A person whose word of honor is never broken is called truthful. Kṛṣṇa once promised Kuntī, the mother of the Pāṇḍavas, that He would bring her five sons back from the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. After the battle was finished, when all the Pāṇḍavas had come home, Kuntī praised Kṛṣṇa because His promise was so nicely fulfilled. She said, "Even the sunshine may one day become cool and the moonshine one day become hot, but still Your promise will not fail." Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa, along with Bhīma and Arjuna, went to challenge Jarāsandha, He plainly told Jarāsandha that He was the eternal Kṛṣṇa, present along with two of the Pāṇḍavas. The story is that both Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas—in this case Bhīma and Arjuna—were kṣatriyas (warrior-kings). Jarāsandha was also a kṣatriya and was very charitable toward the brāhmaṇas. Thus Kṛṣṇa, who had planned to fight with Jarāsandha, went to him with Bhīma and Arjuna in the dress of brāhmaṇas. Jarāsandha, being very charitable toward the brāhmaṇas, asked them what they wanted, and they expressed their desire to fight with him. Then Kṛṣṇa, dressed as a brāhmaṇa, declared Himself to be the same Kṛṣṇa who was the King's eternal enemy.
Come home
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 2
There are two kinds of penance: one for sense gratification and the other for self-realization. There are many pseudo mystics who undergo severe penances for their own satisfaction, and there are others who undergo severe penances for the satisfaction of the senses of the Lord. For example, the penances undertaken to discover nuclear weapons will never satisfy the Lord because such a penance is never satisfactory. By nature's own way, everyone has to meet death, and if such a process of death is accelerated by anyone's penances, there is no satisfaction for the Lord. The Lord wants every one of His parts and parcels to attain eternal life and bliss by coming home to Godhead, and the whole material creation is meant for that objective. Brahmā underwent severe penances for that purpose, namely to regulate the process of creation so that the Lord might be satisfied. Therefore the Lord was very much pleased with him, and for this Brahmā was impregnated with Vedic knowledge. The ultimate purpose of Vedic knowledge is to know the Lord and not to misuse the knowledge for any other purposes. Those who do not utilize Vedic knowledge for that purpose are known as kūṭa-yogīs, or pseudo transcendentalists who spoil their lives with ulterior motives.
Śaunaka Ṛṣi said: Let us know, please, what topics were discussed between Vidura and Maitreya, who talked on transcendental subjects, and what was inquired by Vidura and replied by Maitreya. Also please let us know the reason for Vidura's giving up the connection of his family members, and why he again came home. Please also let us know the activities of Vidura while he was in the places of pilgrimage.
SB Canto 4
Regulated human civilization promotes dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa. In human society there must be religion. Without religion, human society is only animal society. Economic development and sense gratification must be based on religious principles. When religion, economic development and sense gratification are adjusted, liberation from this material birth, death, old age and disease is assured. In the present age of Kali, however, there is no question of religion and liberation. People have taken interest only in economic development and sense gratification. Therefore, despite sufficient economic development all over the world, dealings in human society have become almost animalistic. When everything becomes grossly animalistic, dissolution takes place. This dissolution is to be accepted as īśa-vidhvaṁsitāśiṣām. The Lord's so-called blessings of economic development and sense gratification will be conclusively dissolved by destruction. At the end of this Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as the incarnation of Kalki, and His only business will be to kill all human beings on the surface of the globe. After that killing, another golden age will begin. We should therefore know that our material activities are just like childish play. Children may play on the beach, and the father will sit and watch this childish play, the construction of buildings with sand, the construction of walls and so many things, but finally the father will ask the children to come home. Then everything is destroyed. Persons who are too much addicted to the childish activities of economic development and sense gratification are sometimes especially favored by the Lord when He destroys their construction of these things.
King Purañjana's coming home, taking bath and having an appropriate dinner indicate that a materialistic person must retire from sinful activities and become purified by accepting a spiritual master and hearing from him about the values of life. If one would do this, he would feel completely refreshed, just as one feels after taking a bath. After receiving initiation from a bona fide spiritual master, one must abandon all kinds of sinful activities, namely illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating.
The actual happiness of the karmīs is sex life. They work very hard outside the home, and to satiate their hard labor, they come home to enjoy sex life. King Purañjana went to the forest to hunt, and after his hard labor he returned home to enjoy sex life. If a man lives outside the home and spends a week in a city or somewhere else, at the end of the week he becomes very anxious to return home and enjoy sex with his wife. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Karmīs work very hard simply to enjoy sex. Modern human society has improved the materialistic way of life simply by inducing unrestricted sex life in many different ways. This is most prominently visible in the Western world.
A sinful life can be counteracted by various processes of religion such as yajña, vrata and dāna—that is, the performance of sacrifices, the taking of a vow for some religious ritual, and the giving of charity. In this way one may become free from the reactions of sinful life and at the same time awaken his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By coming home, taking his bath, eating nice foodstuffs, getting refreshed and searching out his wife, King Purañjana came to his good consciousness in his family life. In other words, a systematic family life as enjoined in the Vedas is better than an irresponsible sinful life. If a husband and wife combine together in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and live together peacefully, that is very nice. However, if a husband becomes too much attracted by his wife and forgets his duty in life, the implications of materialistic life will again resume. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has therefore recommended, anāsaktasya viṣayān (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255). Without being attached by sex, the husband and wife may live together for the advancement of spiritual life.
A woman is generally accustomed to dress herself nicely with fine garments and decorative ornaments. She may even sometimes wear flowers in her hair. Women especially dress themselves up in the evening because the husband comes home in the evening after working hard all day. It is the duty of the wife to dress herself up very nicely so that when her husband returns home he becomes attracted by her dress and cleanliness and thus becomes satisfied. In other words, the wife is the inspiration of all good intelligence. Upon seeing one's wife dressed nicely, one can think very soberly about family business. When a person is too anxious about family affairs, he cannot discharge his family duties nicely. A wife is therefore supposed to be an inspiration and should keep the husband's intelligence in good order so that they can combinedly prosecute the affairs of family life without impediment.
The appearance of an old friend in the form of a brāhmaṇa is very significant. In His Paramātmā feature, Kṛṣṇa is the old friend of everyone. According to Vedic injunction, Kṛṣṇa is sitting with the living entity side by side. According to the śruti-mantra (dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyāḥ), the Lord is sitting within the heart of every living entity as suhṛt, the best friend. The Lord is always eager to have the living entity come home, back to Godhead. Sitting with the living entity as witness, the Lord gives him all chances to enjoy himself materially, but whenever there is an opportunity, the Lord gives good counsel and advises the living entity to abandon trying to become happy through material adjustment and instead turn his face toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrender unto Him. When one becomes serious to follow the mission of the spiritual master, his resolution is tantamount to seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As explained before, this means meeting the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the instruction of the spiritual master. This is technically called vāṇī-sevā. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura states in his Bhagavad-gītā commentary on the verse vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana (BG 2.41) that one should serve the words of the spiritual master. The disciple must stick to whatever the spiritual master orders. Simply by following on that line, one sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
The young gopīs took the greatest pleasure in seeing Govinda come home, since for them even a moment without His association seemed like a hundred ages.
