Bewilderment (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"bewilder" |"bewildered" |"bewilderedness" |"bewilderer" |"bewildering" |"bewilderingly" |"bewilderment" |"bewilders"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

We want to lord it over the material nature. So, so long we do not give up this propensity of lording it over the material nature, up to that time there is no possibility of going back to the kingdom of the Supreme, the sanātana-dhāma. Dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair gacchanty amūḍhāḥ, amūḍhāḥ padam avyayaṁ tat (BG 15.5). That eternal kingdom, which is never destructible like this material world, can be approached by amūḍhāḥ. Amūḍhāḥ means nonbewildered, one who is not bewildered by the attraction of this false enjoyment. And one is situated in the supreme service of the Lord, he is the right person to approach that eternal kingdom.

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

So Kṛṣṇa's opulence, beauty, strength, and so far wisdom, at least you can test. Now the wisdom, see preliminary wisdom only. Preliminary talks on spiritual matter is discussed in this Bhagavad-gītā. And this book is still read, even after five thousand years, all over the world. Just see His wisdom. That is a test. Big scholars, big religionists, philosophers, they are bewildered still about Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore there are so many interpretations. But this, what is this Bhagavad-gītā? Bhagavad-gītā is the A B C D of spiritual knowledge. It is not very high depth of spiritual knowledge.

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

So many ways, I am searching where is my relationship, because I have lost my relationship with God. Therefore I have to reestablish, I have to revive my old relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness process is to... Just like in darkness you are finding your things, your watch, you cannot find it out. Sometimes you are touching this, sometimes touching this, sometimes touching this, but the real thing you are not touching. So you are bewildered, you are harassed. And now you, if you touch Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these harassments will be stopped. It is so nice thing. We are giving you your lost relationship, which you are searching out life after life. And you are confused. Take this! You will be happy. You will find your relationship, eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 1.30 -- London, July 23, 1973:

Therefore, here Arjuna is playing just like ordinary man. So he says to Kṛṣṇa, "You wanted me to fight, to become happy, to get the kingdom, but by killing my own men? Oh, nimittāni viparītāni. You are misleading me." Nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni. "I'll not be happy by killing my own men. That is not possible. How You are inducing me?" So he said, nimittāni ca viparītāni paśyāmi. "No, no." Na ca śaknomy avasthātum: "I cannot stand here. Let me go back. Take my chariot back. I'll not stay here." Na ca śaknomy avasthātuṁ bhramatīva ca me manaḥ (BG 1.30). "I am becoming bewildered. I am puzzled now."

Lecture on BG 1.41-42 -- London, July 29, 1973:

You don't require to worship other demigods. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajanty anya-devatā (BG 7.20). If one is bewildered on account of lusty desires, they go to different demigods for begging some benefit. So they are hṛta-jñāna. Hṛta-jñāna means lost of intelligence. If Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, so suppose if you want some material happiness, can He not give you? He can give you also. So why should you bother about other demigods? Therefore, it is said kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñāna. If Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, so if I have got some desires, material desires... Actual bhakti means minus all material... Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). One must be freed from all material desires. But even if you have got some material desire, still you can take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. You don't require to take shelter of other demigods. So that is the last instruction in the Vedic literature.

Lecture on BG 1.45-46 -- London, August 1, 1973:

Then why Arjuna is playing that part? He knows Kṛṣṇa's desire; still, he says that yadi mām apratikāram aśastram śastra-pāṇayaḥ. And no... Tan me kṣemataraṁ bhavet. He is playing like that. Because without Arjuna's playing like that, how this Bhagavad-gītā will come? This is just like playing on the stage. One very rich man, he is, in a drama, he is playing the part of a very poor man. But actually, he is not poor man. But in the stage he is playing the part of a poor man. Similarly, Arjuna is not bewildered, but for the time being he appears to be bewildered by Kṛṣṇa's māyā, because Kṛṣṇa wants to speak Bhagavad-gītā, for the benefit of the whole world, that what is spiritual knowledge. Therefore this is a stage arrangement.

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

So when we become puzzled with these material affairs, what to do—to do or not to do, this is the example—at that time we must approach a guru. That is the instruction here, we see. Pṛcchāmi tvāṁ dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ. When we are bewildered, we do not distinguish what is religious and what is not religious, do not use our position properly. That is kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ (BG 2.7). At that time there is need of guru. That is the Vedic instruction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). This is the duty. This is civilization, that we are meeting with so many problems of life. That is natural. In this material world the material world is problems of life. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Material world means in every step there is danger. That is material world.

Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973:

They may think like that. But you are belonging to the Āryan family, Pāṇḍava family. Akīrti-karam. You are celebrated as Kṛṣṇa's friend. (break) So people will say that "Kṛṣṇa's friend, he's not fighting." Therefore akīrti-karam, reputation defamation it is. "Don't do this." And He says, kutaḥ-kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam. "And in this, at this time of danger... There is fighting; you have to fight. And viṣame, at this time of danger, you are so much bewildered that you given up your weapons down. And now you promise that 'No, I shall not fight.' " So immediately Arjuna was condemned.

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:

So actually āryan samāja means Kṛṣṇa conscious society, International Society for Kṛṣṇa... That is Ārya. Not bogus. So here, Arjuna is explaining, putting himself: "Yes, kārpaṇya-doṣo. Because I am forgetting my duty, therefore upahata-svabhāvaḥ, I am bewildered in my natural propensities." A kṣatriya should be always active. Whenever there is a war, there is fight, they must be very much enthusiastic. A kṣatriya, if another kṣatriya says: "I want to fight with you," he, oh, he cannot refuse. "Yes, come one. Fight. Take sword." Immediately: "Come one" That is kṣatriya. Now he's refusing to fight. He's forgetting his duty, kṣatriya duty. Therefore, he's admitting: Yes, kārpaṇya-doṣa. Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ (BG 2.7).

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:

So guru is Kṛṣṇa. Here is the example given by Arjuna. Pṛcchāmi tvām. Who is that tvām? Kṛṣṇa. "Why you are asking Me?" Dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ (BG 2.7). "I am bewildered in my duties, dharma." Dharma means duty. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Sammūḍha-cetāḥ. "So what I have to do?" Yac chreyaḥ. "What is actually my duty?" Śreyaḥ. Śreyaḥ and preyaḥ. Preyaḥ... They are two things. Preya means which I like immediately, very nice. And śreya means ultimate goal. They are two things. Just like a child wants to play all day. That is childish nature.

Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Mauritius, October 1, 1975:

You may think that you are living very happily, but you have to change this body, and that body may not be very happy. That they do not know. This is ignorance, moha. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti. Being bewildered by the three modes of material nature, they do not know what is the actual fact. Therefore we have to learn from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa, what is this position. Here it is said that aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānu... (BG 2.11). "This is not the subject matter of eulogizing or lamenting. The subject matter should be different. That is soul." Then He will explain, next verse.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

"As the embodied soul continually passes in this body from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change." This is the basic principle of spiritual understanding. Everyone is talking of spiritual knowledge, but very few of them may have what is actually the basic principle of spiritual knowledge.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Pittsburgh, September 8, 1972:

So we request simply people that you accept this authoritative knowledge and try to assimilate it by your intelligence. It is not that you stop your argument and intelligence, simply blindly accept something. No. We are human beings, we have got intelligence. We are not animals that we shall be forced to accept something. No. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). In this Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. You try to understand, tad viddhi. Viddhi means try to understand. Praṇipāta. Praṇipātena means surrendering, not by challenge. A student should be very submissive to the spiritual master. Otherwise, he will be, I mean to say, bewildered. Submissive reception.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

So this dead body, when a man dies, dhīras tatra na muhyati. Those who are dhīra—dhīra means sober—they are not bewildered. There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means those who are not agitated, they know things as they are. So adhīra means those who are uncontrolled. The poet Kalidāsa has described dhīra and adhīra with reference to Lord Śiva in his book Kumāra-sambhava. So dhīra means a person who is not agitated in spite of the cause of agitation being present. There are so many causes of agitation, but a person, in spite of being persuaded by the cause of agitation... Just like a young man and young woman, when they are present, naturally they become agitated. In the śāstras it is said just like fire and butter. If you put butter before the fire, automatically it melts. Similarly, a woman is considered as fire and the man is considered as butter. So this is natural. But a person who is not agitated, he is called dhīra.

So when a man dies, the man's relatives lament, "Oh, my father has gone," "My sister has gone," "My wife..." But if you become dhīra, then you are not bewildered. Just like your friend or your father moves from this apartment to another apartment, who is agitated? No, that's all right.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

He knows everything, and he knows where his friend has gone with reference to the śāstra. Just like your friend has gone to India. How do you know? You know that he purchased a ticket for India and he has gone to India, so there is no need of agitation, "Oh, where he has gone? Where he has gone? Where he has gone?" Similarly, when a man dies, one who is dhīra... Here especially the word is used, dhīras tatra na muhyati. Muhyati means bewildered. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Just like the parents. The child is changing body. The mother knows, "My child was six inches long within my womb. When he came out, he was twelve inches long, then thirteen inches, fourteen inches, in this way, now three feet, four feet." The mother is not agitated the child is changing body. Similarly, a dhīra, one who knows the laws of transmigration of the soul, he does not lament at the death of his father or friend. He knows that "My father has now gone to such and such place." That also he can know.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

Committing mistake is not a disqualification. As a human being, he is prone to commit mistake, everyone accepts: (indistinct) errors and omission excepted. Similarly, a man is in illusion. Illusion means, just like the example of illusion is the mirage. In the desert or in very scorching heat, summer season, you can find before your car there is water, reflection. So this is called illusion. There is no water, but it appears there is vast mass of water. The animals are bewildered. They are thirsty, they go to the desert to take water. Where is water in the desert? This is called illusion. So mistake, to commit mistake, to become illusioned, and to the propensity of cheating. Every man is imperfect, but he is talking just like perfect. That is called cheating.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

So we are receiving knowledge of this transmigration of the soul from God, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, it is perfect. He says, dhīras tatra na muhyati. After the death of a person, one should not be bewildered. He should be dhīra, he should be sober to know how things are happening. That is called knowledge. How, after the passing of the soul from this body, how the soul accepts another body? That also you learn from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. We can see with our material eyes this gross body, the gross covering made of earth, water, fire, air, ether. But there is another covering. What is that? Mind, intelligence, and ego. So you cannot see mind, you cannot see intelligence, neither you can see ego, and what to speak about the soul? The soul is still finer.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Manila, October 12, 1972:

So personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is teaching that the soul transmigrates. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ means transmigrating from one body to another. Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Those who are dhīra, sober, full of knowledge, they are not bewildered, they are not perturbed. Because he knows that my father or brother, everything, is said to be dead, it is..., he is not dead. This gross body, this coat, coating of the body, has stopped. It is (indistinct), or by some reason it is torn, it is no longer usable. Therefore, the soul has left this gross body and, being carried by the subtle body—mind, intelligence, ego—he has gone to accept another gross body. This is transmigration of the soul. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Just like the mother knows, "My baby was on my lap. Now as a boy he is running." So she is not lamenting. She knows, "That is my child, same child. Simply he has transformed the body." Similarly, we should not lament when a man dies. We should not lament. Because Arjuna was thinking in terms of the body, in the battlefield, he was bewildered whether..., because the other side were all relatives.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- London, August 19, 1973:

Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

Translation: "As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change."

Prabhupāda: This simple thing, they cannot understand. Therefore it is mentioned here, dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dhīra means sober, cool-headed man. And just the opposite is adhīra. Adhīra means third-class, fourth-class man. Or rascals, adhīra. Dhīra means sober. Just like... The exact translation is "gentleman," dhīra. Those who are not gentlemen, uncultured, uneducated, rascal, they cannot understand. Otherwise where is the difficulty?

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Madhudviṣa: Thirteen. "As the embodied soul continually passes in this body from boyhood to youth and then to old age, similarly the soul also passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change." Purport: "Since every living entity is an individual soul, each is changing his body at every moment, manifesting sometimes as a child, sometimes as a youth, and sometimes as an old man, although the same spirit soul is there and does not undergo any change. The individual soul finally changes the body itself in transmigrating from one to another. And since it is sure to have another body in the next birth, either material or spiritual, there was no cause for lamentation by Arjuna on account of death, either over Bhīṣma or over Droṇa, for whom he was so concerned."

Prabhupāda: Now, this simple fact, as it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13), the change of body is taking place every moment. Every moment. Just like this child, the child, if there is some measuring instrument, if you measure this child today, tomorrow you'll find the child has grown or changed the body. That is a medical science also. The body is changing. The body is changing, but the soul is there. Just like I had my childhood body, boyhood body, and now I am in a different body, but I remember all the activities of my childhood. Therefore I am permanent. And body is changing. This simple truth, what is the difficulty for the people to understand this simple truth? The body is changing, but I am not changing. I am eternal.

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- Mexico, February 15, 1975:

Prabhupāda: So when the heart is cleansed we can understand our real position and how we are suffering and how to take steps against this suffering. This is called bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam, extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. In this verse it is mentioned again, dhīra. Dhīra means very sober. In the beginning Kṛṣṇa said, dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra means one who is sober. He is not bewildered. So dhīra means that although there is cause of disturbance, one is not disturbed. Although there is cigarette, but I should promise, "I shall not smoke." Although there is facility for illicit sex, I'll not do it. That is called dhīra. Dhīra means the cause of agitation or disturbance is present there, but one is not disturbed. So in order to advance in spiritual life we have to become dhīra. And that is said here, sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīram. As soon as one become dhīra, sober, these so-called material pains and pleasure does not disturb me (him). Then he is fit for becoming immortal. Everyone is immortal, but he is fallen in such material condition that he thinks himself as mortal.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

Devotee: Verse 44: "In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Lord does not take place."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Here is very important thing. The exact Sanskrit word is,

bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ

tayāpahṛta-cetasām

vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ

samādhau na vidhīyate

(BG 2.44)

In the beginning it has been said that you make your determination that "In this life I shall execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness in such a way that after leaving this body I enter into the spiritual world and go directly to Goloka Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇaloka." This is called vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ. Niścayātmikā means determination. But He says that persons who are attached, bhoga, material enjoyment, aiśvarya, material opulence: bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām (BG 2.44). Those who are too much attached to material enjoyment and material sense gratification, material opulence, tayāpahṛta-cetasām, and those who have become bewildered or mad after it, tayāpahṛta-cetasām, vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ, they cannot have such determination.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

Devotee: "...and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Lord does not take place."

Prabhupāda: Yes. They cannot take. Therefore we have to voluntarily accept simple life. Simple life. Just like we are sitting here on the floor. According to your American standard of life, this is not good. Therefore no very rich class of men or high class of men, they do not come to this because we have no sitting place. But actually, what is the difference? If you sit down on the floor or if you sit on a very nice comfortable couch, after all, you are sitting. But to secure a very nice couch, you have to waste your time so much. Your valuable time which you could use for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll have to waste for securing a comfortable seat of couch. This is called material civilization. That's all.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

Devotee: Purport: "Samādhi means fixed mind. The Vedic dictionary, the Nirukti, says 'When the mind is fixed for understanding the self, this is called samādhi.' Samādhi is never possible for persons interested in material sense enjoyment, nor for those who are bewildered by such..."

Prabhupāda: Samādhi. The yoga process is to achieve the stage of samādhi. That means the mind being fixed upon the Supreme. But if our mind is... Nature of mind is always agitated, and if we artificially give impetus to the mind to be more agitated, then where is the question of samādhi? There is no question of samādhi. They'll never be able to concentrate the mind. That is not possible. So in this age no process will be successful. Simply this process, this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Anyone, it doesn't matter, in whatever condition he is, as soon as he'll hear Hare Kṛṣṇa, he'll immediately join. His mind will be attracted immediately. Simplest process. Vibration. There is no question of time to practice some breathing exercise, some sitting posture, because these things are not possible in this age. Simply we invite you to come here and simply join this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and very quickly you'll be spiritually advanced. This is a fact. Otherwise there is no second alternative.

Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968:

Devotee: "Samādhi is never possible for persons interested in material sense enjoyment nor for those who are bewildered by such temporary things. They are more or less condemned by the process of material energy." Verse 45: "The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna (BG 2.45). The exact verse is like that. The whole material world is working under three modes of material nature. The modes of goodness, modes of passion, and modes of ignorance. Those who are acting in the modes of goodness, they are being elevated to higher standard of life. Those who are acting in the modes of passion, they'll remain in the same position as they are now, and those acting in the modes of ignorance, darkness, without any knowledge, they are being degraded in lower grades of life. This is material world. But Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna that either goodness or passion or ignorance, after all, they are activities of this material world. You have to come above, transcend this position of goodness also.

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "One who is not, therefore, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however powerful he may be in controlling the senses by artificial repression, is sure ultimately to fall, for the slightest thought of sense pleasure will drive him to gratify his desires." 63: "From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool."

Prabhupāda: Our position is, we are constituted of this body. Body means the senses and the controller of the senses or the, what is called, driver, driver of the senses, is the mind. And mind is conducted, thinking, feeling, and willing, the psychology, the science of psychology, that is being conducted under intelligence. And above the intelligence, I am sitting. I am a spirit soul. So how we become victim of this māyā, that is described here, that from anger, delusion arises, and from delusion, bewilderment of memory. Bewilderment memory. I have forgotten completely that I am not this body, I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi; I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, spirit, absolute whole. That I have forgotten. And when memory is bewildered, and as soon as I forget that I am spirit soul, I identify myself with this material world, illusion. Intelligence is lost. I should have used my intelligence to conduct the activities of the mind—thinking, feeling and willing—and because my mind is not controlled, my senses are not controlled, therefore I am fallen. This is the analysis of the whole bodily construction.

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 72: "That is the way of the spiritual and godly life, after attaining which a man is not bewildered. Being so situated, even at the hour of death, one can enter into the kingdom of God." Purport: "One can attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness or divine life at once, within a second, or one may not attain such a state of life even after millions of births."

Prabhupāda: Several times there were questions that "How long it will take to become Kṛṣṇa conscious?" I have also answered, that in a second it can be done. The same thing is being explained.

Lecture on BG 3.1-5 -- Los Angeles, December 20, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa.: Two: "My intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal instructions. Therefore please tell me decisively what is most beneficial for me (BG 3.2)."

