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Devotees of the Lord (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"devotee of the lord" |"devotees of the lord"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "devotee of the lord" or "devotees of the lord" not "pure devotee of the lord" not "pure devotees of the lord"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968:

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

I am very glad that these girls, with great difficulty you come to this class. I very much thank you. This is ahaituky apratihatā. The devotional service cannot be checked by any material impediment. It is not conditional, that "Because I am in this condition, I cannot execute devotional service." No. Anyone in any position, in any circumstances, he can become the greatest devotee of the Lord—if he desires.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
(SB 1.2.6)

The real aim of life is how to get satisfaction, full, complete satisfaction. And that satisfaction, complete satisfaction, can be achieved only by prosecution of devotional service. There is no other method. If you want to be happy, free from all cares and anxieties, then you have to engage yourself in devotional service of the Lord. That will make you free from all material anxieties and all material miseries. We are all seeking after that position, how to become completely happy. Our whole struggle for existence... Anyone, in any place, any country, they are all struggling for existence, either human being or animal or birds or beasts, how to become happy. This happiness of the mind, ātmā, is only possible when we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only remedy. There is no other alternative.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 26, 1971:

(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

(I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.)

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

(I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.)

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

(My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.)

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- London, August 27, 1971:

So... But a pure devotee does not accept even all these liberations. They don't ask for liberation. Pure devotee is satisfied only with the service of the Lord. That is pure devotion. Because there is no desire. That is explained here. Ahaituky apratihatā. "Oh, I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because after death I shall go back to home, back to Godhead." Of course, that's a fact. But a pure devotee even does not desire that. He says, "Wherever Kṛṣṇa will keep me, I shall remain there. It doesn't matter whether heaven or hell. I don't care for it." Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati.

Actually one who is nārāyaṇa-para, pure Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee of the Lord, he's not afraid of going to hell or being promoted to heaven. For him everything is all right.

nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve
na kutaścana bibhyati
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv
api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ
(SB 6.17.28)

For heaven or hell, it doesn't matter. That is pure devotion. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), without any desire. That is also desire, that "I am going back to home, back to Godhead." But that desire is very highly qualified desire. But a pure devotee does not desire even that. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (CC Madhya 19.167). They do not desire... What to... They do not desire even to go back to Godhead, and what to desire for being elevated or promoted to the heavenly planets. They simply want, "Let me remain wherever Kṛṣṇa desires. I may be engaged in His service." That is pure devotee. That's all. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Jñānīs, they want to merge. Karmīs, they want to be elevated to the heavenly planet. Yogis, they want mystic power.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972:

Actually we cannot be happy by material prosperity, that is a fact. That is also stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Prahlāda Mahārāja says to his atheistic father... His father was Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇya means gold and kaśipu means soft bed, cushion. That is material civilization. They want very soft bed, and the bed companion, and sufficient bank balance, money. That is another meaning of Hiraṇyakaśipu. So he was not happy also. Hiraṇyakaśipu was not happy—at least he was not happy that his son Prahlāda was becoming a devotee of the Lord, which he did not like. So he inquired from his son that "How you are feeling? You are a small boy, child, how you are feeling so much comfortable despite all my threatening. So what is your actual asset?" So he replied, "My dear father, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Foolish persons, they do not know that their ultimate goal of happiness is Viṣṇu, God, the Supreme Lord." Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Durāśayā, dur, hope against hope, they're hoping something which is never to be fulfilled. What is that? Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir-artha, bahir means external, artha means interest.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- Hyderabad, April 22, 1974:

They are using their brain for something atrocious, simply planning how to do harm to others. That is called duṣkṛtina. For his own sense satisfaction he is plan... That is called asura. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Asuras, they are simply planning for his own sense gratification. And devotees, they are simply planning how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses. That is the difference. How Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Both of them are planning, but one is planning for his own sense satisfaction and the other is planning how to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. This is the difference between asura and deva. There are two classes of men: deva and asura. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin daiva āsura eva ca (BG 16.6). Āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Those who are devotees of the Lord, servants of the Lord, they are called deva, or demigods. Āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. And the asuras are just opposite. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu, Prahlāda, the father and son. Prahlāda is deva because he is devotee of Kṛṣṇa. And Hiraṇyakaśipu, because Prahlāda is devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he's trying to always tease him. Although he is a five-years-old-boy, his son, his beloved son, but since he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, he became the enemy of the asura, Hiraṇyakaśipu. This process is existing from very, very time immemorial, two classes.

Lecture on SB 1.2.19 -- Los Angeles, August 22, 1972:

Prabhupāda: The... It is said, maṇinā bhūṣitaḥ sarpaḥ kim asau na bhayaṅkaraḥ. Snake. Some snakes are decorated with jewel on the hood. So this materialist, however qualified he may be, just like jewel on the head. The śāstra says, "Do you think that a snake coming to you with a jewel on head is not dangerous or ferocious?" He's as dangerous, as ferocious, as the serpent without jewel. Similarly, any materialistic person, however educated he may be, so-called educated, he is simply a snake, dangerous. That's all. He has no qualification. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. One cannot have good qualities unless one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Read.

Pradyumna: "The harmful, foolish and passionate cannot be devotees of the Lord, however they may advertise themselves as devotees by outward dress. A devotee is always qualified with all the good qualities of God. Quantitatively, such qualifications may be different, but qualitatively, both of them are one and the same."

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Lecture on SB 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972:

He appears as soon as there is discrepancies in the methodical way. Another place, indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam (SB 1.3.28). Indra. Indra means the heavenly god, and ari means enemy. So indrāri, the enemy of the king of heaven. That means demons. There are two classes of beings, human being, in the human state: the devatā and asura. So devatā means God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is devatā, demigod. And anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's demon. This is the difference. So that demon may be very big or small, it doesn't matter, but... Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Viparyayaḥ means "just the opposite." The devotees, they are demigods, and asura means just the opposite number of devotee; that means nondevotees. Those who are nondevotees, those who are not devotees of the Lord, they are all demons.

So demons are always disturbing. They'll create disturbance. That is... Their business is to create disturbance in the creation of the Supreme Lord. So this Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu, two brothers, they were creating so much disturbances. The whole world is disturbed only for the existence of the demons, asuri. At the present moment also, the world is full of demons. The devotees, their number is very, very small. Just like our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We can count within the finger how many we have got, Kṛṣṇa conscious; but demons, non-Kṛṣṇa conscious, nondevotees, there is no limit. Innumerable. So when demons are too much prominent, then Kṛṣṇa comes. So in the Kali-yuga He has appeared... Just like previously He appeared in the form of hog, similarly, Kṛṣṇa has appeared in this Kali-yuga in the form of His name. There is no difference between the form and name of God. God is absolute. Nāma-rūpe, in the form of name. So those who are disturbed by the demons may take shelter of this form of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be saved. Otherwise, the demon will put you within the Pacific Ocean water. Just like this demon. But Kṛṣṇa will save you. As Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into the water by his father.

Lecture on SB 1.5.11 -- New Vrindaban, June 10, 1969:

(I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.)

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
(SB 1.5.11)

The other day we discussed about literature which is very nicely composed from literary point of view, or poetic, or rhetoric. Maybe very nicely... But if there is no description of the Absolute Truth or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that sort of literature is enjoyed by a class of men who are compared with the crows. That we have discussed. It is simply wasting time, valuable time in the human life, to divert our attention to such ordinary literature. They are called grāmya-kathā. In Sanskrit language it is called grāmya-kathā. Grāmya-kathā means any book, any poetry, or any novel, or any drama... There is some hero and heroine, a man or woman, about their loving affairs, tragedy, comic, like that. Actually, it is grāmya-kathā. The same thing as we are experiencing daily, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam, this eating, sleeping, mating, that's all. What is the value of such literature? What do you gain by that? No. Simply mental agitation. And if it is sex literature, then it is very appealing. So that means it is something like haviṣya kṛta(?)... Just like if you offer fuel on the fire, the fire will go on and it will, I mean to say, consume as much as you go on giving fuel. But there is no śānti. The fire will never be extinguished. Actually, what we want? What is the mission of our life? What is the aim of our life? We are hankering after śānti, or peace. So that sort of literature will not give us any peace. It will simply agitate the mind.

Lecture on SB 1.7.11 -- Vrndavana, September 10, 1976:

Pradyumna:

harer guṇākṣipta-matir
bhagavān bādarāyaṇiḥ
adhyagān mahad ākhyānaṁ
nityaṁ viṣṇu-jana-priyaḥ
(SB 1.7.11)

"Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, son of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, was not only transcendentally powerful. He was also very dear to the devotees of the Lord. Thus he underwent the study of this great narration Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam."

Prabhupāda:

harer guṇākṣipta-matir
bhagavān bādarāyaṇiḥ
adhyagān mahad ākhyānaṁ
nityaṁ viṣṇu-jana-priyaḥ
(SB 1.7.11)

This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, mahā-purāṇam, it is called mahā-purāṇam. Mahad ākhyānam. Ākhyānam, narration, history. It is not fictitious; it is history. The activities of the Kauravas, Pāṇḍavas, many other activities mentioned here. Dhruva Mahārāja, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja... Many, many devotees and their activities, their history. It is not mythology. The rascals, they say mythology. No. It is history. Mahābhārata. Mahā means greater and bhārata means this planet. So Mahābhārata means the history of this planet. Now it is minimized, "India." India is given the name given by the Britishers or the Europeans. Real name is Bhārata, Bhārata-varṣa, according to the name of Mahārāja Bharata. So this greater India, Mahābhārata, this is also history. Itihāsa. Itihāsa-purāṇa. Purāṇa means old history. Purāṇa means old. It is not mythology. Purāṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1973:

Whatever I want, whatever I desire... Of course, I must deserve. First deserve, then desire. Suppose if I want to become king. So I must have pious activities behind me so that I can become king. But Kṛṣṇa can fulfill. Whatever you want, Kṛṣṇa can give you. Kṛṣṇa can give you even mukti, liberation, the Māyāvādīs' mukti. But He does not give very easily bhakti. That He does not give. Kṛṣṇa can give you all material gifts, even up to mukti if you want. But when He gives bhakti, oh, that is special consideration. Because when He gives somebody bhakti, He becomes purchased by the bhakta. So therefore He considers, considers. Become... Kṛṣṇa becomes a tool in the hands of bhakta. Although He's so..., the supreme powerful. Just like Rādhārāṇī, the symbol of the topmost bhakti, Rādhārāṇī. So She has purchased Kṛṣṇa. She has purchased Kṛṣṇa, She's so powerful. Therefore Vaiṣṇavas, they take shelter of the lotus feet of Rādhārāṇī so that if She recommends, "Oh, here is a nice devotee," Kṛṣṇa has to accept.

