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Catastrophe

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 1.16-18, Translation and Purport:

King Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Kuntī, blew his conchshell, the Ananta-vijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughoṣa and Maṇipuṣpaka. That great archer the King of Kāśī, the great fighter Śikhaṇḍī, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Virāṭa, the unconquerable Sātyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadī, and the others, O King, such as the mighty-armed son of Subhadrā, all blew their respective conchshells.

Sañjaya informed King Dhṛtarāṣṭra very tactfully that his unwise policy of deceiving the sons of Pāṇḍu and endeavoring to enthrone his own sons on the seat of the kingdom was not very laudable. The signs already clearly indicated that the whole Kuru dynasty would be killed in that great battle. Beginning with the grandsire, Bhīṣma, down to the grandsons like Abhimanyu and others—including kings from many states of the world—all were present there, and all were doomed. The whole catastrophe was due to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, because he encouraged the policy followed by his sons.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

SB 1.1.2, Purport:

The threefold miseries are (1) those miseries which arise from the mind and body, (2) those miseries inflicted by other living beings, and (3) those miseries arising from natural catastrophes over which one has no control. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins with the surrender of the devotee unto the Absolute Person. The devotee is fully aware that he is one with the Absolute and at the same time in the eternal position of servant to the Absolute. In the material conception, one falsely thinks himself the lord of all he surveys, and therefore he is always troubled by the threefold miseries of life. But as soon as one comes to know his real position as transcendental servant, he at once becomes free from all miseries. As long as the living entity is trying to master material nature, there is no possibility of his becoming servant of the Supreme. Service to the Lord is rendered in pure consciousness of one's spiritual identity; by service one is immediately freed from material encumbrances.

SB 1.13.22, Purport:

With such foolish ideas, they become overtaken by such temporary engagements and forget altogether that they must give up this temporary body and take a new one, again to arrange for another term of society, friendship and love, again to perish ultimately. They forget their permanent identity and become foolishly active for impermanent occupations, forgetting altogether their prime duty. Saints and sages like Vidura approach such foolish men to awaken them to the real situation, but they take such sādhus and saints as parasites of society, and almost all of them refuse to hear the words of such sādhus and saints, although they welcome show-bottle sādhus and so-called saints who can satisfy their senses. Vidura was not a sādhu to satisfy the ill-gotten sentiment of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He was correctly pointing out the real situation of life, and how one can save oneself from such catastrophes.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.3.20, Purport:

Lord Śiva put forward the argument that even if Sati proposed to go alone, without her husband, still she would not be received well because she was his wife. There was every chance of a catastrophe, even if she wanted to go alone. Therefore Lord Śiva indirectly requested her not to go to her father's house.

SB 4.14.7, Translation:

Therefore all the great sages assembled together and, after observing cruel Vena's atrocities, concluded that a great danger and catastrophe was approaching the people of the world. Thus out of compassion they began to talk amongst themselves, for they themselves were the performers of the sacrifices.

SB 4.14.42, Purport:

The purity of hereditary succession is called amogha-vīrya. The pious seminal succession in the twice-born families of the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas especially, as well as in the families of vaiśyas also, must be kept very pure by the observation of the purificatory processes beginning with garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, which is observed before conceiving a child. Unless this purificatory process is strictly observed, especially by the brāhmaṇas, the family descendants become impure, and gradually sinful activities become visible in the family. Mahārāja Aṅga was very pure because of the purification of semen in the family of Mahārāja Dhruva. However, his semen became contaminated in association with his wife, Sunīthā, who happened to be the daughter of death personified. Because of this polluted semen, King Vena was produced. This was a catastrophe in the family of Dhruva Mahārāja. All the saintly persons and sages considered this point, and they decided to take action in this matter, as described in the following verses.

SB 4.21.22, Purport:

Prajāyate iti prajā. The word prajā refers to one who takes birth. Therefore Pṛthu Mahārāja guaranteed protection for prajānām—all living entities who took birth in his kingdom. Prajā refers not only to human beings but also to animals, trees and every other living entity. It is the duty of the king to give all living entities protection and food. The fools and rascals of modern society have no knowledge of the extent of the responsibility of the government. Animals are also citizens of the land in which they happen to be born, and they also have the right to continue their existence at the cost of the Supreme Lord. The disturbance of the animal population by wholesale slaughter produces a catastrophic future reaction for the butcher, his land and his government.

SB 4.22.43, Purport:

The word sādhūcchiṣṭam is significant in this verse. Pṛthu Mahārāja got his kingdom from great saintly persons like Bhṛgu and others just as one gets remnants of food. After the death of King Vena, the whole world was bereft of a popular ruler. There were so many catastrophes occurring that the great saintly persons, headed by Bhṛgu, created the body of King Pṛthu out of the body of his dead father, King Vena. Since King Pṛthu was thus offered the kingdom by the virtue of the mercy of great saintly persons, he did not want to divide his kingdom among saints like the Kumāras. When a father is eating food, he may, out of compassion, offer the remnants of his food to his son. Although such food may be already chewed by the father, it cannot be offered to the father again. Pṛthu Mahārāja's position was something like this; whatever he possessed had already been chewed, and therefore he could not offer it to the Kumāras. Indirectly, however, he offered everything he possessed to the Kumāras, and consequently they utilized his possessions in whatever way they liked.

SB 4.28.27, Purport:

To save human civilization from the darkness of ignorance, this movement was started. The main purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to enlighten the forgetful living entity and remind him of his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this way the living entity can be saved from the catastrophe of ignorance as well as bodily transmigration. As Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung:

anādi karama-phale, paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale,

taribāre nā dekhi upāya
ei viṣaya-halāhale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale,
mana kabhu sukha nāhi pāya

"Because of my past fruitive activities, I have now fallen into an ocean of nescience. I cannot find any means to get out of this great ocean, which is indeed like an ocean of poison. We are trying to be happy through sense enjoyment, but actually that so-called enjoyment is like food that is too hot and causes burning in the heart. I feel a burning sensation constantly, day and night, and thus my mind cannot find satisfaction."

