Perverted (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"perverse" |"perversely" |"perversion" |"perversity" |"pervert" |"perverted" |"pervertedly" |"pervertedness" |"perverts"

Notes from the compiler: Does not include "perverted reflection"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.26-27 -- London, July 21, 1973:

Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just to train ourselves again to enter into the family of Kṛṣṇa. This is our movement. With these families, the so-called families, we are suffering. We are suffering. But this family idea is there this. That is perfect in Kṛṣṇa, with Kṛṣṇa. The family idea, wherefrom family idea comes without it is being situated in Kṛṣṇa? Because nothing can be visible without being in Kṛṣṇa. He is the origin. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of everything." So whatever we are seeing in this material world, the origin is in Kṛṣṇa. But here it is perverted. That is the only difference.

Lecture on BG 2.3 -- London, August 4, 1973:

I have to control my tongue to understand Kṛṣṇa? But it is, the śāstra injunction is there: sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. Jihvā means tongue. So in order to see Kṛṣṇa, in order to understand Kṛṣṇa, the first business is to control your tongue. Therefore we say, don't take meat, don't take liquor. Because it is controlling the tongue. The tongue is the most strong enemy as sense, as perverted sense. And these rascals they say, "No, you can eat whatever you like. It has nothing to do with religion." But Vedic śāstra says, "You rascal, first of all control your tongue. Then you can understand what is God."

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

When I speak Kṛṣṇa, it means God. God has got many names according to different religious system. But the real name is Kristo (pronounced "Kreesto"). And you will be glad to understand that this Kristo, it is a Greek word, and it is a perverted pronunciation of Kṛṣṇa, this Greek word. The meaning of Kristo in Sanskrit dictionary and the Greek dictionary always the same, about this word. And from this Kristo the word has got Christo or Christ. So even in Christian world the God's name is there. Jesus the Christ or Jesus the son of Kristo, or Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

Now, so far the employment is concerned, so here, here the employer and employee, both are serving and both are thinking that "I am the master." That is māyā. Suppose I employ somebody. I give $25 per day. So the man who is employed, he thinks that "I am not your servant. I am servant of these $25." So there is no question of service. So similarly, the master also, he thinks, "I am giving you $25 because I am exacting some service from you." So here there is no question of... The service is there, but it is perverted, perverted, in a different way. That is not real service. Service is there. Because I cannot live without service. That is my nature.

Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

The action, inaction, and perverted action—these three things are very important subject matter for understanding. Here the same example. It is very simple to understand. The same example. Your position, you first of all you must know what is your position. The position is Kṛṣṇa says that all these living entities are My part and parcel. That is your position. Lord Caitanya also says that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). As part and parcel.

Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

If I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa then what is my duty? My duty is to act what Kṛṣṇa says, that's all. That is my action. Without knowing this, whatever I do, that is perverted action. Just like in diseased condition this finger cannot act according to my order. "Oh, there is some pain. If I want to make it stand like that, oh, I feel pain," because there is diseased condition. Similarly, when we do not act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that is our diseased condition of life.

Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

In normal condition we shall be all prepared to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That we should know. Then our action will be right. Otherwise all inaction, not inaction, perverted action. Inaction is different. Inaction means what you do there is no reaction. That is inaction.

Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

So these relationships which we find here in this material world, they are reflections of the original relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Because in the Vedānta-sūtra you find, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "Everything, whichever you find in this material world, that is born from the Absolute Truth." So in the Absolute Truth, there is the relationships, these relationships, which we are experiencing here. But they are perverted. Perverted. Because suppose I accept somebody as master, and I am serving, and as soon as the salary stops, my service is also stopped. Therefore it is perverted. Or I am... There is a girl I love, or there is a man I love. Oh, as soon as there is some misunderstanding, we break. So that relationship, that conjugal relationship, that paternal relationship, that friendly relationship.

