Offer respect (Lectures, SB)

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "offer* respects" or "offer* respect" or "offer* * respects" or "offer* * respect" or "offer* * * respects" or "offer* * * respect"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 17, 1971:

We don't deny the existence of demigod, but we don't worship that he is God. We worship, we give him all respect. Just like if the queen's secretary comes here, we shall give him all respect because he's queen's secretary. But we'll never accept that he is king. No. That is not possible. That is sane. It is not that... We Vaiṣṇavas, we are prepared to offer respect even to the ant, and why not to the secretary? When we offer to a big officer, it is not that we are flattering. It is the etiquette, it is the duty, to offer respect to the respectable persons.

So we give all honor to the demigods, but we don't accept the demigods as the Supreme. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. There may be 330,000,000's or 330,000,000's of secretaries, but we say... Just like it is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). The only master, or controller, is Kṛṣṇa. Āra saba bhṛtya. And all other demigods... Just like Lord Brahmā, Śiva, so many others.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- London, August 10, 1971:

So the question raised by the sages and saintly persons in Naimiṣāraṇya was, "After departure of Kṛṣṇa, unto whom the charge of religious principle depended?" So Sūta Gosvāmī, who is a disciple of Śukadeva Gosvāmī... Śukadeva Gosvāmī is his spiritual master. Therefore it is the etiquette, before speaking anything, the disciple should first of all offer respect to the spiritual master.

So offering respect to the spiritual master means to remember some of his activities. Some of his activities. Just like you offer respect to your spiritual master, namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe. This is the activity of your spiritual master, that he is preaching the message of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and he's a disciple of Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Namas te sārasvate. You should pronounce it sārasvate, not sarasvatī. Sarasvatī is the, my spiritual master. So his disciple is sārasvate. Sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe. These are the activities. What is the activities of your spiritual master? He's simply preaching the message of Lord Caitanya.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- London, August 10, 1971:

And then, his guru, his guru, his guru, they're all Vaiṣṇavas. Vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca. Śrī-rūpam. Then we offer respect to Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. All the Gosvāmīs, six Gosvāmins. Vande rūpa-sanātana... Sāgraja. Sa agraja. Agraja means elder brother. Sanātana Gosvāmī was the elder brother of Rūpa Gosvāmī, and Rūpa Gosvāmī accepted him as his spiritual master. Śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitam. Associated by Raghunātha. There are two Raghunāthas: Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. Sa-jīvam, with Jīva Gosvāmī. This is the process. Vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam. Then we go to Caitanya Mahāprabhu's status: sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtam. That is also... First of all, Advaita Gosāñi, then Nityānanda Mahāprabhu, Prabhu. Mahāprabhu is applicable only to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Others, all prabhus.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- London, August 10, 1971:

Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa means they are always associated by the gopīs, of whom Lalitā-Viśākhā are the chief out of the aṣṭa-sakhīs.

So this is the paramparā system. So here also, we see, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to accept the path of the authorities. Here is authority, Sūta Gosvāmī. He is offering his respect to his spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. As soon as you offer... Just like we sung this Gurvaṣṭaka. Gurvaṣṭaka, vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam. Vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam. You can say simply "I offer my respectful obeisances to my spiritual master." No. You must describe his activities. What is the activity of spiritual master?

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

So these are the qualifications of the spiritual master. What is that? Svānubhāvam, "must assimilate personally." Svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram. Śruti. The Vedas are called śruti, absolute knowledge. It has to be learned by hearing, not by speculation. Śruti. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet śrotriyam (MU 1.2.12). From śruti, the śrotriya comes. So he's offering respect to Śukadeva Gosvāmī because he has assimilated the whole Vedic knowledge. Śruti-sāra. What is that sāra? Sāra means essence. What is the ultimate goal of knowledge, essence of knowledge? This is also explained in Bhagavad-gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). The real purpose of Vedic knowledge is to search out where is Kṛṣṇa.

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī assimilated the Vedic knowledge and he was after Kṛṣṇa. Although he was liberated soul, still, he was after Kṛṣṇa. To become liberated is not the final stage. Liberated means one who understands that he is not this material body—he is liberated. But that much knowledge is not sufficient.

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

"You are suffering; you simply surrender unto Me."

So what Kṛṣṇa says, the Bhāgavata also says the same thing. Bhāgavata begins, paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi: "The Supreme, I offer my respect to the Supreme." Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya: "I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Vāsudeva." Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa. So saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyam. Purāṇa. Purāṇa means, sometimes the Māyāvādīs, they say these Purāṇas are stories. No. They are not stories. It comes from the Purāṇa. Purāṇa means filling up, supplementary, to complete it. Purāṇas, they are not out of the Vedic literatures. Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Purāṇa, they are all belonging to the Vedic literature. Especially Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Mahā-Purāṇa. Therefore Mahā-Purāṇa... Why Mahā-Purāṇa? Purāṇa-guhyam. Very confidential Purāṇa.

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

So Sūta Gosvāmī is offering respect to the spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. When we offer respect to the spiritual master or anyone, we glorify his transcendental qualities. That is glorification. Just like we offer respect to Kṛṣṇa, glorify Him. So this is very important process, glorify the spiritual master by his activities, what he is actually doing. That is glorification.

So what Śukadeva did? Svānubhāvam. He first of all heard from his father, Vyāsadeva, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and realized it. Not a professional Bhāgavata reciter. Just like in India now there are a class of men, especially in Vṛndāvana, the gosvāmīs. They make a business. Therefore there are many, many very artistic Bhāgavata reciters, but they could not turn even one man to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because they are not self-realized, svānubhāvam. Of course, we have tried our best; so in few years there are so many Kṛṣṇa conscious persons come out. This is the secret. Unless one is svānubhāvam, self-realized, life is bhāgavata, he cannot preach Bhāgavata. That is not... That will not be effective. A gramophone will not help.

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

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, 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, 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 1.2.6 -- Delhi, November 11, 1973:

This is God's teaching, that "You simply think of God." Man-manāḥ. Mad-bhaktaḥ, "Become devotee of God, worship God." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). You are coming here. Here is God. You are offering obeisances. It will go to your credit. Yes. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. Those who are coming here, taking part in this ārātrika ceremony, dancing or offering some respect, everything goes to your credit. Everything will go to your credit. In this way... Just like if you make bank balance, one rupee, one rupee, one rupee, sometimes you will see, "It is now 100,000 rupees." Similarly, we are giving chance all over the world, opening this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple, giving them chance to chant the glories of the Lord. That means it is going to their credit. If they take it immediately, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), that is very nice. But if he cannot, this chance will never go in vain. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, ahaitukī (SB 1.2.6). And anyone can join.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

I am very glad that these girls, with great difficulty you come to this class. I very much thank you. This is ahaituky apratihatā. The devotional service cannot be checked by any material impediment. It is not conditional, that "Because I am in this condition, I cannot execute devotional service." No. Anyone in any position, in any circumstances, he can become the greatest devotee of the Lord—if he desires.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

I am very glad that these girls, with great difficulty you come to this class. I very much thank you. This is ahaituky apratihatā. The devotional service cannot be checked by any material impediment. It is not conditional, that "Because I am in this condition, I cannot execute devotional service." No. Anyone in any position, in any circumstances, he can become the greatest devotee of the Lord—if he desires.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yayātmā suprasīdati

(SB 1.2.6)

The real aim of life is how to get satisfaction, full, complete satisfaction. And that satisfaction, complete satisfaction, can be achieved only by prosecution of devotional service.

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

One devotee says that "If one has learned this causeless love for God..." One of the devotee of Lord Caitanya says, he says that through Lord Caitanya—because I have quoted so many ślokas from Lord Caitanya's writing—He has actually taught how to love Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is the most significant point of His preaching work. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī, when (he) first saw Lord Caitanya, he offered his respect to Lord Caitanya. This is the same attitude. He was dancing in the front of Bindu-mādhava at Prayag—the Prayag description I have already given you—and at that time Rūpa Gosvāmī went to meet Him, and he fell down before His lotus feet and prayed with these words. What is that?

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, July 23, 1973:

Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you want to know, then first of all is praṇipāta. Praṇipāta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta. Just like we have got the system, the disciples they fall flat, straight, and offer respect to Deity or to the spiritual master. This is called praṇipāta. Praṇi... Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta. The first thing is praṇipāta. You have to find out somebody where you can surrender fully. That is the beginning of spiritual life. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). First condition is praṇipāta. Praṇipātena paripraśnena. You can inquire. You can ask questions, after you have fully surrendered, not before that. Don't waste your time. It will not act. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa like friends. When Arjuna said, "Oh, the other side, they are all my kinsmen. How can I kill them? Oh, it is not possible," Kṛṣṇa said, "No, you are kṣatriya. It is your duty to fight. It doesn't matter the other party is your own kinsmen." Ordinary question, answers. In this way, questions and answer, questions and answer were going on. But at last, when by such questions and answers, friendly talk, nothing was solved, then Arjuna said, śiṣyas te haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, in this way the problem will not be solved. I am becoming Your disciple. I am not talking anymore as friend." Śiṣyas te 'ham: "I become Your disciple." Because you cannot argue with guru. That is praṇipāta.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:

What is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Just we are demonstrating. We are hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we are hearing Bhagavad-gītā and chanting, hearing and chanting. Then we are thinking of. Unless you think of... Because whatever we hear and chant, naturally we have to think of. And pūjyaś ca, and offering a little flower and a little fruit and offer our respect to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. He is here. So is there any difficulty? So Bhāgavata says, "Who will not take up this process? Forget what you are. Take this process and you will be relieved of repeated birth and death." Karma-granthi-nibandhanam. Chindanti kovidās tasya ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim. Who is such a fool who will not do this? Or which intelligent man will not do this? It is very nicely put. Which intelligent man will not do this? Rather, who is such a fool who will not do this.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:

In the morning, when the night is being passed, day is beginning, that is first sandhyam, junction. And then when the sun is on the meridian, that is also another junction, and when the day is passing and night is beginning, that is another junction.

