Commerce

Expressions researched:
"commerce" |"commercial" |"commercialization" |"commercially"

SB Canto 1

All economic development of the state by trade, commerce, agriculture and industries must be fully utilized in relation to the above principles, otherwise all so-called economic development becomes a source of degradation.

SB 1.19.3, Purport:

Progressive human civilization is based on brahminical culture, God consciousness and protection of cows. All economic development of the state by trade, commerce, agriculture and industries must be fully utilized in relation to the above principles, otherwise all so-called economic development becomes a source of degradation. Cow protection means feeding the brahminical culture, which leads towards God consciousness, and thus perfection of human civilization is achieved.

SB Canto 4

Saṅkīrtana-yajña should be introduced in all spheres of life—social, political, industrial, commercial etc.

SB 4.19.7, Purport:

King Pṛthu and others derived all the necessities of life from the earthly planet by performing great sacrifices. Now this saṅkīrtana movement has already been started by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. people should take advantage of this great sacrifice and join in the Society's activities; then there will be no scarcity. If saṅkīrtana-yajña is performed, there will be no difficulty, not even in industrial enterprises. Therefore this system should be introduced in all spheres of life—social, political, industrial, commercial etc. Then everything will run very peacefully and smoothly.

Big commercial and industrial firms have contributed many thousands of rupees to a defense fund that burns the money in the form of gunpowder.

SB 4.20.21, Purport:

Big commercial and industrial firms have contributed many thousands of rupees to a defense fund that burns the money in the form of gunpowder, but unfortunately, if they are asked to contribute liberally to advance the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are reluctant. Under the circumstances, the world will periodically suffer from such upsurges and outbreaks of war, which are the consequences of not being Kṛṣṇa conscious.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.24.21, Translation:

The occupational duties of the vaiśya are conceived in four divisions: farming, commerce, cow protection and moneylending. Out of these, we as a community are always engaged in cow protection.

SB 10.41.20-23, Translation:

The Lord saw Mathurā, with its tall gates and household entrances made of crystal, its immense archways and main doors of gold, its granaries and other storehouses of copper and brass, and its impregnable moats. Beautifying the city were pleasant gardens and parks. The main intersections were fashioned of gold, and there were mansions with private pleasure gardens, along with guildhalls and many other buildings. Mathurā resounded with the calls of peacocks and pet turtledoves, who sat in the small openings of the lattice windows and on the gem-studded floors, and also on the columned balconies and on the ornate rafters in front of the houses. These balconies and rafters were adorned with vaidūrya stones, diamonds, crystal quartz, sapphires, coral, pearls and emeralds. All the royal avenues and commercial streets were sprinkled with water, as were the side roads and courtyards, and flower garlands, newly grown sprouts, parched grains and rice had been scattered about everywhere. Gracing the houses' doorways were elaborately decorated pots filled with water, which were bedecked with mango leaves, smeared with yogurt and sandalwood paste, and encircled by flower petals and ribbons. Near the pots were flags, rows of lamps, bunches of flowers and the trunks of banana and betel-nut trees.

SB 10.50.50-53, Translation:

In the construction of that city could be seen the full scientific knowledge and architectural skill of Viśvakarmā. There were wide avenues, commercial roads and courtyards laid out on ample plots of land; there were splendid parks, and also gardens stocked with trees and creepers from the heavenly planets. The gateway towers were topped with golden turrets touching the sky, and their upper levels were fashioned of crystal quartz. The gold-covered houses were adorned in front with golden pots and on top with jeweled roofs, and their floors were inlaid with precious emeralds. Beside the houses stood treasury buildings, warehouses, and stables for fine horses, all built of silver and brass. Each residence had a watchtower, and also a temple for its household deity. Filled with citizens of all four social orders, the city was especially beautified by the palaces of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the Yadus.

SB 10.53.8-9, Translation:

The king had the main avenues, commercial roads and intersections thoroughly cleaned and then sprinkled with water, and he also had the city decorated with triumphant archways and multicolored banners on poles. The men and women of the city, arrayed in spotless raiment and anointed with fragrant sandalwood paste, wore precious necklaces, flower garlands and jeweled ornaments, and their opulent homes were filled with the aroma of aguru.

