Worldly (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"worldliness" |"worldly"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtina. Sukṛtina means pious. Kṛtī means very expert in acting worldly activities. So one who are engaged in pious activities, they are called sukṛtī. There are two kinds of activities: impious activities, sinful activities; and pious activities. So one who goes to pray in the church or in the temple, "O God, give us our daily bread," or "God, give me some money," or "God, give me relief from this distress," they are also pious. They are not impious. The impious people, they will never surrender to God, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:

Unregulated life cannot make any progress. Therefore, in the Vedic civilization, the gṛhastha-āśrama is recommended. Everyone should be married and everyone should live. If possible let him live—a brahmacārī. First of all the brahmacārī-āśrama is given there, austerity, under the guidance of the spiritual master. So the idea is not to be entangled. Brahmacārī has no connection with worldly affairs. He's simply interested with the order of the spiritual master. That is called brahmacārī. So one is trained up as a brahmacārī, and he is sufficiently given knowledge, that "Don't be entangled with these material affairs. Don't be entangled. Try to avoid. But if you are still unable, your sex impulse is very strong, all right, then you go and marry." This is the process.

Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:

So at that time Kṛṣṇa will speak, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11), that "You are..." gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Paṇḍita. "You are posing yourself..." He will speak so many things. That is like paṇḍita, learned. It is very nice thing. "Kṛṣṇa..." Arjuna is saying that "How can I kill my kinsmen? There is my grandfather, there is my teacher, there are my kinsmen." It is not bad. For worldly men this is very nice consideration, that "I am not going to kill my kinsmen." That is a very good consideration. Prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). But spiritually, it is ignorance, it is foolishness. Materially, it may be very nice thing, he's talking very nice. Therefore the first chastisement was... Kṛṣṇa took the position of spiritual master. So spiritual master has the right to chastise the disciple.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa, although He is present there, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but still, He did not encourage him. From worldly point of view, when somebody says that "I'll... I give it up. I don't want it. I don't want to fight with my friends or my relatives. Better let them enjoy. I shall forego my claim," from worldly point of view, this is a very, I mean, gentlemanly behavior, that one is foregoing his claim for the matter of his relatives or friends. But Kṛṣṇa is not encouraging that proposal. We have to mark it. Kṛṣṇa is not encouraging. Kṛṣṇa is rather... Kṛṣṇa is, rather, inducing Arjuna that "It is not a very good proposal. It is not befitting your position. You belong to the Āryan family. You belong to the kṣatriya, royal family. And you are denying to fight? No, no, this is not good. And I am your friend. I have taken the responsibility of your chariot driver, and, if you do not fight, what people will say?" So He is not encouraging. Just see.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

Now, here is a good proposal from the worldly point of view that Arjuna does not want to fight, and Kṛṣṇa is not encouraging him. Now, what is the point? Somebody may say that "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, why He is encouraging in the matter of fighting?" People, at the present moment, when there is a question of war, people want to stop that war. At the present moment, the movement is going on between all nations that they do not want war. But here we see that Kṛṣṇa is not discouraging war. We have to mark this point. He is not discouraging war, but He is, rather, advocating, inducing Arjuna that "No, no, no, this is not befitting your position. You must fight, must fight."

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

So here is a point, that sometimes we may do something which is approved by the general public, but it may not be approved by the supreme authority. Superficially it may appear very appealing to the sentiment of the public, but factually such thing may not be correct, may not be correct. If we accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and "Why He was inducing Arjuna to fight?" It does not mean that He was inducing Arjuna to do something wrong. But from worldly point of view, Arjuna was a very pious man and he was declining to fight, not to kill his kinsmen, not to kill his friends. This... This is a very important point.

Lecture on BG 2.8-12 -- Los Angeles, November 27, 1968:

So this is our position. Without understanding our real position we are perplexed with these all worldly problems, which are all false. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Moha, moha means illusion. This is the illusion. So everyone is under this illusion. So one who is intelligent, if he can understand that this worldly position is simply illusion... The, all the thoughts which I have concocted, based on the principle of "I" and "mine," this is all illusion. So one, when one is intelligent to get out of the illusion, he surrenders to a spiritual master. That is being exemplified by Arjuna. When he's too much perplexed... He was talking with Kṛṣṇa as friend, but he saw that "This friendly talking will not solve my question." And he selected Kṛṣṇa... Because he knew the value of Kṛṣṇa. At least, he ought to have known. He is friend.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 7, 1966:

Then Second World War was in 1939. That was also German and Englishmen, like that. But actually, this was also World War, this Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, because all the kings of the world, they joined either this party or that party. So there were a great assembly of all worldly kings.

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

If the cyclist catches the motorcar, he can also proceed with the same speed, sixty miles' speed, without even pedalling. Similarly, if we can join our consciousness with the supreme consciousness, then our whole life becomes successful. That is the point. Now, how to join it? The religion. The whole worldly religious process is the same, I mean to say, experimental or formulas or rituals so that one may become dovetailed with the supreme consciousness. Every religion. But if we become attracted by the rituals only or formulas, and quarrel on that point that, "Oh, my Bible says like this," or I say, "No, my Vedas says like this," and the Muslim, Musselman, says that "No, my Koran says like this. Your is not right," then we become attached to the rituals only.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

So attention to Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā. Even by hearing instruction from learned, I mean to say, transcendentalists or by self-study. Parataḥ. Parataḥ means taking lessons or taking instruction from others. And svataḥ means by self-culture. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho vā. Mitho vā: "by assembly." By assembly. Na: "It will never be." Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. Gṛha-vratānām means... Gṛha means "house," and vrata means "vow." One who has made his vow that "This worldly live, eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, this is all in all," for them, there is no question of spiritual life. We have to decide it that spiritual life and material life, they are different angles of vision. If we give more stress to the material life, material way of life, then it is not possible to have any spiritual realization or spiritual emancipation.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

Just like Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He was, as the other day we were narrating the story of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he was passing on naked, sixteen-years-old boy, young boy, and very nice feature of the body, peaceful. And he was passing naked, and the girls who were taking bath, naked on the river, they saw that innocent person, so they did not cover their body. But when the father was passing, such a learned sage, old man, Vyāsadeva, who is the author of all Vedic literatures—he is not an ordinary man. But because he was a worldly man, a householder, the girls, after seeing him, covered their body. That story the other day we have narrated before you. So the stage of Śukadeva Gosvāmī is ātma-rati, self-satisfied, doesn't care for anything of the world. He is aloof from the world. We should not imitate Śukadeva Gosvāmī and become naked. (chuckles)

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

We work because we find deficient ourself. In any power, in any, either spiritual power or material power, we have to work because we are deficient. So Kṛṣṇa is not deficient so that He has to fill up the deficiency. No. Na anavāptam. So still, varta eva ca karmaṇi. Now, He says that "Arjuna, you see that still, I have engaged Myself in the worldly duties." Why? Just to become the ideal man. Although He was not man, He was God, because He was playing the part of a man, therefore He was...

