Very advanced (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"very advanced" |"very highly advanced" |"very much advanced"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa and His devotee Arjuna, they are on the same platform. Therefore Mādhava and Pāṇḍava. They blew Their transcendental conchshells. This is not ordinary. (reads from purport:) "The sounding of the transcendental conchshells indicated that there was no hope of victory for the other side." This is the sounding. Divyau. They are also sounding their conchshell, even Bhīṣma, but that cannot be compared with the conchshells of Mādhava and Pāṇḍava. Arjuna, associates, they are also equally powerful. Nobody can be associates of Kṛṣṇa without being very, very much advanced. Just like fire can mix with fire, similarly water can mix with water; similarly, unless one is transcendentally advanced, he cannot be associate of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings,

gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe, nitya-siddha kori māne,

se jāy brajendra-suta-pāś

Gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa, and His associates,

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

(I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.)

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

Taking for granted that some of my forefathers have become ghostly life and has not got the gross body, so by this piṇḍodaka... Piṇḍa means offering prasāda of Viṣṇu prasāda. Still in India there is a place Gayā. There is Viṣṇu temple, and it is a custom all Hindus... Nowadays, they do not go. They do not believe even. They have given up everything. Due to unwanted children, they don't care for it, what is family, what is piṇḍa-udaka. Simply eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy, that's all. But you see 5000 years, Arjuna... Arjuna was not a brāhmaṇa, neither a sannyāsī. A gṛhastha, householder, and a, in royal order. He's on the battlefield. He's not a Vedantist. But just see how his knowledge is perfect. This is Vedic culture. One may not be a brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa is very advanced. Satya śama dama titikṣa (BG 18.42). But even kṣatriyas, they are also so advanced, so advanced we can see that he is hearing Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa in the battlefield. How much time you can spare in the battlefield? The talk took place between the two soldiers when he was just going to throw his arrow. Śāstra sampate. Just we going to... He became very compassionate: "Kṛṣṇa, I have to kill my own kinsmen." And he's describing. He's describing, "What kind of sinful activities I am going to do." So just try to understand how much people were advanced. These Bhagavad-gītā talks took place between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna in the battlefield just on the verge of his beginning the battle. So how much time he could spare? Utmost, half an hour. Not more than that. So within half an hour, this Bhagavad-gītā was taught to Arjuna, and he could understand it, and then he agreed to fight. Yes, naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava. (BG 18.73) How much advanced he was in education and learning, just imagine. At the present moment they are reading Bhagavad-gītā years after years, big, big scholars, big, big theologians and... But they cannot understand. After reading Bhagavad-gītā, they are accusing Kṛṣṇa as immoral.

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

The evolutionary process means transmigration of the soul from one body to another. We do not wish to die, but we have to accept death. This is our conditional stage of life. I do not wish to take birth; still, I am forced to go into the womb of my mother by the laws of nature. After giving up one body I enter another body. And there is no security what kind of body I shall get next. It may be human body, it may be animal, it may be trees or it may be better than human being, because there are three divisions. One division is called demigod, and one division is called the human being. The other division is called lower than the human being. Nṛ-tiryag-deva. Deva means who are very highly advanced in knowledge. They are called devas, and God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, such men. There are different planets also for different kinds of living entities. So this knowledge is being imparted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not by a person like me or like you who are defective in four principles. That I was going to explain. The four defects are that we commit mistakes, we are illusioned, and our senses are imperfect, and therefore sometimes we cheat others. Although I know, I do not know a subject matter very clearly; still, I say something as authority. That is cheating. We should not cheat. If we want to give knowledge to the people, we must give perfect knowledge.

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

So bhakti is transcendental. Anyābhīlāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). Not tinted by all these contamination, jñāna and karma. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, jñāna-kāṇḍa, karma-kāṇḍa, sakalī viṣera bhāṇḍa. Either you are engaged in the activities of karma or either you are engaged in the activities of speculative knowledge or acquiring knowledge, this is jñāna-kāṇḍa and karma-kāṇda. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that "Both these, jñāna-kāṇḍa and karma-kāṇḍa, are pots of poison. Either you drink this or that, it doesn't matter." Karma-kāṇḍa—according to karma you'll get a different body. Jñāna-kāṇḍa also. If you actually become very much advanced in knowledge, you can get a body in a brāhmaṇa family, in a very educated family. But I'll have to go through the transmigration of the soul, repetition of birth and death. There is risk. I do not know what I am going to get. It is not guaranteed. Little mistake. Little mistake... Just like Bhārata Mahārāja, little mistake. At the time of..., he was thinking of a deer. Next life he got the life of a deer. Little mistake. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajanty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Because nature is so perfect, at the time of your death, what is the mental condition, you will get a similar body, next life. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Because daiva, Kṛṣṇa is with you. Kṛṣṇa will see, "Now he is thinking of become a king. Now he is thinking to become a dog." So Kṛṣṇa immediately gives you. You take the body of a dog. You take the body of a lion. You take the body of a king. Take the body. Similarly, if you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, take the body of a Kṛṣṇa, immediately. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to train the mind to die thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. Therefore we have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, always think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Then your life is perfect.

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

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā the last word is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), because you rascal, fools, you have created so many religious system simply on the differences of body. That is not religion. Real religion is that "I am the Supreme Soul, Parambrahma, Kṛṣṇa. And you are My part and parcel. So we have intimate relation, like father and son. So it is the son's duty to obey the father. That is perfection of life." That's all. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). You have created so many religious system on the bodily concept of life, bodily concept of life so strong that even big, big learned so-called religionists, they say that the animal has no soul. The bodily concept of... Because a human body is very much advanced, has got the power to kill animals, therefore they are speaking this nonsense that the animal has no soul. Why the animal has no soul? What is the symptom of possessing soul? I am spirit soul; I am within this body. Everyone can understand. Understand or no understand, if I am a human being, if I have got my soul, why this poor animal has no soul? What, where is the difference, that you say that the animal has no soul? Where is the difference? Let us analyze. Soul... The, I mean to say, existence of the soul within the body, how we can understand? That is very easy. Because yena sarvam idam... Everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: The soul is existing, spreading its influence all over the body, just like the sun is existing, spreading the sunshine all over the universe. Similarly, God is existing, spreading His consciousness all over the universe, all over the creation. Therefore He knows everything. Similarly, I am also part and parcel of God. I am also soul, like the sun. My shining, my consciousness, is spread all over the body. Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam. These things, ślokas, will come. "That thing which is spreading all over the body, that is avināśi; that is eternal." Antavanta ime dehāḥ: "But this body is antavat; it is perishable. But within the body, the soul, which is spreading its consciousness all over the body, that is eternal." We shall come to that verse later on. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam.

Lecture on BG 2.49-51 -- New York, April 5, 1966:

Bhraṣṭa. Bhraṣṭa means one, yoga-bhraṣṭa, one who is prosecuting the yoga system... The yoga sys... Yoga system I have already explained. Yoga system means the transcendental process by which we realize ourself, we link up our life with self-realization. That is called yoga. Now, now, somebody begins this yoga of self-realization, but for unfortunately he cannot prosecute the task in a nice way, and sometimes he falls down, falls down from the path. Still, there is encouragement that "You are not loser. You are not loser. Because you will be given a chance next life, and that next life is not ordinary next life." That next life is śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: "You'll have your birth next life either in a very rich family, or in the family of very highly advanced, educated father." Śucīnāṁ śrīmatām. Śucīnām means... I have explained to you the, the life of a brāhmaṇa, brahminical culture. Śuci means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means one who knows spiritual life, how to conduct. And he has got other qualifications. Then he's called śuci. And the, the, the opposite word of śuci is called muci. So we need not explain what is muci, but śuci, śucīnāṁ means highly cultured brāhmaṇa. And śrīmatām. Śrī means wealth, śrī means wealth, opulence, beauty and all these things. That means very aristocratic family, very aristocratic family. So he's given chance to get his birth in two places. One who is, I mean to..., not successful. The successful, oh, what to speak of him! The successful goes back to Godhead directly. And even one is unsuccessful, half-finished, then he is given chance to take his birth in two kinds of family. One set is śrīmatām. Śrīmatām means very well-to-do, rich family. And other is very well polished, cultural brāhmaṇa family.

Lecture on BG 2.51-55 -- New York, April 12, 1966:

So we do not know that it is not birth. It is death. This is called māyā. This is called illusion, that death is born and we are jolly that there is birth of a child. This is called māyā. So everything, from the beginning of our birth, we are illusioned, illusioned. And that illusion is so strong that it is very, very difficult to get out of it. Whole thing is illusion. The birth is illusion. This body is an illusion. And the bodily relationship, the country is illusion. The father is illusion. The mother is an illusion. The wife is illusion. The childrens are illusion. Everything illusion. Everything illusion. And we are compact in that illusion. We are thinking that we are very much learned and very much advanced and so many things we are imagining. But as soon as death comes, the actual fact, the beginning of death, then we forget everything. We can forget our country. We forget our relatives. We forget our wife, children, father, mother—everything gone. You see? If it is a fact that I am soul, eternal, then it is a fact also that in my previous life I had my country. I had my children. I had my home. I had my father. I had my everything. But can you remember any of these things, what you were in your previous life? Either human, human-born life or either animal life, you cannot... Death means forgetful. We have forgotten everything. Actually, there is no death for the soul. Just like you are... At night, you go to sleep. So that is a sort of death. And again you get up in the morning. So death is something like that. Death is sleeping for seven months. That's all. Without any consciousness. For three, three months without any consciousness.

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

Who is taking sannyāsa? So they are simply falsely thinking. Actually, their intelligence is impure, consciousness is impure. Therefore in spite of such endeavors, the result is, āruhya kṛcchreṇa param, although they go very high, say 25,000 miles or millions of miles up, they do not find any shelter, where is moon planet, where is... They come down again to your Moscow city, that's all. Or New York City, that's all. These are the examples. When they're high up, oh, they'll take photograph. "Oh, this planet is so, this earthly planet is so green or so small. I am going round day and night and seeing in one hour three times day and night." All right, very good. Please come down again. (laughs) That's all. māyā is so strong, she will say, "Yes, very good. You are very advanced in your scientific knowledge, but please come down. Come here. Otherwise you are going to be put into the Atlantic Ocean." That's all. And they'll still be puffed up, "Oh, we are making progress. Within next ten years, you can purchase ticket or land in the moon." You know, in Russia they sold land, and they advertised that "There is Sea of Moscow. We have planted our flag on the sea in the..." So these are propaganda. They cannot go even into the nearest planet, what to speak of the spiritual sky. If you actually serious of going to the spiritual sky and Vaikuṇṭhaloka, then take this simple method, Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971:

Therefore, without understanding the Absolute Truth, we are simply spoiling our opportunity of this human life.

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is attempting to educate people how to utilize this human form of life properly. It will not stay, it will also die, just like cats die, the dogs die. We also die, but there is difference of this death. We can die knowing the Absolute Truth. The cats and dogs die without knowing. That is the difference. In the Garga Upaniṣad it is said, etad viditva ga prayatisa brāhmaṇa etad aviditva ga prayatisa kṛpaṇa (?). Etad, this absolute knowledge, without knowing the Absolute Truth, if somebody dies—everyone will die, you cannot check. You may be very much advanced in scientific knowledge, but you cannot stop death. That is not possible. Neither you can stop old age, neither you can stop birth. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that you may be very much advanced, you have mitigated all your sufferings, all the problems of life, but these problems of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, old age and disease, that you cannot avoid. That is not possible. So, if, but everyone has got the tendency to avoid birth, death, old age, and disease. Why? Because the spirit soul, M am, in reality. I am not subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. Because I have accepted this material body, therefore apparently I am subject to birth, death and old age. Otherwise, I am eternal.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

Mahātmā. The symptoms of mahātmā is that he is always engaged in chanting the glories of the Lord. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). The Bhagavad-gītā says that catur-vidhā bhajante mām: "Four classes of men comes to worship Me." Bhajana means sevā. Sevā. So sevā means bhakti. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanam... (SB 7.5.23). These are the sevā formula. So the devotees are engaged in sevā, in service of the Lord.

So catur-vidhā bhajante mām. Bhajana, this śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, this is bhajana. And who takes this bhajana program? Sukṛtinaḥ. Sukṛtinaḥ means one who is very pious. And now we are accused of creating nuisance. Bhajana, because we are engaged in bhajana. If we are engaged in drinking wine and playing cards with some prostitute, that is very advanced. That is very advanced society. He's peacefully drinking and playing cards with prostitute. He's advanced. And because he's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, he's creating nuisance. This is the government. Therefore the first teaching of Bhagavad-gītā should be taken by the persons who are going to be elected in the government service. The public should be aware of this. If somebody comes to canvass for votes, you should first inquire, "Whether you have read Bhagavad-gītā? Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi showed Bhagavad-gītā. Why should you not? Do you know what is Bhagavad-gītā? Then I shall give you vote. Otherwise get out." Rājarṣayo viduḥ. This is required now, if you want to be saved from the crisis that is coming very gradually. Crisis means there will be... Now in black market you can get things, means eatables, rice, wheat. But if you don't take to Bhagavad-gītā, there will be no more even if you pay black price. Just time it... That time is coming. There will be no more available. There will be no milk. There will be no more sugar, sugar. There will be no more rice. There will be no more wheat. No more fruits. Then you have to eat meat. Oh, beef shop. Then that will go on. Then human shop also. Gradually come. You have to eat the human being also. Carnivores. So it is therefore a great necessity that rājarṣayo viduḥ, rāja, those who are government men, they must study Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise don't give them vote.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Then, if you say that "It may be that I cannot fulfill cent percent Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life," then that is also guaranteed. What is that guarantee? Kṛṣṇa says that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ, those who cannot fulfill the whole program of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by some way or other falls down, incomplete. So Kṛṣṇa says, "Such persons are given chance to take birth in the next life in rich family and in pure brāhmaṇa's family." So that means your human life is guaranteed. A rich family does not mean animal family. Rich means human being. And brāhmaṇas means intelligent class of men. So you get your birth in a family where your parents are very intelligent, very advanced in philosophical knowledge, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You get chance.

From our practical experience we can say we got this chance. We got this chance. We got very nice parents. And I was born in a family, a very pure family. And, of course, in those days they were rich also. We had Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mūrti-sevā. So from the childhood I was taught... Not taught. I asked my father, "Give me this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mūrti. I shall worship." And father encouraged me. I was performing this Ratha-yātrā festival. My father encouraged. So this means that I got this chance again.

So those who are executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are not in loss. Whatever they are doing, they are gaining some meaning, one percent, two percent, three percent, five percent, ninety-nine percent. It if fulfilled cent percent, then it is perfect. But even it is not cent percent, you are not in a loss because you get good chance to make further advance. These things are discussed. In the Sixth Chapter you will find. So there is guarantee.

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

So na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. Na prapadyante: "They do not surrender unto Me, God." Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ.

Now the question may be that "Why they do not surrender? Why they do not believe in God? Why they do not take to God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness? They are very educated, advanced. They have got university degrees. But why they do not do it? They are supposed to be very culturally advanced." So the answer is given there in the Bhagavad-gītā, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because their intention is to deny God, therefore although they are very much advanced in so-called education, the effect of knowledge has been taken away by the illusory energy of māyā. The māyā has taken away the effect of knowledge.

Just like we met some Indian gentleman while coming. I asked him, "Why don't you come to temple?" "Swamiji, I am searching after some employment. I have lost my employment." Just see. he has come from India, so, about fifteen thousand miles away, and the problem is still unemployment. Why he has come here, so far distant? That means he's educated. Otherwise, this country would not allow him immigration. But the problem is there, unemployment.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Another place the word duṣkṛti is used. Duṣkṛti means.... Kṛti means meritorious. One who has got merit, nice merit. But it is employed for sinful activities. They are called duṣkṛti. And one who uses his merit for pious activities, he is called sukṛti. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. Those who are sukṛtinaḥ, pious, they can be engaged in devotional service. Catur bhajante. This word bhajana is used. Bhajana is meant for the sukṛtina. Those who are pious. Not the impious. Bhajana is not possible for the impious because Kṛṣṇa says na maṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). They cannot take to bhajana. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. They pose themselves as very much advanced, but actually māyā has taken away their knowledge. They cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. They will accept some, something imitation.

So Kṛṣṇa's purpose of appearing is mentioned here. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Vināśāya means for annihilating, for killing. So Kṛṣṇa's killing is also good for the person who is killed by Kṛṣṇa. And another killing is to dissipate his ignorance. This is also.... One is in ignorance, he does not know what is the value of life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa wants to kill his ignorance and give him real knowledge. That is also vināśāya. Vināśa, killing his ignorance. So the Bhagavad-gītā is going on for two varieties of business. One business is to give relief to the sādhu, to the devotee, and another business is to kill ignorance or kill personally the duṣkṛtinaḥ. Those who are nondevotees. For them, killing business. But the killing is also good for them. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Either Kṛṣṇa loves somebody or kills somebody, the result is the same. That is called absolute. Just like father or mother loves some child and chastises the other. The result is the same—affection. There is no jealousy.

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

Therefore we have to understand spiritual subject matter: śāstra-yonitvāt. The Vedānta-sūtra says, we have to learn from the śāstra.

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

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

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

That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "Anyone who has neglected Your personality," aravindākṣa, "O the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa," aravindākṣe, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa tvayy asta-bhāvāt, "they cannot understand what You are." Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: "Their intelligence is still contaminated, not purified." Aviśuddha. Then what is the result? The result is āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "After severe austerities, penances, they may come to the impersonal understanding of Your brahma-jyotir, but patanty adhaḥ, again comes to the material world."

Therefore the impersonalists, without understanding of Kṛṣṇa, even very much advanced, they do not get any occupation. They again come down to the material platform to open hospital, school, college. Why? Because the impersonalist says that this material world is false. If the material world is false, why you come down again to the false platform to open schools and hospitals? That means āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32).

Just like if you go very high with your airplane.... Just like they are trying to go to the moon planet. Because they are not getting any shelter, they are coming back again. And if you are going to the moon planet, why you do not stay there? But they cannot stay there. Similarly, this so-called Brahman realization, or Brahman, actual Brahman realization, that will not help. You must stay somewhere. That is the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. We have to take shelter. That is aim, paramaṁ guhyam. "You take shelter of My lotus feet." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is Kṛṣṇa, advise.

Lecture on BG 5.14-22 -- New York, August 28, 1966:

When one is actually advanced in spiritual knowledge, he is in transcendental position. In transcendental position he is called paṇḍita, or the real learned man. And what is that real learned man? How does he visualize this phenomenal world? He... Lord says that vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini: "When one is in the transcendental position, then he sees equally everyone, every living entity." How is that? Now, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇa (BG 5.18). A learned brāhmaṇa, a learned intelligent man, who is very advanced with material academical knowledge, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne, and he is very gentle and cultured, such a intelligent man, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, a cow, hastini, an elephant, and śuni... śuni... śuni means a dog. And śva-pāke, and the dog-eater. Dog-eater. There is a class who eat dog, dog-eater. So paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). One who is in the transcendental position, he does not discriminate in that way because he understands that they are different living entities under dress only, but he sees, visualize, the spiritual identity, and he has nothing to do with their activities. He is in transcendental position, and he is concerned with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness in his activities. He becomes callous with the activities of this world.

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

Because I am born in America I am thinking American. And because I am thinking American, the American government claims, "Yes, you come and fight, give your life." Draftboard. Why? This body. Therefore the intelligent person should know that I am suffering all miserable condition of my life due to this body. So we should not act in such a way that this imprisonment with this material body will continue birth and birth. Either American body, Indian body, dog's body, hog's body, so many—8,400,000 of body. That is called yoga. How to get out of this contamination of body. But the first instruction is to understand that I am not this body. That is the basic principle of Bhagavad-gītā teaching. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). "My dear Arjuna, you are talking very nice nicely, just like a very advanced learned man. But you are talking on the bodily platform—all nonsense." "I am father of this, oh, they are my relatives, they are my this, they are my this, how can I kill, how can I do, I cannot." The whole atmosphere consciousness is body. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, just after Arjuna accepting him his spiritual master, he's immediately chastising him as a master chastises his disciple: "You nonsense, you are talking very wisely as if you know so many things. But your position is this body."

So the whole world, they are posing themselves as highly advanced in education—science, philosophy, this, that, politics, so many things. But, their position is this body. Just like, an example, a vulture. A vulture rises very high. Seven miles, eight miles up. Wonderful, you cannot do that. And he has got wonderful eyes also. There are small eyes, vulture, it is so powerful that it can see from seven mile distance where there is a carcass, dead body. So he has got good qualification. He can rise very high, he can see from a distant place. Oh. But what is his object? A dead body, that's all. His perfection is to find out a carcass, dead body, and to eat, that's all. Similarly we may go up very high education, but what is our objective, what are we seeing? How to enjoy sense, this body, that's all. And advertisement? "Oh, he has gone with sputnik seven hundred miles up." But what you do? What is your occupation? Sense gratification, that's all. That is animal. So people are not considering how they're implicated with this bodily concept of life.

