Astounding

Expressions researched:
"astound" |"astounded" |"astounding" |"astounds"

SB Preface and Introduction

SB Introduction:

As the supreme energetic Lord, He is the supreme controller of the spiritual, marginal and material energies. And all these different types of energies are connected with the Lord in eternal devotional service.

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is thus enjoying in His transcendental eternal form. Is it not astounding that one dares to call the Supreme Lord nonenergetic? The Lord is the controller of all energies, and the living entities are parts and parcels of one of the energies. Therefore there is a gulf of difference between the Lord and the living entities. How then can one say that the Lord and the living entities are one and the same? In the Bhagavad-gītā also the living entities are described as belonging to the superior energy of the Lord. According to the principles of intimate correlation between the energy and the energetic, both of them are nondifferent also. Therefore, the Lord and the living entities are nondifferent as the energy and the energetic.

SB Introduction:

Thus after hearing the explanation of the ātmārāma śloka from the Lord, the Bhaṭṭācārya was convinced that such a scholarly presentation is impossible for an earthly creature.* Before this, Śrī Gopīnātha Ācārya had tried to convince him of the divinity of the Lord, but at the time he could not so accept Him. But the Bhaṭṭācārya was astounded by the Lord's exposition of the Vedānta-sūtra and explanations of the ātmārāma śloka, and thus he began to think that he had committed a great offense at the lotus feet of the Lord by not recognizing Him to be Kṛṣṇa Himself. He then surrendered unto Him, repenting for his past dealings with Him, and the Lord was kind enough to accept the Bhaṭṭācārya. Out of His causeless mercy, the Lord manifested before him first as four-handed Nārāyaṇa and then again as two-handed Lord Kṛṣṇa with a flute in His hand.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.9.38, Purport:

The dealings of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Bhīṣmadeva on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra are interesting because the activities of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa appeared to be partial to Arjuna and at enmity with Bhīṣmadeva; but factually all this was especially meant to show special favor to Bhīṣmadeva, a great devotee of the Lord. The astounding feature of such dealings is that a devotee can please the Lord by playing the part of an enemy. The Lord, being absolute, can accept service from His pure devotee even in the garb of an enemy. The Supreme Lord cannot have any enemy, nor can a so-called enemy harm Him because He is ajita, or unconquerable. But still He takes pleasure when His pure devotee beats Him like an enemy or rebukes Him from a superior position, although no one can be superior to the Lord. These are some of the transcendental reciprocatory dealings of the devotee with the Lord. And those who have no information of pure devotional service cannot penetrate into the mystery of such dealings.

SB 1.15.5, Translation:

Arjuna said: O King! The Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari, who treated me exactly like an intimate friend, has left me alone. Thus my astounding power, which astonished even the demigods, is no longer with me.

SB 1.15.5, Purport:

Similarly, the Lord takes away with Him all His associates when He disappears from the earth. The power and energy which were bestowed upon Arjuna were required for fulfillment of the mission of the Lord, but when His mission was fulfilled, the emergency powers were withdrawn from Arjuna because the astounding powers of Arjuna, which were astonishing even to the denizens of heaven, were no longer required, and they were not meant for going back home, back to Godhead. If endowment of powers and withdrawal of powers by the Lord are possible even for a great devotee like Arjuna, or even the demigods in heaven, then what to speak of the ordinary living beings who are but figs compared to such great souls. The lesson is, therefore, that no one should be puffed up for his powers borrowed from the Lord. The sane man should rather feel obliged to the Lord for such benefactions and must utilize such power for the service of the Lord.