Prabhupāda: Yes. People think it is equivocal. I ask you to become spiritualist; still, I ask you to work ordinarily, "Go work like this, work like this." They'll think, "What sort of spiritual life this is? They are also earning money, they are also working in the factory," or they are also doing this or that. So to the ordinary man it appears equivocal. But it is not equivocal. That is the real process of working.

Lecture on BG 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968:

Prabhupāda: There is a verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). Tattva-vit. Tattva means truth and vit means one who knows. So a person who knows all these things he's called tattva-vit. Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twenty-nine: "Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them although these duties are inferior due to the performers' lack of knowledge (BG 3.29)."

Purport: "Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa advises us not to disturb them and simply waste valuable time. But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently they undertake all kinds of risks even to the point of approaching ignorant men to try and engage them in the acts of Kṛṣṇa consciousness which are absolutely necessary for the human being."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa said that devotees, that you should not disturb them. But devotees are so kind that taking all risk. Just like Nityānanda Prabhu took all risk, Lord Jesus Christ took all risk. Therefore a devotee is more kind than God. A devotee is more merciful than God Himself. We should always remember this.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

So our preaching, is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that people are searching after God, speculating throughout the whole life, but here Kṛṣṇa is canvassing, "Here I am." "No." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). God is canvassing, "Here I am," and these people are searching after God. Just see. Why? That is explained here, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, false egoism. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). He is fully under the control of prakṛti, and still, he is thinking independent. That is vimūḍhātmā, bewildered.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Madras, January 1, 1976:

But at the end he is under the control of nature—everyone knows it—because ultimately the death will come and all ahaṅkāras will be taken away. "I don't care for God. I am independent. I am God"—all these ahaṅkāra, false egotism, on account of bewildered, being bewildered, these things will be finished when Kṛṣṇa will come as death. Everything will be finished. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Kṛṣṇa has described Himself that "I am death. I am death, and I take away all your possession, that's all, as death." It will be taken away. However intelligent we may be, however proud we may be for our possession, but the death is sure. "As sure as death." And when death comes—the death is also another form of Kṛṣṇa—then He will take everything.

Lecture on BG 3.31-43 -- Los Angeles, January 1, 1969:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Therefore the human form of life is a chance for the living entity to escape the entanglement of material existence. In the human form of life one can conquer the enemy, lust, by culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness under able guidance."

Thirty-nine: "Thus a man's pure consciousness is covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire (BG 3.39)."

Forty: "The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust, which veils the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him (BG 3.40)."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is very important. "The senses, the mind, and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust." If somebody is lusty, and if one has to search out where that enemy, lust, is there, so Kṛṣṇa is giving you direct information, "Here is your enemy." Where? Senses, mind, intelligence—there is lust. So if you can understand, "Here is the enemy," and if you try to drive out the enemy, you take precaution.

What is that precaution? You engage your senses in Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. The lust will have no more place to attack your senses or sit on your senses. You engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa. Immediately the lust from the mind will go away. Similarly, you apply your intelligence, how to work on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These are the processes.

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

So Arjuna, although he is a personal devotee of Kṛṣṇa, a personal friend of Kṛṣṇa, he is... Just like we are trying to have Kṛṣṇa consciousness just to make our life perfect. Now, the person who is not only Kṛṣṇa conscious but, I mean to say, constant associate, such a person, Arjuna, he was in bewilderment, "Whether I shall fight with my kinsmen, my brothers and my nephews, my brother-in-laws, my father-in-law, my grandfather, my other friends, so many all?" Because it was a family war, so he was afraid, that "I shall not fight. I shall not fight." It is quite natural.

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

And there are, so far scriptures are concerned, you'll find different scriptures describing in a different way. So that also, you'll be bewildered. Nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And there are different philosophers who are always contradictory. One philosopher is deviating. He's not in agreement with another philosopher. He has got a different theory. Another has got different theory. So philosophers also cannot give you the real truth. So neither you can understand the real truth simply by going through different scriptures, nor you can understand the real truth simply by your logical force or argument. So dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. The, the, I mean to say, the mystery of Absolute Truth is very confidential, very confidential. Then how I can understand? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ: (CC Madhya 17.186) "If you follow the mahājana, the authorities, then you can understand."

Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Bombay, March 25, 1974:

So father, if the son is bewildered, gone out of the home and loitering in the street, the father is very anxious to get him back, although the son has forgotten. This is the position. Therefore, as Paramātmā, He's guiding us. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). From Him, we get the remembrance.

I wanted to enjoy something. Kṛṣṇa gives us full opportunity: "Now here is the opportunity. You can do it." Anumantā. He's so kind. But that is not our actual business. Our actual business is to go back to home, back to Godhead, not to enjoy in this material world. But still, because we want it, Kṛṣṇa gives us all facilities. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). If we want to enjoy this material world, Kṛṣṇa will give us all the opportunities. You can become the topmost living entity like Lord Brahmā, and you can become an insignificant ant. According to your karma. Anumantā upadraṣṭā. So this is going on.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

Similarly, material energy has to act to bewilder the living entities. That is under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. We living entities under the material energy, we wanted to lord it over the material nature. So Kṛṣṇa has given us facility: "All right. You try to." Because you cannot lord it over. This is false. But I have got the tendency to lord it over the material nature. So He's giving me the chance, but actually I cannot. Jaḍa-bidyā jato māyāra vaibhava.

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

So every moment we are having a new body. And that is a medical science truth. Medical science, it is... We are having new body at every moment. Similarly, when we take another body, oh, a person who knows things as they are, they are not bewildered. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dhīra means who is conscious of this bodily change, who knows things as they are, he's not, I mean to, bewildered. He's not, he's, he's steady, "Oh, he has changed his body. That's all." A person who does not know, he's crying. He..., "Oh, my son is gone. My son is gone. My son is gone." But if he's, I mean to say, in the consciousness, he knows, "Oh, my son has simply changed body." That's all. Just immediately, exactly, "My son, when he was little baby... Now he has grown up to be a boy." So the father and the parents do not lament, "Oh, where my, that son gone, that small baby gone?"

Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

Sixteen: "Even the intelligent are bewildered in determining what is action and what is inaction. Now I shall explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all sins."

Seventeen: "The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is, and what inaction is." Purport: "If one is serious about liberation from material bondage one has to understand the distinctions between action, inaction and unauthorized actions. One has to apply oneself to such an analysis of action, reaction and perverted actions because it is a very difficult subject matter. To understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness and action according to the modes, one has to learn one's relationship with the Supreme.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

If I speak something, there may be so many defects, because I am imperfect. Every one of us, imperfect. We commit mistake. To err is human. There is no human being who can say boldly that "I never committed any mistake." That is not possible. You must commit mistake. And sometimes we are illusioned, pramāda. That we are all, because we are accepting this body as "I am," which I am not. That is called pramāda, bhrama pramāda. Then vipralipsā. I have got bhrama, I commit mistake, I am bewildered, I am illusioned. Still, I am taking the position of teacher. That is cheating. If you are defective, if you have got so many defects in your life, how you can become teacher? You are a cheater. Nobody's teacher, because without being perfect, how you can become teacher? So this is going on.

Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:

Now, people are misled what is karma, what is actually work, and what is not work, akarma. Kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo 'pi. Kavayaḥ means great sages, great saintly persons, great philosophers. They are also sometimes bewildered to understand what class of activities are genuine and what class of activities are nongenuine. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "I shall teach you what are genuine activities and what are nongenuine activities." Tat te karma pravakṣyāmi yaj jñātvā mokṣyase aśubhāt. Yaj jñātvā: "If you understand the principle of working, then you shall get free from the bondage, material bondage."

Lecture on BG 4.16 -- Bombay, April 5, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting) Translation: "Even the intelligent are bewildered in determining what is action and what is inaction. Now I shall explain to you what action is, knowing which you shall be liberated from all sins."

Prabhupāda:

kiṁ karma kim akarmeti

kavayo 'py atra mohitāḥ

tat te karma pravakṣyāmi

yaj jñātvā mokṣyase 'śubhāt

So.... so again the same beginning. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Everything is being spoken on that basis. Now, everyone has to work. Kṛṣṇa never says to Arjuna that "You haven't got to work. I am your friend. I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You simply sleep, and I shall do everything for you." He never said like that. He could say that.

Lecture on BG 4.16 -- Bombay, April 5, 1974:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that kiṁ karma akarmeti kavayo 'py atra mohitāḥ. Kavayaḥ, very learned scholars, they are also become bewildered how to specify duty to a particular person. That is not being done at the same time. Everyone is going to the school and colleges, passing their examination, but because he is not trained up according to his tendency or according to his quality, after education he is unemployed. Because he has not been trained up according to the tendency, according to the qualification. That is the basic principle of karma. Kṛṣṇa has begun in this chapter, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13).

That is very essential, the varṇāśrama-dharma. Because we must have the aim of life.

Lecture on BG 4.16 -- Bombay, April 5, 1974:

Now, when the students become disobedient and they create riots and set fire in the buses, then they lament. But why you have educated the students like that? Who is responsible for this? The rascals, they do not know. Here is Kṛṣṇa prescribing. Kiṁ karma kim akarmeti kavayo 'py atra mohitāḥ. Even learned men, they become bewildered. Tat te karma pravakṣyāmi.

So in this bewildered condition, baffled condition of the society, we should consult Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is ready to give you advice, as He was ready five thousand years ago to give advice to Arjuna. That instruction is still current. It is not that it is finished with the Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, no. You can take also the same advice from Kṛṣṇa and mold your life. That is wanted.

Lecture on BG 4.39-42 -- Los Angeles, January 14, 1969:

So if I am part and parcel of God, therefore the qualities which I have got, then God has got the same quality. Now you study yourself. Then you can understand what is God. The same qualities are there, but it is unlimited; ours are limited. It is not difficult to understand God. Why they are bewildered to understand God? God is also... And it is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā and all Vedic literature. God is just like us, a person, an individual person, but very powerful. That is the difference. My power... There are different kinds of power. Your power is different from another man. Another man's is different from another man, another man, go on, go on, go on. When you find the supreme man or Supreme Personality, He is God.

Lecture on BG 5.14-22 -- New York, August 28, 1966:

Na prahṛṣyet priyaṁ prāpya nodvijet prāpya ca apriyam (BG 5.20). This is our disease. In the material conception of life we do not want what is unfavorable, but we want simply favorable. But the laws of nature, they are so cruel that they enforce upon us unfavorable things. But one who is transcendentally realized, he does not care for the unfavorable or the favorable. He knows that "When the time will come, either the favorable things will come or unfavorable things will come in the law of nature. Let me be engaged in my own business, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yes." Sthira-buddhir asammūḍhaḥ brahma-vid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ. Sthira-buddhiḥ. He is steady. He is steady in his conclusion. He is not changing, steady in his conclu... Asammūḍhaḥ. Asammūḍhaḥ means he is not bewildered, brahma-vit, because he knows what is Brahman and brahmaṇi sthitaḥ, and he is situated in Brahman. Sthira-buddhir asammūḍhaḥ brahma-vid brahmaṇi sthitaḥ.

Lecture on BG 5.17-25 -- Los Angeles, February 8, 1969:

Prabhupāda: Sthira-buddhi. Sthira means steady, and buddhi means intelligence.

Revatīnandana: "He is therefore never bewildered by mistaking the gross body for the soul, nor does he accept the body as permanent and disregard the existence of the soul. This knowledge elevates him to the station of knowing the complete science of the Absolute Truth, namely Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The complete knowledge, Absolute Truth, means to understand three features of the Absolute Truth. One feature is Brahman, impersonal. The next feature is Paramātmā, localized. And the next feature is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one understands these three features of the Absolute Truth very perfectly then he is in complete knowledge of the science of God. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that human life is meant for inquiring the Absolute Truth. And the next verse the Absolute Truth is explained.

Lecture on BG 6.25-29 -- Los Angeles, February 18, 1969:

This is a Hindi verse by one devotee that this Kali-yuga is so abominable that if you speak truth, then people will come with some rod to beat you. But if you cheat them, bluff them. they'll be bewildered (?), they'll like it. If I say I'm God, people will say, "Oh, here is Swamiji, God." They won't inquire, that "How you have become God? What is the symptom of God? Have you got all the symptoms?" Nobody inquires. So these things happen. Unless one is not fixed up in the self, unless one does not understand what is real self, unless one does not understand what is Superself. So, yoga means to understand this self-realizing process. That is yoga.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Worship and rendering service, they are different. Worship means there is some motive. I worship some friend or some big man. I have some motive, that this big man is a very big businessman and if I can please him then he may give me some business, I'll derive some profit. So the worship of demigods is like that. They worship different demigods for some particular purpose. That is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find it in the Eighth Chapter. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Those who have lost their sense, bewildered by lust, they go to worship demigods with a motive. So when we speak of worship, there is motive. But when we speak of service, there is no motive. Service is love. Just like mother renders service to the child. There is no motive. It is love only. Everyone can neglect that child, that mother cannot. Because there is love. Similarly bhaj-dhātu, where there is question of service, there is no question of motive. That is perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

Similarly, the Supreme Brahman, who is spreading the effulgence of light, He cannot be covered. We are covered. We, the small particles, we are covered. Mohita. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitam. Mām eva nābhijānāti. In the Bhagavad-gītā this is. They are bewildered by this external energy. Their eyes have been covered. Their eyes... Our, because we are very small, so our senses, the capacity of the senses, they are also limited. Although we have got all the qualities, because fire and a spark of fire qualitatively the same, but quantitatively different. Similarly, we are Brahman, and Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman, Supreme Brahman. Nityo nityānām, the chief of the all eternals. Cetanaś cetanānām. He is the supreme living entity of all living entities. He is also living entity.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Auckland, April 15, 1972:

That is for material purpose. Those who are after material benefits, they can worship different demigods. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. That is the point. You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. You should note all these things. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānā yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Those who are bewildered or lost of intelligence, they go to worship other demigods.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- Stockholm, September 10, 1973:

eYou are talking like learned scholar, but you are a fool." Indirectly He says that gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. "Paṇḍitāḥ, those persons who know..." Just like this body. Paṇḍitaḥ, those who are learned scholar, they know that his body is the lump of matter. Just like a nice Rolls Royce car. It is very nice car, very valuable car. But it is after all a lump of matter. The car is important so long the driver is there. Otherwise, it is lump of matter. So those who are fools... Suppose if there is accident in the car. They become bewildered, "Oh, I am lost, I am lost." What you are lost? You are not this car. You are not this car. You are not this car. You get another car. Where is the cause of lamentation? That is being put, that "Why you are lamenting for this body? The body is not the object of lamentation. Either it is living or dead, it is a lump of matter." This is the meaning.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

We are always accompanied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead as paramātmā, antaryāmī, within the heart. That is the Vedic statement, that there are two birds sitting on the same tree. One bird is enjoying the fruit of the tree, and the other bird is simply witnessing. So the two birds, jīvātmā and paramātmā, are always associated. He is so kind, He is just looking forward, "When this jīvātmā, who is illusioned, bewildered, captivated by this material world, material enjoyment, when he will come back again to Me?" Just like father and the son, the son who has gone out of home. The father is always looking forward when the son would come back at home and enjoy.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- Hyderabad, April 28, 1974 :

Others, who are simply speculating, they cannot understand You. Therefore, people are bewildered how God is person. But they cannot understand, because they have not taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, or His representative. It is impossible for him. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samā... (BG 7.25). Kṛṣṇa cannot be exposed to the nondevotees. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya. Not anyone, ordinary common man, can understand. Therefore, we have to understand Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, from Kṛṣṇa, not from anyone who is simply speculating or wrongly interpreting Bhagavad-gītā. They cannot understand. That is the way.

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Bombay, February 20, 1974:

Ordinary persons, they cannot understand that behind this gigantic, wonderful material energy, there is the supreme energy, spiritual energy, Kṛṣṇa. They cannot understand. Just like the child cannot understand that the motorcar is not moving independently, but there is a driver. These foolish, materialistic persons, they cannot understand. Mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. They cannot understand. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ. They are bewildered by the three modes of material nature, finding out. Big, big scientists, big, big philosophers, big, big workers, they are simply studying the material energy, but they have no information of the spiritual energy.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

They are being led by blind men. They are blind, and they are led by blind men. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that the ultimate goal of life is to understand Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa, and go back to Him. That is the goal of life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). That is being taught in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is the goal of life. But they are misled. They are captivated by this material energy. That will be explained in this chapter also. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ, mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). They have been bewildered by the three modes of material nature. They are not trying to understand Kṛṣṇa. They are not trying to follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are in difficulty. The whole trouble is due to this ignorance. Therefore there is great necessity for broadcasting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. There is great necessity.

Lecture on BG 7.9-10 -- Bombay, February 24, 1974:

You'll find in the Eleventh Chapter, prapitāmaha (BG 11.39). He's father of... Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). You know, those who are conversant with the śāstras, that Brahmā's another name is Svayambhū. He's not born of any material father and mother. He's born on the lotus flower sprouted from the navel of Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore his name is Svayambhū. Svayambhū is one of the authorities because he was first educated about the Vedic knowledge by Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. Tene brahma hṛdā. Brahma means Vedic knowledge. Tene means imparted. Ādi-kavaye, the ādi-kavi, the original person. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Even big, big personalities, they become bewildered to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says... We have already discussed.

Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:

I think we have discussed all this. Now, tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair ebhiḥ sarvam idaṁ jagat. We are discussing about the three modes of material nature. Now, the Lord says that the whole world is captivated by the three modes of material nature. And mohitam, and bewildered by the actions and reaction of these three modes of material nature, one has forgotten his eternal relationship with God, or Kṛṣṇa. We have got eternal relationship with God because we are sons of God. How the relation can be broken? Suppose you have got son. Now, he is not obedient to you. That is all right. He has gone out of home. He does not like you. But the relation cannot be broken. When he will be asked, "What is your father's name?" he has to name your..., that "I am son of such and such gentleman." That relation cannot be broken. Similarly, we are all sons of God, Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:

So bewildered by this interaction of these three modes of nature, we have forgotten our eternal relationship with God. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that we have to revive. Just like a psychiatrist, they by some lectures revive his consciousness. So we are, more or less, not the person who is going to the psychiatrist, but every one of us more or less mad, bewildered by this material nature. So we have to cure our madness and become situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the whole problem. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). Param avyayam. Avyayam means which has no end, which never, I mean to say, annihilates. That is called avyayam, eternal, never can be killed. So we are also avyayam. We have discussed all these points in the very beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, that we are living entities, we have no birth, no death. The birth and death is concerned with this body, but we are sons also of the supreme eternal, param avyayam. So we are also avyayam. The sons of gold is also gold. But we are in this miserable condition. Why? Because we are bewildered by these material three modes of nature.

Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:

So this is the process. Mām eva ye prapadyante. "All these bewildered living entities, when they surrender unto Me," māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14), "he has no more any miseries of life." He becomes at once under the protection of the father. You will find in the end of Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). When the father... When the child comes on the breast of his mother, the mother protects. If there is any danger, the mother is prepared to give her life first, then the child's life. Similarly, when we are under the protection of God, then there is no fear. We becomes fearless under the protection of God. The child... Small children, they have got this faith in the father and the mother. So we should take shelter of Kṛṣṇa—mām eva ye prapadyante. "Anyone who takes shelter unto Me, he is out of this danger at once." At once. So why not do this? Is it very difficult job? No. Then why the person do not take shelter? If it is so easy thing, a certain child is going to surrender unto the care of his father, it is so simple thing. Why people do not do this? Why? Because people are, I mean to say, challenging even the existence of God.

Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:

So these duṣkṛtina and sukṛtina, who is pious and who is impious, there must be some standard rules. The pious is he who follows the scriptural injunction, and impious is he who does not follow. Every civilized nation, every civilized man has got his scripture. May he be a Christian, may be a Hindu, may be a Muhammadan or may be a Buddhist. It doesn't matter. But everyone has got his authority, book of authority, scripture. So one who does not follow the scriptural injunction, he is outlaw. He is punishable. Duṣkṛtina. And mūḍha. Mūḍha means fool number one. These people do not go to God. These qualified peoples—duṣkṛtina, means impious; mūḍha, fool number one; and narādhama, and lowest of the human kind; and māyayāpahṛta-jñāna, and bewildered of his knowledge; and āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ, and atheistic mentality. These people.

Lecture on BG 9.3 -- Toronto, June 20, 1976:

So this is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. If we want to save this botheration, then hear what Kṛṣṇa says. Then your life will be successful. If you don't accept Kṛṣṇa's works, which are very plainly explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, then you have to remain in this mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. It is very plain truth. There is no doubt about it, that... You may be very proud of your strong body, your social condition or political condition, but after death it is not under your control. It is under the control of the material nature. So don't be falsely proud, bewildered. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). Don't be foolish person by false egotism that "I am free, I can do whatever I like." Then you'll suffer and remain in the path of repetition of birth and death. And there are 8,400,000 species of life. We have to go through this process, we fall down. So this human form of life is obtained, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), after many many births, evolutional process we have got it. Now it is the time to understand our position. What is that position? The position is that we are eternal part and parcel of God.

Lecture on BG 9.11-14 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

So this speculating process will also not help. Moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ (BG 9.12). Vicetasaḥ means they are bewildered, that God cannot be perceived by your own endeavor unless God reveals before you. Vicetasaḥ. Vicetasaḥ means bewildered. Just like if you want to see the sun, can you see the sun just at this time, all over darkness? Have you got any machine or any apparatus or any searchlight, you can show me sun? No. It is not possible. So if you cannot see at night with your own endeavor even a material thing like sun, do you think that by your own endeavor you will see God? How it is possible? As the sun reveals in the morning at five o'clock or six o'clock, similarly, when the sun Kṛṣṇa will reveal before you, then you will understand.

Lecture on BG 9.11-14 -- New York, November 27, 1966:

Asura, they are always against God. They are called asuras. And rākṣasa means they don't believe in God. So rākṣasīm āsurīṁ caiva prakṛtim. Why they...? That mohinīṁ prakṛtim. They are bewildered by this illusory material energy. They are... They think, "This is all, and this life..." They do not know God. "There is no life. Let us enjoy as far as possible. Squeeze out the extract of this matter." Squeezing, squeezing, they don't... They are frustrated, frustrated, moghāśā, baffled in every respect. Squeezing to take essence of this material pleasure, they are baffled. They are baffled. Don't you see this practically? "So much money, so much I have earned."

Lecture on BG 9.26-27 -- New York, December 16, 1966:

So śrutayo vibhinnāḥ, and nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And if you consult different kinds of philosophers, you will be bewildered. Because one philosopher is giving one opinion, another philosopher is... Because nāsāv ṛṣir yasya...: "A philosopher is not philosopher if he does not cut another philosopher." That is going on. Nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām: "Therefore the purport of spiritual life is very confidential." How I can learn? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ: (CC Madhya 17.186) "Therefore we will accept the footprint of those recognized ācāryas." Ācāryopāsanam.

Lecture on BG 10.4-5 -- New York, January 4, 1967:

In this way there is analysis. There is analysis, regular analysis: "What for you are so much proud?" The proudness should be proved when you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the perfection of life. Otherwise, you are cats and dogs. Don't take it that I am criticizing you. Just I am analyzing the fact. So this should be utilized. This is called intelligence. This is called jñāna. This is called free from bewilderment. These are the process. Even if we study Bhagavad-gītā nicely, analytically, systematically, in any way, with our intelligence... We have got intelligence; we have got reason. Then we become perfect man. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Take advantage of it. Don't spoil your life. That is our request. The society is for that purpose. We are not bluffing anybody that "Make exercise and go home," no. Here is something substantial. You try to understand it. Thank you very much.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Hyderabad, April 20, 1974:

So Arjuna question is prakṛtiṁ puruṣa, "What are these puruṣa? What are the prakṛti?" Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña. "What is this body, kṣetra? And who is the owner of the body?" That we must know. That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. The beginning of spiritual knowledge is to know what is this body and who is the owner of the body. That is the beginning of spiritual knowledge.

When Kṛṣṇa began speaking Bhagavad-gītā and Arjuna accepted to become His disciple, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam... (BG 2.7) when he said... So Arjuna was bewildered whether he would fight in the battle or not. So the question was not solved by friendly discussion. Therefore Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa as a śiṣya, as disciple, not as friend.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, September 30, 1973:

So we have to follow the footsteps of the mahājana. Otherwise we shall be bewildered. Kṛṣṇa therefore, He says, ṛṣibhir bahudhā gītam: "There are many saintly persons, great sages, and they have spoken in various ways." But Kṛṣṇa concludes, the Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra, He gives reference because this Vedānta-sūtra comes from the disciplic succession of Brahma. Brahma-sūtra. Lord Brahma, Kṛṣṇa instructed Brahma. Tene brahma hrdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Ādi-kavi is Brahmā, and Kṛṣṇa instructed him. Tene brahma... Brahmā means Vedas. Śabda-brahma. The śabda-brahma was instructed to Lord Brahmā by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the original guru.

Lecture on BG 13.13 -- Bombay, October 6, 1973:

Then you'll be criminal. Similarly, laws means given by the government, and dharma means which is the codes given by God. That is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). That is religion. And Kṛṣṇa says, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge: "I come to reestablish. When people become cats and dogs without any religion, then I come down to establish religion." Because we are Kṛṣṇa's sons, we are all sons of Kṛṣṇa, He is very much anxious to see us happy. Just like father wants to see his sons, bewildered sons, to see that he is happy. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). That is also the same thing. To deliver the righteous person and to kill the demons, the same thing, because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. His maintaining the devotee and killing the demon, both of them are same thing.

Just like father. Father is giving some child, some son, nice sweetmeat, and the other son comes, "No you cannot take it." Does it mean that father is partial? No, father is kind both the child. He knows that he cannot eat. So similarly, two things are going on parallel. Some are punishments, some are maintenance by the laws of God, but he knows how to do it. We have to accept His law. That is... Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). Therefore a devotee is never disturbed by the so-called pains and pleasure of this world. He is never disturbed. He knows his duty, how to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real devotee. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66).

Lecture on BG 17.1-3 -- Honolulu, July 4, 1974:

So similarly, Arjuna's inquiry is very nice that "One who is not following the śāstra-vidhi, the direction of the śāstra, but has got some faith, some vague idea, then what will be considered? They will be taken as sattva-guṇa or rajo-guṇa or tamo-guṇa?" It is... So Kṛṣṇa... Now, this is very important question, and Kṛṣṇa... It not said, "Kṛṣṇa said." It is said, it is mentioned here, śrī bhagavān uvāca. Kṛṣṇa may be taken by low-grade person as ordinary human being as it is done sometimes. Big, big scholars, big, big philosophers, they also become bewildered. Just like in India, there is a party called Arya-samaj. They accept Kṛṣṇa as a very big person but not God, not God. There is some mistake some time.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- London, August 24, 1971:

Pradyumna: "Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary on this cream. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a thoroughly realized master of the Vedānta-sūtra, and consequently he also personally realized the commentary, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And just to show his boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic men who want to cross completely over nescience, he recited for the first time this confidential knowledge. There is no point in arguing that a materialistic man can be happy. No materialistic creature, be he the great Brahmā or an insignificant ant, can be happy. Everyone tries to make a permanent plan for happiness, but everyone is baffled by the laws of material nature. Therefore the materialistic world is called the darkest region of God's creation. Yet the unhappy materialists can get out of it simply by desiring to get out. Unfortunately they are so foolish that they do not want to escape."

Prabhupāda: They do not know that there is escape. They think this is all. This is their education. They have no knowledge. Although they are suffering in every step, they are making plan in their own way within this material world. Just like the UNESCO and so many others, all nation attempts are there. They are planning within this... That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as carvita-carvaṇānām. Carvita means chewing the chewed. They see that our previous leaders, they also did like this; it was not successful. Still they are going on in different way. That is not the way. Actually, if you are really anxious to become free from the conditional life, then you have to take to adhyātma-śāstra. You have to take knowledge from spiritual sources.

Lecture on SB 1.2.3 -- Rome, May 27, 1974:

So again these codes were explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is the business(?). "Vedānta-sūtra, or the Brahma-sūtra, were compiled by Vyāsadeva with the view to presenting just the cream of Vedic knowledge. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary on the cream. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī was a thoroughly realized master of Vedānta-sūtra, and consequently, he also personally realized the commentary, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And just to show his boundless mercy," karuṇayā, "boundless mercy upon bewildered materialistic man who want to cross completely over the nescience, he recited for the first time this confidential knowledge."

So it is meant for not ordinary men. It is very difficult. Because they are not fit to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is especially meant for persons who are eager to go out of this darkness, especially. Not only that person. But still, everyone is in darkness. We are trying.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

So we have to accept according to the authentic scripture who is incarnation. We cannot accept anyone who claims that "I am also incarnation." No. In the śāstras there are symptoms foretold of the incarnation. Just like about Lord Buddha there is mention, "In such and such place, in such and such form, in such and such activity, Lord Buddha will appear." Similarly, about Lord Caitanya is there. Similarly, there is a description about Kalki. So far Lord Buddha is concerned, in the Bhāgavatam the name of the mother of Lord Buddha is mentioned. And the activities is also mentioned. What are his activities? The activities are not very pleasant. Sammohāya sura-dviṣām: (SB 1.3.24) "The Lord will appear as Buddha in order to sammohāya, bewilder, the atheist class of men." Atheist class of... His activities were to cover the atheist class of men, those who do not believe in God. Yes. Lord Buddha said, "Yes, there is no God. There is no God. There is void only. But you believe me, what I say." Just see. He is incarnation of God, and the people amongst whom he is preaching, to them he is saying, "There is no God," but he is God.

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

So these are siddhāntas, that one should be simply serving, engaged in the service of the Lord-favorably. Not unfavorably. What He wants. So in this age... Not only in this age, in all the ages, Kṛṣṇa wants that all these bewildered living entities who have come here to enjoy material happiness, they should be given the information that this is not very nice plan for the living entities, to enjoy material enjoyment. The best plan is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That will save him. This is the necessity for all the ages, especially in this age. Therefore if you can educate people to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, that is the best service to Kṛṣṇa. That is the best service to Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena. Because Kṛṣṇa wants it. Kṛṣṇa wants it. Personally He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). And He comes again as devotee, as Lord Caitanya, He's teaching how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is teaching how to serve Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.2.7 -- Hyderabad, April 21, 1974:

Yoga practice means samādhi, comes to the samādhi point. This is samādhi. Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām, samādhau na vidhīyate. But those who are too much materially attached, bhoga aiśvarya, material opulence... Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām. Apahṛta, bewildered. They are thinking by this material enjoyment, by material opulence, they will be happy. Therefore it is called apahṛta-cetasām. They cannot. But if you practice this bhakti-yoga, vāsudeva... The whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). That's all. Why? Now, jñānam and vairāgyam. Jñānam means we are misidentifying that "I am this body, and the bodily emanations, my sons, my daughters... I have got bodily relation with my wife. Therefore my wife, and the productions, the sons, then grandsons, then daughter-in-laws, then son-in-laws..." In this way, we are clustering round.

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

And they also engaged themselves in worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not impersonal, from the very beginning. Bhejire munayaḥ atha agre. From the very beginning. Bhagavantam adhokṣajam. Adhokṣajam, we have described many times: "beyond our sense perception." The Absolute Truth is a person, it is very difficult to understand. "Beyond our sense perception." They, generally they think that "How a person can create such huge cosmic manifestation?" That is their bewilderment. They cannot accommodate, accommodate in the teeny, poor brain that the original Absolute Truth is a person. That is their problem. So their idea is that by personal worship, one has to reach again to the impersonal transcendence. But we don't find from the śāstra like that. Now, the most authentic śāstra is Vedānta.

Lecture on SB 1.3.25 -- Los Angeles, September 30, 1972:

So this Kali-yuga has already begun. So in the beginning sandhyā, junction, Lord Buddha's description is given already. Lord Buddha will cheat the atheist class of men. God is very kind. So sammohāya sura-dviṣām (SB 1.3.24). Those who are atheists, just to bewilder them: "Yes, there is nothing after death, it is all zero, but you worship me," Lord Buddha said. "Yes, sir, we shall worship you." So the only business, God's business is, "This rascal may some way or other worship Me." Because they are rascals. So here Lord Buddha by policy induced them to worship Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha is incarnation of God. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra. His philosophy is "No, there is no God, but you worship me." But the policy is to worship God. But they do not know. They are thinking that "We are worshiping somebody, some great soul," but he does not know that he is God, incarnation of God.

Lecture on SB 1.4.25 -- Montreal, June 20, 1968:

So many bodily changes have taken place, but I am there." Similarly, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Similarly, when we change this body finally and take another body, so one who knows the fact or the science of birth and death, he is not disturbed. He is not disturbed. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dhīra means intelligent, cool-headed, not rascal. So this very word is used, dhīra. Dhīra means cool-headed, not disturbed. Na muhyati: "He is not bewildered." He's just changing this body. So now the business is that before changing this body, "What kind of other body I am going to get?" That is my business. That we can get according to as I deserve.

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

You can make plan, but that plan will never be successful. This is the... By false understanding we may make hundreds and thousands of plan to be happy in this material world. That is not possible. This is therefore called sammohito, bewildered. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam. Ātmānam, himself, he is thinking that he is a material product. Tri-guṇa. Sattva, rajas, tamo-guṇa. Somebody is thinking, "I am very good man. I am very honest man. I am very qualified man." That is also false identification. And somebody is thinking, "I can do this. I can do that. I am so powerful. Who is equal to me?" Passion. That is also māyā's dictation. And somebody is lazy, sleeping, does not understand anything—tamo-guṇa. That is also tri-guṇātmakam, within this tri-dhāma. So within this material world, either the good man or the passionate man or the ignorant man, there may be some differences, guṇogata(?), but actually every one of them is entangled by māyā.

Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:

So our present position is like this, that sammohita, bewildered, puzzled by māyā. We are eternal part and parcel of God, but on account of being enchanted by this material energy, or external energy of God, we have forgotten ourself, and we are now entangled. We have forgotten our goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). The conditioned soul... Conditioned soul means the living being, the spirit soul who is conditioned by these laws of material nature. The laws of material nature is that you have to accept a certain type of body according to your propensity. We create propensity. And Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He gives you the facility: "All right." Just like the tiger. He wants to suck blood. Or any man, if he wants to suck blood, then he will be given the facility of a tiger's body. If a person has no discrimination in eating—whatever available, he can eat—then he will be given facility of become a pig. Up to stool, he can eat.

Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:

This is very significant. Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. We are riding on a machine. This body is a machine, but we are accepting machine as myself. This is called sammohita, bewildered. If you are running on a car, if you think, "I am the car," as it is foolishness, similarly, I have got this yantra, machine, body, and it is running on on account of my presence, or I am driving, or Kṛṣṇa is giving me intelligence how to drive, but if I identify myself with this body, exactly like a foolish man—he is driving the car, and if he identifies himself with the car, he is a foolish man—so this is called sammohita. Yayā sammohito jīva. Therefore the example, as I was citing last night, that we do not see the driver, and when the driver goes away, then we see that the car is not moving, and then I can understand, "Oh, the driver, my father, or my son, has gone away." We sometimes cry, "My father has gone away," or "My son has gone away," but because we are sammohita, we actually never saw the father or the son. We accepted this coat-pant body as father and son. This is called sammoha, bewildered.

Lecture on SB 1.7.5-6 -- Johannesburg, October 15, 1975:

So anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣāt. If we want to stop this unwanted business... If you don't want, go on with your business: bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Now take this life, this body, of human being or Indian and then American, then cat, then dog, then hog, then tree—so many, eight million—you go on if you like. But if you are actually intelligent, if you are disgusted, that "This is not very good business. This is anartha, unwanted business. I have been forced, yayā sammohitaḥ... Being bewildered, being illusioned, misdirected by this material energy, I am trying to be happy here in this material..., and it is not my business." If one comes to this sense... That is stated in the Bhagavad..., bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births. After many, many births, jñānavān, one who is actually in knowledge, wise..." Then what does he do? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: He surrenders to Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

Now, this māyā, this māyā cannot cover Kṛṣṇa, but we become covered. Therefore in the next verse it is said, yayā sammohito jīvaḥ. That māyā which is so influential that she has extended her influence over all the living entities... Yayā sammohitaḥ, bewildered. We living entities, we are bewildered. So especially those who have not taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are bewildered. They are thinking this material world is everything. And therefore they have got some problem, simply problem. He was thinking, that gentleman was thinking, "How this economic problem...?" Because he was in māyā. But had he been in bhakti-yoga, then he could understand there is no problem at all. There is no problem. It is simply māyā. It is simply illusion. There is no problem. All problems are solved. You can practically see.

