Within this world (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"within the world" |"within this world"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- London, August 17, 1973:

So Arjuna being kṣatriya, is so much embarrassed with the bodily concept of life; therefore Kṛṣṇa chastised him, that "You are not a very learned man. You are talking just like a learned man, but you are not learned man." So this conclusion is to be taken by us. That anyone within this world, if he has got bodily concept of life, he's not a learned man. He's a fool. So this world at the present moment at least, it is a fool's paradise. Nobody is learned. Because everyone is working under the bodily concept of life. This is chastise. This is the first chastisement. Just like before giving lesson, if the student is writing or reading wrongly, then the teacher immediately says, "You fool, it is not like this. It should be like this."

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, December 12, 1976:

What kind of fight you want, bows, arrows, or club, or sword?" Any way they will fight. And fight means until one is dead, the fight will go on. That is fight.

When Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna and Bhīma went to Jarāsandha... Jarāsandha was very powerful king. So before Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's becoming the emperor, it was the system that all the other kings within this world, they must submit, either submit or fight. So Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna and Bhīma went to Jarāsandha. He was very charitable to the brāhmaṇas, and these three persons went there, dressing themselves as poor brāhmaṇas. So in the assembly they begged from Jarāsandha, "Sir, we have come to beg from you for fight." Kṛṣṇa, to save the other soldiers, He advised that "Let us fight with Jarāsandha alone. Why he should unnecessarily bring so many soldiers and we have to also? Why these poor soldiers will give life? Better go, let us individually fight." So Jarāsandha could understand that "They are kṣatriyas.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- Hyderabad, November 22, 1972:

Sarva-kṣetreṣu. It is confirmed in the Vedic sūtras, Brahma-sūtra: aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭim (Bs. 5.35). That Supersoul is present within this universe. Because that Supersoul is present within this universe, Kṛṣṇa says, viṣṭabhya aham: "I enter within this world." Ekāṁśena sthito jagat: (BG 10.42) "I do not enter, but My plenary portion, ekāṁśena, Paramātmā..." The Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, He enters. The Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, He enters within this universe. And the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu enters into everything, even in the atom. Therefore it is working. So that consciousness is there. Because the universal consciousness of Viṣṇu is there, therefore everything within the universe is working so nicely. Not that nature... Nature, you can compare with your body... The material nature is there, but without the soul's presence, the consciousness being there, it will not work.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- Hyderabad, November 22, 1972:

Why they shall not accept unless they are ignorant and less intelligent? Everything is there. The Bhagavad-gītā is left for this purpose. It was instructed not to Arjuna, but to the whole world, in the midst of Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So the whole world is a battlefield now. They should learn the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā and thus become happy within this world.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

And there are other, seven rasas also. They are not primary; secondary. Somebody is serving Kṛṣṇa as enemy. Just like the asuras. They also serve Kṛṣṇa—as enemy. Somebody is serving, giving pleasure to Kṛṣṇa, by fighting with Him. So there are so many, twelve rasas. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. All the rasas that we have got experience within this world, they are coming from Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says, "Everything, whatever we see within our experience, we cannot experience anything if it is not in Kṛṣṇa." That is Kṛṣṇa. He was stealing, which we consider not very good business. That stealing is also in Kṛṣṇa. He's, He's famous as Mākhana-cora, the stealer of butter. So this is Kṛṣṇa. So everything is there. Whatever our dealings in this material world we find, that is only perverted reflection of our dealing with Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual world. But those who are unaware of the spiritual world, impersonalists, they have no information that Kṛṣṇa is always busy. Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī.

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

Yes. What is Vedic wisdom? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Knowledge. Veda means knowledge. What is perfect knowledge? Perfect knowledge is that "My constitutional position is to serve." Bring any man in this world. Who can say that "I am not servant"? Is there any man or woman within this world, within this universe, who is not a servant? Can anyone of you say that you are not servant? Is there anyone? Everyone is servant. Somebody is servant of the society, somebody is servant of the country, somebody is servant of his wife or family, or some cats and dogs, ultimately. One must be a servant.

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

No more material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9).

So we should cultivate knowledge in that way, that "I am prepared for the next life." So somebody is preparing for the next life to go to the heavenly planet and somebody is going to the Pitṛlokas. Somebody wants to remain within this world as human being or even animals. Because if we contact with the modes of ignorance, then adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). These are the rules of prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. As you are associating with the particular type of the modes of material nature, you are preparing your next life.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

They are mahātmā, but very rarely to be found. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. So although everyone is searching after Kṛṣṇa, either in impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā, the person who has understood Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, he is the greatest, I mean to say, successful man within this world.

