets instruction fully and he is fully aware of Kṛṣṇa, viśate tad anantaram, then merging question comes. Without understanding... Without clear understanding of Kṛṣṇa where is the question of merging? Simply imagining that I am merge into Kṛṣṇa? No. That is not possible. You should know first of all what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God. Then there is question of merging. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Therefore this merging process takes place after many, many births. Is it not? So we first of all have to understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. If he has vague idea of Kṛṣṇa, vague idea of... Where is the question of merging?

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Guest: And that we understand by service.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Yes, that service. Yes, service. Therefore only by devotional service you can understand Kṛṣṇa. There is no other way. That I have explained, bhaktyā. Bhaktyā, by bhakti you can become perfect, you can understand Kṛṣṇa, God, and you can enter into the kingdom of God, make your life perfect. Only bhakti. There is no compromise. One who says that there are so many other ways, any way... Especially this Ramakrishna Mission, that whatever way you accept, that is complete. No. Only. That is the recommended process. Bhaktyā māṁ abhijānāti yāvān... (BG 18.55). In the Vedas, in the Purāṇas, in the Bhāgavata, in.., everywhere. That is the process. Simply by devotional service you can understand God. Otherwise it is not possible. So is it becoming clear?

Guest: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Don't keep yourself in doubt. So long you are in doubt you go on searching.

Guest: No, no, I... (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes. One difficulty is that we go to some saintly person, we hear and we challenge whether the saintly person corroborated my idea. If he does not, then he's not good.

Guest: That is not...

Prabhupāda: If it is against my conviction, "Oh, he is not good."

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

He keeps the prasādam as it is. Because He's pūrṇa. He's not hungry. He's feeding millions of living entities. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. So He's not hungry. Neither whatever you are offering to Kṛṣṇa, it is your property. It is Kṛṣṇa's property. You cannot manufacture fruits, flowers, grains, or milk, or anything else. Anything eatable you cannot manufacture in your factory. That is Kṛṣṇa's manufacture. Therefore, actually, it is Kṛṣṇa's property. Simply you have to acknowledge: "Kṛṣṇa, You are so kind. You have given so many things for our eating. First of all, You taste. Then we shall take it." What is the difficulty? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So each and every item, if you study what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your life will be happy—if you take to it. Simply understanding Kṛṣṇa, you'll be liberated. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

janma karma me divyaṁ
yo jānāti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti...
(BG 4.9)

Kṛṣṇa says that "If somebody simply understands Me, Kṛṣṇa, in fact..." To understand Kṛṣṇa superficially is no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. Tattvataḥ. That tattvic knowledge is also very difficult. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

It is very difficult to understand. Because Kṛṣṇa says out of many millions of people, one is perfect, and out of many millions of perfect men, one can hardly understand Kṛṣṇa. So it is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa. But if one is fortunate, he can understand. How? Now, Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). "There is no more higher truth than Me." So if one is fortunate to understand Kṛṣṇa, that there is no more higher truth than Kṛṣṇa. And if he follows the advice of Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), then he's fortunate. Fortunate means everyone has got his discretion. So one who has the fortune to discriminate, then he can understand Kṛṣṇa very easily.

Therefore this association is required, how to understand Kṛṣṇa, although it is very difficult. But the difficulty is removed by the association of devotees, by the association of Kṛṣṇa. So this opening of different centers in different parts of the world means we are trying to give association of Kṛṣṇa to everyone. There is no discrimination. Just like in the Western countries we are trying to give Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the last four or five years, and people are taking it. We have got now sixty centers, and they're accepting the principles, they're becoming devotees of Kṛṣṇa sincerely. So it is not very difficult task, provided one is sincere and serious. Then as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, then what happens to you? Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Anyone who simply understands Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be that after quitting this body you won't have to come back again in this material world and accept a body for different kinds of miserable conditions. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: (BG 4.9) "He doesn't take birth again here." Then where does he go? Mām eti, "He comes to Me."

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Denver, June 28, 1975:

That is called laghimā-siddhi. He became very light. He used to say that "We are sitting with our guru and just touching. We are sitting here, and after few seconds we see in a different place." This is called laghimā-siddhi.

So there are many yoga-siddhis. People become very much puzzled by seeing these yoga-siddhi. But Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānām: (BG 7.3) "Amongst many such siddhas, who have got yoga-siddhi," yatatām api siddhānām kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3), "somebody may understand Me." So one may achieve some yoga-siddhis; still it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa can be understood only such persons who has dedicated everything to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa wants that, demands, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa is only understandable by His pure devotee, not anyone else. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayaṁ prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvaṁ na cānya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan (SB 10.14.29). Those who are favored by the causeless mercy of Kṛṣṇa, they can understand Kṛṣṇa. Others, na cānya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan. Ciram means for long time, for many years, if they speculate only what is God or what is Kṛṣṇa That process will not help us. There are many Vedic version like that:

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Denver, June 28, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa, His name, His fame, His attributes, His activities... Śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved... Nāmādi means "beginning from the holy name." So not possible... So if we keep ourself on the material platform, then for thousand years we may chant, it will be difficult. That is called nāmāparadha. Of course, holy name is so powerful that even by chanting with offense, gradually he becomes pure. Therefore we should not give up chanting. Any circumstances, we should go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. But the warning is that if we keep us on the material platform, then it will be not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa, His holy name, His attribute, His form, His activities. It will not be possible.

So the process is bhakti. And when you come to the platform of understanding Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you become fit for being transferred to the spiritual world. That is... Kṛṣṇa said also in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). So then first of all people do not understand what is the aim of life. They do not care at the present moment. They have no distinction what is sinful life or what is pious life. But we may not believe in these things, but things are there like that. Just like if you infect some disease, it will come out. You believe or not believe, it doesn't matter. Here is our doctor saheb. He knows that if you have infected some disease, it will come out. So we are infecting so many infectious qualities. There are three qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa—and according to our infection, we have to accept a different type of body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Every one of us, we are working under the modes of material nature, and according to our association we will have to accept a certain type of body, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Unfortunately, there is no science, there is no college, there is no university to learn this science of nature, how things are going on. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛti is being there.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Denver, June 28, 1975:

So if we become vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ... Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19), the same thing. Here it says kecit—means very rarely. And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Sudurlabhaḥ, very rare.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, although it is very rare, we are trying to deliver Kṛṣṇa and love of Kṛṣṇa. So this is the topmost welfare activities to the human society. Because it is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa, and we, under certain process, we are delivering Kṛṣṇa, and it is being effective. The process is so nice. Even the Europeans and Americans, they did not know what is Kṛṣṇa five, six years ago. But they are now very serious. Even one priest in Boston, he was astonished that "These boys, Christian boys or the Jewish boys, they are our men. And they did not care to know what is God, what is... Now they are after God. They are mad. How it is?" There are many practical proof. Just like in our many temples. The Los Angeles temple, it was sold by the church because nobody was coming. Nobody was coming. We have many churches purchased in that way. Now you will see in Los Angeles it is always packed up. So we did not bring all these men from India. The men are the local men, and the church is the same church. Why they are coming? Why they are taking interest? So this is the effect of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. He is personally being merciful. He is distributing, Kṛṣṇa Himself. Therefore so quickly. So if we keep ourself in the right way of executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it will be possible—even in this very life we shall be perfect. Perfection means tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). This body, this material body, we have to give up. Everyone knows. But those who are not becoming perfect, they will have to come back again to accept another body. But those who are developed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this is the final giving up material body, go back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And try to execute it very carefully, lovingly. Then your life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9).

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

"My dear Kṛṣṇa, how can I fight with my family? They are my brothers, they are my nephews, they are my grandfather, they are my teacher, the other..." Because it was a family fight, five brothers and hundred brothers. So at the warfield he became perplexed, that "I am fighting with my family. The fight means to fight with enemies. How is that? What kind of war it is? Eh? I have to fight with family." He said, Kṛṣṇa, "So who has taught this kind of fighting, Kṛṣṇa, to kill his own brother, his nephews and...?" Therefore that means he leaned to the family side. This is designation. This is designation. Because he belonged to the Kuru's family he took side of the family. But after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, after understanding Kṛṣṇa, when he came to the conclusion that "I must be with Kṛṣṇa's side, not to the family side," then he became perfect. After hearing thoroughly Bhagavad-gītā, he... Kṛṣṇa said, "Now what you will do? To the family side or My side?" Yathecchasi. That freedom is there. Yathecchasi: "Whatever you like, you can do. I have given my instruction."

That freedom is there always. The Kṛṣṇa or His representative, the spiritual master, he can give you good instruction, good advice, but to do it or not to do it, that is your option. That is your option. You decide yourself. That is the... Kṛṣṇa said, yathecchasi tathā kuru: (BG 18.63) "I am not interfering with your independence. I am dealing as your spiritual master, and you accepted Me as your spiritual master." Kṛṣṇa was accepted, Arjuna, śiṣyas te 'ham: "Kṛṣṇa, no more friendly talk. I accept You as my spiritual master." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). "What kind of disciple?" Now, prapannam, fully surrendered: "Now whatever You will say, I'll do." This is śiṣya. Śiṣya I have several times explained, śās-dhātu. Who voluntarily accepts the ruling of a person, he is śiṣya. And otherwise, "You go on talking whatever nonsense you can. I'll do my own business," that is not śiṣya. Śiṣya means śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). That is śiṣya.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

They are very fierce looking. Sometimes the man on the deathbed becomes very much fearful, cries, "Save me, save me." This also happened to Ajāmila. And that is the story we shall narrate later on. But he was saved. For his past activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he was saved. That story we shall get later on.

So this is the safest position. Otherwise this material world is full of danger. It is dangerous place. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam. It is the place of miseries. You cannot become happy in a place which is meant for miseries. That we have to understand. Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme Personality, that duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) this material world is place of miserable condition. And that also aśāśvatam, not permanent. You cannot stay. Even if you make a compromise that "Never mind it is place of misery. I shall make adjustment and I shall stay here..." People are so much attached in this material world, I have got practical experience. In 1958 or '57, when I first published this book, Easy Journey to Other Planets, so I met one gentleman. He was very enthusiastic, "So we can go to other planet? You are giving such information?" "Yes. And if you go, you will not come back." "No, no, then I don't want to go." (laughter) He said the whole idea is that we shall go another planet just like they are making the fun. They are going to moon planet, but they could not stay there. They're coming back. That is scientific advancement. And if you go there, why don't you stay there? And I read the newspaper that when the Russian aeronautics went, they were looking down, "Where is Moscow?" (laughter)

So our attachment is so strong. That even it is duḥkhālayam... Just like some hogs, they are living in filthy place and eating stool. And if you say that "I will take you somewhere else, a good place," then they will not go there. This happened.

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

When these all qualifications are there, then guru says, "Now I recognize you." Upanayana. Upa means near, and nayana means bringing. So gradually the spiritual master brings him nearer. Then, when he's actually trained up, then it is called... The sacred ceremony, upanayana, means he has now come nearer to understand Vedic knowledge. Then he studies Vedas, dvija. When he is initiated, then his studying of the Vedas... Veda-paṭhād bhaved vipraḥ. So after this dvija, second birth, he studies Vedas. And when he's well versed in Vedas he is called vipra. Then, by studying Vedas, when he understands Kṛṣṇa... Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said what is Vedic study. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Vedic study means to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is Vedic study. If he does not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then he's useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ
viśvaksena kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed ratiṁ yadi
śrama eva hi kevalam
(SB 1.2.8)

Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Everyone is executing his occupational duty. I give this meaning, "Dharma means occupational duty." It is not a sentiment, faith. Occupational duty. That is called dharma. Brahmācāri's dharma, gṛhastha's dharma, vānaprastha's dharma, occupational duty. So by discharging one's occupational duties very nicely—not as a machine regulation, no—the result will be dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viśvaksena kathāsu yaḥ: (SB 1.2.8) he will gradually be interested to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15).

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Philadelphia, July 13, 1975:

So he asked this Godbrother, "Can you make me brāhmaṇa?" So he proposed, "Yes, why not? You follow these rules and regulation. You will become brāhmaṇa." So when he heard the rules and regulation—no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling, no intoxication—he said, "Oh, it is impossible. It is not possible." He flatly refused, that "In our country it is not possible."

So it is very difficult job, but if one is able to give up these sinful activities, then his life is very pure. He becomes purified. And unless one is purified, he cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; neither he can understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
(BG 7.28)

This Kṛṣṇa says. "One who has ended the process of sinful activities and engaged in pious activities, such person can become a firm devotee." So these four principle, as we have recommended, you must follow. There is no question of optional, "I may do it, I may not do." No, you must. Otherwise, the progress will be checked. Kṛṣṇa will not leave you. Just like the Ajāmila. The progress was checked, but because he did not do it willfully, therefore Kṛṣṇa was giving him opportunity. As soon as possible, again capture him. Because he did not do anything willfully. First of all, this is the condition, circumstantial. Therefore Kṛṣṇa was very kind. He gave him the son, "Call him. You have affection for your son? All right, chant 'Nārāyaṇa' by calling your son." This opportunity was given. So for his sinful activities he saw fierceful features of these order-carriers, or Yamadūta. That is going on.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Honolulu, May 29, 1976:

To kill the miscreants this is astra, this hari-saṅkīrtana. If they'll simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, this is astra that will kill all their sinful reaction of life, then become devotee. This is astra. Now it is not required the bows and arrows or... Because they're already dead, because they have no conception of God. Simply fighting how to avoid God, this is their business. It is very difficult to convince them about the existence of... They're seeing every moment there is existence of God, but they're so stubborn, so much bewildered by māyā, they'll not. So, under the circumstances, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's therefore called namo mahā-vadānyāya, most munificent incarnation. Why? Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Even without understanding Kṛṣṇa, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra they become ecstatic for love of Kṛṣṇa. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's benediction: no qualification, but if he simply chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra he'll be ecstatic. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te.

