One should not eulogize or praise anyone else before the Deity. (22) One should not speak any ill names before the Deity. (23) One should not pass air before the Deity. (24) One should not fail to worship the Deity according to one's means. (In Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that the Lord is satisfied if some devotee offers Him even a leaf or a little water. This formula prescribed by the Lord is universally applicable, even for the poorest man. But that does not mean that one who has sufficient means to worship the Lord very nicely should also adopt this method and try to satisfy the Lord simply by offering water and a leaf. If he has sufficient means, he should offer nice decorations, nice flowers and nice foodstuffs and observe all ceremonies. It is not that one should try to satisfy the Supreme Lord with a little water and a leaf, and for himself spend all his money in sense gratification.) (25)
Some devotee
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 7 - 12
A living entity is eternally an individual soul, and if he wants to merge into the spiritual whole, he may accomplish the realization of the eternal and knowledgeable aspects of his original nature, but the blissful portion is not realized. By the grace of some devotee, such a transcendentalist, highly learned in the process of jñāna-yoga, may come to the point of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. At that time, long practice in impersonalism also becomes a source of trouble, because he cannot give up the idea.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
No one is able to fight with Him! Therefore, because the Lord's pastimes in the material world are always performed with His associates, not with others, He has to find some devotee who will play the part of an enemy. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says to Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, both you and I have appeared many, many times in this material world, but you have forgotten, whereas I remember." Thus Jaya and Vijaya were selected by the Lord to fight with Him in the material world, and that was the reason the sages came to see Him and accidentally the doorkeepers were cursed. It was the Lord's desire to send them to the material world, not perpetually, but for some time. Therefore, just as on a theatrical stage someone takes the part of enemy to the proprietor of the stage, although the play is for a short time and there is no permanent enmity between the servant and the proprietor, so the sura janas (devotees) were cursed by the sages to go to the asura jana, or atheistic families.
SB Canto 8
The Lord appears in each incarnation to save the world from irreligious principles and especially to protect His devotees (paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8)). Vāmanadeva, for example, appeared to save the devotee Bali Mahārāja. Similarly, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepted the abominable form of a fish, He must have done so to favor some devotee. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was eager to know about the devotee for whom the Supreme Lord accepted this form.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
A person who has actually established his relationship with Kṛṣṇa can no longer act on the material plane, and his personal character cannot be criticized.
When Cupid came on one occasion to visit Lord Kṛṣṇa, some devotee addressed him thus: "My dear Cupid, because you have been so fortunate as to have placed your eyesight on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, the drops of perspiration on your body have become frozen, and they resemble kaṇṭakī fruits (a kind of small fruit found in thorny bushes)." These are signs of ecstasy and veneration for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the princes of the Yadu dynasty heard the vibration of Kṛṣṇa's Pāñcajanya conchshell, the hairs on their bodies immediately stood up in ecstatic jubilation. It seemed at that time that all the hairs on the bodies of the princes were dancing in ecstasy.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Prabhupāda: That requires, uh, you have to go... Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). You have to undergo the principle. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). You have to accept the process. Then you'll realize.
Indian: But yesterday you also represented that there was some devotee, he renounced this whole world, went to forest, and he was chanting the name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, this and that. But he was, some step of (?) bhakti-yoga, and he was having the love of one deer. So at the time of death, he got idea of deer, and next birth, he become deer. So there was no desire intentionally, but anyhow he came in that...
Prabhupāda: No, there was desire. He was thinking of a deer. There was desire.
Indian: We think about so many things...
The Lord says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. Patram means a leaf. And puṣpam means a flower. And phalam means a fruit. And toyam means some liquid, water. Last word, last word, water. "If some devotee offers Me these four things with devotion and with love, oh, I accept them. I accept them. Not only accept, I, I eat them, eat them." You see. Now, just see that here is an example that God desires to eat something from your hand. He's not poor man like me that He wants some contribution for eating. No, no, no. He's not poor man like me. He is feeding everyone. His name is Bhūta-bhṛt. Bhūta-bhṛt. Bhūta-bhṛt means one who feeds every living being. Perhaps you know it. You can practically see it. Now, besides human beings, there are innumerable living beings.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Nṛsiṁha-deva, God Himself has come to kill him. Do you think they're ordinary? No, they're not ordinary. They're devotees. But Kṛṣṇa wanted to fight. In the Vaikuṇṭha world there is no possibility of fighting because everywhere there, everyone there is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. With whom He'll fight? Therefore He sends some devotee in the garb of enemy and Kṛṣṇa comes here to fight with Him.