So to become a devotee of the Lord, we have to be completely cleansed of all material attachment. That is the qualification. Vairāgya. That is... Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya wrote one hundred verses praising Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu when he became a student of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So out of that, one or two verses are mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. One of them is, this is the statement:

Lecture on SB 1.10.11-12 -- Mayapura, June 25, 1973:

"Oh, he's a very great reader of Bhagavad-gītā." But one who understands Bha... "He's a rascal." If he understands Bhagavad-gītā, why he's in politics? And even if he's politics... These, all these kings, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Kṛṣṇa, they were also in politics. But they know things as they are. That is the difference. Who can be greater politician than Kṛṣṇa? He's giving this instruction: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So in human life, if they do not know what is the process of living condition, how we are changing, how we are accepting birth and death, how to stop it, then what is the meaning of this human being?

So this knowledge can be attained by sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga means... This is sat-saṅga, associating with devotees of the Lord. So sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. You cannot make association with two parties. If you want to associate with the devotees, then you have to give up the association of the nondevotees. That will be natural. Just like our, these students, although they are very young... They are not only young, but coming of very luxurious families in America, Europe. Here, the boys, they cannot even imagine how much luxury they enjoyed. Here, they have no employment, our young men. Mostly unemployed. And in Europe, America, especially in America, there is no question of unemployment. Anyone can go and earn immediately ten dollars. Ten dollars means hundred rupees. He's prepared. One of my students, Trayādhīśa, he was, morning, he was absent. So I asked him, "Why you are absent?" "Now I required some money, so I went to get some money." "How you got money?" "Now I went to the shoe brushing shop. So I brushed some gentleman's shoes. I got some money, five dollars." So they know how to earn money. There's no scarcity of money. Even in a hotel, one goes, he washes the dishes—immediately gets ten dollars. So money and woman. So there enough they enjoy, but now they have given up everything. Why:. Due to this sat-saṅga. Due to this sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgaḥ. No more. No more association with money and woman. This is so powerful, sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga is so powerful.

Lecture on SB 1.16.1 -- Los Angeles, December 29, 1973:

Pradyumna: Translation: "Sūta Gosvāmī said: O learned brāhmaṇas, Mahārāja Parīkṣit then began to rule over the world as a great devotee of the Lord under the instructions of the best of the twice-born brāhmaṇas. He ruled by those great qualities which were foretold by expert astrologers at the time of his birth." (SB 1.16.1)

Prabhupāda: So there are many important words in this verse. The first is dvija-varya-śikṣayā, "trained by the best of the brāhmaṇas." Dvija. Dvija means twice-born: first birth by the father and mother, and second birth by the spiritual master. That is Vedic civilization, dvija-varya. One must take twice birth. Once birth, father and mother, that is done by the cats and dogs. Any birth, either you take birth as a cat or dog or human being or anything, there requires father and mother. So that birth is not sufficient. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava kavi says, janame janame saba pitā-mātā pāya, kṛṣṇa guru nahe mile bhaja hari ei.(?) In any birth you will get father and mother. It is natural. Without father, mother, how can you get a body? So therefore it is said, janame janame, in any birth. Either human being, or cats, dog, snake, or tree or insect, you will get father and mother. But in every birth you cannot get Kṛṣṇa and guru. That is not possible.

Lecture on SB 1.16.6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1974:

Pradyumna: Translation: "The devotees of the Lord are accustomed to licking up the honey available from the lotus feet of the Lord. What is the use of topics which simply waste one's valuable life?" (SB 1.16.6)

Prabhupāda: The same last paragraph. The... Yadi kṛṣṇa-kathāśrayam. So the proposal was that "We are interested to hear about Kali's being punished by Mahārāja Parīkṣit if there is some connection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is the principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we shall not do anything which has no connection with Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should be very alert: "I am going to do this. Whether it has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa? I am going to eat this. Whether there is any connection with Kṛṣṇa?" In this way, we have got always some activities, some action of the senses, but if we test every moment, "Whether this has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa?" then you will remain safe. I am going to talk with you or somebody else. Whether that talk has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa? If it has no, then I am not going to talk. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. That is really renunciation.

Renunciation does not mean I change this cloth to another shape of cloth and another color of cloth. Renunciation means I will not associate with anything which has no connection with Kṛṣṇa. This is renunciation. Because for a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, to waste even a moment of life without Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a great dangerous action. Not only... anyone who is interested for higher level of position. He should be very careful of using every moment of life. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's advice, moral instruction of Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he says, practical proposition,

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

This is religion, first-class religion. What is that first-class religion? Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, by practicing which one becomes a devotee of the Lord. That is religion. That is religion. So instead of becoming devotee of the Lord, we are devotee of dog. This is our position.

So in order to save the human society from this dangerous condition, without any knowledge of God, without any knowledge of religious principle, there must be some strong king, strong government, to save the people. Because this human life is a chance. Other inferior type of life, animals, birds, beasts, trees, it is not possible. They are also living entities, but human life is developed consciousness. So this is nature's gift, that "Now you try to understand what is God. Now you try to understand what is your relationship with God. Now you practice yourself, how to go back home, back to home, back to..." This is the business of the human society. So unless the king or government looks after it, how people will be advanced? The government is advocating that "You drink, you eat meat, you have prostitution and gambling, and give me tax. Finished. My business is finished." So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was not like that. Parīkṣit Mahārāja is conquered all these places to serve Kṛṣṇa, to teach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore he conquered. Otherwise... That is the business of all devotees.

Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:

Pradyumna: "Wherever the King visited, he continuously heard the glories of his great forefathers, who were all devotees of the Lord, and also of the glorious acts of Lord Kṛṣṇa. He also heard how he himself had been protected by the Lord from the powerful heat of the weapon of Aśvatthāmā. People also mentioned the great affection between the descendants of Vṛṣṇi and Pṛthā due to the latter's great devotion to Lord Keśava. The King, being very pleased with the singers of such glories, opened his eyes in great satisfaction. Out of magnanimity he was pleased to award them very valuable necklaces and clothing." (SB 1.16.13-15)

Prabhupāda: So Mahārāja Parīkṣit is on his tour, and what did he meet in every place? Tatra tatra upaśṛṇvānaḥ. Everyone was speaking very highly, Sva-pūrveṣām, about his forefathers, especially the grandfathers, Pañca-Pāṇḍava, mahātmanām. They are not ordinary persons. Mahātmanām. Mahātmā and durātmā, two words. Mahātmā, a great mind or great personalities. And durātmā means mischievous person. There are two kinds: mischievous and magnanimous. Everywhere.

So the forefathers of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, sva-pūrveṣām, they were not ordinary person. They were mahātmās. So how one can become mahātmā? It is not very difficult, provided one wants to become mahātmā. Nothing is difficult in this world, provided one wants to have it, or to become. So how to become mahātmā? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ (BG 9.13). This is mahātmā.

Lecture on SB 1.16.17 -- Los Angeles, January 12, 1974:

That has been described by Śrīdhara Svāmī, vāk-cāturya. Their so-called explanation that they have become God, that has been described by vāk-cāturya, jugglery of words, to be fool another fool. That's all. Therefore in Bhāgavata, in another place, it is said that śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). Puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. If one person who is not devotee, if he is praised as very exalted, so wherefrom these praising words are coming? Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ. Such praising comes from the persons who are like dogs. Śva-viḍ-varāha, the stool-eater pigs. Śva-viḍ-varāha uṣṭra, camels, and khara means ass. These classes of men, they praise such another big, big animal, śva-viḍ-varāha uṣṭra. Because anyone who is not a devotee of the Lord, he is not rājarṣi, devarṣi. He is not praiseworthy at all. He is a fool. He is a rascal. That is our conclusion. No, it is real conclusion. Because Kṛṣṇa says, mūḍha. Mūḍha means rascal. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15).

So our simple test is whether a man is devotee or not. If we find that He is a devotee, then we respect, "Yes, here is nice Vaiṣṇava." Even Yamarāja says, "Offer my respect to the Vaiṣṇava." But if we see that he is not a devotee, he is claiming himself as God, as the supreme, then immediately, according to the formula of Bhagavad-gītā, we accept-mūḍha. Because a mūḍha does not surrender. Mūḍha. That is the test. Anyone who has not surrendered to the principle of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja... (BG 18.66). That is the test. If he has not surrendered to God, or Kṛṣṇa, then he is mūḍha. That is also explained in the Bhāgavata that ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Why they are so mūḍhas? Just like cause and effect. If a man has no money, he is called poor, poor man.

Lecture on SB 2.3.11-12 -- Los Angeles, May 29, 1972:

"The worshipers of demigods reach the respective planets of the demigods, and the worshipers of forefathers reach the planets of the forefathers. The gross materialist remains in the different material planets, but the devotees of the Lord reach the kingdom of God."

