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God-sent

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.17.22, Translation and Purport:

The King said: O you, who are in the form of a bull! You know the truth of religion, and you are speaking according to the principle that the destination intended for the perpetrator of irreligious acts is also intended for one who identifies the perpetrator. You are no other than the personality of religion.

A devotee's conclusion is that no one is directly responsible for being a benefactor or mischief-monger without the sanction of the Lord; therefore he does not consider anyone to be directly responsible for such action. But in both the cases he takes it for granted that either benefit or loss is God-sent, and thus it is His grace. In case of benefit, no one will deny that it is God-sent, but in case of loss or reverses one becomes doubtful about how the Lord could be so unkind to His devotee as to put him in great difficulty. Jesus Christ was seemingly put into such great difficulty, being crucified by the ignorant, but he was never angry at the mischief-mongers. That is the way of accepting a thing, either favorable or unfavorable. Thus for a devotee the identifier is equally a sinner, like the mischief-monger. By God's grace, the devotee tolerates all reverses. Mahārāja Parīkṣit observed this, and therefore he could understand that the bull was no other than the personality of religion himself.

SB 1.18.2, Purport:

The nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa practices this constantly. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was such a pure devotee. He was wrongfully cursed by an inexperienced son of a brāhmaṇa, who was under the influence of Kali, and Mahārāja Parīkṣit took this to be sent by Nārāyaṇa. He knew that Nārāyaṇa (Lord Kṛṣṇa) had saved him when he was burned in the womb of his mother, and if he were to be killed by a snake bite, it would also take place by the will of the Lord. The devotee never goes against the will of the Lord; anything sent by God is a blessing for the devotee. Therefore Mahārāja Parīkṣit was neither afraid of nor bewildered by such things. That is the sign of a pure devotee of the Lord.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Light of the Bhagavata

Light of the Bhagavata 45, Purport:

According to Vedic culture, learned men consider all natural products, such as food grains, fruits, flowers, and milk, to be God-sent. No one can manufacture these things in man-made factories, however scientifically advanced people may be. People can make preparations of such God-sent foodstuffs, but they cannot manufacture the natural ingredients. Spiritually cultured men, therefore, feel obliged to the Lord when they get sufficient natural foodstuffs by the grace of the Lord.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 5.7-13 -- New York, August 27, 1966:

There is no poverty, there is no scarcity. But we do not do that. We stock for black market. No. That is creating... Because I am thinking that "This is my property." If I think that "Every thing, every eatable things, they are sent by Kṛṣṇa or God for everyone, let me take whatever I want," then there is peace in the world. Of course, that is not possible because it is such a world (people yelling outside)... It is such a world that we are always anxious to stock, or you'll ask always to take more, then more, then more. Nobody is satisfied. Nobody is satisfied.

So yoga-yukto viśuddhātmā (BG 5.7). One who is viśuddhātmā, one who is situated in his pure consciousness, then vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ. (aside:) Sit down. Don't disturb. Sit down. Vijitātmā, and jitendriyaḥ. Jitendriyaḥ means that greedy, greediness. I want more.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

That's all. Therefore we prescribe that our students should be married. Because that is a problem. Sex life is a problem. So this marriage in every society, either Hindu society or Christian society or Muhammadan, marriage is done under religious rituals. That means one should be satisfied. "Oh, God has sent me this man as my husband." And the man should think that "God has sent me this woman, this nice woman as my wife. Let us live peacefully." But if I want, "Oh, this wife is not good. That girl is nice," "This man is not good. That man is good," then the whole thing is spoiled. Whole thing is spoiled. Because these demands are there, sense gratification. On the basis of sense gratification, "I don't like this girl. I like that girl." "I don't like this boy. I like that boy." That means sense gratification. Otherwise, the sense gratification...

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

Cheese is milk preparation. You can eat. And offer it to Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa, these things are supplied by You. Kindly You taste it, then I'll take." You can do that everywhere. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. At least we should acknowledge that everything is sent by Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is a fact. Kṛṣṇa's laws or nature's law is so nice that a cow is eating grass and producing milk. Now, if you think that grass is the cause of milk, then you are mistaken. It is the laws of Kṛṣṇa that transforms grass into milk. If you eat..., you eat grass, then you'll die. But the cow, she is eating grass... That also not supplied by your factory. The grass is produced by nature's way. And she is eating that grass and supplying the most nutritious food—milk—and in exchange you are cutting throat. How you can be happy? Such an innocent animal. She is eating grass supplied by God, and instead of grass, if you think that "She is eating grass from the land, American land or my land.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

