Archaeology

Expressions researched:
"archaeological" |"archaeologist" |"archaeologists" |"archaeology" |"archeological" |"archeologist" |"archeologists" |"archeology"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.6.11, Translation and Purport:

After my departure, I passed through many flourishing metropolises, towns, villages, animal farms, mines, agricultural lands, valleys, flower gardens, nursery gardens and natural forests.

Man's activities in agriculture, mining, farming, industries, gardening, etc., were all on the same scale as they are now, even previous to the present creation, and the same activities will remain as they are, even in the next creation. After many hundreds of millions of years, one creation is started by the law of nature, and the history of the universe repeats itself practically in the same way. The mundane wranglers waste time with archaeological excavations without searching into the vital necessities of life. After getting an impetus in spiritual life, Śrī Nārada Muni, even though a mere child, did not waste time for a single moment with economic development, although he passed towns and villages, mines and industries. He continually went on to progressive spiritual emancipation. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the repetition of history which happened some hundreds of millions of years ago. As it is said herein, only the most important factors of history are picked up to be recorded in this transcendental literature.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.6.6, Purport:

There are many powerful kings, leaders, learned scholars, scientists, artists, engineers, inventors, excavators, archaeologists, industrialists, politicians, economists, business magnates, and many more powerful deities or demigods like Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, Candra, Sūrya, Varuṇa and Marut, who are all protecting the interest of the universal affairs of maintenance, in different positions, and all of them are different powerful parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the father of all living entities, who are placed in different high and low positions according to their desires or aspirations. Some of them, as particularly mentioned above, are specifically endowed with powers by the will of the Lord. A sane person must know for certain that a living being, however powerful he may be, is neither absolute nor independent. All living beings must accept the origin of their specific power as mentioned in this verse.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.3.18, Purport:

It appears that the soul can exist even through the bones, as shown by the personal example of Hiraṇyakaśipu. When great yogīs are in samādhi, even when their bodies are buried and their skin, marrow, blood and so on have all been eaten, if only their bones remain they can exist in a transcendental position. Very recently an archaeologist published findings indicating that Lord Christ, after being buried, was exhumed and that he then went to Kashmir. There have been many actual examples of yogīs' being buried in trance and exhumed alive and in good condition several hours later. A yogī can keep himself alive in a transcendental state even if buried not only for many days but for many years.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 13.60, Purport:

Some of the family descendants of Nīlāmbara Cakravartī still live in the village of the name Magḍobā, in the district of Faridpur, in Bangladesh. His nephew was Jagannātha Cakravartī, also known as Māmu Ṭhākura, who became a disciple of Paṇḍita Gosvāmī and stayed at Jagannātha Purī as the priest of Ṭoṭā-gopīnātha. Nīlāmbara Cakravartī lived at Navadvīpa, in the neighborhood of Belapukuriyā. This fact is mentioned in the book Prema-vilāsa. Because he lived near the house of the Kazi, the Kazi was also considered one of the maternal uncles of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Kazi used to address Nīlāmbara Cakravartī as kākā, or "uncle." One cannot separate the residence of the Kazi from Vāmanapukura because the tomb of the Kazi is still existing there. Formerly the place was known as Belapukuriyā, and now it is called Vāmanapukura. This has been ascertained by archeological evidence.”

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 17.156, Purport:

At the present moment, the temple of Keśavajī is very much improved. At one time, Keśavajī-mandira was attacked by the emperor Aurangzeb, who constructed such a big mosque there that the temple of Keśavajī was insignificant in comparison. But with the help of many rich Marwaris, the temple has been improved, and a very large temple is now being constructed so that the mosque is now appearing diminished in comparison. Many archeological discoveries have been made there, and many people from foreign countries are beginning to appreciate Kṛṣṇa's birthplace. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is attracting many foreigners to the Keśavajī temple, and now they will also be attracted by the Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma temple in Vṛndāvana.

CC Madhya 25.215, Translation:

Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī collected some books about archaeological excavations in Mathurā, and wandering in the forest, he sought to renovate all those holy places.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Prabhupāda: Hm? What does he say?