Lecture on SB 1.7.6 -- Geneva, May 31, 1974:

So actually, when we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no problem. Problem is created. So long we are bewildered by māyā, there is problem. Otherwise, there is no problem. Therefore it is said, yayā sammohito jīvaḥ. The jīva, or the living entities, are covered by this material encagement. He is called jīva. Jīva-bhūta. Otherwise brahma-bhūta. (SB 4.30.20) Otherwise Brahman. So long he is covered by this māyā, he is called jīva. Sammohito jīvaḥ. But when he is not sammohita, he is not bewildered, he is Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. So being bewildered by the māyā, sammohito jīvaḥ, what is his position now? Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam (SB 1.7.5). Ātmānam, the soul, spirit soul, on account of his being bewildered, he is thinking that "I am depending on this material nature."

Lecture on SB 1.7.24 -- Vrndavana, September 21, 1976:

So that is our bondage. We are mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Why you are conditioned? The condition is because māyā-mohita-cetasaḥ. Māyā-mohita. They are bewildered by māyā. Māyā means "what is not." Mā-yā. So because we are under the clutches of māyā, this material world, therefore we have been conditioned. And what is that māyā? That māyā is forgetfulness of our relationship with God. That is māyā. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. This jīva, when we forget Kṛṣṇa, our relationship with Kṛṣṇa... What is that relationship? Caitanya Mahāprabhu says jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is our relationship.

Lecture on SB 1.8.21 -- New York, April 13, 1973:

The father is more anxious to take the boy home. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father. All these living entities within this material world, they're exactly like the misled child of a big, rich man, loitering in the street. Therefore the greatest benefit to the human society is to give him Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Greatest... You cannot give any benefit; any kind of material profit will not satisfy the living entity. If he's given this Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Just like the same process. A bewildered boy is loitering in the street. If he's reminded, "My dear boy, why you are suffering so much? You are the son of such and such very rich man. Your father has got so much property. Why you are loitering in the street?" And if he comes to his consciousness: "Yes, I am the son of such and such big man. Why shall I loiter in the street?" He goes back home. Yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6).

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973:

Now if a sādhu is already delivered, he is on the transcendental platform, then where is the necessity of delivering him? This is the question. Therefore this word is used, viḍambanam. It is bewildering. It is contradictory. It appears to be contradictory. If a sādhu is already delivered... Transcendental position means he's no longer under the control of the three material modes of nature, goodness, passion and ignorance. Because it is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). He transcends the material qualities. A sādhu, devotee, Then where is the question of deliverance? The deliverance... He does not require deliverance, a sādhu, but because he is very much anxious to see the Supreme Lord eye to eye, that is his inner desire, therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Not for deliverance. He's already delivered. He's already delivered from the material clutches.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973:

So here Kuntīdevī is describing that: "Your appearance in this material world is not misleading, bewildering." We are thinking that: "Kṛṣṇa has got some mission, some purpose. Therefore He has appeared." No. It is His pastimes. It is pastime. Just like sometimes the governor goes to inspect the prison house. He has no business to go the prison house. He is getting report from the superintendent. He does not... Still sometimes he comes: "let me see how they are doing." It is called pastime. It is his free will. Not that he has become subjected to the prison laws and he has to come to the prison. No, not like that. But if the prisoners think: "Oh, here the governor is also in the prison. So we are equal. We are equal. I am also governor."

The rascal thinks like that. "Because Kṛṣṇa has come, descended, avatāra, so I am also avatāra." This rascaldom is going on. So here it is said: na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitam. "Nobody knows what is the purpose of Your appearance and disappearance. Nobody knows." So tava, tava īhamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam. It is bewildering.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Los Angeles, April 21, 1973:

Therefore it is said that: na veda kaścid bhagavaṁś cikīrṣitam. "Nobody knows what is the purpose of Your appearance and disappearance." Tava īhamānasya nṛṇāṁ viḍambanam. "You are in this world just like ordinary human being. This is bewildering." Therefore ordinary man cannot believe. "How God can become ordinary person like...?" Kṛṣṇa is playing. Although He was not playing ordinary person. He was playing as God. Wherever there was necessity...

Just like He married 16,000 wives. When He married He was one, and 16,000 girls offered the surrender to Kṛṣṇa that: "We are now kidnapped. If we go home, nobody will marry us." That is a strict Vedic system. If an unmarried girls goes out of home even for one night, nobody will marry her. Still it is going on. Nobody will marry her. So this is the old system. All the 16,000 girls who were kidnapped by Bhaumāsura... So they prayed to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa came, killed the Bhaumāsura, delivered all the girls.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

Devotee:

janma karma ca viśvātmann

ajasyākartur ātmanaḥ

tiryaṅ-nṟṣiṣu yādaḥsu

tad atyanta-viḍambanam

(SB 1.8.30)

"Of course it is bewildering, O Soul of the Universe, that You work, though You are inactive, and that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages, and aquatics. Verily this is bewildering."

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is addressed here as Viśvātman, the vital force of the universe. Just like in my body, in your body, that there is a vital force. The vital force is the ātmā, the living being, living entity or soul. So because the vital force, the soul is there, the whole body is working.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Los Angeles, April 22, 1973:

Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared as the Fish Incarnation. Tad atyanta-viḍambanam (SB 1.8.30). So Kṛṣṇa's disappearance and appearance, His taking birth, these are all bewildering. It is not that... We are forced to take birth. We are, we are , we living entities, conditioned souls, we are transmigrating from one body to another, being forced by the laws of nature. But Kṛṣṇa does not appear by being forced by the laws of nature. That is the difference. Therefore those who are foolish rascals, they think that: "I have taken my birth in this world and Kṛṣṇa has also taken. Therefore I am also God." They, they do not know that you have to take birth by the force of laws of nature. You have been given the chance of very nice body, beautiful body, as American boys and girls, educated, with opulence. If you misuse it, then you are going to get another body according to your mentality.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

Nitāi: "Of course, it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst the animals, men, sages and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering."

Prabhupāda:

janma karma ca viśvātmann

ajasyākartur ātmanaḥ

tiryaṅ-nṟṣiṣu yādaḥsu

tat atyanta-viḍambanam

(SB 1.8.30)

This viḍambanam word, the English translation is almost similar—"bewildering." Viḍambanam, "bewildering."

So this is to be understood, what is Kṛṣṇa, because He descends out of His causeless mercy as human being for reestablishing the principles of religious system.

Lecture on SB 1.8.30 -- Mayapura, October 10, 1974:

So if we simply understand Kṛṣṇa, as explained in the śāstras, sādhu-śāstra, or saintly persons, devotees, if we try to understand, then we become liberated. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). As it is said, janma karma ca viśvātmann ajasya akartur ātmanaḥ, viḍambanam. Viḍambanam. They are all bewildering, bewildering. Therefore, if one understands properly, then the result is that he becomes liberated. That means he gets full knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Then he understands that Kṛṣṇa is everything. He's the origin of everything. Viśvātman. This is to be understood. He's the vital force of the whole universe. The whole universe is moving not automatically, but under the guidance and superintendency of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Kṛṣṇa says, "Under My superintendence" So Kṛṣṇa is active, but He has nothing to do.

Lecture on SB 1.8.31 -- Los Angeles, April 23, 1973:

Devotee:

gopy ādade tvayi kṛtāgasi dāma tāvad

yā te daśāśru-kalilāñjana-sambhramākṣam

vaktraṁ ninīya bhaya-bhāvanayā sthitasya

sā māṁ vimohayati bhīr api yad bibheti

(SB 1.8.31)

"My, dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me."

Prabhupāda: This is also another opulence of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is full with six kinds of opulences. So this opulence is beauty, beauty opulence. Kṛṣṇa has got six opulences: all riches, all strength, all influence, all knowledge, all beauty, all renunciation. So this is the opulence of Kṛṣṇa's beauty. Kṛṣṇa wants everyone...

Just like we are, we are offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa with awe and veneration. But nobody comes here to Kṛṣṇa with a rope: "Kṛṣṇa, You are offender. I shall bind You." Nobody comes. That is the another prerogative of the most perfect devotee. Yes. Kṛṣṇa wants that. Because He's full of opulence... This is also another opulence. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. The greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. That is opulence.

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

Nitāi: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me."

Prabhupāda:

gopy ādade tvayi kṛtāgasi dāma tāvad

yā te daśāśru-kalilāñjana-sambhramākṣam

vaktraṁ ninīya bhaya-bhāvanayā sthitasya

sā māṁ vimohayati bhīr api yad bibheti

(SB 1.8.31)

So this is the description of Kṛṣṇa's becoming Dāmodara. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Dāmodara. The Dāmodara Temple, Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple, is there in Vṛndāvana, and I was staying there. Still I have my two rooms. So this Dāmodara description... The Dāmodara month is coming, and it will begin on the 18th of this October. So from that day, we'll observe Dāmodara-vrata for one month. From 18th to 17th November. The duty will be that in the evening you'll offer candle, a small candle, all of you, just before the Deity, not within the room, outside the room, and chant the Dāmodarāṣṭaka, namāmīśvaram. That is already printed in our song book. So this will be Dāmodara-vrata. That Dāmodara is explained here.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:

There are... Actually Kṛṣṇa is unborn, aja, but Aja is taking birth. That is already explained. This is the bewilderment, viḍambanam. It is already explained. So this viḍambanam, speculation or bewilderment, how many types of speculation are there, that is being described by Kuntīdevī. Somebody says that Kṛṣṇa is Yādava. Yādava. Yādavāya mādhavāya keśavāya namaḥ. Yādava means born in the Yadu dynasty. And somebody says Kṛṣṇa is Vāsudeva, son of Vasudeva, Devakī. And Kṛṣṇa... And some of them, they say, nanda-kumārāya, now, son of Nanda Mahārāja. So Kṛṣṇa has many speculations, but actually He is aja. Ajas tvam asya kṣemāya.

Lecture on SB 1.8.33 -- Mayapura, October 13, 1974:

But He has name according to His activities. Just like when He acts as the chariot driver of Arjuna, His name is Pārtha-sārathi. When He plays as the child of Mother Yaśodā, He is called Yaśodā-nandana. When people say that He is born of Nanda Mahārāja, He is called Nanda-nandana. When people say that He came to protect Vasudeva and Devakī, He is called Vāsudeva, or Devakī-nandana. Or when He is in the Yadu dynasty, He's said as Yādava. In this way, Kṛṣṇa has unlimited pastimes and unlimited names. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta. Ananta means unlimited. He has got unlimited because so many devotees, not one devotees, and He has to satisfy everyone, as Nanda-kumāra, as Yaśodā-nandana, as Vāsudeva, as Yādava, as Pārtha-sārathi. So in this way, when one becomes bewildered that how many names He has got, so one should understand He has unlimited names or no name, but because He has to act unlimitedly, therefore He has got unlimited names.

Lecture on SB 1.8.47 -- Los Angeles, May 9, 1973:

So when friends die, family members die, we talk of that we are not this body. Theo... Not theory; this is actually the fact. I say, you say, everyone says. At least, we have understood from Bhagavad-gītā, dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13), the body is different from the soul. And it is also clearly said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). After the destruction of the body, the soul is not destroyed. He remains. He gets another body. Arjuna was also consoled by Kṛṣṇa that "Why you are so much anxious about your grandfather? He will get another body, new body. What is the use of this old body?" So actually that is the fact. But still, why a man becomes aggrieved when the body is lost? That is explained here, that sneha-moha, illusion of affection. Actually, there is nothing to be aggrieved. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra, those who are sober, they are not bewildered. Sober man knows that "My, this relative, my father or my brother, my grandfather, his death means he is changing this body. He is going to another body. He is not dead."

Lecture on SB 1.9.1 -- Los Angeles, May 15, 1973:

So when the prajās were killed, the king became enemy. He is thinking, "Otherwise, how I could induce them to be killed?" He was thinking like that. Prajā-drohāt. As you, if you rebel against the king, it is also a great fault, similarly, if you rebel, revolt against the prajās, that is also great fault. Therefore he is afraid. Bhītaḥ prajā-drohāt. "Now what to do?" Sarva-dharma-vivitsayā. This is the position to approach a guru, when you are bewildered. When things are not in order, brain is puzzled... Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru when he could not ascertain whether he shall fight or not, bewilderment, so similarly, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja also became bewildered, that "I have killed so many prajās. What is my position? I have become so much sinful. How can I rule over the empire?"

Lecture on SB 1.9.48 -- Mayapura, June 14, 1973:

So this is a culture. This culture is meant for the human society. Fortunately this culture developed on this land of Bhāratavarṣa. Unfortunately, people are so much bewildered that they are giving up this culture. That is the most regrettable portion of, of our movement. Anyway, my mission was that I shall go to America, and if some of the American boys and girls, younger section, would accept it, then I'll bring them here to show these rascals that how great this culture is. So portion of the population, they are realizing now.

Lecture on SB 1.10.4 -- London, November 25, 1973:

So dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90). Dharma means to stay in one's constitutional position. That is dharma. Artha means keeping oneself in one's constitutional position to get livelihood, artha. Without artha, livelihood, kāma, the sense gratification, or fulfilling the needs of life...That is kāma. Just like devotees, they have also got kāma. We are trying to become devotee. This is also one kind of kāma, but this is spiritual kāma. It is not material. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has described, kāma kṛṣṇa-karmārpaṇe. Because there is kāma, and when the kāma is not fulfilled... Generally, materially, kāma means lust, desire. So if our kāma, lust or desire, is not fulfilled, the next position is krodha. Kāma krodha lobha moha mada mātsarya bhaya. These are different associates, one after another. If your desire is not fulfilled, then you become angry. Then after becoming angry, you become very greedy. Then you become bewildered, then become illusioned, then you become fearful.

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:

Sometimes they are killed. Similarly, when we live under the full protection of the Supreme Lord, that is our healthy condition, that is our real life. And as soon as we give up this position to be subordinate, to be predominated by the Supreme Lord, then we are bewildered. We are thrown into this, under the control of this material nature, and according to our work we get different bodies. There are 8,400,000 forms of bodies and we get one body after another. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). This is called ever conditioned. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). In this way, we are wandering from one species of life to another, one planet to another. In this way the brahmāṇḍa, this universe is very very big and there is immense opportunity. You become sometimes demigod, sometimes dog, sometimes cat, sometimes tree. In this way, we are wandering.

Lecture on SB 1.15.22-23 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1973:

I think this editing was wrong, "purified." What is called, fermented, petrified? Putrefied. So instead of "putrefied," it has been "purified." Editing. Yes, rice... They, in India still... Because in India still, no gentleman, brāhmaṇa, at least brāhmaṇas, those who are strictly following brāhmaṇa principles, they do not drink. Neither the kṣatriyas. Kṣatriyas, they are allowed to drink in some particular function. That is also very rarely. And vaiśyas, they do not drink. Śūdras, some of them. Those who are less than śūdras, they drink, and they make their own liquor at home. They boil the rice, and with water, they keep it for few days, it becomes fermented, putrefied, and it becomes intoxicating, home-made liquor. And if you distill it, then it becomes first-class, brandy. So it is not that liquor drinking was not existing. There was. But who drunk, that is stated here, that vipra-śāpa-vimūḍhānām, those who were cursed, vimūḍhānām. And being cursed, they were bewildered. Vipra-śāpa.

Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:

Pradyumna: "The most part of our ignorance is our identifying this material body with the self. Everything in relation with the body is ignorantly accepted as our own. Doubts due to misconceptions of 'myself' and 'mine,' in other words, 'my body,' 'my relatives,' 'my property,' 'my wife,' 'my wealth,' 'my country,' 'my community' and hundreds of thousands of similar illusory contemplations, cause bewilderment for the conditioned soul."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is our ignorance. Just like this example is given in the śāstra that the river waves are flowing, water is flowing, and by the combination of the waves many straws come together at one time, and, after some time, again they are distributed, thrown here and there. We have got everyone experience. Similarly, in this material world everyone of us we have gathered together like the straws. Actually we are under the waves of the material nature. So, when we gather together, we make a community that "We are Americans," that "We are Indians," that "We are this," "We are that," "We are family..." That is exactly like that. By chance we meet together; again, by the waves of the nature, we are separated. No more son, no more country, no more... Everything's finished. This is going on. But so long we've gathered together, we take it very seriously. We forget that at any moment we'll be kicked out of this gathering. That is ignorance. They do not try to understand what is our real position.

Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:

Pradyumna: "By assimilating the instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā one is sure to become released from such bewilderment."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore you have to understand Bhagavad-gītā is left for you. Kṛṣṇa has left before going away from this planet. He gave the instruction: "This is the position. You are like this. Your position is like this. You are now in trouble. You are in material existence. Why you are struggling for existence simply making your mind as the guide?" Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "These living entities, they are My part and parcel. They're as good as I am, but..." Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣa... "They have made the mind, given the power of attorney to the mind, and therefore they are forced to the struggle for existence." This is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on SB 1.15.31 -- Los Angeles, December 9, 1973:

Pradyumna: "One is sure to become released from such bewilderment because real knowledge is to know that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is everything, including oneself."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudur... (BG 7.19). But Kṛṣṇa says, "The living entities, My part and parcel." So just like father and son—the son is part and parcel of the father's body. So when the son is under the protection of father, that is his natural life. But if the son foolishly wants to live separately, although the father is the most opulent, (Sanskrit verse), full wealth, full opulence, full power, full wisdom, everything. Kṛṣṇa, the father, is full, and everyone can share the father's property. That is the lawful inheritance of the father. Then why you should suffer here? This intelligence is not coming. They are so fool. They are so... The father is coming, canvassing, "My dear sons, why you are struggling? You give up this nonsense engagement. Your so-called leadership of the family, so-called leadership of community, nation, these are all false. This is creation of māyā, illusion. Don't be bewildered with all these things. Just come back to Me. I've come to call you." Oh, but they'll not accept. This is their dog's obstinancy. So what can be done? They... Everyone can share the father's property. Here is also... the material is also God's property. But they'll not understand. They'll make the division, "This portion United States of America."

Lecture on SB 1.15.36 -- Los Angeles, December 14, 1973:

This is to be understood. Sva-tanvā. If somebody thinks that "Kṛṣṇa left His body and died like us..." There are a party, they think like that, "Kṛṣṇa also died like us." But that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇa left His so-called body just to befool the rascals. Because the rascals are thinking, "Kṛṣṇa is like us," therefore to bewilder them, Kṛṣṇa leaves a māyā body so that they may think that "Kṛṣṇa is like us." But actually here is the secret, that jahau sva-tanvā. He left this world in His original body. He has no such distinction. Śravaṇīya-sat-kathaḥ. If His body is like our body, material body, then what is the use of hearing about His activity? We are interested in the words of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is like us, He has got the same material body, then why we should be interested to read Bhagavad-gītā, He is also a man like us?