SB 10.69.1-6, Translation:

The city was filled with the sounds of birds and bees flying about the parks and pleasure gardens, while its lakes, crowded with blooming indīvara, ambhoja, kahlāra, kumuda and utpala lotuses, resounded with the calls of swans and cranes. Dvārakā boasted nine hundred thousand royal palaces, all constructed with crystal and silver and splendorously decorated with huge emeralds. Inside these palaces, the furnishings were bedecked with gold and jewels. Traffic moved along a well-laid-out system of boulevards, roads, intersections and marketplaces, and many assembly houses and temples of demigods graced the charming city. The roads, courtyards, commercial streets and residential patios were all sprinkled with water and shaded from the sun's heat by banners waving from flagpoles.

SB 11.23.6, Translation:

In the country of Avantī there once lived a certain brāhmaṇa who was very rich and gifted with all opulences, and who was engaged in the occupation of commerce. But he was a miserly person—lusty, greedy and very prone to anger.

SB 12.3.35, Translation:

Businessmen will engage in petty commerce and earn their money by cheating. Even when there is no emergency, people will consider any degraded occupation quite acceptable.

CC Madhya-lila

Lord Caitanya never visited Vṛndāvana with crowds of people for a commercial purpose.

CC Madhya 1.224, Purport:

Sometimes, for business purposes, large crowds of men are taken to different places of pilgrimage, and money is collected from them. That is a very lucrative business, but Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmīs, expressing their opinion in the presence of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, disapproved of such crowded pilgrimages. Actually when Lord Caitanya visited Vṛndāvana, He visited it alone and accepted a servant only at His devotees' request. He never visited Vṛndāvana with crowds of people for a commercial purpose.

The vaiśyas (people engaged in agriculture and commerce) are therefore recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā to produce grains and give protection to cows.

CC Madhya 4.93, Purport:

The Vaiṣṇava, the perfect human being, does not accept anything not offered to the Deity. People are often frustrated with national food policies, but from the Vedic scriptures we find that if there are sufficient cows and grains, the entire food problem is solved. The vaiśyas (people engaged in agriculture and commerce) are therefore recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā to produce grains and give protection to cows. Cows are the most important animal because they produce the miracle food, milk, from which we can prepare ghee and yogurt.

Nectar of Devotion

The business of the vaiśya community is trade, commerce and the protection of cows.

Nectar of Devotion 21:

Generally, when Lord Kṛṣṇa appears He does so in a family of kṣatriyas (kings), as did Lord Rāmacandra, and sometimes in a family of brāhmaṇas. But Kṛṣṇa accepted the role of son to Mahārāja Nanda, despite the fact that Nanda belonged to the vaiśya community. The business of the vaiśya community is trade, commerce and the protection of cows. Therefore his friend, who may have been born into a brāhmaṇa family, expressed his wonder at how such an exalted child could take birth in a family of vaiśyas. Anyway, he pointed out the auspicious signs on the body of Kṛṣṇa to the boy's foster father.

Nectar of Instruction

In the business world we find such institutions as the stock exchange and chamber of commerce.

Nectar of Instruction 2, Purport:

Association with those engaged in a similar line of business is very conducive to advancement in that business. Consequently materialistic persons form various associations and clubs to enhance their endeavors. For example, in the business world we find such institutions as the stock exchange and chamber of commerce. Similarly, we have established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to give people an opportunity to associate with those who have not forgotten Kṛṣṇa.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Pleasing the Lord should be the sole purpose of commerce and trade, and also of research, science, charity, austerity, and all other activities.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 2.11:

Pleasing the Lord should be the sole purpose of commerce and trade, and also of research, science, charity, austerity, and all other activities. Such a practice will inspire one to hear and chant transcendental topics related to Lord Kṛṣṇa, and this hearing and chanting are the foremost of the ninefold devotional activities. In Vedic times, all human activities were strongly affiliated with devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Today the same eternal principle applies: everything must be utilized in the Lord's service.

Light of the Bhagavata

When traders become too greedy and materialistic they take to large-scale commerce and industry and allure the poor agriculturalist to unsanitary industrial towns with a false hope of earning more money.

Light of the Bhagavata 9, Purport:

Trade is meant only for transporting surplus produce to places where the produce is scanty. But when traders become too greedy and materialistic they take to large-scale commerce and industry and allure the poor agriculturalist to unsanitary industrial towns with a false hope of earning more money. The industrialist and the capitalist do not want the farmer to remain at home, satisfied with his agricultural produce. When the farmers are satisfied by a luxuriant growth of food grains, the capitalist becomes gloomy at heart. But the real fact is that humanity must depend on agriculture and subsist on agricultural produce.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Personally, individually, and commercially, everyone is making plan. The plan-making means becoming entangled.