Indian man (5): Then how come in the locational(?), archaeological and ontological records, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not mentioned by other religions?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always there. You are calculating with reference to your age, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. In the Fourth Chapter, you read, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "I spoke this Kṛṣṇa consciousness science first of all to the sun-god." Then how do you say five thousand years? There is reference to the Manu. And if we take the, all these advanced calculation, then it becomes that forty millions of years ago Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa to the sun-god. Have you got forty millions' history? (laughter) You haven't got even five thousand years' even history. Your history is so imperfect. So don't bring it into historical reference. It is eternal.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- London, August 6, 1971:

Some of the foolish scholars, they say that Kṛṣṇa was a, I mean to say, powerful, what is called? Aborigine. And the Kṛṣṇa worshipers have taken Him because He was very powerful. Kṛṣṇa is always powerful. But they have misinterpreted in this way. Kṛṣṇa is mentioned in the Vedas. Just like these books, Brahma-saṁhitā. Brahma-saṁhitā is only description of Kṛṣṇa, and this book was composed by Lord Brahmā. Nobody knows how many millions of years ago this book was composed, but we understand that it was composed by Brahmā on the authority of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Our process is to take knowledge from the authority. We don't bother whether Brahma-saṁhitā was actually written by Brahmā or not. The so-called scholars and anthropologists and... What is called? Archaeologists, they may go on talking, but we have got a very nice process, to receive knowledge through paramparā system, Vedic succession, disciplic succession.

Lecture on SB 1.15.38 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1973:

So this is the history. That is Mahābhārata. This is their characteristic. It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Everything is there. These rascal scholars, they say that these literatures within 1,500 years or like that. No. That is not accepted by us or our ācāryas. That is not accepted. There are many evidences, archaeological evidences also.

So five thousand years ago the king was so perfect, and there was one king who was ruling all over the... In the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, from all parts of the world, the subordinate kings they joined to cooperate with either of the parties, Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus. So bhūmer abhyaṣiñcat. Abhiṣeka. Abhyaṣiñcat. Just like we install Deity. We bathe the Deity with so many waters. Similarly, during installation of the king, the same ceremony takes place. Before the prince or the emperor sits on the throne, the same ceremony, abhiṣeka ceremony, is performed. Therefore it is said, abhyaṣiñcat, Gajāhvaye. Gajāhvaye means Hastināpura. Hasti means elephant.

General Lectures

Lecture at Christian Monastery -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

Formerly, in this planet also, there was only one king, and he was ruling over all the planets. Gradually, people have divided their interests and become different nations. From Vedic history we can see... I understand... Somebody was telling me that in Australia also there is some Śiva temple here. Who was telling me that? He was telling me. So the archaeological investigation has found so many relics, and in the Vedic literature we also find the mention of all the island, sapta-dvīpa, seven islands. Seven islands means Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Australia, and Oceania. These are mentioned already in the Vedic literature. So it is not that the world was not known to Vedic culture. It was fully known. And one king—he was that Mahārāja Pṛthu—he was the only one ruler all over the world, and he was ruling over these seven islands—that is mentioned-although his residential quarter was in the Brahmāvarta, the piece of land between the rivers Yamunā and Ganges. That tract of land is still considered a very sanctified land. Practically all the Vedic culture is there still. So the example is that as there is a chief man or king.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: Your evidence... You will be satisfied with your evidence, but I have got my own evidence. Why shall I accept your evidence? You cannot force your evidence, your so-called evidence upon me. What is evidence? First of all you have to select, what is that evidence.

Śyāmasundara: Terrestrial, archaeological findings...

Prabhupāda: No. No. That is not evidence. That is not evidence.

Karandhara: If you find a bone, how do you know it's not...

Prabhupāda: That is imperfect. You have studied one portion of the creation. That is not evidence. In other portion of the creation there is different. But that is not evidence. Your study, your limited study is not evidence.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So the evidence posed by Darwin's theory is not enough to explain...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: That's not possible.