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

So that is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). Abhijñaḥ. This word is used. Abhijñaḥ means cognizant. Then if He is the origin of everything, how He got all knowledge perfectly? Therefore the next word is sva-rāṭ: He is fully independent. He doesn't require to take knowledge from anyone else. Otherwise how He can be origin? Sva-rāṭ. Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. That origin is so perfect, and still, sūrayaḥ, many scholars, many scientists, philosophers, they are also bewildered, that "How He can be a person?" Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. These things are described.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

kiṁ kṣatra-bandhūn kalinopasṛṣṭān

rāṣṭrāṇi vā tair avaropitāni

itas tato vāśana-pāna-vāsaḥ-

snāna-vyavāyonmukha-jīva-lokam

(SB 1.16.22)

Translation: "The so-called administrators are now bewildered by the influence of this age of Kali, and thus they have put all state affairs into disorder. Are you now lamenting this disorder? Now the general populace does not follow the rules and regulations for eating, sleeping, drinking, mating, etc., and they are inclined to perform such anywhere and everywhere. Are you unhappy because of this?"

Prabhupāda: So śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. The study of Bhāgavatam means complete knowledge. This is the mature contribution of Vyāsadeva to the human society. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām (SB 1.7.6). Before writing, by the instruction of his spiritual master, Vyāsadeva meditated in bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṇihite amale. Samyak praṇihite 'male, apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam (SB 1.7.4).

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

What is this māyā? Why this māyā? That is also explained. What is that? Yayā sammohito jīva: "These conditioned souls, they're bewildered by māyā, illusion." That is māyā. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam: (SB 1.7.5) "Being bewildered by this māyā, this soul, who is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God, he's thinking that 'I am a material product. I am made of these material things.' " Just like the so-called rascal scientists, they'll never accept that within this body there is the soul because they're always thinking there is no such thing as soul. Only the material, that's all. This is illusion.

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Hawaii, January 18, 1974:

So that is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness, developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to render service to the ignorant of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is better, because Vyāsadeva saw that māyā, illusory energy, or the shadow, darkness... Yayā sammohito jīva. The whole world, living entity, conditioned soul, they're bewildered by this māyā. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam (SB 1.7.5). Thinking this body as self, foolish, rascal. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). One who thinks that "I am this body," he's no better than dog and cat. However nicely dressed he may be, he's a dog, he's a cat. That's all. No more than animal. Because he has no knowledge of his self. (aside:) Don't do that. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke... (aside:) You cannot sit like this? Yes. Sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. This is going on. People are bewildered, thinking "I am this body," just like cats and dogs. "And the issues from the body or connection with the body, that is mine."

Lecture on SB 1.16.22 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1974:

Nitāi: (leads chanting, etc.) "The so-called administrators are now bewildered by the influence of this age of Kali, and thus they have put all state affairs into disorder. Are you now lamenting this disorder? Now the general populace does not follow the rules and regulations for eating, sleeping, drinking, mating, etc., and they are inclined to perform such anywhere and everywhere. Are you unhappy because of this?" (SB 1.16.22)

Prabhupāda:

kiṁ kṣatra-bandhūn kalinopasṛṣṭān

rāṣṭrāṇi vā tair avaropitāni

itas tato vāśana-pāna-vāsaḥ-

snāna-vyavāyonmukha-jīva-lokam

In this Kali-yuga everything is topsy-turvied. The Vedic way of life... For living condition, we require to eat, we require to take bath, we require to sleep, we require to have sex also. Everything must be in regulative principle. Because human life means regulative principles.

Lecture on SB 1.16.24 -- Hawaii, January 20, 1974:

So that is real success. Otherwise, there is no death. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). It is not death; when our body is destroyed, that does not mean we are dead. You are spirit soul, I am spirit soul, every one of us, but we have no death. That is another illusion. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). This so-called death, it is not death. Dhīra, one who knows, one who is sober, he knows that "This man or this boy or this father is dying... He's not dying. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ: he is just changing another body. He's changing an..." So actually we have no death. The change of body. So we are accepting this change of body as death. That is another illusion. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. One who is sober, he is not bewildered. He knows that... Suppose we are sitting here. We are sitting here, and after a few minutes we shall go away. That does not mean we are dead. We are in this apartment; we go to another apartment. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Similarly, nobody dies. It is change of body, from this body to another body. So we have no death. This is illusion.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

Because we are sons of Kṛṣṇa, God, we are misled, bewildered, the father is more anxious to see us go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore, He comes personally. People misunderstand, "This Kṛṣṇa is a human being." Therefore, He comes as a devotee, as Lord Caitanya. He leaves behind Him all books of knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā. So we are canvasser. So our request is that don't take this movement as very sentimental or insignificant, it is the greatest science, greatest philosophy. Try to cooperate with us and you will be happy. Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Los Angeles, August 13, 1972:

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī, after discussing that there are many subject matter for the materialistic persons who are unaware of self-realization... The very word used: apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2), those who are looking forward for self-realization. That is the only business for human life, but our education system is so defective that there is no program for self-realization. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommended that we should not be bewildered by the occupation of our materialistic life. He has very clearly discussed that all of these things, they cannot give us protection. There is nice example. Just like when a fly..., a bird flies in the sky, he has to depend on his own strength. In that flying method, neither his father, neither his mother nor his children can help. If he has got sufficient strength to fly, then he is fly very smoothly. Otherwise... Take the, for example, for an aeroplane also. If it has got sufficient strength, arrangement, to fly, it will nicely fly. Otherwise, there is crash. Similarly each of us individually should be preparing for our next death. Not that we should not think that "My family, my community, my nation, my friends can help me." No. Everyone is responsible for his own activities.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

However you may try to remain very healthy, nature's law is that you must die. How you can help yourself? After all, you have to meet death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. So long you have got this material body, there is no question of health. You must suffer. You may be very great scientist in oblivion, but the nature's law must act.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

(BG 3.27)

Foolish persons-ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā-bewildered by false egotism, he's thinking, "I am improving health, I am improving this, I am doing..." He's improving nothing. He is completely under the clutches of material nature. He cannot act anything independently. That is the law of nature.

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

Because they consider this body as self. That is their fault. That is their ignorance. The Darwin's theory, this theory, that theory, simply they are bewildered, thinking this body is the self. The body's developing or evolution ... No. So all our senses should be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is perfection. It is indirectly being said in these verses that if our senses are not engaged in the service of the Lord, then it is dead. Śāvau. Śāvau karau no kurute saparyām. Just like a dead man, he has got his legs and hands, but he cannot employ it for any service. It is now flat. Actually, it is flat, but because within the body there is the soul, who is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, if he does not come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform and does not engage himself in the service of the Lord, then his hands, legs, heads, everything is dead body's head. The decoration of dead body. This is the conclusion. Now go on reading.

Lecture on SB 2.4.1 -- Los Angeles, June 24, 1972:

We shall surrender to this man, that man, this man, this one ... Why not Kṛṣṇa? "No," māyā will say. "No, no, no. What is Kṛṣṇa? You surrender to such big politician, big yogi, big bluffer, cheater. You surrender there." Māyā is always after you to bewilder you. Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa by our independence, misusing our independence, so māyā wants to give us some good lesson, that "Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, you are trying to be happy. All right, I shall give you nice happiness." This is going on. Therefore, māyā is very strong. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot get out of the clutches of māyā so easily.

Lecture on SB 3.25.29 -- Bombay, November 29, 1974:

Just like Kṛṣṇa described in the śāstras: cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Surabhīr abhipālayantam. Kṛṣṇa is very much fond of tending cows, surabhi cows. The Māyāvādī will see, "What is this Kṛṣṇa?" Even Brahmā was bewildered, "How is that this Kṛṣṇa, this boy in Vṛndāvana is being worshiped? He's spoken like the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How is that He is taking care of the cows, this cowherd boy?" Indra was also bewildered. Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. To understand Kṛṣṇa, even Brahmā, Indra, they become bewildered. Therefore,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

We have to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. Otherwise we will be bewildered. And for that reason you have to hear from Kṛṣṇa or His representative to understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you will also be bewildered.

Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:

They are thinking, "Now we have become spiritually realized, vimukta, liberated from material bondage." Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Patanty adhaḥ. Now, they are thinking, "Now we are liberated. We have become Nārāyaṇa." Vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking like that. Actually, they are not liberated. That is another, the last snare of māyā, that "You are God." Māyā is still talking that to bewilder him. Māyā's business is to bewilder the living entity. So this is the last snare, that to become one with the Supreme. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-mā...tvayy asta-bhāvāt. Because they have no information that they can go back to home, back to Godhead, and enjoy the company of the Supreme Lord, they think that to become one with the Supreme, that is the highest perfection.

Lecture on SB 3.25.42 -- Bombay, December 10, 1974:

So we are after giving chance to the bewildered persons, mislead person, materialistic person, to take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and their success is guaranteed. Because Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). If you think Kṛṣṇa is ordinary person, how? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "Don't think Me that I am ordinary person. Under My direction the wind is blowing, the sea is working, the sun it heating, and the so many things are going on." Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). "Don't take Me so slightly." Everything is explained. Now it is our business to accept it or not accept it.

Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 3.25.44 -- Bombay, December 12, 1974:

So this is conclusion, that in this material world we are simply struggling for existence with a hope, future hope, that "We shall be happy by this plan." But it will never be possible. Simply you will be bewildered. Just like the animal goes to the desert, and he sees mirage, a shadow of water in the desert. He is thirsty. He goes to the water, and the water goes again, farther away. And he jumps over, jumps over. In this way, being thirsty and in the hot sand, he dies. This is called māyā-marīcikā. Our struggle for existence is like that. We are thinking, "Let me go little farther, and we shall be happy." But actually, where is the water? There is no water in the desert. But those who are less intelligent, like animal, they seek happiness here in this material world. Just like the animal running after water in the desert.

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

So this mixture has to be analyzed and separated. Just like in printing there is color separation process. It is also like that, color separation process. The sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, now mixed up by expert management, by expert process they can be separated, and we can come purely on the sattva-guṇa platform. And as soon as we come to the sattva-guṇa platform, then we can see things as they are. Chindanti sarva-saṁśayaḥ. When we are in the mixed-up qualities, then mumuhe, then we are bewildered.

Just like at the present moment the human society cannot understand what is God, cannot understand. Mumuhe. It is the chance, human form of life, to understand God, and therefore śāstra, Vedānta, says atha, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now you inquire about Brahman." Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata: "Why you are sleeping again? This is a chance." There is a very good example, that some people, they keep that kit-kit(?) bird, and they are trained up to walk on the field and again come in the cage. So the master gives him the chance, "Now, get out. Come in the free field." So if he likes, he can go away, fly away. But his attraction is so acute that after sometimes, walking on the field, again the master says, "Kit, kit, kit, kit." Again he enters. He could fly away. This is a chance.

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

If You kindly take me again." And He is ready. Kṛṣṇa is ready. Therefore He comes personally to canvass, that "Why you are rotting in this material world?" Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Just like fathers, sane father, request the bewildered son, "Why, my dear son, you are suffering in this way? Why don't you come back to home, and live peacefully and blissfully?" But no, we are determined. We are determined. Although Kṛṣṇa is canvassing, His devotees are canvassing, "No. No, sir. We shall enjoy here." What is enjoyment? Birth and death, disease and old age—is that enjoyment? But they have no brain to understand. Dull, mūḍhāḥ, duṣkṛtina. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Kṛṣṇa says, "Surrender unto Me. I give you protection." But they will not do. Why? Because duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ. That is the position.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

Actually, he is being pulled by the material nature. Just like dog, chained, he has to do according to the master desire, similarly, we are also chained by the prakṛti, material nature, and we are being forced to act according to the dictation of the material nature. But ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Because he is bewildered, he is thinking... You will find in the beach so many dogs. They are very proudly jumping and thinking that "I have got full independence," but actually he is dependent.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

Anyway, this defying the authority of God, this is the our main material disease. That is explained, evaṁ parābhidhyānena kartṛtvam. It is foolishness. Kartṛtvam. He is completely under the control of material nature; still, he is thinking, "I am free. I am the master. I can do anything, whatever I like. There is no need of accepting the authority of God." This is called māyā. Māyā-mohita. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitaṁ nābhijānāti, mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). These rascals, they are bewildered by the three kinds of material modes of nature. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair mohitaṁ nābhijānāti, mām ebhyaḥ param. They cannot understand that in the background of everything there is the supreme authority of God.

Lecture on SB 3.26.6 -- Bombay, December 18, 1974:

So that is our business, immediately. But we do not know. There is no such education. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know what should be the aim of education, aim of life. They do not know it. They..., because they are bewildered. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakaṁ manute (SB 1.7.5). Ātmānaṁ sammohito jīvaḥ, being bewildered, being captivated, yayā sammohito jīvaḥ, with the māyā, the material nature, being captured and bewildered by her, yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam, he is thinking that "I am identified with the three guṇas." Somebody is thinking that "I am brāhmaṇa. I am brāhmaṇa, the most pure, most exalted person in the human society." This is sattva-guṇa. Tri-guṇātmakam. Somebody is think..., identifying himself with the sattva-guṇa, somebody is identifying himself with the rajo-guṇa, somebody is identifying himself in the tamo-guṇa, or somebody is identifying with the mixed up.

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

And the devotees, the Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, they know that this is all false—not false: temporary, simply bewildering. On account of contaminated consciousness, people are trying to be happy in this way, but devotees know that this kind of endeavor is simply bewildering, simply waste of time. Real business is how to purify my consciousness, come to the original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real business. Svacchatvam avikāritvam. That is our real business. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching is that our only business is how to revive our original consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is wanted. Without this, whatever we are doing, in the words of Śrīla Prahlāda Mahārāja, "It is all māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān, māyā-sukhāya (SB 7.9.43)."

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

You cannot argue, because for the..., for us, we are conditioned soul. We have got four defects—means we commit mistake, we become illusioned or bewildered, our senses are imperfect, and, because everything is imperfect, still we want to become teacher, that is cheating. I am imperfect. How can I teach? That is going on. A imperfect person is teaching about transcendental knowledge. Therefore people are being cheated. Our process is to take lesson from the perfect person and distribute it, just we are doing. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are preaching what Kṛṣṇa has said, that's all. Not that we have manufactured something new. No. That is not our business. How I can manufacture? I am imperfect. How can I manufacture? But the spiritual master who follows the perfect teacher, he is perfect. He is perfect because whatever he is speaking, that is the statement of the perfect person.

Lecture on SB 5.5.18 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1976:

There are so many, you will find, rascal gurus, they are preaching like that, that "Whatever you do, it is all right." There is a big mission, they say also that yata mat tata patha. "Whatever you have manufactured, the way of salvation, that's all right." But Kṛṣṇa does not say, or the śāstra does not say. Śāstra says hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti: unless you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, Hari, there is no question of salvation. There is no question of salvation. Therefore bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). One who is bewildered, he thinks that "Whatever I do, it is all right." That is mistake. That is mistake. The jñānīs, they think that they will merge into the existence of the Supreme, that you can merge.

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

So the soul is so subtle, you cannot see. You cannot see sky, and still finer is the mind, still finer is intelligence, and still finer, the soul. So how can you see? With your gross eyes it is not possible. Therefore they are bewildered, how the soul is being transferred from one body to another. They see the gross body. Kṛṣṇa says, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), tathā dehāntara prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). But doctors, medical men, scientists, they cannot see that where is the soul, how the soul is transmigrating. These are all durvibhāvya, inconceivable.

Lecture on SB 5.5.27 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1976:

We see this gross body is burnt into ashes. And where is the soul? Who is coming back again? Don't care for all these things. Live happily. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." Yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. This philosophy is going on: "There is no mind, there is no intelligence, there is no soul, only this gross body, and so long we possess this gross body, let us enjoy the senses." But this is called, it is described, mahā-vimoha. This is the greatest bewilderment, mahā-vimoha. So because people have no education how we are existing in this material world, vimohana, vimūḍha, prakṛti, how nature is working Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā (BG 3.27). Vimūḍhātmā. Mahā-vimoha. This rascal is thinking that there is no other life. That is not the fact. It is very great entanglement.

Lecture on SB 5.6.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1976:

"People who are lowest among men and bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord will give up the original varṇāśrama-dharma and its rules and regulations." (SB 5.6.10)

The varṇāśrama-dharma, that is beginning of human civilization. So in this age they have already given up. There is no varṇāśrama. In India it is simply in name. Actually, there is no varṇāśrama. The, most of the people, they are śūdras. But without varṇāśrama, there cannot be any human civilization, because the aim of human life is to understand God. That is the aim of human life. Unfortunately, they have given up this idea, the aim of life is to understand God. You inquire all over the world, 99.9% will deny God or they have no clear idea of God. Even the so-called religionists, they have also no clear idea.

Lecture on SB 5.6.10 -- Bombay, December 28, 1976:

So here it is stated that people who are lowest amongst men and bewildered by the illusory energy... This is bewildered. What is that bewilderment? They are trying to be happy by material adjustment. Just this morning we were discussing of the air crash. It is very good to fly in the air, but at any moment the whole plane may be crashed and all of them finished. So this kind of material adjustment will not help us. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). This is illusory, or māyā sukha. Prahlāda Mahārāja regrets, tato vimukha-cetasā māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Any moment everything will be crushed. This is called māyā-sukha. And still they are wasting time, that for māyā-sukhāya, illusion. They'll not be happy. Any moment everything can be crushed, and they are busy.

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

So if you read different scripture, you will be bewildered. In one scripture it is said... But there is adjustment. If you go to the authorized person, he can adjust. But you cannot see. You see, you'll see contradiction. So śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Therefore they are considered different, but actually, they are not different. Śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And there are speculators, so-called philosophers, putting theories and doctrines. So one doctrine is different from another doctrine. And people are convinced that no doctrine is absolute; therefore they are going on searching doctrine after doctrine throughout the whole life, and they do not know... Just like the theosophists. They go on, simply searching. They have never come to the conclusion, "Here is the end." They cannot do that. But in Bhagavad-gītā you will find, "Here is the end." Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, here is the ultimate goal. I am—Kṛṣṇa. There is no more anything higher than Me." Nānyad asti kiñcid dhanañjaya. Mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-ganā iva: "Just like in a thread, the pearls are woven, similarly, everything is standing in Me."

