Greatest contribution

Expressions researched:
"greatest contribution" |"great contribution" |"great contributions"

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Let us try to discuss Lord Caitanya's great contribution of devotional service.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 17: Following the footsteps of Kavirāja Kṛṣṇadāsa Gosvāmī, we offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is described as follows: He is the only shelter for the forlorn, for the most fallen, and He is the only hope for those who are completely devoid of spiritual knowledge. Let us try to discuss His great contribution of devotional service.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

We are giving a great contribution to the human society, to understand God or Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So you can understand God by becoming a devotee.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971: So it is very nice movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to understand yourself, first of all. Then you understand what is God, and as soon as you know God, then you become a fit candidate to go back to home, back to God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. Anyone who knows Me, God says, anyone who knows God, in Truth, then what is the result? The brāhmaṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti, after giving up this body, he does not enter another material body. Then what happens to him? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9], he comes back to Me. So try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Your life will be successful. Your life will be successful. We are giving a great contribution to the human society, to understand God or Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So you can understand God by becoming a devotee. That is not very difficult task.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the greatest contribution of Vedic literature.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973: This evening I shall explain to you some of the important verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the greatest contribution of Vedic literature. In the Vedic literature we find a desire tree. Whatever knowledge you want to derive, there is in the Vedic literature, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is described as nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ [SB 1.1.3], the desire tree of Vedic literature, and a tree is eulogized on account of the fruit. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the ripened fruit of that desire tree.

People suffer on account of sinful reaction, ignorance. Out of ignorance, they commit sinful action, and sinful action reacts. Therefore the greatest contribution to the human society is knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975: People suffer on account of sinful reaction, ignorance. Out of ignorance, they commit sinful action, and sinful action reacts. Just like a child, ignorant, he touches blazing fire, and it burns the hand, and he suffers. You cannot say that "Child is innocent, and the fire has burned." No. This is nature's law. Ignorance. So sinful activities are done out of ignorance. Therefore one should be in knowledge. Ignorance of law is no excuse. If you go to the court and if you plead, "Sir, I did not know that I have to suffer, I have to go to imprisonment for six months because I have stolen. This was unknown to me..." No. Known or unknown, you must go to the jail.

Therefore the greatest contribution to the human society is knowledge. To keep them in ignorance, in darkness, that is not human society, that is cats' and dogs'... Because they are in ignorance, nobody can give them knowledge, neither they can take. Therefore in the human society there is institution for giving knowledge. That is the greatest contribution. And that knowledge, the supreme knowledge, is there in the Vedas.