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Famine (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.4-5 -- London, July 10, 1973:

Daiva means controlled by the higher demigods. Just like famine or earthquake. This is not under your control. At any time the earthquake, there may be. There may be famine. There may be pestilence. There may be natural disturbance, flood. This is called daiva, controlled by higher demigods.

Lecture on BG 1.12 -- London, July 13, 1973:

Then, as it is stated during the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Then nature also will help. If you keep things all right, according to the direction, then nature also will help you. Nature will give you sufficient foodstuff. Vavarṣa parjanyaḥ, kāmam. Whatever the necessities of life, it will be supplied by nature simply by proper pouring of water, vṛṣṭi. Actually, now the whole world is suffering for drought. There is scarcity of rain. And if the rain is stopped for one or two years more, there will be havoc. It is already there, havoc. In India there is famine, because they are more, mostly agriculturists. So there is famine. In other countries they have got industries. But India is not so industrially advanced. So without water, nothing can be produced.

Therefore during Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time, kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). If you want sufficient water, then you must perform yajña. These are the indications, direction of the Vedic wisdom. So at the present moment no other yajña is possible. The only yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña, is possible. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). So if this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is taken seriously all over the world and they perform saṅkīrtana-yajña, everything will be adjusted immediately. Everything. But these rascals will not take it. They will suffer.

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

So according to our śāstra there are seven mothers. Ādau mātā, real mother, from whose body I have taken my birth. Ādau mātā, she is mother. Guru-patnī, the wife of teacher. She is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī, brāhmaṇī. The wife of a brāhmaṇa, she is also mother. Ādau mātā guru-patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, the queen is mother. So how many? Ādau mātā guru-patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, then dhenu. Dhenu means cow. She is also mother. And dhātrī. Dhātrī means nurse. Dhenu dhātrī tathā pṛthvī, also the earth. Earth is also mother. The people are taking care of mother land, where he is born. That is good. But by the by they should take care of mother cow also. But they are not taking care of mother. Therefore they are sinful. They must suffer. They must have, there must be war, pestilence, famine. As soon as people become sinful, immediately nature's punishment will come automatically. You cannot avoid it.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means solution of all problems. Teaching people not to become sinful. Because a sinful man cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. To become Kṛṣṇa conscious means that he has to give up his sinful activities. No illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life. So people are not ready to give up this. But we do not make any compromise, that you go on with your sinful life, at the same time I sanction that you have become Kṛṣṇa conscious. No, that we cannot do. There is no compromise on this point. You must give up all this sinful life. Because there is no chance of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- London, August 18, 1973:

Overpopulation is already there, anantyāya kalpate. They why do you call overpopulation? When there is already fire, why do you say there will be fire? It is already there. So, but, the restriction, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That eka, that eka, Kṛṣṇa, He orders. He does not order actually. Just like, not every time the police has to be ordered by the superior authority to punish the criminal. They know how to punish. So the nature knows how to punish these criminals. Therefore, the scientists are finding now shortage of petrol, shortage of this, shortage... What to do? What to do? This is the position. Otherwise, there is no question of overpopulation. The supply is restricted. That is the problem. Eko yo bahūnām. Because He supplies all the necessities, the supply will be restricted. As we become more and more sinful and without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they will be put into difficulties, they will be dying within the womb, they will be killed, within the womb, there will be war, there will be pestilence, there will be famine, there will be earthquake. In so many ways, we have to die. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Again, take birth, this business will go on. And ultimately, when the whole universe is annihilated, then again we take shelter in the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu and live for, in that way, without any body, for many millions of years. Again, there is creation, and then again given chance. "All right, take another chance. Be Kṛṣṇa conscious."

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974:

Therefore those who are intelligent, they know it very well that this place is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is a place for distress. So long you remain here... But we are so fools, we cannot realize. We accept, "This life is very pleasant. Let me enjoy it." It is not pleasant at all, seasonal changes, always. This distress or that distress, this disease or that disease. This uncomfortable, this anxiety. There are three kinds of distresses: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyātmika means distresses pertaining to this body and the mind. And adhidaivika means distresses offered by material nature. Nature. All of a sudden there is earthquake. All of a sudden there is famine, there is scarcity of food, there is over rain, no rain, extreme heat, extreme winter, extreme cold. We have to go under these distresses, threefold. At least one, two, must be there. Still, we do not realize that "This place is full of distress because I have got this material body."

Therefore a sane man's duty is how to stop the process of accepting this material body. This is intelligence. He should realize that "I am always in distresses, and I am not this body, but I am put into this body. Therefore right conclusion is that I am not this body. If, somehow or other, I can live without this body, then my distresses are over. This is common sense. That is possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Therefore God comes, to give you the information that "You are not this body. You are the soul, spirit soul. And because you are within this body, you are suffering so many distresses." Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises that "These distresses are due to this body." Try to understand. Why you are feeling pains and pleasure? It is due to the body.

