Nescience (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"nescent" |"nescience" |"nescient" |"nesciently"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

So in this Bhagavad-gītā... We may survey what is this Bhagavad-gītā. This Bhagavad-gītā is meant for delivering persons, persons from the nescience of this material existence. Every man is in difficulty in so many ways, as Arjuna also was in difficulty in the matter of fighting the battle of Kurukṣetra. And as such he surrendered unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and therefore this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken. Similarly, not only Arjuna but every one of us is always full of anxieties due to our, this material existence. Asad-grahāt. It is... Our existence is in the environment or atmosphere of nonexistence. But actually, we are not nonexistent. Our existence is eternal, but some way or other we are put into this asat. Asat means which does not exist.

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

So Lord Kṛṣṇa, He descends, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7), just to establish the real purpose of life. When man forgets the real purpose of life, the mission of human form of life, then it is called dharmasya glāniḥ, the disturbance of the occupation of human being. So in that circumstances, out of many, many human being, who awakens, one who awakens the spirit of understanding his position, for him this Bhagavad-gītā is spoken. We are just like swallowed by the tigress of nescience, and Lord, being causelessly merciful upon the living entities, especially for the human being, He spoke Bhagavad-gītā, making His friend Arjuna as the student.

Lecture on BG 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973:

If you are strong-minded, that "I will not accept any foodstuff which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," naturally your tongue is controlled. Naturally. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, śarīra avidyā-jāl jaḍendriya tāhe kāl jīve phele viṣaya-sāgare. Our this body is a network of nescience, or ignorance. This body, why we have got this body, material body? Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and we wanted to lord it over the material nature. This is our position. Therefore, according to our different desires, we have got different bodies.

Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966:

And if I want to control my other senses, then the tongue control is the first business, because if we cannot control the tongue, then other senses is impossible to be controlled. Therefore we, when we take our foodstuff, we sing this nice song, śarīra abidyā-jāl, joḍendriya tāhe kāl: "This body is a network of nescience." Śarīra abidyā-jāl, joḍendriya tāhe kāl: "And the material senses, they are just like kāla." Kāla means venomous serpents.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

Because our senses... There are so many senses. We have got the eyes, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the hand, the leg, and so many. We have got ten, ten senses, sensory organs and working organs. So these organs there are. Out of all the organs, the tongue is the most uncontrollable organ, tongue. When we eat... Perhaps those devotees who eat with us, we chant this, that śarīra abidyā-jāl joḍendriya tāhe kāl: "This body is the encagement of our nescience, of our ignorance. And in that body the senses are our greatest enemies. Out of that, the tongue is the most powerful enemy." Tā'ra madhye jihwā ati lobhamoy sudurmati. Lobhamoy sudurmati. Because tongue is always hankering after palatable things, and it is making me bound up in so many reactions of my life... That is the secret.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

A materialistic person has no knowledge that ultimately he is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. The person in false ego takes all credit for doing everything independently, and that is the symptom of his nescience. He does not know that this gross and subtle body is the creation of material nature under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and as such his bodily and mental activities should be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He does not know that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as Hṛṣīkeśa or the master of all senses.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

If you are put into a net and bound up and thrown into the ocean, then what is your condition of life, just imagine. Similarly, we, pure souls, we have been put into this network of material body, and we are thrown into the ocean of nescience. This is our position, struggle for existence. How to get out of the network? How to get out of the ocean? This is... Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). This is our position.

Lecture on BG 4.27 -- Bombay, April 16, 1974:

This is the recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that you should glorify the holy name of Hari. Hari means Kṛṣṇa. So that is the recommendation. But we are meeting so many obstacles because they think, "This chanting is nescience. This bhajana is nuisance. This is Kali-yuga. Not the Kali-yuga, even every yuga. So ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). A devotee is hearing, he is enjoying, and the nondevotee is thinking, "It is a nuisance."

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

So by culture of Kṛṣṇa science, when we understand the Kṛṣṇa science, then we become free from this ignorance. And Lord Kṛṣṇa recommends that "By this knowledge, you can very easily cross over the ocean of nescience, ocean of ignorance." The whole thing is: we are suffering due to... Just like ignorance is no excuse in the law court. Suppose you have done something wrong and if you say to the judge, "So I, I did not know, sir, this law," oh, that is no excuse. You'll be punished. You'll be punished. Now, in the śāstra, in the Vedic literature, it is said that "Everything belongs to God.

Lecture on BG 5.14-22 -- New York, August 28, 1966:

So therefore ajñānena āvṛtaṁ jñānam. This is, this sort of advancement of knowledge in the material science is also another type of ignorance. The Lord says, ajñānena āvṛtaṁ jñānam: "Real knowledge is now covered. Real knowledge, being covered by nescience," ajñānena tena muhyanti jantavaḥ, "therefore they are actually perplexed." So by the name of so-called advancement of knowledge the whole population of the world, they are now perplexed.

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

In the yoga system, the mind and the conditioned soul are especially important since the mind is the central point of yoga practice. Ātmā here refers to the mind. The purpose of the yoga system is to control the mind and to draw it away from attachment to sense objects. It is stressed herein that the mind must be so trained that it can deliver the conditioned soul from the mire of nescience."

