Energy of the Lord (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"energies of the lord" |"energy of the lord" |"lord's energies" |"lord's energy"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG Introduction -- New York, February 19-20, 1966:

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

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

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

Introduction to Gītopaniṣad by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, the author of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Easy Journey to Other Planets, editor of Back to Godhead, etc.

Bhagavad-gītā is known also Gītopaniṣad, the essence of Vedic knowledge, and one of the most important of the various Upaniṣads in Vedic literature. This Bhagavad-gītā, there are many commentations in English and what is the necessity of another English commentation of the Bhagavad-gītā can be explained in the following way. One American lady, Mrs. Charlotte Le Blanc asked me to recommend an English edition of Bhagavad-gītā which she can read. Of course, in America there are so many editions of English Bhagavad-gītā, but so far I have seen them, not only in America but also India, none of them can be said strictly as authoritative because almost every one of them have expressed their own opinion through the commentation of the Bhagavad-gītā without touching the spirit of Bhagavad-gītā as it is.

Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

So this egotism is there, but we cannot see it. They are very fine things. There is existence, but our this present material eyes, material senses can have experience of the grosser type of materials, not of the subtler or finer types of material. So there are three finer types of material and five gross materials, altogether eight. bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). These are the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything that we experience, they are different energies of the Lord. Just like we can feel there is fire when we feel heat or light. We don't see the fire directly but when we feel warm, we consider there must be fire. Or if there is heat, I mean there is light, that is fire. Similarly, we can experience the presence of the Lord by His different energies. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis yathaiva(?) akhilaṁ jagat, this whole material manifestation. Because we can see only material things, gross things, but we cannot see but we can perceive the finer materials. So the finer materials, the mind, intelligence, and egotism, and still finer is the soul. Try to understand.

Lecture on BG 3.8-13 -- New York, May 20, 1966:

So the beginning of the process of yajña in this age can be very easily done by everyone, either he is family man or single man or anyone. Everyone has to cook for himself. Now, that cooking may be done for the Supreme Lord. And after cooking the foodstuff, offer it to the Supreme Lord and perform this yajña, saṅkīrtana,

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.)

Then you become free from all sinful... After all, whatever we are doing, we are committing some sort of, even unknowingly, even unknowingly.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

So this yajña. So far yajña is concerned, we can perform this yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña. That is not very difficult. Everyone, at home or in this place... What is that?

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.)

It is the most inexpensive performance of yajña. Anyone can adopt it, just to learn these sixteen words: Hare, Kṛṣṇa, Hare, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Hare, Hare, Hare, Rāma, Hare, Rāma, Rāma, Rāma, Hare, Hare, these sixteen words. Anyone, any illiterate man or any rich man, any poor man or any man of any country, these sixteen words anyone can learn.

Lecture on BG 4.6-8 -- New York, July 20, 1966:

These are nine. Now, here, in this room, we are performing the process of śravaṇam and kīrtanam. Just like we chanted

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.)

This is reciprocation of śravaṇam and kīrtanam, hearing and chanting, that I chanted, you heard, and you chanted, I heard. Reciprocation. So this is, these two methods are the first method in devotional service. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. And, and what about hearing and chanting? Now, Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu means the Supreme Lord. Viṣṇu. Not any other thing. If we make chanting and hearing in some other subject matter, no, that will not do. We have to hear and chant about Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord.

Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

This

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.)

This is transcendental sound vibration. This is transcendental sound vibration, and this will help us to cleanse the dust on the mirror of our mind. On the mind we have accumulated material dust. Just like on the Second Avenue, due to the constant traffic of motor car, there is always a creation of dusting over everything, similarly, by our manipulation of materialistic activities, there are some material dusts which are accumulated on the mind, and therefore we are unable to see things in true perspective. So this process, this vibration of transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, will cleanse the dust. And, as soon as the dust is cleared, then, as you can see on the mirror the nice face of yours, similarly we can see our real, I mean to say, constitutional position, "what I am." And as soon as I understand that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul, and my symptom is consciousness," and that consciousness, as it is purified by this process, the whole material miseries will be over.

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

Just like this tape recorder. It is being recorded. My words or my songs are being recorded. But they are different from me. This is dual, the world of duality. But the absolute world, there is no such difference. Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare. This name Kṛṣṇa and the personality Kṛṣṇa is the same. Is the same. Hare Kṛṣṇa means when I hear the sound, the transcendental sound vibration Kṛṣṇa, that means Kṛṣṇa is on my tongue, on my ear. Therefore, if we chant this vibration of transcendental sound with devotion and with attention, that is the highest type of meditation and yoga. And very easy. The process is that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and exactly the same sound you hear. So your mind is concentrated on this Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is not different. This sound Kṛṣṇa is not different from person Kṛṣṇa. Therefore when we chant...

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 4.10 -- Calcutta, September 23, 1974:

Everyone who is present here... Today is Rādhāṣṭamī. So pray to Rādhārāṇī. And She is hare, harā. This hare, this word, is Rādhārāṇī. Harā, Rādhārāṇī. Rādhā or harā the same thing. So Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we are praying to Rādhārāṇī, "My Mother, Rādhārāṇī, and Kṛṣṇa." Hare Kṛṣṇa. "O Kṛṣṇa, O the Lord." Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, the same thing, repetition. "O Rādhārāṇī, O Kṛṣṇa." "O Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." "Rādhe-Kṛṣṇa" or "Hare Kṛṣṇa," the same thing. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare. Again addressing, "O Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, O Rādhārāṇī." Hare Rāma. The same thing, again. Hare Rāma. Rāma is also Kṛṣṇa. Rāma is Rāma, Rāma is Balarāma. They are all Kṛṣṇa. Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. So this repetition of addressing Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa or Hare Kṛṣṇa is to pray, "My dear Lord, the, and the energy, the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service." That's all. "I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service."

Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Bombay, April 1, 1974:

Besides that, we are chanting also Hare Rāma. Hare Rāma and Sītā-Rāma the same thing. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa or Hare Rāma Hare Rāma, there is no difference. This is also rāma-nāma, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. In the śāstras it is recommended, Agni Purāṇa, Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, Kali-santaraṇa Upaniṣad, the

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 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:

Now, in the Bhāgavata in the Eleventh Canto you'll find the symptoms of Caitanya Mahāprabhu in which it is stated that yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ: (SB 11.5.32) "Those who are intelligent persons in this age, in Kali-yuga, they will perform saṅkīrtana-yajña and satisfy Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya." So this saṅkīrtana-yajña, that which you are performing,

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 4.20-24 -- New York, August 9, 1966:

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 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969:

Devotee: "Purport: The conditioned souls within the clutches of illusory energy are all anxious to attain peace in the material world. But they do not know the formula for peace which is explained in this part of Bhagavad-gītā. The peace formula is this: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the beneficiary in all human activities. Men should offer everything to the transcendental service of the Lord because He is proprietor of all planets and the demigods thereon. Nobody is greater than He. He is greater than the greatest of demigods, Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. Under the spell of illusion living entities are trying to be lords of all they survey but actually they are dominated by the material energy of the Lord. The Lord is the master of material nature and the conditioned souls are under the stringent rules of that nature. Unless one understands these bare facts it is not possible to achieve peace in the world either individually or collectively. This is the sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme predominator and that all living entities, including the great demigods, are His subordinates. One can attain perfect peace only in complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

This Fifth Chapter is a practical explanation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, generally known as karma-yoga. The question of mental speculation as to how karma-yoga can give liberation is answered herewith. Working in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to work with the complete knowledge of the Lord as the predominator. Such work is not different from transcendental knowledge. Direct Kṛṣṇa consciousness is bhakti-yoga and jñāna-yoga is a path leading to bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to work in full knowledge of one's relationship with the Supreme Absolute and the perfection of this consciousness is full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A pure soul is the eternal servant of God as His fragmental part and parcel. He comes into contact with māyā, illusion, due to the desire to lord it over māyā and that is the cause of his many sufferings. As long as he is in contact with matter he has to execute work in terms of material necessities. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, brings one into spiritual life even while one is within the jurisdiction of matter for it is an arousing of spiritual existence by practice in the material world. The more one is advanced the more he is free from the clutches of matter. There is no partiality of the Lord toward anyone. Everything depends on one's own practical performance of duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This performance in every respect should be to control the senses and conquer the influence of desire and anger and remaining in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by controlling the above-mentioned passions, one remains factually in the transcendental stage or Brahman nirvāṇa. The eightfold yoga mysticism is automatically practiced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because the ultimate purpose is served. There is a gradual elevation in the practice of yama, niyama, āsana, pratyāhāra, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, prāṇāyāma, and samādhi. These preface..."

Prabhupāda: These are eight items of yoga practice. Yama means controlling the senses; niyama—following the rules and regulation; āsana—practicing the sitting posture; pratyāhāra—controlling the senses from sense enjoyment; dhyāna—then thinking of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu; dhāraṇā—fixed up; prāṇāyāma—breathing exercise; and samādhi—being absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is yoga practice. So if one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning, all these eight items are automatically done. One does not require to practice them separately. Yes, go on.

Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

So our, this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa is also the same thing. This is also taught by Caitanya—Hare Means addressing the energy of the Lord and Kṛṣṇa, the Lord, Rāma, the Lord. Why? Please engage me in your service, that's all. That should be the demand. Please engage me in Your service. Because the whole disease is that we have forgotten to serve God. Because we are thinking, "I am God. What is any other God that I have to serve? I am myself God." That is the only disease. The last snare. First of all I try to become President, Minister, Rockefeller, Ford, this, that, when I fail, then I want to become God. That is another President, you see? So in the bhakti-yoga there is no such demand. Simply to serve. When all Presidentship fails, then I demand the highest Presidentship, to become God. You see? The demand is there, the disease is there. They cannot know that, that my disease is still there. I am demanding to be the highest. But bhakti-yoga is just the opposite. To become servant. Servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). Just opposite. There is no question of demanding to become the Lord or the President or this. I want to serve, that's all. And that is the crucial test. Service is the original nature.

Lecture on BG 7.1-2 -- Bombay, March 28, 1971:

(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.)

Ladies and gentleman, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this great movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the inaugurator of this movement five hundred years ago, although He is accepted as Kṛṣṇa Himself, still, He says that "Alone, I have no power or strength." Ekākī āmāra nāhi pāya. This is the humble submission of us, who have taken this movement very seriously, that we alone cannot make this movement perfect. You have all to join this movement. Because it is everyone's interest. It is not that a particular party or particular society or a particular country's interest. No. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. He is the original father of all living entities.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Montreal, June 3, 1968:

So therefore Lord Caitanya offers His prayer to Kṛṣṇa, ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I am Your eternal servant. Somehow or other, I am now fallen in this ocean of nescience." Kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya: "Kindly pick me up from this ocean of nescience and fix me as one of Your dust of the lotus feet." You see? So that should be our prayer, that... This Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa is also prayer. Hare means "O the energy of the Lord," and Kṛṣṇa means "O the Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead, please take me out of this ocean of nescience and fix me up in Your eternal, transcendental service." This is the prayer. So any other question? Anyway, you are maintaining this institution. Thanks to you. (chuckles) Although the assembly is not as great as the hall, (laughs) but still, you are maintaining. It is nice. So our Indian brothers, they do not participate in this meeting? No. So it is past nine. We can have saṅkīrtana for few minutes. No other questions from anybody? This is newly partitioned?

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

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

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

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

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

So now Kṛṣṇa is summarizing in this verse... Because the whole manifestation, tathedam akhilaṁ jagat, the whole universe is presentation of the energy of the Lord, therefore there is nothing but Lord. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Just like in this material world, we have got experience, the sun is the cause of all material manifestations. When the sunlight or sun heat... Just like Western countries, in this season, the sunlight and heat is practically not present. Therefore it is snowfall. There is no foliage in the trees. Every tree is deserted, due to the sun. And as soon as from the month of April the sunshine will be little more, mean, increased, at once the leaves will come out. In the Western world, this experience... Anywhere. The sun is the cause of everything, all this material world. So you can say that in this material world, there is nothing superior energy than the sun.

Lecture on BG 7.11-16 -- New York, October 7, 1966:

So the lowest of the mankind, the fool, the impious. Now, you can say, "Oh, they are all degree holders at the university, M.A., Ph.D., B.A.C., and you are calling him the fool?" Yes, still. "Why?" Māyayāpahṛta-jñānaḥ: (BG 7.15) by the illusory energy of the Lord, all their knowledge has been taken away. Why? Because the knowledge is meant for to understand what is, "What I am? What is this nature? What is God? Why I am suffering? Is there any remedy?" These are knowledge. And the knowledge to manufacture a motorcar, to manufacture a radio, a television, and something for sense enjoyment, this is not knowledge. This is the plundered knowledge. The knowledge was given to understand the problems of life, but it is being misused in manufacturing something which will satisfy my senses. That's all. That is not knowledge. They are thinking that this is knowledge. What is their knowledge? Do you think when there was no motorcar people could not go from one place to another? All right, some facility. That's all. But that is also becoming a problem. When everyone will have a motorcar, there will be no place to drive motorcar. You see?

