So because it is not fully realized, therefore such living entities who take sāyujya-mukti, they again fall down in due course of time. Because he doesn't get in the sāyujya-mukti the other two parts, component parts of his life, blissfulness and knowledge, full knowledge. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). The impersonalist Māyāvādīs, they undergo severe austerities, penances, and rise up to the Brahman effulgence, becomes merged into it, but again falls down. Just like the spark: it enters the flame of the fire, but there is again chance of falling down.
Full knowledge (Lectures, SB)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for educating people how to think of God constantly. And if we practice like that, then, after giving up this body, we are going to get a body which is exactly like God. This body is called sac-cid-ānanda. Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of bliss. This body, this material body, is just the opposite number. It is neither eternal, neither full of knowledge, neither full of bliss. And if we develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, then next body we shall get a body... (end)
Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 19, 1971:
The material type of goodness is just like a pure brāhmaṇa—satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā—with all the good qualities: truthfulness, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, full of knowledge, tolerance, and knowledge..., knowledge means about the Supreme. These are brahminical qualifications. But sometimes these brahminical qualifications also become contaminated by the other two qualities, passion and ignorance. It has been experienced. At the present stage also, we see that many persons who are coming to the brahminical family, but they have been contaminated by the other two qualities, passion and ignorance. So there is possibility. In the material goodness there is possibility of being attacked with the other two qualities and thereby fall down. But when you transcend the material platform of goodness and come to this transcendental platform of goodness, then you cannot fall down. That is called sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam.
Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:
In the liberated condition only, this primary rasa is experienced in full. In the material existence, the rasa is experienced in the perverted form, which is temporary. And thus the rasas of the material world are exhibited in the material form of raudra (anger) and so on. Therefore, one who attains full knowledge of these different rasas, which are the basic principles of activities, can understand the false representations of the original rasas which are reflected in the material world. The learned scholar seeks to relish the real rasa in the spiritual form. In the beginning he desires to become one with the Supreme. Thus, less intelligent transcendentalists cannot go beyond this conception of becoming one with the spirit whole, without knowing of the different rasas. In this śloka, it is definitely stated that spiritual rasa, which is relished even in the liberated stage, can be experienced in the literature of the..."
Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- Caracas, February 24, 1975:
So here it is recommended that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of all Vedic literature, and it was first spoken by Śukadeva Gosvāmī." The Vedic literature is full of knowledge. That I have described. And the essence of Vedic literature is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Among the learned circles in India it is said, vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ, means "Your education should be up to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Then you will have complete education. Then we shall understand what is our constitutional position and what is our real characteristic. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the word mukti, or liberation, is stated. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam defines mukti as this: muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ, means mukti means giving up, giving up our unreal engagement and to be situated in the real original characteristic engagement. For our original characteristic, that we are eternal servant of God, Kṛṣṇa, if we are situated in that platform or eternal platform, serving Kṛṣṇa, that is mukti. Mukti means give up the false conception of life and take the real conception of life.
Lecture on SB 1.2.1 -- New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972:
That is our practical experience, we know. But God's body is eternal. Therefore He hasn't got a body like this. This body is not eternal. Everyone can understand. But His body is eternal. Another symptom, sat, cit. Cit means knowledge. So we have got also knowledge, but not full knowledge. That has been described in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, what is the nature of God. Nature of God is described, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Nature of God means He is the supreme source of everything. Whatever, janma... Janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1). Janma ādi. Ādi means "beginning with janma."
Just like I have already described my body, your body, has a history of janma, or birth, a date of birth. So janma ādi means birth and sustenance and death. We have got this body produced or born at a certain date. It keeps, sustains, for a certain period-say fifty years, sixty years, or a hundred years, utmost—and then again it is destroyed. Therefore janma ādi means birth is also coming from Him, maintained also by Him, and when it is destroyed, it goes unto Him.
Lecture on SB 1.2.1 -- New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972:
So it is a very great science of understanding God. So we have decided to discuss this great science for a few days here. You take advantage of it. Try to understand this great science, how we can be related with God and be happy. Because God is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). He is full of knowledge. He is eternal and He is blissful. We are part and parcel of God. Just like the same example, the drop of Atlantic Ocean water. Although it is a drop, but it must have all the chemical composition. Therefore, although we are very small, in combination to God's existence, but we have got all the qualities, namely eternity, blissfulness and knowledge. But now it is covered by our material existence, therefore we, instead of eternity, we have to accept death. The death is not mine. I am a spirit soul. The death is of the body. That is called change of dress. Not the man. Changing the dress does not mean the man who is putting on the dress, he is killed.
Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972:
So of all the living entities, so superior living entity is God. That is stated in the Vedas: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. Nitya, eternal. God is eternal; we are also eternal. God is also full of knowledge; we are also not full of knowledge, but we have got knowledge, cetana. The matter has not, no knowledge. So He is the supreme eternal. He is the supreme cognizant.
- nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām
- eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān
- (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13)
The one is singular number, nitya, cetana. The others are plural number. So we living entities, we are many, asaṅkhya. There is no limit how many living entities are there. That you have got experience. Even within your room, from a small hole, thousands and thousands of ants may come out. Just imagine.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:
Prabhupāda: So if you actually serious to know about spiritual subject matter, then you must have to, abhigacchet... Abhigacchet, this word is used when the sense is "must". Not that without I can go, I can have spiritual knowledge without having accepted a spiritual master, that is not possible. You must go to a spiritual master and he must be bona fide, he must be in full knowledge, then your life is successful. Any other question?
Guest: We have heard a lot that we get (indistinct) karma.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest: How are you to know that this act or that act is good or bad?
Prabhupāda: You do not know what is good or bad?
Guest: We do not know because (indistinct) somebody right or somebody (indistinct). We do not know what were our past karmas.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:
That is dharma. A brāhmaṇa is..., he has got his duties, to practice how to become truthful, satya; śama, how to control the senses; and dama, how to control the mind. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā, how to learn toleration, forbearance. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā, ārjavam, how to become simple, not crooked. Jñānam, full knowledge in everything. Vijñānam, practical application. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam (BG 18.42), full faith in the Vedic literature. That is called āstikyam. That is called theism, to believe in the śāstras without any deviation. That is called theism. Atheism means not to believe in the śāstra or not to accept them as it is, to comment according to one's own whim. That is called atheism. Theism means to have faith, full faith in the Vedic knowledge. That is called theism.
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:
He is interested because He has created. He has given us facility to live here, but He is not coming here to enjoy this. He has got better. Or He doesn't care for all these opulences. That is another qualification of God. So this human form of life is meant for understanding God and scientifically, with full knowledge. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore we are preaching this Bhāgavata discourse. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam what is the nature of God? That has been described, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). God, God is cognizant, He knows everything. He is a sentient being. Not that a dead stone. If God is not sentient being, if God is not a person, how so many powerful persons, sentient persons coming from Him? If the father is not intelligent, how the sons and daughters can become intelligent?
Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Vrndavana, October 18, 1972:
The question may be. But because such questions are raised by atheist class of men, they cannot understand that how a so-called illiterate man also elevates himself to the highest platform of knowledge. That is explained here: janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca. Do not think that a devotee, who is on the adulterated platform of devotional service, can remain without knowledge. He's full of knowledge.
How he becomes full of knowledge? Yes. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- teṣām evānukampārtham
- aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
- nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvastho
- jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā
- (BG 10.11)
So Kṛṣṇa says, "To My devotees," teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10), "those who are engaged twenty-four hours in unadulterated devotional service to the Lord," buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I give them intelligence how he can go back to home, back to Godhead."
Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:
Kṛṣṇa is not formless. When Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, He is not formless. He has His form. And what is that form? Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Ānandamaya-rasa-vigraha. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. That is not this vigraha. That we have to understand. Our vigraha, our form, at the present moment, material form, that is not sac-cid-ānanda. Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of blissfulness.
So as soon as we think of one body, we think comparing with our body. So similarly, by our foolishness, if we think of Kṛṣṇa's body like one of us, then we become mūḍha. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because Kṛṣṇa comes in the human form like a human being, therefore we should not take Kṛṣṇa as one of us. Then we become mūḍha, rascal, fools. Or in other words, one who thinks of Kṛṣṇa having a body like us—that is the Māyāvāda philosophy—he is a mūḍha.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:
Again he comes back home. Similarly, our position in this material world is like that. Our position is very jubilant and happy, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), sac-cid-ānanda. Sat-cit-ānan... We have got our eternal life, sat; cit, and full of knowledge; and blissful, as Kṛṣṇa has got. Therefore because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7), so Kṛṣṇa, if Kṛṣṇa is good, so I am also good. If Kṛṣṇa is happy, then I must be happy. If Kṛṣṇa is jubilant, then I must be jubilant. Wherefrom we get this idea of happiness? Because we are part of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa dances with the gopīs, we also want to dance with young girls here, in this material world, Why? Wherefrom this idea we have got? The idea is already there, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have got this propensity. So ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:
Ānandamāyā means always blissful. Because we are part and parcel of God... God is blissful, all-good, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His form... He has got form. He is not formless. But His form is different. That form is sat-cit-ānanda. Sat means eternal, and cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of bliss. So we are part and parcel of God. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel." So if Kṛṣṇa is sat-cit-ānanda, then we are also sat-cit-ānanda, because we are part. Just like gold and a gold, small particle. That is also gold. You cannot say it is something else. No. So part or whole, it may be. That is difference. Part is never equal to the whole. But quality is the same. Therefore we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, we are trying to utilize our original constitutional position. This is going on.
Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:
Just like Bhagavad-gītā is smṛti. Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi (Brs. 1.2.101), and Nārada Pañcarātra. Without reference to these books of knowledge, if one becomes a so-called devotee, that is not accepted by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Here also it is said, bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Śruta-gṛhītayā, knowledge, full knowledge, through Vedas, bhaktyā, with devotion. Dry Vedic knowledge makes you impersonalist, only a partial realization. Therefore bhakti must be there. Bhakti means without any result or karma and jñāna. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). People are interested with dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). But Bhāgavata says that above that, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). Here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa, they are cheating, because they are not giving directly the devotional service to the Lord. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa.
Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:
Lord Kṛṣṇa says ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). That repetition of birth and death, that will continue. Therefore intelligent person, those who are intelligent, they will take it up: "Oh, why shall I continue this birth and death process? Why not have my eternal life?" If I am, by constitution, if I am eternal, if I am constitutionally blissful and if I am eternally full of knowledge, now I am covered by this material nature, why not take up this process so that this karma-bandhana, this continuous birth and death of transmigration of myself from one place to another, that should be stopped? The Bhāgavata says therefore that yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ karma-granthi-nibandhanam. If one can surpass this chain of birth and death, why an intelligent man should not take up this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Los Angeles, August 18, 1972:
These are the qualifications, symptoms of guru. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. He has got full knowledge in the transcendental science, and without book, how he has got knowledge? Or without hearing from another authority?
So... So one must be intelligent. Then he can become free from this knot, hard knot of material life, by cutting it with the weapon, yad anudhyāsinā. And what is that? Chindanti ko... Chindanti: cuts; kovidāḥ, intelligent. Tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim. Kathā-ratim. One should be intelligent enough to understand or to hear kathā of Kṛṣṇa. Simply you have to do this. Just like you are all sitting here. It doesn't require that you have to pass M.A. examination, Ph.D. examination. God has given you the ear. Simply you sit down and hear from a realized person. The words are there, the message are there. Just like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, especially. Everything is there to understand about God. Simply you have to increase your attachment for hearing. That is, that qualification required.
Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- San Francisco, March 25, 1967:
"How long we shall continue this repetition of birth and death and change of body?" Any intelligent man... That is the prerogative of the human form of life. That is the prerogative. He can stop this process, repetition of birth and death. He can get his real, actual spiritual form again and be blissful, full knowledge and eternal life. That is the whole process. So we should not miss this. And the whole thing begins just what we have begun now, now, this chanting and hearing. I wanted to point out that this chanting and hearing is as good as actual association of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Bhāgavata, that śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). This, this process is called kīrtana. Even one does not understand the language, still, by hearing only, he acquires some piety. His, his assets become pious life, even he does not understand. It is such powerful. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ... kṛṣṇa-kathā means topics in, in the matter of Kṛṣṇa. The topics in the matter of Kṛṣṇa, there are two, two kinds of topics. One topic is this, Bhagavad-gītā. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. And another kṛṣṇa-kathā, I mean to..., topics about Kṛṣṇa, is this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is spoken about Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:
In spite of his good qualification, expert in six occupational duties of a brāhmaṇa, if he's an avaiṣṇava, if he has not understood Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he cannot become guru. Therefore, according to Vedic system, not a brāhmaṇa is accepted as guru, but when he becomes gosvāmī. Gosvāmī means fully controlled in full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He can become guru.
The... Rūpa Gosvāmī's... That six kinds of control. One who has controlled over his speeches, over his anger, over his tongue, over his mind, over his genital, over his belly, when one has full control over these six things, he's a gosvāmī. Pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt. He can make disciples all over the world. That is the injunction of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. He was himself a gosvāmī. In the beginning, when he was a minister, he was not a gosvāmī, but later on, when he became completely educated by Śrī, Śrīla Mahāprabhu, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, both the brothers, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they became gosvāmīs. And other gosvāmīs, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, they became their assistants.
Lecture on SB 1.2.20 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1972:
Anyone who has taken seriously devotional service... Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Liberation means knowledge and detachment. Knowledge, full knowledge means that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul, and my bodily activities are not congenial for my ultimate goal of life. I must engage myself in spiritual activity." This is called jñāna and vairāgya. When one knows that he is not body, then why should he work hard day and night for maintaining this body? That is knowledge. And karmīs, they are trying to maintain this body. Sometimes karmīs also take to bhakti-yoga. Not bhakti-yoga, so-called bhakti. But their aim is how to maintain this body nicely. That is also accepted. Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ (SB 2.3.10). Because if you take to bhakti-yoga even for maintaining this body nicely, that is also very nice, because gradually, due to the influence of bhakti-yoga, you will come to the platform of mukta, mukta-saṅga. Bhakti-yoga is so strong.
Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:
This external, academic education has no value for spiritual advancement. So here it is said, ahaṁ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvasthaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone, and if every, anyone is purified, Kṛṣṇa takes charge and He instructs. And who can be greater instructor than Kṛṣṇa? Therefore it is wrong theory that devotees are ignorant. They're full of knowledge. If one is actually a devotee, there is no lack of knowledge. That's a fact. Go on.
Pradyumna: "He comes to know everything of the absolute and the relative truths. The devotee cannot remain in darkness, and because a devotee is enlightened by the Personality of Godhead, his knowledge is certainly perfect. This is not the case for those who speculate on the Absolute Truth by dint of their own limited power of approach."
Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:
This is first-class civilization. People must be truthful, they must be equipoised, not disturbed, not being disturbed by different situations. They must learn how to control the senses. They must learn how to control the mind. Śamo damas ti... They must be tolerant, titikṣā. Ārjava: they must be very simple, no duplicity. Ārjava. Jñānam: they must know everything in full knowledge. Vijñānam: apply the knowledge in practical life. Āstikyam: they must believe in the Vedic injunctions. Āstikya. That is called āstikya. The atheist and, and theist. The theist believes in the Vedic injunction. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is theist. Not that "I believe in God." They must believe in the injunction of the Vedas; what is said in the Vedas, one must believe. That is called theist. As we have given several times the example: the Vedas says that cow dung is pure. One who believes in that, he is theist.
Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:
They are concerned with this material world only. That is also not perfectly. But there is spiritual world. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), Kṛṣṇa says. There is another, another manifestation of His internal potency. That is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Here, in this material world, material world means it is not eternal, not blissful and not full of knowledge. This is material world. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said: avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. This manifestation of energy is full of ignorance. The nature of this world is called darkness, tamasi, tama. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. So sad-asad-rūpayā cāsau guṇa, guṇamaya aguṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa, when He's called aguṇa, or nirguṇa, that means He's not affected by these material modes of nature. Above material nature. We are affected. We living entities, we are affected by the material modes of nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is not affected. That is Kṛṣṇa..., difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself.
Lecture on SB 1.2.31 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:
Then gradually the dirty things within our heart will be cleansed, and there will be clear direction what to do in which circumstances and how to do it. Everything will come.
Because vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is there. He's full of knowledge, scientific knowledge. Vijñānena. This very word is used, vijñānena. Not only jñāna, but vijñānena. Tactfully, everything perfectly will come. Simply we have to link our lost relationship. We are always in Kṛṣṇa touch, but at the present moment, due to the illusory energy of māyā, we have forgotten that we are always connected with Kṛṣṇa. This has to be, this illusion, this dirty things has to be moved; then our original relationship will be established, and our life will be perfect. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:
Therefore the persons with less intelligence, they cannot understand that God's body is not matter. They think that anything has got a body is matter; but that is not the case. The real thing is that God has got body, but not material body. And it is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā that īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His body is eternal, full of bliss and full of knowledge. Just opposite. You have got this body which is neither eternal, nor full of bliss, nor full of knowledge. This body is full of ignorance and full of miseries and temporary. Therefore God hasn't got a body like this. When in the Vedic literature it is said that God has no body, that does not mean that He has no body. He has no body like this body, material body. Apāni-pādo javana gṛhīta. The Vedic literature says like this, that God has no leg, no hand. Therefore the impersonalists take advantage of it. "Oh, here it is stated God has no legs, no hands." But the next line is, javana gṛhīta: "He can accept everything which you offer Him in devotion."
Lecture on SB 1.3.10 -- Los Angeles, September 16, 1972:
We are not seeking after a cheap God. Real God. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.
So we are not so fool that... Why we shall make research? Everything is there. So we are confident. We know what is going to happen. It is not astrology. It is... Everything is there in the Vedic knowledge. Veda means knowledge, full knowledge. You take advantage of it and become learned.
Lecture on SB 1.3.26 -- Los Angeles, October 1, 1972:
So if he falls down or contacts the mode of goodness, that is considered the fire spark falling on dry grass. Dry grass means... Goodness means one who is situated almost on the spiritual platform. Just like the brahminical qualification: truthfulness, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, simplicity, full of knowledge, practical application of knowledge in life, and completely faith in God. That is brahminical qualification. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). And passion means strong desire to enjoy this material world. Generally, the kings, the politicians, they are very much passionate to encroach upon other's property, other nations, like that. And ignorance means they are neither passionate nor good. "All right, let me eat something and sleep." That's all. That is ignorance. They are satisfied if they get good opportunity for sleeping. That's all.
Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:
There are eight divisions of human society: four divisions social structure, and four divisions for spiritual enlightenment. So unless the eight divisions are properly managed, that is not human society. Human society is distinct from animal society by culture. What is that culture? Vedic culture, knowledge. Vedic means knowledge. One must be equipped with full knowledge. "So this Vedic culture," Vyāsadeva says, "or the Vedic principles, are not very easily understood by women class, by worker class, and dvija-bandhu." Dvija-bandhu means the boys who have taken birth in the family who are supposed to be very cultured, but their habit is different. They are called dvija-bandhu. In every country, that deterioration of social structure has already begun. They are called varṇa-saṅkara. Varṇa-saṅkara factually means that those who are illiterate. So for them it is very difficult to understand the Vedic principles. Therefore the same knowledge is described in stories just like Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, and for understanding of all men, all women. So Mahābhārata is especially written for such class of men and women.
Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:
Simply by understanding what is Kṛṣṇa... That is also not very difficult to understand if you follow the scriptural injunctions. What is Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). He is not ordinary man. His body is sac-cid-ānanda, full of bliss, eternal, and full of knowledge. So is it very difficult to understand? He has given proof that Kṛṣṇa is always enjoying bliss. And Kṛṣṇa's instruction, knowledge, there is no comparison. Bhagavad-gītā and so many other instructions. And He is eternal. Just like the sun-sun is eternal, day and night. It is our adjustment of this planet. So Kṛṣṇa is there. Just like the sun is there always in the sky, but we think, "This is night, this is day." That is adjustment of this planet. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is always there. When He is visible we say that Kṛṣṇa is living, and when He's not visible we say, "Kṛṣṇa is dead."
Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- London, September 12, 1973:
So we are trying our bit, almost single-handed, although the important literatures are there, Vedic literatures, four Vedas, Vedānta-sūtra, eighteen Purāṇas, hundred and eight Upaniṣads, then Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, so many, full of knowledge, transcendental knowledge. They can be distributed all over the world. But there was no organized attempt. We are just begun from 1966, this movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, distributing this literature. Through literature, of course, we are very hopeful. Our literatures are selling. In London also, they sell at least $200, er, pounds, in the street. Similarly, in New York, in Los Angeles, every city we are selling about thirty-to forty thousand rupees' worth books daily. People are appreciating. But if the publishers and the book sellers also help us in this movement, then people will be very much benefited. That is our request. We have come to this, I mean to say, bookseller's office to request... Of course, we have no means to advertise very much, but our advertisement is the saṅkīrtana movement.
Lecture on SB 1.5.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 18, 1969:
And satyānande. And that is real happiness. Happiness does not mean it is for few minutes. No. Happiness should continue, eternally. One should be situated in that happiness so that other, temporary happiness will not attract him.
So ramante yogino 'nante satyānande cid-ātmani. Cit, cit means that he's full of knowledge. That is not in ignorance. This material happiness is in ignorance. And spiritual happiness is śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva means pure goodness. In the material world there are three stages: ignorance, passion and goodness. The goodness platform is very nice in the material world, but there is another platform, which is called śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddham, viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. That is transcendental platform, and in that platform you can understand God. God is Vāsudeva, and in the vasudeva platform... So ramante yogino 'nante satyānande cid-ātmani. That is cid-ātmani.
Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:
This is budhāḥ. Those who are actually educated, they're called budhāḥ, in full knowledge.
So there are departmental knowledge. So by research work, when one understands that Kṛṣṇa is the original cause of everything, then that is siddhānta. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says that
- siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa
- ihā ha-ite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa
- (CC Adi 2.117)
Siddhānta, conclusion, try to study. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the origin of everything." So whatever subject matter you have got, you study. Then when you come to this conclusion, "Yes, actually Kṛṣṇa is the original cause," then your devotion of Kṛṣṇa immediately increases. If you accept blindly Kṛṣṇa, that is one thing, another one thing. And if you study, make research work, and find out Kṛṣṇa is the original cause, then your love for Kṛṣṇa will increase. So this is required. This is required.
Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:
Very, very poor. Gṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasām. Because their mind is very crippled. They are thinking that this duration of life—say, fifty years or twenty years or utmost seventy, or hundred years—this is everything. That's all. Therefore they are very poor. Their expansion of knowledge is very, very meager. And it is the business of the saintly persons to be kind upon them, that "This is not the life. You are thinking, making adjustment to live for fifty years or hundred years very comfortably, or even next life..." Karmīs, they also take consideration of the next life, to be promoted in the heavenly planet or other higher planetary system. But still, they are poor. Poor. Because they are lacking in the knowledge of eternal life, full of knowledge and blissfulness. That they do not know. Sac-cid-ānanda life.
Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 18, 1975:
That is called māyā. So long one is illusioned by the māyā he cannot have perfect knowledge. This subject matter has been discussed in the previous verse. It is said, yayā sammohito jīvaḥ. Before that, the one verse is that Vyāsadeva, the vidvān... Vyāsadeva is addressed here as vidvān, full knowledge. So he was unhappy even after compiling Vedānta-sūtra. He was not very happy. So under the instruction of his guru, Nārada Muni, he wanted to compile the last contribution to the human society, a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrāṇāṁ vedārtha-paribṛṁhitam. This, in every chapter, at the end, it is said, brahma-sūtra-bhāṣye: "The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the commentary on the Brahma-sūtra or Vedānta-sūtra." Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. Veda means knowledge; anta means the last contribution. So under the instruction of Nārada Muni, Vyāsadeva first of all made his life perfect. Yes. How he made his life perfect? Because if you write books without any perfection, that will not be effective.
Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 23, 1975:
This is the enquiry. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. But they do not know it. Ask anybody of this material world that "What is the cause of your suffering?" They cannot explain; they do not know it. Therefore it is particularly mentioned, ajānataḥ: "They do not know how to mitigate this suffering." Therefore vidvān. Vidvān, one who has got full knowledge, Vyāsadeva, he has made this sātvata-saṁhitām. Saṁhitā means Vedic knowledge, and sātvata means pure, completely pure, or for the Vaiṣṇavas or the perfect spiritualists. Lokasya ajānataḥ vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām (SB 1.7.6). How we can utilize this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sātvata-saṁhitā?
Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Vrndavana, April 23, 1975:
This is the bodily business: eating, sleeping, sex life and always fearful, "What will happen next? What will happen next?" These are the anarthas. Actually we are part and parcel of the sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ: (Bs. 5.1) eternal, sat; full of knowledge, sat-cit; and bliss, ānanda, pleasure. This is our life. But this is not our life—eating, sleeping, mating and bhayam. These things are required only dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt, when we identify with the dvitīya, means the second. Second means I am not this body, but the body is the second feature. So when I identify myself with this body, that is called dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ. And on account of our thoughts being absorbed in the secondary body, we are suffering.
Lecture on SB 1.7.12 -- Vrndavana, September 11, 1976:
So how this is possible, if we cannot understand... Because Lord Viṣṇu's energy is inconceivable. Inconceivable, acintya. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has discussed. Unless you accept acintya-śakti of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you cannot understand. You have to accept. It is acintya, inconceivable, by us. But it is not inconceivable by the advanced devotees. Or anything being executed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is not inconceivable by Him. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. He's so perfect in knowledge that what we are thinking inconceivable, that is very, very easily done with full knowledge by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So what is inconceivable by us, it is not inconceivable by Him.
Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976:
He must have the quality, śamo damaḥ śaucaṁ titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). He must be self-controlled, controlling the mind and the senses. Then very clean, śaucam. Satyaṁ śaucam. Then titikṣā, tolerant; ārjavam, very simple. No duplicity. Simple. Ārjavam. Jñānam, full knowledge; vijñānam, knowledge applied in practical life. This is vijñānam. Just like we call science. Science means to know the thing correctly, and by practical experiment to understand the things correctly, that is vijñānam. Jñānam means theoretical knowledge, and vijñānam means practical application of the knowledge. Simply if I know "This is the qualification of brāhmaṇa," but there is no practical application, that will not do. One must pass the engineering examination and work as engineer; then he's called an engineer. One has passed the law examination and is practicing in the court, then he's lawyer. Two things required. Similarly, all these varṇa-vibhāga, divisions of varṇas... Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. Guṇa means he must have the necessary quality, at the same time he must work with that quality.
Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- Mayapura, October 1, 1974:
Otherwise, in Sanskrit language they are called jñāna-khala: "miser in knowledge." One who has got knowledge... Just like in the modern world, if one is scientifically advanced, he gives the knowledge to others. He goes from university to university and speaks about the new invention. So similarly, brāhmaṇa means that he must have full knowledge and he must distribute the knowledge, not that keep it for himself, reserved: "Nobody should know it." No. Paṭhana-pāṭhana. So jñānaṁ vijñānam.
Similarly, everyone has got particular type of business. Kṣatriya has got; vaiśya has got. So yat karoṣi, whatever you are doing, you must do it for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. Kṛṣṇa's satis... If you have got some knowledge, you distribute the knowledge for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. How you can do that? Whatever knowledge you have got, you try to describe Kṛṣṇa. Kavibhir nirūpitaḥ yad uttama-śloka-guṇānuvarṇanam (SB 1.5.22). This is the first-class distribution of knowledge. Whatever you know, you try to explain Kṛṣṇa by that knowledge. Just like our Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara. He's a scientist, and now he is trying to explain Kṛṣṇa through his scientific knowledge. Similarly, if you are a medical man, you can explain also Kṛṣṇa through medical science.
Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:
As it is said, janma karma ca viśvātmann ajasya akartur ātmanaḥ, viḍambanam. Viḍambanam. They are all bewildering, bewildering. Therefore, if one understands properly, then the result is that he becomes liberated. That means he gets full knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Then he understands that Kṛṣṇa is everything. He's the origin of everything. Viśvātman. This is to be understood. He's the vital force of the whole universe. The whole universe is moving not automatically, but under the guidance and superintendency of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Kṛṣṇa says, "Under My superintendence" So Kṛṣṇa is active, but He has nothing to do. This is acintya, inconceivable. He is very active because He is supervising the whole activities of the universe, but still, He has nothing to do. That is Kṛṣṇa. We have to understand that. Paśyaty acakṣuḥ. "He is seeing, but acakṣuḥ. Acakṣuḥ means... You may say, "Not seeing." Acakṣuḥ. He does not place His eyesight, but still, He's seeing. How it is? Now, He can see from any part of His body. Just like I close my eyes—I cannot see you. My seeing activities stop.
Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Mayapura, October 27, 1974:
Just like a so-called sannyāsī, they give up as a sentiment and take sannyāsa, but unless he has knowledge, he cannot stay; he'll fall down. He'll fall down. Therefore vairāgya and jñāna, two things must be there. Jñāna means full knowledge that "I am spirit soul; my only necessity is spiritual advancement of life." This is jñāna. And then, naturally, he has no more any affection for material things.
So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was thinking—it is natural—that on account of his position, to become the emperor of the world, suhṛdāṁ vadham, so many friends have been killed. Āha rājā dharma-sutaś cintayan suhṛdāṁ vadham. This is natural. But duty is duty. When Kṛṣṇa says that, as He did to Arjuna, that "You must fight. You must kill them," that is duty. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness—no consideration of my affection.
Lecture on SB 1.9.3 -- Los Angeles, May 17, 1973:
Now Kṛṣṇa gave us a little knowledge, which is known as Bhagavad-gītā, and five thousand years ago this knowledge was given, but is still going on, all over the world. In our movement we sell Bhagavad-gītā the most. Is it not? We sell our Bhagavad-gītā As It Is everywhere and in large number. Because it is full knowledge, not partial. Everything is complete. Can you show any book in the world which has so much sale and which is so much perfect? There is no book. And I am not..., because we are Kṛṣṇa devotees we are eulogizing like that, but any scholar, any philosopher, any scientist will say like that: "Oh, there is no comparison of this book." I do not know exactly, but one gentleman told me that Professor Einstein, he was also reading Bhagavad-gītā daily. Hitler was reading. Such, such big, big men. But I know many scholars, even Muhammadans, they also read Bhagavad-gītā.
Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:
So Bhāgavata begins with this word of Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. So it is the, in the beginning, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the explanation of the Vedānta-sūtra. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has recommended, therefore, one should learn Bhāgavatam from a person who knows Vedānta-sūtra. Śruti-gṛhītayā, bhaktyā śruti-gṛhītayā. Bhakti should be generated, śruti-gṛhītayā, by studying Vedānta-sūtra. Bhakti is not sentiment. Bhakti is the transcendental science. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, jñānī viśiṣyate(?). You should be in full knowledge what is Kṛṣṇa, not that accepting Kṛṣṇa as something fictitious. Even big, big scholars—Dr. Radhakrishnan, Gandhi—they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. How they can understand? It is not understandable by the fools and rascals.
Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:
Therefore if some day Kṛṣṇa's representative takes the governmental power, then he will immediately stop all these slaughterhouses, all these brothels, all these liquor houses. Then there will be peace and prosperity. Bhūta-bhāvana, Kṛṣṇa will be pleased, "Here is My representative."
So there are so many things to understand from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, full knowledge, all knowledge, as it is required by the human society. So we have to study from all angles of vision, not simply by sentiment. This is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Lecture on SB 1.10.3-4 -- Tehran, March 13, 1975:
Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was not a typically unenlightened political leader of modern democracy. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was instructed by Bhīṣmadeva and the infallible Lord also, and therefore he had full knowledge of everything in perfection. The modern elected executive head of the state is just like a puppet because he has no kingly power. Even if he is enlightened like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, he cannot do anything out of his own good will due to his constitutional position. Therefore, there are so many states over the earth quarreling because of ideological differences or other selfish motives. But a king like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira had no ideology of his own. He had but to follow the instruction of the infallible Lord and the Lord's representative, and the authorized agent, Bhīṣmadeva. It is instructed in the śāstras the one should follow the great authority and the infallible Lord without any personal motive and manufactured ideology. Therefore, it was possible for Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to rule the whole world, including the seas, because the principles were infallible and universally applicable to everyone.
Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:
Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Eternal, sat, cit. Cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda, bliss. That is required.
So why should we waste our time otherwise for solving these so-called problems? So-called problem, they will come. Just like now it is winter season. This is also problem. Just little cover it. Then it will... Again there will be summer season; this covering will not be required, not be required. So manage somehow if there is little problem, but don't forget your real problem. That is life. That is life. "Because now it is very chilly, so I shall not take bath." No. You have to do your duty, even it is very cold, severe cold, you have to do duty. "Because it is very hot, warm, we shall not cook, we shall not go to the kitchen." No. You have to go. Similarly, real problem is how to solve this birth, death, old age and disease. And that can be done by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In all circumstances, we have to pull on our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). That business do not forget.
Lecture on SB 1.15.50 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1973:
So vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ. One who takes shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa by bhakti-yoga process... Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ... (SB 1.2.7). When applied... Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Because in the human form of life, two things are required. That is perfection: jñānaṁ vairāgyam. Jñānam means knowledge, and vairāgyam means detachment. When one has full knowledge, then he becomes detached from this material world. We are suffering in this material world because we have got attachment. And the attachment is by nature's law, man's attachment for woman, woman's attachment for man. This is attachment. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). The central point is sex, and that is the attachment. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam. The whole world, this material world, is moving. What is the central point? Sex attachment. So one has to become free from this attachment. That is called vairāgya. Vairāgya.
Lecture on SB 1.15.50 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1973:
First of all knowledge, perfect knowledge, that "I am not this body. I am simply wasting my time taking care of this body, but I am different from the body." That is natural. Suppose you are sitting in some place. If you know that place does not belong to you, then why should you take so much care? You are sitting there for some business. Finish, and go. Similarly, if one is in knowledge, full knowledge, that "I am not this body," that is called jñāna. Then why he should be bothering so much for this body which is going to be, as I explained yesterday, either ash, or stool or earth? This is the last stage of this body.
So the real thing is the soul. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). So we should take care. Just like we can take care of this hat and coat by soaping it, but we must take care of myself, the body which is putting on this hat and coat. Similarly, this material body is hat and coat. Real is the spirit soul. So what is the necessity of the spirit soul?
Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973:
So according to division, the training was there. The first-class training is brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means they must be truthful first. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. They must be able to control the senses, control the mind. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. Must be tolerant, titikṣā; ārjava, very simple; jñānam, full knowledge; vijñānam, practical application in life. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. Śuciḥ, cleanliness. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. So they should be trained. A class of men should be trained for these qualities. They are called brāhmaṇa. Similarly, another class, second class, they should be trained up as kṣatriya, very powerful, never goes away from the challenge of fighting. Yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. Not that the fighting is going on, and the so-called president is sitting in his parlor and smoking cigarette. No. Yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam: "Oh, everyone is fighting there? I must go in the front." He will fight.
Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973:
So many so-called philosophers and scientists, simply speaking lies and untruth. They have no knowledge. As soon as you challenge them, they will say, "Yes, we are trying. In future we shall do it." But if you are trying, then where is your knowledge? Why you are taking the post of a teacher? You are a cheater. You have no full knowledge, and still, you are putting some theory to mislead the people.