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

We know in our Indian history all big, big kings, they went to the forest, tapasya. The King, Bharata, Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa, he left his kingdom, young wife, children, everything, at the age of twenty-four years, and he went for tapasya. So the Pāṇḍavas also. Everyone. The last stage of life should be especially meant for tapasya. Not that up to the point of death we shall remain addicted to this worldly life. No. So this life is meant for purifying our existence. That means stop this cycle of birth and death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). We should always keep in front. We may think, we may be puffed up, as very much advanced in material comfort, but,... You may do so, but, at the same time, you should keep in front, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. You should always think that what advancement we have made? Have we stopped dying? Have you stopped birth? There are so many contraceptive method, but the population is increasing, the birth is going on. Similarly we have discovered so many nice medicines, but people are dying. You can not stop this, birth, death. They are trying to remain as young men, as young women, but they are getting older.

So intelligent men should always keep in front that what advancement we have made, simply struggling. A struggle, a heavy struggle, a hard struggle. That struggle. And we are thinking: "This is advancement." You struggling just like ass . So the whole day and night you are working. Actually I am working very hard, but I am thinking that I am advancing. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. We are trying to find out so many medicine. So many humanitarian work. What is that? There is famine, there is struggle. Why don't you do something so that people will not be anymore in famine, any more in distress. There will be no more scarcity of water. That is required. So these are the problems and so however we may solve all these problems, the problem of material existence, birth, death, old age and disease, that cannot be stopped, either you become Brahmā or something like that. That is not possible. That is possible only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

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

That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is called bhakti-yoga. This is called bhakti. Somehow or other, you become surrounded by Kṛṣṇa atmosphere. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan, this is yoga, mad-āśrayaḥ, not... Mad-āśrayaḥ means "taking shelter of Me." So, "taking shelter of Me" through beginning teaching. Understanding of Kṛṣṇa, taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa's representative. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. By Kṛṣṇa's mercy one gets guru, and guru's mercy one gets Kṛṣṇa. So, if one is sincere, he will take advantage of guru's mercy and Kṛṣṇa's mercy, and then he will be perfect. This is called bhakti-yoga. Not that "I am now very much advanced, I don't require any help from my guru," as somebody are doing. This is rascaldom. You cannot get Kṛṣṇa by overcoming guru. That is not possible. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya. We should always remember that by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa we get guru, and by the mercy of guru we get Kṛṣṇa. So we have to seek mercies of both of them.

So, mayy āsakta, mad, mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means, mat-āśrayaḥ, one...., guru means...., who has taken full shelter of Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. A, a guru does not mean that he has taken shelter of somebody else and he has become guru. That is not. Guru means one who has taken full shelter, complete surrender to Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. Or he speaks only what is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. Just like we have, speaking in this Bhagavad-gītā, as it is. There is no malinterpretation. Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. The guru will teach his disciple that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is God, He is saying "Surrender to Me," and guru is saying "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Therefore the statement is the same. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, so guru will say the same thing, that "You always think of Kṛṣṇa, you become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, you offer worship to Kṛṣṇa, you offer your obeisances." This is guru's business.

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

I am the eternal. I know that I had a body of a child. The body is gone. The childhood body is no more existing. But I know that I had a body. This is the proof that I am eternal; the body is changing. This is the way. I was a young man; now I am old man. But I know, "I was young man. My body was like this. I was doing that." But now that is not possible because that body has gone. So similarly, the conclusion is that when this body will be vanquished, I shall accept another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). This is simple method of understanding the transmigration of the soul. So real problem is that I am eternal, but I am put into such condition that I have to take birth and die, I have to become old and I have to disease. This is the real problem. The modern civilization, they are supposed to be very much advanced. What is the advancement? The real problem is there. You have to accept death. Nobody wants to die, but why death is there? But they are callous. They think, "We have to accept this death" or "This is finished," all vague idea, no real idea.

So if we want to be really learned, if we want to know what is our constitutional position, what is the aim of life, what is God, how we can reestablish our relationship with God, these things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very clearly. And if we are intelligent enough, we should take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously. And if you want to understand this movement scientifically, philosophically, we have got hundreds of books, all being accepted by educated circle, very logically and very philosophically written. You read them, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, take advantage of this movement and be successful in your life.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

Jñānī generally means one who wants liberation, mukti, by merging into the existence. Bhakti is above this jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). If you want to become a bhakta then you have to disregard the process of fruitive activities and the speculative method of understanding God, jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Then what I have to do? Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā. Simply you have to be ready to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān. Ānukūlyena, what Kṛṣṇa says, you have to do that, just like a servant. Servant faithfulness is, as soon as the master orders something, he is ready. You have to become.

So to become ready to serve Kṛṣṇa does not require much knowledge or very advanced in fruitive activities. These are material things. Spiritually, when you understand that you are eternal servant of God, Kṛṣṇa, and if you become fully convinced and do the needful, then you are liberated immediately. Mukti means, it is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). If you understand that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is mukti. And so long you are thinking that you are master of something, that is bondage. This is the difference between mukti and bondage. Bondage means to think of becoming master, "I am the lord of this universe," or "I am trying to become a lord or master," this is bondage. And when you fully understand Kṛṣṇa and become engaged in His service, that is mukti.

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

"Instead of Rāmacandra, my son should be king." Mahārāja Daśaratha said, "How it can be? It is already arranged. He is the eldest son." "No, you promised sometime that you will keep your promise and satisfy me. So this is my demand." "So what do you want?" "That Rāmacandra should be banished immediately and my son should be enthroned." He agreed. He called Rāmacandra, "This is the demand of Your stepmother. Kindly go to the forest for fourteen years, and Your stepbrother will be king." Rāmacandra agreed immediately. "Yes, that's all right, father." This is brahminical culture. Is there any single instance in the history that a king which is going to be enthroned next morning and by the order of his father immediately he goes away to the forest? Therefore there is no harm that we make materially very much advanced, but not like cats and dogs. Take brahminical culture. Then it will be perfect, the whole society. Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya... That brahminical culture can be established only by understanding Kṛṣṇa. Without understanding Kṛṣṇa, whatever we do, we shall remain simply animals. That's all.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

First of all aquatic. Because the whole world was filled with water, so there was animals, aquatics. So as the land became visible, then jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Sthāvarāḥ means the living entities which cannot move. That means trees and plants, vegetables. So from aquatics to vegetable life, then worm, reptiles, then birds, and then beast, then human being, then civilized men. There is chance of becoming perfect. So nature brings you up to the point of human form of life. Now you make your choice. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. And if you misuse like cats and dogs, then again go. Again go to the aquatics or cats and dogs according to your karma. That they do not know. Therefore they are called mūḍhas. They are very much advanced in knowledge and science and money-making, but what they are going to take the body next life, they do not know. Mūḍho nābhijānāti. This is their advancement. Therefore they refuse to believe that there is next life. That is one solace: "Oh, there is no next..." Bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar āgamano bhavet: "Oh, this body will be burned into ashes, and who is coming back again?" They don't believe. Because if they believe the śāstra, then it will be horrible affair for them. But therefore they do not believe. But you believe or not believe, things are going to happen. That's all. That is laws of nature. If you don't believe that you are going to die, it doesn't matter. You have to die. If you don't believe, that "I am not going to become an old man," no, you believe or not believe, you must become old man. This is nature's law. So you believe or not believe in the next life, you have to accept it. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). So your believe or not believe doesn't matter. Nature's work will go on.

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

So kṛtina. But there are duṣkṛtina and sukṛtina. Those who are using their merit for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are sukṛtina. And those who are using their merit for nothing, uselessly, for sense gratification, they are called duṣkṛtina. Both of them are using merit. It is not that a sinful man, a rogue, a thief, a dacoit, has no merit. He has got good merit, but he's utilizing for different purpose. Therefore they are called duṣkṛtina. Merit should have been... Just like we have got human merit, better than the animal merit.

So this merit is being misused to improve the process of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. If you improve this process of this eating, sleeping, that does not make you very advanced in civilization. The animal is also eating. Whatever, according to the nature, they are destined to eat, they are eating. Similarly, we are also eating, but we are not eating according to the, I mean to say, indication of nature. Take, for example, our teeth and animal teeth. There is difference. Our teeth... This is scientific. Our teeth is meant for eating vegetables and fruits. It is so made. If you eat continually vegetables and fruits, you'll not be attacked with pyorrhea. But if you eat meat—your teeth is not meant for eating meat—you'll very soon be attacked with pyorrhea because breaking the laws of nature. This is one example. Similarly, in our eating, sleeping, mating and defending we are using so many wrong things. Just like formerly there was also fight. That fight was being conducted with arrows and bows. So if you want to kill your enemy, you'll kill your enemy, not others. Other innocent people will not be killed. But nowadays, for defending, we are using atom bomb. So many thousands of innocent men are being killed. So therefore to manufacture or to invent such weapons, lethal weapons, is requiring very good merit, but duṣkṛtina, for committing sinful activities. Even war, there is dharma. That can be also dharmāviruddha. Just like Arjuna fought. He fought dharmāviruddha, under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa. That is not ordinary fighting. That fighting is Kṛṣṇa, because he was fighting under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa. Personally he refused to fight, but when he understood that Kṛṣṇa wanted that fighting, under His guidance he fought. That fighting is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 22, 1976:

It is the most topmost humanitarian activities, to give them information that in this life... What we are informing? The same thing as Kṛṣṇa is, Kṛṣṇa is informing. We don't manufacture any ideas. That is not our business. Therefore we present this Bhagavad-gītā as it is. As it is. We don't change it. Why we shall change? We are not greater authority than Kṛṣṇa. Whatever Kṛṣṇa has said, that is perfect. Why shall I change it? There are many rascals. They change the meaning, the interpretation, but that is misleading. You cannot change. Everything is very clear. Just like you do not require a lamp to show the sun. The sunshine itself is quite bright to see sun. If body says, "I have brought lamp. You can see," this is nonsense. So Bhagavad-gītā is so perfectly illuminated that anyone can understand without any very advanced knowledge, simple knowledge.

Just like this transmigration of the soul. How simply it is, people cannot understand it, but Kṛṣṇa is explaining this transmigration of the soul so nicely.

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

These are common to the human body and the cats and dogs body. But because I am human being, I can utilize my body in a different way. The cats and dogs cannot do. That is the difference between a human being and an animal. If you don't utilize my body as human beings then I am no better than cats and dogs. Actually I am cats and dogs. If we simply limit myself, how to eat very nicely, how to sleep very nicely, how to have sex intercourse very nicely and how to defend myself very nicely, then you are no better than animal. But this is the business of the animals.

The ani, animal cannot be invited to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is not possible. Even if he's invited, he cannot sit down, he cannot hear. Therefore those who are very much advanced in animal propensities, they cannot take part in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Who are, those who are to say frankly, no better than animals, they cannot take any interest in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is not possible.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says who can take? He says... We take from Kṛṣṇa all the words. You don't believe me. Kṛṣṇa says that:

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

(BG 7.28)

So animal life means sinful life. Animal life. Even this human form of life is also sinful unless we come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform. We come to the... Animal life means sinful life. If I act as sinful, like hogs and dogs... Just like if I don't discriminate of eating. Just like the hogs, they have no discrimination. They accept even stool. "Come on. I shall eat." You get the body of hogs or dogs.

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

The Bhāgavata says, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12) If one is actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all godly, good qualities will develop. Because we are part and parcel of God, the godly qualities are there. It is simply covered. Just like the fire is covered by ashes. If you fan out the ashes, then the fire comes out. Similarly, spirit soul is pure. So when he comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he becomes pure soul. Amānitvam adambhitvam. Amānitvaṁ sva-sat-kāraṇam apekṣatvam, adambhitvam dharmikatva-khyāti-phalaka-dharmācaraṇa-virahaḥ.

Adambhitvam means one should not think... Suppose I am very much advanced in spiritual knowledge, but I should not be very much proud of it. Generally, in this age people want false, I mean to say, designations, that "I am very religious. I know everything. I am God." So many things. These are false pride. So actual knowledge is that "I am smaller than the straw in the street." That is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that tṛṇād api sahiṣṇunā: one should be tolerant. One should be humbler than the straw in the street. Sunīcena. One should think himself as smaller than the grasses on the street. And tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. And one should be tolerant like the tree. Amāninā, without claiming any respect from others. Amāninā mānadena, but one should give all respect to others. Mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). In that stage one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa very nicely. Of course, it is very difficult, but Kṛṣṇa will help us.

Now, this tṛṇād api sunīcena, one may think, "Oh, it is artificial to think that I am smaller than the grass in the street."

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973:

The central point is bhagavad-bhakti. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. If one is not a devotee of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ—he cannot possess any great qualities. That is not possible. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ.

We have seen practically. Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was a great personality, a great devotee of Lord Śiva also, and materially his kingdom was very much advanced. It is said that Lanka was made of gold. Actually there were many palaces. And he was a very big Vedic scholar also. But one thing, that he was against Rāma... And for this disqualification he is still described as asura, rākṣasa. So harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ mano-rathenāsato dhāvato bahiḥ. If one is not devotee of the Lord, he will simply concoct on the mental platform. So that will not make.

Rāvaṇa also wanted to make a staircase to go directly to the heavenly planet. Just like we are. At the present moment, we are trying to go directly to the moon planet by sputnik. But it has failed. It is not possible. In that way we cannot go. If we want to go to another planet, the process is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: yānti deva-vratā devān piṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). If you want to go to the higher planetary system, then that particular devata, Indraloka, Candraloka. The moon planet is Candraloka. That is also considered as one of the heavenly planets. So you have to prepare yourself by karma-kāṇḍīya activities. Then you can go there by... After this body is finished, you immediately transfer to certain planet where you want to go.

Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:

And this Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD, preliminary knowledge of spiritual understanding. People are unaware of... And misleaders, they give misinformation, mal-interpretation.

And there are so many people. They are very much proud. He has read Bhagavad-gītā hundred times, but he does not know anything. He does not know anything. Because... The difficulty is that the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, they do not follow.

The instruction of Bhagavad-gītā is evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). One has to learn from the disciplic succession. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). You have to learn from a person by full surrender. You cannot surrender to a third-class man. Unless one is very advanced, naturally you surrender. But this is the process. Unless you are prepared to surrender. Surrender means you approach somebody where your intelligence is nothing. Therefore you have to surrender. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā.

Sevayā and dayā. There are two words. Sevā is offered to the superior person, sevā, service. And dayā is offered to an inferior person. Who is less than you, he requires your mercy, that is dayā. But who is superior than you, who requires your service, that is called sevā. This is the difference between sevā and dayā. But people do not know. They are trying to amalgamate dayā and sevā. No. Dayā to the inferior person. Just like a child. He requires your dayā, the dayā of the parents, mercy of the parents. But a guru, he requires your sevā, service. So you have to approve sevā, praṇipāta, surrender, sevā; then you can question. Don't question unnecessarily, waste your time, where you cannot surrender, where you cannot render your service.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

That's all. This is not question. If you have no clear idea, where the question? Where it is stated? Do you..., are practically can do that—a piece of gold and piece of stone, the same thing? There is a verse, sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ. So that is very advanced stage, when one knows that everything is made of matter, so what is the value? Why you can't give more value to the stone, because originally everything is made of matter? There is one thing, paṇḍitāh sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). But that is when one has attained a very perfectional stage, not for the ordinary man. Ordinary man, you cannot say that "I treat a piece of stone and piece of gold the same way." Then why don't you take a piece of stone? Can you say? Suppose if you have gone to a, purchasing to a goldsmith shop. So I say, "Sir, you take this ornament made of stone and you pay me the price of gold." Would you agree? Then there is no such... It must be practical. In the practical life that is very higher stage. Those who do not care either for... Just like Sanatāna Gosvāmī. Sanatāna Goswāmī was Vṛndāvana. He was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, always. Then, one brāhmaṇa, he was very poor—perhaps you know this story—he worshiped Lord Siva, and when Lord Siva was pleased, then he wanted to take him, give him some benediction. So, "What do you want?" So he said, "Give me the best thing, so I shall be the greatest of all." That he said, "Oh, I haven't got such thing, but if you want, you go to Sanatāna Goswāmī." "Where is Sanatāna Gosvāmī?" "Vṛndāvana." So when he went there, so he had a touchstone. The touchstone was kept with the garbage, and he asked him, "All right, you take that. You are poor man. You take the stone, and if you touch this stone with iron, it will turn into gold. You take this. Find out in that garbage." So he took it and went away. So on the street he began to think that "Lord Siva advised me that 'He has the best thing.

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

Kṛṣṇa's forbidding Arjuna not to speak this Bhagavad-gītā to a person who is not very much advanced in austerity and penance. The verse is on the Eighteenth Chapter, verse number 67, in which Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna:

idaṁ te nātapaskāya

nābhaktāya kadācana

na cāśuśrūṣave vācyaṁ

na ca māṁ yo 'bhyasūyati

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

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

He disgusted some, that "Everyone praise Me; nobody comes to chastise Me." You see. "Ah, here is another devotee, 'Yes, I am prepared to chastise You.' " Just like in Vaikuṇṭha there is no fight, but Kṛṣṇa wanted to fight. Therefore some of His devotees, Jaya and Vijaya, they came as Rāvaṇa, and he fought with Kṛṣṇa, Rāmacandra. Otherwise, who can fight with Rāmacandra? He is also devotee when he is satisfying. Kṛṣṇa wanted to fight, the devotee is prepared, "Yes, I shall fight You." And He'll kill you. This is (indistinct); this is devotee.

So these are tattva-jñānī, tattva-jñāna, kṛṣṇa jñāna. These are truths. People should devote to understand this tattva-jñāna. But those who are not very advanced, they conclude the Absolute Truth is nirākāra, impersonal Brahman. Or a little advanced than them, the yogis, they see Paramātmā within heart. They, they are also the same truth, advaya-jñāna. But if you want real bliss, if you want to talk with this Absolute Truth face to face, and treat with Him as friend, as son, as lover, that is Bhagavān. Not impersonal Brahman, neither Paramātmā. That will not get. Therefore it is said here, "The Absolute Truth is one." Either you call Him nirākāra Brahman or call you Him localized Paramātmā, He's in my heart, everyone's heart, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). But if you want to take advantage, full association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11).

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Tirupati, April 26, 1974:

So one has to learn the art of seeing the Absolute Truth in three features—as Bhagavān, as Paramātmā and as impersonal Brahman. That prescription is given here. Tac chraddadhānā munayaḥ. The ordinary person not. Munayaḥ. Those who are very much advanced in the process of thinking, munayaḥ, or great saintly persons... Tac chraddadhānā munayo jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā (SB 1.2.12). Jñāna and vairāgya—these two things are required. First of all, one must have sufficient knowledge and vairāgya, renunciation, detachment. Then he can see what is Bhagavān, what is Paramātmā, and what is impersonal Brahman. It is a very long subject matter, but as it is stated here by Vyāsadeva that paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā, through bhakti and śruti, by hearing the Vedic literature... Not whimsically, not by sentiment. One has to develop his dormant bhakti consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness by thorough study of the Vedic literature. Then he can understand what is Brahman, what is Paramātmā and what is Bhagavān. Otherwise it is not possible.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is said, "The basic principle is bhakti." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). One has to learn the Absolute Truth through bhakti. Bhakti is the principle. If you have got bhakti, then jñāna-vairāgya will automatically come. But if you remain only on the platform of jñāna-vairāgya, you may not develop bhakti. This is the process. That is also mentioned in the beginning of this chapter.

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

That is clear here. The symptom is that the two things, lust and greediness, will not disturb you. You haven't got to take certificate from anyone, "Just give me certificate that I have become a Kṛṣṇa conscious." You take your certificate yourself, see yourself, whether you are free from lust and greediness. That's the certificate. If you are confident that "I am free from lust and greediness," then I am making progress. Otherwise, (chuckles) I am again in the same, no progress. This is test.

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

So heart is being pinched. "Here is... I am beautiful boy," "I am beautiful girl. Why not come?" So this is pinching. So if you are actually situated on the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not fully, a little advanced, then these things will be visible. Tadā ceta etair anāviddham. And when you stop, when you are able to stop this pinching in your heart by these two modes of material nature, passion and greediness-tadā ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati-prasīdati, then you become joyful. That is the stage of joyfulness.

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

Prabhupāda: Soul. This is, this is the activity of the soul. You stop the activity of the body, of the mind; then you must be engaged in the activity of the soul. Actually, the soul is active, not this body and mind. As soon as the soul is out of this body, there is no activity. So the real source of activity is coming from the soul. So how it is that after one becomes liberated, he becomes inactive? That is the theory of the Māyāvādīs. Real activity begins there. Here we are active. We have got so many impediments offered by the mind and the body; and when we actually come to the platform of soul, that is liberated position. The activity should be very nice and very polished, very advanced. Then?

Pradyumna: "The soul's activity becomes adulterated in contact with matter, and as such the diseased activities are expressed in the form of lust, desire, hankering, inactivity, foolishness and sleep. The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete elimination..."

Prabhupāda: Sleep and inactivity is a sign of ignorance. The more we are inactive and sleepy, that means we are in the modes of ignorance. And passion means activity for sense enjoyment. And goodness means free from the inactivity of ignorance and the activity of passion, but to see things as they are: "Oh, I am eternal servant of God. So my actions should be to serve God." That is goodness. These are the stages. When one is inactive, lazy, sleeping, that means ignorance. When one is very active for sense enjoyment, it is passion; and when one is neither active like the sense gratifiers nor sitting idly like the ignorant, but he is trying to engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, service, that is goodness. And one who is actually serving Kṛṣṇa, that is transcendental platform, liberated platform. Then?

