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Blazing fire (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.32-35 -- London, July 25, 1973:

In this age of Kali, people are so fallen, so degraded, that it is not possible to introduce systematically the whole Vedic principle; it is not possible. That is not possible. It is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grace, mercy, that He has given us mercifully, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti (CC Madhya 6.254), just to teach very short-cut method. What is that? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Simple. Simple. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni (CC Antya 20.12). You are suffering in this material world, dāvāgni, now, forest fire. This material world is forest fire. But they are so ignorant, they cannot understand that "We are burning in the blazing fire of this material existence. Our attempt should be how to get out of it." But there is no such knowledge. Just like animals. The animals are suffering. They are being taken to the slaughterhouse. There is no, I mean, strength of protesting. They are being slaughtered. So we are being also being slaughtered by the laws of nature. We are also being slaughtered. So we do not know how to make progress. That is slaughtering.

Lecture on BG 1.37-39 -- London, July 27, 1973:

Everything is adjusted because it is transcendental. So there is no other way. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so merciful that from the śāstras he has selected this process of saṅkīrtana movement: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam (CC Antya 20.12). The human life is meant for extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. But we are not in regulative principles. We have lost everything, our sanātana-kula-dharma, everything. Under the circumstances, Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives us the greatest facility according to śāstra. That is the boon of this age: kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, everyone becomes free from all contamination of this age, mukta-saṅgaḥ, paraṁ vrajet. And he becomes so purified that he becomes fit to go back to home, back to Godhead. So this opportunity, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we should not miss. We should... We must. Where is the difficulty, Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting? Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā.

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

Fire is burning somewhere, but its heat and light is impersonal. Suppose here is big fire. Just like we got fireplace. That is in one corner. But the whole room you are feeling heat. That heat is impersonal. But the fireplace, where there is blazing fire, that is personal. So impersonal conception is the offshoot of the person. That will be explained in the Thirteenth Chapter: mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4). Kṛṣṇa says that "Everyone, everywhere I am spread. I exist everywhere." How does He exist? By His energy. That energy is impersonal. But the Supreme Person, He's not impersonal. He's person. Therefore it is said, śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān means who is full with six kinds of opulence, aiśvarya: the richest, the most famous, the most learned, the most beautiful, the most strong, and the most renouncer. He's Bhagavān. So Bhagavān is the ultimate understanding of the Absolute Truth. Just like when you feel temperature... Just like we feel temperature from the sunshine, heat. And light.

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

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.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

"In this material world, I am, my heart is always burning on account of so many miseries." Juṛāite nā koinu upāya. "But I could not find out the way how to get out of it. This sound vibration will get you out from the blazing fire of this material condition. This sound, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Chant always, everything will be perfectly done." Yes. Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 53. Oh, I'll finish this sentence. "Persons in Kṛṣṇa consciousness transcend the limit of śabda-brahma or the range of the Vedas and Upaniṣads." 53: "When your mind is no longer disturbed by the flowery language of the Vedas and when it remains fixed in the trance of self-realization, then you will have attained the divine consciousness (BG 2.53)." 54: "Arjuna said, 'What are the symptoms of one whose consciousness is thus merged in transcendence? How does he speak and what is his language? How does he sit and how does he walk?' " (BG 2.54)

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "In the form of a human being, the living entity can perceive a little Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if he makes further development the fire of spiritual life can be kindled in the human form. By careful handling of the smoke in the fire, the fire can be made to blaze."

Prabhupāda: Yes. When the fire is covered by the smoke, if you little fan over it, then immediately there is blazing fire; immediately smoke is gone. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, in every living entity, especially human being, there is, even in the aborigines, those who are called uncivilized. They are also offering some respect to the seas, to the thunderbolt, to a big mountain. Something wonderful, they offer. They bow down. That means there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so, just like a fire covered with smoke. Now, if you fan it, if you just try to eradicate the smoke, the fire will come out.

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

Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). In Sanskrit language, it is said... Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya's picture you have seen on the showcase. He's dancing, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare. This sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa, Hare, Rāma, as soon as the mind is cleared off, then we'll see our real position, and the immediate result is bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. There is a fire always blazing over this material world. Everyone is trying to extinguish it, but it is not possible to extinguish this fire of material miseries unless we are situated in our pure consciousness of spiritual life. That is the whole thing.

Lecture on BG 4.10 Public Meeting -- Rome, May 25, 1974:

If you regularly chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then gradually your consciousness will be cleansed. The process of advancement in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is said in the Vedic literature, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). The first installment of benefit by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is that your consciousness becomes cleansed. And as soon as your consciousness becomes cleansed, the tribulations or the miserable condition of material life becomes extinguished. The miserable condition of material life is compared to the blazing fire in the forest. As it is very difficult to extinguish the forest fire, similarly, the problems of material life cannot be extinguished simply by material benefits. As the blazing fire in the forest cannot be extinguished by the help of fire brigade or bucketful of water, similarly, by material adjustment, the problems of material miseries cannot be solved.

Lecture on BG 4.34-39 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1969:

Madhudviṣa: Thirty-seven: "As the blazing fire turns wood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities (BG 4.37)."

Prabhupāda: Yes. I may be very seriously sinful, but when I get the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all my sins will be burned into ashes. Just like if you have... You have got a small fire. You bring tons of wood. Go on putting it. Go on putting it. Gradually everything will become ashes. This example. Tons of wood, you go on putting in that small fire. May not be immediately, but you go on putting, day after day, hours after hours; all wood will be burned into ashes. Very nice example.

Similarly, if you keep yourself Kṛṣṇa consciousness, burning, your tons and millions of sinful activities will be burned into ashes. These are practical. So we have to keep the fire blazing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then everything is all right.

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

Even the sun, which is the supreme cause of this material world, of this universe... All the planets, they are rotating on account of heat of the sun. If the sun moves little this side or that side, everything will be blazing fire or frozen into ice. This is scientific truth.

So as the sun is the supreme cause of this material world, similarly the supreme cause of... There are many millions of universes and millions of suns. They are all caused by the supreme energy of Kṛṣṇa, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ and apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām (BG 7.4). Two prakṛtis, parā-prakṛti and aparā-prakṛti. So the Vedānta-sūtra, that janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the original source of everything, Brahman, that is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Brahman is not supreme. Then Kṛṣṇa would have said not... "Brahman is the Supreme." But He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended therefore, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). If you want to see, the to stop this blazing fire of material existence, then you have to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. And the practical effect, you can see, what is already done, how they have become. Our limit, there are limitation, we cannot accept anyone and everyone as disciple. Unless he agrees tacitly to give up some preliminary principles. Just like illicit sex life. Anyone who comes to me to become my disciple, the first condition is no illicit sex life, no intoxication, up to drinking or smoking or even drinking tea and coffee and chewing pan. These are also intoxicants. So one cannot take all these things. No intoxication. No illicit sex. Unless you have got connection with woman by marriage tie, there cannot be any sex life. These are the pillars of sinful life. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā.

Lecture on BG 10.8 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

Try to increase it. Just like if there is little spark of fire, if you fan it, it increases. Increases. And you have several times... In this temple, when there is yajña performance we ignite fire. So we take a little small piece of wood and ignite it. Then gradually it becomes blazing fire. Similarly, this faith is just like little fire, and you have to fan it very nicely.

How? Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). If you have got this faith, then don't give up this connection. Please try to come here and try to understand us. Why you should try to understand us? Because we are speaking here about God, nothing else. No business, no politics, no nonsense. Therefore you should come here. Sādhu-saṅga. This is called association with sādhu. Who is a sādhu? If somebody says "A man with red dress or a great beard or something..." There are so many conceptions of sādhu. But sādhu is described in the Bhagavad-gītā by the Lord Himself, who is sādhu.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Tokyo, January 28, 1975:

"There is no controller and it is all false." False? So minute rules and regulation are being followed. The sun is rotating on the orbit in a such a perfect way that if the sun is inclined to this side or that side, there will be, whole world will be frozen or in blazing fire. This is the scientific opinion. It must rotate according to the diagram given by some controller. That is stated in Bhāgavatam, "By the order of the Supreme." Yasyājñayā. Here also, in the Brahma-saṁhitā, yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. The sun is rotating, yasya ājñayā. Ājñayā means by order.

So when the question of order is there, then there must be one order-giver, and there must be one order-carrier. Otherwise, what is the meaning, order? Yasya ājñayā, by whose order. Whose means this whose, somebody bigger who is giving order, and the sun planet is carrying out the order. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. So there is order-giver.

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

"Now I have got the wood. My work is finished." No From the wood, when you get fire flame, then you can work. You can cook; you can get heat; you can get light, so many things. So that is required, not that "Because I have got the wood, I have got everything." This is rascaldom. You have to ignite fire, blazing fire, flame, And that is sattva-guṇa.

Therefore, in our society we first of all try to reform the fallen soul or most infected materially person to reform, to come to the stage of flame, because without there being flame you cannot work. It is not possible. It is very practical example. We want flame. Just like yajña. Yajña... We perform fire sacrifice, but we want to see there is flame, not smoke, although the same thing. You cannot be satisfied: "Now there is smoke. It is all right. There is fire." Without there being fire, there cannot be smoke. Parvato mandimān dhūmāt(?). When there is smoke one can understand there is fire, even it is far away.

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

So everything has got the material relationship, how to do it. That is śāstra. So you do it, but follow the shastric injunction. So the shastric injunction, so far is concerned, as it is said here, that is sāttvikī, rājasī, tāmasī.

The example is: just like the same fire spark is falling down from the blazing fire... You have seen the sparks. There are sparks, fire sparks, with the blazing fire. Now, the sparks sometimes fall down outside the fire. So take the fire as spiritual world, and the spark is in the spiritual world, within the fire, but sometimes it falls down. Now, when it falls down it comes in the material world and... Now what kind of falldown it is? Now, the spark may fall down in dry grass. As soon as it falls down in dry grass, there is chance of igniting fire in the dry grass—sattva-guṇa. That is sattva-guṇa. And if the fire spark falls down on the ground, then for some time it looks like fiery, but again it becomes extinguished. That is rajo-guṇa. And if the fire sparks falls down in water—immediately finished, no more fire.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- London, August 10, 1971:

Otherwise, everyone will become spiritual master. That quality, the activity will support the bona fide spiritual master. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). There must be quality and action. So the spiritual master's action is that he is to deliver his disciple from the blazing fire of this material existence.