To understand Kṛṣṇa is very difficult job. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many millions of persons, one is endeavoring to make his life perfect. But they do not know what is perfection of life. So yatatām api siddhānām. Siddhi means to understand that "I'm not this body. I don't belong to this material world." That is siddhi. Siddhi. Everyone is under the impression that "I'm this body." "I'm Indian," "I'm American," "I'm Hindu," "I'm Muslim," "I'm Christian"—bodily upādhi, designation. He does not become free from the designation. The other day we were talking on Mr. Huxley(?) I think. He was talking of philosophy, but He was thinking, "I'm Englishman. I do this like that." So this bodily concept of life is there although he's philosopher. What kind of philosopher? Philosopher begins when there is no more bodily conception. What is that? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). So this kind of philosophy has no meaning, because how a dog can become philosopher? That is not possible. A human being can become philosopher. So long I'm on the bodily concept of life, I'm in the line of cats and dogs. So how we can become philosopher? There is no question of. But they're philosophizing, means bluffing, and similar men, he's thinking, "I believe." You believe or not believe, the law will go on.

Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- San Francisco, July 19, 1975:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa recommends, janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). The tattva, truth, if you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, how He is father of Lord Brahmā and how He is father of the microscopic germ, and if you in truth understand what is this microscopic germ and what is this Brahmā, what is this human being, what is this tiger, what is this tree, so to know Kṛṣṇa means to know everything.

Therefore in the Vedas it is said, yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati: "If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then you become full knowledge." That is complete knowledge. Etaj jñānam. This is... Bhagavad-gītā says, "This is knowledge." If you simply study Kṛṣṇa, so what is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. Suppose if you want to study somebody, you may guess that this body, this man, may be like this, like that. That is going on all over the world, what is God. Some theosophist, some theosophist and theologist, all are speculating, "Maybe," "Perhaps," "This, that." And the God is explaining Himself, "I am this, like this," that they will not take. Just see. God is canvassing that "Here I am. I have come." Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). "I have appeared before you just to give you relief." Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. "You are trying to understand Me, so here I am. I am present. Why you are thinking God is formless? Here I am, Kṛṣṇa, form. You see, I have got My flute in the hand. I am very much fond of the cows. I love the cows and the sage and Brahmā, everyone equally, because they are all My sons in different bodies." Kṛṣṇa is playing. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Still, these rascals will not understand Kṛṣṇa. So what is Kṛṣṇa's fault? It is our fault. Andha. Just like the owl. Owl will never open the eyes to see that there is sunlight. You know this, owl? So they will not open. However you may say, "Mr. Owl, please open your eyes and see the sun," "No, there is no sun. I don't see." (laughter) This owl civilization. So you have to fight with these owls. You must be very strong, especially the sannyāsīs. We have to fight with the owls. We have to open their eyes by force from this, with machine. (laughter) So this is going on. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a fight against all the owls.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- San Francisco, July 20, 1975:

Therefore he begins Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with the first aphorism of Vedānta, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ (SB 1.1.1).

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is Vedic movement, authorized. Veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he knows what is dharma and what is adharma. He knows who is punishable, who is not punishable. In this way, if you follow the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness... It is in a different way. Not different way; Kṛṣṇa name is there. When I registered this association, many friends requested me that "Why you are, nomenclature, this 'Kṛṣṇa'? Make it 'God consciousness.' " And "No." As soon as I give "God consciousness," all the rascals will bring so many false God. Therefore it must be definitely stated, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So try to follow Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then you will be situated in the Vedic civilization, and you will know everything properly. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

Just like a very rich man, he always eats very nice foodstuff. So sometimes he wants, "Can you give me little puffed rice?" Puffed rice is not very valuable food, but he likes. This is change of variety of enjoyment. So everyone worships God: "My Lord, my Lord, my Lord." So therefore God sometimes wants that "Who will chastise Me?" He selects one of His devotees, first-class devotees: "You become My father, you become My mother, and you chastise Me." This is God's pleasure. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. Then that is God. Ānanda, that is ānanda. Here, Mother Yaśodā is going to bind Kṛṣṇa. It is not His displeasure; He is not unhappy. He is feeling happy. That is Kṛṣṇa. So in this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa thoroughly. And if you simply understand thoroughly Kṛṣṇa, you are liberated. You are liberated. Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). One may question that... They may neglect that "If Kṛṣṇa is God, why Mother Yaśodā is binding Him?" But he does not know that is a pleasure. That is a pleasure. There are many instances. I'll cite one instance that there was a big prime minister in England, Gladstone. Perhaps you have heard the name. Queen Victoria's prime minister. So somebody came to see him, and the servant informed him that "The prime minister is little busy. You wait." So he was waiting. One hour passed, and still no message. Then he opened the door. He wanted to see what the prime minister is doing. He saw that the prime minister has become a horse, and his grandchildren driving him. That is enjoyment. He is the prime minister but he has become a horse of his grandchild. (laughter).

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

He fought in such a way that Arjuna's chariot became broken and he became fainted and so on, so on. Then Kṛṣṇa saw that "My friend is going to die." So He became very angry. And He was coming with the chariot wheel to kill Bhīṣmadeva, and Bhīṣmadeva was piercing His body with arrows like anything. So Kṛṣṇa was feeling very satisfaction, because Bhīṣma is also great devotee. So when Kṛṣṇa came before Bhīṣmadeva, that "Now I shall kill you, you are doing too much," so he immediately left, means "That was my promise, that either You have to fight or Your friend will be killed."

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

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha
yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ
asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ
yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu
(BG 7.1)

Kṛṣṇa is offering that samagram, sama, "In fullness, completely, as you can understand Me, I am speaking to you." Asaṁśayam—without any doubt. Doubt there may be. Because God is great, we are very small; how we can understand God? There is always some doubt, whether He's personal, impersonal, all-pervading. There are so many different conception of God. But therefore God Himself says asaṁśayam, "without any doubt." And samagram, "completely." Asaṁśayam samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). Just like to study a subject matter, it takes some time, takes little endeavor to associate with person who knows the thing rightly. In this way we can understand God also. Just like we understand so many science, so many arts, by patience.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:

Yes? (break) So in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam every line is so interesting. Therefore vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ: "Knowledge means up to the knowledge of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." But generally people do not discuss Bhāgavatam in this way. They go immediately to the Tenth Canto and rāsa-līlā. You see? That is the subject matter of (chuckles) Bhāgavatam. And Bhagavat-saptāha means that Kṛṣṇa is kissing the gopīs. That's all. And there are so many nice instructions—that is not nothing. They have neglected because they do not like to hear such instructions. Kṛṣṇa's dealings with the gopīs, that is very much liked. But Bhāgavata, in order to understand Kṛṣṇa, nine cantos have been written. And Kṛṣṇa's activities have been inserted in the Tenth Canto, after understanding Kṛṣṇa. Vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. And it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). So first of all one has to become liberated person by understanding Kṛṣṇa; then he can understand what is Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with the gopīs. It is for the liberated person. It is not a thing to be explained in the marketplace. (end)

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, July 24, 1975:

Very nicely it is described in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, shortly, what is this world, manifested world. This manifested world is distribution of the energy of Brahman. Just like this whole material world, universe, is distribution of the energy of the sun. This is scientific. Everyone knows. Similarly, whatever there is, it is the distribution of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energy not different. But still, energy is not Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is not energy. In this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa.

So every living entity who has forgotten Kṛṣṇa, trying to imitate Kṛṣṇa, that is sinful. So these sinful activities we are doing in ignorance, in lower grade of life. Just like cats and dogs and birds and trees and the..., they do not know, there is no capacity. They are so much covered with ignorance that a tree is standing, you cut it: there is no protest because it is so dull. Similarly, you take the animal, slaughterhouse, it cannot protest. These are the symptoms of ignorance. And as soon as there is awakening of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or advanced consciousness, then if I pinch you, immediately you protest, "Why you have pinched me?" That is the difference between the lower-grade life and higher-grade life. So if in the higher-grade life we do not understand Kṛṣṇa, then we are making suicide, cutting our own throat. That is sinful. So here is a chance, the human form of body. Death will come to the dog and to me also. Then where is the difference? The difference is so long I am living, I can try to understand Kṛṣṇa; others cannot. If we miss this opportunity, then we are committing suicide. This is the verdict of the śāstra.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

There is Vedas, and there are Vedānta, Vedānta. Veda, Vedānta, source of knowledge. So Vedas means knowledge, and Veda-anta... Anta means the last word. So that anta knowledge, or the last word in knowledge, is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ, they say. Knowledge, expansion of knowledge, the last word is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So it is the explanation of Vedānta. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **. Vedānta's another name is Brahma-sūtra. In India there are Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. They advertise themselves as the Vedāntists, "one who knows Vedānta." But actually they do not know Vedānta. Real Vedānta is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because this is commentary. Bhāṣya ayaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām. Brahma-sūtra is Vedānta.

So Vedānta, what is that Vedānta? That is explained by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: (BG 15.15) "Vedas means to understand Me." That is Veda. If one does not understand Kṛṣṇa, his so-called Vedic knowledge or Vedānta knowledge is useless, śrama eva hi kevalam, simply labor.

Lecture on SB 6.1.46 -- San Diego, July 27, 1975:

That's all. Simply have this faith, that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That will make you sufficiently advanced. But this is very difficult for the materialistic person. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) "After endeavoring for many, many births," bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, jñānavān, "who is actually wise, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa." Otherwise, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāh: (BG 7.15) "Otherwise he remain a rascal and implicated in sinful activities, lowest of the mankind, knowledge is taken away." Na māṁ prapadyante: "He never surrenders to Kṛṣṇa."

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to propagate this knowledge that you understand Kṛṣṇa, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His activities which are recorded in the śāstra. When Kṛṣṇa was present on this earthly planet, He showed according to our understanding. Just like one man cannot maintain one wife: He married sixteen thousand wife. And He maintained them how? Sixteen thousand palaces. And will the women will be satisfied simply having very good palaces? No, she must have husband. So Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into sixteen thousand husband. This is Kṛṣṇa. But because I cannot do it, we say, "Oh, this is all allegory, fiction. It is not fact." That is our defect. If God comes, explains, then we do not believe Him. Then how we will be convinced about God? God is omnipotent, and when He shows His omnipotency and it is recorded in the śāstra, we don't believe. So therefore, why we do not believe? Now, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpam. Yeṣām... Kṛṣṇa says everything.

Lecture on SB 6.1.46 -- San Diego, July 27, 1975:

One who is completely free from the reaction of sinful life, anta-gataṁ pāpam, and only engaged in pious activities, that such person can be engaged in His devotional service.

So you engage yourself in the routine devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. Either understanding or not understanding, your life will be successful. Just like if you touch fire, understanding or not understanding, it will burn. Similarly, take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is nothing blindly accepting. Everything is explained in the śāstra, preliminary knowledge in Bhagavad-gītā, further explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So utilize your human life in understanding Kṛṣṇa, and then your life will be successful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Detroit, June 13, 1976:

This is Rūpa Gosvāmī's blessings, that "Within your heart, let Śacī-nandana be seated." Sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ. Then everything will be adjusted. He has appeared for this cause (indistinct). Anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam. He is personally, Kṛṣṇa personally is giving Kṛṣṇa. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ (CC Madhya 19.53). These are the verses composed by Rūpa Gosvāmī, that "Here is most munificent incarnation. Because He's giving Kṛṣṇa. Not only Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa, what was very, very difficult to understand." Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yayati siddhaye (BG 7.3). To understand Kṛṣṇa is not so easy, but Kṛṣṇa Himself is giving Himself: "Take Me." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So future, past, present, future, whatever it has been, our past, or what is present, it doesn't matter. But if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, then our present and future, both are bright, undoubtedly.

So we should take the instruction of the Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī... Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priyakarau nirmatsarau. Nirmatsarau, this movement, there is no distinction. No matsarata. Matsarata means to be intolerant for other's advancement. Nobody's... This is material nature. Nobody wants that his friend or his son, or, of course, the father likes, the son is increasing in opulence, he likes, but sometimes he does not like. So this world is full of envy. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is for the paramahaṁsa, who is not envious. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra. Nirmatsara (SB 1.1.2), when one is not envious of others. That is called nirma..., Because in the material world, everyone is envious of another person.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975:

To understand Kṛṣṇa is not so easy thing. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu After many, many millions of persons, one tries to become siddha. Siddha means to understand what he is, jñāna. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). And yatatām api siddhānām... (BG 7.3). Just like there are two classes of transcendentalists: the Māyāvādī and the Vaiṣṇava. That is all over the world. So Māyāvādī, they are supposed to be siddhas. They are not siddha, but they are trying to become siddha, to understand the spiritual position. Neti neti: "I am not this; I am not this; I am not this." But they are not siddhas. Siddhas, when they will understand that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19), when they will understand Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa is everything," sa mahātmā, that mahātmā, not this ordinary mahātmā, "Nārāyaṇa, namo nārāyaṇa..." He is ordinary. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. Very rare mahātmā. Who is? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā: (BG 7.19) "Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything." That is siddha. Siddha. And again, yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3).

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976:

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.

Therefore by practicing bhakti-yoga, gradually,... Immediately it is not possible. But gradually, by sticking to the regulative principles and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, we shall be able to control the senses, and the first sense is the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). The senses are so strong, they'll not allow me to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. They'll not allow me. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to understand Kṛṣṇa, His name, His form, His pastimes, His paraphernalia, so many things. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. How much we have to learn about Him, just imagine. So all these things cannot be understood by these blunt senses engaged in material sense enjoyment. That is not possible. Therefore we have to control the senses. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our indriyas... We are now habituated to use this indriya for material sense enjoyment. Therefore these indriyas, senses, is not fit for understanding Kṛṣṇa. It has to be purified. The senses, you cannot stop the activities of the senses, but you have to purify. That is recommended. That purification of the senses begins from the tongue. Therefore we have recommended that don't eat meat, don't taste intoxication, don't, and illicit sex. From the tongue, it goes to... Sex is not prohibited, but illicit sex, that is controlled, that is controlled. If one is allowed to have unlimited, unrestricted sex, then he is doomed. Better restrict your sex in one wife, woman (indistinct). That means gradually it will be controlled.

