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Guide (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"guide" |"guided" |"guider" |"guides" |"guiding"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975:

A human being, even a child, he enquires from his father. We have got experience personally. Any intelligent boy, he enquires from the father. He is inquisitive. That is human life. He enquires, "What is this, father? What is this father?" And the father replies. So unless this enquiry is there, he is not human being. A cat and dog cannot enquire about the origin of a thing. But a human mind is developed in such a way that he enquires, he makes research to find out the original cause. Just like nowadays the scientists are enquiring about the origin of life. But unfortunately, they are finding out the original cause which is not. Just like they are trying to research out what is the origin of life. And there are many, many learned scientists. They think that the origin of life is chemical combination. So that is not the fact.

Therefore, without being guided by authority, nobody can find out the perfect answer of an enquiry. Even in the university level, those who are research scholar, they are guided by three experienced professors. And when the student's research work is admitted by the three professors, then he is awarded the doctorate designation. So the, as I have already said, the child enquires, "What is this, father?" Similarly, we should also enquire, "What is the origin of this universe?" Not only universe, but any item within our experience, naturally we are inclined... Just like here is a microphone. So an intelligent person is inquisitive to enquire, "Who is the manufacturer of this microphone?" Just like we enquire about a child, "Whose son he is? Who is his father?" similarly, this is human mind, to enquire about the origin. That is the only business of human being. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā, means the jīva, means human being especially... Jīva means all living being, but above all living beings, the human being is the most awakened consciousness. Therefore his business is to enquire about the Absolute Truth. It is said, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

So this is the injunction of the śāstra. Ācārya, the spiritual master, the representative of Kṛṣṇa... Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt, Kṛṣṇa says. "The ācārya is Myself." Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: ** "By pleasing the ācārya, one can please the Supreme Lord." This is the... Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who has got ācārya to guide him, he knows things." These are the Vedic injunctions.

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

For the benefit of the whole human society they used to meet sometimes, and that meeting is still continuing in India. It is called Kumbha-melā. Kumbha-melā. Recently this meeting took place in Haridwar. All the saintly person used to come and in four places: one at Prayāga, Allahabad, one at Vṛndāvana, and one at Haridwar, and another at Rāmeśvaram, something like that. Four places. So similar meeting was held at Naimiṣāraṇya. Naimiṣāraṇya, that place is still existing, very nice place.

So the question was that "After departure of Kṛṣṇa, who was guiding the fates of the human being?" The last question was this.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

People say, "What is there? They're simply ringing the bell, that's all." So two things must go on: bhaktyā, śruta-gṛhitaya. There must be devotional service, discharge of devotional service as they are prescribed in the śāstra, as they are guided or ordered by the spiritual master—that will go on—at the same time we have to hear, namanta eva, śruti vak-manobhiḥ. In this way, if we live our life, athāto brahma jijñāsā, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā, if you try to understand the Absolute Truth, this is the process. If we follow, then our life is a success.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

This Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is in everyone's heart. He is also sitting with me in the heart. I, as spirit soul, I am sitting there, and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu as Paramātmā, as guiding Supersoul, He is also sitting in the same position. One is... It is stated in the Upaniṣad that two birds are sitting in one tree. One bird is eating the fruit and the other bird is simply witnessing. So Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu as Paramātmā, He is witnessing the activities of the individual soul. And according to the activities of the individual soul, He is getting the necessary result. He is witness. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is confirmed, anumantā and upadraṣṭā. Upadraṣṭā means witness. Suppose you are doing something. I have nothing to do with your activities, but I can see..., I am seeing what you are doing.

Lecture on SB 1.3.17 -- Los Angeles, September 22, 1972:

Then their both life is successful. Otherwise, if the husband simply becomes captivated by the charming beauty of woman and engages himself in the sex life, then his life is lost, and the woman, they are less intelligent, unless they are guided by proper husband, her life is also lost. So those who are not demigods... Here it is said, apāyayat surān. Sura-asura. Sura, those who are not developed to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are asura. So every husband should be a sura. Sura means devotee. And every woman should be religious. Religious means to become chaste, faithful to the husband. And the husband should become a devotee. Then both of them will make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and that is the perfection of life.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

Yes. Perfect society is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you accept Kṛṣṇa as the center... Just like in a family if you accept the head of the family, your father, as the guiding principle, the family's happy. And if you disrupt with the opinion of the father, somebody goes away, somebody's not happy, the family is disturbed. Similarly, if you agree with the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and God, the whole human society will be peace and prosperity. If you don't agree, disagree, don't agree, disagree, then it is disruption. The instruction is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. You take it, you agree to it, and you become happy in this world and next world.

Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976:

Pradyumna:

iti priyāṁ valgu-vicitra-jalpaiḥ
sa sāntvayitvācyuta-mitra-sūtaḥ
anvādravad daṁśita ugra-dhanvā
kapi-dhvajo guru-putraṁ rathena

Arjuna, who is guided by the infallible Lord as friend and driver, thus satisfied the dear lady by such statements. Then he dressed in armor and armed himself with furious weapons, and getting into his chariot, he set out to follow Aśvatthāmā, the son of his martial teacher."

Prabhupāda: So "Arjuna, who is guided by the infallible Lord as friend and driver." Kṛṣṇa's name is Acyuta. Cyuta means fallen, and acyuta means never fallen. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they foolishly say that when God becomes entangled by māyā, He becomes a living entity-jīva-bhūta. Jīva means when He forgets that He is God, then he becomes a jīva, living entity. This is Māyāvādī philosophy. But how God can degrade to become a man or an animal? He is Acyuta; He never falls. Otherwise how He is God?