So if we read different scriptures, then we are also bewildered and we cannot come to the conclusions by arguments. And nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And if you read different speculative methods or philosophical doctrines, that is also different from one another.

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

That time you cannot say, "I don't care for anyone." 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.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

He would break everything if Mother Yaśodā would not supply mākhana, you see, as if He is in need of mākhana. But these Māyāvādīs, they said, "Oh, here is... How He can be God?" Brahmā became bewildered: "How this boy can be the Supreme Lord? Let me test." So... Indra became bewildered. Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ, the Bhāgavatam says. Even big, big demigods, they become bewildered to understand. So when Kṛṣṇa was present, Indra, he wanted to test Him, and Brahmā wanted to test Him, whether He is actually God. So that is intelligence. If anyone declares... People are... Sometimes a so-called incarnations are, they are declaring that "I am God." Then one should test whether actually God. That is intelligence. Simply by declaring, if somebody declares falsely that "I am God..." Just like this Ramakrishna. He declared that "I am the same Kṛṣṇa and Rāma.

Lecture on SB 6.1.22 -- Indore, December 13, 1970:

Yes, even if he knew, but sometimes he become bewildered. Therefore it is..., Bhāgavata says that even the big, big demigods, they become bewildered. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāt tene brahma hṛdā muhyanti yatra sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). That māyā is so strong that they can bewilder a personality like Brahmā and Indra, and what to speak of us? Māyā is so strong. Similarly, Indra was also bewildered when He stopped Indra-yajña. Kṛṣṇa, when He asked His father, "There is no need of Indra-yajña..." He is under the order of the Supreme Lord. He did not say..., Kṛṣṇa said to Nanda Mahārāja that "I am the Supreme Lord," but He said, "He is working under the Supreme Lord. He has to supply water. There is no need of yajña." In other words, Kṛṣṇa is not in favor of any type of demigod worship. No. In the Govardhana chapter He stressed: simply the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be satisfied.

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Philadelphia, July 13, 1975:

Nitāi: "At the time of death, Ajāmila saw three awkward persons, very fearsome in appearance, with ropes in their hands. They had twisted faces and deformed bodily features, and their hair stood on end. They had come to take Ajāmila away to the shelter of Yamarāja. Ajāmila became extremely bewildered when he saw them. His small child, Nārāyaṇa, was playing a little distance off, and with tearful eyes and great anxiety, he called the name of his son very loudly three times, 'Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa!' " (SB 6.1.28-29)

Prabhupāda: Is there "three times"?

Nitāi: It said in the manuscript. The manuscript said "three times."

Prabhupāda: Who said in the manuscript? There is no three times. Not "Nārāyaṇa" three times. One time, "O Nārāyaṇa," that's all. So did I say "three times"? No, it is not said here. You should correct it. Once, "O Nārāyaṇa," that's all. There is no reason of calling three times. There is no mention here. Once is sufficient. (laughter)

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Honolulu, May 28, 1976:

Pradyumna: Translation: "Ajāmila then saw three awkward persons with deformed bodily features, fierce, twisted faces, and hair standing erect on their bodies. With ropes in their hands they had come to take him away to the abode of Yamarāja. When he saw them he was extremely bewildered, and because of attachment to his child, who was playing a short distance away, Ajāmila began to call him loudly by his name. Thus, with tears in his eyes, he somehow or other chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa." (SB 6.1.28-29)

Prabhupāda: Sa pāśa-hastāṁs trīn dṛṣṭvā puruṣān ati-dāruṇān. So, at the time of death there are so many disturbance. We have got experience, but you have forgot because bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). But these things are observed by the sinful person. The Yamadūta, they come to take to the sinful, sinful person, not devotees. Just like the whole population of the city, they are not all subjected to the prison laws. Some criminals. Similarly, this Yamadūta goes to such sinful persons. They are not all. But it is the question of Ajāmila... He was so sinful that automatically the Yamadūtas came, and they wanted to take him.

Lecture on SB 6.1.30 -- Honolulu, May 29, 1976:

So therefore this is the astra. To kill the miscreants this is astra, this hari-saṅkīrtana. If they'll simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, this is astra that will kill all their sinful reaction of life, then become devotee. This is astra. Now it is not required the bows and arrows or... Because they're already dead, because they have no conception of God. Simply fighting how to avoid God, this is their business. It is very difficult to convince them about the existence of... They're seeing every moment there is existence of God, but they're so stubborn, so much bewildered by māyā, they'll not. So, under the circumstances, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's therefore called namo mahā-vadānyāya, most munificent incarnation. Why? Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Even without understanding Kṛṣṇa, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra they become ecstatic for love of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.38 -- Los Angeles, June 4, 1976:

So, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, they're teaching us by playing, because Kṛṣṇa can play with His devotee, not with others. Most confidential devotee. What He wants to teach. So Arjuna presented himself as ordinary human being. He's not ordinary human being; he's personal friend of Kṛṣṇa. He cannot be bewildered, but he played the part of ordinary being, that "I have got attachment with my family. Why shall I kill them by Your order, and what is this, what is that?" so many, you know. Bhagavad-gītā, there are questions and answers. And at last, Kṛṣṇa said that "Give up this foolishness. Surrender unto Me." So he agreed, Arjuna. That is perfection. That is perfection.

Lecture on SB 6.1.52 -- Detroit, August 5, 1975:

Nitāi: "The foolish embodied living entity, inadept at controlling his senses and mind, although he does not desire to, he is forced to act by the different influences of the modes of material nature. He is just like the silkworm, who by the thread created from his own saliva creates a cocoon and becomes encaged in it without any possibility of getting out. The living entity has similarly engaged himself in a network of his own different fruitive activities and cannot find a way to get out of it. In that condition, he is always bewildered and repeatedly dies."

Prabhupāda:

dehy ajño 'jita-ṣaḍ-vargo

necchan karmāṇi kāryate

kośakāra ivātmānaṁ

karmaṇācchādya muhyati

(SB 6.1.52)

This is the position of all of us living entities. Because we cannot control the mind and the senses, especially karmendriya, the eyes, the ear, the tongue, the touch, the udara upastha... Pāṇi, pāda, pāyu, udara, upastha, these five karmendriya Pāṇi means hand, pāyu means rectum, and pāda means leg. Udara means belly, and upastha means genital. And these are karmendriya, and mind So mind dictates, "Oh, let me see this beautiful thing"—immediately eyes act. "Let me hear this sweet song"—immediately ear is engaged.

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

So dṛṣṭvā tāṁ kāma-liptena bāhunā parirambhitām. Kāma-liptena, engaged in such lusty affairs, embracing one another by the arms, jagāma hṛc-chaya-vaśaṁ sahasaiva vimohitaḥ, all his education and training become bewildered, and he become attracted and stunned by the scene. Stambhayann ātmanātmānaṁ yāvat sattvaṁ yathā-śrutam.

stambhayann ātmanātmānaṁ

yāvat sattvaṁ yathā-śrutam

na śaśāka samādhātuṁ

mano madana-vepitam

(SB 6.1.62)

Madana-vepitam. Madana, this Cupid. When Cupid attacks somebody or one who... When one becomes, I mean to say, too much attracted by lust, all his education, all his culture, all his knowledge, becomes stunned. That is the... Therefore one has to avoid this society.

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

They are called sujana. That is the instruction everywhere. Therefore, from the very beginning of life a boy is sent to gurukula for good association. Gurukula means... Still there are many gurukulas in India, a spiritual master training some boys in spiritual life. That has also become polluted. So many things... This is Kali-yuga. Therefore the only way of deliverance from this bewilderment is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa... He became attracted. Na śaśāka samādhātuṁ mano madana-vepitam. He is personally seeing the sex affairs. How he can be checked from the sex appetite? It is clearly said, na śaśāka: "He was unable," na śaśāka samādhātum, "to control himself." Controlling.

Lecture on SB 6.1.63 -- Vrndavana, August 30, 1975:

So the one word is very significant in this connection: graha-grasto vicetasaḥ. Graha-grasto means ghostly haunted or influenced by bad star, graha-grasto. Sometimes we become... We are always graha-grasto in this material world. It is said by some Vaiṣṇava poet, piśāci pāile yena mati-cchana haya māyār graṣṭa jīvera sei dāsa upajaya. Piśāci, ghostly haunted or inspired by the witches, when one becomes so, mati-cchana, he becomes bewildered and his intelligence becomes scattered. Mati-cchana. That is the condition of all living entities within this material world in different degrees. Everyone is ghostly haunted. And what is that ghostly haunted? That ghostly haunted, tan-nimitta-smara-vyāja. This Ajāmila had seen one śūdra and one śūdrāṇī were embracing, kissing, laughing, enjoying in lusty affairs. So he became tan-nimitta. By seeing these activities of the śūdra and the śūdrāṇī, naturally the lusty desire is there, which I explained yesterday. It is called hṛd-roga-kāma. This kāma, lusty desire, is a heart disease. So he was infected by the heart disease by seeing the scene, that one woman and man is embracing kissing, immediately.

Lecture on SB 6.1.64-65 -- Vrndavana, September 1, 1975:

So this man, although he was being trained up as a brāhmaṇa, his attention was diverted all of a sudden by seeing one śūdra and śūdrāṇī embracing, kissing, talking. So that became his meditation. Instead of meditating on Viṣṇu, he began to meditate on that śūdrani. Svayam eva toṣayām āsa. In the first verse, tan-nimitta-smara vyāja-graha-grasto vicetasaḥ. He became mad, vicetasa, bewildered, as if haunted by ghost. Tām eva manasā dhyāyan. Always meditating, "How shall I get that woman? How shall I please that woman so that she may satisfy my lusty desires?" Therefore tām eva toṣayām āsa: "His only business was how to please her." Now they require money. So he was not earning money, but pitṛyeṇa, whatever money he inherited from the father's earning... The son generally inherits father's property. He was the only son.

Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:

So this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that svalpam apy asya dharmasya, even slightly executed in due time... Because the process is we are educating people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa to practice, so in due time, Hare Kṛṣṇa at the time of death especially, if we can chant this holy name of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. So unless we practice, how it will be possible to chant at the time of death? Because at the time of death the whole system, anatomical-physiological system, becomes disturbed, in bewilderedness, in coma, in unconsciousness. But still, if one has practiced, there is possibility of chanting the holy name of the Lord, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa. Then that is success of life.

Lecture on SB 6.2.5-8 -- Calcutta, January 10, 1971:

So one may be not bewildered. They may criticize that it's too much, but it is not too much. It is actual fact. Actual fact. That is aparādha. One who thinks like that, that hari-nāma has not so much power that it can counteract, they are offender. For them it is not possible. But one who believes in the words of the śāstras, as it is stated here, for him it is actually effective. Artha-vāda. Out of ten offenses, artha-vāda, one who comments like that, that is artha-vāda, and that is offense. So those who are cultivating this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they should have firm faith in the statement of the śāstras that chanting of harer nāma is so powerful.

Lecture on SB 6.2.9-10 -- Allahabad, January 15, 1971:

So another devotee should be very much angry upon such person. Krodha bhakta-dveṣi-jane. Bhakta-dveṣi means one who is envious of a pure devotee. And who is a pure devotee? Who is trying to spread the holy name of the Lord all over the world. Satāṁ nindā. This is offense. So a devotee can utilize all these elements—lustiness, anger, kāma, krodha, greediness, and moha. Illusion also can be utilized. Just like illusion... Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me: "I see everything vacant, being separated from Govinda." So when one is bewildered, illusioned, that can be also there. You become bewildered, illusioned, being separated from Govinda.

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

There is no doubt about it. And if we become hodgepodge and mix with hodgepodge and do hodgepodge, there is no progress. Na siddhim. It is clearly said by Kṛṣṇa, "There is no question of perfection," na sukham, "neither happiness," na parāṁ gatim, "and what to speak of being promoted to the spiritual world? There is no..." Therefore vaidhi-bhakti, as it is enunciated in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Nectar of Devotion, by the Gosvāmīs, we shall try to follow as far as possible. Be sincere and hard-working. Then the success is sure. Not to be bewildered, misled by the so-called avatāra, incarnation. You see? The so-called avatāras, they are simply rascals. Especially in Bengal, every day there is an avatāra. (laughter)

Lecture on SB 6.3.20-23 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

He promised that "Now tomorrow I shall fight in such a way that either Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise, either, or His most intimate friend, beloved friend, Arjuna, will be killed." So this person is determining to kill Kṛṣṇa's friend, most intimate friend, and he's a mahājana. Just try to understand. Bhīṣma is accepted here as mahājana, as authority. And what was his business? He wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Just try to understand. Therefore, we have to follow only the instruction of mahājana; otherwise, we'll be bewildered. Vaiṣṇave kriyā mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya (CC Madhya 23.39). We cannot understand what are the activities of Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. We have to simply follow their instruction. That's all. The sahajiyās, they do not follow the instruction. They imitate only: "Kṛṣṇa has made rāsa-līlā; so why not we also make rāsa-līlā?" It is going on, regularly.

Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:

"Practically they were also bewildered by the influence of māyā." They do not know that there is such a medicine. The example is given, mṛta-sañjīvanī. But they take to bitter medical drugs like nim, ciratā and kālamegha. That is explained by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Mṛta-saṁyamani viṣam ajānanta auṣadham ajānanta vaidya roga-nirharaṇāya tri-kaṭu nimva dini smaran, tatha svayambhūḥ sanmukha-pramukhat dvādaśa, dvādaśa vyatire kenayam mahājana api guhyam idam ajñāta-dvādaśādhikaṁ smaranti.(?)

So the great compiler of religious scripture, headed by Manu and others, without knowing the simple method, they prescribe gorgeous ritualistic ceremonies. Kim ca māyayā divyalam vimohitam matir ayam jana madhu, madhunam yatha bhavati evam puspitayam puṣpa-sthaniya ratavadi mano-harayam trayyam jadi-kṛta abhinivista-matir yasya ata eva mahaty eva karmany agni-stomadau śraddhayā yujyamānaḥ.(?) So being bewildered by the material or external energy, they take to these gorgeous ceremonies or sacrificial performances.

Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:

Now, Kṛṣṇa says that kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante anya-devatāḥ: (BG 7.20) "Those who are worshipers of the demigods, they are bewildered by their lusty desires." And here Yamarāja says that deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthāḥ: "A devotee is worshiped by the devāḥ, demigods." Just try to understand the opposite direction, that those who are ordinarily enthused by lust and greed, they go to worship demigods. But if one becomes a devotee of the Lord, the demigods worship him. That is the prerogative of devotees. Siddha... Bhāva-yogam. There the bhāva... This word is bhāva-yogam. Bhāva means ecstasy. Ecstatic yoga, the yoga principle by which one comes to the ecstasy. Just like sometimes while you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you come to the ecstatic point. You forget yourself and dance, forget everything. That is called bhāva-yogam. To the devotee it appears sometimes. So bhāva-yogam.

Lecture on SB 6.3.25-26 -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971:

Therefore if there is a process... Just like you can pick up the spot of oil floating in the water by some process immediately, similarly, by bhakti-yoga process, although the spirit soul is floating in this material ocean, he can be picked up immediately. He can be picked up. And asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. The Veda says that "This puruṣa, the spirit soul, is always unmixed, unmixed." Therefore Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that "This material association is simply a bewilderment. Actually it does not exist. I am Brahman; I am the same." But actually, although I am the same, because I am associating with the different qualities, I mean to say, higher qualities or lower qualities of the material nature, then that association will give me a different position, although I am not mixed up with this material existence.

Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:

Harikeśa: Translation: "In tender childhood age, when everyone is bewildered, he passes ten years. Similarly, in boyhood, being engaged in sporting and playful things, another ten years. In this way twenty years are wasted. Similarly, in old age, when a person becomes invalid and he is unable to execute even material activities, he passes another twenty years wastefully."

Prabhupāda:

mugdhasya bālye kaiśore

krīḍato yāti viṁśatiḥ

jarayā grasta-dehasya

yāty akalpasya viṁśatiḥ

(SB 7.6.7)

So fifty years out of one hundred years, fifty years wasted by sleeping. And then balance fifty years, twenty years in childhood and youthhood, sporting, playing; another twenty years in old age... Jarayā grasta. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). These are inevitable. As birth is inevitable, death is inevitable, similarly, old age is inevitable. So in this way our time is wasted because we do not know how valuable this human form of life is. There is no such education.

Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:

Narottama dāsa's song, although it is written in Bengali, it is considered as śruti, Vedic. Śrīnivāsa Ācārya has eulogized Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura that "Your songs are Vedic evidences." Whatever Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has said in simple Bengali song, they are all Vedic injunction. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's Prārthanā are very popular and famous amongst the Vaiṣṇava, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, and others also. So we should not waste our..., mugdhasya, bewildered, befooled or illusioned, mugdhasya. Don't be illusioned. Even bālye, in childhood, they should not be because there is no question of bālya or vṛddha. Any, at any moment the life can be finished. You know. There is no guarantee, "Because a child is a child, oh, he has got hundred years' age, so let him play now."

Lecture on SB 7.6.7 -- Vrndavana, December 9, 1975:

So we are thinking, "We are growing. We are living." This is all mugdha, bewildered. Where you are growing, you are living? You are dying every moment.

So dying, death is going on. It is called mṛtyu-loka. So long you are in the material world, you are simply dying. That's all. At the end, when the balance of life, it becomes finished, we take, at that time, it is mṛtyu. But no, from the very birth there is mṛtyu, always, dying, dying, dying, dying. So mugdha. We are thinking, "We are living and growing, young. We are getting strength." But he does not know that he is dying. Therefore it is explained, mugdhasya: "illusioned." He is taking death as life, mugdhasya. So one should not be so bewildered, mugdhasya, and waste time by playing. Human life is not meant for... Similarly, jarayā grasta-dehasya. Akalpasya. This is also very important.

