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Slay (Lect, Conv. & Letters)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974:

So this was a discussion between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So the subject of discussion was that although the battle was declared, Arjuna, when he actually found that "On the other side there are my relatives," how he could slay them? Kṛṣṇa advised that "Everyone must execute his prescribed duty without consideration of any personal loss or gain." According to Vedic civilization, there are four divisions of the society. Everywhere the same divisions are there all over the world. This is very natural. Just like we can study from our own body, there is head, there is arm, there is belly, and there is leg, similarly, in the society there must be a class of men who should be considered as brain, another class of men should be there who will protect the society from danger, another class of men will be expert in producing food grains and give protection to the cows and make trade, so. And the rest class of men, namely who cannot work as brain neither can work as protector from danger, nor they can produce food grains or give protection to the cows, they are called śūdras—as you cannot avoid, to make your body complete, the brain department, the arms department, the belly department and the walking or working department.

So Arjuna belonged to the group of men who was meant for giving protection to the society. So when he was declining to fight, Arjuna, when he was declining to fight, at that time Kṛṣṇa gave him advice that "It is your duty to fight."

Lecture on BG 2.1-5 -- Germany, June 16, 1974:

So this was a discussion between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So the subject of discussion was that although the battle was declared, Arjuna, when he actually found that "On the other side there are my relatives," how he could slay them? Kṛṣṇa advised that "Everyone must execute his prescribed duty without consideration of any personal loss or gain." According to Vedic civilization, there are four divisions of the society. Everywhere the same divisions are there all over the world. This is very natural. Just like we can study from our own body, there is head, there is arm, there is belly, and there is leg, similarly, in the society there must be a class of men who should be considered as brain, another class of men should be there who will protect the society from danger, another class of men will be expert in producing food grains and give protection to the cows and make trade, so.

Lecture on BG 2.19 -- London, August 25, 1973:

Pradyumna: "He who thinks that the living entity is the slayer or that he is slain does not understand. One who is in knowledge knows that the self slays not nor is slain."

Prabhupāda:

ya enaṁ vetti hantāraṁ
yaś cainaṁ manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijānīto
nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate
(BG 2.19)
na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
(BG 2.20)

"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Viṣṇujana: "Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is subject to destruction (BG 2.18). He who thinks that the living entity is the slayer or that the entity is slain does not understand. One who is in knowledge knows that the self slays not nor is slain (BG 2.19)."

Prabhupāda: Then next?

Viṣṇujana: 20: "For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain (BG 2.20)."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because eternal, therefore how it can be slain? So soul is never slain. The body is slain. Then?

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Devotee: 30: "O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature (BG 2.30)."

Prabhupāda: Now, after putting forward all definitions and arguments from different angles of vision, of different philosophers, thesis, now Kṛṣṇa concludes, "My dear Arjuna, take it for certain that the soul within is eternal." So because we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if we do not understand what is the constitutional position of the soul, here, because Kṛṣṇa says, we should accept it. This is called paramparā. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2), disciplic succession. What does He say? Yes. The same verse repeat.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Prabhupāda: "He who dwells within this body is eternal." Then?

Devotee: "...and can never be slain."

Prabhupāda: "And can never be slain." Because it is already described that soul cannot be burned, soul cannot be moistened, soul cannot be dried up, soul cannot be killed, soul cannot be cut into pieces. So many things. Just opposite of matter. Any material thing you take, even stone, iron, it can be burned, it can be cut into pieces, it can dry up, and so many things, all applicable to the matter. But so far the spirit soul is concerned, it is just the opposite. Therefore the conclusion is there, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Even after this body is annihilated the soul remains eternal.

Lecture on BG 2.30 -- London, August 31, 1973:

Devotee:

dehī nityam avadhyo 'yaṁ
dehe sarvasya bhārata
tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāni
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi
(BG 2.28)

"O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature."

Prabhupāda: Dehī nityam avadhyo 'yaṁ dehe sarvasya bhārata. Dehe, dehe means body, within the body. This topic began, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). Deha, dehī. Dehī means one who possesses the body. Just like guṇī. Āsthate in prata.(?) The grammatical. Guṇa, in, deha, in, in prata.(?) Dehin śabda. So the nominative case of dehin śabda is dehī. Dehī nityam, eternal. In so many ways, Kṛṣṇa has explained. Nityam, eternal. Indestructible, immutable. It does not take birth, it does not die, it is always, constantly the same. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). In this way, again he says nityam, eternal. Avadhya, nobody can kill. In the body, he is there. But dehe sarvasya bhārata.