Why He was taking part in the battlefield? He had nothing to gain out of it personally, but why He was taking part in the battlefield? Just for the right cause.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

He was in favor of the doctrine of nonviolence. Now, you have seen Mahatma Gandhi's picture that he is always standing with Bhagavad-gītā like this. So Bhagavad-gītā was his life and soul practically. And in the morning he was having Bhagavad-gītā class; in the evening he was having Bhagavad-gītā class. So that was his life and soul. But unfortunately he interpreted Bhagavad-gītā in his own way. Although he took Bhagavad-gītā as his life and soul, so, but he interpreted it in his own way. That is not the way of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore such a great man and such a good man... He was not only a great man; he was very good man in the worldly estimation. His character, his behavior, his dealing—everything was good. He was ideal personality. But just see. He was killed by violence. He could not stop violence.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- New York, July 27, 1966:

So there is a very nice verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. A brāhmaṇa, he was a family man, just like worldly man, as we are. Now, brāhmaṇas are generally expected to be highly learned, and he was very learned man in Vedic literature. And when he came to his consciousness by reading all this Vedic literature, that "Although I am following the leadership, why I am not happy? Why I am not happy?"... This question should arise in the sane human mind. One should think that "I am following the leadership of somebody, according to my position and according to my circumstances. But still, I am not happy. Why?"

Why we select one leader? The leader should be such a leader that they shall, he shall make happy and prosperous persons who follow him. That is the question of leadership. But actually, if we think in sober mind and cool head, we can understand that although we are following leadership, may be whatever he may be, still, we are not happy. Now, the brāhmaṇa concluded that "This following leadership is the following leadership of my lust." I select one leader according to my lust.

Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:

As Kṛṣṇa advises, saṅga-varjitaḥ: "You should not have any attraction or any attachment for these worldly activities." If you have got attachment or attraction for these material activities, then you cannot have Kṛṣṇa, you cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. But that does not mean you should be inimical to the people of the world. No. It is your duty to give them the highest instruction, spiritual instruction, that "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." And try your best, try your best.

Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Bombay, April 7, 1974:

Just like the greatest example is the United Nations. The United Nations is trying to adjust things, the whole worldly affairs, by a United Nations organization, UNO. But they could not do anything. Because they do not know that how the nation should be united. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. They do not know. All their activities are without God, without God consciousness. Therefore they have failed. Everyone will fail, because they do not know what is the aim of life. That is the mistake.

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

Now, there are four divisions of human society according to Vedic literature: the brahmacārī, the gṛhastha, the vānaprastha and the sannyāsa. The brahmacārī means the student life, more or less, student life. And gṛhastha means those who are leading family life, after the student life. And vānaprastha means retired life. And the sannyāsa means renounced order. They have no connection with worldly activities. So these are four different stages of human social order. Now, the brahmacārī, they are meant for sacrifice, the students. The students are recommended to sacrifice, especially to sacrifice sense gratification.

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). The brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, situation, is that "I am not matter; I am spirit." That's all right. But we have to sustain the spirit. How we can sustain? We can sustain when there is spiritual engagement. Otherwise, it is not possible. Otherwise, I may continue for some time, but there is chance of falling down because we have got this information and a practical experience also: great, great, I mean to say, yogis and jñānīs, they again come. We have some practical experience. Sometimes we find a person leaves all worldly engagements, leaves his family, gives up his family connection, becomes a renounced order, sannyāsī, and highest order, and then, after some time, he becomes engaged in opening hospitals and philanthropic work and in politics.

Lecture on BG 5.3-7 -- New York, August 26, 1966:

In this age, in this difficult age, if we find the same result by being Kṛṣṇa conscious and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, then I, we should take advantage of it. Why should we stick to certain other principles? That is also good. That's all right, but this is favorable in the present circumstances. That is the point.

sannyāsas tu mahā-bāho

duḥkham āptum ayogataḥ

yoga-yukto munir brahma

na cireṇādhigacchati

(BG 5.6)

Sannyāsa... Suppose if you simply renounce the world for your certain difficulty... "The worldly life, household life, is very difficult to maintain. Now let, let me become a sannyāsī. I'll go door to door and beg and I'll have..."

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

King is the lord of both the city and the forest. So he prayed that "Please send your son and help me." Now, at that time this king inquired from that sage, aihisthaṁ yat taṁ punar-janma-jayāya.(?) Now, just like in our worldly affairs we, for gentleman's etiquette we ask, "How are you? How things are going on?" now, here the king was asking the sage, aihisthaṁ yat taṁ punar-janma-jayāya: "You are... You have... You have become mendicant. You have become sage just to conquer over death, conquer over death." Aihisthaṁ yat taṁ punar-janma-jayāya.(?) So that is this highest knowledge. Highest knowledge is to conquer over the death. This sort of idea... Of course, now it has become a story, but to conquer over the death, that was the main problem in, at least in the former Vedic civilization days.

Lecture on BG 6.30-34 -- Los Angeles, February 19, 1969:

Arjuna is representing himself as a common man in the sense that he was not a mendicant or he has renounced his family life or he has no connection with his bread problem. Because he was on the warfield to fight for the kingdom. So he's supposed to be an ordinary man. So for ordinary men who are engaged in these worldly activities for earning livelihood, family life, children, wife, so many problems, it is not practical. That is the point here. It is practical for one who has already renounced everything completely. In a secluded sacred place, just like in the hill or in the cave of the hill, alone, no public disturbance. So where is the opportunity for ordinary man, for us, especially in this age? Therefore this yoga system is not practical. It is admitted by Arjuna, who was a great warrior.

