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Authoritative (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

Of course, in America there are so many editions of English Bhagavad-gītā, but so far I have seen them, not only in America but also India, none of them can be said strictly as authoritative because almost every one of them have expressed their own opinion through the commentation of the Bhagavad-gītā without touching the spirit of Bhagavad-gītā as it is.

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

Of course, "bhagavān" is sometimes designated to any powerful person or any powerful demigod, but here bhagavān is certainly designated to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, a great personality, but at the same time we must know that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as He is confirmed by all the ācāryas... I mean to say, even Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka Svāmī and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and many others. In India there were many authoritative scholars and ācāryas, I mean, authorities of the Vedic knowledge. All of them, including Śaṅkarācārya, has accepted Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord Himself has also established Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gītā.

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

An American lady asked me to recommend an English edition of the Bhagavad-gītā which she could read. I was unable to do so in good conscience. Of course there are many translations, but of those I have seen, not only in America but those also in India, none can be said to be authoritative, because in almost every one of them the author has expressed his personal opinion through the commentaries without touching the spirit of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. The spirit of the Bhagavad-gītā is mentioned in the Gītā itself. It is like this: If we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the directions written on the label of the bottle. We cannot take the medicine according to our own directions or the directions of a friend ot in knowledge of this medicine.

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

Now all these two groups, following the Vedic principles, they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So far India's authoritative persons are concerned, there is no two opinions, that Kṛṣṇa is not God. Both of them accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality. So far we are concerned, Vaiṣṇavas, we accept. There is no doubt about it. There are four different parties of Vaiṣṇavas. All of them accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are eight commentaries on the very authoritative, very large commentaries on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam of these Vaiṣṇavas, and all of them accept Kṛṣṇa. So far the other party is concerned, the impersonalists led by Śaṅkarācārya, a great stalwart scholar, he also accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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

And although he understood fully, because in future so many rascals will come and proclaim himself that "I am also incarnation of Godhead," therefore in the Eleventh Chapter Arjuna requested Kṛṣṇa that "If you think, You can show me Your universal form," so that in future others will accept some bogus rascal as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he may test by seeing the, I mean to say, universal form of the person. So who can exhibit this universal form except Kṛṣṇa?

So we have explained this Bhagavad-gītā in the paramparā system as we have heard from authoritative sources. So it may be a new contribution to your country, because in every edition they have concocted some ideas about Bhagavad-gītā, but we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is.

Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:

So here Arjuna also says that narake niyataṁ vāso bhavati iti anuśuśruma: (BG 1.43) "Kṛṣṇa, I have heard it from authorative sources." He never says, "Kṛṣṇa, in my opinion, if it is done like that, then people will go to hell." He does not give his own opinion. He says iti, "Thus," anuśuśruma, "I have heard." This is called paramparā system. Nobody should give his own opinion. He must quote the authoritative statement to support his proposition. So similarly, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked that "What is the aim of life and how to achieve it?" so Rāmānanda Rāya, he did not give his own opinion, that "In my opinion, like this."

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

So spiritual master has also got the great duty. He has to instruct the disciple in such a way that he may not be misled, and that is not possible because a spiritual master is he who will simply speak from authoritative sources. He'll speak from Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata, or what was spoken by Nārada, Vyāsa, that is his authority. He does not say, "In my opinion it is..." No. Therefore it is perfect, it is coming from the disciplic succession, and if one agrees to such instruction, then he's also perfectly advancing. It is not difficult to understand. So he's accepting. "Now I accept You as my spiritual master. You teach me." Is that the statement? Yes.

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

We have accepted this material body. We can get out of it. And the process for getting out of it is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the science. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are teaching people how to get out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age and disease and become as good as God. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is very scientific movement, authoritative movement. So not only it is authoritative, it is accepted by millions and thousands. At least in India there are many. And in the Western countries also, they are also accepting because it is scientific.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:

No, that is also in the definition of a conditioned soul. These four principles are there. It is not my manufactured thing. The, these are information from authoritative scripture, that a conditioned soul has four imperfectness. One imperfectness is that he's sure to commit mistake. He's illusioned, and he has got a tendency to cheat, and, above all, his senses are imperfect. So anyone who is above all these four imperfectness—who never commits mistake, who is never illusioned, who never cheats others, and who has got perfect senses—He is God. That is also another definition of God. He may not be... God is Supreme, God, but anyone who comes to this stage of life, he's liberated. He's lib..., as good as God. Yes?

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

So here in this Bhagavad-gītā, that Bhagavān is giving you knowledge. So how much perfect it is, you have to consider. Vyāsadeva could have said, "śrī-vyāsadeva uvāca." No. Bhagavān uvāca, so authoritative. So whatever He says, there cannot be any change. It is all perfect. Unfortunately, we rascals, we do not take Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We want to change it according to our whims. This rascal havoc has ruined the whole world. Otherwise, if they would have preached Bhagavad-gītā as it is, the world situation would have been different. Everything would have been in order, tranquility, peace, and everybody would have been prosperous. But the rascals will not do that. That is the defect.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 7, 1966:

Now, just to inform you I have just brought one very authoritative book by two great professors of Calcutta University. The book is called Introduction to Indian Philosophy. Now he says... "He says" means he is giving, after studying all different kinds of philosophy, he is giving a nutshell idea of each type of system. Now, just see: "The place of God in the yoga... The place of God in the yoga, as distinguished from the Sāṅkhya, the yoga is theistic." Yoga system was introduced by Lord Patañjali, a great authority. You see? Now they have studied. Here is two persons. And this book is very authoritative. This is the sixth edition. Just see. It has very good sale in all the universities of the world. It is a very authoritative book. And this Dr. Chatterjee and Dr. Datta, they are not ordinary persons. This is accepted by all universities. And they are authoritative persons.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 7, 1966:

The subsequent commentators and interpreters of the yoga reveals also a theoretical interest in God and discuss more fully the speculative problems as to the nature of God and the proof for the existence of God. They practically take up the speculative way. But Patañjali, as he is, he takes practically, that without devotion of God, there is no success of yoga. Thus the yoga system has come to have both a theoretical and practical interest in the divine will. According to the yoga, God is the Supreme Person. Now just see. This is authoritative statement. A Supreme Person. Did you ever hear...? You have been in so many yoga societies. Did you ever hear that God is the Supreme Person? Now just see.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 7, 1966:

These are the distinctions. If we falsely claim that "I am God, I am that supreme consciousness," it is our lunacy. It is our lunacy. We should not indulge in that way, and anyone teaching in that way, that is a cheating. It is not possible. Here is an authoritative book. He is the perfect being who is eternal and all-pervading, omnipotent, omniscient. All individual selves are more or less subject to the affliction of ignorance. We are, all living entities except God, everyone, everyone, they are subjected to ignorance, forgetfulness. That's a fact. Ignorance, egoism.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- New York, March 11, 1966:

As soon as I leave this body, at once I am injected into other's mother's body according to my karma. I may be injected to a queen's womb; I may be injected to a dog's mother. You see? That is due to my karma. You see? The father is present there. The dog father is present there. The king's father is present there. The devatā father is present there. There is no scarcity of father, but it will depend on my karma, which kind of father I shall take shelter. So these things are, have to be accepted from the authoritative scriptures like Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. And then it will be possible for us to understand the things as they are. There is no question of sectarianism. There is no question of this "ism" or that "ism." It is a question of pure knowledge.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:

At that time, if somebody is coming to kill him, he's sleeping, he does not know. But if some of his friend warns him, "My dear Mr. Such-and-such, somebody is coming to kill you. Wake up!" he can hear, and he can wake up and take precaution. Therefore, when our other senses cannot work, our ear is very strong. Therefore it is recommended that you try to hear from the authoritative person. That is also... Educational system is also like that. Why do you come to university, school, and college? To hear from an experienced professor. He knows, and you acquire the knowledge by hearing.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:

So we request simply people that you accept this authoritative knowledge and try to assimilate it by your intelligence. It is not that you stop your argument and intelligence, simply blindly accept something. No. We are human beings, we have got intelligence. We are not animals that we shall be forced to accept something. No. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). In this Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. You try to understand, tad viddhi. Viddhi means try to understand. Praṇipāta. Praṇipātena means surrendering, not by challenge. A student should be very submissive to the spiritual master. Otherwise, he will be, I mean to say, bewildered. Submissive reception.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

Through the śāstra, through the books. So, therefore, you should see through the śāstra, authoritative śāstra, books. What we are speaking about the moon planet, sun planet, or God, His abode is Vaikuṇṭhaloka, spiritual world, so many things we are talking. How we are talking? We are talking through the Vedic literature. Because Vedic literature is authoritative. According to Vedic civilization, we don't accept any book written by rascal. We take, we accept the authority of the Vedas. What is stated there in the Vedas we accept, without any argument. For example... There are many examples.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

Therefore, things which are beyond your perception, you have to accept it by hearing from the authoritative source. Just like another example: If you want to see who is your actual father, that is not possible to make an experiment who is your father. There may be some experimental. But if you ask your mother, authority, "Mother, who is my father?" the mother says, "This is the man who is your father," you have to accept, that's all. You cannot make any experiment, neither it is possible to understand who is your father by experimental knowledge. Then how you can make experiment the Supreme Father, God? That is not possible. Simply you have to hear from the authoritative sources.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Germany, June 18, 1974:

Suppose in a child's body, a born baby, a dead body, it will not grow or it will not change. So long the soul is there, it will change. So Kṛṣṇa said that "We existed in the past." This is authoritative statement. So it is to be understood that I existed in the past in different body. As I existed, say, seventy years before in a different body, I was jumping as a boy, now I cannot jump. Now I have to take the stick. This is a different body. So where is the difficulty to understand? If the same body had been, then I could jump like a boy. I remember that I jumped. But now it is not possible. I have to take help of three men. (laughter) So it is different body. Although imperceptibly it has changed, but the body is different. Body's different.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974:

But you go to your mother, the supreme authority. She'll immediately, "Here is your father." That's all. And you cannot know father in any other way. There is no other way. This is practical. You cannot know your father without the authoritative statement of your mother. Similarly, things which are beyond your perception, avan mānasa-gocara, you cannot think of, you cannot speak of. Sometimes they say, "God cannot be spoken. God cannot be thought of." That is all right. But if God Himself comes before you and says, "Here I am," then where is the difficulty? Where is the difficulty? I am imperfect. I cannot know. That's all right.

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to know everything perfectly from the supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to understand subject matter which is beyond our perception, you have to approach such authority who can inform you. Exactly in the same way: to understand who is my father is beyond my perception, beyond my speculation, but if I accept the authoritative statement of my mother, this is perfect knowledge. So there are three kinds of processes to understand or to advance in knowledge.

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa even says, tattva-darśibhiḥ: "It has been concluded by higher authorities." He is Himself authority; still He's not speaking that "I say." No. Sometimes He says mataṁ mama: "That is My opinion." But He's also following the principle, authoritative, tattva-darśibhiḥ. Tattva-darśibhiḥ saṅkhye (?) ubhayor api dṛṣṭo 'ntaḥ, conclusion. Although Kṛṣṇa is saying that this is sat and this is asat, this is permanent and this is nonpermanent, but still, He is giving evidences that tattva-darśibhiḥ, those who have seen the truth, they have concluded like that.

Lecture on BG 2.16 -- London, August 22, 1973:

So this tattva-darśī, tattva, this word you should learn very nicely. That that is authoritative, and others they are not authoritative. They are simply speculation. Speculation means mental platform; it has no value. As this body is also nonpermanent, the mind is also flickering. Mind is flickering, accepting something and rejecting something. The same thing now accepted, again rejected. This is mind's business. So mind cannot be tattva-darśī. Of course we have to think with mind, but under the direction of authority. Then we can reach real tattva.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

That is the eternal relationship. These are confirmed in Vedic literature just like Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad. The system is whatever is mentioned in the Vedas, that is authoritatively accepted. That is the Vedic understanding. If there is some evidence in the Vedas... Just like in law court, if there is some section in the lawbook, then the lawyers, the judge, accept it. "Yes, it is like this." Similarly knowledge. Vedas means knowledge. So perfect knowledge is there. Therefore if the evidence is there in the statement of Vedas, that is the proof. Śabda-pramāṇa. There are three kinds of evidences. Pratyakṣa, direct sense perception, and śabda-pramāṇa, evidence from the Vedic statement, and anumāna, aitihya, historical or hypothesis. So out of all evidences, the evidence which is called, derived from Vedic statement, that is accepted as most authoritative.

Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973:

Even within the ant, even within the elephant, even within the gigantic banyan tree or within the microbe. Sarvasya. The soul is there. But some rascals, they say the animals have no soul. This is wrong. How you can say the animal has no soul? Everyone. Here the authoritative statement by Kṛṣṇa: sarvasya. And in other place, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ: (BG 14.4) In all species of life, as many forms are there, 8,400,000 different forms of life, tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma. Mahad yonir. Their source of body is of this material nature. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: "I am the seed-giving father." As without father and mother there is no offspring, so the father is Kṛṣṇa and the mother is material nature, or spiritual nature.

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

So here we should always understand that if we sincerely and seriously take up the message of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any, I mean to say, adulteration... Sometimes it is adulterated by... Because Bhagavad-gītā is a very authoritative book, and it is popular all over the world, sometimes people take advantage of this book and present their own theory in an adulterated way. Not to speak of others... I may tell you frankly that even in our country, the greatest, I mean to, saintly politician, Mahatma Gandhi, he propounded a philosophy of nonviolence.