Lecture on SB 1.7.28-29 -- Vrndavana, September 25, 1976:

This is military science. Sāma Veda, Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda. And military science also, one of the part of the Vedas, Dhanur Veda. It is called Dhanur Veda—how to utilize dhanuḥ. Dhanuḥ means bow and arrows. Similarly Āyur Veda. Āyur Veda means medical science, how to protect the āyuḥ. Because the body is perishable, so in the Vedic knowledge, everything is there to guide the human society. It is stated in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). Nigama means Veda, and that is kalpa-taru. Nigama kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam. It is compared with the tree. What kind of tree? Desire tree. Nigama-kalpa-taroḥ. Kalpa-taru. The kalpa-taru can be found in the spiritual world, not in this material world. The spiritual world is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā. What is that? Kalpa-taru, cintāmaṇi kalpa-taru.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Mayapura, September 29, 1974:

On the one side, Kuntī says, antar bahir avasthitam: "Kṛṣṇa, You are within..." Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa is not far away. Kṛṣṇa is always with you. He, He's so friendly that just like two birds... It is said in the Upaniṣads: the one bird is eating the fruit of the tree; another bird is simply guiding and seeing. Because this material world, living entity wanted to enjoy. Just like you have seen that the dog and the master. The master is so friendly to the dog out of love. It is a dog, but when it is passing stool, he's waiting. Why? Is the duty of the master to wait because the dog is passing stool?

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa is both, friends for both of them. Kṛṣṇa supplied unlimited measurement of cloth to Draupadī because Draupadī was crying to Kṛṣṇa, "Save my honor." Similarly, Arjuna also, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme guide. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "There is perplexity, my dear Kṛṣṇa. I cannot decide whether I shall fight or I shall not fight." Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ: "I am kṣatriya, but due to my weakness, I am crying to avoid fight. So therefore please instruct me. Because You can, I understand that You can give me the right instruction; therefore I become Your śiṣya." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam.

Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Mayapura, October 26, 1974:

The ideal monarchy—Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit—they were very much advanced in spiritual knowledge, in administrative knowledge, in economic development. Everything, perfectly they were educated, and they were being guided by saintly persons like vyāsādyaiḥ. Vyāsādyaiḥ. Mahārāja Rāmacandra was being guided by Vasiṣṭha. So the kings were guided by a committee of saintly persons. Big, big learned, saintly persons, brāhmaṇas, they would give advice to the king. He is already learned. There was a case, Veṇa Mahārāja, the father of Pṛthu Mahārāja. He was very much upstart. Therefore the committee of the learned brāhmaṇas and saintly persons killed him.

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

Because a king is representative of God. King is not ordinary person. Just like spiritual master is representative of God, similarly, king is also representative of God. The father is also representative of God. These are the statements of the śāstras. Because they will guide. The king will guide. The spiritual master will guide. The father will guide. What is that guidance? That guidance is how one can become Kṛṣṇa conscious by education, by culture. This is guidance, not that to guide them how to become hippies. This is not guidance. This is misguidance. Guidance means... The whole system of human civilization is guide the people to become God conscious. This is the Vedic civilization, not to make them dog conscious, cat conscious, animal conscious. No. (aside:) Sleeping. You are feeling sleepy? Why not sleep? But don't make like that.

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

So people... Animals, they do not know that the goal of life is to understand God, Viṣṇu. Animals cannot know, cannot... Even they are instructed, they cannot know it. That is not possible. But the human beings, however fallen he may be, if he is properly guided, if he is properly instructed, he can become God conscious. This is the special privilege of the human life. Animal cannot do. You can train one animal how to dance. That also you can do. So many things. Just like in circus, the animals are trained up to do so many things. But an animal cannot be trained to be God conscious. Sometimes also, by proper guidance, the animal also becomes, but that is very rare case. So it is the king's duty to see that his citizens are becoming God conscious. That is king's duty. First of all father's duty, spiritual master's duty, ultimately, king's duty. King's, king's duty.

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

Therefore it is said, dharmeṇa, cakāra rājyaṁ dharmeṇa. Dharmeṇa means "by religious principles." What is that religious principle? Religious principle means to guide everyone to become God conscious. This is religious principle. Dharmeṇa. Therefore varṇāśrama-dharma. In the Vedic culture the varṇas and āśrama, they are accepted as dharma. Dharma means duty which you must execute. That is called dharma. Compulsory. If you don't do it, then you will suffer. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). And wherefrom this dharma comes? It comes from Bhagavān, God. He gives these dharmas. And the king, the spiritual master, being representative of God, it is their duty how to guide people to develop that God consciousness. This is called human civilization, dharmeṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

And the king, the spiritual master, being representative of God, it is their duty how to guide people to develop that God consciousness. This is called human civilization, dharmeṇa. So it is the king's duty to observe his dharma, kṣatriya. Kṣatriya's duty is to give protection to the citizens, security of life and property, and guide them gradually to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is kṣatriya's duty. Brāhmaṇa's duty is to guide the kṣatriyas, whether he is actually executing his duty according to śāstra. That is brāhmaṇa's duty. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Similarly, vaiśya's duty is to see economic development of the state, and the śūdra's duty—because śūdra means fourth-class men; they have no intelligence—therefore their duty is to serve the three higher classes, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. This is the system.

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

This is government. This is government. Just try to understand the ideal government during Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time. Not only Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, all the kings. Rājarṣayaḥ. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. They were all great ṛṣis, although they were kṣatriyas. Brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya, they used to guide the general people. The high caste means who would guide the people nicely. The brāhmaṇa by their Vedic knowledge, perfect knowledge, paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. By high learning, they would... They were not interested for capturing the government. No.

Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa will guide you. Kṛṣṇa is within yourself, and He can speak to you. You can hear Him also, provided you are fully surrendered.