At the same time, to teach us that becoming enemy, enemy of Kṛṣṇa is not very profitable. Better become friend. That will be profitable. Therefore it is said that: na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitam. "Nobody knows what is the purpose of Your appearance and disappearance." Tava īhamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam. "You are in this world just like ordinary human being. This is bewildering." Therefore ordinary man cannot believe. "How God can become ordinary person like...?" Kṛṣṇa is playing.
Nobody goes to the temple with the attitude, with a stick—"Sir, I have come to chastise You." Everyone is praying. So when Kṛṣṇa thinks that "I want to be chastised," at that time He become subordinate to His devotee to be chastised. This is Kṛṣṇa's līlā. Kṛṣṇa agrees that "Nobody comes to chastise Me, all My devotees. If some devotee comes to chastise Me, I would like it." So Kṛṣṇa accepts such great devotee as His mother and father, and they are able to chastise Kṛṣṇa.
So, but that is not the solution. This is māyā. This form or no form, this is māyā. When we develop our real spiritual form and enjoy in company and association of the Supreme Lord varieties, just like Vṛndāvana, variety... In Vṛndāvana the cows, the trees, the water, they are also spiritual. Some devotee wants to serve Kṛṣṇa becoming a cow. Some devotee wants to serve Kṛṣṇa becoming a bird, becoming a monkey. And somebody is serving as gopī or as cowherd boy, as father, as mother. But they are all spiritual. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ. They are all expansion. Just like when Brahmā took away all the friends and cows of Kṛṣṇa, immediately expanded Himself in the same way. So all the cows and all the cowherd boys, in every case, they were all expansion of Kṛṣṇa, pleasure potency.
Just like these Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand that this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa name is actually getting direct association with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī in Benares, He considered Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as a crazy fellow. Crazy fellow. Why? Now, because He was sannyāsī, and He was not reading Vedānta-sūtra. He was simply chanting and dancing. So some devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very much praised Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at the, in the presence of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, and Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī became very angry, "Ah, don't talk of this rascal sannyāsī. He is a sannyāsī, He does not read Vedānta-sūtra, and in sentimental moods He chants and dances. Don't talk about Him. Better don't go there." So that devotee became very sorry, and he arranged a meeting between this Māyāvādī sannyāsī and Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Mithunī-bhāva. Mithunī-bhāva means sex desires, impelled by sex. That is the central point of this material life. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). The central point of material happiness is maithunādi, sex impulse. Everyone. This morning was... Some devotee was discussing that the daily passengers, sometimes they go from home three to four hours, come to Bombay, and they work their eight hours. Then again three to four hours. So somebody was asking, "Why they should go? They can remain in the city." No. Their central point is there. Central point is sex. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). The materialistic person's life is being spoiled in this way.
Not in the spiritual world. There that is voluntary. Some devotee wants to serve Kṛṣṇa as flower; they become flower there. If I want that "As a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa," he becomes flower, voluntarily. And he can change his..., from flower to human body. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Kṛṣṇa as cow, he serves Kṛṣṇa as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything. Ye yathā mām prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). That is Kṛṣṇa's all-powerfulness, spiritual life.
Prabhupāda: He knew there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Nārāyaṇa because he was in perfect knowledge. Why Bhīṣma? Everyone of us. You do not know?
Revatīnandana: Bhīṣma was more attracted to four-armed form.
Prabhupāda: That is, that is... Some devotee is worshiper of Viṣṇu, some devotee is worshiper of Kṛṣṇa.
Revatīnandana: Their constitutional nature is that way.
Prabhupāda: That is rasa. He likes this form. Just like Hanumān said that "Although I know Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are the same, still, I want to see Rāma." We also. Although we know Rāma and Kṛṣṇa the same but we want to see Kṛṣṇa.
