Respectable persons (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"respectable man" |"respectable men" |"respectable people" |"respectable person" |"respectable personage" |"respectable persons" |"respected men"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Devotee: "One can avoid worshiping a respectable man or demigod, and he may be called discourteous, but one cannot avoid serving the Supreme Lord without being thoroughly condemned. Every living entity is a part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and as such every living entity is intended to serve the Supreme Lord by his own constitution."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is natural. If I am part and parcel of God my duty is to serve. This example I have given you many times. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty of this finger? The duty of the finger is to serve the whole body, that's all. If I am feeling something itching, immediately finger is working. If I want to see, the eyes immediately work. If I want to go the legs immediately take me. So as this bodily part and part, limbs, are helping me, the whole thing, and I am eating, and the stomach, I am eating only. Similarly God is meant for simply receiving service from all other parts. Not to serve. The service, if the limbs of the body serves the whole body, the energy automatically comes to the parts of the body. Similarly if we serve Kṛṣṇa, we get all our necessities, energy, automatically. Yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena (SB 4.31.14). The example, just like pouring water on the root of the tree, the energy is immediately supplied to the leaves, to the twigs, to the branches, to everywhere immediately. Similarly simply by serving Kṛṣṇa or God you supply all other parts, you serve all other parts. There is no question of serving differently. The ... everything automatically comes.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

Just like here there is governor. Immediately under him there are secretaries. Similarly these demigods, they are different officers, secretaries, directors under God. 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. Indra, Candra, Varuṇa. 330,000,000's, how many we can remember? It is not possible. But there are. So they are all servants.

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

"And after inquiry, you have very nicely written all kinds of literature, authoritative literature."

If one is perfect in his inquiry from the authorized spiritual master, he can write things. Otherwise, what is the use of writing nonsense? Those books will be thrown away. After reading..., just like the newspaper thrown away and the other books are thrown away. But Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you cannot throw away. You cannot throw away. I'll give you one practical example in my life. In Calcutta... My birthplace is in Calcutta. So my friend, he had one European gentleman tenant. I am speaking of, say, about thirty years before story. So that gentleman, he was a very respectable man, manager of a big firm, and he was tenant of my friend. So he was going to take possession of the house. He was vacating. So I also went with him. That European gentleman... I forgot his name now. It is... There was a Bhagavad-gītā in his almirah. So my friend, Mr. Mullik, he, out of inquisitiveness, he was touching that book. He thought that "He is European Christian. Why he has kept this Bhagavad-gītā?" So he was seeing that Bhagavad-gītā. And that European gentleman, he thought that "I'm going, and this landlord may ask this book, because the Bhagavad-gītā belongs to the Hindus." He immediately said, "Dear Mr. Mullik, I can give any book you like, but I cannot give that Bhagavad-gītā. This is my life." Just see. I heard it in my own ear. So he replied, "No, Mr. such and such, I don't want your book. I was just seeing that how, why you have kept Bhagavad-gītā in your almirah?" "Oh, Bhagavad-gītā is my life."

Lecture on SB 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976:

Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, ṛṇa-kartā pitā śatruḥ: "A father in debts to others is enemy." Ṛṇa-kartā pitā śatruḥ. Because according to Manu-saṁhitā, the son inherits the property of the father. That is everywhere. So Manu-saṁhitā also makes responsible the son for the father's debt. Nowadays, if my father is debtor, I am not responsible. But according to the Vedic laws, the son is responsible the father's debt. Because he inherits the property, why he shall not inherit the debts of the father? According to Manu-saṁhitā law he is obliged to pay the debts of the father. We have seen one very practical example. Even fifty years ago, in Calcutta there was a very big barrister. He was a political leader. He was Mr. C.R. Das. So his father died insolvent. His father was also very respectable man, but later on he became so much debtor that he died insolvent. Declared... This Mr. C. R. Das, he did not get any property from the father, but by his practice as a barrister he became very rich man. In those days his monthly income was fifty thousand rupees. So he called all the creditors of his father and paid paisa to paisa, that "My father died in debtor. Now I have got money, you can take." So this is the duty of the son. But if one is poor man, he cannot pay. So he becomes a subject matter of criticism. Under the circumstances the father becomes the enemy. So therefore the Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's enunciation, ṛṇa-kartā pitā śatruḥ. And mātā śatrur vyabhicāriṇī. And if the mother, either she becomes prostitute or marries for the second time in the presence of elderly children, she is enemy. Ṛṇa-kartā pitā śatrur mātā śatrur vyabhicāriṇī. And Cāṇakya Paṇḍita had very bad experience with his wife. So he says, rūpavatī bhāryā śatruḥ: "If the wife is very beautiful, she is enemy." And putraḥ śatrur apaṇḍitaḥ: "And if the son is a rascal, no education, he is enemy." So these are the family enemies.