So it does not mean that Arjuna was not fully surrendered. Arjuna was fully surrendered, and Arjuna was fully protected by Kṛṣṇa. Neither these queens, sixteen thousand queens could be plundered away by some cowherdsmen. But the... It is an instance, that even a person like Arjuna, he will be helpless without Kṛṣṇa. He will be helpless, what to speak of ourselves? He will be helpless. That is his... He is showing that example. Kṛṣṇa was... So so 'haṁ nṛpendra rahitaḥ puruṣottamena:

Lecture on SB 1.15.20 -- Los Angeles, November 30, 1973:

Just like one bird is flying from one tree to another, and another bird is following him. So similarly we are flying from one body to another. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). But Kṛṣṇa does not leave us. He's also going with you just to give you guidance. But we won't give Him. Just like father... It is very natural. Father naturally wants to guide the son without any motive. That is father's nature. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, or God, the supreme father, is naturally inclined to give us protection, naturally. Therefore He comes, Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Kṛṣṇa's two business.

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

Discretion is the better part of valor, and one must learn how to discriminate between actions which may be pleasing to the Lord and those which may not be pleasing to the Lord. An action is thus judged by the Lord's pleasure or displeasure. There is no room for personal whims. We must always be guided by the pleasure of the Lord. Such action is called yoga-karmasu kauśalam, or actions performed which are linked with the Supreme Lord. That is the art of doing a thing perfectly."

Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:

He gave the instruction: "This is the position. You are like this. Your position is like this. You are now in trouble. You are in material existence. Why you are struggling for existence simply making your mind as the guide?" Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "These living entities, they are My part and parcel. They're as good as I am, but..." Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣa... "They have made the mind, given the power of attorney to the mind, and therefore they are forced to the struggle for existence." This is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:

He has no danger. He has no danger. Similarly, anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, and following blindly some rascal, he is imperfect and he will suffer. And because we have taken Kṛṣṇa's shelter, Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). He will give guidance. If you follow perfectly, you surrender unto Him, He will guide you. He is within you, everyone. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). He is there. He is not far away, although He lives in His own abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:

That is Kṛṣṇa. Although He is in His abode, but He is everywhere. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Although He is living in Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is in this temple, He is within our heart. Simply we have to take advantage, how He is present, how He is advising. That is the technique. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. God is everywhere. He is prepared to guide you. He is prepared to help you. Because He is father, He is always prepared. But we do not take His guidance. We do not take His shelter. That is the difficulty.

So why you do not take? Because ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), we have attachment, "This country is mine. This family is mine. This wife is mine. The children is mine.

Lecture on SB 1.15.50 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1973:

There must be blood. That is kṣatriya. Kṣatriya means the fighting race, fighting caste, king, royal. They must be very chivalrous fighting, not timid. A kṣatriya cannot be timid. Brāhmaṇas kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdra, they are trained differently. Brāhmaṇa—for understanding Vedic knowledge and guide the other three subdivisions, namely kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, not śūdras. Śūdras were not supposed to understand Vedic knowledge. Especially brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas.

Lecture on SB 1.16.3 -- Los Angeles, December 31, 1973:

Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na sukhaṁ sa...

So everything should be done according to śāstra. And the śāstra should be guided by ācārya, guru. Ācārya means one who knows what is there in the śāstra. He practices in his life and teaches the disciple. He is called ācārya. Ācārya is not a whimsical thing. He must know. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja appointed ācārya, śāradvatam. He is the brother of Droṇācārya. Droṇācārya was also ācārya, but he was military ācārya. And here he was ācārya for Vedic rituals, ācārya.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

There are two ways: pravṛtti and nivṛtti. I want to smoke—that is called pravṛtti. And when I give up, that is called nivṛtti. Pravṛtti and nivṛtti.

So there are two things: pravṛtti and nivṛtti. But asuras, demons, they do not know "In which way I shall guide my pravṛtti and which way I shall guide my nivṛtti." This is the paśu. "In which way I will..." Pravṛtti and nivṛtti, these two things are there, but the difference between a demon and demigod is that a demon does not know how to direct these two propensities, pravṛtti and nivṛtti. And a demigod knows how to guide these two things, pravṛtti and nivṛtti.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

Three stages. But in this age, women are trying to take independence of father, husband or children. That is not good. That is described in the śāstra.

So so many symptoms are described, but at the end the remedy is suggested because śāstra means it will guide you for the ultimate goal of life, for the perfection of life. So if the world condition is so bad, then how people will be saved? That is also suggested in the śāstra: kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was advised by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, "My dear King, I've described so many faults. It is like the ocean of faults.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

Today I have got very nice body, American body, but what is the guarantee next life? But they do not believe in the next life because they have no good brain. So in order to understand things as they are, you require good brain, and for good brain, you require milk preparation. In this way, as they've suggested a routine in the śāstra also, and guided by sādhu-guru-śāstra, if we accept, then we shall become very happy in this life and next life also. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 1.16.35 -- Hawaii, January 28, 1974:

The paramātmā feature is madhyama puruṣa. He is purusottama. Puruṣottama is the Supreme Person, and the Supreme Person by His expansion as the Supersoul is present in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). He's guiding, as friend. He's guiding as friend, but He speaks directly with the living entity as soon as we are purified by devotional service. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). That if..., that qualification we have to attain, then Kṛṣṇa, puruṣottama, will speak from within, just like He spoke from within of Brahma: tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1).

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Vrndavana, March 17, 1974:

When we speak that these gosvāmīs, who are indulging in all sinful activities, that does not mean the Gosvāmīs... Gosvāmīs cannot take in sinful activities, take part in sin... That is not possible. But still, there are so many so-called gosvāmīs who are taking in sinful activities; still, they are being passed as gosvāmī. So we do not mean... When we speak of gosvāmī, we mean the six Gosvāmīs and their followers.