Lecture on BG 7.16 -- Bombay, April 7, 1971:

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

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

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

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating in this great movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we have been discussing yesterday that na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). So miscreant, sinful life cannot help us in making progress.

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

Now, this is Sanskrit word. Some of you do not know what is the meaning of this Hare Kṛṣṇa. This meaning of Hare Kṛṣṇa is... It is just addressing the Supreme Lord and His energy, Harā. Harā is the energy, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So we are addressing, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa: "O the energy of the Lord, O the Lord, please accept me." That's all. "Please accept me." We have no other prayer. "Please accept me." Lord Caitanya taught that we should simply cry, and we shall simply pray for accepting us. That's all. So this vibration is simply a cry for addressing the Supreme Lord, requesting Him, "Please accept me. Please accept me."

ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ

patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau

kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-

sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya

(Cc. Antya 20.32, Śikṣāṣṭaka 5)

This prayer was offered by Lord Caitanya. He's praying, "O my dear Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda..." Kṛṣṇa appeared as a foster son of Nanda Mahārāja. And Kṛṣṇa is very delighted when He is connected with some of His devotees' names. So Lord Caitanya addresses Him, "O the son of Nanda, somehow or other, I have now fallen in this ocean of nescience, ignorance. Please pick me up and fix me as one of the atoms of Your lotus feet." That's all. Just like a man fallen in the ocean, the only survival is... If somebody goes and picks him just one inch above the water, he feels immediately relieved. Immediately. So as soon as we are fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the immediate relief. Immediately. There is no question about it. It is such a nice thing.

Lecture on BG 9.15-18 -- New York, December 2, 1966:

What is the definition of mother? Mother receives the seed from the father, and the child is born. Similarly, this material energy is the mother, this... We have got this body from mother. So this matter, material covering is the mother. And I am, I am spiritual spark, the seed. I am the part of Supreme. So the material energy is also the energy of the father, and as I am a spiritual spark, I am also a part of the Supreme. So He is my father and mother. Therefore somebody worships the Supreme Lord as mother, goddess Kālī, or... That is materialism. Because in the present conception of our life this body given by the mother is matter. Therefore worship mother means worship the matter. That's all. There are so many worshipers of mother. You worship your country. That is the same, material worship. This is called śakty-upāsanā. Śakti. Śakti means you are worshiping the energy of the Lord, not the Lord directly. You are worshiping the energy. All this nationalism or so many isms we have discovered, they are... Even the scientists. Scientists also, they worshiping the mother. He's finding out the complexities of the matter. So he's also worshiping mother. So materialism. This is called materialistic. One who is worshiping the mother, material energy, he's called śakta.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

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

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

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

These prayers, although it is in Sanskrit language, simply by hearing, the effect is made by the vibration. They're symbolical representation of the Supreme Spirit. Just like you are acquainted with the oṁkāra, om, that is also an alphabetical representation. But the sound, oṁkāra, has a specific significance. So, even sometimes you do not understand the meaning, by hearing the vibration you will be benefited.

Lecture on SB 1.3.1-3 -- San Francisco, March 28, 1968:

Nitya-baddha. This word is also technical. Nitya-baddha means ever-conditioned. There are nitya-muktas. Nitya-mukta means ever-liberated. In the spiritual world, there are also innumerable living entities. The... This material world is only one-fourth manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy, God's energy. And the three-fourths energy is manifested in the spiritual world. So we can just imagine that in one-fourth manifestation of energy of the Lord, we are so many living entities which is impossible to count. Now you can imagine how many more living entities are there. But here we are conditioned and they are liberated. Those who are conditioned, they are called nitya-baddha, ever-conditioned. Nitya-baddha means we do not know when our, this conditional stage has begun. It is impossible to trace out the history. But we are conditioned. There is no doubt about it. Conditioned means no freedom. No freedom. As spirit soul we are free. Sarva-ga, we can go everywhere, anywhere. Even those who get some mystic powers by perfection of yoga practice, they can also exhibit some powers. So why? As we become free from material conditions, our original freedom comes.

Lecture on SB 1.5.1-8 -- New Vrindaban, May 23, 1969:

(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.)

So sage Nārada is trying to enliven Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva was learned. Not ordinarily learned. He is the incarnation of God, Nārāyaṇa. He appeared for spreading Vedic knowledge. Therefore Nāradajī, it is stated here, smayann iva. Smayann iva means, smayan means smiling, that "Such a great personality also becomes morose." After giving so many contribution, literary contribution, still he was not happy. So it is wonderful... So therefore he was smiling.

Lecture on SB 1.5.12-13 -- New Vrindaban, June 11, 1969:

(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.)

naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ

na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam

kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare

na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam

(SB 1.5.12)

Now Vyāsadeva is discussing different kinds of literature. So he has explained that any literature, however nicely prepared from rhetorical point of view, or poetical, metaphorical, grammatical, but if there is no information of the Absolute Truth, such literatures are useless and no saintly person will take any interest in such literature. They give it up. Just like the swans, they do not take pleasure in a place where the crows can take pleasure. As there is distinction between the crows and the swans, even in the bird's kingdom, or even in the animal kingdom... You'll find always. The different kinds of varieties of birds and beasts, they live together. Similarly, those who are saintly persons, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, their taste is different from the persons who are just like crows. Crows are interested in things... Carvita-carvaṇānām. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "chewing the chewed." Already it has been chewed, and if somebody wants to try it, "Let me see. What is the taste there?" it is useless labor only.

Lecture on SB 1.5.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969:

(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.)

(aside:) So you keep there. You can keep here. It is open? Yes.

jugupsitaṁ dharma-kṛte 'nuśāsataḥ

svabhāva-raktasya mahān vyatikramaḥ

(SB 1.5.15)

So in our last meeting we have been discussing that śāstras, scriptures, if they simply deal with material activities... Of course, material activities should be regulated to come to the spiritual platform. But if we do not come to the spiritual platform, simply some regulative principle on the material platform will not help us.

Lecture on SB 1.7.10 -- Vrndavana, September 9, 1976:

Here in this material world the varieties are of material external energy, bahiraṅga. Bahiraṅga-śakti. There are three manifestations of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). That is the Vedic injunction, that the Lord's energy is manifested in varieties—not impersonal. If we study very intelligently, then we can understand how Kṛṣṇa's energy is working in varieties. You study even one flower, you'll see how varieties of color and arrangement of the petals, everything. Don't think as the rascals, they say "nature." What is nature? Nature is an instrument, just like typewriter . You're typewriting... You are typewriting, not that the typewriter typewriting. That is a mistake. Those who have less intelligence, poor fund of knowledge, they see that the typewriter is working. No. The typewriter means the person who is using the machine, he is just like this microphone. Microphone is not talking; I am talking. It is an instrument. Similarly, what we call nature, that is an instrument only, not that nature is working. Nature is dull. What is this microphone? It is made of dull matter. It cannot work.