SB Canto 2

SB 2.1.24, Purport:

The phenomenal manifestation of the gigantic universe is only a part of His virāṭ body. Less intelligent men cannot conceive of the transcendental all-spiritual form of the Lord, but they are astounded by His different energies, just as the aborigines are struck with wonder by the manifestation of lightning, a gigantic mountain or a hugely expanded banyan tree. The aborigines praise the strength of the tiger and the elephant because of their superior energy and strength. The asuras cannot recognize the existence of the Lord, although there are vivid descriptions of the Lord in the revealed scriptures, although the Lord incarnates and exhibits His uncommon strength and energy, and although He is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by learned scholars and saints like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita and Devala in the past and by Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gītā, as also by the ācāryas like Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja, Madhva and Lord Śrī Caitanya in the modern age.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.33.7, Purport:

"How by chanting the holy name of the Lord can one become a holy man to be compared to the most elevated brāhmaṇa?" To eradicate such doubts in the minds of unbelievers, this verse affirms that the stage of chanting of the holy name of the Lord is not sudden, but that the chanters have already performed all kinds of Vedic rituals and sacrifices. It is not very astounding, for no one in this life can chant the holy name of the Lord unless he has passed all lower stages, such as performing the Vedic ritualistic sacrifices, studying the Vedas and practicing good behavior like that of the Āryans. All this must first have been done. Just as a student in a law class is to be understood to have already graduated from general education, anyone who is engaged in the chanting of the holy name of the Lord—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—must have already passed all lower stages. It is said that those who simply chant the holy name with the tip of the tongue are glorious.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.6.47, Purport:

Everyone is proud of his own position, but here was an astounding experience, in which the emperor of the entire world felt himself defeated in all details of material happiness by the opulence of Saubhari Muni.

SB 9.8.18, Translation:

O King Parīkṣit, when all the inhabitants of Ayodhyā saw that their boys had come back to life, they were astounded, and King Sagara greatly lamented the absence of his son.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.3.23, Purport:

The word suvismitā, meaning "astonished," is significant in this verse. Devakī and her husband, Vasudeva, were assured that their child was the Supreme Personality of Godhead and could not be killed by Kaṁsa, but because of affection, as they thought of Kaṁsa's previous atrocities, they were simultaneously afraid that Kṛṣṇa would be killed. This is why the word suvismitā has been used. Similarly, we are also astounded upon thinking of whether this movement will be killed by the asuras or will continue to advance without fear.

SB 10.11.3, Translation:

Kṛṣṇa was bound by the rope to the ulūkhala, the mortar, which He was dragging. But how could He have pulled down the trees? Who had actually done it? Where was the source for this incident? Considering all these astounding things, the cowherd men were doubtful and bewildered.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.67.1, Translation:

The glorious King Parīkṣit said: I wish to hear further about Śrī Balarāma, the unlimited and immeasurable Supreme Lord, whose activities are all astounding. What else did He do?

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 1.71, Translation:

"It is astounding that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is one without a second, expanded Himself in sixteen thousand similar forms to marry sixteen thousand queens in their respective homes."

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 17.210, Translation:

The male parrot sang, "The glorification of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beneficial to everyone in the universe. His beauty is victorious over the gopīs of Vṛndāvana, and it subdues their patience. His pastimes astound the goddess of fortune, and His bodily strength turns Govardhana Hill into a small toy like a ball. His spotless qualities are unlimited, and His behavior satisfies everyone. Lord Kṛṣṇa is attractive to everyone. Oh, may our Lord maintain the whole universe!"

CC Madhya 17.225, Translation:

The brāhmaṇa was astounded to see the symptoms of ecstatic love exhibited by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He then became anxious to give the Lord protection.

CC Madhya 19.43, Translation:

Everyone was astounded to see the greatness of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Indeed, I cannot properly describe the pastimes of the Lord at Prayāga.

CC Madhya 20.170, Translation:

“"It is astounding that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is one without a second, expanded Himself in sixteen thousand similar forms to marry sixteen thousand queens in their respective homes."

Easy Journey to Other Planets

Easy Journey to Other Planets 2:

In this sense the living being is the positive energy, whereas matter is the negative energy. Matter does not develop unless in contact with the superior spiritual, or antimaterial, energy, which is directly part and parcel of the spiritual whole. The subject matter of this spiritual energy exhibited by living beings is undoubtedly very complicated for an ordinary man, who is therefore astounded by the subject. Sometimes he partially understands it through the imperfect senses, and sometimes he fails to know it altogether. It is best, therefore, to hear from the highest authority, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, or from His devotee who represents Him in the chain of disciplic succession.