Lecture on BG 6.21-27 -- New York, September 9, 1966:

So bhavāmbudhiḥ. Samāśritā ye pada... Now in order to cross the ocean, you require a very nice boat, strong boat. Then you can cross over. So we have to cross over this ocean of nescience, material. And what is that boat? That is lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. You take shelter of the boat which is Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. Samāśritā. Take with great faith, that "I am now accepting this boat as my life, lifeboat." Then what is the result? Now, mahat-padam. Mahat-padam. Don't think that "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's boat, or feet, is so small." No. It is mahat-padam. Mahat-padam means the whole material creation is resting on His leg. Mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ.

Lecture on BG 6.21-27 -- New York, September 9, 1966:

So one who has taken shelter there, for him this great ocean of nescience is just like the water containing on the impression of calf leg. Of course, you have no experience. In India I have got experience because these calves and cows, they go on the pasturing ground, and in rainy season their hoofs makes holes, and in that hole there are some water.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

So see, vatsa-padaṁ padam, paraṁ padaṁ padaṁ padaṁ vipadām... That is also padam. You see? Nicely made. So the meaning of this verse is that... Bhavāmbudhiḥ. Bhavāmbudhiḥ means this material nescience, ocean of nescience. It is a ocean of ignorance, nescience. This is called bhavāmbudhiḥ. But one has to cross over this nescience, ocean of nescience. And how to cross over? Now, samāśritaṁ pada-pallavam. One who has taken shelter of the lotus feet as the boat for crossing over this ocean of nescience, for him, bhavāmbudhiḥ, this great ocean, becomes vatsa-padam.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

Vatsa-padam means a, just a... You have no such experience. In India, in village, during rainy season the cows and the calf pass on the roads, and there is impression, and there is some water. That is called vatsa-padam, water in the pot or in the hole impressed by the hoof of the cow and calves. That water, anyone, such hundreds of water spot one can cross very easily. Similarly, if anyone takes shelter of the boat, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, for him this great ocean of nescience becomes just like vatsa-padam. That means very easily one can cross. And this place... Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). "This material world, where in every step there is danger, this place is not for them." For whom? "One who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

But unfortunately we take this ocean of nescience as very pleasant place. This is the spell of māyā. Where there is danger in every step, but we are thinking we are very happy, we are advancing in material civilization, and, as far as we can imagine, that we are very prosperous and everything. This is called māyā. He cannot appreciate that in every step there is danger in this material world.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

The same man, if he is taken over the water, one inch over the water, he feels relief immediately. And if he is put into the land, then he's perfectly relieved. So therefore Lord Caitanya offers His prayer to Kṛṣṇa, ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I am Your eternal servant. Somehow or other, I am now fallen in this ocean of nescience." Kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya: "Kindly pick me up from this ocean of nescience and fix me as one of Your dust of the lotus feet." You see? So that should be our prayer, that... This Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa is also prayer. Hare means "O the energy of the Lord," and Kṛṣṇa means "O the Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead, please take me out of this ocean of nescience and fix me up in Your eternal, transcendental service." This is the prayer. So any other question? Anyway, you are maintaining this institution. Thanks to you. (chuckles) Although the assembly is not as great as the hall, (laughs) but still, you are maintaining. It is nice. So our Indian brothers, they do not participate in this meeting? No. So it is past nine. We can have saṅkīrtana for few minutes. No other questions from anybody? This is newly partitioned?

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

This prayer was offered by Lord Caitanya. He's praying, "O my dear Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda..." Kṛṣṇa appeared as a foster son of Nanda Mahārāja. And Kṛṣṇa is very delighted when He is connected with some of His devotees' names. So Lord Caitanya addresses Him, "O the son of Nanda, somehow or other, I have now fallen in this ocean of nescience, ignorance. Please pick me up and fix me as one of the atoms of Your lotus feet." That's all. Just like a man fallen in the ocean, the only survival is... If somebody goes and picks him just one inch above the water, he feels immediately relieved. Immediately. So as soon as we are fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the immediate relief. Immediately. There is no question about it. It is such a nice thing.

Lecture on BG 9.34 -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Bhagavān: You have given the analogy that when a person turns his back to the sun he creates his shadow. And as he turns towards the sun the shadow disappears.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the motto of our... Kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama. Godhead is light, māyā is nescience.

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Does someone, does Kṛṣṇa punish people who do not serve Him purely? Or do the people punish themselves when they do not serve Him purely?

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

The guru means he gives light to the persons who are living in darkness. So that is the motto in our Back to Godhead paper, that "Godhead is light, and nescience is darkness. Where there is God, there is no nescience." So Kṛṣṇa or God or light, the same thing. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there will be no more ignorance. Just like here there is light, electric light. There is no darkness. The darkness is there, but when there is light, darkness automatically goes away. Similarly, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then darkness of life immediately goes away. And that is required in human life.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

Pradyumna: "Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary on this cream. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a thoroughly realized master of the Vedānta-sūtra, and consequently he also personally realized the commentary, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And just to show his boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic men who want to cross completely over nescience, he recited for the first time this confidential knowledge. There is no point in arguing that a materialistic man can be happy. No materialistic creature, be he the great Brahmā or an insignificant ant, can be happy. Everyone tries to make a permanent plan for happiness, but everyone is baffled by the laws of material nature. Therefore the materialistic world is called the darkest region of God's creation. Yet the unhappy materialists can get out of it simply by desiring to get out. Unfortunately they are so foolish that they do not want to escape."