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

When I was a boy in India it was selling. Can you imagine that? But that rice all of a sudden rose in 1940, ten dollars. Now, just imagine if something, the price of something, is raised from 75 cent to ten dollars, how difficult it becomes for the public, for general mass of people. So so many people were in difficulty, and so many people died for want of food, diseases, famine, because when there is want of food... But you will be surprised... I inquired in 1942. Persons who were in our line, I mean to say, engaged in devotional service... I also purchased at the same time. I had... In my family life at that time, I had some responsibility: my self, my wife, my five children, servant, and so many, about ten people. And I was purchasing rice. So anyway, management was going on. But so many people died. But you will be surprised. Those who were in some way or other in touch with the devotional service, I inquired from them individually, and I was satisfied that they were not in difficulty even in that famine circumstances. Even from the villages I inquired that "Were you in difficulty?" They replied, "No, we have no difficulty. Some way or other, we are managing." So this is practical. Anyone who is engaged in the devotional service, whose life is dedicated for service of the Supreme, you will see practically that there will be no want, there will be no unhappiness. This is a fact. This is a fact.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa says that "If I do not place the ideal life, then the population will be saṅkara." Saṅkara means unwanted, creating disturbances always. There will be no peace in the world. And actually we are feeling that there is no peace in the world. Why? Because the population has become unwanted. And by increasing such population the natural sequence will be... There must be. There will be some disease, there will be some famine or there will be some war when the population will be vanquished. That is the law of nature. That is accepted in economics also, Malthusian theory. Perhaps most of you know that whenever there is unwanted population these three things will naturally, by nature's course will appear—famine, pestilence, and war—and the population will be finished. So there was some unwanted population at that time also for which Kṛṣṇa arranged the war, battlefield of war. Battlefield of war. So we have to follow. If we want very good population, very good generation, then we have to follow the principles of Bhagavad-gītā.

The principles of Bhagavad-gītā is ultimately described, as we will find in the last state,

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
(BG 18.66)

That is the real religion.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

Although we are in miseries, we have, we are trying to adjust the miseries. We are trying to adjust the miseries. But we, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore we are not meant for all these miseries. We must know it. We are not meant for all these miseries. But we have voluntarily accepted these material miseries.

And what are these miseries? They are called adhyātmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika. Adhyātmika means miseries pertaining to this body and mind. Just like today we are feeling too hot. Why? Due to this body. And next moment I shall feel not very happy. My mind is disturbed. So there are miseries due to this body and due to the mind. This is called adhyātmika. And then again, adhibhautika. Adhibhautika. Some other living entity. Just like here, you are hearing the barking of the dog, "Gow! Gow!" always. So it is sometimes disturbing. So such kind of miseries offered by other living being is called adhibhautika. We have got so many miseries. And then adhidaivika. Daivika means miseries offered by the supernatural power. Just like there is earthquake, famine, pestilence, war. So we are always... There are three headings of miseries, and we are, either we are suffering either from the three all, or at least one. There must be. This is the nature of our life in this material existence. But we are trying to make a solution of it. That is our struggle for existence. But that solution cannot be made by our teeny brain. That solution can be made only when we take to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord.

Therefore the Lord comes Himself just to convince us that "This is not your real life. This material existence, you are suffering. Why you should suffer? You are My sons." Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he also told that "I am the son of God." He's happy. So everyone, you can become similarly happy as soon as you are reinstated in your position. The whole Bhagavad-gītā is meant for convincing me, I mean to say, conditioned souls. We are conditioned. Just like, just like under awkward circumstances we are always, always conditioned life. We are not free.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

Adhidaivika means all of a sudden there is earthquake or famine or too much rain or no rain. Daivika means it is... We have no control over it. So there are so many. These are the big heading of miserable condition: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. And there are many, many other categories.

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

You'll be surprised in 1942 there was an artificial famine in India by politicians and practically they were starving. And one American gentleman, very responsible man, he was present. He said that "In our country if such starvation would have happened there would have been revolution." But the Vedic culture is so nice that nobody even stole a pin from others pocket. They starved. Because the culture is they are satisfied. "Well, God has put me in this condition.

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

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 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

So intelligent men should always keep in front that what advancement we have made, simply struggling. A struggle, a heavy struggle, a hard struggle. That struggle. And we are thinking: "This is advancement." You struggling just like ass . So the whole day and night you are working. Actually I am working very hard, but I am thinking that I am advancing. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. We are trying to find out so many medicine. So many humanitarian work. What is that? There is famine, there is struggle. Why don't you do something so that people will not be anymore in famine, any more in distress. There will be no more scarcity of water. That is required. So these are the problems and so however we may solve all these problems, the problem of material existence, birth, death, old age and disease, that cannot be stopped, either you become Brahmā or something like that. That is not possible. That is possible only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Ahmedabad, December 14, 1972:

And if one is interested for spiritual life, they are also captured by so many pseudo spiritual things. Pseudo. Manda. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ, mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. They have got a different views. They do not like to take knowledge from the Vedic, perfect knowledge from the Vedic literature or from Bhagavad-gītā. They manufacture their own way of life, this mandaḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. And manda-bhāgyāḥ. And unfortunate, mostly they are unfortunate. And hy upadrutāḥ. And distributed by so many things. Sometimes earthquake, sometimes famine, sometimes scarcity of water, sometimes war, or sometimes fight. So many things, problems, simply problems. This is the position of this age.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Melbourne, April 20, 1976:

