Abide (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"abide" |"abided" |"abider" |"abiders" |"abides"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.23 -- London, July 19, 1973:

Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. That is dharma. So people do not know who is the Supreme and what is His order. So what kind of religion? They accept dharma as religion, faith, a superfluous faith only. But that is not dharma, religion. Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). That is the meaning of dharma: obedience to God. There is no conception of God, and what to speak of obedience. But this is the simple meaning of religion: obedience to God. That's all, three words.

Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:

There are two classes of men within this creation. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daivaḥ. Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, they are called devatā. Just like the demigods like Indra, Candra, Sūrya, and many others. There are thirty-three krores of devatās in the higher planetary system. They are all Viṣṇu-bhakta. They will abide by the orders of Viṣṇu and Vaiṣṇava. Just like Indra. He is devatā. There was fight between Hiraṇyakaśipu and the Indra's party.

Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:

So Nārada said, "No, no. That child is not asura child. He is coming, a great devotee, mahā-bhāgavata of Kṛṣṇa." Because Nārada knew that when... Not before. After all, he knew. But before also, he knew. Because they are saintly persons, they can understand that here is a child is coming who will be a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So mahā-bhāgavata. So "Don't try that. You don't take her to your custody. Better give her in my custody. I shall take care." So immediately he abided by the order of Nārada, immediately. He released. And not only released, circumambulated the woman. So here is a mahā-bhāgavata, in the womb of this woman. So let us offer our obeisances. This is Vaiṣṇava. As soon as understood, that there is a Vaiṣṇava mahā-bhāgavata, in the womb of this woman, "She is to be respected, offered obeisances." This is called Vaiṣṇava.

Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:

Just imagine. Without any restriction, without any hindrance, they are committing sinful life. They do not know, next life, all this boastfulness, pride, will be finished. He will have to accept another body, which will be offered by the material nature. You cannot say that "I will not accept this body; I want this body." No. Nature is not under your dictation. You have to abide by the dictation of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. This verse of Bhagavad-gītā is very important.

Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:

So anyway, so as we are here, in this small government, our business is to satisfy the governor... Suppose if you decry the queen. If you say publicly in a meeting that "Queen is a prostitute." Then what will be? Immediately you will be arrested and punished. In your private house you can say. Nobody will hear. But if you say such thing nonsense in public, immediately you will be criminal. Therefore your duty is to respect the queen, to abide by the orders of the government. That is your aim of good citizenship. What is the difference between good citizen and outlaws? The difference is a good citizen is always trying to satisfy the government by abiding the laws given by the government. So therefore our ultimate goal is to satisfy the supreme government, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

We should not be so foolish that war can be, I mean to say, completely abolished. That is not possible. If you want to keep the social order, you must have to maintain the military strength, the police strength, and the court or the university. Everything is required. You cannot neglect one of them. Similarly... But if you are afraid of being killed—that is the medicine we are preaching—then you get out of this entanglement. You be situated in your spiritual body. There is no more question of killing. But so long you are in the material world, you have to abide by the rules and regulation of material nature. That you cannot avoid.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- New York, March 4, 1966:

Now, we are trying to go to the moon planet. Now, here, in this life, if cultivate ourself for the same thought, the moon planet... That means the moon planet, about moon planet, we have to hear, and we have to think that "I shall go in such and such place." Unless you hear, you cannot abide here. Just like our friend, Mr. Cohen, he has left for California. Now, so far I am concerned, I have no idea of California. Now, he has told me that after reaching there, he'll write about the description of the place. Now, suppose if, reading that description of the place, I think of going there, so I prepare myself, "Oh, I must go there." So just like I, I was describing that cintāmaṇi-dhāma (Bs. 5.29), what sort of trees are there. And you were very much pleased that "I must go there." So we have to hear. Unless we hear what sort of God He is, what sort of God's place is, what is the mode of life there, we cannot be attracted. We cannot be attracted.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 18, 1972:

Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). You are independent. You can associate with different qualities of nature, and then your character is spoiled. That is your independence. Here God's instruction is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). You do not abide by that. You create your own independence. Therefore you suffer. Father says, "My dear boy, do like this. You'll be happy." But he does in a different way. Who is responsible, the father or the son?

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Hyderabad, November 19, 1972:

Unless you can surrender, (you) do not accept anyone as spiritual master. If you want the spiritual master to abide by your order, then that acceptance of spiritual master is a farce. It is not acceptance. Acceptance of spiritual master means that one should surrender unto the spiritual master. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you want to learn that transcendental science, tad viddhi, you try to understand. How? Praṇipātena. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta. Fully surrendering, falling flat. "Sir, I surrender unto you." Praṇipātena paripraśnena. And then inquire question.

Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972:

Here everyone is servant of his senses. They want to enjoy the senses. Not enjoy—they want to serve the senses. My tongue says, "Please take me to such and such restaurant and give me such and such chicken juice." I immediately go. Not to enjoy, but to abide by the orders of my tongue. Therefore in the name of so-called enjoyment, we are all serving the senses. In Sanskrit it is called go-dāsa. Go means senses. So unless you become gosvāmī, your life is spoiled. Gosvāmī. You cannot be dictated by the senses. You have to dictate to the senses. As soon as the tongue says, "Now, you will take me to that restaurant, or give me a cigarette," if you say, "No. No cigarette, no restaurant; simply kṛṣṇa-prasāda," then you are gosvāmī. Then you are gosvāmī. This is the characteristic, sanātana. Because I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So this is called sanātana-dharma. That we are describing in the Ajāmila-upākhyāna. This stage can be attained. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena śaucena tyāgena yamena niyamena (SB 6.1.13).

Lecture on BG 2.26-27 -- London, August 29, 1973:

When Kṛṣṇa says it is not right, then it is not right. This is our decision. We Kṛṣṇa conscious men, we simply accept. And that is a fact. That is a fact in this way because Kṛṣṇa is the greatest authority, Supreme Being. Supreme means the greatest authority. Just like state says "Now it is wartime. If you kill a number of enemies then you will be awarded with gold medal." The same process of killing. But at another time, when there is no war, if you kill one person you'll be hanged. The killing process is the same, but the judgement is given by the greatest authority, the government. "This is all right, this is not right." Therefore, standard of morality means to abide by the orders of the greatest authority. That is standard of morality. This is the conclusion. You cannot make your own morality. No. If Kṛṣṇa says "This is all right," then it is all right. Otherwise, it is not.

Lecture on BG 2.26-27 -- London, August 29, 1973:

One very great charitable king, he was giving in charity so many cows to the brāhmaṇas. So there was some mistake, and for that purpose, although he was all throughout his whole life he was giving in charity, a little mistake, he became a big lizard in the well. Therefore the conclusion is that this material morality has no value. Spiritual morality. Spiritual morality means to abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa. That is morality. Whatever Kṛṣṇa says, if we accept, saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam. Many places.

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

"Take My order and you become a spiritual master." How? "Simply speak Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that's all. Simply speak on Kṛṣṇa's message, kṛṣṇa-kathā." There are two kinds of kṛṣṇa-kathās. One is the Bhagavad-gītā, and the other is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So this is the propagation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to abide by the superior orders without consideration of our personal gain or loss. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no question of personal gain or loss. Go on reading.

Lecture on BG 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

Just like an outlaw who does not care to abide by the laws, he is also abiding the laws of the state in a different way. He is being forced. So those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's being forced by māyā to act. So that is there already, direct connection is there in this way or that way.

Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

But one who is not Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he must abide by the rules of sacrifices. But in this age it is very difficult to follow all the rules and regulations of sacrifices. Therefore it is the greatest gift of Lord Caitanya that you come directly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everything will be done. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. Immediately you rise to the transcendental platform simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Yes.

Lecture on BG 3.13-16 -- New York, May 23, 1966:

So is there no direction for your spiritual realization of life? Yes, there is. We have to abide by that. Therefore Lord says, evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakram: "This is a circle, circle, that in Vedic literature, Vedic scripture, they give you direction how to work." And by working you perform yajña. By performing yajña, you have got regular rainfalls. By regular rainfalls, you get production of grains. And by production of grains, you eat and live happily. So this is a circle. This is a circle. So Lord says, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakram. Cakram means circle. This is a circle.