SB Canto 9

SB 9.16.18-19, Purport:

That the kṣatriyas had killed his father was only a plea; the real fact is that because the kṣatriyas, the ruling class, had become polluted, their position was inauspicious. Brahminical culture is enjoined in the śāstra, especially in Bhagavad-gītā (cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13)). According to the laws of nature, whether at the time of Paraśurāma or at the present, if the government becomes irresponsible and sinful, not caring for brahminical culture, there will certainly be an incarnation of God like Paraśurāma to create a devastation by fire, famine, pestilence or some other calamity. Whenever the government disrespects the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead and fails to protect the institution of varṇāśrama-dharma, it will certainly have to face such catastrophes as formerly brought about by Lord Paraśurāma.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

SB 10.8.8-9, Translation:

Kaṁsa is both a great diplomat and a very sinful man. Therefore, having heard from Yogamāyā, the daughter of Devakī, that the child who will kill him has already been born somewhere else, having heard that the eighth pregnancy of Devakī could not bring forth a female child, and having understood your friendship with Vasudeva, Kaṁsa, upon hearing that the purificatory process has been performed by me, the priest of the Yadu dynasty, may certainly consider all these points and suspect that Kṛṣṇa is the son of Devakī and Vasudeva. Then he might take steps to kill Kṛṣṇa. That would be a catastrophe.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 20.102, Purport:

The threefold material miseries are miseries arising from the body and the mind, miseries arising from dealings with other living entities, and miseries arising from natural disturbances. Sometimes we suffer bodily when we are attacked by a fever, and sometimes we suffer mentally when a close relative dies. Other living entities also cause us misery. There are living entities born of the human embryo, of eggs, perspiration and vegetation. Miserable conditions brought about by natural catastrophes are controlled by the higher demigods. There may be severe cold or thunderbolts, or a person may be haunted by ghosts. These threefold miseries are always before us, and they entrap us in a dangerous situation. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). There is danger in every step of life.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 28:

He cited a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (9.5.16) spoken by Durvāsā Muni, a great mystic yogī who considered himself very elevated and envied Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, who was known as the greatest devotee of the time. In an attempt to harass Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, Durvāsā Muni had met with a great catastrophe and been defeated by the Sudarśana cakra of the Lord. Durvāsā Muni admitted his fault and said, "For pure devotees who are always engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, whose very name is sufficient for liberation, nothing is considered impossible."

In the Stotra-ratna (43), Yāmunācārya writes: "My Lord, those who keep themselves independent of Your service are helpless. They work on their own account and thus receive no support from superior authority. Therefore I long for the time when I shall engage fully in Your transcendental loving service without any desire for material satisfaction and without hovering on the mental plane. Only when I engage in such unalloyed devotional service will I enjoy actual spiritual life."

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 1:

This is doom for him, because this human form of life is meant for getting out of material contamination. By the advancement of material knowledge, people are becoming more and more entangled in material existence. They have no hope of being liberated from this catastrophe.

In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya it is stated that Prahlāda Mahārāja, a great devotee of the Lord, prayed to Nṛsiṁha-deva (the half-lion, half-man incarnation) as follows: "My dear Lord, I repeatedly pray unto Your lotus feet that I may simply be stronger in devotional service. I simply pray that my Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be more strong and steady, because happiness derived out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service is so powerful that with it one can have all the other perfections of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and even the attainment of liberation from material existence."

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 7:

Within a few moments the whole area of Vṛndāvana became so densely dark that no one could see himself or anyone else. During this great catastrophe, Mother Yaśodā could not see her baby, who had been taken away by the whirlwind, and she began to cry very piteously. She fell down on the ground exactly like a cow who has just lost her calf. When Mother Yaśodā was so piteously crying, all the cowherd women immediately came and began to look for the baby, but they were disappointed and could not find Him.

The Tṛṇāvarta demon went high into the sky with baby Kṛṣṇa on his shoulder, but the baby assumed such a weight that suddenly he could not go any further, and he had to stop his whirlwind activities. Baby Kṛṣṇa made Himself heavy and began to weigh down the demon, catching hold of his neck.

Krsna Book 54:

Thus Śiśupāla, instead of marrying Rukmiṇī, had to be satisfied with the flattering words of his friends, and he returned home in disappointment. The kings who had come to assist him, also disappointed, then returned to their respective kingdoms.

The whole catastrophe of the defeat was due to the envious nature of Rukmiṇī’s elder brother Rukmī. Having seen his sister forcibly taken away by Kṛṣṇa after he had planned to marry her to Śiśupāla, Rukmī was frustrated. So after Śiśupāla, his friend and intended brother-in-law, returned home, Rukmī, very much agitated, was determined to teach Kṛṣṇa a lesson personally. He called for his own soldiers—a military phalanx consisting of several thousand elephants, horses, chariots and infantry—and equipped with this military strength, he began to follow Kṛṣṇa to Dvārakā. To show his prestige, Rukmī promised all the returning kings, “You could not help Śiśupāla marry my sister, Rukmiṇī, but I cannot allow Rukmiṇī to be taken away by Kṛṣṇa. I shall teach Him a lesson.

Krsna Book 79:

This is the way of materialistic life: not being satisfied by the absolute necessities of life, people ambitiously create extra demands, and their illegal desires are checked by the laws of nature, or the laws of God, appearing as famine, war, pestilence and similar catastrophes. Lord Balarāma heard that although most of the kṣatriyas had been killed, the Kurus were still engaged in fighting. Therefore He returned to the battlefield just on the day Bhīmasena and Duryodhana were engaged in a personal duel. As the well-wisher of both of them, Lord Balarāma wanted to stop them, but they would not stop.