Devotee: Tulasi dāsa said that he wanted to see Rāma.
I am also born"—his father is also daitya. Daityeṣu saṅgaṁ viṣayātmakeṣu: "give up their..." Asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava ācāra (CC Madhya 22.87). The same thing. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said. Who is a Vaiṣṇava? Vaiṣṇava, He immediately explained, that Vaiṣṇava, what is the duty of Vaiṣṇava? Some devotee asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Sir, what is the duty of a Vaiṣṇava?" So He immediately replied in two lines, asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava ācāra: "To give up the company of materialistic persons." Then the next question may be "Who is materialistic?" Asat eka 'strī-saṅgī: "One who is attached to woman, he is asat." And kṛṣṇa-bhakta āra, "And one who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa."
Hare Kṛṣṇa, "He Kṛṣṇa, he Rādhārāṇī, he energy, kindly engage me in your service." Ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. "O my Lord, Nanda-tanuja..." Kṛṣṇa becomes very glad when you associate His name, His activities, with some devotee. He's not impersonal. Kṛṣṇa has no name, but when He deals with His devotee, there is a name. Just like Kṛṣṇa dealing with Nanda Mahārāja, that Nanda Mahārāja's wooden slipper... Yaśodāmayī asked the child Kṛṣṇa You have seen the picture—"Can you bring the slipper of your father?" "Yes!" Immediately took on the head. You see? This is Kṛṣṇa. So Nanda Mahārāja became very pleased: "Oh, your son is very nice. He can bear such a load." So this is dealing.
So this is very nice. Simply if we have actually understood our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and if we try to serve Him sincerely, then Kṛṣṇa will give you all facilities. He'll give you intelligence.
Now, today is, this decoration is so nice that... Of course, such kind of decoration is made in India. But if some devotee comes from India he'll see, "Oh, it is very nice. How they have done." How? It is possible because Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Kṛṣṇa is not for the Indians or for the Americans. He's for everyone. Anyone who desires to serve Him, He'll give him intelligence. This is the philosophy. We have to become serious, that "Kṛṣṇa, give me intelligence so that I can serve You very nicely." Oh, Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. And: "Kṛṣṇa, give me facility so that I can forget You." "All right. You again forget." That is also stated in the Sixteenth... Tan ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andha-yoniṣu: (BG 16.19) "
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Kṛṣṇa should be satisfied. That is... It doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa should be satisfied. Just like Kṛṣṇa pretended that He was sick, and many physicians came. He said, "No physician cured Me. If some devotee gives Me the dust of his feet on My head, then I can be cured." So all devotees were asked, and nobody... "Oh! How can I give? My dust on the head of Kṛṣṇa? How it is possible?" Nobody prepared. Then Kṛṣṇa asked that "Go to Vṛndāvana. Just ask the gopīs if they can give. They are My best friends. If they are prepared? Oh, I am very much suffering from headache." So nobody was prepared to go... As soon as gopīs were approached: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is sick. They want, oh, dust of...?" Immediately: "Please take. Please take." She did not care that "We are going to hell by offering our dust of feet on the head of Kṛṣṇa. Never mind.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So there are different kinds of devotees also. Some devotee worships the Nārāyaṇa feature, some devotee worships Kṛṣṇa feature, Nṛsiṁha-deva... So there are innumerable devotees and innumerable forms also of Kṛṣṇa. But not these ordinary demigods. When Kṛṣṇa says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham: (BG 4.11) "Any devotee who wants to worship Me in My different feature, I offer him in that feature..." Just like Hanumān. He was a devotee of Rāma. So there is one verse by Hanumān, that "I know Rāma and Nṛsiṁha and Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, is the same. But still, I want to worship Rāma." Just like we, ourself, we know Lord Rāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa the same, but we want to worship Kṛṣṇa. So different devotees have different inclination to offer his service to different features of God. And therefore He has got innumerable features of the presentation. They are differently named.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
So he was very sorry. "Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said not to come in His meeting." So he was asking other devotees that "I shall not be allowed?" So, "We can..., how we can allow you? Caitanya Mahāprabhu has forbidden." "So will you ask if there will be any time so that I can again come back?" So some devotee inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "Mukunda is very sorry. You asked not to come. But he's asking whether there will be any day in future when he'll be allowed to come again." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "After three thousands of births. After three thousands of births, he'll be allowed to come in." So when Mukunda inquired, "Did you inquire from Caitanya Mahāprabhu this question?" he said, "Yes, but He has said after your three thousands of repeated births, you'll be allowed." So he began to dance. He began to dance. "Oh, then I'll be allowed some day. Never mind, three thousand births.
