Vyasadeva (Lectures, SB cantos 2 - 12)

Expressions researched:
"Badarayana" |"Dvaipayana" |"Krsna-dvaipayana" |"Parasaratmaja" |"Parasarya" |"Satyavati-suta" |"Vedavyasa" |"Vyasa" |"Vyasadeva" |"veda-vyasa"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Delhi, November 4, 1973:

Mahārāja Parīkṣit was also very powerful. He could retaliate the brāhmaṇa's cursing, but he did not do it. He accepted, "Yes." Therefore Lord Śiva said, nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati: (SB 6.17.28) "When one is devotee of Nārāyaṇa, he is not afraid of anything." Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati. He was cursed that "Within the seven days you'll die." So he was not afraid. "That's all right." So he prepared himself, and many learned scholar, saintly person, kings, even demigods, all approached because he was the emperor of the world, and he was going to die. So many big, big stalwart people... Even Vyāsadeva, he was present there. And Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, "Now what is my duty? You are all big men, present here. I am going to die. Now what is my duty?"

This is very important question, that... We are working very hard in this material world, but we are not preparing ourself for death, which is a "must" fact. Everyone must die. The modern civilization, they are afraid of death, but they do not know how to counteract death. This is the modern civilization. But there is process. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa informs us that our real problem of life is death—birth, death, old age and disease. Birth is the beginning and then, one who has taken birth, he must die. Yāvat, yāvaj jananaṁ tāvan maraṇam. But if one does not take birth, then he does not die. This is the actual problem. Why we have to take birth? People do not know even that there is again life after death.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Delhi, November 4, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa, You are the Para-brahman, Para-brahman. Not that Kṛṣṇa may say... Or anyone can say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are friends. Therefore Arjuna has eulogized his friend, 'Para-brahman.' " No. Kṛṣṇa..., Arjuna said, "It is not that simply because I am appreciating you... You are appreciated, you are approved by Devala, Asita, Vyāsa and Nārada." That is called ātmavit-sammataḥ. Ātmavit. Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Devala, Asita, all the great sages, they accept. Similarly, at the present moment we have got four ācāryas—even take five ācārya—Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, they all approve, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Even Śaṅkarācārya, he is this impersonalist, still, he has commented on his Bhagavad-gītā, sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ: "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So Kṛṣṇa is approved. And because Parīkṣit Mahārāja wanted to talk about Kṛṣṇa, the whole Bhāgavata is full of kṛṣṇa-kathā. That is the beginning. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, ātmavit-sammataḥ. And what is the next one?

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Paris, June 9, 1974:

So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is a question and answer. The beginning, the... This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, first of all it was narrated by Vyāsadeva, and it was heard by his son, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Then Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrated this Bhāgavatam to Parīkṣit Mahārāja at the time of his death. And from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the Sūta Gosvāmī heard. This is the paramparā. (aside:) Not yet. This is the paramparā. Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa millions of years ago to the sun-god. Imaṁ vivasvate, proktavān avyayam. Imaṁ vivasvate proktam, vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. This is the paramparā system.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Melbourne, June 26, 1974:

So immediately he left his kingdom, family, children, and went to the bank of the Ganges and sat down there, being prepared for the coming imminent death, within seven days. So because he was emperor of the world... So he was going to die. This news was spread, and all big, big men, great saintly persons, even demigods, they also come to see him. And he was asking everyone, "What is my duty?" So at that time Śukadeva Gosvāmī also arrived there. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was young boy, but paramahaṁsa. So he was received in that big assembly as the great personality of knowledge. Even his father Vyāsadeva was present. So everyone stood up. His father also stood up to receive him, he was such a great personality. And then he was given nice seat, as is the custom, to give advice to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: "What was my duty?" But Parīkṣit Mahārāja was, from the beginning of his life, was a devotee himself, a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And he inquired, "Whether I shall devote or I shall absorb my mind with Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Because he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Many people gathered. They gave different advices: "Mahārāja, you do this at the time of death," and "Do that," "Do this." So there were many big, big persons. He was perplexed. But he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa from the very beginning of his life, and thus he inquired, "Whether it is better to absorb the mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" This was his question.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

Himavatī: Vyāsadeva, you say, lived with his wife and children in a cottage, and people would come and bring them foodstuff from the village. Now, the four divisions of brahma cārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and so on, I thought that the gṛhasthas' duties in the āśrama, varṇāśrama-dharma, was to supply the other three.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Himavatī: How is this...? How is this connected with Vyāsadeva and his situation?

Prabhupāda: Vāsudeva?

Devotees: Vyāsadeva.

Prabhupāda: Vyāsadeva? Vyāsadeva was a gṛhastha. He was a householder man. He was brāhmaṇa.

Himavatī: But he had no luxuries.

Prabhupāda: No. Those who will depend on the charities and alms of the society, they are not allowed to make any luxury at the cost of others. They can simply ask help for the bare necessities of life.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

Therefore a devotee is not allured by any of the opulences of this material world. They are not interested. They are interested to transfer themselves in the spiritual world where, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). That sphere, that sky, where going, nobody comes back to this sky... This is material sky, and there is spiritual sky. These informations are there. If you accept it, then it is all right. But if you..., even if you don't accept it, that is also all right, because we take Vedic version as absolute truth. So these informations are there and they have been accepted by great ācāryas. Not that we are simply accepting. Great ācāryas. Just like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, and modern age Śrī Rāmānuja, Śrī Madhvācārya, Śrī Caitanya. They are great scholars. They're great, expert in the spiritual science. They have accepted. And we accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His activities, by the definition of possessing all the six opulences. We don't accept anybody, an ordinary man... Just like now it is a fashion. Everybody comes and says, "I am God." No. We don't accept in that way. Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa. He knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but, in order to convince us that in future there may not be any misunderstanding about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he requested Kṛṣṇa to show His universal form. So He showed him. So there is no doubt about, about Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is supposed to be liberated soul from the beginning of his life. That is a long story. He was sixteen years within his mother's womb. Anyway, he's accepted as a liberated soul. But still, he's attracted by the activities of the narration of the activities of the Lord, and he says that, idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma purāṇam, nairguṇya-sthā ramante sma guṇānukathane hareḥ. Idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma. This Bhāgavata, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, brahma-sammitam... Brahma-sammitam. So "I heard it from my father, Dvaipāyana." Vyāsadeva, he composed this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and he found his son, Śukadeva Gosvāmī... He had many other sons, but this son, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, because he thought that "This body is liberated," so he taught him about the lessons of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and this is the first time... Because śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. He heard it from his father, Dvaipayana, and he is now narrating, kīrtanam. He got the chance of narrating Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam at the time of death of Parīkṣit Mahārāja.

So here he admits that idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma purāṇaṁ brahma-sammitam. Brahma-sammitam means it is actually transcendental knowledge. Brahma-sammitam, adhītavān dvāparādau. So "By the end of Dvāpara Yuga I studied it from my great father, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipayana Vyāsa."

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-3 -- Los Angeles, May 22, 1972:

Ten million, and thirty-three. Just see. There are so many demigods, and so many desires also. So they are not prohibited. Everything is there in the Bhāgavata, that "If you want this particular..." Kāṅkṣantaḥ karmaṇāṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devatāḥ. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: "Those who want quick success in fulfilling some material desires, they worship the demigods." The Māyāvādī, Shankarites, they have made a hodgepodge. They have made so much blunder in understanding the Vedic conclusion. Misleading, simply. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has especially warned that "Anyone who hears about the Māyāvāda commentation, he's doomed. He's gone forever, lost." He will have no understanding, either this way or that. The Vedas, they give us information of the demigods, but they are not imagination. And neither Kṛṣṇa is imagination. The Bhāgavata is giving this direction; Bhāgavata means Vyāsadeva is giving direction that "If you want this profit, then worship this demigod."

Lecture on SB 2.3.10 -- Los Angeles, May 28, 1972:

This is māyā. Gandhi was thinking like that. He agitated his political movement against the British rule. So Britishers went away. I requested him that "Now you have got sva-rājya, and you are so respectable in the world. You take this propaganda, to preach Bhagavad-gītā." No. He'll still stick to these politics. Unless he was killed. He was killed, you know. So this is the propensity, sarva-kāmaḥ. There is no end of their desire, no end. They are called sarva-kāmaḥ. So here it is recommended: akāmaḥ... Just the opposite. Akāmaḥ, niṣkiñcana. They have finished all these nonsense, material desires. Vaiṣṇava. Just like you have taken sannyāsa. It is supposed that you have finished all your material desires. This is called akāmaḥ, just the opposite. And the other side: sarva-kāmaḥ. There is no end of desire, material desire. So Vyāsadeva recommends, "All right, you may be sakāmaḥ..." Sakāmaḥ means without end of any desires. Full of desires... (break in tape)... and between this there is another... (break in tape)... mokṣa-kāmaḥ. So sakāmaḥ, sarva-kāmaḥ-karmīs, those who are working very hard, just like animals.

Lecture on SB 2.3.10 -- Los Angeles, May 28, 1972:

They're all temporary. It will finish. It will finish. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the same Caitanya... Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja says, kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura. Anyone who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, takes the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, he is the perfect intelligent man. He is the perf... So here it is recommended that "You fools, you rascals..." Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmaḥ, eh, sarva, not akāmaḥ. Sarva-kāmaḥ, mokṣa-kāmaḥ. "You are all rascals." Therefore Vyāsadeva is advising "All right, even though you are rascal, you are full of desires, you are full of becoming one with the Supreme, still, you worship," yajeta puruṣaṁ param, "the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Still, you do that." That is the recommendation. Don't go to others. Now, the question is that bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). One must be free from all kinds of desires. That is pure bhakti. Now, it is recommended here that sarva-kāmaḥ, mokṣa-kāmaḥ, "Those who are desiring for all material opulences, those who are desiring for becoming liberated..."

Lecture on SB 2.3.10 -- Los Angeles, May 28, 1972:

Here, also, the same thing. Vyāsadeva is giving list, that "If you want this, you worship this demigod." Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). But if you are intelligent, udāra-dhīḥ... Udāra-dhīḥ, very intelligent. Then, in spite of, despite all your desires, you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. You go to Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣaṁ param. Who is puruṣaṁ param? Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna accepted: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). All paramam, Supreme. Puruṣam, "You are the Supreme Person." The same thing. Puruṣaṁ param. The Brahma-saṁhitā: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). This param, supreme, superlative, is Kṛṣṇa, in every respect. He's the supreme power, puruṣottamam. Uttamam. Nobody greater than Kṛṣṇa. So here it is recommended that "Even if you have got desire..." All kinds of desire. There are varieties of desire. Even you want jñāna-siddhi, yoga-siddhi, karma-siddhi, or dhyāna-siddhi, simply go to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Yat karoṣi, yaj juhoṣi.

Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

Pradyumna: Translation: "Śaunaka said: The son of Vyāsadeva, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, was a highly learned sage and was able to describe things in a poetic manner. What did Mahārāja Parīkṣit again inquire from him after hearing all that he said?"

Prabhupāda: So Vaiṣṇava, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, is learned and poet. So these are the qualifications of Vaiṣṇava. As you know, there are twenty-six qualifications mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and one of the qualifications is kavi, poet. Every Vaiṣṇava in our disciplic succession, all the Vaiṣṇavas... In the later ages, within 200 years... During Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, there were Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, Vaiṣṇava, Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, Kavi-karṇapūra. They were all big poets. Later on, Vidyāpati, Caṇḍīdāsa. No, Caṇḍīdāsa before Lord Caitanya. Jayadeva. He also, before Lord Caitanya. All big, big kavis. The Jayadeva kavi's, this pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedam **. So a Vaiṣṇava devotee of the Lord is expected to have all good qualities. The more you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all the good qualities that were covered by the cloud of māyā will come out.

Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

Therefore we take advice from the liberated person. Just like we are understanding all this from Vyāsadeva, from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. They are liberated. We are not reading some Mr. John R. Mead's (?) book. No. Liberated soul. So that should be our source of knowledge. Mannerly, prideless, grave. Grave means don't talk nonsense. Don't talk nonsense. Don't waste time. If you have got time, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, but don't talk nonsense. Grave, that is called gravity. Grave, sympathetic. We should be very much sympathetic. If some of our fellow men fall sick, we must take care of him, give help him. Because, after all, we have got this body. Sometimes we may fall sick. So one, we should be sympathetic. And friendly. Everyone friend. As Kṛṣṇa is friend of everyone, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29), so if we are Kṛṣṇa's representative, how I can be enemy of anyone else? I must be friendly. Friendly. Poet. And expert. And silent. Silent worker, not advertising. Silent. These are the qualifications of Vaiṣṇava. So we must try to follow; not imitate, but follow. Follow, that is nice. Then?

Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:

Even to the ordinary man. So, mano 'bhirāmāt, it is very pleasing. Nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ... For philosophers it is also pleasing. We are talking all of philosophy in Bhāgavata. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt (SB 10.1.4). Ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt. Uttamaśloka is Kṛṣṇa, who is worshiped by offering nice, selected ślokas, authorized. Just like we offer prayer, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa... (Bs. 5.29). Each line is full of poetry, poetic and literary character, grammar. Anything you take, they're all full. All Bhāgavata, all Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You cannot produce such literature in this day. Such meaningful. Because Vyāsadeva was incarnation, he could produce. Therefore it is uttamaśloka: by the best selected verses, Kṛṣṇa is described.