Saṁsāra-dāvānala **. The dāvānala is used because this material world is always blazing, always problem. Nobody can deny it. Simply problem. Just like fire. Fire is a problem. And especially in America we see in every city, every ten minutes or fifteen minutes there is a fire brigade: dung dung dung dung dung dung dung dung. Why? The fire is blazing always. So as we practically see that there is always fire, and the fire brigade is ready... Nobody goes to set fire. But by accident, by manipulation, fire takes place. The comparison is therefore with the forest fire.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- London, August 10, 1971:

Therefore this material existence is called saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. And the forest fire is compared, especially mentioned: this fire cannot be extinguished by your fire brigade. You cannot send fire brigade to the forest. I've seen in Naimitad(?). From Katgudang(?) station, about, oh, one mile up in the hill there is fire. So long ago. So I asked the man, "What is that?" "That is fire." So nobody went there to set fire, but the fire is blazing. You see? So how this fire can be extinguished? Can you send fire brigade or buckets of water? No. That is not possible. Then it will go on, the fire? No. It will be extinguished. How? Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam **. Just like this forest fire can be extinguished only if there is cloud upon it—if there is rain. You cannot send fire brigade. That means this is the indication that this fire of this material world can be extinguished through the exigency of spiritual master, because he has received the mercy cloud.

Lecture on SB 1.2.2 -- London, August 10, 1971:

Just like cloud has taken water from the sea, similarly, the spiritual master takes mercy, receives mercy, from the ocean of mercy, Kṛṣṇa, and he pours it over this saṁsāra-dāvānala.

This example is very nice, that you cannot extinguish by your plans the blazing fire of this material existence. That is not possible. This is foolishness. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The so-called rascal leaders, they are making plan, lifelong. The United Nations making plan to stop war, fighting. They cannot do it. It is not possible. You have to take mercy from Kṛṣṇa. Then it is possible to extinguish. We have to seek mercy. But the demons, they don't care for Kṛṣṇa, or God. They think that "We shall do. I am God. I shall do it." Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Because they are narādhama, lowest of the mankind. Why it is called? Kṛṣṇa says. We are not manufacturing this word. Kṛṣṇa says, "lowest of the mankind." Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Edinburgh, July 17, 1972:

So questioning about Kṛṣṇa and answering the question is kṛṣṇa-kathā. So here it is recommended that if we are constantly engaged in kṛṣṇa-kathā about Kṛṣṇa, talking about Kṛṣṇa, questioning about Kṛṣṇa, then ātmā suprasīdati. We are hankering after peacefulness of our heart, peacefulness of our atmosphere. So here it is recommended that simply by inquiring about Kṛṣṇa and taking answer of the question, both the questioner and the answer-giver, both will be pleased. Yenātmā suprasīdati. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered, yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). The world is like the blazing fire in the forest. So this kṛṣṇa-kathā, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, will give them relief. Yenātmā suprasīdati. And the Sūta Gosvāmī said, "You question is very pious question, sādhu, because it is about Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Vrndavana, October 16, 1972:

So, so long we shall be attached to this viṣaya, simply, there cannot be any peace. There cannot be any peace. It is impossible. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that viṣaya-viṣānale. Anala means fire. There are different types of fire also. Vi..., viṣānala, the burning sensation by drinking poison. Viṣaya-viṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale. "Whole day and night, twenty-four hours, my heart is burning." Viṣaya-viṣānale, juṛāite nā koinu... "I did not try, how to get out of this blazing fire." Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmila kene tāy. "The only, only relief is this kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana." Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered that,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
(CC Adi 9.41)

So para-upakāra. This human life is meant for doing, do, doing well to others, not exploiting others. That is animalism. "I kill this animal and eat." Tiger, very powerful. That is animalism. It has no value.

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but it takes place. Similarly, however cautious you may be, you cannot make this material world without dāvāgni. That is not possible. The dāvāgni will continue. Viṣaya viṣānale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale. Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura has sung that the material world is such that it is just like a blazing fire. Viṣaya viṣānale divā-niśi. Here, everyone, even the Prime Minister, even the President, very opulently situated, but always full of anxieties. Very, too much anxieties.

So if you want to be yayātmā samprasīdati, then you must take to this process, this bhakti-yogam. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). There are so many different items. And the most important item is śravaṇam. We can sit down, family members, and we can read from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, and hear and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Very easy thing. That we want to introduce every home. That is our only request, that in whichever position you are, it doesn't matter.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, April 18, 1974:

And as soon as your heart is cleansed, your these material tribulations, the threefold miserable condition of this material world... It is compared with the forest fire. So forest fire is not very easy to extinguish, but it can be... There is process. That is God's arrangement. When there is rain from the sky, the forest fire is extinguished. Similarly, when mercy from Kṛṣṇa comes, your blazing fire of material existence will be extinguished. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā... (CC Antya 20.12). Then real spiritual life begins. So long you are disturbed materially, there is no possibility. But these material disturbances cannot be subsided by your concocted method. It can be subsided by the mercy bestowed by Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. So spiritual life is real life. Material life is not real. Material life is temporary. So everyone can be situated in the spiritual life, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktiḥ (SB 1.2.6), simply by being situated in the devotional service of the Lord. Yato bhaktiḥ. Bhakti required.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Rome, May 24, 1974:

And actually, we are doing that. But because we do not know what is the actual remedy, we are missing the point. But there is solution. And for this solution, one must go to the spiritual master. That is described. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya **. They... This materialistic life is always like the blazing fire in the forest. So trāṇā. How to get out of it. Trāṇā it is called. Trāṇā means to relieve from the suffering. Kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam. So how these sufferings can be mitigated? So people have become so dull-headed, they cannot understand what is the real suffering, and neither they have any inquiries how to mitigate the sufferings. This is the position. Therefore they are called śūdras. Śūdras, they are like. A brāhmaṇa is intelligent. A brāhmaṇa... Therefore we are trying to make people brāhmaṇa so that he may become intelligent. Not śūdras. Others are trying to make them śūdras. Śūdras means to remain in ignorance, and brāhmaṇa means to remain in knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Los Angeles, August 20, 1972:

The sun is so big, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth, and so powerful, blazing fire. You know, those who are scientific men, they know, the sun has got his orbit, and little deviation from the orbit can turn the whole world into snow, and turn the whole world into blazing fire. Where is our scientist friend? Is it not a fact? (Svarūpa Dāmodara makes reply) Yes. It is running under certain orbit exactly, because a little deviation from the orbit will create havoc, catastrophe. Immediately. Either fire or snow. So under whose order the sun is so strictly following the demarcation? Such a big body. Our, in our practical experience, if he has got heavy body, he moves like this. He's not steady. But such a huge body is exactly... According to astronomical calculation, they calculate, some one ten-thousandth part of a second, in this way.

Lecture on SB 1.2.18 -- Calcutta, September 26, 1974:

That Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as your heart is cleansed with all dirty things, then bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam, immediately you become out of this contamination, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni.

This contamination means we are in the blazing fire of this material world. Blazing fire. It is, has been... Blazing fire... Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni. Mahā-dāvāgni. Dāvāgni means the fire in the forest. In the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes place. Just like we, in India we thought that "By driving away the Britishers, we shall be happy." No. The dāvāgni is so that... That is not the medicine. Medicine is bhavauṣadhi. Medicine is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not that simply changing from this ism to that ism, this political party to this... That is not. Because everyone is imperfect. How they can give you perfect happiness? It is not possible. They are themselves andha. Andha means blind. So if you follow the blind man, how you'll cross? That is not possible. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1 -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

So everything will dry up and die, practically by continuous sunshine. And it is said the sunshine will be very, very powerful. Twelve times powerful. So everything will be ablaze, blazing into fire. Then there will be rain. As we have experience, after excessive heat, there is cloud and rain, so there will be rain, and everything will be absorbed into water, and the water will be evaporated. In this way, this material world, cosmic manifestation will be no more. Again there will be creation, mahat-tattva. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). That is stated in the... This material world comes into existence and stays for some time, again becomes annihilated.

But there is another world. That is called spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ. That is sanātana. That is eternal. And God, or Kṛṣṇa is eternal. We are also eternal. That is stated in many places. Jīvaḥ sanātanaḥ, jīva-loke sanātanaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.5.28 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:

That is spiritual. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy. Saṁsāra-viṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale, viṣaya-viṣānale. Viṣānale and dāvānale, these things are described about this material world. Just like in... You sung, immediately, saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam **. So the saṁsāra, this material world, is just like blazing fire, dāvānala, and forest fire. Forest fire means nobody goes to set fire in the forest. It takes automatically. Similarly, we want to live very peacefully in this material world, but that is not possible. There will be fire. And viṣaya-viṣānale. Viṣaya means things which is required for sense enjoyment, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam. So either you say viṣaya-viṣānale or saṁsāra-dāvānale, the matter is the same. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, therefore, viṣaya-viṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale, juṛāite nā koinu upāy. If you want to get out of this viṣānala, the blazing fire of poison or forest fire, then we have to take shelter of this hari-saṅkīrtana.

Lecture on SB 1.5.28 -- Vrndavana, August 9, 1974:

So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, therefore, viṣaya-viṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale, juṛāite nā koinu upāy. If you want to get out of this viṣānala, the blazing fire of poison or forest fire, then we have to take shelter of this hari-saṅkīrtana. Golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy, saṁsāra-dāvānale viṣaya-viṣānale dibā-niśi hiyā jvale juṛāite nā koinu upāy.

So in order to get out of this blazing fire of material existence, which is a combination of rajas-tamaḥ-sattva-guṇa, one has to take to this devotional service, and that can be achieved only by hearing from munibhir mahātmabhiḥ, those who are munis. Munis means they are silent about material affairs. They are simply interested with spiritual advancement of life. To give up something and to accept something... To give up something is negative, but if you do not accept something positive, this give up something will not stay.

Lecture on SB 1.7.16 -- Vrndavana, September 14, 1976:

So one who is not complete, he's jīva. Aṇu and vibhu. Vibhu, there are many examples. Just like fire, blazing fire, you have got experience. And there are sparks. The sparks fall down sometimes and become extinguished, without any illumination, without any burning power. When..., so long the spark is within the fire, it has got the same quality, illumination and burning quality. But as soon as falls down-extinguished, no more illumination, no more burning power. So our position is like that. Although we are part and parcel of God, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), because we have cyuta, fallen down from our spiritual atmosphere... Just like spiritual atmosphere, Kṛṣṇa's friends, cowherd boys, they're playing with Kṛṣṇa. That is also playing. And here in this material world the boys they also play football play. But these two plays are different.

Lecture on SB 1.7.22 -- Vrndavana, September 18, 1976:

When one is attracted by Kṛṣṇa, Madana-mohana... Madana means lusty desires. And Kṛṣṇa, Madana-mohana. He is so attractive that one forgets lusty desires. Therefore His name is Madana-mohana. So if you don't contact with Madana-mohana, then you'll be suffering madana-dahana. Dahana means this, dahyamānānām, always suffering the blazing fire of lusty desires. Unless you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you'll have to suffer. Therefore it is said dahyamānānām apavargo 'si: "You are the apavarga."