It is not in your power. You may be very much expert in conducting a big factory for manufacturing these motorcars, but it is not possible for you to manufacture these nice grapes or oranges or banana or rice. No. That is not in your power. Therefore a sane man should admit that "This is sent by God." This is common sense. What is beyond your power... If you say it is product of nature... What do you mean by nature? Nature means an energy which is acting under the direction of God. That is nature. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Prakṛti means nature. Don't take that the nature is producing without the active cooperation of the Supreme Lord, puruṣa. Just like when a woman has got a child, produced a child, you must know that she had connection with a man, the puruṣa. So it is common sense.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

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. He comes Himself, He sends His incarnation, He sends His knowledge. Just like this Bhagavad-gītā is knowledge. He speaks Himself about this knowledge. His representatives are there by disciplic succession. So we can take advantage of all these things. Still, there is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Honolulu, May 29, 1976:

God has sent so many order carriers. Just see if one is inclined to come to Him. Just see. So as soon as the order carriers—they're travelling everywhere—so "Here's a person, he's chanting 'Nārāyaṇa.' Come on. Take him." Just see. "Here this person is chanting 'Nārāyaṇa.' Yes." Bhartur nāma mahārāja niśaṁya. "Oh, it is wonderful. He's chanting 'Nārāyaṇa.' " Immediately Yamadūtas wonder, "Why they are disturbing him? Stop!"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation Including Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.1-34 Recitation & Explanation -- April 1, 1969, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: "You rascal, wherefrom you have brought this bread, from your father's house?" (Laughter) Can you manufacture the bread in the factory, rascal? It is God's bread. But they have no intelligence. They cannot say like that. If they had presented to me, I would have at once said, "Rascal, this is not your father's bread. It is God's bread. You have stolen the property." You cannot manufacture bread or wheat. It is sent by God. That answer we have to give to these so-called Communists and rascals, godless people, that "You are not proprietor. You are all rascals. Everything belongs to God." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we have to present scientifically. We have to present by reason, by argument. Not that if we say somebody, "You are rascals..." No.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No, it is Sanskrit. And in Bengal it is called vane āsiyā rāja.(?) "In the forest a jackal has become king." They are like that. Nīla-varṇa-sṛigālavat.(?) When... There is big story about this jackal. I will tell you some. A jackal came in the village and he fell in the tub where, what is called, the water? No, no. The water man keeps the water for dipping, making little bluish. For coloring. That blue, blue. So the washerman kept the dye water in a big tub, and the jackal fell in it. So jackal fell in it; he became blue, all blue. So he fled away, and all the animals said, "What is this animal? What is the animal? What is that animal? Oh?" All, even lion became surprised. "We have not seen this." "So who are you, sir?" "I am sent by God to rule over you." "Oh?" So they began to worship him as God, as leader. Then one day other jackals, they were crying, "Wa, wa," but the jackals cannot stop.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- June 28, 1974, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: I say it is very nice, immediately. Because he was embracing tree also. So that is God consciousness, advanced God consciousness. Because everywhere there is part and parcel of God. Any way, either materially or spiritually. In our childhood, actually what I am doing, it was all taught in our childhood by our parents, my family. We were taught, "There is a grain of rice on the ground, and if it is touched by your feet, you should pick up the grain and touch on your head." This was our training. The idea behind—that the grain of rice is not man-made. It is sent by God. "O God, give us our daily bread." So here is the bread. It is God's mercy. Just see how idea, great idea. What is given by God, that is also God. This is God consciousness. You are asking God's mercy. So God's mercy is also God, the Absolute. So how can you disrespect a thing which is given by God? You cannot produce rice. You cannot produce bread. It is given by God. Everything... Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8).

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Jesuit -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: How you'll not accept God is so kind if you want to be something, He helps you, "All right you come."

Jesuit: It seems to me that God sent Jesus to tell the whole world...

Prabhupāda: God says that, that "You don't desire anything, you simply become faithful to Me." That is God's desire. But we are not abiding by the orders of God. We want, we desire so many things. Just like, don't mind if I say, that God says, "Thou shalt not kill." But we are killing. We are violating. Their tendency is there so we must suffer for that.

Jesuit: Aḥ, true, sure. If we know that we're doing wrong.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Mother and Sons -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Yes, put this chemical together and bring life. Where is the life? We ask, prepare one egg. You can analyze the white part and the yellow part of the egg, and you find some chemical properties. You bring them together and put in the same layer and everything. Now produce life. Where is that science? Simply talking. "Yes, we shall do. We are trying." Nonsense, trying. What is the use of trying? It is already there. God sent egg through the chicken; it will produce life. So why you are wasting your time in this way? Rather, try to understand the person who has got such a brain that within this chemical composition there is life. You cannot do it; therefore you inferior. Somebody has done it. Even if you say "Nature has done it," nature is then powerful. You are not even to the level of nature, what to speak of God. Nature is only one of the energies of God. You cannot understand even the energy. How you will understand the energetic?