Even if you are opulent externally, if you are sick, if your mind is not in proper condition, you suffer. That is called adhyātmika. And there are other miseries offered by other living entities. Just like some friend all of a sudden becomes your enemy and he tries to inflict some injuries upon you. You are full of anxieties. This is called adhibhautika. Even there is no enmity, there are so many living entities, just like bugs, mosquitos, other animals. They are always prepared to give us trouble. This is called adhibhautika. Adhyātmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika, which is beyond your... Every miserable condition is beyond your control, but especially adhidaivika, famine, pestilence, overflood, no rain, scarcity. This is called adhidaivika. So this is called conditioned life.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:

Suppose you are not thinking very well. Today my mind is very disturbed. That is called adhyātmika. I have got some pain in my body. That is also adhyātmika. Some friend or some animal has done some mischief to me. That is also suffering, adhibhautika. And adhidaivika. The earthquake. Nobody wants earthquake, but there is earthquake. This is adhidaivika. There is famine. There is pestilence. There is so many thing. So even if we are assured that we are not going to die, still, there are other sufferings. And, of course, there is no question of not dying. Everyone will have to die.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:

In 1942 there was a famine, man-made famine, and in India so many people practically died of starvation. Not died, but they died by eating. There was scarcity of foodstuff, but when public began to give them food, so they ate so much that they fell sick and died, so many people. Not by starvation, by eating. By starvation, nobody dies; by overeating, one dies. That is a statistic. The next death rate is for over-eating. In America is it not? Who said me the other day? The first death rate is from...

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 18, 1971:

For the leaders. They are seeing this poor man is going to church or to temple for asking God, "God give us our daily bread." They are taking the opportunity to spread atheism. They say, "Well, you have prayed for your bread in the temple or in the church. Have you got the bread?" They say, "No. Not yet." "All right. Come to me. You ask me bread." "Yes." They are innocent, "Yes, Mr. such and such, give me bread," and he gives bread. "Take this bread." Then they are convinced, "Oh, God cannot give us bread. Our political leader can give bread." This is, propaganda is going on. You see. "God cannot give us bread, but our political leader can give us bread." But they are innocent. They do not know that this rascal politician, wherefrom he has brought the bread? Has he manufactured in the factory wheat, rice, grains? Then unless God has given you grain, wheat, rice and other grains, how you can make bread? So far they cannot go. Actually, God gives us bread. If there is famine, if there is no production of grains, where is the politician, father, will (be) who able to give you bread? This requires little intelligence, that "Actually God is giving us bread, not this politician." But people have no such intelligence, and there is regular propaganda against God; so people are becoming godless.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

On account of this material body, we have got three-fold miseries within this material world. One is called adhyātmika. Adhyātmika means miserable condition due to this material body and the mind. The... another miserable condition is adhibhautika: miserable condition offered by other living entities. And the third miserable condition is which is offered by the nature, just like earthquake, famine, pestilence and so many other things on which we have no control. We have no control in any kind of miserable condition, especially the miserable condition offered by nature. We cannot avoid it.

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

But this Vedic religion has no beginning or end. Therefore, Sumanda-matayo, they will theorize, "In our religion it is said this." "Oh, whatever your religion may be, but the real purpose of religion is to understand God. How far you have understood God?" That is practically nil. But the formulas and dogmas and this and that they're full of. Sumanda-matayo. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā (SB 1.1.10). And almost everyone is unfortunate. They haven't got even means to accommodate the bare necessities of life—eating, sleeping, mating. They're also deficient. mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ. And above all these there is always disturbance. Sometimes war, sometimes famine, sometimes earthquake, sometimes this, overflood. Just like recently in New York there was overflood, you know? So in this way we are so much complicated, this is the position. Now in this condition of life how you can take up very serious type of self-realization, that is not possible. Alright, thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:

Just like severe cold, severe heat, earthquake. These are... Famine, pestilence. There are so many things, adhidaivika. And adhibhautika, miseries offered by another living entity. In this way we are always implicated. Adhyātmika.

Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired that "I do not want this. I do not want this. But why they are imposed upon me?" This is very intelligent question. "If there is any solution?" That is intelligence, not temporary mitigation of... Temporary... Weather... Just like it is summer or winter. Anyway. Summer, in the summer we are suffering, scorching heat. At that time we are hankering after some cool place. And during winter we are suffering from chilly cold, rain. So these thing will go on. So long you are in the material world, you cannot avoid it.

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

You have no experience. I have got experience. Or some of the Indians who are present... In 1942, the government created artificial famine, artificial famine. The government began to purchase. The poli... That time, the war was going on. So Mr. Churchill's policy was that "Keep the people in scarcity, and they will, they'll voluntarily come and become soldiers." That was the policy. "You have no money. So..., and the another venue is opened. Yes, you become a soldier. You get so much money." People, out of poverty, would go there. That was the policy. So this policy was executed that government began to purchase rice and, I mean to say, commodities which are daily necessities.

