Does not accept (Lectures, BG)

Expressions researched:
"did not accept" |"does not accept" |"doesn't accept" |"must not accept" |"not to accept" |"should not accept" |"will not accept"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is -- Los Angeles, November 23, 1968 :

Prabhupāda: Authorities. He accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead not because Kṛṣṇa happened to be his intimate friend but on the authorities of others. And on the statement of Kṛṣṇa, and by understanding Him fully. He, he did not accept Him blindly. So this is the process of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. And although he understood fully, because in future so many rascals will come and proclaim himself that "I am also incarnation of Godhead," therefore in the Eleventh Chapter Arjuna requested Kṛṣṇa that "If you think, You can show me Your universal form," so that in future others will accept some bogus rascal as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he may test by seeing the, I mean to say, universal form of the person. So who can exhibit this universal form except Kṛṣṇa?

So we have explained this Bhagavad-gītā in the paramparā system as we have heard from authoritative sources. So it may be a new contribution to your country, because in every edition they have concocted some ideas about Bhagavad-gītā, but we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That's all. So, any question?

Devotee (2): You commented that, Swami Prabhupāda, that everyone has a natural desire to have relationship with Kṛṣṇa, but that because...

Prabhupāda: Not desire, but he is already established.

Devotee (2): Established.

Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:

There are 640-45 editions of Bhagavad-gītā. Simply cheating. Amongst them, there are big, big scholars. Not scholars. All rascals, but they cheat. They pose themselves as scholars and people want to be cheated, so they take their words. So they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Cheated. They take the shelter of the cheaters. Therefore they are cheated.

So the māyā is very strong. Māyā always dictates so that we may be cheated: "Why you are taking Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Don't take. He is ordinary man. You can be also equal with Kṛṣṇa. You also become God. You become also incarnation." This is going on. And people flock there because they want to be cheated. What Kṛṣṇa says, they will not accept it. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam: (BG 18.66) "Only take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Sarva-dharmān. Because any dharma which is not approved by the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, that is not dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). A human being or a demigod or very exalted person cannot manufacture dharma. That is not possible. Real dharma is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, and that real dharma is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "Just surrender unto me." This is real dharma. Surrender to Kṛṣṇa and follow His instruction; your life will be perfect. Because you follow the perfect instruction, therefore you are also perfect. Simple process. To become perfect, we have to follow the perfect instruction.

So in the Bhagavad-gītā there is perfect instruction. And if we take it as it is and follow it, then we become perfect. To become perfect is not very difficult job. But because we don't want to become perfect, because we want to be cheated, we do not become perfect. This is the difficulty.

Lecture on BG 1.13-14 -- London, July 14, 1973:

Artificially one can become. Here also so-called woman, they are also puruṣa. They are thinking puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. Here woman is also thinking to enjoy, and the so-called man is also thinking to enjoy. Everyone. Nobody wants to serve. Everyone wants to be served. Puruṣa attitude. Everyone wants to be served. Nobody wants to serve. This is the material conception of life.

So when we agree to serve, not to be served, that is liberated person. When we agree to serve only, not to be served. Not to accept service from others, but to serve others—that is real liberation. But here the material disease is that everyone is making plan "How others will serve me." This is called māyā. This is called māyā. Māyā means that artificially we want to be served. That is not possible. When we agree to serve... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us the path of liberation, jīvera svarūpa hoy nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa, this is our position. We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.

So when we engage ourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa... The whole Bhagavad-gītā is spoken on this basis. Arjuna was artificially declining to serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight, and Arjuna was putting so many reasons, "How he could fight and kill the other side who are his kinsmen, who are nephews, who are brothers, grandfather?" This argument were being put. So that means he refused to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is material condition. He was thinking in his own terms. He wanted to enjoy the family members, the so-called nephews, brothers, that "If they are killed, then what is the use of my, this kingdom?" (break) ...but people thinks that I get kingdom I enjoy myself. That is condition. But a liberated soul will take the kingdom, but it will be used for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is liberated, soul.

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

Unless he finds out a good master, it is a street dog and it has no place. It has no place. It will not get sufficient food, become lean and thin, and loiter in the street. Because dog must find out... Śūdra-like. Śūdra, unless he finds out a master to provide him, his all education is useless.

Nowadays they are educated, but they must have a good service. That means he's a śūdra. Without finding a master, his education has no value. So therefore in the śāstra it is said, kalau śūdrā sambhavāḥ. Kalau, "In this age, Kali-yuga, everyone is śūdra." Because he cannot even live without having a master. He must have a master to provide him. But the Vedic culture is that brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, they will not accept any service. No. They will die of starvation. Especially brāhmaṇa. That is enjoined in the śāstras, that a brāhmaṇa, if he is in bad position some way or other, economically, he may accept the position of a kṣatriya or a vaiśya, but he should not accept the position of a śūdra. That is doggish. This is so injunction.

Therefore formerly a brāhmaṇa, when he accepts a service from anywhere, he was rejected from the brāhmaṇa society. You know, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, they belonged to a very high-class brāhmaṇa, Sarasvata Brāhmaṇa, very rich men. But both the brothers accepted service in Mohammedan government as ministers, and they were immediately rejected from the brāhmaṇa society. It is not very long ago, say, about five hundred years ago. The brāhmaṇa society was so strong. As soon as they will accept service. You know, the Tagore family of Calcutta, Rabindranatha Tagore, they are also brāhmaṇas. But we know, in our childhood, they were also excommunicated from the brāhmaṇa family because they also accepted service.

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

So these are Vedic principles. If we follow... The brāhmaṇa will not accept anyone's service. That is against. Similarly, kṣatriya. Kṣatriya... Why this fight between Arjuna? They made them bereft of the kingdom. So they appealed to Duryodhana, that "My dear Duryodhana, you are my brother, you have taken all our properties. So we are kṣatriya. We are not going to become vaiśya or brāhmaṇa. We must live. Give us at least five villages, five brothers. We shall be satisfied. There is no question of war." "No, sir, not even the land which can hold the point of needle. I cannot spare." There is no way. Therefore there was fight. There was fight.

So these are the some of the glorious points of this fight. But he depended on Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna. Therefore he was successful, victorious. You do, act as kṣatriya. Not that as kṣatriya he should become a brāhmaṇa beggar, no. A kṣatriya cannot be beggar, neither a brāhmaṇa cannot be vaiśya. This is real caste system. But you work as a cobbler, and at the same time you claim to become a brāhmaṇa, this is not allowed. Formerly the king used to see whether a brāhmaṇa is acting like a brāhmaṇa. Otherwise he will be stopped. Then he will be designated as he is working. This was the duty of the king to see that everyone is employed according to his profession. It was the duty of the king to see. Everyone must be employed. A brāhmaṇa must be working like a brāhmaṇa. A kṣatriya must be working like a kṣatriya. A vaiśya must be working as a... Otherwise he cannot say.

Lecture on BG 1.23 -- London, July 19, 1973:

If you want to see him, he will say, "Oh, I have no time." He does not think at any time that "I am interested to eat four capātis, which can be very easily available. So why I am working so hard?" But that sense does not come. He is working, working, working, "More money, more money, more money, more money, more money." The Bhāgavata says, "No, no. This is not your business." The four capātis is already destined to you; you will get, any circumstances. You don't waste your time simply under some false impression of economic development. Don't waste your time. You cannot get more, you cannot get less. That is already there. So you utilize your time for understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is your business. People will not accept it. "Oh, this is a waste of time. Attending the class of Bhagavad-gītā, this is waste of time. By this time I could have earned hundreds of dollars." That is their business. That is called durbuddhi, durbuddhi, not very intelligent. All mūḍha, asses.

Real intelligent person is he who is satisfied what Kṛṣṇa has given him: "If Kṛṣṇa wants, He will give me more. Let me become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Let me study about Kṛṣṇa. Let me chant about Kṛṣṇa. Let me hear about Kṛṣṇa. Let me see with my eyes Kṛṣṇa, the Deity Kṛṣṇa. Let me engage my hands in worshiping Kṛṣṇa, in cleansing the temple, my hands. Let my legs be engaged in going to the temple." In this way all our senses should be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is our real business. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Tasyaiva hetoḥ: "For that purpose only." Which purpose? Which we could not achieve after wandering the whole universe, up and down. The living entity is wandering by transmigration from one body to another up and down. Sometimes he is becoming Brahmā even. Brahmā, Indra, Candra. He can become. One can become.

Lecture on BG 1.28-29 -- London, July 22, 1973:

Therefore for spiritual advancement also, you have to train your mind. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). If you use... First of all fix up your mind. Yoga means indriya-saṁyama. Yoga practice means that controlling the mind and the senses. That is yoga practice. Because our mind is very flickering and changing, something accepting immediately, something rejecting immediately, very flickering. Therefore we have to train up the mind, and when the mind is trained up, then automatically your senses will be controlled. If you are strong-minded, that "I will not accept any foodstuff which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," naturally your tongue is controlled. Naturally. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, śarīra avidyā-jāl jaḍendriya tāhe kāl jīve phele viṣaya-sāgare. Our this body is a network of nescience, or ignorance. This body, why we have got this body, material body? Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and we wanted to lord it over the material nature. This is our position. Therefore, according to our different desires, we have got different bodies. Here we are sitting, say fifty or hundred men. Nobody's body will tally with other's body. Face and everything, different. Because every one of us has got different desires. Therefore their facial expression, bodily construction, everything is made according to the mind. So at the time of death also, the constitution of mind will transfer me to another, different type of body. The mind will carry the soul. These are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). So if you train up your mind, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Always remembering Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Then it may be possible that at the time of death you remember Kṛṣṇa and your life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Immediately you are transferred to Kṛṣṇaloka. This is training.