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

Tapasya, human life is meant for tapasya. We know in our Indian history all big, big kings, they went to the forest, tapasya. The King, Bharata, Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa, he left his kingdom, young wife, children, everything, at the age of twenty-four years, and he went for tapasya. So the Pāṇḍavas also. Everyone. The last stage of life should be especially meant for tapasya. Not that up to the point of death we shall remain addicted to this worldly life. No. So this life is meant for purifying our existence. That means stop this cycle of birth and death.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

Similarly, if you think that "This material world is very nice. Let me stay here," oh, the higher authorities... There are higher authori... Just like there are authorities in the immigration department, similarly there are higher authorities in the management of these worldly affairs. Yamaraja, oh, he'll not allow you to stay. You have to change your body.

Actually a living entity is eternal, but the problem is that he is changing body. Just like either I may live at Canada or USA or India, I shall live somewhere, but nobody will allow me to stay. Except in my own country, nobody will allow me to stay for long time. Similarly, this is not your place.

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

This siddhi, the so-called siddhi, vimukta-māninaḥ, "I have become liberated," (break) ...that he can fall down. And that we see practically. Big, big sannyāsīs—brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā—they give up this world as mithyā, but again they come to these worldly activities: opening schools, opening hospital and politics and sociology, so many things. But if it is mithyā, why you are engaged in this?

Therefore Bhāgavata says that "Although they got up to the platform, āruhya, after much penance and austerities, they fall down." Otherwise a common man, he is also opening hospital.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

So Bhagavad-gītā is describing what should we do at the, at the point of our death, when we are giving up this body, this present body. So for the yogis, dhyāna-yogis, this prescription is recited here, sarva-dvārāṇi saṁyamya mano hṛdi-nirudhya ca. Sarva-dvārāṇi means... This system is called pratyāhāra. In the technical language of yogic system it is called pratyāhāra. Pratyāhāra means "just the opposite." Now, the senses, my eye, my eyes are engaged in seeing the worldly beauty. Now I have to retract from enjoying that beauty, and I have to see inside the beauty. That is called pratyāhāra. Similarly, I have to hear the oṁkāra sound from within. So all the senses are to be stopped in their external activities—that is the perfection of yoga—and concentrate the mind on Viṣṇu-mūrti. Mano hṛdi. The mind is very agitating, so it has to be fixed up on the heart.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:

Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Those who are living within the family life, they cannot understand what is ātma-tattva. Apaśyatām. Apaśyata. Nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is advising to Parīkṣit Mahārāja that "There are many things. They are busy." Just like ordinary man, worldly man, he purchases huge volumes of newspaper, and he is interested. But he is not interested to understand Bhagavad-gītā where ātma-tattvam is described. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). They are not interested.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

Therefore sometimes we find that although they say it is mithyā, jagan mithyā, and take sannyāsa and for some days they remain meditation or aloof from any worldly affairs, but later on, when they do not find Brahman, they come again to this māyā to open hospitals, schools, as sannyāsī. Just like in our country there are many. The beginning we see that... Vivekananda Swami, he took sannyāsa and meditation. Later on, after his touring in the Western countries, he came to India to open hospitals, schools, like that. But if the world is false, then why you are coming to open school and hospitals? Because they could not get... And some other sannyāsī also, he is now taking part in politics. If jagat is mithyā, why you are taking part in politics? These question are there.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Therefore he is giving the best service. So people may say, "Nonsense people. They're doing this, doing that." But he is giving the best service to Kṛṣṇa because he is not accepting a farthing out of this. And these so-called worldly, honest men, they may be very honest, moral, but they are taking everything for their sense gratification. They are dishonest. They are the greatest fraud. Kṛṣṇa's money they are taking for their own satisfaction. The greatest fraud. Stena eva sa ucyate (BG 3.12). What is that? Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). Bhuñjate te aghaṁ pāpāḥ. Stena eva sa ucyate. What is that? Everyone is thief. Everyone is taking Kṛṣṇa's money for his sense gratification, and they are advertising they are very moral.

Lecture on BG 16.10 -- Hawaii, February 6, 1975:

And it is said by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita that if you want worldly happiness, then these things are required. Mūrkha yatra na pūjyante. Don't worship rascals and fools, mūrkha. Mūrkha yatra na pūjyante dhanyaṁ yatra susañcitam:(?) "And food grains are properly stocked." That is the Vedic civilization, that you work for three months, not very hard, simply till the ground and sow some food grain seed, and within three months it will grow, and you will have ample food grains, and you'll keep it in stock. And keep some cows. Dhanena dhanavān. They say that a rich man means one who has got sufficient stock of food grains. Food grains. Dhanena dhanavān. That is Vedic economic system. Gavayaḥ dhanavān. Gavayaḥ means by possessing some number of cows one is supposed to be rich. It is actually the fact. Everyone should possess some land for growing food grains and some cows to take milk. Then the whole economic problem is solved.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:

The other party, all my relatives, if I kill them, then what do I gain?" Actually, that is the fact. We work so hard, accumulate money for showing to our relatives, to our friends: "Now, just see how I have become rich." "But if they are all gone, then whom shall I show this kingdom?" Thinking like ordinary worldly man. But he was not a coward. Not that he was hesitating to fight, but when he understood that "Kṛṣṇa wants this fighting. Oh, that's all right." Then Kṛṣṇa asked him, "My dear Arjuna, what is your decision?" "Yes." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). "Yes, I shall fight." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Kṛṣṇa wants this fighting. I do not want. I have nothing to... What is my value? Kṛṣṇa wants it. That is value." This is kṣatriya. So finished—the whole grandfather and grandchildren and everything, finished. The other party, Kauravas, not a single person lived.

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

So ordinary literature, they're full with all this, I mean to say, grāmya-kathā. The man and woman's behavior, that is good literature. There is a hero; there is a heroine. So those who are saintly persons, they do not take interest. So Nārada was advising Vyāsadeva that "You have written this Mahābhārata. That's all right. It is a great epic, history. But the, mostly... History means the ordinary dealings of the worldly men. So what benefit there is? That is nothing. No saintly person will take interest." Actually, this Mahābhārata was written by this, by Vyāsadeva for giving instruction, Vedic instruction to the less intelligent class of men. He has given introduction, strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā: (SB 1.4.25) "The Vedic knowledge is difficult to be understood by these classes of men and women: strī-śūdra-śūdra class, woman class, strī, śūdra—and dvija-bandhu." And dvija-bandhu means born in high family, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, but their behavior is different, like śūdras. They cannot understand Vedas. Therefore there is restriction, that "The śūdras cannot read Vedas." They are restricted.