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- New York, August 5, 1966:

Now, take for example, take for example the material world. The most prominent thing is, I mean to say, unity between man and woman. Now, one can inquire, "Wherefrom this attraction comes between male and female?" Not only the human society, but also in animal society, in the bird society, in any society, every living be... This is a fact. So somebody criticizes, but those who do not know Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa had so many girlfriends. So they are... Some people are criticize. But one does not know that where we get this idea of having girlfriends unless the tendency is in Kṛṣṇa? Because you can have nothing here unless that is in Kṛṣṇa. But here it is perverted. It is polluted. And Kṛṣṇa, it is pure consciousness, pure spiritual. That is the difference.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Bombay, February 18, 1974:

So, to get this human form of life, one has to wait for many, many millions of years, according to evolutionary process. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu. In the Padma Purāṇa the evolution theory is described. That is taken away by Darwin, and in a perverted way he has described Darwin's theory of evolution; but that is not very scientific, although it is going on as scientific. But evolution theory is fact. Not that all of a sudden you get this body of human being, no.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

Therefore this Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll have full pleasure, full pleasure, the same pleasure. Not the same pleasure. Just like here the highest pleasure of this world is sex life. That is also perverted, so diseased. So even in the spiritual world there is sex pleasure in Kṛṣṇa, but that's not... We should not think that this is something like this. No. But janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Unless that sex life is there, it cannot be reflected here.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

Relationship between father and the son, relationship between conjugal lover, the boy and the girl, relationship between friend and friend, relationship between master and servant. Everything is here also, but because they are material, they do not stand. I am servant of somebody. If he does not pay me salary, I give up his service. I am friend of (indistinct). If my intention is not fulfilled, then I give up that friendship. My love with a boy or with a girl is there, but as soon as there is some discrepancy there is divorce. So here everything is perverted and with so many faulty ideas, but this, this very thing is there in the Kingdom of God. In relationship with God, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "Sense gratification which is not against the religious principle, that is I am." Sense gratification is there, is also. Just like the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That is cin-māyā. Cini means home(?); mithuna means dual, couple, the spiritual couple. Similarly here also, the same spiritual our duties are there, but because it is covered by this material body, it is perverted. So, just like when you are diseased, we cannot enjoy life; that is forbidden. If one is suffering from tuberculosis, and if he wants to enjoy sex life, that means he is bringing death. Similarly, in this material condition of life if we want to aggravate our sense gratification process, then we invite very from..., very quickly death. Death means, spiritual death, to become more and more entangled in material things.

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Vrndavana, October 22, 1972:

Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's the supreme eternal nitya. He's the supreme living being. As we are living beings, living entities, Kṛṣṇa is also living entity. He's not a dead stone. He's living entity. And as we have got all the propensities of living entity, He has got all the propensities of living entity. Here we are pervertedly... A young boy likes to love a young girl. A young girl likes to love a young boy. But wherefrom these natural propensities come? Because it is there in Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8).

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Vrndavana, October 22, 1972:

Whatever propensities we have got, Kṛṣṇa has also got. But we have got in a limited proportion. Kṛṣṇa has got unlimited proportion. The... Take the same example. The loving propensity, yupat..., yupatidvan yatha yuna,(?) this is natural. But we may finish... Because it is perverted, we may finish these loving propensities within time and space. But Kṛṣṇa's loving propensity is not finished within time and space. It is eternal. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Delhi, November 18, 1973:

So Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, when He was present on this planet, nobody could excel His opulences. That's a fact. Everyone knows. People want to enjoy. That is natural tendency, the association of woman. Here also we see that very, very rich men, they want to associate with nice, beautiful woman. In the Western countries I have seen. In Paris there are many clubs. So the club business is to go and enjoy the association of nice beautiful woman. So everyone knows it. So tendency is there. That is also richness. So that richness I have already explained. Here in the material world the same thing is represented pervertedly, not in actual position. Therefore we are frustrated.

Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972:

If you properly execute your varṇāśrama-dharma... Actually, it is now pervertedly spoken as Hindu dharma. Hindu dharma is a vague term. Real dharma is varṇāśrama-dharma. Hindu dharma we don't find, any Vedic literature. Neither in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is a, a nomenclature given by the Muhammadans—"Hindus." From Sindhu, "Hindu." Anyway, now we are known as Hindus. The "Hindu" is a vague term. Real term is varṇāśrama, varṇāśrama, four varṇas and four āśramas. This is dharma and this is given by God Himself.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:

Just like part and parcel of the gold, gold mine, it may be small earring, it is also gold. Similarly, the small particle of sea water is also the same quality, salty. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of God, we have got the same qualities. Qualitatively, we are one. Why we are hankering after loving? Because there is love in Kṛṣṇa. We are worshiping here Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Originally there is love. Therefore we, being part and parcel of God, we are also trying to love. A man is trying to love another woman, woman is trying to love another man. This is natural. This is not artificial. But it is perverted in the material covering. That is the defect.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

Now our worshipable God is Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā, conjugal love perfection. The same love is descended here also, love between boy and girl, but that is perverted. The love is there. The same love is there also. Otherwise wherefrom this girl? Why a girl is attracted by a boy? Why a boy is attracted by a girl? That is natural. That is coming from God, His pleasure potency. But because that love is being manifested with the contamination of this material world, that is perverted.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So every quality... That is the, I mean to say, scientific way of studying God. Whatever qualities you have got, you can understand the same qualities is there in God, but your present condition being contaminated with material contact, it is being pervertedly represented. This has to be purified. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 2.9.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

Just like shadow, shadow, the shadow of the tree in the water—everything is perverted, opposite. So that shadow is not the substance. The substance is there. On the bank of the river, that is really. Similarly the spiritual world is There also, everything is there. There are trees, there are fruits, there are flowers, there are men—everything is there, birds, beasts, everything. But they are all real. Here, bahu-rūpa. Bahu-rūpa means, which it is not reality. That, this bahu-rūpa is also reflection, but it is not real. That is the difference.

Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- Detroit, June 15, 1976:

This material happiness is temporary. That is not happiness, but perverted happiness. It is exemplified just like we are trying to find out water in the desert. Actually in the desert there is no water, but an animal, he sees that there is water in the desert, as we also see. But we are human being. We know in the desert there is no water, it is a reflection of the sunshine. But animal does not know. He's thirsty, he looks after the water in the desert. So this is the distinction between animal and human life.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- San Francisco, March 16, 1968:

Just like the child. The child is searching after the mother's breast. And it is crying. If somebody takes the child, he's not satisfied. Because he cannot express that "I want my mother." Similarly, we are hankering after loving Kṛṣṇa in a perverted way. But because we have no information of Kṛṣṇa, we have forgotten our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are loving this body, that body. Ultimately, I am loving a cat or dog or something else. The love is there, but we have misplaced the love. As soon as we replace our love to Kṛṣṇa, then our perfection of love is manifested and our perfection of life is also achieved.

Lecture on SB 7.9.39 -- Mayapur, March 17, 1976:

One should be interested in Kṛṣṇa-kathā. We are interested in so many kathās. Because we purchase newspaper in the morning, so big volume, so many kathās are there. And we read many material dramas and novels and fictitious stories and killing stories. We are very much attached to these. All these kathās, means stories, we are interested, but we are not interested in Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Means I am interested in kathā, that is my nature, but it has become perverted on account of being contaminated by this material world. This is our position.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

By the energy of one woman, one becomes very great. That is the material arrangement. Not only material, in the spiritual world also the same thing. Just like Kṛṣṇa is energized in the presence of Rādhārāṇī, in the presence of Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa is called Madana-mohana and Rādhārāṇī is called Madana-mohana-mohinī. So the law is the same. But here in this material world, everything is perverted. Perverted. Therefore, we do not get the real energy. There is frustration, there is confusion. So we have to come to the real platform.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

As soon as you divert your attention to Kṛṣṇa, that is love. It may be perverted. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa... He was also Kṛṣṇa conscious. But he was thinking in terms of killing Kṛṣṇa, as enemy. So this is not bhakti. This is not anukūla. Pratikūla. But still, Kṛṣṇa is so kind that Kaṁsa was also given liberation. This is the special kindness of Kṛṣṇa.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 10, 1973:

So this bodily enjoyment is false, real enjoyment (is) of the spirit. Therefore it is said, ramante yoginaḥ anante. They want to enjoy life with Ananta, Kṛṣṇa. They want to become friend of Kṛṣṇa. They want to become lover of Kṛṣṇa. They want to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. They want to become father of Kṛṣṇa. They want to become māyā of Kṛṣṇa. The same thing, as we are pervertedly enjoying in this material, the same thing is there (in) spiritual life. That is Kṛṣṇa exhibiting.