Hearing that lost Pradyumna had come home, the residents of Dvārakā declared, "Ah, providence has allowed this child to return as if from death!"
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
There are two kinds of general activities—śreyas, or activities which are ultimately beneficial and auspicious, and preyas, or those which are immediately beneficial and auspicious. For example, children are fond of playing. They do not want to go to school to receive an education, and they think that to play all day and night and enjoy with their friends is the aim of life. Even in the transcendental life of Lord Kṛṣṇa, we find that when He was a child He was very fond of playing with His friends of the same age, the cowherd boys. He would not even go home to take His dinner. Mother Yaśodā would have to come out to induce Him to come home. Thus it is a child's nature to engage all day and night in playing, not caring even for his health and other important concerns. This is an example of preyas, or immediately beneficial activities. But there are also śreyas, or activities which are ultimately auspicious. According to Vedic civilization, a human being must be God conscious. He should understand what God is, what this material world is, who he is, and what their interrelationships are. This is called śreyas, or ultimately auspicious activity.
CC Antya-lila
The Āditya Purāṇa, Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa and Padma Purāṇa tell about a brāhmaṇa who was suffering from leprosy but had a very chaste and faithful wife. He desired to enjoy the company of a prostitute, and therefore his wife went to her and became her maidservant, just to draw her attention for his service. When the prostitute agreed to associate with him, the wife brought her the leprotic husband. When that leper, the sinful son of a brāhmaṇa, saw the chastity of his wife, he finally abandoned his sinful intentions. While coming home, however, he touched the body of Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi, who thus cursed him to die at sunrise. Because of her chastity, the woman was very powerful. Therefore when she heard about the curse, she vowed to stop the sunrise. Because of her strong determination to serve her husband, the three deities—namely Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara—were very happy, and they gave her the benediction that her husband would be cured and brought back to life. This example is given herein to emphasize that a devotee should engage himself exclusively for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, without personal motives. That will make his life successful.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
An apparently pitiable condition in devotional service may appear distressing to the inexperienced student, but the feelings of the devotee in this pitiable condition are considered to be ecstatic by expert devotees. For example, the subject matter of the Rāmāyaṇa is sometimes considered pitiable and distressing to the heart, but actually that is not the fact. The Rāmāyaṇa narrates how Lord Rāma was sent to the forest by His father just when He was going to be enthroned. After Lord Rāma's departure, Mahārāja Daśaratha, His father, died. In the forest His wife, Sītādevī, was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa, and there was a great war. When Sītādevī was finally delivered from the clutches of Rāvaṇa, Rāvaṇa's whole family and kingdom, and Rāvaṇa himself, were vanquished. When Sītādevī came home she was tried by fire, and after some days she was again banished to the forest. All of these subjects in the Rāmāyaṇa seem very pitiable, and they may appear very distressing to the reciter, but actually they are not. Otherwise, why would Hanumān, the great devotee of Lord Rāmacandra, read daily about the activities of Lord Rāmacandra, as described in the Rāmāyaṇa itself? The fact is that in any of the above-mentioned twelve transcendental humors of devotional service, everything is transcendentally pleasing.
Smiling in which the teeth are slightly visible is called hasita smiling. One day Abhimanyu, the so-called husband of Rādhārāṇī, was returning home, and at that time he could not see that Kṛṣṇa was there in his house. Kṛṣṇa immediately changed His dress to look exactly like Abhimanyu and approached Abhimanyu's mother, Jaṭilā, addressing her thus: "My dear mother, I am your real son Abhimanyu, but just see—Kṛṣṇa, dressed up like me, is coming before you!" Jaṭilā, the mother of Abhimanyu, immediately believed that Kṛṣṇa was her own son and thus became very angry at her real son who was coming home. She began to drive away her real son, who was crying, "Mother! Mother! What are you doing?" Seeing this incident, all the girl friends of Rādhārāṇī, who were present there, began to smile, and a portion of their teeth was visible. This is an instance of hasita smiling.
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
When all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana smelled the good aroma from the smoke of the burning Pūtanā, they inquired from each other, "Where is this good fragrance coming from?" And while conversing, they came to understand that it was the fumes of the burning Pūtanā. They were very fond of Kṛṣṇa, and as soon as they heard that the demon Pūtanā had been killed by Kṛṣṇa, they offered blessings to the little child out of affection. After the burning of Pūtanā, Nanda Mahārāja came home and immediately took up the child on his lap and began to smell His head. In this way, he was quite satisfied that his little child was saved from this great calamity. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī has given a blessing to all persons who hear the narration of the killing of Pūtanā by Kṛṣṇa: they will surely attain the favor of Govinda.
His playmates then threatened not to allow Him to play with them again. Kṛṣṇa became afraid, and instead of going back home, He went back again to play with the boys. At that time, mother Yaśodā scolded the children and told Kṛṣṇa, “My dear Kṛṣṇa, do You think that You are a street boy? You have no home? Please come back to Your home! I see that Your body has become very dirty from playing since early morning. Now come home and take Your bath. Besides, today is Your birthday ceremony; therefore You should come back home and give cows in charity to the brāhmaṇas. Don’t You see how Your playmates are decorated with ornaments by their mothers? You should also be cleansed and decorated with nice dress and ornaments. Please, therefore, come back, take Your bath, dress Yourself nicely, and then again You may go on playing.”
When mother Yaśodā’s children, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, came home, she bathed Them very nicely and dressed Them with ornaments. She then called for the brāhmaṇas, and through her children she gave many cows in charity for the occasion of Kṛṣṇa's birthday. In this way she performed the birthday ceremony of Kṛṣṇa at home.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Therefore we have to take from Arjuna how he accepted Bhagavad-gītā. He said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye: (BG 10.14) "Kṛṣṇa, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever You are speaking, whatever You have spoken, I take them as it is." This is study of Bhagavad-gītā. So the hindrance is this svajanam. Now he is presenting. He is presenting himself as fool number one, although he is not so. But he is creating the ground for Kṛṣṇa's speaking on Bhagavad-gītā. This is the principle. Therefore he is not at all affected by the svajanam, but he is presenting, "This is my problem, that I have to kill..." Dṛṣṭvā imaṁ svajanaṁ kṛṣṇa. "By seeing my own kinsmen, because I am fool number one..." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tridhātuke (SB 10.84.13)." I am calling them svajana. In śāstra it is called svajanākhya-dasyu. Svajanākhya-dasyu. They are all thieves and rogues, but they are claiming as my kinsmen. Suppose in your pocket there is one hundred dollars. If some pickpocket takes it and if you capture him, then you give him immediately to the police. And when you come home after hard-earned money, and when your wife takes away, oh, you laugh, "Oh you have taken all my money! Ahhhhh!" But the same pickpocket, but the same pickpocket, but because he's svajanākhya-dasyu, "pickpocket in the name of svajana," he is very much pleased: "Oh, my wife has taken, my son has taken. Never mind." That's all. And others? As soon as takes, he, "Give him to the police." The same business is being done. He is working hard day and night, and they are plundering. Still, they are thinking, "They are my svajanam, they are my kinsmen." This is called illusion.