So Vṛndāvana, in Vṛndāvana, those who will remain here to..., especially to guide this temple, they must be followers of the six Gosvāmīs. So where is our Gurudāsa? He is not present? Why? He is busy? Very busy? Where?

Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972:

One should not visit all these sanctified pilgrimage places and temples with sightseeing in mind, but one must go to such temples and sanctified places immortalized by the transcendental pastimes of the Lord and be guided by proper men who know the science. This is called anuvraja. Anu means to follow. It is therefore best to follow the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master, even in visiting temples and the holy places of pilgrimage. One who does not move in that way is as good as a standing tree condemned by the Lord not to move. The moving tendency of the human being is misused by visiting places for sightseeing.

Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

And smṛti means books which follow the Vedic principles. Vedas... Suppose you write one book, or anything. If it is just according to the Vedic conclusion, then it is also... It is called smṛti. By remembering the Vedic conclusion... You cannot go beyond the Vedic conclusion. Then it is useless writing. Vedic conclusion must be there. The guide must be there. On that conclusion, if you write something, that is right, and if you deviate from that conclusion, then it is wrong. So we want to read authorized, right books. Not by imagination. You can write so many nonsense things by imagination. That is useless. You must remember what is the Vedic conclusion. So śruti-smṛti-pañcarātra-vidhim.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Los Angeles, November 10, 1968:

Just like dream. At night we dream, "Oh, I have been made a king," and in the morning I see everything finished. So we should not be attached to these temporary attractions. We admit these are temporary attractions, but we are still... Just like children. They are attracted to the..., but the parents, they're guiding, "Oh, you must go to school." Niḥśreyasāya. That is śreyaḥ. The boy, the child, does not like it, but the parents, they are anxious, "Oh, my child is not going to school; he is being spoiled." So dragging him.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Los Angeles, November 10, 1968:

And śūdras. Śūdra means neither intelligent nor administrator nor merchant. General laborer. Give them something, they'll work. They have no intelligence. So they are called śūdras.

So these four divisions there are. And... This is... So far our material necessities are concerned, there is need of intelligent class of men to guide, there is need of administrators or martial class of men, there is need of mercantile class of men, and there is need of laborer class of men. So these four divisions... And next, culture. Culture means brahmacārī. First, student life. He's educated in the value of life.

Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974:

Not a bogus guru. Then you will be cheated. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. The so-called rascal guru, he does not know also what is the aim of life, and if he makes some disciples then śāstra says, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ, one blind man is trying to guide many other blind men. So what is the benefit? There is no benefit. So if you want to be guided by somebody, he must have opened eyes. Tattva-darśinaḥ, upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ tad jñānī tattva-darśinaḥ. Darśana. Darśana means who have got eyes to see what is the absolute truth. Don't go to a blind man, who has no knowledge about the absolute truth.

Lecture on SB 3.25.30 -- Bombay, November 30, 1974:

Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). One has to learn. The first condition is praṇipāta. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta, complete surrender. Praṇipātena. Then paripraśna. Sad-dharma-pṛcchat. First of all, praṇipāta, a full submission, then paripraśna, guided by sevā, service. We have to please the spiritual master, the teacher, by service. This whole bhakti process depends on service attitude. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. I have several times explained this verse. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our present material senses are blunt.

Lecture on SB 3.25.37 -- Bombay, December 6, 1974:

A devotee wants Kṛṣṇa, the supreme eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is the Vedic version. The Supreme Lord is the supreme leader of the nityas. We are all nityas, eternal. He guides. Therefore Kṛṣṇa plays with the living entities, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, in the spiritual world. There Kṛṣṇa and the devotees become His friend, cowherd boy. They play with Kṛṣṇa. They want that thing. They do not want to go to the Brahmaloka or the Candraloka or this loka or that loka, because that will be finished. That will be finished. Because that is māyāvinas tām. Māyā will finish. It may be... Just like here we see.

Lecture on SB 3.26.19 -- Bombay, December 28, 1974:

That is required. So long the body is there, we must have to eat, we must have to sleep, we require sense gratification and protection or security. This is required. But the Vedic civilization was very simplified, simplified. A class of ideal men, the brāhmaṇa, they are ideal. They are simply assimilating the Vedic knowledge and guiding others—kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—how to live peacefully. The kṣatriya, they are meant for giving protection to the people, security. And the vaiśya is meant for producing food. And śūdra, because they cannot do anything independently, they must serve these three masters: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. So this is very scientific.

So if there is no ideal class of men, who will guide? If everyone is engaged as śūdra to work hard for technology, then who will give the guidance? A brainless society.

Lecture on SB 3.26.19 -- Bombay, December 28, 1974:

The leg is ordered, "Go there"; it goes. They cannot do anything independently. So rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, at the present moment the rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, is very prominent. But therefore society is imperfect. There must be a section of people, sattva-guṇa, and..., sattva-guṇa especially, to guide. Otherwise they will be simply engaged-rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ means kāma and lobha. Lusty desires and greediness, that's all.

Lecture on SB 3.26.20 -- Bombay, December 29, 1974:

Dirty things means this experience of this material world. That is called dirty things. Because we are covered. We are spirit soul; we are now covered by these material dirty things. So it can be removed. Sva-tejasā. There is such potency of the spirit soul that it can come out. Simply the attempt should be made, assisted by or guided by a superior person. That is called spiritual master. He can guide, and we can come out of this slumber, sleeping in ignorance.

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us a very easy process, this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Lecture on SB 3.26.20 -- Bombay, December 29, 1974:

Abhadrāṇi, the same dirty thing. Kṛṣṇa is always ready to help us provided if we take His help. Kṛṣṇa is so nice. As Paramātmā, He is living within the heart, and He is always ready to give us good advice and guide us. Caitya-guru, the guru within the heart. And this external spiritual master, he is Kṛṣṇa's representative. When He sees that "This living entity is little serious. He wants to know Me. He wants to come to Me," so He helps from within, and He sends His representative from without.

