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Enchant (Lec, Conv & Letters)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

So our present situation is that the whole civilization is going on under the wrong impression that everyone is the body. That is not a fact. Therefore, this Kṛṣṇa kīrtana, this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, it has got a special effect. It is... Don't think this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is ordinary sound vibration. It is spiritual vibration. It is called mahā-mantra. Mahā-mantra. Just like... I do not know in your country whether there's snake chanters. In India still, there are many snake chanters, enchanters, I am sorry. So they chant some mantra, and a man, snake-bitten, can be revived to his consciousness. Anyone Indian present here, they know. Still. Especially I have seen in Punjab, there are many snake enchanters who know the how to chant the mantras. So if it is physically possible that a dead man... Of course, when a man is bitten by a snake he's not dead. He becomes unconscious. He's not dead. But by this chanting of mantra, he comes to his consciousness.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972:

In India still, there are many snake chanters, enchanters, I am sorry. So they chant some mantra, and a man, snake-bitten, can be revived to his consciousness. Anyone Indian present here, they know. Still. Especially I have seen in Punjab, there are many snake enchanters who know the how to chant the mantras. So if it is physically possible that a dead man... Of course, when a man is bitten by a snake he's not dead. He becomes unconscious. He's not dead. But by this chanting of mantra, he comes to his consciousness. Therefore, it is the system in India, if a man is bitten by a snake, he's not burned, or he's not taken as dead body. He's floated in some lifeboat and given to the water. If he gets chance he may come out again to consciousness. So similarly, we are, at the present moment, due to our ignorance, we are sleeping. We are sleeping. Therefore, to awaken us, this mantra, mahā-mantra, is required to awaken. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12).

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

So Vyāsadeva, in clear consciousness, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he saw Kṛṣṇa and this māyā. And what is this māyā? That is said, yayā sammohito jīva. That māyā which has enchanted all these conditioned souls. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānam anarthaṁ manute (SB 1.7.5). Considering himself that "I am material product." I am coming to this point. Those who are thinking that "I am a material product," they're completely in darkness of māyā. Yayā, manute anarthaṁ tat-kṛtaṁ ca abhipadyate. And identifying himself with this body, they are acting in bodily consciousness and increasing their problems of life and conditional life in material existence. Horrible condition. Therefore Vyāsadeva says, anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje (SB 1.7.6). Anartha, this anartha, this misconception of life, if you want to discard this misconception of life, that "I am this body," and you act according to that consciousness and suffer... This is your disease.

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

It is learned from Vedic literature that... Of course, they are showing us, Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā. They were also sometimes attracted by sense objects. Just like Lord Brahmā, his daughter Sarasvatī... Sarasvatī is considered to be the most perfect form of beauty, womanly beauty, Sarasvatī. So Lord Brahmā became enchanted by the beauty of his daughter just to show us the example that even personalities like Lord Brahmā sometimes become enchanted. This māyā is so strong. He forgot that "She's my daughter." Then to penance this, Brahmā had to quit the body. These stories are there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Similarly, Lord Śiva also, when Kṛṣṇa appeared before him in Mohinī-mūrti... Mohinī means the most enchanting, beautiful womanly form. Lord Śiva also became mad after Her. So wherever She was going, Lord Śiva was chasing. And it is stated that while chasing Mohinī-mūrti, Lord Śiva had discharges. So these examples are there. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). The whole material energy is enchanting every one of us by this beauty, the womanly beauty. Actually, there is no beauty.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:
Touchstone. This is called ātma-rati. Ātma-rati.

If this movement is spread, then people will be self-satisfied. He'll be no more hankering for any artificial thing. As soon as he goes on realizing the transcendental nature of

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

Oh, he will feel himself fully satisfied. Nothing can enchant him, nothing can drag him from this platform. And for him there is nothing to do. So that is the stage. That is a stage described by Lord Kṛṣṇa, that if somebody comes to this stage of life, he hasn't got to do anything of religious rituals, this or that, meditation or reading or nothing.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

This is Bhagavān. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ. Yaśaḥ mean reputation. He is so reputed. Anywhere Kṛṣṇa is known.

So yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ. Śriya, beauty. Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful, nobody can surpass Him. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30). Although He is blackish, but He is so beautiful, He enchants the most beautiful, Rādhārāṇī. So aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Śrī means beauty. He is so beautiful. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa. On account of His beauty, He attracts everyone. Beauty attracts. So nobody can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. Aiśvaryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ, and jñāna. Not only He is beautiful... Just like a flower, very beautiful to see but no good smell, no aroma—useless. So Kṛṣṇa is not only beautiful, but He is the most wise. He spoke Bhagavad-gītā. Five thousand years ago He spoke. Still big, big scholars, religionists, philosophers, they studying. This is called jñāna. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47), jñāna and vairāgya.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Nairobi, October 27, 1975:

These things are there. So tapasya means tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena vā (SB 6.1.13). You have to control. The more one controls, he becomes advanced in spiritual culture. The yoga system means yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. "Yoga means how to control the senses." This is yoga system, and therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha. So sex indulgence is against spiritual advancement of life. Therefore you have seen that the brahmacārīs, they go there. It becomes very easy to enter into the spiritual kingdom. So that you can do here also. If you increase your attraction for Kṛṣṇa, then naturally you lose attraction for sex. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Madana-mohana. Madana means sex life. He can enchant even madana. So these are things which the devotee will learn by studying the literature. But even without studying, if you sincerely chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra under regulation, everything, all good qualification will come.

Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

One who is under the control of Kṛṣṇa, he's no more under control of the mind. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). Mind is being controlled. So mind cannot dictate. Those who are not under control of Kṛṣṇa, the mind dictates to him. He's under the control of the mind, or senses, that's all. So, point is, that be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't disturb yourself by the material environment, or enchantment. Be fixed up, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, always fixed up, your mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So far the necessities of life concerned, that will come automatically, you'll never be in trouble. Go on with this business. Thank you very much.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

He is the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa. You can see personally how He's standing, how He's enjoying with His eternal consort, lover, Śrīmate Rādhārāṇī. Here is God, actually God is not engaged in punishing somebody, original God. God is engaged in enjoying with His eternal consort, Śrīmate Rādhārāṇī. This Śrīmate Rādhārāṇī is enchanting Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is enchanting Rādhārāṇī. This is the business of God. Duhe (indistinct) lage hari (?). In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that when Kṛṣṇa comes before Rādhārāṇī, She becomes so much engladdened by seeing the beauty of Kṛṣṇa that She becomes more beautiful, and as soon as Rādhārāṇī becomes beautiful, Kṛṣṇa becomes engladdened and He becomes more beautiful. So unlimitedly there is competition of becoming more beautiful, duhe lage hurai (?). That is the state. Competition. Because in the spiritual world everything is unlimited. So unlimitedly both of them becoming beautiful and both of them enjoying unlimitedly.

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. Woman are naturally beautiful. They are called "fair sex." So mohinyā. So this Mohinī, this attractive feature of woman, is advantage and disadvantage also. It requires simply handling. Then it is advantage. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu played this play, Mohinī role... Caitanya Mahāprabhu was playing drama. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very beautiful.

Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:

Although śyāma, blackish, still He's so attractive. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30). Kandarpa-koṭi, He's so beautiful that He can surpass in His beauty the Cupids, millions and millions of Cupids. His name is Madana-mohana. Madana-mohana, Madana is Cupid. Cupid enchants everyone, but he is enchanted by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore His name is Madana-mohana.

So bhagavat-toṣaṇam, we must know first of all who is God, who is Bhagavān. So śāstra says, authority says, and history says. What more proof you want? Huh? What more proof? Is there anyone to challenge Kṛṣṇa? Everything is there. Still, why you are searching after God? This is foolishness. This is foolishness. Owls', owls' philosophy. Owls' philosophy... The owl will not open the eyes to see the sun. Just open your eyes, you see, here is sun. "No, there is no sun." This is owls' philosophy. Close the eyes, meditate. And the God is here, "No, I'll not open my eyes."

Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:

So our present position is like this, that sammohita, bewildered, puzzled by māyā. We are eternal part and parcel of God, but on account of being enchanted by this material energy, or external energy of God, we have forgotten ourself, and we are now entangled. We have forgotten our goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). The conditioned soul... Conditioned soul means the living being, the spirit soul who is conditioned by these laws of material nature. The laws of material nature is that you have to accept a certain type of body according to your propensity. We create propensity. And Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He gives you the facility: "All right." Just like the tiger. He wants to suck blood.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Los Angeles, April 23, 1973:

Just like Kṛṣṇa's another name is Madana-mohana. Madana means Cupid. Cupid enchants everyone. Cupid. And Kṛṣṇa enchants Cupid. Therefore His name is Madana-mohana. He's so beautiful that even Cupid is enchanted by Him. But again on the other side, Kṛṣṇa, although He's so beautiful that He enchants the Cupid, still He is enchanted by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Therefore Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's name is Madana-mohana-mohinī. Kṛṣṇa is the enchanter of the Cupid, and Rādhārāṇī is the enchanter of that enchanter. So these are very high-grade spiritual understanding in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not fiction or imagination, concoction. They are facts. They are facts. And every devotee can have such privileges if he is actually advanced. If you...