So Kṛṣṇa is pious, but still he wants the family benefit. This is his defect. Er, Arjuna. Family prosperity. He wants to be happy with society, friendship and love. Therefore he says that na kāṅkṣe vijayam... This is called vairāgya. Śmaśāna-vairāgya. It is called śmaśāna-vairāgya. Śmaśāna-vairāgya means that in India, the Hindus, they burn the dead body. So relatives take the dead body for burning to the burning ghāṭa, and when the body is burned, everyone present there, for the time being, they become little renounced: "Oh, this is the body. We are working for this body. Now it is finished. It is burnt into ashes. So what is the benefit?" This kind of vairāgya, renouncement, is there. But as soon as he comes from the burning ghāṭa, he again begins his activities. In the śmaśāna, in the burning ghāṭa, he becomes renounced. And as soon as comes home, again he is vigorous, vigorous, how to earn, how to get money, how to get money, how to get money. So this kind of vairāgya is called śmaśāna-vairāgya, temporary. He cannot become vairāgī. And he said, na kāṅkṣe vijayam: (BG 1.31) "I don't want victory. I don't want this." This is temporary sentiment. Temporary sentiment. These people, they attach to family life. They may say like that, that "I don't want this happiness, don't want this very nice position, victory. I don't want." But he wants everything. He wants everything. Because he does not know what is the śreyas. Śreyas is Kṛṣṇa.
Just like the child grows, the mother supplies the bodily ingredients. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore... This is very scientific. When He took sannyāsa and the mother came... Advaita Prabhu arranged to see for the last time her son. Because a sannyāsī is no more coming home. So at that time, mother became overwhelmed: "Such beautiful body. He has nice hair. Now it is shaven." So she became very much overwhelmed and was crying. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately fell down on her lotus feet and He said, "My dear mother, this body is yours. My dear mother, this body is yours. This body should have been engaged for your service, but some way or other, I mistake, I have taken this sannyāsī. Kindly excuse Me." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "This body belongs to you. This is your body." Every son should think like that. This is Vedic culture. Actually, the body supplied, mother. From the very beginning, after sex... These are all described in the Bhāgavata. The two secretions become emulsified, and a body is formed just like a pea, and gradually develops. The ingredients, the energy is supplied by the mother. So the same thing. The whole creation, the body is supplied by material nature, mother. Therefore she is called "mother." Material nature is called "mother." Mother Durgā. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir eka. The material nature..., and her name is Durgā.
This spirit of kṣatriya was prevalent even, say, three hundred years ago in India. There was a king, Yasomanta Sena. He was the commander-in-chief of Emperor Aurangzeb. So in one fight, he was defeated and came back to his home. So his wife heard that "My husband has been defeated. He's coming back home." So she asked the caretaker to close the door of the palace. So when Yasomanta Sena came there, he saw that his palace door is closed. Then he sent message to the queen that "Why you have closed the door? I have come home." So messenger came and informed that "The king has come. So he is asking to open the door." The queen replied, "Who is king? Yasomanta Sena. No, no. Yasomanta Sena cannot come being defeated. Yasomanta Sena either he conquers the battle or he lays down his body there dead. So the man who has come, he must be somebody pretender. He is not King Yasomanta Sena." So she refused to open the door. This is the spirit of kṣatriya spirit.
Just like a soldier, he is simply awaiting the order of the commander. Then his activities are approved, "Oh, he is doing nicely. Yes." By the approval of the commander, he is killing as many persons, and by this killing art, he is being rewarded, "Oh, you are a good soldier." But that killing, if he does for his personal interest, even he kills one man, he is hanged—by the same state. By the same state for which he is engaged in fighting, if he kills enemies, he is rewarded. He is awarded gold medal, recognition. And that very person, out of the war field, when he comes home, if he kills one man, then he is hanged. If he says that "The same killing I was doing in the war field, and same killing I have done. There I was killing hundreds and thousands of men. I was awarded gold medal. And here I have killed only one person. I am being hanged? What is this?" No. You have killed according to your own whims, and that is from the superior order. That is the difference. Similarly, if we do, if we act according to our mental speculation or mental whims, then we are bound up by the reaction. And if we practice ourself to be active under the direction of the Supreme, then we are free. This is the art. This is the whole art of spiritual life.
So people have no information that Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, He has got His place and anyone can go. How one can go?
- yānti deva-vratā devān
- pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
- bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
- yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām
- (BG 9.25)
"If one becomes devoted to My worship, My business, bhakti-yoga, he comes to Me." In another place He says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi (BG 18.55).
So therefore our only business is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Yajñārthe karma. This is akarma. Here it is said, akarmaṇa, akarmaṇaḥ api boddhavyam, akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyam. Akarma means without reaction. Here, if we act for our sense gratification, the reaction is.... Just like a soldier is killing. He is getting gold medal. The same soldier, when comes home, if he kills one man, he is hanged. Why? He can say in the court, "Sir, when I was fighting in the battlefield, I killed so many. I got gold medal. And why you are hanging me just now?" "Because you are have done for your own sense gratification. And that you did for government sanction."
Suppose you have to purchase some gold or jewelries, and if you do not know where to purchase, if you go to a grocer shop to purchase a jewel, oh, then you'll be cheated. If he says, go to a grocer shop and ask, "Oh, can you give me diamond?" he will understand that "Here is a fool. So let him (me) give him something. This is diamond." "Oh. What is the price?" He can charge anything and when you come home, your relatives say, "What you have brought?" "This is diamond. I went to the grocer shop." So that kind of finding spiritual master will not do. You have to become a little intelligent. Because without being intelligent nobody can make any spiritual progress.
We are reciting from Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter. The yoga system is called attachment for Kṛṣṇa, or kṛṣṇa-yoga. Yoga means connecting, link, and if we always keep ourself connecting link with Kṛṣṇa, then we become the topmost yogi. There are many kinds of yogis. Generally the yogis, they think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead always within the heart. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti 'yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). This is the yogis' business. Yogi's business does not mean simply have some gymnastic or bodily exercise and keep the body fit for sense enjoyment. That is not the purpose of yoga. Yoga means connecting. We are now, or we are now disconnected. Or it is not disconnected. We are now forgotten our intimate relationship with God. We cannot be disconnected. That is not possible. Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, there cannot be disconnection. Just like father and son. The son may go out of home, forget his father and mother for many years, but the connection between the son and the father and the mother is never disconnected. That is not possible. As soon as the son comes home, although the son was absent for many, many years, the father receives him, the mother receives him with affection. And immediately the paternal relationship, affection, immediately established.