We also have information from the Bhagavad-gītā that all the planets within the material world, including Brahmaloka, are but temporarily situated, and after a fixed period they are all annihilated. Therefore the demigods and their followers are all annihilated at the period of devastation, but one who reaches the kingdom of God gets a permanent share in eternal life. That is the verdict of Vedic literature. The worshipers of the demigods have one facility more than the unbelievers due to their being convinced of the Vedic version, by which they can get information of the benefit of worshiping the Supreme Lord in the association of the devotees of the Lord. The gross materialist, however, without any faith in the Vedic version, remains eternally in darkness, driven by a false conviction on the basis of imperfect experimental knowledge, or so-called material science, which can never reach into the realm of transcendental knowledge.

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

So Vaiṣṇava, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, is learned and poet. So these are the qualifications of Vaiṣṇava. As you know, there are twenty-six qualifications mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and one of the qualifications is kavi, poet. Every Vaiṣṇava in our disciplic succession, all the Vaiṣṇavas... In the later ages, within 200 years... During Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, there were Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, Vaiṣṇava, Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, Kavi-karṇapūra. They were all big poets. Later on, Vidyāpati, Caṇḍīdāsa. No, Caṇḍīdāsa before Lord Caitanya. Jayadeva. He also, before Lord Caitanya. All big, big kavis. The Jayadeva kavi's, this pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedam **. So a Vaiṣṇava devotee of the Lord is expected to have all good qualities. The more you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all the good qualities that were covered by the cloud of māyā will come out. Good qualities are already there. Just like Kṛṣṇa has got sixty-four good qualities in full, and we are minute particles of Kṛṣṇa; therefore we have got also those good qualities in minute particles. But these good qualities are now covered. Just like fire is covered by the ashes. So it does not act. Although there is fire, but when it is covered with ashes, it does not act. So we are fire. Kṛṣṇa is fire; we are also fire, in quality. There is a very... There is a big fire, blazing fire, and the sparks. The sparks are also fire. Therefore we sometimes desire to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Because we have got these qualities in minute quantity, so we think that "I am God, I have become." But we do not know the quantitative difference. That we forget. We can say we are God, but teeny God, not the Supreme. Spark. Fire, blazing fire, and the spark. Now, this quality, fire, this also becomes almost unseen when we are in this material world. Just like if the fire sparks fall down out of the blazing fire, it becomes extinguished. So in order to ignite again our fiery quality, we must go back to the original fire. Then the fiery quality, the brilliant fiery quality, will again be exhibited.

Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

sa vai bhāgavato rājā
pāṇḍaveyo mahā-rathaḥ
bāla-krīḍanakaiḥ krīḍan
kṛṣṇa-krīḍāṁ ya ādade
(SB 2.3.15)

Translation: "Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the grandson of the Pāṇḍavas, was from his very childhood a great devotee of the Lord. Even while playing with dolls, he used to worship Lord Kṛṣṇa by imitating the worship of the family Deity."

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa-krīḍām. Bāla-krīḍanakaiḥ krīḍan kṛṣṇa-krīḍāṁ ya ādade. This is the facility of taking birth in a Vaiṣṇava family. Children, simply by playing with Kṛṣṇa, they become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Some way or other, if somebody comes in contact with Kṛṣṇa, then his life becomes successful. So this kṛṣṇa-yoga, bhakti-yoga, can be practiced even by a child without interfering with his natural propensities. A child naturally wants to play, so he can play with Kṛṣṇa Deity. We had the opportunity of doing that. My father was worshiping Kṛṣṇa Deity. So I wanted to imitate him, and he gave me small Deity. That Deity is still worshiped. My sister and myself, whatever we were eating, we were offering exactly the same arcana. And father used to encourage. This Ratha-yātrā and Rādhā-Go.(?) Kṛṣṇa temple which we are propagating, it was, from the very beginning of our life, was initiated by our parents. So anyone can initiate his child to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness understanding from the very beginning.

Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:

Pradyumna: "In the Bhagavad-gītā (6.41) it is stated that even a person who has failed in the proper discharge of yoga practice is given a chance to take birth in the house of devout brāhmaṇas or in the houses of rich men like kṣatriya kings or rich merchants. But Mahārāja Parīkṣit was more than that because he was a great devotee of the Lord since his previous birth, and as such he took his birth in an imperial family of the Kurus, and especially that of the Pāṇḍavas. So from the very beginning of his childhood he had the chance of knowing intimately the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa in his own family. The Pāṇḍavas, all being devotees of the Lord, certainly venerated family Deities in the royal palace for worship. Children who appear in such families fortunately..."

Prabhupāda: People still, in India, those who are rich men, they have got their family temple Deities. One temple is there in Kanpur. The family members, they are very rich. The rule is that if the family members do not come in the temple to offer obeisances to the Deity, they'll be fined. The mother, the head of the family... Mother is still living. She has imposed this law, that "Any of my children or grandchildren, if he or she does not visit the temple, then according to this rule, this fine should be realized from them." So if somebody misses to go in the temple one day, the priest presents the bill: "Sir, you have been fined five rupees." (Laughter) So they pay. Yes. So we should also enforce that rule. Anyone who is not attending maṅgala-ārati should be fined. (laughter) And the fine should be that he must sell one Kṛṣṇa book. (laughter) Is that all right?

Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972:

Pradyumna: "By the grace of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, we had the chance of being born in a Vaiṣṇava family, and in our childhood we imitated the worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa by imitating our father, and our father encouraged us in all respects to observe all functions such as Ratha-yātrā and Dola-yātrā ceremonies, and he used to spend money liberally for distributing prasāda to us children and our friends. Our spiritual master, who also took his birth in a Vaiṣṇava family, got all inspirations from his great Vaiṣṇava father Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda. That is the way of all lucky Vaiṣṇava families. The celebrated Mira Bhai was a staunch devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa as the great lifter of Govardhana Hill. The life history of many such devotees is almost the same because there is always symmetry between the early lives of all great devotees of the Lord. According to Jīva Gosvāmī, Mahārāja Parīkṣit must have heard about the childhood pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, for he used to imitate the pastimes with his young playmates.

According to Śrīdhara Svāmī, Mahārāja Parīkṣit used to imitate the worship of the family Deity by elderly members. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī also confirms the viewpoint of Jīva Gosvāmī. So accepting either of them, Mahārāja Parīkṣit was naturally inclined to Lord Kṛṣṇa from his very childhood, and he might have imitated either of the above-mentioned procedures, and all of them established his great devotion from his very childhood, a symptom of a mahā-bhāgavata. Such mahā-bhāgavatas are called nitya-siddhas, or souls liberated from birth. But there are also others who may not be liberated from birth but who develop a tendency for devotional service by association, and they are called sādhana-siddhas. There is no difference between the two in the ultimate issue, and so the conclusion is that everyone can become a sādhana-siddha, a devotee of the Lord, simply by association with the pure devotees. The concrete example is our great spiritual master Śrī Nārada Muni. In his previous life he was simply a boy of a maidservant, but through association with great devotees he became a devotee of the Lord in his own standard, unique in the history of devotional service."

Prabhupāda: So this is the difference between sādhana-siddha and nitya-siddha. Gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe, nitya-siddha kari' māne, se yāya vrajendra-suta-pāśa. Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, yebā jāne cintāmaṇi, tāra haya vrajabhūme vāsa. So nitya-siddha means he has no chance to forget Kṛṣṇa. That is called nitya-siddha.

Lecture on SB 2.3.20-21 -- Los Angeles, June 17, 1972:

Pradyumna: "Therefore the messages of the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam should be preached all over the world very loudly. That is the duty of a pure devotee who has actually heard about them from perfect sources. Many may want to speak something to others, but because they are not trained up to speak on the subject matter of Vedic wisdom, they are all speaking nonsense, and the people are receiving them with no sense. There are hundreds and thousands of sources for distributing mundane news of the world, and people of the word are also receiving them. Similarly, the people of the world should be taught to hear the transcendental topics of the Lord, and the devotee of the Lord must speak loudly so that they can hear. The frogs loudly croak, with the result that they invite the snakes to eat them. The human tongue is especially meant for chanting the Vedic hymns and not for croaking like the frogs. The word asatī used in this verse is also significant.

Asatī means a woman who has become a prostitute. A prostitute has no reputation for good womanly qualities. Similarly, the tongue, which is given to the human being for chanting the Vedic hymns, will be considered a prostitute if it is engaged in the matter of chanting some mundane nonsense."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like a chaste woman has got good reputation, similarly, a chaste tongue... Chaste tongue means... Chaste tongue and ear. Jihvādau. Our spiritual life begins from tongue. Jihvādau. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These senses—these mundane, blunt senses—they cannot receive or understand what is Kṛṣṇa; what is Kṛṣṇa's name; what is Kṛṣṇa's form; what is Kṛṣṇa's pastimes; what is Kṛṣṇa's paraphernalia; so many things Kṛṣṇa's... what is Kṛṣṇa's word. Na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. These senses cannot do it. But when the one sense, the tongue, is engaged in devotional service... The tongue is engaged in devotional service means chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This tongue is especially given to you. The dog, the cat cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, but you can. Because God has given you the opportunity. So just like chaste woman means he is meant for her husband, similarly, chaste tongue means which is meant for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is chaste tongue. And tasting kṛṣṇa-prasādam.

