Duration of life (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"duration of life"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Prabhupāda: Suicide is not justified. Suicide is not justified. It is violation of nature's law. Nature gives you a certain type of body to live in it for certain days, and suicide means you go against the laws of nature, you untimely stop the duration of life. Therefore he becomes a criminal. Suicide is criminal even in ordinary state laws. One cannot make suicide.

Woman (3): I understand that Hare Kṛṣṇa is a scientific movement. Do you think that there is a scientific explanation for the way in which personal enlightenment by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Devotee: The question is that you have said that the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is a scientific movement...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Rotary Club Address -- Hotel Imperial, Delhi, March 25, 1976:

Who cares for it? It is thrown away. Same thing. The body has no value. It has value so long the soul is there. Otherwise suppose a big man... They are lamenting such, "A great man has passed away." But what is that such great man? He is lying on the floor, on the bed, the same man. So why you are seeing that he has gone? Then who has gone? You have never seen him who has gone. This is knowledge. So our human life is meant for understanding what has gone from the body which makes the body a lump of matter... (break)

Dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. In the Satya-yuga, when the duration of life was very, very great, meditation was possible. And next yuga? Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ (SB 12.3.52). By performing the ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the Vedas, yajña... And the next yuga, by paricarya, by Deity worship. And next yuga, this Kali-yuga, hari-kīrtanāt, simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord. Otherwise... And meditation means kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. Meditation means to think of Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. That is the recommendation. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogis, they think of the Supreme Person, dhyānāvasthita manasā, mind absorbed, surcharged with thinking of Viṣṇu. That is called meditation. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1).

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- New York, March 9, 1966:

Yes. Let them talk all nonsense. But we have got information that this moon planet is a very nice planet, and the inhabitants there, they are very intelligent and the people who perform pious work here in this planet, they are promoted, promoted to the moon planet. And it is very cold also. Just like your European countries and American countries because, due to... You have come from America. America, European countries, people are accustomed to drink because due to the cold climate. Indians are not accustomed. But your drinking is necessary thing in Europe. Similarly, this moon planet is so cold that they live by drinking soma-rasa. There is a kind of liquor which is called soma-rasa. Yes. Soma-rasa. Soma-rasa. Soma-rasa, here, it is described in Āyur-veda. That soma-rasa preparation is there. If anyone can prepare that soma-rasa, and anyone can drink that soma-rasa, he becomes immortal. That means his duration of life increases. Increases. So anyway, these descriptions are there. So there are intelligent living beings there also.

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

You did not create anything. You did not create even your own body. That proprietor is also Kṛṣṇa. Because as soon as Kṛṣṇa asks you, "Please vacate," you must vacate immediately. Can you remain in this body? The proprietor asks you to vacate somehow or other. You have to vacate. Or the proprietor does not repair it. Then you voluntarily vacate, that "This is not to be, no more useful." This is law, going on. And that is... How nicely it is explained. Dehinaḥ asmin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As we have changed so many different types of body even in this duration of life... Now, how this change is taking place, that you cannot imagine. Therefore we say the same body. But actually it is not the same body. The body is different. It is changing. And because the person, the soul, is there, therefore it is changing. And as soon as the person is not there... Suppose in a child's body, a born baby, a dead body, it will not grow or it will not change. So long the soul is there, it will change. So Kṛṣṇa said that "We existed in the past." This is authoritative statement. So it is to be understood that I existed in the past in different body. As I existed, say, seventy years before in a different body, I was jumping as a boy, now I cannot jump. Now I have to take the stick. This is a different body. So where is the difficulty to understand? If the same body had been, then I could jump like a boy. I remember that I jumped. But now it is not possible. I have to take help of three men. (laughter) So it is different body. Although imperceptibly it has changed, but the body is different. Body's different.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

So life after death is not very difficult to understand. We have got different grades of life. Just like the child is crying, that is also life. Then the child body vanquished, then gets another body, boy's body. Then this body also vanquishes. Another body, youthful body. This body also vanquishes. And then an old man's body like me, this will also vanquish. So the logic is as the other bodies vanquish and I get a next body, similarly, when this old body will be vanquished, I'll get another body. So here it is stated by the supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa, that as these bodies are changing in this duration of life... It is changing. The old body, the child's body, boy's body of me, they are no longer existing, but I am existing. I know that I had a small body like this. I had a boy's body, youthful body. I can remember. Therefore I am eternal. The bodies are temporary.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

There are many millions of planets. Specifically, there is one planet within this universe, that is called Siddhaloka. There is other planet also, heavenly planet, Brahmaloka planet. And in different planets there are different species of life, different standard of comforts. But in the higher planetary system, the standard of comfort is more and more, thousand times more, thousand times more, in this way. Just like in this planet we have got different standard of life. In your Western countries, your standard of life is, at least, it is to be understood more comfortable than other standard of life. In this way, if you promote yourself to the topmost planetary system, which is called Brahmaloka, then you get your duration of life many millions of years. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). In the Brahmaloka planet, the residents, they have got their one day. One day means daytime. Not nighttime. Twelve hours, say. That is equal to..., their twelve hours is equal to our millions of years. Sahasra-yuga. Sahasra-yuga means 4,300,000's of years multiplied by 1,000. That is called sahasra-yuga. Such is the, such duration of time is equal to twelve hours in the Brahmaloka planet. So even if you go to the Brahmaloka planet... (to Satsvarūpa:) You read that. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna. Read it.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

So, if we like, we can go to the higher planetary system, heavenly planetary system. Just like we are trying to go to the moon planet, but we have not been successful. In this way we cannot go there. Each planet, each and every planet, has got different atmosphere. So unless your body is completely competent to live in such planet, you cannot go there. Just like the scientists say that in the moon planet the temperature is two hundred degrees below zero. Similarly, in the sun planet the temperature is very, very high, hundred and thousand times degrees above the normal. So in this way, every planet has got different atmosphere, different temperature, different standard of life, different duration of life. So one has to become competent to transfer himself in a particular type of planet. So we, as spirit soul, dehī, the possessor of this body... Dehī means one who possesses this body, or the occupier of the body, the spirit soul. That is eternal. Changing body only, but eternal. Therefore we should not be interested to these different types of temporary body. That is not very good intelligence. So we have to prepare ourself. If we want... There is a full description of each and every planet. And we can prepare ourself according to our desire, which planet we wish to go. But Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). "Persons who are engaged in My occupational duties, they will come to Me."

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

"No, that is not killing. That was giving a new body to show the strength of the Vedic mantras." A cow was sacrificed in the fire and by mantra, by chanting of the mantra, the cow will come out with a new body, young body. That was not killing. So similarly, here also, Kṛṣṇa is giving the same argument, that "You are lamenting on your grandfather. He has got old body, but if he is killed in this battle, he'll have a new, fresh new body. So you should be joyful. Why are you lamenting?" So this argument was forwarded by Kṛṣṇa, that... Now, just like this child. This child can hope many things. He has got immense duration of life now beginning, and what hope I have got? I am now this old body, say five years or ten years more. So I cannot expect, hope anything more, than this child. So Kṛṣṇa is giving that "There is no question of lamentation for your grandfather. Your grandfather is going to have a new lease of life. Why should you be sorry?" So this argument He is forwarding, but nobody will agree to this argument. Yes. Go on.

Madhudviṣa: "Such changes of body are meant for varieties of enjoyment or suffering by the living entity according to one's own work in this life. So Bhīṣma and Droṇa, being noble souls, were surely going to have either spiritual bodies in the next or at least life in godly bodies."