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

This material creation... We have got this information from authoritative scripture. This material creation, how it is being done? It is being done that the Supreme Lord in His form of Mahā-Viṣṇu, He's lying on the Causal Ocean and in a sleeping mood, and with the breathing of His nostrils, so many universes are being born as seed. And when He's taking the breathing, inhaling, the whole thing is going into Him. So such is the position of God, that by His breathings, all the universes are coming, and by His breathing... So the existence of the universe means within His breathing period, within the breathing period of the Mahā-Viṣṇu.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

Now, just see the link. Living entities, they can develop by eating grains. Grains are produced by rainfall. Rainfall is made possible by offering sacrifice. And the process of sacrifice is given in authoritative scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata, and Vedic literature, what is the process. So because the beginning is from the Brahman—Brahman means Veda, transcendental sound—therefore, if we work according to the direction of this Bhagavad-gītā or Vedas, then the whole thing becomes, I mean to, spiritualized. Whole thing becomes spiritualized. Because... Karma-yajña... Yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ.

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

So the human life is developed consciousness. So he has to learn it, and he can get rid of this material existence by the process which is prescribed in authoritative scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Vedic literatures. So the first process Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is advises, that... Not only He advises. It is advised in all the Vedas, that "You should sacrifice, perform sacrifices."

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

So this is the simplest process of yajña, and that is introduced by Lord Caitanya. Not He has manufactured this process, but it is from authoritative scripture. And you can try it. You can try it. The result will be that gradually you will be on the way, on the path of liberation. Liberation means to get out of this material entanglement. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that by chanting this kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, the first result will be that your heart will be cleared of all dust accumulated by years and years, life after life with this material association.

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

So if you study Vedic literature very nicely and if you try to understand, then your life will be sublime. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to give you all the authoritative information from Vedic literature. They are not manufacturing anything. They are not empiric philosophers presenting something, mental concoction. No. Therefore this Bhagavad-gītā, we have presented: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

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

Any knowledge, even material knowledge, if it is not received in bona fide disciplic succession, that knowledge is not perfect. Suppose if you want to be a lawyer, or if you want to be an engineer, or a medical practitioner. You have to receive the knowledge from the authoritative lawyer, authoritative engineer. Of course, I do not know what is the custom here. In India the custom is that a new lawyer, he has to become an apprentice of an experienced lawyer before he is given the license to practice. That is the Indian system. So any knowledge, unless we receive it through the authoritative sources, it is not perfect. It is not perfect.

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

This is explained, authority. There are many other authoritative statements about Lord Caitanya's becoming Kṛṣṇa Himself. Idānīṁ kṛṣṇatām. Śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. When Kṛṣṇa appeared, the nāma-karaṇa, when Gargamuni was ascertaining His name he said that this child, He has other colors, śuklo raktas tathā pīta. Pīta means yellow. That means some other Kali-yuga He appeared as Lord Caitanya. Idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ, therefore He should be named Kṛṣṇa. These things are there.

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

Just like in the mother's womb when the spiritual atom takes place, then it grows, it forms the material body. Without that spiritual atom, there cannot be any growth of body. Simply sex intercourse does not give guarantee of pregnancy. Unless that spiritual atom is there, the body does not grow. That is... We get information from authoritative śāstra. So the whole material world is also grown up upon the spiritual existence. And our whole problem is that instead of having this material body, we have to get our spiritual body. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious... That is the benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9).

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

But there are many millions of small atomic parts combined together. That appears to be sunshine. So eka, the sun is one, but the sunshine means combination of many small atomic particles. Similarly, God is one, and we, part and parcel of God, we are many. Try to understand this. This is authoritative statement. So quality, the sun and the small atomic molecule particle, both of them are bright shining. But the sun as it is and the small particle, they are not equal. Equal in quality, not in quantity.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

If I have to get rid, out of the influence of material nature, then I have to seek: "Where is my place?" If we know or do not know, then we prefer: "All right, whatever it may be, inferior or superior, let us remain here and rot." So Bhagavad-gītā gives you information of the superior nature: yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candro na pāvakaḥ.

So we have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious by scrutinizing, studying, this authoritative book, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, without having fashionable interpretation, as it is. What Kṛṣṇa says, He says for all the time. It does not change.

Lecture on BG 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:

Now, here it is said, brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma haviḥ. Now, where is the butter, where is the grain, and where is the qualified brāhmaṇa who can chant the mantras, hymns, very nicely, so that we can get the result? So any kind of sacrifice at the present age is impossible. It is not possible. The only sacrifice—that kīrtana, saṅkīrtana-yajña. That is possible, which you have just now tried. This was introduced, and this is recommended in Bhāgavata. This is authoritative. And when Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. That is confirmed in Mahābhārata, Bhāgavata, Purāṇa, Upaniṣad.

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

And, in due course of time, you'll understand that "Yes, I am in right path. Oh." In due course of... Immediately you may be very doubtful, "Whether I have accepted the right path or not?" But in kālena, in due course, in due course of time, if you continue the process... Therefore in the next verse it is stated, śraddhāvān labhate jñānam. Śraddhāvān, one who is faithful, he can take up this knowledge. Faithful. Those who are hesitating, those who have no faith, oh, it is very difficult for them. We have to accept. Because the method is standard, and it is given by the highest authority, Kṛṣṇa, so we must have such faith, "Oh, here is a thing, authoritative."

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

So here is an authoritative version in the authoritative book, Bhagavad-gītā. And spoken by the Lord Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. And if we accept faithfully, with confidence, that "Here is an authority..." Just the same way that when I am purchasing a ticket from a recognized company... Just like I am keeping my money in some bank, thousands of dollars. Why? With faith. With faith. They have created some faith. Otherwise, thousands of thousands of dollars are coming in the bank. Why? There is faith. Who knows? The bank may fail or may not pay. Because the money's out of my hand, now they may not pay it. It may be. But, because I have faith, I am putting my money there. So faith is required.

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

So "A faithful man who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge..." This is transcendental knowledge, that "Simply by discharging my duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all other duties will be performed." Means I will be perfect in fruitive activities, I will be perfect in knowledge, I will be perfect in mystic advancement, and I will be perfect to understand the Absolute Truth. This is called firm, unflinching faith.

Faith, I do not mean faith by blind faith. This Bhagavad-gītā is not blind faith. Everything is being explained step by step, scientifically, authoritatively. So try to understand. And if you fortunately become faithful, then your life is successful.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

Therefore in the beginning Kṛṣṇa says that no one can become a yogi unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification. So anyone who is indulging in sense gratification, he's a nonsense. He's not a yogi. He cannot be a yogi. Yoga system is strictly celibacy, no sex life. That is yoga system. No one can become a yogi if he indulges in sex life. The so-called yogis come to your country and say, "Yes, whatever you like you can do. You meditate, I give you some mantra." These are all nonsense. Here is authoritative statement that no one can become a yogi unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification. This is the first condition.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

And he was directed by Nārāyaṇa to take shelter of the feet of the king, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. These instances we see from authoritative scripture. But he was simply keeping Kṛṣṇa in his mind. And he defeated the greatest yogi. Durvāsā Muni, he was so perfect yogi, that within one year he traveled all over this material space and beyond this material space in the spiritual space, went directly to the abode of God, Vaikuṇṭha, and saw the Personality of Godhead personally. Still he was so weak that he has to come back and fall down on the feet of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. But Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was ordinary king, he was simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. These instances we'll see.

Lecture on BG 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969:

Here is the authoritative statement. That you have to practice like this. Now, one should hold one's body, first of all you have to select your place, holy place, alone, and special seat. Then you have to sit straight like this. "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect." Straight line. This is the yoga process. These things help to concentrate the mind. That's all. But the real purpose of yoga is to keep Kṛṣṇa always within yourself. Here it is stated that "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose."

Lecture on BG 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969:

Similarly if you want perfection in yoga practice, then you have to pay for it like this. Don't make it childish affair. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. If you make it childish affair then you'll be cheated. And so many cheaters are waiting to cheat you and take your money and go away. That's all. Here is the statement, authoritative statement. Free from sex life. One should meditate upon Me. And ultimately, where is the meditation. Not in void. Just on Viṣṇu, this Viṣṇu form. That is sāṅkhya-yoga.

Lecture on BG 6.32-40 -- New York, September 14, 1966:

Please come forward. Sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ sa yogī paramo mataḥ (BG 6.32). Now, we have been discussing for the last few days about the perfect form of yoga. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is teaching Arjuna directly the perfect form of yoga. If you actually want to perform the yoga system, then here is authoritative statement by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we have discussed in details. Now, after hearing the system, Arjuna is replying. Just mind that, that the whole thing was being described in the battlefield, in the battlefield. This whole Bhagavad-gītā was taught to Arjuna in the battlefield.

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

They do not know. Foolish people, they do not know. They are after material acquisition. They do not know this will be finished just with the finishing of the body. This is called illusion. For this body which will not go with me I am working so hard, day and night. But the spirit, as I am, I do not know wherefrom I have come, where I am going. Therefore we have to follow the direction of authoritative persons, scriptures, to mold our life how to work. That is called karma-yoga. Simply working is not karma-yoga.

Lecture on BG 6.41 -- Detroit, July 17, 1971:

Otherwise it is not possible. He had practice in his last life; therefore he's quickly... He had got the chance. Again he's remembering and playing. This is the fact. So we have to study from the śāstric vision. Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. How you'll see? You'll see through the authority, scriptures. So these are the statements of authoritative scriptures. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. So this child is born of a devotee father and devotee mother. Now he'll again begin from the point where he lost last life. Suppose Kṛṣṇa consciousness he executed fifty percent. So he'll begin from this life fifty-one percent. That fifty percent was in his stock. But ordinary karmīs—cent percent lost.

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

This is the definition of Kṛṣṇa given by Lord Brahmā in his book known as Brahma-saṁhitā, very authorized book. This book was collected by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu from southern India, and He presented it to His devotees when He came back from southern India tour. Therefore we accept this book, Brahma-saṁhitā, as very authoritative. This is our process of knowledge. We receive knowledge from the authority. Everyone receives knowledge from the authority, but general authority, and our process of accepting authority is little different. Our process of accepting one authority means he is also accepting his previous authority.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bhuvanesvara, January 22, 1977:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving chance to everyone to hear from the authoritative sources, from the śāstra. Sādhu śāstra guru. These are authorities. So instead of hearing from the unauthorized persons, means... sādhu means who speaks on the basis of śāstra. Guru means who speaks on the basis of śāstra. They're sādhu guru śāstra. And śāstra means the statement of authorities. That is śāstra. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. It is śāstra because it is spoken by the supreme guru, Kṛṣṇa. So who is guru? At the present moment so many unauthorized persons are presenting themselves as guru.

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

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the most authoritative ācārya of our sampradāya, he has explained like this. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam means always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, describing Kṛṣṇa, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is description of Kṛṣṇa, addressing Kṛṣṇa. So therefore kṛṣṇa-varṇam, or varṇam means category. Just like brāhmaṇa-varṇa, kṣatriya-varṇa. So in that way kṛṣṇa-varṇa means He is Kṛṣṇa, in the category of Kṛṣṇa. Either you take this meaning or that meaning, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. But Kṛṣṇa is black, and He is tviṣā, by the complexion, akṛṣṇa. Akṛṣṇa means not Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Nairobi, October 28, 1975:

Just like this Bhagavad-gītā. This Bhagavad-gītā is recorded by Vyāsadeva. The talks were between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, and it was recorded by Vyāsadeva's disciple, Sañjaya. And Vyāsadeva, while writing Mahābhārata, he put this dialogue within the Mahābhārata. So why Vyāsadeva put this conversation between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna in his authoritative book Mahābhārata? Mahābhārata means "greater India." Bhārata means Bhāratavarṣa. This planet was being called Bhāratavarṣa. So Mahābhārata, the history of the whole planet. So Vyāsadeva giving the history. Mahābhārata is also Vedic literature. Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, the eighteen Purāṇas, Vedānta-sūtra, four Vedas, and then Upaniṣad, they're all Vedic literature.

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

"These eight kinds of materials, gross and subtle, they are My energy." It is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not talking any nonsense. He's not bluffing you. At least those who are advanced, why you are reading Bhagavad-gītā? Because it is authoritative; Kṛṣṇa is speaking. That is fact. The most exalted authority. We have to take knowledge from the authority; we cannot manufacture knowledge. That is not... That is imperfect knowledge, because our senses are imperfect.

Lecture on BG 7.15-18 -- New York, October 9, 1966:

He says that "A show of devotion, a show of spiritual," I mean to say, spirituality, "a show of devotion, a show of spirituality, without reference to the Vedic knowledge, śruti, smṛti, and corollaries to the Vedas, pañcarātra-vidhim, and the definition of bhakti-sūtras like Nārada-bhakti-sūtra and such authoritative books," aikāntikī harer bhaktiḥ, "if a man is showing himself that he is very great devotee, and a man in knowledge, without any reference of the authoritative śāstra, books—oḥ, that is simply disturbance," Utpāta. Utpāta means disturbance. A man showing that he is a great devotee, he's great man of knowledge, but he has no reference with the books of knowledge, or the authoritative books, oh, that is simply creating disturbance. That is not religiosity, neither devotion, nothing else.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a science. You have to take it scientifically, as they are described in the authoritative books, and test it by your reason and argument and knowledge, and follow it. It is science.

Lecture on BG 8.1 -- Geneva, June 7, 1974:

Everything, Kṛṣṇa..., Arjuna wanted to know from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, he has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master, and spiritual master means the authority. Unless you accept somebody as quite fit for becoming your authority, he cannot become a spiritual master. You must be satisfied by the authoritative statement of the spiritual master. You cannot argue. That is the principle of authority. Adhidaivam, the demigods. The demigods, they are controlling the universal affairs.

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

Therefore we have to refer to the authoritative scripture to get knowledge. As I told you the other day, that transcendental knowledge has to be acquired by aural reception. There is no other way. Just like, practical. The geometrical calculation is that the sun, the dimension of the sun is many, many hundred, thousands of..., greater than the earth. But we are seeing just like a disk. So our sense is unable to see how great it is. It is a material thing. So how we can see the greatness of God with these material eyes? It is not possible. As you are understanding about the sun by authoritative statement of the geometry, that this sun globe is so great, so many hundred thousands greater than the... But you are seeing just like a disk.