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

You have come to this human form of life from the lower status of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthavarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Through so many status of life: the aquatics, the trees, the plants, the insects, the reptiles, the birds, the beasts. In this way... Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. Bahūnāṁ sambhavante (BG 7.19). This human form of life is gotten, we have received, after many, many births. These people, they do not know. It is very rare. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, manuṣya janama pāiya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā suniyā viṣa khāinu. Hari hari viphale janama goiṅu. He is lamenting, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I am so unfortunate. I got this human form of life. It was meant for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But I have wasted my time otherwise. So how it is so? Jāniyā suniyā viṣa khāinu. Knowingly I have taken poison. Knowingly." Labdhvā sudurlabhaṁ idam bahu-sambhavante, manuṣyam artha-dam (SB 11.9.29). These people, they do not know. Because they are asuras, they do not know what to do in this human form of life and what not to do. They are killing animals without any hesitation. They do not know these rascals. And still they are spiritual leaders. How horrible condition is this, in this Kali-yuga. Just imagine. Without any restriction, without any hindrance, they are committing sinful life. They do not know, next life, all this boastfulness, pride, will be finished. He will have to accept another body, which will be offered by the material nature. You cannot say that "I will not accept this body; I want this body." No. Nature is not under your dictation. You have to abide by the dictation of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. This verse of Bhagavad-gītā is very important.

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

So this is the proof of Arjuna's character, a devotee's character. A devotee is always devatā, demigod. So one who is devotee, one who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). Sura means devatā. All the good qualities of devatā. A devotee of Kṛṣṇa will never accept that killing is very good. No. "For the satisfaction of my tongue, I shall kill so many animals." A devotee will never accept. Ahiṁśa. Ahiṁśa. That is the third quality. Amānitvam adambhitvaṁ ahiṁśā kṣāntir ārjavam (BG 13.8). These are... Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Amānitvam. Amānitvam means to accept this body as "I am." This is amānitvam, er, not to accept. That is amānitvam. Everyone is proud that "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Englishman." So it is boastful, very proud of this body. So knowledge means "I am not this body. I am not this body." That is amānitvam. Adambhitvam. As soon as we become aware that "I am not this body," then my false pride immediately goes. Amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁśā. Then ahiṁśā, nonviolence. Ārjavam, simplicity. There are eighteen qualifications of the demigods. So one who becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa conscious, these, all these good qualities develop. So here is the proof, that Arjuna, because he is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he is considering, "Whether I shall kill them or not?" Ahiṁsā. It is consideration, not that it is final settlement.

Lecture on BG 1.43 -- London, July 30, 1973:

No family life. So therefore for human being, it is the duty to understand his position, and it is his duty to satisfy the Supreme Lord. This is the whole plan. Therefore Rāmānanda Rāya quoted the verse from Viṣṇu Purāṇa that varṇāśramācaravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate (CC Madhya 8.58). Because the aim is to satisfy Viṣṇu, to become Vaiṣṇava. To become brāhmaṇa is also lower status. You will hear from the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that our Mādhavendra Purī, he was installing Deities. So there are many brāhmaṇas, caste brāhmaṇa, born in... So in order to give charge of worship to those brāhmaṇas, he initiated them to become Vaiṣṇava. Because without becoming Vaiṣṇava, nobody has got right to worship Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu will not accept anything from anyone unless he is devotee. And Viṣṇu is poverty-stricken that He has come to take from you? He cannot eat? He has no eating means? No. He agrees to accept our offering just on the basis of love. The Vaiṣṇava loves Viṣṇu, and Viṣṇu agrees to accept any foodstuff. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). That bhakti is main thing, not your palatable dish. Viṣṇu is quite competent to prepare thousand times better palatable dishes than you can offer. But the real thing is bhakti.

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

So the assistants, because they are following the instruction of the expert, therefore their work is also complete. So it is not necessarily that one has to become pure devotee immediately. Just like we are also following the instruction of our spiritual master. I don't claim that I am pure devotee or perfect, but my only qualification is that I am trying to follow the instruction of the perfect. Similarly... This is called disciplic succession. Just like here it is stated that Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master and Arjuna is the original student. So Arjuna said that sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava (BG 10.14). "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are saying, I accept in toto," in the Tenth Chapter. Just like Dr. Radhakrishnan says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa, it is something else." He does not accept in that way. He says that "Whatever You are saying, I accept it. You are saying that You are the Supreme, I accept it. I don't say that You have got a separate thing within. That is Supreme, You are not Supreme, as person." This is impersonalist. They do not know that Kṛṣṇa has no such... A conditioned soul... Just like we are, I am different from my soul. "I am" means my body, or I am soul, different from the body. So Kṛṣṇa has no such differentiation. He does not know that. Because he's not following Kṛṣṇa, the perfect spiritual master. He's following some rascal spiritual master. Therefore he has this mistake. But if we follow Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, then we get the perfect knowledge. We may not be cent percent perfect, but as far as possible, if we follow the instruction as it is, that much perfect. In this way one will get perfection.

Lecture on BG 2.2 -- London, August 3, 1973:

Bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca. Vyavasāyātmikā-buddhiḥ, niścayātmikā-buddhiḥ. If one has got unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and guru, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya... (CC Madhya 19.151). We have to receive mercy both from the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. We cannot jump over to Kṛṣṇa. That is another nonsense. We must approach Kṛṣṇa through guru. That is paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap thing that you can jump over. Somebody says, "Oh, why shall I accept guru? I can approach Kṛṣṇa directly." No. Kṛṣṇa does not accept such... Mad-bhaktaḥ pūjābhyadhikaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that "First of all you become devotee of My devotee." Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa (CC Madhya 13.80)." This is called paramparā system. You have to learn how to become servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. The more you become in the lower position—servant, servant, servant, servant, servant, hundreds times servant, servant—then more you are advanced. Here in this material world everyone is trying to be master of the master. Just opposite. And the spiritual world, the endeavor is to become servant's servant. This is the secret.

Lecture on BG 2.7 -- London, August 7, 1973:

Therefore Vedic knowledge is apauruṣeya. It is not man-made. It is God-made. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). So how God, Kṛṣṇa gave to Brahmā? Tene brahma hṛdā. Brahma, brahma means the Vedic knowledge. Śabda-brahma. Tene. He injected Vedic knowledge from hṛdā. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ pritī-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). When Brahmā was created, he was perplexed: "What is my duty? Everything is dark." So he meditated, and Kṛṣṇa gave him knowledge that: "Your duty is this. You do like this." Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Brahmā is ādi-kavaye. So actual guru is Kṛṣṇa. And here is... Kṛṣṇa is advising the Bhagavad-gītā. These rascals and fools will not accept Kṛṣṇa as guru. They'll go to some rascal and fool and miscreants, sinful person, and accept guru. How he can be guru?

So guru is Kṛṣṇa. Here is the example given by Arjuna. Pṛcchāmi tvām. Who is that tvām? Kṛṣṇa. "Why you are asking Me?" Dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ (BG 2.7). "I am bewildered in my duties, dharma." Dharma means duty. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Sammūḍha-cetāḥ. "So what I have to do?" Yac chreyaḥ. "What is actually my duty?" Śreyaḥ. Śreyaḥ and preyaḥ. Preyaḥ... They are two things. Preya means which I like immediately, very nice. And śreya means ultimate goal. They are two things. Just like a child wants to play all day. That is childish nature. That is śreya. And preya means he must take education so that in future his life will be settled up. That is preya, śreya. So Arjuna is asking not preya. He's asking instruction from Kṛṣṇa not for the purpose of confirming his śreya. Śreya means immediately he was thinking that: "I shall be happy by not fighting, not by killing my kinsmen."

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972:

This is Māyāvādī theory, monism. But actually this is not clear knowledge. God is..., God is always distinct from me. He's the Supreme. It is not that we are equal to God. We are equal to God in quality, not in quantity. Therefore those who are thinking that they are equal to God in every respect, they are illusioned. Māyā, māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. They have been called, they have been designated by Kṛṣṇa as māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Although they appear to be very learned scholars, but the essence of the knowledge is taken away by māyā. Therefore they say that God and ordinary human being is the same. Māyayā apahṛta... Asura. This is called āsura-bhāva. Āsura-bhāva means not to accept the supremacy of the Lord but think Him as one with all individual souls. But that is not the fact. That is poor fund of knowledge. Actually, when one becomes advanced in knowledge, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). In due course of time, after many, many births, when he actually comes to the platform of knowledge, he can understand that "Vāsudeva is great and I am small, I am insignificant." Therefore he surrenders. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. This is the sign of knowledge. When one surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is to be understood that he has actually attained knowledge. Otherwise it is ignorance. To think of Kṛṣṇa and ordinary person as equal is not knowledge; it is illusion.

Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Similarly there are six things which should be avoided. What are those? Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ, laulyaṁ jana-saṅgaś ca ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati (NOI 2). Atyāhāra, too much eating or too much, I mean to say, keeping bank balance or money, or collecting more than the necessities. Atyāhāra. Generally, too much eating is prohibited. We have to eat simply just to keep the body and soul nicely to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca. Prayāsa means taking some risky work which will require too much endeavor. We should avoid that. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ, prajalpa, nonsense talking which has no connection with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ. Following the rules, but actually I'm not very much careful in executing the work. So niyamāgraha. Niyamāgraha means not to accept the rules and regulation, and another meaning is simply to accept the rules and regulation without good effect. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ laulyam, greediness, and jana-saṅgaś ca, and associating with nondevotees. These things are against execution of devotional service, and the first thing, the patience, enthusiasm, and confidence, these six things are favorable. So we have to take notice of the don'ts and dos. Then it will be all right. Do this, don't do this. There are six kinds of "don't do this," and six kinds of "do this." So that will be nice. Yes?

Lecture on BG 2.14 -- Germany, June 21, 1974:

"In future we shall understand." And what is this future? Would you accept a post-dated check? "In future I shall discover, and therefore I am scientist." What is this scientist? And, above all, our imperfectness of senses. Just like we are seeing one another because there is light. If there is no light, then what is the power of my seeing? But these rascals they do not understand that they are always defective, and still, they are writing books of knowledge. What is your knowledge? We must take knowledge from the perfect person.

Therefore we are taking knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, the perfect person. And He is advising that if you want to stop your pains and pleasure, then you must make some arrangement not to accept this material body. That He is advising, Kṛṣṇa, how to avoid this material body. That has been explained. This is Second Chapter. In the Fourth Chapter Kṛṣṇa has said that janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). You simply try to understand the activities of Kṛṣṇa. These activities of Kṛṣṇa is there in the history, in the Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means greater India or greater Bhārata, Mahābhārata, the history. In that history this Bhagavad-gītā is also there. So He is speaking about Himself. You try to understand Kṛṣṇa. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, His activities. He is not impersonal. Janma karma me divyam. Karma means activities. He has activities. Why He is taking part in this world, activities? Why He comes?

