Right person

Expressions researched:
"right person" |"right persons"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 1.43, Purport:

Arjuna bases his argument not on his own personal experience, but on what he has heard from the authorities. That is the way of receiving real knowledge. One cannot reach the real point of factual knowledge without being helped by the right person who is already established in that knowledge.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.3.44, Purport:

No one can be pure in action who is not pure in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. But somehow or other if someone hears with rapt attention from the right person, at the very beginning one can assuredly see Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in person in the pages of Bhāgavatam.

SB 1.5.16, Purport:

Śrī Vyāsadeva is therefore advised by Nārada to describe the science of God directly by relating His transcendental activities. Vyāsadeva is himself a personality expert in this science, and he is unattached to material enjoyment. Therefore he is the right person to describe it, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, is the right person to receive it.

SB 1.12.14, Purport:

It is enjoined in the śāstras that as long as a child is joined with the mother by the navel pipe, the child is considered to be of one body with the mother, but as soon as the pipe is cut and the child is separated from the mother, the purificatory process of jātakarman is performed. The administrative demigods and past forefathers of the family come to see a newly born child, and such an occasion is specifically accepted as the proper time for distributing wealth to the right persons productively for the spiritual advancement of society.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.3.2-7, Purport:

Death is inevitable for everyone, intelligent or foolish. But Parīkṣit Mahārāja has been addressed by the Gosvāmī as the manīṣī, or the man of highly developed mind, because at the time of death he left all material enjoyment and completely surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord by hearing His messages from the right person, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. But aspirations for material enjoyment by endeavoring persons are condemned. Such aspirations are something like the intoxication of the degraded human society. Intelligent persons should try to avoid these aspirations and seek instead the permanent life by returning home, back to Godhead.

SB 2.4.6, Translation and Purport:

I beg to know from you how the Personality of Godhead, by His personal energies, creates these phenomenal universes as they are, which are inconceivable even to the great demigods.

In every inquisitive mind the important question of the creation of the phenomenal world arises, and therefore for a personality like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who was to know all the activities of the Lord from his spiritual master, such an inquiry is not uncommon. For every unknown thing, we have to learn and inquire from a learned personality. The question of creation is also one of such inquiries to be made to the right person. The spiritual master, therefore, must be one who is sama jña, as stated hereinbefore in connection with Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Thus all inquiries on God which are unknown to the disciple may be made from the qualified spiritual master, and here the practical example is set by Mahārāja Parīkṣit.

SB 2.5.1, Translation and Purport:

Śrī Nārada Muni asked Brahmājī: O chief amongst the demigods, O firstborn living entity, I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto you. Please tell me that transcendental knowledge which specifically directs one to the truth of the individual soul and the Supersoul.

The perfection of the paramparā system, or the path of disciplic succession, is further confirmed. In the previous chapter it has been established that Brahmājī, the firstborn living entity, received knowledge directly from the Supreme Lord, and the same knowledge was imparted to Nārada, the next disciple. Nārada asked to receive the knowledge, and Brahmājī imparted it upon being asked. Therefore, asking for transcendental knowledge from the right person and receiving it properly is the regulation of the disciplic succession. This process is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.2). The inquisitive student must approach a qualified spiritual master to receive transcendental knowledge by surrender, submissive inquiries and service. Knowledge received by submissive inquiries and service is more effective than knowledge received in exchange for money. A spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from Brahmā and Nārada has no demand for dollars and cents. A bona fide student has to satisfy him by sincere service to obtain knowledge of the relation and nature of the individual soul and the Supersoul.

SB 2.8.29, Translation:

He also prepared himself to reply to all that King Parīkṣit had inquired from him. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was the best in the dynasty of the Pāṇḍus, and thus he was able to ask the right questions from the right person.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.10.2, Translation and Purport:

O greatly learned one, kindly eradicate all my doubts, and let me know of all that I have inquired from you from the beginning to the end.

Vidura asked all relevant questions of Maitreya because he knew well that Maitreya was the right person to reply to all the points of his inquiries. One must be confident about the qualifications of his teacher; one should not approach a layman for replies to specific spiritual inquiries. Such inquiries, when replied to with imaginative answers by the teacher, are a program for wasting time.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.24.3, Translation and Purport:

Formerly, Mahārāja Vijitāśva pleased the King of heaven, Indra, and from him received the title Antardhāna. His wife's name was Śikhaṇḍinī, and by her he begot three good sons.

Mahārāja Vijitāśva was known as Antardhāna, which means "disappearance." He received this title from Indra, and it refers to the time when Indra stole Mahārāja Pṛthu's horse from the sacrificial arena. Indra was not visible to others when he was stealing the horse, but Mahārāja Pṛthu's son Vijitāśva could see him. Yet despite his knowing that Indra was taking away his father's horse, Vijitāśva did not attack him. This indicates that Mahārāja Vijitāśva respected the right persons. Although Indra was stealing the horse from his father, Vijitāśva knew perfectly well that Indra was not an ordinary thief. Since Indra was a great and powerful demigod and servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vijitāśva purposefully excused him due to sentiment only, even though Indra was acting wrongly. Thus Indra became very pleased with Vijitāśva at that time. The demigods have the great mystic power of being able to appear and disappear according to their will, and since Indra was very pleased with Vijitāśva, he bestowed this mystic power upon him. Thus Vijitāśva became known as Antardhāna.

SB 4.29.39-40, Purport:

"In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and to the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin." (SB 3.25.25) In the association of pure devotees, one becomes attached to hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord. In this way one can cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and as soon as this cultivation is advanced, one can become faithful to the Lord, devoted to the Lord and attached to the Lord, and thus one can very quickly attain full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The secret of success in the cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is hearing from the right person. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is never disturbed by the bodily necessities—namely eating, sleeping, mating and defending.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.5.20, Purport:

At the present moment, the world is inclined toward the democratic process, but the people in general are all contaminated by the modes of passion and ignorance. Consequently they cannot select the right person to head the government. The president is selected by the votes of ignorant śūdras; therefore another śūdra is elected, and immediately the entire government becomes polluted. If people strictly followed the principles of Bhagavad-gītā, they would elect a person who is the Lord's devotee. Then automatically there would be good government. Ṛṣabhadeva therefore recommended Bharata Mahārāja as the emperor of this planet. Serving a devotee means serving the Supreme Lord, for a devotee always represents the Lord. When a devotee is in charge, the government is always congenial and beneficial for everyone.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.9.10, Purport:

The European and American devotees in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement are sometimes accepted as brāhmaṇas, but the so-called caste brāhmaṇas are very much envious of them. In answer to such envy, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that one who has been born in a brāhmaṇa family but is falsely proud of his prestigious position cannot even purify himself, not to speak of his family, whereas if a caṇḍāla, a lowborn person, is a devotee and has fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord, he can purify his entire family. We have had actual experience of how Americans and Europeans, because of their full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, have purified their whole families, so much so that a mother of a devotee, at the time of her death, inquired about Kṛṣṇa with her last breath. Therefore it is theoretically true and has been practically proven that a devotee can give the best service to his family, his community, his society and his nation. The foolish accuse a devotee of following the principle of escapism, but actually the fact is that a devotee is the right person to elevate his family. A devotee engages everything in the service of the Lord, and therefore he is always exalted.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.2.18, Translation and Purport:

Thereafter, accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulent Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for the entire universe, was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devakī. Devakī, having thus been initiated by Vasudeva, became beautiful by carrying Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original consciousness for everyone, the cause of all causes, within the core of her heart, just as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the rising moon.

As indicated here by the word manastaḥ, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was transferred from the core of Vasudeva's mind or heart to the core of the heart of Devakī. We should note carefully that the Lord was transferred to Devakī not by the ordinary way for a human being, but by dīkṣā, initiation. Thus the importance of initiation is mentioned here. Unless one is initiated by the right person, who always carries within his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot acquire the power to carry the Supreme Godhead within the core of one's own heart.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 5.14, Purport:

Revealed knowledge may in the beginning be unbelievable because of our paradoxical desire to verify everything with our tiny brains, but the speculative means of attaining knowledge is always imperfect. The perfect knowledge propounded in the revealed scriptures is confirmed by the great ācāryas, who have left ample commentations upon them; none of these ācāryas has disbelieved in the śāstras. One who disbelieves in the śāstras is an atheist, and we should not consult an atheist, however great he may be. A staunch believer in the śāstras, with all their diversities, is the right person from whom to gather real knowledge. Such knowledge may seem inconceivable in the beginning, but when put forward by the proper authority its meaning is revealed, and then one no longer has any doubts about it.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 11.151, Translation:

"'O my Lord! O unlimited one! Although I was merged in the ocean of nescience, I have now, after a long time, attained You, just as one may attain the seashore. My dear Lord, by getting me, You have obtained the right person upon whom to bestow Your causeless mercy.'"