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

There are three guṇa, modes, ignorance, passion and goodness. So if we can, somehow or other, can avoid the lower-grade modes, namely ignorance and passion, then naturally we come to the platform of goodness. That is also not sufficient. Therefore it is said here, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, almost finished all dirty things. "No, I am now situated in goodness, in brahminical qualifications."

So the śāstra says it is all right. But still it is dirty. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is described that that is also a cause of bondage. "I am very learned. I am now become brāhmaṇa." So he does not know that is also this false ego, that "I am brāhmaṇa. I am very learned. I am very advanced." This is also cause of bondage. He does not know that. Simply to become free from the modes of ignorance and passion is not sufficient. One must be free from the modes of goodness also, the so-called goodness. Then you come to the transcendental platform. That is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). These are upādhis. "I am a good man. I am a bad man." Both of them are designations. From spiritual point of view, there is no difference between good man and bad man. Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali samāna. So long you are in the material platform, the so-called goodness and badness, they are all the same—because you are in the material platform.

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

The jñānaṁ me parama-guhyam, the knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very, very confidential. Jñānaṁ me parama-guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. It is not sentiment. It is full of scientific knowledge. So when we understand the truth, the Absolute Truth, scientifically, that is called bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. That bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam is understandable by a person who is liberated. One who is very busy, anxious with politics, sociology, humanitarianism, one who is very busy always in politics, how he can become interested or how he can understand bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam? That is not possible.

Therefore these are the tests to understand. A politician may pose himself that he is very advanced in spiritual life, but when we see that he is more interested in politics than in Kṛṣṇa, then we can understand what is his position. These are the tests. Or politics or sociology or anything, a pure devotee is always interested how Kṛṣṇa would be satisfied. Just like Arjuna. Of course, when one is interested in that way, all other things, subordinate things, they come within. Just like Arjuna was a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, but at the same time he was a politician also. So, but the first interest is to become Kṛṣṇized, how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, not that "For political purpose I love Kṛṣṇa." No. You love Kṛṣṇa, and your all problems, political, social and other things, will be solved. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You don't require to attempt for political reason and make Kṛṣṇa consciousness secondary. Therefore we say that if people, not all, if some percentage of the whole population of the world become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then all the problems of the world will be solved. We don't expect that cent percent people will be Kṛṣṇa conscious, but simply a few percent, say five per cent. If the people of the whole population, they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then the face of the world will change-īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1)—because if the leaders, they understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act accordingly, the others will follow. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). Itaraḥ janaḥ, common men, follows the leaders.

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

This is complete liberated stage. In the previous verse it has been spoken, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. The science of God, bhagavat-tattva, the science of Absolute Truth, becomes manifest to the liberated soul. We find sometimes that one man is posing to have very much advanced in spiritual understanding or a great devotee, but mukta-saṅga..., he's not mukta-saṅga; he cannot give up smoking biḍi. You see. These are the small tests. One who has actually tasted spiritual life, his unwanted things of life would at once diminish. There is no need. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha. Anartha, things which are not wanted, which has no meaning. So mukta-saṅga means no material attachment. That is mukta-saṅga. When one is actually liberated, these are the signs.

Bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiḥ. Our material life begins by a knot in the heart. What is that knot? That is sex desire. This is the knot. A man is hankering after a woman, and a woman is hankering after a man. This attachment is the beginning of material life. Everyone, not only human society. In animal society, in bird society, in beast society, you'll find this sex attachment. This is the hṛdaya-granthiḥ, beginning. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, the first teaching to a student is to give him lesson how to become brahmacārī. How not to become attached in sex life, that is called brahmacārī. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). Tapasā, to become brahmacārī, to become..., abstaining from sex life, it requires tapasya. It is not so easy thing. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa damena śamena (SB 6.1.13). One has to practice how to control the mind, how to control the senses. This is brahmacarya. Tapasya. It requires tapasya. At the present moment, the students are, what to speak of tapasya, they are given all kinds of luxuries. So how there will be brahmacārīs? It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

Then, after the smoke, there is flame. And that flame is required.

So this gradual process of evolution means one must come to the platform of understanding Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am..., I am spirit soul, and I am part and parcel of the Supreme Soul." This understanding one must come. So for that understanding one has to come to the platform of goodness, sattva-guṇa. If one remains in the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, as we have explained, then we shall be entangled in this material world. We may get a different types of body, even if we get the body of demigods or European body, American body, as they are understood, very advanced. So not only European, American, but there are other improved condition of life in higher planetary system. They're all made of rajo-guṇa. Rajas-tamas. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). Because everywhere you'll find the prominence of greediness and lust, everywhere. Even in the heavenly planet, the King of Heaven, he's very, very, very much lusty. There are so many instances. He's very much fond of sex life, Indra.

So this will not help us. We must come to the platform of sattva-guṇa, goodness, the brahminical stage. Then our life, our evolutionary process, will be successful. Tamasas tu rajas tasmāt sattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam. Gradually, evolutionary process... I think in Darwin's theory there is no such conception of coming to the point of sattva-guṇa, goodness. They do not know even what it is, sattva-guṇa. Simply they are studying the animal bones. That's all. But actually perfection of evolutionary process is to come to the platform of sattva-guṇa, brahminical stage. In other words, to become a brāhmaṇa is the topmost platform of advancement of civilization. Brahminical culture is the perfect advancement of civilization. That is mentioned here.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

Embrace? Yes. So as soon as one, kṛṣṇa-bhuliyā, forgets Kṛṣṇa... Forgetting Kṛṣṇa means sense enjoyment. Two things are there. One, the materialistic persons, they are engaged in the activities of sense enjoyment, forgetting Kṛṣṇa; and the transcendentalists, the devotees, they are, even though they are not forgotten, but they are not interested in sense enjoyment. They are interested in Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. This is māyā and Kṛṣṇa.

So māyā is always strong. As soon as we little slack in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, māyā will capture us in the same process. So here it is said, bhajann apakvo 'tha. If one is not very strong, not very much advanced, not mature, and falls down under the clutches of māyā again, so, Nārada Muni says, yatra kva vābhadram abhūt: "There is no," I mean to say, "loss." Abhadra means great loss, or inauspicity. There is no... "It is still good, even if he falls down." Why? Yatra kva vā abhadram amuṣya kiṁ ko vārtha āpto 'bha...: "In comparison to the person who is simply sticking to the formalities of religious principles without any development of love of Godhead, simply following the routine work, in comparison to that person, this person who came to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, either by sentiment or some way or other but falls down, this man is better. This man is better. There is no," I mean to say, "any great loss. Rather it is a great gain."

Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976:

And naturally there will be scarcity of... Durbhikṣa. Durbhikṣa means you will not be able to get anything by begging also. Bhikṣa, bhikṣa means if I have no subsistence, I have no means to eat, I go to... (break) Even if I beg, I become a beggar, there will be no supplies. Especially these things will be no supply: rice, wheat, sugar, and other things, there are mentioned. It is all particularly mentioned. And we are experiencing. You were telling that rice is not available. Where it is? Huh? Poland. I have seen in Moscow, you cannot get any fruit, you cannot get rice, you cannot get wheat. You can get only flesh, meat. And milk is available. These things. So now already it has begun, and ultimately as the Kali-yuga advances and people become very much advanced in denying the existence of God, nirākāra, these things will come. Wait for that punishment. Durbhikṣa, anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9). And as soon as there will be scarcity of food, the government men will take advantage of it: "Now we have to supply food." "Where is food?" "No, you give me money, we shall purchase from importer." The taxation. One side, I am suffering—no food; another side—whatever money I have got, it will be taken by taxation. Now see what is your position. The position will be people will become mad, so much troubled. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti giri-kānanam. People will be so much harassed that voluntarily they'll give up their family, home, and go to the forest, hopeless. This will be done. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a joke, is a jugglery. It is the only remedy if you want to save yourself. Otherwise, you are doomed. Don't take it, I mean to say, as a joke. It is a fact.

So best thing is that kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. There is one very nice opportunity. What is that opportunity? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya... You cannot say any other-śivasya, kālīsya(?). No. Kṛṣṇasya. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23).

Lecture on SB 1.7.41-42 -- Vrndavana, October 2, 1976:

I am not that." All material designations He refused, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. "I am not this, I am not this, I am not this." Even if I am very much proud of becoming a brāhmaṇa or I become very much proud of becoming a sannyāsī... That is the highest stage of human status, to become a brāhmaṇa or sannyāsī. Sannyāsī is supposed to be the guru of everyone. There are four varṇas and four āśramas. Brāh... (break) ...and kṣatriya. And in the spiritual order, the sannyāsī is guru of all, even of the brāhmaṇa. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "I am neither brāhmaṇa nor sannyāsī." He refused. Nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir na yatir vā. Yati means sannyāsī. So He refused.

So this is false. Even if you become very much proud that you are a very learned brāhmaṇa or very advanced sannyāsī, that is not your freedom. You are not yet liberated. You are still in conditional life. Then? When you become liberated? That is stated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). This is liberation. Gopī-bhartuḥ, the maintainer of the gopīs, Gopījana-vallabha. Kṛṣṇa's business is how to please the gopīs, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-rañjana. As the vṛndāvana-vāsīs, they have no other business than to love Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Kṛṣṇa has no other business than to please the gopīs and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Gopījana-vallabha. So how...? Why Kṛṣṇa is so much attached to vṛndāvana-vāsīs? As soon as there was some difficulty—we read it from Bhāgavatam—as soon as there is some fire... The vṛndāvana-vāsīs, they do not know anyone but Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa devours the fire. As soon as there is torrents of rain, Vṛndāvana was going to be overflooded, Kṛṣṇa immediately came to their rescue and lifted the Govardhana Hill: "Come under Me." That is Gopī-jana-vallabha. They do not know anything. They do not know even that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they do not like to love anybody than Kṛṣṇa. This is their only qualification. They did not love Kṛṣṇa understanding that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). They did not know this. But they did not like to love even Viṣṇu than Kṛṣṇa. That is their qualification. Gopī-jana-vallabha.

Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:

Everything is first-class. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). Everything is composition of ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. There is no classification. Either one is situated in dāsya-rasa, one is situated in sākhya-rasa, or in vātsalya-rasa or mādhurya-rasa, they are all one. There is no such distinction. But there is variety. You like this rasa, I like this rasa, that is allowed.

So here, in this material world, they are being influenced by the three rasas, and Prahlāda Mahārāja, being the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, he considered himself that "I am influenced by the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa." He's a Vaiṣṇava, he's above all guṇas, but a Vaiṣṇava is never proud of his guṇa. Actually, he does not feel like that, that he is very advanced, he is very enlightened. He always thinks, "I am the lowest."

Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:

Mora nāma yei laya tāra puṇya kṣaya. "Anyone who takes my name, whatever little asset he has got on account of pious activities, he will lose it." In this way... This is not artificial. A Vaiṣṇava thinks like that. A Vaiṣṇava like Kavirāja Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, they always think like that. That is Vaiṣṇava. They never think that he is very advanced. Never. So similarly, Draupadī is thinking her position and what will be the position of Aśvatthāmā's mother? Aśvatthāmā's mother, she is also woman, and she is studying Aśvatthāmā's mother's position from her position. She's very much aggrieved on account of her sons being killed. So she is thinking if Aśvatthāmā's mother is under the distress of her sons's being killed, what will be her position? She is disturbed, thinking of the position of Aśvatthāmā's mother. Personally, she is not at all aggrieved. She's aggrieved, but she is thinking the grief of Aśvatthāmā's mother more than her. This is Vaiṣṇava.

Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja said, śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Because my father has done so much injustice unto me, so Kṛṣṇa wanted to give him benediction. But he refused. "No. I do not require anything. I am quite happy. I don't want anything. And in exchange of my service... Because I have done some work as Vaiṣṇava, it is my duty..." Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). "It is my duty as a servant. I have tolerated all tribulations offered by my father. I was never disturbed. I preached amongst my class friends. Whatever possible I have done. But that does not mean I want some benefit. No. I am not a bāniyā, vaṇik. Sa vai vaṇik. So do not offer my any benediction. I am quite satisfied." So the question may be that "You are satisfied in spite of undergoing so much trouble? Still, you are...?" "Yes, I am satisfied. Yes, I am satisfied." "How?" Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.7.51-52 -- Vrndavana, October 8, 1976:

If you practice only this. Whatever you drink, you drink something for some taste. So either you drink soda water, or water, or milk, or even wine. Because the Europeans, Americans, they are accustomed to drink wine. But if they follow this instruction of Kṛṣṇa, that "This taste is Kṛṣṇa," then he remembers Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. As soon as he brings Kṛṣṇa in his mind, he becomes a bhakta. So easy. Anyone can become kṛṣṇa-bhakta if he follows the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. There is no difficulty. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. This is the simple process. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). This is for ordinary class of men. But if you think that you are very advanced in learning, in Vedic literature, and Vedic mantras, yes, then Kṛṣṇa says, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. That praṇava-oṁkāra, oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. That praṇava is Kṛṣṇa. Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu.

So either you become a highly learned scholar in Vedic literature or you are simply an ordinary person, you can think of Kṛṣṇa and you become successful in your life. There is no difficulty. Raso 'ham. If you are ordinary person... Any, every, every person drinks water or drinks something. Let him immediately think of, as soon as he tastes, "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. A flower, a rose flower, very fragrant. As soon as you smell you can remember Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, this smell is Kṛṣṇa." Actually, that is Kṛṣṇa. You cannot create that smell. It is Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's art. That, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca, that gandha, that smell, flavor, is within the earth. Wherefrom the rose is coming? From this earth. But still the rose is so fragrant. You cannot take out the fragrance from the earth. Everything is there. Sarva-kāma-dughā-mahī. Everything is within the earth. But you cannot take out. It is Kṛṣṇa. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He has got this power to exact, to extract puṇya-gandha through the rose flower. You haven't. You may be very big chemist, but you cannot do that. So in this way, if we study Kṛṣṇa, if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your life is successful. That we are teaching. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And the śāstras will help you.

Lecture on SB 1.8.32 -- Los Angeles, April 24, 1973:

Similarly if Kṛṣṇa is within the heart of everyone, Devakī also, so if He comes out before Devakī in the same four-handed form, is it very difficult for Kṛṣṇa? So people do not know. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that: "You have to understand: janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9), transcendental birth. My activities, My birth." Therefore Kuntīdevī knows that Kṛṣṇa is unborn. Kṛṣṇa does not take birth, but it appears like that to some fools. Therefore they say that Kṛṣṇa has taken birth. But why Kṛṣṇa takes birth? The next question will be. That is replied: puṇya-ślokasya kīrtaye (SB 1.8.32), puṇya-ślokasya. Those who are very pious, very advanced in spiritual understanding, to glorify them. Kṛṣṇa comes to become the son of Devakī to glorify Devakī. Kṛṣṇa becomes the son of Yaśodā to glorify His devotee, Yaśodā.

Similarly Kṛṣṇa appeared in the dynasty of Mahārāja Yadu just to glorify. He was a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and He is born in the family of Mahārāja Yadu. The whole family is celebrated still: Yādava. Kṛṣṇa's name is Yādava, because He took His birth in the Yadu family. So how is it that, that Kṛṣṇa took...? Now to glorify the family. Exactly, the example is given: Just like malayasyeva candanam (SB 1.8.32). Candana. This is a tree. A tree can grow anywhere, but the sandalwood tree, because it is very prominent in the Malaysia country, formerly they were growing this candana tree, as I told you, because there was good demand, in India especially, of sandalwood. So they, nowadays they are growing rubber tree because there is good demand for rubber.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

Because He knew, in this age, Kali Yuga, who is going to observe this varṇāśrama-dharma? Everyone is śūdra. A śūdra cannot understand this, neither it is possible to bring them back again. Although we are trying, but it is very difficult. Once one has become debauch, to reform him is very difficult. But still there is way. And that way is suggested when... Rāmānanda Rāya suggested that... It is the words of Lord Brahmā that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya: "One should not very much endeavor to speculate, speculating process." Just like these theosophists, the philosophers, the scientists. They, instead of having direct knowledge from the superior, they, more or less, speculate. So one has to give up this speculating habit. If one thinks that "I know. I am very educated. I am very advanced. I can discover what is God," that is not possible. That is not possible. Athāpi te deva-padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvam (SB 10.14.29). You cannot understand God by your speculative method. Big, big scholars, they have speculated about Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. Misled, they could not understand.

Just like a big politician, Gandhi, he also has Bhagavad-gītā in his hand, but he never spoke throughout his whole life that Kṛṣṇa is worshipable. He never spoke. Have you seen that he has advised that Kṛṣṇa is worshipable? Never. Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is also so big scholar. He has commented on Bhagavad-gītā. Rather, he says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." When Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), Dr. Radhakrishnan says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974:

That is the sign of a saintly person, samatītya. Samatītya: they have no enemy. Ajāta-śatravaḥ. Even the adhīra, the saintly person considers as friend, and even a dhīra, he considers friend. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). This is the dhīra.

So these saintly persons were also advising, Vyāsadeva, and vyāsādyaiḥ, not only Vyāsadeva. There were other big, big saintly persons. The monarchy, as it is conceived in the Vedic civilization, that is not this monarchy. Just like we have got experience in the history, a monarch means get money and spend it for wine and woman. Not that kind of monarch. Monarchy means the king... The ideal monarchy—Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit—they were very much advanced in spiritual knowledge, in administrative knowledge, in economic development. Everything, perfectly they were educated, and they were being guided by saintly persons like vyāsādyaiḥ. Vyāsādyaiḥ. Mahārāja Rāmacandra was being guided by Vasiṣṭha. So the kings were guided by a committee of saintly persons. Big, big learned, saintly persons, brāhmaṇas, they would give advice to the king. He is already learned. There was a case, Veṇa Mahārāja, the father of Pṛthu Mahārāja. He was very much upstart. Therefore the committee of the learned brāhmaṇas and saintly persons killed him. Because he was not hearing to the committee of the saintly persons, brāhmaṇas, he was killed, and his son, Mahārāja Pṛthu, was enthroned. There were many cases. If the king was an upstart, the brāhmaṇas, they were so powerful, they did not require any weapon; simply by their words they will kill him.

Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Los Angeles, May 10, 1973:

If somebody comes, consciously or unconsciously, and offers obeisances, he gets immediately credit certi..., credit note, yes. Immediately. In this way, when the credit notes are so much, oh, it is a big amount. It is a big amount. Then he can purchase Kṛṣṇa. This is bhakti. Even... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even little of it can save you from the greatest danger. Bhakti is so nice. Svalpam api. Just like Ajāmila. Ajāmila, he was the greatest sinful person. But at the time of death, he uttered "Nārāyaṇa," and he was protected by Kṛṣṇa. Immediately Nārāyaṇa's soldiers came and protected him from the Yamarāja's soldiers. Ajāmila uddhāra.

So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja is very advanced devotee. He says that paśyata ajñānam: "Just see my ignorance. I have killed so many soldiers simply for this body." Paśyata ajñānaṁ me hṛdi rūḍhaṁ durātmanaḥ: "And this ignorance is deeply rooted in my heart." People are... Every step, they are being baffled; still, they will do the same thing. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). No sense is coming. No sense is coming. Durātmanaḥ. Not mahātmanaḥ. Mahātmanaḥ means he is no more interested in this kind of business. That is called mahātmanaḥ. Those who are repeatedly engaged in this kind of business, they are called durātmanaḥ. Only for the body's sake working very hard. So if you analyze, the whole world is doing that. Durātmanaḥ.

Pārakyasyaiva dehasya bahvyo me akṣauhiṇīḥ. Now the akṣauhiṇī is mentioned here. One, what is the exact word, one group of soldiers?

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

That is Vedic civilization. Everyone should remain in the spot and produce everything as he requires, and God will help you. Because you can produce from the land anywhere. The rainfall is there. If you have got land and the rainfall is regular, then you can produce anything. Kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). And how the rainfall will be possible? How regular rainfall? That is described in the Bhāgavata. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ (BG 3.14). Is there a Bhagavad-gītā here? Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ.

We are trying to give as much possible happiness to our students. Otherwise unless he is, one feels happy, how... It is little difficult. Unless one is very advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one cannot adjust things. Therefore our policy is that... What is called? Yogo bhavati siddhi. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhi. We are yogis, but we are not that kind of yogi, unnecessarily giving trouble to the body. No. Yuktāhāra. you eat. You require to eat. You eat. Don't starve. Don't unnecessarily fast. But don't eat voraciously. That is bad. That is not yukta. You eat, but don't eat voraciously: "Because there is something very palatable, let me eat voraciously," and then again fall sick. An if you cannot digest, then you will sleep. You will sleep only. Therefore don't eat more, but eat whatever is necessary. Yuktāhāra. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhi. Eat whatever necessity, whatever you can... "One man's food, another man's poison." One man eats, say, so much voraciously. Another man cannot digest. If he imitates, "Oh, he is eating so much? I will also eat so much." No. He can digest it, let him eat. But if you cannot digest, don't eat more. That is required. Then what is that verse?

Lecture on SB 1.15.1 -- New York, November 29, 1973:

Similarly the Australian land, or the African land, or this American land, so vast tract of land But "No, you can not come here, yow yow." They say, the immigration department. You see. Yow yow department.