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

So even for material understanding which is beyond our sense perception we have to receive knowledge from authority. Similarly, we cannot understand what is God. But from the authoritative sources we can understand that God is so great. Just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48)—that you see this universe, and in each universe there is a predominating demigod which is called Brahmā, or jagad-aṇḍa-nātha, the master of the universe. That master of the universe is living, only taking the duration of breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu.

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

We get information from the śāstras. Just like we get complete information of the sun globe from geography or from authoritative sources, scientist, astrologer, astronomer, mathematician, so similarly, you can get information what is the form of individual soul, what is the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are there. But His form is not like your form or my form. The Brahma-saṁhitā says, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). His form is full of bliss, and full of knowledge, and eternal. But this body, this body, our body, is neither eternal, neither full of knowledge, neither blissful. So we can distinguish what is the form of God. Sac-cid-ānanda. Sat. Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of blissfulness.

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

So neither God is limited to any five imaginative forms or this form or that form. His form nobody can imagine, neither He is within our perception. But He is as He is. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mama bhūta-maheśvaram (BG 9.11). Therefore we have to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead from authoritative sources, just like the Bhagavad-gītā. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself speaking, "What I am." This is the science of God. If we take Him as He is saying, then we become perfect knower of God. There is no difficulty. But if we deny, then we are in difficulty. Those who have accepted Kṛṣṇa as He is, God as He is, they have attained perfection also. It is practical.

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 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966:

Here it is clearly said, puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā labhyas tv ananyayā. Tv ananyayā means "without any other engagement." Bhakti means... The definition of bhakti, devotional service, is given in authoritative books like Nārada-pañcarātra. It is said there that... This is the definition of bhakti: sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Now we are encumbered with so many designations, designation. This body is Indian—it is a designation. Your body, American—it is a designation. You are not this body, not this designation. Suppose if your university gives you one degree, M.A. or B.A., Ph.D., oh, that degree you are not. It is a designation.

Lecture on BG 8.28-9.2 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

These are the formulas we get from authoritative scripture. But material achievement, that is due... Because it is pertaining to this body, this designation, therefore it finishes with the finish of this designation. These are our all designations. This body... I am thinking, "I am American." I am thinking, "I am Indian." These are all our designations. So designation will finish, and there is no certainty what sort of body I am going to have in my next life. There are... Any thing, any material acquisition, that is not permanent. But this knowledge, this devotional service of the Lord, to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is permanent, whatever you do.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:

Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Now we will explain. So śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān, this word, I have explained many times. Bhagavān means the supreme authority. So far authoritative power is concerned, that is analyzed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Cent percent power or cent percent qualification is in Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There is... This is called saviśeṣa, personal analysis, not that ...Even somebody is sometimes addressed as Bhagavān, that does not mean he is also equal to the Supreme Person. Just like sometimes Nārada Muni is also addressed as Bhagavān. Lord Śiva is also addressed as Bhagavān, not only viṣṇu-tattva, but also others. Sometimes they are addressed as Bhagavān.

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

Vedic knowledge means you cannot argue. You have to accept authoritative. Just like the government literature, government regulation, when it is published, gazette, you cannot argue. Whatever the government has decided, you have to accept because government is the authority. Similarly, Vedic knowledge means you cannot argue. You can argue, but that argument is not to defeat. That argument is for understanding. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you cannot understand, then you have to put questions very humbly, praṇipātena, not by challenging.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

These are the description in the Vedic literature. So we have to learn. You cannot by your tiny effort with limited power, limited sense, I mean to say, perception, you cannot speculate. You have to understand from authoritative statements. That is called Veda. Vedas means knowledge which is perfect knowledge and if you study Vedas, then you get perfect knowledge of everything. And the cream of the Vedic knowledge is here in the Bhagavad-gītā. So if you read Bhagavad-gītā carefully, then you get all the knowledge very perfectly.

Lecture on BG 9.5 -- Melbourne, April 24, 1976:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving opportunity to everyone how to go back to home, back to Godhead, after giving up this body. One has to give up this body. That is certain. But why this body should be wasted for propensities like the animals? It should be fully utilized how to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our propaganda, and we base on these authorities of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It is not that we have manufactured it. There is no question of manufacturing. It is authoritative. It is accepted by all the ācāryas. So our request is that you also take this opportunity and be Kṛṣṇa conscious, and next life you go back to home, back to Godhead, and be eternally happy.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

Śruti means to receive hearing. If you want to know the Supreme, you do not require to qualify yourself materially. You can remain what you are, but if you simply hear... God has given you the power of hearing. If you hear from authoritative sources, then you become perfect, simply by hearing. Therefore the first principle, hearing, is recommended, śravaṇam.

And formerly, the Vedas were heard by the students from the spiritual master. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa. He's not studying any Vedānta philosophy in the battlefield. He was simply hearing. So that is the process, hearing. You can hear at any place. Even in the warfield, you can hear from the authoritative source.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

Therefore śravaṇam. Śravaṇam is the... Śravaṇam means hearing. Hearing is the first stage. And hearing is so powerful that simply by hearing from authoritative source, you can become completely perfect, simply by hearing. Submissive hearing, of course. Submissive. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. This is a verse from Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Don't be upstart. Don't try to understand the supreme knowledge, the Absolute Truth, by your strength.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

And similarly, all senses are conditional. So therefore imperfect. And there is another thing which is very nice. We have got a cheating propensity. I do not know anything, but I want to cheat others that I know everything. I don't... I am a fool number one, but I want to start a group of students and teach him foolish things. This is cheating. One must know from the authoritative sources and preach that thing. Just like Arjuna was taught by Kṛṣṇa, and that philosophy is going on. And those who are accepting the principle of Arjuna, they're real student of Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

And receive knowledge, and try to assimilate it, and try to apply it, apply it with your body, with your mind, with your intelligence. Then the, you'll understand God so nicely that although God is unconquerable, you'll conquer Him. You'll conquer Him, by this simple process. So therefore śravaṇam, hearing, is so important. So in the devotional service the first step is hearing, hearing submissively from the authoritative source and just to assimilate it and grasp it with our body, mind and intelligence. In this way you shall be able to conquer the unconquerable. And when you are able to do such, then you can make kīrtana, kīrtana.

Lecture on BG 9.15 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

You should devote your time in hearing and chanting about Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-kīrtanam. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). If you simply do this, śravaṇam and kīrtanam, then you shall become free from this material attachment, and you shall be elevated to the supreme place, the kingdom of God. Mukta-saṅga... This is the remedy suggested in this age. You cannot practice anything. You cannot practice sacrifice. You cannot practice speculation. You cannot practice yoga, nothing. You can simply practice this: submissively hear from authoritative sources, try to assimilate it, and become perfect.

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

If you find out such person, then surrender there. Praṇipāta. And try to serve him, try to please him, and question him. The whole thing will reveal. You have to find out such an authoritative person and surrender unto him. Surrendering unto him means surrendering unto God because he is God's representative. But you are allowed to make questions, not to waste time, but for understanding. That is called paripraśna. These are the process. So everything is there.

Lecture on BG 10.2-3 -- New York, January 1, 1967:

And it is very easy. And you can do in happy mood. And what is the process? We chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda and study Bhagavad-gītā philosophy, hear nice musical sounds. Is it very difficult? Is it very difficult? Not at all. So by this process you'll be asammūḍhaḥ. Nobody can cheat you. But if you want to be cheated there are so many cheaters. So don't make a cheater and cheated society. Just follow the paramparā system as it is prescribed in the Vedic literature, as it is recommended by Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand it from the authoritative source and try to apply it in your life.

Lecture on BG 10.3 -- New York, January 2, 1967:

How you can say one? How you can say one? In every step different. In every step different. This is dvaita-vāda, duality. So this philosophy of Lord Caitanya, that simultaneously one and different, that is the perfect philosophy. Nobody can say that we are completely different from God, and nobody can say we are completely one with God. We are both, one and different. These things are to be understood analytically like this, as it is explained here. This is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. If you try to understand Kṛṣṇa and your position in such nice analytical way from authoritative sources, then at once you become free from all sinful activities. This process.

Lecture on BG 10.3 -- New York, January 2, 1967:

So this association is made for that purpose, and we are trying to distribute this knowledge from authoritative books like Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and as far as possible, we are using our all talents in this, and we welcome you. And take advantage, participate with us. Thank you very much.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, September 26, 1973:

Sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they take it for acceptance that there is one soul only, Supersoul. But here we get from Kṛṣṇa, the authoritative source of knowledge, there are two souls: the individual soul and the Supersoul. Not one soul. Ātmā and Paramātmā.

(reads from purport:) "Because the Supersoul is the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says 'I am also the knower, but I am not the individual owner of the..."

Lecture on BG 13.5 -- Paris, August 13, 1973:

Therefore to make solution of this problem—athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now inquire what is the Absolute Truth." That is intelligence. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, although He is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is giving reference to the Brahma-sūtra. Whatever He speaks, it is all right. He doesn't require to refer any authoritative book. But He is also giving. You have seen Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is the way. But these rascals are trying to avoid authoritative scriptures. Even Kṛṣṇa is giving reference to the authoritative scripture, and these rascals, they have so degraded, they say, "Oh, why these books? Now I can manufacture own knowledge." And other rascals, they are accepting: "Yes, it is right."

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Montreal, October 25, 1968:

So we have to take it from authoritative scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā, the Vedic literatures, that soul is different from this body, and... Of course, according to the mentality of the soul, we develop different kinds of body. And that is being described by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna. Pradhānam indriyāṇi śrotrādīni pañca vagadini ca pañceti daśa bāhyāni rajasahaṅkārakarya(?). Now, we have got ten different kinds of senses: five senses, working senses, and five senses acquiring knowledge. But these senses are also products of the ahaṅkāra, false ego.

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

Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that anyone who has taken birth in India, he is fortunate. He can make his life perfect by reading at least this Bhagavad-gītā and distribute the knowledge all over the world. So Kṛṣṇa says, brahma-sūtra padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaṁ. You take Vedānta-sūtra; you study from the authoritative sources. Then your life becomes perfect. And take the..., carry this message all over the world.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

It is a very dangerous type of civilization without any spiritual knowledge. Very, very dangerous position. Risky. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement on authoritative basis trying to enlighten people to release him from these clutches of māyā and ignorance. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And it is authorized because we are speaking on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā. On the basis of Vedic knowledge. And Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of Vedic knowledge.

Lecture on BG 1322 -- Hyderabad, August 17, 1976:

You have got this opportunity. Try to understand yourself. Why you should go on like animals and imperceptibly change your body from one to another, one to another. This is bhava-roga. This is not very good position. we shall request you to take advantage of this movement, join it, study, and inquire, and be actually in knowledge. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is the business of brāhmaṇa. One who knows Brahman. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. Āstikyam means to have faith in the authoritative Vedic knowledge. That is called āstikyam.

Lecture on BG 13.26 -- Bombay, October 25, 1973:

So namanta eva san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. Just try to hear the message of God from realized soul. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vār... Simply hear. Then sthāne sthitāḥ, you remain in your position. It doesn't matter what you are. You remain in... Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Kindly give aural reception to the words, authoritative words, of Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, like that. Then... God is called ajita. Nobody can conquer. Kṛṣṇa is... Another name is Ajita. He becomes jita, conquered, simply by hearing from him. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. There are many such verses in Bhāgavata also.

Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:

There is some mistake some time. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ: (BG 9.11) "Those who are rascals, they sometimes take Me as ordinary human being." That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. He is Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, when there is an authoritative judgement is required, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, śrī bhagavān uvāca. That means you cannot defy this judgement. Bhagavān. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is speaking, that is final. No argument. No commentation. This is the meaning of śrī bhagavān uvāca. Similarly, after this inquiry, śrī bhagavān uvāca. Who has this, marked rules in the scriptures?

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975:

And somebody says, "No, my father says it is gold. My Guru Mahārāja says it is gold. Well, so many ācāryas says it is gold," then you accept it, gold. So one accepts gold by the authoritative statement of the superiors, and one accepts gold by chemical analysis. So one who accepts by the authority's statement, he is more advanced. He immediately gets the gold immediately. And those who are awaiting for chemical examination, they will get it. They will also know, but it will take time.

Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

In India there is a class, they are professional Bhāgavata reciters. They make contract that he shall recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, finish within a week, and he should be rewarded. These things are not recommended in the authoritative scriptures. We should follow the footsteps of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He's explaining Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the very beginning. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Try to understand the philosophy of Bhāgavata. Then gradually, when you are accustomed to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then go to the Tenth Canto, wherein Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance is described.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

Pṛthivīte, upon the surface of the earth there are many systems of religion. Yahā kichu dharma nāme chole. So what is that? Bhāgavata kahe. He does not say, but he says on the authority of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is scholarship. A scholar will not speak anything as he is thinking. No. He will give authoritative quotation to support. That is Vedic system. When you support your proposition with the Vedic version, then it is accepted. Otherwise not. Veda pramāṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

Simply a sober brain with cool head, one can understand. But these are facts. They're taking risk only. Now, by ordinary common sense knowledge, if I say, "There is no next birth," that is not authoritative. Because authoritative knowledge is... Suppose from Bhagavad-gītā, next life is accepted. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). The beginning of Bhagavad-gītā is to teach that soul is eternal, it is migrating from one body to another, so there is next life. That is also authoritative knowledge. But if somebody says that "There is no birth," that is not authoritative. That is a layman's statement.