Prabhupāda: They do not know that there is escape. They think this is all. This is their education. They have no knowledge. Although they are suffering in every step, they are making plan in their own way within this material world. Just like the UNESCO and so many others, all nation attempts are there. They are planning within this... That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as carvita-carvaṇānām. Carvita means chewing the chewed.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

This is the business(?). "Vedānta-sūtra, or the Brahma-sūtra, were compiled by Vyāsadeva with the view to presenting just the cream of Vedic knowledge. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary on the cream. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a thoroughly realized master of Vedānta-sūtra, and consequently, he also personally realized the commentary, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And just to show his boundless mercy," karuṇayā, "boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic man who want to cross completely over the nescience, he recited for the first time this confidential knowledge."

Lecture on SB 1.5.13 -- New Vrindaban, June 16, 1969:

So Nārada Muni is instructing his disciple Vyāsadeva to write books specially by which one may be helped, everyone will be helped, to cross over the nescience, akhila-bandha-muktaye, to become liberated from all conditional stage. We are spirit soul. We cannot be under any material condition. Just like our normal condition is healthy life, not under feverish condition. That is abnormal life. If one is attacked with fever, that is not his normal life. That is temporary, abnormal life. Actual life is healthy life. We should nicely eat. We shall nicely sleep. We shall work very nicely. We..., our brain must work very nicely. These are healthy signs. But when I cannot work nicely, I cannot sleep nicely, I cannot work nicely, I cannot act my brain very nicely, that means abnormal condition. So at that time, he requires to be treated by expert physician.

Lecture on SB 1.5.35 -- Vrndavana, August 16, 1974:

So here it is said that hari-toṣaṇam. Bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. The root must be satisfied. If you want to maintain the tree, then the root or the original cause of the tree should be satisfied. Then everything is satisfied. So here in this material world they are trying to be happy, but they do not know how to become happy. They are put into the ocean of nescience. May be very expert swimmer, but simply swimming will not save you. You must know how to save. So here it is said, yad atra kriyate karma. Everyone is doing something. Vaidikī laukikī vā. There are two kinds of karmas. Vaidikī means according to the Vedic rituals.

Lecture on SB 1.7.11 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1976:

The material madness entangles people more and more in the process of birth and death. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, anādi karama-phale paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale taribāre nā dekhi upāya. Anādi karama-phale paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale. Somehow or other, we have fallen in this material world, the ocean of nescience, bhavārṇava. Arṇava means ocean, and bhava means repetition of birth. In this ocean we have fallen. Therefore our prayer should be not for any material opulence, as we generally do. Dhanaṁ dehi rūpaṁ dehi: "Give me money or mitigate my distress." This is very lower stage of devotion, to ask something from the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on SB 1.7.11 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1976:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore recommends that niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Anyone who is aspiring to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya... Why bhagavad-bhajana required? Pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. For a person who wants to go to the other side of the ocean of nescience, pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣoḥ. (break) ...means one who is very rich man. No. Rich man and poor man doesn't matter. If one is interested simply with the four principles of the bodily necessities, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna-eating, sleeping sex and defense, they are called viṣayīs.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974:

Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, śoce tato vimukha-cetasa māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān: (SB 7.9.43) "My Lord, so far I am concerned, I have no problem." Naivod..., udvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ. "This vaitaraṇya, this ocean of nescience..." What is explained here as punar bhava, this is nescience ocean, again and again, swimming. If you perpetually remain in the ocean, and if you have to perpetually struggle for swimming, because in the ocean you have no shelter... Land is your place, but if you are placed in the ocean, however expert... You may be very expert swimmer, but that does not mean that you are happy.

Lecture on SB 1.8.25 -- Vrndavana, October 5, 1974:

You can go on struggling, swimming, very expert swimming, but that does not mean happiness. Similarly, here, in the ocean of nescience, all these rascals are swimming. They are making plans to become happy, but they are not happy. That's a fact. They can try to become happy. That is natural. Everyone unhappy, he wants to become happy. That is called struggle for existence. But they do not know except this.

Lecture on SB 1.8.26 -- Mayapura, October 6, 1974:

And Bhagavad-bhajana, why required? Now, pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. We are rotting in this material world. We have to cross over the nescience ocean, and go to Vaikuṇṭha. That is bhagavad-bhajana. Bhagavad-bhajana does not mean to increase our material possessions.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

Just like if you do not see the sun, if you keep the sun backside, then you'll simply see a long shadow of your body, black shadow. That's all. But if you turn towards the sun, you'll not see the black shadow; you'll see all light. Simply you have to turn. So we have named this Back to Godhead very scientifically. You see towards God; then everything is light. "Where there is God, there is no nescience."

