Defeat (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"defeat" |"defeated" |"defeater" |"defeating" |"defeats"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.2-3 -- London, July 9, 1973:

Duty is duty. After all, everyone will die; nobody will exist. So nobody should be afraid of death. This is Vedic civilization. Death is inevitable. "As sure as death." Who can avoid death? So being afraid of death, we should not deviate from our duties, real duty. That is Vedic civilization. So Duryodhana wanted to point out "That this boy, your disciple, he... It is fixed up that he's meant for killing you, and he has arranged nicely military phalanx just to defeat you. And he has learned this art from you."

Lecture on BG 1.2-3 -- London, July 9, 1973:

That is called saṁskṛta sāhitya, literary... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu when he was hearing Keśava Kāśmīrī, as soon as there was little discrepancy, bhavānī-bhartā, immediately he criticized and defeated him. Sanskrit language is so nice.

Paśyaitāṁ pāṇḍu-putrāṇām ācārya: (BG 1.3) "My dear teacher, just see how many military soldiers are standing there on behalf of the Pāṇḍavas, and they have been arranged by your disciple, who is meant for killing you. So just remember." That means "You become more strong that this boy and the other party may not kill you." But Duryodhana does not know that the death does not depend on military strength or bodily strength.

Lecture on BG 1.6-7 -- London, July 11, 1973:

Darker side also should be thought of. That is intelligence. Just like they are doing. After calculating the darker side—enemy means darker side—they can defeat me at any moment. That is darker side.

So after calculating their strength, then Duryodhana is speaking about his own strength, asmākaṁ tu viśiṣṭā ye. Viśiṣṭā, not to speak of the ordinary soldiers. They're viśiṣṭā. Viśiṣṭā means who are specifically to be mentioned, high officers. Asmākaṁ tu viśiṣṭā ye tān nibodha dvijottama (BG 1.7).

Lecture on BG 1.20 -- London, July 17, 1973:

So this is Vaiṣṇavism, to follow the previous ācārya. This is Vaiṣṇavism. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186), dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ.... Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā. Tarko, if you are very great logician, you can argue, "Oh why Kṛṣṇa can be God? I can be God," by logic you may defeat an ignorant devotee, but śāstra says by becoming a big logician, you cannot understand transcendental knowledge. Transcendental knowledge you have to understand by submitting, praṇipātena, tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). First of all surrender.

Lecture on BG 1.21-22 -- London, July 18, 1973:

He never falls down that position. Kṛṣṇa is enjoyer. He keeps always that position. He never falls down. He never comes to the position of being enjoyed. That is not possible. If you want to bring Kṛṣṇa on the position of being enjoyed, then you are defeated. Being enjoyed means keeping Kṛṣṇa in front, I want to get some profit of sense gratification. That is our unnatural position. Kṛṣṇa will never agree. Kṛṣṇa will never agree. Kṛṣṇa cannot be enjoyed. He is always enjoyer. He is always the proprietor. So kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva means when we forget this position of Kṛṣṇa, that He is the Supreme Enjoyer, He is the supreme proprietor... This is called forgetfulness. As soon as I think that "I am enjoyer, I am proprietor," this is my fallen stage. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare.

Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:

They are all Viṣṇu-bhakta. They will abide by the orders of Viṣṇu and Vaiṣṇava. Just like Indra. He is devatā. There was fight between Hiraṇyakaśipu and the Indra's party. So when Hiraṇyakaśipu was defeated, naturally the... Afterward, if the other party is defeated, the victorious party makes some, so many aggression, especially aggression of women. That is still current. Innocent women, they are very much harassed after the war by the victorious party. You know, the soldiers are given freedom to rape the women. And plunder the property. So many things they have. So when Hiraṇyakaśipu was defeated, all the devatās, they did not make such aggression, but the wife of Hiraṇyakaśipu—Kāyadhu, I think—she was arrested by Indra and was taken.

Lecture on BG 1.36 -- London, July 26, 1973:

Just see, they were ātatāyinaḥ, aggressor. There is no doubt about it. Because these dhārtarāṣṭrān, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, they insulted Draupadi. Arjuna's wife. There was betting. The wife was betting. So they defeated, they were defeated in the chess play, and the wife was taken by the other party. So Karṇa took the opportunity. Because during Draupadi's svayamvara, Karṇa was insulted by Draupadi. The piercing of the eyes of the fish, Karṇa was greater, what is called, arrowman. So when Karṇa came to touch the arrow for piercing the eyes of the fish, Draupadi objected, objected because she wanted Arjuna to become her husband. But she knew that "If Karṇa comes to this combat, he will be victorious.