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Mexico, February 14, 1975:

So from last night discussion, it is to be concluded that we are not going to die. Kṛṣṇa said not only He, but also Arjuna and all other who were present in the battlefield, they will continue to exist. So how we shall exist? That is also discussed, that as we are existing now—we have accepted a type of material body and existing—similarly, after finishing this body, I'll accept another body and exist. Now, the question is that "In what kind of body I shall exist after finishing this body?" That is also explained, that if we like, we can exist in the higher planetary system where the duration of life is very, very long, the sense enjoyment is very, very perfect, more than this world. This we can have. Similarly, we can exist in lower grade of life like cats, dogs, insects, trees, aquatics, like that. And we can exist also in the same way as we are existing now. And we can exist also exactly like God—eternal life of bliss and knowledge.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973:

Then we can become immortal. Unless we get perfect knowledge. So Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), immortal. Kṛṣṇa is full of bliss, full of knowledge, and we are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So we have also the same quality, sac-cid-ānanda, the spiritual body. But because we have contacted this material nature, our blissfulness, our eternity, our knowledge, everything is now disturbed. Everything is now disturbed. We cannot be completely blissful. Anything you take, any pleasurable thing you take, it cannot give you always pleasure. It is not possible. This is not possible in this material world. However you may try scientifically to prolong your duration of life, live forever, it is not possible. And however you may pose yourself, cheat others, that you are the best man in knowledge, philosopher, scientist, you are a fool. That is not possible. Sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ is Kṛṣṇa only (Bs. 5.1). So we can also become like Kṛṣṇa along with Kṛṣṇa. Not outside. We can be living force along with Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is also very much anxious to take us back to Him. Therefore He comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata abhyutthānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). When these rascals forget that unless he goes back to home, goes back to Kṛṣṇa he'll never be happy, that is the discrepancy of occupational duty. They have come here, kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare (Prema-vivarta), he has come here to enjoy, to lord it over the material nature, and has become entangled. So Kṛṣṇa comes, descends, to save us, to give us shelter at His lotus feet so that we may also become immortal like Kṛṣṇa, full of bliss and full of knowledge. That is called amṛtatva.

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

Sometimes they say that "By scientific advancement, someday we shall become immortal." They also expect to become immortal. But, expect or not expect, here is the information from Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says; He's not speaking something nonsense or utopian. It is fact that we should be interested in the permanent, permanent life, not temporary life. This life, this material life is temporary. We may live for ten years or ten hours. There are living entities, they live for ten minutes and there are living entities who are living for ten millions or ten billions of years. Just like in the Brahmaloka, they live billions of years. So all these duration of life, different types of duration of life, are there within this material world, but still, it is not permanent. Even if you live for ten billions of years or you live for ten minutes or ten seconds, it is nonpermanent. That is being explained here. Nāsato vidyate bhāvaḥ. Asataḥ, or this material body, it has no endurance, it will not endure, it will not be permanently existing. Nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ: And the soul is permanent. He, it has no change; it will never be nonexistent. Kṛṣṇa is explaining. When Kṛṣṇa says, "My dear Arjuna, you, Me, and all these kings and soldiers assembled here, it is not that we did not exist in the past," so what is that? That means we are not this body. This body was not existing in the past in my past life, or duration of life. But as I am soul, I am existing now, I did exist in the past, and I will exist in the future. That is sat. Therefore, spirit has no such change.

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- Hyderabad, November 23, 1972:

So in this age, this is simply waste of time. If you actually interested in spiritual advancement of life, if you divert your attention in so-called worship of this demigod, that demigod, this demigod, then you'll simply waste your time. There will be no advancement. And even you become perfect in worshiping the demigods, then what will be your profit? The profit will be: yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). You can go to the planets where the demigods live. But the planets and this material world, everything will be annihilated. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām (BG 7.23). Suppose you are promoted to the Brahmaloka. That is also antavat. It will be finished, because by the end of Brahmā's duration of life, everything within this universe will be finished. Therefore antavat. That is not permanent. But if you manage to go back to home, back to Godhead, then yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Then that is perfect life.

So anyone who is not interested in perfect life, they'll be allured by this so-called demigod worship. Antavat tu phalam. But those who are intelligent... These are the activities of the alpa-medhasaḥ, but one who is su-medhasaḥ, su-medhasaḥ, one who has got good brain substance, for him, in this age, it is recommended, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ.

Lecture on BG 2.28 -- London, August 30, 1973:

So I am eternal, the body is not eternal. This is the fact. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). Śarīriṇaḥ, the owner of the body, is eternal, but not the body. In so many ways, Kṛṣṇa is explaining about the material condition of this body. But those who are not very intelligent, with poor fund of knowledge, it is very difficult for them to understand. Otherwise, things are very clear. This point is very clear. That at night I forget this body, and in daytime I forget the body at night. This is a fact. Similarly, I may forget the body of my last appearance, last duration of life, or I may not know the future body. But I will exist, and the body may change, but I'll have to accept another body which is temporary. But I, as I exist, it means I have got a body. That is spiritual body.

So spiritual body is existing, and spiritual advancement means first of all to know spiritual identification of myself. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī went to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu after retiring from his ministership. So he first of all said that, ke āmi, kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya: "Actually, I do not know what I am, and why I am subjected to the miserable condition of life." Therefore the miserable condition of life is this body. Because I get... In dream also. When I get another body, sometimes we find that on top of the very tall bamboo or tall mountain I am just now, I'm falling down . And I'm afraid, I sometimes cry, "Now, I am now falling down." So this body, this material body, which body I belong to, which I am... Actually, I do not belong to any of these bodies. I have got a separate spiritual body.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

First thing, it is very difficult to obtain all the ingredients for sacrificing method. And people are not very well to do. They cannot secure also.

The symptoms of the people of this age is also described, prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Prāyeṇa, in this age people are generally short living. They are not living for more than sixty or seventy years. Formerly they were living more than hundred years. Gradually their duration of life is decreasing. And it is stated also that it will decrease to such an extent that any man who is living from twenty to thirty years, he will be considered a very old man. That is also stated in the Bhāgavata. Of course, that has not yet come, but it will come in this age. So the symptoms of the people of this age are described, that people are of very short life.

Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ mandāḥ. And they are very lazy and slow. Slow and lazy means that they do not know that this life is meant for spiritual realization. So they are very lazy—"All right, spiritual realization we shall see later on. Let us enjoy life. That's all." So this is a great disqualification of the human being, that they are not wake up for spiritual realization, lazy, mandāḥ. And manda-bhāgyāḥ. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ.

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

Therefore Lord says, evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakram: "This is a circle, circle, that in Vedic literature, Vedic scripture, they give you direction how to work." And by working you perform yajña. By performing yajña, you have got regular rainfalls. By regular rainfalls, you get production of grains. And by production of grains, you eat and live happily. So this is a circle. This is a circle. So Lord says, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakram. Cakram means circle. This is a circle.

Nānuvartayatīha yaḥ: "One who does not follow this circle of activity," aghāyuḥ, "he is simply spoiling his life. He is is simply "aghāyuḥ." Aghāyuḥ means "His duration of life, his duration of very valuable human form of life, he is simply wasting." Why? Indriyārāmaḥ: "Simply for sense gratification like the cats and dogs and hogs." Aghāyur indriyārāmo moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati: "His life is now doomed. His life is now doomed." So this is the injunction of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakraṁ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ: "Anyone who does not follow this circle of activities, then it is to be understood that he is spoiling his valuable human life, and his life is doomed." Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now if there is any question you can ask.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

You are making solution of all the problems by scientific advancement, by education, by so on, so on, political maneuver, everything. It is all right, but how you are going to solve this problem—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9)? How you'll solve this problem?" Actually human life is meant for solving this problem, not this temporary problem. Temporary problem will go on. If you don't solve this problem, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, then any form of life, there will be problems. Even if you are elevated to the heavenly planets, there are also problems. Indra is not very happy there, the king of heavenly planet. Although the higher planets, the duration of life, the standard of civilization, standard of comforts many, many thousand times greater than here, but the same problem—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi—is there. You cannot avoid it.