Just like a soldier, his business is killing by the order of the state. he's killing so many persons. And he's getting recognition, medal, gold medal. And as soon as he comes home, if he kills one person, he'll be hanged. He can say: "My dear sir, I killed so many persons in the battlefield. I was awarded gold medal. Now I have killed only one person. Why you are hanging me?" Because you have done for your own sense gratification. And so many soldiers, it mean, men, you kill in the battlefield, that was the order of the state.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Āśliṣya: "You either embrace Me, or You trample Me down with Your feet, You are at liberty, whatever You like." Lampaṭa. Lampaṭa, just like a debauched husband sometimes entreats the good wife and the good wife tolerates. There are many instances, such thing, India still, but that is diminishing. Of course, if we say so many stories, it will take... But there are many examples. I have got personal experience of my youngest sister, you see. She is dead and gone. Her husband was a first-class debauchee. (break) ...she could understand, after her marriage. But she was so tolerant that when I used to go to her house, I used to enquire about my brother-in-law and she would reply, "Oh, he has gone just now out." She would never say that her husband never comes home. So in order to hide the secrecy... And later on I saw—this is our practical experience—that debauched husband become a faithful servant of my sister, simply by her toleration. This is practical experience I have seen. So the same thing, sometimes it is happen that a man, man has got a, I mean to say, spirit of controlling. So his wife tolerates, then the..., then there will be no misunderstanding; gradually the family life will be nice. But if in a moment's misunderstanding we prepare ourselves to be separated, that is not..., there is no love. There is no love. So here Lord Caitanya gives the same example that "Either You embrace Me, or kiss Me, or You trample down under Your feet, because You are a debauch, I know, still You are My beloved." This is pure love.
Twenty-five percent of the land. Suppose we owned the twenty-five percent of the whole world, but at the time of occupying the land I require only six feet? That's all. So they..., is he not ass? He knows that "I want only six feet land to lie down. Why I am trying to acquire the whole world? And working so hard?" That is ass. Similarly, I'm so working hard. What I am eating? Perhaps I am not eating. When I come home, I take a piece of bread and a cup of tea, bas, finished. But he does not think "Why am I working hard? I am not eating more. I am not occupying more place. I cannot enjoy fully sense gra..." Simply an idea: "More money, more money, more money." Therefore he's ass. Ass does not enjoy life, but works very hard. We have got... Several times explained. In India, the washermen keep an ass, and the ass bears ten tons of loads on the backside and goes to the ghāṭa, for washing ghāṭa. And he is let loose there, and a morsel of grass, a little, few pieces of grass. And he's eating there, standing, for again returning with ten tons of load. He is given freedom. He does not think that "Why shall I work so hard? This grass is available everywhere. I can go. Why I am working for this washerman?" But he has no sense. Therefore he is called ass. Similarly, all these karmīs, they are working so hard, but they are eating, say, two pieces of bread and a cup of tea or milk. That's all. Or something else. They have been collared.
So this Draupadī was achieved by Arjuna by piercing the eye of the fish. So when they came home in great jubilation, Arjuna said, "Mother..." No, Yudhiṣṭhira said, "Mother, we have got a great boon today." So mother was affectionate. She said, "All right, my dear boys. Just equally share amongst your brothers." So she was only woman. So by the order of Kuntī, although Arjuna achieved the hand of Draupadī, by the order of mother, she was divided amongst the five brothers. Therefore patīnām. Patīnām. And when she was insulted, because she was lost in the gambling... Bet was that "This time if you lose, then your Draupadī should be lost." So she was lost in that way.
In our childhood, we saw every village, every town, the transcendental knowledge. Any common man could speak about Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Lord Kṛṣṇa. And system was—still there are, but practically closed now—that in the evening, in the village, everyone should assemble in a place to hear messages from Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, especially, because these two books can be understood by common man. Not... Vedānta philosophy was discussed. So my maternal uncles was in the suburb of Calcutta, about ten miles from our house. So sometimes when we used to go there, so in the evening after taking their meals, by eight o'clock, they would go to a place, assemble, and hear about Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Bhāgavata. And they should discuss while coming home, and they should go, they would go to bed thinking that memory. So they'll sleep also Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. Yes, and dream also Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. You see? This was the system. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6).
So Devahūti wants elucidation of the characteristics of puruṣa and prakṛti. So puruṣa is one, but prakṛti, there are many, energies. Prakṛti, energy. Just like we have got practical experience that husband and wife, the wife is supposed to be the energy. The husband works day and night very hard, but when he comes home, the wife gives him comfort, eating, sleeping, mating, in so many ways. He gets fresh energy. Especially the karmīs, they get energy by the behavior and service of the wife. Otherwise the karmīs cannot work. Anyway, the energy principle is there. Similarly, the Supreme Lord, He has got also energy. In the Vedānta-sūtra we understand that Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original source of everything, Brahman... athāto brahma jijñāsā. That Brahman... In one code Vyāsadeva describes that janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "The Brahman, Supreme Absolute Truth, is that from whom everything comes." So unless this principle is there, that Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is also energized or worked with His energies; otherwise why this conception comes within this material world? The material world is shadow reflection of the spiritual world. Unless the original thing is there in the spiritual world, it cannot be reflected in the material world.
Just like a father engages his son in the same way, the same family life, same business life, same working day and night. But he does not think that "I was a married man. I got children. I have got business. I have got car. Whether I have become happy?" That he does not conclude, that "Again I am engaging my son in the same business? So why shall I be unhappy if my son has joined the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?" No. He wants, "Please come home and again be doing the same thing. Which I have done and I am frustrated, you do the same thing and be frustrated." (laughter) This is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). Nobody will advise. His son will become hippie—he will tolerate: "This is modern fashion." And if he joins Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is unhappy, because he wants that "My son also be doing the same thing." That is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). The world is going like that. They are chewing the chewed. We are teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "What you will gain by this material way of life? Just try to understand Kṛṣṇa, and then you will get the greatest benefit." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). The all troubles which we are suffering, that is due to our accepting this material body. That they do not know. They do not know except this material body anything. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhātuke, sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).
...brāhmaṇa. That will be explained. He was brāhmaṇa. He was well trained as a brāhmaṇa, but one day while he was coming home with the ingredients of worshiping the Deity, he saw one śūdra embracing another śūdra girl, embracing, kissing, because they have no shame. No brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya will do that. It is not etiquette. But because a śūdra, now it is everywhere we can see, embracing, kissing, open to everyone. So young man, seeing this, how he can restrain, check his lusty desire? It is not possible. Kali-yuga is so fallen. If a young man sees another young man he's enjoying with another young girl, then naturally his lusty desires increases. So these things are forbidden therefore. Still in some places it is forbidden that you cannot... India this is strictly forbidden. There is no such thing in the public street a young man can embrace or kiss. No. That is not possible. Then it will be criminal. Neither a young boy can dare to speak with another young girl on the street. Still it is criminal. She'll begin immediately protest that is incivility.
Just to show the example. Why God should be restrained not to come? He is not God. If God is restrained by us, by our speculation, by our imagination, that is not God. That is dog. A dog can be restrained: "Don't come here." Why God can be restrained? So there is no reason. He says freely that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). He wants. We are part and parcel of God, just like sons are part and parcel of father. If the father is rich man, all-powerful, he does not like to see that his sons are loitering in the street without any food, without any shelter. He doesn't like. Father entreats, "My dear son, why you are rotting in this way? Come home. You'll be comfortable. You'll be happy." But these rascal sons will not go. They are thinking, "We shall make plan here and live peacefully." That is going on. And God is coming, Kṛṣṇa is coming, canvassing, that "Come back to home, back to Godhead," and we are not interested. We are making plan here. This is our misfortune. But this plan will be frustrated. That is the nature's law. Daivi hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Whatever plan you make, it will be frustrated. It will never be successful. Therefore śāstra says, bahir-artha-maninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Where is the destination of life, they do not know it. Na te viduḥ. These rascals, those who have come to this material world, they do not know where is the goal of life because they are rascals, mūḍha, narādhama. Kṛṣṇa is canvassing that "Give up all this nonsense business." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Nobody will hear. He will manufacture his own way. This is the disease. Why? Because under the spell of māyā.