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

Suppose he is feeling... If one is on the foot and another on the chariot, so he will be in superior position. So therefore the opposite party must also get down from the chariot and walk with him. That means the defeated enemy should be given all opportunities so he may not think that unnecessarily, in weak position, he has been killed. No. So Arjuna says... Arjuna, of course, did later on. When he killed Karṇa. Karṇa was without weapon, and he fell down from the chariot. Karṇa, after falling down from the chariot, and he was trying to raise the wheel of the chariot from the mud, so Kṛṣṇa asked Arjuna "That this is the opportunity to kill him.

Lecture on BG 2.1-10 and Talk -- Los Angeles, November 25, 1968:

It is the explanation of Bhāgavata. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow the footprints of pure devotees. It is said that tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ. If you want to become pure by your arguments and logic, that is not possible. I may be defeated by another strong man who is stronger in argument than me, so this is not the way of becoming purified, tarka, simply arguing. Tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ smṛtayo vibhinnāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186) . Śrutayaḥ, scriptures. Suppose somebody sticks to the scriptures. So scriptures, there are different types of scripture.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

Similarly, Arjuna is now perplexed, "Whether I shall fight or not fight?" That is also everywhere. When there is declaration of war between the modern politicians, they consider... Just like in the last Second World War, when Hitler was preparing for war... Everyone knew that Hitler was going to retaliate because in the first war they became defeated. So Hitler was again preparing. One, my God-brother, German, he came in 1933 in India. So at that time he informed that "There must be war. Hitler is preparing heavy preparations. War must be there." So at that time, I think, in your country the Prime Minister was Mr. Chamberlain.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

The sooner we understand that everything is miserable in this material world and the sooner we prepare ourself to leave this material world and go back to home, back to..., that is our sense. Otherwise, whatever we are doing, we are simply being defeated. Because we are missing the aim. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Durāśayā. We are, by hope against hope—it will never be fulfilled—we are trying to adjust things here to become happy without God consciousness. It will never be accompli... Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā. Durāśayā means "the hope which will never be fulfilled."

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

And for that reason, the Pāṇḍavas lost their kingdom. The other side, his cousins, offered them, that "All right, let us come to betting." So betting, the bid was they offered the kingdom. "Now, if you, if you," I mean to say, "defeated, if you are defeated, then you lose your kingdom." So they lost their kingdom. Then the next, next offer was that "If you are defeated, you lost your wife." So they lost their wife. And similarly, they were put: "Now, this time, if you are defeated, you have to go to the forest for twelve years." So there was a great plan behind them, and the Pāṇḍavas were defeated in so many ways, and they were harassed, embarrassed for not less than twenty years. And now they were to fight, face to face. Now he is not prepared to fight.

Lecture on BG 2.10 -- London, August 16, 1973:

Then māyā will not be able to touch you. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etān taranti. Māyā cannot touch. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He was engaged in the service of Hṛṣīkeśa. Māyā came in full-fledged strength. Still, she was defeated; Haridāsa Ṭhākura was not defeated.

So try to understand Kṛṣṇa as Hṛṣīkeśa. So Hṛṣīkeśa, Kṛṣṇa, began to laugh that "He is My friend, constant associate, and such weakness. He first of all was enthusiastic to ask Me to take his chariot, senayor ubhayor madhye. Now viṣīdantan, now he is lamenting." So... We are all fools like that. Arjuna is not fool. Arjuna has been been described as Guḍākeśa. How he can be fool?

Lecture on BG 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973:

When he says that "Wherefrom you have got this courage, Prahlāda?" "My dear father," or "My dear demon, I have got this courage wherefrom you have got this courage. But you are forgetting. That is the difference. You have got so much power that you can defeat anyone, even the demigods. You should know that you have got this power from the powerful. But you are not obedient to the powerful." That is demon. Demons, when they get power, they think that "I have got it, I have earned it. It is my thing. Who can challenge me?" But he forgets that everything can be withdrawn within a second by the powerful. That is demoniac. And Vaiṣṇava, devotee means although he is very, very powerful, he never thinks that "I am powerful." He thinks that "I am acting simply by the order of the powerful."

