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Custom (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:

So this gross body is required for enjoyment. Spirit, spiritual body is also very subtle, and the astral body, or subtle body, is also very subtle. The gross body required. So on account of one's severe sinful life, he does not get this gross body. Therefore the lupta-piṇḍodaka-kriyā (BG 1.41). Taking for granted that some of my forefathers have become ghostly life and has not got the gross body, so by this piṇḍodaka... Piṇḍa means offering prasāda of Viṣṇu prasāda. Still in India there is a place Gayā. There is Viṣṇu temple, and it is a custom all Hindus... Nowadays, they do not go. They do not believe even. They have given up everything. Due to unwanted children, they don't care for it, what is family, what is piṇḍa-udaka. Simply eat, drink, be merry, and enjoy, that's all. But you see 5000 years, Arjuna... Arjuna was not a brāhmaṇa, neither a sannyāsī. A gṛhastha, householder, and a, in royal order. He's on the battlefield. He's not a Vedantist. But just see how his knowledge is perfect. This is Vedic culture.

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

Yadi māṁ apratikāram aśastram śastra-pāṇayaḥ. It is the custom between the kṣatriyas that in the fighting, if the other party hasn't got weapon to fight, this party will supply him weapon, not that the other party without weapon and this party will take opportunity to kill him. This is not the rules and regulation of fighting. There are many rules and regulation of the fighting. Not that "Because he is my enemy, I shall kill him any way." No. There are rules and regulations. If the enemy has broken his chariot, he is fallen down on the ground, the other party also will immediately get down from the chariot.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

A kṣatriya... It is the custom of the kṣatriya that if they are wounded on the back side, he is considered a coward, but if he is wounded on the chest, he is accepted as real kṣatriya. That means he has fought face to face. That is the injunction of military art in Vedic injunction.

Lecture on BG 2.32 -- London, September 2, 1973:

Even a hundred years ago this system was prevalent in Kashmir. If a thief is arrested and if he's proved that he has stolen, immediately king will cut off his two hands. Bas, finished. No court witness. And it will go for ten years to find out whether he has stolen. This is government. Therefore, the injunction is kṣatriya hi prajā rakṣan śastra-pāṇiḥ pradaṇḍayan. Always must be very strict. Nirjitya para-sainyādi dharmeṇa pālayet. This is dharma. In the Manu-smṛti it is said that if a man, a murderer, one man has killed another man... Why man? Even animal. He's a murderer. Now murdering is no offense. They are killing daily so many babies within the womb, murderers. That has become a custom. They're killing hundreds and thousands of animals daily in the slaughterhouse. It has become a custom. So now even human being, murder, he's not condemned to death.

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 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida:

You cannot know whether you are sleeping in a skyscraper building or on the ground, because you are dreaming something else which has taken you from your bed. You have forgotten that "My body is lying there on the bed, and now I am flying in the air," dreaming. So this sleeping method, if you improve, that is not advancement of civilization. Similarly mating. The dog has no social custom. Whenever there is another she-dog, he mates on the street, and you may do very silent in a secret place, but the mating is there. But people are learning how to mate like dog. So in this way defending. A dog has also his defending measures. He has got teeth and nails. He can defend himself. And you might have atom bombs. But the measure is defending. That's all.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

Just like you are inquisitive to see what is the moon planet, so if a yogi likes: "Oh, let me see what is the moon planet. Then I shall transfer myself to higher planets..." Just like travelers. They come to New York, then go to California, then go to Canada. Similarly, you can transfer yourself in so many planets by this yoga system. But anywhere you go the, the same system, visa system and customs system, there are. So Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, they are not interested in these temporary planets. May be for a long duration, but they are not interested.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, being great logician, he could not understand the bhakti philosophy, but when he became a student of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he could understand how much elevated was Rāmānanda Raya. At that time before, "I could not realize," but when he become himself a devotee, he could understand. Therefore when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was going to the South Indian tour he recommended, "Sir, if You can meet Rāmānanda Raya, You'll be very much pleased. He's a great, advanced student in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu met him on the bank of Godāvarī River. And the talk was going on, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu took the position of the student, and he was offered, Rāmānanda Raya was offered the position of the teacher, although he was gṛhastha, governor, and according to our social custom, karaṇa, śūdra. So he was hesitant.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:
So it is a long story. I am making short cut. So Nārada Muni asked him that "You sit down on this bank of Ganges and here is the tulasī plant. You worship it, and I will send your food. Don't be worried." So next morning it was declared in the village, "That heinous hunter has become a Vaiṣṇava." So people, generally, they are inquisitive. They came to see. It is the custom when you go to see a saintly person, you take some fruits or flowers or some rice or some āṭā. So huge stack of rice and āṭā and fruits and flowers also. They were surprised: "Why Nārada Muni is sending so much? We are simply husband and wife." In this way they become Vaiṣṇava. And after some time Nārada Muni with his friend Parvata Muni, he wanted to see his devotee. So he asked Parvata Muni that "My dear friend, will you come with me. I shall show my devotee who was formerly a hunter." So Parvata Muni knew that "You can play wonderful. So let me see this devotee." So when Nārada Muni was coming, this devotee was going to receive the spiritual master. This is the custom, to receive the spiritual master from distant place with all honor by bowing down. But he was jumping. He was jumping. So when he came near, the Parvata Muni first of all asked him, "My dear son, you are great devotee, but while coming here why you are jumping?" He said that "On the ground there are so many ants, sir. So I do not want to kill these ants."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Montreal, August 2, 1968:

"Kṛṣṇa appeared for reestablishing the religious principles, but after His disappearance, who has taken charge for this department?" That was their question. So Sūta Gosvāmī is congratulating them, that "This question is very auspicious," loka-maṅgalam. Loka means this world, and maṅgalam means auspicious. So first of all he is explaining what is dharma. Dharma is translated in English as "religion," but actually, it does not convey the real import of dharma. As I have many times explained in these meetings, that dharma means some particular characteristic which you cannot change. That is called dharma. Dharma does not mean a particular type of faith. Faith is different thing. Faith is followed blindly or by social custom or something else. Faith is different. But dharma, either you change social custom, country, time, space, it cannot be changed. That is dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

Just like in Europe and America, the papers are now discussing about our Movement. They say, "They are nice people, and we want more of them." At least, they are saying like that. Yes. "These Hare Krishna people, they are very nice, and we want more of them." And in Berkeley, when our procession was taken, the neighboring shopkeepers, they remarked that "These people are not window-breaking crowd." Because as soon as there is some crowd, or procession, immediately they begin to break the windows and throw stones. That is, that has become a custom. So when they see that these people are very peaceful... Even the police, they also give certificate that "We don't have to take much worries to control this crowd," when our Ratha-yātrā festival go.

Lecture on SB 1.3.20 -- Los Angeles, September 25, 1972:

That was the custom. Not that by removing the king from the throne or killing the king, the brāhmaṇas and the sages would come there to sit down on the throne. No. His son will be given chance to become king. The descendant was picked up, and they would take charge of the minor king, advise him, but they will never touch the throne. There are many instances. Just like Veṇa Mahārāja. He became too much atheistic. He was also killed by the brāhmaṇas and the sages. Then his son Pṛthu Mahārāja became king, and he was a good administration, administrator. So in this way, things were going on.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

So here Nārada Muni said that "You have compiled so many books, that's all right. What is the idea? The idea is dharmādayaḥ. You are teaching religious principle." There are twenty viṁśati dharma-śāstrāḥ. This Manu-saṁhitā, Parāśara Muni's law, and social custom, this, that. So many there are. These are originally by different sages, but Vyāsadeva made it, compiled it just for proper use. People can understand them. So he has explained all these books for use of the human society undoubtedly. How to become religious, how to develop economic position, how to understand what is liberation, how to satisfy restrictedly sense gratification. Just like in books, in Vyāsadeva's books, you will find these different kinds of... Just like those who are eating flesh. That is also given direction by Vyāsadeva, in the tāmasika-purāṇa, Purāṇa for the persons who are in ignorance.

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

Anyway, Vyāsadeva, Nārada says that "Even jñānaṁ nirañjanam..." Nirañjana means... Añjana... Añjana means ointment or designation, something covering. So nirañjanam. If one is elevated in knowledge, then he becomes free from this designated life. Our material life is añjana life, or designated life. Añjana... Just like we decorate. I think I wrote one article in my Back to Godhead in India, "Decoration of the Dead Body." This material qualification means decoration of the dead body. Actually, the body is dead, but there are certain men who wants to decorate this dead body. In India also, still the custom is in lower class men, when some of their relative die... I hear that here also they do such. They decorate the dead body very nicely.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

A brāhmaṇa will speak truth, even to his enemy. If the enemy comes, if a rogue comes, "How much money you have got in your box?" a brāhmaṇa will say, "Sir, I have got one hundred dollars." (laughs) Just like the other day, in the Customs examination in Bombay, so our Brahmānanda Mahārāja was asked, "What is the value?" "No, I have purchased it." "What is the value?" "Two hundred dollars." He did not say that "I am using it for long time." No. "It is new. I have purchased." That's all right. Yes. But Kali-yuga is so implicated that sometimes we have to speak the untruth. But it is the business of the brāhmaṇa to speak the truth. No untruth.

Lecture on SB 1.7.24 -- Vrndavana, September 21, 1976:

They're trying, one, two planets, moon planet or Mars planet. No. You cannot go there, what to speak of other planets. If you want to go there then you have to qualify yourself. Not that because you have got a machine, you can go there. No. That is not possible. Therefore conditioned. Conditioned means you have to fulfill the condition. Just like from here if I want to go to America, then I have to fulfill the condition: the visa condition, the passport condition, the health condition, the custom condition—so many conditions. You cannot go immediately. Or nobody can come from there also. In every respect we are conditioned. Every respect. This body is conditioned. You cannot enjoy this body unconditionally. No. That is not possible. You have to change. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13).