Lecture on SB 3.26.20 -- Bombay, December 29, 1974:

In Uttar Pradesh near Lucknow, there is a place, Naimiṣāraṇya. So long, long ago, say, four thousand, five thousand years ago, there was a big meeting of learned brāhmaṇas. In that conference this resolution was passed. What is that resolution? Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ: "Now we are assembled here, guided by the learned brāhmaṇas." There were kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras also. So the resolution was passed. The president was Sūta Gosvāmī.

Lecture on SB 3.26.44 -- Bombay, January 19, 1975:

That is strictly according to the Vedic science, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha, from the very beginning of life. So life should be utilized properly, and the children, not all... Some of them may become kṣatriya; some of them become śūdra or vaiśya. But an ideal class of brāhmaṇa must be there to guide the society. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1976:

There was no education for even the vaiśyas. There are four divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. But vaiśya and śūdra, there is no need of education. The brāhmaṇas, because they will guide the society, they require education. And the kṣatriya, they will give protection to the society; therefore there was education guided by the brāhmaṇa. And for the vaiśyas, kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma... (Bg 18.44). Where is the education? He can see, learn from his father how the field is to be cultivated with a plow. He doesn't require. He can see. And fifty years ago we have seen that those who were in the lower status of life, they never sent their children to school. I have seen it. Never sent.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

There must be four classes. In order to manage things very nicely, you cannot make classless society. Four classes. The most intelligent class, brāhmaṇa, and then next intelligent, the kṣatriyas, and the next intelligent, the vaiśyas, and the last one, who has no intelligence, śūdra. These four classes must be there. Without this division of classes, society, who will guide them? At the present moment, without any class the government has made adult vote. Anyone who is above certain age, say eighteen years or twenty years, he can vote. But there is no class, that "This class can vote; this class cannot vote." There is no such thing. Anyone who is above eighteen years old, he is competent to cast his vote. And people are not educated in this division, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. They are all classless.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

So a gentleman sees that "This is brāhmaṇa in the society." You will find in Vṛndāvana so-called brāhmaṇa, paṇḍita, paṇḍas—no education, and they do everything. It is known to everyone. So because there is no training... Paṇḍas, they were guiding the tourists or the visitors. They were trained up brāhmaṇa, paṇḍitas. Now practically higher section of the society, they do not come. One gentleman asked me in Delhi in the beginning that "Swamiji, why you have made Vṛndāvana as your headquarters?" Because they have got a very bad experience. So even the Vṛndāvana city, you see how they are neglected. We are a little far off from the city. You go. How they are neglected city, no up-to-date gentlemen can go there because the culture is lost. And from big, big Gosvāmīs' family they are becoming rogues and thieves because training is not there, training, the first-class man to train them.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

They will not misguide. Dṛṣṭvā punas taṁ saghṛṇaḥ kubuddhim. Merciful: "Never mind." But there is no disqualification because one is low born and high born. Everyone can take. But he must follow the direction of the proper guide. Just like we say, "No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex." If he follows the rules and regulation and chants Hare Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of proper spiritual master, then everything will be all right. He is no more śūdra or caṇḍāla. He will become... Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭha hari-bhakti-parāyanaḥ. By advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he can be raised to the highest plat... So it is the duty of the guide not to engage him in lower class of occupation. Therefore there must be a class of men first-class who can teach the society how to advance in human civilization.

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

So in the previous verse it has been described that kas taṁ svayaṁ tad-abhijño vipaścid. The guardian should be abhijñaḥ, and vipaścit, very learned. The government, the father, the guru, the teacher, or even husband of... Because we are guided, everyone is guided by somebody else. That is society. Not cats and dogs. Just like the cats and dogs, they give birth to the children and then they have no responsibility. The dogs are loitering in the street; nobody takes care. But human society should not be like that. There must be responsible guardians. The some of the responsible guardians are described here.

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

He has described very nicely vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru nandana (BG 2.41). The order of guru should be the life and soul of the disciple, without caring for his personal salvation. This is the qualification of śiṣya. Śiṣyas te 'ham śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7), fully surrendered. And guru's duty is to guide them, guide him how to overcome this cycle of birth of death. These are the relationship between guru and disciple or father and son, mother and son, friend and friend, devatā... There are so many devatās. In the śāstras there are thirty-three millions of devatā. They say, "Whatever you worship," the rascals say, not any intelligent man, that "whatever devatā. You worship Kali, that's all right. You worship Gaṇeśa, that's all right. You worship Sūrya, that's all right. Whatever you are doing is all right.

Lecture on SB 5.6.2 -- Vrndavana, November 24, 1976:

So we must follow the rules and regulation very... Therefore it is said that viśrambham anavasthānasya śaṭha-kirāta iva saṅgacchante. We should not believe our mind, that we have become perfect. By mental dictation we should not be guided. That is a very bad practice, to think of, that "I have now become liberated, I don't require to follow the regulative principles." So we must be very careful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, May 8, 1976:

Therefore śāstra has forbidden, gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sa syāt: "One should not become a guru, one should not become a relative, one should not become the father, one should not become the mother, one should not become the husband..." In this way there is a list. Why? Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum: "If he does not know how to guide his disciple or subordinate to stop the cycle of birth and death." He should not do. This is the ultimate goal of life, that we have to stop the cycle. Punar-janma-jayayā. Punar-janma-jayayā, to conquer over next birth. Punar-janma-jayaya.