For example... Just like they are putting on this theory that matter, from matter, life has come. "All right, matter, life has come from matter. Just prove it. Take matter, whatever materials you want, take, and produce life." "That we shall see in future." Then why you are talking this nonsense? Science means observation and experiment. There must be experiment also. But without experiment, they are putting on this theory and getting Nobel Prize. Although it is not a fact. We know.
Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973:
When one understands this, that Kṛṣṇa is the source of both matter and life... So the devotees are not rascals. They are in full knowledge. Iti matvā. "When they are confident that Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything," iti matvā bhajante mām, "oḥ, they become My devotee." Iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhāḥ. Budha means highly elevated in knowledge, budha. Just like Lord Buddha, elevated knowledge. So budhāḥ.
So how this knowledge can be gotten unless one is trained by dvija-varya-śikṣayā, first-class learned brāhmaṇas? One has to learn from him, not from the rascals, fools, cats and dogs, No. That is not learning. Dvija-varya-śikṣayā. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, his first qualification is... Not only Parīkṣit Mahārāja, but all the kings during the monarchy. Monarchy does not mean because he is the son of king, therefore he should be king. No. He should be fully trained up by the dvija-varya, by the best class of brāhmaṇas. That is monarchy. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja... Tataḥ... Tataḥ means "thereafter."
Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:
Just like a child born, he thinks, "Now I've discovered the world. Before my birth, there was no world." This kind of knowledge called poor fund of knowledge.
Therefore knowledge must be taken from the Vedic literature. Veda means full knowledge. And that full knowledge, when it is properly utilized, then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). First of all you have to take to take to the Vedic literature for real knowledge. And when you come to the platform of real knowledge, then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Before knowing Kṛṣṇa, you are in darkness. You are in darkness. Because it is said, vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. Veda means knowledge. The ultimate goal of knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṇa. And therefore it is called Vedānta. Vedānta. Veda means knowledge, and anta means the ultimate. Vedānta. Vedānta philosophy. So Vedānta philosophy gives you direction that what is the object of knowledge. Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now object of knowledge is to understand the Supreme, the origin of everything." That is object of knowledge, philosophy. Philosophy means science, anything.
Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Hawaii, January 16, 1974:
When one is situated in these qualities—truthfulness, satyam; śamaḥ, controlling the senses; damaḥ, controlling the mind; śamo damas titikṣā, tolerant—in spite of all tribulation, tolerant—śamo damas titikṣā śaucam, cleanliness. Then jñānam, full knowledge. Full knowledge means "What I am, what is God, what is this material world, what is our relationship." That is called knowledge. And that knowledge, when practically applied in life, that is called vijñānam. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam, āstikyam, full faith in the śāstras and in God. That is called āstikyam. If you have full faith in the revealed scriptures, then you are āstikya. Because you cannot manufacture your God, so-called incarnation God. No. You must have full knowledge of God through the authority of revealed scriptures. That is God consciousness. If you give up the injunction of the scripture, revealed scriptures, you consider something as God, that is not God.
Lecture on SB 1.16.21 -- Los Angeles, July 11, 1974:
And another: brahma-kule kukarmaṇi, kukarmaṇi. Ku means bad, and karma means work. So they are very much proud. Here, you have no such thing here because there is no question of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Everyone is the same. So, but India still, there are four classes of men—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Here it is in Kali-yuga. Therefore kukarmaṇy abrahmaṇye rāja-kule kulāgryān. Brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya... Brāhmaṇa means the persons learned, very intelligent, the Vedic culture, knowledge in Vedas. Śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam. These are the brahminical qualification. Control the senses, control the mind, very clean. Śamo damas titikṣā, tolerant, ārjava, simplicity. These are the brahminical qual... Then jñānam, full knowledge. Not that I am talking of becoming a brāhmaṇa, but I have no knowledge. That is not brāhmaṇa, allowed. A brāhmaṇa must be very much learned. Brāhmaṇa's another title is paṇḍita. Paṇḍita means very learned, paṇḍitajī. Where is our paṇḍita? He is not here?
Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:
When you are in the Pacific Ocean, you are in danger. So similarly, when that very man is taken away from the Pacific Ocean and put into the land, then he becomes prasannātmā, "Oh, I am saved." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. "Now I am on the saved..." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54), that when one is in full knowledge that "I have nothing to do with this material world, that everything made by the material nature, that is illusion, I have nothing to do with anything of them, I am spirit, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I am spirit soul. Now I have my business with the spiritual world," that is liberation. That is liberation. And the means which help you to come to that position, that is called spiritual life, sanātana-dharma.
Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Paris, June 11, 1974:
So you just try to understand Kṛṣṇa in nine processes or either of, some of the processes, or one process only, Kṛṣṇa will agree. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, His nature, then, actually, you become liberated. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). This is the process. Real problem is how to get out of this material existence. If we remain attached to this material existence, either in this body or in the society or in the nationalism or in the greater, greater, greater—you make greater—but that is your bondage.
So one should be careful to understand the position of the soul, and how he can go back to home, back to Godhead, again meet the Supersoul, Kṛṣṇa, and live there permanently with blissful life and full of knowledge. This is wanted.
Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Paris, June 13, 1974:
It is just like as big as a big house. And still, whale fish, just like you swallow up some small nut, they are called timiṅgila. So there are so many varieties of life. We do not know. But we know from the śāstras. In the śāstra we can know. Therefore we should consult Vedic literature to have full knowledge. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi: "In the water there are 900,000 species of life." Now, who can deny it? If you deny, then I shall tell you that "Go and count." (laughs) But we can get the full knowledge from the śāstra. This is called Vedic knowledge. Everything is complete.
Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:
Always talk of Kṛṣṇa and you must know that you are saving yourself. You are not dying yourself. Because talking of Kṛṣṇa means you will understand about Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who understands Me rightly, then after giving up this body, he comes to Me." And as soon as you go to Him, back to home, back to Godhead, your life is eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge.
That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). So why should we lose this opportunity? The most rascal, rascal person, they give up this. They do not take advantage of this, advantage of kṛṣṇa-kathā. Therefore śāstra says, smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur vismartavyo na jātucit. We shall have to remember Viṣṇu always, everywhere, always.
Lecture on SB 2.8.7 -- Los Angeles, February 10, 1975:
Those who are in the goodness, those who are associating with the modes of material nature in goodness, just like satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42), brahminical qualification, truthful, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, simplicity, tolerant, full faith in scripture and God, full knowledge, practical application of knowledge... This is called sattva-guṇa. So if you cultivate sattva-guṇa, then you are elevated to the higher planetary system. Why there are so many planets? The moon planet, the sun planet, so brilliant planets—why there are? There are also different places for different kinds of living creature. There is hetu. There is cause. And similarly, rajo-guṇa, passionate...
So madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. So there is hetu. Hetu means cause. Not without cause. Nobody has taken birth in this material world without any cause. And according to the cause, the particular type of body is built up. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1).
Lecture on SB 2.9.10 -- Tokyo, April 26, 1972:
In the material world everything is created and everything is annihilated, and the duration of life between the creation and annihilation is temporary. In the transcendental realm, there is no creation and no destruction, and thus the duration of life is eternal unlimitedly. In other words, everything in the transcendental world is everlasting, full of knowledge and bliss without any deterioration. Since there is no deterioration, there is no past, present and future in the estimation of time. It is clearly stated in this verse that the influence of time is conspicuous by its absence. The whole material existence is manifested by actions and reactions of elements which make up the influence of time prominent in the matter of past, present and future. There are no such actions and reactions of cause and effects there. So the cycle of birth, growth, existence, transformations, deterioration and annihilation or the six material changes are nonexistent there. It is the unalloyed manifestation of the energy of the Lord without any illusion as experienced here in the material world. The whole Vaikuṇṭha existence proclaims that everyone there is a follower of the Lord.
Lecture on SB 2.9.11 -- Tokyo, April 27, 1972:
The substance is described here. Just try to understand. We are not fakir. Fakir, this word is used in... One who has no hope, simply loitering in the street, he is a fakir, hopeless. So all are, they are fakirs. And we are not fakir. We are hoping to go there, to live with Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa, having this greatest opulence, eternal body, blissful life, full of knowledge and opulence. That's all.
Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:
They're akṣara. They do not fall down. Kṣara akṣara. We are kṣaras. We have fallen down in this material world. But there are devotees in the spiritual world, in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, they never come down. Never come down in this material world, but they are also persons like us, but eternal persons, with full knowledge and life of blissfulness. That is the difference between them and us.
So that is tattva-jñāna. Unless we understand the varieties of the Absolute Truth, if we simply stick to the indefinite, impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth, then there is chance of falling down. Generally, they fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because they are not allowed to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets, they simply remaining in the Brahman effulgence, and that does not stay. They fall down. Again they come down in these material varieties. We have seen many, many sannyāsīs. They first of all give up... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The jagat is mithyā." And ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I have no more anything to do. I have become Nārāyaṇa."
Lecture on SB 3.25.15 -- Bombay, November 15, 1974:
Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). One who has developed sattva-guṇa, then the following qualifications will be found in him: he'll be truthful and controlled of the mind, of the senses, satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā, tolerant; ārjava, simplicity; jñānam, jñānam, full knowledge; vijñānam, practical application of knowledge in life; āstikyam, āstikyam, to have full faith in the authority of the Vedas. That is called āstikyam. Āstikyam and nāstikyam.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu has explained what is nāstikyam and what is āstikyam. According to Vedic understanding, anyone who does not believe in the Vedas, he's called nāstika. Just like Buddha philosophy. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, veda nā māniyā bauddha haila nāstika. Veda... Lord Buddha, he defied Vedic authority. His mission was different. He wanted to stop animal killing. Sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam. The Supreme Lord became so much afflicted by terribly people being attached to killing animals... As they are now doing also.
Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:
That is called truthfulness. Satyaṁ śamaḥ damaḥ śaucaḥ, cleanliness. Then controlling the mind, controlling the senses, and simplicity, very simple in behavior, ārjava; titikṣā, tolerance; and full knowledge; vijñānam, practical application of knowledge; āstikyam, full faith in Vedic literature and in God. These are the qualification of sattva-guṇa.
So everything can be attained very nicely and easily simply by this sādhu-saṅga. Sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Therefore we repeatedly say that we are trying to create some sādhu so that in different parts of the world they will preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and people will be able to associate with them, and they will become purified. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that sādhu-saṅga. It is very essential. People are suffering on account of being contaminated by the tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, becoming entangled simply by lusty desires always, just like cats and dogs. So they are becoming more and more entangled. Unfortunately, they do not know that there is life after death, but they do not know what kind of life is going to happen next after death.
Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:
I am nobody's servant. I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is self-realization. That is self-realization. Asevayāyaṁ prakṛter guṇānāṁ jñānena. When one comes to this understanding, not by sentiment, but by real knowledge, jñānena.
So when one becomes devotee, he's not a fool. Pure devotee is full knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births, when one is actually jñānavān, actually wise, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. How? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). He surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa, I forgot You so long. Now I understand that You are everything." That is knowledge. That is real knowledge. Therefore it is said, jñānena vairāgya-vijṛmbhitena. This jñāna means vairāgya—no more attachment for serving the so-called society, friendship, love, country. These are all foolishly engagement. But people do not understand it. They'll think that "This is my first service. This is my first..." How long you'll serve, my dear sir?
Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:
Actually, I am spirit soul. I am equal in quality. But that does not mean I am the Supreme Soul. Therefore in the next verse you will find: naikātmatāṁ me spṛhayanti kecit. The devotees are not so fool that they will desire to become one with the Supreme, Na ekātmatām, because they are in full knowledge. And those who are not full in knowledge, in full knowledge, and, but thinking that they have become liberated, conception of this body... That is theoretical, not practical. Theoretical. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking that they have become now liberated, Nārāyaṇa. Now he has become equal with Nārāyaṇa. Therefore the Māyāvādīs, because they have become Nārāyaṇa, one with Nārāyaṇa, they are addressing one another, "Namo nārāyaṇāya." "You are Nārāyaṇa, I am Nārāyaṇa, and the everyone is Nārāyaṇa." Then daridra-nārāyaṇa, rich Nārāyaṇa, this Nārāyaṇa.
Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:
"They can see that..." So unless God has got form, how one can see? How God can be nirākāra? God is never nirākāra, but He's sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. His ākāra is not like us. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His form is sac-cid-ānanda. This body is not sac-cid-ānanda. Sat means eternal, and cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of bliss. So if we study, "Is our body eternal?" no, sir. It is temporary, say, fifty years, sixty years, utmost hundred years. So it is not eternal, it is not sat. Asat. Asato mā sad gama, the Vedic injunction, that "Don't keep yourself in this asat body. Just get your original sat body, eternal body." We are not interested. We are simply interested with this temporary body: "I am this body." I am not this body. I am spirit soul. I am within this body. This is knowledge. This is called siddhi. So long I am thinking, "I am this body," then I am cats and dogs. They are thinking like that. But when I know that "I am not this body. I am the spirit spark, spirit soul. I am encaged within this body," that is knowledge. That is knowledge. So those who are self-realized spirit soul, they can see.
Lecture on SB 3.25.43 -- Bombay, December 11, 1974:
As He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is bhakti. That is bhakti. So you have to take.
Here it is, same thing is said: jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena bhakti-yogena. Unless you have got full knowledge, jñāna, and vairāgya, full renunciation... "No more material life." This is called renunciation. And no more sense gratification. Material life means sense gratification. Everyone is working so hard day and night. Why? For sense gratification. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Gṛhamedhi, those who have accepted this body or the society or the family or the nation, all this gṛha... It is called gṛha. Or gṛhamedhi, those who are attached to all these things, gṛhamedhi. Their only happiness: yan maithunādi, sexual intercourse, that's all. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham. Very insignificant, very abominable combination of man and woman. And they are working so hard day and night. That is the only pleasure. So vairāgya means when you will be detestful to this sex pleasure.
Lecture on SB 3.25.43 -- Bombay, December 11, 1974:
No more fear. Now you become fearless. And when... If you want to become fearless, akuto-bhayam, then Kṛṣṇa says that, Kapiladeva says, praviśanty akuto-bhayam. He enters, bhakti-yogena, when one is actually in bhakti-yoga, full knowledge, and vairāgya, renunciation of the material world, then he is able to enter. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad, tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā.
In this way, when one understand what is Kṛṣṇa in truth, that is called knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena (SB 3.25.18). Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram. He is allowed to enter into the spiritual kingdom, not before that. Not before that, without bhakti. And bhakti, by bhakti, you will automatically attain the stage of jñāna-vairāgya. Just like if you take one very nice digestive pill, so whatever you have eaten, even stone, it will be digested. It will be digested. Similarly, as soon as you take to bhakti immediately your gross and subtle body is digested. You will live in the spiritual body.
Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:
You don't think of anything else, āra nā koriho mane āśā. No more. That is all right.
So we have to receive knowledge from Bhagavān or from a person who is servant of Bhagavān, not that another imitation Bhagavān. Then you'll spoil your life. That will not help you. Bhagavān says, atha te sampravakṣyāmi. Sam means samyak, in full, full knowledge, not partial. Atha te sampravakṣyāmi. Pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpe. Vakṣyāmi. Vakṣyāmi means "I shall speak." Tattvānām. Tattvānām, tattva is one. Absolute Truth, it cannot be two; but there are different phases of understanding the Absolute Truth. Therefore here it is plural number, tattvānām. Tattva is one. That is explained in another place. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). Although tattva is realized in different phases, three phases, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Brahman, impersonal feature, brahmeti paramātmā. First localized feature, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). That is Paramātmā.
Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:
This is highest perfection, Kṛṣṇa says. All śāstra, it says like that, and the whole Vedic literature is meant for achieving the highest perfection of life. Vedic literature, you will get all kinds of knowledge. Veda means knowledge, and the Vedic literature is full of knowledge. Nigama-kalpa-taru. Nigama means Vedic knowledge and kalpa-taru means the tree from where you can get anything you desire. Whatever you desire. Generally we have got experience that a mango tree, if you desire mango, you can get from the mango tree. If you desire coconut, then you can get from the coconut tree. But you cannot get coconut from the mango tree, and mango from the coconut tree. But there are trees where you go, you can get both mango, and banana, and coconut, and everything you like. That is called kalpa-vṛkṣa. We have no experience in this material world, but there is a tree. That is not in this material world, that is in the spiritual world. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). So we have to take knowledge from Vedic, Vedic scripture.
Lecture on SB 3.26.26 -- Bombay, January 3, 1975:
We are under this false ego, "I am this body." And some of us in the modes of goodness... That is also another kind of bondage: "I am brāhmaṇa. I am very learned scholar." But... That's all right, but still you have to go further, above the brahminical stage, not simply become proud of having nice birth, full of knowledge and learning. That is not sufficient. The learning should be perfect. What is that perfect learning? That vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). If you are actually learned, if you are proud of becoming vedāntī or knowledge in Vedānta, then you must be aware of Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. Otherwise śrama eva hi kevalam.
Lecture on SB 3.26.43 -- Bombay, January 18, 1975:
That you go to the spiritual world. There is spiritual world, as this, here, is material world. You have got material body. So if you are fit for going to the spiritual world, then you get spiritual body, same way. And spiritual body means sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), spiritual body. Vigraha means body, and sac-cid-ānanda... Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda, blissful. That we want. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to try to understand Kṛṣṇa, very easy. If you drink water as Kṛṣṇa advises, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, that satisfaction by drinking water, that is Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You think, "This is Kṛṣṇa." You think that "I am drinking Kṛṣṇa." Then twice, thrice, "Kṛṣṇa," means you become purified. Kṛṣṇa... Eka kṛṣṇa-nāme yato pāpa hare, pāpī haya tato pāpa kari bare nare(?). Eka kṛṣṇa, one, once chanting of Kṛṣṇa, it can kill so many reaction of sinful life that you cannot do so many sinful life. A sinful man can do large amount of sinful activities. But you cannot do even.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Los Angeles, January 20, 1969:
So he's thinking that "My father is prescribing something which is very troublesome." But actually this tapasya, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness regulated life, is not for trouble. It is for your progress of life to the spiritual understanding, where you get unlimited eternal life, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). God is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Sat, cit, ānanda. Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda, full of pleasure. So as soon as you become purified from this material existence, then you enter into the spiritual kingdom, and you get your body sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha and live there eternally in full knowledge and full bliss.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:
If you eat like cats and dogs, then you'll become cats and dogs even in this human form of life. If you behave like cats and dogs, you become cats and dogs even in the human form of life. Similarly, if you work hard, very hard, like cats and dogs or hogs, then what is the value of your human life? Human life should be very sober, peaceful, full of knowledge, full of bliss, peaceful, devotee. These are the good signs of purity. Simply working hard like animal and eating like animal and... No.
That particular thing is being instructed by Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons, "My dear sons, this human form of life..." Ayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. "Everyone has got body, but the body in the human society is to be treated differently. It should not be just like the hogs." The hogs, whole day and night, they are after stool and sense gratification.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:
Because we are part and parcel of God, we living entities, we should be as happy as God is. That is our position. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. God is described īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac cid ānanda vigrahaḥ. Sat, cit, ānanda (Bs. 5.1). This is three different features of God's body. What is that? Sat. Sat means eternal. Sat. And cit. Cit means knowledge, full of knowledge. And ānanda means full of bliss. That is ānanda. So this is God's body. And we are part and parcel of God. Just like gold and particle of gold. It may be very small particle, but one shall say it is gold. It is not anything else. Similarly, in quality we are same as God. Now we have got this body which is not eternal. God's body is eternal and my, this body is not eternal. And sat, cit... God is full of knowledge, omniscient, but my body is full of ignorance. Why these universities are there? Because we do not know what it what. Therefore we are being educated. So that means this body is not full of knowledge. It is full of ignorance. So And again, God's body is blissful, and our body is miserable.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:
So that means this body is not full of knowledge. It is full of ignorance. So And again, God's body is blissful, and our body is miserable.
So the aim should be how again we come to the original position like God or the same type of body—blissful, full of knowledge and eternal. That is the aim of human life. Therefore it is said, tapo divyam: (SB 5.5.1) "My dear son, don't become like cats and dogs and work hard for the bodily necessities of life. This human form of life is meant for austerity." "Why austerity? Let us enjoy." "No." Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet: "If you accept the path of austerity, then your existence will be purified." Now, at the present moment, the existence is not purified; therefore we have to accept birth, death, old age and disease. This is not our business. But because we have got this material body, the nature's law forces to accept all these things—birth, death, old age and disease.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:
That is brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. First-class man means not first-class dress. First-class man means he has got full knowledge: jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Full knowledge. He knows what is God. That is first-class man. So the second-class men means the kṣatriyas, the administrators, the administrative class of men, because government men, they must be very sober to rule over the citizens. There are varieties of men, and, to regulate them so that the state may go on very peacefully, so this is dependent on the kṣatriyas. And they must be prepared to fight to the enemies. Everything is described in the śāstra, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tejo śauryaṁ yuddhe cāpy apalāyanam. The administrator should be so brave that whenever there is war they must first of all come forward to fight so that soldiers and others may follow him. So they are second-class men, and they should be instructed by the first-class men. Then their activities will be nice.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:
That's a fact. But the cats and dogs, they'll get another material body, but if you purify your existential position, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), you'll not to have, accept any more material body. You shall stay in your spiritual body. And when you stay in your spiritual body you become equal with God—sac-cid-ānanda: eternal, ānanda, blissful, and full of knowledge. That is the human form of life..., er, aim of human mission. Don't miss this. There is ample information. The practice is very easy. Anyone can do it.
So our only request is take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Try to understand it properly. It is not meant for any particular person, nation, or community. It is for every human being. So we request you to study this movement and take to it seriously. Then you will be all happy.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:
If we accept God is also one of the created beings, that is our mistake. Because if God created this material world, He was existing before the creation. Therefore He is not one of the product of this creation. Therefore He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). His body is eternal, full of bliss and full of knowledge. Creator means He must have full knowledge.
How God creates this material world? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). This creator is well conversant directly and indirectly every details of the universe. Just like we are trying to study how this material world is going on, how the big, big planets are floating in the air. We cannot understand properly. There are so many scientists, but they do not understand what are these. There are innumerable universes. This is only one universe. So He must have full knowledge how He is maintaining this material world. Therefore He is called abhijña. He is not dull-headed. He has got full knowledge.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:
There are so many scientists, but they do not understand what are these. There are innumerable universes. This is only one universe. So He must have full knowledge how He is maintaining this material world. Therefore He is called abhijña. He is not dull-headed. He has got full knowledge. That is God, omniscient. He has got full knowledge. We may not have because we are very tiny. A child may not have knowledge, but the father knows everything. Similarly, He is the supreme father. He knows everything. He has got full knowledge. Anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu. There are things, indirect and direct. In both ways He is abhijña; He is well aware, everything. Then the next question is svarāṭ. Svarāṭ. Because we are thinking in our own way of life, that "If God has got so much knowledge, wherefrom He got it?" Because we have got experience that whenever we require knowledge we go to a superior person and take knowledge from him—"Then wherefrom God has got so much knowledge?" Therefore the answer is svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means He is fully independent. He is not dependent for knowledge to anyone else. So these things are there. We have to study very nicely.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:
Mahātmā, to become mahātmā, is not very easy thing. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After purifying the body, after many, many births, many, many births, bahūnām. Bahūnām means many. Many, many births, purifying, trying to purify, trying to purify...
