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Exams

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

If one is seated on the bench of a high-court and is giving judgment on cases, it means that he has already passed all legal exams and is better than those who are engaged in the study of law or those expecting to study law in the future.
SB 3.33.7, Purport:

The very word gṛṇanti, which is used in this verse, means to be already established in the perfectional stage of ritualistic performances. If one is seated on the bench of a high-court and is giving judgment on cases, it means that he has already passed all legal exams and is better than those who are engaged in the study of law or those expecting to study law in the future. In a similar way, persons who are chanting the holy name are transcendental to those who are factually performing the Vedic rituals and those who expect to be qualified (or, in other words, those who are born in families of brāhmaṇas but have not yet undergone the reformatory processes and who therefore expect to study the Vedic rituals and perform the sacrifices in the future).

Lectures

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Sugar candy is by nature very sweet. But if you give it to a patient who is jaundiced, he'll say that it is bitter. You will have practical exam. Similarly, kṛṣṇa-kathā is very sweet to those who are liberated from this jaundice of materialism.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.13-49 -- New York, January 4, 1967:

There are many instances in the Bhāgavata also. When Śaunakādi Ṛṣi, sages headed by Śaunaka Muni, was hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by Sūta Gosvāmī, they also uttered this, vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma. "You are reciting about the glories of the Supreme Lord, His activities, so please continue. We are not yet satisfied. The subject matter is so nice that we want to more and more..." Svādu svādu pade pade. As you go on hearing and as you become purified... There is a very practical example: the sugar candy. Sugar candy is, by nature it is very sweet. But if you give it to a patient who is jaundiced, if you give, he will taste it, that he'll say that it is bitter. It is bitter. You will have practical exam... If you ask him what is the taste, he'll say bitter. Everyone knows that sugar candy is very sweet, but if you give to a patient suffering from jaundice, he'll say it is bitter. Similarly, the kṛṣṇa-kathā, the Lord's name, fame, quality, entourage, all these things are very sweet. To whom? Those who are liberated from this jaundice of materialism. For them it is very sweet. So as you feel sweetness of this Kṛṣṇa-kathā, you should know that you are becoming liberated from this material entanglement.

General Lectures

Take this simple exam, example. From within, the thief is forbidden: "Don't commit theft." But he does it. God says from within, "Don't do it," but we do it. That is the defect of without being Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture at Bharata Chamber of Commerce 'Culture and Business' -- Calcutta, January 30, 1973:

Prabhupāda: God inspiration comes for every work. That's a fact. But we deny... Just like... You take this simple exam, example. Just like a thief. From within, he's forbidden: "Don't commit theft." But he does it. He does it. You have got all experience about these things. God says from within, "Don't do it," but we do it. That is the defect of without being Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like a thief. He knows that for his criminal activities he'll be punished. He has seen it, that a thief is arrested and he's taken to the prison house. And he has heard from the śāstra and from lawbooks that committing theft is not good. Why does he commit it? He knows and he has seen it. Why does he do it? Can you answer? He knows that it is not good, and he has heard it from śāstra and from learned lawyers. But why does he do it? This is the influence of nature. As he associated with the nature, ignorance, dark ignorance. He cannot check it. Therefore the best service to humanity is to give him knowledge.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Everyone is in the eighth class. Does it mean that he cannot pass MA examination? If he is trained up, he can pass M.A. exam.
Morning Walk -- April 23, 1974, Hyderabad:

Akṣayānanda: You said that everyone could become a brāhmaṇa, in your lecture, last night. But at the same time there must always be the legs of society.

Prabhupāda: Legs are already there. Everyone is now legs. So they can be promoted to become heads. What is the difficulty? Everyone is in the eighth class. Does it mean that he cannot pass MA examination? If he is trained up, he can pass M.A. exam...

Akṣayānanda: But as long as there is material world, there will always be śūdras.

