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Absolute (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"absolute"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "absolute" not "absolute truth" not "absolute world" not "absolute knowledge"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

The impersonal Brahman is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that impersonal Brahman is also subordinate to the complete person. Brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā (BG 14.27). Impersonal Brahman is also. It is... The impersonal Brahman is more explicitly explained in the Brahma-sūtra as the rays. As there is the rays of the sunshine, sun planet, similarly, the impersonal Brahman is the shining rays of the Supreme Brahman or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore impersonal Brahman is incomplete realization of the absolute complete whole, and so also the conception of Paramātmā. These things are also explained. Puruṣottama-yoga. When we shall read the chapter of Puruṣottama-yoga it will be seen that the Supreme Personality, Puruṣottama, is above the impersonal Brahman and partial realization of Paramātmā.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

People with less intelligence, they consider the Supreme Truth as impersonal, but He is a person, a transcendental person. This is confirmed in all Vedic literature. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). So, as we are also persons, individual living beings, we are persons, we have got our individuality, we are all individual, similarly the Supreme Truth, the Supreme Absolute, He is also, at the ultimate issue He is a person. But realization of the Personality of Godhead is realization of all the transcendental features like sat, cit, and ānanda, in complete vigraha. Vigraha means form. Therefore the complete whole is not formless. If He is formless or if He is less in any other thing, He cannot be complete whole. The complete whole must have everything within our experience and beyond our experience. Otherwise He cannot be complete. The complete whole Personality of Godhead has immense potencies.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

So here the instruction of Lord Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna that mām anusmara (BG 8.7), "You just remember Me," and Lord Caitanya's instruction that "You chant always the name of Kṛṣṇa." Here Kṛṣṇa says that "You always remember Me," or you remember Kṛṣṇa, and Lord Caitanya says, "You always chant the name of Kṛṣṇa." So there is no difference because Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name are nondifferent in the Absolute. In the absolute status there is no difference between one thing to another. That is the absolute status. So the Lord being absolute, there is no difference between His name and Himself. So we have to practice like that. tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu (BG 8.7). Always, twenty-four hours, we have to mold our activities of life in such way that we can remember it twenty-four hours. How it is possible? Yes, it is possible. It is possible.

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

So there is a division, that those who are worshiper of the Supreme as mother—just like the worshiper of Goddess Kālī—that means those who are accepting the Absolute as mother, they are called śaktas. The śakta... The Vaiṣṇava, they are also śakta, because they are also accepting another pure energy, personal energy, or internal energy of Kṛṣṇa. That is also śakti. And the materialist also, they are also accepting another energy. The one energy, spiritual energy is in our normal condition, and material energy in..., is our abnormal condition. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice means you have to transfer yourself from this material energy to the..., under the control..., from the control of material energy, under the control of spiritual energy. That's all.

Lecture on BG 1.4-5 -- London, July 10, 1973:

So these two things are required. Destruction and construction. Both the things are Kṛṣṇa's activities or different energies. So you cannot accept one thing, giving up the other side. We have to understand that both sides, they are working as different manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). In the Vedas it is said that the Absolute has got multi-energies. So one energy is working in one way, another energy is working in another way. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, svā-bhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Just like here also, when we do something, we require varieties of energies to make that thing perfect. So everything, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's, this material world or spiritual world, everything is working in order, under different energies.

Lecture on BG 1.4-5 -- London, July 10, 1973:

So this battlefield, because Kṛṣṇa wanted to kill them, and the result was—you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, they all attained svarūpa. Anyone who was killed, who died in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, in the presence of Kṛṣṇa, they all attained their original, constitutional position, spiritual form. They all went back to home, back to Godhead, everyone. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. Either His killing or His protecting, it is all the same. You don't think that Kṛṣṇa is killing. No. If anyone is killed by Kṛṣṇa, he immediately gets liberation: the liberation for which great great saintly persons, sages, they undergo severe austerities for life after life, simply by being killed, he gets that. So by becoming Kṛṣṇa's enemy, one gets this benefit. Just think over if you become Kṛṣṇa's friend, what is the benefit. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Māyāvādīs they are after liberation. So this liberation is granted even to the enemies of Kṛṣṇa. They are also enemies. The Māyāvādīs, they are also enemies. Kṛṣṇe aparādhī. They are offender to Kṛṣṇa because they do not accept the form of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are offender. So everything studied in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect knowledge, and that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. So it is not that like sahajiyās that we are interested in Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance, not with this fighting in the Battlefields of Kurukṣetra. This is sahajiyā-bhāva. This is not wanted. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on BG 1.15 -- London, July 15, 1973:

So Brahman realization is also God realization, but it is partial. The Supreme Lord is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). He is person. But He is not a person like us. He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Vigraha means person. So He is person, Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Three features, realization of the Absolute. The first realization, imperfect realization, is impersonal Brahman. Further advanced realization—Paramātmā realization. And ultimate realization—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. These are the three stages.

Lecture on BG 1.45-46 -- London, August 1, 1973:

So long you are on the mundane platform, you have to obey all these right and wrong. But in the spiritual platform, when it is ordered by Kṛṣṇa... He is above all this duality. He is Absolute. So even if He says to do something wrong... Because He cannot say anything which is wrong. God is all-good. If you discriminate God's order from the mundane platform, then you will be misguided. Anyone who has got firm and fixed up faith that whatever God does, whatever God orders, even from mundane calculation it may be wrong, that is right... That is absolute understanding. So those who are in the spiritual platform, for them, there is no such consideration, which is right and which is wrong. Their only consideration is whether Kṛṣṇa is pleased. That's all. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased by inducing me to do something wrong, I will not hesitate to do it. I will do it because it is Kṛṣṇa's order.

Lecture on BG 2.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972:

Uttamā-bhakti, first-class bhakti, what is that? Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: without any kind of desire than to serve the Lord. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Paraḥ means transcendental, beyond this material conception. Kṛṣṇa, or the Absolute, Nārāyaṇa, that is para. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa is not anything of this material world. Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. The Absolute Personality of Godhead, He is not anything of this material world. When we use this word, nirākāra, that means His form is not anything of this material world. But He has got His form. That is a transcendental form. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Nirākāra means He, He has no such form, as we have got this material form. This material form is neither of the three transcendental bliss, sac-cid-ānanda. This is asat, acit, and nirānanda. This body, this material body is asat, acit, and nirānanda. Therefore, when in the Vedic literature or in authorized statement we find "nirākāra," that means His form does not belong to this asat, acit, or nirānanda. But He has His form. Divyam. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Divyam, transcendental. And Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya also, who especially preached impersonalism, he also admits that nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa, the form of Nārāyaṇa, is beyond the range of this avyakta."

Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

So in this Kali-yuga, people are so much disturbed. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa has come in the form of His name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has come not personally, but by His name. But because Kṛṣṇa is absolute, there is no difference between His name and Himself. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). Nāma-cintāmaṇi kṛṣṇa-caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-muktaḥ. Name is full. As Kṛṣṇa is full, complete, similarly, Kṛṣṇa's name is also full, complete. Śuddha. It is not material things. Pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ nityaḥ. Eternal. As Kṛṣṇa is eternal, His name is also eternal. Pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ nitya-muktaḥ. There is no material conception in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ. Nāma, the holy name and the Lord, they are abhinna, identical. So we cannot be happy... Rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam (BG 2.8). Even if we get the kingdom of the demigods, asapatya, without any rival, still we cannot be happy so long we have got material conception of life. It is not possible. That is explained in this verse.

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

Yes. If the Māyāvādī philosopher says that this statement of Kṛṣṇa is in māyā, that "He says that 'Everyone was individual in the past.' No, in the past everyone was one, lump sum, homogeneous. By māyā, we have become individual." If the Māyāvādī says like that, then Kṛṣṇa becomes one of the conditioned souls. He does not... He loses His authority. Because conditioned soul cannot give you the truth. I am conditioned soul. I cannot say something which is absolute. So Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Absolute. So if the Māyāvādī theory is accepted, then Kṛṣṇa's theory has to be rejected. If Kṛṣṇa is rejected, then there is no need of reading Kṛṣṇa's book, Bhagavad-gītā. It is useless, waste of time. If He's a conditioned soul like us... Because we cannot take any instruction from a conditioned soul. So the spiritual master, even if you take that he is conditioned soul, but he does not speak anything from his own side. He speaks from Kṛṣṇa's side. So unless... The Vedic principle is that unless one is not liberated from the material conditions, he cannot give us any perfect knowledge.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

Now, here, in this world, we have got experience that we want to love somebody. Anyone. Even in animal kingdom. A lion also loves the cubs. The love is there. Prema, it is called prema. So therefore this loving affair is there also in God. And when we come in contact with God our dealings will be simply on the basis of love. I love Kṛṣṇa, or God, and Kṛṣṇa loves me. This is our exchange of feelings. So in this way, the science of God, even without reading any Vedic literature—of course, that will help you—if you have deeply studied what is God, you can understand God. Because I am a sample of God, I am minute particle. Just like the particle of gold is gold. The drop of ocean water is also salty. The ocean is also salty, you can understand. Similarly, by studying our individuality, by studying our propensities, we can understand what is God. This is one side. And here, God personally presents Himself, Kṛṣṇa. "Yadā yadā hi dharmas.... (break)... Saintly devotees and to kill the demons, I appear." But mind that, God is absolute. Either His deliverance of the devotees or killing of the demons, they are the same thing. Because we learn from the Vedic literature that demons who are killed by the Personality of Godhead, they also go to the same salvation, liberation point. Because he is killed by God, he's touched by God.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

Man: If God is the controller and I am a part of God, then I'm a controlled part.

Prabhupāda: Yes, part of controller, part of God means you have got little power of controlling. But that you are not absolute controller. (man speaks—too faint) But first of all you have to ascertain whether you are an absolute controller or you are controlled. First of all you answer this question. Are you absolutely controller?

Man: I am not...

Prabhupāda: Therefore, nobody is absolutely controller. He's controlled by the laws of nature. How he's absolutely controller? You are controlled by death, you're controlled by birth, you're controlled by disease, you're controlled by old age. How you became controller? So therefore you are not God!

