A devotee cannot...

Expressions researched:
"devotee cannot" |"devotee, cannot" |"devotees cannot"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 7.18, Purport:

But the devotee in full knowledge is considered to be very dear to the Lord because his only purpose is to serve the Supreme Lord with love and devotion. Such a devotee cannot live a second without contacting or serving the Supreme Lord.

BG 8.14, Purport:

A pure devotee cannot forget the Supreme Lord for a moment, and similarly the Supreme Lord cannot forget His pure devotee for a moment.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.2.21, Purport:

The devotee cannot remain in darkness, and because a devotee is enlightened by the Personality of Godhead, his knowledge is certainly perfect.

SB 1.9.38, Purport:

The all-spiritual body cannot be wounded, and a devotee cannot become the enemy of the Lord.

SB 1.9.39, Purport:

A pure devotee of the Lord constantly sees the presence of the Lord within himself because of being transcendentally related by loving service. Such a pure devotee cannot forget the Lord for a moment. This is called trance.

SB 1.9.46, Purport:

As a devotee of the Lord, he knew that the Lord's devotee cannot be vanquished at any time. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was quite aware of all these good wishes of Bhīṣmadeva, and therefore he must have been feeling the great separation.

SB 1.11.9, Purport:

The devotees of the Lord can see everything in true perspective due to the light disseminated by Lord Kṛṣṇa. By the grace of the Lord the pure devotee cannot be in the darkness of ignorance. Therefore, it is necessary that we must always be in the sight of Lord Kṛṣṇa so that we can see both ourselves and the Lord with His different energies.

SB 1.11.31, Purport:

The Lord's devotees cannot live for a moment without meditating on the Lord, and what to speak of the queens, who were all goddesses of fortune incarnated as queens in the pastimes of the Lord at Dvārakā.

SB 1.16.13-15, Purport:

Kṛṣṇa and His unalloyed devotees cannot be separated, and therefore glorifying the devotee means glorifying the Lord and vice versa.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.15.37, Purport:

In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord declares that His devotees cannot be vanquished at any time.

SB 3.16.25, Purport:

It is said that anyone who has implicit faith in the service of the Lord, or who actually engages in transcendental loving service, has all the good qualities of the demigods. Therefore, a devotee cannot be at fault. If sometimes it is found that he is in error by accident or by some temporary arrangement, that should not be taken very seriously.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.24.56, Purport:

Unless one is fully situated in unalloyed devotional service, there is no guarantee of liberation, even if one is elevated to the heavenly planets or to the impersonal Brahman effulgence. A devotee's achievement, however, is never lost by the influence of time. Even if a devotee cannot completely execute devotional service, in his next life he begins from the point where he left off.

SB 4.28.30, Purport:

Generally the great ācāryas who preach devotional service all over the world belong to the category of sakhyam ātma-nivedanam. A neophyte devotee cannot actually become a preacher. The neophyte is advised to execute devotional service in the seven other fields (śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, etc.). If one can successfully execute the preliminary seven items, he can in the future be situated on the platform of sakhyam ātma-nivedanam.

SB 4.29.46, Purport:

A pure devotee is always thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord (sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18)). A pure devotee cannot remain a moment without being absorbed in thoughts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 4.31.20, Purport:

As soon as the Lord is seated within the heart of the devotee, the devotee cannot be contaminated by the material modes of nature.

SB 4.31.20, Purport:

As soon as the Lord is seated within the heart of the devotee, the devotee cannot be contaminated by the material modes of nature.

SB 4.31.22, Purport:

This very Personality of Godhead, out of His causeless mercy, becomes dependent on the devotees. How fortunate, then, is a devotee who is thus favored by the Personality of Godhead. What ungrateful devotee will not worship the Lord and enter into His devotional service? Actually, a devotee cannot forget his obligation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead even for a single moment. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that both the Supreme Lord and His devotee are rasa jña, full of transcendental humor.

