Better than (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"better than"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "better than" not "no better than"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.1 -- New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972:

Guest: You said, you say that we, our relationship to Kṛṣṇa is as children. But, I've also read that we, our relationship is also as, as Kṛṣṇa as our son.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because our business is to love God, so this is very higher conception. There are different stages of love. Love in silence, love in servitorship, love in friendship, love in paternal relationship, love in conjugal relationship. So to accept God as son is a process of loving God. Just like the parents and a small child. Nobody can love the small child better than his parents. Similarly, one who wants to love God, he prays to God, "Kindly you become my child." So God is so kind, He becomes child of a devotee. Although God is the original Father, but this is a process of loving God. Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Mother Yaśodā, because they underwent severe penance in their previous life, both the husband and wife. They underwent severe penance, and Kṛṣṇa appeared before them, "What do you want?" They said, "My dear Lord, we want a child like You." So God said, "That, where shall I find a child like Me? I shall become your child". (laughter) That's it.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

Cup, yes, that was his business. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu take away some of his fruits and donā, as a friend. So one day Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Śrīdhara, you take benediction from Me." So he said "What benediction, Sir?" "Well, you are so poor that your house is not even properly repaired. There are so many holes in the roof." He, "Still, I have a nice house because it is better than the bird's nest. They have no roof. (laughter) They have no roof, and they live on a tree. I have got a shelter. What is the difficulty? There is no difficulty." In this way Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to offer him so many thing, and he said that "No, I have no trouble for this. If You want to benedict me, please give me pure devotion on Your lotus feet." Bhakti. So that is pure devotion. That we should hanker after, how to fix up our mind always in the service of the Lord. That we are trying to teach, that's all. (end)

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

Bhukti means kāmīs. They want sense gratification. Whatever they do, the center is yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Therefore they are bhukti-kāmīs. Bhoga, material enjoyment. This is called kāmīs. They perform big, big sacrifices, but the goal is "How I shall be elevated to the heavenly planets, Svargaloka. And I shall enjoy there the urvaśīs, nice women, and the nandana-kānana, nice gardens." Actually, in higher planetary systems, the standard of living is very, very high-hundreds and thousands of times better than this planet. Living duration, duration of life, is very great.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

Jñāna. Jñāna has been especially mentioned because the jñānīs, they are contaminated by the desire of merging into the existence of God. Therefore one should give up this desire. Karmīs, they are for sense gratification; jñānīs, for merging into the existence. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Ānukūlyena. Anukūla means favorable. What Kṛṣṇa wants, you serve Him. Service means that. Service does not mean, "I want something and you give me something." No, that is not service. Service means, "What I want, you must give me. That is service. If I say, "Please give me a glass of water," and if you bring a glass of milk, you can say, "Sir, milk is better than water." No. That is not service. I want water now. You must give me water. That is service.

Therefore my Guru Mahārāja did not approve the parties... They are called gaurāṅga-nāgarī. They accept Caitanya Mahāprabhu as Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, but they pose Him, "Kṛṣṇa is enjoying with gopīs." No, that is called gaurāṅga-nāgarī-bhāva. No. Kṛṣṇa has appeared now as devotee. So you must help Him how He can become a best devotee. Not that pose Him into Kṛṣṇa position. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu came in Vṛndāvana, so many people called Him, "You are Kṛṣṇa. You are Viṣṇu." He was doing this, "Don't say like this, don't say like this," to warn future generation who would like to become Kṛṣṇa's avatāra, so-called avatāra.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

So sometimes Kṛṣṇa shows the mercy to turn His devotee into poverty-stricken position. Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ (SB 10.88.8). That... Therefore somebody is afraid of coming to Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is also very kind. When you become actually a devotee, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22), there will be no scarcity. Whatever you want, it will come. It will come. So this is the position. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching, educating, all over the world. There is no distinction. There is no distinction. Don't think that "These Europeans, Americans, they are mlecchas and yavanas. They cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is only meant for the brāhmaṇas or kṣatriyas." They are brāhmaṇa. Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭho hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ. Anyone who becomes a devotee, he is better than a brāhmaṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). It doesn't matter wherever he is born. Pāpa-yonayaḥ. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Delhi, November 13, 1973:

So long we have upādhi, "I am American," "I am Indian," or "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," or "I am black..." These are upādhi, because this is all bodily designation. This brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, these designation to make a systematic progress of human life. But actually, when one becomes pure devotee, he is above all these things. He is above all these things. Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭho hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ. "Even one is caṇḍāla, if he becomes a pure devotee, then he becomes better than a brāhmaṇa." They are not ordinary things.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

So this varṇāśrama-dharma was proposed by Rāmānanda Rāya, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, eho bāhya āge kaha āra: "This is not feasible. Better if you know something better than this, you propose." Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew that in the Kali-yuga, practically the varṇāśrama-dharma will never be observed, or it will be very difficult to observe. So people by simply observing the varṇāśrama-dharma will not be able to make very much progress in devotional service. Stereotype. In this way, gradually, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya presented so many proposals. Varṇāśrama-tyāga, jñāna, jñāna-miśra-bhakti, so many ways, and Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu rejected all of them. Eho bāhya āge kaha āra. But when Rāmānanda Rāya read one version which was spoken by Lord Brahmā,

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva

jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām

sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir

ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām

This verse, when Rāmānanda quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted, and He said, eho haya, "This is nice. This is nice."

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

Everywhere, the Christians go to church to get their bread. "O God, Father, give us our daily bread." What is this demand? God is supplying bread to the cats and dogs and birds and bees and everyone. Why He shall not give me? That means they do not know what to pray. Dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. "God, give me relief from these four kinds of tribulations." That should be prayed. Bread? What is this? Suppose if you go to a king and he says, "All right, you can ask anything from me," and if you say, "Give me bread, a piece of bread," (laughter) is that very intelligent? If you have approached a king, you should ask, "My dear lord, my dear your majesty, may give me something so that I may get free from all kinds of trouble." That should be the prayer. What is this prayer? "Give me a little bread"? Of course, it is better than the rascals who are atheists. They do not approach God. They say, "Oh, what is God? I am God. I shall, by economic development, I shall create so many breads. Why shall I go to church?"

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- New Vrindaban, September 7, 1972:

So anyone who is going to church and asking God for bread, he's thousand times better than that rascal, who is not going to church, because he's, after all, approaching God. Maybe he does not know what to pray from God, but he's approaching God. Therefore, he's thousand times better than the rascal who is atheist, who does not care for church or temple. That is stated. Sukṛtinaḥ, he's pious, he's accepting God, that "God gives us bread." That principle he is accepting; therefore he is pious, he has been accepted as pious. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. "Those who are pious, they come to Me." Ārto arthārthī jñānī.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Detroit, August 3, 1975, University Lecture:

This is our present position. Therefore in this chapter, in beginning, is sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharma yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). There are different types of religious system, but that type of religious system is first class which teaches the follower how to love God. That is first class, not to go to the church: "Give me my daily bread" or "Please minimize my troubles of life. Give me some money." No. This is also good. Because one has gone to God, so he is in touch. Some way or other, he has gone to the fire. Then, if he keeps there, it will be warmer, warmer. But those who are duṣkṛtina, they do not go even to the God. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamaḥ (BG 7.15). So they are better than. One who goes to the church or temple and prays to God for minimizing his distressed condition, he is better than the atheist who never goes to God, because this man will get chance to understand God some day. And that man, the duṣkṛtina, narādhama, he will never get chance. This is the position now throughout the whole world. People are becoming godless more and more.

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Vrndavana, October 22, 1972:

That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Kṛṣṇa says that "This yoga system, bhakti-yoga system, as they are mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, it was first explained to the sun-god, Vivasvān." The śāstra gives us the name of the predominating deity of the sun globe. Just like any gentleman can know or give the name of your president, Mr. Nixon. He might not have seen, but he knows that the present president of U.S.A is Mr. Nixon. Similarly, actually, those who are in knowledge, they know who are the predominating deities of the different planets. They know. Not to speak of others, Kṛṣṇa, who can know better than Him? Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). Kṛṣṇa knows past, present, and future. So He's saying that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). "This imperishable yoga system, bhakti-yoga..." It is imperishable, avyayam. This very word is very significant. Bhakti-yoga is imperishable. Other yoga systems may be perishable, but bhakti-yoga is not perishable. Whatever you execute in this life, bhakti-yoga, that becomes your permanent asset, so that in the next life you can begin from the point where you ended in this life. If you can finish in this life, cent percent, that is very nice. If not,... Suppose you have finished fifty percent. Still it is permanent asset. It will never be lost. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says avyayam, inexhaustible. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1).

Lecture on SB 1.2.11 -- Vrndavana, October 22, 1972:

No personal opinion. It must be supported by Vedic evidences. That is called paramparā system, genuine system of understanding. As Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). No change. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change. We have no power to change. Then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? I am a third-class man, and if I change the statements in the Bhagavad-gītā, then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? That is going on. Therefore it is practically... You have got experience that there are hundreds of Bhagavad-gītā editions in the Western countries, but because we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, our sale is better than all others. There is a report from the trade manager of Macmillan. He says, "While other editions are dwindling, going down, this edition is coming up." They published our, this present enlarged edition of Bhagavad-gītā, fifty thousand in the month of August. They are going to print again, second edition, August, September, October. So the reason is that if we present things as they are, it will be accepted. Without any adulteration. Sometimes, you know, people say that I have done miracles. They say everywhere. But I do not know anything, miracles or magic. If there is any miracle, that miracle is that we present things as they are. That's all. Without any adulteration. So that should be the principle. Present as it is. It will be accepted.

Lecture on SB 1.2.12 -- Los Angeles, August 15, 1972:

We are repeating so that by hearing the sound, you can practice. You should be attentive. By... (chanting resumes)

Very good, thank you. Yes. She has done better than all of you. All right. (chanting resumes) (Prabhupāda interrupts again:) Yes. That's all.

So people, they sometimes say, "Can you show me God? Have you seen God?" These questions sometimes we meet. So the answer is here. Yes, you can see God. Everyone can see God. I am also seeing God. But there must be the qualification. Just like God is there... Suppose a motorcar is there, something is wrong there. Everyone is seeing. But one engineer or mechanic, he sees differently. Therefore we have to go there. "What is the wrong in this car? It is not running." He immediately touches some machine part; it runs. So these rascals, they do not know that "How I can see God if I have not the qualification?" The machine has gone wrong, I am seeing the machine. And the engineer, the mechanic, he is also seeing the machine. But his seeing and my seeing is different. He's qualified to see. Therefore when the machine has gone wrong, immediately he touches some part, it runs. So if for a machine we require so much qualification, and we want to see God without any qualification? Just see the fun. Without any qualification. Rascal, they are so rascal, so fool, that they want to see God with their nuisance qualification.

Lecture on SB 1.2.15 -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

So here it is the same thing. Yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ karma-granthi-nibandhanam. Nibandhanam. It is tightly interknotted, our karma-granthi. We had some types of activities in our past lives, and we have got this body. Everyone. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). The different types of body, 8,400,000 species of life, different types of body. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi, 900,000 species in the water. In this way, planets, creepers, serpents, insects, birds, beasts, then human form. This is the process of evolution. So each body is a concession by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart. You want to do something. Just like for doing something you must have particular type of instrument, similarly, the body means particular type of instrument. So you desire to do something, Kṛṣṇa gives you a particular type with the senses, and you act. This is the change of body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. Daiva-netreṇa, by superior examination it is settled up that "This man or this beast is dying..." Of course, for lower than animals, they have got natural process of evolution. But when you come to the human form of body, you have got responsibility. Now you can make your next life better than this or lower than this.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Los Angeles, August 21, 1972:

So the question was, "Which worship is best?" So Lord Śiva replied, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param: "My dear Pārvatī, of all methods of worship, Viṣṇu worship is the topmost." There are many demigods' worship, even Lord Śiva's worship, but Lord Śiva says, "Viṣṇu worship is the best." Then he says again, tasmāt parataraṁ devi. "My dear Devi, better than that Viṣṇu worship is tadīyānāṁ samarcanam." Tadīya. Tadīya means those who are in relationship with Viṣṇu, tadīya. Just like His devotee, tadīya. Tulasī-vṛkṣa. Tulasī is tadīya. Or temple tadīya. Preaching tadīya. Tadīyānāṁ samarcanam. This is bhāgavata. So Lord Śiva recommends that "Of all methods of worship, Viṣṇu worship is the best, and better than Viṣṇu worship is to worship His devotee or things in relationship with Him."

Lecture on SB 1.2.21 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1972:

Our material life begins by a knot in the heart. What is that knot? That is sex desire. This is the knot. A man is hankering after a woman, and a woman is hankering after a man. This attachment is the beginning of material life. Everyone, not only human society. In animal society, in bird society, in beast society, you'll find this sex attachment. This is the hṛdaya-granthiḥ, beginning. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, the first teaching to a student is to give him lesson how to become brahmacārī. How not to become attached in sex life, that is called brahmacārī. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). Tapasā, to become brahmacārī, to become..., abstaining from sex life, it requires tapasya. It is not so easy thing. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa damena śamena (SB 6.1.13). One has to practice how to control the mind, how to control the senses. This is brahmacarya. Tapasya. It requires tapasya. At the present moment, the students are, what to speak of tapasya, they are given all kinds of luxuries. So how there will be brahmacārīs? It is not possible. Especially in the Western countries, the boys and girls, they are educated in one place, co-education, and they live in the same building, and there are so many things. You know, better than me.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Los Angeles, August 27, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas

tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ

tamasas tu rajas tasmāt

sattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam

(SB 1.2.24)

Translation: "The firewood is the transformation of the earth, and smoke is better than the raw wood, and fire is still better, because by fire we can derive so many benefits by superior knowledge, or Vedas. Similarly, rajas quality of matter is better than tamas quality, but sattva quality is the superior quality by which one can realize the Absolute Truth."

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Here the translation is different. So the example is given here, that... The translation is... (break) Anyway, pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmaḥ. Pārthivāt. Suppose you want fire. So there are so many stages. Earth, then there is wood. Wood is produced from earth. From wood, there is, first instance there is smoke, and then comes the fire. But you require the fire. When you get fire, you can get so many things done through fire, electricity. All industry is going on through fire. Your household affairs, cooking, that is also, you require fire. For your living condition you require fire, heat. So fire is necessity, not the earth, neither the wood, nor the smoke. Similarly, although Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, they are one, from Kṛṣṇa—they are different incarnation of different modes of material nature—but actually, Viṣṇu is required. Brahman, brahma-darśanam. If you want to see the Absolute Truth, then neither Brahmā nor Śiva is required, but Viṣṇu is required.