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:

Now, this liberation is divided into five. There are five kinds of liberation. One of the liberation is to merge into the existence. We, we, we... Our birth was from the Supreme Absolute. Now, after liberation, we merge into the existence of the Supreme. That is called sāyujya-mukti. Now, besides this sāyujya-mukti, there are other five muktis which, we, the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, or the devotees, the Lord's devotees, they accept. They, they, practically, those who are pure devotees, they do not want any kind of mukti. They do not, even they are offered. They are simply after the service of the Lord. They are prepared to suffer any kind of suffering. They are not affected by all those sufferings. What they want? Pure devotees? They want that "I must serve the Supreme Lord." That is their mission. So anyway, these bhaktas, or the devotees of the Lord, for them there are other four kinds of mukti. And what is that? This is sāyujya-mukti, to become one with the... Now, there is... Then sārūpya, sārūpya-mukti. Sārūpya-mukti means the spiritual body becomes as... The features of the spiritual body becomes just like the Supreme Lord. Just like Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa has got four hands with śaṅkha, cakra, gadā, padma, and with the lotus flower, conchshell, club and wheel. So, so everyone who takes that sārūpya-mukti just become just like the... His feature of the body become just like the Lord. That is called sārūpya-mukti.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Mexico, February 12, 1975:

A person who is completely free from sinful activities, such person can become a devotee, a lover of God. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching to the human society how to become purified. There is no such restriction that "This man can be purified; that man cannot be." No, there is nothing like that. Everyone can be purified if he desires to be so. So immediately we may not be able to purify. As it is prescribed—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication—it may not be possible because those who are accustomed, it is difficult to give up. Therefore the process is given very simple: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So purification is absolute. That is necessary. Without purification, you cannot understand God. But the method we are prescribing... Not we are prescribing; it is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prescription. We are simply propagating that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Yes.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

Yes. By chanting the holy name of God, you associate with God. God is absolute. He's not different from His name. So when you chant God's name means you immediately become in touch with God. And by chanting more and more, your association becomes more and more intimate. Then everything is disclosed to you. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te
(BG 10.10)

If you keep in touch with God with faith and love, then God is within yourself, He'll give you intelligence how you can go back to home, back to Godhead. There are many different processes or yoga system to be in touch with God, but for the people in this age, this is the easiest method, to be in touch with God simply by chanting His holy name.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

I have already explained that God and His name, the one, Absolute. In the material world, your name and you person, they are two different things. That is difference between God and you. So therefore, by chanting God's name, you actually contact with God. But in the material world that is not possible. Suppose I am thirsty, I want water. If I chant "water, water," it will not act. But in the case of chanting the holy name of God, it is as good as to associate with God. Try to understand. This is the absolute and relative relationship. It is stated in the Vedic literature that nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ, pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto 'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). The name of God and God is equally pūrṇa, perfect; śuddha, purified. Pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya, eternal, and muk... Pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-muktaḥ, and liberated from material contamination. So it is not the question of argument. You can try. There is no loss on your part. Chant the holy name of God and see the result yourself.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

So he was not dying. So Yudhiṣṭhira was commissioned to speak this lie, that "You go and say that 'Your son is dead.' " And he says that "I never spoke lie. I cannot do that." Now here the order is coming from Kṛṣṇa, therefore he should have executed the order immediately. Although speaking lie for common man is sin, but because it is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, it is not sin. So that telling lie should not be taken risk of at one's own discretion. It must be ordered by Kṛṣṇa or by His representative. Telling lie is always sinful. That's all right. But if Kṛṣṇa says "Tell lie," it is not sinful. That is the secret. You can violate the laws only on the direct order of Kṛṣṇa or His representative. That's all. That is common sense. Just like a political person is engaged to kill somebody under superior order. And if he can kill, he is rewarded, he is given high post. But the same man, if he kills by his own discretion, he'll be hanged. So serving greater purpose, supreme purpose, absolute purpose, there is no question of such piety or sinful. But in the ordinary field, there must be "This is pious, this is sinful." So that discretion should not be taken by oneself, but it should be consulted.

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- Hyderabad, November 23, 1972:

So don't neglect. Take this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa heart and soul, and anywhere... Niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. There is no rules and regulations, that "You have to chant at this time or that time, in this position or that position." No. Because it is especially meant for these fallen conditioned souls, there is no hard-and-fast rule. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. The name, the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, is as powerful as Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference with Kṛṣṇa and His name. Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. Therefore there is no distinction between Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's quality, Kṛṣṇa's entourage, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, from Kṛṣṇa. Everything is Kṛṣṇa. If you hear about Kṛṣṇa, then you should know that you are touching Kṛṣṇa by aural reception. If you see Kṛṣṇa the Deity, that means you are seeing personally Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. He can accept your service, any way. Because He is everything. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). His energy. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. Everything's Kṛṣṇa's energy. So if we are in touch with Kṛṣṇa's energy, with a little knowledge, we are directly in touch with Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. As you become constantly in touch with Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you become purified. Purified. Just like if you put one iron rod in the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, warmer, and at last it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is fire. It is no more iron rod. Similarly, if you keep always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become Kṛṣṇized. This is the process. Then everything becomes purified; then your spiritual life is manifested. Then your life is successful.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

Similarly, the spiritual world, the Brahman effulgence, if... Nirbheda-brahmānusandhi. Those who are trying to merge into the Brahman existence, for them, it is not very safe. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: vimukta-māninaḥ. Vimukta-māninaḥ. They're thinking that "Now I have merged into the Brahman effulgence. Now I am safe." No, it is not safe. Because it is said, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty (SB 10.2.32). Even after great austerities and penance, one may rise, paraṁ padam, in the, merging into the Brahman effulgence. Still, from there, he falls down. He falls down. Because Brahman, the spirit soul, is ānandamaya. As Kṛṣṇa, or the Absolute, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So simply by merging into the Brahman existence, one cannot become ānandamaya. Just like you are going very high in the sky. So to remain in the sky, it is not very ānandamaya. If you can get shelter in some planet, then it is ānandamaya. Otherwise, you have to come back again on this planet.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:
Just like a manager or agent, attorney. Just like we signed one lease agreement. That Mr. Brown, he is acting as attorney on behalf of the landlord. So he has no responsibility. He is acting in landlord capacity or landlord consciousness. He is trying to save the interest of the landlord as far as possible. But if there is any mistake, the landlord will suffer or gain. He has nothing to do. Similarly, if we work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if there is something wrong... Because we can act two ways, wrongly or rightly. That's all. If we do rightly, it is all right. Even if we don't do it rightly, wrongly, still, it is right because the cause is the Supreme. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). The best, safest way of acting is to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or under the order of Kṛṣṇa. Or if somebody says "Where is Kṛṣṇa?" No. Kṛṣṇa is there. Just like Bhagavad-gītā is there, and the explanation of Bhagavad-gītā by the representative of Kṛṣṇa is there. So Kṛṣṇa, being absolute, His representative, His words are nondifferent from Him. We should not think that "Kṛṣṇa is not in my presence." As soon as Bhagavad-gītā is there and as soon as we understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that means we are hearing directly Kṛṣṇa. So if we do according to the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, as Arjuna did, then there is no reaction. We are free. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra. Then you go on.
Lecture on BG Lecture Excerpts 2.44-45, 2.58 -- New York, March 25, 1966:

Man is called puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. And the wife is called strī. Strī means woman. Strī means prakṛti. Prakṛti means which is enjoyed. The subject and the object. But the enjoyment, actually the enjoyment between husband and wife, that is participated by both. There is no division. When the actual enjoyment is there, there is no division, the husband is enjoying more or the wife is enjoying less or like that. There is no such division when the enjoyment is there. This is a crude example, but still, there is division. The husband is called the enjoyer, and the wife is called the enjoyed. Husband is called the predominator, and the wife is called predominated. Of course, in our India, Hindu conception of life, that a woman, woman, according to our Manu-saṁhitā scripture, woman is always protected. A woman is never given independence. She is protected during her childhood by the father, and she is protected in her youth by the husband, and she is protected in her old age by her sons. That is the conception. And the woman, the cow, the brāhmaṇa, the children—they are meant for absolute protection. That is the Vedic conception. They should always be given full protection. The children, the women, the brāhmaṇas, and the cows, they have no fault. In the laws of the state, a woman, a child, a brāhmaṇa and cow has no fault. They have no, I mean to say, in the criminal court they are never prosecuted. That is the Hindu law. Now, therefore the whole idea is that the, we are, we, the living entities, we are not enjoyer; we are enjoyed.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

So Bhagavad-gītā... You'll find in the Fifteenth Chapter. The Lord says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). The purpose of all scriptures and Vedas is to know Kṛṣṇa or God. And the Upaniṣad says, yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you simply understand the Supreme Absolute, then you understand everything. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness means it includes everything. The karmīs' activities, fruitive actions, the jñānīs', philosophers' speculation, the yogis' mystic power, and bhaktas', devotees' worship of the Lord—everything is included. Just like if you have got a millions of dollar, then ten dollar is there, five dollar is there, twenty dollar is there, everything is there. So if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you take all kinds of... All the well, all the purpose of different type of well is served in the river of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That example is said. It includes everything. Just like Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are... Take practical example. We are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Now take any religion and take their highest conclusion—it is there in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Take for example Buddhism. They say nonviolence. Oh, we are nonviolent. Christianism, love of God. Oh, we are simply meant for loving God. Mohammedan, servant of God, to render service to the Lord. Oh, we are twenty-four hours engaged in the service of the Lord. Yogis—samādhi, always in samādhi, absorbed in the thought of the Supreme. We are always absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "And for the service of the Lord he is always daring and active and is not influenced by attachment or detachment. Attachment means accepting things for one's own sense gratification, and detachment is the absence of such sensual attachment. But one fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has neither attachment or detachment because his life is dedicated in the service of the Lord. Consequently he is not at all angry even when his attempts are unsuccessful. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always steady in his determination." 57: "He who is without affection either for good or evil is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge (BG 2.57)." Purport: "There is always some upheaval in the material world which may be good or evil. One who is not agitated by such material upheavals, who is without affection for the good or evil, is to be understood as fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As long as one is in the material world, there is always the possibility of good and evil because this world is full of duality. But one who is fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not affected by good and evil because he is simply concerned with Kṛṣṇa, who is all-good absolute. Such consciousness in Kṛṣṇa situates one in the perfect transcendental position called, technically, samādhi." 58: "One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects as the tortoise draws his limbs within the shell is to be understood as truly situated in knowledge (BG 2.58)." 59: "The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment though the taste for sense objects remains, but ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness (BG 2.59)." 60: "The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of the man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them (BG 2.60)." 61: "One who restrains his senses and fixes his consciousness upon Me is known as a man of steady intelligence (BG 2.61)."

Prabhupāda: This is the conclusion of all symptoms. There are others also?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One more.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Read it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 62: "While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises (BG 2.62)." Oh, a new (indistinct). There's a purport.

Prabhupāda: Stop there. So if there is any question you can discuss.

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

So this is our position. This is called conditioned stage of life. There is no freedom. The so-called freedom... We declare that "I belong to the free nation. I am free." These are all simply mental speculation. There is no freedom. So long I am bound up by the conditions of nature, there is no freedom. Now, here is a chance... Lord Kṛṣṇa says that karma-jaṁ buddhi-yuktā. Now, here is an opportunity for you. In human form of your life, you have got sufficient intelligence, and the Lord Himself is before you to enlighten your intelligence more and more. Here is the book. This book, what is spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is not different. Because Kṛṣṇa, or the Lord, is on the absolute plane. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is absent. Kṛṣṇa is present here. There is a verse in Bhāgavata, tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ, that, "I... My dear Nārada,..." Nārada is a great devotee. Perhaps you, who are accustomed with Vedic literatures, you have heard the name of Nārada. So Nārada is a great devotee, and the Lord assures him that, "Don't think that I am living in the kingdom of God, or I am living in the heart of a great mystic, or somewhere else, somewhere else... People may think. But I am living in that place where My sincere devotees assemble and discuss about Myself."

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Our position is, we are constituted of this body. Body means the senses and the controller of the senses or the, what is called, driver, driver of the senses, is the mind. And mind is conducted, thinking, feeling, and willing, the psychology, the science of psychology, that is being conducted under intelligence. And above the intelligence, I am sitting. I am a spirit soul. So how we become victim of this māyā, that is described here, that from anger, delusion arises, and from delusion, bewilderment of memory. Bewilderment memory. I have forgotten completely that I am not this body, I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi; I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, spirit, absolute whole. That I have forgotten. And when memory is bewildered, and as soon as I forget that I am spirit soul, I identify myself with this material world, illusion. Intelligence is lost. I should have used my intelligence to conduct the activities of the mind—thinking, feeling and willing—and because my mind is not controlled, my senses are not controlled, therefore I am fallen. This is the analysis of the whole bodily construction.

