When I was also a child, I was looking very beautiful, but kalena, in due course of time, I'm now old man, a ugly man. Nobody likes. (laughter) So this is the influence of time

Expressions researched:
"When I was also a child, I was looking very beautiful, but kalena, in due course of time, I'm now old man, a ugly man. Nobody likes. (laughter) So this is the influence of time"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

So in due course of time, everything happens. That is the nature's law. When I was also a child, I was looking very beautiful, but kālena, in due course of time, I'm now old man, a ugly man. Nobody likes. (laughter) So this is the influence of time, influence of time. So influence of time will act. You cannot check it.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

idaṁ mamācakṣva tavādhimūlaṁ

vasundhare yena vikarśitāsi

kālena vā te balināṁ balīyasā

surārcitaṁ kiṁ hṛtam amba saubhagam

(SB 1.16.24)

Translation: "Mother, you are the reservoir of all riches. Please inform me of the root cause of your tribulations, by which you have been reduced to such a weak state. I think that the powerful influence of time, which conquers the most powerful, might have forcibly taken away all your fortune, which was adored even by the demigods."

Prabhupāda: Kālena vā te balināṁ balīyasā. Time is very powerful. Another place in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā.

tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido

na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ

tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ

kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā

(SB 1.5.18)

So in due course of time, everything happens. That is the nature's law. When I was also a child, I was looking very beautiful, but kālena, in due course of time, I'm now old man, a ugly man. Nobody likes. (laughter) So this is the influence of time, influence of time. So influence of time will act. You cannot check it. Influence of time, that is nature's law. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). That is māyā's strength. How you can check? It is not in your power.

So this is another question by Dharmarāja to mother earth, "Whether you are now in tribulation by the influence of time?" Surārcitaṁ kiṁ hṛtam amba saubhagam. So we should remember saubhagam, opulence, can be taken away, in due course of time. You cannot check it. Suppose in America you are all fortunate. You have got very nice roads, very nice cars, very nice skyscraper building, government, food, everything very nice. But in due course of time everything can be taken away. You cannot check it. Śāstra says therefore, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Everything will be taken away, or ultimately, destruction. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You can find out, somebody, the verse. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham. In due course of time, death will come, and it will take everything, what you possess. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham. That death is Kṛṣṇa.

Pradyumna:

mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham

udbhavaś ca bhaviṣyatām

kīrtiḥ śrīr vāk ca nārīṇāṁ

smṛtir medhā dhṛtiḥ kṣamā

(BG 10.34)

"I am all-devouring death, and I am the generator of all things yet to be. Among women I am fame, fortune, speech, memory, intelligence, faithfulness and patience."

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is acting everywhere by His energy. This kāla, this time, is another form of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa has got various forms, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Advaita, one, without a second. Acyuta, does not fall. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. We are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is acyuta, He does not fall down. We fall down. This is the difference. The example is... Just like the fire, big fire, and the sparks, they are also fire. The quality of big fire and the small sparks of fire, they're the same. Therefore qualitatively, we are one with Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa has got propensities, we have got also propensities. Kṛṣṇa has got creative power, we have also got creative power. In this way, compare anything. In minute quantity... Kṛṣṇa has got independence, full independence; we have got independence, but not full independence. But we have got independence. So that is the difference. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Kṛṣṇa has got various forms, but His real form is Kṛṣṇa. God has got many forms, but the original form is that, playing on flute, curved in three places with barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, with a feather on the head. These are Vedic description of Kṛṣṇa. It is not an artistic paint, but it is taken from the Vedic literature, what is the original form of Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. That is original form. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).