SB Canto 5

SB 5.1.5, Purport:

In this verse, the word śivatamām is very significant. Śivatamām means "the most auspicious." The devotional path is so auspicious that a devotee cannot be lost under any circumstances.

SB 5.1.6, Purport:

While chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the words Kṛṣṇa and Hare immediately remind him of all the Lord's activities. Since his entire life is engaged in the service of the Lord, a devotee cannot forget the Lord at any time.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.1.19, Purport:

There are many names and forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Kṛṣṇa is the supreme form (kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28)). Therefore Kṛṣṇa recommends to neophyte devotees that one should surrender unto Him only (mām ekam). Because neophyte devotees cannot understand what the forms of Nārāyaṇa, Vāsudeva and Govinda are, Kṛṣṇa directly says, mām ekam.

SB Canto 7

SB 7.1.1, Purport:

A devotee cannot accept that Lord Viṣṇu has material qualifications. Mahārāja Parīkṣit knew perfectly well that Lord Viṣṇu, being transcendental, has nothing to do with material qualities, but to confirm his conviction he wanted to hear from the authority Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

SB 7.7.10, Purport:

The Lord promises in Bhagavad-gītā (9.31), kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati. This is a declaration by the Supreme Personality of Godhead that His devotee cannot be killed by demons.

SB 7.8.6, Purport:

A devotee cannot execute the order of anyone except the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the position of a devotee.

SB 7.8.42, Purport:

Because the government in Kali-yuga is full of demons, the living conditions of devotees are always disturbed. Devotees cannot perform yajña, and thus they cannot partake of the remnants of food offered in yajña for the worship of Lord Viṣṇu.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.4.45, Purport:

A devotee cannot be defeated by a so-called mystic yogī. This will be proved by the failure of Durvāsā Muni's endeavor to chastise Mahārāja Ambarīṣa.

SB 9.11.19, Purport:

The Lord does not feel pain or pleasure from any action or reaction of this material world, but the devotees cannot tolerate even the pricking of the Lord's lotus feet by a thorn. This was the attitude of the gopīs when they thought of Kṛṣṇa wandering in the forest, with pebbles and grains of sand pricking His lotus feet. This tribulation in the heart of a devotee cannot be understood by karmīs, jñānīs or yogīs.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.2.33, Purport:

A devotee is always protected by all of the Supreme Lord's opulences, of which no one can deprive him (teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22)). Thus a devotee cannot be defeated by any opponents.

SB 10.8.41, Purport:

Mother Yaśodā concluded that the wonderful things she saw within the mouth of her child were due to Him, although she could not clearly ascertain the cause. Therefore when a devotee cannot ascertain the cause of suffering, he concludes:

tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo

bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam

hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te

jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk

(SB 10.14.8)

The devotee accepts that it is due to his own past misdeeds that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has caused him some small amount of suffering. Thus he offers obeisances to the Lord again and again. Such a devotee is called mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk; that is, he is guaranteed his liberation from this material world.

SB 10.13.1, Purport:

Unless one is very advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one cannot stick to hearing the pastimes of the Lord constantly. Nityaṁ nava-navāya-mānam: even though advanced devotees hear continually about the Lord for years, they still feel that these topics are coming to them as newer and fresher. Therefore such devotees cannot give up hearing of the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

SB 10.13.13, Purport:

In the presence of Kṛṣṇa's friendship, a devotee cannot have any fear. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller, the controller of even death, which is supposed to be the ultimate fear in this material world.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 2.111, Translation:

But such words from the lips of a sincere devotee cannot be false. All possibilities abide in Him, for He is the primeval Lord.

CC Adi 5.36, Purport:

Devotees cannot be situated in the impersonal Brahman effulgence, into which impersonalists desire to merge. The devotees are placed in Vaikuṇṭhaloka or Kṛṣṇaloka.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 8.83, Purport:

The pseudo transcendentalists and the pure devotees cannot be compared, nor can one argue that a person can invent his own way of worship.

CC Madhya 15.154, Translation:

“‘The servitor must have love and affection for the lotus feet of the Lord exactly like this. Even if the Lord wants separation, a devotee cannot abandon the shelter of His lotus feet.