So this nonsense, these rascals, all these politicians, they're spoiling the situation, but they are so big rascal, they'll not accept the solution. Take Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and everything will be solved. That's a fact. Mūḍhā, but they're so rascal, duṣkṛtina, and full of sinful activities, na māṁ duṣkṛtina mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, and lowest of the mankind. So always remember that our preaching work is dealing with these kind of men. Duṣkṛtina means full of sinful activities. Mūḍhā, rascals, narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind and māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, and they're thinking very much advanced in education, but fool number one māyā has taken their away, real knowledge, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Āsuri bhāvam āśritāḥ. Why all these things? Because they are Godless, only fault is Godless. Āsuri bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because they have taken the position (that) there is no God. These big, big scientists, they are trying to prove there is no God, "This creation is due from matter from chemical, the water has come from chemical combination, hydrogen, oxygen. These are the..." All foolish theories, and they are getting Nobel prize. They are getting Nobel prize. This is the position.

Therefore, from this verse, you should know evaṁ kṛṣṇa-sakhaḥ kṛṣṇo bhrātrā rājñā vikalpitaḥ, nānā-śaṅkā... These rascals, our Say our elder brother, advance, they're suggesting, "This the cause of," "this is the cause of," "this is the cause of," "this is the cause of." But the only cause is Kṛṣṇa, forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, that they do not know. The only cause.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

And it is said in the Rāmāyaṇa that Rāvaṇa's brother was living on the other side of the globe, and Rāmacandra was taken through the subway. So taking this into consideration, we can suppose that Rāvaṇa imported large quantity of gold from Brazil, and he converted them into big, big houses. So Rāvaṇa was so powerful that he made his capital Svarṇa-laṅkā, "capital made of gold." Just like if a man comes from undeveloped country to your country, New York or any city, when they see the big, big skyscraper, they become astonished. Although skyscraper buildings are everywhere nowadays, formerly it was very wonderful.

So we can create everything very wonderful, but we can take the example of Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was very advanced materially, and he had Vedic knowledge sufficiently. He was son of a brāhmaṇa. Everything was there. But the only fault was that he did not care for Rāma. That is the only fault. "Oh, what is Rāma? I don't care for Him. There is no need of performing yajñas and ritualistic ceremony to be promoted to the heavenly kingdom." Rāvaṇa said, "I shall construct a staircase to go to the moon planet. Why you are trying in this way or that way? I will do that." Svargesari.(?) So these people are trying like Rāvaṇa, but they should take lesson from Rāvaṇa that his godlessness made him doomed. Everything he lost.

So this instruction by Arjuna... He said that so 'haṁ dhanus ta iṣavaḥ. He was defeated by the cowherdsmen. He could not protect the queens of Kṛṣṇa, and they were taken away by these cowherdsmen. So he is lamenting that "I have got this bow and arrow with which I fought in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and I became victorious because Kṛṣṇa was sitting on my chariot. That is the only reason. Now I have got these bows and arrows, the same bows and arrows with which I fought in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, but at the present moment there is no Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is useless." Īśa-rikta, asad abhūt. Asat means which does not act; it does not exist. "So my bows and arrows are the same, but it is now useless."

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

"No, why you shall come back?" "No, no, then I don't want." (laughter) The rascal wants to go to other planet and come back. They are doing actually. They are going to the so-called moon planet and coming back. The first aeronautics from Russia, when he was far, far away, he was just looking after, "Where is my Moscow? Where is my Moscow?" You see. This is our intelligence. You may go far away. There is an example. Just like the vulture, they have got a very good eyesight, very good eyesight. You... Seven miles away from the surface, they can see where there is a dead corpse. So they have got good eyesight, but they are searching after dead corpse only. That is their business. These so-called scientists, philosophers, they are very much advanced, but their only business is how to become happy in this planet. That's all. That is their... Not mahātmā. Durātmā. Their mind is not very broad. What is called? Ah? What is the English word? Crippled. Mind is very crippled. Durāśayā. Therefore they are hoping against hope. They will not live here. Still, they are decorating, decorating the dead body. "This is my apartment, this is my house, this is my country, this is my skyscraper building." Painting. And one day, mṛtyuḥ sarva... Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He's challenging, challenging, "Where is your God?" "Ah, here is God! Come on! Finished. Finished. Here is God."

Lecture on SB 1.15.32 -- Los Angeles, December 10, 1973:

So hearing all the details how Kṛṣṇa has gone back to His abode and how the Yadu dynasty was destroyed by fighting amongst themselves, so naturally... Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was very sober and very advanced. He thought what to do next. Everyone should think that... The Yadu dynasty, they belonged directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nobody could conquer them, but still, they were also finished by... Others could not conquer them, but they fought amongst themselves, and then vanquished.

So everyone should take care that after all, we have to give up this body, estate, and whatever we possess, we have to give up. So after giving up, what is next? We have to give up. That is a fact. If you don't give it up now, at the time of death you must give it up, everything. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). You may try to keep in possession whatever you have got, but at the time of death you have to give it up. By force it will be taken away. Everyone should think like that. That is soberness. One who is thinking that "My family, my nation, my society, my bank balance, my skyscraper building, my motorcars—these will save me," that is not possible. That is not possible. That is the conclusion of the foolish person. Pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati. Those who are mad, they do not see that everything they possess will be vanished. It will not stay. He'll be vanished, his body will be vanished, everything. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api (SB 2.1.4). Asatsu api. All these things are temporary, but I am eternal. They do not think very seriously that "I am eternal, and I am engaged with temporary things. Now, what is my eternal business?" They do not know.

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

This is the purpose, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya, to establish religious principles. If people become irreligious, then the whole world becomes a hell. Just like at the present moment, anywhere you go, it is hellish condition. Nobody is peaceful, nobody is happy, although materially very much advanced. Political entanglement, social entanglement, religious entanglement, economic entanglement. Simply entanglement. No peaceful living, anywhere. Just like at the present moment, the whole world there is... What is that crisis? Power crisis? Energy crisis. So crisis must be there. Otherwise, if you live peacefully, even within so many crisis, war, and fighting, we are thinking this world is very nice. In spite of all these difficulties. Especially in the Western countries, every ten years there is a war. First World War, Second World War. Before that, Hundred Years War, Seven Years War, Trafalgar's war, Waterloo war. War, war, war. There cannot be any peaceful life, because everyone is rogue and rascal, so there must be war. There must be punishment by nature. As soon as there is overpopulation...

That is Malthus's theory also, that as soon as there is overpopulation, there must be something disturbance, war, pestilence, epidemic, and finished, finished. The extra population, unnecessary. Varṇa-saṅkara. They are called varṇa-saṅkara. Varṇa-saṅkara... Because by nature there must be brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, by nature. That should be organized. Head is head, tail is tail, not that head, tail, everything is one. That is called varṇa-saṅkara. Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna has argued that if the family members... If the woman becomes widow, then there will be varṇa-saṅkara population. Varṇa-saṅkara population means a population who cannot say who is his father. That is varṇa-saṅkara.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Los Angeles, July 9, 1974:

Then talk of mercy and this or that. Also, although God is very merciful, even those who are simply asking from God, not prepared to give anything, God is merciful, even though he...

Therefore He has given this field. "All right, you want to become another God or competitor of Me? You live in this material world and begin your life as Brahmā. I give you first-class chance. And then gradually, you become the worm of the stool." (laughter) This is called karma-kāṇḍīya-vicāra. First of all we get our very opportunity. Just like you Americans, you have got good opportunity. I have several time mentioned that you have wealth, you have got education, you have got beauty, janmaiśvarya, and heritage also. People outside your country, they know, "Oh, he is American. He is very advanced." You have got respect. So this is, this is due to pious life. If one is pious, he gets all those opportunities. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). This is... Janma means to get birth in high family, aristocratic family, or to become the members of a big nation. This is called janma. Janma means birth. And aiśvarya, opulence, money. Janma aiśvarya śruta, aiśvarya, and śruta. Śruta means education. And śrī means beauty. These four things are outcome of previous pious life. So you have got this opportunity. You have got. Now you utilize these assets of life—nice birth, opulence, beauty, education—for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, you take the chance of Brahmā, and then go to become the worm of the stool. The law of karma is like that.

So one who is opulent in this life, they should be very much careful that "By the grace of God, I have got this opportunity. Now the opportunity should be utilized to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness," means to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is advancement. If anyone understands Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa, You are the greatest..." God is great, we have heard so many times from so many people. But what is God? We did not know. Now we understand that Kṛṣṇa. So if you engage yourself simply to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

Simply for sense gratification they are doing anything nonsense, as madman. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute yad indriya-prītaye. What is the aim? Aim is not self-realization. Aim is how to satisfy. "Never mind. Risk everything. Satisfy your senses." Therefore real civilization is to teach the children from the very beginning of life how to control senses. That is called brahmacārī. That is called brahmacārī life. To learn how to control the senses.

So everything is topsy-turvy and five thousand years ago or more than that, these things were being discussed, and people were very sorry that very bad days were to come. And still we can predict. There is no... It does not require very much advanced knowledge. In the śāstra it is stated what will be the later ages of Kali-yuga. That is also in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The beginning is already there. Anāvṛṣṭyā kara-pīḍitāḥ. One side there will be no rainfall. Now yesterday somebody was telling that in this California, the rainfall is now not so much. I think Jayatīrtha. So rainfall will be practically very, very little. Anāvṛṣṭi. And another difficulty will be kara-pīḍitāḥ. One side there will be famine, scarcity of food, no rainfall, and another side, there will be excessive taxation by the government. So people will be so much disturbed. Because you (indistinct) no food. You are... There is scarcity of rain, you cannot produce food. And at the same time, government will give some morsel of food and levy taxes. So durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9), disturbed, yāsyanti giri-kānanam, ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā yāsyanti giri-kānanam. Being disgusted, they will give up their family and children, separated, and they will go to the forest or the hills. This is another. And another will be, there will be no more available these foodgrains, especially wheat, rice and milk. These will be finished.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

And they are called nirāmiṣa. Nirāmiṣa means fruits, vegetables, milks, food grains, sugar. These are nirāmiṣa. And eggs, fish, meat and so many other things, they are called āmiṣa. So āmiṣa. Āmiṣa means these things. Sevā, eating. And vyavāya. Vyavāya means sex life. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya, intoxication. It is not that Vedic civilization did not know how to eat meat and how to drink liquor. It is all known. But they are prohibited, "Don't eat." It is not that then they were unknown, now it is discovered by scientific advancement. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi, nityāsti, asti, it is there. It is not that because one is not educated now to use sex life... Nobody requires education. It is automatical. But people are now very much advanced in understanding sex life. So many books, Freud philosophy, this philosophy. And after all, this is already there. What is the need of philosophy? Without your rascal philosophy, everyone knows how to use sex life. But they are thinking this is advancement. Nityā hi. It is already there. Who was speaking yesterday? Jayatīrtha. That his niece, seven years old, she is also dating. So this is already there.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

Even in the severest type of cold, they remain without dress, sitting, only smearing the body with some ashes. They'll take bath in the morning and cover the body with ashes, not very thick. But he'll sit down whole day and night and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. No business. No endeavor for food. If food comes, by God's grace, they will eat; otherwise no, they'll not go anywhere. Completely dependent: "If God gives, then I shall eat. Otherwise we shall not endeavor." This is our first endeavor, what to eat, where to live, where to sleep, where to have sex life. This is our all endeavor. They stop all this endeavor. That is spiritual life. Stop everything. That is called... And I am going in a secluded place and thinking, "How many women I have hunted." What is this nonsense? Eh? And showing, "I have become very much advanced. I am leader." And my leading is I'm thinking of woman. That's all. And money.

This is not spiritual life. This is all cheating. Dhohka-bhaje(?) they are called, dhohka-bhaje,(?) cheaters. Don't be cheaters. Kṛṣṇa knows whether you are cheater or you are sincere. If you are sincere, then He will give you intelligence how you will make progress. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām... Find out this verse.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

Teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanam. You are fighting with soldiers. That's all right. But if you know, "All my soldiers will die," then what is the use of your fighting? Or you take some means that your fighting will be victorious. No. They do not know. Teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ pramattaḥ, teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati. Seeing every moment,

ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchantīha yamālayam

śeṣāḥ sthāvaram icchanti kim āścaryam ataḥ param

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was inquired, "What is the most astonishing thing in this world?" Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, he was very advanced, spiritually realized king. He immediately replied, "This is the most wonderful thing, that everyone is thinking that 'I shall live.' " Ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchanti. He is seeing. He is seeing every moment that somebody has died and he is going to the crematorium or to the somewhere else. But he is thinking that "I am sure. I am secure. I am in safety position." This is the most wonderful thing. And the same thing is repeated here: teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati, the closing the eyes. They cannot give you any protection. Suppose you are now very happily situated, say, for some years, utmost hundred years. Not that, more than that. Because your this body in this material world, especially in this age, cannot live more than hundred years or (all?) within. And people are dying nowadays sixty, seventy. Oh, eighty years old? Very old. But time will come in this age... That is stated in the Śrīmad-SB.. If one lives from twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as a very grand old man. Yes. That time is coming very soon. Of course, it will take time. Because as the Kali-yuga is increasing, people are becoming more and more pramatta, more and more animal-like. So their duration of life naturally will reduce. They are not human being. They will be mlecchas and yavanas.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- New York, March 5, 1975:

There was no question of him following the other āśramas. Generally, for ordinary man, there are four āśramas..., eight āśramas. For social upkeep there are four āśramas, namely brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is for spiritual. And called social, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. This is social division. And there is spiritual division also, because we are combination of matter and spirit. I am the soul. I am living within this material body. This is actual position. I am not this body. This is the beginning of spiritual education, that "I am not this body." One who understands fully well that he's not this body, then the spiritual education begins. And so long we are in the bodily concept of life, there's no question of spirituality. Spiritual education for whom? For the human being. Also very advanced human being, not ordinary human being. At least the civilized human being.

Therefore in the human society, in the civilized human society, there is acceptance of religious principle. Maybe it is Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion or Buddha religion, but there is some religion. A civilized society is not without religion. Without religion means animal society. The animals, they have no religion. Cats and dogs they have no church, no temple, that they have to go. It is for the human beings. Therefore śāstra says that dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If in the human society there is no culture of religion, then it is animal society. It is not human society.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Los Angeles, June 13, 1972:

They live in the jungle. And viḍ-varāha means they live in the forest, finding out "Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool?" Śva-viḍ-varāha uṣṭra. Uṣṭra means camel, and khara means ass. So here it is a very terse remark, that "Anyone who has never heard the glories of Gadāgraja, the Supreme Personality of Godhead—in other words, one who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, does not know anything about Kṛṣṇa, or God—they are no better than these animals, especially: dog, hog, ass, camel." Why these four kinds of animals have been selected to compare? That is explained. Śva means dog. A dog, however powerful it may be, very strong, stout, but it, unless it has got a master, its life is very precarious. Dog. Just see our education at the present moment. Very advanced education. Many Indian students come here also to take advanced education. But actually, we consider this education creating dogs. Why? Now, because however technologist you may be, if you don't get a suitable service, all your education is finished.

Therefore, after education you'll have to write application, "My dear sir, I am such and such qualified dog. (laughter) If you'll kindly give me some service." And the tail is like this. (laughter) You see? Just imagine. If by education he becomes independent ... Just like Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriya, the vaiśyas, they are independent. The śūdras are compared with the dogs because they cannot live without a master. Brāhmaṇa, he will not accept anyone's service. That is real brāhmaṇa. A kṣatriya will never accept anyone's service. Why the battle of Kurukṣetra was there? The Kurus, they took away the whole kingdom of the Pāṇḍavas. But they were kṣatriyas. How they will live? Therefore the fight was necessity. The kṣatriyas must be, must have some land to collect taxes. That is the kṣatriya's source of income. The brāhmaṇa's source of income, paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana ... They must be learned scholar, they must teach others, they must be devotee and teach others how to become devotee.

Lecture on SB 2.9.11 -- Tokyo, April 27, 1972:

These are the description already there. So many ornaments. We do not see what is... If you ask somebody... They may have some plastic utensils, but if you ask somebody that "Have you seen pearl, sapphire, or coral, or diamond?" everyone will say, "I have never seen in my life." And still they are proud: "Oh, we are now advanced." What advanced? Simply plastic and paper. I see in Japan, all paper, simply papers. All big, big buildings packed up with papers. I was observing from the train all the big, big... What is the contents? Contents means paper. That's it. The house is made of paper. And Japan is considered to be very advanced, and industrialist. Simply outward dress. Actually nobody has got any wealth. The money is also paper. No pearl, no gold, no silver, nothing. But they are satisfied with papers. That's all. Paper house, paper money, paper book, paper everything. Plastic, paper.

Now intelligent person should be anxious that if Kṛṣṇa says, mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma: (BG 15.6) "If you go to this planet..." Why you are trying nonsensically to go to the moon planet? Suppose you have gone there? What is there? You see piles of dust. That is your explanation. Why don't you try here, rascals, and go, and become so nicely dressed with decoration, ornaments. And all young men. What is that? Sarve catur-bāhava unmiṣan-maṇi. Where is that?

Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:

If one is not interested in liberation, simply for sense gratification, that is conditional life. They do not know it. But here it is stated that cetaḥ khalu asya bandhāya muktaye cātmano matam. The consciousness is the main principle, either for conditional life or for liberation. Consciousness. We are proposing Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means liberation. Liberation. What liberation? Liberation means to stop repetition of birth and death. They do not have idea even that birth and death can be stopped. They think it cannot be stopped. Mo... Big, big scientists, they cannot stop. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that you should keep in your front four different types of miserable conditions. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). You may be very advanced in scientific knowledge, but what is, where is the possibility of stopping these four principles of miserable condition of life? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. They are not interested. But when we can stop these four principles of miserable condition, namely, no more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more old age, that is called liberation. You can have it. Simply you have to clear your consciousness. How to clear? Now, guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya. If you become conscious of these three material modes of nature, then it is for bondage. Rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye. And when your consciousness is Kṛṣṇized, simply think of Kṛṣṇa, then it is liberation. Clear idea.

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:

Even Mother Yaśodā. She was trying to bind Kṛṣṇa, and at the end, at the time of knotting, there was two fingers small, I mean to say, there was scarcity. So our intelligence is like that. However I may be intelligent, however I may to cheat Kṛṣṇa, at least, little difference. Little difference. The little difference, that he never thought that "I'll be killed by the nails, not by any atomic bomb." He thought simply atom bomb can kill. He never thought that Kṛṣṇa can kill even by nails. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). He can do everything. But he wanted to be cheap God, to surpass... But it could not be done. This is the asura. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. And the asuras... Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). They may think themselves as very advanced in knowledge, but they are rascal number one because their so-called knowledge, the effect of knowledge, is taken away by māyā. They are called Māyāvādīs. They are very much proud of their knowledge. But Kṛṣṇa says, "These rascals, these atheist class demons, their actual knowledge is taken away." Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He devised means that "Indirectly I shall be immortal. I shall not die in daytime. I shall not die in night. I shall not die in water. I shall not die in land. I shall not die in the sky. No animal can kill me. No demigod can kill me. No weapon can kill me." So on, so many... Brahmā says, "All right." But he never agreed to give him immortality. But he wanted to cheat Brahmā that "Indirectly, by the negative way, I have taken everything. So I am immortal." This is called mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). He does not know that Kṛṣṇa's intelligence is always, at least, one inch greater than him, anyone. (laughs)

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

And in the Bhagavad-gītā also, you will find, bhagavān uvāca. Never said, kṛṣṇa uvāca or kapila uvāca, because They are Bhagavān. So those who are self-realized soul, who know what is Bhagavān, so instead of speaking kapiladeva uvāca, he says, Vyāsadeva says... Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is compiled by Śrīmad Vyāsadeva. So as Bhagavad-gītā also, it was heard by Arjuna, it was released to Sañjaya, and then, from Sañjaya heard Vyāsadeva, and he made it recorded in writing in Mahābhārata... So he says, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca means that is the perfect version. There is no mistake. If some ordinary says, there will be so many defects and cheating, because ordinary person has no perfect knowledge. He may be very, very advanced scholar, but that does not mean he is perfect. Perfection is different thing. Perfection means there should be no mistake, no illusion, no cheating, and no imperfections of the senses. That is perfection. And therefore it is said here, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān is all-perfect. Therefore we should take knowledge from Bhagavān or one who speaks according to the version of Bhagavān. We should not hear anybody else. That is imperfect.

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

"Different limbs." First of all feet, then the thighs, then the belt, then the chest, then you reach the smiling face. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's form... If you meditate on Kṛṣṇa's form, that is Kṛṣṇa. So we associate with Kṛṣṇa, His smiling face, His flute, His hand, His dress, His consort, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, or any other, gopīs, surrounded by. In this way, practice this habit of observing the Supreme Lord. Therefore He has appeared, arcā-vigraha, so that we can see Him.

In our present eyes even Kṛṣṇa comes, but we have no eyes to see. Therefore for the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī... There are three kinds of devotees: kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī, and uttama-adhikārī. Uttama-adhikārī means first class, most advanced, and madhyama-adhikārī means in the middle stage, not very advanced, not very lower, and kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, just the neophyte, beginning. So for the beginners it is recommended that you see the Deity daily or always. Beginning from the lotus feet, as you are practiced, then go up to the smiling face. And hear also Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Simply if you try to see and if you don't hear, then it will not stay very much. Therefore we see practically in many temples, because there is no discussion about Kṛṣṇa, simply a Deity is there, people go for some time. Then gradually, especially those who are educated, so-called educated, they do not feel very much interested. And it has actually happened so. Many temples, they are not visited even by the devotees, because there must be also hearing about. Two things must go on: The Deity must be worshiped—this is called pāñcarātriki-vidhi—and to hear about the Supreme from Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedic literature, that is called bhāgavata-vidhi.