Lecture on SB 7.7.22-26 -- San Francisco, March 10, 1967:

So this energy is acting in such a way that those who are not in exactly knowledge, they are bewildered. They think, "This is the end, nature, material nature." But this material nature is temporary—everyone knows it—as your body is temporary. It is born, it is stays for sometimes, it grows, it becomes very beautiful, and it produces some by-products, some children, or nice boys and girls, then becomes old and then vanishes, these six changes. Similarly, you should know anything material, they are under these six changes, and when vanishes, it will never come back again. It finishes forever. Your this nice body, when it will vanish, nobody can get it back. Suppose one man's very beautiful son or daughter has died. There is no power in this world which can bring back that body again. That is not possible. Therefore any sane man, any intelligent man, they should understand that "This is false. Behind this body, what is there?" That is being analyzed. This is self-analysis.

Lecture on SB 7.9.5 -- Mayapur, February 25, 1977:

So feelingly, utthapya: immediately got him up. "My dear child, get up." And immediately put his hand on the head. Utthāpya tac-chīrṣṇy adadhāt karāmbujam. Karāmbhuja, lotus hand, lotus palm. So these feelings are there. And He wanted... Because this boy was bewildered that such a big mūrti came from the thumbs(?), the columns and the father, gigantic father, is dead, naturally he is little disturbed in mind. So therefore vitrasta-dhiyāṁ kṛtābhayam: "My dear child, don't be afraid. Everything is all right. I am present and there is no fear. Be pacified. I will give you protection." So this is the exchange. So there is no need of very, becoming very learned man, Vedantist and... Simply these things are required: you become innocent, accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and fall down at His lotus feet. Everything is complete. This is wanted, simplicity. Simplicity. Believe in Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañ... (BG 7.7), believe it! There is no more superior authority than Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām (BG 2.44). Bhoga, bhoga means sense enjoyment, and aiśvarya means opulence, wealth, riches. Persons who are very much attached to sense gratification and hankering after material opulence, bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayā, and by such thing, apahṛta-cetasām... Apahṛta means bewildered; cetasām, consciousness. Such persons, they are thinking that "These things will save me." They never think that they will have to leave all these things behind him, and he has to go alone. Just like when a bird flies in the sky, so he has to leave behind him everything, and he has to fly in the sky on his own strength. There is no other help. Why bird? Take these airplanes, jet planes. When we get on the sky, leaving this land, no more we can depend on our strength on the land. If the plane is sufficiently strong, then we can fly; otherwise there is danger. Similarly persons who are very much materialistic, they are thinking that this opulence, prestige, and material strength will save him. No. That is bewilderment. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, tayā apahṛta-cetasām. Apahṛta-cetasām means whose consciousness has become bewildered by these material opulences. Such persons, tayā apahṛta-cetasām, for them, vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate. Samādhi. Samādhi means concentration in the vyavasāyātmikā, niścayātmikā-buddhiḥ. Niścayātmikā means to be firmly convinced that "Kṛṣṇa consciousness will only save me." This conviction such persons cannot have. Which persons? Those who are too much sensuous and after material opulence.

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

He comes therefore in person, Kṛṣṇa. He sends His son, Lord Jesus Christ, or He sends His devotee. He leaves behind Him the books like Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or many other such literatures. Why? To reclaim these obstinate, bewildered sons of God. They have forgotten God, and they are, instead of loving God, they are now loving dog. Therefore God is very anxious. It is natural. If a father is very rich man and he has got many sons, he wants to see the sons very happy. But if the sons go away from home and becomes crazy, do not come back home, the father is more anxious than the son. The son does not understand that what is his precarious condition of life in this material world, but God understands that how much in miserable condition he's living. Threefold miserable condition of this material existence. He's always disturbed, but still, he does not wish to go back to Godhead. Therefore there is a constant endeavor on the part of God to reclaim these conditioned souls.

Lecture on SB 7.9.21 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1976:

Just like recently one rascal—he is doctor—he has said that "Sītā was sister of Rāma, and Rāma was this and that." So speculator. He has become bigger than the ācāryas, and because he has got little doctorate title, he's thinking that he has become very, very big. This is going on. This is called māyā manaḥ. Māyā is so strong that she is bewildering even so-called doctorates, deletes(?) and others. All rascals. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Although they have got these university degrees, but they are rascals. Why? Māyayapahṛta-jñānā. Their knowledge has been taken away by māyā.

Lecture on SB 7.9.31 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1976:

Sat means which is existing, and asad means which is no longer existing. So this material world is asat. It is simply for the time being an exhibition. So we have to find out the real existence, sanātana existence. That is Kṛṣṇa. We should not be bewildered by seeing this temporary manifestation. Anything material is temporary. It has a date of creation. Everything, whatever you see here in the... Just like this microphone. It has got a date of creation, it will work for some time, and then it will go out of order, and we shall throw it in the street and again it will disappear in the earth, because everything has come out from the earth. This is material world. But we must find out what is the reality. We should not be bewildered by the temporary things. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to take the living entity from this temporary world to the spiritual world or to the permanent world, where there is no more annihilation. It is eternal, nitya. Nityaḥ śāśvataḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.9.31 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1976:

Therefore Vedic injunction is, "Don't try to remain in this temporary situation." Asato mā sad gamaḥ: "Don't remain this..." But we are so ignorant, our present civilization is so foolish, that they do not know what is sat and what is asat. They want to stay in the asat. They want to make arrangement to stay in this asat, temporary things, forgetting that however nicely you make arrangement in this temporary material world, you'll not be allowed to stay. This is our ignorance. Mūḍha nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. Kṛṣṇa says, "These rascals, mūḍha, they do not know what is the permanent stage, sanātana." That is wanted. That is human knowledge. One should know the permanent, not be bewildered by the temporary things. That is ignorance.

Lecture on SB 7.9.35 -- Mayapur, March 13, 1976:

They are called sarva-kāmaḥ. And akāma means no more desire. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). So we have to purify ourself. So to purify ourself means don't desire anything material. "Then I shall become void of desire?" No, not void of desire. Real desire must be there. Therefore we are singing daily, guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya, āra nā koriyā mane āśa **. Āra... "No more. That's all." Āra nā koriyā mane āśa. We are singing daily. You must understand what is the meaning. Because we are bewildered, we are misdirected, So, so guru's word, that should be taken seriously. Āra nā koriyā... "No more, anything." That is... Therefore how much difficult it is to find out such guru. Ādau gurvāśrayam. First of all you have to accept guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). So we have to follow guru.

Lecture on SB 7.9.36 -- Mayapur, March 14, 1976:

That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is always yaśodā-nandana. He is always ready to be chastised by Mother Yaśodā, by the gopīs, and sometimes by His friends. That is Vṛndāvana Kṛṣṇa. That is real Kṛṣṇa; that is real God. And this form of God as Brahmā saw, virāṭ-rūpa, that is māyāmayam. Because Brahmā, such exalted person, he was meant for creating this universe, he becomes bewildered, seeing Kṛṣṇa as a cowherd boy. That was also exhibited. When Brahmā understood that "A cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana is said to be the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, my master," so he also examined whether Kṛṣṇa, that boy, was his master. He took away His calves and cowherd boys for a second, and he saw that Kṛṣṇa has expanded Himself to so many cows and calves and cowherd boys. Then he submitted. Similarly, Indra also wanted to examine Him. So everyone... Śiva-viriñci-nutam (SB 11.5.33). Yatra muhyanti sūrayaḥ. So even Lord Brahmā, Lord Indra, and others, big, big demigods, they become bewildered to understand Kṛṣṇa. So Brahmā saw the virāṭ-rūpa. Māyāmayaṁ sad-upalakṣita-sanniveśaṁ dṛṣṭvā mahā-puruṣam āpa mudaṁ viriñcaḥ. But when he saw the Lord, he was very, very happy.

Lecture on SB 7.9.37 -- Mayapur, March 15, 1976:

We get it. Brahmā was born. He was to establish the kingdom of God or, as Brahmā was born, the other living entities also were in the body of Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṇu. They were also to take birth later on. And before their birth, Brahmā was instructed Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge means these bewildered living entities struggling for existence may get Vedic knowledge so that they can revive their old, original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the purpose of Vedic knowledge. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). The Vedic... What is Vedic knowledge? Vedic knowledge means to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Vedic knowledge. If you revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the perfection of Vedic knowledge. But if you read only Vedas and perform formalities, ritualistic ceremonies, but you do not awaken your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is useless waste of time.

Lecture on SB 7.9.54 -- Vrndavana, April 9, 1976:

So where is the difficulty to understand that there is something in the body, therefore the body is changing? Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). A child is becoming a baby, baby is becoming a boy, a boy is becoming a young man, young man is becoming a middle aged, a middle-aged man is becoming old man, so the old man, now, after giving up when it is useless, this body, no more workable, then he must get another body, as we have experienced after one stage of life another stage, another body. Where is the difficulty? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, dhīras tatra na muhyati. Those who are intelligent, they are not, I mean to say, bewildered. They accept, "Yes, there is." Only the rascals, they cannot understand, the rascals. The opposite number of dhīra, the crazy rascals, they cannot understand. Simple thing.

Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:

Actually it is the position, but because we are under the spell of māyā, we are captivated, bewildered, that after sex life, not only human being, but anyone who is living within this material world, beginning from Brahmā down to the smallest insect, everyone is after sex life. We have heard that even Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, they became sexually excited. It is said that Lord Brahmā was enchanted by daughter, what to speak of others. This material world is so, I mean to say, bewildering, that sometimes the first-class person also becomes bewildered by sex life. Therefore it is strictly prohibited that one should not remain in a solitary place with woman even though the woman is mother, sister or daughter. This is the injunction of the śāstra. Mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā na viviktāsane vāset, balavān indriya-grāmo vidvaṁsam api karṣati (SB 9.19.17). This is the order, that mātrā... Mātrā means "along with mother," svasrā mean "along with sister," and duhitrā means "along with daughter." "One should not sit down in a solitary place even with mother, sister or daughter."

So one may be surprised, that "Nobody becomes agitated, sitting before mother, sister or daughter." But śāstra says, "No, no. They are agitated." Then you can say, "Maybe agitates some fool rascal.

Lecture on SB 7.12.1 -- Bombay, April 12, 1976:

I must require some land for eating. Gṛha-kṣetra-sūta. Then we desire for some children. Sūta, āpta, then friends. Sūta, āpta. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta vittaiḥ. But all these establishment can be maintained by money only. Then money. Then, in this way, gradually, janasya moho 'ham. We are already bewildered. We are attached to this material world, but when we are united, man and woman together, our attachment for this material world becomes increased. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Material world mean "I am this body, and in relationship with this body everything is mine," this conception. They forget altogether that "Nothing is mine. Even this body is not mine. Even I am not mine. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's." That is wanted. Unless we get to that status of life, that "Nothing belongs to me. This body also belongs to Kṛṣṇa; I, as spirit soul, belong to Kṛṣṇa; and everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa...," then we become liberated. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13).

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

They do not know that. The so... There are so many welfare workers. But they do not know even that there is next life. This is the position of the present civilization. Because I may be a great philanthropist, but my next life will be according to my karma. Just like by becoming philanthropist I may do so many sinful activities. Because when one is mad after something... Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). When, then his knowledge becomes bewildered. They do not care to do anything, either sinful... Generally, they act sinfully. But according to our acts, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1), the superior authority will examine your karma. Not so-called philanthropism.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Just like we have cited the example that animal stool is impure, but cow dung is pure. So by logic you can say that "Cow dung is also the stool of an animal. How it becomes pure?" But in Vedas you'll find such things. Therefore by simple studying, without surrendering yourself to the spiritual master, you'll find all these contradictions and you'll be bewildered. Śrutayo vibhinnā. They are not vibhinnā. But to our limited knowledge, sometimes they appear as vibhinnam, different. Śrutayo vibhinnaṁ nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And you won't find a philosopher who does not agree, who does not disagree with our philosophers.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

This, these four kinds of stages of sinful activities, in stock, almost fructified, manifest, all the stages of sinful activities can be immediately nullified. Because it is assured by Kṛṣṇa, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. It is not imagination. If we believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, then there is no question of denying this fact. Kṛṣṇa personally says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣa... Sarva-pāpebhyo (BG 18.66). The kūṭa-stha, phalonmukha, prārabdha, everything, it become immediately nullified, simply by this process, by surrendering: "Kṛṣṇa, I, I was mistaken. I got..., forgot your mastership; You are my eternal Lord. So I was bewildered. I was wandering. Now I have come to my senses. I surrender unto You sincerely. You accept me." This very thing will give you immediately protection from all sinful activities.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 11, 1972:

So our purpose is not to construct big, big buildings. That is required for propaganda work, for giving shelter to people. But our main business is how to turn the face of the bewildered conditioned souls towards Kṛṣṇa. That is our method. That is our main purpose. Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and other Vaiṣṇavas, they did not advise to give much attention for constructing big, big temples and maṭhas. Because if our attention is diverted towards these material things... Material things means, as I have repeatedly explained, forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise there is no, nothing material. It is illusion.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.1 -- Atlanta, March 1, 1975:

Their qualification is mandāḥ. Mandāḥ means they do not know that the human life is meant for qualifying oneself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spiritual consciousness. They do not know. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo (SB 1.1.10). Even one is interested about spiritual consciousness, they accept some bogus theory. So many yogis, swamis, all bluffer, they will take care. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. Because Kali-yuga, they are already sophisticated, bewildered, and these people come to cheat, they fall the prey of these cheaters. Sumanda-matayo. Anyone who is preaching something else other than God consciousness, he is a cheater. He is a cheater. Sumanda-matayo. Because real progress of life is to become God conscious. That is the real progress.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

She is conducting the activities of the material nature. But those who are mūḍhas, they are captivated by the wonderful action of material nature. That is called materialist. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ mohitaḥ. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. They are bewildered. Nature's business is to keep you fool always. And if you can surpass the bewilderment of material nature, if you agree to be controlled by the supreme controller, then your life is successful. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta author says that "Here is the controller," ekala, "one." And Kṛṣṇa also says, mām ekam. Not that imitation Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be befooled. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.109-114 -- San Francisco, February 20, 1967:

There is, Padma Purāṇa, there is statement. In the Padma Purāṇa there is: māyāvādam asac-chāstraṁ pracchannaṁ bauddham ucyate. In the Padma Purāṇa it is stated that "This Māyāvāda philosophy is covered Buddhism." Mayaiva kalpitaṁ devi kalau brāhmaṇa-mūrtinā. Lord Śiva says to his wife, "My dear Pārvatī, in the age of Kali, in the garb of a brāhmaṇa, I'll have to preach this philosophy." Brahmaṇaś cāparaṁ rūpaṁ nirguṇam vakṣyate mayā. Brāhmaṇaś ca aparaṁ rūpam: "Brahman, the Supreme Lord, He has got transcendental form, but I'll have to preach that He has no form, nirguṇam." Sarvasvaṁ jagato 'py asya mohanārthaṁ kalau yuge: "In the age of Kali, just to bewilder the persons, I'll have to preach this philosophy." Vedānte tu mahā-śāstre māyāvādam avaidikam: "And, when I shall explain Vedānta, I shall explain everything against Vedas."

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.109-114 -- San Francisco, February 20, 1967:

"This body of Kṛṣṇa or Lord Rāma, when They come," according to Māyāvāda philosophy, that "actually, the Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, has no form, but when They assume form, They take help of this material nature." That is not a fact. They come in Their own spiritual form. That is confirmed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

tāṅra doṣa nāhi, teṅho ājñā-kārī dāsa

āra yei śune tāra haya sarva-nāśa

Now, he preached this bewildering philosophy because he was ordered to do so by the Supreme Lord. That was his duty. But we must be very much careful. If we hear Śaṅkara's interpretation, or commentation, then you are doomed. "You are doomed" means no more Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are thrown into wilderness for many, many births. Then sometimes, if you come in contact with some pure devotee, it may be possible. But so far Śaṅkarācārya's bhāṣya is concerned, or anyone who is following that commentation, they are doomed.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.119 -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

This is the actual picture of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But Brahmā, Indra, big, big demigods, they are also bewildered. They are sometimes mistaken, that "How this cowherd boy can become the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" Just like some of us think like that. But those who are thinking like that, for them also, there is manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's supremacy. Brajajana-ballabha giri-vara-dhārī. Although he's engaged in pleasing the inhabitants of Vraja, but when there is need, He can lift up the Govardhana Hill—at the age of seven years. Or He can kill the Pūtanā at the age of three months. And so many demons used to visit daily. Kṛṣṇa used to go with the calves and cows, with His friends in the forest, and every day Kaṁsa used to send one kind of demon to kill them—Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Dhenukāsura, so many.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.154-155 -- Gorakhpur, February 19, 1971 (Krsna Niketan):

Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facility, but we are not happy. By acting in our own way we are misguided. Otherwise we are, would have been happy. Suppose if somebody wanted that "Let me have one crores of rupees." "All right, you have it. Here is one crore of rupees." But after one crore of rupees you are not happy. These Americans, they wanted to be the richest nation in the world. They have become. But their children—not happy. They are becoming hippies. Their father is also not happy, because his boy has gone astray. The government is perturbed, bewildered, "What to do with these boys?"

