Kaṁsa heard that the eighth son of his sister, Devakī, would kill him. Since that time, he became attracted to Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, somebody's coming in the name Kṛṣṇa, as my sister's eighth son. So He will kill me. So let me kill my sister, the source of Kṛṣṇa." So he first of all wanted to kill his sister. That is due to attraction of Kṛṣṇa. He was very kind to his sister. After the marriage of his sister he was taking very jubilantly his sister and his brother-in-law in a chariot, and he was personally driving, because Devakī happened to be younger sister of Kaṁsa. Naturally, everyone has got some love for younger brother and sister. So he was affectionate. Although he was a nondevotee demon, still, natural attraction one cannot avoid.
Demons (SB Lectures)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- London, August 10, 1971:
The United Nations making plan to stop war, fighting. They cannot do it. It is not possible. You have to take mercy from Kṛṣṇa. Then it is possible to extinguish. We have to seek mercy. But the demons, they don't care for Kṛṣṇa, or God. They think that "We shall do. I am God. I shall do it." Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Because they are narādhama, lowest of the mankind. Why it is called? Kṛṣṇa says. We are not manufacturing this word. Kṛṣṇa says, "lowest of the mankind." Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ.
- na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
- prapadyante narādhamāḥ
- māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
- āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
- (BG 7.15)
Those who are demons, those who have developed this asuric bhāva... Asuric bhāva means denying the existence of God. That is asuric bhāva. There are two kinds of men: asura and devatā. Those who are accepting the authority of the Supreme Lord, they are called devatā. And those who are denying the existence of God... Now such demons are prevalent everywhere, especially the Communists. And others, they write, of course, on the note, "We Trust In God," but practically does not do anything. That is also another edition of demons: under the garb of believing in God, doing all nonsense.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Visakhapatnam, February 20, 1972, At Ladies Club:
So Kṛṣṇa has got two businesses. One, to give protection to the devotee, and the other is to kill the demon. Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared as keśava dhṛta narahari-rūpa, Nṛsiṁhadeva, and Narahari, Nṛsiṁhadeva, one side He was blessing Prahlāda Mahārāja, the devotee, and the other side He was killing his atheist father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. You have seen the picture. So Kṛṣṇa, when He has got the fighting spirit... Because Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Here in this world also, you find two things: friendship and hostility. Just like modern political atmosphere, sometimes there is conference of friendships, and sometimes there is fight with lethal weapons. So this duality is visible in this material world, but in the spiritual world there is no duality. There is absolute peace and... (break). ...So when He wants to fight, He comes here, because here there are many demons. So His fighting spirit is satisfied. Otherwise, for killing the demon, Kṛṣṇa does not require to descend. There are many agents of Kṛṣṇa. For example, this city, Visakhapatnam, on the seashore, if Kṛṣṇa desires, this whole city can be killed in a second, simply by overflooding the sea, or by storm. He has got many agents, parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Or the material agents, Durgā devī, she can all, do all these things. So Kṛṣṇa does not require to descend for killing the demons, but when He feels, just like a rich man sometimes feels to contest with some wrestler, that does not mean he requires it. That is the Kṛṣṇa spirit. He is all-blissful. So when Kṛṣṇa comes, descends, there are many demons. He especially comes for the devotee. But when He fights with the demon, that is also His favor, because anyone killed by Kṛṣṇa, he immediately attains liberation. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Either He fights or blesses, the result is the same.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Edinburgh, July 17, 1972:
In our Kṛṣṇa book there are so many topics about Kṛṣṇa, janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9), about His birth, about His transference from real father's house to another foster father, then the attack by the demons upon Kṛṣṇa, Kaṁsa. All these activities, if we simply study and hear the kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ, then we are liberated. Without any doubt, our liberation is guaranteed. Simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa therefore comes, so many activities. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā (BG 4.14). Kṛṣṇa says that He has nothing to do. What He has to do? But still, He's killing so many demons, He's giving protection (to) so many devotees. Because He has come to reestablish what is religious principles. So by His personal activities He establishes. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do. He's ātmārāma, Kṛṣṇa. He is self-satisfied; He has nothing to do. But to teach us He comes. In this way we should live. From the very beginning of His childhood.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:
Because Kṛṣṇa, so long Kṛṣṇa was present, he was discharging real religion. What was that discharge? Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He was... So long Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, He was killing so many demons and He was giving protection to the devotees. But Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. Either killing or giving protection, they are all the same. So this is the praśna. This is the question of the great learned scholars and sages and brāhmaṇas in the Naimiṣāraṇya.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:
Just like when Kṛṣṇa came, He personally supervised the religious principles, and practically, He killed so many demons who were against religious principles. Demons means those who are against religious principles. And He left His instruction, Bhagavad-gītā, how to follow religious principles.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:
We are missing the point. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). We are accepting this body as everything. And the modern civilization means to enjoy bodily comforts as much as possible. That is perfection of civilization. No. That is not perfection of civilization. That they do not know. Especially the demons, the nondevotees, they do not know.
This question was raised by Hiraṇyakaśipu before Prahlāda, that "Why you are after so much Kṛṣṇa, nonsense God?" So he replied his father, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: (SB 7.5.31) "My dear father, generally, demons like you..." (laughter) Yes. He addressed his father, asura-varya. Asura-varya means "the best of the demons." He was not afraid. He was a five-years-old boy. And he inquired some questions, "My dear boy, what you have learned first class from your teachers?" (Hindi) So Prahlāda Mahārāja addressed his father, tat sādhu manye asura-varya. Asura-varya. His father was addressed not "Father." He was addressed, "My dear the best of the asuras..." Asura-varya. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Mauritius, October 5, 1975:
So religion is disturbed by duṣkṛtina, demons, and those who are saintly person, they execute religion. So paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. Sādhu means saintly person, devotee of God. They are sādhu. And asādhu, or demon, means persons who deny the authority of God. They are called demons. So two business—paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duskrtam: "To curtail the activities of the demons and to give protection to the saintly person, I descend." Dharma-saṁsthā...: "And to establish dharma, the principles of religion." These are the three business for which Kṛṣṇa, or God, or God's representative—or, you say, God's son—they come. This is going on.
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Bombay, December 26, 1972:
Dharmai-kāntasya: not for the irreligious demons, but those who are actually religious, dharmaikāntasya. Kāmo lābhāya... No kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ. Your money should not be free, should not be spent unnecessarily for sense gratification. Formerly, this was the civilization in India. We see so many big, big temple in South India, in other places also, especially South India. It is not possible—in Vṛndāvana also—it is not possible at the present moment to construct such huge, expensive temple. But actually they were done by rich kings, rich mercantile people.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Vrndavana, October 20, 1972:
Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was a warrior, and he utilized his energy for fighting the demons. Because He came to kill the demons. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So Kṛṣṇa wants to utilize your energy for His satisfaction. That is devotion. Everyone has got his energy, and he can spare it for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is real devotion.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:
It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). So it is prakṛti's business to control food supply when people become godless. That is prakṛti's business. Because prakṛti... These statements are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the story of Mahārāja Pṛthu. So prakṛti said that "Because people have become godless, demons, I have restricted my supply." Therefore everything depends on the mercy of the Lord.
Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:
n America, they throw away so many grains and vegetables daily. It is simply mismanagement. Otherwise, there is no question of scarcity or poverty. There is no question. It is simply propaganda. Because they cannot manage, the foolish people, they present the population has increased and the foodstuff is not properly supplied. Foodstuff is always sufficient. But when there are demons, the supply is restricted by nature.
Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:
That we get information from Pṛthu Mahārāja's history. When there was scarcity, Pṛthu Mahārāja wanted to kill the earthly god, or Pṛthvī. But she replied that "I have restricted supply on account of demons, because they are not actually executing the purpose of life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore I have restricted." So the more people become non-Kṛṣṇa conscious, materially conscious, the more there will be restriction of foodstuff. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the Twelfth Canto, it is stated that the end of Kali-yuga there will be no grain supply.
Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:
"Why you have created so many rascaldom, politics and economics and this and that, So many things are encumbered. Please come to Me. You'll be happy." This is the whole instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. He comes. He shows His vṛndāvana-līlā, that "You can dance also with Me. You can play with Me just like cowherds boy. And I shall give you protection. There are so many demons. They're coming to attack us. But I'll give you protection." Jolly life. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 1.2.13 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:
So this is the real dharma, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). If you, someway or other, can satisfy Kṛṣṇa... Just like Arjuna, by killing, he sat... Killing art is not very good art. But because by killing he satisfied Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa gave him certificate, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me (BG 4.3), "Oh, you are My very dear friend." Because Kṛṣṇa's purpose was to kill the demons. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So Arjuna helped to kill the demons and fulfill the desire of Kṛṣṇa. And therefore he became perfect by killing. So if you do anything which is sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa, or by His bona fide representative, that is real dharma. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13).
Lecture on SB 1.2.14 -- Los Angeles, August 17, 1972:
And that is suggested here, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13). That common platform means how to please Kṛṣṇa. Never mind you are brāhmaṇa, you are kṣatriya, you are vaiśya. But so long we are in the material world, there must be four divisions. The kṣatriyas should give protection; otherwise the demons will disturb. So there is the necessity of war with the demons, for kṣatriya. So these three classes are required, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, to give protection. And as soon as the social system is organized, the perfectional point is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord.
Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:
Bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of all righteous persons. He's master of everyone, but the devotees, they especially recognize that Lord is the master of everyone. And the demons, they do not care for God, and God also do not care for them. Let them do their own work and ripe (reap) their own fruit. God does not take responsibility for the demons, but He takes responsibility for the devotees.
Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Los Angeles, August 19, 1972:
Otherwise, how they will have got taste? Brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava, they have taste. Not the śūdras. Because at the present moment there are śūdras, they are lacking taste. But our propaganda is, by some way or other, even they are śūdras, even they're demons, we are creating the taste. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Even there is..., there is no taste for vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ, still, our process is so nice that we create the taste. Nobody was interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but there are thousand now. How? Because we are trying or we have created the taste, by this process.
Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:
So if we actually try to understand Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is solution for all the problems of society, of government, and everything. It is not a sentimental movement. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. One must increase the taste for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa came. He came not only to dance with the gopīs. He took part in politics. He killed so many demons. He established good government. He showed how householders' life. Kṛṣṇa It is all in our Kṛṣṇa book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He was lying with His beautiful queens, and as soon as there is cock crow, immediately He would rise, early in the morning, three o'clock.
Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:
"My dear father..." He did not say "father." He said, "My dear the best of the demons..." His father was a demon, and he was not afraid of his father, although his father was always insisting him, "You give up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, learn like me, become a very big king, politician." But he would say, "No. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). This is best thing." So that was the fight between the father and the son. So sometimes, after all, he was father, sometimes patting the son. So he replied, "My dear the best of the demons, asura-varya..." Asura means demon, and varya means the best. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. "I think for any living entity who has accepted this material body..."
Lecture on SB 1.2.27 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended that when his father asked him: "What is the best thing, my dear boy, you have learned?" He explained, "My dear father..." He did not say "father." He addressed his father as "the best of the demons," asura-varya. Asura-varya. Because he was... (Hindi, aside) Asura-varya. Varya means the best, varīyān, varya.
Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:
When Viśvāmitra Muni went to Mahārāja Daśaratha to ask for his two sons, Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇajī, to take them to the Daṇḍakāraṇya to kill the demon, so at that time, Mahārāja Daśaratha welcomed Viśvāmitra, Viśvāmitra Muni with these words: aihiṣṭaṁ yad punar-janma-jayāya, yatraṁ punar-janma-jayāya(?). Aihiṣṭam. Just like if I meet my friend... Suppose he's a businessman. So I'll ask you how your business going on nicely. Similarly, Viśvāmitra Muni, he was not a businessman. He was a great saint, and he was living in the forest. So what was the purpose?
Lecture on SB 1.2.34 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1972:
Prabhupāda: Our real position is ānanda. Sac-cid-ānanda. Why we are meeting so many problems? This is due to this body. This is due to this body. Therefore the real culture is, real education is, how to stop this repetition of body. But they do not know. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. He is fully joyful. You'll see always Kṛṣṇa joyful. When He's killing an animal, he's laughing. He's joyful. You have seen Kṛṣṇa's picture. It is not that it's a problem. You have seen. Kṛṣṇa is killing that Keśī demon, a horse, big horse, just like a child's play. Kṛṣṇa is, I mean to say, fighting with that bull. What is the name of that bull?
Pradyumna: Ariṣṭāsura.
Prabhupāda: Ariṣṭāsura. The attacking with his horns. Kṛṣṇa is just like playing with a toy. That is Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972:
So this universe, this universe is filled up with water, half. Whatever we are seeing, this is only half, like this. The other half we cannot see. So within this water, sometimes that Hiraṇyākṣa demon drowned this whole earth within this water. So at the present moment we cannot find such demons, but there were demons like that. The whole planetary system is floating, but there may be some demon who can take one of them and put within the water. The planets are floating; that is known to everyone.
Lecture on SB 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972:
He appears as soon as there is discrepancies in the methodical way. Another place, indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam (SB 1.3.28). Indra. Indra means the heavenly god, and ari means enemy. So indrāri, the enemy of the king of heaven. That means demons. There are two classes of beings, human being, in the human state: the devatā and asura. So devatā means God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is devatā, demigod. And anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's demon. This is the difference. So that demon may be very big or small, it doesn't matter, but... Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Viparyayaḥ means "just the opposite." The devotees, they are demigods, and asura means just the opposite number of devotee; that means nondevotees. Those who are nondevotees, those who are not devotees of the Lord, they are all demons.
Lecture on SB 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972:
So demons are always disturbing. They'll create disturbance. That is... Their business is to create disturbance in the creation of the Supreme Lord. So this Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu, two brothers, they were creating so much disturbances. The whole world is disturbed only for the existence of the demons, asuri. At the present moment also, the world is full of demons. The devotees, their number is very, very small. Just like our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We can count within the finger how many we have got, Kṛṣṇa conscious; but demons, non-Kṛṣṇa conscious, nondevotees, there is no limit. Innumerable. So when demons are too much prominent, then Kṛṣṇa comes. So in the Kali-yuga He has appeared... Just like previously He appeared in the form of hog, similarly, Kṛṣṇa has appeared in this Kali-yuga in the form of His name. There is no difference between the form and name of God. God is absolute. Nāma-rūpe, in the form of name.
Lecture on SB 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972:
So those who are disturbed by the demons may take shelter of this form of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be saved. Otherwise, the demon will put you within the Pacific Ocean water. Just like this demon. But Kṛṣṇa will save you. As Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into the water by his father.
Lecture on SB 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972:
So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious means there will be so many enemies. Even father, what to speak of others? They will criticize, they will attack. I have recently received letter from Germany. Our devotees were attacked by a gang. So this is the way. As soon as you become God conscious, the demons will create disturbance. Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He was crucified by the demons. The only fault was that he was God conscious. Just see; such innocent person. The world is like that. So these dangers are there, but don't be afraid of. Kṛṣṇa will save you. And tolerate. If there are disturbances... Because it is the nature of this material world, as soon as there will be devotee, God conscious person, there will be so many enemies from the side of the demons. So we have to tolerate.
Lecture on SB 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972:
You have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra against the demons. Just like in Australia, the demons have instituted a case against us, a big case by the city authorities. So what can be done? They wanted to appoint big, big lawyers. I have advised, "Don't appoint lawyers. You go on chanting. They may put you in the jail. So you go on chanting." What is that? You chant on the street or chant on the jail, they're the same thing. So don't be afraid. They'll take you in the jail, "Go on, Hare Kṛṣṇa." We have got one means.
Lecture on SB 1.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, September 17, 1972:
Every day they go to the forest, and they see one demon is killed by Kṛṣṇa. So they become very much devoted. Their love for Kṛṣṇa increased by seeing Kṛṣṇa's activities, beauty, opulence. Similarly, the gopīs. So they did not think Kṛṣṇa is God. They did not know.
Lecture on SB 1.3.13 -- Los Angeles, September 18, 1972:
Another example of dhīra is there in Kumāra Sambhava. Kumāra Sambhava is a Sanskrit book, which I think we read in our college I.A. class, by Kālidāsa, poet Kālidāsa. So this theme of that book is that the demigods, they wanted to fight with the demons, and it was necessary that a son should be begotten by Lord Śiva.
Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:
The earth was not producing sufficient foodgrains, so he attacked the earth that "Why you are not producing?" The mother earth said that "Because the people have become demon and they are simply eating, but they are not doing their duty. Therefore I have minimized producing grain." This is to be very important, that the earth can produce any amount of foodgrains. There is no question of overpopulation. There is no question of overpopulation, because everyone is being fed by the mercy of God. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. God is giving everyone the foodstuff.
Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:
In our New Vrindaban, because the cows feel very safe, they give us sufficient milk. That is our experience. So you keep things in order according to the Vedic injunction, you get sufficient food. There is no question of scarcity. But if you become sinful, demons, then the nature's food supply will be ultimately stopped. You can produce your food in the factory... You cannot do that. You can produce motorcars to consume all the petroleum within the earth, and then you become no petrol. Then throw all these motorcars. Unless you find out some other energy That you can do. You can make things topsy-turvied. But by your so-called scientific advancement, you cannot increase or, I mean to say, stop nonproduction. That you cannot.
Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:
So there was such a time because Pṛthu Mahārāja's father was a demon. He stopped all religious activities. Therefore people became demonic, and there was restriction of food supply. Then Pṛthu Mahārāja made arrangement, and there was sufficient foodstuff. Dugdhemām oṣadhīr viprās tenāyaṁ sa uśattamaḥ. Since Pṛthu Mahārāja arranged the whole society to be religious, to be God conscious, everything become beautiful. This can be done even now. If people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the whole world will become beautiful, Vaikuṇṭha, without any anxiety.
Lecture on SB 1.3.17 -- Los Angeles, September 22, 1972:
Therefore it is said that anyān, apāyayat surān anyān mohinyā mohayan striyā. Those who are sura, demigods, they were given the nectar, and others... Others means opposite number of surān, or asurān, the atheist or the demons. They were enchanted by the beautiful form of Mohinī. Kṛṣṇa's another incarnation is female, Mohinī, charming—so much charming that even Lord Śiva was after the girl. Lord Śiva, he is supposed to be dhīra, but he became charmed, and he was after that girl. So when Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is already beautiful, but when He takes the shape of a woman, how beautiful He became, we can just imagine.
Lecture on SB 1.3.17 -- Los Angeles, September 22, 1972:
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very beautiful. He took the part of this Mohinī-mūrti. And she was dancing with the pot of nectar. So all the devotees, they offered their obeisances, because Mohinī-mūrti means God's incarnation. So "My dear Lord, Your this mūrti, this form, this charming form, is somewhere rākṣasī." Rākṣasī means, what is called, witches? Or the female demon. "And somewhere You are goddess of fortune."
Lecture on SB 1.3.18 -- Los Angeles, September 23, 1972:
If I can chant Your holy name, then there is nothing more I want. But there is one thing I want." What is that? "My father was a great atheist, and demon, and he has committed so many offenses unto You. But I request that You forgive him." This is Vaiṣṇava son. And Lord Nṛsiṁha said, "My dear Prahlāda, before you are requesting like that, your father, his father, up to fourteen fathers, all are delivered because you are his son." Such a devotee, taken birth in a family, this is a special concession. Whatever the others may be, they are all delivered.
Therefore the best service one can do or render to his family, to his country, to his society, to his person, is to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the best service. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). If anyone has become Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has finished all other business. If he simply sticks to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all other business is automatically finished.
Lecture on SB 1.3.19 -- Los Angeles, September 24, 1972:
So Bali Mahārāja, he was the grandson of Prahlāda Mahārāja. They were in the demon's family. But in the demon's family also, there is sometimes Prahlāda Mahārāja, Bali Mahārāja. Prahlāda and Bali, they are our ācāryas. There are twelve bona fide ācāryas. Balir vaiyāsakir vayam. The ācāryas are mentioned. Dvādaśa-mahājanāḥ. Svayambhū. Svayambhū means Lord Brahmā. (aside:) Don't make sound. Svayambhū, Nārada. Nārada is also one of the authorities. They have been accepted at (as) authority for understanding religious principles. Religious principle is not to be understood by from a rascal. No, that anyone comes and says religious topics. No. We have to receive it from the authority.
Lecture on SB 1.3.19 -- Los Angeles, September 24, 1972:
So immediately his spiritual master, the demon's spiritual master Śukrācārya... Śukrācārya means... Śukra means semina. Seminal ācārya. Means... You do not know. In India, there is a class of men, they are called gurus. The professional guru, rather. So Śukrācārya. Śukrācārya, he was very learned scholar. He knew everything, that "Here Vāmanadeva, He is incarnation of Viṣṇu. He has come to cheat Bali. He will ask something and then He will take everything from Bali." He knew it. So sometimes cheating also done by the Supreme Lord for the sake of the devotee. So this is not cheating. Just like father sometimes cheats a son.
Lecture on SB 1.3.22 -- Los Angeles, September 27, 1972:
Pradyumna: "The Personality of Godhead, Śrī Rāma, assumed the form of a human being and appeared on the earth for the purpose of doing some pleasing work for the demigods, or the administrative personalities to maintain the order of the universe. Sometimes great demons and atheists like Rāvaṇa and Hiraṇyakaśipu and many others become very famous due to advancing material civilization by the help of material science and other activities with a spirit of challenging the established order of the Lord. For example, the attempt to fly to other planets by material means is a challenge to the established order. The conditions of each and every plane are different, and different classes of human beings are accommodated there for particular purposes mentioned in the codes of the Lord. But puffed up by tiny success in material advancement, sometimes the godless materialist challenges the existence of God. Rāvaṇa was one of them, and he wanted to deport ordinary men to the planets of Indra, or heaven, by material means, without consideration of the necessary qualifications. He wanted a staircase..."
Prabhupāda: Just now they are planning that everyone will go to the moon planet without any qualification. That is their plan. It is Rāvaṇa's plan. Rāvaṇa said that "Why you are undergoing so much severe austerities to go to heaven? I shall make a staircase, and you go directly, without having performed any austerities." So to go to the moon planet, according to the Vedic description, it requires a qualification. The moon planet, that is one of the heavenly planets, and if anyone can go there, he gets ten thousands of years span of life. And the standard of living is very higher than this planet. These are the description in the Vedic literature. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is said, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25).
Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:
So you see so many pictures of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is playing with His cowherd boys; Kṛṣṇa dancing with His girlfriends, gopīs; Kṛṣṇa is stealing butter; Kṛṣṇa is doing so many—simply happiness, simply happiness. You won't find Kṛṣṇa is morose and sitting or crying. (laughter) Even if He is killing some demon, very laughingly, as easy job. You see? So either He is killing or dancing, He is happy. So we are giving this information of happiness, the topmost happiness, without any... Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that spirit soul, the Supersoul or the individual soul, their nature is to become happy. Ānandamaya. Happy. Spiritual life means happiness. There is no distress. But that happiness can be attained in cooperation with the Supreme.
Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:
There must be symptoms of Rāma-Kṛṣṇa. Anyone will say, "I am Rāma-Kṛṣṇa," and he becomes Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? How? What is the test? The test is bhagavān aharad bharam. When Kṛṣṇa and Rāma appeared, Balarāma, He killed so many demons to make the world peaceful. The beginning of killing was their maternal uncle Kaṁsa. Not only that beginning. From the beginning of Kṛṣṇa's birth, Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, the Keśī, and so many asuras... Every day, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma used to go in the forest and some asura would come to disturb Them, to kill Them, and Kṛṣṇa will finish them. And the friends will come at home and narrate the story to their mothers, "Mother, Kṛṣṇa is so wonderful. Such a big demon came and He killed immediately in this way and that way." That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that because one has got some so-called meditation, He becomes Kṛṣṇa without any test. But what is the proof that he is Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? But they do not take the proof. They simply pose a bogus man as Rāma-Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:
This is material world. They are saying "Don't... There is no God. We don't care for God. We are, everyone, God." But māyā, the police force, is there, kicking on the face. And they are subjected to so many tribulations, miserable conditions of life. Especially birth, death, old age and disease. Now you don't care for God. So why don't you stop your death? You stop your death. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham, "To the rascals and the demons, I am death. I take away everything." Sarva-haraḥ. Sarva-haraḥ means these rascals are trying to possess so many things: cars, motorcars, skyscraper building, bank balance, big family, big friends, big empire, and so many things. But when death comes, he cannot protect himself, what to speak of protecting other things. You see? So he's under full control, the demons. And every moment, he's under control. Suppose I have got money. I can eat so much. But as soon as you eat little more, immediately you are under control; you cannot eat for three days. Indigestion, immediately. And still, the rascal says that "I am not controlled." If there is little pain here, he immediately becomes: "Where is doctor, where is doctor, where is doctor?" And still he says, "I'm not controlled," and "I am God."
Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:
He does not know what is the meaning of God. God is never controlled by anyone. That is God. That is the definition of God. If you are God, then why you are being controlled? Because they're rascals, demons, foolishly speaking something nonsense. But we should know that God means controller. He's not controlled. And when God was present on this planet, He showed what kind of God He is. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Anyone, any demon who tried to imitate God, they were all killed, all killed. The Kaṁsa, his only policy was to kill Kṛṣṇa. "As soon as Kṛṣṇa comes, kill Him." So many plans he made. He... Kṛṣṇa happened to be his sister's son. So he imprisoned the sister and brother-in-law so that "He may beget children, but in my front... I must remain... As soon as children, child is born, I shall kill."
So this is the policy of the demons. Therefore, indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam (SB 1.3.28). When people become, the inhabitants of all different planets, they become very much perturbed on account of these demonic... In this Kali-yuga especially, the demons are so large in number that people are actually in harassment. Every year, they are presenting taxation bill. And wherefrom the taxation will come? The taxation will come from your pocket and my pocket. They will charge income tax, and the storekeepers will increase the value of commodity. So you have to pay. So you are, we are complaining, "Oh, the things are going high price." But why? Because the demons are levying taxes.
Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:
If actually we produce foodstuff in the ordinary way, then we can produce foodstuff so much that ten times of the whole population of the world can be fed. Ten times. There is no question of scarcity or poverty. There is no question. We create. These demons, they create.
You have no experience. I have got experience. Or some of the Indians who are present... In 1942, the government created artificial famine, artificial famine. The government began to purchase. The poli... That time, the war was going on. So Mr. Churchill's policy was that "Keep the people in scarcity, and they will, they'll voluntarily come and become soldiers." That was the policy. "You have no money. So..., and the another venue is opened. Yes, you become a soldier. You get so much money." People, out of poverty, would go there. That was the policy. So this policy was executed that government began to purchase rice and, I mean to say, commodities which are daily necessities. And... Any price, any price they can offer. Because the currency in their hand. They can print the so-called papers, hundred dollars, and pay you. And you becomes satisfied: "Oh, I have got hundred dollars." But it is a piece of paper. The cheating is from the government. Why the people will not learn how to cheat?
So this is going on. This is called demonic. Demon means for their own sense satisfaction, they are prepared to do anything wrong. Just like this Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa, the elder brother of Kṛṣṇa's mother, and as soon as he heard an omen from the sky that "You rascal Kaṁsa, you are taking your brother and sis..., brother-in-law and sister in your chariot to their home in their marriage ceremony, but you rascal do not know this sister's son will kill you."
Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:
ther, he saved the situation.
So this is the demon. He did not consider that "Here is my poor, younger sister. She's just now married. In jubilation she's going at her husband's home. How auspicious ceremony." And he was personally driving the chariot. But as soon as he heard that "Oh, there is danger from my sister," he did not care anything, no relationship, no ceremony, no auspicity, nothing. This is demon. Demon means for his self-interest, he can do anything nons..., nonsense. That is demon. And demigod means he'll consider thrice before doing anything. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was insulted in so many ways by the other party, his cousin-brothers. His kingdom was taken. They were sent to forest for thirteen years. His wife was insulted. So many things. But still, he was considering, "Whether I shall kill my kinsmen? The other side, they're all my brothers, nephews, brother-in-law. Whether I shall fight and kill them? Kṛṣṇa, I don't wish to kill them. Let them enjoy." This is demigod, In spite of the other party, aggressor in so many ways, he was thinking. And here you see Kaṁsa, simply for the news that in future his sister's son will kill him, immediately he was prepared to kill his sister. And in the marriage ceremony. This is the distinction between demigod and demon. Just try to understand. A demon has no consideration.
Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:
So in this age, Kali-yuga especially, demoniac, everything, demons, godless. Demon means godless. Indrāri. Demons means Indra, or indrasya ari. Ari means enemy. Indra is demigod. And his enemy, that is demon. Indrāri. Just like you are, when you go to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you have got so many enemies. They do not act directly, but they are very much envious: "What these nonsense are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?" You see? They want to disturb. Just like we have to close this door because the demons will disturb. You see? So demons means enemy of the demigods, enemy of the devotees. Those who are God conscious, those who are abiding by the orders of God, they're demigods. God. Demigods means they're also God, but subordinate to God. They don't say, "I am God. I am completely." No, a Vaiṣṇava will never say so. He knows that "I am eternal servant of God." Therefore demigod. Otherwise, their qualification is godly.
Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:
So indrāri-vyākulam... Indra. Indra is demigod. He's the king of the demigods. So indrāri-vyākulam. When people become very much disturbed by this demonic government and demons... So dharmasya glāniḥ. Dharmasya glāniḥ means discrepancies in the matter of executing religious principles. In Kaṁsa's time... Just like in Russia, you cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. What to speak of chanting in the street, you cannot chant even in private. That is their law. So that law is coming gradually everywhere, godless. In China, I've heard, anyone teaching about God, next life, he'll be shot. Is it not? Somebody said me. Anyone teaching "Next life and God," he'll be shot down. So your country is still very nice because you are not shooting Kṛṣṇa conscious people, but there is possibility. Demons are increasing. Demons are increasing. But don't be afraid. Kṛṣṇa is there. Just like Kṛṣṇa's mother and father were so much, I mean to say, harassed by Kaṁsa. But at the end, Kaṁsa was killed by Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:
So we may be harassed for the time being, but Kṛṣṇa will save. This is śaraṇāgati. Avaśya rakhibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana. The śaraṇāgati means, surrender means that "Kṛṣṇa will save me. I, I'll not do anything against the devotional service. Even there is torture..." Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was tortured by his father. He had... Kṛṣṇa's mother was tortured by his brother. Not outsider. So the demons are so rascal, they don't care for son, sister, mother. No. "As soon as it is against my personal sense gratification, I must finish this." But be sure that Kṛṣṇa will save. We have got so many instances. As Prahlāda Mahārāja was saved by Hiraṇyaka..., by Narasiṁhadeva from the hands of his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu; Devakī was saved, Vasudeva was saved from the hands of Kaṁsa; so you will be also saved. Because there is promise in the Bhagavad-gītā: kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa says, "Make it a declaration throughout the whole world that anyone who is My devotee, he'll never be annihilated. He'll be protected. I'll give him protection." Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I am equal to everyone. Nobody is My enemy, nobody is My friend." Ye tu bhajanti māṁ prītyā. "But those who are devotees, engaged twenty-four hours, I give them special protection. I give them special protection." So the demons will be there, and they will always give trouble to the demigods, or the devotees, but you don't stop your function, devotional service. Don't be afraid of the demons. Indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti. This mṛḍayanti means "giving protection" Yes. Give protection.
Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:
So bhagavān svayam, the Absolute Truth is Bhagavān. Bhagavān means person, with six opulences. And why He comes? Indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge. People are harassed by these demons. Therefore, He comes to give protection. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). He comes to give protection to the sādhu. They are very much anxious to be... When they are in danger, they pray for Kṛṣṇa. So just to satisfy them, Kṛṣṇa comes. Not even for killing the demons. But when He comes, He also executes this service also, to kill all these demons. Otherwise, for killing demons, He does not require to come. He, He has got many agents. So many demons can be killed within a second. For this purpose, killing purpose, Kṛṣṇa does not come. He comes especially for the devotee. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. For give darśana personally to Prahlāda Mahārāja—he has suffered in the hands of his father—He appeared. Otherwise, to kill Hiraṇyakaśipu, oh, it is not very big business. Indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti. When a devotee is very much harassed, so He comes in, as incarnation. So you stick to remain a pure devotee, and Kṛṣṇa will give you all protection.
Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:
So the result was... What was the result? That everything became vanquished. Whole Rāvaṇa's kingdom with his family, with his everything, finished. Māre kṛṣṇa rākhe ke rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke. If Kṛṣṇa protects, nobody can kill him, and if Kṛṣṇa kills, nobody can protect him. So Rāmacandra, Lord Rāmacandra, killed him. He was a great devotee of Lord Śiva, Rāvaṇa. Generally, the demons are devotees of Brahmā, Śiva, generally. They don't like Viṣṇu because there is restriction. Viṣṇu worship does not mean unrestricted sense gratification. No. In other worship there is allowed. "All right. You... Whatever you do..." Therefore, generally, people do not take to Viṣṇu worship.
Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:
Kṛṣṇa said that "A person who is taking the risk and trouble of preaching this confidential philosophy, Bhagavad-gītā as it is..." Paramaṁ guhyam, very confidential. Confidential means that the last instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, simply to surrender unto the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, is not understandable by ordinary men. Even great scholars like Dr. Radhakrishnan, he denies. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. One who has taken the attitude of becoming a demonic, however learned he may be, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. His learning, his knowledge, has been taken away by māyā. And āsuraṁ bhāvam, na māṁ prapadyante. They will never surrender. This is the sign of demon. They will never surrender. They will be killed, they will go to hell, they will accept all the thing, but still, if you ask him that "You surrender to..." "No." That is demonic.
Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:
There are two classes of men all over the world. One class of men is called deva, devatā, or demigods, and one class of men are called demons. And what is the difference between demons and the demigods? The difference is, viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ: "Those who are devotees of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, they are demigods." Demigod does not mean that you have got a bigger head or so many legs or so... No. Simply this is the qualification: viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva. Only viṣṇu-bhakta, not other, demigod's devotee. No. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa is designated as asura. Hiraṇyakaśipu is designated as asura. Rāvaṇa is designated as rākṣasa. He was very civilized. He was materially very well-to-do. His kingdom was described as made..., "golden kingdom." Everything was there, but he's described as rākṣasa. Why? He was against Rāma. That was his disqualification. (aside:) Don't bother now. That was his disqualification.
Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:
So viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Unless, even after having all the qualifications, material qualifications, if one is simply nonsense about God, he is rākṣasa, or demon. That is the injunction, or that is the verdict of Vedas. You may have all material qualifications. That's all right. You may be very great man. You may be very well situated man, very much educated, but if you are godless, then you are demon. Viṣṇu-bhakta... That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Duṣkṛtinaḥ. Duṣkṛtinaḥ means these rascals, these demons, these atheists, these godless men can act in any way for their sense gratification. They can do any sinful act, never mind, however grievous it may be. If it is applicable for their satisfaction of senses, they'll do it. They'll do it. They don't care anything. "Oh, I can satisfy my senses by this way. Never mind. Oh, we don't care for God, don't care for sin or hell or this or that. They are all simply allegory." Hedonism.
Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:
So the godless creature means they are demons. That is described in the Bhāgavata. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Āsuri. Āsuri-bhāva means the attitude of a demon. "What is God? Oh, this is all nonsense. Who is God? I am God. Everyone is God. Oh, don't you see? So many Gods are loitering in the street. Why you are finding out another God?" These are the going on. Vivekananda said that "Why you are bothering yourself, finding out God? Don't you see, so many Gods are loitering in the street?" You see? So "God is loitering in the street, daridra-nārāyaṇa. God has become daridra, poor, and He has come to my door to beg. God is suffering. God is..." Like that. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). We read from Vedic literature that "God is being served by millions of goddesses of fortune"—and He has become daridra, poor. Wherefrom he got this language, where, how he applied, I do not know.
Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:
Anyway, this godlessness, atheism, is called āsuraṁ bhāvam, āsuraṁ bhāvam. So those who are demons and narādhama... Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). Demons. Demons, they are mūḍha-mūḍha means rascal—and duṣkṛtina, always acting sinful. Their life is simply full of sinful activities. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be accepted by persons who are full with sinful activities. That is not possible. That is not possible because in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand, Kṛṣṇa says, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam: "One who has finished his sinful activities, or sinful life...," yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām, "always engaged in pious activities..." If you don't engage yourself in pious activities, naturally you'll be engaged.
Lecture on SB 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:
mad-Bhāgavatam, Siddhaloka.
Now, Siddhaloka, the inhabitants of the Siddhaloka, they don't require any plane. They can go... Because siddha means the inhabitants in that planet, they are all perfect in aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga. By yogic perfection, one can travel in the space. Just like Durvāsā Muni. He traveled in the space. When there was chasing by the Sudarśana-cakra, he, by yogic power, he fled from one place to another, one place... He even entered the spiritual nature and saw Viṣṇu personally. Still he was condemned. The Sudarśana-cakra was after him, chasing. He tried to insult Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, Vaiṣṇava. So... He wanted to kill. Not only insult, but he wanted to kill him. A demon was immediately produced by his hair. The yogis can do that. Aṇimā... Aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti-siddhi... Whatever they like... Immediately he brought one demon.
Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:
Kṛṣṇa wants that one should understand Him tattvataḥ. Not that superficially to take Kṛṣṇa, that "He was very fond of the gopīs, and let us hear the līlā of Kṛṣṇa." Why Kṛṣṇa's gopīs' līlā? Why not Kṛṣṇa's līlā killing the demons? That, the people are not interested, to hear about Kṛṣṇa's killing the demons. Because the gopīs' līlā, it appears to be the transaction between young woman and man, it very quickly appeals. But Kṛṣṇa's other business is there. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). That is also Kṛṣṇa's līlā. That is Kṛṣṇa's līlā. Just like Lord Rāmacandra is killing the Rāvaṇa. That is also Kṛṣṇa's līlā. Lord Rāmacandra's līlā and Kṛṣṇa's līlā, there is...
So we should take any līlā of Kṛṣṇa as Supreme. Not that simply the most confidential... The vṛndāvana-līlā, Kṛṣṇa's līlā with the gopīs, is the most confidential līlā. We should not entertain this confidential līlā unless we are liberated.
Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:
So these anarthas will increase as long as we are godless rascals and demons. Therefore here it is suggested, anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. If you want to be a right gentleman, means according to your position... If you are a brāhmaṇa, you should act as a brāhmaṇa; if you are a kṣatriya, you should act as a kṣatriya; if you are a vaiśya, you act as a vaiśya; and if you are none of them, then you are a śūdra. In this way, if we live like a gentleman, then we can make progress further in spiritual advancement.
Lecture on SB 1.7.22 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1976:
So such a big yogi, Durvāsā Muni. Still, he was in trouble. Jñānīs, yogis, nobody is free from the trouble. Only the bhaktas. Take this, see the example. When Durvāsā Muni created a demon to kill the king, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, and he was coming to attack, but Ambarīṣa, although he was a devotee, he had no such yogic power to counteract. He thought, "All right, it is Kṛṣṇa's desire if some demon is coming to kill me. All right, let him kill." He stood fixed up in that position, because he's surrendered. Mārobi rākhobi jo icchā tohārā. That is surrender. "I have surrendered to You. If You like to kill me by this demon, that's all right. Welcome. Why not? Because I am culprit, so You want to kill me through this demon, let me kill. Let him kill." So he stood up. He was not afraid of his life. But Durvāsā Muni, when Viṣṇu sent this sudarśana-cakra, immediately the demon was killed and he was after Durvāsā Muni, such a great yogi. But he was afraid. "Oh, now there is no protection." He fled, here from here, here from there, there, there, then to Brahmā, to Lord Śiva. And at last to Viṣṇu. Just see how much he is afraid of his life.
Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:
Therefore Kṛṣṇa is very, very satisfied with the Vaiṣṇava. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). So you have taken to the vow of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Try to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. And we have got little success. One politician in U.S.A., he has remarked that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is increasing like an epidemic." He has said that. "And if we do not check it, one day it may take our government." He has opined like that. So any intelligent man can know what is the ultimate result. Everyone... Because mass of people, if they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then government is yours. That is a fact. And if the Kṛṣṇa consciousness government is there, no meat-eating, no smoking, no illicit sex, so many no's, the demons will die. (laughter) That is the position. Thank you very much.
Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:
That is the desire of Kṛṣṇa, or God, that the state executive head should be as pious as Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. That is the scheme. Unfortunately, people do not want that. They have now discovered this democracy. Democracy... "Demon-cracy." Shortcut of "demon-cracy" is "democracy." All the demons and rogues, they gather together, somehow or other votes, and occupy the seat, and the business is plundering. The business is plundering. If we talk very much upon this, it will not be very favorable, but according to śāstra... We, we talk according to śāstra, that the democracy means assembly of rogues and plunderers. That is the statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. The government men will be all dasyu. Dasyu means plunderer. Not pickpocket. Pickpocket, somehow or other, if you do not understand, takes something from your pocket, and the plunderer, or the dasyu, he catches you and by force, "If you don't spare your money, I shall kill you." They are called dasyu.
Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:
So although this material world is condemned... Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), Kṛṣṇa says. It is also Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. Because everything belongs to God, Kṛṣṇa. So this condemned place is created for suffering of the condemned persons. Who are condemned? Those who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and wants to become happy independently, they are all condemned demons. And those who are surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, they are not condemned. That is the difference. So although Kṛṣṇa has created this material world for the condemned persons, still, He wants to see that they are having their necessities of life and..., so that they may live prosperously. And let them enjoy for some time this material world according to their inclination.
Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- Mayapura, September 30, 1974:
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma... Neither He has got any desire to work for something to gain something. He is full. Why He should try for gaining...? We work something. We work to gain something, to make some profit. But Kṛṣṇa hasn't got to do any profit. He is self-sufficient. Whatever He wants, immediately present. Omnipotent, omniscient. Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do like that. Therefore why does He come? He has got a different mission. What is that? Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. He says, "I come for this purpose, to rescue the sādhus, the devotees, and to cut down the demons." Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8).
Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- Mayapura, September 30, 1974:
So vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, this is not main business. For killing the demons, one cyclone wind is sufficient. If Kṛṣṇa orders Varuṇa that "You make a heavy cyclone in this quarter," hundreds and thousands of demons will be killed within a second. So this is not the purpose, for... He does not come for killing. But because killing business is another business, when He comes to protect the devotees, so He automatically, there are some demons: "Kill them also." Just like you go somewhere. Now, your not business to purchase something, but when you see, "Oh, it is nice. It is cheap price. All right, purchase it." So you did not go to a friend's place to make some business, but when you see, sometimes you do that. Similarly, it is not Kṛṣṇa's business. That, Kṛṣṇa has got many, many agents.
Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- Mayapura, September 30, 1974:
So far killing or destroying is concerned, that Durgā power, Kṛṣṇa's power, that is sufficient. That is sufficient. He doesn't require to come to kill the demons. She is engaged. You have seen that Durgā is killing the demon, that asura. You have seen the Durgā's picture? The asura is there and the lion is there, and she has taken a bunch of hair of the asura, and the trident is pushed on his chest, and the lion has captured him. So he is overpowered. So the asura is overpowered, but if the asura makes more attempt to save himself, then there are, only two hands are engaged of Durgā to kill the asura, one catching his hair and one the trident. Only two hands are engaged. But if he shows more power, then there are eight hands more, reserved with different types of weapons. So you cannot overcome the ruling, or the control, of the material nature. That is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). So asura, to kill the asuras, however powerful they may be... We have seen. There were so many asuras in this world. There were Lenin, there were Stalin, there were Hitler, there were Hiraṇyakaśipu. So many. But they could not survive. It is not possible. They'll be finished.
Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- Mayapura, September 30, 1974:
So asuras, to kill him... Paritrāṇāya sādhūn..., vināśāya... To kill the duṣkṛtām, these asuras, Kṛṣṇa does not require to come. He comes only to give protection and pleasure to the devotees. That is his aim. Therefore it is said that paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām. For them, bhakti-yoga-vidhānārtham. For increase their bhakti-yoga. If you are a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, you are in distress by the demons, and if Kṛṣṇa saves you, then you become more: "More I am devotee, more I am devotee." You see. So Kṛṣṇa came so many times. Just like His devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja was in trouble by his father. So He came. Similarly, Vasudeva and Devakī was in trouble by Kaṁsa, therefore He came. So paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). They are sādhus, they are devotees. For them He comes. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. So why He's interested to save him? Now, bhakti-yoga-vidhānārtham, to show to the people that bhakti-yoga is so strong, so nice, that it will protect you from all kinds of dangers. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad..., svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. If you execute a little of bhakti-yoga, you can be saved from the greatest danger. Bhakti yoga is (so) nice. Buddhi-yogam imaṁ śṛṇu. These are discussed.
Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- Mayapura, October 1, 1974:
Now, the question is that some of the rascals, they take Kṛṣṇa as a black man. (aside.) Who is talking? Black man. Some, one government officer, I think, some rascal... His name is Mr. Anand. He has described Kṛṣṇa that "He was a black aborigine, and He became very powerful some way or other, and people worship Him as God." It was published in a government magazine. So there are so many rascals. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa... Means those who are demons, to defy Kṛṣṇa, that "This Kṛṣṇa is a crow" or "This Śrī Kṛṣṇa is a black man" or "Kṛṣṇa is śūdra..." Kṛṣṇa means so many things. Kṛṣṇa... Śūdras, they are also kṛṣṇa, called. The brāhmaṇas are called śukla, and the... So in this way, the rascal demons, they want to describe Kṛṣṇa in their own way so that Kṛṣṇa devotees may be unhappy, and that is their pleasure.
Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Mayapura, October 3, 1974:
That means Kṛṣṇa existed before the creation. Because He existed before the creation, therefore His activities, His form, His qualities, they're not material. Prakṛteḥ param. But He comes upon this earth or in this material world. His activities are to save the devotees and to kill the demons, simultaneous. That we have already explained. His real activity is to give protection to the devotees. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was very much disturbed by the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu. So to give him protection, He appeared as Nṛsiṁha-deva. Similarly, here Kṛṣṇa appeared. Why? To give relief to Devakī and Vasudeva, the Pāṇḍavas. They were in very great danger by kaṁsena khalena, envious demon Kaṁsa. And similarly, the Pāṇḍavas were also in difficult by the envious Dhṛtarāṣṭra and company, his sons.
Lecture on SB 1.8.24 -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1973:
So that is one incidence. Another incidence is giving them poison cakes when they were at home. That also they escaped. Then puruṣāda-darśanāt. They met one Hiḍimba Rākṣasa, man-eater demon. So Bhīma fought with him and killed him. Similarly, asat-sabhāyāḥ, in the assembly of asat... Asat means those who are not gentle, not gentlemen. In the sabhā, in the assembly, there was Dhṛtarāṣṭra, there was Bhīṣmadeva, Droṇācārya, all elderly persons, and there was trick of playing chess. So somehow or other, Draupadī was taken as bet: "If we lose, then Draupadī is no longer our wife. It is up to you." So lost the game. So immediately Karṇa and Duḥśāsana captured her: "Now you are not your husbands'. You are our property. We can deal with you as we like."
Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Los Angeles, April 17, 1973:
Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be disturbed at any circumstances. Even there is heavy suffering, that is the instruction of Kuntīdevī. Kuntīdevī's welcome, welcoming: vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat tatra tatra. Let there... Because, before winning the battle of Kurukṣetra, all these Pāṇḍavas were put into so many dangerous positions. That is already described in the previous verses. Sometimes they were offered poison, sometimes they were put into the house, lac, and it was set fire. Sometimes big, big demons, man-eaters, and big, big fighters. Every time... They lost their kingdom, lost their wife, lost their prestige. They were put into the forest. Full of dangers. But within all those dangers, Kṛṣṇa was there, with all those dangers. When the Draupadī was being naked, Kṛṣṇa was there supplying cloth. Kṛṣṇa is always there.
Lecture on SB 1.8.27 -- Los Angeles, April 19, 1973:
When a scorpion or a snake is killed. They're also living entity. A sādhu is never satisfied seeing another living entity being killed, but Prahlāda Mahārāja says "Even a sādhu is pleased when a snake is killed or a scorpion is killed. So my father is just like snake and scorpion. So he's killed. Therefore everyone is happy." Everyone was... Such demon, who simply troubles the devotees, such demon, a very dangerous demon. So when such demon is killed, even saintly persons are satisfied. Although saintly persons, they do not want anyone should be killed. So Kṛṣṇa is akiñcana-vitta. One who has lost everything materially, for him, Kṛṣṇa is the only solace.
Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Los Angeles, April 20, 1973:
Dveṣya means enemy. We, we are envious of our enemy and we are friendly to our friends. So Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Even He appears to be inimical to some demon, actually He's friend. When a demon is killed, that means his demonic activities are killed. He becomes a saint immediately. Otherwise how he's promoted immediately to the brahma-jyotir? All these demons who were killed by Kṛṣṇa, they immediately merge into the brahma-jyotir-nirviśeṣa. The only difference is, of course, the brahma-jyotir, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. They are one. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). That is one truth, Absolute Truth, in different features only. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Originally Bhagavān, His plenary representation is Paramātmā who is situated in everyone's heart.
Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973:
It is Kṛṣṇa's pastime that He comes. He... When He comes, of course, He works something. The The work is to give protection to the sādhu and to kill the asādhu. But both the activities are His pastimes. He's not envious. He cannot be envious. The killing of the demons, that is also His affection. Just like sometimes we punish our children, we give him a very strong slap. That is not out of love. There is love. So when Kṛṣṇa kills a demon, the, the business is not on the platform of material jealousy or enviousness. No.
Therefore it is mentioned in the śāstras that even the demons, who were killed by Lord, they also get immediate salvation. The result is the same. Just like Pūtanā. Pūtanā was killed. Pūtanā wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa, but who can kill Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible. She was killed. But she was killed, but what was the result? The result was that she got the position of Kṛṣṇa's mother. Kṛṣṇa accepted her as His mother. She came with poison-coated nipple, that: "Kṛṣṇa will suck my nipple, and the child will die immediately." But that is not possible. She was killed. Kṛṣṇa sucked the nipple and the life altogether. But Kṛṣṇa took the bright side, that: "This woman, demon, she came to kill Me, but somehow or other I have sucked her breast milk. So she is My mother. She is My mother." So she got the position of mother.
Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973:
The rascal thinks like that. "Because Kṛṣṇa has come, descended, avatāra, so I am also avatāra." This rascaldom is going on. So here it is said: na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitam. "Nobody knows what is the purpose of Your appearance and disappearance. Nobody knows." So tava, tava īhamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam. It is bewildering. Nobody can understand what is the real purpose. The real purpose is His free will. "Let Me go and see." He doesn't require to come to kill the demons. There are so many agents that if there is a strong wind, thousands of demons can be killed in a moment. So Kṛṣṇa does not require to come to kill the demons. And He does not require also to come to give protection to the devotee. By His simply will, everything is there. But He takes a pleasure pastime, "Let Me go and see."
Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974:
So Kṛṣṇa, although He's playing the part of human being, His activities are transcendental. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā (BG 4.14). That is the distinction between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. He is killing. He has killed so many demons; from the very childhood His one side is killing-Pūtanā killing, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, this asura, that asura, then Keśī, and so many asuras He killed. But His killing and our killing is not the same. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti. And in the Īśopaniṣad is..., apāpa-viddham. That is Kṛṣṇa. If we imitate Kṛṣṇa... We cannot imitate. Therefore our business is to follow the words of Kṛṣṇa, not to imitate Him. That is suicidal. We shall follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa as He is giving in the Bhagavad-gītā, but if we become so rascal to imitate His rāsa-līlā, then we'll go to hell. But the Māyāvādīs, they sometimes do that. That... In the Bhāgavata it is forbidden, that "Imitation of this..." Idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ. What is that verse, vraja..., that...? That "These pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is Viṣṇu, with the gopīs, they should not be..., not only they should be imitated, they should not be thought even within the mind, that 'We can also do like that.' " It is forbidden.
Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:
As Kṛṣṇa is ānandamaya... We see Kṛṣṇa is always engaged in pastimes, either with the cowherd boys or with the gopīs or with His father, mother, or in the fight of battlefield, Kurukṣetra, or in killing some demon. But His pastimes are always there. He's never inactive. He's never inactive. There it is said, viśvātmann ajasya akartuḥ. He has nothing to do, but still He is acting. Akartuḥ. Akartuḥ means He has nothing to do. Here, so far we are concerned, we have to do something in the material world. We are destined. Śarīra-yātrāpi ca te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "If you do not work, you cannot maintain even your body. You have to work." You see therefore all living entities... At night, millions and trillions of living entities, they come, fly and work. The work has no meaning. The work is death. Still, they are working. So what to speak of others? The birds, the sparrows, they are working, from here to there, here... And we are also working. So that is the nature of material existence.
Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Los Angeles, April 23, 1973:
The cowherd boys all depend on Kṛṣṇa. They wanted to taste the palm tree fruit, but there was a demon, Gardabhāsura, they would not allow anyone to enter that palm trees. But the boy friends of Kṛṣṇa, cowherds, they requested: "Kṛṣṇa, we wanted to taste that fruit. If you can arrange..." "Yes." Immediately Kṛṣṇa arranged. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma went to the forest, and the demons, they were living there in the shape of asses, and immediately they came to kick by their hind legs Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. And Balarāma captured one of them and immediately threw on the top of the tree and the demons died.
So the friends also were very much obliged to Kṛṣṇa. There was fire all around. They do not know anything. "Kṛṣṇa." "Yes." Kṛṣṇa is ready. Kṛṣṇa immediately swallowed up the whole fire. There were so many demons attacked.
Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972:
There is a class of men, they are called asuras. They are sura-dviṣām. They are always envious of the devotees. They are called demons. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja and his father Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu is the father of Prahlāda Mahārāja, but because Prahlāda Mahārāja was a devotee, he became envious. That is the nature of the demons. So much so envious, that he was prepared to kill his own son. The only fault is that little boy, he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is his fault. The father could not. Therefore they are called sura-dviṣām, always envious of the devotees. Demon means always envious of the devotees. This material world is so nuisance place that...
Just you have got a very nice example. Just like Jesus Christ, Lord Christ. So what was his fault? But the sura-dviṣām, the envious persons killed him. And if we find, if we analyze, what is the fault of Jesus Christ, there is no fault. The only fault he was preaching about God. And still he'd find so many enemies. He was cruelly crucified. So you'll always find this, sura-dviṣām. So Kṛṣṇa comes to kill these sura-dviṣām. Therefore vadhāya ca sura-dviṣām. These envious persons are killed.
Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972:
Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya. Sṛṣṭi means creation and sthiti means maintenance and pralaya means destruction. These three things nature can do. Just like this creation, material creation is natural, nature, cosmic manifestation. It is being maintained. By nature's mercy, we are getting sunlight, we are getting air, we are getting rains and thereby we are growing our food, eating nicely, growing nicely. This maintenance also being done by nature, But at any time everything can be finished simply by one strong wind. Nature is so powerful. So for killing these demons, nature is already there. Of course, nature is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). So if Kṛṣṇa says that these demons may be killed, then nature's one blast, one strong wind will, can kill millions of them.
Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:
Everything is there. Arjuna wanted, requested Kṛṣṇa, that "How I can understand that You are the proprietor, You are the everything in the universe?" So He showed His universal form. Kṛṣṇa showed in every way to fulfill the proper definition of God, aiśvaryasya samagrasya, proprietor of everything, and vīryasya, the powerful. Nobody could kill Kṛṣṇa, but He killed so many demons, big, big demons. Therefore He's powerful. And His reputation? Still continuing, Kṛṣṇa. We are selling Kṛṣṇa book like anything. Why people are interested with Kṛṣṇa? Because He is reputed. People are seeing. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going on all over the world. This is yaśaḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:
So the conclusion is when the world becomes overloaded with the demons, nondevotees, it becomes disturbed, becomes... The mother earth feels load, very much load. So at that time, Kṛṣṇa comes. Therefore it is said: bhāra-avatāraṇāya, just to unload. And bhārāvatāraṇāyānye. Somebody says: bhuvo nāva ivodadhau. Just like if a ship or boat is overloaded, it is very dangerous. It can be drowned at any moment. So sīdantyā bhūri-bhāreṇa.
So mother earth was overloaded and she approached Brahmā on account of overloading of these demons. She was feeling too much uncomfortable. And Brahmā is the chief living being within this universe. So when there is need, others approaches Brahmā, and Brahmā approaches Viṣṇu to reduce the overburden. Then He takes His incarnation, and that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, abhyutthānam adharmasya (BG 4.7). Abhyutthānam adharmasya. "When the principles of religiosity becomes increased, at that time, I appear," Kṛṣṇa says.
Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:
Just like take for example, when there are too much criminals in the state, unlawful, lawlessness, the state becomes overburdened, disturbed, overburdened. At that time the administrators are puzzled what to do. Similarly when the world is overburdened by atheists, demons, nonbelievers, the world becomes overburdened. Otherwise things will go on nicely. Just like in the state, if people abide by the laws nicely, then it is very easy to administer. Things are going on very nicely. But if people become criminals, it becomes a overburden to the state administrators.
So such thing happens because this is material world. And the demons and the demigods, they are always there, existing. But when the demonic power becomes increased, then the world becomes overburdened. Sīdantyā bhūri-bhāreṇa jāto hy ātma-bhuvārthitaḥ (SB 1.8.34), ātma-bhū. Ātmabhū is Brahmā's name. He's directly born of the Supreme Soul, Viṣṇu. He's not born as usually we do from the womb of mother. So Brahmā was born from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore his another name is Ātmabhū. Svayambhū, Svayambhū. These are different names of Brahmā. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). These are the... Brahmā is one, one of the authorities. He's also mentioned in the list of authorities, dvādaśa-mahājana. Twelve authorities.
Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:
Personality of Godhead that: "This is the position of the world. So it is now overburdened with demons." So Kṛṣṇa comes:
- yadā yadā hi dharmasya
- glānir bhavati (bhārata)
- abhyutthānam adharmasya
- tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
- (BG 4.7)
He appears. This is the process. So somebody says Kṛṣṇa appeared on the request of Brahmā when he prayed for His appearance on account of overburden, weight of the world.
So Kṛṣṇa came. And you have seen our Kṛṣṇa Book, how much He's engaged in killing the demons. In killing the demons. So Kṛṣṇa says that: "I come down, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya (BG 4.8), to kill the demons." So killing business is there. Kṛṣṇa. Although His killing and protecting the same thing. Because He's absolute. But the killing business is there. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has, the Nārāyaṇa has got two hands, club and disc. That is for killing the demons. And two hands, conchshell and lotus flower. That is for the devotees. The devotees are protected. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa is bugling with His conchshell that: "My devotees will not be vanquished." And the lotus flower is the symbol of blessing. It is in the hands of Lakṣmījī also sometimes, blessing.
Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:
So these are all foolish theories that with Nārāyaṇa everyone can be equal. The lack of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge. That is not... Therefore śāstra has forbidden: "Don't do this. Don't equalize anyone, even Brahmā and Rudra." Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Lord Śiva, they are actually sitting on the same platform. Still Viṣṇu is the Supreme. Nobody should equalize Brahmā, Rudra even. What to speak of others? So if one does so... Yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ samatvenaiva vīkṣeta (CC Madhya 18.116), equalize, sa pāṣaṇḍī. This is the meaning of pāṣaṇḍī. Pāṣaṇḍī means nonbeliever, atheist, demon. That is called pāṣaṇḍī.
Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:
That is explained in the beginning of Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means He's not dependent to anyone. He is self-sufficient. Everything. That is God. Nowadays there is so many incarnation of God, but as soon as there is some toothache immediately: "Ooooonh, doctor, give me... Save me, save me. Save me, save me, save me, save me." You are God. You save yourself. Why you have come to doctor? So these rascals are going on. So it is very difficult to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The whole world is overburdened by these rascals and demons. So atom, atom bomb is waiting for them. Yes. It will be finished. All the demons will be finished.