But actually our problem is that I... Nobody wants to die, that's a fact, but death is enforced. No young man wants to become old man, but it is enforced. You cannot avoid it. So we should understand—this is sense—that we are not independent. That's a fact. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27).

And above prakṛti there is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

And here within this material world, within this universe, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka. The Brahmaloka means you cannot calculate one day's life. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Sahasra-yuga. One yuga means forty-three lakhs of years, and multiplied by one thousand, such year, is only twelve hours of Brahmaloka life. Similarly, twenty-four hours, one month, one year... So it is very, very long duration of life there, where Brahmā lives. But still, you have to die. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). So mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. These are...

Instructions are there, and we are trying to educate people in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But if we think foolishly that "I am independent," you can do that, but we are not independent. That's a fact. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). We are fully under the control of prakṛti, and we have to change different types of bodies. There are 8,400,000 different types of bodies. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. They are all stated. And this human form of life is ver... Very, very rarely we have obtained. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: "This human form of life is very, very difficult to obtain." Somehow or other, we have now this human form of life. Kṛṣṇa said that utilize it very nicely so that the problems of life... And that knowledge is very easy.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Bombay, March 21, 1974:

These are the preliminary necessities. So the age is so fallen that people have no eating substance even. We know, everyone, how things are going on. People are hungry, no eating substance. And what to say of sleeping? Or what to speak of...? Nobody's married timely, either boys or girls. And nobody's secure. Nobody knows what will happen next moment. This is called Kali-yuga.

Kali-yuga means mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Asmin yuge, kali-yuge, alpa āyuṣaḥ, they are living very short time. The duration of life (is) reducing. Anyone can know. His forefather, his grandfather, lived for, say, hundred years. His father lived for eighty years. And he's going to live for sixty years. In this way, the duration of life will be reduced up to twenty years. That is already foretold. If a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered very old man. That day is coming. Because how they will live? There is no eating, there is no sleeping. There is no fixture of this program. These are required. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Simply by dry lecture, how they will feel happy? There must be sufficient food grains so that people may live happily, the animal may live happily. Especially in India you will see. No animal is fatty, either cat, dog or cow. They have no eating. So annād bhavanti bhūtāni. They must be given sufficient food, annād.

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

So whatever Kṛṣṇa is speaking, that is right.

Now, you can understand that if Kṛṣṇa spoke to the sun-god, and the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, then how old is this science of Bhagavad-gītā. Apart from sun-god's duration of age, if we simply take the present age, Vaivasvata Manu, Vaivasvata Manu, the age of Vaivasvata Manu is seventy-one multiplied by forty-three hundred thousands of years. Forty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by seventy-one. It is a very long duration of life. Now, at the present moment the Vivasvān, the Vaivasvata Manu's age is half-finished. That means the number, the numerical strength, forty-three hundred thousands of years into seventy-one, divide by two. So long years Bhagavad-gītā was spoken.

Lecture on BG 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969:

You give it a slap. He goes away, again comes. He forgets that slapping. You see? That is the dog's nature. And God's nature is different.

So if we increase our memory, then we approach godly nature. In this age we are decreasing our memory. Formerly, when this Bhagavad-gītā was written by Vyāsadeva, before that, people were so sharp in their memory that there was no need of publication of books. As soon as one hears from the spiritual master of any instruction, they remember for life. Now, gradually, that memory is decreasing. That means we are not advancing. We are decreasing in our duration of life. We are decreasing in our memory. We are decreasing in our prosperity.

There are eight kinds of decreasing process in this age. Out of that, this memory will be decreased more and more, and the duration of life also will be decreased. Now, you can take history of the past years. Your forefathers were living eighty years, ninety years, hundred years. Now, generally, they live sixty years, seventy years. And gradually it will decrease so much that—these are all statement of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—that if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered a grand old man. You see? That time also will come very soon. So we are not improving actually.

Lecture on BG 4.4 -- Bombay, March 24, 1974:

It is lost now. Sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. "Because the paramparā system has been diverted or misused, therefore it is now lost. But still, I shall again repeat the same yoga system, which is very, very old, purāṇam. Although I spoke it first to Vivasvān, the sun-god..."

Vivasvān is the present sun-god, or the president. Just like you have got the president in your country. The Americans, they have got their president. Similarly, each and every planet has got its president. The present president is called Vivasvān. Of course, their duration of life is very, very great, greater than ours. But still they are also human being. They are also living being, having a different type of body. They can live in that sun planet although it is fiery. That I have already explained. (children talking) The children must not talk.

So Arjuna knew it perfectly well. "But as there are foolish men like me..." They cannot understand that Kṛṣṇa spoke this Bhagavad-gītā millions of years ago to the sun-god. We immediately say, "Oh, these are all story." But it is not story. It is fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, to clarify the matter, Arjuna, to clarify matter to the fools like us, he's asking this question that "My dear Kṛṣṇa, we are contemporary. As I am born some years ago, You are also born some years ago. We are cousin-brothers. So how can I believe that You spoke this science, or the yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā, to the sun-god?

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

Things which are beyond your imagination, beyond your reach, beyond your thoughts, beyond your words, beyond your sense perception, how you can understand them by your experimental so-called scientific research? Acintya. Acintya means inconceivable. Inconceivable. Now we cannot conceive even these material things.

Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Brahmaṇaḥ means of Brahmā and the living creatures there in the Brahmaloka, the highest, topmost planet. So in that planet the people or the living entities who are living there, their duration of life is like this. What is that? Sahasra-yuga-paryantam. Now yuga means these four yugas, Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, and Kali-yuga. So these four yugas... Satya-yuga means eighteen lakhs of years. Eighteen hundred thousands of years. And Tretā-yuga means twelve hundred thousands of years. And Dvāpara-yuga means eight hundred thousands of years. And Kali-yuga means four hundred thousands of years. This is the rough calculation. Eighteen, then twelve, then eight, plus four. How many years? Eighteen plus twelve becomes thirty, and thirty plus eight, thirty-eight, and four. That means forty-three-hundred thousands of years makes one yuga, divya-yuga. So such one thousand. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam (BG 8.17). That means forty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by one thousand, ahar yat. That calculation is one day of the inhabitants of the Brahmaloka.

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

They are also like men, but their position is different. Their bodily constitution is different. Their living standard is different.

But in spite of different being, they are subjected to the material laws, the birth, death, old age and disease. They are not free from that. Nobody is free. Within this universe, anyone, either human being or demigod or animal or anyone, they are subjected to these four principles of miseries: birth, death, and old age and disease. So when you get out of this material world, then you get free from this. Their duration of life may be greater than your duration of life, but death is sure.

You cannot get rid of death in higher planets. Death is there, sure. The duration of life... Just like a man's duration of life than the duration of the life of a dog is greater, but both are subjected to the principle of death. That one cannot avoid. But if you want to avoid the subjugation under death, then you have to develop your spiritual body, and that is possible by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Any other questions? Yes?

Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

Those who are trying to be happy within this material world, worshiping different types of demigods and taking benefit very soon, but he, because his brain substance is very little, he does not consider it that "How long I shall enjoy it? How long I shall enjoy?"

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you, by activities, pious activities, or worshiping different demigods, you go to the Brahmaloka, where the standard of life is very, very great, life is also, duration of life is very, very great, so that is not permanent. But our problem is that we are permanent, eternal, and we are trying to be happy in the nonpermanent condition of life. This is called less brain. My problem is that I am the spirit soul... Nityaḥ śāśvataḥ. I am eternal, śāśvataḥ. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I do not die even after the annihilation of this body. Then where is my eternal body? This question should be raised by the human form of life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

But instead of athāto... Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Jīvasya, the only business is "How, what is the aim of life, how I shall be eternally happy, how I shall get my eternal life." That is the problem. But they do not consider the real problem. They think, "Immediately I require some money. So let me worship Lord Śiva or Lord..., this, Goddess Durgā, or Gaṇeśa, or Sūrya..." There are so many, recommended. So that is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā that tad bhavaty alpa, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23).

Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:

One should understand that "In spite of having all these facilities of material life, I am not free from four things: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)." Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. "I am not free from four, four these things, material laws of nature." What is that? "I am not free from repeated birth and death. I am not free from old age. I am not free from diseases."

Therefore Kṛṣṇa has recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā that ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). "My dear Arjuna, if you go up to the highest planet which is called Brahmaloka, where there is long duration of life and all other enjoyments, they are thousands and thousands times better than enjoyment here, but still, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna, then you have to come again. The repetition of birth and death is there also. Therefore your aim should be mad-dhāma... yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). "You have to go back to My planet, My kingdom. That will make you perfect."

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

Yes. Suppose a man is a manager, a cashier in the bank. He is receiving millions of dollars daily but he does not claim the proprietorship. He is simply handling millions of dollars but he knows that "I am not the proprietor."

Similarly, in our this material activities we may have the chance of handling millions of dollars practically nobody comes here with millions of dollars, neither one goes with millions of dollars. Everyone comes here empty-hand. The child comes empty-hand and the dead body goes empty-hand. So between the birth and death this small duration of life we are supposed to possess so many things. That is our false possession. Actually you don't possess.

Just like so long I am cashier in the bank I am supposed to deal with millions of dollars but that is not my money. In this consciousness, this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To understand everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. If one acts in that way that everything... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). The Īśopaniṣad says everything belongs to God but God has given me chance to handle these things. Therefore my knowledge and intelligence will be there if I utilize for serving God. That is my intelligence. As soon as I utilize them for my sense gratification then I am entrapped. The same example can be given. If the bank cashier thinks, "Oh, so many millions of dollars at my disposal. Let me something and put in my pocket," then he is entrapped. Otherwise you enjoy. You get good salary.

Lecture on BG 4.23 -- Bombay, April 12, 1974:

So that is possible. But our problem is not to promote ourself to go to the heavenly planet or higher than that, Janaloka, Satyaloka, Maharloka, or Brahmaloka. Kṛṣṇa advises ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). He does not encourage that "You go to the Brahmaloka." No. He never encourages. He says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you become promoted to the Brahmaloka, then again you have to come back. Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. As soon as your puṇya, the duration of life, is finished, then you have to come back again. This is going on.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). We are rotating, wandering, in different species of life, different planets, different forms. In this way we are transmigrating from one position to another position. This is going on. So.... But that is not a very nice business. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). You accept some type of body or some type of place. Suppose one has become American. So how long he will remain American? Say, for fifty years or utmost hundred years. Then again, next chapter. One does not know what is the next life. That will be decided, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). There is no guarantee that the next life again you become American or Indian or brāhmaṇa. You may become a cat and dog, because that is not in your hands.

Lecture on BG 5.17-25 -- Los Angeles, February 8, 1969:

No, they have got very nice ear. Yes. You do not know. (laughter) The snake, there is a statement...The snake, they can hear very nicely. The snakes are charmed by nice musical sound. Yes. The snake charmer in India, they sing very nicely, flute, and the snake comes and... (laughter) Like this. Immediately. I have seen. And when he comes, then they have got methods to capture the snake. And besides that, there is another example, of foolish man. The foolish men are compared like the frogs. The general example is that somebody is chanting or singing something. The example is that by such singing they are losing their duration of life. As the frog sings... Have you heard any sound of the frog? "Ka-ka-ka, ka-ka-ka." You have heard? (laughter) Have you heard? Yes? So what is the result of that sound? In rainy season the frogs they sing very nicely. So they like rainy season. "Ka-ka-ka, ka-ka-ka, ka-ka-ka," like that. The result is the snake can understand, "Here is a frog." He stealthily comes and immediately finishes "ka-ka-ka." (laughter) Similarly, anything, vibration, except this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are like "ka-ka-ka." And the result is that one day Yamarāja, the superintendent of death comes and captures. "All right. Come on. That's all. Finished. Finish your 'ka-ka-ka.' " He might have been very great lecturer, politician, but when death comes your ka-ka-ka finished. Immediately "ka-ka-ka" finished. You have seen. Your President, Mr. Kennedy, was going to lecture, or he finished some lecture, is going to another place and the "ka-ka-ka" finished immediately.

Lecture on BG 6.30-34 -- Los Angeles, February 19, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Yes. First of all our duration life is very short. If you study the statistics you can see your forefathers who lived for hundred years or eighty years, ninety years. Now sixty years, seventy years people are dying. Gradually it will decrease. In this age the memory, the duration of life, mercifulness, so many things will decrease. That is the symptom of this age. Go on.

Viṣṇujana: "People are not serious about self-realization even by simple practical means, what to speak of this difficult yoga system which regulates the mode of living, the manner of sitting, selection of place and detachment of the mind from material engagements. As a practical man, Arjuna thought it was impossible to follow this system of yoga."

Prabhupāda: Yes. He was not prepared to become a pseudoyogi, false, simply by practicing some gymnastic. He was not a pretender. He said that, "I am a family man, I am a soldier, so it is not possible for me." He frankly admits. He does not ... something which is impossible. That is simply a useless waste of time. Why should one do that? Go on.

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

It is not possible." Now, we have to think that "What was not possible for Arjuna in such favorable conditions, and five thousand years before, how it is possible for me, a tiny living entity and disturbed by so many things at the present moment. My..." Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. They used to live for ten millions of years, and it is very difficult to live for fifty years or sixty years at the present moment. Utmost, a man lives eighty years. That's all. Then again, we are not such much advanced. We are always disturbed in our circumstances. There is disease; there is war; there is pestilence; there is famine—so many disturbances. So our duration of life is smaller, and at the same time, we are disturbed, and we are not intelligent, and we are unfortunate at the same time. At the present moment, you will find, 80% people, they are unfortunate. If we compare what is fortune or misfortune, then we'll find, in every country, 80% people, they are unfortunate, and therefore this world is getting to Communism because they are fighting. They are fighting. So this is the condition of the present day.

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

Now those who are transcendentally advanced, what is their next life? That was the question of Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa says that next life is that he's transferred to the higher planet. Prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān (BG 6.41). Lokān means planets. He's transferred to the higher planetary system where all pious and righteous men are living. Prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ (BG 6.41). Śāśvatīḥ samāḥ, samāḥ means years and śāśvatīḥ means almost eternal. Almost eternal. Why? Because in the higher planets the duration of life is very great. Our six months equal to their one year, uh, one day. Our six months. That you have already tested, that in the higher space the aeronautics or what is called? Nowadays they have traveling in the space? They rounded in some one hour, one and a half hour they circumambulated the earth so many times. That means so many days and nights passed in one hour. So similarly, it is a fact as you go in the higher planetary system the duration of time is different. That is accepted by Professor Einstein also. So śāśvatīḥ samāḥ. If you are transferred to the higher planetary system then your duration of life will be increased like that. Here six months, and there one day. By such calculation of one day you live there for ten thousand years. Ten thousand years. That one day our six months. Now imagine. Similarly Brahmā, other higher planetary... Brahmā's life. That is also described.

Lecture on BG 6.40-43 -- New York, September 18, 1966:

One who is successful, he enters into the kingdom of God. That is a different thing. But one who is a failed student, what happens to him? Now, prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān: (BG 6.41) "He enters into the planets where pious living entities are allowed to enter." That means he gets into the higher planets. There are many planets within the universe, and the higher planets, there are more comforts, more duration of life, persons are more pious, religious, godly. As you make progress to the higher planets, these facilities are there, thousand times better than this planet. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Even if he is failure, still, he goes to such planets where pious men are elevated." Prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān, and uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ (BG 6.41). And he remains there for a long duration of time.