Lecture on SB 2.3.19 -- Los Angeles, June 14, 1972:

Atheist will think, "Oh, they are worshiping a wood, a stone statue." Because they have their ideas, worshiping of great man. They make also statue, but place them in the open air, and their worship is by the stools of crows. Worship him. So if... The crows take it a place of passing stool on the head of your leader. (laughter) That is their method of worship. They are respecting president George Washington, keeping a statue and honoring him with the stool of crows.

You see. This is their intelligence. This is their intelligence. And our Indian people are also imitating. I have seen one statue of Sir Asutosh Mukherjee. He was a very respectable man. Or Gandhi. The whole year, the crows passed stool on the face. It becomes covered with stool. And the day of their anniversary the municipal washing brush, street , they brush over the..., in the morning. (laughter) They brush over the... Because the gene..., gentlemen will go, they have to call some sweeper. So he will brush the face of Sir Asutosh Mukherjee and wash, and then in the evening-big garland. In the morning it was washed with municipal brush, and in the evening there is big garland. So people have become so... So therefore they are compared with these dogs, asses, camels. They have no intelligence. We are worshiping Deity. Shall we allow like that? That is worship. But this is a fictitious thing, and they are thinking "We are honoring Sir Asutosh Mukherjee or president Jawaharlal Nehru," like that. Such foolish persons. If I know that "This is Sir Asutosh Mukherjee," how I can allow his mouth to be washed by the municipal brush?

Lecture on SB 5.5.5 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

And actually it is happening. What they have achieved so far? Nothing. No tangible action made. But they have spent millions of dollars, Russia and America, to go to the moon planet. And even you go there, but after all, you will have to die, you have to give up this body, and after death, you do not know where you'll be placed. That is under the nature's hand. You cannot dictate that "After death, I shall go to that planet or this planet." No. You are completely under the nature's control. Prakṛteḥ kriyāmāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Unless you are qualified... Everyone is ambitious, but does it mean by becoming ambitious, one can become very rich man or very respectable man? That is not possible. One must qualify himself. So these are futile attempts. You have to act according to the... But they do not believe that there is higher authority, there is judgment and everything. They think that it is blind: "Whatever we like, we can do." That is not good. Parābhavaḥ. This is called defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata.

Lecture on SB 5.5.23 -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1976:

He (she) took immediately the camara. He (she) said, "My husband is respecting." But he was dressed very poorly, lean and thin. Brāhmaṇa, because they refuse unnecessary necessities of life, sometimes they look very poor, poverty-stricken. They are not poverty-stricken. They are the richest. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtiṁ śritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). Those who are engaged in bhajana never think of their poverty. No. They are not poor. Otherwise, if Sudāmā Vipra, externally he looked very poor, lean and thin, not very nice cloth... Kṛṣṇa is: "My dear friend, sit down here." He brought water, washed the feet, just respectable person, guru, brāhmaṇa. This is etiquette. Kṛṣṇa is showing personally. He is the king. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also respects a brāhmaṇa. When Nārada used to come to Kṛṣṇa, immediately He would get down from the seat and offer obeisances, and Nārada was smiling, "Just see Kṛṣṇa's līlā."

So this is the way, brāhmaṇa. That brāhmaṇa, the India, the brāhmaṇas, their sons later on, later ages, taking advantage of the facility offered to the brāhmaṇas, so without qualification of brāhmaṇa, they wanted the facility for nothing, very cheap. Therefore the brahminical culture is failure now. They are... They should be real brāhmaṇas, śsamo damo. But nobody is prepared to practice śamo damo titikṣa, but he wants the respect of a brāhmaṇa. This is the cause of India's culture being failure at the present moment. They... "First deserve, then desire." So without deserving, they desired. Therefore whole thing is..., it became false. So that is not the purpose. Even somebody says that "Without culture one can remain a brāhmaṇa," but śāstra does not say that. Śāstra says culture is the first consideration.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- Honolulu, June 15, 1975, Sunday Feast Lecture:

They were lower-class Hindus. But the Hindus were so foolish that if a Muhammadan sprinkled some water in this way, so he becomes Muhammadan and he is rejected, in this way the Muhammadan population was there.