Lecture on BG 3.25 -- Hyderabad, December 17, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa never says industry, trade. Trade means... Suppose here we are attempting to grow food stuff. So after eating for ourselves, if there is excess, then we can take this food grains or anything which we have produced to a place where there is need. That is called trade. Trade in exchange also. There is exchange. That is also trade. So that is recommended by Kṛṣṇa, and because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, we must abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇi...

Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969:

Similarly, nobody can manufacture a religious process. That is nonsense. If somebody says that "I am introducing this religious process," that is nonsense. Nobody will be interested. But if God gives you law, just like the state gives you law, one has to accept. So religion means to accept the order of God. That is religion. And who can accept the order of God? When there is exactly relationship. Just like you have got relationship with the state. You are a citizen of American government. So you, out of love of your country, out of your obligation, you abide by the laws.

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Śūdra means without any culture. The man who has no cultural life, he is called a śūdra. And those who are cultured, they are called dvija. Dvija means twice-born. So one has to take his birth twice. He should not be satisfied simply by taking birth by the father and mother. One should be anxious to take his twice-born, to become twice-born, brāhmaṇa. But that chance is... Don't think that you cannot become a brāhmaṇa. You can become a qualified brāhmaṇa provided you abide by the qualification of a qualified brāhmaṇa. Just like to become a lawyer it is not, I mean to say, limited to a certain section or to a certain person. Anyone who takes the qualification of a lawyer, he becomes a lawyer.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

Mleccha means unclean, without any Vedic culture. They are called mleccha. Anyone. It does not mean that any particular class of men is called mleccha. Anyone who is unclean and does not abide by the injunction of the Vedas, they are called mleccha, yavana. That is the shastric term.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

Kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed ratiṁ yadi: "If you do not become attached to hear about God more and more, then it is," śrama eva hi kevalam, "simply waste of time." Simply waste of time because religion means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Religion means the order given by God and you follow. This is the simple definition of religion. Other ritualistic ceremonies, formulas, going to the church or going to the temple, these are details. But real dharma means, sum and substance of dharma, religion, means to abide by the orders of God. That's all. That is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Johannesburg, October 19, 1975:

I have already explained. Religion means the law given by God. As you are... You must abide by the laws of the government. Similarly, the supreme government, God's, you must know what is His purpose. Otherwise you'll be misguided and you'll be punished. Just like if you violate the government laws, you are liable to be punished, similarly, if you violate the supreme government's law, then you will be punished.

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:

Because Kṛṣṇa is fighting in the battlefield... He is not fighting. He is directing. Still, you may call that He is inducing Arjuna to fight. That does not mean he is becoming entangled in the karma-phala. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti. Apāpa-vidham. Kṛṣṇa is killing so many demons. He is not bound up by karma. Similarly, if we also become devotee of Kṛṣṇa and if we abide by His order, then karma-phala cannot touch us. This is bhakti. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54).

Lecture on BG 4.19 -- Bombay, April 8, 1974:

Yasya sarve samārambhāḥ. A man is engaged in devotional service. Might be he's going to the municipal office, he's going to the income tax office. Because when we have to remain within this material world, we have to abide by the laws of the state. We want to construct the temple. We must have to take sanction from the municipality, or higher authorities. Or, if we want cement, we have to go to the authority. There are so many. But it must be kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ. Therefore it looks like one, that "This Mr. Such-and-such devotee is going to the municipal officer, and other person is going also the municipal office for getting sanction of a skyscraper building." Although they are apparently one, but no, this man who has gone for Kṛṣṇa's sake, he's kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ. He has not gone to the municipal office for sanction of the temple for his personal benefit.

Lecture on BG 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969:

Therefore here it is said, "By meditating in this manner, meditating upon Me, Kṛṣṇa, always controlling the body." The first control is tongue. And the next control is the genital. Then you control everything. You give your tongue engagement for chanting and eating Kṛṣṇa prasāda, it is controlled, finished. And as soon as your tongue is controlled, immediately your stomach is controlled, immediately next your genital is controlled. Simple thing. Controlling the body, mind. Mind being fixed on Kṛṣṇa, no other engagement, controlled. Activities always doing Kṛṣṇa's work. Gardening, typing, cooking, working, everything for Kṛṣṇa—activities. "The mystic transcendentalist then—immediately they become mystic transcendentalist—attains to peace, the supreme nirvāṇa, which abides in Me." It is all in Kṛṣṇa. You cannot find out peace outside Kṛṣṇa activities. Outside Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. Go on.

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

Devotee: "And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all."

Prabhupāda: Now, here it is clearly stated that of all yogis, there are different kinds of yogis. Aṣṭāṅga-yogī, haṭha-yogī, jñāna-yogī, karma-yogī, bhakti-yogī. So bhakti-yoga is the highest platform of yoga principles. So Kṛṣṇa says here, "And of all yogis." There are different kinds of yogis. "Of all yogis he who always abides in Me," in Kṛṣṇa. Me means Kṛṣṇa says "in Me." That means one who is keeping always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, "abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service is most intimately united with Me in yoga, and is the highest of all." This is the prime instruction of this chapter, Sāṅkhya-yoga, that if you want to become perfect yogi of the highest platform, then keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and you become the first-class yogi.

Lecture on BG 6.47 -- Ahmedabad, December 12, 1972:

A sādhu, the first qualification is he must be a staunch devotee of Kṛṣṇa or God. Whatever you say. That is sādhu. That is the basic definition... Religion means to abide by the orders of God. And sādhu means who is staunchly a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. These are the description of sādhu. Therefore sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83) means to associate with devotees, those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa. That is sādhu-saṅga.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975:

So that one religion is given in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). To surrender to God the great and to abide by His instruction, that is called religion. It may be that the Hindus may be following the same principle in a different way or the Christian may be following the same principle in different way. That is called deśa-kāla-pātra. According to time, atmosphere, and the performer, there may be little difference. But real purpose of dharma is to surrender to God and try to love Him. That is religion.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

Woman: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what does it mean practically to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Surrender to Kṛṣṇa means you have to accept things which is favorable for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like we restrict our students, no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication. If you surrender to this process, that is surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Is it clear? If you don't surrender, there is no surrender. Then you are not surrendered soul. Chant sixteen rounds, and if you follow, that is surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. Don't take anything except kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That is surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. So many we have got. So if you surrender to these principles, that means you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Just like a good citizen surrenders to the state. What does it mean? He abides by the law. That's all. He does not do anything which is against the will of the state. That's all. So you surrender to the principles; then you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. All right. Thank you very much.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- San Francisco, September 11, 1968:

Now here, in this chapter, this is explicitly explained, that who is the supreme worshipable object. We are worshiping. According to our capacity, we are worshiping somebody. At least we are worshiping our boss. Suppose I work in an office or in a factory, I have to worship the boss, I have to abide by his orders. So everyone is worshiping. Now who is the supreme worshipable object, Kṛṣṇa, how He is supreme worshipable object, that is explained in this chapter. Ya svarūpaṁ sarva karaṁ ca yac ca dhiyāṁ tad ubhaya-viṣayakaṁ jñānaṁ vyaktum atra bhakti-pratijñānam. Therefore if we understand that here is the supreme controller, here is the supreme worshipable object, then the problems of our life is solved at once. We are searching after.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Nairobi, October 29, 1975:

That kind of perfect person, mahātmā, is very, very rare, to understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. My only business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is my constitutional position. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." This finger is part and parcel of my body. His business is to serve the whole body. I ask the finger, "Come here"; immediately... This is the normal, healthy condition of the part and parcel. Just like leg is my part and parcel of the body. As soon as I ask leg, "Please take me there..." That is normal. And if the leg cannot take me there—I have to take some stick—that means this is an..., not normal. It is diseased condition. It has to be treated. Similarly, as soon as we find that we do not abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa, we must know that you are in ignorance and in abnormal condition, madness. That is my duty. Kṛṣṇa does not require my help, and still, He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is my good. If I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then that is my benefit. Kṛṣṇa does not require my service. He is omnipotent. But we are so rascal, we think, "Why shall I surrender to Kṛṣṇa?" This is imperfection.