Thank you very much.
Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Mayapur, October 14, 1974:
So Brahmā was approached by the earth, mother earth. She felt overburdened by the sinful activities of the demons. So Brahmā approaches Nārāyaṇa, er, Viṣṇu—not directly he can see, but he can stand on the bank of the ocean of milk, and from there he can submit his petition. And Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu gives His order. So once upon a time, when the whole world was overburdened—this is the history of Kṛṣṇa's birth—so the earthly planet approached Brahmā to appeal to Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu to have His incarnation to diminish the burden of the world. The world is, of course, it is very heavy. We can understand there are so many oceans and so many big, big hills, besides your skyscraper building, and certainly the whole lump of matter is very heavy. But not only this planet, but many other planets, even the sun planet. It is heavier by fourteen hundred thousand times. Still, they are floating in the air by... Why? Because Kṛṣṇa enters in each of them.
Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Mayapur, October 14, 1974:
So this big, big lump of matter, earthly planet, they are actually not heavy, but it becomes heavier when there are demons. Demons means material activities. If there is spiritual activity, it remains very light. And if there is too much material activity and materialistic persons, it become heavier and troublesome. So such time became possible, and therefore the earthly planet went to Brahmā to appeal to Viṣṇu to take His incarnation. So somebody says that bhārāvatāra..., tāraṇāya, avatāraṇāya, to diminish the burden, burden... Just like a bad son is a burden of the father.
Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Mayapur, October 14, 1974:
When women become polluted, no fixed-up husband—that is pollution for woman, no chaste, no chastity—then this varṇa-saṅkara will come out. And when the world is overpopulated by varṇa-saṅkara, it will become a burden. Therefore it so became, atheist, varṇa-saṅkara, demons. So it was unbearable by the earthly planet. And it is said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). Therefore mother earth went to appeal, "Please come and save me. I am very much overburdened." Therefore it is said, bhārāvatāraṇāya: "diminish."
So five thousand years ago Kṛṣṇa came to kill some of the demons. Not all of them were demons. But next time, when Kṛṣṇa will come, it will be only demons. Only demons. Kalki avatāra. What is that stotra? Keśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. So at that time Kṛṣṇa will not preach Bhagavad-gītā. Kalki avatāra will simply come to cut the throat only. That will be the preaching. That will be preaching.
Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :
There is simply ānanda, joyfulness. That you see from reading Kṛṣṇa book. They are not working. Kṛṣṇa is going with he calves and the cows. That is not working. That is amusement. That is amusement. They are dancing, they are going to the forest, they are sitting down on the bank of the Ganges. Sometimes the demons are attacking, Kṛṣṇa is killing. This is all pleasure, amusement. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. That is spiritual world. Just like, take a sample of spiritual activity. We are... We have got so many branches, so many members, but you are not working. Simple, a sample of spiritual life.
Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1973:
So that is also Kṛṣṇa's business. So those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious... Killing, we don't mean that you take weapon. That is not possible in this age. Neither you have got the strength. If you kill, then you will be killed also. Not that. But there are two kinds of victory. By logic, by reason, by education you can kill their demonic propensities. That is also killing. If one is demon, and if you can turn into a devotee by your logic, by your arguments, then that is also, he's killed, his demonic principle is killed—now he's a saintly person. That is also killing. Not that... Kali-yuga, they're already very poverty-stricken, poor. So this physical killing is too much for them. They should be killed by argument, reason, scientific proposition.
Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974:
So annihilate the demons and give protection. The politics means two things. The state, government, what is that? Government gives protection to the good citizen, and those who are rogues, punish them. Law and order. Two things are there: maintenance and law and order. So similarly, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also the same thing. But so far we are concerned, because we are not in political power... Otherwise we have, would have followed the principles of Kṛṣṇa.
But Caitanya Mahāprabhu has shown us the way, that we kill the demons in a different way. We kill the demons in this way: By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we purify him so that his demonic activities are stopped. That is also another way of killing. He stops his demonic activities. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, that He did not kill Jagāi-Mādhāi. Although He wanted to kill them because they insulted Vaiṣṇava, but still, Nityānanda Prabhu reminded Him that "In this incarnation, You promised that You'll not kill. So have mercy upon them." So their demonic activities were killed. That is also killing. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Jagāi-Mādhāi on this condition, that "You have to stop your sinful activities. Whatever you have done, that is done." So we make this condition. The demonic activities, we say, you have to stop. Whatever is done is done. Strictly following Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there is no consideration. Because one, you were previously a demon; therefore you cannot become a Vaiṣṇava—no. Anyone can become Vaiṣṇava provided he stops his demonic activities. Anyone. Anyone is welcome provided he accepts this philosophy, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).
Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:
So we should not be very much hasty. We must wait for the mature time. The example is given that generally a woman wants a child. Now she's married, and if she thinks, "Let me have immediately a child," that is not possible. You wait. Now you are married, you have got husband, you must get a child. That's a fact. Similarly, because you have engaged yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, avyarthe kalatvaṁ nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ. This is called firm faith, that "Now, because I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, so I must be able to face Kṛṣṇa, face to face, see Kṛṣṇa, face to face." That I must have. So don't be disappointed. Go on with your Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities. Time will come when you'll see Kṛṣṇa, just like Kuntī is seeing, face to face. There is no doubt about it.
So here it is said, tvayi me ananya-viṣayā matir madhu-pate. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Madhu-pati. He has got thousands name. Madhu-pati means He killed the demon Madhu. From that, Madhu-pate.
Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Los Angeles, May 5, 1973:
So to make a perfect human society, there must be protection of the go-dvija. Dvija means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means one who knows Brahman, God. These two classes must be given first protection. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is worshiped with this word,
- namo brahmaṇya-devāya
- go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
- jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya
- govindāya namo namaḥ
See, the same thing is there. Govindāya, go-dvija arti-hara, dvija. Dvija, when the brāhmaṇa class, when the cows, they are too much troubled by this rascal, demon, and Kṛṣṇa comes, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, abhyutthānam adharmasya (BG 4.7). These are all adharmas.
Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Los Angeles, May 6, 1973:
Then when you have to talk, vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane, simply talk of Kṛṣṇa, this Vaikuṇṭha. You can talk of Kṛṣṇa, about His pastimes with the gopīs. You can talk of Kṛṣṇa about His pastimes when He's killing the Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura. Both are the same. Some of the rascals, they decide that to talk of Kṛṣṇa about His embracing the gopīs is very good, and the talk of Kṛṣṇa killing Pūtanā or other demons, that is not good. That is rascaldom. Anything about Kṛṣṇa, you talk, vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are so many descriptions, so many other things, but because it is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, so each word of Bhāgavatam is valued. Each word of Bhagavad-gītā is valued. Because there is relation. Similarly, if you dovetail everything in Kṛṣṇa's service, everything is good. Everything Vaikuṇṭha. That is Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane.
Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:
Don't try to speak nonsense and describe God. No. God is never daridra. How He can be daridra? If you describe daridra-nārāyaṇa, it is a blasphemy. No. Uttama-śloka. Just like Kuntī has described, kṛṣṇa-sakha: "You are the friend of Arjuna." That is the proper explanation. Gopī, gopī-vallabha: "Kṛṣṇa, You are always prepared to please the gopīs." Yaśodā-nandana. Yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-rañjana. These are the description. "Kṛṣṇa, You are the son of Yaśo..." Kṛṣṇa takes pride. Kṛṣṇa, when His name is attached with the activities of a devotee, He becomes very much pleased. But sometimes Kṛṣṇa is called Kaṁsa-nisūdana, Madhusūdana, Kaṁsāri. That is also Kṛṣṇa's pleasure. He appears to be enemy, Kaṁsāri, to the demons.
Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Mayapura, October 25, 1974:
Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is (more) powerful than Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is richer. Everything... Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. Therefore His another name is Ajita. Ajita means... Jita means conquered. Ajita means who is never conquered. Kṛṣṇa had so many fights with the demons. Even in His childhood, the demons could not conquer over Kṛṣṇa. Beginning from Pūtanā, when He was only three months old, and up to the killing of so many other demons, Kṛṣṇa was never defeated. That is the history. He was never defeated. Ajita. Therefore His name is Ajita. But Ajita becomes conquered. Ajita jito 'py asi. Although Kṛṣṇa is never conquered, still, you can conquer Him. How? Simply by becoming His beloved devotee.
Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Los Angeles, May 8, 1973:
You are thinking that you have killed, or for your sake so many men have been killed. That is not... You are not responsible for that. You are not sinful..." For a kṣatriya, killing is not sinful. For a brāhmaṇa, sacrificing an animal in the arena, that is not sinful. So it is all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, sa doṣam api na tyajet (BG 18.48). Killing is bad, but a kṣatriya's business is to kill. Without killing, one cannot become perfect kṣatriya. Because he has to give protection, and there are so many demons, rascals.
Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Los Angeles, May 9, 1973:
So dakṣa-yajña, the Lord Śiva's devotees, they massacred all the yajña arena. You know dakṣa-yajña. Mahārāja Dakṣa was also cut off by his head, and he was put in a goat's head, in this way. So after the death of his wife, Lord Śiva was very much aggrieved. He went to the forest and engaged himself in meditation. So there was a need of one soldier commander, and the calculation was that such soldier must be there, by the demigods... Because there was always fighting between the demigods and the demons, so to kill the demons, there was need of a very great soldier who must be born by Lord Śiva, by the semina of Lord Śiva.
Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:
This killing of the body of my father is not killing. I shall save him. I shall save him." That he did. When he was offered benediction, he did not take anything. He said, "My Lord, what shall I do, all this material benediction? I have seen in the case of my father. He was so strong that even the demigods were frightened for his presence. His position was so strong, and You finished it within a minute. So what is the benefit of taking? No, no. Please do not request me." But although he did not ask anything for his personal self, but he asked the Lord, prayed, that "One thing I request." "What is that?" "My father was a great demon, and he was against You. He has committed so many sinful life. So I know he'll have to suffer for these things. I request You to excuse him." This is Vaiṣṇava son. "Oh, yes, immediately." Immediately.
Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:
All the Kṛṣṇa's friends, they were entering within the mouth of Aghāsura. Kṛṣṇa is observing, "Now My all friends have entered the mouth of the Aghāsura, and how to kill this demon?" The last, He entered. And at the end of the throat, He began to expand Himself. Just see how He knows to do His business. Svābhāvikī.
Kṛṣṇa was a boy also, little boy. Nobody taught Him how to kill this Aghāsura, Bakāsura. But He knows. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. He expanded Himself within the throat, and the demon was choked up, and he died. Similarly, the Keśī demon came as a horse and Kṛṣṇa pushed His hand within the mouth of the horse. If you want to control horse, you have to control his mouth. Horse is controlled by the mouth. Therefore you have seen the harnesses are fit, fixed in the mouth, and the driver controls the mouth, and the horse goes. So Kṛṣṇa was a boy. How He knew it that "This demon has come in the shape of a horse. So if I have to control him, I will have to control his mouth." So He pushed His hand within the mouth of the horse, and the horse felt just like an iron bar and hot iron.
Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:
So here it is stated that vaṁśaṁ kuror vaṁśa-davāgni-nirhṛtam. When everything was finished... Kṛṣṇa knows how to kill the demons, setting fire. Just like you... Some way or other, if there is fire in the forest, automatically, so many trees, so many animals, so many other things, they become devastated, burned into ashes. So Kṛṣṇa, by the policy of Kṛṣṇa, all the demons were brought together in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and set them... The fire was set, fighting, and they died. When Arjuna was hesitating to fight, Arjuna was at last informed that "Why you are hesitating? It is all My plan. You fight or don't fight, it doesn't matter. These people are not going back home. They will die here." Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin: "You just become only a nimitta, an immediate cause. Everything is arranged. But if you fight, you get the credit. I want to see My devotee gets the credit. Everything I am doing."
Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:
All right. So bhava-bhāvana. Kṛṣṇa... This world is created by Kṛṣṇa, and He wants to see it is properly maintained. And who will maintain? His own representative. Not the demons. Therefore king is supposed to be a representative of Kṛṣṇa. He will maintain this world properly. A Vaiṣṇava, he knows how to utilize everything for Kṛṣṇa. The aim of this creation is giving these conditioned souls another chance for liberation. That is the purpose. When the whole world is annihilated, then all the living entities again enter into the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Then, when there is again creation, then the living entities again come out, according to their past position. We do not accept this rascal theory, Darwin's, that from lower-grade life they... There is a promotion like that, but in the creation everything is there. All the 8,400,000 species, they are all there. Although the gradations are there.
Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:
So there is a great science. Everyone should try to understand what is the responsibility of human life. And to teach this responsibility, to keep men, the human society, in their responsibility, a good king is required like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Therefore king is supposed to be the representative of God. So after killing these demons, Kuru, kuror vaṁśa-davāgni-nirhṛtaṁ saṁrohayitvā bhava-bhāvano hariḥ niveśayitvā nija-rājya īśvaro yudhiṣṭhiram...
When He saw, "Now Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is situated on the throne for the control of the world," He..., prīta-manā babhūva ha, He became satisfied: "There is My real representative, and he will work nicely."
Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:
So these two things are going on. Those who are trying to capture the governmental power for his personal ambition, they will be killed. They will be killed. This way or that way, they will be killed. And persons who are taking responsibility for maintenance of the government as representative of Kṛṣṇa, they will be blessed by Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. So at the present moment, the so-called democracy,... Nobody is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is demons. Everyone is a demon. So how you can expect peace and prosperity under this government? This is not possible. If you want... We have got to think politically also, because after all, all living entities are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa wants their welfare so that they may come back to home, back to Godhead.
Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:
So as Indra is powerful... Nobody can even... Indra is never defeated. Sometimes there is fight between the devāsura, asura and deva. But when there is fight between the deva and asura... Deva means the demigod, and asura means the atheist class. They are always existing, the atheist class, two classes of men, atheist class and theist class. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad viparyayaḥ. Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, Vaiṣṇava, they are demigods, and anyone else—all demons. Except Vaiṣṇava, everyone is a demon. You can say, "Now I am devotee of Lord Śiva. How can I be demon?" Yes, you are demon. Because Rāvaṇa was a great devotee of Lord Śiva, but he is described as a demon, rākṣasa. Rākṣasa. Hiraṇyakaśipu was a great devotee of Lord Brahmā. Still, he is described as rākṣasa, demon.
Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:
So this is the way. And here it is said, śaśāsa gām indra iva. Indra. Indra, the demigods, they are always protected by Viṣṇu, always protected. Whenever there is fight between the demigods and demons, Lord Viṣṇu takes the side of the demigods. Therefore Indra is ajita-āśraya. He is confident that "I am protected by Lord Viṣṇu, Ajita." Similarly, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira also, when he was assured that "I am also protected by Kṛṣṇa, I am also enlightened by the instruction of Bhīṣma; my brothers, such big brothers, Bhīma, Arjuna, they will follow my instruction," in this way, when everything was in complete, vijñāna-vidhūta-vibhramaḥ, then he accepted the throne. This is monarchy. This is king.
Lecture on SB 1.10.3-4 -- Tehran, March 13, 1975:
He was going to punish the earth. And he (she) said, "This is my duty. All the demons there are. I must restrict supply." So these people, they do not know. They think that simply by resolution in the Parliament they will make all, everything. And they may become all rascals. This will not make the world happy. They will simply deteriorate more and more. They do not know. Here it is said, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa also said, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Kṛṣṇa never says, "The factory will make the people healthy and strong," never says. And these rascals are after factories. Then how the people will be happy? Ugra-karma.
Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:
So if such kind of king is there, then everything is all right. Everything. And establishing such pious king... Here it is stated, yudhiṣṭhiraṁ prīta-manā babhūva, īśvara, īśvara, niveśayitvā nija-rājya īśvaro yudhiṣṭhiraṁ prīta-manā babhūva. And Kṛṣṇa, why He took part in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra? He wanted that these rascals should be removed, the Duryodhana and company. And Yudhiṣṭhira must be there. Therefore He personally supervised the warfare. He took the reigns of Arjuna's chariot to give him direction: "Kill all these demons. Even Bhīṣma. Even Droṇācārya. Kill all of them, because they have taken side of the wrong side. Kill them." That is Kṛṣṇa's order. "Although Bhīṣma is respectful, respectable, Droṇācārya's respectable, your guru, your grandfather, and such great personality, certainly they are respectable. But because they have taken side of the wrong side, they must be killed. They must be." This is the instruction.
Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:
The Mahārāja Pṛthu wanted to kill Pṛthivī. She explained that "Why you are after me? It is my duty. Now there are only demons. I don't want to give food to the demons. I want to give foodstuff to the devotees." She said. So nature's restriction of supply will be there when people become demons, nondevotees. When people become demons, then nature will stop supply. There will be famine, pestilence. This is the way.
So during the time of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, they were not demons. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira..., Mahārāja Parīkṣit... Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he wanted to kill Kali, he gave him two chances, that "Either you get out of my kingdom, or I shall kill you." So Kali said, "My lord, I am also your subject. My activities are very heinous. That is my nature.
Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:
Similarly the river, the river has its function to supply water all the year. During rainy season the water is collected on the top of the hill. It is stocked there by God's arrangement, and they come down. Just like we, by power pump, we get water down to the top of the roof and stock there. Similarly, on high level of hills and mountains water is stocked. Sometimes they are stocked in ice form, not in liquid form. So according to the seasonal changes the ice becomes melted and the water is supplied. It comes through the river. The same thing is there, but because we have now turned to become demons, the river sometimes overfloods, killing so many men and animals, at the loss. Actually everything is meant for kāmam, for supplying our necessities. And as soon as you are disobedient to God, demons, nature will give you punishment. Instead of supplying you water, water is there, it will overflood. You will be in trouble.
So these rascals, they cannot see how nature is strong and it is controlling everything.
Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:
So I'll play rāsa-līlā. Send your wives and daughters." So rascals, they sent their wives and daughters to dance with him. You see? And there was another rascal during Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's time. Perhaps you know the story. So he was also imitating this rāsa-līlā. Māyāvādī rascals, they do that, imitate Kṛṣṇa. How you can imitate Kṛṣṇa? You are not Kṛṣṇa. But by imitating His rāsa-līlā they become Kṛṣṇa. No. If you imitate Kṛṣṇa of His rāsa-līlā, then you have to imitate to lifting the mountain. You have to kill demons like Kaṁsa. But you'll find the so-called artists, they will paint pictures of Kṛṣṇa only with gopīs dancing and the... Not other things, how He's killing Kaṁsa, how He's killing Aghāsura, Bakāsura. That they'll not paint. That side is completely blind. But in our Kṛṣṇa book you'll find both the pictures.
Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:
We can study man. He may become a very good scholar, very good politician, very big minister, but we test whether he has got any sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he's not, immediately I understand that "Here is a rascal number one." That's all. We have got test tube, how much he is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he's not, then he is grouped immediately in four groups: duṣkṛtina, means constantly committing sinful activities; mūḍha, rascal; narādhama, lowest of the mankind; māyayā apahṛta-jñāna, although educated with high degrees, his knowledge has been taken away; āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ, and demon.
Lecture on SB 1.13.11 -- Geneva, June 2, 1974:
So Kṛṣṇa is so nice friend. He is such a nice friend that even to the enemy He gives the greatest benediction. Just like Pūtanā. Pūtanā came to kill Kṛṣṇa, smearing poison on her breast. But Kṛṣṇa gave her promotion on the motherly platform. Kṛṣṇa is so grateful that "This demon might have come to Me to poison Me, but I have sucked her breast. She has become My mother. Therefore she must get the position of My mother." Kṛṣṇa is so grateful. If you give little service to Kṛṣṇa sincerely, Kṛṣṇa will never forget you. And He's so powerful. If Kṛṣṇa becomes your friend and Kṛṣṇa remembers you, then what you want more? Just imagine. So Kṛṣṇa... Here it is said, kṛṣṇa-devatāḥ. fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa and be happy.
Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :
You throw into the street, especially in your country. Nobody takes care of it. And..., but one must have this carriage. And it must run on petrol, and take labor, so hard labor, goes wihin the desert, drill it, and then take out the oil, then bring it in tanks. And it is called ugra-karma. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that these rascals, demons, they have created ugra-karma simply for trouble to the whole people. That's all. Kṣayāya jagato 'hitāḥ, and bringing destruction nearer, nearer. Now they are going on, and that may be big work that means destruction and simply for creating a little comfort. Formerly also they were moving. Transport was there. But they do not like to remain in the former ways, because they have no other engagement.
Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:
Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, they were demons, godless demons. Rāvaṇa was very learned scholar in Vedic knowledge and very powerful materially. He converted his capital with gold, all the buildings and everything. It is supposed that Rāvaṇa's brother was a king of..., on the other side of the globe. So it is my suggestion... I do not say it is very scientific proof. So other side of the globe... Rāvaṇa was in Ceylon, and the other side of the globe, if you go by subway, it comes to Brazil. And Brazil is supposed to have gold mines.
Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na vidur āsurā janāḥ, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ (BG 16.7). Pravṛtti means we have got some inclination to accept something and we have disinclination to reject something. Everyone knows it. But the asuric jana, those who are asuras, demons, they do not know in which way we shall accept and in which way we shall reject. That they do not know. That is called āsura-jana. Just like we are advising our students, "Reject this: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating. Reject. And accept; chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." The demons, they do not know. They do not know it. They do not know why they are rejecting this and why they are accepting this, janā na vidur āsurāḥ. Because they are asuras. If we accept this path, then we are going to be liberated. What is that liberation? Liberation means to get out of this material bondage of body, dehino 'smin. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). This knowledge is wanting. There are so many universities, educational institution, big, big professors, scientists, all rascals. All rascals, we declare. Let them come and argue with us. All rascals. So therefore it is said, harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.15.22-23 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1973:
So it is explained in the Bhāgavatam that queens, the were they not actually... Nobody can touch them. Just like Sītā. Sītā was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. How it is possible that Sītā can be kidnapped by a demon? No. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that Lord Caitanya, He was a guest of a brāhmaṇa in South India. So He took His bath and came to the house of that brāhmaṇa, but the brāhmaṇa did not arrange for any cooking even. There was no food. He was very sorry. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "Brāhmaṇa, you invited Me, but I don't see even you have cooked. What is the reason?" "Oh, yes, I am going to cook immediately. The thing is, I am very sorry that Rāvaṇa, the demon, has taken away Sītā, and I could not rescue her still. So why shall I eat? I shall die." He was in the ecstasy of Hanumān, a devotee. He was thinking like Hanumān. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu very much liked that he is, in devotion and in ecstasy of Hanumān, he is thinking like that. So at that time Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "So don't be sorry. Sītā, Lakṣmījī, she cannot be touched by Rāvaṇa. It was māyā Sītā, māyā Sītā. I will tell you. I will give you evidence from the śāstra." So brāhmaṇa believed Him because Caitanya... "Oh, she is there? Sītā was not taken? A māyā Sītā was taken?" "Yes." Then he become encouraged. He cooked and sufficiently gave Him food.
Lecture on SB 1.15.22-23 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1973:
Just like Kṛṣṇa was killed by the arrow of a hunter. How Kṛṣṇa can be killed? But it is for the persons, for the demons, to demonstrate like that, who thinks Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being. So for them it is a jugglery. They will still know that "Here your Kṛṣṇa is killed." Yes. They will say like that. So tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram asura-yoniṣu (BG 16.19). The demons, as they want to forget Kṛṣṇa, or they do not like to understand Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa plays something like that so that they will be more convinced that Kṛṣṇa is not God, Kṛṣṇa is ordinary human being. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān. They will remain in darkness forever. Kṛṣṇa gives chance to everyone. If you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will give you such intelligence, you will talk so intelligently that "Kṛṣṇa is not God." Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). And if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then He will give you such intelligence, you will know that "Here is Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is Kṛṣṇa's busin... If you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will give you chance to forget Him forever. And you suffer. Because forgetting Kṛṣṇa, one is not benefited. By knowing Kṛṣṇa is one benefited. But the demons, rākṣasas, they suffer, and still they want to forget Kṛṣṇa. This is their business.
Lecture on SB 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973:
So when Prahlāda Mahārāja was enquired by his father that "What nice thing you have studied, my dear boy, in your school?" so he replied, "My dear father, the best education I have received, how to become anxiety-less." That's all. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. "Not only for me, but for everyone. But you will not understand, my dear father, because you are demon number one." (laughter) He is addressing his father, asura-varya, asura-varya. Asura means demon, and varya, varya means the first-class. (laughter) He is not addressing his father as "My dear father," "My dear best of the atheists." Therefore his father was very angry, "This child, he talks with me on equal level and does not fear me. Kill him!" Asura. He is prepared to kill his son even, if he does not agree with him. You see. We are also prepared. If one is not devotee, if he is son, we can kill him. The same. But our is for Kṛṣṇa, and the asuras is for himself. That is the difference. He wants to do everything for his personal satisfaction, and we want to do everything for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. That is the difference. The same propensities are there, but when it is applied for Kṛṣṇa, then it is purified, and when it is applied for personal self, it is impure. This is the difference.
Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:
So Kṛṣṇa's two business is going on in this material world. One is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8), and the other is vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. One business is to give protection to the law-abiding devotees. Devotee means who accepts the Supreme Lord as the supreme controller and accepts himself as subordinate. This is devotee. Devotee is not very... Actually, we are subordinate to the laws of nature, and the nature is being manipulated by the Lord. Therefore, ultimately we are subordinate to the Supreme Lord. God is great; everyone knows it. But I am not great; I am subordinate. Acceptance of this philosophy means, I mean to say, godly conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious. Very simple thing. There is no difficulty. But the demons are so rascal, they will not admit it. They are already under control-prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27)—under the control of the stringent laws of material nature. Still, foolishly that rascal demon is thinking that he is free. This is rascaldom. Just like a outlaw, an outlaw is thinking that he doesn't care for the government. Although he is put into jail, he is punished there, still, he is declaring, "No, I don't care for the government." Madness.
Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:
Now, Kṛṣṇa wanted to leave this planet. So what will happen there? If they remain... Although Kṛṣṇa knew that they have come from different planets, but they knew that "We are sons and grandsons and grandchildren of Kṛṣṇa." They were very much puffed up. So what is the difference between a demon and devotee? A demon is puffed up. That's all. Falsely. That is demon. And a devotee is submissive, meek and mild. This is the difference. The demons will... We go, "My dear sir, we have got these books to understand Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. So you kindly read this book. You will be benefited." "Ah, what is God? Who is God? I am God." This is demonism. And demigod or a devotee means "Oh, here is a book, something about God, Kṛṣṇa. All right, let me read it." That is the difference. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ means they don't care for God. That is the disease. Although they are under the stringent laws of God, still, they don't care for God.
So this Yadu dynasty, Kṛṣṇa thought that "In My absence they are powerful... Because they, to assist Me..." "To assist Me" means... He had two missions: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). They have killed so many demons. Everywhere they came out victorious because Kṛṣṇa was there. Now, in the absence of Kṛṣṇa, they would be puffed up. Therefore they would be turned again into demons: "Oh, I belong to Kṛṣṇa's family." Just like in our country, Nityānanda-vaṁśa: "I belong to the Nityānanda Prabhu," exploiting people. The Muhammadans also: "I belong to the family of Muhammad, Hazrat Muhammad." Christ has no family; he did not marry.
Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:
That is demonic nature. That is demonic nature. So Kṛṣṇa wanted to take them with Him, because they came to help Kṛṣṇa, and after His departure, these demigods would turn into demons. That He did not like to see.
Therefore this Yadu dynasty was placed amongst themselves. Because there was no other person to kill the Yadu..., and any one of the Yadu dynasty. Therefore this fratricidal war was manufactured and they died. Yayāharad bhuvo bhāraṁ tāṁ tanuṁ vijahāv ajaḥ, kaṇṭakaṁ kaṇṭakena. Kaṇṭakaṁ kaṇṭakena. Just like if you have got some thorn pricked in your leg, you take another thorn and get it out. This is the law of nature. One demon is killed by another demon. That is the keeping balance. There is war. We have experience. One demonic nation has grown up very strong, so immediately another demonic nation declares war, or he declares war—both of them are finished. This is going on.
So read the purport.
Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:
The beginning of Kṛṣṇa's appearance... You know that in the Kṛṣṇa book, how Kṛṣṇa appeared. There was an appeal by the earth, mother earth, that she is overburdened with demons, and it was unbearable for her what to do. So this petition was submitted to Viṣṇu by Brahmā, and Viṣṇu replied that "Kṛṣṇa is coming and He will do the needful." This was the beginning. So as soon as there is yadā yadā hi dharmasya glāniḥ (BG 4.7), the planet becomes overburdened by the sinful demons, so they require to be moved and the burden lessened. That was the function of Kṛṣṇa's coming. Whenever Kṛṣṇa comes in different incarnation, there is need. Glānir bhavati bhārata. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glāniḥ (BG 4.7). Dharmasya glāniḥ means... We have explained several times. You have read in the Bhagavad-gītā. Glāniḥ means discrepancy, discrepancy. And dharma means obedience to God. That is dharma. Religion means..., religion does not mean anything else. You can manufacture so many formulas and theses. The real meaning is obedience to God. That is religion. Simple definition. If a man is obedient to God, it doesn't matter to which religion he belongs. He may be a Christian, he may be Hindu, he may be Mussulman. It doesn't matter. Religion means... This is the... I have given.
Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:
Yes. This is goodness. One may be intoxicated. When he comes to his senses that "This is not good," then he is godly. That is the difference. But the demon cannot understand that. They continue. Just like our devotees. They are all godly. Because they had some bad habits, it doesn't matter. But they have given up. That is difference between the demons and the devotees. A devotee understands what is what and he does according to the direction of God. Therefore he is demigod. And the demons, they will never agree. That is the difference.