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book Introduction:

The position of Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Gosvāmī is unique. Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the right person to hear about the transcendental pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the right person to describe them. If such a fortunate combination is made possible, then kṛṣṇa-kathā immediately becomes revealed, and people may benefit to the highest possible degree from such a conversation.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Gitopanisad (Earliest Recording of Srila Prabhupada in the Bhaktivedanta Archives):

Dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair gacchanty amūḍhāḥ, amūḍhāḥ padam avyayaṁ tat (BG 15.5). That eternal kingdom, which is never destructible like this material world, can be approached by amūḍhāḥ. Amūḍhāḥ means nonbewildered, one who is not bewildered by the attraction of this false enjoyment. And one is situated in the supreme service of the Lord, he is the right person to approach that eternal kingdom. And that eternal kingdom does not require any sun, any moon, or any electricity. That is a glimpse idea of approaching of the eternal kingdom.

Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:

So this is the position of the world. One talks very high words, but his behavior is very abominable. So gradually we shall come to that point. So let us finish.Now Arjuna is promising... Kṛṣṇa arranged this fight to execute his purpose. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). That was his purpose. "Duṣkṛtām, all these sinful rascals, they are ruling over the world, I want to kill them." Therefore this battle was arranged so that all these rascals and demons will come there and it will be killed, in one place. And the right person, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, will be installed on the throne. That was his plan. The right person. Kṛṣṇa wants His representative to rule over the... King means representative of God.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

So we must select guru. Here it is, example, Arjuna. He's accepting Kṛṣṇa as guru. Why he is accepting? Because, he says,

na hi prapaśyāmi mamāpanudyād

yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām

avāpya bhūmāv asapatnam ṛddhaṁ

rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam

(BG 2.8)

So he has selected that the right person, guru, and he said that "Unless I hear from You what is right and wrong, I cannot decide whether I shall fight or I shall not fight. Which way is better for me I cannot understand."

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

Now, a great personality like Mahātmā Gandhi, he wanted to prove from Bhagavad-gītā nonviolence. He was... He was in favor of the doctrine of nonviolence. Now, you have seen Mahatma Gandhi's picture that he is always standing with Bhagavad-gītā like this. So Bhagavad-gītā was his life and soul practically. And in the morning he was having Bhagavad-gītā class; in the evening he was having Bhagavad-gītā class. So that was his life and soul. But unfortunately he interpreted Bhagavad-gītā in his own way. Although he took Bhagavad-gītā as his life and soul, so, but he interpreted it in his own way. That is not the way of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore such a great man and such a good man... He was not only a great man; he was very good man in the worldly estimation. His character, his behavior, his dealing—everything was good. He was ideal personality. But just see. He was killed by violence. He could not stop violence.

Rūpānuga: He was killed by violence?

Prabhupāda: Yes. He was killed by violence. And his idea... He wanted to make Hindu-Muslim unity in India. The British government fabricated the Hindu-Muslim riots, and lastly, at last also, their purpose was fulfilled by partition of India, Pakistan and India. Now, Mahatma Gandhi worked throughout his whole life just to make a unification of the Hindus and Muslims. Unfortunately, at last, he had to see that the Hindus and Muslims of India were divided into Pakistan and India. And his nonviolence also failed.

So, because if we do not follow the right person, mahājana—mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186)—then however I may be great in the estimation of the innocent public, that is wrong path. That is wrong path. Therefore the right thing is to follow the succession. Now, we have to follow the principle which Kṛṣṇa sets. Kṛṣṇa is not advocating, I mean to say, nonviolence. You cannot eradicate violence from this world. That is not possible because Kṛṣṇa Himself is on the battlefield and He is trying to induce Arjuna. Arjuna is declining and He is inducing, "No, you must fight." Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ (BG 3.21). So we have to follow the footprints of great personalities.

Lecture on BG 4.2 -- Bombay, March 22, 1974:

Now, dharma, everyone is executing his particular occupational duty very nicely. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. I am speaking the organized society, not this animal society as at present. Even organized society, a brāhmaṇa is discharging his duties just like a brāhmaṇa. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Still... Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ, he is very nicely executing his duty as a brāhmaṇa, but by executing such duties, if he does not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then śrama eva hi kevalam. This is the verdict. Then he has wasted time. Because to become brāhmaṇa, perfect brāhmaṇa, means to know Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. And the Parabrahman, Supreme Brahman, is Kṛṣṇa. So if he does not understand Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of his executing this brāhmaṇa's duty? That is the verdict of the śāstra. Śrama eva hi kevalam, simply wasting time.

Therefore one has to learn this science from the paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). You have to go to the right person who knows Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Bombay, April 1, 1974:

The Vedas are called hearing, śruti. One has to hear Vedas from the right person. That is the recommendation of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. To achieve success in self-realization or God realization, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, sthāne sthitāḥ: "You just remain in your present position. You remain as a gṛhastha or as a brāhmaṇa or as a sannyāsī, as a businessman, professional man. It doesn't matter." Sthāne sthitāḥ: "You remain as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. It doesn't matter. But..." Śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ: "Just try to hear about Kṛṣṇa," śruti-gatām, aural reception. Śruti-gatām means aural reception. Tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. "And try to employ your body, words," tanu-vāk, and manaḥ, "mind, engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service." Tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi.

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

For knowledge we have got to go to the right person, tattva-darśī. Tattva-darśī means "one who has actually seen or experienced the Absolute Truth." So unless we find out such a person who has actually seen the Absolute Truth or who has in his experience what is Absolute Truth, so there is very little chance of our spiritual advancement.

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

Prabhupāda: People are anxious to see God. Here Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that as soon as one gets knowledge from the right person, then he never comes into the field of delusion. The whole thing is that in the present stage of our life, we are conditioned and deluded. We do not know things as they are. That is the cause of our all miseries.

Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966:

We should know how Kṛṣṇa is pleased. How you can know? The Bhagavad-gītā is there, and take the right interpretation from a right person. Then you'll know what Kṛṣṇa wants and do accordingly. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā. Then you are elevated to the first-class devotional service. You see? First-class devotional service. Everything should be anukūla. Anukūla means favorable.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

Vedic knowledge means you cannot argue. You have to accept authoritative. Just like the government literature, government regulation, when it is published, gazette, you cannot argue. Whatever the government has decided, you have to accept because government is the authority. Similarly, Vedic knowledge means you cannot argue. You can argue, but that argument is not to defeat. That argument is for understanding. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you cannot understand, then you have to put questions very humbly, praṇipātena, not by challenging. Praṇipāta. Praṇipāta means very humbly submitting oneself. Praṇipātena paripraśna. Otherwise there is no need of questioning. If you have no praṇipāta... Praṇipāta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipātena, fully submissive. The answers... You should approach to a person, questioning, with praṇipāta, means you cannot challenge him. Whatever answer he gives, you must be prepared to accept it. Otherwise don't put question. That is the system, Vedic system. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena (BG 4.34). First of all you cannot argue because it is settled fact. Vinirṇītam.

Just like some law is passed after much discussion in the legislative assembly, but when the law is passed, enacted, you cannot argue anymore. "Under such and such law you have to do this section." Then you cannot argue. Similarly, Vedic knowledge, it is nirṇītam. It is already established. Simply you have to know it submissively. If you are lacking in that submissiveness, then don't put question. That will be simply waste of time. That is Vedic system. First of all you should approach a person whom you think that he is the right person; he can give the answer. Then you put question. If you have doubt that "This man may be or may not be able to answer my question," then don't put question because you are not prepared to take his answer. Therefore here it is said, bhagavān uvāca. You cannot put any question. That is the way.

Lecture on BG 13.24 -- Bombay, October 23, 1973:

So simply physical elementary study is not sufficient. You must know the guṇaiḥ saha, how the qualities are acting. Ya evaṁ vetti puruṣaṁ prakṛtiṁ ca guṇaiḥ saha, sarvathā vartamāno 'pi.

If you have got sufficient knowledge... The knowledge is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Simply you have to study. You have to take lessons from the Bhagavad-gītā from the right person. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). You must learn from a guru who is actually in knowledge of this Vedic literatures, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham.