Karandhara: Just like if five thousand years from now some archeologists came to Los Angeles, which is all covered over, who knows what they may dig up? They may dig up a monkey who lived in a zoo, they may dig up the mayor of Los Angeles, they may dig up anything. What will they conclude from their findings? That all of Los Angeles was made up of monkeys?

Prabhupāda: It is simply poor fund of knowledge. He is going to give us knowledge, but he is very, very poor in his knowledge.

Śyāmasundara: Actually, most of the men that they've dug up from ancient times were dumb hunters who died in some hunting accident anyway. They were a lower nature man. But I am still not clear about why they have never found out any remains of cities or ancient civilizations that were highly...

Prabhupāda: That is no reason. Suppose...

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: That is no reason. Suppose...

Karandhara: Actually they have. There are a number of archaeologists who have made findings like, particularly one, I can't remember his name, but he did an elaborate investigation on the Egyptian culture. And his thesis was that their culture was far more advanced than ours. They had mathematical techniques, they had...

Prabhupāda: Ajanta Caves. Ajanta Caves. Why that is? So artistic. He's unfortunate, he's simply excavated caves...

Śyāmasundara: I read about the paint in that cave. They don't know how it's still preserved. There's no chemical that they have today that will preserve paint so long.

Prabhupāda: So he's unfortunate. He could not find out Ajanta Cave; he found out some monkey's cave, that's all.

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: Prabhupāda said that they took that from the Indians, geometry.

Karandhara: But this one archaeologist wrote a book saying that this community in Egypt three thousand years ago was far superior, and no one accepted. No one believed him.

Śyāmasundara: Even in Mexico there are so many highly advanced...

Prabhupāda: Mexico is Indian civilization. They were showing to (indistinct). The Rāvaṇa had subway to Brazil. It can be seen from here where you can make subway...

Śyāmasundara: Yes, straight through.

Prabhupāda: Straight through. And therefore Rāvaṇa had so much gold; he took it from his brother's kingdom. Partly it was all one kingdom, and one part was being managed by his brother (indistinct) and one by himself. And in the Rāmāyaṇa it is said that Rāma-Lakṣmaṇa was taken to a subway to (indistinct) Rāvaṇa's place; that means Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa was taken to Brazil through subway. So now if you can make subways now—in Russia there is subway for five hundred miles—then why not five thousand miles? What is the difficulty? If it is possible to make subway up to five hundred, why not five thousand? It will require so many things.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Psychiatrist -- February 22, 1975, Caracas:

Prabhupāda: Yes, so that solution we are preaching, we are trying to preach. At least one section of people should know the science of the soul. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Just like medical necessity is there, does not mean that everyone should become medical man, similarly, the science of soul is necessity; it does not mean that everyone will be the transcendentalist or the scientist about soul. But at least one section of people must be there who knows perfectly well about the science of soul. As much as there is medical man—he knows perfectly well what is physiology, anatomy—there is engineer—he knows how to construct—similarly, a section must be there who knows perfectly well about the science of soul. So as there is need of medical man, engineer or lawyers or other, similarly, there is need of one section of expert who knows the science of soul. The medical man, the engineer, the archeologist or this or that, they are all meant for the body. Similarly, there must be one expert section who are meant for the soul.

Conversation with Devotees -- April 14, 1975, Hyderabad:

Devotee: Prabhupāda, according to archeological findings primitive man, before, when they would get some disease they would just die. And now modern science has developed so nicely...

Prabhupāda: That is there. And who is not dying now?

Devotee: Well, but...

Prabhupāda: Well, well, well...

Devotee: ...they died at thirty, forty years old. Now we're dying at a hundred years old.

Prabhupāda: So what is the difference? You die after forty years or hundred years? These trees dies after thousands years. Does it mean the trees are better than you? (Devotees laugh) If one dies after one thousand years, does it mean his life is successful?

Conversation with Devotees -- April 14, 1975, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Whatever you say. But śāstra is there. (devotees laugh) Be convinced of your footing, (chuckles) otherwise you'll be defeated.

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, the other day we were talking about proving different assumptions through archeological findings.

Prabhupāda: That is also bogus. Archeological findings is bogus.