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

So the pāñcarātriki-vidhi and bhāgavata-vidhi must go parallel. Then one, even one is a neophyte, gradually he will come to the intermediate stage between the neophyte stage and to the advanced stage. And of course, it is very difficult to find out one in very advanced stage. But there are. There are many advanced stage. At least, the spiritual master is supposed to be in the advanced stage, but for preaching purpose he come down in that intermediate stage, for preaching work. Because the advanced stage, there is no discrimination that "Here is a devotee, and here is a nondevotee." Because advanced devotee sees that everyone is devotee except himself. The advanced devotee sees that he is not a devotee, but all others are devotees. This is advancement. But in the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, in the neophyte stage, they simply concentrate on the Deity. Arcāyām eva haraye yaḥ pūjāṁ śraddhayā īhate. That is required in the beginning. According to the prescribed duties as they are mentioned in the scriptures, one must take care of the Deity. But that unless a little farther advanced, he does not know who is a devotee and what is his function with others.

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

If you want to understand God, then try to understand from God Himself. He knows. Just like if you speculate of a big man, a neighbor, a friend, that "What is his wealth? Oh, he appears to be very rich man and very strong man, very influential man." And these are the opulences: very beautiful, very wise. So you can calculate. But if you make friendship with that gentleman and if he speaks about himself, then you can understand what he is. Then how you can understand God, Kṛṣṇa, by speculation? This is foolishness. Therefore, śāstra advises you that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya: "If you think that you are very learned scholar, you are very advanced in knowledge, and you can manufacture what is God, give up this foolishness first of all. Don't make this foolishness." Jñāne prayāsam. Oh, what is your knowledge? Limited. Kūpa-maṇḍūka, the frog in the well. How you can imagine? Simply by imagination? Is imagination God? Can you create? The Māyāvādīs say that "We can imagine God. God, it is so great that it is not possible to understand the Brahman, but we can imagine some form." This is Māyāvādī philosophy. This imagination will not... You cannot imagine God. God is fact. God is not subjected to your imagination. And your senses are imperfect. How long you will simply speculate? Give up this practice, foolishness. Don't... Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya nam... Just become submissive. Jñāne prayāsam udapā..., namanta eva: "Be submissive." That is bhakti-mārga. Bhakti-mārga is submissive.

Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974:

You will get again chance of this human body. But if you don't take Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is no guarantee. You can become next life a cat, dog, tree, or anything, according to the infection and quality. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious and if you give even little service to Kṛṣṇa, your next life as human being is guaranteed. And that is not ordinary human life, but śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). Nārada Muni said that "If one engages himself in devotional service out of sentiment, it doesn't matter. Still, if he does some service to Kṛṣṇa, then he is gainer. And one who is very practical, does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and take to material activities and thinks that he is very advanced, there is no gain." He is under karma. According karma, he will get body.

But a Kṛṣṇa conscious human being, even though he is unable to execute properly, even if he falls down, his human life is guaranteed. His human life is guaranteed. And that life in a rich family and in very nice purified family, śucīnām. Śucīnām means purified family, nice brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava family. Or śrīmatām. Śrī means opulence, those who are possessing opulence, means big mercantile family, big rich family, or big nice brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava family. You get again chance. Just like the children of these Kṛṣṇa conscious members, from childhood they are getting. Our this boy, Mr. West, he is getting chance to worship Kṛṣṇa. So this is śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe (BG 6.41). And how he is satisfied. There are so many children in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. From the very beginning of life they have got chance for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, attending maṅgala-ārātrika, taking prasādam, and reading the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā. Life is successful. Just see.

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

Prabhupāda: Śreya and preya, there are two things. Preya means to fulfill immediate necessities of life. That is called preya. And śreya means the knowledge, śreya means the goal of life. Niḥśreyasāya, niḥśreyasāya. Niḥśreyasāya means the ultimate benefit. That education is lacking. In the material world, the jñāna, especially in the present age, jñāna means technical knowledge. How to eat, how to sleep. Now they are Somebody was telling me that they have invented eating, eatables from petrol. (aside:) Who was speaking the other day?

Nitāi: Bhāgavata Dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Bhāgavata Dāsa. So they might be very advanced in scientific knowledge but the ultimate aim is how to eat. That's all, nothing more. How to eat, how to sleep, that's all. Tranquilizer pills, in USA, a large selling line. That means how to sleep. This is the advancement, scientific advancement. There is no sleeping? Without scientific knowledge, he was sleeping very nice. But with advancement, advancement of scientific knowledge he has lost his sleep, insomnia. So they are taking the advancement of knowledge in this way, but the Vedic scripture says that, jñānaṁ niḥśreyasārthāya, to achieve the highest perfection. That we are discussing in so many ways. And what is that highest perfection? Highest perfection is there, mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gataḥ. Highest perfection, saṁsiddhiṁ paramām. Param means the supreme, and saṁsiddhim means perfection.

Lecture on SB 3.26.35-36 -- Bombay, January 12, 1975:

These are all different transformation of the ethereal existence. So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). So our, these material pains and pleasure, are felt on account of this sparśa and arrangement of the ether and transformation of ethereal activities. Actually, it has nothing to do with the spirit soul. Spirit soul is untouched by all these thing. It requires simply realization. Great devotees like Bharata Mahārāja or Prahlāda Mahārāja, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, because they were very, very much advanced in spiritual consciousness, these ethereal activities on the external body did not touch them. Even in our Western world, Lord Jesus Christ, he was also crucified, but it did not touch him.

So this is to be practiced, that we should not be disturbed by the ethereal transformation in touch with the skin and be disturbed in our regular activities in devotional service. That is called sthita-prajña. In the... The word is used in the Bhagavad-gītā, sthita-prajña. So a devotee is sthita-prajña. He should not be disturbed by this material condition, or change of ethereal activities. We should be fixed up, ātma-stha, ātma-stha. And then our progress in spiritual life will be unhampered. Actually, as it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ahaituky apratihatā.

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

In the association of devotees the discussion on the matter of the Absolute Truth becomes very palatable. We have to hear about the Absolute Truth through the association of persons who are endeavoring to make progress towards eternal life, sat-patham. Yogasya lakṣaṇam. What are the symptoms of yoga? Kapiladeva, Kapiladeva is son of Devahūti. Devahūti is the mother of Kapiladeva. The mother is taking instruction from son. So it doesn't matter. One should not think, "Oh, he is my son. What instruction I shall take from him? I know better than him." No. Son or anyone, anyone, if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa he becomes guru. This is the Vedic system. It doesn't matter. Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born in a very respectable brāhmaṇa family. He was very advanced learned scholar, and after all He took sannyāsa. So when He was discussing with Rāmānanda Rāya Rāmānanda Rāya was a gṛhastha, householder and governor of Madras, means politician. A householder, politician, and he was born not in brāhmaṇa family; in kāraṇa, kāyastha family. They are considered as śūdras. So he had no position to instruct Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him the place of instructor and He took the position of a listener. Just see Caitanya Mahāprabhu's pastimes. He gave him the position of instructor and He took the position of student, listener.

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

Now, in the human being form, because by gradual process of evolution we have got advance consciousness, the, I mean to say, subject matter is given to us. Now make your choice now again. Nature has given this opportunity whether you want to go the sat-patha or asat-patha; whether you are again wish to go to the cycle of evolution or if you want to make further progress. Further progress means this human form of life you can go to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). Now you can make your choice. You are now civilized, very advanced intelligence. Now whether you want to go to the cycle of evolution again or whether you want to stop this and go to your original position. These two things are there: sat-patha and asat-patha. If you make further progress this asat-patha, asat-patha asat. Asat means it will not stay.

So if you remain engaged in this bodily business, that is asat. Just try to understand what is asat. Asat means which will not stay. So everyone knows that this body will not stay. It will be ended today, tomorrow, or after years it will be finished. Therefore if you are simply engaged in the bodily concept of life, as people are generally engaged... People are thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am cat," "I am dog." Every living entity is simply thinking in bodily. That is asat-patha. If we remain on the bodily concept of life, then we are no better than the dogs and cats. But unfortunately modern civilization is going on on this bodily concept of life. That is asat-patha. But here the yoga system is being taught by Kapiladeva to His mother for... (break) The purpose is prasannaṁ yāti sat-patham. By the yoga practice, you have to make your mind very transparent, clean, and then you can go towards sat-patham, eternal life. That is being taught. So He will go on teaching.

Lecture on SB 3.28.18 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

Even if you follow one, that is sufficient, but there are nine different processes. As far as possible, we shall execute everything, and, at least, śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam pāda-sevanam, arcanam. Arcana is very important. For kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, devotee in the lower stage, arcana is very, very important. Although the devotee in the higher stage, he also offers worship, but Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. For a neophyte devotee Just like some people say that "Why you should go to the temple? Kṛṣṇa is everywhere." Who was asking that question? "Kṛṣṇa cannot be served..." Here, last night. I think those girls, svarṇa(?) girls. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, that is a fact, but that is for the paramhaṁsa, one who is very very advanced. For the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, he cannot He, like parrot, he can say, "Kṛṣṇa is everywhere." He must be educated, "Here is Kṛṣṇa in the temple." Otherwise it is simply blaspheme, that "Kṛṣṇa is everywhere." That's a fact, but where is your realization? Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Have you got that realization? Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Have you got that realization, that Kṛṣṇa is within your heart? Can you talk with Kṛṣṇa? He says, Kṛṣṇa says, "I talk." Buddhi yogaṁ-dadāmi tam. Kṛṣṇa gives intelligence. Kṛṣṇa is giving, but have you got that realization?

So these are all facts, that Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, Kṛṣṇa is within your heart, Kṛṣṇa is within the atom. Aṇḍāntara stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-tham. That's a fact, but where is your realization? Therefore you have to begin realization by arcana. That is very essential. Then more you become expert in arcana, ye yathā mām prapadyante (BG 4.11), the more you become realized, then more you become advanced. So therefore, for kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, he has to raise himself.

Lecture on SB Questions & Answers -- Hyderabad, April 10, 1975:

The Kṛṣṇa, His form, His name, His quality, His pastimes, His paraphernalia cannot be experienced by these material senses. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. He is beyond the indriyas. But if one is engaged in devotional service, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. That devotional service begins from jihvā, tongue. This tongue means can be utilized in devotional service in two ways, namely by chanting the holy name of God and by tasting prasādam. If first of all one engages his jihvā, means tongue, in devotional service by chanting the holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and tasting only kṛṣṇa-prasādam, not anything else, then Kṛṣṇa, being pleased by his devotional service, He manifests Himself, reveals Himself. That revelation is experienced, very highly advanced devotee.

So for advanced devotee everything is possible, as described by this gentleman. But that is not for everyone. That is not a common thing. Exceptional. For the common person, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised and as He has practically shown in His life, that is devotional service in separation: "Where is Kṛṣṇa?" Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. "I am seeing everything vacant because I cannot see Kṛṣṇa." The same thing was followed by the Gosvāmīs. He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ: "Where you are? O Rādhārāṇī, O Kṛṣṇa, O the gopīs, where you are?" He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ. Govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale: "Either on the valley of the Govardhana Hill or on the bank of the Ganges. Where you are, all?" Seeking. Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau. One should be mad after seeking Kṛṣṇa—"Where You are?

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

So we have got such vast knowledge for achieving the goal of life. It is India. Why should we neglect? Why we should become so foolish that forget our real purpose of life and engage in will-o'-the-wisp struggle for existence, which will never be successful? Why this misconception of life? At least, there must be this institution of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in India so that not only the Indians, but all outside India, they should come and learn what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (applause) So it is already explained. We are trying to develop this institution in Bombay. Bombay is the best city in India, and people are also very advanced, enlightened. So let us combine together and develop this institution for the whole human society. That is our ambition. It is not for any sect or any creed or any particular class of men. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). It is for the human society, and we have got this opportunity of human body. A Bengali poet sings, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu. Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu. "My Lord, I have wasted my this valuable life, human form of life, because I did not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Lecture on SB 5.5.28 -- Vrndavana, November 15, 1976:

Pradyumna: "Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus the great well-wisher of everyone, the Supreme Lord, Ṛṣabhadeva, instructed His own sons. Although they were perfectly educated and cultured, He instructed them just to set an example of how a father should instruct his sons before retiring from family life. Sannyāsīs, who are no longer bound by fruitive activity and who have taken to devotional service after all their material desires have been vanquished, also learn by these instructions. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva instructed His one hundred sons, of whom the eldest, Bharata, was a very advanced devotee and a follower of Vaiṣṇavas. In order to rule the whole world, the Lord enthroned His eldest son on the royal seat. Thereafter, although still at home, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva lived like a madman, naked and with disheveled hair. Then the Lord took the sacrificial fire within Himself, and He left Brahmavarta to tour the whole world."

Prabhupāda:

evam anuśāsyātmajān svayam anuśiṣṭān api loka-anuśāsanārthaṁ mahānubhāvaḥ...

(SB 5.5.28)

Here the important point is about monarchy. There are different types of government, of which monarchy is the most prominent style. Formerly everywhere, all over the world, the monarchy was prevalent. Even up to date some of the countries, they are maintaining monarchy but only in name actually. The monarch has no power. So monarchy is good so long the king is as ideal as Bharata Mahārāja, Ṛṣabhadeva, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Lord Rāmacandra. That is the perfect type of monarchy. We have description of Rāma-rājya. We have got the word nowadays. They sometimes use Rāma-rājya party, but without Rāma. This is their policy. Where is that Rāma? When Lord Rāmacandra returned from the forest, His brother, Bharata, was ruling as a saintly person. But as soon as the eldest brother came back, He entreated that "Now You sit down on the throne." But He first of all tested what kind of people in generally there are in the Ayodhyā. So when He understood that all the citizens, they are strictly following the varṇāśrama-dharma, then He agreed to accept the throne.

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

So if you want to be first-class yogi, always think of Kṛṣṇa within your mind. Do not make friendship that you have become very much advanced: "Now my mind is controlled." It is not so easy, sir. Therefore it is warned, na kuryāt karhicit. Never trust your mind. Always distrust. In any moment it, the mind, can drag you. The example is given here, caskanda tapa aiśvaram. Yad-viśrambhāc cirāc cīrṇaṁ caskanda tapa aiśvaram. Even Lord Śiva—he is called Mahadeva; not only deva, but Mahādeva—he became captivated by seeing the young woman's incarnation, Mohinī-mūrti, became so much captivated. The description is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But as soon as the Mohinī-mūrti demonstrated the features of the breast, immediately Lord Śiva became so mad that he forcibly went there and embraced, and there was discharge. Lord Śiva. And what to speak of us? What we are? (laughter) Therefore it is... Lord Śiva is all right, but by their example they are teaching us that "A personality like me become victimized by this māyā's influence. What you are?" Why you should trust and make friendship with your mind, that "I am now complete," artificially? Don't do that. Therefore it is warned, na kuryāt. Na kuryāt karhicit. Never trust your mind, always try to control. And the easiest method recomended in the śāstra and confirmed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty... (CC Adi 17.21).

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Nellore, January 7, 1976:

So brahmācārya, celibacy, sex, prohibition of sex life, especially illicit sex life... Unless one is married, no sex life is allowed. That is called brahmācārya. Tapasya begins with brahmācārya, life of celibacy, or accepting one wife only. That's all. Then śamena. Śamena, controlling the senses, controlling the mind. Śamena damena ca, these two things required. We should not become the servant of the mind; we should become master of the mind. And tyāgena. Tyāgena. Therefore in the śāstra the process of charity is recommended. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also recommended that yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriya na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat. Because I have renounced this world, it does not mean I shall give up the process of performing yajña, dāna, and tapasya. It is further stressed, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriya pāvanāni manīṣiṇāḥ. Even if you think that you are very advanced, still, you should not give up these three processes, means performing yajña, giving in charity, and performing tapasya. "One must then control the mind and senses, give charity, be truthful, clean, and nonviolent, follow the regulative principle, and regularly chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus a sober and faithful person who knows the religious principle is temporarily purified of all sins performed with his body, words, and mind." In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also recommended,

yuktāhāra-vihārasya

yukta-ceṣṭasya karmaṇā

yukta-svapnā..., yukta

yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā

In this way, if we practice yoga, bhakti-yoga, then gradually we are elevated to the perfectional stage.

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

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he said that everyone in this material world know what is, to some extent at least, or to his capacity, knows "This is right" or "This is wrong." May not be very advanced in knowledge, but something they know, "This is right; this is wrong."

So criminality we have described. Everyone knows "This is not good," but he is punished. Again he does that. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, "What is the use of this atonement?" He further explains in this verse that kvacin nivartate abhadrāt. Abhadra means unclean, wrong things. Bhadra means right thing. Bhadra and abhadra. In India bhadra means gentleman and abhadra means uncivilized man. So sometimes he does like gentlemen and sometimes like foolish rascal. Kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt kvacic carati tat punaḥ (SB 6.1.10). After coming from the prison house, jail, he decides, "No more I shall commit. I shall now become gentleman." But as soon as his friends, criminals, again mix with them, he again commits the same sinful activity. So in this condition, atonement, if he cannot change his character, so what is the use of this atonement? Prāyaścittam atho 'pārtham (SB 6.1.10). Apārtham means useless. If he cannot change his character, change his mind, then the punishment or prāyaścittam is apārtha, useless. How useless? Manye, "I think it is as useless as kuñjara-śaucavat."

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

So in this life also, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, they are not unhappy. You can see practically. We are sitting in a very nice room and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and taking prasādam. Where is unhappiness? There is no unhappiness. And other processes, they have to undergo so many unhappy processes. Here, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is nothing unhappiness. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: susukham kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). Susukham. When you execute devotional service, it is not only sukham—sukham means happiness—but another word is added, susukham, "very comfortable, very happy." Kartum, to execute devotional service, is great pleasure, great happiness. And avyayam. Avyayam means whatever you do, that is your permanent asset. Other things, that is finishable. Suppose you are very much advanced educated person. You have passed M.A., Ph.D., and something, something. But it is not avyayam; it is vyayam. Vyayam means it is finishable. As soon as your body is finished, your so-called degrees all finished. Then again next life if you become a human being, of course again there is chance of becoming M.A., Ph.D., but the first M.A., Ph.D. in this life, that is finished.

So whatever we are acquiring here, that is not avyayam. Vyayam means expenditure, and a means "not," not expenditure. If you have got some money, if you spend, then it is vyayam, finished after some time. Avyayam means you spend as much, still not finished. That is avyayam. So devotional service of Kṛṣṇa is explained as susukhaṁ kartum avyayam. Whatever you do, if you have attained success ten percent, that ten percent your permanent. Therefore it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sanjāyate (BG 6.41). Those who could not finish the bhakti-yoga in this life, they get another chance of human life. Not only human life, it is stated they go to the heavenly planet, they enjoy there, and then again come back in this planet. And that also not ordinary man. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: he takes birth in very sanctified family, just like brāhmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava, śucīnām, and śrīmatām, very rich family. Then it is his duty.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Honolulu, May 16, 1976:

There is United Nation organization, but so long we keep ourself on the material platform there cannot be unity. That is not possible. Only in the spiritual platform there can be unity.

So here it is said that aghavān. Aghavān means sinful. Agha means sin and vān means... Just like Bhagavān. Bhagavān means one who has bhaga, or opulence, or fortune. That is called bhagavat. And just the opposite is called aghavat. This is Sanskrit language. Bhagavān means the most opulent, topmost place, Bhagavān. And aghavān means lowest place. So here it is said that one has to become aghavān to the stage of Bhagavān. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness: not to remain aghavān, but to become Bhagavān. Bhagavān, of course, means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But those who are very, very advanced, recognized by Bhagavān, they are also sometimes called Bhagavān. Just like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahma, Nārada Muni, on their status, sometimes they are called Bhagavān. Nowadays it has become a fashion to become Bhagavān. So Bhagavān is not so cheap. Everyone is aghavān. But if he wants to become Bhagavān or in the higher status, higher level, then it is recommended, "Let him take to the devotional service." Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yoga-prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam. To become Bhagavān, not Bhagavān but on the level, means highest stage, two things required. One thing is jñāna and one thing is vairāgya. Jñāna and vairāgya. Because we are in this material world, miserable condition, but we have no knowledge that we are in a very miserable condition. That is ajñāna. As soon as one understands that this is miserable condition of life... That was presented by Sanātana Gosvāmī before Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said... He was minister and very opulent position, very good associates. Because he was minister, so his associates were also very big men. But he resigned.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

So here is explanation by the Yamadūtas. The Yamadūtas were not very advanced so far their position was there. They were very odd-looking and not to be supposed very civilized—uneducated—but how they are explaining about dharma? Because the challenge was that "If you are the servants of Dharmarāja, then explain what is dharma." It doesn't matter whether a man is civilized or uncivilized or good-looking or bad-looking, but if he has got proper guide, then he can speak the right thing. This is the ... Yamarāja ūcuḥ. They're not manufacturing anything. They're saying iti śuśruma. Iti śuśruma, "We have heard it from our master." This is knowledge. They are not expected to manufacture something speculative. They are neither educated nor civilized nor... Nothing of the sort. But they are talking of the source of religion, how they have heard it from the authority, Yamarāja. Yamarāja is authority. In the śāstra it is said that,

tarko apratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayor vibhinnā

nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam

dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ

mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ

(CC Madhya 17.186)

So dharma, the path of religiosity, is very confidential. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. Then how I shall accept what is dharma, what is religion? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. You just follow the footsteps of authorized persons. Then you understand what is dharma. You cannot manufacture. So, here is the same system, the Vedic system is the same. Either you hear from the direct Vedas or scriptures following the Vedas.