Lecture on SB 6.1.55 -- London, August 13, 1975:

Therefore śāstra says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Because they have understood what is the difference between spirit and matter, that knowledge is not perfect. He aravindākṣa. Anye. They are thinking, "Now we have understood what is spirit and what... Therefore we are liberated. We are the... Aham. So 'ham: I have become the same." So for them the śāstra says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād (SB 10.2.32). Tvayy means "unto You, Kṛṣṇa." They have not understood yet what is Kṛṣṇa, the Puruṣa, the Supreme Puruṣa. Tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Therefore their intelligence is not yet clear. Simply understanding that "I am not this material body; I am spirit soul," is not sufficient because unless you come to the point to understand Kṛṣṇa, this will not stand.

Therefore many sannyāsīs, they give up the brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. I mean to... Māyāvādī sannyāsī. Again they fall down in this mithyā jagat. They come for political work, they come for social work, daridra-nārāyaṇa-seva and this and that. That's all. Because they are not pure. If jagat is mithyā, why you again so much anxious for serving the jagat? This misconception is going on. Everyone asks us that, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, why not serve the suffering humanity?" They say always. And what you can do? You are... Simply like a madman you are thinking that you can serve the humanity. You cannot serve the humanity. You have no such power. What you can do? The example was... I was giving that if you want to give help a suffering in disease man, and bring some nice doctor, medical man to help him and bring some nice medicine, that is good work, but does it mean that it is guaranteed that he will be cured? No. Therefore you cannot do anything. You may think like that. Or you may act like that. But unless the Supreme Person sanctions, you cannot do anything. One is sure to suffer the material pangs of life. Nobody can stop it. So therefore we should not try. It will be automatically tried.

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

Then the, our natural lusty desires will disappear. That is the result. But in spite of disappearing our, this lusty desire, if we increase our lusty desire, that means we are spoiling our life. Therefore it is forbidden that neophyte students, they should not indulge in these affairs of rāsa-līlā. You should be very careful. People are very much accustomed to see rāsa-līlā in Vṛndāvana. Maybe they are advanced, but the test is whether he has given up his lusty desire. That is the test. If he has given up, then, after seeing rāsa-līlā, he should not have returned to home. My Guru Mahārāja used to say, "Do not go to Vṛndāvana with return ticket." So therefore it is very confidential. There are ten cantos in Bhāgavatam. Nine cantos are devoted to understand Kṛṣṇa, nine cantos. Then tenth canto begins. Then Kṛṣṇa's birth and pastimes are mentioned there. So we should not jump over the tenth canto all of a sudden. People are very much anxious to jump over the tenth canto. No. Tenth canto is the mukhāravinda. It is the face of Kṛṣṇa, smiling. But Kṛṣṇa worship begins from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody offers flowers and tulasī on the face of Kṛṣṇa. They offer on the feet. That is the beginning, the first and second canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, two lotus feet. So we have to go by and by. And when we are actually experienced devotional servant, then you try to understand the tenth canto. This is the way. Otherwise there may be fall down, as this Ajāmila fell down. He was neophyte, and as soon as he saw the śūdra and śūdrāṇī embracing, he became victmized.

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

You cannot manufacture religion, nonsense, give this dharma, that dharma, that dharma. No. Dharma is only one. That is bhāgavata-dharma. Otherwise there is no dharma. They are all cheating. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). The fight between different religious principles, religious followers—"I am Hindu," "You are Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Buddhist," "My religion is better," "Your religion is bad"—these are all not religion. Real religion is bhāgavata-dharma. In any other religion there is para-hiṁsa. Para-hiṁsa. In the history you will find many instances. In our country I have seen fight between Hindus and Muslims. And in the history you will find Europe, the Prostestants, and the Roman Catholics, and the Crusades. So this kind of religion has no value. Religion means when one understands Kṛṣṇa, or God, he understands automatically that all living entities are Kṛṣṇa's part and parcels. Some way or other, they have been put into this māyā. Anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela. They have forgotten. Therefore a devotee tries to bring them back to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, back to home, back to Godhead. This is vision. He has no discrimination that "Here is a Hindu. Here is a Muslim. Here is a Christian. Here is an African. Here is a white. Here is a black." No. "Everyone is Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. Let them revive their Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy." That is religion. All others cheating.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are pushing on. We have no such distinction. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Not that "They are Europeans. They cannot take to this religion." This is in the andha-kūpa, andha. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantrya uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Such class of men are subjected to the punishment by the Yamaduta. Otherwise, paṇḍitaḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Paṇḍita, they should be equal.

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

Anyone who has taken birth in India, if he's a man... If he's a dog, if he's a cat, that is another. If he's a man... Manuṣya janma haila jāra. So what is his duty? Janma sārthaka kari. First of all awaken your own Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you understand Kṛṣṇa, and then go out, kara para upakāra. Because people are in darkness. People are in darkness. They have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness meant, not that "I have understood Kṛṣṇa. Now pack it up in the box and see sometimes: 'Oh, I have become Kṛṣṇa conscious.' " My Guru Mahārāja condemned this. He said, mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava: "My dear mind, you are thinking that you have become a very good Vaiṣṇava and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and smoking bidi." This imitation has no value. My Guru Mahārāja condemned it. He said, mana tumi kisera vaiṣṇava: "What a rascal you are. You are thinking that you are Vaiṣṇava." Nirjanera ghare... What is that? I forget now. Tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava. Pratiṣṭhāra tare, nirjanera ghare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava: "My dear mind, you are very much proud of becoming Vaiṣṇava. In a solitary place you are imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura." Nirjanera ghare, pratiṣṭhāra tare: "Your this solitary chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa means that you want cheap popularity—'Oh, he is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " That is not possible. You cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So by imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura, keeping connection with woman and doing all nonsense, you cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. You must work. You must go out for chanting, for preaching. This is the real chanting. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa' upadeśa. This is wanted, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has never said that "You may imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura, and in a solitary place, 'Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa... Bidi, bidi, bidi.' " Not like that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Go out."

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

The performance of ritualistic ceremonies according to Vedic injunction may... Just like here they are doing. They may get promotion to the heavenly planet. That much. They are not devotees. They are not eligible for entering into the kingdom of God. Therefore Nārada says, "What is the benefit?" Suppose if one performs a ritualistic ceremony and is elevated to the heavenly planet, Satyaloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka. There are so many higher planets, up to Brahmaloka. But Kṛṣṇa says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino. He has to come back again. But once you understand Kṛṣṇa in fact—janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9)—once you remember Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's form, in pure devotion, he immediately becomes liberated. The karma-kāṇḍīya, they cannot understand this. Therefore pure devotion should be freed from the contamination of karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, sakali viṣera bandha. "Either you become pious or you become very learned philosopher, they are all poison pots because by cultivating such things you cannot become liberated from this material condition."

Therefore pure devotion means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). Pure devotion means one should be freed from all material desires, even from the desire of being elevated to the heavenly planet or Brahmaloka, Satyaloka—that is karma—or to try to understand, just like the philosophists, they do. By speculation, by philosophical speculation, they try to understand what is God. So they are not pure devotion. They are karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa. And Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura warns that karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, sakali viṣera bandha, amṛta baliyā yebā khāya: "A person, by mistake if he takes to the pots of karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa, then the result is: nānā yoni bhraman kare, he wanders in various species of life, sometimes as demigods, sometimes in heaven, sometimes..." But does not mean liberation. Nānā yoni bhraman kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare. And within these different varieties of life he may be sometimes a worm in the stool, a hog. Kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare. At that time he has to eat most abominable things.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

Harer nāma means chanting of the holy name. That is simple. But when you chant harer nāma then you gradually understand what is Hari, what is His form, what is His quality, what is His activities. Then you can understand. Because without harer nāma your heart is dirty—ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12)—unless your heart is cleansed you cannot understand what is Hari, what is His name, what is His form, what is His quality, what are His activities. You cannot understand.

Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Your blunt nonsense senses, if you utilize, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore people are not understanding Kṛṣṇa, neither they understanding the value of hari-nāma. Because their senses are blunt, contaminated with these māyic qualities, they cannot understand. But this is the only way—ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). Because you have to be purified, so this is the only method. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be gradually purified. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If you hear, if you chant about Kṛṣṇa, Uttamaśloka, as it is said, tad uttamaśloka-guṇopalambhakam, so many benefits are there. So the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is so important that everyone should take it very seriously. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.2.13 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1975:

Just like you can... Even if you do not taste—the mango seller may not allow you to taste—but you can smell. By smelling, you can understand whether the mango is good or bad. After all, you have to get experience. So why we should stress upon seeing Kṛṣṇa? That is most foolish proposal. You have other senses. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to be perceived by you by other senses. What is that? If you hear Kṛṣṇa, then you must know there is Kṛṣṇa. There is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not different from His name, from His form, either form or name or quality or paraphernalia, anything. He is Absolute. There is no duality. Anything you perceive, that is Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa temple is also Kṛṣṇa. So we have no sufficient knowledge how to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to be understood by us in so many ways. So the Kali-yuga, therefore, name is so important. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). This formula should be seriously taken. Kṛtāśeṣa agha-niṣkṛtam. Aśeṣa. Unlimited amount or unlimited number of sinful activities are already finished.

So the Yamadūta forbade them, that "Don't touch him. He is not fit for going to Yamaloka, but he is fit for going to Viṣṇuloka." Bhagavan-nāma mriyamāṇaḥ. The most important thing is how to become successful. At the time of death chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This should be there. Bhagavan-nāma mriyamāṇaḥ. That will be the perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:

There are two words. The conditioned soul is called jīva-bhūta. He is thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am cat," "I am dog," "I am this," "I am that." That is called jīva-bhūta. And in the human form of life, when he studies athāto brahma jijñāsā, when he is inquisitive to understand Brahman, spirit, that is real life. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā.

In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam it is said that dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41). So mokṣa means tattva-jijñāsā. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsa na yas ceha karmabhiḥ. So that tattva-jijñāsā means to understand Kṛṣṇa. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. The same. Tattva-jijñāsā... Who will inquire about tattva? Those who are siddha. So that siddha stage, brahma-bhūta stage, is not for everyone. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many millions of persons, one may be interested how to become siddha, to understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is called siddha. And yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). This is called tattva-jijñāsā. So tattva-jijñāsā is meant for the siddhas, not for the fools and rascals. They cannot. They are inquiring, ke apa haya. (Hindi?) You find in the market, big, big merchants, they have got exchange in Calcutta, Bombay. The inquiry is ke apa haya. So not that inquiry. Ke apa haya, share cut ke apa haya, cao ke apa haya, dal ke apa haya.(?) Not That is not tattva-jijñāsā. Tattva-jijñāsā means "What is Brahman?" That is tattva-jijñāsā, because Vedas indicates that "Try to understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi, 'You are Brahman.' " Tat tvam asi. So 'ham. So this is the Vedic injunction.

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:

That Bharati? So we answered them that "Come on. We have got at least seventy-five books, four hundred pages each, to teach you Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Come on." So we are prepared. It is not that. We are the followers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was chanting and dancing, but when there was Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, when there was Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, He discussed Vedānta very elaborately, not with fools and rascals. A paṇḍita like Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, a sannyāsī like Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī who knew what is Vedānta, what is Vedas—then we are prepared, because we know certainly. Kṛṣṇa says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). If anyone understands Kṛṣṇa, it is to be understood that he has studied all the Vedas. There is no doubt about it. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15).

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
(BG 7.19)

So everything is explained there. We are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness not with empty hand. We are prepared to talk on Vedānta. We are prepared to talk on Upaniṣad. And the conclusion is kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaṁ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. This is the conclusion. Kṛṣṇa also confirms that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjayaḥ, praṇava (BG 7.7). Sometimes they take praṇavaḥ as the Supreme. Kṛṣṇa says, praṇavaḥ ahaṁ sarva vedeṣu: "This praṇava, oṁkāra, in all the Vedas, that is I am. That is My sound representation."

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:

There is no "this" and "that." Kṛṣṇa is one. But even if we think that this is the statue of Kṛṣṇa, that is our misconception. It is not statue. It (is) Kṛṣṇa. We have to prepare our eyes to see Him. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When He entered Jagannātha temple, He immediately fainted—"Here is Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa"—because He had the eyes to see Kṛṣṇa. So we have to prepare our eyes to see. That eye is also explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā: premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38), to develop your love of Kṛṣṇa. Then Kṛṣṇa will be revealed. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234).

So you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by argument or by your these staring eyes. No. You have to prepare your eyes, you have to prepare your ear, you have to prepare your nose, you have to prepare your tongue, you have to prepare your hand, you have to prepare your leg—all the senses.

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

At that time, when he's fixed up in devotional service, his mind is not disturbed with all this nonsense coming out of the quality of ignorance and passion. Tato rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye, ceta etair anāviddha. Anāviddham means it is not attacked by this greediness and lustiness. Sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati: "He is immediately in the sattva-guṇa, goodness. Therefore his mind is satisfied." These are the test. Mind is no more disturbance.

