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Human society (CC)

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Preface and Introduction

CC Preface:

The conditioned soul, engrossed in the material body, increases the pages of history by all kinds of material activities. The teachings of Lord Caitanya can help the members of human society stop such unnecessary and temporary activities and be elevated to the topmost platform of spiritual activities, which begin after liberation from material bondage. Such liberated activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness constitute the goal of human perfection. The false prestige one acquires by attempting to dominate material nature is illusory. Illuminating knowledge can be acquired by studying the teachings of Lord Caitanya, and by such knowledge one can advance in spiritual existence.

CC Preface:

Everyone has to suffer or enjoy the fruits of his activity; no one can check the laws of material nature that govern such things. As long as one is engaged in fruitive activity, one is sure to be baffled in the attempt to attain the ultimate goal of life. I sincerely hope that by understanding the teachings of Lord Caitanya presented in this book, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, human society will experience a new light of spiritual life, which will open the field of activity for the pure soul.

CC Introduction:

In the tenth and eleventh verses Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja describes Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, successive plenary expansions of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Brahmā appears upon a lotus growing from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and within the stem of that lotus are so many planetary systems. Then Brahmā creates the whole of human society, animal society—everything. Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu lies on the milk ocean within the universe, of which He is the controller and maintainer. Thus Brahmā is the creator, Viṣṇu is the maintainer, and when the time for annihilation arrives, Śiva will finish everything.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 3.97, Purport:

The fact is that in this material world there is no scarcity of anything except Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Material necessities are supplied by the mercy of the Supreme Lord. We sometimes feel scarcity because of our mismanagement, but the real problem is that people are out of touch with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everyone is engaged in material sense gratification, but people have no plan for making an ultimate solution to their real problems, namely birth, disease, old age and death. These four material miseries are called bhava-roga, or material diseases. They can be cured only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the greatest benediction for human society.

CC Adi 3.98, Purport:

This endeavor makes him a very dear devotee of the Lord, who says clearly in the Bhagavad-gītā that no one in human society is dearer to Him than a devotee who constantly engages in His service by finding ways to preach the message of Godhead for the real benefit of the world. The so-called ācāryas of the Age of Kali are more concerned with exploiting the resources of their followers than mitigating their miseries; but Śrī Advaita Prabhu, as an ideal ācārya, was concerned with improving the condition of the world situation.

CC Adi 4.9, Purport:

We have information from the Bhagavad-gītā that the Lord appears at particular intervals to adjust a time-worn spiritual culture. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared at the end of Dvāpara-yuga to regenerate the spiritual culture of human society and also to manifest His transcendental pastimes. Viṣṇu is the authorized Lord who maintains the created cosmos, and He is also the principal Deity who makes adjustments when there is improper administration in the cosmic creation. But Śrī Kṛṣṇa, being the primeval Lord, appears not in order to make such administrative adjustments but only to exhibit His transcendental pastimes and thus attract the fallen souls back home, back to Godhead.

CC Adi 4.34, Purport:

Incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead appear in all the species of life, although this is inconceivable to the human brain. The Lord's pastimes are differentiated according to the appreciating capacity of the different types of bodies of the living entities. The Supreme Lord bestows the most merciful benediction upon human society when He appears in His human form. It is then that humanity gets the opportunity to engage in different kinds of eternal service to the Lord.

CC Adi 5.41, Purport:

Ignorance and the jugglery of words are very common in human society, but they do not help one understand the inconceivable energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we accept such ignorance and word jugglery, we cannot accept the Supreme Lord's perfection in six opulences. For example, one of the opulences of the Supreme Lord is complete knowledge. Therefore, how could ignorance be conceivable in Him? Vedic instructions and sensible arguments establish that the Lord's maintaining the cosmic manifestation and simultaneously being indifferent to the activities of its maintenance cannot be contradictory, because of His inconceivable energies.