So it is the duty of the student to offer respect to the bona fide spiritual master three times respect. So serve, mahat-sevā, because that will, I mean to say, help me in making advance in spiritual knowledge. Syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt. And also by visiting sacred places. So it is not always possible to visit sacred places. It may be very distant place. But when you get chance of a bona fide spiritual master, a great soul, if you try to please him, to satisfy him, that will make you eligible to have taste for kṛṣṇa-kathā, on the topics of Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much. Any question?

Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: Should one offer his respects to his spiritual master wherever he is at the first time,(?) or should he go to where the spiritual master is to offer his respects?

Prabhupāda: What do you say? I do not follow. What is that?

Devotee: Should a disciple go to his spiritual master directly to offer the respects at least three times, or offer them where he is?

Prabhupāda: Well, if it is possible to go to him directly, that should be taken chance. But if he's not, it is not possible, then his picture or his idea should be offered respect. Yes. But if he's directly available, one should avail of that. Any other question? All right. Let us have kīrtana. You are following the same verse from the book? Yes.

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Brāhmaṇa means the head. Therefore brāhmaṇa is offered so much respect. Because head, without head, in the head, in the brain, you conceive something, and the hands and legs, they execute the order. Similarly, the head of the society, they should be the brāhmaṇas. They are not interested in capturing political power. No. Brāhmaṇa is to give instruction. We find from Vedic literature. There were committees, privy council committees of great sages and brāhmaṇas. They would give the king advice that "You rule in this way." And if the king is disobedient, sometimes the brāhmaṇas would dethrone them. Or kill them. That was the Vedic system. We find from the life and ruling of Mahārāja Pṛthu, how he was ruling over the world, how he was observing that every community, either brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra, they were properly employed. There was no unemployment question. It was the duty of the king to see that not a single man is unemployed. He must be engaged. So they made arrangement like that.

Lecture on SB 1.2.33 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1972:

Generally, people come to this temple, they are very devoted to the Deity. They offer their respects, flowers and other things, make the regulative process, circumambulate. This is nice beginning, but one has to go above this. One has to know who is actually bhakta, who is ac... Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu. One has to do good for others. That is madhyama-adhikārī. If I become satisfied only with these regulative principles for worshiping the Deity in the temple and following the regulative principle daily, but if I have no other idea, then sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. Prākṛta means on the material platform. Such devotee can fall down at any moment, because he's on the prākṛta stage. And prākṛta means this guṇamayī, prakṛti. It is very strong.

Lecture on SB 1.3.28 -- Los Angeles, October 3, 1972:

So actually, they did sinful acts, action, by leaving their father, brother or husband and went to Kṛṣṇa at dead of night. They were all young girls. That is, according to Vedic injunction that is sinful. But they are worshiped.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu, such a big sannyāsī, who never allowed any woman to come near to offer respect... He was so strict. They would offer respect from distance. He says, ramyā kacid upāsanā. He says that the worship, the method of worship conceived by the gopīs, that is, there is no comparison. Ramyā kacid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā. Now, He was so much strict about women. Why He is praising the external sinful activities of the gopīs? Why? Because it is in connection with Kṛṣṇa. There are many instances. Just like Bali Mahārāja. Bali Mahārāja gave up the connection with his spiritual master. Why? His spiritual master said, "You don't give to Kṛṣṇa." He was thinking that "If this rascal, everything gives to Kṛṣṇa, then how I shall live? I am living at his maintenance." Just like you sometimes give me maintenance, I live.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

So, Vyāsadeva is submitting himself to his spiritual master Nārada Muni, that "Yes, what you say is right, that I have tried to understand the Absolute Truth through your grace, and I have tried to explain also the Absolute Truth in so many books, Vedas, Purāṇas, Upaniṣads, Vedānta-sūtra, but still I am not happy. So what is the defect in me?" So Nārada uvāca, Nārada replied,

bhavatānudita-prāyaṁ

yaśo bhagavato 'malam

yenaivāsau na tuṣyeta

manye tad darśanaṁ khilam

(SB 1.5.8)

The whole scheme should be to satisfy the Lord. This is the secret of success. Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam. If God, or Kṛṣṇa, is satisfied, then whole world is satisfied. The modern civilization is lacking this knowledge. Asuric civilization, demonic civilization, what to speak of satisfying God, they are denying the existence of God. And they want peace and happiness.

Lecture on SB 1.5.8-9 -- New Vrindaban, May 24, 1969:

So they are also treated as ordinary human being or ordinary living entities. They are not given any importance. "Well, as..." Ābrahma-bhuvana-stham. Ābrahma. For a devotee, as Brahmā is also living entity, a small ant is also living entity, all Kṛṣṇa's parts and parcels. They have no quarrel with anybody. As Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, we offer respect to everyone. So not that they are amazed with the greatness of a living entity. He thinks that his greatness is due to Kṛṣṇa's favor. Because Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad-gītā, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ tat tad eva mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam. Nobody can become great unless... Just like the sunshine. The sunshine, what is the sunshine? It is simply a partial reflection of Kṛṣṇa's brahmajyoti. Similarly anyone who is great in the estimation of this material world, there is some Kṛṣṇa's favor. That's all. Yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ tat tad eva mama tejo 'ṁśa-sambhavam.

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

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

yathā dharmādayaś cārthā

muni-varyānukīrtitaḥ

na tathā vāsudevasya

mahimā hy anuvarṇitaḥ

(SB 1.5.9)

The defect in Vyāsadeva was being pointed out by his spiritual master, Nārada, that "If... You have labored very hard in presenting dharmādayaḥ." Dharmādayaḥ means religiosity, economic development. Dharma-ādayaḥ. Ādayaḥ means beginning. That means human civilization should begin from religious principle. Otherwise, it is not human civilization. Dharmādayaḥ. Therefore in civilized nation there is religion. Maybe in different forms, but religion must be there. The same thing is explained by Nārada Muni, that dharmādayaḥ. First religion, then economic development. Not economic development first. And then sense gratification. And then liberation.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

(I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.)

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo

yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api

nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat

śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

(SB 1.5.11)

The other day we discussed about literature which is very nicely composed from literary point of view, or poetic, or rhetoric. Maybe very nicely... But if there is no description of the Absolute Truth or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that sort of literature is enjoyed by a class of men who are compared with the crows. That we have discussed. It is simply wasting time, valuable time in the human life, to divert our attention to such ordinary literature. They are called grāmya-kathā.

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

The idea is that one has not only to understand little about God, but one has to live in God. Then his life will be successful. Not that "Yes, God is great, and I go weekly in the church or in the temple. I offer my respect." No, that will not make you liberated. You have to be very serious to understand your relationship with God and go back to Godhead. Then your life will be successful, not that simply by understanding little. No. That is the same position. Just like you cannot derive any benefit or you cannot sit down very nicely in a tottering ship, so if you keep your life always tottering... That tottering, that stage, or, I mean to say, what is called, tilting stage of life can be stopped only by devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). One has to make his life tranquil. How this is possible? By this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

(My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.)

(aside:) So you keep there. You can keep here. It is open? Yes.

jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte 'nuśāsataḥ

svabhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ

(SB 1.5.15)

So in our last meeting we have been discussing that śāstras, scriptures, if they simply deal with material activities... Of course, material activities should be regulated to come to the spiritual platform. But if we do not come to the spiritual platform, simply some regulative principle on the material platform will not help us.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

Then one boatman found out that the anchor was not taken out. The anchor was fixed up, and the whole night they were plying meant the boat was round about the anchor only, moving, and it was... It did not go a step forward.

Similarly, if our anchor, that we want this material happiness, for which we can worship God, we may go to the temple, go to the church, offer our respect... Ārto arthārthī. That is accepted as good. But one has to go far above that position. That means if one, being distressed, approaches Kṛṣṇa, that "My Lord, I am in distress. Please help me," the qualification is good in this sense, that he, somehow or other, he has approached God. But his motive is not pure. His motive is material enjoyment. So Vyāsadeva says, "This kind of instruction in your book will not help people to come to the standard of pure devotional service, which can save him from all material bondage." That is the whole purport. Then what is to be done? The same thing, as Kṛṣṇa advises, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

They are working very hard for getting some money for bread. It is said in the śāstra that in the Kali-yuga people will have to work so hard, like an ass, to get their morsel of food. We have seen in Calcutta, somebody with sacred thread, he was pulling ṭhelā and perspiring. And somebody known to him, he said, Panditji, palale(?), means "I offer my respect to you," and the ṭhelā-wālā says, jitalau(?). This is the position. A brāhmaṇa is pulling ṭhelā; it is working like an ass. Pulling ṭhelā is not the business of human being, but although he thinks himself to be a brāhmaṇa, he is engaged in pulling ṭhelā. This is Kali's position, manda. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10), unfortunate, unfortunate.

Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva has forbidden, that "This life, human form of life, is not meant for working so hard like hogs and dogs." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This is the advice. But we are advancing in civilization—to get our food, we have to work so hard. This is condemnation of life.