In another place Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa never says that "By mental speculation or yogic mystic practice, one can understand the Supreme Lord." Never says that. It is clearly said that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Tattvataḥ means in truth. To understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, that requires bhakti or bhakti-yoga, not the jñāna-yoga or karma-yoga, haṭha-yoga or any other yoga system. By other yoga system like jñāna-yoga or karma-yoga, haṭha-yoga, you can understand Kṛṣṇa partially.

Lecture on BG 6.4-12 -- New York, September 4, 1966:

We have got our relationship in this world, we call that: "He is my friend." Suhṛt and mitra. There are two kinds of friends. Suhṛt means better friend. Actually who is always desiring my welfare, he is called suhṛt. And friend means we have got good will, ordinary friends. Suhṛn mitra udāsīna. Udāsīna means neutral, neither friend nor enemy. We have got relationship within this world. Somebody is my very good well-wisher, somebody is my friend, and somebody is neither friend nor enemy. And somebody, madhyastha, mediator, and somebody actually doing some good. Somebody I think, "Oh, here is a nice gentleman, saintly person." And somebody I think, "Oh, here is a sinful man." According to my calculation, somebody my friend, somebody my enemy, somebody neutral, somebody, I mean to say, a saintly person, somebody my, a sinful person. Now, all these, when you are on the yoga-yukta, when you are in the platform of transcendence, then these distinctions, this friend, enemy, sādhu, saintly, and sinful, that will all be closed. No more. No more.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

What you have to learn? What is knowledge? Five things you have to learn. What is your experience within this world? You have experience, this material nature. You are seeing this. That's a fact. And you are seeing also... (aside:) Thank you. Come on. You are experiencing also the living entities, so many living entities. That's a fact. So material nature is a fact, the living entities, they are also fact, and there is some controller of this material nature and the living entities. That is also fact. You cannot say that you are the controller or material nature is controller. There is a supreme controller. That is God. That is also another fact. And time. The... Everything is done within time. Time is also a different, relative measure according to the... Your time is different from the time of another animal or another living entity. Just like Brahmā's time. You cannot calculate one day of Brahmā because your time and his time is different. Similarly, a small microbic animal, his time and your time is different. So he cannot calculate your time. So time is relative.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

So we got down and was in the public room, and some young men, immediately they began to chant, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," at twelve o'clock. (laughter) So Kṛṣṇa is so famous at twelve o'clock in Athens even. Who is such a person within this world? This is Bhagavān. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ. Yaśaḥ mean reputation. He is so reputed. Anywhere Kṛṣṇa is known.

So yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. Śriya, beauty. Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful, nobody can surpass Him. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30). Although He is blackish, but He is so beautiful, He enchants the most beautiful, Rādhārāṇī. So aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Śrī means beauty. He is so beautiful. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa. On account of His beauty, He attracts everyone. Beauty attracts. So nobody can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

No. Any life. You can change your life in so many times, but you'll never be happy, because you are aśānta, you want something. You want some benefit, material benefit. Or spiritual benefit. Spiritual benefit. To merge into the Supreme, that is spiritual benefit. And material benefit, to get some material profits within this world, this life or next life. So that is bhukti. Bhukti and mukti. And merging into the spiritual effulgence, brahmajyoti, that is also aśānta, because after all, he is wanting something. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī. He wants something. To merge. And the yogis, they are plainly wanting some siddhis. So they, every one of them are wanting, in need. Therefore they are aśānta. They cannot be śānta. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa-bhakta does not want anything. He does not want anything. He want to serve to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4).

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

Even I do not know what is that energy, you do not know what is that energy. We can talk foolishly some bombastic word, "These cells and this and that," and so many things, but it is not in our control.

So these two energies, material energy and the spiritual energy—one is superior and one is inferior—they are working within this world, mixture. And the spiritual world means there is no material energy, simply spiritual energy. There is no material energy; everything is spiritual energy. There is no material body, there is no... This bhūmi... The land in the spiritual world is not land like this land.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

Then Kṛṣṇa says, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu. When one man is famous... Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. Anything extraordinary, if you find Kṛṣṇa is the most extraordinary personality, but even within this world, if you find some great leader, great politician, great scientist, great businessman... There are so many. And he is very famous. So you should know that this fame and name of this person is due to Kṛṣṇa's mercy. You see Kṛṣṇa there. Nobody can be greater than any other friend unless he is specially bestowed the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. A little portion of Kṛṣṇa's mercy is there. Kṛṣṇa is most opulent. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:

That is called devatā, or demigods. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. If you develop the quality of goodness, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). If you do not develop further, if you remain whatever quality you have got, just now you remain within this world. And adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. And if you do not develop goodness or remain in the same quality but you degrade yourself, then again go to the cycle of birth in the animal kingdom. This is the law of nature.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 3, 1973:

You have traveled, sometimes up, sometimes down. Up means upper planetary system, down means lower planetary system. Urdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you develop sattva-guṇa then you are promoted to the higher planetary system. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. If you remain in the passion modes of nature then you may remain within this world or few others. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. If you habituate jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti.

Just like nowadays people are being taught drink wine, eat meat, and do whatever you like. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). So they will go down, animal life. So they have no knowledge. And the leaders, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The leaders are blind and they are leading other blind men. So it is a very dangerous civilization. In spite of being born in India, in spite of having the privilege of studying Bhagavad-gītā, they are not taking advantage of it, and they are being misled like cats and dogs. Very regrettable condition.

Lecture on BG 13.19 -- Bombay, October 13, 1973:

Our object of worship when we see how nice Rādhārāṇī, how nice Kṛṣṇa, beauty. Yes.

Wherefrom the beauty worship has come in this material world unless there is beauty in the original form, Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī? So God cannot be nirākāra. Otherwise, why this beauty worship has come? What you'll say? Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says. Whatever you see within this world, there is origin. It is only reflection. It is only reflection. Just like in the mirror, there is reflection of your beautiful face, and it looks beautiful because the face is beautiful. If the face is ugly, the reflection will be ugly.

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

So there are two classes of men. There are two classes of men within this world. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said that viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ bhaved daivaḥ. Those are Viṣṇu bhaktas, devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. Three Deities—Viṣṇu, Maheśvara and Brahma. Brahma, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. So those who are devotees of Viṣṇu, they are devatā. Not that the asuras, just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was a great devotee of Lord Siva and Hiraṇyakaśipu was great devotee of Brahma, but both of them have been described as asura and rākṣasa. They are great devotee. Therefore the conclusion is there two classes of men, asura and devatā. The viṣṇu bhaktaḥ bhaved daivaḥ, those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, they are deva, devatā, or demigods, and asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. What is the difference between devatā and asura? The, that is explained by Kṛṣṇa, that daivī sampad vimokṣāya (BG 16.5). If you develop your divine qualities, as they're described, ahiṁsā, sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ... Sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ, sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ means existentional purification.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hyderabad, December 13, 1976:

There are two classes of men within this world, daiva āsura eva ca. One class of men is called daiva, devatā, or the demigod, and the other class āsura. Sura means civilized, and āsura means not civilized. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). These are amongst the noncivilized men.

Formerly the kings of Bhāratavarṣa, India, they used to kill these uncivilized men. Bad example. They did not follow the Vedic civilization, so the king's order was that they should be killed. If they are too much prominent... Just like they are hunting in the forest. So these... There is history among, about King Bharata, King Bharata, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. No, not that Bharata. There are three Bharatas. One Bharata is the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Another Bharata is the son of Mahārāja Duṣyanta. Another Bharata is the younger brother of Lord Rāmacandra.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 16, 1971:

Therefore it is said mahā-muni-kṛte śrīmad-bhāgavate. It is not ordinary persons writing whimsical, some, manufacturing some story, narration and puzzling the brain. No. Śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte: it is beyond all defects of human life. When an ordinary person writes, he writes with defective instruments. First of all, any man within this world, however great he may be, he must commit mistake. That's a fact. There are many instances, simply for little mistake. Just like Hitler. Hitler planned so gorgeously winning over the world. A little mistake, as soon as his attention was diverted toward Russia, he was finished. The Britishers tried to divert his attention toward the Russia. Little mistake. Otherwise Hitler would have come out victorious. There are many instances, in political field, in sociological field.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- London, August 10, 1971:

And what to speak of the persons who have taken in high family, devoted family? They must go. Anityam asukhaṁ lokam imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām. This world is anityam. Anityam means temporary; asukham, and full of miseries. Imaṁ prāpya... If you want to get relief from this temporary world and the distresses within this world, then bhajasva mām: "Just become a devotee of Me." (aside:) What is the time?

