Writings (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"writings"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.2-3 -- London, July 9, 1973:

Even in this planet, the Latin is also derived from Sanskrit. Just like the "maternal," the matṛ-śabda, "paternal," pitṛ-śabda. So dhīmatā. So here the writer is Vyāsadeva. So every word is selected, either in Bhagavad-gītā or in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or the Purāṇas, all writings of..., Mahābhārata, each and every word is used just like weighing in the balance. So many words should be in the beginning, so many words should be in the end. And not whimsically. That cannot be allowed. That is called saṁskṛta sāhitya, literary... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu when he was hearing Keśava Kāśmīrī, as soon as there was little discrepancy, bhavānī-bhartā, immediately he criticized and defeated him. Sanskrit language is so nice.

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

The world is in hellish condition, we can perceive, but they are trying in a different way. They want to remain demons; at the same time, they want to become leaders. So at the present moment, comparing the social status 5000 years ago... According to Darwin's theory, 5000 years ago, men were uncivilized, uncivilized. Now this literature is written by uncivilized men. Just see. So highly intellectual writings, they were uncivilized. Now they have become civilized. That is Darwin's theory.

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

Devotee: I read somewhere in your writings that in order to understand the confidential affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa one must serve the gopīs who are servants of the gopīs, and I assumed that you were a servant of the gopīs. Is that correct? Or... How do I serve the servants of the gopīs?

Prabhupāda: Gopīs, they are not conditioned souls. They are liberated spirits. So first of all you have to come out from this conditioned life. Then the question of serving gopī will come. Don't be at the present moment, very eager to serve gopī. Just try to get out of your conditional life. Then time will come when you'll be able to serve gopī. In this conditional stage we cannot serve anything. Kṛṣṇa is performing it (everything?). But Kṛṣṇa gives us opportunities to accept service in this arcā-mārga.

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

Man (2): Prabhupāda, in quite a few places in your writings you say that of all the billions of astronomical bodies in this universe, that the sun is the only self-luminous one, the only one that gives off its own light. Now, astronomers throughout the world are in universal agreement and teach as an absolutely verifiable fact that there are millions of bodies in our universe that give off their own light, just like our sun does, that our sun is just one of them. Now, on this point your teaching is diametrically opposed to the teachings of all the qualified astronomers in the world, and I would like to know...

Prabhupāda: What is that astronomical calculation?

Madhudviṣa: He is saying that this... Do you understand the question?

Prabhupāda: No. Explain.

Madhudviṣa: He is saying that in your teachings you say the sun is the only self-illuminous body in the universe, whereas the scientists say that there is many millions of stars that are in the sky that are also self-illuminous.

Prabhupāda: No. We say that there are innumerable universes. We say.

Man (2): But in this particular universe, we're talking about.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means universe, and koṭi means millions. So there are millions and millions of universes, and in each universe there are millions and millions of planets. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). And each planet is differently constituted. The atmosphere of each planet is different from another. This is God's creation. Now as there are innumerable universes, there may be innumerable suns also.

Man (2): Yeah, but they say that's in this universe....

Prabhupāda: Just try to understand. Because there are innumerable universes and in each and every universe there is a sun, there is a moon, there is Venus, everything. So under the circumstances, as we accept innumerable universes, automatically we accept innumerable suns. So where is the difference between the astrologer and our...

Man (2): The astronomers also accept that there are innumerable universes and they say that in each one they have millions and millions of self-luminous stars, and in this one also, but you say that in this one there is only the sun.

Prabhupāda: But do you think that I have to accept the astronomers blindly?

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

So in a position of perplexity, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master. That is the process, Vedic process. Otherwise, it is not possible. And our Sanātana Gosvāmī, our predecessor, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's direct disciple, he gives his direction that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. He says. He says, "Do not hear from a person who is not a Vaiṣṇava." He must, one must become a Vaiṣṇava. Otherwise his so-called ideas and interpretation has no value. Has no value. Just like in your country, South India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he has done so many works. But to tell you frankly, it is useless labor. Because he has said in one of his writings that Bhagavad-gītā is mental speculation. He is surpassing all the ācāryas who came, who appeared in South India.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