Now, in the heavenly kingdom, it is said that our six months is... Six months are equal to their one day. And similarly, they live there for ten thousand years. This description we get from Vedic literatures. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā you have got the duration of life of Brahmā. That is the highest planet. So Kṛṣṇa says that "After... Even if he is a failure, he gets promotion to the higher planets." But in the higher planets you cannot remain for all the time. Kṣīṇe puṇye punaḥ martya-lokaṁ viśanti: "

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

That's all. So we are becoming deviated from God. The more we are advancing in so-called material civilization, we are more becoming far away from God. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung: jaḍa-bidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. Jaḍa-bidyā, the material education, they are simply paraphernalia of this illusory energy, māyāra vaibhava. And the effect of this advancement of material civilization means stopping one's relationship with God. Jaḍa-bidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā, anitya saṁsāre. Anitya means this temporary life, this... Everyone, we are in this material world, say, for fifty years, sixty years, hundred years. That is temporary. In the unlimited time, a duration of life, say of hundred years, that is nothing. Even, not even a point. It is very temporary, but in this temporary life, we are addicted to so many unnecessary things, and we are forgetting our real business, how to go to home, back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida:

He was a great warrior and intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa and constantly living with Him. He, after hearing this process of yoga, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, he said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me." He flatly said, admitted that "For me, these rules and regulation and practice and controlling the mind is not possible." He flatly denied.

So we have to think, five thousand years ago a personality like Arjuna, he expressed his inability to practice this aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, and what to speak of us? Therefore the conclusion is that in this age when people are very short-living... At least, in India the average duration of life is thirty-five years. In your country it may be more than that, but actually, as your grandfather lived for one hundred years, you cannot live. The things are changing. Especially the duration of life will be reduced. There are prediction in the śāstras. In this age the duration of life, people's sentiment for becoming merciful, brain substance, in so many ways they are being reduced. They are not so powerful. So the duration of age is very small. We are always disturbed, and practically we have no knowledge about spiritual science. For example, that in this university... Not only in this university—there are hundreds and thousands of universities all over the world—there is no department of knowledge where the science of the soul is taught.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

We have to approach. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We have to approach a superior person, guru, and take knowledge from him. The most superior person is Kṛṣṇa. You may doubt others, that may be, but when you come to Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect knowledge. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that he comes, in, once in..., we were calculating yesterday, what is, how many years after? You were there? Aḥ, some billions of years after. We can calculate from the śāstra because He comes once in the day of Brahmā. The Brahmā's duration of life is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Forty-three lakhs of years multiplied by a thousand becomes twelve hours of Brahmā, and similarly twelve hours at night, that is one day and night. Such thirty times makes one month, such twelve times makes a year, and similarly one hundred years is the duration of life of Brahmā. So according to śāstra we understand, once in the day of Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa appears.

Why does He appear? Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati..., tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham, dharmasya glāniḥ (BG 4.7). What is that dharmasya glāniḥ? Disobedience to Kṛṣṇa's order.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

This is the intelligence. They are trying to go to the moon planet, or somebody, by karma-kāṇḍīya consideration, they are trying to go to the heavenly planet. But wherever you go, you must know that these four conditions of material life, they are present. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).

So if you can conquer over this miserable condition of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, that is siddhi. Otherwise it is not siddhi, that if I can construct a skyscraper building or even if I go to the Brahma-loka to get millions and millions of years as duration of life... Brahmā's life, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Millions of years. That is only twelve hours of Brahmā. Such twelve hours, night. Sahasra-yuga again, that is night. That is complete twenty-four hours. Then add thirty days like that. Then one year, twelve months. Such one hundred years is the duration of life of Brahmā. So you may go to the highest planetary system or in the heavenly planets. You can have better standard of life than this earthly planet or you can live for long, long years, but that is not the solution of your problems. That is not solution. But they do not know it. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has described them as mūḍhas. Mūḍhas. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15).

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Bombay, February 20, 1974:

Aparā and parā. Aparā means inferior, or material, and parā means superior, or spiritual. The spiritual force behind is moving the material world. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat. Jagat means gacchati iti jagat, which is moving or going forward. Everything is moving. All these planets are moving. Your earthly planet is also moving—within twenty-four hours covering 25,000 miles, day and night. The whole material planets, earthly planets, you have 25,000 miles, and this is rotating. Similarly every planet is rotating. The sun is also rotating. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. The sun is also having a duration of life, and it will rotate, then it will be finished. Everything in the material world, it has got a date of birth, it lives for some time, it grows or changes the body, and produces some by-products, then dwindles, and then vanishes. This is called ṣaḍ-vikāra, six kind of changes of anything material. That is called jagat. Gacchati. But there is a moving force. Just like the motorcar is going, gacchati. But the motorcar is not moving without any driver. There is a machine, first-class machine, Rolls-Royce car, Cadillac car, good machine, but the machine is useless unless there is a driver. The aeroplane is moving, but without the pilot it cannot move. Therefore material elements, however, I mean to say, wonderful it may be, it has no value without the spirit soul. That is the explanation here. Apareyam.

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

Those who are in devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, they are not interested in any planets of this material world. Why? Because they know. In any planet you can, you can raise yourself, you can elevate yourself, you can go there, but the four principles of material existence are there. What is that? Birth, death, disease and old age. Any planet you go. Your duration of life may be very, very longer than this earth, but death is there. Death is there. But those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or those who are otherwise, those who are not interested in this material life... Material life means birth, death, disease and old age, and spiritual life means relief from these botherations—no more birth, no more death, no more ignorance, no more misery.

So those who are intelligent, they do not try to elevate in any planet of this material world. There are higher planets. You have got. You get a long duration of life. Just like we are trying to reach the moon planet, and actually, if we get entrance into the moon planet... It is very difficult to get entrance. But even if you get entrance, then the period of life will be, I mean to say, enhanced.

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

They are living whole life. Similarly, if you take out the fishes from water and put them on the land, oh, they will instantly die. As you see even in this planet that you have got to make your different kinds of body to live in a particular place, so similarly, if you want to enter into another planet, you have to prepare yourself to get that particular type of body.

So if anyone enters into the moon planet by this yogic process, he transfers his soul, transmigrates into the moon planet, he'll get long duration of life. In higher planets, our six months equal to their one day, and such one month, one year, for ten thousands of years they live. That is the description we get. So we get very long duration of life, undoubtedly. But there is death. There is death. After ten thousand years or twenty thousand years or millions of years... That doesn't matter. It is all counted, and death is there. But you are not subjected to the death. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You are spirit soul. You are eternal. (aside:) You keep the watch here. You are eternal. Why should you subject yourself to this death and birth? This is intelligence. This is intelligence.

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

"Those who are persons in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are very intelligent." They are not interested to get promotion in any planet where there is death, never mind the long duration of life there is. They want, just like God, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). The God's body is sac-cid, sac-cid-ānanda. Sat means eternal, and cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of pleasure. We have got our pamphlet—most of you might have seen—Kṛṣṇa, the Reservoir of all Pleasure. Similarly, if we transfer our body, our self, leaving this body to the spiritual world, in the Kṛṣṇa planet, or any other spiritual planet, then we get the similar body, sac-cid-ānanda: eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss.

So those who are trying to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their aim of life is different than those who are trying to promote themselves in any of the better planet in this material world. So here Lord Kṛṣṇa says that mūrdhny ādhāya ātmanaḥ prāṇam āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām. This is called the perfection of yoga. If you can transfer yourself... You, you are very minute particle within this body. That you cannot see. But I am, my position is... This is external. This is external.

Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the necessity. It is not a religious formula or some spiritual recreation. No. It is the most important thing that we should imbibe in our life. Mām upetya. Mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate. He's stressing again and again.

Then you may ask, "Then why people are so much anxious to go to the other planets?" The description of other planets is there also in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now, here it is said, "the Brahmaloka." Because there are many yogis and many, I mean to say, philosophers, they aim at being elevated to the higher planets by their yogic process... Why? Because the facilities of life in the higher planets are more than in this planet. The duration of life, the enjoyment and the amenities and everything is better, thousand times better, thousand times better. So people like. Somebody likes that "We shall go to the heavenly planets or this planet, that planet."