So the activities of Śukadeva Gosvāmī is that he purposefully remained within the womb of his mother for sixteen years, and as soon as he got out, immediately he left home. Immediately. Anupeta. Anupeta. Because according to Vedic system there is upanayana, upetam. Upanayana. Upa means near, and nayana means bringing. When the spiritual master brings the disciples nearer by giving him gāyatrī-mantra, that is called upanayana-saṁskāra. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī did not take any such saṁskāra.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:

Therefore I said in the beginning, there is some difference of meaning between "religion" and dharma. Religion and dharma. Religion is a faith, but dharma is the original characteristic of the living entity. And here Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all types of faiths," because we have created so many faiths within this world, according to time, circumstances, country, atmosphere, everything, we have got different faiths. But Kṛṣṇa says it is not the question of faith; it is the question of actual relationship. Because every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and the duty of part and parcel is to render service to the whole, therefore Kṛṣṇa came to establish this type of religion, this first-class religion. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So any religion.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

This is the beginning. Now, after coming here, when you hear about God, because we, our only business is, we don't talk here politics or sociology or anything. That comes automatically as subordinate things, but our business is to talk about God. So those who talks about God, they are called saintly person. There are two kinds of men within this world. Materialistic person and transcendentalist, or man interested in spiritualism. So those who are interested in spiritual life, they talk of self-realization. And those who are materialistic person, they also talk. They talk about this body, how to keep this body nicely. There are politics, sociology, welfare activities, so many things, all concerning to the body. So there are many talks, just like in the newspaper. In your country especially, bunch of newspaper. So many talks, advertisement, fashion, this news, that news, full up. So the materialistic person, they read the newspaper, but we read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is the difference.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

Generally, atheist class, they have no interest in God. The atheist class long, long ago, thousands of years ago, there was atheist also. Because there are two classes of men always within this world, atheist and theist, asura and deva, devatā. So not that atheist class men have developed at the present moment. It may be the number has increased, but atheist class of men were long, long ago also. There was Carvaka Muni, he was also called muni. Muni means mental speculator, or thoughtful. So this Carvaka Muni, he also presented his philosophy, atheism, that ṛṇāṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. So long you live, you live very joyfully by enjoying your senses. This is atheistic principle. And in India the sense enjoyment principle is based on ghee, clarified butter, because if they get butter, they prepare so many nice preparations.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

When you read Bhagavad-gītā, you should know that you are talking with Kṛṣṇa directly: kṛṣṇa-kathā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore advises, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, kṛṣṇa-kathā, this should be spread all over the world. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "I don't find any scarcity within this world, except Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Exc... Actually, that is the fact. There is no scarcity all over the world. In India there may be scarcity, but outside India still there are so much vacant places, especially in Africa, in America, in Australia, in New Zealand, that ten times of the population of the whole world can be fed. Still. There is so much potency of producing food grains, milk, and other things. Profusely. In America, they throw away so many grains and vegetables daily. It is simply mismanagement. Otherwise, there is no question of scarcity or poverty.

Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:

What kind of knowledge? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Kṛṣṇa is everything, Vāsudeva. "Kṛṣṇa's another name is Vāsudeva." Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That type of great soul is very rare. So in other words, those who have taken Kṛṣṇa as everything, they are the greatest soul, the topmost soul within the world. They cannot be misled by imitation Ramakrishna. They are interested with the real Rāma-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva.

So Kṛṣṇa appeared in the Vṛṣṇi family, and our business is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa fully. He is unlimited. But still, by following the footsteps of great mahājana, great devotees, personalities, we can understand to some extent what is Kṛṣṇa. So we may not understand fully. If we simply take it for granted, even without understanding Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme and our business is to love Him... Real our aim is how to love Kṛṣṇa. Just like the gopīs.

Lecture on SB 1.5.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, June 21, 1969:

That means, going up means to be situated in the modes of goodness. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Sattva-sthā, "those who are situated in the mode of goodness, they can be elevated to the higher planetary system." Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ: "And those who are in the modes of passion, they remain within this world." And adho gacchanti... Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ. "Those whose habits are very abominable..." Jaghanya. Jaghanya means very abominable, hateful. "One who is addicted to such hateful habits..." Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti, adho gacchanti. Adho gacchanti means either they go down planetary system or down living conditions just like animals. Just like animals. They are jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ. They can lie down anywhere. They can eat anything. They have no sense that "This is not good. I am doing this." They have no sense. Just like tree. We go sometimes in the jungle. A tree is standing for several thousands of years, but it has no sense, "Oh, I am standing like this, alone?"

Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976:

Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). This dealing, in this material world, between young boys and girls, they're material. They're simply a reflection of the original dealings. The verse in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). From Brahman everything is emanating. Without being in Brahman, nothing can be manifest or existing within this world. So these love affairs between young girls and young boy, is there in Brahman. That is the dealing of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs. So that dealing is pervertedly reflected within this material world. It is not the same thing. It is different. But those who are not in the knowledge, they take it that the dealings... Idam Viṣṇu and the vraja-vadhū... It is so nice that actually if one hears about the dealings of the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes so elevated in devotion that he forgets the lusty dealings between man and woman. That is the result.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Delhi, November 6, 1973:

This is the description of the persons who are blind. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). Yesterday we have discussed this verse. Apaśyatām means one who does not see. Apaśyatām, paśyati. Paśyati means "one who sees," and apaśyati, "one who does not see," "blind." So there are two kinds of men within the world: paśyati, apaśyati. Simply having the eyes, one cannot see. This is not... Because our senses are imperfect. We see every day the sun just like a small disc. But it is not a small disc. It is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. Therefore our sensual perception is not all. That is not perfect. We are deficient: we commit mistake, we are illusioned, we cheat, and our senses are imperfect. As such, there is no possibility of having perfect knowledge by a conditioned soul. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1 -- Los Angeles, May 19, 1972:

Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was asked by Dharmarāja, "What is the most wonderful thing within this world?" He answered this, ahany ahani bhūtāni gacchantīha yamālayam, "Everyone, every moment, is going to the Yamarāja's place, the superintendent of death, where a man's life is scrutinizingly studied, what he has done, and..." I say man, not animal. Animal, they have no such thing wrong or right, because it is animal. But a human being must have this conscience, right or wrong. Pravṛtti, nivṛtti.

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ janā na vidur āsurāḥ. Asura-jana, those who are demons, they do not know these two things— pravṛtti and nivṛtti—what is our duty and what is our not duty. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca... (BG 16.7).

Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:

Just like a big man. He wants to do something. He simply says to his secretary, "This thing must be done." He does everything. And he is quite confident that "I have told my secretary, and it will be done." So secretary is a person's śakti, energy. Similarly, if an ordinary man within this world has so much energies or secretaries to act, so just imagine, although Kṛṣṇa is Jagadīśvara, He's managing the whole universe... He's managing. There is brain. The foolish men, they say there is no brain. No, there is brain. But we do not know who is the brain. That is our foolishness. But if we take information from the śāstra, we can understand what is that brain. That brain is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

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

Nitāi: "Such a sādhu engages in staunch devotional service to the Lord without deviation. For the sake of the Lord he renounces all other connections, such as family relationships and friendly acquaintances within the world."

Prabhupāda:

mayy ananyena bhāvena

bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām

mat-kṛte tyakta-karmāṇas

tyakta-svajana-bāndhavāḥ

(SB 3.25.22)

This is the explanation of the last version of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We have got so many obligations. As soon as we take birth—human being, not cats and dogs—we are immediately indebted to so many persons: devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇām (SB 11.5.41). We are indebted to the demigods. The body, the material body, which we have got, it is running by the direction of the demigods. There are different demigods controlling different parts of the body. So that means as soon as we get a body, we become indebted to the demigods. Then, when we are educated, we take knowledge. Then we become indebted to the great sages, saintly persons, who have given us all the directions how to live comfortably, sinlessly.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

And karma means they are not struggling hard to enjoy the fruitive result, as we see generally everywhere, they are working so hard. Big, big buildings, big, big factories, big, big roads, cities, so many things. They are trying to be happy by such advancement of material opulence. They are called karmī. Some of them are trying to be happy within this material, within this world or within this life, and there are others also, they are also performing big, big yajñas, charities, so that next life they may also take birth in very nice family or may be elevated to the higher planetary system where the standard of life is thousand times better than here. There is all arrangement. So they are trying for that. Not only to become very bodily happy in this life, but also next life. But as there is difficulty... Suppose if you want to be happy materially, then... You see how they are working very hard. They have no time. In the morning, at half past five, we go for morning walk, we see, workers are going.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971:

When one comes to understand that "I'm spirit soul," ahaṁ brahma, "I'm not this matter," so immediately he becomes jolly, prasannātmā. And what is the sign of jolliness? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He has no more any hankering, no more any lamentation. Within this world, everyone is subjected to these categories of life. We are lamenting for the loss and we are hankering for some gain. But real gain is to understand oneself, what I am.