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.101-104 -- Bombay, November 3, 1975:

Our death means to transmigrate to another body. Just like from childhood we are transmigrating to another body, boyhood; from boyhood we are transmigrating to another body, youth-hood; and from youth-hood we are transferred to another body, old body. Similarly, when this body will not be any more workable, then we shall transmigrate to another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Those who are dhīra—dhīra means sober, thoughtful—they are not bewildered. But those who are not dhīra, adhīra... There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means one who is spiritually situated. He is called dhīra or brahma-bhūtaḥ, prasannātmā (BG 18.54), dhīra. And one who is not spiritually situated, materially situated, means on the platform of bodily conception of life, then he is adhīra, he is restless, from this platform to that platform, this platform to that platform. This is going on.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.108-109 -- New York, July 15, 1976:

So the philosophy is very simple, but unless one is fit or appropriate person, he cannot understand. No. So in the material world we are materially diseased; therefore it is very difficult for us to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy. Otherwise it is very simple thing. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera 'svarūpa' haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108). Very simple thing. Everyone, even a child can understand that we are, our svarūpa, our constitutional position, is that we are servant of God, Kṛṣṇa. But the material world is so bewildering that everyone is thinking that "I am master of everyone." This is the disease. "I am the monarch of all I survey."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110-111 -- Bombay, November 17, 1975:

Now, avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. This material world means full of avidyā and karma-saṁjñā, and working hard like hogs and dogs day and night. This is material world. Material world means based on ignorance that "I am this body," and working day and night like hogs and dogs. That is material life. But human life, although we have got this material life, body, we should not be, I mean to say, bewildered. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). Ahaṅkāra, taking this body in the concept of ahaṅkāra, false ahaṅkāra, egotism—"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that"—this is called ahaṅkāra. Vimudhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). And the whole world is going on.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.146-151 -- New York, December 3, 1966:

God is all-pervading by His energy. You study. Just the scientists, what they are studying? They are studying a portion of the energy of God, only a portion of the energy of God. That is also not perfectly. So the energy is so vast and immense that one cannot study even the energy. Therefore those who are studying about God, after finishing the study of the energies, they are at a loss to understand how so much energy can be emanated from the person. Therefore they cannot conceive any personal idea of God. The energy is so vast and immense that they are bewildered in the energy. And how such great amount of energy can emanate from a person they cannot conceive, because they compare with their own energy. Because I am limited... I have got this body, I have got my personality, but my energies are limited. But we cannot understand that the Unlimited has got unlimited energy.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.358-359 -- New York, December 29, 1966:

To understand God, even the greatest of the greatest thinkers, philosophers, or sage or saintly person, they are also bewildered. Cannot understand. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamya. So Lord Caitanya is (indistinct) that He has got two characteristics. One characteristic is..., that is always present. What is that? He's independent and full of knowledge and He's conscious. Unconsciousness is not the qualification of God. Voidness cannot be accepted as the qualification of the Supreme. The Supreme must be conscious. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye, tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo yatra trisargo 'mṛṣā (SB 1.1.1). And yatra, in Him rests the material manifestation. And what is this material manifestation? Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayam. It is simply exchange of fire, water and earth.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 21.13-49 -- New York, January 4, 1967:

Brahmā, he was bewildered. When Kṛṣṇa came on this planet, Brahmā... Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Brahmā was astonished and Indra was astonished: "How is that my Lord Kṛṣṇa has come at Vṛndāvana as a cowherd boy?" So they came to Vṛndāvana to test. So all... So Brahmā, by his... He has got so much power. He had kidnapped all the cows and the boys of Kṛṣṇa. And when he came back he saw Kṛṣṇa is playing with the same cows and boys again. Then he could understand that "This boy is Kṛṣṇa." Then he offered his prayer and begged pardon from Him that "I misunderstood." In this way there are many narrations in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Here Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is referring to that incident.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1970:

A devotee sees that how Kṛṣṇa, Keśava, is cheating these rascals. The devotee can understand. But the demons, they think, "Oh, we have got a nice leader. He does not believe in God." (laughter) You see? Sammohāya sura-dviṣām (SB 1.3.24). The exact Sanskrit word is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You have seen, those who have read: sammohāya, for bewildering sura-dviṣām. Sura-dviṣām means persons who are envious of the Vaiṣṇavas. The atheist class, demons, they are always envious of the devotees. That is the law of nature.

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Bhagavad-gita 7.5 Lecture -- Vrndavana, August 11, 1974:

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose. We are requesting and training the bewildered living entities who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa to revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that he may be saved from the onslaught of material nature. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is the greatest humanitarian welfare activities to the human society. Take it very seriously and be happy.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Avirbhava Appearance Day Lecture -- Bhuvanesvara, February 2, 1977:

We can do whatever we like." This is called ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Under false pretext, false prestige, everyone is thinking that "We are independent. We can find out the solution of the problems of life by material adjustment," so on, so on. So that is our material disease. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Bewildered, they do not understand that the real strength is spiritual strength. We see daily, see daily that a very strong man, very powerful man, very good brain, very good scientist... So where is the strength? The strength is ātmā.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- Paris, June 8, 1974:

But we can understand if there is the active principle soul within this body, there must be a Supersoul within this huge structure of body. And that is called God. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). Those who are bewildered, narādhamāḥ. Narādhamāḥ, the lowest of the mankind. These things cannot be understood by the cats and dogs. Their body is constituted in such a way that they cannot think of there is an active principle within the body and there is active principle in this huge gigantic body. The cats and dogs cannot understand, but a human being can understand. And that active principle is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. As the active principle within this body is all-attractive, this beautiful body of French boys and girls, why? The active principle is there; therefore they are attractive. Many people come to see your city. Why? The active principle is there.

Arrival -- Chicago, July 3, 1975:

Prabhupāda: Kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. Purport?

Nitāi: "The completely bewildered material civilization is wrongly directed towards the fulfillment of desires in sense gratification."

Prabhupāda: Simply wine, women and beach, and sporting and jumping like monkeys, this is the... We require little satisfaction of the bodily demands. That's all right. But not for this purpose. The bags have come?

Harikeśa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then that's all right. There is oil.

Arrival Address -- Vrndavana, September 3, 1976:

We are thinking, "I'm making very good progress." Rascaldom. There is no progress. Unless you become inquisitive, athāto brahma jijñāsā, there is no progress. That has been taught by our ācāryas. Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached..., Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Lord Caitanya, his first question was... He was prime minister, he was a very big man, but he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu to inquire, "Who am I?" Ke āmi. That was his inquiry. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya, apani kaha prabhu kiser hita haya. So this is the process, to know of oneself, not to be bewildered for the temporary, bodily comforts. This is the instruction of the whole Vedic literature.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture and Bhagavan dasa's Marriage Ceremony -- New Vrindaban, June 4, 1969:

So in this way we have to study. This is called philosophical vision. So Bhāgavata says they are mad after sense gratification, as a result of which he's getting different types of body. Because body does not belong to him. Just like if you pay different types of rent, you get different types of apartment. If you pay nicely, you get very good apartment in New York, in Fifth Avenue or something like that. Or if you cannot pay, then... Similarly, we are getting this apartment, body, under different condition. So we should understand that we have to get such a nice body that no more we'll have to change. That should be the destination of one's progress. That they do not know.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just to put before this bewildered human society what is the destination of his life. The destination is... Everywhere in Vedic literature you'll find.

Excerpt from Sannyasa Initiation of Viraha Prakasa Swami -- Mayapur, February 5, 1976:

Because the ekadaṇḍī-sannyāsīs of the Māyāvāda school are not devoted to the service of Kṛṣṇa, they try to merge into the Brahman effulgence, which is a marginal position between material and spiritual existence. They accept this impersonal position as liberation. Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, not knowing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a tridaṇḍī, think of Caitanya Mahāprabhu as an ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī. This is due to their vivarta, bewilderment. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no such thing as ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī. Indeed, the tridaṇḍī-sannyāsī is accepted as the symbolic representation of the sannyāsa order. By citing this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the sannyāsa order recommended in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, who are enamored of the external energy of the Lord, cannot understand the mind of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, September 30, 1968:

Anger means lust. When you are lusty and your lust is not fulfilled, you become angry. That's all. It is another feature of the lust. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. When you are too much influenced with the modes of passion, you become lusty. And when your lust is not fulfilled, then you are angry, next stage. And next stage is that there is bewilderment. And then next stage is praṇaśyati, then you are lost. Therefore one has to control this lust and anger. This controlling means you have to put yourself in the modes of goodness, not in the modes of passion. There are three modes of material nature: modes of ignorance, modes of passion and modes of goodness.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

Because the spirit soul is within this body, therefore it is moving. Because the spirit soul is there within this body, therefore it is growing. So spirit soul is the basic principle of all material expansion. Similarly, God being full spirit, whole spirit, He is the basic principle of all cosmic manifestation, but He is person. These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll read. Arjuna says that "It is very difficult to understand Your personality." People are bewildered, but He is person. And in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad and many other Upaniṣads it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "He is the chief eternal amongst all eternals." That means we living entities, we are also eternals, but He is the chief eternal. So if we are persons, then He is also person.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

Dhīra, those who are sober, intelligent, they are not bewildered when a living entity changes his body. So change of body is going on in every moment, in every second, imperceptibly. Medical science also accepts that in every second we are changing our blood corpuscles. That is a fact. We are changing body every moment. And the final change is called death. But actually, there is no death.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

Therefore the intelligent man should try to know, "What is my constitutional position? Why I want to stay, but some superpower kicks me out of this stage? Why?" (Why?) This is question. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra instructs that every human being, not the animals but human being, you should not be bewildered. You should question, "Why I am suffering threefold miseries? Why... I do not want death. Why death overcomes me?" Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). An intelligent man should always keep before him four principles of material miseries: birth, death, old age and disease.

Conway Hall Lecture -- London, September 15, 1969:

That is not explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, and that is your wrong interpretation. Any way, no. The same way you have to go. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ (BG 4.11): "Everyone is trying to come to Me," but someone has come a few steps, another has come to another few steps, another step. Ultimately... That was... I explained it. You have to reach that Vāsudeva. That comes to the..., or that is possible after many, many births. It is clearly said, "After many, many births," bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), "one comes to this point." Another verse in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Anya-devatāḥ. Those who are bewildered by lust, material lust, they go to worship other demigods.

Lecture -- London, September 16, 1969:

He was talking with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was asking him to fight, and he was placing so many pleas that "If I fight, my family will die and the women will be widows. They will be polluted." So many arguments he placed. That means Arjuna was identifying himself with this body. And Kṛṣṇa, when Arjuna submitted to Kṛṣṇa that "I am now puzzled, bewildered. I cannot understand what is my duty at the present moment; therefore I am submitting unto You," śiṣyas te 'ham: (BG 2.7) "I become Your disciple." Śādhi māṁ prapannam: "I am surrendered unto You. You please instruct me." So because they were talking like friends in the beginning, so argument like friends, talking, that cannot give any conclusion. Here is the Vedic process.

Lecture (Day after Lord Rama's Appearance Day) -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1970:

Asmin dehe, in this body, there is one thing which is the proprietor of the body. And that proprietor of the body, due to the presence of the proprietor of the body, the body is changing from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youthhood, from youthhood to old age. And when it is too old, when it is not useful any more, you have to change another body, that is called death. So dhīras tatra na muhyati. One who is intelligent, one who is in the knowledge, he is not bewildered. He sees that every second, every moment, the body is changing, and the last phase of change is called death.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 12, 1971:

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa being the ātmeśvaraḥ, the sum total of all ātmā, therefore ultimately Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu is our dear. Not only that; He is suhṛt. Kṛṣṇa is always thinking. In the Upaniṣad also there is a verse that the Supersoul and the individual soul, they are sitting as friends on this tree, or body. The one is eating the fruits of that tree and the other is witnessing. So what business has God, Kṛṣṇa, to witness your activities? No, He has got business because He wants to take you back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore He is suhṛt. Ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt. Nobody is better friend than Kṛṣṇa, He is always thinking how this bewildered individual soul can be brought back to home, back to Godhead. He personally comes, therefore, canvassing.

Pandal Lecture -- Delhi, November 13, 1971:

That is the Vedic injunction in the Ṛg Veda, oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are advanced in knowledge, their aim is, their interest is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. But people do not know what is his self-interest. That is indicated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. Everyone should be self-interest. But in this material world, being illusioned, being bewildered by the material energy, we are thinking our self-interest in terms of our particular type of education. Somebody is thinking that "Simply I have to maintain my body somehow or other." Little expanded, thinking interest of society, you go on. But they do not know that the self-interest must expand to Lord Viṣṇu. And that is explained by Prahlāda Mahārāja.

Rotary Club Lecture -- Ahmedabad, December 5, 1972:

By knowledge—Veda means knowledge—by advancement of knowledge, one should know what is God. That is perfect knowledge. Otherwise, eating, sleeping, mating knowledge is there in the animals. This is not knowledge. You must have perfect knowledge. Then you'll be happy. Then you'll be peace. And if you are misguided, bewildered, mad, then how you can be happy? So this knowledge is obtained, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: after struggling many, many, birth after birth. Bahūnām. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. "One who is actually in knowledge, one who is wise, māṁ prapadyate: he surrenders unto Me." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). When he understands, "Oh, Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa is everything." That mahātmā is very rare. So if you get perfect knowledge, if you surrender to God, then you'll be happy. Otherwise, there is no possibility. You go on, struggling.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 28, 1973:

Then I became an old man; I changed my body. All those bodies, different types of body—babyhood, childhood, boyhood, youthhood—they are now gone, and now I'm existing in this old body. So it will also go. But that does not mean that I'll be finished. No. I'll accept another body. As I am changing different types of bodies, I am existing. Similarly, when I shall change this body, I shall exist in another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra means those who are sober. He's not bewildered. Adhīra. There are two kinds of men—dhīra and adhīra. Adhīra means senseless, crazy, and dhīra means with sense. He's not bewildered. He's called dhīra. So when somebody dies, one who is dhīra, he understands, "My father, my brother, or my relative, or somebody else, he has simply changed this body." Tathā dehāntaraṁ prāptir. "So what is the cause of lamenting?" These things are discussed in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture at St. Pascal's Franciscan Seminary -- Melbourne, June 28, 1974:

God loves you so much that He sends His son to convince you, "Please come to Me." God Himself comes, Kṛṣṇa: "Please come to Me." And what we are doing, servant of God? We are requesting only, "Please be God conscious." So God's propaganda is going on in so many ways to recall all these, I mean to say, bewildered sons of God, those who have forgotten. Naturally... Just like the father. He loves the son more than the son loves the father. Because as father, if one son has gone out of home, madness, he wants to live independently of the father, so he may think like that, crazy. But father, he says that "This rascal has gone. Some way or other, bring him. Let him live peacefully here. I have got immense property. Why he goes outside to live independently?" So that is his mistake, the son's mistake. The father is always anxious to get the son back to home, back to Godhead.

Lecture Engagement at Birla House -- Bombay, December 17, 1975:

We are fully under the control of material nature, and foolishly, ahaṅkāra, on account of being bewildered by false egotism, we are thinking that "I am independent." This is called material illusion.

So our first business is to understand what is this material world, what is the spiritual world, what is God, what is my relationship with Him, and how to execute the business of my life, to become successful in this human form of life. The success of human form of life is to understand this thing: our relationship with God. And we should act in relationship with God. Then our success of life will be achieved.

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

That I am the Supreme Lord." Because they do not know, therefore, simply by superficial observation, that "He is playing just like ordinary man," that "He is the chariot driver of Arjuna..." Now, somebody may say, "How Kṛṣṇa can be the Supreme Personality of Godhead? He was ordinary chariot driver of Arjuna. He was ordinary cowherds boy." Muhyanti yat sūrayayaḥ. Very great sages, great saintly persons, also sometimes become bewildered. But to understand Kṛṣṇa, that is explained also in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Not by learning, not by education, not by scholarship. Bhaktyā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: "In reality what I am, that can be understood by the devotees, not by others." And in the beginning also, of the Bhagavad-gītā teaching, He said Arjuna that "I am teaching Bhagavad-gītā to you because you are devotee." Bhakto 'si priyo 'si: (BG 4.3) "You are My very dear friend and devotee. Therefore," rahasyam hy etad uttamam, "I am delivering this mystery of Bhagavad-gītā-yoga to you."

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson:

Prabhupāda: Actually there is no bewilderment (indistinct) spirit. I am eternal spirit soul, eternal servant. Just like the (indistinct) but it is somehow or other (indistinct) for a time it is covered by the clouds it appears moving. (break) Actually it is not moving. (indistinct) we see that the moon is moving. So we are spirit soul eternally. Just like I am lying down on my bed, bit I am dreaming I have gone to Pacific Ocean and being drowned and so many things, you have come to save me, and so many troublesome things. But actually there is no Pacific Ocean, nothing of the sort. It is simply my dream. So this temporary covering of the body is just like a dream. As soon as you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everything is finished.

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

Prabhupāda: But that is not the fact. He analyzed some sane people also. But one psychiatrist's opinion is that (indistinct) was a civil servant, he was called to give evidence in a case where the criminal was pleading (indistinct) became insane while he committed the murder. So the civil servant was called to test him, whether actually he was insane or (indistinct) insanity. So he gave evidence that "I have tested so many persons, so I have seen that more or less everyone is insane. More or less. They are bewildered. So in that case, if insanity is the only plea that he should be excused, he can be excused. But so far as I know, everyone is more or less insane." And that is our conclusion. We say (indistinct), anyone who is infected with this material nature is more or less insane, crazy. He is crazy, not more or less. Anyone who has got this material body must be crazy. And therefore everyone is speaking in a different way.

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:

Prabhupāda: Simply I have to set up the machine. Just like in a press, the machine has to be set up, and automatically you will see the magazines are coming all complete. The printing, the binding—everything complete; you simply take it now. There are many machines like that, that you set up the machine and simply stand and see how from the raw state it has come into the finishing state. So bījāhaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He has created such a seed that you sow the seed and that the tree will come. This is God's machine. He has created the seed only. Now the seed of the universe is coming from Him. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya (Bs. 5.48). He is breathing, and thousands and millions of seeds of universes are coming, and they are becoming manifested. Same way, seed. And when He is inhaling, everything is finished. So this manifestation and not manifestation is depending on His breathing process. When He is exhaling you see the manifestation; when He is inhaling, everything is finished. This is going on. So the cause of creation and annihilation is His breathing. So He is breathing always, but the process of creation and annihilation is going on. But if you think, "Kṛṣṇa is breathing like me," then it is finished; your knowledge is finished. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). "Because I am speaking to these rascal like a human being, they are thinking Me as one of them." This is..., they are mūḍha. They are misled. As soon as he thinks Kṛṣṇa is, "Ah, He is a person like me. He is born in Mathurā, I have seen. How He becomes God?" Brahmā was bewildered. "This boy, this cowherd boy is accepted as God. Let me test." Indra was misled. Muhyanti yat sūrayoḥ. Even big, big demigods, they are also bewildered. So Kṛṣṇa answered them. Brahmā had stolen all His calves and cows and friends, and when he came to see what He is doing, they were the same. He has expanded Himself. He is surprised. "Well I have actually taken His calves and cows. They are sleeping under my spell." Then he answered, "Yes, He is God." Then he is praying there, in the picture.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Henry Huxley:

Prabhupāda: Either you be Englishman or Frenchman or this man, you cannot survive. You have to succumb under the dictation of the superior nature. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that—I think Huxley read Bhagavad-gītā; he does not know-that,

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

(BG 3.27)

This kind of conception, that "I shall survive, I am Englishman," this is a false egotism and bewildered soul. Whatever he may be, Englishman or this man or that man, he must die. That is the law of nature. So intelligent man first of all makes provision "How I shall not die." That is real business of human being. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that if one simply understands Kṛṣṇa, then he survives; otherwise one has to die. There is no doubt.