And as soon as his mind is in tranquillity, evaṁ prasanna-manaso... (SB 1.2.20), because as soon as one is elevated to the sattva-guṇa platform, he becomes happy in his mental situation. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso. Unless one is situated in tranquillity of his mental position, one cannot understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. One must become satisfied. That satisfaction comes on the platform of sattva-guṇa, not in the platform of ignorance and passion. People are... They come... Mostly people, they are being conducted by passion and ignorance. Therefore they cannot understand. They say, "Such and such person is greater than Kṛṣṇa," because they are captivated by ignorance. They do not know and therefore talk so many nonsense. Unless we are freed from the rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ... They advise, "You can do whatever you like. You can eat whatever you like. Now you are liberated, you can indulge in all kinds of nonsense, but still, you are God. You are Brahman." These things are going on. How they can understand Kṛṣṇa? It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 6.3.12-15 -- Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971:

So here it is said, yaṁ vai na gobhir manasāsubhir vā hṛdā girā vāsu-bhṛto vicakṣate. (reads commentary) Tan māyā-mohitād na jānanty ity uktam, avaśed tata tasya ityāhayam iti. Gobhir indriyair cittena na vicakṣata na paśyanti.(?) So gobhiḥ, by sensual gymnastic or mental speculation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be understood. There are many mental speculator, just like Aurobindo Ghosh. So he speculated. He understood that there are activities even after liberation, but he could not understand Kṛṣṇa, so hard it is. Others, the so-called sannyāsīs, just like Ramatirtha or Vivekananda, they could not approach even, in the modern age. And the Aurobindo, he approached up to the Brahman liberation, but he could not approach to the understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is... Arjuna says also in the Bhagavad-gītā, "It is very difficult to understand Your personality." Everyone becomes... The other day in the Melā, Māgha-melā, one Gangeshvarananda, retired high-court judge, he said that "This is the first time, Swamijī, that we are hearing from you on solid basis about the Personality." The whole world, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi... Nirviśeṣa... Means the impersonalists and voidists, that's all. They have no understanding what is Personality of Godhead. Gobhir indriyair hṛdā cittena na vicakṣate. One cannot, a gobhiḥ, by exercise of the senses. Gobhiḥ and indriyair hṛdā, heart also, meditation. The jñānīs, the speculators, they are speculating by sensual activities, and the yogis, they are trying to find out the Supreme within the heart, cittena. So na paśyanti: "But they cannot see." They cannot see. So jñānīs, the yogis, they cannot understand. Although they are trying for it, they cannot understand. It is clearly said, hṛdā girā vāsu-bhṛto vicakṣate. Yad vāca nābhūd dhṛtaṁ yan manaḥ manute ityādi śruteḥ.(?) And he is giving recitation from the Vedas: yad vāca nābhūd dhṛtaṁ yan manaḥ manute ityādi śruteḥ. Avann mānasa-gocaraḥ.(?) He is beyond the reception of mental speculation or philosophical topics.

Lecture on SB 6.3.20-23 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

If you go on speculating, by speculation, panthās tu koṭi, still, your conception of God or religion will remain incomplete. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi (Bs. 5.34). By airplane, with the speed of the mind... There are different airplanes, and they have got different speeds. Now, if you manufacture an airplane which runs with the speed of the mind... You know the speed of the mind. Within a second, you can travel millions of miles. So an airplane running on, on that speed, and thinking for millions of years, still, you cannot approach the abode of Kṛṣṇa or understand Kṛṣṇa. Only you can understand by His mercy. Only by the mercy of... Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Just like Kṛṣṇa is voluntarily offering Arjuna to understand Bhagavad-gītā. He's not going to canvass anyone. "Arjuna, you understand it. You'll be able to understand because you are My devotee."

So for a devotee only, the door of God is open. For others, there is no possibility. Therefore, He's called durbodham. Durbodhaṁ yaṁ jñātvā. But somehow or other, if he can understand the principles of religion and God, then immediately he becomes immortal. Immortal means he's no more going to accept any material body. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

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

Prabhupāda: ...ādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. We should not transfer our service to somebody. The more we serve, the more we understand Kṛṣṇa. We should follow this principle. Sevonmukhe hi... The only means of understanding Kṛṣṇa is service. There is no other means. (break)

Devotee: Some day one person will do the floor, and the next day another person? Is that all right?

Prabhupāda: If one man can continue, that's nice. Why should we try for another man?

Devotee: I was thinking that everybody could have an opportunity that way.

Prabhupāda: Well, that is very doubtful. (chuckles) The opportunity is neglected. That attitude, it is accepted that "Here is an opportunity," that is very nice. But sometimes we try to transfer the opportunity, being compassionate with another devotee. (laughter) Himāvatī? (chuckles) Devotees are very compassionate. (laughs) Kāruṇikāḥ. "Please you take this service, and other service, I may take prasādam. (laughter) That I cannot neglect." And Kṛṣṇa is so kind, any service you do, still you are accepted. Either you take this service or that service, still you are accepted. (end)

Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa, by His Paramātmā feature, He is all-pervading. He is in all universes. He is all, everywhere, in the heart of all living entity. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ... Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). And He is also within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. This is Kṛṣṇa. So one has to understand Kṛṣṇa perfectly. So for preliminary study of Kṛṣṇa, there is Bhagavad-gītā, how to understand Kṛṣṇa. And next... Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD, primary entrance to the understanding of spiritual life. This is ABCD. But people are so fallen that they cannot understand even ABCD, what to speak of becoming graduate or postgraduate. In this age people are so fallen. This Mahābhārata... Mahābhārata was given by Vyāsadeva for the less intelligent class of men: strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Śruti means Vedas. Vyāsadeva considered that stri, woman; śūdra, the fourth-class men... Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnām... Dvija-bandhu means those who are born in higher-class society—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—but they are not qualified. They are simply proud of getting birth in higher families. They are called dvija-bandhu. They are equal to woman and the śūdra. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā. Trayī means the Vedas. Karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, upāsana-kāṇḍa. There are three methods in understanding Vedas, and their language, their process, is very difficult. Therefore Vyāsadeva, considering the immediate inauguration of Kali-yuga... Because Vyāsadeva appeared at the end of Dvāpara-yuga. So before writing these Vedas, Vyāsadeva, by Vyāsadeva, there was no written scripture. Therefore these Vedas are called śrutis. People learn it simply by hearing, śruti. Śrotram. Śrotriyam. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12).

Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- London, September 9, 1971:

We have created so many unnecessary things and become entangled. So in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated, anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). If you want to get out of these anarthas, unnecessary trouble and problems which you have created, anarthopaśamam, if you want to cut down these unnecessary problems... This morning I was seeing one picture of Berlin sent by one of my disciples. So I had been in Moscow also. This city I have seen, very nice city. Berlin is very nice city. London is very nice city. But why they engaged in fighting and bombed each, other's city? Why this happenned? Because they have lost their interest in Viṣṇu, in God. Therefore I am thinking, "You are my enemy; I am your enemy," and we fight like cats and dogs. But as soon as we come to the Viṣṇu understanding, Kṛṣṇa understanding, these cities, these nice cities, this nice civilization, can be maintained very nicely. You be happy. Yajña-śiṣṭāśino santaḥ. You eat nicely, dance nicely, live nicely, and go back to home, back to Godhead. Enjoy this life and next life. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice. Everyone should take seriously, try to understand it seriously. It is authorized on the Vedic principles. It is nothing something manufactured, unauthorized. So that is our request. So we are opening centers in different parts of the world to give opportunity to the people to understand his real interest: Viṣṇu, his real interest. That is our mission. So kindly help us and join us.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

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

So everyone should be very serious to accept this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness not only personally, but teach others, statewise, familywise, communitywise, so that we may not be envious to our dependent. We should be liberal. So give them the proper chance to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that they make their life happy and attain the stage of eternity. We are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Simply we are changing body. It is a great science. But unfortunately there is no teaching in the school, college and university. Simply we are in darkness. If we keep people in darkness and advertise that we are advancing, it is another type of cheating. So people should understand the value of life, the science of life, that tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: (BG 2.13) we are changing this body. And the samples of body, 8,400,000 forms of life... Just like the trees are standing in our compound. They cannot move an inch. Is that very good life? So if I am asked to stand at a place for five minutes, it becomes troublesome. And they are standing for five thousand years. Just see the punishment. So there are so many forms of life. There is no science to understand why there are varieties of life, why this tree standing in front of me in miserable condition and I am sitting in this room very comfortably. It is also a life; I am also a life. Why? Who is arranging for this different status of life? These are to be understood. And everything is there, clear, in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, study Bhagavad-gītā, and then after studying we study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then our life is successful. So every father, every state, every guardian, every guru, every, everyone, relative, should educate his dependent in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to give them chance to be liberated from this bondage of miserable condition of material life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

There are eight divisions. So Nārada Muni says that if one gives up his occupational duty, specific duty either as a brahmacārī or sannyāsī or gṛhastha or brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya, he gives up. Why he gives up? Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer (SB 1.5.17). By sentiment or by association, he becomes encouraged that "I shall take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I shall give up everything." So Nārada Muni says, "Oh, it is a very good thing. Even if he's sentimental."Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer (SB 1.5.17). And because one comes by sentiment to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness he cannot stick. So bhajann apakvo 'tha. That means, bhajann, when the execution of devotional service is not complete, apakvo, immature Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). Or even falls down.

Suppose a brahmacārī, he's supposed to follow the laws of celibacy, but he could not. He falls down. There are so many rules and regulations. And fall down.(?) He began the execution of devotional service, but some way or other māyā catches him and he falls down. Nārada Muni says, "Oh, there is no loss for him."Yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ ko vā artha āptaḥ abhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ. Nārada Muni says that even if he falls down he does not lose anything. But what does he gain if one is engaged in his occupational duty as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, or this or that? If he sticks to his occupational duty and does not understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what does he gain? He does not gain anything. Suppose if one follows the rules and regulations of a brāhmaṇa. His next life he may get a brāhmaṇa birth or a very, I mean to say, learned family. Like that he can get. But that is not a very good gain.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:

The cynosure of the neighboring eyes. You see the stars. Just like in the ocean, the navigators, they look to the Pole Star, that which side they are going. Similarly, our aim should be always to Viṣṇu. Always to Viṣṇu. But unfortunately we are not educated in that way. We are educated in different way. Therefore there is disaster. The same example we can give. If you do not know that the Pole Star, then you may be misdirected. Just like Columbus, he came to America, or many, there are many navigators. If they miss that, misses that Pole Star, then they will be misdirected. Similarly, our human form of life, the aim should be to understand Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That should be the aim of life. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. So here also, the same thing, viṣṇu pādopasarpaṇam yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya. Sarva-bhūtānām means all living entities. Priya, that is real dear object. Sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt. He is the proprietor of my self. He is Superself. Just like I love this body. Why? Because I am the spirit self, or soul is within this body. Therefore just like I love this apartment. Why? Because I live here. Similarly, I love this body because I am spirit soul, I am living within this body. Therefore I try to protect it. Real love is to myself. So naturally, if you love yourself, then this self is the part and parcel of the Superself. Therefore you love indirectly the Superself. And suhṛt, and He is your actually intimate friend. Suhṛt. Suhṛt means who is always wishing your good. The Vedic information says that the Supreme Lord as Supersoul is sitting with you in the same tree. The individual soul and the Supersoul is sitting in the heart and this body is considered as tree, and He is seeing your, my activities. He is trying to get me back to Godhead. So in whichever form of life I am transmigrating He is also going with me.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Prabhupāda: What do you mean, understanding? Simply hear and get out from the other.

Guest: But I mean (indistinct). We can't understand Kṛṣṇa with our mind.

Prabhupāda: With your material mind. When you are Kṛṣṇa consciousness your quality of mind is changed. The mind, the understanding of God, is simply purification of the senses. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By the present senses you cannot understand what is God, what is His name, what is His quality, what is His form, what are activities. You have to learn this. The Bhagavad-gītā says vetti tattvataḥ. You have to learn. So now as you say, that mind... Of course, with this mind you cannot understand. You cannot think of Kṛṣṇa. With this tongue you cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. With these ears you cannot hear what is Hare Kṛṣṇa. With these eyes you cannot see what is Kṛṣṇa. But if you purify... Just like cataractic eyes cannot see, but if you purify the eyes, then you can see everything. The eyes will remain as it is, but you have to purify. The process is purification. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. That purification takes place when you engage yourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to engage a person in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the temple is Kṛṣṇa's. You wipe out the floors, you decorate it, collect flowers, engage your eyes to hear about Kṛṣṇa, engage your tongue for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So engage your eyes to see the Deity, or engage your legs to go to the temple. In this way, if you engage your senses, present senses for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it becomes gradually purified and you... Kṛṣṇa becomes revealed. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva. You cannot see Kṛṣṇa but when you are anxious, when you are purified, Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself to you. By your eyes or..., if you say, "Kṛṣṇa, please come, I'll see You," that is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is not your order-supplier. He wants to see you, how much you are qualified to see Him. When you are qualified He'll reveal to you. He is everywhere. Simply you have to make your eyes to see Him. That's all. This is the process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. He reveals.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

That is bhakti. You have to be free from all designation. Then when you begin service, then Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam (BG 10.10). He is within you. He'll give you intelligence, "This is this. This is this. This is this. This is this." Why? When? Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-purvakam. "When he's in love and faith engaged in My service." Then? Why, otherwise, why Kṛṣṇa will talk with you? He is within you. That's all right. But He'll talk with you when you are qualified. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to make you qualified, qualified to talk with Kṛṣṇa, to see Kṛṣṇa, to understand Kṛṣṇa. And then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9). Then you, while quitting this body, no more you are going to accept any material body. You are directly transferred to Kṛṣṇa. Mām eti kaunteya. This is the simple process.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Prabhupāda: What is this? You say that... That, you are not dictionary. So you have to answer all these questions, what Candra's function. What business you have got Candra's function? You ask for Kṛṣṇa. Candra's function don't you know? It is giving light. That is his function. Candra means moon. You mean to say? Then moon is giving the light. That's all. Everyone knows. A child knows Candra's function. What is that? Candra's function is to give light at night. That's all. Any fool knows. That is not question. You must put some intelligent question, to understand Kṛṣṇa. Candra's function... Candra means moon. The moon function everyone knows. What is difficulty? You should have at least this common sense to reply. The Candra's function is to give light, that's all.

Guest: Indra's function is to carry water?

Prabhupāda: Yes. The sanitary engineer's functions, they are coming here, everyone knows. They are called sanitary engineers? The scavengers? Similarly, they are like that, different kinds of engineers. Sanitary engineer, water work engineer, light department engineer, that's all. First of all, try to understand what is your function, then try to understand what is other's function. (chuckles) Your function is to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. That's it. How you can know? There are millions and trillions of other beings, what is the function? Here you have to see what is your function.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3-4 -- San Francisco, March 8, 1967:

Because they are all atheistic boys. They are after material improvement, economic development. The atheist class of men, they are always busy for economic development. They have no idea of spiritual existence or spiritual advancement of life. That is the distinction between atheistic life and theistic life. Atheistic people are not concerned, not a drop they are concerned for advancing in spiritual life. So because he was speaking amongst the boys who came from atheistic family, he said, "My dear friends, don't bother yourself for developing your economic condition, because that is already arranged there. You better utilize your short time, short span of life, for understanding Kṛṣṇa or be Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is his version. Tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param. "Because you have got limited span of life."