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

So you cannot compete. Simply by competing with these things, animal life, that is not excellence of your life. Real excellence is that these animals, they cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the difference only. You can excel with all these lower animals, trees, birds, beasts and others, so many, only by awakening your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only business. And if you lack in that matter Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the other animals, lower animals, they are far, far advanced. They are far, far advanced. So as human being, we should consider all these points. The Bhāgavata is pointing out each and every step of our life and helping us how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. When Nārada Muni advised Vyāsadeva that "You have written so many books, but actually they are not very much beneficial to the human society. You write such a book that they will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is especially written to bring these rascals and animals to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

Even if you say "primitive," the primitive life is very nice. Primitive life means simple life. Keeping pace with the nature's law. It is very nice. Primitive life ... It gives you anxiety-free life, and therefore, even if you take it as primitive, the saintly persons, sages, they used to live long, long years, and their brain was so sharp, because they were taking natural food, fruits, grains, and milk that helps to develop human brain for understanding subtle subject matter. So even Vyāsadeva... You have seen the picture of Vyāsadeva. He's writing books just near a cottage only. But he's writing. Nobody can create such literature. But he was leading very simple life, in a cottage. Even, say, 2,000 years ago or little more, there was Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he was a brāhmaṇa, but great politician. His politics are studied even now in M.A. class. And because he was a great politician, diplomat, under his name in our India, in New Delhi, the capital, there is a neighborhood which is called Cāṇakya Purī, and all the foreign embassies are there.

Lecture on SB 2.4.1 -- Los Angeles, June 24, 1972:

If you want to know positively, what is God, then we should take lesson from a self-realized soul who has understood, who has seen. Jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ (BG 4.34). Just like here it is tattva-niścayam ātmanaḥ. So tattvam, the truth, so one must have seen the truth, realized the truth. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That is guru. Means one who has seen the truth. How he has seen the truth? Through the paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa said this, and then Brahmā said the same thing, then Nārada said the same thing, Vyāsadeva said the same thing, and then disciplic succession, Madhvācārya, Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī, Lord Caitanya, Ṣaḍ-gosvāmī, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. In this way. Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. Then we are speaking. The same thing. Not that "Because we are modernized... Your modern science has changed." Nothing has changed.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

No, this same verse. Practice it. In this way you practice one mantra daily. Each mantra will purify you hundred yards daily. Go forward. These mantras are very powerful, given by Vyāsadeva Gosvāmī, vibrated. And spoken by... Śuka-mukhād drava-saṁyutamrtam. That is explained in the beginning. Just like a ripened fruit in the tree is already very sweet, and if it is touched by the beak of the parrot, it becomes sweeter. These are natural course. If the parrot touches the fruit, he cuts little by his beak, beak. Beak, you call beak? Then it becomes still sweeter. Śuka-mukhād drava-saṁyutam. Similarly, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is already sublime, transcendental. And when it is spoken through the mouth of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, it becomes still sweet, just like the fruit. The parrot is also called śuka. It is called śuka-pakṣi, śuka bird. So this comparison is given. As the fruit becomes still sweeter by the touch of the beak of the parrot, similarly, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, because it is already spoken by Vyāsadeva, ripened fruit, the experienced contribution of Vyāsadeva, all the Vedic literatures, but when it is spoken through the paramparā system of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, it becomes still sweeter.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

So we should try to learn, get it by heart, at least one śloka, two ślokas in a week. And if we chant that... Just like you are chanting so many songs, similarly, if we chant one or two verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that will make you very quickly advanced for spiritual realization. We are therefore taking so much trouble to get this transliteration, the meaning, so that the reader may take advanced step, full advantage of the mantra. It is not that to show some scholarship, that "I know so much Sanskrit." No. It is just offered with humility to learn the mantra because one who will chant the mantra... They are all transcendental vibration. Just Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... This is mahā-mantra, but they are also mantras, all the verses from Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, spoken by Kṛṣṇa, spoken by... Bhāgavata also, spoken by Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsadeva is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. They're also mantras, infallible instructions. So try to get it by heart, chanting. Either you chant by seeing the book or get it by heart, it is all the same. But try to chant one, two ślokas daily. Chant.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

So people are conditioned, encaged. So many big, big words The Māyāvādīs, they are undergoing austerities or penances just to become liberated. Yogis, they are also trying to become one. So many endeavors are going on. But the simple process is, as soon as you surrender, that you are not fallen, "It was illusion. I was dreaming. I am Kṛṣṇa's," finished. All gone. "I am Kṛṣṇa's. I am Kṛṣṇa's eternal servant. These are all nonsense"—he immediately becomes liberated. Just try to understand. Immediately, within a second. Liberation can be attained within a second, provided we abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the position. We are not fallen. We are thinking fallen. So we have to give up this nonsense thinking. Then we are liberated. There is no... Is there any difficulty to understand? Just see how important this verse. It is already there, but you are not reading. Each verse, read every day carefully. Try to assimilate, understand, and you will get more profit, every day, hundred yards forward, hundred yards forward, yes. They are so important verses. How nicely composed by Vyāsadeva. In two lines the whole thing is explained. This is called śāstra. In two lines.

Lecture on SB 2.9.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

So even in brahminical qualification, it's still māyayā. He is thinking, "I am brāhmaṇa. I am so pure. I am better than him." But he does not know that he is identifying himself with māyā. "I am not brāhmaṇa, I am not śūdra, I am not kṣatriya, I am not vaiśya, I am not a sannyāsī, I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a gṛhastha. Nothing of the sort." Then what you are? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). I am the's qualities. So this identification also will not help. Today I may be brāhmaṇa, and tomorrow I shall become a bhangi. A (indistinct), nothing of the sort." Then what you are? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." This pari bhram (?) Kṛṣṇa's servant. First servant Brahmā, next servant, his servant, Nārada, his servant, Vyāsa, his servant, Madhvācārya, his servant, the servant's servant's servant, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu's ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs. In this way, when we think that we are servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is our perfection. Otherwise, even if we think that "I am not brāhmaṇa. I have got sacred thread. I am very clean. I am taking bath." That is required, of course, because if you are actually servant of servant of Kṛṣṇa, then these qualities will be there as subordinate.

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

That is advised by Nārada Muni to his disciple Vyāsadeva: "What you are writing, all these nonsense books? You..." What is called? Jugupsitam. Jugupsitam. He instructed Vyāsadeva that "Whatever literatures you have produced..." Means up to that time he produced Vedānta-sūtra. He wrote up to Vedānta-sūtra, which is considered to be the topmost philosophical thesis in the world, Vedānta-sūtra, all over the world, the Vedānta philosophy. So he finished that Vedānta-sūtra. Still, he was not happy. And his spiritual master Nārada chastised him, "What nonsense books you have written?" First of all he was not happy, so Nārada came, and he asked him that "Why you are not happy? You know everything, but why you are not happy?" So he submitted, "Yes, my master, I know everything, and I think I have done everything, writing all these books. But still, I am not happy. So why I am not happy, that you can tell because you are my master."

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

We want to stick to it. In spite of so many instructions, so many literatures, still we want. The māyā is so strong. Ātma-māyām ṛte rājan parasyānubhavātmanaḥ. Therefore one should take little risk in order to enter into the eternal life, blissful life. One should take a little risk. That is advised by Nārada. And the same instruction, while he was giving, that First of all he said, "All this nonsense, that jugupsitam: They are abominable. Because you are writing books, dharma artha kāma mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90), so later on You are authority, Vyāsadeva. People will stick to this. And if even Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66), 'You give up all this nonsense, you simply surrender,' they will not hear because you are writing so many nonsense books." He chastised him like that. Jugupsitam, this very word. Jugupsitam. "You are authority, so you have done such, so many nonsense books." He wrote Mahābhārata, he wrote Aṣṭadaśa-Purāṇa, he wrote, I mean to say, Upaniṣad, and after all, Vedānta-sūtra, all these books which are so highly recognized all over the world. Still, that was condemned, "But you have written all these nonsense books." Jugupsitam. "Because you are authority, they will stick to it." "Oh, here is."

Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974:

Nitāi: "Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī said: The most powerful sage Maitreya was a friend of Vyāsadeva. Thus being encouraged, Maitreya, pleased by Vidura's inquiry about transcendental knowledge, spoke as follows."

Prabhupāda:

dvaipāyana-sakhas tv evaṁ

maitreyo bhagavāṁs tathā

prāhedaṁ viduraṁ prīta

ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ

(SB 3.25.4)

So this is the process of getting knowledge, to approach the proper person, guru, and submissively hear from him about transcendental knowledge. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Don't try to receive spiritual knowledge or transcendental knowledge very cheaply. Although it is very easy, there is no difficulty, but the process must be known. Just like any machine—we have got experience—just like sometimes our typewriter machine or this dictaphone does not work. So if we go to the proper person, who knows the work, he immediately tightens one screw or changes something; it works. The process we must know. So if I go to a pān-wala for repairing my machine, that will be not good. He does not know the process. He may know to..., how to make pān, biḍi; but doesn't matter, he does not know how to repair a machine.

Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974:

So actually, the Absolute Truth is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or the Vedānta-sūtra's explanation, natural explanation,... Actually, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written by Vyāsadeva. Here it is said, dvaipāyana-sakha. Dvaipāyana means Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva compiled this Brahma-sūtra, and he explained it, bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If we read some artificial comments on Brahma-sūtra, we'll misunderstand. Generally, these Māyāvādīs give prominence of the comment given by Śaṅkarācārya about Brahma-sūtra, Śārīraka-bhāṣya. But that is unnatural. The natural commentation is given by the author himself, Vyāsadeva. So we have to understand... Vyāsadeva has written Brahma-sūtra, and we have to understand the meaning of Brahma... Brahma-sūtra means codes only. So codes can be explained by the author himself. So our process is to accept the Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā. So Brahma-sūtra is nyāya-prasthāna. Nyāya-prasthāna: very logically, transcendental knowledge. So brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). So we must... Therefore, according to our Vedic system, the ācārya must understand Brahma-sūtra and explain. Then he'll be accepted as ācārya.

Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974:

Therefore two sampradāyas, the Māyāvādī sampradāya and the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, both of them have explained the Brahma-sūtra. Otherwise, they are not authorities. Without understanding Brahma-sūtra, nobody can understand what is Brahman. Therefore here it is said that Vidura understood the ānvīkṣikyām, transcendental knowledge, from Maitreya. Who is Maitreya? Dvaipāyana-sakha. He's the friend. That means he has association with Vyāsadeva. Just like friend and friend, the one friend knows the other friend, what is his position, what is his knowledge. So Maitreya was friend of Vyāsadeva. That means he knows what Vyāsadeva knows. So we have to approach such spiritual master or instructor who is in disciplic succession of Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva. Everyone claims that "We are also following Vyāsadeva." But not superficially. Actually following Vyāsadeva. Just like Vyāsadeva accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12), he accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Para-brahman, the Supreme Person. So one may say that "Arjuna was friend of Kṛṣṇa; he might have accepted like that." No. He gave evidence that "Vyāsadeva also accepts You. Vyāsadeva also accepts You, 'You are the Para-brahman.' " Vyāsadeva begins the comments on Vedānta-sūtra: oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. He begins, janmādy asya yataḥ, paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1).

Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974:

So if we actually are interested to understand spiritual knowledge, we must approach the representative of ācārya. Pratijāne. And ācārya means who follows Vyāsadeva. Just like Maitreya, dvaipāyana-sakha. Maitreyo bhagavān. He has been addressed as Bhagavān. Of course, the Supreme Bhagavān is Bhaga... Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). But other powerful persons, just like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, or Vyāsadeva, Maitreya, very, very big personalities, they are also sometimes addressed as Bhagavān. Nāradadeva. They are bhagavān. Actual Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa. But they have attained, as far as possible... It is not possible to have the cent percent knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can do that. Even Nārāyaṇa cannot do that. Even Bhīṣma cannot do that. But those who are, I mean to say, devotees or followers of Kṛṣṇa's instructions fully, they are also sometimes called bhagavān. But that bhagavān does not mean artificial bhagavān. Bhagavān means he knows what Kṛṣṇa has taught. He's also bhagavān. Bhagavāṁs tathā, prāha, he said, idam, viduram, unto Vidura, and prītaḥ, being pleased. Not that simply talking between friends and friends. No. Being prītaḥ. Just to... He's also eager. He's also eager, and he's also very much pleased. Vidura was eager to receive the transcendental knowledge, and Maitreya was pleased upon him.

Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:

So taking this calculation, even Kapiladeva was twenty-five years old, He was quite able to take charge of His mother Devahūti. So He knew that "Father left My mother in My charge, and therefore I must take charge of My mother and keep her always pleased." Mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. This... The boy is not irresponsible. He is always ready to please His mother. Here we have given these pictures in this Bhāgavatam. Here Kapiladeva in a brahmacārī dress, and mother is taking lesson from the son. Now, sometimes it is asked, "How the mother will take lesson from the son?" That is the prerogative of the male. Strī... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also said, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32), striyaḥ... Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ. A woman is considered in the level of śūdra. Although a woman is married with a brāhmaṇa, the woman is not offered the sacred thread. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is also accepted like that by the Supreme Personality... Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ. And another place it is said that Mahābhārata was compiled by Vyāsadeva because the direct Vedic knowledge is not understandable... Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Trayī means Vedic literature. They cannot understand. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnām: women, and the śūdras, and dvija-bandhu. Dvija-bandhu means born in a brāhmaṇa family, but not qualified as brāhmaṇa. They are called not brāhmaṇa. They are called dvija-bandhu.

Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:

So this Mahābhārata was made by Vyāsadeva for these strī-śūdra-divja-bandhūnām. Therefore Mahābhārata is called "Fifth Vedas." There are four Vedas, Sāma, Yajuḥ, Ṛk, Atharva, and Mahābhārata is the fifth Veda. And the essence of Vedic knowledge is given within the Mahābhārata, this Bhagavad-gītā. So although woman is inferior than the man, still, the Vedic civilization is so perfect that the man, as father, as husband, or as son, takes care, full care of the woman. This is Vedic civilization. Therefore it is said that mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. The son was ready always to see that "Mother is not unhappy. My father has gone away. So she may not feel the absence of my father." This very word is very significant, mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. He was always ready to take care of the mother. And the best care is to give her knowledge. Because women are supposed to be less intelligent; therefore they should be given knowledge. And they should also follow. They should follow the father's instruction, they should follow the husband's instruction, they should follow grown-up, learned, scholar like Kapiladeva. Then their life is perfect. Dependent, remain dependent.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

So here it is... Kapiladeva... Kapiladeva is Bhagavān. Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhagavān has no mistake. Bhagavān... Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Even Śaṅkarācārya says that Bhagavān, Nārāyaṇa, He does not belong to this material world. Nārāyaṇaḥ avyaktāt paraḥ. So when we speak of Bhagavān, or the śāstra says Bhagavān, Bhagavān means above material understanding, divyam, above material understanding, paraḥ, above material understanding. So here it is said bhagavān uvāca. Even he does not say, Vyāsadeva, that kapiladeva uvāca. No. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā also, Vyāsadeva says... Kṛṣṇa says actually. But Vyāsadeva says, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān means above the defects of this material world. That is Bhagavān. Bhagavān is not subjected to the deficiencies of this material world. There are four deficiencies in the material world. Just like we are concerned, in the material world, we are not perfect because we commit mistake, bhrama. We are illusioned. Bhrama pramada. And vipralipsa, we try to cheat others. I have no knowledge; still, I become teacher or preacher. That is cheating. We have no perfect knowledge. Therefore our principle is to teach what Bhagavān says. We don't manufacture teaching. This is not our business. As they manufacture... They say, the ordinary, I mean to say, so-called scholars and learned men, they give their opinion... Especially in the Western world, there are so many philosophical speculations, each one giving his own mental gymnastics. That philosophy is not perfect. We have to take ideas from Bhagavān. That is perfect.

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

Therefore if one can understand Bhagavad-gītā perfectly and he takes to this system of religion, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), then he can understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because where Bhagavad-gītā is ended, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins from that point. Because in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the introductory verses, Vyāsadeva says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). "This, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is not ordinary type of religious system, because from this Bhāgavatam, kaitava, cheating type of religion, is completely swept away, kicked out, thrown away." Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). And upon this the great commentator Śrīdhara Svāmī, he says, atra mokṣa-vāñchā api nirasta. Because we know dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). So Śrīdhara Svāmī says that dharmaḥ projjhita... Because people are becoming religious for mokṣa, liberation. So Śrīdhara Svāmī says that up to the end of mokṣa-vāñchā, desire for liberation, that is also rejected. The... Because mokṣa is also not our ultimate goal of life. Mokṣa means to get relief from the material bondage. But if you do not get engagement of spiritual life, then mokṣa is also cheating because you'll fall down again.

Lecture on SB 3.25.25 -- Bombay, November 25, 1974:

This is the verdict of Vyāsadeva. Śrama eva hi kevalam. You are very nice, executing your occupational duties. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ. Svanuṣṭhitaḥ. You are brāhmaṇa. That's nice. You are executing the brāhmaṇa's duties very nicely, or a kṣatriya, or a vaiśya, or a medical man, engineer, whatever you may be. That's all right. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ. But if, by executing your professional or occupational duties, you do not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness... That is the main business of human life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So then dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathā... (SB 1.2.8). Viṣvaksena-kathā means kṛṣṇa-kathā. Notpādayed yadi ratim. If you do not become inclined, śraddhā, this śraddhā of kṛṣṇa-kathā, then whatever you are doing—simply wasting your time, and it is a labor of love only, that's all. Śrama eva hi kevalam. And a devotee, even if he falls down by chance... There is every possibility of falling down because māyā is very strong. And it is a fight against māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Duratyayā. Māyā is very strong. We are getting experience. Some of them are falling down. But still, whatever he has done sincerely, that is a permanent credit of his account.

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

So animittā bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ siddher garīyasī. That is better than siddhi. Siddhi means self-realization or Brahman realization. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says also. What Kṛṣṇa says and what Kapiladeva says, they are the same thing. Therefore here it is also said, bhagavān uvāca. 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 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

But, because we have no conception of God, we take it, "This is all fictitious. God..." When God gives His reality, identification, and it is recorded in the śāstra, not by any loafer class writer but like Vyāsadeva, and we take it fictitious. Just see our position-Vyāsadeva has bothered his brain to write something fictitious! Just see how low-grade persons we are! We don't believe writing of Vyāsadeva. Or sometimes we say, "No, no, this was not written by Vyāsadeva. It is interpretation." If it is interpretation, then why the ācāryas have accepted? They're also fools-Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī... They have made commentary on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and they mention, they have accepted, "Yes. Kṛṣṇa has sixteen thousand wives." So Vyāsadeva has written and the ācāryas have accepted. Then I have become such a great scholar that I say it is fictitious. And we have to believe these rascals.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

So never think that Kṛṣṇa... The Māyāvādī thinks like that, that "We are one, Kṛṣṇa and we. We are one." Yes, we are one—in quality. The same thing: just like the fire and the spark, one in burning capacity. Even a small spark of the fire, it can burn. So we are one in the spiritual quality, but in quantity, we are different. Same example: vibhu and aṇu. This is very nice verse in the Bhagavad-gītā, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14).

In another verse is there,

bhakti-yogena manasi

samyak praṇihite 'male

apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ

māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam

(SB 1.7.4)

Vyāsadeva, Vyāsadeva, when he was instructed by his spiritual master Nārada Muni to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, at that time, by bhakti-yoga meditation, he could see the Supreme Personality of Godhead and this māyā also. But it is said, māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. Māyā is situated in the back side, back side, without any influence upon Kṛṣṇa, apāśrayam, under the control. So māyā is always controlled. Kṛṣṇa is the controller of māyā.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

Somebody is thinking that "I am brāhmaṇa. I am brāhmaṇa, the most pure, most exalted person in the human society." This is sattva-guṇa. Tri-guṇātmakam. Somebody is think..., identifying himself with the sattva-guṇa, somebody is identifying himself with the rajo-guṇa, somebody is identifying himself in the tamo-guṇa, or somebody is identifying with the mixed up. So in this way going on. Yayā sammohito jīvaḥ.

Vyāsadeva said, yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam, manute anartham. So anartham, some useless purpose of life, anartham.

So the Vyāsadeva recommended, or Sūta Gosvāmī said, anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. If you want to get out of this anartham, unwanted and purposeless life of material existence... That one should first of all understand, that this material existence is anartham. Anartham means purposeless life. There is no purpose. Real purpose should be how to get out of the spell of material nature. That is real purpose. They do not know. They do not know. They are taking very seriously some temporary purpose of life, which will be changed with the change of body. Now, as human being, I am manufacturing so many purposes of life, but as soon as the body is changed and I get the body of a cat or dog or tree, the whole purpose is changed.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

So if you want that life and if you want to get free from this purposeless life, anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, then you have to take to bhakti-yogam, transcendental loving service to the Lord. That is called bhakti-yogam. People do not know. Therefore Sūta Gosvāmī says, lokasya ajānataḥ: "These people, they do not know it, how to get out of this purposeless life." Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, lokasya ajānataḥ. The people, general people, they do not know it; neither they are interested, because they are so fool. So lokasya ajānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām (SB 1.7.6). Vidvān, Vyāsadeva, the vidvān, he compiled this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. If you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... (end)

Lecture on SB 3.26.9 -- Bombay, December 21, 1974:

So Devahūti wants elucidation of the characteristics of puruṣa and prakṛti. So puruṣa is one, but prakṛti, there are many, energies. Prakṛti, energy. Just like we have got practical experience that husband and wife, the wife is supposed to be the energy. The husband works day and night very hard, but when he comes home, the wife gives him comfort, eating, sleeping, mating, in so many ways. He gets fresh energy. Especially the karmīs, they get energy by the behavior and service of the wife. Otherwise the karmīs cannot work. Anyway, the energy principle is there. Similarly, the Supreme Lord, He has got also energy. In the Vedānta-sūtra we understand that Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original source of everything, Brahman... athāto brahma jijñāsā. That Brahman... In one code Vyāsadeva describes that janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "The Brahman, Supreme Absolute Truth, is that from whom everything comes." So unless this principle is there, that Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is also energized or worked with His energies; otherwise why this conception comes within this material world? The material world is shadow reflection of the spiritual world. Unless the original thing is there in the spiritual world, it cannot be reflected in the material world.

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

Vyāsadeva, after writing all the Vedic literature, he was not satisfied. He wrote the four Vedas, then the Purāṇas—Purāṇas means supplementary to the Vedas—and then Vedānta-sūtra, the last word of the Vedic knowledge, Vedānta-sūtra. But he was not satisfied. So Nārada Muni, his spiritual master, he inquired that "Why you are feeling dissatisfaction after writing so many books, giving knowledge to the human society?" He said, "Sir, yes, I know that I have written... But I am not getting satisfaction. I do not know what is the reason." Then Nārada Muni said, "The dissatisfaction is due to your not describing the activities of the Supreme Lord. Therefore you are not satisfied. You have simply discussed the external elements, but the internal elements, you have not discussed. Therefore you are dissatisfied. Now you do it." So under the instruction of Vyāsadeva..., er, Nārada Muni, his spiritual master, Vyāsadeva, his last mature contribution is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇaṁ yad vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam. Therefore the Vaiṣṇava, they regard the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as amalaṁ purāṇam. Amalaṁ purāṇam means... Amalam means without any contamination. These all other purāṇas, they are dealing with karma, jñāna, yoga. Therefore they are samalam, with material contamination. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, simply dealing with bhakti; therefore it is amalam. Bhakti means directly in connection with the Supreme Lord, bhakta and Bhagavān, and the transaction is bhakti. There is Bhagavān, and there is bhakta, just like master and the servant. And the relationship between the master and servant, the transaction, is service.

Lecture on SB 3.26.23-4 -- Bombay, January 1, 1975:

So what Kṛṣṇa will do? How Kṛṣṇa will help? He is coming. He is sending His devotee. He is leaving behind Him the śāstras. Ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karila. The Vedic literature, Veda, Purāṇa... "So I elaborately explained the Vedic ideals in the Purāṇas." Purāṇa means supplementary. They are not to be neglected, the history. Then Mahābhārata, then Vedānta Purāṇa, er, Vedānta philosophy, then explanation of Vedānta philosophy, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Mahābhārata means which contains Bhagavad-gītā. So many literatures there are. And who has made it? Made it, Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is Kṛṣṇa's incarnation. Vyāsāvatāra. That is stated in the śāstras. So Vyāsadeva made all this literature. That means Kṛṣṇa made through His incarnation. Therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta we find this verse: anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karila.(?)

Lecture on SB 3.26.23-4 -- Bombay, January 1, 1975:

So this is the only process. Let us hear from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, not these professional. But just like here Kapiladeva is explaining Sāṅkhya philosophy. Every word of Bhāgavatam, sublime. And this is given to us by Vyāsadeva, because we do not know how to get out of this entanglement of material envelopment. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣāt, anartha. On account of being entangled in this material modes of nature, we have accumulated so many unwanted things, anartha. That is called anartha. Artha means substance, and anartha means illusory things. So many things. So that is our material condition of life, and the only remedy is become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and that is... How we can become Kṛṣṇa conscious? Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Viṣṇu means Kṛṣṇa. Simply hear and speak about Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on SB 3.26.25 -- Bombay, January 2, 1975:

Actually, you have got obligation, so many obligation. All the demigods, they are supplying different energies, and we are maintained by that energy. Every part of our body is controlled by some particular demigod. Even the eyelids, the twinkling of the eyelids, that is also being controlled. We are supremely under control. So therefore we have got certain obligation. Just like we are controlled by the government. So we have got some obligation also, to pay tax to the government, the income tax. So similarly, we have got obligation to the devatās, the demigods, the ṛṣis, the saintly sages, because we are receiving knowledge from them. Just like Vyāsadeva. He has given us this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We are reading. We are getting knowledge, perfect knowledge. Then we are obliged to our surrounding living entities, neighbors, countrymen, and others. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta, the animals also. We are taking service from the animals. The cow is giving milk. The camel is carrying our load. The ass is carrying our load. So many animals... Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇām, general, people in general, we are obliged. So obligations, there are so many. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇām (SB 11.5.41). Pitṛs, our forefathers, the dynasty or the family in which we have taken birth.

Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. He is Brahmā's guru. Then who can be better guru than Kṛṣṇa? Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He instructed Brahmā. Brahmā instructed Nārada, and Nārada instructed Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva has given us so many literatures. This is called paramparā system. Vedavyāsa. Vyāsadeva has given us four Vedas: Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva; then explained them in the 108 Purāṇas. Then again, he has summarized them in Vedānta-sūtra. Then again, he has explained the Vedānta-sūtra by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya. In every chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find this statement by Vyāsadeva, brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya. Brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya is not that Śaṅkara's bhāṣya, Śārīraka-bhāṣya. That is artificial. Here the brahma-sūtra-bhāṣya. Brahma-sūtra is written by Vyāsadeva, and because he knew that in future so many rascals will misinterpret this Brahma-sūtra, therefore he compiled personally the bhāṣya of Brahma-sūtra. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇāṁ vedārtha-paribṛṁhitam **: "The meaning of the Vedas is completely described, and it is the original comment on Brahma-sūtra."