Lecture on SB 1.7.38-39 -- Vrndavana, September 30, 1976:

So one English judge, he asked Sir Asutosh Mukherji, "Mr. Mukherji, now the Germans are coming, and if so, what you are going to do?" Mr. Mukherji, Sir Asutosh Mukherji, he replied, "Yes, as soon as the Germans will come, we shall offer our respect in this way, 'Come on sir.' " "So you'll not counteract? Why?" "You have taught us to make like this, so we shall do that. Because you have simply taught us this, how to obey your orders. So anyone who will come, we shall do this." The idea is the slave mentality... The Englishmen, in an organized way, they taught the Indians how to become servant of the Englishmen. We have seen. It is Gandhi's movement that he dismantled this idea of white prestige. Otherwise, we were taught like that. So this imitation of Englishmen... Formerly, in our childhood, it was the advancement of civilization if one could imitate the English fashion. That was. So we should not make that a fashion. Guru is not a fashion.

Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976:

Vāma, woman. Women, they are very soft-hearted, vāma-svabhāvā. So although Aśvatthāmā killed her sons very mercilessly, and he was arrested and Kṛṣṇa ordered him to be killed, and Arjuna was just preparing to punish him, but vāma-svabhāvā, woman, being very soft-hearted, without any consideration, she immediately offered her respect, nanāma. Not only she offered her respect to Aśvatthāmā being the son of a brāhmaṇa, especially of Droṇācārya, their teacher... So she immediately ordered Arjuna, mucyatāṁ mucyatām: "Release him immediately. You have arrested a brāhmaṇa." Mucyatāṁ mucyatām eṣa brāhmaṇo nitarāṁ guruḥ. "Brāhmaṇa is always our guru. Although he has killed my sons, still, he stands to be my guru, your guru."

So this is Vedic culture, that they know how to offer respect to the proper persons. But Arjuna, he also decided that although Kṛṣṇa ordered him to kill Aśvatthāmā, he's guru's son, although he's not brāhmaṇa; he's brahma-bandhu.

Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976:

Manu-saṁhitā. Na strī svātantryam arhati. Women should not be given freedom. They must be protected. Not that if... Sometimes we receive the complaint in foreign countries, they say that "You keep your women like slaves." I replied, "We do not keep our women as slaves. They're very respectful at home. The sons offer their highest respect to the mother. The husband gives the topmost protection to the wife." This is the example. Just like Lord Rāmacandra. Lord Rāmacandra is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Rāvaṇa took Sītā from His protection. Rāmacandra could marry many millions of Sītās, or He could create many millions of Sītā, but He's showing the example that it is the husband's duty to give protection to the wife at any cost. And He did it. For one woman He killed the whole Rāvaṇa's dynasty. This is husband's duty. So protection, not slave. It is protection. The husband should give to the wife the topmost protection, and the wife should be so faithful to the husband that... Sītā-devī, she was king's daughter, Videha-rāja. She was the daughter... She was not a poor man's daughter. And Daśaratha Mahārāja did not ask her to go to the forest with her husband. She could easily say, "My dear husband, You are going to the forest. I am king's daughter. I cannot take so much trouble. Better You go. Let me go to my father's house." No. "I shall take all the troubles with my husband." This is faithfulness.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- New York, April 10, 1973:

Just like Kṛṣṇa has accepted to become the son of Yaśodāmāyi or Devakī, similarly, He has accepted to become a nephew of Kuntīdevī. This prayer was offered by Kuntī when Kṛṣṇa was taking leave. After establishing them, after the battle of Kurukṣetra, when everything was settled up and Kṛṣṇa was going back to Dvārakā, so He came to offer His respects to His aunt, Kuntīdevī, and when the farewell was taking place, Kuntī offered this prayer to Kṛṣṇa. Namasye, namasye. He happens to be nephew, but she is offering his obeisances. Because (s)he knows, "He is playing the part of my nephew, but He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Therefore although she is superior in position because aunt, she is offering namasye, "I offer my respectful obeisances unto You." This is the position.

So God is invisible, who? For the persons who have no eyes to see Him. Alakṣyam. Although He is everywhere: aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35), idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Mayapura, September 28, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa is the original person. He has admitted, and śāstra admits, and here is another authority, Kuntī. Kuntī, the mother of the Pāṇḍavas. Kuntī's not ordinary woman. Kṛṣṇa has gone to offer His respect, to take the dust of her feet. Because materially she happens to be aunt of Kṛṣṇa, elderly lady, superior. So Kṛṣṇa has gone to pay His respect before departing. That is the system, Vedic system, to offer respect to the superior first of all. Before going... "No..." Kṛṣṇa is going. "(S)he knows that 'I am Personality of Godhead.' " No. Kṛṣṇa was touching the feet of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira because he was elder brother. When Kṛṣṇa used to come at the Pāṇḍavas' house, every Pāṇḍavas knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It was not unknown to them. But Kṛṣṇa was coming down and touching the feet of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. And Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was not returning. He was embracing Him because He was younger brother. So this is the etiquette.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18 -- Chicago, July 4, 1974 :

So Kuntī knew it; therefore, although Kṛṣṇa was present before her as a nephew... Aunt is respectable, that Kṛṣṇa came to offer His respect, obeisances, before going home. But Kuntī is offering respect to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore she is saying namasye, "I offer my obediences unto You, Kṛṣṇa." Why? Puruṣaṁ tvā, "You are the Supreme Person; therefore I must offer my respect unto You." Namasye puruṣaṁ tvā, ādyam. Ādyam means original, original person. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādiḥ. Anādiḥ means who has no beginning. But He is the beginning of everything. That is Kṛṣṇa. We have got experience that anything in our experience, it has got a beginning. Beginning. But Kṛṣṇa is without beginning, and all others, they have got beginning. From Kṛṣṇa, within this material world, from Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā. From Brahmā, Nārada or many other demigods. Then from demigods, we human being. In this way we have increased.

Lecture on SB 1.8.18-19 -- Bombay, April 9, 1971:

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

(break—Hindi) ...nirviśeṣa avyakta, impersonal feature. (break) Impersonal. The manifestation of this material world is the impersonal feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And His personal feature is situated in everyone's heart as Paramātmā. Therefore it is said here, alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthitam (SB 1.8.18). Although Kṛṣṇa, or God, is outside and inside, still, He is not visible. Still, he is not visible. Alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He is inside and outside, but still, He is not visible.

Lecture on SB 1.8.20 -- New York, April 12, 1973:

That is, Kuntīdevī is humbly submitting. Although is womanly body, she is a devotee. She is not like ordinary woman, less intelligent. She is the most in... She has recognized Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. "Although He has come to me, materially, as my nephew, to offer me respect, but He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." There in the previous verse she said, alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthitam: (SB 1.8.18) "You are not seen by ordinary men, although You are inside and outside." In another verse also, na lakṣyase mūḍha-dṛśā: (SB 1.8.19) "Fools and rascals cannot see You." That means Kuntī sees Him. Unless she sees Kṛṣṇa as He is, how she can say, mūḍha-dṛśā na lakṣyase? And (s)he says, prakṛteḥ param: "You are transcendental to this material creation."

Lecture on SB 1.8.23 -- Los Angeles, April 15, 1973:

Nobody is equal to Him. Everyone is lower. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). The only master is Kṛṣṇa, God; and everyone, servant. Never mind. Even if he's Brahmā, Viṣṇu or Śiva, big, big demigods. And what to speak of others?

Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). In the śāstra it is said that He's offered respect by Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. They are the topmost demigods. There are demigods. Above the human beings, there are demigods. As we are humans, being above the lower creatures, lower animals, similarly, above us there are demigods. And the most important demigod is Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva. Lord Brahmā is the creator of this universe, and Lord Śiva is the destroyer of this universe. And Lord Viṣṇu is the maintainer. Lord Viṣṇu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. So for the maintenance of this material world there are three guṇas, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So each one of them has taken charge of one department.

Lecture on SB 1.8.36 -- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973:

"My dear boy, You are hearing, but You are not asking anything. What is this? You cannot understand? Or what is the reason that You are silent?" He said: "Yes, I'm understanding. But I am silent because you are explaining in a different way. Therefore I am simply hearing the verses of Vedānta-sūtra. I am not hearing you." Indirectly ... Of course, He was offering respect. Indirectly, he said that: "You are explaining the meaning foolishly." He said later on that: "I see, I hear the verses just like sunshine. But you are explaining just like covering cloud. This is your explanation." Sun is ... Nobody requires any lamp to see the sun. Everyone can see. But if it is covered by the cloud, it is very difficult to see. So this Māyāvāda interpretation is, explanation, means covering the real meaning. That's all. They do so like that. They'll never accept the direct meaning. Kurukṣetra dharmakṣetra... Even big, big political leaders. They will cover: "Kurukṣetra means this, dharmakṣetra means this."

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1973:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave this concession to the fallen souls of this age, that "You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, you'll be delivered." Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's special concession. Otherwise, a devotee... Kuntī is not ordinary devotee. She has become one of the relatives of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa has come to offer her respects. So Kuntī's not an ordinary devotee. Still, she says that "Kṛṣṇa, kindly help me to become detached from my, this family attachment. I am attached to two families, my father's family and my husband's family, vṛṣṇiṣu and pāṇḍuṣu." So the purpose is that one has to become detached from this so-called society, friendship, love. This will entangle us. One has to become free from this attachment. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). So long I shall think that "I belong to this family, I belong to this nation, I belong to this religion, I belong to this color, I belong to..." So many things we have created, there is no possibility of become Kṛṣṇa conscious. No.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

Those who are, brain substance is not very much in good quantity... Brain substance, instead of brain substance, there is cow-dung. Such people go to worship the other demigods. There is no necessity. There is no necessity. Of course, we do not show any disrespect to any demigods. We offer all respect. But we do not accept that Kṛṣṇa and all other demigods are on the same level, as the Māyāvādī says, that "Either you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra or chant 'Durgā Durgā,' 'Kālī Kālī,' it is the same." This is rascaldom. This is rascaldom. Harer nāma. Śāstra says, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam. Śāstra does not say that "You chant this name, that name, any dog's name, cat's name, and it is all right." Śāstra does not say.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

The, all bogus. Therefore Bhāgavata says: dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). This so-called cheating type of religious system is kicked out in Bhāgavatam. Real dharma. What is that real dharma? Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. This is dharma. Namo bhagavate vāsu... Beginning. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, Vyāsadeva is offering respect. Why? Now satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi. He is the Supreme Truth. What is that Supreme Truth? Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). That Supreme Truth from whom everything emanates. And this is confirmed in the Bhāgavatam, uh, Bhagavad-gītā: mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). This is confirmed. The Vedānta-sūtra gives hint that the Absolute Truth, Brahman, is that which is the original source of all emanations. That is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is Brahman? Brahman means the original source of everything. So this is the Vedānta-sūtra.