CC Adi 6.12, Purport:

Śrī Advaita Prabhu, who is an incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu, is an ācārya, or teacher. All His activities and all the other activities of Viṣṇu are auspicious. Anyone who can view the all-auspiciousness in the pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu also becomes auspicious simultaneously. Therefore, since Lord Viṣṇu is the fountainhead of auspiciousness, anyone who is attracted by the devotional service of Lord Viṣṇu can render the greatest service to human society. Rejected persons of the material world who refuse to understand pure devotional service as the eternal function of the living entities, and as actual liberation of the living being from conditioned life, become bereft of all devotional service because of their poor fund of knowledge.

CC Adi 7.88, Purport:

Artificially they sometimes laugh, cry and dance just like madmen, but this cannot help one progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rather, such artificial agitation of the body is to be given up when one naturally develops the necessary bodily symptoms. Actual blissful life, manifested in genuine spiritual laughing, crying and dancing, is the symptom of real advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which can be achieved by a person who always voluntarily engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. If one who is not yet developed imitates such symptoms artificially, he creates chaos in the spiritual life of human society.

CC Adi 7.114, Purport:

Vyāsadeva composed the Vedānta-sūtra to deliver the conditioned souls from this material world, but Śaṅkarācārya, by presenting the Vedānta-sūtra in his own way, has clearly done a great disservice to human society, for one who follows his Māyāvāda philosophy is doomed. In the Vedanta-sūtra, devotional service is clearly indicated, but the Māyāvādī philosophers refuse to accept the spiritual body of the Supreme Absolute Person and refuse to accept that the living entity has an individual existence separate from that of the Supreme Lord.

CC Adi 7.119, Purport:

The material potency is the energy of darkness, or complete ignorance of spiritual activities. In the material potency, the living entity engages himself in fruitive activities, thinking that he can be happy through expansion in terms of material energy. This fact is prominently manifest in this Age of Kali because human society, not understanding the spiritual nature, is busily expanding in material activities. The men of the present day are almost unaware of their spiritual identity.

CC Adi 7.120, Purport:

Unfortunately, the Māyāvāda philosophy, misguiding people by claiming the living entity to be the Lord, has created havoc throughout the entire world and led almost everyone to godlessness. By thus covering the glories of the Supreme Lord, the Māyāvādī philosophers have done the greatest disservice to human society. It is to counteract these most abominable activities of the Māyāvādī philosophers that Lord Caitanya has introduced the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

CC Adi 8.12, Translation and Purport:

One who does not show respect unto this merciful Lord, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, or does not worship Him should be considered a demon, even if he is very much exalted in human society.

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Mahārāja says in this connection: "O living entities, simply engage yourselves in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu." Lord Caitanya preached this cult, instructing the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in His eight verses, or Śikṣāṣṭaka, and He said, ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe sabāra: "By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one will get all perfection in life."

CC Adi 8.12, Purport:

Therefore one who does not show Him respect or cannot appreciate His mercy despite all these merciful gestures is an asura, or opponent of bona fide devotional service to Lord Viṣṇu, even though he may be very much exalted in human society. The word asura refers to one who is against devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. It should be noted that unless one worships Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu it is useless to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and unless one worships Kṛṣṇa it is also useless to become a devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

CC Adi 8.20, Purport:

The distinction between Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift to human society and the gifts of others is that whereas so-called philanthropic and humanitarian workers have given some relief to human society as far as the body is concerned, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu offers the best facilities for going back home, back to Godhead, with love of Godhead. If one seriously makes a comparative study of the two gifts, certainly if he is at all sober he will give the greatest credit to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

CC Adi 8.20, Purport:

It is no longer considered abominable to be a drunkard, woman-hunter, meat-eater, thief or rogue, for these elements have been assimilated by human society. That does not mean, however, that the abominable qualities of such persons will help free human society from the clutches of māyā. Rather, they will entangle humanity more and more in the reactions of the stringent laws of material nature. One's activities are all performed under the influence of the modes of material nature (prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27)). Because people are now associating with the modes of ignorance (tamo-guṇa) and, to some extent, passion (rajo-guṇa), with no trace of goodness (sattva-guṇa), they are becoming increasingly greedy and lusty, for that is the effect of associating with these modes. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhavāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye: "By associating with the two lower qualities of material nature, one becomes lusty and greedy." (SB 1.2.19) Actually, in modern human society, everyone is greedy and lusty, and therefore the only means for deliverance is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's saṅkīrtana movement, which can promote all the Jagāis and Mādhāis to the topmost position of sattva-guṇa, or brahminical culture.