Lecture on SB 1.2.24 -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas

tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ

tamasas tu rajas tasmāt

sattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam

(SB 1.2.24)

Translation: "Coal, firewood, is better than raw wood, and fire is even better, for fire is the soul of Vedic sacrifice. Similarly passion, or rajas, is better than ignorance, or tamas; but goodness, sattva, is best because by goodness one can come to realize the Absolute Truth, or Brahman."

Prabhupāda:

pārthivād dāruṇo dhūmas

tasmād agnis trayīmayaḥ

tamasas tu rajas tasmāt

sattvaṁ yad brahma-darśanam

This is gradual process of evolution. Pārthivād dāruṇaḥ. Just like raw wood. Then, when it is dry, then it is fit for igniting fire. Then, when you ignite fire, first there is smoke, and after it is mature, the flames come out. And agnis trayīmayaḥ. And when the flame is there... Just like we generally perform fire sacrifice. Unless the flame comes, we do not chant the mantra or pour the ghee and the grains. Because that is the beginning of yajña. Trayīmaya. Trayī means Vedic yajñas. So our point is to come to the platform of performing yajña.

Lecture on SB 1.2.25 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972:

So ultimate Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature, Vedānta, and Kṛṣṇa says that vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Anyone who has not understood Kṛṣṇa, he has not studied the Vedic literature very perfectly. Vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛd ca aham. Kṛṣṇa says He's the compiler of Vedānta. So who will know Vedānta better than Kṛṣṇa? The so-called Vedantists, they are very much proud of their knowledge of Vedānta, but the, the real compiler of the Vedānta philosophy is Vyāsadeva. He's incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, vedānta-kṛd vedānta-vit. He is the compiler of the Vedānta-sūtra and He knows what is Vedānta-sūtra, not the so-called Māyāvādī philosophers.

Lecture on SB 1.2.26 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

This is nonsense. We are not concerned with Hindus, Muslims or Christians. We are not... If these boys... They're educated boys; they have no business to come..., become Hindu from Christian. They have no business. They're... Many people before me, many swamis went there to make Christians, Hindu. They kicked there on their face. They did not become successful. Because they talked nonsense. Why one should, Christian become Hindu, Hindu become Christian? They should know what is God, what He is, what is his relationship with God. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is. It is not a movement for making Hindus to Muslim or Muslim to Hindus or Christian to Hin... This is not that movement. They clearly understand this. Therefore they are following. They are accepting. If I would have preached that Hindu religion is better than Christian religion, they would have kicked me out long ago. It is a science; it is a philosophy.

Lecture on SB 1.3.8 -- Los Angeles, September 14, 1972:

So this Devarṣi means Nārada, saintly sage among the demigods. He is also one of the demigods. So he compiled Vedic principles for executing devotional service, Nārada Pañcarātra. Our method, this devotional service, is according to the Nārada Pañcarātra. Especially in this age, Vedic system is not very much convenient. It is very strict. Just like according to Vedic system, if one wants to become a brāhmaṇa, he must be born of a brāhmaṇa father. Otherwise he cannot be accepted as a brāhmaṇa. But according to the Nārada Pañcarātra system, even if one is lowborn, he can be accepted as a brāhmaṇa by this reformatory process. Because kalau śūdra sambhavaḥ—everyone in this age is a śūdra. Śūdra means no intelligence, little better than animals, that's all.

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

So here it is condemned that naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate: "It does not look very well. It is not first-class philosophy." Na śobhate. So kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam: "Then what to speak of those who are karmīs?" The philosopher class, they are better than the karmīs because they are searching after something. They are making research by knowledge. But the karmīs, they are simply satisfied just like animals. They have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as mūḍha. Mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). Mūḍha means ass. The karmīs have been described as ass, whole day working, a beast of burden. Simply, unnecessarily, they have piled up on their back so many work. They have no more interest, nothing, no more interest, neither philosophy, nor Kṛṣṇa, nor... Simply work hard and get some money and enjoy in eating, sleeping and mating, eat, drink, be merry and enjoy.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

So the demigods... You can become a demigod. You can become. If you follow the process how to become, then you become one day the demigod in the sun planet. It is not difficult. You can become one day even Lord Brahmā. Just like you can become one day President Nixon, like him. That requires your qualification. But you can... But you cannot become Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa. That is not possible. God is one. You cannot become God, but you can become part and parcel of God, more powerful. That is possible. Just like you are all Americans, but some of you can become a big officer in the government, the president, the secretary, the governor, but their position is better than ordinary man, similarly, the demigods are like that. They are different officers of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. These things are described in Bhāgavatam, that the sun rises under the order of the Supreme Lord. The moon rises under the order of the Supreme Lord. The ocean is not disturbing, it is calm and quiet... Not calm and quiet. It is in its position by the order of the Supreme Lord. So everyone is acting under the Supreme Lord. And Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa: "Yes, the Supreme Lord is only Kṛṣṇa." Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Āra, "Any other demigod or even viṣṇu-tattva, even Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu"—there are so many, I mean to say, manifestation of viṣṇu-tattva—"they're all subordinate to Kṛṣṇa." Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Lecture on SB 1.7.5 -- Vrndavana, September 4, 1976:

So that is the position of guru. Guru is respected as good as God. Why? Only for this qualification, that he does not speak anything nonsense. He speaks only what he has heard from the ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Ācāryopāsanam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said ācāryopāsanam. So Vyāsadeva is our ācārya, therefore we offer vyāsa-pūjā. On the birthday of guru we offer vyāsa-pūjā. Actually, it is not directly Vyāsa, but because the bona fide guru represents Vyāsadeva, his pūjā is also vyāsa-pūjā. Mad-bhakta-pūjā abhyadhikā. To worship Vyāsadeva, worship the bona fide spiritual master and worship the Lord, they are the same. Rather, Kṛṣṇa says that if you worship His bona fide representative, that worship is better than directly worshiping. Directly it is not possible to worship the Supreme Lord. One has to go through the ācāryas. Therefore Vyāsadeva is the original ācārya. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata... He's vidvān. So we have explained many times how to become vidvān. Vidvān does not mean one has to become a big grammarian, logician. No. Vidvān means one who follows the previous ācārya who is representative of Kṛṣṇa. He is vidvān.

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

So when He came, they were..., fighting was going on. So just to show Him respect, they stopped fighting and everyone was silent. Because the Pāṇḍavas knew that Balarāma was sympathetic with Duryodhana, and if He takes the side of Duryodhana, then everything will be spoiled, because He is the Supreme Person. But He did not do so. He advised them, "My dear Duryodhana, I know you are a great fighter. You have got strength. You have learned, you know the art of fighting. But you are not so strong as Bhīma." And He advised Bhīma, "My dear Bhīma, you have got the strength of ten thousand elephants. Naturally you are superiorally stronger. So he knows the art better than you, and you are bodily stronger than him. So there will be no decision. The fighting will go on. Can you not stop? Because there will not be decision. The fighting will go on. Unless one is dead, the fighting will go on. So what is the use? Nobody will be victorious. The fighting will go on. Better stop."

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

So these Pāṇḍavas are the best example, and better than the Pāṇḍavas, there are other devotees. And the topmost surrendered devotees are the gopīs. There is no more higher exalted devotees than the gopīs. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended that the gopīs, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. There is no better type of worshiping Kṛṣṇa than the method by which gopīs worship Kṛṣṇa. They, their love was so intense that they did not care for any family, any honor, or any prestige—nothing. That is the highest, topmost loving stage of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa also loved the gopīs, so much so that Kṛṣṇa asked them that "You cannot expect any return from Me for your ecstatic love. I cannot give you. It is beyond My power." So they purchased Kṛṣṇa. And the topmost gopī is Rādhārāṇī.

Lecture on SB 1.7.19 -- Vrndavana, September 16, 1976:

So yadā aśaraṇam ātmānam aikṣata. He was running on on the back of a horse, but when he saw that Arjuna is coming nearer, so he has no other alternative, protection. Then he thought of the brahmāstra. Brahmāstra is the last weapon. Just like it is similar to modern nuclear weapon, brahmāstra. As by releasing nuclear weapon there is radiation, similarly, we have got description that when Aśvatthāmā released his brahmāstra, there was a big radiation, people were feeling very terrible heat. And then Kṛṣṇa informed that "This heat is due to the Aśvatthāmā's release of brahmāstra," and Arjuna was advised counteract it. Now they do not know how to counteract this nuclear weapon. Formerly they knew. I throw one kind of weapon, and if you are expert, you can counteract it. Now they have discovered the nuclear weapon, but they have not yet discovered the counteraction. Fight means I show some expert fighting craft or experiencing. The opposite party must also show something better than that. That was fighting. And in this way when one party fails, he's killed. And if he's killed then war stops. No more war. This was the system.

Lecture on SB 1.7.26 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1976:

So they have no knowledge. Therefore they can manufacture weapon or bomb with the gross things. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo—the chemicals, that is gross. But this brahmāstra is not gross. This is also material, but it is made of subtle things: mind, intelligence, and ego. Therefore Arjuna is asking Kṛṣṇa, "I do not know wherefrom it is coming, wherefrom this such high temperature is coming." It is stated here, tejaḥ parama-dāruṇam. The temperature is so high, intolerable. So we should ask the authority. Kṛṣṇa is the best authority. So Arjuna is asking from Him, kim idaṁ svit kuto veti: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, wherefrom this temperature is coming?" Kim idam. Deva-deva. Why he's asking to Kṛṣṇa? Because Kṛṣṇa is the deva-deva. Here we have got many millions of different varieties of life, 8,400,000 varieties of life. Out of them, we human form of life, and above this, the demigods in the higher planetary system, their standard of living, their duration of life is many, many times higher, superior than ours. Just like our standard of life, we are human being, it is better than the uncivilized man. And the uncivilized man's standard of life is better than the animal life. Phalgūni tatra mahatāṁ jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. The uncivilized man, they cannot produce food; therefore they kill animal. In the forest they live, and they kill some animals and eat. They cannot... They have no such knowledge that the forest can be cleared and we can till the ground and we can get very nice foodstuff, foodgrains, vegetables, so many things. Kṛṣi, agriculture. So the land is there, but this uncivilized man does not know how to get the necessities of life from land. They do not know. Otherwise, in the land everything is there. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sarva-dughā mahī. Sarva-dughā. No. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. Kāma, kāma means the necessities. We can get all the necessities of our life from the land. The land is so important. But the uncivilized man, they do not know how to utilize the land. Therefore they commit sinful activities for their existence. Instead of utilizing land for the necessities of life, unnecessarily... Although they are civilized—they should not have done so—they are killing animals.

Lecture on SB 1.7.28-29 -- Vrndavana, September 25, 1976:

So here Kṛṣṇa ordered that this is brahmāstra. He could not understand that intolerable temperature, heat, and Arjuna inquired, "Wherefrom the heat is coming?" So Kṛṣṇa informed him that "This is due to brahmāstra released by Aśvatthāmā. This rascal does not know how to counteract it." Naivāsau veda saṁhāram. "He does not know." Formerly, in the military science, you have released one kind of arrow. If I am expert, then I can release another arrow which will counteract your arrow. Naivāsau veda saṁhāram. It is called saṁhāram. So Aśvatthāmā released that brahmāstra. Now Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna that "You release this saṁhārāstra," how to counteract. Unnaddham astra-jñaḥ. Unnaddham: "You know better than him how to counteract." Hy astra-tejasā: "By another..." (break) ...different astras are released by different expert military men. So that science is not yet discovered. By mantra. Just like here it is said that he took water, āpaḥ. Spṛṣṭvāpas taṁ parikramya. Āpaḥ. Just like we take, oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāsvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. Similarly, mantra and water can be utilized for very, very important purpose. Simply mantra and water. So this is the science. This is called subtle science, not gross. They have discovered this atomic weapon—they require so many chemicals. But when you come to the higher stage, subtle, then mantra and water will do. Nothing more. No more chemicals. Simply mantra and water. That is yet you have to learn.

Lecture on SB 1.7.40 -- Vrndavana, October 1, 1976:

Only duty is how to please Kṛṣṇa. That is śuddha-bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). So long you're on the platform of jñāna or karma... There are different stages. Karma is the lowest stage, and jñāna is higher. Koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, out of many millions of karmīs, one jñānī is good, śreṣṭha. And out of millions of jñānīs... Simply jñāna, theoretical knowledge, is not good. It must be practical. Jñāna, the result of jñāna is to become liberated, mukti. Simply I am very jñānī and I am doing all nonsense, this is not jñāna. He must be liberated from material attachment. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). This is the stage of perfection of jñāna. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He has nothing to do with the material world. That is jñānī. Therefore the karmīs, they are very much attached to the material activities, and jñānī is not attached—not attached neither interested. That is real jñānī. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha. Out of millions of karmīs, one jñānī is śreṣṭha. We sometimes differ with the Māyāvādī philosophers. But they are jñānīs. They are better than the karmīs. There is no doubt. Koṭi-karma-niṣṭha-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha.

Lecture on SB 1.8.27 -- Los Angeles, April 19, 1973:

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā. "Oh, there is no better mode of worship than what was conceived by the vraja-vadhūs, the damsels of Vṛndāvana." Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very strict about women. In His family life also, He never played any joke with women. He was very joking. But all, all with men. He never played any joke with women. No. Perhaps only once He played joke with His wife, Viṣṇu-priya. When Śacīmātā was searching after something, she, He simply played a joking word: "Maybe your daughter-in-law has taken it." That is the only joking we find in His whole life. Otherwise, He was very strict. No woman could come, when He was sannyāsī, could come near Him to offer obeisances. They would offer obeisances from a distant place. But He says: ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā. He says that there is no conception of worshiping better than what was conceived by the vraja-vadhūs. And what was the vraja-vadhūs' conception? That they wanted to love Kṛṣṇa, at any risk. So this is not immoral. That we have to understand. Anything in relationship.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Los Angeles, April 20, 1973:

In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says exactly the same thing. This is explained by Kuntī, a devotee. The same thing is spoken by the Lord Himself. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ, ye tu bhajanti māṁ bhaktyā teṣu te mayi (BG 9.29). God cannot be partial. That is not possible. Everyone is God's son. So how God can be partial to one son and, better than the other son? That is not possible. That is our mistake. We write: "We trust in God," but we make discrimination. If you trust in God, then you must be equally kind and merciful to all living entities. That is God consciousness. So Kṛṣṇa says: "I have no enemies, neither I have got friends." Na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

Because if one is God conscious, he'll not do anything wrong. But because people are not God conscious, they are doing so many wrong things that is has been almost impossible to govern the people. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very essential to understand this fact, that samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra bhūtānāṁ yan mithaḥ kaliḥ (SB 1.8.28). We have created so many religious system, so many religious system. And the Hindu is fighting with the Muslim, Muslim is fighting with the Hindu, that "My religion is better than your religion." Or any other, other countries also, the Jews fighting with the Christian; Christian, Jews; and the black fighting with the white; white fighting with the black. This Kali, that is the result of this material existence. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. That is the work of this material nature. Even if you want to live very peacefully, you'll not be allowed to live. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā durat... (BG 7.14). It is not a place to live very peacefully. But if you think artificially that "We are very happy. We are advanced in material civilization and we have very comfortable life," where is comfort? There cannot be any comfort. Therefore it is the duty of māyā to remind you, always putting you in distressed condition. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is God... You cannot live peacefully, happily, within the prison house. Because you are condemned to this prison life, you cannot expect very comfortable life there.