When Lord Balarāma appeared on the scene, King Yudhiṣṭhira and his younger brothers Nakula and Sahadeva, as well as Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, immediately offered Him their respectful obeisances, but they did not speak at all. The reason they were silent was that Lord Balarāma was somewhat affectionate toward Duryodhana, who had learned from Balarāmajī the art of fighting with a club.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

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

Just like in our Bengal there is proverb, ghuriye nag nag naki.(?) Now, now, you are asking me... Just like sometimes we ask small child, "Where is your nose?" He says, "It is nose." "Where is your eye?" "It is eye." So that is a simple thing. But one child... Not child. One man is asked, "Where is your nose?" He says, "Oh, here is my nose." (laughter) "Here is my nose," this is simple thing. But one should show, "Oh, here is my nose." So Bhagavad-gītā is interpreted like that, "Here is my nose." Nobody shows that "Here is my nose." You see? So that is the difficulty. They have created difficult, create a situation of this Bhagavad-gītā under, I mean to say, catastrophe. So if you, any sincere student who will take Bhagavad-gītā as it is, this self-realization is as cheap as anything.

Lecture on BG 13.35 -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

They are considered to be father and mother. Just like father earns money for feeding the children, similarly, the bulls help producing, plowing, producing food grains, and the cow gives milk, mother. And what is this civilization, killing father and mother? This is not good civilization. It will not stay. There will be catastrophe, waiting. Many times it has happened, and it will happen because transgressing the law of nature, or laws of God, is most sinful. That is sinful.

Just like you become criminal by transgressing the law of state, similarly, when you transgress the law of God, then you are sinful. So this example is given: idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram. That means to own a certain piece of land is the basic civilization. Everyone must have a portion of land to produce his food. There will be no economic problem.

And we have seen even in our childhood that poor men, the laborer class, servant, they came from village in the town. We were residents of town, Calcutta, The servants class, they would come... Everywhere, not in Calcutta, everywhere.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

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.

So we have to study this, under whose order... They say there is no God, but how these things, the natural functions, are being performed strictly, without any deviation? That is replied in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Calcutta, September 27, 1974:

Nowadays it is a very common disease. For seven days or fifteen days he's unconscious, crying.

So this is the miserable condition of death, this is the miserable condition of birth, and between birth and death there are so many miserable conditions. This old age, this disease, so many calamities, catastrophes. So still, we do not want to make a solution of these problems. And the solution is very simple. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If you simply know Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, why does He come, why He works like ordinary man-janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ—in truth, in actual fact. Not that "Oh, Kṛṣṇa was born in Mathurā, and then He was taken to Vṛndāvana." This is also knowing. But still, you know what is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.7.32-33 -- Vrndavana, September 27, 1976:

This is the duty of the king or the government—to see that the citizens are in peaceful condition. So two brahmāstra weapons released, one by Aśvatthāmā and by Arjuna, it created a havoc, catastrophe. And the people were suffering. So this is the duty of the government, to see that everyone is in peaceful condition. During Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time they were so happy that it is stated that there was not even scorching heat and pinching cold also. Neither people were in anxiety for their livelihood. This is government: to see that people are in good atmosphere in everything. That is the first duty of the government. Of course, we have seen at the present moment also, in some of the European government they have got very good arrangement. In England I have seen, although they have lost their empire, still, people get free education, free medical treatment. And England does not produce practically anything except potato.

Lecture on SB 1.7.43 -- Vrndavana, October 3, 1976:

That actually happened, Sītā-devī, because Lord Rāmacandra was ordered to go to the forest. Not Sītā-devī, neither anyone, neither Lakṣmaṇa. They, out of their own affection for Lord Rāmacandra, they decided to go with Him. But because Sītā-devī went with Rāmacandra, so many catastrophes happened. She was kidnapped, and there was fight, and the whole dynasty of Rāvaṇa was killed, and so many things happened. So this instruction that pathe nārī vivaryaya. And another lesson is, even Lord Rāmacandra, He was attached. Naturally one is attached to his wife. So if we become attached to a woman, then we have to face so many dangers. This is another instruction. Even Lord Rāmacandra is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and still He had to accept so many troubles. They were loitering in the forest, feeling the separation of Sītā-devī. So many things happened.

Lecture on SB 1.15.25-26 -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1973:

So this is a make-show that the Yadus fought amongst themselves. The real purpose is, Kṛṣṇa wanted to take them away. Otherwise, superficially, when one becomes unnecessarily powerful, disturbs the world situation, he's a burden. He's a burden. That kind of burden is vanquished by Kṛṣṇa's desire, will. There must be some catastrophe like war, pestilence, famine, and everything will be finished.

So our duty is, the human form of life, duty is that we should know that we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and, forgetting our relationship, we have come to this material world, and there is struggle for existence, beginning aquatics, jalajā nava... There are nine hundred thousand species of aquatics. Who is that physiologist who can know nine hundred thousand species of aquatics? But in the śāstra you will find, exactly. It doesn't say nine hundred one, Or eight hundred ninety-nine. No. Nine hundred. Nine hundred thousand species, there are.

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

You are already in inauspicity. Why you are expecting more inauspicity by the presence of comet? We are already in inauspicity. And therefore these descriptions are there. You have no fixture anything—where to live, where to take bath, where to eat, where to have sex life—nothing fixed up. Everything catastrophe, chaos. What more inauspicity you want? Everywhere. Here even one problem, another, in another country, another problem, another problem, another problem. He must be problematic. Daivī hy eṣā... Because anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he must be punished by the laws of nature. He must be punished. Therefore it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ... (BG 7.14). They're already, in inauspicity. The whole atmosphere is inauspicious. So if there is little more inauspicity, what is the wrong there? There is nothing... The more inauspicity will come. Now, still, in your country you are not poverty-stricken. You have got enough food. These things also will be stopped.