So a layman can put up his own theory in so many ways. Then what shall be the conclusion? The conclusion should be to take authoritative knowledge from authorities—one who is beyond the four defects of common man; one who does not make any mistake.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava (BG 10.14), "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are saying, I accept them in toto, word for word." This is required. Not that I give up this portion, I give up that portion, whatever is to my purpose... Just like sometimes the politicians, scholars, they also try to understand Bhagavad-gītā. Because Bhagavad-gītā is very authoritative book, they want to exploit. They do not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise they would have preached Kṛṣṇa. Because what is Bhagavad-gītā? Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, the supreme. That is to be taught. That is to be understood. That is Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:

"My dear Arjuna, whatever forms of life you are seeing..." There are eighty-four lakhs species of life. That means eight millions and four hundred thousands of different varieties of life. Not one, two, three or one thousand, three thousand. No. We have not seen. Even the biologists, or the anthropologists, they cannot calculate. But from authoritative, revealed scripture we get this information that there are eight, eight, 8,400,000's of species of life of which human beings, they are divided into 400,000's species of life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

He understood that "Simply by friendly talkings and argument, there cannot be any conclusion of spiritual life." One must surrender. He knew it. Gurum eva abhigacchet. Must. Abhigacchet is vidhilin form of verb. Means "he must." There is no other alternative. So therefore Arjuna submitted. And he was also enlightened. So simply by hearing from the authoritative sources, nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā, as it is described. But we don't find anywhere: saptāhaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. No. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā.

Lecture on SB 1.3.13 -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972:

But girls become at the age of twelve, thirteen years, their sex desires become strong. But boys, they do not become sex desire so strong, unless they are badly associated. So neither it was possible that Kṛṣṇa would marry so many girlfriends. But they wanted Kṛṣṇa as husband, all of them. Therefore Kṛṣṇa fulfilled their desire in the vastra-haraṇa. Because a woman can become naked only before husband. That is Vedic. So Kṛṣṇa somehow or other made them naked so that... He declared that "You wanted Me as husband. So much, that's all." So people misunderstand Kṛṣṇa. Unless understood through authoritative sources, Kṛṣṇa is misunderstood. But He is the dhīra. He is not adhīra. He is not like ordinary man. Dhīra.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

Because at that time people were very intelligent, so simple one hint gives them lots of meaning. Just like Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra, you'll find simply some clues. Janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "The source of all emanation." Now we can think over, "the source of all emanation." So Vedic literature requires explanation, authoritative explanation. So the original Vedas, they, it was not possible for understanding for ordinary class of men. And who are ordinary class of men? Now, strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhu. Strī, woman class, are taken as less intelligent.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

One must be very inquisitive. That... I have explained already several times, that first inquisitiveness should be "What I am? Am I this body? Oh, the bodily comforts are so many. I have got my car, I have got good apartment, I have got good wife, and... Why I am not happy? Why I am not happy? Everything is there. So am I this body?" No. Vyāsadeva here is asked this question, jijñāsitam. So jijñāsitam adhītaṁ ca. Jijñāsitaṁ susampannam api: "And after inquiry, you have very nicely written all kinds of literature, authoritative literature."

Lecture on SB 1.5.4 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1968:

Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "First of all, I recited this bhakti-yoga or Bhagavad-gītā yoga system to Vivasvān." You can ask me that "Swamiji, where do you get the name of the presiding deity of sun-god, sun planet, as Vivasvān?" I say, "I get it from Bhagavad-gītā. It is mentioned there." Just like in our country who has not seen America, if he has studied the Constitution of America, he knows the presiding gentleman is Mr. Johnson. There is no need of seeing. Simply from authoritative scripture, authoritative book, one can understand who is the presiding deity, who is ruling there, what is the condition. Everything is there in the scriptures and authorized books of Vedic literature.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

So this is the thing, tad-viceṣṭitam. He's simply thinking of the activities of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. That's all. That is perfect reading of Bhagavad-gītā. It does not require to read Bhagavad-gītā by your academic education. If you simply hear from the authoritative source the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, and if you simply meditate upon that speech, that instruction, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa instructed like this. Arjuna received like this. He questioned like this. He answered like this," that is meditation, perfect meditation, and you become liberated.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969:

Now, these sitting posture, these breathing exercise, controlling the senses and mind—everything means that you have to make your mind so nice that it will never deviate from Kṛṣṇa. So these are different types of exercise. Just like by exercise you can make your circulation of the blood nicely, you keep yourself healthy, similarly, the all these yogic process means to come to the stage of samādhi. Samādhi. And that is said also in the authoritative yogic literature. But what is that samādhi? Samādhi means not to deviate. The mind should always be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought without any deviation.

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:

So that, you must prepare some literature by which one shall be firmly steady, steadily convinced about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness." Vātāhata-agunvita, yad uktam gitasuḥ.(?) And here also, Śrīdhara Svāmī... Gītā is so authoritative that he, he is giving quotation from Bhagavad-gītā,

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām
(BG 2.41)

Bhagavad-gītā also, Kṛṣṇa says, vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ... Those who are convinced for making a sure progress of life, he's called niścayātmikā buddhiḥ. That is determination. Dṛḍha-vrata, dṛḍha-vrata. These are Sanskrit words: "firmly convinced, steady." They have got only one business, one business. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha...bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddha... Those who are not steady, they have got many business, many business. Why many? If that one is the source of everything, take that one.

Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:

Kīrtana means describing. So you can describe the glories of the Lord either by musical instruments or by chant, singing, or you can describe the glories of the Lord by reading from authoritative scripture. Both of them are called kīrtana. This, this Bhāgavata reading is also described as kīrtana by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Abhavad vaiyāsakiḥ kīrtane. Kīrtane. It is called kīrtana. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23). The process is śravaṇa and kīrtana, hearing and chanting. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he attained salvation and perfection simply by hearing. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī attained salvation and perfection simply by chanting. This chanting means describing the glories of the Lord from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

And similarly, he advised me also that "If you get some money, publish book." And he used to say that "This press propaganda, the publication propaganda, is bṛhad-mṛdaṅga." So just to satisfy him we are trying to publish this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, very, very authoritative books, in English. And by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, it is unique in the history that religious book can be sold forty lakhs of rupees per month. It is record-breaking. There is no such instance. Because we are trying to give the opportunity, yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyām (SB 1.7.7).

Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976:

Sītā-devī is the original potency. Of course, Rāvaṇa could not kidnap Sītā-devī as she is. That is not possible. This is described in another Purāṇa, that when Rāvaṇa came to kidnap Sītā, Sītā-devī disappeared from there and she kept a māyā form, false form, and Rāvaṇa kidnapped her. This is stated in very authoritative scripture. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was traveling in South India, a brāhmaṇa invited Him. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu at noontime went there, but He saw the brāhmaṇa has not cooked anything.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

So Brahmā is getting knowledge from Kṛṣṇa and Brahmā is distributing Vedic knowledge. Therefore he's authority. We, we belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. Our, this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya... There are four sampradāyas. One from Brahmā, one from Śrī, Lakṣmī, one from Śambhu, Lord Śiva, and one from Kumāra. Kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ. So there are four Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas. So we have to approach the authoritative representative of Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa. Then we can get the real knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Mayapura, October 25, 1974:

Just like Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva is one of the recognized stalwart devotee of Kṛṣṇa, mahājana, authority. Whatever Bhīṣma will speak on devotional service, that is authoritative. All the twelve mahājanas... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ prahlādo janako bhīṣmaḥ (SB 6.3.20). So Bhīṣma wanted to conquer over Kṛṣṇa. He promised. How he conquered, that you know, the story, that when Duryodhana showed some reluctance, that "My dear grandfather, you are not fighting with the Pāṇḍavas wholeheartedly because you have got affection for them. So you are on my side. You should fight wholeheartedly."

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

San-mukharitām. Sat means devotee. Sat. Oṁ tat sat. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. Then sthāne sthitāḥ, you can remain in your place. It doesn't matter whether you are a brāhmaṇa or a śūdra or American or Indian or... It doesn't matter. You keep yourself in your position. Simply go there. Where these things are discussed authoritatively, you hear. Śruti-gatām. Śruti-gatām. Śruti means the ear. You just give the aural reception of the words of realized soul. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtāṁ sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatām. You can keep yourself... It doesn't require that you have to change your position. Simply you have to hear from the right source.

Lecture on SB 1.15.33 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1973:

Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Not to become a rascal, that "Here is the avatāra of Kṛṣṇa. Let us go and see." One who can see Kṛṣṇa, he can see Kṛṣṇa everywhere, he can see Kṛṣṇa here. Why one should go to a rascal, another rascal? No, that is not. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is Adhokṣaja. There are so many things to be learned. Everything is there in the authoritative scripture. If we take advantage of these books—we are taking so much labor to present—you can understand this science of Kṛṣṇa very perfectly, and your life becomes successful. It is not the question of seeing Kṛṣṇa personally or not.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

They make yoga practice, and when they think that one is perfect now, so he leaves this body and he transfers himself to any planet he likes. There is no need of sputnik. Similarly, the bhakta-yogī, he does not like to stay in any one of the planets within the material world, because he knows from the authoritative description of Bhagavad-gītā and Vedic literature. Just like you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "My dear Arjuna, beginning from the Brahmaloka, the highest planetary system within this universe, down to any other, I mean to say, downwards planet, you can travel anywhere, wherever you like..."

Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Bombay, March 24, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

Therefore you have to understand your spiritual identification. Because you are fools and rascals, you are thinking, "I am this body," and Kṛṣṇa gives instruction in the beginning that you are not this body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe: you are within this body, not this body you are. So Kṛṣṇa is authority. You have to take it. Kṛṣṇa is not only simply speaking authoritatively but He is giving practical example. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). Because the soul is within the body it is changing.

Lecture on SB 2.9.4-8 -- Tokyo, April 23, 1972:

Relative means according to my power I am studying, "This is this. This is this." But they are all wrong. You do not know what is actually the position. Therefore the conclusion is that we have to take knowledge from the perfect. Śāstra-cakṣusā. Your eyes should be... Actually we are doing that. Now, directly we are seeing the sun. We see just like the disk. But when you go through scientific books, geographic and other authorit..., astronomy, they, "No, the sun is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet." So actually we are understanding about the sun not by our direct eyes but through the authoritative knowledge, through the śāstra, through the books.

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

So many scholars, so many Indian scholar or American, they have written Bhagavad-gītā. But not a single person understood Kṛṣṇa, not a single person. But now, when they are reading Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, they are understanding by the mercy of God. The mercy is shown if you follow the process, authoritative process. Prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi. One who has received a little, minute quantity of the favor of Kṛṣṇa, he can understand Kṛṣṇa. And others, if they go on speculating for millions of years, they will not be able to. This is a fact. Therefore He is called Adhokṣaja.

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

So you have to follow the authoritative principles by the paramparā system. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). If you have got faith in God, Kṛṣṇa, and similar faith in the spiritual master and follow his instruction, then you will understand Kṛṣṇa in His different features: jyoti, bhagavān, and sarva-bhūta-guhāvāsam. He is the brahmajyoti just like the sunshine, and He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, and He is the Supersoul, Paramātmā, in everyone's heart. The process is tapasaiva, a little tapasya. So whatever little tapasya we have prescribed, you follow. You will understand Kṛṣṇa. And if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful.

Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974:

It is, it is the authoritative statement of Nārada. Yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ varṇābhivyañjakam. In the Bhagavad-gītā, varṇābhivyañjakam, how to decide to which class or which caste a certain man belongs to, so there are symptoms. Satyaṁ śaucaṁ śamo damaḥ kṣāntir ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So Nārada Muni says, yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktam. These are the symptoms. So if such symptoms are visible in another place, then tat tenaiva vinirdiśet (SB 7.11.35). And Śrīdhara Svāmī has given his note that birth is not everything. One has to acquire the quality. Then he'll be classified. So prasaṅgam ajaram.

Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974:

Just like here it is said... Now we have got experience in the beach. There is always big, big waves. That water is also dull matter, and the air pushing the dull matter, water, and there is big, big waves, and it is dashing on the earth. These things are going on. So they say it is nature's work. But nature is not independent. We get this information from authoritative śāstra. Here Kapiladeva says that... There is high wind. That is due to the command, mad-bhayāt vāti vātaḥ. High wind is there. Sometimes there is breezy, very nice, sometimes very high wind.

Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976:

These are the qualification. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). So there are many authoritative statements. Na janma koṭibhiḥ sukṛti tatra laulyam ekalaṁ laulyaṁ na labhyate janma koṭibhiḥ sukṛti(?). This desire that I shall serve Kṛṣṇa, it is not ordinary thing. Na janma koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhir labhyate. But it is possible if we accumulate this sukṛti, all right little service, little service, little service. Therefore the preacher's business is to engage these fools and rascals, who are very enthusiastic in the activities of sense gratification. If they are somehow or other engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, they accumulate sukṛti, sukṛti.