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "It is only a matter of understanding and accepting the fact. Khaṭvāṅga Mahārāja attained this state of life just a few minutes before his death by surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa. Nirvāṇa means ending the process of materialistic life. According to Buddha's philosophy, there is only void after this material life. But the Bhagavad-gītā teaches differently. Actual life begins after the completion of this material life. For the gross materialist, it is sufficient to know that one has to end his materialistic way of life. But for persons who are spiritually advanced, there is another life after this materialistic one. Therefore, before ending this life, if one fortunately becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, certainly he at once attains the stage of brahma-nirvāṇa. There is no difference between the kingdom of God and the devotional service of the Lord. Since both of them are on the absolute plane, to be engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord is to have attained the spiritual kingdom. In the material world there are activities of sense gratification, whereas in the spiritual world there are activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore attainment of Kṛṣṇa consciousness even during this life is immediate attainment of Brahman, and one who is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has certainly already entered into the kingdom of God. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has summarized the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā as being the contents for the whole text. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the subject matters are karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga..."

Prabhupāda: Jñāna-yoga.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

Lord Caitanya also says that nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā. The name, name Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa person, there is no difference. There is no difference. You don't think that "Arjuna was fortunate to receive instruction of Kṛṣṇa directly, but we are unfortunate. We are not in the presence of Kṛṣṇa." No, no, no, no. That is a, our mistake. Kṛṣṇa is present by the sound representation. Because God is Absolute, therefore there is no difference. Just like here we have got difference; nothing is Absolute.

Now, this watch, this name of this watch... This name of this article is "watch." Now, "watch" and the thing, watch, there is difference. If I want to see watch and if I sound, "Watch, watch, watch," no, my purpose of watch—seeing will not serve. I want the actual substance, which is watch. If I am thirsty, if I simply speak of "Water, water, water," my thirst will not be quenched. I want actual water. If we want something else for my enjoyment, the name will not do, because nothing in this... This is dual world. This world is of duality. But in the absolute world there is no such duality. Everything is everything. One plus one equal to one; one minus one equal to one. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). These are Vedic injunction, that "If you take the whole thing from the whole, still, the balance is whole. The balance is whole."

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

It is very scientific movement, scientific movement because at the present moment we are all godless, forgotten what is God and what to speak of His name. They do not believe in God and what to speak of His name, fame, His place, His activities, His form, His qualities. How we can know? There is no educational system about the science of God. This movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is teaching the science of God. And if you accept the name of the God, name of God, Kṛṣṇa—this is also affirmed in other system also—then you will be able to associate with God immediately. Because God is Absolute. Absolute means there is no difference.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Now, if we imitate that "These boys and girls are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is a name only. So let me chant... Instead of Kṛṣṇa, let me chant John," but that chanting will not help you because you cannot chant more than three, four times or ten times, that's all. But this is the proof. And this Hare Kṛṣṇa, this chanting, if you ask these boys and girls, they can chant continually for twenty-four hours in ecstasy, continually, without any stoppage. That is spiritual name. You cannot take any other name and chant and enjoy like that. So it is practical experience. I am touring all over the world, three times in a year, and because this chanting is Absolute, everyone is joining, Europe, America, Africa, Canada, Japan, China, everywhere. Nobody says that "This is a word from India. Why shall I chant the Indian name?" No. It is God's name. God is neither Indian nor American nor otherwise, neither Christian nor Hindu nor Muslim. God is God.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Guru's position is like this. What is that? Sākṣād-dhari. He is God. Sākṣād-dhari. How he is Hari, God? No, samasta-śāstraiḥ: "In all revealed scriptures it is explained that 'Guru, the servant of God, the son of God, the preacher, he is God.' " Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ: ** "It is said." Tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ: "Those who are intelligent, they accept like that." Then next line says, kintu. Why he is God? Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya: "He is God because He is very, very dear to God." So as I said, in the absolute word, God and a person very dear to God, he is also God. But he does not think that he is God. He knows that he is servant of God. It requires little intelligence, spiritual intelligence, the Absolute, how the servant of God and God is the same. (break) Yes.

Lecture on BG 4.1-2 -- Columbus, May 9, 1969:

Pradyumna: Oh. "In the Brahma-saṁhitā we have information of many, many incarnations of the Lord. It is stated there, 'I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, who is the original person, absolute, infallible, without beginning, although expanded into unlimited forms, still the same, original, the oldest, and the person always appearing as a fresh youth."

Prabhupāda: The exact verse in Sanskrit word is

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam
ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca
vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.33)
Advaita. Advaita means Kṛṣṇa expands Himself. Kṛṣṇa can expand Himself. That is God.

Just like I am sitting here. You are sitting here. Suppose you are wanted by your, some relative at home, but if somebody inquires that "Mr. such-and-such is at home," so the reply will be, "No. He's not at home." Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). He is present everywhere. It is not that because Kṛṣṇa was speaking with Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, therefore He was not in the Goloka or Vaikuṇṭha. Not only Goloka, Vaikuṇṭha, everywhere. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is here also, now. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa is everyone's heart. In your heart there is Kṛṣṇa. In my heart there is Kṛṣṇa, everyone's heart. So Kṛṣṇa is not like that.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

Madhudviṣa: Purport: "In the Brahma-saṁhitā we have information of many, many incarnations of the Lord. It is stated there, 'I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, who is the original person, absolute, infallible, without beginning, although expanded into unlimited forms, still the same original, the oldest, and the person always appearing as a fresh youth. Such eternal, blissful, all-knowing forms of the Lord are usually understood by the best Vedic scholars, but they are always manifest to pure, unalloyed devotees.'

It is also stated in the same scripture, 'I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, who is always situated in various incarnations, such as Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, and many subincarnations as well, but who is the original Personality of Godhead known as Kṛṣṇa, and who incarnates personally also.'

In the Vedas too it is said that the Lord, although He is one without a second nevertheless manifests Himself in innumerable forms. He is like the vaidurya stone, which changes colors variously yet still is one, although His multiforms are understood..."

Prabhupāda: There is a valuable jewel stone. If you turn, you will find many colorful manifestations, although that stone is one. Similarly, although God is one, He can manifest Himself in many forms. That is the prerogative of God. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). He can expand Himself in millions and trillions of forms; still, He is one. The same example: that vaidurya stone, jewel, although one, but you will find it in many colors at the same time. So this example is very nice.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

Paramparā means Kṛṣṇa explained the knowledge, Vedic knowledge, to Lord Brahmā, ādi-kavaye. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ tene brahma hṛdā (SB 1.1.1). The spiritual knowledge, brahma, brahma-vidyā, śabda-brahma, the Vedic knowledge... Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, the words written in this book, Bhagavad-gītā, although it appears like ordinary letters, they are not like that. It is Vedic vibration. The things which are being spoken by Kṛṣṇa, they are not ordinary language. Had it been ordinary language, how...? Because it was written five thousand years ago. How it is still going on? There are many literatures written by great, great poets within two thousand, two hundred years, three hundred years, or, say, thousands of years. But they are being forgotten. But therefore the character of the Vedic knowledge, they are not material things. They're all spiritual. Why we are giving so much importance to the words of Kṛṣṇa? Because this language is absolute. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's words, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's language, or Kṛṣṇa's words, they are the same. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's forms... We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa's form. That is also Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, are we wasting our time by decorating a doll, a statue, and we are struggling so hard to establish a temple of Kṛṣṇa? No.

This science is unknown to the atheist class of men. The atheist class of men, they do not know the absolute nature of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, His name, His form, His quality, His pastimes, His instruction—anything of Kṛṣṇa—that is Kṛṣṇa. That is not different from Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

Sarva-jña means one who knows everything, past, present, future, everything. He's sa... That is the qualification of the Supreme Lord, sarva-jña. We are not sarva-jña. Even as the most perfect living entity, just like Brahmā, Śiva, they are, they are also not sarva-jña. Sarva-jña is only Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is sarva-jña. So that is the difference between man and God, or living entity and the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead. He knows. He knows.

Here it is distinct... If you have to believe Bhagavad-gītā, then the distinction you have to believe, you have to take. You cannot say that "There is no difference between me and Kṛṣṇa." No, there is difference. Here the difference is clearly explained that "That is the difference between you and Me, that you forget. You cannot remember all the incidences of your life, past, present and future, but I can remember." That is the difference.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974:

Here we have got material experience. If you have got one rupee, if you take one anna, then it is fifteen annas. Or if you take two annas, it is fourteen annas. If you take sixteen annas, it becomes zero. But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. He can expand Himself unlimited forms; still, the original Kṛṣṇa is there. That is Kṛṣṇa. We have got experience: one minus one equal to zero. But there, in the spiritual world... That is called Absolute. One minus, million times one minus, still, the original one is one. That is Kṛṣṇa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33).

So that Kṛṣṇa you cannot understand vedeṣu, simply by studying Vedic literature. Although the Vedas means, Vedānta means, to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). But unfortunately, because we do not take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His devotee, we cannot understand what is the purpose of Vedas. That will be explained in the Seventh Chapter. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha.... Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). If you want to understand Kṛṣṇa asaṁśayam, without any doubt, and samagram, and in full, then you have to practice this yoga system.

Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974:

So in all the Vedas, Upaniṣads, Saṁhitās, the same thing is described in different way. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). In this way. Here Kṛṣṇa Himself describes Himself that ajo 'pi and avyayātmā. Avyayātmā. It does... Kṛṣṇa's body, mind, there is no difference, absolute. What is Kṛṣṇa's body, that is Kṛṣṇa's soul. What is Kṛṣṇa's mind, that is Kṛṣṇa's soul. Or what is Kṛṣṇa's soul, that is Kṛṣṇa's body, that is Kṛṣṇa. Avyayātmā. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaraḥ. Īśvaraḥ. He's not ordinary living being. Bhūtānām īśvaraḥ. That is the difference. He's īśvaraḥ. We are not īśvaraḥ. We may be īśvaraḥ. Īśvaraḥ means controller. But that, we are not the supreme īśvara. The supreme īśvara is called Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). We are not supreme īśvara.

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

Because as the Supreme Lord, He has nothing to do. But why He comes? In the Vedic literature you'll find, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. The description of the Supreme Brahman is described there, that, Upaniṣad... Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate: "The Supreme, the Absolute, He has nothing to do." He has nothing to do. Just like if we want to do, have something, we have to do. But there, the Absolute, He has nothing to do.

