Krsna sends (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"god has sent" |"god sends" |"god will send" |"god-sent" |"godhead sends" |"krishna sends" |"krishna sends" |"krishna sent" |"krsna is sending" |"krsna sends" |"krsna sent" |"lord has sent" |"lord sends" |"lord sent" |"lord will send"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.1 -- London, July 7, 1973:

"We have got good government. There is no cause of anxiety. We have got sufficient food, sufficient protection, sufficient opulence, everything sufficient." That is good government.

So here, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, he is jealous. He cannot give any good government. Kṛṣṇa knew it. Kṛṣṇa sent a messenger, Akrura. You have read in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Before this Battle of Kurukṣetra from Dvārakā, He sent his uncle Akrūra: "Just go to Hastināpura, New Delhi, and see what is the situation." So Akrūra understood that Dhṛtarāṣṭra was planning something. So he talked with him that "Why you are implicated in such planning? Kṛṣṇa does not want it." Although Dhṛtarāṣṭra knew that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead... So Dhṛtarāṣṭra said that "I know that what I am planning, that is not good. I know Kṛṣṇa—the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He has requested me. But I tell you frankly, I cannot do without it. So when Kṛṣṇa will be pleased upon me, I may be."

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

We have, by chance, fallen into this material contamination and we have made our relationship with so many material things, so that we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Now, the whole process is to revive our consciousness to Kṛṣṇa. For that purpose, Kṛṣṇa comes Himself or Kṛṣṇa keeps this Bhagavad-gītā for you or Kṛṣṇa sends His confidential devotees to you, to canvass you, "Come to the point and be happy." That is the whole process. So ātma-rati, ātma-rati, self-satisfaction.

You will find at Vṛndāvana, oh, so many great devotees. Just like these Gosvāmīs, about whom we pray daily. Now, about them it is stated, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Now, these people were very aristocratic. Maṇḍala-pati. Maṇḍala-pati means leaders of great society. So they gave up. When they joined Lord Caitanya's movement they gave up everything. They resigned from ministership. The Nawab Shah was very much sorry. He was interned, that "You cannot resign from this post. Then whole thing will be, whole, my plan, whole, my kingdom will be lost. I cannot allow you to resign." But they decided that, "No. No more." Then the Nawab Shah told him, "Then I put you into, under internment." So they were put into jail. So anyway, they came out. So this fact is narrated. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Tuccha means insignificant. Such high post and position, they left everything. Left everything. Why? Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. And for doing good to the poor conditioned souls they came to Vṛndāvana and became just like niggardly, poor beggars.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

A madman will say, "I have no anxiety." But no sane man will say that "I am free of anxiety." This is material life. So if you want to become free of anxieties, then you come to the spiritual life. That is the only remedy. Harim āśrayeta. Accept the lotus feet of God. That is the mission of God. God comes Himself. God sends His son or devotee or servant. The same thing. That religion may be different. That is not very important.

Anyone who has preached... The religious leaders all over the world... Take Lord Jesus Christ or Kṛṣṇa or Mohammed or Lord Buddha. Nobody has said that "You will be happy in this material world." Nobody has said. "You continue this manufacturing of factories, and you will be happy." Has anybody said? No. "Back to home, back to Godhead. Then you will be happy." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture on BG 4.22 -- Bombay, April 11, 1974:

This is practical. We have got about hundred branches, and each branch, we have got not less than twenty-five men, up to two-hundred-fifty. But we have no, I mean to say, provision store. Every day we depend on Kṛṣṇa. If food comes.... This is called ākāśa-paḍi.(?) The food must be dropped from the sky. This is called ākāśa-paḍi.(?) And Kṛṣṇa will send. If Kṛṣṇa sends, then we eat. But you will be surprised that we have to spend not less than $80,000 per month, but Kṛṣṇa is supplying. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Why Kṛṣṇa will not supply? If Kṛṣṇa is supplying to the elephant in the forest, and those who have dedicated their life to Kṛṣṇa, they will not be supplied with the necessities? Why not?

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

Therefore you have to select person, from where to hear. That is the... Either you search or by Kṛṣṇa's grace you get a person who is authorized. Then your life is successful. Some way or other, you have to come. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. He was devotee of Kṛṣṇa from the beginning of his life. Kṛṣṇa sent him, Parīkṣit..., Śukadeva Gosvāmī. "Now Mahārāja Parīkṣit is going to die within seven days. He is very anxious what to do. Please go there." Because Kṛṣṇa is sitting within yourself. As soon as Kṛṣṇa finds that you are very sincere, seeking Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will immediately give you chance: "Here is chance. Here is chance."