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Forty-one: "Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bhāratas, in the very beginning, curb the great symbol of sin, lust, by regulating the senses and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization (BG 3.41)."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Regulating, how can you regulate the senses? Not by artificial means. The yoga practice, of course, is meant for controlling the senses but nobody can practice in this age perfectly yoga, neither one can control the senses. But this is practically. Just like our sense, tongue. We want to taste very palatable dishes. Now you supply palatable Kṛṣṇa prasādam. You forget going to hotel immediately.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

That is degradation. When a brāhmaṇa takes the occupation of a kṣatriya, it is degradation. So this Drauṇi, although he belonged to the brāhmaṇa family and he accepted the profession of a kṣatriya, he degraded so much that he cut off the heads of five sons of Draupadī while they were sleeping. So much degradation. A kṣatriya never slains anybody who is sleeping. Kṣatriya's business is to challenge, and if the other party has no weapon, he supplies weapon. Then there is fight, then it is decided. One must die. That decision is there. When there is fight between two kṣatriyas, the decision is that one must die. Unless one dies, the business, the fighting, will never stop. That is called vīra-gatim. Vīra-gatim. If a kṣatriya dies in fight, he gets the promotion of vīra-gatim, means he goes to the heavenly planet. This was advised by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna, that "You fight. If you are victorious, then you will enjoy this kingdom, and if you are killed, then you'll go to the heavenly planets. Then where is your loss? Both ways you shall gain.

Lecture on SB 7.6.5 -- Toronto, June 21, 1976:

Vinā paśughnāt. Paśughnāt means the slayer (indistinct), killer of animals. Or killer of himself. Paśughnāt. So paśu means life. So they are killing. So this civilization is a killing civilization. Because the human being has got the opportunity for get out of this bhavam-āśritaḥ, this material world where he has to take birth and death, accept birth and death again and again. So this is an opportunity to get out of it. But they are not being properly educated. They are being forced to accept this chronic disease and suffer perpetually. This is the modern civilization.

But Vedic civilization is not like that. Vedic civilization is how to rescue him from this disease, bhava-roga. Bhava-roga, to cure this bhava-roga, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also prescribed, and it is since the creation, Vedic knowledge is that bhavauṣadhi. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād (SB 10.1.4). This chanting of the holy name of the Lord is called nivṛtta tarṣair upagīyamānād. This chanting can be performed by nivṛtta tarṣair, one who has ceased from all kinds of tṛṣṇa, or desire: sarvopādhi vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170) or anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11).

General Lectures

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

Student (5): In the Bhagavad-gītā, when Kṛṣṇa asks Arjuna to go forth in the battle and not to, to slay his relatives and not to be caught in the material world and see that the slayer and the slain are one, should the young American faced with the war in Vietnam go forth to Vietnam realizing that the slayer and the slain are one and that all this slaughter, just slaughter karma, and follow the way of the sage.

Prabhupāda: In the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna, he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, a friend of Kṛṣṇa. Perhaps you know it. So in the beginning he did not like to fight. He denied. So any devotee of God or Kṛṣṇa is not fond of war or fighting with any others. But if there is necessity, if Kṛṣṇa wants that fight, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa will accept such fight. If you think that your Vietnam fighting is ordered by Kṛṣṇa, then it is all right. If it is not, then it is not. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If Kṛṣṇa says, if God says, "This is right," we accept it right.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 12, 1971, Delhi:

Nara-Nārāyaṇa: Really?

Devotee: And also Lord Jesus says that if there is unnecessary killing of animal that "By my hand you shall be slain.". In Genesis. He is stating, "Yes, one may kill, but if there is unnecessary killing, by my hand you shall be slain." In Genesis.