So, so long we have got this bodily concept of life, so long we have to abide by the laws of material nature, by the laws of the state, or any other laws. Because this body is conditional. Every one of us who are sitting in this meeting has got a different body. Because everyone is under different condition, varieties, varieties of condition. Therefore I'm responsible.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- New York, August 1, 1971:

If God created this world, if God is true, how His creation can be false? We don't approve this philosophy. We accept that this is not false, but this is temporary. And because it is creation of God, because He's Absolute Truth, it is also true. Simply we are seeing it otherwise. Just like I'm claiming something within this world as my property. That is false. But this is someone's property—that is fact. That is God's property. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Not that the property is false. Just like this house, this building, this nice room, it is so nicely decorated; there is electric light. If somebody says: "It is false," how it is false? It is not false. Why I shall say false? Why I shall discourage the persons who are using this room as for their devotional service, they're making progress...? How we can say it is false? It is not false. The false is when I claim that "This is my house." That is false.

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

One had to work very hard to make this city so nicely, perfectly standing. So we have to work. If we want happiness, then we have to work. There is no doubt about it. But Kṛṣṇa says that yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). Somebody is working to become happy within this material atmosphere by becoming very big man within this world, or a little more intelligent, they are not happy in this life, but they want to become happy in the next life. Sometimes they go to the higher planetary system. So yānti deva-vratā devān pitṛn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). So as you work, you get the desired result. But at the last line, Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino'pi yānti mām: "If you work or if you worship Me, then you come to Me." Then where is the difference between going to Kṛṣṇa and keeping within this material world? The difference is ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16).

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

All good qualities. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Take practical example. These boys, these girls, how they have become so nice? They are known as "bright-faced." Why? Because nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ: they have taken seriously Kṛṣṇa as the object of worship. So actually if you want happiness within this world, peace, and prosperity, just become Kṛṣṇa conscious. All problems will be solved and you will be happy.

Lecture on SB 6.2.9-10 -- Allahabad, January 15, 1971:

So if such person is required in ordinary government, why not a similar personality in the government of the Supreme Person? Because from the Vedānta-sūtra we understand that everything that we experience within this world, they are emanation from the Absolute Truth. So this intelligence, that one person should be in charge of the criminal department, has come from the Absolute Truth. Otherwise there was no possibility. It is not an human invention. We should always understand, whatever we experience within this world, that is emanation from the Absolute Truth. As Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the original source of everything that you experience."

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:

Pradyumna: "Every one of us within this world is perpetually engaged in some sort of service, and the impetus for such service is the pleasure we derive from it."

Prabhupāda: Yes. We cannot work unless we derive some pleasure. Just like the, in the Ahmedabad, the dramatic performance, he was killing animal, and he was attracted by killing, that's all. The butchers... I have seen in Calcutta, while passing through, one hotel man was cutting the throat of a chicken, and the chicken was, after being cut, the throat, it was jumping like anything. You see. And he was laughing. He was taking pleasure. It was for me so horrible, but he was taking very nice pleasure: "This half-cut chicken is jumping." And his son was crying. And he was asking, "Why you are crying? Why you are crying?" So it is the question of different qualities. One is attracted, and one, he finds that, that they are detracted. Go on.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

Pradyumna: (break) "...devotional service. Every service has some attractive feature which drives the servitor progressively on and on. Everyone of us within this world is perpetually engaged in some sort of service and the impetus for such service is the pleasure we derive from it. Driven by affection for his wife and children, a family man works day and night. A philanthropist works in the same way for love of the greater family and a nationalist for the cause of his country and countrymen. That force which drives the philanthropist, the householder and the nationalist is called rasa, or..."

Prabhupāda: So bhakti is explained, "Bhakti is some active service." It is not a sentiment. And service means work. Not like the karmīs. Karmī or anyone who is working, he is working with some taste. Just like the example is given here: A householder is working day and night. Unless he has got some taste... Suppose one has got wife and children. So to maintain them he has to work very hard. But there is some pleasure in serving the wife and children. This is crude example. Similarly, bhakti means service with some taste. Svādu svādu pade pade. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, svādu svādu pade pade. The more you serve, the more you relish taste. Without relishing taste, nobody can render devotional service.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

The Viṣṇu forms, They are known as svāṁśa. And the servitor forms, the living entities, they are also expansion of Viṣṇu, part and parcel, differentiated, vibhinnāṁśa. So everything—expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Whatever we see, experience within this world, within this universe, they're simply expansion of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Just like fire has got two energies, heat and light, similarly Kṛṣṇa is expanding by His two energies, the material energy and the spiritual energy. So this material world is expansion of His material energy, and we are marginal We are also energy. We are not energetic. We are not puruṣa. We are prakṛti.