Mukunda-mala-stotra (mantras 1 to 6 only)

Mukunda-mala-stotra mantra 2, Purport:

The fire burns in one place but diffuses its warmth and light all round, thus exhibiting its different energies. Similarly, by means of His variegated energies the Supreme Lord expands Himself in many ways.

Persons with a poor fund of knowledge are captivated by one part of His energy and therefore fail to penetrate into the original source of the energy. Whatever astounding energies we see manifest in this world, including atomic and nuclear energies, are all part and parcel of His material, or external, energy. Superior to this material energy, however, is the Lord's marginal energy, exhibited as the living being. Besides these energies, the Supreme Lord has another energy, which is known as the internal energy. The marginal energy can take shelter of either the internal energy or the external energy, but factually it belongs to the Lord's internal energy. The living beings are therefore infinitesimal samples of the Supreme Lord.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Manage? There's no scarcity of funds.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. If we built the most magnificent temple and center here, which was full of spiritual life, day and night hundreds of devotees would be there having kīrtana, and all the devotees of Vṛndāvana would come. They're simply astounded by our kīrtana when they come to our house.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Śyāmasundara: What's this? This is another temple? Imlitala?

Devotee(2): Imlitala.

Śyāmasundara: Oh, this is not the entrance?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- December 12, 1973, Los Angeles:

Umāpati: ...I think that we were discussing the political possibilities of putting devotees into office, and we came up with the astounding discovery that we almost represent everything that is against western values. We represent austerity. We represent God consciousness. We represent restriction of sexual freedom, intoxication. All the four regulative principles are almost totally in opposite to western desires.

Prabhupāda: That means western people are all demons.

Umāpati: So the problem is trying to get into office under those circumstances, to make that known that "We stand for this," and to have anybody vote for you.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Nobody may vote but we must go on preaching. That I have already explained, some of the university. The whole country is illiterate. Does it mean university should be stopped? University must be there. One who is fortunate will come and take education. It is not an argument that "People are illiterate. They don't care for it. Therefore let the university be closed." This is no argument.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kapoor: And people are really astounded to see śraddhā, especially śraddhā and guru in your disciples. That is the one thing that is clear to everybody.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Kapoor: (indistinct).

Guru dāsa: What is that śraddhā?

Prabhupāda: Śraddha means faith in spiritual master. They are praising your faith in...

Dr. Kapoor: People are impressed very much by your guru-bhakti (laughter). (Hindi)

Guru dāsa: If they associated with Śrīla Prabhupāda they would...(break) (end)

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 2, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Yes. You cannot stop even cancer disease and you are controlling nature. Just see their (?) false, puffed up. They cannot control one disease, and they are going to control nature. We have to believe that.

Harikeśa: He just told me I was spaced out because I wasn't punching this in, but I'm still astounded by the fact that the moon is further away than the sun. When the devotees hear this tape, they're not going to believe it.

Prabhupāda: Therefore they could not go. I... First of all I said that they might have gone to the Rahu planet.

Harikeśa: Yes, the Fourth Canto.

Prabhupāda: Yes. First of all my conviction: they have gone nowhere. They have simply stayed in their laboratory, that's all.

Indian man: Anyone can do that, bring some pictures and bring a rock.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sitting and painting. The boy who's going out every day, trying to think of how to get the books out, he won't be.... (conversation in background) You have come to the hellish planets, Śrīla Prabhupāda, to deliver us. That's all there is. It's amazing enough you have made such a gigantic movement, but the fact that you have made it with such mlecchas as us is what is most astounding. It's like building a skyscraper with swabs and straw. Building a big skyscraper with straw and mud.

Rāmeśvara: In the Fifth Canto, you've quoted from Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura that the most sacred place in the whole universe is Śrī Māyāpura-dhāma.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: In all the universe.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In each universe there is a Vṛndāvana and a Māyāpura. That means in each universe there's a planet earth like this planet?

