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Arbitrary

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

Sometimes the impersonalists recommend that one can arbitrarily concentrate one's mind on some form he imagines or which pleases him. But here it is very clearly said that the form which the Lord showed to Kardama Muni by His divine grace is described in the Vedic literature.
SB 3.21.8, Translation and Purport:

Then, in the Satya-yuga, the lotus-eyed Supreme Personality of Godhead, being pleased, showed Himself to that Kardama Muni and displayed His transcendental form, which can be understood only through the Vedas.

Here two points are very significant. The first is that Kardama Muni attained success by yoga practice in the beginning of Satya-yuga, when people used to live for one hundred thousand years. Kardama Muni attained success, and the Lord, being pleased with him, showed him His form, which is not imaginary. Sometimes the impersonalists recommend that one can arbitrarily concentrate one's mind on some form he imagines or which pleases him. But here it is very clearly said that the form which the Lord showed to Kardama Muni by His divine grace is described in the Vedic literature. Śābdaṁ brahma: the forms of the Lord are clearly indicated in the Vedic literature. Kardama Muni did not discover any imaginary form of God, as alleged by rascals; he actually saw the eternal, blissful and transcendental form of the Lord.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Whenever there was some fighting between two parties, they would come to Sanātana Gosvāmī: bābā, ap isko phars lakharji.(?) Bābā means saintly person. So they would come to Sanātana Gosvāmī, and they would ask him to become mediator, arbitrator, to settle up. And whatever verdict or judgment he will give, they will accept that "Bābā has said. That's all right."
Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974:

One should be aware of the Battle of Kurukṣetra very nicely. It was dharma-yuddha. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Why they settled up that the fighting should take place in the dharma-kṣetra? They are to fight, yuyutsavaḥ. It was settled they will fight, but why they selected the dharma-kṣetra? This is Vedic system. Even up to date, in villages, not in the cities... In the cities, as soon as there is some misunderstanding between you and me, we go to the court, either criminal court or civil court, to settle up, and it takes years to settle up the business. It goes on. I have seen for generation. One generation passed another generation; the fighting is going on in the court. But if people are Kṛṣṇa conscious, it could be settled within few minutes. Still among the villagers the system is current in India: when there is some fighting, they go to a saintly person or in a temple to settle up. Just like when Sanātana Gosvāmī was there in Vṛndāvana, so in that area, whenever there was some fighting between two parties, they would come to Sanātana Gosvāmī: bābā, ap isko phars lakharji.(?) Bābā means saintly person. So they would come to Sanātana Gosvāmī, and they would ask him to become mediator, arbitrator, to settle up. And whatever verdict or judgment he will give, they will accept that "Bābā has said. That's all right." Therefore Śrīnivāsa Ācārya has prayed the Gosvāmīs, dhīrādhīra. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau, dhīradhīra-priyau.

General Lectures

You have to accept because your mother is authority.
Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

Prabhupāda: How do you know even your name? How do you know?

Young woman: It's given by a human being.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Young woman: It was told to me by a person.

Prabhupāda: So who? Who told you?

Young woman: I suppose my mother.

Prabhupāda: Why do you believe her? That is your name?

Young woman: Why do I believe her?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why do you believe her? I say that it is not your name. Why do you believe that this is your name?

Young woman: I can choose my name if I don't like the name I have.

Prabhupāda: That is all right. But why do you believe? When I say, "What is your name?" you put your name which is given by your parents? And why not by your friend?

Young woman: It's arbitrary.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Young woman: It's arbitrary.

Prabhupāda: But you accept it.

Young woman: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So you have to accept because your mother is authority.

Young woman: Yes. But who is the authority for telling me...

Prabhupāda: That's all right. This is the principle. So you have to accept the name of God from God. You cannot manufacture.

Young woman: How do you know that "Kṛṣṇa" is a name of God?

Prabhupāda: That, it will take some time. How do you know he's your father? Some gentleman comes. Your mother says, "He's your father." How do you know it?