So we have to utilize in that way. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). "Hear from Me." Nobody... Either you hear from Kṛṣṇa or from Kṛṣṇa's representative. Just like Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa, and you hear from Arjuna. Then you get the perfect instruction. If you say, "Where is Arjuna? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" but Arjuna's words are there in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa's words are there. So if you take the words as it is, then you hear Bhagavad-gītā. If you change, then you don't hear Bhagavad-gītā. You hear something nonsense. These are very simple things. So hearing is very important. So "Hear from Me." Nobody can be a great authority than Kṛṣṇa. And therefore, by hearing from Him, one receives the greatest opportunity for progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu was doing this. So you can do this. You collect money not for your eating but for distribution of prasādam. That is required. And if you do that, Kṛṣṇa will send you. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). There will be no need. We have got about 102 centers, and each center, there are so many people, up to 250, and not less than fifty. So Kṛṣṇa is sending their food. There is no scarcity. We do not do any business. We do not go to serve in the office, but Kṛṣṇa is sending. One hundred and two centers, average hundred men—how many? Hundred into hundred? Hm. So ten thousand men we are feeding daily, apart from distribution to others. So Kṛṣṇa is sending them. So you can attain. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. He'll give you supply. You have to attempt only. So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and distribute prasādam, your movement will be success.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

The meaning of this stanza is that people are forgetful since time immemorial about his relationship with the Supreme Lord. Forgetful. Bhuli' gelā. Bhuli' gelā means he has forgotten. Ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karila. Therefore Lord has sent so many representatives to give them these literatures, these scriptures.

So we should take advantage of these scriptures, especially the Bhagavad-gītā, which is accepted as the prime scripture in the modern world, and you'll find everything nicely. You can put your arguments, you can try to understand with your knowledge, with your intelligence. Everything will be clear. So we should take advantage of this Bhagavad-gītā and our power of intaking will be increased if we begin with this transcendental sound vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Thank you very much. Any questions? (end)

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.4 -- Rome, May 28, 1974:

Therefore it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye, hṛdā: "through the heart." Because Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. Actually, He is the spiritual master, caitya-guru. So in order to help us, He comes out as physical spiritual master. And therefore sākṣād-dharitvena sama... Spiritual master is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa sends some sincere devotee to act on His behalf, and therefore he is spiritual master.

So this is the paramparā system. As you receive knowledge step by step... Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, instructed Vyāsadeva. Brahmā, Brahmā instructed Nārada. Nārada instructed Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva instructed his disciple Madhvācārya. In this way we have to go through also, in the same way. First of all, offer respect to the spiritual master, as he has done to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Taṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi guruṁ munīnām. So then his spiritual master, then his spiritual master, then his spiritual master. Just like you have got the pictures. First of all, your spiritual master, then his spiritual master, then his spiritual master, his spiritual master—ultimately Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Don't try to approach Kṛṣṇa directly, jump over. That is useless. As you receive knowledge through the steps, paramparā system, similarly, we should approach Kṛṣṇa through these step.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Edinburgh, July 17, 1972:

People will not agree to this. But actually, if anyone wants peace of the mind, yenātmā suprasīdati, then this process should be adopted. This is practical also. There are many saintly persons. They do not try where to go, where to take money, or where to eat. They're busy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "If Kṛṣṇa sends some food, I shall eat. Otherwise, it doesn't matter. I shall starve." They have got that determination, strict. They do not go anywhere, but Kṛṣṇa sends him everything. Just like Bilvamaṅgala. He was not going anywhere. He was living in Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa personally was coming to give him some milk. He became blind; he could not see. So Kṛṣṇa would come just like a boy. "Bilvamaṅgala, I think you are hungry. Will you take some milk?" Oh, he was very glad. "All right, You give me a little milk." Next day He will come. Then he would ask, "Who is this boy, I cannot see. He comes and gives me milk daily." Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that "Unto the devotee who is completely dependent upon Me, I carry personally whatever he needs." Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one person is supplying all the necessities of all the living entities. That is God.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