Lecture on BG 2.18 -- London, August 24, 1973:

He said that "You stop animal killing." If I pinch you, you feel pain. So why should you give pain to others? Never mind he has no soul; that's all right. He did not talk anything about soul. So these people say the animals have no soul. But that's all right, but he's feeling pain when you are killing the animal. So you also feel pain. So why should you give pain to others? That is Lord Buddha's theory. Sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam. Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātam. He denied that: "I don't accept Vedas." Because in the Vedas there is sometimes recommendation, not for killing, but for giving rejuvenation to an animal. But killing, in that sense, is there for sacrifice. But Lord Buddha did not accept even animal killing in sacrifice. Therefore, nindasi. Nindasi means he was criticizing. Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātaṁ sadaya-hṛdaya darśita. Why? He was so kind and compassionate. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. God is very kind, very compassionate. He does not like. But when there is necessity, He can kill. But His killing and our killing is different. He's all good. Anyone killed by Kṛṣṇa, he immediately gets salvation. So these thing are there.

So, immeasurable. You cannot measure what is the soul, but the soul is there, and the body is perishable. "If you, even if you do not fight, you save the bodies of your grandfather and teacher and others as you are so much overwhelmed, so they are perishable. Antavanta means today or tomorrow. Suppose your grandfather is already old. So you do not kill him just now or, say, after one year or six months, he may die because he's already old. These are the arguments put forward. The main point is Kṛṣṇa wants Arjuna that he must fight. He must, he must not deviate from his duty as a kṣatriya. He should not be overwhelmed by the bodily destruction. Therefore He is giving instruction: "The body is different from the soul. So don't think that the soul will be killed. You stand up and fight." This is the instruction.

Lecture on BG 2.22 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972:

Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That, to come to that point, Kṛṣṇa is explaining that this body is like the dress, and the person who is dressed, that is within the dress. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Here also, it is said, tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī. Very simple thing. There is no difficulty. But the so-called scientists, philosophers, educationists, they will not believe that there is soul. They, they'll not believe. They'll simply argue. They cannot establish the real fact, how this body is moving. There are so many theories. But, except, accept, they will not accept that the..., actually, because the soul is within this body, everything is happening. And without the soul, immediately this body, so nice body of such and such great personality, becomes a lump of matter. Not that the body is working... They are finding out the brain substance, how it is working. But the brain substance is already there in the dead body. Why don't you work with that? No. That is not fact. The fact is the brain substance is a machine, but the man, or the person, is within the body. He's working with the brain substance. Just like you have got a nice machine. But it must be worked by somebody. At the present moment, the computer is a very subtle machine. But this computer cannot work without an experienced mechanic who pushes the button and it works. These people, they cannot understand that without spiritual touch, matter cannot work.

Lecture on BG 2.26 -- Los Angeles, December 6, 1968:

Devotee: "However, since he was not risking rebirth of the soul, Arjuna had no reason to be afraid of being affected with sinful activities due to his killing grandfather and teacher. But at the same time, Kṛṣṇa sarcastically addressed Arjuna as mahā-bāhu, mighty-armed, because He, at least, did not accept the theory of the vaibhāṣikas which leaves aside the Vedic wisdom. As a kṣatriya, Arjuna belonged to the Vedic culture, and it behooved him that he continue to follow its principles." Twenty-seven.

Prabhupāda: He is, as a friend, He's criticizing that "You are professing to be followers of Vedic culture, and you are accepting some nonsense culture. That is not good for you."

All right, stop there. So you read carefully Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there. Every word, every line is so, I mean to say, instructive. It is simply... That is the basic principle of spiritual knowledge. Now we have presented. Every one of you should very carefully read. Every one of you must have one book and read it carefully and appear in the examination next Janmāṣṭamī. You'll get designation, (laughs) Bhakti-śāstrī. Yes. So any question? Now invite people to come here. We have got now a nice place. What do you think?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow. That will be very nice. It will be a great pleasure to invite people here.

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

Caitanya Mahāprabhu selected him, nāmācārya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself came to broadcast the glory of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. So instead of becoming Himself the ācārya, He designated Haridāsa Ṭhākura as ācārya. And similarly, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, they also became Mohammedans. They were born in Hindu, Sārasvata brāhmaṇa family, but due to their association as minister of the then Muslim government, they were rejected from the brāhmaṇa society. Formerly, the brāhmaṇa society was very strict. Anyone becoming serving, serving, servant, he is immediately excluded: "Oh, you cannot become a brāhmaṇa. You are serving." In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, by the, spoken by Nārada, he says a brāhmaṇa, if he's in difficulty, he should not accept the business of a dog, service. He should not accept service. He may go to the profession of a kṣatriya, or even up to vaiśya. Not of a śūdra. These are the injunctions. So they were strictly being followed. These Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were very learned scholars, in Sanskrit, in Arabic language, Persian language, but because they accepted the ministership of Nawab Hussain Shah, immediately they were rejected. And they changed their name. Almost they became Muslim. Sakara Mallika, Dabhir Kasa. Their name was that. These are Mohammedan names. So they were living like that. But when Caitanya Mahāprabhu blessed them, they became the first-class gosvāmīs: Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. And He therefore said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) He asked to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world, in every village, in every town. Does he mean that let them become śūdras? Let them remain śūdras, and they become Kṛṣṇa conscious? No. He did not mean like that. That means everywhere there should be Vaiṣṇava. And a Vaiṣṇava means above brāhmaṇa. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Lecture on BG 2.26-27 -- London, August 29, 1973:

In many places. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam. In another place, that, if you execute your morality principles but if by executing such morality principle you do not, I mean to say, awaken your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is simply waste of time. Wherever you go, the Bhāgavata conclusion, harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. We have to keep in point of view that to become... Kṛṣṇa also says in Bhagavad-gītā: api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Even one is found su-durācāraḥ, not very strictly following moral principles, but he is an unflinching devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he's sādhu. These things are there. Therefore the point should be that we should not accept this karma-vāda or the bauddha-vāda or Māyāvāda, there are so many vādas. We shall simply take kṛṣṇa-vāda. Simply, simply accept Kṛṣṇa. And whatever He orders, whatever He likes, for His satisfaction, we shall do anything and everything. That is our morality.

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

"Persons who are twenty-four hours engaged," satata... Satata means always. Engaged. What kind of engagement? Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. This engagement means always trying to render some service to the Lord. How? Prīti-pūrvakam: "with love and faith." Not that "Oh, I have to do it? All right, let me do." No. "Oh, I have to do it? Let me do it nicely." Unless there is love, you cannot do it nicely, any matter. In the material world also, unless you have got some attachment for something, you cannot act it very nicely. Just like a musician. Because one has got a good attachment for music, he tries to perform it very perfectly. So love is the basis. Similarly, when you serve Kṛṣṇa, if you have no love for Kṛṣṇa, you cannot serve Him very nicely. And Kṛṣṇa also does not accept your service if it is not done in great love and affection. That is the basic principle. Kṛṣṇa does not require your service. He is self-sufficient. He has got many servants anywhere and everywhere. So Kṛṣṇa does not require our service. It is our interest. If we render service to Kṛṣṇa, then we become happy. That is the profit. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10).

Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

Laulyam means to be, to be greedy, to be greedy. You should not be greedy, that "I want so much. I want so much. I want so much." No, not like that. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ laulyam and jana-saṅgaś ca. Jana-saṅgaś ca means the persons who are not interested in spiritual matter, we should not associate with them. This should be... These are the, these six things, which retrograde the progress of spiritual life, and the other six things which I previously, just moment, I described, they will help us in our progressive life to the spiritual path.

So in this way, that work should not be stopped... Work... According to our position, according to our quality, work must be executed. But the fruit of the result, we should not accept. If we accept the fruit, then I must be responsible for the reaction, reaction of the work. Now, this question has come to be discussed by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna because Arjuna was a military man, he belonged to the administrative class, and this Bhagavad-gītā was described in the battlefield. So he was hesitating from his duty: "I shall not fight. I shall not fight because by killing my kinsmen, by killing my spiritual master, by killing my teacher, killing my grandfather, I will be sinful." That was his conclusion. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that "If you think in that way, that you shall be, I mean to say, enjoying, enjoying the reaction. Then, of course, you'll not be working in the spiritual field. You don't take in that way because this war is a duty and because I want that you should fight." It is the order from the authority. Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. "Therefore you should fight." So fighting for the cause of the Supreme, that will not affect you. That will not affect you. Just like you can take an example that fighting for the country and killing the enemies, that is taken into good account, but fighting for one's personal cause, fighting or killing one man for personal cause, that man is hanged by the laws of the state. Similarly, fighting is also not bad if it is done for the supreme cause. Anything which is done for the supreme cause, that is transcendental. That is above, I mean to say, our mundane calculation. So Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that "You should not stop working, but you have to work cautiously for the supreme cause. That is the way of working on the spiritual platform."

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

This is a prayer by Mādhavendra Purī. (chuckling) He says that "I am not going to do anything except serving Kṛṣṇa." This Mādhavendra Purī was the grand-spiritual master of Lord Caitanya. Mādhavendra Purī's disciple Īśvara Purī, and Īśvara Purī was accepted as spiritual master of Lord Caitanya. Nobody can become a spiritual master of the Supreme Lord, but in order to teach us that even the Lord, He also accepted a spiritual master. That is the system. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Unless He shows us the way, people will say, "Oh, Lord Caitanya did not accept any spiritual master." They can give example. But therefore Kṛṣṇa also accepted spiritual master. This is the system. One has to. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One must accept a spiritual master if he at all wants to know the spiritual science. Without that, it is not possible. Kṛṣṇa science, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, cannot be developed without the assistance of a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim (SB 7.5.32). There are very, very, many, many instances. What is that? Go on.