Lecture on SB 5.5.23 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1976:

Bhāgavata-sevayā. The book Bhāgavata and the person bhāgavata. Person bhāgavata, the guru, is the symbolic representation of person bhāgavata, whose life is bhāgavata and book Bhāgavata. So you have to serve two bhāgavata, nityaṁ bhāgavata, not the bhāgavata-saptāha. This is another cheating. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. There is no such thing as bhāgavata-saptāha in authoritative literature. They have manufactured as a business. But bhāgavata should be served nityam. Nityaṁ bhāgavata.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1-4 -- Melbourne, May 20, 1975:

So anyway, we have to act according to the superior order. And so far the spirit soul is concerned, that is the first lesson of spiritual knowledge. Unless you understand what is spirit... We are present here. The body is there and the spirit is there. Now we must analyze according to the direction given in authoritative books. That is very easy. Kṛṣṇa says that within this body there is the spirit soul. And we can experience that unless the spirit soul is there, the body does not change, and as soon as the spirit soul goes away, the body is a dead lump of matter. That's all. Very easy to understand.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

So we have to understand from authoritative literature. The subtle body is working, just like when you sleep your gross body is not working, but the subtle body, the mind, intelligence and ego is working; therefore you dream. Your subtle body is lying is some apartment, and you have gone to the seaside by the mental body. So, so long this gross body is able, you again come and enter into this gross body, but when it is not workable, then you have to find out another gross body in the womb of a certain type of mother. This is the law of transmigration of the soul.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

So you should not calculate Brahma's life and other things by your teeny experience. Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the duration of life of Brahma, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ... (BG 8.17). Now, Brahma's life, it is stated in the śāstras. We have already explained that we accept the authoritative statement of śāstra. Now, Brahma's life is stated there. Arhat means his one day is equal to our four yugas. Four yugas means 4,300,000 years, and multiply it by one thousand, sahasra-yuga-paryantam. Sahasra means one thousand. And yuga, yuga means the 4,300,000 years makes a yuga. And multiply it by one thousand: that period is Brahma's one day.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

This is the first instruction. If you want to enter into spiritual life, you must know that you, spirit soul, you are eternal. You don't die; you are not finished. That after the destruction of this body, you accept another body, tathā dehāntara prāptir. These are the versions in Bhagavad-gītā, authoritative. And dehāntara means another body. There is no guarantee what kind of body you get. That will depend on your work. You may get the body of a king or you may get the body of a hog, as you have done work in this life. This life is a preparation for the next life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-8 -- New York, July 21, 1971:

So they were busy, nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika. They were consulting many authoritative scriptures, how to put people in the right religious way of life. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika, sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Why? Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau, actually for doing welfare activities to the people in general, not for themselves. A Vaiṣṇava is liberated, and he can keep himself liberated always, anywhere, any place, without any hindrance, simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma... So... But still they are very much anxious for the conditioned souls.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:

A man has killed somebody, murder, and he's going to be hanged. Everyone sees it. Then why does he commit the same thing? He has seen it that "My friend committed a murder." Or forget murdering..., committed something else which is against the law of the state, and he's punished. Dṛṣṭa-śruta. Dṛṣṭa means by seeing, and sruta means by hearing. Just like you are hearing. We are all hearing from authoritative scripture. This is called śruta, śruti, hearing. Not this scripture. Everyone has heard that if you commit theft, then you'll go to prison for six months.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

But the śāstra can say. Śāstra means the authoritative scriptures. Just the other day we described about the symptoms of this Kali-yuga. So many things are foretold five thousand years before, and they are coming true in this age. For example, one small example: lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. In this age people will think that by keeping long hairs they have become beautiful. This is stated in the Bhāgavata. A very small example. So many other things. Five thousand years before, ago, this was foretold, that in this age people will like to keep long hairs in order to become beautiful. So this is śāstra.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

So this is called śāstra. Śāstra means you can consult. Just like you consult dictionary, you consult encyclopedia, you consult so many authoritative books for understanding knowledge, similarly, if you consult, you get all information. So in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is all stated: "If you do like this, you get birth like this. If you do like this, you get birth like this." And in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā it is generally spoken, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are in the modes of goodness... There are three qualities in this material world: the quality of goodness, the quality of passion, and the quality of ignorance.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture:

Ninety-nine point nine percent, they do not understand this philosophy, especially in the modern age. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10). They are very, very dull rascals. This is the challenge. Mandāḥ. Mandāḥ means dull, no intelligence. A simple truth, Kṛṣṇa is explaining to Arjuna. It is authoritative statement because Kṛṣṇa says, and Kṛṣṇa says not unreasonably, very reasonably, "I am giving very common example that smin dehe, within this body, the proprietor of the body or the spirit soul is there. And on account of this," dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13), "because the living entity is within this body, therefore the bodily changes are taking place."

Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971:

And in the lawbook it is said that if a man commits murder he'll be hanged. So śruta means we have heard it from authoritative sources; lawbook is authoritative source. Just like śāstra. Śāstra and lawbook is the same. Śāstra means that which controls. Śās-dhātu. Śāstra, śastra, śāsana, śiṣya comes from the same root. Śiṣya. Śiṣya also comes from the same root. Śiṣya means one agrees voluntarily to be governed by the spiritual master. He's called śiṣya. And śāsana, the government. So śāstra means that regulates our daily activities. So here it is called... Śāstra is learned by hearing, not by licking, not by seeing. Just like here is a śāstra, bhagavat-śāstra. You cannot learn it by seeing or by touching or... You have to learn it by hearing. Śās... This is called śruta. Therefore Vedas are called Śrutis. Śruti. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). So śruta, śruta means hearing from authoritative sources, either you take a scripture or lawbook.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971:

So śruta, śruta means hearing from authoritative sources, either you take a scripture or lawbook. So one knows that in every śāstra, every scripture, every lawbook, man is warned: "Don't commit theft; you'll be punished. Don't tell lie; you'll be punished. Don't do this; you'll be punished. Don't kill. Thou shalt not kill. Otherwise, you'll be punished." But nobody's caring. Why? What is the remedy for that? Everything is there. Dṛṣṭa, practical experience, and śruta,... Śruta means heard also from authoritative sources.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:

So in order to control your mind, in order to control your senses, if you simply divert your activities for Kṛṣṇa, or you act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you become the perfect yogi, first-class, topmost yogi. There is no comparison of this yogi. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā, śraddhāvān bhajate yo mām (BG 6.47). Kṛṣṇa. Mām means Kṛṣṇa. Sa me yuktatamo mataḥ. He's the highest, topmost yogi. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not any concocted idea of a bluffing movement. It is authoritative, based on Vedic authority, and Bhagavad-gītā is there, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata is there, accepted by all the ācāryas. So if you kindly take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and try to accept this devotional yoga system, bhakti-yoga, bhakti-yogena sevate... Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26).

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

That yoga is also the same thing. Yoga practice means to concentrate one's mind, to practice, the Viṣṇu form within the heart. Viṣṇu is another form of Kṛṣṇa. So, not this modern yoga system, thinking something void. This is not prescribed in the authoritative scriptures. That is simply taking trouble. Kleśaḥ adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām. Those who are attached void, voidness, they simply take more trouble to realize God.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- New York, August 1, 1971:

Therefore whole people of the world should be made vāsudeva-parāyaṇa by the simple method of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and they will be all peaceful. It will become Vaikuṇṭha. Otherwise it is hellish. It is, has already become a hell, the whole world. And if you don't take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this hellish condition of life will simply make progress, in spite of all your education and economic development. That's a fact. Those who are thoughtful, they should take this Movement very seriously. They should try to understand what is the value of this Movement. It is not that something manufactured by me or by man. It is authoritative.

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Chicago, July 8, 1975:

So if we become devotee, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ, and engage our body, mind, tanu... Tanu means body, and vāk means words. Tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. And mano means mind. We have got three things: mind, this body, and words, vāk. So we can serve Kṛṣṇa according to the direction of the śāstra. Śāstra, guru, satām. Satām means one who... Ācārya means one who knows śāstra. He will not speak anything which is not in the śāstra. He will never say, "In my opinion you can do like this." No. He must give evidence from the śāstra. Therefore our practice is, whenever we speak something, immediately we quote from authoritative śāstra.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- Honolulu, May 30, 1976:

So you have to understand from the śāstra, śāstra-cakṣuṣa. The Vedas say that you have to see through the śāstra, through the authoritative śāstra. With these blunt eyes what can you see? You're so much anxious. Everyone says, "Can you show me God?" What you can see? What is the power of your eyes? You cannot see even your eyelid. The eyelid is attached to the eye. Can you see? So how you can see God? You're so imperfect. Just like if there is some particle within the eyelid, we become embarrassed.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- Honolulu, May 30, 1976:

So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and from this verse we can understand that the ātmā, the soul, is within the heart. Why they are searching the soul? So the... If you want to find out where is soul, and if you dissect the heart, then soul is gone. (laughter) That is another danger. (laughs) Better understand from the authority. That is knowledge. Śāstra-cakṣuṣā. Śāstra... From authoritative statement of śāstra you'll see. Don't see by your blunt eyes, rascal, this consciousness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:

Always, the devotee of God is also God. Just like we chanted this mantra, sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ, that "In every scripture the spiritual master is identified as directly God." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. Viśvanātha Cakravartī said, not that any section śāstra, but all śāstra, all scriptures, they admit that the spiritual master is God directly. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ: ** "It is said. It is mentioned. Authoritative śāstra, actually bona fide śāstra, it is said." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ: ** "It is said." And sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ: ** "And that is accepted by all strict followers of transcendental science."

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:

So Śrīdhara Svāmī says that vedena praṇihita vihita dharmaḥ sa ca veda-pramāṇaka ity arthaḥ.(?) Unless it is verified by the words of the Vedas, that cannot be accepted as authoritative. Anena yo veda-pramakaḥ sa dharmaḥ. Now, it is concluded that "Anything which is supported by the Vedic injunction, that is dharma." Sa dharma yo 'dharmo na veda pramāṇakaḥ: "And any dharma which is not corroborated by the Vedas, that is not dharma. That is not accepted as religion." Iti svarūpaḥ pramāṇaṁ ca ity uktam.(?) Now, that is the characteristic of dharma, svarūpa. So if we want to understand what is dharma, then the test should be whether it is corroborated by the Vedas. Then it is dharma.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

So in this way, we have to hear the right thing from the right person. Then the question will be, "Who is the right person?" So if we cannot select the right person... Right person is paramparā, one who is following the paramparā, he is the right person. Even though you cannot understand actually who is... The śāstra says these are right persons. Who?

svayaṁbhūr nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ
kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ
prahlādo janako bhīṣmo
balir vaiyāsakir vayam
(SB 6.3.20)

This is the statement of Yamarāja, that "I am also considered as one of the authorities," vayam. So here the Yamadūtas say, "We have heard it from our master, Yamarāja; therefore whatever he said is authoritative."

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

One cannot become a bona fide devotee without being trained up under the regulative principles of śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhi. Rūpa Gosvāmī directly says in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu that "Without reference"—that means without being trained up by a bona fide spiritual master—"if one poses that he has become a devotee, he simply creates disturbance. That's all." That is being done. That is being done. We have got so many so-called devotees, but without any reference to the authoritative scripture; therefore we are creating disturbance. Here it is said that guṇa-nāma, guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpaiḥ. Guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair vibhāvyante yathā-tatham.

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-8 -- Calcutta, January 10, 1971:

Material life means simply to desire to enjoy. Of course, there is no enjoyment. That is... So if one hears rāsa-līlā from authoritative source, the result will be that he will be promoted to the transcendental platform of loving service to Kṛṣṇa. And the material disease, lusty desires, will be vanquished. But they do not hear from the authoritative source. Some professional reciters they hear; therefore they remain in the material existence of lusty affairs and sometimes they turn to be sahajiyā. When Kṛṣṇa had connection with so many women... You know that in Vṛndāvana, the "yugala-bhajana"—one becomes Kṛṣṇa and one becomes Rādhā. That is their theory.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:

That is the Absolute Truth. So these things should be understood. So any kind of līlā, yad uttamaśloka-guṇānu, līlā, any kind of Kṛṣṇa's activities, if you remember by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then you are liberated. Immediately you are liberated, from the authoritative description of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Na niṣkṛtair uditair brahma-vādibhiḥ. Brahma-vādibhiḥ, those who are very much anxious to realize Brahman, they have prescribed so many methods, ritualistic methods, but they are not sufficient because such things cannot elevate a person to the standard of a pure devotee.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18-19 -- Gorakhpur, February 12, 1971:

Amṛtam aśnute. Etāvān eva loke 'smin puṁsāṁ dharmaḥ paraḥ smṛtaḥ. Now, what is the best principle of executing dharma, religion? So he says, etāvān eva loke 'smin: "Especially in this material world," puṁsāṁ dharmaḥ paraḥ smṛtaḥ, "this is the first-class religious principle." What is that? Bhakti-yogo bhagavati: "Of rendering devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That is first-class religion. Bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-nāma-grahaṇādibhiḥ. Tan-nāma. And how it begins? "Simply by chanting His holy name." These are the authoritative statements of Yamarāja. Tam eva dharmam etāvān iti. This is dharma.

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

So we have to take information from the authoritative literature what is the position of this material world, the spiritual world, God, and His relationship with us, our position. This is real knowledge, not that a knowledge that how to live. Living condition is fulfilled by the nature's way. There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. They are not concerned how to eat, how to sleep. They know, by nature's arrangement there is already arrangement. Just like the birds in the morning. They rise up early in the morning. They are not concerned where they will eat.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

Śrotriyam means one who has perfectly heard the science of God from authoritative sources in disciplic succession. That is the qualification. Śrotriyam, and brahma-niṣṭham means not that simply he has heard, but the result is that he is firmly fixed up in God consciousness. These two qualifications. You have to find out that whether this man is coming from disciplic succession, śrotriyam... Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam: (BG 4.2) "By this disciplic succession, this science of Bhagavad-gītā was learned."