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Hyderabad, November 30, 1972:

That is the fact. There are so many theories. Therefore we have to accept the reality from the authority. By theorizing, by speculating, we cannot come into any decision. I may be very good logician. You may be greater logician. So you can defeat my logic. I can defeat your logic. So what is the conclusion? This kind of talking, it is called ku-tarka, unnecessarily talking, because you'll not come to my decision, I'll not come to your decision. So everyone is mysterious.

Lecture on BG 2.27-38 -- Los Angeles, December 11, 1968:

Devotee: "...victory or defeat in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That everything should be performed for the sake of Kṛṣṇa is transcendental consciousness, so there is no reaction from material activities."

Prabhupāda: And if you do that, then there is no reaction. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko yam. And if you do on your account, there will be reaction. Either you do good work or bad work, there will be reaction. If you do good work, you'll get good result, and if you do bad work, you will get bad result. That's all right. But within this material world... Suppose if you do pious activities. So what is the result of pious activities?

Lecture on BG 2.33-35 -- London, September 3, 1973:

So there was controversy, who will claim that hunt, I mean to say, killed animal. So Arjuna was claiming, and Lord Śiva as a hunter, he was also claiming. Then there was fight between Lord Śiva and Arjuna. So Lord Śiva was defeated. So he then disclosed his identity that "I am very much pleased that you (are) such a nice fighter." So he presented him one arrow which is called pāśupata-astra. Similarly, he sometimes fought with Indra. He gave him some astra, weapon. This was the system, that a kṣatriya is presented with a kind of weapon, a brāhmaṇa is presented with Vedas, and so far vaiśyas and śūdras are concerned, they are not very important.

Lecture on BG 2.33-35 -- London, September 3, 1973:

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.

Lecture on BG 2.36-37 -- London, September 4, 1973:

Devotee: Defeat.

Prabhupāda: Defeat. Because it is the world of duality. There must be something dual, black-white, darkness-light, sukha, happiness-distress, father-son. There must be. This is called relative world. One thing, if you understand one thing, you must know the other thing, opposite. Otherwise, it has no meaning. In the absolute world, there is no such thing, opposite elements. So here, Kṛṣṇa is suggesting about the absolute duty, lābhālābhau. When there is loss or gain, you are the same.

Lecture on BG 2.36-37 -- London, September 4, 1973:

Generally, when there is gain, we are very jubilant. And when there is loss, we become morose. But here, Kṛṣṇa is teaching that "You remain in one position, either it is loss or gain. Either it is victory or defeat. Either it is happiness or distress." This is brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20). Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). A devotee is always prasannātmā, because his happiness is to serve Kṛṣṇa. His only business is to see Kṛṣṇa happy, that's all. This is devotion. There may be loss or gain, there may be victory or defeat, there may be distress or happiness, it doesn't matter. He's not affected with this duality. That is being taught now. Real Bhagavad-gītā begins here. Kṛṣṇa is teaching.

Lecture on BG 2.36-37 -- London, September 4, 1973:

The real perfection of life is whether by your actions, Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That is perfection. You don't consider of your personal victory, defeat, loss or gain, or distress or happiness. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung that: "When I work very difficult task for Kṛṣṇa, that difficult task becomes very happiness for me. That difficult task becomes very happiness for me." That is the standard of happiness. In the material world, there is duality. In the absolute world, there is simply happiness. There is nothing else. Just like when Kṛṣṇa is going to Mathurā, all the gopīs become very, very distressed, crying. But we cannot understand what is the happiness of that distress. That we cannot understand from this material point of view.

Lecture on BG 2.39 -- London, September 12, 1973:

That's a fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). He continues to be, become karmī and sometimes jñānī, sometimes yogi, to become happy, but he'll be confused. He'll be defeated. Nature is so strong. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: "After many, many births of this struggle"—sometimes karmī, sometimes jñānī, sometimes yogi, sometimes something else—"when one comes to be really wise," jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, "he surrenders unto Me." How he surrenders? Blindly? No. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). He at that time understands that "Kṛṣṇa is everything." Therefore... That is a big mahātmā. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: "It is very difficult to find out such a great person."

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

It is not possible because I may be a very perfect religious man, but I may not be a very good arguer; another strong man who can argue very strongly, who knows logic very nicely, he can defeat me. He can make my all conclusion null and void. So therefore, simply by argument or logical conclusion one cannot reach to the truth, to the religious truth. It is not possible. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Śrutayaḥ means revealed scriptures. Revealed scriptures. Just like in the world there are many revealed scriptures. There are Vedas, Purāṇas, the Bible, the Koran, and there are so many religious scriptures also. And if you go on reading them, although the aim is one, still, you will find some discrepancy from one to another. Śrutayo vibhinnāḥ.