Lecture on SB 1.7.19 -- Vrndavana, September 16, 1976:

So we address; Hare, "Oh, the energy, spiritual energy of the Lord," and Kṛṣṇa, "O the Supreme Lord," Hare Rāma, the same thing. Paraṁ Brahman. Rāma means Paraṁ Brahman, Kṛṣṇa means Paraṁ Brahman and... So what is the meaning of addressing, "He Kṛṣṇa, He Rādhe, He Rāma." Why? There should be some... Why you are asking? That "Just engage me in your service." That is taught by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ

patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau

kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-

sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya

(Cc. Antya 20.32, Śikṣāṣṭaka 5)

This is our prayer. It is not our prayer that, "O Kṛṣṇa, O Rāma, give me some money, give me some woman." No. This is not the prayer. Of course, in the neophyte stage they can pray like that, but that is not, I mean to say, śuddha-bhakti, pure devotion.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Los Angeles, July 1, 1970:

So this om means addressing the Lord. In the all the Vedic mantras they are addressing. Our this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, mahā-mantra, that is also addressing. Hare, Hare, addressing the energy of the Lord, Harā. The energy is Harā, Rādhā, Sītā. So when a female is addressed, it is like that: Hare, Late, Sīte, Rādhe. So Hare means addressing first, first of all the energy. The impersonalists, they do not know this, this addressing first of all Kṛṣṇa's energy. We Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, we don't worship Kṛṣṇa alone, ekala-vāsudeva. No. We must worship Kṛṣṇa along with His energy. Just like Kṛṣṇārjuna, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Arjuna is also energy, living entity, and Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, His internal energy, and marginal energy. So Kṛṣṇa means with His energy. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

(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.)

śrotavyādīni rājendra

nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ

apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ

gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām

(SB 2.1.2)

The same subject matter, that those who are too much attached in the family affairs, gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Gṛhamedhī means one who has made his center of activity home. He is called gṛhamedhī. There are two words. One word is gṛhastha, and one word is gṛhamedhī. What is the significance of these two words? Gṛhastha means one... Not only gṛhastha. It is called gṛhastha-āśrama. Whenever we speak of āśrama, it has got spiritual relationship. So all these four divisions of social orders-brahmacārī-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama, sannyāsa-āśrama... Āśrama. Āśrama means... Whenever... Āśrama, this word, has become little popular in your country also. Āśrama means situation for spiritual cultivation. Generally, we mean that. And here also, there are so many yoga-āśrama. I have seen in New York so many āśramas. "New York Yoga Āśrama," "Yoga Society," like that. Āśrama means it has got a spiritual connection. It doesn't matter whether a man... Gṛhastha means living with family, wife and children.

Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973:

Prakṛtiṁ parām. This material world is aparā-prakṛti, and prakṛti, nature or energy, this is inferior energy, the matter, dull matter. But apareyam. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), earth, water, air, fire, they are inferior energy of the Lord. But there is another, superior nature. That is described. Apareyam. These energies, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, earth, water, air, they are inferior. There is another superior. What is that? Jīva-bhūtām, these living entities, mahā-bāho, yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat, who are controlling now.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

That is natural. Similarly, when we invoke our natural love for God, that is the highest perfection of religious principle. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means it cannot be checked by any material condition. Just like we want to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; this is service. This is the beginning of service, chanting the glories of the Lord, or praying the Lord, "Hare, O the energy of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, O Lord, please engage me in Your service." This is the prayer. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, repeatedly, "Please engage me. Please engage me." But God can give you many things. Whatever you want, He is giving. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). He can give you even salvation, but very rarely He gives you the chance of serving Him.

Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, June 12, 1972:

Once a person comes into contact with any one of the above-mentioned energies of the Lord through the proper channel of devotional service, the door of perfection is immediately opened. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord has explained such contact in the following words. 'Endeavors in devotional service are never baffled, nor is there failure. A slight beginning of such activities is sufficient even to deliver a person from the great ocean of material fears.' (BG 2.40) As a highly potent drug injected intravenously acts at once on the whole body, similarly, the transcendental topics of the Lord injected through the ear of the pure devotee of the Lord can act very efficiently. Aural realization of the transcendental messages implies total realization, just as fructification of one part of a tree implies fructification of all other parts. This realization for a moment in the association of pure devotees like Śukadeva Gosvāmī prepares one's complete life for eternity, and as such the sun fails to rob the pure devotee of his duration of life, in as much as he is constantly busy in the devotional service of the Lord, purifying his existence.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

Karandhara: "The spirit soul is distinct from the material conception of his life."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Distinct. Always distinct. Next?

Karandhara: "But he is absorbed in such a material conception because of being influenced by the external energy of the Lord, called ātma-māyā. This is already explained in the First Canto in connection with Vyāsadeva's realization of the Supreme Lord and His external energy. The external energy is controlled by the Lord and the living entities are controlled by the external energy."

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: (BG 7.14) "As soon as one surrenders unto Me, he has no more illusion." Māyām etaṁ taranti. Immediately. So people are conditioned, encaged. So many big, big words The Māyāvādīs, they are undergoing austerities or penances just to become liberated. Yogis, they are also trying to become one. So many endeavors are going on. But the simple process is, as soon as you surrender, that you are not fallen, "It was illusion. I was dreaming. I am Kṛṣṇa's," finished. All gone. "I am Kṛṣṇa's. I am Kṛṣṇa's eternal servant. These are all nonsense"—he immediately becomes liberated. Just try to understand. Immediately, within a second. Liberation can be attained within a second, provided we abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the position.

Lecture on SB 2.9.1 -- Tokyo, April 20, 1972:

Karandhara: "The external energy is controlled by the Lord and the living entities are controlled by the external energy by the will of the Lord. Therefore, although the living entity is purely conscious in his pure state, he is subordinate to the will of the Lord, being influenced by the external energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same thing is confirmed, that the Lord is present within the heart of every living entity and all consciousness and forgetfulness of the living entity are influenced by the Lord."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because... Now, people may say that, "Why Kṛṣṇa within the heart gives one type of consciousness to one, and another type of consciousness...?" Because I wanted. I wanted to forget Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa is giving consciousness: "All right, you can forget Me in this way." That is His kindness. Just like the Māyāvādīs, the so-called yogis and karmīs, they wanted to forget. Kṛṣṇa is giving him intelligence. "All right. You forget Me like this." That's all. Go on. And if you want to again revive your relationship, Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te: "I shall give intelligence." So Kṛṣṇa is... Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). As you want, Kṛṣṇa gives you facility. Go on.

