Fraud

Expressions researched:
"fraud" |"frauding" |"frauds" |"fraudulence" |"fraudulent" |"fraudulently"

SB Canto 1

To satisfy the Lord, anything is good, for it is in relation with the Absolute Truth. We also had the same opportunity to cheat the family members and leave home to engage in the service of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Such cheating was necessary for a great cause, and there is no loss for any party in such transcendental fraud.

SB 1.13.37, Purport:

That great souls cheat others may be astonishing to know, but it is a fact that great souls cheat others for a great cause. It is said that Lord Kṛṣṇa also advised Yudhiṣṭhira to tell a lie before Droṇācārya, and it was also for a great cause. The Lord wanted it, and therefore it was a great cause. Satisfaction of the Lord is the criterion of one who is bona fide, and the highest perfection of life is to satisfy the Lord by one's occupational duty. That is the verdict of Gītā and Bhāgavatam.* Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Vidura, followed by Gāndhārī, did not disclose their determination to Sañjaya, although he was constantly with Dhṛtarāṣṭra as his personal assistant. Sañjaya never thought that Dhṛtarāṣṭra could perform any act without consulting him. But Dhṛtarāṣṭra's going away from home was so confidential that it could not be disclosed even to Sañjaya. Sanātana Gosvāmī also cheated the keeper of the prison house while going away to see Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and similarly Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī also cheated his priest and left home for good to satisfy the Lord. To satisfy the Lord, anything is good, for it is in relation with the Absolute Truth. We also had the same opportunity to cheat the family members and leave home to engage in the service of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Such cheating was necessary for a great cause, and there is no loss for any party in such transcendental fraud.

A godless man is invariably greedy, angry and fraudulent.

SB 1.14.3, Purport:

When civilization is disconnected from the loving relation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, symptoms like changes of seasonal regulations, foul means of livelihood, greed, anger and fraudulence become rampant. The change of seasonal regulations refers to one season's atmosphere becoming manifest in another season—for example the rainy season's being transferred to autumn, or the fructification of fruits and flowers from one season in another season. A godless man is invariably greedy, angry and fraudulent. Such a man can earn his livelihood by any means, black or white. During the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, all the above symptoms were conspicuous by their absence. But Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was astonished to experience even a slight change in the godly atmosphere of his kingdom, and at once he suspected the disappearance of the Lord.

SB Canto 3

In this age, people in general are short-living and very slow to understand self-realization or spiritual life; they are mostly unfortunate, and therefore if someone is a little bit interested in self-realization he is likely to be misguided by so many frauds.

SB 3.15.45, Purport:

This age of Kali is called the fallen age. In this age, people in general are short-living and very slow to understand self-realization or spiritual life; they are mostly unfortunate, and therefore if someone is a little bit interested in self-realization he is likely to be misguided by so many frauds. The only way to realize the perfect stage of yoga is to follow the principles of Bhagavad-gītā as practiced by Lord Caitanya. This is the simplest and highest perfection of yoga practice. Lord Caitanya demonstrated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga system in a practical manner simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, as prescribed in the Vedānta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, and many important Purāṇas.

One does not take sannyāsa, freedom from family responsibility in the renounced order of life, to make another family or to create an embarrassing transcendental fraud in the name of sannyāsa.

SB 3.24.34, Purport:

Actually, sannyāsa, or renunciation of material household life, necessitates complete absorption in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and immersion in the self. One does not take sannyāsa, freedom from family responsibility in the renounced order of life, to make another family or to create an embarrassing transcendental fraud in the name of sannyāsa. The sannyāsī's business is not to become proprietor of so many things and amass money from the innocent public. A sannyāsī is proud that he is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa within himself. Of course, there are two kinds of devotees of the Lord. One is called goṣṭhy-ānandī, which means those who are preachers and have many followers for preaching the glories of the Lord and who live among those many, many followers just to organize missionary activities. Other devotees are ātmānandī, or self-satisfied, and do not take the risk of preaching work. They remain, therefore, alone with God. In this classification was Kardama Muni. He wanted to be free from all anxieties and remain alone within his heart with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Parivrāja means "an itinerant mendicant." A mendicant sannyāsī should not live anywhere for more than three days. He must be always moving because his duty is to move from door to door and enlighten people about Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.19.14, Translation:

King Indra was fraudulently dressed as a sannyāsī, having knotted his hair on his head and smeared ashes all over his body. Upon seeing such dress, the son of King Pṛthu considered Indra a religious man and pious sannyāsī. Therefore he did not release his arrows.