Lecture on SB 2.3.21 -- Los Angeles, June 18, 1972:

Pradyumna: "As stated herein before, there are three kinds of devotees of the Lord. The first-class devotee does not see at all anyone who is not in the service of the Lord, but the second-class devotee makes distinctions between devotees and nondevotees. The second-class devotees are therefore meant for preaching work, and as referred to in the above verse, they must loudly preach the glories of the Lord. The second-class devotee accepts disciples from the section of third-class devotees or nondevotees. Sometimes the first-class devotees also come down to the category of the second-class devotee for preaching work. But the common man who is expected to become at least a third-class devotee is advised herein to visit the temple of the Lord and bow down before the Deity, even though he may be a very rich man or even a king with a silk turban or crown. The Lord is the Lord of everyone, including the great kings and emperors, and as such, rich men in the estimation of mundane people must therefore make a point to visit the temple of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and regularly bow down before the Deity."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This bow down... Even the children, they are imitating, bowing down, but it has got the effect. Not that the children, they have no seriousness about... Seriousness or no seriousness, simply if he bows down, he gets the result. He gets the... Dancing, he's dancing. He's getting the result. He's becoming a devotee. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. These are the statements in Bhakti-rasām... Nectar of Devotion. You'll find. The temple is meant for giving chances to the nondevotees. Some way or other, if he comes in the temple, bows down, and dances with us, takes the prasādam, takes caraṇāmṛta, that means he is becoming spiritually advanced. Therefore this is a chance. And actually, our Society is giving this chance. In the beginning they come as a inquisitive visitor. Then dances, then chants, then take prasādam, and, say, after a week, he becomes shaven. So this is the process. Association of the devotee, coming to the temple, will give him impetus to make further progress.

Lecture on SB 2.4.1 -- Los Angeles, June 24, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The word satīm is very significant. This means "existing" and "chaste," and both imports are perfectly applicable in the case of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. The whole Vedic adventure is to draw one's attention entirely unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa without any diversion, as it is instructed in the Bhagavad-gītā (15.15). Fortunately Mahārāja Parīkṣit had already been attracted to the Lord from the very beginning of his body, in the womb of his mother. In the womb of his mother, he was struck by the brahmāstra atomic bomb released by Aśvatthāmā, but by the grace of the Lord he was saved from being burnt by the fiery weapon, and since then the King continually concentrated his mind upon Lord Kṛṣṇa, which made him perfectly chaste in devotional service. So by natural sequence he was a chaste devotee of the Lord, and when he further heard..."

Prabhupāda: Here, one important matter is there, that Parīkṣit Mahārāja, while he was in the womb of his mother, there was brahmāstr a targeted on him by Aśvatthāmā. And he was to be killed. Practically he was killed. His mother felt a miscarriage and immediately approached Kṛṣṇa, that "I am feeling like this. The only son of the Pāṇḍava dynasty is going to be lost." So Kṛṣṇa immediately entered the womb of Uttarā and saved the baby. Now, Parīkṣit Mahārāja is recognized devotee; otherwise Kṛṣṇa would not have taken so much trouble. He wanted that Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Now, when he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa to die within seven days, why Kṛṣṇa did not save him, or why he did not seek Kṛṣṇa's protection? This question may be raised. He was young man. He was not old man. He could live. That question was made also: "The Parīkṣit Mahārāja, such a nice king, his life was dedicated for the welfare of his subjects. So actually, his body was meant for the benefit of others.

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 25, 1972:

Pradyumna: On page 170. "To become a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, two things are very much essential, namely having a chance of being born in the family of a devotee and having the blessings of a bona fide spiritual master. By the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Parīkṣit Mahārāja had both opportunities. He was born in a family of such devotees as the Pāṇḍavas, and just to continue the dynasty of the Pāṇḍavas and show them special favor, the Lord specifically saved Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who later on, by the arrangement of the Lord, was cursed by the boy of a brāhmaṇa and was able to get the association of such a spiritual master as Śukadeva Gosvāmī. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that a fortunate person, by the mercy of the spiritual master and Lord Kṛṣṇa, achieves the path of devotional service. This was perfectly applicable in the case of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. By way of being born in a family of devotees, he automatically came in touch with Kṛṣṇa, and after being so contacted he constantly remembered Him.

Consequently Lord Kṛṣṇa gave the King a further chance for development in devotional service by introducing him to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, a stalwart devotee of the Lord with perfect knowledge in self-realization. And by hearing from a bona fide spiritual master, he was perfectly able to concentrate his chaste mind further upon Lord Kṛṣṇa, as a matter of course."

Prabhupāda: So superficially, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, king, the emperor of the world, he was cursed to death. A brāhmaṇa boy cursed him that "You will die within seven days." And as a result of this, he left his home, his kingdom, and here, next verse, it is said, ātma-jāyā. Jāyā means his one wife. He was young man. Suta, children; āgāra, āgāra means residence, house. Ātma-jāyā-sutāgāra. Paśu, animals. He was king. So he had many animals: horses, elephants, cows, bulls. These are household animals, domestic animals. And draviṇa. Draviṇa means wealth, riches. And bandhu, bandhuṣu, friendship. So our... These are our material assets: wife, children, nice house, nice bank balance, and some paśus, animals. Here of course, you keep only one animals, dog. "The best friend." But in India they keep many animals. Those who are rich, they keep elephants, horses, bulls, cows. Dogs are also there, but dogs are not so important there. Asses also. These are domestic...

Lecture on SB 2.4.2 -- Los Angeles, June 26, 1972:

Devotion for Lord Kṛṣṇa means negation of all material attachments as detailed above. By the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Mahārāja Parīkṣit was awarded all material amenities and an undisputed kingdom in which to enjoy the undisturbed position of king, but by the grace of the Lord he was able to give up all connections with material attachment. That is the position of a pure devotee. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, due to his natural affection for Lord Kṛṣṇa as a devotee of the Lord, was always executing his royal duties on behalf of the Lord, and as a responsible king of the world he was always careful to see that the influence of Kali would not enter his kingdom. A devotee of the Lord never thinks of his household paraphernalia as his own, but surrenders everything for the service of the Lord. Thereby living entities under a devotee's care get the opportunity for God realization by the management of a devotee-master. Attachment for household paraphernalia and for Lord Kṛṣṇa go poorly together.

Lecture on SB 2.9.7 -- Tokyo, April 24, 1972:

Similar statement is there by Tulasī dāsa. He says—Tulasī dāsa was some Hindi poet—that "The put, the son, and mut, the urine, they come through the same source." That's a fact. Put and mut. Put means son, and mut means urine. So when we beget son, the same genital; when we pass urine, the same genital. Son, he has... You...(?) Liquid. Tulasī dāsa says—it is very nice—that "Put and mut, they are coming from the same source. So a put, if he is devotee of the Lord, then he is put. If he is not, then he is mut. Then he is mut." If the son... After begetting son, if the son does not become devotee, then he is as good as mut. I pass urine. Mut son, he says, because he's less than mut. Because mut, I pass urine. The obnoxious thing, that is gone away. But it is present. It is present. The bad smell is constantly giving me trouble. Mut karma's there.(?) So these are very instructive. So why this is? Anyone... Everyone is son of God, but one who is acting as real son of God, he is praised, "He is my only son." This idea, not that God is limited to produce only one son. Why? God has unlimited sons. He is unlimited. If an ordinary man can beget hundreds of sons, just like Dhṛtarāṣṭra... There are many instances..., Ṛṣabhadeva. So why God should be restricted to beget only one son? I asked this question in church to some Christian priest, that "God is limited or unlimited?" He said, "Unlimited." "Then why you are restricting, limited one son?" He could not answer. You know that? Why you are limiting? He is unlimited. The ordinary person can beget hundreds of thousands. Why God, unlimited, He should be restricted to one son? The interpretation should be... Anyway, that Tulasī dāsa says that if he is devotee, then he is son. Otherwise it is urine. The God has begotten many sons... Just like... The only worthy son was Jesus Christ—you can interpret it like that—because he was giving service to the Lord, to the father. He brought the message of father.

Lecture on SB 2.9.7 -- Tokyo, April 24, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is important. Who becomes Brahmā? A very exalted living being, pure, he is entrusted that "You become Brahmā." Brahmā is also living being, but because he is very pure... This Brahmā post is sometimes not available because there is no such pure living being. So Kṛṣṇa becomes Himself Brahmā sometimes. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The post of Brahmā, to officiate in the creation of the universe, is offered to the most pure living being. And unless one is so qualified, one cannot expect to be treated like Brahmā directly. But one can have the same facility through unalloyed devotees of the Lord and scriptural instructions as revealed in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam especially, and also the bona fide spiritual master available to the sincere soul. The Lord Himself appears as the spiritual master, and the person who is sincere in heart serves the Lord. Therefore the bona fide spiritual master who happens to meet the sincere devotee should be accepted as the most confidential and beloved representative of the Lord. If a person is posted under the guidance of such a bona fide spiritual master it may be accepted without any doubt that the desiring person has achieved the grace of the Lord."

Devotee: All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees offer obeisances) There is kīrtana? No. No? (end)

Lecture on SB 2.9.13 -- Melbourne, April 12, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The Vaikuṇṭha planets are also surrounded by various airplanes, all glowing and brilliantly situated, belonging to the great mahātmās, or devotees of the Lord. The ladies also are as beautiful as lightning because of their celestial complexions. And all these combined together appear just like the sky decorated with both clouds and lightning." (SB 2.9.13)

Prabhupāda: So, there is no scarcity of aeroplanes in Vaikuṇṭhaloka also. It is not nirviśeṣa, zero. The rascals, they do not know what is actually Vaikuṇṭha is or the kingdom of God. And they dismiss everything by declaring, "Zero, without any varieties." Nirviśeṣa śūnyavādi. They have no information; therefore, "zero." But actually that is not. Exactly like this sky, the Vaikuṇṭha sky is there. Like the planets here, there are also planets. As in the sky, outer space, here in this material world big, big...(break) So there also there are many big, big aeroplanes running on.

Now, how this information received. When Bhāgavata was compiled five thousand years ago, there was no existence of aeroplane. But how in the Bhāgavata the information of the aeroplane is there? If men were less intelligent five thousand years ago, and now they have advanced, then how persons five thousand years ago... Not five thousand years. Many, many millions of years ago the information was there. But from historical point of view, at least five thousand years ago. So how they give this information of airplane? So how you can say that some forty thousand years ago... What is the Darwin's theory? There was no brain?

Śyāmasundara: Apelike creatures.