Lecture on SB 6.1.12 -- Honolulu, May 13, 1976:

One who is progressing towards the perfection of life, they are called Aryans, and those who are degrading towards animal propensity, they are non-Aryans. This is the difference. Aryan culture.

So Kṛṣṇa, when found Arjuna, that he was in the battlefield and Kṛṣṇa Himself is guiding him and becoming the chariot driver, and He saw that "Arjuna is declining to fight?" He became surprised. So He chastised him, kutas te kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam anārya-juṣṭam. Aryan, ārya, ārya. "So this is not for a gentleman, business. You are behaving like non-Aryans." Non-Aryan. So this is the difference between culture and nonculture, that... There is a Bengali proverb that one girl was to dance on the stage.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

"Why you arrest me, sir?" "Because you are driving on the right side." "That I know. I do not know that you have to drive left side." "That does not mean you are free from criminal charges. Come to the court." So this criminality is happened on account of ignorance. So any criminal person wrongly-guided means ignorance. Therefore we have to develop real knowledge. The real knowledge is that God is one, God is great, we are part and parcel of God, and therefore we have to serve God. This is knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Therefore he should consult spiritual master. The guide is there. Then it is all right. He should take sanction from Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. If he wants to do something, that's good, but whether that doing is right or wrong you have to know it from Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Is it clear or not? Yes.

Devotee (1): How can one reach the point where he knows that a particular type of service...

Sruta-kirti: How can one reach the point where he knows a particular type of service...

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Denver, June 29, 1975:

One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa, such person How this dedication of life to Kṛṣṇa's service can be made possible? That is also stated here: tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā. You have to take shelter of a person who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and you have to serve. That means you have to accept a devotee, a true devotee, a pure devotee, as your guide. That is our process. The Rūpa Gosvāmī says in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, "The first process is, first step is ādau gurvāśrayam to accept guru." Accept guru Guru means Kṛṣṇa's representative. One who is not Kṛṣṇa's representative, he cannot become guru. Guru does not mean any nonsense can become guru. No. Only tat-puruṣa. Tat-puruṣa means a person who has accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead as everything.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

And that is stated next, that he used to live on these principles—beg, borrow, steal and gambling—and he was degraded. And how he was degraded? That will be explained. So people do not take care of their śāstras. They make their own interpretation and therefore India's position is so fallen. They are guided. The great ṛṣis and great sages, they have given them guidance. Vyāsadeva has given guidance. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitā. It is stated. "People are rascals, fools. In order to teach them nicely, this highest learned personality, Vyāsadeva, created the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Lokasya ajānataḥ. Ajānataḥ means rascals who has no knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

They were very odd-looking and not to be supposed very civilized—uneducated—but how they are explaining about dharma? Because the challenge was that "If you are the servants of Dharmarāja, then explain what is dharma." It doesn't matter whether a man is civilized or uncivilized or good-looking or bad-looking, but if he has got proper guide, then he can speak the right thing. This is the ... Yamarāja ūcuḥ. They're not manufacturing anything. They're saying iti śuśruma. Iti śuśruma, "We have heard it from our master." This is knowledge. They are not expected to manufacture something speculative. They are neither educated nor civilized nor... Nothing of the sort. But they are talking of the source of religion, how they have heard it from the authority, Yamarāja.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

That is called śiṣya. Śiṣya... Śās-dhātu. From śās-dhātu all these terms—śāstra, śiṣya, śāsana. These are words derived from the root śās-dhātu. Śās-dhātu means śāsana, governing. The governing is done by military, governing is done by lawbooks, governing is done by personal instruction, so many things. So śiṣya means who voluntarily accepts to be guided or being governed by the representative of God. That is śiṣya. Yes.

Lecture on SB 6.1.46 -- Detroit, June 12, 1976:

Now, varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, everything has got varieties of duties. Brāhmaṇas have got varieties of duties. Kṣatriya has got varieties. Just like brāhmaṇa: sattva śamo-damas-titikṣa ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). There must be a class of men, brāhmaṇa. Otherwise, society will go to hell. Who will guide? Just like in this body there must be the head. Otherwise, what is the use of these hands and legs? There is no use. Who will give direction? They are now trying to make classless society. Therefore they are bringing the whole human society into ruination. It cannot be done. There must be classes. Just like in my body there are four divisions: brain, arms, belly, leg. So they are required. Leg is also required, hand is also required, belly is also required. Similarly, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī—varieties.

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Detroit, June 13, 1976:

He was such a big personality, Jīva Gosvāmī. Big, big Māyāvādīs, they were afraid of Jīva Gosvāmī's logic and argument to establish the Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

So it is not... This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for very intelligent, high-class, fortunate persons. Because they are going to guide the destiny of the human society. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. Their only endeavor is how people will be happy. This is their real mission. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore asked to "Take this mission and go village to village, town to town, and spread My mission."

Lecture on SB 6.1.52 -- Detroit, August 5, 1975:

Everyone can do that, provided he lives in the village, he lives in the village and produces his own food, little labor, vegetable, food grains. Anyone can produce. This is human civilization. Therefore... Not that all, everyone has to do. The third class... First-class men, they should cultivate knowledge to guide the human society, brāhmaṇa. Śama dama titikṣa... (BG 18.42). They should learn, ideal men. Under their advice... Brāhmaṇa is considered to be the guru of other sections: kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So anyone can live very peacefully without any hard labor. What is this civilization? For getting foodstuff one has to go hundred miles away from home, daily passengers.