So when you come to this point, that you abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa and surrender to Him, that is perfection. But they do not do that.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

So many materialists, they engage them. That is very nice. They like to abide by such leaders. But what are those leaders? Andhā. They do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. They are themselves blind, and they are leading other blind followers. This is going on. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim. But actually leading, actually leader is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). He is actual leader. So don't follow all these nonsense things. Don't follow all these "isms"; you'll spoil your life, because you are not this body, that is the first... Tathā dehāntaraṁ prāpti, dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13).

Lecture on BG 10.4 -- New York, January 3, 1967:

What is that truth? That truth is "God is great, and we are subservient. So our duty is to abide by the orders of God," the simple truth. "God is great." You can say, "Why we should abide by the orders of God?" Because you are subservient. "No, I am not subservient." That is untrue. You are subservient. If you don't accept your subordinate position before God, then you have to accept your subordinate position under these material stringent laws. You have to become subservient. There is no other alternative. You cannot become absolute.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Paris, August 10, 1973:

Therefore next śloka is called: Bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca means Bhagavān, the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Person, the Supreme Opulent, He's ordering. And we are servants. We are predominated. We are not predominator. Therefore it is our duty to abide by the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And that is called religion. Religion does not mean the so-called rituals. That is formalities, they're also required, but the real purpose of religion is to abide by the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is religion. So you may become... You may be a Christian, you may be a Muhammadan, you may be a Hindu, or Buddhist. It doesn't matter, whatever you may be. Whether you are abiding by the orders of God. Then you are religious.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Paris, August 10, 1973:

Just like in, in ordinary dealings, in our family affairs. The husband gives order, wife: "You should manage like this. You should do like this." Similarly prakṛti, we are all prakṛtis, we are abide by the orders of the Supreme. Therefore Arjuna is asking the... (aside:) What is that sound?

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

So sādhu-śāstra. Śāstra means Vedas, and sādhu, saintly persons, and guru. Saintly person means who abides by the śāstra, Vedic knowledge. One who does not accept Vedic knowledge, so, followers of Vedas, they do not accept him as an authority.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Tokyo, January 27, 1975:

In America they are surprised. Although they are Americans, they inquire, "Are you Americans?" Because there, in America, there is no such thing. Any inquisitive person inquires. The priest said that "These boys, they are our boys, and they never came to church to inquire about what is God. Now they are mad after God. What is this?" Because they have become suras by training. By training. So asuras can be turned into suras. There is no difficulty. Provided they abide by the rules and regulation, orders of the spiritual master, they can be suras. Because they do not know... Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate. They do not know what is satyam. Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). Therefore we are teaching them Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi, the ultimate truth. They do not know what is satyam. This is the movement, to give them education to understand what is the Absolute Truth,

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

Anyathā-rūpam means defying the authority of God. That is anyathā-rūpam. Because we are a part and parcel of God, therefore our business is to abide by the orders of God. But as soon as we defy God, that is anyathā-rūpam. So mukti means hitvā anyathā-rūpam. That is mukti. Mukti means hitvā anyathā-rūpam, giving up this nonsense practice, defying God. Anyathā-rūpam. Sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ, to be situated in his own constitutional position. What is the constitutional position? The constitutional position is to serve. Just like part and parcel of my body, this finger, is to serve the body. This is constitutional position. If the finger denies, "No, I am God. Why shall I serve you?" that is anyathā-rūpam.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- London, August 7, 1971:

Just like when we understand government laws, we understand also the government has enacted this law. We understand that. Just like on the street when you go, it is written there, "Keep to the left." It is the order of the government. You have abide by that. That is obedience to the government. Discipline. Discipline is the first law of obedience. If people do not care for the government laws, then there will be chaos.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- London, August 15, 1971:

So even these are the problems, therefore they must be based on religion. Religion means to become well-behaved, to abide... Just like good citizen means well-behaved, to abide by the state laws. So first thing is religion, to learn how to become God conscious. This is the first business of human society. But they have rejected religion. They have become secular. Secular..., what does it mean secular? It means don't care for any kind of religion; Just work very hard for economic development day and night. This is the modern civilization. No. That is misleading. From the very beginning of life.

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

Another kaitava is that one who does not know the purpose of religion. Religion means, as we have several times explained, religion means the rules or the laws given by God. That is religion. Not the formulas. Formulas must be there, but the real basic principle of religion means the laws given by God. Just like we are living in a state, either in England or in Germany or in America or in India, there are state rules and regulations. Good citizen means who are abiding by the state laws. Similarly, a devotee means who is abiding by the laws given by God. This is the... Just try to understand. Just like a good citizen means that he is following the state law, as we do actually. When there is red light, immediately you stop your car because you have to abide by the laws of the state; otherwise you become criminal. Although there is none to look, still, you have to stop your car, "There is red light." That is obedience. And then, when there is green light, you start your car.

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

A child is abiding by the laws, but he does not know who is the law-giver, how the street is managed, what are the laws. He's to be considered as in ignorance. Just like in our schools and colleges, the state constitution, laws, lawyers, they study. So one may not know, but that is not very good position. But one who knows, his position is better. So simply to know: "There may be somebody, God. He has given us some laws. All right, let us abide by the laws," just like ordinary man doing. But to know, that inquisitiveness is called brahma-jijñāsā. That is required. Human society, human being must be interested in knowing that, the Supreme Absolute Truth, who has given us these codes and laws.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

Lord says that "Under My superintendence the material nature is working, and therefore so many wonderful changes are going on." So nature is working under the order of the Supreme Lord, and we are under the stringent laws of nature. Therefore we are obliged to carry out the natural sequences. Just like I already explained, from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, youthhood to old age, these are natural laws. And after mature old age, you have to change this body and accept another body. So if we say that "I have no faith in the orders of the material nature. I avoid it," that is not possible. So therefore this dharma means you may have faith or may not have faith; you have to abide by the laws of nature. People therefore say, "As sure as death." I may think or you may think that "Don't care for death. There will be no death," but it will happen. Therefore the conclusion is that you cannot manufacture any laws of religion.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

Man-made religion has no value. So man-made religions, there are so many religious system, the Hindu religion, Christian religion, Mohammedan religion or this religion, that religion. That is a kind of faith. But religion means the order or the laws given by God. Therefore here it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra. Kaitavaḥ means cheating type of religious system. Real religion means "God is there. I am there. God is great. I am subordinate. I must abide by the laws of God." This is religion. At the present moment, under the spell of illusion in this material condition, we have forgotten our real religion.

Lecture on SB 1.1.2 -- Caracas, February 23, 1975:

Real religion means to revive our consciousness—we say, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness"—or God consciousness, by which we agree to abide by the laws of God. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā at the end, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He says that "You have manufactured so many religious system. So you give up all these. You simply surrender unto Me." Therefore real conclusion is, real religion means, to surrender unto God.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- London, August 10, 1971:

First of all, Advaita Gosāñi, then Nityānanda Mahāprabhu, Prabhu. Mahāprabhu is applicable only to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Others, all prabhus. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Kṛṣṇa, and He has got innumerable servants. Kṛṣṇa is Mahāprabhu, and all others, they are prabhus. And the spiritual master who has got many prabhus to abide by his order, he is addressed as Prabhupāda. This is the system. So sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devam. After offering all these obeisances to Gosvāmīs, to guru, and Advaita, Nityānanda, then you come to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then Śrī Rādhā. Not Kṛṣṇa directly. Śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa means they are always associated by the gopīs, of whom Lalitā-Viśākhā are the chief out of the aṣṭa-sakhīs.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Melbourne, April 3, 1972, Lecture at Christian Monastery:

"Whenever there is religious discrepancies and uprise of irreligious principles, at that time I come down." So God cannot be forced. Just like at night you cannot force the sun to rise. You have no such power. The sun will rise in due course of time, in the morning. At that time you can see sun. You can see the sun, you can see yourself, and you can see the world. But at the darkness you cannot force. You have no such searchlight, scientific advancement, that you can force. Similarly, if you cannot force a material object like sun to abide by your orders, how you can make God forced to come down? So He comes down at His own will, not by your word. God is not like that.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