Lecture on BG 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966:

They are diverse. Śrutayo vibhinnā nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And so far philosophers are concerned, one philosopher tries to defeat another philosopher. That is the philosophical way. So nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. Therefore this truth of religion is very confidential. Nihitaṁ guhāyām. Guhāyām means it is very confidential.

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

So even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was so learned scholar, every one of you know, and He was very popular leader at Navadvīpa. And when He was sixteen years only, He defeated one very great learned scholar, Keśava Kāśmīrī. And he was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita. Actually He was very learned scholar, and His explanation of one verse, ātmārāmāś ca munayo nirgranthā apy urukrame... He described this verse in sixty-four ways. He was such a learned scholar. So He was not a fool, but He represented the fool of this age, that "If you want liberation from material bondage...

Because this human form of life is meant for that purpose.

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

They will never be liberated from the bondage of fruitive actions. But an ordinary man with firm faith in the eternal injunctions of the Lord, even though unable to execute such orders, becomes liberated from the bondage of the law of karma. In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord. But because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

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

That you have to replace the enemy with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to replace. Simply, you have to replace. Just like if you have got a glass of water, now, if you want to fill up this glass with milk, then you have to throw the water and take milk. Similarly, if your mind is occupied by the lust of enjoying the material world, if you replace Kṛṣṇa on your mind, then you'll find that the enemy which is occupying your strategic position of mind, it will be defeated.

So far we have discussed in the, up to third chapter. Now, today we shall begin in the fourth chapter, what Lord says to Kṛṣṇa, er, Arjuna. Now, "śrī-bhagavān uvāca:"

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

You try to." Because you cannot lord it over. This is false. But I have got the tendency to lord it over the material nature. So He's giving me the chance, but actually I cannot. Jaḍa-bidyā jato māyāra vaibhava.

Now in the modern trend of civilization we are trying to control over the material nature, but actually we are being defeated. We try to control one law and we are being defeated by another law. Therefore great scientists like Professor Einstein, they thought defeated. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. So long we are in ignorance how these laws of nature working under the Supreme direction, so our study of all these material nature's law is defeat. This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Lecture on BG 4.13-14 -- New York, August 1, 1966:

Just like one has to seek the favor of the Supreme Lord by penances, by tapasya, so they desired like that, and Kṛṣṇa has accepted, "All right. Come on. Let us play." And what is that play? Kṛṣṇa is playing with the boys just like boys play. They say, sometimes make some one body's defeated. So when the, he became, he has to carry the other boy on his shoulder, so many manufactured playing things.

So similarly, sometimes Kṛṣṇa was being defeated. So He has to carry other boy on His shoulder. These things were being done. Because we have no idea of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we take it as trifling. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so sublime that all perfection of our desires are there.

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

You see. But they are thinking, "Oh, we are so much advanced in science. We go so high." You go high, what is your result? You come back again. They will be puffed up. "Yes, it will be perfect in so many years, in this way and that way." They will never accept defeat. But actually you see they go and come back, that's all.

Similarly these foolish persons who are thinking that "I shall merge into the brahma-jyotir," they are less intelligent because they cannot exist there. He has got inclination, desires. There is no facility for fulfilling your desires unless you go to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in order to fulfill the desires he'll come again to this material world. Because he wants activities, pleasure.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974:

There are many big, big stories about these munis who were big, big yogis. This Durvāsā Muni traveled all over the universe and he went beyond the universe in the spiritual world. He saw Lord Viṣṇu personally. Still, he was defeated. There are many stories. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. So these indriyas cannot be controlled. Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. But these indriyas cannot do any harm to you if you take the poison teeth of this deadly snake, poison teeth. Indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta...

Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

Therefore Brahman is said, avan mānasa gocara. Avan mānasa gocara: "It is beyond, beyond the mental speculation." And there is another name of the Supreme Lord, Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means adhah-kṛtaḥ akṣajaṁ jñānaṁ yatra, "where our material senses are defeated." Our material senses are defeated. We are defeated in every respect. So it is not possible to realize the Absolute Truth if we do not find a person who is realized soul, who is absolute, who has understood. It doesn't matter who is he. Lord Caitanya recommended...

Lecture on BG 4.37-40 -- New York, August 21, 1966:

This is knowledge. One has to acquire this knowledge. So unless this knowledge is awakened in our mind or in our consciousness, then whatever we are doing we must consider that we are being defeated, defeated by the influence of material nature. So here Kṛṣṇa says, jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasmasāt kurute tathā. As soon as I understand my position, that I want freedom...