Don't think that the privilege which was given to Mother Yaśodā... If not exactly like that, everyone can have that privilege. If you love Kṛṣṇa as your child, then you'll have such privilege. Because the mother has got... Because mother loves the most.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Los Angeles, May 6, 1973:

Devotee: (leads chanting, etc.)

sūta uvāca
pṛthayetthaṁ kala-padaiḥ
pariṇūtākhilodayaḥ
mandaṁ jahāsa vaikuṇṭho
mohayann iva māyayā
(SB 1.8.44)

Translation: "Sūta Gosvāmī said: The Lord, thus hearing the prayers of Kuntīdevī, composed in choice words for His glorification, mildly smiled. That smile was as enchanting as His mystic power."

Prabhupāda: Pṛthayā itthaṁ kala-padaiḥ pariṇūtākhilodayaḥ. Akhilodayaḥ, akhilodayaḥ, enlightening or enthusing the whole universe. How? Mandaṁ jahāsa. Little smile. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased and smiles little, then the whole universe will be pleased. Akhilodayaḥ. Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭaḥ. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased, satisfied, then the whole universe will be satisfied, because the whole universe means part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. (aside:) What is that sound? Kat kat.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

Pradyumna: Translation. "Sūta Gosvāmī said: The Lord, thus hearing the prayers of Kuntīdevī, composed in choice words for His glorification, mildly smiled. That smile was as enchanting as His mystic power."

Prabhupāda:

pṛthayetthaṁ kala-padaiḥ
pariṇūtākhilodayaḥ
mandaṁ jahāsa vaikuṇṭho
mohayann iva māyayā
(SB 1.8.44)

So whatever Kuntī said, that was accepted by Kṛṣṇa. So He remained silent and simply smiled, that "A devotee is glorifying the Lord in chosen words." Here it is said that kala-padaiḥ. Means God is to be worshiped... He is to be offered the best selected words, not that like the atheist fools, they worship, or rather, insult. That very word... It gives us very much pain when God is called "daridra-nārāyaṇa." Why? Why Nārāyaṇa should be daridra? That means no conception of Nārāyaṇa. Therefore they add these insulting words.

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Los Angeles, May 8, 1973:

He became grown-up. Again this father became captivated with Satyavatī. Satyavatī. Satyavatī, before her marriage... Satyavatī is the daughter of a fisherman. The fishermen... In your country there is no such distinction. But in our country there are classification. A fishermen, there is a class. So their girls and women, very well-figured, very enchanting figure. So Satyavatī was the daughter of a fisherman, and Bhīṣma's father become enchanted. So he went to the fisherman. He was king. So "Give me your daughter. I shall marry." "Oh, you are already married. You have got son. Why shall I give my daughter to you?" "No, I am king. I shall maintain her." "No, no, No. I don't want to give." In India still, if a man wants to marry, and if he has got children by his former wife, people will hesitate to give him daughter, because there are stepsons. So nobody wants that "My daughter will be troubled by the stepson,—daughter. No." Still they are practiced. To marry for the second time becomes a problem.

Lecture on SB 2.9.16 -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

Pradyumna: Translation: "The Personality of Godhead, seen leaning favorably towards His loving servitors, His very sight intoxicating and attractive, appeared to be very much satisfied. He had a smiling face decorated with an enchanting reddish hue. He was dressed in yellow robes and wore earrings and a helmet on His head. He had four hands, and His chest was marked with the lines of the goddess of fortune." (SB 2.9.16)

Prabhupāda: So full description of God. So four hands... We read in the previous verses that the devotees also were of four hands. So there is no change in the bodily feature. Purport?

Pradyumna: Purport. "In the Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa, there is a full description of the yoga-pīṭha, or the particular place where the Lord is in audience to His eternal devotees. In that yoga-pīṭha, the personifications of religiousness, knowledge, opulence and renunciation are all seated at the lotus feet of the Lord. The four Vedas, namely Ṛk, Sāma..."

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Rotten. Gone bad.

Lecture on SB 6.2.4 -- Vrndavana, September 8, 1975:

The people are becoming against Kṛṣṇa: "Why Kṛṣṇa should be God? I have got another God, manufactured. Here is God." Kṛṣṇa was so beautiful, and I am God, so ugly God? No. There are so many ugly Gods nowadays that ferocious face and he is God. We worship God, so nice face, people come and become enchanted, and they bring a God, a ferocious head, and he becomes God. This is going on. The whole propaganda is like that. Even big, big political leaders, they'll say, "We don't believe in Kṛṣṇa, there was a person as Kṛṣṇa living ever." So people are being misled. Lokas tad anuvartate. He has taken the position of śreyān, big leader, big scholar, and he is decrying Kṛṣṇa. So what people will do? They are helpless. They will give, "Oh, Mr. such and such said it is fiction. Kṛṣṇa is imagination." This is going on. In Vṛndāvana you'll find so many big, big Māyāvādīs.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Hong Kong, April 18, 1972:

That is stated in the śāstra. Nāyaṁ deha deho bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Ṛṣabhādeva says that this human form of life is not meant for working so hard like cats and dogs. That is not recommended. Ayam deha. But the material world, people are so enchanted that working day and night they think "I am enjoying." This is called māyā. Actually he is working day and night and he is thinking that "I am happy. I am making progress." This is called māyā. So the world situation is very very downward. Don't think that you are making progress. It is not progress. Śāstra says parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. So long a human being is not interested in the subject matter of ātma-tattva, what I am, then whatever he is doing, he is becoming defeated. He is not victorious. He is defeated. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto. Abodha-jāto. He is a rascal fool.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Hong Kong, April 18, 1972:

Four varṇas and four āśramas. This is the stepping stone for civilized life, varṇāśrama. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; and brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This system of social order, I mean to say, spiritual and material, it is so systematically done that one who follows this system, automatically he becomes at the end Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the highest objective. Unfortunately they do not know it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are enchanted by the glaring materialistic, material energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Just like we come from airport to this hotel. This city is very nice. Not only this city. I am traveling all over the world. There are very very nice cities in Europe, America, and other countries also. It is all right. You decorate this city nice, you make your life very comfortable. But if you forget Kṛṣṇa, then you are defeated. Then you are defeated.

Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:

We have heard that even Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, they became sexually excited. It is said that Lord Brahmā was enchanted by daughter, what to speak of others. This material world is so, I mean to say, bewildering, that sometimes the first-class person also becomes bewildered by sex life. Therefore it is strictly prohibited that one should not remain in a solitary place with woman even though the woman is mother, sister or daughter. This is the injunction of the śāstra. Mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā na viviktāsane vāset, balavān indriya-grāmo vidvaṁsam api karṣati (SB 9.19.17). This is the order, that mātrā... Mātrā means "along with mother," svasrā mean "along with sister," and duhitrā means "along with daughter." "One should not sit down in a solitary place even with mother, sister or daughter."

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Caitanya Mahāprabhu practically exhibited that hari-nāma saṅkīrtana, kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, can attract even animals, tigers, elephants. They also join with Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Of course, His power, our power is not the same. But there is potency. The potency... The potency, as we become powerful, gradually, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has shown that one can come to the stage of enchanting the forest animals also. Go on.

Acyutānanda: "Furthermore, a person engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, acting in devotional service, can develop all the good qualities that are generally found in the demigods. It is said by Śukadeva Gosvāmī in the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eighteenth Chapter, 12th verse, 'My dear King, persons who have unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and are without any duplicity can develop all the good qualities of the demigods.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. A devotee can develop all the good qualities of the demigods—immediately. Because ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as the heart is cleansed... Because the soul, as he is, he's pure. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ. The spirit soul is not contaminated or does not associate with the material modes of nature.

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

Actually, yoga practice means yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. The whole yogic process, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, is meant for controlling the senses. Durdanta indriya-kāla-paṭalī. Indriya, the senses, are just like snakes. As it is very difficult to enchant the snakes, similarly, it is very difficult to control the senses. And the yoga system (is) especially meant for controlling the senses, controlling the mind, and then concentrate on the form of Viṣṇu. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). This is yoga process. But practically we see the so-called yogis, or student of yoga class, I have seen in Western countries, they are habituated to all these nonsense habits—illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating. Still, they're passing on as yogis. So that kind of yoga will not help.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973:

Bhavānanda: "In this connection, in the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Chapter Twenty-five, verse 23, Kapiladeva has advised His mother, Devahūti, as follows: 'My dear mother, My pure devotees are charmed by seeing My different forms, the beauty of My face, the structure of My body so enchanting. My laughing, My pastimes and My glance appear to them so beautiful that their minds are always absorbed in thoughts of Me, and their lives are dedicated fully unto Me. Although such people do not desire any kind of liberation or any kind of material happiness, still, I give them a place amongst My associates in the supreme abode.' "

Prabhupāda: Therefore this arcana-mārga, śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārj anādau yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi **. This is the first duty of the spiritual master, to engage the devotees in arcana-mārga. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya. Cleansing the temple, dressing the Deity, decorating with flowers, ornaments and... So that devotees, as soon as (they) see smiling Kṛṣṇa, pleasing Kṛṣṇa, they become pleased. They become pleased by seeing Kṛṣṇa pleased.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.334-341 -- New York, December 24, 1966:

"The Nawab Shah may not be angry that He is doing..." The kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, although it is transcendental, but people, not all people... Those who are simple, they can take, but those who are covered with the material dust, they cannot take it. So the Nawab Shah inquired, the Muhammadan king, his minister, Hindu minister, that "Who is this man? So many thousands of people are following Him, and He is making enchanted all the people by His Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. What is that?" So his minister thought that Nawab Shah was planning something against this movement, so he made it a trifle thing. "No, not many people follow Him. Some sentimental people follow Him, not many." Then Nawab Shah replied, "No, I know many people follow. Don't minimize His strength. So He is not ordinary man." Then minister inquired, "What is your opinion?" "I think He is incarnation of God."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.11-15 -- New York, January 9, 1967:

Prabhupāda: If by chance we get association of a pure devotee, then by his mercy this illusion becomes over. Tāṅra upadeśa, by his instructions. Sādhu-saṅga means tasmād satsu sajjeta buddhimān. Therefore it is advised that everyone should seek association of saintly persons. And by saintly person's instruction, this ghost of ignorance will be removed. Tāṅra mantre. Just like you have seen ghostly haunted persons? In India there are so many cases. So there are chanter also. What is called, enchanter or...? Those who are, if he can make treatment a ghostly...

Devotees: Magician? Medium?

Prabhupāda: Not magician.

Devotee: Medium.

Prabhupāda: Not medium. Enchanter I think you call.

Devotee: A sorcerer.

Prabhupāda: A sorcerer, yes. So they chant some hymns and the ghosts go away. Similarly, if we chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, then the ghost of māyā by which we are being kicked from this side to that side, that will be over. Tāṅra mantre. If the instruction is received from a saintly person, sādhu, then this illusion of being kicked up from this side to that side by lust and anger under the spell of this material energy will be over. Tāṅra upadeśa-mantre piśāci palāya.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.11-15 -- New York, January 9, 1967:

Prabhupāda: Not medium. Enchanter I think you call.

Devotee: A sorcerer.

Prabhupāda: A sorcerer, yes. So they chant some hymns and the ghosts go away. Similarly, if we chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, then the ghost of māyā by which we are being kicked from this side to that side, that will be over. Tāṅra mantre. If the instruction is received from a saintly person, sādhu, then this illusion of being kicked up from this side to that side by lust and anger under the spell of this material energy will be over. Tāṅra upadeśa-mantre piśāci palāya.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Verse 34 -- San Francisco, September 13, 1968 :

And He likes peacock feather, peacock feather on the head. So you will find Kṛṣṇa always with peacock feather. He wears a very valuable helmet, helmet on His head, but you will find one peacock feather. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, and His complexion of the body is blackish, just like new clouds. He is not that complexion light; He is blackish, Kṛṣṇa, and..., but He is so beautiful, all-attractive. Here, of course, in this material world, blackish we do not like; we want fair complexion. But Kṛṣṇa, the original person, He is blackish, but not blackish like this. Kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham. His beauty is surpassing many millions of Cupids. You have heard the name of Cupid. He is a very enchanting person, loving person, but here it is descibed, kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ. If you assemble millions of Cupids in one place, still it can not be compared with the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam, always playing on flute.

Festival Lectures

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

And it is practical. Just like when we were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, all the members who were assembled here were joining in, but when I am now talking about philosophy, some are leaving. It is very practical to see. The Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is so enchanting that anyone can take part in any condition. And if he continues to chant, gradually he develops his dormant love of God. His heart will be cleansed of all dirty things, and gradually he will be freed from the material concept of life, and he will be joyful, and he will see everyone as sons of God, and then he will begin his loving transcendental service to Kṛṣṇa.

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 30, 1968:

Therefore She is so great, and we have to offer our respect. Rādhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite. How She is? Gokula-taruṇī-maṇḍala-mahite. Taruṇī, taruṇī means young girls. You'll see the pictures, they are all young girls. But of all the young girls, She is the most beautiful. She is enchanting to the young girls also. She is so beautiful. Gokula-taruṇī-maṇḍala-mahite. Dāmodara-rati-vardhana-veśe. And She always dresses Her so nicely that Dāmodara, Kṛṣṇa, becomes attracted by Her beauty. Hari-niṣkuta-vṛndā-vipineśe. And She is the only lovable object of Kṛṣṇa, and She is the queen of Vṛndāvana. This queen of Vṛndāvana... You'll find in Vṛndāvana, if you go to Vṛndāvana, everyone is worshiping Rādhārāṇī. Rāṇī means queen. They are always speaking, "Jaya Rādhe!" Rādhārāṇī. All the devotees in Vṛndāvana, they are worshiper of Rādhārāṇī. Hari-niṣkuta-vṛndā-vipineśe. Vṛṣabhānudadhi-nava-śaśi-lekhe. And She appeared as the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and Her companion, Lalitā-sakhī and Viśākha-sakhī, and the devotees... So on behalf of the pure devotees of Kṛṣṇa, Rūpa Gosvāmī is praying, karuṇāṁ kuru mayi karuṇā-bharite. "Oh, my worshipable Rādhārāṇī, You are full of mercy.