Lecture on SB 1.16.23 -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1974:

.Here mother earth, Dharitrī, "O Earth." Earth is being addressed. The whole world is perturbed because the Kali-yuga has begun. Five thousand years ago, when the Kali-yuga began, so all persons were alarmed: "Now the Kali-yuga is begun. So many catastrophes will come in." (SB 1.16.23)

So one instruction is that the earth is addressed, "amba." Amba means mother. So the earth is also our mother. There are seven kinds of mother: ātma-mātā guroḥ patnī. Real mother, from whose womb we have taken birth, she is called ātma-mātā, first mother. Then second mother, the guroḥ patnī. Guru means teacher or spiritual master. His wife, she's also... Actually, according to strict moral instruction... Why strict? Ordinary. Any woman except his own wife is mother. Any woman. It doesn't matter whether she is elderly or young. No. That is the way. Still in India, any woman by unknown person, he can address any woman "Mother." The first relationship is mother. Now they have introduced "Sister," "Bahinajī." No, that is not Vedic etiquette.

Lecture on SB 3.25.2 -- Bombay, November 2, 1974:

We don't endeavor for it. Nobody says, "Let there be fire in my house. Let my child die." Nobody aspires these things. Everyone thinks that "My child may live. There may not be any danger. I'll get so much money." Nobody thinks of the opposite. But the opposite number comes. The catastrophes come. You don't pray for it. You don't go to the temple for praying, "My Lord, let there be fire in my house." Nobody goes. He goes for something better. So śāstra says that "Which you do not pray for, still, it comes, duḥkhavat, without your invitation, similarly, whatever happiness you'll have to enjoy, that will also come." Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Therefore the conclusion is that "Don't try for your so-called happiness or so-called distress. Try to achieve that position where you can understand Kṛṣṇa and get shelter at His lotus feet." This is human endeavor. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18).

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

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.

So just like we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So what is our fault? That we are trying to make men—no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication, and they take it otherwise. They take: "It is very dangerous." Without any fault they are finding fault. This is snake. Sarpaḥ krūraḥ khalaḥ krūraḥ. No fault, but still fault-finding and giving us trouble. So you'll find so many persons, without any fault they'll bite.

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

My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "When you get up, your first business is to beat the mind with shoes. And when you go to bed, you have to beat the mind with broomstick." (laughter) Then you will be able to control the mind.

So all catastrophes are happening on account of this rascal mind. Mind is not rascal; I am rascal. I am using my mind in a different way. So this can be stopped. You can control the mind if you place your mind always at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Then it is possible. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he practiced it. He was very responsible emperor of the world. He had many responsible duties, but he was a great devotee. How? This is the process, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18), always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ. When the mind is controlled, if you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then this māyā cannot touch your mind. Yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, nāhi tāhāṅ māyāra adhikāra. Māyā andhakāra.

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

I have changed my body so many times from my childhood to this old age. Similarly, I am changing my body. So this life, this body is temporary. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Andhā, and I do not see my future; therefore I am blind. And the leader which is leading me, he is also blind. So a blind man leading other blind men, what is the result? The result is catastrophic. Therefore in spite of so many great leaders, politicians, scientists, educationist, the result is that problematic. The whole world is full of problems. They do not know what is their interest. The interest is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That they do not know. So it is the task of the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness to preach this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore has ordered, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Whomever you meet, your business is just try to make him convinced of the instructions as given by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. That is the best service to the humanity.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 6, 1973:

Then everything will be complete. There will be no scarcity. This philosophy, they do not know. They want to... Like Kaṁsa, they want to make minus Kṛṣṇa. Like Rāvaṇa, they want to make minus Rāma, and the result is that with their all family, all their wealth and everything, material advance—vanquished, finished. That is prakṛti. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). They are trying to avoid God. They are trying to become independent of God. Then what is the benefit? In every step we are seeing that we are dependent on God. Because God has not supplied rain for one year, there is so much catastrophe going on. But still, they will not take it. Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā. Parato svato vā. If we advise that "You take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act accordingly. You will be all happy," "No." Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā. Because they have designed their own plan. So this is going on. Then?

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 10, 1972:

"This is doom for him because this human form of life is meant for getting out of the material contamination. By the advancement of material knowledge, people are becoming more and more entangled in material existence. They have no hope of being liberated from this catastrophe. In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya it is stated that Prahlāda Mahārāja, a great devotee of the Lord, prayed to Nṛsiṁha-deva (the half-lion, half-man incarnation), as follows: 'My dear Lord, I repeatedly pray unto Your lotus feet that I may simply be stronger in devotional service. I simply pray that my Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be more strong and steady, because happiness derived out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service is so powerful that with it one can have all the other perfections of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and even the attainment of liberation from material existence.' Actually, a pure devotee does not aspire after any of these perfections because the happiness derived from devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so transcendental and so unlimited that no other happiness can be compared with it. It is said that even one drop of happiness in Kṛṣṇa consciousness stands beyond comparison with an ocean of happiness derived from any other activity.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 14, 1972:

"This Nimāi Paṇḍita has discovered a new type of religion, chanting loudly Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the period of, sleeping period of Nārāyaṇa, and He's chanting so loudly. So Nārāyaṇa will be disturbed and there will be so much catastrophe. So kindly stop this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa loudly." And Kazi, he took steps. He first of all warned the disciples of Caitanya Mahāprabhu to stop chanting. But when Caitanya Mahāprabhu disregarded the order, then the, some constables came and broke the mṛdaṅgas. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu started the civil disobedience movement. About one lakh of people, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, reached the house of Kazi, and there was some compromise.

So there is always impediments in this process. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the atheist class of men, they cannot tolerate. In... Nowadays also, we are being harassed. In Australia, the Melbourne city authorities, they brought a civil suit against us not to chant on the street. And our men were being taken to the police custody.