We are trying to go to the moon planet, but because there is no freedom, oh, we are failing in every step, although we are advertising in the paper, "Now it is two years more, two years more."

Lecture on BG 6.2-5 -- Los Angeles, February 14, 1969:

Why? I shall teach him some lesson." So he picked up some quarrel with the king, that's a long story, I shall state it some other day, so after all he was defeated. And he was directed by Nārāyaṇa to take shelter of the feet of the king, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. These instances we see from authoritative scripture. But he was simply keeping Kṛṣṇa in his mind. And he defeated the greatest yogi. Durvāsā Muni, he was so perfect yogi, that within one year he traveled all over this material space and beyond this material space in the spiritual space, went directly to the abode of God, Vaikuṇṭha, and saw the Personality of Godhead personally. Still he was so weak that he has to come back and fall down on the feet of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa.

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

So at the risk of his life he did it. That is the nature of devotee. Therefore the preacher devotee is the most dearest devotee of Lord. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. They are going outside, they are preaching, they are meeting opposing elements. Sometimes they are defeated, sometimes disappointed, sometimes able to convince, there are different kinds of people. So, not that every devotee is very well equipped. There are three classes of devotees also. But that endeavor, that "I shall go and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness," is the best service to the Lord. Because they are trying in opposition to elevate people to the highest standard of self-realization.

Lecture on BG 6.35-45 -- Los Angeles, February 20, 1969:

Devotee: "Consequently whenever a person tries to escape the clutches of the illusory energy, she tries to defeat the practitioner by various allurements. A conditioned soul is already allured by the modes of material energy and there is every chance of being allured again while performing such transcendental practice. This is called yogāc calita-mānasaḥ."

Prabhupāda: Calita-mānasaḥ. Calita-mānasaḥ means diverting the mind from the practice of yoga. Yogāc calita-mānasaḥ. Yogāt means from the practice of yoga and calita means diversion. Mānasaḥ means mind. Yogāc calita-mānasaḥ. So there is every chance. Everyone has got experience. You're trying to read some book, concentration, but mind is not allowing, it is disturbed. So it is very important factor to control the mind. That is the real practice.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, March 12, 1970:

"Oh, please vacate out. Don't come here." Even our students. They remain here for some time, go away. Māyā dictates, "Oh, why you are spoiling your time?" But the process is very simple, hearing. But māyā will not allow him to accept this simple process.

So one has to become very strong. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). One who determines, "Yes, I will hear of Kṛṣṇa, nothing," then māyā cannot do anything. Man has defeated. If simply one decides that "I simply hearing..., simply I will hear of Kṛṣṇa and nothing more," then he defeats the māyā, simply by determination, that's all. Yes. Next.

Lecture on BG 7.1-3 -- London, August 4, 1971:

In Moscow I was speaking with a great professor, Kotovsky. He's in charge of Indology department of the government. He said... Although I defeated him in argument, he said that "After finishing this body, everything is finished." Just see. No. The spiritual knowledge begins when one is perfectly aware that "After finishing this body, I am not finished." That is perfection. Not that those who are in this concept of life, that with the finishing of this body everything is finished. That is nonsense. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Kṛṣṇa teaches. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin..., nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

Everyone is born that "I am this body," but if he continues to remain under the impression that "I am this body," then whatever he is doing under the bodily concept of life, he is parābhava. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Everything is defeat, because he is doing under the bodily concept of life. So this so-called nationalism, socialism, communism and this ism, that ism—they have manufactured—they are all defeat, defeating. They are being defeated because next life he does not know what he is going to become. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and according to your work, you will offer, you will be offered...

Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971:

This is also fighting. Therefore all the devotees, all the preachers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are mahā-bāhu, strongly armed by the weapons of Kṛṣṇa. They cannot be defeated. They will push on the fight with māyā, this illusion. What is that illusion? The living entity under illusion is thinking that he will be happy by material comforts. That is not possible. So this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is a declaration of war with māyā. Declaration of war, but in a different way—by this chanting process: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare.

Lecture on BG 7.14 -- Hamburg, September 8, 1969:

That is māyā. Māyā is there. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "The māyā is very strong." But if you capture Kṛṣṇa very, more strongly, then māyā cannot do anything. If something is opposing your chanting, then you'll have to chant more loudly: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So you defeat māyā. The medicine is the same. At least, I do so. When I am in some danger, I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa loudly. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ (laughter) Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. That's all. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura... There is song: jāy sakal bipod bhaktivinod bole jakhon o-nām gāi. He says, "As soon as I chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, I become immediately free from all dangers."