Lecture on BG 2.46-62 -- Los Angeles, December 16, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Yes. He not only took, accepted spiritual master, but He took all the risk to go into the jungle to bring wood for the spiritual master. Fuel wood. One day it so happened the whole day they were in the forest, and Sudāmā Vipra and He, they both of them were entrapped. There was heavy rain, they could not come out, and the whole night they remained within the forest. So not that because He was Kṛṣṇa, He did not accept any spiritual master or work for him. He took so much risk. He went to the forest. Otherwise who will accept spiritual master if He does not show us the way? He comes to teach us. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). "When there is discrepancies in the discharge of Vedic rules and, abhyutthānam adharmasya, and irreligious principles are too much rampant, then I appear." That is stated. So He teaches us how to acquire knowledge, how to behave. That is Kṛṣṇa, the purpose of His mission. He does not act any way which will be followed by somebody and he'll go to hell. No.

Vīrabhadra: My third question is when you had that heart attack, did you feel the pain?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Vīrabhadra: You felt the pain?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why shall I not?

Vīrabhadra: Well, because you're a pure devotee. I mean you're pure, so you don't feel pain.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

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

The same controller is coming before us as one of us, as human being. But we are not accepting Him. That is the difficulty. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). That is very regretful. Kṛṣṇa says that "I am coming to exhibit who is the supreme controller, and I am playing as human being so that everyone can understand. I am giving instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. Still, these fools, the rascals, they cannot understand." So God is there. We give the God's name, Kṛṣṇa, God's address also, Vṛndāvana, God's father's name, mothers' name. So why... Where is the difficulty to find out God? But they will not accept. They will not accept. Mūḍha. They have been described as mūḍha.

So this morning these press reporters asking me, "What is the purpose of your movement?" So I said, "To educate the mūḍhas, that's all." This is the sum and substance of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are trying to educate the mūḍhas. And who is mūḍha? That is described by Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Why? Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. Why māyā has taken away his knowledge? Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. We have got very simple test, just like a chemist in the small test tube can analyze what is the liquid. So we are not very intelligent. We are also one of so many mūḍhas, but we have got the test tube. Kṛṣṇa says... We like to remain mūḍha, and take education from Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We do not pose ourselves as very learned scholar and very erudite scholar—"We know everything." No.

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

The external nature, the material world, manifestation of this material world, is external nature. And this is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, as we'll find it in the Seventh Chapter, that apareyam. Aparā. Aparā means inferior or lower nature, lower nature. So He has got higher nature.

One may question that "Why? The Supreme Lord is all-good. Why He has got higher nature and lower nature?" Yes, He has got because He says. You cannot say that there is no higher nature and lower nature. There is also higher nature. Now, here the Lord says that "When I come as incarnation, when I appear..." Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. Svām means His higher nature. He does not accept this material nature. He does not accept this material nature.

Just like the example... We can give very tangible example. Just like in the prison house sometimes the head of the country goes to visit, to see, to inspect how the prison life is going on or to give them some instruction, some good lesson, that "Why you are rotting in prison? You become good citizen." Now, suppose the head of the state goes to the prison and to instruct the prisoners, and if the prisoners think, "Oh, he is also a prisoner. The head of the state who has come to instruct, he is also one of the prisoners, like us."

Lecture on BG 4.3-6 -- New York, July 18, 1966:

So similarly, if we think that Kṛṣṇa is like us, He is also assumed a material body and He is one of us, then it is a mistake. It is a mistake. That is explained. In the later chapters you'll find. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: (BG 9.11) "Oh, because I appear just like a man, the foolish man considers Me as one of them. But I am not as one of... I am not one of them." Here it is clearly said that "I appear, I appear." Prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. "I appear in My own spiritual nature. I don't accept this lower nature, this material nature." So we are, when we appear... Just like we have appeared. We have appeared in this material world, accepting this material body, the lower nature. But when Kṛṣṇa comes, He does not accept the lower nature. He comes in His original, superior, or higher, nature. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourselves. Here it is clearly said, prakṛtiṁ svām. Svām means own, personal, internal nature.

Just like everybody has got some personal affair and some public affair. Everybody. A man, high-court judge, he may be, as a public man, he may be a different personality in the high-court bench. But at home he's a different person, a different person. In the high-court bench one has to address that person, "My Lord," but at home his wife addressing him by his own name, "Mr. Harry! Harry! Why don't you do it?" Oh, there is no question of "My Lord."

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

So this temple worship or accepting some authority, either you accept Kṛṣṇa or you accept Lord Jesus Christ or Jehovah or Lord Buddha or Guru Nanak, that is a different, I mean to say, kinds of faith, but this acceptance of authority is there in everywhere. Now who is the highest authority, that we have to see by understanding Vedic literature, by our arguments, by our sense, by our understanding. But this acceptance of authority is there.

So dharmasya glāniḥ means when we defy authority. That is called discrepancy in the discharge of religiosity or occupational duty. Even in your office, even in the government, if you do not accept authority there is chaos, there is revolution. So this sort of mentality is very dangerous. When one does not accept any authority, that is his chaotic condition. So Lord Kṛṣṇa says that dharmasya... yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7).

So dharmasya glānir bhavati means one sense, that I have explained, occupational duty. Now we have got, our present position is in three status. What is that? In the gross status of our understanding, we take this gross body as my self. At that time my dharma or occupational duty is different. When I accept mind as myself, then my occupational duty becomes different. But when I understand that I am spirit soul, then my occupational duty is different.

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

This is temporary self-interest. But the real self-interest is Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord, Absolute Truth. Na te viduḥ. But modern education and any education, modern or past, in the material world, those who are conditioned by the material laws, they do not know so, what is his ultimate destination of self-interest. Na te viduḥ. They do not know.

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Viṣṇu means the Supreme Lord, all-pervading. Why? Durāśayā. Durāśayā means ill-conceived plan. They are thinking that they will be happy by planning in this material world. This is called durāśā. It will never be fulfilled. It will never be fulfilled. Durāśā. Dur means it is impossible. But they will not accept this. They will not accept. They are being knocked so many times—failure, failure, failure, failure. Still, they will not accept. Dur. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ: "They are captivated by the glamour of this external energy." Bahir-artha-māninaḥ.

Adānta-gobhiḥ: "And the main disease is uncontrolled senses." Adānta. Adānta means uncontrolled, unbridled senses. Because the senses, being unbridled, they will not allow you to understand in cool head what is the problem. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram. Just like if you are sitting on a car where the horses are unbridled and it is running on in great speed without your control, you do not know where, when you will be in danger. You will be in danger. You are already in danger because the horses are unbridled. It is pulling you anywhere it likes. Similarly, our horses—the senses are called horses—it is being controlled. Viśatāṁ tamisram. It is going to the darkest region of hellish condition.

Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:

Because they have got a very bitter experience of this life of variegatedness, therefore they want to make a negation of this variegatedness and they want to turn themselves into the impersonal feature. So these things are there. So vīta-rāga. So one has to give up this attachment and detachment also. Vīta-rāga-bhaya and krodha.

Krodha means there are other persons who are neither impersonalists nor personalists. They are what are called more or less atheists. Atheist means they don't believe in any transcendental nature. Even they do not believe in the existence of the soul. They simply concern themselves with this material body. Just like Buddha philosophy. Buddha philosophy does not accept the existence of the soul. Buddha philosophy says that this material body is a combination of matter. Now, as soon as the matter is dissolved, then the feelings of happiness and distress is gone. But according to Bhagavad-gītā, the existence of soul is accepted in the Vedic literature.

Just like after Lord Buddha, Śaṅkarācārya, Śaṅkarācārya came. He gave hint about the spiritual nature of the soul, and he said, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This matter is false and temporary, but spirit is eternal." And other ācāryas, just like Rāmānujācārya and Madhvācārya, they came after Śaṅkarācārya, and they established that in the spiritual world there is also life like this, but that is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge.

Lecture on BG 4.9-11 -- New York, July 25, 1966:

Now, although we are two classes, impersonalist and personalist, we take Veda as the medium of knowledge. We may give different interpretations. That is another thing. But either party of Śaṅkarācārya or the party of Vaiṣṇava and ācāryas, they take the Vedānta-sūtra, the Vedānta philosophy, as the medium.

But Lord Buddha, although we accept him as the incarnation of God and he was born in India and he propagated his philosophy from India, but because he denied to accept the Vedic principle, therefore he is known as atheist, because he, Buddha, did not accept the Vedic principles. He denied. And there was reason why he did not. That is a secret thing. That secret—because his whole philosophy was to stop animal killing, animal killing. Now, in the Vedic scripture, you will find, animal sacrifice is recommended. So he wanted to preach, "Stop animal killing." Now, if there is evidence from the Vedas that animal can be killed under certain circumstances, then his whole preaching becomes topsy-turvied. So he was obliged to deny the authority of the Vedas. And because he did not accept the authority of the Vedas, the Vedantists and the followers of Vedas, they called the Buddhist philosophy as atheism. This is the explanation.

So one is accepted as atheist who does not believe in the tenets of the Vedas. That is the sum and substance of atheism. It may be a sound philosophy or whatever it may be, but atheism, one who does not believe in the authority of the Vedas, they are called atheist.

Lecture on BG 4.13 -- Bombay, April 2, 1974:

Brahminical culture means people should learn how to speak truth, satya, śama, how to control the mind, how to control the senses. Satya, śama, damaḥ, titikṣā, how to become tolerant, ārjavam, how to become simple in life, how to become cleansed, how to acquire knowledge and how to practically apply the knowledge in daily life.

Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. And āstikyam means full faith in the Vedic literature. That is called āstikya. Āstikya generally is called theism. So if one has full faith and full knowledge in Vedas, he becomes theist. If he has no sufficient knowledge in the Vedas, he becomes atheist. So just like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, veda nā māniyā bauddha haila nāstika. The Buddhists, they did not accept the authority of the Vedas. Therefore they are called nāstika, or atheist. That is the definition, that if you do not accept the authority of the Vedas, then you become atheist. So this is the brahminical.... One of the brahminical qualification is how to live under the Vedic civilization. That is brāhmaṇa.