Lecture on SB 1.15.21 -- Los Angeles, December 1, 1973:

Pradyumna: Translation: "I have the very same Gāṇḍīva bow, the same arrows, the same chariot drawn by the same horses, and I use them as the same Arjuna to whom all the kings offered their due respects. But in the absence of Lord Kṛṣṇa, all of them, at a moment's notice, have become null and void. It is exactly like offering clarified butter on ashes, accumulating money with a magic wand or sowing seeds on barren land." (SB 1.15.21)

Prabhupāda: Very important verse, hm? Tad abhūd asad īśa-riktam. Everything will be null and void when there is no God. That's all. The modern civilization has got everything, but without God consciousness, any moment it will be finished. And there are symptoms... Any moment. At the present moment, this godless civilization, as soon as there is declaration of war, the America is prepared to drop atom bomb, Russia is... The first nation who will drop the atom bomb, he will be victorious. Nobody will be victorious, because both of them are ready to drop. The America will be finished and Russia will be finished. That is the position. So you may make advancement of civilization, scientific improvement, economic development, but if it is godless, at any moment it will be finished. At any moment.

Lecture on SB 1.16.2 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1973:

Please save me." So at that time Kṛṣṇa entered the womb of Uttarā and saved the child from the brahmāstra. So Mahārāja Parīkṣit is such a devotee that he was protected from the embryo by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī addressed, mahā-paurika(?): "You are great personality." So this Mahārāja Parīkṣit was again cursed by a brāhmaṇa. He could retaliate that, but he did not do so, just to offer respect to the brāhmaṇas. He considered himself offender. That is last stage. And because he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa at the last stage of his life, seven days, he heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore we have got this book. This is the story.

So here Mahārāja Parīkṣit, son of Uttarā, but he married his maternal uncle's daughter. That was permissible. Still it is permissible. This kind of marriage is considered very aristocratic, to marry the daughter of maternal uncle. So Arjuna also married the daughter of maternal uncle.

Lecture on SB 1.16.5 -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1974:

And how much qualified he must be. Because a king is supposed to be the representative of God to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness of the people. That is king's duty. Therefore he's called nṛdeva. Anyone who is trying for Kṛṣṇa, to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a representative of Kṛṣṇa, real representative. Therefore guru is offered the respect exactly like Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata **. Because he is kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya, he's the..., doing the most confidential service, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants everyone to surrender to Him, and the spiritual master is doing the same: "Please surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Therefore he's the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa. He should be honored as Kṛṣṇa. That is the duty of the king also. Everyone should come forward. The father, the mother, the king, the spiritual master. Upon whom the instruction of the disciples, of the subordinate wards, is depending, they should be all Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore it is said nṛdeva..., nṛdeva-cihna-dhṛk.

Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974:

So it doesn't matter whether one is brahmacārī or householder or a sannyāsī. He must try to become confidential servant of the Lord. Then he becomes the representative, representative of God, Kṛṣṇa.

So Yamarāja is a great devotee Vaiṣṇava. We should not be afraid of Yamarāja. Those who are devotees, they are... Yamarāja says that "I offer them respect, my obeisances." He advised his messengers that "Don't go to my devotees. They are to be offered respect by me. You go to persons who are reluctant to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. You go there and bring them here for judgment." The Christian also believe, "the day of judgment." The judgment is given by Yamarāja. But who goes to his court for judgment? The criminals, those who are not devotees, those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they go to the court of Yamarāja.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

He is not praiseworthy at all. He is a fool. He is a rascal. That is our conclusion. No, it is real conclusion. Because Kṛṣṇa says, mūḍha. Mūḍha means rascal. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15).

So our simple test is whether a man is devotee or not. If we find that He is a devotee, then we respect, "Yes, here is nice Vaiṣṇava." Even Yamarāja says, "Offer my respect to the Vaiṣṇava." But if we see that he is not a devotee, he is claiming himself as God, as the supreme, then immediately, according to the formula of Bhagavad-gītā, we accept-mūḍha. Because a mūḍha does not surrender. Mūḍha. That is the test. Anyone who has not surrendered to the principle of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja... (BG 18.66). That is the test. If he has not surrendered to God, or Kṛṣṇa, then he is mūḍha. That is also explained in the Bhāgavata that ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Why they are so mūḍhas? Just like cause and effect. If a man has no money, he is called poor, poor man.

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

That is not very good intelligence. You drink the blood of the cow by natural process, which turns into white milk. You'll get better brain, better strength. Therefore cow protection is very essential in Vedic civilization. Therefore we offer respect Kṛṣṇa: "Kṛṣṇa is the benefactor of cows and the brāhmaṇas." Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Kṛṣṇa is well-wisher first-go, cow. You'll find Kṛṣṇa always with cows. Here is Kṛṣṇa's picture, you see how He's loving the cow and the calf. He's personally teaching from His childhood, from His boyhood. So we should follow. If we want to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, we must give... The calf is also seeing to the face of Kṛṣṇa for protection, and Kṛṣṇa is giving protection, "Yes, I'll give you protection."

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Vrndavana, March 17, 1974:

You come here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take prasāda." They'll be your..., under your control. They'll be under your control. And as soon as they become under your control, they make advance. Immediately. Because under the Vaiṣṇava, if he agrees to abide by, he becomes... That is called ajñāta-sukṛti. Because he offers you... Just like when we walk, they say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya Rādhe." That is the method of offering respect. So if these ordinary people offer respect to the Vaiṣṇava, they become advanced. So you must be Vaiṣṇava. Otherwise why they will offer you respect? Respect cannot be demanded. It must be commanded. By seeing you, they will give you respect. Then dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. This is gosvāmī. Automatically they'll offer respect. So unless you become perfectly clean and Vaiṣṇava, pure Vaiṣṇava... Automatically they'll give you respect. You haven't got to... Just like sometimes we see a person, by seeing us, they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is not that at the spot we are asking them to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, but automatically they are chanting.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Vrndavana, March 17, 1974:

So that means we have to keep ourself so clean, nice Vaiṣṇava, gosvāmī, that people will offer you respect. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau.

Nirmatsarau. Nirmatsarau means they were not en... Vaiṣṇava is not envious. Vaiṣṇava's only business is to see people, how they will... (break) ...let them go to hell. This is Prahlāda Mahārāja's philosophy. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). The whole world is suffering from the material disease, and they are always unhappy. So let us preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They should try to save at least one man. That was the version of my Guru Mahārāja, that "I have got so many temples and buildings. If by selling all these buildings, if I can save one man from this material disease, then my mission will be successful." He used to say like that. So that is gosvāmī. They are trying, always trying, how to save. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Just like Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, writing Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, quoting from so many Vedic literatures, giving evidence. Because formerly people would take it as truth when it is proved by the version of the Vedic literature.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

(My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.)

śrotavyādīni rājendra

nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ

apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ

gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām

(SB 2.1.2)

The same subject matter, that those who are too much attached in the family affairs, gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Gṛhamedhī means one who has made his center of activity home. He is called gṛhamedhī. There are two words. One word is gṛhastha, and one word is gṛhamedhī. What is the significance of these two words? Gṛhastha means one... Not only gṛhastha. It is called gṛhastha-āśrama. Whenever we speak of āśrama, it has got spiritual relationship.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

So this is very important. We are worshiping, offering our respect to Kṛṣṇa, as brahmaṇya-deva. Brahmaṇya-deva means "the Lord who is worshiped by the brāhmaṇas." So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not for the śūdras. Kṛṣṇa conscious... One who is elevated to the standard of becoming brāhmaṇa, they can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. But by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, every one comes to the stage of brahminical standard. Only to observe these four principles and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you are at once more than brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava position is more than brāhmaṇa. So in this age the pāñcarātriki-vidhi is introduced because it is very difficult to find out whether a person is actually son of brāhmaṇa or higher caste. It is to be accepted that everyone is śūdra. It doesn't matter whether and what he is. But he should be given chance to become the Vaiṣṇava, whose position is more than a brāhmaṇa. That is the highest gift of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is claiming everyone to the highest stage of Vaiṣṇava. So your question is answered?

Lecture on SB 2.3.22 -- Los Angeles, June 19, 1972:

The temple belongs to a very rich man, Singhania. The, all the members... It is order of the lady, the mother of Mr. Singhania, that "You all of you, you must visit the Deity..." Very rich men, always busy in business. But still, they have to come to the temple and offer respect, take caraṇāmṛta and prasādam. Then go to office. If one misses one day, then he will be fined. Still. The head man will be fined ten dollars, and the next man five dollars, like that, according to position. So if one day somebody misses, immediately the priest will go with the bill of fine: "Sir, you have to pay this fine." "Yes. You take immediately."

