Whip (Conversations and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"whip" |"whipped" |"whipping" |"whips"

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

So already the animal is hungry, weak, and he's whipped. In this way, he becomes fearful. As soon as the man comes, he becomes fearful.

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: No, no. By controlling the senses, gradually the mind will be controlled. You know. In the..., the tiger and the lion trained up to play in the circus, do you know how it is done?

Dhanañjaya: They starve the animals.

Prabhupāda: No.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: They feed them every time, whenever they do something.

Prabhupāda: No, after catching them from the forest, they kept within the bars, and no eating for at least one week. Then the trainer comes. Only whips. He comes, and open the doors and only: (makes sound) Flosh, flosh, flosh. So already he's hungry, weak, and he's whipped. In this way, he becomes fearful. As soon as the man comes, he becomes fearful. Then he gives him little food. In this way, after all it is animal, he thinks that "This man is my God. He can save me. He can kill me." Then he takes to him. Whatever he says, he takes. Similarly, if you do not give the ingredients for sense enjoyment, the mind will be controlled. That is the beginning.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

When he is arrested, then he has to work in the prison. Otherwise whipping.

Morning Walk -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Devotee (2): Some of them steal. Instead of working, they steal their food.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Steal... When he is arrested, then he has to work in the prison. That's all.

Harikeśa: Chopping rocks.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise whipping. In Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended that instead of keeping yourself lazy without working, better to steal. Better to steal.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How is that?

Prabhupāda: Huh? That is there. Stealing is bad work, bad work. It is also working, but bad work. So Kṛṣṇa recommends that instead of keeping yourself lazy, better do bad work.

Harikeśa: "Action is better than inaction."

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Yes.

The bull also loads heavily, and the ass also loads very heavily for others, not for his own benefit. The bull is working day and night and being whipped...

Morning Walk -- November 11, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Parampara. Guru is also not authority by himself. He is authority by his guru, paramparā. If he is coming in the paramparā system, then he is guru. Otherwise he's not guru. Just like what we are doing? We are simply repeating the Kṛṣṇa's word. That's all. Therefore guru. And as soon as I make addition or alteration, I am goru

Harikeśa: Goru means?

Prabhupāda: Goru means cow, animal. Go-kharaḥ. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). The go-kharaḥ, these animals have been, I mean, exemplified because these two animals work for others very heavily. The bull also loads heavily, and the ass also loads very heavily for others, not for his own benefit. The bull is working day and night and being whipped...

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

So there are different degrees of consciousness. Even a child, he'll be afraid by seeing the whip, and the animal, actually being whipped, doesn't care. That is the difference.

Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne:

Devotee (2): What about on the hellish planets? Do they know they're suffering there?

Prabhupāda: Just like to an animal, whipping is nothing. And for a man, to show the whip is sufficient. So there are different degrees of consciousness. Even a child, he'll be afraid by seeing the whip, and the animal, actually being whipped, doesn't care. That is the difference.

Guru-kṛpā: So either they take the śāstra or the śastra.

Prabhupāda: There is no question of śāstra; it is śastra only. When there is no śāstra there must be śastra. Argumentum baculum. When there is no logic, give him whip, that's all. So all these, they are awaiting whipping. They are being whipped.

The same whip, to the animal it is not suffering, but for a man, simply by seeing it is suffering. It is the question of sense.

Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne:

Devotee (2): How can we make them understand they're being punished?

Prabhupāda: You can understand, provided you have got the sense. If you are nonsense, you cannot understand. You cannot understand means you are nonsense. That is the difference between sense and nonsense. That I have already given, the example: the same whip, to the animal it is not suffering, but for a man, simply by seeing it is suffering. It is the question of sense. That is the difference between man and animal. The animal cannot understand that he is suffering. Man can understand. That is difference. If you do not understand, then you are animal.

Just like an animal yoked with cart, bull, with hardship he's pulling on, but he cannot get out of it. And if he slacks, immediately there is whip, he has to go.

Garden Conversation -- June 8, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). The struggle for existence—this word is used also among the philosophers. This is struggle. He is creating something by the mind, manaḥ, and the senses are engaged according to the dictation of the mind. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi. In this way, prakṛti-sthāni, within this material world, he's living a life of struggle for existence. Prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Karṣati means with hardship he's pulling on. Just like an animal yoked with cart, bull, with hardship he's pulling on, but he cannot get out of it. And if he slacks, immediately there is whip, he has to go. Therefore this word is used, karṣati. He doesn't like this, but he has to do it. Struggle for existence, survival of the fittest.

