First engagement

Expressions researched:
"first engagement"

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

So, if you engage yourself in devotional service, the first engagement is this śravaṇam, hearing. It is not difficult.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 10, 1973: So, if you engage yourself in devotional service, the first engagement is this śravaṇam, hearing. It is not difficult. You don't have to go anywhere. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Kṛṣṇa is within you. If you kindly hear about Kṛṣṇa, that is the first business, śravaṇam. If you kindly hear about Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately, even we do not get time to hear about Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is within you. Kṛṣṇa is within you and as soon as Kṛṣṇa sees that now you are very much eager to hear about Him. The first business. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. And the hearing about Kṛṣṇa is puṇya, even if you do not understand, because hearing about Kṛṣṇa means you are hearing the sound Kṛṣṇa. That sound Kṛṣṇa will purify you, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. My Guru Mahārāja, if somebody would write some article, he would hear, he would simply see how many times there is Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya. Then he'll pass, "Yes, it is all right." (laughter) Because, because there are so many times Kṛṣṇa uttered, it is already nice. That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Initiation Lectures

The first engagement should be that mind should be always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. Always engaged. These boys, they are always engaged.

Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972: The first engagement should be that mind should be always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. Always engaged. These boys, they are always engaged. Just like in offering arcana to the Deities from early morning up to ten o'clock at night, and then they go to rest. Again rise early in the morning. So somebody is engaged n cleansing the temple, somebody is engaged in dressing the Deity, somebody is engaged in cooking for the Deity, somebody is engaged going in Tokyo city for distributing literature, somebody is performing kīrtana here, somebody is reading our various books. In this way we have got twenty-five hours engagement instead of twenty-four hours. So mind cannot go outside Kṛṣṇa. That is called Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Wedding Ceremonies

Our first engagement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So in this happy ceremony, I have got my heartfelt blessings upon you. You be happy.

Wedding of Syama dasi and Hayagriva -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1968: That is eternal. Similarly, this girl also met me in San Francisco, and she is very faithfully living with this society. She is very mild. So I have selected, "Śyāma dāsī, you should marry Hayagrīva." So they have agreed. And there is no separation. Our relationship is eternal. There is no separation. And this marriage is primarily for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bodily relationship is secondary. That is not a very important thing. Our first engagement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So in this happy ceremony, I have got my heartfelt blessings upon you. You be happy.