Lecture on SB 1.8.28 -- Mayapura, October 8, 1974:

So samaṁ carantam... This God is equally kind, equally merciful, but we fight. We, I mean to say, disagree in religious principle. That is due to Kali. Not this Kali. Kali means due to our fighting spirit. It is not God. God is equal to everyone. We fight because we have got misconception. So we think that this religion is better than that religion, or that religion is better than... Every religion must be good, provided one is God conscious. We say that. So many people question in the Western countries, "Whether one can attain perfection by following Christian religion?" Why not? You can also attain. But who is following? First of all, let me see who is following Christian religion. The Christian religion says in the beginning, first commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," and you are simply killing. So where is Christian? Christian religion is not bad. No religion is bad. But where is Christian? Where is Hindu? They are all godless rascals. Therefore there is misunderstanding. Otherwise, if everyone is God conscious, if everyone knows that God is present everywhere, "Whatever I do, He will see. He'll see as sunshine. He'll see as moonshine.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Mayapura, October 11, 1974:

So these people, these Māyāvādī people, they are trying to become one with the God. But a devotee doesn't like to be one with God but better than God or higher than God. That is devotee's position. Devotee's so powerful that Kṛṣṇa, a devotee can claim to become higher than God. They can produce God. Just like Yaśodā-mātā, Devakī. He (she) produced God. And God agrees. These Devakī and Vasudeva, they underwent severe penances, austerities. Without any conjugal union, they undergone tapasya. And Kṛṣṇa came to them, that "What do you want?" "Now I, we want a son like You." So Kṛṣṇa said, "Who can be equal to Me? That is not possible. I shall become your son." This is the reason that Kṛṣṇa took birth as the son of Devakī, because they become... Kṛṣṇa... Vasudeva and Devakī or Mother Yaśodā or Nanda, they became the father and mother of Kṛṣṇa, and now they are chastising Kṛṣṇa. It is not so easy thing. They had to undergo thousands of years in penances to take this position of chastising Kṛṣṇa. It is not... (end)

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Mayapur, October 14, 1974:

So it is actually relished by the liberated persons, but those who are diseased like us, they can chant and gradually cure the material disease. This is the basic principle of chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt. Upagīyamāna, it is chanting. Why? Bhavauṣadhi. It is medicine of this bhava-roga. What is that bhava-roga? Bhava-roga... Bhava means you become, means take your birth and again die. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). This is our disease. This is called saṁsāra. All these rascals in the material world, they are simply getting one body and again... Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihā... When it is useless, no more can be used, then you get another body according to the price you pay. Just like when your garment is old, you purchase another garment. So you can purchase very good garment, or not very good garment, as you pay price. Similarly, to get a different type of garment or this body, you'll have to pay price. Price. If you are in higher status of consciousness, then ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ: (BG 14.18) you get your body in the higher planetary system where the comforts are thousands and thousand times better than this.

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Mayapur, October 14, 1974:

We can understand that, that the material comforts in the Western countries are better than in this country. Similarly, ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. We can go to the higher planetary systems; we get more duration of life. Just like Brahmā has got very, very long, millions and millions of years to our calculation. Just like the insect who comes, attacks us at night. Their duration of life? That night only. Within the night, they are born, they have sex life, and they beget children and increase the population, and as soon as the night finished, all finished. They have got also duration of life. And if you say to them that "There is another animal called man. This night is only twelve hours. And he has got day, another twelve hours. In this way, one month. In... Thirty days. And then..." He becomes surprised: "How it is possible?" Similarly, when we calculate the age of Brahmā, we become astonished, "How such millions and millions of years...?" Because we, in comparison to Brahmā, we are like insect.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:

Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He did not visit Jagannātha Temple. He considered himself... Or there was some agitation that "This man belonged to the Muhammadan family, and now he is trying to enter the Jagannātha Temple. There will be some roar." So he did not like to agitate things. Vaiṣṇava is peaceful. Even Sanātana Gosvāmī, because he almost turned to become a Muhammadan... His name was changed—Sākara Mallika—because he was servant of the Muhammadan government. So he was also rejected by the brāhmaṇa community. Actually he belonged to a very respectable brāhmaṇa family, Sārasvata brāhmaṇa. So he also did not go even near the temple. This is humbleness. Actually they are better than thousand times to become brāhmaṇa. But every Vaiṣṇava thinks himself tṛṇād api sunīcena, that he is very, very lower, down. That is Vaiṣṇava humbleness.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:

Just like Yadu (?) Ṭhākura. We are discussing this in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He belonged to the caste bhuṅi-mālī. Bhuṅi-mālī means the sweeper, baṅgi. He became a great Vaiṣṇava. And Kālidāsa, one of the relative, uncle, of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was also very great Vaiṣṇava, mahā-bhāgavata. His business was to eat the remnants of foodstuff left by Vaiṣṇava. He did not care whether he's a brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇava or śūdra-vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava is not śūdra. But a Vaiṣṇava coming from śūdra family, sometimes they are called śūdra-vaiṣṇava. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He's sometimes called, Yavana-Haridāsa. He's not yavana. He is hundred times, thousand, million times better than brāhmaṇa. But because he is born in a Muhammadan family, he was, another name... The Vaiṣṇava never says, "Yavana-Haridāsa." He is "Nāmācārya Haridāsa." Vaiṣṇava... Why he should be yavana? Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. Nobody should consider a Vaiṣṇava belonging to this caste, that caste, no. Just like here. The Deity is there. Everyone knows that Deity is made of brass metal. But that is not metal. Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa in any other way at present, therefore Kṛṣṇa has appeared as made of metal. But He is not metal. Or even if He is metal, still He's Kṛṣṇa because everything is Kṛṣṇa. So arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. We should not consider like that.

Lecture on SB 1.8.39 -- Mayapura, October 19, 1974:

So that Yadu (?) Ṭhākura declined to give his remnants. So when Kālidāsa wanted, "Sir, give me little your prasāda." "No, no," he said. "No, no, I... You are respectable gentleman, very rich. I am coming from low, low grade family, and how can I...? No, no, no. This is not possible." Then Kālidāsa Ṭhākura, Kālidāsa recited some shastric pramāṇa that "Why you are thinking that you are low caste?" Śva-paco 'to garīyān yaj-jivāghre nāma tubhyam. "You are better than..." Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha. So even a caṇḍāla, he is better than a brāhmaṇa who is a devotee. When he quoted all these verses to prove... There are many other verses—in Mahābhārata, in Padma Purāṇa, in Bhāgavatam. A Vaiṣṇava is never to be considered as lower caste, no. But he was thinking... So what was his reply? His reply was "Yes, this is correct. The quotation you have given from the śāstra, it is quite correct. But it is meant for a person who has become devotee. But I am not a devotee. So it is not applicable to me. I am the lower caste." That was his reply. That is his humbleness.

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that even caṇḍālas can be also raised to the platform of brāhmaṇa. Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭho hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ. Even if a caṇḍāla is trained up as a devotee, he can be better than a qualified brāhmaṇa. These are the shastric injunctions. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). The yavanas' names are there also. Yavana-mleccha means generally they are meat-eaters, especially cow meat, cow flesh eaters. They are called yavana-mlecchas. So the higher caste, they cannot become meat-eaters. Meat-eating is there. That is for the lower class, not for the higher class. If anyone gives up meat-eating or the bad habits of lower class, illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, and if he's trained how to become a qualified brāhmaṇa, then he can be accepted. That is sanctioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. These rascals, they say that these mlecchas and yavanas cannot become brāhmaṇa. Because we are making brāhmaṇas from the mlecchas' and yavanas' section, they are protesting. Some of them are protesting that "Swami Bhaktivedanta is ruining Hindu religion."

Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

So our this movement is not for the kṛpaṇas. It is meant for the brāhmaṇas. We want to become ourself brāhmaṇa, and we want to make others also brāhmaṇa. Because there is need of brāhmaṇa at the present moment. The whole human society is now running by the śūdras, all śūdras. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In this Kali-yuga, everyone is a śūdra. Maybe born of a brāhmaṇa family, but because he has no culture... The first culture is garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. If garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed even in a brāhmaṇa family, he becomes immediately śūdra. This is the statement of the śāstra. So nobody is observing garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Therefore, according to śāstra, everyone is a śūdra. Now because everyone is śūdra, therefore he cannot be trained up as brāhmaṇa? No. He can be trained up. Caṇḍālo 'pi dvija-śreṣṭho hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ. If that śūdra or caṇḍāla can be turned into a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, hari-bhakti-parāyaṇaḥ, then under training he can become better than brāhmaṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.10.1 -- Mayapura, June 16, 1973:

So these are mental concoction. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says, ei bhāla ei manda saba manodharma, "Mental concocted." Real dharma is what is ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Give up your all manufactured dharma. Here is the real dharma." Śaraṇaṁ vraja. "Just become surrendered unto Me, and that is real dharma." Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like law. Laws can be manufactured or can be given by the government. You cannot make any law at your home. That is not law. Law means the order given by the government. The supreme government is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 10.8). There is nobody better than Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the order given by Kṛṣṇa is dharma. Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that dharma. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all other so-called dharmas, this dharma, that dharma, so many dharmas. Simply just surrender unto Me."

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- Mayapura, June 19, 1973:

So dharma is so strong. Dharma means to abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa. That is dharma. If we remain faithful to Kṛṣṇa, and what Kṛṣṇa says, if we do that, that is perfect dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is first-class religious system. We do not decry any system of religion. We do not say that Hindu religion is better than Christian religion. In what way Hindu religion is better than Christian religion? The followers of so-called Christian religion, they're also set of nonsense, and so are the Hindus. Why we should give preference to one class of rascals and fools than the other class of rascals and fools? We have no such idea, "The Hindus are greater than the Muslims or the Christians," or "The Muslims or the Christians..." We do not con... We want to see, test how much he's devotee of God, how much he has developed his God consciousness. Then we accept that he is, here is dharma. That is the test. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6).

Lecture on SB 1.10.13 -- Mayapura, June 26, 1973:

So how do we explain it? It is very simple thing. Suppose I am here, and you are here. So you may be better than me. Nobody is equal. You don't find. We don't find. In every respect, two bodies equal, you won't find. In bodily features, in qualities, in action, in thinking, in feeling. All you'll find varieties. Var... That is... Variety is enjoyment. If I agree with you in every respect, then where is varieties? Just like if you are given a nice dish of foodstuff. Somebody says, "Give me this one." Another says, "Give me this one." So variety of taste. Although all sweetmeats are made of the same ingredients, sugar and yogurt or curd, but somebody says, "Give me this rasagullā," somebody, "The sandeśa..." Somebody says, "Give me panthva(?)." They're made of the same ingredient, but it is different taste.

Lecture on SB 1.14.43 -- New York, April 7, 1973 :

But these foolish persons they are thinking that, that "Our material pleasure will be very much enjoyable when it is put into the golden pot instead of iron pot." Mūḍhāḥ. They are called mūḍhāḥ. (laughter) They do not know the..., our real business is how to get out of this material body. That is, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is real knowledge. One should keep in his thought that "My real distress of life are these four things, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi to take birth, to die, to become old and to become diseased. This is my problem." But they do not know this. They are now busy in the petroleum problem. Yes. Yes. They have created this petroleum problem, this horseless tin carriage. (laughter) Yes. They are thinking, "Better than horse. Now I have got this tin carriage." As soon as it is old it has no value. You throw into the street, especially in your country. Nobody takes care of it. And..., but one must have this carriage. And it must run on petrol, and take labor, so hard labor, goes wihin the desert, drill it, and then take out the oil, then bring it in tanks. And it is called ugra-karma.

Lecture on SB 1.15.51 -- Los Angeles, December 28, 1973:

Now, if anyone accepts that Pāṇḍava... These Pāṇḍavas, five brothers, son of Mahārāja Paṇḍu, they are very, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. And they are as good, or sometimes better than Kṛṣṇa. Because Lord Śiva, authority... There are twelve authorities. Lord Śiva is one of the authorities. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ. Śambhu (SB 6.3.20). Śambhu is authority. He says that tasmāt parataraṁ devi tadīyānāṁ samarcanam: "Better worship... Kṛṣṇa worship, Viṣṇu worship is good, but still better worship is to worship the kṛṣṇa-bhaktas." Because he is very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Why spiritual master is very dear to Kṛṣṇa? Because his only anxiety is how Kṛṣṇa will be known all over the world. That's all. He has no ambition, pounds, shilling, pence. He only wants to know, only wants to see that everyone is devotee of Kṛṣṇa and they are happy.

Lecture on SB 1.16.4 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1974:

So this is the age of Kali. So simply full of sinful activities, that's all. That is Kali-yuga. But sinful activities will not help us. That they have no brain to understand. You have to purify yourself. Sinful activities will involve you more and more in the cycle of birth and death. You will take sometimes birth as a king or as a demigod, and sometimes as the worm of the stool. Because according to your karma, you will get next body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Therefore the process is at least don't act sinfully. Then you will get higher-class birth. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). You will get chance of taking your birth in higher planetary system where the standard of living is many, many thousands better than this planet. Just like Svargaloka, Janaloka. From our śāstra we understand that the inhabitants of Candraloka, moon planet, they live for ten thousands of years, but these rascals are going there. They do not find any living entity. So that is the contradiction. But we believe that in the moon planet... And why we shall not believe? If the living entities are found everywhere, so why, what moon planet has done that there should be no living entity? From our experience we can see living entity is there on the land, in the air, in the water, even in the fire. So every planet is made of these five elements: earth, water, fire, air, sky. So we find by practical experience that in the water there is living entity, on the land there is living entity, within the land there is living entity. So why in the moon planet or other planet there should be no living entities? That's a wrong theory.

Lecture on SB 1.16.8 -- Los Angeles, January 5, 1974:

So it is advised that nṛ-loke. Nṛ-loke means the human form of body, in the human society. We don't discard that "This is American society" or "This is European society," "This is Indian society..." No, all human being. All human being. It doesn't matter what he is. All human being. What to speak of civilized men, even uncivilized, anārya. They are also described in the Bhāgavatam. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ (SB 2.4.18). These names are there. Kirāta. Kirāta means the black, the Africans. They are called kirāta. Kirāta-hūṇa āndhra. Hūṇa, the nation or the community on the North Pole, above Russian, German, they are called hūṇa. There are so many we do not know. Khasādayaḥ, the Mongolians. Khasādayaḥ means who does not grow sufficiently mustaches and beard, this Mongolian group. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ. Yavana, the mlecchas, yavanas, means those who are Muhammadans and others. So they are also included. Nṛ-loke. Because it is nṛ-loka. Every human being. Superficially, externally, there may be, this nation is better than that nation. That is fact. The Aryans and non-Aryans. There are divisions: civilized, noncivilized; educated, noneducated; cultured, noncultured; black, white; this and that. There are... Externally these divisions... But that distinction is of the body.

Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Paris, June 12, 1974:

So this is our civilization. At night also, we waste our time, and in daytime also, we waste our time. How? Now nidrayā hriyate naktam. At night, we sleep. Everyone sleeps. The dogs sleeps, the cat sleeps. We may sleep in a very nice apartment, skyscraper building, and the dog may sleep on the street, but the pleasure of sleeping is the same. It does not mean that because you are sleeping in a very nice apartment, a skyscraper building, your sleep is better than the dog's sleeping? How it is sleep... Sometimes you may dream something very ferocious, and the dog may sleep without any agitation, sound sleep. Sometimes you have to take tranquilizer pill for sleeping. So impartially studying, your sleep is not as nice as dog's sleep. Is it not? The dogs sleep without any anxiety. And I go to sleep with so many anxieties that the sleeping is disturbing unless I take one pill. At least, in America we have seen. In your country, in Paris, you do not? You sleep without pill? Is it? That's a good credit. Anyway, every one of us, we sleep at night. And another, our, means, advantage is that at night we enjoy sex life. Sleep or sex life. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena. Vyavāyena means sex. Vyavāya.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:

So that bhāva required. Unless we understand what is God, what is His nature, how He acts, what is our duty, what is our relationship, then we are nothing better than cats and dogs, simply... śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi (SB 2.1.2), simply talking, talking, talking, and reading and reading, but no understanding of God. This is useless life, cats' and dogs' life. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is saving people from becoming cats and dogs just to make them human being.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

Those who are developing the modes of good qualities, they are gradually being promoted to the higher planetary system, heavenly planet-Satyaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka. In those planets the duration of life is very long, the possibilities of sense enjoyment is very nice. Everything thousands, thousands times better than this. This is not very difficult to understand. Just like in your country... Although within this planet the standard of living is far, far nice, better than some other countries, similarly there are hundreds and millions of planets, other planets, where the standard of living is far, far better. So we are, according to our work, we are sometimes promoted to those planets and sometimes to the lower-grade planets, adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Los Angeles, June 13, 1972:

So these are the tangible examples. So if you want to increase your life there are many living entities, they are living many, many years more than you. So what excel, what is excellence in your part? And if you say that "I am breathing. The tree cannot breathe." Oh, there is the bhastrāḥ, the bellows. It can breathe better than you. Then he says, "No, they have no enjoyment of eating and mating." Then the Bhāgavata replies, kiṁ na khādanti na mehanti kiṁ grāme paśavo 'pare. Wherever we live, there are many other lower animals, just like dogs, cats, hogs, asses, animals, camels. Of course, in city we do not find these, but in villages these are domestic animals. Dogs, asses, hogs, camel, monkey, and so many others. Therefore he says, grāme, "In your vicinity, in your neighborhood, there are many animals. They have got the facility of eating and sexual intercourse." So how do we excel them? The modern civilization is such a foolish civilization that they think they are advanced.

Lecture on SB 2.3.20 -- Los Angeles, June 16, 1972:

This is called śānta-rasa. Above this, somebody is giving me flower, sandalwood. This is called dāsya-rasa, serving. Better than ... This is silence; there is work. The śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, then, again develop, sākhya-rasa, more intimate, friendly. Then vātsalya-rasa, more intimate. Just like the parental affection. And more intimate, conjugal love. Just like young boy, young girl, try to love one another. So these rasas are there. Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa is in love with the gopīs. He is playing with friends, cowherd boys. His affectionate Mother Yaśodā, feeding Him, and there are servants also, serving Kṛṣṇa. And the trees, the water, the flowers, they are serving silently. Pañca-mukhya-rasa, five chief mellows, humors. The same thing is here also. Here also the śānta-rasa, sākhya-rasa, dāsya-rasa is there. But that is mixed with material grains. Just like sweet rice. Sweet rice is very nice, but if it is mixed with some grains of sand, just imagine.

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

Distress and happiness, they're already destined, according to our body. We have discussed this point. Take, for example, you American boys and girls, you have got a body, by your previous activities. So your standard of living is better than other country. So actually I see that even if you go outside your country, your standard of living is maintained. Because you have got already the body. Deha-yogena dehinām.

Lecture on SB 2.4.3-4 -- Los Angeles, June 27, 1972:

So these are different. Just like in Greenland. It is filled up with ice. They cannot get any nice food. Still they live there. This is māyā. They will not think, "Oh, here the life is very difficult. Let me go away from here. Let me go to some other, better place." No. He'll not go. Janani janma-bhūmiś ca svargād api garīyasī. Our birthplace, even it is hell, it is better than heaven. That is māyā. Just like hog. Hog is living most abominable condition of life, with stools and filthy water, but still, he is thinking he's living in heaven. Janani janma-bhūmiś ca svargād api garīyasī. So therefore, the conclusion is that so far material comforts are concerned, you cannot get more. Or less. You will get. It is already fixed up. Deha-yogena dehinām. Sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām, sarvatra labhyate... eh? Yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ. Prahlāda Mahārāja says. Sarvatra labhyate. So far material comfort is concerned, what you are destined to get, you'll get it, in wherever you may live. It doesn't matter. Your allotment is already there. That is your body.

Lecture on SB 2.9.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

Even one is in goodness, goodness is also another. It may be higher quality, but that is māyā quality. One has to go above goodness. Here there are many persons, they are very clean. That is a brahminical quality, sattva ṣama śauca, very clean, truthful, controlled, so many qualifications, but still, that is māyā. Still that is māyā. To become on the platform of brahminical, satya śama dama titikṣa ārjava, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). So even This is the platform of goodness, brahminical qualification. So even in brahminical qualification, it's still māyayā. He is thinking, "I am brāhmaṇa. I am so pure. I am better than him." But he does not know that he is identifying himself with māyā. "I am not brāhmaṇa, I am not śūdra, I am not kṣatriya, I am not vaiśya, I am not a sannyāsī, I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a gṛhastha. Nothing of the sort." Then what you are? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). I am the's qualities. So this identification also will not help. Today I may be brāhmaṇa, and tomorrow I shall become a bhangi. A (indistinct), nothing of the sort." Then what you are? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." This pari bhram (?) Kṛṣṇa's servant. First servant Brahmā, next servant, his servant, Nārada, his servant, Vyāsa, his servant, Madhvācārya, his servant, the servant's servant's servant, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu's ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs. In this way, when we think that we are servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is our perfection. Otherwise, even if we think that "I am not brāhmaṇa. I have got sacred thread. I am very clean. I am taking bath." That is required, of course, because if you are actually servant of servant of Kṛṣṇa, then these qualities will be there as subordinate.

Lecture on SB 2.9.9 -- Tokyo, April 25, 1972, Informal Class in Room:

That means your lavatory. Therefore the demigods do not come here even to urine. (laughter) Formerly they used to come. Now they do not come because it is not fit for their urinating. Here, we are very much proud of our advancement, but the demigods do not come even to pass urine. Why they should come? Now, because another house is raised here, even a common man is not coming to urine here. A little less facility, so they are not occupying. So why the demigods will come to this nonsense place? You can understand. These apartments are lying vacant on account of a little less facility. So why the demigods? Their comforts and their standard of living is many millions times better than yours. You cannot imagine it even. The more you go to the higher planetary system, their standard of living is still higher, higher-duration of life, standard of living, beauty, other facilities. Why they are called higher planetary system? Here in this planet even you don't get the sunshine sufficiently. The bare necessities. Now you can experience that when you go above the cloud by airplane you see there is no more cloudy. The sunshine is free. You can imagine how in the higher planetary system the sunshine is so free. And here as soon as there is little sunshine, oh, today, "Good morning." Today is very good morning. In London, Lennon's gardener, he was meeting, I was walking. He was Mr. Johnson or something.

Lecture on SB 2.9.9 -- Tokyo, April 25, 1972, Informal Class in Room:

Pradyumna: Sandarśayām āsa paraṁ na yat-param.

Prabhupāda: Param. We are seeing here in this material world, this apartment is better than the down apartment. So it is param. Param means better superior quality. So here in this material world we are finding out something superior than the others, because it is relative world. But the kingdom of Godhead, Vaikuṇṭha, na yat-param, there is no more param. Finished. All param finished.

Pradyumna: Ah, nothing is superior than this.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Param. Param. You can say "It is a very nice apartment. Why shall I (go) after Vaikuṇṭha?" But he has no idea. He thinks that "If I go to Europe I get a better standard of living, better woman and better salary." But he has no idea what is param. Therefore, paraṁ na yat-param. There is no more superior. All superior finished. This is Bhāgavata. Paraṁ na yat-param. Final. Final beauty, Kṛṣṇa. Final opulence, final strength, final wisdom. Everything final in Kṛṣṇa, ultimate. No more. Na yat-param. Therefore He is called Parameśvara. Īśvara means commander. There are many commander, controller, but Kṛṣṇa is called Parameśvara. "No more." And Kṛṣṇa says mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Para means superior. "There is no more superior than Me." Paraṁ na yat-param. This is meaning of. So have saṅkīrtana. (end)

Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974:

So this is the process of asking. Paripraśna is asking question. Of course, one, the śiṣya, must ask. He must... But not challenge. Just to understand. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Not to defeat the spiritual master. But one should be inquisitive, inquire from the spiritual master, being jijñāsu, very inquisitive to understand the spiritual science. Not that "I know better than you. Let us talk." No. That is not with guru. You must find out a guru where you can surrender, praṇipātena. If you don't find a person where you cannot surrender, don't waste your time and his time. First of all surrender. So this is the process of understanding transcendental... Ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.25.5-6 -- Bombay, November 5, 1974:

Six opulences. And these six opulences is fully represented in Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is accepted: kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). And others, they are expansion or incarnation. Viṣṇu-tattva. In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, the Gosvāmīs, they have analyzed the characteristics of Bhagavān. The first Bhagavān is Lord Brahmā. Lord... Not first... First Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa, but the Bhagavān realization, the opulences realization, begins from Lord Brahmā. He is jīva-tattva. Jīva-tattva means he's ordinary living being like us. If you become powerful in spiritual strength, then you can also have the post of Lord Brahmā. And better than Lord Brahmā is Lord Śiva. And better than Lord Śiva is Viṣṇu, or Lord Nārāyaṇa. And the best of all of them is Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). That is the analysis of the Vedic śāstra. So all śāstras accept... the Brahma-saṁhitā and, I mean to say, other, all śāstras... Kṛṣṇas tu... Even Śaṅkarācārya accepts. Sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ. Śaṅkarācārya. He... These Māyāvādī philosophers, impersonalists, he also accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And all the ācāryas-Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, and lately, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—all accept kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.

Lecture on SB 3.25.18 -- Bombay, November 18, 1974:

The conditioned state of life means influence of material nature. When we are very much influenced by the material nature... We have already discussed: guṇa. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). Material nature means the three guṇas, three material qualities: ignorance, passion and goodness. Goodness is better than the other two qualities, ignorance and passion. But mostly, especially in this age, they are conducted or influenced by the modes of ignorance and passion. People do not know what is the aim of life. Just like they are called śūdras. Śūdras means they do not know what is the aim of life. Just like animal. Animal does not know what is the aim of life. That is ignorance. And passion is power, creative power, or working for sense gratification. That is called passion. And goodness means knowledge. One can see what is what.

Lecture on SB 3.25.27 -- Bombay, November 27, 1974:

One many is called svāṁśa. Svāṁśa means personal expansions. And another expansion is differential expansion. The differential expansion are we, the living entities. We are also expansion of Kṛṣṇa, and the viṣṇu-tattva, They're personal expansions. But all of them are meant for serving Kṛṣṇa. That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Kṛṣṇa has expanded. The demigods, they are also living entities like us, but they have got better position. Just like here also in the government. Ordinary living... Everyone is citizen, but somebody has got better position as the minister, as the president or some big officer. Similarly, the demigods, they are also living entities. The same thing as we are but different body. Different... The dog has got the dog's body. He's hungry or there is some company, barking. And somebody has got minister body, he's ordering. He's in better position. And better than him somebody else, better than him somebody else, better than him somebody else. In this way you go up to Brahmā, Lord Brahmā. He also servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is the position.

Lecture on SB 3.25.31 -- Bombay, December 1, 1974:

So we have to accept one of these mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Then you will be successful. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ: If you want to learn the Absolute Truth by logic and argument, it will never be possible. Logician... You may be one logician, better logician than me, and another logician may be better than you. But the Absolute Truth is avan manasa-gocara. By logical arguments how you can reach? That is not possible. Tarko 'prati... Therefore it is useless waste of time. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Scriptures, even you take the Vedic scriptures, there are so many: four Vedas... Some of them are following the Yajur-veda, some of them following Ṛg-veda, some of them Sāma-veda, Atharva-veda. Then there are Upaniṣads. Then there are Purāṇas, then Brahma-sūtra, the Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata. They are all right. But because I am ill-advised, I take conclusion differently. Śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Or you take Bible or Koran. So by simply reading all the scriptures, it is very difficult also.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

So animittā bhāgavatī bhaktiḥ siddher garīyasī. That is better than siddhi. Siddhi means self-realization or Brahman realization. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says also. What Kṛṣṇa says and what Kapiladeva says, they are the same thing. Therefore here it is also said, bhagavān uvāca. And in the Bhagavad-gītā also, you will find, bhagavān uvāca. Never said, kṛṣṇa uvāca or kapila uvāca, because They are Bhagavān. So those who are self-realized soul, who know what is Bhagavān, so instead of speaking kapiladeva uvāca, he says, Vyāsadeva says... Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is compiled by Śrīmad Vyāsadeva. So as Bhagavad-gītā also, it was heard by Arjuna, it was released to Sañjaya, and then, from Sañjaya heard Vyāsadeva, and he made it recorded in writing in Mahābhārata... So he says, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca means that is the perfect version. There is no mistake. If some ordinary says, there will be so many defects and cheating, because ordinary person has no perfect knowledge. He may be very, very advanced scholar, but that does not mean he is perfect. Perfection is different thing. Perfection means there should be no mistake, no illusion, no cheating, and no imperfections of the senses. That is perfection. And therefore it is said here, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān is all-perfect. Therefore we should take knowledge from Bhagavān or one who speaks according to the version of Bhagavān. We should not hear anybody else. That is imperfect.

Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:

We have discussed all things. Bhakta wants nothing from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He simply wants to serve Him. That's all. And serve Him ānukūlyena, not whimsically, "I want to serve You as I like." No. Ānukūlyena. Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna served Kṛṣṇa not whimsically, but as Kṛṣṇa desired. Kṛṣṇa... Arjuna was not willing to fight. He said, "No, Kṛṣṇa, the other side, my friends and relatives, I cannot." That is whimsical. But when he decided after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "Yes, I shall do what You are asking, to fight. I shall kill my grandfather. That's all." That is anukūla. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167). You cannot serve Kṛṣṇa by your whims. Ānukūlyena. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (Brs. 1.1.11). You have to serve Kṛṣṇa as He says. If I want a glass of water, you must give me a glass of water. You cannot say, "Prabhupāda, milk is better than water. Why don't you take one glass of milk?" That is not anukūla. You must supply me what I want. That is anukūla. That is favorable. I want to drink water. Why should you give me milk? That is anukūla. That is bhakti. That is ananyayā... You don't manufacture your own trademark of bhakti. No, that is not bhakti. It is not that...

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

Just like within the earth you have seen, you go to the beach, you'll find within the sand, there are so many living entities. But they are inferior, and the plants on the sand, we have seen there are many green plants, herbs, they are better. They have improved their consciousness. But better than these plants and herbs are the crawling insects, snakes, snail, because they can move. The herbs, they cannot move, and within the sands there are living entities, they cannot sprout. So in this way, this is called evolution, one after another. So the insects, the reptiles, they are better than the standing herbs and plants, and these insects, the worms, they grow wings at the end of their life. In this way they are elevated to the bird's life. In this life they could not attain the bird's life, but on account of very strong willingness they grow the wings, and next life they become small birds, they fly. So they are better, the small birds, they are better than these insects. Then there are birds, big, big birds, the eagle birds, they can fly very high. In this way, beast life, that is better. In this way, beast life, then human life, uncivilized life, that is better. And then civilized life, that is better. Then civilized life, those who are organized, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they are better. And amongst the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, the brāhmaṇa is the best, because they are on the platform of spiritual realization. This is the evolution. Evolution, we are coming in that evolution. Bahu-sambhavānte. Bahu-sambhavam, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), bahu-sambhavānte.

Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

Living entities, they have knowledge. That is the difference between matter and living entities. Living entities, they have got knowledge. The dull matter still requires to be developed. They are also covered knowledge. There is knowledge, but it is covered. Just like the tree: it is also a living entity, but the knowledge is more covered than the moving living entities. There are two kinds of living entities: moving and not moving, sthāvara-jaṅgama. Sthāvara means standing, cannot move. And jaṅgama means moving. So jaṅgama is better than this sthāvara. And amongst the sthāvara, there are varieties. The insects, ants, reptiles, serpents, they are also jaṅgama. But one is better than the other, one is better than the other, and finally we come to this position, human being, moving, but better than all the lower animals, insects. Development, development of consciousness. But originally we are all pure living entities. We are contaminated by the modes of material nature. The more we are contaminated, our consciousness is covered. Therefore it is said, guṇair vicitrāḥ.

Lecture on SB 3.26.5 -- Bombay, December 17, 1974:

So this is going on. This is going on. Therefore it is called guṇair vicitrāḥ. All these living entities and their living condition, their mode of life, standard of life, everything, they are simply contamination of the three guṇas: tri-guṇair vicitrāḥ. Sṛjatīṁ sa-rūpāḥ prakṛtiṁ prajāḥ. Sa-rūpāḥ prakṛtim. They are getting this form according to the tendency of the mind, sa-rūpāḥ. If I contaminate tamo-guṇa, then I get lower-grade life. If I contaminate rajo-guṇa, then middle-grade life. And if we contaminate... That is also contamination, but it is better than the other two.

Lecture on SB 3.26.21 -- Bombay, December 30, 1974:

Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛacā says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī-sakali 'aśānta.' Kāmī. Kāmī means one who desires. So either you desire comforts of this material body in different standard of life, either in this planet or other planet... Just like they are trying to go to the moon planet for getting higher standard of life. Unfortunately, they are not allowed to stay there. They come back. So you cannot go in the higher planets in that way. You must be fit for going there. I have several times discussed this matter. Just like American standard of life is better than our Indian standard of life, but you cannot enter America or the Americans cannot enter India without required visa permission; similarly, it is not that by your whims you can enter into the higher planetary system. That is not possible. Anyway, these are the field of activities of the karmīs, those who want to become happy by their active execution. "I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in this way, and make my plan like that." These are karmīs. They are making simply plans to become happy, but they forget that this is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This material world is the place for suffering. They forget that. The scientists, the physists, they are all trying to make this life very comfortable. They are called durāśayā. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum... (SB 7.5.31). What is that? Durāśayā. They are thinking that "By material adjustment, we can be happy." Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. These karmīs, they have got a hope which will never be fulfilled. That is called durāśā. Āśā means hope, and durāśā means which will never be successful.

Lecture on SB 3.26.22 -- Bombay, December 31, 1974:

So therefore this is the best welfare activity to the human society, to awaken them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that they will again revive their original svaccha consciousness, and they will be śānta. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, he was pious, born in a very pious family, and by family quarrel he went to worship the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu in the forest, aspiring material opulence. He was a child. He thought that "My stepmother has insulted. I shall go to God and take from Him such opulence which is many, many millions times better than my father's." That was his ambition. But when he actually saw Lord Viṣṇu standing... He was meditating Viṣṇu. All of a sudden he saw the Viṣṇu is missing within the heart. Then his meditation broke, and he saw Lord Viṣṇu is present before him. So this is not very difficult for Lord Viṣṇu. He is always within your heart, and if He likes, He can come outside and become visible by you. That is not very difficult. So when he saw Viṣṇu and Viṣṇu offered, "My dear boy, what do you want? Take benediction," so he said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce.

Lecture on SB 3.26.27 -- Bombay, January 4, 1975:

So do it. Why don't you do it? Why you are aspiring after mukti, siddhi, and bhukti? These are all personal. Anyone who is executing pious activities, acquiring puṇya, what is the result? Puṇya means he will go to the heavenly planet. That is sense gratification. Heavenly planet, you go to the heavenly planet. You live for many thousands of years, many millions of years, and get the association of apsarās, very nice standard of life, and so on, so on. These are all personal comforts, bhukti, a better standard of material enjoyment. To go to the heavenly planet means a better standard of, thousand times better, millions times better than this planet. As you go up and up... This is Bhūrloka. Then Bhuvarloka, Svarloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka, so many lokas. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you increase your modes of goodness, then you gradually promoted more and more comfortable situation. If you go to the Siddhaloka, immediately you become a perfect yogi. The yogis are trying to get some power, material power, aṇimā laghimā prāpti-siddhi. If one gets this prāpti... Prāpti-siddhi means whatever he likes he can get immediately. That is cal... And people become after him, "Oh, here is God. He is creating rasagullā." (laughter) You see? Yes. One yogi in Benares, he... Anyone who would come to him, immediately he will present two rasagullā in a pot. He will give, and immediately rasagullā will be there. And big, big men, they become surprised, "Oh, here is God." He does not say, "What is the price of these rasagullā?" Say, four annas? So by jugglery of four annas, he became God. This is going on. This rascaldom is going on. By jugglery of four annas, eight annas, or four hundred or four thousand, if one can make some jugglery, then he becomes God. This is foolishness. This is going on.

Lecture on SB 3.28.1 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1975:

Therefore one is recommended to associate with sat. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Satāṁ prasaṅgān. In the association of devotees the discussion on the matter of the Absolute Truth becomes very palatable. We have to hear about the Absolute Truth through the association of persons who are endeavoring to make progress towards eternal life, sat-patham. Yogasya lakṣaṇam. What are the symptoms of yoga? Kapiladeva, Kapiladeva is son of Devahūti. Devahūti is the mother of Kapiladeva. The mother is taking instruction from son. So it doesn't matter. One should not think, "Oh, he is my son. What instruction I shall take from him? I know better than him." No. Son or anyone, anyone, if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa he becomes guru. This is the Vedic system. It doesn't matter. Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born in a very respectable brāhmaṇa family. He was very advanced learned scholar, and after all He took sannyāsa. So when He was discussing with Rāmānanda Rāya Rāmānanda Rāya was a gṛhastha, householder and governor of Madras, means politician. A householder, politician, and he was born not in brāhmaṇa family; in kāraṇa, kāyastha family. They are considered as śūdras. So he had no position to instruct Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him the place of instructor and He took the position of a listener. Just see Caitanya Mahāprabhu's pastimes. He gave him the position of instructor and He took the position of student, listener.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

And karma means they are not struggling hard to enjoy the fruitive result, as we see generally everywhere, they are working so hard. Big, big buildings, big, big factories, big, big roads, cities, so many things. They are trying to be happy by such advancement of material opulence. They are called karmī. Some of them are trying to be happy within this material, within this world or within this life, and there are others also, they are also performing big, big yajñas, charities, so that next life they may also take birth in very nice family or may be elevated to the higher planetary system where the standard of life is thousand times better than here. There is all arrangement. So they are trying for that. Not only to become very bodily happy in this life, but also next life. But as there is difficulty... Suppose if you want to be happy materially, then... You see how they are working very hard. They have no time. In the morning, at half past five, we go for morning walk, we see, workers are going. At night... You Europeans, you know better than me how they are working very, very hard. What is the idea? To become happy. To satisfy the senses. Similarly, there are others who know that there is life after death. So they are also preparing how "Next life also we'll be happy, we may take birth in very rich family, in higher planet, in heavenly planet."

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

All right, artificial laws, but there is some meaning. You cannot violate. Similarly, all the laws, all the books, all the scriptures, all knowledge, everything is meant for the human being, not for the animals. That is the difference between animal and man. The man follows restriction; animal cannot. Because man has got developed consciousness. He should know what is the aim of life. Therefore he should not live just like animals. He should be just like human being. That is the crossing stage of devel... In the ordinary way, we have evolved our life from lower animals, lower species of animals, to this human form of life. No (?) where another junction to promote yourself still higher, higher, higher life, unto the liberation life. But if you don't follow the restrictions, then you again glide down to lower animals' life. If you like, you can do that. Here is a chance. You haven't got to work so hard like the animals. God has given you so many facilities. You can live very nicely, better than animals. Therefore you must be better habits, I say, better habits than the animals.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

First of all, we are interested with these senses. This body means the senses, different types of senses. Sense objects, the mind. They have twenty-four elements analyzed by the Sāṅkhya philosophy. So when we think of our body, means we are interested with sense gratification. Then, a little forward, we are interested with the mind. First of all body, this gross body made of five, earth, air, fire, water, and ether. Then we become interested with the mental speculation, psychology—thinking, feeling, willing. So indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). Mind. The mental speculators, the jñānīs, they are better than the karmīs. Karmīs means who are simply entrapped with this sensual gratification, that's all. So, jñānī, karmī, jñānī, and yogi, and then, when one is interested with the spirit soul and spirit soul's activities, then he is bhakta. That is... Actually the basic principle of activity is the soul. As soon as the soul is gone, there is no more activity, either mental activity or bodily activity. So if we want actually progress of life, then we must realize our constitutional position as the spirit soul, not as the mind, not as the body.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Vrndavana, October 24, 1976:

So one should approach the spiritual master understanding that he's a mūḍha. Not that "I know better than my spiritual master. I can challenge." Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). So if we want to know ourself, as Kṛṣṇa... Everywhere. This is the whole idea of cultivation, spiritual cultivation. First of all, I must know what I am, whether I am this body. Kṛṣṇa said, "No, you are not body. You are within this body. You are enwrapped in this body. You are packed up within this body. First of all, know this." That is Kṛṣṇa's first instruction. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara prāptir (BG 2.13). Very simple thing—that we are changing body. This is first instruction of Kṛṣṇa. So as with the association of Kṛṣṇa, by instruction of Kṛṣṇa, I can understand my position... As Sanātana Goswāmī, by the association of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he could understand his position, similarly, we should approach such person wherefrom we can understand our position. Therefore it is recommended, mahat-sevām. You do not approach Kṛṣṇa or His representative to order him or to make him your servant: "Sir, give me this, give me that." "Yes, you can take it, you can..." Flattering. So that is not the position. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur. If you want to know First of all, you know what you are. Then the question is vimukti. The same thing, same proposal. In the Vedic instruction there is no difference. Everywhere we'll find the same thing. That is standard knowledge. Not that I am saying something, you are saying something. That is not Vedic knowledge. That is speculation.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

That is the defect of modern civilization. They are going to hell, and they're thinking they're advanced. This is the defect. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇā... Carvita-carvaṇa means chewing the chewed. Actually, we see. The advanced thieves, rascals... I heard. Who told me? In Paris, there are clubs, very, very big men, politician, businessmen, they go to night club. They pay fifty dollars for entering club, and they spend hundreds of dollars for wine and women. What is that term? Topless, bottomless. Yes. Just see the rascaldom. He has got wife. The same sex pleasure. Again, they are going to the night club. This is called carvita-carvaṇa, chewing the chewed. The rascal does not know, "What great pleasure I shall get there, in the nightclub?" The same thing. But they have no other ways of thinking. They have no information that there is another pleasure, which is transcendental pleasure, which is better than this material pleasure. They have no information. Therefore rascals. Old man, he's going also for the same thing. He cannot enjoy, but he'll spend, say five hundred dollars, thousand dollars, for nothing, and waste time. This is called carvita-carvaṇānām. And why do they do? Adānta-gobhiḥ. Go means senses. Cannot control the senses. This is the defect. Because these rascals cannot control the senses, remain the same cats and dogs. Just like the dogs, the cats, they cannot control their senses. On the street they have sex life. And human being also, in the Western country, I have seen. In the open street, open beach, they are having. How horrible it is. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30).

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

So there are so many economic development advocates, but they do not know that cow protection is one of the items of economic development. These rascals, they do not know. They think cow killing is better. Just the opposite. Therefore kurute vikarma. Simply for little satisfaction of the tongue, the same benefit you can derive from the milk, but because they are rascals, madmen, they think that eating or drinking the blood of the cow is better than drinking milk. Milk is nothing but transformation of the blood, everyone knows. Everyone knows. Just like a human being, mother, as soon as the child is born, immediately... Before the child is born, you don't find in the breast of the mother any drop of milk. See. In a young girl, there is no milk in the breast. But as soon as the child is born, immediately there is milk. Immediately, spontaneously. This is God's arrangement. Because the child requires food. Just see how God's arrangement is there. Still, we are trying for economic development. If a child is born and God's economic program is so nice, nature's economic program, that immediately the mother is ready with the milk... This is economic development. So the same milk is supplied by the cow. She's actually mother, and this rascal civilization is killing mother. Mother-killing civilization. Just see. You suck the breast of your mother from the beginning of your life, and when she's old if you think, "Mother is useless burden. Cut its throat," is that civilization?