The other day I explained that suppose you are destined to live for fifty years. Now, you cannot make it fifty-one years or fifty years, one month, by spending any amount of money. Just like a man is dying. He's very rich man. The doctor says that "He will die at such and such time." And if somebody says, "My dear doctor, kindly increase the time little more. You say that 'He will die at 10 o'clock at night.' Now make it next day 10 o'clock. We have got some business," that is not possible. That is not possible. If you spend millions of dollars and bribe the doctor, "Please extend the life. We have to get him sign some document before he dies," oh, that is not possible. Therefore just try to understand, the duration of life, how much it is valuable. It is not in your power to increase even by moment. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "Don't spoil your life for so-called sense gratification. That is already arranged there. Don't spoil your valuable life simply for sense gratification." Just see. These instructions are to be noted by human being, that we should not spoil even a second of our life uselessly. Uselessly. How? The... How we spend our life? Na cen nirarthakaṁ nītiḥ, ka ca hānis tato 'dhikā.

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

"To earn money is my first business. That is... And to work for it, that is my first business." But that is forbidden. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this is forbidden. Becau... Why forbidden? Because you cannot get more than what you are destined to get. That is not possible. If by your karma, karma-phala, by result of your karma, if you are to get some happiness, you will get that much, not more than that. So what is the use of endeavoring? Therefore it is said, tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param. Simply waste your time. Suppose you are doing some business and earning money. And if somebody says that "You cannot get more than five hundred rupees per month," then why you'll work so hard? But because they have no information—they do not take consultation from the right person—therefore they are trying uselessly. The human life was meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Instead of using the energy for understanding Kṛṣṇa, they are spoiling the energy unnecessarily to earn money. This is the modern civilization. The whole Western world, how they are spoiling their life unnecessarily. We should be satisfied in the economic position as we are put into.

So in another place Nārada Muni says,

tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatāṁ upary adaḥ
tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ
kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasāḥ
(SB 1.5.18)

Gabhīra-raṁhasāḥ, tal labhyate. Your material gain, happiness or distress, you are destined to get. You'll get it. Again the same, duḥkhavad anyataḥ. Anyat nataḥ. Nobody tries to get distress. If you ask anybody that "Why you are working so hard?" nobody says that "I am working so hard, I want distress." Nobody will say. Everyone will say, "I'll be happy. I'll get happiness.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1976:

Simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is only business. Of course, we cannot do that in the neophyte stage, but actually that is the only purpose. Unfortunately, the modern civilization has discovered so many artificial ways of life that it is very, very difficult to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness business. So therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says that simply for sense gratification, if we waste our time, that is not good. Tat prayāso na kartavyo—don't waste your time for increasing the scope of sense gratification. That is not at all required. Tat-prāyaso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param. Āyur means duration of life. Simply wasted. Vyayaḥ, vyayaḥ means expanded or wasted. Param. This duration of life, human form of life is param. Param means the supreme. Not like cats and dogs. Their āyuḥ, they also live for some time, we also live, but their life is useless. They cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. But we human beings, if we are trained up we can understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore it is called param. Everything is param. Just like anna. Anna means ordinary rice. And paramānna, paramānna means the first-class, sweet rice, cooked with milk. You have got good experience. (laughter) So similarly, āyuḥ, the ant has got āyuḥ, the worm has got āyuḥ, the cat has got an āyuḥ, some duration of life. But so far the human being is concerned, that is param āyuḥ. Param āyuḥ. So if we waste our time simply for sense gratification, then we waste our valuable life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1976:

So we should utilize our time very carefully. Puṁso varṣa-śatam... Because here is the calculation that although, supposing that I shall live for one hundred years, puṁso varṣa-śataṁ hy āyus tad-ardhaṁ cājitātmanaḥ (SB 7.6.6). Immediately, those who are not controlling the senses, ordinary, they are immediately at least half minus, fifty years gone for sleeping. And then niṣphalaṁ yad asau rātryāṁ śete 'ndhaṁ prāpitas tamaḥ. So in this way, if you are actually serious... It is not that we are imposing something. We must be serious about the Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, that simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa or simply being Kṛṣṇa conscious, we become liberated:

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti kaunteya
(BG 4.9)

You have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Take it a little more seriously and practice, follow the rules and regulations, chant regularly, then your life will be successful.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:

One has to realize, and one has to talk with Kṛṣṇa. So that means he has to qualify himself. Just like in your body there are so many things—do you know everything? Do you know everything? Then? Do you know? You are eating, and how it is being transformed into blood? Can you see it? Then it requires knowledge. Similarly, by knowledge you will understand that Kṛṣṇa is with you. That is the mistake of this modern civilization. Everyone thinks, "I know everything. I don't require any authority to understand anything." But the Vedic literature, the Vedic civilization, they direct, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "If you want to understand that science, you must approach a bona fide spiritual master." This is very simple thing. If you want to learn engineering, then you must admit yourself in engineering college. If you want to be a medical man, you must admit yourself in a medical college. Similarly, if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you must approach a person who knows Kṛṣṇa. It is not fanaticism or mental speculation. You have to learn the art scientifically. (starts playing karatālas and someone starts playing a melody on harmonium) What is that? Begin Hare Kṛṣṇa. (changes to Hare Kṛṣṇa melody on harmonium-kīrtana) (end)

Lecture on SB 7.6.8 -- Vrndavana, December 10, 1975:

One cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness because he is mad, he is rascal. Why? Duṣkṛtina, on account of sinful activities. Therefore what is his position? Narādhamāḥ, the lowest of mankind. Then, "He is educated?" Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā: his so-called education has no value, because his real knowledge has been taken away. Real knowledge is—that is given in Bhagavad-gītā in the beginning—real knowledge is that "I am not this body." But everyone is working on the bodily concept of life; therefore they are all mad. Pramattasya, gṛheṣu saktasya. Because he is madman, therefore he is so much attached.

So we have to go to the opposite. Attachment... "Then I shall finish all my attachment?" No, you cannot give up your attachment, because that is the symptom of life. You cannot be free from attachment. But the attachment has to be turned to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises in the Bhagavad-gītā,

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha
yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ
asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ
yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu
(BG 7.1)

In the Sixth..., the Seventh Chapter, Kṛṣṇa is giving lesson how to become unattached to this material world. Mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha. If you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa—if you become perfectly Kṛṣṇa consciousness—then it is possible to be detached. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Your attachment gets better engagement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means attachment for the best. We have got attachment.

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

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

Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ. These are one after another. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana-kriyā. Bhajana-kriyā, the beginning is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is bhajana-kriyā. And if it is done properly, then anartha-nivṛtti syāt. Then he becomes free from all unwanted things. Anartha, there is no need... Just like intoxication. There is no need, but if the bhajana-kriyā, Hare Kṛṣṇa maha-mantra chanting, goes on, naturally it will be stopped. Then niṣṭha. Tato niṣṭha tato ruci tataḥ asaktiḥ, asaktiḥ, attachment. In this way we can make advanced. The beginning is śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇa. As soon as Kṛṣṇa sees, ātmatvāt sarva bhūtānām, little attempt is there, immediately He helps.

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

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

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

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says to his demonic friends that "Stop this life in this material world." Bīja-nirharaṇam. We are in this material world simply by different desires. We are creating different desires, our material ambition. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Stop this." But stopping this..., people think that stopping this, then where is our next life? That they do not know. That is the difficulty. But we get information from śāstras, we get information from Bhagavad-gītā that "The place where you go and do not return back, that is My place." Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Again, Kṛṣṇa says that tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). There is a process. The process is simply to understand Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvataḥ, not knowing superficially, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is a historical person. Some five thousand years ago, He took birth as the son of Devakī," like that. Everyone knows—at least every Indian knows—and they observe Kṛṣṇa's birthday. That is beginning. But Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth, He is the origin of everything, He is the cause of all causes, that is not known. That one has to know. The brahma-jyotir, impersonal jyoti is bodily effulgence. The brahma-jyotir is resting on Kṛṣṇa. Brahmaṇo aham pratiṣṭha, Kṛṣṇa says. Just like the illumination in this room, prakāśa, is resting on this bulb. Although the illuminating light is spread all over this room, that is not original. The original is the bulb. Similarly, and from the śāstra we find, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam, tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ (Bs. 5.40). That brahma ananta aśeṣa-bhūtam, unlimited. Yasya prabhā. This brahma-jyotir is only effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, we have to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

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

He is Śyāmasundara. But He can be seen not by exercising our brain, our senses, our mind. He can be seen only by developing our dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. Premāñjana-cchurita, not by other ways. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). By devotion, by love one can understand Him, not by sensual exercise or mental exercise, no. He does not say that "By jñāna, by cultivation of knowledge I can be known." No. He never says that cultivation of yoga. Yoga, by cultivation of knowledge, by cultivation of yoga you can understand Kṛṣṇa partially, not fully. Just like by cultivation of knowledge you realize Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence, brahma-jñāna. That is (?). Brahma-jñāna means Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), the original form of eternity, bliss, and knowledge. So Brahman realization means eternity realization. And Paramātmā realization means cit, or knowledge. But God realization, Kṛṣṇa realization means sac-cid-ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The Supreme Lord is by nature full of bliss. You will see, therefore, Kṛṣṇa always blissful. Kṛṣṇa has no anxiety. Kṛṣṇa is killing a very big, big demon and He is taking pleasure and smiling. You have seen all these pictures in our Kṛṣṇa book, how He is killing the Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Dhenukāsura, Keśī, and so many asuras. Just like a child is playing with toys. And similarly, He is enjoying with His cowherd boyfriends, with girlfriends, gopīs, with His mother, everywhere Kṛṣṇa you will find ānandamayo. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12).

Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

Just like Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna. And if you follow the principles of Arjuna, as he heard, as he understood, then you also hear from Kṛṣṇa. What did he do, Kṛṣṇa, uh, Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā? He said, "O my dear Kṛṣṇa," naṣṭo mohaḥ, "my illusion is over," tvat-prasādāt, "by Your kindness." That means, "You have so kindly instructed me. Now my illusion is over." Then what you are going to do? Your illusion is over? Ah, kariṣye tad vacanam: "Oh, I shall act as You are advising me." That means, "I shall fight. I shall fight." So evaṁ param... If Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa in this way That is a fact. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā. Now, if you follow the principle or the footprints of Arjuna, that Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā in this way Now, if you follow the principles of Arjuna, then you understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not very difficult. That is stated, how, what, what Arjuna understood. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Tenth Chapter: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He accepted that "You are Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nobody knows about Your personality." These things are described there.

So you haven't got to labor very hard. If you simply follow mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186), if you follow the footprints of great personalities like Arjuna, like Nārada, like Brahmā, like Śaṅkarācārya, like Rāmānujācārya, oh, they are there. Their precepts and their injunction is there. But you have to select a person, a bona fide spiritual master. You have to see that whether he's actually in that disciplic succession. And how you can test it? You'll test it that a bona fide spiritual master will instruct you the same thing as Kṛṣṇa instructed. How it is that? That Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all engagements and you just surrender unto Me," the spiritual master will say the same thing, that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." He'll not say, "Not to Kṛṣṇa, but to something else, nonsense." He's not a spiritual master. Just try to understand. This is paramparā system.

Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

He, whatever he receives, he offers to Kṛṣṇa. For Kṛṣṇa. So therefore Kṛṣṇa, offering is to Kṛṣṇa through the transparent via media of spiritual master. Because directly I do not know Kṛṣṇa. Directly I do not know how to offer Kṛṣṇa. Therefore my business is to offer it through the agent. Just like if you want to pay something to the government, you have to pay to the treasury, not directly to president. You have to pay through the treasury. Similarly, this is the process of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Guru-śuśrūṣayā bhaktyā sarva-labdhārpaṇena ca, saṅgena sādhu-bhaktānām. And you have to live with society who are trying to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sādhu-saṅgena. Simply official offering will not help you. You have to contact. Therefore this association required. This Society is necessary to give chance to the people that they may come and live in the Society and they reform their character, their habits. So that is required. These are all recommended: saṅgena sādhu-bhaktānām. Sādhu-bhaktānām. Sādhu and bhakta. Not the karmīs. There are different classes of men. Some of them are called karmīs, some of them are called jñānīs, some of them are called yogis, and some of them are called bhaktas, or devotees. So here Prahlāda Mahārāja does not recommend that you have to make your association with karmīs or you have to make your association with jñānīs or you have to make your association with the yogis. But here it is clearly stated, saṅgena sādhu-bhaktānām. Sādhu means a devotee, and bhakta means who is actually engaged in devotional service.

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

Because so long we are in the lower stage of devotion we shall misunderstand. They are doing that. You'll find that the rascals who have no idea about Kṛṣṇa, they are very much fond of painting Kṛṣṇa's picture dealings with the gopīs, because they take it that it is just like we deal with young men or woman, it is something like that. So that is a great mistake. They should not. Then they will become sahajiyā. Very strictly prohibited. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Śukadeva Gosvāmī has warned that one should not even dream like that, that "Kṛṣṇa's dealing with gopīs is just like our dealing with woman." No. It ms completely different. Therefore we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsadeva has devoted nine cantos to understand Kṛṣṇa, and then, in the Tenth Canto, he has put the gopīs' dealings with Kṛṣṇa. That is also beginning from twenty-ninth chapter.

So we should always know this, that lust is coming from Kṛṣṇa, but His lust, this lusty desire, and our lusty desire in the material world, they are not the same. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura advises, kāmaḥ kṛṣṇa-kārmārpaṇe. We have got lusty desires, but it should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. Just like we are very much anxious to fulfill our lusty desires. So if we turn our lusty desire for serving Kṛṣṇa, we should be equally enthu... (end)

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

That is real appreciation of spiritual life. If one thinks that "Prahlāda Mahārāja was only five years old. How he could offer such nice verses in glorifying the Lord?" that is possible. Bhakti does not depend on the age. Bhakti depends on sincerity of service. It is not that because one man is older than me, therefore he will be greater devotee. No. Ahaituky apratihatā. First of all, bhakti must be without any motive, without any motive of personal sense gratification. That is real bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). We have to make all our desires zero. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. People are trying to understand the whole creation by knowledge, but bhakti does not depend on knowledge. Jñāna-karma... Or karma. Karma means fruitive action. Not that because you are a very big businessman, you are very successful, therefore it will be easy for you to understand Kṛṣṇa. No. That is not possible. Or if you think one is very poor in knowledge, lowborn, no education, still he can understand bhakti and Lord, provided he is pure devotee.