Devotee (1): Also, in Genesis is says that the fruits and herbs of the land shall be your meat. It's describing how man should live and it says that fruits and herbs of the land shall be your meat.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they were meat-eaters, so Jesus Christ replies that fruit should be your meat.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is, that is the question of human life, that: "I want to enjoy. Why there is obstruction of my enjoyment?" Then the next question will be then what I am and what is this nature? These are intelligent questions. That is called brahma-jijñāsā. Where shall I eat? Where shall I sleep? These are very minor questions. They are questions for animals. For the human being, this is the question, that "I want to enjoy life. Why there are so many obstructions?" This is human question. The animals, they do not question. They submit. Just like when you slay one animal, it submits. But a human being, there is law because human being is intelligent. So you cannot kill any other human being, you cannot murder. Then you'll be hanged. But they cannot make law. They're lower grade animals. They submit, somebody killing. But the objection is there, both by the human beings and the animals, that the: "Why you are killing me?" But he's helpless.

Room Conversation With David Lawrence -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: This, this is the nature of the soul.

Pradyumna: "Nor having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Prabhupāda: This thing first of all must be understood, immortality of the soul, transmigration of the soul. Then other things will be easier. And because this is eternal, therefore there is another spiritual world which is also the same nature, eternal. That is explained. What is that verse? Find out. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo...sarveṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati (BG 8.20). The spiritual world existing eternally. This material world being annihilated, dissolved, that is not dissolved. Exactly like this body being annihilated, the soul is not annihilated.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is already planned. So even if you don't kill, it is there already.

Girirāja: (reads synonyms for following verse:) "Translation: The Blessed Lord said: Time I am, destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage all people. With the exception of you, the Pāṇḍavas, all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain."

Dr. Patel: Shall I read further, sir, or you want to comment?

Prabhupāda: Yes. The process is going on. Although we have got so many plans to save, nobody can be saved. The destination, the bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), that will go on. Simply vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10), they will be saved. Otherwise all finished.

Dr. Patel: Shall I go ahead? (break)

Room Conversation with Irish Poet, Desmond O'Grady -- May 23, 1974, Rome:

Nitāi:

na jāyate mriyate va kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
(BG 2.20)

"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Prabhupāda: That is it. That is the position of the soul. So when there is mortality, that is not perfect stage. And when he attains the stage of again immortality... Because actually he is immortal.

O'Grady: Actuality is immortal.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

O'Grady: Hm, not bad. Because actuality has to do with effect.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The actuality is immortal. He never takes birth...

O'Grady: Never takes bath?

Room Conversation with Russian Orthodox Church Representative -- June 13, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Translation.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: "Translation: For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." (French)

Prabhupāda: Next verse.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Satsvarūpa: "For the soul there is never birth nor death, nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Prabhupāda: That's all. So where is the question of creation? But because we have got these material eyes, we want to see everything through this material manifestation. We are seeing that he is dead, he is alive, he is born, he is this, that...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But that is the defect of the scientists. They only see the body.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is their defect. Therefore asses, go-kharaḥ. That is defined. Anyone who takes the body as the self, he is a go-kharaḥ, animal. And that is our protest, that "You are animal; you are passing as very learned scholar, scientist." That we want to protest. We want to expose them, that they are cheating people. They have no perfect knowledge; still, they are passing as scientist and big men and... That is our protest.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1976, Melbourne:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa:

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
(BG 2.20)

"For the soul there is never birth nor death, nor having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Brian Singer: Without the consciousness, what happens to the soul when the body dies?

Prabhupāda: He enters another body. Suppose if by force I get you out of this room, then you enter another room. That's all. But this is illegal, that you are living in this room.... By force if I get you out, that is illegal. Then I have to await for the punishment, "Why you have driven out this?" So similarly, although soul is immortal, but taking the soul is immortal, you cannot cut anyone's throat. He has got a right to live in that body for some time by the ordained order of the Supreme. I cannot get you out by force. That is sinful. By nature's way, when he gives up this body, that's all right. But I cannot force the soul to go out of this body by killing. That is sinful.

Room Conversation -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Hṛdayānanda:"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Prabhupāda: That's it. So as a lawyer, when there is some dispute, you refer to the lawbook. Similarly, when there is dispute how the soul is immortal, the body is changing, you refer to Bhagavad-gītā. You find it clear, na jāyate na mriyate, clearly said. Explain?

Hṛdayānanda: Purport? "Qualitatively, the small atomic fragmental part of the supreme spirit is one with the Supreme. He undergoes no changes like the body. Sometimes the soul is called the steady..."