Lecture on SB 1.15.34 -- Los Angeles, December 12, 1973:
All of them are sons. They, whether one is demon or demigod, both of them are sons of God. But what is the difference between them? Just like a father has got two sons or more sons. One son is very obedient to the father, and the other son is not. That is the difference here. God has not made anyone demon or demigod. For God, everyone is equal. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "I am equal to everyone." Otherwise, how He is God? He is equal to everyone. But they are creating their own situation and becoming god or demon. So in the human form of life, advanced consciousness, instead of becoming demon, we should become demigod. That is the fulfillment of human life. And if we remain demon, then this opportunity is missed. This human form of life is missed.
Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:
When demons are, demonic civilization is there, then the whole planet becomes overburdened with their sinful activity. It is very easy to understand. Where in the state everyone is rogue and rascal, then the state becomes overburdened. Overburdened means the duty of the state for arranging police, military and other things becomes very much confused. Similarly, if the people are all law-abiding citizens then the government has no burden. Let things go on nicely, everything is going nicely. Similarly, this is also great state, the universal state. So when people become rascals, rogues and demons, it becomes very much overburdened.
Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:
So real thing is bhakti. So when people become rascals and nonsense and do not care for God consciousness, devotion to God, that is become bhū-bhāraḥ, burdened. That has now become. Now Kṛṣṇa has, because at the present moment in the Kali-yuga... Kṛṣṇa formerly came to kill big, big giant demons like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, very, very big giant. But that the present moment where is that big giant? They are all poor. There is no... Although by mentality they are all rogues and rascals and demons, but in material condition they are very very poor. That is stated. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). People are so unfortunate that even the bird and beast, they can get their two meals, eating, sleeping, mating; they have got their arrangement.
Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:
So many scientists come. I say, "You are rascal. You are demon." (laughter) I say it. And they tolerate. I prove that he is a rascal. I prove that he is a rascal, he is a demon. Then he tolerates, "Yes." We have got sufficient strength to prove, any materialistic man, to prove that he is a rascal. That is possible. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate: "If one is practically a devotee of Lord, he doesn't care even personalities like Vidhi." Vidhi means Lord Brahmā. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. Kīṭāyate means such great personalities are taken by perfect devotee as ordinary insect. As ordinary insect has no value, similarly, anyone, however great he may be in this material world, if he is not God conscious, he is no better than the insect. Because it has no value. Because he does not know that he is going to become a dog next life. He loved a dog very much, and he bequeathed his all property to the dog, but he is going to become himself a dog. Therefore he's a rascal.
Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:
So there are two things: pravṛtti and nivṛtti. But asuras, demons, they do not know "In which way I shall guide my pravṛtti and which way I shall guide my nivṛtti." This is the paśu. "In which way I will..." Pravṛtti and nivṛtti, these two things are there, but the difference between a demon and demigod is that a demon does not know how to direct these two propensities, pravṛtti and nivṛtti. And a demigod knows how to guide these two things, pravṛtti and nivṛtti. These two...One who does not know... Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. Śāstra says that these things... Just like, loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantor na hi tatra codanā. This eating, sleeping, mating and defending, every animal, every small animal, knows it very well, how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex intercourse and how to defend. These four things, everyone knows by nature.
Lecture on SB 1.16.10 -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1974:
Those who are sportsmen, they want to play. Naturally, one who is expert in some art... Just like there was one Bhasmāsura. So... Bhasmāsura? Bhaumāsura? What is the name? Bhaumāsura. So Bhaumāsura, by the grace of Lord Śiva, he got one thousand hands. And he wanted to fight, but he was so powerful that nobody would dare to come before him to fight. Therefore he was practicing to fight with the hills and mountains and cracking them and smashing them. So one day he complained to Lord Śiva, "My Lord, you have so kindly given me the hands to fight, but I don't find any opponent to fight. So what is the use of these hands, so many?" So Lord Śiva could understand that "He is a demon." So he said, "You rascal, one day you will find some enemy when your desire will be fulfilled for good." So he had to fight with Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa finished him. So it is a natural desire.
Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:
So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). And another feature is sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Astra-pārṣadam. Astra means weapon. So in the Kali-yuga, Kṛṣṇa does not come with weapon. In other yugas, the Lord comes with weapon. Just like Lord Rāmacandra. He came with bows and arrows to fight with Rāvaṇa. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa also appeared with His sudarśana-cakra. Because in those days, the demons were killed by weapons. Kṛṣṇa killed many demons, because Kṛṣṇa has got two kinds of activities, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: (BG 4.8) for sādhu, simply to deliver them, and for the demons, to kill them. But the result is the same. That is called Absolute. Whether Kṛṣṇa pats somebody and kills somebody, the result is the same. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. It is not ordinary fortune to be killed by God. It is a great fortune. Just like Rāvaṇa and Hiraṇyakaśipu. They were Kṛṣṇa's personal guards, Jaya-Vijaya. Some way or other, they became offender to the Kumāras.
Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:
So when He personally fights... The duṣkṛtām can be finished simply by indication of Kṛṣṇa. The material energy is so powerful. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. Even the sun, the most powerful, aśeṣa-tejāḥ, high temperature. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ, unlimited temperature, that sun is also moving within it's orbit, yasyājñayā, under the order of Kṛṣṇa. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So to kill a demon in this material world, the Lord does not require to come Himself. But He comes in special case. Just like Kṛṣṇa came to kill Kaṁsa, to kill Rāvaṇa, to kill Hiraṇyakaśipu, like that. So that is also His pastime.
So His devotees are also like that. They have to execute the mission of Kṛṣṇa. Just like here, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he is a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So he is going out with soldier to fight. Similarly, Dhruva Mahārāja also, he fought. Prahlāda Mahārāja fought. Because they were kings, so their duty is to subdue, to conquer over the demons.
Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:
So this conquering of other countries was not like the Napoleon conqueror or Hitler conqueror. No. As it will be evident from the character of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the idea was to keep the whole world Kṛṣṇa conscious. If certain countries, certain portion of the world, would not be Kṛṣṇa conscious, then this king would go and chastise them. Just like Kṛṣṇa used to kill the demons. There was one Pauṇḍraka. Even during Kṛṣṇa's time, he placed himself as Viṣṇu. He artificially made four hands. So he challenged Kṛṣṇa that "I am Viṣṇu." So Kṛṣṇa immediately cut his head. So any imposter, pretender, representing as the incarnation of God or something like that, in those days, the king would not tolerate; immediately would cut his head, what to speak of thieves and rogues. So king's going to other country, conquering, it did not mean that to acquire some possession, land possession. No, that was not the aim.
Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:
All the fights in Mahābhārata or in Rāmāyaṇa, it was meant for chastising the godless, godless. Just like Rāmacandra. Rāmacandra, Lord Rāmacandra, chastised Rāvaṇa. So he went to Laṅkā—they call Ceylon—and crossed the sea by making bridge. But what was the idea? The idea was that "This rascal demon is a godless person; so therefore he must be punished." He was punished not alone. Anyone who joined with him, everyone was punished. But Lord Rāmacandra did not occupy the land for His kingdom. He installed his brother Vibhīṣaṇa, who was a devotee in the place of Rāvaṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was taking part in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra and inducing Arjuna that "You fight." Arjuna was not willing to fight, but He was inducing to fight.
So what is the purpose? Because the other party represented thieves, rogues, and demons. So Kṛṣṇa wants therefore that somebody must be king who is His representative, devotee. That is the whole plan.
Lecture on SB 1.16.16 -- Los Angeles, January 11, 1974:
That is called māyā. Similarly kṛṣṇa-bhakti, or our love for Kṛṣṇa, is eternally fact. Some way or other, it has been interrupted by the influence of māyā, and we have to cleanse this. Or, as the physician cures the disease, so this māyā, māyā, means an illusion, means it is not a fact. Just like you cannot eat—this is not a fact. You can eat, but something has come between you and your healthy life. That is disease. So not to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is disease. To become Kṛṣṇa conscious is healthy. That is real health. Not to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, to become a demon, that is disease.
Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Hawaii, January 16, 1974:
That's in Dakṣa-yajña, was learned about Dakṣa-yajña. So Lord Śiva was performing yoga practice meditation, and in the meantime, his wife Devī, she took birth as daughter of Himalaya, King of Himalaya, Pārvatī. So the..., there was fight between the demigods and the demons. So there was a plan that "If by the semina of Lord Śiva, one son is born, Kārttikeya, then he'll be able to kill these demons; otherwise, it is very difficult." So Lord Śiva was engaged in meditation after the death of his wife. In the meantime, his wife took birth in the Himalaya.
Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:
So when the colors of Kṛṣṇa is yellow, golden, that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). That Lord Kṛṣṇa now, in the form of Lord Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, and sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, associated with His personal expansions, Śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda... This is described. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, with these... In the former incarnation, He was killing the demons directly with sword or the sudarśana-cakra, some way or other. Now, in this age, they're already dead. So if Kṛṣṇa comes to kill them with sudarśana-cakra and sword, they will not be profited. Therefore, these are the astras, these are the swords: the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are the Lord's weapon. And they're getting victory. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. So those who are intelligent, su-medhasaḥ, they will worship this form of God in this Kali-yuga. And what is the process of worshiping? Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:
You have seen advertisement, so many yogis, they are having sex life. So many incarnation of God. (laughter) Having sex life. You see? Big, big sannyāsīs, swamis. Long, long ago some swami came here. He returned with three woman, and we do not wish to discuss. Many more. You see. The sex life is very strong in this material, in this age. But sex life should be regulated. Not that anywhere and everywhere, or any time. Therefore the population is unwanted population. One irregular sex life produced the Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu's mother became very sexually agitated, and she wanted to sex, with her husband (have) intercourse. And just in the evening. Kaśyapa Muni, he said, "No, no, this is not the time, proper time." But she was insistent. So the result was two demons were born.
Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:
So mother Dharitrī, Dharitrī is mother. So he's asking whether mother is lamenting because Kṛṣṇa... Bhūri-bharāvatāra-kṛtāvatārasya hareḥ. After the Battle of Kurukṣetra, Kṛṣṇa disappeared from this earth. Kṛṣṇa went back to His abode. So Kṛṣṇa comes here, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So Kṛṣṇa appeared to kill so many demons. At that time... Whenever there will be demons, Kṛṣṇa will come. At the present moment, now, the world is full of demons. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has come in the form of Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:
That is Kṛṣṇa avatāra. Kali-yuge nāma-rūpe avatāra. So don't think that Kṛṣṇa, this vibration Kṛṣṇa, is different from that Kṛṣṇa. The same Kṛṣṇa. The same Kṛṣṇa. If you say that "Why has not come to kill the demons?" that is His great sympathy, mercy, that you are already killed. You see? What another killing? So we are already dead. Therefore we are so fallen that it does not require any more killing. Mercifulness. You see? The demons... Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, merciful. Pāpī tāpī jata chilo hari-nāme uddhārilo. All the demons, full of sinful activities, they are to be delivered by this weapon, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, killing is going on.
Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:
So it is now sympathy. Therefore when Jagāi-Mādhāi insulted Nityānanda, immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu came and wanted to kill them. Nityānanda Prabhu reminded, "Sir, You have promised in this, Your incarnation, will not kill." So then He was satisfied and delivered the demons. Delivered the demons. Nityānanda Prabhu is therefore so kind. Nityānanda Prabhu is guru. He's so kind that in spite of being injured by Jagāi-Mādhāi, He delivered them. He requested Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. There was two sections. One section, sādhu, and one section, demon. That was the idea. Even when Kṛṣṇa appeared, there were two sections. Now everyone is demon. Then if the killing program is taken, then (Hindi) thagavate gham oja.(?) then everything will be finished. Therefore there is no killing program by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is killing program—it is killing the sinful activities. Pāpī tāpī jata chilo hari-nāme uddhārilo. Simply by chanting. He'll not be killed, but his activities, sinful activities, will be killed. This is the program.
So the mother earth was lamenting, "Now Kṛṣṇa has gone. Who will give us protection?" But Kṛṣṇa gives protection. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca... (BG 4.8). Two, two different duties. To give protection to the sādhus, to the devotees, and to kill the demons.
Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Los Angeles, July 14, 1974:
Then there is peace and prosperity, without any difficulty. Otherwise, you go on adjusting your material possessions; the time will take away everything. When you die by the..., in due course of time, then whatever possession we have got, all finished. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham: "I am death." Kṛṣṇa is everything. So death is also Kṛṣṇa. Just like here is a picture of Hiraṇyakaśipu. Such a great demon, so proud. He was thinking that "I am the proprietor of everything." He was chastising his son, doing everything, whatever he liked. But when Nṛsiṁha-deva came, within a second, everything finished. Everything finished. But Prahlāda remained the same. Prahlāda is not finished. Hiraṇyakaśipu is finished. So those who are trying to be very, very big by material possessions, they'll be all finished. But if you remain in the position of Prahlāda, you'll never be finished.
Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:
So at the present moment in the Kali, Kali-yuga, they are, practically they're all demons. All demons. So if Kṛṣṇa... Of course, sometimes it will come that Kṛṣṇa has to come here simply to kill the demons. That is Kalki avatāra. That is described by Jayadeva Gosvāmī. What is that? Keśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Kalau, dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam, mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālam. Mleccha, the mleccha, this word, yavana, these... There are words in Vedic language, mleccha, yavana. Yavana means meat-eaters. Yavana. It does not mean only Europeans are yavana, and Americans, not, Indians are not yavana. No. Anyone who eats meat, he's a yavana. Yavana means meat-eater. And mleccha means unclean. One who does not follow Vedic principles, he's called mleccha. Just like... As the Muhammadans say, kafir. One who does not follow Muslim religion, they are called kafir. That is religious point of view. And the Christians say "heathens." One who does not follow Christian religion, they are called heathens. Is it not? Similarly, anyone who does not follow Vedic principle, he's called mleccha. So time will come when nobody will follow Vedic principles of life. Therefore, mleccha.
Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:
At the same time he wants to be religious. This is the position. For such person it is enjoined, just like in Vedic system, "All right, if you want to eat meat, at the same time you want to become religious, then you worship Goddess Kālī. You cannot worship Viṣṇu." Because he's a meat-eater he cannot approach pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. The Supreme Personality is the supreme pure. So this meat-eater is impure. He cannot approach the pure. That is not possible. Therefore he is advised to approach some agent of the pure, some śakti, or just like Goddess Kālī. Goddess Kālī is the śakti or the agent, potency. She has got also business: to cut the heads of the demons. You have seen the Goddess Kālī's picture, muṇḍa-mālā. She's garlanded with the heads of the demons. Have you seen? Any one of you?
Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:
Yes. But her business is to cut off the heads of the demons. She is carrying one head in this hand, and in this hand she's carrying a chopper, and her business is to cut the heads of the demons. But she's also the agent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How she's agent? Because God has got two business: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). For them the goddess Kālī is engaged to cut their heads, kill them. That is also Kṛṣṇa's agent.
Lecture on SB 1.16.36 -- Tokyo, January 30, 1974:
So the vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, when a demon is killed then he's saved, the people are saved, and everything is good. But people cannot understand that "Why God is killing the demons and giving protection to the devotees?" God is equal to everyone. Kṛṣṇa says, samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Kṛṣṇa says that "I am equal to everyone." If God is not equal to everyone, then how He can be God? He is God who is equal. Na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ. So when God is killing somebody, and God is patting something, somebody, that does not mean He has got two equal behavior for two persons. No. His behavior is the same: affection. But to kill this demon means to stop him from further sinful activities and get him..., give him release from the sinful activities he has done. Therefore it is His mercy. But one has to study very carefully. Because God is absolute, there is no difference between His activities with the demon and giving protection to a devotee. He is giving protection to the demon also, by killing him. But one cannot understand.
So in this Kali-yuga, rājarṣi, this rājarṣi... Rājarṣi, he's saintly person. Now, we'll find this Parīkṣit Mahārāja, as soon as he'll find this one demon is trying to kill another cow, he immediately took his sword.
Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:
Kṛṣṇa descends, and He leaves behind Him so many activities. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. Sādhūnām. Paritrāṇāya means to give protection; sādhu, those who are devotees. To give protection to the devotees. And vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: and to annihilate the demons. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya (BG 4.8). Yuge yuge sambhavām. So God comes. So far destruction or annihilation of the demons is concerned, God is not required to come down, because His agents Take, for example, this material energy. It is sufficient. If God wants, this whole city of Los Angeles can be, within a second, overpowered by this water of the Pacific Ocean. Within a second. It does not take much time. Therefore for annihilating purpose God does not require to come down. But He comes down for His devotee. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Nṛsiṁha-deva appeared not He, He There was no necessity of His coming for killing Hiraṇyakaśipu; there were many agencies or implements to kill him. But He came to solace Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was so much harassed by his father that He came down just to put His hands, lotus hands, palms on the head of Prahlāda Mahārāja. So He comes. But the benefit, for both the demons and the devotees, are the same. That is God's mercy.
Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- New York, March 5, 1975:
God's another name is ajita. A means "not," and jita means "conquered." Nobody can conquer God. That is God. God is never conquered by anyone. He conquers everyone. God is conquered by His devotee, not by the demons. The demons are conquered by God. But devotee can conquer. Ajito 'pi, jito 'pi. Although God is ajita, He becomes jita, means conquered, by His devotee. That is also stated: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām. This process we have introduced, opening center, that is the system in spiritual, to hear. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Śruti. Śruti means this ear, aural reception.
Lecture on SB 2.3.1 -- Los Angeles, May 19, 1972:
In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ janā na vidur āsurāḥ. Asura-jana, those who are demons, they do not know these two things— pravṛtti and nivṛtti—what is our duty and what is our not duty. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca... (BG 16.7). That is modern civilization. They do not know. What is our duty to do and what is our duty not to do—they do not know. Neither any education, in this life what we should do, what we should not do. So therefore this particular word is mentioned here, manīṣiṇām. In human society, those who are specifically intelligent, for them, Caitanya-caritāmṛta kāṛacā, he says, kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura. Catura means very intelligent. Without being intelligent, nobody can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But our propaganda is to educate people to become intelligent. They are foolish. They do not know the value of life. They do not know what is going to happen after death. No. Just like cats and dogs.
Lecture on SB 2.3.9 -- Los Angeles, May 26, 1972:
Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya (etc., leads chanting of verse:)
- rājya-kāmo manūn devān
- nirṛtiṁ tv abhicaran yajet
- kāma-kāmo yajet somam
- akāmaḥ puruṣaṁ param
- (SB 2.3.9)
Translation: "One who desires domination over a kingdom or an empire should worship the Manus. One who desires victory over an enemy should worship the demons, and one who desires sense gratification should worship the moon. But one who desires nothing of material enjoyment should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
Prabhupāda: This is significant. Those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they have no material desires. Finished. Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. Upaśama, upaśama means completely finished, don't want. They can worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise, without being akāma ... Akāma means no material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), completely. If we have got least desire for material enjoyment, Kṛṣṇa will give us chance again to accept a body which will satisfy the senses. Deha-yogena dehinām. For our sense gratification, a particular type of body is offered. By the order of Kṛṣṇa, through the agency of material nature.
Lecture on SB 2.3.10 -- Los Angeles, May 28, 1972:
Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, all, many demons, they thought it that "We shall live forever." So anyone who is thinking like that, he's a demon. He cannot stop death. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa...If you don't give to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will appear just like Nṛsiṁha-deva, and He will take away everything from you and kill you. That's all. Now who can challenge? Who is there who can challenge Kṛṣṇa? No, nobody can. That is Kṛṣṇa. So the sarva-kāmaḥ ... So up to the end of life ... All these politicians, we have seen. Gandhi, in our country. Jarwahal Nehru. He was attacked, heart attack, several times, and doctor says, "Within a week, you'll have to go away." Still, he was going to the hillside to recoup his health. And when he was on the point of death, he was brought to New Delhi and died. So up to the point of death he was thinking that "I must remain a prime minister; otherwise the whole thing will be lost. In my absence, if I am not on the seat, then everything will be lost."
Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:
So this Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, accepted this mendicant life although they were ministers, very rich men. Not only Rūpa Gosvāmī, all the Gosvāmīs. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was the only son of his father and uncle, and in those days the income was twelve lakhs, twelve hundred thousands of rupees. Almost king. So for being compassionate with these poor fellows, who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and working simply unnecessarily so hard to get some bread... That's all. Mūḍha. So by becoming kind upon them, they took this mendicant order. Therefore kindness. And peaceful. Vaiṣṇava is never turbulent. But the demons, they create disturbance. Vaiṣṇava is peaceful. Peaceful, truthful. Truthful. A Vaiṣṇava knows the ultimate truth, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he's truthful. And equable. He has no distinction "Oh, here is a man, here is an animal. The animal has no soul, the man has soul."
Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:
This is Vaiṣṇava. Satisfied, in any condition. Not that "I must have all these things; then I'll be satisfied. Otherwise, I'm going from the temple." (laughter.) No, this is not Vaiṣṇava qualification. You must live with the devotees, even if you are not satisfied. Any condition, you should be satisfied. Because as soon as you leave the company, you become again rogues, again demons.
At least you'll be saved if you keep with the company of the devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. If you give up the company, then you again become rogues and demons. Therefore you must be satisfied, in whatever condition. "Whatever Kṛṣṇa has given, that's all right." Satisfied. Surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. And that satisfaction can be achieved only when one is fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. If I have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa has taken my charge, Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66), then why shall I bother myself? If I am thinking, "I am suffering," it is also Kṛṣṇa's grace. We should take like that. Even in my consideration, I am in a position which is apparently suffering, we must accept as Kṛṣṇa's grace: "All right, I have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is giving me suffering, that's all right." That is surrender. "Oh, I have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, and now Kṛṣṇa is giving me suffering? Oh, leave Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is not surrender.
Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:
Active means especially in killing the demons. But such demons could be killed without the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If there is little earthquake, millions of demons can be killed. It is not very difficult job. If the Pacific Ocean overfloods this city, millions of people can be killed. If there is a war, millions of people can be killed. If there is epidemic, millions of men can be killed. So killing the demons, for that purpose He does not come, Kṛṣṇa. Rather, Kṛṣṇa's many agents, they can kill such demons without any difficulty. But He comes, paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. (BG 4.8) Just like Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared not to kill the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu. He could be killed otherwise.
Lecture on SB 2.3.20-21 -- Los Angeles, June 17, 1972:
We get information from Rāmāyaṇa. Such powerful demons. Who can make now subway from one country into another country? They can make subway from one city to another, utmost.
But at that time, Rāvaṇa was able to make a subway from one continent to another, from Asia to Africa. And Brazil, they say, still there are big stock of gold. So Rāvaṇa utilized these gold mines for constructing his city. Svarṇa-laṅkā, "Golden Ceylon," it was known at that time. He was so advanced even in material science, even at that time. And he was also a good scholar in Vedic literature. He was a great devotee of Lord Śiva. And by the blessings of Lord Śiva, he got so much opulences. And he became so powerful that he dared to kidnap the wife of Rāmacandra. So such a powerful demon was killed by Rāmacandra. And He approached his kingdom on a stone bridge. And the stones were floating on the water. Where is the law of gravitation? The law of gravitation, the so-called scientists' imagination, does not act when Urukrama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acts. He wanted, "There should be no law of gravitation. Let the stones float on the water." This is called urukrama.
Lecture on SB 2.9.3 -- Melbourne, April 5, 1972:
Even Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Lord, who has nothing to do, He also sometimes thinks that "I must fight with somebody. I must play. I must become subordinate to somebody." Therefore He comes. He becomes subordinate to Nanda-Yaśodā. That is pleasure. He becomes chastised. He fights with the demon. Some of the demons, they are devotees. Just like if I want to take massage, I find out my masseur from my devotees, with all strength. You see? I cannot go outside. Similarly, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The fighting spirit is there in Kṛṣṇa also. So when He wants to fight, in the Vaikuṇṭha there is no possibility of fight. Nobody will be able to fight. Nobody will agree to fight. So there is no fighting. Fighting means must be inimical propensity. Unless you think "I am your enemy," and I think "you are my enemy," the fighting is not going on. If I think, "I am fighting with my friend," it will be false fighting. Fighting must be between two strong enemies. Therefore sometimes Jaya Vijaya come. The question is that why the living entity falls down? It is not falls down. Just like Jaya Vijaya came just to satisfy his master. His master desired fighting, so some of His servant went to the material world and became great enemy like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Rāvaṇa. For killing Rāvaṇa, Rāma is coming. Well, Rāvaṇa could not be killed without Rāma. If Rāma desired, millions of Rāvaṇas could be killed in one second. And why He is coming to, personally to fight with him? Just to satisfy a pleasure pastime, that "I shall fight." That is variety.
Lecture on SB 2.9.10 -- Tokyo, April 26, 1972:
Pradyumna: "There is no predominance of the influence of time, so what to speak of the illusory, external energy that cannot enter in that region. Without discrimination, both the demigods and the demons worship the Lord as devotees."
Prabhupāda: So this is the description, beginning, just to get an idea of the spiritual world. Unless we go there... Just like we have come to Japan. We are getting direct experience. But before coming here, from books and literature and maps—it is an example—we can get some information, what is Japan. Similarly, the spiritual world, what is that spiritual world, in other places, in Upaniṣad also describes. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, this description, na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candro na pāvakaḥ (BG 15.6). There is no need of sunlight, moonlight, what to speak of the stars, neither na pāvakaḥ, neither electricity. Na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candro na pāvakaḥ. Here in this material world we cannot see things without sunlight, moonlight or electricity. We are proud of our eyes, but as soon as there is no light... Now there is sunlight; we can see very nicely. The spiritual world is not like that. There is no need of sunlight, moonlight or electricity. The first impression is there in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:
Lord Śiva is dancing with his triśūla. He has got something to do, to annihilate. He has got anxiety. Goddess Kālī. She's also standing with sword and so many things. So they have got activities. Durgā, she is engaged in so many activities. But Kṛṣṇa, you'll find always svacchandātmā, always peaceful. Kṛṣṇa, when He's engaged in killing some demons, that Kṛṣṇa is different from the original Kṛṣṇa. That is Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa. That is Vāsudeva. Kṛṣṇa personally does not go anywhere. Padam, padam ekaṁ na gacchati. Giving up Vṛndāvana, He does not go even step away. That is original Kṛṣṇa. And other things, other activities which are done by Kṛṣṇa, that is Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa. From Kṛṣṇa: Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. Then from, again Saṅkarṣaṇa: Nārāyaṇa. Again, from Nārāyaṇa, the dvitīya catur-vyūha. Then Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī... In this way, there is system how Kṛṣṇa expands. Ekaṁ bahu syām.
Lecture on SB 3.25.3 -- Bombay, November 3, 1974:
The viṣṇu-tattva is bhagavat-tattva, ādi-puruṣam, personal expansion, and we are energy expansion. We are also energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). So jīva, prakṛti expansion. Parā-prakṛti expansion. So Kṛṣṇa is always svacchandātmā. He has no anxiety. Svacchandātmā ātma-māyayā. Yad yad vidhatte bhagavān svacchandātmā. Whatever... Even if He's killing a demon, there is no anxiety. That is Kṛṣṇa. Even if He's killing, He has no anxiety. Svacchandātmā. That is also, I mean to say, confirmed in the Vedic language. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). So He has nothing to do personally. His energies act.
Lecture on SB 3.25.11 -- Bombay, November 11, 1974:
Therefore father said, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Kṛṣṇa says, the supreme father, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). He's the supreme father. You don't care for father. Therefore... The nature is working under the direction of the supreme father. That's a fact. So if you do not care for your father, then the result will be nature will reduce supply. Reduce supply. Nature will not allow to the demons to flourish. No. That is not allowed. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andha-yoniṣu (BG 16.19). The demons are always liable to be punished. Some big, big demons like Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, the Lord personally comes to punish them. Otherwise, the ordinary demons, they are punished by the laws of nature. Kṛṣṇa does not require to come to punish these petty demons. But when there is big, big demons like Rāvaṇa, like Hiraṇyakaśipu, like Kaṁsa, then Kṛṣṇa, or Lord Rāmacandra, They come to punish them.
Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:
The boy, five-years-old boy. What is his fault? He's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And his father became enemy. Up to which, what strength? Now, he was prepared to kill. He was insisting the boy that "Why you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? Why you are speaking of a separate God? I am God." That is the asuri. Those rascals who claim to become God Himself, they are demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu. So Prahlāda Mahārāja will not accept. Prahlāda Mahārāja, even the father insisting that "I am God. Why you are talking of any other God? I am God," and Prahlāda Mahārāja will not accept that. He will accept the father as asura. Sometimes it was quarrel between father and son. Sometimes the father would call, "My dear Prahlāda, all right, let me know what you have learned, the best thing, from your teachers."
Lecture on SB 3.25.20 -- Bombay, November 20, 1974:
They may think themselves as very advanced in knowledge, but they are rascal number one because their so-called knowledge, the effect of knowledge, is taken away by māyā. They are called Māyāvādīs. They are very much proud of their knowledge. But Kṛṣṇa says, "These rascals, these atheist class demons, their actual knowledge is taken away." Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He devised means that "Indirectly I shall be immortal. I shall not die in daytime. I shall not die in night. I shall not die in water. I shall not die in land. I shall not die in the sky. No animal can kill me. No demigod can kill me. No weapon can kill me." So on, so many... Brahmā says, "All right." But he never agreed to give him immortality. But he wanted to cheat Brahmā that "Indirectly, by the negative way, I have taken everything. So I am immortal." This is called mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). He does not know that Kṛṣṇa's intelligence is always, at least, one inch greater than him, anyone. (laughs)
Lecture on SB 3.25.21 -- Bombay, November 21, 1974:
Even Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, a great politician... Bhaja sādhu-samāgamam. Asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra (CC Madhya 22.87). One gṛhastha Vaiṣṇava, householder Vaiṣṇava, he asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "What is the duty of a gṛhastha, householder Vaiṣṇava?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said in two lines: asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra. "Don't associate with nonsense asādhus." Asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra. One line. A Vaiṣṇava's behavior is to give up the association of demons, nondevotee. Because sādhu means devotee. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30).
Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:
His father, Prahlāda Mahārāja's father asked—after all, he's son—"My dear son, Prahlāda, how you became so much advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Although he was demon, still, he was inquisitive. So Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My dear father..." He used to address his father as asura-varya, "the best of the asuras." Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya. Asura-varya. Asura means demon, and varya means "the best," varīyān. So he... Because he asked that "How you have advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Prahlāda? What is the process?" After all, he was a learned scholar. He inquired out of joking or something like that. So Prahlāda Mahārāja plainly said, matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā: "My dear asura-varya father, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness..." Na matiḥ. Matir na kṛṣṇe. "One cannot get Kṛṣṇa consciousness," matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ, "by the instruction of others, or guru." Parataḥ. Svataḥ, "by speculating oneself," mitho 'bhipadyeta, "or by assembly, conference.
Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:
Everyone is given respect by Vaiṣṇava. Mat-kṛte tyakta-karmāṇas tyakta-svajana-bāndhavāḥ. But they are ready to give up family, relatives, everything. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Mat-kṛte, only for Kṛṣṇa's sake, they can... This is sādhu. Then what is their business, activities? Mad-āśrayāḥ kathā mṛṣṭāḥ. They simply take pleasure in talking about Kṛṣṇa. They simply take pleasure, śṛṇvanti kathayanti ca, by hearing about Kṛṣṇa. We have got so many things to hear about Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa is fighting, how Kṛṣṇa is killing the demons, how Kṛṣṇa is behaving with the gopīs, how Kṛṣṇa is playing as a cowherd boy, so many things we have got. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given us so many literature. If you simply hear and talk about Kṛṣṇa... We are translating all these books about kṛṣṇa-kathā. Already there are about one and half a dozen books, big, big books. We have to publish sixty books like that, simply about Kṛṣṇa, simply about Kṛṣṇa, apart from Bhagavad-gītā. So we can read. Śṛṇvatāṁ kathayanti, śṛṇvanti kathayanti. So we have got enough to become sādhu if you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa and speak about Kṛṣṇa. Tapanti vividhās tāpā naitān mad-gata-cetasaḥ. The immediate relief will be that we shall be saved from the sufferings of this material condition of life.
Lecture on SB 3.25.30 -- Bombay, November 30, 1974:
Ciram, for many, many years, if you speculate, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. You have to receive the mercy of Kṛṣṇa through the spiritual master. Then it is possible. That is recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir ye prāyaśo 'jita. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Ajita; you cannot conquer Him. When Kṛṣṇa was present, He had to fight with so many demons, but nobody could conquer Him. That is the history. He conquered everyone, but nobody could conquer Him. He is conquered by His devotee only. That's all. Therefore His name is Ajita. Ajita. If you want to conquer over Ajita, then you simply... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Don't speculate." Sthāne sthitāḥ... Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Be submissive: "Kṛṣṇa, I am very poor. Kṛṣṇa, I have no means to understand You. So if You kindly be merciful upon me, then I can understand something about You." Surrender. That is wanted. Kṛṣṇa is very merciful as soon as He sees that somebody is surrendered.
Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:
This is the way of bhajana. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). This is the way of bhakti-yoga. Simply glorify this... Your glorification, so much activities... Kṛṣṇa therefore comes to give advantage to the devotees for glorifying Him—because He acts. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). To kill the demons and to give protection to the sādhus, He has to work. From the very beginning of Kṛṣṇa's birth, the enemies are there, demons are there. Kaṁsa advised his constables, "So be very careful. As soon as there is Kṛṣṇa's birth, immediately inform me, and I shall kill Him." He was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, a first-class Kṛṣṇa conscious, always..., but to kill Him.
Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:
They have to suffer so much trouble by the demons. Therefore we have already discussed that verse that, what is that? Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ (SB 3.25.21). A santa means he has to suffer. Just see in the Western countries the Lord Jesus Christ. He was preaching about God, God consciousness. That was the only fault, and he was crucified. Just see. He was crucified. The state ordered him to be crucified because he is talking. Similarly, Hiraṇyakaśipu, his five-years-old body, he was talking only of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa. So therefore his father became enemy. He was trying in so many ways to kill him. This is the very old story, that if you become a devotee, you must be prepared to be put into miserable condition by the demons. That is their business. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). Asuras... Just like even Kṛṣṇa, even God Himself, He was attempted to be killed by Kaṁsa. Not only that, He engaged so many demons, Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Mahīśāsura, so many asuras. But Kṛṣṇa is always Kṛṣṇa. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He is able to finish these duṣkṛtas or the asuras by His omnipotency. That He can do. But the asuras are always... Their only business is to give trouble to God and His devotee.
Lecture on SB 3.25.44 -- Bombay, December 12, 1974:
Everyone will say, "You are such a coward that your father was killed before you. You did not protest. You did not try to give any protection?" This is superficial. But actually, the son, Prahlāda Mahārāja, was giving the best service to his father, best service. Because in the śāstra it is said that if a person, if a demon, is killed by God, he immediately is liberated. Even though he was not liberated, thinking that he was very, very sinful... Of course, he was liberated. But Prahlāda Mahārāja was thinking that "My father was so sinful, so much against God consciousness. He might not be liberated."
Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:
You will find... All the demons—we have got description in the śāstra—their only business is to become envious of God, that's all. This is the business. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa, as soon as he heard one omen that this eighth son of his sister, Devakī, would kill him, immediately he became furious: "Oh, let me finish my sister so that there will be no eighth or first or second son. Finish the origin of..." So anyway, Vasudeva saved her. It is the duty of the husband to save, give protection to the wife. So some way or other... It was a family matter. But he promised that "I shall bring all the children to you." So this is Kaṁsa. And actually, Vasudeva, to keep his word, brought all the issues before him, and he killed. Only in case of Kṛṣṇa, he violated the promise: "No, no, I cannot allow this child to be killed." So he transferred the child from Devakī's protection to Mother Yaśodā's protection. So anyway...
So the Kaṁsa was thinking of killing Kṛṣṇa always. He was also Kṛṣṇa conscious, always thinking of, but how to kill Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between the demon and the devotee. The demons are also Kṛṣṇa conscious, but they are Kṛṣṇa conscious in the opposite way, how to kill Kṛṣṇa. And devotees, they are Kṛṣṇa conscious, but not like the demon. They are always thinking how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Both of them are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore, this is... Because these demons are also Kṛṣṇa conscious, they cannot be called devotee. They cannot be called devotee. But they get the good result of Kṛṣṇa consciousness because by thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa..." And when they are killed by Kṛṣṇa, they get immediately liberation. That is the absolute position of Kṛṣṇa. Either you go to Him as enemy or you go to Him as friend, your result is the same. So somehow or other, come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But the demonic Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not bhakti. That is not bhakti.
Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:
So liberation is achievable even by the nondevotees because these demons... They are nondevotees. They are getting also liberation because thinking of Kṛṣṇa always. So why the devotees also get the same type of liberation? No, for them, better type of liberation. Sāyujya, sārūpya, sārṣṭi... (CC Madhya 6.266). There are five kinds of liberations, and the sāyujya-mukti, to become one with the Supreme, that is obtainable even by the enemies, demons. The devotees, they do not want that kind of liberation. They want to keep their identity eternally and serve Kṛṣṇa. That is perfect. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Therefore bhakti is described, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Anuśīlanam means cultivating the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. The demons are also cultivating, but that is not ānukūlyena. That is prātikūlyena, how to kill Kṛṣṇa. So that is not bhakti. When we cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness ānukūlyena-anukūla means favorable—that is called bhakti.
Lecture on SB 3.26.16 -- Bombay, December 25, 1974:
We may, however, defy the existence of God. Atheist class of men, demons, they always defy, "Who is God? I am God." But everyone is under the control of time factor. The time factor, in due course, will bring him death. So at that time, how one can deny the existence of God? Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa says that "I am death, and My business is to take away everything." Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham. So time factor will take away everything, what we create with these twenty-four elements. So time is very strong, kāla. However we may defy the existence of God, the time factor is there. We have to accept it. And it is said, kālam eke yato bhayam. And because we are under the control of the time at the present moment in material existence, therefore there is bhayam. Bhayam means ultimately death. Bhayam. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ.
Lecture on SB 3.26.28 -- Bombay, January 5, 1975:
Just like materially, Arjuna was trying to become very gentleman, nonviolent, Arjuna: "Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight." People very much appreciate, "Just see, Arjuna is so gentle, he is trying to become nonviolent, and Kṛṣṇa is inducing him to become violent." This is the vision of the demons. They do not know, whatever Kṛṣṇa desires, that is rightful. Kṛṣṇa wanted Arjuna to fight. That is rightful. And Arjuna wanted to become nonviolent. That is not rightful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa chastised him, kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam: "Why you are talking like anārya?" Anārya-juṣṭam: "This kind of talking... You are kṣatriya, and you are not willing to fight. What is this? This kind of proposal is made by the anārya, uncivilized. You are a kṣatriya. Your duty is to fight, and you are trying to refrain from the fight? You have become so ignorant? Oh, this is not good."
Lecture on SB 3.26.40 -- Bombay, January 15, 1975:
So because they do not want to know Kṛṣṇa in tattvataḥ, factually, therefore they mistake Kṛṣṇa. Especially they attack Kṛṣṇa, that "He killed so many demons. He had rāsa-līlā with so many gopīs. He married so many wives," misunderstand Kṛṣṇa. But if Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, almighty, then what is difficulty for Him to marry 16,108 wife? Kṛṣṇa has many, many millions and millions of devotees. Some of them desiring to Kṛṣṇa..., to serve Kṛṣṇa as servant. Some of them are desiring Kṛṣṇa, to serve Him as friend or as father, as mother, as lover, as wife. So there are many devotees, ananta devotees, only not one or two. So Kṛṣṇa has to satisfy every one of them. That is not difficult for Him. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). There are so many millions and trillions of devotees. They are surrendering to Kṛṣṇa and desiring to serve Him in his different propensity, and Kṛṣṇa fulfills everyone's desire.
Lecture on SB 3.26.44 -- Bombay, January 19, 1975:
"There is no need of God. Now we have solved all the questions." But nobody is giving credit to Kṛṣṇa who is floating millions and trillions of stars and planets in the air. So by taking Kṛṣṇa's stock, the petroleum or gas, we become scientist and fly the airplane, and Kṛṣṇa has given the petrol, and He has no credit. He has no credit. That is the difference between demons and bhakta. A bhakta sees in everything presence of Kṛṣṇa. "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa's energy is there. Here is nice taste. Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8).
So Kṛṣṇa has manifested Himself in so many ways by His different energies. We have to learn simply to know or see how Kṛṣṇa is working. So here it is stated that rasa-mātrād vikurvāṇād ambhaso daiva-coditāt. Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa is working there. Vikur..., transformation, does not take place automatically. Just like the other day I gave you the example: there is oil and there is soda, but you can transform into soap by mixing together. That mixing process does not take place automatically.
Lecture on SB 3.28.17 -- Nairobi, October 26, 1975:
So if you don't worship Kṛṣṇa during your lifetime, then you have to worship at the time of your death, and He will take away all your possession. Therefore He is worshipable by everyone, devotee and nondevotee. The devotee take advantage of this life and worship Him, and the rascal, fools, demons, they are forced to worship Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. Therefore it is called sarva-loka-namaskṛtam. You have to worship Him. You cannot escape, you rascal. If you escape, then the time will come—He will take you, He'll take everything, all your possession, and the nature will give you the body of a dog. Just go on, barking, for so many years. This is the law of nature. You cannot stop it. It is not possible. You better take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and worship as sane man, as nice gentleman. Then your life is successful.
Lecture on SB 4.14.14 -- November 16, 1971, Delhi:
So such thing happened some long, long years ago in the family of Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja was a great devotee, and his family members also were great devotees, but gradually they deteriorated. And one king, whose name is Mahārāja Vena, he was so extravagant just like demon. This also happened due to his mother. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. His mother was born not of a very good father, so she inherited the nature of this bad father, and her son also inherited the nature of his mother. But the king, the father, was very pious, as it should be. So with his son's behavior, he became so much disgusted that he left home without any notice.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:
He was child, five years old. His other... In tiffin hours the other children of the demons, they were playing, and Prahlāda Mahārāja was asking to sit down and hear him. He was preaching, "My dear friends," kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān, "don't spoil your life by playing. Now this is the period of understanding bhāgavata-dharma." Bhāgavata-dharma means to understand God and our relationship with God and act accordingly. That is called bhāgavata-dharma. So kaumāra ācaret prajñā dharmān bhāgavatān. If you want... We might have done mistakes in our life, but if we train our children in the brahmacārī system and gradually they understand the bhāgavata-dharma, at least their life becomes perfect. And in the Bhāgavata it is ordered that... You will find all this in this Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction. Pitā na sa syāt jananī na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syā..., guror na sa syāt: "One should not become guru... One should not become guru, one should not become kinsmen, one should not become father, one should not become mother"—na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum—"if one cannot give lesson to the children how to avoid death." This is the duty of the guardians, of the government, how to avoid death. Where is that education? So that is the defect of the modern education. There is no training. So, gardulika pravaha.(?) It is going on, very risky civilization.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:
Amṛtatva, amṛtatva means no more births, no more death. No more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more old age. That is called amṛtatva. Amṛta means eternity or immortality. Hiraṇyakaśipu tried. Hiraṇyakaśipu, you know Prahlāda Mahārāja's father, he was defeated by the demigods. Therefore he left home and went for tapasya, to become immortal. So he was a demon, so he was undergoing tapasya, other demigods, not Kṛṣṇa, because he was against Kṛṣṇa. Demons means against God. They'll never go to God. They'll go to somebody else for power. So Hiraṇyakaśipu, when Brahmā visited, that, "Why you are undergoing so serious tapasya that the whole world is trembling by your tapasya? What do you want?" So he said, "I want to become immortal." Lord Brahmā said, "That is not in my power because myself is not also immortal? How can I give immortality?"
Lecture on SB 5.5.1-8 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:
So he was a demon, he thought by cheating Brahmā, indirect way, he took all the benediction, that "I shall not die by any, killed by any man, any demigod, any animal, or any living being. I shall not die in daytime, I shall not die at night, I shall not die in the sky, I shall not die on the land, I shall not die in water." In this way, as much as possible, by the definition of negation, no this, not this, not this, he thought, "Now I have become immortal." But he was also killed by Nṛsiṁha-deva, keeping all the promises of Brahmā. He was not killed daytime, neither at night. He was not killed on water, he was not killed in the sky. He was killed on the lap of the Lord. So in this way... Actually even the demons in those days they were thinking that "Why should we be subjected to these laws of birth, death and disease. We must rescue (?)." But the demons cannot. But there is possibility. But who knows? Ask anybody, ask any scientist, philosopher that, "Have you any process by which we can become immortal?" What they will answer? "Up to date we have no such process, but we are trying. In future." They will say like that. But no question of future. Immediately, you can have.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:
He is personally being tortured, but at the same time he was thinking how to do good to others. This is sādhu. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29), he's friend, not only to the human society, but he's friend to the ant even. A devotee does not like that even an ant should be killed. No. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ, titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva, ajāta-śatravaḥ, he does not create any enemy, but unfortunately the demons becomes his enemy. What can be done? Suhṛdam sarva-bhūtānām, ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ. Again this same word, praśāntā, fully satisfied. He has nothing to hanker after because he has got Kṛṣṇa. Why he should hanker? Śāntā, praśāntā.
Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:
This is civilization. Just try to understand. You have to convince your countrymen that what is this civilization, nonsense civilization? Stop this kind of civilization. Learn how to become civilized. Don't claim yourself as civilized man and eating like tigers and dogs and cats. Is that civilization? But they are doing. That is stated here. It is not new. Always, there is a certain class of men, demons, who are not civilized, but declaring themselves as civilized. Otherwise, how it has come into Bhāgavata? There were also in that time. Now the number has increased on account of this age. But these two classes of men are always there.
Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976:
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is described by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. That's all. Always think of Me, man-manāḥ, and bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, be ready always to serve Me. Bhakta means, where there is bhakti and Bhagavān. Then bhakta. If there is no Bhagavān, and there is no activities to serve Bhagavān, there is no bhakta also. They are demons. So bhakta means there must be Bhagavān. Sevya, sevaka, and sevā. Sevya sevaka sevā, three things. Sevya means who is to be served, the master, sevya. And sevaka means the servant.
Lecture on SB 5.5.10-13 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1976:
Transportation is required, but we see from Kṛṣṇa books that the inhabitants of Gokula... There was a meeting headed by Nanda Mahārāja's young brother, Upananda, and all the villagers, they assembled together. They discussed that "Our Kṛṣṇa is being repeatedly attacked by the asuras, and it has become very troublesome. So let us leave this place." They are villagers. They thought it wise that "Because we are in this village, some of the demons, they are coming and disturbing." So they are villagers... Immediately Nanda Mahārāja agreed, "All right, let us leave this place." So immediately, they transferred the whole village with their possessions, cloth or something, everything, within one hour. And they transported by the bullock cart to Nandagrāma.
Lecture on SB 5.5.32 -- Vrndavana, November 19, 1976:
Of course, we are not afraid of this attempt. They will never be successful, rest assured, because we are pushing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa was attempted to be killed from the very beginning of His life. That is the nature of this material world, "How to kill God," "God is dead." This is their attempt. So from the life of Kṛṣṇa we can understand that so many attempts were made by the demons and the rākṣasas to kill Kṛṣṇa, but actually Kṛṣṇa killed them all. So if you are sincere, if you follow the principles and push on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, nobody can kill you. You'll go forward, rest assured. We are not going to be killed. That they are perceiving, that this movement is spreading like epidemic, and the young men of Europe and America, they're taking seriously. Professor Stillson Judah already has given his conclusion that "This movement is not going to stop. It will go on." That's a fact. Kṛṣṇa cannot be killed, neither His movement cannot be killed. Rather, those who are attempting to kill, they will be killed. But we must be very sincere, serious, follow the regulative principle and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as you have been taught. Follow this principle boldly, and there is no fear.
Lecture on SB 5.5.33 -- Vrndavana, November 20, 1976:
So immediately Kṛṣṇa's promise... Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Immediately sudarśana-cakra came and killed that demon immediately, and then he pursued Durvāsā Muni. Durvāsā Muni first of all approached Lord Śiva because he was devotee of Śiva: "Please give me protection." He said, "Oh, it is not possible for me. If sudarśana-cakra is after you, I cannot do anything." Then similarly, he approached Brahmā. So he also said, "No, this is not possible." Then he was so powerful that he approached Lord Viṣṇu even, personally, in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. He refused to help him. He said, "Durvāsā Muni, unless you beg pardon from Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, there is no question of excusing you. The sudarśana-cakra will not excuse." Therefore Vaiṣṇava aparādha is very, very offensive.
Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, May 8, 1976:
When Viśvamitra Muni went to see Mahārāja Daśaratha to ask the help of Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa... There was a demon. They were disturbing in the forest. The saintly persons were disturbed. They could kill that demon, but because they were brāhmaṇas, saintly person, they did not like the killing business in their own hand. That was the system. A brāhmaṇa will not kill. A brāhmaṇa, simply by cursing, he can kill. Doesn't require even open... Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he was cursed by a boy brāhmaṇa that within seven days he'll be bitten by a snake and he'll die. The brāhmaṇas were so powerful. So brāhmaṇa is not joke. In Kali-yuga there is no such brāhmaṇa. So this Viśvamitra Muni came to Mahārāja Daśaratha to request that "Send your sons Rāmacandra and Laksmana to kill these demons." Kṣatriyas' business is... Kṣat. Kṣat means injury. If somebody is injuring your body, it is the duty of the government to save you: "Why unnecessarily you are injuring this...?" Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja, when he was going... And some person was śūdra in the dress of the king. He was trying to kill a cow. Immediately Parīkṣit Mahārāja took his sword: "Who are you, rascal, you are trying to kill a cow in my kingdom?" That is kṣatriya.
Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975:
So this responsibility should be "How to stop this repetition of birth." In many places this is advised. And that is the only aim of human life. Punar-janma-jayāya. I have told you many times that when Viśvāmitra Muni went to Daśaratha Mahārāja to take Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa to kill one demon in the forest... Viśvāmitra Muni is brāhmaṇa. He was so powerful, he could himself kill that demon, but because he is brāhmaṇa, he is not allowed to kill. A brāhmaṇa must be nonviolent. So therefore he went to the kṣatriya, Mahārāja Daśaratha. This is kṣatriya's business. Kṣatriya means..., kṣat means injury, and tra means delivered. The kṣatriya's duty is... There is somebody is creating disturbance, injury to others—it is the government's duty, kṣatriya's duty, to punish him immediately, or, if required, to kill him, immediately. That is kṣatriya's duty. So one demon was very much disturbing the ṛṣis in the jungle. So they came to Daśaratha Mahārāja to get some relief. Kṣatraṁ dvijatvaṁ ca parasparārtham. He said, "My dear King Daśaratha, I have come to you for some help. The disturbance is going on." Just like we go to the government for police help if there is some disturbance, this is the duty of the government, kṣatriya. So "We are having sacrifices, penances for the whole humanity. Now we are disturbed. You save us." Kṣatraṁ dvijatvaṁ ca parasparārtham. This is required.
Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:
The dhīra example is given by Kālidāsa Paṇḍita, a great poet in India, Sanskrit poet, long, long ago. He has written one book: Kumāra-sambhava. Kumāra-sambhava. In our college we read that book in Sanskrit class. Kumāra-sambhava. So he has given one example of dhīra about Lord Śiva, Mahādeva. He was meditating and the demigods, they had a plan, that "The demons are fighting with us. We are being defeated. We want a commander in chief, who must be born out of the semina of Lord Śiva." But he was in meditation. So how to do it? So Pārvatī, she was sent. She was young girl. And she was worshiping the genital of Lord Śiva.
Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1975:
So in this way we have to understand what is God. God is not a petty thing, that He dies, or one is manufactured by meditation, he become God. This kind of God has no value. God is always God. Kṛṣṇa, when He was a child, He had no opportunity to meditate. He was a child playing on the lap of His mother. And when Pūtanā came and wanted to kill the child, the small child God, He killed Putana, a big demon. So even He was at that time three months old, still... And not only Pūtanā, many other demons. And then, when He was six or seven-years-old boy, so at that time there was crisis in Vṛndāvana, and He lifted the Govardhana Hill with His finger. This is God. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). God has got unlimited strength. You have seen in Kṛṣṇa picture: Kṛṣṇa is killing so many demons. That horse demon? Kesi, Kesi. Kṛṣṇa simply pushed His hand in the mouth of the horse. Because to control a horse means he control his mouth; then you can control the whole big animal. So immediately the horse came before Him, He pushed His hand within the mouth of the horse, and the horse began to feel it is red-hot iron. So this is God. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ.
Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:
So śravaṇam is so perfect also. Parīkṣit Mahārāja attained perfection simply by hearing seven days. Similarly, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he also attained perfection by speaking seven days to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam (SB 7.5.23). Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was put into so many difficulties by his atheist father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, but he was simply remembering Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa. Because he was a child, five years old, how he can fight with his father? His father was the greatest demon, powerful, and he was against the child. So he used to simply think of Kṛṣṇa, smaraṇam. Pāda-sevanam: Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune, she simply engaged herself in massaging the lotus feet of Viṣṇu. Pāda-sevanam. Arcanam: Pṛthu Mahārāja, he engaged himself in the arcana. Vandanaṁ. Dāsyam: Hanumān. Akrūra, Akrūra, he simply offered prayers to Kṛṣṇa. Akrūra came to Kṛṣṇa Balarāma to take Them to Mathurā. So he got salvation simply by offering prayers. Vandanaṁ dāsyam. Hanumān, he simply offered his bodily service to Lord Rāmacandra. He got perfection. So śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam... Arjuna. Arjuna simply kept friendship with Kṛṣṇa. He got perfection.
Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Honolulu, May 16, 1976:
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī said already that kecit kevalayā bhaktyā (SB 6.1.15), "Simply by devotional service," vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, "one has become attached to Vāsudeva." This stage is very difficult but very easy also. For the simple person it is very easy, and those who are crooked, demons, for them it is very difficult.
Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:
Therefore sādhu, suhṛt. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. Sādhu is not enemy. Ajāta-śatrava. He does not create enemy, but the world is such that if you become devotee, even your father will be enemy. Prahlāda Mahārāja, five-years-old boy, what was his fault? He became a devotee and his father was prepared to kill him. This is world. So he does not create an enemy, but these demons, rascals, out of their jealousy they become our enemy. Otherwise our process is not to make enemy. We invite everyone, "Please come here, take prasādam, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, dance, and go home." Where is enmity? (laughter) But still, they'll become enemy. This is the world. But if he lives with the sādhava, suśīla, and follows the rules and regulation, then he also becomes sādhava. Saṅgāt sanjāyate kāmaḥ. Just like if you mix with a drunkard, thieves and rogues, then you also become a drunkard, thief, similarly, if we live with the sādhu, sādhava, then you become sādhu.
Lecture on SB 6.1.18 -- Denver, July 1, 1975:
You see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is full of jolly. Always you see pictures of Kṛṣṇa, either He is playing with the cowherds boy or either He is killing some demon, He is laughing, very sportively He is killing. And what to speak of with the gopīs and Rādhārāṇī? Because He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), always full of happiness and bliss. And we are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore our position is the same, maybe in small scale. The position is the same, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Ānandamaya. So why should we be morose? Why should we be unhappy? Because we are now at the present moment covered with the sinful reaction of our life. So if we purify ourself... Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). We have already discussed, or that will be discussed later. The human life is meant for that. Purify. Don't keep yourself unclean. Purify. Then you regain your original, spiritual life. That is the only business.
Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:
The so-called sannyāsīs, their business is to... This tendency is always there, but according to the age, sometimes it is very prominent and sometimes not so prominent. But this material world is so contaminated. In the days of Rāmacandra people were hankering after the kingdom of Rāma, even there was Rāvaṇa in the days of Rāmacandra. And what to speak of all these nonsense debauchees? Rāmacandra was so strict, and God Himself was ruling, and still, there was Rāvaṇa. But because Rāmacandra was there he was also killed. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). God's business is to protect the faithful and kill the demons. That is always. Therefore we find Lord Viṣṇu, the four symbolic representation: for killing, the club and the cakra; and for protecting, the lotus flower and conchshell.
Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:
Oh, that is not possible. You are independent. You don't care for God. But God will come. You will see. Kālo 'smi. When Kṛṣṇa showed the gigantic form, virāḍ-mūrti, Arjuna enquired, "Who are You, Sir?" Because he was dealing with Kṛṣṇa as friend, but after seeing the virāḍ-rūpa, the gigantic universal form, so he enquired, "Who are You, Sir?" He replied, kālo 'smi: "I am kāla, kāla. I have appeared to take away all these sinful demons." So Kṛṣṇa appears still in form of war, big gigantic war, and takes away so many millions of people by one stroke. This is going on. So we should have sense that "We hear from the śāstras that we are eternal. Why we are subjugated to these laws of nature, kāla? I do not wish to die, I do not wish to suffer, I do not wish to be old man, I do not wish to be diseased, and these things are forced upon me. I have to accept, and still, I am so fool, I am thinking I am independent." This is called foolishness, rascaldom.
Lecture on SB 6.1.25 -- Honolulu, May 25, 1976:
So we shall try to purify ourselves from sinful activity so that Prahlāda Mahā..., Nṛsiṁha-deva may keep His hand on our..., bless head. That is wanted. Then our life is successful. Otherwise nature will not excuse. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Hiraṇyakaśipu will be killed. A demon should be... That is true business of Kṛṣṇa. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8), to kill the demons. Of course, any demon killed by Kṛṣṇa, he also gets salvation. But if the demon gets salvation being killed, but just imagine what is the position of devotees to whom Kṛṣṇa is so affectionate. Just imagine what is his position. And His name is Bhakta-vatsala. Kṛṣṇa's name is "very much affectionate to the devotee." So you have taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Take it seriously. Follow the rules and regulations. Then Kṛṣṇa will give you all protection.
Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Honolulu, May 31, 1976:
So this is also suffering. You don't like the next door the dog is barking. So in this way, if you are sober man, you don't want all this suffering, but it is imposed upon you. How do you think that you are living very happy? This is foolishness. It is not... This place, either ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino... Wherever you go, you read from the śāstra, the demigods, they're supposed to be very happy in the upper planetary systems—they are also not in happiness. There is fight between the demons and the demigods and so on, so on. The same politics, same (indistinct), the same..., so many things. Here in the small scale, just like two birds, they fight also. You've seen them. So their fighting you neglect. But your fighting—there is atom bomb. And similarly there is fighting in upper planets also.
Lecture on SB 6.1.38 -- Los Angeles, June 4, 1976:
When there is discrepancies of religious principles and abhyutthānam adharmasya, and the society is prominent in doing sinful activities, abhyutthānam... If you are not religious, then you must be irreligious. Two things are there. If there is no light, it is darkness. If it is not darkness, it is light. Similarly, two things cannot go. Either you are a demon or you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, godly. This is the conclusion. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke ('smin) daiva āsura eva ca (BG 16.6). There are two kinds of men in this world. Not only in this world, throughout the whole universe. Two kinds. No third. What is that? Daiva āsura eva ca. One is godly, another is demon. So what is the difference? Viṣṇu bhakto bhaved daiva. Those who are devotees of the Supreme Lord, they are called demigods, or godly. Āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. And those who are opposite number, they are demons.
Lecture on SB 6.1.38 -- Los Angeles, June 4, 1976:
So we have got two tests. One test is sufficient. If one is not devotee, if one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's a demon, has finished our conclusion. We simply ask whether you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, whether you know Kṛṣṇa. If he says, "No, I don't know..." I think our Śyāmasundara's daughter is... She used to preach. She used to go to any elderly person when she was four years old. "Do you know Kṛṣṇa?" she said. So he says, "No, I don't know." "Oh, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is preaching. Finish, preaching. A child can preach. A child can understand, "Do you know God?" "No." "You are a demon." (laughter) Finished. Where is the difficulty? As soon as you say "I do not know God," you are a demon. Bās. First-class demon. "I am scientist." "You are rascal." "No, I have studied, I have got my degrees." "Māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. (laughter) Rascal, you have studied so long, simply waste of time.