CC Madhya 19.155, Purport:

Although seen within this material world, the pure devotee always engages in the confidential service of the Lord. An ordinary neophyte devotee cannot realize this; therefore it is said, vaiṣṇavera kriyā-mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya (CC Madhya 23.39). The activities of a pure Vaiṣṇava cannot be understood even by a learned scholar in the material world.

CC Madhya 20.63, Purport:

As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.61), īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe "rjuna tiṣṭhati. Staying within everyone"s heart, Lord Kṛṣṇa works very gravely. No one can understand how He is working, but as soon as the Lord understands the sincere activity of a person in devotional service, He helps him in such a way that the devotee cannot understand how things are happening. If the devotee is determined to serve the Lord, the Lord is always prepared to help him (dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te).

CC Madhya 24.277, Purport:

Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī devotees cannot turn others into Vaiṣṇavas, but a madhyama-adhikārī Vaiṣṇava can do so by preaching.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 11:

The third-class devotee engages in devotional service according to the directions of the spiritual master, or engages out of family tradition, and worships the Deity of the Lord, but he is not cultivated in knowledge of devotional service, and he does not know a devotee from a nondevotee. Such a third-class devotee cannot actually be considered a pure devotee; he is almost in the devotional line, but his position is not very secure.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 30:

Although Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, embodies all superexcellence and beauty, when He is amongst the damsels of Vraja, He is known as Gopījanavallabha. The devotees cannot relish the beauty of the Supreme Lord more than the damsels of Vraja.

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 14:

That is the test of advancement in devotional service. A devotee cannot be in darkness, because the Lord shows him special favor and enlightens him from within.

Nectar of Devotion 18:

For a person who simply wants to have liberation and to merge into the impersonal brahmajyoti, attachment to Kṛṣṇa is not possible to acquire. This attachment is very confidentially kept by Kṛṣṇa and is bestowed only upon pure devotees. Even ordinary devotees cannot have such pure attachment for Kṛṣṇa.

Nectar of Devotion 31:

Although in its natural state the ocean is always grave and unfathomable, when the moon rises, nothing can check the ocean's agitation. Similarly, those who are pure devotees cannot on any account check the movement of their feelings within.

Nectar of Instruction

Nectar of Instruction 6, Translation:

Being situated in his original Kṛṣṇa conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee's having a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe in the Ganges without considering the condition of the water.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 90:

With any devotee who loves Kṛṣṇa with his heart and soul, Kṛṣṇa reciprocates in such a way that the devotee cannot but remain attached to Him. The reciprocal dealings of Kṛṣṇa and His devotees are so attractive that a devotee cannot think of any subject matter other than Kṛṣṇa.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 9.27-29 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

Sannyāsa does not mean that simply taking this orange colored cloth. Sannyāsa means to become free from the actions and reactions. Because in the material activities we are always creating actions and reactions, so at a certain stage of your life it is recommended, according to the Vedic standard of, I mean to say, order of society, one has to accept the sannyāsa order so that he may be free from the actions and reactions. And how one can become free from reactions and reactions? Simply by acting for Kṛṣṇa. Even externally it appears that you are doing some bad work, still, it will have no reaction. It does not mean that we shall entail our activities with some impious motive. No. Of course, a devotee cannot do that. But even supposing that you have done something which is impious, which you ought not to have done, still, it will have no reaction, because the assurance is there: ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). The Lord will save you from the reactionary result of even impious activities. Sarva-pāpebhyaḥ. Pāpa means sinful activities. So a devotee never acts sinful, but supposing that he sometimes consciously or unconsciously does something, there will be no reaction. That is the formula. Sannyāsa-yoga-yuktātmā vimukto mām upaiṣyasi. And so long you are not liberated from the actions and reactions, you cannot be liberated. You cannot be liberated.