Lecture on SB 6.2.7 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1975:

Generally the vaiśyas are rich. So he will get chance either in a very good family of brāhmaṇa or vaiśyas. Vaiśyas are generally devotees. Therefore he gets the chance of taking birth in a nice family. And if he is fortunate or if he is guided, then he begins again Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the point where he lost it. Therefore he is not loser, whereas others who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he may be diverted, and there is no guarantee what is the next birth. Kṛṣṇa does not guarantee. Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma... (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, yathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ. He will get another body.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

Now I have to observe the dvādaśī breakfast." So the brāhmaṇa priest ordered him that "Mahārāja, you can take little caraṇāmṛta," the water. So according to śāstra, drinking little water is not breaking fast, so it will be not taken very... So with the advice of the brāhmaṇa... Formerly the kings, they were guided by the instruction of the brāhmaṇas and great saintly persons. They were not doing anything whimsically. That is not the fact. So with the instruction of the brāhmaṇas, he took little caraṇāmṛta. And Durvāsā Muni was a great yogi. He could immediately understand. Then he came back and became very angry. His idea was to punish him some way or other. "Give the dog bad name and hang it." This was his policy. So he was to give some bad name.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

You have to follow the regulative principles as enjoined in the śāstra. Yaḥ śāstra vidhim utsṛjya. If you do not follow the injunction of the śāstra, then there is no possibility of attaining perfection. Na siddhiṁ sāvapnoti. So our business is to accept a bona fide spiritual master, being guided by him, to follow the rules and regulations. Then advancement is sure. There is no doubt about it. And if we become hodgepodge and mix with hodgepodge and do hodgepodge, there is no progress. Na siddhim. It is clearly said by Kṛṣṇa, "There is no question of perfection," na sukham, "neither happiness," na parāṁ gatim, "and what to speak of being promoted to the spiritual world?

Lecture on SB 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971:

Just like Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: (BG 4.9) "After leaving this body they do not come again to take birth in this material world, but they come to Me." So those who are eligible to go back to Godhead, they are taken by Viṣṇudūta as guides. But durdarśa-liṅgāni, they are very rarely to be seen because directly going to Vaikuṇṭha after leaving this body, such persons are also very rare. Durdarśa-liṅgāni mahādbhutāni. Adbhuta, wonderful. Certainly they must be wonderful because they are spiritual body—four hands, with different weapons, just like Viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

Prabhupāda: God is everywhere, and God is with you also. God knows you, and He is trying to guide you. But you do not know Him.

Guest (1): You just said that the soul takes rebirth when he does. Therefore what's the soul? Got rebirth, soul, so that he will make always difficult thing in life and would not fix in God, or what God do with the souls?

Prabhupāda: Soul is there, and God is there. When you take rebirth, God is also there. He is trying to guide you. You are desiring the... Just like "I want to enjoy like this," and God is giving you facility: "All right, you enjoy like this." Just like driver.

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Father says, "Don't do it. But if you do it, do it at your risk."

Indian man (3): But if Kṛṣṇa is guiding us...

Prabhupāda: But you don't accept Kṛṣṇa's guidance. That is the difficulty. Just like you are taking the guidance of Americans. You are elderly man, educated man, you prefer to take guidance from the Americans, not from Kṛṣṇa. So what can be done? That is Kṛṣṇa's ill luck and your misfortune. What can be done? All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 12, 1968:

Therefore you have to be guided by your spiritual master. Otherwise how can you know? It is not possible. Any school you go, you have to be guided by the school teacher. Otherwise you don't have any education. So this is also a kind of education, Kṛṣṇa education. So you have to find out a bona fide school, you have to find out a bona fide teacher, and then you learn. That's all. If, for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you go to somebody who is engineer, then you cannot have Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But if you go to engineer, how to become engineer, you can become engineer.

Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends guru-śuśrūṣayā. Guru-śuśrūṣayā. Guru-śuśrū... means that you have to first of all select a spiritual master. Without a teacher, without guidance, nobody can make any process. Even if you have passed M.A., and if you want to put some theses and if you want to get yourself doctorate degree, then it is the system that the theses should be guided by three expert Ph.D.'s. This is the system. So similarly, if you want to be purely Kṛṣṇa conscious person, then you must select a person who can give you instruction, who can guide you in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Bhagavad-gītā also teaches us the same thing: tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34).

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:

He said. Sanātana Goswāmī is our guide, ācārya. He is warning you that "If a person is not Vaiṣṇava, don't hear anything nonsense from him." That is the injunction. Don't hear. This is very rigidly to be followed.

avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ
pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtaṁ
śravaṇaṁ na(iva) kartavyaṁ
sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payaḥ yathā

One can argue, "No, we can hear hari-kathā from any person, he may be Vaiṣṇava or not Vaiṣṇava. What is the matter?" But Sanātana Goswāmī, "No."

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1977:

"Doctor Rabindranath Tagore." And if you think that "I shall also get doctorate without going to school," that is foolishness. That is special. Similarly, don't try to imitate. Follow the general course, sādhana-siddhi. The regulative principles you must follow as instructed in the śāstra. Therefore there are so many śāstras. And guru is guide. We must always... Even if you are nitya-siddha or kṛpa-siddha, you should not neglect the general regulative principle. That is very dangerous. Don't try to do that. We must follow. Nitya. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, God, but He is accepting guru. Who is His guru? He is guru of everyone, but He has also accepted Īśvara Purī as His guru. Kṛṣṇa Himself, He accepted His guru, Sāndīpani Muni, teaching us that without guru you cannot make any advance.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, February 16, 1976:

Everyone can become devotee, ā-bāla-vṛddha-vāṇītaḥ, even the children. Just see how the children, they are dancing, they are chanting, they are offering obeisances. That is bhakti-yoga. Apratihatā. "Because they are children, they cannot become a devotee"—it is not that, the fact. Everyone can become devotee, provided he is properly guided. That is required.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yena ātmā samprasīdati
(SB 1.2.6)