Lecture on SB 6.1.62 -- Vrndavana, August 29, 1975:

So his mind became very much agitated, young man, and he is seeing in his front that another young man and woman embracing and kissing. It is very difficult to restrain. Unless one is very advanced, it is not possible. That I was reciting, the verse by Yamunācārya, yadāvadhi mama cettaḥ padāravinde, kṛṣṇa-padāravinde nava-nava-dhāman rantum āsīt, tadāvadhi bata nārī-aṅgame bhavati suṣṭu niṣṭhi... Unless one is very strong in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is very difficult to restrain the mind and the senses. It is very difficult. Here it is said, mana madana-vepitum. Madana means Cupid, or the lusty desires. So he was agitated. His mind was agitated by lusty desires. Therefore we have to be very careful for the association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. We develop different consciousness by particular association. Therefore, for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we must associate with the devotees. You cannot advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without being in the association of devotees. Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says... (aside:) Tell them that Hindi will be in the evening. Tell them that Hindi will be evening. They are going away. Yes. Between half past seven to half past eight. So mano madana-vepitam. Cupid is always disturbing. This material world means this Madana, Cupid, whole material world. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ (SB 7.9.45). Gṛhamedhi means those who have decided to prolong this body for sense enjoyment. That is going on. Everyone is trying so hard. In big, big cities they are working so hard like hogs and dogs, not for... They say that "We are hungry. We must work very hard." But that is not the fact. The real fact is that "We want to enjoy sex." So far hunger is concerned, you can control, but sex desire, it is very difficult to control.

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-8 -- Calcutta, January 10, 1971:

"This chanting of holy name of Nārāyaṇa, Hari, is not only counteracting his all sinful reactions, but he is now eligible to become liberated and being transferred to the spiritual world. Not only he has been freed from, but there is a reward for it." You see? Eka hari-nāme yata pāpa hare, pāpī haya tata pāpa karibāre nare.(?) A sinful man is very expert in committing sinful activities, but here is a statement that the holy name of Hari is so powerful that even an expert criminal cannot commit as much sinful activity as by once chanting the holy name of Hari, it can be counteracted. He is unable. The expert criminal is very advanced in committing sinful life, but śāstra says that he cannot commit so many sinful life. The one chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is so powerful.

So one may be not bewildered. They may criticize that it's too much, but it is not too much. It is actual fact. Actual fact. That is aparādha. One who thinks like that, that hari-nāma has not so much power that it can counteract, they are offender. For them it is not possible. But one who believes in the words of the śāstras, as it is stated here, for him it is actually effective. Artha-vāda. Out of ten offenses, artha-vāda, one who comments like that, that is artha-vāda, and that is offense. So those who are cultivating this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they should have firm faith in the statement of the śāstras that chanting of harer nāma is so powerful.

Lecture on SB 6.2.16 -- Vrndavana, September 19, 1975:

Why an impersonalist, although very advanced in knowledge, in Vedic knowledge, still he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa? He inquires, "What is God?" Just see. God is canvassing, "Here I am," and he is inquiring, "What is God?" So this is our misfortune. Why they cannot realize? Duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means acting sinfully. Specifically denying the existence of God. That is the greatest offense. Suppose you are a gentleman, and if I say, "You are blind. You are lame. You are handless. You are armless. You have no head. You are...," will you be sat..., happy? Will anybody be happy? Similarly, those persons who are describing the Absolute Personality of Godhead, "He has no eyes..." In other words, he is blind. "He has no hand" mean armless. "He has no leg," then he is lame man. "He has no tongue." In this way it is the definition by negation, and after all, make it zero. If you cut my hand, leg, my head, my eyes, ears, then what I remain?

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

So the temple worship should go on, at the same time, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam of Viṣṇu must go on. Two things, parallel. Then it will be done very nicely.

So actually this life is meant for this purpose. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). There is no other purpose. All other activities secondary. So those who are very much advanced in spiritual life, just like the brāhmaṇas, the sannyāsīs, they did not bother about what to eat, where to sleep. Sex life is completely forgotten. Even what to eat, where to sleep, there is no such consideration. 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.

Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:

Just like these, our European, American students. They are new birth. They have given up their old birth practices. So birth is changed. Punar janma. So that is possible only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one has to change his body without changing body... The body is changed, but we see that the same body..., but it is not the same body. It is cin-maya. The same example, that the iron rod put into the fire, it becomes red hot, so it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, if we constantly keep ourself in touch with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the body is no longer material; it is spiritual. Therefore a spiritual body is not burned. They are kept, samādhi. Just like in Western countries they give samādhi to any, everyone, tomb, entombing. In India the tomb is offered to a very advanced spiritually person. You'll find many tombs in Vṛndāvana because their body is spiritual. No, no... This is the idea.

So there are so many things to be done for cultivating spiritual life in the human form of life. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is giving account that "Fifty years in sleeping and twenty years in playing and twenty years in old age and ten years, simply being absorbed, 'What to do?'—then life is spoiled." Don't do this. Don't do this. You have got the... There is a Bengali song, pāyecha manava janma, emona janam āra pabe na(?): "Fortunately, you have got this human form of life. You'll not get this opportunity." Don't spoil. So let us follow. We have come to Vṛndāvana. Let us follow the Gosvāmīs. Rūpa raghunātha pade haibe ākuti. We should be very, very anxious to follow the principles laid down by the six Gosvāmīs.

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

He was only shorter to the gopīs. That is His grace. He said that "I cannot repay you. It is impossible. Please be satisfied with your own service." That is the gopīs. So He was shorter always, especially before Rādhārāṇī. He felt Himself shorter. Otherwise He is the Supreme. He is always the Supreme. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So if you want to conquer over this unconquerable Kṛṣṇa, then, according to the prayer of Brahmā and appreciated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ: "You remain in your place, it doesn't matter, but you become very humble. Don't be puffed up." Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. You should not think yourself that you are very advanced, "By my speculative knowledge I can understand God." That is mistake. That is not possible. You have to give up first of all this attempt, that "I am very learned," "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."

Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 11, 1976:

So our system is, (child crying—aside:) try and maintain (?). Evaṁ paramparā, to associate with the mahā-bhāgavata by words or by physical exposition (?). So mahā-bhāgavata arbhakaḥ. One may argue, arbhakaḥ means foolish child, who has no knowledge, he is called arbhakaḥ. How we can say mahā-bhāgavata? Arbhakaḥ, he has no knowledge. No. It is possible. Ahaituky apratihatā. Bhakti does not depend on age, or on advanced knowledge, or richness, or so many other things. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). To take birth in high family, aristocracy, and to become rich, to become beautiful, to become very learned scholar. These things are material assets, but spiritual life does not depend on these things. One can become spiritually very advanced even though he is poor, he is born in a low, low-grade family.

Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He was born in Muhammadan family, but mahā-bhāgavata. There are so many examples. Not that because he was born in a Muhammadan family therefore he cannot. This Marchoism (?) is like that, but actually it is not. Ahaituky apratihatā. Bhakti is so purifying that any condition, any circumstances, one can become devotee.

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya

ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ

striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās

te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim

(BG 9.32)

Kṛṣṇa says. So everyone has got the potency to become mahā-bhāgavata, provided he tries. Sādhana-siddha and nitya-siddha. Prahlāda Mahārāja is nitya-siddha and there are sādhana-siddhas, just like we are.

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

In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu you will find it that this worshiping method, come to the temple, offer obeisances, just like these boys, they are playing mṛdaṅgas, they are playing cymbals, dancing, every item is taken into account. Every item. Not that it is going futile. No. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is bhakti-mārga, sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Simply by playing on the cymbal, on the khol, taking little caraṇāmṛta, everything in detail there is in the Nectar of Devotion, you have read. So the foolish person, they do not take care. They think they are very much advanced, they have no need to attend ārati, or to play on the mṛdaṅga or cymbal, but that is not fact. So many items are there given by the ācāryas. If not this, you do this, you do that, you do that, hundreds of items. Take any one of them and you'll be benefited. This is arcana-mārga. There are many foolish person, they make propaganda, "There is no need of going to the temple." That is another rascaldom. Because if you come to the temple, you get so many facilities to make advance in spiritual life. This is our mission. We are opening, spending so much money for opening gorgeous temple. It is not new thing. This is very, very old, coming by paramparā system. There are many thousands of temples in India, very old, five thousand, three thousand years old. Why? The ācāryas wanted to give facility to the common man to enter into spiritual life. That is the idea.

It is not childish. Rather the so-called meditation is childish. You cannot, if you do not know what is God, how you can meditate upon Him? Meditation means, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino. The yogis perform meditation. Why? To concentrate their mind on the Viṣṇu form. You'll find some picture that everyone is depicted with the Viṣṇu form in the core of the heart. That is real yoga. Indriya-samyamaḥ. Real yoga means indriya-samyamaḥ. Our senses are so much disturbed, agitated always. So if you can control your sensory organs to your, employ them in the matter of understanding God, yoga indriya-samyamaḥ.

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

Sattvaikatāna: being situated in the material modes of goodness. If you put yourself, keep yourself in the modes of goodness, then you get more and more your spiritual power. And if you keep yourself in the modes of ignorance and passion, then you cannot make progress. You'll have to remain here or go down. If you keep yourself in the modes of ignorance, then you go down even to the animal kingdom. If you keep yourself in the modes of passion, then at most, you can remain in Europe and America, that's all. But if you keep yourself in goodness, then you can go up. These are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ, those who are in the modes of goodness, even they are not spiritually very much advanced so that they can enter into the spiritual kingdom, they'll go in the upper status of planetary system, just like Siddhaloka, Janarloka, Maharloka. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). And in the middle planetary system... The middle planetary system, this earth is in the middle planetary system, heaven also. Bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ. You are chanting Gāyatrī mantra: bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ, these are within the middle. Then above this there was Mahar, Jana, Tapa, Satya, four. Three and four, seven up and seven down planetary system. So those who are in the modes of goodness, they are elevated to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tisthanti rājasāḥ jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti (BG 14.18)—they are elevated to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā. Jaghanya means very abominable character. You see? Eating nonsense, and keeping nonsense, habits nonsense. Just like little more than the animals, that's all. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. They are going down, down, down, down. These things are explained there.

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

This Mahā-Viṣṇu is portion of the portion of Kṛṣṇa's expansion. Just like Kṛṣṇa says... This Mahā-Viṣṇu and Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. When Kṛṣṇa... When Arjuna was asking Kṛṣṇa about His vibhūti, about His power. So He summarized, athavā bahunaitena kim jñātena tavārjuna, "How much I shall explain about My power and energy?" Vistabhya aham ekamsena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Aham, "I enter in one of My plenary portion, that is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, I maintain the whole material cosmic manifestation." Ekāṁśena sthito jagat.

So there are innumerable numberless universes. We cannot account for one universe even. We do not know how many planets and stars are there. When we are very much advanced in scientific knowledge, we are trying to go to the moon planet after spending millions and trillions of dollars. But still we could not fix up anything in the moon planet. That is the nearest planet. And what to speak of other planets. There are innumerable planets. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagadaṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). So these are the explanation. So the Brahma, you have one Brahma, there are innumerable Brahmas and innumerable Śivas and innumerable demigods, as many universes are there. Innumerable suns and moons and planet, innumerable. And all this taken together, that becomes one fourth of the whole creation of God. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). The three-fourth portion of Kṛṣṇa's creation, God's creation, is in the Vaikuṇṭha jagat. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another nature, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, which is permanent. Within this material nature, all these universes, they stay during the lifetime of Brahma; and as soon as Brahma dies, everything is finished. Such Brahma, such powerful Brahma, they also offer obeisances to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, here it is said, brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇā. Brahmādayaḥ, not only Brahma, but others. Brahma, Siva, and Indra, Candra, Varuna, so many. There are many crores of demigods, as many planets there are.

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

When one is very advanced in knowledge, brahma-bhūtaḥ... Brahma-bhūtaḥ means one who has understood the Brahman, the Supreme. And a brāhmaṇa means brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ, one who has advanced to such knowledge. Therefore in India it is said that a brāhmaṇa is addressed as paṇḍitajī. Not paṇḍitajī like our late Jawaharlal Nehru. Paṇḍitajī means one who knows Brahman. Therefore brāhmaṇa's title is paṇḍita. And a kṣatriya's title is ṭhākura saheb, mahārāja. Not mahārāja-ṭhākura saheb. And a vaiśya's title is sethjī, and a śūdra's title is chowdari. There are respectable terms for the different classes of men. So this bhakti, it is not simply sentiment, but it is to understand actually what is God. It is science of God. Otherwise how it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā that brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā? One who has understood the Supreme, the Absolute, he is called brāhmaṇa, brahma-bhūtaḥ. And the symptom is that... How can I understand that he is a brāhmaṇa and has understood Brahman? The immediate answer is brahma-bhūtaḥ. The test is, one who is completely in knowledge of Brahman, the symptom will be prasannātmā: he will be always cheerful. There is no question of anxiety for him. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ. Prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). There is no lamentation; there is no desire. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. There is no desire.

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

So she came, she began to dance before her (him), and there was tinkling sound, and at once his meditation broke. And she was very beautiful, coming from heaven, so he became attached, and the woman became pregnant. Then she got a child, Śakuntala, and then Viśvamitra came to this senses: "Oh, I left my kingdom, I came to forest for meditation. Again I am going to be another kingdom." So he decided that "I shall go away." So Menakā tried to entice him, "Oh, why you shall go? You just see how nice girl you have got. Just see." There is a picture. Perhaps you have seen. And Viśvamitra is doing like this: "Don't show me anymore. Let me go away." Of course, he was very much advanced. He could go. But this allurement is always there. But Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful and so nice that if you increase your love for Kṛṣṇa, then you have no more any attachment for anything, any beautiful thing of this world. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Just like Kṛṣṇa and these gopīs. They came to Kṛṣṇa, giving up their all engagements. Some of them were engaged in, I mean to say, loving children, some of them were engaged in serving their husband, or unmarried girls, they were engaged to serving her father, brothers. But as soon as Kṛṣṇa blew His flute, they came, all.

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

We have to give up this false prestige. Ahaṅkāra must be there because you are a reality. You are not false. Your body is false, but you are reality. "I am soul." That realization must come. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Not that ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, "I am dog," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this." This is ahaṅkāra, this false ahaṅkāra. But giving up all these nonsense prestigious position... A dog is also thinking he's in a prestigious position: "I am dog. I can bark very loudly. Gow! Gow!" He's also thinking that. Similarly, if I also think, "I am Indian," "I am white," "I am black," "I am this," what is the difference? Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). He is completely under the control of material nature, and he's thinking falsely that "I am very advanced in...," so on, so on. This should be given up.

So how it is given up? When one becomes devotee. Manye tad-arpita-mano-vaca. One who has given everything to Kṛṣṇa, the, our sannyāsa, tri-daṇḍa, that is tad-arpita-mano-vaca. Tri-daṇḍa means "I am accepting, my Lord, three kinds of chastisement from You, that I dedicate my body, my mind and my vaca, my words." This is called tri-daṇḍa. You should understand, those who are sannyāsīs, tri-daṇḍa-sannyāsī. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they take one daṇḍa. Eka brahma dvitīya nāsti. That is their philosophy, that "Only Brahman is there, and nothing else. So I am Brahman; you are Brahman"—one, monism. That is their philosophy. Of course, that is our philosophy also, because everything is Kṛṣṇa. There is nothing except Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad..., mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: "Everything I am." But their mistake is that because everything is Kṛṣṇa, er, Kṛṣṇa is everything, therefore everything is Kṛṣṇa. No, that is mistake. That Kṛṣṇa explains, that:

Lecture on SB 7.9.32 -- Mayapur, March 10, 1976:

How we use this word transcendental, that is explained here, what is transcendental. Turya. Turya, the fourth dimension. Here, in this material world, there are three dimensions: length, breadth and height. And spiritual world, beyond that, not within the measurement of length, breadth and height, that is called turya. (aside:) Child...

So we have already discussed that without spiritual touch there is no material creation. That is not possible. So modern scientists, they're missing this point, all big, big scientists. It is very simple thing, but they cannot understand. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). Although they're advertised to be very advanced in knowledge, but actually they have no knowledge. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. They cannot find out that within the matter there must be spirit. Otherwise there is no creation. There must be. We have used this example often, that matter... A dead child means matter. This body is lump of matter, but on account of presence of the spirit soul we have got working arrangement of this body. There is hand, there is leg, there is head, there is ear—everything is being utilized. But when the spirit soul is not there, what is the value of this head, leg or hand? Anyone can see to it.

So the same principle is applicable to the whole cosmic creation, that even within the ant the same principle, within Brahmā the same principle, and within the gigantic universe, the same principle. Without the spirit soul, there is no question of creation. Creation, maintenance and destruction, three things are going on on account of presence of the Supreme Soul. Therefore the three principal deities—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara—are there, guṇa-avatāra. He is not within the guṇa; therefore He expands Himself as guṇāvatāra: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. But He's turya of the guṇas. Just like if we enter into the fire, we'll be burned, but sometimes the fire brigade men, they enter into the fire... They have got suit and contradictory dress that they can enter into the fire.

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

What is that? Sahasra-vadana, faces, aṅghri. As soon as there is face, as soon as there is one face, there must be two legs, two hands. So He appeared before Brahmā with thousands of faces. So similarly, number of hands and legs must increase proportionately. So Lord Brahmā saw Him in His virāṭa-rūpam, virāṭ-rūpam. Kṛṣṇa, Brahman, Brahman, Para-brahman. Para-brahman means the great, the great. And He is Para-brahman. Nobody is greater than Him. So if anyone wants to see Kṛṣṇa in His Para-brahman rūpa, then He exhibits His virāṭ-rūpa. Just like Arjuna saw virāṭ-rūpa, the same. But that is not His natural form. That is māyāmayam. Because one... Suppose one wants to see God and he is not very advanced. Even if he's advanced, sometimes we want to see the superior in His great opulence.

But the Vṛndāvana-vāsī, they are so affectionate, so attached to Kṛṣṇa, they do not want. They do not want to know what is God. They simply want Kṛṣṇa, to love. This is Vṛndāvana. There is no necessity. Kṛṣṇa manifested in so many ways big, big activities in Vṛndāvana, killing daily almost a demon. But still, the Vṛndāvana-vāsī did not accept Him as the Supreme Lord. They thought that some demigod has appeared. They did not know that He is the Supreme Lord. That is another māyā, yoga-māyā. If the Vṛndāvana-vāsī saw Kṛṣṇa that He is the Supreme Lord, then they could not love Him so nicely, because too much opulent conception diminishes natural love. Therefore in the Vṛndāvana there is no such exhibition of Kṛṣṇa's form. But in the material world, just to convince Brahmā that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He appeared, sahasra vadanāṅghri-śiraḥ-karoru-nāsādya-karṇa-nayanābharaṇaya-a yudhāḍhyam. Not only many faces, many ears, many legs, but each of them very nicely decorated. You have seen the picture of Lord Viṣṇu, very decorated, very much decorated. But you'll see Kṛṣṇa, He is decorated with the Vṛndāvana flowers. That is Kṛṣṇa's real form. He does not appear with many hands, many ornaments, many... No. Simple boy.

Lecture on SB 7.9.44 -- Delhi, March 26, 1976:

So only the devotee, Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee, he can deliver them. He goes from town to town, village to village, house to house, to bring this message of Kṛṣṇa and deliver him. Prahlāda Mahārāja is promising, naitān vihāya kṛpaṇān vimumuksa eko: "I do not wish to go alone. Give me some strength so that I can deliver some of them. It is not possible to deliver all of them." But that is a very important engagement for Vaiṣṇava. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has written in his Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta, we can understand a Vaiṣṇava very nicely when we see that he has converted so many conditioned soul into Vaiṣṇava life. That is the estimation of a Vaiṣṇava. If I simply try for myself—I may be very advanced devotee—that is not very much appreciated by Kṛṣṇa. Prāyeṇa deva munayaḥ sva-vimukti-kāmā. Everyone is interested. There are goṣṭhy-ānandī and bhajanānandī. Bhajanānandī is interested for his own welfare, or they think it that he is not competent enough to preach; therefore he does not go for preaching work. Sva-vimukti-kāmā: "Let me look after my own affairs." "Oil your own machine."

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

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."

So one may be surprised, that "Nobody becomes agitated, sitting before mother, sister or daughter." But śāstra says, "No, no. They are agitated." Then you can say, "Maybe agitates some fool rascal." "No." Vidvaṁsam api karṣati: "Even though one is very advanced, learned, they also become agitated." Therefore you should be very, very careful. Very, very careful. And another place is, another... Just like in our society, compulsorily we have to mix with women—not only women, very beautiful young girls. But if one is not agitated even in this association of beautiful women and girls, then he is to be considered paramahaṁsa. He is very advanced. Those who are not... Paramahaṁsa means he's above all these material qualities.

Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976:

Means you should not take care of the hair. Then automatically it will become jaṭā. If you apply very nice coconut oil and with comb you dress very nicely, then there will be no jaṭā. The jaṭā means don't (take) care of your hair. If you want to keep hair at all... First of all, there is no question of caretaking if you become clean-shaved. There are two processes. A brahmacārī, either he is clean-shaved or he keeps his hair without any taking care. That is two processes. Jaṭā-kamaṇḍalūn. Not that "I shall keep my hair." Now in the Kali-yuga the hair is very valuable thing, life and soul. I have seen some of our disciples. As soon as he's out of this camp, immediately hair, immediately. I have seen so many. When he was within the camp, very advanced supposed, but as soon as he is one day after, he keeps hair. Immediately. The tendency is there. Because in this age it is understood that if you can keep hair, bunch of hair, not very nice, but simply hair will make him beautiful. Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. Although he has no lāvaṇya—he has no beauty—still, he thinks, "I have become very beautiful by keeping hair." So this should be avoided. In this age, of course, this jaṭā is not possible. If you keep jaṭā, then when you go on the street for begging alms for guru, then perhaps you'll be chained (changed?) by so many animals here. So it is better to remain clean-shaved. It has no botheration, no taking care of the hair, no iron required.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

These cowherd boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa, they are not ordinary human being. They are very, very advanced in spiritual assets. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. When they are... Just like you accumulate money. When you have got too much accumulation, ten crores of rupees, like that... When one's pious activities becomes accumulated in voluminous attitude, at that time, one is... That means when one is completely free from the material contamination, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). When one has, one is actually learned, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. A devotee has no distinction between this living entity or that living entity.

vidyā-vinaye-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

(BG 5.18)

This sama-darśinaḥ, equality, cannot be possible in material vision. That is not possible. One must elevate himself to the spiritual platform. Then paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. That is after brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Brahmā bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). When one has attained this stage, then he can enter mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. That is, that is really bhakti's platform. That bhakti platform means elimination of all material contamination.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Read it.

Pradyumna: "As far as material necessities are concerned, the human civilization at the present moment is very much advanced in living comfortably, but still we are not happy because we are missing the point. The material comforts of life alone are not sufficient to make us happy. The vivid example is America: the richest nation of the world, having all facilities for material comfort, is producing a class of men completely confused and frustrated in life. I am appealing herewith to such confused men to learn the art of devotional service as directed in The Nectar of Devotion, and I am sure that the fire of material existence burning within their hearts will be immediately extinguished. The root cause of our dissatisfaction is that our dormant loving propensity has not been fulfilled despite our great advancement in the materialistic way of life. The Nectar of Devotion will give us practical hints how we can live in this material world perfectly engaged in devotional service and thus fulfill all our desires in this life and in the next."

Prabhupāda: So, people are misled. They are thinking that by material comfort they will be happy. And practically we are seeing, this competition of material comfort... The capitalist and the labor class, worker class, they are fighting—strike. Actually, the propensity is that... That is explained in Marshall's theory of economics. We were student of economics. So in that book Mr. Marshall explained that the family affection is the origin of economic impetus. That's a fact. These hippies, they have no family affection. They are not married, and therefore there is no economic impetus.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 9, 1973:

So actually such persons they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa, but they have the audacity out of their so-called, puffed-up education, they try to explain Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa can be explained (by one) who knows about Kṛṣṇa. And who knows Kṛṣṇa? Only the devotee knows (Kṛṣṇa). Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Not that because one has got very advanced knowledge, he can understand Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ. I am not supposed to be exposed to all this nonsense. He says. Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Actually what I am, tattvataḥ, in truth, that can be understood through devotion. Through love of Kṛṣṇa, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me (BG 4.3). Everything is there, clear. If you are not bhakta, if you are philosopher, that's all right, remain philosopher, why you try to touch Kṛṣṇa? That is not your subject matter. Don't poke your nose in that subject matter. Don't mislead others, nonsense. You go to hell. That is another thing. But why you are pushing others to the hell? That is our protest. That is our protest. You go to hell. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram eva yoniṣu (BG 16.19), Kṛṣṇa says. Because they are krūrān, they are envious of Kṛṣṇa. They know, Kṛṣṇa is describing Himself like this, still he says Kṛṣṇa is unknown. This is cruel, hiṁsā. So in this way, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. We must understand Kṛṣṇa by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). The, Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood by these blunt senses. It is not possible. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When one becomes purified after being freed from all kinds of designations, that is the beginning.

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

If one thinks that he has become very advanced in devotion, then that is very dangerous. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana: (CC Adi 7.71) "My spiritual master saw Me a great fool. Therefore he has chastised Me, that 'Don't try to read the Vedānta. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " He presented Himself like that. Is Caitanya Mahāprabhu mūrkha? But that is the conception, advanced devotee. They never think that they are very highly advanced devotees. What is advanced devotee? What devotion we can offer to Kṛṣṇa? He's unlimited. He's kindly accepting our little service. That's all. Don't be proud of becoming a great devotee. That is the cause of falldown.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

It is sure. Anyone can test how much they have advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how they are firmly convinced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because it has been awakened. The nature, which was dormant, that has been awakened by...

That is the propaganda work of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He wanted that in every town and every village of the world, on the surface of the globe, His name, the preaching of saṅkīrtana movement, inaugurated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, should be preached. The purpose was the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there everywhere. That we are experiencing. Now in Africa also, who are supposed to be not very advanced in civilization, they're also very nicely taking part in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. European, Americans, they are advanced, civilized people, but even in Africa we are having very good success. They are becoming Vaiṣṇavas. So... And it is, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). So these kirātas are the Africans. So they are also becoming interested, hūṇa, āndhra and others who are considered to be low-born according to Vedic civilization. But still, the Vedic civilization does not prohibit anyone to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By our karma, we may be high born or low born. That does not matter. Ahaituky apratihatā. Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be checked by any material impediment. That is not possible. Ahaituky apratihatā. It is natural. And Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). He says that even though some people are considered to be pāpa-yoni, low-born, it doesn't matter, but he can accept the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanaḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā. Still more low-born than these people, śudhyanti, they can be purified if they actually take shelter of a pure devotee. They can be purified. That is the injunction of the śāstras, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Śudhyanti. People may argue how such low-born people can be purified. That reply is: prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. It is the supreme power of Lord Viṣṇu. It is possible.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

Pradyumna: "There are four varṇas, namely, the brāhmaṇas, the priest and intellectuals; the kṣatriyas, warrior and statesmen; the vaiśyas, businessmen and farmers; and the śūdras, laborers and servants. There are also four standard āśramas, namely, brahmacarya, or student life; gṛhastha, householder; vānaprastha, retired; and sannyāsa, renounced. The regulative principles are not only for the brahmacārīs, or celibate students, to follow, but are applicable for all. It doesn't matter whether one is a beginner, a brahmacārī, or if one is very advanced, a sannyāsī. The principle of remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead constantly and not forgetting Him at any moment is meant to be followed by everyone without fail. If this injunction if followed, then all other rules and regulations will automatically fall into line. All other rules and regulations should be treated as assistants or servants to this one basic principle."

Prabhupāda: This has been practically proved in the Western countries. These boys and girls, European and Americans, they were not informed about the regulative principles in the beginning. We enforce the regulative principle when a student is serious to become initiated. Otherwise, ordinarily, in all our centers, everyone is welcome and join the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Gradually, by mixing with the devotees, by being purified on the transcendental vibration of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they voluntarily offer to become serious student, initiated. In this way, we have expanded. Practically the basic principle is chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and giving them some chance to hear about Kṛṣṇa from the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. This is our principle. Go on.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 28, 1973:

Even the so-called devotees—they are called sahajiyās—their ultimate goal is to merge into the existence of Brahman. That Rajani Sena, Bombay, he's also preaching in that way. And their process is very abominable. The, the sahajiyās, they also think like that, that by sex one can rise to that platform of merging into the effulgence of Brahman. Even Vivekananda was talking that "This Vaiṣṇava religion is a religion of sex." They have been so much misrepresented. By sexual indulgence, one can become one with the Supreme. This is their theory, very dangerous theory. Therefore these sahajiyās are amongst the thirteen rejected apa-sampradāyas. In the name of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there are so many apa-sampradāyas. Apa-sampradāya means they present themselves as belonging to the Caitanya cult. But they are not at all bona fide. They are rejected. (break) Even such sahajiyās, they would not read even Bhagavad-gītā. They think themselves that they are so, I mean to say, elevated, they have surpassed reading of Bhagavad-gītā. Similarly there are sahajiyās, they also say that kīrtana is not required for them. Kīrtana, one who has very much advanced, he doesn't require to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. I have heard it.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.3 -- Mayapur, March 27, 1975:

Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. We cannot accept anyone as authority if he does not follow the paramparā, disciplic succession of ācārya. That is the Vedic system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So Kṛṣṇa is para-tattva. Na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha. He is very emphatically asserting that "There is no more greater truth than Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." So according to the Vedic system, if you say something very emphatically, you must prove by Vedic evidences. Otherwise you can go on talking; nobody will hear. Sometimes people ask us about Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "What is the Vedic evidences?" So that Vedic evidences will be given, later chapters of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He is not falsely asserting. Kavirāja Gosvāmī is very, very advanced devotee and scholar. He is not ordinary human being. He was empowered by Madana-mohana.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- Bombay, November 9, 1975:

So approaching the guru, Sanātana Gosvāmī, his submission was that "People in general, they talk of me as very learned scholar." He was very good scholar in Sanskrit, in Arabic and Persian language because he was minister, very responsible post. So... And he was born in brāhmaṇa family, Sārasvata brāhmaṇa family. So naturally he was supposed to be very learned scholar, paṇḍita, brāhmaṇa paṇḍita. Still we address a brāhmaṇa as paṇḍitajī. Never we address a brāhmaṇa as mūrkhajī. So, that is the etiquette. Brāhmaṇa means he must be very learned scholar and a very advanced devotee. Brāhmaṇa paṇḍita, brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava. These are the qualification of brāhmaṇa. So naturally he was addressed as paṇḍitajī, but he denied to accept that he is actually paṇḍita. So he submitted that,

grāmya-vyavahāre kahaye paṇḍita satya kari māni

āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni

That "People, they address me as paṇḍita, but I am such a paṇḍita that I do not now what I am." This is the position of everyone. Everyone is very much proud of his learning, scientific knowledge and so on, so on. But if you ask him, "What you are?" "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am American." This is the answer you'll get. But that is, I am not. I am not this body. This is the beginning of paṇḍita. This is the beginning. Bhagavad-gītā teaches in the beginning this primary lesson, that "You are not this body."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.108-109 -- New York, July 15, 1976:

So this is struggle. We are not master; still, we are trying to become master. The Māyāvāda philosophy, they also undergo severe type of austerities, penances, but what is the idea? The idea is that "I shall become one with God." Same mistake. Same mistake. He's not God, but he is trying to become God. Even though he has performed so much severe austerities, vairāgya, renunciation, everything... Sometimes they give up everything of material enjoyment, go to the forest, undergo severe type of penances. What is the idea? "Now I shall become one with God." The same mistake.

So māyā is very strong, that these mistakes continue even one is very advanced so-called spiritually. No. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu touches the main point immediately with His instruction. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy. Where Kṛṣṇa says the last word, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja.. (BG 18.66). He is talking on the position; He is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is asking, demanding, "You rascal, give up everything. Just surrender to Me. Then you'll be happy." This is the last instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same Kṛṣṇa but acting as devotee of Kṛṣṇa; therefore He is speaking the same thing. Kṛṣṇa said, "You surrender," and Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Every living entity is the servant of Kṛṣṇa." That means he must surrender. Servant's business is to surrender, not to argue with the master or to claim that "I am equal with you." These are all fanatic, mad proposal.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.113 -- London, July 23, 1976:

Otherwise, the energy, just like electricity. The electricity is working in the refrigerator—it is cool. So therefore in the refrigerator there is no appreciation of the heat, although heat is there. But in the heater there is direct appreciation. But the energy is the same.

So material means when we do not understand Kṛṣṇa, when we do not appreciate His creative energy or when we are in ignorance . That is called material life. So all these fools and rascals who are unaware of Kṛṣṇa's energy, they are all fools and rascals. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Therefore we have taken it very easily. Because we are not very advanced scientists, we take the words of Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa says,

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

(BG 7.15)

Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, anyone who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he is within these groups. What are these groups? Duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means one has got merit, but the merit is utilized for sinful activities. You can use your merit two ways—for good purpose and for bad purpose also. Just like thieves and rogues, they have got merit. They know how to steal, how to cheat. It is not unintelligent. They are intelligent. But their intelligence, merit, is used for bad purposes. They are called duṣkṛtina. And mūḍha-purposefully they are trying to avoid. Every step they are being baffled, and still, they are trying to avoid the supreme controller.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.154-157 -- New York, December 7, 1966:

Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya, and reestablishing the principle of religion. Yuge yuge sambhavāmi. The Lord says, "I come in different millenniums."

So that is going on. There are innumerable universes, which you cannot estimate, and each of the universes, the Lord is incarnating Himself by one of His plenary portions. Kṛṣṇa is present in some of the universes even now. We do not know where is that universe because we cannot see. What is information we have got? We do not know anything about this universe. We see so many stars in the night, so many sun, moon, but what do we know about them? Still, we are claiming that "We are very powerful. We are very advanced in knowledge." This is our poor fund of knowledge. Anyone who is claiming that "I am God" or "I am everything," he is a fool number one. Take it for... Immediately take as fool. What does he know? So indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam (SB 1.3.28). There are many universes and many planets. So in either of them or each of them, some sort of incarnation is present there. Just like in government, in every department, there is a government representative. Just like in your city, your mayor, mayor is there. Or any responsible post, there is some director, there is... Similarly, indrāri-vyākulaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge. Yuge yuge means different yugas. The same example. Just like the sun. The sun is present everywhere. Just at this moment it is now eight, eight o'clock in New York. In India it is night. There is no sun. But here it is, sun present. Similarly, in your country also, if you go more farther eastern, western side, somewhere the sun is already there somewhere, somewhere the sun is not there. So similarly, the sun is there, but it is the particular time and place where people can see and cannot see. So Kṛṣṇa is there always, everywhere, but it is the power of seeing where Kṛṣṇa is or Kṛṣṇa is not.

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

Now he says, "My dear Lord, those who are asura prakṛtayaḥ..." Asura prakṛtayaḥ means the atheistic demons. Atheists are called demons. In the Vedic literature, those who are atheists, they are called demons, rākṣasas. Just like Rāvaṇa, he was a great scholar in Vedic philosophy. He was son of a brāhmaṇa, and he was very learned. And he materially advanced his kingdom so nice that his capital was called golden. He was so rich. Everything, he was, in every way, in education, in opulence, in power, everything was so great. Only fault was that he was atheist. Therefore he's called rākṣasa, asura. All the asuras that are mentioned in the śāstra, their only fault is that they are atheists. Otherwise, from education point of view, from opulence, they are very much advanced.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 9 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1970:

These are all bluffs. We cannot be desireless. We cannot be silent. But our desires, our activities, have to be purified. That is real knowledge. That is real knowledge. We shall desire only to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is purification of desire. Not that desireless. That is not possible. How I can be desireless? How I can be silent? That is also not possible. For a second, I cannot be silent. So then our activities should be engaged, dovetailed, in Kṛṣṇa's service. This is real knowledge, that "I, as living entity, I have all these things, activities, desires, loving propensity. Everything is there. But that is being misguided." We do not know where to place all these things. That is avidyā. So this Īśopaniṣad teaches us that we should be very careful. We should not be very much advanced... We may be advanced. That doesn't matter. We don't say that you don't advance in material education. You advance, but, at the same time, you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is our propaganda. We don't say that you don't, you do not manufacture motorcar or you do not manufacture these so many machines. We don't say. But we say, "All right, you have manufactured this machine. Employ it in Kṛṣṇa's service." That is our proposal. We don't say stop it. We don't say that you have, don't have any sex life. But we say, "Yes, you have sex life—for Kṛṣṇa. You produce Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Hundred times you have sex life." But don't create cats and dogs. That is our proposal.

So education, education required, but if education is wrongly diverted, it is very, very dangerous. That is the purport of this verse.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 11 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1970:

Sākṣāt, directly, directly representative of Kṛṣṇa. This is the verdict of all śāstras. Samasta. Samasta means all śāstra. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva **. And it is not only stated, but it is accepted as such by all great sadbhiḥ, devotees.

So vidyā and avidyā. We should learn what is vidyā and avidyā. Avidyā means this materialistic knowledge. That is avidyā. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, jaḍa vidyā sab māyāra vaibhava: "Advancement of material knowledge means advancement of māyā's jurisdiction." The more you become implicated in material knowledge, entangled, you..., less you can understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People, those who are supposed to be very advanced in material knowledge, they think, "Eh, what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?" They have no attraction. Just like some of our Indian boys sometimes come. They have come here to learn technology. So sometimes they question. They are surprised that... They have rejected these things, and they have come here to learn technology. So when they see that Swamijī introduced the things which they have rejected in India, so they are surprised.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 34 -- San Francisco, September 13, 1968 :

They contribute. If a sannyāsī goes to the house of a householder, he will never be refused. At least he should be given a little rice, little flour. That is the system. So, so many people are coming to see them, how they have become Vaiṣṇava, saintly person, and contributing, somebody flour, somebody dahl, somebody rice, somebody fruit. "Oh," they thought. "Oh, why Nārada is sending so much? We are only two persons, husband and wife, and he is sending more than twenty person foodstuffs, daily." So, he was convinced that "If I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, I will not starve. Nārada will send everything, that's all."

So, gradually by chanting they became very highly advanced spiritually. So one day Nārada said to his friend Parvata, "My dear Parvata, I have got a disciple in Prayāga. He was hunter, and I have initiated him to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Let us go and see how he is doing." So, two friends are coming there, and it is the system that the disciple, by seeing the spiritual master, should immediately offer obeisances and receive him very nicely. So when he was going to receive from distant place Nārada, he saw some ants were on the feet, and he was trying to remove them so that they may not die, pressure of his foot... (break)

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

By my energy, by my desire, and nature supplying me ingredient, it is manufactured. So you are manufacturing different bodies, but our real sense is covered. So that transcendental sense can be discovered when we give up this material sense gratificatory process by creating different kinds of bodies.

So that is the profit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So the people of modern civilization, they have no information about this, how this body is being created. They are simply busy with the present problem. That's all. Present problem is not problem. We are eternal. Our problem is eternal. Therefore the modern age, the people are not very intelligent. They are advertising themselves that they are very much advanced. Actually, they are fools. And "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." The whole world is full of ignorant. Therefore we are trying to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness—it is our folly. You see? It is our folly, "the cry in the wilderness." But we cannot stop this business. You see? They may think that "Why you are nonsense people? You have given up everything. You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You are fools. You are not enjoying life." They may say like that, but our, because we have nothing to do with them, our business is to satisfy the Supreme. That is my real sense gratification. I have got my senses. As soon as I use it for my satisfaction, it is material. And as soon as I use them for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, it is spiritual. That's all. Try to understand the distinction between material and spiritual. Material means I have to act. Acting means I have to act with my senses, with my desires, with my thinking, feeling, willing, so many things, because that is original. You cannot stop your thinking, feeling, willing, working, because that is your original nature. You are living entities. If you have no thinking, feeling, willing, desire or working, then what is the difference between you and the stone? You are not stone. Some philosopher are trying to make you stone, but that is not possible. You cannot become stone.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

So the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, in the beginning... It is not that kaniṣṭha, beginning, if anyone immediately becomes so advanced. It is not advancement; it is foolishness. Just like somebody, they declare that "Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Why should we go to the temple?" Then if Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, He is not in the temple? Huh? What is this argument? If Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, He is also in the temple. But in the temple I worship directly, and what is the utility? Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. I am not so advanced that I can see everywhere Kṛṣṇa. Who can see Kṛṣṇa everywhere? That is very advanced stage. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). If you become so advanced that you cannot live without Kṛṣṇa for a moment, then Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Where is that training? Where is that advancement? Even if I advise, try to meditate, I meditate upon my wife, upon my children, on my business. This is not the stage of seeing Kṛṣṇa everywhere. That requires training. That requires advanced knowledge. Prema. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If a devotee cannot live for a moment without seeing Kṛṣṇa, he is visible... A devotee... Not for the neophyte devotee. So there are different stages.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Don't jump over God, crossing the spiritual master. Then it will be failure. You must go through. We are observing Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony, the birth anniversary of our Guru Mahārāja. Why? We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa without spiritual master. That is bogus. If anyone wants to understand Kṛṣṇa, jumping over the spiritual master, then immediately he becomes a bogus. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). That is Vedic injunction. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa without going through His most confidential servant. This is the meaning of this Vyāsa-pūjā. You cannot surpass. If you think that you have become very learned and very advanced, now you can avoid the spiritual master and you understand Kṛṣṇa, that is the bogus. That is the meaning of this Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony. We should always pray, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Yasya prasādād, only by the grace of spiritual master we can achieve the grace or mercy of Kṛṣṇa. This is the meaning of this Vyāsa-pūjā, offering obeisances by paramparā system.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Detroit Airport, July 16, 1971:

It is very important movement because it is correcting the human civilization. There is a great defect in the modern civilization, and people are accepting this body as self, and based on this mistake in the foundation, everything is going wrong. The basic principle of civilization—accepting this body as the soul—is the beginning of all problems. The great philosophers, scientists, theologists and thoughtful men, they do not know what is the defect. Recently I was in Moscow. I had a talk with a big professor of Indology, Professor Kotovsky. So he was speaking that "Swamijī, after this finishing, annihilation of this body, everything is finished." So I was astonished that a learned professor who is posing himself on a very advanced post, he has no idea about the soul and the body, how they are different, how the soul migrating from one body to another. And everyone is accepting this body as the self, and "There is no life after death; therefore make the best use of this bad bargain and enjoy sense gratification as far as possible." But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is checking this wrong progress of human civilization. Our first proposition is that "You are not this body; you are spirit soul. Some way or other, you are in contact with this material world, and you have got this material body, and under illusion, you are accepting something which you are not."