Lecture on SB 1.5.18 -- New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969:

So these are the, I mean to say, facilities for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And this is the only business one should take. All other things, simply waste of time. That is the instruction of Nārada. Nārada is the spiritual master within, spiritual master of the whole Vaiṣṇava sect. So he's giving the right direction, that "Don't try for anything else. Don't think that you'll be happy this way or that way. Never... Whatever happiness or distress..." (coughing) Where is water? So example is given here that tal labhyate duḥkhavat. Nobody expects a calamity or distress, but sometimes calamity overcomes us. Similarly, you should not, I mean to say, try for any artificial happiness. Whatever Kṛṣṇa gives you, be satisfied. That was the basic principle of Vedic civilization. Nobody was trying to make any artificial economic development. No. The whole history of India is like that. They were satisfied, "All right..." Even now the mass of people... In 1942 there was famine. People were dying. Still, they were..., "All right. Kṛṣṇa has given us. God has given us." That was the mentality.

Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976:

As it is said here, bhuvo bhāra-jihīrṣayā. When these rascals and fools increase, it becomes a burden to the earth. Just like a practical example: a child or a man, you weigh him. When he's alive you will find one weight, and when he's dead you will find another weight. That is practical. It will be heavier. Why heavier? Because there is no more spirit soul. So the more people will be materialistic, the world will be burdened. Therefore there must be war, pestilence, famine, to clear these rascals, clear out. You'll find these things. In Europe, every ten years, twenty years, there is a fight, war. It is the history. From the Greece history, Roman history and Seven Years War, Hundred Years War-wars. There must be war, because they are sinful. The same sinful, killing animals continually. So there is war, reaction. So what is that war? To lessen the burden. To lessen the burden. It becomes very heavy, unbearable by the earth.

Lecture on SB 1.7.25 -- Vrndavana, September 22, 1976:

When people become too much sinful, too much godless, the world becomes overburdened, and there must be some machine to kill. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra (BG 3.27). They are thinking independently. No independence. As soon as you become sinful, there is reaction immediately. Immediately there will be war, pestilence, famine, flu, and so on, so on.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Los Angeles, April 25, 1972:

But this killing business can be done without the presence of Kṛṣṇa. Because there are so many natural forces, war, pestilence, famine. Anything. Just set on working. Millions of people can be killed. So Kṛṣṇa does not require to come here to kill these rascals. They can be killed simply by Kṛṣṇa's direction, nature's law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44). The nature has got so much power that it can create, it can maintain, it can annihilate, dissolute, everything. Nature is so powerful.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

So there is bhūri-bhara, bhūri-bhara. It is said: bhārāvatāraṇāyānye bhuvo nāva ivodadhau. Bhuva, this world becomes overburdened. Overburdened. As soon it becomes overburdened, there must be a war, pestilence, famine, epidemic and finish. This is natural. Overburdened. Nature's law. This is called... In economics there is some law. So why the world becomes overburdened? The earth planet... Not only earth planet. There are many millions of other planets also. They are bearing big, big mountains, big, big oceans. Why it becomes overburdened?

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

God gives. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). So God, Kṛṣṇa, fulfills all our desires. Now in Bengal we are seeing some rains. In other parts of India, there is no rain. Last time I had been Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, all dry. People are... In Bombay also. People are very much unhappy. There is famine, declaration of famine. So if there is no parjanya, rains, then everything finished. Your so much, so many schemes, ten-years plan, five-years plan and so many plans, they will all dry up. The rascals, they do not know. And how parjanya becomes possible? Yajñād bhavati parjanyo parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. You perform yajña. There will be parjanya. The rain falling is not in your hand. You may be great scientist and calculate so much hydrogen and so much oxygen, mixed up, there is water. Now mix up and bring water where there is no rain.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

We require so many things. Kṛṣṇa is prepared also to supply. Nature is there. But even Kṛṣṇa wants to supply, if you do not become devotee, nature will restrict, "No." That is the proof. When there was less supply... The Mahārāja Pṛthu wanted to kill Pṛthivī. She explained that "Why you are after me? It is my duty. Now there are only demons. I don't want to give food to the demons. I want to give foodstuff to the devotees." She said. So nature's restriction of supply will be there when people become demons, nondevotees. When people become demons, then nature will stop supply. There will be famine, pestilence. This is the way.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

Therefore every nature's resources were supplied. Because after all, supply is being made by Kṛṣṇa through the agency of material nature. Material nature is not independent. Independent. Therefore we find... In your country there is no mango. Mango is supposed to be the king of all fruits. So in India there is sufficient supply. But in some year there is so much supply, enormous, and some year there is no supply. Similarly, grains also; in some year there is sufficient supply, and some year there is no... There is scarcity, famine. Then after all, you will have to depend on nature. You cannot produce in your factory these things which are received through these phalanty oṣadhayaḥ sarvāḥ. That depends on nature's gift. And the nature is working not independently. Nature is working by the order of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:

I am peaceful, but another neighbor, or another animal, will give me some trouble. I am peacefully sitting here, but these flies are giving me trouble unnecessarily. I have to take precaution. So there are flies, mosquitoes, at night so many other animals, they come. Besides that, my brother, my friend, they are also prepared to give me trouble. Some way or other, other living entities causing some painful condition. This is called adhibhautika. And adhidaivika. Daivika, painful condition created by the demigods. Just like there is hurricane all of a sudden. So many trees falls down, sometimes cottages devastated, overflood, excessive rain, overflood, famine, pestilence. You have no control. You cannot control. You can simply say, "In future." That's all. But there is no control.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:

Just like one brāhmaṇa approached Lord Rāmacandra that "In the presence of father the son has died. You are responsible. There must be something wrong in Your kingdom." His son died. That is natural, that son lives, father dies. This is natural death. "And what is this? The father is living and son is dying?" So king was so much responsible, even the death must be systematic. There should be no anxiety. There should be no disease. There should be no scarcity, no famine, no natural disturbance. This is government. This is government. Just try to understand the ideal government during Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time. Not only Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, all the kings. Rājarṣayaḥ. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. They were all great ṛṣis, although they were kṣatriyas. Brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya, they used to guide the general people.

Lecture on SB 1.15.24 -- Los Angeles, December 3, 1973:

So these rascals they do not know how things are going on. Īśvarasya viceṣṭitam. "Tit for tat." There must be. If in ordinary laws, in the state laws, that if you have killed somebody you must be hanged, so do you think you can simply bluff the Supreme Authority, Kṛṣṇa, that you are going, killing, killing, killing, and you will be saved? No. You will be killed in pestilence, in famine. Even within your mother's womb, you will be killed, where it is supposed to be good protection, there also you will be killed.

Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973:

So it is... Kṛṣṇa is exhibiting how things are going on. As soon as there will be burdensome, there will be some war, pestilence, famine—and finished. And finished. You don't require to reduce population by contraceptive method. By nature's way, the wholesale it will be reduced, bhū-bhārān sañjahāra. By nature's way. Why should you commit sinful activities? You don't beget children unnecessarily and don't kill them. That is religion. That is civilization. Why should you unnecessarily produce children like cats and dog? Their śāstra says that don't become father, don't become mother if you cannot save your sons from death. This is the responsibility.

Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973:

Our aim is not to produce cats and dogs. There are so many cats and dogs, the world is not happy. Now there is need of producing nice children, sober, gentle, devotee of Kṛṣṇa, good brain, good character. These things are required. So they were not unwanted children, these Yadus. This is a make-show (indistinct) other. They came, they are all demigods, they descended just to fulfill Kṛṣṇa's mission. Kṛṣṇa's mission, Kṛṣṇa came down so all the confidential servants of Kṛṣṇa, they also appeared to help Him in different... So when Kṛṣṇa wanted to go, He wanted to go with the descendants also, who came to help Him. So this is a make-show that the Yadus fought amongst themselves. The real purpose is, Kṛṣṇa wanted to take them away. Otherwise, superficially, when one becomes unnecessarily powerful, disturbs the world situation, he's a burden. He's a burden. That kind of burden is vanquished by Kṛṣṇa's desire, will. There must be some catastrophe like war, pestilence, famine, and everything will be finished.

Lecture on SB 1.15.28 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1973:

Although I'm intelligent, very intelligent, so-called intelligent for eating or sleeping or for having sex life intelligence. Just like there the scientists are applying intelligence for abortion. What is this intelligence? To give facility for sex life, that's all. What is this intelligence? Killing the poor child within the womb. Is that very good intelligence? No. But that intelligence is for giving facility to sex life. That's all. They are so-called scientists, intelligence. What is that intelligence? Discover atomic bomb. What is the effect? To kill. But they are dying, what is the credit for you? They're already dying, naturally dying, dying out of want for food, dying in famine, in pestilence. Then what you have discovered? This is called intelligence. This intelligence is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). They are advertising themselves as intelligent, but real intelligence is taken away.

Lecture on SB 1.15.37 -- Los Angeles, December 15, 1973:

But the king was so responsible that now he wanted to retire. There is no other way. As far as possible, he controlled. That is king's business. The government's business is to control these things, and citizen must be happy in every way. Even Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time, there was no excessive heat or cold; neither there was prominence of disease or pestilence, famine. These things were absent. Because Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja himself was very pious, and he conducted his government in such a way that people were also pious. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ lokas tad anuvartate (BG 3.21). If the leaders are perfect, then the citizens will be perfect. If the leaders are rascals... Just like in your country, now your president is caught up. Just see. Such an exalted post is occupied by a person who is subjected to so many criticisms.