So gaja-yūtha-pāya. Here it is. Even the elephant, he also become a great devotee. Even a monkey, Hanumānjī, he became a great devotee. He's not even human. So therefore bhakti is apratihatā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

Because He is sitting there, therefore all kinds of remembrance, smṛti, knowledge and forgetfulness. These things are functions of the mind. You remember something, you gather some knowledge, and sometimes you forget. "Let me think. Oh, yes, I forgot, yes." That's a function of the mind. So that forgetfulness is also due to Kṛṣṇa because He's sitting there. He's guiding. If you want to forget Kṛṣṇa, He'll give you opportunity of māyā that you can..., you'll never remember Kṛṣṇa. You'll forget for good. And that is His kindness. "You want to forget Me? All right. I give you so much facility that you'll never be able to remember Me." Therefore the staunch atheist, however you argue with him, however you defeat him... Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā. They cannot. They will not. Because Kṛṣṇa is arranging within: "Forget. Don't accept it. Don't accept it."

Lecture on SB 7.9.20 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1976:

The foolish man may think like that, "automatically." No, there is no automatically, no accident. Therefore, yena yasmād yataḥ yad uta, superior, inferior—everything is systematically being done according to the desire. They say, "Not a blade of grass moves without the desire of Kṛṣṇa." That's a fact. Without Kṛṣṇa's desire... Every step we are going forward, it is guided by Kṛṣṇa. It is not directly by Kṛṣṇa but through the instrument of Kṛṣṇa. This is nature. Nature is nothing but instrument. Durgā. Durgā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

"I surrender, voluntarily surrender to become Your disciple. Now I shall not argue." That is called śiṣya. If you argue, then you are not a śiṣya. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā, āra nā koriyā mane āśa **. This is tapasya, that "I shall not act anything which is not ordered by my guru," that tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā (SB 5.5.1). Then we'll be nicely guided, and then sattva śuddhyam... Then our this existence will be purified. And as soon as our existence is purified, then we realize the situation, what is God, what is our relationship with Him, what is our activities, athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādya asya yataḥ, everything.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Calcutta, March 23, 1976:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is lamenting for these rascals, the ordinary common man and their so-called rascal guidance, because they cannot guide. They are misguided because they do not believe in God. They themselves put themselves as God, although he is kicked by the laws of material nature. Even there is pain on the tooth, he immediately goes to the doctor, and he is God. This is going on. And Prahlāda Mahārāja is lamenting for these rascals, vimūḍhān. Vimūḍha means... Vi means viśeṣa pūrvaka, particularly. And mūḍha means rascal. Not only rascal—"particularly rascal." That is the problem for the Vaiṣṇava. Therefore, following the footprints of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and before that, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Nārada Muni, many, many ācāryas...

Lecture on SB 7.9.55 -- Vrndavana, April 10, 1976:

So anything which can be used for Kṛṣṇa's service, that is not material; that is spiritual. So we must use it. But not for sense gratification. Therefore we have to use and work exactly under the direction of spiritual master. Otherwise it will be sense gratification. Don't manufacture. Guru-mukha padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra na kariha mane āśa **. If you want to be guided, then take in every step the words of guru. Manufacturing will not help you. Prahlāda Mahārāja become so great because he was initiated by Nārada Muni. That is required. Chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava sevā, nistar payeche kebā. Nobody can become perfect without serving the bona fide spiritual master. That is the motto.

Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976:

This is a fact, that punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). There is no meaning of giving up spiritual cultivation and taking to or imitating something. This is called anartha. Anartha means unnecessarily you are inclined. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for guiding us. Anartha-upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. These rascals, they have forgotten their own culture. They have accepted so many anarthas, unwanted things. Take for example drinking wine. Is it very necessary thing? But drinking tea, is it very necessary? Drinking... Smoking bidis. These are all foolishness. At the cost of bidi smokers, many millionaires are there in India and in your country also, at the cost of the smokers, many million...

Lecture on SB 7.12.4 -- Bombay, April 15, 1976:

It has to be curtailed. That is civilization, not that increasing. This is a misguiding civilization. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). This is a civilization where a blind man is guiding a few others or many other blind men. So what is this civilization? The leader, he is a rascal. He does not know what is the aim of life, and he has become leader. So many talking. When I was talking with Professor Kotovsky, so I asked him this question, that "After all, you are required, you are in need of a leader. So you are being led by your Lenin philosophy and we are being led by Kṛṣṇa philosophy. So where is the difference in the procedure? You require a leader; we require a leader. That is wanted.

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:

The first-class is the brāhmaṇa; the second-class, the kṣatriya; the third-class, the vaiśyas; and all others, fourth-class, śūdras. So at the present moment, practically there is no brāhmaṇa, no kṣatriya, no vaiśya, only śūdras, fourth-class men. So you cannot expect any happiness guided by the fourth-class men. That is not possible. Therefore throughout the whole world there is chaotic condition. Nobody is happy. So this is essential that the human society must be divided into four divisions. The brāhmaṇa class means the first-class ideal men, so that by the seeing their character, their behavior, others will try to follow. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are trying to create some first-class men.

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:

So for proper management of the whole society the first-class, second-class, third-class men must be there. Just like in your body there are different parts of the body. The head, the arm, the belly, and the leg. This is natural. So without head, if we have simply the arms and belly and legs, it is a dead body. So unless you are guided, the human society, by the first-class men, the whole society is dead society. There must division according to cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma... (BG 4.13), not by birth, but by quality. So anyone can be trained up first class, second class, as he likes. That is called civilization. Some men should be trained up as first-class men, some men should be trained up as second-class men, and some men should be trained up as third-class men, and balance, who cannot be trained up, they can assist the other three higher class. That is called śūdra.

Page Title:Guide (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:30 of Nov, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=81, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:81