So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. Purification means full knowledge. What is the difference between dog and me? How I am purified? Because my knowledge is different than the dog. So purification means knowledge. Therefore the very word is used, jñānavān. Jñānavān, one who has advanced in knowledge, he is purified. Just like an ordinary man, he does not know how to keep hygienic principles, ignorant. But a person who knows the hygienic laws, how to keep the body, his body is purified due to knowledge. A man who does not know that "By eating this such and such kind of food I'll be diseased," he has no knowledge. Why so much, so much disease in the society?
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:
He goes to a man, a physician, who knows, who has the knowledge. Why do you go to the physician? Because you know that he has knowledge. He can give you direction how to keep body healthy. So nonpurification, impure body, means want of knowledge. Want of knowledge. So Bhagavad-gītā says, mahātmānas tu, mahātmā. How one can become mahātmā? When he has got full knowledge. Then he has got purified body. Mahātmānas tu, this very word is used, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). One who has developed purified knowledge, purified body, he's no more under the control of this material world. (noise in background) (aside:) What is matter?
So mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha (BG 9.13), those who have become great, the great souls, they are not under this material nature. They are in the spiritual nature.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:
We are hankering after happiness, but due to our material condition, the happiness is not eternal, neither blissful. But there is life where happiness is eternal, never disturbed. Unlimited. There is life of full knowledge. There is life of full bliss. And there is life of eternal.
So our whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is targeting to that eternal brahma-saukhya, or the unlimited, great happiness. And for that, we have to prepare in this life by following a simple method, a regulative method of austerities. So this lecture I began in Buffalo, and I am continuing that. So my request is that... We have got many centers. This is also center, one of the centers. We are not meant for giving you any bluff, that "You give me some fee," or "I shall give you some mantra, and whatever you like you can do, and if you meditate or do that, then you'll become one with God." These things are not our business. We are following strictly the principles of Vedas, the principles laid down by great authorities, and if we accept them, then we'll get the required perfection of life. And they are not very difficult. They are not very difficult. Just like our process is simply to chant. Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, gradually you'll develop your spiritual life without any pain.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:
There is no question of formlessness. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). When there is such question, formlessness means that is not material form. But there is form. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), vigraha means form. But that is sat-cid-ānanda, eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge. This is not this form. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritaḥ, paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto: (BG 9.11) "These rascals, they do not know what I am. Therefore he's thinking that My form and his form is the same." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā, unless one is mūḍha, he cannot say that God is formless. God has form. But His form is different from our form, this material form. Sat-cit-ānanda-vigraha. So therefore, we have to learn all these things by mahat-sevā dvāraṁ vimukteḥ. We can get out of all this ignorance when we are engaged in mahat-sevā. Otherwise we shall remain in the darkness. Kṛṣṇa has form, but His form is different from our, this material form. That is (indistinct).
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:
At the present moment, our material conditional body, that is not svarūpa. Last night I tried to explain, svarūpa means sac-cit-ānanda-rūpa. That is svarūpa, eternal, blissful life of knowledge. This is not svarūpa. This body is not eternal, neither it is blissful. It is full of miseries and without any knowledge. So this is not svarūpa. Svarūpa means eternal life, blissful life, and full of knowledge. That is called svarūpa.
So we do not know that we are now living conditional life, virupa, which is not my svarūpa. This is the science that svarūpa can be perceived, can be realized. That is described in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūta. Brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), spiritual realization, that is also not svarūpa. That is the beginning of self-realization.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:
Our knowledge, our blissfulness, our eternity may be very small, but we possess the same quality. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that spirit soul or God... God is the supreme spirit, and we are minute. He is vibhu, unlimited; we are aṇu, very small—molecular or atomic. So quality is the same. So our seeking after eternity, seeking after full knowledge and to remain blissful, that is our nature because we are part and parcel of God.
But on account of being covered by these material elements—earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, and ego—we are suffering this disease—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Janma means birth, and mṛtyu means death. As soon as we take birth, it means we must be prepared for death. I am increasing my age means decreasing my age, not increasing. When a child is born, if some friends asks, "When this child is born?"
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:
Tapo divyam, for divine understanding. So the benefit will be yena śuddhyet sattvam. Then our existence, the position, (sic:) existential position, will be purified. And what will be the result if it is purified? Yena brahma-saukhyam anantam. We are seeking after eternal life, we are seeking after happiness and we are seeking after full knowledge. That will be attained. So tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam... (SB 5.5.1). That is success of life.
Now, in the next verse, how we can practice tapasya, that is recommended here. Mahat-sevām. Mahat sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). Mahat, great soul. Mahat means great soul. Who is great soul? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Great soul means who has taken shelter of the spiritual nature. He is great soul. There are two natures: spiritual nature and the material nature.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:
God has His form. That I explained the other day. But His form is not like our form. His form is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). His body is eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful. Our, this form is not eternal, neither full of knowledge, nor blissful. So it is not that God has no form. When it is described indirectly that "God has no form," means He has no form like us. Don't think that He has no form. He has no form, material form like us, which is not eternal, not full of knowledge, not blissful. So God has form. So God's form is realized in three different stages. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
- vadanti tat tattva-vidas
- tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam
- brahmeti paramātmeti
- bhagavān iti śabdyate
- (SB 1.2.11)
"That Absolute Truth is realized... They are one, but realized in three different phases." Just like the example is given, I have given several times, that the sun, the sun globe and the sun-god.
Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:
So everything is there, and if you like to take advantage of this movement and make your life perfect, go back to home, back to Godhead, then fully utilize this center, our Melbourne center. Come here, read our books, and argue. Try to understand with your full knowledge, no blindly acceptance. There is reason. There is argument. There is philosophy. There is science. Everything is there. And if you accept that "Simply by chanting, I shall realize," that is also allowed. Both ways: if you accept this simple process, that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and realize God," that is also fact, and if you think, "What is this nonsense, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?" then you read books. Both ways we are prepared. Come and take advantage of this movement.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:
So he's asking him, mahā-bhāga, "My dear fortunate." He's asking Śukadeva Gosvāmī... Śukadeva Gosvāmī was naked. He was so renounced that after his birth, he left his home. And he was traveling, wandering, and when he met Mahārāja Parīkṣit he was only sixteen years old and naked, but he is accepted as the spiritual master of this great king because he was full of knowledge. It is a question of knowledge. It is not the question of age. He was only sixteen years old and he was not even properly dressed, but God kindly sent him for instructing this king. So he is asking, "Mahā-bhāga, can you explain how these suffering men can be delivered from this hellish suffering?" So he was feeling. This is the sentiment of Vaiṣṇava. They cannot see the suffering humanity. They always try to reform them and to get them as... Not only the devotees; the Lord also, He is so compassionate He sends His son, His most confidential son, Jesus Christ.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:
Or a disease. I know that if I attack this infection I'll suffer, still I, ah, become infected, and again I suffer. Again I go to the physician, he gives me medicine, again I'm cured, again disease. This is going on. Why this is? He has got experience, and still he has experienced, he has seen, he has heard, he has full knowledge that "This kind of sinful activity will be fruitful in this way, and I'll have to suffer." Why does he do it? Therefore, he says,
- kvacin nivartate 'bhadrāt
- kvacic carati tat punaḥ
- prāyaścittam atho 'pārtham
- manye kuñjara-śaucavat
- (SB 6.1.10)
"My dear Śukadeva Goswāmī..." If a man knows it, by knowing he may refrain for sometime from sinful activity, but again he does it. Again he does it. He's forced, he's forced: "Let me do it. All right, I suffer, doesn't matter."
Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:
"Because you have got already this material body, this temporary body." So "That's all right. I have got this temporary body. It will be finished." No. Asann api kleśada: "Although it is temporary, so long you will possess this material body, you will have to suffer so many suffering, threefold miseries." So they don't care for it because illiterate. Not illiterate—ignorant. Literary knowledge is not sufficient. There must be real knowledge. The real knowledge you will get from the Vedas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Real knowledge you will get from guru, from Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). That is real knowledge. Otherwise, anything has got some knowledge, that knowledge is not sufficient.
So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of knowledge. It is specially compiled by Vyāsadeva to help the foolish human society and save him from all kinds of miserable condition of life.
Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1975:
One is suffering from syphilis, and he is suffering so much. The doctor gives injection and so on, so on. Then, after being cured, again doing the same. That is his question. It is not that a man always commits sinful activities without knowledge. No. They have full knowledge. So if one does, cannot resist himself from sinful activity, then what is the meaning of this atonement? He rejects, "This is useless." You commit some sinful activities and go to the church and pay some fine, and again you commit sinful acts. So it is useless. That is questioned by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Prāyaścittam atho katham: "What is this?"That is intelligence. He is devotee. He knows that this kind of atonement is useless. It has no meaning.
So the problem is that within the heart we have got so many dirty things. So unless those dirty things are removed or cleansed, this kind of prāyaścitta or medicine or fine or going to the jail—he is not saved. He will commit the same thing. Again will suffer.
Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1975:
They should be given education how to become self-controlled, śamaḥ; how to control the mind, how to control the senses; śama damaḥ satyam, how to become truthful; śaucam, how to become cleanse; śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucaṁ titikṣa, how to become tolerant; ārjavam, how to become simple, no intricacy; śamo damas satyaṁ śaucaṁ titikṣa ārjavam eva ca, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam, full of knowledge; and vijñānam, practical application in life; āstikyam, and to believe in the existence of God or knowing God partially or fully. Partially knowing God means impersonal or Paramātmā. This is partial. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11).
They say religion is a kind of faith. Similarly, during some play I heard it is that...(?) So "You are okay; I am okay." Our proposal is not that. Our proposal is: "You are not okay; I am okay."
Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Nellore, January 7, 1976:
Thus, even though one may superficially seem pious, he will undoubtedly be prone to act impiously. Therefore real atonement is enlightenment in perfect knowledge, Vedānta, by which one understands the Supreme Absolute Truth." In this verse there is one particular word, vimarśanam. The meaning of this vimarśanam: "full knowledge of Vedānta."
Then Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak, "My dear king, if a diseased person eats the pure, uncontaminated food prescribed by a physician, he is gradually cured and the infection of disease can no longer touch him. If one follows the regulative principles of knowledge, he gradually progresses toward liberation from material contamination."
Lecture on SB 6.1.10 -- Honolulu, May 11, 1976:
Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī is suggesting the platform of speculative knowledge. When it has failed that a thief repeatedly committing criminal activities, repeatedly he is being punished but he is not corrected, then what is the remedy? That is vimarśanam, speculative knowledge. Progressing from karma-kāṇḍa to jñāna-kāṇḍa, he is proposing prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam: real atonement is full knowledge. One should be given knowledge. Unless one comes to the knowledge...
So modern education there is no real knowledge. Real knowledge begins in the Bhagavad-gītā. Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, the first understanding, Arjuna was given lesson. When he was perplexed and he became a disciple of Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Kṛṣṇa, let us stop this friendly talking. Let us stop this friendly talking. Now I agree to become Your disciple. Now You teach me."
Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1975:
Now, by nature, according to Vedic civilization, that... Vedic civilization is natural life. It is not something artificial or irresponsible life. That is Vedic civilization. Vedic means full of knowledge, life with full of knowledge. That is called Vedic civilization. It is not a particular type of... With full of knowledge. So in the Vedic civilization a woman, if she has no child or son or daughter, she can marry for the second time. Otherwise, she will be enemy of the child. This is practical. If a woman has got child and again she marries, that means voluntarily she becomes enemy of his child. Therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, mātā śatru dvi cārinī.
Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:
Damam, controlling the senses. Satyaṁ samo damaḥ śaucam, cleanliness. Ārjavam, simply sitting, no duplicity, simply sitting. Ārjavam āstikyam. Faith in Vedas, that is called āstikyam. Just like Bhagavad-gītā, part of Vedas. Here Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Supreme Lord." So you have to accept Him by faith. This is called āstikyam. Āstikyam, jñānam. Not foolishly, but with knowledge, full knowledge. And vijñānam, practical application in life. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. This is the natural symptoms of a brāhmaṇa.