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Mayapur, October 14, 1974:

So bhārāvatāraṇāya anye bhuvo nāva ivodadhau. Just like if there is a boat, then you can cross over the sea or the river with the help, so when you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you can cross over the sea of nescience very easily. Bhuvo nāva iva udadhau, sīdantyā bhūri-bhāreṇa (SB 1.8.34). Bhūri-bhāreṇa, very heavily burdened. So she was lamenting, "My Lord, save me." So the conclusion is that if people become simply atheistic or materialistic... Materialistic means atheistic.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :

So if they... Try to understand, material nature means anyone who has come here in this material world. It is not our business to come here, but we have desired to come here. That is also mentioned here. Kliśyamānānām avidyā-kāma-karmabhiḥ. Why they have come here? No vidyā. Avidyā means nescience, ignorance. What is that ignorance? Kāma. Kāma means desire. They are meant for serving Kṛṣṇa, but they desire that "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? I shall become Kṛṣṇa." This is avidyā. This is avidyā. Instead of serving... That, that is natural. Sometimes it comes, just like a servant he is serving the master.

Lecture on SB 1.8.35 -- Los Angeles, April 27, 1973 :

So that is wanted. But here in this material world they are engaged in very, very hard work. They have invented so many factories, iron factories, melting the iron, these machinery, and it is called ugra karma, asuric karma. After all, you will eat some bread and some fruit or some flower. Why you have invented so big, big factories? That is avidyā, nescience, avidyā. Suppose hundred years ago there was no factory. So all the people of the world were starving? Eh? Nobody was staring.

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

So here, everywhere, simply danger. But if we take shelter of the Vaikuṇṭha, Kṛṣṇa... Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. It is just like the boat for crossing over a furious, dangerous ocean. Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet is compared with very sound, secure boat. And boarding it, you can cross over the ocean of nescience. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padam. Bhavāmbudhiḥ. Ambudhi means sea, and bhava means repetition of birth and death, birth and death. Just like in the ocean you are struggling. Sometimes you are drowning, and somebody helps you, saves you from being drowned, and again he throws you in the ocean.

Lecture on SB 1.15.42 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1973:

Pradyumna: Translation: "Thus annihilating the gross body of five elements into the three qualitative modes of material nature, he merged them in one nescience and then absorbed that nescience in the self, Brahman, which is inexhaustible in all circumstances." (SB 1.15.42)

Prabhupāda: Tritve hutvā ca pañcatvaṁ tac caikatve ajuhon muniḥ. Everything is coming from that one. The theory of conservation of energy, that is imperfection. All energy are conserved in that Supreme Personality of Godhead. They have got little idea of this, wherefrom the energies are coming, but not perfectly. The modern scientists, they can simply think of "conservation of energy." But where is that conservation? That they do not know. That is the missing point.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:

Now we have got this human form of body, durlabha, very, very rare. This human form of body is obtained after many millions of years. Not very easily. Because we had to come through the evolutionary process, 8,400,0000 species of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Therefore this human form of life should not be wasted. Here is the solution of all the problems of life. Don't neglect it. Therefore it is advised, durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge taraha e bhava-sindhu re. E bhava-sindhu. This is the ocean, this is the ocean of nescience, ignorance. What is that? Bhava. Bhava-sindhu means take birth again and again. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). This is very botheration. And there is no guarantee what kind of... Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja... He's also devotee. He's going to Vaikuṇṭha. There was no doubt about it. Still, for our lesson, he inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī that "What is my duty now, now I am going to die?" This is intelligence.

Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

"My dear Lord, I am not anxious for myself. Because I have got the thing. I have no problem how to cross over the nescience or how to go to Vaikuṇṭha or to become liberated. These problems are solved." Why? How you have solved? Now, tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ. "Because I am engaged always in glorifying your activities, so my problem is solved."

Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

These are the products of jñāna. But if we remain compact within the boundary of such knowledge and do not make further progress, then that is also bondage. That is also bondage. Therefore one must come to the sense where these waves of material nature cannot act. That is real knowledge. Therefore it is said, jñānaṁ yadā pratinivṛtta-guṇormi. Urmi means waves. Cakram, in the whirlpool of the waves of the ocean of nescience... Just like they are taking pleasure in swimming with the waves.

Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

It is voluntarily taking shelter of the ocean, and they like being tossed by the waves. And sometimes they are drowned also. That is our position. We have come to enjoy this ocean of material nescience, and there is tossing, and we are thinking we are enjoying. So when one comes to the knowledge that "This is not my platform of enjoyment. Let me go to the land," then he's safe. Then he's safe. Otherwise, he may think that he's enjoying, but he's actually being tossed by the waves of this ocean. And this is knowledge.

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

A foolish puffed-up man defies the science of God and says that God has no meaning for him, but when is in the grip of God's law and is caught up with some disease like cerebral thrombosis, that godless man sinks into the ocean of nescience by the weight of his material acquisition. Advancement of material science without God consciousness is a heavy load on the head of human society. So one must take heed of this great warning.

Lecture on SB 3.25.8 -- Bombay, November 8, 1974:

So here also, Devahūti, the same principle. She says, tasya tvaṁ tamaso 'ndhasya duṣpārasyādya pāragam, sac-cakṣur janmanām ante: "My dear Kapila, You have come as my son. But You are my guru. You are guru because You can give me information how I can cross over the nescience of darkness, of this material life." So one who is feeling the necessity of going across the dark nescience of material existence, he requires a guru. Not for curing some disease or getting a little portion of gold. That, that does not require that one should go to guru. Guru is required for whom? Just like Devahūti or Sanātana Gosvāmī. Those who are inqui... athāto brahma jijñāsā. Those who are interested in the matter of Brahman.