CC Adi 8.20, Purport:

Considering the chaotic condition of human society, if one actually wants peace and tranquillity, one must take to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and engage always in bhāgavata-dharma. Engagement in bhāgavata-dharma dissipates all ignorance and passion, and when ignorance and passion are dissipated one is freed from greed and lust. When freed from greed and lust, one becomes brahminically qualified, and when a brahminically qualified person makes further advancement, he becomes situated on the Vaiṣṇava platform. It is only on this Vaiṣṇava platform that it is possible to awaken one's dormant love of Godhead, and as soon as one does so, his life is successful.

CC Adi 8.20, Purport:

At present, human society is specifically cultivating the mode of ignorance (tamo-guṇa), although there may also be some symptoms of passion (rajo-guṇa). Full of kāma and lobha, lust and greed, the entire population of the world consists mostly of śūdras and a few vaiśyas, and gradually it is coming about that there are śūdras only. Communism is a movement of śūdras, and capitalism is meant for vaiśyas.

CC Adi 9.39, Purport:

Therefore those who are actually servants of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu must seriously distribute this movement all over the world to render the greatest benefit to human society. Of course, animals and other lower species are not capable of understanding this movement, but if even a small number of human beings take it seriously, then by their chanting loudly, all living entities, including even trees, animals and other lower species, will be benefited. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired from Haridāsa Ṭhākura how he was to benefit living entities other than humans, Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied that the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is so potent that if it is chanted loudly, everyone will benefit, including the lower species of life.

CC Adi 9.41, Purport:

At present, for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, the entire world is in darkness, having been covered by the four principles of sinful life—meat-eating, illicit sex, gambling and intoxication. Therefore there is a need for vigorous propaganda to educate people to refrain from sinful activities. This will bring peace and prosperity; the rogues, thieves and debauchees will naturally decrease in number, and all of human society will be God conscious.

CC Adi 9.41, Purport:

This is not only the duty of Indians but the duty of everyone, and we are very happy that American and European boys and girls are seriously cooperating with this movement. One should know definitely that the best welfare activity for all of human society is to awaken man's God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore everyone should help this great movement. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto, Twenty-second Chapter, verse 35, which is next quoted in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

CC Adi 9.42, Purport:

Unfortunately, human beings, although they have the bodies of men, are becoming less than animals in their behavior. This is the fault of modern education. Modern educators do not know the aim of human life; they are simply concerned with how to develop the economic condition of their countries or of human society. This is also necessary; the Vedic civilization considers all aspects of human life, including dharma (religion), artha (economic development), kāma (sense gratification) and mokṣa (liberation). But humanity's first concern should be religion.

CC Adi 9.42, Purport:

The Bhāgavatam says that it is the duty of an advanced human being to act in such a way as to facilitate human society's attainment of the ultimate goal of life. There is a similar verse in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Part Three, Chapter Twelve, verse 45, which is next quoted in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

CC Adi 9.43, Purport:

After giving up the body, one who knows Kṛṣṇa in truth does not come back again to this world to accept a material body, but he goes back home, back to Godhead. This knowledge is in the śāstras, and people should be given the opportunity to understand it. Even if one is not able to go back to Godhead in one life, the Vedic civilization at least gives one the opportunity to be promoted to the higher planetary systems, where the demigods live, and not glide down again to animal life. At present, people do not understand this knowledge, although it constitutes a great science, for they are uneducated and trained not to accept it. This is the horrible condition of modern human society. As such, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only hope to direct the attention of intelligent men to a greater benefit in life.