So Arjuna is surrendered soul. When he felt that temperature of brahmāstra or radiation of the atomic weapon, nuclear weapon... So devotee has no other... Kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa mahā-bāho bhaktānām abhayaṅkara: "Our only shelter is Your lotus feet." Abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. Bhajahuṅ re mana śrī-nanda-nandana-abhaya-caraṇāravinda re. So if you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then abhayaṅkara, no more fear. No more fear. And so long you do not do it, then saṁsṛti. Therefore Arjuna says tvam eko dahyamānānām apavargo 'si abhayaṅkara.

Lecture on SB 1.10.6 -- Mayapura, June 21, 1973:

In this material nature, or material world, we have got three kinds of sufferings, tri-tāpa-yantana. Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired, "Why these three kinds of miseries inflict pains upon me?" Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. Tāpa-traya. Tāpa means painful condition, tāpa. Just like if you touch fire, it creates a painful condition by burning the part, similarly, this world is also a blazing fire, saṁsāra-dāvānala. The rascals, they do not know. They are always out of the three kinds of miserable condition. Everyone is in some way or other under these conditions. These conditions means it is... These kleśāḥ, painful conditions, they are created by three causes. What are those causes? Daiva-bhūtātma-hetavaḥ. Daiva means created by the demigods. Daiva. Devatā. Just like this rain department, water department, is under the control of Indra. So Indra can supply water just to your requirement, or sometimes he does not supply, or sometimes he supplies over, over requirement. Ativṛṣṭi, anāvṛṣṭi.

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

So that is explained, that sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. As soon as one associates with Kṛṣṇa's name, he associates with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore asat, māyā, cannot touch him. If he's purely chanting without any offense, māyā cannot touch him. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nir... (CC Antya 20.12). And as soon as māyā cannot touch him, then bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. The blazing fire of material existence extinguished immediately. This is the first gain by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly, the first gain is mukti. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam means mukti. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, nāmābhāsa, not pure name. As soon as one comes to the platform of chanting pure Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, without any offense, he becomes immediately enhanced in love with Kṛṣṇa, prema, kṛṣṇa-prema. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was chanting as ācārya. He was crying. Tava nāma-grahaṇe bhaviṣyati. Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- Los Angeles, December 5, 1973:

The medicine is this Hari, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's teachings, Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's glorification. That is the real medicine. But we have no attraction for these things. We are simply trying to counteract the suffering, and we are accepting this counteraction as enjoying. Bhagavad-gītā: haranti smarataś cittam.

So actually, if we want to enjoy life, then we should take the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa. We shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That will give us relief from the blazing fire. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam **. This is the only way. Otherwise...

So when Arjuna was too much perturbed by absence of Kṛṣṇa, he was simply remembering the instruction of Kṛṣṇa which he received in the Battle of Kurukṣetra.

Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:

"Sometimes we have got anxiety, and sometimes we are very nice." So even accepting that, Arjuna says, deśa-kāla-artha-yuktāni. Deśa, kāla, the time and space within this material world, and artha means purpose, everything, any time... Arjuna does not say that "sometimes." At any time, if we are materially attached, then this hṛt-tāpa must be. Hṛt-tāpa means burning fire, blazing fire within the heart. It will continue.

Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that viṣaya-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale. This means anyone who is engaged in these material affairs, Viṣaya... Viṣaya means material necessities. Everyone has got material necessities: āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna, how to eat, how to sleep, where to sleep, where to get apartment, where to secure money to get food, and how to secure sex pleasure, where it is available, man or woman, and how to defend. "I have got so much bank balance. It may not be taken away. I have got this property."

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:

Human being means if there is suffering, he must try to alleviate it, to mitigate the suffering. That is human being.

That is... Nature gives us this human form of body, intelligence, that if there is danger, if there is anxiety, he tries to get out of it. The animals also do, but they cannot do very nicely. Just like animals are slaughtered. So they know when they are put into one, what is called, pound and they know that they will be slaughtered, but they have no means to get out of it. So the human being can do that. If I foresee, "There is some danger, I can make some way to get out of it." That is human intelligence. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that "Although I had the intelligence to get out of these material anxieties, the blazing fire within the heart, but I did not take it." And what is that?

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:

So Arjuna says that "When I remember the teachings of Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, then it relieves me. Then it relieves me." Hṛt-tāpa upaśamāni. Hṛt-tāpa, that blazing fire within the heart, immediately becomes relieved. So that is also fact. Bhagavad-gītā... Whenever you are perplexed, you read Bhagavad-gītā you will immediately get relief. That's a fact. Gandhi also said that. Gandhi was a politician. Although he could not understand Bhagavad-gītā neither he could understand Kṛṣṇa, still, he said that "When I read, I get great relief." He was always very busy, so many political problems always coming. So there was no spiritual understanding of these politicians. Sometimes they take the spiritual shelter, so-called, for getting some benefit out of it so that his political movement may be increased or enhanced. So we do not wish to discuss, but Bhagavad-gītā, even if you read without any actual knowledge of the Bhagavad-gītā, still, you will feel relief.

Lecture on SB 1.15.27 -- New York, March 6, 1975:

"I surrender unto You. Now You can teach me." Because as soon as you accept guru, you have to hear him, surrender, full surrender. You cannot unnecessarily argue. Of course, if there is any doubt, you can question submissively. But not that, "I shall test my guru, how he is learned." That will not help. One must surrender. So tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Arjuna did that. Therefore Arjuna learned the Bhagavad-gītā, and it was always relief for him when he was perplexity. Haranti smarataś cittam. Haranti. What is that haranti? Hṛt-tāpa. Hṛt-tāpa, the blazing fire within the heart, within the core of the heart, immediately becomes minimized, haranti. Smarataś cittam. As soon as I remember, my consciousness, my heart, core of heart, becomes immediately relieved. How it is relieved? Why it is relieved? Govinda abhihitāni me: "Govinda instructed." Govinda means Kṛṣṇa. Govinda means Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Govinda.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-2 -- New York, April 19, 1973:

Chanting is so nice that as soon as you take to chanting, or hear about Kṛṣṇa—the chanting is also hearing about Kṛṣṇa—so immediately the cleansing process begins, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ (CC Antya 20.12). And as soon as our heart is cleansed, bhava-mahā-davāgni-nirvāpaṇam, then we become free from the blazing fire of this material existence. So chanting is so auspicious, therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja here, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa (SB 2.1.1). In another place also, Śukadeva Gosvā..., Sūta, Sūta Gosvāmī says, yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśno yayātmā suprasīdati. When the great saintly persons in the Naimiṣāraṇya enquired about Kṛṣṇa, he replied like that. Yat kṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa-sampraśnaḥ: "Because you have enquired about Kṛṣṇa, it will cleanse your heart, yenātmā suprasīdati. You will feel a very transcendental bliss, comfort, within your heart."

Lecture on SB 2.3.13-14 -- Los Angeles, May 30, 1972:

So it does not act. Although there is fire, but when it is covered with ashes, it does not act. So we are fire. Kṛṣṇa is fire; we are also fire, in quality. There is a very... There is a big fire, blazing fire, and the sparks. The sparks are also fire. Therefore we sometimes desire to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Because we have got these qualities in minute quantity, so we think that "I am God, I have become." But we do not know the quantitative difference. That we forget. We can say we are God, but teeny God, not the Supreme. Spark. Fire, blazing fire, and the spark. Now, this quality, fire, this also becomes almost unseen when we are in this material world. Just like if the fire sparks fall down out of the blazing fire, it becomes extinguished. So in order to ignite again our fiery quality, we must go back to the original fire. Then the fiery quality, the brilliant fiery quality, will again be exhibited.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

This our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society is giving the most valuable thing, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, without any charge. Without any... They are canvassing, "Please take it. You'll be happy. Please take." So people should know how much valuable service they are rendering. How much valuable.

Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. This world is just like blazing fire. People realize it. And when they do not find any solution, they become frustrated, they become confused, they take to intoxication to forget the blazing condition of life. So actually everyone in this material world is burning in the blazing fire of material consciousness. That's a fact. Somebody is trying to solve by forgetting it through the influence of intoxication or something else artificially. That is not the solution. The real solution is to come to the original consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually, what is the real fact of our existence? Real fact of our existence is this consciousness. Either an animal or a man or a superman or an aquatic or a tree or a plant—any living entity—what is the ultimate stand?

Lecture on SB 2.3.23 -- Los Angeles, June 20, 1972:

"O King Rahūgaṇa, the perfectional stage of devotional service, or the paramahaṁsa stage of life, cannot be attained unless one is blessed by the dust of the feet of great devotees. It is never attained by tapasya (austerity), the Vedic worshiping process, acceptance of the renounced order of life, the discharge of the duties of household life, the chanting of the Vedic hymns, or the performance of penances in the hot sun, within cold water or before the blazing fire."

In other words, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the property of His pure unconditional devotees, and as such only the devotees can deliver Kṛṣṇa to another devotee; Kṛṣṇa is never obtainable directly. Lord Caitanya therefore designated Himself as gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80), or "the most obedient servant of the servants of the Lord, who maintains the gopī damsels at Vṛndāvana."

Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

So this we forget, and being taken care of, affectionate father and mother, on the lap, we think life is very nice, this life. But this is māyā, this is illusion. Actually, this bhava, to take birth, is very, very unpleasant task. It is blazing fire, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni.

So if we can cleanse our heart during this life ... This is that opportunity. It is not possible ... When I take birth as an animal, cats and dogs, that is not possible. But as I have got now this human form of body, we should not be again misled. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni ... (CC Antya 20.12). If we can cleanse our heart, then this blazing fire of repetition of birth and death can be extinguished. But the illusory energy is so strong that we forget our last death-time miseries. At the time of death we suffer very much, so that ... Just imagine, when we give up our life, how much difficult position at that time. So we forget. Birth and death.

Lecture on SB 3.25.14 -- Bombay, November 14, 1974:

So it is something like that. If we do not understand Kṛṣṇa in this life, then we are taking poison knowingly. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yadā yadā hi... Because they are taking poison... They got the chance of eternal life, but they are taking poison. Viṣaya-viṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale. This material life is just like blazing fire of poison. Viṣaya-viṣānale. Viṣaya means material. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. Eating, sleeping and sex life and defense—these are the material activities. So we are engaged with these things. So viṣaya-viṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale. And if we become engaged with these four things, viṣaya, it is like poison. Then our heart will be always burning. Gastric ulcer. So it has to be cured. How it can be cured? Now, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy: "My dear Lord, You have given the medicine, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but I have no attraction for this." So this is the realization of the Vaiṣṇava. Brajendra-nandana jei, śaci-suta hailo sei: "Vrajendra-nandana, Kṛṣṇa, He has now come as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śacī-suta, the son of mother Śacī." Balarāma hailo nitāi: "And Balarāma has become Nitāi." So what is their business now? Now, pāpī tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo: "All kinds of varieties of sinful men, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they are delivered."