Now, a..., some of the description of the higher planet is given here. What is that?

Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966:

Now we calculate. I am not mathematician. You can calculate what is that duration. So that duration, long duration, forty-three, five zero, into one thousand, that means forty-three, five zero, again three zero. Now, what is that duration? That is calculated to be twelve hours of Brahmā. As you have got twelve hours from morning, six, to evening, six. So this duration of period in the Brahmaloka is forty-three and five zero into three zero. Just imagine. That is twelve hours. Similarly, another twelve hours-night, same period. So that becomes one complete twenty-four hours of Brahmā. Brahmaloka. And such one month, and such one year, and one hundred years duration of life is there. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). That is the duration of life there. You cannot calculate how long you can live there. But still, after so many years, millions and trillions of years' life, you'll have to die. Death is there. Death, you cannot... Unless you go into the spiritual planets, there is no escape from death.

Lecture on BG 8.15-20 -- New York, November 17, 1966:

Devotee: Swamiji, night and day... The day that's the birth of the universe and night, the dissolution, is that also Brahmā's day and night?

Prabhupāda: Just like day and night differs. Now, it... Suppose you take a small germ. At night... Of course, I do not see here. In India we find some small worms. Their duration of life is only a few hours in the night. They, they, they get their birth, they grow, and they beget children and in the morning you'll find so many worms, dead, you see, on the floor, in this month especially. It is called divali poga(?). So that is also a living entity. But if you speak to them, "Oh, there is a human being whose life is... Our duration of life, within that, he has got... That is only night. He has got day. And that day and ni..." (end)

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

Actually this Bhagavad-gītā is described by Vyāsadeva. So Vyāsadeva recorded it, writing. Otherwise it was being received through hearing. Before this Kali-yuga Vyāsadeva, he kept all Vedic literature in writing. Before that, there was no book. The knowledge was received through the ear, aural reception, śruti. Therefore it is called śruti. Śruti means the knowledge which is received by hearing. And the memory was very sharp. In those days, five thousand years ago, any man... Not any man, but the intelligent class of men... They were called brāhmaṇas. They used to receive knowledge from guru by hearing. They could memorize everything, once heard. In the Kali-yuga the memory is being reduced. The duration of life is being reduced. Peoples' mercifulness is being reduced. This is the symptom of Kali-yuga. Bodily strength—reduced. Therefore Vyāsadeva preferred it that the Vedic knowledge should be kept recorded in writing. So he first of all then wrote all this Vedic knowledge into writing, and the writings.

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

We have already explained. So we are also being. We are breathing. He is also breathing. But our breathing is for a moment, but His duration of breathing is described in the śāstra that when He is exhaling, innumerable universes are coming out, and when He's inhaling, innumerable universes are going into Him. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). This breathing period, taking advantage of the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, millions of universes, jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ... Not only universes, the chief person of the universe, Brahmā, they are coming and going, coming and going. And the Brahmā's duration of life, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇaḥ (BG 8.17). We cannot calculate even the twelve hours day period by our mathematical calculation.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

He sees that every living entity is a part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he tries to take them back to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has no distinction that "He is brāhmaṇa. He is śūdra. He is Indian. He's American," or "He's black. He's white," or "He's educated. He's noneducated." No. "Everyone should come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is his viewpoint. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. When one is qualified in that way, then mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). Lord Kṛṣṇa says "Then he becomes eligible for becoming a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa." So practically this process, under regulative principles, is not very easy, especially in this age. In this age, the description of the people are that prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ: "Their duration of life is very short." And prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ mandāḥ. Manda means very slow. Sleeping, out of twenty-four hours, sleeping twelve hours, and out of twelve hours, they're busy in earning money ten hours. Then two hours left. What he can do for spiritual understanding. There's no time. So mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. And if somebody has got some intention to make spiritual progress, then there are so many pseudo-spiritual, I mean to say, societies. They're entrapped by some of them. So manda-matayaḥ, sumanda-matayaḥ, manda-bhāgyāḥ: "And most of them are unfortunate, unfortunate." Most of them.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:

So here it is said that aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ (BG 9.3). Kṛṣṇa is giving you a system as you can go to Him, back to home, back to Godhead. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Why one should go to God? No, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). You can go to any other planets. You can have very long duration of life. The standard of living is very, very high. Just like here in this planet sometimes we see the standard of living condition in Europe, America, is better than other places. They become very much clever, that in Europe and America, and Australia also, another addition of European... So big, big roads, big, big skyscraper house, all very comfortable. So as you see differences of standard of living here, similarly, each and every planet there is different standard of living. And it is said in the śāstra that if you go to the moon planet, then you live there for ten thousands of years, ten thousand of years, and their calculation of time is also greater than ours. It is calculated that our six months is equal to their one day. That is called deva calculation. In this way you can get very long duration of life, very comforts, and nice beautiful body and residential quarters. Everything is very, very nice. Each higher planetary system is better than the other, better than the other. This way you can go to the Brahmaloka. Brahmaloka mean where the topmost planet. They have calculated, the modern astronomers and the planet-goers, that it takes about forty thousands of years to go to the topmost planet of this universe. So these things are there.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Melbourne, April 21, 1976:

Then add twelve hours again, four hundred billion. That means altogether eight billions of years. That is one day, Brahmā's. Then calculate one month. Then calculate one year. Such hundred years he lives. So that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Sahasra-yuga-paryantam. One yuga means forty three lakhs of, hundred thousands of years. Sahasra means thousand times. That is... Everything is stated there. You can learn. You can understand. So that is called Brahmaloka. And it is also stated, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you reach to the Brahmaloka... You can get long duration of life. There is no doubt. But again, punar āvartinaḥ, you have to die and you have to go to another body and another planet. But I am eternal. We are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). By destruction of this body, maybe after two hours or four minutes... There are many, many living entities, they live for some minutes, some second, some years. The human in this material world, in this planetary system, we live, say, utmost, hundred years. But in other planetary system they live for millions of years. It is a ques... This world is relative. According to your position the relative condition is there. My past and present and future is not the same past, present, future of an ant. The ant's past, future, may be three hours or four hours. Our past, present, means hundred hours, and Brahmā's past, present, millions of years. Everything is relative, according to the position.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). These things are there that Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna that "This philosophy, yoga, the yoga system, bhakti-yoga, I spoke to Vivasvān, the sun-god." So if you take, take calculation... Because it is said there: vivasvān manave prāha, if you take calculation of Manu, then you can calculate the age of Manu. Seventy-two cycle of four ages. Four ages means, one age means forty-three lakhs of years, multiply it by seventy-two. That becomes the duration of life of one Manu. So it is said that the sun-god said to Manu. So this is the age of Vaivasvata Manu. So you can understand when it was spoken. So we have calculated, it is about forty millions of years ago he spoke this... And Kṛṣṇa says sa evāyaṁ mayā te 'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ (BG 4.3). Read that?

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

Just like in the Western countries, the Americans or Europeans, they think in India that they are very happy. But actually that is not the fact. Everyone is suffering. Anyone who has got this material body, he is suffering, either he is India or in Europe or heavenly planet or this planet. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises that "Even if you go to the planet known as Brahmaloka where duration of life is very, very long and the facilities or living condition are far, far superior than here," so Kṛṣṇa says, "even if you go to the Brahmaloka..." Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16), yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma (BG 15.6). He advises that you come to His place.

Don't try to promote yourself in any other planet. Just like they are trying to go to the moon planet, similarly, somebody is trying to go to the heavenly planet or Brahmaloka or Indraloka, Candraloka. That you can go. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti (BG 9.25). You can go, but all of them are infected with the sufferings, namely the birth, death, and old age, and disease. So bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-stho mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ. So God gives you chances, whatever body you want. He does not prepare Himself, but yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). His agent is this māyā, material energy. And the material energy is conducted under His order. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).