Light of the Bhagavata

Thus the so-called sannyāsīs try to construct another home in the name of the sannyāsa-āśrama and glide down into all sorts of luxury at the expense of others. So all these varṇas and āśramas have now become so many transcendental frauds.

Light of the Bhagavata 32, Purport:

In Kali-yuga, however, the entire system has gone topsy-turvy. The student lives in luxury at the expense of the father or the father-in-law. When the educated, indulgent student becomes a householder by the strength of university degrees, he requires money by all means for all kinds of bodily comfort, and therefore he cannot spare even a penny for the so-called vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs. The vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs nowadays are those who were unsuccessful in family life. Thus the so-called sannyāsīs try to construct another home in the name of the sannyāsa-āśrama and glide down into all sorts of luxury at the expense of others. So all these varṇas and āśramas have now become so many transcendental frauds.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

These books were meant for human society. They are not reading. They are reading all rascal novels and literatures and sex life, frauds, and this and that, books.

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

These are all stated in the Purāṇas. These books were meant for human society. They are not reading. They are reading all rascal novels and literatures and sex life, frauds, and this and that, books. How they are wasting their time! The other day Govinda dāsī was showing me one literature, Hawaii picture. The boys and girls, they are enjoying this, what is called?

These so-called worldly, honest men, they may be very honest, moral, but they are taking everything for their sense gratification. They are dishonest. They are the greatest fraud.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

Therefore they are accusing us of frauding, cheating, but they do not understand. Even if we take some money from others by so-called fraud or cheat, but it goes to Kṛṣṇa... Just like Gurukṛpā Mahārāja. If you say if he's taking by this way or that way, but what he is doing? He is not smoking with that money. He is not drinking. He is sending to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is giving the best service. So people may say, "Nonsense people. They're doing this, doing that." But he is giving the best service to Kṛṣṇa because he is not accepting a farthing out of this. And these so-called worldly, honest men, they may be very honest, moral, but they are taking everything for their sense gratification. They are dishonest. They are the greatest fraud. Kṛṣṇa's money they are taking for their own satisfaction. The greatest fraud. Stena eva sa ucyate (BG 3.12). What is that? Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). Bhuñjate te aghaṁ pāpāḥ. Stena eva sa ucyate. What is that? Everyone is thief. Everyone is taking Kṛṣṇa's money for his sense gratification, and they are advertising they are very moral.

You do not possess anything. But you are claiming that you are proprietor of this thing, that thing, which you have taken by stealing. And if your stolen property, I take it from you and return it to Kṛṣṇa, then who is fraud? You are fraud or I am fraud?

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

The so-called civilization, they are all set of thieves, rogues. And they are formulating rules and regulation for others' fraud, those who are devotees. They are themselves fraud. Everything belongs... Suppose you have got this iron, stealing from the mine Kṛṣṇa's property. Then if by some way or other, I take your iron and give it back to Kṛṣṇa, so I am fraud or you are fraud? You do not possess anything. But you are claiming that you are proprietor of this thing, that thing, which you have taken by stealing. And if your stolen property, I take it from you and return it to Kṛṣṇa, then who is fraud? You are fraud or I am fraud? Who is fraud? But they have made their own laws. They will steal, they will plunder, and still, they are honest gentlemen.

Just like the income tax department. They will take away all your hard-earned money, and they will enjoy themselves, and they are government officer, that's all. And if you keep money, "Oh, you have kept property without knowledge of government. Take it away." This is going on. So in this Kali-yuga it will happen so. The some rogues and frauds, they will combine together, and make a government, and take others' property, and they will remain honest, and he is fraud. This is Kali-yuga. The combined company of frauds, they will remain honest, and those who are servant of Kṛṣṇa, they are frauds. Bultaka jivi rama.(?) Just the opposite. What can be done? This is the Kali-yuga.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So this man married a prostitute, duṣṭā-bhāryā, and he learned how to cheat, how to become fraud, so many.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- San Francisco, July 16, 1975:

So this man married a prostitute, duṣṭā-bhāryā, and he learned how to cheat, how to become fraud, so many. We have already discussed. That was his business. And he was very nicely... He was thinking, "I am very nicely situated." In this way he was little attached to the youngest child. That was his fortune, that he was named Nārāyaṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's kindness.