Similarly, kṣatriya. Tejaḥ, śauryam, very powerful, and kṣatriya will never go away from the battlefield. Kṣatriya's business is, in the battlefield, either to become victorious or lay down life. That is kṣatriya. He is not coming back from the battlefield without being victorious, no. That is kṣatriya's business. Not like.... kṣatriya, therefore, they are in charge of the government. Nowadays the kṣatriyas, they do not go to the government. Practically there is no kṣatriya. That is stated in the śāstras. Asaṁskṛtāḥ kriyā-hīnā mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ. Mleccha. They have no that kṣatriya qualification, mleccha, unclean.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

There is nothing modern. The old thing is going on. So if we follow systematically the previous ācāryas, previous system, as Kṛṣṇa is advising... Kṛṣṇa does not advise, "Modern." Five thousand years ago He instructed Bhagavad-gītā. Still, He was saying pūrva pūrvataraiḥ, pūrvatamaiḥ. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). This is intelligence. We have to accept the real truth and follow it. It does not mean modern age or previous age, past age. That is not Vedic system.

The old system is going on, everything. The sun is also the old. The sun is rising as it was doing in olden times. The moon is also rising. The years and season are changing. Everything is going on. Why we should not accept the system of Vedic knowledge, the oldest of all in the world? There is no history. That is intelligence.

So Kṛṣṇa advising here, evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ. What Kṛṣṇa said? That the karma should be divided according to the quality of the person. There are three qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa—of the material world. Guṇa-mayī māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). So guṇa-mayī. Guṇa means the three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And guṇa, another, means rope. Just like strong rope, three, three ropes. You take three ropes and wind it, it becomes very strong. That is also guṇa-mayī. So Kṛṣṇa advised, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). So guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, guṇa, quality, is there. Now you act according to the quality. Don't be idle.

Lecture on BG 4.19-22 -- New York, August 8, 1966:

A devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, he does not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. Just like you take the remnants of your master. Just like servant takes the remnants of master. The master eats. In India the process is that husband and wife, that after the husband eats, the remnants are taken by the wife. The wife does not eat along with the husband. That is the old system. Now it is being changed. The husband and wife, they do not... The husband is supplied by the wife all kinds of good dishes, and when the husband is satisfied, some foodstuff is left, and that is taken by the wife. So similarly, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he does not take anything, does not accept anything, which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Because his life is full of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, you will find... Suppose if you want to take things which have been eaten by Kṛṣṇa, then you have to ask Kṛṣṇa, "What do You desire to eat, sir?" Suppose if you want me, to feed, give me some foodstuff, naturally you ask me, "Swamiji, what sort of foodstuff you'll like?" I have got experience here in your country. I was invited in Butler, here also, by some churches, and they wanted to give me some food. So they asked me, "Swamiji, what do you desire to eat?" So I told them, "I eat... I am strictly vegetarian. I shall accept fruits and milk. That's all." Similarly, if anyone invites somebody, it is natural that the guest is asked what sort of foodstuff he would like.

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, if you want to offer something Kṛṣṇa, you must know what sort of foodstuff He wants. How you will know? Kṛṣṇa is not just present in your front. How you will know that Kṛṣṇa wants this foodstuff? Oh, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like you can understand, what government expects from me, you can know from the lawbooks, from the civil court, similarly, what Kṛṣṇa wants, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Lecture on BG 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:

It is very nicely composed. The idea is that the poet is praying Lord Buddha. And Lord Buddha is also mentioned in Bhāgavatam as incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So he is praying Lord Buddha, "My dear Lord, you have assumed now the buddha-śarīra, body, just to, by taking compassion on the poor animals, and therefore you are also deprecating the animal sacrifices recommended in the Vedas."

So because Lord Buddha did not accept... He had to do that because his mission was to stop animal sacrifice and animal killing. "Now if these foolish persons, without knowing the Vedic purpose, if they present, 'Oh, here it is recommended in the Vedas,' then there will be disturbance." So he had to discard, he had to go out of the Vedic rules and regulation, and he preached his own philosophy.

So therefore sacrifice, any kind of sacrifice, that sacrifice is now consolidated in this sacrifice of, I mean to, sacrificing your time and sitting down here and chanting

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 BG 4.21 -- Bombay, April 10, 1974:

Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca. Prayāsaḥ means things which are done with great endeavor. No. We shall accept things which are very easily done. Not to waste our energy unnecessarily.

Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ, prajalpaḥ, talking all nonsense, sitting together and on the newspaper, "Oh, such politician said like this, such social worker..." All nonsense. Practically you try to avoid all this newspaper reading or talking of nonsense subject matter. That is called prajalpa.

Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ (NOI 2). Niyamāgrahaḥ means niyama, scheduled rules and regulation, not to accept. Niyama āgraha or niyama agraha. Āgraha means unnecessarily āgraha, but without any result. That is called niyamāgrahaḥ. You must follow the rules regulation so that you are benefitted. But if you are not benefitted simply by following the rules and regulation, that is āgraha, only for the rules and regulation, not for the result. We must see that there is result. Niyamāgrahaḥ.

Jana-saṅgaś ca, to associate with unwanted people. You must associate with devotees, not others. They are called.... laulya, jana-saṅgaś ca.

And laulyam, greediness, ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati.

If you are a student of devotional service, you must avoid all these things.

Lecture on BG 4.24-34 -- New York, August 12, 1966:

And vānaprastha means retired life. And the sannyāsa means renounced order. They have no connection with worldly activities. So these are four different stages of human social order. Now, the brahmacārī, they are meant for sacrifice, the students. The students are recommended to sacrifice, especially to sacrifice sense gratification.

The students are... Formerly, they were in the guru-gṛha, spiritual master's place, and they had to undergo severe types of regulation. So a brahmacārī is expected to go to every householder and beg. There was no system of schooling, there was no system for payment. The spiritual master, the teacher, he did not accept any payment in pound shilling pence. That was not accepted because mostly brāhmaṇas, they used to become the teachers. So they were not accepting any salary. The brāhmaṇas are forbidden to accept any service.

So the education was free. So every student, education was free. And village to village education was... So in former days—even fifty years before I have seen in villages—there was some small school, and all the villages boys, they were coming and taking education. So education was very much widespread because education was free in this way. So students were meant to go for begging alms for the teachers. These are some of the regulative principles.

Now, that is sacrifice. They sacrificed their labor for the spiritual master, for the teacher, and whatever they got, they surrendered to the teacher. And it is said that after cooking, if the teacher asked the student, "My dear boy, you come and take your meals," then he will take. Otherwise, if the teacher forgets to call him one day for his meals, then he should not go and ask the teacher that "Sir, I have not taken my food. Give me my food." Rather, he should starve. So much penances, so much regulative(?) was there. These are called sacrifice.

Lecture on BG 6.4-12 -- New York, September 4, 1966:

"By functioning yoga, I shall achieve this power." And aparigraha, and he does not take anything from anybody. Who is going to give him? He is ekākī, he is alone in a secluded place, in, sometimes in jungle, in forest, in mountain. And who is going to give him anything? He doesn't expect because he is firmly convinced that "For whom I have become yogi...I am not alone. My Paramātmā is always with me." He's a yogi of... Unless..., what kind of yogi he is? He is... Although he remains superficially alone, but he knows that "Wherever I go, my Paramātmā friend, who is sitting with me on my heart, He is with me. So I have nothing to fear. So I have nothing to fear." Yata-cittātmā. Ekākī yata-cittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ. He does not accept anything for anyone.

Now, just see the yogi, yogic principle, for this age, how much it is difficult for us. If we want to perform real yoga system, then it is very difficult. Nobody... We are sitting here, so many ladies and gentlemen, is it possible for us to live alone in a secluded place in a mountain? You have got in your, outside your New York City there are so many mountains and jungles. Can you live there alone? Oh, no. At the present moment, the modern way of our civilization, mode of our life... Just like I am a sannyāsī, I am renounced order of life, but still, I have come to a city, New York City, the largest city of the world. From Bombay city or Calcutta city I have come. So life has become so changed that in this age actually what is called yoga, it is not possible. It is not... First condition is that ekākī yata-cittātmā, he should remain alone, he should perform yoga system alone, not in with friends and many other yogis. No. Yata-cittātmā nirāśīr aparigrahaḥ. And he should have no desire in his mind. And aparigraha. He does not want anything from anybody, anybody else. This is the first condition.

Lecture on BG 6.13-15 -- Los Angeles, February 16, 1969:

Similarly the seed is given by the father in the womb of the mother and it grows like a tree. And this body is that. Where is voidness? Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). In the Fourteenth Chapter you'll see that originally the seed was given by Kṛṣṇa in the womb of this material nature and so many living entities are coming out. You cannot argue against it because actually the generation is the same process as in our practical life we see the father gives the seed in the womb of the mother and the mother, I mean to say, nourishes the child to grow body. So there is no question of void. If the seed would have been void, how this nice body has developed?

So nirvāṇa means not to accept any more material body. Don't try to make it void. That is another nonsense. Void, you are not void. Void means to make void this material body. This full of miserable conditional body. Just try to grow your spiritual body. That is possible. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). These things are there. So we have to become very intelligent to understand what is the problem of life, how we should use this valuable human form of life. Unfortunately this education is practically nil all over the world.

Lecture on BG 6.16-24 -- Los Angeles, February 17, 1969:

What is your occupation? Sense gratification, that's all. That is animal. So people are not considering how they're implicated with this bodily concept of life.

So one should first of all know that our miserable condition of material existence is due to this body. At the same time this body is not permanent. Supposing I identify everything with this body—family, society, country, this, that, so many things. But how long? It is not permanent. Asat. Asat means it will not exist. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). Simply troublesome. Not permanent and simply giving trouble. That is intelligence. How to get out of this body. People come, says that "I am not in peace. I am in trouble. My mind is not peace." But when the medicine is offered, he does not accept. You see? He wants something palatable, what he has understood, that's all. Many people come to us, "Swamiji, oh, this is my position." And as soon as we suggest the medicine, he'll not accept. Because he wants some medicine which will be acceptable by him. So how we can offer? Then why do you go to a physician? You make your own treatment? You see?

So here the suggestion is that this body is useless, but that does not mean we shall not take care. Just like you are going from one place to another place on your car. The car, you are not this car, but because you have to use the car for your work, you have to take care of the car also. But not much care that you simply become absorbed in the car business and no other business. Just like somebody, too much attachment to the car is polishing the car whole day, you see, polishing. So we should not be too much attached to this body. But because with this body we have to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we should keep it fit also. That is called yukta-vairāgya. We should not neglect. We shall take regular bath, we shall, regular nice food, Kṛṣṇa prasāda, keep our mind and body healthy. That is required.