Lecture on SB 2.9.13 -- Melbourne, April 12, 1972:

Pradyumna: "Purport: It appears that in the Vaikuṇṭha planets there are airplanes also, brilliantly glowing, and they are occupied by the great devotees of the Lord, with ladies of celestial beauty as brilliant as lightning. As there are airplanes, so there must be different types of carriages also, like the airplanes, and they may not be driven machines as we have experience in this world. Because everything is of the same nature of eternity, bliss and knowledge, the airplanes and carriages are of the same quality as Brahman. As there is nothing except Brahman, so it should not be misconceived that there is only void and no variegatedness. To think like that is due to a poor fund of knowledge. Otherwise no one would have such a misconception of voidness in the Brahman. As there are airplanes, ladies and gentlemen, so there must be cities and houses and everything else just suitable to the particular planets. One should not carry the ideas of imperfection from this world to the transcendental world without taking into consideration the nature of the atmosphere as completely free from the influence of time, etc., as described previously."

Prabhupāda: So, in all other planets, not only within this material world, but also in the spiritual world there are also varieties of planets. The difference is: here the varieties are made of matter, and there the varieties are made of spirit. That's all. There are two things: material energy and spiritual energy. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. The material energy is also one, mahat-tattva. But bahudhā iva ivābhāti. The one thing is matter. But bahudhā ivābhāti. What is that?

Devotee (1): Bahu-rūpa ivābhāti māyayā bahu-rūpayā.

Lecture on SB 3.25.22 -- Bombay, November 22, 1974:

So the... Sādhu. We are to take shelter of sādhu. Sādhu-guru. The same thing. Guru means sādhu. A sādhu... One... Sādhu means the devotee of the Lord. If one is not sādhu, then he cannot become guru. And sādhu means... This is the description given. What is that? Mayy ananyena bhāvena bhaktiṁ kurvanti ye dṛḍhām. He's sādhu. Not that anyone with a saffron cloth and having a long beard. That is not sādhu. Sādhu means the devotee of the Lord. That is his first qualification. Kṛṣṇa says, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. The same thing. As it is, Kapiladeva says, mayy ananyena bhāvena. Kapiladeva is also Kṛṣṇa, incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. The same thing. The Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa svayam says, bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Ananya, "not being deviated." Mām ekam, "only unto Me." This is ananya-bhāva. Not that sometimes take from here something, take from here something, whatever is available. Those who are after material concessions, they go different demigods: take something from Śiva, take something from Durgā, take something from Kālī, take this, that, that. So many, there are different demigods. Especially Goddess Durgā, Lord Śiva and Gaṇeśa and Sūrya, they are... And Viṣṇu. The Viṣṇu worship is the best. Ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param. That is said by Lord Śiva to Goddess Pārvatī. Pārvatī asked Lord Śiva, "What is the best type of worship?" There are so many. It is amongst the demigods. So Lord Śiva advised, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param. "My dear Pārvatī, amongst all kinds of different types of worship, Viṣṇu worship is the best." And then again he said, tasmāt parataraṁ devi: "And there is still better worship." What is that? Tasmāt parataraṁ devi tadīyānāṁ samarcanam. Then... "Viṣṇu worship is the best. And more than that: to worship Vaiṣṇava." Tadīyānāṁ samarcanam.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

This, one of the qualification is sama-cittāḥ, not disturbed by worldly activities, because in the worldly activities either you make some profit or you make some loss. So our position is when we get some profit we are very jubilant, but when we are losing something we are very morose, unhappy. But a mahānta is equipoised. He is neither very happy when he makes profit, neither at all sorry when he makes losses. This is the first sign. Mahat-sevam, mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā. Praśāntā means very peaceful. This is another qualification. Mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā, vimanyavaḥ, he is never angry. Suhṛdaḥ, and he's a well-wisher. He's well-wisher not only for the human beings, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29), for all living entities. Like this person just, who are very friendly to the human being, but they sell the poor animals to the slaughter-house. Saintly person. Saintly person is suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām, for all living entities he's friend. Suhṛdaḥ and sādhavaḥ. Sādhavaḥ means well-behaved. Sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣanāḥ, well-behaved. The well-behavior is described in the śāstra, to become a devotee of the Lord. (break) ...of saintly person is to become devotee of the Lord. (break) ...finish this now. You can ask if you have got any questions.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

So Ṛṣabhadeva says, "My dear boys," mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2), "If you at all, if you are at all desirous or eager to attain that perfectional stage of life, then the path is mahat-sevā. You associate or you serve great personalities who are devotees of the Lord." Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). Mahat means great soul. Who is great soul? A great soul is a great devotee of the Lord. That is great soul who has captured the Supreme Soul. He's great soul. We are... We are very small. Our identity, magnitude, as stated in the Vedic literature, it is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. It is very small. You cannot even imagine. So we are very small, but we can become the greatest, almost as good as God, if we engage ourself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. You have got best example. Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He, he's worshiped as good as God because he dedicated everything for God. Similarly, if you also dedicate your life, your intelligence, your money... Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. By four things you can attain greatness, almost greatness like God. How? By engaging your life, your wealth, prāṇair arthair dhiyā, your intelligence... If you have no money, then you can apply your intelligence. If you have no intelligence, you can simply carry the words of God. In that way you can achieve the greatest perfection of life. If somebody has money, all right, he can spend for spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If he has no money, he can give his intelligence, how we can push on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If he has no intelligence, simply carry this word and speak to the people, "My dear friend, you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." You see? So any way you can engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is called mahat-sevā, service of the Supreme, or service of the Supersoul. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram. If you accept this way of life, then your spiritual life will be open. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2).

Lecture on SB 6.1.7 -- San Francisco, March 1, 1967:

So last night in our meeting, we were... Not last night; day before last night. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, King Parīkṣit, is very much, I mean to say, compassionate by hearing different kinds of miserable conditions in different hellish situation. He is asking Śukadeva Gosvāmī whether there is any possibility of delivering them. Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, is always anxious to reclaim the fallen souls, who, out of ignorance, they are suffering. We must know always that by ignorance only we suffer. Just like we have got practical experience: by ignorance if I take something which is not suitable for my constitution, I become ill, sick. So that sickness is due to my ignorance. I have seen in Calcutta one neighbor, he died out of ignorance. He took too much pakori one day, and they were fried in oil, and the next day he was attacked by cholera and died. So similarly, whatever suffering we are undergoing, that is due to our ignorance.

Actually, we are not meant for suffering. If we are sons of God, who is full with all opulence, why should we suffer? Does a rich man's son suffer anytime? If he suffers, it is due to his ignorance. Similarly, we are suffering, but our ignorance is so strong that we are suffering, but at the same time we are thinking that we are happy. This is the influence of ignorance. Just like last night in the television, that gentleman was talking with me. He said that "We have got good brain and we are utilizing it. So that is better for our advancement of happiness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.9 -- Nellore, January 7, 1976:

So one day Nārada Muni asked his friend, Parvata Muni, "I have got a disciple. Let us go and see him." (to translator:) Parvata Muni, his friend. Yes. So when Nārada Muni and Parvata Muni was coming to the same hunter who had become now a Vaiṣṇava, so he was going to receive his spiritual master by going forward. So while he was going forward towards his spiritual master to receive him, on the way he was jumping in so many places. So Parvata Muni asked him that "Why you are jumping on your way while coming to us?" The hunter, the Vaiṣṇava, he replied, "Sir, there were so many ants on the ground. Therefore I was trying to avoid trampling them." So Parvata Muni was surprised, that "This man was hunting and killing animal half. Now, because he has become a Vaiṣṇava, he is not prepared to kill even an ant."

So this is the practical instance that if one becomes devotee of the Lord, all the good qualities manifest in his body. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied to Parīkṣit Mahārāja that "You are saying right that simply by atonement, simply by punishment, one cannot become honest." Practically speaking, if you simply enact laws to make people honest, it is impossible to do that. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī said,

karmaṇā karma-nirhāro
na hy ātyantika iṣyate
avidvad adhikāritvāt
prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam

The Śukadeva Gosvāmī said, "O son of Vedavyasa..." The Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vedavyasa... Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the son of Vyāsadeva. He answered, "My dear king, since acts meant to neutralize impious action are also fruitive, they will not relieve one from the tendency to act fruitively. Persons who subject themselves to the rules and regulation of atonement are not at all intelligent. Indeed, they are in the mode of darkness.

Lecture on SB 6.1.8-13 -- New York, July 24, 1971:

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired from Sūta Gosvāmī, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, how the people in general, rotting in hellish life, could be saved. This is the desire of a Vaiṣṇava. Others, they do not care whether one is suffering or enjoying. But a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, he always thinks of the fallen condition of general people. Just like in Christian philosophy they believe that Lord Jesus Christ suffered to be crucified by assimilating all the sinful activities of the people. Yes. A devotee of Lord thinks like that. Similar devotee was Vāsudeva Datta, Lord Caitanya's... He requested the Lord that "You have come. Kindly deliver all these people now present on this earth, and take them to Vaikuṇṭha. And if You think that they are so sinful that they cannot be delivered, then please transfer all their sins unto me. I shall suffer. You take them." This is Vaiṣṇava: "So for all their sins, I shall suffer. You take them." This philosophy is also expressed in Bible, Lord Jesus Christ, that he agreed to suffer himself for the sins of all the people. But that does not mean that Jesus Christ or Vāsudeva Datta should make a contract for ourself and we shall go on committing sins. This is most heinous proposal. A Vaiṣṇava and a devotee suffers for all humanity, human race. But that does not mean that human race, or the particular followers should take advantage of this facility and go on committing sins. That is not a good proposal. They should take rather seriously, that "Lord Jesus Christ or Vāsudeva Datta who has suffered for us so much, we shall stop committing sins now." That is sane proposal. Otherwise, if I think, "Well, there is Vāsudeva Datta and Lord Jesus Christ. He will suffer for us and let us go on merry-making. That's all." A most heinous life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Nellore, January 8, 1976:

You have to hear from a person who has seen or who has understood the Absolute Truth and who is tat, sad-guru. He must be a devotee of the Lord.