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:

We have created our economic problem by so-called social arrangement. So Bhāgavata says that there is no economic problem. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. "How do you say that there is no economic problem?" The Bhāgavata gives... Bhāgavata means... Any authoritative literature, they must give evidence. So here Bhāgavata gives evidence that tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Now, you never try to invite calamities, but sometimes calamities come upon you unexpected. There is some great loss. There is some calamity, distress, but you do not want it. How do they come? Similarly, even if you do not endeavor for your happiness, whatever happiness is destined to you, it will come.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:

Because Kṛṣṇa's sister was married to Arjuna and Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the grandson of Subhadrā, Arjuna's wife. Therefore Kṛṣṇa also happens to be grandfather of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira also happens to be grandfather, being the eldest brother of his grandfather. So Kṛṣṇa is the authority. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving authoritative answer as it was spoken by Kṛṣṇa. This is the way of speaking. One should cite authority. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was not less authority. As I described the other day that there are twelve authorities. Out of them, Śukadeva Gosvāmī himself is one of the authorities.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

And if the mango is ripened, still, it is very nice. So it is compared, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam (SB 1.1.3). Nigama means Vedic literature. Veda, Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vidoḥ vinte vid vicaraṇe. So vid-dhātu, those who are Sanskrit scholars here, they'll understand. Vid means to know, knowledge. So Vedic literature means to receive knowledge, authoritative knowledge. Not false knowledge. False knowledge, there is difference between false knowledge and authoritative knowledge. So far we are concerned at the present moment, whatever knowledge we are giving or accepting, they are more or less false knowledge. Not authoritative knowledge.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

As I have explained, that, there are 8,400,000 species of life. But unfortunately, there is no proper education how the living entity, what is that living entity and how it is transmigrating from one body to another? Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir (BG 2.13). Kṛṣṇa says, the authoritative knowledge, that, as the soul, dehi, the proprietor of the body. We do not know whether I am this body or I am the proprietor of this body. That knowledge is also lacking.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is another chance for changing the company, the society. Here in the temple, those who are coming and associating with us, now, we chant, we talk about God, we hear authoritative scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and we distribute prasādam, and we chant, we dance, we restrict ourself, we restrain ourself. We do not allow illicit sex. We do not, I mean to say, take any intoxicants. We do not indulge in gambling. We do not indulge in meat-eating. Similarly, we are trying to form character and God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

So however we may tackle these instruments perfectly in our way, basically they are imperfect. Therefore perfect knowledge you cannot have. If you want to have perfect knowledge, then you have to understand this authoritative scripture. Just like here, in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we understand that there is Brahma, or the demigods, and the siddhaḥ. So we have to accept. You cannot understand these things by experimental knowledge. Simply as it is. Therefore I am presenting this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Then you understand.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 9, 1968:

This was explained by Yamarāja to his followers, that there are twelve authorities. So if one has to know the secret of spiritual realization, then one has to follow either of these twelve authorities. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the authorities. Therefore I say, when Prahlāda Mahārāja says manye, "I think," it has to be taken as authoritative statement. We have to follow. If we follow the footprints of great personalities, then there is no danger. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Just like in the villages there is a track. One who follows that track, he is not lost. He... Similarly, if we follow the track of mahājana on which great personality has traversed, then we'll not fall.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:

Persons who are ignorant of the Vedic principles, śruti, and smṛti, corollaries to the śruti, and Purāṇa... There are eighteen Purāṇas. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Maha-purāṇam. So śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi (Brs. 1.2.101) and pañcarātriki-vidhi, Nārada-pañcarātra. So one should be conversant with all these authoritative scriptures. Without knowing these, if there is an imitation of devotional service, Rūpa Gosvāmī says that is simply disturbance. Simply disturbance. Therefore we see that in India the original principle is Vedic principle, but due to so many reasons, there being no real king or government who can control the citizens, or India being for so many years under the control of foreigners, and at the present moment forgetting their own real culture... Not only India, everywhere the same thing.

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Hamburg, September 7, 1969, (with German Translator):

The sun globe is situated in one of the corners of this universe, but its illumination is distributed all over the universe. Similarly you, as spark of the Supreme soul... The dimension is also mentioned. It is ten-thousandth portion of the tip of your hair. One ten-thousandth portion. That small particle is your identification. The medical science or the material science cannot find out that small particle of soul by any means. Therefore they decline to accept the existence of the soul. But from authoritative Vedic literature we get this information that the soul is there.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

Later Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda elaborated the teachings of the Lord with profound knowledge of revealed scriptures and authoritative references from various Vedic literatures. Śrīla Śrīnivāsa Ācārya describes in his prayers to the Six Gosvāmīs that they were all highly learned scholars, not only in Sanskrit, but also in foreign languages such as Persian and Arabian. They very scrutinizingly studied all the Vedic literatures in order to establish the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu on the authorized principles of Vedic knowledge.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:

Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. As Kṛṣṇa is worshiped, similarly His place, Vṛndāvana, is also worshipable. Ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū vargeṇa kalpitā. There is no more better form of worship than it was conceived by the damsels of Vraja. Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. And the book, authoritative literature, to understand Kṛṣṇa and His service is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrī-caitanya-mahaprabhor matam idam. This is the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is exactly following the principles of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, yāre dekha tāre kaha upadeśa.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

That brahma-bhūtaḥ state is a preliminary qualification to enter into devotional service. But if one does not enter into devotional service, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ, neglects the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then patanty adhaḥ. These are the statements, authoritative statements.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 25, 1973:

To make progress in devotional service, one cannot manufacture anything. The authoritative statements of ācā ryas, that we'll have to follow. Mahājana yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. We should not manufacture, invent anything. As they are stated in the śāstras, confirmed by spiritual master and ācāryas, that will be accepted. Nobody can say, "I think devotional service should be like this." No. Therefore spiritual master is the guidance. He is the representative of the ācāryas. In this way, we should make progress, not by concoction.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 25, 1973:

Now this sādhana-bhakti, or practice of devotional service, can also be divided into two parts. The first part is called regulative principles. One has to follow these different regulative principles by the order of the spiritual master, or on the strength of authoritative scriptures, and there can be no question of refusal. That is called vaidhi, or regulated. One has to do it without any argument. Another part of sādhana-bhakti is called rāgānugā. Rāgānugā refers to the point at which, by following the regulative principles, one becomes a little more attached to Kṛṣṇa and executes devotional service out of natural love.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.4 -- Mayapur, March 28, 1975:

Our opinion and thinking has no value. This should be the first principle. Why should you give opinion on the words of Kṛṣṇa? Are you more authoritative person than Kṛṣṇa? This is foolishness, to try to become more than Kṛṣṇa. There are so many rascals. They present that "Now we have advanced. We know more than Kṛṣṇa." So be saved from these rascals. Then you will understand Kṛṣṇa, and through Caitanya Mahāprabhu you will understand what is the position of Kṛṣṇa, what is your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, what is the ultimate goal of life. These things will be clearly exhibited.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 3.87-88 -- New York, December 27, 1966:

So in the authoritative śāstra, the activities of God is mentioned there, and practically it is demonstrated when God is present. And prakhyāta-daiva-paramārtha-vidāṁ mataiś ca. Mata means opinion. Just like we try to take opinion from a person who is accepted. Just like you are selling your Back to Godhead by Ginsberg's name because he is popular. So similarly, there are popular representative, popular authors, just like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, Kumāra, Kapila, Manu.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Atlanta, March 1, 1975:

One should not be writing in spiritual subject matter without being authorized by some superior authority. It is not ordinary writing. The writing on spiritual subject matter is authoritative. By the order of superior authority, one can write. It is not speculation. Therefore he said that śrī-caitanyaṁ likhyate asya: "By the order of superior authority, I am trying to describe Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu." And what is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Prema-bhakti-vadānyatā. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is preaching prema, means love of Godhead. That is the only necessity to understand in human form of life. Premā pumartho mahān.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.66-76 -- San Francisco, February 6, 1967:

Eta bali' eka śloka śikhāila more. (break) ...dogmatic or dictator. Because one cannot be a guru or spiritual master if he creates something. No. He cannot create. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī that "My Guru Mahārāja, My spiritual master, has reason." Why? What is that reason? Kaṇṭhe kari' ei śloka kariha vicāre: "My Guru Mahārāja said, he gave Me one verse from authoritative Vedic literature, and he asked Me that 'You should always keep this verse within Your,' " what is called, " 'throat.' " That means, keeping in throat means... And what is that? This is a quotation from the Vedic literature, Bṛhad-nāradīya Purāṇa.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.125 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

And because the brāhmaṇa cursed, a brāhmaṇa boy cursed him that "Within seven days the king will die by snake bite..." That's a long story. Therefore, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he was not very old, but he understood that "I will have to die by snake bite, so let me get free from this royal responsibilities." He at once handed over his kingdom to his son and went to the bank of the Ganges and sat down there tight, without taking any food and drink, for seven days, and he heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the authoritative source of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and he died at the end of seven days. A snake came and bit him.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-146 -- Bombay, February 24, 1971:

So you have to go to the authorities. Who are the authorities? At least, in our country. Not only in... All countries. So our authorities, the whole Vedic civilization is going on under the authorities of ācāryas. They are coming by disciplic succession. Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya—there are so many authorized ācāryas. The śāstra is there, the authoritative statement is there, and the activities are there. Then what reason you have got not to believe that Kṛṣṇa is not God? What reason you have got? Here is God. And those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, actually see their life, how they are advanced in God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.142 -- New York, November 30, 1966:

So Kṛṣṇa supplied him milk. So there was friendship. And he has written that bhakti is such a thing that muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "Mukti, mukti is nothing for me." So this is his verse, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "So we have no desire for mukti. When Kṛṣṇa comes to supply milk, oh, then what is the use of my mukti?" You see? That's a great soul, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. It is worth to remember his name. For seven hundred hears he lived in Vṛndāvana, and he has written a nice book which is Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. That is a very authoritative book, Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. Lord Caitanya picked up this book, and He recommended all His devotees to read that Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta book.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.152-154 -- New York, December 5, 1966:

So as we have seen that Lord Caitanya, when He instructs, He gives at once evidence from authoritative scripture, that is the way of presenting. Always you should remember that we cannot imagine about God: "I think God is like this." This is nonsense. You have no thinking power. You are under the grip of material nature. He is pulling. The material nature is pulling you by the ear, just like this. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You are being acted, influenced. Just like the same example: You are thrown in the Atlantic Ocean. You have no power. By the waves you will have to work. The waves are tossing this way and that way. You are simply struggling.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.152-154 -- New York, December 5, 1966:

We have to hear from authoritative scripture, authoritative version. Then we will understand. So here is authoritative version from Brahma-saṁhitā:

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

The Brahma-saṁhitā describing about Kṛṣṇa, that īśvara, Lord... There are many lords. We have got experience. In England you will find many lords. We had some dealing with Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland. There are many lords. In your country also there are many lords. Any rich man is lord. In our country also there are many lords. But Kṛṣṇa is not a lord like them.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.298 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

Once turned into yogurt, there is no possibility of turning into milk. Neither you can derive the benefit of milk from yogurt. Yogurt is used for some purpose; milk is used for some other purpose. Similarly, those who are worshipers of Śiva, they cannot derive the same benefit as persons who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like you cannot derive the same benefit by drinking, by taking yogurt. If you require milk, if I supply you yogurt, it will give another, I mean to say, disturbance. Similarly, the distinction is given here, and He is quoting from Brahma-saṁhitā, most authoritative literature in this connection.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.1-10 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

Agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā. So the author of this Caitanya-caritāmṛta is offering his respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya. So he says, agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā. Agaty, persons who have fallen, who have no hope for reaching the supreme destination, for them Lord Caitanya is the only hope. In this age, it is stated in authoritative scriptures, in this age the people are unfortunate. Of course, they are very much proud of advancing. From spiritual point of view, the people of this age, Kali-yuga, they are unfortunate.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.1-10 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

We can see the sky just like a pot, and that is the covering of this universe. And if you can penetrate that covering—that space is also many, many times longer than this outer space—then you'll find the spiritual sky. That is not possible for any material scientist to find out where the spiritual sky is. But you can understand from authoritative scriptures and from authorities like Lord Caitanya. He says that for each of the expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, there is a separate, I mean to say, planet into the, in the, I mean to say, spiritual sky. Pṛthak pṛthak vaikuṇṭha nāhika gaṇane. Pṛthak pṛthak. Each of them has got a separate Vaikuṇṭha planet, but how many planets are there nobody can count. Nāhika tara gaṇane.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.1-10 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

In spite of their inability to understand His supremacy, the expansion, the extension of the Supreme Lord, still, by discussing about the Supreme Lord, hearing and chanting, they take transcendental pleasure. It is not that anybody can understand Kṛṣṇa, but still, it is a transcendental pleasure to try to understand. Not that we shall be able to understand Kṛṣṇa fully; it is not in our power. But still, bodhayantaḥ parasparam, tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. Mahātmā, those who are great souls, in their society, in their spiritual society of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by discussing about Kṛṣṇa in terms of the Vedic literature and authoritative literature, they enjoy transcendentally. This is transcendental pleasure.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.21-28 -- New York, January 11, 1967:

Now He gives again evidence from scriptures. Every step, whatever He says, He gives some evidence from authoritative scripture. Mostly He gives evidence from Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because for the Vaiṣṇava school these two books are sufficient for acquiring knowledge. So far Vedānta-sūtra is concerned, Bhāgavata is Vedānta-sūtra itself. Bhāgavata is the natural commentary on the, on the Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore one who has sufficient knowledge in Bhāgavata, he has automatically sufficient knowledge in Vedānta-sūtra.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad Invocation Lecture -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1970:

Those who are blind for self-realization, they do not take care, they have got many things to discuss. But so far Kṛṣṇa conscious people are concerned, their subject matter of discussion is one: apavarga-vartmani, the path of disintegration. How it is happen? Satāṁ prasaṅgān. When you form this society, Kṛṣṇa conscious society, and you discuss about this apavarga from the authoritative literature, just we are doing, then it becomes relishable. You cannot discuss all these thing with a storekeeper. That will be not relishable. Satāṁ prasaṅgān, amongst the devotees. If you take this Īśopaniṣad and you ask one butcher or a man like that, "Come on. We shall discuss," he'll throw away. The other day we were coming on this Venice Boulevard.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 10 -- Los Angeles, May 15, 1970:

Just like people are now engaged in researching what is there in the moon planet. So this is material policy, to try to understand things by his own experience. Pratyakṣa, direct, experimental knowledge. The Vedic understanding is different. It is śruti. Śruti means to hear from authoritative source. That is real knowledge. Just like I have given many times this example that if you want to know your father by experimental knowledge, is it possible? Not possible. Then how to know my father? By hearing from the authority, mother.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 -- New York, July 26, 1971:

So these things are being taught from authoritative scripture and..., what is God, what is our relationship with Him, and what is our function in that relationship. We should know it. Unless we try to know it, simply we waste our time in frivolous activities, that is not proper utilization of human form of life. We are simply requesting people that "You don't waste your valuable time." Our time is so valuable. It has been calculated by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 32 -- New York, July 26, 1971:

So these are the things to be studied in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't be frivolous. Don't waste your time. This is the greatest opportunity, human form of life. We have to understand all these things. They are mentioned in the authoritative books, Vedic knowledge. Just we are reading, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, before you. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī's recommending that prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. Real atonement is to be thoughtful, sober, think over... That is called meditation. You think over whether your body, or if you are something else, transcendental to body, what is God. So if you want to know all this knowledge, then you have to practice austerity, tapasya.