Evening Darsana -- July 7, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Oh, your father is also recluse.

Dr. Sharma: Recluse. And I must tell an incident which, although I was growing up with meditation, I find the bhakti-yoga, the chanting, really fulfilling and actually making the difference. Actually making the difference. In one case, it is abstract philosophy, which is the rāja-yoga, other yogas, philosophies, and this actually makes the person transformed. Another incident occurred yesterday, when I was meditating and I wanted to ask about five different ślokas of Gītā, out of which, surprisingly, you discussed four. (laughter) This was most astounding to me.

Prabhupāda: Which one?

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Hari-śauri: So it goes on, (continues reading) "In Judaism we find the blowing of the shofar, or ram's horn, and in the orthodox synagogue there is separation of men and women. Differences of dress are expressed amongst orthodox Jews and amongst various Christian orders. Our own Pilgrim ancestors differed in dress form the popish gentry of their time. I have studied and tested the Hare Kṛṣṇa people and have not found them to be weird or insane, only different form the mainstream. Like any other evangelical or proselytizing religion, their converts could only become converts if they choose to believe. For example, no one can drag a person to a Baptist Church and brainwash him into taking God into his heart, he has to want to accept willingly. No one is ever held against their will by the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. I have never seen it, nor have my colleagues ever seen it. In examining the various members of this religion, I have not found one who appears to be brainwashed or dopey like. In fact their mental health and normality astounds me.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Without egg where is chicken? Where is that example? Why you are talking again? Where (laughter) is that chicken made? Rascal. Without egg where is the chicken? So challenge them like that. Prove them that they have no brain. So there is immediately, automatically... "You have no brain. Where is the question of brainwash?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's a good one. This will be... This will astound them. It will put them back twenty foot. They won't know what to reply. They're coming in one way, and you're giving them a whole other...

Brahmānanda: It's not a defense. It's a offense. You're not defending; you're making an attack. You're not apologizing that "We're not brainwashing." We're saying, "You don't have a brain to begin with."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Where is wash? (Bengali) In Bengali there is one word. In Bengal it is (indistinct), to keep the head on the northern side.

Discussions with Devotees and Conversation with Dr. Ghosh -- June 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-caru: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja (Bengali).

Harikeśa: When we finish this description, our understanding of this description of the universe, and present it to the scientists and to the world, people will become astounded.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) (loud fan noise) What is that jīva-bhūta? They are living entities. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bā... Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat. Without that these jīva-bhūta, these material elements are developed? Where is that? Find out this verse.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In Gītā?

Prabhupāda: Read it.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And then we can read again. All right?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (devotees chant japa) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I received some results of book distribution from September, worldwide, very extraordinary figures. Actually they are astounding figures.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) That is right. He misses news.(?) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This resting is very good. Kavirāja said that two things, resting and passing urine, are signs of recovery for you. Sleeplessness is bad. But constant resting means that the body is getting a chance to renew itself and take strength. He said that we should look for that resting as a sign of gradual recovery, called "rest and recuperation." (background talking)

Prabhupāda: So?

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Y. G. Naik M.Sc., Ph.D -- Delhi 28 March, 1960:

Any way the subject matter of this spiritual energy exhibited by the living being is undoubtedly very complicated thing for an ordinary man. The ordinary man is therefore astounded in the subject. Sometimes he partially understands it through the imperfect senses and sometimes he fails to know it altogether. The best thing is therefore to hear the grave subject matter from the highest authority Sri Krishna or His devotee representative coming down in the chain of disciplic succession. Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all the Upanisads and Vedanta.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Calcutta 13 September, 1970:

People are in very much perturbed condition. All of them are expecting me to do something for ameliorating the situation, but I am simply advising them to chant Hare Krsna because this transcendental sound is the only panacea for all material diseases.