Lecture on SB 5.5.6 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1976:

So this is a chance that even if you are failure in this life, somehow or other, you get chance next life again human form of life, either in a very nice pure brāhmaṇa family or Vaiṣṇava family. Vaiṣṇava family is better than brāhmaṇa family. (break) ...ringing the karatālas, chanting, dancing, offering obeisances to the Lord, temple atmosphere. Don't think it is ordinary opportunity. It is very great opportunity. From the very beginning of life they are getting impression, bhakti-yoga. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yoga. These are not going in vain. Even a child is playing karatāla, imitation. Not imitation. He's given the chance. He was previously Vaiṣṇava. Somehow or other, he could not make his life perfect. Therefore he is given again chance. So naturally he has got tendency to play the karatāla, to offer flower here, to offer obeisances. They take pleasure. It is due to previous life, yogas. But it was not perfectly done, so somehow or other they are getting chance from the very beginning of life. It does not mean that if somebody did not get the chance from the very beginning of life he cannot. He can be also.

Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976:

But the policy is that his money, which is accumulated for sense gratification... In Western countries they accumulate millions of dollars and at the last moment he gives to his dog. (laughter) There are many instances, you know better than me. He has no, nobody even, because they do not marry, no children, no friend, so the dog is the best friend in Western country. Every gentleman must have this best friend, pet dog. So ultimately, because there is nobody to give, he gives it to the dog. Makes a will that my dog will get it and they'll give him jewelry, ornaments and so on, so on, so on. We have got practical experience, the big palace which we have purchased in Detroit, the man did not marry, so ultimately he bequeathed the whole estate to the dog. (laughter) And there is a tomb of the dog. (laughter)

Lecture on SB 5.5.10-13 -- Vrndavana, November 1, 1976:

But you should know from the Vedic literature the position. You should know that each and every planet is full of different types of living entities, and in the higher planetary system, the standard of living may be very... Not maybe. It is mentioned, thousands and thousands of times better than this planet. They... This is called Bhūrloka, then Bhuvarloka, then Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Satyaloka, Brahmaloka—these are different higher planetary system—and each loka, the standard of happiness is thousand times better than the earth. This is the position. And Kṛṣṇa says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ. And similarly down, there are different lokas—Tala, Atala, Talātala, Vitala, Sutala, like that. This is the constitution. But here Ṛṣabhadeva says that anywhere you go, the threefold miseries of material existence, that will continue. You cannot get free. Even Brahmaloka, the Brahmā, he is subjected to die. He is also undergo the principles of death, and what to speak of others. Nobody will exist here. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16).

Lecture on SB 5.5.25 -- Vrndavana, November 12, 1976:

So bhakti-bhājām. So we have to learn what is bhakti. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If actually we advance in devotional service, then naturally viraktir anyatra syāt. That is niṣkiñcana, no more taste with the material world. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. We must know why we shall take to devotional service, pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor, not to remain within this material world. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58). Here in the material world, padaṁ padaṁ vipadām. Every step there is vipada; there is danger. So don't think that "She is dying" or "He is dying, and I shall not die." Everyone will have to die. Every step, there is danger of dying. It is not that The bhute pare gobar hasi(?). Everyone has to die. So before that death we must become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious so that ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). The end will come today or tomorrow or day after tomorrow. Nobody will live here. But the success is if we can remember Nārāyaṇa at the end of life. That is success. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ. We should practice that. Don't bother about that "I shall die tomorrow. You are dying today, so I am better than you." Nobody will live here. Everyone will die, and we must be prepared for death. And the devotee has no fear for dying because if he is completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, then he is going back to him. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 5.5.35 -- Vrndavana, November 22, 1976:

One who has become sama-darśinaḥ, he is perfectly learned. And that is very difficult. It is meant for them. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). It is not meant for such bhangi (?), one who thinks that "My Hinduism is better than your Muhammadanism," or he thinks, "My Muhammadanism is better than your Hinduism." The matsaratam, it is in religious platform... There is matsara. That matsaratā dharma, that kind of religious system... Just like there are everywhere the same thing. In Ireland the fighting is going on between the Protestants and the Catholics. Is it not? Going on continuously. Now it has become so dangerous that you cannot walk on the street. At any moment there will be bombs. Last time when I was in London I had the experience. All of a sudden our car was diverted. The police came: "There is bomb. You cannot go there." So this is going on. In London, in Germany, and other places it has become a terrible place. At any moment there can be bomb. And what is the bombing? The fight between the Catholics and the Roman Catholics and Protestants. Just like we have got experience, Pakistan and India, in 1947. Calcutta itself became divided into two, Pakistan and Hindustan. Nobody was going. There is one big road, Chitpoor Road. So up to Hanson Road, it is Hindustan, and after that, it is Pakistan. The Pakistanis did not dare to come to this side.

Lecture on SB 5.6.3 -- Vrndavana, November 25, 1976:

Guru means tattva-darśī. Tattva-darśī. Otherwise he's useless, waste of time. One has seen the tattva. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam, brahmeti paramātmeti (SB 1.2.11). Guru means one who knows what is Brahman, what is Paramātmā, what is Bhagavān—not partial knowledge. The jñānīs, the so-called jñānīs, they reach up to the brahma-jyotir, that's all. But that is not complete knowledge. The yogis, they reach, utmost, Paramātmā. That is also not complete. Better than the jñānīs, but it is not complete. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti. When he comes to the platform to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then that is bhakti. That is bhakti.

Lecture on SB 6.1.2 -- Honolulu, May 6, 1976:

So pravṛtti lakṣaṇaś caiva traiguṇya viṣayo mune. This is pravṛtti. There are different pravṛttis. Sometimes some animal wants to eat something, another animal wants to eat another thing, but that is pravṛtti. Just like the hog: he is satisfied with stool. That is also eatable. And an enlightened human being, he is satisfied with nice halavā. So this is pravṛtti. Therefore it is said, pravṛtti lakṣaṇaś caiva traiguṇya viṣayo veda. Traiguṇya, according to modes of nature. One who is in the modes of goodness, his foodstuff is different from the person in the modes of ignorance. Therefore we find so many varieties of foodstuff, varieties of taste. This is all within this material world. It is not that... Sometimes this morning we were talking about vegetarian and nonvegetarian. Our mission is not to make a nonvegetarian a vegetarian. No. Our mission is that "Either you are vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it doesn't matter. You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is our mission. To become vegetarian is not very good qualification. It is better than the nonvegetarian, but that is not the ultimate solution. The ultimate solution is when you become a lover of God. That is ultimate solution.

Lecture on SB 6.1.3 -- Melbourne, May 22, 1975:

Now, by nature's law the evolution brings you to a nice body, civilized human body, with higher consciousness. But if we utilize this higher consciousness simply for constructing very high skyscraper buildings and do not know what form of body I am going to accept next, that is not very good intelligence. My business is that by nature's evolutionary process I have come to this human form of life. Now I have got good intelligence, better than the animals. If I utilize that intelligence for simply having nice motorcar and skyscraper building, but I do not know what is my future, then it is not very good intelligence. You can construct a very nice skyscraper building, and you can have a nice car, but you will not be allowed to stay here. What you have done for that? You will be kicked out at any moment. Then your all labor is simply... You can solace yourself that "My children will enjoy" or "My grandsons will enjoy." But why not enjoy yourself? That is very uncertain.

Lecture on SB 6.1.14 -- Bombay, November 10, 1970:

No, I am speaking not of you. I know what you are doing. But we should corroborate. But as a preacher we should simply speak the real truth. There is no question of corresponding with your ideas and another idea, no. We... Whatever we know, whatever we have heard from our authorities we'll speak. That's all. It may be somebody may know better than me. That is another thing. But I have to present what I have learned from the authority. That's all. And our authority is Kṛṣṇa, mainly. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upa... That is the spiritual master. Who does not add or subtract from the talks of Kṛṣṇa, he is spiritual master. One who adds and subtracts according to his whims, he is not spiritual master. He is not bona fide spiritual master. "I, my opinion..." "I give this interpretation..." He is not authorized. You are lawyer, you know better than me. In your law court you cannot change the law by your opinion. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Los Angeles, January 15, 1970:

Now, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving one historical examples. Example is better than precept. Generally, common men, if they see one example, they understand better. So how, one's mind being fixed up in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, even for a moment, he can get relief from the greatest danger, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating one story. This fact is corroborated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Those who have read, you know. Lord Kṛṣṇa said, svalpam apy hi dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. This Kṛṣṇa conscious, you call it a culture or religion, whatever you call, if one executes this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness even very little, then there is chance of his being saved from the greatest danger. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya. Asya, this devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is so nice that even very little done, it can save one from the greatest danger. Now, that example is being narrated by a practical historical reference. Here it is said that itihāsam, codāharanti. It is exemplified from the historical reference. So all the narrations or stories that are mentioned in the Purāṇas and Vedic literature, they are historical references. They are not manufactured. Actual fact. Just like history, you know the historical facts are facts; they are not manufactured.

Lecture on SB 6.1.19 -- Denver, July 2, 1975:

So sakṛd api kṛṣṇa manaḥ. Mind has to be fixed up to something. The yogis, karmīs, the jñānīs and the bhaktas. The karmīs, their mind is fixed up, "Where to get money? Where to get money?" That's all. This is karmī. Just to live comfortably, enjoy sense gratification, this is karmī. And jñānī means they want to... Because they are disgusted. They are better than the karmīs. They want to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence, jñānī. And yogi, they... Actual, their business is, yogi, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogis, they are always in meditation and thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is real yogi, not to show some gymnastic feats. These things are required to concentrate the mind. But where to concentrate the mind? Concentrate the mind in the Supreme Soul, or Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. That is yoga system. So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is above all of them because by nature, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he cannot think anything else except Kṛṣṇa. He is worshiping the Deity in the temple, he is going to distribute books, Kṛṣṇa books, he is talking of Kṛṣṇa, he is eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. So here it is said sakṛd api. If once one does like this, he becomes saved. So if we go on with this habit, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our position is very secure, and keep yourself in that secure position rigidly. Then your life is successful.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Chicago, July 4, 1975:

So here is, one example is given, itihāsa. Itihāsa means history. The Vedic system of itihāsa, it is not the modern history. Modern... Itihāsa means some incidence which took place long, long ago, and such incidence is very beneficial to hear so that we can follow. That is called itihāsa. It is not chronological record of all incidences. Only important things. Purātanam. Purātanam means old and important. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is explaining to Parīkṣit Mahārāja how important is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now he is giving one incidence of history—example is better than precept—how Ajāmila was saved simply by chanting once..., not once, many times, Nārāyaṇa. That is the itihāsaṁ purātanam. In the Vedic literatures there are itihāsas, or histories. Just like Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata is the history. Bhārata means India, and Mahā means greater. Greater India. Just like modern age they use "Greater Britain," "Greater this," so many, same thing. Mahābhārata means "Greater..." Mahā means great, and Bhārata means India. "The history of Greater India."

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

No, you have to care. You can falsely become proud so long this body is there. You can talk all nonsense. But when the body is finished, now you are completely under the control of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. Then your quality will be judged. Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everyone is under the control of this prakṛti, but rascals, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, too much bodily concept of life, bewildered, vimūḍha... Viśeṣa mūḍha, first-class rascal, vimūḍha. Vimudhātmā kartāham iti manyate. He says that "Whatever I like, I can do," kartā. No. That is not possible. So this life is preparation for the next life. You can prepare. It is in your hand. It is in your hand. God has given you the superior intelligence better than the animals. The animals are simply interested eating, sleeping, mating and fearing. So we have got better intelligence, so we must utilize it. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, you know, those who are, the song, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My Lord, I have simply wasted my life." Why? Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa na bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa-khāinu. "I got this nice human form of body for understanding, worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Now I did not do anything, that means knowingly I have taken poison."

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Honolulu, May 22, 1976:

Rūpa Gosvāmī, when he was in Vṛndāvana, he was known, the most learned scholar. So one mundane scholar came, and he approached Rūpa Gosvāmī and said, "Sir, I want to talk with you on śāstras." So Rūpa Gosvāmī said, "Why talking with me about śāstras?" "Now, you are well known, so well known about śāstra, Vedic literatures. So I want to test you." "So what is the purpose?" "Now, if I can defeat you, then I will be renowned." "All right. I am defeated." So there is no question of talking, because Rūpa Gosvāmī saw, "What is the use of talking with this rascal? He is for material name and fame." "So what do you want?" "Now, if you think that you are less intelligent, then give me in writing." "All right, I am giving in writing that 'This scholar has defeated me.' " So he gave him. But Jīva Gosvāmī, his nephew, at the same time disciple, he was standing outside, that... He said, "What is that?" "Now your uncle has already given me in writing that he is defeated." "Let me see." So he took the paper. So he said, "All right, let us talk now." So when he talked with Jīva Gosvāmī, what is his learning? He became defeated. So sometimes, if somebody goes to challenge the guru, the real guru will say, "What is the use of talking with this nonsense? Better say that 'You know better than me.' That's all. 'Go away.' " Upekṣa. Upekṣa. Neglect him, because he has no intention to learn. He has come to simply waste time.

Lecture on SB 6.1.23 -- Chicago, July 7, 1975:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to remove this rascaldom, foolishness. That is the purpose of this movement, that "Sir, you are not independent. You are completely under the grip of material nature, and after death, your all independence finished. You are under the control of material nature, and you have to accept. A type of body will be forced upon you." Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). So how the next body is formed? Karmaṇā, by your activities. You are forming your next body. You are responsible for your next body. Therefore you should not become a tenth-class man like Ajāmila. Of course, Ajāmila is better than anyone. That will come. But we are creating this tenth class... No. Everyone has the chance to become first-class man and come to the understanding, the value of life, and mold our life so that we can, next life we can get better chance. The so-called Darwin's evolutionary theory... Some way or other, he brings to the human body, but he has not discussed what is after human body. He has avoided. But after this, that depends on your work. Because your consciousness is developed than the animal, than the cats and dogs. And the śāstra is giving you information, how you can get the other body, next body.