General Lectures

Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968:

This is the process. So we have to... This is the opportunity. The highest intellectual form of human body when every, the senses perception, sense perception, consciousness, everything is perfect—we have to utilize that for becoming Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that our this process of birth and death can be stopped and we get our eternal body. If we practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our next life is as good as Kṛṣṇa, which means that there is no more birth, there is no more death, there is no more disease and no more old age. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that one who is intelligent, he will see four things before him. You may be very great scientist. You may be very much advanced in material science. You may be able to construct very high building, skyscrapers, and many millions of motorcars, but you have to think whether you have solved the real problem of life. The real problem of life is birth, death, disease, and old age. Not that to live in a high skyscraper our problems of life is solved. No. The problem of life is how to stop these four things: birth, death, old age, and disease. But we have neglected the real problems of life. And we are misusing our intelligence for constructing big buildings and constructing or increasing the so-called bodily necessities of life. The bodily necessities of life are four only. What is that? Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. To maintain this body you require to eat something. Everyone is eating. You are eating, the cats are eating, the dogs are eating, the birds are eating. They have no economic problem. Eating is there already. Have you seen ever that a bird is dying for want of eating, eatables? No. So these things are already arranged. That is no problem. In every form of life your eatables are there by nature's supply. Similarly sleeping. The bird is sleeping, the dog is sleeping, the cat is sleeping, and you are also sleeping. But you have got a very nice apartment. Does it mean that you have solved the problem of sleeping? No. Then defending.

Lecture at a School -- Montreal, June 11, 1968:

This land, this land, America, it was lying before you came from Europe, before you colonized. And it may be, some days after, it will be lying here, and you shall have to go. Therefore who is the proprietor of this land? God is the proprietor. In this way, if we study that "Everything belongs to God. I also belong to God, my self, my body, my mind, my activity, my energy, everything..." Just take for example. I am claiming that "This is my hand," but if God withdraws the energy of the hand, your claim for "my hand" at once goes. So we have to develop that God consciousness and Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is God consciousness. People have become degenerated, forgetting God consciousness. Therefore in the present world there is no peace. Materially, they are very much advanced. They are advanced in so-called education, but they do not know what is "I." The everything, they are claiming, "my and mine," but they do not know what is "I."

So this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is scientifically presented. It is not a sentiment. It is not a sentimental movement. It is very scientific movement. And the easiest process to come to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So we are presenting very easy formula for coming to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform. Just a moment before, we were dancing and chanting equally, the boys, the girls, the men, the women.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

So where do you find the difference? If Lord Jesus Christ says, "Through me," that means he's representative of God, and hari-nāma is God. So either through the representative of God or God, the same thing. God and God's representative, there is no difference. Even in these ordinary dealings, if I send some representative, if he signs something on my behalf, I have to accept that, because he is my representative. Similarly, God has to be approached through God or through His representative. The same thing. Only the difference may be of understanding. Because Lord Jesus Christ spoke to a society that was not very much advanced. You can understand that such a great personality, God conscious person, was crucified. Just see the condition of the society. In other words, they were low-grade society. So they were not able to understand the whole philosophy of God. That is sufficient. "God created. Just take it." They were not intelligent to understand how the creation took place. Had they been intelligent, they would not have crucified such a great personality like Jesus Christ. So we have to understand what is the condition of the society. Just like in the Koran it is said by Muhammad that "From this day you have no sex intercourse with your mother." Just find out the condition of the society. So we have to take account of the time, circumstances, society, and then preaching. So to society like that it is not possible to understand the high philosophical things as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. But the primary fact, the authority is God, that is accepted both in Bible and Bhagavad-gītā. Bible begins, "God is the supreme authority," and Bhagavad-gītā concludes, "You surrender." Where is the difference? Simply the description is according to the time, society, and place and people. That's all. They are not Arjuna. You see? So the things to be understood by Arjuna is not possible by the persons who had crucified Lord Jesus Christ. You have to study in that light. The same thing.

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

Then He is God. If somebody says, "I am God," say, if somebody thinks that "I am God," he should think also, "Whether I have no more any greater than me or equal to me?" Oh, if you find so many equal and greater, lower also... But first thing is whether there is nobody greater than you or nobody equal to you. Then you are God. Don't be crazy and think that "I am God." God is not like that. Here is the definition, bhagavān, asamaurdhva. In Sanskrit word, it is very nicely described.

So bhaga... Bhaga means opulence. And what are the opulences? That also, we can very easily understand. If one man is very rich, we call opulent. If one man is very famous, reputed, he's opulent. If a man is very advanced in learning, in wisdom, he's al... That is also opulence. A scientist, a philosopher... If one is very beautiful, he is also opulent. So there are six kinds of opulences: richness, reputation, strength, influence, beauty, and wisdom. So asamaurdhva, that equality and greatness... When you'll find a certain man is in such a position that nobody is richer than him and nobody is famous, more famous, than him, nobody is more stronger than him, nobody is more influential than him, nobody is more beautiful than him, and nobody is wiser than him—if you find somebody full in six opulences... These are the definition given in Vedic literature.

Lecture -- New York, April 16, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Yes. You never think that you have become very stalwart, you do not need any spiritual master's instruction. Don't think that way. Then you are spoiled. You should always think that you are nothing. Even you are very much advanced. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "My spiritual master saw Me a great fool (CC Adi 7.71)." You see? So we should remain always a fool. We should never think that we have advanced. Then we can advance. Then we can advance. And as soon as we think, "Oh, I have advanced now. Nobody has to instruct me. Now I shall..." That's not good.

Devotee: Wasn't that the case with Arjuna?

Prabhupāda: Everyone. We should always be prepared to take instruction from the authorities. We should never think that we have become perfect. Although you are perfect. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. One should be very humble, meek, and always think that "I am nothing." Just like the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, such a great, stalwart man, such a great devotee. Nobody has produced such literature as Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He is presenting himself that "I am lighter than the worm in the stool." Purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha (CC Adi 5.205). Purīṣ means stool and kīṭa means worm. So "I am lower than the worm in the stool. Anyone who takes my name, all his pious activities immediately becomes lost." In this way he is presenting himself. That does not mean that he's actually so, but that is the attitude of a devotee. He's always very meek and humble. And the opposite side is, "I am God. Now finish all business." You see? So this māyā is very strong. He's (She's) always enticing me, "Oh, you are so great, so big, so... You have nothing to learn. Finish all..." This is māyā's instruction. But we should always be very humble, meek, and we should know always that "What I know? I do not know anything." The knowledge is unlimited. God is unlimited. And my position is very minute, fractional, infinitesimal.

Northeastern University Lecture -- Boston, April 30, 1969:

So these things are very restricted in order to reach that transcendental platform. But in this age, in this age of Kali, where everything is disturbed, always full of anxieties, and the life is very short... That is also explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: prāyeṇa kalau asmin yuge janāḥ. Life is very short, and they are not interested for any transcendental subject matter. They are interested only with the bodily concept of life. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). And always disturbed by so many anxieties. How he can ascend to the platform of transcendental realization? It is very difficult in this age. Therefore Arjuna, who was being taught by Kṛṣṇa that "You try this practice of transcendental life," but Arjuna said... Arjuna means he was taking this instruction five thousand years ago. He was a royal prince. He was very much advanced in so many things. He said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible to practice this transcendental process of ascending by yoga practice, this haṭha-yoga practice. It is not possible." He refused. He refused that "Because I am a family man, I have come here to fight for my, I mean to say, political interest, how I can practice this system, that I have to go to a solitary place, I have to sit down like this, I have to practice like this, I have to cease from sex life? It is not possible." Just try to understand. So transcendental platform by the haṭha-yoga system, practicing all the rules and regulations, is not possible in this age at all. If somebody is trying to practice that thing in so-called ways, that is not... Actually you cannot perform this transcendental meditation in city life. It is not possible. That is very clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You'll read. So you have to live in the city. You have to live with your family. You have to live with your friends. It is not possible to go to the forest and find out a secluded place.

Lecture (Day after Lord Rama's Appearance Day) -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1970:

Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca samānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām. The problems of eating, problems of sleeping, problems of defending and problems of mating, or sex life, these problems are there in the animal life or amongst the living entities lower than the human beings. But those problems are solved automatically by laws of nature. The birds, beasts, they are also eating. They have no economic problem. They are also sleeping, and they are having their mates and sex life. And they are also defending in their own way. Human form of life, the most developed consciousness, intelligence, if we are also busy in solving these problems of life, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating, then we are not very much advanced than the animals, because they have got these problems and they are trying to solve them. So what advancement we have made, we human beings? We claim to be superior, to possess superior consciousness, and how we are utilizing our consciousness and superior intelligence? Simply just like animals. That requires meditation. That requires meditation, what is actually the problem.

Lecture -- Visakhapatnam, February 18, 1972:

That mahātmā which are..., who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, su-durlabhaḥ, it is very rare. To become kṛṣṇa-bhakta, koṭi (indistinct). Muktānām api siddhānām, koṭi (indistinct). That is the verdict of the śāstra. And Kṛṣṇa also said it is very, very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa Himself as Lord Sri Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is distributing Kṛṣṇa. He is distributing Himself. Therefore, it has become so easy that these foreigners, these Europeans and American boys, they are not very advanced in age, all young men. All my students and followers in Europe and America, they are ninety-nine percent all young men, young girls. They are not old, rejected persons. They are the flowers of the country. They have joined this movement, and they have taken it seriously. Seriously in this sense that whenever a body comes to me for becoming my disciple, my first principle is that you must give up illicit sex life. You must give up meat eating, fish eating, egg eating, all this nonsense. You must give up gambling. You must give up all kinds of intoxication up to the point of drinking coffee, tea, and smoking. They give up. Therefore, they have taken seriously. Why seriously? These young boys, they have got so many desires in their heart, still they are taking to it, it is Lord Caitanya's mercy. It is Lord Caitanya's mercy because they are following the principles of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

Lecture at Indo-American Society 'East and West' -- Calcutta, January 31, 1973:

There is a subtle body. This is gross body. The subtle body works when you are asleep. We go outside my bedroom and we see so many things, we work in so many ways. That is subtle body. So after the destruction of this gross body, this subtle body carries me to another gross body. It is a great science. Great science. That is explained very nicely in the Bhagavad-gītā and other Vedic literatures. So why the scientists of the Western country do not take this matter seriously? I was invited to speak in Boston, the Massachusetts Technical Institute. So I first inquired all the students: "Where is your technological department, when the body stops, you can again give him vitality and he may work? Where is that technology?" So the students liked it. And we had very nice discussion. So we are very much advanced in technology. But we do not know what is the technology of the soul transmigrating from one body to another. That is ignorance. That is ignorance.

And this ignorance prevails in animals also. The animals do not know. Because they are not advanced in knowledge. But they have got also soul. Their soul is evolving or transmigrating from one body to another. There is a system. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa viṁśati. From the aquatics. Because the whole world was merged into water, devastation. Therefore the beginning of living entities, (is) the aquatics. From the aquatics, they come to the plants, trees. Then from plants, trees, to insect. From insect to birds. Then bird to beast. From beast to human being. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu. They're all mentioned. The evolutionary theory, it is not new thing, as it is stated by Darwin. It is there in the Padma Purāṇa. But it is very perfectly explained there. Darwin has not very perfectly explained. There are so many defects. But real thing is that the living entity, soul, is transmigrating from one body to another and the chance of developed consciousness is human form of life. In this human form of life, if we do not understand "What I am, wherefrom I have come, where I am going next, why I have taken this body, subjected to so much miserable tribulations of life which I do not want?"

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

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

This process we are following, and because we are sincerely following, people are accepting, and gradually we are advancing. Within the five or six years, we have written these books, about twenty books, four hundred pages, and we are selling very nicely these books. Not only to the common man, but also to the learned scholars, big, big scholars in the universities... (end)

Lecture -- Honolulu, May 25, 1975:

Actually, religion means the law given by God. That is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like the law given by the state, by the government, you have to accept it. There is no question that the government is Christian government or Muhammadan government or Hindu government. It doesn't matter. The law given by the government, you must accept. You cannot deny it. So actually God is neither Hindu God nor Muhammadan God nor Christian God. God is God. His power is omnipotent. It is equally applicable to Hindu, to Muslim, to Christian—anyone—to animal, to human being. Just like God has given this law, "You must die." This is applicable to everyone—Hindu, Muslim, Christian, man, animal, trees, birds, beasts, everyone. It cannot be disobeyed. That is law. That is God's law. You may be very much advanced in knowledge or so-called science, but because God says that in the material life you must die, you cannot avoid this law. That is called dharma. Dharma means the characteristic, that God has given this law that everyone should die; therefore all living beings' characteristic is that he must die. This is called religion. Similarly, God says that "You are My eternal servant. You must obey Me." That is religion. You try to understand the meaning of religion. Religion means the law given by God, and you must accept it. That is religion.

Address to Rotary Club -- Chandigarh, October 17, 1976:

The human life is not meant for any other purpose. That is the distinction between a dog's life and a human being's life. A dog cannot inquire about Brahman. That is not possible. But a human being can inquire about Brahman. Therefore this life is meant for brahma-jijñāsā about Brahman. So if we accept these aphorisms of the Vedānta-sūtra... Vedānta-sūtra is supposed to be the most authorized summary, cream of all the Vedas. So Kṛṣṇa has said in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaṁ vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛd ca aham (BG 15.15). So if we accept these words of Kṛṣṇa, then we become actually Vedānti. Without understanding these things as spoken in the... Bhagavad-gītā is the summarized Vedānta or Vedic philosophy. Because in this age, Kali-yuga, we are not very advanced. About us, it is described in the śāstra, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā upadrutāḥ, prāyeṇālpayuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ (SB 1.1.10). In this age, Kali-yuga, we are living not very long time. In Kali-yuga, the duration of life will be reduced so much, gradually, that if a person lives for twenty to thirty years, he'll be considered a grand old man. That day is coming. Now we have got practical experience. Our grandfather or father lived for so many years, but we are not living for so many years. Our sons will not live so many years. In this way the duration of life, the memory, the mercifulness, the bodily strength—everything will be reduced. This is already foretold in the śāstras. So therefore in this age we are all short-living, mandāḥ, very slow or bad, and sumanda-matayo. Everyone has got a obnoxious opinion about philosophy, about the goal of life. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo, and manda-bhāgyā, unfortunate also. The description, if we try to describe, it will take long time. The short-cut description is there: mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ. At the same time, disturbed always. This material world means always disturbed condition, but in this age, Kali-yuga, the disturbance is more and more.

Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 23, 1977:

Prabhupāda: There is no need of changing. But nāmāśraya kari. If you remain a gṛhastha, what is your loss if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra? And if there is gain, why don't you take it? Simple thing. And Kṛṣṇa also says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). These four things will get you back to home, back to Godhead. What is that? Simply think of Kṛṣṇa. But if from the very beginning you want to understand the meaning of Kṛṣṇa—"Kṛṣṇa is nirākāra. He has no hand, He has no leg"—then how you'll think of Kṛṣṇa? You have to give up all this nonsense idea. Then wherever you live, you will be perfect by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (break) ...Kali-yuga the special advantage is that people cannot become very much advanced in spiritual life, but for Kali-yuga there is a special concession. Kalau nāsty nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, it is confirmed, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅga paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). So you remain gṛhastha. It is now difficult to give up gṛhastha life. But don't be merged into this black hole. Don't make black hole tragedy. Be alive, take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you'll be happy. So there is no distinction in Kṛṣṇa-bhajana whether one is a gṛhastha or a sannyāsī. He must take the science. Then he will be all right.

Guest (3) (Indian man): ...without taking dīkṣā from the guru also utters the name of Lord Kṛṣṇa with devotion and...

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: That is explained in Bhāgavatam, apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām (SB 2.1.2). Those who are not seeing the position of spiritual, as the spirit soul, they are so much attached in this family life, worldly life, national life, (indistinct) material life, this life, that life. They are all false, but because he has no knowledge of the soul, he is attached to all these things. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). Ātma-tattvam means the science of soul. That he does not know; therefore he is attached, gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. These are different types of gṛha. Just like a man is not very much advanced in nationalism, he thinks "This my house is everything." And one who has developed that like Gandhi, his family life developed into nationalism. So that is also gṛha. He is asking, I mean to say, Englishman, "Go away! It is mine." But that mahātmā, that greatness is simply expanding beyond the gṛha. He's a still gṛha-medhi. We don't say like that, "Oh, you Englishman, you cannot have Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So that, therefore, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are mahātmā. (indistinct) These kind of mahātmās, they are not mahātmā, they are gṛha-medhis, but they have been given the title, false title. Just like in Bengali we say, the mother's love is child, and the child is blind. Still, "Oh, my child's eyes are just like lotus flower." (greets guests) (break)

Śyāmasundara: So in other words, Jung is saying that we have our personality that we show to the world but we also have a personality which we don't show to the world, which is secret which is repressed, which we don't like to reveal.

Prabhupāda: That is, that is called cheating. Yes. In Sanskrit it is called bhrama, pramāda, vipralipsā, karaṇā. Vipralipsa, that is one of the tendencies of the conditioned soul, that he wants to cheat others. So their confidential means cheating.

Philosophy Discussion on Auguste Comte:

Hayagrīva: Comte felt that love of God has always interfered with man's love of women. He says, "Love of God is inconsistent with love for our fellow men, and it was impiety for the knight to love his lady better than his God. And thus the best feelings of man's nature were repressed by his religious faith. Women, therefore, are not really interested in perpetuating the old system of religion."

Prabhupāda: Generally, women are interested in comfortable home life. That is woman's nature. They are not spiritually very much advanced or interested. But the..., if man is interested, and the woman helps the man, either as mother or wife or daughter, then both of them, if the woman remains subordinate and the man is making spiritual progress and the woman is helping the man, then both of them will make spiritual progress. Or the woman, without working for spiritual elevation, because (s)he is helping the man (s)he will share the profit, spiritual benefit.

Hayagrīva: The role of woman he envisioned as that of man's companion. He says, "The first aspect, then, under which positivism considers women is simply as the companion of man, irrespective of her maternal duties," and that this friendship or companionship has as its basis sex. He says, "Conjugal union becomes a perfect ideal of friendship, yet still more beautiful than friendship, because each possesses and is possessed by the other. For perfect friendship, difference of sex is essential as excluding the possibility of rivalry." So he felt that sex, there can actually be very little friendship between men, because there's no sexual basis, that sex is the basis for the friendship between the sexes.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Nitai-Pada-Kamala -- Los Angeles, December 21, 1968:

Vidyā-kule ki koribe tār. Somebody may say, "Oh, why he is going to hell? He is so much educated, he has got academic qualification, he has got degrees." Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura replies, vidyā-kule ki koribe tār: "If he has no connection with Nityānanda and if he does not come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his vidyā or his so-called academic education, and kula, and birth in high family or great nation, will not protect him because nature's law will act. "Either you are born in a very big family or nation, or either you have got a very advanced academic education, at the time of death your work will be judged and you will get another body according to that work. So vidyā kule ki koribe tār. Why they are doing so, these animals, human animals? Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā: "They have become maddened by a false concept of the bodily life." Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā: "And for this reason they have completely forgotten their eternal relationship with Nityānanda." Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā, asatyere satya kari māni: "Such forgetful persons accept the illusory energy as fact." Asatyere. Asatya means which is not fact. In other words, it is called māyā. Māyā means which has no existence, a temporary illusion only. So such persons who have no contact with Nityānanda, they accept this illusion as fact, this illusory body as fact. Asatyere satya kori māni.

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

This is Bhagavat-darśana. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. This material world, padaṁ padam means step by step there is danger. So one who takes shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ samāṣritā, for him there is no more danger. Abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. How it is possible to take complete shelter of Kṛṣṇa, which is fearlessness, no anxiety, vaikuṇṭha? Durlabha manava-janama sat-saṅge. This is possible if you associate with devotees. If you think that "Now I have become very much advanced. Now I shall live alone and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura," this is nonsense. You cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. You have to associate with devotees. Durlabha manava-janam sat sange. Sat-sange. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido (SB 3.25.25). If you remain with the devotees, then by their association, by talking with them, you'll get real understanding of God consciousness. It is very practical to understand. Just like in material world there are many associations, societies. Businessmen, they have got their stock exchange association, those who are dealing in exchange. They have got an association. They go there, and their business facility is very good. Similarly, so many clubs. If you want to drink and enjoy sense, you go to so many clubs and associate with them and you'll learn how to drink, how to mate very nicely. So association is very important. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society are giving chance people to associate with us, so that he'll be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore Govinda dasa recommends, durlabha mānava-janama-sat-saṅge. Mānava. This human life is durlabha, very rarely obtained. Not dogs' association, crows' association, but swans' association. There are association even by nature. "Birds of the same feather flock together." The crows, they'll mix with crows, and the swans will mix with swan. White swan, very nice water, nice garden, they will like that. The crows will not like that. The crows will like where filthy things are thrown away.