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

There is spiritual world. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ: (BG 8.20) "There is another bhāva, nature." What is the nature? Sarveṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati: "When the material world, this cosmic manifestation, the phenomenal world, will be finished, that will stay. That will not be finished." There are many example. Just like mirage in the desert. Sometimes you see there is vast mass of water in the desert. The animal runs after the water, being thirsty, but there is no water. Therefore the animal dies. But human being should not be like the animal. They should raise their standard. They have got special consciousness. They can raise their standard of understanding by these literatures, Vedic literatures given by God. Vyāsadeva is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, so he has given us the Vedic literature. Therefore his name is Vedavyāsa, incarnation of God, Vedavyāsa. Mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā paraiḥ. There is no need of speculating. Just follow Vyāsadeva in the disciplic succession. Vyāsadeva's disciple is Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni's disciple is Vyāsadeva. So in this paramparā system: if we receive knowledge, then that is perfect knowledge. So we have to accept it. Niścayātmikā.

Lecture on SB 3.26.31 -- Bombay, January 8, 1975:

We have to see how wonderfully the subtle actions are described in Sāṅkhya philosophy by Kapiladeva. There are many modern psychologist, scientist, physicist, but they cannot analyze the subtle function that is going on, creating things as they are. Superficially we can see, but how things are taking place, that can be described in the Vedic literatures, not any other book. Therefore it is said, vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ: "One who has studied Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam thoroughly, he has seen the end of knowledge." And actually, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the commentary or explanation on the Vedānta-sūtra. Vyāsadeva made Vedānta-sūtra, the ultimate knowledge, and he made his comment also, natural commentary. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. At the end of every chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find, brahma-sūtrasya bhāṣya: "It is the natural comment of Brahma-sūtra." So if we study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam very thoroughly and specifically from a person bhāgavata, then our life is successful. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā (SB 1.2.18). That is the instruction, nityam.

Lecture on SB 3.26.32 -- Bombay, January 9, 1975:

At least we, Kṛṣṇa conscious men, we don't accept this nonsensical proposition. Our knowledge is derived-tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is Vedic injunction. "If you want to know perfectly, if you want to have perfect knowledge," tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva, "you must approach guru." Here is guru, Kapiladeva, or Kṛṣṇa, God. God is guru, original guru. God gave lessons to Brahmā. Brahmā gave lessons to Nārada. Nārada gave lessons to Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva gave lessons to us. This is Vyāsadeva's contribution. And if you follow this disciplic succession, then you get perfect knowledge. Otherwise, if you speculate, then you are in darkness, tamasi. What power you have got? All your senses are imperfect. How you can get perfect knowledge? That is not possible. Therefore the injunction is, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "You must go to guru." And who is guru? This paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).

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

So we have to become advanced in spiritual understanding. And people, the so-called artists, they indulge in Kṛṣṇa's pictures, His dealings with the gopīs. That is not very good. That is misleading. People may think, and actually that happens. If without being mature, without being advanced in spiritual consciousness, if one tries to understand or see Kṛṣṇa-līlā with the gopīs, then he will be misled. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you will find, rigidly He discussed this Kṛṣṇa-līlā with very confidential devotee, Rāmānanda Rāya, not with others. He never discussed with Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya or Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He discussed on philosophy of Māyāvāda, but not on Kṛṣṇa-līlā. Kṛṣṇa-līlā He discussed with Rāmānanda Rāya, most confidential devotee. And to understand Kṛṣṇa, Vyāsadeva has devoted nine chapter, nine cantos. And then, from Tenth Canto, he begins Kṛṣṇa-līlā.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

This is Fifth Chapter of the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the last contribution of Vyāsadeva. Śrīmad-bhāgavatam nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam (SB 1.1.3). In the beginning, introduction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vyāsadeva giving the information that this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam. Nigama means Vedas. So he compared the Vedas as a tree where you can get many fruits. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is described as nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam (SB 1.1.3). Kalpa-taru means desire tree. Desire tree, you can get any kind of fruit from that tree. In the material world there are many different types of trees, fruits, and flowers, but you can get one type of fruit or one type of flower from a particular type of tree. But there is another tree. That is in the spiritual world. That is called desire tree. Whatever you want from that tree you can get. Kalpa-taru. The spiritual world, description of the spiritual world is there in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa (Bs. 5.29). There the trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa, or nigama-kalpa-taru. Kalpa-taru or kalpa-vṛkṣa, the same thing.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

So Vedas means knowledge. So from the Vedas you can get all kinds of knowledge, both material and spiritual. Therefore it is called Veda, knowledge. So in that tree of knowledge the ripened fruit is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is written by Vyāsadeva after writing four Vedas and the eighteen Purāṇas, the 108 Upaniṣads, then Vedānta-sūtra, and Mahābhārata, in which Bhagavad-gītā is set up. So after compiling all these Vedic literatures Vyāsadeva was not satisfied. Then his spiritual master advised him to describe the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhagavāt. Bhagavān. The word Bhagavāt and... Bhāgavata is also in relationship with Bhagavāt or Bhagavān. So every śloka of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of spiritual information. If we take advantage of this great Vedic literature, then we become fully aware of Bhagavān and the devotees of Bhagavān. Therefore it is named Bhāgavatam. But this Bhāgavatam has to be studied from the very beginning and take the lessons from live bhāgavata. There are two kinds of Bhāgavatam—one, this grantha bhāgavatam, and the other is a person bhāgavatam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised that if you want to understand Bhāgavatam, then you must approach a person whose life is Bhāgavatam. He said, bhāgavata para-giya bhāgavata sthane, that "If we learn, listen, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the person bhāgavatam, then it is very easy to understand the spiritual knowledge given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam."

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

It is not civilization. If we think over these two lines, then we can find out that our modern civilization... It was formerly also the same, but not so extensively. At the present moment, in this age of Kali, the hog civilization is spread very widely. Therefore this instruction is very important. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Human life means very peaceful life, without any trouble. That is Vedic civilization. These books written by Vyāsadeva, he was writing these books, such exalted knowledge, in Hardwar, in a secluded place, very peacefully situated. And that knowledge was taken by the kṣatriyas, and they were distributing. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Vedic knowledge was first of all taken up by the kṣatriyas. Brāhmaṇas, they used to cultivate knowledge and they used to advise the kṣatriyas, rulers, and they took it and they distributed to the general mass of people for the elevation of the spiritual platform. This is civilization. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). This is creation of God, cātur-varṇyaṁ: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. This is called varṇa, and as spiritual cultivation, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. So our civilization, Vedic civilization, means varṇāśrama-dharma, following the four principles of varṇas and four principles of āśrama. The ultimate goal is God realization. That is the human civilization.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

So śāstra-cakṣuṣāt: our knowledge should be through the śāstra. That is practical. And our process of knowledge is this: we get knowledge from śāstra, like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedic knowledge. We do not claim to be very big scientists. That is not possible. But we get knowledge from the best scientific man or person, the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, later on the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, Caitanya. Our process of knowledge is not any speculation: "It may be," "Perhaps." No. We don't accept this knowledge. "It may be," "Perhaps"—these are all foolishness. That means one who has no perfect knowledge, he will say, "It may be," "Perhaps." One who has definite knowledge, why he will say, "It may be"? It must be. That is knowledge. Just like we get knowledge from the śāstra, jalajā nava-lakṣāni: "There are nine hundred thousand species or forms of life in the water." So we have not gone into the water, but we get from the authorities, Padma Purāṇa, and we accept it. So our process of knowledge... You may say that "You have not practically experimented," but what you have experimented? You also hear from others. You believe that they have gone to moon planet. You have not gone. You have heard from somebody in the newspaper, that's all. That is your authority. So if you can believe in the newspaper, then I cannot believe in the śāstras?

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

So if our Kṛṣṇa consciousness improves, then we may be satisfied whatever is kṛṣṇa-prasāda. That's Kṛṣṇa cons... Whatever Kṛṣṇa has offered me, that is sufficient. No more. Then our problem of sense gratification is solved. Similarly, your bread problem is solved, your apartment problem is solved. If you make your life very simple and shortcut, then the balance time you can utilize for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the program. This is the program of Vedic civilization. You'll find great scholars, Vyāsadeva... There is no comparison of his scholarship, how many... Now, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he has written eighteen thousand verses. And not only Śrīmad-... He has written eighteen Purāṇas. Out of eighteen Purāṇas the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is one Purāṇa. And in one Purāṇa you find eighteen thousand verses, and each and every word is so meaningful that you study throughout your whole life, oh, still you'll find refreshed. Why this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? There is Mahābhārata. And out of the Mahābhārata the Bhagavad-gītā is only one chapter, seven hundred verses. Such a great scholar was living in a cottage. You see. Not only that. He was, of course, brāhmaṇa, he was saintly... But he was family man. He had his wife, he had his children.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

Brahma-sūtra, as propounded by Vyāsa is one. It is only one. But after reading Brahma-sūtra, the bhāṣyas, Śaṅkara-bhāṣya, Madhva-bhāṣya, and Śrī-bhāṣya as written by Rāmānujācārya, all these things differ in many ways, and they leave us confused to know what is actually existing. Am I to follow this or that or this? Because "Jagat is mithyā," it is said by Śaṅkarācārya. Madhvācārya says, "It's not mithyā. It is realistic." It's contradiction. And Rāmānuja used another way of explanation, that he says, "It is that, and it is this." And in that way, tava dāsaḥ aham, Madhvācārya says, "I am your slave." Tava dāsaḥ aham, tava dāso 'ham. But Śaṅkarācārya says, "No. Ātmā itself is Paramātmā. There is no question of his saying, tava dāso 'ham." Like that, jagan mithyā, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. And then we see, as propounded by Śaṅkarācārya, as explained by Śaṅkarācārya, the same it is said by Madhvācārya as jagat satyam and brahma satyam: "Both are satya." And when Śaṅkarācārya says that jagan mithyā brahma satyam, the same Brahma-sūtra it is taken up by Madhvācārya in a different way. He says jagan mithyā, er, I'm sorry, jagat satyam and brahma satyam. And Rāmānuja says in a different way again, most confusing, he says at some stage, "It is realistic, and at a different stage it becomes unrealistic." So, in so many factors, I find that there are so many contradictions there. If you kindly clarify the matter in a very clear and straightforward manner, I will be and people will be much obliged to you. So Swamiji will have to say something about this, whether the world is temporary, or whether the world is unrealistic or not, or is it realistic. And if it is realistic, why Śaṅkarācārya has said that it is mithyā, and Rāmānujācārya says, "At one stage it is realistic, and after some stage it becomes unrealistic"? And therefore I want clarification so that I can understand.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

So we must have common sense to understand and understand through other sources also. As Madhvācārya says, "No, jagat satyam, that is fact." How you can say this jagat is false? It is not false. Besides that, that Vyāsadeva, he's the compiler of Vedānta-sūtra, and he has commented himself about Vedānta-sūtra. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **. And at the end of each chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you'll find, brahma-sūtrasya bhāṣya. So, when the author is giving a commentary personally, we should accept that. Why others? So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary given by Vyāsadeva. We should accept. And it begins... Because it is commentary on Brahma-sūtra, therefore it begins with the sūtra, Brahma-sūtra: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). This is the explanation. So the conclusion is that we Vaiṣṇavas, we do not say that this jagat is mithyā. No. The jagat is satyam. Unless the jagat is satyam, how we are approaching God, the Absolute Truth through this material, I mean to say, world. How it is possible? You cannot approach the truth through false thing. That is not possible.

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

Everywhere we'll find the same thing. That is standard knowledge. Not that I am saying something, you are saying something. That is not Vedic knowledge. That is speculation. Vedic knowledge means wherever you take, it is the same thing. There is no difference. Either you read Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or the Cātur-Veda or Upaniṣad or Vedānta, you'll find the same conclusion. That is Vedic knowledge. They are instructed, they are arranged in such a way that according to the position of the person one can understand. This is the Vedic scheme. The Purāṇas and the Mahābhārata, they are meant for the less intelligent class of men who cannot understand directly the Vedic instruction. But gradually by reading historical fact and instances, they can understand. Trayī na śruti-gocarā. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Vyāsadeva worked very hard to awaken the human society to the Vedic knowledge. And what is that Vedic knowledge? To understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). That is Vedic knowledge. Otherwise you are a big Vedānti, big student of Upaniṣad, and so on, so on, but you do not know Kṛṣṇa, what He is—it is useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). That is simply wasting time.

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

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

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

So this is the position. Hari-jana means persons like Nārada, Vyāsa, Asita, like that, the personal servant of Kṛṣṇa. By rubber-stamp—"hari-jana..." In Bengali it is said, kana chela nama padma locana (?): "One son is blind, and the father has given the name 'lotus-eyed.' " So that you can do out of affection. A blind child you can call "lotus-eyed," that is your business. But lotus-eyed means something else. Very beautiful eyes, then you can say "lotus-eyed." So this is going on. I want some political aims, so I stamp the chamars and bhangis as hari-jana. That's all. That you can call for your political purpose. But hari-jana does not mean that. Here it is, a example of hari-jana, parama bhāgavatan. Parama bhāgavata means the highest stage of devotees. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī, and then uttama-adhikārī. He is parama-bhāgavata. He has no enemy. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, he worships the Deity, but he does not know how to do good to others, neither he knows who is devotee. In the kaniṣṭha-adhikara, in the lower stage of devotional service, one cannot distinguish. But he should be engaged fully in Deity worship so that gradually he will develop his mahā-bhāgavata stage. And madhyama-adhikārī means he knows how to make others hari-jana, or devotee.