Actually this Bhagavad-gītā is described by Vyāsadeva. So Vyāsadeva recorded it, writing. Otherwise it was being received through hearing. Before this Kali-yuga Vyāsadeva, he kept all Vedic literature in writing. Before that, there was no book. The knowledge was received through the ear, aural reception, śruti. Therefore it is called śruti. Śruti means the knowledge which is received by hearing. And the memory was very sharp. In those days, five thousand years ago, any man... Not any man, but the intelligent class of men... They were called brāhmaṇas. They used to receive knowledge from guru by hearing. They could memorize everything, once heard. In the Kali-yuga the memory is being reduced. The duration of life is being reduced. Peoples' mercifulness is being reduced. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. Bodily strength—reduced. Therefore Vyāsadeva preferred it that the Vedic knowledge should be kept recorded in writing. So he first of all then wrote all this Vedic knowledge into writing, and the writings...

There are the four original Vedas, Sāma, Yajur, Ṛk, Atharva, and then the Upaniṣad, then the essence of Vedic knowledge, Vedānta-sūtra, then Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata... Mahābhārata is the greater history of this planet, Bhārata. In this way immense literature are available. If we like, we can read them. We are presenting in English translation so many books. The purpose is people of the world may know the Vedic knowledge. So essence of Vedic knowledge is this Bhagavad-gītā. Not only that, it is being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore it is said, śrī-bhagavān uvāca, so nobody could argue.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

Then Vedic injunction is: jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. "Give up this nonsense habit, speculation." Namanta eva: "Be submissive. Admit that you do not know anything. You have to learn from the person who knows." Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām: "Then what shall I...? All right. I shall not speculate. I have become humble now. Now what to do?" San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya...: "Just try to learn about God from the devotee, pure devotee." San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. So in this way we can understand God. That is the process. Arjuna, when he was hearing from Kṛṣṇa, he also surrendered, although he was His friend, very intimate friend, always sitting together, eating together, lying together, talking together. He also accepted Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I am surrendered unto You, my dear Kṛṣṇa. I have become Your disciple. Please teach me."

So this is the Vedic process. This is the Vedic process. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Janmādy asya yataḥ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). So the... If you, instead of making speculation, if you simply surrender to Vyāsadeva, his writings, śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte, then the result will be kiṁ vā paraiḥ: you do not require to study any other literature.

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

Bhāgavata means pure devotee of the Lord.

One bhāgavata is this book Bhāgavata, another bhāgavata, the person bhāgavata. Who lives on the book Bhāgavata, he is person bhāgavata. Two kinds of bhāgavata. So we have to learn Bhāgavatam from the living bhāgavata. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he advised one brāhmaṇa. One brāhmaṇa wrote something about Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There were many poets and writers used to come and visit Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was at Jagannātha Purī, and they would present some writings, but these writings would not be presented before Caitanya Mahāprabhu unless it was sanctioned by His secretary Svarūpa Dāmodara. That was the system.

Lecture on SB 7.5.23-24 -- Vrndavana, March 31, 1976:

Everyone is being educated how to live comfortably with reference to the comforts of the body. This is not education. Real education is to understand oneself, self-realization, and with that purpose one should make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that beginning with śravaṇam. As we are hearing, without śravaṇa there is no beginning of spiritual education. Satāṁ prasaṅgād mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. That śravaṇa, hearing also, should be accepted from devotee, from real devotee. Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī recommended that a brāhmaṇa... He wrote something about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and there were so many discrepancies. So Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī was not at all satisfied with such writings. He chastised the brāhmaṇa that "You cannot write." So unless one is self-realized, there is practically no use writing about Kṛṣṇa. This transcendental writing does not depend on material education. It depends on the spiritual realization. You'll find, therefore, in the comments of Bhāgavatam by different ācāryas, even there are some discrepancies, they are accepted as asat-patha. It should remain as it is.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:

But in this life, if we develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness by association of devotees... As Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa. One's aim of life should be to serve the ācāryas. Ācārya upāsanam. So our ācārya in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya, the śrī-rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa-raghunātha, śrī-jīva gopāla-bhaṭṭa dāsa-raghunātha, the Six Gosvāmīns, and if we associate with them... this book, Nectar of Devotion, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, if you read regularly, try to understand, this means you are associating with Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī directly. And if you act accordingly, then you are serving their lotus feet. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa. And unless you are associated with devotees, you will not be able to understand the import of the writings of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 11, 1973:

So when he met, there was discussion of life's..., value of life between Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Sanātana Gosvāmī. So Sanātana Gosvāmī first of all questioned this, that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita satya kari māni. "Now the ordinary few friends, my countrymen, they consider me, I am very learned scholar." He was very learned scholar actually. He was great scholar in Sanskrit and in Arabi, Arabic language and Persian language. Because in those days there were Muhammadan kingdom. So actually they were very learned scholars, from... Because we understand from their writings, later on, after becoming disciples of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. So actually they were paṇḍita, learned scholars, brāhmaṇa, and learned scholar. But he was asking that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita satya kari māni: "These people, my neighboring friends, they call me as learned scholar. And actually I accept that I am scholar, I am learned paṇḍita. But I do not know what I am. This is my position. I am paṇḍita. They call me paṇḍita, learned scholar, and I accept it. But actually I do not know what I am. I am such a paṇḍita." So this is the position. You call any person, any scientist, any philosopher, any politician, any minister, at the present moment, and ask him: "What you are?" he'll fail to answer. He'll say, "Yes, I am Mr. such and such," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am minister." He'll say like that.

Festival Lectures

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

We do not wish to surrender. We think that "I am equal with Him. Why shall I surrender?" So, but our, this Vaiṣṇava philosophy, especially, begins with this praṇipāta. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī has left his highly-salaried post, ministership, and he has come to surrender unto Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is the beginning of spiritual life. He's a learned man, highly learned man in Sanskrit and Arabian language. Just like during British period we learned English, and it has now become established fact. I am Indian. I am speaking in Indian, uh, in English. Of course, I am speaking between, before Englishing public, but still in India, English is still predominant. Similarly, when there was Muhammadan kingdom, people learned Sanskrit, Arabian, and Persian languages. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was expert; both Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī were expert in three languages: Sanskrit, Arabian, and Persian. So he was not a fool. He was very learned man. From his later contributions, we can see how highly learned he was, he, how he gave references from Vedic literatures in their writings, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Līlā-smaraṇam and others, books.

General Lectures

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

Veda-Vyāsa means... His actual name is Vyāsadeva, but because he compiled all the Vedic knowledge in book form... Before the advent of this present age, which is known as Kali-yuga... He compiled all Vedic knowledge... Before that, there was no necessity of book writing, neither there was facility of printing books. There was no press. People had no necessity of keeping knowledge in writing. There was no necessity. Their memory was so sharp that once heard from the spiritual master, they remembered. But in this age, in this Kali-yuga, memory, duration of life, mercifulness, stature of the body, and so many things, they are reducing. They are reducing. We are not advancing. That is wrong idea. For example, in your country the stature is also reducing. Formerly in our childhood, I saw Europeans and Americans, they were very tall. But not only in your country, every country the stature is reducing. The memory is reducing. The duration of life... Your grandfather or great-grandfather, perhaps he lived for hundred years. I saw. My grandmother lived for ninety-five years. My father lived for eighty-four years. So I do not know how long I shall live. Still I am living. So in this way the age, duration of life, will reduce in this age. And it is also said that at the ultimate stage, at the end of this age, if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he'll be considered a grand old man. So because our human assets are reducing... Practically there is no mercifulness now, dayā. Formerly a man was very charitable, but here, at the present moment, where is the question of charity? He cannot maintain oneself. So these things are reducing. Therefore Vyāsadeva thought it wise to give the Vedic knowledge in writings so that we can read, we can hear, and we can utilize, we can take benefit out of it. So Vyāsadeva gave us this Vedic literature.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 19, 1972:

So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam therefore begins with the first aphorism of the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the Absolute Truth. Vyāsadeva has given you Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam after his mature experience. He wrote all the Vedic literatures but he was not happy. So when he was not in his mood, he was deeply thinking that "What is the defect in my writings that after writing so many Vedic literatures I am not feeling very happy," at that time his spiritual master happened to appear before him, and he explained that why he was not happy. He explained that "You have touched many subject matters about dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa-religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation—but you have not explained about the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore you are feeling unhappy."