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

So suppose we are prosecuting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now death may come immediately. We all die. So Nārada Muni gives us encouragement that punar eva tato svedva:(?) "Either we die or sometimes we fall down..." Because māyā and Kṛṣṇa, side by side. "So it is all right. We are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But if we fall down." Vrase vā tadā sva-dharma tyāga nimitta narthāśraya:(?) "Then you have given up your all other duties. So for giving up your duty, there must be some punishment." I don't mean in this worldly punishment. Just like, according to Vedic system, there are brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, for example. Just like Kṛṣṇa was advising Arjuna that "You are kṣatriya. So if you die in this fight, then your heavenly door is open." Because, according to śāstra, if a kṣatriya dies while fighting, then automatically he gets promotion in the heavenly planet. And if he goes away, giving up the fighting, then he goes to hell. So similarly, if one does not discharge his duties, prescribed duties, then he falls down.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, September 5, 1976:

Therefore if we want to abolish all unwanted things of life, simply we come to the spiritual platform. Because that is our aim. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human life is meant for spiritual understanding, not for any other purpose. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ, śāstra recommends. Only for spiritual understanding engage your activities. And what will be other things, about my family life, worldly life? That is said that tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Just like you don't aspire or don't wish for distressed condition. It comes upon you. Similarly, whatever happy condition in your life is expected, that will also come. You don't require... There are many places. So our endeavor, the human energy should be fully engaged in understanding Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Nothing else. Other things we should minimize. Yāvad artha-prayojanam. Just to maintain the body and soul together you should live very nicely. You should not become weak by health; otherwise, we cannot execute. But don't eat more, don't eat unnecessary things. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ. Atyāhāra, to eat more or to collect more than is required, that is forbidden by Rūpa Gosvāmī.

Lecture on SB 1.7.12 -- Vrndavana, September 11, 1976:

parīkṣito 'tha rājarṣer

janma-karma-vilāpanam

saṁsthāṁ ca pāṇḍu-putrāṇāṁ

vakṣye kṛṣṇa-kathodayam

(SB 1.7.12)

"Sūta Gosvāmī thus addressed the ṛṣis headed by Śaunaka: Now I shall begin the transcendental narration of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and topics of the birth, activities and deliverance of King Parīkṣit, the sage amongst kings, as well as topics of the renunciation of the worldly order by the sons of Pāṇḍu."

Lecture on SB 1.7.40 -- Vrndavana, October 1, 1976:

It does not mean that a Vaiṣṇava will be fool and rascal because he's Vaiṣṇava. No. Vaiṣṇava, twenty-six qualifications. One of the qualifications is dakṣa: he must be very expert in doing things very nicely. Not that because one is Vaiṣṇava he'll be callous in the worldly things. No. Therefore I repeatedly request the management that you must be very expert in managing these temple affairs. Everything to the right point. Not a single farthing should be wasted. A Vaiṣṇava must be dakṣa, expert in everything. This is no excuse, that "I have become a devotee. Therefore I am callous to all material things." What material things? Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. Anything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is not material; that is spiritual. I have several times explained that this temple, don't think it is ordinary building. It is Vaikuṇṭha.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973:

So the Lord says in the Bhagavad-gītā: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So two purposes. When God incarnates, He has got two mission. One mission is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām and vināśāya duṣ... One mission is to deliver the faithful devotees, sādhu. Sādhu means saintly persons.

The sādhu... I have explained several times. Sādhu means devotee. Sādhu does not mean the worldly honesty or dishonesty, morality or immorality. It has nothing to do with material activities. It is simply spiritual, sādhu. But sometimes we derive, "sādhu," a person's material goodness, morality. but actually "sādhu" means in the transcendental platform. Those who are engaged in devotional service. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). Sādhu is transcendental to the material qualities. So paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. The paritrāṇāya means to deliver.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974:

So Kuntīdevī is clarifying the matter that people may think that Kṛṣṇa was partial to the Pāṇḍava family and He was envious to the Kurus because He always took part on behalf of the Pāṇḍavas. That has been described. So just like worldly men, we, we make some friends, and we make some enemies. To somebody we are envious, and to somebody we are very friendly. This is material nature. The material nature means to become envious, generally. And if somebody satisfies my sense gratification, then he's friend. That is also temporary. As soon as the sense gratification process is disturbed, then again envious. The real nature is enviousness. So Kuntīdevī says that "Because You are playing the part of human being, and it appears that You are partial to somebody and You are envious to somebody, this is viḍambanam; this is Your misleading. Actually You are not like that. Actual... But because You are playing the part of the ordinary human being, not ordinary, but as human being, so Your dealing like that appears that You are, to some, to somebody You are very partial and somebody You are inimical."

But that is not the fact. People cannot understand Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa can be understood by the devotee only.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:

Therefore simply renunciation, that "I give up attachment for worldly things," that is not sufficient. Simply renouncement will not help you. It may be a helping process, but that will not help you absolutely. When you increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then this renouncement will be perfect. So make renouncement perfect, or, if you increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa, automatically your attachment for this world will diminish. Two things cannot go. Our attachment... Just like a woman, if she is attached to two men, one husband, another paramour—so two things cannot go. The attachment increases for the paramour; otherwise why she accepts a paramour? These are examples there. Although she's working at the husband's place very nicely, but the mind is there to the paramour. Because "When I shall meet him at night, this and that," you see.