So it is stated in the śāstra that,

ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro
mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ
avaiṣṇava gurur na sa syāt
sat śva-paco guruḥ

It is said that "A brāhmaṇa who is very well expert in the brahminical activities and mantra-tantra-viśārada, knows all the Vedic mantras, but if he is not a Vaiṣṇava, he cannot become guru. But a person born in a family of dog-eaters, śva-paca, he can become guru if he has become Vaiṣṇava." Sanātana Gosvāmī, one of the big ācāryas of Gauḍīya sampradāya, he has also said that avaiṣṇava gurur na sa syāt. Sa. He says that... I forget that verse That "A person..." Pūta-hari-kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. He says that "You do not try to hear from a person who is avaiṣṇava hari-kathāmṛtam." The hari-kathā, the message of Kṛṣṇa like Bhagavad-gītā and other, Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you should not hear from a person who is not a Vaiṣṇava. In the Bhāgavata also it is said, satāṁ prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ-kathāḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

And mixed-up quality of ignorance and passion, that is vaiśya. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "These four qualitative representation, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriya..."

So when it is creation by the Supreme Lord, it is not that the brāhmaṇas are to be found only in India. That is another wrong conclusion. Because brāhmaṇas means representation of the quality of goodness. Anywhere you find the quality of goodness, that is brahmanism. So these American, European boys, when they have developed their quality of goodness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are brāhmaṇas. If they are considered as mlecchas and yavanas, that is nārakīya-buddhi, hellish consideration. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. If anyone considers a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, in the categorical estimation of birth, then that is hellish consideration. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. Just like here we are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity. You have all come here early in the morning, and... So does it mean that you are all fools? You have come to see a brass idol is being worshiped here? So anyone who considers the Deity as arcye śilā-dhīḥ, made of stone, made of brass, made of wood, that is nārakī-buddhiḥ. Arcye śilā-dhīḥ. Śilā. Śilā means stone. So those who are unaware of the Vedic knowledge, they consider that this is idol worship. It is not idol worship. It is directly worshiping the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord has, by His mercy, descended to accept your service. If you want to dress the Supreme Lord, if you take His virāḍ-rūpa, universal form, where is your cloth and how you can dress? Eh? You haven't got so much cloth. In spite of having so many mills, you cannot dress the virāṭ form. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, by His omnipotency, He becomes a smaller just to be handled by you. That is His mercy. Not that... Just like Kṛṣṇa became a small child of Yaśodā. That does not mean Kṛṣṇa has diminished in His power. He immediately showed. When there was attempt to kill Him by the Pūtanā, immediately He showed His Godly power. So we have to study like that, that God in any circumstances is God. God is never made. Any circumstances, God is God. God... Not that by meditation, pressing your nose, you become God. No. That is not God. God is God. So all the...

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

"Their conception of God or devotional service to God without reference to the Vedas, śruti and smṛti, and the purāṇas," śruti-smṛti-purāṇa, pañcarātra-vidhi, "the Nārada-pañcarātra, these regulative principles, without reference to these regulative principles, if one, anyone, claims that he has become a devotee of the Lord, it is simply disturbance." It is simply disturbance. One cannot become a bona fide devotee without being trained up under the regulative principles of śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhi. Rūpa Gosvāmī directly says in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu that "Without reference"—that means without being trained up by a bona fide spiritual master—"if one poses that he has become a devotee, he simply creates disturbance. That's all." That is being done. That is being done. We have got so many so-called devotees, but without any reference to the authoritative scripture; therefore we are creating disturbance. Here it is said that guṇa-nāma, guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpaiḥ. Guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair vibhāvyante yathā-tatham.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

So this is brahminical business. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. Again... (aside:) You can... Again, in the śāstra it is said that ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ: "If a brāhmaṇa has become very much expert in this six kinds of business," and mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, "and he knows also all the mantras and tantras, but he is impersonalist or voidist, then he cannot become guru." Avaiṣṇavo gurur na syāt. In spite of having all these qualities, if he is impersonalist and voidist, he cannot become spiritual master. Avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād vaiṣṇavaḥ śvapaco guruḥ: "On the other hand, if a person is Vaiṣṇava, devotee of the Lord, even if he is born in the family of caṇḍāla, less than the śūdra, he can become the spiritual master." These are the injunctions of the śāstra.

So guṇa-nāma-kriyā-rūpair vibhāvyante yathā-tatham. Sūryaḥ agniḥ. Now, the creation, the God's creation, is going on, and we are acting under the influence of the material qualities. As such, when we act in tamo-guṇa, we become entangled with so many sinful activities. Tamo-guṇa. Tamo-guṇa means ignorance. We have to act because in the material world sometimes we are under the influence of goodness, sometimes we are under the influence of passion, sometimes we are under the influence of ignorance. So when we are in ignorance... Everyone commits sin or criminal activities simply by ignorance. Ignorance. Just like by ignorance a child touches a fire. The fire will not excuse. Because it is a child, he does not know, therefore the fire excuses? It does not burn his hand? No. Even it is child, the fire must act. It burns. Similarly, ignorance is no excuse of law. If you commit some sin and go to the law court and if you plead, "Sir, I did not know this law," that is no excuse. You have committed this criminal activity; even though you did not know the law, that does not mean you will be excused.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1975:

He had to come back and fall down at the lotus feet of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, and when Ambarīṣa Mahārāja excused him... He was a brāhmaṇa, yogi. As soon as he fell down at the feet of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he said, "You are Durvāsā Muni. You are so great, powerful. Don't put me into this difficulty. What you want?" "Now you excuse me." "Excuse? If I have got any resultant actions of my pious activities, take everything. Take everything. You be saved." This is Vaiṣṇava, and this is avaiṣṇava.

Therefore harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā (SB 5.18.12). If one may have all the good qualities but if he is not a devotee of the Lord, his good qualities have no value. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā mano-rathena āsato dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). They are simply carried away by the mental concoction. This is their qualification. So karmī, jñānī, yogis, they are all restless because they are carried away by the whims of mind. And a bhakta is fixed up. Bhajate mām ananya-bhak, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso. This is devotee. They do not like to show any power. Power is already there. Just see. This Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was not a yogi. He did not know. He was simply surrendered, simply fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. But he defeated this yogi. The yogi came and fell down at his feet.

Lecture on SB 6.3.16-17 -- Gorakhpur, February 10, 1971:

So these, I mean to say, assistants and associates of Viṣṇu, Viṣṇudūta, it is stated, Yamarāja says... Yamarāja is Mahājana, therefore we have to accept. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). The Yamarāja says that bhūtāni viṣṇoḥ sura-pūjitāni durdarśa-liṅgāni mahādbhūtāni. Durdarśa. It is very difficult to find out them, because in our experience within this material world, perhaps only Brahmā has four hands, and Viṣṇu has four hands, and sometimes Lord Śiva has also four hands because they are biggest of all the demigods. But ordinary living entities, hardly one can find out a person with four hands. Therefore it is said here, durdarśa liṅgāni: "They are very rarely to be seen." But mahadbhūtāni: "They are wonderful." Mahādbhūtāni. Rakṣanti tad-bhaktimataḥ parebhyo. And what is their business? The business is rakṣanti tad-bhakta. "Their business is to give protection to the devotees of the Lord." Rakṣanti tad-bhakta mataḥ parebhyo. Just like Ajāmila was attacked by the Yamadūtas. Immediately they came and protected. Parebhyo. Rakṣanti tad-bhaktimataḥ parebhyo mattaś ca martyān atha sarvataś ca: "And they give protection from my jurisdiction. I may be sometimes mistaken to go to a person who is completely a devotee. Therefore they are required, 'No, you cannot come here.' " These things are stated.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971:

Durdarśa-liṅgāni mahādbhutāni. Adbhuta, wonderful. Certainly they must be wonderful because they are spiritual body—four hands, with different weapons, just like Viṣṇu.

So such things are not visible within this material world. Therefore mahādbhutāni, very wonderful. Mahādbhutāni rakṣanti. What is their business? They give protection to the devotees. Rakṣanti tad-bhaktimataḥ parebhyaḥ. Bhaktimataḥ. Those who are engaged in devotional service, they are protected from parebhyaḥ. Parebhyaḥ. means the enemies of the devotees. The devotees of the Lord are always protected by these Viṣṇudūtas, who are almost as powerful as Viṣṇu. And they give protection to the devotees of the Lord, mad-bhaktaḥ, tad-bhaktamataḥ, who are following the principles of devotional service, parebhyaḥ. How they are protected? First they are protected from the hands of the enemies. Because there are many enemies. Don't think that because one has become Kṛṣṇa conscious there will be no enemy. Of course, Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always ajāta-śatru. There cannot be any enemy. There cannot be enemy in this sense—that no enemy can do any harm to them. Because they are always protected, no enemy can harm to them. Ajāta-śatru. As Kṛṣṇa is ajāta-śatru, no enemy can harm to Him, there are śatrus or enemies of Kṛṣṇa, as you will read from the Kṛṣṇa ... Thousands and thousands of the demons, from the very beginning of His birth there are enemies. When Kṛṣṇa is born... (aside:) Don't meditate. Just hear. These are important things. Kṛṣṇa, as soon as He is born, there is enemy present, Kaṁsa. As soon as He is grown little, two months, three months, there is enemy-Pūtanā, Agha, Baka. So even God, Kṛṣṇa, has got enemies, so why not of the devotees? The devotees' enemy... Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He is enemy of his son, five-years-old son.

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

"A devotee who has fully surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are worshiped by devaloka, siddhaloka." The demigods also, they worship. They show full respect.