So when you come to the position of controlling the senses, then you'll be gosvāmī. That is gosvāmī. Gosvāmī means controlling the senses, who has completely controlled the senses. Svāmī or gosvāmī. Svāmī also means that and gosvāmī also means the same thing. Generally adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamiśram. Uncontrolled senses, they are going. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is sending them. He is making his own path clear, either back to home, back to Godhead, or glide down to the darkest region of hell. Two things are there, and that opportunity is in the human form of life. You can select. Kṛṣṇa, as He inquired from Arjuna, whether "Your illusion has been dissipated now, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, now you can do whatever you like." So that "You can do whatever you like," that facility is always given to living entity by God. You can do whatever you like. It is not that we are, we are given no facilities to select, to make choice. We are given facilities and choice, everything to do.

Lecture on SB 1.5.22 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Yes. So still in villages you'll find, the brāhmaṇa is sitting somewhere, and the small children are coming, and they're bringing some presentation. Somebody's bringing rice, somebody ... And brāhmaṇa was satisfied, satisfied. "Whatever Kṛṣṇa sends, that's all right." This is brahminical qualification. He doesn't want more. There was a brāhmaṇa teacher in Kṛṣṇanagara. So the zamindar of Kṛṣṇa..., Rāja-kṛṣṇa-candra, he went that "Brāhmaṇa, what can I help you?" "No, I don't want your help." "No, you are... Your house is not very good, and your..." "No, I am quite satisfied." "How you are pulling on?" "No, I have got my students. They bring some rice. And here is a tamarind tree. My wife collects some leaves and boils it, and that becomes nice soup. And these boys bring some rice. I am quite satisfied."

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

You can practically see. We have got a hundred branches, we have no problem, because Kṛṣṇa is there. So our traveling each time, lakhs of rupees, I am traveling. But one man cannot see once in life London or New York from India. I see four times in a year. So I have no problem—because Kṛṣṇa is there. We are spending lakhs and lakhs of rupees, but wherefrom the money is coming? Kṛṣṇa is sending. We have no problem. Now we have spent in Bombay eighteen, twenty lakhs of rupees. People are surprised. It is fifty lakhs' worth property. People are surprised; some of them are very envious. And if you come, you will find it is very, very fine place. It is just like a paradise garden. Twenty thousand square yards. And we have got six buildings.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

Then every problem is solved. We have no problem if we simply follow Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Kṛṣṇa says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 10.10). Even they tax for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will bring the money. We are getting that practically. So you know the history, how this land was purchased. There was no money, but Kṛṣṇa sent money and everything was done nicely. So there is no anxiety, provided we are purely Kṛṣṇa conscious, without any other desire.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

(Brs. 1.1.11)

No other desire. Simply... Desire will not come. Kṛṣṇa is so strong and nice. As soon as you allow Him to sit down within your heart... He is there already. Simply you have to see. Then the strength is already there. There is no need of acquiring external strength for acquiring Kṛṣṇa. The simple thing is that you follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65).

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

That's all. Therefore we prescribe that our students should be married. Because that is a problem. Sex life is a problem. So this marriage in every society, either Hindu society or Christian society or Muhammadan, marriage is done under religious rituals. That means one should be satisfied. "Oh, God has sent me this man as my husband." And the man should think that "God has sent me this woman, this nice woman as my wife. Let us live peacefully." But if I want, "Oh, this wife is not good. That girl is nice," "This man is not good. That man is good," then the whole thing is spoiled. Whole thing is spoiled. Because these demands are there, sense gratification. On the basis of sense gratification, "I don't like this girl. I like that girl." "I don't like this boy. I like that boy." That means sense gratification. Otherwise, the sense gratification... As I have already cited the example, the prostitute gave two pots of vegetables, that "You are thinking that you shall enjoy this woman who is charging one million dollars, or like that, the sense pleasure from this woman will be greater than the other woman. It is mistake." The sense pleasure is the same either you derive it from this man or that man or this woman or that man.

Lecture on SB 5.5.32 -- Vrndavana, November 19, 1976:

Big, big animals enter into the home of the python. And the python can eat even a full horse, what to speak of other animals. But still, Kṛṣṇa supplies him food. He hasn't got to go anywhere. So sometimes saintly persons, they sit down in one place. If Kṛṣṇa sends him food he will eat; otherwise he will starve. In our ācārya-sampradāya, Mādhavendra Purī, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, they were doing that. In Vṛndāvana Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, he was blind. He was sitting in one place, and Kṛṣṇa used to come and supply him milk.

