If one is addicted to this material way of life, he cannot understand, or cannot be convinced, about Krsna consciousness

Expressions researched:
"If one is addicted to this material way of life, he cannot understand, or cannot be convinced, about Kṛṣṇa consciousness"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Gṛha-vratānām means those who are interested in this family life or sense gratification life. For them it is very difficult. The talking was going on between the father and the son. The son is Prahlāda. He is a devotee. And the father, Hiranyakasipu, he is materialistic person. He is interested in money and women. So this is the difference between devotee and nondevotee. So father was challenging his son, "Where you got this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" So the son replied flatly that matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā: "My dear father, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be achieved by speculation or by hearing from others." Matir na . . . parata means hearing from others, and svataḥ, svata means personally by mental speculation or philosophical speculation. Mitho. Mitho means by congregational meeting, by conferences. Why? Now, gṛha-vratānām. If one is addicted to this material way of life, he cannot understand, or cannot be convinced, about Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

751002 - Lecture SB 07.05.30 - Mauritius

It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If we simply study Kṛṣṇa in truth, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya: then the result will be that after giving up this present body he will not have to accept another material body. To accept another material body, that is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Either I get this human form of body, either get as the body of a dog or either I get the body of a demigod, the business is the same, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca: eating, sleeping and sex life and defense. Don't think that the heavenly planet, they are very safe. We have got information from Bhāgavatam: Lord Indra, he is always perplexed. So many demons disturbing, the fighting is going on, although they have got a long duration of life, ten thousands of years, their duration of life. And their one year . . . their one day is equal to our six months.

So this way our life is being spoiled, and it can be stopped only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness . . . Prahlāda Mahārāja saying that, "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be achieved by gṛha-vratānām." Gṛha-vratānām means those who are interested in this family life or sense gratification life. For them it is very difficult. The talking was going on between the father and the son. The son is Prahlāda. He is a devotee. And the father, Hiranyakasipu, he is materialistic person. He is interested in money and women. So this is the difference between devotee and nondevotee. So father was challenging his son, "Where you got this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" So the son replied flatly that matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā: "My dear father, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be achieved by speculation or by hearing from others." Matir na . . . parata means hearing from others, and svataḥ, svata means personally by mental speculation or philosophical speculation. Mitho. Mitho means by congregational meeting, by conferences. Why? Now, gṛha-vratānām. If one is addicted to this material way of life, he cannot understand, or cannot be convinced, about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is said that:

bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ

tayāpahṛta-cetasāṁ

vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ

samādhau na vidhīyate

(BG 2.44)