Festival Lectures

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

We can't sit, just go out and sit and think and free ourselves from this material existence. We must be subject to our own body, bodily discomforts and our own mind, and we must be subject to the actions upon us of other living entities, and we must be subject to the laws of nature, to providence, to pestilence, famine, catastrophe. But if we can accept and hear submissively this teaching of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā from the bona fide spiritual master, then we are free immediately. We are in Vaikuṇṭha.

So we're very shocked and astonished that so many people are coming to the West, to the United States, and posing as holy men and simply making business, charging money, and giving somebody some magical formula whereby they can become God in half of a year. And so many people who are sincere seekers are being deluded, and this is very unfortunate. There is said to be two classes of men. One class of men is satisfied with his existence. He goes from one pleasure to another. From the cinema to the restaurant to sports, from one to the other.

General Lectures

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, March 31, 1971:

They have no vision what is the actual goal of life. Not only in a particular country—everywhere the same mischief is going on. Therefore, as a blind man, if he leads other blind men, there will be catastrophe, similarly, because we are led by blind men, the whole world is in catastrophe. Nobody is in peace. Everyone is unsatisfied in spite of so much material education, advancement of material education, because the missing point is Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31).

So the Vedic literatures, the Vedic civilization, is pointing out to Viṣṇu. As you know in the Ṛg mantra, Ṛg Veda: tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are actually intelligent, brāhmaṇas, they are looking after self-realization, making the target on the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. That is the missing point. In the Bhagavad-gītā we are taught by the Lord Himself to give us enlightenment, what is the aim of life. That aim of life the Lord Kṛṣṇa says Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). The ultimate target of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

They are led by blind leaders. All these materialistic leaders, the politicians, the scientists, the philosophers, the technologists and so on, businessmen, so on, so on, and all these material—they are all blind and they are leading other blind. So what will be? The result will be catastrophe, because both of them are blind. If one man is with eyes, he can lead another thousands of men, blind men: "Please come. I shall help you crossing the road." But if the leader is also blind and the followers are blind, then what is the result? That is happening. They are thinking that "By bodily comfort, by sense gratification, we shall be happy." But that is not possible. We do not know. Actually we have no knowledge. Dehāntaraṁ-prāptiḥ.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Prabhupāda: No. He survives, but many other men like him, they are existing somewhere. He may survive of this catastrophe, but that does not mean that other men are all extinct. You cannot say that. In these circumstances this man may survive or may not survive, but man is existing somewhere else.

Śyāmasundara: And another example, for instance there is a dog called the Pekinese dog. It was made by man, it was developed by men. They took a certain type of dog and crushed it's jaws in so many instances until eventually that trait was passed on naturally to its children...

Prabhupāda: But he is still, it belongs to the dog species. We are speaking of dog species.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: He points out that there's a paradox surrounding death. "On the one hand, from the point of view of the ego," or what we call the false ego, "death is a horrible catastrophe, a fearful piece of brutality. On the other hand, from the point of view of the psyche, the soul, death is a joyful event, in the life of eternity it is a wedding."

Prabhupāda: Yes. In all cases it is eternal, but it is, death is horrible for the person who is going to accept a lower grade of life, and it is pleasure for the devotee, that he is going back to home, back to God. That is the difference.

Hayagrīva: So it's not always a joyful event for the soul.

Prabhupāda: No.

Hayagrīva: Oh.

Prabhupāda: How it can be? If he is, if he is not developed...

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk at Stow Lake -- March 27, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Seaweeds, yes. So they... All over the body there was some seaweeds. Not exactly... He was very unclean and odd-looking, and beard and ugly. So he thought that "He's a great yogi. If I refuse, 'No, I'm not going to hand over my daughter to you,' then he may be angry and create some catastrophe." So he said, just to avoid him, that "I have got eight daughters, and it is the desire of my daughters that they should be given over to one husband." No, that "they should be married all at once. So unless I find other husbands for my daughters you have to wait." So immediately, "Yes, I shall myself become eight then." And he expanded himself, eight expansions. So at that time what could he say? He said, "You know, my dear sir, that they are princesses after all. They may not like such ugly husband." Oh, he at once became very youthful and beautiful. Then he married. So in the history you can find that a perfect yogi can expand himself. So similarly, Kardama Muni also expanded into nine.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: That is nothing. That period of time is relative. As human beings, we live for some time-say for a hundred years—but there are demigods who can live for millions of years. And an ant will live for only a few hours. So this is relative. But time is eternal, and what is happening in so-called human history has no consideration from the viewpoint of eternal time. That is all relative. If there is some catastrophe in ant society, the ants may be very much concerned, but human society does not take any notice of it. Similarly, if a catastrophe occurs in human society, the demigods, who are higher than us, do not consider it. Some birds or cats or dogs may be fighting, and for them it may be a catastrophe, but for us it is nothing. This is the relative world, and we should know that what has happened in this world is not worthy of consideration in terms of universal affairs. Things are coming and going like seasonal changes. Arjuna put this question to Kṛṣṇa: "This is a catastrophe! I have to kill my own men." Although Arjuna believed this to be a catastrophe, Kṛṣṇa likened it to seasonal changes. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14).

Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Our duty is Kṛṣṇa consciousness; that is our philosophy, and that is an actual fact. These seasonal changes may come and go in life; sometimes they may please us, and sometimes they may pinch us, but our duty in human life is to understand God. We shouldn't care for all these catastrophes that come and go. We should have no concern, for their nature is like that—sometimes pleasing and sometimes not pleasing. Despite all this, we have to do our duty, understand God.

John Nordheimer: What about the future? Is it possible to bring more people into Kṛṣṇa consciousness? To expand?

Prabhupāda: Of course there are good men and bad men, and good men are taking to this movement because it is a good movement. "Good" means not having illicit sex, not eating meat, not indulging in intoxication, and not indulging in gambling. If anyone observes these four principles, he is considered a good man, and if he does not observe them, he is a bad man. So good men will take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and bad men will not. We give distinct rules on how to become good, for if one does not become good, how can he understand God, who is all good?