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Therefore people in general keep the same bodily idea in mind when they are informed of the personal form of the Lord. For such materialistic men the form of the gigantic material manifestation is Supreme. Therefore they imagine that the Supreme is impersonal. And because they are too materially absorbed, the concept of retaining a personality after liberation from matter frightens them. When such materialistic men are informed that spiritual life is also individual and personal, they are afraid of becoming persons again, and so they naturally prefer a kind of merging into the impersonal void. Generally, they compare the living entities to the bubbles of the ocean which merge into the ocean. That is the highest perfection of spiritual existence attainable without individual personality. This is a fearful stage of life, devoid of perfect knowledge of spiritual existence. Furthermore, there are many persons who cannot understand spiritual existence at all. Being embarrassed by so many theories and by contradictions and various types of philosophical speculation, they become disgusted or angry, and foolishly they conclude that there is no supreme cause and that everything is ultimately void. Such people are in diseased conditions of life. Some of them are too materially attached and therefore do not give attention to spiritual life, some of them want to merge into the supreme spiritual cause, and some of them disbelieve in everything, being angry at all sorts of spiritual speculation out of hopelessness. This last class of men take to the shelter of some kind of intoxication, and their respective hallucinations are sometimes accepted as spiritual visions. One has to get rid of all three stages of attachment to the material world: the negligence of spiritual life, fear of spiritual, personal identity, and the concept of void that underlies the frustration of life. To get free of these three stages in the material concept of life, one has to take complete shelter of the Lord, guided by the bona fide spiritual master, and follow the penances of disciplinary and regulative principles of devotional life. The last stage of such devotional life is called bhāva, or transcendental love of Godhead.

"According to Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, the science of devotional service: 'In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realization. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. The next stage is that one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master, and under the instruction of the spiritual master the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service. By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes free from all material attachment and attains steadiness in self-realization, and acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This taste leads one further forward to the attachment for Kṛṣṇa, the attachment for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is mature in bhāva, or the preliminary stage of transcendental love of Godhead. When the devotee reaches the stage of real love for Godhead, it is called prema, the highest perfection of life.' In the prema stage there is a constant engagement in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. So by the slow process of devotional service under the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master, one can attain the bhāva stage, being free from all material attachment, from the fearfulness of one's individual spiritual personality and from the frustration of voidness. And when one is actually free from such lower stages of life, one can attain to the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Prabhupāda: That's it. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Any question? You discuss Bhagavad-gītā. If somebody has got any difficulty to understand or any question, they can, he can clear it up. This class is meant for understanding. So we should try to understand clearly what is discussed. So if there is any question, you can put.

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

So Kṛṣṇa's purpose of appearing is mentioned here. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Vināśāya means for annihilating, for killing. So Kṛṣṇa's killing is also good for the person who is killed by Kṛṣṇa. And another killing is to dissipate his ignorance. This is also.... One is in ignorance, he does not know what is the value of life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa wants to kill his ignorance and give him real knowledge. That is also vināśāya. Vināśa, killing his ignorance. So the Bhagavad-gītā is going on for two varieties of business. One business is to give relief to the sādhu, to the devotee, and another business is to kill ignorance or kill personally the duṣkṛtinaḥ. Those who are nondevotees. For them, killing business. But the killing is also good for them. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Either Kṛṣṇa loves somebody or kills somebody, the result is the same. That is called absolute. Just like father or mother loves some child and chastises the other. The result is the same—affection. There is no jealousy.

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

Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "every man is following My path, indirectly or directly." The supreme position of the Lord is that He is in the supreme absolute position, and every other living being, they are all subordinate. In the Vedic Upaniṣad it is clearly stated, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is the natural law in any society, in any community, in any country, even in the animal society.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

Just like something extraordinary happening in India, and if there is some photograph, cinematograph, and you see in the picture by a scope, cinema, you see the actually, what is happening. But Kṛṣṇa's pastimes is not like that. Just like originally, the incidence which is happening in India, you have got a photograph. You see in cinema. This cinema picture is a shadow of that actual picture. But when Kṛṣṇa comes, because He is absolute, the same picture, which is in the spiritual world, the same picture is represented here. There is no difference. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33).

Kṛṣṇa is described as nava-yauvana. Some of you must have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa. He is always just like a boy of twenty years old, although He is the ādi-puruṣa. Ādi-puruṣa means He is the original person of all emanations. He is the oldest. Advaitam acyutam anādim, ādyaṁ purāṇa-pu... Purāṇa-puruṣam means the oldest. Purāṇa means old. Purāṇa-puruṣam; still, nava-yauvanaṁ ca, just like a young man of twenty years old, full energy, full youthfulness.

Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

Prabhupāda: What is that object? Give me tangible example.

Guest: In relative existence it would be that which exists and...

Prabhupāda: What is that relative? Relative means there must be something absolute. When you speak of relative... Just like you are son, relative. Immediately the conception of father must be there otherwise how it is relative? So as soon as you say relative, what is the absolute?

Guest: The absolute is... I can't say

Prabhupāda: Then you have no conception of the absolute. You cannot explain.

Guest: It's...

Prabhupāda: You are simply... Your meditation means you are simply in the relative.

Guest: It's not...

Prabhupāda: You are giving definition in the... Just like you do not know what it is. You say simply "It is not this," that's all. But you do not know what it is. That is not concrete definition. If I say, "This is not watch. This is not book. This is not light. This is not microphone." I can go on thousands of years saying, "This is not, this is not, this is not," but that does not mean it is this. And if you know it immediately say, "It is glass, spectacle." That means you do not know it. Simply negation, "This is not, this is not, this is not," is not the realization of the Absolute. You must give concrete idea of the Absolute. That is transcendental meditation.

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:

But they have now taken it very cheaply. All rascals and fools and rogues, they are claiming that "I am Kṛṣṇa, I am." They have taken because India has fallen. Because there is no brahminical culture, they cannot understand these rascals, that the fools and rascals, they are claiming to be Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so cheap? No. That is our misfortune, that instead of Kṛṣṇa, we are accepting some imitation, rogue Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune.

But we should not do that. There is Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa, in His words. Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. He is not different from Kṛṣṇa. The words of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. When you read Bhagavad-gītā, if you feel like that, that "Here Kṛṣṇa is speaking before me," then your life is successful. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Actually, it is a fact. It is a fact. It is not that "Kṛṣṇa is no longer here. Five thousand years He spoke. Therefore this Bhagavad-gītā has become null and void." This is nonsense. Kṛṣṇa can speak at every moment, at every second. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Those who are santas... Therefore it is said here, iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti. Does He say that "Simply in this age"? No. At any time. Iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti. One who understands Kṛṣṇa, at any time, at any place, iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti karmabhir na sa badhyate (BG 4.14)," he comes liberated person, simply by this understanding that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. He is not bound up by the laws of karma and He is not conditioned by this material nature."

Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974:

But God is Absolute. Therefore there is no distinction between mouth or the leg. If you offer flowers and tulasī on the lotus feet of God, Kṛṣṇa, and if you decorate the mouth of Kṛṣṇa, it is the same bhakti. Because there is no difference of the mouth and legs, provided the mouth is working as mouth and the leg is working as leg for satisfying the Supreme. Then there is no such distinction. As soon as Kṛṣṇa consciousness is absent, a so-called brāhmaṇa is puffed up. 'Oh, I am born in brāhmaṇa family. I am bigger than the śūdras." That is falldown. The real purpose is that either you be mouth or hand or waist or leg, the real purpose is to maintain the body very perfectly. That is real purpose.

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

Karmaṇi yaḥ akarma. Akarma means which does not have... I have already explained. So if you work the same thing sva-karmaṇā, never mind, you are doing the śūdra's business or brāhmaṇa's business. It doesn't matter. Whether you are acting for Kṛṣṇa? That is wanted. If you are acting for Kṛṣṇa, then you are not becoming entangled by the resultant action, pious or impious. It is above. Pious and impious, they are consideration of this material platform. In the spiritual platform there is no such thing, absolute. Whatever you are doing, it is all-good, all-spiritual. That is called absolute. In the Absolute there is no such distinction, "This is pious, this is impious." Everything is spiritual.

So we have to act like that. If you act spiritually for satisfying Kṛṣṇa, varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ... Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you can satisfy Kṛṣṇa by your activities... It doesn't matter whether it is śūdra activity or brāhmaṇa activity. But the aim is whether you are satisfying Kṛṣṇa. Then it is akarma.

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

Devotee: "To him Brahman, the Supreme is the offering, Brahman is the oblation and the sacrificial fire and by Brahman the sacrifice is performed. By performing action in this way one ultimate attains the supreme."

Purport: "A person who is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom through his full contribution to spiritual activities for the consummation is absolute and the things offered are also of the same spiritual nature. How activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can lead one ultimately to the spiritual goal is described here. There are various activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All of them will be described in the following verses. But for the present just the principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is described. The conditioned soul entangled in material contamination is sure to act in the material atmosphere and yet he has to get out of such an environment. The process by which the conditioned soul can get out of the material atmosphere is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For example, a person who is suffering from a disorder of the bowels..."

Prabhupāda: "A patient. A patient. A patient who is suffering."

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

Pradyumna: Translation: "A person who is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature."

Prabhupāda:

brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir
brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ
brahma-karma-samādhinā
(BG 4.24)

This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Actually there is nothing as material. Because the energy and the energetic.... There is a verse in Viṣṇu Purāṇa:

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner
jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

What is this jagat, manifestation? The manifestation is energy, energy of Kṛṣṇa, energy of the Supreme Brahman. The whole atmosphere is just like the sunshine. We can exactly understand what is the position of this material world, what is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is the spiritual world. By nature's study you can understand.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- Bombay, April 13, 1974:

If you cannot chant, if you cannot hear about Kṛṣṇa, if you cannot understand about Kṛṣṇa.... Because the devotional method is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). So to hear about Kṛṣṇa, it does not appeal to everyone. Kṛṣṇa is fighting in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra and Kṛṣṇa is playing on the courtyard of Yaśodāmāyi. There are so many description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So ordinary, less intelligent men, they cannot understand that the Para-brahman, Supreme Brahman, can crawl in the courtyard of Mother Yaśodā. It is very difficult for them to understand. Therefore the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is description of Kṛṣṇa's activities. Because unless one understands what is Kṛṣṇa, he is not interested in the activities of Kṛṣṇa. But those who are devotees, they know that Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's activities are one and the same, absolute. So if we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa.... Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He descends and plays in so many ways. If we simply hear about Kṛṣṇa, then that means we associate with Kṛṣṇa.

Chanting of Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, is Kṛṣṇa. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). These are the statement of śāstra. Kṛṣṇa's name, cintāmaṇi, spiritual. It is not material. You cannot go on chanting any material name, "Mr. John Mr. John Mr. John." You will be tired. But you can go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours; you will never be tired. That is the difference. But they do not understand. And the more you chant, you relish.

Lecture on BG 4.24 -- August 4, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Pradyumna: (leads chanting and reads translation)

brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir
brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ
brahma-karma-samādhinā
(BG 4.24)

Translation: "A person who is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature."

Prabhupāda: Some of you explain.

Devotee: Translate.

Prabhupāda: Translation is already there.

Devotee: Should we translate in French, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Where is French Bhagavad-gītā.

Harikeśa: Can we read the purport, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

The Lord has got senses. He is also a living being like us. But less intelligent class, they cannot understand. They think that something must be opposite. No. The Vedic information is nityo nityānām: "The Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is also eternal." That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā also. Bhagavān says that "Arjuna, you and Me and all these people who have gathered here, we are nitya. We were present in the past, and we are now in the battlefield, and when we give up this body, we shall again remain the same, individual."

Lecture on BG 4.28 -- Bombay, April 17, 1974:

Prabhupāda: You can read the purport also.