Lecture on BG 9.27-29 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

Even my son becomes something greater than me, I become envious. So this is nature. So, but God has no such, I mean to say, crude qualities. He is not envious of anyone. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Nobody is very dear to Him, and nobody is an enemy. "But," He says especially, ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā, "anyone who is engaged in devotional service and Kṛṣṇa consciousness," mayi te, "he always remains with Me," mayi te teṣu ca api aham, "and I am also with him." Just see. Just a devotee cannot be separated. An unalloyed devotee, he cannot be separated from God.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Vrndavana, October 23, 1972:

A man has become devotee, at the same time smoking—this is ludicrous. This is ludicrous. A devotee cannot smoke, cannot indulge in intoxication, nor illicit sex or meat... They cannot. That is disqualification. That means he's not on the platform. This is the practical.

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

So if a person associating with devotees, becomes interested in chanting the holy name of the Lord, how much it is impossible, how much it is impossible for the Pāṇḍavas to give up His association. Because they are so fortunate that darśana-sparśa-saṁlāpa-śayanāsana-bhojanaiḥ. They're in intimately friendly terms with Kṛṣṇa, that they're lying together, they're sitting together, they're eating together, always seeing Kṛṣṇa. How they can tolerate His separation? It is impossible. If a..., satāṁ prasaṅgāt, if a devotee cannot give up this chanting of His holy name, how the persons who are actually seeing Kṛṣṇa, associating with Kṛṣṇa, can tolerate separation from Him? This is the purport.

Lecture on SB 1.16.11 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1974:

So devotee hasn't got any personal decision. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). We should decide by the order of Kṛṣṇa through the disciplic succession, via media, the spiritual master. That is required. A devotee cannot decide personally. If Kṛṣṇa desires... If somebody says that "We cannot see Kṛṣṇa personally," then you have to decide by Kṛṣṇa's representative. If your spiritual master, guru, says that "You do this," that is Kṛṣṇa's order. That is Kṛṣṇa's order.

Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974:

These are the good qualities, mentioned here: satyaṁ śaucam, śamo damaḥ santoṣa ārjavam, sāmyam, so many, twenty-six good qualities of Vaiṣṇava. These good qualities will be manifest. Then we understand, "Oh, here is actually a pure devotee." A pure devotee cannot be contaminated, just like God cannot be contaminated.

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

So we can be designationless when you live with the pure devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said that suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra. That path is very nice. Akuto bhayam, fearlessness. Where? Now, suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra: "Where well-behaved saintly persons are there." Well behaved. It is the first word, suśīla. Śīla means character, very nice character. A devotee cannot be bad character. Because Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12)—pavitra means pure—so impure cannot approach Him. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 6.2.24-25 -- Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971:

But both, combined together, it is very much helpful. Bhāgavata-mārga. Bhāgavata-mārga will help the pañcarātrika-mārga, or process, and the pañcarātrika process will help Bhāgavata process. Both together is helpful. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja introduced... You have seen the, what is called? That signia? One side, pañcarātriki-vidhi, one side bhāgavata-viddhi. That is... I have seen that Gauḍīya Math emblem. Yes. And, so actually, Bhāgavata-mārga is very strong. That is sufficient. But without pañcarātrika-vidhi this polluted body, polluted mind of the devotee, cannot be purified. Therefore both the process should be adopted in preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971:

Just like Jesus Christ, he had enemies. He was killed by the enemies. Sometimes it so happened. Haridāsa Ṭhākura had enemies. So enemies there will be. Because he has got enemy, therefore it is not that he is kṛṣṇa-bhakta. He is kṛṣṇa-bhakta, even having his enemies, just like Kṛṣṇa, despite having enemies, is Kṛṣṇa. But the difference is that Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's bhakta will never be defeated by the enemies. That is the distinction. Enemies may have, but he will never be defeated. God or God's devotee cannot be defeated by the enemies. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa's declaration will be false. He says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31).