Still there are such rules and regulations. So Deity worship, it is the duty of all householders, Deity worship. That means automatically all the members become devotees. But it must be done according... there are sixty-four kinds of offenses. In The Nectar of Devotion you'll find.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

You must all read like this, practice. Why so much trouble is being taken, word to word meaning and then transliteration? If you chant this mantra, that vibration will cleanse the atmosphere. And wherever you go, in any part of the world, if you can chant this mantra, oh, you'll be received like God. It is so nice. And in India he'll actually receive like Gods if you chant this mantra. They will so offer their respects, so many. Veda-mantra. Next chant. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. Next, next. Bhanu prabhu (Bhanu recites) Thank you very much. He has pronounced very nicely. So he will teach you. Yes. Next. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. Yes. In this way, each one of you, you chant and others will follow. Then one or two days, you get the śloka by heart. You can chant. It is not difficult. Now read the word meanings and translation.

Lecture on SB 3.12.19 -- Dallas, March 3, 1975:

Provided you want to render service, Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept it.

Therefore our duty is that we should never think of this Deity as something made of stone or metal. We should always think, "Here is Kṛṣṇa personally present." That is devotion. And we should worship Him like that. We should offer respect, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa. We cannot do anything wrong." And therefore there is list of offenses of worshiping, sixty-four... Or how many? It is stated in The Nectar of Devotion. Do you discuss this? So we should avoid these offenses, not that "Here is a stone statue. He is not going to see I am doing this offense." Then that is not very good. We should always feel that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, personally present." Actually He is personally present. Then are we so fool, that we are worshiping a stone deity? No. "We" means we have installed this Deity under the direction of previous authorities, ācāryas. So it is not whimsical.

Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974:

Then there is form. Generally, for the beginners, neophytes, these two things are essential: to hear the name, to hear the qualities, and see the form of the Lord, to offer worship. That is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa personally. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65).

So here Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa is present. Even a child comes and offers his respect, it is taken into account, that "Here is a devotee." He does not know anything. Simply by seeing the chanting and dancing—you'll see practically—even a small child, he dances, he claps, he enjoys. He takes part. So the temple means to give chance to everyone, even to the child, to advance one step to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One step. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even little is accepted and is done, it becomes into account. Just like if you deposit even two annas in the bank, it is kept on your account. It will increase with interest. Similarly, devotional service even done very little, it is not lost. In the śāstra it is said that even it is lost... Not lost.

Lecture on SB 3.25.18 -- Bombay, November 18, 1974:

According to śāstra, according to moral, it is impious activities. But because it was done for Kṛṣṇa, it is understood as the most pious. Recommends. Who recommends? Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was sannyāsī. He was very, very strict. And no woman could come near Him to offer respects. He was very strict about woman. And now, He's saying, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā: "What can be more wonderful process of worship than as it was conceived by the gopīs?" The six Gosvāmīs also: gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhur vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. So, so although it looks apparently that gopīs went to Kṛṣṇa to dance with Him, that is not very moral, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that is the highest method of worshiping Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 3.25.24 -- Bombay, November 24, 1974:

God is not so cheap. You can accept... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). God has got multi-energies. One of the energies is Durgā, not that she is all in all, no. There are many millions of Durgās, many millions of Śivas, because there are many millions of universes. Just like many millions of police force, similarly, these demigods, there are many, many millions. But God is one. God is not million. Of course, He can expand in million forms; that is different thing. Svāṁśa, vibhinnāṁśa.

So this devotee offers respect to the demigods as the assistant or energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not as the supreme power. That is the difference. And one who does not know what is God, they take these demigods as supreme. They are less intelligent. So therefore a devotees offer respect to the demigods, but he knows that Supreme Lord is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Therefore, mayy ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām. Dṛḍha-vrata.

Lecture on SB 3.25.30 -- Bombay, November 30, 1974:

This is the process. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. If you cannot get the mercy of guru, then it is very difficult to approach Kṛṣṇa. We cannot approach Kṛṣṇa directly. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paramparā. Guru, he offers the same respect to his guru, his guru. It goes. In this way, it goes to Kṛṣṇa, paramparā system. Therefore it is stated, bhavad-anugrahāt. Bhavad-anugrahāt: "Please kindly become merciful upon me."

So in this way, one has to learn how to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Our Vaiṣṇava system is ādau gurv-āśrayam. If we want to approach Kṛṣṇa, then in the beginning, ādau, the beginning is to take shelter of guru. That is being shown by Devahūti. Although He is son, (s)he is begging the mercy of Kapiladeva so that by His mercy she could understand what is devotional service and how to approach Kṛṣṇa. Tad etan me vijānīhi yathāhaṁ manda-dhīḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:

And ātmā sutaś ca sakhā guruḥ suhṛdo daivam iṣṭam. Everything. "Kṛṣṇa is my guru. Kṛṣṇa is my ātmā because I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). "So Kṛṣṇa is origin; I am part and parcel. Then Kṛṣṇa is my..." One who wants to love Kṛṣṇa as son... We have described already. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to become your son because we love sons. We offer respect to guru. We offer respect to devatā. So everything should be Kṛṣṇa. Yeṣām ahaṁ priya ātmā sutaś ca sakhā, friend. Just like Arjuna. He accepted Kṛṣṇa as his friend.

Lecture on SB 3.25.44 -- Bombay, December 12, 1974:

That does not make any difference. It is like... Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa, the Lord, appears in different way. Sometimes the gopīs... The Kṛṣṇa went away from the gopīs, and the gopīs were searching out Kṛṣṇa. So in some place Kṛṣṇa was sitting in the Viṣṇu form. So the gopīs passed through that Deity, and they did not offer much respect. "Oh, He is Viṣṇu. All right, namaskāra." Because they wanted to see Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, but every devotee has got some inclination, love Kṛṣṇa. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). So therefore Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading in different mūrtis. Therefore in the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya some of them, they worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and some of them worship Sītā-Rāma. And some of them worship Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. Some of them worship Rukmiṇī-Kṛṣṇa. There are so many devotees. But all of them are the same, Vaiṣṇava. All of them are the... But not demigods. Viṣṇu. So chanting, bhakti-yoga means to chant Viṣṇu. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23).

Lecture on SB 3.26.18 -- Bombay, December 27, 1974:

You have taken sannyāsa, the supermost position in the human society."

Sannyāsa is very respectable position. Still it is honored in India. Anyone where a sannyāsī goes, at least in the villages, they offer respectful obeisances and gives all kinds of comforts, still now. According to śāstra, it is said if a sannyāsī is not offered respect or duly honored, the punishment is the man should fast at least one day. This is Vedic system. But there are many sannyāsīs taking advantage of this, so we are not concerned. Neither Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a false sannyāsī. He was real sannyāsī. And he was also real gṛhastha, Rāmānanda Rāya. So he was feeling little hesitation. To encourage him, Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, "No, no. Why you are feeling hesitation? Why you are feeling inferior? You are guru." "Now, how I am guru?" "Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128)." Because to become a knower of Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary position.

Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975:

It is not possible. Even if it is possible—it may be possible for one or two persons—but bhakti-yoga is so nice that even a small child can practice it. We see practically, the small children. They also taking part in it without any education, without any culture, without any knowledge, automatically chanting, dancing, taking caraṇāmṛta, offering respect to the Vaiṣṇava. Automatically it is becoming. And that makes his life successful. Bhakti-yoga is so nice. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even little bit practiced, it will never go in vain. It will be an asset. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). In this way... Just like if you put a one single paisa in the bank deposit, that is your money. It will be never lost. And when it becomes a lump sum, the bank asks you to... Credit you get, one hundred rupees or similar... Similarly, bhakti-yoga is so nice that whatever you acquire, intentionally or unintentionally, even if you neglectfully chant Hare Kṛṣṇa by imitating others, by joking others, it will have effect.

Lecture on SB 3.28.17 -- Nairobi, October 26, 1975:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa came as Kṛṣṇa's servant. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Rūpa Gosvāmī understood. When he first saw Caitanya Mahāprabhu he offered his respect in this way, namo mahā-vadānyāya: "the most munificent, charitably disposed incarnation." Why? Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: "People cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, but You are so merciful, You are giving direct love of Kṛṣṇa." When there is question of love? Unless I understand you fully—what kind of man you are, what is your position—you also understand, when we find of the same category or same..., then there is question of love. So people do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. How they will love Kṛṣṇa? It is not possible. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many, many millions of persons, somebody may try to become perfect. They do not know how to become perfect.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1976:

Nature's law is very strict. Therefore we should be very careful not to become like cats and dogs but to become very humble—humbler than the grass and tolerant than the tree. Amāninā. Everyone wants that "I am very honorable man, prestigious man. And you should respect me." That is our material disease. "I do not want to respect you, but you should offer me respect." This is the position. Therefore our system is to call another Vaiṣṇava as prabhu. "Sir, you are prabhu, you are master." But we call prabhu, but I think, "No, you are not prabhu; I am prabhu. You are servant." This cheating process will not help us. Actually, we should believe that he is prabhu. "He is servant of Kṛṣṇa; therefore he is my prabhu." This is Vaiṣṇava mentality. Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsa. One who wants to become servant of the servant of the servant of the servant, he is actually prabhu (CC Madhya 13.80). If falsely one thinks that "I am prabhu," then his life is spoiled. So this word we use amongst ourself, prabhu, means that "I am your servant, you are my master."