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

You cannot approach the Supreme Pure being sinful and make Kṛṣṇa your order-supplier, that you go on committing sinful life and Kṛṣṇa will wash it. Kṛṣṇa washes it—once, twice, thrice. But if you consciously go on, continue the sinful life, then you'll have to be punished. So we should not think pervertedly, like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was always absorbed in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Also he got salvation. But not as associate, but he merged into the Brahman effulgence.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Even I understand that in America the Red Indians, who are supposed to be not civilized, they had also a religious system. So maybe a perverted form of religious system. Similarly, in India also there are primitive races in the jungles, they have also... Religious system means approving the authority of some Supreme Being. That is religious system.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

Because Kṛṣṇa has the business of dancing and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so we have got the same spirit of dancing. But because we are in the material world, the material covering has perverted the dancing propensity. Otherwise, wherefrom we get the idea of dancing? Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says that everything is born of the Absolute Truth. So unless the Absolute Truth has got this dancing propensity, wherefrom we get it? This is the logic. We cannot have anything without that thing being present in the Supreme Absolute Truth.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

Sometimes the rascals imitate rāsa dance. "Kṛṣṇa had rāsa dance; then we can have also rāsa..." But they do not understand that Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance is not ordinary ball dance like that. No. It is an imitation, perverted imitation. Because the tendency's there in Kṛṣṇa, therefore we have also got the tendency. But we do not know how to enjoy that dancing spirit. That is our illusion. We think this ordinary dance and Kṛṣṇa's dance is the same thing. No. That dancing, to take part in that dancing, it requires many, many millions of years tapasya. It is not ordinary thing.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa comes, He exhibits His līlā in Vṛndāvana to attract the conditioned souls, who are engaged in false līlā, temporary līlā, or hellish līlā. Kṛṣṇa wants to save us. The propensity is there. Kṛṣṇa says, "Not here. Not in this material world. This is perverted. You come to Me." But the Māyāvādīs, because they have poor fund of knowledge, they think that "If again there is līlā, there is sporting, there is dancing, so that is here. Then it is māyā." In their poor fund of knowledge, brain cannot accommodate that Kṛṣṇa's līlā and this līlā are not the same. Not the same.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.98-102 -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

. So except human form of life, there are eight million different forms of life. And there is little idea in the Darwin's theory of evolution. That is only imitation of the Vedic literature, and he wanted to credit for himself. He presented it pervertedly. But actually, in the Padma Purāṇa the evolution theory is there. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu. There are 8,400,000 species of forms in jīva-jātiṣu, the living entities. They're passing through. So this is the chance, human form of life, to get out of this cycle of birth and death.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.49-61 -- New York, January 5, 1967:

Because Kṛṣṇa's energy is manifested here, māyikā... Māyikā means like illusory, imitation, perverted. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham (BG 15.1). Here the tree, the original tree, is presented also, but how it is presented? Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham: "The root is upward, and the branches are downward." I think you may remember. Several times we have discussed.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.11-15 -- New York, January 9, 1967:

So the Supreme Lord is person, and the lovers, the living entities, they are also persons. They forget who is God, who is not God, but the central focus is in Kṛṣṇa. Everyone loves Kṛṣṇa. Without seeing Kṛṣṇa they are mad. This is the position in the spiritual world. Simply love Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Bhuñje sevā-sukha. And by loving, as we have got a little perverted experience of love affairs, so just imagine when that love is pure and true, how much pleasure there is. So that thing is there in the spiritual world, pure love. And object is Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

Lecture on Brahma-samhita, Lecture -- Bombay, January 3, 1973:

Therefore if we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, we have to follow these mahājana. Just like Brahmā. Brahmā is the original. There are... Who is mahājana? Mahājana. In India, a mahājana is accepted who can give you loan, money. He's called mahājana. Not that, that all. It is, it is a perverted word. But mahājana means a, one who is pure devotee of the Lord. Mahātmā means who is pure devotee of the Lord. Sādhu means who is a devotee—not these street beggars.