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

Kīrtanīya. This preaching means kīrtana, not that simply with mṛdaṅga we can have musical kīrtana. No. Preaching is also kīrtana. Abhavad vaiyāsaki-kīrtane. Vaiyāsaki, the son of Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply described Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and became perfect. Abhavad vaiyāsaki-kīrtane. Śrī-viṣṇu-śravaṇe parīkṣit. Parīkṣit Mahārāja simply listened; he became perfect. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī simply described. That is also kīrtana. So this is also kīrtana. As Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī teaching us, he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrād caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: "You are sādhu, best person, noble, but this is my request." This is humbleness. If you say, "Oh, you are a karmī, you are a mūḍha..." Actually he's a mūḍha, but don't... In the beginning, if you say, then there will be no opportunity to speak. He is a mūḍha, that there is no... Working like hogs and dogs day and night for sense gratification, certainly he is mūḍha, karmī. Similarly, jñānī, they are simply speculating. That logic, kākā-taliya nyāya: "Whether the crow first of all sat down on the palm fruit; then the palm fruit fell down? Or the palm fruit fell down; therefore the crow could not sit on the palm fruit?" Logic. One paṇḍita said, "No, no. First of all, the palm fruit fell down, and the crow wanted to sit down on it, so he could not." Now another paṇḍita says, "No, no. The palm fruit was there, and because the crow sat down on it, it fell down." Now this is logic. They are wasting time speculating. Kākā-taliya nyāya. Kupa-manduka-nyāya. There are.

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

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

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād

bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje

lokasyājānato vidvāṁś

cakre sātvata-saṁhitām

(SB 1.7.6)

So you read this satvata-saṁhitā very carefully, then anartha, this unnecessary changing of body, will be stopped.

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

Amalam means there is no material contamination, pure description. Therefore Vyāsadeva, from the very beginning he says that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām: (SB 1.1.2) "This book is not meant for the person who is envious." Envious... You begin enviousness from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). The envious person will say, "Oh, this is too much. Why shall I surrender to Kṛṣṇa? I am also Kṛṣṇa. I am also God. This is too much." This is rascaldom. The actual fact is that we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, we have forgotten it, and therefore we have become servant of māyā. We are suffering, and Kṛṣṇa, out of His kindness, He comes to prove that the living entities are eternal servant and He is the eternal master. Still, because they are contaminated, contaminated by the yogamāyā, contaminated by māyā, mahāmāyā... Mahāmāyā. Yā devī sarva-bhūteṣu nidrā-rūpeṇa saṁśritā(?). Mahāmāyā. This material energy is described in the Chandi, yā devī sarva-bhūteṣu nidrā-rūpeṇa saṁśritā(?). (S)he's keeping everyone in sleeping, more dozes. Utthiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpta varān nibodhata. And therefore Veda says that "Don't sleep. Get up, rascal. Get up. This is the opportunity." But no. Yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ. Yogamāyā is keeping him in sleeping condition. Nidrālasya. So we should be very careful. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also: jīv jago jīv jago gauracandra bole. The Gauracandra's mission is to awaken the conditioned soul. Jīv jago jīv jago gauracandra... Kota nidrā yāo māyā-piśācīra kole. How long we shall sleep? We are thinking that "I am sleeping at the lap of my beloved mother." Don't do this. Get up. The Vedic vācana: utthiṣṭhata jagrāta prāpta varān nibodhata. We should be very careful that we have got this body, human form of body, and we should not sleep. Sleeping means ignorance. Māyā andha-kara. Just like at night we sleep because it is darkness. But during daytime we do not sleep, generally. That is the way.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, May 7, 1976:

Adhuna—"just now"; mahā-bhāga—"O the most fortunate." Parīkṣit Mahārāja is addressed as mahā-bhāga. Mahā means great, and bhāga, the same bhāga from the word bhaga, bhāga. Bhagavān and bhāgyavān, mahā-bhāga—these terms are applicable to the very, very great fortunate, opulent. Actually Bhagavān, this word, is applicable to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā, you will find, whenever Kṛṣṇa is speaking, Vyāsadeva has written, śrī bhagavān uvāca. Real Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Everyone has got little fortune, opulence, but nobody is comparable with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the śāstra it is said, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: "Real Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa," The supreme controller. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). But if one has got little favor of Kṛṣṇa, he is called bhāgyavān, not Bhagavān; bhāgyavān, fortunate. The word is coming from the same bhaga. I have several times explained. Bhaga means richness, bhaga means influence, bhaga means bodily strength, bhaga means knowledge, bhaga means beauty, and bhaga means renunciation. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). And bhaga means reputation, fame.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Honolulu, May 7, 1976:

So here Śukadeva Gosvāmī is addressed as mahā-bhāga. Mahā means great, and bhāga means fortunate. Because he is very fortunate, he is describing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Again Bhāgavatam, the same word bhaga comes. Bhagavat. Bhagavat. Vat, this word, is used when the meaning is "possessing." Asty arthe vatup. Bhagavān, bhāgyavān and bhagavat. Bhāgavat means one who has power to possess the Supreme Lord. He is called bhāgavata. There are two kinds of bhāgavata: one is grantha-bhāgavata and one is person bhāgavata. A devotee, he is called bhāgavata, and the book in which the pastimes or characteristics of Bhagavān is described, that is called Bhāgavata. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavata... Śrī means beauty. Again vat. Bhagavat, Śrīvat. Śrī means very beautiful. So every śloka you'll find very, very beautiful. Five thousand years ago these verses were written. There is no comparison. Nobody can write such verses even up to date. It was written by Vyāsadeva, Veda-vyasa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

So if we read different scriptures, then we are also bewildered and we cannot come to the conclusions by arguments. And nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And if you read different speculative methods or philosophical doctrines, that is also different from one another. Because the philosophy, one philosopher is big philosopher if he can defy his predecessor philosophers. Matam na bhinnam. Therefore, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. Therefore the truth of a religious path is in oblivion. How one can understand what is actual Absolute Truth, what is the religious path? The last instruction is mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Therefore you have to follow the footprints of authority. You can take anyone as you authority, as authority, but according to Bhāgavata there are twelve authorities. That is also mentioned. They are authorized persons from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they have got disciplic succession. The twelve authorities are Brahmā, Nārada, Lord Śiva and Kumāra, Manu and Lord Kapila, Bhīṣma and Prahlāda, Janaka and Yamarāja and this Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who is speaking the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vaiyāsaki. Vaiyāsaki means "the son of Vyāsadeva." And they have got their disciplic succession. And if we receive that knowledge from disciplic succession, then we can get perfect knowledge. That is the process of Vedic way.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:

So Ṛṣabhadeva says, na sādhu manye: "This is not good." Why? Yata ātmano 'yam: "Because you have got already this material body, this temporary body." So "That's all right. I have got this temporary body. It will be finished." No. Asann api kleśada: "Although it is temporary, so long you will possess this material body, you will have to suffer so many suffering, threefold miseries." So they don't care for it because illiterate. Not illiterate—ignorant. Literary knowledge is not sufficient. There must be real knowledge. The real knowledge you will get from the Vedas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Real knowledge you will get from guru, from Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). That is real knowledge. Otherwise, anything has got some knowledge, that knowledge is not sufficient.

So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of knowledge. It is specially compiled by Vyāsadeva to help the foolish human society and save him from all kinds of miserable condition of life.

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

The Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, "O son of Vedavyasa..." The Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vedavyasa... Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the son of Vyāsadeva. He answered, "My dear king, since acts meant to neutralize impious action are also fruitive, they will not relieve one from the tendency to act fruitively. Persons who subject themselves to the rules and regulation of atonement are not at all intelligent. Indeed, they are in the mode of darkness. Unless one is freed from the mode of ignorance, trying to counteract one action through another is useless because this will not uproot one's desire. Thus, even though one may superficially seem pious, he will undoubtedly be prone to act impiously. Therefore real atonement is enlightenment in perfect knowledge, Vedānta, by which one understands the Supreme Absolute Truth." In this verse there is one particular word, vimarśanam. The meaning of this vimarśanam: "full knowledge of Vedānta."

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Honolulu, May 10, 1976:

So here the Bhāgavata-kathā, that is transcendental knowledge. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja has approached the right person, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Why? Because he is the disciple and son of Vyāsadeva. So this is paramparā. One should learn from the right person, that is perfect knowledge. We are sticking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because to receive perfect knowledge. If we change, if we become so rascal that "What has spoken in the Vedic literature, there is beyond, something," then we are rascal. There is no beyond. This is perfect knowledge. So how to take perfect knowledge? Tad viddhi. First of all you try to learn. Tad viddhi. How to learn? Where to learn? Praṇipātena, fully surrendered. If you find somebody that he is somebody important where you can surrender fully, from him... Tad viddhi praṇipāta... This is. Our process of Vedic knowledge is how to surrender, not that I hear and I reject it. That is not the way. That is another rascaldom. First of all find out the person where you can surrender.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:

Similarly this tyāgena means to practice, to give everything to Kṛṣṇa. Everything. Tyāgena. Śamena damena tyāgena. This is the different steps of elevating yourself to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca, tyāgena satya-śaucābhyām (SB 6.1.13). Satya means truthfulness. One should know what is truth, ultimate truth, Absolute Truth. We are concerned with relative truths, but we have to know the Absolute Truth. Just like in the Bhāgavata Vyāsadeva is offering his respect, obeisances: satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). "I offer my respect to the Supreme Truth, not to the relative truth." We are concerned with relative truth, categorical truth, not the summum bonum. Śaucābhyām: cleanliness. This is also required. Cleanliness. You should take bath, twice, thrice, at least once. That is hygienic. Bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ. One should be cleansed. Bāhya means externally, and abhyantara, internally. Externally, you take soap, water, soda, and cleanse yourself, body. Take bath, cleanse, keep your clothing very cleansed. Unclean habit will not help you, unclean habit. Cleanliness is godliness. Truthful. Truthfulness. These are the qualities of brāhmaṇa. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam āstikyaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. Those who are brāhmaṇas, they must be qualified with all these symptoms. Satyam. This satyam, truthful. How truthful? You, even before your enemies, you'll disclose everything. Such truthful. That is the instruction of ācāryas.

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975:

Therefore we should accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme God. It is stated in all śāstras, and Arjuna also, who listened Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, he also accepted. After hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). So our process is to follow the predecessor. The Arjuna, he accepted. Not only Arjuna. "Arjuna may be His friend. He might have accepted his friend as God." No. Kṛṣṇa is accepted by the greatest learned scholar, Vyāsadeva, and greatest saintly person, Nārada. That is Vyāsadeva writes in his Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that "I have given description of different incarnation of God." He has given so many incarnation. At last, he concludes that "Although Kṛṣṇa came as incarnation, but He is not incarnation. He is the incarnate. From Him, all incarnations come." Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). As soon as you say "incarnation," the next question will be, "Whose incarnation?" That Vyāsadeva explains, that Kṛṣṇa's incarnation Kṛṣṇa is not incarnation. Kṛṣṇa is personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the statement of Vyāsadeva, the most learned. He is accepted the most, actually. Who can be more learned than Vyāsadeva in this material world? Nobody. You can see his writing, Bhāgavatam, how exalted, scholarly. Nobody can write such verses at the present moment. It is not possible. Each and every word is full of meaning and so nicely set up. Therefore it is said, vidvān cakre sātvata-saṁhitām: "The vidvān, the most learned Vyāsadeva, has given us the sātvata-saṁhitā."

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

So it is the natural comment by Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is the writer of Vedānta philosophy, and he has written a comment personally so that in future, rascals may not misrepresent Vedānta. There are so many bhāṣyas, but that is not commentary. Real commentary... The author knows what he wants to speak. So Vedānta is the compilation by Vyāsadeva. So he knows what he wants to speak. What others have got the right? Just like Bhagavad-gītā. The purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is known by Kṛṣṇa. Why the rascals comment in different way? They may write their rascal philosophy other... Why they touch Bhagavad-gītā and give different interpretation? They have no right. I have written a book; I have got my purpose. Why you should poke your nose and make it a different purpose? This is very mischievous rascaldom. So we want to stop this. We present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, as Kṛṣṇa says. We don't allow any rascal to comment upon Bhagavad-gītā in a different way. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is very natural. If you have got a different type of philosophy, you can write. Why you should touch Bhagavad-gītā and misrepresent it? So because they are śūdras—their business is to cheat—they do that. But a brāhmaṇa will not do that. Yathānugītānām. Yathānugītānām. Brāhmaṇa means as it is, they will describe. That is brāhmaṇa. And if one has got some motive, that "Bhagavad-gītā is popular book. Let me utilize it and make my rascal philosophy popular..." This is going on. Big, big politician, big, big mental speculator... No. That is wrong. That is... A brāhmaṇa should present as it is. Yathānugītānām. This word is used.