Lecture on BG 18.67-69 -- Ahmedabad, December 9, 1972:

If you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you'll see that "Every living entity, not only human society, but the animal society, the bird society, tree society, the aquatic society—all living entities, they're all sons of Kṛṣṇa. Why shall I kill a fish or a cow, or a goat? He's also son of Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And you are doing humanitarian work and sending so many animals, thousands of animals, to the slaughterhouse. What is this? What these poor animals have done? Because you are not Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you are discriminating in this way, that the human society should be given protection, the animal society should be slaughtered. Is that very good? Is that good consciousness? Just like the Christian people say that the animals have no soul—because they want to eat meat. Christ says, "Thou shalt not kill." They interpret in a different way. So you can make your own mental concoction, but if you require to be right person, you have to take direction from the authorities. That is required. (break)... without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, anyone who wants to serve, he serves himself only. You see? These leaders, they... Of course, they give that "We are going to serve the country..." Factually, if we study scrutinizingly, he's serving himself only. (laughter) That's all.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

So those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by exercising their, exercising their limited knowledge... After all, we are living entities. Our knowledge is always imperfect. That we do not admit, but actually it is so because our senses are imperfect. I am very much proud of my eyes, but I cannot see as soon as the electricity, light, is not existing. I cannot see. Then what is the importance of my eyes? My eyes can see under certain condition. When there is sunlight, then I can see. At night I cannot see. Then what is value of these eyes? So people say that "I cannot see." So what is the value of your eyes? Because you do not see, the fact cannot be zero. Therefore it is called śruta paramparā, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). We have to receive the absolute knowledge by the śrota paramparā, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭha. Just like Kṛṣṇa said, sa kāleneha yoga naṣṭaḥ parantapa: "Because that process of hearing from the right person is now broken, therefore I am speaking the same truth, Bhagavad-gītā, again unto you, because you are My very dear friend and devotee." So our process is that.

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

All these living entities, throughout the whole universe, fourteen worlds, they are only some limited. But in the spiritual world the number of living entities are unlimited. This information we have to hear. Therefore here it is said, śrotavya. One must hear. Śrotavya.

Therefore Vedic knowledge is called śruti. It has to be acquired by hearing. Śruti. Not by seeing, not by experimental knowledge. That is not possible. Because it is beyond, beyond our sense perception. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Don't try to understand by false argument, dry argument, which is beyond your conception, beyond your reach. Simply waste of time. Then how to know? Now, śrotavya. You have to hear. That is the only means. The example I have given several times. Just like if you want to know who is your father, it is to be this śrotavya. From where? From the authority, my mother. You cannot manufacture your knowledge who is your father. No. You cannot speculate. That is not pos ... Because it beyond your reach. The father was existing before your birth. So how you can understand father by experimental knowledge? That is not possible. You have to accept the statement of your mother. That's all. Finished. Similarly, Vedas—our mother of knowledge. Purāṇas-our sisters of knowledge. So we have to consult from the Vedas and from the right person. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), from the guru. Not that you purchase one book, Vedas, from the market, and you become a Vedantist. No. That is not possible. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet. Must go to understand. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34).

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1976:

If by mistake or by chance you do something wrong, that can be excused. That is natural. Suppose you are servant, you have committed some mistake. The master immediately does not dismiss. He warns you: "Why you have done this thing? Do not do it again." That is natural.

Similarly kṛṣṇa-bhakti is there. If we carefully study, yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyām... Study means you can say that it requires education. No. It doesn't matter. śrūyamāṇāyām. Kṛṣṇa has given you the ears. Therefore Vedic knowledge is called śruti. You go to a proper person, guru, and hear from him. Therefore this word is used: śrūyamāṇāyām. If you hear from the right person, then kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe bhaktir utpadyate. Then you develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if you say, "What is the use of bhakti? Let me enjoy." No. It is required, if you are serious.

Lecture on SB 1.7.8 -- Vrndavana, September 7, 1976:

We are always perplexed with śoka, moha and bhaya. If you want to get out of it, then read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now if you are... If you say that "I'm uneducated, illiterate. I cannot read," there is no need of reading. Hear. Yasyāṁ vai śrūyamāṇāyām. Simply hear. But hear from the right person, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Not rascals, professionals. Then it will be useless. Here... Why? Anyone knows some grammar or little literary education. Why...? Śukadeva Gosvāmī had no opportunity to go to a school. Śukadeva Gosvāmī... Śukadeva Gosvāmī, as soon as he took birth, after sixteen years keeping himself within the womb of the mother, immediately left home. So where is the possibility of taking education? And he was given instruction while he was in the womb of his mother.

So these things are sometimes inconceivable. But it is not inconceivable. It is possible to... Our real point is that Śukadeva Gosvāmī was not a grammarian, but he learned everything from his father by hearing. Therefore it is called śrūyamāṇāyām. If you hear from the right person, properly, then you become perfect. There is no need of literary education. Therefore Vedas are called śruti.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

So there are so many things to be done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Don't take it that it is simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting is the prime factor because if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then gradually everything will be clear in your mind. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). Whole world is suffering on account of all contaminated things accumulated within our heart. So the Bhāgavata process is to hear from the right person.

Lecture on SB 2.4.1 -- Los Angeles, June 24, 1972:

If you want to come to the right conclusion, then you have to hear from persons authorized, not from the nonsense rascals, politicians, diplomats. No. Just like here it is said, vaiyāsakeḥ. You have to hear from Vaiyāsaki or his representative. Vaiyāsaker iti vacas tattva-niścayam ātmanaḥ. If you hear from the right person, then tattva-niścayam, then positively you can realize self. And if you hear from some rascals, they have no connection with Vaiyāsaki, simply by dint of mental speculation, interpreting, "I think this may be this, I think this,"... What you are, nonsense? You think? We don't accept such nonsense things. It must be positively authorized. As it is said here, vaiyāsaker iti vacas tattva-niścayam ātmanaḥ. When we hear from the right person...

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

(BG 4.34)

Jñāna and tattva-darśī. Simply jñānī, simply a-b-c-d knowledge, academic education will not help. You must be jñānī, at the same time, tattva-darśī. That tattva-darśana cannot be possible by mental speculation.

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

So bhakti-yoga begins with hearing, śravaṇam, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. And if you have heard from the right source and if you are convinced, then automatically you will try to perform kīrtana. Kīrtana means glorifying. If you have attained like... Or to preach. Anyone who has listened from right person, authority, about Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, about Kṛṣṇa or about Rāma, he would like to preach that. That is automatic, glorifying. That preaching is equal. That is called kīrtana. Kīrtana... Simply preaching, glorifying, or speaking about the Lord, that is also kīrtana. And performing kīrtana as we do here in the temple, with mṛdaṅga and karatāla, chanting, that is also kīrtana.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

So Sanātana Gosvāmī recommends, tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. Tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena. If dīkṣā-vidhāna, initiation process, is done nicely from the right person There are so many śāstric ref... Śuddhyanti yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ śuddhyanti (SB 2.4.18). These things are there. So by the disciplic succession, by the instruction of the Gosvāmīs, everyone can be purified because they will properly train up. Avidyāyām antare vartamānam. They will not misguide. Dṛṣṭvā punas taṁ saghṛṇaḥ kubuddhim. Merciful: "Never mind." But there is no disqualification because one is low born and high born. Everyone can take. But he must follow the direction of the proper guide. Just like we say, "No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex." If he follows the rules and regulation and chants Hare Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of proper spiritual master, then everything will be all right. He is no more śūdra or caṇḍāla. He will become... Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭha hari-bhakti-parāyanaḥ. By advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he can be raised to the highest plat... So it is the duty of the guide not to engage him in lower class of occupation. Therefore there must be a class of men first-class who can teach the society how to advance in human civilization.

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

So dharma and adharma, that is duality, duality understanding within this material world. In the spiritual world there is no such thing. The dharma and adharma is the same thing because the same source. This to be understood from right sources, right person. Then we can understand. But He comes, Kṛṣṇa comes, out of His causeless mercy to inform us. Not only Kṛṣṇa—many others incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Ṛṣabhadeva. He is also incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. He is explaining Himself. So we should take advantage of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, from the Absolute Truth. Don't speculate. Speculation has no meaning. So we have got this instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gītā. So if we are serious about understanding about God, then we can hear from Him. And whatever He says, whatever He instructs, you take it. Then our life will be successful.