Initiation Lectures

Lecture at Initiation Fire Sacrifice -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. There is a rasa, mellow—every ānanda. Just like if you take a nice fruit, mango, the taste is pleasing. That is called rasa, that taste. Anyway, anything enjoy, there is a rasa. Rasa. You love somebody, you kiss somebody, embrace somebody, there is a rasa. So this picture is ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. Here we have got that taste of rasa in a perverted manner. But cinmaya-rasa means it continues.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

Just now we described the place where we intend to go. That is Goloka Vṛndāvana. There the Supreme Personality of Godhead is residing with His consort Rādhārāṇī. Rādhā-Mādhava. Kṛṣṇa is the husband—not exactly husband, but friend. The same mellow. As you try to enjoy here, boy and girlfriend, not married, but an extra ecstasy without being married, conjugal love, the ideal conjugal love is there, Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā. Here the same thing is present, but in a perverted sense. The origin is there. Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī.

Sunday Feast Lecture -- Atlanta, March 2, 1975:

Meaning is very clear, but we create some mismeaning. That is another thing. Just like in the Bible it is said, "Thou shalt not kill." It is very clear and simple thing, but we make some interpretation, "This, that, this." Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Don't make the meaning perverted. Take it as it is. Then you become perfect. "Thou shalt not kill"—if you take this as it is, then you become perfect. But if you add your own meaning and go on killing and still you become a Christian, that is your business.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Jacques Maritain:

Śyāmasundara: He means more in the sense that because of this material body, this material position, that is where evil arises, by identifying with this material condition only. Their real nature is spiritual. Personality is spiritual.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is contaminated. The varieties are there in the spiritual world. The same varieties when they are presented here with material contamination, it is called perverted. Just like the example in the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śākham (BG 15.1), reflection on the bank of a river, reservoir of water, the tree is reflected, varieties are there. The trees or trunks, branches, twigs, flowers, everything is reflected, but they are all false. Real variety is there, on the bank of the river. Because it is reflection, it appears that everything is there in the perverted way, and then they are all false.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Śyāmasundara: So the urge has become perverted. The urge to advance has become perverted to the urge to enjoy.

Prabhupāda: Yes, perverted, perverted. His position is to serve, but... He is serving his senses, but he's thinking that "I am enjoying." This is called māyā. Actually, he is serving his senses. Just see, to enjoy, to make money, how much they are working hard, day and night. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham (SB 7.9.45). They are working so hard, but because there is hope that "I shall become millionaire," he is thinking happy. Actually, he is working very hard. More than an animal.

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Śyāmasundara: Everyone wants to become godly...

Prabhupāda: No, no. The desire, desire means that he has lost his real happiness. His real happiness is with God, dancing with God. Just like gopīs, they are dancing with God. That is real happiness. That is his nature. Ānandamayaḥ abhyāsāt. Vedānta-sūtra says that "By nature he wants ānanda, ānanda." But because he is seeking ānanda in a perverted way, he is being confused and frustrated. Therefore he is thinking "Not this stage, that stage will give me happiness." So when he goes to that stage, he again finds unhappiness. Because he is wrongly selecting, that "This is the stage of my happiness."

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Śyāmasundara: And then eventually he'll reach the point where he realizes, "All that is unhappiness," and then he will turn to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: No. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, the most confidential part of knowledge, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This will give you happiness because constitutionally you are made like that. Therefore in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka there is happiness, eternal happiness because they are all surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Just like in Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana, ell the gopīs, all the cowherd boys, all the cows, all the trees, everyone—simply center is Kṛṣṇa. How Kṛṣṇa will be happy.

Śyāmasundara: So everyone is striving to return to that stage...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: ...and they have simply perverted their drive...

Prabhupāda: Therefore they are confused and frustrated. This is called māyā.