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

Devotee: Verse thirty-six: "For one whose mind is unbridled, self-realization is difficult work. But he whose mind is controlled and who strives by right means is assured of success. That is My judgement." Purport: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead declares that one who does not accept the proper treatment to detach the mind from material engagement can hardly achieve success in self-realization. Trying to practice yoga while engaging the mind in material enjoyment is like trying to ignite a fire while pouring water on it. Similarly yoga practice without mental control is a waste of time."

Prabhupāda: Because I sit down for meditation. Of course if meditation is focusing the mind on Viṣṇu, that is very good. But there are so many yoga societies, they educate their student to concentrate their mind on something void, something color. Not exactly to Viṣṇu form. You see. So that is very difficult task. That is also explained in the Bhagavad—kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām (BG 12.5). One who is trying to concentrate his mind on the imperson or voidness, it is very difficult and troublesome. At least here in this temple, these students, they are trying to concentrate his mind on Kṛṣṇa. But to concentrate one's mind in void, that is very difficult. So naturally my mind is flickering. Instead of finding out something void, my mind is engaged in something else. Because mind must be engaged in something. If it is not engaged in Kṛṣṇa, then it must be engaged in māyā. So if you cannot do that, then this so-called meditation and sitting posture is simply useless waste of time. Go on.

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

Not for another purpose. So, no illicit sex life, no intoxication. Our students, they do not smoke even, they do not take tea even, coffee. So what to speak of other things, so they are pure. No gambling and no animal food. That's all. If you simply follow these four principles, then you become immediately uncontaminated. Immediately. Without any further endeavor. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that as soon as you join you become immediately uncontaminated. But do not contaminate again. Therefore these restrictions. Because our contamination begins from these four kinds of bad habits. But if we check, then there is no question of contamination. As soon as I take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness I become free. Now if I become cautious not to accept these four principles, then I am free, I am continuing uncontaminated. This is the process. But if you think that because Kṛṣṇa consciousness makes me free, so let me indulge in all these four principles and I will get free after chanting. That is cheating. That will not be allowed. Once you are free, but don't do it again. But if you think "I shall do it and make myself free."

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

Your life is spoiled." Go on. Māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa. Sarva-nāśa means you lose everything. And because we do not explain demonic explanation, that "I am God, you are God," people do not like. Just like the other day the question was... They explained in different... They like that explanation because demonic. People are generally demonic, more or less. One may be fifty percent demon, another may be eighty percent demon, but everyone in this material world is a demon.

Materialistic means demon. Don't you see the example of Hiraṇyakaśipu? What was his fault? He is called a demon. Why? What was his fault? His fault was to..., not to accept God. His small child was a devotee. He was thinking of God, and the father was angry: "Why you are thinking of God? Why you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa?" Just see. But materially the father was so powerful that he conquered all over other planets. He was so powerful. So any materialistic person, if he has got more money, wealth, strength, he is worshiped. So this is demon worship. Demons are generally very powerful. They are so-called educated. They are so-called... So many things they have got. But the test is: if he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, he is demon. That's all. That is the study of demon. Yes. Go on.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. If somebody says, "Oh, I am very good scholar in Sanskrit and English and this language, that language. I can explain. I have read so many books, and I can comment. I can give footnote and waste your time," then "Oh, he is very nice." Simply for wasting time and energy, everyone is ready. And as soon as the right thing is given... Right thing... If you say, "Oh, you haven't got to go through so many, I mean to say, process. You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," "Oh," they'll say, "this is all nonsense. Simply by chanting?" They will not accept. You see? There are many stories in this connection, how people are not accustomed to take things very simply. They want something bombastic. Yes. You see? Go on.

Devotee: "In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam this process of understanding Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is described in the third chapter of the First Canto as follows: 'To hear about Kṛṣṇa from the Vedic literature or to hear from Him directly through the Bhagavad-gītā is itself righteous activity. And for one who hears about Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is dwelling in everyone's heart, acts as a well-wishing friend and purifies the devotee.' "

Prabhupāda: This is very important. The Bhāgavata statement is there. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If somebody even does not understand the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā—simply he sticks to the hearing process—then there is the result. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Bhāgavata says, "One who is..." Just like these children. Our... We have got so many children, devotees here. It is not possible that they are understanding the subtle philosophical statements of Bhagavad-gītā, but because they are sitting and hearing, they are writing. You see? But whatever he writes, it is right. Just take by a practical example.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Bombay, December 20, 1975:

"You come to Me." Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Very easy thing.

So our only request is the leaders of the society should take up the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā very seriously, learn himself, and teach to others. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not at all difficult; it is very easy. Everyone can do it. But the result will be that as soon as you understand, people understand Kṛṣṇa, janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9), anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa, the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti... After giving up this body he does not accept any more material body; he stays in his spiritual identity and enjoys the society of Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. Gopījana-vallabha. Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa, Vṛndāvana means that Kṛṣṇa is the center. He is the lovable object of everyone. The gopīs, the cowherd boys, the calves, the cows, the trees, the fruits, flowers, the father, mother—everyone is attached to Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. So this is replica, this Vṛndāvana, and there is real Vṛndāvana. This is also real. In the absolute there is no difference.

Lecture on BG 7.2 -- London, March 10, 1975:

Therefore our process is—we have repeatedly explained this—that we do not speculate about God. Just like there are so many others, theosophists and theologists, they're speculating what is God. They don't accept... God personally explaining, they would not accept. They would simply speculate. This is their disease. When God is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā... Rather, they will mislead the readings of the Bhagavad-gītā in different interpretation, but they will not accept what is being taught by God Himself. This is their misfortune. "Why shall I accept Kṛṣṇa as God?" Although He has proved Himself when He was present by the qualification which God needs...

To become God is not easy thing. There are some qualification, yesterday we discussed, that He must be the richest, He must be the most powerful, He must be the most famous, He must be the most learned, He must be the most beautiful, and He must be the most renounced. This is the definition of God. A poor man, begging from door to door, he cannot become God, as it is misconceived, daridra-nārāyaṇa. Why Nārāyaṇa can be daridra? What is this nonsense? He is the richest. He is the richest. And why He can, He will be daridra? The argument is forwarded that "God is in everyone's heart; therefore everyone is God." What is this argument? Everyone's heart, God is there. God said, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Where God says that because īśvara, the Supreme Being, is situated in everyone's heart, therefore everyone is God? What is this argument? Where Kṛṣṇa says that because īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61), therefore everyone is God? Is that very sound argument?

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:

If I ask him, "What is your next life?" he cannot answer. Then what is the difference? If I ask the dog that "What is your next life?" he cannot say. "Gow! gow!" That's all. So if I ask any human being that "What is your next life?" "I don't bother about that thing." (laughter) The same answer, "Gow! Gow!" That's all.

So this is the position, that we do not know what is the perfection of life. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, begins real knowledge. This chapter is "Knowledge of the Absolute." So everyone... You ask any M.A., Ph.D., that "What is your next life, sir?" "Gow! Gow!" (laughter) That's all. "Gow! Gow!" means "Why you are bothering about these things?" Now, this is the position. And we have taken very hard job to convince these people about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They will not accept it. They will deny immediately. They will say, "Why do you bother us? You do your own business. Let us do our own business." But why we are bothering? Because we are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants that these rascals should be informed. These rascals should be raised from this status of ignorance. So that is our mission. Therefore we are going and pleading, "Sir, I am a beggar, I have come to beg from you that you kindly purchase one book and you read it." So sometimes they are doing. After all, human being... So this is our... This is our business. We are stressing on pushing on these books because modern man, if he purchases one book, then at least he will see one line, "What these nonsense have written?" So if he reads one line, if he is intelligent man, he will understand the value. That is sure. That is sure.

Lecture on BG 7.4 -- Bombay, February 19, 1974:

Just like you are accepting this body—"I am American," "I am Indian"—but I am neither American nor Indian; I am spirit soul. This is called illusion. Bhrama, pramāda, and vipralambha. Vipralambha means the propensity for cheating others. I do not know exactly what is the cause of life; still, I am theorizing in so many ways. And when I am challenged by other person that "Can you produce, with chemical, life?" "That I cannot say." Then why you are talking nonsense? This is cheating. If you are actually in knowledge that from chemical, life can be produced, then you produce it. I give you chemicals. But when you cannot do, why you are cheating people? But this cheating propensity is there. One is a nonsense number one, but he speaks. "Devils cite scripture." That we do not accept. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement does not accept the scripture cited by the Devil. Therefore we have accepted Kṛṣṇa, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Whatever He says, we accept. We are not perfect, our senses are not perfect, we are fool number one, but the knowledge which we accept, that is perfect. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, February 22, 1974:

So anyway, it is to be understood. Just like the, all the planets are floating in the air in weightlessness... How this weightlessness comes? That is explained here. Mayi, "It is resting on Me." Kṛṣṇa says. Mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva.

So He is the ultimate cause, He is the cause of all causes. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Parama īśvaraḥ, the supreme controller. In this way we have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then our life will be successful. Because our, this human life is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). This is the real knowledge. Unless you come to this real knowledge, your life is unsuccessful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) "Those who will not accept Me in one life, he has to wait for many, many lives, but to come to this conclusion, that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā... (BG 7.19)" If you actually want to become mahātmā, then you have to come to this point, that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). That is mahātmā. Mahātmā does not mean by simply changing this dress. Mahātmā means who understands Kṛṣṇa. He's mahātmā because his soul is increased in dimension to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa ma... (BG 7.19). Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). As soon as you become mahātmā, then you are no longer under the control of this material nature. That is also confirmed. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Otherwise, you have to remain under the clutches of māyā and punished by him.