Interview with the New York Times -- September 2, 1972, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: If one gets a diamond, he possesses something valuable. But in this civilization you are simply making plastic plates and plastic cups. Indeed, in Japan I have seen pasteboard homes. And everyone is thinking that he is advanced. Formerly people used to have golden and silver utensils, but now they have plastic ones, and still they are very proud to be so materially advanced. What is your position? You have a bunch of paper and think, "I am a millionaire." What is the value of that paper? Is that not cheating? However, if we possess gold or diamonds worth a million dollars, that is actual wealth. But we are educated in such a way that we think we are millionaires by paper only. As soon as there is some catastrophe, millions of such dollars could not buy bread. This actually happened in Germany; millions of marks could not purchase one piece of bread. All this is going on in the name of advancement of civilization, and the real purpose of life, God consciousness, is missing. So every thoughtful man should come forward to understand this movement and take it seriously. Why are the people being misled? We just have to try to understand this philosophy, the basic principles of God consciousness.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- February 28, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: All over the world. It is called spiritual bankruptcy all over the world and leading men are thinking this catastrophe, and the only hope is Bhagavad-gītā. (indistinct) ...religion there is no science. There is no philosophy. Buddhist religion there is little (indistinct). Otherwise...

Devotee (1): They are bankrupt and we are billionaire in spiritual life. (pause) Tomorrow the professor of Sanskrit has made appointment, a lady from University of Indonesia. She speaks English very well also. (pause) I will go speak with them see if they can bring their altar. (offers obeisances) (break)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Devotee (1): Yes. He's very nice. Actually he wants to become initiated but he can't chant. The only thing he doesn't chant rounds...

Prabhupāda: Why?

Room Conversation with Two Buddhist Monks -- July 12, 1973, London:

Buddhist Monk (1): And I told them directly and indirectly, "Your systems, which have transplanted the well, type systems, especially of India, has created a catastrophe. We have made mistakes in the past. But we profited by them, and we want a successful educational system that taught the individual how to give himself peace within himself, mentally and physically. Within his family, within his relations society, nation and the world. And today that system has been overtaken by this materialistic system. One calls himself materialist directly. Another, camouflage, just under the name of religion. That's the only difference I know of in these two systems in the West. That's the only difference." And I told them. I said, "We want peace. Śānti, śānti, śānti. And we know the danger of playing with the fireball of materialism, which is throwing its tentacles into every part of society: divorces, nervous cases, mental cases, cancers, suicides, family life is breaking. And it reminds me of Gibbon's writing about the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. And all those symptoms are there in this so-called progressive, civilized culture." I used the word "so-called." And this mind...

Prabhupāda: But what remedy you have suggested?

Buddhist Monk (1): Reduction of greed, and substitution of liberality. There is no other remedy.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Biochemist, Dr. Sallaz -- June 4, 1974, Geneva:

Dr. Sallaz: Our aim. We are looking about. The state of the world is going down since thirty years, I said. With pollution, with strengths, with power, with everything, the world is going down, going to the catastrophe. And there is only one possibility to save it. It is a question of spiritual revolution. Without a spiritual revolution, between twenty, twenty-five years, the world is finished, all the world of which people are so proud.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Dr. Sallaz: And this we are doing everything in our power to prepare and to do what we can to prepare this spiritual revolution. It is the thing we have to do today to save the world. Without spiritual revolution, there is no possibility to save the world. It is going down definitely. For this earth, yes.

Prabhupāda: So we have started this movement, spiritual revolution, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So why don't you cooperate with us?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- June 27, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: This is asuric civilization. He does not take it very seriously that "I am encaged in this material body. My first business is how to get out of it and remain in my spiritual body." They get one type of body, and, like cats and dogs, engage, how to keep that body in sense gratification. That's all. (break) ...spiritual education, that "I am spiritual, spirit soul. I am encaged in this body. I want freedom. That is my first business, how to become liberated." No, that question set aside. Now, for the time being, we are walking here, and if there is some misunderstanding, we fight, forgetting that we have come here for walking, say, for half an hour. And why we shall forget our real business? That intelligence is not there. (break) ...India the Indira Gandhi was made as all in all. Now there is a catastrophe. We do not know what is going to happen.

Morning Walk -- November 16, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Our plan is the best because before meeting such catastrophes, go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the best. They are seeing the catastrophe, but they have no way to escape. That is the difference between them and ourselves. Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break) ...said that "There is no need of God, but there is need of girl, of a girl." He said that. Then what is the difference between a scientist and a dog? The dog also does not know what is God, but another female dog he wants. Huh? What is the difference? Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Then it is proved that he is no better than animal. The animal requires another opposite sex, but he does not know God. Then where is the difference? (break)

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 12, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But he is not that man. He is trying to kill the mosquito to save himself from death. But that he cannot. That is my proposal.

Dr. Patel: Yes. He could at least save the American government from catastrophe, how to drain before finishing this Panama Canal. The Panama Canal is an engineering feat, sir. The two sides, seas, are uneven, and they have made locks in the.... You must have seen that. No? They have locks. One side, sea is higher than the other, and they allow the ships to get to the middle lock, then pump in water and then bring on that side. Engineers must be knowing, you know. We had to study all these things, medical history.

Prabhupāda: So many medicines, vitamin D, vitamin C...

Dr. Patel: All medicines, sir, vitamins, and all even hormones.

Morning Walk -- February 9, 1976, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Catastrophe.

Prabhupāda: All my sisters were married within twelve years. My second sister, she became twelve years, and I heard my mother become so disturbed: "Oh, this girl is not being married. I shall commit suicide." (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At twelve!