I am receiving many astounding letters regarding the new propaganda work by our four Sannyasis. I do not know why these boys are doing such nonsense and wasting their time. I received their letter from Detroit about a week ago and I have replied them duly intimating therein that instead of wasting time in that way let them work constructively. Please advise them on my behalf not to waste time in such fruitless endeavor. I hope I shall receive their reply by the grace of Krsna in the meantime.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Rupanuga -- Vrindaban 30 November, 1971:

I am in due receipt of your letter of November 10, 1971, and have noted the contents carefully. I am currently in Vrindaban with a party of 40 devotees, and we are having daily parikrama of the holy places. We shall return to Delhi tomorrow by coach. The officials and residents of Vrindaban have greeted us very nicely, and they are simply astounded to see our SKP chanting with great jubilation through the city streets. The Mayor has publicly proclaimed that I have done something wonderful, and practically speaking, they realize that before I went to the western countries no one there knew about Vrindaban. Now hundreds of visitors and hippies from your country come here to see Krishna's place. The Vrindaban devotees have understood that Vrindaban is now world-famous due to my preaching work, so they are all very much appreciating their hometown Swamiji.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Tripurari -- Bombay 16 April, 1974:

I thank you very much for your letter of April 7, 1974 with the astounding figures of book distribution in one day at the Chicago Airport.

You are one of the successful pillars of our Krsna Consciousness movement. The more we distribute books and literature the more we become understood by the people about our mission, and the more they understand our mission they become advanced on the path of liberation from all problems of life. My thanks to all of you.

Letter to Ramesvara -- Bombay 9 May, 1974:

Your letters are a great pleasure for me to read. You are always broadcasting the glories of the Sankirtana movement in the shape of ISKCONs book distribution and surely you will be recognized by Lord Caitanya for your unbounded enthusiasm and expertise in seeing that my books are distributed all over the world.

In your letter of April 29 you give the astounding report that in the year 1973, 4,169,004 total books were bought by the temples from BBT. What is the calculation of money collected for that amount?

This regular reporting is very encouraging for everyone of our devotees and I have faith in your words that next year the figures will be far beyond what they were last year. It is the nature of the spiritual energy, it is always increasing if we just apply our energy.

Letter to Dr. Ghosh -- Bombay 23 December, 1974:

I am simply trying to repeat the words of Sri Krsna without any adulteration or twisting and I have full faith that by doing so His message will become well-known throughout the world. Now our books are being so much accepted throughout the universities and colleges as well as amongst the general mass of people. It is really astounding. We are selling literally thousands and thousands of full sized volumes of Srimad-Bhagavatam everyday, in different parts of the world. I am glad that you enjoyed our article in the Bhavan's Journal.

You are cordially invited to come and visit us anytime here in Bombay at your convenience. I am planning to stay in Bombay until mid-Jan. and then I shall go to Australia.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Tripurari -- Bombay 16 January, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letters dated Jan. 1st and 5th, 1975 and have noted the contents. My general request is that you all distribute as many books as possible and at the same time be very careful in dealings with others so that they may not become irritated with us. Your book sale statistics are astounding. I am so much pleased. Please continue distributing such nice quantities and try to enthuse others more and more. You are sincere, so Krishna will give you all intelligence, strength and everything else you may need to distribute millions and millions of books.

I have written letters to Ramesvara and Rupanuga in regards to the recent controversies about book distribution methods to be used by our men. You may refer to those letters if you like.

Letter to Mr. Gordon T. Gattone -- Dallas 30 July, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated July 20, 1975 and have noted the contents. Your feeling on seeing the Ratha Yatra in Philadelphia, which you say cannot be expressed in words but which has since given you great peace in your life—is not astounding. In the authoritative transcendental literature which we have published as The Nectar of Devotion, it is stated that one can be liberated from all material suffering simply by seeing the Ratha Yatra cart passing.

You say, "I am not sure I want to learn more," but a human being should desire to know the science of God consciousness, which is the most important part of human life. Krishna consciousness is not sectarian. One should not think that because he is a Jew or a Christian he should not read the Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita As It Is is pure knowledge.