So material conditions, they are not practically applicable to spiritual life. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, therefore, He said, eho bāhya āge kaha āra. Whatever Rāmānanda Rāya was proposing, "This is the beginning of bhakti..." He suggested varṇāśrama-dharma, karma-tyāga, karma-sannyāsa, even full surrender, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). All, everything, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, eho bāhya āge kaha: "These are external formality. If you know something better than this, please explain." So Rāmānanda Rāya, when, I mean to say, quoted a verse from Brahma's prayer, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ prāyeṇa ajita api jito... Kṛṣṇa is ajita. Nobody can conquer Him. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Nobody is greater in every respect. Not that "Kṛṣṇa is shorter at least in this respect."

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

"I am very rich,"or "I am very this and that. Therefore for me to understand God, it is nothing." They think like that. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). Those who are very much proud, they do not take Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously. They think, "These poor fellow who had no money, no foodstuff, they have come in the name of Kṛṣṇa for begging. So it is for them. It is not for us. I am very rich. I am very opulent. I am very educated. I am very aristocratic. So for me there is no need of." The Indians say like that in your country. "Now we have known this Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. We have... Now it is not needed. Now it is technology."

So these puffed-up persons cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. One has to become very humble. Christ also says, "The kingdom of God is for the humble and the meek." That is actually... And Kṛṣṇa also says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the beginning of humbleness: "Yes, I have nothing, insignificant." Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān mām (BG 7.19). This is real knowledge, to remain always insignificant before guru—Kṛṣṇa. Then it is profit. If somebody thinks that "I have become more than my guru, more than Kṛṣṇa," then he is finished. So one should become very humble and meek. It doesn't matter where he is situated, either this institutionally, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Even one has taken sannyāsa, he should remain always humble. So never we should think that "I have become very big personality." That was the instruction of my Guru Mahārāja, that baḍa vaiṣṇava—"I am very big Vaiṣṇava. Everyone should come and obey my orders"—this is condemned position. The real position is one should be very humble and meek. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Namanta means humble. One should be prepared to learn from...

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

Therefore it is called... Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said tad aham aśnāmi, I eat. What it that? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi (BG 9.26). I eat. The rascals they cannot see how Kṛṣṇa is eating what is offered to Him, but He says "Yes, I eat." So what is that eating? But you have, you have got so imperfect eyes, you cannot see how the Lord is eating, but He is eating. These things are clearly, here it is specifically mentioned, vilokya devaḥ kṛpayā pariplutaḥ, ecstatic, "Oh, how he is nice this boy."

So in this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa, the Lord, devaḥ, how He is working, transcendentally. That is paśyaty acakṣaḥ, acakṣuḥ, śṛṇoti, akarṇaḥ. His hearing, His seeing, His eating is different from us. Therefore it is said, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti (Bs. 5.32). If we offer at His lotus feet something, He eats. He can eat with His leg. Therefore how His eating process can be equal to us? Therefore there are two contradictions, paśyati, acakṣuḥ. Śṛnoti, akarṇaḥ. This is to be understood. Not that He is impersonal. His personality is different from our personality. We cannot eat witl our leg, but Kṛṣṇa can eat with, by His leg. He can see by His leg, He can hear by His finger. This is called aṅgani yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti (Bs. 5.32). He is perfect. In this way you have to understand Kṛṣṇa. So, as soon as we come in touch with Kṛṣṇa by devotional service, then we become abhayam, no more fear. As soon as we are in the material world, bhayam. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Abhaya. Bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana abhaya-caraṇāravinda re, abhaya. His name is Abhaya. So if you come in touch with Kṛṣṇa by devotional service, and there is no more fear. Everyone is afraid. But, who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, nārāyaṇa-parāḥ, nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). (end)

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

So this can be enjoyed by the devotees, not the... Atheist class of men or non-devotees cannot understand. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Only the devotees, no others. Others, they have no admission in this kingdom, to understand. If you want to understand Kṛṣṇa it is only through bhakti. Neither knowledge nor yoga nor karma nor jñāna, nothing—nothing will help you. Simply a devotee. And how to become devotee? How easy it is? See here the Prahlāda Mahārāja, innocent child, simply offering his obeisances. And Kṛṣṇa is also asking you, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). If you sincerely do these four items—always think of Kṛṣṇa... Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, (devotees chant) Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. So this is thinking of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā. And you can stick to this principle of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra if you are unalloyed devotee. Without being unalloyed devotee it is very difficult. It will be tiresome. But we shall practice. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena (BG 8.8).

Immediately we cannot be first-class devotee. We cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That is not possible. But minimum. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ. We have to practice. Certain numerical strength we must maintain. And we have made it, therefore... Some of our so-called devotees, they criticize me that I have limited only sixteen rounds. No, why sixteen rounds? You can make three hundred rounds, but minimum, minimum sixteen rounds, because we are not accustomed to devote much time. We must be busy always. But to sit down in one place and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra continuously, that is not possible for any conditioned soul—unless he is liberated. So don't try to imitate. My Guru Mahārāja has strictly forbidden, "Don't try to imitate big personalities like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Rūpa Gosvāmī." He used to say, rūpa gosvāmī ke mogha vāñchā (?). Rūpa Gosvāmī, because he used to put on a loin cloth... Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthā...

Lecture on SB 7.9.6 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1977:

Therefore they are mūḍha, mūḍhas. They may be very much puffed up of their so-called knowledge, but according to Vedic knowledge they are mūḍhas. And if one cannot understand the superior energy, prakṛti, nature, then how one can understand God? That is not possible. Then again, dealings between God and the superior energy, that is bhakti. It is very difficult. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). That siddhaye means to understand that superior energy. That is siddhi. And after that, one can understand Kṛṣṇa.

So it is very difficult, especially in this age. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10). They are... Mandāḥ means they are not interested, or even they are little interested, they are very slow. They do not understand this is the prime knowledge. And first of all you must know it, athāto brahma jijñāsā, that superior knowledge. That is required. But everyone is neglecting. There is no inquisitiveness even what is that thing which is moving this body. There is no inquiry. They think automatically, by combination of this matter... They are still persisting on this point, and when you challenge, "You take this chemical and prepare the living force," they'll say, "That I cannot do." And what is this? If you cannot do, then why you are speaking like nonsense, that "The combination of matter or chemicals gives the life"? You take the chemicals. Our Doctor Svarūpa Dāmodara in the California University... One big professor came to lecture on chemical evolution, and he challenged immediately, that "If I give you the chemicals, can you produce life?" He said, "That I cannot say." So this is their position. They cannot prove it. They cannot do it. Science means not only observation but experiment also. That is complete. Otherwise theory. It is not science. So they have got different theories. That anyone can put forward. That is not But real fact is that Kṛṣṇa is spiritual and He's the Supreme. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

What do you mean by good citizen? Who obeys the laws of the state. So what is religion? Religion means to obey the laws of God. That's all. Religion. Religion you cannot manufacture, just like you cannot manufacture law. Law is made by the state. You cannot manufacture law. If you say, "I have manufactured this law," who cares for your law? Similarly, so-called religion, nonsense religion, there are so many manufactured, who cares for? That is not religion. Religion means God's law. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). That is religion. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all other things. Simply you become Kṛṣṇa conscious." This is religion. This is the order, this is the word. So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is to become religious, is to remain in goodness, and is to make progress and advancement in self-realization. Everything is complete. There is no comparison of any religion with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We can challenge any religionist, "Come and see, and test and compare." So the same advertisement: "You all, in '69, match this." So nobody can match Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is so nice.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

So our this movement invites everyone, because it is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. If you please come and hear about Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa becomes favorably disposed that "Now this soul, this individual soul is now inclined to hear about Me." So He gives facilities. What is that facility? The facility is that within our heart there are so many dirty things. Therefore, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa helps in washing the dirty matter within our heart. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ stho abhadrāṇi (SB 1.2.17). Abhadrāṇi. Abhadrāṇi means especially this raja-guṇa and tama-guṇa, this is abhadrāṇi. And sattva-guṇa is bhadrāṇi. Therefore, those who are on the platform of sattva-guṇa, goodness, they are gentlemen. Before coming to the platform of sattva-guṇa, nobody can be gentleman. Gentleman means cool-headed, who can understand things as they are. He is called gentleman. So this abhadrāṇi, in this human society, because these abhadrani, raja-guṇa and tama-guṇa, has increased, practically we can say there is no gentlemen. There is no gentlemen. Because they cannot understand what is life, what is the value of life. Just like the animal cannot understand what is the value of life. Animals, they are generally in tama-guṇa, and some animals in raja-guṇa. Just like lion. Lion is raja-guṇa. And the hog and dog and others, they are in the tama-guṇa. So animals are in the raja-guṇa, tama-guṇa. So the formula is, Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives this formula that if you hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), then Kṛṣṇa will help you in washing the abominable things, raja-guṇa and tama-guṇa. The raja-guṇa and tama-guṇa, if it is washed, then you become situated in sattva-guṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:

So if you follow the instruction, although you are not present before Kṛṣṇa, if you follow the instruction of Arjuna or a faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa, then you understand. What was spoken to Arjuna, you can also understand. It is not very difficult. Prahlāda Mahārāja also is speaking in that capacity because he is also a disciple of Nārada. So he is saying, bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya. These material acquisitions are no good for understanding Kṛṣṇa or God. Simply you become a devotee. And how devotional attitude becomes elevated? That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā and all Vedic literatures, especially in Bhāgavatam, that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By your material senses you cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Nāmādi: the first beginning of understanding Kṛṣṇa is to understand His name. This is the beginning of bhakti. Nāma ādi. Nāma, the name, should be the first. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Because immediately we can understand what is the form of God, how does He look. It is very..., not immediately. But this nāma we can hear. Kṛṣṇa has given us the capacity that as soon as somebody chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, even a small child can hear. Oh, he... They imitate. Now we go on the road, and the small children, they say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Just see. Nāma is so strong that the boys, they also chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so easy. We have seen it. The small children immediately, they clap, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." And some of our students' children, in Buffalo they are dancing, in San Francisco. I received recently one letter from the mother of my disciple. He (she) wants to instruct his two children, other two children. So it is so nice. It doesn't require any material acquisition. Simply God has given you this nice apparatus, ear. Simply you hear Hare Kṛṣṇa.

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

What is that perfect knowledge? Perfect knowledge means to know Kṛṣṇa. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3). The Vedic injunction is: "If you can understand the Supreme, then you understand the whole thing, because Supreme is the whole, absolute." Just like if you can understand one, two, three, four, five, six, eight, nine, zero, then you can understand the whole mathematics, because what is mathematics? One, two, three, four, three, four, one, two, just like that. That's all. The same nine figures, that's all. Similarly, the Vedas says, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you simply try to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth, that is the purpose of Vedas. And it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā also, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). What is the use of studying Vedas? What is the use of studying this Bhāgavata or...? To understand Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

So here it is stated that maunaṁ vijñānaṁ santoṣa. Santoṣa. This is the result. If you are perfect in knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, then you are satisfied. Satisfied. Yasmin sthito guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate (Bg. 6.20-23). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ: "If one attains to the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he has no more to understand anything." Yaṁ labdhvā cāparam. He does not want any more profit in any way. He thinks that "I am completely..." Yasmin sthite, and the test is that if one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then guruṇāpi duḥkhena... Because the world, this material world, we are always in trouble. So a person situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not troubled at all, even if he is put into very trying circumstances. Guruṇāpi duḥkhena. This is the test. That is called santoṣa, and satya, truthfulness, āstikya. Āstikya means belief, faith, faith in scripture, faith in God. That is called faith. This is faith. And when that faith is very much concentrated, then one can understand Kṛṣṇa. Viśvāsa śabde sudṛdha-niścaya, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. This is called strong faith or firm faith. What is that firm faith? When one is convinced that "If I am Kṛṣṇa conscious, then all my duties will be perfect." And that is the fact. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13).