Lecture on BG 9.20-22 -- New York, December 6, 1966:

As in this world we have got different standard of living and it may be that your standard of living in America or Europe may be, from material point of view, very high and standard of living in other country may be lower... Different standard of living there are. But in other planets also, there are different standard of living. They are called deva-bhogān. That standard of living we cannot imagine here, in the moon planet and other, surendra-lokam. Surendra-lokam means where the demigods live. They are also human beings, but they are highly intellectual, and their duration of life is very long, and their standard of living is very high, most costly. We cannot imagine even.

So they are soma-pāḥ. Soma is a kind of beverage. Just like in this material world we have got different kinds of liquors. It is not intoxicating, but there is mention. Here in the Bhagavad-gītā is also mentioned, soma-pāḥ, soma-rasa. And in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we get information that in the moon planet they also drink this soma-rasa. But the soma-rasa is not an intoxicant. It is a different thing. Here it is said, soma-pāḥ pūta-pāpāḥ. One who will drink the soma-rasa, he will be freed from sinful reaction. Just the opposite. Here, just like when we become intoxicated, we become addicted to so many sinful actions, it is soma-pāḥ. When we drink soma-rasa, it is just the opposite. We become freed from all sinful reaction. That soma-pāḥ is recommended here also. So either they try to go to other planets, or they manufacture here soma-pāḥ, soma-rasa. Of course, at the present moment we have no such facility. But from Bhagavad-gītā it is understood that there was a method.

Lecture on BG 9.20-22 -- New York, December 6, 1966:

Tapoloka means those who have performed here severe penances, and they are transferred there in Tapoloka. In Tapoloka, when there is destruction, annihilation of this material world, in the Tapoloka there is no destruction. They get information, "Now annihilation has begun." There is a great fire, and they still feel that heat, and at that time they transfer themselves to the spiritual sky. That mention we have got. So yajñair iṣṭvā svargatiṁ prārthayante.

So these materialists... Anyone, even if you go to the higher planets, still, you are materialist. Even you go to the highest planet, Brahmaloka, where the duration of life you cannot calculate, still there is death. The material pangs, birth, death, old age and disease, there is. So in the Bhagavad-gītā we get all this information, where other planets are, what is the condition. Simply we have to know it from this book. Similarly, we have got information of the supreme planet Kṛṣṇaloka, or the planet of Kṛṣṇa, where you can go. The Lord says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: (BG 15.6) "The planet where going you have no more to come back." Now, these planets, these material planets, as it is mentioned here, surendra-loka... Surendra means highly qualified demigods, their planets. Surendra-lokam aśnanti. Aśnanti means they enjoy. And what do they enjoy? Divyān divi deva-bhogān.

Lecture on BG 9.20-22 -- New York, December 6, 1966:

So those who are so materially attached, their business is that they qualify themselves to be promoted in higher planets, undoubtedly. And there... Te taṁ bhuktvā svarga-lokaṁ viśālam. And they enjoy life for a very, very long duration of life and godly facilities. That's all right. But kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti (BG 9.21). Then, when their pious, I mean to say, asset of pious activities finished, then they are again driven out from that planet; they come to here, this material, I mean say, earthly planet. And again they try here. Again they try here by sacrifices, by other means, to go there. So Lord Kṛṣṇa says these materialists, they, gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante, sometimes up, sometimes down. This is going on, sometimes up, sometimes down. Just like... What is called, that wheel? Sometimes go up, the boys enjoy in this way. What is the name of that wheel?

Lecture on BG 9.26-27 -- New York, December 16, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa will not take away your dishes. Simply offer it. Yad aśnāsi (BG 9.27). Yaj juhoṣi. Oh, you are trying to elevate yourself to higher standard of life? Just try to go back to Kṛṣṇa, God, Godhead, and try for that. Accept all kinds of austerities and penances. Yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat. You are making some charity? All right. Make charity for Kṛṣṇa. "Well, Kṛṣṇa is God, and He is very rich. Why shall I make charity to Kṛṣṇa?" No. Kṛṣṇa says, dadāsi: "Give Me that charity. Give Me that charity." Kṛṣṇa is not poor, but you are very proud that you try to make charity with Kṛṣṇa's property.

I am thinking... I come here for a short duration of life. Say, I am born a hundred years before or fifty years before, and I live here for fifty years and then go away, but I claim, "This is my property." Wherefrom your property comes? Before your birth the property was there, and after your death the property will remain there for thousand and millions of years. Wherefrom you claim your property? You have no property. You are simply an outcomer, a guest. So you should accept that this is Kṛṣṇa's property; this is God's property. You are falsely claiming that it is your property. It is not your property. So when Kṛṣṇa asks you that "Give Me in charity," so that—you are foolishly thinking that it is your money—Kṛṣṇa is just trying to take your money so that your false consciousness may be dispelled. Therefore He is.

Lecture on BG 9.27-29 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

So reaction, either good reaction or bad reaction, you have to take this body. Suppose your... As a result of your good action, you are going to take your birth in the Rockefeller family of America. That's all right. But so far your body is concerned, the body itself is miserable. Don't think that because you are getting your body in some rich family, or in other higher planets, in the demigods planet where you can have a long duration of life... But still, you have got the material body. And as soon as you get this material body, the reaction of the material body—threefold miseries and the miseries of birth, the miseries of death, the miseries of old age, and the miseries of disease—will continue. Because you are rich man, so you are not immune from the material miseries. That will affect. Therefore all these material affection will continue either you do good work, either you do bad work.

So here it is said, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, śubhāśubha-phalair evaṁ mokṣyase: "If you dovetail your activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you become liberated from all reactions, either good or bad." Transcendental. Because in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you are not achieving any future reactionary resultant... Your place will be transcendental. You will be transferred to the spiritual world. Therefore you are free from all reactions. Just this Bhagavad-gītā, beginning, Arjuna was thinking of so many reactions for his fighting, but when he understood that "If I fight for Kṛṣṇa, there is no reaction," then he fought. So here it is also clearly stated that if you act for Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 10.4-5 -- New York, January 4, 1967:

Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five years' old boy, he was instructed by Nārada Muni. He became a very great devotee. And he was instructing his class fellows when he was a five years' old boy. Because it doesn't matter whether he's a five years' old boy or five hundred years' old tree or a five millions years' stone. There is no utilization. If you become a five years' old boy and if you understand this knowledge your life is perfect. These things are all very nicely discussed. They say, "Oh..." Taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti (SB 2.3.18) . "Oh, you are very much proud of your long duration of life? Because you see that cats and dogs die within ten years or twenty years and you live seventy years or eighty years, therefore you are very much proud?" Oh. The answer is taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti: "Don't you see the tree? It lives five hundred years, thousand years." "Oh, a tree lives, but it cannot breathe." Oh. Bhastrā kiṁ na śvasanti: "Don't you see the bellow, a bag of skin? 'Bhass, bhass, bhass'—it is breathing. So do you think your breathing is very expertness?" "Well, they breathe, but they cannot enjoy sex life." "Oh. What is that? The dogs and hogs, they do not enjoy sex life? Do they not eat?"

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 24, 1973:

In this age people are short-living. Their duration of life is very, very short, so much so that at the end of this age the duration of life will come down to twenty years to thirty years. A man of twenty-five years will be considered as very old man. These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And there will be scarcity of food. On account of this scarcity of food, people will not grow very healthy.

It is already happening. Rice is selling seven rupees kilo, nine rupees kilo. How a poor man will eat? So the more the Kali-yuga will advance... Now we are getting ten rupees or twelve rupees or nine rupees kilo rice, but rice will not be available at all. That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because people are becoming Godless, naturally the material nature will put them into suffering. That is the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14).