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:

Therefore it is said, prākṛtena ātmanā. Prākṛtena, by worldly relationship, prākṛtena ātmanā viprāḥ sneha-moha-vaśaṁ gataḥ. Sneha, affection; moha, illusion. Just like Arjuna, the same thing: out of affection he was denying. He was denying, "No, no, Kṛṣṇa, I shall not fight. There, on the other side, there are my brothers, my nephews, my grandfather, and my teacher, Droṇācārya, all my object of affection and obeisances, and I will have to kill them. You are inducing me. No, no, don't do it." That is prākṛtena. He did not know the spiritual necessities. Sometimes we take sannyāsa. I have seen. One of our Godbrother, big Godbrother, he took sannyāsa. So his son was crying, and he was also crying. Then, if you have got affection for your family, society, then why you are taking sannyāsa? That is prākṛtena. We should not be carried away by this material affection, no. That is not good. You must do your duty.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

Now it is our choice, whether we shall surrender to Kṛṣṇa or not. These are the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that one's ultimate goal of life is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is the ultimate goal of life. But they do not know it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. They think for some worldly happiness and go to some demigods... That is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). They have lost their intelligence, those who go to worship other demigods for some paltry benefit, temporary benefit. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Those who are, brain substance is not very much in good quantity... Brain substance, instead of brain substance, there is cow-dung. Such people go to worship the other demigods. There is no necessity. There is no necessity.

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

Sat-saṅga means satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. When actually there is sat-saṅga... Not professional Bhāgavata readers or Bhāgavata reader... No. Really realized souls of Bhāgavata, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, they are called sat. Not for earning livelihood. They are not sat. Those who are, those who are reading Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata for some worldly material gain, they are not sat. They are asat. Those who are actually reading Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for the satisfaction of Bhagavān, bhāgavata, they are sat. So once associating with these sat people, he cannot make anymore association asat. Here is a vivid examples: Hṛṣīkeśa. He left our company. He associated with some asat. Asat means nondevotees. Asat, generally, we understand rogues and thieves. But those who are devotees, they're less than rogues and thieves. Those who are not devotees, they're less than rogues and thieves. So he could not associate. It was struggle. At last, he had to leave.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

The Buddha philosophy, they take it nirvāṇa. Their philosophy is nirvāṇa, means to stop the feelings of pains and pleasure. So their philosophy is that the pains and pleasure... Not only their philosophy. We also know. Bhagavad-gītā also says. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). The, the worldly pains and pleasure—what is due to? It is due to this material body. Mātrā-sparśāḥ. Mātrā means the skin. Because we have got this skin, in winter, the water is there, we feel pain, pinching. And because it is summer, the same water-pleasing. So the condition of the skin, according to the season, is changing. Therefore we are feeling pains and pleasure. Otherwise there is no pain, pleasure. Just try to understand. Because we are covered by the skin, therefore we are feeling pains and pleasure. If you become uncovered, free from the skinly covering, then there is no pains and pleasure.

Lecture on SB 2.3.1-4 -- Los Angeles, May 24, 1972:

Another well is meant for drinking water. So Kṛṣṇa says, "There are different wells for different purposes, but when you go to the river, all the purposes will be served." You can wash your dishes, you can wash your cloth, you can take bath, and then you take drinking water. Similarly, all these desires... Of course, a devotee has no material desire. Unless one is free from all these material desires... These are all material desires. Somebody wants to be powerful, somebody wants wealth, somebody wants to have beautiful wife, somebody wants to possess grains and worldly kingdom... There is no limit of our desires. And there are different departments also. You can fulfill your desires. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25).

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

Surrender means in any condition you'll remain surrendered. That is surrender. Not that I put my own condition, and if you satisfy me, then I shall... That is business. That is not surrender. Surrender means in any condition, fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Without hankering. What is hankering? Why shall I be hankering? I know, Kṛṣṇa will give me all protection. So then why shall I hanker? Without hankering. Simple. No duplicity. Simple. The worldly men, they are duplicatous (?), speaking something, cheater. That is the, one of the qualification of the materialistic man. He must be cheater. There are four defects: commit mistakes, to be illusioned, to become cheater, and imperfect senses. This is called material life, conditioned life. He must commit mistakes. However a great philosopher... We are talking about the philosophers. So many contradictory things they say. Because he's an ordinary man. How he can say the right thing? It is not possible. The right thing can be said only by liberated person.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

The camel is a kind of animal that takes pleasure in eating thorns. A person who wants to enjoy family life or the worldly life of so-called enjoyment is compared to the camel. Materialistic life is full of thorns, and so one should live only by the prescribed method of Vedic regulations just to make the best use of a bad bargain. Life in the material world is maintained by sucking one's own blood. The central point of attraction for material enjoyment is sex life. To enjoy sex life is to suck one's own blood, and there is not much more to be explained in this connection. The camel also sucks its own blood while chewing thorny twigs. The thorns the camel eats cut the tongue of the camel, and so blood begins to flow within the camel's mouth. The thorns, mixed with fresh blood, create a taste for the foolish camel, and so he enjoys the thorn-eating business with false pleasure. Similarly, the great business magnates, industrialists who work very hard to earn money by different ways and questionable means, eat the thorny results of their actions mixed with their own blood. Therefore the Bhāgavatam has situated these diseased fellows along with the camels.

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

In Vṛndāvana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the pleasure potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Rādhārāṇī is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Lord at once accepts the devotee's admittance into His association. The conclusion is, therefore, that one should be more serious about seeking the mercy of the devotee than that of the Lord directly, and by one's doing so (by the good will of the devotee) the natural attraction for the service of the Lord will be revived."

Lecture on SB 3.25.12 -- Bombay, November 12, 1974:

So transcendentalists, those who are advanced in spiritual life, when they hear some questions from persons to understand about spiritual life, they become very happy. Those who are transcendentalists, they are not interested in these worldly talks. That is very disgusting to them. They avoid such company who talks nonsense about these worldly affairs. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised His disciples, grāmya-kathā nā kahibe. Grāmya-kathā. Grāmya means pertaining to the village, society, neighborhood. People are interested in talking this grāmya-kathā. Grāma, from grāma, grāmya. Just like the newspaper. This newspaper is full of grāmya-kathā. There is no spiritual understanding. The whole newspaper... Here we have got four, five, ten pages newspaper, and in USA they have got bunch, one load of newspaper-full of grāmya-kathā. There was an estimation that the New York Times required, to publish one day's publication, to kill so many trees. Because the paper is now in scarcity. Why? Because they're killing the trees and making this grāmya-kathā newspaper, bunch of. Useless. They are making profit.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