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

The people of India, they are accustomed to take bath daily. So immediately they take some advantage, and they begin to take bath. And there are so many water taps in the station, and every tap is engaged. So to make the best use. Because they think that "We have got a half an hour at our disposal, so let us finish it properly." So once taken bath, then the whole day's journey is pleasant. Similarly, this body is not false. Not only this body, everything material. We don't take it is false. We take it as temporary. And temporary, how it should be utilized for our best purpose? Just like the mail passengers in the train, they are using the half an hour time for taking bath, utilize. Similarly, although this body is temporary, we can utilize it for the best purpose. What is that best purpose? Realization of Kṛṣṇa. If we can utilize this temporary body for utilization, for understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be fixed up in that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the best use of the bad bargain.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore says in this verse, prāṇaṁ punāti sa-kulam. One who has engaged himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, aravinda-nābha pādāravinda, lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, he purifies himself as well as his family. Purifies his whole family. Sometimes a Vaiṣṇava born in a village, he purifies the whole village. These are statements in authentic scriptures. So apart from village, a Vaiṣṇava born in a family can give the best service to his family because he purifies. Sa-kulam. The host of his ancestors and forefathers, everyone is purified. Na tu bhūrimānaḥ. But the person who is simply proud of being born of a brāhmaṇa family, and even if he has all the good qualities of a brāhmaṇa, but if he's simply proud, he has not engaged his qualification in understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that he is useless.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

I have understood. I have understood. Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean that you falsely make some attempt. The... Just like Arjuna. Arjuna understood the Kṛṣṇa philosophy, and it does not mean that he became a naked fakir and went away from the fighting place, and without any clothing he began to travel. Is it that? No. The only thing is that he changed the account. The account was on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. So you haven't got to make such renunciation that you have to live underneath a tree or give up your dress, become naked. No. That is not... You have misunderstood. You should dress himself properly, you should eat properly, you should work properly, but not on your account, but Kṛṣṇa's account. That is the thing. That's all. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgya ucyate. That is the difference between Vaiṣṇava philosophy and Māyāvādī philosophy. The Māyāvāda philosophy says that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "This world is false and Brahman is truth. So let me become renounced of all this worldly relationship and try to be one with the Brahman." That is Māyāvāda philosophy. We don't say that. We say that because Brahman is satya, truth, and because the world is created by Brahman, so this is also truth. This is also truth. Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). That is the version of Upaniṣad. The thing is, difference between Māyāvādī and Vaiṣṇava, they do not know the proprietorship. We know the proprietorship. We don't accept anything as "I am the proprietor." This is mistake. This is māyā. Actually... If I take, "It is Kṛṣṇa's," then I am liberated. Just try to understand. You are sitting here. You know that this apartment or this loft belongs to somebody. So there is no harm sitting here, hearing here.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Mayapur, February 20, 1976:

Master is one, Kṛṣṇa. There cannot be two masters. The master can expand Himself as masters. That is another thing. The master is one. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta-rūpam. The master can expand Himself in many, many thousands and millions of forms, but they are advaita. They are not different. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He married 16,108 wives, so He expanded Himself also into 16,108 forms, Kṛṣṇa. But those expansions, 16,000 expansions, they are one, the same Kṛṣṇa. This is to be understood. Kṛṣṇa may expand Himself in so many forms, but still they are the same. In another place it is exemplified, dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya (Bs. 5.46). Just like one candle original, and a second candle, a third candle, a fourth candle... You light up many millions of candles, but they are of the same potency. The candle power is not reduced because we have ignited so many candles from the original. No. Advaitam, acyut... Pūrṇasya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate. Even though Kṛṣṇa expands Himself in millions and millions and forms, still, all of them are the..., of the same potency. That is called sattva-dhāmnaḥ. So there are different types of expansion of Kṛṣṇa. They are called vibhinnāṁśa, svāṁśa. Kṛṣṇa expands Himself svāṁśa. That is Viṣṇu-tattva. That is advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam (Bs. 5.33). Then vibhinnāṁśa: mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhutaḥ (BG 15.7). Jīva also expansion of Kṛṣṇa. We are also expansion of Kṛṣṇa, but we are vibhinnāṁśa, separated forms. And svāṁśa, Viṣṇu-tattva, that is one. So in this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa's expansion.

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

This is called Vṛndāvana-līlā. The love for Kṛṣṇa is so strong that whatever Kṛṣṇa does, that is beautiful. And the spiritual world, what is condemnable in this material world, that is very worshipable in the spiritual world. Spiritual world, the love is parakīya-rasa. Parakīya-rasa. Here in this material world, if you create some relationship with other's wife, that is very condemnable. But in the spiritual world the loving affairs between the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa is the same, is like that. Kṛṣṇa is making loving affairs with other's wife. So therefore sometimes, without understanding Kṛṣṇa, if one tries to understand the loving affairs of Kṛṣṇa with gopīs, they misunderstand. They think that "Kṛṣṇa is woman-hunter, and Kṛṣṇa is making love with other's wife and daughter." They do not know.

So here the fierceful attitude, very, very fierceful, that is very pleasing to Prahlāda Mahārāja. He said, nāhaṁ bibhemy ajita te 'tibhayānakāsya: "Your face is very fearful to the enemies, but it is very beautiful to me." Everything. Nāhaṁ bibhemy ajita te 'tibhayānakāsya jihvā. Everything fierceful... In the next verse Prahlāda Mahārāja will say that "This fierceful attitude of Your Lordship is not at all fearful to me, as it is fearful to me, this material existence." That he will explain, next verse. Trasto 'smy ahaṁ kṛpaṇa-vatsala duḥsahogra-saṁsāra-cakra-kadanād grasatāṁ praṇītaḥ. This material world is very, very fierceful to the devotees. They are very, very much afraid of. This is the difference. Materialistic persons, they are thinking, "This world is very pleasing. We are enjoying. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." But the devotees, they think, "It is very, very fierceful. How soon we shall get out of it?" My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "This material world is not fit for living for any gentleman." He used to say. "No gentleman can live here." So these things are not understood by the nondevotees, how much pinching this material world is. Duḥkhāla... Kṛṣṇa says it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). That is the difference between the devotee and nondevotee. The duḥkhālayam, they are trying to adjust how to make it sukhālayam. That is not possible.

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

To understand God, to understand Kṛṣṇa, is not very easy job; very, very difficult job. Therefore we don't find anyone is interested in Kṛṣṇa. Anywhere you go, all over the world, you make a statistic: nobody is interested in Kṛṣṇa. Is it not a fact? Out of millions. Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu, "Out of millions..." That's a fact. Nobody is interested in Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. So therefore, to understand Kṛṣṇa is not very easy job. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa You can understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. That is Kṛṣṇa, great. You take. And again Kṛṣṇa is coming as Caitanya Mahāprabhu to show us the way how to understand Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu means Kṛṣṇa Himself, present to teach us how to understand Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind: He is coming Himself. He's teaching Bhagavad-gītā. Again He is coming as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as devotee, to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). He's not only teaching Kṛṣṇa but love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when He personally came, He did not teach how to love Him. He simply asked, "You rascal, surrender to Me." That's all. "You are all rascals. You have forgotten Me. I am the Supreme. You are searching after so many wrong things. You have created so many so-called occupational and religious duties, but these are all useless." That much. But again Kṛṣṇa came to teach people how to love Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī offers his respect to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, namo mahā-vadanyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: (CC Madhya 19.53) "You are not only giving Kṛṣṇa but giving love of Kṛṣṇa." That is very rare thing. Prema pumārtho mahān. People are after dharma, after kāma, mokṣa, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, above this, there is fifth perfection. That is prema, Kṛṣṇa-prema." Prema pumārtho mahān.

Lecture on SB 7.9.18 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1976:

Yes, that is right. What Dr. Radhakrishnan, Aurobindo, knows about Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because they are not in the line. They simply tried to exhibit their erudite scholarship. So that is useless. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena. This is the injunction given in the Vedas. Ayam ātmā, self-realization, God realization... Nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyaḥ: "One who has no spiritual strength, he cannot understand." It is not possible. Nāyam ātmā bala hīnena... Na medhayā. If you have got very good fertile brain for manufacturing concocted ideas, that doesn't mean you'll be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena. Only one who is favored by Kṛṣṇa and His, I mean to say, confidential devotee... (aside:) What is this nonsense? One cannot understand.

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja is giving warning that "I shall recite the narration of Your pastime which is composed by Brahmā." Viriñci. Viriñci means... Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). That is the secret of success. You cannot compose by whimsical way. No. That is not. That will not be possible. Therefore the next word is very important, when he says, pada-yugālaya-haṁsa-saṅgaḥ. Pada-yugālaya-haṁsa-saṅgaḥ. This is possible when we associate, saṅgaḥ... Saṅgaḥ means association. Whose association? Pada-yugālaya-haṁsa. One who is... Because Kṛṣṇa's feet is compared as lotus—"lotus feet," we say—so where there is lotus, there is haṁsa, swan. Swan, you'll find. That is the difference between the crows and the swan. Crows gather in a place, filthy place, where all rotten things are kept. The crows come there.

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:

Now this is the last. I shall train them in such a way that next birth, he'll not have a material body." How it is? Yes, it is possible. How? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). 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. They do not know what is history, what is geography." They know little, little, not very much. We don't require to know very much, neither we are very much concerned, learning A-B-C-D. Even without A-B-C-D, they will be advanced in education. This is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. Tan manye adhītam uttamam. One who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness directly, he is actually advanced in education. What is this education? This education has no value.

Lecture on SB 7.9.23 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1976:

These are the processes to reach the platform of bhakti, devotion. But if you do not stick to the devotional platform, you'll fall down. However you may try to become detached from material things, unless you are fully engaged in bhakti, then by bhakti you'll be able to realize God realization. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Simply by bhakti one can understand. And as soon as one understands Kṛṣṇa, then viraktir anyatra syat. Then you'll be detached. Yad avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde nava-nava-dhāma... When our pleasure exchange will be done between Kṛṣṇa and ourself, then we shall be detached. Otherwise not. Otherwise it is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14).

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is realizing that anything, material possession, it has no value. It may have some value, temporary, but there is risk also. For some temporary enjoyment, there is so many risk. The enjoyment... The highest enjoyment in the material world is sex. So for some temporary happiness we may enjoy sex, but there are many, what is called, after results. That is not very happy. Yan-maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). After result is very bad. Either illicit sex or legal sex, the after result is not good. There are so many aftereffects. Even if you live... Of course, that is the Vedic training, that dharmāviruddha-kāmaḥ, sex life not against Vedic injunction. Vedic injunction is that "Do not waste your semina unnecessarily. Only you have sex life for begetting nice children, good population," that much order. So even it is done according to the Vedic principle, still, there are so many sufferings—you have to take care of the children; you have to educate them; you have to see that they are well raised. So many. So that is also botheration. But if you can remain brahmacārī, oh, you avoid this botheration.

Lecture on SB 7.9.34 -- Mayapur, March 12, 1976:

If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, God, as He is, then you must practice devotional life. Then He'll be seen. Bhaktyā mām, yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. To know Kṛṣṇa ordinarily—"Oh, Kṛṣṇa was born in India, in Mathurā. He's the son of such and such, and He was very big man"—that is not tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ means as He is, sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

So for to know Kṛṣṇa, there are so many Vedic literatures. So we have to know through the mercy of the spiritual master. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Everything is there, just like Kṛṣṇa is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, but people could not understand Kṛṣṇa. Now we are presenting Kṛṣṇa as it is. People are understanding. They are becoming devotee. So we have to go through the right channel. Then we'll know Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you know Kṛṣṇa as He is, your life is successful. That is the aim and object of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—simply to help the people to know Kṛṣṇa. This is the only business, because as soon as you know Kṛṣṇa, your life is successful in which way, eh? The success is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). This is success. This body should be the last acceptance of material body. That is success. Otherwise, if you continue, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ... (BG 2.13). These foolish people, they do not know that dehāntara, there is change of body. Change of body is there already. You are experiencing, but they do not believe that after death there is body. Why not? If you have got experience in the life—"I have passed through so many changes of body, from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youth-hood, then middle age and old body"—then what is next? Why do you finish here? It is common logic. Why should you finish here? There must be body. This is real reasoning. And Kṛṣṇa confirms it. Not only your contemplation. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: (BG 2.13) "In this way you'll have another body." The Kṛṣṇa, the great authority, He says, from whom Brahmā, the first creature, he learned. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva... Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. He... Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He taught this Vedic literature to the heart of Brahmā. He can teach you through the heart also because He is sitting there. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61).

Lecture on SB 7.9.36 -- Mayapur, March 14, 1976:

Because Brahmā, such exalted person, he was meant for creating this universe, he becomes bewildered, seeing Kṛṣṇa as a cowherd boy. That was also exhibited. When Brahmā understood that "A cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana is said to be the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, my master," so he also examined whether Kṛṣṇa, that boy, was his master. He took away His calves and cowherd boys for a second, and he saw that Kṛṣṇa has expanded Himself to so many cows and calves and cowherd boys. Then he submitted. Similarly, Indra also wanted to examine Him. So everyone... Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). Yatra muhyanti sūrayaḥ. So even Lord Brahmā, Lord Indra, and others, big, big demigods, they become bewildered to understand Kṛṣṇa. So Brahmā saw the virāṭ-rūpa. Māyāmayaṁ sad-upalakṣita-sanniveśaṁ dṛṣṭvā mahā-puruṣam āpa mudaṁ viriñcaḥ. But when he saw the Lord, he was very, very happy.

So our... Pure Vaiṣṇava, they do not want to see even Kṛṣṇa. They are satisfied with the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy. Āśliṣya vā pāda-rataṁ pinaṣṭu māṁ marma-hatāṁ karotu vā. Marma-hatāṁ karotu vā (CC Antya 20.47). A pure Vaiṣṇava, he simply always expects, "When that time will come, Kṛṣṇa will be pleased to accept me?" Otherwise he is not very hasty. But he is interested with the service. That is pure Vaiṣṇava. A pure Vaiṣṇava can go to the hell for serving Kṛṣṇa, but he is not aspirant for his personal comfort. Any condition... Mama janmani janmanīśvare. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. Janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Āśliṣya va pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu māṁ marma-hatāṁ karotu vā. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very great movement, more valuable than the conception of Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, because it is given by Kṛṣṇa personally, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So do not try to see Kṛṣṇa in His virāṭ form. Simply try to serve Him in humble position. Then your life will be successful.

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

Any wood you take, there is fire undoubtedly. Everywhere is Kṛṣṇa, but sevonmukhe hi svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. If you engage yourself in service, then you'll see the fire, Kṛṣṇa, there, in everywhere. Sarvatra sphurāya tāra iṣṭa-deva-mūrti. That stage one can..., that whatever he'll see, he'll see Kṛṣṇa. "Here is microphone. Here is loudspeaker. Where is Kṛṣṇa?" Yes, here is Kṛṣṇa because we are speaking about Kṛṣṇa through this microphone. He is there.

So we have to practice this bhakti-yoga according to the direction of the authorities. Then you'll realize Kṛṣṇa. Then the cause and effect, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam... (Bs. 5.1). Everything will be realized and every moment you will see Kṛṣṇa. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). So unless we get that stage, we should not imitate personalities like Haridāsa Ṭhākura and others. We should wait for. That is the ultimate stage. But we should practice and work actively for understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

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

This Saṅkarṣaṇa is expansion of Baladeva, and Baladeva is the immediate expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore come to the Kṛṣṇa. So ādy-antavanta.