Pradyumna: "These sacrifices may be fitted into various divisions. There are persons who are sacrificing their possessions in the form of various kinds of charities. In India, the rich mercantile community or princely orders open various kinds of charitable institutions like dharma-śālā, anna-kṣetra, atithi-śālā, anāthalaya, vidyāpīṭha, etc... In other countries too, there are many hospitals, old age homes and similar charitable foundations meant for distributing food, education and medical treatment free to the poor. All these charitable activities are called dravyamaya-yajña. There are others who, for higher elevation in life or for promotion to higher planets within the universe, voluntarily accept many kinds of austerities such as cāndrāyaṇa and cāturmāsya. These processes entail severe vows for conducting life under certain rigid rules. For example, under the cāturmāsya vow the candidate does not shave for fours months during they year, July to October, and does not eat certain foods, does not eat twice in a day and does not leave home. Such sacrifices of the comforts of life is called tapomaya-yajña. There are still others who engage themselves in different kinds of mystic yogas like the Patañjali system for merging into the existence of the Absolute, or haṭha-yoga or aṣṭāṅga-yoga, for particular perfections. And some travel to all the sanctified places of pilgrimage. All these practices are called yoga-yajña, sacrifice for a certain type of perfection in the material world. there are others who engage themselves in the studies of different Vedic literatures, specifically the Upaniṣads and Vedānta-sūtras, or the Sāṅkhya philosophy. All of these are called svādhyāya-yajña, or engagement in the sacrifice of studies. All these yogis are faithfully engaged in different types of sacrifice and are seeking a higher status of life. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is, however, different from these because it is the direct service of the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be attained by any one of the above-mentioned types of sacrifices but can be attained only by the mercy of the Lord and His bona fide devotee. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental."

Prabhupāda:

dravya-yajñās tapo-yajñā
yoga-yajñās tathāpare
svādhyāya-jñāna-yajñāś ca
yatayaḥ saṁśita-vratāḥ
(BG 4.28)

So charity, or sacrificing your possession for the benefit of others, this is also yajña. But they are called karma-kāṇḍa yajña, fruitive activities. By such performance of yajña, one can elevate his material position.

Lecture on BG 4.34 -- New York, August 14, 1966:

Then kīrtanam. Kīrtanam means to chant about the glories, about the holy name, about the form, about the quality. Then this is association with Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa, or God, is absolute. He is not different from His name, from His quality, from His form, from His pastimes. He is not different. So hearing and chanting of the qualities or form or name of the Supreme, of the Absolute, means our association with God. Association. Direct association, in transcendental quality. So as we go on making association, then Kṛṣṇa helps us to understand Him.

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

So this is another example of punishment. (laughter) We are also punished and they, for whom they are going, they are also punished. So we are all being punished. As we are making progress, as we are violating the law of nature, the law of God, we are being punished in every step. But due to ignorance, we do not know how we are being... We have been accustomed. We have been callous, "Oh, let us be punished. Go on. Go on like this. Go on." Oh, this is not human life. We must make a solution of this punishment. That is human life. Because I am put into jail, "All right, it is very good. Without working, I am getting three times food. Let me remain in the jail." Oh, that is not very intelligent question. You see. We must get out of the jail. So this material world is just like a prison house. We must get out of it. We must get our freedom, the absolute freedom, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), full of knowledge, full of bliss and eternal. That is our mission. So this knowledge we must get. "Knowledge is the solution." This is the subject matter of our speech today, "Knowledge is the solution." This is knowledge, that everything belongs, it belongs to Kṛṣṇa, or God. We can use them as much as we like.

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

Madhudviṣa: Then realization of the impersonal feature of the Absolute wouldn't be classified as a spiritual activity?

Prabhupāda: Well, impersonalists, they have no spiritual activities practically. They have got some ritualistic performances to come to the platform of negativing this material condition. Just like to find out...

Just like you take milk. So you have to find out where the butter is there. So if you know the process, then you can find out the butter. But if you do not know the process, you can say, "Oh, this is simply milk. Where is butter?" You must know the process.

Similarly, the impersonalists, they think that "I am Brahman, but I am not this matter." That is a fact. I am spirit. I am not this matter. But that understanding is not sufficient. What is my position as spirit? Then, when we come to the supreme spirit, the all-spirit, that is perfection of knowledge. So impersonal conception is simply a negation of these material varieties. But above that, there is spiritual variety. And that is real knowledge. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 5.7-13 -- New York, August 27, 1966:

Hayagrīva: Did you say self-realization is realizing our identity with Brahmā?

Prabhupāda: Oh yes.

Hayagrīva: With Brahmā. Brahmā dies. Brahmā is not eternal.

Prabhupāda: Brahman is eternal. I am eternal. I am thinking.(?) Yes?

Devotee: He's saying Brahmā instead of Brahman.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Brahmā you mean to say?

Hayagrīva: Oh, you said Brahman.

Prabhupāda: Brahmā is a living creature just like us. A powerful living creature, he is called Brahmā. He's the first creature. And Brahman, Brahman is the Supreme Absolute. (break) Pathans were ruling over Bengal in the 14th Century or 15th Century. 15th Century, yes. (tamburā, kīrtana) (end)

Lecture on BG 6.1-4 -- New York, September 2, 1966:

Now, those who are actually working with our society, they practically do not find any time, any rest. There are so many work that one cannot finish. Day and night we have got work for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And we are happy to execute such work. And the students who are working with us, cooperating, they are also happy. You'll find happiness. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, you'll never get tired, and that is the... You'll never get tired. In any other material thing, if you chant or you repeat three times, you'll get tired. It is practical test. But if you go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, you'll never get tired. So if you engage yourself in the activity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll never get tired because you are acting on the spiritual platform. Spiritual platform is absolute. The material platform is different. If you work very hard, then you get tired. So this is, these are the understandings of spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

Ātma-viśuddhaye. The whole process is, yoga system is, for purifying ātmā. Purifying ātmā... You always remember that ātmā means this body, ātmā means the mind, ātmā means the soul. So purifying these things. So yoga system is made not that cheaply I want some power. Sometimes the yogis they achieve very wonderful power. Aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga. Aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of perfect, material perfection, they can attain. Not for that purpose yoga sys... Although they attain that power, real yogis, they do not exhibit it. They do not exhibit it. They have got the powers, so many wonderful powers, but he doesn't... His only aim is ātma-viśuddhaye: "I am now contaminated by this material atmosphere; so I have to purify myself." So that purification process we shall discuss next day. But I may say in this connection that so much difficult process for purifying the ātmā is very easily done, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Because the sound, this transcendental sound vibration, is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. His name is not different from Him. So when you chant His name with devotion, that means Kṛṣṇa is with you. And Kṛṣṇa, when Kṛṣṇa is with you, how you can remain impure? You become pure. The purest. That is the whole system. Now, if there is any questions, you can ask. (end)

Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:

Either any yoga system, any spiritual life is called yoga. Yoga means to link. We are part and parcel of the supreme absolute, Brahman or Bhagavān, whatever you call, Paramātmā, it doesn't matter. But yoga means linking. So the linking, either you link with impersonal formless, the Supreme Brahman, that is also linking. And if you by meditation you link up with the Supersoul within yourself that is also transcendental activity. Or you directly worship as a devotee, Kṛṣṇa. Anything you adopt, that is spiritual life. But to become Kṛṣṇa conscious or a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that is the ultimate goal. That we have in the Bhagavad-gītā:

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
(BG 7.19)

After two stages. Impersonal conception of the Supreme or localized realization of the Supreme. They have again to come to this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, after many, many births. So therefore it is better if they're intelligent enough, when you get the information that ultimately you have to come to this point, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That sort of great soul is very rare. So why not become a rare great soul immediately and just become in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make your life successful? Thank you very much. Any questions? Yes?

Lecture on BG 6.40-42 -- New York, September 16, 1966:

Yes. Those who are spiritually advanced, their photograph and ordinary photograph is different. Just like here is statue of Kṛṣṇa. He's not different from Kṛṣṇa. The original person Kṛṣṇa and this statue of Kṛṣṇa is the same. Similarly, a spiritually perfect person and his photograph is the same. Because it is in the absolute stage. In the absolute stage there is no difference. In the material stage there is difference. Is that clear? In the absolute stage there is no difference. Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa is the name of the Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So this name and Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent. Do you realize it? There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa who is in His supreme abode and the name Kṛṣṇa which you are chanting. That is the same. There is no difference. This is absolute conception. Whereas if I am thirsty and if I call the name of water, "Water, water, water," I require the substance water actually. Simply by calling "water" will not do. That is the difference between matter and spirit.

And actually, if we are not getting some spiritual enlightenment by chanting Kṛṣṇa then do you think that we are simply wasting our time? No. We're not wasting our time. We're actually getting spiritual ecstasy because there is no difference. But you take similarly, the name of water or something else, what you want, that will not be fulfilled. This is the absolute and relative conception. In the absolute stage there is no difference, name, quality, form, pastime, entourage, everything the same. If you chant Kṛṣṇa's name it is as good as Kṛṣṇa. If you see Kṛṣṇa's form it is as good as Kṛṣṇa. If you think of Kṛṣṇa's activities it is as good as Kṛṣṇa. This realization is spiritual realization. Therefore a first-class devotee who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he sees everything Kṛṣṇa. Nothing different from Kṛṣṇa. Any other questions?

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

Devotee: "When these impurities are wiped away, the candidate remains steady in his position of pure goodness and becomes enlivened by devotional service and understands the science of God perfectly. Thus bhakti-yoga severs the hard knot of material affection and one at once comes to the stage of asaṁśayaṁ samagram, understanding of the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead."

Prabhupāda: Asaṁśayaṁ samagram. By bhakti-yoga you can understand the Absolute Truth as He is and samagram, in full. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. These words are used in... Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu: (BG 7.1) "You will understand Me in full and without any doubt." So one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he knows God in full and without any doubt. Then the... "Therefore only by hearing from Kṛṣṇa or from His devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can one understand the science of Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

Yes. Than hearing from Kṛṣṇa. The Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is speaking. So hear from Him. If you say that "Kṛṣṇa is no longer present before me," no, Kṛṣṇa is present by His Bhagavad-gītā. His words and He, there is no difference. Absolute. Absolute. If you pollute the words... Kṛṣṇa is speaking something, and you are rascal, nonsense, explaining in a different way, then it has no meaning. Then Kṛṣṇa is gone. But if you speak as Kṛṣṇa is speaking, then it is..., Kṛṣṇa is present before you by His words. Immediately. By His word, you can see Kṛṣṇa. Just like the brāhmaṇa in South India. He was illiterate; he was reading, trying to read Bhagavad-gītā, but immediately Kṛṣṇa became present before his eyes, and he was crying. He was crying. That is reading.

So Kṛṣṇa can be present by His words. Because Kṛṣṇa's word and Kṛṣṇa is not different, Absolute. If you actually accept Kṛṣṇa in the form of Bhagavad-gītā, then you are directly associating with Kṛṣṇa, as Arjuna was doing. There will be no difficulty. Ajita. Kṛṣṇa is unconquered, but simply by your humble receptive process, you will conquer over Kṛṣṇa. How you'll conquer? He's already within your heart. You'll realize that "Here is Kṛṣṇa." That is conquer.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972:

(Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the lover of many devotees (women), may embrace this fully surrendered maidservant or may trample me with His feet, or He may render me brokenhearted by not being present before me for a long duration of time, but still He is nothing less than the Absolute Lord of my heart).