CC Adi 9.44, Purport:

In performing welfare activities for human society, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu presents Himself as being not very rich, thus indicating that a man need not be rich or opulent to act for the welfare of humanity. Sometimes rich men are very proud that they can perform beneficial activities for human society whereas others cannot. A practical example is that when there is a scarcity of food in India on account of meager rainfall, some members of the richer class very proudly distribute foodstuffs, making huge arrangements with the help of the government, as if merely by such activities people will be benefited. Suppose there were no food grain.

CC Adi 9.44, Purport:

The real purpose of life, therefore, is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu that devotional service is so exalted that it is beneficial and auspicious for every man. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also declared that to propagate the bhakti cult of devotional service in human society, one does not need to be very rich. Anyone who knows the art can do it and thus render the highest benefit to humanity. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu takes the part of a gardener because although a gardener is naturally not a very rich man, he has some fruits and flowers.

CC Adi 9.45, Purport:

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the most benevolent personality in human society because His only desire is to make people happy. His saṅkīrtana movement is especially meant for the purpose of making people happy. He wanted to become the tree Himself because a tree is said to be the most benevolent living entity. In the following verse, which is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.22.33), Kṛṣṇa Himself highly praises the existence of a tree.

CC Adi 9.46, Purport:

Unnecessarily cutting trees without consideration is another example of human debauchery. The paper industry cuts many hundreds and thousands of trees for its mills, and with the paper so much rubbish literature is published for the whimsical satisfaction of human society. Unfortunately, although these industrialists are now happy in this life by dint of their industrial development, they do not know that they will incur the responsibility for killing these living entities who are in the form of trees.

CC Adi 9.53, Purport:

When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu started the saṅkīrtana movement, even He was unnecessarily criticized by Māyāvādīs, atheists and fools. Naturally we are also criticized by such men. They will always remain and will always criticize anything that is actually good for human society. But the preachers of the saṅkīrtana movement should not be deterred by such criticism. Our method should be to convert such fools gradually by asking them to come and take prasādam and chant and dance with us.

CC Adi 10.51, Purport:

Murāri Gupta could treat both bodily and spiritual disease because he was a physician by profession and a great devotee of the Lord in terms of spiritual advancement. This is an example of service to humanity. Everyone should know that there are two kinds of diseases in human society. One disease, which is called adhyātmika, or material disease, pertains to the body, but the main disease is spiritual. The living entity is eternal, but somehow or other, when in contact with the material energy, he is subjected to the repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

CC Adi 12.73, Purport:

The Vedic literature recommends that a human being follow the principles of varṇāśrama-dharma. Accepting the process of varṇāśrama-dharma will make a person's life successful because this will connect him with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the goal of human life. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for all of humanity. Although human society has different sections or subdivisions, all human beings belong to one species, and therefore we accept that they all have the ability to understand their constitutional position in connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu.

CC Adi 12.73, Purport:

Although posing as great scholars, ascetics, householders and svāmīs, the so-called followers of the Hindu religion are all useless, dried-up branches of the Vedic religion. They are impotent; they cannot do anything to spread the Vedic culture for the benefit of human society. The essence of the Vedic culture is the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

CC Adi 13.67, Purport:

A bona fide devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa is always pained to see the fallen condition of the whole world. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to say, "There is no scarcity of anything within this world. The only scarcity is of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is the vision of all pure devotees. Because of this lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in human society, people are suffering terribly, being merged in an ocean of nescience and sense gratification. A devotee onlooker is very much aggrieved to see such a situation in the world.

CC Adi 13.123, Purport:

“A person who has no connection with Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be a very great personality in so-called human society, but actually he is no better than a great animal. Such big animals are generally praised by other animals like dogs, hogs camels and asses. A person who does not lend his aural reception to hearing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead must be considered to have earholes like holes in a field. Although that person has a tongue, it is like the tongue of a frog, which unnecessarily creates a disturbance by croaking, inviting the snake of death.