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

If you actually want śānti, peace, then you try to understand only three things. What is that? Sarva-loka-maheśvaram: Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of everything. Just like we ask every day, "Who is the proprietor of the sea?" They do not know. Theories. But Kṛṣṇa said, "I am the proprietor," sarva-loka-maheśvaram, "not only of this sea." This Pacific Ocean is only one, insignificant. There are millions of Pacific Ocean flying in the sky. So who is the proprietor? Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am." You are not proprietor. There must be some proprietor. So who is that proprietor? Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the proprietor." You have to know it, whether Kṛṣṇa is not proprietor. He says, "I am proprietor," but if you are doubtful, prove that He is not proprietor. But that you cannot do. Or bring another person who can claim like that, that "I am the proprietor." Therefore you have to accept Kṛṣṇa as the proprietor. And it is accepted by all great personalities. Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, all the ācāryas, Nimbārka, then Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, and our worshipable Deity, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Everyone has accepted. So unless we are grand fool, we can't deny this. It is not possible. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). We have to take knowledge by the disciplic succession.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

But here Bhāgavata says, naṣṭa-sadācāra. As soon as... How? Dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ: "Because he is attached with a prostitute, he has lost all his qualifications." At the present moment to become attached to a prostitute is no fault. The society accepts: "Oh, that's all... Young man goes to that." Does not mind. But he does not know that this association will make him fall down to the lowest stage of human life. And that is stated next, that he used to live on these principles—beg, borrow, steal and gambling—and he was degraded. And how he was degraded? That will be explained. So people do not take care of their śāstras. They make their own interpretation and therefore India's position is so fallen. They are guided. The great ṛṣis and great sages, they have given them guidance. Vyāsadeva has given guidance. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitā. It is stated. "People are rascals, fools. In order to teach them nicely, this highest learned personality, Vyāsadeva, created the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Lokasya ajānataḥ. Ajānataḥ means rascals who has no knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

Whatever abominable characteristics we have developed, if we want to counteract it, we have to take to bhakti-yoga only. Anartha. Anartha. We have developed so many anartha. We don't require it, but we have developed all these symptoms. So anartha upaśamam. So if you want to cut down these anarthas, then bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje—you have to accept this bhakti-yoga principle to the adhoksaja. Lokasya ajānato: "These rascal men, they do not know it." Therefore vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitā: "The most learned Vyāsadeva compiled this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." And they do not take care of Bhāgavata. They do not take care of Bhagavad-gītā. They take care of a book written by some rascal leaders. That's all. The aim of that book is to kill Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So how you can improve? It is not possible. If they actually want improvement, not only this country or that country, whole world to world, one has to take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement; otherwise it is doomed. So we are giving the best service to the human society—Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You came yesterday? No. This gentleman? Yes? No, you are coming first? So that boy, he was to immediately offer his service to join us. "We can join you if you flatter me.

Lecture on SB 6.1.26-27 -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

Je prasāde pūre sarva āśā. Yasya prasādāt... This is the instruction in the whole Vaiṣṇava philosophy. So unless we do that, we remain mūḍha, and this is explained in this Ajāmila-upākhyāna. So today we are reading this verse, sa evaṁ vartamānaḥ ajñaḥ. Again he says. Again Vyāsadeva says that "This rascal was situated in that, absorbed in the service of his son, Nārāyaṇa, of the name." He did not know... "What is this nonsense Nārāyaṇa?" He knew his son. But Nārāyaṇa is so merciful that because he was constantly calling his son, "Nārāyaṇa, please come here. Nārāyaṇa, please take this," so Kṛṣṇa was taking that "He is chanting 'Nārāyaṇa.' " Kṛṣṇa is so merciful. He never meant that "I am going to Nārāyaṇa." He wanted his son because he was affectionate. But he got the opportunity of chanting the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. This is his good fortune. Therefore, according to this, we change the name. Why? Because every name is meant for becoming a servant of Kṛṣṇa. So just like Upendra. Upendra means Vāmanadeva. So if you call "Upendra, Upendra," or similarly, that name is taken account of. So that will be explained later on.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:

There are three types of experience. One kind of experience is direct experience. That is third-class. And another experience is by history, by books. And another experience is by hearing from the Supreme. So we are gathering experience by hearing from the Supreme. Just like here Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He has heard it from his father, Vyāsadeva. His father has heard it from Nārada Muni, his spiritual master. Nārada Muni has heard it from Brahmā, the first living creature within this universe. And Brahmā has heard it from Kṛṣṇa. This is called paramparā system. So this kind of knowledge is perfect knowledge. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). This Vivasvān... Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Kṛṣṇa said, "I first of all narrated this yoga system to Vivasvān, Vivasvān, the sun-god." Vivasvān manave prāha: "So Vivasvān, the sun-god, from him, Manu heard it." Here also it is said, vaivasvata-puraḥsarāḥ. The vaivasvata, this word, comes from Vivasvān. The Yamarāja is authorized because he also heard everything about truth from Vivasvān. Therefore his name is vaivasvata-puraḥsarāḥ. And his servants, they heard it from their master. This is the way. This is the way of understanding.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1976:

So they were surprised, wherefrom these beautiful... They never experienced. Because these Yamadūtas, they generally... Just like police. Police go to the thieves, rogues and criminals. They have very little opportunity to see very beautiful, aristocratic, nice family. They have no possibility because they are invited by this class (indistinct) or they are forced to go there. So these Yamadūtas, they are accustomed to go to the sinful men like Ajāmila and many others. Their business is to arrest the sinful soul and take the soul to Yamarāja. So they were very much surprised by seeing these beautiful Viṣṇudūta. Viṣṇudūta. So don't think it is mythology. No. This is fact. Vyāsadeva or big big saintly persons, they have no business to present before you something mythology. Why they should waste time in that way? It is simply rascaldom to think all the statement as mythology. Not mythology. We have no knowledge. In the śāstra we understand, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasya prabhā. The rays of Kṛṣṇa's body, when it is expanded, brahma-jyotir, within that brahma-jyotir there are innumerable universes.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1976:

So God's arrangement is so nice that everything is going on nicely. There is brain behind it. Why there is sunshine, why there is moonshine, everything described. You'll read in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, moon is the cause of vegetation, and there is no vegetation, that's all. Moon is the cause of vegetation in all planets, and they say there is no vegetation, it is simply dust. So we have to believe it? And when you present actual fact, it is mysticism or mythology. Anyway, we are not concerned with their statement. Our process is to know things from the śāstra. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya tinete kariya aikya. Our process is deductive, not inductive. We take knowledge, just like this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam written by Vyāsadeva under the instruction of his guru, spiritual master, Nārada. So Nārada advised him that "You have written so many books: Purāṇas, Vedas, Vedānta." Vyāsadeva said, "Still I am not feeling very satisfied." So Nārada Muni advised him that "You are not feeling satisfied because you have not described about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the defect. So now you have got mature experience. You describe simply about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa." So therefore he wrote the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, eighteen thousand verses. So each verse, we are reading suppose one verse daily, or two verses. So eighteen thousand verses, how long it will take? At least five thousand days. So five thousand days, how many years?

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

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are trying again to bring them to this Vedic civilization. Here it is stated, veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ. If you take to the Vedic principles of life, then you become religious. And what is that Vedic principle? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa says, "Vedic principle means to know Me, Kṛṣṇa." Vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. Veda-praṇihito dharmaḥ. And what is Veda? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. So... "But there is Vedānta?" Yes. Vedānta-kṛd vedānta-vid aham: "I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I know what is Vedānta." So whatever Kṛṣṇa says, that is Vedānta. And other so-called Vedantists, they are nonsense. They do not know what is Vedānta. Here is. Kṛṣṇa says, vedānta-vit: "I know what is Vedānta." "Why You know?" Vedānta-kṛt: "I have compiled Vedānta." In the incarnation of Vyāsadeva, Vyāsadeva incarnation, Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa... Mahā-muni-kṛte. Mahā-muni, the great sage, Vyāsadeva, is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So he has compiled Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore he knows what is Vedānta. And because Vedānta is being misinterpreted by the rascals, therefore Vyāsadeva personally has commented on Vedānta-sūtra by writing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore he begins Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with the first aphorism of Vedānta, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ (SB 1.1.1).

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

So whatever knowledge we are getting from the śāstras in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is not manufactured by man. It is not man-made knowledge. The knowledge was received by, through, knowledge was imparted or instructed by Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā received it, and from Brahma, Nārada received it. From Nārada, Vyāsadeva received it, and Vyāsadeva is writing this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). Great learned sages, saintly persons, they're always thinking how the people will be happy Vaisvana. Para duḥkha-duḥkhi: he is always unhappy for unhappiness of the people in general, public. That is Vaiṣṇava. Para duḥkha-duḥkhi. Just like in the Western country Lord Jesus Christ, he was unhappy for others. So that is the business of devotee, God's son or God's devotee. That is the duty, that people are suffering on account of proper knowledge, and the most grievous ignorance is without any knowledge of God. That is the most dangerous ignorance. Because human life is meant for understanding God. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. But they do not care to understand God. Then animal life: "Where is food, where is sex, where is apartment, and where is defense force?" this is going on.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Los Angeles, June 11, 1976:

It has been very broadly described by Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī. Read all this. Don't try to imitate. That is sahajiyā. We should know the position of Kṛṣṇa. His expansion of pleasure potency. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's līlā is put into the middle of the Tenth Canto. First of all, try to understand Kṛṣṇa from the very beginning. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). What is Kṛṣṇa? Vāsudeve, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. So what is Vāsudeva? Janmādy asya yato. Here is the original source of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). First of all, try to understand Kṛṣṇa. So therefore Vyāsadeva has dedicated full nine cantos for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). (break)...siddhis, they think of gopīs. That is recommended in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, siddha-deha. Where is siddha? And siddha-deha means there is no more any material lusty desires. That is siddha-deha. Yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne. So long we shall think of nārī-saṅga, association, unity with woman, we must consider this is material body. Not siddha body. Siddha body means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). All material desires, zero. That is siddha body. So therefore it is very confidential. But to clear it, that "How Kṛṣṇa accepted to dance with so many gopīs," this was for clearance.

Lecture on SB 6.1.63 -- Vrndavana, August 30, 1975:

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Those who have taken birth in India, Bhāratabhūmi, they should make their life perfect by understanding the Vedic knowledge. And the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa comes here to teach the Vedic knowledge. He left Bhagavad-gītā. Then Vyāsadeva developed the idea of Kṛṣṇa consciousness from Bhagavad-gītā, Vedānta-sūtra, into Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyayaṁ brahma-sutrānām. So we have got this advantage, and we are giving up these advantages. First of all, the advantage is that we are born in India, and we have got the stock of knowledge left by great sages, ṛṣis and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And you are not taking advantage of it. How much foolish we are becoming by so-called education, we should understand that. It is graha-grasta. We are thinking that... Our leaders are thinking that India, becoming too much religiously conscious, they have been poverty-stricken. No. That is not the fact. By Kṛṣṇa's desire, by Kṛṣṇa's will, everyone is provided. In the Vedas it is said, yo eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The Supreme Lord is quite competent to provide, to supply the necessities of life to millions and millions of living entities.

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

So the Vedic injunction, tattva-jijñāsā, that is the first aphorism in the Vedānta-sūtra. Athāto brahma-jijñāsāḥ: "The human form of life is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth." Therefore Bhāgavata explains, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That is the explanation of Brahma-sutra. Therefore you will find at the end of each chapter of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-purāṇe brahma-sutra-bhasye. The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is the real comment on Brahma-sutra, Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra was compiled by Vyāsadeva. He summarized all the Vedic knowledge, summarized all Vedic knowledge into Brahma-sutra, in nutshell. Then he was not satisfied, although he made so many Purāṇas, Mahābhārata, Brahma-sutra, Upaniṣads and... Means these were correct. He wrote into letters in the book. Being compassionate on the people of this age, all fools and rascals—they have no good memory—therefore he compiled all these Vedas into writing. Before that, there was no writing. People were so sharp in memory, simply by hearing from the guru, they will remember. Simply. The education and the brain and the capacity was so nice. So that is not possible in the age. Everything is diminishing. The strength, bodily strength, is diminishing. The memory is diminishing. The duration of life is diminishing. Man's propensity to be merciful is diminishing. At the present moment, even in the civilized world, so-called civilized, if one man is being killed on the open street, nobody will go and help him because the tendency for showing mercy to others, that is diminishing. And bodily strength is diminishing. Memory is diminishing. Dharma, the principle of religion, that is diminishing. This is calculated. Therefore brahma-jijñāsā.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18-19 -- Gorakhpur, February 12, 1971:

So not that God makes one kind of religion for one kind of person and another kind of religion for another person. Real dharma is, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead says, that "Don't manufacture your own religion. Simply surrender unto Me, the one God." That is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Whatever the Supreme Personality says, "This is dharma," that is dharma. The same example, as I have given: law means which is enacted by the king or the government. You cannot manufacture laws by your whims. That is not possible. No, what to speak of you, here it is said, "Even great sages like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, they cannot also manufacture religion. And what to speak of the ordinary devas?" The Brahmā... Brahmā is the topmost of all the demigods. He cannot also manufacture religion. Nobody can. Here it is stated.

dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ

na vai vidur ṛṣayo nāpi devāḥ

na siddha-mukhyā asurā manuṣyāḥ

kuto nu vidyādhara-cāraṇādayaḥ

(SB 6.3.19)

So when such great personalities... Na siddha-mukhyāḥ. Siddha-mukhyāḥ means the... There is a Siddhaloka. They are all yogis. They have got all the eight kinds of yogic perfection, Siddhaloka. Therefore they are called siddhas. They have got all the siddhis-bhukti, mukti, siddhi. Siddhi means perfection. So far as material world is concerned, a siddha can have anything he desires. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is called Yogeśvara. By yogic power one can have anything he desires. But that is not possible in this material world, but people try to achieve as far as possible these yogic powers.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18-19 -- Gorakhpur, February 12, 1971:

So prahlādo janako bhīṣmo balir vaiyāsakir vayam. These are twelve mahājanas. Just remember. The first one is Lord Brahmā, the second is Nārada, the third is Lord Śiva, and the fourth, the Kumāras, and the five, Kapila, and then Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāha (BG 4.1). This Manu, he is also mahājana. This, this time is going on, Vaivasvata Manu. Vivasvān manave prāha. Manu is also mahājana, Prahlāda Mahārāja, and Janaka, Janaka Mahārāja, the father of mother Sītā, he is also mahājana. And Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma, the grandfather Bhīṣma, he is also mahājana. Therefore Bhīṣma's instruction in the Bhāgavata should be taken seriously. And on his deathbed, he instructed Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and Kṛṣṇa also heard. So these are mahājanas. Bhīṣmo baliḥ, Bali Mahārāja. Vaiyāsaki, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, he is mahājana. And vayam. Vayam means Yamarāja himself. He says, "We are also."