Lecture on SB 1.15.45 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1973:

Just like police force. Police force is under the control of the government, and you are under the control of police force. Everyone knows it. So how you can get out of the police force? When you are not criminal. That's all. Similarly, nature is like police force, this material nature. As soon as you become irreligious, making friendship with Kali and his friends, then you will be punished. Nature will... There will be severe cold, there will be this blast, that blast, and no production, and famine, pestilence, so many things. Nature can disturb you, natural. That is called adhidaivika, which is beyond your control. Adhidaivika. If the Pacific Ocean within a second overflows your Los Angeles town, what you can do? What your scientists can do? "Nothing, sir." But it can be done, at any moment. What is the difficulty? One big wave. Skyscraper building, all skyscrapers will be finished. So that is called nature's disturbance.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Los Angeles, July 9, 1974:

So, "Are you suffering some pains on account of your body or mind?" This is called adhyātmika. Adhyātmika means the body. The body and the mind. That's called adhyātmika. Adhibhautika, sufferings offered by other living entities. And adhidaivika. Adhidaivika means sufferings offered by the demigods. Just like famine, pestilence, earthquake. You have no hand. You may be a very big, big scientist, but when this trembling of the earth, "Oh, God save us, God save us, God save us." (laughter) Yes. Even that sputnik... Our scientist... Where is scientist? What is that, sputnik? They were asking, "God shall...?"

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

The beginning is already there. Anāvṛṣṭyā kara-pīḍitāḥ. One side there will be no rainfall. Now yesterday somebody was telling that in this California, the rainfall is now not so much. I think Jayatīrtha. So rainfall will be practically very, very little. Anāvṛṣṭi. And another difficulty will be kara-pīḍitāḥ. One side there will be famine, scarcity of food, no rainfall, and another side, there will be excessive taxation by the government. So people will be so much disturbed. Because you (indistinct) no food. You are... There is scarcity of rain, you cannot produce food. And at the same time, government will give some morsel of food and levy taxes.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

Just see how nice communism. The one twenty-five-percent group, they are earning, and they are maintaining seventy-five men. So they are living by bhikṣā. Brahmacārī will go door to door, "Mother, give me alms," and they'll give. The sannyāsī will go. So when this bhikṣā will not be available, that is called durbhikṣa, famine. This is adhibhautika. Adhibhautika, er adhidaivika. You have no control.

Lecture on SB 3.25.23 -- Bombay, November 23, 1974:

Just like at night, unnecessarily, the dogs bark, and we cannot sleep. This is called adhibhautika, suffering imposed by other living entities—the mosquitos, the bugs. Then enemies. Suffering. Just like some of our enemies, they are hindering sanctioning this temple. So this is called adhibhautika. And besides that, big, big sufferings there are. Then adhidaivika, accident, which you have no control over. No sufferings you have control. That is not possible. There is famine; there is pestilence; there is no rain; there is excessive heat, excessive cold. They are called adhidaivika. Earthquake..., so many. So this is the reminder, that "You rascal, you are thinking you are very happy in this material world. What you have done about these sufferings?" Mūḍha.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Chicago, July 6, 1975:

Bandī means now especially in the United States, nobody goes out at night. No gentleman goes out at night. In our Brooklyn temple nobody goes out at night. Just see. America is so advanced in civilization, and the result is that one cannot go on a street at night. In India it is so poverty-stricken. Still, even in villages, they are freely moving, man, woman, at dead of night. They know there is no danger. Still, although they are so poverty-stricken now... You will be surprised that in 1942 there was an artificial famine created by the government. People suffered starvation, and poor men, they died out of starvation. But there was no report of stealing.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:

If you don't act according to the direction... Veda means knowledge. So in the Vedas, they are giving direction how to live. Even if you want to be materially prosperous, you have to follow these rules and regulations. And if you want to get out of this material world, these are the rules and regulations. Otherwise, we have to meet always... Already there are calamities. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), the calamities of birth, the calamities of death, the calamities of old age, the calamities of disease, they are already there. And above that, the calamities of war, pestilence, famine, earthquake, and so many other things.

Lecture on SB 11.3.21 -- New York, April 13, 1969:

Everyone is experienced that "I'm not feeling today well due to some sickness of my body or some mental disturbance." This is called adhyātmika. And there are other miseries inflicted by other living entities, my enemies, some animal, some mosquito or some bug. There are so many living entities, they are also try to give me some trouble. This is called adhibhautika. And there is another type of misery, which is called adhidaivika. That is natural disturbance—severe cold, severe heat, some famine, some earthquake, some disaster, some hurricanes. There are so many things, natural disturbance. So in either of these three types of miserable condition we are. But those who are foolish, they do not see to it. Under illusion of māyā they think, "Oh, we are very happy." This is called māyā. One is not happy, but he's thinking, "I am happy." And they are trying to become happy in so many other ways.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

If I cannot sit comfortably, if there is some pinching, I am feeling pain. So these things are going on, ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. And other miseries inflicted by providence. Just like there is no rain, excessive heat, excessive cold, famine, pestilence, earthquake. We have no control over. These are ādhidaivika. So we are suffering. Although we may foolishly say If somebody asks his friend, "How are you?" he says, "Oh, yes, everything is all right." Where is "Everything is all right"? You are suffering and This is called māyā. He's suffering, but he will say, "Everything is all right." A man is dying on the deathbed, and his friend comes, "How you are feeling?" "Yes, I am all right." (laughter) Now he's going to die, and he says, "I am all right." So this is called māyā.