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

So here Nṛsiṁhadeva addressing, prahlādo bhadra, perfect gentleman. In India it is called bhadraloka. Bhadra means a perfect gentleman, bhadraloka. That is the general etiquette, to address somebody as bhadraloka. Especially in Bengal it is very common word, bhadra. And the other parts also. So bhadra means perfect gentleman. Just see. Prahlāda was perfect gentleman. A devotee is perfect gentleman. Why? Now, because he has developed all good qualities. That is bhadra. A devotee cannot be abhadra. He must be bhadra. That is perfection. Therefore a devotee is never rude to anyone.

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

One hotel man was cutting the throat of a chicken and half-cut, and the half-dead chicken was jumping like this, and the man was laughing. His little son, he was crying. I have seen it. He was crying. Because he's innocent child, he could not tolerate. He was crying. And the father was saying, "Why you are crying? Why you are crying? It is very nice." Just see. So without being devotee a man will become cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel, in this way go to hell. And devotee cannot tolerate. We have studied in the life of Lord Jesus Christ. When he saw that in the Jewish synagogue the birds were being killed, he became shocked. He therefore left. Jes... He inaugurated the Christian religion. Perhaps you know. He was shocked by this animal-killing. And therefore his first commandment is "Thou shall not kill." But the foolish Christians, instead of following his instruction, they are opening daily slaughterhouse.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.294-298 -- New York, December 19, 1966:

There are many examples in the history of this devotional service that unnecessarily people become enemy to these innocent devotees. Even a innocent boy like Prahlāda Mahārāja, five years old. But a devotee cannot give up his profession. You see? He was being chastised so many times by his atheistic father, but what Prahlāda Mahārāja was doing? Oh, because he was king, he ordered the teachers that "This boy is coming home and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. What is this nonsense?" Teachers were asked. Teachers said, "My dear sir, we do not teach Hare Kṛṣṇa. According to your regulation, we are secular.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 6 -- Los Angeles, May 8, 1970:

Prākṛtaḥ means, from material platform, one is coming to the spiritual platform at that stage one is taught or trained to worship the Deity with great faith and devotion under regulative principle. But in the neophyte stage, na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, he, the neophyte devotee, cannot understand who is highly elevated or devotee or what is his interest with other people. He cannot discriminate. Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. That neophyte devotee is almost material.

Festival Lectures

His Divine Grace Srila Sac-cid-ananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Appearance Day, Lecture -- London, September 3, 1971:

So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura became very much... Because a devotee cannot tolerate blaspheming another devotee or God. So as soon as he said that "Why shall I go to Jagannātha Purī to see the wooden Jagannātha? I am personally Viṣṇu," Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura immediately ordered his constables, "Arrest him. Arrest this rascal." So he was arrested. And when he was arrested... He had some yogic mystic power. All the constables, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and his family members became affected with high fever, 105 degrees fever. So when he came back, his wife became very much disturbed that "You arrested Viṣṇu, and we are all going to die. We have got now high fever." Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura replied, "Yes, let us all die, but this rascal must be punished." This is the view of pure devotee.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Disappearance Day, Lecture -- Bombay, December 22, 1975:

If you become so advanced that you cannot live without Kṛṣṇa for a moment, then Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Where is that training? Where is that advancement? Even if I advise, try to meditate, I meditate upon my wife, upon my children, on my business. This is not the stage of seeing Kṛṣṇa everywhere. That requires training. That requires advanced knowledge. Prema. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). If a devotee cannot live for a moment without seeing Kṛṣṇa, he is visible... A devotee... Not for the neophyte devotee. So there are different stages.

Departure Talks

Departure Conversation -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1975:

Rāmeśvara: With the books coming out at one time, even the devotees cannot afford to buy them all. Seventeen books at one time, Jayatīrtha! Most of the temples don't read Caitanya-caritāmṛta as part of their regular study. They usually read the Bhāgavatam in the morning...

Prabhupāda: Let them read whatever they like. Let them read. They must read something.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Father Tanner and other guests -- July 11, 1973, London:

Father Tanner: Would you think it is possible to hate the Deity?

Prabhupāda: Hate?

Father Tanner: Hate the Deity?

Prabhupāda: Why?

Father Tanner: Is it possible?