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

So one has to understand Kṛṣṇa perfectly. So for preliminary study of Kṛṣṇa, there is Bhagavad-gītā, how to understand Kṛṣṇa. And next... Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD, primary entrance to the understanding of spiritual life. This is ABCD. But people are so fallen that they cannot understand even ABCD, what to speak of becoming graduate or postgraduate. In this age people are so fallen. This Mahābhārata... Mahābhārata was given by Vyāsadeva for the less intelligent class of men: strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Śruti means Vedas. Vyāsadeva considered that stri, woman; śūdra, the fourth-class men... Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnām... Dvija-bandhu means those who are born in higher-class society—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya—but they are not qualified. They are simply proud of getting birth in higher families. They are called dvija-bandhu. They are equal to woman and the śūdra. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā. Trayī means the Vedas. Karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, upāsana-kāṇḍa. There are three methods in understanding Vedas, and their language, their process, is very difficult. Therefore Vyāsadeva, considering the immediate inauguration of Kali-yuga... Because Vyāsadeva appeared at the end of Dvāpara-yuga. So before writing these Vedas, Vyāsadeva, by Vyāsadeva, there was no written scripture. Therefore these Vedas are called śrutis. People learn it simply by hearing, śruti. Śrotram. Śrotriyam. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Śrotriyam means the guru must be (an) expert who has heard from his bona fide spiritual master. That's śrotriyam, not śaukram. Śaukram means generation by semina. And śrotriyam, generation by hearing from the bona fide spiritual master. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. After hearing, one must be firmly fixed up in brahma-jñāna. Brahma-niṣṭham. This is called śrotriyam.

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

There are many instances in the śāstra, Ajāmila. Simply he was most, I mean to say, a sinful man. All through his life he acted simply sinfully, but at the end of his life, just at the point of death, he remembered Nārāyaṇa. That also in connection with his youngest son. And because he uttered the name "Nārāyaṇa," he remembered Nārāyaṇa, and simply by remembering Nārāyaṇa he was, I mean to say, liberated. So there were many instances. So svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Nārada has instructed Vyāsadeva, tyaktvā sva dharmaṁ caraṇāmbhujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi. Nārada, he's instructing. Vyāsadeva is disciple of Nārada Muni. So Vyāsadeva was not very happy, even he wrote so many books. Even Vedānta-sūtra. He wrote Mahābhārata, he wrote all the Purāṇas, and he wrote the philosophy, Vedānta-sūtra, and still, he was feeling unhappy. So at that time Nārada Muni came and instructed him, and he asked that "Why I'm not feeling happy? In spite of working so hard about writing all these different kinds of Vedic literature, why I am not feeling happy?" So Nārada Muni instructed him, "Because you have not very elaborately discussed about the science of God. You have simply superficially given some moral instruction to the society, some social instruction, but Some political instruction, Mahābhārata." Just like Mahābhārata, you'll find first-class political discussion, first-class social, economics, everything is there. But still, there is Bhagavad-gītā. So Vyāsadeva has done, but still he was not feeling. So at that time Nārada Muni instructed him that "You simply describe about God, about Kṛṣṇa." Then he wrote this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In that connection he said, tyaktvā sva dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17).

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

Kapila is the son of Devahūti, and he's also considered as the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāraḥ manuḥ (SB 6.3.20). And manuḥ, manuḥ means the father of the mankind. From manuḥ, the word man is derived. Or, in Sanskrit word, manuṣya. So in Latin and Sanskrit, man, manuṣya, and manuḥ, they are almost on the same level. So svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilo kumāraḥ manuḥ (SB 6.3.20), then prahlādo janako bhīṣmaḥ. So now this Prahlāda's name comes. Prahlāda's name comes. Prahlāda and Janaka, the great king, Janaka, whose daughter was married to Lord Rāmacandra. Jānakī. Therefore, Sītā's name is Jānakī, daughter of Mahārāja Janaka. So he is also a great authority. Prahlādo janako bhīṣmaḥ, and Bhīṣma, you have heard the name of Bhīṣma, the grandfather of Arjuna. He is also one of the authorities. And, prahlādo janako bhīṣmo balir, Mahārāja Bali, a king. He was a grandson of this Prahlāda Mahārāja. He became mahājana. All these persons, they became authorities by their exemplary character for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore they are considered as authorities. So, balir vaiyāsakir vayam. Vaiyāsakiḥ means the son of Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He's also authority. And vayam, it is, this statement is made by Yamarāja, the controller of sinful activities. Superintendent of police, appointed by Kṛṣṇa. So he is also one of the authorities. How you can deny the superintendent of police as authority? As he is also authority in the state, similarly he is also authority.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

Now, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam which is in this table, this book is a great, grand edition of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Each verse contains eight commentaries by great stalwart devotees. They represent different disciplic succession of devotee. They are... There are four authorized disciplic successions. As I have already mentioned that Brahmā is one of the authorities, similarly, he has got the disciplic succession from Brahmā. From Brahmā to Nārada, from Nārada to Vyāsadeva, from Vyāsadeva to Madhvācārya, from Madhvācārya to Mad... I am making shortcut. From Madhvācārya to Mādhavendra Purī, from Mādhavendra Purī to Īśvara Purī, from Īśvara Purī to Lord Caitanya, from Lord Caitanya to Svarūpa Dāmodara, from Svarūpa Dāmodara to six Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, from Gosvāmīs to Kṛṣṇadasa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and from him Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, and from Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, from Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura to Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, from Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī to Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, from Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura to Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, and from Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī my spiritual master, and then we are descended.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

In this way, the disciplic succession is coming. And what is the specific condition or what is the significance of the disciplic succession? The disciplic succession, if you receive knowledge from the descendants of these authorities, or disciplic succession, then you get the perfect knowledge. Perfect knowledge. Perfect knowledge is imparted by the supreme perfect, God. And it is received by Brahmā, and the same knowledge is handed over to Nārada. Nārada hands over to Vyāsadeva, Vyāsadeva hands over to... Just like a ripe fruit on the top of the tree, if it falls down all of a sudden, it is destroyed. But if it is handed over from up to down, down, down, then it comes as it is. As it is. Then you can enjoy the reality. And that is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- New York, April 9, 1969:

Devotee: How old was Prahlāda Mahārāja when (indistinct). How old was Prahlāda Mahārāja?

Prabhupāda: Oh, Prahlāda Mahārāja was five years old only.

Devotee: Then how (indistinct) hear from Vyāsadeva?

Prabhupāda: He learned this bhāgavata-dharma from the womb of his mother. His mother was instructed... His mother, when she was pregnant, she was arrested by the enemies of her husband, and Nārada Ṛṣi saved her and he took the girl, pregnant girl, at his āśrama and kept her. And as it is the practice of saintly persons to instruct about God, so he was instructing and Prahlāda Mahārāja was hearing from the womb of mother. Yes?

Devotee: (indistinct) Manu was on this planet. Now he's not?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Manu... Manu's son, Ikṣvāku, was in this planet, but Manu may be in another planet. Just like Manu's father, the sun, sun-god, Vivasvān, he is in the other planet. Similarly, the population of every planet has increased from one planet to another, like that. So manu's son, Ikṣvāku, he happened to be in this planet.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

So we have to learn from the ācāryas, not any common man or any self-made ācārya. No. That will not do. Just like we... Sometimes in the court we give some judgment from the other court and that is taken very seriously because it is authority. We cannot manufacture judgment. Similarly, ācāryopāsanaṁ, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended. We have to go to the ācāryas. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who has accepted ācārya in the disciplic succession, he knows the things." So all the ācāryas, they accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nārada, he accepts, Vyāsadeva, he accepts, and Arjuna also accepts, who personally listened to Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā. And Lord Brahmā. Yesterday somebody questioned that "Whether there was the name of Kṛṣṇa before Dvāpara-yuga?" No, there was. In the śāstras there are Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedas, in Atharva Veda and others, Kṛṣṇa name is there. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā—Lord Brahmā, he wrote Brahma-saṁhitā—it is clearly explained there, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), anādir ādiḥ. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). And Kṛṣṇa also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo (BG 10.8). Sarvasya means including all the devatās, all the living entities, everything. And the Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So Kṛṣṇa is the absolute Supreme Person, īśvaraḥ paramam, from Lord Brahma. He is the distributor of Vedic knowledge, and Kṛṣṇa says also, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). This is ultimate goal.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

So the bhāgavata-dharmam, bhagavān, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. In the list of the incarnation given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is name of Kṛṣṇa also. But at the conclusion, Vyāsadeva says, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). He concludes that "All the incarnation mentioned here, they are aṁśa-kalāḥ, part, partly manifestation or part of partly manifestation." Kalāḥ means part of partly(?) manifestation. "But the name which is mentioned here, Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. (break) Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is accepted by all the ācāryas. And in the Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna says, asamaurdhva. Asama: "There is no equal to you, asama, and urdhva, nobody is greater than You." That is God. Supreme means who has no equal, neither anyone is greater than. Everyone is under. That is called asama urdhva. This is there. So there cannot be any competitor of God.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:

So they are different devotees who have accepted one of them. Just like śrī-viṣṇu-śravaṇe parīkṣit. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he simply heard, listened from Śukadeva Gosvāmī the bhāgavata-dharma. He simply heard. He did not do anything else. Simply by hearing. And abhavad vaiyāsakiḥ kīrtane. Vaiyāsaki, the son of Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply explained bhāgavata. So both of them got the same goal of life, liberation. And liberation means muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa avasthitiḥ. This is called mukti.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that anādi bahir-mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karilā. Why these Veda, Purāṇas are there? Especially in India, we have got so many Vedic literatures. First of all, the four Vedas—Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva. Then their gist philosophy, Vedānta-sūtra. Then Vedānta explanation, the Purāṇas. Purāṇa means supplementary. Ordinary person, they cannot understand the Vedic language. Therefore from historical references these Vedic principles are taught. That is called Purāṇas. And the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Mahā-purāṇa. It is spotless Purāṇa, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because in other Purāṇas there are material activities, but in this Mahā-purāṇa, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, simply spiritual activities. That is wanted. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written by Vyāsadeva under the instruction of Nārada. Mahā-purāṇa. So we have to take advantage of this. So many valuable literatures. The human life is meant for that. Why you are neglecting? Our attempt is, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to spread this knowledge of the Vedas and the Purāṇas so that the human being can take advantage of it and make his life successful. Otherwise, if he simply labors hard, day and night, like the hog... The hog is day and night working very hard to find out "Where is stool? Where is stool?" And after eating stool, as soon as they get little fat... The pigs are fatty therefore because stool contains all the essence of food. According to medical science, the stool is full of hydrophosphates. So hydrophosphate is good tonic. So one may try if they like. (laughter) But actually this is the fact. The pig becomes very fatty because it is stool.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9 -- New Vrindaban, June 25, 1976:

We have got so many obligations, devarṣi, to the demigods, to the saintly great sages, ṛṣis. Because ṛṣis are giving us... Just like Vyāsadeva has given us this literature. So we are obliged to him, we are indebted to him. We are indebted to the demigods. The sun is giving sunshine, the moon is giving at night shine, and the cloud, Indra, is giving us water. So we are all indebted. Devarṣi-bhūta... Therefore there are so many different types of yajñas mentioned in the Vedic literature. But if you perform one yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña, then you become clear from everyone's debt. Gato mukundam śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyam. Then we are freed from all debts. So in this way we have to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very carefully, and the simple process is chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.6.10 -- New Vrindaban, June 26, 1976:

oor people, they do not know what is their self-interest, what is the aim of life. Therefore Vyāsadeva he is called vidvāṁs. Vidvāṁs means very learned. He has compiled the śāstra. Anartha, unnecessarily want. Wants we have increased. Now we, instead of wasting our time for increasing our unnecessary needs of life, we shall be satisfied with the bare necessities of life. Eating, sleeping, mating, we can minimize it. But don't, we don't say that you starve, you keep your body uncomfortably, and then fall sick, and then your Kṛṣṇa conscious business is hampered. No. Yavad-artha prayojana. Anāsaktasya viṣayān. Don't be attached to sense gratification. Satisfy senses as little as possible, which is essential, needed. It is not stopped. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa, anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Don't be attached to the sense gratification. Just like eating, it is also a kind of sense gratification, to satisfy the tongue, satisfy the belly. But eating is also necessary if we want to maintain our body, and with the body you have to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Without maintaining the body, or disturbing the body, we cannot.