Prabhupāda: They are all śūdras. Not will be. All, everyone is śūdras. This movement is to promote the śūdras to the highest class, Vaiṣṇava, more than brāhmaṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone is rascal, śūdra. (break) ...śūdras should be elevated, elevated, but when even a śūdra is engaged in the service of the Lord, he becomes transcendental, above brāhmaṇa.

Correspondence

1967 Correspondence

I wish that after finishing your M.A. exams that you be fixed up and come for some time to Vrindaban in my personal touch.
Letter to Janardana -- New York 22 July, 1967:

So far the stories are concerned, the Vedic literatures are full of instructive stories for the spiritual advancement of the human society. Because the less intelligent class of men, like women, mercantile people, and laborers, want to hear stories, for them the Vedic idea or concept was explained in 18 Puranas and the Mahabharata. If I get good assistance I can overflood your country with stories so nice and instructive.

I wish that after finishing your M.A. exams that you be fixed up and come for some time to Vrindaban in my personal touch. In the meantime, just go on organizing your Montreal center, and the Indian gentleman, Professor Dwivedi may be induced to take a more substantial interest in the temple.

1969 Correspondence

This is the complete course requiring to study 7 years. When the first exam is given the student making passing grade is given the title of Bhakti-sastri, second exam, Bhaktivaibhava, 3rd exam, Bhaktivedanta.
Letter to Swami Bhaktivedanta -- Hawaii 14 March, 1969:

This is my idea of the general plan for the questionnaire: You can work it out more elaborately as may be required.

Q. 1. The names of all seminaries and their locations, as follows:

Q. 2. Heads of religious schools (presidents of temples) and addresses.

Q. 3. Curriculums: Study of Bhagavad-gita As It Is; Srimad-Bhagavatam; (3 vol.); Nectar of Devotion; Teachings of Lord Caitanya; Vedanta Sutra. (In this way, arrange the curriculum program around these our books, and the professors, those who have been with us ample time, such as Brahmananda, Hayagriva, Kirtanananda, and have also academic qualifications). This is the complete course requiring to study 7 years. When the first exam is given the student making passing grade is given the title of Bhakti-sastri, second exam, Bhaktivaibhava, 3rd exam, Bhaktivedanta.

I am glad that you are preparing for your exam, and after that, please try to move the Indian papers, how Krishna consciousness movement is improving and flourishing here in USA, while the Indian boys and girls have rejected it.
Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Hawaii 30 March, 1969:

According to the verdict of Srimad-Bhagavatam, if one is not devotee, then he has no good qualifications, and if one is simply devotee, it is to be supposed that he has got all the good qualities. For the present you do not try to have a small temple in your house, because I know that you are not strictly vegetarian. I do not know whether now you are also strictly vegetarian, but unless you become so, don't try to have a small temple in your house as proposed by you. The four principles which we ask our students to follow, namely, restraining illicit sex life, etc., must be the basic principles of spiritual life. I am glad that you are preparing for your exam, and after that, please try to move the Indian papers, how Krishna consciousness movement is improving and flourishing here in USA, while the Indian boys and girls have rejected it. Illustrated Weekly of India had sometimes back published our article (maybe Dec. 21, 1967), so if you remind them, and send them more articles and photos, they will surely be glad to print them on receipt of them.

1971 Correspondence

Organize everything in such a way that we can deliver these souls back to Krishna—this is our real work. Some of our girls may be trained in colleges and take teacher exams, and their husbands also. As you develop our program there I shall give you more hints.
Letter to Satsvarupa -- Delhi 25 November, 1971:

Now you organize our KC school very nicely on the basis of a kindergarten school and primary school for children up to 15 years old. That is a good proposal, that parents should not accompany their children. Actually that is the gurukula system. The children should take complete protection of the Spiritual Master, and serve him and learn from him nicely. Just see how nicely your brahmacaris are working. They will go out in early morning and beg all day on the order of the guru. At night they will come home with a little rice and sleep without cover on the floor. And they think this work is very pleasant. If they are not spoiled by an artificial standard of sense gratification at an early age, children will turn out very nicely as sober citizens, because they have learned the real meaning of life. If they are trained to accept that austerity is very enjoyable then they will not be spoiled. So you organize everything in such a way that we can deliver these souls back to Krishna—this is our real work. Some of our girls may be trained in colleges and take teacher exams, and their husbands also. As you develop our program there I shall give you more hints.