Lecture on BG 7.9 -- Vrndavana, August 15, 1974:

Actually, we have to think of Kṛṣṇa... Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Here is Kṛṣṇa's form. Therefore we have to worship Deity. Constantly, if we worship, then Kṛṣṇa's form is always impressed. I can see Kṛṣṇa any, any time. If I close my eyes, I will see Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa is nicely dressed. I see Kṛṣṇa is very pleasingly eating what I have prepared with devotion, bhaktyā. Real thing is bhaktyā, not official. Not official. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). He does not accept anything even it is not offered with bhakti and by the bhakta. He does not accept. Why He shall accept? Is He hungry like me? No. He simply wants to see how you have learned to love Kṛṣṇa, bhakti, how you are eager to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is... Kṛṣṇa wants to see. Otherwise He does not require your service. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). He's always being served by hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune. They are so much afraid. They are goddess of... We are praying here goddess of fortune, "My mother, Goddess of Fortune, give me some fortune." They are... The goddess of fortune is afraid if Kṛṣṇa may reject. Just like Rukmiṇī. When Kṛṣṇa was joking with her, she thought, "Maybe Kṛṣṇa is going to leave me." Immediately fainted. Immediately fainted. That is the goddess of fortune.

Lecture on BG 8.1 -- Geneva, June 7, 1974:

This is the ultimate end of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that anta-kāle, at the time of death, at the end of life, anta-kāle ca mām, "unto Me," anta-kāle ca mām eva (BG 8.5), "certainly," smaran, "remembering..." The Deity worship especially meant for this purpose, so that you go on worshiping the Deity of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, naturally you'll be practiced to think of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa always within your heart. This practice required. Anta-kāle ca mām eva smaran muktvā (BG 8.5). This is the mukti.

Mukti means no more material body. That is called mukti. We are now conditioned by this material body. In the material world, we are changing one body after another, but there is no mukti. There is no liberation. Mukti is... Simply by changing body, we are not mukta. Mukta means we change this body not to accept any more material body, but we remain in our own spiritual body. Just like if you are diseased, you are suffering from fever, so when there is no more fever, but you remain in your original healthy body, that is called mukti. It is not that mukti means to become formless. No. The same example: You are suffering from fever. To become free from fever does not mean that you become formless. Why I shall become formless? My form is there, but my form is no more disturbed by the fever, feverish condition. That is called mukti. Roga-mukta, free from disease. Therefore it is called muktvā kalevaram. Just like the snake. They sometimes give up the outer covering of the body. Have you seen?

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:

Devotees are always tortured by the demons. They (the demons) are prepared to torture even Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and great devotees also. So they (the devotees) tolerate all these tortures. Therefore the devotees are described as titikṣavaḥ. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also teaches, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. A devotee should learn this śloka of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that he should be tolerant more than the trees. Kāruṇikāḥ. And they take the risk of preaching amongst the demons, nondevotees, because they are kāruṇikāḥ, very merciful, more merciful than Kṛṣṇa. More merciful than Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa says, "Don't speak this Bhagavad-gītā to the nondevotees," because nondevotees will not accept. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Who will accept unless he is devotee? The Māyāvādī, karmī, jñānī, yogi they cannot accept. They are envious, "I am Kṛṣṇa. I am God. Why I shall surrender to Kṛṣṇa? Why shall I accept Kṛṣṇa as God?" This is the position of the bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī. Therefore you will find so many yogis; they can play jugglery, magic, but they are not devotees. They will not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is their... So such persons cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. They cannot understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. They cannot understand because Kṛṣṇa does not disclose Himself to the nondevotees. So by their own attempt, however big yogi or jñānī or karmī he may be, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa discloses, reveals Himself, to the anasūyave, one who is not envious. And that is devotee. Anasūyave means devotee, who does not, who is not envious of Kṛṣṇa. Others, they are envious, Karmī, jñānī, yogi.

Lecture on BG 9.1 -- Vrndavana, April 17, 1975:

The karmīs will say that "You work hard, and get the result and enjoy. Why you are going to the temple to pray?" This is the philosophy of the Communists. "Why should you go to the church? Why should you go to the temple? Forget all these things. Work hard, earn money and enjoy life." But that is demonic. Because there is envy against God, they are demons. So the science of God or science of Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-tattva, is never disclosed or revealed amongst the nondevotees demons. It can be revealed, it can be understood by a person like Arjuna. Therefore it is said anasūyave, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ pravakṣyāmi. Anasūyave, this very word. We should never be envious to Kṛṣṇa and his devotee. If you think that "I will become... I am envious to the devotees, but I am not envious to Kṛṣṇa," no, no, Kṛṣṇa does not accept that kind of business. You... First of all, you should be nonenvious to the devotee. Mad-bhaktaḥ pūjyābhyadhikaḥ. "If you are envious to My devotee and if you become a devotee, that is not." That is stated that one who is directly devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he is not devotee. One who is devotee through His devotee, he is devotee.

Lecture on BG 9.2 -- Calcutta, March 8, 1972:

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva. Bhāgyavān jīva means those who are coming into our contact, they're bhāgyavān, they're getting the opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, guru kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). In this temple there is guru and there is Kṛṣṇa, and we call people to take the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If one is fortunate enough, he'll take this opportunity and make his life successful. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, rāja-vidyā. All these centers are being opened to give opportunity the people to take advantage of the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu cult, guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpa. Without guru you cannot have mercy of Kṛṣṇa. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṇa like monkey. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa will not accept. If you think that "Without guru I shall jump over Kṛṣṇa, and He'll be merciful upon me," that monkey's business will not be accepted. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says that gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. You have to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of servant (CC Madhya 13.80). Then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. If you jump over Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, I have come to You..." Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. Therefore guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya. If you are sincere, if you're sincere, that Kṛṣṇa will be merciful, first of all. Then Kṛṣṇa will guide you. If you're sincere, Kṛṣṇa will direct you that "Approach such and such guru," and if guru is pleased, then you'll get Kṛṣṇa, that guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya, both, parallel line.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

In another place it is said that, just like He says that "The worshiping the other demigod, that is also worshiping Me," but avidhi bhur bhavam. Yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam: that is not vidhi. Vidhi is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66), to worship Kṛṣṇa. It is very simple. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). But people will not accept this simple thing which will give him complete perfection. But māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuri bhāvam āśritāḥ, because they have taken the atheistic view, āsuri bhāvam āśritāḥ, therefore māyā has taken his knowledge. They..., everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayaiva vihitān hi tān. If we worship other demigod, they cannot independently offer you any benediction. Kṛṣṇa said, mayaiva vihitān hi tān. They have to take sanction from the Supreme Personality of Godhead before giving you the benediction. But still such benediction is temporary, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). They are temporary.

So such temporary benediction is meant for the alpa-medhasām, one whose brain substance is very small, or the brain substance, instead of brain substance, it's cow dung. They attempt, they accept in this way; otherwise every śāstra says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). One..., all the Vedic literatures, they aim at understanding Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "Give up all these things. Simply surrender unto Me." It is so easy. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalam... Any, any part of the world, any poor man can offer Kṛṣṇa. This is the poorest, not that who are rich, for them it is prescribed. Anyone can offer Kṛṣṇa according to his capacity. Kṛṣṇa is not hankering after your offering, but if you offer Kṛṣṇa, that is for your own interest, own benefit. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4).

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

We have no calculation. This is God's creation. Anything you take... You cannot count even your hair. You claim, "This is my hair." Can you count it? No. That is God's creation. Everywhere God is present and everything is innumerable, beyond our counting capacity.

In this way God is situated. Antar bahiḥ. He is situated outside, He is situated inside also. Kṛṣṇa says... This is quite reasonable, otherwise how He is God? Just like I am here, you are here, but you are not in your apartment. You are absent from your apartment. But God, God means He is in his apartment and He is everywhere. That is God. The rascals, they claim that "I am God." What kind of God you are? Are you everywhere spread? So you should not accept such cheap God. God's description is there in the śāstra. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭim (Bs. 5.35). One part, one portion is Paramātmā, the Supersoul. In His Supersoul feature He is present in innumerable universes. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means the universe. It is just like an egg. They are aṇḍa. Aṇḍa means egg. The form is like egg. So there are millions. So to maintain the millions and millions of universes by His one portion, Paramātmā, He is spread. He is called Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. It is a great science. God expands Himself in so many ways, and for the material world He is expanded as puruṣāvatāra: Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He's expanding like that. Causal Ocean.

The Causal Ocean, He is lying there, sleeping within the ocean, and from His breathing the universes are coming out. This is God. Because He is in a sleeping condition, that is expansion of God. That is not original God. Original God is Kṛṣṇa. But he can expand Himself. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). That is God. Just have some idea what is God. So as Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, He is sleeping within the ocean, and as soon as there is question of sleeping, there is breathing also. The bubbles, the bubbles are expanding as universe.

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa is not an ordinary man. Therefore Kṛṣṇa warns this. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). Mūḍha rascals. To accept God as man and to accept man as God, this is rascaldom. Rascaldom means to accept a man as God and to accept God as man. This is rascaldom. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ. We can understand who is an intelligent man and who is a rascal by this criterion. In another place Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ: (BG 7.15) "Mūḍhāḥ, rascals, they do not surrender unto Me." Kṛṣṇa is canvassing... Especially in India He appeared. He is canvassing, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He is canvassing. But the mūḍhas, they will not accept it. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ. "Oh. Why shall I accept Kṛṣṇa? I have got my own God. I manufacture my God." So we have got very short-cut criterion to understand a rascal and intelligent man. What is that? If he is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then he is intelligent man. If he is not, then he's rascal. That's all.

"No, he does not accept Kṛṣṇa as God, but he has many other gods." Especially in our Hindu society, they say, the Māyāvāda philosophers, they say that everyone is God. How everyone can be God? If everyone is God, then what is the significance of God? Even not demigods... In śāstra it says, yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ (CC Madhya 18.116). Not to speak of ordinary demigods, but big, big demigods, just like Brahmā, Lord Śiva... Even Viṣṇu. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is viṣṇu-tattva. Kṛṣṇa is not in the category of jīva-tattva. There are jīva-tattvas, there are śakti-tattvas, there are viṣṇu-tattvas. People do not know it. Therefore in the next line it is said, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. They do not know what is viṣṇu-tattva, what is jīva-tattva, what is śakti-tattva, how things are working. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ (BG 9.11). Mama bhūta-maheśvaram: "I am the Supreme Person."