CC Adi 17.104, Purport:

The poorest man could inquire from an astrologer about his past, present and future, with no need for business agreements or exorbitant payments. The brāhmaṇa would give him all the benefit of his knowledge without asking remuneration, and the poor man, in return, would offer a handful of rice, or anything he had in his possession, to satisfy the brāhmaṇa. In a perfect human society, perfect knowledge in any science—medical, astrological, ecclesiastical and so on—is available even to the poorest man, with no anxiety over payment. In the present day, however, no one can get justice, medical treatment, astrological help or ecclesiastical enlightenment without money, and since people are generally poor, they are bereft of the benefits of all these great sciences.

CC Adi 17.105, Purport:

As there are many planets within the material world, there are many millions of planets, called Vaikuṇṭhalokas, in the spiritual world. All these Vaikuṇṭhalokas, or superior planets, rest on the effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi- (Bs. 5.40)), the Brahman effulgence emanating from the body of the Supreme Lord creates innumerable planets in both the spiritual and material worlds; thus these planets are creations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The astrologer saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to be the very same Personality of Godhead. We can just imagine how learned he was, yet he was traveling door to door, just like an ordinary beggar, for the highest benefit of human society.

CC Adi 17.111, Purport:

People generally consider cowherd men lowly members of society, but herein Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms that they are so pious that in their next lives they are going to be brāhmaṇas. The caste system has a specific purpose. If this scientific system is followed, human society will get the greatest benefit. Heeding this instruction by the Lord, people should serve cows and calves and in return get ample quantities of milk. There is no loss in serving the cows and calves, but modern human society has become so degraded that instead of giving protection to the cows and serving them, people are killing them. How can they expect peace and prosperity in human society while committing such sinful activities? It is impossible.

CC Adi 17.141, Purport:

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a sentimental religious movement; it is a movement for the reformation of all the anomalies of human society. If people take to it seriously, discharging this duty scientifically, as ordered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the world will see peace and prosperity instead of being confused and hopeless under useless governments. There are always rogues and thieves in human society, and as soon as a weak government is unable to execute its duties, these rogues and thieves come out to do their business.

CC Adi 17.154, Purport:

According to Vedic civilization, there are seven mothers, of which the cow is one. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu challenged the Muslim Kazi, "What kind of religious principle do you follow by killing your father and mother to eat them?" In any civilized human society, no one would dare kill his father and mother for the purpose of eating them. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu challenged the system of Muslim religion as patricide and matricide. In the Christian religion also, a principal commandment is "Thou shalt not kill."

CC Adi 17.157, Purport:

The path of such enjoyment is called pravṛtti-marga. The śāstra says, pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā: one should not be carried away by the propensities of defective conditioned life; one should be guided by the principles of the śāstras. A child's propensity is to play all day long, but it is the injunction of the śāstras that the parents should take care to educate him. The śāstras are there just to guide the activities of human society. But because people do not refer to the instructions of śāstras, which are free from defects and imperfections, they are therefore misguided by so-called educated teachers and leaders who are full of the deficiencies of conditioned life.

CC Adi 17.169, Purport:

Sometimes Christian priests come to us inquiring, "Why are our followers neglecting our scriptures and accepting yours?" But when we ask them, "Your Bible says, "Do not kill." Why then are you killing so many animals daily?" they cannot answer. Some of them imperfectly answer that the animals have no souls. But then we ask them, "How do you know that animals have no souls? Animals and children are of the same nature. Does this mean that the children of human society also have no souls?" According to the Vedic scriptures, within the body is the owner of the body, the soul.

CC Adi 17.253, Purport:

The duty of a brāhmaṇa is to become learned in the Vedic literature and teach the Vedic knowledge to other brāhmaṇas. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are simply teaching our students to become fit brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. In our school at Dallas, the students are learning English and Sanskrit, and through these two languages they are studying all our books, such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and The Nectar of Devotion. It is a mistake to educate every student as a technologist. There must be a group of students who become brāhmaṇas. Without brāhmaṇas who study the Vedic literature, human society will be entirely chaotic.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 2.43, Translation:

"Pure love for Kṛṣṇa, just like gold from the Jāmbū River, does not exist in human society. If it existed, there could not be separation. If separation were there, one could not live."