Anyway, that was done in the case of Buddhimanta Khan. The Nawab called him one day and took little water from his pot and sprinkled, and it was the law, "He has become Muhammadan, he has become Muhammadan." So he went to a bhaṭṭācārya, "So what is the atonement? Now I have become Muhammadan." Just see the conception. And the bhaṭṭācārya said that "You drink one pound of molten lead." "How it is possible?" "That is the atonement." So in this way he was baffled. He went to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was very respectable man. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu laughed, that "This the condition of the Hindu society." So He said that "I tell you that you give up your family life. You go to Vṛndāvana and chant there Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That will be the..."

So at the present moment that is the only atonement. Whatever we have done and whatever we are doing, the atonement is chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So we haven't got to go to Vṛndāvana. We have got Vṛndāvana, Nabadwīp, here in Hawaii, in this temple. So you take this process of atonement, but don't commit sinful life any more. Don't think that "Now I am chanting and I can go on committing all sinful activities."

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

So a person like Rūpa Gosvāmī, why he will waste time talking with a nonsense? No. Actually teaching is for the student, not for outsiders. All these talks should be between... So student means who has surrendered. That, he is student. Otherwise what is the use of wasting time? There is no use. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). Praṇipātena means fully surrendering. If you have still doubts to surrender, then don't waste time. Don't waste time. That is not the way. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. Guru has to be given service, that nīcavat. That nīcavat. Nīcavat means menial servant. Whatever guru says... Guru says, "Just brush my shoes." "Yes, sir." You cannot think, "Oh, I am coming from such a respectable person, I am so much learned, and my guru is asking me to 'Brush my shoe'? No, I am not doing it." No, then you are not disciple. Nīcavat. That is the training. So praṇipāta, if you find out somebody where you can fully surrender, then accept guru. Don't make guru a fashion, just like you keep a dog, fashion, pet dog. People, they generally do that, that "Everyone has a guru. Let me collect. Let me pick up some guru who will be dancing dog." That kind of guru will not help you. You must be convinced that "Here is a guru where I can surrender." So then you can make praśna, or question. Then the question will be answered. Otherwise it is waste of time. That is not the Vedic system, simply waste of time. And if there is really talk between one philosopher to another philosopher... Just like Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was a great scholar, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu...? Who can speak about scholarship? So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was defeated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was elderly person. There may be talks on philosophy, but if one party is defeated, the defeated person, he must be disciple of the winning, victorious party.

Lecture on SB 7.9.43 -- Calcutta, March 23, 1976:

Ask. Challenge the government that "You write on the bills, currency notes, 'We trust in God.' So what is that God?" Ask anyone. Will they be able to answer? No. It is simply formality.

Similarly, they have completely forgotten God all over the world. There is only little formality still. That also being... In your country, in Europe, so many churches are closed because no one believes in God. Here also I have seen in Nasik so many temples. There the dogs are passing stool and urine within the temple. Nobody goes. Because what there can be done? There are so many rascals. They are making propaganda that "Why do you go to temple?" Just see, here is a central place, it is inhabited by so many respectable persons, but they do not come to temple because there is regular propaganda that "God is everywhere. Why do you go to the temple?" "No, why God is not there in the temple?" You can answer: "God is everywhere—except in the temple?" Their propaganda is, "God is everywhere. Why do you go to the temple?" But our answer is, "If God is everywhere, why He is not in the temple?" Eh? He must be in the temple. But this rascal will make propaganda, "Don't go to the temple." Of course, there are so many rascals. They came and gone. The temples are going also. In India, by this propaganda that "There is no God in temple," by this false propaganda, the temples are not closed. Still in Vṛndāvana you'll find five thousand temples. You see Jagannātha Purī temple. Many thousands of people go there. Raṅganātha temple and so many other temples.