Lecture on SB 6.1.24 -- Chicago, July 8, 1975:

So that begins with this varṇāśrama. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He knew that this is Kali-yuga; it is very, very difficult to engage people strictly in the varṇāśrama-dharma. Actually it is difficult. Who is going... If you open a varṇāśrama college, there will be no student. Because they will think, "What is this nonsense, varṇāśrama? Let us learn technology. We shall get good salary. We shall earn money." Yes. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately said, eho bāhya, āge kaha āra. In this age it is not possible, varṇāśrama-dharma. So āge kaha āra: "If you know something better than this, you say." So in this way Rāmānanda Rāya recommended that karma-tyāga, sannyāsa, so many stages. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu went on saying, eho bāhya āge kaha āra: "This is useless now. If you know better, then something, something." So then at last—not at last, in the middle—Rāmānanda Rāya said that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva..., namanta eva, bhavadīya-vārtām, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. The purport is that all these processes recommended in the śāstra, varṇāśrama-dharma, acceptance of sannyāsa, or other, karma-tyāga, miśra, karma-miśra-jñāna... There are so many things.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- Honolulu, May 30, 1976:

The last one, devotee. Therefore devotee's business is to know that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa; it must be used for Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He's neither tyāgī or bhogī. Bhogī means takes the thing and utilizes for his own sense gratification. That is called bhogī, sense gratification: "Oh, I have got this bag. Very nice. It will help me in going to the restaurant for (indistinct)." That is bhogī. And tyāgī means "Oh, this is all material. Why shall I touch? Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I'm Brahman. I am nothing."(laughter) He's better than the rascal who takes the money and uses his own purpose, karmī. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, (Bengali). The jñānī, he does not touch anyone's property. That is very good. Then the karmī, because karmī takes other's property and utilizes it for his own purpose. But bhakta is neither karmī nor jñānī.

Lecture on SB 6.1.40 -- Los Angeles, June 6, 1976:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was talking with Rāmānanda Raya, how to cultivate spiritual knowledge, how to know the ultimate goal of life, sādhya sādhana, what is the aim of life and what is the process to approach the aim of life... This was the talk between Rāmānanda Rāya and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So Rāmānanda Raya began with varṇāśrama dharma, the institution of four orders of social and four orders of spiritual life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, eho bāhya, "It is not very important nowadays." Yes, eho bāhya, āge kahe āra, "If you know something more, better than this..." Then he... Karma-tyāga, sannyāsa, so many, step by step, he said, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu denied, "Yes, it is right, but it is not very important." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu said..., uh, Rāmānanda Rāya said, quoting from the Vedas, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtāṁ (sthāne sthitāḥ) śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṇ-manobhir (ye) prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām. "If you want to know who is God, what is God, then give up your, this speculative endeavor." Jñāne prayāsam. Prayāsa means endeavor: "May be like this," "Perhaps like this." No. You give up this habit. Jñane prayāsam udapāsya, give up this bad habit. Then? How? Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva: "Just become humble and meek. Don't declare yourself a great philosopher or great learned scholar and..." No. That is not the process. "Now I am a learned scholar, I can discover God, I can manufacture God." No. Give up this bad habit. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya—be humble. If you want to know God, then be humble. In the Bible also it is said, "God is for the meek and the humble," not for the impudent.

Lecture on SB 6.1.56-62 -- Surat, January 3, 1971, at Adubhai Patel's House:

People are very much addicted to material enjoyment. Either he goes to śuddha-bhakti... This bhakti means śuddha-bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). That, that is transcendental platform. There are viddha-bhakti. Viddha-bhakti. So one who goes to worship Viṣṇu for some material bene... Just like Dhruva Mahārāja went. That was bhakti, but that was viddha-bhakti, adulterated. Dhruva Mahārāja went to gain his father's kingdom. That is arthārthī. Ārtaḥ arthārthī. Catur-vidhā bhajante mām. Four kinds of men goes to worship Viṣṇu: ārta, those who are distressed; arthārthī, those who are in need of money or material benefit; jijñāsu, those who are inquisitive; and jñānī—these four kinds. Out of these, jijñāsu and jñānī are better than the ārta and arthārthī, the distressed and need of money. So even the jñānī and jijñāsu, they are not on the pure devotional service because pure devotional service is beyond jñāna also. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Just like gopīs, they did not try to understand Kṛṣṇa by jñāna, whether Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān. No. They simply automatically developed—not automatically; by their previous good activities—acute love for Kṛṣṇa. They never tried to understand Kṛṣṇa, whether He is God. When Uddhava tried to preach before them about jñāna they did not hear it very attentively. They simply absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Never mind Kṛṣṇa worship, but one loves Kṛṣṇa. And that is wanted. That is spontaneous. Real love means that. A lover does not consider what he is, the opposite party, what he is, whether he is rich man, whether he is educated man or educated... There is no such consideration. Love is spontaneous. That is an example also. Similarly, love for Kṛṣṇa, that should be simply spontaneous, without any consideration. Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām: (CC Antya 20.47) "Either You trample down under Your feet or embrace me, still, I love You." That is love, that kind of love. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa...

Lecture on SB 6.2.15 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1975:

So amongst the Aryans there is the division—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. The Aryans, they do follow it, these Vedic principles, varṇāśrama-dharma. Varnāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate (CC Madhya 8.58). What is the purpose of varṇāśrama? Now, viṣṇu ārādhana. Why Viṣṇu ārādhana? There are so many other demigods. That is also answered by Lord Śiva. When he was asked by Pārvatī, "What is the best form of worship?" he recommended, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣām: "There are many different types of worship." Sarveṣam. Viṣṇur ārādhanaṁ param. He never said, Lord Śiva, that "My ārādhana is..." Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, but no other demigod has ever said. No. You'll never find. Here Lord Śiva says, viṣṇur ārādhanaṁ param. Then again he stresses, tasmāt parataraṁ devī madīyānāṁ, tadīyānām ārādhanam: "Viṣṇu ārādhanam is the best, but better than this best there is another ārādhanam." What is that? Tadīyānām ārādhananam: "To worship the Vaiṣṇava." Viṣṇu ārādhana is the topmost, but Vaiṣṇava ārādhana is still more. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore says, chādiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā, nistara payeche kebā. The Vaiṣṇava ārādhana is so important.

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

Very nice verse. The Yamarāja says that "These bhutāni viṣṇoḥ, viṣṇu-bhutāni, the Vaiṣṇava, the Viṣṇudūtas, they are worshiped by the demigods. Anywhere they go, they are worshiped." They are worshipable, Vaiṣṇava. As God is worshipable, similarly, the Vaiṣṇava, or the God's servant, they are also worshipable. And Kṛṣṇa says, mad bhakta-pūjābhyadhikā (SB 11.19.21). So, "Anyone who worships My devotee, he renders devotional service better than by worshiping Me directly." So therefore He says in another...,

ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt

nāvamanyeta karhicit

na martya-buddhyāsūyeta

sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ

(SB 11.17.27)

There is another version that Kṛṣṇa says... These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam while He was talking with Uddhava, Eleventh Canto. Just like Kṛṣṇa had talks with Arjuna, which is known as Arjuna-gītā, similarly, He had talks with Uddhava, another devotee. That is known as Uddhava-gītā. So in that Uddhava-gītā these statements are there, that ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt nāvamanyeta karhicit: "Ācārya should be known as good as God." That is confirmed in Viśvanātha Cakravartī... Sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. He also refers to the śāstra, not that he is opining by his own intellect. No. That is the speciality of learned scholars and devotees.

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

Yes, certainly. That is another bliss, to feel separation from Kṛṣṇa. Everything, either you meet or you separate, the bliss is there. Crying for Kṛṣṇa is better bliss. So as there are Yamadūtas—they are arresting all the sinful persons—similarly, Viṣṇudūtas, they are always protecting the devotees. Nārāyaṇa-paraḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). Therefore those who are devotees, they are not afraid of anything because they know confidently that "Kṛṣṇa is there." That is one of the items of śaraṇāgati. Surrender means when... Unless one is convinced that "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection," so how he can surrender? There is no question of surrender. Avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṇa vivaśa-pālana. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said to be firmly convinced: "Then Kṛṣṇa will give me all protection." Therefore surrender is perfect. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyaṁ vivarjanam. Surrender means one should simply accept favorable service to Kṛṣṇa and reject anything which is unfavorable, and then next is avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṇa viśvasa-pālana: "And to be firmly convinced that 'Kṛṣṇa will give me all protection.' " Therefore, instead of "trying to protect myself," a devotee should always remain dependent on Kṛṣṇa. That is śaraṇāgati. And to consider oneself that "Now I am in the association of Kṛṣṇa," these are different items of śaraṇāgati. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the best contribution to the human society. There is no comparison with this movement, any other welfare activity of the whole world. There is no comparison. Can you suggest any better welfare activities than this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "Here is another item which is better than Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" What is that? Who will suggest?

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

Perfect is always. That is the highest stage. That we cannot relish. Just... All the rasas in relationship with Kṛṣṇa is perfect. But according to different devotees' taste... That I already told. Everyone says, "My relationship with Kṛṣṇa is the best." Everyone thinks. But it is for the outsider to consider that "This stage, conjugal love, this is better than the Kṛṣṇa's relationship with His servants or with the trees and..." That is our calculation. But in the Kṛṣṇa field... That is called Absolute. Every taste is as good than the other. That is oneness, Absolute.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 6, 1967:

So we should endeavor for improving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then our life will be successful. Sometimes you will find mother is supplying very nice foodstuff to one child, and other child the mother is supplying only little barley water. Do you mean to say mother is unkind to one child and not unkind to other? Because mother knows better than anyone that this child cannot digest. There is some trouble in his stomach. He should be given light food. And the other child is all right. Similarly, mother nature is the guidance. So if somebody is starving, it should be noted like that, that he is put into that circumstances to get better. That's all. So any other question? (break) Everyone, I shall request you to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. We have enjoyed so many lives in the past, or suffered. Now, this life, at least one life may be devoted for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the result. That is our request. (end)

Lecture on SB 7.6.6-9 -- Montreal, June 23, 1968:

The modern civilization has... In your country I was reading a little history that in 1813 or some year the government introduced that "We trust in God," "Trust in God," and that was declared by the secretary to be published on the coins or on the paper currency, and we see sometimes. But simply trust in God is not sufficient. We must know what is God. Trusting something oblivion, something fantasy, that is no trust. You must know where to put your trust. That is Bhagavad-gītā. You have to know this, what is God. You simply believe in God... Faith in God is very nice. That is said then the... Very nice. It is better than godless person, that one who believes in God. That is all right. So this writing, that "We trust in God," it is very good. It is better than the communist countries, who say, "We do not trust in God." It is better. But simply official writing or trust will not do. We have to understand. And if you want to understand God, then this is the movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other alternative. You cannot place any other scripture collected from the world where the science of God is so elaborately stated, which you can test with all reason and argument. That is Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So we have to learn the science. As you are learning so many department of knowledge, similarly, this is also another department of knowledge, to learn the science of God. The government should come forward to popularize this movement and to educate people in the science of God.

Lecture on SB 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976:

So material conditions, they are not practically applicable to spiritual life. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, therefore, He said, eho bāhya āge kaha āra. Whatever Rāmānanda Rāya was proposing, "This is the beginning of bhakti..." He suggested varṇāśrama-dharma, karma-tyāga, karma-sannyāsa, even full surrender, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). All, everything, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, eho bāhya āge kaha: "These are external formality. If you know something better than this, please explain." So Rāmānanda Rāya, when, I mean to say, quoted a verse from Brahma's prayer, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ prāyeṇa ajita api jito... Kṛṣṇa is ajita. Nobody can conquer Him. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Nobody is greater in every respect. Not that "Kṛṣṇa is shorter at least in this respect." He is shorter in one respect, that He could not repay back the obligation He received from the gopīs. He was only shorter to the gopīs. That is His grace. He said that "I cannot repay you. It is impossible. Please be satisfied with your own service." That is the gopīs. So He was shorter always, especially before Rādhārāṇī. He felt Himself shorter. Otherwise He is the Supreme.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 15, 1976:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is considering himself born of a father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, as ugra-karma. So he's saying, harir ugra-jāteḥ, that the... Brahmādayaḥ sura-gaṇa, "Lord Brahmā and other demigods, they are coming from the higher planetary system, and they are in the sattvika guṇa, sattva-guṇa. They are not ordinary person." Just like coming from some pious pilgrimage, he's supposed to be very nice man, similarly, brahmādayaḥ, they are coming from svarga-loka. Why svarga-loka is better than this loka? The thing is, in the svarga-loka, although they are attached to material enjoyment, still, they are great devotees. Therefore svarga-loka is praised. They are not like us. Here, those who are attached to material prosperity, they forget Kṛṣṇa, or God.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, March 1, 1977:

Just like the father is very rich man. He doesn't require any help from his son, but he aspires that his son should be obedient and lover. That is his satisfaction. That is the whole situation. Kṛṣṇa has created... Eko bahu śyāma. We are vibhinnāṁśa-mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7)—part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, every one of us. So everyone has got some duty. Kṛṣṇa has created us, expecting something to be done by us for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. So that, our opportunity, is obtained in this human form of life. We should not waste our valuable time in any other occupation or business. Simply inquire and be ready how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīla Ānukūla. Not your satisfaction but Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. That is called ānukūla, favorable. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). And anuśīlanam means activity, not that "In trance I am in meditation." That is also Something is better than nothing, but real devotional service is activity. One must be active, and the best activity is to preach the glory of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the best activity. Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścid me prīya-kṛttamaḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 9, 1968:

Therefore one has to corroborate these three things: scriptures, and statement of saintly persons, and statement of spiritual master. The spiritual master is via media. The disciple, if he cannot understand the statement of the scriptures or any saintly person, he submits his doubts before the spiritual master and he clears it. In this way we have to make progress. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that a person, even if he is a brāhmaṇa with good qualification, if he is not a devotee of the Lord, then he is good for nothing. He says, "He is good for nothing." Viprād dvi-ṣad-guṇa-yutāt. And when who is good? Now, śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Better than him, even a person is born of a very low family... In India it is considered according to Vedic, that low family is considered one who eats the dog, dog-eaters. Of course, there are many kinds of flesh-eaters, but when a man becomes the eater of dog flesh, he is considered to be very low. So śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. So there is a class in India, they are called caṇḍāla. Everywhere there is. They eat dog flesh. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "It doesn't matter. But if he is a devotee of Lord, he is better than that brāhmaṇa, that brāhmaṇa with good qualifications. And he, although he is born of a low family..." Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Why he is variṣṭham? Now, manye tad-arpita-mano: "Because his mind and attention is always engaged in the service of the Lord." That is his qualification. That is making him purified in every moment. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ-kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17).