This is mahā-bhāgavata. So mahā-bhāgavata, we should not imitate. But we should not remain also as kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. We must come to the madhyama-adhikārī, middle stage. So these stages will be manifest gradually if we simply try to develop our attachment for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973:

So our recommendation is... Not our; it is the recommendation of Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who inaugurated or revitalized this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement five hundred years ago in Bengal as Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says, nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija sarva śaktis, tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. Nāmnām akāri: the name and person whose name. Because God is absolute, there is no difference between His name and He Himself. Just like in this material calculation, if you want water, simply by chanting "water, water," you won't get water. The water substance is different from the name "water." But God being absolute, His name, His form, His quality, His entourage, they are all the same, as good as God. So if you associate with any one of them, either God personally or with His name or with His form or with His quality or with His paraphernalia, immediately you become in contact with God. This is the science. This is not fiction; this is science. Because if you accept God as absolute, there cannot be difference between God and His name and His form. So this is science. You'll realize as you make progress. You'll realize. Just like these boys, they're chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they are realizing; otherwise I've not bribed them.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975:

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya (devotees respond). Ladies and gentlemen, I am just going to speak before you about knowledge of the Absolute. It is from the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā.

This human form of life is obtained after many, many millions of years by evolutionary process: aquatics, then insects, reptiles, birds, beasts, uncivilized men, and then civilized form of human being. They are called the Aryans. So the human being, civilized human being, is the topmost of the creation, and the consciousness is developed than the lower animals. Therefore the Vedānta philosophy says that this human form of life is meant for understanding knowledge Absolute, knowledge of the Absolute. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Brahman means the Absolute. Brahman is explained in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "Brahman, or the Absolute Truth, is that from whom everything has emanated." There must be the original source of everything. So to understand that original source of everything is the knowledge of the Absolute.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

Throughout the whole world... Of course, in the human society, advanced human society, Aryan society, there is search after God, the Absolute. And the human life is meant for that purpose. Human life is not meant for wasting like dogs and hogs. The dogs and hogs, they are busy whole day and night to find out, "Where is food? Where is food?" But the human life is not meant for that purpose. The dogs and hogs, they do not know that food is supplied by God, everyone's. That is the Vedic information. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. God is supplying food to everyone. Therefore in the Christian method it is prayed, "O God, give us our... O Father, give us our daily bread." That is very good idea. But even if you do not ask, the food is there. We should understand, because the animals lower than human being, they do not go to church or to temple to ask for daily bread, but they get their bread. The elephants, they eat at a time 40 kg in this African forest, but they are getting their daily food twice. And the ant, it is satisfied with one grain. It is also supplied food. There are 8,400,000 forms of living entities. They are all getting their food without going to the church or to the mosque or praying to the Lord.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

In the Kali-yuga it is not possible to practice any other system of yoga. Mind is so agitated, you cannot concentrate. But if you chant loudly, "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" your mind will be forced to be drawn and hear Kṛṣṇa. Then mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. If you practice this, then asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu: (BG 7.1) "If you try to hear Me attentively..." Bhagavān uvāca. Who is speaking? Bhagavān, the Supreme Person, the Absolute Person. There is no mistake, there is no cheating, there is no imperfection, and there is no illusion. It is perfect.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Durban, October 9, 1975:

Idol worship, that is not idol. Just like if you worship your leader in some picture or some statue, that is not idol worship. That is actually fact. You show your respect to your leader. Similarly, when we worship the Deity of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, it is not idol worship. It is worshiping Kṛṣṇa. The difference is, as we have already discussed, Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. In the ordinary case the picture of your father and the father is different because it is material body. But Kṛṣṇa, being absolute, His form, Deity form, and He, there is no difference. It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy that He comes before you in the Deity form made of so-called wood or stone because we cannot see at the present moment except wood and stone. We cannot see. Just like I was explaining we cannot see even our father, the spirit soul. And how we can see the supreme spirit? So when we worship Deity, it is not idol worship. It is worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa, and the Deity is not different from the person. This is the idea. We have to understand. It is a science. Just like the holy name of the Lord. It is as good as the Lord Himself. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto 'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). When we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, this means Kṛṣṇa is dancing on my tongue. Otherwise why these people are chanting twenty-four hours, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa"? If you ask them to chant some other name, "Mr. John, Mr. John, Mr. John," it will be not possible. He will be tired: "No more." But you go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. You'll never feel tired. That is the proof that the holy name of God and God is nondifferent.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

So our only request is the leaders of the society should take up the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā very seriously, learn himself, and teach to others. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not at all difficult; it is very easy. Everyone can do it. But the result will be that as soon as you understand, people understand Kṛṣṇa, janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9), anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa, the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti... After giving up this body he does not accept any more material body; he stays in his spiritual identity and enjoys the society of Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. Gopījana-vallabha. Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa, Vṛndāvana means that Kṛṣṇa is the center. He is the lovable object of everyone. The gopīs, the cowherd boys, the calves, the cows, the trees, the fruits, flowers, the father, mother—everyone is attached to Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. So this is replica, this Vṛndāvana, and there is real Vṛndāvana. This is also real. In the absolute there is no difference.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

So to understand Bhagavān, Para-brahman, that is the mission of human life. The cats and dogs cannot understand Bhagavān. That is not possible. A human being can understand. This Bhagavad-gītā is for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. So Kṛṣṇa says that "If you want to know Me..." It is not easy to understand Bhagavān, or God. God is not the exact word of Bhagavān; therefore we use the word "Godhead." "Back to Godhead." Bhagavān means the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Being. God means the ruler, the controller. But when we come to the supreme controller, He is Bhagavān. You are controller, I am controller. I am controller of my disciples within the Kṛṣṇa conscious society, but I cannot control the whole world. I have got some... You are controller in your home, of your wife, children, servants. But you are also controlled. You are not absolute controller. Therefore Bhagavān means the absolute controller.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(Bs. 5.1)

That is Bhagavān, supreme controller. He is controller over everyone, but He is not controlled by anyone. That is Bhagavān. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). He's svarāṭ. He's not controlled by anyone. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

The name, fame, form, quality, pastimes, entourage, everything, they are nondifferent. When we read Bhagavad-gītā, you must know when this writing is there, bhagavān uvāca, you must know Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, is speaking just before you, immediately. Bhagavān uvāca. In this way you have to understand tattva. Jānāti tattvataḥ.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
(BG 7.3)

Tattva. Tattva means the Absolute is the same either by His name, by His form, by His pastimes, by His entourage—everything absolute same. Advaya-jñāna. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). There is no difference. This is tattva-jñāna.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:

So there..., for annihilating, for killing, you require weapon. Kṛṣṇa has His weapon, sudarśana-cakra. Lord Rāmacandra has His weapon, bow and arrow. What is the weapon of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. His associates are His weapons. This is astra. Because in the Kali-yuga they are so fallen, even they are demons, they are third-class, fourth-class demons. (laughter) So they need not be killed. They are already killed. Their mode of life, their atmosphere, they are always dead. Just like we see so many demons. So what is there to kill them? They are already killed. They have no life. So this killing process in Kali-yuga is to kill their demonic propensities. And how to kill that demonic propensities? By spreading Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. This is astra. Otherwise to kill them is not... By life, it is not difficult. One slap is sufficient. You don't require other weapon. But real Kṛṣṇa comes to kill or to give protection—because He is Absolute, it is the same thing. If He is killing some demons, He is giving him protection. He stops his demonic activities further, to implicate himself in more trouble. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa kills one demon, that means He saves him. He saves him. The Absolute, this is Absolute. Either He protects His devotee or kills the demon, the result is the same. Therefore He is called Absolute.

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

Therefore people do not know what is siddhi. It is not my version. Kṛṣṇa says. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasre... What is siddhi? If you do not know what is siddhi, what is the use? Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). You do not know what is the ultimate goal of life, what is siddhi, and you're working so hard. So Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: "He is working uselessly, laboriously." That's all. They do not know siddhi. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). Yatatām api siddha, siddhānāṁ kaścit. These siddhas, those who are self-realized, athāto brahma jijñāsā... Even if he thinks that "I am the supreme," that is partially in the... That is also light. Just like if you come to the sunlight, sunshine, that is also light, but that is not perfection. If you can go within the sun globe and see the origin of shining, brightening principle, the sun-god, that is siddhi. Similarly, to merge into the Brahman is not siddhi. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Actually, it is a fact. Bhāgavata, whatever it says, that is real fact. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. If one thinks that "Now I am merged in the brahma-jyotir, so I am now vimukta. I am now mukta. I am now liberated," so that Bhāgavata says, "He is thinking like that, he's liberated. He is not liberated." Vimukta-mānina. Just like if I think am millionaire, does it mean I have become millionaire. I am not millionaire. Vimukta-mānina. Why? Tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because these persons who are thinking that he has become liberated, their buddhi is not yet cleansed. Aviśuddha. Śuddhāśuddha. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ, vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvāt. Asta-bhāvāt. No information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is thinking that the Absolute is imperson. Therefore, asta-bhāvāt, he has no information of the Supreme Person.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:

So this is the position, that we do not know what is the perfection of life. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, begins real knowledge. This chapter is "Knowledge of the Absolute." So everyone... You ask any M.A., Ph.D., that "What is your next life, sir?" "Gow! Gow!" (laughter) That's all. "Gow! Gow!" means "Why you are bothering about these things?" Now, this is the position. And we have taken very hard job to convince these people about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They will not accept it. They will deny immediately. They will say, "Why do you bother us? You do your own business. Let us do our own business." But why we are bothering? Because we are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants that these rascals should be informed. These rascals should be raised from this status of ignorance. So that is our mission. Therefore we are going and pleading, "Sir, I am a beggar, I have come to beg from you that you kindly purchase one book and you read it." So sometimes they are doing. After all, human being... So this is our... This is our business. We are stressing on pushing on these books because modern man, if he purchases one book, then at least he will see one line, "What these nonsense have written?" So if he reads one line, if he is intelligent man, he will understand the value. That is sure. That is sure.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

There are three qualities of the material nature. One who is associating with the modes of goodness, they're being promoted to the higher planetary system. Those who are associating with the modes of passion, they will remain within this middle planetary system. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ, those who are most abominable, acting most abominably, jaghanya-guṇa, adho gacchanti. This is confirmation. Adho gacchanti: "Goes down," to the animal kingdom, to the beast, birds, reptiles, snakes so many things. There are eight millions forms. It is daivena, daiva-netreṇa. Netreṇa means "by supervision." Background of the supervision is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate ca-carācaram (BG 9.10). They are absolute.

Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971:

Now Kṛṣṇa says that "These material energies are inferior," aparā. Just like in everything within our experience, we have got inferior quality and superior quality. Of course, Kṛṣṇa being absolute, everything is spiritual in the higher sense. But when we analyze scrutinizingly, we can understand that "This is this, this is that." So Kṛṣṇa is analyzing Himself, that "All these material energies, eight kinds of material energies, they are inferior quality. Apareyam itas tu. Apareyam itas tu anyāṁ prakṛtim. There is another prakṛti, another energy. Because parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Kṛṣṇa has got multi, various energies. So these eight elements, material elements in manifestation of His inferior energy. And the superior energy, Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam itas tu anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām. Parām means superior energy. And that superior energy is jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). They are living entities, just like we are living entities.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Vrndavana, August 13, 1974:

So we can study what is the nature of the Absolute Person by studying the sun. The sun globe is localized. The sunshine is spread all over the universe, and within the sun globe there is the sun-god, Vivasvān. Similarly, the original planet is Goloka Vṛndāvana. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Original, the Goloka Vṛndāvana, the abode of Kṛṣṇa. So take it... Just like sun globe. And within the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet there is the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, just like exactly within the sun the person, sun-god, his name is Vivasvān. And from that globe, Goloka Vṛndāvana, there is rays. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). On account of that effulgence from the Goloka Vṛndāvana, there are innumerable spiritual and material planets. The spiritual planets are called Vaikuṇṭhalokas, and in the material sphere there are so many planets—Sun, Moon, Venus, Earth, so many, millions and millions... They are all resting on that effulgence, Brahman effulgence. Yasya prabhā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ govindam. The brahma-jyotir is the rays of, the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa. So everything is resting... We have got experience that these material planetary systems, they are resting on the sunshine. The scientist knows it. On account of the heat of the sunshine, all the planetary systems or the globes, they are moving, going around. It is not stopped. There is a small apparatus—I have seen in America—that as soon as you give heat, within that, I mean to say, glass, the one is glow, it is rotating... (end)

Lecture on BG 7.16 -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement purely based on the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā. It is not a manufactured thing. As you are hearing for so many days, our basic principle is the Bhagavad-gītā. It is not that we have manufactured something, as there are so many manufactured processes. So if we actually take Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, as it is assured in the Bhagavad-gītā by the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, we are sure to achieve the result without any doubt. Kṛṣṇa assures, mā śucaḥ: "Don't be doubtful. Simply surrender unto Me. I shall take care of you." The whole Bhagavad-gītā is taught in that way. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca. In this way, in Bhagavad-gītā we'll find, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Personality of Godhead. So His instructions are there.

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

Just like in this world there may be dozens of parties. They may fight with one another, but the center is nationalism. Therefore those parties are not null and void. They're accepted by the government. They may be fighting with one another with aims and objects, but because their point is nationalism, they are accepted. There is the agreement. Similarly, in the service of Kṛṣṇa, there may be individuality, the choice of individuality may be, but the center being Kṛṣṇa, that is absolute. There are many authoritative books, means Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Prīti-sandarbha. But generally, if you simply try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation, then you get all information of these things.

Lecture on BG 8.14-15 -- New York, November 16, 1966:

It is said that "Persons who are interested of becoming liberated," ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ, "simply by the concept of impersonal merging into the spiritual existence," so ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa, "they consider themselves that they are liberated." That is also point of liberation, but the Bhāgavata says that "Although they consider themself as liberated, the aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ..." Aviśuddha means their knowledge is not very pure, not yet pure. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. The result is āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "They can rise up to the Supreme Absolute platform by their penances and austerities, meditation." That is right. They can reach to that platform. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa means "raising themselves, elevating themselves by severe penances to that platform," āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32), the Supreme Absolute platform. But patanty adhaḥ: "They again fall down in this material world." Why? Anādṛta: "Because they have not taken seriously about Your personal feature." Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Without worshiping Your lotus feet, the result is that they come down again in this material world."

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

Now, because Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is complete spirit and He's absolute, therefore His name is also spirit; His name, His form, His quality, His, I mean to say, opulence, His paraphernalia—everything is spiritual. But at the present moment, due to our material bondage or condition, we cannot understand what is spiritual. But this ignorance can be moved by this process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. How it is? I'll give you example. Just like a man is sleeping. A man is sleeping. How you can awake him? By vibration of sound. "Mr. such-and-such, just get up. Get up! The time is up." Although he is now practically unconscious, he cannot see, he cannot, er, still, that hearing process is so prominent that a sleeping man can be awakened by vibration of sound. Similarly, the spirit soul, although it is now overpowered by this material bondage or material conditions, that spiritual consciousness can be revived by this transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

So therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu yoga-yukto bhavārjuna: "You always remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Always remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." And that is not very difficult. If you practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, then this practice will help you to be, remain, because this Kṛṣṇa and the Kṛṣṇa in His spiritual kingdom is no different, Absolute. The Kṛṣṇa, this sound vibration, and Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead, the same. By sound vibration, you can have Kṛṣṇa associated with you. Just like we are associating, we are sitting together, similarly, while, I mean to say, you are walking on the street, if you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, that means Kṛṣṇa is going with you. Just like you have seen. While walking on the street, you see up on the horizon. You'll see the moon is going with you. The sun is going with you. And a long... I remember..., very long... It is about fifty years before. When I was householder, my second son—he was about four years old—he was walking with me on the street, and he was ask me, "Father, why the moon is going with us? Why the moon is going with us?" Yes. The moon is... As you find that the moon is going with you, similarly, by chanting, if the moon has got such power—it is a material thing; it can go with you—don't you think the Supreme Lord, who is all-powerful, He cannot remain with you? Yes. He can. By His potency, He can remain with you, provided you are also qualified to keep His company. If you are a pure devotee and if you are always merged in the thought of Kṛṣṇa, you should always remember that Kṛṣṇa is with you. Kṛṣṇa is with you.

Lecture on BG 8.22-27 -- New York, November 20, 1966:

Lord Caitanya has confirmed this version, absolute version, in His prayer,

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ

He is praying, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, my dear Lord, Your name is always invested with all the potencies of Your person." Nāmnām. "You have got all the potencies in name, and You have made it so easy that we can chant without any hard-and-fast rules and regulations." Suppose if you have to establish one temple of Kṛṣṇa. You have got to observe so many rules and regulations. You have to spend money. You have to see its management. But here, by chanting, any man can have the same benefit of becoming nearer or in company with Kṛṣṇa always and derive all the benefits out of it. Of course, there is benefit when you are associated with Kṛṣṇa. So the same benefit... Just like Arjuna is deriving the benefit, being associated with Kṛṣṇa, similarly, you can also derive the same benefit as being associated with Kṛṣṇa simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is possible.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

Now, we offer eatables to the Lord. Kṛṣṇa says tad aham aśnāmi, "I eat." But the atheists cannot see. They cannot see that how Kṛṣṇa is eating. They say that "You offered something to Kṛṣṇa, but He has not eaten. It is lying there; you are eating." But no, Kṛṣṇa has eaten. They do not know how they eat, how Kṛṣṇa eats. That is their fault. Poor fund of knowledge. One has to learn how Kṛṣṇa can eat. Kṛṣṇa can eat simply by seeing. Simply, Kṛṣṇa's all parts, all the indriyas, different parts of the body, limbs, they're as good as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can eat, just like we eat through our mouth, but Kṛṣṇa can eat with His eyes. That is absolute. We have, because we are not absolute, we have got distinction between my, our eyes and our hands, our mouth. There are distinction which is called sagata viveḥ. We have got difference of body between yourself and myself, and in the body also there are differences. My eyes are different from my hands, my hands are different from my legs. But Kṛṣṇa, being Absolute, He has no such distinction. That they do not understand. Therefore they can not imagine how God, Kṛṣṇa, can have a form. "If He has a form, then the form is like this, our," the Māyāvādīs they say. They believe that when Brahman comes, He accepts a material body. That is defied by Kṛṣṇa: avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11), "Because I come as a human being, these rascals take Me as one of the human being." This is the beginning. Mūḍhā, this word is used, very word. Mūḍhā means rascal. Because Kṛṣṇa comes as this child of Yaśodā-mātā, or as the son of Vāsudeva, therefore these Māyāvādīs, they mistake that Kṛṣṇa or Brahman has taken the form, accepting the body from māyā. But that's not the fact. Kṛṣṇa is not under māyā. Kṛṣṇa says, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā: not accepting this material energy. He's ordering, sambhavāmi yuge yuge, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6).

Lecture on BG 9.7-10 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

But if you take the advice of great ācāryas, just like Rāmānujācārya, Śaṅkarācārya and Lord Jesus Christ, everything, every man will say, "Oh, there is God. There is God." So we have to take instruction from them if we want to know the science of God. And here Lord Kṛṣṇa, He personally is saying. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). The Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has come before you. This Bhagavad-gītā is also His representation. Now, we are speaking of Bhagavad-gītā after five thousand years of Kṛṣṇa's disappearance, but because God is absolute, therefore these words left by God is also God. Whatever we are hearing just now, you should consider that we are hearing directly from Kṛṣṇa. Whatever I am speaking, I am not speaking something manufactured by me. I am speaking the simple words that is left by the merciful Lord in this Bhagavad-gītā. I am speaking to that. He says, mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10). Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. Adhyakṣa means superintendence. "Under My superintendence..." Prakṛti means this material nature. Sūyate, sūyate means producing. What she is producing. She is producing carācara. Cara acara. Cara means which is moving, just like we are moving. We have got life. And acara, there are many things acara, that does not move. So two things are there, cara and acara, moving and not moving. And above this, there is God, who is controlling both this cara and acara.

Lecture on BG 9.10 -- Calcutta, June 29, 1973:

We, we are all born fools and rascals. That is the statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Parābhavas abodha-jātaḥ. Jātaḥ. We are all born fools and rascals. That is a fact. You (We) know. Therefore, we are sent to schools for education. Because we are fools and rascals. Unfortunately, after so-called education also, we remain fools and rascals. Because we do not know... There is no educational system to understand ātma-tattvam. Ātma-tattva... The human life is meant for understanding ātma-tattvam. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Brahman, ātmā, the same thing, absolute. The human life is meant for inquiring about ātmā, what I am. And when he comes to the understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is his perfected education... Otherwise he remains a fool, rascal. So there is no educational system to teach people that he's not this body. He is ātmā, spirit soul. That is the beginning of spiritual education. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa first teaches this principle that

dehino 'smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati
(BG 2.13)

Asmin dehe. Dehī. There is soul. Not that, that "I am this body." So the soul is moving the body, not the body is moving the soul. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the Supersoul. Kṛṣṇa is the Supersoul. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: viṣṭabhya aham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). Viṣṭabhya, entering."Because I have entered within this material world, viṣṭabhya aham idaṁ kṛtsnam..." One partial representation, Paramātmā, ātmā and Paramātmā. Just like we, we are ātmās. We have entered this body. Therefore, it is moving. Similarly the Paramātmā, the Supersoul, He has entered within this material world. Therefore, it is moving. Just like immediately we heard some sound of the motorcycle. How it is sounding? Because the driver is there. He is pushing some button. Immediately there is sound: but but but but but (sound imitation). Otherwise the motorcycle may remain there for thousands of years. There will be no more sound.

Lecture on BG 9.22-23 -- New York, December 8, 1966:

So those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, about them the Lord is saying, ananyāś cintayanto mām. Ananyāś cintayantaḥ means always, twenty-four hours, without any deviation, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Naturally, if you are engaged in the business of Kṛṣṇa, then you will always think of Kṛṣṇa. Anyone who is absorbed in certain particular business, he's always thinking of that thing. So anyone who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his business is to think of Kṛṣṇa always. Just like you are reading, hearing on this Bhagavad-gītā. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. And if you think at home that "This sort of speeches was given by Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is the essence," so that is Kṛṣṇa cintayantaḥ. To think of Bhagavad-gītā is also Kṛṣṇa thinking because Bhagavad-gītā is not different from Kṛṣṇa, absolute. It is from the absolute one. There is no duality.