Lecture on SB 5.5.27 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1976:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring him to the right position of consciousness. Consciousness we have got. The more it is covered, dull, it cannot respond. But it can be brought into the proper existence, and the process is hearing, hearing. Go on hearing, hearing. Kṛṣṇa has given us one chance, this ear. If we properly use it... Therefore Vedic knowledge is to be heard, hearing. Listen. It is therefore called śruti. The Vedic instruction has to be gotten from the right person through aural reception.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

(SB 1.2.17)

So this is the process, that we should engage our ear to receive the knowledge, Vedic knowledge, very attentively. And therefore we have to approach to the proper person and inquire and hear. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Not to hear like animal, but paripraśnena sevaya. Then our knowledge will be developed. This is the process.

Lecture on SB 5.5.30 -- Vrndavana, November 17, 1976:

We cannot understand in our present state what is that spirit soul. Although we can perceive that there is something—in the absence of that something, this body is nothing but a lump of matter. That we get experience every day. But we cannot see what is that. Therefore atheist class or the persons with poor fund of knowledge, they deny the existence. They cannot see. But they cannot answer that why the body is no more working, what is that thing which is absent? They have tried to explain in so many ways how that something... But they could not practically explain. We have to understand it by the śruti process, Vedic knowledge. That is real understanding. And understanding from the right person, Kṛṣṇa or His representative. And it has to be understood simply by hearing. There is no other process. You cannot see; it is so small particle. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). So in these material eyes we cannot see even the spiritual spark within the body. How you can see the Supreme Spirit? It is not possible.

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Honolulu, May 10, 1976:

So here the Bhāgavata-kathā, that is transcendental knowledge. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja has approached the right person, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Why? Because he is the disciple and son of Vyāsadeva. So this is paramparā. One should learn from the right person, that is perfect knowledge. We are sticking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because to receive perfect knowledge. If we change, if we become so rascal that "What has spoken in the Vedic literature, there is beyond, something," then we are rascal. There is no beyond. This is perfect knowledge. So how to take perfect knowledge? Tad viddhi. First of all you try to learn. Tad viddhi. How to learn? Where to learn? Praṇipātena, fully surrendered. If you find somebody that he is somebody important where you can surrender fully, from him... Tad viddhi praṇipāta... This is. Our process of Vedic knowledge is how to surrender, not that I hear and I reject it. That is not the way. That is another rascaldom. First of all find out the person where you can surrender.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Nellore, January 8, 1976:

So our, this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are first giving chance to the people in general for hearing. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya, he specially gave stress on this point of hearing. If you hear, then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is never conquered by anyone, but a devotee who is hearing about Him, he can conquer over Him. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, of course, He quoted from Bhāgavatam. Any devotee or bona fide preacher, he does not manufacture anything. He simply follows the previous mahājana. He said, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. One should not try to speculate to understand the Supreme Truth. So we should give up this habit of speculating to understand God. One should become submissive, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva, that very submissive to hear from the right person. So hearing is so important. Therefore our all Vedic literature is called śruti. So the subject matter which is beyond our sense perception, avāṅ-manasā gocaraḥ, that cannot be understood by using our imperfect senses. Now the question is: from whom to hear? So in the śāstra it is said, san-mukharitām: "You have to hear from realized saintly person." It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā,

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

(BG 4.34)

You have to hear from a person who has seen or who has understood the Absolute Truth and who is tat, sad-guru. He must be a devotee of the Lord.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

So you cannot change the words of Bhagavad-gītā. That is foolishness. Anyone who changes the orders and the words of Bhagavad-gītā, they are rascal, they'll not get any benefit. Because you cannot correct Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa says or God says. That is not in your power. So these rascals, they want to interpret, "This is like this, this is this, I think it is this." No. Kṛṣṇa did not leave for you, for your thinking rascally. No. Kṛṣṇa is completely learned. Whatever He has said, it is perfectly in order. You cannot change.

So in this way, we have to hear the right thing from the right person. Then the question will be, "Who is the right person?" So if we cannot select the right person... Right person is paramparā, one who is following the paramparā, he is the right person. Even though you cannot understand actually who is... The śāstra says these are right persons. Who?

svayaṁbhūr nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ

kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ

prahlādo janako bhīṣmo

balir vaiyāsakir vayam

(SB 6.3.20)

This is the statement of Yamarāja, that "I am also considered as one of the authorities," vayam. So here the Yamadūtas say, "We have heard it from our master, Yamarāja; therefore whatever he said is authoritative."

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

Revatīnandana: You said... If these pastimes of rāsa-līlā are only for liberated souls, and yet in Kṛṣṇa book, in Nectar of Devotion, there are some descriptions of pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa...

Prabhupāda: That is very cautiously mentioned. Yes. It had to be given because it is part of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. We cannot avoid it. Therefore it has to be heard from right person. He will be cautious to present the things. Anuśṛṇuyāt. The injunction is one should hear from a person bona fide, anuśṛṇuyāt, not directly. Not directly.

Lecture on SB 7.6.4 -- Vrndavana, December 5, 1975:

So everyone thinks, "To earn money is my first business. That is... And to work for it, that is my first business." But that is forbidden. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this is forbidden. Becau... Why forbidden? Because you cannot get more than what you are destined to get. That is not possible. If by your karma, karma-phala, by result of your karma, if you are to get some happiness, you will get that much, not more than that. So what is the use of endeavoring? Therefore it is said, tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param. Simply waste your time. Suppose you are doing some business and earning money. And if somebody says that "You cannot get more than five hundred rupees per month," then why you'll work so hard? But because they have no information—they do not take consultation from the right person—therefore they are trying uselessly. The human life was meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Instead of using the energy for understanding Kṛṣṇa, they are spoiling the energy unnecessarily to earn money. This is the modern civilization. The whole Western world, how they are spoiling their life unnecessarily. We should be satisfied in the economic position as we are put into.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:

So, even we cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā, the ABCD, Kṛṣṇa says one thing and they make, I mean to say, interpretation in a different way. Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2), mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. They do not believe it. Śrama eva hi kevalam, to such persons the Bhāgavata says,

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed yadi ratiṁ

śrama eva hi kevalam

(SB 1.2.8)

You, you are very religious, performing the ritualistic ceremony very nicely, going to the Ganges and taking your bath, and dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ. Very rightly you are executing your religious principle and coming at home, you are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but you have no faith in Kṛṣṇa. That is useless time, useless waste of time. The Bhāgavata, (says) śrama eva hi kevalam. So this, why this happens? Because these people do not approach the right person, guru. Ādau gurv-āśrayam.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 14, 1976:

One can argue, "No, we can hear hari-kathā from any person, he may be Vaiṣṇava or not Vaiṣṇava. What is the matter?" But Sanātana Goswāmī, "No." So, why it is no? Because it is like sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payaḥ yathā. Milk is very good, nice food, everyone knows, but if the milk is touched by the lips of a snake, it is not to be touched. It is not to be touched. It has become poison. Very good example. Similarly, if we do not hear from the right person, any Vedic literature, especially Bhagavad-gītā because that is the beginning, the sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payaḥ yathā. He may be very big scholar, but because he is avaiṣṇava, not devotee, it has become poison. In our country, we have got so many editions, not only in country, in all, outside the country also. In your country. There are so many hodge-podge interpretation of Bhagavad-gītā, and they are being read and being used for the last two hundred years ago, but there was no effective result. It could not act. But as soon as this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, we have presented and you are reading, so many thousands of thousands, they are becoming devotee.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973:

Real enjoyment is devotion. There is a very practical example. Just like if you get all of a sudden a certain amount of money, say, one hundred rupees note lying on the street, if you get... Or lying here. So if you take it, your conscience will beat, because that does not belong to you. You have picked up. You'll always think, "Oh, I am taking somebody's money. Whose money it was? I'm doing some sinful." In this way, your mind will disturb. So that is the taking. And similarly, if you don't take, if you leave it there, then you'll also be disturbed. You'll think, "Somebody has left this money here. So I did not collect it. Somebody will collect it, and he'll take it away. This is not nice." The best thing is that you pick it up and, if you deliver to the person who has lost the money or who has left that money. Three things. The one thing is bhoga, if you take yourself. And if you don't take, that is tyāga. And if you pick it up and deliver to the right person, that is devotion.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.106-107 -- San Francisco, February 13, 1967:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not an artificial thing, that we have manufactured some ideas and advertising that we are Kṛṣṇa conscious. No. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means just as an obedient citizen of the state, he's always conscious of the state's supremacy, similarly, a person who is always conscious of the supremacy of God, or Kṛṣṇa, he is called Kṛṣṇa conscious. He's called Kṛṣṇa conscious. And if we say that "Why should we become Kṛṣṇa conscious?" if you do not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you become criminal. You become sinful. You have to suffer. The laws of nature is so strong that it will not let you go without suffering. As the state laws are so stringent that if you commit some criminal thing... Simply by keeping marijuana and LSD you are still immediately arrested. You see. So what so speak of using them. (laughs) You see. So this is to be known. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we should not violate. And whatever, everything is there, whatever is spoken... Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants to stress on this point, that nobody can interpret that, in the, either in Bible or Vedānta-sūtra or Koran. That is the principle. You cannot make any change. If you do not understand, then you go to the right person.

