Literal (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"literal" |"literally"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 8.5 -- New York, October 26, 1966:

Guest: I have one more question. If in taking on a body like Kṛṣṇa we assume a nature like Kṛṣṇa's nature...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: When you say taking on the body of a dog or a cat or a pig or whatever, is this also... Do you mean literally a body like a pig, or do you mean the nature of a pig or dog or cat?

Prabhupāda: No. Here the body and the soul different. The soul is spirit, and the body is matter. But when you attain a body like Kṛṣṇa's, that means that is spiritual body. There is no difference between the soul and the body. Here there is difference between soul and body. But in the spiritual world there is no difference between soul and body.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:

Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The real, literal meaning of adhokṣaja: adhaḥ—this is Sanskrit word—adhaḥ means "made down," and akṣaja, akṣaja means sense perception, knowledge acquired by sense perception. So adhokṣaja means the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who cuts down all kinds of sense perceptional activities.

Lecture on SB 1.5.9-11 -- New Vrindaban, June 6, 1969:

You write something; the aim should be simply to glorify the Supreme. Then your literature is pavitra, purified. And however nicely, either literally or metaphorically or poetically, you write some literature which has nothing to do with God, or Kṛṣṇa, that is vāyasaṁ tīrtham. That is pleasure spot for the crows.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.121-124 -- New York, November 25, 1966:

Veda means the Vedic literatures. Veda, real literal meaning is veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vido jñāne. There is a Sanskrit root, vid-dhātu. From that vid-dhātu, veda. Veda means knowledge. And Purāṇa, Purāṇa means supplementary, Vedic instruction described in story form. That is called Purāṇa, story. This Bhāgavata is also one of the Mahā-purāṇa. Mahā-purāṇa means the science of Kṛṣṇa is described in story form. This is called Purāṇa. People better understands in stories, in history.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 9, 1968:

Prabhupāda: What is... You give the example, "This is this symbol," "This is this symbol." What is the symbol of battlefield? That you do not know?

Young man (6): Are you saying that it should be taken literally?

Prabhupāda: No, no. What is your idea? You are putting question. Are you clear in your question? Or you are simply questioning without any clear idea? What is your position?

Lecture at St. Pascal's Franciscan Seminary -- Melbourne, June 28, 1974:

Adhokṣaja means beyond your sense perception. Another word is used, avāṅ mānasa-gocaraḥ, "beyond the expression of your mind, words." Avāṅ gocaraḥ. And another meaning, literal meaning, adha: adha means subdued. Adhakṛta akṣaja-jñānam. Akṣa. Akṣa means eyes, or... In Sanskrit there are letters beginning from a, a, i and, at last, kṣa. So beginning from a to kṣa, a-kṣa, means we understand by combination of words. So you can combine so many words, but still, it is beyond that expression. That is called adhokṣaja.

Departure Talks

Departure Lecture -- London, March 12, 1975:

Tad-vāg-visargo, na tad vacaś citra-padam, very nicely, literally very nicely decorated, na tad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo na pragṛṇīta karhicit, but there is no mention about Kṛṣṇa and His glories... Just like especially in the Western countries you have got newspaper, big, big bunch of newspaper, but not a single line is there about Kṛṣṇa, not a single. So for the devotees this kind of literature is compared with the garbage.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Origen:

Hayagrīva: As far as seeming contradictions and seeming absurdities in scripture are concerned, Origen considered these as stumbling blocks allowed by God to exist in order for man to go beyond the literal meaning. He says, "In some cases no useful meaning attaches to the obvious interpretation, but everything in scripture has a spiritual meaning, but not all of it has a literal meaning."

Prabhupāda: Literal... Generally, every word in the scripture there is literal meaning, but one who cannot understand properly because one does not hear from the proper person, he makes some interpretation. But there is no need of interpretation in the words of God.