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

So especially in India we should be very careful not to follow the go-kharaḥ civilization. We must follow real civilization, Brahman civilization. This is the land of brahma-jñāna. This is the land of brāhmaṇas, brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. We are losing that. Be careful. It is that we offer our respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead that

namo brahmanya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

jagad-hitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo namaḥ

God's first business is go-brāhmaṇa hitāya ca, brahmanya devāya. Kṛṣṇa is very, very eager to maintain the brahminical culture in the human society, brahma jānāti, understanding of Brahman and go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca, go, cows, cow protection. Where is that civilization? Where is that brahminical culture? Where is that go-rakṣa? Very precarious condition. Therefore we should accept the standard of civilization. This is recommended here, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram ahur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you want to become disentangled or free from this entanglement, conditioned soul one after another... We are forced. Our (indistinct) was saying about the change of body. The change of body is forced. You are young man. You cannot say, "I'll not accept old man's body." "No, sir. You'll have to accept."

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

Then you can question. Otherwise don't waste your time and your spiritual master's time. Tad viddhi, you must know. The first thing is praṇipātena, praṇipātena, prakṛṣṭa rūpeṇa nipāt, fully surrendered. Just like these boys, they have learned. They will see their spiritual master hundred time, and hundred time they'll fall flat and offer respect. This is called praṇipā. Hundred times. Not that I finished my praṇipā in the morning as an etiquette now. No. These boys are so good. They have learned that they'll meet me hundred times and they'll fall flat hundred times. This is called praṇipā. This is the injunction. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34), that is the Vedic injunction.

Lecture on SB 5.5.26 -- Vrndavana, November 13, 1976:

Pradyumna: "My dear sons, you should not envy any living entity, be he moving or nonmoving. Knowing that I am situated in them, you should offer resects to all of them at every moment. In this way you offer respect to Me." (SB 5.5.26)

Prabhupāda: You read the purport.

Pradyumna: "In this verse the word vivikta-dṛgbhiḥ, meaning "without envy," is used. (break) ...living entities are the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramātmā feature. As confirmed in Brahma-saṁhitā: aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). The Lord is situated in this universe as Garbhodakśayī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He is also situated within every atom. According to the Vedic statement, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). The Supreme Lord is situated everywhere, and wherever He is situated is His temple. We even offer respects to a temple from a distant place, and all living entites should similarly be offered respect. This is different from the theory of pantheism, which holds that everything is God. Everything has a relationship with God because God is situated everywhere. We should not make any particular distinction between the poor and the rich like the foolish worshipers of daridra-nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is present in the rich as well as the poor. One should not simply think Nārāyaṇa is situated among the poor. He is everywhere. An advanced devotee will offer respects to everyone—even to cats and dogs.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

"Finished, guaranteed. You do this." So how much time it requires to surrender to Kṛṣṇa? Immediately you can do that. Surrender means you surrender and work as Kṛṣṇa says. That is surrender. What Kṛṣṇa says to do? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Four things: "You always think of Me, and you become My devotee, you worship Me, and offer your respect, full obeisances unto Me." You do these four things? That is full surrender. Mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśaya: "Then you come to Me without any doubt." Everything is there. Kṛṣṇa has given everything fully. If you accept it, then life is very simple. There is no difficulty. Yes?

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1970:

Vāñchā-kalpa-taru means that "My dear devotee, you are just like a desire tree. Whatever I desire from you, you fulfill." Vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca. Kṛpā means mercy. "You are the ocean of mercy." And patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo, "And you are deliverer of the fallen souls. Therefore I offer my obeisances unto you." It is very nice to offer respect to a godly person. Is described very nicely. Why? Now, patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo. A godly person's business is to reclaim the fallen souls. They cannot see... A godly person sees that "Here is my brother. He is son of God. I am son of God. Without enlightenment, without knowledge of God, he is suffering. So let me give him some knowledge of God." This is godly person's business. He has no other business. He has no business to find out where to eat, where to sleep. Oh, that God provides for him. If God can provide food and shelter for cats and dogs, do you think God will not provide food and shelter for His confidential devotee? Is God so blind or ingratitude or unable?

Lecture on SB 6.1.13-14 -- New York, July 27, 1971:

Śamena damena tyāgena. This is the different steps of elevating yourself to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca, tyāgena satya-śaucābhyām (SB 6.1.13). Satya means truthfulness. One should know what is truth, ultimate truth, Absolute Truth. We are concerned with relative truths, but we have to know the Absolute Truth. Just like in the Bhāgavata Vyāsadeva is offering his respect, obeisances: satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). "I offer my respect to the Supreme Truth, not to the relative truth." We are concerned with relative truth, categorical truth, not the summum bonum. Śaucābhyām: cleanliness. This is also required. Cleanliness. You should take bath, twice, thrice, at least once. That is hygienic. Bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ. One should be cleansed. Bāhya means externally, and abhyantara, internally. Externally, you take soap, water, soda, and cleanse yourself, body. Take bath, cleanse, keep your clothing very cleansed. Unclean habit will not help you, unclean habit. Cleanliness is godliness. Truthful. Truthfulness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

Yes. That is devotee's inclination. That we must have. Just like the gopīs were searching Kṛṣṇa and they saw that Kṛṣṇa sitting in one place as four-handed Nārāyaṇa. They offered respect, "Oh, He is Nārāyaṇa. We don't care for Him." (laughter) "We don't care for Him." But they offered respect, "Oh, Nārāyaṇa, namaskara. But we want Kṛṣṇa." And when Rādhārāṇī came, Kṛṣṇa wanted to remain Nārāyaṇa, He could not. Rādhārāṇī's desire is so strong that Kṛṣṇa could not remain as Nārāyaṇa. He became Kṛṣṇa. You see? So somebody is offering us a little piece of land. Sak... Saket.(?)

Lecture on SB 6.1.21 -- Honolulu, May 21, 1976:

They have got this United Nation organization. If they take up Bhagavad-gītā and introduce the teachings all over the world, then it is successful, United Nation. Otherwise where is unity? All false.

So these are the duties of the brāhmaṇa. To give proper education, he himself should be properly educated. That is called brahminical culture. And we offer our respect to Kṛṣṇa because He gives the brahminical culture. Namo brahmanya-devāya. Because He is giving the brahminical culture. Without brahminical culture, useless. That is not civilization. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is offered obeisance, namo brahmanya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. He is first concerned for the cows and the brāhmaṇa. Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Then jagad-hitāya. Then He's concerned for the whole, other things. The first concern means cows and brāhmaṇa. Many times He has repeated, go-rakṣya. Why He did not say "pig-rakṣya"? No. He said, go-rakṣya, because without cows' milk there is no civilization.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

Therefore, according to Vaiṣṇava principles, the appearance and disappearance of Vaiṣṇava is considered all-auspicious. Therefore we hold festivals. Just like yesterday we had the disappearance day of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Prabhupāda. So we offered our respects and observed a festival, Āvirbhava, Tirobhava. Tirobhava.

Actually the living entity has no birth or death, and what to speak of Kṛṣṇa or His devotee. Kṛṣṇa is the chief living entity of all living entities. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is also a living entity. Sometimes the atheist class of men say, "God is dead." The rascals, they do not know that even a small living entity does not die. How Kṛṣṇa can be dead or God can be dead? Mūḍhā. Therefore these classes of men are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as mūḍhā, rascals.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

Similarly, the Yamadūtas, they also cannot take away to the court of the Yamarāja everyone and anyone. No. Only the nondevotees are taken. Those who are devotees, they are not taken. That is... You will find in the Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Yamarāja especially instructs that "Those who are Vaiṣṇavas, you should not go there. You should offer your respect to them." Somebody asked me that "Swamijī, why these tulasī beads in your neck or your devotees' neck?" So I replied, "Just like a pet dog has got a collar, similarly we are pet dogs of God. We have got this collar. And Yamarāja will understand that 'He is God's dog. He should not be shot down.' " (laughter)

So actually that is the position. Anyone... There is a verse. There is a verse that "Don't go to the Vaiṣṇavas." The Yamadūtas were especially instructed. But this Ajāmila was known, a sinful person. Everyone knew.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

That is the highest perfection. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religion, pursuing which one can develop his dormant love for God. That is first-class religion.

So Ajāmila was being trained up. He was sufficiently educated in Vedic literature, his character was very nice, and he was offering respects to the elderly persons, spiritual master. He was offering oblations daily to the fire, sacrifice. Everything is described. But all these qualities became nullified simply by illicit sex life. Just see how it is dangerous. How it is dangerous. Therefore it is the greatest pillar of sinful life, illicit sex life. Here it is clearly said, stated, that... Ajāmila's qualities were stated at the same time. In the beginning it is stated that kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ. Dāsī-pati. He was attached to a prostitute, dāsī-pati. A prostitute is called dāsī, and wife is called dharma-patnī. These are distinction. There are distinction of dresses also, according to Vedic way of life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.68 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1975:

So it is not at all difficult. Kṛṣṇa is here. You see the Deity of Kṛṣṇa. Have impression in your heart how Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma is standing, how Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is standing, how Gaura-Nitai is standing. So you can think always. Man-manā. Or you can think of Him by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty? Man-manā. You become devotee, come here in the temple, offer your respect. So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not at all difficult. But people will not take to it; therefore they must suffer. This is the law.

So here the same thing is stated, tata enaṁ daṇḍa-pāṇeḥ sakāśaṁ kṛta-kilbiṣam: "He has acted sinfully; therefore he is punishable, and he must be taken to the Yamarāja." Neṣyāmo akṛta-nirveśam. Nirveśam means... Suppose I have committed some sins. I must be arrested. Sometimes a great criminal voluntarily goes to the police and surrenders because he knows, "I will be arrested, and if I surrender immediately, my punishment may be lesser." So you cannot escape the punishment.