So beginning is Kṛṣṇa. Aham ādir hi bhūtānām. He says, Bhagavad-gītā. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. This is the explanation Kṛṣṇa is giving. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). We should understand this. So beginning is the Kṛṣṇa, ādi. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ, anādir ādiḥ (Bs. 5.1). Anādi: He has no beginning. And everything has got beginning, and anta, but Kṛṣṇa has no beginning and anta. Ādy-anta. So in this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. And one who has such perfect understanding of Kṛṣṇa... And Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Devānām means beginning from Brahmā, then Śiva, then so many other demigods, Indra, Candra, Varuṇa. Aham... Even Viṣṇu. The Viṣṇu, Kṣirodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, He is also partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa, and from Kṣirodakaśāyī Viṣṇu the Viṣṇu is all-pervading. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati: (BG 18.61) the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is staying in everyone's core of heart, hṛd-deśe. It is... There is no hide and seek. Hide and seek. It is clearly stated that "This Paramātmā, Viṣṇu, is staying, hṛd, hṛd-deśe, in the heart." Therefore heart is always palpitating. And the jīvātmā is also there and... Then when the jīvātmā leaves this body, that is called heart failure. That is heart failure. Heart is palpulating, but as soon as the jīvātmā goes, heart fails. And these materialist science, they cannot give any cause. They are giving, what is that, oxygen gas and every minute injecting to keep the palpitation of the heart, throbbing of the heart, continuous. But how they can do it? As soon as the living soul departs from the heart there is no more palpitating. It is simply a lump of matter. That requires intelligence, that this matter is never the living soul.

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

Then he began to study various Vedic literatures. Nānā-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipuṇau. Just like any perfect person writing some book, he gives evidences from the Vedas. Vicaraṇaika-nipuṇau. They became very expert in considering the Vedic version, nānā-śāstra. In the Vedas there are many departments of knowledge-Sāma Veda, Yajur Veda, Ṛg Veda, Atharva Veda, Āyur Veda, Dhanur Veda, everything, Jyotir Veda. Therefore Veda is considered as the kalpa-taru, desire tree. Whatever knowledge you want, it is present. Veda means knowledge, and Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. The ultimate knowledge is to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). But in the meantime, meanwhile, there are so many department of knowledge, and you can understand from the Vedas. Everything is there, direction. So ultimately you have to understand Kṛṣṇa.

So here Nṛsiṁha-deva addressing, prahlādo bhadra, perfect gentleman. In India it is called bhadraloka. Bhadra means a perfect gentleman, bhadraloka. That is the general etiquette, to address somebody as bhadraloka. Especially in Bengal it is very common word, bhadra. And the other parts also. So bhadra means perfect gentleman. Just see. Prahlāda was perfect gentleman. A devotee is perfect gentleman. Why? Now, because he has developed all good qualities. That is bhadra. A devotee cannot be abhadra. He must be bhadra. That is perfection. Therefore a devotee is never rude to anyone. When Rūpa Gosvāmī was here, some very learned scholar to talk with him śāstrārtha, talking on śāstra. So when he approached Rūpa Gosvāmī, he asked that "I want to talk with you about śāstra." And he said, "I am not a very learned man. How can I talk with you? You are so learned man." So he said, "If you think that you are not learned, then you give me in writing that "I am not learned." So he immediately gave him: "All right, take it. I am not learned." (laughs) So when he was going away with that cheat, that "He is the most learned scholar, and Rūpa Gosvāmī's defeated," then Jīva Gosvāmī was standing outside. He said, "What is that paper?" "No, your uncle has written frankly that he is not learned. I am learned." "All right, talk with me." Then he defeated him.

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

It is full of miserable condition, and at the same time not permanent. Even if we accept miserable condition... Everyone is trying to live. A old man does not like to die. He goes to the doctor, takes some medicine so that he can continue his life. But he will not be allowed to live. Aśāśvatam. You may be very rich man, you may take many pills, many injection to prolong your life, but that is not possible. That is not possible. But as soon as you see Kṛṣṇa, then you get your eternal life. Eternal life we have got. We are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We do not die after the destruction of the body. We get another body. This is the disease. And when you see Kṛṣṇa, when you understand Kṛṣṇa, even without seeing, if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then you become eternal.

janma karma ca me divyaṁ
yo jānāti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti...
(BG 4.9)

Kṛṣṇa says. Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. To understand Kṛṣṇa is also seeing Kṛṣṇa, because He is absolute. There is no difference, as in the material world you understand something but you cannot see it. This is duality. But in the Absolute, if you understand Kṛṣṇa, if you hear Kṛṣṇa, if you see Kṛṣṇa, if you play with Kṛṣṇa, they are all one. This is called absolute. There is no duality.

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

So if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, divyam, divine nature... Simply you understand that Kṛṣṇa is not like us: Kṛṣṇa has no material body, Kṛṣṇa is not unhappy, Kṛṣṇa is always happy—simply a few things, if you become convinced that Kṛṣṇa's nature..., immediately you become eligible to be transferred back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so nice. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, and if you become convinced, "Yes, what Kṛṣṇa says, it is all right..." Just like Arjuna said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "Whatever you have said I accept in total. No reduction, no..." Sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye: "Whatever You have said, I believe. I have taken. I have..." That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says something, and I understand something. That you go on with your millions of years; it will never be possible. You have to understand Kṛṣṇa as He says. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. That is real understanding. Arjuna says, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye. Ṛtam means fact. "Everything, whatever You have said..." Not that "I cut this side and that side..."

There is a nonsense swamijī in India. He says, "We can take up what is beneficial, verses. Otherwise I reject." This is called ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya (Cc. Ādi-līlā 5.176). Ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya means... I have several times explained, one man had one chicken. So, and he was getting one egg daily. So he thought that "The rear side of the chicken is very nice. It is giving one egg daily, and the front side it is eating, expensive, so cut it. Cut the mouth and simply take the egg." The rascal does not know that if he cuts the mouth, there will be no egg. Similarly, if you make cut short of Bhagavad-gītā according to your whims, you'll never understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. You have to follow.

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

We cannot calculate the duration of life of Brahmā. And when Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādiḥ, "I am the father of Brahmā," so ordinary man, how he'll understand? He'll not understand. He cannot understand. Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "Some forty millions of years ago I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god." So ordinary man, how he'll understand? They'll say "Mythology." It is not mythology; it is fact. This was cleared by Kṛṣṇa, er, Arjuna, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You said that You have spoken, You had spoken so many years ago to the sun-god. How can I believe it? You are my contemporary, of my age. How can I believe it?" Kṛṣṇa said that "Yes, you cannot believe it, but you and..., both you and Me, because you are My eternal friend, so you were also present that time when I spoke to sun-god. But you have forgotten, I have not forgotten." That is the difference. The difference is man and God, so God knows everything eternally and we forget. This is our nature.

Therefore sometimes we forget Kṛṣṇa. And therefore Kṛṣṇa comes to remind that "Why you are forgetting Me? We are eternally related. So forgetting Me, you are suffering here. Give up all this nonsense." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). That is wanted. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to educate people to cure his disease of forgetfulness. He has forgotten simply. Just like a madman forgets who is his father, who is his mother, he talks nonsense, sometimes he calls ill names. Mad. So similarly, we in this material world, without any Kṛṣṇa consciousness we are all mad, forgetful. This disease has to be cured. The best medicine is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

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

Lecture on SB 7.9.54 -- Vrndavana, April 9, 1976:

If you are actually inquisitive to understand what is sreyas, that is śreyas-kāmāḥ. kāmāḥ means desiring, and śreyas means ultimate good. Not preyas-kāmāḥ. If you want to enjoy these material facilities, then you can go to such kind of men, such kind of men, and... If you want to learn drinking, so go to a club where drinking is very encouraged. Preyas-kāmāḥ. If you want to enjoy sex, go to the club where prostitutes are available. That is preyas-kāmāḥ. But if you want to reach the goal of life, then go to Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. There are two kinds of men, sreyas-kāmāḥ, preyas-kāmāḥ, so two things are there. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for the śreyas-kāmāḥ. And who becomes śreyas-kāmāḥ? Mahā-bhāga, with great fortune. Not ordinary person. Unfortunate or misfortunate, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Mahā-bhāga. Very, very great fortunate person.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms this in His teaching to Rūpa Gosvāmī. He said,

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
(CC Madhya 19.151)

They are traveling, wandering. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya sad-asad janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). These rascals who are not dhīra, they are thinking independent, rascals. Not a single moment you are independent. You are controlled. Even if we are dropping our eyelids, there is regulative principles. Some demigod is controlling. Breathing. Breathing, there is control. You can breathe for so many years, that's all, and live. And when the breathing is finished, then you are not controller. The great scientists, they are begin oxygen gas, injection. Can you increase the period breathing for a moment? No. Controlled. Controlled.

Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:

This is gopī, always Kṛṣṇa conscious, and how Kṛṣṇa is happy or not, that is their business. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, "There is no better form of worship than it was done by the gopīs." So Prahlāda Mahārāja... There are stages of devotees. So gopīs are the topmost, and amongst the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the topmost. Therefore there is no comparison of Rādhārāṇī's love for Kṛṣṇa. There is no comparison. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu took the part of Rādhārāṇī to understand Kṛṣṇa. So these are very confidential subject matter, but they are described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, in the beginning. So that is the highest perfection, that don't ask anything from Kṛṣṇa. Try to make such arrangement that Kṛṣṇa may not give you anything; you give to Him.

There is another narration of Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī. They were living in this forest of Vṛndāvana. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was elder brother, and Rūpa Gosvāmī was younger brother. So they were living underneath a tree. So they had no means. Rūpa Gosvāmī thought that "If I could get some articles, I could prepare something and invite my guru, Sanātana Gosvāmī." So just after a few minutes one very nice young girl came with so much presentation, rice, dahl, ghee, and so many other things. So She came and offered to the gosvāmī. The saintly persons are addressed as "bābā." "Bābā, please take this presentation. We have got some ceremony at our home, so my mother has sent. You take it." So he was very glad: "Oh, I was thinking if I could get some nice things, I could prepare and invite Sanātana Gosvāmī." So he was very glad to receive those articles and invited Sanātana Gosvāmī and prepared so many nice foodstuff and offered to the Deity, and Sanātana Gosvāmī was given the prasādam. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was very pleased, and he inquired, "Rūpa Gosvāmī, where you got these nice things? You are living in this... How you could receive all these things?" "Yes, my dear brother, I was just thinking in the morning. In the meantime a very nice young girl came and offered so many things, so I could..." "

Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:

"Since I have begun to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness and getting relish, then, since then, when I think of...," bata nārī-saṅgame, "sex pleasure with woman, I spite on it and my mouth becomes curved, 'Eh,' like that."

Actually it is the position, but because we are under the spell of māyā, we are captivated, bewildered, that after sex life, not only human being, but anyone who is living within this material world, beginning from Brahmā down to the smallest insect, everyone is after sex life. We have heard that even Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, they became sexually excited. It is said that Lord Brahmā was enchanted by daughter, what to speak of others. This material world is so, I mean to say, bewildering, that sometimes the first-class person also becomes bewildered by sex life. Therefore it is strictly prohibited that one should not remain in a solitary place with woman even though the woman is mother, sister or daughter. This is the injunction of the śāstra. Mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā na viviktāsane vāset, balavān indriya-grāmo vidvaṁsam api karṣati (SB 9.19.17). This is the order, that mātrā... Mātrā means "along with mother," svasrā mean "along with sister," and duhitrā means "along with daughter." "One should not sit down in a solitary place even with mother, sister or daughter."

Lecture on SB 7.12.3 -- Bombay, April 14, 1976:

Why? We are inviting people to come here and live in this guru-kula and learn Vedic literature. This is our purpose. Bombay is a very big city, people are rich, so we can give you nice room, nice prasādam. Come here, live here at least once in a week and learn Vedic literature, Vedic civilization. The essence of Vedic literature is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sutrāṇāṁ vedārtha-paribṛṁhitam. Our mission is to invite people to take advantage of learning Vedic literature, chandāṁsi. And what is the ultimate goal of studying Vedic literature? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: (BG 15.15) to understand Kṛṣṇa. So therefore our movement is known as Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

So chandāṁsy adhīyīta guror āhūtaś cet suyantritaḥ. Very well behaved. Just like machine works systematically. You have seen. Everyone has seen. The machine of the watch is working very systematically, correctly. Similarly, every student, every disciple must work very correctly, like the machine. There is no question, "Why you did not attend school or the class?" You cannot say that "This is this. This is this." No. As machine work, everyone should attend the class, rise early in the morning, attend maṅgala-ārati. This is called suyantritaḥ, working like machine, no discrepancy. That is wanted. Suyantritaḥ. Then upakrame avasāne. In the beginning the students should come and offer obeisances to the lotus feet of guru. This is begin. Ādau gurv-āśrayam. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. This is the principle. If you offer your respectful obeisances to guru, he becomes pleased. Anyone, even one is offender, if he comes and offers obeisances to the superior guru, then even there was offense, he forgets. Father. Father of... The son may be offender, but when he comes and offers his respect to the father, he forgets. So that should be done regularly, suyantritaḥ, just like machine. As soon as one sees guru, immediately he must offer obeisances. Beginning, end also. When he comes to see guru he must offer obeisances, and when he leaves that place he must offer obeisances. And in the in-between, coming and going, he should learn from the guru Vedic understanding. This is the principle of living in gurukula.

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

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

So here it is said, manye... Here it is said, viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends. Śvapacam, śva means dog. Dog..., pacati, those who eat dog's flesh, they are considered very low born. There are different kinds of flesh eaters. In the Āyurveda-śāstra, they are called, those who are eating the flesh of dog, they are called śvapaca. Those who are eating the flesh of cows, they are go-kaga(?), māṁsaga(?), these are so many. But in the Manu-saṁhitā it is said that if one eats the flesh of cow, he is called go-kaga(?), if one eats the flesh of dog, he is called śvapaca, if one eats the flesh of this..., he is given description. But one who eats fish, he eats all the fleshes. matsaga-sarva-māṁsaga(?). If anyone eats fish, he eats all kinds of fleshes.

Page Title:Understand Krsna (Lectures, SB cantos 4 - 12)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:17 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=122, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:122