Lecture on SB 2.9.10 -- Tokyo, April 26, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Lust and anger. These two things completely... Then?

Pradyumna: "As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20) stage of life one becomes free from hankering and lamentation. Therefore the conclusion is that the inhabitants of the Vaikuṇṭha planets are all brahma-bhūta living entities, as distinguished from the mundane creatures who are all compact in hankering and lamentation. When one is not in the modes of ignorance and passion, one is supposed to be situated in the mode of goodness in the material world. Goodness in the material world also at times becomes contaminated with touches of the mode of passion and ignorance. In the Vaikuṇṭhaloka it is unalloyed goodness only. The whole situation there is one of freedom from the illusory manifestation of the external energy. Although the illusory energy is also a part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, still, illusory energy is differentiated from the Lord. The illusory energy is not, however, false, as claimed by the monist philosophers. The rope accepted as a snake may be an illusion to a particular person, but the rope is a fact, and the snake is also a fact. The illusion of water on the hot desert may be an illusion for the ignorant animal searching out water in the desert. But the desert and water are actual facts. Therefore the material creation of the Lord may be an illusion to the nondevotee class of men, but to a devotee, even the material creation of the Lord is a fact, as the manifestation of His external energy. But this energy of the Lord is not all. The Lord has His internal energy also, which has another creation known to be the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, where there is no ignorance, no passion, no illusion, and no past and present. With a poor fund of knowledge one may be unable to understand the existence of such things as the Vaikuṇṭha atmosphere, but that does not nullify its existence. A spacecraft cannot reach these planets does not mean that there are no such planets, for they are described in the revealed scriptures. As quoted by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, we can know from the Nārada Pañcarātra that the transcendental world or Vaikuṇṭha atmosphere is enriched with transcendental qualities. These transcendental qualities, as revealed through the devotional service of the Lord, are distinct from the mundane qualities of ignorance, passion, and goodness. Such qualities are nonattainable by the nondevotee class of men. In the Padma Purāṇa, Uttara-khaṇḍa, it is stated that beyond the one-fourth part of God's creation there is the three-fourths part manifestation. The marginal line between..."

Prabhupāda: Just see how we are getting information about the space. Just see. Beyond this material sky this space is... Information of the space is there. They cannot have any information of this material space, what to speak of the spiritual space. How much our knowledge is perfect. Either we are crazy, all thinking, or we are in a very secure position than all these rascals. What do you think? Clear conception of everything.

Lecture on SB 2.9.10 -- Tokyo, April 26, 1972:

Prabhupāda: Just see how we are getting information about the space. Just see. Beyond this material sky this space is... Information of the space is there. They cannot have any information of this material space, what to speak of the spiritual space. How much our knowledge is perfect. Either we are crazy, all thinking, or we are in a very secure position than all these rascals. What do you think? Clear conception of everything. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The marginal line between the material manifestation and the spiritual manifestation is the Virajā River. And beyond the Virajā, which is a transcendental current flowing from the perspiration of the body of the Lord, there is the three-fourths part manifestation of God's creation. This part is eternal, everlasting, without any deterioration, and unlimited, and contains the highest perfectional stage of living conditions. In the Sāṅkhya-kaumudī it is stated that unalloyed goodness or transcendence is just opposite to the material modes. All living entities are eternally associated without any break, and the Lord is the chief and prime entity there. In the Āgama Purāṇas also the transcendental abode is described as follows. The associated members there are free to go everywhere within the creation of the Lord, and there is no limit to such creation, particularly in the region of the three-fourths magnitude. Since the nature of that region is unlimited, there is no history of such association, nor is there end of it. The conclusion may be drawn that because of the complete absence of the mundane qualities of ignorance and passion, there is no question of creation nor of annihilation. In the material world everything is created and everything is annihilated, and the duration of life between the creation and annihilation is temporary. In the transcendental realm, there is no creation and no destruction, and thus the duration of life is eternal unlimitedly. In other words, everything in the transcendental world is everlasting, full of knowledge and bliss without any deterioration. Since there is no deterioration, there is no past, present and future in the estimation of time. It is clearly stated in this verse that the influence of time is conspicuous by its absence. The whole material existence is manifested by actions and reactions of elements which make up the influence of time prominent in the matter of past, present and future. There are no such actions and reactions of cause and effects there. So the cycle of birth, growth, existence, transformations, deterioration and annihilation or the six material changes are nonexistent there. It is the unalloyed manifestation of the energy of the Lord without any illusion as experienced here in the material world. The whole Vaikuṇṭha existence proclaims that everyone there is a follower of the Lord. The Lord is the chief leader there without any competition of leadership, and the people in general are all followers of the Lord. It is confirmed in the Vedas therefore that the Lord is the chief leader and all other living entities are subordinate to Him."

Prabhupāda: Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

Pradyumna: "It is confirmed in the Vedas therefore that the Lord is the chief leader and all other living entities are subordinate to Him as only the Lord..."

Prabhupāda: So we have accepted the original leader, Kṛṣṇa. Why should we follow the nonsense leader who has no perfect knowledge? We have accepted the supreme leader. That is our advantage.

Lecture on SB 3.25.1 -- Bombay, November 1, 1974:

So there is information in the śāstra, accepted by the ācāryas. Just like kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, that is accepted by the ācāryas. Ācāryopāsanam. The Śaṅkarācārya even, although he is impersonalist, he has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and what to speak of others? Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya and Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka and, latest, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers—all accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of..., following the same principle as Arjuna said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)." So this is simple thing. There is no need of speculation, "What is God?" "Where is God?" Here is God, sir. Here is God. You see. Why you foolish, you are searching? Here is God. He is not... Although Kṛṣṇa has come in a form which you can see... Kṛṣṇa has appeared before you just like stone statue. But He is not stone statue. Of course, stone is also God because stone is another energy of God, just like fire is also heat and light. And the heat is also fire, and light is also fire. Without fire, there cannot be light. Without fire, there cannot be heat So this material world is just like the heat and light of the supreme light, of the supreme fire. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. Eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā, tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. Just like fire is in one place... Just like sun. It is a, mean, a practical example. The sun is in one place. You have seen. It is light and heat, so expanding the light and heat throughout the whole universe, and as soon as you perceive light and heat, you can understand there is sun. So light and heat can be perceived by anyone. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the light and heat of the sun." Of course, moon, there is no heat. There is cooling effect. Two things are there. So all these are energies of Kṛṣṇa. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. So why people say, "Can you show me God?" You are seeing daily, every moment. But because you are fool, you have no sense of understanding. As soon as there is some heat, any man can understand there is fire. As soon as there is smoke, anyone can understand there is fire. Similarly, if you can feel the energy of the Lord, then you can feel the presence of the Lord immediately.