Who is the right person? That right person who is receiving the knowledge by the paramparā system. Not the right person like Dr. Radhakrishnan, because he's very much educated and world-famous, oh, a philosopher, therefore he's the right person. No. He's not the right person. The right person is... He may be a illiterate person, but if he follows the guru-paramparā, the disciplic succession, he's the right person. He's the right person. He may be illiterate.

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

We must approach a bona fide guru for enlightenment. And samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyam: one who has received knowledge by hearing, not by speculating. Nowadays it has become a fashion to speculate. The Vedic injunction is, "No. By hearing." You have to approach the right person and hear. Therefore the whole Vedic literature is called śruti. One has to learn very intelligently by hearing from the authority. The same example we find in Bhagavad-gītā. In the battlefield, where time is very valuable, still, Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is instructing, and Arjuna is hearing. So this hearing process is our Vedic process. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, according to, of course, Vedic injunction: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You haven't got to change your position. It is not necessary that you have to take sannyāsa from gṛhastha life, you have to give up your occupation. No. That is not very important thing.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- New York, November 22, 1966:

It is the duty of the spiritual master to select a disciple, and at the same time it is the duty of the disciple to select a spiritual master. Now the selection is very nice. Sanātana Gosvāmī is the right person to understand the science of devotional service, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the right person to give lesson to the disciple about this science. So He says, yogya-pātra: "You are just the proper person to understand this science of devotion." Now, krame saba tattva śuna, kahiye tomāte: "Now I shall gradually explain to you about this devotional service, and you'll understand."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.104 -- New York, July 10, 1976:

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to give people right knowledge. Don't think that it is a sentimental so-called religious movement. But you come to the right conclusion to the spiritual platform by this easiest method introduced by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Chant the holy name of the Lord and your... Because misunderstanding means because we have so many dirty things accumulated on the heart for many, many lives. Beginning from aquatics, then plant life, the trees' life, the insect life, in this way, now we have come a life of enlightenment. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now we should inquire. That is, Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us that go to the proper spiritual master. He has come. He is not ordinary man, he is minister, so he cannot go to a cheater, to a bluffer. He has selected the right person, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures

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

So this Brahma-saṁhitā describes about Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā is mahājana. I've already told you: mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). So in the śāstras, twelve mahājanas are accepted:

svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ

kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ

prahlādo janako bhīṣmo

balir vaiyāsakir vayam

(SB 6.3.20)

This was explained by Yamarāja to his servants, that these are mahājanas. Who? Svayambhūr, Brahmā. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ. And Śambhuḥ, Lord Śiva. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kumāraḥ. The Kumāras, the four Kumāras; Kapila, Kapiladeva, Lord Kapila. Manu, Svāyambhuva Manu. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, accepted this: imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāhur (BG 4.1). This Manu. So in this way, we have to approach the right person, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2), who is coming in the line of Brahmā, who is coming in the line of Lord Śiva, in the line of Nārada. In this way, we have to accept a guru from the disciplic succession which is called paramparā, guru-paramparā. Then we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise not.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

So anyway, it was Kṛṣṇa's grace. I would not go, but their point of view was that unless I certify that sādhu, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he'll not be accepted. Therefore he dragged me. So I went to see Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura on that day. On the first meeting, just we offer our obeisances. It is the practice. So immediately he began his talking that "You are all educated young men. Why don't you take up Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult and preach all over the English knowing public? Why don't you take up this matter?" So I argued with him in so many... At that time I was nationalist. So I told that "Who will accept our message? We are dependent nation. Nobody will care." In this way, in my own way, in these younger days... But we belonged to the Vaiṣṇava family, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda, Rādhā-Govinda. That is our worshipable Deity. So I was very glad that "Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa cult, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult, this sādhu is trying to preach. It is very nice."

So at that time we had some talks, and of course I was defeated by his argument, my argument. (laughter) And then, when we came out, we were offered prasādam, very nice treatment, the Gauḍīya Matha. And when I came out on the street, this my friend asked me, "What is your opinion of this sādhu?" Then I said that "Here is the right person who has taken up Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message, and now it will be distributed."

General Lectures

Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 20, 1971:

We have to accept things which is accepted by authorities. That is our education. We go to teacher. We go to school. We learn from father, mother. They're all authorities. And our nature is to learn... "Father, what is this?" in childhood. Father says, "This is this, pen. This is spectacle. This is table." So he learns from father, mother, "This is table. This is spectacle. This is pen. This is this. She is my sister. She (He) is my brother." So similarly, if we get information from the authority, and if the authority is not a cheater, then our knowledge is perfect, and very easy. Just like father, mother, never cheats. When the son inquires from the parent, the parent gives exact information, right information. Similarly, if we get right information from the right person, that is perfect knowledge. If you want to reach to the conclusion by speculation, that is imperfect, inductive process. That will never become perfect. It will remain imperfect for all the time. So we get information from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore whatever we speak, that is perfect because we don't speak anything which is not spoken by Kṛṣṇa or authorities who have accepted Kṛṣṇa. That is called disciplic succession. So our process is, process of acquiring knowledge, is very easy and perfect. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We cannot say anything which is not accepted by the authorities coming from Kṛṣṇa.

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

So as a human being, we have got this privilege, to understand, to go to the right person to take the meaning. 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 Arthur Schopenhauer:

Prabhupāda: Hitler's plan, Nazism, in so many ways, māyā has broke it into pieces. The Britishers, they also found the British empire, and māyā broke it. Roman empire... So, this frustration. But we are so fooled that in spite of repeated frustration, we are still trying to do the same thing. That is explained in the Bhāgavata, punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30), chewing the chewed. Chewing the chewed. He has been frustrated in so many ways, in sexual life, divorce this wife, again another accept, another wife. So what is the another wife? The same thing, sex, but he is making he is (indistinct): "Now again another." That is very nicely experienced in your country. In a year, three times divorce, three times accepting. That is named carvita-carvaṇānām, chewing the chewed. He should have experienced that "I am changing, but what is the change? The same sex life. So what is the use of changing?" But he has no intelligence. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). His business has become like that.

Śyāmasundara: He says that because there is no end to our striving...

Prabhupāda: There is end, provided... We can end everything, all these miscalculations, provided he goes to the right person. But that he will not go. He will become self-made philosopher. He will not accept guru.

Śyāmasundara: So because of that, there is no measure for his suffering.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Edmund Husserl:

Prabhupāda: Everyone is (indistinct) idea: "This is also good, this is also good, this is also good." We say only, only Kṛṣṇa good. We are the only community in the whole world. Because we know. That is the difference. One who does not know, he'll say, "This is also good, this is also good." That means he does not know what is good. Just like one who does not know which one is stone and which one is glass, imitation, glass. But one who knows, "Oh, this is real diamond, and this is only glass, polished glass..." So to distinguish these, what is genuine, which is false, you must have to go to the perfect person who knows it. The inquiry is there. That will lead you. When you ask somebody, "Which one is real?" and then you have to go, you go to such person, you go to the jeweler. Therefore your inquiry will take you to the right person if you are seriously inquisitive.

Devotee: Yes. You must be serious.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you are seeing (indistinct). If you are serious, then that will do, send you to the right person. But that inquiry is there. That is intuition. "I want to know. I want to know."

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Henry Huxley:

Prabhupāda: Darwin, he is all through. Everyone is more or less. Unless one has got the right knowledge... Why Darwin? Everyone is under false impression. Therefore our proposition is that you take right knowledge from the right person, Kṛṣṇa, then you are perfect. And if you go on speculating—you speculate in one way, I speculate in another way—it does not mean that we are intelligent person.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 26, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Hmm? Hmm? Knowledge means culture. Just like we were discussing. This is the process of knowledge: inquiry from right person and take the answer. That is knowledge. Just like a child takes knowledge from his father: "Father, what is this?" He gives knowledge. So you must inquire rightly from the right person. Then you get knowledge. This is the process of knowledge.