General Lectures

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University -- Columbus, May 12, 1969:

And then, naturally, because people dig chanting, centers formed in other parts of the United States, so that there are small street-level houses or storefront centers in Vancouver, or in L.A., in Montreal, up in Buffalo, down in... There's some Buffalo chanters here. And "chant" comes from the word enchant, which means to make oneself into, to make a magical spell about oneself. So there are Santa Fe centers also.

In other words, the indigenous, the importation of a very strange oriental form, almost a hard-shelled Baptist oriental form, in the sense of its traditionality and its fundamentalism, its reliance on ancient texts and interpretation of ancient texts by long tradition of teachers—it's strange it's so far-out and ritualized an Indian form should take root in the United States a little more naturally than the more Protestant Vedānta Society or the extremely rigorous Zen groups that have taken root.

Lecture -- Detroit, July 16, 1971:

That's all. This is wonderful. In Los Angeles also our program is going on very nicely. He, my disciple in charge, Karandhara—he's present here—he's simply doing what I instruct, and he's doing very nicely, first class. Everyone who comes, they become enchanted with the temple, with the activities, with the disciples. So this is the way. This is called paramparā system. Don't try to manufacture. The difficulty is that we are manufacturing. And some rascals are supporting that "Whatever you manufacture, it is all right." This is another rascaldom. They are supporting that "Whatever you think of, religion, whatever you manufacture, it is all right." We don't say that. We say, "What Kṛṣṇa says, that is right. And everything (else) wrong." That is our business. So if you say like that, "What Kṛṣṇa says is all right," that will please me. We don't want to adulterate and bluff.

Hare Krishna Festival Address -- San Diego, July 1, 1972, At Balboa Park Bowl:

Prabhupāda: No... He's creating disturbance. (pause) So as this man is talking about sex, so this world's, material world, is enchanted by sex. That is material world. Striya, puṁsāṁ striya mithuni-bhāvam etad. This whole material world is existing on sex attraction. Not only in the human society, in animal society also, this sex impulse is there. Birds, beasts, animal, human being, even demigods, they are attracted in this material world by sex impulse. The śāstra, or the Vedic literature, there is mention about this, that we are in this material world only for this sex impulse. First of all, we think of sex. A man also thinks. A woman also thinks. And when they are united, that attraction becomes more and more complete. Then, in a gentlemanly way, when there is sex unity, then there is need of a nice apartment or house. Then there is need of land. Formerly, for living condition, everyone possessed some land to grow foodstuff. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ. So after sex unity, there is need of house, land, gṛha, kṣetra, then children, ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-suta, āpta.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Śyāmasundara: He makes a few comments about religion. He says that "The religious experience is unique, and it enables the individual to realize that the world he perceives is part of a spiritual universe which alone gives the sensory world value, and that man's proper goal is to unite himself with that higher universe. That prayer or inner communion with the universal spirit or God is the means whereby spiritual energy flows in and produces effects, psychological or material, occurring in the phenomenal world. And that religious faith imparts a new zest to life, taking the form either of lyrical enchantment or of appeal to earnestness and heroism, and that religion contributes some assurance of safety and peace and teaches love in human relationships."

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Śyāmasundara: He says some nice things about...

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Philosophy Discussion on William James:

Hayagrīva: Three: "That prayer or a communion with the spirit thereof, be that spirit God or law, is a process wherein work is really done and spiritual energy flows in and produces effects, psychological or material, within the phenomenal world, for religion produces a new zest which adds itself like a gift to life and takes the form either of lyrical enchantment or of appeal to earnestness and heroism." In other words, our relation with God in the world gives...

Prabhupāda: That we have al...

Hayagrīva: ...it's like a gift to life.

Prabhupāda: ...already explained. We have got five relationships. To realize the creation of God with awe and veneration, appreciation, that is one relationship. This is called śānta rasa. Then further progress is that to offer himself to serve God. That is called dāsya rasa. And further advancement, to treat God as friend, that is sākhya rasa. Then accept God as son, that is vātsalya rasa. And accept God as the most beloved, that is mādhurya rasa. So in this mādhurya rasa, to accept God as the most beloved includes other relationships; therefore here is the highest perfection of relationship. Although all other relationships they are as good, but it depends on the devotee's choice whichever relationship we like.

Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:

Hayagrīva: Of all things in the world, Pascal considered this to be the strangest. He says, "A man spends many days and nights in rage and despair over the loss of his job or for some imaginary insult to his honor, yet he does not consider with anxiety and emotion that he will lose everything by death. It is a monstrous thing to see in the same heart and at the same time this sensibility to trifles and this strange insensibility to the greatest objects—death. It is an incomprehensible enchantment and a supernatural slumber, which indicates as its cause an all-powerful force," such as māyā.

Prabhupāda: This is, this is instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, that one who does not believe in God or disobeys the orders of God, a day will come when God will come as death, and his all power, all false prestige, all imagination, all plans will be all broken. Then after that, according to the transmigration of the soul, that person, because he did not obey the orders of God, he acted like animals, he gets the body of an animal. This is transmigration. And he suffers.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Questions and Answers -- September 6, 1968, New York:

Prabhupāda: That is ordinary thing for Him. Just like Yaśodā. Kṛṣṇa's friends complained, "Mother Yaśodā, Kṛṣṇa has eaten earth. You gave Him sweetmeat, but He was not eating sweetmeat." You know. The boys, they complain each other and again make friends. So Yaśodā was..., "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, I gave You sweetmeats. You are eating earth?" "No, mother. I have not eaten. They are telling false." And they were still, "Yes. We have seen, mother, He has eaten." Then mother asked Him, "Oh, show Your face. Open Your mouth. I want to see." So He opened His mouth, and she saw all the universe within His mouth, not only earth, the whole planets, sun and moon, and everything, within His mouth. Then she thought, "Oh, what I have seen? All right. Don't do it." That's all. (laughter) She is not at all surprised. She thought that "I saw something. Maybe I wrong or right. All right. Don't do it." That's all. So they were so much affectionate to Kṛṣṇa that Kṛṣṇa's this jugglery could not enchant them.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 5, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Unless you find something better than the sex life, you cannot be dhīra. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Madana-Mohana. Madana means Cupid. Cupid is enchanting everyone. Everyone is enchanted by Cupid. Madana-dahan(?). And Kṛṣṇa is Madana-Mohana, He enchants Cupid. And Rādhārāṇī is Madana-mohana-mohinī, (S)he enchants Kṛṣṇa. Madana-Mohana-mohinī.

Brahmānanda: One is Madan-madan?

Prabhupāda: One is Madana, and Kṛṣṇa enchants Madana. Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful that Madana becomes enchanted by Kṛṣṇa. And Rādhārāṇī is so beautiful that Kṛṣṇa becomes enchanted. That is spiritual sex. That is not ordinary. Therefore the attraction of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary thing. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir, this is the spiritual energy, display of spiritual energy. But the sahajiyās, they take as material attractions. As we are attracted, men and women, similarly, they take the Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa attraction.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 26, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That is the only. That is the only. There is no other second way. (break) ...conquer over lust, one has to take shelter of Madana-mohana. Madana means lust, Cupid, and Kṛṣṇa is Madana-mohana. He can enchant the Cupid also. (break) ...Ṭhākura, young man. At dead of night the prostitute came. How he restrained? That is... One who has realized Madana-mohana, for him these things are nothing, no enchantment. (break)

Dharmadyaksa: ...impressed with Your Divine Grace's energy and ability to work so much.

Prabhupāda: Why you do not say, "This is spiritual energy"? Yes. (break) ...got so many dogs nonsense. And it is solved. Just see. And he has brought dozens of... (break)

Jayatīrtha: ...life will be empty.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Actually that is a fact. No family, no children, so they must have some. The dog is their children, family. That is the attraction for..., because mostly they do not have family.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And it was a barren place.

Dr. Patel: They all come to see the devotees. These foreign devotees, they are enchanted to see them. All these times we were seeing the foreign, foreign, those padres, the Christians. Now we are seeing the sanātana...

Prabhupāda: And another the thing is that Ramakrishna Mission has constructed temple of Ramakrishna. Nobody goes there. It is lying barren.

Dr. Patel: You were planning to raise a temple in Kurukṣetra?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I have applied to the government for land, twenty-five acres land.

Dr. Patel: Very big. But is that land available to us?

Prabhupāda: Yes, available. And we have asked government to give us 350 acres of land in Māyāpur to construct Vedic planetarium, 350 feet high. It will require eight crores of rupees minimum. I shall exhibit there all the planetary system, bhurloka, Goloka.