We should request you, we have opened this branch of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement just to give chance to everyone to come here and associate with the saintly devotees, and make your life very successful. I shall finish this lecture by reading one line only. The symptoms of saintly person is given, mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye. Who is saintly personality? That is given here, mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ. Sama-cittāḥ means they are equipoised, means they're not agitated by the worldly activities. That means, it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). This, one of the qualification is sama-cittāḥ, not disturbed by worldly activities, because in the worldly activities either you make some profit or you make some loss. So our position is when we get some profit we are very jubilant, but when we are losing something we are very morose, unhappy. But a mahānta is equipoised. He is neither very happy when he makes profit, neither at all sorry when he makes losses. This is the first sign. Mahat-sevam, mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā. Praśāntā means very peaceful.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Hyderabad, April 15, 1975:

So the symptom is described, how even a gṛhastha can become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. The negative side is described that he's not interested with this worldly, so-called advancement of social position, or advancement of economic problem. So many things they have created. These are described here. Gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu. Ātmaja-rātimatsu na prīti-yuktā yāvad-arthāś ca loke. Neither neglectful as far as possible, yāvat-arthāḥ, not too much overwhelmed, because after all this is temporary. Our so-called society, friendship, love, in this material world, they are all, they are called illusory, phenomenal.

Lecture on SB 5.5.14 -- Vrndavana, November 2, 1976:

So these are the items we should, nirvaira-sāmyopaśamena putrā jihāsayā deha-geha. This is also one of the important items, that I am executing devotional service, but I have no detachment from my family life. The bhakti-yoga means bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). That is bhakti-yoga. Everyone can test, "How much I have become detached from my, this worldly affection. This is my family, this is my country, this is my society, this is my son, this is my wife, this is my children." This is moha. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), we have to give up this. If we have not been able to give up this attachment, worldly attachment, that means we are not making any progress. Therefore it is said clearly, deha-gehātmā. Eh? Buddheḥ. What is that? Jihāsayā deha-gehātma-buddheḥ. Ātma-buddheḥ. Deha-gehātma-buddheḥ. Everyone is thinking "I am this body." Everyone is thinking, "This is my country," nationalism. "This is my socialism." "I am brāhmaṇa, I belong to the brāhmaṇas," "I belong to the kṣatriyas." "I belong to America." "I belong to India." This is deha-gehātma-buddheḥ, and yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Anyone who is thinking like that, deha-gehātmā, sa eva go-kharaḥ, he is no better than the cows and the asses, animal. Deha-gehātma-buddheḥ is animal conception. One has to come to understand that "I am not this body, I am not this mind or intelligence." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, Paraṁ Brahman. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7).

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

These are not problems. This problem one should tolerate. Because destiny is there, one should āgamāpāyino nityā tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. We should not be disturbed for all these things. It is material world. You will have sometimes mātrā sparśās tu śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. The whole world is like that. There is sometimes distress, there is sometimes happiness. So to mitigate the worldly distress or getting some happiness, one should not go to guru. That is not the proper way.

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

There was a quarrel between him and a ṛṣi. So he saw the extraordinary power of the ṛṣi, and he wanted to become a brāhmaṇa. So he began austerity. But he became also a victim of Menakā, the society girl of heavenly planet. And being entangled, he begot a child. In this way he became implicated, because he was not pure.

So here it is said that even if you perform austerity, penances, the worldly circumstances are so implicated that it will involve you some way or other again into the material modes of nature. There are many instances. Many sannyāsīs, they give up this world as mithyā, all false. "Let me take to Brahman." But again they become implicated to philanthropic work, welfare activities. If this world is false, why you are attracted to the welfare activities? If it is false in your opinion... We say it is not false.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Nellore, January 8, 1976:

Although Kṛṣṇa was speaking to him that "You fight," he was declining. This is the stage of abhakta, or nondevotee. Although mundane person will very much be pleased that "Arjuna was not willing to fight. He is nonviolent," but Kṛṣṇa was not accepting. So fighting is not a good business, so Arjuna was declining to fight. It was good from the worldly point of view. But after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, when Kṛṣṇa inquired from Arjuna, "What you have decided?" Arjuna replied, naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "Now I am quite in knowledge. I shall execute Your order." This is mukti. When we are prepared to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa, that is the platform of mukti.

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

That is stated in the Bhāgavatam. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas: (SB 10.2.32) Those who are in the impersonal situation, they think themselves that they have become liberated. Exactly the same example. Suppose you are very high in the sunshine. Do you think, "Now I am liberated from worldly connection. I am far, far away, or high"? But unless you have shelter, you have to fly. This is crude example. Similarly, these impersonalists, they are in the liberated atmosphere, that's a fact. Brahman. He has realized that "I am not this matter. I am Brahman." And because he has no information in the brahmajyoti there are innumerable planets, he thinks that "This is all in all, this jyoti, brahmajyoti." That is his imperfect knowledge.

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

Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, there is compulsory get-out from household life. Compulsory get-out means pañcāś ordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. Pañcāś means fifty years. "As soon as one passes over fifty years of age, he should get out." That is the injunction of the scriptures. No more in household affairs. The life is divided into four parts, four divisions. First of all brahmacārī. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja is teaching. Brahmacārī, a boy from five years old is taught, and up to twenty-five years. And if he is not... Of course, he is properly taught, but if he is not properly convinced that "Worldly life is botheration. Better remain brahmacārī for throughout the whole life..." There are many brahmacārīs in India still, naistika-brahmacārī. They are called naistika-brahmacārī. That means they had never any experience of sex. They are called naistika-brahmacārī. Just like my Guru Mahārāja was naistika-brahmacārī. He never married. So boys are taught like that, the inefficiency of this family life, encumbrances, because the aim is to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

First training is brahmacārī so that when he becomes householder, he lives very restrained and regulated life. And then, after satisfying his senses, when he is grown up to fiftieth year, he is advised to get out: "No more sense gratification. Now you prepare yourself for the remaining days of your life for spiritual culture." That is called vānaprastha. So vānaprastha means retired life and training for completely renouncing this worldly life. And when he is prepared, the wife is asked to go back home. The grown-up boys will take charge of her. The woman is always protected. In childhood she is protected by the father, in youthhood she is protected by the husband, and in old age she is protected by the grown-up boy. That is the system. She is never given independence. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is stated, na striyaṁ svatantratam arhati: "Woman should never be given independence."