Lecture on SB 3.26.1 -- Bombay, December 13, 1974:

That is pāñcarātriki. Just like if there is little fire you fan it-fan it and it will come out a big blazing fire. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to do that, and it is easier because in the śāstra it is said by Śukadeva Gosvāmī that there is one opportunity. "My dear King, Parīkṣit, I've described to you about the faulty nature of this Kali-yuga, but there is a very good opportunity for the people, fallen conditioned souls, of this Kali-yuga." "What is that?" Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ: "The, in the Kali-yuga, it is like the ocean of fault. But still there is one very good opportunity." "What is that?" Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet: (SB 12.3.51) "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and become liberated and go to back to home, back to Godhead."

Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 3.26.7 -- Bombay, December 19, 1974:

Therefore in order to understand the science, one has to go... That is the Vedic injunction, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "One should approach a proper bona fide spiritual master." And the spiritual master will save him from this blazing fire of repetition of birth and death. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura sings,

saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam
prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

It is the business of the guru to deliver this disciple, śiṣya, from this blazing fire of saṁsāra, saṁsṛti, bandha, conditioned life, to save him from that position and give him the eternal happiness, brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1).

Lecture on SB 3.26.9 -- Bombay, December 21, 1974:

So brūhi kāraṇayor asya sad-asac ca yad-ātmakam. So the uttama-puruṣa, Puruṣottama, just like Kṛṣṇa or Kapiladeva, They come within this material world, but they are not affected. But we are affected. We are, according to our desire, conditioned. We are affected by the different modes of material nature. It is described in the Vedic literature just like the fire and the spark. The fire is always blazing, but the sparks coming out of the fire, they sometime fall down. And this falling down is described that if the spark falls on some dry grass, then immediately the grass is also ignited into fire. That is sattva-guṇa. And rajo-guṇa means on the ground. It gradually, the ignition, the fire of the spark, becomes finished. And if the spark falls down on some water, then immediately it is extinguished. Similarly, when we come down from the spiritual world on account of desire, icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27), by our icchā, Kṛṣṇa gives us to fulfill our desires.

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

That is the process given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, how to cleanse the citta, consciousness. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Mārjanam means cleansing, polishing. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. And as soon as the citta, or consciousness, you perfectly cleanse, then bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam, this bhava-mahā-dāvāgni... The material existence is compared with blazing forest fire. This is the right comparison because in the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes place. You cannot stop it. And when the forest fire is there, you cannot stop the fire also by your so many counteracting method, namely getting the fire brigade or buckets of water. That is also not possible. Therefore Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has compared this material life as blazing forest fire, saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **.

This material world is blazing fire. Blazing fire means the forest fire. The forest fire... The example is very typical, because nobody goes to set fire in the forest, neither it is possible to extinguish the fire in the forest by your so many counteractive methods.

Lecture on SB 3.26.39 -- Bombay, January 14, 1975:

If there is cloud in the sky and if there is rainfall, then the expansive forest fire can immediately be extinguished. So that cloud is supposed to be the spiritual master. He pours water. He pours water. Śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana (CC Madhya 19.152). What is that water? The water is this śravaṇa-kīrtana. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni, the fire, the forest fire of material existence, is blazing continually. So you have to extinguish it by the rainfall from cloud, and that rainfall means śravaṇa-kīrtana. Śravaṇa means hearing, and kīrtana means chanting. This is the only way. Śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana.

In this way Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised that harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). In this age, Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to perform the yoga system. This is also yoga, bhakti-yoga. Other yoga system is very difficult to execute. It is not possible. Even if it is possible—it may be possible for one or two persons—but bhakti-yoga is so nice that even a small child can practice it. We see practically, the small children.

Lecture on SB 5.5.8 -- Vrndavana, October 30, 1976:

They spend so much money to get a children. They go to the saintly persons and beg blessing, "Give us one children, one child." There was one great big man long ago, he had no child, so he came to my Guru Mahārāja and he offered, "Guru Mahārāja, if I get a child, I can give you the whole estate." So these are natural demands. First of all husband and wife and child, then apartment, then land, then friends, then money, in this way we become entangled more, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). So instead of sukhera lagiya ei ghara bandhun, I became a householder for happiness, agune puriya gela, now there is blazing fire. Sukhera lagiya ei ghara bandhun agune puriya gela. And there is another, ravana hoila ithe gatila janja: "I wanted to be happy in this way, but it has become an embarassment." So this is going on.

Lecture on SB 5.6.8 -- Vrndavana, November 30, 1976:

We have got some description of dāvānala in our daily prayer, saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. The dāvānala is explained here, what is that dāvānala. Nobody goes to set anala, fire, in the forest. I saw dāvānala first in my experience at Nainital Station. Very high hill, and there was fire, blazing fire upon the hill. Nobody went there to set fire, but there was fire. So how that fire takes place, that is explained here, samīra-vega-vidhūta-veṇu-vikarṣaṇam. In the big jungles there are bamboo trees, and they are very densely situated. When there is wind, very forceful, the friction causes fire. So similarly, this material world is compared with this dāvānala. Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. Nobody wants that there will be trouble. In your country there is another kind of fire that is not dāvānala. In the city there is electric anala. And especially in New York, you know, twenty-four hours the fire brigade is working, "dung dung dung dung dung dung dung."

Lecture on SB 5.6.8 -- Vrndavana, November 30, 1976:

Therefore saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. The whole material world is blazing fire. Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam **. Now, this dāvānala... Just like in the forest, you cannot send your fire brigade. That is not possible. Neither you can go there to help the animals for extinguishing the fire by bucketful of waters. That is also not possible. Helpless. Similarly, this saṁsāra dāvānala, you cannot extinguish it. So how it will be extinguished? Saṁsāra dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam **. You have to beg for the mercy of Kṛṣṇa; then this blazing fire can be extinguished, not by your arrangement. That is not possible. Trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam. That cloud is mercy cloud, not this ordinary cloud. Because dāvānala, the example, personal experience that on the hill of Nainital, some thousand feet high, how this fire will be extinguished? The extinguished it will be when there is cloud on the sky and there is rainfall. Otherwise it is not possible.

Lecture on SB 5.6.8 -- Vrndavana, November 30, 1976:

By His will there will be fire. Formerly yajña fire was also ignited. What is that wood? Araṇi, yes. Not with matches. So it is ordinary thing, the friction of the bamboo, electricity. It creates electricity by friction. The electricity is also friction. Similarly, fire is created and the dry leaves of bamboo tree, they set in fire. Then, gradually, the whole forest is in blazing fire. And especially the snakes, they are the first sufferers. Because they remain on the ground and there are dry leaves and it takes fire very quickly, so they cannot fly away. Other animals, they can... Nobody can escape, but they can try because they can go fast. But the snake... Similarly, when there is catastrophe in the world, the persons like snakes, cruel, envious, they suffer first like a snake. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said, sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ. There are two envious living entities, very dangerous. What are they? One is snake. And another? The man whose habit is like snake. Without any fault he will bite. Without any fault.

Lecture on SB 5.6.8 -- Vrndavana, November 30, 1976:

You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So the preaching is so difficult thing. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya kṛttamaḥ. It is not very sitting idly, comfortably, and discuss Vedānta. No. It is not like that. Preaching practically. Practically meeting dangerous position because sympathetic. Saṁsāra dāvānala. The whole world is in blazing fire. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Vaiṣṇava is para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. And that is his qualification. For him there is no difficulty. He's quite all right. He's under the protection of Kṛṣṇa. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). So he has no danger personally. What danger there is? There is Kṛṣṇa. He is confident, and Kṛṣṇa protects him in all danger. But he is unhappy. He meets Jagāi-Mādhāi class and faces all kinds of danger. Therefore he is the powerful, authorized agent of Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:

What is that? Fire and debts and disease. Suppose you are sitting here, and there is small fire in the corner, some cigarette butts or something like that. You should not neglect it. Never think, "Oh, it is small fire. It will extinguish automatically." No. It may take a very, I mean to say, blazing shape at any moment. So one should not neglect fire. Similarly, debts also. If somebody thinks, "Oh, I have got this hundred, thousand dollars I am indebted. All right I shall see to it." After some years it may increase to five thousand dollars. So similarly, disease also. Suppose you are thinking that "Oh, this is nothing. It will cure out of itself." No. That is the instruction. So we should not neglect. And in the Manu-saṁhitā it is enjoined that when a man is a murderer, that we have got practical experience, the king condemns him to death. And the Manu-saṁhitā supports that it is good. It is good for him. In every country and every law that "life for life" is good. Because if he's hanged in this life, then next life he hasn't got to suffer. His all sinful reaction is finished, being hanged.

Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:

There are many tapasvīs undergoing austerity. They meditate in winter in water up to..., up to the neck, standing within water, meditating. To stand within water in winter, severe cold, is not very comfortable business, but they voluntarily accept it. This is called tapasya. And summer season, they blaze fire all round and sit down in the midst and meditate. I am giving you some of the examples, how severely they accept tapasya. So tapasya is required. Without tapasya you cannot make advancement in spiritual life, or life of knowledge. If you simply give away..., in the animal propensities of life, eating, sleeping, mating and defending and don't accept the process of tapasya, then your human life is failure. You have to accept some tapasya if you want to make solution of the problems of life. Śukadeva Gosvāmī first recommends tapasya. Just like here, in our institution, whoever comes and becomes an initiated member, we first of all ask them to undergo tapasya. Tapasya.

Lecture on SB 6.1.17 -- Denver, June 30, 1975:

So many assurances there. Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa. Kṛṣṇa says personally that "I shall protect you." People suffer on account of sinful reaction, ignorance. Out of ignorance, they commit sinful action, and sinful action reacts. Just like a child, ignorant, he touches blazing fire, and it burns the hand, and he suffers. You cannot say that "Child is innocent, and the fire has burned." No. This is nature's law. Ignorance. So sinful activities are done out of ignorance. Therefore one should be in knowledge. Ignorance of law is no excuse. If you go to the court and if you plead, "Sir, I did not know that I have to suffer, I have to go to imprisonment for six months because I have stolen. This was unknown to me..." No. Known or unknown, you must go to the jail.

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

"I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am Gujarati," "I am Bengali." These are all misconceptions. You are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa. That is your identity. So that can be realized. The easiest process is this chanting Hare... Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam. And next stage is that the blazing fire of this material existence will be extinguished immediately. Here in our disciples you'll find Americans, Europeans, Japanese, Africans. They are all absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thoughts, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They have lost all these misgivings, upādhi, designations, nonsense designations. The nonsense designation is the cause of their bondage. So let us realize that we are not this, not this. We are eternally... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately says, gives to you the highest philosophy, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Taṭastha-śakti jāta acintya bhedābheda-prakāśa. In two lines He has given the whole idea of jīva-tattva. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa.