In the Bhagavad-gītā the living entities have been described as prakṛti. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtim parā. After describing the material energies—earth, water, air, fire sky, mind, intelligence, ego—Kṛṣṇa says apareyam, all these energies, separated energies, material energies, they are aparā, inferior.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973:

The Lord says there, 'My dear Uddhava, all persons are engaged in activities, whether those indicated in the revealed scriptures or ordinary worldly activities. If by the result of either of such activities they worship Me in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then automatically they become very happy within this world, as well as in the next. Of this there is no doubt.' We can conclude from this statement by Kṛṣṇa that activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will give everyone all perfection in their desires.

"Thus the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that there is no need of even designating oneself brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha or sannyāsī. Let everyone be engaged in whatever occupation he now has. Simply let him worship Lord Kṛṣṇa by the result of his activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will adjust the whole situation and everyone will be happy and peaceful within this world. In the Nārada-pañcarātra, the regulative princi..."

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1970:

So although I have got superior intelligence, that is also controlled by Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa gives you intelligence, then you can manufacture this nice microphone; otherwise, you cannot. Therefore īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). In every sphere of life, there is control of Kṛṣṇa. Yat kiñcit jagatyām. Anything which is going on within this world, jagat... Jagat means this world, which is making progress. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Therefore we shall have to voluntarily accept His superiority and accept only prasādam, whatever He kindly allows, "You can take this." "All right, Sir." That's all. You cannot encroach upon others. That is superior control. But the people are encroaching; therefore they are becoming entangled. If they accept what is offered by Kṛṣṇa, then there is no trouble. But if they encroach, then there is trouble.

Festival Lectures

Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

That is the philosophical presentation. He gives the reason that Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman, but here in this material world we see that parama-brahma, to become attached to Paraṁ Brahman or to realize Paraṁ Brahman, a person, an intelligent person, gives up everything within this world. That is the philosophy of Lord, I mean to...Śaṅkarācārya. He says that this world is false. Paraṁ Brahman is... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. So cultivate yourself to realize Paraṁ Brahman. And his process is sannyāsa. Give up, renounce this world.

So Jīva Gosvāmī puts forward this philosophy that if for Paraṁ Brahman realization one has to give up everything material, how Paraṁ Brahman can enjoy something material? This is the question. If for realizing Paraṁ Brahman one has to give up everything material... And practically we are seeing that. Just like Śaṅkarācārya.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Bali-mardana Dasa -- Montreal, July 29, 1968:

So two boys who are now ready to be initiated, my request to all, especially to boys who are just going to be initiated, that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is authorized because, even taking it for granted that it has begun from Kṛṣṇa, then it is at least five thousand years old. Kṛṣṇa appeared on this planet five thousand years ago. So if you take history of any religious or any cultural program within this world, no religion, no cultural program is older than 2,000 years or 2,500 years. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, even according to history, it is five thousand years old, the older than any principles of religion or culture. And if you go above historical references, then it is coming down from millions and millions of years past, because it was first instructed, as we understand from the Bhagavad-gītā, that it was first instructed to Sūrya. Imaṁ vivasvate proktam: "I first of all spoke this science to Vivasvān, Sūrya." Sūrya means sun-god.

Wedding Ceremonies

Wedding Ceremony and Lecture -- Boston, May 6, 1969:

God is situated in everyone's heart. Simply you do not know. He is situated. He is everywhere. Within the atom also, He is present. Andantarastham paramanu cayantarastham. God is present within this world, within everything, everywhere, even within the atom. Now, at the present moment, the atomic theory is very prominent, but in the Vedic literature it is said that God is existing even within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu. Paramāṇu means atom. Therefore īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Ṅśvara, the Supreme Lord, is sitting within your heart. I am also sitting. This is dress. This body is dress, but my place is within the heart. The medical science also says all the energy is coming from the heart. The heart stops to work, that means man is dead. So the soul and the Supersoul both are sitting in the heart. We get this information from Vedic literature.

General Lectures

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

Then he is God." You try to understand the six kinds of, I mean to say, opulences, and you try to find out a person who has no competitor, neither greater than him. Then you accept him as God. Otherwise reject. Don't accept.

So how you can find out a person who is the richest man within this..., not within this world, within this universe. It is very difficult. You cannot find out a being who is the most, I mean to say, famous within this universe. We can know. Just like in your country, your President is the most famous man. But in other country there may be another famous man. In other planet there may be another famous man. So you cannot fix up that "Here is the man who is the most famous within this universe, who is the most influential, strong, wise." So therefore, if you try to understand who is God by corroborating the definition of God, it is very difficult to find out. If you travel all...

Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

He has got, as I have already explained, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He has got multi-energies, and one of the energy is pleasure potency. That is Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa is addressed in the Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So parabrahma. Now, Brahman means biggest. So for Brahman happiness... That you have got experience within this world, that for achieving brahma sukha, or the greatest pleasure, ananta, unlimited pleasure...

Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 29, 1977, (with Oriyan translator):

It is not so easy to understand what is Kṛṣṇa or what is Godhead. Therefore He is personally speaking about Himself. There are many persons within this world, they are trying to understand what is God. (aside:) What is...? (break) When you want to study me by speculation, it is not perfect. But if I speak myself about my career, my position, they you can understand very easily. So the speculators, they are thinking that "God has no form. You can imagine any form of the Lord and try to worship Him." That is speculator. (break) ... Another type of atheism. The atheists, they say, Śūnyavādī, "There is no God." But these Māyāvādī, they say, "Yes there is God, but He has no head, no leg, no mouth, nothing." Means, indirectly, they are saying there is not God.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Hayagrīva: Within the world Bergson sees nothing but constant, unceasing change. He even sees ego change. He says, "If our existence were composed of separate states with an impassive ego to unite them, for us there would be no duration, for an ego which does not change does not endure, and a psychic state which remains the same so long as it is not replaced by the following state does not endure either." So he sees the psychic state of the individual in the ego and all that the ego contains as cognitively changing.

Prabhupāda: This is false ego, that "I am this body." So it has to be changed by education, that "You are not this body." Then when he understands that he is spirit soul, then the activities of the spirit soul begin, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). That is stated in Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, that first of all he has to understand that he is not this material body; he is spirit soul. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Within this body the soul is there, and that soul is Brahman, spiritual. People, if they do not understand this, so they are in the animal status of life. But if he understands that he is not this body, then his struggle for existence, to maintain the body, stops. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54).

Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger:

Śyāmasundara: Yes. Oh, yes. Still more. He says that a man finds himself flung into the world, and he finds that he is a fact within this world. He cannot deny that he is here. And he is subject to the resultant mood of fear or dread that comes about when he discovers that there is no escape to being here. "I am here. There is no escape." So there is immediate anxiety always within the man, that "I am here." So...

Prabhupāda: So when one is under some condition, then there is (indistinct). So therefore, this material world, every one of us are living under conditions and everyone is anxious.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. He said that the basic mood of existence is anxiety.

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:

Hayagrīva: He says that perfection within the world of the senses can never be attained...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: ...and Kṛṣṇa says something like that, um...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that Kṛṣṇa says...

Hayagrīva: "Imperfections..., there will always be imperfections like smoke and fire," something like that.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that, uh, He says that everything has got some defect, material. Even the fire, so powerful, so fire has also some defect: the smoke. So apart from that imperfection, if we execute our prescribed duties exactly in the way as it is enjoined in the śāstra, that even there is some defect, still we can get perfection. Just like Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving chance, everyone, to become perfect by his own work. It doesn't matter brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or what means according to Vedic civilization, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So brāhmaṇa is giving knowledge, kṣatriya is giving protection, vaiśya is giving food, and śūdra is general help to everyone. So if the whole thing is done under the direction of the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya executes the orders of the brāhmaṇa, and the vaiśyas supply food—because food is required, that is materially required—then everything is perfect. (break) (aside with Hari-śauri regarding tape recorder)

Purports to Songs

Purport to Hari Hari Biphale -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

So brajendra-nandana jei, the same personality who was formerly the son of Nanda Mahārāja has now appeared as the son of Mother Śacī. Śacī-suta hoilo sei. And balarāma hoilo nitāi. And Lord Balarāma has become Nityānanda. So these two brothers adventing, they are delivering all kinds of fallen souls. Pāpī-tāpī jata chilo. As many fallen souls there were within this world, they're delivering them simply by this chanting procession. Hari-nāme uddhārilo, simply by this chanting. How it is possible? Then he says, tāra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. The living example is the two brothers, Jagāi and Mādhāi. These Jagāi and Mādhāi, two brothers, they happened to be born in a brāhmaṇa family but they turned to be debauch number one. And... Of course, nowadays, in this age, their qualification is not considered debauch. Their debauchery was because they were drunkard and woman hunter. Therefore they were called debauch. And meat-eater also. So... But they became later on delivered by Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda. Great devotees.