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Hari-śauri: This is 2.20. "For the soul there is never birth nor death, nor having once been does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." (purport) "The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind. This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried."

Prabhupāda: This is nonphysical. This is not physical. Physical, what is that physical thing which cannot be burned, which cannot be cut, which cannot be soaked? There is no such thing to the physical exterior. Is there anything?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No.

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: No, first of all about death.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The translation is, "For the soul there is never birth nor death nor having once been does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Prabhupāda: So there is no question of death for a spiritually realized person.

Interviewer: Is there any method for dissent within your movement? Or change?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Reform, you mean? Changing the teaching perhaps, to fit the times?

Rāmeśvara: Just like in the church, as the public mood is changed, they have compromised on certain issues like abortion, homosexuality, priests getting married. So she wants to know if in our movement there will be this arrangement also. (laughter)

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Yes. When the system is imperfect, then it has to be changed according to time and circumstance. But if the system is itself perfect, there is no question of... Just like the perfect system: the sun rises from the eastern side. So for millions and trillions of years the system is going on because the system is perfect. It doesn't require change, neither you can change. You cannot ask the sun to rise from the western side. So if the soul is eternal, it does not die or it is slain after the body is finished. But that is eternal fact. Destined in the past present and future, everything.

Interviewer: How important is your physical environment to you? If this room is very lovely—it has light and space and air and flowers—is this important at all or would it be the same to you to be sitting out on the street?

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Harikeśa:

na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin
nāyaṁ bhūtva bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
(BG 2.20)

"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."

Mike Robinson: Thank you very much for reading that. So can you explain to me just a bit more, if the soul is undying, does everybody's soul go to be with God when they die? Do you have a belief in a heaven or a hell?

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily. If he's qualified, if he qualifies himself in this life to go back home, back to Godhead, then he can go. If he does not qualify himself, he gets another material body, and there are 8,400,000 different forms of body. And according to his desire and karma, activities, the nature, laws of nature, gives him a body. Just like a man infects some disease and he develops that disease. Is it difficult to understand?

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Montreal 3 July, 1968:

Question 2, answer: That is just his military spirit, that Bali Maharaja says "If He be the illustrious Lord Visnu not desirous of foregoing His own fame, He shall wrest from me this earth after slaying me in battle, or He shall be slain by me." The last portion of this question is not very clear.

Question 3, answer: Why Bali Maharaja is considered a Mahajana: Bali Maharaja is Mahajana because he wanted to serve Visnu by disobeying his non-bona fide spiritual master. As explained above, Sukracarya was hereditary spiritual master by seminic succession. But Bali Maharaja first revolted against this stereotyped seminic succession spiritual master, and therefore he is Mahajana. Srila Jiva Goswami has described in his Karamasandharvha that one should be anxious to accept a spiritual master who is bona fide in spiritual knowledge.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Madhusudana -- Los Angeles 16 January, 1970:

You say that you will do as I say and you also prayed to Madhusudana to slay the demon of your doubt but unless you act according to the direction of Madhusudana how can Madhusudana or Madhusudana's father help you. You are with us practically for the last four years and still if you think you cannot surrender to Krishna without any doubt, then what kind of progress you have made by this time?

So this Krishna science can be understood through the process of sincere service, and so far any doubt which may sometimes arise in our mind there are the devotees, the Scriptures and the Spiritual Master. Did you discuss all your doubts with your contemporary Godbrothers and devotees? So there are many questions like this about you.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Ashis Roy -- Mayapur 8 April, 1975:

People must co-operate. If not, then they will have to suffer. So, I am very glad that you have come forward, being one of the leaders of the cultural community. I am very much enthused by this. Our ideology is standard. It is not anything new, but it is very old. It is not anything concocted. ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire (BG 2.20), The living entity is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain. (Bhagavad-gita 2/20).

I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to our Vrndavana festival which will be held on the 20th of April up to the 27th of April. We will be opening our temple there. If you can come, then we can talk in detail about a center at Nagpur.

Page Title:Slay (Lect, Conv. & Letters)
Compiler:Sahadeva, RupaManjari
Created:15 of Mar, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=11, Con=13, Let=3
No. of Quotes:27