Bangladesh (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"bangladesh" |"east bengal"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971:

. This is our position, not to be puffed up, that "I am God, I am Kṛṣṇa, everyone is Kṛṣṇa." This is māyā, the last snare of māyā. Māyā dictates that "You become the biggest man of the world. You become the biggest, richest man of the world." And you are struggling. And there is struggle. Just like there is struggle is going on in Pakistan. The Bangladesh is trying that "We shall be leading Pakistan." And the Western Pakistan is trying that "We shall be leading." Nobody is leader. Actually, Kṛṣṇa is leader. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is the Vedic injunction. Kṛṣṇa also says clearly: bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Bhoktā aham. Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You are also bhoktā, you living entities." He never said Arjuna that "You are bhoktā, I am bhoktā." So you have to accept that position, prakṛti, all dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Then Kṛṣṇa takes charge.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:

So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, when he was firmly convinced of his position, then he took charge, took charge of ruling over the whole world. Not... Just like at the present moment, India is a small tract of land, and that is also being divided now. Bangladesh has gone out. Pakistan has gone out. Some day some other province will... Not that. The whole world. He took charge of ruling over the whole world. śaśāsa gām indra iva. Indra. Indra is the king of heaven, heavenly planets. So as Indra is powerful... Nobody can even... Indra is never defeated. Sometimes there is fight between the devāsura, asura and deva. But when there is fight between the deva and asura... Deva means the demigod, and asura means the atheist class. They are always existing, the atheist class, two classes of men, atheist class and theist class. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad viparyayaḥ. Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, Vaiṣṇava, they are demigods, and anyone else—all demons. Except Vaiṣṇava, everyone is a demon.

Lecture on SB 3.26.30 -- Bombay, January 7, 1975:

That is very important point, that Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, he advised... Many person used to come to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but he was first of all examined by His secretary whether he is actually fit for talking with Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Otherwise he will simply waste His time. So one brāhmaṇa from East Bengal came with some literature. Many people used to write something. So when it was examined by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, he said, "No." Then he explained how the literature was defective. He pointed out. These are described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Then he saw the person was submissive. He did not protest. Then Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī advised him that "You..." Bhāgavata paḍā giya bhāgavata sthāne: "You go to a Bhāgavata, person Bhāgavata, and read or hear Bhāgavata from him. Otherwise you will be misled, doubtful."

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 12, 1975:

Acyutānanda: According to your observation, godlessness is responsible for scarcity. Then what about Communist countries compared with India?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Viṣṇujana: If godlessness is the cause of scarcity, why the Communist countries are so affluent?

Prabhupāda: They are asking food from America. (laughter)

Guest (2): Why is Kṛṣṇa consciousness not spread in China, Russia, Pakistan and Bangladesh? (laughter)

Prabhupāda: You come forward. I shall train you.

Acyutānanda: Does Śrīla Prabhupāda agree with the work of Ramakrishna Mission, Maharishi, meditation, and Divine Light Mission now working in America?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Pañcadraviḍa: Do you agree with the work of the Ramakrishna Mission, Mahesh Yogi, and Divine Light Society that are working in America?

Prabhupāda: I do not study them. I simply study Bhagavad-gītā, that's all. And Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). I believe that. That's all.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- Surat, December 16, 1970:

So these questions do not arise. They are simply, I mean to say, engrossed with animal propensities—eating, sleeping, mating, and defending—as if these are the problems. These are no problems. We have created these problems. Eating is no problem. The animals, they do not endeavor for doing some work for eating. Eating is already there. The birds, beasts are eating. Similarly, human body, eating is there. For example, we are, these forty heads, we are traveling. So eating is already there. Before our coming, our Padubhai(?) has arranged for our eating. So why should we think for eating? So, but actually that is the fact. There is no problem of eating. They have created this problem. God has given enough food. In America they throw away foodstuff in the ocean. You see. This is nonsense. Because they have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they do not know that these food grains belong to Kṛṣṇa. He has sent. So instead of throwing in the ocean, it should be dispatched to the countries where there is scarcity. There cannot be any scarcity. Pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Everything created by God is sufficiently pūrṇam. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam. It is... There is arrangement of raining; there is arrangement of producing. We simply, so-called rascals, so-called politicians, they have created all this trouble for their political ambition. Just like our politicians created the Pakistan and Hindustan. So all the foodstuff is there in Pakistan. Rice is in East Bengal and wheat is in East Pakistan. So this Hindustan is in shortage, in short of wheat and rice. So this is the creation of the politicians. By God's arrangement everything is complete. Therefore you have to change the whole consciousness of the people if you want to be happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.62-67 -- New York, January 6, 1966:

So this Sanskrit scholar, Keśava Kāśmīrī, he came from Kashmir to challenge the learned scholars in other parts of the country. There were four celebrated places where highly educated scholars were there. One was at Benares. Benares still, it is considered to be the center of Sanskrit scholars place. Similarly Navadvīpa, where Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born. And in Bihar there was a place, Darbhanga. That is also a scholarly. So Benares, and Berhampur (?), Berhampur in East Bengal near Dacca. So some of the places in India, they are very famous for learned scholars. Still they are continuing. So Sanskrit scholars would come in such celebrated places, and they would challenge for arguing on the śāstras. So the rule was that two parties will argue, and the defeated party will become the disciple of the victorious party. That was the system. So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was sixteen years old, this Keśava Kāśmīrī came to Navadvīpa to challenge.

General Lectures

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

There is a nice story. You'll appreciate it. In India, especially in Bengal, there are many rivers. The land is full of rivers. Because it is on the bank of the Bay of Bengal, all rivers are falling. Therefore Bengal, the land of, especially the east Bengal, is full of rivers. One student of technology was going home, and he was on the boat. So the student was asking the boatman, "Do you know what are the stars?" The boatman said, "Sir, we are ordinary boatman. What do we know about these stars?" "Oh. Then your fifty percent of life is wasted, useless." Then he was asking, "Do you know what are these trees? Do you know any science of botany?" He said, "Sir, we are ordinary laborer. What do we know about botany?" "Oh. Then seventy-five percent of your life is useless." In this way the student of technology was asking the boatman, "Do you know this? Do you know that?" And he said that "I am ordinary man. What do I know all these things?" Then all of a sudden there was a black cloud, and there was storm, and the river began to be inflated, and the boatman said, "My dear sir, do you know swimming?" "Oh," he said, "no." Then he said, "Then your cent percent knowledge is spoiled. Now you have to go down to the river. Your life is finished." In this way they dropped in the river, and the technological student, because he did not know how to swim, so the storm and the waves grabbed him.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: He says that the dominant nation in any epoch represents the dominant phase of the absolute idea during that time. Just like now America is the dominant nation in the world so that the dominant phase of the truth is being expressed through America.

Prabhupāda: Therefore Mr. Nixon supported Pakistan. (laughter) Everyone knew, all other nations knew that this Pakistan is creating havoc, genocide, they're killing innocent men in Bangladesh, and Nixon, Mr. Nixon publicly supported. And still he is angry about India because India is the richest country. He has withdrawn all help. So he is supporter of mischievous activities.

Śyāmasundara: Just like before, the British were the dominant nation and then again some other country would be the dominant nation, he says that this dominant nation expresses at the time what the, the absolute truth expressing itself in time.

Prabhupāda: Yes, the dominant nation is, it is connected with the absolute truth that up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, five thousand years ago, the king of Hastināpur, they were dominating the whole world. Because Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira were actually representing God, therefore their domination was possible. Now, that being lost, there are so many small states, they are not God conscious, therefore fighting each other, that's all, like cats and dogs. But it is a fact that the Vedic culture kings like Mahārāja Rāmacandra, Mahārāja Prthu, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, and later on some other kings also, they were actually representative of God, so there was no trouble. One king was ruling all over the world.