You think, "I am going to office to do my duty very hurriedly," but you are becoming implicated. But if you go out for receiving some help for worshiping Viṣṇu, then you are free. Then you are free. Exactly like that: soldier who is fighting in the battlefield and killing so many men and he is given gold medal, "Oh, you have killed so many. So many lives you have killed of the opposite party, enemy. You take this Victoria Cross." He becomes recognized by the government. The same man, when he comes home, if he kills somebody for his sense gratification, he will be hanged. The same man. The same soldier, when he is fighting for king's service, government service, government is supplying him food, everything—"So fight very chivalrously"—and offering him gold medal. And the same men, when he comes home, for his sense gratification if he kills a man, he will be hanged. He may say in the court, "Sir, I have killed so many men in the battlefield and I was never hanged. I was given gold medal. And now I have killed only one man and I am going to be killed? Why? What is this?" "Yes." For your sense gratification, as soon as you do anything, that is sinful, whatever you do. It may be so-called pious activities in your calculation, but in this material world there is no such thing as pious activities or impious. Everything impious.
Everywhere you'll find varieties, visesata. And the Māyāvādī philosopher-nirviśeṣa. In common English it is said, "Variety is the mother of enjoyment." So Kṛṣṇa wants this variety. So you all are devotees. You, the central point is to love Kṛṣṇa and offer Him service, but that service may be of variety. Variety. You cannot claim that because you are serving Kṛṣṇa in a type, and therefore, if somebody is serving in a different—must be approved by the authority... You cannot criticize him. Varieties. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. The same vegetable, the same ghee, the same salt, same spices, but there are varieties of preparations. That is required. We Vaiṣṇava, we want varieties. Bahūnmukhi-sevā. How... The central point is how... The Vṛndāvana-Kṛṣṇa is the central point. The cowherd boys, they are satisfying Kṛṣṇa by going in the forest, playing with Him, mock-fighting with Him. That is also variety. And when He comes home, Kṛṣṇa is taken care by mother Yaśodā, different dress, different foodstuff, variety. Similarly, when in the company of the gopīs, varieties, So variety is the mother of enjoyment. So it is not that I'll have to do exactly like you. I'll have to serve Kṛṣṇa, but no mental concoction, following the footstep, anuvarṇitena. Again, you can create variety, but it must not deviate from the original authority. That is wanted.
Just like a man has got many wives. Here especially the kṣatriyas, they marry many wives. There is purpose also. The kṣatriyas are allowed in this way. Why? Because kṣatriyas are... Generally they are king. They have got money to maintain many wives. They can do it. And they eat also very first-class vitaminous food also, so they have energy. Even our Kṛṣṇa, He also married as a kṣatriya so many wives. So, not like Kṛṣṇa or any other, but everyone wants to keep more than one wife. Everyone wants. That is his heart's desire. And if one is able actually, he keeps. But what is his position? That is described here, that bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti. Now suppose you have got one dozen wives. So when you come home the every wife is waiting: "My husband will come from work. I shall snatch him in my room by force. Last night he did not come. Now, this night, I shall forcefully bring in my room." So this man enters, and every wife is prepared to take the opportunity, so all of them come. So one catches one leg, another catches another leg, another, hand, another, mouth, another, hair, (laughter) and they're all snatching: "Come here, come here." So he's flat. So what is his position, just imagine. This example is given. Similarly, if all the senses, supposed to be my subordinate wife, they snatch the man, that "Just enjoy this. Just enjoy this. Enjoy this. Enjoy this," then what is the position? Most disturbed condition. So in such disturbed condition one should... What? One should take vow that "No more wife, that's all. I have suffered so much. Now no more wife. That's nice." Then the mind will be in peaceful condition. No more disturbance.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So actual life is that there should be no work. Why? Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). Just like Kṛṣṇa is displaying how He's happy with His cowherds boys, with the gopīs, with His father, with His mother. And those who are dependent on Kṛṣṇa, they are so confident. Just like the cowherds boys. Kṛṣṇa goes every day to the forest, and there is some demon comes, and simply the cowherds boys, "No, there is Kṛṣṇa. We don't care for this demon." You see? And the demon is killed, and they come home and they narrate the story to their mother: "O my dear mother, Kṛṣṇa did this wonderful thing." The mother is also very appreciative: "Oh, our Kṛṣṇa is so nice. He can do wonderful. He must be some demigod," like that, gossiping. So actually this is life. This Vṛndāvana life is actual life.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Even a innocent boy like Prahlāda Mahārāja, five years old. But a devotee cannot give up his profession. You see? He was being chastised so many times by his atheistic father, but what Prahlāda Mahārāja was doing? Oh, because he was king, he ordered the teachers that "This boy is coming home and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. What is this nonsense?" Teachers were asked. Teachers said, "My dear sir, we do not teach Hare Kṛṣṇa. According to your regulation, we are secular. (laughter) There is no possibility of teaching God or God's name. This boy, I do not know wherefrom he has got this Hare Kṛṣṇa." (laughter) Oh, he became very angry: "Where you have got your Hare Kṛṣṇa?" "Father, from where you have got your anger, I have got that Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) He is the supplier. You want to be angry; He supplies anger. And I want to chant." Oh, he becomes more angry. So, but that boy, what he was doing? That teacher was forbidden, secular, and the father was enemy. Still, he was taking some opportunity as soon as the teacher is out: "O my dear friends, come on. I shall speak to you Hare Kṛṣṇa and the science." So this should be our, your policy. Whenever there is some chance, just preach this, whenever there is chance. But you should always know that you will find enemies, but you don't be afraid. Go on with your work.
General Lectures
It is very simple to understand that... Just like a soldier is killing and the state is awarding him medal. And the same soldier when comes home, if he kills somebody, he's hanged. Why? He can say, "When I was in the war field, I have killed hundreds of men and I was given gold medal. And now I have killed simply one man I am going to be hanged? Why?" So it is the cause. If the cause if great, then killing is no sin.
Just like here is one of my students. His father is a very big doctor. But he said, "My dear son, you come home." He's very moneyed man. He can give him some few hundred thousands of dollars. "But you don't go to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is his view. Similarly, as the father is claiming from the son, "My dear son, you just surrender unto me. I shall give you my wealth, my everything," similarly, God is also canvassing us, "My dear sons, why you are unnecessarily traveling here and making plans to be happy here, nonsense place? You just surrender unto Me. I shall give you all protection." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ: (BG 18.66) "I shall give you all protection." Father is always ready to give son all protection. That is natural. So we are all sons of God. We simply surrender to Him and the business finished. Then where is the mystical and this or that? There is nothing secret. So simply one has to agree. But if the rascal son does not agree: "Oh, why shall I surrender unto Him? I shall remain independent," all right, you remain independent. You remain and suffer. So there is no mystical. Everything is clear.
Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna did not like to kill his brothers, but Kṛṣṇa said that "This is My desire." "All right, I shall kill." This is Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. When Kṛṣṇa says, we can do everything, not for our personal self. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. That another crude example: just like a soldier. When he is fighting by the order of the state, he is getting gold medal and killing. His business is killing. But the same man, when he comes home, if he kills one person, then he is hanged. Why? He could say that "My business is killing. I am soldier. I have killed this man." "No. This is for your account. On the battlefield you killed for the state's account; therefore you were eulogized. You were given reward." Similarly, we can kill only on the order of the Supreme. Otherwise we cannot kill even a plant. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Yajña means for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, whatever you do, you are not implicated with sinful activities. And bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt (BG 3.13). And a person who is doing on his own capacity, he is simply acquiring sinful resultant action. So the conclusion is: even a plant you cannot kill, what to speak of bigger animals. If one thinks that "I am killing only plants; therefore I am very pious, vegetarian," no. There is no question of vegetarian, nonvegetarian. They are equally sinful. Only those who are taking prasādam, they are free from sinful activities. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Similarly, in case of God, it is discovery. It is not invention. It is discovery.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. Just like the idea of a chair is already there in nature. Nature provides a chair.
Prabhupāda: Nature provides a sitting place. Just like when there is a slab of stone anywhere, I wish to sit down on it. Psychology. Then the next proposal is, "Why not invent something at my home? It is here in a... I cannot take it." You can say the idea was there already, to sit down on a high place comfortably. So I come home and make a chair according to that idea.
Śyāmasundara: Kṛṣṇa's order is what is good.
Prabhupāda: That is actually doing. Actually in our experience also, just like a soldier, he kills by the order, superior order of the state. He is given gold medal. And if the same man, when he comes home, if he kills, he is hanged. Why? Because you can kill under superior order, not whimsically. Generally the order is not to kill, but if he says now kill, you can... that is order, that you have to take. And if you say at that time, "Sir, you told me not to kill," that is (indistinct). General order and specific order. So Kṛṣṇa says, amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam (BG 13.8). He is giving the process of knowledge, amānitvam adambhitvam, not to be proud, ahiṁsā, nonviolence. These are there, eighteen qualities for understanding spiritual values. So it is general. Now for particular purposes if Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, you must kill," you must abide by that order. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Hayagrīva: He, he says, "God Himself is involved in our acts and their issues. Not only does He matter to us, but we matter to Him."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is one sense correct. Because we are fallen condition and we are sons of God, so we are suffering. God is very much compassionate; therefore He comes personally to teach us: "You rascal, why you are rotting in this material world? You surrender to Me and go back to home, back to Godhead, you will be happy." Therefore He is consulting. Otherwise why He comes from Vaikuṇṭha? Everyone, just like a son is rotting in his own way, but the father comes: "My dear son, why you are rotting in this way? You come home. You have got state. You will live there comfortably." But he does not come. That is his misfortune.
Hayagrīva: The role of woman he envisioned as that of man's companion. He says, "The first aspect, then, under which positivism considers women is simply as the companion of man, irrespective of her maternal duties," and that this friendship or companionship has as its basis sex. He says, "Conjugal union becomes a perfect ideal of friendship, yet still more beautiful than friendship, because each possesses and is possessed by the other. For perfect friendship, difference of sex is essential as excluding the possibility of rivalry." So he felt that sex, there can actually be very little friendship between men, because there's no sexual basis, that sex is the basis for the friendship between the sexes.
Prabhupāda: Hmm. So woman, sex, there is sex, sexual necessity and the bodily demand. So woman not only give the sex pleasure to the man, but woman should prepare good foodstuff also for the man. The man is working very hard. When he comes home, if the wife supplies him good foodstuff and nice comfort and sex, then the home becomes very happy. That is practical experience. So after hard working, when man comes home, if he finds out good foodstuff and nicely satisfied by eating, and then the woman gives satisfaction by sex, then both of them remain fully satisfied, and then they can improve their real business, spiritual understanding, because human life is meant for making progress in spiritual understanding. Spiritual, first of all they must know that the spirit soul is the basis of material life even, and the body is built up on the soul, and within the body there is soul. This understanding is required both for the man and the woman. Although woman is less intelligent, still, by the help of the husband, he..., she can become intelligent. This we think, we see in the instruction of Kapiladeva. Kapiladeva is the son of Devahūti, and He is engaged in teaching the mother. So a woman, either as daughter, as wife or mother, remains subordinate and gets knowledge from the man, either from the father or the husband or son. Then that life is elevated. We find also in the conjugal life of Lord Śiva and Pārvatī, in the Purāṇas we see always Pārvatī is questioning and Lord Śiva is answering. In this way woman is elevated, and the comforts given by the woman, comforts of the tongue, of the belly, and the genital, in this way, cooperative life, both of them becomes advanced in spiritual life.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Śyāmasundara: Swamiji? I have obtained today a large piece of...
Prabhupāda: Stone? Flat.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. Marble. For Kṛṣṇa comes home,(?) back of Kṛṣṇa.(?)
Prabhupāda: Very nice. So it is not so high. How much it is, height?
Śyāmasundara: This one is only for practice. And then I have obtained...
Prabhupāda: Oh, oh.
Śyāmasundara: ...a large one. It is very difficult stone because it's like glass almost. I have to practice. And later a larger one.
Prabhupāda: So first of all you... This is called, what is called, test stone.
Śyāmasundara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: The difference is that in Vṛndāvana they are pure devotees. They knew that "Oh, this is not a miracle for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can do anything and everything." So they were not surprised. If I lift one mountain, you will be surprised because you know that "Swamiji is man. How he is lifting?" But they know that Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. So there was no surprise. It is just like natural work. They were so much affectionate to Kṛṣṇa that... He was not only lifting. Every day He was doing so much great performances, and His boyfriends, they would come home, and they would narrate the story to their mothers, "Oh, mother, today Kṛṣṇa performed like this. There was a great demon, and He killed him immediately." And the mother will say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa did that? He is very nice boy, very nice." (laughter) Because they were so affectionate to Kṛṣṇa, they always think, "Everything is possible for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so nice. Kṛṣṇa is so great." That is their idea. So (indistinct) that is not miracle. That is ordinary thing for Him. Just like Yaśodā. Kṛṣṇa's friends complained, "Mother Yaśodā, Kṛṣṇa has eaten earth. You gave Him sweetmeat, but He was not eating sweetmeat." You know. The boys, they complain each other and again make friends. So Yaśodā was..., "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, I gave You sweetmeats. You are eating earth?" "No, mother. I have not eaten. They are telling false." And they were still, "Yes. We have seen, mother, He has eaten." Then mother asked Him, "Oh, show Your face. Open Your mouth. I want to see." So He opened His mouth, and she saw all the universe within His mouth, not only earth, the whole planets, sun and moon, and everything, within His mouth. Then she thought, "Oh, what I have seen? All right. Don't do it." That's all.
