Bhaktivinoda Thakura has taught that our tongue is very fastidious, wants to eat this thing, that thing, this thing, that thing

Expressions researched:
"Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has taught that our tongue is very fastidious, wants to eat this thing, that thing, this thing, that thing"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has taught that our tongue is very fastidious, wants to eat this thing, that thing, this thing, that thing. Even after... We have seen. He has eaten sumptuously at home but as soon as he comes out, "Let us go to the restaurant, let us have a cup of tea, a little this or that." The tongue is always dictating. "You eat this, you eat that, you eat that, you like that." That is going on.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

He's not poor. Kṛṣṇa is all-opulent. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). He's always being worshiped by many hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. Here we worship Goddess Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune, "Mother, give me some money." And that also does not stay. Lakṣmī's another name is Cañcala; sometimes she favors and goes away. But Kṛṣṇa is so opulent that millions of goddess of fortune are engaged in His service. So why He's asking you, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ (BG 9.26)? He's asking out of love that, "You try to love Me. If You are so poor you cannot give Me anything, all right, give Me little flower, little fruit. I will be satisfied." Kṛṣṇa is so kind.

And still you are not taking the opportunity of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Just see how much unfortunate we are. As you serve Kṛṣṇa, you understand Kṛṣṇa. You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa otherwise, unless you render service. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). If you simply exact your senses, your nice brain, "Kṛṣṇa is like this, Kṛṣṇa is like that," but if you are not a devotee, Kṛṣṇa will not reveal Himself. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). The rascal's mental speculation will not help him to understand Kṛṣṇa, what He is. That is not possible. His all activities are divyam, transcendental. We cannot understand with our material blunt senses. That is not possible. Therefore the śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. These blunt senses, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Or Kṛṣṇa means His name, His form, His quality, His activities, His pastimes, so many things. Janma karma.

So how Kṛṣṇa will be understood then? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. If you engage your tongue in His service, then that is the recommendation of Vedic literature, that first of all you have to engage your tongue. Kṛṣṇa's service begins from the tongue, because tongue has got two functions, namely to vibrate, to speak something, and to taste something. So you engage. You simply engage your tongue for chanting and glorifying Kṛṣṇa, and eat prasādam, then the two tongue's business will be finished. Sevonmukhe. You eat Kṛṣṇa's prasādam.

kṛṣṇa baro doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay,

sva prasād-anna dilo bhāi

sei prasādanno pāo, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-guṇa gāo

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has taught that our tongue is very fastidious, wants to eat this thing, that thing, this thing, that thing. Even after . . . we have seen: he has eaten sumptuously at home, but as soon as he comes out, "Let us go to the restaurant. Let us have a cup of tea, a little this or that." The tongue is always dictating, "You eat this, you eat that, you eat that, you like that." That is going on. So if you want to control your tongue, then give him Kṛṣṇa prasādam that, "I'll not accept anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa." Then your tongue becomes controlled. And if you can control your tongue, your other senses will be automatically controlled. And yogic perfection means controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-samyamaḥ.

So a devotee of Kṛṣṇa is the first-class yogī. That is accepted by Kṛṣṇa.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to train people to become the topmost yogī. Topmost yogī. Because they have controlled their senses: no meat-eating, no intoxication, not even smoking or drinking tea. This is yoga . . . (indistinct) . . . not that simply by pressing nose one becomes yogī. Practical life. After performing yoga, "Oh, my tongue is now dry, give me one bīḍī . . . (indistinct) . . . one bīḍī." That is not yoga practice—smoking gañja, bīḍī, intoxication, tea, and he has become a yogī. These are useless, all bogus. Yoga means he has controlled his senses. Yoga indriya-samyamaḥ. The yoga practice means controlling the senses and engaging the mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is yoga system.