Brahmānanda: The child also has faith.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Brahmānanda: The child also have faith in the father, that the father will give him the proper answer.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Faith or no faith. Child does not know that he has got faith, but naturally he's asking father. That is the natural source of knowledge. When you approach the right person, you may have faith or no faith, you get the right knowledge. It doesn't matter. Just like fire. If it is real fire, you touch it, it will act. You know or do not know. It doesn't matter.

Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:

Lord Brockway: I would rather have people make mistakes when they had self-government than if you had a dictatorship which didn't make mistakes and imposed it's own...

Prabhupāda: No, but my proposition is that they should not commit, either the king or the elected person should not commit mistake. But if you try to educate the mass of people to become educated to elect the right person, that is very difficult. But if a king, a person, is educated nicely, that is easier. That is my point of view.

Morning Walk -- December 7, 1973, Los Angeles:

Bali Mardana: If someone is actually sincere, can he be cheated or will he always get a bona fide guru?

Prabhupāda: No, if he is sincere he'll get. Yes. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Guru and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is within you. As soon as He sees that you are sincere, He'll give you the right person.

Morning Walk -- December 7, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Rascal means that... You know the story, that Kālidāsa, a great poet, he was a great rascal. So... It is a long story. So he was sitting on the branch of a tree and cutting. So some gentleman: "Why you are cutting? You'll fall down." "No, no, I'll not fall down." But when he fell down, then he went to that gentleman, "How did you know, sir, that I shall fall down?" Then they concluded, "Here is a rascal number one." (laughter) "Here is a rascal number one." They do not know that they are going to hell. That is rascaldom. By their so-called scientific advancement, philosophy, education, they are going to hell. That they do not know. Therefore they are rascals. Therefore they are rascals. This is the definition of rascaldom: one who does not know where he is going. If somebody goes in this way straight, and you say "Don't go!" "No! Why shall I not go?" He's rascal. (laughter) He's rascal. And the another rascal, "Yes, yes, you can go, it is all right." Yata mata tata patha. "As many ways you manufacture, it is all right. You can go this way." He's another rascal. This is going on.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: How do we bring them to their senses?

Prabhupāda: This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Be Kṛṣṇa conscious and everything will be solved. How we are speaking? Because we have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti, as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, all this māyā, misconception, will go. You'll become right person, in knowledge. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become perfect man. Because there is guidance, the perfect guidance, so he becomes perfect.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 7, 1974, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: (break) (Bengali) Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance. Do this. (break) ...and for constructing four buildings like that. (break) Kṛṣṇa took part in politics. So what is His politics? What is His sociology? What is His culture?

Guest: Support the right minority?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guest: Support the right minority?

Prabhupāda: There is no question of minority. Support the right person. Kṛṣṇa supported Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira in place of Duryodhana. So formerly it was monarchy. That is perfect politics. This democracy is useless. It has proved. One man, the king, he should be properly educated how to rule, what is the aim of ruling, how the people will be, I mean to say, culturally elevated, what is that culture. (break) There was a consulting board of learned brāhmaṇas and saintly persons. They would advise the monarch how to rule.

Morning Walk -- March 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I don't make any compromise with these rascals. No words. No, no. I never made that. Even if I don't get any disciples, I'll be satisfied. But I can't make any compromise like these rascals. I cannot make. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tārā sahasrasaḥ. If I create one moon, that is sufficient. I don't want many stars. That was my Guru Mahārāja's principle, and that is my principle. What is the use of having number of fools and rascals? If one man understands rightly, he can deliver the whole world. (break)

Guest (3): Do you mean the other persons...?

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. Own one who cannot understand rightly. That is another rascaldom.

Dr. Patel: Understanding God is always supraconscious with them. Never by the mind.

Prabhupāda: They... One has to rise, rise... understand rightly from the right person. He cannot. He's imperfect. How he can understand rightly?

Room Conversations -- September 11, 1974, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: Sometimes we are criticized. They say, "Oh, you say you can solve all problems. That is utopian, that is..."

Prabhupāda: Not utopian. You do not know. Because just like when you are diseased, there is problem. So to solve that problem, where do you go? Hm?

Brahmānanda: To the doctor.

Prabhupāda: To the qualified physician, not to the storekeeper. Similarly, first thing is, when you want to solve the problem, you must go to the right person. First of all you have to select. So we understand that Kṛṣṇa is the right person. So therefore, it is guaranteed. He knows everything. Others, they do not know. May know to some extent, not perfect. The first thing is that we have to select from whom. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In Vedas it is stated in order to solve the problem or to understand the situation, you should go to the guru. So who can be better than Kṛṣṇa as guru?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, other Guests and Disciples -- February 12, 1975, Mexico:

Prabhupāda: Soul is eternal. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. It does not die, it does not take birth, but because he is in material condition, therefore he has to change the material body because no material thing is permanent. Therefore the aim of life should be how to avoid this material body. That is real business. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That is called athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is only business, how to stop acceptance of this material body. And that is very clearly and simply stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ yo janāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). We can do that. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you are not going to accept any more material body. That means there is no more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more, and what is called, old age.

Guest (4): But is it possible to lead the life of a gṛhastha and at the same time think of that?

Prabhupāda: Well, Arjuna was gṛhastha and a king and a politician. If he could learn within half an hour the aim of life, then where is the difficulty for a gṛhastha? Arjuna was not a sannyāsī. So it was spoken to him only, and Kṛṣṇa selected that "You are the right person." So there is no question of gṛhastha, sannyāsī. The person must be right to understand.

Interview with a German Girl and Assorted Devotees -- March 30, 1975, Mayapur:

Guest (2): A lot of people in... Before I came to your temple in Toronto, in our family nobody is eating any meat. When I went West, I got it some, this point, and I was misguided by the different philosophies. So lot of misguiding and misled...

Prabhupāda: That is my rascaldom. Why I shall be misguided? I must know who is the right person.

Conversation with Devotees on Theology -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:

Brahmānanda: They say that God's name is so pure and we are so impure that to utter His name is to make it impure.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: Is blasphemy.

Acyutānanda: No, I heard the explanation that a nonbeliever should not know it.

Prabhupāda: That is all right.

Acyutānanda: So they don't say it out loud.

Prabhupāda: No, when we come to argument that... We are supposed to be all believers in God. We are not nonbelievers. We simply want to ascertain who is that God. We are not nonbelievers. Then some persons who believe in God come together so to ascertain who is God. So just like when we come to a meeting to elect a president, so they are not nonbelievers. They are not nonbelievers. As there are so many personalities, candidate for president, now who is the right person to become the president? That is wanted. To the nonbelievers, he has no access. About discussion in God he has no access. When we discuss about God, it is supposed they are all believers. So if you say... Just like we are holding meeting to ascertain... There are so many names of God. Now we ascertain who is real God. God means there should be no more above Him. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). That is God.

Morning Walk -- May 19, 1975, Melbourne:

Madhudviṣa: In other books, Śrīla Prabhupāda, it says things and then in time you can see them, you can substantiate them. But some of the descriptions in the Bhāgavatam are so fantastic that people, I mean, its very difficult for people to even...

Prabhupāda: Therefore you have to believe only. You have to accept what Bhāgavata says. That is your business. Not to try to make an experiment. That is not possible. It is already experimented, and the mature knowledge is stated there. You have to accept, that's all. Śruti-pramāṇa. Śruti means Vedas. Evidence... Vedic literature there are three kinds of evidences. The most powerful evidence is śruti. If it is stated in the Vedas, that is first-class evidence. Therefore whatever we say, immediately quote some Vedic version, that is the way of understanding. Kṛṣṇa says, Vyāsadeva says, Parāśara says, that's all. We don't require much proof. This is the first-class proof, when you find the statement corroborated by the Vedas. And śruti, smṛti. Smṛti means literature written according to the Vedic version. Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi (Brs. 1.2.101). Purāṇādi is itihāsa, history. And another pramāṇa is anumāna. And anumāna means "by right person." Thinking that it may be like this, anumāna. That is called anumāna.

Morning Walk -- November 26, 1975, New Delhi:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...religion, we say "cheating religion." We don't accept sentimentally.

Harikeśa: Well, the sentiment is the faith. The dictionary definition, sentimentalism is the faith.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Faith is good, provided you have faith on the superior. That is good.