The sum and substance of religious principle is to surrender to God. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. Religion means the order given by God. That's all. This is the simple definition of religion. If you, anyone asks "What do you mean by religion?" Religion means to abide by the orders of God. That's all. Just like good citizen means who abides by the order of the government. That's all. There is no difficulty to understand what is good citizen. Whatever the government gives you law, and if you follow, then you are a good citizen. Similarly, there is order by God, and anyone who follows that order, he's religious. Religious does not mean a kind of faith. That English translation of the word religion is not sufficient. Faith—"I believe in this, I may not believe in this"—that is different thing. But law means you must. There is no question of you believe or not believe. You believe or not believe, it doesn't matter. Law is law.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

Just like if you want to be a mathematician, so you may pass from any university, Calcutta University or Delhi University or London University—any university. Mathematics two plus two equal to four everywhere. It is not that in Calcutta University two plus two equal to five, and in London University two plus equal to three. No. Everywhere two plus two equal to five, four. Similarly, dharma means obedience to the laws of God. That is dharma. Either you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim, whether you accept God as the supreme authority and whether you abide by the laws of God, then you are dharmic. Otherwise, it is cheating. If there is no conception of God, if one does not know what is God and what is the order of God, then that type of religion is cheating religion and that kind of religion is completely thrown out from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura said, pṛthivīte āche yata..., pṛthivīte yahā kichu dharma nāme cale. Cale means it is passing on in the name of religion but it is not religion. Because religion without conception of God, what is the meaning of that religion? If that is religion, that is not parā dharma. That is aparā dharma. Aparā dharma. Just like sometimes we take deśa-dharma. Samāja-dharma, gṛha-dharma, and so many things.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

Everything is described very nicely in the Bhagavad-gītā. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ, and yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma... (BG 3.14). (break) And the animals, as soon as they are fatty and grown up, they are sent to the slaughterhouse. This business is going on. So why there should not be crisis in food grain and crisis in human...? There must be. Because we are not abiding by the orders of the Supreme Lord, and dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme Lord... Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). You cannot manufacture dharma: "This is this religion; this is that religion." These are all bogus. Real dharma is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is dharma. All bogus type of dharma—Hindu religion, Muslim religion, this religion, that religion—they are not dharma.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

Therefore it is said here, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Paraḥ means Supreme. What is that? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, "Wherein this is taught, 'Just surrender to the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, that is first-class religion." All other religions, they are bogus. That is not religion. Just like good citizenship means to abide by the laws of the state, of the government. That is good citizenship. Similarly, a real religious person means who is abiding by the orders of the Supreme Lord. Unfortunately, they have no information of the Supreme Lord. Although the Lord, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, is present, still, they are thinking that Supreme Lord is nirākāra. Nirākāra means to avoid. How Supreme God can be nirākāra? If the Supreme Lord is the supreme father... We have got experience: I am a person, my father is person, his father is person, his father is person... In this way, if you go to the topmost platform to find out the Supreme Person or Supreme God, why He should be imperson? Imperson is a feature of the Supreme Person, but ultimately brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11), ultimately the Absolute Truth is a Supreme Person.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, April 18, 1974:

So one has to come to the religious principle on the spiritual platform. That is real dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). It doesn't matter what religious system you are following. Because actually religion means to abide by the orders of God. That is religion. Simply definition of religion. Just like good citizen means who abides by the state laws. He does not break the state laws. Similarly, any person, it doesn't matter whether he is Hindu, Muslim, Christian or this or that. It doesn't matter. If he is a devotee of the Supreme Lord, then his religion system is first class. Otherwise, śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). That will be stated. If you do not develop your... Generally, we have love for these material things.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:

So dharma is actually under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You cannot manufacture dharma. Because we do not know what is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu, Muslim or Christian. That is explained in the sixth verse. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharma yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). The verse, we read. Paro dharmaḥ. Paro dharmaḥ means the best, best, supreme dharma. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu or Muslim.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:

This is our position. Therefore there is dharma. In the civilized human society, there is dharma. Either you take it as characteristic or a faith, but a civilized nation has a kind of dharma, either Christian dharma or Hindu dharma or Muhammadan dharma. Anyone. Dharma means some relationship with God. That is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam... (SB 6.3.19). That is another definition of dharma: "Dharma means to abide by the laws of God." So everyone is trying to abide by the laws. Mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ sarvaśaḥ pārtha. Sarvaśaḥ pārtha. That is also stated in the Bhagavad... Everyone is trying to approach. Here the ultimate injunction is that dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena kathāsu yaḥ (SB 1.2.8). Viṣvaksena is another name of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

This is the message of Bhagavad-gītā. So dharma means to understand my relationship with God. That is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like a good citizen means who knows the relationship with the state. That is good citizenship. Bad citizenship means who doesn't care for the state. That is criminal. They are put into the prison house. So similarly, the living entities, they are part and parcel of God. But when they are not ready or prepared to abide by the laws of God, they are put into this material world. Beginning from Brahmā, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16), they are rotating in this way. So dharma means to abide by the laws of God. Just like good citizen means to abide by the state laws. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

So therefore dharma means to abide by the laws of God—that is dharma—so that you can get our of the entanglement of this pavarga. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na artha upakalpate. Not for economic development. Don't go to the church, can't go to the temple for your economic development. Although in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, ārtaḥ arthārthī jñānī jijñāsuḥ, catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna: "Four kinds of men, those who are ārta, distressed, arthārthī, in need of money, they come to Me." That is also good. But that is not the meaning of dharma. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. You have to execute religious system only to get out of the entanglement of this pavarga.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā. Practically we have seen. These boys and girls, Europe and America, they first of all came to me, and they associated, abided by my orders. Then automatically they wanted to be initiated. We are doing that. Every day we are initiating some new devotees. So this is called bhajana-kriyā. You'll be automatically anxious. If one associates with sādhu, then he will be automatically anxious to accept bhajana-kriyā, initiation. Then you have to rise early in the morning, you have to offer maṅgala-ārati, you have to do this, you have to do that. Twenty-four-hours program is there. That is called bhajana-kriyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15).

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

Just like there is a English version, that "Not a grass moves without the sanction of God." So without sanction of God, we cannot do anything. You may say that when we do something bad, why God gives us sanction? God does not give us sanction, but we force Him to give us sanction. Therefore He gives us sanction. Otherwise, He does not give sanction. But because we want to do it persistently, so God gives us sanction: "All right. You can do it. And you have to enjoy or suffer the result." Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā, the last instruction is that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Don't try to do according to your whims. You just surrender unto Me. Abide by Me. Then I shall give you all protection. But if you want to do according to your own whims, and if you do not hear Me, what can I do? You do that and enjoy the result."

Lecture on SB 1.3.14 -- Los Angeles, September 19, 1972:

So when Veṇa become king, of course, the rogues and thieves, they were immediately subdued. Because rogues and thieves, and here the king is also greater rogue. So the smaller rogues were subdued immediately. That was one of the benefit, because he was very strong and cruel. Immediately, caught a rogue, he will immediately cut off his head. So they were subdued. But he himself is a rogue. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. This is our experience. "Might is right." If you are stronger, then you can subdue less strong. But he became very much disturbing. He was atheist, and he ordered that "There is no God. I am God. So what I say, you have to abide." The brāhmaṇas were also... "You cannot perform yajñas. This is not required." In this way, he became too much disturbing.

Lecture on SB 1.3.19 -- Los Angeles, September 24, 1972:

Dharma-saṁsthā... Real religious principle. Real religious principle means to abide by the laws of the Supreme Lord, God. But they do not believe in God. "Everyone is God. I am God, you are God, he is God, everyone is God. So whatever law you give yourself, that becomes your religion." This is going on. So God is not so cheap that you become God, I become God, he becomes God. The śāstra says, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). God is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, the original God. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda (Bs. 5.1). God, Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7)

Lecture on SB 1.5.30 -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

All cheating type of religious system is kicked out from Bhagavad, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kicked out, projjhita. To merge into the Supreme, to become God, to become incarnation of God—these kind of religious systems is very rigidly kicked out from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because they are not religion. Real religion is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore it is said, yat tat sākṣād bhagavatā uditam. If you want to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you must abide by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they have no idea who is Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is His order, what is our relationship with Him. These things are unknown. It is simply known to the, I mean to say, devotees. Why it is monopolized by the devotees? That is also answered in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you want to know what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, then you have to go through this bhakti-mārga, or devotional... There is no other way.