Lecture on SB 3.25.11 -- Bombay, November 11, 1974:

"My dear Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja..." Patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ mām: "I am Your eternal servant, kiṅkara." Kiṅkara means servant. "Now, somehow or other, I am fallen in this ocean of nescience, saṁsāra." Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. Unless one has got the knowledge what is this position, where we are staying, we cannot understand. That is called moha. We have discussed this. Illusion. We are under illusion.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

This is very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is addressing, ayi nanda-tanuja, patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame. Patitaṁ kiṅkaram. Kiṅkaram means servant. "I am Your eternal servant, but somehow or other, I am now fallen in this ocean of nescience, repeated birth and death." Patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau. Kṛpayā: "By Your causeless mercy, because I am servant... I have somehow or other fallen." Kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya: "Kindly fix me again as one of the dust particle in Your lotus feet." This prayer has been tak...

Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:

So that will make you happy." Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta, er, Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us, patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau: "My Lord," ayi nanda-tanuja, "O the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa, I am Your eternal servant. Somehow or other, I am now fallen in this ocean of nescience." Patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau. Bhava ambudhau. Ambudhi means sea, ocean. "So how to save myself?" Kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Los Angeles, January 20, 1969:

Those who are not taking advantage of these scriptures of Vedic literatures, they are no more than animals. Because animals, they cannot take advantage of this knowledge. But human being can take. Therefore it is said, indicated in the śāstras, that this body is very suitable boat for crossing over this ocean of nescience. We are in the ocean, this outer space, the big space within this universe. It is to be considered just like a big ocean, and all the planets, they're just like islands.

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

One can come into this temple and offer obeisances. That will also do. Therefore a devotee can be satisfied in any condition of life, provided he can think of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. That's all. That much. So therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I have no problem." Naivodvije para duratyaya. "I have no problem to cross over the ocean of nescience. That solution is already there. Wherever I am, I shall think of Your lotus feet. That's all." "But you appear to be unhappy." "Yes, I am unhappy." "Why?" Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ: "I am thinking of these rascals who have rejected Your instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā." Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ. And they are busy.

Lecture on SB 5.5.16 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1976:

So we should be very, very careful. We are implicating step by step. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). They do not know. This material world means at every step we are creating another difficulty. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padam. (break) Kṛṣṇa. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padam. For Him the great ocean of nescience becomes just like vatsa-padam, the water containing with the hoofprints of calves. That is called vatsa-padam. And this place, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. This material world, where there is danger in every step, it is not for them. It is not for them.

Lecture on SB 6.1.2 -- Honolulu, May 6, 1976:

Māyā means the condition in which I enjoy material sense gratification. That is called māyā. Māyā jāpaṭiyā dhāre. Jāpaṭiyā dhāre means catches, catches: "All right, come on." There are two things: light and darkness. If you remain in light, there is no darkness, and if you prefer to remain in darkness, there is no light. Two things are there. So māyā is darkness, and Kṛṣṇa is light. That is our motto in the Back to Godhead. "Godhead is light and darkness is nescience. Where there is God, there is no darkness." This is our position.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- New York, July 22, 1971:

Devotees: There's a crazy boy out there. Crazy man. Crazy man...

Young man: Prabhupāda! Prabhupāda! Prabhupāda! Devotees. Hypocrites. They're hypocrites. (devotees chant japa loudly)

Prabhupāda: So office record is kept there...

Young man: You're full of nescience!

Prabhupāda: ...and, according to the activities of that particular person, he's awarded promotion, increment of pay, or sometimes degraded and fired off. Two things are there. Similarly, for all our activities, which we are doing, there are witnesses. The sun is witness, the moon is witness, the day is witness, the air is witness and, above all witnesses, God Himself as the Supersoul, He's sitting in everyone's heart.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8 -- Los Angeles, June 21, 1975:

Prahlāda Mahārāja, he said to Nṛsiṁha-deva, "My Lord," na udvije, "I am not at all in anxiety." Na udvije. Para: "You are transcendental." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās. Duratyaya means very difficult to cross over. Vaitaraṇyā, vaitaraṇi, the nescience, ocean of nescience. "Why you are not afraid of?" Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna cittaḥ: "Because I am now Kṛṣṇa conscious, and as soon as I hear the glories of Your wonderful activities, I become merged in it. So I have no problem." "Then you appear to be little unhappy. Why?" "No," śoce, "I am very much aggrieved." "Why?" Tato vimukha-cetasa: "For these rascals who do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Honolulu, May 15, 1976:

When there is fog, you try so many ways; it cannot go. Then, if somehow or other sun rises, immediately finished. Immediately clear. That is our motto in the Back to Godhead: "Godhead is light and nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead, there is no jurisdiction of darkness."

Lecture on SB 6.1.48 -- Detroit, June 14, 1976:

This is the special prerogative, to realize one's spiritual identity and engage oneself in spiritual activities. That is human life. And if we do not take care of it and give(?) us washed away by the waves of material nature, as Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings, māyār bośe, yāccho bhese khaccha hābuḍubu bhai... The ocean of nescience, if we place ourselves to be carried away by the waves of nescience, then our life is spoiled. If we want to save our life from this being carried away by the waves of material nature, then we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Jīv kṛṣṇa dās ei viśvās korle to' ār duḥkha nai. This is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's song, that if we simply accept this truth, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then we are immediately free.

