Astra means

Expressions researched:
"astra means"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Astra means weapon.

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

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, He is Kṛṣṇa, then Nityānanda, then Advaita, then Gadādhara, then Śrīvāsa, and many other devotees always followed. That is the life of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Wherever He went, many followers chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, plus these principal associates were with Him. Therefore sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣa... And these sāṅga upāṅga were His astra. Astra, astra means weapon.

Therefore this is the astra. Astra means the killing. Real purpose... The living entity is eternal. How he can be killed?

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

So in this age, Kali-yuga, to kill the demons means to stop their demonic activities by the astra, kīrtana, hari-saṅkīrtana, which is spread by His associates. Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Śrīvāsādi Gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, they are going door to door, country to country, city to city, and saving the demons from being implicated more and more in material existence. Therefore this is the astra. Astra means the killing. Real purpose... The living entity is eternal. How he can be killed? Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So to kill means to kill his demonic nature. Otherwise how he can be killed?

Astra means weapons.

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

When you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and fight with these material opposing elements... These preachers, they are also mahā-bāhu. They are fighting with persons who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. They are pushing on Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by fighting. But this fighting is in different way. This was taught by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). Sa aṅga upāṅga astra. Astra means weapons. Just like these Pakistanis are fighting with machine gun, Caitanya Mahāprabhu fought with māyā not with machine gun but with His most confidential associates.

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

(I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.)

His fighting weapons were Śrī Advaita Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, and other many devotees.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Astra means weapon.

Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:

So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). And another feature is sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Astra-pārṣadam. Astra means weapon. So in the Kali-yuga, Kṛṣṇa does not come with weapon. In other yugas, the Lord comes with weapon. Just like Lord Rāmacandra. He came with bows and arrows to fight with Rāvaṇa. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa also appeared with His sudarśana-cakra.

So saṅga upaṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Astra, astra means weapon.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Honolulu, May 29, 1976:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu is described in the Eleventh Canto, Fifth Chapter. He's described. He has recommended in the śāstra that in the Kali-yuga this incarnation, this form of God, should be worshiped. What is that? That is here: kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ. He is always chanting "Kṛṣṇa,"and He's Kṛṣṇa. He belongs to the category of Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ. But in this age His bodily complexion is not blackish, (indistinct). Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ saṇgopaṅgāstra-pārṣadam: (SB 11.5.32) accompanied by His associates. Just like there is Nityānanda, there is Advaita, there is Gadādhara. So saṅga upaṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Astra, astra means weapon. So saṅga... Because when God incarnates, He has got two business: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So one business is to give protection to the devotees and to annihilate the duṣkṛta, those who are sinful. So first annihilating, it requires weapon, śaṇkha, cakra, gadā, (indistinct). Lord Rāmacandra has got bows and arrows, and Kṛṣṇa has got Sudarśana-cakra. But here it is said, saṅga-upaṅga-astra. What is that astra, weapon? Caitanya Mahāprabhu has no astra. Seemingly there's a... But this is astra, this hari-saṅkīrtana. This is astra. In the Kali-yuga there is no profit by killing them. They're already killed. So therefore this is the astra. To kill the miscreants this is astra, this hari-saṅkīrtana. If they'll simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, this is astra that will kill all their sinful reaction of life, then become devotee. This is astra.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu also has His astra, weapon. The astra means to, I mean to say, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam (BG 4.8). So this astra, what is that? Saṅkīrtana.

Lecture on SB 7.9.47 -- Vrndavana, April 2, 1976:

So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣa akṛṣṇam saṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. He is with His soldiers, saṅga, upāṅga, part of the part. Advaita Prabhupāda, Nityānanda Prabhu. Nityānanda is directly part, Advaita Prabhu is part of the part. And astra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also has His astra, weapon. The astra means to, I mean to say, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam (BG 4.8). So this astra, what is that? Saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtanaiḥ. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prāyair yajanti hi. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is also astra of Kṛṣṇa for killing the demons, but it is not like a... Like a sword it is not active. But it is astra. It is killing the demons but in a different way. The demonic habits are being killed, demonic habits. Everyone, we can understand it, how our demonic activities are being killed by this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. This is astra.