CC Madhya 4.93, Purport:

This activity should be extended universally to stop sinful eating habits as well as other behavior befitting only demons. A demoniac civilization will never bring peace within the world. Since eating is the first necessity in human society, those engaged in solving the problems of preparing and distributing food should take lessons from Mādhavendra Purī and execute the Annakūṭa ceremony. When the people take to eating only prasādam offered to the Deity, all the demons will be turned into Vaiṣṇavas.

CC Madhya 5.32, Purport:

By not becoming God conscious, human society is deteriorating to the lowest standard of animal life. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very essential to reviving God consciousness among the general populace. If people actually become God conscious, all quarrels can be settled outside of court, as happened in the case of the two brāhmaṇas whose disagreement was settled by the witness Gopāla.

CC Madhya 7.128, Purport:

What is the use of smoking and drinking tea and coffee? People are already intoxicated by material enjoyment, and if they indulge in further intoxication, what chance is there for self-realization? Similarly, one should not partake in gambling and unnecessarily agitate the mind. The real purpose of human life is to attain the spiritual platform and return to Godhead. That is the summum bonum of spiritual realization. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to elevate human society to the perfection of life by pursuing the method described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His advice to the brāhmaṇa Kūrma. That is, one should stay at home, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and preach the instructions of Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

CC Madhya 8.57, Purport:

A great saint, the father of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, Parāśara Muni, has specifically mentioned that devotional service to the Lord can ultimately be awakened in human society by the discharge of duties in accordance with the varṇāśrama system. The Supreme Personality of Godhead instituted varṇāśrama-dharma to give human beings a chance to return home, back to Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is known in the Bhagavad-gītā as Puruṣottama—the greatest of all personalities—personally came and declared that the institution of varṇāśrama-dharma was founded by Him.

CC Madhya 8.138, Purport:

The Kāma-gāyatrī mantra is just like a Vedic hymn, but it is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. There is no difference between the Kāma-gāyatrī and Kṛṣṇa. Both are composed of twenty-four and a half transcendental syllables (see Madhya 21.125–29). The mantra depicted in letters is also Kṛṣṇa, and the mantra rises just like the moon. Due to this, there is a perverted reflection of desire in human society and among all kinds of living entities. In the mantra klīṁ kāma-devāya vidmahe puṣpa-bāṇāya dhīmahi tan no ’naṅgaḥ pracodayāt, Kṛṣṇa is called Kāma-deva, Puṣpa-bāṇa and Anaṅga.

CC Madhya 9.258, Purport:

In this way the Tattvavādīs establish that the execution of the principles of varṇa and āśrama for the sake of Kṛṣṇa is the best way to attain the topmost goal. The Tattvavādīs thus established their principles in terms of human society. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, however, differed when He said that the best process is hearing and chanting about Lord Viṣṇu. According to the Tattvavādīs, the highest goal is returning home, back to Godhead, but in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's opinion the highest goal is attaining love of Godhead, in either the material world or the spiritual world. In the material world this is practiced according to śāstric injunction, and in the spiritual world the real achievement is already there.

CC Madhya 12.135, Purport:

If one suffers due to his past fruitive activities, he cannot counteract his suffering by performing auspicious activities. The sufferings of human society cannot be counteracted by material plans. The only way suffering can be mitigated is by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord—beginning with chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord—the cleansing of the heart begins. When the heart is actually cleansed, one can clearly see the Lord sitting there without any disturbance. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (9.4.68) the Lord confirms that He sits within the heart of the pure devotee: sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyaṁ sādhūnāṁ hṛdayaṁ tv aham.

CC Madhya 15.41, Purport:

Even in the ranks and files of the American Senate, the pinpricks of material existence are felt, so much so that April 30, 1974, was actually set aside as Prayer Day. Thus everyone is feeling the resultant pinpricks of Kali-yuga brought about by human society's indulging in illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. Now is the time for the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to distribute kṛṣṇa-bhakti all over the world and thus follow the orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Lord has ordered everyone to become a guru (CC Madhya 7.128): āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa.