Now, Kṛṣṇa says that kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante anya-devatāḥ: (BG 7.20) "Those who are worshipers of the demigods, they are bewildered by their lusty desires." And here Yamarāja says that deva-siddha-parigīta-pavitra-gāthāḥ: "A devotee is worshiped by the devāḥ, demigods." Just try to understand the opposite direction, that those who are ordinarily enthused by lust and greed, they go to worship demigods. But if one becomes a devotee of the Lord, the demigods worship him. That is the prerogative of devotees. Siddha... Bhāva-yogam. There the bhāva... This word is bhāva-yogam. Bhāva means ecstasy. Ecstatic yoga, the yoga principle by which one comes to the ecstasy. Just like sometimes while you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you come to the ecstatic point. You forget yourself and dance, forget everything. That is called bhāva-yogam. To the devotee it appears sometimes. So bhāva-yogam. There are aṣṭa-sāttvika-bhāva—sometimes crying, some stunned, sometimes perspiring. These things come to the devotee. That is not to be practiced artificially. When actually one advances in devotional service this bhāva-yoga, aṣṭa-sāttvika-bhāva, vikāra, comes into existence. Therefore the devotional service is known also, bhāva-yogam.

Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

So our aim of life should be how to understand Viṣṇu-tattva, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Viṣṇu-tattva. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). He is the origin. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). These are things. Aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇāṁ ca sarvaśaḥ (Bg 10.2). These are there. So Prahlāda Mahārāja, by the grace of Nārada Muni, he became a great devotee, and... From the beginning of his life. This is another advantage. If you become a devotee of the Lord, then your next life is guaranteed as human being. Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sanjāyate. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41). One who is a devotee but could not finish the devotional function in one life, he is given chance another, another chance to take birth in a very good family. Good family means śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe: either in the family of a very highly elevated brāhmaṇa, śucīnām, or śrīmatāṁ, or very rich family. Brāhmaṇa or vaiśya family or kṣatriya family. So either brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family or vaiśya family, it doesn't matter—a human being. So yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sanjāyate. Let us begin our life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life. It doesn't matter if we cannot finish, but whatever we can finish, that is our eternal asset. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even if we slightly touch only Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then mahato bhayāt. Just like Ajamila, he was saved.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Hong Kong, April 18, 1972:

This is a verse spoken by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was a five years old boy, like all these children. Kaumāra. Kaumāra age is called from five years to ten years. That is called kaumāra. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was born of an atheist father. The father was atheist number one, Hiraṇyakaśipu. He is described as rākṣasa, demon, like that. Daitya. Daitya means demon. There are two classes of men. One class is called daitya and the other class is called devata. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke daiva āsura eva ca (BG 16.6). There are two classes of men known as daiva and another asura. Viṣṇu bhaktaḥ bhaved daiva āsuras tad viparyayaḥ. Those who are devotees of the Lord, they are called daiva or devata, demigods. And those who are just the opposite number, they are called daitya or demon. So Hiraṇyakaśipu was atheist. Fortunately, he was so fortunate that he got a great Vaiṣṇava devotee son, Prahlāda Mahārāja. You have heard his name, Prahlāda Mahārāja. He is one of the mahājanas. There are twelve mahājanas in the śāstras. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 Excerpt -- Toronto, June 17, 1976:

So he instructed her. And later on, as women usually forget, she could not utilize the instruction of Nārada Muni, but the child was within the womb of his mother, he heard it from Nārada Muni and became a great devotee. This is the history of Prahlāda Mahārāja's birth. There are many other things. If you read this Seventh Canto, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... So anyway, somehow or other, he became a great devotee of the Lord. But he was born in a family of atheists. His father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was atheist number one, but the child was a devotee. Such thing happens. The father is devotee and the child is a demon. And sometimes the father is a demon but the child is a devotee. Everyone comes with his own karma. It doesn't mean that because the father is atheist, therefore the child has to become an atheist. Or the father is a devotee, therefore the child has to become a devotee, no. Everyone is responsible for his past deeds. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was a devotee, but his father did not like that the child should be trained up as a devotee. That was the misunderstanding between the father and the son and the whole history of Prahlāda Mahārāja's life is a description of misunderstanding between the father and the son. The father did not like that the son should be a devotee, but Prahlāda Mahārāja would not give up his devotional service.

Lecture on SB 7.6.9-17 -- San Francisco, March 31, 1969:

Those who are too much attached for sense gratification. They are called demons. They have no other idea. Simply they are concerned with sense gratification and they do not know what is life, what is God, what is next life. They have no information. They are called demons.

And another explanation of the demons and the demigods are there in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā. Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are called demigods. Demigods, you don't think that simply the citizens or the residents of higher planet, they are called demigods. No. Even in this planet, those who are devotees of the Lord, those who accept the supremacy of God and those who are devotee, they are called demigods. And those who do not accept that, those who defy the existence of God, they are called demons. So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends that tato vidūrāt parihṛtya daityā. Dūrāt: "From distance, from long distance, please give up the association of the demons." Upetya nārāyaṇam ādi-devaṁ sa mukta-saṅgair iṣito 'pavargaḥ: "And take the company of, accept the society of devotees." Then it will be very easy. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. Your desires and your propensities will be according to your society. Just like in English language it is said, "A man is known by his company." So we have to change our company.

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is another chance for changing the company, the society.

Lecture on SB 7.9.1 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1977:

Prabhupāda: Anymore? Translation? Oh, you have done. Read the purport. Purport.

Pradyumna: Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung in his prema-bhakti-candrikā, 'krodha' bhakta-dveṣi jane: anger should be used to punish a demon who is envious of devotees. Kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and mātsarya—lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride and envy—all have their proper use for the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotee. A devotee of the Lord cannot tolerate blasphemy of the Lord or His other devotees, and the Lord also cannot tolerate blasphemy of a devotee. Thus Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva was so very angry that the great demigods like Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva and even the goddess of fortune, who is the Lord's constant companion, could not pacify Him, even after offering prayers of glorification and praise. No one was able to pacify the Lord in His anger, but because the Lord was willing to exhibit His affection for Prahlāda Mahārāja, all the demigods and the others present before the Lord pushed Prahlāda Mahārāja forward to pacify Him.

Prabhupāda: So, in the material world, kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, and mātsarya, these things are condemned. And for a sādhana, (?) means a neophyte devotee, he is advised to give up these low grade habits—kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, mātsarya. But people may question, "Wherefrom these lowgrade qualities came? Kāma is low grade, admitted, but wherefrom it came?" In the Vedānta-sūtra we get the reply, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "Everything that we experience, it comes from God." So... (aside:) You stand that side. You are standing. They can stand.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977:

Practice this very simple thing. Kṛṣṇa is here. We see the Deity daily and see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Fix up your mind in that way. Then you are safe. Very simple thing. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he was also a great devotee. He was king, very responsible person, politics. But he practiced in such a way that he fixed up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. This practice. Don't talk nonsense. (noise again) (aside:) What is the trouble? Take out.

So mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We can learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness perfectly well if we follow the mahājanas. Mahājana means great personality who are devotees of the Lord. They are called mahājanas. Jana means person. Just like in ordinary way, in India a person is called mahājana who is very rich. So this mahājana means one who is rich in devotional service. He is called mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. So we have got Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. We have got Prahlāda Mahārāja. There are many, many kings—Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, Parīkṣit Mahārāja—they are rājarṣi. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness, actually, it is meant for very great personalities.

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

Here is also. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. Adurlabha means very easily obtained. Durlabha means very difficult to obtain, and adurlabha, just the opposite: very easily obtained. How? Now, ātma-bhaktau: "Those who are devotees of the Lord, for them He is very easily available." So affection is so nice thing. So try to develop your affection. That affection is already there. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa affection is being artificially propagated. Perhaps in this meeting I am the only Indian, but all my students here, they are all Americans. They belong to different faith. How they are developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I am not bribing them, I have no money. But still, why they are so much affectionate? This is the proof that everyone has got dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness within himself. It is not an artificial thing. Simply you have to develop it. It is not taught actually. Just like a young boy or young girl—there is no educational department how to love a young girl or young boy. It is already there. It is not taught. Similarly, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not the subject matter of being taught. Please try to note this. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a thing as you are taught technology or mathematics or like that. It is already there. Simply we have to revive it. Simply we have to revive it. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti.

Lecture on SB 7.9.9 -- Mayapur, February 16, 1976:

So bhagavad-bhakti is not dependent on any material possession. Material possession, the description is fully given here. If one is very rich, dhana, he cannot think that "I can become a devotee of the Lord," because Hiraṇyakaśipu possessed the riches of the whole universe, but he could not become a devotee. So this is misconception, that "Because I am very rich, I am very beautiful, I am very intelligent, I am a great scholar, I am very prestigious person," and so on so on... There are so many things. But Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "No, nothing of these items can help you to be promoted to the transcendental platform of devotional service. Nothing, only bhakti." And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). He never said that by karma, by jñāna, by yoga. Nothing. There are four things for elevation: karma, jñāna, yoga and, lastly, bhakti. Bhakti is the ultimate goal. Karma you cannot become perfect if it is not mixed up with bhakti. That is called karma-yoga. Jñāna itself is useless unless it is added with bhakti. That is called jñāna-yoga. Similarly, haṭha-yoga... Every yoga... Everything is yoga: karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga. But yoga means connection, link-up with the Supreme. Then it is karma-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, jñāna-yoga. When this yoga becomes completely pure, then, without karma, without jñāna, without mystic power, that is called pure yoga.