Lecture on SB 1.8.22 -- Los Angeles, April 14, 1973:
So Kṛṣṇa's all parts of the body, as reference to the paṅkaja. Paṅkaja means lotus flower. Paṅka means mud, and ja means generate. Paṅkaja, the lotus flower, is so important. Still, it is generated from mud. So Kṛṣṇa likes paṅkaja very much, lotus flower. So if we see lotus flower, we can immediately remember Kṛṣṇa. If... Just like if you love your child, if you see any garment, a small ship, shoes or any play things, immediately you remember your child: "Oh, this is my child's shoes. This is my child's playing things. This is my garment." So it is the custom of love. If you actually love God, Kṛṣṇa, then you can remember Him at any time, always, always. There is no difficulty.
Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974:

Without being married, according to Vedic culture, no man or woman can mix very intimately. That is even in the ordinary dealings. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said that "Except your wife, all women are your mother." This is paṇḍita. Who is a paṇḍita, learned? Now,

mātṛvat para-dāreṣu
para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat
ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu
yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ

This is the description of paṇḍita. Paṇḍita... And in the Bhagavad-gītā, the paṇḍita is described: paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). This is paṇḍita. Nowadays it has become the custom that unless you have got a university degree, either you may be in knowledge..., māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ, you are not recognized as a paṇḍita. But in the Vedic scripture, the paṇḍita is different person. Anyone... This is the moral instruction by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.

Lecture on SB 1.8.40 -- Mayapura, October 20, 1974:

So it is the custom of gṛhasthas that when a gṛhastha goes to see a saintly person, he should bring some gifts. Never mind however insignificant is. At least one palmful of rice or ḍāl or ātara, put there. Give something. If one comes to the temple... Here are many temples in India still. People come there with... One who hasn't got many things, but he brings one palmful of ātara or rice or ḍāl. This is useful. And in the temple there are three pots. They put ḍāl in the ḍāl, ātara in the ātara, and rice in the rice. So in this way the inmates of the temple, they can live without going outside. But people have lost such habit. They come empty-handed—"darśana"—that "I'll not give you anything, but you are a saintly person. Give me darśana, and give me your āśirvāda, and then I enjoy my senses. That's all. Nothing to give you, but you give me your āśirvāda. You give me the dust of your feet. I become benefited. You starve."

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Los Angeles, May 9, 1973:

The culture is so nice, simply by the dress one will understand that "Here is a woman; her husband is not at home. Here is a woman; she is widow. Here is a woman; she is prostitute." In this way, there are. "Here is a woman, she is not married." By dress, one will understand. That vermillion sign means she is married. When she is nicely dressed, oh, she has her husband at home. When she is in white cloth without any ornament, she is widow. When the sīmanta... What is called in English, sīmanta? This? Parting. If it is not in the middle, it is in side, she is a prostitute. So woman should dress in such a way that man will understand. And not married, she will not have this veil. It must be open. So anyway, these are social customs in the Vedic civilization.

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Los Angeles, May 9, 1973:

So a girl is advised to worship śiva-liṅga. Just like we will find in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the neighboring girls of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they were going to the Ganges. In our childhood we have seen, our sisters; they were also worshiping. Mother taught them. Now these things are gone. Nobody is worshiping śiva-liṅga because there are so many liṅgas. So this custom (laughs) is now gone. Anyway, this girl, Pārvatī, was engaged to worship the liṅga, or the genital, of Lord Śiva, but Lord Śiva was not disturbed. So that is called example of dhīra. Dhīra means very sober, not disturbed. That soberness can be had... That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

In India there is a custom that low-class men... Just like cobbler. Cobbler is taken as the low..., those who prepare, expert in skin. So they are generally very poor man. Now they have advanced, because now the Kali-yuga is the age of the śūdras. So they decorate the dead body. If a cobbler's father dies, he brings, he spends money. He brings nice covering cloth, and with flower and everything... So śāstra says that,

bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya
jātiḥ śāstraṁ japas tapaḥ
aprāṇasyeva dehasya
maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam

If you decorate a dead body, it may be very fanciful to the people, that "This dead body is decorated with costly garments and flowers and all things." So, but the dead body is dead. It is not enjoying. You can be complacent that "My father, the body of my father or my relative, is decorated so nicely." But factually, if you study scrutinizingly, what is the benefit out of this? What is the benefit? Dead body decoration? But people do that. They are accustomed to do that.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Melbourne, June 26, 1974:
Śukadeva Gosvāmī was young boy, but paramahaṁsa. So he was received in that big assembly as the great personality of knowledge. Even his father Vyāsadeva was present. So everyone stood up. His father also stood up to receive him, he was such a great personality. And then he was given nice seat, as is the custom, to give advice to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: "What was my duty?" But Parīkṣit Mahārāja was, from the beginning of his life, was a devotee himself, a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And he inquired, "Whether I shall devote or I shall absorb my mind with Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Because he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Many people gathered. They gave different advices: "Mahārāja, you do this at the time of death," and "Do that," "Do this." So there were many big, big persons. He was perplexed. But he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa from the very beginning of his life, and thus he inquired, "Whether it is better to absorb the mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" This was his question. So in answer to this question, Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied, varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ: (SB 2.1.1) "My dear King..." Varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa. Nṛpa, "the king," address. "My dear king, your inquiry is very glorified," varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitam (SB 2.1.1), "because on account of this question, whatever I shall reply..." Means he knew. The reply is this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

Parīkṣit Mahārāja happens to be a descendant in that family of Bhārata Mahārāja; therefore he's addressed as Bhārata. Sometimes you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna is also addressed as Bhārata, because Arjuna was also grandfather of this Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Similarly you'll find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Vidura is also addressed as Bhārata. Sometimes Dhṛtarāṣṭra is addressed as Bhārata. So this common family designation is very prominent still in India. Gotra, the family designation. So the old custom, he's also following, addressing him Bhārata. Tasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ (SB 2.1.5). He bhārata sarvātmā iti bhagavān iti sundarya. This very... Each word of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is important. This bhagavān word means all-attractive. Bhagavān... I've explained several times, bhaga means opulences, and van means one who possesses.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

Even an enemy enters your house, you'll receive him in such a friendly way that he will forget that you are his enemy. That was the system. So because Mahārāja Parīkṣit was king, he saw that there is negligence of this disciplinary action. "I became... I was king, and I was thirsty. I became his guest, I came..." Athiti. This guest is called athiti. Athiti means there are some guests who give notice before, prior to coming there, and some guests come without any notice. So the guest who comes without any notice, he's called athiti. So according to Hindu custom, the householder is to keep always some foodstuff for athiti guest. Somebody may come without notice, so some foodstuff is already in the stock. That is called athiti food. And a gṛhastha, the householder, is ordered that before eating, a householder was to see in the members of the family, first the children must be fed, then diseased person must be fed, then elderly, old person must be fed. In this way, when everything is finished, then the proprietor of the household, he will take his meals, and before taking his meals, he will stand outdoors and call loudly, "If somebody is hungry, please come. Still there is food here." And if there is no response, then he'll take. This is the system of Vedic civilization.

Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:
We have become so foolish that we do not know what is the actual condition of life. I am repeating this again and again. Our actual position is not to die, but we are dying. But we are so foolish, we do not take care of it. "Let us die. Let us die." But śāstra says, Kṛṣṇa says, Bhagavad-gītā says, that "Why you should die?" But they are so dull brain, they say, "Let us die. What is that?" Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu. Kṛṣṇa has picked up... Their whole life is miserable condition, tri-tāpa-yatana, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, but we are so foolish, we have accepted this miserable condition of life as customary. So they have become accustomed. But the Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavān, personally says that "Your real miserable condition of life are the four things: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)."
Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

Just like the communist class men, they say, "The religion is the cause of all falldown of the human society, religion." Therefore they are very much against religion. When I was in Moscow, in the airport, my custom checking was being done. So they found out one Bhagavad-gītā. So immediately the custom officer called police. So I thought, "Now my destiny is finished, because... (laughter) Because I know that these people send anyone to some unknown place. You cannot question." In our country that is also coming very soon. Anyone government can send anywhere.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

Every queen possessed a big palatial building, and all the palaces were made of first-class marble, and the furnitures were made of ivory, and the beddings, and the within the room, there was no need of electrical bulb. They are set up with jewels, and they would throw the focus of light. And there was garden, pārijāta flower. You will find all these things in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And each queen had ten sons. And the sons were also married. They had sons. In this way, very, very opulent. But still, they were placing themself in the position of maidservant. They were also king's daughter, not ordinary being. So that is the Vedic conception. Of course, I do not know what is the practice here. But in Bengal this is the practice. When the son goes to marry to the bride's house, it is a custom. The mother asks the son, "My dear son, where you are going?" So the bridegroom answers, "I am going to bring one maidservant for you." This is the system.

Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:

One who is avaiṣṇava, he cannot become guru. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. A brāhmaṇa, and he is very expert in ṣaṭ-karma... Ṣaṭ-karma means six kinds of occupational duties. What is that? Paṭhana. A brāhmaṇa must be very, very learned scholar by reading Vedic literature, and pāṭhana, and teach others of the Vedic literature. Therefore it was the custom of the brāhmaṇas—they would not accept anyone's service. They will sit down anywhere and open a school for teaching Vedic literature. Paṭhana pāṭhana. He will personally become learned, and he will teach others. And the students, they will go from door to..., brahmacārī, door to door for begging, "Mother, give me some alms," and they will give because their students are there in the gurukula or catuṣpāṭhī. So whatever they will bring, that will be cooked and offered to Kṛṣṇa, and the prasādam will be distributed amongst themselves. This was the process, not twenty rupees' fee and give some bribe to enter into the school, and that is also all rascal education, no. First-class education, without any fee, from the realized soul—that was educational system, varṇāśrama-dharma.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

The hogs, whole day and night, they are after stool and sense gratification. Similarly, if human being, his whole day and night after eating and sense gratification, then he's missing the opportunity. That is the instruction. Human life should be regulated. You should eat this kind of foodstuff, you should have sex life in this way, you should sleep in this way, you should act in this way, you should think... They're all regulative principles. You cannot do unrestricted things. In the human society there are books of regulation—not for the animal society. The lawbook is meant for the human society, not for the animal society. So the human society becomes free, without observing any social conveniences or social custom or abiding by the laws—no, that is not human body. That is exactly like animal body.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

If a sannyāsī, you'll find from Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is going from village to village, but any village he goes... Generally, the sannyāsī goes to a temple because temple is meant for the traveling sannyāsī. And as soon as one sannyāsī... Still this custom is prevalent in India, as soon as somebody sees a sannyāsī has come in a temple, somebody from the village, not somebody, but many will come, "Sir, you can take your lunch at my place." So there is no scarcity. Many people will come to invite you still. Therefore many pseudo or phony swamis, they have taken this profession because there is no difficulty getting food. So, mahat-sevā. The... What is the idea? The idea is the gṛhasthas, they know that "We are simply engaged in the matter of sense gratification. If we invite some saintly person at home, if he eats at my place, then, we commit so many sinful activities, we'll be saved." This is the process.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

If we are, our heart is attached to limited circle of my friends, wife, children, home, country, then I am kṣūdrātmā, because that is limited. Kṣūdrātmā or durātmā. The opposite is mahātmā. Mahan, great. So we have to associate with mahātmā. Mahat-sevā. How associate? Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34), to associate. Therefore, it is the custom whenever one goes to see one saintly person, he gives something for service, either fruits or something presentation. That is necessary. Mahat-sevā it is said. Sevā means service. Maha-sevā. Not that I go to see one mahātmā, saintly person, and talk with him with all rascal proposal, and waste his time and his own time also. That is not association of the mahātmā. Mahat sevā. You must approach a saintly person to give him some service. This is the beginning. Spiritual advancement of life means you have to give some service. That service begins when we serve the representative of Kṛṣṇa, mahātmā. He's spiritual master or saintly person.

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Nellore, January 7, 1976:

It is the custom still now, India, that when you go to see some Deity or a Vaiṣṇava, sādhu, you bring some..., one must give rice or attar; you give them as contribution. So he thought that Nārada Muni was sending the attar, rice, dahl, and everything. So he became confident that he would not die because he is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In this way he gradually became a perfect Vaiṣṇava because he was chanting under the instruction of the spiritual master and committing no sinful activities. So we being in the disciplic succession of Nārada Muni, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are advising the same principle, that "Don't commit sinful activities, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra."

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

So api cet su-durācāro. If somebody says, "These devotee, these American and European devotees, we accept as sādhu, but they have got some bad habits." Suppose one sees, according to the European-American custom after eating they do not wash hands. That is, they are not practiced to that way. So similarly, if I see that "Here is an American devotee or European devotee, he ate but did not wash his hands, so he is not yet perfect," "No," Kṛṣṇa says. "No." Api cet suḍurācāro. This is a small fault that he has not washed his hands. But we should not neglect to wash our hands. If by mistake, if by forgetfulness I do that, that is excused. But not that because it is excused we shall follow..., we shall neglect the rules and regulations. But Kṛṣṇa says that even he is suḍurācāro, his behavior is not up to the standards, still he is sādhu. Still sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). He should be taken, accepted as sādhu. Because why? Because he has taken Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Without any deviation he is engaged in his service. That qualification makes him sādhu. It is not that by mistake, he commits some mistake in his behavior.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

Our life is to attain the transcendental platform of knowledge. That is our goal of life. Then how it can be done? Suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ. You associate with that cultural institution where there are suśīlāḥ, very well behaved. Now, find out any institution throughout the whole world who are suśīla. You will find here in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement: no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication. You won't find anywhere. This is called suśīla, well behaved. Suśīla means... śīla means behavior, or custom. Here you will find they are taking bath three times, they are changing cloth, everything neat and clean, personally their character, their behavior, suśīla. Suśīlāḥ sādhavaḥ. Sādhavaḥ means saintly.