General Lectures
These are names. So this same Vrajendra-nandana, Kṛṣṇa, has appeared as Śacīnandana. The Supreme Personality of Godhead takes pleasure when He's addressed with His devotee's name, with His energy's name. Devotee's also His energy. So He has no father. He is father of everyone. But He accepts some devotee. A devotee wants Kṛṣṇa as his son; therefore Kṛṣṇa accepts a devotee as His father. So nobody can become His father but a devotee... Just like this girl, Nandarāṇī, is raising her daughter, always giving service. The child is accepting service from the parents. Her business is only to accept. Torture and accept service. So devotees accept Kṛṣṇa as son so that Kṛṣṇa may simply torture them and accept service. That is the policy. Because the devotee want to render service, so this is the best way of service rendering. The child will draw always service.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: A living entity is eternally an individual soul, and if he wants to merge into the spiritual whole, he may accomplish the realization of the eternal and knowledgeable aspects of his original nature, but the blissful portion is not realized. By the grace of some devotee, such a transcendentalist, highly learned in the process of jñāna-yoga, may come to the point of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. At that time, long practice in impersonalism also becomes a source of trouble, because he cannot give up the idea. Therefore an embodied soul is always in difficulty with the unmanifest, both at the time of practice and at the time of realization. Every living soul is partially independant, and one should know for certain that this unmanifested realization is against the nature of his spiritual blissful self.
Purports to Songs
That is specially. And another devotee is called nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means they were never contaminated. The sādhana-siddha and kṛpā-siddha was contaminated by material touch, and by following regulative principles or by the mercy or grace of some devotee and ācārya they're elevated to the perfectional state. But nitya-siddha means they were never contaminated. They're ever liberated. So all the associates of Lord Caitanya, just like Advaita Prabhu, Śrīvāsa, Gadādhara, Nityānanda, they are Viṣṇu-tattva. They are all liberated. Not only they, the Gosvāmīs... There are many others. So they are ever-liberated. So one who can understand that the associates of Lord Caitanya are ever-liberated... Nitya-siddha bale māni, sei yaya vrajendra suta-pāśa. Immediately he becomes eligible to enter into the abode of Kṛṣṇa.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Bob: Business with you, what was that? Business with who?
Prabhupāda: That is, I am talking about my Guru Mahārāja.
Bob: Oh, oh, I see. (break) ...question on prasādam, if I may. Let us say if some devotee has some trouble and does not eat a certain type of food. Like some devotees do not eat ghee because of liver trouble. So these devotees, should they take all the prasādam?
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. I say those who are not perfect devotee, they may discriminate. But a perfect devotee does not discriminate. So why should you imitate a perfect devotee? So long you have discrimination, you are not a perfect devotee. So artificially why should you imitate a perfect devotee and eat everything?
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Kīrtanānanda: Before that.
Prabhupāda: Oh before that. Yes, yes. Yes, I...
Guest (1): I asked him. And somebody, some devotee...
Prabhupāda: Brahmānanda you are defeated. (laughter) So kīrtana is glorious than brahma-jñāna. (laughter)
Guest (1): And some devotee introduced me with him, that "He is the first devotee of Prabhupāda in America, in foreign."
Prabhupāda: Yes. He's also a priest's son, coming from very respectable, priestly order family.
Guest (1): Last few days, we were enjoying a good day.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Mādhavānanda: Once you wrote Gargamuni Swami in Nepal that even if they will not listen, simply by your being there, even if they see you chant japa sitting on a street corner, they will become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Jayādvaita: We got a phone call today from someone in Kalamazoo-it's many hours away. And he met some devotee in a store who was there for purchasing something, and just by talking for a few minutes he decided that he wanted to come here and see you in Detroit. So he was calling on the phone, when would you be here.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (pause) If we get this land we can cultivate some grains, foodstuff. On account of this water facility you can grow so many things, vegetables, fruits, foodgrains, very nice. Keep cows. (break) Industrial civilization will fail. They are manufacturing simply cars. The time is approaching very swiftly when there will be no more demand for cars.