CC Madhya 19.159, Purport:

The so-called leaders of human society do not know the real aim of human life and are therefore busy with economic development. This is misleading. Every state and every society is busy trying to improve the quality of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This human form of life is meant for more than these four animal principles. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending are problems found in the animal kingdom, and the animals have solved these problems without difficulty. Why should human society be so busy trying to solve these problems? The difficulty is that people are not educated to understand this simple philosophy. They think that advancement of civilization means increasing sense gratification.

CC Madhya 19.167, Purport:

The Lord says openly in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.69), na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ: One who preaches the gospel of the Bhagavad-gītā for the benefit of all is most dear to Kṛṣṇa. The Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Lord so that human society can be perfectly organized from all angles of vision—politically, socially, economically, philosophically and religiously. From any point of view, human society can be reformed by the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement; therefore one who spreads this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the benefit of all conditioned souls in the universe is perfect in pure devotional service.

CC Madhya 22.27, Translation:

“‘From the mouth of Brahmā, the brahminical order has come into existence. Similarly, from his arms the kṣatriyas have come, from his waist the vaiśyas have come, and from his legs the śūdras have come. These four orders and their spiritual counterparts (brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa) combine to make human society complete.

CC Madhya 22.51, Purport:

A mahātmā is rare and transcendental, and he is a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Foolish people consider Kṛṣṇa a human being, and they consider Lord Kṛṣṇa's pure devotee an ordinary human being also. Whatever one may be, one must take shelter at the lotus feet of a devotee mahātmā and treat him as the most exalted well-wisher of all human society. We should take shelter of such a mahātmā and ask for his causeless mercy. Only by his benediction can one be relieved from attachment to the materialistic way of life. When one is thus relieved, he can engage in the Lord's transcendental loving service through the mercy of the mahātmā.

CC Madhya 22.53, Translation:

“"Unless human society accepts the dust of the lotus feet of great mahātmās—devotees who have nothing to do with material possessions—mankind cannot turn its attention to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Those lotus feet vanquish all the unwanted, miserable conditions of material life."

CC Madhya 22.85, Translation:

“"O devotees! O you who are free from all sins! Let me inquire from you about that which is supremely auspicious for all living entities. Association with a pure devotee for even half a moment in this material world is the greatest treasure for human society."

CC Madhya 22.111, Translation:

“‘From the mouth of Brahmā, the brahminical order has come into existence. Similarly, from his arms the kṣatriyas have come, from his waist the vaiśyas have come, and from his legs the śūdras have come. These four orders and their spiritual counterparts (brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa) combine to make human society complete.

CC Madhya 23.82-83, Purport:

Māyāvādī philosophers, who have a poor fund of knowledge, simply dismiss the subject by explaining that kṛṣṇa means "black." Not understanding the qualities of Kṛṣṇa, these atheistic rascals do not accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although the Lord is described and accepted by great personalities, ācāryas and sages, the Māyāvādīs still do not appreciate Him. Unfortunately, at the present moment human society is so degraded that people cannot even provide themselves with life's daily necessities, yet they are captivated by Māyāvādī philosophers and are being misled.

CC Madhya 24.104, Purport:

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). In the eyes of a devotee, politicians, social workers, philanthropists, philosophers and humanitarians are simply wasting their time, for human society is not freed from the cycle of birth and death by their activity and propaganda. These so-called philanthropists, politicians and philosophers have no knowledge because they do not know that there is life after death. Understanding that there is life after death is the beginning of spiritual knowledge.

CC Madhya 24.249, Purport:

As followers of the Vedic principles, we accept the statements of Nārada Muni in this regard. It is our duty to see that no one suffers due to sinful activities. Foolish rascals are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15), which indicates that although they are superficially educated, māyā has taken their real knowledge away. Such people are presently leading human society. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam they are described as andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). These rascals are themselves blind, and yet they are leading others who are blind. When people follow such leaders, they suffer unlimited pains in the future. Despite so-called advancement, all this is happening. Who is safe? Who is happy? Who is without anxiety?