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

Antar means within the heart. Antar-hṛdayād dāsī-patim. Nowadays, sometimes one becomes a prostitute. That is very usual now. But in India still, nobody will marry a prostitute. Nobody. Still. In the Western country, never mind he's a prostitute, she's a prostitute, if she marries—Ph.D. certificate, that's all. So this is old custom. Once one girl becomes prostitute, she'll never be touched. Kṛṣṇa married sixteen thousand wives. Kṛṣṇa can do anything. That is another thing. So these sixteen thousand girls were kidnapped by that Bhaumāsura. So without finding any way how to escaped from this asura's hand, they appealed to Kṛṣṇa that "You save us. This is our position." So Kṛṣṇa is bhakta-vatsala. He came and released them and killed the Bhaumāsura and asked them, "Now you can go to your father's house." So they began to cry. Why? "Now our fathers will not accept us because we have been kidnapped." Just see. "We have been kidnapped. I have no right to go to the father. And we're not married also." "Then, what you want?" "You kindly marry us." "All right. Come on." (laughter) This is Kṛṣṇa. Yes.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

Dāsyā. Dāsyā means prostitute. In India it is the old custom that a prostitute quarter is maintained for the lusty people. Those who are not satisfied with one wife, they should not pollute the society, but they should go to the prostitutes. So that means illicit sex, sex without the, I mean to say, intention for begetting a nice child, that is illicit sex. There are two kinds of illic... Avaidha-strī-saṅga. Avaidha. Avaidha means against the vidhi, against the regulation. Putra-piṇḍa. Putrārthe kriyate bhāryā. Bhāryā means wife. Wife is accepted simply for begetting sons. Therefore it is called dharma-patnī. Dharma-patnī. A son is required... Why one should accept a wife for begetting son? Putra-piṇḍa-prayojanam.

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

Bali Mahārāja, he gave up the connection of his spiritual master. To give up the connection with spiritual master, that is also most abominable. So these people became mahājanas because as soon as they saw that "My father or my spiritual master is against the Supreme Personality of Godhead, such person immediately should be given up." Jīva Gosvāmī says... In Indian, according to Indian custom, there is a family spiritual master, family priest, family spiritual master. So Jīva Gosvāmī says that for advancement of spiritual life, one should give up the family spiritual master if he is not competent and accept actually a bona fide spiritual master. Because people are under impression that... Impression... It is a fact that one cannot give up the connection of the spiritual master. That is a great sin.

Lecture on SB 7.9.24 -- Mayapur, March 2, 1976:

A servant has to tolerate. Tolerate. Servant, sometimes master orders so many things, so he becomes disturbed. But still, he has to execute and tolerate. That is perfection. Here in India still, when a person goes to marry, so his... This is a custom. His mothers ask the bridegroom, "My dear son, where you are going?" He replies, "Mother, I am going to bring one maidservant for you." This is the system. "Mother, I am going to bring one maidservant for you." That means "My wife, your daughter-in-law, will serve you as your maidservant." This is Vedic civilization.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.49-65 -- San Francisco, February 3, 1967:

Now, just see the behavior of Lord Caitanya. Although He was not in agreement with the other party, still, because they were sannyāsīs, renounced order of life, Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered His respect by bowing down before them. It is the duty of everyone, not only between the sannyāsī and sannyāsī. It is the custom of Vedic system. As soon as one would see a sannyāsī, at once he should offer his respect. If he does not offer his respect, then it is enjoined that he should fast one day as punishment. He should not eat. "Oh, I saw a sannyāsī, but I did not offer my respect. Therefore the penance should be that I should fast one day." This is the injunction. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was God Himself, but His behavior and His etiquette was excellent. At once He saw the sannyāsīs, He offered His respect. Pāda prakṣālana kari vasilā sei sthāne.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154 -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). People misunderstood. Therefore Caitanya came. He took sannyāsa so that... It is the custom in our country that a sannyāsī is offered respect. That is our Vedic system. If one does not show any respect to a sannyāsī, he has to fast one day. That is the injunction. Still, India, they do not disrespect a sannyāsī, although many so-called sannyāsīs, they are taking advantage of this. That is another subject. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted sannyāsa so that people may respect Him. And simply by respecting Him, he'll be liberated. He is so kind. So Rūpa Gosvāmī, he offers his respect to Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.254 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1968:
Everything is complete there. And in that Mahābhārata is put this Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is only a portion of the Mahābhārata. This was also written by Vyāsadeva. But at last, he was not satisfied. Or even after writing so many big literatures, he was not satisfied. So one day he was sitting very morose, and in the same time, his spiritual master, Nārada, came to see him. Because Nārada is not an ordinary spiritual master. He could understand that "My disciple is sitting morose. So I must go there and give him some encouragement because he's a great personality. He is giving human society so many nice things, but he's not very happy in his mood. So I shall go and give him some encouragement." So I am reading from the Bhāgavata this introduction, how Bhāgavata was compiled by Vyāsadeva. I am reading that chapter. This is the First Canto, Fifth Chapter. So when his spiritual master, Nārada, came... It is the custom of disciple to receive him, and to give him nice seat, and offer obeisances, and then talk on different subject matters. So when Nārada came, Vyāsadeva offered him good seat, and..., comfortable seat, and offered his obeisances. Then Nārada is preaching to him. He saw his disciple Vyāsadeva very much morose.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.66-96 -- New York, November 21, 1966:
"It doesn't matter whether you are a householder, or you are a brāhmaṇa, or you are a renounced order of... If you know the science of Kṛṣṇa—you are fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness—you are My guru. You are my spiritual master." So that is the relation between spiritual master and the student, not that the spiritual master, because he has officially accepted the post as spiritual master, he should remain as... He should accept the students also as his spiritual master. This is the reciprocation. Prabhu. Everyone would address the other as prabhu. But officially one may be a spiritual master. But in spiritual platform there is no such difference. But officially, custom is that spiritual master is considered in the place of Supreme Lord, and therefore he is given the such respect. But the spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master, he thinks that "I am your disciple. I am your disciple." And practical example I have seen: our Guru Mahārāja, when we offered obeisances, he used to return me, dāso 'smi: "I am your servant." He used to return me this way, "I am your servant."
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