Prabhupāda: No, a devotee cannot hate the Deity. How he... Then how he can serve?

Father Tanner: Because you can see the Deity as too strong, repressive, taking away your freedom, your own wishes...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Father Tanner: ... and so you can come to hate the Deity.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Spiritualism means to sacrifice your freedom. That is spiritualism. You have no more freedom. You are simply engaged for God's service. That is spiritualism.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 3, 1975, Hawaii:

Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, it seems unfortunate that if the devotees cannot live in the temples, then they have to work for some karmi just to support themselves, and then they do not have time to go on the saṅkīrtana party. So it is such mercy to be on the saṅkīrtana party. So it seems very unfortunate that they do not have the time.

Prabhupāda: No, then they should live in the temple if they want to give service in the saṅkīrtana party.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Professor Francois Chenique -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Bhūgarbha: He asks, What about the opposite, people becoming devotees without knowing anything? He asking...

Prabhupāda: No, devotee cannot be without knowing anything. A devotee means, a devotee means he knows everything. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. This is Vedic injunction. One who knows the Absolute, he knows everything.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I get many letters all week, Śrīla Prabhupāda, all praying for your recovery. The devotees cannot resign themselves to letting you go. They don't want to live without you. They cannot...

Prabhupāda: Viśvambhara, everywhere they want me. You also...

Viśvambhara: I can give my life, Prabhupāda. I can give some of my years. I pray that I may go early, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: No, why you should go early? You live on.

Viśvambhara: Prabhupāda, you stay. I wish that... I told you already earlier here that please at least complete this Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: That is my desire also.

Viśvambhara: Will Kṛṣṇa not fulfill your desire?

Prabhupāda: Oh, Kṛṣṇa is independent.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Calcutta 14 October, 1967:

He is too much puffed-up nonsensically therefore you should copy this letter & forward to all centers that Kirtanananda has no right to dictate anything to the Society in this way. I am very sorry that he is exploiting his present position as a sannyasi. I have no objection if members of the Society dress like nice American gentlemen; but in all circumstances a devotee cannot avoid tilak, flag on head, & beads on neck. These are essential features of a Vaisnava.

1970 Correspondence

Unless the Lord reveals Himself, the devotee cannot see Him, He reserves the right of being exposed or not being exposed.

Letter to Citsukhananda -- Los Angeles 28 April, 1970:

Regarding your second question, in reference to Isopanisad mantra 15, should a devotee ask the Lord to reveal Himself the answer is yes. Unless the Lord reveals Himself, the devotee cannot see Him, He reserves the right of being exposed or not being exposed. The yoga maya curtain is always covering the Lord, and in the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, "I am not visible to everyone." Even in the material world, a man in the position of Presidentship is not visible to everyone. So one has to qualify himself by devotional service, then God will reveal Himself.

1972 Correspondence

Regarding your proposal to open one store, that is not a very good proposal. Our devotees cannot work in that way. Better they are preaching and selling books door-to-door. That man simply wants to take our men for nothing, create some trouble, then drive us away. This has been our experience.

Letter to Sri Govinda -- Bombay 10 January, 1972:

Regarding your proposal to open one store, that is not a very good proposal. Our devotees cannot work in that way. Better they are preaching and selling books door-to-door. That man simply wants to take our men for nothing, create some trouble, then drive us away. This has been our experience. If the man wants to open such store and without us working give us some profit, that is all right.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Aksobhya -- Vrindaban 3 September, 1974:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter regarding the Krishna Bowl game, and it should be stopped immediately. This thing will be a taxation on the brain on the young children. Why are you inventing? Why you are not satisfied? You are all only inventing and spoiling money. You should teach the children perfectly Sanskrit and English instead of spoiling time and money. The children cannot pronounce correctly the Sanskrit. Let them read it correctly, that is wanted first. They must pronounce nicely English and Sanskrit. The English is no difficulty. If you can do this, then your education is all right. You may introduce contests, but if the children and also the older devotees cannot pronounce Sanskrit correctly, it is all a useless waste of time.