CC Madhya 24.250, Purport:

This is another good instruction to animal-killers. There are always animal-killers and animal-eaters in human society because less civilized people are accustomed to eating meat. In the Vedic civilization, meat-eaters are advised to kill an animal for the goddess Kālī or a similar demigod. This is in order not to give the animal unnecessary pain, as slaughterhouses do. In the bali-dāna sacrifice to a demigod, it is recommended to cut the throat of an animal with one slice.

CC Madhya 24.251, Purport:

This mockery and hypocrisy in human society bring about unlimited calamities; therefore occasionally there are great wars. Masses of such people go out onto battlefields and kill themselves. Presently they have discovered the atomic bomb, which is simply waiting to be used for wholesale destruction. If people want to be saved from the killing business life after life, they must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and cease sinful activity. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness recommends that everyone abandon meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling.

CC Madhya 25.85, Translation:

“"Unless human society accepts the dust of the lotus feet of great mahātmās—devotees who have nothing to do with material possessions—mankind cannot turn its attention to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Those lotus feet vanquish all the unwanted, miserable conditions of material life."

CC Madhya 25.264, Purport:

Following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are trying to broadcast His message throughout the world. By His mercy, people are taking this movement very seriously. Indeed, our books are extensively distributed in the Western countries, especially in America and Europe. Even the ecclesiastical orders in these countries are appreciating the value of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and are ready to unite for the highest benefit of human society. The followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu may therefore take this movement seriously and broadcast it throughout the world, from village to village and from town to town, just as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself did.

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 3.105, Purport:

Haridāsa Ṭhākura was strictly renounced, and thus Rāmacandra Khān called for prostitutes because prostitutes know how to break a man's vow of celibacy by their feminine influence and thus pollute a mendicant or a person engaged in devotional life. It was impossible for Rāmacandra Khān to induce any other women to break Haridāsa Ṭhākura's vow, and therefore he called for prostitutes. Free mingling with women has never been possible in India, but for one who wanted to associate with society girls, they were available in a district of prostitutes. There were prostitutes in human society even in Lord Kṛṣṇa's time, for it is said that the prostitutes of Dvārakā City came forth to receive the Lord. Although they were prostitutes, they were also devotees of Kṛṣṇa.

CC Antya 3.221, Purport:

"O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas (merchants) and śūdras (workers)—can attain the supreme destination." Though having taken a low birth in human society, one who accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is quite competent to go back home, back to Godhead; and one who is a bona fide candidate for going back to Godhead should not be considered a lowborn person, or caṇḍāla. That is also a śāstric injunction.

CC Antya 4.71, Purport:

"Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society."

Similarly, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said in His Śikṣāṣṭaka (3):

tṛṇād api su-nīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
(CC Adi 17.31)

"One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly." Regarding the ten offenses in chanting the holy name, one may refer to Ādi-līlā, Chapter Eight, verse 24.

CC Antya 4.98, Purport:

One who has taken birth in the land of Bhārata-bhūmi, India, should take full advantage of his birth. He should become completely well versed in the knowledge of the Vedas and spiritual culture and should distribute the experience of Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. People all over the world are madly engaging in sense gratification and in this way spoiling their human lives, with the risk that in the next life they may become animals or less. Human society should be saved from such a risky civilization and the danger of animalism by awakening to God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has been started for this purpose. Therefore unbiased men of the highest echelon should study the principles of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and fully cooperate with this movement to save human society.

CC Antya 9.142, Purport:

When a person forgets his position as an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, he commits many sinful activities, but one who maintains his position as an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa cannot deviate from the path of morality, religion and ethics. At the present, people all over the world, especially in India, have forgotten their relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His eternal servants. Therefore the principles of morality, religion and ethics have almost disappeared. This situation is most unprofitable for human society. Therefore everyone should try to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness and follow the principles of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

CC Antya 14.8, Purport:

Besides Svarūpa Dāmodara and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, there were many others who also recorded Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's activities. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura believes that the people of the world would benefit greatly if such notes were available. It is a most unfortunate situation for human society that none of these notebooks is still extant.

Page Title:Human society (CC)
Compiler:Matea
Created:21 of Oct, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=72, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:72