So you are all initiated to become brāhmaṇa. You have become brāhmaṇa. Don't become false brāhmaṇa. Real brāhmaṇa. It is not by birth; it is by education, by practice, by knowledge. So we are offering the sacred thread to the Americans and Europeans in the Western countries, and some of our Indian contemporaries, they are not very happy with my action. They are under contemplation that a brāhmaṇa can be, I mean to say, seen by birthright. No. No. Brāhmaṇa is by qualification. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. That is the verdict of Kṛṣṇa. We are concerned with Kṛṣṇa, not any other else. Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: (BG 4.13)
Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:
We don't remember what I was in my previous life. So this form is distinct. Kṛṣṇa's form is distinct from this form. He hasn't got a form like this useless form. Therefore He is formless. Not that He hasn't got form. His form is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). His form is eternal, sat; cit, full of knowledge; and blissful. Our this form is not blissful. Why you are covering the body? Because it is painful. Unless what is the use of covering? Similarly during summer season we have to take out all this...
Lecture on SB 6.1.19 and Room Conversation -- Bombay, November 15, 1970:
Sakṛt means very a little, svalpam, very little. Sakṛt manaḥ. If one accepts this process of devotional service as very good, not that he has got full knowledge but simply accepts it, simply accepts it... That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. (Indian man translates) (Prabhupāda speaks in Hindi) We have no other business, simply Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore anyone who joins with us even for a moment, even for a few minutes, still, it is so powerful that it can help you to save you from the greatest danger.
Lecture on SB 6.1.19 and Room Conversation -- Bombay, November 15, 1970:
Niveśitaṁ tad-guṇa-rāgī yair iha. Śrīdhara Svami says, bhaktiḥ svalpāpi punāti: "Bhakti, devotional service, is so nice that even it is done very little, still it purifies." Just like fire. Even a small fire can burn wherever it is placed. Tasya guṇeṣu rāga-mātram asti na tu janānām. Śrīdhāra Svāmī says, "Simply a little attraction for Kṛṣṇa, not full knowledge even, simply a little attraction, can purify one from all sinful reaction."
- atra codāharantīmam
- itihāsaṁ purātanam
- dūtānāṁ viṣṇu-yamayoḥ
- saṁvādas taṁ nibodha me
Now he again says that "Those who are attracted to devotional service of Kṛṣṇa even to a very little extent, for them," na te yamaṁ pāśa-bhṛtaś ca tad-bhaṭān svapne 'pi paśyanti hi cīrṇa-niṣkṛtāḥ, "they do not even dream the Yamarāja or his constables." Because at the time of death those who are very sinful, they are taken away to Yamarāja's place... That's a fact. Not only that, he even in dream does not see them because that little service to Kṛṣṇa has made him freed from all sinful contamination. (Hindi) The very word is used, cīrṇa-niṣkṛtāḥ.
Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:
If you practice here how to remain in the modes of goodness... Goodness means brahminical qualification: satya śamo damo titikṣa ārjava, to become truthful, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, satya śama titikṣa, tolerant; satya śamo damo titikṣa ārjava, simple, no duplicity; jñānam, full knowledge of everything; vijñānam, practical application; jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam... Āstikyam means to accept Vedic literature as fact, not imagination. That is called āstikyam, or theistic. Āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is called to live in the modes of goodness. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to bring every person to the platform of goodness, not even on the platform of passion, no, because ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā (BG 14.18). At least, if you remain on the platform of goodness, then you can be promoted to the higher planetary system.
Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:
The first qualification of brāhmaṇa is to become truthful. He'll never speak lies. That is the first qualification. Satya śama, then controlling the senses; dama, controlling the mind. Śama means controlling the mind, and dama is controlling the senses. Śama dama titikṣa (BG 18.42). Titikṣa means tolerance. Titikṣa ārjava, simplicity; and full knowledge, jñānam; vijñānam, practical. Simply theoretical knowledge, no practical application—he is not brāhmaṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, guṇa-karma. Only guṇa is not good. Guṇa and karma. Karma means some act. Suppose you are initiated as a brāhmaṇa. That is not finish, that "Now I am initiated. I have got sacred thread. I can do all nonsense thing." No. You must act as a brāhmaṇa. Then you are brāhmaṇa. You always remember that. They are criticizing in India that I am giving a brāhmaṇa's position to these mlecchas and yavanas. You should be very careful so that we may not be subjected to criticism.
Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- San Francisco, July 19, 1975:
"Don't talk nonsense. Don't waste time." Tattvam: "In truth, what is dharma?" Brūta dharmasya nas tattvaṁ yac ca adharmasya lakṣaṇam: "And how you distinguish from adharma, nonreligious thing?" Knowledge means you should know both things, not one side. You must know what is religious system and what is not religious system. Simply one side is not full knowledge. Upayaṁ ca cintayet prajñā, apayaṁ ca cintayet(?). Just like if you want to do some business, you have calculated that "I shall invest so much money, and I shall get so much profit. So let us do this business. It is very nice." But śāstra says, "No, you have simply calculated the profit, and you also calculate no profit, not one-sided." Similarly, to know dharma, you must know adharma also, the opposite side. If you know white, you should know what is black. Otherwise the knowledge is not... Relative. This world is... If you know the father, then you must know the son. Or if you know the son, then you must know the father. So in the religious system, if one knows the son, the further improvement is to know the father. That is required. Otherwise incomplete. If you simply know the son of God, then it is incomplete. If you know the father of the son of God, then it is complete.
Lecture on SB 6.1.37 -- San Francisco, July 19, 1975:
Therefore in the Vedas it is said, yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati: "If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then you become full knowledge." That is complete knowledge. Etaj jñānam. This is... Bhagavad-gītā says, "This is knowledge." If you simply study Kṛṣṇa, so what is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. Suppose if you want to study somebody, you may guess that this body, this man, may be like this, like that. That is going on all over the world, what is God. Some theosophist, some theosophist and theologist, all are speculating, "Maybe," "Perhaps," "This, that." And the God is explaining Himself, "I am this, like this," that they will not take. Just see. God is canvassing that "Here I am. I have come." Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). "I have appeared before you just to give you relief." Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. "You are trying to understand Me, so here I am. I am present. Why you are thinking God is formless? Here I am, Kṛṣṇa, form. You see, I have got My flute in the hand. I am very much fond of the cows. I love the cows and the sage and Brahmā, everyone equally, because they are all My sons in different bodies." Kṛṣṇa is playing. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Still, these rascals will not understand Kṛṣṇa. So what is Kṛṣṇa's fault?
Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Surat, December 22, 1970:
Every conditioned soul has a cheating propensity. "For my purpose, to fulfill my purpose, I say something to you which is not beneficial to you, but still, I impress that this is right." That is called cheating. And karaṇa-pāṭava. Karaṇa means the senses. The senses are also imperfect. I am seeing the sun daily with my eyes, but still, I have no full knowledge of the sun because my eyes are imperfect. If there is any sound upstairs, and I inquire, "What is this sound?" (aside:) Why he is crying so much? What is that? (man talking loudly outside the room)
Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:
The example is given like this: Just like the cloud. Cloud takes water from the sea, and he pours it down, and again the water goes down to the sea. So all knowledge comes from Kṛṣṇa, but when Kṛṣṇa appears, He takes the same knowledge from through the guru. Just try to understand. The knowledge is just like the sea, full knowledge, but it distributes the water on the land. Again the water goes down. Similarly, anyone who becomes Kṛṣṇa's guru or Caitanya Mahāprabhu's guru, they take knowledge from him, but superficially Kṛṣṇa accepts guru. He has no guru. Svayambhū. Therefore it is called svayambhū. Svayambhū. Svayambhūr iti śuśruma. Kṛṣṇa has no cause. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Anādir ādir govindaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvara (Bs. 5.1), the Supreme Lord, is Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, anādi. He has no source of knowledge. That is called svayambhū.
Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:
By nature a brāhmaṇa will be truthful. Satyaṁ śamaḥ. He will be controlling of the senses, controlling the mind, very cleansed, śaucam. Satyaṁ śaucaṁ śamaḥ damaḥ titikṣā, tolerant. Even in the severest type of danger, he is never disturbed. Tolerant. Satyaṁ śamaḥ damaḥ śaucam ārjavam, and simplicity; jñānam, full of knowledge; and vijñānam, practical application in life; āstikyam, firm faith in the scripture and Kṛṣṇa—these are the qualification of brāhmaṇa. Similarly, the kṣatriyas' qualification—they want to rule over. A kṣatriya never goes away from fighting. He is never afraid of fighting. He never, I mean to say, he is afraid of the challenge of the other party. Just like Jarāsandha. Jarāsandha was a kṣatriya, and he was... At the same time, a kṣatriya's quality is charitable. Formerly the kings, they would distribute! money like anything. They would collect money by taxing, but at the same time, they would distribute.
Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975:
Education means how to make one brāhmaṇa, how to teach him how he become sense controlled, śama, dama, mind control, how to become truthful, how to become clean, how to become simple, how to become full of knowledge, how to apply knowledge in practical life, how to know God. This is education. This is education.
So the present situation of the human civilization is very, very dark, tamasā. They want to live in the city without working for producing their food. And there are butchers, they kill innocent animals. And in the city they eat the meat, and to digest they drink and work like hogs and dogs whole day and night. This is civilization. This is not civilization. This is darkness, darkness of life. So we are in the darkness of life at the present moment because it is Kali-yuga, and... The system is always there so long the material world is there and the living entities are fallen in this material world. So they are implicated more or less.
Lecture on SB 6.1.51 -- Detroit, August 4, 1975:
We are perceiving by using our five knowledge-gathering senses, just like eyes, ear, cakṣu, karṇa, smell, nose. Cakṣu, karṇa, nāsikā, jihvā, tongue, touch, hand... In this way we get knowledge experience. Sometimes we stress on the knowledge experienced by the eyes: "I want to see." But that is not the only source of knowledge. There are many blind men who cannot see, but he has got full knowledge. There are other sources of knowledge. Just like a mango. You see the mango, but you cannot experience the full knowledge unless you use the tongue. Then you can say whether it is good mango or bad mango, not by seeing.
Lecture on SB 6.2.1-5 -- Calcutta, January 6, 1971:
So the speeches of the Yamadūta, assistants of Yamarāja, was thus finished, arguments. The argument was that "This man, Ajāmila, born of a brāhmaṇa father, although acquired all qualification... He was qualified brāhmaṇa, not simply born of a brāhmaṇa father, but qualified brāhmaṇa, with full knowledge of Vedic instruction, nice character, very gentle and silent and offering respects to elderly persons, spiritual master, father. In this way he was perfect brāhmaṇa. But due to his contact with a prostitute he lost his all good qualification. And later on, he had to earn money by hook and crook, and thus he degraded more and more, and therefore his sinful activities are now responsible for his punishment, and we shall take him to the court of Yamarāja." That was the summary of the speech of the Yamadūta. Evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā yamadūtābhibhāṣitam.
Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:
One who is always absorbed in thought, one who sees Kṛṣṇa's energy in everything, that is called bhāva. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. How that bhāva comes? When one understands clearly that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all creation. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8): "Everything is emanating from Me." When one understands this fact in full knowledge, that is called bhāva. He sees everything. He doesn't see anything except Kṛṣṇa. Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti. He sees the trees and the animals, or the men, sthāvara-jaṅgama, everything he sees, but he does not see the tree, but he sees in that tree Kṛṣṇa. That is bhāva-yoga.
Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:
Sthāvara. Sthāvara means living entities which does not move, just like trees, plants, creepers. And jaṅgama means those who are moving. Animals, man, they move. So a devotee who is actually in bhāva stage, he may see a tree or an animal or a man, but he does not see the man or tree or the animal; he sees a part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, a jīvātmā. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). That is the stage of full knowledge. He does not see the skin or the dress. Just like when we talk with a gentleman, we do not see to the dress; we see the person as he is. So that's a stage. That is called bhāva-sam..., budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:
Arthadam means you can realize your self. That is the greatest achievement, if you can realize your self, whether you are this body or you are soul. That is called self-realization. And as soon as you realize your self... There are many statements in the Vedic literature, that is the distinction between a brāhmaṇa and a kṛpaṇa. These two words are used in Vedic literature. Brāhmaṇa means in full knowledge and kṛpaṇa means who could not utilize the facility of the human form of life. He's called a kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa, the exact word—meaning is "miser." Miser means, if you get some hundred thousands of dollars, if you do not utilize it properly, simply see your money, "I have got this so much money," and be satisfied, then you are a miser. You could not utilize the money. And brāhmaṇa means one who utilizes this opportunity of human form of life to the fullest extent and can understand what is God, what is my relationship with Him, how I have come here, why I am subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. So many things have to be learned.
Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:
Therefore in the Vedic civilization—brāhmaṇa, the first-class men. There is no first-class men now in this society. Everyone third class, fourth class, fifth class. Satya-śama-dama-titkṣa ārjava jñānaṁ-vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is first-class man. Truthful, very peaceful, full of knowledge, very simple, tolerant, and believer in the śāstra. These are the symptoms of first-class men. So where is that first-class man throughout the whole world? So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to create at least one section first-class men so that people may see, "Oh, here are ideal men." Therefore my request to persons who have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they should very carefully keep them as first-class men. People will appreciate and they will try to follow. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). If there is a class of men first class, then people will appreciate.
Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:
So if your mental condition is very nice, whatever you think, God has given you chance: you get next immediately. Similarly, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, then your next body is like Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so important. What is the advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? If you acquire the body like Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, then your botheration of this constant change of bodies, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), you become relieved from this business. Nobody wants this, but because we want to enjoy this material world, so we have to accept it. So this is going on. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo (BG 15.15).
Lecture on SB 7.7.25-28 -- San Francisco, March 13, 1967:
We should always remember that this material life is our diseased condition. It is not our healthy life. Because as spirit soul, we are healthy. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By nature we are joyful. There is no question of our being morose, unhappy, diseased. No. Spiritual life, spirit as it is, it is The constitution is blissful, full of knowledge and eternal. That is spiritual life, actual, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). So we are not actually, I mean to say, constitutionally, we are unhappy. Our happiness is our life. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. In the Vedānta-sūtra, you'll find that this verse, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. As God is full of joy, similarly, we are also part and parcel of God; we are also full of joy. So we have to treat ourself, how to go that platform of joyfulness. That is explained in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). You can simply become joyful, without any anxiety. When?
Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977:
The bhadra and abhadra, good and bad... So the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa is bad, and sattva-guṇa is good. If we are situated, as it is said, sattvaikatāna-gatayo... If you are always situated on the sattva-guṇa, then everything is clear to be done. Sattva-guṇa means prakāṣa. Everything is clear, full knowledge. And rajo-guṇa is not clear. The example is given: just like the wood. There is fire, but the first symptom of fire, wood, you'll find smoke. When you set fire in the wood, first of all smoke comes. So smoke... First of all wood, then smoke, then fire. And from fire, when you engage the fire for fire sacrifice, that is the ultimate. Everything coming from the same source, from earth... The wood is coming from wood, the smoke is coming from smoke, the fire is coming... And fire, when engaged in fire sacrifice—svāhā—then it is proper use of fire. If one stays in the wood platform, that is completely forgetfulness.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:
And when one has become a vipra—because that is the just previous stage of becoming a brāhmaṇa—he acquires twelve kinds of qualities. Satya-śama-dama-titikṣa. The first quality is truthfulness. The second quality is controlling the senses. Controlling the mind. Śama-dama-titikṣa, to be very tolerant; ārjava, very simple; full of knowledge; full of theism; so many qualities. These qualities are mentioned. So here Prahlāda Mahārāja says, viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutāt. When one is a vipra, that means he has got all the good qualities, material good qualities. He is truthful. He is conversant with the science of religion. He knows what is God, what is Brahman. He is self-controlled. He is not sensual. So many good qualities. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "Even one has attained the stage of becoming a vipra, and he has acquired all the good qualities required for becoming a vipra, but if he is lacking one quality..."
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:
How best? Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād. He's better or the best than anyone. In this material world the brāhmaṇa, the most intellectual person with twelve good qualifications Satya, sama, dama. He's truthful, he's controller of the senses, controller of the mind, he is simple, he is tolerant, he is full of knowledge, he is full of scientific knowledge, he knows everything of Vedas. These are the qualities of a brāhmaṇa. But Prahlāda Mahārāja says that in spite of having all these qualities, if one is aravinda-nābha-pādāravinda-vimukhāt, if one is averse to the service of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then, even though he's a qualified brāhmaṇa, even though he's the most intellectual person, he is rejected. And better than him is he who even born of a very low family, śvapacam. Śvapacam means the dog-eaters. The dog-eaters. There are different kinds of flesh eaters. So there are dog-eaters also.
Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1976:
So these are the twelve qualification of the brāhmaṇa enunciated in the dharma-śāstra. There are twenty kinds of dharma-śāstra. The most important of the dharma-śāstras is the Manu-saṁhitā. (break) ...doing all nonsense. Such kind of bhakti, aikāntikī harer bhak..., utpātāyeva kalpate: it is simply disturbance in the society, without full knowledge from the śruti-smṛti, if by sentiments one becomes bhakta. That is not bhakta. Bhakta must be following the regulative principles, the instruction of guru and so on.
So here Prahlāda Mahārāja said the dvādaśa-guṇa. The dvādaśa-guṇa is dharmaś ca, dharmasya satyaṁ ca dhāmaś ca tapaś ca amātsarya hi titiksa-anusūyava-yajñāś ca dānaṁ dhṛtiḥ sutaṁ ca vratāni vai dvādaśa brāhmaṇasya. So one must be qualified with these twelve qualities. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is given, nine qualities, so, śama dama satyaṁ śaucam, jñānam-vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma sva-bhāva...
Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:
This is rationalism. Similarly, God's body is not made according to your body, but your body is made according to God's body. But this body is material; therefore we have to change. When we come to the spiritual platform, we get as good a body as that of Kṛṣṇa, which is eternal, full of bliss and full of knowledge. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Now here it is said, yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhīta mānam. Whatever you are offering to Kṛṣṇa... Practically, we see that we are offering so many nice foodstuffs to Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa, apparently it appears that Kṛṣṇa has not eaten. The prasādam is distributed among the devotees. Similarly, whatever is offered to the Supreme Lord, He is not in need of it, but He accepts it. He spiritualizes it, and it is meant for you. You are gainer. Whenever there is some special function to offer some nice foodstuffs to the Lord, you can take the prasādam, so actual gainer you are.
Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 18, 1968:
Ākāra is there, and that is also explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā that īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). "Oh, Kṛṣṇa has got a form, sir? How you say that He is the Supreme? Brahman is the Supreme." No. He has form certainly. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. His form is not like you and me. Sac-cid-ānanda. His form is eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir. He has no source. He has no source. He is original. He is the source of everything, anādir ādir, and He is the original Govinda. Govinda means He gives pleasure. How do you perceive pleasure? Through your senses. So therefore go means senses and vinda means pleasure. So if you serve Kṛṣṇa in your purified senses, then you really become happy. Therefore His name is Govinda. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādir ādir govinda sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). The cause of all causes.
Lecture on SB 7.9.13-14 -- Montreal, August 22, 1968:
The Supreme Brahman is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). And we are part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. Therefore we are also sac-cid-ānanda, eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge. But somehow or other, icchā-dveṣa-samutthena... (BG 7.27).
Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena. The real basic principle of our materialistic life is dveṣa. Dveṣa means when we become envious of Kṛṣṇa, that "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be the supreme enjoyer?" In this world, in practical experience, we have seen that many people say that "Kṛṣṇa enjoyed rasa-līlā. Why we shall not?" So this is, imitation rasa-līlā is going on in this material world, but they cannot be satisfied because it is imitation. Just like if a female takes the part of a male and wants to imitate the enjoyment, it is simply false. Similarly, we are constitutionally female, enjoyed, prakṛti. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). Prakṛti means female, enjoyed. So jīva is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as prakṛti. The first prakṛti is the material elements, eight.
Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:
It is very, very difficult. Therefore we have to voluntarily surrender. It takes very, very long time, balīyaḥ, but if one is intelligent, if one is fortunate, he takes immediately. That is the difference. Otherwise it will take many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Even if he is jñānavān, full knowledge of everything, scientific knowledge, physical, chemical, metaphysical, mathematical, all this knowledge, but denying God, "I am God. There is no need of God. Now we shall do everything. We are advanced in science..." This is called māyā manaḥ. These rascals, thinking like that... It will never be possible. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām (Bs. 5.34). Great, a great muni... Muni means mental speculators. They're thinking within the mind this, that, this, that, this, that. Muni-puṅgavānām. Puṅgava.
Lecture on SB 7.9.51 -- Vrndavana, April 6, 1976:
This is His original form. It is not the imagination of Māyāvādīs. No. But they do not know, they cannot understand. God's form can be understood by the devotees only. It is... Kṛṣṇa is not exposed to anyone except His devotee. Therefore, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa clearly says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. And these bhaktas, Kṛṣṇa says, "This bhakta who has fully surrendered unto Me with full knowledge, not blindly," vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). When one comes to this platform that Vāsudeva is everything, (Sanskrit), simply by worshiping Vāsudeva, you can worship everyone, all the demigods. There is no need of worshiping anyone else. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, only Kṛṣṇa. This is Vāsudeva.
Lecture on SB 12.2.1 -- San Francisco, March 18, 1968:
Just like if you see water directly from the sky, it is pure water. And as soon as you take water either from sea or river, it is adulterated. Similarly, we have to receive knowledge direct from Kṛṣṇa. So it is a great opportunity that Bhagavad-gītā is directly imparted by Kṛṣṇa. And if we take, accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is, we are full of knowledge. There is no question of research or bothering your brain. You take directly, immediately. We receive knowledge in that way, oh... Just mother gives the child education, "My dear child, here is your father. Here is your brother. Here is your sister," the child accepts it. He doesn't require to make research, "Who is my father?" The mother says, authority, "Here is your father," and accept. Finish. Otherwise make research, "Who is my father? Are you my father? Are you my father? Are you my father? Where is father?" The authority is mother: "Here is your father." Accept it. There is no research. There is no trouble.
Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:
Parāṁ gatim means to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our real home, the spiritual world. And live there eternally, blissfully, with full knowledge. That is our real position. So here we have come in this material world for material enjoyment. And the more we are making plan for material enjoyment, the more we are becoming entangled. That we do not know. They are thinking that material sense enjoyment is the aim of life. No, that is not the aim of life. That is the way to become more and more entangled. For sense enjoyment I have got this now body, Indian body, you have got this Australian or American or European body. But you have to change this body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We are eternal. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. The soul does not take birth; neither it dies. We simply change body.
Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:
Just like kairava-candrikā, just like the moon, on the first day it is just like a line, then gradually increases; the body and the moonshine increases. Therefore this comparison is given. The more you become Kṛṣṇa conscious the shining of your life increases. Śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam. Then this life will be full of knowledge. Vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. And to increase the life of knowledge means ananda. Ānanda means pleasure. We want pleasure. So you will get more and more pleasing life. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. And prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanam. And every step of life, as we are... In the material way of life we are experienced, only unpleasure, difficulties, the just opposite. Ānandāmbudhi-vard... Āmbudhi means the ocean. So this ocean does not increase, but when you come to the spiritual ocean of ānanda, blissfulness, it will increase daily.
| Page Title: | Full knowledge (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 06 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=131, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 131 |