Lecture on SB 6.1.39 -- San Francisco, July 20, 1975:
That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andha-yoniṣu (BG 16.19). Those who are asuras, demons, trying to defy the existence of God, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is putting him in such circumstances, in such family, in such society, in such community, in such country, that he will have no opportunity to know Kṛṣṇa. Tān ahaṁ dviṣa... Because he is envious of Kṛṣṇa, wants to forget Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa is putting him in such circumstances. And one who is little eager to know Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa is giving the intelligence.
Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:
So in this way I am one. I have got creative power; God has also creative power. But God creates innumerable universes, and you can create a motorcar. That's all, no more. Or atom bomb—to kill. You cannot create a planet; you can create a sputnik. With great difficulty it flies in the sky. But God's creation—innumerable planets, they are floating without any machine. Still, the rascal says, "There is no God. I am God." You do like God; then you become God. What you have done like God? You have created a toy flying in the sky. Therefore you are so much proud that you compare yourself with God? This is called demons, demonic. Unnecessarily, without any authority, when a man claims that "I am God," that is demonic.
Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:
So actual fact is Viṣṇu worship. That is the ultimate goal of Vedic civilization, but they do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Their attention is diverted in so many demigods. The greatest disservice to the society, that "Here is another god, here..." Not only manufacturing a man-god, but they are advising that "Any god you can worship." No: Viṣṇu. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. This is Vedic mantra. Those who are sūrayaḥ, means advanced... Sūrayaḥ means... Sūrayaḥ and asūrayaḥ. Asūrayaḥ means demons. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved suraḥ: "Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, they are sura." Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ: "And those who are not Viṣṇu bhaktas, they are asuras." Just like Rāvaṇa was very great devotee of Lord Śiva; still, he was a asura. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was a great devotee of Lord Brahmā, but he was considered asura. So anyone who is not devotee of Lord Viṣṇu, he is asura. That is the verdict. Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. And this piṇḍa-dāna is offered oblations to the Viṣṇu. So if any man becomes a Vaiṣṇava, he is offering oblations to Viṣṇu every moment, so his forefathers are delivered without any trouble. Without any trouble. If one's son becomes a Vaiṣṇava in the family, he can deliver fourteen generations, up and down. That is the verdict. Not only verdict, this is the version in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on SB 6.1.62 -- Vrndavana, August 29, 1975:
You are collecting things for your enjoyment. But I shall... When I shall come as death, not only you shall be killed, but I shall take away whatever you possess." So this is intelligence, that... They say, "There is no God," and God says, "Yes, you see Me at the time of death." But you cannot avoid death. So before meeting death... Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlāda Mahārāja so many times requested, "My dear father, why you are becoming atheist? By His grace you have got so much power. Just submit to Him." "No. There is no God. I am God." So this is called demon. In spite of being punished in so many ways, they will deny the existence of God. So they are... Those who are not devotee, they will be agitated by the māyā, by Madana, by Cupid, by so many other illusory things. But if one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then nothing can. Because Kṛṣṇa conscious person is not in want. He is not in want. So long we will be in want, our mind will be agitated. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja advised that, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām: "Those who are always agitated..." Everyone is agitated. Samudvigna. Tat sādhu manye asura-varya dehinām. Anyone who has accepted this material body must be always agitated in mind, sadā. Why? Asad-grahāt. Because he has accepted this temporary body, he must be full of anxiety. It cannot be avoided.
Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:
When these rascals forget what is God, He comes. And still, they are making research. He is acting as God; He is instructing as God; He is accepted by the ācāryas as God; still, these rascals are searching out God. This is their position. Why you are searching out? Here is God. God says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ mattaṁ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8), aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇāṁ sa saptasaḥ (Bg 10.2). And still you are searching God? That is the folly. Even God comes before you, and if you are demon, then you cannot understand what is God.
Therefore we have to follow the ācāryas. We are ignorant. To become ignorant is not any fault. But when the ignorant thinks that he knows everything, then he's fault. Therefore the ignorant people are advised in the Vedas, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). "So I am ignorant, I am fool, I am rascals. I shall remain like that"? No, that is not human life; that is animal life. Animal is also ignorant.
Lecture on SB 6.2.4 -- Vrndavana, September 8, 1975:
So he was prepared to punish Pṛthvī. She submitted that "King, why you are trying to punish me? It is my business when people become demons, I restrict my supply." So this is nature's law. As soon as you become demons, godless, nature will restrict supply. There will be no rain, no production. There will be scarcity, everything. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is being carried by prakṛti. And prakṛti is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Without prakṛti's cooperation you cannot get anything. You may have big, big mills and factories—useless. You cannot manufacture, I mean to say, rice, grains. Even if you eat meat, the cows and the animals, they must eat vegetables. There will be no vegetables. How you will be able to eat meat even? So nature has got the restricting power. As you become more and more demons and sinful, nature will restrict supply and you'll suffer. This is the law.
Lecture on SB 6.2.4 -- Vrndavana, September 8, 1975:
So we have taken this Bhāgavatam. We should be very, very careful to become first-class men so that others will follow. Sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute. If you become a first-class man, sa yat pramāṇam, whatever you will do, lokas tad anuvartate, people will follow, naturally. Lokas tad anuvartate. Unfortunately nowadays first-class man means kill Kṛṣṇa. This is first-class man. All these so-called rascal scholars of Bhagavad-gītā, their only business is how to kill Kṛṣṇa, pounce Him, (Kamsa?), as Kamsa was planning how to kill Kṛṣṇa. That was his plan, demon. He was also thinking of Kṛṣṇa, but he was thinking Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Him. So that is not bhakti. Kṛṣṇa consciousness... He was also Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was thinking always, twenty-four hours, Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 6.2.8 -- Vrndavana, September 11, 1975:
So this persecution of devotees, it is from the very beginning. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was five-years-old boy, and he was simply chanting "Nārāyaṇa." So his father became enemy, what to speak of others, his father. He was atheist. He did not believe in God. So he asked his son, "Why you are chanting 'Nārāyaṇa'?" "Nārāyaṇa is God, the Supreme Lord." "Eh? Supreme Lord? I am Supreme Lord. You chant my name." The boy will not hear. So there was enmity. He was persecuted. So not in this age, devotees are supposed to be persecuted all the time. Christ was crucified. So this is the position of the devotee in the material world, that they become very easily enemy of the demons. But the devotees are not afraid of the demons.
Lecture on SB 6.2.9-10 -- Allahabad, January 15, 1971:
So that is the behavior of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes He becomes very strong. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andha-yoniṣu: (BG 16.19) "Those who are envious, I keep them constantly in the darkest region of hellish life." So Kṛṣṇa is very kind, but if He is angry, He is very hard also. Now, one may say, "Why God should be angry?" No, God is angry also; otherwise wherefrom this anger comes if God is not angry? Janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) everything is coming from the Absolute Truth. If God is not angry, then wherefrom this anger comes? Because He is the original source of everything. So everything is there, but His activity and our activity is different. If Kṛṣṇa is angry... Just like He becomes angry and He kills so many demons. But all of them got liberation.
Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:
So here it is said that yad uttamaśloka-guṇopalambhaka. We have to... Just like there are some sahajiyas. They think that "Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā is very nice, but Kṛṣṇa's fighting with the demons and killing of the demons, that is not very nice." But they do not know the Absolute Truth, that Kṛṣṇa is as good in any circumstances, either He is enjoying the company of the gopīs or He is killing the demon. 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 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:
So he immediately ordered... He plucked one hair and a great demon came. So Durvāsā Muni made his caricature of yogic power, and Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was a devotee. He did not know anything, such magic. He was pure devotee, that's all. So he could simply stand: "All right. I am faulty. You can punish me." So this great demon was coming to kill him, and a devotee has no other way than to remember Kṛṣṇa, so immediately Kṛṣṇa's sudarśana-cakra came to protect him and the sudarśana-cakra immediately killed the demon. Then the sudarśana-cakra attacked Durvāsā Muni. So Durvāsā Muni began to flee. He went upper planetary system to Lord Śiva, Lord Brahma, and this way he wanted protection, but nobody could give protection. They said, "No, no, we cannot give you protection. Lord Viṣṇu is angry upon you.
Lecture on SB 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971:
Of course, Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always ajāta-śatru. There cannot be any enemy. There cannot be enemy in this sense—that no enemy can do any harm to them. Because they are always protected, no enemy can harm to them. Ajāta-śatru. As Kṛṣṇa is ajāta-śatru, no enemy can harm to Him, there are śatrus or enemies of Kṛṣṇa, as you will read from the Kṛṣṇa ... Thousands and thousands of the demons, from the very beginning of His birth there are enemies. When Kṛṣṇa is born... (aside:) Don't meditate. Just hear. These are important things. Kṛṣṇa, as soon as He is born, there is enemy present, Kaṁsa. As soon as He is grown little, two months, three months, there is enemy-Pūtanā, Agha, Baka. So even God, Kṛṣṇa, has got enemies, so why not of the devotees? The devotees' enemy... Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He is enemy of his son, five-years-old son. So you don't think that because one has become Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no enemy. Don't judge in that way: "Oh, he is Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Lecture on SB 6.3.20-23 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:
Such person, giving up this body, no more comes into this material world. The same thing is herein: jñātvā. If one can understand what is religion and what is Kṛṣṇa, only by this understanding, jñātvā amṛtam aśnute. Amṛtam. Mṛtam means death. A means "none," "not," negation. So amṛtam aśnute: he drinks nectarine. The word nectarine, sudhā. You know there was fight between the demons and the demigods, who will drink the amṛta, the nectarine. Because by drinking nectarine one becomes immortal. So here it is said, amṛtam aśnute. As by drinking nectarine, one can become immortal, similarly, by drinking the nectarine of devotion, one becomes immortal. Therefore we have named the book Nectar of Devotion. You drink it and become immortal. That's all. Amṛtam aśnute.
Lecture on SB 6.3.20-23 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:
That is not different from saṅkīrtana. It is clearly stated here that bhagavato guṇa-karma-nāmnām. Nāma means name, and guṇa means quality, and karma means activities. That is not ordinary karma. Just like when we read Kṛṣṇa book, Kṛṣṇa is killing so many demons, He is kidnapping somebody, He is... So many things. It appears just like ordinary, I mean to say, malpractices in the material world. It appears like that. "So what is this God? He is killing so many persons, He is kidnapping some woman. What is this God?" they may say. But they do not know that that is also transcendental. That is as pure as chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is as pure as. Otherwise, what interest we have got to read Bhagavad-gītā? It is in the battlefield. Senayor ubhayor madhye. Combination of two parties, soldiers, and they are fighting, they are killing.
Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:
So this demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, some way or other, he achieved great prowess and he conquered over all the planets. Even the demigods, they were under the subjugation of Hiraṇyakaśipu. So his son Prahlāda from the very beginning of his life, because he got instruction from Nārada Muni within the belly of his mother... This is the story. When the demigods conquered over this Hiraṇyakaśipu, they captured his wife Kayādhu. At that time the wife of Hiraṇyakaśipu was pregnant, and Prahlāda Mahārāja was there. So because the woman was pregnant, the demigods were taking her away. On the way, Nārada Mahāmuni met the demigods, Indra. So he inquired, "What you are doing? You are dragging a woman? Oh, this is not good." So they explained that "We have nothing to do with this woman. Because within the womb of this woman there is a son of Hiraṇyakaśipu—he is also demon—therefore, as soon as she gives birth to the child, we shall kill him. This is our program." Nārada Muni said, "No. This child is not demon. This child is a great devotee, mahā-bhāgavata. So you cannot do that." So they accepted the word of Nārada Muni and they offered obeisances, "Oh, here is a Vaiṣṇava." This is demigod. Although they were carrying out, thinking of the child as a demon, but when they heard from Nārada Muni that "This child is not a demon: he is a great devotee," immediately they offered respect and they circumambulated the mother of Prahlāda Mahārāja and they went away.
Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:
They will not tolerate that. If somebody's son comes to us to become devotee, I have experienced, the father and mother immediately come: "Oh, Swamijī, what you are doing?" But his son becomes hippie—he will tolerate. That he will tolerate. But he becomes devotee—"Oh, we can't tolerate. How can we...?" You see? This is the nature. This is the nature. If one son is going astray by drinking, "Oh, young men, they can do that." But he becomes a devotee, he immediately becomes warned, "Oh, what danger is...!" (laughter) "He is going to be a devotee." This is the nature of demons. If the father, mother, are demons, how you can expect nice child? You see? That is the defect of the modern civilization. Therefore the whole world is unhappy. There is need of devotees, need of real brāhmaṇas. That is wanted. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... Even a certain little percentage of people becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the whole face of the world will change. It is so nice.
Lecture on SB 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971:
"Never" means so long he remains a gṛha-vrata, because his only plan was—he was a powerful king—to conquer all over the world and become happy with money and women. That's all. That is gṛha-vrata. Anyone who wants to be happy with money and women, that is called gṛha-vrata. So he flatly said to his father, matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. But by good association, by Kṛṣṇa conscious association, one becomes free from this vow, gṛha-vrata. They becomes detached. That is the progress of devotional service. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). ...materialistic way of life. Therefore people are afraid to send their boys to us. "Oh, he'll be disinterested. He'll not do business. He'll not become a demon." That's it. They do not like. All right.
Lecture on SB 7.5.30 -- Mauritius, October 2, 1975:
Either I get this human form of body, either get as the body of a dog or either I get the body of a demigod, the business is the same, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca: eating, sleeping, and sex life, and defense. Don't think that the heavenly planet, they are very safe. We have got information from Bhāgavatam. Lord Indra, he is always perplexed. So many demons disturbing, the fighting is going on, although they have got a long duration of life, ten thousands of years, their duration of life. And their one day is equal to our six months.
So this way our life is being spoiled, and it can be stopped only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Prahlāda Mahārāja saying that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be achieved by gṛha-vratānām." Gṛha-vratānām means those who are interested in this family life or sense gratification life.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Boston, May 8, 1968:
Now I have got this loving object." In another place Prahlāda Mahārāja said na te viduḥ svārtha gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. They do not know what is their actual loving object. That is Viṣṇu. And in the Vedic mantra, Ṛg mantra, it is said, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are demigods, they are always sūrayaḥ. Sūrayaḥ means Just like Aryans and non-Aryans. Then there's suri and asuri, or sura or asura. Asura, asura means demons, and sura, just the opposite. Or Aryans and non-Aryans. So the Aryans Aryans, the real meaning, the Sanskrit word, "Aryans," means progressive. We have historically made a class of men. No. Aryan civilization means who is progressive, advancing. They are intelligent. They are fair-complexioned. Therefore Aryan means progressive. So they know.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Hong Kong, April 18, 1972:
This is a verse spoken by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was a five years old boy, like all these children. Kaumāra. Kaumāra age is called from five years to ten years. That is called kaumāra. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was born of an atheist father. The father was atheist number one, Hiraṇyakaśipu. He is described as rākṣasa, demon, like that. Daitya. Daitya means demon. There are two classes of men. One class is called daitya and the other class is called devata. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke daiva āsura eva ca (BG 16.6). There are two classes of men known as daiva and another asura. Viṣṇu bhaktaḥ bhaved daiva āsuras tad viparyayaḥ. Those who are devotees of the Lord, they are called daiva or devata, demigods. And those who are just the opposite number, they are called daitya or demon. So Hiraṇyakaśipu was atheist. Fortunately, he was so fortunate that he got a great Vaiṣṇava devotee son, Prahlāda Mahārāja.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Vrndavana, December 2, 1975:
It is said in the Vedas that we have to follow the footprints of mahājana. Mahājana means great authorized devotees. And they have been described, twelve. Svayambhūr means Lord Brahmā; Nārada, Nārada Muni the great saint; Śambhu, Lord Śiva... Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kaumāra (SB 6.3.20)—the four Kumāras, sanat-kumāra ādi. Then Kapila, Kapiladeva, Devahūti's son. There are two Kapilas. So one is imitation; one is real. The real Kapila, He is known therefore Devahūti-putra, "the son of Devahūti." Devahūti was the daughter of Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. So in this way, kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ. Then Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, the famous demon. So it is not that a demon's son will be demon. That is not. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved by anyone.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Vrndavana, December 2, 1975:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the twelve mahājanas. So he is speaking to his class friends. He was only five years old boy and he took the opportunity of preaching bhāgavata-dharma whenever he got some opportunity. So at that time Prahlāda Mahārāja's father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was a great demon. He would not allow Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So still, Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he was a boy, he used to take opportunity for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness among his friends. So in the tiffin hours, when the boys were left free to play, so Prahlāda Mahārāja used to call them, "My dear friends, sit down. Let us talk about Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So he is preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is saying to his friends, "My dear friends," kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). The friends were very much anxious to play and Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "My dear friends. Don't play. Sit down. Sit down." Why? "A very important subject matter, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhāgavata-dharma."
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976:
So God is svarāṭ. He is not dependent on any other controller. That is God. We are god, that's all right, but we are controlled even by the material nature, what to speak of other things. So we are not independent. Independent God is Kṛṣṇa. Svarāṭ. He is described as svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means independent. He is not controlled by anyone. That is real God. And we may be god but imitation god or small god. But the great... "God is great." That "great" God is Kṛṣṇa. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that kaumāra. The boys... He was taking the opportunity of teaching his class friend. He was five years old boy and his father was a great demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu: "Don't talk of God." So in this way he was in a very precarious condition. Still, because he was a Vaiṣṇava he was taking the opportunity of preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:
His father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was atheist number one, but the child was a devotee. Such thing happens. The father is devotee and the child is a demon. And sometimes the father is a demon but the child is a devotee. Everyone comes with his own karma. It doesn't mean that because the father is atheist, therefore the child has to become an atheist. Or the father is a devotee, therefore the child has to become a devotee, no. Everyone is responsible for his past deeds. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was a devotee, but his father did not like that the child should be trained up as a devotee. That was the misunderstanding between the father and the son and the whole history of Prahlāda Mahārāja's life is a description of misunderstanding between the father and the son. The father did not like that the son should be a devotee, but Prahlāda Mahārāja would not give up his devotional service.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:
So that city was full of nondevotee class of men, asuras. There are two classes of men everywhere. Asura and sura. Devatā and asura. In Sanskrit language, those who are devotees, they are called devatā, demigod or godly persons. And those who are nondevotees, they are called demons or asura. These two classes of men are always there in this material world. Mostly they are demonic, atheist, and few of them are devatā. But there are two classes. In the śāstra it is said: dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin daiva āsura eva ca (BG 16.6). There are two classes of men-godly and atheist. Viṣṇu bhakta bhaved daiva āsuras tad viparyaya. Those who are devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all-pervading God, they are called devatā or demigod, and those who are nondevotee, viparyaya, just the opposite number... Viparyaya means the opposite number, nondevotee. They are called asuras.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Vrndavana, December 4, 1975:
Harikeśa: Translation: "Prahlāda Mahārāja continued to speak: My dear friends born of demon families, the happiness which is perceived with reference to the senses can be obtained in any form of life according to one's past fruitive activities. Such happiness is automatically obtained, as sometimes we obtain distresses without any endeavor."
Prabhupāda:
- sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā
- deha-yogena dehinām
- sarvatra labhyate daivād
- yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ
- (SB 7.6.3)
Now Prahlāda Mahārāja in the previous verses explained that durlabhaṁ manuṣaṁ janma: "This human form of life is durlabham, very rarely gotten." It is not so easy. There are many rascals, they say that once you come to the human form of life there is no more degradation. That is rascaldom. When Kṛṣṇa says that dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntaram-prāptir (BG 2.13), He says that "As you have changed bodies, similarly, at the end also you'll have to change the body." He never says that "You'll get again human body." Never says. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir: "Another form of life." That another form may be... There are 8,400,000 forms.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Vrndavana, December 4, 1975:
He is particularly addressing his friend, daityā, because they are sons of daityā, demons. Just like at the present moment ninety-nine per cent of the population, they are daityās, demons. What is the difference between a demon and a demigod? Daityā means the sons of the Diti. So daitya. And deva. Deva means devotees or those who accept the supremacy of the Lord. They are called deva. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Anyone who is viṣṇu-bhakta, accepting God as the supreme controller, they are called demigods. And āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ, and just the opposite number... What is that opposite number? "What is God? Why shall I accept God? God is dead. There is no God. God is impersonal." They are daityās or demons.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja was also born in a demon family, but he was not daitya. He was a devotee, although he is born... So it is, not that a devotee has to take his birth in the devotee's family. That is not necessary. Ahaituky apratihatā. One man can become a devotee without any cause and without being checked.
Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:
That is ultimate goal. In other place the Bhāgavata says... The ultimate goal, they do not know. Not nowadays... In all the days there are a class of men who are called demons, and here Prahlāda Mahārāja instructing to the children of the demons, those who have no idea of what is the ultimate aim of life. They are called demons. The Aryans and the demons, sura and asura. Aryan means those who are advancing. And those who are static, not advancing... Static means limited with the animal propensities of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is animal propensities of life. And when there is question of spiritual advancement, that is called human society. Because the spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, cannot be injected in the animal society. So na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi visnum: (SB 7.5.31) they do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to understand God, to understand oneself, "What I am, what is God, what is my relationship with God." This is human civilization. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is trying to instruct his class fellows like this.
Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:
He is advising to the sons of the demons because the demons, they cannot understand. But it is the duty of the Vaiṣṇava to preach, although Kṛṣṇa advises that "You don't preach the truth of Bhagavad-gītā to the demons." He said, "Those who have not undergone austerities, those who are not very serious, don't speak about these lessons of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66)." Means they'll not understand. But still, the devotees, they take the risk that "All right, let me try to convince this person that 'Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.' " Even Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't try, because they will not be able to understand," still, they try. That is a devotee.
Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:
So he is concluding, he is asking his friends, tato vidūrāt parihṛtya daityā: "So therefore before you become entangled in this materialistic way of life, my dear friends born of demonic families..." Daityeṣu saṅgaṁ viṣayātmakeṣu: "Please give up the company of the demons." This is very essential, to have good society. A man may be very innocent, and if he is given chance for good society, he becomes a godly man. And if he's given inferior society, then he becomes a demon. So first thing is proposed by Prahlāda amongst his friends, that daityeṣu saṅgaṁ viṣayātmakeṣu: "Please give up the company of the demons." What demons? Now, viṣayātmakeṣu. Those who are too much attached for sense gratification. They are called demons. They have no other idea. Simply they are concerned with sense gratification and they do not know what is life, what is God, what is next life. They have no information. They are called demons.
Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:
And another explanation of the demons and the demigods are there in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā. Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are called demigods. Demigods, you don't think that simply the citizens or the residents of higher planet, they are called demigods. No. Even in this planet, those who are devotees of the Lord, those who accept the supremacy of God and those who are devotee, they are called demigods. And those who do not accept that, those who defy the existence of God, they are called demons. So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends that tato vidūrāt parihṛtya daityā. Dūrāt: "From distance, from long distance, please give up the association of the demons." Upetya nārāyaṇam ādi-devaṁ sa mukta-saṅgair iṣito 'pavargaḥ: "And take the company of, accept the society of devotees." Then it will be very easy. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. Your desires and your propensities will be according to your society. Just like in English language it is said, "A man is known by his company." So we have to change our company.
Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:
There is already fire. If you simply rub the stick, the fire will come. It is not that ordinary stick, if you rub, there will be fire. The fire is already there. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends that you have to change your association: "My dear daityas, boys of the demons, please change your asso... Give up the association of the demonic people, and please take the association of nārāyaṇa-parā, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, or God conscious." Upetya nārāyaṇam ādi-devaṁ sa mukta-saṅgair iṣito 'pavargaḥ: "If you take up that association, then gradually you will be advanced to the highest goal of achievement or spiritual life." So in this way please try to understand us. Don't misunderstand us. And we shall try to serve you with our greatest service motive. And in the meantime, if you have got any question, you can ask.
Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:
There are degrees according to the degrees of understanding. If Kṛṣṇa consciousness is accepted immediately, there is no question of degrees. But that acceptance is not possible in a second or in a minute. But if it is accepted, that "This is the nicest thing," then there is no question of degrees; it is immediately realized also. Just like there is an example that one king, he joined with the demigods to fight with the demons. He helped. And the demigods were very pleased with that king, and the demigods liked to give him some benediction, material benediction, that "You have helped us so much; so we want to give you something. What do you want?" So he first of all asked that "How long my duration of life is there?" So they replied, "Oh, your life is not very long. It is for so many hours now." So he immediately took the opportunity and took to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 7.6.16 -- New Vrindaban, June 30, 1976:
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- vidvān apītthaṁ danujāḥ kuṭumbaṁ
- puṣṇan sva-lokāya na kalpate vai
- yaḥ svīya-pārakya-vighinna-bhāvas
- tamaḥ prapadyeta yathā vimūḍhaḥ
- (SB 7.6.16)
"O my friends, sons of demons! In this material world, even those who are apparently advanced in education have the propensity to consider, 'This is mine, and that is for others.' Thus they are always engaged in providing the necessities of life to their families in a limited conception of family life, just like uneducated cats and dogs. They are unable to take to spiritual knowledge; instead, they are bewildered and overcome by ignorance."
Prabhupāda: Purport.
Pradyumna: In human society there are attempts to educate the human being, but for animal society there is no such system, nor are animals able to be educated. Therefore animals and unintelligent men are called vimūḍha, or ignorant, bewildered, whereas an educated person is called vidvān. The real vidvān is one who tries to understand his own position within this material world. For example, when Sanātana Gosvāmī submitted to the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his first question was 'ke āmi', 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya'. In other words, he wanted to know his constitutional position and why he was suffering from the threefold miseries of material existence. This is the process of education.
Lecture on SB 7.6.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, July 1, 1976:
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) "Translation: My dear friends, O sons of the demons, it is certain that no one bereft of knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead has been able to liberate himself from material bondage at any time or in any country. Rather, those bereft of knowledge of the Lord are bound by the material laws. They are factually addicted to sense gratification, and their target is women. Indeed, they are actually playthings in the hands of attractive women. Victimized by such a conception of life, they become surrounded by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and thus they are shackled to material bondage. Those who are very much addicted to this conception of life are called demons. Therefore, although you are sons of demons, keep aloof from such persons and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, the origin of all demigods, because the ultimate goal for the devotees of Nārāyaṇa is liberation from the bondage of material existence."
Prabhupāda: Purport also.
Pradyumna: Prahlāda Mahārāja has maintained the philosophical point of view that one should give up the dark well of family life and go to the forest to take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5)). In this verse also, he stresses the same point. In the history of human society, no one, at any time or any place, has been liberated because of too much affection and attachment for his family. Even in those who are apparently very educated, the same family attachment is there. They cannot give up the association of their families, even in old age or invalidity, for they are attached to sense enjoyment. As we have several times discussed, yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham: (SB 7.9.45) so-called householders are simply attracted by sexual enjoyment.
Lecture on SB 7.6.17-18 -- New Vrindaban, July 1, 1976:
Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja is very serious that visargaḥ, stop this visargaḥ. Go back, directly to Kṛṣṇa. Don't go even in this, any planetary system within this material world. We have got description of this planetary system, but there is also fight between the demons and the daityas. There is also not peace. There is struggle for existence. Sometimes one party is gaining above another party, and sometimes one's kingdom is attacked by another party, the demons attacking demigod's cities. They are attacking. The struggle for existence you'll find everywhere. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. Therefore a devotee is not interested anywhere within this material world, however very opulent it may be. There may be roads and instead of the stone—diamonds, coral. That does not attract. They are not interested. They are interested to go to Vṛndāvana and become a grass there. This is devotee. Just like Uddhava, as soon as he entered Vṛndāvana, he immediately fell down on the road thinking that "On this street Kṛṣṇa has walked, His friends have walked, there are footprints." So this is the ambition of a devotee. They are not interested for diamond roads or pearl roads.
Lecture on SB 7.6.19 -- New Vrindaban, July 2, 1976:
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) "Translation: My dear sons of demons, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, is the original Supersoul, the father of all living entities. Consequently there are no impediments to pleasing Him or worshiping Him under any conditions, whether one be a child or an old man. The relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always a fact, and therefore there is no difficulty in pleasing the Lord." (SB 7.6.19)
Prabhupāda: Read the purport also.
Pradyumna: One may ask, "One is certainly very attached to family life, but if one gives up family life to be attached to the service of the Lord, one must undergo the same endeavor and trouble. Therefore, what is the benefit of taking the trouble to engage in the service of the Lord?" This is not a valid objection.
Lecture on SB 7.7.19-20 -- Bombay, March 18, 1971:
You can sit down this side. Dehādau mohajaṁ tyajet. So, Prahlāda Mahārāja is instructing his demon class friends. They are not demons, but they are sons of demons. Just like you are. (laughter) You are not demons, but you are sons of demons. (chuckles) Is it right? (laughs) But you have no more connection with your demon father. That's nice. So, in some of these, I think Back to Godhead No. 40, Hayagrīva has written a very nice article, Constitution of the Soul. It is very nicely written. So, demonic principle is they do not give stress on the soul. They are bodily conscious that "I am this body." And as soon as one is such foolishly conceiving body as self, his activities will be demonic. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). The demons also sometimes they have got conception of the soul, they believe in transmigration of the soul, but though they... Simply on the platform of accepting this body as self, they have been compared with animals.
Lecture on SB 7.7.19-20 -- Bombay, March 18, 1971:
But the demons, they cannot see the inner soul. They cannot distinguish the characteristics of the soul. Simply they see superficially and, identifying with the body, there is always trouble. "I am this nation", "I am Englishman," "I am German," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brāhmaṇa", "I am this," "I am that," designation. So, one has to become free from this designation before one can understand what is spiritual life. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Sarvopādhi... These are designations, superficial.