Lecture on BG 2.20 -- Hyderabad, November 25, 1972:

Personally, individually, and commercially, everyone is making plan. The plan-making means becoming entangled. And he has to, they have to take birth again to fulfill the plan. Vāsanā. This is called vāsanā. So we have to purify the vāsanā, desire. That is required. If we don't purify, then we have to take birth, birth and death, repetition of birth and death. So that desire, how it can be purified?

The third degree is the mercantile community. They are engaged in trades, commerce.

Lecture on BG 4.19-25 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1969:

The kṣatriyas, they are working in the modes of passion. They want to possess land, they want to be king, they want to be leader of the citizens, and they see to the protection of the citizens. This is called in the mode of passion. And the third degree is the mercantile community. They are engaged in trades, commerce.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

It is not a profitable commercial business, that "Unless I get in return something, oh, I shall not practice the devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.142 -- New York, November 30, 1966:

So by devotional service one should not expect, "My miserable material condition may be improved" or "I may be liberated from this material entanglement." So that is also a kind of sense gratification. If I want that "Let me be free from this entanglement..." Just like the yogis and the jñānīs, they try. They try to be free from this material entanglement. But in the devotional service there is no such desire, because it is pure love. There is no expectation that "I shall be profited in this way." No. It is not a profitable commercial business, that "Unless I get in return something, oh, I shall not practice the devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Initiation Lectures

The vaiśyas, or the mercantile class of men interested in money by trade, commerce, agriculture, industry.

Deity Installation and Initiation -- Melbourne, April 6, 1972:

The brāhmaṇa is the first intelligent class of men, the kṣatriyas, the next intelligent class of men, and the vaiśyas, or the mercantile class of men interested in money by trade, commerce, agriculture, industry, they are called vaiśyas. So next, the last class is called śūdra. Śūdra means workers. They haven't got much intelligence, neither they can work as administrator or traders but they work and get some salary. They are called śūdras.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Everyone is going austerity. This boy, I know, he had to go foreign countries to learn this commercial management.

Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: This advice was given by Ṛṣabhadeva to his sons. "My dear boys, just undergo austerity," divyam, "for transcendental realization." Everyone is going austerity. This boy, I know, he had to go foreign countries to learn this commercial management. So many... So now he's good situated. But everyone has to undergo some austerity for future life. So why not take that austerity for permanent happiness?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

What is the duty of the Commerce Department? The government must see that the trade enterprise, common share, or industrial enterprise, they are doing nicely, properly.

Room Conversation with Indian Ambassador -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Ambassador: Your Eminence, I agree, but I think the duty of the government primarily is to provide conditions in which gifted people, spiritual people like you, leaders like you, can function. More than that, if the government does, it might probably even corrupt the religious... I don't know. Like an umpire in a game, you know, or something... Provide the conditions, provide the conditions for free speech. Not like Moscow, you know, where it is...

Prabhupāda: No. That is... Just like you have got the Commerce Department. Government has got. What is the duty of the Commerce Department? The government must see that the trade enterprise, common share, or industrial enterprise, they are doing nicely, properly. The government issuing license. They have got supervision. They send sometimes, what is called, inspectors? Education. Say, for education. There is educational inspector, school inspector. They go see that the students are properly being educated in that school. Similarly, government should have expert men in the government to see that the Hindus are acting like Hindu, Muslims are acting like Muslim, and Christians are acting like Christian. The government should not be callous about religion. They may be neutral that whatever religion you profess, government has nothing to do. You do nicely. But it is the government's duty to see that you are doing nicely, you are not bluffing. That is government's duty.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

It is very difficult for the actors and actresses to give up the commercial life.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Begins. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (CC Madhya 19.167), if there is any other motive, then immediately there is no (indistinct).

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

(Brs. 1.1.11)

Maybe little bhakti touch but uttama-bhakti, the definition is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (CC Madhya 19.167). So it is very difficult for the actors and actresses to give up the commercial life. Anyā..., that is anyābhilāṣ, that by playing like this, I'll be popular, I'll get money, this is anyābhilāṣ. So to make it zero is very difficult. bhakti.

There is no commercialization.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, no, there is no commercialization. Kṛṣṇa says that yad karoṣi yaj-juhoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasya kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27). To earn money, it is not bad, but if it is given to Kṛṣṇa then it is bhakti.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Are you commercial-hired fools? No! Supply free!