So there is no anxiety for maintenance of the body. There is no anxiety. Śāstra therefore says that "Don't spoil your energy for the matter of maintenance of the body. That is already settled up." Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That is the Vedic injunction. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is nitya as we are nitya. Nitya means there is no birth and death. Na jāyate na mriyate vā, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This is our constitutional position. And what is the difference between the two nityas? One is plural number and the other is singular number. The singular number nitya, or Kṛṣṇa, He supplies food to everyone. Oh, whatever we require, that is already settled up. Therefore we should not spend our energy for maintenance of the body.

Lecture on SB 6.1.16 -- Honolulu, May 16, 1976:

If one dedicates his life for Kṛṣṇa, yathā kṛṣṇārpita prāṇas tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā. Tat-puruṣa, you... It is impossible to dedicate our life to Kṛṣṇa unless we serve the devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā. You cannot approach Kṛṣṇa directly. That is not possible. You have to go through His devotee. Therefore Kṛṣṇa sends His devotee, "Go and deliver them." Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He did not know how to achieve the favor of Supreme Personality of Godhead, but on account of his eagerness... He wanted to see God. Because he was kṣatriya... His mother said that "God can only help you, my dear son. If you want to become king on the throne of your father, better position, then only God can help you. I cannot help you. It is not..." So he was determined, "I must see God." So he went to the forest but he did not know how to approach God. A boy of five years old only, he has got the determination. So Kṛṣṇa saw that "This boy is very determined." Therefore He sent His representative, Nārada: "Go and train him. He is very eager."

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

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

So take this chance of chanting harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). You're always safe. The Yamadūtas, the order carriers of Yamarāja, will not be able to touch you. It is so (indistinct). So take this opportunity, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. I'm very glad that you are doing, but be very strict, sincerely chant. Your life is saved. Your next life is saved. Everything is all right.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- San Francisco, July 18, 1975:

Kuntī, kuntī-stotra prayer, you will find how she has realized that "Kṛṣṇa, although He is playing just like my nephew, my brother's son, but no, He is the Supreme Personality of..." Even Dhṛtarāṣṭra knew. Dhṛtarāṣṭra knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Kṛṣṇa sent his messenger to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Akrūra, to advise him that "Why you are envious of your nephews? You stop this," before the war of Kurukṣetra, so Dhṛtarāṣṭra admitted that "I know that the advice has come from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but I am so unfortunate, I cannot give up my this habit. Please excuse." So even Dhṛtarāṣṭra knew, and what to speak of the Pāṇḍavas?

So that is the defect of conditioned souls, that they want to see God, and even God comes personally, they cannot see. They cannot see. So who can see? Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilo... One how has got love for God, he can see God all the time, and now what to speak of God comes personally before him? So we have to learn from the Supreme Personality of Godhead everything, what is the situation of this material world, what is the situation of the spiritual world. Everything perfectly, there is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and we have to learn. Then our life is successful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.16 -- Mayapur, February 23, 1976:

Not only one—we have got hundreds of buildings like that, without any labor. We are not working like these laborers. Just see. I went to your country with forty rupees, and now I have got forty crores of worth, property. So I did not work like them. (laughs) Yes. The people are bringing money. Kṛṣṇa is sending money, daily one to five lakhs of rupees. So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why one should work? Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Viḍ-bhujām, the stool-eaters, they will work hard. Human life is not meant for... Take Kṛṣṇa's shelter. Kṛṣṇa will supply everything. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22). Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy.

So this pa means working hard, pariśrama. And pha means foam, phenam. If you work very hard... You have seen sometimes the horse. They are having foams in the mouth. So we have to work so hard in this material world that sometimes foam comes. Yes. We become thirsty. We require some drinking because the tongue becomes dry, the lips become dry, and sometimes, the pa, pha... And ba—still, we are disappointed, vyarthata. And bha—we are always fearful, bhaya.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1972:

Atyāhāra, eating or collecting more than necessity. That is atyāhāra. Āhāra means eating and collecting. Āhāraḥ. So we should not collect more than what we need. Kṛṣṇa will give, giving us. Just like we are spending so much money in all our centers. So Kṛṣṇa is sending us the necessary expenditure. How... Otherwise, how we are maintaining? So... But we should not be hankering after collecting more than what is necessity. That is atyāhāra. Similarly, we should not eat more than what we need for maintaining the body and soul together. Atyāhāra prayāsaḥ, prayāsaḥ. We should not endeavor for anything which requires too much anxiety. That is called prayāsaḥ. Atyāhāra prayāsaḥ. Automatically, by Kṛṣṇa's grace, whatever comes, that's all right. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpaḥ (NOI 2). Talking unnecessarily, nonsense. Just like people waste their time talking three hours on some political situation. You see. They have got enough time to discuss newspaper, but when they are invited to our class, they find no time.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1972:

Because when your spiritual master is pleased, Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. So spiritual master is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Just like in office, you do not see the proprietor, but your immediate officer, if you can please, then you get promotion, increment, so many things. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa sends His representative. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). So, so pleasing the ācārya means pleasing Kṛṣṇa. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādad bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam means when you have accepted the bona fide spiritual master, you should work in such a way that your spiritual master is pleased with you. Then you, your path is very clear. Don't do anything which is against the will of the spiritual master. Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa eye to eye at the present moment. The direction is coming through disciplic succession. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So we should follow favorably to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then our life is successful. Go on.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.13 -- Mayapur, April 6, 1975:

And He's explaining Himself rightly. Where is the difficulty to finish the Kṛṣṇa consciousness business? If Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, what He is, then where is your difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is sending His representative ācārya to teach you, and Kṛṣṇa is within yourself trying to teach you if you are actually serious. Then where is the difficulty? Inside, outside, always, books, knowledge—He is prepared. So where is the difficulty to make yourself perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? There is no difficulty at all. Provided you are serious, you can become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious in this very life. You are all young men. You are not old man like me. I have no opportunity.

Festival Lectures

Lecture-Day after Sri Gaura-Purnima -- Hawaii, March 5, 1969:

Similarly, there are two kinds of living entities: nitya-baddha, nitya-mukta, eternally liberated and eternally conditioned. You see? So for the conditioned... They will never agree to abide by God. Therefore, for them, this material world, the external energy: "All right, you do whatever you like. You do according to..." But still, there is canvassing work. Oh, God sends His son to canvass, "Oh, this is not your right engagement. Please come back to home, back to Godhead." Kṛṣṇa comes. God Himself comes. He sends His devotees. He comes as a devotee just to again reclaim, but they are so stubborn, they will not give up this habit. Even in their so-called spiritual cultivation they are thinking that "I am God. I am the mover of the sun. I am the mover of the moon. I am the supreme," in this way. That is the disease. You see? So as for the diseased person, there is a hospital. There is operation is going on. So many severe things are going on. Similarly, for the criminal there is prison department. So it is not the government's desire that there should be hospital or prisonhouse. They can save so much money. But the people want it. A class of men, third-class men, they want this. They want to be diseased. They want to be criminals.

Gundica Marjanam Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Lecture (the day before Ratha-yatra) -- San Francisco, July 4, 1970:

And Rādhārāṇī and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, their only business was... After Kṛṣṇa departed from Vṛndāvana to Mathurā and He never returned... Once He returned. So Mother Yaśodā, the cowherd boys and the gopīs, they lost their life and vital force. So they were simply crying and weeping. That was their business. So Kṛṣṇa sent sometimes Uddhava to pacify them, that "I am coming very soon after finishing My business." So when they got this opportunity that "Kṛṣṇa has come to Kurukṣetra with His brother, sister, father. So let us go and see..." So they went to Kurukṣetra to see Kṛṣṇa. Whenever they got some opportunity, they wanted to see. Just like these cowherds boys, when there was Battle of Kurukṣetra near Delhi... Vṛndāvana is not far away from Delhi. It is about ninety miles. So they went to see Kṛṣṇa in the charioteer fighting dress. They were astonished. They thought that "Kṛṣṇa is our friend, cowherd boy. How is that, He is in the chariot fighting?" So they became astonished. So this is the pastimes of Vṛndāvana. So similarly, when the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana went to see Lord Kṛṣṇa, Jagannātha... Kṛṣṇa means Jagannātha. Jagat. Jagat means this world, and nātha means master, or proprietor.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 7, 1969:

"I am going, my work unfinished, about this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. You take charge of it." So he took very seriously the word of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. So since 1914 to '18, he was simply thinking that "How I can expand this movement?" So in 1918 he started this movement with the help of some disciples. Kṛṣṇa sent him. So one of the disciples, he is now Tīrtha Mahārāja. Perhaps he is... He belonged to Rama Krishna Mission Society. So he is very ambitious. So he took the opportunity of starting this movement, finding out the saintly person. So apart from that point of view, with his help this Gauḍīya Mission was started, and gradually it developed. So in Calcutta Guru Mahārāja started in 1918. And, I think, in 1922, when I was young man, one of my friends, he took me to Guru Mahārāja. That was my first meeting. And, of course, he was speaking to everyone, but he found me as something. So immediately after my meeting, he said this, that "Why don't you preach this Caitanya's cult in the Western countries?" That is a memorable day. Of course, I did not know that I will have to do it. You see? It is...

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Any other so-called understanding, that is simply waste of time because we are under the grip of the material nature. You may be very learned scholar. You may be a fool. It doesn't matter. You are under the laws of material nature. So before finishing this small span of life... We have got this human form of life. It will be finished, as the cats' and dogs' life also finished. But if we try through the guru and Vaiṣṇava, then, we can achieve in this life the full success, not failure like cats' and dogs' life. That is the opportunity. So as far as possible, we are trying to lead you in this line, and you kindly follow. Then your life will be successful. That is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He wanted to deliver these fallen souls, the conditioned souls rotting in this material world. So Kṛṣṇa Himself... Kṛṣṇa comes Himself, Kṛṣṇa sends His devotees, Kṛṣṇa comes as devotee—just to execute this mission to reclaim the fallen souls from the clutches of illusory energy, material world.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Lecture -- San Francisco, July 15, 1975:

"My disciples are worshiping me exactly like God; therefore I have become God." He is not guru, he is rascal. Guru is always in the position of servant. And because he is the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, therefore he is to be respected as good as Kṛṣṇa. Because in our present position we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa sends His representative; therefore he is respected as Kṛṣṇa. Now, how one can become guru and representative of Kṛṣṇa? Everyone will say, "I am a representative of Kṛṣṇa. I am guru." No. That is enunciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "You just become guru on My order." So guru means who is carrying out the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, not a self-made guru. Guru means the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same thing. He is guru.

General Lectures

Lecture -- London, August 26, 1973:

That we have got all of a sudden this nice house. It is 220,000-pound-worth. We do not expect to get such a nice house or such money. But sometimes it comes, actually. We are maintaining such hundred centers. But they have been given by the public. Kṛṣṇa sends. So because we have got such nice house, not that we have got this house... Of course, we are very much pleased because we are now able to accommodate Kṛṣṇa here, install the Deity and conduct the temple worship. That way we are happy. But not from material point of view: "Now we have got nice house." No. We can lie down on the street. So na kāṅkṣati. But Kṛṣṇa sends for the facility of our business. Kṛṣṇa gives us all facilities, that's a fact. Although we did not endeavor for constructing this house or so many other houses, but Kṛṣṇa sends us money, Kṛṣṇa sends us the means how to have nice house, how to accommodate the devotees nicely, how to have nice cars also, nice food, everything. There is no scarcity. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa conscious people... We have no business. We are not professional men. Still, we are living better than any ordinary man. That is Kṛṣṇa's grace. Kṛṣṇa says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ (BG 10.10), yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Auguste Comte:

Prabhupāda: So how can he forget? Atheism will help anyone to improve his position? Just like death. Atheist, if he does not believe in God and God sends him death, how he can counteract it? He has no power to counteract it. We understand from Bhagavad-gītā that death is God for the atheist. Atheists do not believe in God, but God comes to him as death to convince him that "Here I am." So how the atheist can avoid? How it will improve his present situation by atheistic speculation? So how the atheist can become independent? That is not possible.

Hayagrīva: His philosophy is one of total materialism. He states, "A nation that has made no efforts to improve itself materially will take but little interest in mental or moral improvement."

Prabhupāda: That standard of material improvement, that is not fixed up. One person in the material existence, he is satisfied in certain condition of life. Other man is not satisfied in that position; he wants a different standard of life. Then the question will be, "What is the standard of material life?" So far our Vedic civilization is concerned, this, the material necessities are there—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. These are material necessities, so they are equally visible in animal kingdom or human kingdom—everywhere. It is simply mental improvement of standard, but the standard are different. So what will be the actual standard of materialistic way of life? That is the question.