Lecture on SB 1.7.7 -- Vrndavana, April 24, 1975:

Because our aim of life is to approach Lord Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). The modern civilization, they do not know it, na te viduḥ, that what is the aim of life. The aim of life is to satisfy Lord Viṣṇu. This the aim of life. Just like ordinarily, the common citizen, a good citizen, his duty is to abide by the laws of the state. That is called good citizen. And if you do not become a good citizen, then you are put into the prison house, good citizen and bad citizen. Similarly, the aim of human life is to approach Viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 1.8.27 -- Los Angeles, April 19, 1973:

Because Kṛṣṇa has no difference between body and self. He's simply self, spirit soul. So we have got now this body and self. I am self, but I possess this body. Then when actually we become dependent on Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa is self-satisfied, similarly we can be also self-satisfied with Kṛṣṇa. Kaivalya, kaivalya-pataye namaḥ. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they, monists, they want to become one with the Supreme. As Supreme is self-satisfied, they also want to be self-satisfied by becoming one with the Supreme. Our philosophy is also the same, kaivalya. But we depend on Kṛṣṇa. We do not become one with, one with Kṛṣṇa. That is oneness. If we simply agree to abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa, there is no disagreement, that is oneness.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

Just like take for example, when there are too much criminals in the state, unlawful, lawlessness, the state becomes overburdened, disturbed, overburdened. At that time the administrators are puzzled what to do. Similarly when the world is overburdened by atheists, demons, nonbelievers, the world becomes overburdened. Otherwise things will go on nicely. Just like in the state, if people abide by the laws nicely, then it is very easy to administer. Things are going on very nicely. But if people become criminals, it becomes a overburden to the state administrators.

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Mayapura, October 21, 1974:

In Europe, and some, somewhere, it right side coming to left side. So, so, the, according to the state... You cannot say, "Why sometimes it is left side, sometimes right side?" No. It may be whatever it is, but because it is the state order, you have to abide by it. You cannot say that "I was driving my car in India to the left side. Why shall I drive on the right side?" Sometimes they feel inconvenienced. But no, you have to because that is the state order.

So similarly, as the law means state order, similarly, religion means God's order. That's all, simple definition.

Lecture on SB 1.8.51 -- Los Angeles, May 13, 1973:

So a king must be very responsible for the citizens how they are happy. So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was that type of king. Every king was like that. It was the duty of the king to see. You have read already that during Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja's time there was no excessive heat or excessive cold, neither there was disease in the country. Because the king was so perfect, so pious, so God-conscious, that these things would not disturb. And the citizens, also, would abide by the orders of the king. So everything was very peaceful. Very peaceful. So without king, not like the present government officers, all rogues and simply take taxes and let the citizens go to hell. There is no protection for anyone, either for the children, either for the brāhmaṇas or for the women. No protection. "You go to hell. If you like, we can give you some contribution. That's all." No. The king must be so responsible that he should see to the comfort of the citizens, especially the brāhmaṇas, the children and the women. This was the duty of the king.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

So dharma is so strong. Dharma means to abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa. That is dharma. If we remain faithful to Kṛṣṇa, and what Kṛṣṇa says, if we do that, that is perfect dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religious system. We do not decry any system of religion. We do not say that Hindu religion is better than Christian religion. In what way Hindu religion is better than Christian religion? The followers of so-called Christian religion, they're also set of nonsense, and so are the Hindus.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:

Recently in Ahmedabad when I was visiting, the prison authorities also invited us for kīrtana. So I saw the criminals, prisoners. Savarmati. Savarmati jail, yes, where Gandhi was also imprisoned during the political movement. So Gandhi's room, where Gandhi was staying they showed me, and I sat down there. So, there is very good arrangement for the comforts of the prisoners, if they abide by the laws. Similarly, although this material world is just like prison house, prison house, we living entities, we have come here as punishment.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:

The brāhmaṇa by their Vedic knowledge, perfect knowledge, paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. By high learning, they would... They were not interested for capturing the government. No. They had no time. But there was consulting body. Even Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja's time, there was consulting body, all the kings. The brāhmaṇas and the ṛṣis, they would form a consulting body and give advice to the king: "My dear king, do like this.' And they will abide. Just like head. Head. Head gives the instruction to the arms. Not the arm gives instruction to the head. Head. Brain. Mukha-bāhūru-pādebhyaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:

Upaśamāni means relief immediately. So read Bhagavad-gītā. Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on this Bhagavad-gītā. We do not manufacture anything. Yata mata tata patha. This is rascaldom. This is rascaldom, that if you manufacture some way for relief, that is not possible. Because you are imperfect, how you can manufacture? Your senses are imperfect. You cannot manufacture. If you manufacture, then you will simply waste your time. Then real religious life means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19), to abide by the orders of Bhagavān, the Supreme Person.

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

In the name of religion, every rascal is creating his own religion and he is satisfied. He is satisfied, "I have got my own religion." But they do not know. These rascals, they do not know what is the meaning of religion. Religion means to abide by the laws of God, simple definition. Religion. That is religion, to abide by the laws. Now if you are religionist, you cannot deny God. Without God there is no question of religion. If somebody says, "I don't care for God. But my religion is simply to cut throat." Is that religion? So therefore one must know what is religion. That religion, very simple definition. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Religion is the law given by God. This is religion.

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

So what God is giving as law? The law is that "You give up all nonsense religion, simply surrender unto Me." This is religion. So a religious person, it does not mean whether he is Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Buddhist. He must accept God and surrender unto Him. This is religion. This is religion. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7), that means when religion becomes polluted, at that time Kṛṣṇa comes as bhū-bhāraḥ. Because as soon as... Religion means to abide by the laws of, to abide by the laws of God. So dharmasya glānir bhavati means when people do not abide by the laws of God. That is dharmasya glāniḥ, discrepancy in the matter of discharging religion. Just like when you begin to break laws, everyone, then government becomes very furious, arrest, punish, hang—these things are going on. But if you are abiding by the laws of government, there is no such question to harass you. There is no... You live peacefully. This is the process going on.

Lecture on SB 1.16.2 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1973:

So in those days, as in the first verse we learn, dvija-varya-śikṣayā. The... Actually, the brāhmaṇas, they were controlling the state, but not directly, not sitting on the throne, but giving the kings good advice according to śāstra, that "You rule over like this. This is the process." And the kings would abide by... Although the monarchy was there, but they were not irresponsible. First of all, the king was trained and educated perfectly. Therefore it is called dvija-varya-śikṣayā. Yesterday I explained, dvija, the twice-born brāhmaṇa. And again it is added with another word, varya. Varya means the first class, not third class. First-class man, dvija-varya-śikṣayā, they used to teach. They used to advise. And if the king was worthless, sometimes they would kill the king. And next son, his son would take possession.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Hawaii, January 16, 1974:

If you give up the injunction of the scripture, revealed scriptures, you consider something as God, that is not God. Or you consider something as religion, that is not religion. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na sa siddhim avāpnoti (BG 16.23). If you become aberrant to the injunction of the śāstras, then na sukhaṁ sāvāpnoti, you'll never get happiness. Na sukham, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na, na sa siddhim avāpnoti. There is no question of siddhi, perfection, neither there is question of happiness, na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim, and what to speak of going back home, back to Godhead. It is useless.

Therefore we must abide by the sādhu-śāstra-guru. (aside:) Ah, what is this sound, is going on now? You can ask somebody to stop. Sādhu means saintly person. Śāstra means revealed scriptures.