Harikeśa: So faith in knowledge.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Knowledge means received from the superior. Like the child gets knowledge from the father. That kind of faith is required. If the child does not believe the statement of father and mother, he cannot make any progress. If the child does not believe the statement of mother, he does not know who is his father. So there must be faith, faith in the right person. Then it is all right. If you have got faith in the person who has got eyes to lead you, then he will help you to cross the road. And if you put your faith to another blind man like you, then it will cause disaster. Faith is required, but to the right person. Then it will be all right. You know that one barber is honest: then you can make your neck like this and he is with a sharpened razor. But you have faith that "He will not cut my throat; he will shave me." This is faith. And if you do not know him and if you put your neck like this and if he is a rogue, he will cut your throat. That's all. The same faith, if you put it to the right person, you become cleansed, shaved, and the same faith put in the wrong person—your throat is cut off. So you must know where to put the faith. So our Vedic injunction is: "Put your faith to the brahma-nistam, one who is God-realized." Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-paniḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭam: (MU 1.2.12) "One who has full knowledge in the Vedas and firmly fixed up in Brahman, God, you put your faith there." Otherwise there will be disaster. Right faith.

Morning Walk -- November 26, 1975, New Delhi:

Akṣayānanda: They must have more faith in you now in India because they're giving us two-year visa. Faith must be improving...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Akṣayānanda: ...in the right person.

Prabhupāda: They should have that knowledge, that we are doing the best service to the humanity. It is better late than never. (break) ...position so they may not lose their faith.

Akṣayānanda: Position should be pure.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- December 10, 1975, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Out of many millions of persons one can understand Kṛṣṇa. Then what is the use of saying this? If it is so easy to understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is doing, what for He is doing, then everyone could understand Kṛṣṇa. Then what is the use of saying, manuṣyāṇā sahasreṣu? This requires intelligence.

Indian man: Bahūnā janmanām.

Prabhupāda: Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā: (BG 4.34) "One who knows, go and understand from them, from the guru." Don't make your interpretation, rascal. You shall remain always a rascal. Then what is the use of all these verses? If it is so easy to understand Kṛṣṇa then why Kṛṣṇa says, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevaya: "Then you will understand. Go to the right person who has seen."

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 26, 1976, Delhi:

Guru dāsa: Is it more natural for someone else to enjoy or for ourselves to enjoy?

Prabhupāda: No, it is personal, our. You are desiring something, and you get the opportunity.

Guru dāsa: So then to love Kṛṣṇa is unnatural?

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, that is natural and everything else unnatural. The principle of loving Kṛṣṇa is distributed in so many ways. Instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, loving so many nonsense things, and we are becoming implicated. The principle is love, but instead of loving the right person, you are loving so many things.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...come Sunday easily. Charge them.... You know like in Los Angeles, we used to charge a dollar a...

Prabhupāda: The loan will be clear very soon.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. They have a.... They are very expert at financing now, these, the men who are in charge now. They're claiming that within two or three months all of the debt will be completely cleared. They have a plan, very easy.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) He is the right person.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri:

kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ

pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ

yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me

śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam

(BG 2.7)

"Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking you to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am your disciple and a soul surrendered unto you. Please instruct me."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So therefore guru is necessary. Everyone is perplexed. Nobody can decide himself. Even a physician, a medical man, when he is sick, he does not make his own treatment. He calls for another physician because he is sick, his brain is not in order. How he can prescribe the real medicine for himself? That is natural. So similarly, when we are perplexed, bewildered, we cannot make any solution, at that time the right person, guru, is required. It is essential. You cannot avoid it. So in our present existence we are all perplexed. Arjuna is representating the perplexed position of the materialistic person. And we are actually all perplexed. So under the circumstances, to give us real direction a guru is required. Now, here is the example that Arjuna decided Kṛṣṇa as guru. He did not go to anyone else to accept as guru. The explanation is there. Find out. Na hi prapaśyāmi. "Without you I don't find anybody..."

Arrival Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Vipina: Our distributors were in the airport not long ago, and they distributed a book to a man who has just recently written a book called The Fourth Kingdom. And he stopped off to visit our temple and talk with us because he was impressed with the devotees and the literature, and he would like to come and speak to you.

Prabhupāda: You have arranged some engagement?

Vipina: Yes. If it's all right with you, he'll come. He's very nice, but he has some mixed-up ideas.

Prabhupāda: Everyone has mixed-up ideas because nobody is properly trained up. Some ideas they have got, some inquiries they have got. But unless one comes to the right person, he cannot be enlightened. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Therefore one must approach the proper guru.

Rūpānuga: Everyone has accepted the wrong authority. Everyone has accepted the wrong authority.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because he's misled by sense gratification, so even he approaches a guru, if the guru cannot satisfy his senses, he doesn't like. Because he's under the subjugation of senses, he expects that guru also will satisfy his senses, then he is guru. If guru says something against his sense gratification, "Ah, he is not guru." (laughs) Guru also must be a person who can satisfy your senses. This is his sense gratification.

Morning Walk -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Guest (2): Why do you say we are not very much liked? The movement is spreading.

Prabhupāda: Because we are fools.

Guest (2): But the movement is spreading, I am saying. I Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is spreading.

Prabhupāda: Movement will spread, undoubtedly, because it is genuine.

Guest (2): It is spreading because we are liked.

Guest (1): No, sir, there you are also correct. I would say this, that these American boys and young girls who have come here, because this, our mind is conditioned into inferiority complex or slave-minded person, everything which is adopted there must be...

Prabhupāda: No, we are also slaves, but we are slave of the right person.

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Indian lady: Why don't they teach this in our schools and colleges?

Prabhupāda: Because they won't take it. They'll take this unauthorized interpretation.

Indian lady: I remember, I come from Sindh, and before partition, we were taught all these religious books in our school. But now...

Prabhupāda: Simply reading will not do. You have to learn from the right person.

Indian lady: By reading, reading, we learn.

Prabhupāda: No, if you read as it is, then you will be benefited. But if you read these rubbish commentaries, then (speaks to another man) You inquired about that land? He wants to avoid the land.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Hari-śauri: One cannot say that he does not believe in the power of the state.

Prabhupāda: Then that is not leadership. That is misleader. These are very intelligent questions, nice. King means he has to see that the citizens are doing nicely, and that is king's duty.

Bhāgavata: The king is like a father.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is stated. Lord Rāmacandra treated His subjects as sons and they also treated Lord Rāmacandra as father. That is the relationship between the citizens and the king-father and son.

Bhāgavata: The chastisement that the king gives...

Prabhupāda: That is out of love.

Bhāgavata: Out of love.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not by enviousness. Chastisement means correction. He's in the wrong way; he is corrected to the right way. So gradually you have to take the power of the king to correct the whole human society. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). That is Kṛṣṇa's business, to give protection to the right person and to chastise the wrong person, two things required, side by side. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. And dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. Three, another. By chastising the wrongdoer and by giving protection to the right man, and then establish what is real religion. And then Kṛṣṇa's mission, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is perfect. Three things: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya yuge yuge sambhavāmi. This is Kṛṣṇa's business. (break) ...Bhagavad-gītā, everything will be nice, everything.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (Hindi) (Indian enters) (Hindi conversation) So I am asking, you going to Delhi. (Hindi) You are the right person.

Room Conversation about Harijanas -- April 10, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The article ends by saying, "Let harijanas be their own pathfinders and let them lead themselves from darkness to light, from pain to pleasure."

Prabhupāda: That you do not know. Otherwise you would have done it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "And from a living hell to tranquillity and joy of life."

Prabhupāda: You do not know how to do it. Otherwise you had done it. You do not know the way. We can teach you. So cooperate with us; we shall fulfill your ambition. That's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll have to work on this. It will take a little time to write nicely.

Prabhupāda: Hm. No, no.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There is no rush, I think, because...

Prabhupāda: We are willing to help them. And we are the only right persons who can help them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's for sure.

Prabhupāda: Nobody knows. If he is serious, let him come and talk with us.

Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Everyone is prejudiced. But who is rightly prejudiced who is wrongly prejudiced. That is everywhere. Just like materialistic person will think, "Brainwash. These rascals, they have given all up material enjoyment, and after some phantasmagoria they sacrifice everything. Brainwash." And we are thinking, "Oh, these rascals, got this human form of body, he did not understand what is spiritual life." Both of them—he is rascal and he is rascal. This is going on. Yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī. Is it not? They say, "Brainwash. Unnecessarily they've sacrificed everything." And we say that he got the human form and unnecessarily he is working like cats and...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Both are saying the same thing. Obvious.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now who is correct? Who will decide? I accuse you, you accuse me. But who is correct? Who will decide? That is śāstra. There is no question of argument. That is called pratiṣṭhā. You will never come to any conclusion by arguing. I think you are wrong, you think I am wrong. Somebody must decide. Judge. And that is śāstra.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Supposing they say...