Ajāmila became victimized unknowingly. So he was committing sinful, means cheating others, became a fraud because he thought, "This is my livelihood."

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- San Francisco, July 16, 1975:

So Ajāmila did not do that. He was foolish. He became victimized unknowingly. So he was committing sinful, means cheating others, became a fraud because he thought, "This is my livelihood." But he was affectionate to his son. He is always chanting, "Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa," not purposefully, that "Let me chant Nārāyaṇa and commit all sinful activities." No, that is not. You should mark this. Therefore the Viṣṇudūtas came, that "He is not offender. He is innocent criminal." So therefore the Yamadūtas came and immediately, very forcefully ordered, "Do not touch Ajāmila." Now, the next discussion we shall... It is very interesting.

God is great. But we do not know how great He is. Therefore we foolishly accept some pretender, some fraud, as God.

Lecture on SB 7.9.22 -- Mayapur, February 29, 1976:

We see this sun so big, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth, and you see morning, how quickly it gets up, like this, immediately. The speed is sixteen thousand miles per second. So how it is being happenend? Yasyājñayā bhramati saṁbhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajā... It is being done under the order of Govinda. So therefore He's vibhu. He is great. But we do not know how great He is. Therefore we foolishly accept some pretender, some fraud, as God. We do not know what is the meaning of God. But it is going on. We are fools. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānās. We are blind, and another blind man lead us: "I am God. You are God. Everyone is God." But God is not like that.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

It is a fraud. It is māyā. I give you piece of paper and you think on thousand rupees. This is māyā.

Room Conversation -- February 12, 1972, Madras:

Guest: Money god is greater than Brahma and Śiva and Viṣṇu, just about, unfortunately. The people have made an idol of gold and silver and letter of paper, paper making the promises of government...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: ...which are never kept. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: I was going to say, it is a fraud.

Guest: Fraud.

Prabhupāda: Māyā.

Guest: But that is...

Prabhupāda: It is māyā. I give you piece of paper and you think on thousand rupees. This is māyā.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

So if there is no such program, Deity worship, regulative principles, then it will be a joint mess. Hotel. Transcendental hotel. And transcendental fraud. This will go on.

Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Office means their business is office. But your business is begging. Your business is not office. Your business is not... They have to direct so many things from there. That we can do. Besides that... Anyway, even they have got office, they come from in Bombay, Calcutta, even from hundred miles away. So if there is no such program, Deity worship, regulative principles, then it will be a joint mess. Hotel. Transcendental hotel. And transcendental fraud. This will go on. The business will be transcendental fraud, and life will be transcendental hotel.

They are misunderstanding, "They have no other good business. Transcendental fraud, giving us some book and taking money and eating and sleeping."

Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is our mission, to teach that "You are simply wasting your time. Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is his only business. And next business is, those who cannot directly take to, then those, they should be helping this movement. Therefore we go door-to-door, to connect them, to be linked up with this movement, life member, this member, that member... They are misunderstanding, "They have no other good business. Transcendental fraud, giving us some book and taking money and eating and sleeping. They have got..." They are thinking like that.

If you simply make it a point, somehow or other take some money from them and let them go to hell, that is not... That is transcendental fraud.

Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, they should know that it is for their benefit we are making them life members, not for our benefit. And that should be the motive.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They should give with that motive.

Prabhupāda: Yes, we should deal with them so that they may develop their Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you simply make it a point, somehow or other take some money from them and let them go to hell, that is not... That is transcendental fraud. What do you think, Gargamuni?

Gargamuni: Yes. We have to preach. (S.P. laughs)

If by the dress of sannyāsī, you take some money and eat and sleep, then it is transcendental fraud.

Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If by the dress of sannyāsī, you take some money and eat and sleep, then it is transcendental fraud. (SP laughs) (Hindi) Just like others are toiling, and we are getting money by some dress. That's all. They are getting money by laboring hard, and we are getting money... In India, mostly the sannyāsīs, they do that. The priests also, they do that. This is our profession, just... My Guru Mahārāja said that ṭhākura dekhiye pāya rasta karache, rastaye 'yandiya jīvika badram karam bhari (?). Instead of earning livelihood by showing the Deity in the temple, it is better to take the profession of a sweeper in the street and live honestly. He said like that. The sweeper is working hard toiling and getting some money and living. This is honest living. But just like in Vṛndāvana, all the Goswamis. They have got their Deity. People are coming, contributing. Typical example, Gauracānda Goswami. Ṭhākura dekhiye paisa rasta. (?) All the sevaites, they are meant for... Our Kunja Babu also planned like that. He thought, "By cheating all the God-brothers, I have got now Caitanya Maṭha. And people will come to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu's birthplace, and I will get good income. And it will be distributed amongst my brothers and sons and myself. That's all." That is his scheme.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

So if these things come, then how this movement will go on? Politics, diplomacy, fraud, cheating, these are the general qualification of the western countries.

Morning Walk at Marine del Rey -- July 13, 1974, Los Angeles:

Brahmānanda: Actually, he was planning to see Revatīnandana Swami.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Brahmānanda: He was planning to go and visit Revatīnandana.

Prabhupāda: Now, the Revatīnandana and this man and Śyāmasundara is making a clique. I can understand. What they are planning, that also I know. But I don't wish to disclose it. So if these things come, then how this movement will go on? Politics, diplomacy, fraud, cheating, these are the general qualification of the western countries.

Jayatīrtha: Sitting?

Prabhupāda: Politics, diplomacy, fraud, cheating. These things are the general qualification of the western people. Do you admit or not?

Devotees: Yes.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

When you say, "It is fraud," and there must be something as honesty. Otherwise, why this "fraud" has come? Hm? We say, "This is light"—means there is something as darkness. This is relative world.

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1975, Los Angeles:

Bahulāśva: This Professor Stahl, he was saying that his experience is that everything is changing and temporary. So therefore he was thinking that that is the nature of all things, that they are temporary.

Prabhupāda: Temporary, this (indistinct). Why this "temporary" word has come into existence unless there is the opposite, "eternal"? Why do you use this word, "temporary"? When you say, "It is fraud," and there must be something as honesty. Otherwise, why this "fraud" has come? Hm? We say, "This is light"—means there is something as darkness. This is relative world. The Professor Einstein said relativity. This is relative: as soon as there is darkness, there must be light. Otherwise, how you understand light and darkness? So unless there is eternity, how do you bring this word, "temporary"? What is their answer?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Therefore I tell him this way. Just give books. Transcendental fraud, that we give, say, fifty rupees' worth book, and we draw 2222.

Morning Walk -- April 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, I don't touch money. They pass check. (laughter) I simply sign check. All these accounts in Bombay, they are being managed by them. I do not touch even. Lakhs and lakhs of rupees they are spending.

Dr. Patel: Begging is prohibited, so they rounded up the beggars sometime back.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I tell him this way. Just give books. Transcendental fraud, that we give, say, fifty rupees' worth book, and we draw 2222. Buddhir yasya balaṁ tasya nirbuddhes tu balaṁ kutaḥ.(?)Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. You know that story? Eh? You know that story, buddhir yasya balaṁ tasya?

Dr. Patel: "The man who has got the buddhi is a strong man."

How you can say you are not dependent on God? You are dependent. But because you are a rascal fraud, you want to cheat and become a Freud, that's all.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: No, the Vedic injunction is eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. God means He's supplying the necessities of all his sons. That is God. And that is practical. You are dependent. The animals, they are dependent on grass. So wherefrom the grass is coming? Why that land is deserted and this land is green place. Can you change it? Why you don't change the desert to be green? So if you think that "I'm living on animal, I don't care for grass," but the animal depending on grass, and the grass is depending on God's mercy. So how you can say you are not dependent on God? You are dependent. But because you are a rascal fraud, you want to cheat and become a Freud, that's all. You are a great fraud, therefore you're talking like that. You are dependent on God in every step. You cannot be independent. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra, find out this verse.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

(BG 3.27)

That is fraud. He's thinking independently, he's not independent.

He is a fraud.

Room Conversation About Blitz News Clipping -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Hari-śauri: This is a... That bit about... Some of it, there's the front page also. Thought you might like to read.

Prabhupāda: "Evidence of fraud"? No?