Lecture on SB 3.25.32 -- Bombay, December 2, 1974:

So we are doing the same thing. When we go to God we ask Him, "Kindly give me the bundle on my head. My family become may happy. I may have a large amount of money to enjoy material things." We ask that. That is our foolishness. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us, therefore, that actually, if you want something from God, that should be only begging for His service. This Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra means addressing God, "Kṛṣṇa," "Hari," and His energy Harā, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī or Lakṣmījī, Hare: "O this internal potency of Kṛṣṇa..." Hara is Kṛṣṇa's internal potency. The external potency is Durgā, and the internal potency is Rādhārāṇī. Jaya Rādhe. So this is daivī-prakṛti. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). The devotees, they take shelter of the daivī-prakṛti, Rādhārāṇī, Lakṣmījī. They worship, therefore, Vaiṣṇava, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, Sītā-Rāma, the first of all, the energy. The energy. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is first addressing the energy, the internal energy, potency, of Kṛṣṇa. Hare. From Harā to Hare. That is the sambodhana. So Hare Kṛṣṇa: "O Rādhārāṇī, or Lakṣmī, or Sītā, and Kṛṣṇa, or Rāma, or Nārāyaṇa"—the same thing. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, addressing Them, "O my Lord, O my Lord's energy." So when you address somebody, you want to ask something. So if they reply, "Yes, why you are calling?" then we're calling, "Please engage me in Your service." This is the prayer, not that "Give me money" or "Give me beautiful wife" or many followers. This is material hankering.

Lecture on SB 5.5.19 -- Vrndavana, November 7, 1976:

Now, it is inconceivable. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya vṛtti-manti. Now, we have got this understanding, that we can see with our eyes, but God can not only see with His eyes; He can eat with His eyes. This is inconceivable. We shall think, "How it is possible that one can eat with His eyes?" Therefore śāstra says, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya vṛtti-manti (Bs. 5.32). Just like we offer foodstuff to the Deity. The atheist will say, "Oh, you have offered this, so many nice foodstuff, but He has not eaten. It is there, lying there." But he does not know that God has His indriyas, sakalendriya vṛtti-manti. As soon as sees the foodstuff is offered, He has eaten. That they do not know. This is inconceivable. Unless we accept the inconceivable energy of the Lord, there is no question of God. So He can eat by seeing. Aggāni yasya sakalendriya vṛtti-manti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti (Bs. 5.32). He can offer you blessing, everything, by one aṅga. By one part of the body He can do everything. This is inconceivable. Adhokṣaja. Therefore another name of God is called adhokṣaja. Akṣaja jñānam adhaḥ kṛta.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Sydney, February 17, 1973:

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja addressed Śukadeva Goswāmī as mahā-bhāga, the most fortunate. Because he's perfect Vaiṣṇava, therefore he addresses, "My dear, the most fortunate," mahā-bhāga. Adhunā, "Now," yathaiva narakān naraḥ, "these people are suffering in the hellish condition of life. How they can be rescued?" Nānā ugra-yātanān. Very severe punishment they are undergoing. People cannot see. They have no eyes to see, you see? They suffer in great calamities, and still they cannot see that "I am suffering." Just like when you pass through the streets of Australia, we go daily, morning walk, big, big skyscraper buildings have been constructed, and people are making plans, designs, working very, very hard, lifting so many heavy things. These are very heavy tasks, but they are thinking, "It is very happiness." (laughter) They are thinking, "We are making progress, we are making progress. We are bringing stones and irons on head and putting together, and it is progress. We are very happy." (laughter) This is going on. This is called varāta māninaḥ(?). They are enamored by the external energy of the Personality of Godhead. These material things are products of the external energy of the Lord. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vayuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Bhūmi, the earth, the iron, stone, wood, they are nothing but transformations of earth. Similarly, apo, water. So whatever we are manufacturing here, they are simply combination of earth, water, air, fire, that's all.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

Devotee (1): I thought that Lord Buddha was supposed to be incarnation of Viṣṇu.(?)

Prabhupāda: Not viṣṇu-tattva. They are not viṣṇu-tattva. There are jīva-tattva and viṣṇu-tattva. The jīvas are sometimes... Just like Lord Brahmā. He is also not viṣṇu-tattva. Lord Śiva is between viṣṇu-tattva and jīva-tattva. So powers, energies of the Lord exhibited in different categories... The viṣṇu-tattva is full of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Others, they are not full. And Kṛṣṇa is the fullest, ṣoḍaśa-kalāḥ. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa, aṁśa. Aṁśa means partially present in Kṛṣṇa. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).

Revatīnandana: In the picture in the revealed book, Nāradajī is asking questions of Lord Brahmā. I was thinking that Nārada has actually an all-spiritual body, and Brahmā has a material form, material body. And yet Nārada appears to Brahmājī to ask questions from him as spiritual master. How is that?

Prabhupāda: Brahmājī also enters the spiritual kingdom at the time of annihilation with his persons.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- San Francisco, March 3, 1967:

(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.)

śrī-prahrāda uvāca

kaumāra ācaret prājño

dharmān bhāgavatān iha

durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma

tad apy adhruvam arthadam

(SB 7.6.1)

Today I shall speak before you the conversation of Prahlāda Mahārāja and his classfellows. Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was grown up young man, he was a big emperor. But when he was a child, from the very beginning of his life, he was a great devotee. And his father was a great atheist. So the child was taught about this bhāgavata-dharma, or... Bhāgavata-dharma means dealings with the Personality of Godhead. There are many kinds of dealings. So when our dealings are with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is called bhāgavata-dharma.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 12, 1968:

(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.)

kaumāra ācaret prājño

dharmān bhāgavatān iha

durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma

tad apy adhruvam arthadam

(SB 7.6.1)

This verse we have been discussing in our last meeting. The purport is: "From very childhood, very childhood, the boys, the children, should be taught about this God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness." The mistake of modern civilization is that we are, I mean to say, bringing up spoiled children. So when they are grown up, if they become hippies or communists, it is not their fault. It is the fault of the guardians. It is the fault of the guardians. When the people become just something against the social convention, it is not the fault of the youngsters, but it is the fault of the education system, it is the fault of the parents, it is fault of the teachers.