Prabhupāda: Twelve years. And she was given to a boy, my brother-in-law, for the second marriage. Means that my brother-in-law lost his first wife, and still, he was twenty-one years old. My sister was twelve years old and brother-in-law was twenty-one. In the śāstra... I do not know exactly what is that śāstra, but they say that if the girl before marriage has menstruation, then the father has to eat that menstrual liquid. Means it is, mean, very strict. And if the father is not living, then the elder brother has to eat. (break) ...ty of getting the girl married rests on the father. In the absence of the father, the eldest brother. The girl must be married. That is it. It is called dāya, kanyā-dāya.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That's it. Here, you are right. Sense gratification. Nobody wants to do anything. Nixon captured the presidential post for his own satisfaction. And when the people found that "Here is a trick," they agitated and got him down. So this is the difficulty, that andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās the 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). We are blind and we are being guided by blind men. So the result is catastrophe.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Can I ask another question, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Question number nine. Is a guru essential to one to enter the spiritual path and attain the goal, and how does one recognize one's guru?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is explained, that guru is necessary. In the Bhagavad-gītā when Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna were talking as friend, there was no conclusion. The talking was going on but no conclusion was made. Therefore Arjuna decided to accept Kṛṣṇa as his guru. Find out this verse. Kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ.

Morning Walk -- July 9, 1976, Washington D.C.:

Prabhupāda: ...roll, it was like that.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Catastrophism.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then the whole thing would be filled up with water. So water course is very heavy. So it can turn even big, big rocks, mountains rolling.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That happens when there is devastation.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: At the end of Manu's day, when there is flood?

Prabhupāda: End of the day of Brahmā. End of fourteen Manus.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: At that time is the earth destroyed, or is it simply covered by water?

Prabhupāda: Covered by water.

Morning Walk -- July 9, 1976, Washington D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But if we accept this catastrophism, this can explain many facts.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's a fact.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The rocks also have offspring, if they're living?

Prabhupāda: That offspring is mouse. (laughter) There is information the rocks were flying.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Mountains, some mountains are flying.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In the..., cut off their wings. (break)

Devotee (1): ...it's true that people are getting disease and sicknesses as the result of their past activities, pious or sinful. Why is it that it appears that when there is a flu many people are inflicted with that flu? Practically everyone, indiscriminately.

Prabhupāda: All of them? Hm. "Birds of the same feather, flock together, see."

Room Conversation -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: There will be great catastrophe. The unemployment will increase, and people will be very dissatisfied with the.... Especially the black. They will create havoc. This is artificial. They are increasing the production of tire tube and lid. So who will purchase? Nobody lives in the tire tube. Therefore unemployment. So therefore reduce production. You cannot go on increasing. You very much trade this tire tube and so many artificial.... It is very artificial civilization. If you produce.... (break) Here so far milk and food grains are concerned, whatever sumptuously you want to eat, eat. Balance you can keep stock. The milk can be converted into ghee, then keep stock, and the grains can be stocked. Whenever you like, you just grind the grains and have to eat, halava.

Room Conversation -- September 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And he was old. So he had to agree. Otherwise, the whole thing was catastrophe. So the king said, "Yes. She's not married. If you like I can offer my daughter to you." Then everything was settled up. But the daughter was young, and he was like her grand, great-grandfather. Match was not at all suitable, but he had to offer. So this girl also took it seriously, and she was serving the old husband very faithfully like honest, chaste wife. Never mind. Then, some days after, the same saintly person was visited by two heavenly physicians, aśvinī-kumāras. The aśvinī-kumāras, they had some difficulty. They were not allowed in the society of the demigods while drinking soma-rasa. They had some defects, something like that. So when the physician came to see Cyavana Muni he said that "If you can give me young age, beautiful, you can make me by your treatment beautiful young man, which is very pleasing to young girls, then I shall give you the facility of drinking soma-rasa in the society of demigods." "Yes." So he made him very nice beautiful-looking young man by taking him to a certain lake, and they dipped down and all of them became fresh young men, beautiful, very beautiful. So his chaste wife, she could not recognize, "Who is my husband?" They look all very beautiful young men.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 2, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: And if he is a devotee, a special protection. This is God, and government means God's representative, God's, not people's representative. Government does not mean people's representative. Government means God's representative. That is government. Rājarṣi. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Bhagavad-gītā is not meant for the loafer class. It is meant for the rājarṣi. Unless the kings and big, big stalwart leaders understand this science, how they will lead? Because these leaders, they do not understand Bhagavad-gītā, they make their own plan. Therefore so much catastrophe, chaotic condition. It is meant for the rājarṣi. Big, big government officer, big, big kings, presidents, ministers. They should understand it. And government is making law, "No Bhagavad-gītā in the school, college," because they do not know the value. (break) ...Kali-yuga. "Kali-yuga, thank you very much." Dhanya kali-yuga teri līlā. (break) Thank you.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But I dared to approach them because I am confident that what I am presenting, it is solid. There is no mistake. It is solid. I never said, "May be, may not be." No. Life cannot come from matter. Never. And the knowledge distribution takes some time. They have distributed ignorance by taking time. We have to distribute knowledge by taking time. False knowledge... Simply promise, future hope... Durāśayā. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum durāśayā bahir-artha-māninaḥ, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānā... (SB 7.5.31). The society remains in darkness, misled by blind men. We want to save the human society from this catastrophe. This is our noble mission. Why they should remain in darkness? Karmīs, jñānīs, yogis.... That should be. Just like some professor in Bangalore, they are trying to expose this Sai Baba. Why? Because they are scientific men, they are protesting, "Why this rascal should keep so many men in darkness? The same rascal. By false propaganda he is appearing mukta, God. What about Sai Baba? We don't see anything.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: In the horoscope we have dragged the life through so many catastrophes, but ultimately how long the life we have dragged?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: As far as I recall... The horoscope is written in such a way that if you survive these catastrophes, then it mentions that... He said that you would live for another five or six years.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, there are different horoscopes. One... I can show you that some of them say that you will live for more than five or six years. One of them said you could live up to one hundred.