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

Just like yesterday night you had some trouble due to the body. So sometimes mind: "Oh, today I am not very good mood. There is something wrong." The body is all right, but the mind is not all right. This is called ādhyātmika. Then adhibhautika. Adhibhautika means miseries offered by other living entities. Just like at night, bedbugs. (laughter) (laughs) So, very nice situation, whole night there is no sleep. Why? Now there is adhibhautika. Adhibhautika. Or some enemy. This is... There are... These are all miseries, but we forget. And adhidaivika. Adhidaivika. Just like heavy snowfall, severe cold, severe heat, earthquake, famine, war. These are adhidaivika, forced by you by superior power. Nobody wants war, but it is forced. These are called adhidaivika miseries. So three kinds. Here it is stated, ādhyātmikādi tapa-traya tāre. So we are under the control of this material nature, and that trident is pierced on my chest. How can I understand? Now this trident I am experiencing every moment.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- New York, July 28, 1971:

From God's side, there is no scarcity. Sufficient supply—more than what you need. But how this man can be checked from this evil propensity, to gather money and stock unnecessarily? In India, in 1942, they created artificial famine by this process. Big men, they collected rice. The rice was selling at six rupees per mound. All of a sudden, within a week, it came to fifty rupees per mound. I have seen it. No rice was available in the market. People were hungry. They were purchasing. But the beauty is one American gentleman was present at that time. He remarked that "People are starving in this way. In our country, there would have been revolution." Yes. But the people of India are so trained that in spite of creating this artificial famine, they did not commit any theft, stealing others' property. They died peacefully. Of course, this is a single instance. But the thing is that problems are not created by God.

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- New York, July 28, 1971:

Devotee: May I ask a question? When you were speaking, you started to ask..., you started to check all the people who are hoarding those grains, that economic procedure to produce famine. What is the way to check them? Is to keep them...?

Prabhupāda: To make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. If he knows that "These grains belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Why I am throwing it? There are so many living entities. They are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Let me distribute," that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But he is thinking, "It is mine. These grains are mine. I am the proprietor." This is due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he knows that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, then he'll not misuse it. What is your question?

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

We can't sit, just go out and sit and think and free ourselves from this material existence. We must be subject to our own body, bodily discomforts and our own mind, and we must be subject to the actions upon us of other living entities, and we must be subject to the laws of nature, to providence, to pestilence, famine, catastrophe. But if we can accept and hear submissively this teaching of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā from the bona fide spiritual master, then we are free immediately. We are in Vaikuṇṭha.

General Lectures

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

These are called ādhyātmika. Similarly, there are other pains, inflicted by other living entities. They are called ādhibhautika. Similarly, other pains also, which is offered by the nature, by the laws of nature. All of a sudden there is earthquake, all of a sudden there is famine, or similar other which we have no control over. So these three kinds of miseries are always there. But under the spell of illusion we are thinking that we are happy. And the illusion means that the material energy is so illusory that however a living entity may be in abominable condition, he thinks that he is happy. You take any animal, just like take the hog—that life is most filthy life. Of course, you have no experience to see in your city, hogs. In India there are many hogs in the city, and they are living in filthy place—they are eating stool, and most abominable life.

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Seattle, September 25, 1968:

The difference is that their life is most conditional life. In the civilized life there is a pinch of liberation. So what is that statement? Yes. Threefold miseries. Threefold miseries are there in every living condition, but when a man is enhanced or advanced in knowledge he can understand that "I am under always threefold miseries." What are those threefold miseries? Miseries, that I explained the other day. The threefold miseries means first, pertaining to the body and mind, and second, miseries inflicted by other living entities, and miseries by nature or higher authorities. Just like severe cold or severe heat or famine or earthquake. They are also miseries. This is beyond our control. So miseries which are beyond our control. So far bodily disease, mental disturbance, we can get some remedy in our own way.

Lecture -- Seattle, September 27, 1968:

God's law you cannot, I mean to say, supersede. So material laws, state laws, you can hide yourself, but God's law you cannot hide yourself. There are so many witnesses. The sun is your witness, the moon is your witness, the day is your witness, the night is your witness, the sky is your witness. So how you can supersede the laws of the Lord? So... But this material nature is so constituted that we have to suffer ādhyātmic, pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind, and sufferings offered by other living entities, and another suffering ādhidaivic. Ādhidaivic, just like somebody is ghost-haunted, a ghost has attacked him. Ghost cannot be seen, but he's suffering delirium, speaking something nonsense. Or there is famine, there is earthquake, there is war, there is pestilence, so many things.

Brandeis University Lecture -- Boston, April 29, 1969:

Forest fire means in this material world everyone wants to be happy. That is a fact. Everyone. But some, by some cause or by some way, there is a fire just like forest fire. Nobody's interested to go in the forest and set fire there, but there is fire, automatically. Similarly, this world... Nobody wants war, nobody wants famine, nobody wants earthquake, nobody wants disease, nobody wants death, but these things happening. It will happen. Even if you do not want, you cannot, I mean to say, combat all these, I mean to say, attacks of the material nature. That is the way of material nature. Therefore self-realization is the opportunity of this human form of life. This human form of life... According to... Most of you, many of you may be students of anthropology, of Darwin's theory, that the life is evolving. This anthropology long, long years was stated in the Padma Purāṇa.