Lecture on SB 7.7.46 -- San Francisco, March 22, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

That is confirmed in the Vedas, Vedic literature, Upaniṣad also: parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The energy of the Lord are differently manifested. Just like this light. Take the same example, fire. Fire is placed in one place, but it is manifesting in different way. It is illuminating, it is distributing its heat from one place. Similarly, the Supreme Lord, He may be far, far away. He's not far, far away, because He is present by His energy. Just like sunshine. Sun is far, far away from us, but he is present just before us by his shining. We can understand what is sun. Similarly, if you study the energy of the Supreme Lord, then you are in conscious, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you engage yourself in the energy of Kṛṣṇa, then you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. And as soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you become nonseparated. You become nonseparated from Him.

Lecture on SB 7.9.47 -- Vrndavana, April 2, 1976:

Puṣṭa-Kṛṣṇa: "...authorized Vedic knowledge one can see the cause and effect of the cosmic manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because the cosmic manifestation is also His energy. Both of them are different energies of the Lord and nothing else. The wise man can see how the fire is spread within the wood by consideration of cause and effect. Similarly, persons engaged in devotional service understand, O my Lord, how You are both the cause and effect."

Prabhupāda:

rūpe ime sad-asatī tava veda-sṛṣṭe

bījāṅkurāv iva na cānyad arūpakasya

yuktāḥ samakṣam ubhayatra vicinate tvam...

In this book it is vicinate. I think that other book, vicikṣate?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Vicakṣate? And in the other book it says.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It doesn't make any difference.

yuktāḥ samakṣam ubhayatra vicinate tvāṁ

yogena vāhnim iva dāruṣu nānyataḥ syāt

(SB 7.9.47)

So yogena, this word, is very important in this verse. There are... Yogena means "by the means of," upayena, "by the means of." So as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: (BG 18.55) "Only by devotional service one can understand Me."

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.5 -- Mayapur, March 29, 1975:

They have no idea what is Bhagavān. This is one of the description of Mahā-Viṣṇu, that from His breathing, innumerable universes are coming out. When He is exhaling, the universes are coming out, and when He is inhaling, all, everything, is going within Him. This is Bhagavān. So anyway, this is partial exhibition of the energy of the Lord. And this is one-fourth energy. This material world is manifestation of His one-fourth energy. The three-fourth energies are in the spiritual world. So in that spiritual world Kṛṣṇa exhibits His spiritual energy. That is only spiritual energy. This material world is made of material energy, and we are marginal energy.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.119 -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

So we are one of the energies of the Lord, marginal energy. Marginal energy means if I desire... Because I have got little independence... Because Kṛṣṇa is fully independent, sva-rāṭ. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu avijñaḥ sva-rāṭ. Kṛṣṇa is sva-rāṭ, means "fully independent." But we are Kṛṣṇa's minute part and parcels; therefore we have got the independence quality, but not full independence. We are controlled. Just like you claim to be independent, Indian nation. But that does not mean that you are fully independent, each of you. You are dependent on the government. These things are very easy to understand. Similarly, a living entity has got independence, but not full independence. He cannot do anything without the sanction of God. That is his dependence.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 6.151-154 -- Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971:

There are many Vedic statements. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). That means the creation of this material world is from the Supreme Lord. Now, that creative energy of Supreme Lord is not material. That is spiritual. The material means the material world is created by the spiritual energy. Therefore, the spiritual energy (was) existing before the creation of the material world. Therefore, Viṣṇu's energy is not material. Viṣṇu's energy is spiritual. Here it is stated that viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā. Parā means spiritual; proktā, "it is said." Kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā. And kṣetrajña means these jīvas. In the Bhagavad-gītā, kṣetrajña... Kṣetra and kṣetrajña. There are two statements in the Bhagavad-gītā, I think in the Thirteenth Chapter, that kṣetra is this body, and the owner of this body, you and me... We are different owners of different bodies. We are kṣetrajña. So the kṣetrajña-śakti... This is also śakti again. It is śakti. It is not the energetic. So this kṣetrajña is also parā, spiritual. It is confirmation of the Bhagavad-gītā, that viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā (CC Madhya 6.154). The Lord's energy is spiritual, and another energy, which is known as kṣetrajña, or the jīvas, they are also spiritual energies. But energy, not the energetic. Kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā, avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, April 30, 1970:

Karandhara: Everything animate or inanimate in this world is controlled and owned by Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is described that there are two types of energies of Kṛṣṇa, parā prakṛti and aparā prakṛti, the superior energy and the inferior energy. The inferior energy is made up of the gross elements, earth, air, fire, water, and the subtle energy or the subtle material elements are the sky..., excuse me, mind, intelligence and false ego. These make up the parā prakṛti, or the inferior energy of the Lord. But the living entities, they are the superior energy of the Lord. They are aparā prakṛti; henceforth, due to their illusion, their misconception, they are trying to lord it over the parā prakṛti, uh, uh, aparā prakṛti, the inferior energy of the Lord. And they have become entangled. They have become covered by the gross elements. So when one is realizing who the source of the energies, of all these energies are..., who are the proprietor, who are the controller of the energy, then by the Lord's mercy, the Lord being the controller of all these energies, that entity can become free from the covering, from the influence of the material energy, and can resume his natural constitutional position as superior energy and function on that platform in realization of both energies and his relationship with the supreme energy of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. One should not..., one should only accept that which is set aside for him that which is needed. The lusty desire to gain more, for acquiring more—this lust, this perversion, this misunderstanding is exactly what enamors the living entity, parā prakṛti, in the inferior energy, aparā prakṛti. So when one can come to this understanding, that everything is controlled, everything is owned by the Supreme Lord, and that he has no proprietorship, then he can give up this false (conception) of "mine" and "I" and realize that the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, He is the controller, He is the owner, and can once again regain his natural, blissful state, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Prabhupāda: Why a living entity is superior energy? Can anyone explain? Why living...? Yes? Stand up.

Devotee: Well, it is stated that the living entity, or the jīva soul, belongs to the jīva-tattva, that categoristic..., falls into that categoristic of the Lord's energy. He is... Spark...

Prabhupāda: No, the question is why the living entity is called superior energy? That is the question. The material, matter—earth, water, air, fire, sky—the inferior energy; and why the living is called superior energy? Who can explain? Yes? Stand up.

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 1 -- Los Angeles, May 2, 1970:

Gargamuni: The last sentence. "This point is confirmed by the Bhagavad-gītā in the Seventh Chapter, where parā and aparā prakṛti are discussed. The elements of nature—earth, fire, water, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego—all belong to the inferior, or material, energy of the Lord, whereas the living being, the organic energy, is the superior energy, the parā prakṛti of the Lord. Both the prakṛtis, or energies, are emanations from the Lord, and ultimately He is the controller of everything that exists. There is nothing in this universe which does not belong either to the parā or aparā prakṛti, and therefore everything is under the..."