Lecture on SB 1.16.20 -- Los Angeles, July 10, 1974:

First of all, the first-class men, second-class men and third-class men, means the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya and vaiśya, they were not interested in meat-eating. Only the fourth-class men and fifth-class men, they were allowed or they were eating meat. Nobody is allowed. But the first-class, second-class men, they have got sense. They voluntarily give up. But the third-class fourth-class, fifth-class men, they do not. Up to fourth-class, they also abide. From the fifth-class men—they are called pañcama—they are very irregular. They don't care for any rules and regulation or any śāstra, scripture. They do whatever they like, fifth class. So what is legal meat-eating? Legal meat-eating is that you sacrifice one animal before the goddess, deity Kālī, Goddess Kālī, and there are so many rules and regulation. Under regulative principle one was allowed to eat meat. Not that maintain big, big slaughterhouse and purchase from the butcher shop and eat meat. This is illegal.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

So if we actually want to be happy, then we should not live like animals, without any restriction, without any... Even in your state, just to keep proper management of the state, there are so many laws. Even you... As soon as you go on the street, you see there is state law immediately, "Keep to the right." Discipline must be there. That is dharma, discipline, to abide by the state laws. There must be some discipline. Similarly, to make yourself advanced in spiritual life, you must have to observe the discipline. Without discipline, it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.16.25 -- Hawaii, January 21, 1974:

So tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. So there, how to learn from guru, that is also stated. Tad viddhi: try to learn from him... Tad viddhi praṇipātena. First of all surrender yourself. You cannot go to any person for learning anything where there is no sense of surrender. I accept a guru, but in my mind I remain independent, "Oh, why shall I abide by the orders of guru?" That means there is no surrender. There is no surrender. It is false. It is just to satisfy some motive, but that will not help. If you have got any duplicity in your mind, then you'll never be successful in any field of activities.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Vrndavana, March 17, 1974:

Sanātana Gosvāmī would give decision among their family quarrel also. So dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. These ordinary men, they were not saintly persons, but they were devoted to Sanātana Gosvāmī. Therefore their life was successful. Because they would abide by the orders of Sanātana Gosvāmī, therefore they were also liberated. They may be personally wrong, but they abided by the Sanātana Gosvāmī. And Sanātana Gosvāmī was kind to them. This is the Gosvāmī. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Vrndavana, March 17, 1974:

So you can become dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Adhīra, those who are ordinary men, you can also call them, give them prasādam, treat them very nicely: "Just hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. You come here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take prasāda." They'll be your..., under your control. They'll be under your control. And as soon as they become under your control, they make advance. Immediately. Because under the Vaiṣṇava, if he agrees to abide by, he becomes... That is called ajñāta-sukṛti. Because he offers you... Just like when we walk, they say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya Rādhe." That is the method of offering respect. So if these ordinary people offer respect to the Vaiṣṇava, they become advanced. So you must be Vaiṣṇava. Otherwise why they will offer you respect? Respect cannot be demanded.

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

A civilized man must have some religious process. That is all over the world. Now we are giving up. We are giving up. Everyone is giving up. Therefore dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ... When we give up the religious principle... Religious principle means to abide by the law of God. That is religion. But we do not know what is God and what is His order. We forget it. So at the present moment, dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ, it is a civilization of cats and dogs, not human beings, because they have given up dharma.

Lecture on SB 2.3.10 -- Los Angeles, May 28, 1972:

The śāstra is giving you all freedom. "If you like, you do this." But ultimately gives this instruction... Just like Kṛṣṇa. He has spoken so many things, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, karma-yoga. But at the end He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śara... (BG 18.66). "You give up all this nonsense, simply surrender unto Me." That is the ultimate instruction. So that means śāstra gives you freedom, at the same time gives you chance. Śāstra is not... Just like we are free, and the state laws are there, and we are free to violate it or to abide by it. Similarly, all the śāstras, everything is there. And the freedom is also there. Not, I mean to say, the ultimate freedom, but there is freedom, small freedom. We can make our choice.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

Yogis, they are also trying to become one. So many endeavors are going on. But the simple process is, as soon as you surrender, that you are not fallen, "It was illusion. I was dreaming. I am Kṛṣṇa's," finished. All gone. "I am Kṛṣṇa's. I am Kṛṣṇa's eternal servant. These are all nonsense"—he immediately becomes liberated. Just try to understand. Immediately, within a second. Liberation can be attained within a second, provided we abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the position. We are not fallen.

Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:

Somebody's Kṛṣṇa's friend as servant, as tree, as water, as flower, as land, as cow's, as calf. So many ways. This is our business. But somehow or other we did not like to serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have been put into the service of māyā in three modes of nature. Just like criminal. A criminal does not like to obey the laws of the state; therefore a criminal is put into the prison house and he's forced to abide by the law of the state. The state laws are there—either outside the prisonhouse or inside the prisonhouse. But one who does not obey ordinarily outside the jail the orders or the laws of the state is put into the prisonhouse. But he cannot avoid the laws of the state. That is not possible. Because a citizen means he must abide by the laws of the state.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

Dharma means to abide by the orders of God. This is dharma. But if you do not know God, if you do not know what is order, then you must manufacture something rubbish and fight amongst yourself. That is not dharma.

Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: (SB 1.1.2) "All cheating types of dharma is rejected and kicked out from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Dharmaḥ projjhita. Projjhita, prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa ujjhita, just like you collect all dust and throw it. Similarly, this Bhāgavata-dharma is not a cheating dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma means in relation with the Supreme Lord. Bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ. Bhakti can be applied only to Bhagavān. Bhakti means the business between Bhagavān and bhakta. That is bhakti.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

Puruṣa, we living entities, because we have developed this consciousness somehow or other, that we don't want to serve Kṛṣṇa, but we want to become Kṛṣṇa, this prātikūlya, this icchā, and not to serve Kṛṣṇa, this dveṣa, two things combined... Icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa. They cannot... Just like I will give you very small example: just like the criminals. The criminals, they have got two things: icchā, dveṣa. Dveṣa: "Why shall I abide by the government law? I can do anything, what I like." This is dveṣa. And icchā means, "I shall work independently, without the law." So just like this icchā-dveṣa, the result is they are put into the jail. On account of these two things—icchā, that "I shall live independently without the control of the government. Whatever I like, I shall do," this icchā, and dveṣa, "I don't like to carry out the orders of law," dveṣa—this is very nice example—the result is that he will be arrested, and he will be put into the jail.

Lecture on SB 3.26.15 -- Bombay, December 24, 1974:

Dharma means the laws of God. This is the simple definition of dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). So when we defy the religious principles... Religious principle means that dharma, not your created dharma. You cannot create law at home. It is given already. What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66). This is dharma. All other dharmas, so-called dharmas, they are all cheating. Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra: "All cheating type of religious system is kicked out, rejected." Actually, it is not required. It is simply bogus. Real dharma is here, to abide by the laws of God. That is real dharma. Then if you have no conception of God, if you have no knowledge what is the laws of God, then you are adharmika, you are simply transgressing the laws of dharma. And to transgress the laws of dharma, you are sinful, you are punishable. And that is going on. Material life means that. Material life means defying the laws of God, denying the existence of God. And one wants to become himself God. These are the material activities. So we may do so, may defy, but the laws will act. Laws will act.