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 10, 1968:

Now, at the present moment, everyone is highly educated to the material standard, but they have no knowledge what is God. So even they become vipra, because they are lacking this knowledge, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that a person, a dog-eater who has God consciousness is better than him. Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Śvapaca means a person who is born in the family of dog-eaters. Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha. There is description, mauna-vijñāna-santoṣa-satyāṣṭika-dviṣād-guṇān, yad vā śamo damas tapo śaucaṁ kṣānti ārjava viraktataḥ. Mauna-vijñāna-santoṣa-satyāṣṭika-dviṣād-guṇān. The eleven, twelve qualities, good qualities, is described in the Vedic literature. What is this? That śama. Śama means the equilibrium of the mind. Dama. Dama means controlling the senses. Śamo damas tapaḥ, austerity. Tapa means... Tapa means from tapa, heat. Just like this heat is not tolerable. I require the fan. So tapa means to accept voluntarily some physical trouble. That is called tapa. There are many sages who, in, during summer, they will burn fire all sides and meditate. There is already high temperature, 112 degrees in India. Sometimes 180 degree, and still they have fire all sides, all sides. Yes. And they are meditating, not disturbed. So this is called voluntarily tapa. And in winter season, when the temperature is forty degrees, fifty degrees, is of course, not below zero, anyway, he goes to the water and dip into the water simply keeping the mouth up and meditating. So there are some severe processes for tapasya. So this is one of the good qualities.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "One who has dedicated these three things, mind, body, and words, to the service of the Lord, I think he is best." How best? Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād. He's better or the best than anyone. In this material world the brāhmaṇa, the most intellectual person with twelve good qualifications Satya, sama, dama. He's truthful, he's controller of the senses, controller of the mind, he is simple, he is tolerant, he is full of knowledge, he is full of scientific knowledge, he knows everything of Vedas. These are the qualities of a brāhmaṇa. But Prahlāda Mahārāja says that in spite of having all these qualities, if one is aravinda-nābha-pādāravinda-vimukhāt, if one is averse to the service of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then, even though he's a qualified brāhmaṇa, even though he's the most intellectual person, he is rejected. And better than him is he who even born of a very low family, śvapacam. Śvapacam means the dog-eaters. The dog-eaters. There are different kinds of flesh eaters. So there are dog-eaters also. That I have already explained, that dog-eaters are considered the lowest of the mankind.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that even if he's born in the family of the dog-eaters, but if he has dedicated his body, mind and words for the service of the Lord, he is better than such brāhmaṇa who has got all the good qualifications, but he has no attachment for God, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the comparison. Why you are giving so much importance to the man, even if he is born in a lower family? He says, manye tad-arpita-mano-vacana īhā. Īhā means endeavor. Anyone who has engaged this endeavor for the service of the Lord Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī has described about this person whose endeavor is always in the service of the Lord. How Just like the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. What is their endeavor? Their only endeavor is how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be spread all over the world. Why they're endeavoring? Because Kṛṣṇa wants it. Kṛṣṇa wants it. God wants it. Why God wants it? Because we are all sons of God. We have gone to dog. Instead of going to God, we have gone to dog.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja also says the same thing, that "I consider that person is better than the so-called qualified brāhmaṇa because his endeavors are engaged in the service of the Lord." Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ. A highly qualified materialistic person, he's proud of his qualification. Anyone. There are four things to become proud: janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). If one is born in very good family, high family, aristocratic family or rich family, he is proud. He's always proud. And one who is very wealthy, he's also very proud. And one who is very beautiful, he is also proud. And one who is very learned, a great scholar, he is also very proud. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that what this pride will help him? You may remain a very proud man, full of pride so long this body is there. That's all. As long the body is finished, your designation as Rockefeller finished. Your degree, M.A., Ph.D., finished. Your beautiful body finished. Your aristocratic family finished. Then you have to take another platform according to your work. If you have done works like again aristocratic or learned activities, then you get similar body. But in spite of all your acquisitions, you have played the part of a dog, then you are going to become a dog.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Mayapur, February 17, 1976:

Dayānanda: "Prahlāda Mahārāja continued to think that a brāhmaṇa who has qualified himself with all the brahminical qualities, twelve in number, as they are stated in the book known as Sanat-sujāta, such a brāhmaṇa, if he is not a devotee and averse to the lotus feet of the Lord, he is especially lower than a devotee who is a dog-eater even, but his mind, words, activities, wealth, and life—everything is dedicated to the Supreme Lord. Such a low person is better than a brāhmaṇa as above mentioned because such lowborn person can purify his whole family, whereas a so-called brāhmaṇa falsely in prestigious position cannot purify himself."

Prabhupāda:

viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha-

pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham

This is the verdict of the śāstra. Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham.

manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-

prāṇam punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ

(SB 7.9.10)

Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). This is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction, that don't be falsely proud unless you have got the qualification. That is our mistake, dambha, dambha. And the pure life begins when we give up dambha, false prestige. Adambhitvam amānitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntiḥ ārjavam. This is the begin... One who is falsely proud, he is... (aside:) What is that sound? One should not be falsely proud. Everyone... Material world means everyone is falsely proud. Everyone is thinking, āḍhyo 'smi dhanavān asmi ko 'sti mama samaḥ, everyone. This is the disease. "I am the richest. I am the powerful. I am the very intelligent.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10-11 -- Montreal, July 14, 1968:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore says in this verse, prāṇaṁ punāti sa-kulam. One who has engaged himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, aravinda-nābha pādāravinda, lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, he purifies himself as well as his family. Purifies his whole family. Sometimes a Vaiṣṇava born in a village, he purifies the whole village. These are statements in authentic scriptures. So apart from village, a Vaiṣṇava born in a family can give the best service to his family because he purifies. Sa-kulam. The host of his ancestors and forefathers, everyone is purified. Na tu bhūrimānaḥ. But the person who is simply proud of being born of a brāhmaṇa family, and even if he has all the good qualities of a brāhmaṇa, but if he's simply proud, he has not engaged his qualification in understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that he is useless. Better than him is he who has engaged his everything, prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. Everything means I have got my body, I have got my mind, I have got my words. I can serve you by my words, just like I am serving you. Somebody can serve by his mind, somebody can serve by his bodily service. So everything should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then he is glorious. He is glorious. He is better than that person who is simply materially qualified and proud of his material qualification and acquisition but does not engage himself in the service of the aravinda-nābha, Viṣṇu.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12 -- Montreal, August 19, 1968:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he was born of an atheistic family, he's taking courage: "The Lord has no such distinction; therefore I shall pray according to my capacity." Bhāva-grāhī janārdana. Bhāva. The Personality of Godhead takes account of your mental... Not exactly mental—your spiritual attraction, how much you are attracted. This attraction is the main thing. As I have several times explained in this meeting, that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharma yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). What is the highest type of religion? Everyone will say that "My system of religion is better than yours." That is quite natural. A Hindu will say, "Oh, I am better than the Christian." Christian will say, "I am better than the Hindu." But Bhāgavata says that that is not the test of religion. Bhagavat says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That type of religion is the best by which one develops love of Godhead. That's all. The test is how much you have developed love of Godhead. Bhāva-grāhī janārdana. In Vedic literature it is said that God, Kṛṣṇa, simply accepts your bhāva or your situation, how much you have developed your attraction for God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is taken into account. He does not take account that "Oh, you are very rich. You are very beautiful. You are very opulent," or "You are very poor. You are not beautiful." These considerations are not there. The only consideration is how much you love God. Then your life is successful.

Lecture on SB 7.9.12-13 -- Montreal, August 20, 1968:

So these preparations I have made for You because it is Your goods. You have supplied these grains, so You kindly first of all take. Then I will take." So Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. This is Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, acknowledgement. So we are not prepared even to do that, neither we are prepared to follow the rules and regulation. We must follow the rules and regulation, what is allotted for us or what should be offered to Kṛṣṇa. If we want to offer Kṛṣṇa something, then we must offer such things which Kṛṣṇa wants to eat. So we do not know, neither we care to know. We simply ask, "Oh, give me my bread or grains. Then my business is finished." No. That is the difference. But this man who is going to church or temple to ask for food is better than that man who has no connection with God, so much better that he has some relationship with God: "My dear father, You give me." At least, he accepts—"The father sends the bread." That is very good. But when the son will be intelligent, he will know, "The father sends the bread even without my prayer. Therefore I must offer my gratitude." That is intelligence. That is pure devotion. (break) Father is not only my father; He is father of all living entities. So He is supplying other living entities. They cannot offer any gratitude. The beast, the birds, they cannot offer any gratitude. But I am human being, I have got developed consciousness. I must feel grateful for God's mercy and offer my gratitude. That is my duty. (end)

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Montreal, August 21, 1968:

We have to transcend the position of worldly goodness. Somebody asked me this question, "Swamijī, if a person is moral and dutiful and benevolent, all the good qualifications, so what is the use of worshiping God?" My reply was that anyone who is not God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious, he cannot be good, cannot be moral. It is not possible. Harāv abhakta... I am not manufacturing this. This is the statement of Śrīmad-Bhagavatam. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇa mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). So take for example that, our, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi, he was considered to be a very good man... (break) They may be good, but they are not ultimate good. The ultimate good is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is good for you and good for all. Anyone who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is good in this sense, because he is in transcendental position, and whatever he speaks, because he speaks about God, therefore speaking is not adulterated. So this position, as soon as you take it a principle of your life, that "I shall simply be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, or God's service. I shall talk about Kṛṣṇa, I shall work for Kṛṣṇa, I shall write for Kṛṣṇa, I shall read for Kṛṣṇa. Everything for Kṛṣṇa," that is the transcendental position beyond goodness, better than goodness. So one can be situated in this position immediately by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. It is not very difficult. Yes, what is your...?

Lecture on SB 7.9.24 -- Mayapur, March 2, 1976:

Some of you have seen that my friend, Dr. Bose. I have said many times that when he was student, so one professor, he—in those days medical professors were Englishmen—he said in the class that "In our country, seventy-five percent of the students, they are infected with syphilis." So this doctor, he was a student. He said in the class, "Oh, horrible." So that professor said, "Why you are saying "horrible"? In your country eighty percent, ninety percent, they are infected with malaria, and they are in syphilis. So what is the difference? Why you make...? As a medical man, why should you make difference that 'This disease is better than that disease'? Disease is disease." Actually that is the fact. You say that "We are suffering from malaria. It is better than to suffer from syphilis." No. Disease is disease. Similarly, either Brahmā or the ant, the disease is how to become master. This is the disease. Therefore, to cure this disease, Kṛṣṇa comes to cure this disease, to say plainly, "Rascal, you are not master; you are servant. Surrender unto Me." This is the cure of disease. If one agrees that "No more," āra nāre bapa (?), "No more trying for becoming master," that is the cure of disease.

Lecture on SB 7.9.29 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1976:

Therefore he said that tad-bhṛtya-ṛṣi-vākyam ṛtaṁ vidhātum. Ṛṣi-vākya. Even the devotee or the servant of Kṛṣṇa says something, even it is wrong, Kṛṣṇa upholds this. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati (BG 9.31). So even it is wrongly done, still, Kṛṣṇa fulfills because He thinks that "My servant has promised; it must be fulfilled." Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja, in the previous verse he has said, tava bhṛtya-pārśva. So to serve the servant of Kṛṣṇa is better than to serve directly Kṛṣṇa, because if the servant of Kṛṣṇa promises something, if the servant of Kṛṣṇa says, "I'll take you to Kṛṣṇaloka," you must go there. Even Kṛṣṇa cannot do that. He can... I mean to say that He does not say very easily. But if a servant... Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Therefore our philosophy is to please the servant of God, tad-bhṛtya, bhṛtyasya bhṛtya. Then it is very nice.

Lecture on SB 7.9.46 -- Vrndavana, April 1, 1976:

Thirty years. And where is unity of the nation? It is not possible. And here we are talking about Kṛṣṇa, say, for seven, eight years. Just see the sample, how these young men are becoming united in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is practical.

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says this stoppage of talking is better than to talk nonsense. If you cannot talk of Kṛṣṇa, better don't talk. Therefore this maunam is recommended for the persons less intelligent who cannot talk about Kṛṣṇa. Better stop. This is called mauna. Otherwise Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "I have got only one tongue and two ears. So how can I enjoy or serve Hare Kṛṣṇa only with one tongue and two ears? If I had millions of ears and trillions of tongues, then it would have been possible." It is meaning... Tuṇḍe tanda... I forget that verse now. He is feeling like that, that "How shall I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra by one tongue only and hear, śravaṇa-kīrtana, by two ears?" So he is expecting so many ears and so many tongues to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And so far we are concerned, conditioned soul, even sixteen round becomes very, very difficult job for us because we are practiced to talk nonsense. We cannot find out little time, say for two hours, for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but we can find twenty-four hours for talking nonsense. Therefore one who cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he should stop his talking. That is called mauna. Don't talk any more. Better remain silent. This is recommendation by Prahlāda Mahārāja. And vrata also compulsory. It is meant for persons who are desiring to be liberated.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

All kinds of people are there always. It is not that now somebody has developed. No. Everything is perpetually existing. We don't believe in Darwin's theory, evolution. Everything is... But sometimes the dog-eaters are very less, and sometimes the dog-eaters are very great. Sometimes the cow-eaters are very great, and sometimes... But everything is there. First-class, second-class, third-class men, asura and devata, they are all existing, always existing. Otherwise how Prahlāda Mahārāja mentions śvapacaṁ variṣṭham? Śvapaca means dog-eaters, that during his time, millions and millions of years ago, there were dog-eaters. Otherwise how he says? So all classes of men are existing always, and everyone has got chance to become a devotee. Otherwise how Prahlāda Mahārāja says śvapacaṁ variṣṭham? The dog-eater is better than the brāhmaṇa with twelve qualifications. Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād. Vipra means real vipra, qualified, not the so-called birthright vipra. But he said dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād, a brāhmaṇa who is actually qualified with the twelve guṇas. These guṇas are mentioned here, Śrīdhara Swami. He says, (reading from commentary:) dharmasya sattvaṁ ca damas (indistinct) titikṣa anasūya yajñasya danaṁ ca dhṛti sūtaṁ ca vratāni dvādaśa brāhmaṇas.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

So here Prahlāda Mahārāja says viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād: that brāhmaṇa who is qualified with these twelve kinds of high qualities, this is guṇa-yutād. But if he is not a devotee, aravinda-nābha-vimukhāt, he does not like to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as worshipable, better than this kind of brāhmaṇa is a śvapaca Vaiṣṇava. Why? The reason is given there that pādāravinda-vimukhāt śvapacaṁ variṣṭham manye tad-arpita-mano-vacanehitārtha-prāṇaṁ punāti sa kulaṁ na tu bhūrimānaḥ. This śvapaca, if he becomes a devotee, he is qualified to deliver his whole family. But not the brāhmaṇa who is so proud, he cannot deliver himself, what to speak of his family, because he is proud with these qualification. But a Vaiṣṇava... Just like it was in case of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja did not ask anything for his personal benefit, but he was so kind, he asked some benediction from the Lord for his father. This is Vaiṣṇava. He was so much tortured by his father, but still he remembered that "After all, he is my father. So I pray something for my father." He did not ask anything for himself. He prayed at last, "My dear Lord, my father was a great offender at Your lotus feet. If You will kindly excuse him."