1972 Correspondence

First make certain that our distribution is very nice organized. So after your exams you may plunge into this task whole-heartedly and try to enlist the help of all the others and make the project come out very successfully.
Letter to Niranjana -- Los Angeles 26 May, 1972:

Regarding Hindi literatures, I am very much encouraged that yourself along with Ramananda and Ksirodakasayi Prabhus are anxious to do some solid work. you form a committee. along with Guru das, Giriraja and Bhavananda and altogether you work cooperatively both to publish and to distribute our Hindi literatures very widely throughout India. The committee. must be also organized for distributing the books and magazines, otherwise what is the use of publishing? First make certain that our distribution is very nice organized. So after your exams you may plunge into this task whole-heartedly and try to enlist the help of all the others and make the project come out very successfully. Form the committee. and whatever is needed, you do it. It doesn't matter if the Hindi translation is perfectly the same length as the English original, translate any issue of BTG or any book and send the manuscript after composing to Japan for printing, that is the best plan.

I am very glad to hear that all of your activities are going on successfully, that you have finished your exams in good order and you have increased your chanting also of rounds.
Letter to Niranjana -- Los Angeles 18 September, 1972:

I am very glad to hear that all of your activities are going on successfully, that you have finished your exams in good order and you have increased your chanting also of rounds. And most of all I am happy to hear that you have begun some translating work. Now you work conjointly with Ramananda in Gorakhpur for producing all of my books in Hindi language, that will be your great contribution. You are a learned scholar, so is Ramananda, so the both of you together should head up this program of translating and publishing my books in Hindi language. If you require to have anything sent you from this country, I can arrange. You should be given all facilities to carry on this work with all expediency. Thank you very much for helping me in this way, may Krsna bless you more and more.

1976 Correspondence

Anyone wishing to be initiated as a brahmana will have to pass the Bhaktisastri exam and anyone wishing to take sannyasa will have to pass the Bhaktivaibhava examination as well.
Letter to All Governing Body Commissioners -- Nellore, South India 6 January, 1976:

Anyone wishing to be initiated as a brahmana will have to pass the Bhaktisastri exam and anyone wishing to take sannyasa will have to pass the Bhaktivaibhava examination as well. This will prevent our Society from degrading to the level of so many other institutions where, in order to maintain the Temple, they accept all third class men as brahmanas. Any sannyasis or brahmanas already initiated who fail to pass the exams will be considered low class or less qualified. Anyone wishing to be 2nd initiated will sit for examination once a year at Mayapur. Answers will be in essay form and authoritative quotations will be given a bigger score. During the exams books may not be consulted.

Regarding the examinations, the idea is that anyone, after studying the books, who wants to gain the title of Bhakti-sastri, can take the exam. This is academic.
Letter to Satsvarupa -- Mayapur 3 February, 1976:

Regarding the examinations, the idea is that anyone, after studying the books, who wants to gain the title of Bhakti-sastri, can take the exam. This is academic. Just like a brahmana with sastric knowledge and a brahmana without. It is optional—one who wants may take. The real purpose is that our men should not be neglectful of the philosophy. The examinations will begin on Gaura Purnima, 1977, not this year, so there is no reason why any of the devotees should give up their normal engagement.

So far your idea for teaching classes, this should be discussed at the GBC meeting. If it does not hamper our normal procedure then it is welcome.

Page Title:Exams
Compiler:Archana, Matea
Created:30 of Nov, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=1, Let=8
No. of Quotes:12