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not in the school, but in my family.

Kern: In the family. Any formal?

Prabhupāda: Not family. My mother taught us: if there is one grain on the floor, we shall take it, keep it on the head. It is God-sent.

Kern: Yes, and our mothers too, the same thing.

Prabhupāda: It is God-sent. The grain, food grain, it is actually given by God. You should not misuse it. This was the beginning of our training.

Kern: And then were you at the university or the school or somewhere?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Calcutta University. I was taught at the Scottish Churches College. All my professor's were Fathers and Reverends. Our principal was.... They were all Fathers. Mr. Scott.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Satsvarūpa: He said that "There have been many commentaries on the Bhagavad-gītā including Rāmānuja, Madhva and Śaṅkara, and then," he said, "Tilak and Gandhi, but of all of them the commentary by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is the greatest commentary." Punjab University. Then he said later that "In this suffering mankind, God has sent His Holiness A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said greater than the other ācāryas.

Satsvarūpa: Yes. Greater than Rāmānuja and Madhva.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And he's a big man.

Prabhupāda: He is very big man. Very good scholar also. He goes outside for lecturing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Practically all the devotees feel your presence through these books.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation about BTG the Moon -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: They do not know.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They don't know. If they knew, they would speak it.

Prabhupāda: Therefore that professor has said, "God has sent Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta." I never say "Yes, yes." Never.

Hari-śauri: You're the most uncompromising person. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: You know that?

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And that. (gestures)

Hari-śauri: Scissor philosophy.

Correspondence

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Mahatma Gandhi -- Cawnpore 12 July, 1947:

You wanted chiefly Hindu-Moslem unity in India and they have tactfully managed to undo your work, by creation of the Pakistan and India separately. You wanted freedom for India but they have given permanent dependence of India. You wanted to do something for the upliftment of the position of the bhangis but they are still rotting as bhangis even though you are living in the bhangi colony. They are all therefore illusions and when these things will be presented to you as they are, you must consider them as God-sent. God has favored you by dissipating the illusion you were hovering in, and by the same illusion you were, nursing those ideas as Truth(?).

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Dayananda -- San Francisco 12 April, 1968:

We have offered them the price which we can afford to pay, but they are bargaining the matter, so, if need be, I may ask you for some help in this connection. I am happy that you are satisfied with your family, and continue like this, and be more and more happy with your good wife and your good God-sent child, Candramukhi. I am very much anxious to go there to Florida, because I have heard so much about this city, and because many retired men go there to settle. I am always anxious to open a center there to attract these retired men, and convince them about the utility of Krishna consciousness, but I know also that this retired class of men is very difficult to be convinced because their life-long habit is difficult to be changed. I am rather hopeful with the young boys and girls who are attached to this movement.

Letter to Boys and Girls -- New York 21 April, 1968:

You have high intelligence, opulences, birth in the families of the rich nation. Use this opportunity for making life successful and go back to Krishna, back to Home. It is a very scientific movement authorized by the Vedas and accepted by all great acaryas. I think the boy Terry is God-sent. In his past life he must have cultivated this science of Krishna Consciousness and therefore he has automatically been attracted with this movement and who knows if all the boys and girls joining me were not born by the Supreme Will of Krishna just to help me in this great task of distributing Krishna Consciousness in the Western World specifically. I am always at your service and whenever you shall call me I shall come to your place and enjoy your good company. Please try to open a center there as soon as possible. I have instructed Terry about this. Please cooperate with him and chant Hare Krishna and open a center there.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Bali Mardan -- 7, Bury Place London, England November 16, 1969:

So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says that He has brought this Hare Krishna Maha Mantra for dispelling the spell of Maya. Everyone should take up this opportunity and be benedicted. So not only in Tokyo, in all parts of the world we must have our centers in the most busy quarters. So I take your proposal as God-sent, and if it is possible to open a center in the busy section of Tokyo, that is very nice.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 28 May, 1970:

This means that the Indians, or the rigid followers of Vedic principles, are doubtful about my American and European students about their sticking to all these principles. So it is a God sent warning for us so that we may not deviate from the above mentioned two lines of action and thus become subject to criticism by the opposing elements.

In India there is already a party who are prepared to criticize my activities in the matter of offering sacred thread to the so-called mlecchas according to their calculation. But actually whatever I am doing here, of course giving consideration to the local situation, all of them are strictly in the line of our predecessors and direction of Sanatana Goswami. Therefore my request is that all of you be determined to maintain this standard which is not very difficult to follow that I have introduced.

Page Title:God-sent
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:24 of Nov, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=2, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=6, Con=8, Let=5
No. of Quotes:22