Lecture on SB 6.1.32 -- San Francisco, July 17, 1975:

You do not know fully what is the material nature. Therefore we do not believe that these men went to the moon planet. We have got different description of the moon planet. The moon planet is situated 1,600,000's of miles above the sun. We have got this description: 1,600,000 miles above the... And there is also blazing fire like the sun planet. Sun planet is very hot, and the moon planet is surrounded by very cool atmosphere. Just like when there is cold and heat together, you enjoy it, so moon planet is like that. And those who are in the karma-kāṇḍīya, means fruitive activities, those who are actually acting very piously, they are allowed to enter into the moon planet. And there you get life, ten thousands of years' duration of life. And that year is very, very big than our years. Our six months equal to one day in the moon planet. Now, such ten thousands of years you can get your duration of life, and very cold. Therefore you can drink there soma-rasa.

So these are the explanation in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And it is situated above the sun planet, and above, the distance is also given there: 1,600,000's of miles.

Lecture on SB 6.1.33 -- Honolulu, June 1, 1976:

These rascals cannot go there. It is not possible. They have simply made false propaganda. They cannot go there. So because the atmosphere is different... There is also blazing fire surrounded by ice. That is the description. I am speaking from the description. And therefore at night it is so pleasing. You have got experience. Fire coming through ice, the rays, that is very pleasing. Therefore sunshine is making the whole thing very hot, and the moonshine making it pleasing.

So God's arrangement is so nice that everything is going on nicely. There is brain behind it. Why there is sunshine, why there is moonshine, everything described. You'll read in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, moon is the cause of vegetation, and there is no vegetation, that's all. Moon is the cause of vegetation in all planets, and they say there is no vegetation, it is simply dust. So we have to believe it? And when you present actual fact, it is mysticism or mythology.

Lecture on SB 6.1.43 -- Los Angeles, June 9, 1976:

A king does not mean alone. King means he has got his kingdom, he has got his subjects, he has got minister, he has got military strength. Everything is there. So similarly, if we accept Kṛṣṇa's statement that "I spoke to sun-god," the sun-god is there in the sun globe, and he has his kingdom, so dazzling kingdom. It looks like fire, blazing. But don't think it is impersonal. Impersonal? How Kṛṣṇa could talk with him? There is no question of impersonality.

So here, adharmaḥ vijñātaḥ, the degrees. Real dharma is, Kṛṣṇa is explaining in the Bhagavad..., sarva-dharmān parityajya... (BG 18.66). You have created, man-made, so many dharmas. So one Bengali Vaiṣṇava, he has mentioned, pṛthivite yaha kichu dharma nāme cale, bhāgavat kahe taha paripūrṇa chale. Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: (SB 1.1.2) "In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all kaitava"—kaitava means cheating—"cheating type of religious religious system is kicked out." Projjhita, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra. So dharma is one; religion is one. There cannot be different types of religion. That is concoction.

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

They are very difficult. All of them are meant for counteracting our sinful life. This, as we have explained, material life is so arranged that even you do not like to commit some sin, in course of your life there will be sinful reaction. Just like we sing the prayers of Viśvanātha Cakravartī, saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. This world is so situated that there is a blazing fire always in this material world. Even if you do not want, still, that fire is there. Nobody wants blazing fire, dāvānala. Dāvānala means forest fire. Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but it takes place. Similarly, this material world is also like that. Nobody wants, but still, miserable condition of life come in. Just like in Calcutta, nobody wanted the Naxalite disturbance, but it has come. There are so many troubles. And why this happens? Because their unconscious activities of sinful life... Just like we are walking on the street. Unconsciously, we are killing so many small ants and insects, unconsciously.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Montreal, July 4, 1968:

And as the cleansing process of your heart makes progress, then you become freed from the blazing fire of material existence. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahādāvāgni-nirvāpanaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ. And then again, just like in the moonlight, daily, the moon increases the light. When the moon is rising daily in the bright fortnight, daily you see that the moon is increasing in shape. So this, that very example, is said here also. As soon as your heart is clean and you immediately you become freed from all material contaminations, then your real pleasure on the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness increases in the proportion. As the moon increases in the sky daily, and as one day it becomes the full moon, so this process is so nice that increasing daily by chanting, one day it will come that you will simply love Kṛṣṇa and forget everything.

Lecture on SB 7.9.13 -- Mayapur, February 20, 1976:

Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. There is a blazing fire. That is the duty, that is the business of... Vande guroḥ śrī caraṇāravindam. How to extinguish the blazing fire of this material world—that is the duty. Every devotee, every pure soul, duty is how to extinguish the blazing fire. And that can be done only by pushing on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Otherwise it is not possible. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam-bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇam... Śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā. The ultimate benefit of life is compared with the moon. So spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness means spreading the moonlight. Therefore we have named this temple Śrī Māyāpur-candrodaya.

Lecture on SB Lecture -- Melbourne, May 19, 1975:

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam: "By chanting the holy name of the Lord, you will gradually cleanse the dust which is covering the core of your heart." Very simple thing. Go on chanting. And then what will be the position? Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam: "This blazing fire of anxieties of material existence will be over immediately." Simply by this method, chanting. If you have got any name, if you have got objection to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, so whatever name of God you know, you chant. This is our movement. We don't say that you have to... But this is accepted by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that harer nama (CC Adi 17.21). So if you have no objection, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. And if you think that "The Hare Kṛṣṇa is imported from India. We shall not chant," all right, you chant your own God's name. Where is the objection? But chant the name of, holy name of God. That is our propaganda.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

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

Because these are the pillars of sinful life. So we have to give up these things to accelerate our promotion to devotional service. We cannot go on doing this and that at the same time. It is something like that, you ignite fire and pour water. It will be useless attempt. If you want to burn the fire blazing, don't put water on it. Keep it dry. Similarly, if you want to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you cannot indulge in sinful activities. And when you are proved that you are no more sinful, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam, one who has become freed from the reaction of sinful life, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmāṇi...

You have to do something. So if you engage yourself twenty-four hours in pious activities, pious activities in goodness, that is also tainted. But when you actually engage yourself in the devotional service of Vāsudeva, as we were discussing this morning, the verse, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam... (SB 1.2.7).

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1972:

Pradyumna: "As evidence for this, Rūpa Gosvāmī quotes from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, Fourteenth Chapter, 18th verse. This verse is in connection with Lord Kṛṣṇa's instruction to Uddhava, where He says, 'My dear Uddhava, devotional service unto Me is just like a blazing fire, which can burn into ashes unlimited fuel supplied to it.' The purport is that as the blazing fire can burn any amount of fuel to ashes, so devotional service to the Lord in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can burn up all the fuel of sinful activities. For example, in the Gītā, Arjuna thought that fighting was a sinful activity, but Kṛṣṇa engaged him on the battlefield under His order, and so the fighting became devotional service. Therefore, Arjuna was not subjected to any sinful reaction."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So the example is that the, in the fire, you go on giving fuel perpetually, it will burn into ashes. Similarly, it doesn't matter. To become sinful... Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is sinful. So to become sinful is not disqualification, because everyone is sinful. But if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is just like the fire, and the sinful activities are just like wood. But when the wood is in touch with the fire, so the fire would burn all the woods, fuel, into ashes. But we should not.

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

The problems, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, mahā-dāvāgni, "great forest fire." Forest fire, we have no experience immediately, but in America, there is occasionally forest fire. They have got very good experience. There are many forests also. So the forest fire takes place automatically. Nobody goes to set fire. Similarly, in this material world the blazing fire is always there—problems, different problems. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. This will be extinguished immediately. It is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's saying. How? Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Simply by spreading this saṅkīrtana movement, all the problems of the world will be immediately mitigated. So to make people Vaiṣṇava, pure Vaiṣṇava, and to spread the saṅkīrtana movement, this is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and we are trying our best. Actually, it was the duty of the Indians, but fortunately, the Americans have taken up instead of Indians. Therefore I have brought them. The Indians... You are forgetting your duty.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1972:

Pradyumna: " 'Pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest enlightenment, and when such enlightenment is there, it is just like a blazing forest fire, killing all the inauspicious snakes of desire.' The example is being given in this connection that when there is a forest fire, the extensive blazing automatically kills all the snakes in the forest. There are many, many snakes on the ground of the forest, and when a fire takes place, it burns the dried foliage, and the snakes are immediately attacked. Animals who have four legs can flee from the fire or can at least try to flee, but the snakes are immediately killed. Similarly, the blazing fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so strong that the snakes of ignorance are immediately killed."

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Pradyumna: " 'Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is All-Auspicious.' Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given a definition of auspiciousness."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.4 -- Mayapur, March 4, 1974:

So if we really want relief from this materialistic way of life, then we should take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His saṅkīrtana movement. Then our misunderstanding of existence will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni (CC Antya 20.12). And we have created a civilization which is blazing fire, blazing fire. Everyone, all politicians, even ordinary citizens, they are now suffering. The politicians cannot give them enough food. They simply take vote, and the price of foodstuff is increasing. This is a very precarious condition. It is called saṁsāra-dāvānala, "the blazing fire of material existence." We may extinguish for the time being, but again... Dāvānala is used for this purpose. Nobody sets fire, but it takes place. That is called dāvānala. In the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes place by dealings. So when we deal in a different way than Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there will be fire immediately. This dealing will produce fire. That has come already.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.113-17 -- San Francisco, February 22, 1967:

Now, tattva, the Absolute Truth, He is comparing, just like blazing fire. Absolute Truth is blazing fire and, jīvera svarūpa-yaiche sphuliṅgera kaṇa, and the living entities, they are just like sparks, sparks of the fire. We have seen fire, blazing fire, and when fire is blazing, we can see the sparks and the original fire.

jīva-tattva-śakti, kṛṣṇa-tattva-śaktimān
gītā-viṣṇupurāṇādi tāhāte pramāṇa

Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Jīva-tattva, the living entities, they are never the energetic; they are energy." Energetic and energy. So how it is so? The evidence is from Bhāgavata, Viṣṇu Purāṇa and Bhagavad-gītā. Because one has to give evidence. How do you say that jīva-tattva, the living entities, they are not the Supreme? Caitanya Mahāprabhu sa..., they are not su... Not to say, I mean to say, speak of Supreme, they are not even of the same category.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.151-154 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is practically extinguished. And again, the fire, spark, if he falls down on a dry grass, then gradually, the grass becomes blazing. So even if we are... Because in this material world there are three modes of material nature. If we are associated with the goodness quality, then our spiritual energy again becomes blazing fire. From the modes of goodness, purity, knowledge, the brahminical quality... Satya śama dama titikṣa (BG 18.42). When you are put into that..., the dry grass... Although this satya śama dama, truthfulness or controlling the senses, or controlling the mind, knowledge, toleration, these qualities, they are all material qualities. They are not spiritual qualities. Don't think that if one is... One man is very truthful; that does not mean that he has attained spiritual quality. The spiritual quality is different thing. But these material qualities, satya śama dama titikṣa, all these, they can help you. They can help you to be situated in the transcendental, spiritual qualities. But don't think that they are themselves spiritual qualities. No. That is another.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.107 -- New York, July 13, 1976:

One must at least understand that we are in a... Everyone understands that, but māyā covers, does not allow him to understand properly. Here in this material world we are trying to become happy. Just like in your country is supposed to be most advanced in material civilization. They are trying to be happy. But we can see even in this New York City, nobody wants, still, twenty-four hours there is blazing fire: "gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan." Stop this. Why there is blazing fire? Nobody wants it. But there must be, because you are in the material world. However big, big skyscraper building you may have, you have to suffer. But these dull brain cannot understand, because madmen.