Lecture on SB 6.2.1-5 -- Calcutta, January 6, 1971:

So the speeches of the Yamadūta, assistants of Yamarāja, was thus finished, arguments. The argument was that "This man, Ajāmila, born of a brāhmaṇa father, although acquired all qualification... He was qualified brāhmaṇa, not simply born of a brāhmaṇa father, but qualified brāhmaṇa, with full knowledge of Vedic instruction, nice character, very gentle and silent and offering respects to elderly persons, spiritual master, father. In this way he was perfect brāhmaṇa. But due to his contact with a prostitute he lost his all good qualification. And later on, he had to earn money by hook and crook, and thus he degraded more and more, and therefore his sinful activities are now responsible for his punishment, and we shall take him to the court of Yamarāja." That was the summary of the speech of the Yamadūta. Evaṁ te bhagavad-dūtā yamadūtābhibhāṣitam.

Lecture on SB 6.2.8 -- Vrndavana, September 11, 1975:

So Nārāyaṇa is so kind that although he did not mean real Nārāyaṇa—he was meaning his son—but the affection was there for Nārāyaṇa. So Nārāyaṇa is so kind that consciously or unconsciously, if you chant the holy name of the Lord, it goes to your credit. Just like sometimes when you walk in the street, people say "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" So this is also going to their credit. When they offer their respect to a Vaiṣṇava, that goes to their credit. When one comes in this temple, offers his obeisances, it goes to their credit, because Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). So some way or other, with some purpose even it is so... Generally people come with a purpose, that "I shall go to the temple, offer my respect to the Deity, and I shall ask this benediction." That is also good, even if he has come with a motive. So Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Kāmād bhayāt lobhāt... Or if one chants Nārāyaṇa name with śuddha, then what to speak?

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena. We have to give all respect to everyone. Even one has no respect, he should be also offered respect. In this attitude one can make advancement by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is the instruction of Lord Caitanya. (aside:) I was expecting you earlier because I speak in English for them. (speaks in Hindi with Indian man) So one who cannot understand English, they can hear that. (Hindi) Every one is requesting to have a temple here. Some police officers, they are very much appreciating. (Hindi) So Śrīdhāra Swami is very nicely explaining the omnipotency of chanting the holy name. So he says, tasmād idam upapannam iti tatrāha etāvad iti. If one takes shelter of the transcendental holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he hasn't got to go through the dharma śāstras or abiding by the rules and regulation of different kinds of religious scripture. Etāvat. Etāvad iti. Simply by surrendering to the holy name. So this is applicable in all ages, but especially in this age because nobody can perform the ritualistic ceremonies of any religious principle. The people are so fallen that they cannot. So this hari-nāmānukīrtanam, it is not that it is manufactured for this age. No.

Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:

Actually there is no need. The whole thing is that Śrīdhara Svāmī is giving stress very strongly that you can simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without undergoing any ritualistic ceremonies. Actually it is very difficult to understand. Mādhavendra Purī, our predecessor ācārya, he also has composed a nice verse. He says, "My dear gāyatrī-mantra, I offer you my respect, but no more I can chant gāyatrī-mantra." In this way... Taking bath early in the morning, that's a good recommendation for spiritual advancement. But Mādhavendra Purī said, "Now I am unable to execute this order. Please excuse me." In this way he has described in many ways. At last, he concludes that "I shall sit down somewhere underneath a tree and simply remember Govinda's name. That is sufficient. Yes." He says, "Please excuse me, please excuse me, please excuse me."

Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

This child is not demon. This child is a great devotee, mahā-bhāgavata. So you cannot do that." So they accepted the word of Nārada Muni and they offered obeisances, "Oh, here is a Vaiṣṇava." This is demigod. Although they were carrying out, thinking of the child as a demon, but when they heard from Nārada Muni that "This child is not a demon: he is a great devotee," immediately they offered respect and they circumambulated the mother of Prahlāda Mahārāja and they went away. And the lady was taken care of, Nārada Muni. And Nārada Muni instructed the mother. Because as soon as you meet some saintly person, his business is to instruct you about spiritual matter. So Hiraṇyakaśipu's wife was situated in the house, in the ashram of Nārada Muni, and she wanted protection that "Until my husband comes back, kindly give me protection so that my child may not take birth." So Nārada Muni gave her benediction, "Yes, even it is mature, unless your husband comes back, you will not deliver the child." So he instructed, and the instruction was so powerful.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

(My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.)

śrī-prahrāda uvāca

kaumāra ācaret prājño

dharmān bhāgavatān iha

durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma

tad apy adhruvam arthadam

(SB 7.6.1)

Today I shall speak before you the conversation of Prahlāda Mahārāja and his classfellows. Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was grown up young man, he was a big emperor. But when he was a child, from the very beginning of his life, he was a great devotee. And his father was a great atheist. So the child was taught about this bhāgavata-dharma, or... Bhāgavata-dharma means dealings with the Personality of Godhead. There are many kinds of dealings. So when our dealings are with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is called bhāgavata-dharma.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 6, 1973:

So where is the change? How we have advanced? You have selected another leader, that's all. You have to select. So the worship must go on. Either you become Communist or not Communist." So God says that "Instead of worshiping so many others, you worship Me." So, and man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). And "You offer my respect to Me." So these things... You may accept any type of religion; that doesn't matter. But think of God, worshiping God, offering obeisances God, that cannot be changed. Either you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim, it does not matter. These four things cannot be changed. Therefore, the principles of religion: thinking of God, worshiping God, offering obeisances to Him, and to become devotee of God, that cannot be changed. That is real religion.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Vrndavana, December 3, 1975:

Akṣayānanda: We can keep schedule now.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Akṣayānanda (aside): You can inform him.

Prabhupāda: We can go after finishing and offer respect. That doesn't matter. But the Deity must be open.

Akṣayānanda: Yes. It is now.

Prabhupāda:

yathā hi puruṣasyeha

viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam

yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ

priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt

(SB 7.6.2)

This is called sambandha-jñāna. (bells ring, Deities open) There are three things—sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. Sambandha means first of all we have to establish what is our relationship with God. This is called sambandha-jñāna. Any Vedic literature, it is dealing with three things—sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. Everywhere... In our relationship with mundane world... You are American. So American means the sambandha, the relationship. You have got intimate relationship with the country known as America.

Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:

Deha-dharma is the same, either in the cats, dog or human beings. But the bhāgavata dharma is for the human being. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruva, kaumāra. When you have got this human form of body, from the very beginning of life. Just (like) these children, they are coming. It is very good. They are associating, they are offering respect to the Deity, to the guru. This will not go in vain. It is all recorded. So one day he'll become a devotee. That is bhāgavata-dharma. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is giving stress that don't be very busy for sense enjoyment. That is available in any condition of life, without any effort. And he's giving a very good example. Daivāt: by the superior arrangement. Superior arrangement means that the hog, because he has been given, daiva-netreṇa, the body of a hog, he must eat stool. That is daiva. He must eat stool. So daivāt. Daivāt means all arrangement is there. You'll find amongst the animals, they have got a particular type of food. Just like cows, goats, these four-legged animals, they eat grass.

Lecture on SB 7.7.28, 32-35 -- Mombassa, September 11, 1971:

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

The most dear, most beloved by Kṛṣṇa is Rādhārāṇī, and She is so humble. As soon as a humble devotee approaches Rādhārāṇī by glorifying Kṛṣṇa, immediately She accepts, "Oh, how great he is, he is doing greater service than Me." That is mahā-bhāgavata's darśana. Mahā-bhāgavata sees that everyone is engaged in service, therefore he has no discrimination. But don't imitate like that. So bīja-nirharaṇam, the bīja you should always understand. Material bīja means the propensity to rule over this material world better or greater than others. That is materialism. And therefore, Kṛṣṇa's first condition is that "You give up all this nonsense, please surrender unto Me." They are (indistinct) Prahlāda Mahārāja said, bīja-nirharaṇam, bhakti-yoga. The more one advances in bhakti-yoga, he is become humbler, because he has nothing to do with this material world. Suppose a devotee is addressed by ill names. What does he care for it?

Lecture on SB 7.7.28, 32-35 -- Mombassa, September 11, 1971:

Tat-pādāmburuha-dhyānāt. The lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, dhyānāt, that is meditation. Tat-pādāmburuha-dhyānāt tal-liṅgekṣārhaṇādibhiḥ. To come to the temple, Deity worship is meant for that purpose, just to see the form of Kṛṣṇa so that we may remember. Always, 24 hours we can see. It is not idol worship. The rascal atheists, they can say like that, but our process is this. Guru-sevā, offering all respect to guru, and always thinking of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, seeing His forms in the temple, worshiping Him as they are described, as they are prescribed in the śāstras, this is the process. Tal-liṅgekṣārhaṇādibhiḥ. Tasya liṅgānām mūrtinām īkṣaṇa, īkṣaṇam ca arhaṇam ca ādi yeṣām bandhanādinam tasya(?).

Lecture on SB 7.7.28, 32-35 -- Mombassa, September 11, 1971:

Harīḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu bhagavān ananta īśvaraḥ. Bhagavān ananta. If some foolish person says how God can be in every..., within everybody? No, He is ananta, He is unlimited, He can be, that is His omnipotency. Bhagavān ananta īśvaraḥ, iti bhūtāni manasā kāmais taiḥ sādhu mānayet. In this way, we should offer respect to everyone. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says, amāninā mānadena, give respect to everyone and for yourself don't expect any respect. One may insult you, don't mind, but you give respect to others. Just see how bhakti-yoga is perfect.