Brahmānanda: But it seems that big skeletons of all these big dinosaurs...

Prabhupāda: That we have already information. We have got timiṅgala. Just like big house. They can swallow up, what is called?

Devotee: Whale. Whale.

Prabhupāda: Whale (indistinct).

Conversation with Devotees -- April 14, 1975, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. There was a big animal. So what is the difference? They are animals, big or small. You have seen a skeleton of pygmy man also. So where is that man now? You have seen pygmy man, you don't require archeological. So where is that man?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, they don't live any more. Now we are more intelligent. Previously there were pygmy men, very less intelligent, small, not nice looking. Now we have got more...

Prabhupāda: According to our śāstra you are going to be pygmy men. That is, there is proof, because you are not as strong as your forefathers. That's a fact. You are becoming dwarfer, dwarfer. According to our śāstra you come to that pygmy, (indistinct) in due course of time. As it was before, so again the time is repeating, history repeating.

Morning Walk -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: No, Mahīrāvaṇa. And in that plan he was killed. (break) That is Indo-European civilization. The kings came from India, and he developed. Therefore it is called Indo-European civilization.

Paramahaṁsa: The scientists and the archaeologists are very amazed to find the structures, the buildings that they had in their civilization. They can't understand how they were built, such huge pillars and gigantic stones. They don't know how they were put into place.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, the Jagannātha temple is also like that. They suggest that they manufacture, and then they surround with sand, then further manufacture. And when it is complete the sand is taken away. Otherwise how it is put into...? The sand is stacked just like this. The temple is being manufactured, and the sand is thrown all side, and when it is finished, the sand is taken away.

Morning Walk -- July 11, 1975, Chicago:

Harikeśa: Darwin's whole theory rests on the fact, the speculation, that he can show bones. They take these bones and these evidences, archeological...

Prabhupāda: Anyway, it is not possible that he has seen all the bones. That is not possible. So taking it that he has studied by seeing the bones, but I can say very easily that it is not possible for a person like you to see all the bones. That is my challenge. How you can say that you have seen all the bones? You say, "Millions and millions of years ago..." You live for fifty years. How you have seen all the bones? That is imperfect. You are a limited person. How it is possible that you have seen all the bones? What is the answer?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:

Mahāṁsa: There's a path over here. Why don't you go around here. This is an archaeological museum, Prabhupāda.

Indian devotee: Before it was an archaeological museum. Old carvings of various temple deities, but they just keep it like that, so.

Devotee: It's not open now, though.

Prabhupāda: Even it is open what we have to do there? (pause)

Harikeśa: Like to go this way, Śrīla Prabhupāda? (break)

Mahāṁsa: "Lesser the happier."

Prabhupāda: Hmm? "Lesser the happier."

Vāsu Ghoṣa: Family planning.

Prabhupāda: That is a fact. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā. That is the verdict of Bhāgavata also. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. Kṛpaṇā na iha tṛpyanti. One or two child, children, they are not satisfied. They want to produce more and invite distress more. Tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ. But they are practicing in a different way. And Bhāgavata recommends brahmacārī. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. You know this gentleman?

Meeting with Endowments Commissioner -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Where is that? (pause)

Prabhaviṣṇu: When I speak to some of these archaeologists that I meet, these professors, I ask them do they believe in the historical validity of this Mahābhārata and Bhāgavatam, and they say, "Personally, I believe, but officially we have to follow the archaeology, the techniques of measuring the time." So they have two faces, one for official life and one for personal life.

Prabhupāda: Duplicity. Duplicity.

Prabhaviṣṇu: Yes. But there are some of them that are trying to prove also that the Mahābhārata was historical.

Prabhupāda: Mahābhārata. That very name suggests history. Bigger India. Mahā means bigger, and Bhārata means India. Where is Mahāṁsa?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Sagara University. That is good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thirty-two

Prabhupāda: Scholars and universities... He's also big scholar, archaeologist, very big scholar. (break) ...beginning it was not so heavy. It is heavy. So even it is double weight, at that time it would cost thirty rupees. Now thirty into thirty times, nine...