In the absolute sense there is no duality. If I speak something, because I am not speaking in the absolute, therefore my speaking and my self, different. But here I am speaking the words of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the words of Lord Kṛṣṇa is not different from Kṛṣṇa. So if we think of Bhagavad-gītā, the instructions which we receive from Bhagavad-gītā, that is also thinking of Kṛṣṇa. So ananyāś cintayanto mām: "Always who are thinking about Me..." Ye janāḥ paryupāsate. And why one should think of Kṛṣṇa unless he has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa? Unless one has taken the business of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot think of Kṛṣṇa. He cannot think of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said that ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate. Paryupāsate means constantly worshiping in that way. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām. Abhiyukta: he is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Not that only the materialistic people will remain happy. Kṛṣṇa assures that one who is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his happiness will be not divorced. "He will be also happy because I will make him, I will supply him whatever he requires."

Lecture on BG 9.22-23 -- New York, December 8, 1966:

We don't say that you give up your engagement and become a mendicant or sannyāsī like me and give up your wife and children. No. Kṛṣṇa does not say that. You may ask then, "Why you have given up your wife and children?" I have given up my wife and children for this purpose. If I am engaged in family life, then I cannot do this missionary work. I have taken absolute shelter to this work without any disturbance. So for a preacher, for a missionary, that is a different thing. But for ordinary man, he does not require to give up his family, his home. He will remain. You remain in your occupation, you remain at home, but chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Is there any difficulty?

Lecture on BG 10.1 -- New York, December 30, 1966:

So long we are in the material sense, we are always dissatisfied. Na abhāvaḥ vidyate sataḥ, nāsato vidyate bhāvaḥ, nāsato vidyate bhāvaḥ. Asat. Asat means the circumstances which will not continue. Everything, any circumstances of this material world, is temporary. Suppose I am very happy. Oh. Then your happiness is temporary. Suppose you think or I think I am in very sorry plight, or I am in distress. That will also not exist for some time. Just like seasonal changes. So this, this is called duality. You are feeling happy or miserable, we are feeling cold and heat, everything duality. But these things are coming and going. So when one is in transcendental position, he is above this duality, he's in the absolute.

So in that absolute stage, if we want to go to that absolute stage, then this is the process. This is the process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, gradually, as we develop, so Kṛṣṇa is within everyone, the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramātmā, He's seated in everyone's heart, and, as we become purified, as we become sincere, all dictation will come from within and He will show you the path which following you shall be happy and prosperous and, at the end, by quitting this body, you shall reach the supreme abode of Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual sky. These are, all these have been discussed in the last chapters, eighth chapter, seventh chapter.

Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the definition of truth, Absolute Truth, is given there. What is that? Janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "The Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates, the original source of all." That is Absolute Truth. So you should understand what is satyam, Absolute Truth, satyam. And para-hita-bhāṣaṇam. You should speak truth also.

What is that truth? That truth is "God is great, and we are subservient. So our duty is to abide by the orders of God," the simple truth. "God is great." You can say, "Why we should abide by the orders of God?" Because you are subservient. "No, I am not subservient." That is untrue. You are subservient. If you don't accept your subordinate position before God, then you have to accept your subordinate position under these material stringent laws. You have to become subservient. There is no other alternative. You cannot become absolute.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

So every information is there. If we want actually happiness, then we have to purify the material consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. (break) ...have come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Athāpi te deva padāmbhuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi (SB 10.14.29). Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood by any other method than the Kṛṣṇa method. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Therefore if one wants to understand Kṛṣṇa, he must take the Kṛṣṇa method. Kṛṣṇa method. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute, there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and the method of attaining Kṛṣṇa. They are the same. Method... The bhakti method means Kṛṣṇa method. Bhakta-bhagavān. And the method to approach Bhagavān is called bhakti.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, September 30, 1973:

People are searching after Īśvara, "Can you show me God?" "There is no God." "God is dead." So many philosophers and theories are there, but actually there is God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānandaḥ vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that "Only īśvara is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme." Ekala īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). "All others, they are servants." Nobody is actually īśvara. And we find it practically. Everyone in this material world, he may become an īśvara is his group, but he is also controlled by somebody superior. That is the position of this relative īśvara. But Kṛṣṇa is absolute īśvara. Nobody is īśvara above Him. That is Kṛṣṇa. So, everyone is trying to be īśvara. This is the material world. Everyone is trying to be īśvara.

Lecture on BG 13.13 -- Bombay, October 6, 1973:

And what is that dharma? In the Bhāgavata it is explained, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). You cannot manufacture a religious sect. That is rascaldom. Just like if you think, "I shall manufacture law at my home," is it possible? Who will care for your law? If the law is enacted by the state, that is accepted. The government says, "Keep to the left." You have to accept it. You cannot say, "No, why not to the right?" Then you'll be criminal. Similarly, laws means given by the government, and dharma means which is the codes given by God. That is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). That is religion. And Kṛṣṇa says, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge: "I come to reestablish. When people become cats and dogs without any religion, then I come down to establish religion." Because we are Kṛṣṇa's sons, we are all sons of Kṛṣṇa, He is very much anxious to see us happy. Just like father wants to see his sons, bewildered sons, to see that he is happy. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). That is also the same thing. To deliver the righteous person and to kill the demons, the same thing, because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. His maintaining the devotee and killing the demon, both of them are same thing.

Lecture on BG 13.14 -- Bombay, October 7, 1973:

Now if you say, Kṛṣṇa is in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, far, far away from here. How He accepts?" That is the answer is here, that sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādam. He has got hands. That is the Vedic injunction. Apāṇi-pādo javana-gṛhītaḥ. The Absolute Brahman has no hands and legs, but He can accept anything, He can walk everywhere. Just contradictory. Paśyaty acakṣuḥ. He has no eyes. but He can see everything. This is the difference. He has got His form. That is spiritual form, that is not this material, limited form, but He has got His form. One who does not understand His unlimited form, Brahman form, sarvataḥ... Everywhere He can go, everywhere He can see, everywhere He can accept whatever you offer. Everywhere He can walk. That is His form, but He is not formless.

Lecture on BG 13.17 -- Bombay, October 11, 1973:

So that is Kṛṣṇa Consciousness perception. And He is living. Because He... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are accepting that Kṛṣṇa, or Para-brahman, or God, because He is in everywhere, He has no personal feature. That is a poor fund of knowledge. That is not God. Because we are thinking materially. Just like if I take a piece of paper and tear it into small pieces and throw it then the original paper has no existence. This is called Māyāvāda, Māyāvāda, or imperfect knowledge. Because I am thinking that materially, if one thing is broken into pieces and thrown, the original form is lost, no more. It becomes impersonal. No. The Veda says that pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). You take the full God, full... Even God fully represented in every atom, still, He is pūrṇa. That is... One minus one equal to one. And one plus one equal to one. That is Absolute idea. But we calculate from materialistic point of view. As we with our tiny brain, we think like that.

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Delhi, September 22, 1974:

Just like in that story, the old brāhmaṇa and the young brāhmaṇa, Sākṣi-gopāla. Sākṣi-gopāla. So the young man came to Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, "Sir, You have to go to give witness because the old man is not keeping his promise." So Kṛṣṇa said to the young devotee that "How you are proposing that I shall go? Can a stone Deity, He can walk? Do you think?" He said, "Yes, if the stone Deity can speak, He can walk also." (laughter) So devotee is so strong. So Kṛṣṇa had to... "Yes, I'll go." First of all, He wanted to avoid. Then when He saw that "He's not ordinary devotee," He said, "All right, I'll go." So He came from Vṛndāvana to Kataka.

So don't think that He's stone Deity. Sākṣād vrajendra-nandana: "Directly Kṛṣṇa." But He is available to my capacity of understanding Him. Not that He is different from the original Kṛṣṇa. (break) Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's quality, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, everything absolute. You're chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It does not mean that it is a sound only. It is Kṛṣṇa personally. You are in direct touch with Kṛṣṇa when you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is realization. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: When Kṛṣṇa steals or does anything, we glorify it because He is absolute. So the Māyāvādīs, they say that the living entities are also absolute. Is that correct?

Prabhupāda: No. That is a wrong theory. If Māyāvādī is absolute..., jīva is absolute, then why they have become conditioned? Why? What is the answer?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They are dependent on some higher absolute.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, is it possible for one person to be part demon and part devotee in the same person?

Prabhupāda: If he's a devotee, he's not demon at all, if he's devotee.

Devotee (2): But he may have some demoniac qualities?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That, if he is seriously devotee, that demonic qualities will disappear very soon. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30), kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Just like electric fan is moving, and you make the switch off. Still you will find, it is moving. But that movement will stop very soon because switch is off. Similarly, a devotee, if it is sometimes found that he is demonic, that demonic, if he is sincerely a devotee, that demonic qualities will go very soon.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

So in the absolute platform, in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme whole spirit. Therefore He may expand Himself... Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta-rūpam, various kinds of forms... Everything is Kṛṣṇa's forms. Your form is also Kṛṣṇa's form, my form is also Kṛṣṇa's form. Therefore foolish rascals, they think, "Now I have become God." He has got the affinity that he is also God expansion. Therefore sometimes he thinks that "I am God." This is... We are also expansion of God, vibhinnāṁśa. There are two kinds of expansions: svāṁśa, vibhinnāṁśa. When Kṛṣṇa expands in fullness, that is called svāṁśa, viṣṇu-tattva. Just like Kṛṣṇa has expanded Himself as Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, so many, millions. There is no limit. That is called svāṁśa. And Kṛṣṇa expands as His energy, this material energy, this material world, the spiritual world, spiritual energy, and we are also energy, marginal energy. Taṭastha. Taṭastha means, marginal means... You can have a conception of marginal in the sea beach. The same place, walking, is sometimes covered with water, and sometimes it is land. This is called marginal, between the water and the land. So we living entities, we are marginal. Sometimes we are under the protection of the spiritual energy, and sometimes we are under the protection of the material energy. We are under protection; we are not independent.

Lecture on BG 16.9 -- Hawaii, February 5, 1975:

Just like in business circle there is Bentley's code. So for business facility, for saving expenditure, the telegraphic codes are there. So one who does not know what is this code, but he can refer to the book. The explanation is there: "This code means this wording." Similarly, Brahma-sūtra means the whole Vedic knowledge is given in codes. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhiḥ. It is called nyāya-prasthāna. Nyāya means logic. Nyāya means... There are three kinds of authorities: śruti-prasthāna, smṛti-prasthāna, and nyāya-prasthāna. So the Brahma-sūtra is nyāya-prasthāna, very logically, very logically given.

Just like in the first code in the Brahma-sūtra is athāto brahma jijñāsā. Brahma-jijñāsā, to inquire about the Absolute... The jijñāsā means inquiry. In the cats' and dogs' life the inquiry is "Where is food? Where is shelter? Where is sex?" and "Where is defense?" only these four inquiries. The cats and dogs, they are busy, "Where is food? Find out some food." The pig is finding out: "Where is stool? Where is stool?" Here I do not know whether you have got experience. In our country, in the villages, there are so many pigs loitering. They are simply finding out where is stool. In the village the children, they pass stool here and there, and the men, they go to the field and pass, evacuate. So all these pigs are always loitering there. So they're seeking. The inquiry is for stool. They may take it as food, but after all, it is stool. So according to the body, the different foods are there. That is also described. Sāttvika-āhāra, rājasika-āhāra, tāmasika-āhāra. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Page Title:Absolute (Lectures, BG)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:19 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=99, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:99