Evaṁ nirjita-ṣaḍ-vargaiḥ kriyate bhaktir īśvare. This practice will gradually enhance your devotion, at the same time your strong senses eager to enjoy this material world will be cut down. That is called breaking the poison teeth of the serpents, sense serpents. Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. For a devotee there is no danger from the senses because his senses are engaged in the service of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 7.7.32-35 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

So as soon as one is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he does not see anyone bad. Everyone he sees, he is sādhu. Sādhu means saintly. So that, his vision, completely changes. He does not see any enemy. There are three stages of development in spiritual life, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The first stage is when he's under the training. That is called neophyte stage. That, in that stage, he offers his respect to the Deity.

arcāyāṁ eva haraye

śraddhayā yaḥ iṣṭān pūjān

kriyate na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu

sa bhaktaḥ prakṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

(SB 11.2.47)

In the beginning stage, he offers respect to the Deity in the church or in the temple or in the mosque, according to different religious conceptions, but he has no idea who is actually devotee, and what is his duty towards others. He does not know. This is the first stage. But he has got good faith in religion and in God. That is the beginning.

Lecture on SB 7.9.1 -- Mayapur, February 8, 1976:

So surādayaḥ. Surādayaḥ means demigods headed by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva. Yaṁ brahmā-varuṇendra-rudra stunvanti divyaiḥ stavaiḥ. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped even by Brahma. Yaṁ brahmā-varuṇendra: Indra, Varuna and Indra... There are big, big stalwart demigods. They also offer their respect. They think themselves as subordinate, humble servants of Kṛṣṇa. Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). Kṛṣṇa is offered obeisances even by demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā. Śiva-viriñci-nutam.

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1977:

Because everything is coming from God. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

Athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is Brahman? Brahman means the original source of everything. That is Brahman. Bṛhatvāt bṛhanatvāt. So if this feeling is not there in God, then how He can be God, this feeling? Just like if one innocent little child comes and offers some respect to us, immediately we become feelingly merciful: "Oh, here is a nice child." So Lord Kṛṣṇa, Nṛsiṁhadeva, He also became pariplutaḥ, feelingly merciful, not ordinary merciful, feeling that "How innocent this child is." So feelingly, utthapya: immediately got him up. "My dear child, get up." And immediately put his hand on the head. Utthāpya tac-chīrṣṇy adadhāt karāmbujam. Karāmbhuja, lotus hand, lotus palm. So these feelings are there. And He wanted... Because this boy was bewildered that such a big mūrti came from the thumbs(?), the columns and the father, gigantic father, is dead, naturally he is little disturbed in mind. So therefore vitrasta-dhiyāṁ kṛtābhayam: "My dear child, don't be afraid. Everything is all right.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

Prabhupāda: So therefore as you are thinking that they should not have done, they are thinking you should have done. The real question is that they are following a system. So in that system the spiritual master is offered respect in that way. There is a system. And they don't feel any uneasiness by doing that.

Guest: But if I were to enter politics and..., and suppose I were to attack some people who have actually the leadership of foreign powers or something like that, and newspaper man would tell my opponents that that man has... (break)

Prabhupāda: Newspaper man has poor vision. He's seeing "Indian" and "American" and "Canadian." So his vision is poor. If anyone thinks that "This Swamiji is coming from India, and the Americans or Canadians, they are offering their respect in that way," so he has to expand his vision in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

So these obei... (break) ...is taught, just like Kṛṣṇa is asking everybody, Arjuna, that mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is our system. Just like anyone who comes to the temple, he at once offers by falling flat, offering respect to the Deity. And the spiritual master is accepted as representative of the Deity. He's the living representative. That is the system everywhere. Just like in our India somebody was going as viceroy, representative of the King in England. Oh, he was being offered all the respect of a king. Nobody bothered, "Oh, he's coming from England. Why a brāhmaṇa should offer respect to the viceroy?" No. They never grudged. That is a system. The representative of a king, if he can be offered such respect, then how much respect should be offered to a person who is representative of Kṛṣṇa? (pause) Yes?

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1976:

So if we actually want to serve according to our means, Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept our service. But you cannot think that "Without my service, Kṛṣṇa is starving." No, that is not. Nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. He's always complete in Himself. He doesn't require our help. But if we serve Kṛṣṇa, then we become benefited. That is... Yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhīta mānam. If you offer respect, Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa's representative, then you'll be respectful. If you don't want to show respect to Kṛṣṇa and His representative, then you'll be derided. Therefore prati-mukhasya yathā mukha-śrīḥ. Prati-mukhasya, original face, original person, is Kṛṣṇa. If you decorate Kṛṣṇa very nicely, then you will be also seen very much decorated. If you... Practically we see. There is no fable. We are offering Kṛṣṇa nice foodstuff, so we are eating this nice prasādam which we never conceived or dreamed, dreamt in our life. Because we are offering to Kṛṣṇa, we become so fortunate to taste this nice prasādam. Kṛṣṇa, nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.15 -- Mayapur, February 22, 1976:

"You rascal, surrender to Me." That's all. "You are all rascals. You have forgotten Me. I am the Supreme. You are searching after so many wrong things. You have created so many so-called occupational and religious duties, but these are all useless." That much. But again Kṛṣṇa came to teach people how to love Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī offers his respect to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, namo mahā-vadanyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: (CC Madhya 19.53) "You are not only giving Kṛṣṇa but giving love of Kṛṣṇa." That is very rare thing. Prema pumārtho mahān. People are after dharma, after kāma, mokṣa, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, above this, there is fifth perfection. That is prema, Kṛṣṇa-prema." Prema pumārtho mahān.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the topmost education, culture. Those who have come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they should seriously take it and try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Their life will be successful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.28 -- Mayapur, March 6, 1976:

We should not jump over. There are so many literatures. They place Rādhārāṇī as ordinary baladar(?) woman because they do not understand. So therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī has forbidden strictly that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam: "Don't hear from the professional men who are not situated in the Vaiṣṇava behavior." One must be..., behavior in Vaiṣṇava. Sadācāra-sampannaḥ. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has warned that "Don't mix it with Vaiṣṇava who is not well trained up, well behaved." You can offer him respect. A Vaiṣṇava offers respect even to the ant. That is another thing. But he has warned, "Don't mix with them, these professional, so-called Vaiṣṇava, sahajiyās." This is warned. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam: "You should not hear." "Eh? Huh? What is the wrong there? The Kṛṣṇa-kathā is there." No, Kṛṣṇa-kathā is there just like milk is there, but if it is touched by the lips of a serpent, it is no more to be taken. It has become poison. Unless one is situated as pure Vaiṣṇava in his dealing, in his behavior, inside and outside, he should not become a preacher because it will not be effective, neither one should hear from such person. But people in general, they can not understand, but those who are preaching, they must be very sincere, the same way. Rūpa-raghunātha pade, haibe ākuti. They should read the literatures, the instruction, just like Upadeśāmṛta, The Nectar of Instruction.

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

Nārada replied that "This child is not a demon. He is a great devotee mahā-bhāgavata. So do not do this. Better give this lady under my custody. I shall take care of her, and you can go." So Nārada Muni is the spiritual master of all demigods, so he immediately accepted the words of the great sage Nārada. Not only accepted, but they offered their respects by bowing down to the child who was in the womb of his mother. A Vaiṣṇava, it doesn't matter whether he is a child or in the womb of his mother, he's respectful. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He was in the womb of His mother, Devakī, the demigods also offered their prayers and obeisances you know, garbha-stuti, that is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

So the Vaiṣṇava and the Lord are equally respected, even by the demigods. A Vaiṣṇava is not different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, advaya-jñāna. In the material world, there is difference between the master and the servant. But in the spiritual world, the servant is as much respectful as the master. That is spiritual world.

Lecture on SB 7.9.51 -- Vrndavana, April 6, 1976:

Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered, "Prahlāda, you take one benediction. You take." Dhruva Mahārāja also, he was pure devotee. Dhruva was offered that "If you want the largest kingdom than Brahmā, I will create it. (indistinct) You go there, you will enjoy." So he was then very regretful, "How foolish I was. I came to offer my respects to the Supreme Lord for some material exchange." He became very regretful. He said, "My Lord, whatever I (indistinct), it was my ignorance. Now I don't want." (Sanskrit) "It was a mistake that I wanted some material benediction from You." This is pure, nirguṇa. This is nirguṇa. As soon as there is some demand, that is saguṇa, that is not pure. Simply (Sanskrit). Not mixed with (Sanskrit). Not (indistinct) jñāna and karma and yoga. (Sanskrit) Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī, sakali 'aśānta.' Bhukti and mukti, they want some material profit. So Kṛṣṇa gives. And mukti, liberation, they are wanted by the jñānīs, to become free from this material botheration and become one with God. This is also another demand, jñānī. So bhukti-mukti, mukti, they want mukti. A devotee doesn't want mukti or bhukti. (Sanskrit) One who is actually devotee, he doesn't care whether he is (indistinct) in the heaven or (indistinct). He doesn't care. He simply wants to serve Kṛṣṇa, never mind where (indistinct), not even heaven or hell.

Lecture on SB 7.12.3 -- Bombay, April 14, 1976:

This is begin. Ādau gurv-āśrayam. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. This is the principle. If you offer your respectful obeisances to guru, he becomes pleased. Anyone, even one is offender, if he comes and offers obeisances to the superior guru, then even there was offense, he forgets. Father. Father of... The son may be offender, but when he comes and offers his respect to the father, he forgets. So that should be done regularly, suyantritaḥ, just like machine. As soon as one sees guru, immediately he must offer obeisances. Beginning, end also. When he comes to see guru he must offer obeisances, and when he leaves that place he must offer obeisances. And in the in-between, coming and going, he should learn from the guru Vedic understanding. This is the principle of living in gurukula.

So upakrame avasāne ca caraṇau śirasā namet. Just at the lotus feet of guru the brahmacārī... So our students, they are very obedient.

Page Title:	Offer respect (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:	Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:	01 of Oct, 2012
Totals by Section:	BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=98, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:	98