Hṛdayānanda: Nine hundred.

Prabhupāda: So according to that proportion it would have cost one thousand at the present moment, value. So why so much, four hundred dollars? Four hundred dollars means three thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See, the thing with this coin is that they did not mint very many copies.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Mr. Dwivedi: And just near there is moving door, shutting door. It has got nine pillars. If you just push one pillar, the entire structure shifts. And the pity is the archaeological department of government of India has taken no care about this. We had some good statue of Buddha and Mahāvīra and... Two, three were stolen away. We collected at our own institution. Then ultimately I wrote to government. I said, "Already some statue have been stolen away. You kindly left it wherever you like. We can't protect them from thieves." Just three months back. Then they took away another three statue, one of Viṣṇu, one of Buddha, another of Mahāvīra.

Prabhupāda: Stone?

Mr. Dwivedi: One big, one were stolen. Three... I asked government. I asked them three times. Government has not yet taken them away from there. Otherwise we had collected it at our own headquarters and institute.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Deity of Kṛṣṇa?

Mr. Dwivedi: Pardon?

Prabhupāda: No, Buddha.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1969:

We should train our disciples as well as ourselves in such a spirit that even if the whole world is against us, which is impossible to happen, the Sankirtana Movement must be pushed on without any reference to archeological evidence or any such scientific advancement of knowledge. Besides that, the argument that archeological evidence will lead many people to accept the philosophy of Lord Caitanya has no evidence. For example, the Christian religion principle is now established in archeological evidence, but still it is not that the whole people of the world are attracted by Christian religion. Even a great scientist, Professor Albert Einstein, was Jewish by religion, but because the Christian religion gives evidential proof of archeological discovery, still he did not become a Christian. No religion or no principle is accepted by the whole world; that is a fact.

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1969:

If somebody does not accept Caitanya Mahaprabhu for want of archeological evidence, it will not hamper our movement. There is sufficient archeological evidence in this connection, and it can be supplied from various sources which are in India. There is even archeological evidence of Vyasadeva which was recently propounded by one Dr. Cakravarti. I personally saw this in a monthly magazine of Calcutta of the name Mother in which I was giving my articles. If you like, you can inquire from them or such institutes as Caitanya Research Institute, started by my godbrother, Tirtha Maharaja. That is not a very difficult task.

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1969:

If we turn our attention to fit with the Christian people, or any other religious sect, I think it will not be very much fruitful because nobody will change his faith even though he is given scientific or archeological evidences. And that will also not help anybody. We have already discussed this point in many articles and change in religious faith does not make one advanced in spiritual understanding. The spiritual understanding as taught by Lord Caitanya is that all living entities are eternally servants of God. We have to propagate this philosophy, and for this we have to make propaganda. Every religion believes in God, and we want that everyone should actively come to this understanding of accepting one's eternal servitorship to God.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Bahu Rupa -- Vrindaban 1 September, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 16, 1975 and have noted the contents. How can you prove that Vedic culture did not exist before 5,000 years? Darwin's theory says millions and millions of years in calculation. So how are these millions of years existing?

Mundane archeologists are mistaken because they say from monkey the human beings have come into existence, but at the present moment both the human being and the monkey are existing. The monkey is not extinct. So these theories are not correct. Nobody has seen a monkey giving birth to a human being. As the monkey and the human being are existing side by side at present, so for millions of years they were existing like this. That is our theory. The modern material archeology has no meaning for us. Our realization is depending on the spiritual platform. Transmigration of the soul does not depend on history.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Mahabuddhi, Library Party -- New Vrindaban 26 June, 1976:

Let them see the certificates given by all these big, big professors.

I remember when I sold the first one volume personally to the Archeological University. I sold them personally long ago. Now you must work conjointly with the other library men in India. Don't let there be undue competition amongst our men. Do combinedly, it is very much encouraging to me.

You can let Vrindaban De work Orissa and W. Bengal and Bihar, and when I go back I shall see how he's working. I am giving him a chance so let me see how he's done. For the time being at least, let him do it until I return.