Lecture on BG 7.28-8.6 -- New York, October 23, 1966:

Because argumentative power is a special gift. Suppose you can argue very nicely. That's all. I cannot. But somebody may come—he's more powerful in arguments. He can defeat you. So don't depend on your speculative function or arguments. Don't depend on that. They're all imperfect. Tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ. These are the directions of higher authorities.

So tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Śrutayaḥ means scriptures. If you take scriptures, different scriptures there are, and one scripture may differ from another scripture. So that is also very difficult, to find out the real truth, transcendence, from the scriptures.

Lecture on BG 8.28-9.2 -- New York, November 21, 1966:

God must be the proprietor of all, everything. And He must be powerful than anyone. When Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, nobody could conquer Him. There is not a single instance that Kṛṣṇa was defeated. So He belonged to the kṣatriya family. He identified Himself as kṣatriya. The kṣatriyas are meant for giving protection to the poor, to the weak. So He belonged to the royal family. So there were so many fightings in His so long He remained on this earth, but in no fight He was defeated. Therefore He was the most powerful. And so far His opulence is concerned, from Bhāgavatam we find that He married 16,108 wives, and every wife had a different palace. The palaces are described. And He expanded Himself into 16,108 divisions also.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Melbourne, April 19, 1976:

Whatever the government has decided, you have to accept because government is the authority. Similarly, Vedic knowledge means you cannot argue. You can argue, but that argument is not to defeat. That argument is for understanding. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you cannot understand, then you have to put questions very humbly, praṇipātena, not by challenging. Praṇipāta. Praṇipāta means very humbly submitting oneself. Praṇipātena paripraśna. Otherwise there is no need of questioning. If you have no praṇipāta... Praṇipāta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipātena, fully submissive. The answers... You should approach to a person, questioning, with praṇipāta, means you cannot challenge him. Whatever answer he gives, you must be prepared to accept it.

Lecture on BG 9.29-32 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

We are thinking that "I am very much advancing in civilization," but unless you revive your original life of eternity and full knowledge and bliss, you should know that you are not advancing; you are being defeated by the illusory energy. This is destruction. Destruction of my real life is materialism.

So here Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi: "Please declare in the world that anyone who has taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness will never be destroyed. He will never go back again to that material life of sense gratification and pull on this material existence full of miseries. He will be taken out. He will be taken out sooner or later. As he has taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will be never destroyed." Our destruction is...

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

Therefore śāstra says that in this way you cannot ascertain what is the reality. Tarko 'pratiṣṭha. If you want to understand the reality by your arguments, reasoning power, that is not possible. Because I may be very nice arguer, but another person may be better arguer, he can defeat me. And that is going on.

Therefore simply by arguments, you cannot reach the Absolute Truth. That is not possible. Tarko 'pratiṣṭha. And if you simply depend on the śruti, śrutayo vibhinnaḥ. The Vedic literatures are different: Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Artharva. And not only that, other scriptures there are. So Śrutayor vibhinnāḥ nāsau ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnā, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihito guhāyām. To understand religious principle, it is very difficult.

Lecture on BG 13.21 -- Bombay, October 15, 1973:

These are the signs, symptoms of knowledge, wiseness. And another place Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Everyone is born fools and rascals, and he's acting in foolishness and rascaldom. Therefore whatever he is doing this is his defeat. This is his defeat. Actually, if we think very cool-headed... Suppose whole life I have earned so much money, bank balance, skyscraper building, everything, but if my next life I become a cat or dog or rat... There is possibility. Because if I am not destined to enjoy... Because this life I have committed so many sinful activities, I am not going to have very comfortable life. But I have got attraction for my building which I have constructed with so many efforts. Nature will allow you to live in that building again next life, maybe as a cat, dog or a rat.

Lecture on BG 13.21 -- Bombay, October 15, 1973:

Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This is my problem, what kind of body again I am going to get.

So therefore, parābhavas tāvat, yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. So long we do not inquire about the ātma-tattva, whatever you are doing, it is all foolishness and defeat. It is actually defeat. We got opportunity, this human form of life, to get out of this control of material nature, get completely freedom. If we don't try for that, simply if we try like cats and dogs, how to improve the method of eating, sleeping, sex life and defending, we are spoiling our life. This is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.