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

Prahlāda Mahārāja, you'll find in his prayer, he'll say to the Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, "My dear Lord," naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās, "this world is full of anxieties. That I know. And it is full of miserable condition. But I am not afraid. I am not afraid." Why you are not afraid? Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ: (SB 7.9.43) "Because I have taken to chanting of Your glorious activities. So when I chant Your glorious activities or Your glories, I become merged into the ocean of nectar. Therefore these worldly anxieties or miseries does not..., do not disturb me. I am quite safe." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ. "Then why you are...? You appear to be very anxious. Why you are anxious?" "Yes. I have got anxiety." What is that anxiety? Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa: "I am simply disturbed for those rascals who are bereft of Your consciousness.

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

You should dress himself properly, you should eat properly, you should work properly, but not on your account, but Kṛṣṇa's account. That is the thing. That's all. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgya ucyate. That is the difference between Vaiṣṇava philosophy and Māyāvādī philosophy. The Māyāvāda philosophy says that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "This world is false and Brahman is truth. So let me become renounced of all this worldly relationship and try to be one with the Brahman." That is Māyāvāda philosophy. We don't say that. We say that because Brahman is satya, truth, and because the world is created by Brahman, so this is also truth. This is also truth. Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation).

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

Similarly, this world belongs to Kṛṣṇa. If you have always that consciousness that it belongs to Kṛṣṇa... Just like a bank cashier. He knows that millions of dollars is coming to him, but he knows that "This is belonging to the bank. I am simply cashier." Similarly, you can deal with all the worldly things, but if your consciousness is Kṛṣṇa then you are free. Nikhileṣv apy avasthāsu jīvan muktaḥ sa ucyate. In any condition of life if one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's always liberated. He's not affected. So that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not teach you to become a false renouncer. What is the use of becoming a renouncer? After all, you have got this body. How can you renounce it? Either you cover it with underwear or either you cover it with costly dress, you have to cover it. So that covering also belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So we have to be situated under the consciousness that "Everything is Kṛṣṇa's. Nothing belongs to me." That is the actual fact. But by illusion we are accepting, "This is mine, this is mine, this is mine." We have to give up this consciousness and accept the Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:

He says, apaharṣayiṣyāmi sa-nātha-jīvitaḥ. Mano-rathena... I... Exactly I don't just now remember. Sa-nātha-jīvitaḥ. Kadāpaharṣayiṣyāmi sa-nātha-jīvitaḥ. Bhavantam evaṁ caran nirantaraṁ praśānta-nihśeṣa-manāntaram. He says, bhavantam eva caran nirantaram: "My dear Lord, when I shall be always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Bhavantam eva caran nirantaram. Nirantaram means incessantly, without any partition that "This much I am worldly conscious, and this much I am Kṛṣṇa conscious." No. Simply Kṛṣṇa conscious. Bhavantam eva caran nirantaram. How you can be so Kṛṣṇa conscious? Now, praśānta-nihśeṣa-mano-rathāntaram: "I shall finish altogether all concoction of my mind." Everything is creating different consciousness by the concoction of mind. Sometimes I am feeling, "Oh, I shall become a great businessman," "Oh, I shall become the president," "I shall become the minister," or "I shall become this and that," so many. The mind is always agitating: "I shall possess that thing. I shall possess that thing. I shall kill him. I shall finish him." So these are called mental hallucination. So one has to become completely free from this mental hallucination or craziness. Then one can be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, the Lord says, "Anyone who is engaged in unalloyed devotional service unto Me, so he is transcendental." Sa guṇān samatītyaitān. Guṇān means these modes, different modes—modes of ignorance, modes of passion, modes of goodness. Goodness is also material. That is not spiritual. If you become very good moralist or very religious, following all the rules and regulations, that is good but that is not spiritual. The spiritual is far above. So one... We have to transcend the position of worldly goodness. Somebody asked me this question, "Swamijī, if a person is moral and dutiful and benevolent, all the good qualifications, so what is the use of worshiping God?" My reply was that anyone who is not God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious, he cannot be good, cannot be moral. It is not possible.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

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

The material world, because everything is temporary, so sometimes when we are fed up with material activities, we stop to do it and become a renouncer. Bhoga-tyāga. "Grapes are sour." You know the story. A jackal entered into a vine orchard, and it was very high. It began to jump to get the grapes, but when he failed, he said, "Oh, these grapes are sour. It is nonsense." (laughter) The karmīs are like that, that they work very hard, but they cannot relish any permanent happiness. That is not possible. Therefore they give up. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They give up these worldly activities as false. Jagan mithyā. But they do not relish anything. Actually they do not relish what is Brahma-sukha. Therefore again they fall down. Many... The jñānī sannyāsīs, they give up this world as jagat mithyā, "This world is false." They take sannyāsa. Then, after working for some time, they again take to political activities, philanthropic activities. They see that "The people are suffering for want of education, for want of food. So let me engage in providing food, shelter, education." But this education, food problem is there in the material world. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, if they think that this world is false, why he is agitated by the sufferings of the world? It is false. But the thing is that in the spiritual field, because they have no engagement, advanced engagement... (aside:) Come this side. Or do it in this. From the back.

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

So the śāstra says the highest, the topmost man in the society, brāhmaṇa, if he's avaiṣṇava, he cannot be guru, but the, a person coming out from the lowest grade of human society, śvapacaḥ, caṇḍāla, if he's a Vaiṣṇava, he can become guru. This is the verdict of the śāstra.

ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro

mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ

avaiṣṇava guru na sa syād

sad vaiṣṇava śva-pacaḥ guru

Therefore one, one who, even coming from low-grade family, if he has become Vaiṣṇava, then he's no longer in the worldly society. He's transcendental. Brahmā-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). One who is engaged in pure devotional service, he's in the Brahman platform.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.5 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1974:

The mixing taste is called rasābhāsa. Rasābhāsa. And we don't manufacture anything. Just follow. We disagree with the persons who chant that bhaja nitāi-gaura rādhe-śyāma. No. We must follow strictly. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We cannot manufacture simply for some worldly cheap reputation and prestige. If we manufacture something, that will not help us. We must follow. Mahājano yena. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. We must follow the mahājanas. So you'll find in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the Kavirāja Gosvāmī, in every chapter he begins, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, jaya advaita..., gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. This is the process.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.66-96 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī, a great personality in the renounced order of life, he would live naked. He would not go even to the human society. So those who are following strictly, they don't make themselves dependent on the householders or on the worldly people. So Sanātana Gosvāmī did not accept that new clothing, and when it was heard by Lord Caitanya, He was very glad.