Festival Lectures

Sri Rama-Navami, Lord Ramacandra's Appearance Day, Cornerstone Laying -- Bombay, April 1, 1974:

So on this auspicious day of appearance day of Lord Rāmacandra, we are taking this opportunity of foundation of the cornerstone of our temple in this Bombay center. And it is very kind of Mrs. Nair, A.B. Nair, that she has given us this chance along with her husband. So, so far we are concerned, we are preachers. We are preaching all over the world. We don't require any palatial building or very comfortable apartment. But because it is a preaching center, in order to invite respectable persons, we require nice building, nice temple. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, our predecessor ācārya, he left his ministership, government post and became a mendicant. He was living underneath a tree every night. Not permanently underneath a tree: tonight one tree, next night another tree. But when he was approached by King Mānsiṅgh, the commander-in-chief of Emperor Akbar... In those days rich men, big men, they were God conscious, and they wanted to do something for God's service. So King Mānsiṅgh approached Rūpa Gosvāmī if he could do any service. So Rūpa Gosvāmī, he was living under the tree, so what service he expected from King Mānsiṅgh? He said that "If you want to do some service, do it for Kṛṣṇa." So he advised him to construct a temple at Vṛndāvana.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation of Satyabhama Dasi and Gayatri Initiation of Devotees Going to London -- Montreal, July 26, 1968:

So your name should be... Is there any name Satyabhāmā? Satyabhāmā? No. So her name, Satyabhāmā dāsī. S-a-t-y-a-b-h-a-m-a. Satyabhāmā dāsī. So this is the process, you know, from, beginning from here, each bead, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. And there are ten kinds of offenses. While chanting, you should avoid ten kinds of offenses. So you will get the list. And summarily I can explain that satāṁ nindā. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person will never blaspheme any person, any religious leader, who is trying to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. In any country, in any religion, anyone who has tried to spread God consciousness to the people, they are all respectable persons. Those who are atheist, those who do not believe in God or those who personally declare that "I am God," we have nothing to do with such persons. But anyone in any country who accepts God as the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28), such persons are respectable persons and we should offer our always respect to them. We have... Unnecessarily we do not want to criticize anyone. But when there is necessity, because we are preacher, it may be sometimes you'll be faced with opposite elements, so we have to criticize in that respect. Generally we don't praise or eulogize somebody or criticize somebody. That is not our business. Our business is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness, always thinking that we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Excerpt from Sannyasa Initiation of Viraha Prakasa Swami -- Mayapur, February 5, 1976:

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was resident of this place where you are taking sannyāsa. So what was the purpose of His taking sannyāsa? He was very respectable brāhmaṇa, Nimāi Paṇḍita. This tract of land, Navadvīpa, is the place of highly educated brāhmaṇas from time immemorial. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu belonged to a very respectable brāhmaṇa family, the son of Jagannātha Miśra, His grandfather, Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, very respectful, respectable persons. He took birth in that family. Personally He was very beautiful; therefore His another name is Gaurasundara. And He was very learned scholar also; therefore His another name is Nimāi Paṇḍita. So, and in His family life He had very nice, beautiful young wife, Viṣṇupriyā, and very affectionate mother, and He was very influential. You know that. In one day He collected about one hundred thousand followers to protest against the Kazi's order. So in this way His social position was very favorable. Personal position was very favorable. Still, He took sannyāsa, left home. Why? Dayitaye, in order to favor, in order to show mercy to the fallen souls of the world.

General Lectures

Lecture at Krsna Niketan -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

So as soon as you approach the Deity or the name, you should know fully well that Kṛṣṇa is present. Kṛṣṇa is... Therefore we should worship the Deity with great attention, as much as Kṛṣṇa is present. And similarly, we should worship the holy name with great attention. We should not be inattentive. Suppose Kṛṣṇa personally comes, personally He is here. Suppose personally, as you think of personally, personally comes. If you do not become respectful, is that all right? No. You should be very much respectful. Even a respectable person, ordinary person, a big man or a rich man or a king comes, we become so much respectful. And what about Kṛṣṇa when He's present as arcā-mūrti or as the holy name? These are the realization point of view: Kṛṣṇa, His name, His form, His quality, His pastimes. When you hear about Kṛṣṇa, that is also Kṛṣṇa. Actually, when you are reading Kṛṣṇa book, Kṛṣṇa is fighting with demons, that is also His pastime. So Kṛṣṇa is present. So you should be very attentive and worship this hearing. Unless we come to this point, there is lack of realization what is Kṛṣṇa.

Evening Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, January 19, 1977:

So we have to save ourself from this misconception of life. Then we can make progress in the matter of understanding what is God. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any deviation, and people are appreciating. Our, this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is is being accepted by big, big scholars and professors. We have got innumerable certificates or their opinion, and it is being well received. And from monetary point of view also, you'll be surprised that we are selling millions of copies of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. So we have come to your city to say something about Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. If respectable persons of this city will come and attend this meeting, I shall try to explain more and more so long I am present here. Now, if you have got any question on the subject matter I have spoken, you can make. I shall try to answer. (pause) So there is no question, I think. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now a kīrtana.