Nandarāṇī: That's elevating them. That faith is elevating them?
Prabhupāda: Someday, if they come in contact with a real devotee, they'll appreciate. Just like you are coming. So they have to meet some devotee, then they'll be benefited. With the present idea there will be very slow progress. Practically no progress, but even there is little progress, very slow. So unless they come in contact with a pure devotee... Then...
Hari-śauri: Your books.
Nandarāṇī: If we distribute your books and prasāda, then that is as good as them coming to meet you personally.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, this is wrong. I'll tell you what the facts are. In every temple there are certain key positions for some devotee. In no temple we are trying to keep more than necessary. Sometimes they come and he preaches to them and he gives them money. If he is the temple president... Like in Bombay Haṁsadūta came, he had a fight with Girirāja. Girirāja was ready to write such a strong letter to you. He gave money to few devotees...
Prabhupāda: The temple establishment, that has to be maintained.
Haṁsadūta: That I understand. Prabhupāda, I understand that.
Prabhupāda: So why, why the...? Besides that, if you want to take someone or if anyone is willing to go with you, the president of the local temple, he should be requested. Or the man who wants to go, that "I want to go with him." So if the president thinks that he can be spared, then he can go. But if he thinks that his presence is necessary, why he should go?
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. Or local brāhmaṇas.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Local brāhmaṇas might be a lot easier. Once you get these South Indian brāhmaṇas, then they say there has to be twelve, fourteen, fifteen. But local brāhmaṇas, one or two would come. Probably there are some devotee brāhmaṇas that we can find.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They won't even charge, probably. We can simply give donation to them, but they won't even demand charge. That will be best.
Hari-śauri: The South Indians probably would not agree to one or two.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. They'll want fourteen or fifteen.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. So we'll be back in a little while, Śrīla Prabhupāda, after you get bathed. And we will not ask you to do anything exerting. Sometimes only Bhavānanda and I will personally sit you up for a minute only to drink something. And then kavirāja will be here very shortly. Then he can give the advice what to do. We simply want to give one try with this kavirāja. If it doesn't succeed, then we simply... I'll lock my office and we'll simply chant hari-nāma. But as we are a little hopeful... That is our... We can't stop being hopeful, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I was seeing a picture of Your Divine Grace sitting in a vyāsāsana in New York, handing the initiation beads to some devotee. You had a very big smile as if you were joking with him. So I was just thinking how nice it was, that you could again be able to sit and talk nicely with all the devotees. So like that, hope is there in our hearts.
Prabhupāda: That's it.
Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
I thank you very much for your letter dated November 24, 1969. You need not send the Murtis by air cargo to London because some devotee here has contributed a Radha-Krishna Murti pair imported from Jaipur. It is 42" high and very nice. So Krishna has saved us in this point because we are going to have our opening ceremony on the 14th December through the 21st of December. But if one pair is ready, you can immediately dispatch by ship to Boston as previously advised. From here I shall go to Boston, and if the Deities reach there timely, then I shall install them there also. I think in my previous letter the instruction was to dispatch one pair to Boston, so you can send the Deities to some shipping agent in Bombay and they will forward to Boston.
Otherwise, we do not mind to stay in a rented house. When Krishna will give us opportunity, we shall purchase. Here in London temple we are going to install very big Deities on December 14th. The Deities are 42" high, made of first class marble imported from Jaipur, India by some devotee at the cost of about $400. He has donated it to our temple.
Please go on with the school course. That is a very nice program. In Hawaii also they are doing that, and also in Seattle, Los Angeles, etc. this program is going on. So it is a good opportunity. Sankirtana Party on the streets, selling our literature, taking some opportunity for teaching students, and giving them nice Prasadam: This program should be followed very rigidly and things will come out very successful without fail.
| Page Title: | Some devotee |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 20 of Jan, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=2, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=18, Con=7, Let=2 |
| No. of Quotes: | 32 |