Prabhupāda: They say, we are saying so many things. In the court there are two parties. I say something, another party says. The judge is there. He has now decision.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then they'll ask for the verse to prove it, and we must quote the correct śloka to substantiate our claim.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That the judge gives. Judges according to lawbook. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). So we have to approach the right person who can give the judgment. What is their answer about this, that by chemical combination they cannot produce life? Still why they are insisting?

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Seth Mangumal Amarsingh -- Bombay 24 July, 1958:

The present Vrindaban city is the excavation of the six Gosvamis headed by Srila Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis who were deputed by Lord Caitanya to re-establish the Bhakti cult and inexecution of the order of Lord Caitanya the six Gosvamis lived there made a vast research in the Sastras and left behind them a vast literatures of pure Bhakti cult to be broadcast all over the world by later Acaryas. As such my Spiritual Master Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami Maharaja made a great effort to execute the order of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and we were fortunate enough to meet Him for service. Apart from his various uncommon activities in the line, He was kind enough to order me to propage the same cult in English language to preach the cult in the foreign countries and in obedience to His order I am trying to do my bit. What I have done so far will be spoken by the enclosed papers. But I am practically struggling very hard for this job without any tangible success till Sri Sanjib Banerji has told me that you are the right person to co-operate with me in this noble task for propagating the Bhakti cult and combined in the message of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta.

1966 Correspondence

Letter to Tirtha Maharaja -- New York 4 February, 1966:

Kindly accept my humble dandabats, I am in due receipt of your kind letter of the 1st instant and I am glad to note that you will get the Exchange sanction on receipt of the letter of the donor. The donor is a big business magnet of India and as required by you I am enclosing here with the letter of Sri Padampat Singhania of the J.K. Organizations, Kamla Tower, Kanpur dated 14th January 1966 which will speak for itself. I think you may also know the gentleman and he is competent to spend any amount for a nice temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna in New York. The Singhania family is traditionally devotees of Dvarakadhisa and therefore they are the right persons to take up this transcendental service of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada wanted such temples in foreign countries such New York, London, Tokyo, etc and I had personal talks with him when I first met Himat Ultadingi in 1922. Now here is a chance for me to carry put His transcendental Order and because you are Srila Prabhupada's foremost and favorite disciple and actually engaged in His service, I am just seeking your favor and mercy in making this attempt successful. Everything is ready namely the house is ready, the donor is ready and my humble service on the spot is also ready. Now you are to give the finishing touch because you are most affectionate disciple of His Divine Grace. I think Srila Prabhupada wants that in this great attempt by my humble self your valued service may also be dovetailed.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Rayarama -- San Francisco 31 December, 1967:

Please accept my blessings. My joy has no bounds when I received your calendar so nicely imagined. Now I think Krishna has selected the right person for our propaganda department—Sriman Rayarama Brahmacari! A sincere worker is always recognized by Krishna. I do not know how shall I thank you, but I am confident of my future hopes in the sincere students like you, Brahmananda and others; & now if I die I will die blissful, the work will go on.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Daniel -- Montreal 22 August, 1968:

I am so much thankful to you for your good wishes, and your realization that you are the eternal servant of Krishna. It is the primary understanding of our constitutional position. Actually, we are servant, but in the conditioned state, every one of us posing as the master. The sooner we forget that we are not master, we are servant; and if even though we are not inclined to serve Krishna, we have to become the servant of our senses. So the sooner we realize this fact, that our constitutional position is servant, that means we are liberated. Liberation means to be situated in one's original position. Just like a man suffering from fever, so relief from fever means to be situated in normal condition. So service is our normal condition, but this service being misplaced, we are not happy but as soon as the service is placed to the right person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, everything becomes happy and successful.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Joel Chalson -- Los Angeles 22 July, 1969:

I thank you very much for your contribution of $200. From your previous letter as well as this letter it appears that you are the right person to grasp the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness, and you have got good association of the devotees in New York.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Atreya Rsi -- London 20 August, 1971:

Krishna Consciousness factually makes progress on the willingness of the individual living entity. It is said by Rupa Goswami that one who is with strong inclination to serve the Lord by his life, work, mind and words, such a person immediately becomes liberated never mind in whatever position he is situated in this lifetime. In Srimad-Bhagavatam also the same thing is confirmed that liberation means to be situated in one's own constitutional position. Our constitutional position is to render service to somebody else. Everyone in this material world is rendering service to somebody else. Sometimes merchantile firms advertise "service is our business." So that is the constitutional position of every living entity but in the material condition of life they have forgotten where to render service or they do not know where this service attitude can be fulfilled properly. As such in Krishna Consciousness a person becomes perfect because he renders service to the right person, Krishna and thus he is satisfied fully.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Sydney 2 April, 1972:

I am very much pleased to hear from Mandali Bhadra that so many BTG's in German language are being printed and distributed by you, and also that you have opened so many centers in Germany. You are the right person to control over Germany, so Krishna will give you strength, and I'm sure you will be successful. Your German blood injected with KC drug will do tremendous good to the German people.

Letter to Puri Maharaj -- Sydney 8 April, 1972:

You have requested me in your letter to consider for purchasing another house. But there is one difficulty, because the present administration of Jagannath Puri sometimes do not allow us to enter the temple. Of course, for our vaisnavas this discrimination is spiritually illegal: Arche siladhi gurusu navamati vaisnave janavate: if one is dressed in vaisnava dress, according to vaisnava law, if he is considered not a vaisnava, then that is a hellish condition. You know this also. So I think so long Viswanath Das, Chief Minister of Orissa, is there, he should pass some law to help us. Viswanath Das knows everything, he can pass an act to allow foreign disciples into Jagannath Puri. Many hundreds of foreign disciples will be coming to India in the near future, and already we have got nearly 100 men there, so it is a great opportunity for the administrative officials of Puri to increase the fame and prosperity of Jagannath Puri all over the world, and it will be their misfortune if so many qualified devotees of the Lord are not allowed into the temple, simply because they have taken their birth in a faraway place. So if you are able to do something, and approach the right persons like Mr. Viswanath then we shall be free to have our center in Puri.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Honolulu 13 May, 1972:

So I am very much encouraged by your letters, and I am confident I have entrusted this Vrindaban project, which is one of the most important of our this ISKCON, to the right persons, namely, yourself, your good wife, Yamuna devi, and Ksirodakasayi Prabhu. So kindly offer the others my blessings.

Letter to Andrew Parco -- San Francisco Calif. 7 October, 1972:

I beg to thank you for your letter dated Oct. 4. 1972. If you are actually very much eager to search out God, you should know that logic and argument cannot help you because the opposing elements may be better logicians and may convert your decision by better logical arguments. So far books are concerned, they are differently described for different types of men and a philosopher. So we cannot decide either from the books or by philosophical speculation or by argument and logic. So the best thing is that you find out yourself who you think is the right person in the matter of science of God.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Upendra -- Mayapur 18 February, 1976:

It is nice to hear that your ministers visa is being processed. In the meantime you can just wait. You will be the right person to be in charge of the temple. Krishna is giving you time for being perfectly trained up.

Letter to Punjabi Premanand -- Bombay 16 April, 1976:

Concerning your questions: Yes, it will help to read Bhagavad-gita but to have to hear from the realized person. Without the help of guru, if you read independently, you may be misguided. Therefore, so many politicians, scholars, etc. not being guided by the parampara system, have simply misled the public. The Bhagavad-gita is the standard book of knowledge in India and many eminent persons like Gandhi, Aurobindo, Dr. RadhaKrishnan, etc. they tried to understand the Bhagavad-gita, but could not do it. They were themselves misled and on account of their big position they misled so many followers. Our system, the Vedic system, is to approach the right person and hear from him exactly as Arjuna listened from Krishna. Mental speculation will not help. Hearing is the main point. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is written, dharmaksetre kuruksetre . . . when you hear from a realized soul, a person who knows things, he'll explain that Kuruksetra is a place where religious ritualistic ceremonies are performed from time immemorial, from the time before the Battle of Kuruksetra. But, if you read the books of some cunning politician, he'll mislead you and you'll learn that Kuruksetra means this body which is not actually the fact. That is the difference, hearing from devotees, the sound vibration coming from the realized person. Reading the book is the same thing . . . tattva-darsana—hearing from one who has seen the truth. Reading or hearing from the realized person there is no difference, but hearing the sound vibration from the realized soul is still more effective, better.