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

So ceremony, apart from ceremonial function, let us try to understand the philosophy of Lord Caitanya. So Lord Caitanya thought it... Not thought it. This is a fact, that this sort of life, seek material happiness... Material happiness means sense gratification. That's all. Actually, according to Bhagavad-gītā... Not according to Bhagavad-gītā—that is a fact according to any authoritative statement. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam (BG 6.21). Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that sukham ātyantikam. Ātyantikam means the super, superhappiness, ātyantikam—means that which you cannot excel more... That is the final point. That sort of happiness is not possible to achieve... Happiness... First of all, you must understand, happiness means sense gratification, happiness.

Ratha-yatra Lecture at The Family Dog Auditorium -- San Francisco, July 27, 1969:

The Supreme Absolute, He is also a living entity like us, just like your father, this material father from whom you have got this body, he is also a person, and you are also a person. You are son of your father. Similarly, although you cannot see God, we can understand from the version of the Vedas and authoritative scriptures if God is father, then He must be a person. He must be a person because I am person. We have to study by analogy, by our reason, our intelligence. Just like you have got experience in this life that "My father is a person. I am also a person." Although the relation is "I am his son; he is my father," but both of us are persons. None of us is imperson. That is nonsense. How my father can become imperson if I am person? This is nonsense.

Ratha-yatra -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1971:

So we have to study Vedas through authoritative sources. We have to follow the rules and regulations. Then, in this life, we shall be able to understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, you are liberated immediately. There is no doubt about it. Because without being liberated, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad anantaram. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that first of all you have to become liberated. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ, identification with Brahman.

Jagannatha Deities Installation Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.13-14 -- San Francisco, March 23, 1967:

First thing is that one must be faithful. Second thing is that he must be thoughtful. The third thing is that he must have knowledge. What is that knowledge? "I am not this body." And then detachment. As soon as I am convinced that I am not this body, then why should I take so much care for the body? Let me take care of my self. And as soon as these qualifications are fulfilled, then you can see within yourself what you are. Paśyanty ātmānaṁ cātmani. And all these things is on the basis of devotional service and by the process of hearing from the authoritative source. These are the qualification for understanding Absolute Truth.

Jagannatha Deities Installation Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.13-14 -- San Francisco, March 23, 1967:

This śravaṇam, hearing and chanting, is the basic principle of advancement in spiritual life. Without hearing, we shall simply concoct, simply waste our time and mislead people. We have to hear from the authoritative sources. (aside:) Hayagrīva, come here. Come here. Now this should be lighted up, and when there is kīrtana, one must be doing like this before the Deity. You see? Yes, with the kīrtana. When he stops, he should hand over to another person, devotee. When he stops, he should another.

Initiation Lectures

Brahmana Initiation Lecture with Professor O'Connell -- Boston, May 6, 1968, (Glenville Ave. Temple):

Śruti and smṛti. Śruti means Vedic literature, which is traditionally, from time immemorial, it is learned simply by hearing from authoritative sources. Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the First Canto, first verse, it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. The original authority of Vedic literature, Lord Brahma. He was instructed about Vedic knowledge by Lord Kṛṣṇa. And he imparted Vedic knowledge to the world. So he was the first creature, living creature, after creation.

Initiation Lecture -- Caracas, February 22, 1975:

So we have to take information from authoritative scriptures. So the body is made of five material elements: earth, water, air, fire and ether. So mind is still finer than the ether, and intelligence is still finer than the mind, and the soul is still finer than the intelligence. So generally, we are on the bodily platform. They are called karmīs. Bodily platform means that everyone is working for the bodily comfort. Bodily comforts means how to eat nicely, how to sleep nicely, how to have sex nicely and how to defend nicely. So these activities are there also in the animal life.

General Lectures

Lecture on Maha-mantra -- New York, September 8, 1966:

Of course, we are delivering speeches from authoritative book, Bhagavad-gītā. I am not speaking before you of my own imagination. I am speaking from the authorized book. Therefore it is not exactly pravacana, neither I am squeezing out some meaning for my purpose. I am just presenting you the same principle. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). As Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached, I am trying to present the same thing before you in a different language only. That's all. Because in India He preached in Sanskrit. He was a very learned scholar in Sanskrit.

Lecture Engagement -- Montreal, June 15, 1968:

So this movement is very scientific movement, and we have got authoritative statements. You cannot defy authority, authority. As an authority, minister of this Unitarian Church, in one place he has denied authority, and in another place he has quoted so many authorities. So many authorities he has quoted. Why? If you deny authority, then why you quote other authority? So you cannot defy authority. This is not possible. From the beginning of your life, when you were child, you asked your parents, "Mother, father, what is this?" Why? That is the beginning of life.

Lecture Engagement -- Montreal, June 15, 1968:

So we have got such authoritative, I mean to say, literature, Vedic literatures. You can test it by your reason, by your arguments, by your philosophical talks, everything. Religion without philosophical basis, without scientific basis, is sentiment. That religion based on philosophy and science, that is right. So Bhagavad-gītā is that book. Any question, any inquiry, any doubt—all the answers are there, and very nicely. Just like one or two verse I shall explain to you.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

There are different stages of devotees, and gopīs are supposed to be on the highest platform. And amongst the gopīs, the supreme is Rādhārāṇī. Therefore nobody can surpass the love of Rādhārāṇī. Ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā, śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. Now to learn this, all this science of loving God, there must be some book, some authoritative literature. Yes. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is spotless description of understanding how to love God. There is no other description. From the beginning it is teaching how to love God.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:

Nobody can say that it is not possible. In the śāstra we hear also. Sādhu śāstra, guru vākya, tinete kariya aikya. Spiritual realization can be perfected by three parallel process. Sādhu. Sādhu means saintly persons, who are realized souls, sādhu. And śāstra. Śāstra means scriptures, authoritative scriptures, Vedic scriptures, śāstra. Sādhu, śāstra, and guru, a spiritual master. Three parallel line. And if you place your car or vehicle on these three parallel line, your car will go direct to Kṛṣṇa. Tinete kariyā aikya. Just like in the railway line you see two parallel lines. If they are in order, the railway carriages are carried very smoothly to the destination.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:

It is common sense affair. If the lawyers accept some book, then it is to be understood that this is lawbook. You cannot say that "How can I accept this is law?" The evidence is the lawyers are accepting. Medical... If the medical practitioners accept, then that is authoritative medical. Similarly, if saintly persons are accepting Bhagavad-gītā as scripture, you cannot deny it. Sādhu śāstra: saintly persons and scriptures, two things, and with spiritual master, three, three parallel lines, who accept the sādhu and the scripture. Sādhu confirms the scriptures and spiritual master accept the scripture. Simple process. So they are not in disagreement.

Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968:

And matir na kṛṣṇe svataḥ. Svataḥ means by his personal mental speculation. Just like many philosophers are thinking to reach the Absolute Truth beyond this limitation. That is called svataḥ, by personal speculation. Svataḥ, parataḥ. Parataḥ means from authorities. From a spiritual master, from scriptures, from authoritative books, authoritative source of knowledge, that is called parataḥ. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho. Mitho means by great assembly. Just like the United Nation is trying to solve the problem for the last many years, twenty to twenty-five years, all the nations.

Class in Los Angeles -- Los Angeles, November 15, 1968:

Suppose the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean mix together. Then how you can check? Your hands and legs are tightly packed up. You cannot check the laws of nature. Therefore blind leaders who are so tightly packed up by the laws of nature, how they can lead? They cannot lead. They cannot lead to the goal of life. The goal of life is God or Kṛṣṇa, but they are enamored by the glimmering of, the glittering of this material nature. So they cannot lead. Then how, what is the solution? If Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not possible to cultivate by speculation, by assembly meeting, or by knowledge derived from higher authoritative sources, the leaders are misleading, then how it is to be attained? How the goal of life can be attained?

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

This relationship of spiritual master and student... The student is called śiṣya. Śiṣya, the Sanskrit word śiṣya, this word comes from the root śas. Śas means ruling. From śas, the śāstra. Śāstra means authoritative books. They have been derived. And śastra. Śastra means weapons, armaments. That is called śastra. Just like sword, guns, they are called śastra. These two things are rulings. The state has got lawbooks, authoritative books, and one who does not obey the lawbooks, then the next word is gun and sword. This, these two words, means to accept authority.

Lecture Excerpt -- New York, April 12, 1969:

And try to hear about God from realized souls—from Kṛṣṇa or His bona fide representative. That is very nice qualification. Simply hear. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir. In this way you remain in your position, try to understand how great is God through the authoritative sources, and your life will be so successful that one day you'll find God is within your hand. It is so nice thing. Just like you keep a child within your hand, just mother Yaśodā kept Kṛṣṇa within his (her) arms always, you'll also have a similar position simply by hearing about Him.

Lecture -- New York, April 16, 1969:

Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll learn, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna that our one thousand yugas... One yuga, one aggregate of yuga, according to our, this planet's calculation, it is forty-three hundred thousands of years. So that multiplied by one thousand becomes twelve hours of that planet. So there are different calculation according to different planet, different situation. But there is life. Don't think that this planet is finished, that "Oh, this life is finished." It is simply ignorance. We have to take information from higher authoritative scripture.

Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969:

The Bhagavad-gītā is being taught by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna. He is authority. And Kṛṣṇa says that "This Bhagavad-gītā is taught from time immemorial by disciplic succession," not by research work. As soon as you study Bhagavad-gītā by your academic knowledge, without reference to the authoritative description, then you commit mistake. You do not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, that "This disciplic succession is now broken. I therefore establish again the disciplic succession unto you." That means Arjuna becomes the disciple of Kṛṣṇa, and anyone who understands Bhagavad-gītā, following the footprints of Arjuna, he can understand rightly what is the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā.

Engagement Lecture -- Buffalo, April 23, 1969:

Darwin's theory, evolution of the organic matter, they are very much prominent in the educational institutions. But there is Padma Purāṇa and other authoritative Vedic scriptures. They give the magnitude of the living entity. They have different forms of body. How they are evolving one after another—everything is there. It is not a new thing. But people are giving stress only to the Darwin's theory. But in the Vedic literature we have got immense information of this living condition in this material world.

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just according to the direction of authoritative Vedic literature, and we are distributing this knowledge without any charge. We don't say there is any secrecy. It is wide open. Open secret. Anyone can take up these sixteen names and chant. And test it, chanting, say, for a week, and see the result. See the result, how you are spiritually realizing yours. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). If you go on chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then first installment of your gain will be that you will understand that you are not this body, you are spirit soul, which takes at least many years to understand, that "I am not this body."

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

Simply they are busy with process of sense gratification, and if somebody comes, "All right, you go on with your sense gratification. You simply meditate for fifteen minutes, and within six months you become God," these bluffs like this will be accepted very easily. But we are not meant for giving people false information. We are trying to give you information from authoritative scriptures, Vedas. And if you are fortunate enough, you will take this information, try to understand by your reasoning, by your logic, and adopt it, and your life will be sublime. Your life will be successful. Otherwise you will be put into the cycle of birth and death and going on, and sufferings will continue.

Lecture at International Student Society -- Boston, May 3, 1969:

You have to select the authoritative books, not "kind." Just like lawbooks. Oh, there is no "one kind" of lawbook. Lawbooks means that is given by the state. That is one lawbook, only one. That cannot be two. It is not that you take lawbook from other state or other authority. No. Lawbooks means it is the books, it is the laws, which is given by the state. Similarly, our process is to accept the Vedas, not other kind of books. There is no question of other kind of books. Only Vedas. Just like we are speaking of Bhagavad-gītā. So that is one, not "other kind of Bhagavad-gītā." Bhagavad-gītā is one.

Address to Indian Association -- Columbus, May 11, 1969:

Similarly, philosophical research, jñāna process, that is also, the aim is to understand Supreme Brahman, realize Brahman. So they are recognized process undoubtedly, but according to authoritative description, those processes are not practical in this age. Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Therefore one has to take to this process of hari-kīrtana. Anyone can take, without any prequalification. You haven't got to study philosophy or Vedānta. This Vedānta philosophy was very much discussed between Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī... Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked first of all Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "I understand that You are were a very good scholar in Your previous life."

Lecture 'Nobody Wants to Die' -- Boston, May 7, 1968:

Anyathā means other process. Anyathā. Because we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, it does not mean that we are condemning other process. No. The other process is there in the scriptures and authoritative scriptures. But other process is not possible to be practiced in this age. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, kalau, "In this age," nāsty eva nāsty eva, "it is..., there is no possibility to practice other process." Nāsty eva nāsty eva, three times. Just like if I say three times, "It is not possible, not possible, not possible," that means to confirm it, three times. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva: "It is not possible, not possible, not possible."

Lecture to International Student Society -- Boston, December 28, 1969:

So there are stages. One has to learn this from authoritative sources. Then it is possible to become... But our movement, this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, is so nice that what was possible after many, many births, you can get it within a few weeks. That is a fact. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as we are doing, then you'll understand. Very quickly your self-realization, your freedom from designation, your mental concoction, everything will be cleared off, and there will be no more anxiety. So we request everyone. We are not charging anything. We are not saying that "I shall give you some mantra. You pay me fifty dollars and it is private."