Philosophy Discussions

There are two kinds of sects: this Māyāvādī and the Vaiṣṇava. So both of them know that this material world is flickering, and sometimes they say it is false, unreal.
Philosophy Discussion on Arthur Schopenhauer:

Hayagrīva: He speaks of the Indian religion, which demands the greatest sacrifices and which has yet remained so long in practice in a nation that embraces so many millions of persons cannot be arbitrarily invented superstition but must have its foundation in the nature of man. And he says that the religion has endured for more than four thousand years, despite the fact that the Hindu nation has been broken up into so many parts. But he sees the religion basically as a religion of the denial of will. But does the religion have its foundation in the nature of man?

Prabhupāda: Yes, the denial, both the... There are two kinds of sects: this Māyāvādī and the Vaiṣṇava. So both of them know that this material world is flickering, and sometimes they say it is false, unreal. So there is another life; that is spiritual world. So the Māyāvādī philosopher, their spiritual life means to merge into the Brahman effulgence, and the Vaiṣṇava philosopher to go back to Goloka Vṛndāvana, Vaikuṇṭha, where God is situated, and become His associate person. So both the ideas, spiritual ideas, that is attained after death. What does he say that is good about Hindus? He says that denial...

Hayagrīva: He sees it basically as a denial of the will.

Prabhupāda: Yes, but denial of the will for material happiness. So we will not deny willing, that willing for spiritual happiness. That is required. As you deny something, you must accept something; otherwise... You cannot remain in the neutral position. That is not possible. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nirvatanta. When you get a better position, then you give up this willing for lower position.

Then why he says that the human being should be free?
Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:

Hayagrīva: Hegel placed a great deal of emphasis on human freedom.

Prabhupāda: There is no freedom. That is another nonsense.

Hayagrīva: Yes.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) He is subjected to birth, death, old age. Where is his freedom? That is another nonsense.

Hayagrīva: He accuses the Orientals, mainly the Indians... He says, "The Orientals do not know that the spirit is free in itself or that man is free in himself. Because they do not know it, they are not free."

Prabhupāda: But is he free? Why he died? The Orientals he is accusing. Why he died? This is their nonsense speculation.

Hayagrīva: He says, "They only know that the one"—that is, the one Brahman—"is free; therefore such freedom is only arbitrary."

Prabhupāda: Then why he says that the human being should be free?

Hayagrīva: He says this one, supreme one, is therefore a despot, not a free man, not a man. Only the Germanic nations have in and through Christianity achieved the consciousness that man as man is free and that freedom of the spirit constitutes his very nature. This consciousness arose first in religion and the innermost region of spirit.

Prabhupāda: Christian religion is that the man either goes to heaven or goes to hell. So he has got the freedom either go to hell or go to heaven. This freedom he has got. But who gives him hell or heaven? He has got the freedom to make choice, but when he is going to hell, then where is his freedom? That where is the distinction between hell and heaven? These are... If he is Christian he should answer that the man is given chance, once, either to go to hell or go to heaven.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

That is a jugglery of words. So his principle was that they did not believe in God.
Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Allen Ginsberg: He says, all conceptions of the existence of the self, as well as all conceptions of the nonexistence of the self, as well as all conceptions of the existence of a supreme self, as well as all conceptions of the nonexistence of the supreme self are equally arbitrary, being only conceptions.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is a jugglery of words. So his principle was that they did not believe in God. So still the Buddhists says, "You don't believe in God." So but they are worshiping God, Lord Buddha. There are so many temples. In the same way, as we worship. So this is transcendental cheating.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

That is also, what is called, argumentative. Somebody says it is arbitrary arrangement.
Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That may be. Or it may not be also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about that sometimes people ask us what about the pictures of man on the moon?

Rāmeśvara: They show man in a spacesuit walking on some other planet.

Prabhupāda: That is also, what is called, argumentative. Somebody says it is arbitrary arrangement.

Reporter: Hm. Laboratory.

Prabhupāda: Of course, we do not go into the details of this. My question is that why Sunday first and Monday second? Nobody can apli..., replies.