It is A custom is still: whatever he may be, because he's born in a brāhmaṇa family, he's addressed as paṇḍitajī. Paṇḍitajī. So here Sanātana Gosvāmī says, grāmya-vyavahāre. Grāmya-vyavahāre means in village transaction. "Actually I am not paṇḍita, but the villagers, my neighbors, they call me paṇḍita. And because they call me paṇḍita, I also think that I am a paṇḍita." I have seen it in Calcutta. One man was pulling on thela with a sacred thread, and another man, maybe he's village men, he "Paṇḍitajī, pala ela(?)." And he's pulling on thela, he said, "Betaji kag amar(?)." Now this is going on. What is the value of his asirvad(?), blessing, who is engaged in pulling on thela? But this is grāmya-vyavahāre. This is not actual fact. So Caitanya..., by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Sanātana Gosvāmī has learned it that "They called me paṇḍita. It is false address. I am not really paṇḍita."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.144-146 -- New York, December 1, 1966:

If somebody, some of you, somebody comes, outsider, and asks from this institution, our Society, that "Please give me this," so you can deliver it, but you will take permission from me. That is a common custom. Similarly, the demigods also, they cannot offer their reward without sanction of Viṣṇu. Mayaiva vihitān hi tān. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām (BG 7.23). Therefore Viṣṇu is present there. He... In the midst of worshiping other demigods, Viṣṇu is presented, and that is the system of Vedic process. So therefore Viṣṇu is Supreme. Why Viṣṇu's sanction is required? Therefore it is understood, although in different Purāṇas different types of worship for different types of demigods are recommended, but the ultimate sanction is of Viṣṇu. Therefore Viṣṇu becomes supreme.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

There is the Nāthadvārā temple in Rajasthan. You pay two annas only. Two annas means one cent. You get sumptuous prasāda for two annas, all very nice prasāda, still. So prasāda distribution in temple is longstanding usage. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura... The Jagannātha temple is managed by a body, and it is the custom that the local magistrate of the district, he becomes the president, or manager. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was manager in that sense, because he was magistrate. The managing committee was being presided by him. So there was a complaint. In Orissa, this Jagannātha temple is situated in Orissa. Utkāla. Utkāla, this state, was originally belonging to Dhruva Mahārāja. His son's name was Utkāla, Mahārāja Utkāla. Anyway, so this Utkāla, there was a pseudo yogi. He declared himself that... Just like you'll find nowadays also, there are so many rascals declaring that "I am incarnation of God." And they know some mystic power, play some jugglery, and foolish people take them: "Oh, he's God." So there appeared one like such pseudo God, Viṣṇu, in a village of Orissa. And he was dancing rāsa dance, and foolish people were sending their daughters and wife to dance with him. You see? There were so many.

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

Simply God has given you tongue, and God has given you ear. Just go on chanting: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and it will fulfill your spiritual advancement. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa said, jñātvā ajñātvā ca karmāṇi jano 'yam anutiṣṭhanti: "Generally, mass of people, they are ignorant. They perform some religious rituals knowingly or unknowingly as a matter of superstition or custom." So, viduṣa karma-siddhiḥ syāt. But one who is intelligent, he should know that "By this sacrifice, I must get the result." Viduṣo karma-siddhiḥ syāt tathā na viduṣo bhavet: "And those who are fools, they, simply by superstition, they do it."