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

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has strictly avoided. In His kīrtana He never described the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, His dealings with gopīs. That we mark in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Eighteen years He lived in Jagannātha Purī. Every night there was kīrtana, but there was no līlā-kīrtana you'll find, no līlā-kīrtana. Hare Kṛṣṇa, that's all. No līlā. But does it mean that Caitanya Mahāprabhu avoided līlā-kīrtana? No. He enjoyed it with very, very confidential devotees like Rāmānanda Rāya, Svarūpa Dāmodara, like that. Not for the... Because so long we are in the lower stage of devotion we shall misunderstand. They are doing that. You'll find that the rascals who have no idea about Kṛṣṇa, they are very much fond of painting Kṛṣṇa's picture dealings with the gopīs, because they take it that it is just like we deal with young men or woman, it is something like that. So that is a great mistake. They should not. Then they will become sahajiyā. Very strictly prohibited. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Śukadeva Gosvāmī has warned that one should not even dream like that, that "Kṛṣṇa's dealing with gopīs is just like our dealing with woman." No. It ms completely different. Therefore we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsadeva has devoted nine cantos to understand Kṛṣṇa, and then, in the Tenth Canto, he has put the gopīs' dealings with Kṛṣṇa. That is also beginning from twenty-ninth chapter.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 2, 1968:

And to develop that Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just like when you have passed preliminary examination in the school, then you have to further enlightenment, further progress of advancement of education, you enter into the college, degree college, similarly, after finishing or understanding Bhagavad-gītā very nicely, if you are convinced about Kṛṣṇa, then study Bhagavad-gītā (Bhāgavatam), where the beginning is: namo bhagavate vaṣudeva. Vyāsadeva begins by surrendering himself to Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). He is the origin of everything. Then Bhāgavata begins. And one who has understood Bhāgavata, or he has made his relationship well established with Kṛṣṇa and is functioning in that relationship, then he is passed on the subject matter of Bhāgavata, and then you begin Caitanya-caritāmṛta. That is postgraduate study. After getting your degree, as you try for your Ph.D. or M.A., similarly, Caitanya-caritāmṛta is like that, post-graduate study. And the author of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he places himself that "I am lower than the worm in the stool." Just see how humble. This is the nature of Vaiṣṇava. That is not artificial. He says. Every Vaiṣṇava thinks himself as very insignificant. Actually, every one of us is very insignificant in comparison to the Supreme Lord. What we are? Nothing. But if we establish our loving relationship, which is already there, then we will become the greatest. By relationship with the greatest, we become the greatest.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:

"Everything" means He's the fountainhead of Lord Śiva, He's fountainhead, the origin of Viṣṇu, He's the origin of Brahma, He's the origin of Lord Śiva, and what to speak of other demigods, and what to speak of other living creatures. Mamaivāṁśo jīva bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "All these living creatures, they are all My parts and parcels." Therefore He is the origin. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā, the Brahmā in his saṁhitā-Saṁhitā means Vedic literature—so he explains that "You are finding out cause. Here is cause." Everywhere you'll find. But the rascal demons are so obstinate that although Kṛṣṇa is confirmed the Supreme God by Brahmā, by Śiva, by Vyāsa, Nārada, Devala, and many, many devotees, Bhīṣma... There are twelve standard ācāryas. They are svayambhūr nārada śaṁbhu... Svayambhūr means Brahmā; Nārada, Nārada Muni; and Śaṁbhu means Lord Śiva. Kapila, Vyāsa, Kumāra—everyone has accepted. And in the recent years Lord Caitanya, He said. And the Bhāgavata says, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Bhāgavata gives list of all incarnations of God, and at the last he concludes that in this list the name "Kṛṣṇa," He is the Supreme Personality. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. And all other manifestations, they are incarnations. Ete ca aṁśa-kalāḥ. All these different names of God, they are either parts or part of the parts. The part of parts is called kalā, and part is called aṁśa. We are also amsa, but we are very fragmental aṁśa. We are not as big as Viṣṇu. We are very fragmental. We are also aṁśa. So aṁśa kalā. So all others, they are either aṁśa or kalā, but Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇas tu... Tu means "but." Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

Here it is, tu ātmani īśa bhuvi. So what was the realization of Brahmā after tapasya? Now, gandham iva atisūkṣmaṁ bhūtendriya. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca: "I am the smell within the earth." So everyone knows there is smell within the earth. There is color within the earth. Everything is there within the earth. Otherwise how in a particular plant the color and the smell, the flavor, and everything is..., beauty, everything is coming? You daily see. So ordinarily you see heaps of dirt, but everything is there. Similarly, ordinarily we see this universe, but in every atom there is Kṛṣṇa. That was realized by Brahmā. Then he became the great personality to teach us. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye, In this way he instructed ādi-kavi, the first learned man-kavi means learned man—Brahma, Vedic knowledge. So there was no other teacher. Kṛṣṇa taught him. Therefore we belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. Kṛṣṇa instructed Brahmā. Brahmā instructed Nārada. Nārada instructed Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva instructed Śukadeva. In this way our guru-paramparā system... Therefore we worship the guru as Vyāsa-pūjā because representative of Vyāsa. And who is Vyāsa? Representative of Nārada. What is Nārada? Representative of Brahmā. What is Brahmā? Representative of Kṛṣṇa. This is called paramparā system.

Lecture on SB 7.9.40 -- Mayapur, March 18, 1976:

So this is our position. Prahlāda Mahārāja is analyzing very nicely. We are servant eternally, but kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare, pāsate māyā tare jāpaṭiyā dhare. As soon as we forget this principle, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa..." This material life means this forgetfulness. I am serving, it is a fact. And because I am serving my senses, that... Big, big leaders... Just like in your Western countries, there was Napoleon, there was Hitler, there was Mussolini, here also, big, big leaders, but what they are? Big, big servants of the senses, that's all. Big, big servants of the senses. Therefore Bhāgavata has said, sva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). Puruṣaḥ paśuḥ: "These big, big leaders are big, big animals, that's all." Saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. So there are many instructive verses in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam should be your life and soul to remain constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, yes, the unique gift of Śrī Vyāsadeva. Kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eva purāṇārkaḥ adhunā uditaḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.42 -- Mayapur, March 22, 1976:

So best thing is that always try to seek favor of Kṛṣṇa. And you cannot seek Kṛṣṇa's favor directly. That is also another point. Kiṁ tena te priya-janān anusevatāṁ naḥ. You cannot jump over to Kṛṣṇa without the favor of His devotee. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. You cannot seek favor of Bhagavān directly. That is another foolishness. You must go through the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. This is our process. We don't approach Kṛṣṇa directly. We must begin our service to the Kṛṣṇa's servant. And who is Kṛṣṇa's servant? One who has become the servant of another Kṛṣṇa's servant. This is called dāsa-dāsānudāsa. Nobody can be independently servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is another foolishness. Kṛṣṇa never accepts anyone's service directly. No. That is not possible. You must come through the servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). This is called paramparā system. As you receive knowledge by the paramparā system... Kṛṣṇa spoke to Brahmā, Brahmā spoke to Nārada, Nārada spoke to Vyāsadeva, and we are getting this knowledge. Just like Kṛṣṇa... Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna.

Lecture on SB 7.9.42 -- Mayapur, March 22, 1976:

So if we give up the process of understanding as Arjuna did, then you'll never be able to understand Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is not possible. You have to take up the process which Arjuna accepted. Arjuna also said that, that "I am accepting You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because Vyāsadeva has accepted, Asita has accepted, Nārada has accepted." The same thing. We have to understand Kṛṣṇa. We cannot understand directly. Therefore these rascals who are trying to understand Kṛṣṇa directly by interpretation, they are all rascals. They cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. May be very big man, so-called. Nobody is big man. They are also sa vai... No, what is that? No, no. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). Puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. These big, big men who are so much eulogized by some rascals, all these big, big leaders, what they are? Because they are not devotee of Kṛṣṇa, they cannot lead. They simply will mislead. Therefore we take them all rascals. This is the criterion. Take this one criterion. Anything you want to learn from somebody, first of all you see whether that somebody is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise don't take any lesson. We don't take any lesson from a person, "Perhaps," "Maybe," like this. No. We don't want such scientist or mathematician. No. One who knows Kṛṣṇa, one who is devotee of Kṛṣṇa, one who is overwhelmed in ecstasy simply by hearing Kṛṣṇa, you take lesson from them. Otherwise all rascals.

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

So for reading Vedic literatures it does not require any erudite scholarship. Simply one has to hear. Therefore the another name of Vedic literature is called śruti. Śruti smṛti purāṇādi (Brs. 1.2.101). This class means that everyone has to learn Sanskrit? No, that is not necessary. You may be a very good scholar or not, but Kṛṣṇa has given you the facility of seeing and hearing. You have got eyes; you have got ear. So in the gurukula the students, they first of all attend the maṅgala-ārati, guru-vandana, hearing. Then hear this Vedic literature. Here is Vedic literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā. They are all Vedic literature. The Mahābhārata is Pañcama-veda. The four Vedas are there, Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva. And Mahābhārata is Pañcama-veda, the fifth Veda. Stri-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā (SB 1.4.25). Woman and śūdra and dvija-bandhu, they cannot understand Vedic language. It is difficult. For them Vyāsadeva made Mahābhārata. In the manner of studying history, Mahābhārata... Mahābhārata means the great history of greater India. So in that history, Vedic literature, Pañcama-veda, there is the Bhagavad-gītā, essence. So if you read Bhagavad-gītā, even if you read Mahābhārata, that is all Vedic literature, Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, the Purāṇas, the Upaniṣad, Vedānta-sūtra, and the Vedas, original Vedas. Original Veda is Atharva Veda. Atharva Veda was divided into four parts, Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva. So they are all Vedic literatures.

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

Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, lokasya ajānataḥ (SB 1.7.6). These rascals, they do not know how to accept leader. And vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitā. Therefore Vyāsadeva is the most learned person, vidvān. He has prepared the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. So if we read, nityaṁ bhāgavata sevayā (SB 1.2.18), daily... So we are making so much effort. We are building nice building. So you come and hear Bhāgavatam, discuss Bhāgavatam. Then you'll be happy. Otherwise, if you want to go to hell... Tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. If you simply associate with the debauches, yoṣitāṁ saṇgam... Yoṣitām saṅgi-saṅgam. Those who are too much fond of woman, they are called yoṣit-saṅgī. They are called yoṣita-saṅg... So not only to become... It is condemned, too much being attached to woman. If one is too much attached to woman, if you make association with him, then you are also condemned. Tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you want to be relieved from these anarthas, unwanted things, to become clean, sattva, yes... Sattva-śuddhi. It is called sattva-śuddhi. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva (SB 5.5.1). We do not understand that we are in aśuddha-sattva. Our existence is impure.

Lecture on SB 7.12.5 -- Bombay, April 16, 1976:

So these things as far as possible we shall introduce, but our main principle is chant. If the brahmacārīs are trained up to rise early in the morning and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, attend maṅgala-ārati, then go to the sea for taking bath and again come and again attend vaidika school... And Veda-Vyāsa... So Veda-Vyāsa means to study Kṛṣṇa literature. Because nowadays it is not possible that the students, especially foreign students, they will be very much inclined to read from Sāma-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Ṛg-Veda, Atharva-Veda, or pronounce the Upaniṣad, Brahma-sūtra. The time is changed. As far as possible... But there is essence of all these Vedic literature. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrāṇāṁ vedārtha-paribṛṁhitam. This Bhāgavata, this is the essence of Brahma-sūtra. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam (SB 1.1.3). So we are contemplating to start this brahmacārī-āśrama, so these things should be followed, that the brahmacārī... Sāyaṁ prātaḥ. It is begun here, sāyaṁ prātar upāsitā guru-agny-arka-surottamān. This should be practiced. Surottamān. Especially the Deity. So these are the principles to be followed, that a brahmacārī should always remain dedicated to the guru.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

Today we shall discuss about the prominent symptoms of this age. This book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, was written... Not written, pratically it was recorded. All Vedic literatures, they are recorded from hearing or tradition of... (break)... five thousand years before, the statements of authorities, people could keep in mind without any book record. At that time the memory was so sharp that one could keep in his memory simply by once hearing from the spiritual master. There was no need of written books to consult. So five thousand years ago this book was recorded by Vyāsadeva because he could understand that in future people will be born of so lower grade that it would be not possible to keep in memory without book record. So formerly, these books were written in hand on palm leaves, and... Because there was no press or type. So if you wanted a book, you had to copy from other's book. That was the system.

Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:

So Vedas, your question, Veda knowledge means from the beginning of the creation. Unless the knowledge is there, how this creation can be conducted? So Brahmā was made in charge of this universe and he was educated in Vedas. Therefore you'll find the Brahmā's picture, he has got Vedas in his hand. Have you seen? Brahmā's picture, he has got Vedas. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavaye means he is the original learned man. And the disciplic succession comes from Brahmā. Brahmā was educated by Kṛṣṇa, and from Brahmā, his disciple Nārada, and Nārada's disciple Vyāsa, Vyāsa's disciple Madhvācārya. In the Madhvācārya, Lord Caitanya, in the line. From Lord Caitanya, others. In this way the disciplic succession is coming directly from Kṛṣṇa. And it is called Brahma-sampradāya. Brahma-sampradāya. So that knowledge... Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, this knowledge is received by this disciplic succession. That is perfect knowledge.