Hare Kṛṣṇa. Arbitrary order is not science.
Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: They'll say..., whatever they'll say it is all right. First of all, say why Sunday first. Then talk all nonsense. First of all, answer this. You cannot say "We believe that Sunday first." What is the fact? Why do you bring moon, Monday? Why not bring...?

Rādhāvallabha: They will say it is arbitrary order.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Rādhāvallabha: Then they will get back to their argument.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Arbitrary order is not science. That you cannot.

Candanācārya: How can it be arbitrary if every culture in the history of the planet has accepted that order? How can it be arbitrary?

Rādhāvallabha: That doesn't matter it's not arbitrary. Do you accept?

Hṛdayānanda: Rādhāvallabha is a rascal. (laughter)

When a judge gives his judgement, he does not give it arbitrarily. There is lawbooks. So there is no question of arbitrary.
Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They may say that we have arbitrarily given some specific duties to different people.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They may say that we have arbitrarily given, that the kṣatriyas are supposed to kill, like this. But actually everyone should be a good man.

Prabhupāda: Not arbitrarily. It is given by Kṛṣṇa. It is not arbitrary. By the supreme order. How they can say it is arbitrary? Then what is the use of referring to Bhagavad-gītā? Things may not be arbitrary, whimsical, therefore we have to take reference from Bhagavad-gītā. Lawbook. When a judge gives his judgement, he does not give it arbitrarily. There is lawbooks. So there is no question of arbitrary. The reference is there. How you can say it is arbitrary? That is not a fact. Śāstra-vidhi. Rather, if you don't care for śāstra-vidhi, then he'll never be successful. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya, in this chapter you'll find.

We do not give anything arbitrary.
Garden Discussion on Bhagavad-gita Sixteenth Chapter -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: We do not give anything arbitrary.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Actually this is a fact, because we see that by following their authorities, they are becoming more and more unhappy, and by following our authorities, we are becoming more and more happy.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: So the result is there even in this life we can see, what to speak beyond this life.

Correspondence

1971 Correspondence

Another significance of the vedic system is that arbitration is also made of five men.
Letter to Satsvarupa -- London 25 August, 1971:

In the vedic system also when eatables are offered to somebody, five varieties of dishes are offered. Another significance of the vedic system is that arbitration is also made of five men. So this "five" is mentioned in many places. Just like in devotional service. Narada has written also five kinds of literatures; They are called Narada pancaratra. So it is traditional vedic system. What for they were made in routine in terms of "five" that is very difficult to find out but traditionally it is followed by vedic disciples as far as possible.

1972 Correspondence

Let him understand that it is not an arbitrary or whimsical decision on our parts to become like military camp, rather we are strictly adhering to our devotional principles only so that we may make advancement in Krsna consciousness and be protected from the attack of maya consciousness.
Letter to Dhananjaya -- Bombay 31 December, 1972:

So if any new candidate for devotee comes forward you may test him very thoroughly to understand from him if he is ready to fully accept our strict standard of temple living. Let him understand that it is not an arbitrary or whimsical decision on our parts to become like military camp, rather we are strictly adhering to our devotional principles only so that we may make advancement in Krsna consciousness and be protected from the attack of maya consciousness. They may be thinking that these people are slaves of their strict principles, but we are thinking that the strict principles are slaves to us.

1973 Correspondence

Our occupational duty is not arbitrary, that means once we have taken up some field of action, if we are advanced in our understanding, then we shall not change it for another.
Letter to Madhukara -- Bombay 4 January, 1973:

Our occupational duty is not arbitrary, that means once we have taken up some field of action, if we are advanced in our understanding, then we shall not change it for another. Rather our devotion is the important factor, so what does it matter what I am doing so long my work and energy are completely devoted to Krsna? Just like Krsna, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has no work, neither He has anything to do, still He comes here to teach us this lesson.

Page Title:Arbitrary
Compiler:Mangalavati, Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:15 of Mar, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=4, Con=5, Let=3
No. of Quotes:13