Lecture on SB 6.1.50 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975:

So we are fallen into great ocean of nescience, covered. First of all the five senses, knowledge-acquiring senses, jñānendriya and karmendriya, working senses, ten, and sense object... We have got eyes; therefore eyes are engaged for seeing something beautiful, rūpa. Rasa. Rasa means taste. That is the business of the tongue. And to see beautiful thing, that is the business of the eyes. Rūpa, rasa, śabda. Śabda means sound. The ear, we have got ear.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971:

Really, originally, the, I mean to say regulator of religious principle is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is sometimes addressed as dharma-setu. Setu means bridge. We have to cross over. The whole plan is that we have to cross over the ocean of nescience in which we are now fallen. The material existence means it is ocean of ignorance and nescience, and one has to cross over it. Then he gets the real life. This is not real life. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). We are... Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). People are so foolish. They do not take it very seriously because they do not know that they are eternal. That is another ignorance. Bhagavad-gītā begins from this knowledge that living soul is eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). But they are in ignorance.

Lecture on SB 7.6.19 -- New Vrindaban, July 2, 1976:

Because Kṛṣṇa is very much anxious: "When this conditioned soul will look towards Me? He's now looking towards māyā, the other side, the dark side, and when he'll look towards the light?" The Vedic injunction is, tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Do not look forward to the darkness, but look forward to the light." If you look forward to the light then there is no darkness. We have given our motto in the Back to Godhead that "Kṛṣṇa is the sun and māyā is nescience. Where there is Kṛṣṇa there is no māyā." If you look forward towards the sun there is no darkness. But if you keep sun back side, you'll find your shadow very long. So the beginning is very easy.

Lecture on SB 7.9.18 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1976:

Dayānanda: Translation: "O my Lord Nṛsiṁha, in this way, just being engaged in Your transcendental loving service, I shall be able to associate with devotees who are liberated souls, haṁsas, and thus being completely uncontaminated by the association of three modes of material nature, it will be possible for me to chant the glories of Your Lordship, who is so dear to me. I shall chant Your glories, fully following the footprints of Lord Brahmā and his disciplic succession. In this way it will be possible without any doubt that I shall cross over the ocean of nescience."

Prabhupāda:

so 'haṁ priyasya suhṛdaḥ paradevatāyā

līlā-kathās tava nṛsiṁha viriñca-gītāḥ

añjas titarmy anugṛṇan guṇa-vipramukto

durgāṇi te pada-yugālaya-haṁsa-saṅgaḥ

(SB 7.9.18)

So in this verse two words are very important. One is viriñca-gīta. Viriñca means Lord Brahmā and the followers. Just like we, Gauḍīya-sampradāya, means we belong to the Brahma-sampradāya.

Lecture on SB 7.9.18 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1976:

Then it will be successful. Pada-yugālaya-haṁsa-saṅgaḥ. Then it will be possible. If we associate with haṁsa, pure devotees, then our life will be successful. Añjas titarmi. Very easily we shall cross over this ocean of nescience. There is another verse like that. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadaṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58). Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. The same thing, differently expressed.

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ

mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ

bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam...

Bhavāmbudhiḥ, this great ocean of nescience in which we are now fallen and very much struggling for existence, exactly just like if you are thrown in the ocean, you may be a very good swimmer, but the condition is very dangerous... You'll have to struggle. You cannot say, "I am a good swimmer.

Lecture on SB 7.9.18 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1976:

Therefore the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa means there is also mahat-tattva, many, many mahat-tattva. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Murāri. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Murāri. Puṇya-yaśaḥ, always... Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Then this... Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padam. This great ocean of nescience becomes a small spot of water as it is made by the footprint of the calves, vatsa-padam.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Visakhapatnam, February 22, 1972:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja was (indistinct) the great devotee in the world. There are many descriptions of his characteristics and activities. In Bhāgavata, Prahlāda-caritra is everyone knows. So when his father was killed, he said, naivodvije para deva duratyaya vaitaraṇyāḥ. Duratyayā. Duratyayā means (it is) very difficult to cross over this ocean of nescience, material world. It is very difficult. We do not know how we have been put into this ocean of nescience. We are traveling, going through eight million four hundred thousand species of life. Sometimes in different species of life in different types of planets and different types of body, we are passing through. We do not know that.

Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976:

Somehow or other... Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, anādi karama phale, padi 'bhavārṇava-jale. Somehow or other we have fallen this. Therefore the real aim of life, how to get out of this bhavārṇava, nescience, that is the aim of life. If we remain again like the monkeys and cats and dogs, eating, sleeping, mating, and dancing, that is not very responsible life. Every man should be responsible. That is Vedic culture, to create responsible man, not varṇa-saṅkara.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

If one takes shelter of mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ... Murāri is Kṛṣṇa's another name. So puṇya-yaśo, His name is famous as piety. Puṇya-yaśo murāri. If anyone takes shelter of His lotus feet, then the great ocean of nescience becomes a small pit, and one can jump over it very easily.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajanonmukha, those who are actually desiring to be entered into the path of devotional service, must be niṣkiñcana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya pāraṁ paraṁ jigamisor bhava-sāgarasya. Bhagavad-bhajana means to go on the other side of the ocean of nescience, not in this material world. Anyone who is desiring to be promoted to the heavenly planet, Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka...