Interview with Jackie Vaughn (Black Congressman) -- July 12, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: He has got one peacock feather on His head and He's blackish, but wonderfully beautiful. These words are used. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya. He's so beautiful that thousands of Cupids cannot be compared with His beauty. Cupid is understood to be the most beautiful person within this universe. You know Cupid? Yes. He enchants by beauty. But Kṛṣṇa's beauty is so great that millions of beauty, kandarpa or Cupid, cannot be compared with Him. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.30). It is a question of attraction. It is not a question of black and white. Attraction. So unless Kṛṣṇa is beautiful, why He has got so many millions of devotees? This very word is kandarpa-koṭi. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. His blackness is compared with the black cloud. Asita-ambuda, ambuda means the cloud. The black cloud is full of water. When there is black cloud in the sky, you can be sure that the rain is going to fall down. Not the white cloud.

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa Himself did it. He was king's son, Nanda Mahārāja. In the childhood, He was taking care of the calves, and when He was grown up, little, He was taking care of the cows. Kṛṣṇa personally showed it. His father could have avoided, "No, no, You don't go. The servants will go." No. "You also go." Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma, both. Balarāma has got the plow, tilling ground, and Kṛṣṇa has got the flute to enchant the cows. Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. They were not sitting idly, although Nanda Mahārāja could keep Them without any work. No. They worked. From the beginning of childhood. They would come in the evening and mother would take care of bathing Them, changing dress, and then giving nice food, and after taking food They would go to rest. Whole day They worked. Kṛṣṇa never taught that you sit idly. No. Personally, He did not do so, neither He taught anyone. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1968:

Actually the association of young boys and girls is very much disruptive for Brahmacari life, but in your country it is impossible to stop free mixing of young boys and girls. So voluntarily they have to check these sex desires until they are married. If they are strong enough in Krishna Consciousness any amount of sex urge will not disturb them. Even it disturbs, it will come and go, Krishna is Madan Mohan, or the Enchanter of Cupid. And Cupid is the god of sex desire. So if anyone wants to enchant Cupid, instead of being enchanted by Cupid, he must take shelter of the Enchanter of Cupid, Sri Krishna.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Mohini Mohana -- New Vrindaban 22 May, 1969:

Brahmananda, Rayarama, as well as Purusottama have all spoken very highly of you, and I am glad to send you the enclosed beads, duly chanted upon by me. Your name is Mohini Mohan, which means the Enchanter of the most beautiful. Srimati Radharani is the most beautiful, and She always enchants Krishna, but at the same time, Krishna is always the Enchanter of Radharani. This reciprocal attraction of Radharani and Krishna is the basic principal of Lord Caitanya's philosophy. Please try to understand nicely through our books and magazines. Follow the four principles of regulation and avoid the ten offenses. Have Brahmananda explain these to you. By following these principles in Krishna Consciousness surely you will be very happy.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 12 March, 1970:

Our London Deities are certainly very, very nice; and everyone is captivated by seeing the smiling face of the Lord. It is very enchanting. Now everything is there and you are also experienced, therefore go on opening branches as many as possible and preach Sankirtana movement to your best capacity. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura entrusted the responsibility to my Guru Maharaja, and He also in His turn empowered us to do the work. Similarly, I am requesting you, all my European and American students, to spread this movement city to city and village to village and make all people of the world happy. Actually they are missing the central point—Krsna, therefore they are unhappy. Let us inform them about this missing point, and certainly they will be happy.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Visnujana -- Bombay 4 April, 1971:

It is so much encouraging that you have got a very nice temple and that already there are six students living there and following the regulative principles. Anyone who you recommend, I shall immediately initiate him. So take advantage and enchant those who are coming by your chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra. You will be victorious. And try to introduce our books there and it will be a great missionary success. One Krishna book sold means we go forward one step in our Krishna Consciousness. We should always remember this. Now the second part of KRSNA book is available, so take them from Karandhara.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Rupa Manohara (Michael McCloughlin), Vipina Purandara (Paul League), Brajera Pakhala (Richard Roland), Gopavrndapala (Eddie Dougherty), Kadambakanana (David Hardin) -- Honolulu 10 May, 1972:

Your beads have been duly chanted by me and they are sent under separate post. I have given you the spiritual names as follows:

Michael McCloughlin,

Rupa Manohara das (He whose form is all-enchanting)

Paul League,

Vipina Purandara das (the youthful boy of the forest)

Richard Roland,

Brajera Pakhala das (He who tends the calves of Vraja)

Eddie Dougherty,

Gopavrndapala das (protector of the cowherd boys)

David Hardin,

Kadambakanana das (He who plays in the groves where the kadamba flower grows)

I am so glad to learn that all of you have been such a great help to Karandhara there in our Los Angeles center. I can understand that all of you are very sincere boys, and are very eligible candidates for going back to home, back to Godhead. And the process is simple.

Page Title:Enchant (Lec, Conv & Letters)
Compiler:SunitaS, RupaManjari, Mayapur
Created:26 of Aug, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=36, Con=6, Let=5
No. of Quotes:47