There was devotee, Nityānanda's contemporary, he used to whip, and his whipping means as soon as he whips, the man becomes a devotee.

Morning Walk, House Visit, Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Prabhupāda, in Vaiṣṇava temples, āśramas, do spiritual masters ever use the stick to rascal disciples?

Prabhupāda: No. (laughs)

Ātreya Ṛṣi: It is not customary at all?

Prabhupāda: It is used for my personal friend.(?)

Ātreya Ṛṣi: But it would be nice, Śrīla Prabhupāda, once in awhile...

Prabhupāda: No. There was devotee, Nityānanda's contemporary, he used to whip, and his whipping means as soon as he whips, the man becomes a devotee.

And anyone who can purchase a horse, he can very easily purchase any whip. Not that we shall be very much anxious for the whip first. First of all, let us have a horse.

Room Conversation -- September 26, 1976, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: You want me to take care of it? Your rooms at Rādhā-Dāmodara? You want me to take care that they're cleaned and kept?

Prabhupāda: That was being done.

Akṣayānanda: Yes, I had it being done once a week.

Prabhupāda: So nobody knows what is being done or... (break) So one was to control horses. So he became very much anxious, "What kind of whip I shall have to keep?"

Haṁsadūta: First he has to get a horse.

Prabhupāda: "Then, first of all, rascal, where is your horse?" (laughs) He became very much anxious, "What kind of whip?"

Haṁsadūta: O.K. I'll get the horses.

Prabhupāda: And anyone who can purchase a horse, he can very easily purchase any whip. Not that we shall be very much anxious for the whip first. First of all, let us have a horse. The difficulty is that no horses coming. That is the difficulty. Attract horse, and you'll find so many.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Dead horse and what is the use of whipping? A dead horse will rise up by whipping?

Morning Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Tīrtha Mahārāja's brother is active now?

Prabhupāda: What...? Rejected. I think of them, dead. They may think themselves that they very full of life, but I think they are dead. What is the use of fighting with the dead body? Dead horse and what is the use of whipping? A dead horse will rise up by whipping?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, "Beating the dead horse." There's a saying.

Prabhupāda: I think all of them are dead.

Hari-śauri: Yes, they're not doing anything. They've retired. They built their own little place, and now they're retired.

You are so big, big animal, you are simply to be kicked and whipped. Then you'll come to your senses.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: The animals should be kicked with shoes and stick. Argumentum baculum. There is no argument for animals. Kick and stick. Beat him. That is the way of dealing with animal. You cannot request an animal very... "My dear dog, please do not bark. Sit down." Simply kick and give him stick. That is good. They're animals. Gentle behavior with gentleman, not with the animal. "You are so big, big animal, you are simply to be kicked and whipped. Then you'll come to your senses."

1969 Correspondence

Simply for whipping into shape some new young boys I do not find any substantial reason to give up your job.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 29 July, 1969:

The most important point is whether you shall give up your present job, which is bringing at least $125 per week. You cannot give up your job on Murari's request. You have to think yourself. You are more sober than Murari. Simply for whipping into shape some new young boys I do not find any substantial reason to give up your job. You can give instruction to Murari so that he being experienced amongst the group can conduct the job in your absence.

1970 Correspondence

I was so glad to learn that you have defeated four of the whips of the Ramakrishna Mission by giving quotation from the Bhagavad-gita.

Letter to Yamuna -- Los Angeles 10 February, 1970:

My Dear Yamuna, please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter undated and I was so glad to learn that you have defeated four of the whips of the Ramakrishna Mission by giving quotation from the Bhagavad-gita. It is a fact that all other institutions, never mind whether it is Ramakrishna Mission or philosophical speculators, nobody can stand our arguments and reason if we can support them by quoting Scriptures. So if we thoroughly study the books which we have so far published, as well as serve Krsna in great devotion by following the regulative principles, we shall be able to defeat anyone who is not in Krsna Consciousness. So do it nicely, and everyone of you become great preachers.

During Lord Caitanya's time Thakura Haridasa was also persecuted and put into jail. Not only that, he was whipped in twenty-two market places.

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 15 July, 1970:

The demons and atheists are always prepared to give trouble to the devotees. Sometimes the demons like Kamsa are prepared to kill God even. During Lord Caitanya's time Thakura Haridasa was also persecuted and put into jail. Not only that, he was whipped in twenty-two market places, but still the demons could not come out successful in the snubbing down of the Hare Krsna Movement. So do not be worried about this. Go on about your business. Krsna will give you all help, rest assured.