Lecture on SB 7.7.28, 32-35 -- Mombassa, September 11, 1971:
In this way, as he makes advance in spiritual life, then simply by niśamya karmāṇi guṇān atulyān, simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, immediately he will be filled up in ecstasy and he will cry. These are the symptoms. Niśamya karmāṇi guṇān atulyān, vīryāṇi līlā-tanubhiḥ kṛtāni. Vīryān līlā, Kṛṣṇa is killing so many demons, Kṛṣṇa is dancing with gopīs, Kṛṣṇa is playing with His cowherd boys, Kṛṣṇa is going there, this is līlā, smaraṇam. The Kṛṣṇa book reading means remembering all these activities of Kṛṣṇa. Simply go on reading Kṛṣṇa book, repeat it, you are in the perfect stage of transcendental position. Simply read our Nectar of Devotion. Līlā, atulyān. Niśamya karmāṇi guṇān atulyān, vīryāṇi līlā-tanubhiḥ kṛtāni, yadātiharṣotpulakāśru-gadgadam. Pulakasru, in ecstasy. Pulaka is trembling and faltering voice and tears coming down, perspiring, these are (called) aṣṭa-sāttvika-vikāra (CC Antya 14.99). Protkaṇṭha udgāyati rauti nṛtyati.
Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:
Just like by cultivation of knowledge you realize Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence, brahma-jñāna. That is (?). Brahma-jñāna means Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), the original form of eternity, bliss, and knowledge. So Brahman realization means eternity realization. And Paramātmā realization means cit, or knowledge. But God realization, Kṛṣṇa realization means sac-cid-ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The Supreme Lord is by nature full of bliss. You will see, therefore, Kṛṣṇa always blissful. Kṛṣṇa has no anxiety. Kṛṣṇa is killing a very big, big demon and He is taking pleasure and smiling. You have seen all these pictures in our Kṛṣṇa book, how He is killing the Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Dhenukāsura, Keśī, and so many asuras. Just like a child is playing with toys. And similarly, He is enjoying with His cowherd boyfriends, with girlfriends, gopīs, with His mother, everywhere Kṛṣṇa you will find ānandamayo. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12).
Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:
So the point is Prahlāda Mahārāja is trying to convince his demon... The demons cannot understand that the God can be a person. That is demoniac. They cannot... Because they cannot understand, the difficulty is a demon tries to understand God, comparing with himself.
Dr. Frog, that the story of Dr. Frog. Dr. Frog is trying to understand Atlantic Ocean comparing with his three-feet well, that's all. When he is informed that there is Atlantic Ocean, he's simply comparing with his limited space. It may be four feet, or it may be five feet, it may be ten feet, because he is within the three feet. His friend informed, "Oh, I have seen a reservoir of water, vast water." So that vastness, he is just conjecturing, "How much the vastness may be? My well is three feet, it may be four feet, five feet," now he is going on. But he may go on millions of millions of feet it is still it is greater. That is another thing. Therefore, atheistic persons, demons, they think in their own way that God, Kṛṣṇa may be like this, Kṛṣṇa may be like this, Kṛṣṇa may be like this. Generally they think that Kṛṣṇa are I. How they say? Kṛṣṇa is not great. They do not believe that God is great. He thinks that God is as good as I am, I am also God. This is demonic.
Lecture on SB 7.7.46 -- San Francisco, March 22, 1967, (incomplete lecture):
Prahlāda Mahārāja is instructing his friends, all small children, about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is instructing so many things. We have been discussing this subject matter for the last few days. Now he's placing before them for submitting, for consideration. "My dear friends," deha-bhṛtām, those who have accepted this material body, asura... Asura means demons. He also belonged to the family, atheistic family. His father was great atheist, and all his friends... Because his father was king, so all his friends happened to be the citizens of that atheistic kingdom. So all of them are being addressed as asura. Asura means demons, godless. There are two kinds of people, asura and sura, or deva and asura. So who are asuras and who are devas? Devas means godly, and asura means nongodly, or atheistic. In the Vedic literature you'll find there are definition that there are two kinds of people. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke daiva āsura eva ca (BG 16.6). There are two kinds of people in this world: viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva. And who are... Daiva means godly. Who are godly? Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ, those who are devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are called godly. And āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Tad-viparyayaḥ means just the opposite number. What is the opposite number? The atheists. At once they hear something of God, oh, they become fire: "What is this God? I am God." So he is asura.
Lecture on SB 7.9.1 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1977:
Pradyumna: Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung in his prema-bhakti-candrikā, 'krodha' bhakta-dveṣi jane: anger should be used to punish a demon who is envious of devotees. Kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and mātsarya—lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride and envy—all have their proper use for the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotee. A devotee of the Lord cannot tolerate blasphemy of the Lord or His other devotees, and the Lord also cannot tolerate blasphemy of a devotee. Thus Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva was so very angry that the great demigods like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva and even the goddess of fortune, who is the Lord's constant companion, could not pacify Him, even after offering prayers of glorification and praise. No one was able to pacify the Lord in His anger, but because the Lord was willing to exhibit His affection for Prahlāda Mahārāja, all the demigods and the others present before the Lord pushed Prahlāda Mahārāja forward to pacify Him.
Prabhupāda: So, in the material world, kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, and mātsarya, these things are condemned. And for a sādhana, (?) means a neophyte devotee, he is advised to give up these low grade habits—kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, mātsarya. But people may question, "Wherefrom these lowgrade qualities came? Kāma is low grade, admitted, but wherefrom it came?" In the Vedānta-sūtra we get the reply, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "Everything that we experience, it comes from God." So... (aside:) You stand that side. You are standing. They can stand.
Lecture on SB 7.9.2 -- Mayapur, February 12, 1977:
This is all-powerful. Hiraṇyakaśipu took benediction from Lord Brahmā that no god, demigod can kill him, no man can kill him, no animal can kill him, and so on, so on, so on. Indirectly he made a plan that nobody could kill him. And because first of all he wanted to become immortal, so Lord Brahmā said that "I am not immortal. How can I give you the benediction of becoming...? That is not possible." So these rākṣasas, demons, they are very intelligent, duṣkṛtina, intelligent—but for sinful activities. That is the feature of the rākṣasa. So he planned something, that "Indirectly I shall take benediction from Lord Brahmā in such a way that I'll remain immortal." So in order to keep Brahmā's promise, Nārāyaṇa appeared as Nṛsiṁha-deva, half lion and half man.
Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1977:
You are inquiring about Brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So there must be anger, not that God should be always peaceful. But the difference is His anger and His peaceful attitude produces the same result. Prahlāda Mahārāja, a devotee, He is very satisfied with Prahlāda Mahārāja and He is very much dissatisfied with his father, but result is the same: both of them got liberation. Although a devotee becomes associate whereas the demon who is killed by God, he does not become an associate... He is not qualified. But he enters into the spiritual kingdom. He gets liberation from this material bondage. So why a devotee should take the same position? Therefore, māṁ eti. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram. They viśate, enters, enters in the spiritual kingdom. Everyone who is liberated, he is entered.
Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 11, 1976:
His mother was attacked by the demigods, headed by Indra, and they were dragging her to their palace. Narada Muni met, said "What are you doing this? You are harassing one woman?" "No sir, we are not harassing, only we are taking her in our place to wait for the deliverance of the child. Then we shall kill him. Because he is born of atheist father, so he is another demon." Narada Muni said, "No, no, no, you are mistaken. He is not demon, he is mahā-bhāgavata." So in the beginning he was mahā-bhāgavata, since he was in within the womb of his mother. And later on he is mahā-bhāgavata. This is called nitya-siddha, eternally mahā-bhāgavata. Eternally mahā-bhāgavata never forgets Kṛṣṇa, in any circumstance. That is the sign of mahā-bhāgavata, nitya-siddha. Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into so many trials when he was only a child, still he never forgot Kṛṣṇa. That is the sign of mahā-bhāgavata. In any circumstances.
Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 11, 1976:
Just like you have experienced so many rascals, as soon as they hear of God, immediately they become agitated. They are called dviṣāt, envious, demons. So four things, God, His devotees, and the innocent person, and the demonic atheist. He can see, madhyama-adhikārī. And then he behaves with these four classes of men differently. What is that? Prema, for Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, how to increase love. That is first business, prema. And those who are devotees, to make friendship with them maitrī. Those who are higher than him, he should offer very respectful obeisances, those who are equal, treat them with nicely, and those who are lower then instruct them, bāliśeṣu. Those who are innocent, how to raise him in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is preaching. And dviṣatsu, upekṣaḥ, those who are atheist, don't associate with them. Don't associate with them. That is the madhyama-adhikārī.
Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1977:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is mahā-bhāgavata, not ordinary devotee. Arbhakaḥ. Arbhakaḥ means innocent child, five-years-old small boy. But mahā-bhāgavata. Not that because he is boy... Ahaituky apratihatā. A small child can become mahā-bhāgavata, and a very learned scholar may become a demon. Bhakti is so exalted that these are contradictory. Arbhakaḥ, arbha means foolish or childish, but at the same time mahā-bhāgavata. It is possible. Mahā-bhāgavata means... We must distinguish between different types of devotees. Kaniṣṭha adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and mahā-bhāgavata, uttama adhikārī.
Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1977:
So we want to kill that child also." Nārada Muni immediately asked them, "No, no, no, no. He's not ordinary child. He's mahā-bhāgavata. So don't touch." So they agreed. Nārada Muni... This is devatā. Although did some mistake, as soon as Nārada Muni ordered them that "Don't try to harm. He is mahā-bhāgavata," immediately gave up. So Nārada Muni said, "My dear daughter, you come with me until your husband comes back." Hiraṇyakaśipu went to perform very severe austerities to defeat the demigods. This is demon's austerities. Hiraṇyakaśipu was engaged in very severe type of austerity. What is the purpose? Some material purpose. But that type of austerity, tapasya, is useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). The materialists, they take austerities. Unless they do that, they cannot improve either in the business field or in economic field or in political field. They have to work very, very hard.
Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1977:
Therefore we advise everyone to become a pure devotee. Pure devotee... This is the example, mahā-bhāgavata. This five-years-old boy, he had no business except to satisfy, to become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So this very qualification, pure devotee, makes one mahā-bhāgavata. But there are stages. The mahā-bhāgavata from the very birth, that is called nitya-siddha. They are eternally siddha, perfect. They come for some purpose. So Prahlāda Mahārāja came for this purpose, that the demons, even he's his father, he would give him so many troubles because one is Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the instruction. Prahlāda Mahārāja wanted to show this by the order of Kṛṣṇa. Hiraṇyakaśipu also came—how to become enemy of Kṛṣṇa—and Prahlāda Mahārāja came, show, to show how to become a devotee of... This is going on. So mahā-bhāgavata... Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī, and mahā-bhāgavata or uttama-adhikārī. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī is in the beginning they have to be taught how to worship the Deity very perfectly. According to the instruction of the śāstra, according instruction of the guru, one must learn how to worship Deity.
Lecture on SB 7.9.6 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1977:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, tat-kara-sparśa, "touch of the lotus palm of Nṛsiṁha-deva," the same palm where there is nail. Tava kara kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-sṛṅgam. The same palm with nakha adbhuta... Dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam. Immediately, with the nails only... The Lord did not require any weapon to kill this gigantic demon, simply nails. Tava kara-kamala. The example is very nice, kamala. Kamala means lotus. The Lord's palm is just like lotus flower. Therefore in the lotus flower it is very soft, very pleasing, and how the nails came? Therefore adbhuta. Tava kara-kamala, adbhuta. Nakham adbhuta-sṛṅgam. It is not possible to grow some ferocious nails, piercing nails, in the lotus flower. This is contradictory. Therefore Jayadeva says, adbhuta: "It is wonderful. It is astonishing." This... Therefore Lord's power, exhibition of power and sharp nails, they're all inconceivable. Śrīla Jīva Goswami has explained, "Unless you accept inconceivable power of the Supreme Lord, there is no understanding." Acintya. Acintya-śakti. Acintya means inconceivable. You cannot speculate how it is happening, how in the lotus flower there is so hard nail that immediately, within a second, it could kill a great demon like Hiranyakasipu. Therefore it is acintya. We cannot conceive. Acintya. And therefore Vedic instruction is acintyā khalu ye bhāvā na taṁś tarkeṇa yo jayet: "Do not apply your poor logic in the matters which is inconceivable by you." There is no logic that how lotus flower can grow nails. They say, "Mythology." Because they cannot conceive within their poor brain, they cannot accommodate how things happen like that, they say, "Mythology." Not mythology. It is fact, but it is inconceivable by you or us. It is not possible.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 1, 1968:
The father asked the best thing the boy learned from his teachers, and the boy, five-years-old boy, replied, "My dear best of the demons." He never addressed his father, "My dear father," because his father was atheist number one, godless, and he was a great devotee of God. So when the father inquired, he straightly replied. He knew that his father was very powerful demon, but he was not afraid, although he was five-years-old boy. He plainly replied, "My dear the best of the demons,' sura-varya, asura varya. Asura means demons, and varya means the best, first-class demon. So "I think," tat sādhu manye-sādhu means honest, very good, very nice—"that is very nice." What is that? Dehināṁ: "For the entities who have accepted this material body..." He is speaking universally. Not for himself or for his father, but he was speaking generally for everybody. Everybody. Anyone. Dehināṁ. Dehi means this body. We are different from this body. We have several times discussed this point.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 1, 1968:
Ultimately the father tortured him in so many ways, and at last, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in a Nṛsiṁha-deva form. Nṛsiṁha-deva means He appeared just like a lion-half lion and half man. Very big form. The demon was also very stout and strong. So he wanted to be immortal. His purpose was to become immortal and enjoy this material world perpetually, but that was not fulfilled. So when that demon Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed, the Lord was very much in angry mood, and all the demigods present there, they could not pacify the Lord. He was groaning in anger. So they selected Prahlāda Mahārāja, that "My dear boy, it is for you the Lord has appeared, so you kindly try to pacify the Lord. You can do it." So Prahlāda Mahārāja is praying to pacify the Lord.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 2, 1968:
This is Prahlāda Mahārāja praying. Prayers of Prahlāda Mahārāja is very important, most glorious prayer of Prahlāda Mahārāja. This is after the death of his father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. When Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared, half lion, half man, with terrible sounds, very gigantic form, and within a second He finished that gigantic demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, the whole world became afraid. Even Lakṣmījī, constant companion of Lord Viṣṇu, she also became afraid. When all the demigods assembled there, Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, and Indra, and many other denizens of higher planets, they came to see why the Lord is so angry, and they tried to pacify Him. But He was still roaring just like a lion. He was roaring because he could not tolerate that "My devotee has been so much tortured, this little boy, five years old. Simply for the reason that he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, only for this fault, this rascal has tortured him so much." So everyone was afraid. Nobody could pacify Him. At that time Brahmā... He is the supreme living entity of this universe. So intelligently, he pushed forward Prahlāda Mahārāja, "My dear boy, you just try to pacify your Lord, because the Lord has appeared to protect you, for you only. So we could not pacify Him. I think if you go forward and pray and pacify the Lord, He may agree." That is a fact.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 2, 1968:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he is such a great devotee, he says that kiṁ toṣṭum arhati sa me harir ugra-jāteḥ: "Oh, I am born of a father, demon." So naturally everyone presents himself in relationship with father. If your father is American, then you say, "I am American." If my father is Indian, I will say, "I am Indian." Similarly, he is born of a demon father, so he is presenting himself that "I am a demon. I am born of a demon father." Ugra-jāteḥ. Ugra-jāteḥ means... Ugra means violent. Demons are always violent. So "I am born of a violent father. How can I please the Lord? Brahma, Lord Śiva, and so many other demigods, they have failed to please, to pacify the Lord in His angry mood, and I am born a demon, born of a demon father. So my position is so lower." Kiṁ toṣṭum arhati: "How can I please the Lord?" Ugra-jāteḥ. Brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇāḥ: "Where demigods like Brahma, munayo, great sages, and siddha..." Siddhas, they are the particular citizens of Siddhaloka. They are called Siddhas. There is a planet which is called Siddhaloka.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Montreal, July 2, 1968:
That is the learned man. Just like a learned man will speak fluently for hours together, similarly, they were so learned scholars that they composed prayers in Sanskrit so nicely and began to speak just like flow of water. So he says, sattvaikatāna-gatayo vacasāṁ nārādhituṁ: "Still, they could not satisfy the Lord." Nārādhituṁ. Puru-guṇair adhunāpi pipruḥ: "Still, the Lord is not pacified. Still." Kiṁ toṣṭum arhati: "Then what can I do?" Where... There is an English word, "Where angels fail, the fools rush in." So "I am so lower. I am born of an atheistic father, demon. How can I please the Lord?" So this is the position.
So now how he will please the Lord we shall discuss in the next meeting. Thank you.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:
When Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared... This is the picture. You have seen. For killing a great demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu was very powerful materialist, and he did not believe in God. Generally, materialistic person, they have no capacity to understand what is God. That is generally.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was very much tortured by his father because he was a devotee. That is the function of the nondevotees: to tease the devotees. That is not very new thing. That is old. Even the father. So when he was too much teased, then Lord appeared in Nṛsiṁha-mūrti to kill the demon, and He was very much angry. You see? Even a neighbor's child, if he is tortured by his father, you will be angry that "Why you are torturing this little child?" And what to speak of Kṛṣṇa? And especially His devotee, Prahlāda Mahārāja, was being tortured. Kṛṣṇa appeared as Lord Buddha because people tortured these ordinary animals. Sadaya-hṛdaya-darśita-paśu-ghātam. We pray in that keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra. The meaning is that He appeared as Lord Buddha, being compassionate on the animals, who were being tortured by the human being. Of course, there is law to punish them, but sometimes the Lord becomes very much tortured Himself when His sons, or may be animals, they are tortured. Otherwise, how He is father of everyone? You see.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:
So the torturing business of the demons is going on, going on. As soon as the demons finds somebody little weak, they will torture, weak, in their way. A devotee is not weak, but they think that "These devotees, they are weak. They cannot do any materialistic work. They cannot build skyscrapers. They cannot build a subtle machine. So they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." You see? They think like that. But actually, they know, the devotees know, what is this value of this materialistic advancement. People are not happy actually. Now, so far materialistic happiness is concerned, your country, America, is number one.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:
So the demons, they do not know it, and if somebody tries for it, they do not take it very nicely, exactly. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. His philosophy was to finish all anxieties of life. His father asked him that "What finest thing you have learned, my dear boy? Can you say?" "Yes." "What is that?" "Now, these people are working hard and full of anxieties on account of their materialistic way of life. Therefore, I think to give up all this nonsense and go to the forest and surrender to Kṛṣṇa. "Oh," the father said, "what nonsense this child is learning?"
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:
He directly addressed his father, "My dear father, the best of the demons." If I address you "best of the dogs," is that very nice thing? But if you think, "Oh, Swamijī addresses 'best.' " But best of what? "Best of the dogs." (laughs) So similarly, he addressed his father, "My dear best of the demons." Asurya-vārya, this very word means... Asura... Asura means demon, and vārya, vārya means the best. He did not like to address his father as "father." He knew that "What nonsense this father is? He is a demon." So a preacher... Prahlāda Mahārāja is not, I mean to say, against his father. Otherwise, he would not have prayed to Lord Nṛsiṁha, "My dear Lord, kindly forgive my father." Just see. Because he addressed his father as "best of the demons," that does not mean he had no love for his father. Simply by flattering, if I do some, ultimately do some harm unto you, then what is the meaning of that flattery? Here the father and son in the material world, they are addressing very nicely, but the father is sending the son to the hell, and the son is also sending the father to the hell by materialistic activities. A father is teaching, "Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. Eat meat and drink and associate with as many girls and... That is... This is enjoyment." That means, indirectly, he is sending his son to the hell. You see? There is no love. Actually, this is no love. If I help you in the matter of for your ruination, that is not love.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:
You are talking before me so boldly. Where do you get such strength before me?" Immediately, "My dear father, from the same source wherefrom you have got your strength, and you are so proud of your kingdom and material acquisition, I also got this, by the same source. But you are revolted; I am not revolted. But the source is the same. You cannot be so powerful without Kṛṣṇa." Even the demons... The only difference is the demons wanted like that, so Kṛṣṇa has, "All right. You take this demonic power." That's all. But it is out of causeless mercy of Kṛṣṇa even the demons are so proud, but they have taken taken their mercy from Kṛṣṇa to go to hell. And the devotees take the mercy of Kṛṣṇa to render Him loving service. That is the difference between the demons and the devotees. Everyone achieves... Whatever facilities he has got in his life, it is all from Kṛṣṇa. Without Kṛṣṇa nobody can have anything, either demonic or devotional. The difference is that the demons, they do not know what to ask from Kṛṣṇa. The devotees know what to ask from Kṛṣṇa. That is difference.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:
I shall give you," and if somebody asks from him, "Give me a plate of ashes," is that very nice? So that intelligence, the demons, they haven't got. They are asking from God that "Give me this. Give me riches. Give me power. Give me material name, fame. All these things give me. I don't want anything." So Kṛṣṇa is giving them.
So this demonic behavior was ended by Kṛṣṇa when it was too much, too much intolerable for the Lord. The demonic, the demons, are given all the chances: "All right, whatever you like, you do." But when the demonic power becomes too much excessive, at that time, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8), "For protecting the devotees and for killing the demons," Kṛṣṇa says, yuge yuge sambhavāmi: "I come down and appear on this earth in many million, millenniums." So that Nṛsiṁha-deva has appeared to give protection to Prahlāda Mahārāja and to kill his demon father, and He was very much angry. Now, some nonsense people may say... They inquire like this: "Why God should be angry?" Why should not He be angry? Wherefrom the anger comes? If God is the source of everything, then wherefrom this anger comes? It comes from God. How you can deny it? Why God should not be angry? If Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8), "I am the source of everything," so anger is not within the categories of everything? So why God should not be angry? He must be angry. But He is angry on the nondevotee, not on His devotee. On the demons He is angry.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:
Just like God also does not become angry on His personal account. Suppose Hiraṇyakaśipu wants to hurt Kṛṣṇa. What he can do to Kṛṣṇa? So where is the cause of anger? He was angry not that Hiraṇyakaśipu was a demon or nondevotee. He was angry because that demon was teasing the devotee. For His personal account, He cannot be angry. What anyone can harm Kṛṣṇa? He is so powerful. Suppose a small ant comes and bites me. So is that the cause of my anger? No. What is that? That is nothing. Similarly, what Hiraṇyakaśipu can do so that the Lord should be angry? But then why then He was angry? He was angry for His devotee. Similarly, we also, if we are devotee, we shall be angry when God is insulted. When devotee is insulted, we should be very much angry.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:
Just like there is some gentlemanly behavior: even if you are angry on some person, but you do not show your anger; you talk with him. Similarly, actually these persons are demons, but because we are preacher, we are preaching, if we simply become angry and cannot convince him, that means imperfect preacher. You see? You are... Basically you are angry. That's all. "I don't agree with them; neither we have business." But because we are preacher, so if I simply become angry, then my preaching work will be stopped. Do you follow? The anger is there, but because we are preacher, we have to... Just like politicians. They are angry upon the enemy, but sometimes, by diplomatic means, they take their work from the enemies. You see? Not that they show the anger always.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Hawaii, March 21, 1969:
So you learn how to answer. We have got answers for everyone. The major question is that the demons, they want to become God. So let them explain what the demon means by the word God. If he comes under that definition, then we shall accept him God. But if there is no idea of God, then his claim is false. Just like I am in your country. If I falsely claim, "I am citizens of America," how can I be accepted? You can be accepted as citizen of America because there is a definition of the word "citizen of America." So your position comply with that definition—you can be accepted as citizens of America. And my position does not comply with that definition; therefore I am not citizen. So in this way. "All right, I accept you God, but what is your definition of God?" Just ask him to explain.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:
We shall remain brahmacārī." So naturally, when father's disorder is disobeyed, he becomes angry. So Brahma became angry, and his eyes became red. At that time, from the red eyes the Rudra, Lord Siva, appeared. So he was asked to increase the progeny, and he begot many thousands of demons. Then he was stopped, no more you have progeny. Then Dakṣa and others, they were asked. Dakṣa Mahārāja was very expert in giving birth. He was giving birth hundred children at a time. Therefore his name is Dakṣa, very expert in giving birth to children. So in this way, creation was there, sons and grandsons. Manu is also one of the sons of Brahma.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:
So because He was very angry, therefore, all the Brahmas and other demigods offered Him prayer, "Sir, be pacified, the demon is now killed, now You can become peaceful," but they could not satisfy. Hiraṇyakaśipu after killing He was so roaring in anger. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was pushed on, "My dear Prahlāda," all the Brahmas and other demigods, that "you pacify your master. We have failed." Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "When these big, big stalwart demigods have failed, they are situated in sattva-guṇa, in the modes of goodness, and they offered so nice prayers, they failed. What I can do? I am born of a father who is full of rāja-guṇa and tama-guṇa." He, therefore, says that kiṁ toṣṭum arhati sa me harir ugra-jāteḥ. Ugra-jāteḥ, "I am born of ugra, strong, strong qualities." Not strong quality, what do you call? Pungent. These rāja-guṇa and tama-guṇa is called pungent. Just like you take chili. Chili is tama-guṇa, that is the symptom of tama-guṇa. As soon as you chew, it becomes hot everything. You see? So ugra, ugra. And sattva-guṇa is sweetness. (indistinct) Therefore, ordinarily in India it is stated that a brāhmaṇa is known who can eat more sweets. (laughter) Yes.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 15, 1976:
So this ugra-karma, formerly this ugra-karma was entrusted to the demons. Those who were in the sattva-guṇa, they do not like this ugra-karma. Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). The... Those who are under the control of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they are engaged in ugra-karma, ugra-karma: industrial enterprise, big, big roads, big, big skyscraper. This is called ugra-karma. So ugra-karma is very pleasing to the ugra-jātis (just like) Hiraṇyakaśipu. What was the trouble between the father and the son? The father was for ugra-karma, and the son, Prahlāda, was for sattvika life. So when Prahlāda Mahārāja engaged himself in sattvika life, not only sattvika, śuddha-sattvika... In the material world there are three guṇas: sattvika, rajasika, tamasika. The sattvika is the best.
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 15, 1976:
So before that, we have already described, even Lakṣmījī, he (she) could not go forward. Although she had daily affairs with Nārāyaṇa, she could not dare to go forward. Brahmā, Lord Brahmā offered their prayers, other, Lord Śiva offered their prayers, but nobody could pacify him. Therefore he is in doubt that "I am born in the family of demons," ugra-karma, ugra-jāti. "If Brahmā failed, Lakṣmījī failed, Lord Śiva failed to pacify Him, how it is possible by me to pacify the Lord?" That he's doubting. Brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇā-munayo 'tha siddhāḥ. "All they are exalted persons and siddha." There is a Siddhaloka. In the higher planetary system there is a planet known as Siddhaloka.
Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 6, 1968:
Prahlāda Mahārāja, considering himself born in the lowest, atheistic family, he thinks that "When Brahmā and other big demigods failed to satisfy the Nṛsiṁha-deva, how it is possible for me? I am neither born in a very scholarly family or devotee's family." Because a devotee is supposed to take birth in the family of a brāhmaṇa or very rich king or princely order or mercantile family. But Prahlāda Mahārāja was born in a very rich family, and his father was also brāhmaṇa. And so... But unfortunately, his father was atheist. Therefore, in spite of his becoming born in the brāhmaṇa family, he was designated as demon, daitya.
Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:
The fact is that these fools, these rascals who are thinking that this world is for their enjoyment, this money belongs to him... It is stated here, aviduṣaḥ. Aviduṣaḥ means rascal, without any education. Without any education. They have got all these university degrees and without education? Yes. Why? Because they have no spiritual education. So aviduṣaḥ. So mānaṁ janam aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte. When Kṛṣṇa says or God says that "Give Me this...," Just like He is begging from Bali Mahārāja, Vāmanadeva, "My dear King, will you give Me a little land?" So his spiritual master, he was a demon. He forbade Bali Mahārāja not to promise, because He is Viṣṇu. "He'll take everything from you." That's a nice story. Some of you know how Bali Mahārāja became a great devotee of the Lord. Now here it is stated that mānaṁ janād aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte. Whatever He wants from any person, provided he is a devotee... The Lord does not accept anything from nondevotee. That is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26).
Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1976:
So whatever Kṛṣṇa does, that is for our benefit. Kṛṣṇa incarnates, comes here... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). So He has no benefit by coming here, neither He has any loss. He's so complete that there is no loss, no benefit. But His mission is paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya... (BG 4.8). Just to keep balance of the demonic activities and to favor the devotees, both of them are benefited. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām, those who are devotees, they are also benefited, and the demons who are killed by Kṛṣṇa, they are also benefited. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is all good. "God is good" means when He's favoring somebody and when He's killing somebody, both of them are benefited. Therefore God is always good, both ways. Nija-lābha. He has no business to kill anybody as His enemy. Nobody can become His enemy.
Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:
Anyone who desires to serve Him, He'll give him intelligence. This is the philosophy. We have to become serious, that "Kṛṣṇa, give me intelligence so that I can serve You very nicely." Oh, Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. And: "Kṛṣṇa, give me facility so that I can forget You." "All right. You again forget." That is also stated in the Sixteenth... Tan ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andha-yoniṣu: (BG 16.19) "Those who are envious, asuric, demons, I put them in such abominable life that they'll never be able to understand Me." That is the greatest punishment. For a living being, if he forgets God, Kṛṣṇa, in any condition of life, it is the greatest punishment. They're thinking that "We are happy without this nonsense God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:
Because we, I am born of the demon family." The demons are always disturbing. Their business is to nullify the existence of God. Therefore they're always disturbing. If there is a certain class of citizens, if they are simply after agitation that "This government is useless," that means they are disturbing. There are so many parties. They make agitation: "Oh, this government is nothing. We require a new government." Therefore in your country the communist movement has been statewise declared, "It is illegal." But in other countries the communist group will always decrying, "Oh, this government is nonsense. This government nonsense." So as the Communist Party is always disturbing to the government, similarly, the demons, the atheist class of men, they're always disturbing to God. How they can gain the benediction from God? They simply disturb Him. And there are different kinds of demons, different classes of demons. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. Duṣkṛtina means... Krti means very intelligent, and... What is that word, if a man does something wonderful? Genius? Genius? Yes. So the genius, duṣkṛtina, "wrong genius." That means the materialistic persons, scientists, they're genius.
Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "My dear Lord, we belong to that class because we belong to the demon family, so but these demigods, they are not like that." This is the first... Brahmādaya vayam iva īśa na ca udvijantaḥ: "Just like us, we rascals, demons, we simply disturb You, they are not like this." Kṣemayā bhūtāya bhūtātma-sukhāya cāsya vikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ. Sarve hy amī vidhi-karās tava sattva-dhāmne, brahmādaya... The vidhi-karā. Vidhi-karā means these demigods are in charge of... Just like Brahma. Brahmā is in charge of the creation. Viṣṇu, God Himself, has taken charge of maintenance. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. I can employ any engineer to construct a nice building for my family, but that engineer cannot take charge of the maintenance of my family. Is it possible, that if I ask any engineer that "You have now constructed a very nice house for my family. Also you take charge of maintaining"? "No, sir, I cannot do that." Immediately. "How can I take charge of your family? Now I have created. You have paid me. That's all."
Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:
Actually He incarnates to protect these, I mean to say, faithful persons who are devoted to Kṛṣṇa. That is His main business. And vinā... And the sideways side, I mean to say, killing all these demonic per... Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu, he's demon, and Prahlāda is devotee. Lord Nṛsiṁha's appeared for two business: for killing Hiraṇyakaśipu and giving protection to Prahlāda. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "Actually Your appearance, Your incarnation, is meant for these devotees, these demigods." Demigod means devotee. There are two classes of men in the world. One class is demigod. Who are demigod? Those who are Vaiṣṇavas, they are demigods. Demigod does not mean that something extraordinary. Anyone who is Vaiṣṇava, devotee of the Supreme Lord, he is demigod. That is the statement of Vedic literature. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daivaḥ. Daiva. Daiva means devatā or demigod. Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. And those who are atheistic demons, they are just the opposite.
Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:
You cannot expect that the whole world, whole population of the world, will become Vaiṣṇava. That is not possible. Mostly they are demons, atheistic. So Prahlāda Mahārāja first of all appeals to the Lord that "My dear Lord, Nṛsiṁha-deva, Your appearance is for their protection. Now You have killed the demon, my father. Now Your business is finished. Now You become pacified, satisfied, because You have no other, no other cause for being angry." Because Nṛsiṁha-deva was groaning in anger, and the demigods were afraid to approach Him, so Prahlāda Mahārāja first appeals to Him, "My dear Lord, there is no need of any more groaning. You become satisfied because Your appearance is for the protection of these demigods. They are not disturbing to You." In this way he begins his prayer, very nice, simple, a child, although there is no question of Vedānta philosophy. The simple truth. The simple truth. But it is very nice. We shall go on.
Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:
"Amongst the demons, I am Prahlāda." His grandson, also, he became also great devotee, Bali, Bali Mahārāja. The Vāmanadeva went to Bali Mahārāja. He was also great devotee. And this Bali Mahārāja is the grandson of Prahlāda Mahārāja. They are demonic family. So amongst the demons, many devotees came out. So to become devotee does not depend on that particular family, this or that. No. Anyone can become devotee. (sound of child running in background) Now she is feeling freedom, expressing freedom. Don't express. Then you'll be again put into. No more. Oh! All right. (running continues) Everyone wants freedom. Yes. Don't touch. Don't touch, please. Any other question? Hm. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). That is declared in the Bhagavad-gītā. Anyone who goes to Kṛṣṇa, he can attain the highest perfection of life. It does not depend that what family, what heritage, what country, what nation, what color, what education. No, nothing. Simply one has to become willing devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:
You'll be interested to know that one European gentleman, he went to Calcutta, and he visited several temples in Calcutta. And he visited our temple also. Our temple is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Just the picture, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So he went to the temple of Goddess Kālī. He saw the Goddess Kālī's very ferocious feature, and he (she) has got one, what is called, chopper in her hand, and it is, she's chopping the heads of the demons, and she has the garland of the heads of the demons, and engaged in fighting. So he's supposed to be intelligent man. He said that "I find in this temple there is God." "Why? Why you conclude like that?" "That in every temple I saw, that the god, deity, is doing something. But here I see the God is enjoying. He has nothing to do." Very nice conclusion. This is Vedic conclusion.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:
They want to kill Kṛṣṇa always. That's all. "God is dead." They want to see how Kṛṣṇa can be killed, how Kṛṣṇa is dead. That is their business. "There is no God" or "God is impersonal" or "God is dead" or... So many things. That means they want to see there is no God. Or to kill God. Kaṁsa, always thinking, "As soon as Kṛṣṇa will take His birth, I'll take the baby and kill." But God is always God. The Putānā rakṣasī took the child and allowed to suck her breast, and God is so kind, He sucked the breast and sucked her life. Everything finished. And she appeared, oh, a great giantlike demon. You know the story, Putānā.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:
"All these living creatures, they are all My parts and parcels." Therefore He is the origin. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā, the Brahmā in his saṁhitā-Saṁhitā means Vedic literature—so he explains that "You are finding out cause. Here is cause." Everywhere you'll find. But the rascal demons are so obstinate that although Kṛṣṇa is confirmed the Supreme God by Brahmā, by Śiva, by Vyāsa, Nārada, Devala, and many, many devotees, Bhīṣma... There are twelve standard ācāryas. They are svayambhūr nārada śaṁbhu... Svayambhūr means Brahmā; Nārada, Nārada Muni; and Śaṁbhu means Lord Śiva. Kapila, Vyāsa, Kumāra—everyone has accepted. And in the recent years Lord Caitanya, He said. And the Bhāgavata says, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Bhāgavata gives list of all incarnations of God, and at the last he concludes that in this list the name "Kṛṣṇa," He is the Supreme Personality.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:
So they are not troublesome like my father. They are not troublesome. Because my father was a demon, so he was against always, always against God. But these demigods, they are not like my father. So You pacify Yourself. Now my father is killed. That business is finished. Now, these people, they will never create any trouble, so You become pacified." That is the difference between demons and demigods. There are two classes of living creatures always. Either in this planet or any planet within this universe, there are two classes of living creatures. One is called the demon, and the other is called the demigod. What is the difference? The demigods are godly. They accept the existence of God, they obey the orders of God, they act in God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whereas the demons, they don't believe in God, they defy God's regulations, and they want to become imitation God. So Hiraṇyakaśipu was that type of demons, whereas the Brahmā and others, they were not that. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is saying that He īśa. Amy udvijanto bibhrataḥ sarve brahmādayaḥ sattva-mūrtayaḥ: "Now, because You have appeared in so fierceful appearance, these persons, these demigods, they have become afraid. So they are Your devotees. So for their pacification, please, You also become pacified."
Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Mayapur, February 20, 1976:
Dayānanda: "O my Lordship, all the demigods headed by Lord Brahma, they are all Your sincere servants, situated in transcendental position, and they are not like us, my father, the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu, the demon. Your appearance in this fearful form is Your pastime for Your own personal pleasure, and such incarnation is always for the good and protection of the universe."
Prabhupāda: "Like my father"? Udvijantaḥ is not described here, the meaning of udvijantaḥ?
Dayānanda: "Udvijantaḥ—on account of Your fearful appearance they are all afraid."
Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Mayapur, February 20, 1976:
So they are of the same opinion. There is no difference, opinion, between the modern devotee and the old devotee. A devotee is devotee, as there is no difference between modern gold or old gold. Gold is gold. So we should take the path of devotional service, following Prahlāda Mahārāja, and his prayers, his instructions are so valuable that even simply by reciting this Prahlāda Mahārāja's stotra, this stotra... This prayer of Prahlāda Mahārāja is very, very important. You read it carefully and try to understand. Even the most wretched demon can become a great devotee.
Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:
Prabhupāda: The demons will always do that. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. What is that?
Pradyumna: ...for Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. You remember Kṛṣṇa. That's all. The rule is that when there is blasphemy, there are three kinds of activities. First thing is that one who is blaspheming, you should argue and defeat him by your arguments, by your evidences. If you are unable to do that, then you should die. That is the injunction. And if you are unable to do that, then you should go away from that place. That's all. Three things. First of all, you should fight with him. Then if you are unable to fight, then you should die. And if you are not able to die, then leave that place and go away. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Yes?
Jayapatākā: Can you explain Śrī Rādhā's appearance day?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:
Dayānanda: Nirvṛtim... (break) translation: "My Lordship Nṛsiṁha-deva, who can, therefore, stop Your anger? Now my father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, the great demon, being killed, as the saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of the scorpion and the snake..."
Prabhupāda: What is the beginning? Tad yaccha? Hm? Tad yaccha. "Give up that anger." What you have written?
Dayānanda: It says, "Who can, therefore, stop Your anger?"
Prabhupāda: No, no. "Please, therefore, give up Your anger."
Hṛdayānanda: "Please, therefore, give up your anger."
Dayānanda: Oh. "Please, therefore, stop your anger. Now my father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, the great demon, being killed, as the saintly persons who take pleasure in the killing of the scorpion and the snake, similarly, all the saintly persons have achieved great satisfaction on account of the demon's death. Now they are confident of their happiness. They shall always remember about Your auspicious incarnation."
Prabhupāda: "Of Nṛsiṁha-deva."
Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is requesting Nṛsiṁha-deva, "Now the business is finished. My father, the great demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu..." He said, asuraś ca hatas. He... Such a great Vaiṣṇava, he is not calling Hiraṇyakaśipu his father. And in other place also he addressed his father, na sādhu manye asura-varya. He never said, "My father." He said, "The greatest of the asuras." He was so bold. The father was such a great demon, and he was not addressing him as father, and the father was becoming more and more angry upon him. This indicates that a person who is a demon, not devotee, he's not worth calling a father. That sort of father should be avoided. Pitā na sa syāt. People are affectionate to father and mother, and they hesitate how to give up... Especially boys give up the company of family, father and mother, take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But here, in the śāstra, it is said, if the father is demon or a mother is demon or a friend is demon or a family member is demon, they should not be accepted as relative. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syād gurur na sa syāt. Even guru. If you have accepted somebody as guru but he's a demon, he should be rejected immediately, immediately. Just like in India there is a system of jāta-guru, the guru by caste. By familywise, they become guru. One family is attached to another guru family by hereditary rules, the sons after sons accepting guru, the other party, and there is regular business. So such kind of guru is not wanted.
Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:
So because this Hiraṇyakaśipu was not a Vaiṣṇava, so Prahlāda Mahārāja declined to call him, address him, as father. No. This is pitā na syāt... "He is not my father." So he is addressing that tad yaccha manyum: "Now my Lord, Nṛsiṁha-deva, You have not cause to become angry, because the person upon whom You are so angry, that asura, my father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, is now killed. So business is finished." So the question may be that... Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva may ask that "I have killed your father, so your relative may be unhappy? Therefore I'm angry. Why they are angry upon...? They're unhappy. I have killed a demon." So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "No, no, no. That is not the case. Nobody is unhappy. Nobody is unhappy. By killing my father Hiraṇyakaśipu, I am not unhappy and nobody is unhappy." Tad yaccha manyum asuraś ca hatas tvayā dayā: "By You, by Your grace..." "So if you are not happy, why?" Now, modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā: "Why they should be unhappy? Because the sādhu, a saintly person does not like that anyone should be killed, even an ant." That is sādhu. A sādhu does not want to kill even an ant. But in the case of vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā, they are happy.
Lecture on SB 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976:
"But still may be others, unhappy, may not be your family, because you were also tortured, but others that are killed, such a demon, big, powerful..." So Prahlāda Mahārāja said, lokāś ca nirvṛtim itaḥ: "Everyone is satisfied, even the higher planets, the demigods and everyone." Nirvṛtim itaḥ pratiyanti: "They are waiting only just to see You pacified." Sarve rūpaṁ nṛsiṁha. "But is not this form very fearful to anyone? You may not be afraid of, others?" Prahlāda Mahārāja assures, "No, no. Nobody is fearful. This fearful appearance of Your Lordship is very pleasing to the devotees because as soon as they are in fearful condition, they will remember Your this Nṛsiṁha form and they will be out of that. It is so pleasing." Just like we..., ito nṛsiṁha, tato nṛsiṁha yato yato yāmi... So our only shelter is Nṛsiṁha-deva.
Lecture on SB 7.9.15 -- Mayapur, February 22, 1976:
So there is a description of different features of the body of Nṛsiṁha-deva, description of the face, the ear, the mane and the nails, everything, very, very fearful. But the nails, the significant word is here—ari-bhit nakhāgrāt. Ari-bhit. Ari means enemy, and these nails are meant for piercing the chest of the enemy, not of the devotee. Ari-bhit nakhāgrāt. Everything is fierceful to the enemy, to the demons, but to the devotees they're all beautiful. They are pleasing. That is the difference between the Personality of Godhead and material personality. Everything... God is all-good. Even God appears in such fierceful attitude, it is beautiful to the devotees. God's stealing... This is abominable, stealing, in this material world. But in the spiritual world, that stealing by Kṛṣṇa is worshipable.
Lecture on SB 7.9.17 -- Mayapur, February 24, 1976:
"My dear friend, I shall help you in this way. You are in trouble." So he can help, but there will be misunderstanding. Again the friend will be enemy. So there cannot be any peace. But if we all agree that Kṛṣṇa is the friend, real friend... Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. Kṛṣṇa, if He's not our friend, why He's coming down on this platform where we are living in rotten condition? He's great friend, Dīna-bandhu. His name in Dīna-bandhu. Who is very, very poor in heart, He becomes very great friend, dīna-bandhu, and advises him. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. He's always friendly. Kṛṣṇa is never enemy. But still, we create enmity. We become demon with Kṛṣṇa. That is the trouble.
So it requires to become fortunate.
Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:
For the last twenty or thirty years they are struggling. Before that, they convened another, League of Nation. So they are making simply plans. And it continues for some time. Then, after fifteen or twenty years, again conflagration of war, especially in the Europe. They're all demons. How the demons can bring in peace by so-called United Nation or League of Nation? That is not possible. They have to give up the demonic activities. They have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then they will be saved.
So we are just trying to introduce the real civilization. Actually there is no civilization at the present moment. They are simply cats and dogs and fighting one another. There is no civilization. This is not civilization.
Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:
So we are just trying to introduce the real civilization. Actually there is no civilization at the present moment. They are simply cats and dogs and fighting one another. There is no civilization. This is not civilization. Atheists, demons, they are predominating. And because they have got big, big skyscraper building and many motorcars, India has become victimized: "Oh, without this motorcar and without this skyscraper building, we are condemned." So they are trying to imitate. They have forgotten their own culture, the best culture, Vedic culture. So it is the first time that we are trying to conquer over the demonic culture with this Vedic culture. This is the first time. So it is very pleasing that you have joined this movement. If you want to make the human society happy, give them this culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is being described by Prahlāda Mahārāja, that saṁsāra-cakra. If you become involved in this demonic culture, then the saṁsāra-cakra, the wheel of repetition of birth and death, will go on. You cannot stop it. It is not possible. But if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is possibility. This is the purport of this verse.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 7.9.23 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1976:
But Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "Such a big powerful demon as my father, he is also finished in one minute. One minute. And therefore..." Ye asmat pituḥ. The demigods were afraid of, very much afraid. Therefore when he was killed everyone became very pleased. There(fore) Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "Nobody is unhappy on account of death of my father." He said, modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā: (SB 7.9.14) "My father was exactly like scorpion and snake, so killing of such animal, living entity, is pleasing to everyone, even sādhu. Even bhaktas, they also become pleased." They do not want anyone is killed or anyone is done something harmful. Bhakta never desires. But they also take pleasure when the vṛścika, the scorpion, and the snake is killed. You have got experience. There was a snake in my bathroom. So you all sādhus became very alert to kill it, (laughter) although you are sādhu. So that is natural. When there is snake, there is no question of sādhu or asādhu. Kill him. Sādhur api, very nice. Modeta sādhur api vṛścika-sarpa-hatyā.
Lecture on SB 7.9.27 -- Mayapur, March 5, 1976:
It is very important verse. Discrimination. Sometimes the atheist class demons, they say, "Why God has made somebody so opulent and why somebody so poor?" This is the general question. Perhaps you have met, eh? So that is being solved. Parāvaratvam. Para means better, and apara means inferior. Superior and inferior. There are two things, superior and inferior, everywhere, but in the eyes of God, Kṛṣṇa, there is no such thing, superior or inferior. He's superior, and everything is superior. This should be understood. There is no such discrimination that "Here is a devotee, so he's superior, and here is a nondevotee, he's inferior." That is not God's discrimination. That is your discrimination. If you like to remain as inferior, you can remain. God has given you independence. And if you like to become superior, you can become superior. It is not God's discrimination; it is your discrimination. Mind this verse very carefully. Kṛṣṇa says that "You fully become dependent upon Me, and I shall give you full protection." This is superiority. As soon as I fully surrender to the supreme superior, Kṛṣṇa, then my position is immediately superior. And if I don't do that, then I remain inferior.
Lecture on SB 7.9.29 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1976:
So before Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed by His Lordship Nṛsiṁha-deva, Prahlāda Mahārāja never addressed his father as "father," pituḥ. Now, after his death, he is addressing, pituḥ, "my father." Because before his death he was demon. Everyone knows. But if a demon is killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becomes liberated, either demon or anyone. Demons are generally killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They enter into the impersonal Brahman. Therefore there is a verse—I don't remember exactly now—that "The monist and the demons, they go to the same place, impersonal Brahman." And what to speak of devotees? Devotees never enter to that impersonal Brahman. Devotees enter directly in the Vaikuṇṭha planet. Mām eti. Mām eti. Kṛṣṇa said, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāmaṁ paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). If you enter the Vaikuṇṭha planets... There are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, and above them there is the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, Kṛṣṇaloka. So in either of them, if you enter, then that is not impersonal. Personal. Impersonal Brahman is outside. Although impersonal Brahman is also spiritual existence, but it is outside the Vaikuṇṭha planets. So the demons and the impersonalists, they cannot enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planet.
Lecture on SB 7.9.29 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1976:
The nature's arrangement is so strong that anyone can be finished within a second, anyone. There is no need of Kṛṣṇa's taking so much trouble to come here. But He comes especially for deliverance of the devotee, bhakta-vatsala, and side work, to kill the demons. That is not His business. The Māyā, Durgādevī, is sufficiently powerful to kill any demon within a second. There is no difficulty. Simply by ordering Māyā... Or Māyā does not wait the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She can understand what the Lord wants. Simply little indication, she can kill hundreds and thousands of demons in one stroke. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya. She can do that.
Lecture on SB 7.9.29 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1976:
You cannot say it is sky, land or water. He did not kill him with the open weapon, but He killed with His nails. In this way you'll find that He kept everything intact, what benediction was given by Lord Brahmā, ṛtaṁ vidhātum. "Yes." At last, of course, He little chastised Brahmā that "You should not give such benediction in future. This is botheration for Me." (laughter) But still, He kept His servant's promise intact. The demon was also killed, and the promise given by, a benediction given by Brahma, everything... That is the action of the Supreme Personality. In one stroke He is doing so many things. He's saving Prahlāda Mahārāja, He's killing Hiraṇyakaśipu, He's keeping intact the promise of Brahmā—everything. That is God's intelligence. Our intelligence, however diplomat we may be, if we want to do anything, another thing is not managed nicely. But Kṛṣṇa... That is called all potency. When He does something, in a moment He can adjust everything. Even opposite actions, He can adjust. That is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He's called all-powerful. We cannot do that.
Lecture on SB 7.9.36 -- Mayapur, March 14, 1976:
But the Vṛndāvana-vāsī, they are so affectionate, so attached to Kṛṣṇa, they do not want. They do not want to know what is God. They simply want Kṛṣṇa, to love. This is Vṛndāvana. There is no necessity. Kṛṣṇa manifested in so many ways big, big activities in Vṛndāvana, killing daily almost a demon. But still, the Vṛndāvana-vāsī did not accept Him as the Supreme Lord. They thought that some demigod has appeared. They did not know that He is the Supreme Lord. That is another māyā, yoga-māyā. If the Vṛndāvana-vāsī saw Kṛṣṇa that He is the Supreme Lord, then they could not love Him so nicely, because too much opulent conception diminishes natural love. Therefore in the Vṛndāvana there is no such exhibition of Kṛṣṇa's form. But in the material world, just to convince Brahmā that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He appeared, sahasra vadanāṅghri-śiraḥ-karoru-nāsādya-karṇa-nayanābharaṇaya-a yudhāḍhyam. Not only many faces, many ears, many legs, but each of them very nicely decorated.
Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "My dear Lord, when You appeared as Hayagrīva with a head like that of a horse to kill the two demons named Madhu and Kaiṭabha, who were full of the modes of passion and ignorance, after killing the demons You delivered the Vedic knowledge to Lord Brahmā. Therefore all the great saintly persons accept Your forms as transcendental, untinged by material qualities."
Prabhupāda:
- tasmai bhavān haya-śiras tanuvaṁ hi bibhrad
- veda-druhāv atibalau madhu-kaiṭabhākhyau
- hatvānayac chruti-gaṇāṁś ca rajas tamaś ca
- sattvaṁ tava priyatamāṁ tanum āmananti
- (SB 7.9.37)
So spiritual kingdom is beyond this material world made of three modes of material nature, sattva-rajas-tamaḥ. So when incarnation of the Supreme Lord comes... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Kṛṣṇa has given us. We are fallen down from the spiritual kingdom to this material world on account of desiring to fulfill our material senses. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has given us the Vedic literatures. Anādi bahir mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela. This is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā. Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa anadi... Anadi means before the beginning of this creation.
Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:
So human life is meant for understanding the Supreme, our connection with the Supreme Being. That is real human life. Therefore the Vedas are there. So as soon as Brahmā was born... Because he is in charge of this universe... There are innumerable universes and innumerable Brahmās also. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). So Brahmā is jagad-aṇḍa-nātha. He's the chief person within this material world, in this universe. So he is in charge; therefore he was given the Vedic knowledge. And he got the Vedic knowledge, but at the same time, two demons known as Madhu-Kaiṭabha, they wanted to snatch away, take away the Vedic mantras from Brahmā. This is the attempt from the very beginning.
Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:
So we are trying to introduce this sattva-guṇa, and above sattva-guṇa, śuddha-sattva. This sattva-guṇa... Just like sometimes we experience that one person is elevated to the brahminical principle, sannyāsī principle, but all of a sudden he falls down, he becomes a demon. We have got experience. He becomes demon. Very high... So this material world is so contaminated that even you are on the sattva-guṇa, there is chance of being contaminated by the rajas-tamo guṇa. The struggle is there. Therefore we have to become very, very careful. Or Kṛṣṇa will help. If you want to remain in sattva-guṇa, in purity, then Kṛṣṇa will help. Just like here, as soon as Brahmā was disturbed by the demons full of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, immediately the Lord came in Hayagrīva-mūrti incarnation. That is... Kṛṣṇa is also very much anxious to give us... Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati (BG 9.31). If you remain a pure devotee, always surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, you should know it very well that Kṛṣṇa will give you protection in any calamity. Don't be worried. Simply we must have the faith.
Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:
So here, as Brahmā was protected from the great demons Madhu-Kaiṭabha, Prahlāda Mahārāja was protected from the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu. There are many, many instances. So the demons are always there. They are always ready to disturb devotees. That is going on. But a devotee's business is to revive the Kṛṣṇa consciousness of the conditioned soul. That is devotee's business. As Kṛṣṇa comes personally to give them some help, similarly, Kṛṣṇa's servants also, they take Kṛṣṇa's business and try to help these fallen conditioned souls to revive their original Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:
So Veda-Purāṇa is required. Why the Vedas are there for us? To revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the gist of the Vedas, the śāstra, is Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-śāstra vinijya (?). So if we read Bhagavad-gītā carefully, spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and follow it according to the direction of the Brahmā and his disciplic succession, then Kṛṣṇa will give you all protection from the demons. There is no doubt. That is Kṛṣṇa's business. He said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). Dharmasya glāniḥ means discrepancy in the matter of understanding Vedas. That is dharmasya glāniḥ.
Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:
From the womb of his mother, he was a great devotee. It is possible. When his mother was pregnant, the demigods... There was fighting between the demigods and the demons. And while his mother was pregnant, she was being dragged, taken by Indra under custody, and on the way Indra was met by Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni objected, "What is this that you are dragging a pregnant woman? What is this?" Indra explained that "Because she is the wife of Hiraṇyakaśipu, a demon with whom we have just finished our fighting, she (he?) has gone away. So we are taking this lady under our custody so that as soon as she gives birth to a child, we will immediately kill so that the demonic descendants will be no more." Nārada replied that "This child is not a demon. He is a great devotee mahā-bhāgavata. So do not do this. Better give this lady under my custody. I shall take care of her, and you can go." So Nārada Muni is the spiritual master of all demigods, so he immediately accepted the words of the great sage Nārada. Not only accepted, but they offered their respects by bowing down to the child who was in the womb of his mother. A Vaiṣṇava, it doesn't matter whether he is a child or in the womb of his mother, he's respectful. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He was in the womb of His mother, Devakī, the demigods also offered their prayers and obeisances you know, garbha-stuti, that is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:
There is a stotra offered by Prahlāda Mahārāja. When Prahlāda Mahārāja's father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was killed by Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, He was very angry. Because this Hiraṇyakaśipu, although father of Prahlāda Mahārāja, he persecuted him in so many ways. The only fault was that he was a devotee. That is the nature of the demoniac world. Even one's son becomes a devotee and if the father is demon, then he'll be angry. That was actually happening. So Prahlāda Mahārāja, Vaiṣṇava, he is speaking to the Lord, naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ, "My dear Lord," para. Para means He is transcendental, not of this material world. Udvije, "I am not anxious." Because everyone is anxious. In this material world, everyone is always anxious, either in peace or war, it doesn't matter. In peace, so-called peace, there is no peace. Actually, it is a place for struggle for existence with māyā. So there cannot be any peace.
Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:
So everyone is full of anxiety. That is also explained by Prahlāda Mahārāja that sadā samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). When his father... After all, father and son, the relationship is very affectionate. So even though father was not happy that his son was growing to be a great devotee, still one day he called his son, "My dear son, what best thing you have learned from your teachers?" So Prahlāda Mahārāja is answering. He knew that his father was a demon, so he is addressing directly. Tat sādhu manye asura-varya dehinām. Asura-varya. "My dear father, you are the best of the asuras." Asura-varya. Varya means the best. "My dear father," tat sādhu manye asura-varya dehinām. "I think," dehinām, "for the living entities who have accepted this material body.
Lecture on SB 7.9.47 -- Vrndavana, April 2, 1976:
So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣa akṛṣṇam saṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. He is with His soldiers, saṅga, upāṅga, part of the part. Advaita Prabhupāda, Nityānanda Prabhu. Nityānanda is directly part, Advaita Prabhu is part of the part. And astra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also has His astra, weapon. The astra means to, I mean to say, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam (BG 4.8). So this astra, what is that? Saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtanaiḥ. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prāyair yajanti hi. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is also astra of Kṛṣṇa for killing the demons, but it is not like a... Like a sword it is not active. But it is astra. It is killing the demons but in a different way. The demonic habits are being killed, demonic habits. Everyone, we can understand it, how our demonic activities are being killed by this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. This is astra. This is astra, but it is being used in a different way, because in this age they are so fallen. So... Manda manda-bhāgyā. This real astra weapon cannot be used upon them. It is already dead. So therefore another type of astra to awaken them to life, that is Hare Kṛṣṇa, mahā-mantra astra. Otherwise they are already dead. A dead horse... "Beating the dead horse." A horse is dead; what you will get by beating with whips? It is already dead. So there are big, big demons. Hiraṇyakaśipu, he was required to be killed by the nails of the Lord. He appeared as a ferocious lion. But here, the tiny demons, there is no need of nails or any sword. They are to be awakened simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:
o sometimes devotees are so gentle. If such foolish person comes to talk, unnecessarily waste of time, "All right, you take in writing that I am not a learned. Go away." You see? This is another bhadra. Instead of wasting time with a rascal, better give him a paper: "Go away, sir." (laughter) And therefore Lord Śiva is called Āśutoṣa. So many demons go to bother him: "Give me this. Give me that." And his name is Āśutoṣa.. He gives him immediately: "All right, you take it. Go away. Don't bother." (laughter) Therefore his name is Āśutoṣa.. Very soon he becomes... Somebody prayed, "Sir, give me this benediction, that I shall... On anyone's head I shall touch, immediately head will go away." So Lord Śiva said, "All right, you go away. You take this benediction and go away."
Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "Prahlāda Mahārāja was the best person in the family of demons. Demons always aspire for material happiness, yet even though Prahlāda was somewhat allured when the Supreme Personality of Godhead offered him benedictions for material happiness, because of his unalloyed Kṛṣṇa consciousness he did not want to take any material benefit for sense enjoyment."
Prabhupāda:
- evaṁ pralobhyamāno 'pi
- varair loka-pralobhanaiḥ
- ekāntitvād bhagavati
- naicchat tān asurottamaḥ
- (SB 7.9.55)
So this is conclusion of Nārada Muni, that this boy, although born in asura family... Asura means those who are too much materially... Not too much, only materially interested, they are called asuras. Different types of material enjoyment. Karma, jñāna, yoga, they are all material enjoyment. Karma, karmīs, generally we see everywhere. They are working so very hard, making plans how to improve material enjoyment. So they are called karmīs. And jñānīs, their demand is also very great, to become one with the Supreme, to become God. These are material desires.
| Page Title: | Demons (SB Lectures) |
| Compiler: | MadhuGopaldas, Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 22 of Dec, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=312, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 312 |