So this dull brain has to be cured. All rascals, mūḍha. It is a fact. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Duṣkṛtina means simply unnecessary wasting time adjusting things materially. This is miscreants. They do not know that "For one type of advantage, I have to create hundred times disadvantage." This is the fact.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.110 -- New York, July 17, 1976:

The sun planet is very, very big, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth. So it is all congested with population. And because they are all fiery, everything made there fiery, therefore it is a blazing fire, and the illumination is coming all over the universe. But they cannot understand this, the so-called scientists. It is not... Beyond their conception. But this is a fact. And the moon planet is also fiery, exactly like the sun. Therefore that illumination is distributed. But the difference is, so far I can remember, that the moon planet fire is surrounded by cool atmosphere. Because the heat is coming through some cool atmosphere, it is at night so pleasing. It is not vacant. There is also living entities. This is one of the heavenly planets. Heavenly planet begins from the sun, then moon, then Mars, Jupiter, like that. We have challenged this, that moon planet is beyond the sun planet. The moon planet is not the first planet. The sun is first, moon is second.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 7 -- Los Angeles, May 9, 1970:

When he is on the land, not on the water, then there is something, heat. Similarly, when the living entity is in the rajo-guṇa, the quality of passion, there is some hope. And when the living entity is in goodness... Just like the same spark, if it drops on the grass, dry grass, then the same spark of fire ignites another fire, another blazing fire. Similarly, if one is in goodness, then he can create a spiritual association. Just like the same example, that the small spark of fire, if it falls in favorable circumstances, or in dry grass, then it can ignite fire.

So one has to come, therefore, to the platform of goodness in this material world. If one does not come to the platform of goodness... The platform of goodness is the brahminical qualification. That we are preaching. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to bring some men on the platform of goodness. The world requires it now. The world is need of some brāhmaṇas, qualified brāhmaṇas.

Festival Lectures

Ratha-yatra -- Philadelphia, July 12, 1975:

Everyone is always full of anxiety. However rich you may be, however powerful you may be, but the anxiety must be there. You can understand, your president Nixon, how much anxiety he had when all people wanted him to come down. So this material world means in whichever position you may be situated, it doesn't matter. It is full of anxiety. This is called blazing fire, always burning the heart. So if you want to get relief from this uncomfortable position of anxiety, then you must take to this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is our request. You can try for it and you will see the practical result. It will not cost you anything; there is no loss about it.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hamburg, September 5, 1969:

So the spiritual master's duty is to save the living entities who are so much embarrassed by the forest fire. That is the duty of spiritual master. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. The whole world is blazing, and just like in the blazing fire of the forest, the animals are going here and there, and some of them are dying, the whole world is like that. And how that blazing fire can be extinguished? You cannot send there this fire brigade, or you cannot get some pots of water and try to extinguish that wide fire. It is not possible. Then how to extinguish it? The extinguishing is possible when there is cloud overhead and there is incessant pouring of water. Then the forest fire extinguished. No artificial means, no scientific means. Fire brigade or this fire extinguisher, we have invented so many things, but when there is forest fire all these things are nonsense. Nothing can be used. The only use, means, is when there is pouring, incessant pouring of water from the cloud. That is made of God. That is not in your hand. You cannot produce cloud. Some arrangement of God's arrangement, the cloud, is there.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- Hamburg, September 5, 1969:

He is not responsible for what is written in that letter. He simply delivers. But a peon's duty is that he must sincerely carry out the order of the postmaster and deliver the letter to the proper person. That is their duty. Similarly, this paramparā system is like that. Every one of us should become a spiritual master because the world is in blazing fire. (aside:) You can give them prasādam. Now, of course, time is very high. So to understand the spiritual master... Spiritual master is not a new invention. It is simply following the orders of the spiritual master. So all my students present here who are feeling so much obliged... I am also obliged to them because they are helping me in this missionary work. At the same time, I shall request them all to become spiritual master. Every one of you should be spiritual master next. And what is their duty? Whatever you are hearing from me, whatever you are learning from me, you have to distribute the same in toto without any addition or alteration.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu's Appearance Day Nitai-Pada-Kamala Purport -- Los Angeles, January 31, 1969:

This is a song by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava-sampradāya. He has written many songs about the Vaiṣṇava philosophy, and they are approved as completely corresponding with Vedic instructions. So here Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing that "The whole world is suffering under the blazing fire of material existence. Therefore, if one takes the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda...," whose birthday is today, 31st, January, 1969. So we should relish this instruction of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura that in order to get relief from the pangs of blazing fire of this material existence, one should take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda because it is as cooling as the moon rays combined together of millions of moons. That means one will immediately find peaceful atmosphere. Just like a man works whole day and if he comes under the moonshine he feels relief.

Initiation Lectures

Initiation Lecture -- San Francisco, March 10, 1968:

So if we are serious about purification, then we must follow these four principles, if you want to be cured.

Of course, this chanting of hari-nāma will make you purified. That's nice. But just like this fire I am going to ignite. This is dry firewood. But if I help it, to keep it dry, then the fire will be very nice, blazing fire. But if I pour water on it, then it will be difficult to ignite. Similarly, the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will keep you always progressing, but at the same time, if we also voluntarily do not pour water on that fire, then it will be nice. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness or chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa will keep you progressive. At the same time, voluntarily, if you do not commit all these nonsenses, then it will be very nice. And if you continue this water pouring, then... Just like a man is taking medicine at the same time doing all nonsense. Then his disease will not be cured, or may take very, very long time. So we should not be irresponsible in that way because life is very short.

Lecture at Initiation Fire Sacrifice -- Los Angeles, July 16, 1969:

One should not be foolishly very optimistic, that "I am very well situated. I am enjoying life." This is ignorance. Nobody is enjoying life in this material world; everyone is suffering. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka: ** this world is just like blazing forest fire; so everyone is suffering, contaminated. This is the sign, symptoms of contamination, that suffering, threefold miseries-ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. But as the animals, they suffer, but they do not understand, this is animal life. The animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse, but still he's happy. This is animal life. So when one cannot understand his sufferings of this material contamination, his life is animal life. He knows that he's suffering, but he's trying to cover the suffering by some nonsense means: by forgetfulness, by drinking, by intoxication, by this, by that. He's aware of his suffering, but he wants to cover his suffering in a nonsense way. Just like the rabbit. The rabbit, when he's in face to face of some ferocious animal, the rabbit closes the eyes.

Initiation Lecture -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

And after some time when they are accustomed, they... Now they have to promise that they'll give up four sinful activities. Sinful activity... If you indulge in sinful activities there cannot be any spiritual advancement. That is not possible. Just like here there will be fire. If you favorably ignite the fire, it will be blazing. But if you ignite the fire and pour water at the same time, then there will be no blazing fire. Similarly, to advance in spiritual life and at the same time indulge in sinful activities will not help us. The sinful act... The basic principles of sinful activities are mentioned in the śāstra-striya, sūnā, dyūta, pāna. Pāna means intoxication, including chewing pan and drinking tea. Chaya pāna. So one has to give up this pāna. And drinking, smoking, drinking tea, chewing pan should be given up. Pāna. This is one of the pillar of the sinful activity. And meat-eating. Meat, fish, eggs, they should be given up. And gambling, dyūta, pāna dyūta (SB 1.17.38), that should be given up.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Seattle, October 2, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The living entity is just like a molecular part of the sunshine, whereas Kṛṣṇa is compared to the blazing shining sun. Lord Caitanya compared the living entities to the blazing sparks from the fire and the Supreme Lord to the blazing fire of the sun. The Lord cites in this connection a verse from Viṣṇu Purāṇa in which it is stated that everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but an energy of the Supreme Lord. For example, as the fire emanating from one place exhibits its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere."

Prabhupāda: Now, this is very simple. Try to understand. Just like this fire, this lamp, is located at a certain place but the illumination is distributed all over this room, similarly whatever you see, display of this cosmic manifestation, they are display of the energy of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is situated in one place. That we cite in our Brahma-saṁhitā: govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He's a person. Just like your President, Mr. Johnson, he's sitting in his room in Washington, but his power, his energy, is acting all over the state.

Address to Indian Association -- Columbus, May 11, 1969:

As soon as your heart is cleansed of all dirty things, then all the problems of material existence immediately solved. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni. It has been compared with dāvāgni. Dāvāgni means the blazing fire in the forest. In this material existence, nobody wants unhappiness, but it comes, forced, by force. That is the law of material nature. Nobody wants that there may be fire, but especially in this country, wherever in a city we go, the fire brigade is always active. You see? Nobody wants fire, but the fire brigade is active. Yes. There is fire. Similarly, nobody wants so many things. Nobody wants death; there is death. Nobody wants disease; there is disease. Nobody wants old age; oh, there is old age—against my, against my desire. We should have to think that what is the status of this material existence. This human form of life is meant for understanding.

Lecture -- Boston, December 23, 1969 :

Just like fire and spark of fire. The spark, when it is with the fire it is bright fire, but as soon as it goes out of the fire, it extinguishes. But the big fire never extinguishes. Similarly, you are not that big fire, you are that small spark fire. You have fallen down; therefore you are not God. Now you have to raise yourself again to the fire, you will be again blazing spark. So that is the difference. Thatis stated in the Vedic literature Brahman, every living entity is Brahman, but the Supreme Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. He never becomes not God. We see Kṛṣṇa's life, when He was a child on the lap of His mother, He is God. So many demons they are killed. He hasn't got to meditate to become God. When He was playing, He was God, and when He was fighting in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He is God. That is God. Not that sometimes not God, sometimes God. That is not God. God is always God, in any circumstance. That is God. (pause) Hare Kṛṣṇa. I am not God. I cannot give so many things. (laughter) So distribute prasādam. (everyone chants japa) (indistinct) Huh? Oh, yes, why not?

Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969:

All the problems of our life, whatever you may say, social, political, religious and whatever... There are so many problems. The whole material world is full of problems. These problems are compared just like blazing fire in the forest. Just like in the forest, there is fire, nobody can check. Although nobody goes to the forest to set fire, it takes automatically. Similarly, in this material existence of life, we do not want any problem, but problems are created. Just like automatically there is fire in the forest without our endeavor, similarly, material problems are created automatically by our dealings, by our behavior. So if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the first result will be that you will understand your real constitutional position, for which many great mystics, sages and saints are meditating, "What I am?" That, I mean to say, procedure of spiritual realization will be the first installment, your profit.

Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969:

Then? So we manufacture something. This material world is like that, problematic. That I have already explained. Just like the blazing fire. So the answer is given in the Bhagavad-gītā, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama duratyayā (BG 7.14). In this material world the onslaught of the material nature is very, very severe. Nobody can surpass it. In some way or other it will come in a different form. The problem will not be solved. The problem can be solved, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te, when one surrenders unto God, Kṛṣṇa. Then he can surpass this onslaught of material nature. So that is the real remedy. Unfortunately, people does not take that process. But if anyone accepts this process, his problems are solved. That is the fact. That is the fact. But we do not expect that everyone can accept this process. But if anyone can accept this process, at least his personal problems will be solved. But it is the duty of such God conscious persons to distribute the message. If anyone likes, he can take, he can solve his problems. And if he does not take, that business is the own business. What can I do?

Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

Similarly, if you polish your heart by chanting, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, then immediately you develop your dormant love of Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as the dormant love of Kṛṣṇa is awakened, immediately you are liberated. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam.

Liberation means to get out of the blazing fire of this material existence. That is liberation. It is simply change of consciousness, that I am thinking in so many ways, my consciousness is polluted in so many ways. But when you think that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is your real constitutional position, then that very understanding makes you liberated, immediately. Pāpa-kṣaya bhavati smaratāṁ tam ahar-niśam. Tatraiva ca tasmāt saṅkīrtanaṁ viṣṇu jagan-maṅgalam amhasā... Jagan-maṅgalam amhasā. Śrīdhar Swami gives his comment, tasmāt, therefore; sankīrtanaṁ viṣṇu jagan-maṅgalam amhasā. The world (is) full of sinful reactions. If this saṅkīrtana movement is pushed on there will be peace, there will be auspicity all over the world. It is not that we have introduced a new thing.

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan -- Bombay, March 26, 1971:

There are hundreds and thousands of varieties of fruits. There is nice grains also, there is nice milk also, there is sugar also. So you can prepare nice foodstuff on these ingredients which are considered sattvika, sattvikāhāra. Fruits, grains, vegetables, and sugar, rice, wheat, they are considered as sattvikāhāra. So you can prepare. Kṛṣṇa also says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. He can eat everything. Just like we have evidences from His life, sometimes He ate fire. Blazing fire in the forest, He ate up. So He can eat everything because He is God. He has got the potency of accepting anything. That is a different thing. But when He demands from His devotees, He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. So we have satisfy Him from these groups. Patraṁ puṣpam means vegetables, fruits, grains; and toyam, water or milk, like that. And you partake the prasāda.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

Or if you feel that you cannot read or you have no money to purchase book, never mind. Lord Caitanya has given you very simple path: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If you chant this mantra with faith and devotion, without any offense, but simply by chanting you will realize yourself, you will realize God, Kṛṣṇa, and your life will be successful. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). These are the statements of Vedic literature. Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one can cleanse his heart of all the dirty things. And as soon as the dirty things are moved, then you become liberated. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. Immediately the blazing fire of material existence is extinguished.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 11, 1971:

So we have to cleanse this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends by simply chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, your heart will be cleansed. The mirror of your heart will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). And immediately you will be able to extinguish the blazing fire of this material existence. These are the different items of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And He therefore says, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam: "All victory to śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam." So I do not wish to take much of your time. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is very nice, authorized, spiritual, simple and sublime, all at a time. If you kindly take this, you will be benefited, and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much.

Lecture at Wayside Chapel -- Sydney, May 13, 1971:

So without any expenditure, without any loss, if you can see yourself, what you are, why don't you take it? What is the objection? Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). And as soon as you can see, you can have a look upon yourself, immediately the blazing fire of material existence will be extinguished. This material world is supposed to be blazing fire. Blazing fire. It is called blazing fire in the forest. Just like in the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes automatically, similarly, in this material world, however you may try to live very peacefully, it will not allow you. There will be some fire. Just like in Pakistan. All of a sudden they separated from India as Muhammadan on the basis of religion. Now they are Muhammadans, of the same religion, but they are fighting. First of all they wanted to save themselves from fighting from the Hindus. Now they are Muhammadan. They are of the same cult, same religion. Still, they are fighting. So you cannot stop this fighting. It will automatically come out. Just like the forest blazing fire. Nobody goes to set fire there, but it takes place.

Lecture at Wayside Chapel -- Sydney, May 13, 1971:

That is the nature of this material world. Try to understand. But if you understand your constitutional position, what you are, then immediately this blazing fire will be extinguished and real knowledge come out. If you understand your position, then what is your real occupation, real activities, you will understand. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇam (CC Antya 20.12). Just like the moon rises from a line. On the pratipara (?) day, on the first moon side, you will see just like a line, but gradually it develops, develops, develops, and it becomes a full moon, very beautiful. Similarly, if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then your first vision of your self, your constitutional position, will be visible just like a line of the moon. But if you go on continuing, you will find one day it is full moon and brilliant, very soothing, and nectarine. You'll taste your life as very sublime, blissful, and hopeful.

Lecture -- Bombay, March 19, 1972:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has explained this as ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), cleansing the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanaṁ. If we cleanse our heart, that means if we come to the original Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanaṁ. This blazing fire of material consciousness will immediately extinguish. That is the process. Every one of us trying to be happy, peaceful and blissful also, but unless we revive our original Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is not possible.

So this movement is very important movement, that we are attempting to revive one's original consciousness. The original consciousness is clean. Just like the water. Originally, when it drops from the clouds, it is distilled water, clean, but as soon as it comes in touch with the muddy earth, it becomes unclean. Similarly, originally our consciousness was Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture at Auckland University -- Auckland, April 17, 1972:

And if you understand that you are spirit soul, you are Brahman, then, at that time, you will become free from this blazing fire of material existence.

The blazing fire of material existence, I was just talking this morning our Swami Hanumān Goswāmī. He was speaking that at the present moment there is a movement amongst the younger section to commit suicide. Why? Why younger section are feeling such frustration and confused in spite of so much educational institution? In your Western country there is no question of poverty. You are all well-to-do, especially... I have extensively traveled over America and Europe, especially America. They are very opulent. I have traveled in Australia and come to your country, New Zealand. So far material necessities are concerned, you are all well-to-do. So why this question of frustration as Swami Goswami Hanuman Prasāda was thinking? Now the younger generation are after suicide. I do not know if this is fact. There is some dearth. So many things are. So actually, there is no cause of frustration.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

Then how it will be extinguished? Fire means it requires water to be extinguished. But where the water is coming from? From your bucket or from your fire brigade? No. It must come from the sky. It must come from the sky. When there will be torrents of rain from the sky, this forest fire, blazing forest fire will be extinguished. So these rains from the sky, it does not depend on your scientific propaganda or manipulation. It depends on the mercy of the Supreme Lord. So the spiritual master is compared with the cloud. Just like from the cloud there is torrents of rain, similarly, a spiritual master is considered just like cloud. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. Just like cloud takes the water from the sea-cloud hasn't got its own water; cloud takes water from the sea—similarly, a spiritual master brings mercy from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just see the comparison. He has no own mercy, but he carries the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the qualification of spiritual master.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

The money is sent by somebody else. But he honestly delivers you: "Sir, here is your money. Take it." So you become very much satisfied with the peon. Although it is not his money, but when, in case of need, you get the money sent by your father or somebody else, brought by the peon, on oh, you get very much satisfaction. Similarly, we are all suffering in this blazing fire of material existence. The spiritual master brings the message from the Supreme Lord and delivers you. And if you kindly accept, then you'll be satisfied. This is the business of the spiritual master.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

"Sir, you have brought the mercy from the Supreme Lord. Therefore we are much obliged to you. To deliver us, you have come. We offer our respectful obeisances." This is the meaning of this verse. Vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam. That means the first qualification of the spiritual master, or guru, is to deliver you some message by which immediately your blazing fire in the heart will be stopped. This is the test.

Everyone has blazing fire within the heart. That is the proof of material existence. Nobody is without anxieties. That blazing fire means anxieties, always. Everyone has got anxieties. Even the small bird, he has got anxiety. You give the small bird some grains to eat, he'll eat it. But he's not very peacefully eating. He'll see this way, that way, "If somebody's coming to kill me?" Yes. This is material existence. Everyone... Even President Nixon, he's also full of anxieties, what to speak of others. Even Gandhi, in our country, he was full of anxieties.

Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University -- Stockholm, September 9, 1973:

Don't make a cheap guru or a fashion guru, just like you keep sometimes a dog as a fashion. Similarly, if you want to keep a dog, or if you want to keep a guru as a fashion—"I have got a guru"—that will not help. You must accept a guru who can extinguish the blazing fire of anxiety within your heart. That is the first test of a guru.

And the second test is, mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta-vaditra-mādyan manaso rasena. The guru... Second system, symptom, is that guru is always engaged in chanting Mahāprabhu, glorifying Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is his business. Mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta. He's dancing and chanting in the... By chanting the holy name of the Lord... Because this is the remedy for all calamities within this material world at the present moment. At the present moment, nobody can meditate. The so-called meditation is humbug.

Lecture Excerpt -- London, July 25, 1976:

So the Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows it, that although it is decorated very nicely. The New York is a big city. Twenty-four hours, "dungdungdungdungdungdung-guggugguggugguggug"—fire, always fire. Every minute there is a fire case. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's description of this material world as blazing fire... We see big, big cities in America, always in blazing fire. Still, they like this kind of life. But one who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are no more interested, no more interested. They are interested back home, back to Godhead. Back to Godhead. Therefore our magazine is Back to Godhead. They are no more interested in front. They are going back to... (laughter) Therefore this name was given, Back to Godhead. They are trying: "No more we are so foolish. To go forward, material civilization..." And where you'll go? You are packed up within this universal atmosphere. Just like they are running for the moon planet, for the Mars planet. And where the rascals running, they'll come back.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Sigmund Freud:

That is called brahma-jñāna, real platform. And in Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, (indistinct). When one comes to that knowledge that I am spirit soul, than immediately he becomes happy. All this trouble is due to this false ego. Immediately he comes back. (indistinct) What does this mean? The blazing fire of material existence is immediately extinguished. These philosophers are simply describing the blazing fire of material existence. We are trying to get him out of the prison. That's all. Immediately he feels relief: "Oh, I am out of the fire." And within the fire, however you try to make him happy, how will he be happy? The fire is already there. Save him from the fire. Then he is happy. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu, (indistinct). And in Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, (indistinct).