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.118-121 -- San Francisco, February 24, 1967:

We are also all spiritual. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ para prokta kṣetrajñākhya tathā para. Kṣetrajñā-śaktiḥ. Kṣetrajñā-śaktiḥ means the living entities. So they are also transcendental, superior. Avidya-karma-samjñānya tṛtiya śaktir isyate. And this material energy, it is the product, product of avidya. Avidya means ignorance or nescience.

Now, the next question will be, "Whose ignorance?" As soon as we say "ignorance," there must be somebody who is ignorant. So whose ignorance? Now, we find the supreme living entity is Kṛṣṇa, and we, the subordinate living entities. So who is ignorant? Ignorant is the living entities, not all living entities, but there is, I mean to say, tendency of becoming ignorant.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.105 -- New York, July 11, 1976:

That is going on. "So you should approach a spiritual master? There is so many doctors, hospital. You go there." "No. Here you show me your miracles." And people are also cheating like that—some miracles and he becomes God. This is going on. But the miracle of spiritual master is yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi, ei bhava toriyā yāi. This is miracle: no more material existence. Then ei bhava toriyā yāi. So real thing (?) is one can cross over the ocean of nescience. That is real gain. That is the real favor of spiritual master, not that cure your leg and again walk here and again become, break your leg, and again come. Not like that. Ei bhava toriyā yāi. Then?

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.105 -- New York, July 11, 1976:

That is prema. That is the bha... But the beginning must be regulative principle. Prema, vidhi prema. Prema-bhakti yāhā hoite, avidyā vināśa yāte. Prema-bhakti, avidyā... Unless we are free from this nescience of material existence, there is no question of Kṛṣṇa prema. Two things cannot go. Viraktir anyatra syāt. If you actually advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then naturally you'll be averse to this material enjoyment. Viraktir... Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42).

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.108-109 -- New York, July 15, 1976:

It will never go in vain. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also sings, keno māyār bośe, yāccho bhese', khāccha hābuḍubhu bhāi, jīv kṛṣṇa-dās, ei viśvās, korle to' ār duḥkha nāi. Everyone is being washed away by the big waves of the ocean of nescience, but if he simply accepts, "No, I am Kṛṣṇa dāsa. I am not master. I am not God. I am simply a servant..." And the more you become servant of the servant, more you are perfect.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 9 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1970:

"Those who are engaged in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the so-called culture of knowledge."

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 9 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1970:

So here it is said, andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye avidyām upāsate. Avidyā means those who are captivated by the external movements, they are, they are worshiping avidyā, nescience, which will not help him. The modern civilization is engaged... There are big, big institutions for technology, how a motorcar can move, how aeroplane can move. So many machinery they're manufacturing. But they are... There is no educational institution how the mover, the spirit soul, is moving. That is... That is called avidyā, nescience. The actual mover is not being studied, but the external movement is being studied. Big, big institution, universities, there are. As I told you the other day, when I lectured in the Massachusetts Technological College, so I inquired that "Where is that technology to study the mover?" But they have no such arrangement. They could not answer satisfactorily.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 9-10 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1970:

"The wise have explained to us that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge, and it is said that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience."

So yesterday we have explained to some extent what is the culture of nescience and what is the culture of knowledge. Culture of knowledge means spiritual knowledge. That is real knowledge. And advancement of knowledge for comforts or to protect this material body, that is the culture of nescience. Because however you may try to protect this body, its natural course will take place. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). You cannot relieve this body from repeated birth and death, and while manifested, disease and old age. So people are very much busy for culturing knowledge of this body, although they are seeing every moment that this body is decaying. The death of the body was registered when it was born. That's a fact. So you cannot stop the natural course of this body. You must meet the process of the body, namely, birth, death, old age, and disease.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 11 -- Los Angeles, May 16, 1970:

"Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality." (ISO 11)

So people do not understand what is immortality. They think that it is a vague idea, because no knowledge... So many things... We are very proud of our advancement of knowledge. So many things we do not know, and it is not possible to know even, by our modern experimental knowledge.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- New Zealand, April 27, 1976:

So only point is that you have got this human form of life, nṛ-deham ādyam. This is the opportunity, good boat. Just like to cross over the sea, if you get a very nice boat, that is one's surety, so nṛ-deham ādyam, this body, is good boat for crossing over the material nescience, ocean. And guruḥ karṇa-dharaḥ: "And the captain is guru." The boat is there and captain is there. And the instruction of Kṛṣṇa is favorable wind.

Initiation Lectures

Initiations and Lecture Sannyasa Initiation of Sudama dasa -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

Therefore this mantra, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ tamo mukundāṅghri niṣevayaiva. Aham: "By accepting this order of life, I shall cross over this nescience of darkness." Tamo mukundāṅghri. Mukunda. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Mukunda. Muk means liberation; ānanda, He gives liberation and ānanda, eternal bliss. So aṅghri, aṅghri means lotus feet. So "By worshiping, by serving the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, I shall cross over the dark ocean of nescience." Ahaṁ tariṣyā... How? By talking about Kṛṣṇa. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane.