Prabhupāda: "...proprietary right of the Supreme Being." So here, in the Īśopaniṣad also, the same thing is explained, that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Whatever we are seeing, animate or inanimate, there is control of the Supreme Lord. The same thing is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that His energies are working. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said, just like fire staying in one place distributes its heat and light... Eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā. Agni, agni means fire.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Speech -- Stockholm, September 5, 1973:

Guest (Swedish man): ...request Your Highness with a few word, what is Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Haṁsadūta: "What is Hare Kṛṣṇa?"

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare is the energy of the Lord, God. God's energy is called Hare, and God is called Kṛṣṇa. So we are addressing both God and His energy because this..., there are varieties of energies of God. They have been summarized into three: the spiritual energy, the material energy and the marginal energy. The marginal energy..., the marginal energy is we, living beings, and the material energy, this material world. So similarly, there is another world, which is made of spiritual energy. So this Hara means the spiritual energy. Now we are in the material energy. We have got this material body. But if we can please the Supreme Lord and His spiritual energy, we shall get next a spiritual body, and that is eternal, blissful, full of knowledge.

Initiation Lectures

Excerpt from Sannyasa Initiation of Viraha Prakasa Swami -- Mayapur, February 5, 1976:

They accept this impersonal position as liberation. Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, not knowing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a tridaṇḍī, think of Caitanya Mahāprabhu as an ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī. This is due to their vivarta, bewilderment. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no such thing as ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī. Indeed, the tridaṇḍī-sannyāsī is accepted as the symbolic representation of the sannyāsa order. By citing this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the sannyāsa order recommended in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, who are enamored of the external energy of the Lord, cannot understand the mind of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. To date, all the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu following in His footsteps accept the sannyāsa order and keep the sacred thread and tuft of unshaved hair. The ekadaṇḍī-sannyāsīs of the Māyāvādī school give up the sacred thread and do not keep any tuft of hair. Therefore they are unable to understand the purport of tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa, and as such, they are not inclined to dedicate their lives to the service of Mukunda. They simply think of merging into the existence of Brahman because of their disgust with material existence.

General Lectures

Lecture Engagement -- Montreal, June 15, 1968:

So what is this Hare Kṛṣṇa? Hare means the energy of the Lord, and Kṛṣṇa means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So it is a prayer. There are three words only: Hare, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, three words. That has been arranged in sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So our movement is that we request you to take up these sixteen words—not sixteen words, three words, Hare, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma. But is is arranged in such a way that there are sixteen words. So anyone can take it by heart, these three words, and chant it. It is universal. And if you think that "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is the name of Hindu god," if you have got any objection, then you may not chant Kṛṣṇa, but you must have a name for God. Just like somebody, the Muhammadans, call Allah, the Jews call Jehovah, or somebody calls something. That doesn't matter. If you think that "Why shall I chant the Indian name Kṛṣṇa, Sanskrit name Kṛṣṇa?" so Lord Caitanya says that there are millions and billions of names of God.

Lecture at Harvard University -- Boston, December 24, 1969:

(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.)

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I thank you very much for joining us in this evening of chanting together Hare Kṛṣṇa. The saṅkīrtana movement is a prescribed performance in this age. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, Ninth Chapter, 6th verse, there is a statement that,

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā-kṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñair saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

(SB 11.5.32)

Su-medhasaḥ, this Sanskrit word, means intelligent persons. Medhas. Medhas means brain substance, one who has got very good brain substance. The brain substance... According to psychology, there is difference of brain substance. Not the brain substance equally, of equal weight, in every man's brain. You know, you are all educated students, psychology students. In our boyhood when we were a student in psychology class, Dr. Urquhart explained this brain substance. The man has got the highest brain substance—not all—up to sixty-four ounce. And woman has got the highest up to thirty-six or thirty-four.

Lecture to International Student Society -- Boston, December 28, 1969:

So there is so many list of understanding that God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when one is fully cognizant of the energies of the Lord, how they are acting... And we have to practice. We take lesson from Bhagavad-gītā and we practice. You will be able to understand. Then after bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), when you become mature, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, "Oh, Vāsudeva is everything," then you surrender. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That person, who has widened his soul in that way, he is very rare to be seen. And what are the functions of such mahātmā? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Mahātmā, one who is so broadminded, he is not crooked to be under the spell of this material energy. He is under the protection of the spiritual energy, daivī prakṛti. Prakṛti means nature. This nature is called the material energy. And there is another, spiritual energy. These things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam. These are aparā. Aparā means inferior energies, material energy. Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Beyond this inferior energy, there is another, spiritual energy. There are so many verses you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, February 23, 1971:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a self-purification movement. The method is vibration of transcendental sound. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, this sound, is not material sound. It is descended from the spiritual world. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name—not different. Abhinnatvāṁ nāma-nāminoḥ. As in this material world there is difference between the name and the substance... If you are thirsty, then if you simply chant "water, water, water," your thirst will not be quenched. You have to get the substance water. But in the spiritual world it is, being absolute, the name and the person whose name we are chanting, they are the same. Therefore by chanting this holy name of God, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa... Hare is addressing the spiritual energy of the Lord, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So by being in touch with the Supreme Lord and His energy directly, we become purified. Exactly like if you take one iron rod, put into the fire, it becomes warner, warmer, and at last it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, if you constantly become in touch with the Supreme Lord by chanting His holy name, which is not different from the Supreme Lord, then you become spiritually purified.

Lecture -- Laguna Beach, September 30, 1972:

The energy is coming out from the powerhouse, and by utilizing that electric energy, we are working in so many ways: heater, cooler, this microphone, tape recorder, so many things. But the energy is coming from that powerhouse. Similarly, whatever you are seeing, wonderful action of the material action and reaction, they are simply interaction of different energies of the Lord, heat and light. Any scientist will understand that this whole cosmic manifestation is creation of heat and light, two energies. The two energies are coming from the sun, and the material world is creation of the sunshine, heat and light. Similarly there are two energies of God, heat and light. So one is called material energy, another is called spiritual energy, although both of them coming from the supreme spirit, exactly like heat and light is coming from the sun. But heat is not light; light is not heat. There is distinction. This is called inconceivable one and difference simultaneously. Acintya-bhedābheda tattva. This is our philosophy. Nothing is different from God, but not that everything is God. Simultaneous one and different. So two energies are working, material and spiritual.

Lecture What is a Guru? -- London, August 22, 1973:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

(I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.)

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ

sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale

svayaṁ rupaḥ kadā mahyaṁ

dadāti sva-padāntikam

(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

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

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

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

Thank you very much.

Speech -- Vrndavana, April 20, 1975:

(O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.)

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.)