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Prabhupāda: That kind of hero you find in the insect also, that very heroically following on the path: "Put, put, put, put." That is foolishness.

Śyāmasundara: It always appears that the hero is protected, that nothing can stop him. He is so heroic nothing can stop him.

Prabhupāda: That heroism is just like insect heroism. There is blazing fire, and all kinds of ants and insects are falling in. So what is the use of such heroism? He has no sound knowledge. He is talking speculation. (break)

(next meeting)

Śyāmasundara: Yesterday we were discussing Jean-Paul Sartre. His point was that man finds himself responsible for his own actions—not only individually, but he finds that the world is in his own choosing so that he has a social responsibility as well.

Purports to Songs

Purport to Nitai-Pada-Kamala -- Los Angeles, December 21, 1968:

It is just a shelter where you will get the soothing moonlight not only of one, but of millions of moons. Just we have to imagine what is the aggregate total value of the soothing shine of millions of moons. Koṭi-candra-suśītala, je chāyāy jagata jurāy. Jagat, this material world, which is progressing towards hell, and there is always a blazing fire, everyone is struggling hard, nobody finds peace. Therefore, if the world wants to have real peace, then it should take shelter under the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda, which is supposed to be cooling like the shining moon, millions in number. Nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala, je chāyāy jagata jurāy. Jurāy means relief. If you actually want relief from the struggle of existence and if you actually want to extinguish the fire of material pangs, then Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura advises, "Please take shelter of Lord Nityānanda." What will be the result of accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda? He says that heno nitāi bine bhāi: "Unless you take shelter under the shade of lotus feet of Nityānanda," rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi, "it will be very difficult to approach Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for approaching Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, to be associated with the Supreme Lord in His sublime pleasure dance. That is the aim of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Purport & Explanation to Hari Hari Biphale -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Biṣa, b-i-s-a, nale, n-a-l-e. Biṣānale. The blazing fire of poison. The material enjoyment is blazing fire of poison. "Just like a person, if he is put into the blazing fire, he is burned into ashes, similarly, simply by thinking, 'How I shall enjoy this? How I shall enjoy this materially?' This is just like blazing fire of poison. So I am suffering always." Biṣaya biṣānale dibā-niśi hiyā jvale. Dibā-niśi, d-i-b-a, dibā-niśi. Dibā means day, and niśi, niśi means night. "So day and night I am in this blazing fire."

Pradyumna: Neśi? How do you spell that?

Prabhupāda: Niśi, n-i-s-i.

Pradyumna: Dibā n-i-s-i, dibā-niśi.

Prabhupāda: Hiyā, h-i-a, hiyā, jvale, j-a..., j-v-a-l-e.

Pradyumna: J-v-e-l-e.

Purport & Explanation to Hari Hari Biphale -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Nā kainu. N-a, nā, kainu, k-a-i-n-u, nā kainu, upāya, u-p-a-y-a, upāya. Tarivare means "to get out of it," nā kainu, "did not do." Nā means "not," kainu, "did not do." Nā kainu upāya. Upāya means "means." That means "If anyone wants to get out of this blazing fire of poison of material enjoyment, then he has to take to this hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, this chanting. That is the only method. So I did not do that. I engaged myself in this viṣaya viṣānale, this material enjoyment. Therefore my life has been uselessly spoiled. Tarivare nā kainu upāya. The next line, vrajendra-nandana yei. V-r-a-j-e-n-d-r-a, vrajendra, nandana, n-a-n-d-a-n-a, yei, y-a-i.

Pradyumna: Jia.

Prabhupāda: Jai. Vrajendranandana yei, śacī-suta, s-a-c-h-i-s-u-t-a, śacī-suta, haila, h-a-i-l-a, haila, sei, s-a-i, sei. Vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta haila sei, balarāma haila nitāi. B-al-a-r-a-m-a, balarāma, haila, h-i, h-a-i-l-a. Haila, h-a-i-l-a, nitāi, n-i-t-a-i, haila nitāi. Balarāma haila nitāi. And this means... Vrajendra-nandana yei: "The Supreme Personality who appeared as the son of King Nanda, the same Supreme Personality Kṛṣṇa has now appeared as the son of mother Śacī." And Balarāma, b-a-l-a-r-a-m-a; haila, haila means "has become;" Nitāi, "Lord Nityānanda." "Formerly the Personality of Godhead who was known as Balarāma has now become Lord Nityānanda." So what is their business? Pāpī tāpī yata chilo. P-a-p-i, t-a-p-i, pāpī tāpī, yata, y-a-t-a, yata chilo, c-h-h-i-l-a.

Purport to Sri-Sri-Gurv-astakam -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1969:

This song is offering obeisances particularly to the spiritual master, and the symptoms of the spiritual master are described in this prayer. The spiritual master has two kind of symptoms in his activities. One kind is called constant, and other kind is called temporary. So the first verse says that the constant symptom of the spiritual master is that he can deliver his disciples from the blazing fire of this material existence. That is the eternal qualification of spiritual master. Trāṇāya means for deliverance, and kāruṇya means compassionate, very merciful. The spiritual master comes to the deliverance of the fallen souls out of his causeless mercy. Nobody has any business for the sufferings of others. The best example is Lord Jesus Christ, that he suffered for others. And it is the principle in the Bible that he accepted all the sins of others. This is the sign of spiritual master, that he voluntarily accepts the sinful activities of others and delivers them.

Purport to Sri-Sri-Gurv-astakam -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1969:

This is the sign of spiritual master, that he voluntarily accepts the sinful activities of others and delivers them. That is the qualification of spiritual master. How it is? Just like ghanāghanatvam. Ghanāghanatvam means dense cloud in the sky. The first example has been said, that this material existence is just like forest blazing fire. Now, to extinguish the forest blazing fire, there is no use of sending fire brigade. The fire brigade cannot approach the forest fire; neither any man can go there to extinguish the fire. One has to depend completely on the mercy of nature. That means one has to completely depend on the cloud in the sky. Otherwise, there is no question of pouring water on that blazing fire. So the example is very appropriate. As man-made engine or fire brigade is unable to extinguish the forest blazing fire, similarly, the material existentional blazing fire cannot be extinguished by any man-made method.

Purport to Sri-Sri-Gurv-astakam -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1969:

They are planning to be very comfortable in this material existence, but they are still more being confused and failure. That peace movement, that United Nation movement, everything is failure. Why? These miseries of this material existence cannot be stopped by any material means. One has to take shelter of spiritual means. Just like the blazing fire in the forest has to wait for the cloud in the sky, similarly, one has to wait for the merciful cloud as the spiritual master. That is described. Trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam, prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya **. So the spiritual master is not self-made. It is not that if anyone comes before you and bluffs you that "I have attained spiritual perfection, and I have realized something by some method." No. The spiritual master, bona fide spiritual, means he has to receive the power from authority. Otherwise it is useless. No It is not that one can become spiritual master overnight. He has to take the power from his spiritual master. Therefore it is called prāptasya. Prāptasya means one who has obtained, one who has got the merciful blessings of his spiritual master.

Purport to Sri-Sri-Gurv-astakam -- Los Angeles, January 2, 1969:

Here is another example. Guṇārnava. Arṇava means ocean, and guṇa means spiritual qualities. Just like the same example is going on. It is very nice poetry. There is nice rhethorics and metaphor. The example is set, blazing fire, and it is to be extinguished with the cloud. And wherefrom the cloud comes? Similarly, wherefrom the spiritual master receives the mercy? The cloud receives his potency from the ocean. Therefore the spiritual master also receives his power from the ocean of spiritual quality, that is, from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya. Such kind of spiritual master, one has to accept, and vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam, and one has to offer his respectful obeisances to such authorized spiritual master.

Purport to Hari Hari Biphale -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

So golokera prema-dhana. And it is not ordinary song. It is just the treasure of love of Godhead. So... "But I have no attraction for this." Rati nā janmilo kene tāy. "I have no attraction for it. On the contrary," viṣaya-biṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale, "and because I did not accept it, therefore the blazing fire of the poison of material existence is constantly burning me." Dibā-niśi hiyā jwale. "Day and night, my heart is burning on account of this poisonous effect of material existence." And taribare nā koinu upāy. "But I did not seek any remedy for this." In other words, the remedy for this blazing fire of material existence is this saṅkīrtana movement. It is imported from the spiritual kingdom. And who has imported it? Or who has brought it?

Then he says, brajendra-nandana jei, śaci-suta hoilo sei. Brajendra-nandana, the son of King of Braja. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is known as son of Nanda Mahārāja. He was King of Brajabhūmi. So brajendra-nandana jei, the same personality who was formerly the son of Nanda Mahārāja has now appeared as the son of Mother Śacī. Śacī-suta hoilo sei. And balarāma hoilo nitāi. And Lord Balarāma has become Nityānanda. So these two brothers adventing, they are delivering all kinds of fallen souls. Pāpī-tāpī jata chilo.

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

Our body is material, but I am spirit soul. So we have to know the techniques how to get out of this material bondage. That is the process of jñāna vairāgya, knowledge and renunciation. The example is given, just like wood, firewood. If you somehow or other, you can ignite fire, then the fire will vanquish the wood. The blazing fire will consume the whole wood. Similarly, you have got the fire of spiritual consciousness. If you can evoke that spiritual consciousness, this material consciousness will be burnt up. It will come out from this material body, but when it comes out, then it will vanquish the material body. Very good, good example. The fire, there is..., in the wood there is fire, everyone knows. So you ignite fire, and if you make it dry, then the fire takes place very quickly. And when it is blazing fire, then the wood becomes vanquished. There is no more existence of the wood. Similarly, if you can invoke your spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when it will be very nicely going on, then your material existence will be finished.

Purport to Bhajahu Re Mana -- Los Angeles, May 27, 1972:

So everyone should desire like Govinda dasa. Śravana kīrtana, these are the devotional processes: hearing; chanting; remembering; arcana, worshiping the Deity; vandana, offering prayer. There are nine kinds. So human life is meant for this purpose. By this process, gradually we ignite the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or spiritual consciousness. Then, by that fire, as by blazing fire the wood itself becomes burnt into ashes, so our, all of our covering... The spirit soul is covered by matter, by ignorance. So this covering and ignorance will be burnt into ashes, and you'll become free and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the purport of this song.

Now you can begin. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Page Title:Blazing fire (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:03 of Aug, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=111, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:111