Bad reputation

Expressions researched:
"bad reputation"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

If you go away, people will say against your reputation: "Oh, Arjuna has become a coward. He has fled away from the fight." So it is better to die than to have bad reputation. That is another argument.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968, Purport:

Devotee: 33: "If however you do not fight this religious war, then you will certainly incur sins for neglecting your duties and thus lose your reputation as a fighter [Bg. 2.33]."

Prabhupāda: And on the other hand, if you don't fight, then... You are known as a great warrior, a great soldier. If you go away, people will say against your reputation: "Oh, Arjuna has become a coward. He has fled away from the fight." So it is better to die than to have bad reputation. That is another argument.

General Lectures

"If I kill Devakī in pregnancy, it will be bad reputation." So Kaṁsa restrained himself.

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971: Simply you have to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness favorably, not unfavorably. Kṛṣṇa conscious, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious unfavorably, that is not bhakti. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was also Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. "As soon as Kṛṣṇa is born, please bring Him. Or inform me. I shall immediately kill Kṛṣṇa." When Kṛṣṇa was in the womb of His mother Devakī, Kaṁsa was Kṛṣṇa conscious. He could understand that "Kṛṣṇa is now... Because Devakī, she is now so much glowing." So he could understand. He sometimes wanted to kill Devakī; then he restrained himself, that "If I kill Devakī in pregnancy, it will be great, I mean to say, bad reputation." So he restrained himself. But therefore he was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, but he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa unfavorably. So similarly, those who are reading Bhagavad-gītā unfavorably means in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is the principal factor, but anyone who is trying to kill Kṛṣṇa and reading Bhagavad-gītā, that is Kaṁsa's reading.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Mrs. Keating: But she doesn't tell me her name. (child giggles) Prabhupāda: This is bad reputation.

Room Conversation with Kenneth Keating, U.S. Ambassador to India -- October 14, 1972, New Delhi:

Ambassador: It's a lovely little girl, and so well behaved. She must have already had a part of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our little girls at that age don't behave so well, usually. But she is so quiet and sweet.

Śyāmasundara: Her only education has been from Prabhupāda.

Ambassador and Guest: Really!

Śyāmasundara: Completely. She doesn't know anything but Kṛṣṇa and...

Mrs. Keating: Really.

Ambassador: How old is she?

Śyāmasundara: Three.

Ambassador: Three.

Mrs. Keating: But she doesn't tell me her name. (child giggles)

Prabhupāda: This is bad reputation.

Śyāmasundara: Why don't you chant for her?

Ambassador: Could you chant?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. She can chant. Sarasvatī prabhu, chant little.

Śyāmasundara: Swamiji wants you to chant.

Prabhupāda: Come on, come here. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on.

Mrs. Keating: She's shy, like all children.

Prabhupāda: She dances very nice, chants very nice. And very rhythmically.

Mrs. Keating: Really?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

These cheaters, they take advance money, and then they do...

Roof Conversation -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: I thought he was improving. Well, the construction is, you know, going at the same rate. I spoke to the marble... There's two marble contractors. The one who's doing the floor, he's going very quickly. All the guestrooms are finished and half of the bathrooms are finished. The temple room is mostly finished. Main problem is the columns and arches. And it seems that that contractor has a bad reputation for taking money and then wasting time.

Prabhupāda: Oh. He has taken money?

Girirāja: It seems he has taken lot of money.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Girirāja: On the plea that he needed it to get the work going. So, er...

Prabhupāda: The same thing was done in Māyāpura. These cheaters, they take advance money, and then they do...

Dr. Patel: The contractor of mine also did the same thing in my house. Give them advance... (Hindi) That's it.

Prabhupāda: Then, what to do?

If required, we shall appoint professional man and keep everything very vigilant; things are going. Otherwise, once bad reputation—finished, so much attempt.

Room Conversation -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: Vṛndāvana is well enough advertised now that the guesthouse should be full all the time, but it's not full.

Prabhupāda: The thing is, it is guesthouse, and once it is advertised that the food is not good, nobody comes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First impression is the lasting impression. If one time a man comes and it is not good, he will never return.

Prabhupāda: Then in Bombay we shall be very careful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very careful. Only the best cooks.

Prabhupāda: Not best cook. The best cook is available. Management is not good.

Hari-śauri: We need a very expert manager for that guesthouse.

Prabhupāda: And in Bombay-before we get bad name—then it is lost.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Everything has to be set up beforehand perfectly.

Prabhupāda: If required, we shall appoint professional man and keep everything very vigilant; things are going. Otherwise, once bad reputation—finished, so much attempt.

1972 Correspondence

If we take the public's money, and then delay too long in filling the orders, this will give us a bad reputation.

Letter to Kirtiraja -- Bombay 2 January, 1972: I thank you very much for taking so seriously to helping me fulfill the order of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati to distribute Krishna consciousness literature to the whole world masses. What strength our Movement has now got is due in large part to the enthusiasm we have had to distribute our literatures profusely throughout the world. I have got very, very encouraging reports how my books are being distributed vigorously in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Our New York Temple has got the most devotees so rightfully, they should also lead our Society in book distribution. You have got a very important duty to see that all the branches are kept with a full stock of all my books. And I know that we are getting many mail-orders daily, so you must see that these orders are all filled promptly. If we take the public's money, and then delay too long in filling the orders, this will give us a bad reputation. So be very conscientious and hard-working and Krishna will give you the ability to do everything nicely.

We must be very careful to avoid anything scandalous in our dealings, and always keep to the highest standards of respect and courtesy. So kindly deal with such matters in future with great caution and tactfully so that our Movement may not get a bad reputation, especially among people who are very sensitive to such things.

Letter to Amogha -- Madras 15 February, 1972: Now I have just got a complaint, both in writing and in person, from a man studying here in Madras who is supposed to be engaged to marry a young girl by name of A. Satyabama, who lives at #8A Krishnan Temple, Taiping, Malaysia. He complains that you and others of our devotees in Malaysia have somehow or other caused some disturbance in the girl's family, especially Hanuman, and has requested me to ask you to not interfere in the matter anymore. Now I do not do not know what are the details, but you may inform me. We must be very careful to avoid anything scandalous in our dealings, and always keep to the highest standards of respect and courtesy. So kindly deal with such matters in future with great caution and tactfully so that our Movement may not get a bad reputation, especially among people who are very sensitive to such things. I know in your country the mixing between boys and girls is very ordinary thing, but in our Asian countries one must be very very careful about such matters, so kindly inform Hanuman and the others in this way.