madhyāhna kariyā prabhu gelā bhikṣā karibāre

sanātane lañā gelā tapana-miśrera ghare

Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu... There were two gentlemen, Candraśekhara Ācārya and Tapana Miśra. So Candraśekhara Ācārya took care of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Tapana Miśra took Sanātana Gosvāmī at his place to give him prasādam.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.367-84 -- New York, December 31, 1966:

So far Buddha is concerned, he's also considered śaktyāveśa avatāra. He preached this nirvāṇa philosophy. Although he did not speak about God, because it is considered that he was himself God, but the people amongst whom he preached, they were mostly atheistic people; therefore he did not preach about God. But he did not deny also. He simply wanted to make extinction of this present worldly activities. That was, yes... Nirvāṇa. And he represented the sacrifice of renouncement. He..., you may remember that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His six opulences, one opulence is renouncement. So Lord Buddha's life is renouncement. He was prince.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.14-20 -- New York, January 10, 1967:

There are many ascetics taking severe penance for perfection, tapasvinaḥ. Tapasvino dāna-parā. Dāna-parā means there are many persons who are munificent, making charity, dāna-parā. And yaśasvinaḥ: there are many persons who are very famous. Tapasvino dāna-parā yaśa..., manasvinaḥ. Manasvinaḥ means mental speculators, philosophers, thinking, high thinkers, great thinkers. So these are worldly, great men. Who? One who performs great penance, one who is very charitably disposed, one who is very famous, one who is very mentally advanced, he can think nice things, writes philosophical thesis, write nice poetry. Manasvinaḥ. These are the products of great mind. Manasvino mantra-vidaḥ. Mantra-vidaḥ means the chanters of Vedic hymns. Mantra-vidaḥ sumaṅgalāḥ. These things are all nice, auspicious.

Festival Lectures

Nrsimha-caturdasi Lord Nrsimhadeva's Appearance Day -- Bombay, May 5, 1974:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja was born in a demon's family. His father was a demon. Prahlāda Mahārāja used to address his father as Asura-varya, "the best of the demons." You have seen... He was patting his son, "My dear son, do like this, do like that. Tell me what you have learned the best thing." So Prahlāda Mahārāja said, tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. He didn't, never said, "My dear father." "My dear the best of the demons." Tat sādhu manye. "I think that is very nice." What is that? Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham āndha-kupaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). "That this worldly life, materialistic life, is self-killing just like a dark well. So one should give it up and go to the forest and take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. That is the best way of life." So his father became very angry. So the atheist and the theist, they will never agree. But theist also never will submit to the atheist. This is the principle. Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into so many troubles by his father, but he never forgot chanting namo bhagavate vāsudevāya namaḥ. He never forgot.

So we should take lessons from this story that even in dangerous position, we should not be forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will save us.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Talk -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

And then Rāmacandra and Lakṣmana, They'll find out what is that medicine." So this is Vaiṣṇava. In one's own capacity he should give the best service to the Lord. That is bhakti. Bhakti is not laziness. If somebody thinks that "The bhaktas are lazy fellows and they are out of the worldly activity," that is mistake. It is mistake. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Kṛṣṇa says personally, yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat tapasyasi yat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam: "Come on! Do it for Me." That is bhakti.. He does not say that "You become a lazy fellow, give up your occupational duty, and sleep, and snore, and become a great devotee." No. He never says. He says that "You are attached to this kind of work.

Initiation Lectures

Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

So you take the profit for enjoyment. But one who does not take the profit, he is sannyāsī. He may be engaged in business. He may make profit, thousand dollars per month or more than that, but he does not take even a paisa or even a cent out of it—he is a sannyāsī. So even a man in ordinary worldly life, a businessman, or in any other occupation, he can also become sannyāsī provided he does not enjoy the profit out of it. Then where the profit will go? It will be thrown away in the street? No. It should be given to Kṛṣṇa. So the real purpose is that whatever you do, yat karoṣi, whatever you eat, yat aśnāsi, whatever you sacrifice, yad juhoṣi, yad dadāsi, whatever you give in charity... Because these things are ordinary activities.

General Lectures

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

And after the king Mahārāja Bhārata—he was a great king—he also left his kingdom at the age of twenty-four years, very young boy, for searching after spiritual realization, self-realization. That is the way of Vedic culture or Indian culture. Not that up to the last point of our death we shall stick to the worldly affairs. The Vedic culture divides the whole society into four social orders and four spiritual orders. The four social orders is division of intelligence. The most intelligent class of men are called the brāhmaṇas. And next than the brāhmaṇas are the kṣatriyas. It is all calculated on the basis of intelligence. There are different kinds of people all over the world on account of more or less intelligence. So brāhmaṇa means the most intelligent class of men. The scientists, the poets, the philosophers, like that. The religionists, they are called brāhmaṇas. And the administrator class is called the kṣatriyas, and the productive class are called the vaiśyas, and the laborer class, or the working class, is called the śūdra. That is natural division.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 12, 1971:

That is a regular argument we meet everywhere, that if everyone becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then how this world will go on? How our maintenance will be earned? That answer is given by Prahlāda Mahārāja, that here in this material world, our happiness is in relationship with our senses, sense gratification. Suppose if I put one nice rasagullā, sweetmeat, in my mouth, my tongue tastes it very nicely a kind of sense gratification, so I think I am happy. Similarly, you can study the relationship with all other senses. Especially in this material world our sex sense, the happiness from the sex life is considered to be very high, and people are struggling hard for that happiness. That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Gṛhamedhi means those who are too much attached to this worldly life. Their point of happiness is sex life, maithunādi. But it is tuccham, it is very insignificant.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 13, 1971:

So this body, if you like, you can get the body of a human being, or you can get the body of a tiger, or you can get the body of demigod, or you can get the body of Lord Brahmā, or you can get the body of the microbic germ in the stool. This will depend on your work. This is going on. There are innumerable planets, there are innumerable universes, and the living entities are all innumerable, and they are getting innumerable types of bodies, and every account is kept. Now just imagine what is the government of Kṛṣṇa. And this is being managed, ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). This whole worldly affair is being managed by one Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. This information we get from the śāstras.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

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