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa did not recommend that you should do something under superstition. No. You must do it for practical result. This dogmatism, fanaticism—"Oh, why I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? I am Christian. I am Jews"—this is fanaticism. If you find actually ecstasy by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, why should you not? Why should you not? "No. I am Jew." "I am Christian." "I am Muhammadan." Well, it is transcendental vibration from the spiritual platform. Your Muhammadism, Christianism, Hinduisim, Buddhism, this is skin disease. This is... Because you have got some particular body at particular circumstances, therefore you claim like that. But actually we are all spirit soul, and this sound vibration is from the spirit soul. It will appeal to everyone. See the effect. Then don't be fanaticist. Don't be, I mean to say, sectarian. So Kṛṣṇa wants that, that simply by custom, one should not follow the rituals. One should see the effect.

Govardhana Puja Lecture -- New York, November 4, 1966:

"So, whether you are confident of the result of this sacrifice?" He is asking His father. Just see. Kṛṣṇa was a boy, and He is asking His father, "Whether you are confident of the result of this sacrifice? You are going to satisfy the demigods, sacrifice. Or," athavā laukikaḥ, "or it is simply a custom, village custom, that you are doing it?" Laukikas tan me pṛcchata sādhu bhaṇyatām: "Now I am very much inquisitive to learn from you. Please explain."

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971:

So after publishing three parts of readings(?), then automatically, Guru Mahārāja gave me indication that "Now you can start for America." So some way or other, in 1965 I went to America, with great difficulty. But I took about two hundred sets of books. The customs clearance was done, I told them that "Oh, I am taking these books for distribution. Not for sale." Anyway, they passed, and with these books I reached America. And I was maintaining myself by selling these books for one year. There was no friend, and I was living in apartment with great difficulty. Still, the whole, I mean to say, stock, and my typewriter, my tape recorder—everything was stolen. In this way, I became very much depressed, and I was going to the shipping company, "When the next ship is going for, going to India?" So they gave me such and such date. Then I thought, "Let me wait for some time more. Then I shall return back." I had return ticket, of course. There was no difficulty.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Rukmini Dasi -- Montreal, August 15, 1968:

Just like in Christian religion it is the custom, what is called? Confession. So we should not (be) like that. It is not confession. Confession means I confess that I have done this sinful act, and as soon as I come out from the church I do it again. No. We should know that all sinful activities are washed off by chanting, but that does not mean we shall commit it again. Whatever we have done, that is washed off. Now we should be careful. And that four principles—no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, and no gambling, no intoxication—you try and follow. You must follow. As you are taking this mantra, you must now follow. Whatever is done is done. Finished. And we, we allow marriage. So there is no restriction. One can marry. But no illicit sex. So these four principles should be followed, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be pleased.

General Lectures

Srila Prabhupada and Disciples Speak -- New York, April 9, 1969:

All the cowherds boys, mother Yaśodā, Nanda Mahārāja, the Vṛndāvana party. So all of them—ready to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when He was a boy, His father was arranging for Indra-yajña. Kṛṣṇa said, "My dear father, there is no need of arranging for Indra-yajña. Better you offer these materials to Govardhana Hill." The father answered, "My dear boy, if You want to offer some sacrifice to the Govardhana Hill, I shall arrange for another yajña. This is our custom. We are observing this traditionally. So let us perform this." Kṛṣṇa said, "No, there is no need." The old man immediately rejected, "All right. Kṛṣṇa, to satisfy Kṛṣṇa." The old tradition immediately gave up. And Indra saw, "Oh, this boy is so impudent. He has stopped my yajña. All right, I shall teach something."

Lecture -- New York, April 16, 1969:

Just like one feels very confident when he has got a great number of soldiers. Suppose we are fighting somewhere. If I have got a nice arrangement for defensive measure, then I feel confident. Similarly, we are thinking that "This home, this wife, this children, this society, this friendship, this love, this nation, that will give me protection." Teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati. But they are so mad that although they are seeing that others' children are dying, others' wife is dying, one, another friend is dying, other nation is being defeated, other social custom or social friendship or any attachment, they are being spoiled, they are attached to all these things only. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu (SB 2.1.4). They have no other information.

Tenth Anniversary Address -- Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to find out the supreme father. Supreme father. That is the sum and substance of this movement. If we do not know who is our father, that is not a very good position. At least, in India, it is a custom, if somebody cannot say his father's name, he is not very respectable. And it is the system in the court that you write your name, you must write your father's name. That is Indian, Vedic system, and the name, his own name, his father's name and his village name. These three combined together. I think this system may be prevalent in other countries, but India, this is the system.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Martin Heidegger:

Śyāmasundara: He says that men have the tendency to fall into this not making their own decisions. Their decisions are not based upon a personal basis but upon group decisions, and just because someone else does something, I do it.

Prabhupāda: That is authentic decision.

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Authentic decision. You must make your decision; therefore there is no... In any human society there is law, there is division, there is social etiquette, social obligation, so many things. So we are not independent to decide that we have to abide by the customs and etiquette.

Page Title:Custom (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Serene
Created:08 of Jun, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=55, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:55