Lecture on SB 3.26.16 -- Bombay, December 25, 1974:

You have to abide by the influence of time. That means influence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However you deny... Just like crazy fellow. They think that "I have nothing to do with government laws." But the influence of government must be felt when he is arrested and put into the jail. Similarly, by time factor we may do something now without any fear, but time factor will place me in the fearful condition without any fail.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

Tapasya means I am habituated to smoking, suppose, and the spiritual master says, "You cannot smoke." So if he gives up smoking, he feels some inconvenience, some uncomfortable position. But because the spiritual master has ordered, he gives it up. This is called tapasya. Even at his inconvenience, he abides by the order of the spiritual master, regulative principle. That is called tapasya. He feels some inconvenience, but what can be done? He has accepted one spiritual master. A spiritual master means voluntarily accepting a great personality whose rules and regulations he must abide by. This is accepting of spiritual master, voluntarily accepting somebody, "Yes, sir. Whatever you say, I'll accept." Śiṣya. Śiṣya means who abides by the rules. That is called śiṣya. Or English, "discipline." From discipline, disciplic, disciplic succession. From the discipline. So either you take English or Sanskrit, the same meaning. Śiṣya means who accepts the ruling of his spiritual master; and disciple means also the same thing, who becomes disciplined by the spiritual master.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

So tapasya means even at the inconvenience of my personal comforts, I must abide by the orders of my spiritual master. This is called tapasya. And who is spiritual master? He does not manufacture any rules and regulation. He refers to the śāstra. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete kariyā aikya. If you want to know who is a spiritual master, if you know who is a saintly person, then you should keep in the middle the śāstra, the scriptures, and you will corroborate. The saintly person, the spiritual master, and the śāstra corroborate if they are abiding one another.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969:

Utilize your life by tapasya, by voluntarily accepting the rulings of śāstra, spiritual master, saintly person." The question may be that "Why this injunction? Why I shall not live like an animal? And why I have to live under the regulative principles of scriptures and saintly person and spiritual master?" The answer is also there: tapo divyam. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā: (SB 5.5.1) "My dear sons, this form of life should be utilized for tapasya." Why? Yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet: "If you accept these principles of life, then your existential condition will be purified." At the present moment we are contaminated by the material nature, modes, mostly ignorance and passion. So He's advising that if you abide by the rulings of tapasya, then your existential condition will be purified.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- London, September 17, 1969:

Everyone is under the control of Kṛṣṇa by this way or that way, but those who are given to Kṛṣṇa voluntarily, surrendered souls, I am speaking of them. Tad-adhīneṣu. Everyone is... Just like any citizen in the state are under the control of the state rules and regulation. But some of them, they say, "I don't care for the government." So they are forced to obey the government laws in the prisonhouse. And the free citizens means who are voluntarily abiding by the laws of the state. Similarly, any living entity is under the laws of God. There is no doubt about it. But those who are voluntarily accepting the laws of God and giving service to the Supreme Lord, they are called devotees. And those who have revolted, and being forced by māyā to abide by the laws of God, they are called nondevotees.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- London, September 17, 1969:

This is the difference between devotees and nondevotees. But both the devotees and nondevotees, they must obey the laws of Kṛṣṇa. There is no exception. There is no exception. This is māyā. He is being forced, the nondevotee is being forced to act. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). He's under the spell of the modes of material nature, and he's being forced to act under the spell of material nature, but he is thinking, "I am free. I don't care for God." This is called māyā. He is being kicked by māyā, but he'll not agree to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa. He'll agree to be kicked by māyā. That is his business. That he will agree. "Yes, let me be kicked by māyā." So nobody is free. By constitutional position nobody is free from the laws of God. But those who are voluntarily accepting, they are devotees. And those who are not accepting, falsely declaring themselves independent, they are nondevotees. This is the difference.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 13, 1975:

Acyutānanda: The last question. What is the real meaning of religion?

Prabhupāda: Religion means to abide by the laws of God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma is the core. Just like the state gives you law. So you cannot manufacture law at home. That is not possible. Nobody will accept that. When it is given by the state government, that is law. Similarly, what is given by God, that is religion, and that is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is religion. And other things cheating. That's all.

Lecture on SB 5.5.7 -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1976:

When one cannot eat, the foodstuff is forced through the body, through the rectum, through the nose. That is very troublesome. But the real process is, one process, you put the foodstuff through the mouth. It must go to the stomach and then the energy will be distributed, everyone will be happy. Similarly, if we serve Kṛṣṇa, if we abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa, and satisfy Him, as He says, Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), that is the perfection of life. If we work otherwise, forgetting Kṛṣṇa... Here it is said, gata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpān. If we forget Kṛṣṇa, if we make our own plan to satisfy myself, community, society, nation, this is forgetfulness and the result will be, gata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpān. You get simply trouble. That is being done, actually. The whole world is forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, or God. Kṛṣṇa, forgetfulness, and they are making so many plans to become happy but the result is vindati tāpān, simply suffering, simply suffering. It will never be successful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971:

So, so long we have got this bodily concept of life, so long we have to abide by the laws of material nature, by the laws of the state, or any other laws. Because this body is conditional. Every one of us who are sitting in this meeting has got a different body. Because everyone is under different condition, varieties, varieties of condition. Therefore I'm responsible. If I do not atone for the sinful activities I'm doing within this body, then I have to suffer in my next body because I'll get another body according to my karma.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

Actually, the proprietor is the father, but the enjoyers are the sons. Similarly, whatever there is, it is the property of God. But because you are all sons of God, you have got the right to enjoy the property of the father. There is no denying. But you cannot enjoy the property of your other brother. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Whatever the father says, "My dear boy, you enjoy this," you be satisfied with that. Don't try to encroach upon others', other brothers' property. Then you'll be criminal. You enjoy. Kṛṣṇa has give you sufficient. Kṛṣṇa is not poor. Sarvaiśvarya... Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. So if you remain satisfied what is given to you by Kṛṣṇa and remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "My father is so kind, my father is so rich, so let me abide by the orders of my father and live peacefully," then the world becomes peaceful. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very scientific and authorized. But as soon as we want to encroach upon others' property, to enjoy more than it is allotted to me, that is criminal.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973:

Devotee (2): How important is formal initiation?

Prabhupāda: Formal initiation means to accept, officially, to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa and His representative. That is formal initiation. Officially accept, "Yes, sir, I shall accept. I shall do whatever you say." This is initiation, official acceptance of the job. That's all. Now, you formally accept, and if you do not do the duties, then where is the question of other function? There is no question. Initiation means this is the beginning of accepting the orders of Kṛṣṇa and His representative to carry out. This is the beginning. That is initiation. Just like if you enter in an office establishment, so you accept the terms of service. That is initiation.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

Nārāyaṇa parāyaṇa means... Parāyaṇa means they're always ready to abide by the orders of Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa... "Those who have taken the path of Nārāyaṇa, devotional service, as their life and soul." They are called nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Honolulu, May 17, 1976:

In the material world we have lost our memory that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and my duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa." This is our position. This is called illusion. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of my body. So what is the duty of this finger? To abide by the order of the body. I want: "Finger, you stand like this"; the finger is standing. "You come here," "Yes." That is part and parcel. That is part and parcel. So if we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, our only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa. There is no other duty. But we have created so many duties, and that is designation.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Chicago, July 4, 1975:

Saṁskārāt. Saṁskāra means reforming. You are born śūdra. You are inclined to do something, so many things—intoxication, illicit sex and drinking and gambling and meat-eating. These are all śūdra qualities or less than that. Śūdras also, they abide by the Vedic orders. Śūdras also do not do whimsically whatever he likes. Śūdras, they are taken among the, in the Vedic society... Because śūdras also, they are last class, fourth class, they are eager to follow the orders or the orderly things as given by the brāhmaṇas. Therefore śūdras, up to śūdras, accepted as bona fide classification. And below the śūdras, they are called caṇḍālas, caṇḍālas, fifth grade. They are also mentioned, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśāḥ. Everything is analyzed.

Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970:

Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). You cannot understand the path of religion by your mental speculation. Dharmāṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma, religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No ordinary man can enact dharma. Therefore there is dharma-viparya. Real dharma, actual dharma, is to abide by the words of the Supreme Lord. That is dharma. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ. That is dharma, simply to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise it is not dharma. Man-made dharma is no dharma. That is called kaitava-dharma, cheating dharma. You cannot manufacture religion. But nowadays it has become fashion. Everyone is manufacturing his own religion.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:

Just like if you ask, "What is law?" then the immediate answer is, "Law means the injunction of the state." You cannot make it law. The state, the government, whatever the government orders, that is law. The word of the government is law. Similarly, dharma means the injunctions given in the Vedas. It is clearly said, veda-praṇihito dharma hy adharmas tad viparyayaḥ: (SB 6.1.40) "And nonreligions or irreligion, irreligion, or nonreligion, is just the opposite." For example, if you abide by the laws of the Vedas, then you should know that you are following the path of dharma, or religion. But if you do not abide by the laws of Vedas, then you are irreligious. This is the sum and substance.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970:

Just like the Americans, they were all Europeans, and they entered this American land, killed so many Red Indians. So these kind of things are going on, but that does not mean that is the law. You killed so many Red Indians for your benefit, but you have to suffer for that. So that... This is going on in the human society, but that does not mean it is dharma. No. Dharma means you have to abide by the regulation given by the Vedas. You have to adjust things. Sometimes in Africa the man-eaters, they kill their grandfather, make a feast. The Russians also, they maintain such theory, that old men, they should be neglected. I have heard. I do not know. They become burden. But that is not Vedic injunction.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- San Francisco, July 21, 1975:

The government can make law. Similarly, you cannot manufacture any religion. Nārāyaṇa sākṣāt. Nārāyaṇa, God, He can make. You cannot make at your home, "I have manufactured a type of religion." No. That you cannot do. Nowadays this is going on. Yata mata tata patha: "You can manufacture your own religion." This is going on. "You are okay, I am okay." "I manufacture my religion. You manufacture your religion. Don't fight. Let us become brother." This is going on. So how you can be brother? The dog remains a dog. How they can become brother? It is not possible. Therefore so many religious systems, they are all rascaldom. One religion: that is the order of God. That is religion. If you want one religion, then you must know who is God and you must abide by the order of God. That is religion, very simple thing. You cannot manufacture, concoction. That is not religion. Therefore Bhāgavata, it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ: "All these cheating type of religion is rejected, kicked out from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." What is that religion there? Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi: "The Supreme Truth, the Absolute Truth, we are accepting." This is religion.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

Prabhupāda: So that surrender means to accept his orders. The spiritual master trains the disciple in the way of goodness quality. So if you do not abide the orders of spiritual master, what is the use of your surrender? Surrender means ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam. Anukūla, favorable things, should be accepted. And you do not know. Therefore spiritual master will direct you, "This is favorable. This is unfavorable. Don't smoke—this is unfavorable." But if you don't accept the instruction, what is the meaning of surrender? Simply by offering obeisances, falling flat for the time being, that is not surrender.

Devotee (2): Daṇḍavat.

Prabhupāda: Daṇḍavat class(?). Surrender means you must abide strictly the orders, sad-dharma-pṛcchā, ādau gurvāśrayam. To accept a guru means... Śiṣya means one must agree to be governed by the spiritual master. That is called śiṣya. Śiṣya... Śās-dhātu. From śās-dhātu all these terms—śāstra, śiṣya, śāsana. These are words derived from the root śās-dhātu. Śās-dhātu means śāsana, governing. The governing is done by military, governing is done by lawbooks, governing is done by personal instruction, so many things. So śiṣya means who voluntarily accepts to be guided or being governed by the representative of God. That is śiṣya. Yes.

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, June 9, 1976:

Dharma means obeying the laws. Just like good citizens means who is obeying the laws of the state. He is good citizen. And other person who is disobeying, they are called outlaws. So what is dharma? Just like it is the duty of good citizen to abide by the laws of the state, similarly, dharmī, a person who is religious, means who is abiding by the laws of God. That's all. And who is not abiding, he is adharmi. That is the difference.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Los Angeles, June 11, 1976:

So, one has to suffer or enjoy. There are two things. So that is according to our activities. That we can practically experience. If one is educated, naturally, he gets a good position, and if one is criminal, he gets another position. There is no difficulty to understand. So there are two things, dharma and adharma. Religiosity and irreligiosity. Religiosity means to abide by the orders of God and irreligiosity means to disobey the orders of God. That's all. Simple thing. But in this connection we must know what is the order of God, what is God, how He orders, how to execute, how we become fit for executing orders. These things—these questions are there, but God is speaking personally, "This is My order," in the Bhagavad-gītā. You'll find, very simple thing.

Lecture on SB 6.1.45 -- Los Angeles, June 11, 1976:

So similarly, we cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is pāpa, adharma. Dharma is to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa. That is very simple. And if we do that then we become qualified to go back to home, back to Godhead. Very simple thing. It doesn't require much education. Simply it requires a purified mind, that "I shall execute it honestly." That much qualification is sufficient. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is Kṛṣṇa's law and order. Kṛṣṇa does not say anything which is very difficult to execute, because we cannot do it.

Lecture on SB 6.1.67 -- Vrndavana, September 3, 1975:

Prostitution is allowed freely, bad association, and they are encouraging by opening liquor shop, brothel, restaurant, meat-eating. So how you can expect a very nice civilization? That is not possible. We are suffering the consequence of our own degraded life. So how we can protect ourself from degradation? The śāstra is there. Śāstra, the scriptures, are there. Never mind whatever scriptures you have got—Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddha, or any. Every religion has got scripture. Just like the Christians have got Bible, the Muslims have got Koran, and Hindus, they have got Vedas. They should abide by the injunction of the śāstra. Lord Kṛṣṇa also recommends that you must follow the sastric injunction.

Lecture on SB 6.2.16 -- Vrndavana, September 19, 1975:

So sinful activities, it is punishable. You cannot violate the laws of nature. Prakṛti is very strong. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Just like the government has police department, military department, law courts. Why? Because not all the citizens were good citizens. There are many outlaws. So more or less, whoever is in this material world, they are outlaws. Outlaw means they do not abide by the laws of nature, and therefore they are punishable.

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

You are asking driver, "Please take me to this place," so driver is taking you to that place. Similarly it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati: (BG 18.61) "My dear Arjuna, the God is situated in everyone's heart, core of the heart," bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni (BG 18.61), "and He is causing the traveling of the living entity," yantrārūḍhāni māyayā, "on a machine which is given by this material nature." So this body is just like a machine, motorcar, and Kṛṣṇa is the driver, charioteer. And as you are desiring, He is driving your car in the same way or He is supplying different types of car. In this way you are... Life after life, you are trying to satisfy your senses. Kṛṣṇa is giving you the facility, God is giving you the facility, but He is asking you that "Give up this business, nonsense." Sarvam-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. He is simply finding out the opportunity how to say that, this ultimate truth of life. So our business is, instead of traveling in different cars and fulfill our whimsical desire, better surrender to God and abide by His order and be happy.

Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:

Janārdana: We are marginal energy.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Marginal energy is that, that by your individuality you can abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa, and if you like, you do not abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa. That is your choice. That is practical everywhere. The father and son—the son may obey the father, and the son may disobey also. That is the choice of the son. That is given there, that every individual living entity has got this minute quantity of independence. And as soon as we misuse this minute quantity of independence we are in the hands of māyā. Just like in every country... You are American. You are considered to be independent.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

Sādhu-saṅga means to associate with the bona fide spiritual master and abide by his order. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga 'tha bhajana-kriyā. And as soon as you intimately associate with the spiritual master, he teaches you how to develop devotional service. Bhajana-kriyā. And if you are perfectly executing devotional service, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then all your misgivings and misunderstanding will be cleared. Then niṣṭha, then you get firm faith. Beginning is the faith, but when your misgivings are all, I mean to say, eradicated, then the firm..., faith becomes firm.

Lecture on SB 7.12.2 -- Bombay, April 13, 1976:

Caitanya-caritāmṛta... We have got so many books. This should be our principle; we should not talk any nonsense. That is called yata-vāk. Yata-vāk means gontrolling the talking power. Yata-vāk. Samāhitaḥ, very sober. Try to become sober, don't talk nonsense, and abide by the orders of guru and śāstra. In this way training begins. It does not mean that you have to learn very big grammatical rules and... No. That you shall see later on. First of all build up character. Then it will be helpful to make further progress in spiritual life.

Lecture on SB 7.12.6 -- Bombay, April 17, 1976:

Upakurvaṇa-brahmacārī means he is married, but not for enjoying. He is married and to beget nice children under the order of his spiritual master. He is also brahmacārī. If a gṛhastha abides by the order of a guru, he is also brahmacārī. So here it is said jitendriya. Suśīlaḥ mita-bhug dakṣaḥ śraddadhāno jitendriyaḥ. Senses should not be used extravagantly. The modern civilization is that if you can use your senses more and more, then you are civilized. Then you are enjoyer. So Vedic civilization is different. Their aim is different. The whole scheme is controlling the senses, especially sex, because if we become too much addicted to sex life, then our life is spoiled. This is this.