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Big number, as big as possible. My Guru Mahārāja, he had magazines in six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, and one Bengali daily. So if our men complained that "Such and such men are not giving their subscription, so, what we can do? Stop the supply?" Oh, he would become very angry. He asked them, "Are you commercial-hired fools? No! Supply free!" He used to say like that. He was asking, "Whether we shall stop supply? The subscription is not coming." So immediately he became angry: "Are you commercial-hired? If he's not giving price, supply him free." That was his policy.

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

If the culture is to be revived it is quite possible to do it even in your parliamentary buildings in New Delhi or in the commercial buildings of New York.

Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru -- Allahabad 20 January, 1952:

But in the present age in the absence of such high culture there is hardly any difference between the temples, mosques and cathedrals and the high commercial buildings in a busy city. If the culture is to be revived it is quite possible to do it even in your parliamentary buildings in New Delhi or in the commercial buildings of New York. As the Socratesian ways of reasoning is not bound up within the walls of Athens so also the Brahminical culture is not bound up within the walls of India.

1969 Correspondence

Your remark that Advaita may have to do a lot of commercial work to help the temple during the winter is right.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Hamburg 9 September, 1969:

The purchasing transaction has been done on Janmastami Day, and this is also a great occasion. Regarding your anxieties how to pay the rent, etc., in the winter season, I think Krishna will provide with sufficient press work and some of the boys may work also. In this way we have to manage. Your remark that Advaita may have to do a lot of commercial work to help the temple during the winter is right. Whenever there is spare time we can earn money by outside work. We shall fully utilize the press facilities in various ways.

1970 Correspondence

If this film is properly done it will be very profitable, even from the commercial point of view.

Letter to Syamasundara -- Calcutta 22 September, 1970:

Regarding the motion picture, it is a great opportunity, and if they actually want to do something wonderful I can come there personally and see to its direction. If it is an important film I think my personal direction is necessary. If not, then I think you can send me a synopsis of the script so that there may be nothing objectionable from the start. If this film is properly done it will be very profitable, even from the commercial point of view; and if they are interested, we can give them hundreds of stories from Bhagavat which will make wonderful films, and simultaneously the people will be educated to the proper religious and moral standard.

1971 Correspondence

And for meeting your expenditures, taking on commercial printing jobs sounds all right.

Letter to Advaita -- Calcutta 1 November, 1971:

So far ISKCON Press Europe, that was simply imagination. It never took shape. So it is better if you amalgamate it. This matter and similar topics should be consulted properly with you and the GBC members for the proper course of action. And for meeting your expenditures, taking on commercial printing jobs sounds all right. If you can maintain in this way and at the same time go on printing our books, that is our success.

I have no objection if you can develop the Press by making outside profit with commercial work and investing—that is all right.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Vrindaban 30 November, 1971:

There is no limit to expanding—you talk of expanding—we have to invest more and more to remain modern by purchasing machines, etc. But if the machines we have cannot even be utilized properly, then what is the use of expanding? I want that all of these big plans should be realized, and there will be no end to the resources Krishna will provide, but first there must be good management. Who will manage? But I have no objection if you can develop the Press by making outside profit with commercial work and investing—that is all right.

We have got such stock of real substance that alone it is sufficient to capture the readers, without such ordinary tricks and commercial formulas.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Bombay 17 December, 1971:

I have seen one Christian newspaper which is trying to attract the readers by resort to fashionable phrases and materialistic themes of mass public interest—simply because they have not got any real substance for attracting, they offer what they think the public might like, such as sex, crimes, amusements, like that. That is not our method. We have got such stock of real substance that alone it is sufficient to capture the readers, without such ordinary tricks and commercial formulas.

1973 Correspondence

If the public is thinking that we are something show or commercial performers, that will not be proper idea.

Letter to Jagadisa -- Bombay 5 January, 1973:

Of course, we may also appear and perform kirtana at the opening of the concert, and we will sell our books there, and if there is some opportunity to give also short lecture, that will be nice. But if you do all these other performances of aratrika, a drama, like that, perhaps it will appear like it is our program and not the program of the musicians. If there is confusion, if the public is thinking that we are something show or commercial performers, that will not be proper idea. But if the musicians and dancers want to give one concert and donate the proceeds to us, we shall gladly thank them.

1976 Correspondence

Our books are not commercial, they are religion and philosophy.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Vrindaban 30 October, 1976:

There are so many men over 30. Are they brainwashed? It may be a minority in your country, but in other places it is the majority. The diamond seller caters to a minority. Why are they allowed to sell. Always when there is something valuable only a minority will be able to purchase. Our books are not commercial, they are religion and philosophy.