Lecture on BG 13.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

Just like the symptoms of life means it takes birth at a certain date, then it grows, it stays, it gives some byproducts, then dwindles, then vanishes. Take any. Either you take tree or you take a human body, or you take an animal body or if you take an insect body, or take the demigod's body—any body you take, there is a certain date of birth, everyone, certain date of birth. And then there is a certain duration of life. Somebody lives for ten years. Somebody lives for one year. Somebody lives for six hours, five hours. There are many germs. They live for five hours, six hours, or even less than that. And there are living entities like Brahmā, whose life is millions and millions of years.

There are so many varieties of life. We have no information. There are so many universities, so many educational institutions, but they cannot say exactly how many varieties of life are there. They cannot say. Their education is not perfect. They cannot say. But we can see there are so many varieties of life, and each of them is a living entity. But if you consult Vedic literature, you'll find exactly the number. Just like in the Vedic literature you'll find jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi: "In the water the aquatic living beings are 900,000 different bodies." So I don't think there is any biologist or botanist who can say exactly how many forms of life are there within the water.

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Bombay, December 30, 1972:

This is very easy to understand. If you become a nice, educated person, good character, you'll be always welcome anywhere, good position. And if you are a thief, rascal, without any education, then your position will be different. So kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. So if we associate with goodness of the material nature, then we are promoted to the higher planetary system where we get better comforts of life, long duration of life, so many facilities.

Similarly ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are associating with the qualities of passion, they remain within this middle planetary system, Bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ. And then... Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. And if we associate with tāmasika qualities, then we degraded to a lower species of life, lower planetary system, dark planetary system. There are many planets, they are dark. As we have got a part of this planet, also, six months dark, six months light. There are so many different varieties of planets. This is the... We are wandering from different planetary systems... Different... This way. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 2, 1973:

There is the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet. That Goloka Vṛndāvana planet is the topmost planet. This material world, then you'll get spiritual world. Then spiritual world, as you have got in this material world, this is only one universe. There are millions of universes, even within this material world.

Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya. People claim. Some rascal claim, "I am God." So here is a description of God. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ means Brahmā. You have understood Brahmā's duration of life. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam arhad yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). The Brahmā's one day, twelve hours, you cannot calculate. Sahasra-yuga-par... Yuga means forty-three lakhs of years and multiply it by one thousand, and then it comes to be twelve hours of Brahma's ayuḥ. Such Brahmā lives only...yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). Mahā-Viṣṇu is exhaling and inhaling. When he is inhaling, so many Brahmas are going within, and when He is exhaling, so many Brahmās are coming, means so many brahmāṇḍas are coming. This is the position.

Lecture on BG 13.22 -- Bombay, October 20, 1973:

Even if you take birth in the Brahmaloka, Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you promoted to the Brahmaloka, the highest planet, there is also death. You cannot avoid. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). That is real knowledge, that "I don't want to die, but I am forced to die. I don't want to become old man, but I am forced to become old man. I don't want any disease, but disease is forced upon me." So these are the real problems.

So Kṛṣṇa says that ābrahma lo... If... You may get very long duration of life, very comfortable life, in higher planetary system. Just like people are engaged in doing, I mean to, pious activities. The result of pious activities is that you get your birth in a very good family, in a rich family, you get beauty, you become educated, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ (SB 1.8.26). Janma means birth, high-class birth. And aiśvarya means opulence, riches. And śruta means education, and śrī means beauty. So by pious activities you can get all these things. And impious activities, the opposite number: in a family, abominable, pāpa-yoni, lower-grade family, not very beautiful, not educated, suffering in so many ways. So either you get this life or that life, the janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi is there. It is not that because you have got very beautiful body and born in very high-class family and highly educated, you will avoid janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is not possible. The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.

Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:

Who is talking? This child...

Durāśayā, "expectation which will never be fulfilled, never be fulfilled." They are trying to adjust things by so-called material adjustment, and that will not be. Therefore it is said durāśayā. Āśayā means hope, and dur means "never to be fulfilled, far, far away." Durāśayā. Without God consciousness, without stopping the process of birth and death, you cannot be happy. That is not possibility. But they have become so foolish. They are thinking that this duration of life, say fifty or sixty years, that's all. After this...

Big, big leaders, they say like that, that "After death, there is no life. Everything is finished." Big, big professors, big, big learned scholars, they are of this opinion, that after death there is no life. Everything is finished. And wherefrom all these different forms of life come, they cannot answer. There are eight million four hundred thousand forms of life. Wherefrom they come? What is the purpose of so many forms of life. What is the purpose of life? What is the distinction between the form of human life and these lower grades of life. Higher grades of life—no knowledge, no knowledge. Everyone is ignorant, foolish. Therefore they have been addressed as mūḍha, mūḍha, all rascals.

Lecture on BG 13.35 -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

The first beginning body is Brahmā, very exalted body. But on account of our abominable activities, from Brahmā, we come down to become the worm of stool. This is called karma, kṣetra.

There are eight million four hundred thousand species of life, and according to our work, we get some body, some type of body. And if we work in the modes of goodness, then we get still better body in higher planetary system, long duration of life, better standard of living condition, more and more, thousand times, thousand times. Whatever comforts and facilities we have got here on this planet, if we work in the modes of goodness, then we get more and more facilities.

Similarly, if we work just like animals, then we are degraded more and more downwards. Tala, Atala, Talātala, Pātāla, like that. There are planetary systems, and similarly, there are higher planetary system. You can see every day. Each and every star means they are different planetary system. So according to your work, you are promoted or degraded or you keep here.

Lecture on BG 13.35 -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

The same thing. If you desire, you can promote yourself to the higher—that is within the material world—higher planetary system for better comfort of life, better, long duration of life. That you can go. Yānti deva-vratā devān.

Just like if you come to Europe... At least... Of course, we are different men. We are preaching. But other Indians, they come, they come here by dressing like European, European coat, pant. So just we have to arrange for going to another country, passport, visa and dress and so many things. Similarly, if you want to go to the planets of the demigods, you have to prepare yourself. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). Deva-vratāḥ, they can go. Similarly, pitṛ-vratāḥ, they can go Pitṛloka. There are other planets. And bhūtejyāḥ, if you want to remain here, then you become nationalist and this, that, so many...

"And if you like, you can go to Me also." Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. Those who are trying to promote themselves in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa says mad-yājinaḥ, "Those who are worshiping Me, they come to Me." So now it is your choice. This body is given to you. Now you make your choice whether you want to have, in this material world, better facilities, better duration of life, or if you want to degrade yourself to the animal life, or if you want to go to Kṛṣṇaloka, everything, whatever you want, you can get. And this is the chance, this human form of body. You make your choice. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram iti abhidhīyate (BG 13.2). It is just like the land of cultivation. Now you cultivate.

Lecture on BG 18.67 -- Ahmedabad, December 10, 1972:

After worshiping Goddess Durgā, we ask all these benedictions: "Give me money, give me beautiful wife, give me reputation, give me strength, give me victory." Durgā-devī gives you. But that is not actual happiness.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). "My dear Arjuna, even if you are promoted to the highest planetary system Brahmaloka, that is not happiness." In the Brahmaloka, the duration of life is so long that you cannot calculate even one day. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Sahasra-yuga. One yuga means forty-three lakhs of years. And multiply it by one thousand. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahaḥ. Now calculate. That duration is one day of Brahmā. One day means twelve hours. Similarly, another twelve hours, night. Day and night. Then again, thirty days, one month. Similarly, twelve months equal to one year. Such one thous..., one hundred years is the duration of Brahmā. So anyone who goes to the Brahmaloka... They are trying to go to the moon planet. I don't think they have been successful. But this is not a very difficult task. But even if you go to the Brahmaloka, where the duration of life is so long and the comforts of life are many, many thousand times what, which we can perceive here, Kṛṣṇa says that "Even you go there, then the birth, death, old age and disease is there. You cannot avoid it." Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).