Lecture on BG 9.11 -- Calcutta, June 30, 1973:

Those who are budhas, they are Kṛṣṇa conscious. They are devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa ye bhaje sei baḍa catura. Without being very, very intelligent, nobody can become Kṛṣṇa conscious, devotee of Kṛṣṇa. These mūḍhas cannot become. It is not possible. If you want to remain a mūḍha, then you can not understand. When your mūḍhatvam, your "unwisdom" will go... How it will go? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). If you cultivate knowledge, spiritual knowledge for many, many births, bahūnāṁ janma. Because you will not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by saying by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead." If you don't believe it, then you have to cultivate knowledge for many, many births. You have to take birth and cultivate spiritual knowledge, again die, again come, again come, again take birth. This will go on continuously. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). And if you are fortunate enough to become wise enough, then you will understand, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: (BG 7.19) "Oh, Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa is everything." That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

(SB 1.2.7)

If you become devotee of Vāsudeva, bhaja vāsudevam, then very quickly you will become jñānavān. First of all, one becomes jñānavān; then he surrenders to Vāsudeva. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

So this is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to distribute perfect knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that will make the whole world happy. So try to distribute this knowledge to your best capacity. Kṛṣṇa will recognize you, that you are trying your best to work on His behalf because He comes down to distribute the knowledge. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7).

Because we are all His sons—we are suffering—so He wants to see that our sufferings are mitigated immediately. But we are obstinate. We don't accept the supreme father's advice. That is our difficulty. He says repeatedly,

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

(BG 18.66)

But we will not accept it. This is our misfortune. So voluntarily we should try to accept the knowledge and instruction given by Kṛṣṇa. Then our life will be perfect. Thank you very much. (end)

Lecture on BG 13.3 -- Hyderabad, April 19, 1974:

If you accept Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being, then we are befooled. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). We should accept Kṛṣṇa. Why should we accept? Because all the śāstras accept. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sādhu-śāstra-guru—that is the evidence. According to our Vedic knowledge, we shall accept a thing when it is proved by Vedic evidence. Therefore Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge.

So sādhu-śāstra. Śāstra means Vedas, and sādhu, saintly persons, and guru. Saintly person means who abides by the śāstra, Vedic knowledge. One who does not accept Vedic knowledge, so, followers of Vedas, they do not accept him as an authority.

Even Lord Buddha, He, because he did not accept the authority of Vedas, therefore in India he was rejected. Although Lord Buddha appeared in India, for some time many people became followers of Buddhist religion, but later on it disappeared from India. It went outside. What was the reason? Because Lord Buddha did not accept the authority of the Vedas. So although Lord Buddha is accepted as incarnation of God... We Vaiṣṇava, we worship Lord Buddha, keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātam.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Hyderabad, April 20, 1974:

We are creating different types of fruit? Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). We are getting different types of body life after life, which is created by our own karma. We wanted a body like this. We get it. If you want a body like tiger, to eat meat and suck blood, then Kṛṣṇa will give you a tiger's body. And if you want a body like demigod you can get it. Everything, you can get it. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Kṛṣṇa says, "Whatever you like, I will give you opportunity."

But the best advice is that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is your best way. It is up to me to accept it or not to accept it. Kṛṣṇa does not interfere with your independence. Because you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, you have got little independence, minute quantity, not full independence. As Kṛṣṇa is full independent, we are not full independent. Kṛṣṇa is sva-rāṭ, fully independent. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ (SB 1.1.1). Sva-rāṭ means fully independent. But we are, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are also little independent. So by misusing our independence, instead of serving Kṛṣṇa, we are serving our senses. Therefore bhakti-mārga means to rectify the senses, to purify the senses. By purifying senses, we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the definition of bhakti.

Lecture on BG 13.8-12 -- Bombay, October 5, 1973:

Vivikta-deśa-sevitvam aratir jana-saṁsadi (BG 13.11). Aratir jana-saṁsadi, not very much attached with general public, because they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. We can meet them as far as possible, as far as required. Not that we have to sit down and talk all nonsense with these general people. No. Aratir jana-samsadi, and vivikta-deśa-sevitvam (BG 13.11). Naturally, we shall be inclined to avoid such company. But preaching work, we have to go. Not to associate with him, but to give your association to him. That should be the principle. Because you have learned something about devotional service, you should give your experience to such person, but not to accept their behavior. If you keep this in view, then you will be preacher. And if you become victimized by his association, then you are doomed. You should give him the opportunity of your association, whatever you know, whatever you have learned about bhakti-yoga. When you go to meet a person, you should try to inform him, "This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You also take to it." As Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa-upadeśa' (CC Madhya 7.128). Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa-upadeśa'.

This is real business. Adhyātma-jñāna-nityatvam. Spiritual knowledge. That is eternal knowledge. It will not break. If you learn spiritual knowledge, a little of it in this life, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt, then you will be saved from the greatest danger. Tattva-jñānārtha-darśanam. If you want to become philosopher, then you philosophize for understanding the tattva-jñāna. And what is tattva-jñāna?

Lecture on BG 13.14 -- Bombay, October 7, 1973:

This is knowledge. This is knowledge. Not that to make Kṛṣṇa formless, "He does not eat. He does not speak. He does not walk. He has no hand. He has no head." That is not knowledge. That is ignorance, foolishness. Mūḍha. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ (BG 9.11). Because He does not know the paraṁ bhāvam. This is paraṁ bhāvam. Kṛṣṇa has form, but a form not like us. That is paraṁ bhāvam. He is present everywhere.

He can accept anything, wherever you offer. That Kṛṣṇa says, tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi. Kṛṣṇa says, "I take." Who are you to say that Kṛṣṇa does not accept? Kṛṣṇa accepts, provided it is given with devotion. That is wanted. Tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam. Anyone brings something to offer Kṛṣṇa with bhakti, Kṛṣṇa is not hungry but He accepts... (break)

These are the Vedic injunctions. He takes whole foodstuff, still He remains full. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). These are the Vedic injunctions." So that is, Kṛṣṇa is teaching, sarvataḥ śrutimal loke. He can hear. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, far, far away, therefore we are chanting His glory here, He cannot... (break)

...sarvataḥ śrutimal loke. He can hear everywhere. Sarvataḥ śrutimal loke. Sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati. Because He is Brahman, He is covering everything. He is everywhere. Bṛhatyad bṛhanatvat(?). Therefore He is Paraṁ Brahman. This is knowledge. You have to understand... Don't think Kṛṣṇa is limited because he appeared before us, He has appeared here in the form of a stone. He's not stone. Stone is His energy. (break) He can appear before... (break)

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Calcutta, February 23, 1972:

A natural instinct there is. But asuras, they do not try to stop it. They want to increase it. That is asura life. I have got some disease. If I want to cure it, then doctor gives me some prescription that "You don't take." Just like diabetic patient. He is forbidden that "Don't take sugar, don't take starch." Nivṛtti. Similarly, the śāstra gives us direction that you should be accepting these things and you should be not accepting these things, śāstra. Just like in our society, we have picked up the most essential nivṛtti and pravṛtti. The pravṛtti... We are instructing our students, "No illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no āmiṣa-sevā." Āmiṣa-sevā nityā sujantoḥ. But the śāstra says that if you can give up nivṛttis tu mahāphalām, then your life is successful. But we are not prepared. If you are not prepared to accept the pravṛttis and not to accept the nivṛttis, then one must know that he is asura. Kṛṣṇa says here, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ (BG 16.7). They do not... "Oh, what is that?" They say, even the big, big swamīs will say, "Oh, what is there wrong? You can eat anything. It doesn't matter. You can do anything. You simply give me fees, and I give you some special mantra." These things are going on. So because we want such cheaters... If I say, just like in our Society, if you had been given the freedom, "Now, whatever you like you can do," millions of students would have come. But that is not possible. We don't make any compromise like that, that "You can do whatever you like. You can eat whatever you like." No. We don't restrict to the ordinary man, but if one comes forward to become our student, serious student, then he must follow this pravṛtti-nirvṛtti. Otherwise he remains asura. What we have to make an asura a deva. That is our process. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that it is not that if a man is born in an asura family he cannot be deva. No. He can be deva. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yonayaḥ means asura-yonayaḥ, or lower than asura-yonayaḥ. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Everyone has got a chance.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

We don't want to stop the tendency of material enjoyment. No nivṛtti. The human life is meant for nivṛtti. The cats' and dogs' life is for pravṛtti. The sex desire, they cannot stop it. It is not possible. If you teach some dogs that "You forget the sex life," it is impossible. That is not possible. So they cannot stop this desire of sex life. But if a human being can be induced... Therefore there is brahmacarya system, there is Vedic education, there is Bhagavad-gītā, so many other things. If people take advantage of these books they can stop this pravṛtti, this intense desire for enjoying this material world. But the asuras, they do not know that what we should accept and what we should not accept. Pravṛtti means to accept something, and nivṛtti means to deny something. So they do not know. This is the first symptom of the asuras. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na viduḥ. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ, āsurāḥ janāḥ (BG 16.7), those who are demons, asuras, they do not know it.

Then next symptom? Na śaucam: They are very unclean. These things you will find nowadays everywhere, all over the world. They are not clean. The cleanliness is next to godliness. To rise early in the morning and cleanse yourself, evacuate, then take bath, cleanse your teeth, cleanse your hands, legs, and be refreshed, that is required. Śaucam. Śuci. This is the brāhmaṇa's business. Just like brāhmaṇa's another name is śuci. And one who does not observe the cleanliness process, he is called muci, means cobbler. So this is the symptom, that the asuras, they do not know which way is their goal of life. Na śaucam: "They are very unclean." Na śaucam.

Lecture on BG 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976:

Why? What is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa? And simply if you understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9). They are not ordinary activities. Janma karma ca me divyam-transcendental. If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then we can save from this botheration of repetition of birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). He does not accept any more this material body. Then where does he go? Mām eti: "He comes to Me, back to home, back to Godhead." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to introduce this movement in the human society. It is not meant for any particular class of men, a particular country or particular religious system. No. It is meant for everyone. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that it is the duty of the Indians.

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

First of all make yourself perfect. You can make yourself perfect because in the Bhāratavarṣa there are this Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedic literature. Just study them. And therefore we are publishing so many books on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and people are appreciating very much all over the world. So it is the duty of every Indian to make his life perfect by understanding Bhagavad-gītā at least, and spread the message.