Prabhupāda: So there is no...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: That is not standard.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Rayarama -- San Francisco 23 March, 1968:

I am very much ambitious of the progress of the paper, and you can use your discretion how to do it. You are at liberty to do it with full power of attorney. So far discussions of political affairs in BTG, it is not a very good suggestion. But if you can present political affairs in spiritual light, as I wrote some articles in the original BTG in the matter of political divisions of India, and catastrophes thereof. That requires a very thorough understanding of the whole situation, and if you can do this, it will be a great service. I wanted therefore a combined editorial board. Unfortunately, you have to do everything yourself. For this work I think you will have to invite cooperation from others who may help you. Anyway, BTG must be improved to the fullest extent, because it is the backbone of our society. Think over it, and do it nicely as far as possible, and if necessary, you can stop any other activities. But people like your lectures also, and I hope you are delivering your nice lectures in the classes. For the time being, you stop thinking of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and we will make plan when I meet you in N.Y.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Montreal 28 June, 1968:

I am in due receipt of your letter of 6/25/68, of Mr. Kallman catastrophe. When I first came from San Francisco to New York, and when you informed me about the prospective business with Mr. Kallman, I was so much doubtful about the success of the plan. And therefore I hesitated. Anyway, whatever is done is done, now try to separate from this botheration without breaking our good friendship with Mr. Kallman. Caitanya Mahaprabhu especially warned His devotees to deal with worldly minded men. Therefore according to Vedic principles, only the Brahmacaris, the Vanaprasthas, and the Sannyasis are recommended to take to Krishna Consciousness seriously or to get free from the problem of earning money. The Grhasthas are supposed to support the 3 sections of the society.

Letter to Unknown -- Montreal August 23, 1968:

Brahman realization is considered catastrophic in the sense if one does not make further progress to Krishna Consciousness. The less intelligent class of men give more stress on the Brahman realization and they take it as final, so this conclusion is a catastrophe. Because one has to make further progress for Paramatma realization, and further progress for God realization. If one finalizes everything by Brahman realization, certainly that is a catastrophe.

Yes, without cleaning the mind, nobody can advance in spiritual understanding. And the chanting of Hare Krishna is the cleansing process of the mind. That is our motto.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Rupanuga -- Hawaii 14 March, 1969:

According to Vedic civilization, a man is supposed to be rich when he has got sufficient grains and cows. Here we have neither sufficient grains or cows, but you have got sufficient quantity of papers only—falsely thinking that it is money. When there is some catastrophe, this bunch of papers will neither supply milk or grain. They will be seen only and the man will starve.

Your eighth, "How can I explain how the light and heat from the single sun in this universe is able to reach so far? Is it a question of the receptivity of different planets?" We can see one sun only. So it is simply speculation whether there is one or more suns. But we get from authority of Sastra that there is one sun, in each universe, and the stars and moon reflects the light of this sun. There is one sun in the daytime, and it illuminates so nicely that all darkness is gone. But at night, you may argue, if these stars are so many suns, then why the darkness is still there??

Letter to Jayagovinda -- New Vrindaban 22 May, 1969:

For the present, even though some people may think that our translation work is terrible, there is nothing to lament. After all, German language is a foreign language for us, and our main business is to present our thoughts to the German people. If in a foreign country a man is met with some catastrophe such as fire, he has to take help from the neighbors even though he has no language to express himself. Some way or other he has to inform his neighbors there is a fire in his house so that they can help him. So if the foreigner cannot express himself in very good language, he is not at fault. So there is a blazing fire of maya, and we have to inform the people, even if we must use broken language. That is no fault. But by Krishna's Grace this problem will soon be solved. Don't worry.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 16 June, 1972:

So now you must all my senior disciples and leaders become very, very much aware of your grave responsibility to the human society for delivering them from the clutches of catastrophe, and be always cool-headed and utilize every moment in the best manner possible. I am successful only because I am following strictly the orders of my Guru Maharaja, and I do not deviate. Therefore people respect what I am saying and they listen because I do not say one thing and do another. So now you are doing my work and you shall be like me and be yourselves the worthy representatives of our disciplic succession.

I am very much stressing at this point that all of my students shall be very much conversant with the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness, and that they should read our books very diligently at least one or two hours daily and try to understand the subject matter from varieties of angles. We are holding our morning class here in Los Angeles in the temple and I am speaking from 7 to 8 am, and the process is that we are going through some chapters of Srimad-Bhagavatam by taking one sloka each day, and reading the Sanskrit aloud, each word is pronounced by me and repeated by the students and then altogether we chant the sloka several times until we have learned it. And then we discuss the subject matter very minutely and inspect it from all angles of approach and savor the new understandings.

Letter to Bhavananda -- Bombay 29 December, 1972:

I have heard one rumor from Gargamuni that Kanupriya and Hayagriva are smoking ganja. In that case, Hayagriva should be asked to leave for U.S.A. immediately to sit down in New Vrndavana and do what he likes. But he is big leader, and if it is common knowledge that he is using such intoxicants, the others will follow his example and there will be havoc throughout the society. That would be a catastrophe. Therefore I am enclosing one letter to Hayagriva and I am ordering him to return to New Vrndavana immediately and not to become misled himself and thus mislead everyone else. As for Kanupriya, if he returns to the U.S.A. he will not stop this nasty habit and it will be worse if he goes there than if he remains in India with his family. So he may remain wherever he likes in India, but he must live separately from the devotees, and if he continues this thing he may be requested not to associate with any of our devotees further.

Page Title:Catastrophe
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari, Mayapur
Created:04 of Aug, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=10, CC=1, OB=5, Lec=21, Con=19, Let=7
No. of Quotes:64