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

So any way you do it, it is all the same. Absolute. Tad-arthe akhila-ceṣṭitam, ity ady asmin eva purāṇe tatra tatra pathyate. Śrīdhara Swami says, "In this Purāṇa, Mahā Purāṇa, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, these things are explained everywhere, as well as these things are explained in all other Vedic scriptures. Purāṇantare ca pāpa-kṣayaś ca bhavati smaratāṁ tam ahar-niśam iti. These are the authoritative statements; therefore, we have to follow the ācāryas. They pick up nice authorized verses from various Vedic literature and present before you. So Śrīdhara Swami says, purāṇantare.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 6, 1971:

But if the child wants to research who is his father, it is impossible to find out. Similarly, if we want to know the supreme father, Kṛṣṇa, or God, we have to take instruction from the supreme father, not speculating, just like by speculating we cannot understand our ordinary father without the instruction of mother. If you go on speculating, "He may be my father. He may be my father. He may be father," go on speculating, but you will never understand who is your father. But you accept the authoritative statement of your mother, that "He is your father"—that is perfect knowledge. That process should be accepted. Otherwise, our position is very precarious.

Lecture -- Paris, June 26, 1971:

So this is based on the authority of Vedas, and that is summarized in the Bhagavad-gītā and many other books. So we have published Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Kṛṣṇa, Easy Journey to Other Planets, Nectar of Devotion. So we request everyone to understand this movement by reading authoritative literatures in this connection. We are publishing our magazine, Back to Godhead, every month in so many languages. So our program is to serve the human society, to save them from the pitfall of entering again into the cycle of birth and death. That is our great mission.

Speech at Olympia Theater -- Paris, June 26, 1971, (with translator):

Everyone is hankering after peace, but he does not know how to achieve peace. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the greatest welfare activities in the world, and we request everyone to take advantage of this great scientific movement. Our presentation is authoritative because we are guided by the principles of the old knowledge, the ancient knowledge of India, the Vedas. And the process of understanding this science of Kṛṣṇa is also made very easy in this age.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 13, 1971:

We are getting this information from Lord Brahmā, the creator of this particular universe, very authoritative statement by his realization. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning, the description of the Lord is given, janmādy asya yataḥ, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). So, first of all He gave instruction, the Lord, janmādy asya yataḥ, from whom everything is emanating. Lord Brahmā is also emanating from Him. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. So how Lord Brahmā got Vedic instruction? That is answered, hṛdā. Hṛdā means through the heart. So the Lord is situated in everyone's heart—in the heart of the Brahmā or in the heart of the ant.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 20, 1971:

Actually all over the world this is happening, and therefore, the problems of the world becoming very serious and grave. So these are all scientific proposals. The educational system must be reformed. Not that godless, no education, secular government, no education of God in the schools and colleges. This is not a very good proposal. Here we get authoritative statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He is one of the mahājana. Our process is mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow the footsteps of great personalities.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

The scientists, they're trying to go to the highest planet, but they are calculating it will take forty thousands of years. So who is going to live for forty thousands of years, go and come back? But there is planet. So we cannot calculate even the length and breadth of this material world, what to speak of the spiritual world. Therefore we have to know from authoritative sources. That authoritative source is Kṛṣṇa. Because we have already described, nobody is wiser or in knowledge than Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa gives this knowledge, that paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo (BG 8.20). "Beyond this material world there is another spiritual sky." There are also innumerable planets. And that sky is far, far greater than this sky. It is one-fourth only.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 21, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa says also that by studying all the Vedic literature, one has to understand Kṛṣṇa. And He also confirms... And Vyāsadeva explains Vedānta-sūtra in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because He knew that "Vedānta-sūtra, being authoritative version of Vedic literature, so many rascals will comment in different way. Therefore I must leave..." That was also done under the instruction of Nārada. He wrote personally a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrānāṁ vedārtha paribṛṁhitam.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

With our, these blunt eyes and blunt senses, we cannot capture. But there is. We have to conceive it from the authoritative statement of higher knowledge, knowledgeable person. Just like we are trying to learn from the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. It is being taught by Kṛṣṇa. So things which are beyond your perception, you have to know it from authority. Just like the example: Who is my father? We cannot make any experiment. We cannot apply experimental knowledge to find out who is my father. That is not possible. But how we can know? The know it, I can know from the authority of the mother. The mother says, "This gentleman is your father," we have to accept.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

In another place in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Parābhavaḥ, parābhavaḥ means defeat. Defeat. So whose defeat? Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto: one who is born rascal and fool. Everyone is born rascal and fool. Nobody, otherwise, if you are learned, if you are..., if you know things, then why do you go to a school and college and pass university? It is a fact. Animals. If we do not cultivate knowledge, then we are as good as animals. Now another animal is saying that there is no need of books, and he has become guru. But how you can get knowledge without authoritative studies of books and science and philosophy? But they are trying to avoid this. So imagine what kind of guru and what kind of disciple.

Lecture at World Health Organization -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

Now we are working for a few years, five, six years. Still, we have spread the movement all over the world. So I am requesting... I am old man. I will die. If they take it seriously, it will go on, and there will be revolution. Because we are not working whimsically, capriciously. We are taking authoritative version from the śāstra. And we are... Our program is to publish at least one hundred books of this size. There are so many information. They can read all these books and take information. And we are now being received. In America especially, the higher circle, in colleges and universities, they are reading now these books, and they are appreciating.

Lecture at the Hare Krsna Festival at La Salle Pleyel -- Paris, June 14, 1974:

One who creates, he is the father. Just like in the material sense also, a father creates his children. So how can you say "No"? Because here in the Bible it is said that "All things were made by Him, created by Him." Therefore He is the father of everything. "And without Him was not anything made that was made." So you cannot deny the authoritative statement of Vedas or Bible by your whimsical way. When you go to your church, you ask, "Father, give us our daily bread." That means He is father of everyone. This is perfect knowledge, that God is father of everything that is made. Here it is clearly stated, "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made."

Speech -- Vrndavana, April 27, 1975:

Śrīpāda Nṛsiṁha-vallabha Gosvāmī, quoting from many authorized scriptures, he has proved that in the matter of engaging oneself in the devotional service, there is no check, there is no impediment. That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ahaituky apratihatā. That he has very nicely explained, quoting many authoritative statement from scriptures. And another thing... It is a fact that nobody can check Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. It is transcendental; it is not material. Unless one acts on the platform of spiritual activities, one cannot understand why bhakti is apratihatā. Pratihatā means checked by impediments. So that is for material things. Just like a living being, a soul, he is checked by this material body.

Speech -- Vrndavana, April 27, 1975:

There is authoritative statements in all the śāstras, but if we do not care for śāstra and sādhu and devotees, we manufacture our own way of life, that is different things. We have nothing to speak about that. On the whole, I am very much thankful to Śrīpāda Nṛsiṁha-vallabha Gosvāmī that he has come, taking so much trouble. He is old man. And he has advised you that you stick to bhakti principle, and that will make your life successful. You have come so far, distant place, in Vṛndāvana, from America, Australia, Africa, spending so much money. So... Of course, there is no consideration of material profit and loss. But your anxiety, laulyam, that will make you successful in receiving the mercy, unalloyed mercy of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 25, 1975:

Through śāstra and guru we have to understand. So Kṛṣṇa is accepted by all the sādhus and ācāryas. Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—all of them accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So ācārya means one who has learned, taken knowledge from the śāstra, authoritative śāstra, Vedas. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended, ācāryopāsanam. If you want real knowledge, then you must take knowledge from the ācāryas or the ācārya-paramparā. Then there is knowledge. Otherwise it is ignorance.

Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 27, 1975:

So if we want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then we must increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, and by that process we can understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Then our door to go back to home, back to Godhead is clear. The conclusion is, therefore, that we should take to the bhakti process as it is enunciated in authoritative śāstra, by Kṛṣṇa, by the ācāryas. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is the way, only, for our perfection of life.

Departure Talks

Departure Lecture -- London, March 12, 1975:

It is possible only when you have learned how to love Kṛṣṇa. Then it is possible. Then you will see that "Everyone is Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. So he is suffering for want of his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Let me speak something about Him, about Kṛṣṇa. Let me give some literature to him about Kṛṣṇa so that one day he will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become happy." This is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ smaraṇam process. We should ourself also continuously hear from authoritative literature, person, and continuously go on chanting the same thing, repetition. That's all. Then everything will be happy atmosphere. Otherwise the crows assembly in the garbage will continue, and nobody will be happy.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: From a source. Therefore the perfect reason is that this cosmic manifestation. Also we get from authoritative books, Vedic literature, how it has grown.

Śyāmasundara: How is it that someone else could apply their material reason and come to a different conclusion?

Prabhupāda: What is that reason? How can he prove? He must have proved by his experience. Thus his experience proving that things are... The man who is talking of this nonsense can he prove that he is born without his father? How is that? How his existing is there? How his material body came into existence? It was caused by his father. Then how can he deny the cause? His very existence is depending upon some cause.

Philosophy Discussion on John Stuart Mill:

Prabhupāda: The śāstras, the Vedic literature is there, the Upaniṣads are there, books are there, śāstra cakṣuṣa. You have to see it through the śāstras. That is the injunction. You cannot see directly. You have to see śāstra cakṣuṣa. Your eyes, they are defective. Just like if you read astrology, astronomy, then you can understand what is the actual volume or the bulk of the sun, but by your eyes you are seeing just a disc. So all your senses are defective. So directly seeing or perceiving or tasting has no value, because these are all defective. So we have to, it is said, you should see through śāstras, through authoritative instruction.

Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein:

Śyāmasundara: So our ultimate verification does not rest with our senses but with the authoritative...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Authoritative knowledge, that is real seeing. That is real seeing. Just like we have not seen Kṛṣṇa, take for example. Then all we are fools and rascals, that we are after Kṛṣṇa? People may say that "You have not seen Kṛṣṇa. Why you are after so much, Kṛṣṇa?" They can say. But then you are all set of fools. Does it mean that we are all set of fools? Then how we have seen Kṛṣṇa?

Śyāmasundara: Wittgenstein, in that respect he answers that these metaphysical or mystical ideas, even though they are not expressed in words, can be felt or appreciated without knowing whether it is true.

Prabhupāda: No. That is knowing. To know through authorities, that is knowing. That is real knowing. That is the process of Vedic knowledge: to know through the authorities. The same example: if somebody is asking, "Who is my father?" then he has to know through the authority of mother; otherwise there is no other way. So therefore to know through authority is perfect knowledge.

Philosophy Discussion on Jacques Maritain:

Prabhupāda: Śrī Rāmānujācārya, when writing comments on Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3), he says manuṣya means "inquisitive." Not with two legs and hands. That is not a manuṣya; that is an animal. (indistinct) vikara (indistinct). One who inquires from authoritative Vedas, śāstras, he's a human being. And those who are not inquisitive, they are not considered to be human being. "What is the essence?" that is human being. Otherwise animal life. And tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). And one who is actually inquisitive, he, he requires to have the guidance of spiritual master.

Philosophy Discussion on Bertrand Russell:

Prabhupāda: That is the proof. He gives there. Guru—the next line says who is guru: śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭam. He has heard the truth from the paramparā system, and the result of his hearing-he's firmly convinced and fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when one can finally see that one is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and he answers all questions on the authority of śāstra, he's guru. This is the proof of it(?). Just like we, whenever we say something, we immediately support it by quoting from Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata, Vedas. This is called knowledge. And the result of knowledge-fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, firm. Nobody can deviate. That is guru. Two sides: one side is that he knows everything from authoritative source. And he, as the result, is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. These two things are the symptoms of guru.

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Prabhupāda: And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad..., yah śāstra-vidhim. Śāstra from that śas-dhātu. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya, giving it up, decides by his whims, na siddhim avāpnoti, they'll never get any siddhi, perfection. Therefore the śāstra should be mediator. But these people have no śāstras. They have got simply that barrel of gun. That's all. And that is very rude. And it will never come to perfection. For the temporary time, this party may win or that party may win. That will never... That is the position in the modern world. They have no authoritative śāstra. They manufacture their own way, and therefore there is no peace. First World War, Second World War, Third World War, and there cannot be any peace. As soon as you become strong, you declare war. Hitler thought, "I am now strong. Let me declare war."

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Śyāmasundara: So real progress only comes through...

Prabhupāda: Authoritative decision. If we accept that, then that is real conclusion.

Śyāmasundara: He says that there is conflict, and you say that...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Conflict is always there. But you cannot come to the conclusion unless you take the right decision from the authority. Two litigants, there is conflict. I say that "You do this." You say, "No, why can I do it? Our agreement is different." So there is conflict. So you go to the court and take the right decision from the judge.

Purports to Songs

Purport & Explanation to Hari Hari Biphale -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1968:

Two kinds of knowledge are there. You can practically understand by experiment. This is called jāniyā. And another knowledge is by hearing from authoritative source. That is also knowledge. Jāniyā śuniyā "By hearing process and by experimental knowledge, in both ways, I know that this human form of life is meant for engaging in the loving service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, but I did not do that. That means purposefully I have drunk poison. I have committed suicide." Then golokera prema-dhana, g-o-l-e... No. G-o-l-o-k-e-r-a, golokera.

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1969:

If you can adopt all of them, that's very nice. If not, you can adopt eight of them. You can adopt seven of them, six of them, five of them, four of them. But even if you adopt only one of them, your life will be successful. What are those nine methods? Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Hearing from authoritative sources. And chanting. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Smaraṇam. Memorizing. Vandanam, prayers. Śravaṇa kīrtanaṁ, smaraṇaṁ vandana, pāda-sevanam. Offering service to His lotus feet as eternal servant. Pūjana sakhī-jana. Or just try to love Kṛṣṇa as your friend. Ātma-nivedana. Or give up everything for Kṛṣṇa.

Purport to Hari Hari Biphale -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

This is a song sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a very stalwart ācārya in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya, disciplic succession. He has sung many songs, important songs, and his songs are accepted as Vedic conclusion. (break) ...very authoritative songs. So he says, praying to Lord Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Lord," hari hari, "I have simply spoiled my life." Hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu. Why you have spoiled your life? He says, manuṣya-janama pāiyā, "I got this human form of life," rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, "but I did not care to worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I have spoiled my life." And how it is? It is exactly like one takes poison knowingly.

Page Title:Authoritative (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Matea
Created:07 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=223, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:223