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 9, 1968:

Just like the Buddhism. Buddhism was originated in India. Lord Buddha was a Hindu, and he was a prince, and still, Buddhism was not accepted by the Indians. Why? Because the Buddhism decried the Vedas. Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātaṁ. Śruti means Veda. So āstikyam means to have full faith in the orders of the scripture. This is also one of the qualification of a brāhmaṇa. Jñānam vijñānam āstikyam brahmā-karma svabhāva-jaṁ (BG 18.42). These are the natural qualification of a brāhmaṇa.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that viprād dvi-ṣad-guṇa-yutādaravinda-nabha. Even a brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa who has all these brahminical qualifications, but he is not a devotee of the Lord... There are many good, qualified persons, but they do not on of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Materially, one may be very much highly qualified. Academically, one may be very highly qualified. But if one is not a believer, faithful, or is not accepting the existence of God, or God the Supreme, he is called atheist, and Prahlāda Mahārāja does not say atheist, but he says that "Even one has got all these good qualifications, but if he is not qualified with the faith in God, or not becoming a devotee of God, then he is nonqualified. He is rejected." You may take his qualification in consideration, but Prahlāda Mahārāja says he is rejected from Kṛṣṇa consciousness for that one disqualification, that he is not a devotee of God. Similarly, in other places it is also confirmed that yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ: "If one is simply unflinching faithful devotee of the Lord, then he develops all the good qualification of demigods." Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā: (SB 5.18.12) "If one is not devotee of the Lord, then he has no good qualification."

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 9, 1968:

That is not a spiritual master. Similarly sādhu, saintly person, also does not say anything which is not mentioned in the scriptures. He does not manufacture anything by mental concoction. And what is śāstra, scriptures? They are statement of different saintly persons and spiritual masters. Therefore one has to corroborate these three things: scriptures, and statement of saintly persons, and statement of spiritual master. The spiritual master is via media. The disciple, if he cannot understand the statement of the scriptures or any saintly person, he submits his doubts before the spiritual master and he clears it. In this way we have to make progress. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that a person, even if he is a brāhmaṇa with good qualification, if he is not a devotee of the Lord, then he is good for nothing. He says, "He is good for nothing." Viprād dvi-ṣad-guṇa-yutāt. And when who is good? Now, śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Better than him, even a person is born of a very low family... In India it is considered according to Vedic, that low family is considered one who eats the dog, dog-eaters. Of course, there are many kinds of flesh-eaters, but when a man becomes the eater of dog flesh, he is considered to be very low. So śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. So there is a class in India, they are called caṇḍāla. Everywhere there is. They eat dog flesh. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "It doesn't matter. But if he is a devotee of Lord, he is better than that brāhmaṇa, that brāhmaṇa with good qualifications. And he, although he is born of a low family..." Śvapacaṁ variṣṭham. Why he is variṣṭham? Now, manye tad-arpita-mano: "Because his mind and attention is always engaged in the service of the Lord." That is his qualification. That is making him purified in every moment. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ-kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17).

Lecture on SB 7.9.10 -- Montreal, July 12, 1968:

Actually, he's unhappy in every step, but the spell of māyā or illusion is so strong that even in the lowest stage of life, anyone will think that he's happy. Even in the animals, you have experienced that so many animals, they are living in such a miserable condition, but still, he does not like to give up this body. But the pain is more felt by God than the living creature in this conditioned life. So it is always... There is always endeavor on the part of God to send His representative; He comes Himself, He gives book.

So anyone who takes up this endeavor on behalf of God to reclaim these conditioned souls back to Godhead, back to home, he is considered the most intimate devotee, dear devotee of the Lord. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmād manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ. If you want to become very dear to Kṛṣṇa or God, then try to take up these missionary activities. What is that? Spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased. If you want to live in a solitary place and perform yoga system for your personal elevation of self-realization, that is very good, undoubtedly. But if you try to convert others to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform, it is far better. Prahlāda Mahārāja, you'll find in his prayer, he'll say to the Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, "My dear Lord," naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās, "this world is full of anxieties. That I know. And it is full of miserable condition. But I am not afraid. I am not afraid." Why you are not afraid?

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968:

The fact is that these fools, these rascals who are thinking that this world is for their enjoyment, this money belongs to him... It is stated here, aviduṣaḥ. Aviduṣaḥ means rascal, without any education. Without any education. They have got all these university degrees and without education? Yes. Why? Because they have no spiritual education. So aviduṣaḥ. So mānaṁ janam aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte. When Kṛṣṇa says or God says that "Give Me this...," Just like He is begging from Bali Mahārāja, Vāmanadeva, "My dear King, will you give Me a little land?" So his spiritual master, he was a demon. He forbade Bali Mahārāja not to promise, because He is Viṣṇu. "He'll take everything from you." That's a nice story. Some of you know how Bali Mahārāja became a great devotee of the Lord. Now here it is stated that mānaṁ janād aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte. Whatever He wants from any person, provided he is a devotee... The Lord does not accept anything from nondevotee. That is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26).

Lecture on SB 7.9.11-13 -- Hawaii, March 24, 1969:

So he īśa amī udvijanto vibhrānta sarve brahmādayaḥ sattva-mūrtes tava vidhi-karāḥ. "Another thing is, now, they are very peaceful by nature. But by Your this fierceful appearance, they have become, I mean to say, fearful. So because Your incarnation is for them, now You become pacified so that they may also become pacified." Brahmādayaḥ sattva-mūrteḥ. Sattva-mūrte. They are... Sattva-mūrte means devotees. "All, they are devotees," sakta-mūrte. Tava vidhi-karā niyoga-kartā: "And they are Your faithful servant. They are Your faithful servant. They are demigod. They are not disturbing." In this way... So to glorify the devotees of the Lord is more pleasing to the Lord. Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhaktaḥ pūjyābhyadhikaḥ. If we... Just like we say, nanda-nandana, ayi nanda-nandana. We don't say..., Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not say directly, "O Kṛṣṇa." He says, "O the son of Nanda." Kṛṣṇa is very much pleased. Just like Nanda Mahārāja is supposed to be maintainer of Kṛṣṇa, so He takes pleasure when His devotee's names is there. Just like we say, "Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So Rādhā's name is first. Why? Nobody can be better devotee than Rādhārāṇī. So as soon as Rādhā's name is there, Kṛṣṇa is more pleased. So that is the way. So if we glorify the devotees, the character of the devotees, before the Lord, He's more pleased than to glorify Himself, He directly.

Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Mayapur, February 26, 1976:

So it is the duty of the father and mother to train children in such a way that they will be interested in guru and Kṛṣṇa. Why? By the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa, he'll get bhakti-lātā-bīja. And that is real life. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That is real religious system, which teaches the follower how to become a devotee. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Ahaituky apratihatā yenātmā suprasīdati. If you want to make him happy, then you must teach in such a way that he becomes a devotee of the Lord. Then, throughout the whole life, he'll be peaceful and happy. This is required.

Therefore the ordinary father and mother, like cats and dogs, they are not real shelter of the children. That is... Prahlāda Mahārāja said, bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha. Bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha na ārtasya. Ārtasya means diseased, suffering from some disease. No, just like I have already explained, we are opening hopitals and bed... That is not. You can do it, but at the same time he must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. We have got practical examples. Some of our devotees, they go to the hospital, and they purchase our books and they become a devotee. Even in hospital bed they're reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, and taking benefit. That is real remedy. So after being cured, he'll become a devotee. So this medicine is not cure. This literature is cure, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real cure. Nārtasya cāgadam. And udanvati majjato nauḥ. Everyone is drowned, either you take figeratively or really. In the samudra, in the sea, ocean, there are always ojhs, (?) waves. So your tiny boat or big ship, that is not safe side. We have got experience.

Lecture on SB 7.9.34 -- Mayapur, March 12, 1976:

They describe sometimes, "God is omnipotent," but they do not know how the omnipotency acts. Here are some of the examples. Those who are devotee, they can understand. Nondevotees, they call—what is?—"mythology." It is not mythology; it is all fact. But foolish people who do not know how Kṛṣṇa or His confidential devotee act, they do not know it. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that ye bhaje sei baḍa abhakta hīna chāra: "One who is devotee, he is exalted. And those who are not devotees, they are low grade," hīna chāra, "condemned." So nobody can be exalted personality without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. This is the verdict of the Vedic knowledge. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā mano-rathena āsato dhāvato bahiḥ: (SB 5.18.12) "Those who are not devotees of the Lord, they cannot have any good qualities." That is not possible. "Why? There are so many big, big men, doctors, doctorate, having so big, big title from university." No. The śāstra says, "Yes." Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā. Why they have no good qualities? Because mano-rathena: "They are hovering over the mental platform." They have no realization of the spiritual platform. Therefore you'll find all these great scientists, philosophers, they are simply concocting with mind. The mind has no value. With mind you cannot reach spiritual platform, because it is material. With material instrument you cannot go to the spiritual platform. It is not possible. God can be understood. God is all-spirit, and He can be understood by spiritual method, not material method. Material method means up to the standard of mental speculation and mental concoction.

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

Unless one is spiritually realized, he cannot see equally everyone. Then samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. Then one can become real devotee of the Lord, after surpassing the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. So this bhakti line is not so easy. But by Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy we have installed the Deity here in your country. You are very fortunate that Caitanya Mahāprabhu has come to your country to teach you how you become free of all anxieties. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Everyone is full of anxiety, but everyone can be freed from all the anxieties if he follows the path chalked out by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And what is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction? Very simple.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
(CC Adi 17.21)

This is not Caitanya Mahāprabhu's personal version. This is in the scripture, Vedic scripture. Bṛhan-Nāradīya-Purāṇa. This instruction is there. As people are fallen in this age the method also has been offered very simple. They cannot follow any strong or severe austerities. It is not possible. They have been recommended simply to chant the holy name of God. That's all. Anyone can do. It is not difficult at all. Then if you say that "You are from India. Your Caitanya is Indian, and He is recommending Hare Kṛṣṇa. Why shall I chant? I have got my own God."

Page Title:Devotees of the Lord (Lectures, SB)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:30 of Apr, 2013
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=60, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:60