Hari-śauri: That's Sai Baba.

Pradyumna: One man is trying to prove Sai Baba is fraud. One professor.

Hari-śauri: He's a scientist. He says he can prove that Sai Baba's making things appear and disappear is just a trick.

Prabhupāda: He is a fraud. What is this paper?

Hari-śauri: This is the same issue.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

"This is not according to any Indian scripture." Yes, that's a fact.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: Many ordinary businessmen and middle-class people have spent the money and practiced Transcendental Meditation for a little bit, and they say it has helped them. It has given them peace of mind for a little bit.

Prabhupāda: That can give temporarily.

Rāmeśvara: But there's one haṭha-yoga teacher from India who's a little well known.

Gargamuni: Yogi Bhajan?

Rāmeśvara: No. He's different. He is a sex teacher. But there is this one other haṭha-yoga teacher. I can't remember his name. He's... Viṣṇu Devananda. And he is publishing pamphlets against Maharishi, that "This is completely bogus. In the name of meditation it is completely fraud, bluff, bogus." And he mails out these pamphlets all over America. He takes out ads in the newspapers trying to expose that "This is not according to any Indian scripture."

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's a fact.

Yes. So the real legal thing is: some way or other, introduce books.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Satsvarūpa: Things... Some of them mentioned were to imitate a deaf and dumb man and ask for charity, imitating that... (laughter)

Prabhupāda: That's not bad. (laughter)

Kīrtanānanda: Some boys were arrested for that, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They will arrest you in the United States if they catch you. They have done that.

Brahmānanda: That is considered fraud.

Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda, the points that we are proposing to ban will not decrease book distribution, so they can be eliminated and book distribution will not be decreased.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So the real legal thing is: some way or other, introduce books. Therefore... And it will be beneficial in the long time let us see.

1967 Correspondence

You will be glad to know that I have been able, by Grace of Krishna, to recover $4227, and odds out of the $5000.00 gone in the belly of Sir Conman Fraud (Payne) and Mr. Goldsmith is trying to recover at least $500.00 out of another $750.00 in the belly of Payne.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- New York 27 April, 1967:

You will be glad to know that I have been able, by Grace of Krishna, to recover $4227, and odds out of the $5000.00 gone in the belly of Sir Conman Fraud (Payne) and Mr. Goldsmith is trying to recover at least $500.00 out of another $750.00 in the belly of Payne. I prayed to Krishna specially for this recovery because I thought that Krishna's money may not be utilized for sense gratification. So I think still we shall be in loss of about $1000.00 or more which cannot be recovered because they have been shared by the Lawyers. Any way it is Krishna's Grace but in future all of you must be very cautious to deal with men like Payne whom I trusted not from the very beginning.

Perhaps you have heard that I have recovered out of that 6,000 dollars which had undergone in the belly of Sir Con Fraud.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- New York 5 May, 1967:

Perhaps you have heard that I have recovered out of that 6,000 dollars which had undergone in the belly of Sir Con Fraud. I have realized about 4700 dollars—the pleaders have taken about 1200 dollars, including Mr. Hill's lawyer, our lawyer Herzog and I have paid also something to Goldsmith. Anyway, that affair is closed. Now we are searching after a bigger place.

1975 Correspondence

Whatever fund is collected for food distribution should be sent to India. Why is it not sent? The other funds coming from sales of books can be accounted for properly, so where is there any fraud?

Letter to Ramesvara -- Bombay 1 January, 1975:

Whatever fund is collected for food distribution should be sent to India. Why is it not sent? The other funds coming from sales of books can be accounted for properly, so where is there any fraud? Sometimes a salesman can say something extraordinary in order to sell something, but that is not fraud. Just like they are selling this oil, saying that if you rub it on your bald head, hair will grow. Where is the case where a bald man's hair grew from this oil? But the government is not charging with fraud. Don't use these UNICEF cards, that will not be good. You can make ISKCON FOOD RELIEF cards. But the money collected using this card must be sent to India where we are actually feeding people. If we simply speak nicely to a person and try sincerely to get him to take the book he'll take it. Why should we adopt unfair means? We should not do anything which will create a bad impression or make us unpopular. People are after these books, they are hankering for them. We don't need to take cheating method. I never had to use any cheating method when I first began. I simply presented the real thing.