Śāradīyā: (break) Simply by Your Divine Grace, on Kṛṣṇa's appearance day in San Francisco my mother came to the temple and she wore a sari and a tilaka.
Prabhupāda: Oh. (chuckles) You are converting your mother to this cult.
Yamunā: A very nice mother she has.
Prabhupāda: Unless mother is good, how the children are good?
Yamunā: Tora(?). Tora is one of the biggest, and he helped more than anybody. He would come home, and she would read to them from the Bhāgavatam. But he would tell her, "Oh, if you don't serve Kṛṣṇa, you must serve māyā." And he would say, "That's māyā." He would tell mother that at seven years old, and he would explain to her. Swamiji, by the end of our classes, he was actually understanding the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, being able to listen to it and ask questions about it.
Prabhupāda: He gave you questions?
Mālatī: Even at the temple when there would be lectures, and then the lecturer says, "Are there any questions?" Tora would raise his hand, and he'd ask very intelligent questions.
Prabhupāda: Then why not keep him with me, your mother and he? (devotees cheer)
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: One of our relatives, long, long ago, he happened to be, as my grandmother..., my cousin's, oh, grandfather. He went to England in those old days and he became a parsiyas(?) doctor, very... When he came home the brāhmaṇas prescribed that "You went to England, so you have to make this prāyaścitta and this and so many prescriptions, and unless you follow the prāyaścitta you cannot live at home. Then your family will be extricated." So when these things were presented to him he said, "Then I am going out of home." His mother and father, everyone requested that...
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is the way of taking milk. And this masala, it does not taste good. In India, especially in Northern India, Punjab, they will take at night, milk, (indistinct). No other things. They, all business men, the Marwari society, they'll take food before evening and then again they work. Then after ten they will come home and take little milk and go rest. (pause) So foundation committee is being established in Bombay making her the president of the trust. Then Giriraja will have no difficulty.
Devotee: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: They'll contribute. And if she canvasses, she can collect lakhs.
Devotee: But one thing is, if Giriraja takes advantage and begins preaching in her school daily... She's invited him, open invitation.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Then it will be pleased.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Devotee: He says to chant Kṛṣṇa. But they are chanting Swami Narayan.
Prabhupāda: You know, there was a big doctor in Calcutta, (indistinct) Sen. You have heard his name? He will die of thirstiness, still would not drink outside water. Would come home, offer to the Deity, and then drink. I know that (indistinct) Sen.
Indian man (3): But he is such a...
Prabhupāda: In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14)—Kṛṣṇa. But why one should chant the other name? Kṛṣṇa says satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). Hare Kṛṣṇa. Not any other name.
Prabhupāda: ...and police is controlling by beating them. Now they will go to the office, and again they will come in that way. And coming home for two cāpāṭis. You see? That's all.
Dr. Patel: They reach their office at two o'clock.
Prabhupāda: Just see. And again... (Hindi)
Dr. Patel: Modern civilization is the civilization of the indriyas. We want a civilization...
Prabhupāda: No, no, indriyas... Material civilization means indriyas, but it should be so organized. That is the Vedic principles, that you enjoy your indriyas in a systematic way so that you may not fall again, another difficulty. That is the Vedic way.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Dharmādhyakṣa: Dr. Mize finds that he's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa a little in the shower now. When he takes a shower, he chants a little.
Prabhupāda: One press reporter in the Berkeley University in the beginning, he wrote his article and he wrote that after hearing this Hare Kṛṣṇa for a few minutes, I came home chanting all the road, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." He gave this report.
Dharmādhyakṣa: I think many scholars have a hard time realizing how just by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa...
Prabhupāda: Yes, it is so nice and so easy.
Prabhupāda: So you explain.
Jayatīrtha: He said you can become humble by becoming aggressive for Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) One girl was asking that "When we are doing saṅkīrtana, I must be very aggressive, but when I come to the temple, then I'm supposed to be very humble." Prabhupāda's answer was...
Prabhupāda: "A lamb at home, a lion in the chase." (laughter) When you are chasing, you must be a lion. (laughter) But when you come home, you do not try to chase the devotees. (laughter)
Guest: Swami, what about those who practice one of the other religions in...?
Prabhupāda: There is no other religion. I have repeatedly said. Religion is to abide by the orders of God. Nobody knows what is God, and nobody knows what is the order of God. Or even if one knows, he does not carry it. So how there can be religion? If you abide by the state laws, then you are lawful, but if you do not abide by the state laws, how you can become lawful? If you violate the laws, how you can become lawful? If you follow religion, then you must follow strictly the religious principles. And if you have no business to follow the religious principles, how you can become religious? Is it possible?
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Śyāmakunda: But if it was wrapped up in a package and they didn't know it was the dog or their mother, they could probably eat it.
Prabhupāda: Yes, they can eat by packing.
Hari-śauri: They eat their pets sometimes. I used to have a pet rabbit, and one day I came home from school and my father had killed it and eaten it for dinner. (laughter) He said I wasn't looking after it properly, so he...
Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This business of simply taking economics into consideration...
Prabhupāda: They do not. Rascals... How to live, they do not know. Animals. There is a class of men in India, they take, I told you, the dead body of a cow.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: More and more cows to produce enough milk to feed children.
Prabhupāda: And therefore we are killing children. There is no problem, we shall kill our.... Why do you call? Let us kill, wholesale. And go to ball dance.
Hari-śauri: The whole civilization is complete crazy.
Prabhupāda: Kartikeya told me. After many years he went to see his mother, and mother was going to ball dance. And mother said, "Wait, I am coming back." And he was surprised. He told me. Son has come home after many years, and she could not talk with him. She was going to ball dance.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It actually is that way. It actually goes on that way.
Prabhupāda: This is the mother.
Interviewer: Was it difficult for you to give up what you had been doing in order to devote full time.
Prabhupāda: No, it is the Vedic system that at a certain age they should give up family connection and completely devote for God consciousness. In the beginning, twenty-five years, he should learn from guru about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then, if he is able, he does not become a family man, but if he is unable or circumstantially, he may become a family man. So he can remain a family man up to fiftieth year and then he retires from family life. He travels in holy places with his wife, and sometimes he comes home and sometimes he goes home. In this way, when he's practiced to give up family attachment, then the wife goes back home to the care of her elderly children, and the man takes sannyāsa, and he remains alone simply for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Vedic system.
Rāmeśvara: Vedic system means very traditional, from ancient India.
Interviewer: Yes. Now, you are not practicing the Vedic system, then, here, are you? Or are you?
Rāmeśvara: We are following.
Prabhupāda: No, it is all Vedic system. It is Vedic system.