Lecture (Day after Lord Rama's Appearance Day) -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1970:

Just like somebody murders somebody. This is misery inflicted by other living entity. The mosquito bite, the bug bite, or the tiger attacks you. So many living entities there are, they're always busy to inflict misery. This is called adhibhautika. And there is another misery, which is called adhidaivika, nature's disturbance. All of a sudden there is earthquake, there is famine, there is pestilence. So many, in which you have to control. In every misery, there is no control. Ultimately, all the miseries are summarized in four things: the misery of birth... We do not... We have forgotten how much miserable condition we passed during our stay in the womb of mother, in a suffocated condition. You just imagine. Some of you might have seen the picture how the child remains within the womb of the mother. It is air-tight packed. And there are many germs who are biting the delicate skin of the child. And when the child is little grown up, at seven months, it feels too much pain.

Speech to Maharaja and Maharani and Conversations Before and After -- Indore, December 11, 1970:

Revatīnandana: When we left New York City, the last Sunday, Ṛṣi-kumāra cooked a tremendous feast. So we ate until we couldn't move, 'cause we thought it was our last feast. We thought there'd never be any more prasādam. (laughter) Now we have to...

Prabhupāda: There was a famine in India in 1942, big famine. I particularly inquired among the disciples of my Guru Mahārāja, and even the remote village, they said that "We have no difficulty." No. And another, there was a havoc, earthquake, in Bihar sometime in 1933 or that... And one of our Godbrother, Mr. Munshi Chatterjee, when he heard that quarter is completely demolished, so he was in the office. He was thinking, "What shall I do by going home? There is no more home. Everything is..." Then he said, "Let me go and see." And when he came there, only his house was left. Only his house. All house dismantled.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 12, 1971:

If somebody comes, "Oh, let me taste it, what is there?" And another man comes. Is that very good intelligence? We have tasted this material world. Everyone has tasted. It is full of miseries. Tri-tāpa yantraṇā. Tri means three and tapa means miserable condition of life. Tri-tāpa. Adhyātmic, pertaining to this body and mind. Sometimes I am feeling some pain on my body, there is fever or some other ailment, the mind is not in order, this is called adhyātmic. Similarly, adhibhautic. Just like Pakistan is ready to attack us. If not Pakistan, then there are many other enemies. Even there are many other living entities, just like mosquito, fly, bugs. So adhibhautic: another living entity giving us trouble. And adhidaivic. Just like this famine, flood, pestilence, so many things which you cannot control.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 8, 1972 'The Present Need of Human Society':

Suppose you have to claim from somebody, say, some few thousands of rupees, first of all you have to deposit the stamp fee, five percent, and the pleader's fee. So you have to push good money after bad money. So these are the symptoms. There are many symptoms. In this way, the conclusion is... This is the description given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. There are many other symptoms. Our time is short. The king, the government, that is also stated. Government will be simply taxing. And people, being harassed in famine and taxation, they'll give up their hearth and home, will go to the forest and hills. And gradually, time will come when the ages will be reduced so much that a person twenty to thirty years old will be considered as great, grand old man. These are the symptoms of Kali-yuga.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

Just like your enemy or an animal—or there are ants, mosquitos, flies, they are all causing suffering. You are killing them, and they are trying to give you suffering. This is called struggle. This is called ādhibautic, suffering given by other living entities. Suffering caused by myself, this is called ādhyātmic. And suffering caused by other living... And there are other sufferings, caused by the nature, superior power, ādhidaivic. All of a sudden, there is no rain, no rainfall, and now for want of rainfall, there is no food grain. Excessive heat, excessive chilly cold; earthquake, famine... So many, by natures, imposed by the natures. Flood. So there are three kinds of sufferings in the material world, and everyone is suffering either by one, two or three or..., but nobody can say that "I am completely free from suffering." That is not possible. And why this suffering? Due to ignorance. I do not know. I am committing sinful life, I am committing mistakes; therefore I am suffering. Therefore guru's business is first to rescue his disciple from ignorance, ignorance. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Everyone is suffering out of ignorance; therefore guru's business is to... Just like we go to a school. We go to a school, we send our children to a school. Why? To save him from suffering; to get education. "If my son does not get education, he'll suffer in the future."

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Mao Tse Tung:

Śyāmasundara: No. I would admit that I am controlled. Everyone in my Communist state is controlled because we work under the...

Prabhupāda: Apart from Communist state, by nature's law... You have spoken about nature's law. So we are controlled by the nature's law. Who can deny it? When there is severe cold, I am controlled. When there is severe heat, I am controlled. When there is epidemic, I am controlled. When there is famine, I am controlled. When there is flood, I am controlled. So how you can say that you are not controlled? You are not independent. The basic principle is that you are not independent.

Page Title:Famine (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Namrata, Gopinath
Created:01 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=59, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:59