Gurudasa Sannyasa Initiation -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

So we have to preach that. We haven't got to manufacture anything. Kṛṣṇa says everything. We have to simply bear the message. Kṛṣṇa says like this. You do like this. That's all. You become a perfect sannyāsī and you perfect. And by doing this, result will be, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāram. This material world, the ocean of nescience, it is very, very difficult to cross it over, but by doing this service to Kṛṣṇa, one can easily... Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam. Bhavāmbudhiḥ, the great ocean, becomes just like a water spot in the hoofprint of a calf.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Montreal, October 26, 1968:

Very nice verse. What is this? It is said, samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. The lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa is compared with a very nice boat. Boat. Just like lotus flower. His everything is like lotus flower. One who has accepted this boat... Because this material world is a great ocean of nescience, darkness. This is the nature. Just like at night you see, this space is a great ocean of darkness. That is the nature. Therefore it is called tama. This world's nature... Here we require the sunlight, the moonlight, the electricity; otherwise it is dark.

Lecture -- London, September 16, 1969:

"Anyone who is engaged in unalloyed devotional service of Me, he is already transcendental to all the three modes of material nature." Sa guṇan samatītya etān. All these. There are three modes of material nature, sattva-raja-tamaḥ. So a devotee surpasses very easily. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam. Bhavāmbudhiḥ, the great ocean of nescience, becomes just like the water pit made by the hoof of a calf. You see. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58). For the devotee, this place is not for them. This... Which place? This material world.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

He is giving evidence from the Vedas how these rascals, they think of themselves as very learned. In the Vedas it is said, avidyāyām antare vartamānaḥ svayaṁ dhīraḥ paṇḍitaṁ manyamānaḥ: "There is avidyā, nescience, ignorance, within, but they are thinking that 'I am very learned.' " That is our another disease. One disease is the troubles and conditions offered by the material nature.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 26, 1973:

For understanding Brahman pleasure, a person is recommended to give up everything material. And when the Para-brahman wants to enjoy, does it means that He's enjoying something material? This is our nescience(?). This is our misunderstanding. When Para-brahman enjoys, He... But the difficulty is that this Māyāvādī philosopher, they cannot understand that in the spiritual world there is also pleasure.

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

Just like if you are in danger, you ask your friends to help you. This is prayer. So our prayer is, to Kṛṣṇa, ayi nanda-tanuja. Nanda-tanuja means... Kṛṣṇa appeared as the foster son of Nanda Mahārāja; therefore He is addressed as nanda-tanuja, means "the son of Mahārāja Nanda." So patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau. "I am your eternal servant. Somehow or other, I am now fallen in this ocean of nescience, ignorance." Just like if you are a person of the land, if you are thrown in the ocean, it is struggle for existence.

City Hall Lecture -- Durban, October 7, 1975:

So we should know in what dangerous position we are. Then there is necessity of prayer. And prayer to whom? To the Supreme Person to save us. Therefore there are so many prayers in the śāstra. Prayers means addressing the Lord to save us from this. The real saving is to pick us up from this ocean of nescience, ignorance. Then everything is all right. As soon as we come to the knowledge that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God," then our knowledge is perfect.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on John Dewey:

Śyāmasundara: And the purport?

Prabhupāda: And the purport is, one who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, for him, this ocean of nescience, bhavasamudra, because just like a small pit foot created by the cow's hoof.

Devotee: Footprint.

Prabhupāda: And this place wherein there is step by step danger, this is not God's place. That Kṛṣṇa also says. As soon as he understands Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). He immediately becomes eligible to transfer to the spiritual world.

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:

Prabhupāda: Nascent. What is called?

Hayagrīva: Neh...?

Prabhupāda: Nascent.

Hayagrīva: Nescient?

Prabhupāda: Yes, nascent. What is the...

Hayagrīva: (sic:) Nescent.

Prabhupāda: What is spelling?

Hayagrīva: (sic:) N-e-s-c-e-n-t. To be..., not yet developed.

Prabhupāda: Manifested, yes, yes.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, January 7, 1969:

"Oh, I have got to enjoy so many things. How can I fix up my mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa?" Then Govinda dāsa advises, "No, no." Durlabha mānava-janma. "You don't waste your life in that way. This human form of life is very rare. Out of many, many thousands and millions of births, you have got this opportunity." Durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge. "Therefore don't go anywhere. You just associate with pure devotees." Taraha ei bhava-sindhu re." Then you shall be able to cross of the ocean of nescience." "Oh, if I engage my mind always in Kṛṣṇa, then how I shall enjoy my family, my other paraphernalia?" So Govinda dāsa says, ei dhana yauvana. "You want to enjoy your wealth and your youthful ages," ei dhana yauvana, putra parijana, "and you want to enjoy the society of freindship, love and family, but I say," ithe ki āche paratīti re, "do you think that there is transcendental pleasure in these nonsense thing? No, there is none. It is simply illusion." Ei dhana yauvana, putra parijana, ithe ki āche paratīti re. Durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge, taraha ei bhava sindhu re.

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

There is no more existence of the wood. Similarly, if you can invoke your spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when it will be very nicely going on, then your material existence will be finished. This is the process. Durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge taraha e bhava-sindhu re. In this way, just get on the other side of this ocean of nescience.