Prabhupāda: There's no question of starvation for want of money. Anywhere sit down and do something palatable, and people will purchase. So your livelihood will go on. Pakorā, kacuri, jalebi, anything. You make some palatable, people are fond of eating some palatable things. That is their hobby. In Allahabad, there was a brāhmaṇa. I had my business, and he was neighborhood, he was living. So in the morning, the husband and wife would go to take bath in the Ganges. They would very nicely take bath, and while coming they will purchase some ingredients and then come home. The husband will perform pūjā, etc., and the wife will prepare many nice preparations-baḍā, pakori, puskar (?), this, that. Then he'll take his meals, rest awhile, and in the evening he will sit down, he was sitting just in front of my shop, about four or five o'clock. All the preparations his wife had made whole day, and the small shop. And the university students will come up to night, ten o'clock, he'll finish. Nothing will remain. Everything will be... And he'll make at least ten rupees profit, minimum. In those days, 1925, in those days ten rupees means nowadays at least fifty rupees. So, and living very happy. Living humbly as a brāhmaṇa, he was having his pūjā, going to the Ganges, taking bath, husband and wife, in the morning, and the wife's business is to prepare and his business was to sell. So they'll make at least ten, fifteen rupees profit daily, very prosperous. Living peacefully, husband and wife. There are many such families. The... If wife is very good, then his home is very nice. They cannot be unhappy at any circumstances. Dampatyoḥ kalaho nāsti tatra śrīḥ svayam āgataḥ.(?) Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. When there is full agreement between husband and wife, cooperation, then the goddess of fortune comes there without application. You haven't got to ask goddess of fortune, "Please come and help me." She'll come automatically. This is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's instruction.
Prabhupāda: Changes when he gets into this material, inferior nature. He has to change the body, one circumstance to another, another, another, according to his desire. Just like you get a lump of dirt. You can mold it. You can make a pot. You can make a doll. So we are doing that. Child. The father has given birth to the child and father has given the child a lump of earth and he's playing. That's all. For both of them, the father is the proprietor. If the child wants to play, father says, "All right, play." So he's sometimes breaking, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing. This is going on.
Dr. Kneupper: Then he goes back.
Prabhupāda: Yes, if he gets sense. Therefore the father comes, that "You give up all this nonsense. Come home."
- sarva-dharmān parityajya
- mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
- ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
- mokṣayiṣyāmi...
- (BG 18.66)
So if you surrender to God, if you have grown up from the childish nature to the real human nature, then surrender to Kṛṣṇa, or God. Then our life is perfect. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19).
Mahāṁśa: I knew people coming from Poona to Bombay to work.
Prabhupāda: Just see.
Mahāṁśa: All the way from Poona.
Prabhupāda: The home attachment is so great. These Delhi passengers, they are coming, hanging, and there are so many accidents daily. And few hours he will live with wife. That is his home. And whole other, out of twenty-four hours, seventeen hours are outside, and maybe seven hours at home. But still, he'll come home. The home attachment is very big. Therefore we have to create attachment for this hari-saṅkīrtana. If you create that attachment, then they will give up home attachment, try life, to live here. Athāsaktiḥ. You have to train them in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in such a way.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: I had such experience. I had some experience in my childhood in 1911. I was thirteen years old. There was a riot. So our house was there in Mahātmā Gandhi Road, and all sides Muhammadans. We are simply... The Mulliks and our house are simply some respectable men. Otherwise it was surrounded (surrendered?) by... That is called Kwalabala and Bastik, all Muhammadans, backside fully Muhammadans. So the riot was there, and I went to play. There is a square, Marker(?) Square. So I did not know the riot has taken place. I was coming home. So one of my class friends said that "You do not go to your house. That side is rioting now." So because we are in the Muhammadan quarter, this fighting between two parties, that was going on. It is usual. So I thought it may be like that, that two guṇḍās are fighting. I have seen. One guṇḍā is stabbing the other guṇḍā. I have seen. And they are pickpockets. When you are passing they would... I have seen, he is pickpocketing. (laughter) And they were our neighbor men. So I thought "It must be like that. This is going on." But when I came the crossing of Mahatma Gandhi... At that time Harrison Road it was. Harrison Road and Holi..., Holiday, Halliday Street, yes. So one shop was being plundered. Putamat putamat putamat..." So I was child, a boy. I became... "What is this happening?" In the meantime all, my father, mother, members: "Oh, the child has not come." They became so mad, they came out of home expecting, "Wherefrom the child will come?" So what could I do? When I saw, then I began to run towards our house, and one Muhammadan, he wanted to kill me. He took his lāṭhi and actually... But I passed through some way or other. I was saved. So as soon as I came before our gate they got their life. So without speaking anything I went to the bedroom, and it was in the month of... It is winter. So I... Without saying anything I laid down, wrapping myself with quilt. So that time I was rising: "Is it ended? The riot is ended?" I was asking. I remember. So I would have been killed in that riot. So I have got experience of this riot. That is the first riot in Calcutta, in 1911.
Prabhupāda: This is one thing. This is one thing, that... No, they are taking seriously. And another thing is that if the public opinion becomes in favor of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then they will get vote and they'll capture government, because it is republic. That is another point, another. The most important point is: these boys who come to me, they forget forever their families or father, mother. No family. That is their great shock.
Guest (2) (Indian man): No, what is that? That is nothing. We see...
Prabhupāda: No, no. This is the principle, why they are opposing it. They are not these transcendental meditator that here going and coming home, and they are doing all same, because they have no restriction. But my students, as soon as they come to this, they are not, no more going home. They will not touch any food, yes, because they have seen there is a (indistinct).
Guest (1): (Bengali)
Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Practically begin. Any boy who comes to me, he's lost forever to his family. In other religion there is no such thing.
Correspondence
1971 Correspondence
I have seen one copy of the contract sent to me by Karandhara. It seems all right. One thing: What are the monthly payments? Now you organize our KC school very nicely on the basis of a kindergarten school and primary school for children up to 15 years old. That is a good proposal, that parents should not accompany their children. Actually that is the gurukula system. The children should take complete protection of the Spiritual Master, and serve him and learn from him nicely. Just see how nicely your brahmacaris are working. They will go out in early morning and beg all day on the order of the guru. At night they will come home with a little rice and sleep without cover on the floor. And they think this work is very pleasant. If they are not spoiled by an artificial standard of sense gratification at an early age, children will turn out very nicely as sober citizens, because they have learned the real meaning of life. If they are trained to accept that austerity is very enjoyable then they will not be spoiled. So you organize everything in such a way that we can deliver these souls back to Krishna—this is our real work. Some of our girls may be trained in colleges and take teacher exams, and their husbands also. As you develop our program there I shall give you more hints.
1974 Correspondence
So you are all intelligent boys, so you should judge the desire of my guru maharaj and help me in that way. Regarding the temple management, one man can be left behind, while the others go out, to take care of the Deity. And, you can come home at night and take prasadam sumptuously. Once eating sumptuously is enough to maintain body and soul together. In the daytime you may not take, and at night you can take. As a matter of fact, a devotee may take only once in a day either in the day or night, and whenever you eat, you must first offer. But I do not mean you should neglect temple life. Do not misunderstand this. But, one man can remain, and so far the other devotees are concerned, they can eat once in the day or night, after having kirtana, then six hours of sound sleep, and this will maintain their health properly.
| Page Title: | Come home |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 28 of Jul, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=10, CC=2, OB=7, Lec=32, Con=18, Let=2 |
| No. of Quotes: | 71 |